New Beginnings

After being out of the saddle for a few weeks due to my knee, I decided yesterday was the time to get back into the groove with Sienna. So, I donned my tall boots, work breeches, and helmet- along with a spaghetti strap tank and sunglasses. Yes, I was that rider.

Additionally, I was so excited to ride that I forwent longing. Go big or go home, I say.

We stretched and loosened up, and then... we worked on trotting to walking transistions, something that Sienna definitely knew how to do before my riding hiatus. After she remembered how to do those, we worked on whoaing. Again, something that she definitely knows (and is even one of her saving graces). Let me tell you, it's SO MUCH FUN reminding her that she knows how to do stuff.

After all of that, however, I did some trotting in two point, something that I think kind of confused her at first ("Mom? What? Are you asking me to slow down? To speed up? To dodge to the left out from under you so you fall off (which didn't happen, for the record)??"). But the most exciting part was cantering in two-point! We did our regular circles around and through trees, and for the most part, she kept in gear through it all. But then, I surprised her by pointing her in a straight line across the yard, and off we went, me clinging to her neck like a jockey. She definitely put her head up, ears forward, and picked up speed- and I LOVED every minute of it. I was grinning like a lunatic as I came back in contact with the saddle and we dropped back to the trot.

My aspirations for her have evolved the longer I've ridden her- I started out wanting to make her an all around horse, for instance, and then switched to hunter under saddle- but now I'm thinking maybe we won't be as bad at this jumping thing as I figured we would be. Granted, I say that not having tried her over a jump yet, and there are some confidence issues I'm going to have to get over for myself there, but I am excited!

Now, I just have to find and/or make some practice jumps. I'm pretty sure that neither the massive wood pile nor Fiona's agility jump are going to serve my purpose here:

Surely Sienna will squeeze through...?

We cooled off afterward by riding down the road the opposite direction from where we usually ride, which means that my roommate's annoying horse can follow right next to us all the way down the fence, screaming and bucking and bolting. If anyone was outside, they would have heard a few choice words, in addition to my thoughts on the one thing that horse is good for- but I digress. Sienna was a champ, even with the other horse running at her and being a idiot. Oh, she looked at him, but not once did she try to join him. I think she was really just wondering what he was doing and why on earth he would want to expend so much energy. Meanwhile, my angel of an appaloosa just watched from her feed bucket across the pasture, knowing that dinner would be coming soon.

Speaking of Chica, I finally got her neurectomy scheduled, which I have mixed feelings about. Once it's done, there is no going back. I'm not worried about her value going down or anything, since I have no plans on ever selling her, and I do think it's the right thing to do after watching her favor her foot for the last few months. I just want everything to go smoothly. Surgery is always a scary thing, due to possible complications that can arise.

Ramses is finally starting to show signs of having an appetite again. Usually weighing around 15-16 pounds, he has dropped to under 13 over the last few weeks due to everything with his urinary blockage and diet change. If you run your hand over his back, you can feel his spinal cord. He is still as plush plush as ever, but it makes me so sad! Fortunately, after trying food number 4, I seem to have found something he'll eat. Still working on switching him to a prescription wet food, but that may be a lost cause. I do think that part of what caused his appetite to come back was his sudden interest in the dogs' food:

"Hey, you gonna eat that?"

 And now for a montage of my favorite children:

Scholarly Romeo.

Can you tell who got the short end of the stick on where to sleep?

Ramses enjoys confounding Fiona.

Fiona is the tiniest of them all.

I love them all. They keep me so entertained (and give my phone's photo gallery something to do- it is currently at 433 pictures, and I can guarantee that at least 375 of them are of at least one of my crew).