Fun to Run

As an innate overachiever and being of the mind that there is ALWAYS a way to improve, I don't really tend to be "proud" of anything. Yesterday though, I was pretty darn happy with my ponies.

Due to Karma's injury, a tough Winter, my work, and life in general...they did very little over the past five months. Yesterday, I let them have joyful romp, then a couple of easy bareback walk/trot laps around the arena.

To my delight, Langley showed that he actually HAS been paying attention to some things that we have "discussed" in the past. Karma was good but I could tell she would have been happier to gallop around the arena, so I decided to get out of the box.

I opened the heavy arena gate from Karma's bare back then, still mounted, untied Langley. As we walked out between buildings, a wind-swept piece of trash tumbled by. They spun, snorted, but quickly calmed...and we headed up the outside of the horse pens. I wanted to let Newt join, so our first stop was the truck. From Karma's back, I opened the truck door. The door swung open, bumping Karma, then slammed shut due to the hill the truck was on. Neither horse flinched. I tried several times with the same result before dismounting to let Newt out. When I climbed on the tailgate to mount, Karma calmly stepped up and Langley waited patiently. Then off we went for a short bareback ride up the trail.

These are the first two horses I have trained. Karma had a fabulous start with her former owner but, because she was young, she'd had just had a few rides when she came to me. Langley, when I found him, knew nothing more than how to be led with a halter. His previous owner was afraid of him, so he had no other training.

We have had our ups and downs along the way, and I have made plenty of mistakes, but they have learned to do some pretty cool things (moving cows, jumping, tricks, flying kites, a wee bit of dressage for Karma)...even so, we all three still have a LOT to learn.

The simple things are the best, though. Being able to catch my Spring-fresh horses then, on a whim, head up a trail bareback on one while ponying the other, makes me indescribably happy.

(BTW...it is mud season, they were so dirty that I left clean spots on their backs in the shape of my butt and legs...but none of us minded a bit.)