DAY 33, 34 & 35 - More Goodness

Friday, the day after our excellent lesson with Ryan, we started the day by meeting up with Donna and Big Mack at 10 for our weekly walk. The boys were a little hesitant to start the walk, but with some gently persuading, we got them going and they were both very good. After our walk, I led Possum out to our back yard and let him graze for awhile, then I let him back out in the paddock and went in to rest up, shower and call Marianne to let her know I was coming by for another truckload of hay.

I got over to Ring Farm around 1:30, and knocked the 23 bales down from the giant stack in the shed at the farm and loaded them all by myself. I tied them down, left my check in the drawer, and met the riding teacher at the farm, Jane, who was tacking up a nice chestnut named Major for a lesson with a young teen boy. I got back to my place around 2:30, and Don came out to help me stack the bales in the barn. It's about as full of hay as it will ever get, and if my calculations are correct, I think I only need about 8 more bales.. but, just to be safe, I'll probably go back over to Ring Farm next week and pick up one more truckload of 22 or 23 bales. I'd rather have too much than too little!

After the hay was stacked and I cleaned up the truck, I quickly changed into my paddock boots and led Possum into the stall to tack up. We went out for about an hour. We went around the path behind Dad's and back up, then down past the Dodge farm and around the field behind Lenny's house. What a beautiful warm day it was, and once again, Possum was very agreeable.

In the field behind Lenny's on Friday afternoon.

Saturday, I wanted to get Possum all set up early in the day, as we had to leave around 3 for a 6-9 gig in Portland. So, after feeding and my yoga routine, I brushed and tacked him up and started our ride around quarter to 11. It was very warm, so I didn't want to work him too hard, but, after walking around our backyard, we did walk all the way down the hill to Dr. Doyle's old place, then trotted back towards the pipe. Then, just for fun, I decided to try this old logging path that we've never dared to explore before. It went on for a little bit, but it was very mucky and messy, and I was getting worried that he might lose a shoe in all of that muck, so we turned around and got back to the road unscathed.

Then we walked back up, Possum needing to take a breather here and there, then took the right back onto the path behind Dad's. At the bottom of the loop, we trotted a little ways up, then walked the rest of the way to the field behind Dad's house. Then, we walked into our back yard again, and I worked on a few trots and a canter or two, concentrating on our lessons.. straightness, balance, collection and forward downward transitions. We even trotted over the little cross rail (and he only trotted over the jump), then we walked back over it and went back to the barn. We had been out just a little under an hour.

Walking down the hill Saturday morning.

I led him out for some hand grazing after that, then left him alone in the paddock for a while. I left him almost a whole bale of hay spread out in the paddock, and his pellet ration in the stall just before we left for Portland at 3. We got back around 11:45, and he was still munching on hay, but I did throw one more flake in the stall manger just before I retired around 12:45 in the morning.

Today, it is another beautiful and balmy late September day, and it is Sunday, and we have a gig at the opening day of the Fryeburg Fair from 5 - 8. I'd like to leave a little early so we can get settled in time, and possibly have a chance to walk around a bit, so I'm going to give him the day off and treat it like any other Sunday. He'll have his early "Sunday suppah" just before we leave, probably around 2:30. I may take him out in a little while for a short walk and some grazing.