DAY 92, 93, 94, 95 & 96 - Cold Snap, Snow Storm & Thanksgiving

Monday, "day 92," it rained all day, so no riding. Late in the afternoon, though, the rains slowed enough for me to take him out of the paddock and around into the back yard for some hand grazing on the long line. He was a bit spooky, but we stayed out until nearly dark, then I took him back in and groomed him. He got his supper, and was content again.

Tuesday, "day 93," the rain had cleared, and it was much warmer. I knew that this could be one of the last good days to ride, so I was looking forward to getting him out for a good long hack. The rains had melted the last traces of snow, too. After barn chores, I went out around 10 to catch him.. but he was taking his morning nap, and gave me the "back off, woman!" look. So, I respected that and changed my plans. Instead, I made my Thanksgiving shopping list and went downtown to load up on the goods.

After getting back, putting away the groceries, and a quick lunch, I went back out to try again. The winds had picked up a little, and I could feel the temperatures dropping, but nothing was going to stop me for this last good day to ride! He agreed to let me halter him and into the stall we went for grooming. He was a bit testy.. but I kept on him, and, all tacked up, we walked out to the paddock to mount up. He was acting "looky " again.. but he stayed fairly still as I climbed on his back. We walked out of the paddock and onto the driveway, took a left onto the road, and started walking down the hill.

I spotted Dad first. He was clearing trees and brush on the stone wall that runs between the road and Mom's "memorial garden" area. Dad had neglected to wear his hunters orange, but instead, was wearing a big black jacket. From our view point, he could have been a bear. And when Possum caught sight of this, the fear of God went soaring all through his body. His head went up high, his eyes popped out of his head, his ears tipped as far forward as they could possibly go, and he stopped dead.

Uh oh, I thought. I kicked him forward, he walked one step, then stopped again. He tried to spin, I shortened the reins and turned him back. He snorted his dragon snort.. it reverberated loudly. He spun again, he stopped again, he snorted again. I tried one more time to get him to move forward towards the "bear," but he was not going to have any of that! So, I decided to not be a hero, and we turned away to head towards the Dodge home. He pranced sideways, threatening to bolt, but I kept his head turned tightly and talked to him. It wasn't doing much good, though.

We made it to the dog pen, and all three of our neighbor's dogs were out (two giant Newfoundlands and an aged Golden Retriever.) Of course, they started their barking. Possum has been desensitized to them, but the barking really wasn't helping matters at this point! I kept talking to him, I kept his head in my hands with the reins, and I kept circling him.. It was doing me no good. Possum was lost in his wild horse head, and I began to get concerned for my safety. So, I hopped off.

Sometimes, it's easier to handle him from his back, though. I had just as tough as a time leading him with the bridle on. We made it, sideways and hopping, to the Dodge's driveway.. I was beginning to think I might just try to get him back to his paddock, maybe take off his tack again and run him around in the paddock for a while.. But, I couldn't even get him to walk towards home. I began to get really frustrated with him. I hit him on the bum with my bat a couple of times, to get him to move forward. Wasn't working. His head was craned high, he continued to blow loud dragon snorts. Grrrr! I was getting pissed!

All of the horse psychology theories were bouncing around in my head. Be kind, be patient. Be firm, insist. Be calm, be secure. Don't lose your cool. I changed tactics again and decided to lead him down to Big Mack's paddock, thinking, maybe just being around another horse would calm him down again. I led him around to the back of the field and we walked right up to the fence line. Big Mack came over to say hi, and was wondering why Possum was so distressed. I just let him stand there for a while. He kept peering into the forest, convinced there was a horse eating monster laying in wait.

Finally, he relaxed, and I pulled the stirrups back down and mounted him from the fence. I asked him to walk, and we stayed near Mack's paddock. Once we got going, he actually was quite good. For 15 minutes or so, we walked and trotted in circles and figure eights, halting and trotting and walking again. He began to blow the good snorts, the ones that tell you he is beginning to relax. Finally, I gave him his head to stretch, and I was pretty sure we were in the clear.

Leaving the field and heading back to the road, he began to tense up again. But, I was able to get him back towards my house, though he carried his head high. In our driveway, I saw Don, getting more firewood, and I called out to him and asked him to say hello so Possum would know that it was Don and not a horse-eating bear. Don walked up to us, and I told him about our adventure. Though my mood was kind of soured by Possum's behavior and I kind of just wanted to call it quits for the day, I decided the best thing to do was to keep going.

So, off we went, towards the scene of the crime, and Dad was gone by now, and we carefully marched past were he had been working. As we continued down the hill, I could tell Possum was finally back to normal. We walked all the way down to Dr. Doyle's old place and stopped to inspect, then we turned back and picked up a little trot to the corner. We walked a little ways down New Road, then turned back and trotted part way up the hill. Back at the top, I walked him down our secondary driveway and had him walk over the little birch jump. Then we turned, picked up a trot, and we trotted back over the little jump. Back on the road, we turned for home. Good enough! Out for nearly an hour, and finally, back to normal!

Stopping at Dr. Doyle's old place Tuesday afternoon.

Walking back up the hill Tuesday afternoon.

After an hour or so, I went out to the paddock again with the halter and lead line, put it on him, and groomed the dried sweat off of his back, girth and behind his ears. He was good as gold for this - not even one threat of a kick or nip! Such a funny, funny pony.

The Eastern sky from the manure pile, the night before the snow storm.

Wednesday morning, "day 94," Donna and I had our walk scheduled, as Thanksgiving was the next day. Snow was predicted to begin falling by noon, so I decided to bring Possum along, as it would be the last day we would see the ground for many months, I'm sure. I caught him in the paddock around 10 of 10, led him into the stall, and gave him a quick grooming. He was pretty relaxed. I led him out to the road and we walked up to the Dodge home. Donna was running a bit behind, and when she saw I had Possum, she decided to go grab Mack, too. She told me that Mack had been very pushy and bad on her walk with him the day before..

The boys were very good on our walk. Possum hardly gave me any grief at all.. just a couple of nips now and then (like when one horse nips another in the herd - it's not a malicious nip. I let him know I do not appreciate that, though, anyway.) After Donna and Big Mack left for home at our driveway when we got back, I led Possum out to our back yard and let him graze for about half an hour. That's it, buddy, I told him!

After our walk and before the snow began on Wednesday morning.

Back to the paddock, fresh hay and water, and he was good. And within an hour, the flakes began to fall from the sky. And they fell all day, into the night. After I fed him, I hemmed and hawed about whether or not to bring him in, but after watching the 5:30 weather report, I decided to bring him in. The winds and snowfall were to pick up after 6 p.m. and go strong until after midnight. I marched out into the dark and snowy paddock, haltered him, put the chain over his nose (because I knew he was going to fight me on this one - he was pretty spooky at this point - it's just what stormy weather does to him) and dragged him into the stall. I clipped him to the tie, went back outside, pushed the snow away from the door frame with my shoe, and closed both of the doors on him.

He was covered in snow and his hooves were jammed with icy snowballs. After a few minutes, I went into his stall and brushed off the snow. Then I picked his hooves (so NOT fun getting those ice balls out!), and fluffed up his tail. His halter came off, and a giant pile of hay was placed at his feet. He began to relax. The wind was whipping outside, and he'd stop and raise his head to listen, but eventually, the hay and the shelter from the storm won him over, and he appeared happy. Phew!

I checked in on him several times through out the night, then retired by midnight. By the next morning, Thanksgiving day ("day 95"), the snow had stopped, and we had a lot of work to do before our guests arrived later in the day! I fed Possum his pellets in the stall first, then I went outside with the shovel and pushed away the snow blocking the doorway. Then, I opened the stall doors. Here's a little video of  his first few moments in the fresh foot of snow:

I cleaned his messy stall, refreshed his heated water bucket, and dropped many flakes of hay all around the paddock. The sun was out and there was no wind, so that was nice. Then, Don and I got to work clearing snow. Don did most of it, of course. I began to prep for the many dishes for the meal. Our guests arrived a little after 3 in the afternoon, and we had a fabulous time. Possum got his dinner around 5:15, though he was a little annoyed with all of the noisy company in the barn with us, observing the ritual! Then I left him with more hay and topped off his water, and he was good.

Friday, "day 96," it was very cold. Half of our guests had stayed overnight, and we were busy entertaining them until they got on the road a little after 10. Then, it was time for me to get to work! I had a plan formulated to empty the wheelbarrow that was filled to the brim from the day before. I got the big giant snow scoop, and dumped the manure and shavings in that, then dragged that through the paddock to the manure pile. It took me three trips, but it got a decent path going. Then, I picked up as many poop piles as I could in the paddock and dumped that, too.

Butch the farrier was scheduled to come that afternoon, but I had a gut feeling that he wouldn't make it. I was right, of course. Luanne sent me a text around 3 saying he hadn't arrived at her place yet.. By 4:30, the winter darkness set in, and it was clear Butch wasn't going to come. Donna was out of town for Thanksgiving, and I had promised to blanket Big Mack if it got below 20 degrees, so I drove up to her barn around 5 p.m. and brought Mack into her barn and gave him a quick grooming and picked the iceballs out of his hooves. I put on his rug then let him back out in the paddock. Donna happened to send me a text in the middle of all this, asking how it went with Butch.. I told her what happened, and an hour or so later, we got the word that Butch had been sick in bed all day and would call to reschedule when he is well again.

So, Possum still has his front shoes on, but I really can't ride anyway. If I was "rich" enough, I would pay to have pads and "cleated shoes" put on, but that luxury is out of my price range! So, here it is, Saturday morning, and he will have another day of "neigh-cation." It is the holiday season, after all. I am going up to Donna's shortly to take Big Mack's rug off, and later, I hope to take Possum out for a hand walk. We will see what state of mind our little Dragon Pony is in today!

DAY 89, 90 & 91 - Temp Changes

Friday, "day 89," we ended up not riding. First of all, it was just too frigid! Plus, the wind was high, and all of this made for one very cranky Possum. He was a bitch all day! When I did go to approach him after barn chores to put on his halter, he pinned his ears back and turned his butt in my face.. walking away, shaking his head, "no!" So, what I do is cluck and wave the halter and lead line around, get him to "move his feet," as the Natural Horsemanship people say. It does seem to work.. the theory is that if the horse does not want you to catch him, then you make him move until they get tired out from that. Eventually, they realize that maybe it IS better to be haltered and groomed or whatever, instead of being forced to run around. It works quite well on Possum, anyway. After five minutes or so, where he ran back and forth, bucked a little, reared a little, squealed a little, he finally stopped and looked at me. I approach him softly, and with some regret, he allowed me to put on his halter and lead him up to the stall.

However, his rebellion did continue. He was so nutty, I decided to forgo grooming him. I just unplugged the electric fence, put the chain over his nose to remind him that I am human and not a fence to plow through, and off we went, up the driveway and towards the Dodge farm. He was jumpy and concerned.

We went around towards the paddock and to the back field, and I let him nose around and graze. The dog was out towards the tree line nosing around herself, and this was of great concern to Possum, at first. Finally, she came over to greet us, and Possum relaxed a bit more. We wandered over to Big Mack, who was standing by the fence waiting for us to come say hello. Possum was much more interested in the grass, though, so I chatted with and petted Big Mack as Possum worked on the grass. After about 20 minutes or so, I began to get pretty cold, so I started easing Possum closer to the road.. Allowing him another few bites here and there. By the time we got back to the road and started walking towards home, he seemed much happier then before. Funny little guy. I put a fresh layer of bedding and extra flakes of hay in his stall that night before heading off to my gig.

Chatting with Big Mack while Possum grazes on Friday afternoon

Saturday, "day 90," it had warmed up a little bit, plus the wind had died down. After barn chores in the morning, I was able to easily halter him and bring him to the stall. I gave him a good grooming, working through his little moments of bad behaviors. Nippy, pawing, moving around and what not. Once I put the saddle on him, he does seem to turn the corner. I led him out to the paddock to mount up from the stump. He walked off again. I need to remember to work on this with Ryan at some point.

We were able to take a left out of the driveway. Carefully, we walked down the hill. He seemed happy to get out again, plus it had been awhile since we've "made the rounds." All the way down to Dr. Doyle's old place.. and of course, he took a giant poop right in front of their driveway. He was fairly chill, which was nice. We just stuck to the walk because of the little patches of snow and ice.. all the way back up the hill, no breaks. We walked over to visit Big Mack, then trotted around the field a little bit, then down to the other field and around Lenny's. I didn't "work" him too hard. We got back to our barn and had been out for about 45 minutes. I brushed him off again and checked his hooves one more time, then let him go in the paddock with a giant pile of hay. He was satisfied.

Yapping with Big Mack on Saturday

Sunday morning, "day 91," it felt downright balmy at 35 degrees and climbing after the last few days. It was warm enough for me to put the big metal tub out for extra water, yea. Though I normally give him Sunday's off, it was just too nice out not to take him out for a spin. There won't be too many days left like that! Plus, the holiday's are approaching, and we are going to get very busy with all of that.

So, though I was tired from lack of sleep, I got him groomed and tacked up and we were out on the road by 11:45. Even though it was so warm, Possum started out a bit high and spooky. He was looking at this and craning his neck at that, sure that at any moment, he was going to be attacked! I marched him down the hill, down to Dr. Doyle's, then back to the corner again. The first part of New Road was looking very good, footing wise. So, I had him trot. We trotted for a while, then stopped, turned around, and trotted back. Then, to his dismay, we turned and did it all again. He finally started relaxing.

Rounding the corner at the bottom of the hill, I asked him to canter, and he popped right into that. We went about 20 strides at the canter up hill, then I slowed him to the walk (not a very difficult task), and we walked the rest of the way to the top. Then, we picked up a nice trot, past our house, past the barking Newfoundlands next door, and up the Dodge home. Then we walked over to visit Big Mack. They chatted for a bit, then I turned Possum back to the road, where we went right and down to the field across from Lenny's. We walked around there for while, and trotted a little bit. Then, we went around behind Lenny's, and I worked him at the trot in circles in the back yard. Back on the road, I had him pick up a canter, then we walked all the way home from there.

Riding on a warm Sunday

When I dismounted, he was breathing very hard. So weird. He was only a little damp, but it took him a while for his breathing to slow back to regular. He didn't dive for the water bucket. He is a strange boy. I brushed him off, checked his hooves, then let him back loose in the paddock. He was happy.

He got his "Sunday suppah" at 2:15, a couple of giant piles of hay, and plenty of fresh water before we went off to work for the afternoon.

Today, Monday, it is warm-ish, but raining, and I suspect there will be no riding today. Perhaps a hand walk and graze later.

DAY 85, 86, 87 & 88 - Snow and Freezing Cold and Dragon Pony

Monday, "day 85," it did snow all day until the early afternoon, and then it just stayed cold and wet. When I would go out to check on and visit Possum in the paddock, he would be standing out in the snow, packed balls of snow and ice sticking to the bottom of his hooves. Very uncomfortable to see, but he really doesn't care! He spent the whole day and night in the paddock, and only later in the day, towards feeding time, did I tie him up in his stall and brush the snow and water off his wooly back and pick the ice balls out of his hooves. He eventually dried off, his body heat is like a natural blow dryer.

Tuesday, "day 86," it was still bitterly cold, and there was a lovely biting wind, too. I cleaned his paddock in the morning and left him with much hay, then cleaned up and went down town to market. Around two, I went out to the paddock to put on his halter and see if we could go for a ride or something.. but he wanted nothing to do with me. He pinned his ears flat back and walked away, even trotting away! Had it not been for the giant packs of icy snow on the bottoms of his front hooves, I would have "run him around" in the paddock (that always works!), but I did not want to risk anything.. seeing how his front joints were dangerously turning in all different angles! So.. I just walked away and went back inside. After half an hour, he was like a different pony. I approached him in the paddock, his ears perked forward, and I led him up to the stall.

The first thing I did was pick out his hooves! That was not easy! The ice gets wedged in there. Finally, I got the ice dislodged, and then set to grooming him. The wind was still high, so his eyeballs were bulging and his neck was craning a lot during our grooming time. I just kept after him, though. I had decided to tack up and lead him up the road where the snow and ice had melted, and I'd carry a hoof pick in my pocket, just in case.

Tacked up and ready to ride, I led him out of the stall and onto the driveway. He started out good... but by the time we got to the Dodge home, and he spied Big Mack grazing loose in their back yard.. and the dog was barking .. and the flag was flapping in the wind... and Donna was walking around doing barn chores...  oh and , and and ...

Spinning and snorting around, Possum the sweet camp pony had turned into a fire breathing dragon! I hand walked him over towards the barn so I could speak with Donna for a few minutes.. and I could hardly keep the pony down on all fours! Spinning around and around, yanking on his little bit.. Oh, I felt bad about that!

With the wind still blowing but the sun out, I decided to keep walking him down the road towards Lenny's. We walked around behind the house and he did another big spin / bolt there. I KNEW I should have lunged him! And I KNEW I was CRAZY for what I was about to do.. but I had him down this far, and I did not have a lunge line with me, and I knew that he would calm down once he just got some work.. However, I do not condone this foolish act that I next did.

I led him to the little detached screened in porch, tightened up his girth, pulled down the stirrups and mounted. He stood still... for three seconds. I could feel the hump in his back.. tense much? I settled in and walked him down the hill. He did a head wiggle or two, but kept his composure. I marched him down, keeping the reins tight, and turning him often. We kept walking walking walking, serpentine and circle, halt and walk, down the sloping hill. Finally, we got to a point where I felt it was safe to trot. He hopped right into it.. and back up the hill we trotted, in a serpentine fashion.. up, and circling. His head was high, his step was mighty! When would he tire? I wondered. Usually, I'd have to kick him to keep him going up a hill like this, but not today!

He started asking me for more reins.. I gave him some. We went slightly down grade a bit, and he tried to "buck." That's the head wiggle and hop I've mentioned, but STILL! I kicked him forward and took back some of the reins.  Slowly, he began to tire a little. At the top of the hill, where it is sort of flat, I kept him trotting in circles.. Finally, we slowed to a walk, and he blew some snorts. I gave him his head with the reins.

We walked over to another part of the field.. down a steep hill. My intention was to canter up. We got to the bottom, turned for uphill. I asked for the canter. He started respectable, but halfway up, he started to flatten out and race like a wild Arabian in the desert. Uh oh, I thought for a second. I took back his head with the reins, we got towards the top and I turned his head sharp to the right. He slowed to a trot, head high, and snorting.

Back on the road, we walked briskly back towards the Dodge farm.. Possum was breathing hard, but I could tell his brain was finally back from Dragon Land. By the time we walked by the Dodge home, he was walking on a loose rein like a little cow pony. I hopped off at the top of my driveway, and led him back to the barn, the lights turned on by Don, as the winter darkness fell at 4:30.

I dodged a bullet that day, yes indeed. No photos from that ride!

The next day, Wednesday, the wind was gone, though it was still in the 20's in the morning. Possum was happy to get his little ration with pellets and his medications, which I still stand and hold the bucket to make sure he gets the meds. He doesn't seem to mind that.

After taking the morning to get the fire going in the wood stove, a much needed yoga routine and a quick run downtown to market, I got out to the paddock around 1:30 to pick up the frozen poops and clean and bank the stall. Then, I put on his halter, and he was very agreeable as I led him up to the stall to groom and tack up. I have been bringing all of the tack inside to the kitchen to keep out of the cold, and before I bring the bridle out, I put on his breastplate and saddle first, then I put on my old full-length chaps and helmet. Then I walk into the house, grab the bridle, and so by the time I put it on him, the steel bit is still warm from being inside. He opened his mouth and easily took the bit and bridle.

I led him out of the stall through the barn, then made him stand by the doorway, where I mounted him from there - not the best place, as many times I jab him a little with my toe.. but I didn't want to take him into the paddock, where there is still some snow, and risk getting ice balls in his hooves. We walked up the driveway, and took a right up the road. At the Dodge home, we took a right into the field and walked right by Big Mack, who was hanging out by his shed. The sun was out, the wind had died, and Pony was calm and happy. There was still some snow in the field, but it not enough for him to slip or work too much harder. We picked up a trot and stayed at the trot for a while - serpentine and circles, halt, walk, trot. Small trot, normal trot, big trot, normal trot, halt. Walk, trot, halt. He was being very good.

I steered him back down towards the bottom of the field and asked for a canter. He wanted to "buck," but it wasn't in him too hard, and I kicked him forward and we cantered for a short while, then back to the trot and walk. Back down a ways, then picked up the canter in the other direction, again, just for about ten strides or so. For fun, I attempted to have him do a flying lead change.. Ha! No dice. Something to work on next spring. Then we halted, and I took a photo in the sunlight, as Big Mack had come up to the fence line to watch us ride. Then, I allowed Possum to walk towards the fence, and we visited with Big Mack for a while, who was very happy to see us.

Visiting with Big Mack Wednesday afternoon.

Then, we walked back to the road, and walked down towards Lenny's. We went took a right into the field across from his house and walked around there for a while, and even picked up a trot a couple of times. What a different pony today! We went back to the road and walked all the way home, his head hanging low like a puppy. Instead of going in our driveway, we kept walking and went down the secondary driveway. I allowed him to walk towards the stone wall so he could check his domain of Dad's house, then we walked deep into our back yard and all the way back up around the house to the front. After checking out his paddock from the outside, we went back to the barn.

I gave him a good rub down, though he wasn't sweaty, checked his hooves again, and called it a day. I was freezing!

Thursday, "day 88," another frigid morning. It was walk day with Donna, and she left me a message saying she was going to bring Big Mack along. So, I caught Possum at 10 of 10, and he was cool with all that. I brushed him off lightly and checked his hooves and brushed the shavings out of his tail. I did decide to put the chain over his nose, just in case he was feeling fresh. He respected that.

Donna was running a little behind, so we walked up to her place to meet up with them. She was just catching Mack in the paddock, and I saw she had blanketed him the night before. Made sense to me. He stayed out and it was windy and raw. She took off his blanket, and off we went. The boys were much better this week. Possum, especially, was back in camp pony mode.. every once in a while, he tries to nip me, like I'm another pony walking along the road. Nice! Not. I know it's just horse stuff, though.

Around three, after another quick run down town, I went out to the paddock and picked up the frozen poop piles and banked up his stall. It was easy to catch him, and I led him into the stall. He was pretty clean and fluffy, so I just gave him a quick run over with the body brush. Then, tack up, and off we went. I was able to mount up from the paddock as the snow is fairly low now.

Again, we went right, as the road down hill is still a bit sketchy with ice patches, and we walked past the Dodge farm and Big Mack in his paddock, and down to Lenny's. We went into the field behind the house and walked and trotted around there for a while. It was cold! Possum was telling me he was "tired," by breathing hard and sulking again at the little trots up hill. He says to me, "Hey, don't you know I'm sick? I've got the Lyme's Disease! Cut me some slack here, sister!" Good try, buddy!

At one point in the field, I decided it was a good time to take our daily photo. After I put my phone back in my pocket, and was putting my second glove back on, something spooked him from behind, and he skipped ahead with a jump. No harm, though. I was able to pull him up quickly, though my heart did jump into my throat for a second. I circled him around a couple of times and got his brain back into my hands, so to speak. I have learned to always be prepared for anything with this horse. Just when you think you can totally relax.. something spooks him and he goes into survival mode. I guess there isn't one horse on the planet that doesn't do this, though. That's why a good horse person always knows to keep alert at all times.

The view on Thursday (plus, a mistake photo, but this is my view)

We left that field and crossed the road to the other field, and walked and trotted to the top of that, staying on the edge. We stopped a couple of times to soak in the view and, phew, catch our breath - then we got back to the road, and picked up a short trot towards Mack's paddock area. We went over to visit with him, then turned for home. We walked past our driveway and around behind the house again, just for good fun.

Back in the stall, I took off his tack and threw the little blue cooler over his back for a few minutes, then checked his hooves. There was a small amount of ice impacted in his front hoof. Oops. Sorry, buddy. He was okay, though.

Today is Friday, it is frigid cold again. Plus, our pal The Wind is back. Not sure if I'm going to ride today or not. Warmer temps coming next week, they say. Yeah!!

DAY 81, 82, 83, & 84 - Medications and Light Riding

Thursday, "day 81," I already don't remember the details, but I did take Possum out on the "rounds," up and around the hill. I knew I'd kick myself for not writing everything down as soon as it happens.. but - anyway, Possum has been excellent! Feeling better and getting back to normal.. I did take the time to hot pack his tick bites later that day.

On Wednesday night, I think it was, I had given him his pellets laced with his medications, and he tipped the whole bucket over! He managed to nibble most of it back up, but I learned my lesson.. So, from then on, I have been standing there, holding the bucket while he eats his medicated pellets. This is working.

The medication collection and assorted sweeteners!

Friday, "day 82," we woke to the season's first snowfall - about 3 inches. Donna and I had re-scheduled our weekly walk for this day, and at the last minute, she sent me a text to say that she was going to bring Big Mack along, as her husband was home to stay with the toddler. So, about 10 minutes to 10, I went out to the paddock and put on Possum's halter.. he was all like - "hey - I'm still eating my morning hay" - I brushed off his coat and picked his hooves, which had already developed the hated "ice balls." I tried spraying some cooking spray on the bottoms of his hooves - but I remembered from last year that not really working very well.

I led Possum out of the barn and into the driveway, and Donna and Big Mack were walking towards us.. this is when it was clear that both horses were feeling very fresh this morning! Between the colder air, the fresh snow, and just getting out with the other horse, we had a little spinning on Possum's part and some charging ahead at the walk on Mack's part. Donna had put on her nylon "natural horsemanship" halter, with the 10 foot lead attached, and I just had Possum's old loose purple camp halter on him, with my black lead with a chain. Halfway down the hill, I decided to put the chain over his nose for awhile. I didn't have to "use" it, but it helped to keep his manners in check. Meanwhile, at the bottom of the hill, and around the corner at the base of one of the driveways, Donna decided to just lunge Big Mack right there for a few minutes, because he was just so fresh! Possum and I watched as Mack went round and round, trotting, cantering and blowing snorts - finally, he settled down and we went back to our walk.

After turning around and getting back to the corner at the bottom, Possum was finally relaxed enough for me to take the chain off his nose. Then, Donna's toddler and husband came walking along- creating a new stir for Possum! The baby had a hunter's orange cap on his head, and Possum was pretty freaked out about that! So, more spinning around and head craning and eye bulging.. I thought it was kind of funny, actually. It really just all stemmed from the cold and snow and excitement. Nothing to take personally. I remember Mr. Dodge said to me, "He's not usually like that, is he?" And I just replied, "Well, no, but he can be!" (Because he's a HORSE!)

We walked up to the Dodge home, and I let Possum graze for a few minutes on their lawn (thankfully, the snow was already beginning to melt away.) Then, we went home. Much later in the afternoon, I went out to pick his paddock and stall, and the wind had picked up, and Possum was being silly, so I thought to myself.. hmmm, maybe I'll just blow off riding him.. it's getting late...

But, when I finished with the chores, the wind had died down again, and even though it was getting later in the afternoon, I said - forget that, we are going for a little spin! And, I'm so glad we did, because once again, Possum was very good. I decided to just keep him on the road, as the snow had melted there. We went all the way down to Dr. Doyle's old place and back, then back up the hill and down to Lenny's and back. We did a bunch of little trotting sets and even a canter or two. Felt great to get out for 50 minutes. It's so cool to have this trusting relationship with him now!

After I pulled off his tacked, I threw the little blue cooler over his back, and got the tub of hot water mixed with betadyne and hot packed his tick bites for a little while. He was very good for that.

Saturday, "day 83," I wanted to be sure to get him out one more time before his Sunday day off, plus we had the band coming over at 12:30 for an afternoon rehearsal. I got the barn chores done, which now includes a bit of extra work now that the temps are hitting freezing.. Ice in the metal paddock water tub, and another thin coat of ice in the bucket I leave in the stall. Luckily, I have already had the 5 gallon electric bucket plugged in just outside of his stall. By 10:30, with the air cold but the sun shining, I hopped on just outside of the barn door (trying to avoid the little spots of snow and snow packs in his hooves,) and off we marched, left out of the driveway and down the hill. Once again, Possum was happy to get out and about.

We skipped going straight down to Dr. Doyle's, and instead went left at the bottom of the hill and walked all the way to the end of New Road (with a few sets of trotting on the good parts of the dirt road.) On the way back, we cantered once, then down to a trot and a halt. From the halt, we trotted, then another halt. That's fun to work on.

Stopping at Dad's to check out the view Saturday morning.

By the time we got all the way back to the top of the hill, he was nice and loose, and we did one more working trot up to the Rhoad's driveway, marching right past the barking Newfoundlands. So good! Then, we turned around and headed back to the barn, having been out for just about an hour. I tossed the cooler over him again for a few minutes, he sipped on some water, and I brushed him off and checked his hooves one more time, before letting him loose in the paddock with fresh piles of hay. The band arrived, and we were occupied all afternoon with that. I fed him his pellets with his Doxy and one last dose of Bute. He should be all set with that now.

Sunday morning, once again I had to deal with ice in the water buckets, and frozen poops. But at least the sun was shining. By 11 or so, I tied him to the one tie outside in the paddock, and gave him a full grooming. Naturally, one of the first things he did was reach down and pick up the basket I keep the brushes in, dumping all of them out onto the ground! Funny pony. He finally settled down, and when I was done with grooming, I led him out of the paddock and up towards the Dodge farm. He walked at a very nice and respectful pace with me. We walked past Big Mack without visiting nose to nose, but they saw each other. Then we walked into the big field across from Lenny's old place, and I let him graze there for about 10 minutes in the sunshine. Most of the snow was melted in that field. We waved to Donna and her kids driving home from church, then I pulled his head up from the grazing, and he didn't fight me too hard on the walk back home. We took our time and stopped one or two more times for nibbles on the side of the road, his strong lips whisking back the snow like a broom to get to the good stuff.

Grazing in the sunny field Sunday morning.

Back in the paddock, he seemed content, and I finished up the barn chores and went back to the house to get ready for work. When I got back at 9:30, the house was cold, so we spent an hour or two getting the wood stove cranked back up again and having a snack, then I went out to visit him around 10:30. He had been mostly hanging out in his stall anyway, looking out into the darkness. I caved and gave him a "cookie." He always loves that. One more big flake of hay or two at the stall door, and I said goodnight.

Today is Monday, November 17, and it is snowing. I'm not sure if I'll be able to get out to ride today. Good day to clean his bridle and breastplate!

DAY 79 & 80 - Lyme!

When I went out to the barn to feed Mr. Possum after I finished my last post, it didn't take me too long to see that Possum had more swelling on his face.. this time, along under his jaw to his lower lip. Alarmed, I sent Ryan a text, and she called me right away. We decided it was time to have him examined by her DVM, Dr. Judd. She had called the office already, once or twice, just to run the previous concerns by Dr. Judd.. and we decided that we had let things go as long as we could, and it was time.

Swelling under the jaw.. (turns out it was a tick bite)

She warned my that it would be expensive.. that he'd probably want to draw blood and test it, and that there could be expensive medications to buy. That's what credit cards are for, right?

We lucked out in that Dr. Judd was half an hour away on another farm call, and had a cancellation.. so he was able to come up here that morning. He arrived at 11:30, and the first thing he did was draw blood. In his truck, he had a blood testing machine, and it took eight minutes to get the results. Meanwhile, he examined Possum.. took his temperature and vitals, checked his hooves. His heart rate was 32, which he said is good! He said his coat and weight looked good, and he even listened to his stomach sounds.  He suggested I buy some vitamin E 400 I.U. capsules and apply some onto the scar that just won't go away on his front left cornet band.. good advise.

Then, we got the results from the blood test, and sure enough, it indicated that Possum tested moderately strong for Lyme. Damn ticks. This was the most basic of tests (he knew I wasn't able to financially go whole hog on tests, and that the horse isn't even mine!), but he assured me that this test was pretty reliable.

After checking out the swelling under his jaw, he discovered another tick that I had missed. He shaved a little hair off and got the little sucker out. I was instructed to hot pack that a few times a day for the next few days. So, that explains why he was swollen there. Then he explained that the swelling I had found on his jaw on Monday afternoon was something not to worry about. I forget exactly what he called it, but something with words like  "gullet" and "pocket." He assured me it would take care of itself.

So, as we chatted about Possum's routine, feed, amount of exercise and personality, we also chatted about music.. turns out Dr. Judd is a drummer! Pretty funny. We even knew a few of the same people in the Maine music network. He played me a snippet of one the songs his band covers, and he is an excellent player!

Dr. Judd also explained what we know and don't know about Lyme disease. It's been running rampant in this state this season. It is not necessarily curable, but it is treatable. If we were to do nothing, then eventually the disease would effect his joints and make him a miserable pony. So, to keep Possum happy, we need to treat him with this very, very expensive drug.

Then it was time for Possum to receive his first dose of the drug. This was given intravenously, and he described it as the "grandfather" of the drug that I would be giving him for the next 45 days, Doxycycline. It took a couple of minutes, and Possum was as patient as he could be, given he had giant needle stuck in his neck. Poor pony.

After that, I was able to let Possum go, but he still hung around anyway as Dr. Judd gathered his tools and doled out more stuff for us to have. The Doxy was to be dropped shipped to me in the next day or two, and I was to start him on that right away. He left me with a big jar of Bute (like "Motrin" for horses), that I was to give to him twice a day for 3 to 5 days. A jar of Probiotics, to help his tummy deal with the drugs, that I was to give him a dose once a day. And, he also had me buy a 3-dose tube of  Banamine, which is a muscle relaxer. This is to be used in case the horse gets colic. I now have his cell phone number, and a list of what to do, in what order, in case of colic.

I still have to buy an thermometer, some electrolytes and some vitamin E, but I'm feeling pretty damn poor at this moment. I nearly passed out when he gave me the bill. At the same time, I knew it wasn't going to be cheap. It was worth it, though, to now know what the heck has been going on with the little guy!

Before Dr. Judd left, I asked him about riding, and he said I should keep riding! Only, on that day, Tuesday, to just do half of our regular workout. So, we said goodbye, armed with our drugs and information, and I sent Ryan, Luanne, Donna and Brad a text to fill them all in.

After a couple of hours, I brought Possum into the stall, brushed him off, tacked up, and off we went for a half hour ride. Over to visit Big Mack, around the field a bit, down the road to Lenny's, then back. He was a little sluggish, but seemed happy to get out. Later, I got a tub of hot water mixed with betadyne and applied a washcloth to the tick bite under his jaw. Then, I got his pellets, mixed in the Bute and the Probiotics, plus some molasses and carrots skins and some water. He hasn't been wolfing down his hay like he usually does, so there were a few piles left in the paddock, but I did leave him another big flake in his doorway where he likes to stand. At midnight, I brought him out another flake or two. He was hanging outside, it was super mild.

On our ride on Tuesday afternoon, after the vet.

Wednesday morning, it was still nice and mild, and he greeted me with a little whinny. I mixed up his pellets and water with the Probiotics and Bute, and a little bit of molasses, and he ate it all. Adam from the Q-Team drove in the driveway, to show Darren what needed to be done. They promised to be back later, and I was surprised when the big bucket truck rolled in the driveway at 10 in the morning, just as I had finished getting dressed after a shower. I quickly blow dried my hair and went down to greet them. The boys worked fast. When they got closer to the barn, I grabbed Possum, unplugged the electric fence, and walked him out to the driveway. He was very relaxed about the whole thing. While we were up there, FedEx came by, and I was happy to see it was our Doxy! We could start that night.

When the boys finished with the branches at our place, they rolled down to Dad's to work on the trees down there. I put Possum back in his paddock and walked over to Dad's to watch. These guys are pros! By noon, they were all done with both projects, including clean up!

The Q-Team bring in the bucket truck.

I had a quick lunch, then I brought Possum into the stall and groomed him. Then I gave him the hot pack treatment under his jaw, as well as under his back legs, where I discovered a few more tick bite bumps. He stood very still for this, though he's not crazy when I apply it under his jaw. Then, I tacked him up, mounted up, and off we went for a little jaunt. I've lengthened my stirrups, and I'm getting used to that.

We rode down the hill to Dr. Doyle's, picking up a little trot in the usual place. Then we walked back up the hill, with a few stops along the way to rest. We trotted a bit more past our house, then walked past the barking dog. We visited Sadie, the German Shepard, tied up in the garage. We visited Big Mack, hanging out in his paddock. We rode around the big field behind the Dodge home, a few trots, and a canter in each direction. The first canter, he attempted to "buck," (again, just the little head wiggle and hop), and I even heard a little squeal come out of him. So, I thought that was a good sign.

After the field, we walked down to Lenny's and around behind his house, but then it started sprinkling, so we trotted back to the road and even cantered a few strides up the hill. We walked home and got back after 45 minutes. I thought that was pretty good.

Saying hi to Big Mack on our Wednesday afternoon rounds.

I finished up with him, then ran downtown and was back within an hour. I fluffed up his stall, picked his paddock again, scrubbed out and refilled his water buckets, and then proceeded to mix up his dinner. Pellets, warm water, a scoop of Bute, and one level scoop of the Doxy. I gave it to him, and I could see he was not too psyched. He nibbled away, then walked off a bit. Oh oh, I thought. So, I got the feed tub, and added a few carrot skins and ends, and a squirt of molasses. That did the trick!

DAY 76, 77 & 78 - Riding & Another Bump!

Saturday, "day 76," I think was not windy, not too cold. I put on my chaps and the bright orange hooded sweatshirt, and Possum and I went out on the rounds. All the way down the hill to Dr. Doyle's old place - checking out all of the parked logging trucks and tractors and machines on this weekend morning in Micheal's field..  We got to the chain hanging up in front of Dr. Doyle's old place and stood for a minute, noting that the new metal roof looked nearly finished (jealous!), and then we were satisfied and turned around. We picked up a nice brisk trot, past the parked machines and the big scary pipe that had been moved higher up the embankment (ooh!) - and then we walked back up the hill.

We marched past our place, waving to Don who was standing on the porch, and we picked up a short trot to the Rhoad's driveway and our pals the barking Newfie's in their giant fenced in yard. We walked past Big Mack in his pasture, and continued on past Lenny's place and took a left into that field. It's been much nicer now that it has been mowed.

We ambled down the backside and over to the little creek, which, again, he wanted nothing to do with crossing.. Under the branches and back out to the bottom of the field. We walked around for a while, stopping now and then to check out the views and listen to the sounds.. Crows and gunshots, mostly. It was nice. We zigzagged up the hill at a very slow pace, soaking up the sun on that southern side of the hill.

Riding in the field on Saturday afternoon.

Finally we ambled back to the road, and picked up a nice trot until just about Big Mack's paddock, then we walked over to say hello to him, and finally, back home to our place. We had been out for a good solid hour, and he was just a little warm but not sweaty.

Sunday, "day 77," was sunny again, and not too cold.. I was thinking about taking him out for a quick spin before work, but after chores and actually making a breakfast of pancakes and bacon and fruit (a rare event), I opted to just halter him and clip the long lunge line on, and off we went for a short walk and some hand grazing. We ended up in Dad's backyard, grazing in the early afternoon November sun. After almost an hour, and making our way back to our backyard, we went back to the stall and I gave him a quick grooming. He seemed pretty okay with all of that. When we got back from our gig on Sunday night around 9:30, I checked on him briefly, and he was bit cranky but content.

Grazing in Dad's backyard Sunday before work.

Monday morning, "day 78," I fed him around 7:45, and then left him some fresh flakes out in the paddock. I noticed that he had nearly emptied the heated water bucket that I hung just outside the stall door, but the other two were still fairly full - aha, I thought. I guess he prefers the warmer water. I filled up the buckets, and cleaned the stall and paddock, then left him alone for the morning while I cleaned up and went downtown to market.

Around 1:30, I caught him in the paddock, and led him into the stall to groom and tack up. Sometimes, I start with brushing his face, as it gets his attention focused on me - and that's when I discovered a new bump on the top of his neck and jaw. What the heck?

Kind of hard to notice, but there is a bump there..

I finished brushing the dirt off of him, then clipped the lunge line on to his halter. No riding today. I took a photo with my iPhone, then sent that to Ryan. Alarmed, I led him down to the Dodge farm, hoping to run into Donna, but she was busy in her house. We went over to the field next to Big Mack, and Possum was happy to graze in the sunshine. He was acting a bit spooky - and it does seem like there is a dullness in his eyes... Oh, I don't know. It's so hard to really know.

Meanwhile, Ryan got back to me, and I sent her another pic, and she said she's call her vet and asked if I could get a temperature. Of course, I don't have a thermometer, but I remembered Luanne said she had one and that I was welcome to borrow it anytime. So, I gave her a call, and she was half an hour away, as it was her turn to pick up the boys from private school. She couldn't remember where it was, but she promised to call later.

Another shot of the bump while grazing near Big Mack's paddock.

Meanwhile, after almost an hour, I led Possum back to our place, and leaving his halter on, finished up with some barn chores and started dinner. I also took a few minutes to Google normal horse temperature and how to take it! It's been a while.

Finally, around 4:45, Luanne got back to me to say she found it.. I drove down to her place and picked it up, and on the way back, stopped to chat with Donna for a minute as she was finishing up her barn chores.

Possum was very good about it. I assumed he had had it done before, and also, he has been very good with any of the procedures I have to do with him. I had to do it twice.. but both times, his temp came out normal at 99 degrees. So, I've texted that to Ryan, and now we wait. It is Tuesday morning, I am just about to go out and feed Possum and see what state the bump is in today.

DAY 73, 74 & 75 - Cooler Days & Another Lesson

Wednesday, "day 73," we got going in the early afternoon, after I got in my little yoga routine and a run downtown to market and bank. Possum was happy to get going, and we took a left out of the driveway and ambled down the road towards the ongoing noises and commotion of the foresting going on at Micheal's property. Though Possum was high-headed and curious at it all, he was willing to march along anyway.

We went left and walked all the way down the road, trotting once or twice on the good parts of the road. He was happy. We took a right onto the path on the Downing's land and meandered around the loop. I considered cutting back to the road on the edge of the field behind their house, but then I spied Mr. D out back working with his tractor, so we quickly turned and walked back, hopefully before he spotted us! I'm not sure if he would care or not that we were walking around on this back property, but I wasn't in the mood to have a conversation anyway. I'm sure he must have noticed the Possum poops on his paths by now!

So, out the way we came, and we turned right and kept going, and stopped at another little path across the road that I've always noticed but never ventured onto yet. Possum said, hey, let's check it out! So, I said, Okay, I'm game, and off we went. Another little logging path, circling around and a bit mucky at points.. but, after circling about for a while, we ended up coming out into the field at the very end of New Road, which we've explored a few times before. Possum really seemed to enjoy exploring the new paths, though, and remained very calm and interested the whole time. Coming down off the bank of the big field, he jumped into a nice trot, and I let him continue trotting for another stretch. Then we slowed to a walk and ambled past Laughing Tree Farm and all the way back to the corner.

Back up the steep hill we went, then up through Dad's backyard, over the stone wall to our backyard, and back at the corner, we picked up a little canter and cantered up over the little jump (which I have altered to a straight rail from the cross rail - it's still only about 6-8 inches high!) He did great!

Back at the barn, he went right for the water bucket again... I popped the blue cooler on him for a few minutes, brushed him down, and let him go. He was content, and so was I.

Thursday morning was lesson day! I got him fed by 7:15, and around 8:30, wearing my old polyester breeches over long johns, my old, worn brown paddock boots, the new black half chaps, and of course the hunter's orange sweat shirt over a few other layers, we got ready to head over to the Dodge farm. Possum was very agreeable, despite the nip in the air.

We calmly walked over to catch Ryan lunging Big Mack while Donna closely observed and listened. Mack looked very good. Then, Donna got on and rode around the paddock for a while. Meanwhile, Possum and I walked all around the big field, and picked up a few short trots to warm up.

After Donna put Big Mack away, she dragged over three left over wooden fence posts and laid them out with plenty of distance between them, in a line (something we've talked about doing for a while!) Telling Ryan about how sluggish and sucked back Possum felt on my Tuesday ride, she offered to hop on him for a bit, and I was more than willing to have her do that! Always great to watch a good rider ride, especially the horse you ride!

She "woke him up," with clucking, kicking and with the bat, and explained more to me about just giving him that wake up call to let him know we were ready to "work." If I just let him act like a slug, then that's what he will be - however, if I am clear and direct and ask for more Possum with a kick, a cluck and/or the bat or crop, then I have let him know that it's time to move. She reminded me that the horse should be carrying me, not the other way around!

So, I hopped back on, and we trotted around for a bit more, and he was much better. Then, we went over to the fence posts laying on the ground, and trotted over those a few times, the last time with me riding in "half-seat," or "jumping position." He was excellent, and I could not stop smiling. So much fun to have a better riding relationship with Possum!

After the lesson, we ambled back home, and he was content again.

Friday, "day 75," was even cooler, plus, the WIND! Well, it wasn't that strong, but still, it was there, and it was effecting his mood, for sure. After Donna and I took our weekly walk, we made plans to meet up later with the horses. I rode Possum up to her barn around 1 in the afternoon, and Donna caught Big Mack and tacked him up. She stayed in her fenced in areas and mostly walked around, and she felt good about that - he was very good. Possum and I trotted around the field, and also trotted over the rail lines a few times. We also cantered once. Then, she and I just let the boys stand in the sun, as we chatted. They really liked that! Just hanging!

Though the sun was out, it was feeling chilly just standing around, so we said goodbye and headed out of the barn's driveway. Suddenly, Possum went lame! I hopped off right away, and sure enough, their was an angled rock, about the size of a golf ball, lodged into his off side front hoof just between the frog and the shoe! It took me a second or two, but I managed to unwedge it. I got back on, using the granite bench as a mounting block, and was relieved to feel that he was not sore.

We walked back to our driveway, and I let him decide if he wanted to head back to the barn or not, and was surprised to see that he wanted to keep going! So, we rode down to Dad's and behind the house, then back to down the path just behind his house and wandered deeper into the woods. He really enjoyed that! Then we marched back up the hill and over to our backyard. We picked up a sweet little canter and slowed to a walk just by our bulkhead to the basement, then walked into the barn. Once again, he went right for the water bucket!

I let him drink a little, then made him stop for a bit, then let him drink some more. He wasn't sweaty at all, and I brushed him down and rubbed his face, then let go in the paddock - a much more relaxed pony then when we started the ride (wind wind go away!)

He got his pellets and another big round of hay flakes at 5, then we left for our gig at 6. When we got back at 12:30 in the morning, the wind had died down, and he was hanging out around the stall, munching away on hay.

DAY 69, 70, 71 & 72 - Windy Rainy & Finally Calm Again

Saturday, "Day 69," the weather won, and I decided fighting the driving rains and howling winds would not be worth the trouble, so, while Possum hunkered down in his stall (though the doors were still open to his paddock,) I took the day to do house chores and relax. Possum, on the other hand, was very tense, keeping a close eye on all things blowing in the big storm. I kept his stall filled with hay, and let him play out the storm at his own pace.

I got home from my gig at 1:45, and though on my ride home there was still some wind and even a few snow flakes falling from the sky, I opted to leave the stall doors open to his paddock. I did take a quick walk to check and make sure the fence lines were still intact and branch free, but Possum seemed determined to stand in his stall away from the winds anyway, so I retired at 2:30 in the morning fairly secure that we would make it through the night.

Sunday morning, the winds and rains were still relentless. Poor Possum was almost at his wits end because of it, but he continued to munch away on the giant pile of hay to ease his anxiety. During a lull in the storm, around 2 in the afternoon, as I was filling up the water buckets and refilling the hay rations before we left for our gig, Donna and Big Mack came down for a short visit. It was nice for Possum, who came skipping out into the paddock, to see his buddy and learn that everybody was still okay. Donna and I chatted and she offered to text me while I was at my gig if the power went out. She eased my anxiety by offering to come over and lock Possum in the stall if we did lose power on the hill. Luckily, we never did lose power that night. I put Possum's halter on before we left, just in case.

We got through Sunday night, and Monday morning, the winds were still whipping! I spent a good part of the morning cleaning the stall and paddock. Between all of the poops, pine cones and branches down, I made several trips to the manure pile with the wheelbarrow. Possum braved the paddock several times, but the winds were just so brutal, he kept running back to the stall for relief. Can't say I blame him!

After barn chores, I showered then drove downtown to bank, gas up and grocery shop. Shortly after I got back, the storm finally passed. No more blasted wind! I put Possum's halter on and led him out of the paddock, and up to the Dodge barn we walked. I enjoyed seeing how mellow he was as we walked up the road. His eyes were soft and his head carriage was low. It was nice. We walked down to greet Big Mack, who was grazing in his temporary paddock, and Possum was very happy to graze around the fence line. The sun was finally out! We wandered over by the barn and visited with the 8 chickens who have been living in the extra stall. They were very curious about us, preening this way and that and inching ever closer, but Possum was so enthralled to be grazing he paid hardly any attention to the birds.

After almost an hour, I led him back to the barn, not without a little bit of rebellion from him. But, back we went, and I groomed him for a bit before I let him back loose in the paddock.

Today, "day 72," election day Tuesday, I got him fed by 7:30 (still adjusting to daylight savings,) and an hour or so later, after working in the gardens, I cleaned his stall and paddock. After a quick shower and a run down to the town office to vote, I brought him into the stall for a quick grooming. Last night, I had brought all the tack into the house, as it's getting pretty cold out there every night, and I don't want to be putting ice cold saddle pads on his back or ice cold bits in his mouth! So, a bit more effort to ride, but hey, the days are getting shorter and the times to ride will inevitably dwindle to very few, so it's worth it.

He was a bit bratty during the bridling (he walked off again,) but I could tell he was happy to get out and explore. I had to circle him an extra time around the stump to get him to stand still while I mounted, and after one short loop around the paddock, we ventured out to the driveway. There was a lot of commotion and noise going on down at the bottom of the hill (Micheal's land being forested,) so I opted to let him go right out of the driveway and down to the Dodge farm.

We worked in the field for a while. Lot's of trotting. He was super sluggish today, sucking back and short, but I kept on him with leg and clucking, and tried not to make too big a deal out of it. After a lot of trotting in circles and figure eights, I asked him to canter once in each direction (he picked up the wrong lead on the first try, but I didn't bother correcting him.. it's too hard with the big open field. He was still balanced and forward anyway.)

Then we went right out of the field and down the road to the field across from Lenny's. We marched around there, keeping an eye out for the men in orange carrying rifles, then walked and trotted back up to the Dodge barn. We walked on down past Dad's driveway, braving the loud sounds from the logging at the bottom of the hill, then took a left onto the path that leads back to Dad's backyard. Mostly walking and a few trots, then we back up around the garden and over the stone wall and into our backyard. I asked him to trot up the hill and hop over the little birch cross rail.. he totally missed the distance, but we laughed that off. I turned him around in the road and we walked back over the jump, then trotted over to the other side. He was ready to go back to the barn, but I had him walk back down the steep part of the hill, then we picked up a canter and rode back up to the jump. This time, he hit his mark and hopped over it in grand pony style!

Heading back up from Lenny's to the Dodge barn.

Heading down the hill towards the logging noises at Micheal's

I walked him a little longer, then we headed back to the barn. He went right for the water buckets, and I had to pull him back a couple of times, in fear of too much water after riding. Even though he wasn't very sweaty or wet at all, I put the little blue cooler on him anyway, and then we went out back to graze for a while. He was super chill and happy.

I bet you didn't know that he was the State Fair 1981 Champion!