I taught a lesson today to two of my favorite little girls, H and M. The elder, at 9, just moved up to riding Molly today from Missy and the transition did make her a little nervous at first. Missy is a bit of a tug-thwack-kick, hard-mouthed old lesson mare with a notable sweet side but a cranky streak a mile wide. I'm getting nervous about her rear fetlocks; she tends to stock up a lot and I'm sure she has arthritis setting in. Molly is relatively hot; she's the closest lesson horse we have to a Bandit and she can get antsy if you keep her back without reason for too long. But, H is a strong rider with a natural seat I find myself envying (who doesn't miss being 10 years old and bulletproof?) and I was worried she was picking up too many rough cues from riding Missy and her other school mounts from her summer camp, Camp Mystic. (As a sidenote, that is no job at Mystic! I am sure their instructors do a wonderful job. But young riders at CFA tend to get the plugs, and I know that goes for many other riding programs as well. Plugs can teach you plenty, but they can also impede your fluidity.) Really, she did great with Molly and Molly settled her silly butt down pretty quickly. I'd like to ride her more beforehand next time and see if I can get her in the mindset— she isn't a horse that adjusts quickly from one job to another; if you get her going, she's likely to keep the momentum. But, when all was said and done, the ride went really well. Lots and lots of giggling, only one show of tears (the 6 year old isn't terribly adjusted to losing games yet.) I sort of broke a cardinal rule of teaching young kids to ride by whipping out two new games in one session, but we were practicing our woah's and go's and stops and they were side by side, so I pulled out some crepe paper for a Ribbon Ride. And then later we learned the barrel pattern.. I can't help but think they could kick a little youth rodeo tail at Crider's some summer night if they wanted to. (Parents probably aren't the type, but that's okay!) They thought running it on the ground first (slapping our bums like we had quirts) was great fun, and both did well on their first go-around. I'm trying to be a better instructor instead of just a fun one by teaching them at least two new horsey vocabulary words a week— this week was "Sorrel" and "Stirrup." Sorrel moreso for the 9 year old, but the 6 year old would do well to figure out why her feet are always stuck in those plastic "thingies." ;)
My old boss / mentor took me out to lunch as a little early birthday surprise. Bruce's Trout at Elaine's, yum. He asked to come back and take a look at Indigo and it turned out he really likes him! No, he's no halter horse but he's sound and solid and was incredibly gentlemanly. He caught easily, as he has been —he's out in the pasture now, more on that below— and stood very politely for inspection, and even buried his face in Dave's for a little bit and took a nice, polite sniff. He still is a teensy bit mouthy, but he never actually bites anymore. He is certainly at the bottom of the totem pole but seems resigned and happy with that fate, with big fat Hannah Banana mare as his body guard. David wants to go and check out the winter BLM sales in Texas with me and had nothing but good things to say about Indy; he might want something of the like. There's one mustang at La Junta who has been around for years and years, Dave said without any problems. Steady as the day is long. Hugely fat, easy keeper, can be barefoot, and well into his twenties without ever having a summer day off.
Dave also said Bandit was better looking than he's ever seen him before (and it's been almost four years now he's known him, going on five, three of those years Bandit at least spent some time in his care) and that, too, made me happy. Bandit's a big, nearing-17-year-old ball of fat and muscle and attitude but he's wound up and feeling go-y all the time now. I haven't ridden him since Monday and probably won't get anything in 'til Saturday, so he's been full of piss and vinegar whenever we do get out.
Marquee got ridden by Kara early this week. Just on the trail. He was a little goofy at first, 'til Kara discovered the gates on his headstall and reins had gotten stuck together.. Uhh, ?!?!?! It was odd. But he seemed relatively behaved on the trail, a little forward and on Bandit's butt, but then Bandit fell into complete disorder when Marquee took the lead so really, the 7 year old was on better behavior than the 17 year old. He has really been exceptional this summer, learning only a few bad Lesson Horse habits and being a very gentle giant.
I eventually caved into letting Indigo into our large pasture with the rest of the herd. Everyone at camp seemed convinced I was being a little cruel in keeping him contained, but I was extremely nervous letting him out in a pasture that still uses barbed wire for some of its fencing. We're due to replace it all by November, and most of the new t-posts are already driven for the pony wire, and I was going to try and wait it out 'til then, thinking I'd have more one-on-one time with the little 'Stanger.. But he is such a chill horse, I don't think I'm gaining anything by being his only companion except he's going to be even more person-bonded than he already is. Plus, we walked the fenceline and he certainly seemed to "get" it, and it's pretty hard to actually get him running. Moral of the story, I didn't stick to my guns and put him out yesterday morning. I watched him like a hawk for over an hour, then checked the rest of the day, and he's been overjoyed at slurping from the round bales and has a very constant protector in Hannah Mare, who stays plastered to his side at all given times. Molly and Puzzle hang out as well. They're all the lowest rungs on the ladder of life but at least get a hay bale to themselves. (Pax, Marquee, JB, and the other Cool Kids occupy the back of the pasture. Much like the cool kids always get the back of the bus.)
He's wearing his blanket without fuss and simulated "girth." October will be saddle time.
