A Day of Firsts

This morning was frosty, very frosty.

The horses were all huddled together in the patch of sunlight at the far end of the pasture.  When they saw us, they came up for breakfast.  There's nothing like an icy cold morning to make you hungry.  Right, Winston?

Passage was still in bed and not interested in getting up.  In fact at 10:00, she was STILL in bed.  The lazy butt.

The donkeys stayed down at the far end of the pasture, in the sun, eating leaves that had blown into the fence.

We are putting Mufasa's hay far enough away from Flash and Winston that he can't be chased off.  This morning, he lucked out and got to eat in the sun while the others were in the shade.

This evening, Flash and Mufasa were eating together, out of the same bin.  Winston continues to be a brat.

Later, when the weather had warmed up to the mid 40s, we headed back down to the barn to ride Flash and Winston around the ranch roads a bit.  Flash did great, walking comfortably on the flat bridle trails.  Winston was a bit high headed, but good.  I was a bit nervous scared.  My stomach clenched up, my knees gripped, and I had to force myself to take deep breaths.  This was our first "trail" type ride since Winston bucked me off a month ago.  Half way through, we passed the pit bull house.  Winston looked at the dogs barking through the fence at us, flicked an ear, and just kept going.  I was fine from there on.

When we got back after our 20 minute ride (we're easing Flash into being ridden), I took Winston into the arena and worked him for a bit in there.  We did some very nice trot work and then I cantered.  First canter since I was bucked off.  I was a bit worried that he might buck in the transition and that my back would hurt but neither happened.  He's forgotten how to bend, but we'll get that back.

In the afternoon, Brett rode Mufasa for the first time.  He did NOT like our big green mounting block.  Brett standing on the top was too much for Mufasa.  There was no way he was going to stand next to the block with Brett way up there.  We worked with him for awhile, and then Brett got out the purple portable mounting block we use at shows and got on using it with no trouble at all.

They did very well together, figuring each other out.  Mufasa walked out nicely.

Mufasa was a tad difficult to steer at walk.  When Brett picked up the trot he discovered that steering was non-existent.  I rode Mufasa when Brett finished and I can confirm, this horse does not steer well.  He doesn't neck rein, he doesn't move off your leg, he only responds to direct rein.  It's nothing that can't be fixed.  I expect no one has ridden him with expectations that he be light and sensitive.  He's willing, he's just uneducated.

Mufasa has a very nice canter.  It's not well balanced - he leans on a circle - but we can teach him that.  He's forward, he's willing, and he's smart.  Oh, and fun.  He's fun.

Here's my Sunday Stills "Yellow" picture.