Too Tired to Buck

This morning my body did not want to wake up.  At 7:00, Brett mentioned that there was frost on the barn roof.  I opened my eyes, saw the frost, groaned, and went back to sleep.  I didn't manage to drag myself out of bed until 8:00 which is unheard of here.  The muscles around my shoulder blades ached from the upper body work I did at the gym and my legs felt like lead from the fitness work I did with Winston. 

Brett and I did an easy ride on Flash and Winston around the ranch roads.  Winston didn't want to open his mouth for the bit when I put on his bridle.  I had to slide my thumb into the corner of his mouth and press; something I haven't done since I first bought him.  Then, halfway to the mounting block he stopped and said, I don't wanna work. I'm tired and I'm sore.  I assured him that we weren't going to work; we were simply going for an easy, slow walk on the level roads of the ranch.  Winston walked slowly; so slowly that we hardly had to stop and wait for Flash at all.  He never refused to go forward; he looked around taking note of horses in pastures, cars slowing and then passing us, people working in their yards, and dogs charging their fences and barking.  He never did more than flinch -- even at the evil pit bull who made his usual ruckus.  It was a no-stress ride in the March sunshine.  It gave me renewed faith in Winston as a trail horse and it gave Winston a break from the arena.

In the afternoon, I went back outside to clean out the hen house.  Winston and Mufasa were snoozing together by the run-in shed.

I grabbed my energy drink, gathered my tools, and got to work.

I shoveled out all the dirty shavings, dumping them into the run area where the chickens gleefully scratched and pecked until the piles were evenly spread. 

After putting a bag of clean shavings into the hen house, I closed everything up and returned my tools to the barn.  Flash was in Mufasa's stall.  Winston was half in the stall and half out in the run-out.  Mufasa was standing outside next to Winston.  They were all dozing. 

I'm heading back to the couch.