Hot and Buggy

Wednesday after my last meeting, I shut my office door and changed into my breeches before slipping down the back stairs to my car. I feel weird taking the elevator to the lobby in my riding clothes -- not exactly corporate attire -- even though most employees were already gone for the day. The barn was deserted, as usual, when I arrived. Deserted, except for a farrier who was working on a horse in the cross ties by Sandy's barn. There were a couple other men there talking to him and they were all having a good time. It didn't look like they were making much progress on the horse. I got out Lucy's tack but I felt like I was intruding on the guys' social gathering so I didn't bring Lucy there when I fetched her from the barn. Instead, I took her to the jumping arena where she could roll and I could sit in the shade of a walnut tree. It was hot, humid and buggy; my energy level was not high. Lucy was in a mellow mood too. She rolled a few times and then tried to reach under the fence for grass.
Here is a video of Lucy rolling



The farrier and his friends were still laughing and talking so I walked Lucy around the back of the property, past the big paddocks. The bugs were annoying me and eating her alive. She stomped her feet, kicked at her belly, and shook her head. The bites left small bumps all over her skin. Poor sensitive girl.

Back at the barn, the farrier had finally finished and was packing up his stuff. I tacked up Lucy and headed to the covered arena. It was cooler there and had fewer bugs than the outdoor court near where we had been walking. We didn't work for long. I practiced doing downward transitions in the way Sandy taught me Tuesday. First we worked on getting a soft, relaxed trot and then I slowed her by squeezing my outside hand before sinking into walk. Next we picked up a canter. When Lucy doesn't rush, her canter is lovely. I hated to stop but we practiced coming back to trot. The transition went very well but Lucy immediately wanted to go back to canter. She threw her head around a bit and I said, Lucy, Lucy we will trot all night if we have to. You need to relax before we change directions and canter again. She did. We cantered. Another good transition down to trot and we called it quits. We were both hot and sweaty.

I put her fly sheet back on so the bugs wouldn't continue feasting on her. Why is it that some people and animals are bug magnets? Bugs find Brett very tasty and he gets multiple bites compared to me.

It was 86, hot and humid when I drove out of the barn parking lot, gulping down my bottle of water. At home, it was pouring rain with thunder and lightening. So strange, the way the weather varies from home to work and the barn.