Camille Comes to Visit

...and she brought friends!  Our little house was full -- the bedrooms taken, the mudroom strewn with shoes, and the refrigerator bulging with food.  It was great.

Friday evening the girls wanted to ride.  You've already seen pictures of Camille riding then so I won't repeat those photos.  The girls fetched Pistol from the pasture while I kept Lucy at a distance before following them over to the tie rail.  They had tried to visit Pistol earlier and Lucy would have none of it.  With Lucy, its all about her.  All the attention, all the cookies and all the food.  She does share their hay with Pistol after taking the first few bites all by her princess self.

While the girls groomed Pistol, Lucy and I were trying on new clothes.  One of the straps on Lucy's fly sheet tore off the other day so ordered her a new one.

She approved of the color and fit.  She was content to stand at the tie rail in her finery while Brett and I helped the girls get Pistol tacked up.  Camille even picked all four of Pistol's feet.  When Camille was small, she was scared to pick feet -- particularly the hind ones.  She's twenty now and Pistol is a laid back 18 so it was time for Camille to get over that.  She took a deep breath and cautiously picked up Pistol's feet.

Once Pistol was tacked up the girls headed into the small arena.  I threw on Lucy's saddle and bridle and followed them over.

Camille's friends do not have much riding experience; I think just rental trail horses.  They were fast learners but initially not very adept at steering.

Pistol tried to follow Lucy which was not something Lucy and I wanted.  So, we were banished.  We left the arena and rode up to the dressage court.

Lucy was jumpy and snorty as we passed by the back of the barn and turned past the donkeys.  She jumped again when we passed the chickens.  She walks past the chickens in her sleep when I'm leading her -- they must look different when I'm on her back.  But she never balked, just walked cautiously up to the dressage court.  We did a little bit of trot, a little bit of canter, and then walked back to the barn.  It was too dang hot to do anything else.

While the girls finished riding Pistol, Lucy and I did a few laps around the barn.  Camille called over to me that she was going to get on Pistol again and that she wanted me to watch her lope.  Pistol had offered the lope on her last turn and Camille was thrilled.  I had, obviously mistakenly, informed her that Pistol was out of shape and wouldn't be able to lope more than a few strides.