There's Hope for our Humans

I heard Lucy say this to Pistol when they were back in their pasture after we rode this morning.

Both Brett and I had good rides.

I wasn't sure how Lucy would be -- since I haven't ridden her in two weeks due to all the smoke we had from the fires (500 homes lost in the Butte fire; I can't even get my head around that).  Plus, she was really pissy last night when I was mucking her pasture.  Demanding.  I carried a dressage whip this morning when I rode in case she was sluggish or resistant.  She turned her head after I got on, and sniffed it.  Then she marched into the arena without looking twice at the corner Brett had been working on.  It's the lower corner -- trolls don't live there -- but Brett had added a wood border with drainage holes for rain water to run off, without taking sand with it).  So there was new wook and some decomposed granite, raked nice and neat.  She didn't care at all.  I had one of those rides where your face hurts afterwards because you've been grinning the whole time.  I concentrated on my position and my timing -- and Lucy was relaxed, forward, prompt and accurate.

Lucy and I are going to be in horrible shape, from a fitness standpoint, next weekend at Sandy Savage's workshop -- but we will muddle through and we will have a good time.  And we will learn.  I can't believe how the few things Sandy corrected in me in my last lesson have made such a difference in Lucy.

Meanwhile, Brett and Pistol were having a good time up in the other end of the arena.  Pistol did give the new boards the stink eye when they first went into the arena, but that's it.  Last night, Brett and I were talking about the upcoming Mark Rashid clinic.  He was wondering what to work on with Pistol -- she's so awesome already.  At the end of their ride today, I said to Brett, "Let's see what happens if you engage your core while sitting her trot.  I wonder if she will round up."  Off they went.  Pistol did lift her back a bit and she starting reaching way under with her hind legs.  I said to Brett, "There you go; that's what you can work on with Mark: getting Pistol to work through her body by how you work through yours."

We're having friends over for dinner tonight.

We went over towards Apple Hill and got apples from our favorite orchard, Hooverville, outside of Placerville.  ...so I could make pie.  The first one of the season and I'm kinda proud of how it came out, with its sparkling sugar and cinnamon crust.