Princess Prima Dona

Yes, this is about Lucy.

You know how some horses really want to be ridden?  Lucy gets pissy and pushy and downright obnoxious when she doesn't get regular attention.  She's one of those horse who does better with a few days off between rides because she goes into over-achiever mode when ridden after a break.

I can feel her saying, See? You don't need any other horse.  I am the best.  All you need is me.  Me Me ME.

Yes, Lucy, I hear you.

Between the heat of the summer, and then my surgery, I haven't been on her back in ages.  During the summer, I spent time with her in the pasture everyday -- and she followed me around while I did the morning and evening pasture clean up.  But, since my surgery, I haven't been allowed to do chores.  At least, not to the degree that I was before.  And now the days are short (and cool and crisp and wonderful), and I'm off to work in the dawn and home after dusk.  So, poor Lucy has been poorly neglected.

She's been getting more and more vocal about it -- calling to me from across the pasture fence.  And, she's taking it out on Jackson -- charging him for no reason at all.  The other day, Brett was in the pasture and in Jackson's haste to escape her pinned ears and teeth, he ran right over Brett.  Not good.  Not good at all.

So, Sunday I lunged her for a few minutes.  No Pessoa, no cavesson, no equipment at all.  Just an opportunity to check in and see how she's moving.  I'm still limited in the use of my left arm, but thankfully Lucy is an angel on the lunge.  Even when she bucks, she never pulls.  So, I felt pretty confident that I wouldn't injure myself.

(I didn't tell Brett 'till afterward though.)

Camille was visiting for the weekend and took a couple pictures for me.  I was happy to see that Lucy, while clearly out of shape and sluggish, was stepping under well and her hips were swinging.

But, best of all, when we did chores in the evening she was in a very mellow mood.