Day in the Life

I rode Highboy this morning, and he cantered for the first time with me under saddle!  We were trotting along, and he was doing really well.  I asked him for a little canter, and he hesitated because I've not asked for it before.  I made a kissing noise, which is the cue to canter when he's on the lunge line, and Miles knows what that means.  So Miles began to canter in front of him, looking over his shoulder at Highboy saying, "come on, just like this..."  Highboy picked up a little canter, just did three or four strides of it, then went back to the trot.  I told him he was a good boy, and we tried again.  The second and third times he cantered the length of the long side of the arena, though on the wrong lead.  The fourth time I asked for the canter he picked up the right lead and went all the way around the arena!  Miles and I were both very proud.  To cool out we went for a walk around the south pasture, and we did need Miles to go ahead of us to flush out any lurking horse monsters so Highboy could live another day.  With Miles in front, Highboy is quite brave because he knows that dog can be trusted.

Miles has been sticking quite close to me since Belle passed away last week, I think he's lonely without her.  But he keeps on working, doing his job as only he can do.  We went for a walk around the neighborhood with Taz, the palomino quarter horse and encountered a new neighbor's aggressive guardian dogs who had jumped out of their fenced yard to come attack Miles.  The two dogs jumped on Miles and laid him out, and I was concerned about my little buddy, so I took my riding crop and sliced it through the air making a whip noise.  I told Taz to "get 'em", and we charged the dogs with Taz snaking his neck around and making faces.  The neighbor dogs got up and so did Miles.  I told Miles to stick close, but as soon as he turned his back on the neighbor dogs they tackled him again.  So Taz and I again charged and ran them off.  We chased them about 50 feet and I yelled at them to go home, and finally they decided that maybe this horse wasn't to be messed with.  Miles, Taz, and I all walked home then, glad Miles wasn't hurt. 

Taz looks so peaceful, but he didn't hesitate to protect his little buddy Miles. 

It was a busy day today, trying to get horses worked and some lessons taught before the weather turns on me.  I fed the horses, rode Highboy, then worked with a new horse who has arrived for therapy, taught a groundwork lesson with a new client with Cole, then rode a client horse and taught a riding lesson, did some tack fitting and found appropriate attire for Taz for the horseshow this weekend, and rode Taz.  A (friendly) neighbor dog traveled several miles from his job with the neighbor cattle to come over and visit, he looks like Miles with his legs lopped off.  He's a border collie/corgi mix named Sparky.  He comes over periodically to mark Bit of Honey Training as his own.  He played in the arena with us while I rode and then asked if I'd call his owner so he could get a ride home.  She came and picked him up, so now all that's left is to feed everybody dinner and I can call it a day.