Chilly Saturday Lessons

Today we had a couple hard core riders who came for a ten o'clock lesson together.  Sara rode Dancer, who is here for the show season to teach lessons with me as well as hopefully be sold.  Dancer has a ton of dressage training and remembers every single bit of it.  That created a perfect opportunity for Sara to work on some of her own riding skills rather than focusing so much on what the horse needs, as we have to do with Dewey the Green Bean.  Sara did some walk, trot, canter, and some leg yields with Dancer, which was a refreshing change from Dewey's young horse antics.

Carol rode her new horse, Ladd.  He is coming along really well in his canter work with me as well as his jumping skills.  He easily transfers this new to him information to his rides with Carol. 

It was very cold this morning, so Carol elected to ride in her camel hair coat.  We kind of felt like with the drape of the coat that Carol should be riding sidesaddle with a top hat and veil.  Kim H. couldn't resist getting some photos of the ensemble, while Sara and I decided we had to up our fashion game to be of consequence.  My carhartts just doesn't have the same gene se qua.  I did wear it well, though, as I cantered around on foot to show Carol her course of crossrails.  Sometimes describing the directions is simply insufficient, so I just have to jump it.  Usually I'm on another horse to demo courses, but today I got to it on foot. 

I've known Dancer since she was a yearling, and even though she's about thirteen now I've managed to keep her in the Bit of Honey family for all these years. I just adore this mare, she's been one of my favorites her whole life.  I'm ecstatic that I have her here to use for lessons as I begin marketing her, as her current owner doesn't have the time she was hoping to ride.  With any luck I'll be able to sell her to someone who will keep her here and then she can be a permanent resident.

Other creatures of note this chilly Saturday were Sabbath, who was busy hunting all morning.

Orzo, our newest barn cat who has taken over mouse control in the tack room.  I wasn't too pleased with her today as I learned she's been scratching on my new expensive sheepskin saddle pad.  Good thing she's cute.  All the sheepskin is now stowed away in a tack trunk.

Z of course was hanging out, too, she doesn't miss an opportunity to climb on Kim H., our resident cat person.

As for horses, Tsavo and Highboy spent a good portion of the morning watching the lessons.  Both of them like to work and despite the cold were eager to be taken out next. I told them they'd have to wait a day or two.