Lengthy catchup post!

Wow has it been a busy week!  My professor in my Farm Animal Anatomy and Physiology class just flew through the information this week, I have the whole of the cardiovasular system, respiratory system, and digestive system to review for an exam tomorrow morning, and then the final will be Friday. Oy. I'll be glad to be done with it!  Though, as intensive and demanding this 4 week summer class is, I love the fact that I am knocking out a solid 3 credit class in one month's time.  This is really going to help my class planning for the next several semesters.

So, that said, trying to find time to work Cash is precious, when I do get out there it's often not until 7 in the evening, or later.  I have a love-hate relationship with riding at that time of day, while it's beautiful and cool and the sun is behind the shade trees so I don't get burnt.... the mosquitoes are out in force, and I hate mosquitoes.  Yuck.

Last Sunday the farm hosted a potluck and music night, a lot of the farm school families showed up so there were a bunch of kids running around, and we went and just hung out for a bit, naturally I didn't get to hold my baby much so I made good use of my free hands and went and got Cash out.... and my oh my, poor guy was beside himself.  All those people, the music, the steel guitar, the kids, the blowing sheet that had been errected as a backdrop for the band.... So we went and hung out in the far end of the arena, all he wanted was to try and hide all of 1300lbs behind all of 130lbs of me.  Ha!  I finally went and sat on the fence and held him, he would dance and jump around a bit, then settle and watch, then jump around, and then watch.  Eventually he just would stand and watch and so I'd get down and move about 10 feet closer to the commotion.  We ended on a really good note and he was listening to me well, we did a little ground work and I put him away. 

However, this memory of music and people did not translate well to our next few rides later on in the week.  He was just being a dip-wad!! On thursday he was especially bad, I lunged him in that end, then got on, he was ok to start with while walking, but it came apart when I asked for the trot.  He balked big-time when we came around to that side of the circle, so I put my leg on, when that didn't work I gave him a small pop with the crop, and he threw a full out temper tantrum!! Spinning, flying sideways, hopping, head tossing... the works. So I made him go to work, he was ok for a little bit, but then was rushing through me and not slowing, so I asked him to halt from the trot, that got his attention but the next circuit around, at the exact same spot, he slammed on the brakes again "you want me to halt again here, right??" he then objected again when I asked him to go forward.  I decided to try taking him through a set of three trot poles as ground poles often really help him focus, but that was a no-go as he decided he wanted to canter them... after sending one of the poles flying (or so it seemed) that rendered the trot poles un-usable least I get off and re-set I decided to just get him moving off my leg and some-what listening to me.... at that point he decided he had had enough of my leg and kicked out when I give him a little push.... SERIOUSLY?  At which point he then flew sideways knowing that he was being naughty and I was sure he was going to slam my leg against the fence.  I was finally like "Ok, horse, lets just WALK a nice quiet circle and we can be done." we managed to accomplish that and I called it quits. 

Thinking back on the ride, I was surprised at how calm I stayed throughout the entire thing, I didn't loose my temper with him once... something that six months ago I can honestly say I would not have been able to do. I had a lot of anger and unhappiness in my life before that I've been able to let go of since my husband passed away... I am honestly a happier person now.  Which is an unfortunate testament to where our relationship had gone.

Anyway, following his dip-wadded nonesense I called up the barn owner and asked her if I could let him spend the night in the arena.  She agreed so I set out a nice big pile of hay for him right smack dab next to the scarriest part of the arena and let him loose.  He walked over and warrily started eating.  I watched him for a bit and he would eat, then nervously trot away to the gate, which upon finding closed he would wander back over to his food, eat some more and then trot back to the gate.  It's such a rough life, haha.

I didn't do anything with him on Friday, but yesterday when I worked him he was SUPER.  The night spent in the arena must have really helped!  He didn't spook hardly once! He had a few looks going right on the lunge line, and going left he didn't blink at all.  Good boy!!  He was also great to ride, quite heavy on his inside shoulders, but he was focused and listening to me otherwise.  I kept the ride short and sweet and was very pleased with him otherwise.  So, he will be spending at least 1 night a week in the arena, it will be good for him.

Such a handsome boy!

He going to be getting a 1 week purge of Psyillium, a couple weeks ago he had a mild colic... well, I wouldn't even call it colic, he never was acting collicy in that he was showing signs of discomfort, he was just being super lethargic and not eating or drinking, and the poops coming out where pretty hard.  So we tubed him with water and mineral oil as a precautionary measure and that perked him back up.  But just because of how sandy it is around here, and the fact that another horse on the property had a major sand colic episode not too long ago I'm going to start doing this with him about every other month or so.  Better safe than sorry. 

Whew, well that's all for now! This next week is going to be nuts, an exam on monday, the final on friday, then FREEDOM!!! Until August anyway when fall classes start back up.  It'll be weird to only have a 6-7 hour day, instead of an 11 hour day.  So much free time!