More Shameless Gushing

Mon Apr 11, 2005

Time for more shameless gushing over my Good Boy!

After weekend-before-last's mishaps at the riding clinic, we didn't get much of a chance to work together last weekend, mostly because it was so damned crowded at the barn, there was no ROOM to practice any sort of cantering, the arena being full (Yes, I know, it's Daylight Savings, why aren't they OUTside riding???)

BUT....this weekend was The Equine Affaire in Columbus, OH...imagine my joy and surprise when I arrive at the barn Saturday and find it EMPTY! My car the only one in the lot...the whole barn EMPTY EMPTY EMPTY!! The arenas EMPTY! It was strange...and exciting...alone....heh heh! Yep, all the Teenagers had gone down to Ohio for the day! Buh-Bye!!!

UNfortunately by the time I caught Quzqo and brought him to the barn, the large family had arrived (they are Pony Clubbers, and don't hang out with the 4-H kids, who went down south) (It's amazing the cliques that have formed in that barn among the kids...the Pony Clubbers vs the 4-H-ers vs the Popular Kids vs the Geeks...a manure-scented microcosm of any High School in America!! (or the World I imagine) (FWIW, I have the best relationships with the Geek teens, LOL! Takes one to know one!). Anyway, by the time I got done lungeing Himself, there were three kids on ponies galloping around in the arena, and the mom was setting up poles, cones and jumps!

This was also the first time I used my purchase at the Used Tack Sale last weekend...a set of SPURS! LOL! No, not some huge sharp Mexican ones encrusted with the dried blood of previous victims, no, they're rather gentle with rounded balls on the ends...believe me, I wouldn't want anything ouchie! I tried spurs with Tezlu ONCE....that's all it took...that boy did not need spurs! Quzqo, on the other hand....heh heh. Now, I did ask him NICE for things before poking him...if he didn't respond to the leg pressure, he'd get some foot pressure...if the foot pressure/side of the heel didn't get him into a trot, then I angled my feets and gave him some spur pressure! LOL, you'd think somebody goosed him, he'd SHOOT forward and trot SO smartly! I eventually hung my whip up and just rode him with spurs! Gee, they work, who'da thunk it?

Eventually the arena got so full of Ponies that I gave up, and removing the spurs and picking up the whip, we went outside, and I'm very pleased to report we completed our first successful circuit of the property fenceline since my accident in October!! Granted we only WALKED, but still...it was more for ME than anything. Not to say Quzqo wasn't a snorty freakazoid about the Scary Gates, and apparently a bunch of garbage had blown from the house up onto the trail, so there was a cardboard box and some hot dog packages that were VERY scary! And a vicious blood-thirsty ravenous BIRDIE fluttered in the underbrush which warrented a good spookfit, but once we got away from the forest and into the more open hayfield, he relaxed and even nibbled some of the 1" tall Spring Grass (cuz Mom is so good to him and let him get away with that). He did VERY well overall, I didn't die, and we all made it safely back to the barn.

Sunday was even nicer...all the 4-H kids were back from Ohio, so the place was packed...we ended up riding in the outdoor arena, which unfortunately is set up with barrels for barrel racing, poles for pole bending, cones and a jump...plus 5 horses being ridden... But Quzqo was tired from the previous day, I didn't use the spurs, but I still got him into THE sweeeeeetest
canter on Earth!!! We cantered around the entire arena! Beautiful "slow" (for an Arabian, def. slow compared to anything Tezlu did), balanced, and on his "bad" side (right lead). Plus I had his big fat eggbutt snaffle, I was soooo pleased! Granted the sand in that arena is about a foot deep, LOL, slows 'em down and wears 'em out, but that's just fine!

And we even managed to fit in a short trail ride with the barn owner and a new boarder, pretty much riding the property line, but Quzqo did VERY well, no snort-fits over the hotdog packages this time...he contemplated throwing a hissy fit when we headed off the property for a bit, (I was a bit worried because I had neither whip nor spurs with me), but luckily my heels were enough to convince him to keep following the other horses and stop being a Drama Queen.

I tell you though, that improvement in the cantering is SUCH a boost...last Fall I was able to finally get him into a short canter in the outdoor ring only after 50 feet of severe kicking...to get him balanced and to jump into a lovely balanced canter from a walk...*phew*. So nice!!!

Wonder when the first horse show is, LOL!