Someone needs to sync Blogger's dictionary with my own.

I've ridden twice in the past two days. To be honest, I haven't really set out to the barn with a goal in mind, or even really with the thought that Bobby needs to get ridden. Fuck knows he doesn't think so! It's more that contractors have been swarming the house the past week basically rebuilding our front porch that was supposed to only be a paint job and, as previously alluded to, my social skills ability to function around other people is limited. So Bobby has suffered.

To make up for the inhuman treatment of my horse (or, at least according to him I'm sure), I've tried to keep the rides interesting. Monday's exercise was a set of four canter poles on one long side, and on the opposite side were four trot poles to an X.

The most exciting development? No sneakers on Robert's feet! I put them on him to walk him down the gravel driveway, but once in the cushion-y (Blogger, Y U No Like My Words?!) indoor, I pulled them off and he was totes perfect. E-high five, everyone!

Bobby was super happy to be jumping, even if it was only a tiny cross rail. In fact, he was so happy that he somehow managed to canter over the 4.5' trot poles to get to the jump without so much as tapping a toe against a pole or getting in an awkward distance to the jump. I'm still not sure how he managed such a feat, especially since he's the size of a large, awkward dinosaur.

"i'm not a dinosaur!"
bobby, please. no one is fooled.

He surprised me with some really nice stretchy trot--something we've pretty much never been able to accomplish--and I was pleased to think that the five bajillion bows that he's done over the past month has helped him stretch his back out more.

I finished the ride with some no stirrup work. Quite frankly, I wasn't expecting myself to even be able to get my ass out of the saddle enough for one posting trot stride. I managed two whole laps! (Hush, L. Williams. We lesser riders have to start somewhere.) I did some canter work as well which was much easier, then got off and sort of floated to the barn. I only knew I was walking because I was making forward progress up the driveway, but I couldn't feel my legs. So. Sore.

Today was more trot poles--3 poles set at 4' and a couple of strides to 3 poles set at 6'. We only went few them a few times before I was all, "I'm going to become so good at no stirrup work! Just watch me!" and yanked my stirrups off my saddle. And then I wanted to have a little cry. I did some posting trot, but not much. I finally gave up and just did some dressage work so I could justify sitting the trot.

On the plus side, the dressage work was pretty much fab. His leg yields were flow-y and correct, his canter didn't look like his body stretches out for ten miles, and the shoulder in didn't take almost the entire long side to establish.

I may not have the ability to walk tomorrow, but hopefully by next spring I'll be able to ride at least at the level I was riding Red and Bobby will be able to ride places besides the indoor arena with his naked tootsies.

"i'm sorry, what? you're not making plans, are you?"