Merveilleuse Journée

I've been a bit frustrated lately. I kind of expected to just get on again and be able to jump right in, pain free. That's not been the case. I guess it's getting better by the day, but I'm still feeling pretty limited.
On a happier note, Miss Dee has been absolutely fantastic! It took her two days before she settled. Sunday, she was very tense and looky, and only settled at the very end. Monday, she was a little better, but still took a good long while before she settled. She was also off her feed, and just stalking around the paddock. Yesterday, however, she was fabulous. She went out and got right to work. She was stretching and relaxed, and even though one of the horses in the barn kept screaming to her, she was totally focused. Her canter work was pretty good, too. I can't do too much canter work right now, so we just did two short canters in each direction, but she's really come a long way in that department. Now I feel like I can put my leg on and half-halt, and actually have her ACCEPT the half-halt. All in all, it was a great ride, and for the past few days, I've actually gotten off with a big smile, because she's actually quite fun now! Hopefully we'll continue in the right direction, and my back will be strong enough to do more soon.

Dee comes home

From Problem Child to Lesson Horse!?

Dee is coming home on Saturday!! I am SO excited to have my little girl back with me again. Stephie seems to think that the regumate has helped, and told me that lately Dee has been trying super hard all the time, never saying no or being a crab. Let's hope that continues! Also, Steph has a student that comes up on weekends, and her horse has been injured, so Steph has been giving her lessons on Dee. Apparently, the woman even considered wanting to BUY Dee because she likes her so much, but then realized that she doesn't have time to deal with an injured horse, a full time job AND something she needs to ride. However, I'm really excited to hear that someone has been thoroughly enjoying my horse! I love that Steph puts other people up on the horses in training, because let's face it: those of us sending horses to her are NOT professional riders. We make mistakes. By throwing fellow amateurs up on the training horses, it makes them even more rideable. Steph is there on the ground, guiding, so obviously there's no terrible mistakes being made, but the horse is learning to deal with little mistakes here and there, which is what Dee needs.
Saturday is going to be a long day: drive to Litchfield to pick up the truck, then on to Chase Farm, then a lesson with Steph, then to Dee's new house in Woodbury, then back to Litchfield to drop the truck off. WHEW! Lucky my back is finally feeling better, because that's a LOT of driving!

Summer Plans

So, I've finally started thinking about what my summer plan for Dee might be. Of course, this is all extremely tentative. It will depend on me and how my back holds up. It will also depend on Dee and how she progresses.
So, summer schedule (maybe):

May 19: Take Dee back to CT!
June 12: Larkin Hill Horse Trials - Intro division

June 18: Rebecca Howard Clinic at Frazier Farm
OR
June 19: Great Vista Farm Horse Trials - Beginner Novice

July 9-10: Old Chatham Horse Trials - Beginner Novice
July 17: Riga Meadow Horse Trials - Novice

I would also like to take her to a few local jumper shows. I sort of feel like I should do the Rebecca Howard clinic instead of Great Vista, since not only would it be AWESOME to clinic with her, but Frazier is also literally down the road from where Dee will be living. We'll see!

Graduation!

Saturday marked my graduation from Post! It's great to be finished, and even nicer to know that I finished in the top 4% of my class. I'll probably post some pictures when I get around to actually uploading them.
Sunday I took a trip to King Oak, to drop off Dee's regumate. It was great to see everyone! Steph had an awesome day with Merc, who looked pretty great on cross-country, and I even caught a glimpse of miss Sitka, who looks wonderful as always.

30 Day Book Challenge: Day 30

Day 30: Favorite coffee table book
The Finger: A Comprehensive Guide to Flipping Off

30 day Book Challenge: Day 29

Day 29: Book you’re currently reading
I'm Off Then: Losing and Finding Myself on the Camino de Santiago - Hape Kerkeling
" Overweight, overworked, and disenchanted, Kerkeling was an unlikely candidate to make the arduous pilgrimage across the Pyrenees to the Spanish shrine of St. James, a 1,200-year-old journey undertaken by nearly 100,000 people every year. But he decided to get off the couch and do it anyway. Lonely and searching for meaning along the way, he began the journal that turned into this utterly frank, engaging book. Filled with unforgettable characters, historic landscapes, and Kerkeling's self-deprecating humor, I'm Off Then is an inspiring travelogue, a publishing phenomenon, and a spiritual journey unlike any other."
A 500 mile walk through northern Spain? It sounds fantastic!
Kerkeling is absolutely hilarious, and while there are a few translation mishaps (it was originally written in German), it is an absolutely WONDERFUL book!