India Graduates

Jenny rode India out in the big pasture today and of course my battery had run down. But never fear intrepid readers, I have pictures galore of her lesson last Tuesday. Oh, and India did great. India was wonderful. India lived up to her Princess of the Universe moniker.

The saddling process is becoming almost old hat for Miss Priss. She still doesn't like it, but she's not giving Jenny nearly the fits that she was the first two times. Jenny would start swinging that heavy thing up and on and India would skitter to the right away from the saddle. Jenny now has biceps of steel after lifting this roping saddle over and over and over again.


To introduce the next step in India's education, Jenny uses the lead from the halter as a pseudo-bit.


On goes the bridle.


Bit in and bridle almost completely on. And she thought a saddle was bad. Oh my, it just got worse. Poor POTU.


Caption this! I suggest "Bleh!"


Off we go!


The Ministry of Silly Faces brings you India and Jenny.


Trotting on calmly in the round pen with a bridle on.


Today's graduation ride in the large arena before going out to the big pasture. My camera died after this shot. Woe, because India was really good. Elaine rode Wendy, Jenny's mare, and India followed her to the large pasture. She rode behind quite nicely, but she also rode on her own away from Wendy and wasn't concerned. Jenny dismounted and remounted and India stood quietly while she did this. I am so pleased.


So, after unsaddling, India was hosed off and squeegeed and then I braided her mane while she stood (mostly) quietly in the barn aisle. It was hot and our brains had all melted and the horses all seemed content standing in their stalls with the huge fans going. I'll go out Tuesday and check the braid job. I am hoping that I can train it to all lay on one side of her neck, but deep down I know the futility of this. Still, I can hope and standing tied in the aisle while the humans prod on you is but one of the many horsie survival skills needed.

That's it for India's big adventures until next September or October. Other than regular braid jobs and learning about clippers (can you say bridle path?), India's going to get the summer off. She's 2 and a half on the 25th of this month and although she's looking more grown up with every ride, she's still a kid. We'll pull her out of the pasture when it's cooler and start working on two-rein stops, trotting straight lines, and dare we say it? Yes we do, the canter. In the meantime, check back periodically. I will be riding Asia this summer, I'm close to finishing Cryptonomicon (really, I swear!), and the squash plants in my raised bed are doing fine. I've got a squash recipe that I'll share soon and there's always poetry. ;0)