I got to ride three times this weekend.  I'm not sure exactly which stars were in alignment on Friday, but I got a full half hour in on the pony.

I still have that hovering pole set up, so every single lap, walking or trotting, we went over it.  Kid loves jumping.  It feels like his purpose in life has been restored.

I don't have any major specifics to mention.  We're back on our A-game.  We're jumping consistently (once a week, so one of our three rides).  I've permanently (hopefully?) put my big-girl britches on and we're cantering.  Every. Ride.  How am I to realize that I'm scared shitless unless I willfully step out of my comfort zone?  There.  I've mentioned it before, but cantering my athletic, reasonable OTTB scares the crap out of me.

So we're working on it.  I'm figuring out what his stride feels like again.  How to ask.  How to hang on when the horse gives a giant FU with his hooves in the air.  In turn, he's figuring out his body.  How to balance us.  When I want him to keep going and that no, not every collection for a turn is a request to switch or stop.  Yeah, I completely accidentally asked for a flying lead change, but praised when he gave it.  My body has to figure out this part of my horse again.

Yesterday, jumping, he gave me the hoof when I asked him two things at once.  We did our little ghetto poles-on-logs.  I was trying to make a course of it, but with only three jumps, it's a little hard.  "Jumps."  We did the little combo going one direction, the little ghetto fence in the same direction, then I wanted to do a roll back-ish thing and go back over the combo in the other direction and then over the little ghetto fence.  Does that make sense?

Compliments of Microsoft Paint.  You're welcome.

At the point of the star, I was asking him to go back to a trot and do a nice change of direction.  So, he had a little temper tantrum and we had to go back over the ghetto fence and do it again.

But, overall, I'm feeling good.  He feels good.  He still doesn't like jumping the combo thing (which is almost a perfect three stride bending line, by happy accident), but he's jumping well and isn't losing his shit.  Just once, when we jumped nineteen times?  I'm good with that.

In other life, holiday stuff, we're going to Augusta as soon as I get off work.  A little German bakery is supposed to be open until 3:30, so we're going to be hauling ass and buying large quantities of homemade soup.  It's the best soup ever.  And then it's off to see his grandparents and his family, then retiring at my mom's house.

Tomorrow, we'll probably start the day exchanging gifts with my mom, then go run at Blanchard Woods.  We've got to meet with my dad at some point, and hopefully swing by the barn on the way out of town.  I miss my old barn.  And I feel like I've got an obligation to stop by there when I'm around.

OH!  I wanted to also share a little craft project I did last night.  Cheap gift.  I call it "Snow" for the holiday.

Of course, I forgot a "finished product" photo.  But, if the copious amounts of sugar and oil don't hint as to what this is, it's a sugar scrub.  Smells amazing.

Random Photos

Walking the dogs this morning.

I told him I was going to throw Satan Kitty (Lili) on him and run.

D dropped off the dogs at boarding this morning...

And took the requested photos.

Par for course, he went..

Over and beyond...

What I expected.

Forget red and green.  I hate those colors.

At the local froyo place.  I thought this was amazing.

Happy Holidays from the Owls Approve.