Less words Wednesday

Here we come for our close up. I look good at a distance, but I look even better within scratching distance.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Raindrops and wind

Yesterday was windy. Not just any old wind, but gusts strong enough to make a little spotted horse work to stay upright. Then the rain came.... Rain and wind, wind and rain. All of that combined with dust and created little dirt spots on my beautiful butt. The DOR says she will give me a nice bath on the first nice day we get. I hate to tell her that I will just drop and roll when she is done. Speaking of rolling, I got caught rolling by the DOR when she came out for one of the sessions with Freedom's Lady. She squawked at me like a chicken and then came out and gave me a good scratching.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

What Nate said

Yeah to what Nate said at the clinic that the DOR attended. He talked about how the release needs to be slow, when you release to fast the bit bangs your horse's mouth. He said that unclear cues make horses confused and when we are confused we get cranky. Yep the DOR know about unclear cues and confusion...that is what happened when I sent her to the moon a year ago. He pointed out that hands should move up and in or down and out, elbows staying at your side.
He had her work on forehand and haunch turns. He broke the moves down into small sequential steps. By the end of the clinic all of the horses were much softer, even Sir Darby with his hard mouth.
The DOR has lots of homework, makes me a bit glad I am still laid up or I would be in for it for sure.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Quote for the week

Note to self-do not wear the shirt that says "I do my own stunts" with a picture of a bucking horse and rider to another clinic....not a good choice at all, bad karma.

~ The DOR

The DOR rode Sir Darby at a clinic yesterday. She had a good time for the most part. She made two crucial errors though. Error number one was riding a horse other than me at a clinic. I don't care if I can't be ridden yet, that just means she can't go to clinics. It is bad for her to be parading about with another horse in public. She can ride around the ranch or on trails all she wants...but showing off another horse besides me is just wrong! Crucial error number two was wearing her shirt that says "I do my own stunts", if you ask me she was just asking for trouble. She asked for trouble and she got it and there is a part of me (a very small part) that is laughing my spotted butt off at her.
The DOR and Sir Darby were at one end of the arena when a horse started acting up. The two of them moved to get out of the way only to be blocked by a mounting block, they maneuvered around it only to have the wind kick up and start flapping a pink flag around. Darby jumped sideways, that was fine, but then he sat on his haunches and spun-that was it. The DOR hadn't quite gotten regrouped from the jump sideways and she was leaning in the wrong direction to sit the spin and off she came. The DOR has decided that she really like having a suede seat on her saddle. She was riding her slick seat saddle and she finds it hard to stay centered on, she says it is like sitting on grease.
The DOR got back on Sir Darby and rode the rest of the clinic. They had a good time and learned a lot. The DOR will never where that shirt when riding again, best not to tempt fate.
By the was Sir Darby I saw you wearing my saddle blanket, saddle, and bridle. I have already told you to use your own tack. If you keep using my stuff I am going to give you a big ol' appy hood upside your head. I don't care if the DOR puts it on you, just shake the saddle and blanket off every time she does that and refuse to take the bit. You are perfectly capable of making it clear that my stuff is mine! Oh and in case you didn't notice, the picture of the horse that was on the baseball cap the DOR wore today was of me, me not you Sir Darby so take that why don't you.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!

Freedom speaks Saturday

Here I am working with my new project. It is my job to help Freedom's Lady, aka Free, stay calm and collected. Yesterday I spent most of the day with her in the big paddock. I know I can't chew hay, but I thought it was important that Free learn to share her feed tub. Sharing is important in the herd. I also wanted to show her that there are bosses in the herd and I am the boss in our herd of two. The DOR wanted to make sure she had my extra soothing touch while she was learning to lead today. Free did a fine job with her leading lessons, I did lots of coaching.
Today the DOR is at a Nate Smith clinic so Free won't get much work in. Don't worry I will keep coaching her along. My work is never done, isn't that great!
Life is so good! Oh and Jack told me to remember to say: Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!