Great day for a ride........

I had ridden Gilly up past our neighbors when I first started to ride and snapped this picture of their building with the new porch. The little building is where my neighbor works on 4 wheelers and dirt bike, he has a back door for getting them into the building. They recently added this neat porch, awning and decorations. I thought it was neat too that she added horse shoes, in various sizes too! Looks nice doesn't it?

Gilly and I rode on but I didn't get any pictures as we rode. We went past another neighbors, they have cows and Gilly was looking around for them but they weren't to be seen. As we approached the bridge and a Blue Heron flew up and over the bridge, Gilly stopped and watched it, we were back far enough that he didn't spook. We crossed the bridge but Gilly was a little concerned that the bird was somewhere around. I assured him that it flew off and horse wasn't in it's diet so he was safe. As we rode on I thought to myself that as soon as we got to the next electric pole we would turn around and head home. I think Gilly picked up on that thought but a little early because at about 10 feet from the pole he started to turn. I turned him back and went to the pole and had him turn on his haunches, which he did and did it well.

Lucy and Gonzo were with me and another neighbors dogs were barking so I am glad we turned around. Gilly isn't much bothered by the dogs but I didn't want to put my dogs are risk. Gilly was watching the bridge again still concerned about the bird but he was long gone.

When we got closer to home I could hear Pokey calling for Gilly. He was standing at the end of the field waiting for us. As we came closer he started trotting up and down the fence, Gilly pays no attention to him.

As we came closer to the house I heard a tractor coming down the road our way. I turned to see a really big tractor coming with a big round bale trailer behind it. Gilly and I got off the road by our barn and turned to watch it go by. He just watched and as it went by I turned him toward it and we started following it down the road. Gilly just trotted along behind it until it speeded up and got away from us.

I stopped at Kim's and the pictures you are about to see she took with my camera. To get the camera to her I had Gilly sidepass over to her deck railing and handed her the camera. Gilly did just what I ask....good boy!

We had moved sideways up the hill a bit from her deck so she could get some pictures of us. Gilly is getting really good at moving to the side or backward if I ask.

Lucy was across the road barking at something so Gilly had to stop and look. Gonzo had walked up on the deck and was taking a nap in the sun. What a lazy dog, if Kim's door had been open he would have gone into the house and got on the couch to take a nap. Kim's house is his second home, since he stayed with them three years ago when Mike and I had to go to Columbus a lot.

Here we are moving sideways down through the yard.

Kim's husband just came out of the house and sit down on the steps and has a big mug of coffee, Gilly is watching.

Now he is really watching and kept nodding his head as if asking if he could PLEASE have a drink of that yummy coffee? He will drink cold coffee, just straight black....uck! Oh, don't worry he has only had some a few times, I am sure coffee isn't good for him.

Here is a picture of my new stirrups, well, Ok, just the one and the horse hair shoo fly isn't attached to my boot either! Yes, the stirrup is a little larger than the English one's I had but boy is it comfortable! The wide foot bed felt great on my feet, it has put my foot at a little different angle so it will take some getting used to.

Here is a close up, it has a leather rough out piece with Velcro holding it on. It is also padded for more comfort. It made for a really nice ride, my feet are happy!!! :-)

After the ride I let Gilly eat grass where Pokey is now. Well, Pokey had a fit running back and forth along the fence where he could see Gilly and he wanted out to eat too. So I put Gilly back in the field after he had eaten about 10 minutes and got the little whiner out so he could have a snack too.

I do have some Sweet William ground cover growing in this mess but the Bermuda grass has taken over. The boys do a really good job of picking it out. I would like to put some cut sandstones at the sides and fill in with some good dirt and have a space for lettuce, carrots, radishes. this is close to the patio and kitchen. Some day!

This is a hind shot of Gilly when he was out there. Hey, Lisa, now this is one BIG butt, I would say bigger than Atta Bay's!!! LOL Looking at this makes me think of how I used to run and jump on my first horse from behind.........not on your life now!!! I bet all I could manage to do is just run into his butt and fall down.....naa, don't think I wanna try it....anyone else want too? Maybe if I back him up to the front porch?

Peek-A-Boo

Got to go for a nice ride today. The weather was sooooo beautiful, not many flies, cool breeze... Gilly did have to wear his fly mask.
I got my new stirrups yesterday and wanted to try them out. This is just a sneak peek though, just of Gil...LOL....
Will post more later with more pictures...
Off to fix supper! Be back in a little while!

A Ride and other stuff......

I needed to make some new address labels the other day and was playing with pictures of Gilly and came up with this. I think he looks quite handsome as an antique picture. What a handsome face, you would never know that there is a stinker hiding behind that innocent look, would you?

I rode yesterday after working in the round pen for awhile. We are working on him staying out of my space, backing away and staying put when I tell him to. He is really doing pretty well, it's me that feels bad about making him stay away. I know, I know, the horse that is the leader would not tolerate another in his space if he said stay out! I just have to be firm and not mean about it like the horse would (sigh) I can do it and we will get through this and be a better team for it.

I rode him in the round pen for a bit. We worked on giving to pressure. He is still a bit resistant but did much better this time. When he would start to get bracey I would bump, bump, bump on one rein and then he would soften. We worked on leg yields, moving his haunches and forequarters with my legs, backing and some trotting. Can't really do a lot of the trot work in the round pen but some. I don't work in there for long, maybe 15 minutes under saddle.

I moved him into position by the gate so I could reach down and lift the pen to open it, backed him up so the gate could swing in, did a turn and headed out. Stopped and backed up so I could close the gate, inched him forward and sideways so I could reach down and lock it. Then backed up more so I could pick up this halter and lead off the hook on the fence. Then we were off to drop it off at the saddle building.

Finally got him to cross a ditch he has been afraid of, why I don't know it's a really small step and he goes over ditches much bigger. I mow a path in the hay field around the gas well there so we walked around it both ways, keeping a bend to the inside as we went. Then trotted up along the fence, with Pokey running, bucking, farting and whining because he wanted out too. I should have gotten some video of his shenanigans, he was doing some pretty spectacular turns and rollbacks! He must have thought he was in training to be a reining donkey! LOL
I used anything I could, the car, the satellite dish, trees to do training. We backed around things, went sideways nothing really great but it was all good to have him move when I asked.
He was a good boy.


This is my dressage saddle, Thornhill Vienna II, and I am finding that I really like it, a lot! I like it's deep seat and big knee rolls. I sold my western saddle, I loved it too but didn't use it much, the dressage saddle fits Gilly better. I would still LOVE to get an Aussie saddle but will wait and see. I did order something new today for my saddle. These......

They are aluminum, an English version of the Aussie safety stirrup. It has a wide foot base, and has a 5 degree camber to keep your heels in a down position. Since it is wide it gives you foot plenty of support and it says it helps relieve pressure on ankles and knees. Good; I have been having a LOT of trouble with arthritis in both my feet but my right one is the worst. The English stirrups that are on my saddle, peacock safety stirrups, hit my foot right where I have been having a lot of pain in the ball of my foot and they are narrow. These stirrups look like they will be comfortable, I hope! I will post a picture when they are on the saddle with my feet in them.

No, I didn't get any pictures when I rode, no one around to take any for me. It was such a nice evening I wished I could have ridden longer.....but the kitchen was calling.....had to fix supper. Next time I will have things ready and in the slow cooker....I wanna ride not cook! LOL