Horsey Stuff

Me and Laura just returned from a trip to Tanglewood. We went to AC Moore where I got two horsey iron-on transfers, Laura got a kitty iron-on, I got three t-shirts and she got one t-shirt. I've been trying to get new t-shirts, because all the ones I own are black, hunter green or navy blue. I need to get AWAY from darks! Three of my favorite t-shirts are black, but they're not REALLY my favorite because they're black, GAH! >.< So the new t-shirts are purple, light blue and medium blue. Laura picked a putrid neon orange.

We also bought three Gamecube games with Laura's moolah, then took Hardees and Wendys to Stephen and Danielle's to eat lunch. Danielle's babysitting this little guy named Evan now, he's a cutie! I felt bad for leaving so soon, but we did go and play with Jennifer yesterday for a while.

I really wanted to go see Justin today, but after the horrendously vicious storm last night... the ring and EVERYTHING'll be soupy. Last night we had a good workout though, but he wouldn't lope without bucking and I'm not sure why. We worked around a single barrel, and continued with the speed barrel/potato race/flag race pattern. It's a very simple pattern: you run straight down the end of the ring, turn around the single barrel and run back. That alone is the speed barrel event; you drop three potatoes in three different buckets on your way down in the potato race; and the flag race you're holding a flag as you run down, then switch it with the one that's in a bucket on the barrel and run back. My plan is to get Justin really used to the pattern so when we actually run it in a show, I can focus more on switching the flags or dropping the potatoes and less on what he's doing because he'll know where to go.

And I discovered something wonderful! Justin turns without the reins! (well, unless he's being rebellious) I've worked on turning him with my legs, direct rein and neck rein ever since I started him under saddle and it's paid off! I dropped the reins, turned him in a full circle both directions and took him to the fence. It was such a wonderful thing, I've been so blessed! He's been doing so well lately, we're riding in western and the sweat marks after riding have been even (the means the saddle fits) and it's just going so well. Plus, his new home is great. I will post about that later.