Yippee, finally got started!

Wow, it has been a long winter but finally yesterday it was almost HOT! At least 60 with a warm wind. It felt great to go to the barn with just a windbreaker on instead of 10 pounds of coat, sweatshirt, hat, mittens. It was like LOSING 10 pounds overnight and who wouldn't like that?!?

So, with the ground thawed to about 6 inches, I decided it was safe to start lunging. I got Harry out first. He was antsy in the aisle. Both barn doors were open so he could the whole wide world behind him as well as in front of him. Plus it was quite windy which had him stirred up a bit. I decided to forego the exquisite grooming and get him out and start lunging.

We've had a problem with that. Although he knows how to lunge perfectly, he's been testing me with that too. As in: I don't have to; you're not my REAL mother. He would lunge a bit and then pop to a stop, turn and look at me. When they're sideways, looking at you it's almost impossible to use the whip to direct them foreward. The last time I lunged him I had to keep banging/bopping him on the top of his butt with the whip to keep him going foreward. At that time he had a look on his face that seemed to say: Hey, hey, hey, you weren't supposed to figure that out so fast! But at least he lunged, although it wasn't pretty.

Yesterday he tried a few pop and stops. I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt that he'd keep going. Nope. So I restarted him a couple of times and then the last couple of times I WAS able to use my whip to direct him. He went sideways at first and then decided the best way out was to go foreward. After that I kept bopping him on the butt and he kept going.

When I reversed, he was much more willing to keep going on his own and it seemed he wanted to slow down to his western jog. Yay, that what I want to see. When that happens I'll know he lunge because he knows he HAS TO, not because I'm forcing him to. So with that success what do I do? Of Course, I reverse and try the first way again. A couple of more pop and stops but finally we get it going. I think it was a good lesson.

After that he stood in the crossties very quietly. Of course he was blowing like a little pufferbelly. That's an old English steam engine. He wasn't hot but after only 10 minutes he was really breathing hard. I groomed him and brushed his mane. He loved it and by the time I was done, his breathing was back to normal. Can we say OUT OF SHAPE?

I put him back outside and brought in The Professor for his lunging. The apres lunging grooming worked so well with Harry that I decided to skip it this time too. We went right out to the lunge area. The Professor knows the drill and works without resistance. Although, he did through in ONE BIG BUCK. He had his rump higher than his head...practically doing a handstand...and kicked out. He seemed to be having fun???? I hope???? It didn't take long for him to be blowing either. So back inside for the grooming.

I'll say one thing for these 2 boys: they love LOVE getting their massage. And I think it's more beneficial AFTER their exercise than before. And it suits me to groom them when they've 'worked down' a bit.

The Professor went back out and I got to cleaning the stalls and setting up for evening feed.

It was wonderful to be out, to have the doors open, Our Penny laying in the aisle while I worked.

Here's a little secret; shhhhh: I was out of breath and blowing too!