Carelessness

Did a little slip- sliding when I went to the pasture today to get Boo. It's not so bad except for right at the gate. I think it would pretty much ruin my day if I fell down in that stuff ya know. I managed to navigate both Boo and myself back through it and out the gate still upright. Boo decided to have a mud bath and it took me quite awhile to get him cleaned up enough to ride. He's also shedding like crazy. I'll be glad when that's done.

I felt more flexible in my own body today, so the ride went better than it has in quite some time. Maybe it's the warmer weather, or maybe it's that linedancing class I went to this morning with a friend. At any rate, I wasn't creaking and popping like I have been. Yay! That just tells me I have to be more assertive in conditioning myself for riding.

We worked on transitions and canter departs. Both are a little rough. We still have a ways to go, but I did feel we improved over the course of the ride. Walked around outside for a few minutes. Boo tried to avoid every mud puddle I pointed him at. This from a horse who has obviously been rolling in mud puddles since Sunday. AArrggh!

I got careless when I was untacking and nearly got myself hurt. I cross tie Boo right outside of his stall to untack. All the other horses were in their stalls having their dinner. Once I was ready to put Boo away I undid the cross tie farthest from his stall and walked over to get his lead rope. Boo either thought he was untied and ready to go into his stall or he was just anxious to get to his dinner because he started into his stall with me standing in the doorway and knocked me inside with him. I ended up at the back of the stall about the time Boo figured out he wasn't untied and he swung around to face the door putting me directly behind him. All I could think was don't get scared and kick out cause I have nowhere to go.

I immediately took him out of the stall and spent the next 5 minutes going to the door and making him wait for me to tell him he could enter. I could tell by the way he acted that he knew he had done wrong. Once I finally let him in with his food I made him wait to eat until I told him he could. I'm probably going to have a bruise on my hip where I banged into the door jam. Sure taught me a lesson though. Pay attention! Don't release the tie farthest from the stall door first that way he can't get to the stall door until you take him there.