Cajun got shod last Monday, and the shoes have made a big difference. I took him for a Lake Youngs trail ride on Sunday, and the big long rocky hill was not a problem. The main problem was we had been turning around before it in the past, because I did not want to risk his feet. So now when I asked him to go past the point where we turned around previously (twice) he had a little fit. They get habituated so quickly!

Cantering is still quite the effort for both of us, but now I think he is starting to enjoy it. I usually ask him to canter both ways, twice. This last time, when we went back to trotting exercises, he was much more eager to go forward, which is exactly what canter is supposed to do.

I still only do 45 minute sessions with him in the arena, his little brain can't take any more schoolin' than that. but our trail rides are usually for 2 hours, and the conditioning is starting to show.

Offically BIG

I brought a tape measure to the barn, so I will know what size of huge to buy for my new pony. Here are Cajun's official measurements:

• 68" or exactly 17 hands
• 1330 pounds
• foot 6" across (4 shoe in front, 3 hind)
  
• front cannon bone 9.25"
• hind cannon 10.5"

Yep. Big.

Saturday and Sunday

On Saturday I set up three trot poles and one super tiny cross rail - it was basically a "V" not an "X" . But it gave me a good idea about how Cajun will act trotting through standards.

We started out walking long and low - I say that but it is still mostly theory rather than actually being long and low. I can convince him to drop his head and lower his head and neck for a couple of steps. But that is a huge improvement over... not lowering his head and neck at all. Any way about 10 minutes walking. I do not ask for a forward walk, I just don't let him poke along like he'd rather.

Did trot / walk transitions, and regulated his trot for about 15 or 20 min. Trotted the poles probably 8 or ten times, then reversed and did the same. Did some circle work. coming along. Then at the end, I popped him over the cross rail. He did give it a look and wobble a bit on the approch, so he could trianulate on it, and then just trotted right over. Turned him around and hopped over the other way. I call that a good days work.

Sunday we went for a walk on the Lake Young's trail, because not every step needs to be shaped and controlled. We mostly just had a stroll, with some trots. He gets very forward on the trail, and just wants to pound off with his nose in the air, but is learning that even on the trail, the walk/trot transition lessons still apply.

I hosed him off completely, he was pretty dusty. He really likes playing with the hose. we had a nice hand graze, and lots of pats and treats.

Friday ride

I did not ride Thursday night because I came home with a pounding

headache. I went to bed at 4:30, and slept till 6:00 this morning! I didn't even wake up at 4:00am like I do nearly every day, to try desperately to get back to sleep before the alarm goes off at 4:45.

He is doing GREAT. I am a better rider than when I got Imax, thanks to Imax. I am making sure my cues are very clear on Cajun to make sure I don't get the same confusion I got in Imax when I later tried to teach him Training level dressage passages like shoulder in and haunches in, turn on the haunches, etc. --

He is totally getting that my leg steers his back legs, and my hands steer his front legs. I set 4 poles up in a circle - poles at cardinal points (N, S, E & W) First, I just trotted him over the poles, he went right over, no problems. No hitting the poles at all, he picks his feet up nicely - as I give him a little leg over the pole. Then I got him bending around my inside leg a bit, going around the outside of the poles. Using my outside leg, I pushed him into the circle, using the striping on the poles to line him up to keep the circle as round as possible. He still really does not get straightness yet. But so what? I used my "spiral seat" (outside leg pushing him into the spiral, inside leg on the girth to bend around and encourage forwardness) and the stripes on the poles to trot a spiral - in and out. This is actually pretty advanced stuff for him at this stage. He was pretty darn good, though.

When I ride outside he is easily distracted but that is totally natural, a young horse thing. I have to ride every stride more than inside , I can coast a bit.

He is a dream on the ground, such a joy to be around. One of the guys who works at the barn actually stopped and wanted to talk to me about Cajun - that never happens! Men just love him, they get little stars in their eyes when they look at him. The jousters still have to comment every time.

I have decided he needs shoes, so he will be getting them on a week from monday, the first time my farrier can fit me in. I don't want to worry about it any more, and he wanted to walk on the grass the other day instead of on the gravel. I don't know if it was just that one time or what, but I am tired of worrying about every little hitch in his step, and everytime he does not step out when I ask. it will be a bit more than for Imax .... are you ready for this? $140!!!!!!!!! AAckk!

First lesson with Melody

First of all, I won't be updating much for the next seven to ten business days, because my computer is going into the shop. It may or may not have to do with a wine-related incident, I am not saying. Thankfully, when I bought it, I thought "Someday I am going to pour a half a glass of gewurztraminer into this thing. Better get the "I am a lush" warranty." So it is covered, but I have to send it away.

Today was my first lesson with Melody. We took a look at my saddle, and she said it is ok for now, but I need a new one. I was starting to have my suspicions. The throat of it is wide enough, but the base needs to be wider. So I am in the market for a saddle. She wants me to buy her Passat of course. She has a seriously over inflated idea of my bank account. Hank, my Vet also mentioned he has some saddles for sale, so I will call him. And Kerry. Last I heard she was selling some saddles. too.

We started at the walk, asking him to stretch long and low. Still not fully understanding that, but it will come. At the walk, get a good forward walk, and leave him in it, moving my arms with his mouth. When he slows, tap with the stick. Mel wants me to start riding in the spurs trading off and on with the whip, so he will always pay attention, and not deaden to the aid. Soon, I won't need either. He is getting "leg means forward" but I think he forgets - his attention wanders, and he slows down. Must get the walk long and stretchy. When trotting, take up a little contact, keep the poll flexed and to the inside. Don't let him lean - bump and release, he must carry himself. The bit is ok for now, look for a Herm Springer. Do this correctly now, and I won't need to correct it later. Trot must stay active, stay in contact. From an active trot ask for canter with inside leg supporting behind the girth, outside leg back. Use both strongly till he understands the canter aid. Only ask on a bending line - beginning of the turn, or coming out of the turn ( or on a circle) never just after A or C. Ask at F, K H or M.

No nagging, ask then insist. Get it every time. Keep the aids light and he will be light. Canter at every ride. Use outdoor arena when possible. Keep sessions at 45 min for now.

July 23-26

Cajun is still settling in, and doing great. Thursday we rode in the indoor arena, and there were 3 other horses working in there at the time. He was very interested in them, but I got a little work out of him.

Friday there were way too many people in the indoor arena, the outdoor is very dusty, but I didn't care, we rode out side. He gets very lookie - loo at the jousting equipment, but I was able to get him to trot by it normally at least once! We also cantered for the first time. Not pretty, but we did it! I started really asking him to go on the bit. When we were resting between trot sets, I rode on light contact.

Saturday I was supposed to have a sewing lesson at 11:30 ( it got canceled, 10 minutes before it was supposed to start. Long story, but never go to Stitches on Capitol Hill. They suck.) Anyway because of the sewing lesson I went to the barn extra early. (Left home at 7:00, groomed at 7:30, rode from 8 - 9, untacked till 9:30, drove to be home by 10, got ready by 11, on cap hill by 11:30....See how close I had to schedule it to get to the canceled class? )

Anyway. Cajun did not like this "work before breakfast" thing at all, so had little bratty fits while I was tacking him up. But his fits are really no big deal, and who could blame him. What was great was to have the freshly groomed and watered indoor arena to ourselves.

I started with a warm up walk, then gradually would take up contact till we were going on the bit. Still learning forward, but really catching on. when the walk was active and flexing at the poll I would ask for a trot. We did walk / trot transitions to get him in front of the leg. Very good. resting walk. Then active trot, turn down the quarter line, and leg yield to the wall, practicing straightness. I asked for a couple of steps of shoulder-in, and got it, going both directions. Working on circles and not diving into the corner where the gate is. Circles still very rough. Still not getting the concept of staying on the wall, he wants to dive into the middle of the arena. I think he thinks that means he is done. Working at staying round especially in transitions. not always successful.

I hosed him down and let him have breakfast. He was grateful. Turned him out in the field with the tree. His favorite.

Today I rode early again, but without the pressure of having to be somewhere else. I let him finish breakfast first, which I think he appreciated. I tried just tying him by his chin today instead of cross ties. didn't make much difference. We went for a trail ride on the Lake Youngs Trail. We walked down the road, and instead of taking the trail we went on before, I took him along Petrovitsky , past The Parks on 188 and down the big hill. Going out I rode on light contact, he was moving forward nicely, very interested in his surroundings. got a little strong in the trot once and gave a little bolt, came back easily. Spooked once at a sign on a chain link fence. This was early in the ride. He was bold and had a good swinging stride. I kept him in a walk mostly, didn't have to dog him much to keep the pace. Is going pretty good barefoot - the trail is grass/gravel/dirt, with some of the gravel pointy. He hitches up occasionally, but no more than a shod horse. about an hour in to the ride, I let two little girls pet him, he was being very calm and steady, and their parents said it was ok, so they were my children guinea pigs. He did very good of course, and they were thrilled. We did some trotting in two-point, he had a great forward, swinging trot. I had to ask him back to a walk, he was ready to go. On the way back home, he of course was very forward, and i took advantage of that to get him to go on the bit, and start to learn to carry himself, and not lean on me. He leans badly, and I have to bump him to get him to stop leaning. Broke this up with long walks on light contact, and some on the buckle. Did some leg yielding, did great. As we came home he got a little strong, but I turned him around and made him work a bit going away from home, and I think he got the message, because he walked the rest of the way like a gentleman mostly.

I hosed him off gave him carrots and turned him out. He sometimes tries to use me as a scratching post when I take his bridle off, but did not do that today, I think he is remembering I will give him a good scratch, if he is good.

All in all, I could not ask for better. He is progressing beautifully, and taking what ever I throw at him. Very inquisitive, bold and trusting. Making fans where ever we go. Good Boy!

Back to work

So today was our first day of real work.

We rode in the indoor arena for the first time. I led Cajun around to let him look at everything, especially the mirrors.

We began the day with a good active walk, and learning straightness. This will be a big lesson, he is pretty wiggley, but he'll get the hang of it. I began asking him to walk on the bit, and still keep an active walk. He did ok, just fine. He is so willing and interested in pleasing. But he did spend most of the lesson with his nose out and back hollow, but showed many instances of relaxing at the poll and bringing his back up. This will happen in time.

We did three trot sets both ways, five minutes a piece with three to five minute active walk breaks between. Sometimes the "active" part of the walk was lacking, it was starting to get hot, even at 10 am. We practiced leg yields, learning that yes, I do mean it every time, even if you just did it a second ago. We also practiced bending and straightening with the hourglass pattern - imagine trotting an hourglass shape in an arena, with the horse's body following the curves, then straightening at the top, bending to trace the side, bend in the middle, then straighten along the diagonal, bend to trace the bottom, etc. We did that three full circuits.

He's coming along fine. I wanted to wait to have a formal lesson with Melody, but I think we are both ready for her to have a look. She'll have lots of great advice. I will call her tonight.

I hosed him down and turned him out. he likes it.

Hittin' the trail

I couldn't have asked for Cajun to be better on the trail ride today. I decided to see how he would be by himself on the trail. We tacked up, and he gets pretty animated when I tack him up. I have been packing his fly strike sores with an antiseptic before applying fly wipe - he still does not like it, but I think if I am careful not to get any fly stuff in any open sores, eventually he will be ok about the fly spray. I walked him around once inside the indoor arena, the first time he'd been in there. He was pretty interested in the mirrors.

I got on and we set out. The jousters were practicing in the outdoor arena, so we stood there and watched them for a while.

Cajun was pretty good on the road, he would walk sideways and shy at some stuff, but no big deal. Except the goats. They were scary. He had to stop and give them a good snort.

The trail is very wide and clear, and in long, straight stretches that take 90 degree turns occasionally. He has a great, brisk walk - head up, ears forward, interested in everything, but always going forward, At the beginning of the ride, I was just letting him have a good look around and keep a nice, forward walk. Seriously, so far I have had no problem with him being lazy at all. He was eager, even wanting to trot. I didn't let him at first though. I wanted a good long, low stretchy walk - he is learning to stretch his neck down when I ask. He will have an excellent top line in no time.

He was very eager to catch up to who ever was in front of us on the trail--people walking, running, pushing strollers, walking the dog, bikers - then as soon as we passed them, he wanted to catch up to the next people. There were no other horses riding on the trail, but there are plenty of horses in pastures along there, and he was very interested in them, but never pulled toward them or got silly or strong around them. I kept him in a walk till we turned around.

When I did let him trot, he was ready to go, he wanted to move out. I would let him go fast, then I would ask him to shorten and lengthen as I wanted - he did pretty good. I also started leg-yielding him back and forth across the trail, he did really great. Only a tap now and then behind the leg to reinforce my aids. Still I mostly had him walk. He has a great, ground-covering stride. I don't know if it is just because everything is new and exciting, but this horse likes to go, he's just such a pleasure to ride.

We got back to the road and he was just fine on the way back to the barn, too. -even when some asshole kid HONKED HIS HORN as he drove by. I wanted to kill the little shit, but Cajun did not even care, because he was way too busy looking at the GOATS OMG WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS? But even in full blown high-alert, he is still so manageable and easy. Geeze, what a sweetheart.

We got back to the barn and the Jousters were done, and cooling their horses out. We chatted about him and they asked if he had any brothers or sisters around. They really like him a lot - totally jealous I can tell. He would look handsome in their medieval horse-drag, but Jousting is not on the agenda.

He is a lovely, forward horse. He is smart and sane and willing. I am so lucky! I love him!

What a guy.

Cajun arrived on Thursday evening around 7:30. It had taken about three hours longer than anticipated, because it was so hot in Eastern Washington, 100+, so Kurt, the hauler, stopped every two hours to water him. So I didn't mind him being so late. Cajun was tired, but ate and drank and pooped, and really that is all you can ask of a guy after such a long journey.

Yesterday Scott and I went to the barn and led him around, turned him loose in his paddock, and generally just hung out for a bit. Cajun was fantastic, so polite, but still interested in the goings-on in his new home.

Then today, I went to the barn at about 9:30, for our first ride. I took my time taking up, and he did not get the cross ties at first, but he figured them out pretty quickly and was fine.

I took him out to the outdoor arena, and it was already pretty hot. I led him around and let him get a good look at everything. He was very interested. I got up and walked him around the arena. He does not understand walking in a straight line, but I don't forsee any problem with my leg meaning "forward". I would ask for a brisk walk, he would walk on, and eventually start to drag a bit. I would re-apply the leg, and if I did not get an immediate "good walk" gave him a reinforcing tap with the dressage whip. It did not take three of these reminders, before he was giving me a really good forward response off my leg, and sustaining a relaxed swinging walk. What a good boy!!

Then I wanted to work on walk/trot transitions. Walk 5 steps, trot 5 steps, etc. He caught on to the game very quickly, our downward transistions were choppy, but going from walk to trot was immediate and brisk almost every time. Like I said, I don't see forward being a problem at all! We would work in 10 minute sets, and then I would let him relax and look around for 5 minutes. When I would ask him to get back to work, he would get with the program pretty quickly.

Really I could not have asked for any better response - our first ride in a new arena. When we were done, I took him to the washrack and let him snuffle and look at everything, and I hosed off his legs, and let him drink from the hose, something he really enjoys. Then we went for a little walk.

Tomorrow at 9:30 we have a date with Jill and Turbo to take a walk on the Lake Youngs trail. I am looking forward to it.

I had planned on taking my time finding a new horse. I had planned on riding a bunch of different kinds of horses to get a clear picture about where I wanted to go on this whole silly horse journey.

But then I remembered Cajun.

I had been dreading driving all over hell and gone, riding strange horse after strange horse, arriving to find some sad, thin, dirt ball in the pasture with barely a passing resemblance to the glossy picture from a show seven years ago in my in box. Or to have the horse rear up when trying to lead him to the arena, and the owner say, oh he's never done that! Or drive for an hour to find they failed to mention navicular, or that he's lame right now, but rides real good, they swear.

All of which and more happened last time.

Also, I am kind of spooked from my experience with Imax who rides beautifully when home alone in the arena, but really becomes Mr. Hyde at unexpected intervals. How would I ever know if they really were quiet on the trail or good with other horses in different situations?

We had just come back from a road trip to Montana, we had a great time. Lisa had contacted me about a month earlier and let me know she was thinking of selling Cajun, because he was not being used at all. I helped her write an ad, and didn't think too much more about it, until we came back from vacation, and suddenly I simply HAD to go back to Montana and ride that horse. I have ridden Cajun a couple of times in the past, but with no thought to actually having him be my horse. You ride differently in a test drive, than just hanging out on a horse going up a trail.

I drove like mad back to Montana - 7 hours, 15 min. A record, I think. I rode Cajun for a couple of days, and he is wiggly and slow, but very trainable, remembering things from one day to the next and trying very hard for me. He had not been ridden since last fall, and was not whacked out at all, unlike other horses who will remain nameless who liked to buck if you didn't ride him five days a week. Anyway, I have deceded to take Cajun on a year lease, and we will see how it goes.

I have no idea if he will take to jumping, but we will see. I plan on conditioning him nicely before asking for any thing challenging, so I know he has the strength to do it. I have three wonderful trainers to help me along, and am already dreaming of Adult Rider's Camp at the end of August in Tulip Springs! I would go just to take him, no jumping. But I loved camp last time on a horse who was freaking out, so think how fun it would be on a good calm boy.

I am such a freak, I could not wait to see how he will look with a haircut, so I did a quick and dirty photoshop with his mane pulled and tail banged. Cute, cute, cute.

Cajun will be delivered Thursday, July 16th at around 3 or 4. I can hardly wait!!!

Imax's new chapter.

I recently came to a very hard decision - I gave Imax away.

I love him and he is a very talented jumper - awesome, really - but he can't take the pressure of showing right now. I don't think it is fair for me to keep pushing him, I feel like I want to progress much faster than he can go. Some day he is going to make one heck of an eventer, but he needs someone who will slow down and let him progress at his own pace.

He and I improved by leaps and bounds, and he tried so hard for me, but the freaking out at odd intervals became too much. He had always been very interested in other horses in the arena, but he started rearing and bolting when another horse was in there with him. He also started being very hard to load. I think it was because he knew we were going to take him to a new place and ask him to deal with new situations, and he just did not want to do that. I could deal with all his old problems, and they were getting better. But when he started just getting new problems, I realized he just did not want to do the same things I wanted to do. At least not yet.

I can't help but feel like I loosened the lid of the pickle jar, and if I would have just stuck it out a bit more something in his head would have gone "ping" and he suddenly would "get it" but I am getting old, and just can't get hurt. Or have someone else get hurt, even worse. His fits are big and scary.

I am gave him to a woman in Enumclaw with 10 acres. She'll give him a couple of months off to learn how to be a good member of a herd, and to just be a horse. She has a life time of horse experience, and has already done the show thing and is over it.

I have a contract with right of first refusal, and a "no auction, under any circumstances" clause in there. He went to his new home on Monday June 22.

Adult Rider's Camp - Aspen Farms

On Thursday noon, Kerry came and got me in her truck. we loaded my stuff, then went to go get Olive, her mare, and loaded her stuff.

Imax was turned out when we got to Lakeside, and running around along the fence line with his pasture neighbor. Uh oh I thought. He's keyed up. I put a halter on him and we wanted to load him in the front of the because Olive is too big to fit in the first stall. ( it is a three horse slant) Imax wanted no part of loading, he'd never been in this trailer, and probably never been in a slant. Still, I had never had much of an issue loading him so was kind of unprepared for the level of refusal we were getting. He'd put his front feet in and then violently slam his head into the top of the trailer and go flying out the back. On one of these little episodes, he got loose, and galloped like an asshole all over the farm, tail flipped over his back like an Arab, trailing a lead rope behind him. Disaster was averted though, and he was caught. I decided to put him in his stall to calm down for a minute. Someone at the barn suggested Rescue Remedy (soon to be a theme of the weekend!!) and Kerry asked me to see if we could find some Ace - a sedative. No dice on the Ace, but I seriously dosed him up with the R.R. After letting him calm down, and for the RR to take effect, we got some carrots for bribes and he loaded right in. Imagine, carrots are a good bribe for a horse.

The ride over was uneventful, traffic was light and the weather clear. When we got there, we prepared the stalls, and bedded the horses down. Imax was very keyed up, pacing and calling in his stall. Other horses were going to and fro, many of them calling and acting out - making Imax more tense. We fed and went to set up camp.

The tents went up, people staying in their campers thought we were crazy and we went back to get the horses to walk them around. Imax was very anxious and I wanted to get him out - Kerry took Olive off, and I had to put a lip chain on Imax, just to get some semblance of control; but I couldn't leave him in the stall. People were all asking if I was ok, and did I need some help - Imax was a wall-eyed snorting stomping maniac. I thanked them and said we'd be ok, praying fervently into the atmosphere that we'd be ok. I took him for a walk and hand graze, he calmed down some, but going back to the barn, I had to lip-chain him again. I was thinking I would not be able to ride. He was much too dangerous at that point. Kerry told me to just be calm and everything would be ok.

In the morning we went to grain, and I could still tell Imax was over-anxious - so after he had an hour with his hay, I went to lunge him. I didn't even brush him, just put on his boots -- asking him to stand still for brushing was asking too much. At this point I remembered the Rescue Remedy in my pocket - thank god - and gave him three droppers full. We went to lunge. Again he was a snorting out of control mess, and one man was very concerned for us; so he walked with us over to the warm up area to make sure I got over there and got Imax working without getting killed. I got him to the end of my lunge and he just exploded, plunging and bucking and screaming like a banshee. The man that walked us over was way more scared than I was, but I have put up with this bullshit before, and I think his wife has only had nice trained warmbloods. This was at 7 in the morning and I had a scheduled ride at 9:00; Dressage with Jean Moyer. Kerry said I just needed to make it to that lesson and everything would be ok, because Jean was amazing. She was exactly right. I let Imax run till he wanted to stop, and then ran him a little more, threw his cooler on and walked him out. By that time it was time to tack up.

Imax has a swayed back and has a funky hip attachment that makes him weak behind - so he is hard to collect. We worked on his walk, by far the hardest gait, and Jean had me in full contact and round with my leg fully on him and driving him up in twenty minutes. She is a wizend-gnome of a woman, but so beautiful and generous, you just want to work really hard for her. She is always calling out "Hands down, left rein, left rein BEAUTIFUL! Good girl Yvette, look at that beautiful horse you have, that is it exactly! NO NO NO, don't let that shoulder go, you had it and threw it away, now leg and YES! Perfect, oh he is so cute!" By the end of the ride, I knew I had a weekend of fun ahead of me. Imax was perfect and we never looked back.

At two o'clock I had Stadium Jumping with Jonathan Elliott. Jonathan had us going nice and round in short order, really encouraging me to take a hold of Imax, and insist that he go correctly - I have a tendency that when he softens, I give too; but I give too much, and just let it fall apart. When I insist on correctness, he brings his back up to me and travels so much more comfortably and listens very attentively. We started over some simple cross rails and soon we were riding a very complicate pattern - vertical to the natural, sharp left to the red rails, one stride to the green rails. U-turn inside the course, over another fence, switch leads, canter to to the oxer, another fence and finish again with the cross rail. Imax was a super star and jumped every fence every time. We were going between 2'6 and 3'. They looked big to me!

That was day one.

Saturday I had 11:15 Dressage with Steuart Pittman. He worked on my hand position primarily, take a hold of him, and set my hands. He told me a great story about a sway-backed horse he had that he took to Prelim, and then sold. He said Imax was built a lot like that horse, and told me about articles he'd read and assured me that Imax should have no problems because of it. I knew that already, but to have Steuart freaking Pittman tell me that was really great. Again with the help of the experts, Imax had is back up and was carrying me in no time. Of course I am working my butt of to get there, but it is happening. Steuart also said the most lovely thing - that Imax deserves to have a loving home, and be the best horse he can be. I almost cried. Well later, when I was hand grazing I did. But it was so great to hear that from him, because the snotty women who buy the $50,000 imported warmbloods can be pretty mean.

Later I had Cross Country Ditches and Courses with Stewart at 1:30. At first Imax was not too sure about the three-foot high pile of logs I was asking him to jump, and we had some run-outs. I told Steuart I thought Imax was tired, and the look he gave me was priceless! He just said "that is the least of his worries" and made me actually ride the damn horse instead of just sitting there like I can in Stadium and voila! Imax was jumping the solid obstacles! Huge logs that were not just high but wide - Imax did a classic green horse thing, and over-jumped but he was beautiful doing it and Steuart kept calling out "Good man! what a great jumper! He is a natural jumper!" I loved it. Every time we would go over something I would hear "Wow! Good Man!" Heidi, one of the women at camp got pictures of us jumping in this lesson. I hope she emails them to me. We went on to the ditches, and again Imax was jumping them very big. We incorporated them into the course - over the ditch, big gallop up the hill to the left, over the logs at the top of the hill, gallop down the hill (I forgot to mention this is all in two-point...ARGH!) then over the jump to the left of the tree. Swing around and gallop back up the hill, over the HUGE log, gallop along the top of the hill to the right and finish back over the ditch. Awesome.

Day two down, On to Sunday. I had Water and Gallops with Kyle Carter at 9:45. Water is Imax's big bugaboo, so I took him down early to look at it and walk through and to paw and blow bubbles. I am really glad I did. I was able to get him to relax and walk through, but it did take 15 or twenty minutes. Then in the class, Kyle had us all walk through once, and then trot on in a big circle, all of us together going around and trotting through the water - eyes up 12 feet beyond the edge of the water, short trot, taking advantage of their natural tendency but keep them moving, kicking on. Imax did great! Then cantering through individually and again the key was controlling the speed, having him go on my terms, shortening and lengthening when I say, so I am the one calling all the shots, including the water. It was finally time for the course. We jumped the logs, galloped up and through the water, sweeping galloping turn to the left and back into the water, jump the cross rail out. Gallop down the hill, turn to the left, over the kayak, back into the water, keep in a canter and make a big turn in the water to the left and over the rails again to finish. Imax was getting strong and starting to plunge in the gallop - so I would sit up, and bring him back to me, but still driving him on to keep him ahead of my leg and galloping. He likes to slow down to get in some good bucks - but if I keep my leg on and sit up he keeps forward and comes back to me. I tend to back off when he starts acting up, but he settled great when I insisted. Another excellent jumping experience, with no refusals this time at all.

We packed up and came home. Imax was a little trouble to load, but it only took about 10 minutes and no breaking loose and galloping around, so that was good.

All in all, pretty successful. I am exhausted and sore, and I want to do it again tomorrow.

knitting fool

So I wanted to get shorter needles, so I wouldn't blind my seatmates on the bus. I thought going to a yarn store would be too dangerous, pocketbookwise, so opted for the closer Michael's in Southcenter. I figured I would dodge some bullets, literally and figuratively; because being the materials snob I am, I figured they would not have yarn good enough to tempt me. This was only partially right, in that it was wrong. They did not have much in the way of good yarn, but what they did have was really tempting. So, Fifty bucks later I left with my new needles and some lovely new yarn.

I also bought some circular needles, which I do not "get". The loopy thing just gets in my way. I think I bought a pair with too long a loopy thing. Perhaps all will come clear in this week's Sn'B. One can only hope.

Reporting from SnB

So the Stitch n' Bitch was great fun, but perhaps Debbie the bossy Sn'B originator was correct when she extorted Under No Circumstances to Drink Wine While Knitting.

Exhibit 1:












Have you ever seen a sadder, lumpier piece of wool in your life?


But wait it gets better:


Oh yes boys and girl, there is a new knitter in town, so watch out!

New Adventure

So I finally made the jump. I bought yarn.

I know! I am so excited! I bought some pretty enough green wool -- I couldn't bring myself to by the acrylic Red Heart I knew would be good enough to learn on. Besides I wanted something I could make felted beads out of. I yearn for these felted beads.

My first attempt is a sad, lumpy affair, that I fully intend to rip out as soon as I am "done" when ever that is.

Problems I have encountered so far:

• Casting on so tight I cannot possibly get the right needle in between the yarn and the left needle.
• accidentally splitting the yarn when I insert the right needle to pick up the stitch.
• having my last stitch be so loose, my edges have a weird, loopy quality
• dropping stitches
• and here is the worst one, because I can't for the life of me figure out how I am doing this: Mysteriously Increasing!! I cast on 20 stitches initially, and now I mysteriously have between 25 and 27 stitches. I have been just picking up two loops to try to decrease, of course I can't be bothered to find how to do it for real, and the result is quite lumpy.
  

I only know how to "knit" no "perl" yet. I owe it all to YouTube!

Tonight is my first Stitch n' Bitch at the Rowanoake. I'll keep you posted.