Part II: Where twitter goes crazy

     Part I talks a bit about the show and then focuses on buying Gracie, but I want to take a side track and highlight the live tweeting that was going on the day of the show. Jellybean gave Robert her phone, and he tried to keep it interesting. Of course, these are in reverse order, so you should start from the bottom ;)

A new horse and reports of other things Part I

     Juggling horses and school and relationships is tricky most days. It has been especially tricky during this very busy semester. I have been mostly absent because I have been taking three classes, teaching two recitations per week, and then all the assorted horse things, including working with our new riding team and teaching the other odd lessons. Spring break was a refreshing hint of summer to come, and a lowered stress level. In any case, its back to the grind. 

    Between grinding the schedule around Jeannette and I decided we should go to a show. Specifically a schooling event. Enter the derby. Basically, ride a dressage test then jump eight cross country jumps with the last into the stadium arena to jump five more jumps. We entered the green as grass division (2-2'3 jumps) about a month out, and decided we should get ready. I took Knots (Have and Have Knots) and she took Panda (Pandamonium). What a weekend! But before I tell you about that (in Part II), I want to make an aside about a new pony!

     Saturday I taught some lessons and then talked Maggie into coming with me to look at a new horse. 

Most recent picture

Ehhhh

Literally a picture of the picture on her coggins...

I think she needed a new home lol

     Anyways. The ad was intriguing. From her ride on sale day she seems super lazy and kind of green, but otherwise very cute and maybe sensible. So we are going to take a couple of weeks and make some decisions about what to do with her. I have been toying with the idea of a resale project, especially considering I know several people in the market for horses at the farm. I was only planning to kick the tire on this, since it almost sounded too good to be true. And then I realized they people selling were blissfully unaware of her potential value. They simply thought, English horse must be worth almost a grand!

     She did come with papers, and so I spent a bit of time on the internet looking up her history and getting in contact with her mom. Her mom immediately got back to me, and basically told me she was a pet for the most part, and very lazy. This is music to my ears, because I think she will be easier to find a permanent home for if she has a good mind AND a cute face. 

     And so now we have to decide whats going to happen to her! I see two scenarios at this point:
1. Robert loves her and we sell Oberon.
2. One of my students loves her and we sell Gracie.

Either way, three horses on the feed bill is going to be as temporary as possible.

Back in the Saddle

     Life happens sometimes, and for Jellybean that usually means no riding or doing anything more than eating, sleeping, and running around. Life has been happening since right before Christmas, when I last decided I would try out the 30 days plan. In the meantime, its been a solid life for Jellybean. Hanging out with Oberon, eating hay, and kicking the stall walls at other horses. Until yesterday.

     On Sunday or Monday, I was feeling like it was Jellybean's time. So I got her out and lunged her in the cutting pen to see how much she remembered. Yesterday I took it to the next level and set up to ride. I lunged her on the line to warm up, then I mounted up and tried to work on walking and turning, then trotting and turning. I didn't want to push her, but I wanted to see how far she would go before I found a hole in her knowledge. And I was so pleased!

     Not only did she remember almost all of the cues on the lunge line, but she stood still for mounting and then walked and turned with minimal fuss. She was distracted by some of the other things going on around her, but she wasn't reactive, just curious. I worked on turning at the trot also, and she moved off my legs very well, except when she decided she wanted to do something else, and Robert backed up my leg cue with the lunge line.

     I am very pleased, because she seems to remember everything we learned before the winter break! We still have lots of work to do, but I definitely feel like its fairly linear at this point. (As I type this, I know I will be frustrated again very soon :)) So in closing, I have a picture of Jellybean and me.