Stormy weather

Well it isn't really storming much at all, but I am ready for summer, sheesh! It is raining AGAIN . . . well, really it is a heavy sprinkle, but there is water falling from the sky such that I need to wear boots on my feet.

Colin and I were away at a show over the weekend (go Colin & Tomato - they did GREAT!!!) and so I hadn't paid attention to Dulce in a few days.

I will put the obligatory photo of Colin and the Tomato looking wonderful together:



Oh, and they won both their classes at a show last weekend:



Anyway, I digress - I do love bragging about Colin and the Tomato, but this is about Dulce and his progress so I shall continue on that topic.

Back to the rain. Oh yes, it is raining. I decided that since it wasn't RAINING that I would work with Dulce today. I got out my tack and my full chaps to keep me warm, and went to get his sweetness. We had a quick tack-up in the cross ties (which was a little fidgety since the sound of the rain on the metal roof is something new for him) and went off to the arena.

I decided to longe first to see what he remembered from our last longe lesson and it went much better this time - I could move him out more easily and control his pace a little better. He did have a little back-humping fit and I think it might have been because I didn't have my bit attachments so I had put the longe line through the closest D ring of the bit and clipped it to the outside ring. I think that maybe the pressure on his chin was bothering him? When we switched sides I clipped the longe line to only one side of the bit and he didn't have any problems. I'll have to remember my attachment next time.

I was very brave and hopped on in the wind and rain and we just walked around for a little bit and did some smaller circles. I hopped off and called it quits for the day. He was opening his mouth and seemed like he didn't like this bit so when we got back to the cross ties I put a D-ring french link snaffle on for tomorrow's ride. I'm playing phone tag with the vet for a dental appointment.

I did some more trailer loading exercises today. At first he walked right on with me, took a bite of hay, then backed off. I got back on the "work outside the trailer, rest inside the trailer" program and that seemed to work well. He continued to follow me on and *I* controlled whether or not I'd let him eat hay. He had to stand quietly for a bit before I'd let him eat, then once he started to take a mouthful, I'd quietly back him off the trailer. Then we'd trot a small circle or do walk/halt/walk transitions in hand or walk small circles, then back on the trailer for a rest and a bite of hay when I gave the go-ahead. This seemed to be a good program that I'll continue with tomorrow.