Sunday, February 26, 2012

Figure Eights, Poles, Rude Faces, and Sugar Cube Games

By the looks of this picture I bet you can tell what I will be talking about today :-)

Walking into the barn yard, there was a cute little pony who looked a lot like a new pony from Alberta, CA that came a few weeks ago to a little girl.  His was gray and white both in the body and tail/mane, but had brown splotches dancing across his spotted face.  
It was adorable!  And when I came to him and tried to pet him, he drew his face away from me and wouldn't let me touch him!  
Then, when my mom came over with the Sugar Cubes, he made a small whinny that was equally adorable to his profile. 
He happily ate the sugar cube I gave him but quickly decided he wanted more by calling out again.
He did this a few times and he did get one more.  (Let's call him Splotches because 'he' and 'his' is getting old).  Splotches remained stubborn in his refusal to let me touch his fuzzy face, but gladly took took the second cube.  
During that last cube, I decided to try to get him to play (Also, when I went to his buddy across from him, my mom and I turned around to see his ears pricked up and attentive and pawing the ground with his left hoof).  So I took the cube and placed it in my right gloved hand and told him to try to find it (he had to decide if it was in my left or right fist).   I did this four times switching it back and forth until I decided he was no fun, still not letting me touch him, and that he would get too fat and that he was getting frustrated with me not giving him the dang sugar cube. :-)
Across from him, (he was in a paddock) there was a large chestnut with a white line running down his face.  His ears (This one we will call Big Red) were flat against his head.  But he let me feed him a cube.  :)
Five or six stalls down, my dad fed a sweet little white pony while next to him was a big black horse (not a Friesian but maybe a cross).  This horse, (We're calling him Blackie.  How creative?)  Blackie, had a net on his face and a gate across the top opening of his stall gate.   
My dad thought it'd be hard to give him a cube, but I gave him one.  He was sweet.

Now for lesson.
Phantom is so lazy!  You literally need to crop in your hand to really get him going or otherwise he will be tripping over his own feet. 
I can't help you, Phantom, if you don't do your part.
...
But I love him anyway! 
I talked to him warming up, took up the crop after his lazy trot once around the barn, and he got his rhythm.  
There were three "cones" down the center of the barn, and jumps were scattered everywhere inside.  These jumps didn't pertain to me, but they were extra obstacles.
Anyway, two poles were in the front of the bar, (picture looking over a gate into a barn, the poles would be in the very front near the gate) I did figure eights around these and Phantom would stay in his rhythm but I won't blame him entirely because I don't know if I was squeezing my calves.  
Anyway, they were fun. 
My sit-trots were better too. 
Down the middle of the barn, I did weaving.  I still had trouble keeping Phantom at the trot.
Later, we were put on the lunge line.  Now, although the lunge line is my friend, it is definitely not Phantom's friend.  
I was on there for only about a minute, if that.
My instructor had me take my feet out of the stirrups and let my legs hang long.  While in this position, I was supposed to do sit-trots.  Not successful.  As soon as Phantom was finally going, I told her almost instantly I couldn't.  Although, I was somewhat close.  
We went back out along the rail and tried more half-seat, posting trot a few more times.  
At one point, my instructor asked if I was tired, and I laughed and said yes, my knees were hurting. 
So we let my legs hang long and walked around one last time before the end of the lesson.  
My instructor said Phantom was taking advantage of my pain and was being lazy. 
I told him that was rude.
When I got off and gave him a cube, the green slime that is usually coating his lips, was thankfully not there, but I did tell him his breath smelled awful!  As I walked over to my parents who were sitting down, my mom suddenly said he wanted more.  
To my surprise, Phantom was absurdly close to me and he looked incredibly happy!  :) I gave him another but  the cube dropped and he bit my finger.  I swear each horse today has bitten my finger!  Sigh.  It is a wonder I still have my finger :-)

B.B. Smoothie Recipe
1 c Frozen Blueberries 
2 Frozen Bananas
Unsweetened Almond Milk

Blend.  It should be thick. Very thick. 


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