Stupid Rain

I should have been out at the barn today working with Memphis, but it's raining. When it rains I only have one place to work with Memphis and that's in the barn. Since the BO's tractor is broken, I currently do not have a place to do anything.

Tomm it is supposed to not rain, so I'll probably go after I get my hair cut to see Memphis. Work on the plastic bag again and then saddling.

Which reminds me, the little butt has been deciding to test my patience. When saddling he has started to fidget around. Now this could be because the first cinch was too short, a 32" when he really needed a 36". It could be because he is excited about riding or it could be a pain issue. I'm thinking the cinch was the problem, as on Tuesday he didn't fidget at all when I cinched him up and that was the correct size cinch.

He's also taken to walking around when I try to mount, so I worked on that with him for over 15 minutes Tuesday as well. Lots of moving with him when he moves, flapping the stirrups, and fake mounts into the saddle. Once he finally realized that moving away wasn't going to get him anywhere he stood still. I mounted and then just sat there on top of him. I don't smoke, so I had to imagine the time it would take to smoke one, I'd say 3 minutes? Then I had him move out.

Then once again worked on legs and neck reining. Phew! Think he would get it soon enough. Probably be better once the arena dries out and I can put him on some poles. I do leg aid, then neck rein, then direct reining. I'd like him to eventually move off my leg, but that will take lots of time. I got lots of time this summer to devote to him, so he better be ready :D

Right now I need the tractor to move so I can work in the barn. I plan on setting up some poles in there and doing some tight circle work. I also need to work on asking for the gaits with him as I personally screwed him up last trail ride by making him pace. I need to go back to flat walk then running walk then pace then canter. He has all of those gaits, I just made him transition too fast. Go me. I'd like to take the pace out of the equation and that is something in the summer I am going to work on discouraging.

Sigh, Memphis needs so much work. He was green when I got him. He is still green because of me. I want by the time he is 6 to be much more refined to everything. I would also like to have put a ton of miles on him throughout the forest next to where he is boarded. The hills will work wonders on him and muscle tone and my own butt too.

When he is 10 I would like to really get into some competitive trail riding with him, I just want to start it out so slow it's not even funny. I don't want a broken horse and I don't want myself to get burnt out.