Sunday visit

Started the day off early -- made it up to Zoilo's place before 9 AM -- so I got to spend an hour and a half or so riding Arthur while it was still . . . well, not "cool" exactly, but at least before it hit 90 out there.  Don't get me wrong - it was still HOT -- just not as hot as it was going to get.  It was up in the 90's by the time I got home this afternoon. 

But Arthur did pretty well today.  If I just want to ride down a trail - it's going to be no problem.  I rode around the outside of Zoilo's property with absolutely no problems.  (Not even any swishing tail this time.)   He was perfectly happy to do that.  But when I tried to ride circles around the traffic cones in the paddock it was a BIT more difficult.  He keeps his neck extremely stiff and although he will turn, he won't make sharp turns.  Zoilo has been working with him on lateral flexion.   Getting him used to doing that will not only help with things like more precise turns, but should make him more yielding and more responsive in general -- not to mention making an emergency stop easier.  Not that it's likely I will ever need to stop him from running --- walking veeery slowly and stopping are his "thing."   But Zoilo did manage to get him to gallop this morning.  I wanted to see just how hard it might be to stay on if he were to do that out on the trail sometime.  It doesn't really LOOK that much different from his trot.   Check it out.  What I really love most about that video, though, is just how difficult it was for Zoilo to get him to go that fast to begin with!

So anyway - that laterial flexion is something I'll be doing with Arthur on a routine basis EVERY time I visit with him when he gets home, and of course when I work with him.  But I couldn't get started with that before because he used to throw his head and turn around and race away from me and I just wasn't strong enough to handle him when he would do that.  Zoilo is.  So now he has gotten to the point where - although he still resists (and he has a REALLY strong, stiff neck, believe me!) he does NOT rear up or throw his head or pull away, so I will be able to work with him on it.  Another month and I think it will just be a matter of continuing the procedure.  I hope to bring him home over 4th of July weekend.  Of course it'll be darned hot for the next few months, but I still plan to ride at least 3 times a week.  I want him so used to being ridden by me that it'll become a habit he expects almost every day - that way I'll be able to ride him for the next 20 years or more and it should get more and more and more simple. 

And at least when I have him here at the house again, I'll be able to work with him very early in the morning or late in the evening instead of in full sun.  Hey - and if our family actually buys the acreage next door we might be able to ride over there in the woods for a couple years until they get around to clearing it out to build their houses.  But even if they clear it, I'm sure they would be leaving a lot of the large oak trees.  Wow - that WOULD be great.  Come on people.  DO it!  (They're still thinking about it.  We're hoping they get around to deciding to buy it before someone else decides to buy it!)

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When I first got up to Zoilo's this morning, his Peruvian stallion was racing up and down his paddock and carrying on big time.  (Wow - he looked GREAT!)  Turns out the mare that Zoilo is training has come into heat and hey - he's a stallion.  He knows what he's supposed to do, right?

As I was getting ready to head home, suddenly a herd of his sheep came ambling down past the paddocks and went into the barn! 

I turned on the video and caught the sheep as they went by, as well as Zoilo and his brother (a trainer at a huge Peruvian horse farm over in Alabama), his Peruvian mare -- rolling in the sand, and Arthur -- rolling in the sand AGAIN after his bath.  Wonder why they DO that?  Surely being covered with sand doesn't make them feel cooler, huh?   Well, who knows.  What I DO know, though, is that he WILL do that every single time he's bathed.  Sigh. 

As for Lizzie, she's better these days than she's been in ages, although she does still pant when it gets hot.  She looks good, too.

Duke -- well, he FEELS fine, but as usual in summer, he doesn't have sense enough to stay out of the sun.  His face is sunburned -- AGAIN.  And because it is, it itches.  And because it itches, he scratches it against the door frames -- which makes it even MORE sore.  Poor guy.  I'm going to have to find something or other to put on there that won't contaminate their water since he sticks his entire nose into the water when he drinks.  Sigh.

Duke has a sore nose AND his mane has thinned out for some reason.

Now that the weekend would normally be over, we have one more day to accomplish . . . something.  (???)

Buddy had back problems so they decided to wait until tomorrow to come over this week.  I hope he feels better by tomorrow because none of the stuff they do here is good for him if his back hurts.  Well, maybe he can help Mark with the barn electrical wiring - that won't require lifting much.  I HOPE they get to that since Lizzie really needs that ceiling fan put in.  Well - we'll see.