Back in the saddle again....

Oh joy I am riding again!!! I did get to ride Harley on an unseasonably warm day this week. As with everything lately it was not without it's amount of dirty work. That actually is an understatement, really yucky dirty work is more like it. You see, we have been blessed with lots of rain as of late and my pasture she is amud pit. Harley also thinks he is a pig~
First thing he does upon release from that damned stall I keep him in overnight is run to the biggest nastiest mud hole he can find and lowers himself oh so gracefully into it and enjoys the leisure of a mud bath.
Hence, before I could actually ride I had to uncrust the little booger of all that wonderful dried up mud which was clinging to his beautiful winter shag coat. Thank God for miracle groom and shop vacs! Yes I said shop vac, Harley loves the dang thing. I use the little one and vacuum him at least twice a week, more when I am showing. But I regress....

About the ride. Harley knew something was up when I brought him in from the field at lunch time and gave me the knowing evil eye and serious head tilt when I haltered him up. After said decrusting , we saddled up and warmed up with a short trail ride back to my pond. Harley was nervous as the wind was up and playing with all the dried vegetation and you just know those bush boogers were waiting for him to pass so they could jump out and get him. I tried a little trick my trainer said to do when running patterns and Harley gets chargey, humming loudly. Yes it works, he puts his ears back to listen to me instead of letting his pea brain talk him into something else. After a bit he settled and we proceeded down a grass path to a small creek on the bean field behind me. I guess I was too enthralled at being in the saddle again and let my guard down to soon. It seems we spooked a small herd of deer in the woods next to the path and Harley got his chance at auditioning for a wild west show. What a show it was, complete with bucking and hopping and lots of spins to boot! I don't know who was more surprised that I stayed on Harley or me. After I stopped laughing hysterically and got my saddle back to the center position I decided to abort the trail ride and work him back at home. We had an uneventful time after that and ended on a good note. I am sore today from the acrobatic work out on him or was it that stupid spin class I did yesterday??