Doesn't that just figure?

I was able to drive Kat on Sunday this weekend. It has been raining a bit lately here. Not that we are complaining, because it makes for some nice puddles to train in, but at the same time... yeah. Footing can be slick, horses can go down and things can go wrong in a multitude of ways.  Luckily our arena was not soaked and the footing was good.

It looked like things had cleared up for a bit, so I grabbed the box with the harness in it and headed out. The girls wanted to come along, so hubby and I got them dressed & bundled up, grabbing their mittens & hats just in case...

It was clear while I got Kat out and groomed him up. Clear while I lunged him out back. In fact it was clear until we got back up under the shop and I busted out the harness. *grumbles*  But since the driving club runs things rain or shine- he's gotta get used to working through it all. Besides, what's a little rain? It's just water.

The girls stayed up under the cover for the most part while Kat and I braved the rain. It wasn't coming down too hard, but hard enough that every once in a while, I would turn or tilt my head and it would all run off that side of my helmet, onto the seat and under me. Kat wasn't too impressed with the weather either, but he did well enough and trudged along like the good little trooper that he is.

He was still leaning heavily on the left (inside) rein when going to the left and he was also still managing to make round circles, in spite of this.  How he pulls this off- I do not know. He was also being a bit lazy for the most part and pretty much wouldn't drive up into the bridle and look for any contact. Do you know what it is like trying to steer with a wet noodle?  It's like trying to shoot pool with a rope. 

For now we are going to back up and do some long line work. He needs to re-learn how to bend to the left (which is now his problem side because I wasn't letting him and because that side was fine so we focused more on the right...) and he needs to start moving forward again with impulsion, driving from behind and up into the bridle looking for contact.  Contact is one thing, driving without it is another. 

Oh and before I forget, as I was driving him back over to the shop to unhook him and put everything away, I said to hubby, You watch. As soon as everything is undone and put away, the rain will stop. Sure enough- it did! Argh!  And for playing in the rain, I have again, come down with a craptastic cold and have felt miserable the past couple of days.  

So for now, I leave you with pictures of him from the morning of the horse show last month. He was all braided up and wearing a sheet I had made for our other pony Pi. It doesn't fit him like it should, but it kept him dry which was the main reason for putting it on him. He needs his own clothes so I will need to get busy and make him something...  A guy has to look the part if we are going to do this!