Sunday, August 14, 2016

D.R.E.N.C.H.E.D.

I went out to see the horses over the weekend, feed and figured I would slip a little driving time in. I managed to do all three even though the skies were showing signs of a storm coming. Oh was it a storm....

I got Kat out, dusted him off, put the harness on and hitched him up. We headed off down the driveway without issue, Kat calmly walking out. When we got to the road he picked up his forward, ground covering troy. We got to the end of the road, took a right and kept on cruising. It felt really good to be back in the cart and Kat seemed happy to be exploring the new 'hood too. Although he had been putting his tongue over the bit again, I was back in AZ for a bit last week and picked up a new snaffle for him ($5 at the local feed supply. Woot!) so we could get some ground driving in and sort it out. Yeah we managed one session in the round pen in the lines and that was it.

Although he was a little strong in the bridle at times, I didn't fight him amd just kept making small adjustments to the reins. He would look left so I would take a hold of the right rein and tug, tug, tug, until I felt him soften up and same with him looking right and tugging the left rein to get his mind back in the game. Working him like this, I don't think he put his tongue over the bit once. Yay! Small victories... we take them and always celebrate them.

We got a ways down the road and I figured the sky isn't looking too promising so we had better turn back. Good thing we did. Just as we were in front of the property next door to the barn, it started to sprinkle. Not little, misty drops, but the big drops here and there. I was having Kat walk back this part, but figured it was only going to get worse so I let him bust into a trot again. By the time we got in the driveway it was starting to come down a little harder...

As I unbuckled everything as quick as I could, Kat stood like a statue like I had always taught him to. Everything clear, I flipped the cart up on its seat back, shafts in the air and pulled him into the barn as all hell broke loose and it started pouring. Lucky for me, as we came in the driveway, somebody there at the barn came out and was asking how to help. She pulled the cart into a shed while I took Kat in the barn. My tarp, lock and my friend K's cart was also whisked inside, doors shut and all good. I pulled the harness quick as I could and put Kat in his stall so I could help the woman and her girls get other horses settled and situated. There's a mare that I seen the other day and I have to say, she is Nice!!! She's also for sale. And was stuck out in the rain... I brought the mare in and then I had to go drain the water out of my boots. Literally. Seriously.

Because of This- view from the front porch of the barn

1 comment:

Mrs Shoes said...

Don't you just love those kind of storms when you're watching them from inside the house (or the barn)?