Oh right - I have a blog.

Which means I ought to, yknow, write in it and stuff. :)

I've just been busy, honestly. Work, friends, riding, animals ... all that kind of life stuff. I've been riding Rev in the draw reins more; I think we're up to five rides in them total. I'm looking forward to switching to one dressage lesson and one jump lesson soon. I feel like I'm getting some things right with them, but I know for damnsure that I need more instruction to get the best use out of the tool.

I've also started doing stretches on the ground with Rev -- taking a piece of carrot and getting her to stretch her neck all the way around to her hip to get the carrot, then doing it on the other side, and I try to get her to round her neck all the way down and under to get a carrot from her chest area. I'm not having much luck with that one right yet, but I'm keeping at it. Then horsey-sit-ups, running my thumb or a hoofpick along the big muscle on her hindquarters, and then under her belly. Once we've repeated each stretch twice, I do her favorite thing: pull on her tail. That is SO funny. :) She seems to really enjoy that - she engages her back muscles and just lleeeeeaaaans into it. And if I don't do the stretching, she starts volunteering to do them, trying to curl around to either side. I imagine she's looking for carrots, mostly, but she does seem to enjoy stretching. Hehehe.

I also have to put out a big thank you to Schneider's Saddlery (http://www.sstack.com)! Rev's new light blanket is seriously awesome! It fits beautifully in a 74 (Rev is 15 hands and has a chunky butt and average shoulders), and I am really pleased with the quality. The attachments are reinforced, the straps are sturdy, and the hardware seems good. I've read some reviews saying that the hardware has broken within the first week, but mine hasn't. Rev lives outside 24/7 with now three other mares. I'm happy with the construction and the weight of the fabric, in 1200D. I could have gone for 1680, but I chose the lighter fabric, and we'll see how it does.

Overall, I like this WAY better than the Weatherbeeta Orican and Landa I've had in the past.

Anyway, tonight's plan involves a more strenuous workout in draws, and depending on how it goes tonight, either hack tomorrow or a less strenuous draw workout. Saturday is a jumping lesson, then dressage only until the barn gets back from Galway around 11/8 or 11/9. And THEN we move to one jump and one dressage lesson. Woot!