Happy New Year!

I can't believe it's been nearly 2 weeks since I had a chance to go out and see the boys! I brought out my new wide angle lens to take a few shots. The day was too gorgeous to pass up. The boxes of "stuff" that need to be unpacked can wait another day, right? Axel wasn't really in a photogenic mood today so most of my photos are of Cody and his friends. I was planning on working in the round pen but the snow was knee deep and it was pretty difficult. I ended up riding Axel around the pasture bareback for a while, including a little trot or two. He was a bit cranky, come to find out the bit got twisted around on the bridle and was in his mouth backwards. I'd be cranky too. Of course Axel cranky isn't very threatening, stoic horse, he'd probably just swish his tail if he had a broken bone.


When I was done riding him I decided Cody needed some work as well. Cody decided I needed some work and made me chase him. Luckily when he started wandering away I decided to chase him away and made him run. He finally got tired of running and stood there while I bridled him. Not wanting to fight bareback, I threw the wester saddle on him. The goal was to wander to the opposite side of the pasture, where his buddies were blocked from sight by some bushes, and stand there calmly
and I'd dismount. Things didn't happen quite like that. There was a lot of spinning around, trotting around, even some cantering around on the wrong lead. We just couldn't get to the standing calmly part. Cody was huffing and puffing and starting to sweat so I didn't want to get him too worked up. When he finally *almost* stood calmly I dismounted and walked him back. He's like a completely different horse on the ground. He walked calmly. Halted when asked, and was in a generally better mood. I think we need to do some experimenting to see if it's me on his back he doesn't like, any person on his back, or what.

I had him stand with the fleece blanket on for a while until he cooled off a bit before I turned him out. Meanwhile the other horses were chasing each other around, usually ending up with Axel running under a branch that was too low and getting covered in snow. And of course all that was followed by me getting my car stuck in a snow bank. Lovely day, I tell ya!