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Wentworth Hunter Pace - June 6, 2021

After Margaret and I had such a fun time at the fall hunter pace, we opted to go again this spring! This time, while I rode Rejoice again, Margaret rode her horse Jester and had a friend ride Ladyhawke. All Kennebec Morgans!! Jester and Rejoice have the same dam and Jester and Lady share the same sire. Unfortunately instead of a lovely late spring day, we had one of the first intensely hot and humid days of the year. It was definitely a bummer, but the ride was mostly in the shade of the woods and we had a great time!  most of the fences were 3' coops but we found a small log and this hay to jump haha Until we didn't. 😑 We brought along a third friend who rode Margaret's older mare, Ladyhawke. She's a good rider but hasn't known Ladyhawke for very long and didn't realize how much of a cranky boss mare she could be at times. She kicked Jester right in the front leg just about halfway through the ride, and while the cut itself ended up not being a big deal in the

NaBloPoMo Day #7

Day #7 - Any vices or challenges with my horse


With any horse, there are day-to-day or week-to-week training challenges.  Obviously there have been more than I am listing here, but most of it was typical and easily overcome.  But on the whole, all of my mares have been pretty easy to work with and easy to train, so I honestly don't remember many of the challenges.


Reva
Reva likes to put everything in her mouth.  Everything.  She has certainly gotten better over the last two years, since most of it was her being a "baby", but she is still the type of horse who tries to lick or chew things to figure it out.  She is my toddler who I have to watch carefully at all times....oh look, the leadrope!  Chew!  Oh look, a bucket of sudsy shampoo!  Slurp!  Oh look, the siding of the barn!  Chomp!  Sigh.  She doesn't bite, she just gnaws on things.  She also likes to wipe her foamy mouth at the end of a ride on things: my truck hood at a show, the fence post, my sleeve.  Our current challenge is her right lead canter, but that is coming along well.  :-)


Dreamy
Dreamy has recently developed a bad habit of walking through her fence.  She has figured out that the shock only last for a moment when she pushes through the tape with her chest, and the grass is ALWAYS greener on the other side, of course!  Never mind that there is plenty of grass in her pasture and a pile of hay in her paddock!  I have raised all the fences with an extra strand up at five feet so she has finally decided that she rather not walk through it anymore.  Foolish mare!  It looks dumb, but it works!  I would say our biggest challenge has been her canter.  It has come a LONG way but it will never be a "normal" canter and we will never score above a 6 on a canter circle.  Oh well! (Though we have received 7s and 8s on our canter departs!)   I am still very proud of her and am happy with what she can do rather than worry about what she cannot.


Sparky
Sparky's one vice is that she cannot be left alone.  She freaks out!  Obviously, horses are social animals and most dislike being alone.  Many can handle their buddy leaving for a show or trail ride, with just a bit of pacing, some screaming, and then calm down.  Not Sparky!  She completely loses her mind.  I tried a boarder for a while (well three actually...) when I started showing Dreamy so I would not have to leave Sparky alone.  When none of the boarders panned out, acquiring Reva served a purpose other than just a young horse to bring along: she keeps Sparky sane when I show Dreamy!  Sparky's biggest challenge was earning her trust way back in the beginning and helping her find her balance.  She was very afraid of heavy hands and accepting contact, but was able to grow to trust me enough to accept the bit.

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