It's Louisville week!

I'm not showing, but I'm driving down Thursday and staying through stake night. I plan on having a blast :)

Duke has been doing really well - After two shows that I had to skip the championships because of his leg (he just can't stay on hard ground overnight after working - he never went lame, but he swelled up enough that I wouldn't risk it) we had a good qualifier at State Fair, but a not-so-good championship - Big Boy was too wound up to really set his head. We have another show the week after Louisville, but I'm not sure what to show in - part of me likes showing him in driving, but the rest of me craves riding like a junkie craves a fix. Got a good picture though!


Skinny is finally up to a good weight, so now it's time to really build up his muscles. I worry about pushing him too hard, because I've heard stories about horses that were starved having weak hearts for the rest of their lives, but he's too young to not be put back to work. I think he could make a first-class hunt horse, although I'm waiting until his front end is built up before we start doing more than ground-poles on our road to jump training!

Ramora is a bit of a pest. She wears her surcingle beautifully, and is getting better about taking the bit, but she refuses to lunge in the clockwise direction! I've tried teaching her the same way I taught Belle (small circles within arm length, gradually enlarging the circle as she gets more comfortable), but she doesn't get it! Every time I move to her right side and try to give her direction, she just looks at me like "no no stupid human, you're on the wrong side!" And until she's lunging well and is set firmly with her voice commands, I can't start long-lining her. I'm trying to be patient, but it's hard.

Everything else has been the same as ever. Now it's time for me to stop being lazy and get the kids working every day for the last three shows of the year!