Susan and I arrived at the barn at 7.57 am, about 20 seconds behind Karen. Pretty awesome. Andrew collected the small sprayer and was there about 9.00am. Meanwhile I'd given rems and swept the tack room.
The first approximation of spraying the field commenced. Karen had mixed the minerals with water and devised a system to filter the mineral sediment left behind so it wouldn't clog the sprayer. After a few small hitches keeping the sprayer attached to the truck's hitch, they were off. I got Fon tacked up and took her down for groundwork and a ride.
I decided to stick her back in her CR halter so I could do two-line work (aka the 'leg yield' business), and also see how she was to ride with the rope and the rein.
Fon doesn't really like the handler to be snugged up on her halter but she coped very well today. She was also free through her shoulders and active with her hind legs. Over to the left (on a circle to the right) was easier than the other direction. Transitions to trot were good.
She was in a better headspace when I got on than she has been in the previous couple of days. Partly helped by me knowing what the heck I need to do!!! I picked up the rein and the rope for a few circles and changes of direction, then dropped the rein and rode her on the rope (which is only attached to the halter, so functions like a type of bitless bridle). I continued with changes of direction but focused mainly on travelling to the right, her sticky side. I still need to contain my outside rein more, though I am getting better. I am remembering to open my knees more frequently and also working out which leg I need to wiggle to speak to the hind leg I want to activate. I found she was very good with the rope: I suspect it takes away some of the "negative" associations of the bit from her prior riding. After riding on the rope for quarter of an hour, I picked up the rein and rode with both. Her head was softer and lower; I achieved something! :) She is really coming into herself and has good "energy" going on.
Sully has been scratching the side of his face on the side of his stall door. We are not sure if he's rubbed something that's irritating him, if the rems are bringing something out, if he's eaten something that's causing a reaction, or another thing altogether, but now it's raw and he's rubbing it so we have to devise a plan to deal with it. Currently the calendula cream is helping the wound but not the itchiness. Today I tried Lucas' Paw paw ointment. I will also take some of my inert moisturiser (which I am not going to use up before I go home but don't want to take home in luggage due to weight) and see if applying that several times a day helps him. If so, we could leave some out for the barn staff to apply when they bring the horses in at night and/or feed breakfasts.
I decided to lunge Sully in the cavesson today due to him giving me lip yesterday (I love that he feels good enough to give me lip, but he needs to learn to work through any lip-giving processes). He was very good. A lot better on his feet but still somewhat shorter on his right front (the boxier hoof which has been giving him more grief), though better after he'd trotted for a while. He listened to my voice commands and softened for some nice trot work so we finished up and turned everyone out with their fly masks.
I drove from the barn for all of our errands. We dropped a key off to the last place I stayed, collected my peanut butter from Lana's (I bought a huge jar which would last me through to the time I left), purchased feed from Cenex and checked the post box.
Once home, lunch was made and Susan and I discussed another "project" for me: contact the other two Working Students for their help in compiling the CEI Working Student Program. Basically, they want to formalise the system: add a description of the position and pre-reqs and an application form to the website, have a list of barn chores, the agreement of what the working student gets and what they do in return. A couple of emails later, I've started my end of the deal (I had already typed up the list of barn chores so the other two should not have to do much on that).
One of Susan's current projects is re-covering the chairs at their breakfast bar. She had the vinyl fabric and the staple gun the chairs had been taken apart, but she ran out of time to complete the job. I created the "pattern" and cut the fabric out while she started her admin for the upcoming 101 course. I held the fabric taut while she used the electric staple gun. She screwed the chairs back together. We both agree the chairs look spunky! and the colour (a bright lime green) is perfect for the space and the colours already in the house. Job well done!
Next up was miss Josie, poodle face, who needed a bath. It's about 90-something degrees Fahrenheit (30+ degrees Celsius) so absolutely the best time to be playing with water. Josie is currently dry and being brushed, she'll get dinner and then we'll head out to kayak on the bay for an hour before going to a local eatery for some dinner.
Tomorrow we'll have a few more things to cross off the To Do list, but probably going to be another cruisy day!
Update after our kayaking adventure:
We spent about an hour kayaking around the marina. We got to see several groups of seals basking in the early evening sun and bobbing around in the water, as well as a great blue heron (unfortunately no photo of that guy).
Following that we stopped at a lovely Italian place for dinner. I am STUFFED and totally happy right now. We couldn't have picked a nicer, hotter (30-something degrees C) day to get out on the water, which was quite calm (almost "glassy" in places) with the sun glinting like diamonds. It was absolutely gorgeous.
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