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Giggling Like a 12 Year Old

roamingridersite

I haven’t forgotten about October’s winner. It will get done on Friday morning. I’m running a bit behind.

Last night was gorgeous. It had poured all morning and early afternoon but the temperatures stayed in the mid 60s. By the time I left work the sun was out and it was almost humid. The great thing about our red clay soil is how well it drains. It has rained for two straight days with many days preceding that and the ground was perfect for riding.

Not even 12 hours after posting my plan, I got home, changed into riding clothes, made myself ok with being a mom who feeds nuggets to her child so I can go ride instead of cook, and headed out to bring everyone in for dinner.

That is when I saw this:

Naked front legs. No bell boots. I swear he reads the blog.

In five weeks he has not lost a single bell boot. And now, two days after his last ride he magically loses both of them. I was at my wits end.

Of course it was getting dark at that point as I headed to the 15 acre pasture hoping to find his tan colored bell boots so I could still ride. I didn’t want to risk riding without and him either ripping half his foot off or getting a nasty heel grab that would mean canceling Friday.

I texted the hubby who was inside with Wyatt (warning: strong language that I typically leave off the blog)

I then texted Michelle because misery loves company and she always makes me laugh.

A half hour later I knew this was a losing battle. I went inside the barn and Dusty hopped on the mower to see if the headlight would help but the grass is tall and it was pitch black. No such luck.

Fortunately I remembered that I had bought two pairs of bell boots and H’Appy’s latest attempt at being retired was foiled.

Try harder next time Buddy. I came prepared for you this time.

The big guy was oddly quiet in the cross ties and even cocked a back leg up while being brushed instead of trying to eat me. He didn’t even do his typical pawing while being saddled and gave his front right for his hoof boot without me having to fight for it.

I won’t bore you all with the details of a 20 minute flat ride but wow. It was AMAZING. Right from the start he was light, bendy and listening. I didn’t walk for long instead going straight to trot once I had him connecting to my outside rein in square turns at the walk. He made the transition without a temper tantrum, trying to canter or ignoring me. He was light to my leg but not in an overreactive way.

We floated around at the trot, popped over a cross rail a few times and then I sat and asked for the canter. Not atypical for most but he has been such a tool lately that I haven’t asked for it in months. He came up to the canter so smoothly without falling on his forehead or plowing forward and it felt so good to cruise around.

A few circuits at the canter and I hugged him while falling on his neck in a huge giggling heap. This was the horse I test rode. This was the horse I brought home. This guy. Not a kick ride but not overly reactive. Light but not avoiding the bit. Fun. Fun fun fun.

I know some day I’ll need to push for more. I know some day we will ah e to both get in better shape. But not yesterday. Yesterday was a celebration. Today he is getting his shoes reset and then it is onward with The Plan.

Published by roamingridersite

38 thoughts on “Giggling Like a 12 Year Old”

  4. Yay! Now piece of advice from an owner of a horse who needed bell boots for years (and drugs to shoe and even then it was a fight). OWN millions of pairs of bell boots. Have your pull on, your back up pull ons, your partially torn pull ons (DON’T EVER THROW AWAY A PAIR IF THEY CAN BE USED IN AN EMERGENCY), and velcro bell boots (which I hate for 24/7 turn out, but they are SO HELPFUL when you need an emergency pair and don’t feel like fighting). Just buy ALL THE BELL BOOTS until you have so many pairs that you think you’ll never need another pair. And then keep buying because YOU WILL NEED MORE PAIRS. I went through a phase where EVERY 2 week a boot was lost/died. And other times, a pair lasted a year. Just buy ALL THE BOOTS. Especially when you find them on sale.

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  8. I agree with Sarah and I texted you as well. NEVER CAN YOU HAVE TOO MANY BELLBOOTS 🙂 HA
    so glad he was good for you. I was so worried after your first few texts so glad it went well. REMEMBER that feeling. And good luck with shoes and everything else this week.

    And I am always here for you to make you laugh (or try too) HA I was dying laughing reading Dusty’s responses anyway:) HA

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  10. omg I’m so so happy! “We floated…popped over a cross rail…” that would be a dream of mine if I’d made a complete dream list. Too scared about jumping. Happy for you!

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  14. YAY!!! I was halfway into reading and was thinking GIRL YOU NEED TO BUY SEVERAL PAIRS OF BELL BOOTS!!! Glad you had a back up pair after all. Scoop those things up every time you place an order somewhere haha. 😉

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  17. THose inner 12 year olds have such great priorities. I’m glad you found the extra bell boots. I always have some in storage. I also buy the most garishly coloured ones I can becaus of the hours I spent trekking through a pasture.

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      1. i have purple ones (Shocker) glitter ones, i just bought a pair of pink ones in my RW order. HA HA HA also i find if i buy anything online that is free shipping i throw a pair in cause it evens out that way! 🙂

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