HEY, I'M TURNING HEADS - THEY ARE ASKING ABOUT ME!!

Well, I finally gave and SHE finally got it and we are pretty good team. Once in a while the trainer gets on me and she coaxes me into a pretty darn nice way of going. One fairly well know dressage person saw the trainer riding me and was asking all sorts of questions about me. Even thought my owner confuses me sometimes, I trust her and like her has my owner. I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard the trainer say I was not for sale. Shucks, I'm just a plain ole trail horse (but I do like it when they call me fancy). My owner is getting it!!! Just light contact, please and I will do anything - and don't squeeze me with your legs all the time - just take it cool and I will do anything for you (that is if I can figure it out). We were cruisin' today - posting trot - excellent steady head, changes across the diagonal smooth and cool!! I'm getting to like it!!

WHAT!!!!! SHE'S LOOKIN' FOR A DEEP SEAT SADDLE WITH A BIG HORN!! THIS SOUNDS SERIOUS!!

I heard HER talking to her best friend - couldn't believe my ears! SHE'S talking about getting a western saddle!! Talkin about "deep seat", "big horn", what the heck has SHE got in mind. Some gal is bringing one of these saddles up to try on Friday!! I'm scared - I wonder if SHE'S getting a pair of spurs those cowboys in the movies wear - you know, big old rowels that go "clank, clank, clank" when they walk - sends shivers of fear in my heart when you hear them comin!! Right now SHE wears those stubby little english spurs that I can hardly feel through my fat!! What does my life hold for me this summer??? Someone clue me in!!! Help, help.

THE SUN IS SHININ' THE TRAILS ARE CALLIN' I'M FEELIN GOOD!

OK, Jango, times, they are a changin'!! We are going to continue working on a bit more dressage, especially the canter in a frame - but at the end of the month, IT'S TRAIL RIDING TIME!!

A NEW BAG OF TRICKS - LATERAL WORK / OUTSIDE REIN

Oh boy, this is hard stuff. SHE and that trainer never fail to come up with something new. There's this thing called the "outside rein" - trainer said to treat it as though it were a rail going around your space!! Huh???? So sure enough, SHE grabbed that outside rein and I started to see what she meant. And if I started getting sloppy on the circles, she would do this "half halt" thing - she's sort of act like SHE was going to stop, but then she would push me on (kick me on if I didn't listen up). It sure got me to concentrating. We did all kinds of circles, 20 meter, 15 meter even a 10 meter once - then we would go straight, turn the other way, spiral down, spiral out. I really had it figured out but once in a while I would "rubberneck" and I would get the old correction - Outside Rein - Half Halt - Kick on Outside - up with hand on inside (only for a second and then she would release the inside - but not that old OUTSIDE REIN AKA MY PRIVATE RAIL. Near the end of the lesson I was doing a spiffy 15 meter circle, legs underneath me, SHE was happy, trainer was happy (she even said I was cute). So the lesson was over, I got a pat on the neck, reins went to the buckle and I could go back and eat.

Pleasure Gait Farms

I'M SO DIZZY - OH OH OH - I'M SO DIZZY

Well, the darn snow was sliding off the arena roof today, it was more than I could stand. I was a crazy horse and SHE was not happy with me. So, it was back to being lounged in circles. We were in the dark and scary end of the arena - I'm just sure there are buggers there plus that awful sound - SSHHHHHHHHH BOOOOM ---- SSHHHHHHHHHHHH BOOOOM - as the snow slid off the tin roof into the gutters then down to the ground. It was airs above the ground - all the way. Finally I calmed down a bit, but I never took my eyes of the spooky end of the arena and never took my ears away from the ceiling. SHE did not ride me today but she worked me so hard on the lounge line that I would have rather had her ride. SHE said she will be back tomorrow. I hope that snow is gone from the roof and so does she. Some days are just better than others.

LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW!!!

Wow, I am on vacation and I didn't even know it. SHE took a small trip to Portland this last week end. SHE and her friend go anywhere that there are horses mentioned. This time it was the United State Eventing Association Area VII award banquet!! Can you believe it??? These old biddies haven't competed for years!!! They probably think that when they drop in at these horse functions, the people think they are super star eventers from some other division!! SHEEESH!! I heard HER talking and she and her friend had a bit too much wine and ended up swimming and in the hot tub - the only adults!! The rest were little kids so the old biddies just joined in the fun and I guess a good time was had by all! Anyway, then the snow came!!! Yea!!! She can't get up here to where I am, really slippery. So I'm enjoying my vacation, just hanging out with that cure mare Marika. Time for a nap ZZZZZZZZZZZZ.

SHE'S BAAACCCCKKKK AGAIN!!

SHE just keeps showing up!! Nearly every day!! I like to see HER because I know she has carrots, and rubs me down with a nice rubber currycomb which I just love as I am always itchy (I am shedding which makes HER happy). SHE really treats me nice but I'm not crazy about this working thing. SHE keeps telling me "Jango, it's the cost of doing business - you work for me, I take good care of you". Working is getting better and easier for me, tho. When she rode, I was very good, I gave HER a nice swingy trot - SHE said I was so good that she would make it short!! That was nice!! I have to tell you about the "lingo" this human uses when SHE rides me in this thing called dressage. "Yes, Jango". "Good Boy, Jango". "Quit It, Jango". "Stay With Me, Jango". "X@#! Jango". "NOOOOOOO". "Move it, Jango". "Listen to my leg, Jango" (she usually gives me a big boot when she says this). So I just listen to this incessant babbling going on and try to figure out what she really wants, throw in a few "misbehaviors" for excitement, knowing that if I am good, the lesson will soon be done, she will give me the buckle, hop off, loosen the girth, run up the irons, give me a pat, give me a carrot, rub me with that rubber currycome then turn me out and let me be a horse. Life with HER is pretty good. SHE and her friend Rosemary are off to a horse meeting in Portland - for the weekend - so I get a little vacation!!:)

BUT I WANNA BE A GIRAFFE!!

Oh Boy!! This really getting hard!! Now SHE is working on getting my head down and use my butt!!! SHE keeps saying "quit going around like a giraffe!! Everything is done at the trot. SHE is riding me in circles again, then spiraling me down to a small circle then spiraling me out to a large circle. I'll have to admit, if I put my head down and tuck my butt, it is easier to do this excercise. SHE is also doing walk trot transitions - walk trot - walk trot - SHE says it will teach me to go forward off my hocks. Well, SHE is right about that - if I don't use my hocks I will fall right on my face. SHE is staying light on the reins, tho, and I sure like that. The thing that scares me is that I heard HER say - I have forgotten how much fun dressage can be!! YEA, RIGHT!!