From spooky to awesome

So I managed to get out of work early yesterday! I ran home, ate some lunch and changed into my jeans and paddock boots. Then off to the barn I went!

I was greeted by a stall of epic messiness and a horse seeming to be shouting at me to look at all his lovely new stains... (I should have taken a picture!)

I'd like to explain my frustration a bit. I became a horse owner at the age of sixteen to a fantastic gelding named Jake (Okay, so he was a brat with issues when I first got him). He was a Dark Bay with his only white being his facial markings. You can't really see poop stains on a brown/black horse. Fast forward a bit and I'd picked up Tess. Tess is a bay, just bay, with a few white hairs on her head and some white scars on her legs.

Now I have UK and oh my... the maintenance of those damn white markings! I thought I knew what I was getting into. I mean I managed an "A" Circuit show barn with massive grey jumpers that loved to roll in their own filth. However, I had two heated wash stalls to use and it was my job to keep them clean. I hadn't completely thought this through, and now it's driving me nuts. I have no wash stall (hose in the driveway), and it takes three times as long to groom him (I also now have a use for Green Spot Remover, that's a first!).

Okay, so anyways, I digress.

After cleaning the barn, I brought the critters in and started the massive grooming project. I got the worst of the stains off and then proceeded to tack him up. Betsy stopped in and told me he'd been running back and forth a good chunk of the afternoon for no apparent reason (I think he'd just realized the people behind the paddock have horses, however that's a story for another time). Well that explained why he was still a bit sweaty.
I finished tacking him up, adding a standing martingale (he tends to be a giraffe or try to hard). I got my gear on and we headed out to the ring where I had put out a bunch of ground poles for trotting. Mounted and began walking.

And he started looking, and didn't want to pay attention, and was getting the tense that means he's thinking about spooking. Not at the cars or anything logical. He mostly was looking out into the great wide open field... Horses.
I continued riding like nothing was wrong, just maybe sinking my heels lower a bit. Then while circling at the trot he spooked and went back. Growl, leg and repeat the circle. Still wanting to looky-loo but slightly better, encouragement, and circle again. Paying attention to me, rewarded and move on to the next thing. That was the only real spook, but he did try pulling a few things as we went along.
I know that partially he was testing me, as his last owner would have totally panicked when he spooked and backed off, maybe even dismounting. So not only am I having to battle the ghosts in the field and woods, but the ghosts of bad behavior being rewarded in the past.
Then he finally really started listening, loosened up a tad, and started trying. Needless to say I was happy, but still prepared for more misbehavior. So we finally cantered and it was fantastic! It wasn't all perfect but when he was on, boy was he on! I mean it was that gorgeous on the bit, perfect round hunter/equitation canter. Not a lope, a canter! After getting a great attitude from him both ways we ended on that good note. I hopped off and then we walked out of the far gate, down the side of the road, into the driveway and then the barn. That way he could see what was on the other side of the trees he had been wanting to spook at.

Untacked, bathed (the picture below is him chilling in his stall after his bath and grooming), groomed more and then put him in his stall. I cleaned up, then dinner and tucked them in for the night! I went home with that happy post ride glow, and with a further realization that I'm way out of shape. UK needs muscle and I need to get back in shape, so that's why I'm so glad we can "work out" together!

TTFN!