Lunging and Free Jumping

So after two days of rain, today dawned sunny and warm. I had lunged UK despite the gross weather yesterday. All this climate change has been making my ankle hurt like the dickens, so riding hasn't really been possible.

I managed to drag the ring before the rain started earlier in the week (I think it was Monday, not sure) only to have the battery die in the tractor... So it's been sitting in the ring with the dreaded tarp on top of it. I've been moving it around the ring and making UK lunge near/around it. Feeding him on the tarp seemed to really be the step we needed to take. It's still scary but not enough to send him flying across the ring, it only warrants a small spook now.

So after lunging him on a lungeline, I let UK loose to free jump. This was after getting him to follow me over the calvaletti with the tarp over it!!!! MOMENTOUS OCCASION! He got a whole carrot for that.

Below is a video of all the pictures I took with my camera of him free jumping. He had a couple knockdowns, mostly due to getting distracted, but no problems otherwise. He's really starting to adjust himself as needed. Not only did he canter everything, but he also trotted everything as well. I think the jumps ended up being 2'6", but I honestly am not sure.

Anyhoo, enjoy!

I think it may be spring finally!

Be quiet though, wouldn't want to scare it away! So on and off for the past week the weather has been generally 50degrees and upward, with occasional days of rain and gloom, like today. Yesterday was almost 80degrees at one point, it was so nice to not have to wear multiple layers!

I've been lunging UK pretty regularly now. I'm going to try to ride again soon, the last few times I tried to get on it started pouring on my drive to the barn. Talk about feeling cursed. Then the weather was finally nice enough but I had to be other places and doing other things. Damnit. Oh well, I'll ride him again soon.

Ok, this is just so cute.

Om, nom, nom, nom. 

So last weekend I decided to take some extra pictures to show you all a bit of 1832 Farm. It is our own little horse heaven. Most of Connecticut is either, woods, swamp or pavement these days so I count myself lucky to have a place where there is some actual room for my horse to be a horse.

Ok, so a big chunk is swamp, but they sure learn how to be surefooted. 

The above view is  looking towards the back of the barn from across the swamp. To the left, behind that fencing is where our ring is. Betsy's house is to the right, you can just see it.

See, it's not all swamp.

A view of the area around me. The fence you can see to the left is the border between us and some neighbors. Soon this will all be beautiful green grass, yeah!

And if I turn the other way, more grass! Behind those trees directly ahead is another paddock they usually can play in, but at the moment it's fenced off. The winter did a number on the fencing back there and it is literally falling apart.

All together Betsy owns a very large chunk of land, and the horses get to use the majority of it. When the grass comes in, it's lush and plentiful. There is a constant breeze due to it's high elevation, which is a blessing in the summer and a bother in the winter.

Well, I'm going to attempt to get some good photos of UK free jumping soon. I'd really like to get him to jump the tarp without spooking, but we'll see.

Toodles!