Life news: not so much. Barn #1 at 4:30 AM, then usually Barn #2 around 9, and then either (sometimes and) back to Barn #1 again or to Barn #3. Occasionally Barn #4. Not usually the same day as #3. But you get the picture. I think I might have it easier just working full time at Subway or something, because the keeping track is the hardest part. My little black calendar is full of scribbles, which is great, except I never look at it. Or know where it is. But anyway. Nub, one of the horses I exercise for his owner, taped in at 75 pounds skinner on Monday than a few weeks ago, which is a big deal because he doesn't even have to think about food to put on weight. He does about three days a week with me and I'm pleased to say that he has started to learn that cantering is fun! On the downside, we have to stop every ten minutes to get his respiration out of the distress zone. But he's coming along and he's also learned that bucking and bolting require too much effort for too little result...aka, he hasn't been able to get me off. Yet.
I also started some of my other rides over fences this week, which was really exciting because those two horses were really willing and surprisingly athletic about it, considering neither of them had seen a standard before in their lives. Tucker has especially come a long way and is slowly developing an understanding of stretching over his back instead of curling into a frame and not being forward enough, and the gymnastic of the little crossrail grid I put him in helped him out with his canter work a lot. Mal, a little QH superstar, also felt a lot more comfortable cantering in three beats (instead of, like, one) off a baby fence. These western ponies are having to stretch a lot for me mentally and I am determined I will make Tuck into a show hunter yet!
In Neil news, I scored a stall at the first barn I work at mornings...palatial stall and indoor pretty much to myself! The footing is amazing and I can really feel a difference in his canter transitions- did I mention he got his ass over his abscess last week, finally? He also got his teeth done and wolf tooth yanked out...which was cool because the vet let me keep it. It's floating around in my car with a lot of other crap. I think. Coincidentally he has improved in his not-leaning-on-the-right-rein...or I have...not sure on that either but we'll take it. He did his first gridwork today in a while and talk about a superstar! He is learning to like bounces. Which is good, because he's going to be doing a lot of them. There's a bunch of hay stacked next to his stall, which he can reach through the side bars. So tonight he's happy in his Back on Track sheet snacking hay through the wall. Hopefully he will get turned out with Nub next week. He is kind of an asshole in the paddock so maybe he will chase Nub around and get some more pounds off him! One can dream.
Finally, logged into my Midd accounts online (new email: mdimarco@middlebury.edu, although the old one is also equally operational) and found out they reviewed my financial aid and gave me...more free money! And also some loans. But I think the way it works out with my other scholarships, some of the unsubsidized ones will be covered for me...or maybe not...I should get an economics degree just for figuring out all that crap. I'm headed to VT this weekend to chekc out barns for Neil- one is actually run by a college friend of my Mom's and the other is home base for my new Pony Club, Charlotte Pony Club. They have a schooling trial a few days after I'll arrive...thinking of signing up for fun! And, unrelated, but props to my mom, who made it up and down Mt. Katahdin today! Well, actually, she's not home yet. But I think she survived...we'll see!
Cheers!
Marina
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