Slumber Party and rest of the weekend with Copper...

First I want to introduce the new additions to our family. The family who originally adopted Wyoming was babysitting these two for their daughter, and they asked if we would like to have them. Ummmmm....YES! :-)

The African Gray is Harriet, but we call her Retta. The parakeet is Ben. Retta talks a little bit and we can understand that part. Sometimes she carries on this whole conversation and we know she is trying to talk, we just don't know what story she is telling. Ben is pretty quiet for a parakeet.

Here Retta is trying to break Ben out of jail. We have two cats and they don't pay any attention to the birds. I don't let Retta out of her cage unless I am there the whole time - not taking any chances! Retta likes to get out and stretch those wings....and torment Ben.



My friend Jill and I had a slumber party Friday night. The plan was to take a moonlight ride, but it was soooo windy, we did not want to chance it. I would be riding a horse I have never ridden before, and the one she would ride had not been ridden in quite a while. So we took our ride on a 4 wheeler instead. It was cloudy, windy, and did not rain, so it was all good.
We slept in a camping trailer out in the driveway. I also took Copper with me because he needed a new experience to add to his short list of 'been there'.

The next morning we went for our ride and had a great time. I rode a Tennessee Walker - have not ridden a gaited horse in a very long time. Love those gaits! She was riding a leopard appy and he is a big boy compared to my little mustangs. But then again, she has a mustang too, and he is a cremello and built like a draft horse. No joke! The boy is huge and very impressive!

After our ride we played with Copper a little bit. Jill already had some obstacles set out so we used those.

I was standing up on the step, and decided to lay over him to see how he would act being in a different place.

This is how he acted....



Once I layed across him and he started walking, then stepped up the step. OUR FIRST OBSTACLE! WOO HOO! (could not get him to do it again for the camera)

Alley Oop - up I am, and it is still good. He really was relaxed or I would not have kept going...



Then I started asking him to move around. We are still good with our circles but not straight lines. Gotta start somewhere, right?





I headed home Saturday afternoon. Sunday I decided it was time to get the saddle back out. It has been a couple of weeks and he really doesn't like it. It is a scary thing to him...at least until you get it up there.
I rode him bareback first and he still hesitates to walk too fast. I got him saddled, and he moved out much better, which makes me wonder if my rump is not comfortable to him.

Walking along....



Circling around....



Brian was putting out round bales, so I got back on to see how he would handle it - no worries mate!



One of the other mustangs was nosey, so I let him in. We wandered around with Nevada in the pen too. Next time I will have to put a saddle on him - weird things on horses is what makes Copper nervous.



Then comes the wonderful umbrella! At first it was not bad because it was behind my head, and he got a head rubbing out of it.



Then I moved it around him - ACK!!!! SCARY!!!!



Okay, he decides to tolerate it, but he still doesn't like it.



Then I got on the bucket and held it in the air. His eyes got as big as saucers and he just kept looking at it...you could see the thoughts going across that sweet little face. Should he stay just in case it drops down on me and sucks me in, then he can save me? Or should he trust me to handle it if it does suck me in, and he can go RUN for help?
Okay, will stay just this once (or twice). :-)



IF I CLOSE MY EYES MAYBE IT WILL GO AWAY!!!!!



ARGH!!! IT IS STILL HERE!



Then I ask him to step just one step closer....and he does.



Let's spin the umbrella like a top! How much fun is this? Weeeeeeeeeeee!!!



After all that hard work, Copper now finds an advantage to the umbrella - shades his delicate features from the sun.



After a long afternoon, a forehead rub is a great finish....



So far he is handling the mounting and dismounting without any blow ups. I am still careful just in case. When I get on bareback I am moving all over the place, and he just stands there and waits for me to figure it out. I am very proud of him...there are still a lot of scary things out there, but he tries really hard! We think he is going to be like Tiger. Layed back and a luv bug! He is very social and loves to just hang out with ya. When I pooper scoop, he is right there 'helping'....sometimes he helps by just being close, and sometimes he helps by adding to the load. Guess he thinks I need all the practice I can get!

Gotta get to work now...

Until later...Karen and Tripp