Making the best of it in a wet muddy world....

This past weekend was pretty good!  Brian's Dad and brother came down to help fix the barn canopy and it was done by 3:00 that afternoon!  Wow!  It has been a little warped and droopy for as long as I have known it, and now it is an issue with the insurance company.  Now barn canopy is level again and insurance company should be too!  Yay!  In between the barn canopy and the guys running errands, I threw my heavy saddle up on Boom and we worked on flapping everything I could think of to flap.  It was a great day!  Then that night I put it back on him again, but no lead rope!  We walked around a bit, but he finally stopped and I heave-ho'd that thing and PLOP!  It was on! 

Sunday we got storms early that morning so that really messed up my horse plans.  Crazy storms yesterday too....driving winds and rain, trees down all over, flash flooding all over the place....just ugly out there.

Well, I am losing my 'calm' so had to do something with Boom....something more than pet on him and spray him.  He is ready for more too.  The yard is soggy but we went out there anyways and even tho it was a short lesson, it was a real good one!  Brian and Madison got here and they helped out with desensitizing Boom to people behind him and on each side.  Madison mostly stood on the side just in case Boom decided to move her direction too quick, and Brian did a lot of the leading.

At first Boom has to snort and reaquaint himself with Brian.  Once Brian takes the lead, he is fine.

Boom wonders what the shorter girl is doing...she must be up to something just like the rest of the two leggeds!

We have a couple rows of round bales lined up in the front yard waiting their turn to head to the real storage area...so Brian headed between them.

Between the rows on the tight end, and Boom is checking it out....

Out we come!  Woo hoo!

Now we go in the wide end and head to the tighter end...

This is the tight turn, and even tho the stirrup pulled and flipped around, Boom did not miss a beat!  Brian was so impressed with him!  :-)
It is things like this that make me realize that we really have come so far!  Wow!

Finally!  My turn!  Geez...sometimes I feel like I have to steal my horse back!  Ha ha!  Just kidding!  Brian does not get the chance to mess with Boom much, so when he does we both enjoy it for lots of different reasons.  Boom and I are being 'posers'!  :-)

Boom wanted to pose by himself...and he would like to bring to your attention the purple halter.  He is trying to decide which one he likes best...the black, purple, or the tie-dye.  I think he looks great in all of them and it depends on the mood and the day as to what color we wear.  Fun days - definitely tie-dye!  Hee hee!

Nothing like a black and white...

I walked around the trailer and he made every turn except one.  He ran into a tail light but that is because he crowds me, even when I am on the trailer, so this taught him to back off a bit when we made our second round.  He is totally okay with me being above him.

I have been working on this with my mounting bucket in the pen.  Do you realize how hard it was to be so close to the saddle and not try to slide on?  But....no helmet, and not a smart move considering we are in the yard and the ground is squishy, so no good safe place to contain ourselves if he would panic.  PATIENCE!!!  :-)  We will get there....just not today.

Putting weight on the saddle.  I did this on both sides and he paid attention but didn't seem worried.

Did this on both sides too....kept my foot lightly in the stirrup and moved my leg around.  If he would panic I was in it light enough to slide my toe out. 

Trailer loading tonite was fantabulous!  He went right in the first time!  Wow!  This was his first time in wearing the saddle.

This picture is not one of the best, but it is funny.  Before I headed to the yard I was trying to get him to look at me for a picture in the pretty purple halter.  He kept looking away and Brian started talking to him to get his attention.  No luck - Boom looked away.  So Brian then used reverse psychology.  He said "Boom, don't you look over here, you look over there!  Nope, don't look at us!" then don't you know it he looked at me and had this cute look on his face.  Timing was perfect....and I am still convinced he knows some English and just plays like he doesn't.

He is getting so much more comfortable with me being close to his face.  I even scratched the back of his ears tonite, and his ears have been a 'no touch' zone.

Relaxing after our little work out.  I was so happy by the time we were done and so very proud of Boom. 

Okay, okay,.....Boom wanted me to put in this picture too.  It is his "I am a cow horse" picture.  He wants you to picture him with a cowboy or cowgirl on him, standing on a ridge in the middle of nowhere looking over the herd of cattle in the valley below.  No human words are spoken....because they are not needed.  The future....friends with a two legged.  Who would have thought it could happen?  Surely not Boom if you ask him!  :-)

We have more rain in the forecast this afternoon and again this weekend.   Our garden is grown a lot of beautiful weeds!  Isn't it amazing how the weeds grow when there is too much rain but the edible stuff drowns out?  We have planted part of our garden twice because it got drowned out, and it really isn't doing as good as it could be.  I will be happy with anything we get out of it.  Cherry tomatoes are starting....now waiting for the big ones.

YIKES!  Gotta get to work.  I got carried away on here!  :-)

Have a wonderful day everyone!
Until later....Karen and Tripp who says he looks good in purple too!  :-)