I rode Tripp (first time up after the falls)......and Wyoming helps with Boom....

I have been trying to get this updated the past couple of nights, but just too busy.  So last night I loaded pictures, and this morning I tell the story....

First of all I want to say that Tripp is a special horse.  I don't know what it is about him, but something inside him loves everyone, and he socialized pretty quick with people after he came to live with us.  He is very patient and would not intentionally do anything to hurt us.  He is my Rock Star!  :-)

It was time to get on again....and to be honest, I was not nervous.  Not yet....  My thigh muscle is still causing problems, but the pain is less all the time so I know it is healing.  When I tried to get on him I was standing on my bridge and when I put my leg up there I thought I was pinching my thigh at the seam so I stretched more....then a huge BURNING sensation went around my leg!  Yikes!  It was not a pinch, it was my body saying "Be careful, you are hurting me!"  And the burning was my body saying "TOLD YOU SO!!!!" 
I asked Brian to get my mounting bucket so I could try it again. 
When I got in the saddle, I had a horrible sick knot (nerves) and I said "I have to get back off." so I did muey pronto!  He just looked at me like "What is up Mom?". 
I have never had nerves like this my entire life!  Oh I have been nervous before, but not to this extent and I am not liking it one bit.  I don't want to be one of those people who lets fear stop me from doing what I love.  So now I have to train me too.....I have to train me to relax and think.  :-)
I asked Brian to hold Tripp, you know, because he is so wild and won't stand still while I get on (hee hee!) and I got back on.  The thigh hurt but not near as bad once I was up there....I took a moment to breathe, then Brian moved and I rode thru the yard a while.

Tripp tripped on a rock in the yard while going to check out Misty...

Tripp has never played with hanging pool noodles.  He was peeking at me....."You want me to what????  WHERE????"

TRIPP:  "See?  I don't have to walk thru them.  I can see you just fine if I look around this side."

We rode down the little hill in the yard then stopped to relax some more. 
I am so lucky to have a horse like Tripp to help me with my confidence.  He came here untouched, and has only been here since June 2008.  I would like to say I rode him a lot the past couple years and that is why he is the way he is, but I didn't.  He is just naturally good most of the time.

Tripp has always liked going over the bridge...

Tripp wanted to eat yard grass, but we needed to work first.  I told him he would get grass when we were done.  Then he had an 'itch' on his leg and would steal a bite of grass while he was getting it.  I caught on pretty quick, so when he tried it again, I took him to the dirt spot to scratch his itch....which he did, then he nosed around the dirt - hmmmm, no grass!  Ha ha! 

After riding around the yard it was time to take him in with Boom.  He and Boom don't care for each other - they made that clear last time I put them together.  Boom was nervous with us in there, and Tripp didn't want to get too close to Boom because he remembered losing some hair last time!  Altho it did not stop Tripp from pinning those ears and making faces at him.  I realized that these two are not a good match for me to try to learn to pony a horse! 
Brian worked with Boom while I was on Tripp moving around.  Hey, I even trotted!  :-)

DOH!  Brian has the self portait bug!  He and Boomer mugging it up...

THE NEXT EVENING.......I came home to Batman and Wyoming in the pen.  All 3 were under the small canopy eating Boomer's hay.  Boomer and Wy get along very well so I decided I would use Wy as my working horse with Boom.  Batman is going to have to sit that part out...

Wyoming before I put him in the pen with Boom....

I saddled up both of them and did a few exercises.  Wyoming still turns like a boat - no flexibility at all.  But he still remembered what Go and Whoa were (kind of) and he was still very good about me picking up his feet.  After having to fight with him about a few other things after he came back home, I was not sure what to expect.

Boom had no problem with Wy in the pen.  I hung stuff off them, threw stuff at them, zinged stuff at them, ran them around and changed directions, just let them stand there.....if I could think of it I did it.

Wyoming looking purdy in the saddle...
His poor mane is about rubbed out, and he never had a forelock to speak of.  Thank goodness he still has a tail to use as a fly swisher.

Boomer zooming around the pen.  All stuff we have done before....just doing more of it.

Wyoming zooming at a lesser speed....he is still wondering why he has to do anything....
He is smart too.  He would quietly move off to an area where he thought he blended in, so I would work with Boomer and leave him alone!  He would just watch with interest.

It was windy this particular night and the weather was gorgeous!  At one point the wind picked up the tarp and draped it over his rump.  We have done this several times, but this time it freaked him out and he crow hopped to the other side of the pen and stopped. 

The only other 'episode' was when he was standing in the middle of the pen resting, and he had the tarp and rope all over him, and a couple feed sacks hanging out of the stirrups.  He was standing there looking very relaxed, I looked down to change a setting on my camera, then I heard a snort and looked up and that big boy was bucking!  As in big full fledged fully committed bucks, so I stood back thinking he would stop on the other side of the pen.  Nope!  He kept going and going....turned and came back.....and at one point I thought I better just get out of the pen and let him work it out - I did not want to get hit or run over you know - then he came towards me and I jumped up and down, waved my arms and hollered at him.  He saw me, and didn't miss a beat as he turned the other way and went around the opposite direction. 
What caused this?  I have no idea!  Horse flies were not bad but sweat bees and green heads were.  I just don't know.  What I do know is I was glad I did not start out up there because this girl can't ride a buck like that!  Woo wee!   When he stopped he did not twitch - the only thing moving were his eyes and he was not relaxed at all.  I walked over like it did not happen and started flapping and moving everything I could touch.  I lunged him some more and changed directions a lot so his attention was on me and not in his 'shut down' place and all was well again.

I think after our scary stuff at the trail, I accidentally opened a 'portal' and he and I both are confused by it.  He really is doing great with trying to be brave and handle the things that scare him, but every once in a while it just builds up.  Or does it not build up and he just reacts because he forgets where he is at?  I don't know....but I am trying to learn.

Our neighbor threw out one of those little exercise trampolines and there is nothing wrong with it except the cosmetic cushioning around the edge, so we saved it from the land fill!  I was jumping on it last night and he did not care.  Even when I jumped off he watched with interest and "hmmmm", but no reaction other than surprise when I landed on the ground (upright...hee hee).  It was another good night.  Tonite is supposed to be very cool and pretty out, so it will be another good one too.

That is all for now.....going to head outside to listen to the morning sounds and to feed.

Until later....Karen and Tripp who says he will always take care of his Mom.  :-)