The journey back to the saddle....

I am home alone, it gets dark early, and I am making time to do a couple of blog updates.  Yay!  We have been so busy and I really miss posting.

As you all know, after the falls I had to heal....and I am happy to say that the torn muscle in my thigh hurts very little now.  Woo hoo hoo!!!!  That was my biggest obstacle physically.  In the meantime I spent some time doing a lot of ground work and also jumping up and down on Boom bareback (but not getting all the way on).  If anything happened (which I was afraid of) I would slide right off.

BOOM:  "COME ON WOMAN, JUST GET ON, OKAY???"

BOOM:  "OKAY, YOU ARE ALMOST THERE...JUST A LITTLE MORE...NEED A PUSH?"

BOOM:  "I TOLD HER IT WOULD NOT WORK WITHOUT THE BUCKET...IT IS OKAY, SHE WILL FALL OFF IN A SECOND....SNORT SNORT...."

BOOM:  "THE GIRL HAS HAD A ROUGH TIME...GUESS I WILL LET HER THINK I KNOW HOW TO PICK UP MY REAR HOOVES."

BOOM:  "OH GOOD LORD, HOW EMBARRASSING!  JUST SO YOU ALL KNOW, WE ARE NOT DANCING!  THE GIRL IS SWINGING HER LEG BACK AND FORTH AND BUMPING MY RUMP WITH HER BOOT.  SOMEONE HIDE ME!  WHY DOESN'T SHE GO TAKE SOME PICTURES WITH TRIPP OR SOMETHING." 

His wish is my command!  Tripp and I taking some self portraits.  He gives a nice look....

Tripp is laughing with me.....not AT me! 

Tripp gives his serious look....

After my first day with Jay Miller it was time for me to start pushing myself....I needed to get back on.  Jay worked with Boom that 1st day and I am happy to say that he was pleased with what we have done so far, we just had a few things to work thru.  Jay got on him bareback and flexed him both ways while Boom just stood there.  I did not get on that day.

At home I needed to pick up where he left off......so here we go!  Step #1 - get my butt up there.  Thank goodness for the mounting bucket! 

A little bit of climbing and crawling.........

Then alley oop....I am on.  Yep, I have a sick knot, but that is expected.  Boom is staying flexed nicely.

I then slide off and Boom and I both let out a big sigh....whew! 

We have finally started building our mini horse playground.  It isn't much right now, but ya gotta start somewhere.  We have picked up a few cones that have been brush hogged along the highways and zinged into the median or on the hillsides.  Some are chopped up, some are missing parts, but no matter to us.  They work great for what we need.  Then a friend picked up a couple that were left outside of her house for a long time.  The big joke now is while driving down the highway thru construction zones.....we think they are left there for us.  Hee hee!  No, we don't take them, but it is fun to talk about it. 

I just flopped that cone up on his butt - no reaction other than eating more.

The other evening when I got home Boom was full of himself and did not want to come to me.  He even walked away.....so we worked.  He likes to jump things......
I am going to set up a couple small jumps in the bigger pen and see if he still likes them.  If so, that is a goal....to ride him over a couple small jumps. 

I have an American Mustang breast collar and put it on him.  I have had it a while but it is way too big for Tripp.  It is big for Boom too, but I did some tweaking and I think it is fine now.  I was trying to get zoomed in for a photo but he kept checking me out.....

BOOM:  "HEY GIRL, WHATCHA DOIN?"

THE GIRL:  "LOOKING AT YOUR PURDY CHEST AND BREAST COLLAR."

BOOM:  "HOW IS THIS?  IS THIS PURDY TOO?"

Just a neat shot.....

One of my falls happened when I was leaning over to put the stirrup on my right foot.  So now I am too freaked out to lean over.....so we are trying to train the stirrups to turn.  I have been putting a stick thru them, and Brian found these contraptions.  They are a vice, or is it vise?  Anyways, they have a trigger and when I squeeze it the thing tightens.  The only thing I am having a problem with is the actual fender turns fine, but there are thick straps at the front of the fender, and they don't want to turn.  I am working on it........will figure something out.

That about does it for this entry.  Stay tuned for Part II.....hopefully tonite but it might have to wait for tomorrow.  I have a lot of photos to sort thru.

Hope everyone is doing well, enjoying the cooler weather, etc.

Until later....Karen and Tripp who had a blast on self portrait day!