Did you get the memo?

Fernie, home to ledgary rain. Use to be powder, now it's rain. 

Yesterday I just knew the day wasn't going to awesome, that point hit me at about 7am when I looked out the window and could see slide ways snow in the street light.  Went down stairs and looked the on the back deck, +2 it was telling me. Not too bad, don't have to really rug up for a ride. So the dog and I went at 10am for a ride on the creature.

Wasn't a bad ride unless you count not being able to breath while riding into the wind bad. Went for a nice road hack and then in the field. Text book freak out when the ducks that took off.  Starred at some cows for a bit and a wander home. Starred with out a flinch at Santa trying to blow away and flap in the wind and then plodded off. It seams this pony knows what side is buttered when it come to who hands out the presents. "if I stand here and be really really good, maybe I can get that huuuuuuge bag of carrots next year instead of that crappy bridle I got this year!".

Today it rained and rained and rained. Rain that would make Tasmanian rain proud. Heavy and slide ways. The ride was wet, miserable and the horse is again questioning my sanity for choice of weather to ride in. It was also short and sweet. 15 minutes I believe. I am questioning my own sanity over this weather choice. If there was more green grass, more gum trees, I'd swear I was at either pony club event, opening day of any show in Tasmania, a hunt meet or any day riding between April and November.

So far this winter we've had quite a few dry days and warm days and wet rainy days. The memo is out, it doesn't snow in Fernie any more.The Mushers in town are looking for snow to run their dogs on and sales are up at the bars. It seams that it's not snowing here anymore.

For the horse and I, we're fine with it. Sadly everyone else, is not.

DISCLAIMER: Yvette, Sammy Edelweiss and Schilaci will not be held responsible for any digging out needed after a freak extra credit snow storm blows though the Kootenays, just to prove Yvette wrong.

Blue bird days, does it get any better? well, maybe if it was +12 but we can't have it all.

After a two week spell (a freshen as I like to call it) it was time to get back into the swing of things. For the first time in a while no exercise sheet was needed. Sun was out and sitting on 0, a good day for ride.

The little temper tantrums have reduced quite a bit. We no longer buck, try to take off and just standing nicely to get on, but we're jogging like a race horse. No big deal just relax, no stirrups and let the horse calm down. It still an improvement from what it was. With in 5-10 minutes we're walking like a normal relaxed horse. So off to the back field we go, with 2 dogs in tow. As we get to the bridge the dogs flush out an Elk with a badly broken leg. So back we go and call the conservation officer. No point in head back out there as stressing an already stressed animal isn't fair.

We head to the road field and start with some flexing, schooling figures and all I can say is when this guy's brain is calm, he is such a beautiful ride. Willing, forwards, balanced but still retaining his personality. We're still having a little issue with flexing to the left but it's not something I'm overly worried about. He has a chiropractic session this week which will help a lot. When I was riding for Freedman's the horses that had come down from Sydney were the same, stiff flexing to the left. A couple of chiro sessions and flexing to the left softened. Yes we made our racehorses do basic dressage in Melbourne.

Transitions have also improved. The trot to canter which was the major issue (I'd ask for a canter and he thought RUN RUN FAST AWAY RUN) has improved, no rushing and now I have his attention and smoothness. After going back and working on halt, walk, trot and back to have these dialed with smooth transitions then it was time to try a canter. As the old saying goes, you can't run before you can walk. To me it applys to horses. Getting a horse calm settled and traveling forwards at slower pace before picking it up a bit. More so when the horse has a history of “bolting”. I don't really think this was his problem, from what I have experienced from him, he just was never broken in properly.

I can't blame a horse for confusion. The bucking was never pain induced, fear yes. Same with the taking off. I can't blame him because someone didn't do they job properly. He was just a confused scared horse. Riders that horses have, molds them into the animals they become. Just that by the time the horse falls into right hands, tags have been given. Bolter, Bronc, Chronic Rearer. Issues like these are not always pain induced, positive re-enforced by riders (who do not realize they are doing it) not confident or the skill to handle that animal, yes. No horse is born a bad horse.

I just have the added bonus, fear issues, high flight response, not properly broken in and rider induced habits. It just means I have to hear what my horse tells me, spell when needed, adjust to his needs and share my peppermints now and then.