Horse Update, April

 The barn has gotten a ton of DH's and my time and attention this past month.  All stall walls are up, two stalls totally completed with stain, and mats installed on the floors.  The other two stalls have the first coat of stain on the walls, have the gravel floors leveled and tamped, and are ready for mats.

dividing wall between stalls

matted and ready for occupancy

the final two, just need floor mats

looking down the aisle at the four totally finished stalls

Once we had a stall totally completed, I moved the LBM into it.  She and the Poetess really needed separating.  They were having a territorial dispute over the dividing wall between their stalls, and it was taking a beating.  Since moving the LBM across the aisle feeding time (and any time they are indoors) is so much more peaceful.  No more kicking or biting the wall.  Those two get along fine outside, but inside, there was just too much estrogen for the space.  (I really hope future boarders are mostly geldings!)

As mentioned in March's frugal post, I bought a few landscape timbers, got ahold of some exterior grade house paint for free, and painted them white.  Now I have ground poles to work the horses over.  Poetess was familiar with the concept, having done some pole work last fall at the place I'd boarded her, but the LBM wasn't sure what that white thing was lying directly in her path.  She willing followed me over it in hand, after giving it a thorough sniffing, and has been a champ about going over it on the longe line and under saddle both at walk and trot.

freshly painted landscape timbers;

reminds me of brand new pieces of chalk from my school days

The grass is kicking into gear with the warmer weather and spring rains.  You can definitely tell where I longe horses at, LOL.

  

I've had some horse helpers lately too.  Faline helped prep stalls for dinner feeding when she and Buck were staying with us while little brother Sixlet was born.

K3 also spent a night with DH and I--we'd invited her to be 'brotherless' for 24 hours weekend before last, and she actually crawled out of bed at 6:30 a.m. to help with the morning feed in addition to helping with feeding the night before.  She's big enough now that she can also help by leading the Poetess (who is much more patient and less of a bulldozer than the LBM) to or from the pasture for me.

K3 crushing on the Poetess

The LBM and I are riding all over familiar territory outside the fences now, even if DH isn't home.  We even trot without a boundary!  I have to say, her trot is not my favorite, and I've decided that the western saddle I have really isn't the best fit for me; I'm unofficially keeping my eye out for a different saddle that will be more comfy and not make my body hurt after sitting the trot.  I do confess that if the goal is just to get the LBM to work her booty and burn more calories at the trot, I have starting riding a posting trot in the western saddle to save on my body parts.

The Poetess has been working beautifully in a surcingle and side reins (to test how she reacts to rein contact with her mouth).  Last weekend I added a dressage saddle to the mix, and she looked at me like "Finally!  I know what to do with a saddle!".  She's been awesome on the longe being calm at all three gaits and not rocketing off in the canter (which morphed into a gallop on a small circle to the right side) anymore.

slack side reins the first day

I think we are ready for me to get on her back.  Needs to be a day with non-muddy footing and when DH is available to hold her for me when I get on.  She's been practicing standing at the mounting block for me to lean over her back, but I want a handler the first time I get on just in case she reverts back to prior experience as a race horse trainee.  I do not wish to run like the wind as soon as my butt touches the saddle!