The day started at 5am. I'm starting up my HCG diet again so Saturday and Sunday were my two binge days. Monday marks D-Day -- we'll see how long I can go without cheating on this one. I actually didn't weigh myself yesterday or today. I haven't weighed myself in a while. I know I'm getting back up there so I wanted to 'nip it in the bud' before I get too out of control again. So chicken and spinach ..... here I come!! The day started out with coffee and an orange and a sugar free jello. Mmmm ....... not. .....but surpisingly, I always feel really good when I'm doing this diet. :o)
I had my first student, Aja, out at 10. All the other kids started school on Monday but the elementary apparently starts Tuesday so she was able to come out in the morning. Her dad came with her this time so I got to meet him. I chose Candee for her this morning since she was so small on Gato. She did so well. Candy was a bit obstinate towards the end of the lesson but I think her feet were hurting her a little ..... that could be why. I think I'll put Aja back on Gato for our next session. She's 8 years old and has such good posture and great hands. She listens to everything I tell her. I think she could be really good if she keeps this up. :o)
That lesson got done around 11 and then shortly after that some good friends stopped over to take me out to lunch. I haven't seen Cindy, Abbie, and Jane FOREVER! They had Abbie's little boy, Jack, with them. He is SO BIG!! Last time I saw him, he was a little baby. Jack loved the donkeys ...and the llama .... and Oopsie .... and was fascinated with all the dogs. He was so cute!! We went down to the barn to see Mr. Gato and watch all his tricks .... but when we walked in the barn .... um .... I saw the grain bucket was tipped over .... and empty ??
and his treat bucket was only half full and laying on the ground ?? I looked over and his stall door was open. WHAT?!! WHERE IS MR. GATO?! He was in his stall an hour ago!!?? I turned around and ...yup ... there he is in the arena. Looked across the fence at me. He had opened his stall door ..... wandered around in the barn causing trouble and eating his food and treats .... then wandered into the arena and accidentally closed the gate on himself. Kind of like the day he went into the office and accidentally closed the office door on himself and couldn't get out until I got home. Silly horse. I just shake my head. He was standing there bobbing his head up and down with his ears up as to say "LOOK AT ME! I"M IN THE ARENA NOW!! YAY!! LOOK AT WHERE I AM!! I DID IT ALL MYSELF!!!! WEEEEEE!!!!!" Gato! You are such a goofball!!! So I opened the gate and let him back out and got him on his pedestal and we ran through some of his tricks. Of course, he did them halfway because he had already eaten almost all his treats and was full. ....but I think Jack liked him.After we toured the farm and put Gato back in his stall, we loaded up and went to have lunch at Honk N Hollar. Yes, I was good and only had a side salad ..... no dressing. Mmmm .... not. :o) That's ok -- it was about the company, not the food. :o) I can't tell you how much better I felt all the way around when those guys left here. I didn't want them to go. They were so supportive and said so many nice things ..... made me feel like I can really do this. I'll be ok out here by myself. I wish I could bottle that feeling and pull it out when I'm feeling low.
After they left, I saw that Dave was down working on my arena doors. They are so rotted that they were about ready to fall off the arena any time. He has been diligently working on them for over a week now trying to get them operational again before winter. I am so grateful that he is working so hard to get those done. The horses are going to very much appreciate that in the middle of winter when I can now actually close the sliding doors all the way to keep the cold air out! :o) I went down to check on him a minute and then went inside to finish up cleaning before my next lesson. Dave worked about another hour on the doors then went home to rest before coming out with his daughter for her riding lesson later that afternoon.
At 5 Jessica, Deb, and Dave came out. Jessica had her first day of school today so we had to wait until she got done with that. She chose Huck for her lesson today. Huck is a little harder to deal with than Tess. We worked a lot on steering .... hand position .... and legs. I think she's starting to see that riding takes a LOT of leg strength. When you're riding a show horse that is trained almost completely on legs -- ya gotta use those legs all the time. The reins don't actually steer the horse .... the butt and legs do. Not many people know that. I think not many people get an opportunity to ride a seasoned show horse. Huck and Tess know their stuff. They're good. They've been all over the midwest showing. They've been GREAT teachers so far. They seem to be having fun being ridden a little more often and having the kids dote all over them brushing and riding them.
Dani also stopped over after she got off work. She watched Jessica ride a little bit then went to go play with Reymond. Towards the end of Jessica's lesson, Jaden and his grandma and grandpa showed up for their lesson. I finished up Jessica's lesson and then she took Huck up to put him away and she and Dani were going to get Reymond all tacked up and play with him while I gave Jaden a lesson. Last time he rode Candee. This time we chose Mr. Gato. I felt Gato needed to get out and walk around a little since he had eaten a weeks worth of grain that afternoon. Jaden did terrific! This is only his third time out and already he's riding by himself with no lead line. We worked on hand placement, collecting, STOPPING, and turning. Jaden had a little 'incident' with a donkey when he was younger running away with him so we are working a lot on the STOPPING part. WHOA. He did awesome! :o)
When we got to the end of his lesson, we brushed Gato and put him out in his pen to stretch his legs then we went up to the top pasture to see if the girls were still riding Reymond. Yep, they were, so Jaden got up on Reymond and Dani, Jessica, and I led him around and around the pasture. He really liked being up on the 'big' horse. :o) He's not quite ready to ride Reymond by himself but maybe someday. :o)
Then we showed Jaden's Grandma and Grandpa the donkeys and ponies. It was so beautiful outside, we all just hung out with the animals. After they left, Dani crawled up in to the hayloft and helped me throw down some old hay to the minis then she went home. I went out to the barn with Jessica and cleaned Gato's stall and we sat around talking and playing with the dogs and Gato until Dave finished up. Then they went home. I went inside and was just in time for my favorite show -- Two Broke Girls. So I called it a day and retired to the couch with all my dogs and watched TV. I think I fell asleep before 9. Woke up around 10ish and let everybody out and then went to bed.
It was just another Monday, but it was a great Monday. :o)
No comments:
Post a Comment