Monday's lesson was good. They're all good, actually. I'm riding a red filly that I call Rhonda (on account of her halter has a tag on it with that name, but it was really her former owner's name.) Rhonda and I get along well. Her level of training is higher than any horse here, but she's green enough for me to learn new tricks on. Green, for those of you who are just learning about horses, means that they're not seasoned, or well broke, not that they're leprechauns.
As Curt was giving me things to do, he decided that maybe we needed to go back to the round pen. He's been giving me a bag of tricks, basically, to help me get Sandy (or any young horse) started and moving well in the bridle. He figured I'd better see how it felt in the round pen, which is smaller by far than the indoor arena. He asks me all the time about my round pen. Have I got one? How big is it? Does it have a roof over it so I can ride in the poor weather? A person can't ride more than a few months up in the northwest unless they've got cover over their heads, after all.
And while I do have a round pen up (thanks to City Boy's hard work), there of course is no roof over it. It's wet and sloppy and until this weather begins to cooperate (it's snowing right now), the footing isn't safe for mounting up and riding. It's been helpful in leading Sandy back and forth and encouraging him to go through gates. I can turn him loose in it while I clean his paddock and he's got a blue barrel to stare at. But we've not got a roof and the ground is too soft to haul in anything for footing.
Curt mulled it over a bit. Then he told me he had some left over timbers, enough to do a second round pen roof. If I wanted to stick around after lessons and do some saddling for him, he'd trade me the timbers. Now, just what do you suppose my answer to that was? Heck, I'd have paid the man extra to be able to hang out with him all day! So round pen roof timbers are soon to be mine. Not that we're in a position to build the rest of an enclosed pen anytime soon. And first, well...maybe I ought to invest in a horse trailer? But at least the timbers will be here. And maybe next year I can go round and round like a merry go round right here on my own property!
As Curt was giving me things to do, he decided that maybe we needed to go back to the round pen. He's been giving me a bag of tricks, basically, to help me get Sandy (or any young horse) started and moving well in the bridle. He figured I'd better see how it felt in the round pen, which is smaller by far than the indoor arena. He asks me all the time about my round pen. Have I got one? How big is it? Does it have a roof over it so I can ride in the poor weather? A person can't ride more than a few months up in the northwest unless they've got cover over their heads, after all.
Timbers inside Curt's round pen
And while I do have a round pen up (thanks to City Boy's hard work), there of course is no roof over it. It's wet and sloppy and until this weather begins to cooperate (it's snowing right now), the footing isn't safe for mounting up and riding. It's been helpful in leading Sandy back and forth and encouraging him to go through gates. I can turn him loose in it while I clean his paddock and he's got a blue barrel to stare at. But we've not got a roof and the ground is too soft to haul in anything for footing.
Curt mulled it over a bit. Then he told me he had some left over timbers, enough to do a second round pen roof. If I wanted to stick around after lessons and do some saddling for him, he'd trade me the timbers. Now, just what do you suppose my answer to that was? Heck, I'd have paid the man extra to be able to hang out with him all day! So round pen roof timbers are soon to be mine. Not that we're in a position to build the rest of an enclosed pen anytime soon. And first, well...maybe I ought to invest in a horse trailer? But at least the timbers will be here. And maybe next year I can go round and round like a merry go round right here on my own property!
3 comments:
Wow, that would be really cool! Imagine your own covered round pen. The thought of it is almost than my poor old heart can take. lol
That is a fantastic round pen!!!! I want one!
Having a covered place to ride on your property would be awesome. I've boarded my mustang at a barn with an indoor arena for the past couple of years. Not sure I could go back to living without that arena, even though I have to drive 20 minutes to get to the barn.
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