Loving his gel insoles

 I had a non-horsey friend put it to me best this week when I was explaining that Fawkes had pads put on his front feet.  "So, basically, he now has Dr. Scholl's gel inserts?" ......welllll, yes, I guess that is true, Fawkes is gellin'.

He certainly seems to be a happy beastie right now.

From this morning's lesson.  Flower oxer ain't no thang.

Holy crap, pictures over a real jump.  And while still fighting my upper-body-throwing-mane-devouring tendencies, I am rather happy with our form.  I used to think I would never be a good equitation rider but trainer R is really getting me there. I am over-riding these relatively small fences, but at least I am over-riding in good form!  Plus, we are in hunter land, right? And Fawkes seems quite content.  Not that our ride was without shenanigans....

Ahem.  One of the neighbors up the street dared to walk their dog past the ring.  Fawkes was being so good about focusing on the jump that he didn't notice them until they were close and then he freaked out.  Several times.  In the same corner.  But, if I am being all Suzy Sunshine, I can focus on the fact that even being wound tightly and looky, he kept jumping everything I aimed him at.  Working on antics between fences is much better than wondering if we are going over!

Can this face tell me where exactly he lost his fly mask?  I bought a high end one because he destroys cheap ones so the bastard decided to one up me and just somehow lose the whole damn thing.  HOW?

It was super hot this morning so after our lesson we got a hose down complete with mane and tail shampooing.  That will last until, oh wait, that was hours ago, I am sure he is already filthy.  But it made me feel good.  Then I cleaned all my tack even taking my bridle apart and putting it back together (this is amazing, it happens approximately annually).  

I did this in part because I was dropping my dressage saddle off for consignment today.  Looking back at this blog, I haven't ridden dressage in what seems like forever because I am trying so hard to get our jumping in order.  Plus I really would like to upgrade my jump saddle and not spend all my savings.  Finally, while my dressage saddle is beautiful and shiny and made in England, I never really loved the gigantic thigh blocks.  So if our fortunes change someday and eventing seems like a possibility, I will get a different dressage saddle next time.  

And in wrap up, a few pictures from Saturday, the day we Attempt to Tire Out Cattle Dogs.  We went to Buena Vista (a very pretty place about 2 hours from Denver) and hiked Lake Hartenstein.

So hard to get them to pose together.  Jasper looks very 1/2 corgi here (we have no idea if that is what he is)

Log crossing over the stream

At the lake.

Weekends always remind me how very lucky I am!!