Mustang Saga

Today was a busy day, partly because I took a couple hours to ride and I found a great deal on 3 tons of hay.

I was frustrated for a lot of our ride but didn't let it get to me. Tonka was distracted. Scout was getting a lot of exercise running the fence while I rode. Eventually Tonka realized we were working on something and started to pay more attention. He also spooked bigger than he's done in a long time. He was absorbed in trying to do what I was asking of him, and Huckleberry came popping up out of the creek, and I swear I thought Tonka was going to head for the hills. But he held himself together and realized it wasn't a monster. I was very impressed.

I also figured out that I won't be trail riding in the dressage saddle. It hurts in an unmentionable place when going downhill. And I think it's not a good fit for Tonka. I am seriously considering a treeless saddle.

As to the hay - I picked up a ton of it tonight and will go back for the rest over the next couple days. The price worked out to about $2 a bale. The guy was down to 3 ton left and just wanted it out of his way. The bales are nice and lightweight. Which is good because I didn't have John to help me.

I almost forgot to mention - I'm going to keep track of the hours I ride. I got the idea from someone who is a member of the Arabian Horse Association. They have a frequent rider's program where you log in online and keep track of your hours, and every 100 hours you get a little something from them. I just did mine in Excel - there isn't a mustang organization that does this. I'm hoping the AMBA will get something like it started. They need to focus on more than just dressage.

So... I'm off to finish my chores. This day has been a long one.