I love it when a plan goes completely by the wayside.

There is rain on the forecast and the sky is heavy with clouds to ensure that for once the weather man is correct.  With this in mind, when I walked out of my job to my car and saw that I had a little time before it hit, I knew that today was the day. Today was the day I was going to ride my paint pony, in my half lit arena, around the construction equipment temporarily housed within the confines of it's fences. (the lines got cut in a sad back  hoe incident-they will be repaired soon.)

I had it all planned out. I envisioned in my mind how I was going to just what CNJ had said, and close my eyes and envision the stop.  I was very excited, since I have not had any saddle time since the day we put Danny down.

I got home, put on my boots and then I remembered that I had let everyone out to graze. This poses a problem with riding as it requires a little work still to catch Trax.  Although I can always send him to his pen for dinner, he gets a little agitated when he finds that it was just a ruse.

So I took a chance and low and behold,  with very little maneuvering on my part, and not even one single treat or bribe, he let me walk up to him and put my arms around his neck.  I grabbed a hold of his fly mask and he knew he was caught for sure.  He jerked just a little, more of a startled response than a "trying to get away" thing.  So I stood there and just petted him and played with his mane, which is going back to its wild pony look, and thought for a minute.  I thought about the last time I had been able to do this.  I made the serious mistake of making him go right to work.  I thought about the number of times I had actually been able to walk up to him in a pasture.  4 times- 5 tops, in the 2+ years that I have owned him.

I petted him some more took a deep breath of his sweet smell, and then let him go.

Then I went and got Sassy.  We spent a little time in the round pen, I put my flex tree saddle on her, and found that I don't love the way that one fits her either.  I gave her a full dose of bute, worked her in both directions.  She threw a little half hearted bucking attempt, when I asked her to step up her speed a little, but then she was fine.  I also put the side pull on her.  She looks so cute in it.  I wish I had had my phone with me.

Finally I got on her.  She was good except that moving was not in her game plan. Standing still was.  I squeezed with my legs and kept squeezing and finally she took a step...sideways.  We kept working at it and eventually we had forward movement off of my leg...ok and a smooch, and stops off of my seat and a whoa.  I asked her to trot just a  few steps and then walk and then stop and she did so perfectly I called it a night

It was not at all what I envisioned, but it was still just as good and I am happy.  She is still lame on the left and I just don't know what to do next.  I emailed the Vet about it to see what she has to say.  I guess we will see.