What a beautiful fall weekend! We had a great time introducing Remy to neighbors and friends yesterday. The boys really enjoyed the sunny pastures, but even more they were enamored with the treats everybody brought them. Another telling observation: there was no fighting over the treats!
So today I planned to get Remy introduced to our outdoor arena, longe him, and then hop on. The good news is that Saumur's snaffle bridle and KK bit fit Remy. My saddle looks to fit reasonably well with a Thinline pad, but I have to see how it feels when I ride in it. Unfortunately, the rather skinny youngster is wearing a different girth size than the big boys -- guess I need to buy another girth (I only have about six already...).
Our outdoor footing is still pretty 'mushy' from all the rain we had, and there was lots of commotion going on next to our outdoor arena: the neighbor on a noisy lawnmower, cars, trucks, people riding bikes, four-wheelers, hayrides... you name it. I thought it more prudent just to longe. Remy was pretty jumpy and clearly not ready to relax. I longe my horses in a cavasson, not off the bit, as it has been proven that longing off the bit is harsh on their mouths. Remy settled down after a while and I walked him down the road to show him a bit of the neighborhood.
Then came the next test for him, staying home alone! JP and I took Chambord and Saumur on a trailride. While getting them ready in the outdoor Remy started to run and scream and I was VERY tempted to say "let's just stay home" -- But then, nothing would have been gained, other than Remy learning that screaming gets him results. The boys didn't care about the Remy's antics, they were happy to go out. And sure enough, we hadn't even gone down towards the park entrance yet when we saw Remy quietly grazing.
Chambord was quite the star today, a piece of Kudzu got wrapped around his hind leg and trapped him. JP got off and pried the stubborn growth away from Chambord's leg, who patiently waited to be freed. Then JP had to climb back on from the ground (we always use a mounting block) and again, Chambord stood like a rock. All the while Saumur, who doesn't have much use for the word 'patience' stood next to his friend, without fidgeting. Good boys!
When we came home Remy was still quietly grazing, and the 'big boys' were eager to go into the barn, one to use the bathroom, the other one to search for food. Easy to figure out their priorities!?
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