Sandy had a good analogy for me while I was riding Remy: I should imagine sitting on a 'Beanie Baby', gently squeezing the filling forward. Translation: Use my legs to get Remy's neck to stretch forward and out.
Remy reminded me more of a drunken sailor coming on shore after months at sea. He is going through another growth spurt and is trying to find his balance. Not easy when carrying a human on the back! Remy is trying so hard to please, and never says 'No'. Interestingly, we had our first (luckily brief) bucking experience yesterday: in the canter Remy lost his balance and while scrambling to stay on his feet humped up his back and threw some small bucks in. He/we quickly recovered though, and moved on to finish on a good note.
Saumur is still not 100%, I also suspect that the weather doesn't help. It's mid March in Michigan and we have temps close to 70F. What's wrong with that picture?? To Saumur it must seem like doing aerobic exercises in a heavy winter coat. The hair is just not shedding fast enough, and he has a ton of it anyway. The message of global warming obviously has not reached him yet. We might need to press the French hairstylist into wielding the clippers again.
Sandy and I talked about how happy we are with our horses, especially our youngsters. I admitted that somehow I feel like I am cheating on Saumur when I spend time with Remy, and vice versa, with Chambord thrown in from time to time for good measure. It is not just the time spend, it is also the emotional attachment. I guess that's where the term 'emotional affair' comes in. I can't even keep it clandestine, there is always another set of bright equine eyes watching my every movement when I groom, tack up, etc.
Somebody once told me that as a European I am supposedly predestined to be promiscuous... Good excuse - I'll try to restrict it to horses, though!
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