Exciting Weekend Plans!!

First off, I can't believe it's July 3rd and my pasture's still look like this.....

Super soggy June.

It's been pretty rough around here fighting the weather to get any outside work done. I know a lot of you are battling high temperatures, humidity, wind and fires. We are battling the wettest June ever. It made the record books. It feels more like the middle of winter in January. Like I've said before, I seriously live in a rain forest.

The few days that we've had a little cooperation in weather, I run out as fast as I can and get a ride on Chance. You just never know when the wet stuff will fall out of the sky and I need to get more rides on her. We don't have a very long "good" weather riding season as it is, so I need to get as much done as I can now. She's only been under saddle a total of 2 weeks in the last 2 months. But considering the super inconsistent riding schedule, she is doing fantastic!!

Free lunging before a ride.

Last week I got 3 rides in. We even mastered the canter for 2 of those rides. Okay, not really mastered, but we cantered. And she did pretty darn good. I was a little surprised how easily she went into the canter when I cued her. Yes, she did trot really fast for a few seconds and then we were cantering. I have always been really consistent on my cues for all gaits from the ground. I cluck for trot and kiss for canter. So when I kissed she knew what that meant. She never did anything funny like try to buck, which she has never tried with me on her back (thank goodness). She did break into the trot a couple times, but that is to be expected at this stage.

My beautiful baby!! All grown up (almost)!!

She is starting to understand how to move off of my leg. I can pretty much steer by my leg and she is getting the move your hip over cue too. She gets a little confused sometimes on what leg cue means what, like when we are stopped and I squeeze with both my legs to walk forward, she thinks I am asking her to back or move her hip over. Eventually she will know exactly what cue means what. Also when we trot instead of trotting at a faster rate of speed that I let her do to keep that forward movement, I am now getting her to slow down. Considering she has only had about 10 or 11 rides under saddle, she is doing fantastic and is one really smart cookie!!

SO..............

My exciting weekend plans are for me to head off towards blue skies and much higher temperature's..... a place where there is no mud and where I can actually get a tan. Some of you who have followed my blog for a few years may remember the Pony Cousin get-togethers at a Ranch. Yep. That is right. I am going to the Ranch to visit my sister!!!

Some of you may remember this place!

AND.......... I am not going alone. I am taking a horse. Wait, actually I am taking 2 horses!! My sister and I are planning on trail riding, so my favorite trail horse, Brandy, is going along to fulfill those needs. Then my OH asked me last weekend why I wasn't taking Chance. Well, guess what? Now I am taking Chance too!! She has only been off our farm one time, and that was just for a trailer ride. So this will be her first BIG trip away from home. She will get to see a lot of other horses, kids, tractors, vehicles and so much more activity that we don't have at home. It will be a great learning experience for her. I will work with her a bit while we are there and I may or may not ride her. The arena they have is HUGE and I have never ridden Chance in an arena. She has only been ridden in my round pen and a quick ride around my yard. So we will see how it goes. I am also going to help my sister with her Mustang, Luna. So it will be a horse filled, sun-shiney kind of weekend that I am really looking forward too!! I have a lot of things to do to prepare for this trip. Now if only the rain would stop so I can get packin'!!