Ugh!  It was bitterly cold as I made my way to the barn.  I had on so many layers of clothing that I felt like a marshmallow.  Six hand warmers were scattered amongst my clothing.  I even wore a pair of gloves on the ride over.  I hate winter!

At the barn, we watched as D worked one of the new colts that arrived during the week.  It was a tall Morgan, and he looked cute trotting along the rail.  He really used his ears nicely. I don't know anything about him other than it was his second day under saddle.

I started getting Blondie ready, and when D saw that she was being a pistol when I was trying to bridle her, he took over and gave her a firm talking to.  When he dropped my stirrups to warm her up, I started wondering what was going on.  Then he racked her a few times around the ring and asked if I was ready for my lesson.  We were going to work on slow gaiting her.  He said that he thinks that she will make a nice gaited horse - she remembered everything from last year, and she was back where was then after only racking her 3 times.

I got on, and we had one perfect slow gait down the rail.  I don't know what I did or how I did it, but it was wonderful.  I had a hard time repeating it, but I think I was starting to try too hard.  I was getting too forward in the saddle or I wasn't holding my hands out far enough.  Or she would break at the corners or start going too fast.  The last time I rode a gaited horse, the horse knew what it was doing - it's a lot harder when the horse is just learning, too!

Blondie was starting to get a little over excited; she started spinning and ducking out of the far corner.  I am surprised that I started on!  I told D that he would have to fix her before we put her back in her stall.  He had me trot her and hold her over to the corner a few times in both directions, and then he told me that I fixed her.  Then we let her walk out.  Steam was pouring off of both of us - it was utterly bizarre.

After getting a cooler on Blondie and standing with her in front of the heater to dry her off, I put her back in her stall.  D was out with the Friesian, and Sarah told me I just missed him getting dragged around the ring.  Pooh!  I went to see what was going on. 

That Friesian is one big boy!  He looks a lot smaller in his stall.  Maybe with D standing next to him, I had a new appreciation for  just how tall and wide he is.  It was interesting watching D trying to step up into the saddle; the horse didn't want to have anything to do with it.  When D finally managed to get up, the horse still wasn't sure what was going on, but he mostly just walked around.  After a couple minutes, D got off, declaring that that was enough for one day.

By that time I was getting very chilled.  I finished putting my horse and my things away, and beat a hasty retreat.  I was really looking forward to meeting with Mara and Bryce for dinner (sushi and soup), but I wanted to go home and warm up first.  I'm still cold!  It's supposed to be about 10 degrees warmer tomorrow.  It doesn't sound like much, but it does make a big difference.

The weather has gotten steadily colder over the past few days, with highs on Sunday expected to be in the low teens.  It wasn't quite that bad on Friday, but it was cold enough to have me reaching for extra hand warmers.

At the barn, Jen and I noticed that a new horse has moved in.  It is a Friesian stud.  He's quite the looker, and he knows it.  When I asked D if he wanted me to ride Blondie or something else, he asked if I wanted to ride the Friesian.  I was excited for about 5 seconds, before I realized that there had to be some kind of catch.  When I asked if he was broke, I was told that someone sat on his back once.  Err, no thanks, I'll stick with Blondie.

Jen's assigned mount was Harley, and she wasn't very certain that she liked the idea at first.  As M was busy with a lunge line lesson, she asked me to give Harley his medicine.  I was a little reluctant at first, because I have never medicated a horse, but it went pretty much without a hitch.  At the end of the lesson he wasn't sweating and gasping for air, so I much have done it correctly.

Jen was having a bit of trouble keeping Harley moving, but when she did get him to step up, he looked cute.  Her leg looked pretty solid, too. 

The horses weren't hot when we took them back to their stalls, so we brushed them off, put away the tack, and made a fast exit.  I was getting cold by then, and just wanted to head home.

Right now, it's about 4 degrees.  I am so looking forward to my lesson this morning.  As long as my feet and head stay warm, I am usually ok.