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.