Better late than never

I promised myself that the amount of stuff I had to do Sunday night wouldn't make a difference, and I would write up and post this on Sunday.  Then, next thing I knew, Sunday had flown by me... and Monday.... and Tuesday... and Wednesday... nonetheless, I still have so much to say, and I've really missed blogging since I've gotten so busy.  (For anyone not aware, I was in a production of the Sound of Music that took up all of the time, and it finally finished this past weekend.  It was bittersweet because it was a great experience, but it's nice to have my life back.  Anyways, since I've been done it's been a crazy week of catch-up on everything I didn't have time for)

Anyways, time for the fun part of the post, this Sunday was.... *drumroll*

Jazz's 6th Birthday! 

The closeups were not terribly flattering of either of us, but it does nicely showcase the fancy sides on Jazz's wonderful myler

Because of my show, I had to miss the first Gymkhana of the season with the gymkhana club I participate in.  I was a little bummed, but Jazz just did so well at home I couldn't be terribly upset. So, to make up for what I was missing, I did a little barrel practice at home!

I apparently seem to run on the belief that you can stare down the barrel to intimidate it into submission. 

I run barrels 'backwards' (starting with the left barrel instead of the more common practise of starting on the right)

I think I could make a barrel horse out of her if I so desired.

That's three! Run home Jazz! 

Okay she looks very 'up' here, but that was just the weird lope she broke into on the run home.  She was going much more normally soon after.  

 And we had our first lope under saddle since before Christmas, and it was awesome.  Jazz is a little out of shape because our re-start was more about attitude than athleticism.  She's a really awesome horse in a lot of ways though, and one of my favourite things is her energy.  She's so funny because she really isn't in good condition but she would have just gone and gone all day.  Especially with trotting, she will just go and go and she'll be breathing like a dragon and her nostrils will be the size of two small moons, but she will still be ready to go again the second you stop her.  She sometimes tries to convince me to let her lope, but is never rude about it; its like a little tiny "can we go? I would like it if we could go. No? Ok."  She is a bit of an anticipator, but slowly we're working that out with lots of patience and repetition.  Even so, I just love the way she always wants to go but never tries to take matters into her own hands and run away with me *knock on wood*.

Also a short anecdote about Jazz's birthday! More specifically, the date.  As a rescue her birthday was just May 2008, but I needed a date in order to shove cookies at her at least once a year.  So, since she was a Christmas pony, I decided on the 25th.

Final note: I have a few posts to write in my coming soon.  The Mane Event (I do intend to write that one, despite the fact I've now been putting it off for over a month.  oops.  I've been having a lot of troubles with my photos from it, so I need to sort that out first), our awesome last lesson with the instructor i've been working with (and why I'm ending lessons with her for now, and my new instructor), other lessons I'm starting on the side, a possible surprise that I will tell if and when it happens, and the bucking stories promised back in April.