Two updates in one

So yesterday I did a quick ride on Bella, who was a little spitfire, while I waited for my friend to come over.

Once she got there, we tacked up Patrick and Bailey for a little ride. We started out walking them in the hill field again so that they could warm up a little and she could get used to Patrick. Nothing special.

Then we hacked them around the ring a bit, and I must say, Patrick was a total angel for her. I was so pleased with him! He picked up his leads and everything. Bailey was super as well, being her usual little self. Then we finished up by walking them around the property again, this time Bailey was on the buckle the whole time, even when we had to walk up near the road. She's such a good girl!

Then today I had my mom and sister come out for more photo ops when I decided to push the jumps on Patrick a little higher today. I also put flower boxes in front of both jumps, which really confused him. The first and second time through, I don't think he realized he was supposed to jump over them, and saw it more as a barrier. He wasn't afraid of it, just confused. So I took him back and walked him over it (it was THAT small), and after that he had no issues with it or the other jump he hadn't seen yet. After a couple of times through both lines, I had them put up another hole in the cinderblocks, which made each jump about 2'9" or so. He whacked both jumps pretty good the first time through, not realizing that this time he actually had to rock back and use his hind end. But after hitting them once, he figured it out and actually jumped really nicely! I even pointed him to my little log jump, which was also about 2'9" and had no ground poles leading up to it. He didn't even bat an eye, and hopped right over it. Cool. Pictures coming.

Bella flatted like a superstar, and Becca got some awesome shots of her. They're coming, too, as soon as she loads them to Facebook and I can steal them.

Bailey was her usual self, only she's realizing she's a mare, which basically means now every time I tap her with a whip, she does this little half-kick/buck/squeal thing. It's purely entertaining, and not meant to dislodge me, but interesting to note none-the-less. I figured she couldn't be perfect all the time. That'd be too easy!

Anywho, I gotta run a saddle over to my old racehorse boss. I'll load those pictures as soon as I get a chance!