Wednesday, August 27
Aug. 27th, 2025 11:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gottawonderToday I am grateful for:
Good sleep.
I talked with D from pottery, and we discussed whether or not our communications committee needs to meet before the pottery studios general meeting (yes, we do) and what needed to be discussed. I felt like in order for the executive not to decide that we were "finished our relevant work" and dismantle the committee, that we need a new goal for this year. I think it's very important for the communications committee to become a permanent fixture as a way of creating some balance in the studio's power structure.
For a wonderful surprise, R had a lesson cancel due to the heat, the lesson that would normally have been right after mine, leaving her with no one after me...
So she offered to come to our place for our lesson today, so we could work with Dandy!!!!
We've talked about doing this before, we don't live far from the riding barn, about 20 minutes.
I had enough notice that I went out and mowed the round pen again to make sure our footing was optimal, and I decided to pull out the harness and the cart that I bought for Dandy but have not quite been all the way there to using it.
I've been stuck at the edge of teaching him to drive...I just haven't had the experience with driving that would make me feel ready.
I've done long lining with River at the barn, so that helps, but I haven't hitched a pony to the cart before, and I haven't figured out how the whole harness goes on...or if it's the right size, etc.
So, when she got here we worked on Liberty first, and worked on things like getting Dandy to be more rhythmic and not break gait, to not push into me (easy to not be strict since he's a pony), when he is sent out or leaves, that HE doesn't get to pick when he comes back in for a break, and how to keep him focused on me and not the grass.
I was really proud of the fact that this was our first lesson together, but it wasn't a shit show. I had been able to do enough work with him on my own that we were doing REAL work together already, and that we weren't stuck doing baby steps.
After that, we put the harness on him (I've already done lots with him with a surcingle, and getting him used to dragging poles and being around a little bike cart I have) and let him get used to how it felt.
R cleared up some questions I had about how it went together, as there are LOTS of straps and buckles, and the breeching on this harness doesn't look much different from the breast collar to my untrained eyes.
We got it all on him, and R showed me how one person can long line him from the side while another person leads him to keep him forward for a while, until we can be sure he's comfortable enough to have someone drive him from behind safely.
Then she got me to lead him, with the harness, and she led the cart to him but did not hitch him, so he could feel the shafts and have the cart move behind him, but if he was scared he wasn't connected to it.
He was pretty calm about all the different things we did today. He's been around the small bike cart, but not this cart, and he wasn't worried about it at all, and was only slightly concerned about the shafts touching his sides.
This is something my Sweetie and I can work on together with him.
I was really proud of Dandy today, and how well he did. He's a smart pony, and he tries hard.
R and her daughter L (she came today too) seemed very enchanted with Dandy, and they both thought that Wonder was a very beautiful mare (she is).
They met Ursula and the goats, as well as Roxy.
It was a little vulnerable feeling to have your riding coach come see your own set up and animals, as you hope it makes a good impression.
My Sweetie had come home as they arrived, and after we started our lesson he went for a quick bike ride.
No household progress today, but benefits elsewhere.
We brought everyone back to their normal pens, came inside and ate, chatted, and my Sweetie went to bed.
Good sleep.
I talked with D from pottery, and we discussed whether or not our communications committee needs to meet before the pottery studios general meeting (yes, we do) and what needed to be discussed. I felt like in order for the executive not to decide that we were "finished our relevant work" and dismantle the committee, that we need a new goal for this year. I think it's very important for the communications committee to become a permanent fixture as a way of creating some balance in the studio's power structure.
For a wonderful surprise, R had a lesson cancel due to the heat, the lesson that would normally have been right after mine, leaving her with no one after me...
So she offered to come to our place for our lesson today, so we could work with Dandy!!!!
We've talked about doing this before, we don't live far from the riding barn, about 20 minutes.
I had enough notice that I went out and mowed the round pen again to make sure our footing was optimal, and I decided to pull out the harness and the cart that I bought for Dandy but have not quite been all the way there to using it.
I've been stuck at the edge of teaching him to drive...I just haven't had the experience with driving that would make me feel ready.
I've done long lining with River at the barn, so that helps, but I haven't hitched a pony to the cart before, and I haven't figured out how the whole harness goes on...or if it's the right size, etc.
So, when she got here we worked on Liberty first, and worked on things like getting Dandy to be more rhythmic and not break gait, to not push into me (easy to not be strict since he's a pony), when he is sent out or leaves, that HE doesn't get to pick when he comes back in for a break, and how to keep him focused on me and not the grass.
I was really proud of the fact that this was our first lesson together, but it wasn't a shit show. I had been able to do enough work with him on my own that we were doing REAL work together already, and that we weren't stuck doing baby steps.
After that, we put the harness on him (I've already done lots with him with a surcingle, and getting him used to dragging poles and being around a little bike cart I have) and let him get used to how it felt.
R cleared up some questions I had about how it went together, as there are LOTS of straps and buckles, and the breeching on this harness doesn't look much different from the breast collar to my untrained eyes.
We got it all on him, and R showed me how one person can long line him from the side while another person leads him to keep him forward for a while, until we can be sure he's comfortable enough to have someone drive him from behind safely.
Then she got me to lead him, with the harness, and she led the cart to him but did not hitch him, so he could feel the shafts and have the cart move behind him, but if he was scared he wasn't connected to it.
He was pretty calm about all the different things we did today. He's been around the small bike cart, but not this cart, and he wasn't worried about it at all, and was only slightly concerned about the shafts touching his sides.
This is something my Sweetie and I can work on together with him.
I was really proud of Dandy today, and how well he did. He's a smart pony, and he tries hard.
R and her daughter L (she came today too) seemed very enchanted with Dandy, and they both thought that Wonder was a very beautiful mare (she is).
They met Ursula and the goats, as well as Roxy.
It was a little vulnerable feeling to have your riding coach come see your own set up and animals, as you hope it makes a good impression.
My Sweetie had come home as they arrived, and after we started our lesson he went for a quick bike ride.
No household progress today, but benefits elsewhere.
We brought everyone back to their normal pens, came inside and ate, chatted, and my Sweetie went to bed.
