The day of the Bays

Since I have a moment or two in between the rain storms and dirty diapers, I will go over the day of the bays. I currently have two bays, my stallion Dan and my mother's mare Nifty. Dan was a present to myself as I wanted a stallion for a long time so I found him, bought him and he turned out to be beyond perfect. He's the complete package and I am convinced the "boy" horse I was always supposed to have. I don't like boys of any kind, so I knew one had to be damn special if I was going to consider putting my name on his papers. Nifty was a present to my mother for mother's day since I decided to sell the gelding worth his weight in gold as I had about as much use for him as a paper hat in a Florida squall. I was hoping to get another dead broke, shorter, pretty thoroughbred mare that I could add to the breeding program... I guess two out of three isn't bad! Nifty is an unraced broodmare so I currently get to be her rider. Oh joy.

Don't ask me what prompted me to grab my cheap pink beaded western bridle with the copper roller dee to hop on a horse who I was not even sure ever had a person on her back without a helmet, but I did. Mounting was a fun endeavor as she's not one for standing still, but I did know this before hand. I was sending her happy mental vibes that we would just walk once in each direction. She got the message. By the end I came to the conclusion this horse has had someone on her back but only a half a dozen times. I can work with that as long as I keep the job positive as I am even in less of a mood to start the lunge work I use to start all my horses. There just isn't enough time unless someone can give my daughter a four/five hour sleeping pill.

Now it was time for my boy. Dan has had the last five months off due to my growing belly but I knew he should be no problem because he is a career horse. He was a level 7/8 jumper when he was campaigning and has shown an obvious willingness to be my amateur hunter mount. However one thing Dan has now that he didn't have five months ago is a personal harem of three very attractive ladies. I was taking him away from his ladies. How dare I! So there was a lot of circling and half halts and serpentines and leg yields. Not all of them pretty or even recognizable but it was more about keeping his mind busy and not bouncing my pony tail every time he whinnied to check where his ladies were. He knows his stuff, he just needs reminding that I am his herd when I am on him and not just "she who feeds."

All in all I wasn't expecting the two bays to just wow me today. But I was hoping for it.