Cold, rainy evening spent indoors

It's only Wednesday and it has been a long week at work already. Its so nice to go straight from work to the barn where you can shrug off the stress of the day to the steady hay munching of cows and horses. The afternoon was cold and rainy but at least the days are getting longer and with the time change, the afternoons are lighter now. However, I really did not have it in me to take a walk out in the fields today. It was just too wet and cold, even if it was lighter that it has been. So I spent some good quality time grooming the little man and picking out his feet and addressing every itchy spot I could find.

He likes his forehead scratched so much he drops his head down at chest level and stands very quietly with his eyes closed making it very easy for the one scratching to continue as long as she can. He leans into his scratches behind his ears and if you put your arm of his back and scratch the opposite shoulder blade he puts his nose up in the air and wiggles his lips to say "ooooo that feels good!!!"

With all the scratching, it became evident that he is really starting to pour on the shedding process now. That's good; he has lots of fuzzy thick coat to get rid of by this summer. But there will be lots of grey brown hair on everything the next few months.

After all the scratching, I put on the saddle and the bridle (both things he is quite accustomed to at this point and then worked on all the familiar exercises of giving left, giving right and backing. He still braces against the pressure of both reins for a few seconds before taking a step back but the giving to the bit left and right are very willing and immediate response. He is bright and very willing, training has been quite easy and fun for both of us thus far.