Grumble, Grumble, Whine....

Today I worked both ponies (I love my ponies). I started with Tilly because she's, well, Tilly. And Delight can be a hand full and I had just eaten a real breakfast. No one wants to sit a spook on a full stomach. 

Is the Sweaty Pony developing a topline?

Anyway, back to Tilly. We worked a little harder today then we have for the past few days and I discovered a hole. Turns out that a long walk break means "we're done" to the little Tillner. So we had several laps of walk between each exercise, then I put her right back to work and fully expected her to be just as honest on the bit as she was before the break. After a few repeats of this, she got the concept that it's really better for everyone involved if she just goes around like a good pony and doesn't try to lean through her outside shoulder and overbend to the inside-or heaven forbid- drop behind the contact. 

The plus side is that we got some great canter transitions and some good starting shoulder-in's (after my pro championship debut with Delight, first level is not sufficient when one plans on showing training level). 

And while Tilly dried off from her work out, I went out and got Delight. I immediately noticed a problem with Deli. She had manure frozen into her tail.

Evidently, when she's walking along through the snow, her tail is the right length to drag through little manure piles... And when she stops to eat, those piles get frozen into her tail like some sort of terrible wind chimes. 

Oh no! You love a nice tail on a horse! What ever did you do?!?!?

I cut it out. 

Yep. There was no point in trying to detangle that mess... so out came the worlds dullest scissors and voila!

Now I have two sport ponies with pathetic tails. Great.

But at least she was good for our ride. I didn't feel like putting up with her normal shenanigans during warm up, so I lunged her. I know, what a cop out, but this way I didn't get into a fight with her and we actually had a productive ride. 

But that poor, poor tail.

And RC was lame. Poor guy has some soreness high up in his right hind leg. He's been NQR for a few days,  so I dont know if he slipped and hurt himself or what, but I gave him some bute. Guess we'll see how he feels tomorrow.