Hot Hot Hot in the Mountains

Our schedule has been a little random lately. Work hasn't given me a dedicated schedule which is annoying at times but I will be working with them on that soon. It has also been so hot lately that going out to the barn in the day is brutal. Although, today I forced myself out there but ended up having an amazing time!!

As some of you may know I have been going back and forth on what to specialize Ava in. Such as jumping, dressage, western dressage, barrel racing, reining, roping, cutting, endurance, western pleasure, and even more! But in the end there was always something that made me change my mind. And even worse Ava was left without a job which makes our time together a little spontaneous (we like things planned, haha!) But a little while after we moved to the new barn my show dreams kind of slowed down, I started beginning to spend time with Ava instead of just work, work, working her all the time. Instead of running away she actually comes in (90% of the time, no one perfect!) to greet me and seems to be more willing to work. We are slowly but surely figuring each other out.

The weather has also been a little random too. One minute it will be blistering hot with no breeze and then it will get all stormy, what the heck?! But I caught it at the perfect time and decided to go on a ride, not just a round pen ride, an actual trail out of the pen ride. And may I add that Ava was amazing!

Here we are getting ready to go, she was being so good and actually straight tied for once!

Of course I had to warm her up and get all of the craziness out of her before we rode. I also worked with the plastic bag some more. She is getting really good, such an improvement from The Ranch, she would spook and take off whenever I tried riding her with it. I was very happy but of course was thinking the whole time "stay there pony, don't kill me, don't spook, it is just a bag, gooood pony, please don't kill me!" But she was great and after all that jazz was done we headed out.

Ava didn't spook once, although getting nervous at times she never did anything weird. We ended up having a great, safe ride and you could tell she enjoyed it.

Here is miss girl getting ready to roll after being given her rinse. Those little baths are really growing on her, she will cock her foot, sigh, and stand there the whole time.

In other news I made a saddle cover from a pattern off of SuitAbility. So easy to make although the dimensions were a little big for my little saddle but it still works perfectly. I also lined it with fleece to keep the saddle extra happy. Can't wait to sew some more stuff, next project is a saddle bag!!

Custom made fleece lined saddle cover. I love it!

At the rainy barn