First ride

It was hot by the time I got to the barn today - luckily I won't normally ride midday.  It will fit into my schedule better to ride first thing each day.  As I pulled up to the barn I noticed she was turned out in the big field, and it looked like she had made friends with her neighbor!

Pony has a boyfriend!  Anyway, I brought her in and cleaned her up and got tacked up.  The barn is very quiet, which is nice.  I went out and bought a big box to keep all her stuff in - two sheets, a winter blanket, fly sheet, skrim and all the saddle pads brushes etc.  Basically everything that was in the back of my car all summer now has a place!

Today was just a light ride.   I walked her around the ring four or five times on a loose rein, let her look around, then trotted around for a while on a loose rein before taking any contact and beginning to ask her to work.

She was delightful for the whole ride, and after I took her on a walk around the property.  Being the curious pony that she is, she walked up to all the new things, sniffed them, decided she wasn't interested and moved on.  There wasn't much that fazed her, but hey - this is a pony who didn't have any problems with being on a trailer for close to 16 hours.  Who is this pony and where is Zena?? 

After the ride I went to hose her down, and apparently she has never seen a power sprayer - like Tiana's - because when I first sprayed it (away from her mind you) she jumped straight up in the air and landed with her head down and legs splayed staring at this contraption with wide eyes.  Yay for new experiences! Needless to say she is a brave girl who did survive the experience, and will need to get used to it for the future!

Photo: Zena meeting her new neighbor Maddie the first night!