Cleo and I are back on line

After more than a year, I can pick up where I left off last March. We had a very late and wet spring here in Humboldt County, so last March's discussion of horses and mud holds true until just last week. Poor Marko, the retired racehorse/dressage superstar who lives in my backyard,is finally recovering from a massive hoof abscess brought on by months of mud and moisture. During his treatment, I was visiting an Ohio, and Patrick did a great job as veterinarian, soaking his foot daily and changing the dressing as his foot oozed black gunk.

In spite of the miserable weather this spring--rain and wind--Cleo and I and her stable mate, Artie, and his owner, signed on to attend an all day clinic with a natural horseman who was going to teach us methods for improving ground manners, trailer loading, and under saddle responsiveness.

In order to prepare for this adventure, our friend Joan trailered our horses to Redwood Acres twice to accustom our steeds to loading, unloading, and behaving at a new place. Cleo had not been in a trailer or off the property at Freshwater stables since I bought her 6 years ago. The first time, I was NERVOUS.

Cleo was a pro. She remembered her early training and literally jumped into the trailer with a look on her face that said, "It's about time I got to take a ride. What have we been waiting for?" Our two practice sessions went well, and we walked and trotted in the covered arena with a herd of ponies and little kids, Artie and Carrie, and Joan as confidence builder. By the time we went the second time, I was as confident as Cleo. I eagerly anticipated the clinic in early May.