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Horses are wonderful people. I have been riding horses since I was 6 years old and got my first horse when I was 10. I did barrel racing until I was about 19. Then came college and working and no time for horses. I knew one day I would have a horse again. But I never dreamed it would be a horse like Harley, or that I'd find such a gifted trainer, or learn just how much I didn't know. Funny how life works out. I just knew I needed to get another horse before I was too old to get into the saddle.


This is the story of Harley.


Chapter Eight - Rain storms, sharp objects, and that irritating dry cough

What happened to March? What with so much rain last month, and then Harley came down with a bit of a cough, and then managed to find the only sharp thing in his stall and cut his face open, to the tune of 7 bright pink stitches, March was a bit of a wash.  However, he is still doing very very well with his contact, stretching more into the bit now, and we are working very hard on taking contact at the walk.

Harley is stiff on his left side, so Jane has us doing counter bends while tracking left, and circling to the right and spiraling out with a leg yield.  He's doing well and seems to enjoy changing things up a bit.  He also really likes lateral work, and sometimes does leg yields without being asked :)

Harley is turning into the "big babysitter" at the barn, the go-to horse to calm and guide other horses who are nervous or new to the barn.  Harley took a new boarder for a nice walk last weekend, and yesterday, he took another new tenant for a trail ride and a little workout in the dressage arena. Harley seems to know when a horse is unsure, and acts as a calm, reassuring guide.

Here is a shot of Harley's boo-boo.  The location of the cut meant I could not ride him for a week, and that was after not riding the previous week because he was coughing (that went away last week, thank goodness).

Anyways, after 2 weeks off, he was wonderful when I finally rode him, and the only things that bothered him were the pretty purple asters that had bloomed while he was confined to quarters.  Once he realized they were not carnivorous, he was fine.  I took his stitches out last Thursday and he was really good about it.