Sweet Spot...

Nope, this post is not about Spot our goat. Although, Spot the goat just happens to be very sweet.

You hear the term sweet spot when a baseball player hits the ball in a perfect location on the bat... I guess my night last night was sorta like that.

We loaded Rosso into the trailer and I took him up to Rex's barn for a ride in her indoor arena. He pulled his, "Oh no. Uh-UH, I am NOT leaving home you pink, hairless, 2 legged monkeys!" Furry Husband kept up his tap, tap, tapping with the longe whip and after 20 minutes, Rosso submitted to the hairless monkeys by loading up.

Rex wasn't home yet when I arrived. I groomed Rosso, tacked him up and went to the indoor. It was freshly oiled and groomed with a harrow. Not a hoofprint or footstep anywhere. Pristine. I paused. Oh. Should I be the one to desecrate??

Aw heck, it IS a riding arena after all! I stepped boldly in. I longed Rosso and then Furry Husband showed up to "babysit" me. I don't ride alone because IF something were to happen... well, it's a long way to the phone in the tack room.

Rosso was a peach. He was nicely forward - he has a tendency to be stuck. Sorta moves but doesn't really GO anywhere. Guess it'd be like a child reluctant to go somewhere? Their feet move when you tell them to go, but they sure don't walk very fast to get there and it leaves a little something to be desired!

We practiced our up and down transitions from walk to trot and trot to walk asking him to stay forward and round like a small "n" vs. flinging his head up and inverting himself into a "u". He was fantastic. I asked him for leg yield and he complied. Nice - maybe the baby horse is growing up a little?

Rex came home. Her mom came by to ride her Trakehner, Highbrow. Rex's husband came out to help Rex doctor a couple horses (bandage change for a cut on a leg for one, soaking a hoof for a sole abscess on another). When Carol took Highbrow's blanket off and walked by the arena door, Rosso spooked and scooted forward - YAAAA LARGE MISSHAPEN GREEN BLOB MOVING!!

He's funny because he is always so dang surprised when someone appears in a doorway. His eyes are wide "WHA? WHERE DID THEY COME FROM?!" As if the doorway is an eternal portal to bring forth the unknown.

S'ok. It was a spook but it was also half-hearted from what I've seen him do when he is scared. I ignored it and went back to work.

After our ride, Rex offered me a beer - who turns down a beer? I groomed Rosso and chatted while Rex and Glen doctored. I chatted with Carol. I watched some of her ride. It was a beautiful night - warm, calm, clear. And of course Rosso loads into the trailer like a perfect gentleman to come home....

There is nothing better than standing around with your lovely, relaxed horse, after a nice ride, in a barn full of horses, on a beautiful Colorado night, talking with good friends.

THAT is my sweet spot.