Bring on the sun!

Did anyone else stand outside today with your face pointing toward the sky, letting all that sweet, warm sunshine soak into every pore?

Nope, not a sea lion, just Webbly the ram snoozing in the sun.

After some brief sun-worship, I put the new Freeform on Starlight and went for a ride.  

One wonderful thing about the Freefrom is you can put the stirrups wherever you want.  I think I had them a little too far back today. 

Treeless saddle and purple hoof  boots.  Yup.

It's a treeless saddle, and when you look at it on the horse before you mount, it looks like it would position you too high above the horse's back.  Once you're in it, however, it's a comfortable fit with as much feel as a mono-flap English saddle. 

Starlight was a little fresh today, and decided to perform a rare bolt-and-buck combination worthy of a greenie.  She wasn't serious about bucking me off, though, and it didn't take much to get her forward again, the brat.  She almost never does anything like that, and I'm wondering if the unusual feel of the Freeform, with my too-far-back stirrups, made her feel a little wiggy.   

Oh joy, to be riding in the spring sunshine!

We stopped at the mailbox and grabbed the mail before heading back to the house, handing the mail to my husband like we were the Pony Express. 

Stormkite tries on Starlight's stuff.

After I put Starlight back in the paddock, I haltered Stormkite and tried Starlight's very worn purple hoof boots on him.  I notice he has been fairly sensitive on gravel and knew these Cavallo Simple Boots would help, if they fit.  

I expected him to prance around like a park horse when I put them on, but he didn't seem to worry about them at all.  When I longed him on gravel, he stepped out better than he has since coming home, and I was very pleased to see a happy horse with happy feet.  

Much more to do tomorrow, so bring on that sunshine!

Memorializing Starlight's out-of-shape winter body for later comparison

Look! It's a Mt. Vesuvius victim!