Playtime

Attempted to joust today. Sort of. Have been wanting to do it for a while but haven't found a suitable "lance" yet that I could feel okay riding around with and not worrying about impaling us on. Saw a pretty long mailing tube in the tack room that had been tossed. Figured it might work. Taped a bucket's handle so it would stay up. Used the space between the arena and the pasture as our chute, propped the bucket up on the fence post, and did it...at a walk.

Because I realized as I was holding the mailing tube that Kieran was going, "wtf woman what are you doing?" so we mostly walked and I waved it all around till he figured out it wasn't going to smack him in the head. And tried to figure out how to hold my reins and the tube. Realized that it's really just a bit too wide to be practical so considering a smaller-diameter (and also longer) pvc pipe instead. Did manage to spear the bucket once (at a walk) and did ride up the 'chute' at a trot and holding out the tube just to show Kieran it was okay. Pretty sure he thinks I'm crazy now.

Also had a short ride in the ring.


Not real exciting, this was while we were warming up, but my point is...I lengthened my stirrups by a half hole and suddenly all the work I'd been doing to get my leg back and my heels down became about 10x easier.


Hopped over a couple of crossrails


And caught Kieran playing with his feed tub after all. :)