My girl Friday

Today I worked from home after an unexpectedly frantic work week filled with false deadlines and even more paperwork than a lawyer usually gets. Finally I finished up a call and saw that it was early enough that I could scoot out to the barn to see my girl in the afternoon. George has his violin lesson on Friday after school, and we were planning to go to a haunted trail tonight,  so if I didn't go early I wouldn't be able to see Skye today.

So I booked it out to the country with the radio blasting eighties music, making me nostalgic for the body I had in the eighties. For most of the eighties I lived on Ramen noodles and macaroni and cheese from a box (the off brand at that!), so even though I'm chubby now it did feel pretty triumphant to be driving out to the luxury of my very own horse. The idea that law school would ultimately provide me the means to have my own horse got me through many a study session, so just the act of going to see her is pretty satisfying most of the time.

Speaking of satisfaction, just look here:

She is looking into the van to see me. That's satisfaction.

It was the middle of the day, so I didn't expect anyone to be there, but Erin was giving a lesson in the arena  so I got my girl and worked her for a few minutes in the round pen. She had to be urged to trot, but I felt like she was connected and listening, if a little lazy. The good news is she didn't really limp, so the bute she is getting in her feed must be helping already.  I wished I had dressed for riding and had the time, as she was in a mellow mood and it couldn't have been a more beautiful day. I was happy to love on her a lot in the round pen, and then spent a long time grooming her and putting ointment on her cuts.

I've been trying to find the sweet spot where she likes to be rubbed, but it has proved elusive. So instead I did my standby forehead rub, and I think whether it is her favorite spot or not, it is "our thing." I rub her and she drops her head down to me, and we stand forehead to forehead, both of us breathing deeply. If she gets half as much out of it as I do, that's better than any magic spot. Some barrier has been broken down between us, and she is fully my horse.  A connection has bloomed when I least expected it.

And she really is a benevolent leader. Erin told me that Reebok the Rescue has attached himself to her in the pasture, as she now defends him against the others if they try to whoop up on him. It's enough to make a mama proud. So I'm proud of her. Shocking, I know.

It's barn work day tomorrow. Dave will get to see how good she looks since she's been getting her supplement. He doesn't seem as excited about it as I think he should be. Go figure.