Two racehorses, actually

Today we found out we actually have two - not one, but two - racehorses.

Unfortunately for them, we were in the indoor arena and had to discourage rampant galloping rather firmly. My arms are still a little tired.

Lena, by the way, was just as eager as Calabar to prove how fast she could go. She also kept dancing from one lead to the other while Steve guided her around the arena.

I actually got some cooperation from Bar some of the time. He really doesn't like it when there is a horse working in the round pen and Peter was working a little mare in there, so every time we came around the backside of the round pen, Bar and I danced a little.

Okay, sometimes a lot.

He probably hasn't seen a lot of round pen work - I don't think you usually lunge racehorses to get them to relax before a race.

But we're learning together - all four of us. Bar and Lena are really in tune with each other - to the extent that perhaps some bad behavior gets shared by osmosis - but on the other hand, it means they are paying attention to each other. That's probably a good thing.

I did decide that circling him works better than backing him up, both for for getting him to hold still while getting on and for general attention-paying at other times.

Steve and I are both looking forward to taking them somewhere they can race each other someday soon, without walls and round pens and miscellaneous bits and pieces in the arena to dodge.