July 2021 Update

Hey Everyone!

We had a busy June with our 2021 Spring Session coming to an end, the start of our Summer Camps, and a smokin’ hot heat wave in the middle of it all! It has been pretty warm and quite smoky here at times, so I thought I would take a break in the shade this afternoon and update you all on my journey!

In early June I participated in my second Shelley Mills Dressage Clinic with one of our Instructors, Cherise. Shelley said I did much better in this clinic, and my homework is to work on my trot to canter transitions… I feel like this is a lot of work, but Cherise has been committed to helping me.

Another fun update is that I got to be ridden in my first ever Therapeutic Riding Lesson! The student who rode me was carefully selected based on her riding experience and she helped me feel comfortable and confident for my first lesson. I am hoping to be used in more lessons in the fall so that I may help future students feel comfortable and confident, just like this rider helped me! I guess that means I have to work on my homework from Shelley over the summer. Who knew horses would be assigned homework?... especially over the summer? *insert pout face*

I am in a new herd now and I’ve made some new horse friends: Georgia, Tandy and Autumn.
When I first entered this herd I felt really lonely and unwanted… it was hard for me to get along with the other horses because I was used to being bossy and pushy when I lived with Indy and Piper. I couldn’t understand why suddenly the other horses in my heard were the boss over me? I don’t like getting my food last. *insert another pout face* I have slowly been accepted into this herd and I have learned that being respectful and patient gets me truer friends than being bossy and pushy. Although I miss Indy and Piper, I am thankful for my new horse friends as they have helped me grow into the kind of horse I would like to be.

Since my last Blog update, I have also been improving on standing patiently for the farrier. I’m starting to figure out that my hoof will be placed back on the ground sooner if I balance myself and stand still. Who knew that would be such a difficult concept to learn? Thankfully, I learned some respect and patience in my new heard, and I am now looking forward to my next pedicure!

With all that being said, I think my favorite thing that has happened over the summer so far is…HOSE BATHS! It feels so nice to get sprayed down after a ride, and it really helps cool me down. The bugs here at night are really annoying but being sprayed down by the hose helps my bug bites not feel so itchy, and its fun to roll in the dirt after and give myself a mud-coat to protect myself from the flies. I love the hose so much I even try to drink from it sometimes and then I smile because I love the feeling of the water spraying my teeth!

Well… I think that’s all for now!
I hope you all are staying cool, safe and hydrated…
Love,
Nala xo