Hammer Time

I've decided to officially change Hammar's name to Hammer, because it's pronounced the same and I don't want the announcer at the show later this month to mispronounce it or get confused.

Hammer has been getting very, very hyper (to say the least) over jumps, so I decided to take him out on a long ride today and just let him run as far and as fast as he wanted. We went about 4 miles, trotting most of the way, jumped a downed tree, then galloped around a hill and 1/4 of the way back. Hammer trotted most of the way home again until I brought him down to a walk to cool down. But then of course we saw the tree that I like to jump, so several tried later we got over it, then Hammer galloped around like a crazy horse for 10 more minutes (we practiced flying lead changes and "barrel racing" around trees). Finally we get home, so I took the saddle off Hammer, brushed the sweaty grime off and jumped back on bareback. I tried to practice my English bareback equitation, but I've determined it is completely impossible to post bareback, at least when your horse is acting like a complete maniac.

Long story short, Hammer is a beast who cannot be tired out.

Ashley, my mare, is feeling off, I think. We had been working her harder and it's starting to really show; she hasn't looked this muscled ever! But, her coat is dull, her head hangs even lower than usual (she's half Quarter Horse and it shows in her level top line) and her eyes have lost their gleam that is usually present during any weather (and it's monsoon season). Something's wrong with her. My MiL thinks she's either pregnant, in heat, or cystic. I've put her in the round pen so I can feed her separately and monitor her and all that. I might take her out tomorrow and see if maybe she's just more bored than usual or something. I doubt it though - it's something inside her, a virus or something. Or cramps; maybe it's just the wrong time of month and it's hitting her harder than usual... We shall see.

I have an eye exam tomorrow so Nine might have to wait until Friday, or next week.