On Monday, I'll head down to Boise for my final two weeks of vacation until I graduate (although I'll have one more week of vacation during the week of Christmas, I'll be staying in Pullman). Wayne is up for the weekend, and will be trucking the boys down with him when he leaves. I'm looking forward to spending some time catching up with friends and just lounging around the house, and can hardly believe the next time I'll be doing this for longer than a day or two at a time will be after I graduate!
I'm going to spend the time working with Onyx doing some basic groundwork lessons. I would like to have him walking and trotting on a longe line in both directions by voice commands, as well as a solid "whoa." I'll start doing some long-lining with him in a rope halter, and my goal for the two weeks is to get his first couple of rides underway. After this, we may or may not have time to repeat the lessons before spring. In the spring I'm debating how to get things started. My good friend, Lacy, does such an excellent job getting young minds going very solid under saddle. However, I think it's about time I learned how to do it myself. So I'm considering asking her to work with Onyx and I to get him going. I'll probably board him there for 30 days or so and plan on going out every day to work with him. I have a fairly easy February, and think this would be the perfect time to get it done. I've also got a nice, easy March so should be able to reinforce our lessons then.
As far as Jasper's concerned, we'll do some nice rides out while I'm home with Wayne and Obsidian. Nice, slow, relaxed, no goals type of rides. Obsidian needs to get out more often, and Jasper just needs something to do. I'm also planning to meet a friend with both boys while Wayne's at work to get Onyx out and about in Boise terrain a bit. I think it will be a fun couple of weeks!
My spring goals are a little unclear at this point, other than getting Onyx going under saddle so he can start doing baby trail rides and other fun, horizon-expanding activities under saddle. I graduate on May 9th, after which I have a wedding to attend on the 15th. Wayne and I are planning to finally take our honeymoon and are going to Italy for three weeks and are returning around June 9th or so. Unfortunately, this combined with the fact that I'll be in Portland for a month in April doesn't leave me the most time to get Jasper conditioned for his first season of real endurance. However, I'm contemplating taking Jasper with me for the month of April and boarding him and doing some conditioning while I'm there on an externship. We'll see. So far, the calendar seems to be heavily weighted early in the season and late, with July being almost completely naked. Hopefully, that will fill in and give me a better idea of goals to set for myself for the 2010 season.
Either way, I'll probably start seriously re-conditioning in February or March of this year, with a goal of being ready for Jasper's first 50 in June.
1 comment:
Wow Elly, you have alot of exciting things to look forward too. Endurance will always be there. Italy is one of the places I have on the bucket list...(family is from there). Can't wait to hear about your trip. Do you plan to stay and find work as a vet after graduation where your "main" home is or are you just going to see where the career takes you? Best of luck.
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