Summer Here I Come!

School year = done!

Summer starts now!

Yep, that's right! Took my last final yesterday, and finishing up my last couple of hours of work study in the library.  Gotta finish packing and set up with my family when to move stuff out, tonight or tomorrow.  Then I am out of here!

I was pretty sad about leaving when all my friends were still here, but now that most of them are gone, I'm soo ready to leave.  This time of year every year makes me realize that it's the people that I'm close to that make this place what it is for me.  Without them here, it just gets boring and depressing.  

This summer should be great though.  For the first summer since I've come to college, I will be spending the summer at home instead of here working in Philippi.  My mom's paying me to babysit my brothers during the day while she works (not really going to earn me any points for future jobs I guess, but it gets me closer to my family than I've been in a long time).  My evenings will be free to go out and work with Orion and ride with friends or do other stuff with friends.  Weekends will be free for whatever rolls around too.  

Audra, summer 2010

The best friend and I have already talked about going out to the river for hiking and swimming and all that, and I can't wait to finally get a day that we can go worked out.  Those days are always fun. :)

Chels and I, summer 2010

Annie and I, Summer 2010

I've been working on some plans for Orion and I a little bit, but since finals have been so busy, haven't really had time to cement them.  I'll be working on those a little more once I get home and have time to really go through my training books and come up with more ideas.  I'll put them on here so that I can hold myself accountable once they're ready.  So far, my main concern is getting him to behave when other people handle his feet.  He's pretty good with me, but other people....oh boy.  Look out.  Acts like a completely different horse.  

He's also started being kinda barn sour...if you can call it that (he's kept at pasture).  The past three times we've gone out to ride, he's been a total butt about leaving the paddock.  We get to a gate, and he stops. Backs up.  Side steps.  Threatens to buck when I keep pushing him.  So I'm going to get him over that, hopefully.  I'll probably start by leading him through a few times and see if he behaves any differently.  A friend suggested to me that if he doesn't listen to lunge him for a while and try again; if he still doesn't listen, lunge him again.  Basically make it so he has to work when he doesn't go through the gate, and make it easy for him when he does go through it.  That way he'll be more inclined to want to do what he's supposed to.

And there are various other things I'm excited to work with him on.  I've researched some exercises to make him more aware of where he puts his feet, since he's so damn clumsy all the time.  

Picture courtesy of Liz

Picture courtesy of Chelsea

So, summer here I come!  (And there will be more writing to come on here as well!)


=)