Laziest ex-racehorse ever.

River is actually in consistent work!  Granted, the work doesn't last long (15-20 minutes, usually), but whatever.

8/27 - long line
8/28 - long line
8/29 - ride
8/30 - ride
8/31 - ride
9/1 - off
9/2 - ride
9/3 - ride

Wow!!

Today he's getting his feet done, and then hopefully I'll ride after.  I probably will.  It's so EASY to ride that I can't find an excuse not to.  And he's quite pleasant, so that helps.

Yesterday I forgot my whip in the car and decided we'd manage without.  That lasted about 3 minutes.  I jumped off, crosstied him, got my whip, and got back on.  We just did some walking, trotting, circles, etc and he was very good, so I decided to get creative.  Jumped off, let him stand loose by the gate (staring longingly toward his stall), put out some trot poles, hopped back on.

(I should mention that I rode in the middle of the day for a change and had to take him away from the red mare, who spent the entire time hollering for him.  He called back a couple times... such a pathetic old-man whinny.)

We walked over the poles a couple times, then trotted them.  The third time through, he was a clod and completely ruined the spacing so there was no way to trot them anymore.  I considered fixing it, but decided that I'd already dismounted twice, and my third dismount was going to be the last, so we just worked around the poles.

Still struggling with relaxing his head and neck..  He goes so nicely on the long lines, but when not when I ride.  He's pleasant and obedient, but tense.  I may try a different bit on him.  I've been using a fulmer (single jointed).  I think I have a french link d-ring somewhere.  Or maybe I'll just use the mare's bridle (figure 8 with a loose ring Myler).

I'll probably try a different bit or two, just to see, but I'm not going to do much about it right now.   Partly because he probably still needs to get used to his new life, but mostly because a dressage trainer I adore is coming this weekend for a clinic and Riv and I are riding with him on Sunday (but shhhhhhh, do NOT tell him, I don't want him getting injured!!).  Wonderful Trainer can fix us, so for now I'll just putz around and do simple stuff.

Oh, but back to my post title!  Yeah, so freaking lazy!  I've given up on trying to ride him without a whip.  I have to either nag him or boot him, and I'd rather he not end up dead to leg.  A sharp tap with the whip is much much more efficient.

Lastly, I hosed him off for what I believe is the first time.  Gosh I love OTTBs.  They're so used to being hosed off that they completely ignore it.  Even when the spray got near his face he didn't react.  Such a good good boy!

But he's still a princess.  At this point, I'd say he goes by Princess 60% of the time, River 20%, and Riv 20%.