I RODE MY HORSE!!!!!!

Only for ten minutes, but it was TEN REALLY GREAT MINUTES!!!!

I am so happy.

 This morning, my wonderful friend J, who is a horse person and a vet student, came to the barn with me. She determined that Lex's eye was responding to light normally, which I thought it was, too. I had to be at the lesson barn before too long, but she talked me into tacking up and just seeing what happened. So I did! And what happened was fun.

Shiny!

She didn't act sore in the back at all (though I had one of those Roma pillow pads AND her new Equifit half pad, so I'm surprised she could feel my seat - we can't keep up that level of padding all the time). She was happy and relaxed and stretchy. She walked and trotted all over the ring, past all the jumps and stuff, and was just perfect. She really was. I can't wait to get on her again! Tomorrow I might just lunge her, but Thursday we'll definitely be under saddle again.

She also got a new fly mask. It looks, well...

You have GOT to be kidding me.

She looks like a beekeeper. Or like an old Southern gardener lady.

She hated the nose part SO MUCH. It was hilarious, she kept snorting really hard. Fortunately, the nose part is detachable and she doesn't have any white on her nose that needs to stay covered, but I was laughing so hard I couldn't get it off quickly. Poor tortured pony. But at least this mask will keep stuff off her eyes!

Here's a fun postscript. Mom got a video of Rocket bucking, apparently on command. Enjoy.