Hi everyone!  It’s Ike again.  I’ve taken over the blog for the day.  It is hard to believe that I’ve been in Virginia for almost a year now.  Mom says that our one year anniversary will be on August 10th.  I’m not sure how we will celebrate, but I have told her that I would like an air conditioner for my stall as an anniversary gift.  It was hot in Florida before I moved here, but this Virginia heat is brutal.  How can anyone be expected to do anything outside when the temperature is over 100 degrees day after day?

I have learned to recognize the sound of Mom’s car.  It makes me very happy when she comes to see me.  She waved when she got out of the car.  I made sure that she knew I wanted her attention as soon as she arrived at the barn.  I ran to the gate to wait for her.  Do you know that she had the nerve to stop and visit with my brother BEFORE she came to get me?  I started pacing and running faster and faster – that made her get a move on and rescue me from the sun.

I was grateful that Mom hosed me down before we went into the barn.  The cold well water feels really nice.  I was hoping that we’d just visit today, but when I saw the grooming stuff come out, I knew that she was going to put me to work.  Shucks, I really just wanted to eat that nice timothy hay in the corner of my stall.  Luckily Mom was kind and only made me work for 20 minutes.  I think she is a bit of a wimp in this heat.  She kept complaining about the sweat in her eyes and on her glasses.  I was a trooper and didn’t even put up a fuss today.  I knew that the more cooperative I was, the sooner we’d be done.  I nailed my canter transitions today and worked hard to keep my balance on the circles and in the down transitions.  Mom is doing a better job with her aids and helping me stay balanced.  They tell me that my topline is getting more developed and that will help my work.  Since I don’t know what a topline is, I will guess that it is a good thing.

Mom took my saddle off right outside the barn and hosed me down right after we finished.  I really just wanted to get back into the barn so I was a bit fidgety.  I guess I was standing too close to that mean chestnut mare because she squealed really loudly and pinned her ears at me.  Mom yelled at her to be nice, but she just gave Mom a mean look.  Man, she is a moody girl.  I still don’t understand why she doesn’t like me.

Mom took this photo right after she rode…That was some serious heat and it was only 11:00 in the morning.  Glad that she left me in my stall with the fan running.  Now I can enjoy that hay that’s calling my name.  Stay cool everyone!