Cob Jockey

When I got to the barn last night, I realized I'd forgotten my bridle at home.  I thought I might lunge instead, and then I saw my mud-covered, hairy, dirty, possibly feral horse:

Who you calling feral?

And remembered suddenly that The Clinic is one week from today.  Honestly with all of this new job stuff, I hadn't forgotten it was coming up, but I had forgotten it was so close.

Ombre highlights?  Nope, just mud on flaxen.

And I thought...maybe taking the night off to do some grooming isn't such a bad idea.

Just...how do they even do this?

Since they'll be in the rest of the week thanks to:

Deeeeeelightful.

I judged that it wasn't a total waste of time to do a first pass on feathers and tail.  So we did that and some mane pulling. 

Unfortunately there's nothing I can do about him looking like a moth-eaten mottled half-seal brown/half chestnut whatever he is right now as his summer coat starts to come in just the tiniest bit:

Or if you DO know of something I can do to make this look better, holla.  Wish he still looked like this:

This was good.

I also started to pull his mane.


It's not the last big grooming we'll do before next week, but we had to start somewhere as we come out of winter hibernation!

It's been so warm here this week (it hit 50!) that I let Connor go out with just a sheet and no neck rug.  Partially, I wanted to see if his mane would stay over on one side with it (it did - success!).  He had a really good time wearing less clothing, apparently:

Completely even mud coverage.

Upon closer inspection, there was still bits of grass on his head:


And he apparently also slept in the round bale at some point:


So we had to fix all of that before my ride.  I'm becoming weirdly attached to grooming these days, and for someone who, in the past, has just groomed where the saddle and girth went and called it good, that's strange.  Maybe it's an age thing.

That mane is killing me, but I'm going to let it keep going for a while longer.  Maybe.  I want it to be all on one side more than I want it to be show ring short right now.

Ahhhhhhh I'm so sorry it looks so bad.

Due to the arrival of a new horse at the barn, Connor is now getting turned out with T, who was gelded last summer but has still been on private turnout for a while.  He's a sweet Lusitano with a serious heart of gold who loves ponies and loves to play.  Jackpot!  My normal loner pony has been replaced with this social creature:



...which results in this:



I see some shredded blankets in my future, but they're so happy together, I don't mind too much.