I rode Stella once over the weekend. It was a wonderful ride. I was so glad to have my stirrups at the correct length (At school, they want my stirrups jacked up even when I'm doing flatwork. It screws with my equitation and causes me a lot of hip and knee pain.), and I was especially glad to ride a "blessed beast" like my Stellaphone. Honestly, I've been spoiled by her. It's difficult to find a horse that moves quite like Stella. Her gaits are absolutely amazing, and I'm finally starting to appreciate them a little more.
We had a wonderful ride together. She's so soft, so perfectly responsive, so willing and happy... Oh, I could go on for days about how I love to ride Stella!
I did part of an around-the-world on Stella before letting myself slide off the off side. Stella looked at me as if she were saying, "Mom, mom! Why you riding me sideways? No, mom! That's backwards! Mom, that's sideways! Mom, mom, where'd you go?" She was fine, though; she didn't spook at all, even though I didn't expect her to. She also did some really nice leg yields to the left and right. I was really proud of her.
Stella and I also had a little play session with the measuring cane. I was taking a break in the lounge when I saw it hanging from the cabinet, and I had a great idea. I picked it up, ran out to Stella's stall waving the cane over my head, and went inside. Stella was really interested in the cane, and she kept trying to pick it up in her mouth and hold it. I rubbed it on her sides, tapped her legs, balanced it on her back, touched her belly, rubbed her face, put the handle on her poll, and finally dropped it on the ground. She only snorted when I dropped the cane, and she didn't care about anything else. I was so happy!
There's a costume contest at an upcoming horse show. I'm going to dress up like Dr. House, and Stella's going to be my patient :) I'm so excited.
We've already got a cane. I figure that I can wear my hunt coat as a dress jacket. I'm thinking about making a t-shirt with the show's title or a quote. I haven't decided yet whether I should wear jeans or khaki pants. I'll probably watch a few episodes and see which is more frequent. I can go to Wal-Mart and get some face paint this weekend, because I'm going to need some facial hair. I also need to experiment with my hair so I can tie it back in the best way possible. My mom has a stethoscope. Would it be inappropriate to bring an old prescription bottle filled with dinner mints and share "Vicodin" with my horse in a class full of little kids? Maybe, but sometimes it's fun to push boundaries ;)
For Stella, I went to a thrift store and bought some old bedsheets for two dollars. I also bought a tan piece of cloth that I can cut into a bandage shape and somehow attach to her rump. My mom said that she'll try to order the largest human hospital gown they sell. I guess we'll see if that fits her. It'd be really nice if I didn't have to sew too much. Hospital gowns aren't that expensive, either.
I can't wait to go home this weekend.
Oh, yeah, and I practiced with the cane this weekend. I also practiced leading Stella on the off side. Dr. House carries his cane in his right hand, even though his right leg is the one that's messed up. In order to be realistic, I've got to lead Stella with one hand on the wrong side. A bonus is that my "normal" limp is on the right side, so I don't have to practice that too much :D I can just pass on the ibuprofen the morning before the show.
Like I said, I can't wait. Come on, fall break!
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