Again today we weren't able to do too much work because I was at my house and only was able to go to the barn for an hour to feed and clean stalls so I only got to say hi and get a hug!

Today we didn't do all too much cause I wasn't feeling my greatest, but I did manage to take on and off her hood to check on her cuts and everything is looking good and she was very quiet for me taking off and putting back on her hood! She still always greets me when I walk past her stall-especially if I happen to have hay in my hand! I've noticed that she has started drinking more water recently which is good! She started out drinking about a half a bucket a day when she got here and now she's drinking the whole thing and then some! It's probably because I've been working with her a lot! 

Today Scarlett and I had some good fun! We lunged for a while, did really good going left, but we will need to work on the right a little bit more so she doesn't try to stop. She tricked me once into thinking she was stopping to poop-she even spread her legs and raised her tail a little the way she does- and then she just stood there and did nothing the silly goose! But of course we ended on a good note (she did mostly well the whole time, just tried to stop a couple of times) after trotting two full circles. I also think I need to just work with her more on the right because she doesn't like to pick up her right lead. I'll have my wonderful farrier/dentist check that out next week when he comes!After our work (we also worked on our showmanship-leading, stopping, backing, setting up, even a little turning) I tied her in the wash rack and (I hadn't planned to) ended up giving her her first mini-bath! I call it mini because I just rinsed her down, didn't used shampoo or conditioner.  She was really good and seemed to enjoy it as well! Afterwards, putting on her blanket and hoodie was basically a breeze! She was a very happy (and talkative as usual) girl to go to bed!

Today was a pretty good day even though I didn't see Scarlett till 9 pm! My sister decided to ride my mare while I worked with Scarlett so we used our separate halves of the arena for work. First I just tied Scarlett to the wall in the arena and let her watch Lindsey and Reba ride so I could help Lindsey(I also had to get on and fix a couple loose ends from the last few riders she's had) which was good for her because she really likes other horses and that got her to move around but she still didn't go too far. 

Then we started lunging. She started out really super good going to the left and she only tried to stop once or twice and after that she was totally fine. Now when we decided to go to the right however, she decided that she REALLY wanted to go and talk to Reba. so she would be galloping or trotting along and when we got toward the side Reba was on she decided to stop and pull back until we got closer to Reba and then I had to correct her and make her continue to go in her circle but she continued trying to go to Reba except at the very end she went two full circles trotting without stopping and I thought that was a good note to end on so I rewarded her by stopping! I never got frustrated with her because I understood that it was only her second time lunging and I thought she had done really well especially with the distraction of another horse! I'm sure that she can't wait until we move her pasture closer to the mares so that when she goes outside she can talk to them! I've found that she really really likes other horses-she kind of reminds me of our stud the way she wants to get up and talk to them so much! I think it's probably just weird for her because she was in a huge group setting and now she is all by herself in her stall and only gets glances at the other horses every once in a while right now. 

She was really good for me taking off and putting on her hood and blanket as well today! And finally her cut on her forehead is looking so so much better! I found a spray in our cabinet that is supposed to help heal scratches and other skin problems really fast and I sprayed it onto a cloth and wiped it on her cuts (I'm still working on getting her used to sprays-she isn't too sure about them yet!) and they're looking a ton better which made me real happy!

Today was another good day! Scarlett is now learning to lunge! She was doing really good at trotting and she would gallop for a while too! She's a little better at going left, but both directions are going well! She's doing pretty well  at keeping it round for the most part too, and she doesn't try to stop very often! I also decided that I am going to take off and put on her blanket and hood every day that I can. She's very good about letting me put it on, but sometimes it takes a little longer than it should putting her blanket on. Also she was tied up in the wash rack for a while and didn't even pull at all and I turned the horse on and washed all around her on the floor and even the walls so that she would get used to the noise and she was quite the good little lady! I may not get to see her tomorrow because of my sister's birthday party, so our friend Patti will come over and take care of the horses for me for the day, but I am going back on Sunday so we will have some fun! On Sunday I am also getting my friend's camera to take good quality pictures of us next week that I can send in for Young Rider! Every day with Scarlett gets better and better!

Today was a little busier than I had originally planned. I didn't get to give Scarlett her first bath yet, but, I DID get to put a hood on her for the first time and she was wonderful! I decided it was time for her to wear a hood because she has been rubbing her neck somehow, I think on her manger when she eats, and the rub was starting to get pretty bad so I decided she got to try wearing the hood to help stop that. I think the hood kind of makes her look like a super hero! I also emailed the editor at Young Rider Magazine about Scarlett and I and the program we are in and she said she is interested in doing an article about us which is very exciting!! I've enjoyed that magazine since I was like 12 and it'll be so amazing to be in it! I always wondered where they get their stories and now hopefully it works out that we will be one! I thought it would be good publicity for the program and great to share the opportunity with more youths around the country! Scarlett was pretty happy over all yesterday cause she got to be outside a lot and then we played for a while in the arena and she also got to have some fun time with Melanie while I went to the neighbors to help load their horse! It was a good day. Also shoutout to my sister Lindsey as it is her BIRTHDAY!

Today Scarlett and I got to have some fun! I didn't have too much time to spend with her but I made the most of it! I went down and got her out and we went right into the wash rack and practiced our tying again for about 35 minutes. She tugged again for a while but not too long. Then after she was settled down I turned on the hose and sprayed it on the ground and around her feet to let her see it and feel it. She pulled again and tried to get out of it but lucky for her I did a darn good job tying the rope there the other day! I was a little worried about her pulling after I got the floor wet but I was quickly relieved to see the the floor was not at all slippery thanks to the rubber mats. Then she got to enjoy me brushing her down real well for 12 minutes or so, and she LOVES being brushed. She just stands there like a doll and soaks it in. I think that depending on how tomorrow pans out I just MIGHT give her her first bath! I'm also hoping to work on her lunging, but we will see how much we do! Don't want to overwhelm her! We will take things slow!

Today was a super day for training! Scarlett and I worked more on our tying! I've found that she is totally fine in the arena because there is a lot of space and she isn't cornered, but she doesn't like our wash rack because there are two walls and she thinks she is boxed in. I wasn't 'happy' to see her struggling and trying to get out of the tie in the wash rack but I was please to see her improvements; she will tug on it and try to get out for a while but she pretty quickly will settle down and be all right-especially if I come in and brush her. She really loves being played with. I braided her mane and tail and she does look adorable if I do say so myself!

Today I didn't get to see Scarlett until around 4:30, but when I got to my gramma's to see her I took her on a walk down the road with my sisters and she was wonderful! She felt pretty good because she hadn't been outside for a few days since I was gone but she walked next to me really well and liked trotting a bit to catch up to my sisters! I could tell she missed me and the attention I give her because she whinnied and whinnied and was very happy to see me when I got there! Then later at night I went back down and just sat in her stall with her because I was awake and I just chatted with her for a while! She was trying to figure out what I was doing in her stall on the

Scarlett was good today and she had a lot of visitors! She was really good for letting my small 6-year-old cousin come in and give her hugs and kisses and say hi. She is a sweet little thing! She always enjoys it when I lead her in the arena a turn her out in her nice grassy pasture with some hay! She also likes when I bring her in to her warm clean stall for bed!