The New Arena...

It's official. We have the nicest arena in all of Utah.

It has poured rain for days...DAYS!!!! And there's not a single puddle, soft spot or hole in the entire 14,000 square feet. We've ridden in it, in the rain, even, and it's just lovely. The footing is hard enough that the horses feel confident to push and to lift their backs. And it's springy enough that they are more 'up' than they've ever been. And they pure unadulterated joy of being able to make a circle and know that no one will be doing a sliding stop right on your line is... Well... Priceless.

I built a drag, and it works fabulously, if I do say so myself. It's so wonderful to know that not only did you do it right, but you have the right tools to keep it that way. Mostly, we just have fun, riding, and then dragging and making it absolutely perfect again.

In other news, our four 'new' chickens, which a generous friend gave us, are growing back all their feathers. Their dreadful condition has us thinking maybe we don't want a rooster. There are few things more horrible looking than a hen that's been tormented by roosters. Apparently, the problem is that the old owners had too many roosters. But I think maybe we just don't need one. That sounds kind of sexist maybe, but you should see these hens! They don't even look like the same species as our fat, healthy, happy 'ladies'! They have all raw, red skin all over their backs, and where our chickens have fluffy (and somehow hysterical) skirts, they are bedraggled and pathetic. And they run from EVERYthing. But they are gradually figuring out that they've stumbled into the good life!

Our boarders have been helping with the fence work, and I've been teaching them to use a drill, and a pneumatic hammer. They are definitely out of their comfort zone, but want to bring their horses this week, so they are learning to be a little brave. Jo and Shaunna are both much older, and this whole idea that they can be handy is new to them. It was cute to see Shaunna grin with pride and cheer today when she overcame her fear and used the pneumatic hammer. You go, girl!