Frisky horses!

I drove up to the horse ranch early Sunday morning.  Frankly, I was too tired to go ANYWHERE on Saturday.  I actually stayed in my pajamas ALL DAY!  That's pretty unusual for me, but after dealing with this year's group of kids, I'm finding that I just collapse on Saturdays and pretty much just stay home.  So, that only gives me Sunday to go visit my horses.  We don't own the ranch.  It is owned by a lovely couple, Bill and Cathy, who own several horses themselves.  Their horses are purebred Peruvian Pasos and most years you can see them in the Rose Parade.  For some reason, however, last year, they didn't get their paperwork in on time and they weren't in the parade.  They currently have 3 mares in foal this year, after several years when they didn't breed any of their horses.  My horses, all rescues, are not show horses (obviously, since I know NOTHING about showing a horse, nor do I want to do that!)  I just want my horses to be happy and healthy.  PERIOD.  Three of them are in training to be ridden.  Quad has been ridden, but isn't cooperating with my trainer, who comes once a week.  Frankly, I think he's just TIRED from being on the track.  We aren't pushing him.  He's a little too clumsy anyway for trail work.  Scout would be perfect, but there isn't ANY of us willing to get on her!  She's too headstrong...sigh...I need a teenager to get on her the first time!  Sunni?  FORGETABOUTIT!!!  He's too scared and I'm afraid he would panic with me on him and take off...he is basically just my buddy.  So, when Lucille's owner bailed on her board and was 6 months behind, I offered to take Lucille.  She's a BIG GIRL!  She's 1/2 draft and 1/2 Tennessee Walker, but she is very CALM.  I can ride her and I have now, 3 times!  :-)  My trainer rides her every week, just to get her back into shape.  So, Sunday I first let Sunni out into the arena, since he usually doesn't get much time with my trainer.  After lunging him and him following me around for a while, he went and rolled and then took off!  :-)  It's good to see him get his "yayas" out!  Next, it was Lucille's turn.  No, I don't EVER put two horses in the arena together.  I used to do it with Cali and Scout, since they were herd mates and they were fine.  I also used to do it with Sunni and Beauty (RIP).  But, then Cathy told me how her cousin once put a mare and gelding together and the gelding went after her mare and the mare broke her leg and had to be put down.  Uh, yeah...none of that for me!  So, I only do one horse at a time in the arena.  I always try to get Lucille down there because she does need to build up her muscles.  So, I lunged her (very easy to do!) and then told her, "OK, you can go!" and she self-exercised.  Both horses enjoyed their turn in the arena and it was a beautiful day up at the ranch.  I'm glad we all had an extra day this weekend.  Yesterday I trimmed tree branches (thanks, Al...you got me started) at home and filled up two of our HUGE green trash containers with the debris.  Today we have a staff development day (no students), so it is really like another day off!   :-)  The first 3 show Sunni and the bottom 3 are Lucille, my riding horse.  We think she is about 14 years old.  I never got Gigondas out...she's my big red thoroughbred mare...But, my trainer is coming today and they will all have another chance for some training and exercise.