Trace the spine

There's not a whole lot to report. It's been disgustingly hot out recently, and particularly humid. I personally cannot tolerate such weather even if it is acceptably within the season, but this? Oi. Toler has been pretty miserable about it. He's naked outside (no fly sheet), and I was an awful two-legger and forgot to take his box fan out right away.

See, Toler's such a big guy he gets a box fan for his stall in the summer. He has one of the cooler stalls in the barn, but he still needs the fan. And he LOVES his fan.

Matter of fact, as soon as that fan gets switched on, Toler presses his rump against the stall door in front of it, and lets the air travel up his back. (Pretty good taste, really. Nothing better than cool air tracing your hot spine, right?) He prefers it that way, though on occasion he will stand with his face in the airstream.

Anyway. I did finally take his fan out and put it on his door with bungee cords. Toler, just in (and sweaty) from the paddock, immediately assumes his position as I turn it on high. Toler was so excited he had to put his head over the wall and share his news with his neighbor via a playful nip on the neck (who was slightly less enthused).

The heat has meant I haven't done much of anything with him since last Saturday. Tuesday, after putting up his fan, I did do some free jumping with him, though he was a complete dork about it. He knew it was too hot for me to want to run down the line with him, so he would carefully cut the corner of approach off, making me stand there to keep him aligned, then would skip the last jump because he knew I couldn't race down there in time. He was very pleased with himself.

It should cool down soon, though. Yay for riding weather!