Catching up

It's been a busy couple of weeks here. Emma and Charlie cat are settling in and seem to be just as happy as we are in their new abode:

Last weekend Dan and had a great time up in NJ for a college friend's wedding. Then this past weekend we spent a night at Dan's aunt's shore house in NJ before heading to RI for an awesome BBQ weekend at Kate's...with a bouncy castle! It was so nice to hang out with my horsey friends from up there :)

Lavallette beach:

BBQ and bouncy castle:

Cake balls!

In between all of this I've been riding Charlie with my mom and friends to get him used to the roads and trails. He has been unbelievably amazing! I can't get over it :) He routinely is not only ok with leading the way into unknown areas but he actually wants to lead (although he's also ok with following). I had no idea how he'd be with traffic, as I don't know his previous experience with that sort of thing, but we've been passed by bikes, cars and even big trucks and he barely flips an ear. Several times we've come across rambunctious dogs without any issue; the only day we had a decent spook was trash day when the wind picked up an empty milk jug and threw it  at Charlie's feet right as a big dog bounded by in the yard, but that's an unfair situation so it doesn't count. 

The other day some kids were even playing with foghorns and Charlie and Gi both walked by without incident. I'm so unbelievably proud of him :) We have yet to encounter a horse and buggy, which historically is the scariest thing for horses to meet on the road, but Connie says when they pass her house Charlie will run to the fence to watch so I'm hoping they won't be too big of an issue. 

Here are a few pictures, sorry for the blur. That's Charlie leading the way in the park across the street and Mom following on Poppy. 

Charlie and Judy :)

We still have some work to do on hills so Charlie learns how to sit on his butt (he's tentative about going down right now) but that will come. I also have to have him reshod with some borium shoes so he has more grip on the roads. Still, we've been able to walk, trot, and canter like a gentleman...and all with no noseband (in order to avoid his injury). 

Speaking of that it's healing really well! The stitches are almost all dissolved now and the hair is starting to grow back. Of course Charlie is making a point of pushing Gi around so that he always ends up with a retaliatory bite in one place or another that needs the neosporin even when his nose does not. :P

Here's the best picture I could get of his nose (if he has his head up he's trying to nuzzle my face which doesn't work well for picture-taking). Looking good! 

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention this was right after he decided to break his new halter rubbing on the hitching post. Silly pony.