And Simon was a treat! He was saying "If I do this or that will I hear a CLICK??? " . Lilly watches as Loony stands in his stall.

Loony gets a trimming from Trudy .... she hasn't seen him for a long while, since he wasn't here. He's doing nicely and seems to have remembered how to act ... mostly (OK, he's from an Alpha)

And then he revisits more lead-line work. MiHa, a cousin of Simons I guess, is insanely jealous because she used to get to graze there.  Zakat, an Ovcharka LGD, is watching intently to make sure Simon does not do anything that might seem harmful. (? to me; the environment; the aliens? who knows what the LGD thinks)

Simon revisits trailer loading

And Simon enjoys being hosed off. It's currently 91 degrees.

Loony, as before, loves to play in the water , as he stares towards MiHa ...

Simon remembers and ignores the distraction a year later! Good Thoroughbred, as he drags ropes and such.

refreshing the idea of getting used to many strange ideas ... Loony does too well .. he plays with the hoops.

When I ignored him, he turned around to "touch" the saddle as he was taught over a year ago. Another good Thoroughbred !

Loony, with cinched saddle for the first time.  it was difficult to take a picture because he follows me everywhere.

... few days later and Simon is walking around with his saddle cinched. Aug 01

Simon and Lilly discussing Clover, I guess. Aug

Finally Loony gets my permission to try the openness of a paddock for a few hours. On the second day, his play-period is still going as it did the previous day.

From the right: MiHa, Simon, Loony. Each did absolutely wonderfully being led, individually, in a severe thunderstorm to the temporary barn, high-ground. The National Wx Svc had just issued a Flash Flood Warning for the County. Prudence dictated we move though no flooding occurred. It turned out to be a wonderful training exercise for the three which will prove invaluable in years to come at the track.

He is enjoying himself,  I'll admit to that.

Loony and MiHa enjoying the shade and breeze on a mid-July day.  This, as I said, is Loony's forest day out.  It's the "test case" exam for him.  He's approached me several times already.

what's in your wallet? ((placeholder))

And a few days later,  I test Simon knowing that MiHa and Pirate have substantially calmed down. It may be that they are now regular horses, so to speak.  The newspaper people and I walked out in and around them.  They ran up to get scratches on the neck ... yup ,,, a lot of work but they are getting to be funny-acting little pasture buddies who run to see what we might be doing.