Here is a photo and video from late summer when Violet receives treats straight from my garden! She's a carrot lover. Okay, so how do I even comment on what a wonderful mare she's become. At her vet appointment on August 30, 2011, Dr. Zimmerman said that she looked great that she was a good-looking mare. And she did look buff and muscled and trim and substantial and glowing and wonderful. And this summer, she's become so obliging about jumping courses with bending lines, diagonals, multiple overs, rollbacks, and bounces. And she's great at exercises which expect that she changes leads over fences. For example, I'm writing this entry on Friday, September 9th and just yesterday, in our Thursday lesson, we had to jump three fences set in a staggered serpentine. We had to take four separate leads with three changes. And what did Violet do. She picked up her first lead, took a long leisurely well-paced canter to the first jump, changed her lead and rolled back to the second fence, gave a change over that fence and turned neatly to the third and then changed her lead again and cantered a smooth circle to a smooth trot. It was breathtaking. Quiet, sweet, athletic. I am so lucky to be part of Team Tenderness!