Training has come to a screeching halt! Topaz managed to get ringworm, ugh!! The vet said she could have gotten it from a cat, dog, deer, or just about anywhere. I can't touch her without gloves. I have bathed her twice in a sulphur solution with one more time to go. After I bathe her all equipment goes in a bleach solution. I have been dodging her inquisitive nose going on 2 weeks. This weekend she will be out of "quarantine" I think I missed the affection more than her but who knows for sure. The one positive is that Topaz does really well when I douse her using a sponge. I can even get her ears! The rotten egg smell doesn't seem to bother her at all. I do have to keep her from sticking her nose in the bucket. The first bath she stuck her head in the bucket when my back was turned. I think she must have gotten some in her mouth because she went to the water trough and rinsed her mouth out about 5 times! The only thing is she kept going back to stick her nose in again! Maybe she just couldn't believe that a bucket could hold something that bad! I'm anxious to get back to her training which should be on the 29th.

I'm not sure what happened to September! It's already Oct.4! Work has been keeping me very busy and won't let up until Nov. I'm still not as far along riding as I would like to be. I have backed off on riding her & am working on other ways to train her. Topaz lines up along my mounting "stand" very well so I thought it would be good to have her learn to line up in the opposite direction. In my mind a good command would be reverse because I want her to reverse her position. On Sunday Sept. 26 I decided to start training this. After 1 session I felt that she understood what I was asking. Monday evening she reversed her position when I asked her to. I was amazed! The rest of the week I didn't have time to do anything. I leave before light and get home after dark. Friday I had some quality time with her & I concentrated on the saddle. Getting her to line up & reverse with the saddle on took a couple of tries but it worked. Then Sunday evening I went over the corral panels & she immediately lined up with out a command! I then told her reverse so she did. Then another reverse when asked! I think Topaz REALLY wanted the apple pieces I had for her!! She is definitely food oriented. Call her anything but late for dinner!!