2/1/2020–Snaffle and English saddle. Road ride, approximately 6.5 miles
The mileage on today’s ride is about two miles more than we’ve been doing in the field, but somebody is clearly not just fat but fit. We had unseasonably warm temperatures and the pasture was water over ice, so I opted for the road. Mocha was immediately energized…boy, was she ever energized. It’s been several months since we’ve gone down the road, it felt like March instead of February, and we had a steep rise in temperature followed by (tonight) a swift drop.
Of course, this meant that once we were on the gravel road, there were Many Scary Things. Lots and lots of Scary Things. Then again, she was already UP, as characterized by her sticking her nose into an empty tub of vitamin mix by the pasture gate (something she has seen many times before, and licked mix out of herself) and snorting that deep, roller snort that means This Eats Horses, Be Alert. I was rolling my eyes because she had her nose deep inside the Scary Blue Thing, but also fully aware that it was going to be A Ride.
Which it was. We ended up making many circles in certain places because she wanted to be silly. Some were understandable and others were being reactive for reactiveness’s sake. Luckily the gravel roads are sufficiently soft that we could trot and canter in stretches, as well as work schooling figures. The bowtie pattern is one where she’s clearly starting to settle into as relaxing…yay.
So. Eleven rides in January, one an indoor ride, ten outdoor with schooling. We’ve been able to work at all three gaits. Mocha’s demonstrating energy and a certain degree of fitness, which makes me wonder if she just needed to put on that extra fifty pounds, at least for winter. I lost about a week and a half due to being sick the first part of the month. Not sure if I’m going to get many more rides in during February than I did in January. Besides weather weirdness, I have a bazaar that will eat up two days, a science fiction convention, and a quick trip to Portland. But we shall see.
