It’s been my worst winter yet in Iowa as far as riding is concerned, but today Brian got off work early and we decided to go try to get a quality visit in with Bear and Steen. They are both looking good, though the winter is here in earnest and we’ve experienced some harsh temps. Steen is a nice healthy weight under his blanket in spite of the fact that I’ve stopped supplementing his diet entirely. It’s a huge relief not to have to worry about him so much.
We found our two fellas dozing in the sun, and Steen remained pretty chill throughout our time indoors. I pulled his blanket off, put his saddle on and rode for about half an hour, walking around the arena while Brian and Bear did groundwork. I was pleased that Steen was quiet and fairly attentive, so I didn’t push him since this was our first ride in several weeks.
Bear and Brian also had a good session. Brian is working on asserting himself more and he seemed to get some increased responsiveness out of Bear. Bear is looking good, too. He’s lost some of his fitness from the summer, but his tummy, while large, has not continued to grow. So, if we can get him back on a regular exercise routine I think he’ll shape up again.
So, although I don’t really believe in New Year’s resolutions, I’m hoping I can get back in a better riding groove now that the holidays are behind us. I’m going to keep track of my riding hours this year, so:
Horseback Hours YTD: 0:30
Good luck with your riding goals. 🙂
It's been such a nice winter week – work has really put a damper in my riding! Would have loved to have been out this afternoon (40* here). Looks like a cold front coming in this weekend.
Steen looks great. So does Bear – looks like he's an easy keeper.