As much as I learn from people on a regular basis, it is always somehow the horse that provides the ultimate wisdom in the moment the lesson really solidifies. Two rides on Nevada I thought I had a great ride on Nevada last Saturday, but Sunday’s left it in the dust. Nevada and I had… Read more »
spook
Warm October
We’ve had an uncharacteristically balmy fall. While the horses did come off the pasture a couple weeks ago, we have yet to have a hard freeze. This is pretty unusual for this late in the season. I won’t complain about the mild temps. Unfortunately, work always really picks up for me this time of year,… Read more »
The Never-Ending Winter
This afternoon found me racing a storm to the barn. Tempts were plummeting, and the clouds were gathering and darkening in my rearview mirror. By the time I parked my car, sleet was starting to spit and the wind carried an edge. I hauled three blankets and two halters to the airlock. I left the… Read more »
Repeat
We had so much fun on yesterday’s ride we decided to more or less repeat it today. It has been too long since we got out and about, so doing the same thing over again was not a drag at all. I had ridden Bear a few times in a row, so it was my… Read more »
What Didn’t Happen
Brian and I seem to have developed a not particularly wonderful habit of having riding accidents in the fall. It started the year we got Bear – 2010. I had a horrible crash on Halloween. Then Brian came off hard our very next ride. I suffered a concussion and Brian’s shoulder bothered him for months.… Read more »
More Group Riding
Sunday we hit the trails as a foursome again. There was the possibility of it being a much bigger group, but this size felt nice. One of our friends came with us for the first time. She was on her older, gray Arabian, and they were great. We couldn’t do sections of what has become… Read more »
Some Good Hours
Saturday we got invited on a little trail-riding expedition. We headed out in the morning. It was a group of six horses and riders: 3 paints, 3 quarter-horses. Which is actually kind of funny because the breed selection of at our barn is fairly diverse. Unrepresented breeds include Arab, American Showhorse, Saddlebred, Warmblood, Applaoosa, Thoroughbred… Read more »
I’m So Hot!!
Today got up into the 70s. It felt nice to have less clothes on going to the barn. And I really enjoyed the sun on my forearms. Bear didn’t seem as thrilled as I was. He was hot, tired, and probably a little hungry. We also rode outside, and that seemed to lead to some… Read more »
Sixty
Today is the second to last day of January and it was 60 degrees. That is nearly twice what the average temps are. Very odd. But not unwelcome. If we had a ton of snow, I would have been disappointed. But we had just enough snow that the warm temps melted it all and turned… Read more »
A Sluggish Sunday
Sometimes I can get a little tired on weekend days. I think I end up sitting around a little too much and drinking coffee longer than I should. Usually getting out in the fresh air gets me going again, but it didn’t today, despite the gorgeous weather. It was just like yesterday, only not quite… Read more »