I recently returned from a vacation in Arizona, where I spent some time teaching my brother’s brother-in-law, Simon, to ride my sister’s horse, Jak. It was a nice break from work, and the sun felt really good, but we got back later than expected and so on Tuesday afternoon I had only been back in… Read more »
trot
Another Great Ride
Today Brian and I headed for the barn in the afternoon. Lately Brian’s foot has been having issues, so he wanted to try some outdoor bareback work to avoid the stirrup. We set him up with his normal saddle pad underneath the bareback pad we bought a couple years ago and that set-up seemed to… Read more »
Mellow
Yesterday Steen and I did our own thing – something we’ve not actually done in a very long while. I headed out in the chill of the morning only after digging out some of my winter horse-riding gear. I found Steen in the pasture looking fluffy and comfortable. It was an unusually still day and… Read more »
New Pad
We had a couple of chilly, stormy days so Brian and I found the boys a bit hungry and dirty in the pasture. We decided to let them graze in the airlock while we groomed them. Steen apparently prefers the grass at the very edge of the fence line. After we got the worst of… Read more »
Oh the Wind Blows
We had a super windy day out here (and Brian and I were both pretty tired anyway), so we opted for a quick indoor bareback ride after work. We fetched our boys and brought them inside. Brian managed to mount from the ground. I had to employ the stepping stool (it’s possible I could haul… Read more »
Working the Strip
Today Brian and I headed out for our (soon to be) traditional Wednesday afternoon at the barn. The weather was again perfect. I had an easy start to the day when I found Steen up by the waterer, so I didn’t even have to hike out to the pasture to get him. The boys were… Read more »
A Perfect Ride
On Monday I almost didn’t go to the barn. I had a lot to do, and was feeling stressed. But… it was an absolutely perfect fall day – sunny but cool. I was so so so close to bailing (even had a text composed to Jean) but I rallied, told myself, “work will wait” and… Read more »
Resume
Yesterday I was sitting around kind of wasting my beautiful pre-work morning and I suddenly wondered, why am I not out riding my horse? It is funny how hard it can be to get back on track after the disruption of a pattern. My entire set of horse habits got chucked, by necessity, when we… Read more »
Back on Track
I headed out to the barn again this morning looking forward to the prospect of a nice ride. Once there, however, I began to doubt I would get one. Steen and the herd were way, way out at the end of the biggest pasture, and Steen didn’t seem at all disposed to come meet me… Read more »
Fall Rides
I’ve gotten in a few good rides this last week or so. Last Friday, Brian and I went to the barn in the evening. Brian is becoming more and more confident around the horses, and I think will soon start going out to ride on his own on Tuesdays and other days I don’t have… Read more »