Trails were lovely today and the sun was shining. Our trail buddy was very tolerant of trotting up his butt, as I had little control with my phone in hand. I was lucky to not drop my gloves or phone in my filming sequences.
Riding is down ⬇️ Dog training is ⬆️. Our little bichon puppy is now 10 months old and is a confirmed lap dog, but also a certified trick dog, and novice in scent tracking, agility (no jumping), and has started swimming lessons. We have definitely double downed on lessons and training at home. As a result, its been harder to fit in the riding and the worsened commute to the barn (now 2.5/3hrs round trip) as a result of road construction. But when I show up, Q is happy to provide kisses and look for carrots. He has been a good egg in my 1-2x a week habit. Big changes have happened at the barn where resident trainer was kicked out and we went to a coop style management, with double the turnout. Everyone seems happier. What hasn’t changed is how Q continues to be my greatest muse. He makes me giggle and happy cry almost every ride (when solo). There is just an incredible emotional resonance with this horse. Such joy. The gross hot weather of the summer now seems to be over, and Im hopeful...
It was not the plan. I was supposed to go on a trail alone to get to section 1 and capture some media of our long sandy galloping tracks through the forest. It was a beautiful day with warm sunny weather and a gentle breeze. The bugs were out, but with my ultrashield fly spray and bonnet, Q and I were well covered. Our fearless leader asked if I wanted to tag along on a small group ride in the afternoon. A group of ladies I knew well and had great respect for their riding abilities. A group I could have fun with, go fast, and not have a single worry. I thanked her but declined, saying I was planning on a longer trail further out. As it was my first day of vacation, I was slow to get ready and just enjoying the slow roll. I took my time grooming Q, while he parked himself in the aisle "naked". Can you believe he is actually better behaved without restraints? Otherwise, he can get fidgety and paw. Finally I decided to join the group, postponing my solo adventure to ano...
Shortly after my last post we picked up the newest member of our family, a 9 week old female Bichon Havanese. The last 6 weeks have been a whirlwind of potty training, chewing, accidents, and incredible joy. Oh, and sleepless nights. Riding has been on the backburner, but trails have been bad with all ice and no snow. So I haven’t missed much. The few times I tried to ride, Q made it clear that he expects more attention if I want him to behave. So Ive been trying (somewhat unsuccessfully) to string together 3 days in a row of lunging, training, riding … but sometimes with our poor sleeping schedule I just dont have the energy for the 2 hour drive plus barn stuff. So I nap. And puppy naps too. I just found out recently she needs 20 hours a day of naps. Otherwise she gets cranky. 😂
Gathering from the blogland, this oppressive heat is becoming an issue all over the world. Except Chile. There they have snow! We have had several days in a row this last week where the heat has been sizzling with a humidex near 40C. In the barn we all wear masks now, even the crew that cleans 40+ stalls a day and manages turnouts. No air conditioning for them. It is atrocious. As a result I have been spending minimum time in the barn because of the mask requirement and oppressive heat. This week I had to clean my tack locker of mice debris (they got into my apple snax and littered crumbs all over) and the hour of scrubbing and shifting things around left me panting. I did get in a few quiet rides with M this week where she has started cantering, but we mostly walked. The woods, even in this heat wave, are a cool and soothing place. Now if only my horse could magically tack himself. And the blackberries are getting mature, so we have started picking them from horseback. I had the brigh...
It was a lovely day at Spruce Meadows and it turns out that our 5$ rush entrance gave us a good spot to see the CP International (first place wins 1M$). We locked in to a cute terrace on the north side with easy access to washrooms, hot tea and soup. As the weather cooled, that was a good thing. It also turned out to be a great spot to watch a technical hairpin turn from a triple to a skinny that left many riders knocking rails. At one point it almost felt that every rider I took a picture of was jinxed. But then the final riders appeared in the large group of 50, and the clear rounds started multiplying. Of course everyone was rooting for homeboy Eric Lamaze, who despite his brain tumour is doing great and had won the Suncor cup the previous day. But Beezie Madden took the CP International cup, and 1M$ Cdn, with a fast clear round in the jump off with chunky stallion Darry Lou. It seems like Darry Lou is not too good with people and standing around so he got to go back to his...
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