This is where the magic happens on a regular basis. So many beautiful trails from wide and sandy, to narrow and winding. Plenty of spaces to trot and canter and five ravines with little creeks at the bottom where the horses can sometimes drink. 95% of my trails happen in this section.
It was a stinking hot day so I came prepared with water bottle.
Double wide trails with trees growing in the median.
Crazy as it seems, Im often alone on these trails rarely seeing another rider, jogger, or dogwalker. Occasionally we see foxes, deer, goshawks, wild turkeys, and owls. Some have also seen coyotes.
Some of the trails are narrow and windy, shaded from the sun.
Some of the trails are great for long canters or fast trots.
These trails are shared in the winter time with cross country skiers and snowshoers. Each sport has their own trail, and so the riders lose about 50% of the trails in section 2 from November to April. I dont mind, as it helps me better appreciate the trails when we get them back in the summer. The winter trails are groomed with machinery and are accessible all the time, even for my barefoot Q. We only stay in during the ice storms.
Our barn is smack in the middle of section 2 with the best trail access in the whole region. We always have tons of options for 20-30-40-90 minute trails that keep us close to home. So many loops, so many choices. The challenge of course is getting motivated to go on the trails that are further from home.
Boy does it make a difference to ride a few days in a row! Q was an absolute delight today, trotting and cantering on the buckle until ... until I would ask for a walk. He gave me a forward rocking canter and was hoof perfect in some of the less-than-perfect footing. I continue to be amazed at how steady he is with uneven footing. If I were ready to devote more hours I would consider doing some short distance competitive trail rides because his endurance is outstanding. Instead I will just enjoy him for myself. Today was the day before the Noreaster blows in with a “wintery mix” which means we might lose our powdery fluff to treacherous ice. As I have no plans of putting winter shoes, that means we will likely be condemned to the indoor arena for ... maybe a week or two? Fingers crossed that the weather pattern skips right over us. So we had to make the most of today, and that we did. Two hours of mostly trotting and cantering with our buddy B and his awesome TB gelding. The patt...
Annual Trail Rides: 52/200 Well that was interesting! We are in the shoulder season of winter/spring, where trail conditions change by the day and hour. I have managed to sneak in a few extra rides this week despite the general icy conditions in the forest. I also finished Considering the Horse, and Im anxious to start my next Rashid book. After my last challenging ride on Q, where he released the dragon on the way home, I thought about my own reactions. Rashid, in pure zen/martial artist fashion, is a big believer in not letting your context (or your horse) drive your actions. Unfortunately, when pressed between a saddle and a tree, I became a bit too sharp and anxious in my reactions ... or the Rashid equivalent of micro-management and emotional reactivity. So the following day, I tried again, but just SLOWED IT DOWN. Everything soft. Everything slow. And lo and behold, so was my horse! He was literally an old cow pony. Soft, thoughtful, slow ... wise. Things that make you go hmmm. S...
Annual Trail Rides : 148/200 (Bareback 10/12) Ive been wanting to do this for a long time. Ive been amping up my speed on trail quite intentionally, being more consistent with canter departs, lead changes, and transitions. Ive also been working on much longer canter stretches, pushing my endurance and managing my breath. The result is that Q has now defaulted to a lovely cadenced canter on trail for long consistent stretches, while I have dropped all contact and sit on the buckle. Which helped introduce two bucket list items: 1) cantering downhill (Im so fearful of tripping hazards since my last horse was a daisy-cutter) 2) I managed to film a long sequence with my phone while cantering on the buckle Talk about trust! The small clip is below. Ive also been spending consistent time with my horse loose grazing under the power lines after a ride and bath. He loves it because his turnout is in a dry paddock! And recently he has been coming to graze next to me, while I sit in the grass...
We had a mild sunny day yesterday and it was just enough to melt some of the ice and make for a lovely ride. It was a slow roll but a lovely break in the monotony of arena work. I have been worrying about my newest bit lately as Q seems to detest it (constantly mouthing) and Im working in more contact. As those things do not go well together, I was able to borrow another bit from a fellow boarder and it was quickly adopted by Q. It is the Myler comfort snaffle. We did not work with the bit yet, just went for a quiet walking trail on the buckle. But I am looking forward to our Saturday drill practice to see if Q still likes it with contact. He has such a small sensitive mouth with delicate bars and it’s hard to know which type of bit will give him the right relief, me the right brakes, and keep us connected on those few times I ask him to take the contact. Copper, loose ring, thickness, double or triple jointed. Too many choices. Fingers crossed the myler works well in t...
What a pleasure to spend the morning picking berries with my mom. The blueberries were not yet ripe, but the blackberries were starting to ripen. It was hard to see them from the trails but once we went through the thorny bushes they started to appear. Pickings were still a bit slim, and many of the fruits were a bit small. But we will go out two more times over the next two weeks and hope for more abundance. These babies were hiding behind some bushes My mom is 81 years young and still a firecracker. Although she stopped riding a few years ago, she still volunteers twice a week at the local horse rescue doing chores ... even stacking hay!!! Here is a picture of us on our palominos dressed up for the western pleasure pairs class. It was a hoot of a time, with tons of trail riding and the occasional shows. On trail, we enjoyed the nickname of the golden ghosts as we trotted and cantered through the forest. Mom & I on Mare & Son Things changed a while ago, and bot...
honestly, you make me want to move to Quebec!!!!!
ReplyDeleteLa belle province!
ReplyDelete