Colours in my life

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Misty ride with my unicorn

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It was a rainy day, but I decided to get out in the woods despite my regular companions abandoning me. I do enjoy a solo ride just the same, and chose to put on the bareback pad for a quiet amble. I also switched back to my bit bridle with a slightly bigger snaffle which doesn’t pinch Qs lips. Although I enjoyed my hackamore rides, I felt that it was hard to not put pressure on his nose (and create a rub or indent) and I also felt he was starting to disrespect it on our last ride when my buddy and I practiced side-by-side canter on the way home. Ok, maybe that was an unfair test. Anyways, we had a lovely ride in the woods heavy with fog, and lots of sprouting mushrooms. Q was a gem, and I feel he does a good job of protecting me when Im bareback. He got tense when he felt a deer nearby, and did a bit of a scoot when there was some new tires lying about, but he was quite cautious of not unseating me. Things are good. Im riding 3-4 times a week, logging about 40-50 km...
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Spring sillies, and back again

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These last few weeks were rough. Flu, ice storm, power outage, work … meant I had little time for barn visits or riding. I tried to ride last week but met a bolting demon instead. I chose safety first and walked home instead. I let Q run around in the indoor arena but that ended up as a big fail as he skirted the big lake at one end bucking and leaping, until he tripped and flipped over with his saddle on his back. A big gash was opened over his eye.  I tried to lunge in the limited space left, and I managed to get some of his energy out. I handwalked on the street and on some of the trails. And then today, miracle of miracles, I got my quiet trail horse back and we went out to enjoy some slushy fun in the forest. I probably have only ridden once or twice this last month, and its a joy to enjoy a warm sunny day while there is still some snow on the ground.
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Q gets acupuncture

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There is a wonderful veterinarian-turned-acupuncturist that works in our area, and Q gets an exam and sometimes a treatment once every six months. With our latest saddle restuffing, I thought it was good timing to take a look. This lovely older gentleman has over 30 years of equine acupuncture practice (in addition to 20 years as an equine vet) and many a story to tell but the biggest stories come from his patients and his magic hands. While I have never tried acupuncture on myself, I have been successfully treated for many ailments with osteopathy and I believe in the body as a system that can often heal itself. So today was the day, and I watched him do several treatments before it was our turn. Q had no back pain or soreness, but his weakness in the left hind was flaring up and probably connected with the increased work on collection over the last few weeks. So, he got some needles and then I watched him slowly drift to sleep as he licked my arm slower and slower. After these ...
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Not once but twice

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Annual Trail Rides 153/200 (Bareback 12/12) Anxiety overload. I had 5000 reasons why I shouldn’t do the thing, and only 1 reason to do it. I tried a few times, but it didn’t feel right. But this day, a stinking hot day, where the bareback pad was the only option for a short jaunt in the woods ... was the day. August 21, 2021. I did the thing I had not done in 30 years. Those blissful teenage years where your body is like a rubber ball, and you have no sense of death or serious injury.  I was feeling locked in to the bareback pad, with my sticky sweaty skin sticking to my sticky jeans that were sticking to my sticky bareback pad. We did a little trot and it felt good. And Q was feeling mighty chill in the sweltering heat and humidity. I had scoped out this section of trail two days ago and had deemed it acceptable. If I fell, and Q left me, it was a short trot back to the barn without any road crossings. If he stayed with me, it would be a very short walk of shame. Help was nearby i...
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The super duper long weekend

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Some riding happened, and much living and socializing. I feel the last 2 years has robbed me of my ability and desire to be social.  But its slowly coming back. Yeah! As for Q, he appears to be finishing his full 1/2 inch haynet despite the repeated warnings that this torture device should not be used on horses because it will either 1) not provide enough nutrition, 2) make them give up trying, or 3) make them aggressive beasts. I guess they never met my Q, a tenacious constant forager. This particular haynet is recommended for small ponies or minis that have metabolic disorders. 🤷‍♀️  And yesterday Q gave me a lovely 2 km gallop on our favorite fast track. I in turn cut the ride short at 25 minutes and then we proceeded to our favorite grazing spot after a shower and mane/tail scrub. Barn energy seems to be back to normal. And clearly Q is completely unphased by the noisy moped at our intersection. #goals
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