You make me smile

These last few days I have had some really nice rides, but yesterday's really took the cake. After a few slow rides with fellow boarders needing a little hand, I woke up yesterday with the strong desire to cantalope to my hearts content. My buddy B at neighboring barn was happy to comply and so we picked one of the trails with the better footing in our increasingly frozen ground network of trails and he let me lead the way. Q is developing such a nice soft cantalope that almost feels like a "rocking horse". It's smooth, quiet, relaxing, and I can just sit tall and focus on my breathing. Nonetheless, by the end of that stretch I was out of breath.

We kept up the pace at nice trots and cantalope for the rest of the trail and even got to do one of our last stops for the year at the babbling brook where Q converts into a camel and drinks in the cool spring water until he has his fill.

Several times during the trail I would smile or giggle as I would watch Q with his radar ears trying to guess what I would want next. This horse is just such a delight.

I've never had a horse that made me smile so much. In part it is because I take nothing for granted. His lack of professional training makes me adore him even more as he tries to please every step of the way.

Winter is fast approaching as I have switched to winter boots, winter breeches, heavy gloves, scarf and layers. I haven't yet switched to my battery and bluetooth powered heated insoles but I have been using the hot pockets in my boots to give me an extra edge. Temperatures are hovering at freezing although tomorrow we are looking forward to 13 degrees celsius which should feel like springtime.

I will probably head out alone tomorrow as I do some more cantaloping before the trail network is restricted for cross-country skiing and we lose all of our beautiful wide canter trails. It could be a difficult period for a few weeks until we have solid snow and groomed trails to cover the dips, rocks, roots, and frozen bogs and then create what I call the snow highway.

I do love winter though, as it converts into a fairyland paradise and for the period between January and March we can often have some of the best footing of the year. Some of my fellow trail riders are also looking forward to winter as the trail usage will shift from walkers all over, to x-country skiers on their reserved trails. There has been much noise in the club about the dangers that all these walkers create for riders, some of this noise being baseless.

The bottom line is that as equestrians we can not preserve this beautiful city park for our exclusive use alone. We must share the trails, and learn to desensitize our horses appropriately or avoid the periods where the traffic is most intense (sunny weekends). Personally, I have enjoyed the influx of new trail users and perhaps am swayed by their constant gushing at my beautiful horse. But these walkers always have a big smile on their face as I approach and have been so considerate at giving me space or waiting for me to introduce my horse to their baby carriage. And for the kids it is a great opportunity to get outside, be physical, and perhaps even see the first horse of their life up close.

The stuff of dreams.