Zero degrees of consequences

Annual Trail Rides: 24/200

After our arctic chill week, we had a nice blizzard blow in that made me a shut-in for 3 days. My horse Q got his daily turnout with his friends but didn’t do much aside from standing around and whipping his big buddy Chester with a stick. Chester is the alpha in this herd but Q loves to use him as protection from the silly bully in the group. Nobody wants to play with the silly bully, so Chester gets used as defense a lot.

The plan on Friday was to enjoy the balmy 0C weather for a more adventurous ride of crossing the big field (a treacherous feat in -20C with windchill), cross the road and into another trail sector to visit a long time friend we haven’t seen in a year.

Normally this plan is no big deal. Im not a fan of going far when alone, especially in winter. But this time I had a buddy. So it should be no big deal.

I warned of snowdrifts in the big field, and that the footing might not help our plan. Caveats aside, we set a time for our Friday departure and crossed our fingers.

By Thursday I started thinking it might be a good idea to free-lunge Q before our ride. He is very fit these days, and I certainly can’t tire him with a 10 minute lunge. But I can prompt him to be a little silly and buck before I ask him to work.  It wasn’t really that my horse hadn’t worked in three days, but the rapid change in temperature from -20C to 0C makes the horses very silly. One of the amusements of deep arctic freeze is that the horses are often saints. And then when spring-like temperatures arrive, watch out! Several of my trail club friends had “incidents” on this day, some prompted by the flood of cross-country skiers on trails, others by the falling snow from the trees. 

By Friday morning I was running late from work and was surprised when leaving the house that a snow squall was in full effect. Roads were treacherous and speed was cut down by half. Some sections of the highway were white-outs. 

I made it to the barn but late. My window of opportunity to free lunge was gone as the arena schedules were underway and riders were at work. 

My buddy had thoughtfully prepared my gear as she was anxious to get going. As I tacked up, I could see Q was wired. Should have lunged.

I took him out of his stall and he circled around me. Should have lunged.

We hit the trails and he starts flinging his head all over. Never did that before. Should have lunged.

As we hit the wider trail we start to trot and I feel the energy building. I try to contain it but at every half halt or request to slow his pace, his gait gets choppy and his back tightens. The dragon is coming out. His anxiety grows and he starts pulling at the reins and using every opportunity to spook, bolt. 

I sigh, and stop. I turn to my buddy and say that we might not make it. I have no control. She suggests we do the field regardless and see what happens before we cross the road. She leads, I follow and we stick to a walk. Q drops his head and relaxes as I drop the reins to the buckle. We made it across the field without incident, we crossed the road and made it to our friends.

Her horse and goat were waiting for us banging on the gate. Our horses had never seen a goat. Depsite Qs high energy, he took it all in  stride with our older buddy horse flipped out, balked and spun at every element of our friends barn. I was pleased to keep my little dragon fireball contained while he gave the goat quite the stare down. After a little chat, we headed back and then trotted home without incident.

Today we have another day off, and then tomorrow ... there will be a free lunge and lots of fast trotting and cantering on trail. I will go alone so I can let him take his natural pace without blocking him.