planBE

Annual Trail Rides: 90/200 The fire breathing dragon is sleeping. In fact, he was so sleepy while I was grooming him this week that he was startled when I tossed the saddle on his back. Even with a few days off last week, and the cooler weather that had other horses snorting, bolting and spooking ... my Q was cool as a cucumber. Of course, the little hamster in my brain starts thinking this isn't normal, that maybe we need to increase his feed, maybe he's running a fever, maybe Im overworking him, maybe maybe ... but at the end of the day, he is prompt on the aids, and is happy to trot and canter out everywhere. He is just such a solid citizen. I also have gotten very chill. Things are good, health is good, and Im sleeping an amazing 8 hours solid almost every night. My secret? Reducing processed food and sugar.  So maybe Q is chill because I am chill? Regardless, we have a good time on the trails and its super relaxing! Except when he pulls me around to eat a tree. Then, not s

Annual Trail Rides: 88/200 It was a busy riding week, getting out on the trails every day. Boy does it make a difference with Q who is increasingly soft and attentive. Im trying to ride with more intention of the pace within the gait I seek, and Q is confirming that he is listening. Ive been edging him into a slower lope without the reins and we break into a trot pretty often, which tells me Im on the right track. I finished Rashid book #4 this week, and it was another good one! (Good horses are never a bad colour) The side effect has been that I now want to buy another young horse to start. Its a ludicrous idea given the cost of board (which, by the way, just went up 20%) and is probably just a consequence of being a little bored and sheltered. Once “real life” gets going again Ill be back to barely having time for my wonderful Q. Today was a lovely ride to my annual pilgrimage of the wild lilacs. I brought along two young ladies from the barn and they enjoyed the detour, the pace, an

Annual Trail Rides: 84/200 Im not getting younger, and carpe diem is sometimes my only source of bravery. I used to ride exclusively bareback when I was 12/13 on my pretty paint mare Mystique with her one blue one brown eyes. But as the years grew, so did trepidation while my athletic ability and “bounciness” withdrew. I dipped my toe in the bareback pond every once in a while, but it wasn’t a regular part of my program.  I popped on Q bareback, to my own astonishment, for the first time 3 years ago during a Games Day. He had 6 months under saddle at that point but he exuded such calm confidence that I figured the risk was minimal.  Friends were there, it was a closed sand ring, it was a hot day and we were all tired from events all day long (Q included). When I took off at a trot in the timed event “Apple Dunking” I felt my body slide off center and started screaming like a banshee. Our barn photographer captured the moment for posterity. When I look at the picture I dont see the slip

Annual Trail Rides: 82/200 Today we went solo. We started in a half sleepy half spooky state, with more starts and scoots than Im accustomed to. Weather was hot in the sun, but cool in the shade with a gentle breeze through the forest. Q kept watching for boogeymen in the woods ... weird. So I thought it might be best if I pushed him into a trot 20% faster then what he wanted. We did that for about a km and he was sneezing, coughing, and snorting. But after that, we started our canter sets and he was just lovely.  During one canter-trot transition on the buckle, he literally gave me goosebumps down my arms as he was both super in tune and fluid. We did some nice soft lopes on the buckle, and I used both hands to rub up and down on his neck and tell him how amazing he is. Such joy! And the ride just got better from there. 😁 As for the forest, it has definitely become a new shade of green.

Annual Trail Rides: 80/200 On this special trail I got an unexpected surprise of riding with a fellow boarder and kindred spirit. We dont ride very often together (maybe once every two years) because she usually rides with her friends who walk the whole way. But on this day, she offered and I accepted. She took her OTTB and off we went. We trotted, cantered and there was a stretch of a hand gallop too. She was exhilarated about how much fun it was to do more than walk. And I was exhilarated by that hand gallop. Q got a little strong at that point and just blew through my aids in order to match pace with that pretty chestnut mare. She sure was pretty! I celebrated this milestone by forgoing our trail the next day in favour of a walk in the woods accompanied by my husband. It was hot, bugs were out, and I was tired when I got home. But lovely just the same. Ill have to keep this momentum of 5x a week if I want to hit my milestone of 200 rides by end of November. Ill probably start cracki

Annual Trail Rides: 78/200 One day this week I didn't ride, but I walked with my horse, my 83 year old mother, and her little Chihuahua. Well, we walked, and my mom and the chihuahua jogged. When I was 4 years old, my parents set up a camper near the equestrian section of the Montreal Olympics. We spent many days there, and the scenes of Princess Anne jumping cross-country are engraved in my mind. My love of horses started there. I then began the childhood incessant request for a pony, and pony lessons, and trail rides. My parents were very casual riders, going on the occasional trail ride in scenic locations, and I have another vivid memory of me riding with the guide up front in the Colorado Rockies while my parents held their horses back so they could trot and canter to catch up. Eventually, with all the lessons, my skills improved and horses began to be at the center of my life. I got my first horse at 18 with my own money, and then 4 more horses after that over a period of 30

Annual Trail Rides: 74/200 Didn’t do a ton of riding this week but had a few special rides with some buddies, and a delightful solo ride in the rain. Spring is upon us, with some flowering trees and new shades of green in the forest. Our solo ride has us back to loping on the buckle and its such a wonderful place to be. I finally concluded that I will never sell this horse. He is just a source of constant joy. Meanwhile, vaccine #1 was done this week with only minor side effects, and our first big trip is planned for December (with covid passports) to Buenos Ares for 5 weeks. Its time to start looking out of the tunnel.

Annual Trail Rides: 71/200 A slow week as I was bedridden for 5 days. I finally made it to the barn on the 6th day in the pouring rain and I groomed my beautiful horse to a shine. By the 7th day I tacked up, with a bit of trepidation and went for a ride. I kept the reins on the buckle and chose to trust my horse, and boy did he deliver! We had lovely trots and canters amidst the walkers and Q charmed the pants over everybody that stopped to talk with us. I tell his budding fanclub to hold their hands out like a plate and he proceeds to licking them. Yesterday a lovely lady who was completely enamored, started backing away and Q kept following her for one more lick. She was in love. Ive finished my third Rashid book, and I absorbed the lesson of lightness vs softness, and the importance of joy. Yesterday I was filled with joy, patting and scratching his neck everytime he guessed my intentions right.  My horse was the right prescription for my day.