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Annual Trail Rides: 134/200 (Bareback 7/12) Heavy smoke from nearby forest fires have covered our city with a thick smog. But that didn’t dissuade me from a very unusual quest ... navigating through trails and residential streets to ride to T’s (our BO, and fearless leader) mom’s house. It was going to take at least an hour to get there ... so it was going to be a long trek (2.5 hrs in total). Boy oh boy did we make her day! She was so excited to see us approaching that she forgot how to use her ipad to record the big moment. We felt like celebrities roaming through the neighbourhood as kids squealed, dogs barked, and delivery trucks ceded the way. I was super proud of Q who saw lots of weird things and kept his anxiety in check. He is now a certified road warrior! It was a different kind of ride, which is always perfect for summer vacation.

Annual Trail Rides 133/200 (Bareback 7/12) These last two years I put some focused effort on cantering more, more often and with more variations in pace. My trips and rides abroad taught me that I was riding way too conservatively on my baby green Q.  Once that mindset shifted, I realized that the precision of my canter transitions left much to be desired. Q didnt always take the lead I requested, and I was sloppy about precision half the time ... Meaning if he didn’t take the right lead I didn't correct it. To be fair, in our first year or two of riding, Q would get supremely defensive and uptight if I micromanaged him. Since then Ive toned down the speed and harshness of my corrections, and he has become more agreeable to being corrected. Lots of “good boy”, neck pats, and letting go, make up for my occasional mistakes. Last year we made great progress on our canter transitions which have become smooth and accurate 90% of the time. I still get sloppy about correcting mistakes, so

Annual Trail Rides: 130/200 (Bareback 6/12) It was a solo ride for this new milestone and despite our long ride of yesterday, Q was ready to go. We did a short but very fast loop of 7 km in less than 45 minutes. Lots of cantering, which was awesome! The deerflies are out but of course they cant keep up with us, especially at a canter. Lots of great pics thanks to some nice blue skies and pretty lighting.

Annual Trail Rides: 129/200 (Bareback 6/12) It is the first day of my 6 week vacation and I celebrated by having a massive 3 hour trail ride with my best buddy B in the gorgeous sector 3 of my network. While I love sector 3 for the big skies (and deer flies), we need to cross a busy road with very fast traffic (90-100 km/h) and a blind curve. I really do not like to cross busy roads alone just in case I get separated from my horse and he decides to hightail it back to the barn on his own. Horses have been killed, and have killed, in our area for this very reason. Anyways, it was happy times, with a hint of thunderstorm in the forecast. But these days, weather forecasts are about as unpredictable as government confinement rules, so I decided to not trust the weather app and just proceed. I started with my usual backup routine, which includes the now very unusual pre-mounting leg stretch. I don't think anyone does this anymore ... and Ive even seen research that if done incorrectly c

Annual Trail Rides: 125/200 (Bareback 6/12) It was a special day starting with a terrible forecast of thunderstorms and showers that never really materialized. I went to the barn, in part by habit, in part because I was going to be locked up in my office the next few days and I just wanted to have some ME time. I had no plan, no agenda, didn't even know if I would ride. When the BO asked me to tag-along on a walking ride with her 9 year old niece, I said sure. We headed out with a few family members on foot, me in the lead on Q, and the young rider being lead lined behind me on our half-draft steady eddy. The ride itself was relaxing and uneventful, and the woods were quite magical in that post-drizzle daze. We took a detour on our E trail which I now have nicknamed Gallery Row. The city employees have been busy doing artwork with tree stumps and so I told our young rider that she had to spot 5 works of art before the end of the trail. She spotted 8. It was all rainbows and unicorn

Annual Trail Rides: 124/200 (Bareback 6/12) Two sweet rides started out this week which is angling to be pretty work intense as I wrap up everything before a 6 week vacation! And you bet there will be lots of riding on this vacay!  I made it out Monday morning for a short and fast ride with the BO with a lot of lovely loping stretches and a great chat. On Tuesday I was blessed with a surprise quiet bareback ride with the other half of the S&S crew. We kept it at a walk and ambled around in the forest.  The forest is such a blessing! And the city crew has taken to transforming tree stumps into functional art ... mounting blocks for us!

Annual Trail Rides: 122/200 (Bareback 5/12) Bareback jiggerlady (finally sporting a helmet) came galloping up the side path of the ravine as I was climbing out of the ravine. Her horse spooked at me, my horse was startled and all I could hear was raucous laughter.  When we arrived on the same trail she was two strides behind me so I suggested she pass me. She was flustered and unsure, saying her horse was competitive, as her pinto mare was jigging and jogging head up in the air. But she eventually passed me, and then took off at a trot, never a care or a worry about whether my horse would mind her sudden departure. Which he didn’t, but thanks for asking. 😁 Once she was 200 meters down the trail I just couldn’t help myself, and so I released the Q. Within seconds we were breathing down her ass. She made an abrupt turn on a side trail and disappeared. And I did a little giggle. My husband chastised me for my risky behaviour, saying I would have been at fault had an accident occurred. I

Annual Trail Rides: 121/200 After six days of chasing a Kubota, I had gotten desperate. So I made an announcement on our Club Facebook that I was offering free chocolate to any volunteer who showed up with the club kubota at trail intersection GBD at 11 am. Lots of riders responded, so I figured I should buy extra chocolate. The pre-wrapped Lindt ball kind because ... covid. After my rides of the day before I was not really in the mood. But the sky was blue and I needed that Kubota pic. So I put the chocolate on ice in my pack, tacked up my tired pony and promised Q just a quiet walk. He sure was quiet all right. As I headed down the main drag that leads to the intersection I could see the Kubota ahead. It was 5 to 11. I started to trot and then I heard bells. Riders were coming out of every nook and cranny of our trail system, some wearing bells. It turned into a happy reunion of sorts, riders chatting and mingling. and eating chocolate of course. The funny part of this trail system w

Annual Trail Rides: 120/200 (Bareback 5/12) It was a cool and cloudy day! But no rain in the forecast! And my buddy C was back to ride with me for the first time in over two months! I had plans to take her to her favorite spot, the faraway x-country field in sector 3. She asked the BO to join us and we took off on our adventure. I also had plans to join S&S for a quick and easy trail in the afternoon. It was going to be a busy day. Q was amazing. After his chase of the kubota ghost the day before, he was settled and attentive. A good thing, because sector 3 involves lots of trail obstacles and traffic. Oh and cats hiding in long grass. 😱  We took an easy pace with occasional long trots because the two other horses were seniors and not too fit. But the scenery was gorgeous. The forest on this side was neon green from the rain, with a lacy tree cover. And there were many fields! The deerflies were epic in certain spots despite my heavy fly spray application and fly hat. I should swi