Back To Work

Achievement unlocked: first ride at new barn!

Got up early – but not work-week early, hurrah – on Sunday and had the place to myself for most of the time I was there.  Tucker was calm and cheerful, glad to see his breakfast, with a tail full of shavings that spoke to a good night’s sleep.  Fed, tacked, and off we went to the indoor for our first schooling session in six weeks.

He felt great.  Happy and willing and a little rusty but no more than I’d expected.  We just dinked around.  Walk, trot, canter, big figures, leg-yields and a couple of turns on the forehand, forty minutes of what’s easy and then called it a day.

I was able to give him the most focused and present ride that I’ve managed in – quite a while, let’s just say.  More convinced than ever that this is a good change.  It does feel a little strange to let opening dates pass without putting an entry in the mail.  But not bad strange.  Just different.

Felt really nice to be doing stuff again.

Resisted the temptation to pop over a jump.  Soon enough!

Then put him away and spent some time chatting with one of my new barnmates,  Got home with time for a proper breakfast before heading back out to track dogs.  (And why, I ask, is there still snowcover on our fields, and better than knee-deep in some spots? Not cool, spring!  Not cool.)

Phenomenal day.

 

I figure we’ll do s’more rides like that to work him back in before reupping the ante re: the dressage and reintroducing over-fences work.  Hoping to check out the trails this coming weekend.  I stopped by a hackable park on Sunday to take a quick look and if the trails from the parking area are representative of the rest, it looks like a great place to trot and trot and trot – and apparently there’s an option for swim the horses, too, so that’s one for the bucket list!

I also need to spend this week lining up Tuck’s new professionals and making a few decisions about his new program.  I meant to add a little thinking-out-loud to this post, but no time – so that will remain pending.  In lieu of additional content and/or the inevitable ears pictures, have a video of my younger dog.  Some of those hours I will no longer spend in the car will be devoted to helping her become even more ridiculous.  If such a thing is possible: