Good Problems to Have

Not much blogging.  Too busy riding!

We’ve been at the new barn for a week.  I am still walking the long way around to enter the tack room and Tucker still thinks dinner is always just a little bit late, but it's starting to feel like home.  Besides, I can use the exercise, and Tucker is creeping farther and farther down the hill and taking care of dinner for himself as his paddock begins to green up.  In another month I’ll have to fetch him from the farthest corner every time!

New barn's terrain is infinitely hillier than old barn.  I had not realized the scope of the difference until a barnmate took us on the “short version” tour of the trails on Saturday.  I felt a little sad beforehand about getting an abbreviated tour, even though it was for multiple good reasons and even though there would obviously be plenty of opportunity to explore further on other days...

…then I discovered that the “short version” was still a full hour of hacking up/down/up/down/up.  And up.  And up some more.  I guess I can stop worrying about how we will condition for the mountain at GMHA!

These were the closest-in gallopable trails.   There are others a bit farther out, apparently, more technical routes that I will need an escort through the first time or six to make sure I don’t get lost and end up in Maine.  There is a farmstand that comes highly recommended, although possibly it would be smarter (but maybe not as charming?) to drive there before/after riding rather than make Tucker schelp produce back through the woods.  And we didn't get anywhere close to the park I had scouted.  I did get the best-route directions and plan to go check it out for myself later this week.

(Later this week, that is, when apparently it will be raining.  Not tonight, when it will be beautiful and I will be stuck home studying or tomorrow night when it will also be beautiful and I will be stuck in class.  Because of course.)

Our flat schools remain simple but interesting.  We had one rough day last week: Tuck was grouchy, I was tense, the wind was outrageous, and a couple of pigeons were playing bane-of-my-existence in the indoor.  But it ended better than it began and some days that’s all you can ask, especially when our other rides have been pleasant.

I expected it to take longer than it has for my brain to click over from wanting someone else’s eyes and opinions to help us to instead having to think and feel things through for myself – but so far, so good. I’ve been playing with primarily my own crookedness (did you know that it’s hard for a horse to move off your left leg until you remove your right leg from somewhere inside of their ribcage, maybe next to the lung?) and with Tucker’s (just steady focused allegiance to the bend that I want or else to straightness), so we are firmly within a familiar wheelhouse – but the flow and peace of the few rides has been gratifying, and a little baby lateral work here or a couple of snugged-down figures there gives me hope that we are on the right track.

Although fingers remain crossed that the weather will cooperate and that track will shortly lead us back outside…!