On Holiday

Thank you for the kind words on last post few posts, folks.  I swear I was not actually as mopey as the ride story post sounded!  Mostly I was tired and had apparently left my brain in Vermont.  But encouragement is always appreciated.  So: thanks!

I drove down to our previous barn's area this morning to return some borrowed saddles and have breakfast with the old gang, and as we chatted I joked that Tucker and I had gone native: he's currently barefoot all around, I'm investigating treeless-saddle demo options, and I think I have done more groundwork with him in the last week than in the preceding year.

By which I mean that I popped him on the longe for about two minutes last Sunday to check soundness and
for 15-20min yesterday and today.  He started out a bit naughty yesterday -- perfect storm of time off plus a chill windy day plus sprinkler running at the other corner of the indoor -- and we had a discussion.  Today butter would not have melted in his mouth.  He just marched right around on a consistent circle with a nice contact down the line and did his transitions and a little spiral in/spiral out and looked pretty spectacular.  Definitely better alignment and balance than the last time I longed him with any intent, mumblety months ago, and those improved-out-of-nowhere canter departs he grew last month have apparently stuck around.

This'll be the shape of Tuck's November.  He lost a horrifying noticeable amount of topline while we were grappling with saddle stuff in the month before the 50 attempt -- I had not realized how much until I took pictures the other day for Project: Future Endurance Saddle -- so as much as I would rather be doing anything else but riding than longing, it's probably in everyone's best interest that he do a little redeveloping sans weight on top.  He already looks better after a week off just chilling on the hill in his field, so it shouldn't be a long process, I don't think.

Meanwhile, I'm using the freed-up time to work on reestablishing the habit of getting in a long dog-walk or -hike every day that I can.  The pit bull is thrilled, and I am pretty happy myself!  I had forgotten how much calmer and more content I am when I get out and just move for a hour.  The hope is to build this strongly enough back into my routine that it won't fall by the wayside when I resume riding -- or when my classes ramp up, as is happening right about now and which is the other reason for Tucker's current holiday!

Things may be a little quiet around here for the next few weeks (although I just got a blog award -- thanks! -- so that's one post that'll get written in not-too-distant future), but I will be reading as usual and I'm sure I will have plenty to flail talk about when we enter saddle-and-boot-demo season...

...and a local-rider acquaintance has reminded me that the Vermont Moonlight 50 has an afternoon start time, so even if I don't get horse-camping figured out this winter, I could make it work as a stable-nearby-and-haul-in ride without ride morning being a total panicked at-mercy-of-traffic mess.  Achievement: primary goal for next summer: unlocked!