Given the Boot

The weather this weekend was less weather-y than feared and I was able to get in some boot-testing, after all.  Hurrah!

Homeward bound.

Final numbers were 11.5 miles in 2 hours 40 minutes for an average speed of just over 4mph.  We 4.5 miles with a barnmate then inserted an impromptu hold -- Tuck had lunch in his stall while I fiddled with a boot -- and headed back out solo for 7 more.

Our fastest recorded speed was 25.3mph, recorded during an gallop stretch in which our barnmate broke off ahead of us and Tucker wished to put his nose in front.  I was surprised to see the number post-ride.  Had felt like we were moving, sure, but he certainly wasn't flat-out and we were climbing a hill non-trivial in both length and slope.  Makes me wish I'd had a GPS watch on him during some of our cross-country runs...

Looks like our walk is in the 3.5-3.8mph range these days and like, if I'm remembering where we were roughly when, he's got an ~10mph working trot and ~13mph working canter.  Cool!  I can work with that.  Finished up with a ton of horse.

The boot-fiddling was related to that gallop; we lost the right hind boot 3/4 of the way through.  We found it right about where Tuck executed a lovely clean front-to-back lead change; I have no idea whether the swap was related or not.  All straps were intact; boot just came clean off the foot.  Let that be a lesson: when I look at the boots before mounting up and think, Wow, I need to adjust those cables, like, a lot, I should probably stop and make said adjustment right then!

So our lunch hold featured me doing my first-ever cable-adjustment and then I popped 'em back on his feet and went out to test further.  (I stopped my clock for this pause, but not for the time we spent searching for the boot, putting it back on, convincing Tuck to stand next to the bank so I could remount instead of climbing on top of it with me, etc.)

Our second loop did not involve any zooming, but I trotted and cantered wherever we could once we made it back down to the dog park, and checked the boots obsessively every time we returned to walk.  No additional losses and no twisting that I could see.  I think the cables could still stand to be a hair shorter and of course I won't know if they'll work at ride distances until we try it and see...but as of now, I feel good about giving 'em a whirl at the LD.  Wish us luck!

Tucker has retained our "want a snack?" cue from last year beautifully and was delighted to graze on every bit of the lush grass that I allowed him.  We also met a preteenish kid who had never seen a horse before!  He was a little too nervous to pet, but asked the second time we encountered him if he could see Tuck run -- we were happy to oblige and I hope he enjoyed it as much as we did.