I Rode Two Days in a Row!

It was very cold again last night, down to 25F.  When Brett got home from work after midnight, he scurried under the duvet and wrapped his icy hands around me.  I'm cold he whined.  We don't heat the back of the house so it was very cold in our bedroom.  The sun rose over cloudless skies this morning.  After chores and breakfast we rode.  It was warming up, but still cold enough that the puddles of ice never melted all day.

I tacked up Winston.  The clipping job I did worked out great.  Winston was forward and obedient.  We worked on getting him to stretch down and forward to the bit.  Did I tell you I signed us up for his first rated show?  Yup.  In January.  So while we were warming up on a loose rein, I had Winston walk the pattern.  I think I have it memorized.  The test includes a stretchy trot circle so I'm trying to teach Winston to reach down and forward, relaxing across his back and releasing.  I did a few circles at the beginning of our work and then again at the end.  He is starting to understand what I want and that it feels good.  My intent is to do a lot of the circles, using them as a release and a reward.  We also did quite a bit of canter work.  Winston wasn't sweating (yes!) so we were able to work a lot harder.  His transitions were smoother and he is bending more consistently.  All-in-all, I was very pleased with our work.

Brett rode Mufasa at the same time.  Brett is getting more comfortable with Mufasa's large gaits.  Posting is much different on Mufasa.  When you post on Flash, your butt barely rises from the saddle and its a soft motion.  Mufasa has big strides so you have to post big too.  Brett said that today he "got" the rhythm down and Mufasa seemed to be more balanced and secure.  We have had to reschedule lessons with Gayle twice due to the rain so Brett hasn't had a lesson on his new horse yet.  If the stars align, she will be up next weekend.  Brett is anxious to take a lesson.  Mufasa is a nice horse and Brett doesn't want to "mess him up."  He won't, but I understand the feeling.

We turned the horses back out, gave them lunch, and headed down the mountain to do the rest of the grocery shopping for the holidays.  Jackson had cleaned up his hay during the night and there were normal piles of manure everywhere this morning.  He ate his breakfast and his lunch with the regular amount of enthusiasm.

Winston, Tuffy, Finessa and Mufasa

Jackson in the run-in shed, Flash

We hopped in the car and headed to the store.  As we reached the bottom of the mountain, I realized that I had forgotten my shopping list -- which was too extensive to remember.  So back home we went, got the list, and then drove back down.  I bought Brett lunch at Las Palmas as a peace offering.  We got back home just in time to do the evening chores.  I made some clam chowder for dinner and we're chilling by the fire now. 

More rain is due to arrive tomorrow, but today was perfect.

Fitness Friday

The world didn't end so I rode my horse.  Not that I was worried. 

Winter weather in our mountains is challenging for the horses.  At night, we regularly have temperatures in the high 20s to low 30s.  During the day, temperatures can soar into the upper 60s and even 70s.  The horses grow thick winter coats and we don't clip or blanket them unless necessary.  Jackson has trouble staying warm since he doesn't move around too well so he gets a blanket at night.  He loves his blanket and would wear it 24/7 if allowed.  Sometimes, I have to take it off in the early morning when it is still cold because I'll be at work by the time it warms up.  Jackson will walk away from me, wag his head at me, and give me the hairy eyeball before giving up and letting me take it off. 

During the past month, I've noticed that Winston gets very sweaty on his neck when I ride him.  It can be cold and the work light, and he still sweats.  If I am going to keep him fit, he needs to be able to work comfortably.  Today, I rode him in the mid afternoon when it was 50F.  The puddles in the shade were still frozen skating rinks for mice but it was comfortable in the sun.  We did a long warm up at walk and then some easy trot and canter work.  We didn't ride long.  He was very good about lifting his back and bending.  I started teaching him how to stretch down on a circle and he had reached down and out for me by a couple extra inches when we finished. 

Thirty minutes of work and his neck was all sweaty.  I took off his tack and soaked a rag in hot water.  I washed off the sweaty parts and got his neck as clean as I could.  Then I clipped him; just a trace body clip.  Funky, but functional. 

Winston wasn't too sure about the big clippers when I started.  A couple of cookies later and he was fine with the whole thing.  I tried clipping him like a diagram I found awhile back on a website.  The line from his shoulder should really continue down and end just behind the girth.  This is my version.  I only clipped the places where he sweats so he can stay warm in the other spots.

After doing the evening chores, I put on his blanket.  When I bought Winston in January, he came with a blanket but it was rubbing his shoulders and, after his growth spurt this summer, I knew he needed a new, larger size.  He likes it.

Jackson didn't eat his lunch and just pushed his dinner hay with his nose and tossed it around his run-in shed.  He doesn't appear to be colicy; his manure is normal and I heard gut sounds.  But it isn't normal for him to be uninterested in hay. 

I'm hoping the hay is gone in the morning.

My fitness is coming along as well.  I'm still working with a trainer at the gym.  I'm getting stronger and my waist is shrinking.  My weight isn't moving much but I'm not worried.  As long as I don't gain weight over the holidays, I'll be happy. 

Clear and cold most of today.  Clouds came in this afternoon.  Rain in the forecast for this weekend and Christmas Eve.