A New Found Appreciation

This week I've ridden quite a lot. Three days and six horses to be exact. Not one of those horses was Rose. Don't worry, she's fine, and getting ridden to boot! One of my more advanced students, EB, has returned from summer vacation and is hacking her twice a week for me, starting this past week. Between the two of us she should get back in shape quickly, and I cannot wait to really start jumping her again!

So, what of these six horses you might ask? I am coaching the IHSA team again this year, and we are currently in the process of waking the school horses out of their lazy summer comas. Given the quantity of horses that need to be conditioned, and the fact that I need to be there to supervise anyway, I decided that I'd hop on a few of the more advanced ones and start figuring them out from their backs. This has been good, because I'm getting a fuller understanding of their individual quirks. They are mostly all hard workers and very willing, albeit they have seen better days and some have a few mechanical problems. All in all they have good spirits though, and are invaluable as school horses for that reason.

However, every day while driving home I reflect on my big beautiful mare and realize just how wonderful she is. For all our little squabbles and her funny little quirks she is an amazing horse with sensitive transitions and fluid comfortable gates, and I am so lucky to have her in my life. I'm looking forward to getting back on her, but that will have to wait until the end of next week once conditioning ends. I just don't have enough babysitting time to do both at once.

Happy trails and swooshing tails!
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