On Saturday I headed over to see my brumby. I thought everyone would be there for some reason. The weather was warmish and there was no wind. But when I go there no one was in sight! (Note to self: always check phone messages before leaving house) Well, there were plenty of brumbies milling around. I went down to the ring with my new cones and arranged them so I could work on direction changes and maybe a little pattern to follow. Then I tacked my brumby up.
As you can see in this picture, I really decked my brumby out. I put on her pink boots and the rhythm bells. She is also wearing a new halter. Although I know Lilly prefers wearing pink, she does look quite fetching in bright blue. As I was tacking her up, Jackie showed up.
So she joined me in the ring on Pokey. Bill also came down with Freddie, who is the beautiful gelding I am holding in this picture. He kept trying to nibble at my saddle! Jackie saw my rainbow cones set up and exclaimed: This is like being in the circus!! We tried our routine, the 30 seconds that we remembered. Bill said it didn't look like much of anything. Pokey does not seem to like doing the routine, so Jackie decided to trot him in circles. My brumby and I were on our own with the cones. I trotted her around, and even cantered, and did my best to employ the Boob Rule.
Pokey gave Jackie a little trouble, so she asked Bill to get on him for a canter.
Bill had Pokey up on a canter and looking good. But then, Bill can make a lot of horses look very good. Those are the perks of being a horse whisperer. Then Jackie got back in the saddle and practiced getting Pokey up into a canter for 3 or 4 strides, stopping, then getting into a canter again. All of this was so fun to watch, I didn't do any cone work. I can tell you though, I like having the option of trotting around the cones in a pre-determined pattern. It gives me focus, which is something I sometimes lack in the ring.
Then Bill thought the road might be clear enough to do a ride on it, and maybe on the trail. The what? The trail? A ride on the trail? Now, what is a trail ride? Is that when you go out in the woods and have all kinds of fun in the wilderness on horseback? Because I had forgotten, it has been so long!
The road had some slushy ice on it, and the trail still had some snow, but we managed it just fine. My brumby walked through the snow like a champ, rhythm bells gently tinkling like little birds.
Feels so good to be out and about again!! Just like the good ole days!!Sunday's ride will be on my next post!
4 comments:
Sounds like a good time! And how funny that rainbow cones = circus! :-)
Looks like some fun times...and in the slippery mud no less. You all are brave. I avoid riding any faster than a walk in mud, ever since I watched a friend cantering on a slushy winter day and her horse slipped in the mud and fell over on her. Broke her leg in two places and her ribs, too. ouch!
Sounds like your Lilly is a very sure-footed mare :)
~Lisa
I love that last picture ... everyone looks so very happy
Your description of the rhythm bells is so charming :)
So glad you and Lilly got to head out on the trails!
Great times at Bear River! I am so happy to hear that you all are back out on the trail. I can't believe you still have all that snow.
I thought of you today while I was riding Sovey. I rode him in his halter again around the farm and thought of you saying that his "racing gene" might kick in! I wondered, what would I do? I hope he doesn't have any such gene. He is really as good as your sweet Lilly. I hope sometime you come down to PA and ride with me so you can see how calm my boys can be.
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