Okay, Break's Over!

can't believe the last time I posted was the Fourth of July. I guess I took the summer off from blogging without meaning to. It's hard to sit in front of the computer when the weather is nice and the days are long. Now that it is colder and darker I will probably feel more like typing out a post.

Rosie made it here from Florida without incident. The initial barn that I had picked to board her at did not work out. It was just too far from my house. I was spending more time in the vehicle than anywhere so I found a barn that was just four miles from my house. It was more expensive but I actually get to spend time with Rosie instead of my truck so that makes it worth it. The new place also has an indoor arena which at first I thought I wouldn't use except maybe occasionally in the winter but I have already utilized it twice.

Rosie in the pasture at the first barn

I did manage to get some riding in. Mostly around the place where I board but I did manage to get to a poker ride that the local trail riding club put on this past June. It was hot and humid but since most of the ride was under the canopy of the trees it was bearable. If it had been out in the open I would have had to quit for mine and Rosie's safety. By the end of the ride I needed to use the bathroom but was so sweaty and sticky from the humidity I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get my pants back up. Okay, I know, that was way to much info but I am trying to paint a picture here :-) I did manage to get someone to take our picture during a break on the ride.

Taking a break during the poker ride

Rosie did wonderfully in this ride, I was so impressed with her! It was the first time she had been on a trail ride with more than two or three horses, there were about thirty at this ride. She also hadn't really been on a ride with a lot of hills but she was completely hill broke by the end of this ride. There was a lot of steep terrain at this park. By the end of the ride every time we went up a hill my saddle slipped back and when we went down the hill it slipped forward. I was cursing myself for not remembering my breast collar but as it turns out the breast collar I have is too big for Rosie anyways so I am on the hunt for another one. She is a little smaller than my last horse. Rosie had no problem going up hill but at a couple of the steeper descents she stopped at the top and was like "are you sure about this?" but she went down when I nudged her. She did the stream crossings wonderfully and there were several. She wouldn't drink though and that kind of bothered me since it was so hot.

I did find a couple of things we need to work on though. The first one is not rushing down hills. She was a little insecure I think so we got a little rushy going downhill. We also need to work on not being so pissy about horses behind us. She didn't kick anyone but if someone got to close they got the ugly face and the swishy tail. She was better by the end of the ride but that also could have been because she was pooped.

I had hoped to make it back to this particular park this summer but didn't. Life just got in the way. Plus I need a refresher course in hauling a trailer. It has been about 12 years since I have done it. Not to mention the roads here terrify me, they are so narrow and winding just the thought of hauling a horse trailer on them gives me heart palpitations.

So once again summer screamed by and I didn't do all the things I thought I would do. Do you every really get to do everything though? I usually don't. I spend all winter dreaming stuff up and then I am lucky if I get to do a third of it. I will take what I can get though!