Long Windy Ride... with a rescue mission!

 Ha! 

So... I was supposed to have a jump lesson today but Jacel had to cancel because of a sick kiddo, so... we headed to Ashland anyways. The jumps were set super small and there was a fun triple X bounce so... we warmed up and then got to playing. I let him warm up super "huntery" and not on the bit, but he still bit at his shoulder a few times. I just pushed him forward and he seemed okay. So we jumped a bit and worked on me... getting the leg yield in/out of the ride. And it was okay. Nothing spectacular but nothing horrid. So then we were just about done and had a good run through a course. But I wasn't quite happy with quitting with it, so I hopped off and raised up 3 of the jumps. I made one an oxer. Still all under 3', maybe not even 2'9", but at least bigger than the little 1-1.5" we were jumping. And we jumped all 3 of those pretty dang nicely but we had a bad spot to the oxer. So I did it another time or two... then did it once more to work on me, and he was awesome! So I quit with that. 

I grabbed my jacket (thank goodness!) and was about to head out on the trails when I met two new people. They were asking about which trails were wooded so they could stay out of the wind. I offered to take them on a tour but said that I might bail at some point to go gallop. So we set off. Nice people! And we hacked and it was pleasant out of the wind. I was maybe a hair warm in my jacket but I had on a fleecy lined shirt, a fleece, my jacket, my fleecey breeches... so fair enough. We got to the back corner where the bridge is.. where I first cantered Dan and I gave them directions home. Except.. I gave them too many options, so... I'm guessing that was not the way to do it. But it my brain, knowing exactly the paths.. it made sense. Whoops. Anyways... I turned around and went back to twix and tween to do some hills. Then we galloped in the field. And because Dan was sad that his friends left him, he really galloped!!! We had a blast. Then we went to the lake and then to the XC field and I didn't see them. Hmmm... While we were there we popped over 3 cross country fences, the last one being a coop with a log on top. I very slightly chickened out, but then closed my leg and he jumped it so nicely out of stride! Whoo hooo!!! So then we went back to the creek because I started to feel guilty as it sunk in that my directions were awful. So...we tracked back and didn't see them, so... I headed back home. We didn't see them in the XC field and they weren't at the trailers, so then I really felt bad, so Dan and I trekked out again. We didn't go quite as far looking for them this time, because by now.. I was getting super cold! But we did look. I had no idea where they went! We eventually made it back to the trailers and still no sign of them. So I left them a note apologizing and headed home. Hee hee.. 

It was a great day though. Dan and I enjoyed being out on the trails for a long time! We've slacked a little and I can feel it in his stifles. He slipped out a few times today. Oh, and in our ring work.. he totally backed up like a normal horse. ;)