Not enough warm hours with daylight!

 Okay, I will complain about winter. Although yesterday I was contemplating on the fact that there were no flies and I was quite happy about it! And I still hold with my stance that I can wear appropriate clothing and be fairly comfortable outside. (Except for my fingers when working or doing barn chores, but otherwise!). BUT.... there just isn't enough time in the day to ride 3 horses! Not if I take anyone to Ashland. It's too chilly in the morning to get up early and ride. And then it gets dark and cold again quickly, so... I've been only riding two on my days off, which.. .means no one is getting ridden "enough". And I would say they all deserve a break and it's fine, but... Dan's been on a break forever and is finally back! (Although, he still isn't sound at the trot). And Lyric had two months off and is back in work again (although, she's still not sound either.... sigh... dammit!). 

 

Anyways...Today was pleasant! Tomorrow will NOT be! In fact, it will be so bad that I've cancelled all three farms I'm supposed to go work at. So I had to spend some time prepping today too. BUT, I did manage to get in a ride on Dan. It was a 26 minute walk and at home, but we did it. 

 

I basically took the bridle and my helmet out to the pasture, caught him, bridled him up and hopped on. We walked up to the arena and then did a nice long pillar 1 walk around the arena. Then I picked up the reins (ha, still had them super long) and we did our lateral work. We did leg yield each way, then haunches in, then shoulder in, then half pass, then turn on the forehand and turn on the haunches. And between each thing, we did our peanut roll stretchy walk. And... no tongue! I was tempted to do more, but I had told him we were done and would go hack, so... we did. I knew I didn't have much time left (technically) so I turned left and we rode to the culdesac. We took a photo of Mr. Tim's sailboat... but then he saw a neighbor on her porch.... far away... and got curious. And then he saw the geese on the lake and freaked out! His little heart rate was pounding out of his chest but he held his ground. And I talked to him and told him he was being silly and it was just geese. And he realized it and his heart slowed and then we walked home. However, he started to get a little jiggy and even through in one little bucky thing. So we headed back home before he got too rowdy. It's WAY too cold to hit the ground, or concrete. Plus I didn't have the benefit of my back on track bareback pad. 

 

But it was nice to sit on him again and play with the lateral work. He even stayed nice and soft in the connection and relaxed through most of it! The turn on the forehand and haunches are much harder for him and he tends to brace a little. But we had moments without bracing too!