After feeding ponies yesterday, I clambered on Mr. Moon in his halter and clip-on reins and went to pick up the hay nets, my new favourite task. At the first net, I hung off Moon's side to grab it and soon discovered that I was hanging so low I lost all leverage to get back up on his back! I was literally on the side of him! Whoops! So I dropped down to my feet and clambered back on him. Off we trotted to the second net, which thankfully was on a higher piece of snow. For fun I tossed the net over Moon's rump and we trotted back to the hay shed like that. No issue, no complaints from my boy.
We went into the field and did some canter circles, which proved to me that my horse still has no understanding of leads. Something I *need* to work on this summer. Haha; I need to work on someday when I have time again!
From there I thought maybe we'd do a little "exercise" for both of us (gawd I miss the fitness side of riding!), so we headed into the drifty deeper field in front of the house. At first I just had Moon walk through it, and it was hilarious to see that despite the fact the snow was all at an equal height, Moon knew where the ditch was! He stopped at one point and was like "Nuh-uh. I'm not going further. I'm a tiny horse and will disappear if I do!" But of course, I urged him on, and into the ditch he stepped, my feet dragging in the snow until we rose out the other side.
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| Yup, riding and standing on the snow. Poor pony! |
We cantered and trotted about this far side of the field, and boy oh boy, is he EVER a bouncy trot when you get him in the deep stuff and he has to lift those feet. I was popping off his back, a true pingpong ball. Thankfully, he was a little less of a giraffe than he used to be.
Starting to ache, I took him through some of the huge drifts along the back of the ring, until we got to one so deep that he sunk WAY down into it, and had to pop himself out. He was totally unimpressed with me.
Back to the hayshed, where I could give him some sugar cubes and tell him how wonderful he is. Sure it's nothing fancy, but he's a solid safe little ride that I just feel secure on. That why I'm in this.
I filled their hay nets and as I went, H texted me that she was running behind. And then said I was welcome to hop on the Black if I was bored waiting. Sure enough when all the chores were done, there was still daylight! That never happens!
So I grabbed Moon's halter and slipped it onto the Black. Off we went. Kinda. He thought at first that he should go back to the hay. You know, because he was haltered and I was me. I got him straightened out and into the big field we went. Walking and then trotting and then I asked for a canter, where he gave me two little pretend bucks of joy and off we went. He is a STRONG horse in a halter. He's kinda a strong horse everywhere ; )
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| The Black, headed to the deep field. |
But soooo smooth to ride. After being on Moon and bouncing my way across the same field, I felt like I had a beautiful sitting trot as I floated across on the Black. H popped out of her house to yell from her deck, something that sure sounded like "You call that a sitting trot?!" Haha. Yeah. He's smooth like butter.
Through the deep drifts for him too, and then I was dripping sweat and my legs were screaming in agony. Four rides on two horses in three days?! That's a lot for someone who's slacked away the season!
When I was hanging up Moon's halter, I was somewhere between happy and sad and uncertain. I love riding. To this day, I love it. Happiest when I'm out there. But I know this summer won't be the riding escapade it was last summer. I rode *a lot* last summer. I'm not sure what this summer will be like, but I'm making sure to appreciate every moment I spend in the tack.
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| Sunset from Horseback. |
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