When we started out it had just stopped flurrying lightly, later on it started sprinkling, but then stopped completely. Was fairly chilly, but nice, about 34F or so. As Denise mentioned I am recovering from being pretty sick lately, beware the plague is what I say. Getting better though.
We rode out to the end of "our" driveway, across the street and were promptly "pulled over". Our driveway is half a mile long, the last quarter mile being an easement through a state park. Across the street is another easement leading to another person's gate and to their house, through the same state park. My understanding, and say what you will, but I did check at my college and it does work this way there, but the signs say in the actual park part that "all pets must be on a leash" not "dogs" but "pets", we weren't in the park part, we were on the easements. Our "pets" were on leashes. Anywho, apparently we can't leave our house as horses aren't allowed in the park, so to even get off where we live, the horses have to be on wheels. I'm considering teaching my Curlies to roller blade. Ridiculously we can ride our horses down town, any day, any time, just so long as we don't go over the speed limit (yes I called and spoke to a police officer to make sure on this one, they had to call me back about it) yet we can't ride on our own driveway in the middle of no where. Anyway, this on top of our current land lord changing the rules here so we only have the one paddock for use here (is about three, very wet, acres as opposed to the originally agreed upon twenty seven, mostly drier; which of course none of the particulars are written down, so we have nothing to stand on), has us house hunting. Very frustrating. The park ranger said if we were caught riding on our easement, "driveway" to the road it would be a huge fine. Unbelievable, since we are the only ones who use the road to get to and from our house, they don't do any upkeep on it at all, and well, it's all very frustrating.
Onto a better note.
As I said I was on Lyra.
Caryn and Robyn are fairly new riders, which Star and Epona are more than happy to exploit. Lyra is the least experienced riding horse here, hence I was on her. There is a huge grassy field we pass, then our driveway goes through a gate and you are in a bunch of trees out to the road. None of the horses like passing the point of going through the gate and into the treed area. Knowing this and also that all of them are well behaved on the ground, I decided to have everyone ride out with a lead rope attached to their mount, I then ponied Star and Epona through said trouble spot and then the rest of the ride went smoothly. The ponying went very well too, so easy! Anyway, I wish someone else had the camera at that point, really fantastic! I should have a snap doing a double bridle when/if I ever have a dressage Curly trained to that point then. I always carry two dressage whips, so had Lyra's reins, the dressage whip in each hand, and then the lead rope from Star through one hand into the other and Epona's lead rope through the other hand and through to the other, managed to work everything just fine though, ahh!!, what fun!! I am hoping that a couple more times of that and Star and Epona will figure out that balking and turning back home at that point isn't an option, that their riders aren't getting off anymore and so their little antics there are not going to help. I've ridden all of the horses through this area, they don't give me any trouble, it seems it's a little treat they save for anyone they know isn't as experienced. So, we will see if it helps. Also has me hopeful that from now on when I ride out alone, I can pony two other riding horses so they also get to exercise and I can trade off who I'm riding, extending the whole trip rather than repeating out and back, we will see. I am tickled pink by the whole thing though.
So after having our trail ride cut in more than half of what I'd hoped and planned for, we came back early and worked in the field that belongs to the same land lord we have and we are kind of allowed to use, for now, before the Spring grass comes in.
If we stay here 'till then we will have to negotiate further use of it.
In the field I worked with Epona, Lyra, and Star on some trotting, some bending, and some canter. I know it doesn't show here, but I was pretty much grinning from ear to ear the whole time. I just love getting to ride my own ponies and do things with them. Until recently none of my horses were cantering under saddle, so this was particularly wonderful for me. Made me feel like a little kid. Next step is getting everyone else comfortable riding at a more advanced level so we can all trot and canter and do more advanced things; all in good time though, and really, all of it is fun for me. :-)
The last picture here is of Epona doing an extended trot, when I see pictures of what she is doing under me while I ride her, I am always amazed, she has incredible movement!
Brandon and I watched some Dressage clips from the Olympics last night. Every time I see some of the more advanced riders riding the extended trot, sitting to it, I am always amazed. Last night I said, wow, I wish I could actually do that rather than immediately going into posting trot. Brandon said "You can do that, just do it." Granted while riding Epona I was in the western saddle (love that thing btw, it's an old working cow/roping saddle, doesn't move on the horse's back at all and built to pull down a house) but I sat her extended trot, as well as Star's, very exciting for me! So I am glowing. Very happy.
Off to house hunting now.
I hope everyone else had an absolutely wonderful day; riding or otherwise!
~Heather
http://hk3day.blogspot.com
http://www.skygazerranch.com
