Yesterday, we flew on the trails.

I decided she’d had enough time off when she tried to trot away from the mounting block on Tuesday; it was too dark then for a proper ride.  Thursday would have to suffice.

You know that feeling of bubbly joy and anticipation and happiness all rolled into one?  That’s where I was when I got to the barn.  I am still on such a high from how well she did this weekend.  It was clear I’d have a lot of horse yesterday.  There were no reservations, no concerns anywhere in my head.. just the knowledge that we needed to go and do something and let her run off some of that steam.  (Okay, it helped that I knew she’d been turned out the day prior and did a lot of running by herself!)

Six miles where we genuinely negotiated on the pace.  I didn’t really push, but I’d ask; she’d offer speed, she’d ask to slow down.  Tracking shows a lot of quick bursts of speed followed by slower breaks.  It’s what she wanted to do, and I was happy enough with that.  We galloped and cantered bits of the way home even on the flat sections, or a big trot in other parts, and a walk where she asked.  No fear, no worries that she wouldn’t stop.  I’d sigh and sit back and pick up the reins and tell her it was time to slow down: she slowed down.

Pony’s come a long way from the horse I couldn’t take out by herself and certainly couldn’t canter on the trail for fear she’d take off with me.

I am so in love with this horse.

Pre-ride. Probably the best shot of her clip.

View from the trail.. nice wide open spaces.  Bit dry, though.

Happily inhaling hay at the vet check.

Back at the trailer afterwards. ‘More hay, please?’  Bright-eyed and alert!

Back at home: staring contests with deer.  Fairly frequent these days.

Right after the rain a few weeks back.  I love my forest, too, especially through these golden ears.