Last Ride of 2016

35 minutes - 1.37 miles

Christopher left yesterday and I took down the Christmas tree today.  I always feel sad when I pack away his personalized ornaments.  

To combat that sadness, and to keep with tradition, I took Morgie out for the last ride of the year.  I asked Bill to grab a picture of us as we headed out ... she is so tiny, wooly, and adorable.  She was a cranky pants for the first few minutes, but she settled down and we plodded along contentedly.  Such a nice way to wind up the year - just me and my fuzzy girl.

Dexter Shooting Location

I've been watching the TV series "Dexter" lately and recognized some of the landmarks in the background.  Turns out it was filmed in my hometown.  So, when Christopher needed to go to the courthouse in Los Angeles, I took the opportunity to visit a few of the shooting locations.  This is where Dexter's boat "A Slice of Life" was docked for the show.  Goofy fun :)

Petal Pattern Power!

52 minutes - 0.53 miles - Rhulain
25 minutes - 0.28 miles - Morgan

Rhulain and I did some ground work before saddling up and working in the yard.  It was a lovely way to spend an hour and I am really starting to like the petal pattern!  It's something she's really good at and helps us to settle.  I think I'll incorporate it into our sessions from now on.

Had just enough daylight left for a quick ride with Morgan.  We hung around the house checking out "scary" objects and then we worked on the petal pattern.  She was not happy about having to do circles; I can tell I've let her sit too long.  We'll have to work more than once a week to get back in the swing of things.  What's wonderful is that even on her worst day, she's still awesome and it's nothing we can't work through together.  She builds my confidence every time we're together.

Christmas morning

The view from my front porch Christmas morning ... perked ears and whinnies ... good morning my beloved horses!  They're the best present life ever gave me.

Run Free!

It was warm and I decided to let everyone out and enjoy the sunshine.  I threw open all their stalls and the mares took off in a burst of speed ... sometimes Morgan led the pack, sometimes Wasabi. By the time Majesty figured out how to get out of his stall, everyone else was settling down.  Rhulain decided to play and got everyone to run down the driveway and back (letting Majesty lead) before they started milling about looking for snacks.  

I love watching them run about, kicking up their heels, and reveling in their pure joy.

This is the Rhu I know and love!

31 minutes - 0.75 miles - Rhulain

I put a water trough in between Rhu and Wasabi ... they immediately set to playing in the water ... spitting water at each other, splashing water, stepping in it ... everything BUT drinking it.

After the chores were done, I decided to saddle up Rhulain.  We did some groundwork, some snuggling, some grooming, and some standing around flexing her neck while standing still.  She was so good, I set off to work the petal pattern again.  We did five nice patterns in both directions and then started wandering the yard.  She was so fabulous I seriously contemplated opening the gate and heading outside.  I think all this ground work and quiet time is really paying off ... a few more sessions and we'll be ready to ride off property again.

Saturdays are busy days

24 minutes - 1.08 miles - Morgan
32 minutes - 0.11 miles - Rhulain

The kid and I went for a two mile walk and hiked around the sand dunes.  I taught him how to slide down the dunes on a piece of cardboard, but the sand was too soft and he got stuck half way down.  We found a dune that had a nice drop and we tried it on our butts ... worked great!

 Morgan and I headed out for a quick mile ride after I finished the hike.  I think she was cranky it was me doing the riding rather than the kid.  Or maybe she doesn't like the Aussie saddle.  Whatever it was, she wasn't happy to go out for a ride.  She was unfocused and coiled the whole time, so we cut it short and went home.

Rhulain and I did some ground work on flexing her neck then I saddled up and practiced standing still for mounting.  Her job was to do nothing, and she did it quite well after a few attempts.  She was nervous, but she sure tried hard, and I love a girl who tries!

First Trail Riding Lesson for the Kid

60 minutes - Kid's first trail riding lesson
25 minutes - 1.21 miles - Morgan
21 minutes - 0.11 miles - Rhulain - groundwork

The kid has his first trail riding lesson with the trainer today.  They were gone an hour, which is the longest time he's ever spent on horseback.  The trainer she said he did pretty well, but sometimes he daydreamed and forgot to watch where the horse was going. :)

While we were gone, the other side of the mare motel got graded.  Now we can begin working on the turn out and the goat pen.

 The light was fading fast, so Morgan and I only got in a short ride.  She was fine up until we headed towards the gate ... then the neighbor's dogs rushed at us in full force, yapping and running underfoot.  I hopped off and shooed all six of them away while she stood still waiting for me.  

I had a few minutes before it became too dark to see, so I grabbed Rhulain.  She was clingy and seemed really nervous in the dark. So we worked on holding still while I mounted, and then flexing her neck to both sides.  It was a good session. 

Riding Soothes the Soul

32 minutes - 1.72 miles - Morgan

 Got some riding time in with my woolly mammoth of a pony.  I love this mare.  Even though it was cold, the light was draining from the sky, and there were horse-eating tumbleweeds coming right at us (or holding perfectly still), she just kept plodding along at a wonderfully comfortable pace.  I needed this kind of a ride so much.  I love Morgan so very much.