Ambling Along

58 minutes - 1.66 miles - Rhulain

 Rhu and I just ambled today.  We watched the sunrise together.

 We climbed down sand dunes and blazed new trails.

We started the morning at a slow walk and almost an hour later we were just as unhurried.  It's nice to slow down and be in the moment.

Sunrise with Rhulain

50 minutes - 1.84 miles - Rhulain

 

Rhulain's muzzle was hanging over the turnout gate waiting for me this morning. So cute!  She and I headed out for dune work.  We needed to work on climbing, cardio, and working out muscles that could be overlooked. 

 

She was wonderful this morning!  Right beside me, climbing behind me unless asked to go in front, and venturing into new territory.  I'm glad we didn't ride today - we needed to have this time together.

Morgan Spooked Herself

32 minutes - 1.42 miles - Morgan & Luppy

The sun was just barely peeking over the mountain when I went out this morning ... which meant Morgan stayed as close to me as possible.  She's not a fan of darkness.

The sun continued to rise and she was snuggled right at my shoulder.  She had one giant spook today ... Morgan was so intent on checking my pockets for snacks that she didn't hear Luppy running towards us.  Once she saw a flash of yellow fur crest the ridge, she snorted and did a huge leap sideways.  She nearly pulled the lead rope out of my hand.

Morgan was really embarrassed by the incident, and came over for reassurance.  I probably shouldn't have been giggling while offering comfort, but her face was so adorable.  She did her "marbles in the nostrils" for the whole rest of the walk.  Funny, funny girl.

Beautiful Sunrise, Beautiful Horses

Just look at that sky!  It was marvelous to behold!

 

Add a beautiful horse ...

Plus two more beautiful horses ... 

One bag of carrots (Morgan & Rhu trying to open a carrot bag) ...

And it equals a beautiful way to start the day.

Sunrise Walk

Ground work/walking for 30 minutes

I get some funny faces in the morning ... especially when I'm carrying a halter instead of feed buckets.  Wasabi was afraid the halter was for her, Majesty tried to shove his nose in my jacket (in case there were treats hidden in there), and Morgan, well, she seemed eager for our morning walk.  She looks absolutely lovely in the morning light!

After walking over the boards, we headed down our familiar road and chatted a bit.  She really didn't hold up her end of the conversation, but she did offer to share her "snack" with me.  Thanks Morgan, that looks tasty, but you need the protein more than I.  :)

The nice part of walking beside her is that I get to clean up the road we normally ride on ... this way I can be sure there is no debris or large rocks in our way when we are trotting later on.  Today we  removed a woman's high heel, three bottles, two cans, and a Christmas tree stand.  On our walk we stepped over our favorite log a few times. Always a good time!

I timed our adventure and discovered it takes us exactly 10 minutes to walk 1 mile (the end of the street).  So, we can walk down the street and back in 20 minutes, then I can hop in the saddle for a 5 minute trot to the end of the street, and then walk back to the house in 10 minutes for a cool down.

Sounds like we just set our morning routine for next week!