Riding log day 6

Riding log day 6. Snaffle and bareback pad. 3-12 inches of snow, depending on drifts.

This riding day should have happened yesterday, but the weather had a different opinion. Late on Wednesday afternoon the wind kicked up hard, to the degree that the road by the barn was closed due to drifting snow. The winds continued for a good part of Thursday, to the degree that the barn owner posted she couldn’t feed hay to the big field yet for fear it would blow away. So I went down to the gym instead and worked out.

This afternoon, though, was clear and after some obligations in the morning, I went out and rode. It was Mocha’s Adequan injection day (for arthritis) so she got her monthly shot, and then a ride. I did notice that her neck is muscling up nicely. The current work is paying off.

We did the usual serpentines and two-tracking, then after a quick check of our usual canter area, four lengths of canter—um, well, it turned out to be gallop. The first length was subdued as she checked out the footing and asked to pull up to catch her breath. But after she caught her breath, she wanted to run. Would not have been so bad in the saddle but in the bareback pad? I’m not there yet. Still, we did three more lengths, albeit a bit faster than perhaps I would have wanted them to be. Think I’m going to take the saddle out next time. Finished up with the chained haunches and forehand turns, except that I added another set of 360 degree turns. I just read something talking about how forehand turns can be useful for building up the shoulder. Then, stopped about partway to the gate to do two spins in each direction. She was stiff spinning to the left and not quite into it, but lengthened her neck, stuck her nose out, flattened her ears, and gave me a good pair of spins to the right.

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