Drawing to a close.

Weather hasn't been the greatest of late. Rain, snow, below zero temps over night haven't been in favor of a good ride. Today on the other hand was sunny skies more mild temps and I didn't have to wear a down vest and outerwear shell. Didn't even wear gloves. So it was time to take the big boy for a ride. In tow was my lovely boyfriend, the patient one with the camera. Not a lot of work was done, warm up, light work out and cool down. I don't believe in getting a horse into a heavy sweat when it is cool and he hasn't a barn or blankets to help with body temp afterwards.

These photos taken by James are your standard "person riding a horse with the stupidest facial expressions ever captured on film" the ones you look at later wondering and questioning what was I thinking? What was a feeling from the horse and can I just wear a mask next time? I'm not even going to start about my "showjumper wings". I like to tell myself I am not on a push button horse, I am on a green horse who, I need to train and when training, you do what works for the horse at the time. Looking at today's photos, what worked was looking like I have just sucked a lemon, with sand in the eyes, chicken winged, hunch back was the style of the moment that work. 

Today was also one of the last days of having to drive a little over an hour each way to ride him. I am really looking forward to the move and look forward to being able to put more time into training rather then driving.

Oh and tomorrow brings new saddle :D

The start of Sammy

About a month ago I started to ride a slightly over weight Draft Cross called Sammy. Sammy was a meat truck save, due to Ruth and her big heart.  In the short time we have been teamed up he has proven to be a very smart horse, taking to English riding like a duck to water. His past is western style riding, being a pack horse and having his tail broken due to nothing more then human stupidity.  As the old saying goes "99% of the horses problems, is the rider", I wouldn't call him a problem horse but, I would call him confused and mis-understood.

This is the start of Sammy schooling with equitation science. Making the scary not so scary, training the horse in clear simple requests. This is the start of the new Sammy, the slightly thinner Sammy to be Peppermint Swirl the eventer. At the end of this Month, he moves 5 minutes from home and weekly up dates will begin.