Weekend Nap

Ah Well

Sorry to report I did not ride nor work a horse again today.

My back was seriously out so I went to the chiropractor in the morning. Once I was adjusted, I was reluctant to do anything to ruin the adjustment and, for some reason, I was very, very tired.

The result? Most of the day just taking a nap.

Pretty pathetic. But I might also be fighting a cold, so perhaps I needed to take the day off?

Stacie is planning on coming over tomorrow, so everyone will get some work and I hope to take Tucker on a hack in the woods when we are done with our ring work. There seemed to be a truck with some hunters out there today when I got home, so going out might have posed a problem.

Both Toby and Tucker are not too accepting of "out of place" critters, trucks, etc. in the forest which, to them should be all natural. I once remember even my PJ who, out on a hack in a huge wildlife preserve, bolted sideways across a road and into a stand of pine trees because there was guy sitting on the tailgate of his Jeep changning his socks. To PJ, the Jeep and the guy didn't belong there. Unless the guy's feet smelled bad. *G*

So, I do have excuses. Pretty weak ones, but excuses.

I used to be obsessive about my riding, but as time has gone on, I've toned it down a lot. Were I eventing, where the horse's absolute fitness is essential, my competition horse would be on a pretty strict schedule of 5-6 days a week. Even for the lower levels I competition, I always believed my horse should be in shape to do an easy three day, so I followed programs my trainer--who was long listed for the Olympics--would set up. I can still remember getting a laugh at a clinic I attended one time with an International trainer. He was ranting on about how all of us riders never got our horses into proper shape. He chose PJ who was a rather bulky fellow and decided to prove his point by thudding his fist into his rump to prove just how "marshmellowy" and soft he was. The poor guy almost broke his hand. "Well," he said, "not this horse, but the rest of them."

The nice thing about Thorougbreds is that they muscle up pretty fast and tend to keep fit with less exercise. Already, as I have said before, I see a major difference with Chance and his warmblood breeding. If I ever intend to do some competition dressage with him, even at the lower levels, I am going to have to concentrate much more on his fitness. Otherwise, with the trailering, warmup and then two classes, he will be totally exhausted by the end of a day.

Hope the Boys didn't mind having the day off.

Although somehow I think they are just fine with it. *S*