Half a Ride, Half a Ride, Half a Ride Onward...

Taking No Chances

OK, so I had some time to ride today before the rains came. (Long story I won't tell now.)

The Kavalkade boots to keep Tucker from pulling his shoes had arrived as well--amazingly short shipping time from Germany--so I also wanted to try them out. They seemed to fit nicely, and Tucker went just fine in them.

I schooled in the arena for just under a half hour as it was getting rainier and rainier. He is nearly back to his usual more cooperative self on the canter departs, so that's good. Every time I work him the half passes are getting more solid and he is developing his walk pirouettes as well. It was a nice little session, but he sweated up a bit since it was so warm--nearly 60 F.

I then decided to reward Chance for his good work in the dark by taking him out on a hack in the woods again--in daylight.

Error!! In the dark, there is no hunter/woodsman out along the field with a chainsaw and a truck! Now, mind you, people, trucks, and machinery are rather normal around the world. In fact, people, trucks, and noisy machinery have been at my little farm more than once when Chance has been there. In fact, they are there now installing the solar system.

HOWEVER, this is not people, a truck, and machinery in the forest! There are not supposed to be people, etc. in the woods.

At least that's what Chance thinks. For the first time ever, he attempted to bolt off across the cornfield. Fortunately, he is rather easy to muscle back under control, but I wasn't too keen on making a big issue of it. The other horses were out in the pasture, within sight, whinnying to him, adding to the emotional upheaval, so I dismounted and led him the rest of the way home--no that far, actually. (So we'd really finished well over half the ride.) He was being quite silly about it all. At times like this, I really do realize how green he is and how inexperienced.

And I just keep reminding myself, "Things take time." Besides with all the hunting that's been going on out there during the last few weeks, perhaps he was right to be concerned after all. I'm not sure whether his guy was building a tree stand to shoot deer, or sawing up fallen trees for firewood, or, building who knows what. It was a deep mystery to me...and obviously to Chance.

Have to laugh as I remember one time when PJ an I enountered a man in a jeep changing his shoes out in the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area where we used to ride regularly. PJ ended up galloping sideways across the road and into a stand of pine trees before he stopped. Lucky me.

The good old days. (Revived.)

When I got home, I noticed the one boot had shifted off Tucker's foot. Darn. The other one was still perfect. When I investigated, I found out why. The heels of his left front shoe are too close together to allow the frog plate to fit in between them as it's supposed to. So, the boot was sitting on top of the shoe's heels rather than between them. Either Tucker's shoe needs to be opened or the boot plate needs to be narrowed. The other one was great and I really think if I can get them to fit, they will work well.

But again, another glitch in the plans. It's never quite as easy as I hope it will be.