Back in the Saddle Again

Short Rides on an Exciting Day

Somehow, I messed up my back again after my chiropractic adjustment, but I soldiered on anyhow, figuring a ride or two would either make me feel worse, or better. Like that logic?

As I said in the post below--my "tagged" post--the horses were riled up this morning. The hunters were out in full force in the back woods/fields and guns were going off on all horizons. Since it was Thanksgiving morning, a lot of hunters had the day off from work so they decided to make the best of it.

I actually had to lock the Boys in the barn to get them settled enough to eat this morning.

I went out late morning to see how riding felt. Chance very happily headed over as soon as he saw me at the gate, so I brought him in first, figuring he'd be the quietest.

Wrong.

He was "bouncy" in the barn and about ten feet tall when I tried to bridle him. I took him out on the lunge line first, thinking I might as well work some of his energy off before I took any risks. 'Round and round he went, alternately trotting and cantering , spooking at the gate out to the woods, and just being an excited young horse. It took quite a while to settle him down to the point that I felt he'd be a reasonable ride.

I mounted up with his head away up in the air, as if he was ready to simply take wings. But, bless his heart, a little work with the reins and leg and soon his head was down in a nice little frame and we trotted off. He still tended to "bulge" at the woods gate--have to think perhaps a hunter had dropped by earlier in the AM--but all in all, he gave me some really nice trot work. I didn't ask for any canter, but that's just fine.

Once I'd finished riding him, I went out and fetched Tucker. For the first time in memory, I can honestly say, Tucker felt like a good solid, mature horse both when I led him in, and when I took him out to the arena. I didn't even bother lunging him, but hopped right on. Almost at once, he offered a nice round frame and a good trot. Again, like Chance, he was a little uncertain by the gate to the woods, but the spookiness was minor and he worked out of it quickly.

The only low point was the first two efforts at canter, one on each lead. He laid his ears back and threatened to buck. I literally growled and snarled at him, and he reacted by giving me a fair depart the first time, and then pretty good ones for the rest of the ride.

Interesting. PJ used to react best to verbal snarls from me whenever he was naughty, so perhaps it is a good tool to use with Tucker too. At any rate, it worked today. No need to kick or really get aggressive with my aids when a snarl works just as well.

I did not ride either horse for long, but my knee felt just fine. My back actually felt better when I rode too, but it acted up again later so my hope that the riding might throw it back into alignment failed.

I took a nice hot bath, dressed for dinner, and after feeding the Boys an early dinner, headed off to my cousin's house for a delicious turkey dinner.

Hope your Thanksgiving Day was as good as mine, even if you don't celebrate our US National holiday. If you had even only one thing to be thankful for today, I'm sure it was.