Fall has unofficially turned the corner here in southeastern indiana. I always lament the advent of cold weather, the leaving for work in the dark, and coming home in the dark, the extreme limits on my ride time, when I have only a barely put together horse (a disrespectful horse, a green horse). We broke the 200 trail mile barrier today, but not nearly enough to give me the reliable trail horse, to begin asking for speed, the mental chase is maddening. We have met some of our goals for 2008. She is "under saddle", she trailer loads, and she made it to the park (but not the frequency or exposure I had hoped for). Today the leaves have dropped from the trees, and the air is very brisk and cold. My season for riding is coming to a close. Will Phebes lose what I tried so hard to put into her this year with a layoff?
We did make it to the park. I managed the A loop, but the cold had locked up my knees (frozen synovial fluid *LOL*) to the point I could not post a trot. So I just counted my blessings that we had got done the 7 mile loop without a misphap. There were no other riders at day parking, Doug on Cree, and me on Phebes, though we did meet a group of four riders that must have come into the park off the road somewhere. The temps today are in the low forties, and a pretty brisk wind at times, with overcast sky -brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!! I had on thermal underwear, shirt, riding tights, and winter vest, hat, thermal gloves, and helmet, my new Ariat boots (prefer the old ones but they have holes now). We used the Abetta saddle today with a tacky pad and she had no rubs, and no dry spots. Blanketed her for the ride home. ~E.G.
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