March 4, 2009

More hillwork tonight with Phebes

We didn't break anybody's speed records but since I'm riding solo I'm being very conservative and working at building her confidence alone. So we walk a little, canter full bore up the hills, trot part of the time, and walk the downhills. We did about 5 1/2 miles of hill work tonight in 1 H 16 min. So about an average 5 mph which is barely....squeeking to a completion rate. Spent some time on rating this evening too. It is very difficult to keep this horse in a trot. She LIKES to canter, and it seems so much easier for her. It may be that when I boot her more regularly she may be more trot willing. The canter is much nicer to ride as well, but I can't shake the visions of my last flying dismount yet. We also trotted down the a portion of the gravel road home. It has very fine gravel not the sharp kind you find on some roads, this stuff is ground up and stuck into tar so it is like gritty pavement. The roads down at Henryville are big worry area for me, because she just hasn't had the experience of cars. The one time I tried it from the ground I nearly got mashed. She pays no attention to cars in our driveway coming and going. I'm sure she will get better over time. We just have a lot of little holes in the plan right now. Tomorrow I have a long day at work so I'll have no ride time, just give Phebes a chance to mend from her hill climbing. I checked her legs and everything seemed alright, but the way she churns up a hill wooooooooooweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! If there is one thing I'm good at it is WORRYING. Bet none of you have caught onto that, right? *LOL*.

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