Working at impulsion and bumping up the intensity

Right now we are keeping our midweek ride at 7-8 miles. I've measured a 3/4 mile loop that at the bottom is a flat track through a field, continues flat into the woods, then up a big hill, flattens out again, and then down an even bigger hill. Then we reverse direction and trot up that big hill, walk until she gets her wind back, then trot the ridgeline, back down the hill, and across the field. Over the next few weeks I'm going to attempt to make fast times on this specific loop. Once we have her rating worked out on the 1 1/2 mile (2 laps), we will add an additional loop at the same rate, gradually working up to 7 laps at the proper working rate. This is not a weenie course. Though short the hill climb on the south end is very challenging both up and down. She looked like she had a work out tonight. We did 7.6 miles total, in about an hour and a half, with at least six major hill climbs. It is fairly humid this evening, she was totally sweated, and took about five minutes to pulse down to 60. Doug is still riding drag for me, and he and Cree lounge at certain areas while I lap them. It has been about twelve weeks since the tye-up, and I figure if she can't make it now....she isn't going to. We have to bump up the work load, keeping our trotting pace, and see if she can handle the work load. She will get the next two days off and we will be back at it if at all possible on Friday and Saturday. ~E.G.