Journey and I are beginning to seem like a partnership lately. Our last long ride was absolutely flawless. I couldn't have asked for a better solo horse. I had deep reservations after the initial purchase of Journey as to her ever being a horse that could be ridden out on her own. She was so herd bound. But go we do! I'm amazed to find myself trotting along with reins flopping loosely, it is so liberating! Being the worrier that I am our average speed cracking about 4 mph through mud, and muck, and mire concerned me that we could even hope for a slow finish by the end of summer...but those two muddy LSD rides seemed to have done something for her as I noticed her flat trotting speed was between 7 and 8.8 mph this evening on "dry land." Guess she's building those trotting muscles slogging through all that old mud! It will sound silly to some, maybe all of you...but I've taken to having some conversation with my horse. I'm not fool enough to think she is understanding the conversation, but I do believe that she gets the intent. That we are buds, and how good I feel she is doing. Let's call it herd value. My herd value has been increasing. Maybe it is only reassuring to myself, but I've been doing it, and our rides have been getting better. Maybe the positive affirmations are only helping "me", but either way it works. My expectation is that she is a good horse, we will have a good ride, and by golly we do.
The weather has been beautiful lately too, maybe I should stand outside under the stars and tell the sky how lovely it is at 54 degrees in January *wink*. Well, it couldn't hurt!
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