June 7, 2016

Conditioning for the next one starts today

It was very short and sweet this evening, but I kept the pep in her step.  Details are in the log on the sidebar of this blog.

We again used the Crest Ridge wool saddle pad and it again performed beautifully.  Not a mark on her back.   I honestly just like it a lot.  Longer distances will tell the bigger story, I'll do a long one in it here in a week or two ☺

Had an unplanned dismount again this evening.  I wish I knew why she spooks on our property.  I can ride her all kinds of strange places and she's fine, and we cross the boundary of our property somewhere and she'll just suddenly spin/spook back and off I go (it hurts every time).  Four times this year already.  She stands there looking at me like "what ya doin' down there?"  Uh...checking for broken bones you dip-wad.  Geez.

I have a new toy to try out and I love them already and haven't even attached them to the bridle.   A set of bubble grip reins from Two Horse Tack.    It has never occurred to me to try this style of rein.  When I got them in the mail I was sold as soon as I touched them.  Super "grippy" but very soft and flexible.  I'll post up pictures when I get them installed on her bridle.  They also have reflective overlay on the bit ends, so if I get caught out on the road at night like I did on my last 50 I won't feel quite so vulnerable to not being seen by oncoming cars.  I've been wanting to get a green crupper, and might order it reflective too, so we will be visible front and back.

We had a short snappy ride this evening and she is just really using her hind end better than she ever has before.  Climbing hills booted she never wanted to really engage her hinds, she'd kind of pull herself using her front legs and her back wouldn't round.  Since we went shod it is amazingly different!  She reaches under herself and her back rounds up, and she strides out at the trot with a lot more go ☺  It was a good decision.

My goal for Journey is to spend this summer getting our sustained trot really stretched out distance-wise, then to increase the pace by Fall until I feel she's 50 ready.

Test run our Max E Glo/Water/ Salt/Oats again this evening and she drained a couple of gallons in a bucket and cleaned up her mash.  So again she got 2 ounces of sodium, diluted with plenty of fluids.  Oh happy day!

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