The recent rain left out outdoor arena too soggy, so I decided to longe Remy on grass. He's been pretty fully of himself lately, frequently throwing in 'airs above the ground' on the longe line. Prudently I won't get on before having checked on the 'mood of the day'.
Remy thought being on grass was a splendid idea - working and snacking at the same time! He actually managed to trot nicely with the nose all the way to the ground, trying to snatch some greens. While I like him to be stretched down, that wasn't quite the idea. So, I pushed on, getting his head up - he pushed on, putting his head down. Well, Remy, you might be a cocky 4-year old from Out West, but you are dealing with one stubborn German ... and so he finished really nicely and got to go on a pleasant walk afterwards.
When I got Saumur ready for our trailride today I noticed he had a huge stone wedged into his hoof, stuck between the edges of the shoe. No way I could dislodge it with a hoof pick. This was a two person job. Good thing I have "JP the toolman" who came to our rescue. Saumur stood patiently while we sweated on getting the darn rock out. Luckily he didn't get a bruise and was perfectly sound to hit the trails.
So, here we come to the part of "Hacking - not trailriding". I was thinking today that I need to use the British expression 'hacking'. It happens frequently that I get funny looks when I tell people that we go on trailrides. Until today I was always wondering why, after all, even Carl Hester rides Uthopia cross country! The light bulb went on when we crossed trail riders today: Outfits better suited for the bar, bling, some wild looking hats ,... reins in one hand, beer can in the other. So, could it be that people think JP and I go out like this?!
No comments:
Post a Comment