In this case it means having practiced what we learned in
our lessons, no slacking off. With Remy having had a somewhat truncated work
week due to the vaccination complications, I was conscious that we had better
get our stuff right before the lesson on Saturday. And, yes, we came through
(thank you, buddy!). I know Judy is wondering about our work habits at home, and
her not being able to crack the whip (figuratively only, of course) behind us.
And right she is – I would rather go on the path of least resistance, a
trailride, than making sure Remy is on
the outside rein and doing correct leg yields. BUT NO, the little thing called conscience
will not allow us to quit work altogether. So Remy, Saumur and I gritted our
collective teeth and worked during the week, with a trailride sprinkled in, and
we all (coach included) were much happier for it.
Needless to say, the arena work pays on the trails (duh!). When
in doubt at a scary object: shoulder in. When Chambord decided to chicken out
going by a campsite, Remy –after wondering what set the big dude off- took the
lead. Not a problem, Blondie! We were almost home clear when Remy almost
scraped me off on a tree: A group of riders going by us and one of the horses
was all over the path, covered in foam, and clearly upset. The rider was one of these ‘weekend cowboy wannabe’ types
that had no clue what to do. He almost banged into us, so Remy decided it would
be safer to go into the woods – not considering the obstructions in the form of
trees. It all worked out but I was getting pretty steamed about the whole
thing. Every spring the same old story: People that haven’t ridden all winter
are hitting the trails without preparation whatsoever, and the poor horses are
on complete sensory overload. Idiots (not the horses!).
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