Week's Rides

I have no idea why Blogger has decided I only want one post at a time on my blog! So frustrating!

Okay. For the training diaries. Last Friday I was feeling quite meh because of my sickness plus it was frigid cold. So I stayed home. This week though I have been out twice and hopefully going out again tomorrow. Monday it was frigid cold anyways! Felt like Christmas and my fingers just about came off!

However I did get quick rides in on Rhapsody and Surge, and a fair bit of groundwork with Surge. She was hyper and super distracted and all she wanted to do was gallop around, throw her head around, and stick her nose over the round pen to scream for her old friend in the next pasture over (who she never was really friends with anyways). Arrgh mares. However with a lot of groundwork on respecting and listening to me, she settled down to the point where I felt comfortable getting on and walking her round, bending both directions, and getting off. Must say I'm rather proud of myself for being able to work her through that. :) Rhapsody was very good; we did walk and trot and though she wasn't as relaxed and stretchy as last time, we still got some nice intermittent trot stretches and went by some scary things--the mounting block where it wasn't supposed to be, people walking around by the arena, and a clipboard on the side of the arena with papers blowing--with nothing more than a sidewise look and an attempt to give them a wide berth. She tried hard in a distracting environment and I was proud of her. 

Wednesday was much warmer (thank heavens) and I just rode Fringe as I (thought I) had an evening appointment. Instructor D was giving a showmanship lesson, so staying out of the way of that kept us busy. We still managed some nice walk/trot work though, and then we went on a trail ride out almost to the river. Fringe was very good and only got nervous on the way back when one of the little girls was playing in the run-in sheds and chute area alongside the road. Can't say I really blame her for not being sure of that. We worked through it and she was good.  Tomorrow it's back to Rhapsody and Surge again, provided it doesn't rain!