I love this weather. Mid-70s, breezy and not a cloud in the sky. It feels like a hug after so many months of 90-plus-degrees with 90% humidity.
Not to mention the fact that I enjoy not having to get up at the crack of dawn on a weekend day to go ride my horse before the heat. The only reason I got up at 8:30 on Saturday morning was because my wonderful boyfriend was worried about me (he thought I was riding early)...and wanted me to deliver food when I got to his house. Typical. :)
I got to the barn around 10 or so, relishing in the beautiful day laid out before me. I couldn't believe my luck. Two days before, I was standing the in aisle, holding her for the farrier, sweating. Standing still...and dripping sweat. Yuck. I barely felt warm after brushing her. The whole time, she looked bored. Brushed her. Bored. Stretched her legs. Bored. Wrapped her legs. Bored. You get the picture, lol.
She walked out of the barn like a 2 year old with a saddle on her back for the first time. Give me a break. I know it's been like 2 months but you're being stupid. Just w-a-l-k like a normal horse. I kept watching for any other sign she might decide to be stupid. She relaxed as we got closer to the arena and was fine on the lunge line. She started to buck once and talked herself out of it. She was spooky at the far end, but just the snorty-looky spooky. I made her work in that area. >:) Overall, she was forward and energetic and looked like she was feeling 100%.
No tension when I got on. Who is this horse? What did she do with my mare? Nearly 2 months off, if not a week or two more than that...she should be feeling great, and fresh (I mean bratty fresh!). But she walked right off. She was great. Perfect, even. She pretty much just plugged around the arena holding her head in a nice frame, soft mouth and lots of forward motion, but not quick. She spooked big twice, and almost dropped me, but I managed to hang on (Yay for me!). Even cantering was amazing...she settled into my hand, in a nice ground-covering gait. I honestly have no complaints. We had a great ride, and ended with the arena to ourselves.
Sunday didn't go quite as well. I got there and took all my stuff out, then brought her out to crosstie her in front of her stall. I asked her to back three steps and she wouldn't at first. Then she nearly hobbled backwards, obviously sore on the left hind. I scanned the leg as I clipped her. Didn't see anything, then saw her hip. A weird spot to the front of her left hip. Scabs? No, she let me pick at it. Not scabs. She let me gently curry it. No idea what it was. But the spot was definitely sore. She kept looking at me like, Mooooooooooom, that's ouchy.
I finished brushing her, felt no heat in her legs...so wrapped her fronts and put her bridle on to lunge her and see if she was actually lame. Well...I wouldn't say lame. Most people probably wouldn't have seen it. She wasn't head bobbing, and trotted and cantered willingly in both directions. But I saw a stiffness/soreness in that left hind stride and my gut told me not to work her through it. So, we went back to the barn and I unwrapped her and brushed her again before stuffing her full of mints, an apple and a carrot before I put my stuff away and said goodbye.
I was upset at missing out on a beautiful, cool fall day. I don't know what she did, and like I said, I probably could have pushed her through it. But, she was obviously sore, and I know better than to push too hard when she's sore. It usually winds up with me in the dirt. I didn't want to take a chance.
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