Stalls + Free Longe + Lesson = Afternoon Nap

It’s been a quiet-ish week for horse stuff, but today was very full.

It was 33 when I got to the barn, which felt downright tropical; I was sweating doing stalls. I’ve worked out a pretty good layering system for cold weather stalls, but “cold weather” has meant single digits. Other than my toes and fingers, it’s done well by me. Today, it was too much!

I got in two breaks from stalls & turnout: once to free longe Tris and another to take a short lesson.

Tristan was also happy with the warmer weather, and came out spunky, blowing out and picking up his knees for some strut in the trot. I got to do one of my favorite things which is tell a new person “yes, he is in fact 30!” He was moving easily – on the really cold days he’d been coming out stiff – and was happy to move.

My lesson was on this adorable mare.

Her name is Carly, and you are correct, she is in fact the cutest.

I am riding so rarely now that all of my bad habits come roaring to the front. Overweighting my left seatbone when I use my right leg? Check, Carly will zoom right off the rail obediently. Burying my hands in my lap? They’re safe there, what do you mean that locks everything up.

We worked a bit on my body angle while posting, on squeezing instead of kicking for aid reminders (Tristan needs a pony kick, and yes, that is my fault, but it’s ingrained in both of us). Even though I’d shed layers to ride I was puffing and sweaty after a 30 minute lesson.

I got home, ate lunch, and promptly fell asleep over my book for an hour and a half. Pretty good day.