Sunrise ride
| September 2, 2014 | Posted by Melinda under Uncategorized |
I actually managed to drag myself out of bed early enough to ride before clinics.
Farley was predictably enthused by the prospect of a 6:30am sunrise ride.
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ML: Pick me pick me pick me!!!!!
Farley: Pick her.
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I led a thrilled Farley out of the paddock and saddled up for a dressage ride and gave ML a big mash.
In this way I managed to make no one happy. (LOVE it when that happens).
Farley would have preferred the mash. ML, while happy with the mash would have preferred to play.
Ah well. The joys of a pony life.
As Farley and I walked and trotted around sound and mostly in front of my leg (the important things), and more or less steady on the bit I was struck how more “set in her ways” Farley becomes as the years go by.
I’m not sure if it’s her age, the reduced frequency of our riding, or some change in *me*, but Farley is less flexible now to “changes in the program” then she used to be. It takes a lot of work to get her to buy into something different – such as a change in where I want her head and neck for our dressage work.
Time has certainly not improved her love of dressage. She’s always been neutral, but today I realized she has taken it a step further. She reminds me of the non-gardening partner of a long-standing partnership who has learned to smile and nod at the flowers the garndening partner has grown but has no actual interest in gardening.
That is Farley’s opinion of dressage.
But, we continue to do it (goal is at least one short session a week) because it’s good for our communication, and it’s good for both rider and horse strength building. We incorporate dressage into our trail riding – but because the biochemical pathways for muscle and strength building are short circuited by endurance exercise (mTOR influence if I recall correctly) I try to make sure there is a dressage session that is isolated from longer aerobic workouts.
Today proved that pony rides before a 9am clinic start are possible. Now to continue this promising trend!!!!
Reed says: why would you ever want to get up early and kick me out of bed?
Poor Farley. Poor Reed! (Are those flannel sheets from Target? They look like the ones I almost bought last Christmas.)
I’m not sure, the sheets are a couple years old and I think my mother-in-law gave them to us? To tell you the truth, this is an old picture….right now I have fancy cream colored cotton sheets that I got as a wedding gift :3. But Reed seriously does this guilt act every single morning so I figured it was still appropriate!