2/10/2018 Just about 3 miles in the snow

Despite having to work this past weekend I was able to get out during Hazel's nap and go ride! It was snowing but the wind wasn't blowing so the mid 20sF temperatures didn't feel horridly bitter. I was VERY bundled up and despite chattering the whole time about everything while I rode so the video would record it, I just sped everything up to keep it short and sweet.

But to summarize, I had leggings on, then my fleece riding pants, and then the riding skirt. Long sleeve shirt, fleece vest and Columbia jacket, plus balaclava for my head and gloves. I did stick toe warmers on my socks and they stayed decently warm in my muck boots. I didn't really get cold until near the end of the ride when I had cooled off from the debacle of trying to get on Gwyn. She had decided that standing still at the mounting block was optional and we had some discussion regarding her participation.

This was also my trial run of my grab strap that I made SUPER quickly right before riding. Since I've chopped her mane off I needed something to hang onto. This will do! It's just nylon strapping and a plastic buckle. It's adjustable and in a nice bright green.

We are playing the "stand the FUCK still" game.

Amusingly, I had brought cookies with me this time for some reinforcement of good behavior and it came in handy with our standing still game. If she kept her feet on the ground, I would give her a cookie. Once out on the trail we practiced halting and just standing, no dancing and I would give her a cookie. It definitely reminded her to relax and she caught on fast enough that when I halted her to look around and then asked for forward, she bent around to look for her cookie.

Smart mare.  Spoiled. Rotten. But smart. The next time we halted I definitely didn't give her a cookie. Gonna break that habit right quick.

On this ride I opted to go into a field I haven't before, because I was emboldened by the talk of the applicability of the No Trespassing signs to horseback riding. I'm not hunting, which is what they specifically forbid. It did allow me to see that there's not a good pass through to the next field that I can see until the snow melts. There's a real possibility that where I think is good, will be instead very treacherous because I can't see fencing that might be down on the ground under the snow. And no thanks, I don't want to walk over that and risk Gwyn's legs.  But getting to the Polly Ann without a trailer ride is so tantalizingly close. Gah!

I honestly thought the video captured the whole ride because I really wanted to screen grab how our evergreens looked with all the snow on them. It was so pretty. But it didn't. It cut out right in the middle of the new field.

Gwyn was pretty good for this ride otherwise. We had to have additional conversations about only picking one foot off the ground at a time (i.e. stay in a damn walk, please). She really wanted to jig but I don't trust the ground under the snow to do anything above a walk.

This is my second most favorite view, just as I'm about to get on.

Screen grab. We went counter clockwise to start this time!

On the road. The field to the right is the new one I did. 

It was very quiet and pretty. The snow was starting to taper off.

Happy after the ride.

"NO MOAR SELFIES"  We're both making bitch mare faces

There was also a brief meet and greet with the neighbor's grandkids.

2.91 miles. Not too bad. I'm comparing especially to this time last year when I hadn't ridden at all. So this is a big improvement.

3.1 miles and 1.03 miles, YTD 39.65

The weather has returned to its mild mannered self and I am taking FULL advantage. Plus I need to practice for my lesson this Saturday (WHEEEEE!!!!)

On Saturday the 25th, I decided to ride up in the farm fields. I do have permission to ride on the properties that I was on and I pointedly stay off the ones I haven't gotten permission for yet. Some frustratingly put up no trespassing signs AFTER I rode out there once so I do suspect there are trail cams. Anyway. Have some screen grabs from my helmet cam. Once I get the video uploaded to youtube, I'll share it.

 I got 3.1 miles of riding in that day and covered a decent amount of ground. I also worked on getting Gwyn on the bit. It was really productive for a trail ride.

Tonight I did 1.03 miles in the arena and then a jaunt around the pasture before calling it a night. Since during the week I basically get home after dark I've resolved to just ride after the kids are in bed. It's really pleasant and I'm enjoying it a lot more than I expected.

A confused pony who would like her hay now thankyouverymuch.

How I ride at night when there's minimal to no moon.

We can see pretty well!

UGH. Okay. Naughty donkey. So I decided to pick the first exercise from the ground poles and jumping exercises book by Cherry Hill. I figured it would be something to practice and give us a purpose (other than practicing the principles from my lesson) for the ride so I wouldn't just feel like we were toodling.

I set the book and my new measuring tape (JUST for measuring jump distances!) to the side of my 'mounting block'.  Saffron came over and PICKED UP THE BOOK AND STARTED FLINGING IT.

So I chased her around the arena. I got a REALLY nice canter out of Gwyn while doing so and was pleasantly surprised! Like, a canter that I would need WAY more leg to maintain and felt very nice underneath me.  Gwyn has a long way to go to really have the stamina for a good canter but this is a HUGE step up from where we were! She's definitely gaining muscle, we just need to keep working more frequently than before!


After I was done doing arena work we practiced Standing By The Gate So Your Rider Can Unlatch It Without Dismounting.  This took some time and required going back to basics (Yes, you can walk straight on the side without swinging your butt in and away from the fence) (Yes, you can stand quietly by the gate without swinging 90 degrees to face the gate)  Eventually I was able to unhook the gate and open it. From there we ventured out into the pasture, leaving our lights behind.

Up on the Hill, looking down at the arena. Right side is my solar powered flood lights, left side is the barn lights.

 We toodled around the pasture and I wished for less clouds and more moon. Then it was back to the arena to turn off my lights, take a selfie in the dark and go untack.

A good Goober Pony repping that sweet purple Two Horse Tack!

Exploration

It's been cold and I've been battling mystery cough illness and some exhaustion. It makes riding difficult. I've ended up taking naps just to get through the day.

Today, I had enough energy to get out of the house while there was still daylight, with Hazel bundled up on my back, to go out and clean the barn. The manure has been building up from midweek. I keep the stalls clean but the runs start to accumulate more than I can get picked in the dark after work or once the poops have frozen to the ground.  Thanks to some freezing rain the other day, the parts of the runs that aren't covered are pretty much an ice skating rink and Gwyn and Saffron aren't going out on it at all. I don't blame them.

Anyway, after getting three wheelbarrow loads of manure out of the runs and getting the stalls nice and clean (note to self, go get more shavings...) I put the dinner hay in the stalls, threw a halter on Gwyn and took her for a walk.

I've gotten permission from our rear kitty corner neighbors to use their property to access the fields behind them. I wanted to see what that access looked like before riding up there, and also familiarize Gwyn to the walk up AND see how Saffron would behave if we just walked away.

Everything went well!  Saffron called a few times, but Gwyn was focused on me for the most part and behaved.  The path to the fields is NOT riding accessible, just on foot, until I can cut back some branches. So my plan with that is to bring up some cookies I made and ask if I can clip them back in that one spot. Yay bribes!

I've also been contacting the landowners of the fields back there to get permission to ride and so far I'm a go!  This is really going to make getting some good conditioning rides much easier to get without the fuss and time committment of trailering out. I'm very excited! It also opens up the possibility of accessing the Polly Ann Trail from home without dangerous road riding.