It has been the wettest winter on record. Not even kidding. Of course...this is NO surprise to me, I have been out conditioning in it 3 days a week and I don't ever remember it being this bad.
http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/weather/seattle-has-wettest-rainy-season-since-1894/
It is down right depressing when your schedule is so tight, I only have set days, and no room for moving days around to ride. So, if it is raining cats and dogs, we ride. Oy. The first 3 or 4 times of that and you pat yourself on the back saying...YES, I DID THAT!!! WOOOHOO! Now, not so much...I stare out my window watching it drizzle, sipping my coffee and try to muster up any ounce of courage that might exist to get out in that monsoon and get my ride in.
This is my horse, Renata and I...out in Alpine Evergreen by ourselves...oh and my trusty Aussie, Sydney who loves to come along and swim in all the puddles. :-) We did about 16 miles this day. My horse is solid, solid, solid. Not a spook in her, ears forward, trotting along the trails, cantering up hills, LOVING her job. I fall in love with her more every day. We are getting to the point where we are anticipating each other's thoughts and becoming a firm team. We have come a very long way, I am so proud of our progress. She is actually MORE fun to ride when it is just her and I conditioning. When I ride with my friend, she is a bit of a fire-breathing dragon unless she is allowed to lead the way, then she settles right into her happy trotting along self. But, she has to learn to accept whatever position she is in. So, yay for me...for our first 50, she will trot along in the middle of the pack the entire way...because I said so, and you can say a prayer for me...I think it will be a bit of a fight. Her heart is in the race and she really believes she can beat every horse out there. Each race is a training session for the next. She is a fast learner though and I think she will quickly learn to rate herself.
Reagan rides with me on my light days. Can life get any better? Heidi would really prefer not to ride. She is more into making a horse pretty, so I will recruit her talents on race day to bling up my horse, and Reagan just wants to ride and run her horse everywhere she goes. I can't believe she is that good of a rider. She is fearless and can hang with my friends who can really ride, and hold her own.
Look at this girl on her horse!! That is Payton. He is our wonderful 15hh Arabian gelding. I wouldn't say he is for a beginner, he can get a little antsy and he does like to go! But, he also has a woah...and that is perfect for Reagan. My horse doesn't ever want to stop...so the kids can't ride her. Reagan was cantering in front of me, going down the trail...with one hand on the reins, the other straight up in the air and yelling...."woohoooo!!!" Where did she come from? How fun is it to have at least one of your kids share you passion? It's pretty great.
Payton gets ridden once or twice a week, and he is actually in pretty great shape. He could easily do a 25 mile (LD) race. Reagan canters him all over the place, and when we pull his saddle off he is completely dry. But, Reagan is growing so much, her body aches all the time and riding with me for more than an hour and a half wipes her out. So, I will wait until next year to see if she wants to do a race with me. It would be fun to watch her catch the endurance bug. I think she has it in her.
https://www.facebook.com/americanpaisley/videos/vb.100002834859766/859790687458752/?type=3&theater
Cantering/galloping up one of my favorite long stretches in the sunshine...my horse LOOOOOVEES it!!!!
I LOVE being out in the woods riding on sunny days, I am pretty sure my horse loves it too. <3
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