Just a Quick ride- more planned for Today

Today's my birthday... I am not sure yet where we will ride together but Zoe and I have reserved the day for a nice trot out. Yesterday I had the idea if any of you RAC'ers have the spare time... take a birthday ride with me. We'll leave here around 10:00 and who knows how long we'll be out but most of the day--- It's a last minute idea but maybe someone can join us :) I won't mention the number of candles for this one, but I did experience my half century marker quite awhile back :)

The farm is a busy, busy place lately- the therapeutic riding center is hosting an open House on Thursday so we have been spending time tidying up any remaining dregs of winter. We also built a new parking area which I am pretty pleased with. In between, we have to sneak in riding-- Friday we had a fun ride out -- me and Keri and Zoe and Elektra. Here's a slightly askew shot of Elektra- we are trotting briskly side by side past the beaver pond. With the sports setting on my camera it's capable of taking a photo even though photographer and model are moving targets.

We only have to trot down the road a short ways-- and we duck into the Kingsbury trail, where we have been riding for 20 years or more. A little distance in-- is the BIG MUD spot-- boggy, lots of sphagnum moss and perhaps an underground spring in the middle of the trail. Believe me-- you can't go to either side... as it's worse.. which I found out one day with Keri.. when we almost sunk out of sight. The horses have to listen to their riders- we know where the safe spots are to step.. but sometimes the horse thinks they know better. In this instance, they are always wrong.

Elektra is walking carefully, but the next step she took was the wrong one and she sunk to her shoulder !

Up the hill and to the left, we come to the mossy rocks, where there is always water flowing. You can see, the girls are studying the trail intently.

it was not a long ride, but fun and beautiful--

After we returned home, Zoe had to rush off and meet the bus for her kids. I decided to take Sweet Bee out for a short trot. Last few times I had her out in my London I was unhappy with the fit. The Cheyenne treeless saddle feels OK on her but lately I have been preferring the London. Zoe and I measured Sweet Bee's gullet size and were both pretty surprised to find out-- she is VERY WIDE... more than I had thought - so I changed to the soft gullet in the London and -- perfection ! We were both comfortable and Sweet bee moved out with more grace and forward motion than ever before. We ended up taking a longer ride than planned with some cantering and a couple of jumps on the trail over felled trees and logs. No photo's but I did snap this after I returned...

Sweet Bee is such a pretty girl. I had so much fun with her Grand-mother for years and years.. which I have written about on my blog many times. And her Mom is a superb mount-- also her Dad (Chip). One of our best 'families'. Come to think of it-- we rode her maternal grand-father and maternal great grand-mother also.

Enjoy your day ~ and if you get a chance to ride today-- enjoy that too !