December Challenge!

No, there is technically not a December challenge for the RAC, but my son and nephew really want to have a Christmas Day cart ride. So, that is what we are working towards. They have both had cart rides before but this time they want to dress Linus and the cart up! With the November challenge we have not done too much driving. So, yesterday on my lunch break we started to get back into it. It's really hard to take pictures while driving but I did manage one! The others were awful!

Linus took back to the ground driving pretty well. He had a few "youthful" moments but I don't let him get away with too much and make him back up when he does get playful. I had to give him credit though because I didn't do any groundwork with him first. I just brought him out, tacked him up and off we went so I had to work through the startup jitters. He doesn't usually have startup jitters of excitement in the warm weather but he sure does in the cooler weather. He loves it and gets pretty full of himself. But I really enjoy working through that with him. I don't think I would work very well with a horse that is the exact same every day. 

Working with Linus on my lunch break is something I really started doing because of the November challenge. I am not too sure why I didn't before. But, as I said before, I work on a few minutes from the farm and have a 2 hour break. So, I started to eat at work before I left and then when I got to the farm all I had to do was change and get outside. I feed the cows first and then we usually have at least an hour to work or play. It's been great and Linus knows now when I pull in that he can go wait at the gate and I will soon be there! Such a nice feeling to have your horse waiting for you. I used to have a gelding that on some days would wait and some days would be a pain in the a$$ to catch!!

I also wanted to comment that because of time schedules, Dana and I had a few rides in the dark too! I totally agree that would be a great task to add to the challenge. I got quite a charge out of it. When Dana and I discussed it afterwards I said "Wow, you really have to trust your horse because he can see better than you" It is so true. But it was really awesome. Linus enjoyed it too. I could feel his excitement. He wasn't spooked at anything but I think he enjoyed being out at a different time.

We are flirting back and forth between rain and snow today. Pretty yucky weather. I am not sure yet whether Linus will have a well-earned day off - I think so!

Donna & Linus

Lunenburg, ON