This afternoon the skies cleared after a stretch of really gloomy weather and it was just beautiful. I went to the barn early in the afternoon since I felt like I had been short-changing the horses all week with rushed evening trips after work. They went out in their paddocks today, which was great. Bestie had gotten a little stocked up over the weekend from being inside, and I was happy to see that after today's turnout her ankles were fine. I had eight muddy feet and lower legs to clean up because it's still pretty soupy in spots from all the rain we've had.
I decided to make another attempt at riding Dude since my knee has been feeling pretty good. Got him saddled up and we rode out to the outdoor ring, circled it a couple times, then headed back. He was full of it, which for Dude -- generally a pretty low-key guy -- means head way up in the air, frequent breaks into a trot, and lots of looking around warily at the field across the road and the woods up above the path, which he seemed convinced hid some sort of threat to his well-being. All in all pretty tame behavior for a horse that hasn't been ridden since August. Ha. I love riding him at this time of year. He's so fuzzy it's like riding a big chestnut teddy bear.
My knee felt good and it was fun to ride even though it was a short one. The last time I got on (September?), my knee got all twinge-y right away, but I didn't feel much of anything today. Fingers crossed that this is a sign that other activities I've missed, like playing hockey, will soon follow.
After I scrubbed Dude's back heel where the scratches are, I used a little purchase from yesterday, a microfiber mitt intended for use drying dogs that quickly absorbs the wetness and cuts the drying time w-a-y down. Magic! Set of two mitts, $4.99. Thank you, TJ Maxx!
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