Back in the saddle

It's been a process, getting back in the saddle. While our new neighborhood isn't particularly busy, from Bestie's perspective there is still a lot to look at and take in. Typically, there are cars going by on the road, people walking their dogs, lawns being mowed, and other horses doing their thing on adjoining properties. There may be turkeys passing through. Or cows mooing. As soon as I get Bestie away from the barn, she's a rubbernecker.

The first attempt at some sort of routine: one week after arriving, we spent about 20 minutes walking around a neighbor's outdoor ring. 

About a week after that, I walked her around the front field and then lunged her in a couple of flat spots. She was pretty good; only one break into a gallop. How she can lunge while craning her neck this way and that to take in the sights, I don't know.

Three days after the field lunge, I walked her back to the ring and lunged her there. She was perfect, much more at ease than during the first visit. The horses across the road came to their fenceline to watch the lunge session, which was pretty funny. Most of the session was at the walk and trot, with one circle each way at the canter.

The next day, I got on Bestie. Laurie had set up a nice little "playground" in the front pasture. Bestie and I threaded our way through the barrel line several times, went over the ground poles, and stepped over the cavalettis. She relaxed as the ride went on. It did take three attempts to get on her from the mounting block. She kept walking off right as I would step up on the block. Sigh. Patience required with that.

I planned to ride over the  past weekend, but it was incredibly windy on the day I went out to the barn. The ring sits below the neighbor's barn, so I thought it might not be too blustery there. No such luck - it was windy enough to blow jumps over in the ring, and sand in my eyes as we walked over to check out the ring situation. So I bagged it.

Yesterday we did the course in the front field again. I rode for about 25 minutes, and as with the ring, she was much more relaxed than she was during our first time out. She called out to her friends in the field and the neighbors once we got up to the course, and a chorus of whinnies answered. I rode her back to the barn when we were done. It was a gorgeous day - sunny and 70 degrees. 

I'm glad that when I head out to get her from the field, she either comes to me or waits for me to approach her. She's always happy to get turned back out for another few hours once we're done; this longer turnout is agreeing with her. 

If the weather holds, I'm hoping to ride in the ring this weekend and get back to some of the routine we were working on at Maple Valley. It's a juggling act to get good barn time, with the challenges of an hour's drive to the barn, traffic en route that can extend the drive, and any inclement weather. But all in all, we're in a good place.