I'm doing a little bit of that today, I must say. It started yesterday afternoon. And was caused by riding Blaze bareback for a few miles through the neighborhood Saturday evening. He seemed to be expressing some "hey me, pick me pick me!" attitude when I was riding Desire in the arena in the A.m. and I don't have a saddle to fit him well at the moment so I said heck, lets go bareback. I told myself that since he is getting all fuzzy in his winter coat it would make his big pointy withers and backbone more comfortable. The things we tell ourselves, right? I actually love riding bareback in all honesty, its just that I prefer the sofa shape of a Desire over the point withered shape of a Blaze. Still, he needed to get out and I was saddle-less. I had a really fun ride, Blaze is as cool a customer bareback as he is under saddle so we just had a pleasant meander through the neighborhood on a warm but very pleasant fall evening. There were a few snorts and the odd rock got eyeballed but nothing hair raising. I discovered that when riding uphill bareback really wrapping your legs around the horse snugly (without the addition of heels, of course) helps you stay in place quite nicely. No doubt that method is more or less successful depending on the sensitivity of your horse's sides but Blaze didn't mind a bit. Downhill wasn't an issue, I wasn't going anywhere with that cliff of withers in front of me. I even got ambitious and posted his big bumpy trot for about 1/4 mile! And that was quite enough, I assure you. I love love love to canter bareback, there is no more free and thrilling feeling, to me. Trotting bareback, not so much, especially on Blaze, but we managed. I felt fine when I hopped off of Blaze back in the yard and I rode Desire yesterday morning for 45 minutes in the arena, sans baby. It wasn't until about 3 pm yesterday when I stood up from sitting at the desk for a while that my inner inner thighs, you know the part you grip with the horse with all you've got when trotting bareback, were suddenly feeling tight and screaming a little. Still feeling it this morning. That just means I need to ride bareback more, right?!
After the arena session with Desire yesterday morning I tried on all 4 of her Easyboots. Of course they didn't fit quite right, why would they? The 0s on the hind wouldn't even go on her hooves with the Power straps on (I do remember the barefoot trimmer sort of muttering to herself "hmm, course they'll be kinda hard to get on back there with the straps..oh well") so I got the handy dandy drill and took the straps off. Then the 0s went on, but I'm not really confident of the fit. But then, why would I be, I haven't even ridden her in them yet. I guess sticking them all on and riding in the soft sandy arena is the place to start, yes? She certainly doesn't need them in the arena but at least I can walk, trot, canter, and see what happens, if she looses a boot no big deal. I didn't ride her this morning, the alarm clock left on cranking away at 3 am, a yowling cat, and a dying cell phone singing its little "I'm dying" song all combined to make my early morning less than restful and I slept in a bit later than usual, missing the perfect cool of the morning. The horses have been in their new "Weaning positions" in the pastures for four days as of today, I'm thinking either today or tomorrow I may be sliding Desire on over to the next paddock for true weaning to begin. Oo boy.
Desire modeling all 4 boots like a good girl:
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