I don’t ever call it “Autumn,” but the rider in me struggles to welcome the word “Fall” in any form 😉
But on that note, we have truly and really stepped into the fall season. Chilly mornings, (finally!!!) some rain, and that bite to the air when the sun goes down in the (way-too-early) evenings. All of the horses are starting to get some serious fuzz, and we’re heading into the maybe month’s worth of rides where I contemplate clipping, but try not to time it too early which would force extra clips during the winter…because that is a big task when you have 9 horses on hand to clip!
All of the horses have been experiencing a little bit of R&R following the summer show season. Most of them got 2 weeks out in their fields with next to no human contact (other than feeding time, of course), a few got 3 or 4 weeks. And I’ve been wistfully watching them graze around the fields, wishing the break time, despite being short, was already over.
Now that we’ve hit October, everyone is back under saddle, which makes me happy. There’s nothing I like more than finishing a day with a full page of my exercise sheet filled out for each horse! And this is made even better by the rehab and return to work of Rasen, who was laid up through the entire show season with a bruised coffin bone. What a pain! But also, what a great injury in regard to the fact that there is no particular “healing” time once it has resolved, and no concerns about him inadvertently re-injuring himself. I was frustrated by the length of time it can (and did) take, but now that he’s sound, I’m super relieved to have dealt with such a “simple” problem!
I’m also excited to have made a decision this weekend that may be a huge help to me this year. Sadie is 9 years old and a pretty decent rider for her age. But she still needs to be sitting on a horse that wants to help her out a bit, because she still is, of course, only 9 years old! I’ve made a huge concerted effort this year to only buy horses that have literal “one-in-a-million” brains, and I talk a lot about how that means that the horses are ones that “anyone can ride.” Soooo……
I decided to put my money where my mouth is and allow Sadie to start riding my nice young horses without any warmup or pre-ride of any sort. I will note that we don’t ever lunge horses at home, so that was never a part of a horse’s “prep” for Sadie. The usual protocol was that for any horse aged 5 or younger, I would hop on and hack the horse first and then allow her to ride it. So off Sadie goes on a fall-time adventure riding green(ish) horses without help from mom!
Up first was FF Clintaro this last weekend. He had the 2 or 3 days prior to her ride off, and it was one of the first chilly fall days. I have to admit that I held my breath when she mounted (the horse has never set a hoof wrong, but it’s a whole ‘nother “thing” when your tiny child is climbing aboard with the “what-ifs” rushing through your brain).
Ride one (flatwork only):
And ride two (jumping):
That was followed by her participation in the rehab flatwork for Rasen as he comes back from his time off.
Suffice it to say that Sadie has a very interesting dilemma in front of her. When asked who her “favorite horse” is, she gets very perplexed trying to work out how to answer it. This weekend the answer was “Clinton for sure!” and then after taking Rasen on a trail ride, “well, Clinton overall is the best, but Rasen is the most fun to take on trail rides!” and then after jumping her pony, “Clinton is the best HORSE, Max is the best PONY, and Rasen is the most fun to take on trail rides.” Some thinking, and then, “And Socks is the best horse to show!” What I would have given to have an option tree like that available to me at that age!
I’ll continue updating this blog as the horses move into the fall season and start heading out to schooling and jumpernite shows. Happy October to all!