Today I finally took my horse out after a year off
It's almost to the week a year ago that I found out I was pregnant and stopped riding. But lately with J getting slightly easier, I've started to day dream about riding again. A few weeks ago I did a stupid thing and hopped on him bareback with only a headcollar on and rode him round the farm, but I survived and wont be doing it again so no bashing for that please
Anyway today I took him out for what was supposed to be a 40 min gentle (ie walk with a little trot) hack on a route that I can walk in 45 mins. He's never hacked out from this place as we moved him about 4 months ago.
He was a star
Bit slow going out and a bit 'Oooo where are we going ?' but OH was with me and walked with me to the gate and opened it for me then we were on our own. He loved it, after we did a good mooch along with a march for about 10 mins, he got a bit excited and wanted to go a bit faster so let him go into a trot, the path opened up a bit and he was in good spirits and we had a short blast at a canter. I'm sure you could have seen my smile from the moon . Didnt go very far and probably only cantered for about 30 seconds before we did a trot again then walked the rest of the route for 20 mins at a walk to let him cool down and stretch out as we have a hill to walk up to get back to the yard. We passed a horse and trap (never seen one of those before with him) but he didnt care, carried on and didnt try to follow the horse in it. Passed loads and loads of forest ponies as well and he only looked at them.
Got back to the yard and I felt on top of the world, it's SO good to be riding again. He was only slightly sweaty and had a nice cool down at a walk. Being out and bombing round a field on an incline with the other horses when they are playing I think has kept him with a fitness level fairly ok.
Cant wait til next time which will hopefully be later this week again or the weekend
I was so happy with him though, he hasnt been tacked up in year (he's been ridden only a handful of times in that year on the farm) and he hacked straight out again in new territory like it was nothing. No spooks - Nothing. Love him to pieces
Sorry I've gone all slushy - stupid hormones
It's almost to the week a year ago that I found out I was pregnant and stopped riding. But lately with J getting slightly easier, I've started to day dream about riding again. A few weeks ago I did a stupid thing and hopped on him bareback with only a headcollar on and rode him round the farm, but I survived and wont be doing it again so no bashing for that please
Anyway today I took him out for what was supposed to be a 40 min gentle (ie walk with a little trot) hack on a route that I can walk in 45 mins. He's never hacked out from this place as we moved him about 4 months ago.
He was a star
Bit slow going out and a bit 'Oooo where are we going ?' but OH was with me and walked with me to the gate and opened it for me then we were on our own. He loved it, after we did a good mooch along with a march for about 10 mins, he got a bit excited and wanted to go a bit faster so let him go into a trot, the path opened up a bit and he was in good spirits and we had a short blast at a canter. I'm sure you could have seen my smile from the moon . Didnt go very far and probably only cantered for about 30 seconds before we did a trot again then walked the rest of the route for 20 mins at a walk to let him cool down and stretch out as we have a hill to walk up to get back to the yard. We passed a horse and trap (never seen one of those before with him) but he didnt care, carried on and didnt try to follow the horse in it. Passed loads and loads of forest ponies as well and he only looked at them.
Got back to the yard and I felt on top of the world, it's SO good to be riding again. He was only slightly sweaty and had a nice cool down at a walk. Being out and bombing round a field on an incline with the other horses when they are playing I think has kept him with a fitness level fairly ok.
Cant wait til next time which will hopefully be later this week again or the weekend
I was so happy with him though, he hasnt been tacked up in year (he's been ridden only a handful of times in that year on the farm) and he hacked straight out again in new territory like it was nothing. No spooks - Nothing. Love him to pieces
Sorry I've gone all slushy - stupid hormones