Sunday Horse Day

With the warmer weather here, everyone's thinking about the spring and summer events or goals they want to target and I've been getting multiple invitations to ride. I hate having to say no!

Can we actually go do something today?!

After my daily Ginger grooming and stall mucking I decided to at least stop in at the club grounds to say hi to everyone. The place was super busy. One person had decided to do some gallops of the old cross country course that partly surrounds the ring,  upsetting a few of the horses schooling in the ring. Another person had ponies and a cart and was utilizing the perimeter road, again causing the young horses to panic. I wish I had brought Ginger!

 We've got such a great crew here, because all the action immediately prompted a productive discussion of riding ettiquitte and safety. Some felt that since the facility is open to all club members, you'd best come prepared with a horse that can handle all the sights and sounds. Most, however, felt that we should all be working together to help each other out. The lady with the cart was awesome and stopped to let the spooky horses meet her ponies. The girl schooling cross country slowed it down a bit and used more of the back side of the course away from the main ring. The girl with the really spooky horse had a brave barnmate offer to work her horse for a few minutes and help her out. Riders waited with their horses in the center of the ring while another rider let her very energetic horse have a good canter and short jump school. As a friend mentioned, the vast majority of the time you have the place to yourself, so having to change your plans now and then to accomodate someone else isn't the end of the world.

Oh, and I hear there's a new rule: the metal panels that divide the dressage ring from the main ring are NOT to be moved. I heard people were leaving one open to use as a gate and another rider managed to fall and crash into it lol ;) I was a bit embarrassed to admit it was me.

All in all, a really nice visit with a great group of people. But it would have been better if I was riding!