Bridget Finds Her Wings

Another rainy day, another ride. I was feeling pretty blah about heading out in the dark and damp but I know Bridget needs to up her fitness levels and the best way to do that is to head out and put the miles on!

We eventually met up with some friends and headed out on the trails. Midge and I were both happy to have the company to brighten the day. I think everyone must be feeling the same because we all were wearing crazy bright colors to cheer ourselves up. It must have looked like some kind of Mardi Gras theme - me in my hot pink rain coat, S in her red breeches and fluorescent yellow coat visi coat and saddle pad, and R in her bright blue rain poncho!

News flash: It's still raining

The highlight of the ride for me was our canter. S and R took off at a sedate pace which quickly turned into a bit of a hand gallop. Bridget spent 4 or 5 strides sucking back and generally being all "I can`t" before she realized no one cared and she was being left behind. Little mare got rolling and I was pretty happy. Then she really found her stride and I finally got to ride that gorgeous big uphill canter she shows off in the field! I probably scared everyone with my laughing and cheering, but seriously, it was wonderful after so many months of 'stuck' pony. I could literally feel the moment she got confident and realized she was strong enough to keep up, which was so neat. She was legit having fun and rolling along at a good clip, pulling a bit and taking me along so I could get up in a bit of a half seat and just enjoy. Google says we went about half a km, or about 1500 ft, and she was ready for more.

Possibly because I finally trimmed off her huge beard - she much more sporty and aerodynamic now!

She was super proud of herself and prancy afterwards, which made me even more happy. No sad tired pony, she was forward and happy the rest of the ride, Usually we head out on rides and either there's someone who doesn't canter, or else everyone does that QH lope that equates to a medium Bridget trot. My friends today were on a TB and a big draftie cross, so all the gaits including canter were a little more lively and just what Bridget needed to find her wings!

So there you go, a ride I was seriously considering cancelling out on turned into one of the best rides ever. From a technical standpoint, obviously cantering along a trail is no big deal (Unless you own a baby Bridget, ha ha) From a reward for sheer hard work standpoint this one takes the cake and will definitely be one I remember for a long time. For those counting (me!) we're at month 6 under saddle, so it's been a bit of a wait! Now that I know that sweet canter is attainable, I'm extra motivated again to keep putting the work and the miles in!