Holiday Ride

Since I worked right up to Christmas, I really felt like I needed a day off this year before travelling home. Thank goodness G is the most understanding husband ever, and decided he could live without me for one more day ;) I spent Christmas Day at the barn, free from responsibility/stress/guilt. Best gift ever. I spent Boxing Day travelling and visiting, and will spend the next week or so up the coast with G ( minus one midweek trip south for my weekly lesson and to do a shift or two at the barn - dedication to this horse thing is not my problem lol). 

This Christmas Day was all about enjoying the sunshine Santa brought to the barn. This is the second year I've wished for sunshine after months of wind and rain and the second year it has magically appeared for Christmas. If not Santa, a Festivus miracle, at the very least.

My ride was fantastic because daylight! and sunshine! but technically not the greatest. Midge again felt great through her back, but almost off going left - she was so unsteady in my outside rein. I felt like we should do a little flatwork, but she was still in bad ass steeplechaser mode from the day before so there was that to contend with too. Not a bad ride, but not the best, so after a nice canter transition and halt in each direction we diverted to the trails. Someone on one of the neighbouring farms got llamas for Christmas I think.  I've never seen them there before and they had shiny new halters on. Midge confirmed they were new by being super suspicious of them. They ran away from her, so of course her ego was inflated even further and she was pretty full of it. New clip job in December, plus letting her jump the day before, plus scaring off llamas singlehandedly = 200% more sassiness than normal. That translates to about 500% more sassiness than the average horse ;)

On our return to the barn I finally noticed I had buckled the noseband of her bridle over and through the off side ring of the snaffle she wears, effectively making my right rein less than useful. So that explains the weird feel to the left! I would have failed Pony Club. In a strange way my poor tacking up skills made me happy - to the right, where my inside rein would have been compromised, she felt wonderful, so obviously we're turning off our outside aids much more consistently than before. Remember when she used to fall out and get mad and slam the arena wall? No, me either, please let me live in denial that that ever happened lol.

Bonus awesome thing: I got an eventing vest for Xmas from G. Bring on the cross country with Bridget! (Also useful for normal, everyday rides on Ginger - sorry just kidding, I couldn't resist, Ginger's doing really well and going fabulously. No vest required. Promise. )