Not Lesson Monday

Mondays have been my lesson night for 3(?!) years now, so it felt a little weird to go to the barn and just ride Audrey. EC is away for the next little while, but lucky me gets to keep my Mondays with Audrey while she's gone.

I had big plans of practicing all the things, but I got there and the weather was decent and I realized this is probably the last time I'll be riding A in daylight for the next several months. Also, A was away showing until Saturday, so it hardly seemed fair to make her do more dressage. So, obviously we had to go for a hack!

Happy mare ears.

She's a funny mare, she's fairly brave and actually quite safe, but our trail ride was...edgy. I think she was quite enjoying herself, but if I didn't know her better I'd probably have been experiencing visions of my imminent demise.  As it was, I wouldn't say it was quite as relaxing for me as I had planned, lol.

When we got back, she was still feeling very good so I put her to work in the arena for a short time. Just lots of bending and stretching with a more open neck, walk thru canter. She was cute : "Oh, I know this! Stretch and relax...feels so good!" She went from dragon mode to floppy eared sleepy mare in about 5 minutes. Such opposites with B, Audrey finds relaxation in working correctly in the arena, where B much prefers to find it on a loose rein on the trail.

A is "only" 16hh and actually a nice size for me. Thank goodness - she can feel very big when she's feeling lively or otherwise expressing her emotions :)

After that, I hung around and caught up with some barn mates. I really, really miss the atmosphere of EC's barn, all those people with goals similar to mine and so much inspiration to be found everywhere there.

Speaking of being inspired, I did a terrible thing and fell in love with another horse. I stuck around partly to watch a barnmate school a 4 year old that's been at the barn for a little while and that I think is pretty much the sweetest thing and my dream conformation wise. Watching her go under saddle though...oh my, she's just wonderful. I'm not sure I've ever been quite so struck by a horse. If only I had talent, money, and time for such a mare :)  Barnmate looks wonderful on her, so let's hope the stars align and she keeps the ride. As the mare is not mine, nor do I lease her, it feels weird to post pictures. I'll post a picture of her sire, though - she inherited a lot of his looks and I hear he's also got a super temperament:

Sire = Connaisseur. She looks just like her dad - in 16hh chestnut mare form :)