Riding lessons have been sporadic this winter between holidays, illness, snow and severe rain storms, and our mini ski-cation. Today we resumed our lessons, arriving as the farrier was clipping hooves and re-shoeing some of the horses. My favorite, Doc, had just done a riding lesson with a very young man who is disabled and was next up for hoof clipping, so I didn't get to ride him today. Early on in our lessons, I rode Squirt, then he came up lame with a hoof abscess and hadn't been available for the past couple of months, but his hoof has healed and he was ready to ride. Having not been in lessons for a while, he was pretty cooperative and somewhat spirited. He willingly did tight circles around barrels or just out in the open at a trot, would cross the poles on the ground at a trot, wanted to stop at the end of the ring where we mount and dismount, but could be urged on through that with a bit of encouragement, but he would not back up for me. Even with the instructor pushing backward on his chest. He just didn't want to go backwards.
I entered today's lesson with a bit of concern. Last week when we were skiing, to get back to the house we had to ski down a connector trail take off our skis and slide about 6 feet down a slope to the leaves at the bottom and then walk back to the house. In doing that, I slid too fast and slammed my tailbone into a rock or stump at the bottom and feared that bouncing in the saddle was going to be uncomfortable. It didn't bother me too much riding, but I am aware again that I must sit gingerly.
Post riding, we did a brisk 2 mile walk with the pups as the day was beautiful springlike day before a day of severe thunderstorms tomorrow and possible snow on Thursday.
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