Wizard Rides 286 & 287: Is It Magic That Makes You Appear?

Wednesday, 9/21/11 For the first time in a few weeks (months?), I longed Wizard. I did not have a lot of time at the barn, but wanted him to get out and exercise a little. He was a really, really good at all three gaits in both directions.

Thursday, 9/22/11

Thursday’s ride was a little Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde. Thankfully, it ended really well! In the beginning of the ride, Wizard was a little resistant to the aids, hollow through his back, and a little quick at the trot. But as we warmed up, the Awesome Wizard showed up. At the trot, I asked a few more times for him to reach forward instead of his little “typewriter trot”, and he lengthened. I popped him over a few cross rails, and he began to use himself more. By the end of the ride, he was using himself, and was very balanced and relaxed, happily purring as we trotted and cantered around the arena. Did the jumps improve his mood? Whatever switch flipped was a great one. We did a slow, meandering course of cross rails, with the final jump being the hay bales, turned on the taller side (see photo). I got a little ahead of him, but he looks so game! He’s such a fun horse.

Before our ride, I also led him over a little black pipe jump- it’s probably about 2 feet tall. He hesitated a few times, and then hopped over. Perhaps we’ll jump it soon :^)

Saturday, 9/24/11

Kris and I took a relaxing trail ride, walking the whole way. We rode the short loop behind the barn, and when it was too short, we took the trail across the street as well. Both Wizard and Sunny were their usual wonderful selves.

Wizard Ride 274: Easy

Thursday, 9/1/11

Wizard and I took it easy on Thursday, riding in the outdoor arena with Kris and her Mustang mare, Sunny. My mom took some pictures of us riding- it is great to see how Wizard is progressing.

Kris and Sunny are doing really well, too! It’s a delight to see her getting to know her new mare. They are a great team.

We warmed up at the walk and trot, doing circles in each corner, and progressing to shallow serpentines. Throughout the ride, we kept things simple and relaxed. I worked on incorporating trot poles and a few little cross rails into the flatwork, as Carole and I discussed in our lesson. The warm air and a long week made me a little lazy, and our ride was definitely an easy one for Wizard.

Wizard Ride 268: Mustang Sally

Tuesday, 8/23/11

While Tuesday will be remembered by most as the day of the Virginia Earthquake (mild swaying and shaking was felt here in Jersey), I’ll remember it as the day my friend Kris officially got her first horse, Sunny.

Sunny is an 11-year-old Mustang mare, and Kris adopted her from Helping Hearts Equine Rescue. I’m so happy for them both, and wish them many years of happiness and fabulous rides together.

In the morning, I rode Wizard before work. The weather was STUNNINGLY beautiful- crisp but still warm. We rode in the outdoor arena, which was damp but packed down enough that it was not boggy.

Before my ride, I turned him loose in the arena. The combination of a chiropractic adjustment, a set of new shoes, and a few days off turned him into a racehorse! It always makes my heart sing to watch him run for the fun of it. He ran several laps, punctuated by a few playful leaps.

Our ride was good. Wizard was a little wobbly and chompy, but he felt very powerful and was responsive. We worked almost exclusively at the trot after warming up, doing shallow serpentines, shoulder-in, and leg yield work. Toward the end of the ride, I trotted him over a few cross rails and let him canter out. If he anticipated, we went back to complicated arena work and then tried the cross rail again. We got a few good efforts, in which he focused and did not get too eager.

With Hurricane Irene on the horizon, I’m hoping to get a few more rides done outdoors before we are banished to the indoor arena.