I finally got to go out and ride!!!!!!

First of all, sorry for the lack of art, I started on the championship series but Jimmy's head is currently 10 times too big for his body and now I'm currently sleep-deprived and have lost motivation for the moment to continue working on it. Hopefully soon I'll get out of my little art-block. I probably just need to chop off his head and then I'll feel better

Yesterday was a beautiful day. Sunny, reasonably warm (especially once I got into the arena considering I'm out of shape ). The mountains were out. You see, we are surrounded by mountains here, north, east, south and west, but we also have so many cloudy days that often you can't see them. Especially all winter. But now it's spring! So the trees on the side of the highways were green, and the mountains still had lots of snow but were super clear so they look so near.

Anyways, I get to the barn and get to meet a little week old filly. We had to move her and her mama out of the arena. The dam is Arabian x Hungarian Warmblood, and the sire is a Shagya Arab, and the filly is super duper cute. And not at all shy! She marched right up to us to say hello. And showed off her moves by running all around (and her mom followed close behind). I led the mare to the stall, her attention always on her little one who first thought to run around the arena instead of following us out the gate, and then trotted off in the opposite direction, and then ran back but overshot the stall door and bounced off a wheelbarrow before finally joining us - apparently everything has to be done full speed ahead

Then C. asks me if I want to ride Danny again. Yes please! You would have to be a crazy person to turn that offer down. And it was pretty much as soon as I got on him that I remembered how awesome he is. After some walking I asked for the trot and let me tell you, it is a beautiful trot. My family has owned two Arabs with trots on the opposite ends of the spectrum. Pal's trot is very forward, but also very strong and hard to sit, but his impulsion definitely helps you to post. He is a little short, so his strides are also a bit short, and you have to work to control your posting. Flash's trot is very very smooth, very comfortable to sit, but you have to work harder to post. (You also generally have to work harder to get him to move forward...)

Danny's trot is to me the perfect medium. Forward, with long sweeping strides, enough impulsion that it's easy to post, but not too much that you have to work to control yourself. And it is smooth, no jarring feeling at all. His canter also is wonderful to ride. He himself is very willing and basically the sort of horse I feel like makes me look like a better rider than I am. Then she asked if I wanted to take him outside and jump because he's been working quite a bit on them this winter. Oh man, so hard to turn that offer down! I know he would carry me over them safely, but I was also feeling that I was being a sloppy rider (I had to focus on not letting my torso collapse) so I said no. And of course, being the Limited Distance endurance horse that he is, once I was worn out he was saying, "Really? But I'm just warmed up, let's go for another 25 miles."

And then I scrubbed buckets and went home. But I really love that shiny horse. And it is surprising to me that he hasn't been snatched up by a buyer yet. I know if I could, I would buy him. Some pictures here on his blog page [link]

Also, foaling season! C. has one Akhal-Teke foal due this summer that I'm excited to meet. And the Teke farm on the islands has a total of four foals due this year. One was just born last weekend (his Facebook pictures are adorable) and another is due any day. The other two won't be due until mid-late summer. I've never visited that farm but I think new foals sounds like a good excuse to make a day trip So once my sister gets out of school I'm going to drag her over there with me.