Rain in July

Did I mention the weather has been unusual this year. Usually we are in a heat wave, with days and days of temps in the high nineties and sometimes in the 100's. I think two years ago we had 22 days in a row 100+.

Today the high was 72 with rain.

We rode. The horses were not happy with us. They dragged their feet. Ashke attempted an Arabian buck protest, which involves kicking out with both hind feet, when asked for our first canter. They. Didn't. Want. To. Go.

It was fun.

It finally got to the point where both of them were balking, backing and refusing to move forward. I got off and led Ashke part of the way, but it became very obvious they were done with going out. We rode the canal and they are both smart enough to remember the way out is the way home and when we turn around they know exactly how to get home. Our other trails are all loops, so this is the only one with this issue. The fight was getting bigger and harder and the rain was coming down in droplets instead of a drizzle. There was a large black rock next to the trail and I told N that when we reached it, we would turn for home. I swear the horses understood, because they walked right up to that rock, touched it with their noses and then turned for home.

The ride home was much more energetic and forward than the ride out. There was a lot of trotting. Cali shortened her strides and Ashke lengthened his and we rode side by side at a trot through the mud puddles and standing water. When we got to the street we debated going down the road to the barn, since it is much shorter than riding to the soccer fields and then into the neighborhood. However, there is a fire department located at the canal and the street which had one of it's truck's lights on and we decided NOT to ride past it and down the road. It scares me a little to think of how freaked out Cali would be if a firetruck were to go past us. Like N said, we were already wet, a little more wasn't going to kill us.

When we reached the sidewalk leading to the neighborhood, there is a huge field to the North. We decided to trot. Ashke was very bouncy and so I asked him to leg yield to the right. N, who was watching me as we rode, told me to weight the right stirrup. I did and all of a sudden he was flying sideways. We worked both directions. I really need to force him to work to the right.

When we got to the footbridge it was covered with about half an inch of rain. Neither horse was excited about crossing and Cali stopped on her way over to paw at the water on the bridge. She was surprised when it didn't splash.

We got back to the barn pretty quick and very wet, but with huge grins plastered on our faces. Both of us have rain coats, but neither of us brought them.