VCMBH: Right Here, Right Now

Viva Carlos is asking the question: What are you doing with your horse, right here, right now.

This is what our goal is right now: to ride as many miles as is physically possible during the summer under any and all trail conditions.

To that end, we are working on loading with improved success after two tries.

We are looking at extending miles.

I am working on gaining confidence at the canter. Sunday, we cantered every time the trail was smooth enough for safety, in my book. We also trotted some of the trail I thought might be too challenging and he did fantastic. The end goal is to increase our overall speed and increase our overall distance so we are riding farther in the same amount of time. This is prep work to see if we can actually do a 25 mile ride on 8/2.

Ashke is strengthening his back and butt by riding up and down all manner of trail, stepping carefully and cautiously over rocks and downed trees. (Natural cavalletti). He has shown himself to be very sure footed (much better than last year) and we only had two trips on our ride on Sunday. Both were caused by him craning his neck to look at something other than where his feet are.

He . . . he is pretty happy doing it. For the first time since I brought him home he is feeling strong enough, safe enough and happy enough to drop out of his sheath. I've even caught him completely dropped in his run in the sun. Something that was causing him anxiety or stress and holding him on edge is now gone.