Saturday, September 13, 2008

It begins! Best time of year for riding




In this part of the world anyway, fall is just the best. Cool, brilliant, horses feel good, the flies disappear, and the Big Chill has not yet set in but it is coming, so we get out there with a frenzied energy. All too soon it will be little circles inside the tin can of the arena, bundled up like the Michelin Tire Man, with horses that need 20 minute warm-ups and cool-downs.

Yesterday evening I came home from work just bushwacked; this big class (150) at 8 a.m. is killing me even though I love the subject - I get up at 5 a.m. and I am consistently over-prepared and over-caffeinated. It's over by 9 and I have the whole rest of the day yet to get through including more classes, but I'm already tired whiney-whine.

Anyway I had no intention of riding yesterday but it was a golden afternoon and I finally just went out there and rode John on the near trails alone for 2 hours. In the photo above you see our galloping field. It's a nice big open area with some snowmobile trails that are packed and thus have no gopher holes or other little boo-boos to worry about so we open it up out there. I love it; last evening it occurred to me that this is my idea of heaven: a willing horse, a golden evening, and an open stretch ahead...

What is your idea of heaven? Here's John's:



And by the way what do you think of this carrot that came in the farm box last week?


It scared me a little...

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, I am SO jealous of your galloping lane! I have a huge, beautiful field next to my property to ride in, but rabbits are rampant and they like to dig big holes for their spring nests. There are a few farm lanes between corn fields I can gallop in, but the dirt is pretty hard packed.

I like how you spend a cool, almost-fall afternoon. It's my choice of time expenditure, too.

That carrot...three for the price of one! ROFL!

Flying Lily said...

Jenn, it's funny how just off the galloping lane to right or left we get amazing bumps, holes, and little ditches which just make it impossible to move at more than a walk unless you are a crazy kid LOL.

Trail Riding Cowgirl said...

Oh I love to ride in the fall. I have no galloping lane here just grass paths thru the cornfields and they are bumpy. That carrot is bizarre! I think it scares me a little.

Zoe said...

If you are worried about your carrot(s) Zoe has kindly offered to eat it for you...
You have some beautiful countryside where you are. I love the leaves starting to turn colour. I haven't as yet noticed ours but intend to look today...

Flying Lily said...

Trail Riding Cowgirl: Grass paths through the corn sound nice too! But bumpy...I have a tripping phobia (among my many other phobias LOL).

c2b: Your Zoe is such a kind soul - if she were here she could certainly take on this 3-legged carrot, and some of the 10 pound bag of cute little apples my friend brought over from her trees yesterday! I'm sure John and Montana would be glad to share with such a charming British lady. Then they could all plot mischief together.

BrownEyed Cowgirl said...

That carrot is a little disturbing. Hmmmm?!

I love, LOVE the fall. The end of September through Thanksgiving is my favorite time of the year.

Flying Lily said...

BrownEyed cowgirls: I agree totally. I'm trying to figure out how I can get exactly those months off work...and I think it will have to wait on retirement. Would like to just pack up the trailer and keep moving to one state park or another, trail ride all day, make a fire and sit and think all the evening. Or something that rhymes with 'think'.

Train Wreck said...

Hmmm that carrot is a little crazy looking! But hey I bet the horses would love it! I love fresh veggies, next year I hope to have a garden!

Flying Lily said...

Train Wreck: Keep the deer and bunnies away from that garden or you will be an angry cute-critter-hater like me!!

Train Wreck said...

Oh good I wasn't that far behind!! And I will keep that in mind when I ge my garden!