Cruising Through The Miles

Jetta and I had a fabulous ride in Dog Valley this morning. The smile wrinkles on my face haven't even relaxed yet!  I took her out alone and we did a quick seven miles in an hour and a half. I realize, of course, that doesn't sound all that fast, but you must take into account the fact that my phone rang FOUR times! And I answered it! One phone call was OK. I gave Jetta a short walk break while I discussed a couple of plans for my daughter's upcoming wedding. The rest of the calls I should have let go to voice mail! In any case, about 20-25 minutes of the hour and a half was walking, but the rest was flying! I did keep Jetta to a reasonable speed since we are doing long, slow, distances (sort of), but I felt like I was flying. We also had another good canter. (See where the smile lines come from?)

Jetta did have a bit of attitude going this morning. Nothing obnoxious, just a little spit and vinegar. Her nose was in the air a bit the first couple of miles, but toward the last couple she started reaching for the (bitless) contact and relaxing her back. This made me very happy. (I tried the Kimberwick bit in the arena yesterday and it's a no-go. Mouth open, tongue sucked back, lack of forwardness, etc. Sigh.) Today she had a lot of go and was not the least bit winded or tired when we arrived back at the trailer. I, on the other hand, had rather rubbery legs due to the amount of two-point I rode! I realize Jetta is getting in shape quicker than I am. A year of green horses and no actual endurance rides (or any ride longer than 10 miles!) has made me soft. Better get my rear in gear and fix that problem!

A great day for the boots!

Jetta's boots were stellar again--lots of speed, lots of rocks, and solid boots all the way! I love it! I also rode her in a different saddle than her norm. I put Keno's Bandos Trail saddle with a Grandeur pad on her and we were both super comfy. This saddle actually fits me better than the Black Forest Shasta I've been riding her in, so I'll try it for a few weeks to determine if we are both comfortable  for longer rides before deciding if it's a permanent switch.