I remember my roots...sort of.

As per my last post, it's been raining here - a lot.  And if it's not raining, it's cold.  I've become very thin-skinned and don't like the cold so much anymore (you'd never know I grew up in Connecticut).  Well, Charlie hadn't been ridden since Wed and I decided to suck it up and deal with the weather.

I rode yesterday and it was really cold!  Not really temperature cold but damp cold.  I think that's worse than 20 degrees and sunny but that's just me whining.  The weather here has been nothing compared to what's gone on in the PNW or in the Northeast (hello snowstorm in Oct!) but I digress.  I didn't do a whole lot just because the ground is so saturated with water right now, it's really not safe to do anything other than walk.  To say Charlie was feeling good is an understatement but he managed to keep all 4 feet on the ground.  I focused on staying quiet and soft with my hand and encouraging him to come round from his hind end.  I did lots of shoulder-in and leg yielding across the trail and that really helped him to stay focused on me instead of his imaginary friends playing tag in the woods.  The one thing I have to be really careful about is making sure I allow him to take a few steps straight before I change the bend to the opposite direction.  Riding straight is really hard - I definitely need the bend to help me keep him soft and supple.  By the end of our 30 minute walk, he was pushing off from behind and he was quiet in the bridle (well, as much as 3 days off and cold windy weather will allow!).  He really was good - even when he's being a little silly, I never feel like he's checked his brain at the door.

I really thought we had seen the last of the rain but I was wrong.  It rained all morning - hard.  I put the horses in when I went to feed Charlie this morning because it was 39 and raining pretty hard.  I had to take the horse trailer to the "doctor" today for a check-up.  Nothing is wrong with it but I just want to make sure so it's getting a safety check (can we say Pony Club?).  I finalized my plans to go to Southern Pines and should be leaving Friday afternoon.  I was really hoping to leave Thursday afternoon but I have clinical on Friday AM so I have to leave after that.  I'm not sure when I'm going to come home - I may be up there for the weekend or I may stay for a week.  We'll see.  Either way, I'm excited!  Have lots to do beforehand like ride!  Here's hoping the ground dries up enough for me to jump once or twice before I leave.