July 15 2008

Today was warm, but cooler than other days this week so I thought I should take advantage and get a ride in. I didn't ride this past weekend at all due to my son turning 2 years old. Matt had supper ready when I got home so we could eat, get some grocery shopping done and be back home again in time for me to change and get out to the barn before feeding time.

At the house I felt exhausted and drained and just really did not feel like riding. I tried to think when my next chance to go riding would be. I knew Wednesday was out because we have dinner planned with Jenee' and Maddaly. Thursday may work but really too far out since my last ride was an entire week ago - yep better just bite the bullet and ride.

Well so much for cool weather. Looking at weather.com apparently we had a high of 91 today. I was at the barn a little before 7 pm. Sinwaan was almost out of water, so I turned him out into the larger paddock and he munched on weeds while I scrubbed and refilled his trough. I led him to it and he put his muzzle in but didn't drink.

Just a quick groom tonight - he has been incredibly clean lately. Applied some fly spray and tacked up. No problem. Hooves/shoes and pads all still look really good. I wonder when my next farrier appointment is.

I mount up and head down the driveway. He is trying to weasel over to the grass but I don't let him. He is not his usual ansty self this evening and I figure it's the heat. When we got to Elliot road I contemplated making a left and going down Stateline road but Sinwaan decides for me and we trot on up Elliot. We had a fairly good ride. When trotting, he moved out but when walking it felt like he was doing about 2 mph. I was still very tired, and even had developed a headache by the time we reached the homestead, so I told him if he behaved we would only go as far as the junkyard tonight.

The dust on the dirt road was incredible. Baby powder fine. I hope it rains a little soon to pack it back down. As long as we were moving we were able to stay ahead of the dust that hung in the air. As we got close to the junkyard I could hear a small engine and saw the dust trail of an ATV heading our direction. Tired, hot and not wanting to deal with more dust, I turned Sinwaan around a litter earlier than planned. He was delighted and took off happily at a canter which soon turned into a flat out gallop. At one point he arched his neck and turned his head around to the left and acted like he wanted to buck. My immediate reaction caused a heck of a bad cramp in my left leg but a loud "aaatttt! knock it off!" straightened him right out and we had a happy fast jaunt back to the gravel road.

Heading for home he wanted to run run run and I didn't mind so I let him. He tired out before the railroad track crossing and then I made him walk down the hill. We resumed trotting until about 1/2 mi from home, then I made him walk to cool out. I was glad to see him walking on a loose rein. He had quite a spook to the right when a woman walking on Stateline road quickly came into view, but we recovered.

I untacked him and hosed him off a little on his neck, shoulders and saddle area, gave him carrots and an apple and put him back in his paddock. His dinner was ready and waiting. I figure we did about 5 miles in an hour tonight.