6th and 7th Rides Of Christmas

I think I'll just leave you with a few pictures today. Progress right now with Sophie is at the pace of watching paint dry and probably equally exciting for blog reading (but sorry, non exciting progress is just the way I want it right now!). Todays "big" change? Our walk circles were more confidently circular! Yay!

We may need to remeasure the Banana Pony. She's looking quite a bit taller than Bridget now!

I also popped on Bridget and she felt pretty good on the indoor footing. Another clue, perhaps. I'm thinking I'll just keep going with tons of walking and only a tiny bit of trot and canter. There are tons of exercises we can do at walk to add strength and flexibility, so why not see where that gets us. As per the vet, it won''t hurt.

I thought I was off work for the duration, but I need to man the office Monday/Tuesday. The plan is to be back home late Christmas Eve, and I'll be off again til Jan 2nd. I'm hopeful I'll get a whole lot more holiday rides in before January!

The Fifth Ride/Swim of Christmas

The weather is still horrible. Part of Sophie's paddock isn't draining and is so muddy it's over the top of my boots. Of course that's also the part where she loves to sleep and poop!  I need to invest in some wellies and allow myself more daylight hours for mucking out. I spend a good part of the time doing chores planning in my mind all the ways I could set up our barn at home more efficiently (and with less mud!)

I realize I probably haven't mentioned much about about our building plans lately. That's because they're on hold. We're still waiting for the city to give us the permit, but in the meantime I think we've both lost motivation and are again looking at bigger lots (outside the city, coincidentally, lol) So, perhaps my post about building a barn was premature.

Our only pictures today are from inside because dark and rain do my camera no favors.

Anyway, I did get mud monster Sophie out today. I took her down to the outdoor arena and longed her a little. It's funny how things sneak up on you - she feels petty solid out there all the sudden. I added in some poles to keep it interesting and to up the difficulty and she was great. The only little issue is left lead canter is still a work in progress (it's weak so she swaps leads all over the place when she gets unbalanced or tired - timing is everything) and the poles were confusing that, so instead I used it as an opportunity to do a lot of transitions by trotting over the poles and cantering the rest.

It was getting dark and it was so, so damp out, so we ventured over to the barn with the indoor. Sophie isn't a fan of it over there because the horses that live there are always just out of sight behind some big trees. Also, they never answer her whinnies, so she's uncertain whether they are there and friendly or horse zombies stalking her from the forest.

"DID YOU HEAR THAT!?"

So, it's not her happy place. I got on anyway because I feel like if I start making excuses not to that's the start of a slippery slope mentally for me. Sophie was definitely not as relaxed as I would have liked and had a few opinions about things but I was proud that for the most part she kept a lid on the feelings. There's nothing new to report technically - we walked some shapes a generous person might call circular,  a few laps each direction. Lots of stopping and starting, lots of falling through the outside shoulder (the attraction to the pretty blonde pony in the mirrors at the far end was strong and S of course has only a tiny idea what my outside rein means :) The amusing part to me is that I was working on the same basic things with Bridget yesterday - please keep a consistent tempo unless I ask for different, and please keep your shoulders on the path. Of course, the corrections for B are usually in trot or canter and are very subtle, but it's there nonetheless.

What I was very proud of was that Sophie really tried her best for me despite being uneasy about the surroundings. I think next  we might be ready to add a little trotting to our repertoire of things we can do.

Babies being babies, and Sophie being Sophie, I think her brain ran out of batteries in the indoor because our walk back home was...eventful. A truck drove by and water splashed under the tires and S lost her mind. I'm 99% sure we did not get splashed - I think it was just the noise she took offense to. Then every other vehicle that drove by was cause for drama. Of course one of them was the barn owner who already thinks Sophie is a nut. S did not do  herself any favors by leaping in the ditch when their truck came and then panicking because surprise! the ditch is full of water right now and she was swimming. Oh my. Traffic is one of the things I would have told you she's super solid with, but it looks like we might need to revisit that.

Ah well, two steps forward, one back (and into a ditch). Tomorrow is another day :)

Fourth Ride of Christmas

The weather has been awful the past two days with nearly freezing temps and an incredible amount of rain. I had plans of getting both ponies down to the indoor arena,  but honestly, one look at the mud sculpture that resembled Sophie and we voted her off the island. She's part duck or pig or something and is just living her best soaking wet, muddy life out there. 

Bridget was so sassy.

Bridget and I went for a trip to the indoor and I got absolutely soaking wet on the way. Bridget had her Bucas quarter sheet and of course her giant fur coat keeping her warm and dry. I was less content. I'd pay good money for waterproof riding gear for myself. So far I've never found anything that holds up to our weather. I do alright wearing a layer of fleece or wool so at least if I'm moving I'm still warm enough, but I end up pretty chilled by the end of the day.

Anyway, we had a short but sweet ride in the indoor. B unfortunately didn't feel 100% to the left, but she has tons of sassy pony energy and we had fun. I tried to get video for you guys, but apparently I need practice and it turned out too blurry to use any.

On another topic, as I rode my spooky, prancy pony home in the dark, wind, and rain I was pondering how I really don't have too much anxiety about riding these days. I know I'm not brave on a lot of horses, but I guess I must trust the two I have, even the one that's definitely a little sketchy. (Looking at you Sophie!) 

Fingers crossed the monsoons will ease off tomorrow and I can get both ponies out without it feeling quite so overwhelming. I'm beyond excited to get some more rides in on Sophie :) 

The Second Ride of Christmas

Keeping with the 12 rides of Christmas (vacation) theme, here's ride #2.

I started out today so frustrated. For now, I feel like it's safer to have someone around when I ride since Sophie is still so new under saddle. But, for the second day in a row, the person cancelled at the last minute and I couldn't round anyone else up to keep me company. So, I was sad.

Once I can string a week or two of rides together, I'll feel better about riding alone.  I love self boarding and actually like riding by myself the majority of the time, but this is one of the times I wish for a busier barn where there's always that built in safety net of people and other horses sharing the space  :)

In other news, Bridget got this hay ball for Xmas and highly approves of it.

I think I just need to suck it up and get it done, help or none...I took vacation time partly to get Sophie going, and I don't want to waste it. If I'm honest I've been trying to organize consistent help since September but life is busy and we get  a day or two in and something else always comes up. Maybe on those days  I can text a friend before I get on and have them check in at a agreed upon time if they don't hear from me? Trying to think outside the box. For now, I still take her out and longe or hand walk her, so it's not a total loss.

Anyway, today wasn't all disappointing! I rode Bridget and she felt totally enthusiastic, energetic, and best thing ever - sound! That alone obviously made my day, after months of vague off and on lameness and stiffness. I didn't want to jinx anything by getting my hopes up, but she felt pretty fantastic last week too. I had given her almost a month off and we did some short walking hacks last week to get back into the swing of things. I'm hoping to add a little more trot in this week, then a bit of cantering next week if she continues to feel OK.

This angle does her no favors, but she is definitely rocking a winter bod, lol

Today, she was ridiculously excited to get out and so light and forward. I might have got a little teary eyed - it makes me so happy that she's feeling so good.  I just did  some easy walk/trot/walk/halt transitions on big loops around the area. I kept the trot to straight lines and it felt totally even and she was really pushing over her back for the first time in ages.

Sassy, happy pony <3

Fingers crossed, this feeling stays. Either way, today's ride is a gift I definitely appreciate :)

A Week In The Life Of Bridget

Unlike her sister, Bridget managed to stay out of pony jail this week.

Have I mentioned enough times how grateful I am for such a low maintenance pony?

Plus, she's kind of cute.

So, Monday to Wednesday, while I was away for work, I'm fairly confident Bridget just relaxed and did all the things Bridget likes to do. Mostly, eating and sleeping.

I interrupted her Zen on Thursday night for a quick spa day and a walk around the block.

I was finally feeling well enough to sneak in a ride. I couldn't stop smiling, B looks less enthused here, but really she just wasn't happy about standing for a picture - she wanted to GO! :)

Friday, it was sunny, but insanely windy and I appreciated her letting me know that the apocalypse was coming, but not actually doing anything about it when we went for s quick hack.

Saturday, I thought to do some ring work, but when I went to warm her up to the left it became apparent she's not 100% on a smaller circle in that direction, again. If you've been reading a while, you know it's been about a year where she's been ever so slightly off just once in a while. It's so, so minor and I can feel it under saddle but we can't see it from the ground and she flexes fine. We've had the vet check her a couple of times but mystery lameness does not present in any significant way when the vet comes, and in his mind could very well be fitness or even be a saddle fit issue. She's due for a vet check up again, and I'll go back to riding bareback and see how that feels. I'll see of I can entice a saddle fitter to come to us as well, Sophie needs checking too.

She has a ton of energy right now, though! I'm still grinning like an idiot, too, LOL

Sunday, the weather forecast looked nice enough to put the ponies back out into their summer turnouts. That's unheard of for this time of year, but it looks like we're getting a couple of weeks of dry weather and the grass is super green given the monsoons we had for the last 6 weeks.

Check out her dapples! Her coast is wild right now.

Rather than a different coat color like in the spring, they're currently just little spots of fluffier hair. So funny!

So, hacking and mystery lameness is kind of an inauspicious start towards my goal of being back to 1-3 by Christmas. But, pony is happy, I'm happy, and the sun is shining. Life's not too bad!

Good Girls

I had the kind of week I hope I can continue through the winter. The days are going to get shorter and the weather more challenging, but it's my hope I can keep things ticking over and keep those baby steps coming.

Sunsets are earlier and earlier.

To be honest I've already achieved any goals I had for Sophie this fall. I don't want to seriously have her under saddle until next spring. So, this week we just went for a couple of walks around the neighbourhood, and had a couple of quick sessions in the round pen at the club grounds too. I finished up one day by leading her over part of the really old XC course on site...I think there was a Pony Club here 20+ years ago and nothing has been used since. Still, there are little bits of things left and still hidden in the surrounding forest. She happily trotted and jumped the little logs in hand and navigated a couple of small banks so I guess you could say we're eventers now ;)

Tried this saddle on her and it's a pass...it fits through the shoulder but too wide elsewhere. One day the saddle gods will smile on me.

She's getting the idea of lateral flexions and moving her hindquarters and shoulders under saddle. Whoa is pretty solid, go can be a little sticky and wiggly and start/stop as she's just a little unsure still. I'm only on her 5 or 10 minutes at a time and it's all walking. That's plenty for her right now and it's still enough for me to find a good moment or two and make tiny steps of progress.

Bridget also had a good weekend, doing what she does best and showing a nervous horse the ropes of being an ammy friendly trail horse. I am so lucky with her....Murphy's law being what it is you know our outing wouldn't be straightforward. We had to go past a man cutting firewood with a chainsaw on the side of the road and B quite happily marched right on through, even with the other horse jumping around and  bouncing off of her.

I finally pulled her mane too...I could handle this look anymore, so look forward to a more polished Bridget in future posts. Sidenote: It's kind of weird that she's a pony and this is the longest mane and forelock she grows. 

We had a nice flatwork school as well, and she was on fire - light and responsive and so, so, supple and free through her back. She often feels great after a little time off doing other things. She knows her job and gets tense and resentful if she is bored or thinks I am drilling things.

I'm getting an itch to do a little jumping again so some poles and little grids might be a fun thing to add back to the mix to start with. To be honest, as much as I love Bridget it's a little hard to keep motivated without any goals for her. It turns out I am not a trail rider at heart because I'm getting pretty bored with ours. I think it's time to mix it up a bit again.

Bonus moody ocean picture. I took a few and got home and realized there are humpback whales in the center of the frame while I was all focused on panoramic misty mountain tops. Oops.

Trail and Road Etiquette - What Do We Think?

Recently, with nicer riding weather here, there have been a ton of awareness type videos and posters being shared and distributed by our local equestrian community, mostly via facebook. Lots of guidelines for sharing the roads and trails, usually focusing on educating other users.

I think education is great. I think sharing roads and trails with everyone is great. Making everyone safer, also obviously a great thing. This website has some good tips and rules for sharing the road.

Seems reasonable?

I hate to say it though, but to me a lot of the equine-centric materials being distributed come across as entitled and honestly, unfair to other users. Ditto for some of my fellow riders, who I've seen in person being quite demanding of other users. Just one example, but I know people who ride three abreast down the middle of the road and expect traffic to wait for them. I guess they can do it, but it doesn't seem overly safe or like good PR for equestrians. I recently ran into a group of lovely ladies who had been told off by a rider whose horse was scared of their dogs, so thought the appropriate thing to do upon seeing me coming was to hide themselves and their dogs in the bushes next to the trail :D

Bear with me, I have a few thoughts on being a responsible and fair user of shared outdoor space:

- If I am taking my horse out in a multi use space, I think the respectful thing to do is ensure my horse is as prepared and safe as possible for that. I realize I am incredibly lucky to own Bridget, who is level headed in most situations. I'm doing my best to make Sophie just as solid, but it she doesn't turn out to be reliable, I will certainly be getting help and/or making decisions about when or if we share trails with other users. 

- I think it's unreasonable to expect the world to leave me alone in a big happy horse riding bubble. I'd expect pedestrians, trucks, cyclists, ATVs, and motorcycles to want to (politely) overtake me. I expect people to make mistakes and have bad days, for the weather to do crazy things, for strange situations to arise. My horse and I need to be ready for that, not just happy and safe in perfect circumstances.

All alone in our happy bubble...for now.

- Even though I *could* ride somewhere and there are no signs explicitly telling me not to, it doesn't mean I should ride there. I think I've mentioned before, there are some trails I simply don't ride. For example, the local mountain bikers put a ton of work into a few downhill spots and it seems very unfair for me to dig it up with horse hooves and risk damaging their bridges, etc. We also share our crown forests with active logging and resource interests - again, just because theoretically it's crown/public land, is it really a wise choice to ride through active areas during working hours and force the operators and drivers to shut down and wait for me?

Last year there was some facebook drama from equestrians upset at how busy the swimming beaches at a local lake...'their' lake access to be precise. I tend to keep riding past if people are there picnicking and swimming, it seems safer. The land is public, and it's only busy for a couple of months out of the year.

- Communicate. Let other users know your intentions, wave them past, smile, say hi. Thank them if they've stopped to let you pass on the trail or given you extra respect on the road. It's so easy to get into a zone and take things for granted.

I don't know, maybe some of the educational stuff is just trying to err way on the side of caution and be super safe by saying things like motorized vehicles shouldn't ever pass horses, bike riders need to stop and get off as you pass, etc. I feel like if I didn't have horses, though, I might be a little resentful of the lengths we ask others to go to just to share a trail.

Thoughts? :)

Day 9: Bridget Lives Here Too

Bridget has been neglected media wise, but she's still here being Best Pony and taking part in all the adventures. I'm just not as motivated to post updates of Bridget seeing the farrier, longeing, going for a ride, etc for you because she already knows her job and does it well. It's maybe not as exciting as baby horse adventures, but she's very much appreciated! I hope I never take her for granted.  In the past week we've gone out for some solo rides, had a spa day, and went swimming at the lake with Sophie. She also got put out to a summer grass field later last week and highly approves of that!

Bridget is more about wading than swimming, but was a good sport for leading her younger sister into the water.

we've been spoiled with lots of sunshine and warm temperatures.

Unimpressed, this seems like work.

Next week I'll pony the yellow pest off of her...to be honest though she prefers heading out solo so I'll keep making time for those rides too. It's not that she doesn't like Sophie, but I get the feeling she finds her a bit tiring.

Day 9 of Sophie boot camp consisted of a super rainy, cold day. It felt a little surreal that we were swimming the day before! So, both ponies just got a short period out to eat grass, plus a spa day and a short walk around the neighbourhood. Sophie tried on saddles and I think I have one that will do the trick for now. Sophie's energy levels were pretty low and she was perfectly behaved so I didn't feel bad about her kind of having a slack day.

I tried to tame manes, but Sophie's mane is even crazier than Bridget's and she's not fond of me pulling it (and I don't blame her). When they are that thick, it's not that easy to make it look nice with the thinning shears either. I'm not a huge fan of long manes on my horses (I love them on everyone else though) so I'm thinking I'll keep to a middle ground where I try to keep it tidy but it's not going to be perfectly pulled and neat for perfect braids or anything (kind of like Bridget's) Thank goodness I don't do hunters :D

I'm back at work today, so both ponies get a day off.  I'm returning home for further pony adventures tomorrow evening. I'm trying hard to stick to schedule as if S was at a 'real' trainer. Fingers crossed, week 1 felt like a success - I managed to keep up on chores for both ponies (picking paddocks is time consuming this time of year when they are out on bigger spaces), get them both out regularly, and still work and have a personal life.

Bring On The Weekends!

I was feeling so awful last week that I went ahead and booked this coming Monday off so I can have an extra long weekend. Luckily, whatever bug I had seems to have passed, so the extra day feels much more like a gift than a necessity :)

The weather is also doing it's part by providing our area with an impromtu summer. Just two weeks ago we were freezing over night, now we are up to 26C/80F - definitely on the hot side for us! My spring garden is confused and unhappy, but I'll take sunshine and warmth any day.

Everything is so green!

The big excitement planned for this weekend is moving Sophie "home". I'm hoping to get that accomplished either Saturday or Sunday, and am feeling quite impatient to have her back especially given all this good weather. I'm ready for baby pony boot camp!

Doesn't suspect a thing ;)

Next weekend is also a long weekend, so it feels like I am barely going to be working. Even more exciting for me is that following that I'm on an adapted schedule all the way through to September. Basically, I will only be away working 2 days a week rather than the 3 I currently am, thanks to the much more accomdating summer ferry schedule (thank you tourists!). I'll still work from home too, so my paycheck won't be impacted - I'll just have more barn time. 

Less time waiting at this ferry dock is a great thing for me.

See you Tuesday! Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Visiting Old Friends

One more pic of Bridget from the weekend, just because I'm loving them :)

Tuesday morning, while I was sitting at my desk wondering what mistakes in life led me to working in an office on such a gorgeous day, one of my old barn mates from the area sent a text hoping I might want to come for a ride later in the day and help her get some horses exercised. Yes please! I'm totally up for a surprise bonus sixth consecutive day of riding!

You might remember my very favorite Q Mare from the eventing barn...she's a big grey eventing machine that I used to hack out regularly, so we are old friends. I popped on her for some hill work and remembered all the reasons I love her - bold, powerful, and so very forward. And, rock steady. She's one of my favorites for sure, despite being rather oversized for me.

Such a pretty girl. She's 16.3hh which is much bigger than the 14hh pony I'm used to :)

Could not persuade her to put her ears up for you. Tacking up time = sleepy time, apparently.

As an extra special treat, Ginger and her new owner came along too! So cool to see them both. I'm so grateful Ginger ended up where she has - she's got the best owner and the best life and I can still see her sometimes too.

I even took a minute to say hi to my other favorite mare, Audrey. I haven't had a dressage lesson since Christmas, and Audrey being Audrey probably thinks that's just fine. She's not the cuddly affectionate sort pining for my company. I'm in money saving mode, so this whole not seeing each other anymore thing is probably best for both of us, lol.

The bittersweet part of today's story is that Q Mare's owner and best barn rat has a too good to pass up job offer in Ireland at a well known eventing yard and will likely be leaving soon to pursue some big dreams. I'm so excited for her, but I will miss her too! I was kind of hoping she'd still be around when I eventually bring Sophie down and have her in training (and myself back in lessons).

Of course, big changes like that mean Q Mare has also sold. She's going to a great home, but I won't lie, I've had a bit of a fantasy for a while now where I somehow managed to buy her, so I was a bit sad knowing this was likely my last ride on her.

Since my other favorite previous barn mate is also riding professionally in Ireland, you can be sure I'll be following the Irish event calendar from afar and cheering everyone on! I don't know about you, but even though my goals and dreams differ I find it super inspiring to see these girl's dedication and determination in going after what they want from life.

5 Days Of Riding: Part 3 (The Rest)

On Sunday, I had absolutely nothing horsey planned, and halfway contemplated taking a break. But, we went for a walk to the beach in the morning, and as always happens when we walk human-only trails I was wishing I could bring a horse!

I stopped in at the barn and Bridget said she was bored, so that was the last bit of motivation I needed to go for a ride. I thought she might be a little stiff or tired from Saturday's exertions so we walked down to the arena grounds for a leg stretch. Bridget had other ideas, though, and put on a bit of a show in the round pen there. She's got bottomless energy these days, apparently.

Such a pity she's not totally on board for the dressage game.

Showing off and having fun. I wasn't asking for any of this, but she was pretty pleased with herself, so why not.

G and I drove out to see Sophie later in the day, but sadly no pictures for you because it was getting dark out by then. I love visiting her, but the reality is she's a pretty happy little thing and doesn't need much. So, for now I save the gas money and time and check in once or twice a week. When she moves "home" in mid May for baby pony bootcamp she'll be a pretty regular feature here again, I'm sure.

Monday was my final day off work, and saw me seriously contemplating my life choices. Why am I not wealthy and spending all day, every day riding? Oh, that's right...because I seem to have a habit of prioritizing my non work life and sacrificing income, and therefore any hope of ever being rich. Ah well, there's always lottery tickets, I guess :)

So cute. I'm totally biased, but seriously, who wouldn't want to stay home from work and hang out with her?

Very non exciting, but all the adventuring all weekend meant I had a few wheelbarrows of poop waiting for me in the paddocks. By the time I was done, that and the grey, cold weather had kind of sapped my motivation. Never fear though, once again Bridget was waiting at the gate and eager to get out.

Are you kidding me right now Bridget?

 This time I just led her around the neighbourhood and hand grazed her in the prime spots...I was tired and my body is not used to 5 full days in a row of hiking and riding!

Hope you enjoyed your weekend as much as I did!

5 Days Of Riding: Part 1

Five days in a row at home meant I had quite a bit of pony time this week. So appreciated! Even though I see the horses all the time and ride fairly regularly, more is always better.

Thursday was my first day off and I was less appreciative of the weather. The day was dark, cold and rainy. West coast winter had temporarily returned. Carrying on from last week, Bridget was very VERY sassy, to the point I didn't think hacking down the road was wise or safe. I rarely get that feeling from her, so longeing or round penning before a ride is a once every six months sort of thing and not a normal part of our routine.

I made the right call, because B was on fire and many ridiculous opinions and not so athletic maneuvers were expressed. By the time she was listening and done with all the silliness and playing, she was pretty tired and sweaty, so I just groomed an extra wheelbarrow of winter coat off of her and put her back out.

Honestly, I wasn't looking forward to putting my butt in a wet saddle and all the associated tack cleaning that comes from riding nasty weather anyhow.

Friday, the weather was much improved and I thought it might be wise to get her down to the exhibition grounds and actually ride her because we had a games day and first aid clinic scheduled there the following day. I didn't want to bring a stir crazy Bridget and replicate Sophie's antics at the farrier clinic the weekend prior. I don't have a lot of pride, but I didn't want to be the star of the show for all the wrong reasons two weeks in a row :)

B was feeling her best, and a rather interesting rodeo was had. On a related note, I can say I've tested my new breeches thoroughly and can recommend silicone full seats if you're looking for something to lock you in the saddle.

I never did get to the bottom of her energy level.  Who is this pony?

Weekend Happenings, 2019 Bridget Style

The last post ventured back to 2015, which was a fun time. But you know what? I'm  so glad I was brave enough to keep moving forward and change between then and now. I've got zero regrets about selling Ginger. I miss her, for sure, but she's doing so well with her new owner and it's a way better fit for everyone. I'm glad I kept Bridget, I'm glad I had the experiences at EC's barn that I did, and I'm glad everything led me to buying Sophie and reassessing my work and home life balance.

So, now that we've established how grateful I am to live the life I do, onwards to new adventures!

This past Friday, I thought it would be fun to take Bridget's little friend along with us on a ride. Bridget's friend, Lily, LOVED it. She's the best mini I've ever been around. My husband G likes bringing her because she's so easy and polite, so it's a win win. I want to buy Lily and keep her in my backyard :)

So fuzzy, so cute! Lily enjoying a little snack on the bluffs.

I'm not sure Bridget enjoyed the outing quite as much. Someone had A LOT of ants in her pants, and thought having Lily there meant the game was on and it was play time. She was generally being pushy and disagreeable to boot, because even Happy Forward Bridget is not happy to have anyone tell her what to do.

 It's got me thinking, she's been consistently a bit spicy for a few months now and has changed energy wise in a big way from last year.  I haven't been bothered because she seems happy and enthusiastic, which is a positive considering she was still kind of shut down and dull when we first came back.

Anyway, I'm not sure in the 5 years of Bridget I ever really needed to enforce the whole "stop means stop", "no you may not blow throw my half halt" "walk, don't jig" thing. Probably because the discussion was always about the go button! Even the past few months where she's been borderline getting worse I always in my mind have labelled her as lazy and so I let it slide thinking it was temporary - winter sillies, spring fever, too much good food, etc. I tend to redirect to canter work or other things requiring the energy, thinking I am being smart. In retrospect, I guess in her mind cantering when she offers equals Bridget being large and in charge!  Since it seems her energy is here to stay and  I apparently have been lax in setting boundaries, B now thinks it is cool to race everyone and go everywhere as quickly as possible whenever the mood strikes her. A long overdue chat was had and poor B's mind got a little boggled.

This hill is about 5km long and normally B slows down by the time we get to the top. Not so much lately - I have no idea where this energy and fitness is coming from - certainly not any dedicated efforts by me!

 Every form of forward shes offered until now has always been a good thing and rewarded. If you've been here a long time, you may remember Bridget Version 1.0 would slam on the brakes and refuse to move, even in walk. Gradually, we established walk, then trot, then canter and even gallop and even then the brakes always felt like they were stuck on a little.  In true pony form, I wonder if she's finally given up on napping and hiding behind the leg, and is now doing a 180 and electing to bring all her efforts to escaping out the front and gaining back her pony independence that way?

On our Friday ride it was also super insulting that her favorite person G was walking with such an obviously inferior pony IN FRONT OF US the whole way home. Oh, the tragedy of it all. Never mind that Lily and Bridget are besties in real life!

She's been getting a bit of extra alfalfa, perhaps the attitude comes from there? :)

Wow, never thought I'd be writing a semi serious post about installing brakes and dealing with a too forward Bridget, but here we are.

In other news, Ms Sophie was an absolute brat as well this weekend, and I'll recap that fun tomorrow.

For now, bear with me while I am the poster child for spoiled pony owners everywhere. My two are over here taking pony mare drama to new heights, and yes I'm that person who thinks it's just as amusing as it is annoying.