Heading to our new spot.
It was still a little wet out from a light snow we got Thursday and Friday night. There really weren't many options. The rings aren't dry, they need to be dragged and everywhere else is still a little slippery. The hills would be dry because obviously all the moisture runs down them so we headed to our new spot we found last week.
Can't really tell from here but this is looking down on the small obstacle course we explored last week.
The road we worked on last week for cantering downhill.
We just walked up and down the hills because I didn't want her to gallop up anything and hit a slick spot at high speed. We did some long flat trots and a couple flat canters where I knew for a fact it was dry enough. I just wanted to get her OUT. This week we have some real work to concentrate on.
Why insist on taking Klein out when it's a little slippery?? Think about it. It's a great opportunity for confidence building and conditioning. It's a way to refine her traction control so to speak. By taking her out when it's just a little slippery and deep at a walk the deep spots put more load on the legs and make them work in a different way than normal. Sand automatically puts 50% more load on horse's legs. I'm not sure what percentage mud is but it definitely can be a workout. She wasn't sinking in everywhere we went and when she did sink in it wasn't insanely deep. I wouldn't take her out if she would sink in up to her fetlocks.
The confidence part comes from working on an uneven surface. She has to learn to compensate and rebalance herself. That is both a mental and physical workout.
A couple cages at "The Monkey Farm." There are a ton more behind this building. This place is across from the barn. Sometimes the monkeys go crazy and get REALLY loud. Remember the monkeys that were shot into space? This is their retirement home. I'll be glad when I don't have to see it every day anymore. It's depressing.
2 comments:
It is good to go out when it is slippery too because as I recall you are moving to Georgia and living there it will be impossible to avoid an entire season wet weather with slippery footing. May as well start to get used to it now cause XC can be bitch in this area of the country if you are not prepared for some questionable footing.
Working on different footing is SO GOOD! When we had this wet spell, and the arena was closed, it seemed like Greta and I were the only ones not sticking to the round pen (I hate the round pen anyway haha) but still hitting the trails. Granted, it was only at a walk because she's still in rehab, but it's uneven, rocky footing and she has to constantly watch her feet.
And those monkey cages would sadden me too, if not kind of weird/creep me out too. So wrong. It's eerie and depressing.
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