good rides and a missing shoe

Sorry it's been so long since I've blogged last. Monday I rode Possum in the afternoon in the indoor ofcourse because we have had something like 26 straight days of rain, I kid you not. Crops are flooded and dying in the state, rivers are overflowing and washing out roads and fields. The ground is totally saturated and our paddocks at the barn are a huge mud pit. I also think I am seriously lacking in vitamin D and need the sun to shine. My aditude is lacking some and I'm a little cranky. I rode with my roomie on Monday and we both worked on trotting fences and gettingour horses right to the base of it to work on tight knees and our positions. For having 6 days off form riding my whole body has gone to shit. My right leg was doing some funky things and I just couldn't get in the groove, it was frustrating me. It was a good ride and a good one for both Possum and I to get back into real work with some time off.



Last night I went to the barn to ride Possum, and yet again it was drizzling and the outdoor was way too slippery to be riding in so we worked some in the indoor. Possum was actually quite good and I felt a little better with my equitation, although my right leg was still trying to do some funky things. On the approach to every jump Ihad to remind myself outloud "right leg, right leg". There were only two diagonal lines set up in the arena so after a really good flat we did some trotting. First trotting aftre the jump and then after a while cantering away. At the end I got off and put one of the jumos up to 2'9" and the other at 3'. We cantered each jump one after the other working on pace and rhythm. Possum was actually great and I was thrilled. It wasn't a course or anything, but it was still jumps one after another. I let him end on that and and we walked up to the barn. He still had some energy so I decided to go down the road for a gallop. My friend offered to follow us in a car to see how fast we really were going. As soon as we hit the straightaway Possum shot forward and was ready to go. I gave him his head and he stretched out eating the ground with his strides. I kneaded my hands along his neck asking for more speed and he dug in even more. As the road started to go uphill I out my arm up to signal to my friend that we were slowing down. After we walked she pulled up to us and said that she had to back off some from all the rocks and dirt being kicked up but did get us at 45mph. I was so thrilled. Maybe we could have hit 50 or more if there was another horse for competition, I know Possum and I have gone faster before. I thanked her and turned Possum around. I am always mindful in listening to his foot falls when walking and something didn't sound right. I hopped off and sure enough his right hind shoe was gone. I looked down the road and saw it sticking in the dirt about where I had started to slow him up. So I walked him in hand the rest of the way to the barn since Possum is super tender footed and I wanted to save his feet from breaking and cracking. When we got back I called and left a message for our farrier and started to take care of Possum. I told everyone how fast he was and how he could probably go even faster with another horse. Hey, my horse may not be the best jumper or the best looking but he sure can run and I'm gonna brag about that all day hahaha.



This morning my farrier called and said that because of the weather he couldn't ocme to put the show on until Monday. I was totaly bummed since I had planned a good portions of this long weekend to work Possum because it was almost a week before out next show. So I called the barn owner and asked her if I could ride some of her horses to keep myself in shape and she said that that was more than fine. It won't hurt Possum or anything to have the weekend off, but I just wanted to get in some more good rides before the next show since it is my favorite show and it's a grass course which is mine and Possum's favorite. We'll just have to make do with what we have and go from there. The most important thing rightnow is getting and keeping my body in shape and strong.



Well I'm looking out the window at work and it'sraining pretty good now. I am so sick of this weather. The summer seems to be flying by and it's only been rainy. Nick and I are doing well, but who knows what we are technically. He is so confusing sometimes. I know for sure now that I want something serious, but I'm totally chicken to really say anything other than immature hints, I really need to grow up. I think we're hanging out tonight because I have tomorrow off. he has soccer tonight so won't be home till about dark. I'm telling you the kid never stays in one place for more than a second. Also my family iscoming up for the 4th and the week after so I'm excited to hang out with all my cousins and I'm hoping that the rain atleast holds off for Saturday.