To ride dressage is to dance with your horse, equal partners in the delicate and sometimes difficult work of creating harmony and beauty.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Visiting Camelot, or My Pretty Pony

I felt like a little girl about today, about this trip to visit my horse.

The weather lent a fairytale quality. As we headed westward towards the coast this morning, fog was rolling into the Willamette Valley and shrouding everything in grey. Rick grumbled about the change in the weather; I quietly enjoyed it. I like fog, and am so ready for some moisture in the air, on the ground, on my skin. But as we topped the Coast Range, the grey overhead started breaking up into sparkling sunshine and vibrant blue sky, the air crisp and clean.

The barn where Lance is living is on the near edge of Lincoln City. It is an enviable but underutilized facility sitting on a gorgeous piece of property, owned by a retired doctor and leased by Lance's previous owner.




 And there was my Sir Lancelot, hangin' out in his corner stall overlooking the outdoor arena.


What a beautiful boy – even with a piece of hay sticking out of his mouth!

Rick got right to work, giving Lance a bit of tranquilizer, setting up his equipment and treating the injured tendon. Then he pronounced my horse ready to commence walking 15 minutes a day, starting just as soon as the anesthesia wore off. Even said I could do it from his back if I was feeling brave!

First things first. While Lance "sobered up," I gave him a good grooming, including combing his mane over to the right, removing the tail-bag, brushing and trimming his tail. Then we went for a walk. I mostly hand-walked him and let him graze a bit,


but when he stood so nicely next to the parked horse trailer, I couldn't resist slipping my leg over and riding him around just a wee bit. :-)


You probably can't see how big my grin was!

We left him with hopefully enough HorseGuard and daily wormer (I wormed him with ivermectin first) to last the two weeks until his third and final treatment, grabbed a bite of lunch, and then took advantage of the perfect weather for a short walk down the beach. The only thing that could have made  the day better would have been a ride (on Lance, of course) down the beach!

(I'll post the beach photos on my other blog, since this one is photo-heavy as it is.)

13 comments:

thecrazysheeplady said...

What a nice boy!

Theresa said...

Well, look at you two! A very nice match indeed. Lance has such an elegant head and thoughtful kind eyes. He is a beauty! Already waiting for the next visit no doubt!

sylkan said...

What a sweet boy. How old did you say he was?
Yes, the weather is changing. We do need the rain, but I will miss the lovely fall we have had so far.

Michelle said...

I think so. :-)

Michelle said...

I don't know if HE is, but I am!

Michelle said...
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Michelle said...

He's four, Sylvia. I would have enjoyed the fall a bit more if we'd had OCCASIONAL showers to settle the dust!

Lori Skoog said...

I'll bet you can't wait to get this beauty home.

Mary said...

He looks built for dressage, and has a gorgeous head and neck. Have fun Michelle-we should trade emails on training. I could use some feedback from time to time. Nick is doing great, BTW.

A :-) said...

You guys fit together. Hand in glove. A girl and her horse. I am so very happy for you :-)

Michelle said...

The only thing that makes waiting easier is knowing that he needs time to heal....

Michelle said...

I emailed you, Mary!

Michelle said...

Awww; thanks, Adrienne!