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

Thursday, October 25, 2012

As the sunlight started to break over the cloudbank to our east this morning, the fog mushroomed up from the valley and enveloped us. Horton was a little jumpy during chores, so I decided to turn him loose in the arena to work out the kinks before riding him.


That was a non-event. This was as much action as I got when I shooed him away. He didn't want to run, or buck, or do anything but be with me. (To be completely honest, I doubt it had as much to do with me as it did that fragrant apple in my pocket!) So I let him "join up," gave him a bite of apple, and took him back to the barn to tack him up.

We had a fine ride; some lovely moments and no nasty ones. The saturated air that is fog left us damp, soaked Horton's little forelock, and decorated his eyelashes with tiny beads of moisture (which I couldn't capture).

After untacking and grooming him, I decided to trim Horton's bridle path and ears, just in case we get into that show on Sunday. He stood like a gentleman, and was rewarded with the other half of his apple.

And whadduya know. Within an hour or so of returning to the house, I got a call from the show secretary saying someone had scratched two Intro rides! I'll have to leave before dawn, but . . . "A'showing we will go; a'showing we will go. Hi-ho, the Hortie-O, a'showing we will go."

4 comments:

thecrazysheeplady said...

Oh, I can't wait!!!

Mary Ann said...

This is the first time I have really "Seen" Horton... in the flesh... his head is largish, isn't it? He looks nice and balanced, though. I just read an awful story about rollkur in "The Horse" in my inbox... I wondered if you had seen it, as I know you would know the horse.

Michelle said...

When I look at him I never think of his head as large (I used to think Russell's was!), but he does wear a surprisingly large bit for his size.

I've read some bad stories about rollkur; since I'm already convinced it's bad, I'll not offer to read any more....

Anonymous said...

Best wishes to you and Horton during the show!