Plodding perfection

Yesterday a friend joined me for a ride on the beach - the first I've enjoyed in a coon's age! Given Russell's stage of rehabilitation, it was out of necessity also the most sedate beach ride I've ever been on; no cantering or galloping allowed. Even so, it was wonderful. The Oregon coast is one of my favorite places to be; to be there on the back of my horse with a good friend along for company made it perfect. We were even spared the ubiquitous ocean "breeze" - that's right; it wasn't windy!

The tide was coming in, so the firmest footing was at - or in - water's edge. Russell acted like he'd never seen waves before; it took persistent coaxing to get his feet wet. Once he did, though, he relaxed and splashed along.

My friend rode Breezy, my son's pony, who is at least three hands shorter than Russell. Fortunately, Wanda is shorter than me and fit Breezy well.

Wanda took the last two photos; I love them!

Scarce rides

Last Sunday's ride through the harvested oat field nearby

This week has seen little riding because we spent two days at the State Fair, which crammed everything else into fewer days. Too bad, too, because it's been deliciously cool this week; next week is supposed to be a scorcher. Still, it will probably cool off in the evenings, and Russell and I most often get our ride in after evening chores.

Looking forward to a beach ride in just a week and a half!

Hold onto your hats!

Brian rode his pony two days in a row this week, and yesterday he rode with me!

The days are getting shorter. Russell's brain takes note; his body responds. He is shedding his summer coat, which means that winter hair is starting to grow. Grooming creates flurries of short hairs, in contrast to the furry blizzard of the spring shedding season.

There is little daylight left after chores to ride by. No worries; Russell and I can do our thing in the arena in the dark. We have spots that shine out into the arena but I don't like their glare.

This is a hairy week around here schedule-wise, too. Riding time is going to be hard to come by, even the short rides of Russell's rehab. But we can ride in the dark.

A date to look forward to

This week Rick cleared Russell for longer walks, and a bit of jogging (yeah, I was already doing some of that). Russell's still slightly "off" on his left hind; hopefully that will go away as he continues to heal and get stronger.

In the meantime, I made a date with a friend for a beach ride! In a month when Brian and Rick take a trip to Minnesota, Wanda and I are going to take Russell and Breezy (Brian's pony) to Lincoln City. WooHoo! Riding on the beach was one of the dreams I got to live when we moved to Oregon but Wanda hasn't ever gotten to experience it - and I can't remember when I've gotten a chance in the last decade since having Brian. There's going to be a whole lot of anticipation between the two of us - and good motivation to keep taking those baby steps with Russell.