Yesterday, I went trail riding for the FIRST time this year. It's July already and someone told me today that this weekend marked the first time in 9 months, that we here in the NW have had more than two days in a row of clear weather. I took advantage of the weather and trailered out to my favorite trails in the forests of a nearby tree farm. I've been riding Chanty regularly in the arena or at Willow Grove for the last year and she is in great shape. But, she wasn't quite prepared for the creek crossing we encountered at the beginning of the ride. My husband was riding his mountain bike and he was able to cross over a man made bridge that the bikers had built for the trail ride. Unfortunately, for Chanty and I, the step down to the creek was right into deep mud. Chanty was a bit nervous, to say the least and tried to avoid stepping forward. When she finally did, she crossed the water quickly and came to the other bank, just as I was stepping to the left to avoid feeling her body on top of me, but slipped. She stopped immediately as she saw me go down and my husband breathed a sigh of relief that we were both okay! Gotta love her. She was pretty hyped up after that and was plenty charged to go up the hill that was ahead of us.
All and all it was a GREAT ride and my husband commented on the big smile on my face and so took a shot of the two of us at the mid point of our ride.
I even got a chance to work on my centered riding. I noticed that, as usual, when I am on a trail ride, my right leg begins to grip and shorten as I brace to keep my balance. I made a concerted effort to lengthen my leg and release the tension, and as matter of fact, dropped my stirrups one notch with the help of my hubby. What a difference! I was able to stay balanced and centered and move slowly and in harmony with Chanty. Once I stopped gripping and bracing, I'm sure Chanty felt less of a pinch on her shoulders and hips and she showed her appreciation by taking slower steps. She was so comfortable and when it was time to canter, we moved off effortlessly. Again, my wonderful hubby was ready with the camera, this time to take a short video of us cantering through the forest. Ah, it doesn't get any better. We are already planning our next trip out together.
Watch the video
Trail Riding at Stella
