The plan: ride to Rideau Valley Road and back average speed 7 mph.
First stop: Tim Hortons. Roll up the rim to win said Play Again.
Cold grey windy day threatening rain. Good day to test drive my homemade rump rug while we warmed up in the ring. Warm up for Rideau Valley out and back by nancyzed at Garmin Connect - Details
Made to the end of the driveway and then full stop. What? Are we really going out this early in this cold dreary weather? Yes, Luba. I hopped off and led her about 20 feet down the road, jumped back on and we were off!
Had to pull a horse spanker off of a nearby tree when we turned up Phelan Road and slowed to a walk, but didn't take much encouraging. In fact, worked on controlling speed. My coach, Sonja says, work with what the horse is giving you. Riding down the right side of the road, when Luba would spook and decide to veer left, I gave her the aid to move left. Asked her to ride down the left side of the road a bit and then ask her to move right again.
Good tip from my friend, Dessia last weekend: make sure you are on the correct diagonal. Think about the side of the road you want to be on as the outside of the ring. If you want to move left, be on the left diagonal. If you want to move right, be on the right diagonal.
Had a lovely ride. By the time I got the saddle off and put Luba in a stall to eat her slurry, she was down to a heart rate of 57. Rideau Valley out and back by nancyzed at Garmin Connect - Details
Clean legs and happy horse today.
Tomorrow begins Luba and Bill's Excellent Adventure. Luba goes to Horses of the Sun for a month of training with Sonja. Bill, a young TB gelding who owns my friend, Sheila, will be her paddock mate. Got to get to bed for an early start.
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| the herd at Horses of the Sun, Vars, Ontario |
The early bird gets the worm!
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