Ride in the wind

It was a really windy day today.  Gusty, gale force at times.  I expected that Lil might be agitated.  I mean, in theory, she shouldn't be.  After all, horses live in that wind all of the time.  But, I guess it's one thing to hang out with your mates in the paddock, where their calmness settles you down.  And another thing to go into the arena where the hay-to-be is combed by the wind, then swing in the tree sways, and the bunnies dash in and out from under the logs.

Even as I was leading Lil from the paddock to the hitching rail, she was calm and settled.  That in turn, settled me.  Probably a good thing.  Then, when I hopped on, and started walking her around, she was as calm as a quarter horse on a pleasure ride.  Bliss.

I smiled and patted myself on the back.  Because this is not the thoroughbred that I started off with.  This is my training.  Yay!  Some success at long last.

I did some walk, some trot, and then I went into canter.  That's where it all went pear shaped.  Oh, don't get me wrong.  The canters were good, and Lil did well, and no one fell off, and by many adult riding club standards it was a really good workout.  But ... but, she lost that quarter horse quality calmness.

That, is my next challenge.