hold on to these moments as they pass

Yesterday morning I rode Max again.  Max wears boots on the front and I am finally getting the hang of putting them on.  After grooming him I gear up for a wrestling match and was drenched in sweat the last two times.  Yesterday, though, the boots went on fairly easily.  I think it was me all along.

I walked him to the park with me on foot.  Max doesn't like leaving the barn alone at first, but with me leading him, he happily walks away like I am a horse too.  Once we are about four houses out, I can feel him relax and adjust his homing device to me rather than the barn.  Because the park is an equestrian park, there is a small mounting block right inside the south gate.  Max is about Foggy's size so mounting is easy with a saddle and this mounting block.  I don't think it would work out for me with Pie or Sovey.  I did see other mounting blocks around the park that had three steps.  They are locked and obviously belong to different people who are storing their gear in there.  

We walked the entire perimeter and I got to see a new part of the park.  Also, there are small trails through the "woods" (Palmetto and Palm tree woods) and Max and I coiled through those.  There are hidden caches in here so I am going to bring Maizie and Brian back with me sometime to find them.  

One stretch of the trail was flooded because we had torrential rains on Monday.  Max plodded right in and pawed and played in the water!  He was adorable.

I rode for about 45 minutes and then dismounted and headed back.  I regroomed him and grazed him in the lush church grass across the street from the barn (we have permission).  

I stopped at a tack store on the way home and bought another white fleece show pad for Max.  I have my quilted big pad and a white fleece one, but I am going to use another white one too. Max has high withers and I would feel awful if he got rubbed.

Today is another group trail ride!!!!  I can't wait - heading over now!

parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme

We arrived in Florida on Monday afternoon and today I went on an amazing trail ride with a group of wonderful new friends and fellow horse lovers.  This is the lovely mahogany bay neck and black mane of Max, an ottb. Max is owned by Niki, who kindly allowed me to ride her sweet boy even though she was on the ride too.

Here is some of the group heading out.  I think there were nine of us total. 

There is Niki, Max's owner, in front of me on Sunny B.

Here is Max, giving me the listening ear.  Cutie boy!

Above is our shadow on the street and sidewalk.  We are heading to an equestrian park!

This one is of the group crossing at the horse crossing.  Sigh.  My dream is to live near a horse park in a horse friendly town.  I got to live that dream this morning!

I look so silly like I am falling off of sweet Max in this one. Really I am just loving him up. He has a western bridle with a snaffle-looking bit in his mouth so no carrots are being handed out in this photo.  I did bring my bitless bridle with me and hope to ride him in that too.

This equestrian park has trails and a large arena where they hold small shows.  We came into this open area of grass and all laughed and said how lucky we were to be here with the horses on Black Friday.  It was 75 degrees and sunny for the ride. 

This one is around the lake where I rode last year when I was here. There is a zebra that lives nearby!

On Wednesday evening, as Brian and I made our way to the grocery store, Simon and Garfunkel came on the radio and Brian said, "Oh, listen, it is your Thanksgiving recipe song." On Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, I was combining my Scarborough Fair stuffing ingredients (parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme) thinking how thankful I was for all the riding I had this year in Pennsylvania and anticipating today's (Friday) trail ride in Florida.  It ended up being everything I had hoped for and more! Special note: I think one horse on the ride was named Sage!  I hope your Thanksgiving break was filled with horses and yummy herbs too!  

Crossroads, seem to come and go

On today's date last year, November 17, Brian and I drove to Philadelphia Park racetrack to meet our Found in the Fog (Foggy). Doesn't Foggy look, in the photo above, like the mirror image of the little horse in my Honeysuckle Faire banner?

Foggy came in January and has settled in nicely bringing great joy to us. His sweet ways are contagious and I think Pie and Sovereign both like his addition.  

This November, we are packing to travel to Florida again for the holidays. Each year this trip gets more difficult for me.  I love spending time in the sun with Brian and Maizie, but I miss my boys terribly.  I do think Foggy is content and healthy on our farm and I can safely leave. This was my worry last year. This year, I know I probably won't be completely free of worry until the day I return. Is it worry, or is it me missing them? I wonder, are all horse owners like this?  Will I ever be able to fully enjoy travel without my horses? Bittersweet is blooming its little red and yellow heads off on our farm right now. Very apropos.

I'll be on the road for a few days.  Happy riding everyone!