Thesis and Thanksgiving

Wow, I've been gone for quite some time, although it only feels like a few weeks! Apologies for going MIA- I know that's one of the seven deadly blogger sins! To be completely honest, I think I needed a little break from blogging. There's only so much you can write about a horse that's livin' in up in the pasture for the next six months (well, 3 now). All is well in the Kwik front. I go out about once or twice a week to spend time with him. I pull him out of the pasture, and we usually go on a hand walk down the trails. He was jumpy and strong for the first couple of walks, but as soon as I learned to just enjoy the walk, he settled in and did the same. Now we amble down the trails together lazily- he plays in the leaves and stops to eat grass and I tell him what a good boy he is. Then we head back to the barn for a good grooming, he gets his brown sugar Pop-Tart (his new favorite!), and I turn him back out. That's about it! Some days he looks a little off behind when I watch him walk away after turning him out, but this might be footsoreness from our trail walks (can't avoid all the gravel!). I get reports all the time from other boarders and the barn staff about him running around in the pasture like a nutter, so I guess he wouldn't be doing that if he didn't feel good!

I've also been super crazy busy trying to complete my master's thesis. I'm defending on Wednesday, and I've been staying late in the office each night to write in the peace and quiet. I'm happy to report that I've just got to  put the finishing touches on the paper and tweak a few slides here and there, and I'm ready to go. I can't tell you how incredibly excited I am to be graduating. It's been a long time coming, and it will be nice not having that hanging in the back of my mind.

Despite looking at the computer for most of the day for the past two months and not having a ride-able horse of my own, I've done quite a bit of riding. Everyone at my barn has been incredibly supportive, and I've received several offers to ride and lesson on boarders' horses. My current favorites are Annie, my barn owner's horse, and Kwik's next-door neighbor, Sherlock. Annie has lived at Ashland the majority of her life and knows the trails like the back of her hand. She is the most trustworthy horse I've ever ridden, and she's been very good for me. On Annie, I get to sit back and enjoy the ride. She doesn't jump anymore, but she is a phenomenal dressage teacher. She's extremely hard to put together, and every step is a brain workout. She's challenging, and it feels fantastic when I get some good work out of her. Sherlock is the complete opposite of Annie. He's big, super fancy, and extremely easy to put together. His stride covers a lot of ground and you always feel like you're going somewhere-even when he's being lazy. I have to focus on asking him to move forward in a steady rhythm. I'm hoping to try him over some crossrails the next time M offers me a ride!

I did lesson on Annie with Ann several weeks ago, and we had a nice long chat about Kwik and his future as a riding horse. More on that conversation to come. Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Dressagin' with Sherlock- Copyright DPH Photos

 

Exploring the trails with Annie and Adam