Paris Ride 2: The Shoe is on the Other Foot

Tuesday, 12/8/09

Before my ride, I visited Wizard and we played in the indoor arena for a little while. His weight looks great and he seems quite chipper with our all-play and no-work schedule.

My fabulous farrier already put Paris’ shoe back on her so she was ready to ride when I got to the barn with my mom. I longed her for just a few minutes to see if she had any playful exuberance she needed to get out due to having a lot of time off from riding. She gave one big playful leap but was otherwise quite businesslike. She is one of those mares who does not play much during turnout time, but she is young and fit so she seems to enjoy a wild moment or two.

Our ride was brief since I am slowly building up her condition, but it was quite enjoyable. The whole ride lasted about 20 minutes. I started with a walking warmup, practicing changes of direction and getting a feel for how much contact she likes. I also allowed her to stretch downward quite a bit. When she moves from a walk to a trot, she takes a BIG step forward. She is quite a powerful girl. We did a few transitions during our trot work- they were a little slow but I think her improved fitness will lead to more graceful work. For now, I’m getting a feel for her and letting her get used to me as well.