Wizard Ride 302; Session 303: Year of the Cat

Saturday, 10/22/11

There was a barrel racing event at the barn, so folks were practicing in the indoor and outdoor arenas. It was still light out, so I dressed Wizard up in his Newmarket quarter sheet (bright colors so hunters saw us) and took him on a trail ride, just the two of us. He was goosey while he was groomed, and was swishing his tail under saddle, but stood like a fabulous boy while I got on at a random picnic table- all those cookies worked! Goodness, between the crisp air, the lack of serious riding, and the wildlife, we had quite an adventure! First and foremost, the saddle feels really nice- I think it will be a really comfortable trail saddle. The first creature we saw was a red-tailed hawk, silently navigating through the trees. I asked Wizard for a trot, and he leaped and pranced around so much that I brought him back to a walk for the rest of the ride. We saw at least a dozen deer, plus a truck in the woods where hunters had parked.

With each deer that leapt past the trail and squirrel that rustled in the leaves, Wizard snorted and balled up his energy. I felt like I was riding a keg of dynamite. He did not any actual spooks or spins, but did one of those great spook-in-place routines when a deer was startled by us.

On the final leg of our tense trail ride, a black and white object was barreling down the trail TOWARD us. Was moving fast like a small dog, but was colored like a skunk. It was a CAT. It must have been in a tussle with another cat or something, because it was absolutely flying. I could fee Wizard’s heart pounding in his chest through the sides of my legs as he stood there, rooted to the earth, stunned by the tiny, rapid creature. I don’t remember exactly what I said, but some sort of words came out of my mouth, and the cat veered off the trail and Wizard once again was able to move forward. When we got back to the barn, Wizard was much more settled, and stood very nicely in the outdoor arena as a schooling exercise while people practiced galloping and spinning their horses.

Sunday, 10/23/11

Day 18 of omeprazole. Day 13 of megnesium. Day 9 of nightly Back on Track blanket. Day 6 of robaxin. Now I’m wondering if there is an SI/arthritis issue going on. After work, I nipped over to the barn for a quick longeing session. Wizard was grouchy about grooming, but longed like a star, over a trot pole, and in side reins once he was warmed up. I did not ask for any cantering- just trotting at different speeds, and he was very responsive despite being a little sleepy and grumpy when I got there.