Evening Ride

In our neighborhood, we have meeting to plan the entertainment for holidays and random parties. There are all inclusive and usually pretty fun. The planning meetings themselves are valuable as we share information about the neighborhood and the residents, comings and goings, who is selling, whose dog ran away and was found by whom.

I look forward to these meeting and when I am going solo (without the kiddo) I try to walk to get a bit more exercise. I arrive sweaty but since it is just us girls...I really do not care.

Last night I decided to ride my horse Bailey. I have not ridden him in months. He is sure that he is retired and has no responsibility except steal food from the other two horses. I call him gramps, he protects the youngest horse from his half brother's jealous tendencies.

When I went to get him in the pasture, he saw the halter and walked away just out of reach. I take a few steps toward him, he takes a few step away. It is a lovely and frustrating dance that we do, until I decide to play dirty. I get some feed and pour it in the small feed pen that I have for them. Now usually when I open the gate, I know the chosen horse will run right in and eat without me putting on a halter or anything. Last night when I opened the gate Bailey ran out, past the feed pen, past me, past the house and way into the front yard.

I just stood there and shook my head. He beat me at my own game. He knew it too as he munched happily on the grass. I got the halter and the food and trekked across the yard to him. Put on his halter and let him eat a bit. We walked together back to the feed pen to I could groom him and put on his saddle. He finished his feed while I did this and was ready for the bridle. Got it on, packed the saddle bags with head lamps for the two of us, my calendar and camera.

I documented out ride to the meeting, taking film shorts as we rode along. Tough to do on most horses but Bailey is slow. We rode in a all purpose English saddle but used the reins Western, neck reining and filming. It made for bumpy video but it will be a fun short that I will post after it is produced. I filmed through his reluctance to walk towards construction workers making a racket by cleaning up a site. But I stopped filming when he spooked at a blowing pizza box from someone's overturned garbage can.

We made it to the meeting. I untacked and put him in the pasture next door. He galloped off to the far end. Whatever.

I left before the meeting ended so I could tack up before dark. I put a light on his headstall and one on my helmet. Later I read this was not the smartest idea because horses can see very well at night (which I knew) but can be temporarily blinded by flashlights (did not know). I sang my favorite riding songs to keep a nice pace and rythem. He did not spook at all but clearly was not going to stop when I saw fun neighbor David taking out the trash or neighbor Lee guarding his gate so their Mustang, who was unintentionally loose in the yard, would not run wild. We got home safe and sound. I fed the screaming Arabian half brothers and gave Bailey a little more too.

I like riding at night.