The Sweet Spot

     Home again, home again, jiggety, jig! I’ve finally been home for longer than a week! And the weather hasn’t been totally horrible! I’ve managed to ride Fox twice and Cowboy twice.  We are only doing tack walking with a lap of the field at the trot as the end of the work out.  Since the ponies haven’t been ridden since May I want to take it easy on them and gently get everyone, myself included back in to shape.

Meanwhile I’ve had the Farrier Fairy out to attend to hooves, and my vet to get everyone’s shots, and coggins up to date for the spring.  Plus I got some x-rays done of Fox’s front feet so that the Farrier Fairy and I can make some more informed decisions about how to best take care of Fox’s feet.

Riding the two boys has been interesting. Fox is the lazy, I will only do the smallest amount unless pushed horse.  He is also the one that when he thinks the ride should be done he’ll try and shy, grab the bit and run back towards his girlfriend.  Naughty brat.

Cowboy on the other hand has been a sort of delightful surprise.  I’m not saying he doesn’t have his moments of “I don’t wanna.”   He does and he has more of a reason to protest than Fox does.  Cowboy has been my husband’s sometimes trail horse for the last six years. Meaning he got ridden maybe three or four times a year.  I had no serious interest in riding him. I mean come on I had the lovely High Queen and all her high jinks, then the Sunday Stroller gelding.

But Cowboy is that horse that always comes to the gate first, would always rather follow you around than be with the other horses. He is curious about absolutely everything. Plus he is super pretty and he is a very lovely mover.  I didn’t realize what a gift it is to sit on a nice mover until I rode Cowboy a few days ago.  Trotting him was such a change, a floating, gorgeous change from riding Fox that I was really kicking myself for not doing it ages ago.  Then he got a moment of naughty and broke in to a canter.  The most balanced, uphill canter I’ve sat on in years.

Now I love Fox, he is that easy going, never really spook at anything, best trail horse, level headed, jump anything pony that I wanted for a long, long time.  But he is also a lot of work. He is never going to be that self initiated forward mover.  I always have to work hard to get him to do dressage the way it needs to be done.  And while this makes me a better rider, it can be exhausting.

And then there is Cowboy.   He is naturally foward, not hot, just a big, energetic mover.  I have been over the last couple of months, from when the summer of hell finally ended, tried to be kinder to Cowboy, to try and see him as less of a brat who is always bugging you, and more of a friend who always wants to be part of what you are doing.  I’ve spent more time with him, groomed him more and generally went about changing the way I see him.


Another blogger, who I love, writes about her riding of her spicy mare. They went to a clinic with Dom Schramm, one of my favorite riders and clinicians.  Dom told the rider to ride her mare like she’s sweet.  I took this to mean that if you expect naughty, bad behavior, you are going to get it. I’m not saying not to be prepared, but don’t look for it.  I’m trying to ride Cowboy as if he’s sweet, letting go over past transgressions and trying to appreciate what Cowboy has to offer.

In honor of that, when the vet came out I asked her to list Cowboy’s show name on his coggins so that if I can get him to some shows this year I can show him with the name I chose.   Which is
“The Sweet Spot”

Keep it between the flags everyone! And Happy New Year!