I'm back on a normal rhythm of balancing work with my personal life and oh man, it feels SO good.
I'm surprisingly ready for winter this year. Not necessarily looking forward to the whipping winds and bitter cold that my mountaintop gets, but not wholly dreading it either.
Which is good because we got our first 7" snowfall Sunday night!
I saw the horses the evening prior to the dump and then not again until the day after.
Their current BO in Canaan (we move back to our original barn this weekend for the winter months) informed me that Q took two "sledding" trips down one of the pasture hills.
I know the little mare loves to roll on a hillside, so it didn't surprise me too much. Chuck says that she lay down on one side as if to roll, slid to the base of the hill on her side, then rose, walked to the top, and repeated on her other side. What a goober!
The horses seem great though. All at perfect weights, in my opinion, to enter winter.
Kenai is also super ready for winter. He has been an exceptional fool these past few days with the advent of so much snow.
I love seeing him feel so fresh though. He's going to have a big winter and a new side job beginning at the end of the month, too. I can't wait to share the details with y'all.
I fit in just over 20 miles of riding between two rides over the weekend.
My boyfriend who is very Not A Horse Person went on a ride with me one day, and I joined my current BO for another ride; both were beautiful rides across rugged country.
I rode Griffin and put Dave on Stan the first day. I wish I had video of Dave riding. He's a natural athlete with great body awareness and has ridden well before, but this was the first ride I really got to watch him. He and Stan galloped alongside Grif and I for several long stretches. Grif had a lot of "moments" due to too much exuberance, but Stan was cool as a cucumber throughout, slowing back to a canter and then trot whenever Dave requested. Such a good horse!!
After a 12 mile ride with Dave, Stan and I joined Chuck for a 9 mile ride the following day. No surprise, Stan was just as much of a saint on this day!
Chuck, who used to run multiple endurance rides a few decades ago and also was very big into fox hunting in Fairfax County, VA >50 years ago, took us across some truly crazy terrain. It was a pleasure to ride with such a skilled horseman. His 25 year old QH was absolutely FULL of himself while Stan was absolutely chill. I was so proud of my guy for not only keeping his cool, but also tackling some of the gnarliest fucking terrain I've ever traveled on a horse. He was absolutely foot perfect through some really hair-raising sections.
I don't have huge plans for the horses over the next 2 months beyond moving them back to their home. With the clocks changing this weekend (*sob*) and my vacation to Mexico on the horizon, and holidays fast approaching, a few lazy months will be good for all. The daylight becomes a bit more bearable by the second week in January, so I'll probably begin to set more concrete goals for that time.
Until then, we're just going to float along and enjoy settling into this new season. It feels pretty good.
How about you - are you flowing with things lately or has life been more topsy turvy? Are you settling in for winter or driving ahead full-force?
That's so awesome that Dave was able to come out and ride with you! And I cannot believe you've had snow already, brrrr.
ReplyDeleteWhen you live in a town with 3 ski resorts, snow is part of the game haha
DeleteDamn, your photos are so stunning per usual! Love that you got your boyfriend to come ride with you. And I wish I was excited for winter as Kenai...
ReplyDeleteThank you! And yeah, winter is definitely more enjoyable when you're surrounded by so many people and animals that look forward to it above every other season. =)
Deletevery cool! AND SNOW YUK enjoy the rides though and then the vacation :) I am dreading the time change for sure this weekend :( But the sooner winter comes the sooner spring is here :)
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way about winter - the sooner it's here, the sooner spring and longer days are going to arrive!
DeleteSo much snow. It is so pretty hen it first comes down. I hope you guys have a killer winter up there this year to make up for the lack luster ones of years past.
ReplyDeleteOH man, meeee toooo! We haven't had a true winter in 6+ years. It's nuts.
DeleteGlad you have been able to enjoy some pony time and are feeling more "at ease" with your schedule. When things get busy it can be hard to keep life together sometimes. I love your photos - so pretty!
ReplyDeleteThank you =) It's been great to just relax into life lately.
DeleteI admire your "go with the flow" attitude. :-) It's a good way to be.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a breath of fresh air from the world of stress I fell into for a bit
DeleteI think I speak for the entire horse blogosphere when I say: we need video of Q sliding down the snowy hill. Need.
ReplyDeleteHahaha, I agree! I wish I had one to share. Maybe one day =)
DeleteSo pretty. I think I say that every time that I comment. Also super jealous of your snow already. We've had about four flurries so far.
ReplyDeletelol @ four flurries!
DeleteAnd it is so beautiful here. I'm so grateful to live in this place.
oh man i can't believe it's snowed already for you guys! sounds like things are settling nicely into the seasonal change tho, and awesome that all the horses are doing so well! i'm personally not at all ready for things to quiet down for the season simply bc it's already been too damn quiet around here and i want more action lol. maybe i'll get lucky, we'll see!
ReplyDeleteI hope your schedule aligns to enjoy some fun shenanigans these next few months. Y'all deserve to have some epic adventures after being in a holding pattern these past couple months.
DeleteI cannot believe it snowed there already! We're experiencing 70+ degrees!!! In NOVEMBER. It's ridiculous. GORGEOUS views, as always. I do appreciate the incredible image quality, too. Glad you've been enjoying the horses so much lately, and so fun to see Dave go out with you.
ReplyDeleteOh man, as nice as 70 usually sounds, it sounds way too hot right now! I'm a fan of weather being *seasonal* and if it isn't then boo! I hope the winds change and grant y'all with something a little cooler in the near future.
DeleteSnow already? Ew! It sure is pretty though and I know Kenai must love it.
ReplyDeleteMan I have missed reading your blog so much. I'm so curious about Stan. He is so handsome. I have no hope of being able to get caught up since I've missed so much so I really hope you do an end of year review... hint hint hehe. :D
I'm glad things are settled and going well right now. I think my work/life balance should be improving over the next couple of months.
Stan was featured on the blog waayyyy back when I first started it nearly 7 (!!) years ago. He was my main riding partner from 2005 - 2011 in HS and college. His owners "got out of horses" in July 2016 and gave him to me. He's been a part of my herd ever since!
DeleteIf I ever have free time again I'll have to go back to the beginning of your blog and read about Stan. I thought I had read from the beginning of your blog after I found it, but I might not have. My memory is so awful anymore that I really can't say which it is. I'm so glad they gave him to you. It's really awesome that they thought of you!
DeleteAw, no worries! There's a label if you're really curious ( http://liz-stout.blogspot.com/search/label/Stan ), but I don't think the story is all that impressive.
DeleteI rode him more than they ever did and though we hadn't talked in nearly 5 years, there was no question in anyone's mind that he would ultimately come to me. I never dreamed it would be so soon though! haha
So absolutely beautiful! I can't believe you already have snow! I bet Kenai is so excited!!
ReplyDeleteI hope that snow is a sign of a good winter to come - it's been so many years! Kenai is psyched =)
DeleteEveryone looks great. What beautiful fall colors!
ReplyDeleteHey! Yay, your blogs back! And you're horsies are back.
ReplyDelete