All shades of grey

Att: CEO Weather Dept.

Re: Recent supplies

Dear Sir,

We just want to draw your attention to the fact that the warehouse stock of Water is now filled up.

To solve the problem we have been forced to store some of the recent deliveries also in other locations (fields, roads etc.). This is giving us some trouble as the premises are not approved as storage facilities.

Another problem is that we have a large number of orders for Sun, which we have not been able to deliver. The order intake last month has been high, but we have only recieved a two day supply.

Our customers are getting upset.

We have tried to calm them with Higher Temperature deliveries, but we feel patience is running low, especially with the shortage of Daylight Hours.

If supplies of Sun still poses a problem, some of our customers might settle for some Colder Temperatures with Snow.

We are deeply concerned as the trend curves from marketing dept. show a rapid increase in Gloom.

Please advice.

Awaiting your soonest reply,

Branch office, South of Norway

Jimmi training again

Jimmi arrived on Thursday, so Fame and I have been working hard this weekend.

On Saturday I was really tired, and contemplated an Absorbine-bath.

I thought an update perhaps was in order before going into details about the weekend.

Last time Jimmi was here, Fame was tense, a bit too high in the neck and not round enough over the back.

The problem had been sneaking in on me, and when working her the week before Jimmi came I had problems to get her to relax enough to have her to work as I wanted.
We concluded after the last visit that this was the main issue to work on, and I was a bit worried that it was something physical bothering her.

I thought it over, wondering whether to contact a chiro or try to solve it through the riding.
At the same time the details of my job change was clarified, and with some extra time on my hands I had a discussion with my trainer Annie.
We decided that she would ride Fame a couple of days each week for the upcoming 3-4 weeks.

It turned out to be a very good solution.

After just two sessions Fame was much better, so there were not any large problems.

What has been nice is that when Annie has been riding, she has also been commenting to me what she was feeling and doing, so it has been kind of a kinderegg solution – I have got my horse worked through, I have learnt more about what issues to address, and Annie knows my horse better and will be able to help me better when I am riding myself.

Nice, huh?

I feel that Fame is now working with a better hind leg activity both in trot and in canter, and Jimmi also thought she had improved since last time.

I was very happy that he confirmed what I felt.

I still feel that she is more antelop-y though, in general.

I have been wondering why.

I got a comment on an earlier post that lower temperatures sometimes can get the horses more agitated.
I thought about amount of hard feed.

I am not convinced it is any of the two.

I have asked more from her in the work lately, maybe that is a factor?

We have now a new riding hall 25 mins ride from us, light and nice and with a super surface.

A treat to ride in!

It was ready just this week, and Fame had only been there once before the Jimmi-training started.

Fame saw some ghosts of course. And as a funny coincidence, as she grew tired, the more ghosts she saw.

I reread a book of dressage by Carl Hester a while ago. In it he describes his horses.
I remember that he described one of them as a bit pluggy as a youngster, but it turned into a much more lively horse as a 6 yo due to the work and increasing strength.

Maybe something similar is happening to Fame?
Fame has never been pluggy, always lively – maybe it is just a bit too much liveliness coming out through her ears?

I was looking at her the other day when tacking up.
I believe she has put on some more muscles lately.
When you see your horse every day it is not easy to tell – but she looks larger.

Still, I hope the antelopiness is a passing stage.

I like a lively horse, but I also want to keep her with me.

Back to the “with-you-ness” we discussed in an earlier post.

I dressed her up before the work on Sunday. All orange!

So what did we work with this weekend?

Basics.

Fame has to build strength to be able to do some more collected work in the time to come. I would also like her to further improve the quality of gaits.
When she gets stronger, she will be able to show some more expression.

So we worked with transitions within the gaits, and between the gaits.

Lateral work; leg yield and shoulder-in in trot and canter.

She is weaker in her left hind, which earlier gave me problems when asking for a left canter depart.
She tensed up, and wanted to float a bit outwards to the right.

She now gave me nice round departs within the frame, which made me happy.

We have another problem though.

When collecting canter left, she sometimes changes canter with her hind legs.

Jimmi said that we just have to keep working on it, stretch the limits, tap a little on her hind when asking for collection and ride out of it when I feel that she is tensing up.
Keeping her relaxed in the work, but asking for a little more day by day. I have to feel how much we as a team can handle.
Sounds good to me.

I believe I have to have some calm training sessions on my own with Fame, and concentrate on how I sit, and how I use the aids.

I earlier thought that the problems was my fault, but as she has been doing the same thing with Annie I believe it is (also) an evasion on Fame’s part, due to her weaker left hind.

In Sunday’s session we were a bit tired, both Fame and me, and the ghosts multiplied.

One of the corners was scary right from the start.

It contained a large opened door to the outside, and there were some jumping obstacles stored there. One could not see what might hide behind them.

As tiredness grew, the whole upper end of the arena turned scary. Tigers can jump far.

Which made the shoulder-ins a bit difficult to ride…

But I have a cunning plan.
When we are to ride there in the weeks to come, any break will be in the scary corner.
So, scary corner=place of rest.
*evil chuckle*

I must boast a bit in the end.
My daughter won the regional cup in dressage this autumn, class LA.

As she is not quite well she has not been able to train as much as she wants.
She was in second place before the final, with one counting show less than possible as she had been sick.
She managed to do a good ride, and get enough points to win.

We were all very happy for her.

Her pony Charlie is a sweetie, he is there for her when she needs him.

He got his carrots.

I am alive (if anyone wondered...)

It's just that the new job has been occupying my mind and time lately, and with the addition of horses and family there has not been much time for blogging.

I am afraid there will be a bit more infrequent blogging here for a time.

I am fortunate enough to be able to attend seminars from time to time, and they always are a great source of inspiration.

I am also fortunate enough to have access to good trainers.

I say "fortunate", and value it because I grew up in a small town without these possibilities.

I know that in many places around the world the distances makes it impossible to have the support of, and the inspiration of, skilled trainers and riders.

BUT -

We do have the internet.

Lots of information is available for free.

Use it!

I have lately joined a site called horsehero.com.

They have a lot of videos on training (all disciplines), stable management, showing, grooming, health, interviews - you name it.

You can try it out for free, then you have to subscribe for a reasonable sum - £15/year.

I like it.

Another source is youtube.
I found a nice video from Jane Savoie on youtube about the always important subject of straightening the horse. She here introduces a term which was new to me: "first position", which I understand is an even softer position of a shoulder fore.

I like her comment about the difference of resisting and evasion in a horse.

In the video we see an example of a well schooled horse evading, but not resisting.

I just have to smile when seeing this, because I experience much of the same problem with my horse Fame.

She also wants to drift to the right when I ask her for the left canter depart.

There is a saying in dressage that "the hind legs are attached to the reins".

Conclusion?

We have to watch the contact on the reins. If the hind legs are not working properly, you will feel it in the contact.

(Read more about the crooked horse in an earlier post here)

So why is the straightening work important?

When the horse is to collect, he has to engage more with the hind legs, i.e. carry more weight by closing the angles in the joints and stepping under more.

If one hind leg is not strong enough to carry, true collection will be impossible.

So it is just to hang in there.

Patient work over time.

This weekend I am fortunate again -

Jimmi is here, and Fame and me we have to work haaaard.

On Saturday I will do my best to compensate for the fat I've burnt -then it's time for dinner with some horsey friends again.

Yippeee!

Have a nice week-end everyone!

And.....

No kittens! The Sofa princess was in heat again last week.

Tricked us all.

Comfort zone to stretching zone

This weekend I have been to another dressage seminar, this time with Jan Brink.

Will write a separate post about that later. It was for two full days, plus a presentation Friday night, so lot of stuff to digest.

I find that it has been many posts recently about all and everything except life at home with horses, lol!

Well, first there has been some changes for me personally.

I have been working at the same company for 20 years, which is quite a long time.
This summer I got a job offer from another company which sounded interesting, and as a result I have resigned my old job and will start a new on Nov. 9th.

As I am moving over to a competitor, I have finished my running projects but been kept out of new ones so I have had some extra time off....nice, huh?

Which I have used on family and horses.

As I have stated in an earlier post time has come for Fame to start on flying changes.
I have been considering to get some help with it as I feel rusty after riding young horses the last years. Timing is so important, and as horses have good memory they learn what you teach them, whether it is right or wrong.

I prefer to get it right.

Now, as I had more time on my hands, I could get our instructor Annie to help me at day time, when she had time free.

I really like Annie's riding.

She is a soft and sympathetic rider, but has a good seat and get the horses to work very well without any fuzz.

Annie rode Fame three days last week, and two days the week before that.

She has improved the basic work and hind leg activity, and also done some flying changes.

A positive spin-off effect is that as she is learning to know Fame better, she will also be able to give me more directed help.

We have found out that I have been chicken riding. Hm.

When Fame gets going, I loose my seat slightly and have put in a halfhalt instead of riding through it. So she has been going in a slightly under-tempo.

I also feel that she gets too strong in the contact when she gets going, another reason for me to put in the half halt.
Annie wants me to ride through it instead, and let her soften through increased activity.

I feel like I have to push myself a bit out of the "comfort zone" to the "stretching zone".

(Haha, Jan Brink's words from the seminar....)

...which might not be too bad!

Shame on you Patrik

The Swedish dressage rider Patrik Kittel was filmed at the warm up pen in WC qualifier Odense, Denmark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hIXGiV4N4k

http://epona.tv/uk/news/show/artikel/blue-tongues-at-world-cup-qualifier/

This type of riding has nothing to do with dressage, and it makes me sick at heart and ashamed as a Swede, and as a dressage rider.

Please, all you out there.
If we are to make a change, we have to make our voices heard.

Send a mail:

To the Swedish Equestrian Federation, Tomas Torgersen, head of sports section:

tomas.torgersen@ridsport.se

and ask if riders on the Swedish National team doesn't have to comply with FEI's code of conduct?

To the largest equestrian magazine in Sweden, Ridsport:

redaktionen@tidningenridsport.se

And ask them to have comments on this from the federation, and from the rider.

Or contact FEI:

http://www.fei.org/Search_Centre/Pages/Contact.aspx

as the Chief Steward was approached, but nothing was done.

Mails in English should be no problem.

If we keep silent, nothing will change.

Please sign the petition to the FEI:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/antiHF/index.html

Clinic with Christoph Hess, part 2

This is part two of my notes from the clinic I attended with Christoph Hess, head of the training dept at the German equestrian federation, and international dressage judge.

You can find the first post here.

Please again note that these are just my personal notes from the seminar, and take it only as that.

Pictures are not of a good quality I am afraid, I had only my cell phone...

#5. Intermediate, talented horse, worked in hyperflexion by rider.
Now, I guess that you know what I mean about hyperflexion, and consequently what I felt when watching this rider warm up her very tense horse, rider consistently napping on the inner rein.
Not good.
I was wondering what Mr Hess would do here.
He started out to ask her to let out the reins to work the horse in a longer and deeper frame, to “make the horse happy and relaxed”, and told her that the horse “needed confidence”.
They started to work with loosing up the horse in shoulder fore, with soft rein. The rider got constantly reminded to give rein and “überstreichen” (move both hands forwards towards the bit for a couple of strides). He kept asking for the rider to give on the inner rein, and instead start to work with outer aids.
The work got better, and the rider improved, but when they finished I still wished that he had taken a more thorough approach to address the rider’s way of working her horse.
BUT.
Day 2, people.
This rider turned up with such a completely different approach in her riding, that I am convinced that Mr Hess had taken a private tête-a-tête with her the evening before.
I assume he did not want to approach her like that in front of the audience the previous day.
Day two we saw a profound difference, already from the beginning.
The rider started to warm up the horse low and long. When they started the work, it continued in the same way. Supplying work in a long and low frame, to get the horse to relax. Much work with shoulder in and transitions.
I was very happy with what I saw, and I believe the horse was happy too.

#6 Iberian (PRE) stallion, PSG-level?
When the horse started to work, Mr Hess said it was not in front of the aids, it was short in the neck and behind the vertical, and did not react enough on the leg aids. The rider was told to be soft on the hands, and to keep them still.
She was then told to work the horse in posted trot on the track and to give both reins and just ride forward.
Mr Hess wanted a relaxed horse in front of the leg.
She was told not to sit down to the trot until the horse was supple enough in the back. He wanted her to keep the long reins until the horse opened in the back and was actively seeking the bit.

She was to take him into a 20 m circle, still with loose reins. The horse was to stay on the circle and not to enlarge it. Mr Hess commented that the horse was either running or was behind the leg.
From the work on circle, he directed them out to the 2nd track to do some extended trot, still posting. The rider was told not to ask for too much extension which would result in the horse opening too much in the hind legs and loosing the balance.

Mr Hess commented that PRE/Lusitanos often were a bit stiff over the back, and needed

supplying work where they stretch forward/downward to loosen up.
The rider was asked to shorten the stirrups.
After this they went back to the circle where they worked with leg yield to get the horse to loosen up a bit more in the back.
Then back to the track and work with shoulder in at trot and canter, still on longer reins and in forward tempo. Back on the circle, reducing the circle only by using seat and legs. The horse was to stretch and keep the balance and rhythm. Medium canter, increase the circle again, followed by a reduction of diameter again and collection, only by seat and legs. After a few rounds, a transition to posting trot, long reins.
The horse was now relaxed and in front of rider.

#7 DWB, GP debut that weekend.
When this horse entered the arena I am afraid I thought it a bit pluggy and uninteresting being a GP horse. More of a schoolmaster type of horse, doing the exercises but lacking the flair.
They started out with transitions walk-trot-walk to get more impression in the trot, and improve the hind leg activity. Mr Hess told the rider (as he did to several others) to shorten the stirrups two holes.
As they moved on to more collected movements we got quite another impression of the horse.
It had a marked talent for the more difficult movements, and a very good passage-piaff, all which made Mr Hess so enthusiastic as to exclaim “London 2012” several times, lol!

The horse was a spitting image to one of my friend’s horses, which instantly made me call and tell her that she now had no excuses not to make it to GP (evil laughter)

#8 Younger horse, 4-5 yo?
The horse was running off a bit to start with, so Mr Hess asked them to work with shoulder in and to try and slow down. They then started to work with serpentines, again to try and reduce tempo and concentrating to keep the balance. He asked the rider to make the serpentines shaped like S-es, to watch the outer side with outer leg and to sit down in the saddle in the middle of the S, otherwise posting trot.
Followed by canter on a circle; medium canter on the open part, collection on the other half, keep inside rein soft.
Mr Hess stressed the importance of working also younger horse at shoulder in so they get straight. Sometimes you have to accept a shorter neck to help a youngster to keep the balance, as long as the horse is taking contact on the bit and is round over the back.
On the transitions from trot to walk he on the other hand, he commented to the rider that she had to watch that the horse did not shorten the neck.
After being initially a bit unbalanced (like a gangly teenager) the horse got more balanced and between the aids as the work proceeded, and also concentrating more on the rider.

My notes is mainly from day one where the work was to concentrate on the German educational scale, and was interesting as much was of a general approach, concentrating on the basic, but so very important work. Having a relaxed horse that is in front of the aids.
Day two was more preparations for the show to follow in the weekend, also interesting but aiming more on how to show each horse at its best.

All in all it was two very interesting days.

Sofa Princess in trouble?

During the summer our Sofa Princess has been on the pills, to avoid any unplanned family addition.

During winter time there is no need for it.
She has no inclination whatsoever to do anything but put her nose through the front door gap for two seconds, followed by a prompt return to a new nap in the sofa.

Or perhaps in front of the fire.

In September we stopped the pills as we actually planned her to have a litter.
A planned one, mind, with a male of the same breed.

Unfortunately it seems as if she has arranged the matter herself before we got there...

Mid September she was in heat, and for any of you that has not been around a female cat at that time I can assure you it doesn't go unnoticed.

We kept the front door shut, but as the King of Hunt opens the door whenever it suits him, she managed to escape unnoticed.

Opens doors, but doesn't close them unfortunately...

Take a roll with me?

Scratch my tummy, then?

When I found her she was just a couple of metres away from our neighbour's unneutered male, and even if nothing was going on at the time I found them, I don't believe any of them had waisted any time *sigh*

I'll take a roll on the stairs instead, so I don't get dirty...

And

she hasn't been in heat since

we believe she has gained weight

and today we also found her nipples were more pronounced. Maybe.

...the conclusion is?

Make your bets, ladies and gentlemen -we will see in a month's time!

Hello guys? Anyone around who wants to have some fun?

Oh well, it's all taken care of now.

Might as well take a nap with King of Hunt.

Thanks to my daughter for the photos!

Oslo Horse Show

First: Welcome Laura as a new follower!

Life has been busy lately, so there has not been much time neither to read or comment on blogs, nor write on my own.

This weekend my daugher and I visited Oslo Horse Show together with friends, and on Friday night us adults went to an Italian restaurant.

We had such a good time - my favourite combination: good food and wine, plus horse loving friends!
Lovely.

Some pictures from the show:

To the price ceremony, they used a true Norwegian equipage with four Fjords, and with the price awarders dressed up in "bunad", traditional dresses from old times.
Looked very stylish.

When they had the lap of honour, the carriage was standing in one of the corners looking Very Spooky.
The audience got some extra entertainment when the winning horses were passing...

Now, please look at the picture below.

This rider and her horse brought tears to my eyes.

Camilla (11) and her mother were involved in a car acccident.

Her mother died, and Camilla was very close to.

The pressure in her skull after the accident was too large. She was kept in coma, and was through seven brain surgeries. In the end the surgeons had to make a drastic action; they removed a part of the left side of the skull to keep her alive. Her father was told that she probably would survive, but they were not sure whether she would come back to normal.

Her skull was partially replaced with plastic.

Coming back to consciousness, she could not talk, and could only move her eyelids.

She spent 270 days in hospital and rehabilitation, all the time longing for, and after a while also talking of, her pony Laddy.

She had pictures of Laddy all over her room at the hospital, and everyone in the hospital staff taking care of her knew the name of her horse.

After very hard and dedicated work she is now almost back to normal, and the strongest motivation was to be able to ride Laddy again.

Camilla, now 14, had a dream to ride her horse at Oslo Horse Show.

On Saturday she did.

50 of the hospital staff were there watching, and I don't think my eyes were the only ones that were moist.

After both a family show, dressage and show jumping classes, Saturday's show ended with puissance.

Nothing for my nerves, and I am not comfortable with asking the horses to jump so high either.

They managed to get it up to 2.10 before ending.

Crazy.

Autumn joy

My daughter has taken the photo above.

I think it is such a beautiful autumn picture; the clear azure-blue sky, and the yellow leaves.

It is so beautiful outside now, and we have had some sunny days.

The temperature has dropped though.

On my trail ride last Saturday I rode in a t-shirt. Now, I have had to find my chaps and thick jackets.

After two days of intensive dressage traning, I took Fame out on a relaxing ride today in the beautiful weather.

Tomorrow the weather forecast says sleet, so we better take advantage of the nice weather while it lasts.

The disadvantage with many horses around is that the soil is washed away, and the stones creep up.

Fairytale forest, don't you think?

(Cabruze - no bugs, just moose!)

Calm and low water in the creek.

But on Wednesday and Thursday we worked hard!

Jimmi, the Danish trainer is here again.

On Wednesday he scolded us as he found Fame tight in the topline.

That is something that I always have to watch with her. She likes to work in a too high form which renders her tight in the back if "left alone".

I am aware of it, and work a lot with supplying exercises, keeping her in a low and round form.

But we had not done enough apparently!

He helped us through it, also riding Fame for a short while.
At the end of the lesson, she was much better.

She has been a bit more "antelope-y" lately though, I thought about it when hacking out today.

As I was riding bareback it was extra obvious...
I might have to adjust on her hard feed.
It is nice to have some energy, but if the energy is directed into spooking for about all and everything and getting tense instead of working, maybe the octane level is too high.

I will set her down a bit on the pellets and see what happens.

When we started out day two she was much better right from the start.

We continued with supplying exercises, and Fame felt good in the contact and with an improved hind leg activity. The trot in particular felt better than normal, and I was happy with the work.

Jimmi is a good trainer.

The things he comments on always feels right, and I feel Fame is working better.

The trainer can say nice things, deserved or not, but the horse never lies.

Now I am looking forward to two more lessons during the weekend.

It is very nice to get such an intensive training once he is here, as it will be a month or more until he returns.

My daughter also had a lesson this morning.

I had to act as translator as she has problem to understand Danish.

In the afternoon Siri and Hjalmar also had sessions.

And Jimmi was so lucky as to ride on a quality horse!

Wrong delivery

After all the work throughout the week I took Fame for a relaxing trail ride on Saturday, in nice weather.

We had a good time.

This time we took some smaller paths through the forest.

On Sunday it was our next show.

And on Sunday I regretted the calm ride we had had the day before.

I should have taken her on some tough canter interval training instead.

Had ordered: A relaxed, co-operative, nice dressage horse.

Got: A fearful antelope with too much energy. The type that always has to be on watch, and teleports three metres to the side. Knows how to run, but has difficulties to bend.

Aaaargh.

Adding spice to the stew they had mounted a tape band (you know the type that the police uses on TV at crime scenes) as a separation between the warm up and the show arena.
The wind came in strong gusts and suddenly that tape (three rows of them) came alive and attacked.

Yes it did.

An antelope must always look out, and stay alive.

The antelope's rider, however, was close to a heart attack.

My daughter on the other hand (we started in the same class), kept cheering me up in the warm up pen with comments like "Charlie feels SO fine today" and "He is quite nice on BOTH reins"

And the black cloud over my head kept growing.

Helloooo? Anyone wants an antelope today? They are on sale? No?

A daughter perhaps?

Needless to say, our performance at the show was not one to be remembered.

My daughter?

She did her best ride ever in that class (LA) I believe, a very nice program with a relaxed, but attentive horse.

And won the class!

I was a happy and proud Mum, and rode my antelope home.

Late update, and Friday's entertainment

Last Sunday we arranged a dressage show at the stable.

Saturday was needed to arrange all things for the show, print startlists, protocols, purchase what was necessary etc. (in addition to taking a fab trail ride with Fame, lol)

I have got some help with Fame lately.
Anna, who is 15 and earlier shared my daughter’s pony, is going to share Fame with me and ride her twice a week.
I thought she could start Fame in the class where the club championship was to be hold (LB) and I could start her in LA, same as last but this time with a saddle. Nice.

Just outside our "office" we got a new friend.
It was such a cute mouse youngster (are the spieces called shrews in English?)

He was not afraid at all, and kept wandering around us in the grass.
He finally decided that Elisabeth's leg was a nice place to be, so he started there.
Kept climbing though, so in the end he ended up under her sweater.
Elisabeth kept giggling, but was quite pleased.
I was a bit sad, because I thought to myself that he wouldn't last long, being so unafraid with the cats around.

And two days later, we had a present in front of our entrance door...
I know the cats are just doing their job, but sometimes I wish they could let be.

We have had a lovely Indian Summer lately, sun and warm weather (but cold at night) so we needed to irrigate the arenas on Saturday.
Shouldn’t have done that.
Of course it started to rain Sunday.
We had quite a lot of participants, first was 9 am and last was 3.30 pm, so it was a long day.

As we are a small club everyone has to help out and do their share of work.
Half of the day I wrote for the judge.
I find that very interesting.
I can compare what I see myself to what the judge is commenting and how it is marked.
As I often write at our shows, I also have the possibility to compare how the different judges are evaluating the rides. There are differences.

There were some huffpuff this time about the judge being strict.
Maybe she was, but that is how the sport is.
She was very strict about the correct execution of the exercises, and also that the horses should not be behind the vertical.
I appreciated that she was strict about the latter; I am frustrated to see that riders get remarks about the horse being too open in form when horses going behind the vertical is not commented, which is a more serious fault.

We had a lovely day in the rain.
My daughter won her class, and was Club Champion Pony.

Anna won her class, and was Club Champion Horse.

And the Geriatric rider remembered the program this time, and won her class too!

If the weather’s fine I will take an early ride on Fame and then watch the SJ show that is arranged at one of the other stables in the valley.
Sunday they arrange a dressage show, so guess where I will be?
And hooray, as it is the same program, I might remember it too!

Jimmi, the Danish trainer, is coming from Wednesday to Sunday next week.
Which will make me broke, but happy.

I wish you all a very nice weekend!

And at last, Friday’s entertainment.
You guys over there think you know what country music is.

Duh.
Check this.

Beautiful autumn ride

Fame and I had a beautiful trail ride today.

It was a sunny, clear day, autumn at its best!

The sky was turquise blue, and it was warm; 19-20 centigrades.

Why don't you join us?

We cross the road and take the path leading into the (ex)forest on the other side.

Oops.

Just a short distance down the path is blocked.

Great to have a 4x4!

My vehicle was a bit surprised about what was lying in our way as it wasn't there last time we were there.

She agreed with me that it was better to go around than to climb over it.

It was a bit tricky as there were a lot of branches lying around from the trees that had been cut down, but we made it through.

Good girl, Fame!

After riding through a short stretch of forest, we get out in the open for a while with a field of oats on our left, and then into a smaller forest section that stretches down towards the creek.

This is a favourite spot for the moose in winter time.

Lots of bushes to eat, and water nearby. Due to the current the creek often stays open even at winter time.

Coast is clear.

No moose.
The path winds alongside the creek, which is on our right.

Fame is looking out over the field on our right hand side.

One has to be On Watch.

We are to cross the creek where you see the end of the path in the photo below .

As we have had dry and sunny weather lately, the water level is low now.

Easy to cross.

I can feel that Fame wants to wander about some, but today we just ride over.

She can linger on our way home when she is warm instead if she wants to.

Reaching the other side, we continue on the path running there.

We trot a bit first, then canter.

Two pigeons fly up right in front of us, and suddenly we are at a dead stop two metres aside from where we were a split second ago.

Let's just say I am happy I did not ride bareback today!

After another 10-15 minutes ride, we come to our "destination".
If you look at the picture of our "new view" in the post below from yesterday, you can see a large mountain in the right side of the picture.

The road where we are to ride today winds up on the side of that mountain.
It is a lovely ride as you ride in the sunshine and get a marvellous view over the valley as you climb.

And it is super fitness work for the horses too!

So, here we go! A trot?

Unfortunately the picture below is not sharp (might have something to do with an impatient horse) but the bright red rowan berries were such a beautiful contrast to the dark green of the spruce.

Are you ready for a canter?

It does look inviting, doesn't it?

Yieehaaa!

Climbing upwards, the slope at the side down towards the valley gets quite steep.

You don't want your horse to do something stupid.

It's a long way down.

And on the other side there are rocks.

We are looking downwards here, walking for a bit before starting next canter interval.

Climbing upwards, the view is really beautiful.

Unfortunately the trees have grown here too.

If you look at the photo below you might see the same creek as we crossed a while ago within the red circle far, far down below us .

(Sorry, photos from the cellphone are not the best. I could see it clearly in reality though.)

After a while, we stop and turn back.

I jump off Fame, loosen her girth and let her have some grass.

She has done a good job, she is sweat and slightly blowing.

We walk down all the way, with the occasional stop to have some grass.

All the way up the peace was unfortunately disturbed by heavy shooting from a shooting range below.

The hunting season on moose starts soon, and that is the highlight of the year for many.

I suppose we should be grateful that they practise...

Fame behaved very well. After flinching at the first shots, she just ignored the rest.

I just love when the sun filters through the spruce trees.

It gives me a fairytale feeling.

In a mossy hillside, we hear a sound in the fern.

What can it be?

A small animal?

Yes, it was.

An adder.

He was trying to hide as well as he could, and when I got nosy he finds out it was better to leave.

Quick.

Then the battery in my cell phone went flat, so no more photos unfortunately...

We had an uneventful ride home.

Fame was relaxed but stretching out nicely in the walk.

I love the sense of combined smoothness and strength.

When we got home Fame got her shower and I let her out with her hay.

She was happy, and so was I.

When I got home my hunting husband had returned from the forest too.

He is a very good berries-and-mushrooms hunter.

Look at his catch!

Chantarelles!

A whole bag full.

We are gonna have a Very Nice Dinner tonight!

Thanks for keeping us company!