Summer

Not much activity here these days, I am afraid.

Work, travel and good weather is keeping me away from the computer....but a small update?

One of the very best things in my horse-year is to let the horses out on summer pasture.

It feels so good to know that they for the upcoming weeks can eat all their heart desires of grass, romp around with the rest of the gang, and just be a Horse.

On Friday we let Charlie loose.

Fame should have joined him  but had somehow got a cut on the inside of her right hock, so she is on antibiotics and has to wait for a few days.

Charlie is thoroughly checked.

Aaah. You're you the same guy that was here last year?

Charlie prefers grazing to socializing.

OK guys, let's start walking!

Nessprinten (at the back) is still at 26 yo the Boss.

Me and Fame took a small walk to get the swelling down.

We splashed around in the creek (wonderful on a warm day), did some grassing on the way and fought flies and mosquitos.

We even saw a moose. Not so usual during summer time.

It was a male, his antlers had begun to grow. They lose them when winter comes, and for each year the antlers get bigger, to all hunter's delight.

It is so lovely outside now, all that lush green.

Fame's best friend, Fire-Bell, became a Mum this weekend.

Here the foal, Fire-Fly, is out for the very first time:

Isn't it amazing that they can manage to balance on those long, thin legs?

I have planned for a long time to write a post about turning/bending aids, but there has simply not been enough time. It will come though, and I would be happy for any contributions or comments on this. So think about it!

I wish you all a very good summer!

Siri/Zan-Day and Hjalmar/Tarzan

Reckless riding

In my late teens, I vowed together with my best friends that we would never be square, boring adults.
Volvo, kids, the whole package. It sounded so absolutely Not Fun.
We would stay young.
I even remember something about wearing skin skirts (this was in the beginning of the happy 80ies) but at 47 with sagging knees and cellulites I don't find it such a good idea as I thought at the age of 18.

But maybe my 18 yo self would have approved of me Monday.

I have missed riding Fame being away so much, and as she had her vaccine she had the weekend off from work.
(Grumble, grumble)
This week I would stay at home though.
When Monday came I had planned to do some dressage training, but the weather had been lovely lately and the outdoor arenas were dry and very dusty, and it was warm.
Hmmm.

Instead I found my hackamore, jumped on bareback and headed out in the forest.
The evening was lovely, and Fame kept tossing her head and jogging.
Had I been a horse I would have been tossing my head too.
We felt GOOOD.

After splashing around a bit in the creek, we settled for the long and winding gravel road up the slopes of Grøttum, several kilometers steadily climb up one of the mountains.

Sometimes I get these wonderful moments of togetherness with my horse, and this was one of those occations.
I was just so very happy to be on my horse again, enjoying the scenery and the wonderful summer evening, and I could feel that my horse was just as happy as me.
I guess we both felt a little bit crazy.

And when we came to the start of the slope, I just gave her the reins, and let her go.
She started out in a normal canter, but soon the joy of being alive, feeling powerful and strong, made her take off.
And here I was, a middle-aged, grey-haired (un)responsible Mum clinging on my horse bareback and going at full speed so fast that it made my eyes water, and I had this itsybitsy feeling in my stomach about "will she stop?".
And it was wonderful.

And of course she stopped.
She's  a dressage horse, isn't she?
We just forget ourselves sometimes.

(To be frank, even dressage horses get tired after running at full tilt uphill for a long period of time. Hahem.)