Training

Chorus of angels:

Follow ye envoy, heaven born convoy.

On leisure wing coast.

Sinful ones shriving, dust to enliven.

Bounteous giving to all things living.

Waft in its striving, the hovering host.

--Goethe

Catching up on our training log following a week of diversions and distractions. We have been at it, and, three weeks of dry weather since 7/24, which last happened, oh, well, about 1 year ago. We're thankful for what we get that's other than constant mud. Here's what we've done since last Fri.

Tues. 8/10: Nob rides twice up and down the hill, and, oops, senior moment, forgot to buckle or tighten the girth and almost slips off. Call the tack work. Then, riderless 2 x 1 mile as fast as we could make 'em go. The horses never quite figure it during this work that we wanted them to go full speed, all out. In equine, it goes something like this--we've been lolly gagging along in our speed work the last three times, why go faster today? So, 90% speed. Mostly :13s with some a little faster. It was a nice work, steady and fairly tough. This ends the phase of extended riderless speed work provided the weather holds. Try transferring--once again--to all tack work from here.

Mon. 8/9: up and down the hill 3 times at the slow gallop + 2 miles riderless, slow, continuous.

Sun. 8/8: Off

Sat. 8/7: trot-gallop up and down hill 3 times + 2 x 1 mile riderless in about :13s. Decent!