Dublin Goes For a Ride

This must be a record--six straight days of riding, with great progress. The canter is getting easier and easier. Dublin has one of those canters that is gorgeous to watch--relaxed and floating. I've been itching to ride it and now that we are getting some consistency and I can enjoy it, I've found that it is as beautiful to ride as it is to watch. What a treat!

He has done so well with trailer loading the past few days that today we loaded him up, closed up the trailer, and drove him around the block. We're in the country, and "around the block" is probably 2 or 3 miles. He was anxious and did a bit of pawing, but all in all he rode like a champ. The last time we tried this, he pawed and kicked the entire way. It wasn't my trailer either. So this time he went in my trailer, so any damage he did was to my equipment, and as it turns out, he did very well. He was anxious and sweating when we got back, but he stood quietly in the trailer and took treats, and then unloaded like a champ, backing calmly out the trailer. So we'll keep this up until he actually relaxes on the drive.

This also marked the first time I've hauled a horse with my new truck ("New"--I've had it for over nine months).  What a difference! With my old '88 Ford, every bump in the road felt like it would jar your fillings loose. The new Chevy rides like a dream and you hardly know the trailer is there. Both the truck and the trailer got baths so Dublin could ride in a nice clean rig. Actually, the trailer has been sitting for so long that it had moss growing on it, and I was shamed into washing it before taking it out. Then it looked so good that the truck looked terrible in comparison, so it got a bath too. Only Dublin missed out on the bath, and since it's January and darned cold, it's just as well.

This has been a great week for Dublin's progress. A little time off from work and some nice weather, and a new commitment to working with him have made such a difference! And I feel better both physically and mentally, too, getting some exercise and seeing the horse start to blossom.