The minutes ticked by as I jogged between chores, glancing at my watch every few seconds. Once I had everyone fed, and the water tank filled, I began cleaning off Mr. Muddypants. There was time for a very short ride, or at least a walk, before I had to jump in the truck and leave.
I coerced Harley into the barn to tack up. He was not pleased to leave his girls, but grudgingly relented. I briefly thought about going bareback, but he hadn't been ridden in about a week and a half, so I opted for the security of a saddle. I had just enough time to ride out behind the barn to do some leg yields, turns on the forehand, and a few trots before it was time to go. Harley felt spunky--looking around at everything, especially the green tarp that had blown into the woods, and the ladder teetering on the back porch railings. Then Pete appeared and said, "Where's your orange?" Well, since I wasn't leaving the ring area, I decided to skip the blaze orange. No hunters would be shooting that close by and not have a clear view of us! We only had one minor "blowup" when he began snorting and thought about throwing in a buck, but he quickly came back down and settled. Thank you, Harley, for being a good boy!
A morning ride, no matter how short, can set the tone for the day and put a smile on my face. And it's the best view of the world from atop your horse's back!
A morning ride before work!!??? I shriek at your motivation! Now that is very impressive! of course, a birthday is a special occasion and is worth making an effort to celebrate. Good for you! I imagine if I tried to ride before work I'd be late to work every single day-- in part because I'd lose track of time, but also because Bill would not stop talking to me! It must have felt great driving to work having already had a ride though. Not a bad way at all to start a brand new year. Happy birthday to you, and a nice pat on the head for your willing participant Harley!
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