Post by april on Jul 27, 2009 12:08:50 GMT -5
Heaven loves being worked on the trails, and going through the hills helps wear off some of her excess energy. She acts like it would take a few years of nonstop galloping to wear her out, but I still make sure she doesn't strain herself. The mare is like a dynamite keg, ready to go off, but I make sure she's warmed up well before letting her take off at a canter. We have a wonderful time walking, trotting, cantering, and galloping all over the trails. Her trot is so bouncy at first it almost feels like she’s bucking. It’s like she wants to go fast so bad she can’t stay earthbound. I make the ride extra long, although I always increase the distance of our trail rides to build up my horses’ endurance. Heaven is retired from racing now though, but the exercise is still good for her. We go over the hilly trails to both add to the endurance training and build up her hindquarter to give her extra impulsion and speed. I give Heaven a lavish petting as we go, loving the rockinghorse feel of her paces. We have a great time. After an amazing ride, we finish up with a short sprint on the beach, and I smile as I see the hoofprints with long distances between them we leave in the yet unfrozen sand.