wicktory!!

Today was the kind of day the red mare has tossed me off - after rain, cooling off, windy.... and I rode her anyhow. She was spooky getting tacked up, and bucked coming out the door. I almost put her back but I decided so long as I knew she was going to be hot and bothered, I could sit on her and not get fussed, and not be stupid. So I did. We went out on the moose trail, Rachel on Ruby (who was being So Good - that was just awesomeness on Ruby's part) and we walked and trotted veryslowly and walked again, and nothing bad happened. She was twitchy and looky and thinking about spooking and bucking, but I'd ask for 4 strides of trot and 2 walk and 4 trot, and a little leg yield across the trail and back, and she'd stop thinking about behaving badly. I am thrilled with my own courage. Because I could have not gone, and she would have won. Instead we went, and we both won, I think.

in other news, one of the women who owns the (other) farm I ride at fell and broke her hip on Saturday. She's just finishing getting operated on today. They decided to replace rather than repair, which means shorter rehab time and stronger results, but she's still flat on her back. They have a schooling show coming up this Sunday, so I am secretary pro-tem, and I've been banging my head over scheduling for the show. I did some of this when I was ahem16 and put on combined training events in my back yard (really - 2' to Training level. I was an astounding 16 year old. Dunno what happened.), but somehow dressage shows seem more complex.