For me, it is never really spring until that first ride back outside. After being cooped up in an indoor for five months, the only thing I want to do is ride in the sun and warmth. And that is exactly how I planned to spend my Saturday last weekend.
I was pleasantly surprised when I stepped outside in a sweatshirt only for it to be warm enough for a t-shirt. Never had I been more excited about changing into a short sleeved shirt. What I shouldn’t have been surprised about was getting to the barn and finding Axcent absolutely caked in mud, but I was. After about an hour of choking on dirt, I gave up on trying to get the beast dirt-free and settled for mildly clean. So I tacked up and headed to the outdoor with Kirby, another BCET rider who boards her horse, Tally, at the Becker barn.
I knew that riding in the HUGE outdoor at school only meant one thing, Ax was going to be CRAZY! Unfortunately, I wasn’t wrong. Walking was an excuse to spook at non-existent monsters, working trot became extended trot, and canter turned into a series of bucks and leaps. Once he was done with his spazz attack, I could just feel him wanting to stretch his legs, and after a winter in an indoor where he was down the long side in five strides, I couldn’t blame him. Thankfully for Ax, Becker’s outdoor is beautifully long and perfect for a hand gallop. When he kept pulling to go faster and I didn’t want to stop him, I decided that we were both too excited to be outside to actually work on anything productive. So outside the ring we went for a nice cool down.
What began as a relaxing walk around the property turned into a bronco ride across the grass. Oops. But so did Tally, so at least I wasn’t the only one with a sassy pony. Although both Kirby and I almost lost it at one point, we survived and eventually got the ponies to walk like normal horses (probably only because Ax was too lazy by then to do any more bucking).
After a mini photoshoot and grazing on the little green grass that is starting to pop up, Ax was ready for a good grooming and his dinner. As much as Spring has given up warm weather, it has also given my horse springs in his feet. I guess I’ll take it.
Breeches & Boat Shoes 
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