We're High Fashion

So Axel and I are *not* slaves to fashion. In fact, we're probably quite the sight when seen walking down the road. I won this blue plaid saddle blanket on the trail ride a few weeks ago. My regular black and my white pads are both connected to my jumping saddle and I'm too lazy to swap them out. So the new pad goes on. Then the black saddle. And the brown stirrup leathers which also belong to my jumping saddle but since I haven't wanted to spring for $80+ black dressage leathers, that's what I use. I haven't conditioned my black dressage bridle yet so Axel wears a brown bridle. Yesterday he also wore his yellow halter and the blue bell boots cuz the black ones have seen better days and I can't get the mud off them. I, on the other hand, am the epitome of couture ... not. Brown paddock boots, left my half chaps in the other car, tan breeches, orange tshirt, black gloves, and a black and red vest cuz it's a little cool out. H-O-T hot, as Tricia would say (though she wears her chaps over shorts).

On to the point of this post. I couldn't wrangle anyone up for riding last night and the weather was just too nice to pass up. So I went out to the barn alone. It's been quite a while since I've done that. Glad I went out there though. Axel and I went out on the road. I was thinking we'd maybe try a canter in the wide part of the ditch but it was kind of holey so we just trotted. But! We ended up coming to the bean field on the other side. The bean field that had already been combined but not dug. And it wasn't too sloppy from the rain. So into the field we went. We were working on some trotting in a circle (which we have conveniently forgotten how to do) when a big Weimereiner came running up at a distance. He must have been scared of Axel because every step Axel made toward him, the dog backed up. When he finally decided to go home Axel and I got back to work. This time I asked for a canter. And off we went cantering in the field at a nice controlled (but not collected) canter. Not a single buck. Left lead most of the time though I thought I felt him try and switch but our stamina is not there so our bouts of cantering weren't too long. Reminded me that I need to work on my canter to trot transitions, I bounce all over. In any case it was fun and we had brakes. I could have kept going but I figured Axel needed the reward of being done so we headed for home, at an almost decent paced walk I might add.

Yay for the basics. I'm excited to get back to schooling type riding. Trail riding is fun and all but I like seeing the improvements when we school.