Well, the weather here in Southern California has been pretty strange this year. On the good (bad, depending on how you look at it), there hasn't been a lot of rain so the trails haven't been wiped out and re-arranged like they were two years ago in 2005- in January/February it truely seemed like it rained for 40 days and 40 nights!
However, what's really been weird is the up-and-down temperatures. A couple weeks ago it got below freezing at night and it was VERY windy. Even during the day, it didn't warm up. Then, lo and behold, the temperature shoots up and yesterday it was over 80- it felt like I was back in August.
For the horses, it's been a real roller-coaster and not the most comfortable. At one moment it's cold as all get-out and the next moment, it's hotter than hell. The danger is that now the horses will shed their winter coats and then be caught when the temperature drops and really be cold. Also the risk of colic increases- something no horseowner wants.
I had a short ride on Saturday (had other places to be) or about an hour and a half and we started out around 8:30 am. The weather was beautiful- clear, a light breeze and cool. Perfect for Max- not too windy so he didn't get buzzed up and hard to manage. We rode down the wash and then followed a bridal path behind the Equestrian Center (there's a nursery on the other side). The path between the nursery and the Equestrian Center is like a chute and most of the time there aren't any issues but when it's windy, it can be a problem. The big thing is that there is really nowhere to go if a major spook comes on. Fortunately, Max is pretty used to this path.
After following the bridal path, I crossed the road leading into Orcas Park and then entered the park through a separate entrance. The end result is that we wound up at the arena- there's a pretty nice sand arena at Orcas Park that's pretty big (I really need to get some pictures of all of this so anyone reading this can figure out what I'm talking about! :-)). The best part was that nobody was in the arena so we have the whole place to ourselves. I kicked Max into high gear (he seems to know that when we enter the arena, we're going to work) and did an number of dressage figures at the canter and trot. I then did some leg yields and finished off with some transitions. Max was the picture of cooperation.
We returned back to the stable, retracing our original path, and just for fun we rand some laps around the track at a canter. I then looked at my watch and realized that I was running late and it was time to clean up Max and put everything away.
Not bad considering that a year ago I couldn't take him more than about 500 yards down the wash from the stable without some sort of issue developing. With constant practice, my confidence has grown and so have Max's confidence and training. For the most part, he follows direction (occassionally he acts up but find me a horse that doesn't!) and we have a pretty good partnership.
However, what's really been weird is the up-and-down temperatures. A couple weeks ago it got below freezing at night and it was VERY windy. Even during the day, it didn't warm up. Then, lo and behold, the temperature shoots up and yesterday it was over 80- it felt like I was back in August.
For the horses, it's been a real roller-coaster and not the most comfortable. At one moment it's cold as all get-out and the next moment, it's hotter than hell. The danger is that now the horses will shed their winter coats and then be caught when the temperature drops and really be cold. Also the risk of colic increases- something no horseowner wants.
I had a short ride on Saturday (had other places to be) or about an hour and a half and we started out around 8:30 am. The weather was beautiful- clear, a light breeze and cool. Perfect for Max- not too windy so he didn't get buzzed up and hard to manage. We rode down the wash and then followed a bridal path behind the Equestrian Center (there's a nursery on the other side). The path between the nursery and the Equestrian Center is like a chute and most of the time there aren't any issues but when it's windy, it can be a problem. The big thing is that there is really nowhere to go if a major spook comes on. Fortunately, Max is pretty used to this path.
After following the bridal path, I crossed the road leading into Orcas Park and then entered the park through a separate entrance. The end result is that we wound up at the arena- there's a pretty nice sand arena at Orcas Park that's pretty big (I really need to get some pictures of all of this so anyone reading this can figure out what I'm talking about! :-)). The best part was that nobody was in the arena so we have the whole place to ourselves. I kicked Max into high gear (he seems to know that when we enter the arena, we're going to work) and did an number of dressage figures at the canter and trot. I then did some leg yields and finished off with some transitions. Max was the picture of cooperation.
We returned back to the stable, retracing our original path, and just for fun we rand some laps around the track at a canter. I then looked at my watch and realized that I was running late and it was time to clean up Max and put everything away.
Not bad considering that a year ago I couldn't take him more than about 500 yards down the wash from the stable without some sort of issue developing. With constant practice, my confidence has grown and so have Max's confidence and training. For the most part, he follows direction (occassionally he acts up but find me a horse that doesn't!) and we have a pretty good partnership.
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