I Wanna Go Fast

Shout out to Ron Burgundy.

Riding has really picked up lately thanks to the addition of a newly found friend and her closeness to me and equal obsession with eventing and jumping and going fast and stuff.

Jumped the boys last week, scheduled to jump Yankee tomorrow with G, and then XC school Sunday with a workout or two in between.

TOO BAD SHOW SEASON IS BASICALLY WINDING DOWN BUT WHATEVER. I also start working in 3 weeks so BAI to my mostly "tress free", relaxing days. Soon I will be properly dressed like a real human, commuting to my respectable desk job and hopefully cramming in riding, working out and boyfriend time somewhere in there. No sleeps most likely. So trying to make it to a local show even, is really out of the question for the rest of the year I think.

WHATEVER I'LL BE FINE.

I take solace in the fact that my boys are sound and CAN be ridden, so, positive thoughts there.

G & I had a hankering to gallop, so we took the boys to the sunflower field and let em rip.

It was exhilarating. And wonderful. And frightening. And all the adjectives.

Yankee always surprises me with his mind blowing speed and stride. That horse is like a tiny powerhouse. Bacardi truly impressed me as well. Not only can the horse FLY, but he listens exceptionally well for a horse relatively fresh off the track. He even gave me a cute little flying change.

ADORABLE

He's like a fucking freight train. Those massive shoulders are SO powerful and he can really MOVE. Yankee always feels like a little piston, churning up the ground with his quick strides, while Bacardi feels like a runaway train with absolutely huge strides. Both truly powerful gallops in their own way.

Thats both of them pretty fully opened up. I love the stretch Yankee gets. He's always so low to the ground and quick. Then there's the big goon called Bacardi who keeps up with sheer stride length and size. I wish you guys could ride them both and feel what I'm talking about!

Its pretty cool to gallop alongside Yankee, because B will just be meandering (aka galloping "slowly") and as soon as he hears/sees Yankee on his flank, there is no way he's losing. He switches into a gear I've never felt with Yankee and its almost scary because he felt slightly out of control. He's just so BIG!

 I wish I had better video of Yankee, but B completely lost his fucking mind when Yankee blew by him and he basically exploded upwards. I could imagine him just thinking

"oh god, oh GOD, HES COMING CLOSER. Let me...lemme go, lemme lemme LEMME, LET ME RUN WOMAN!!! ARRRGGGHH HES ESCAPING- WHY WONT YOU LET ME.. AHHHHFGFGFGHHH..." *brain explodes* *rears*

Yankee also managed to flip BOTH bell boots off and a shoe. Which makes 6 lost shoes in various ways over the last 3 months. I might point out the farrier had JUST been out 2 days prior to nail back on a HIND shoe he twisted off. I can't even.

So that was fun.

Then on Sunday Funday my wonderful boy SUGGESTED that we go for a ride. He was so keen to try and ride, and confident that he could handle Yankee. I was skeptical because while Yankee is a great horse, he is still an OTTB and pretty hot, especially out in the open. And boy had never ridden...like ever. I wanted him on Lazy Lilly, but he was persistent. Had to ride the ferrari.

I had underestimated the size of his head so unfortunately the FOUR helmets we own did not fit him. He also forgot his boots at  home. (yes, he owns cowboy boots. He's from TN. Apparently they all have boots there?) Naturally I started off slightly worried, knowing how Yankee could be.  And the greenness of boy. But boy signed his own death warrant, knowingly, so off we went. Mom came with on Lilly lady. 

Precious. Yankee is like WUT are these things on meh

Poor Yankee. He tolerated the extra 100# that was a western saddle and a weightlifter who is thicksolidtight on his back. And poor boy. He was taken aback by the power of a horse and spent the first 20 minutes gripping with his knees for dear life when he couldn't get Yankee to turn or go anywhere and Yankee getting increasingly more and more anxious.

I was pretty sure they were going to both have brain explosions and die. Luckily I had thought ahead and rigged Yankee with a halter and lead, and just ponied them for a bit until boy relaxed and then realized that yes indeed  horses can feel EVERYTHING, including emotions and if you relax, they will too. He then figured out what I had been saying on how to steer and slow him down and for the next 7 miles rode like a greenie pro!

So proud of everyone. Shout out to Bacardi for ponying a slightly insane Yankee, and for boy for staying with it, and for Yankee for tolerating all the new things and eventually rocking out on the trail with my boy. And for mom. Who led the way the whole time on the less insane Lilly Belle.