With Starlight now fairly used to her purple boots, I have started working her in our outdoor riding arena. This is an unusual arena, because it’s about two miles long and 30 feet wide, was built by the town and is more commonly known as a "road."
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| Take the photo, fast.... |
I’m considering this quiet, gravel road as the equivalent of my outdoor arena as fall settles in, the days are shorter and the ground is sopping wet. I need a place to exercise the ponies, and this road couldn’t be better. It’s nearby, well-maintained and very few cars use it. It has good visibility most of the way, so the cars that do come along can see us from far enough out to slow down and move over, something the drivers have been very kind about doing.
I know there will be times in the winter when I won’t even be able to use that, due to ice and snow, but I’m thinking that most of my rides over the next six months will be on the road. And without it, my time in the saddle would be very limited over the winter.
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| ...before she starts walking. Oops, too late! |
It’s one of the main reasons I got the purple boots in the first place, to protect Starlight’s soles from the gravel. With any luck, they will also fit Dee and Stormkite. I also got them in anticipation of an upcoming hunter pace this month. And we’ll use them when we meet some friends at Sugar Hill this weekend for a trail ride, Starllight’s first such outing.
Here’s to gravel roads and hoof boots for helping us stay in the saddle this winter!
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