Strong, Safe, Peaceful, Happy

Today I rode Dewey out with my Aussie saddle, and did the loop around the lake. It rained yesterday and I walked the trail with the kids while a girl rode Dewey and we all got our feet wet and drove the golf cart up the mountain (treacherous fun) with Nathan driving and we piled out and hiked and went through creeks and walked through wet sandy mud, and rain clears out the sky and gives fresh churned sand new hope. When we get back nice and safe and sound, you'd think time with the horse would satisfy my need to ride, but then I wake up wanting to go out the next day. So today all the work I'm doing in the arena pays off, because I'm trotting Dewey out on the trail and trying to turn off my brain so I can just focus on free forward motion, allowing him to move forward comfortably, with his head not up but comfortable, and my legs under me, and feel my whole body open in the front, supporting me. It's like before I rode shut down in the front, and now I'm allowing. Riding gives you a place to figure out your body, and a skill to practice, and at the same time I don't have to walk and I get to see pretty scenery. So I can't wait to go out tomorrow and see what trouble Dew and I can get into. Before when I would canter I would be worried about speed and control, and since I've been working on trot, it's helped me to have a stronger seat/leg, so when we fall into the canter out there again eventually, it should be easy and comfortable and safe. That's my goal. Strong, safe, peaceful, and happy. It's fun to ride without other people because then I can go the pace I want and focus on what I need to focus on without worrying about other people's needs. Plus I'm quiet, and don't have anything to say! What I miss about riding with other people is that it's nice to listen sometimes, and Dewey likes the company. But he's the same horse whether we go with buddies or not, and I've found for me he's more reliable when we just go ourselves and he's not playing around being an annoying little brother (and bucking) (ouch). His new used horse harness is getting here tomorrow, so that'll be fun to clean up and try on him and get him drive trained. He does like to be fussed with. He's a good horse, you just have to ride 5 days a week! I get grumpy, too, when I have to work and don't get to ride.