98% of the time when I ride I formulate my ride in my mind ahead of time. I go over what I want to work on or accomplish that day with Grace and then based on what kind of mood he's in I adjust and execute the plan. I've been doing this ever since I've had him & I think it stems from my traditional "George Morris" style schooling from the trainers I've had over the years and the fact that I got him as a baby and had to train him. I always do this on the drive over to the barn. I have a pretty strong work ethic and have transferred that to him over the years I believe.
Lately however, due to his health issues it's been kind of a crapshoot and we are back to basics. Really basic! which can get boring but is necessary. Because riding Grace is kind of auto-pilot for me now, my mind has time to wander and not focus so much on what I have to do which led me to start thinking about my rides over the years. That in turn led me to think what were my top 3 rides ever. As I reminisced I realized that I've had so many really great & memorable ones that it would be hard to narrow down.
There were amazing parts of rides like the time Grace was learning the gymnastic & he was FLYING through it so Jan decided to raise it higher to help back him off. She said something to the effect of "ok lets see what he can do, are you ok with it?" I said yes & as high as she raised it he just kept jumping over it. It was amazing! The last time she raised it it was so fricken high she told me don't get ahead of him & I thought Holy Crap here we go. Well he never quit or refused it but he did crash through it. It wasn't scary it was just phenomenal to know he thought he might be able to do it. That's when I knew this horse would always try for me & he had a huge heart. There have been so many times like that that will stick out in my mind but the three that I will remember until the day I die are these:
1. I was a reckless, punky 12 year old and was at "The Farm". During the summer I LIVED to go there and I loved and rode Crackerjack, a large pinto pony who could run like the wind & was smooth as silk. He was sassy but not mean, fast but not dangerous and smart as a whip (just how I liked my boys at the time, Ha!). My grandparent's 250 acre farm bordered the WI Kettle Moraine State Park which is an awesome place formed by the Glaciers so it has kettles & bowls and miles of grassy mowed trails with cool names like "Ice Age". Someone in the VDB family of 60+ members had the wise notion to cut a hole in the fence of the property so we could directly access those trails. So access I did! I took Crackerjack out in the morning telling my parents I would be out riding all day. This was never an issue with them I guess because my father rode & was cool with it & my Mom was too nervous around horses to get involved so I was free to go! It was a warm summer day and I snuck on those trails & explored for hours without seeing another sole. It crossed my mind that I could get lost because it was so remote and the trails intersected so I made mental notes of the trail colors and markers but I also remembered thinking that the horse would know his way home to his herd (too many lassie shows from the 60's??). Crackerjack did know and we had the most wonderful day spent just the two of us galloping those trails until we were both sweaty messes. We rode home safely hours later exhausted but I felt totally alive and happy because I had spent the day riding as one with Crackerjack and Nature.
2. Time: About 9 years ago, maybe longer, before Independence Grove was built.
Place: Daybreak Farm.
Ride: It was a weekend morning in February and we had had a HUGE snowfall the night before. I went out there early and was totally psyched as I knew what I was going to do. I tacked Grace up took him out to the hay field and waded through the almost chest- high (his), virgin white snow. I got him to the middle of the field and let him rip! This was still in his "full of himself" days and he had endless energy and we ran in that pristine snow until he couldn't run anymore but I'll never forget how he felt in that deep, deep snow. I felt the power and force of his body but there was no concussion whatsoever. It was like rocking on a cloud and I never wanted the feeling to end.
3. Would have to be the trail ride with Tina and Gem and Dory and "Bike". I was excited to have someone (hadn't met Dory yet) coming to take pictures as I didn't have that many of Grace and what I did have weren't great. We were getting photos and a great trail ride in as well. It was a beautiful day in Independence Grove, we rode for quite awhile (poor dory had to pedal ahead) and it was just a blast! I was with my two best pals and was meeting a new one for the first time. Tina, thanks for sharing some of the best rides of my life with me and Dory thanks for the pix, they are priceless to me. I will return the favor, this time with me on the bike this summer. I can pretty much guarantee that the photo's won't be as extraordinary as yours but I'll do my darndest.
Ok guys your turn: Give me your Three Best!
