I managed to both pack the weekend full of time with Tarma and get my house duties completed, as we’re off on a road trip on Friday…that’s right, we’re heading to Tevis! This year a friend, my son and I will be volunteering at Robinson Flat, and I can’t wait! It does mean a relaxing bit of time off for Tarma while we’re gone.

On Saturday, I eventually persuaded the truck to run (by dint of having to jump her off our Toyota Goldie) and hauled over for another Working Equitation clinic. This was on the opposite side of town at a different farm with a new to us trainer, and we picked up a few things…mostly being Tarma’s tendency to rush through obstacles isn’t just coming from her. I can be just as task focused and trying to Get Through The Thing, but WE is all about doing the thing well. I really focused on asking her to bend and be supple, and building in tons of pauses, especially for the tricky gate. I do love that she’s not actually afraid or uncertain about any of the obstacles, just not super careful about how they get done. The bank, the water, the bridge, the bull and garrocha, all are beneath her concern. We finished with a nice spin around the big field while I chattered at the two nice ladies who shared the session with me. I filled their heads with all things endurance, that’s for sure!

Today the truck was kind enough to start right up, so I loaded up a much happier Benny and we drove out to Hardy Creek. This is one of my favorite riding spots, and summer is so fun when we can ride on the single tracks. I didn’t have much of a plan for today’s ride, though I knew we wouldn’t be going for speed with Benny along on a warm (but not super hot!) day. It took Tarma some time to clue into the switch of program; I’m going for quality miles right now, not just quantity, so I’m nitpicking at things I’ve left alone before. I ask her to collect and shift back and round for downhills and uphills, which I know is deeply unreasonable of me when she’s spent plenty of miles motoring down the trails however she chooses.

I know I’m unreasonable because those spicy chocolate ears definitely told me so! She didn’t throw any great fits or anything, but I did have to micromanage a bit more than I’m used to doing. I also had to stay pretty mobile, there were plenty of overhanging branches and things to duck! I had my clippers so I helped clear what I could, but Tarma wasn’t much in a standing around mood so we mostly kept moving. We did stick to the walk mostly, and the moments she really drew herself up I could immediately tell how much stronger she was. Like my weight lifting, it’s hard to do for long at first! We finally hit our groove about the time we started winding our way back.

There were plenty of wins today. I had tied both spare Renegades to my saddle (just in case a shoe came off, but both stayed on perfectly!) One came off at some point, and I happened to be catching a video when I realized Benny had noticed the boot fall off and grabbed it, without me telling him to! I love this dog, I haven’t lost a boot or shoe on any ride he’s been on. I was also able, for the first time I can remember, to mount from the ground after watering Benny. Man, does that use so many muscles! Just over one of the bridges, we had to tuck ourselves off trail a bit to allow a family with their adorable pack goats to pass us! Their little girl admired Tarma, who only had eyes for the goats! Tarma loves goats and she would really appreciate me getting her one someday.

We finished up relaxing at the trailer, while I wrote about the rides in the journal I keep in the trailer and Tarma decided maybe I wasn’t so terrible after all. Her opinion ping ponged again, however, once we reached the barn and I again changed the agenda without consulting her. My husband wondered if I’d had the hitch height for the trailer set wrong and if maybe that had contributed to the exploded wheel bearing, so he came out to the barn so we could check the levelness of the trailer with Tarma on and off it. I have an adjustable height hitch, so I unloaded her, tied her to the trailer, lifted the hitch a hole, and reloaded her. Tarma had so many feelings about this! This isn’t the post ride schedule! She would like to speak to the manager! Eventually we were done futzing and she got her cold hosing and tossed out into the pasture…where she had to roll not just twice, but three times to feel better after this trying day of hers!