Happy Ponies

We took the ponies out yesterday and they were great. Their first ride since McDowell last weekend, and I was so pleased with how they looked. They were both very happy and perky, and had tons of energy. It was very gratifying to see both of them go charging out of their stalls and jump into the trailer. :)

It was a shorter ride, only about 7-8 miles, a nice moderate mix of walking and trotting. They keep making "improvements" to the San Tan trails, and I've mixed feelings about this. The endurance rider in me is thrilled -- smoother trails mean more trotting; the inner trail rider in me is screaming about the lack of challenge and technical trails. However, I think I've come to a happy compromise: we spend most of our time at the San Tans training for endurance. It's easier to have that, and trailer out father to more challenging trails when we want to trail ride, versus trying to endurance train on really tough, technical trails all the time.

The weather was absolutely perfect yesterday, too. High 60s, moderately breezy, a few scattered clouds, and just this light, fresh feeling in the air that spring is definitely on its way.

I really don't understand Mimi and her lack of drinking at rides. Yesterday, for a short little ride like that, she drained her entire 5-gallon bucket, between drinking before we went out and drinking when we got back. And she does this on a regular basis for training rides. And yet, she goes all night Friday night at McDowell without drinking. ???

I'm going to try Karen Chaton's suggestion of two buckets of water, one plain and one salty. I offered her a small bucket of salted water yesterday after the ride and she was quite intrigued, enough so that she drained most of the bucket. Odd pony.