Yesterday's ride was interesting.

When I said that the trainer didn't hesitate to do things, I wasn't kidding.  When I got to the barn yesterday, she was there.  She's always there.

The weather was acting funny and she offered to feed for me, but by the time I got to the barn, it was all clear.  So I hopped on the Kid for a quick one before feeding all the guys and turning them out.

I did have a minor glitch while mounting.  It would have been hilarious if anyone had been there to see it.  I'm hopping on my right leg, about to put my foot in the stirrup.  I adjust one more time with that right leg and I fall to the ground.  I ended up detaching the heel from my old left boot.  I need to suck it up and spend some money.

But when I rode, I saw how much she and her husband had accomplished:

I only hope that BO is compensating out the butt because those damn trees have been down for ever.  Long enough for me to cut a path between the two fallen trees and for one to have it's branches start growing straight up.

Archie and I worked on our figure-eights again with a halt on the straight part.  He lost his shit at some point and started to scoot forward, so I took advantage of that impulsion and asked for the canter.  Beautiful transition.  For balance, I asked for the right lead later and he got pissy, crow hopping and bucking.  So I pushed.  Let him walk and immediately asked again.

I fantasize about the canter.  It's really my favorite gait but the transition scares the shit out of me.  But I'll be walking, anywhere, really, but mostly on my way from the office to the car when I have a long distance to cover and just am recovering from the day, and I'll thinking about the canter and how it feels.  I'll envision a soft canter with an inside bend and how I'll approach certain obstacles in the path - curbs, trees, vehicles, people.  Where I would ask for a lead change and where I would shorten the stride.

Yesterday's canter was like a fantasy come true and I was in the moment enough to realize it.  The angry right lead and a bend around a corner, with my shoulders up and my body assisting the movement rather than blocking his path.

I just want to hold on to that forever.