Breaking all the Rules

 

Breaking all the Rules

Ellen broke her first rule--never commit in advance to riding on the trail.  It causes all her anxieties to swell to enormous proportions.  It is better for her to not plan it--and to just do it.  After successfully riding Dante on the trail at the bottom of the hill and her very positive ride in the outdoor arena where she realized that Dante isn't necessarily afraid when his head goes up, she told me she was ready for a trail ride the next time she rides.

I didn't really believe her.  I saw the weather forecast.  Though the day she planned to ride was going to be warm and sunny, it was going to be followed by a rainy spell.  She never wants to go on that first trail ride unless she could follow it up the next few days with more trail rides, so she can keep up her momentum.  It makes a lot of sense, but the weather can be so uncooperative in the spring.  Between rainy days and a high river, it can be impossible to string 4 consecutive days of trail rides.  Just a few days previous, we got more than 3 inches of snow!  That's just how springtime is in Cleveland.

Even Kevin thought she wasn't going to ride, so when I called him to say he could meet us on the way back--he didn't have enough time to get ready to do that.

Needless to say, she broke another rule.  She won't be able to string a bunch of trail rides together.

She was so nervous at the barn, that I thought she was going to cancel, but she didn't.

Even though she didn't ride Dante the day before, and I wasn't able to get him turned out so he would be tired, she still decided to take him on the trail.  She broke yet another rule!

What is going on?

Ellen led Dante along the street and down the hill.  She mounted at the river bank and told me to go ahead and cross first.  Most springs, I am the first to ride Dante in the park, and he could get sticky on the river crossing.  (Though it isn't a rule that I have to ride Dante on the first ride, it is almost a rule--so it is an "almost rule" broken.")

When I got to the other side, I looked back and Dante was already in the water.  He crossed the river like the pro that he is.  He didn't hesitate at all.

Once we got to the other side, Ellen wanted to do a little trotting.  Dante is always better once he trots.  He doesn't go that fast, so I mostly walked behind them.

When we got to a better section of the trail where we often canter, Dante kept trotting faster and faster.  There was no way I could keep up at a walk, so we trotted along behind them.  I was very surprised that she let him trot full out like that.  (Was it another broken rule?)  When I asked her, she told me she was actually holding him back.  

We did some more trotting, and Dante was traveling at a decent speed.  As we neared the next river crossing, I saw her signal Dante to canter.  I couldn't believe my eyes.  They broke another rule.

He cantered lovely and stopped when she asked him to.  She said she knew he would settle down if he got to do some cantering.  She was right, because we then turned around to go home and he trotted slow and careful the rest of the ride.

What a great ride it was.  The whole thing went superb.  He was a perfect gentleman when we crossed the river on the way home, though last year he galloped up it when I rode him.  I think he likes her better.  He was great on the hill, and Ellen broke one final rule--she led him on the street on the way home.  She always has me do it the first few times in the spring.

I am so glad she broke almost all of her rules, because we had such a nice ride.  Who knows when we will be able to ride across the river again, but when we do, Ellen won't be quite as nervous.  

It's going to be a great year for trail riding!