Evening riding

This is a curious, unique and quite wonderful time of year. There is so much daylight that I can work and ride daily without cutting back too far on sleep.

Not everyone understands one very simple and personal factor: for nine months of the year I shall regret every single evening when, for whatever trivial reason, I did not head out to ride.

This is my true summer, high noon, nirvana, otherworld, and Tir na Nog.

This is my season of freedom, too short and all the more precious for it.

Here I am young, the world wide and fresh, and troubles do not beset me.

This is a good place to be.

The pressures of work and riding may be exhausting. But each is worth it in its own way. I know that, a month hence, I shall be very tired indeed. But isn't the onset of Autumn a time when those who spend much time outdoors begin at last to feel fatigue?

The peculiar sense of euphoria with the horses in the pastures was special. The happiness of being out on the trail with a good horse is like none other. The partnership that I feel out there riding is unique, however good the people are whom I work with - and they are good.

Yes, I am recapturing some essence of past years. I am grasping a happiness that was not always a part of my life, but was present often enough that I long for it. I am taking hold of youth and freedom with the benefit of a little wisdom picked up along the way. It seems like a good combination.

I suppose that I have gained wisdom and also various aches and pains. Entering trot Brena always throws me up on a particular diagonal. Changing to the other my right hip joint twinged. I am getting old.

However I shall keep on riding. A door creaks on its hinges for long before it falls down.

Meanwhile in other ways being out there with Brena keeps me young - in spirit, in ideas, and in appreciation of the wide open spaces.

Comments

[funder]

Yes. It's barely dark enough to sleep long enough to be rested, but I can't waste daylight. Winter will come back soon enough, and the sun will go behind the hills at 4 pm, and I'll have all the time in the world to catch up on sleep.

Jealous of your riding! I get to sit on Dixie at the end of the week and it'll be the highlight of my month. But for now, I am surprisingly enjoying just bonding with her every day.

[White Horse Pilgrim]

Yes it is just so important to make use of the gift of all this daylight. But how does one manage the domestic matter of using the daylight for summer activities vs. being wanted at home for chores? Of course I can put off the drudgery in order to enjoy the light, it's all about living life rather than just existing. But there is a mixture of diplomacy and stubbornness required!

I do hope that all goes well when you get back on Dixie. She is fortunate to have you.

[lytha]

i really like your horse trailer. it looks so sturdy in comparison to the flimsy ones that are so popular.

[White Horse Pilgrim]

It's a good solid Rice trailer, all metal except for the floor and made from the best materials. They are the Mercs of the trailer world - very expensive to buy new, but with a bit of care they just go on and on. Mine is around 25-30 years old and still solid. New they cost the equivalent of about $15k. Mine cost around $3k which is about right for what it is.

At the barn there are some modern trailers too. Some look as if they will blow away in the first wind. There is a market for small, light trailers that can be towed behind a saloon car, whereas mine has a plated weight of 2.6 tons and requires a decent-sized European truck. The new ones won't last more than a few years, and I fear to think how they would perform in a wreck. The only advantage is that they have aluminium floors. At some point mine will need to be fitted with one, when the timber floor wears out (though it looks in decent shape now).