VRHrider: Another Snow Day!

It was 65 degrees yesterday, and 70 the day before. So, what did we get today?

That's right....SNOW. Snow, and hail, and rain, and wind, then some sunny skies. But snow on May 10th???? C'mon already!

I did make good use of the day--rearranged my office furniture, cleaned the house, caught up on internet stuff, read a little and chatted with some good friends on the phone. Sometimes it's nice to be stuck inside!

It's been a pretty good week. Beau and I rode up in the upper pasture a few days ago, and I spotted some wild crocus blooming. I will try to get a photo of it tomorrow, after my dressage lesson.

Speaking of blooming, one of my completely neglected young dendrobiums has a nice flower spike! You can see sap droplets in the close-up. I can't wait until this blooms; it's an amazing flower with long tendrils. Yes, you'll get photos when it does!

Ranger & I are learning to do flying lead changes. One of my goals includes a freestyle reining pattern that will include tempi changes, piaffe and passage, as well as spins and rollbacks. Wouldn't that be COOL! Freestyle reining is done to a song of your choosing, and "Swing" by Trace Adkins, "Barracuda" by Heart, or Carrie Underwood's "Last Name" are some of the song title I'm keen on. I'm probably jumping the gun by choosing music, since we've got a ways to go before we're doing tempi changes! We're also starting towards the piaffe, as well.

Tempi changes, by the way, are changes of lead at the canter, usually on the first, second or third stride. The horse appears to be skipping. Piaffe is trotting in place, whilst passage is a suspended, extended trot. If you'd like to see a lovely video, watch Andreas Helgstrand and Blue Hors Matine at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKQgTiqhPbw You'll see an amazing piaffe at about 1:38 and 2:47, and tempi changes at :30, 4:05 and 4:37. Keep some Kleenex handy, because it will make you tear up! This is dressage at the finest level; I'd love to be THAT good someday!