Oct. 18, 2010

Today is Monday and Cleo will have to wait until Wednesday before I ride her again. We had a good ride yesterday even though I felt crummy.

Cleo is such a good horse

I had to force myself to ride today. I have a slight case of the Humboldt Crud. Headachey, tired, chest congestion.This feeling of general malaise is a sign of the middle of the semester, the change of weather, and the shorter days--not to mention germs. But Cleo was a real trooper both at my lesson on Wednesday and my ride today; she must know I am not at my best, so she behaved very well. We have been doing very well with the dressage saddle. She does seem to move better with the smaller, lighter tack, and I have to sit straighter and more correctly.

But two weeks ago, she showed her best self. We were walking down the lane toward her paddock after a particularly good ride that included a trip up and down the lane. Without warning, I slipped on a rock and went sprawling on the ground. Cleo just stopped and said, "What are you doing down there?" I needed help getting back up again; my favorite riding breeches no longer had knees and my own knees looked like a six year old's--bloody, and still to this day, scabby and red. My friend Vicky came to the rescue. She hauled me back up and handed me Cleo's lead rope, and I hobbled down the lane with Cleo patiently at my side. What a good horse!