with a circus mind that's running round

April has been luscious for riding this year. Here is Pie's mane in the sunshine of morning. (Sorry about the crazy vignette effect of some of these photos. My cell phone lens is blurry.)

Sovey and Pie are watching the activities at the church.

Sovey is sleeping in his shed and Pie is nibbling (of course!).

This is my view from the ground of Pie's back (complete with sawdust flakes). I am having trouble mounting bareback lately. Pie doesn't like it when I fling myself up - I don't blame him. When I mount using a saddle, I always slowly get on and softly lower my weight. The mounting block is too low to do that bareback. I rode Sovey bareback the other day and I used a small ladder with zero problems. I tried it with Pie, and I had to fling up again because he is taller. When I fling, his ears go back, so I know he hates it. I think it is time to enlist Brian to build me a proper mounting block - um, I mean - stairway.

This shot was taken when we were heading back to the barn after another amazing ride. While we were riding yesterday I told my mom that the worst part of my day is the time that I have to dismount and it is so true. Lately, all I think about is being with the horses in the pastures or riding. This semester has me teaching in the afternoons so I have (happily) been able to ride most mornings.
After our rides, we graze the horses in the tall grasses and talk about our ride and how wonderfully behaved these boys are. Yesterday, we really had a lot to talk about. We rode over to the church across the street. I've ridden Sovey over there before, but Pie is afraid of the paint lines on the road so I never can get him to cross over. I was hoping Pie would follow Sovereign over. Mom crossed over and waited, but Pie was having none of it. I think he thought it wasn't solid ground for some reason. Mom and Sovey crossed back over to us. Then, we tried again. Mom and Sovey went over. Pie made it out to the middle, but then he started backing. Sovey and Mom crossed back to us. Finally, they went across and I just dismounted and walked him over. I did have a saddle so I found a bench and mounted and we had a beautiful ride around a huge open field. I think it was nice for my mom to ride over there because all of that land used to be a horse farm where her friends boarded. She has many memories of riding over to meet them there. On the way home, neither horse wanted to cross back, not because they were afraid, but because they wanted to keep riding. Sovey finally agreed and Pie crossed like a big brave boy. It was great fun to go somewhere new with both horses. We have started working the horses at the trot on our own land. They are doing very well, although, Sovey collects much better when he is following Pie. If he is leading I think he anticipates a possible race!

Here is a Dogwood in full bloom near the pastures.

At my post-ride lunches with Brian, all I do is talk about my ride and the horses and what characters they are. In fact, most of my day is spent thinking about the horses and where I will ride next. I see so much land around me while driving in the car to work and I imagine riding on it. It is green and lush and no one is riding on it. I just feel like tacking up and riding right out of town through the fields. Today, Brian and I took Maizie geocaching all over Michaux State Forest and I imagined riding on all the trails with Pie and/or Sovey. When I was little, my friend, Patty, and I would pretend we were riding horses. We would "canter" everywhere and it seemed like I was "riding" all day. Now, I really do want to ride all day. I don't think I would want to do a trail ride for days on end (I already mentioned my obsession with hot showers) but I do think I could ride everyday in a new field. I wonder: (1.) Where on earth can this happen and (2.) Does everyone dream about riding all day too?!?