For some reason, I have developed a low tolerance for the heat. I was out in it two hours today and just felt zapped and dehydrated when I got home. Tweed barely worked, but had a full sweat under the saddle and pad.
When it’s hot, just existing becomes so much more difficult.
I’m still glad I got out and I hope to beat the even hotter upcoming temps by getting out there earlier. It is my week off babysitting while my daughter and grandson go to the coast. I’ve got to make the most of it.
We are starting to put everything we’ve been working on with vertical flexion and neck reining into trail work.
It was going great until we had a bit of a mishap on the bridge obstacle when Tweed’s left hoof caught a loose pole and dragged it with us for a little ways.
He was manageable throughout it, but when we went back to that bridge, one we’ve gone over many times, he didn’t want anything to do with it. Can you blame him? I worked him through it, and by that I mean approaching it and relaxing, but I really need to get back down there several more times this week and get him to go over it again.
The work we’re doing now is asking for a working length rein, one hand, check him with vertical flexion a horse length before any obstacle and then give him a completely loose rein. Basically, get his attention, let him do his job, make sure he’s checking in with me and asking for what’s next. Besides the broken bridge obstacle, he did awesome with the rest and it was such a good feeling to have him walking with such deliberation and attunement to me then stop and wait for the next task. He was a golden boy (thank God, since it was so hot!)
Part of our work today was going up and down hills at a slight diagonal. (Same concept of asking for vertical flexion / attention, then giving him the rein.) At one point, going down a hill, Tweed’s back legs stopped, but his front kept going. Regina can see what I only feel, and she had to stop and laugh at how he looked so it must have looked funny. To me, it felt like he was dropping down, then kicked his back legs into gear finished the descent.
Regina says it is just him trying to figure out how to use his body, and this work we’re doing is helping him build confidence. The trails we ride are very steep and rocky, so he will need lots of up and down work like this.
Though I don’t like the heat, my plants love it.
The basil is going wild.
Lavender.
Tomatoes.
Beautiful petunias and rio.
It’s menopause. It’s makes the heat unbearable. The bridge incident is a pain but how great that he can learn to deal with the unexpected.
ReplyDeleteI didn’t think about menopause. Makes sense. Ugh. Maybe I’ll have to douse my head under a cold hose every half hour then jump back on. I definitely need to start tanning up on water, like the day before and all morning before the lesson.
DeleteYeah, the bridge incident was certainly a setback in one way, but a step forward for us in another. It is good to ride out scary situations and see that you can manage them together. He has always been convinced that the bridges at the park are scary, although trusts the ones at home. That incident proved he was right. Haha.
I can no longer tolerate high heat either. Hard to enjoy or get outdoor things done.
ReplyDeleteEquipment malfunction is so scary!! Hard to predict. Glad no one got hurt.
Your garden looks wonderful, lush and varied! Love that when in your patio you are surrounded with all it's goodness. I enjoy growing and harvesting similar things. Are you going to preserve any Basil? I tried freezing it into ice cubes for the first time last year and it worked amazingly well!!
Glad to hear I’m not alone with the heat intolerance. Now I just need to come up with a plan to survive it. I think I’m going to go curly for the summer and douse my head every so often in cold water.
DeleteI haven’t frozen basil. I use a lot of it for pesto, but there is no way I can use all that I’m getting this year. I planted it in several places. You’ll have to share your system for making it into ice cubes.
Freezing Basil is super easy! The cube method tastes close to fresh in cooked sauces. You can freeze produce & herbs many ways. I wash & dry basil leaves only. Some folks say "don't wash" but eww. Then chop/pulse in a food processor, with a couple drops of Olive Oil (helps preserve/retain flavor). Fill a cube type container, freeze and seal in freezer bag.
DeleteI use a silicone flexi 6 pack (Zoku ice molds, lime green) with a flavor guard cover. Easier to pop out :) I bought two, but only use one 6-pack at a time. It takes a lot of basil to make one cube!
Last year I ran out of basil cubes and had to resort to using dry. I use 2 (larger) basil cubes for my son's fav meal sauce, Shrimp Linguini. Better known as Shrimp Stuff at my house lol. Fresh/Frozen Basil is a guaranteed flavor game changer!
Wow! That sounds wonderful! I’m going to try it. I’ll update you when I’m done.
DeleteCount me amongst the heat intolerant too. I can't function in high heat and humidity. We are just entering a heat wave now, hopefully that will mean my hay guy can finally cut and bale before the next rains.
ReplyDeleteTweed and the obstacle reminded me of Beamer; he was fine with some but gave the hairy eyeball to anything that he considered Not Right. Like a log that had a shadow in front of it, took me a half hour to convince him to go over it! They do get their knickers in a knot sometimes.
Your plants look happy! I miss the lavender and apples I was able to grow in Creston.
Good luck on getting your hay. That is always nerve wracking until safely secured in the barn.
DeleteThat’s funny about Beamer. What a sweet boy. Cowboy was like that, too. I think it means they’re smart. Logs are a thing, especially big ones. We did a lot of work over logs at that lesson. It doesn’t mean some other log won’t throw him for a loop. Like bridges, the ones at our house are easy for him, but the ones at the park are scary. Tweed is always sizing things up.
You can’t grow apples and lavender up there? Is it too short a growing season? I need to plant more apple trees. The horses love them.
I have never tolerated heat well, and it feels like the last few days at home has been brutal. Although, like your plants, mine are loving it as well.
ReplyDeleteWe are all unanimous about the heat, which is why we all live in the northern climes. Haha.
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