Lancelot Meets His Father

 It was so good to be able to work Thunder every day last week, and just as good to spend plenty of time with Lancey, too. I actually can't remember the last time that I was able to work both the boys every day. I've been rushed off my feet -- through absolutely no one's fault except my own -- since I was a teenager, and burnout had just become my MO. This lifestyle change has been amazing, but I know that it's not good enough to last on its own. I've got to change the way I think and interact with work, people and responsibility, and even though I'm feeling really happy and healthy right now, I've got a session booked with my counsellor again this week.

It's odd because I feel like there is a dreadful disconnect between what I believe (and truly do believe) and what I apply to myself. Or maybe it's not odd at all. I suppose that might just be the constant quest of sanctification: to actually behave true to who we really are in Christ.

Anyway, so last week was awesome, and Lancey was a major part of that. I'm not pressurizing myself right now to school him or compete him or do any of those things right now. I have the time but I think it might be a while before I have the mental and emotional energy for more dressage. Instead, Lancey and I are just really enjoying ourselves, and I'm not pushing myself to ride him every day or stick to any kind of a program beyond just building up his fitness slowly and kindly in a healthy way.

So we skipped Monday, because I had some things to do around the house and in town (ugh my poor house is so neglected but I'm busy fixing that), and then on Tuesday I just gave him a quick lunge. It was immediately obvious that he's lost a lot of strength, considering his work schedule has been patchy all year. He leaned on the side reins quite a lot and had some trouble holding his canter. Although he was barely breathless or sweaty, I kept it short, only 5 minutes trot and about 2 minutes canter each side, to avoid making his muscles stiff or achy. We may stay away from arena work completely for a couple of months and just lunge and hack until his strength returns and we can work well again, or it will get frustrating for the both of us.

Wednesday was my lesson on Thunder in the afternoon, so Lancey got Thunder's morning spot and we went out for a ride with all the doggies. I sort of expected myself to be very nervous since I hadn't ridden out alone in a while and he was still a bit fresh, and I spent the whole ride waiting to get nervous, but I never did. We went down along the woods to the partly-harvested mielie fields, investigated a giant blob of stuff that I'd seen from the house (turned out to be a huge heap of weeds that had been cut), and then headed west along the fields. Harvested fields are so nice to ride on -- stubble, I believe it would be called if I were English or at least a little more classy -- and it wasn't long before that horizon called our name so I asked him to canter. He threw his head a bit like he was thinking of bucking but I just gently asked him not to and he complied by flowing into his happiest canter. The going was a little uneven and slightly deep (like, arena deep, not scary deep) but he surged across the fields for several minutes without breaking a sweat. The doggies, however, had a little more trouble. Titan and Isaiah were sinking down to their bellies and thoroughly tired by the time we reached the end of the third mielie field.

They were harvesting in the fourth field, the westernmost one, and I wanted to go closer and see (Lancey didn't care one bit about the noisy, clanking harvester) but the doggies decided to bark at the poor guys who were working there so I called them and turned around before they could get any closer. They're not absolutely perfect off lead, which is why I'll never take them off lead anywhere other than our own farm, but they do stay close so they were quick to follow me once we started trotting back along the long north road that runs along the top of all the mielie fields from one end of the farm to the other.

It was tempting to canter this bit, but Lancey does need some muscle, so I asked him for a good medium trot and asked him to stay in a nice posture as well. He lost his balance a couple of times and pulled down, but was more than happy to try, and we trotted all the way back to the woods. By then he was rather puffed, and so was Blizzy, which worries me a little because she is getting on in years but used to be the fittest of them all. They're due for their shots soon so the vet will give her a once-over when we're there.

We walked back on a loose, floppy rein enjoying the morning sunshine through the trees. He was absolutely perfect. Not a spook in sight, and of course so happy to do whatever I asked, whether that was cantering a long way or walking on the buckle. I don't know what I would do without Lancey because he might just be the most perfect horse for me that I've ever had. 

After he had a nice bath on Thursday, I sorted out his mane and then schooled him briefly in my lunch break. I really am going to have to clip the little monster quite soon because I can't stand it when he's dirty, and he's almost pure white by this point, so he's always dirty. Anyway, he was beautiful and clean for almost an entire day. His schooling was willing but he definitely felt weak especially in his trot work and lateral work, and there's some kind of asymmetry going on that the chiro is going to have to fix for us -- I don't think he's in pain but he keeps wanting to hold his quarters to the right and tip me onto his left shoulder. Hence the break from schooling for a few weeks while we build his strength and fitness on the lunge and trails. There's no point schooling him until he's strong enough to do the things he actually knows how to do. 

He had Friday off because we had a very fun and busy weekend planned, starting on Saturday morning with a ride at the Arab stud down the road, which I ran for a year and a half in 2018-2020. It's only about 3-4km from us so normally we ride over when we join a ride there, but I had my sister along, and while she's a very competent rider she also wasn't very riding fit so I didn't think going all the way there and back would be particularly fun. Instead we tossed Lancey and Flash into the horsebox and drove the five minutes there.

We parked on the familiar beautiful green lawn at the front of the gorgeous property, where Lancey was actually born and raised for the first three years of his life before coming to me. He seemed pretty unbothered with being back at his original home, and we quickly saddled up and sprayed some fly stuff before scrambling aboard and joining a nice group of competent adult riders. 

I was still very nervous when I was working at this yard so I never really had the chance to explore and enjoy the utterly divine trails they have, and I was excited to see more of it from my trusty little Lancey's back. Our guide, S, the manager and tenant there, led us happily off down the driveway and I got to see some of the babies I foaled and halter trained playing in the fields. We also paused to take a picture of Lancey with his sire, British import Silvern Lance, born at Belvoir Castle. Big Lance is very similar in personality to my Little Lancey, and they regarded each other with mild interest before we headed on.

Silvern Lance in the background

It wasn't a long or strenuous ride, just perfect for getting him fitter and having a nice Saturday out with my sister. Flashy, of course, didn't put a toe wrong all day. Except for a nice long trot up the first hill we walked the rest of the way, admiring the blesbok and zebras, both of which Lancey completely ignored. 

We rode through a gap in the hills and ended up looking down at the back of our farm and our neighbours', a totally breathtaking view.

Then we turned and walked back towards the road, following the fence line to the yard. A few cars came past but Lancey didn't even flick an ear. Maybe we will get him traffic safe after all.

Back at the yard, we still had some time to fill. The others took their horses for a long gallop up this lovely stretch they have in front of the paddocks. We opted out of that one and Lancey and Flash both stood on a loose rein, watching. Then we trotted and cantered up and down their banks a few times and the others did a spot of jumping so I hiked up my stirrups and popped him over a few little things as well. I haven't actually jumped a fence in a very long time but he was game for it and I didn't fall off so that's something lol. We also walked down to explore the little poplar wood at the bottom of the property, which is quite spooky but both Lancey and Flash were fine.

He self-loaded for the first time afterwards and we took them home in high spirits.

The picnic spot

On Sunday, one of the yard kiddos turned 13, and opted to spend her birthday riding around the farm and having a picnic. I took out a lovely group of the stableyard preteens and they all had a blast. Red's owner is still a bit wobbly up there so I ponied him the entire way, but I needn't have worried. Red was foot perfect even when I sent the other kids off for a canter.

Lancey, of course, was extremely well behaved and didn't mind ponying at all. He did get a tiny bit excited when we walked up to rejoin the cantering group, which unnerved me a little, but to be honest it was hardly anything. He jogged a bit and swung his haunches once. I kept him very easily under control with one hand on the reins and there was no pulling. So it was a non-event really.

Such a good Reddy

I dropped the kiddos off at a picnic spot and cantered home with no drama, Lancey not in the least bothered to leave his here and go home. The kiddos had a nice picnic without boring old auntie Firn hovering over them, and I rode back a while later to fetch them. He was, again, super happy to canter over and get them.

It was a really fun and successful week on my BEST little guy. I'm just blessed out of my socks to have him and really excited to enjoy more Lancey adventures this winter!

God is so good.