But I’m going to give thanks today!
I am grateful for having a horse that makes hunting so much fun. The last few hunts Freedom has been such a pleasure to hunt. He’s been calm, focused, sure footed and has jumped like a deer. I can’t believe how far he’s come just from the spring season. Today he was bold yet rateable and he jumped like a star. I think he’s found a job he really likes and, if a horse can look proud of himself, that’s how he looks hacking home.
Freedom has so much scope that I still work hard not to overface him. He jumps so high over the smaller fences that I worry if I take some of the bigger ones, he’ll jump me out of the tack. Today we jumped all but two fences and every approach was good.
How funny that he’s now the horse that new riders want to follow in the hunt! He keeps a steady pace and isn’t at all phased by what the horses around him are doing. Last week I dropped back from the first field to lead the hilltoppers and even then he acquiesced without a fuss although he was not happy to see the first field take off at a gallop.
I am also grateful that I have enough flexibility in my schedule that I can sneak off on some Tuesdays and have a wild gallop through the woods. If only I didn’t want to take a nap when I got home!