This week has been hot and humid. On Tuesday when we hunted it was 82 degrees when I drove Freedom back to the barn! Even yesterday when I rode the air was thick. I did a short ride in the field concentrating on long, low and straight and was very pleased by how calm and loose Freedom felt.

Not today. Today was 61 degrees and crisp. It was apple picking weather. And Freedom was full of beans. I gather that after breakfast this morning he led the herd on a full tilt gallop around the two pastures. I guess if he hadn’t gotten that out of his system he would have been higher than a kite when I came to ride.

Generally the day before a hunt I take Freedom out for a short gallop and jump a few fences. That wasn’t nearly enough for him today, though. He was jigging and bouncing and wanting to run. I gave him three extra turns around the biggest of the conditioning fields where I ride — two at the canter and one at the trot. He was still begging to go.

We jumped a few fences and he flew over them. No trotting for him today; he was determined to canter and determined to take the long spot.

We ended with a long walk through the woods. The sun was shining through the trees, lighting up the ferns. There wasn’t a bug in sight and it made me remember how much I love the fall.