Since I’m lucky enough to have two horses to hunt right now, I’m giving them each a turn. Last Tuesday was Zelda’s turn. I like this territory — it’s got some lovely open fields and is only about ten minutes from my barn.
Zelda has been feeling frisky. I’d taken her on a hunter pace the Sunday before and she had thought long and hard about bucking. Usually if I growl at her she settles down but I’m sure there were a few teams out there who wondered what kind of wild animal was out in the woods!
On Tuesday, my strategy was simple. I wanted to tire her out. I got to the fixture early and put her to work. I had my tracker on and we logged almost three miles at a trot and canter before the hunt had even started!
The pre-hunt workout worked well. No bucking although Zelda was pretty strong the whole 8 miles. I’d brought a new pair of gloves, which turned out to be too small, and my hands were complaining bitterly by the end.
