This is one of my favorite times of the year to ride. The bugs aren’t out yet and the landscape has colors that rival fall, albeit in a subtler hue.

Zelda is pretty sure that every one of these flowers will taste different — but good. She does her best to snatch tastes along the way and has even mastered the art of grabbing overhead leaves while trotting.

Along with the beautiful flowers and the soft evening light, come the deer. I’ve found them sleeping in the tall grass (with only their ears protruding), and more frequently, jumping in front of me after standing so still that they blended into the countryside. For a large horse, Zelda is quite nimble when it comes to spinning in place and retreating rapidly in the opposite direction. It makes me glad I bought the Wintec saddle with the equisuede seat; it gives me a reasonably chance of staying on top of her. On this ride we came fase-to-face with a herd of about six. It’s hard to tell when they all run in different directions and your focus is on staying on your horse. Flummuxed by the deer scattering around her, Zelda actually stood still. I hope this is a trend that continues.