Last weekend, Zelda and I went on a fabulous hunter pace. It had been rescheduled twice. Once for flooding after rain earlier in the summer, then because Hurricane Ida was coming through New England. Finally, we had a cool, pleasant day. The first ride in months that was bug free.

Zelda and I hadn’t been out for a ride this long since June. What a treat! We went out with our friends Carol and Zen, We often hunt with them and it was fun to catch up after the summer.

The ride took us through open fields and along the banks of the Charles — not the river you think of down in Cambridge, but its smaller, gentler origins. The scenery was gorgeous and the footing was wonderful. This is the best of New England riding.

Zelda gave me a great ride and she showed no signs of distress in the trailer. In fact, she did a good job eating her alfalfa, a big improvement over the days when she was too upset to eat.

I rode in a new-to-me saddle, which was a risky thing to do as I’d not been able to ride in it for such an extended period. It’s a Heather Moffett Vogue dressage saddle. The long leg position is easier on my ankle and hip and the memory foam seat proved to be very comfortable. Zelda did fine in it too. It’s a leather treed saddle so adjusts to your horse’s back. More on that later!