I rode some really nice horses on a few hacks and trot sets in the GINORMOUS galloping field, which of course had a few jumps and ditches interspersed around its interior. I helped muck stalls. I drove to Gettysburg, checked out the battlefield and museum, and then went and spent more time at a tack store, buying an exorbitantly expensive but super gorgeous hunter green wool cooler with burgundy piping and navy binding. We'll see if Cappy will earn the right to wear this, I thought.
***
The best part of this trip, however, was that BNE's Olympic horse, who I had hugged on previous occasions, was offered for me to take out for a hack by myself. He was currently taking a student around at Novice, having scaled back as he aged, but he was still fun, saintly, and filled with joie de vivre; I was humbled to be allowed to ride him.
I was cautioned to treat him with the respect due his age and station, although they need not have mentioned it. Some horses just fill you with awe, and he was one of them. We set out with him happy on a long rein, interested in the horses in the turn out fields around him, and I decided to be cautious and stick to the galloping field. Hello up there, human. Maybe we will do something fun? We're in the jump field...
We walked the perimeter, and when he was sufficiently loose, we picked up a trot. Oh, this is more promising. Enormous, powerful, lovely trot. He was polite and engaged, and while he offered more, I was able to convince him I was happy with what we were doing. Oh, just trot sets... Sigh. He settled into a moderate, ground eating stride, and we trotted for a few minutes, me grinning ear to ear the whole time.
I debated my ability to control him in canter, but he was being very obedient, so we picked up a nice hand gallop and enjoyed the beautiful day. Oh, this is more promising... We had not gone far, and I was thinking I should come down to walk, when I felt his stride strengthen, his head rise a bit, and felt him "lock on". WooHOO! We ARE going to jump!
What are you doing? I see no jump...
I realized then that the big bay was heading right for an enormous ditch. It seemed like a max Intermediate, but in reality was probably only four feet wide, and depth shouldn't really matter, right? Which was still waaaay more ditch than I want to jump, especially on what was supposed to be a quiet hack...
I sat up, closed my hands, and I felt him slow. Oh, thank God. What?? We're not going... to... the ditch? We circled to the center, easing into a slow trot, and then a walk. Really? I totally HAD that. That was little. That was nothing. I pat him as we walked out around the field, his massive head swinging to look at the jumps we passed, jumps calling out to him but ignored by me.
Back at the barn, I was relieved to have completed our ride with him in pristine condition. I was lured again by the feel of riding a good horse. A scopey yet infinitely sensible horse. I was excited thinking about Cappy and the possibilities opening up to us.
***
I drove out to Kentucky to work a sale at Keeneland, and when I settled in at my hotel I called JS to see how Cappy was doing. I'd been gone for three days, which was the longest he'd been without me since I'd bought him.
"The neighbor about a quarter mile up the road called me last night... they said a horse had come through their property and they wondered if any of ours were missing. They said the horse had "a fancy tail" (we banged our tails), so after having called other horse owners closer, they thought of me and called. I went our, and counted; all the horses were present and accounted for. How strange."
I agreed it was odd, but figured it must be someone farther away. After all, we had 6 or so horses on 15 acres of good, good grass, good water, plenty of friends. Why would any of them leave?
The mystery would be solved the next evening.
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