8/27

Today's Plan: ride
I forgot to mention my third training partner: deer flies. I don't know about your corner of the world, but up here we got a bumper crop. We also have moose flies--like the deer, but 3 times bigger. (I don't know the actual name of these flies, moose just seems appropriate.) I have to say, trying outrun deer flies certainly improves your time.  My horse is particularly sensitive to flies, she has been hiding in the barn for most of the last month and I have shoveled the proof. Riding with flies is an exercise in futility. Her head is swiveling and shaking. and her attention is definitely not on anything  I'm asking her to do. This morning I thought, well, it's 6:45. She should be fine. Popped her bridle on, climbed on and out the road we went. Up the hill was fine--until we hit sunlight at the top. I think the flies knew we were coming, because they swarmed. I felt so bad that I hadn't put on her face mask. Good thing is, they thinned as we went back into the shade, and stayed in it. We did get in a good ride by staying in the shade, but even dappled light had flies hiding in it. I have learned my lesson.