Ride English, in Texas

You can ride English in Texas, there's no "rule," and that's just what I did, drove over to visit a church person and tacked up, English-style. Blue Posting Trot came along too; he enjoys being out in the country with the other dogs.

I rode out at a post to a fanfare of barking, and headed off down the dirt road to a big plowed field. It brought back memories, because I used to run the ill-behaved Thoroughbred, JB, there. So I paused for a while and remembered that, then moved on.

The Arabian mare wasn't too sure she wanted to endure being separated from her pasture pals, but tough luck, horse, ride on. I picked up a gallop(s), too, though mindful of the uneven ground. No point in injuring the horse, or yourself, on a sun-baked boulder of plowed dirt.

Ready, Set, Go!

All in all a great ride, and I enjoyed riding English for a change. What are the benefits, if any? I'd say it gives you more contact with the horse; there's simply less between you and the animal. This lends itself to greater control, if you know how to use it. Some say that dressage skills make for better Western riding, and that sounds right to me, but I'm no expert.

Typically Happy Texan Dogs

What I do know is that it's a world of fun going fast, at one with the horse; slow too, and perhaps riding English has an advantage, because of closer contact, unlike our President's epic fail in Syria. But that's a different story.

All for Texas,

LSP

It Snowed. Hotwire.

I woke up as usual to the sound of howling dogs and a crazed peacock; there was snow on the ground. "It's colder now," I thought bitterly, over the din of roosters, "because it's warmer." The animals didn't seem to mind, they obviously don't get "science." So I took Blue Frostbite for a walk in the Climate Disruption.

Then we headed off to Slap Out to see some church people. They were fixing up a hotwire and weren't sure if it was working. In the absence of a voltmeter I gave it the human test. It worked just fine.

Blue Tundra & Friends

Blue Windchill got on well with the other dogs, which was good to see. A little nervous of the horses at first, but he soon calmed down when he understood they weren't about to eat him.

Knuance

There was a new Arabian mare in the pasture, called Knuance, interestingly. Hopefully she's broke to ride but there wasn't time to find out today. Maybe next visit.

Simon & Pistol

You'll notice that Global Warming has been knuanced into Climate Disruption. This is a New World Order scientific theory which says that the hotter it gets the colder it'll be, which is why the Government and its billionaire friends have to take more of your money. The Episcopal Church endorses this commonsensical theory, obviously.

Don't believe them. They're lying.

LSP