Conditioning Ride 12-5-2010

Heart Rate: 36

Heart Rate on Return: 56

Heart Rate 10 minutes: 44

Miles: 9.04

Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Moving Average: 5.2 mph

After church, I got the trailer hooked up and quickly loaded Hoss and Team Fluffy. We didn't have a great deal of time to accomplish a ride. It was time for a nice, quick ride anyway.

We rode at Hollenbeck canyon. I took the option of doing the flatter side first. I wanted to do a good canter on the long, flat area. So I kept Hoss to a trot on the earlier portions, sparing him for the longer run later in the ride. When we turned the corner and hit the flat area, I asked Hoss for a canter, and we took off! I didn't want an all-out run. This was meant to be a "breezing" speed, so I wanted a controlled and even canter. Hoss was very obedient and gave me what I asked for. The only area he has a problem with is where the seasonal creek crosses the trail. There are largish rocks and different colored dirt here. He finds it suspicious, and has to slow down in order to negotiate it. You'd think by now he'd have it figured out, but clearly he either doesn't or has decided he doesn't. Once we trotted through that, I asked him to canter again, and we continued until we reached the next hill. I asked Hoss to walk up the hill here.

At the top of this hill, you have two choices: either continue left up the hill, or go right and back toward the staging area. Hoss figured we should head back to the trailer. I disagreed. He tried to turn right, and I corrected him with a short backing, then asked him to go left. Giving me a mild huff, he headed more or less cheerfully on up the hill. I pushed him into a trot, and we trotted up to the sharp left. After the left, we like to have a good uphill canter. I gave Hoss his head and urged him forward into a canter.

This is another hill where Hoss likes to slow down early. Today, though, he managed to get through it and canter all the way to the top and not slow down until I asked him to. Once we passed the somewhat questionable section that's become slick and nasty from the rain, I asked him to trot some more. I pushed him pretty hard on this ride, looking to get some speed and push the envelope just a little bit.

Once we reached the apex and turned back down the hill, Hoss started moving out a little more enthusiastically. He likes going downhill! We made our way back down, rejoining the earlier trail at the bottom of the first hill. I turned him back up the hill and asked him to trot to the top. We encountered another group of riders at the top, spelling their horses. Hoss moved on easily enough. At least he's beginning to pass up other horses without wanting to join up with them!

We headed back down toward the staging area, trotting as often and as far as possible. Once back on the last half mile section to the trailer, I slowed him to a walk. We made it back to the trailer in good time and good shape.

While out on this ride, I did encounter one hunter. He was a very nice fellow and seemed like he might actually be reasonable and have a brain. The dogs sure seemed to like him, even Jazz, who has shown much skepticism about strangers. Running into hunters makes me nervous, no matter how nice and smart they seem. I think the dogs will be getting orange vests!