Rehab ride

[RhndLev@cs.com]

I recently rode Special for the first time in ages -- if you guys have been 
keeping up, so far this season I've blown out my knee, Special injured her 
leg & I broke a toe -- the endurance gods really have it in for me, huh?  So, 
we're both having weight issues -- I like to call it a growth spurt -- and 
really needed to get out.

Anyway, the plan was for a very short, slow ride around block.  
Unfortunately, however, my neighbor was having a plat done.  So our whole 
block is being surveyed and there were all of these red surveyor ribbons 
along the fences and Special thought it was a race.  Does anyone else have a 
horse that seems to recognize the ribbons?  I had a snorting, blowing, 
prancing, tail waving fiend under saddle who just wanted to race.  At each 
ribbon she would snort loudly and put on a burst of speed as if saying, "See, 
this is the right way, let's GO!"  I kept thinking about that famous mellow, 
low-key Walking Horse attitude I keep hearing about as Special's tail smacked 
the back of my helmet repeatedly as she flipped her tail over her back and 
pranced along.  

At the end of our four mile ride, her legs were nice and tight and my knee 
held up.  So, thank you again to everyone who gave us advice and moral 
support.  Please keep your fingers crossed for us that we can actually ride 
this fall and compete next spring!

Rhonda and Special