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November 24, 2014: The Rural Lifestyle, Part II: Hrimmi’s ongoing training

Today I’m still thinking about how my rural lifestyle compares to that of my urban counterparts. As far as I know, there is no longer a riding stable located near New York City’s Central Park. And the city mayor is intent on getting rid of the carriage horse trade and replacing it with electric cars.

No horses. I can’t now imagine life without them. I in fact even find it hard to imagine boarding my horses, say, at a place like the local boarding stable/riding academy. The center that I’m thinking of is located in a real residential area. If there are any trails around, they’re located on private property. Those who



board their horses primarily ride in an indoor arena in the winter and in an indoor and outdoor arena in the summer. Bummer.

Anyhow, Pete and my workday usually begins with our getting Hrimmi out for a walk. We usually go around the loop. She did well yesterday when I took her out solo. So today I decided we’d again take her out by herself, and in addition, line drive her. So I put a girth and surcingle on her as she was eating hay in the hitching post area. I then attached lines to her halter. She wasn’t in the least bit fazed by any of this. I ground drove her as Pete walked her on lead. She wasn’t in the least bit fazed by any if this, either.

Hrimmi is young, so she still has a short attention span. So after a bit she started grabbing at the leadline. On the final part of the walk I switched places with Pete, and ran ahead of her. She then picked up her pace in an attempt to catch up with me. This was good, for we do want her to be forward, but not excessively so.

So, what’s next? I want to take things really slow. Tomorrow we’ll again take her for a walk with one or both other horses; unless we don’t pony her. I will, in the near future, have Pete and I do obstacle work with her, doing something called Homing Pigeon. This will involve our both leading her, one on each side of her. If I can find another person to give an assist, I’ll also neckline drive her while the other two work her in homing pigeon. This is the long term plan.

I also took Tinni and Raudi for trail rides, on the lower loop system. And I brought Ryder and Rainbow along both times. There’s not a whole lot to say, because this was very uneventful. At the start of the ride, both times, the horses stood still as I took the leads off the dogs and climbed up on them. And the dogs waited until they got their treats before moving out. And during the ride, all behaved. Then at the end of the ride, both times, the horses stood still as I got off the horses and put the leads on the waiting dogs. In my estimation, treats and copious praise were not fully reflective of how impressed I was with all the animal’s behavior.

I stacked wood after doing the evening’s chores. Tomorrow we’ll go and get more, that is if Pete’s around. Today he went to Anchorage in search of snow plow parts. Tomorrow he might have to go back to the snow plow shop. If he’s not here, well then I will pretty much do tomorrow what I did today.

I do like my rural lifestyle. I know there are some out there who are of the mind that I should get a real job (writing, they think, is not real work) and start to do a better job of pulling my weight around here. To them I say I AM pulling my weight. But this is the subject of (perhaps) tomorrow’s dispatch.

Next: 314. 11/25/14: The Writing Life, Etc