Okay. So this morning I had this great idea, which was that I would put myself on a new schedule – first get the horses out and then do my writing. This way, I’d be able to take advantage of the available daylight, which as of tonight is going to be far less: End of Daylight Savings Time. Spring ahead and fall behind. Darker earlier in the evening.

I also wanted to get on a schedule in which the horses would be out earlier so that they would be dry by nightfall. Hrimmi and Tinni both were quite damp last night. We brushed the frost off of them both and this helped.

So I gave it a try. I first worked on dismantling the October agility course and putting up the November course. Took a lot of time, getting big chunks of ice off the tarp that I was using for the tunnel obstacle. I about had things put away when Pete appeared and said that he was ready to go for a ride. This was at noon.

We took Tinni and Hrimmi, the two that sweat the most, out for a jaunt. We did all our trails and we did some bushwacking. We do this every year – we ride out to this swampy area and attempt to find a trail that links to the one we ride. We never have had any luck with this and this year was no exception. I told myself we are lucky to have the trails that we have to ride on. It could be all swamp out there.

I also thought some about the metaphor of bushwacking. The worst for me is to see no end in sight – I am just out there, riding around in uneven terrain for the sake of riding around in uneven terrain. This actually is not bushwacking. Rather, it’s what an acquaintance of mine, Ruth, calls “Toolie busting.” I much prefer to bushwack in finding a way of getting from Point A to Point B. We were looking for that alternate trail, and so what we were doing was bearable. And I rationalized it by thinking that all this getting on and off and stopping and going and going here and going there was good for Hrimmi because someday we might go on a long trip. And on a long trip, this is what you end up doing. She didn’t seem to mind this, and in fact she probably liked the hanging out part. For Tinni, it is just what humans do.

Hrimmi would not cross a creek, although Tinni did. This is just the way it is. This put an end to bushwacking.

We finally got back on our trail and rode home at a good clip. My feet had gotten wet so I was a bit chilled. We put blankets on Tinni and Hrimmi because they were damp. I took the blankets off right before coming in this evening. They were dry. This is going to work.

We came in for lunch and then after I finished putting together the agility course. Then I worked with the other two, first Raudi and then Tyra. Then I worked with Hrimmi. All went to the arena without my putting a halter on them, and I did liberty, or off lead work. I did some Intrinzen and also some agility. The walk-in box is for both activities. They go in, and this is agility. They back in and do crunches and his is Intrinzen. This is really the answer. I can’t say that the activity is fully autonomous, but it’s pretty dang close.

Hrimmi and Tyra both ran off when I was about done. Horses, they will always find a way to both humble and challenge us. A good thing, I now think because they are both safely back in their pen.

Now it is 7 p.m. and I am forcing myself to get some work done. It won’t be as easy as early in the day. I don’t know if this is going to work. I might figure out something different tomorrow. I am going to reverse the order, take Raudi and Tyra out and do agility with Hrimmi and Tinni.

Next: 306. 11/5/17: I Hereby Resolve . . .