Pining for a trail ride.

I really want to get back on the trails with Lim before winter settles in. She was just okay (I’d give her a B-) during our one trail jaunt this year. I give her props for not exploding at the sight of a deer, a golf umbrella, a toddler being carried on the shoulders of an adult, absent-minded teenage girls chatting on bicycles, and a terrifying young tree menacingly tied to the ground from all angles (Lim disliked this creature the most). But she could have been far better, and I’d like to end the year on a good note with trail riding.

My typical trail ride pre-plan is to ride her for 30-60 minutes prior to leaving the property. Last time, there was an unusual July chill in the air, the sky was overcast with ominous clouds , and Lim kept shaking her head and acting goofy while I rode in the outdoor arena before hitting the trail. And the usually-calm horse we were with was spooking more than Lim. Not good signs.

I think next time I’ll ride her both days prior to the trail ride, then again for an hour before the trail ride. And I am going out with a couple horses that ride the trails multiples a week and are pretty much unfazed by anything…except maybe cougars.

Supposedly there’s a cougar loose in the Danada forest preserve area now. And why am I planning a trail ride? Well, I’m guessing the cat—if it is positively, actually there—will have moved on by then. Actually, this cougar is disrupting my running more than my riding!