I discovered this week that if I get up and dress in riding clothes, with the intention to do the morning chores and then ride, by the time I'm done with the chores I'm a sweaty mess. My image of being graceful and in harmony in the saddle has pretty much melted.
So I decided to take a different approach. I get up and dress in jeans and T-shirt, then do the morning chores at a leisurely pace b/c I'm not trying to get a ride in. Since the horses are on night-time turn-out now, they get their breakfast, a quick grooming, and can nap in the shady barn with their fans.
I get as sweaty as possible and come in to take a shower. THEN I put on the breeches and clean shirt and in the late afternoon/early evening (depending on the heat factor), I walk out and ride, with at least a shot at mounting without dripping with sweat.
This plan won't work once we hit the real summer heat, and I'll either have to get up REALLY early and ride before chores, or else postpone the ride until near dark, when the bugs have gone away and the heat has lessened. But for now, this is working well.
billie hinton’s camera-obscura:
life and lessons on November Hill Farm
What ever works I always say. Once the heat and the bugs hit, I think I might prefer the early morning rides myself. It seems if I wait until the night to ride I'm just too pooped to pop, after a day of heat and humidity it sort of wrings the life out of you. Good luck with your program.
ReplyDeleteI guess the key is to reinvent the program as needed to keep it going!
ReplyDeleteMy only reservation about the early morning rides is that the horses seem to be ready to come in and rest, but I think that's mostly my own perception of what they're thinking.
So does this mean that sweaty messes do not engender harmony and grace? ;-) Because I've never found either without being a disgusting drippy disaster.
ReplyDeleteI also find it helps me stick better in the saddle.
Kim, I suspect this is one of those individual preferences, LOL. I have of course had wonderful rides while being drenched in my own sweat, but otoh, when my eyes are burning and my glasses are steamed up from the humidity I'm generating, it isn't quite as good!
ReplyDeleteSince writing this post, the temps have risen, and it's now clear that I need to make the switch to early morning rides when the temps are at their lowest for the day. It's going to completely shift my morning routine, but it will make the rides so much better.
My daughter is riding at night now, with the arena lights and the bats. :)