Sunset rides and Thoroughbreds, oh my!

Soonie and I have been enjoying some warm weather, and the last two days found us out on the road hacking.  I got to enjoy the sunset from the back of my favorite boy.

A moment I'll remember for a long time

A neighbor a couple doors down from the farm stopped me yesterday on the road.  She knew my name, said that she road at the barn too, and she offered her property for Soon and I to ride on.  I'll follow up (I forgot to ask her name!) and hopefully take advantage of the lovely and very kind offer.  It'd be great to have some nice, quiet space to hack through without worrying about traffic. 

Soonie and I have been working on a lot of lateral work and stretching the last few flat rides.  The barn hosted a clinician last weekend, and I think Soon and I will take part in the next one.  :)

Photo by Anne Gittins (www.chronofhorse.com)

Check out this great article about three-time Olympian Anne Kursinski and her new Thoroughbred hunter, Only One.  I loved this quote:  "I love the Thoroughbreds,” said Kursinski. “They’re just so light and smart and brave. There’s just a difference about them. I love warmbloods too and I’ve had some great warmbloods, though I like them a little hotter and with more blood. But riding Eros [her Australian Thoroughbred and Olympic partner], I just had to sit quietly and point. I never had to push or pull. It was clucking and whoaing. Growin up at Flintridge with Jimmy Williams, we always had horses from the Santa Anita and Hollywood Park racetracks. I grew up on Thoroughbreds.”

 It's great to see a truly great and highly recognizable rider Kursinski promoting Thoroughbreds in the hunter ring (it's also awesome to see her back in the hunters!).  Here is a video of her and Only One winning the handy round at Upperville, and a First Year Green Hunter class at Wellington.  What a nice moving, nice looking, nice jumping horse!  I also just LOVE LOVE LOVE how soft Kursinski rides.  Seeing her on a hunter is beautiful, as is seeing her skill and following hand, and not throwing herself up the neck like so many riders do nowadays.  She is a classic horseman and one I want to emulate.