Hit the turbo button today!

To preface this, I pulled my OTTBs hind shoes last November and his fronts a month ago. As a result, he has been greatly under worked while he goes through his transition. My work day yesterday was pure stress. I'm in my busy season which is fortunately very short, but sucks when it's here, so I had lots of pent of stress to find an outlet for. My aforementioned TB has been fine for riding on grass since pulling his shoes, so today I figured we'd take nice mellow ride in the fields so I could decompress. It was a beautiful 55 degree sunny day in February in New England which doesn't happen often. It was also my last day of being 44 years old, so I figured it would be a nice way to celebrate.

So we get up into this huge field and I'm already feeling what's on his mind. It didn't take me long to realize it was on my mind too. I set him up in a far corner, lined us up to the longest part of the field and hit the gas. The barefoot horse community has been holding out on me big time! He was cruising so fast, I couldn't feel movement. It was like sailing, just one big sweeping move. I briefly thought about my eventing vest that was neatly stashed away in my closet for next show season and how it should probably be on me, but what a thrill that was. He was so happy with himself when we pulled up and did those happy snorts the rest of the ride. I don't open him up into 5th gear much, but that was absolutely the fastest that horse has ever moved with me on him. Anyone else have a thrill ride today?

My horse Mason had to run off steam once a month. He had 3 gears in the gallop- leisurely gallop, givin' er, and finally- holy s*** hair flying straight back, wind burning my eyes gallop. I would let him really open up once every few months, he would get so happy and then relaxed afterwards. It was like a mental and physical release for him. I haven't galloped on another horse since Mason. Been about 2 summers since I galloped on him. I miss our runs a lot! Nothing better then a good, safe gallop on a horse you trust.
Posted via Mobile Device

There just isnt any place big and open enough around here to do more than a very short gallop. Where we ride, we can gallop up some small hills, but the long trails are not straight, and the weave and have other trails intersecting them, so not safe to open 'er up. Not sure I'd be brave enough anyway. Good on you, and happy burp day tomorrow.

I've only pushed Calypso to hair on fire speed once and that was because my trail riding partner (riding her hair-is-always-on-fire Morgan) went to warp speed.

We didn't go far, maybe 200 yds, because the footing on the cut cornfield we were riding can have the occasional groundhog hole, but man it was fast.

Now last weekend I was riding on another cornfield on the property with another friend. He got ahead of me going uphill on the field and we lost sight of them as they crested over the rise. Calypso got real antsy and started speeding up and running through the bit. We reached an easy hand gallop when I chickened out and pulled her into a sweeping turn to blow off steam.

Now maybe my timidity might have been due to the fact that less than two hours prior she bucked me off twice within ten minutes.....LOL

Yeah, this is the first time ever I didn't wuss out and just went with it instead. We did run out of field amazingly fast, but I'm glad I just let him fly. I'm even more glad he agreed to pull up when I asked! That's some fun sh*t!

Sounds like a great day MBP! I have a 1/4 mile stretch that's open at home that I use on occasion, but for long runs I wait until fall and ride in a friend's fields. He plants soybeans and the fields are smooth and perfect after harvest and he has thousands of acres, minus a few roads and bridges over ditches, we can go for a good while. It's one of the few times I can still get my mom to ride with me, makes it even more fun, especially when I kick her butt lol!

Nothing beats that feeling of letting them give it all they have!

I'm hoping the barn's cornfields get planted with beans this year.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. Corn fields are no good, beans fields are awesome! Makes for a great ride.

Sounds fun! I discovered the perfect galloping strip near the barn, except it's not on our property, so I have to wait until it's not wet so as not to leave tracks. ;) I learned not to ever kiss to my girl unless I want to go at Pony Warp Speed. It's pretty fast, but I have yet to have someone witness us.

We still have ice patches everywhere even though we have had next to no snow this winter - go figure! So I haven't been on my boy at all since early Dec, but I wanted to say

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!