Cheatin'

I had scheduled today for a ride.  That will give me Thur. to ride again and then have one or two days free to attend the PNER convention in Portland. 

Unfortunately I didn't get off work until after 4pm.  By the time I got home and got the trailer hooked up and had retrieved Cartman from the field it was almost 5 o'clock.  I find it quite a bit harder to hook up the gooseneck than I did my bumper pull.  Hopefully it will get easier someday- but I'm totally paranoid about smashing my tail gate, or the front of the trailer.

It was so beautiful today... blue sky and all, so I wanted to ride outside.  I pulled into the parking lot and was in the saddle at 5:12.  I decided I would ride for at least 30 minutes, no matter how dark it got.  We walked for 10 minutes in the sand.  Then picked up a trot for about 6 minutes, then a lope for about 4 minutes.

Since the sand is pretty deep I try not to overdo it in the stuff.  10 minutes was enough to get him huffing and puffing and his heart rate up.  I gave him about 15 minutes cool down and was back to the trailer at 5:42.  It was almost completely dark!

Despite getting quite "curly" from sweat C was dry, blanketed, and back in the field at 6:30. 

So, although I "cheated" a little, (since I didn't even break a sweat) Cartman got a short yet intense workout and we are hopefully one step closer to that first endurance ride of the year:)