Live to Ride

Tuesday was a good day. I rode Diesel for an hour and a half. Mostly walk, a decent amount of trot, and a smidgeon of canter. Canter did not go so well. However, he was sound!


Shoes and time off have helped. Now I must ride through the laziness. He did a few mean crow hops. I rode it but am not happy about it. I need to beat his butt instead of giving in. I did make him continue for a bit before asking for the stop. But we both know he needed a whoopin. Not good.

On the up side, I have lost 22 pounds and my lard butt fits in the western saddle much better. Still need to lose quite a bit. I didn't pinch the nerve in my hip/thigh until an hour into the ride. Usually it is instantaneous. This means my issues are weight related. Keep on pluggin.

Regardless, riding felt good. The sun was shining and the temps were perfect. My life is blessed.

Murder

The last week we've had at least 18.5 inches of rain. One morning the guage was full so it really was more than that. As a result we have had two mosquito outbreaks. We had 3 days of rest after the really hard downpour while they had to start over. My life has been revolving around murder.

My strategy: malathion twice a day around barn, deet-based aerosol spray for bodies with a gentle repellent for faces. The horses get sprayed down as often as I can. They tell me in no uncertain terms when they need it. Seems to be 2 am when they have a meltdown. They are miserable.

This weekend I am having a mosquito spray system installed. We can't wait. In the meantime, they use a mudbath for relief. And that causes their hair to fall off when it dries. Always something.

My life is blessed.

Same Grind

We are still not ready to ride. It makes me sad that I only have one horse to discuss. I hope it stays that way. The girls are comfortable. There is no riding in the future. I feel like I lost my friends. Our relationship is special but different now that we can't move together. That's what riding is. We move as one. Non-horse people couldn't possibly understand. Horses have always given me the satisfaction that I could never find with another human. And that is as personal and deep as I care to get. This is not me. I deal in facts.

We are soaked after Tropical Storm Hermine dumped a ton of rain. I can prove 7 1/4 inches of rain today but the gauge was full and I suspect that is a very low estimate. The horses are living in slop. Even the stall in the barn is flooded. I pray that Diesel stays sound through the muck. I am ready to get back in the saddle.

I feel good on my diet. I have energy and determination. Losing 12 pounds so far is inspirational. I have a long way to go. Why did I let myself go like this? I can't wait to be thin(ish). I already feel better. It is hard work carrying this weight around. People change when they have to. I reached that point. But I'd kill for a piece of bread....with butter and roasted garlic. And a cheeseburger. Lord, give me strength. My life is blessed.

Relief

It hasn't taken long to feel comfortable again. After 1 week on Medifast I have lost 8 pounds. My clothes have stopped hurting me. How did I get so big?

I am now at my early summer weight. Oh goody. Now it really begins.

I am excited about losing weight. It is not as hard as I thought to stay on track. I'm learning to love veggies...very slowly. My weight loss is slowing down. This is normal and the safe way to do it.

I can't wait for Christmas. I'll be sporting a hot, new look. I can do this.