Tired and Sore

I'm aching and tired tonight, as the title of this post indicates. I had phone calls I should have made today, having finally gotten around to checking my voicemails today, but in the end I couldn't summon up the energy. I'm sure those in question will forgive me for an extra day.  

I've been riding today, and then this afternoon it was the usual chaos of school pick up, getting dinner ready, plus pulling together a portfolio of images to show a picture editor at a meeting which is supposed to be tomorrow morning. That is of course provided his day doesn't turn disastrous which can always happen.  I'm supposed to have a photoshoot in the afternoon too. 

I'm sore because I've been on a horse for a total of about 4 hours today. This is far longer than I'm used to and I don't have that much riding fitness yet.  My neck and kneels are sore and I'm stiff all over.  It's not going to be pretty tomorrow. Archie continues to delight me. I worked him in the arena this morning before our big ride out. I ended up working him for longer than I intended because he became very distracted when Lyn left the arena on Khadet. At this point he couldn't concentrate on me, wanted to stargaze, and he got a bit cranky too. When he gets like this he resists the leg, won't give, and he won't go forward either. He also avoids using his back legs by falling out through the outside shoulder. And he gets cross when I correct him. He eventually went well enough to pop him into the canter. And that was of course a whole other matter!!  We ended up having to have serious discussions about his trot-canter transitions (or lack thereof!) and then when he did finally take the canter, about him staying in the canter. By this stage he got even crosser and began resisting my leg even more, running through the transition and pig rooting as well. We worked through it but I was pretty tired. Sorry...  Are you bored stupid by all that rattling on???

Lyn and I had a quick bit to eat, then resaddled and headed out (this time with 4 of us) on a long ride. The ride out was great and Archie went wonderfully. But like I said, I still lack fitness and I was sore for the last hour which means it is harder to ride effectively. Archie is a horse that, like Freelance, is very prone to shying. At least he doesn't follow the shy with a tremendous buck that sees me soaring through the air muttering expletives as I realise the landing isn't going to be pretty. He was so calm and didn't blink an eye for almost the entire ride but towards the end he put in a couple of huge whammies. In his defence each horse freaked out at the narrow drop down into the gravel driveway with the 2 waving flags. Archie was last and by the time it was his turn and having watched the other 3 horses skitter wildly through the dragons, he was almost hysterical. I felt almost the same as he danced sideways into the bush. I had to circle him around to straighten him, then grimly put my legs on, held the contact firmly, rode him forward and pushed him down. He then freaked out completely, whirling around and leaping sideways towards the road before finally remembering I was on board. He then agreed to put his hair back on, we both took a deep breath and continued on. 

Poor Archie then took a hoof to the head (leaving a lump that had me wringing my hands) because Boz danced, got silly, then stopped suddenly, leaving Eddie to cannon into Boz, and Archie into Eddie, who then let a HIND leg fly that got my lovely bright bay horse straight in the face. We had one more frantic shy where we again became completely airborne when we went in through Lyn's front gate. Poor Archie. This was courtesy of Eddie shying and hitting the gate loudly which scared the wits out of my poor boy.  We were both absolutey buggered by the time we got in. 

Perhaps it is fatigue, or perhaps it is something else, but I now feel tired and flat..  This is odd, because I had a lovely day, the kids and I had a nice weekend, and I had a good day at the track on Saturday too. Heath and I also finally saw The Hobbit: Desolation Of Smaug at the cinema on Saturday night  while Jessica was at her birthday party-sleepover and at was fabulous.  And Maxie sits curled on my lap.  So like I say, there's no reason to feel the way I do.....  but still...