Early Morning Rides

Three days a week I get up at 4:30, get to the barn by 5:30, tack up by 5:45 to 6 (depending on how muddy...excuse me-how dirty is my horse) and ride for 45 to 30 minutes.  I have yet to convince anyone to join me.  There was 1 person who came out early but that did not last very long.  I have been doing this for at least 6 years.  Now many people think I'm crazy but I don't think so.  It's so quiet in the morning....easy to concentrate on what Zoe and I need to do.  I've taught her many things in 30 minute segments over the years.  I usually just pick 1 or 2 things to work on and over time there is usually some improvement in Zoe and/or me.  I get a chance to practice things I have learned in lessons.  In the heat of summer it is the best time to ride...nice and cool.  In the winter I turn on the arena  lights so the arena is lit but outside the arena it's still dark and hard to see out there.  I find that Zoe doesn't focus so much on the area outside the arena especially since she can't see it.  I find that the more time I spend working with my horse, the better Zoe and I both get.  Since I work full time that "time" can sometimes be hard to find.  So I'm not just content to settle for riding her on my days off...that would not be enough time-hence another reason I ride so early in the morning before I go to work.   I guess for me and my horse we need to spend this much time to get things accomplished.  I'm glad I have a job that I can show up in "horsey" clothes and it doesn't matter if I slightly smell like a horse.  The only drawback:  things that I want to practice in a group just don't happen.....unless I can convince some people to.............
Anyway, today's early morning ride was good.  I was gone for the weekend and Zoe was a good girl.  In the past she would have missed being out and would have been jumpy or squirrely or not listening or just a handful.  But not today, I really think age is working in my favor.  We practiced walk/trot transitions-collected.  Did some side passing on and off the rail, collected.  Practiced trotting over poles without hitting them.  We did some trotting in and out of circles  collected, then switching in the middle of the circle (when we had a nice bend) and going in the opposite direction.  We loped some and practiced some backing thru obstacles.  I know that is more than 1 or 2 things but I've been able to add to what I do so most of it is regular workout stuff.  Today we found that we needed to work more on the side passing, especially to the right.  We also needed to work on trotting collected to the right with as much impulsion as we do when we go to the left.  I guess tomorrow's another day...starting at 4:30 in the morning.