Chrome Ride 150 - 100 Ride Challenge Ride 1

I finally got on my horse!!  This is only the second time I've been on him since last July.  The first time was a couple of months ago and was only for about a minute.  Today I rode twenty minutes.  There isn't much to say because all we did was walk around, with a couple of short trots and some work on backing up with his head down.  He felt good.  Not lame at all, although his stifles are a bit stiff.  The lack of riding hasn't helped his loose stifles.  He was a bit looky, but didn't spook.  There aren't a lot of horses that you can hop on bareback in a halter after seven months of no riding, so I was proud of him even though we didn't do much.  I'm so happy to be back to riding!

It was late so the pictures aren't great.  I had a really bad headache and a crick in my neck, but it actually wasn't raining so I decided I better just jump on.  If I keep waiting for the perfect riding weather I won't ride all winter...  oh and don't judge me on how filthy he is!!  I didn't have time to groom him before I rode or it would have been full dark by the time I got on!

 Sniffing the cat.

Sorry for the short post.  Hopefully I'll have more interesting stuff to post about soon.  Just waiting on that longer daylight.... I hope you guys are all having fun and doing well.  I'll try to get caught up on blogs.  I'm so behind it seems impossible, but I'll keep trying.

Chrome's Dapples

We were putting out hay and the sun was actually shining so I got some pictures of Chrome to show you his dapples.  They aren't super impressive, but they are there.  :D

Ignore the dirt.  He is so filthy!  It was raining yesterday.

Below are some that I edited the white contract and darkened them so you can see them better.  I wish he looked like that in person hehe.

Dapples!!!!  He's so cute!

Contribution From Freelance Writer

I'm sorry I haven't been posting.  Things are still crazy.  I can't wait until it starts staying lighter later.  It's always dark when I get home so I don't even bother trying to get pictures during our walks and ground exercises.  I unfortunately haven't been able to ride because the pinched nerve in my neck flared up.... hopefully someday I'll get to.  I wish it would stop raining on the weekends so I could ride then....

Anyway I was approached by a freelance writer that wanted to share a post and since it's a subject I'm interested in I agreed to it.  Check it out below.

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Source

The New Equine Therapy Helping Cancer Patients

For those suffering with cancer, it can seem as if there is little hope sometimes. However, there have been groundbreaking developments in an alternative type of therapy for cancer patients and survivors. It has been found that horses can help give hope and comfort to patients with cancer, by offering emotional and physical support to those who need it the most.

How Horses Help: A study into equine-assisted therapy took place with women who’d completed their breast cancer treatment. The participants spent 16 weeks with the horses, in which the participants had 2 hours of contact with the animal each week. It was reported that they had experienced both a physical and psychological improvement due to the horses. As a result of this, the participants increased their strength after treatment, as well as their fitness levels.  

To read more about the benefits of equine therapy, take a look at how Horses Help Cancer Patients.

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I hope you'll check out the article because there are links to places that offer equine therapy and if they are in your area you might look into volunteering.  I volunteered at a therapeutic riding center for disabled children and it was an experience I will never forget.  It's definitely a worthwhile cause if you're looking into volunteering.