When I went riding on Thanksgiving Day - sunny and cool, gorgeous riding weather - I spied what for a moment appeared to be a *huge* hawk; then I saw the white head, and as it crossed the sun, a white tail flared -- it was a bald eagle! Soaring right over us! My friend and I watched until it sailed away to join antoher, and they wheeled over the treeline...*massive* coolness! :D
Darby picked up on my excitement, and asked for a gallop but tried for a run - we had to slow down for the road, so he dropped into a _gorgeous_ 'passage' (I caught our shadow briefly). My friend said it was the loveliest movement she'd seen 'live' (as opposed, frex, to the spectacular Olympic horses seen on TV); even at 23, he still has days when he moves like a 12yo. :) ['Passage' is a sort of exaggerated slow trot, with the knees rising nearly to a 90o<; the horse appears almost to hover off-ground in between steps. Wild stallions, in dominance contests, will display to each other using this movement. About 1/3 of the way through this video, "Olympic Ferro" demonstrates passage for many strides; the 'trot-on-the-spot' with none-to-little forward motion is the 'piaffe.' (Which Darby has only done when he's cross with me for not letting him gallop!)] http://www.dressage.to/video_pages/olympicferro3_html Debbi whose job as rider is sometimes just to look "proud enuff ta' bust ma' suspender straps!" ;D __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Free Pop-Up Blocker - Get it now http://companion.yahoo.com/ _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
