Out of the Arena

Today was a beautiful fall day in North Carolina.  Perfect temperatures in the 70’s with blue skies and sunshine.  A great day for a short ride out of the arena. 

We walked around the farm, which my horse always thinks is a grand adventure, although he has walked around the paddocks, through a small field, the woods, and around the pond at least once a week for over a year now.  Apparently it never gets old.  And with the changing seasons it does seem new to me as well.  I view the scenery through my horse’s eyes, looking for something interesting to react to in some manner.  So invariably I spot deer, wild turkeys, squirrels scurrying up trees, and a fox much sooner than if I was walking by myself.  Often we stand for a moment and simply look around.  In the field, we watch deer watch us from the edge of the woods.  In the woods, a leaf spirals down.  Hoofbeats silent on pine needle paths.  A turtle slides into the pond.  We walk past paddocks where horses nap in the sunshine.  Back to the barn...

Nothing exciting to write about.  Just the beauty of riding my horse in the fall sunshine.  Sometimes that is enough.