Alberta trip

I recently went back to Alberta for a trip. I rented a car and spent the first 4 days in the Red Deer area. I returned the car and then went to Three Hills for the next 8 days to visit Sara and her family. I had a really good trip. My first full day there felt like I had been away from home for a week already. It was great. I stayed with my friend Michelle in Red Deer. We spent our time swimming, going to the gym, watching movies, playing crib and playing Rock Band. I'm glad that I don't buy video games and stuff because I really could waste a lot of my life away if I did. I really enjoyed my time with Michelle. I also was able to see a lot of the horse people that I know in Alberta. I spent one day at a barn where I was able to ride horses and visit with people. It was a great day for me. I came away feeling wonderful and kind of filled in a way. I was able to ride one horse that I had started under saddle a few years ago, I also rode her daughter as well as another horse that I had known and worked with when it was only a yearling. The funny thing is that the one that I had the most fun with and felt the most comfortable on was the young one that didn't really know much of anything. It makes me think that maybe I should be looking for some young horses to start under saddle again as I really do enjoy it and find it extremely rewarding. I really miss the horse industry in the Red Deer area. I honestly love the people and the environment. I wish that I had that here but I still have not found my place. I am fairly happy with where Brig is at but I don't have the kind of connection in the horse industry here that I would love to have.
This first picture is of the car that I rented. It was nice. Nothing special but it drove smoothly and I had to be careful because it was easy to speed. It was nice to have the freedom that renting a car gave me. And yes it is snowing in the picture. It was cold and a bit snowy the first few days but the day I left it was sunny and +9C. And I never saw a drop of rain. I think that I was outside every day (except the day I had a headache) and it was never all that bad even though I didn't bring a lot of warm clothes. I did have to borrow a touque a couple times though.

 

These are just a few pictures of Sara and the kids and Nelson, their international student, with the horses. And yes Nelsons feet really are almost touching the ground when he's on the pony. I am always amused when I am around Sara and her horses. I tend to be a lot more cautious than she is. Nelson is riding Silky with nothing on her. No reins to control her, nothing. And he's only ridden a couple times ever. And yes, that is Sierra (almost 7yrs old) leading her 4yr old brother around with no tack and no lead rope. But I was very pleased to see that they had helmets on. I believe that I even had to say something out loud as I was taking the second picture of Sierra stopping Silky by using her body right in front of her and within kicking range of the pony. But nothing ever happens. I suppose I'm just used to horses that really are not as safe. It's probably good that I spent a day in Red Deer with the horses first because I found that even with them I was amazed at the lack of caution that people had to take. Brig has me trained so well that I am always on my guard and I no longer trust horses at all. I'm not scared, just really, really careful and a bit paranoid maybe.
Brig has actually been very well behave the past week. We had a couple of incidences after I got back but nothing lately. He still seems to limp at times but I'm just ignoring it for now. I think that I will look into getting some lessons on him soon.