Me and Apache at Fort Concho last October.
Friday is usually a busy day for me for some reason. Today, as usual I had lots of things to do but a couple of troopers came by to help out which freed up an hour this afternoon for riding. I decided to give the Wonder Horse another whirl on the jogging track to see if we were making any progress.
He was fired up today, as he usually is on Friday, because he knows he gets to go out to pasture for the weekend. Friday afternoon is horse "happy hour" around here. Anyway, when we got onto the track, Apache was ready to go. We worked on bending on the curves at first, which went much better today. In fact, he didn't do his usual outward bending but had his head set in just slightly toward the inside--right where I wanted it. That was going so well that I decided to work on getting the correct lead. That didn't go as well, but not too bad. However, since I was having so much luck with keeping him under control, I decided to let him cut loose.
Cavalry horses are notorious for bolting in a charge. I usually don't let Apache have his head completely because it is hard to reel him back in. Today I decided to let him off the leash. There is a marked difference in a horse that is galloping and one that is in a full gallop. You can feel them lower their front ends and really engage their back ends--kinda like a dragster. Apache usually announces his "power up" phase with a loud snort--just so everyone knows what's happening. It is exhilarating but can be dangerous if you don't have a good handle on the horse. Control on the track is important because the ground is not level and sometimes your horse can loose his footing on the curves. Today, I had no trouble bringing Apache's speed down when I needed to. A tickle of the outside rein brought him down smoothly and without effort. That is when riding becomes fun. Being able to push your horse to his full potential and still bring him back safely is a great feeling and allows you to achieve a real partnership with your horse.
A "Dragster?" Now that is about the right term! My own horse this top gear. I dont unleash it too often, as when I do, ita a gear, that one companion rider stated was F*****g quick! She seems to have this power from deep inside. its really quite frightening and as you say, exhilarating!!
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