Bareback December

I don't know, that post title sounds kind of dirty when I really think about it.

Anyway: it is too.flipping.cold. to deal with saddles. So the new routine is to pull blanket, fling on quarter sheet and bridle, and head to the arena.

This has many benefits: it keeps me warmer, it works on my balance & muscling, and it helps with the long slow work that we're doing right now. (Much less temptation to canter!)

Tuesday night, we did about 35 minutes of w/t work like that. I was surprised both by how well I sat the trot and by how he loosened up into the trot quite nicely, even with me sitting - usually he stiffens and fusses for quite a while, but he really was stretching long and low by lap 2.

This is not to say that I trotted for more than a few laps at a time bareback. I'm not that strong yet. But we'll get there.

If I ever get to the barn again while there's daylight (spoiler alert: not for at least then next 10 days, ugh), I'll hack him out bareback too.

What do you think, can I get through December without using a saddle once?