Nova's First Ride

I have been getting asked all week "When are you riding her?" To me it's not really something planned. You don't set a date on a calendar. This is true with all horse related things. You work up to a goal, and when you reach it, you reach it. You always keep some sort of time in your head, but maybe it happens sooner then you had imagined. Or perhaps it's taken your horse a longer time to understand. Or maybe your goal changed all together, exactly what happens to me all the time.

So when I was so eagerly asked "When are you riding her?" I responded with "I'm not really sure." Because I wasn't sure. Nova would let me know when she was ready. I was also repeatedly told "Wow, she'll be easy to start." And I 100% agreed to that, Nova is so easy going. It is so obvious to me that some horses were built to be ridden. Nova is that horse. Everything just comes so natural to my beautiful little filly.

So today I went out with my boyfriend, who was meeting Nova for the first time. I had a little bit of an idea that I may sit on her today, but I wasn't planning on it. With my boyfriend/photographer in tow I lunged my baby and got some LOVELY shots of this mare.

I am in love with her beautiful lope. It looks so smooth.

The huge stride this mare has at the trot is beautiful. 

I love how she bolts into her lope, it just screams 'gymkhana horse'. 

A beautiful heal, toe landing. 

I also had a friend do some ground work with her. Nova needs a lot of work on the ground. She's pushy and very rude, not purposefully she just doesn't know. I tacked her up, and lunged her again with the saddle flapping all around, she didn't care a bit. So I decided to bounce around in the stirrups. 

 And then I just couldn't resist being on top of her. Her ears are back, but I think she was just curious. Because she chewed the whole time, and didn't try to walk off but once. Nova didn't balk or tremble, she's just doing what she was bred to do.

It is just impossible to be up there and not test it out. So I went around a couple of laps in the bull pen.

Nova walks, turns, she whoas, she was amazing! I have owned this mare for a total of 8 days. That is when I first rode her.

 Ignoring my awkward half step stance, I like this as a 'before' shot of Nova. It shows how fat she is, and her muscle condition (or lack there of). I can only imagine how fast, and powerful this mare will be when she's in top shape.