Snow Riding

When we brought Mata Hari home late fall of 2013, it was already getting too cold to ride outside, beside the fact that we were worried about her not respecting the very low fence around the outdoor arena being that she was VERY green.  So Madison only rode her in the indoor arena until the weather got better in the spring.  This winter they were ready to try a bit of an outdoor adventure so after the "big snow" started to melt a little, out we went!

Madison couldn't get over riding on the fresh snow and looking down it was just so WHITE - like riding in a cloud.

In this shot you can see how Mata Hari is shaved on her neck and chest so that she doesn't get so sweaty during training sessions.  This does make it a bit chilly so she normally has heavy blankets on with a neck cover.  But not for riding. Plus it was relatively warm at 40 degrees out.

They even did a little trotting and had a blast!  The snow had drifted so some spots were much deeper than others.  Mata Hari had to really pay attention and lift her feet up!