As I say about this time every year, the only problem with looking forward to spring is that it means the end of hunt season. That’s especially true this year, when so much of the season was lost to weather, and other complications kept me out of the saddle on days when I should have been hunting. Finally, today, with two weeks left in the season, the weather was almost perfect (just a little too warm), and nothing else got in the way.
I was a little nervous that Arthur’s extended vacation might have left him a little rusty. It didn’t take long for him to disprove that. I think he’d missed hunting as much as I had. When things got rolling, there was no stopping him. He jumped beautifully, occasionally much bigger than necessary.
Unfortunately, although he didn’t want to admit it, the time off had taken a toll on his stamina. After about an hour that included some pretty hard running, I felt that he was beginning to tire, although his spirit wasn’t waning at all. I decided I’d rather ride back to the trailer than push him too hard and have to walk back carrying my saddle. Arthur strenuously objected to pulling out of the group while everbody else was still having fun, but after a few minutes he settled down, and we had a nice relaxing stroll back to the trailer, giving him a chance to cool out. As I loaded him back on the trailer, I noticed that he’d lost a front shoe, so it was good that we quit when we did.
The weather for the next few days is predicted to become even more spring-like, with temperatures pushing into the 70s. Last week was spring break at UK, and it’s always nice to have warm weather to welcome the students back on Monday. It encourages them to dress in fashions that show off their Florida tans. The possibility of rain moving in on Wednesday is discouraging, but the track record of local meteorologists leaves lots of room for hope that they’re wrong again. With luck, the rain will move through on Tuesday to cool things off, then move out of the territory leaving excellent hunting conditions. I’m going to try to get Arthur shod before then, just in case.
I just had to add a note that, walking across campus this morning, I spotted the first navel of spring. Yes, it’s a good time of year to be on a college campus.