After dark . . .

Manage to draw more strange "crazy eventer" looks from hunter land again tonight. With the sun setting so much earlier, I've moved all my lessons earlier so they can keep going -- this means I now ride my horse after dark instead of mid afternoon. Said horse has been off for the last two wks or so so it's been a non-issue, but today was to be the first real ride. I get there shortly after 8 and it's almost dark. So I tack up my pony and head outside to ride - to the serious consternation of the 6 or so hunter people all crammed into the indoor. So I go outside and proceed to have an amazing ride. And yes of course I did a safety check before I got on -- no jump cups, pylons, random poles etc scattered anywhere that we could run into/over in the dark so it was all good. The ring is flat - can't get easier terrain. AND there was even light spilling out of the indoor, so it wasn't really all that dark. Used to ride under the stars at the last barn -- that was always beyond amazing. I mean seriously -- horses have decent night vision and once they get over their natural "monsters come out at night" spookiness, they're usually just fine. And I tell you, it takes all the distractions away. Can focus entirely on what you're feeling and what your horse is doing. And it's quiet (albeit less so where I am now, but still). And you should've seen the dressage we had happening -- I didn't realize Miss Sienna could move like that! The combo of rider entirely focused and horse entirely high made for some ummmmm interesting maneuvers Gotta admit though, this is not something I'm going to try and convince HPs to try -- not because there's anything bad or scary about it, but because I'm going to be selfish and enjoy having a nighttime ride to myself :) hahaha is that bad of me? ah well -- the secret's out -- I'm human. Mostly.