This week was super. Saturday, Sam (the girl I work with) and I visited Hamburg, which is the nearest city to the barn. It is a beautiful port city, built around the confluence of the Altster and Bille Rivers as they come together to form the Elbe River, which flows into the North Sea. The Alster River has been formed into a lake at the city center, with beautiful facades lining the resulting canals. It is the second largest city in Germany. We went just to sight-see and have dinner. We ate at a French-American restaurant, which had fragrant truffle fries and a picturesque patio overlooking a canal.
During the week, the riding has been spectacular. I have been able to ride many horses each day and can see the progress in their training and my riding. In fact, Judy (my trainer) told me I was riding “like a German!” I know I still have plenty to learn, but I will accept that compliment. I started to long-line some of the horses to supplement their training, and that work is a great combination with the riding. The longeing hall has high walls and is secluded off the end of the riding hall, so it is an ideal place to practice long-lining.
A few days this week got really warm. Coming from Florida, I was just taking off my jacket, but I could tell the German horses and people alike were not used to 80 to 90-degree weather. The heat doesn’t last long though. The heat draws thunder storms and it quickly cools.
