Sept 3-5 - Labor Day Weekend

Yeah, holiday weekend! However, Labor Day also signifies the end of summer :( Sassy and I are entered for the Training Level three day event. My new jump trainer, who is a big upper level competitor, helped me design Sassy's fitness program. Over the next 6 weeks we'll start increasing our riding time every day. Right now I've added 10min of walking before and after my regular riding session and this will build up to 20mins before and after, so that's an extra 40mins riding every day. Pretty soon I am probably going to have to request to leave work at 4pm in order to fit in all my time in the saddle before it gets dark. We ride dressage 2x a week, jump 2x a week, interval training one day, one day of trail riding and hill work and then one day of rest. Considering I usually only ride 4 or 5 times a week, this is a fairly intensive schedule and it's only going to get harder. Plus I have to trailer out to ride almost everyday. I am really learning about fitness and conditioning. Plus I have to take her temperature, measure her respiration and heart rate as I train so I can learn what is normal. I have to push her a little harder each time to build the endurance. At the event her temp and heart rate will have to return to normal in the 10min box after I finish each phase.

Here is a photo of Firenze and Quest - they looks so similar!