Hiking the Trails

I've been thinking a lot lately about what I'm going to do with Orion once this collarbone is all healed up.  I go back to the doctor for x-rays tomorrow to see how it's healing.  I'll hopefully know by that if I'm in the safe zone and won't need surgery for sure.  It's been doing really well recently, at least in comparison to how it felt a couple weeks ago.  It's still nowhere near where it was before the fall, but it's doing better, so I'm reeeally thinking and hoping and praying that I won't need any other treatment.

So anyway, ideas for the near future:  I want to get into better shape, but any kind of weight lifting or body weight exercises are pretty much out of the question right now.  I was at Stuart's Park today (pictures and post about that later), and I saw a trail that I really wanted to explore.  I was at a family reunion with a friend though, and we were about to leave, so it was kind of out of the question.  Then on the way back, I was thinking about it and realized, there are trails behind my new boarding place.  This led to an idea for something that can both help me with my weight-loss/exercise goals and help with Orion in the future.

I decided that as soon as possible, I'm going to go out there and hike those trails.  I'll get my exercise and get to be familiar with the trails.  It'll also give me an idea of what may or may not need to be done to get them in riding shape since from the sound of it, no one's been on them for a while.  Once I can handle walking Orion around, which will hopefully be soon if things continue in the way they've been going, I'll start walking him with me on the trails.  This will give him a chance to see everything with me on the ground near him, and while he's normally not that nervous about new places, it will be a security measure.  I'll do this a bunch of times with him as I heal and we get our issues worked out from the ground back at the barn, which will hopefully start with some round pen work.  Hopefully the walks and alone time will get him used to doing things with just me and not the other horses, at least from the ground for now.  It will also get him used to the trails so that they're not a brand new environment when we finally get to ride on them.  By then, it should be old news to him.

This isn't my whole plan, but it's something I'm excited about for now.  Exercise, hiking, and horses, all in one. :)