These photos document Birgit's journey into a new sport, a new challenge. While some slave in gyms, we take our exercise outside, enjoying the trails out in the hills and beaches here on the warm California coast.
	The first horse Birgit rode is Alakaset, an Arabian Stallion. While she also rode some of the other horses here, she prefers Alakaset. We always start with groundwork as a way of warming up, and going through a precise checklist before mounting: are we paying attention to the horse? Is the horse paying attention to us? Do the brakes work... today?  My name is Rena, Birgit's instructor in this adventure and head-mare (and caretaker) for my 4-legged employees. A lot of riding lessons go round and round in an arena. I am trusting our horses, my clients, and myself to have fun on the trails whenever conditions are appropriate. Here, we encountered sheep gathered for shearing, bouncing around the blue California lupines at Fort Ord, a state park close to Monterey.