First Beach Day...now he's a Humboldt Horse :)

Today (all week looks like, after having rained all weekend) was sunny and beautiful. Last fall fling I have the feeling, before the rains hit for good. So I decided Storm should become a true "Humboldt Horse" and learn about the ocean. He already is becoming a native as his lovely tail attests (this is what happens here in the Redwoods...it's a PITA that only braiding and bagging fixes...sighhh), so might as well go all the way.


















So off to Trinidad Beach (small beach, not a "ton" of riding to do, but right around the corner from Terri's so a good "first" beach) we go. I could have ridden there (bout 40 mins through the neighbor's and the town's back roads), but he doesn't like my straight load as well and needs trailering practice (gets in with coaxing, in a couple of mins, but I like mine to just eagerly hop in when told) so I decided to hook up and drive over there (5mins). He was still slow to get in at the property, but much better on the "home" trip. I think I will keep taking "small" trips like that and he'll get better and better. Once at the beach, I tacked up and then just led him all over the place for a good hour before even bothering to get on.



There were several different ppl out on the beach that were really friendly and offered to take pictures of us, when they saw me struggling with a camera and a horse trying to climb into my lap, LOL. So I got some good pics :) THANKS!























We went up and over "boulders" (great practice for paying attention to your feet and a good confidence builder to climb up and down and over and jump down and such) that stick out of the sand and into the waves bit by bit.















Waves really seem to scare horses that have never seen them before, even if they are used to other water like creeks and ponds. The horse seems to feel that it is WRONG for water to "chase" you, LOL...and some horses even get dizzy in the ocean and fall over. When he finally seemed fairly relaxed and bored with it all, I mounted up and just rode along the water line for another 20mins, letting him get closer and closer to the waves. Trinidad beach is beautiful, but a bit more rugged than some of our other area beaches. The tide comes up fairly high and the waves are fairly short and fast...so it is hard to get "flat" water to slowly go into, instead of actual "waves"... But eventually we got our feet wet (I REALLY like how Storm approaches "scary" stuff..he doesn't just spazz out, instead he stops or startles a little, LOOKS, and then thinks about it. As long as you give him confidence and tell him he is being a good boy, he gets over the startle and will investigate whatever it is. Then, once he has figured out something won't eat him, he's pretty much done for good with that object and doesn't spook at it anymore...). I made him go in a few times, then I called it quits on a good note and I took him back to the trailer. After I untacked him, I took him back down to the sand for the "beach treat" all our horses LOVE...a good roll in wonderful beach sand. He caught on to that quick and I took a few more pictures before loading up to head home. He was a good boy and we had several tourists come up and pet him and admire him. He'll be a great ambassador for his species and breed :)