What A Good Boy!

Ok, so it has been FOREVER since I last posted. Sorry about that...but summer has been SUPER busy with rides and work. And then, trying to find ppl that will ride with a stallion is hard (they just have a bad rap, no matter what! Sighh....I think he won some definite converts today...) and riding around 5 acres or the roundpen was getting old. I also won't ride green horses alone...just too much to go wrong and then no one around to help or call for help if you get hurt....
Well, I finally have rounded up one for sure. They guy who trained my 4yo has no issues with riding with a stud and even had one for the longest time. He was thrown off a horse a few months back and broke his collar bone though, He's finally back to riding now and we'll meet up with him at least once a week I hope. I also recruited the gal who sometimes boards with me. She rides endurance as well and has been brining along a Junior rider who rides Terri's green Morab mare. So today we all met at one of the access points to some local timber land. My friend Karen on her gelding, and the Junior on Terri's mare. Two horses Storm has never met, one a mare, a new location, and only his second time on trail since coming here (and not having been ridden at all in a month, as Sept was WAY busy...). Recipe for a great test, LOL :)


















I made sure to arrive a half hour earlier than the others and give him a good brush down, let him eat hay, and just hang out and get used to the new location. He was pretty mellow and enjoyed the attention (poor boy must have thought I had forgotten all about him lately...). After the gals arrived and got all tacked up, we walked down the road to the trail head. He "talked" to the other two once, and then that was it. GOOD BOY! He was pretty good about keeping his attention on me while leading down the road.
Once on the trail, there was all sorts of stuff to pay attention to besides the other horses. We had to cross a boggy puddle/crick/runoff that then turned up a steep embankment right off the bat. Then a bunch of roots and logs to step over. He did great, though he jumped the crick. I didn't fuss with it going out, but on the way back , where there was more room, I made him cross it several times til he just walked in and over it. GOOD BOY again :)
A ways down the trail, we found a good mounting stump and everyone got on and we moved on down the trail. We ran into a bunch of dead ends (we didn't know the area and it is a rabbit's warren of logging roads and motorcycle trails) and kept having to turn around (which would get everyone excited, thinking they were "going home") and back track to the last intersection and try a new path. We stopped and took pictures at one intersection that had a nice stand of pampas grass and good lighting ...





















Yes, I am still using that "this makes my ass look HUGE" saddle, LOL...but it's really compfy and works GREAT on greenies (I have a secure seat AND a "panic handle" if all else fails in the pommel, LOL) and since it is a Specialized, I can move the panels around to where I need them for various horses. I want to eventually find someone that just wants to trade straight across for the same saddle (EuroLight...OR a Trailmaster would be ok), but they need a smaller seat and I will take the larger (only ONE inch though, please!) seat...know anyone??
Everything went mostly well, except when we'd trot. The other two trot pretty fast and Storm can't seem to hold gait at those speeds yet (I keep forgetting he hasn't really had any gait work done with him) and he kept falling into a step pace and once or twice into a hard pace! BAD BOY. So I just would make him canter (which he does do nicely) instead. Well, then he'd get excited (he seems to have a slight competitive streak, LOL) and get "hunchy"...no buck, but the threat was there...we worked it out eventually though. I am going to have to really work on his gait though...the lateral junk is NOT going to be acceptable, exp cause I know he has both Runwalk and Rack in him from before... I will have to find some slower, "pokey" riders to go with, that don't do a full out endurance trot, LOL...I think the trainer actually has quarter horses, so riding with him will be perfect...we'll smooth it out. He also just needs time in the saddle to strengthen his gaiting muscles. Today we did do 90% walking, so that kind of stuff will help lots.
All in all, he was a VERY Good Boy and I can't wait to have more time to play with him. He keeps this up, I will have to take him to the beach soon... That will be exciting...but fun I hope. I don;t think he's ever seen the ocean before. It can be pretty daunting to a horse. Water is not supposed to "cahse" you after all (waves) and all that wind and stimulation (ppl, loose crazy dogs, kites, kids, parachute surfers, etc). But it sure is a fun place to let a horse play once they get used to it and to go for a good old fashioned full out gallop :)