Saturday, February 28, 2009

February 24 - I am 50 - We go for a trail ride!!!

On Tuesday I turned 50!  WOW WEE.....Barry took off today so that we could go on a trail ride!!!  Bridgett said we could use Two Socks for Barry.  We took off and stopped at a store for some corn nuts and water in case we got thirsty.  I bought a little koozie thingy with a rope holder for Barry.

We saddled up and off we went.  I was a little nervous...I always seem to be just a little.  I am so hoping that goes away.  Red behavied very well!  He doesn't like to step in mud - it freaks him out just a little when it smooshes.   I did ride him into the area I knew would eventually get wet - he wasn't thrilled and I was plow reining him to keep him going where I wanted for about a quarter of a mile.  We rode around the park, into Cattail Marsh, down the road, down another stretch of the road and turned left.  We went down a straight stretch bordering the canel that is pretty darn big.  Looks like a river.  I was trotting Red and he actually got into a lope but thank God, did listen when I wanted to slow which was pretty soon!  I didn't bounce to much and want to repeat that.  We went over the high bridge over the canal...didn't like that...don't think Red did either.  We went down some more, turned to the left, turned right and the road ended in the marsh with fences.  So we turned around. 

I rode down the center of the bride on the way back and looked down straight ahead at the road.  It was a little better but I don't like being in high places.   It makes me nervous and scared.  

We went down the way we came but instead of turning to get on the road we went straight.

Red worked on learning not to go when another horse goes...walk until I say trot...not when the other horse trots!  He is learning and doing well.  He startled one time at a bunch of grass in a hump oddly enough.  We got to the end at the road and Red had jumped it with Barry leading him.  I can't get off...We are on the hump about knee high over the ditch.  Red doesn't want to walk down the ditch and I wasn't inclined to have him jump.  If I fell off I could have killed myself or I would have never rode again if I got hurt!  I went back and some nice guys opened the gate for me so Barry didn't have to dismount. 

We clanked down the road...one of Red's shoes was loose...it has only been 12 days since he was shod.  We rode for about 2.5 hours.  It was fun and I enjoyed it...except it was very windy.  

We got back and Barry was going to pull Red's loose shoe and jeez...BOTH of his shoes were GONE.  We found one but the other was GONE.  Rita and Paul even helped us look.  Rita and I made plans for a Thursday ride at 2:00 pm.

Took Red's tack off and turned him out by himself in the large portable pen.  We went to Cracker Barrel and then home.  We had a good time.  The kids came over for pizza and presents.  That is always fun.

I did call Dan the Farrier when I got home.  I told him Red's shoes came off and we made plans to meet at 9:00 AM in the morning to put his shoes back on.

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