Red and I go on a trail ride!!!

Margaret invited Red and me on a trail ride! I was so excited. I got up at 5:15 Tuesday morning and was out the door at 5:40. I filled up my gas tank and away I went. Barry had hooked up the Brenderup from the night before. I got out at the barn around 6:00 AM. I got Red out and gave him his food while I put my tack in the trailer. I brushed him and got him out to load up. I wanted him to just walk on but he is not ready for that yet. I am going to work on that. We were out of the gate at 6:35 am. I drove at 60 mpg to Kirbyville. The Brenderup travels so well!!! Woo Hoo!!!! I had no problems getting to Margaret's house - the hills weren't any problem.

I got to Margaret's and got Red out and Ronnie put his shoe on him and we got him saddled up. We hopped in Ronnie's truck and away we went. We got to the site about 7 miles from their house. I got on the side of the trailer to hop on and away Margaret and I went. Red was rearing to go!! He usually acts like he has got a tractor tied to his tail except on the trail!

We rode for quiet awhile and Red was so much fun! He started sweating up a storm - he was hot and humid. We pulled over for a rest and the little white mules started throwing a fit!!! LOL They were something else. They can really move out - the horses were trotting to keep up with them.

We stopped for lunch at Margaret's. We put Red and Cub under the shed and I gave him water. They were too hot to drink at first. We had to wait about 2 hours to go again because some people wanted to go get their trailers. A man came and asked me about the Brenderup so I gave him a "tour" of the Ice Cream Stand.

When we started again I was up near the front and Margaret said come back behind the wagons. The wagon went by and Red leaped forward and tried to get away from me. He didn't! LOL He isn't afraid of the wagons either. Goodness...he was all up in the KoolAid of the wagon blaring music! I changed my reins from the leather ones to the soft cotton ones. My hands were taking a beating. We started off in front of Margaret's house and came to the little tiny ditch. Red was hesitating and then LEAPED over it. Good grief...I was almost unseated.

Margaret said I rode well...I said that I used to be a really good rider but I am lacking confidence. She said you are getting it back. I am working on it! We rode down rocky roads, sandy roads, gravel, asphalt type roads and Red walked in water. I had to encourage him a few times with my spur (very gently - it doesn't take much). Later he would willingly go.

I pulled into a drive way to let a truck go by and Red started prancing sideways and I was trying to get back to the road and he didn't want to go through the ditch (this was before we started going through water!) and I didn't want to spur him and cause him to jump in front of the truck. LOL he backed into a yucca plant and I think poked his butt. LOL He pranced down the side of the yard and I was trying to get him out of the yard! He was about to blow up but I was talking to him that he was ok. Margaret grabbed him at the end of the yard by his halter and led him out. He got a little excited but he was ok. He did really good for his first trail ride and it was my first real trail ride!

It was so hot and later my legs felt like lead and my nether regions were saying "didn't you give up childbirth 18 years ago?" We stopped for a rest and the mules again threw a fit. I gave them a wide berth. I was tired and Margaret said I could ride in the wagon and I said no...not just no but hell no! I wouldn't dare get in that wagon with those little white mules!

At the end of the ride I was pretty exhausted. We rode to this private ranch and loosened the girths on the horses. Margaret fished out a protein bar and water and I ate that. I was sick to my stomach almost from heat and I had sweated about 9 gallons of water out!!

The Cowboy Church fed everyone a wonderful dinner and everyone was so nice. I really enjoyed myself so much. Ronnie came with the trailer and had dinner with us and later we went back to Margaret's house.

I took Red out of the trailer and led him to The Ice Cream Stand and got out his dinner. He dug his nose in that while I untacked him and put his saddle in the trailer. I walked him over to the wash rack and he was digging into his grain. We gave Red and Cub soap baths and curried them. Red was rinsed off and Margaret gave him an alcohol sponge bath and we rubbed a icy/hot linament on their front legs. Red wiped his mouth full of crumbly grain across my chest - it looked like baby poop.

I scraped him dry and loaded him up in the trailer. I hugged Margaret and off we went. I drove at 50-55 all the way home. Red unloaded like a dream...not even on his toes. I was taking him down the main barn aisle and he let out a little strangled whinney. That boy can't talk!! He rarely is vocal. I put him in his stall and his evening meal was waiting. He nosed it once and turned around and stretched out to relieve himself. I am surprised he had anything to relieve from...he has sweated so much it was pouring off of him.

He was so pretty and shiny when I left. He looked like a million bucks. All in all, we went about 14.5 miles! WOW. I have NEVER rode that far before - even when I was a kid I never rode fore 14 and a half miles. We are ready to go again!