Biscuit is coming along in his training

Kellie took this picture!  I am taking a picture of the mushroom.  That is Heath with me.

Cheeky Mushroom

In the back of the park

Back by Hildebrandt Bayou

Can you see Hildebrandt Bayou?

Kellie and Elan

Lee Ann B met me at the barn to go riding with Kellie and her neighbor, Heath.  Lisa was out at the barn loading up Cash Kitty - she was going riding at the park with Helen.  Biscuit and Sarge ran off when I opened the ramp - I had to go out in the field to get him but he walked up towards me.  He is such a good boy.

Lee Ann and I loaded the trailer and took off.  We got to the park and tacked up.  Kellie suggested we ride in a different place as Elan seemed a little bored with it.  I told Elan he needed to suck up - we all have to work at jobs we'd rather not...I still have to wash clothes, grocery shop, cook dinner, etc.  His job was to haul Kellie where ever she wanted to go.  He is such a funny fellow.  He was hoping I had a treat but I am fresh out of treats.

We went into the woods and around to the bayou.  Elan took my talk to heart and was moving out.  We went down and across the bayou bridge and rode to the back.  We saw a turtle that was moving fast.  Who would have thought a turtle could go that fast?  Biscuit was pretty darn sweaty.  Poor guy...it was hot today.  Like 79 degrees.  There was a breeze blowing thank God.  It seemed like spring time today.  Lots of green out...didn't seem like the dead of winter!

We came around to the bayou bridge again and stayed on the south side and went up the bayou there.  Just a different ride than the other side.  Lots of ups and downs.  We saw a little armadillo piddling along.  We came out on the road and walked across the bridge and Elan spooked at something but it was a little spook...more like a startle.  We went down the ditch and back into the park...Biscuit was lower than some branches but I wasn't!  Back into the woods and to the right.   We rode around and through one of the entry places we could see Lisa, Helen and Laureen.  We stopped to look at the funniest mushroom.  It looked like someone's backside!  We walked over to the center of the park where we used to park.   Biscuit and I trotted over to them at a fast pace.  We visited with them and then headed back to the stable.  Biscuit and Elan were cantering beside each other - Biscuit was going a little faster than I want him to go but he was doing a great job.

We slowed and stepped on the road and my horse was LAME.  OMG  a few more steps LAME as he could be.  I got off in the road and picked up his front left hoof.  OMG huge rocks in the frog area and in the right hoof too.  I tried to mount there but he was wanting to walk off after Elan.  I walked him over to the stable road and then mounted.  I don't want him to ever walk off and think that is ok.  I had 8.9 miles on the Garmin when I got there.

I wanted to work on the "walk off from other horses" skills and ask him to walk towards the woods.  He started out ok and stopped at the water dept driveway.  We did some backing up and he went forward.  Got to the edge of the house and he turned out and was backing up.  We backed up quiet a bit and turned around and a little forward...backing up and going forward.  We got into the trails and he stopped again and it was circles and backing.  He finally went and we did the back and forth thing.  He did well and finally walked over to the brush area where I have made him go at the end of the training session!!  LOL  He was telling me "I did my job - can we go now?"  hahahah  He is so funny.

I took his tack off and rinsed him.  He was filthy.  I didn't have a scraper with me - darn!  At the barn he dropped and rolled - he was again - FILTHY.