They were out in their pasture grazing when I drove up. I shook their feed bucket and jiggled their treat bucket. Here they came - good as gold. I dumped a little feed in each bucket for them once they were in the corral and shut the gate. I haltered Biscuit with no problems. Good Biscuit. Whatever was his problem before is gone or seems to be. I haven't tried to go out and halter him in the pasture but him coming in for a little treat is way easier than walking out in the dang pasture.
I walked him up to the front and loaded him up. We hauled out to Tyrrell and unloaded after having to reposition the trailer so the ramp was level. I tacked Biscuit up before Kellie got there. He had his little boots on looking so cute.
I gave him treats along with some for Elan. I gave Kellie her Christmas presents. She liked the silhouette portrait of a black horse and the picture frame for a pic of her horses. I got her two Christmas ornaments but I couldn't fine the nurse one. I think Ava put it on the tree! I will find it when I take the tree down. I also got her a 3 pack of Burt's Bee's lip balm with color.
I asked her to hold Biscuit because my legs were so freaking stiff. I got mounted up and off we went to Cattail Marsh. Some people were just arriving and held the turnstile open for us. They were bird watchers with a huge camera. It was beautiful weather and so nice to be out. We got down to the bayou and went to the right just a ways - turned and went to the bridge across Willow Bayou. We crossed and went to the right. Going down past the bog I saw a good sized fish tail - and then other parts of a fish - the head of a gar with some nasty looking teeth. A hawk must have snagged it out of the water and made a meal of it. We continued down to the bayou and across the back. We got to the little bridge and went right to the water. Had never rode to that little point. It is no more than 20 yards - someone had made a fire right there.
We went on down the other side of the bog and I kicked Biscuit into a canter which he didn't hold...he kept dropping it into a long trot which is too jarring at this time for me. We tried a few times and gave up. We got to the corner and Elan stopped to pee. Kellie kicked him into a canter and passed me and I kicked Biscuit into a canter but he hit gallop instead. He came up to the left flank of Elan and Elan swung to the right with his hip and then kicked/bucked up with his left leg....woo hooo....it missed my knee by about 2 feet I am glad to say.
I was trying to get Biscuit more to the left and slow him down LOL we came to a stop and laughed a bit and told Elan he was a big jerk. LOL like he cared! We went on to the bridge and went down the other side of Willow Bayou because it had been cut. Such a gorgeous day to ride. We got up to the gate and we had planned on turning around but we decided to go around the little gate. It is extremely narrow with a steep drop off but Biscuit made it - the ground wasn't soft like the last time we rode there. We crossed the bridge and went back into the park. We stopped at the entrance into the woods but neither horse was interested in the going through the water so we went back to Cattail Marsh and rode down that way. We went past the gate and looked for a place to cross in the woods.
I took Biscuit up a little rise and into the woods. Ugh. I could see a little gully/ditch and then his right foot sunk into a soft spot. I started backing him up as it was too tight to turn around. Biscuit had to go down the little rise into a ditch area that was soft. He turned on his forequarters and crossed the little ditch. He was a little fritzed out. Soft smooshy places are not his idea of fun. We went down to the area behind the canal that runs back through the golf course area looking for a place to cross. It was very soft and Biscuit was not thinking it was a good idea. We didn't know how soft it would be and didn't want to risk sinking the horses up to their bellies so we turned around. Coming back up there was a trio of folks who could hold the turnstile so we kicked into a little canter and yelled for them to hold on!! They hugged up the Biscuit - he is so funny - he loves the attention now. They held the gate for us and we went through.
We did try to go into the trails where the new ones have been blazed but it is still freaking muddy as all get out. We came through the park and were right at the trailers when Biscuit started shying and going sideways, backing up and snorting, turned around and was ready to bolt. I couldn't see what he was freaking out about - nothing that wasn't there before and that he hadn't see a million times.
He whirled around again after I turned him to face what he was upset at and was a stack of bricks that was covered with a tarp. He was all bunched up to bolt. I turned him again and was talking to him. I called Kellie to come hold him so I could dismount. I didn't want to fall in case he was trying to take off while I was dismounting. He was still snorting and blowing - Kellie said the whites of his eyes were showing because he was genuinely scared. I walked him up slowly to it and rattled the tarp and got Kellie to hold his reins while I went and got some treats. He ate some treats off of the tarp and so did Elan. He saw that it was nothing - I had tacked him up beside this today and 2 weeks ago. He walked by it last time we rode and this morning. Who knows what freaks them out?
I took his tack off and hosed his legs off. He was a bit muddy. Kellie and I sat and drank our cokes and I ate a can of pineapples while she had her Lunchable. When we were through we loaded up our horses and headed home. I unloaded Biscuit and I left the Brenderup at the ranch.
Kellie took this picture of me and Biscuit and I snapped a picture of the scary stack of bricks....
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