DeniseJP
Well-Known Member
Last weekend I was invited to trail ride with a friend and coworker - I opted to take Weatherly even though she and I have not ridden off premises. The weather was warm, sunny and just glorious.
I was a little nervous as Weatherly is a big, strong filly and a bit goofy- my friend has a mountain her horses like to run up and she said even the young horses love to run and they get so tired they can't think about pulling any shenanigans.
Weatherly is also shedding her baby teeth and will not wear a bit (she has an upcoming appointment with the horse dentist) so I have been riding her in a halter with the reins attached. I have not yet ridden her in a saddle so that came along as well.
I got her tacked up, managed to mount and we followed my friend and her Arab up the hill. Weatherly saw the hill, watched Robi start trotting up it and she looked back at me as if to say "You have got to be kidding me!"
My friend had to dismount and lead Weatherly up the hill part of the way and she finally caught on to the following part. She was huffing and puffing a 1/3 of the way up and I had to let her rest.
At the top, it leveled out and she was happy to walk on flat ground. She eventually picked up a trot to evade the big horseflies that wanted to bite her - she even bucked once or twice to get the fly off of her but not enough to unseat me.
We made it back down the hill and I got her back home... my friend was in shock that this was a very green horse as she went more like a well seasoned veteran.
Of course, I got back from my working vacation, tried to ride yesterday in the cooler air at home and Weatherly was quite fresh - she gave her head a side to side toss and up she went on her hindlegs and I bailed (none of that Hi Ho Silver malarkey for me)... but led her back to the water trough to mount again.
Rode Dipper tonight and she is usually angelic to a fault but even she had a few head tosses and bucks for me!
The bunnies are kicking their heels up as well - even Juno, who is pretty calm, was doing half binkies and looking alert.
Darn cold weather!
Denise
I was a little nervous as Weatherly is a big, strong filly and a bit goofy- my friend has a mountain her horses like to run up and she said even the young horses love to run and they get so tired they can't think about pulling any shenanigans.
Weatherly is also shedding her baby teeth and will not wear a bit (she has an upcoming appointment with the horse dentist) so I have been riding her in a halter with the reins attached. I have not yet ridden her in a saddle so that came along as well.
I got her tacked up, managed to mount and we followed my friend and her Arab up the hill. Weatherly saw the hill, watched Robi start trotting up it and she looked back at me as if to say "You have got to be kidding me!"
My friend had to dismount and lead Weatherly up the hill part of the way and she finally caught on to the following part. She was huffing and puffing a 1/3 of the way up and I had to let her rest.
At the top, it leveled out and she was happy to walk on flat ground. She eventually picked up a trot to evade the big horseflies that wanted to bite her - she even bucked once or twice to get the fly off of her but not enough to unseat me.
We made it back down the hill and I got her back home... my friend was in shock that this was a very green horse as she went more like a well seasoned veteran.
Of course, I got back from my working vacation, tried to ride yesterday in the cooler air at home and Weatherly was quite fresh - she gave her head a side to side toss and up she went on her hindlegs and I bailed (none of that Hi Ho Silver malarkey for me)... but led her back to the water trough to mount again.
Rode Dipper tonight and she is usually angelic to a fault but even she had a few head tosses and bucks for me!
The bunnies are kicking their heels up as well - even Juno, who is pretty calm, was doing half binkies and looking alert.
Darn cold weather!
Denise
