Going Bitless

Sun Aug 7, 2005

No horse show today (thank goodness), but ended up taking Quzqo on a nice long trail ride with the resident trainer at the barn. I WAS going to go out by myself and head West, but she was going to go on a ride, ponying a gorgeous lacy-framed overo gelding she's training, and heading East to the lake. Sounds like fun to me!

Today I had the treeless Bob Marshall on Coos (because it's so hot, I didn't want him to have to tote a lot), and my new "New Spirit" Bitless Bridle that arrived the other day offa eBay. I did take him on a short test drive Friday evening with it, and he did pretty good once he figured out what it meant (pressure in new spots, no bit, etc). So today we went on a real ride.

He was still tired from yesterday, poor lad, so that was a plus. We did some riding along a busy county road, not a spook or flinch, the trainer had more fun leading the 3 yr old Paint along the road...luckily it was only for 1/4 mile or so before we cut off onto a residential road. Quzqo was FASCINATED by a guy on a riding lawnmower...I swear, Quzqo's feet were moving forward with his head still pointing backwards, keeping an eye on that guy, LOL!

Had a bit of equine stress when we walked down a two-track alongside a big fenced pasture full of rambunctious young TWHs, they were running back and forth along the fenceline with us... Quzqo has issues with horses charging towards him (gee, wonder why), but once I got the trainer's big QH & the Paint between us and the youngsters in the pasture, he relaxed a bit.

Into the wonderful deep piny and oak-y woods thereabouts, the locals had carved out a fun, interesting winding up-and-down and round and round trail through the state forest there, really kept a horse on his toes (all 4 of them)! Quzqo did SO good, and was so responsive to the bridle, and very relaxed. I was thrilled when he'd bolt forward to play catch-up, pressure
with the bridle got his attention and slowed him right back down to where I wanted him. No head-tossing, no fussing...he got so relaxed he began to walk along the trail with his nose practically on the ground, sniffing along like the biggest bloodhound in the world!

We ended up at a trail campground on a lakeshore (small weedy inland lake, good for fishing and not much else), but since it's a horse camp, they had big horse-access areas to the water. Deb, the trainer, wanted to see if the Paint would go into the water, he hadn't done that yet...eventually she was able to lead him in, and while the horse she rode got a drink, the Paint stood up to his knees & kind of crowded into the QH for security.

Quzqo wanted no part of the water (no surprise there), and after a couple of Drama Queen attempts to go the opposite direction, surprised me by turning and walking right up to the edge of the water, gave it a sniff or two, then walked right in! Frankly it scared me a bit, I once saw a man on a QH at that very watering spot, go further out and hit a deep hole, both he AND his horse went under! (they were all right, but I have a fear of being under water, so...)...Coos kept heading out until he was knee-deep (granted his knees aren't very tall), and the little booger started pawing and SPLASHING away, got Deb and her QH soaked, LOL! He'd plunge his face into the water and flabble it around with his lips, then paw some more, BIG splashing flailing horse legs, Oh, he had a GRAND time! Yeah, well, I also know (and have seen) horses will do that cute splashing with the foot thing right before they LIE DOWN in the water, and no thank you! Deb got some photos of him being adorable in the deep water though (that woman has a digital camera with her at all times, I swear!)...hope I get to see what they looked like, LOL!

Reluctantly we left the water, I was very pleased...Tezlu wouldn't go NEAR that water, maybe get a hoof in or two wet, but that was his limits (although one trail ride he did cross a swift-flowing river that came up past his belly!). Uneventful ride back to the barn, but again, I was impressed at how calm and relaxed he was with that bridle. At no time did I feel he was
fighting me or stressed. And after he stuck his face in the lake, I was happy it was biothane, LOL! Who cares if it gets wet! And when we got back to the barn and I removed it, NO hair loss to the nose! Hooray!

This week is the county fair, so the barn will be deserted all week. I'm going to see if I can organize some evening trail rides for the ADULTS with horses there, LOL! Will be kinda nice!