The Toddler Trail Ride

Sun Apr 17, 2005

Y'know, when you see a group going out on a trail ride with toddlers, you ASSUME they're only going out for an hour or so.

WRONG!

I'd been riding Quzqo for an hour today, then hitched up with a big group of boarders/the barn owners heading out for a fun "little" ride, just to get some trail miles on Quzqo. Not only were there two tiny kids along, but also one of the boarder Moms, let's just say she's a large woman who doesn't ride...which convinced me it was going to be short.

WRONG!!

Although we didn't do the whole 9 mile/3 hr loop, we were still gone for over 2 hours, up and down the nastiest damned hills around there, across the Scary Trail Bridge, up the rutted narrow hill, and the way back was a "short cut" which was basically brush-poppin' through the woods. Most the horses were absolute NUTCASES, Quzqo included...and I didn't have my whip and had my English Saddle (which seems to be pretty damned secure, since I didn't almost fall off once!). We were constantly trotting to keep up, if I tried to make Himself do something He didn't want, we put on a dandy little show of rearing and spinning...Thank GOD for Running Martingales, LOL, his little brown ass was MINE, even without a whip to apply to it, LOL! He couldn't get away with nuttin' cuz he couldn't get his head up to avoid the bit!

There were green horses on the ride, seasoned veterans, old fogeys (one of the tots was riding him, his bony old butt reminded me so much of Tezlu's, *sigh*, Quzqo even kicked the barn owner's horse in the ass, LOL! Later in the ride ANOTHER horse (also a grey) kicked his horse...nobody liked that horse (a HUGE bay tobiano gaited horse, very kewl but fat). Fortunately I was able to keep Quzqo from his usual blind GALLOP UP THE HILLS (love that martingale), but the little turd decided any log across the trail was for JUMPING. Well, I did have the JUMPING saddle, after all. We came to a TINY ditch, I mean, maybe 6" down, about 3 feet across...you think somebody could just walk into it and out? NOOOO, we had to put on a BIG Drama Queen spectacle then LEAP the damned thing! I didn't have time to get into a forward seat, but we made it across all the same, and impressed the others on the ride, LOL...little shit, he's got some power in that rear end of his!!

He was a moron, the other horses were morons, by the time we got back the horses were soaking wet with sweat (was a beautiful day, high 60's), everyone moaning in pain, LOL. A good time was had by all!

Gee, I wonder how it would have gone if I'da LUNGED him first...Hmmm.