Sun Sep 9, 2007
Is to count the leaves stuck in your tack when you get back to the barn!
Yeah, I did it! I went on a trail ride this afternoon, yaay me! Went with a relatively new boarder to the barn, a nice lady, my age, with an ADORABLE little QH mare (that Bob sold her)...bomb proof, easy-going, sweet little jog trot, the woman loves her! I was happy to be able to show her the trails, because she'd never been off the barn property, not knowing where to go.
She'd been at the barn for 3 months, but like I'd ever seen her, duuh. I guess I did a few times in my crutch-hobbling, but it's nice to be able to interact with folks again!
Quzqo was HELLISH! I had to keep reminding myself he hadn't been on a trail ride, or really even RIDDEN since May 11th. Never mind that yesterday I drove him for about 45 minutes, with lots of trotting in deep dirt in the outdoor arena (and he did VERY well). It's a whole 'nuther thang under saddle!!
I got to use my new Kimberwicke bit and at least THAT works great! Not as harsh as my cowboy pelham, but more kick than a snaffle! I rode Coos a little bit in the indoor arena to see how he liked it and how my ankle liked the stirrup of my trail saddle. The horse liked the bit, my ankle did NOT like the stirrup, but tough!
The fun began when I opened the arena gate and TRIED to get Quzqo to go out...trouble is, I only got it maybe 3 feet open, and didn't WANT to try to squeeze through that small a gap...I wanted to open it further, but SOMEbody wanted to go OUTOUTOUTOUTOUUUUUT!!! And SOMEbody was VERY displeased when I told him "no", we have to open the gate more! VERY hard to do on a prancing Arabian (I SO admire those trail folk who can negotiate the gate obstacles...truly I do! I'm the only one at the barn who can't do it!). "Lisa" went ahead and went outside the barn through the opening, I thought maybe I'd TRY to see if we could fit through there w/o smashing my left knee on a wooden post, but Quzqo wanted to RUSH through...no way...so I was trying to hold him back, the little shit was REARING and lunging and rearing some more, I pulled him in some tight circles, tried to get back to the gate to pull it open more, he REARED up and then BUCKED! LOL! I spun him around and made him walk AWAY from his beloved gate and go around the indoor arena. Oh, was he pissed, snark!
Lisa came back and managed to open the gate ALLLL the way open, so there was a nice 12 foot opening, & I made Quzqo STOP half in and half out until he settled down. He did, and off we went!
Yeah, my ankle let me know what it thought of all that nonsense, but nothing I couldn't handle. I was glad I had my helmet on my head, and a whip in my hand though!
I tell ya, it felt like May, 2004 all over again!! Seriously!
We did a little trotting on the fenceline away from the barn, I could sit that okay w/o jarring the ankle, that's good to know. No MAJOR spook-fits, just plenty of minor ones. I just reminded myself that the horse hasn't been on a trail ride since May 11, so it's understandable. The driving doesn't count, since he had blinders on, lol! I was tempted to go back and put his driving bridle on...that might be the way to go!
Thank God for Michigan's suck-ass economy and the bursting of the housing bubble!!!! That big plot of hardwoods that last spring was plastered with "No Trespassing" signs and surveyor's stakes and that was destined to become a housing development has been literally abandoned!!! All the "No Trespassing" signs had been removed, the surveyor's stakes were faded and fallen over, the big swath they'd cut through the woods for the road was grown over with Mullien plants and brambles...nobody'd been there in months! Hoorah! That means we could ride through there again, ha! (Yeah, I've got my priorities straight! Thousands are unemployed and broke, but *I* can ride through some woods, hoorah!))
We still rode along the roadside though on the way out, and no major incidents despite the cars & trucks that went by. Saw what was left of a road-killed deer in the ditch, that was kinda gross, but the horses didn't care.
Eventually we made it to the Michigan Shore-To-Shore trail (about half hour ride normally, 45 minutes with Quzqo) and did some more trotting and cantering on the wide, flat dirt road! LOL, poor horse had a hard time cantering, he's so out of shape...those cantering-with-rider muscles are all flaccid and weak!! I discovered if he takes his right lead, it doesn't bother my ankle at all. If he takes his left lead, it bothers my ankle...a LOT! (Yes, I tried both leads). So, have to remember...right lead only for a while! You wouldn't think how much your ankle is involved in riding a horse until one hurts it. LOL...I tried posting...didn't even get one post. Forget THAT nonsense for quite a while! Ouch!
We made it to my favorite little trail bridge that crosses a small stream, got over that and as soon as we turned around, the horses went nuts about heading BACK! Thankfully Quzqo is too out of shape to go galloping off, he settled for trudging up the hill, puffing as he went, LOL. He needs to turn in his Arabian Membership Card...he's a disgrace to the breed! A fat, puffing Arabian! Who ever heard of such a thing!! Tsky!
Coming back we cut through those afore-mentioned hardwoods, having to make a few little detours as they'd piled fallen trees across the trail to deter people from using it. Horses, being the ultimate all-terrain vehicles, had no problem cutting through the trees and going around. That's where I got those leaves stuck in the saddle, LOL! In fact I had a fairly long thin branch caught under my left fender and up through the leather keeper by the pommel, LOL! THAT took some doin'!
Made it back safe with no further harm done to horse nor monkey! My ankle was an odd combination of numb and screaming pain, my butt was VERY sore, my legs will be equally sore by morning I'm sure! But it was worth it & we're already planning to go again next weekend!!
Sure feels nice to be TIRED again!!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment