It's Nice To Share

Sunday dawned gloriously with a clear blue sky, gentle-ish breezes, and a "warmth" not experienced since sometime in 2008...if you want to call 50 degrees "warm". In these parts, we do.

I got out to the barn a little later than I'd intended, thanks to a 3 mile walk with the dogs. I didn't mind exhausting myself because the good thing about driving a horse is it's a sit-down activity with very little physical effort on the human's part! Perfect for an Easter Sunday afternoon!

It's always a good sign when the horse is waiting by the gate for you, and comes out on his own, and patiently waits to have his halter put on, then entertains himself by smooshing his goobery slobber-lips on the back of your shoulder as you lead him to the barn. A bored horse is a horse that'll most likely enjoy whatever it is you're going to make him do!

Quzqo just about snored through his grooming, content to be adored and have attention lavished upon his glorious self. He's shedding quite nicely, and even though most his winter fur is gone, he hasn't shed the winter blubber...but we'll work on that!

It's not my imagination that as soon as I began putting the harness on, he perked right up. Before I got the breast collar secured, he started tossing his head up and down in the cross-ties, and when I was fastening the breeching, he began pawing at the pavement with a forehoof, getting himself all nice and wired up! Goody!

Got him harnessed, got him hitched up without too much of an issue. As I started leading him down the aisleway he started to pull forward and I had to slow him, imagining what'd happen if he got loose and tore off, flashing back to that infamous YouTube video of the runaway Fine Harness Arabians!

Before we got out the door...I heard a close-up CHAINSAW begin to roar! Bob was cutting firewood up around the side of the barn! Oh, jeezum crow, he couldn't WAIT 5 minutes??? It stopped after a few seconds and we burst out of the barn, the horse high-headed and ready to explode, if he knew he could (cart shafts have a somewhat calming influence because he knows he can't really go anywhere sideways). I got him calmed down and pointing the right direction, and at that time Bob noticed us and let me know he'd wait 'til I was done to continue. Thank yew indeed!

Happily Quzqo stood rock sold while I got into the cart...we had, um, issues with that the previous year. He stood for maybe 15 seconds before deciding we'd stood long enough, and started walking off. I got him stopped and made him stand for another 30 seconds until I wanted to move forward. Back to square one...almost!

I took him off into the side pasture to warm up and evaluate if my life would be in danger should we go out onto the road. He was perfectly fine, pulling strongly, moving forward with enthusiasm. Why wouldn't he be, this was something he obviously enjoys!

Out the driveway and onto the road! Being Easter afternoon, traffic was extremely light. I think the horse knew what was up and immediately began dragging his feet, plodding at a glacial crawl as we left the barn behind us. I just enjoyed the blue sky, the birds singing in the leafless trees, the clip-clop-clip-clop. That kept me happy for maybe two minutes, I could walk faster than that on my own! Amazingly, some gentle flogging with the whip reminded Quzqo that he CAN walk as fast as a human, and maybe even a little faster, and he kept that brisk walking pace for longer than I figured he would!

We turned off of the main road onto my 2nd favorite dirt road, and there I got him into second gear, a GREAT enthusiastic TROT...he even managed to get himself a little excited and shied sideways as we passed a scary flag on a flag pole! He trotted on up, up, up the gradual incline before gravity took its toll and he slowed back down to a walk. I almost felt sorry for him, but I know it's not safe to get out of a cart, so sorry, Quz, I have to stay where I am while you do all the work!

We passed soooo many temptingly-close beer cans on the roadside...I need to find a kid to ride with me who can jump out of the cart and pick up cans, I could have made 50 cents on that road easily! Maybe I can attach a small hook to the end of my driving whip, so I can hook the cans from the cart and put them in a bag attached to the seat or something...I'll have to work on that. Hey, what can I say, I'm my father's daughter!

Quzqo was a trotting MANIAC! I never get that much trotting out of him when I ride! I think the new shoes make a difference, if it's more comfortable for him to trot, he's more likely to do more of it! We did about a mile on that dirt road, then turned North onto another paved road, and trotted maybe half a mile on the nice wide shoulder. I stopped him, and dug out my cell phone to call a friend who lives nearby, as I wanted to surprise her with a visit!

Well, they say talking on the cell phone while driving is not good. I can attest that talking on the cell phone while driving a HORSE is also not good! Unlike a car that will stay obediently parked on the shoulder, a horse will feel slack in the reins as one fumbles with the phone, and take that opportunity to start walking off into the road and changing direction all on his own! I doubt my friend felt insulted by my sudden ending of the call as I stuffed my phone back in my pocket, took the reins in both hands and tried to stop Quzqo from walking back to the barn down the middle of Reynolds Road!

I got him stopped and turned around, to find a bewildered motorist stopped up the road, waiting to see what was going to happen next!

We got back on the shoulder and turned down my friend's road, with the car slowly tailing us, not sure (I assume) if he should/could pass or not. Eventually he did, his slow creeping pace actually spooking Quzqo!

I've noticed that...when cars/bikes/people slowly creeeeeep past the horse, it's more worrisome than if they just go by at a normal speed. Probably a predator thing.

Quzqo trotted on down the road, preferring the pavement to the gravel/dirt shoulder...as I said, he must love those shoes! Only a brief in-motion spook as somebody's large brown dog ran wildly at the end of its dog trolley in the back yard.

Our friend, Pati, met us in the driveway, after dashing back in to bring out an Offering for Himself...a nice orange ORGANIC carrot! Quz was game, he didn't mind having to trot approximately 4 miles to get a treat, and managed to scarf it down, never mind having a bit in his mouth!

Pati hesitantly got into the cart, muttering "this is scary!", and we headed back down the road at a pleasant walk. After a few minutes I asked if she wanted to "go fast", she grabbed ahold of the side rail and said "sure!". Quzqo took off at a nice trot (he's SO good with verbal commands!), and whaddaya know, it's FUN, not scary!

We went past the big brown dog, this time it sort of ran on its tether but didn't bark, and the horse didn't notice. We got to the Lake Ann Elementary School and headed into their big parking lot where I handed Pati the reins! LOL, she was surprised, but was game, and did a fairly decent job steering the horse...managing to turn him at the last moment before he headed into a snowbank! She drove him around the lot and out back onto the road towards her house!

Quzqo chose that moment to spook at a shadow, which about gave Pati a coronary, and she quickly handed the reins back to me! We trotted past the brown dog for the third time, and he just sat there and looked at us....old hat by now!

Once back at the house Pati brought out some maple sugar and offered Quzqo a lump in the shape of a maple leaf...THEN I was offered a piece as well. It's only fitting, the horse did do all the work! It was wonderful sugar...I thought so anyway. Quzqo spit his out on the ground! Twice!

About that time I think his patience was wearing thin, he KNEW he was pointed back to the barn, and didn't want to stand around in a driveway being fed strange-tasting treats. We said our good-byes, and back onto the road, heading home!

It's unusual to see that much energy in a Quzqo, and since he was willing and able, I let him go, and he trotted nearly a mile and a half down Lake Ann road on the shoulder, just floating along, eating up that road!! I think we made it back to the barn in record time! He even had some sweat under the breast collar...not easy to do in 45 degree weather!!

Unhitched, untacked, brushed down, and settled into his clean stall with a warm bran mash to occupy him until his dinner would be served, I thanked him again for a wonderful drive, and thanked him for not killing me! Every day should be as pleasant!