Flying

Like a painted wild mustang
Flyin' out across the open range
Finally gets to live her life that way
No fear, no fences, nobody-no reins.

Okay, to non horse people, this will sound strange-today, I felt like I was flying. No joke. But I'll back track a bit. 

Last night I got an invitation from A to come out and ride with Am, C and herself, mom was also invited, of course, but she wasn't sure if she'd be able to come. But, I sent her a message back and said YES! Name the time. She responded, I responded, blah blah blah. Made plans for 11 to go out to the fruit & berry patch and ride.

So mom ended up coming, woohoo! We got there, found the ponies, took them to the barn, tacked up and I walked outside the barn with Redman. A had a friend there with her two granddaughters, probably around 3 and 10ish, Red was the perfect gentleman when the youngest showed off her bravery and cuddled him but the older one was more timid around him. She ended up warming up to him once she saw that he wasn't gonna go anywhere and even hopped on him for a minute. :) Red has his moments, but times like that make me realize what a good and versatile horse he is. Once she was tired of Red, she hopped on Patches and Am and I chilled out with our ponies while we waited for C to tack up Lady.

Annabelle is really gaining weight now! Very happy about it! She was diagnosed with EPM awhile back and her owner, Am, was distraught. She, being an older horse, took it fairly hard but she's come out of it now and has made very good friends with Redman!

As all of y'all know, last weeks ride was really, just blah. Red was good, so so good, but I wasn't. When I woke up this morning, I was bound and determined to have a stinkin' awesome day. NOT going to have a repeat of Sunday. 

When I got there, I told myself that no matter how awful Red may be, I'd keep my chin up. Well, he wasn't awful. ;) 

Once we were on our way, we quickly discovered that the only way to get there from the farm other than the busy road was going through some limbs. It was a tiny treeline but still no fun to get past. Lady went out first then Red went behind her-he was pretty much stuck to her the whole ride, lol, he's got a mare issue...too many girlfriends, Red!! Despite what I thought he would do, he got to a trot and went straight through like "no biggy". We went around the trails, Lady and Red decided to race so we let them. I kept Red at a trot because, uh, never cantered, lol. So C kept Lady at a trot as well. Red won. Oh yeah! Quarter Horse vs. Tennessee Walking Horse. She looked prettier, though, haha!! No stumbling!!  (But I still think Red is better looking all around!)

We passed a few people getting pumpkins, one guy decided to yell right as I was about to walk past so just to scare him I decided to take off and burn some rubber, LOL. Take that, annoying teenaged guy who tried to spook my horse in skinny jeans. Take. That. ;) I really wish  I had gotten a video because his over dramatic flinch just cracked me up! I did a video like five seconds after that. Enjoy Red's mane billowing in the wind.

So after we ran around them, we continued the race. We ended up finding more woodland type trails  with a huge fenced in yard filled with goats and a dog, Red decided to go all cattle horse on me and literally tried to herd the goats. :)) Lol! We went around a pond and Spirit gave it the hairy eye. Red just wanted to catch up with his girls. He had no interest in anything other than Lady and Patches at that very moment. ;)

The ride was actually uneventful, no spooks or anything. Red and I ran almost the whole time and he barely broke a sweat, so cool outside. I made him take breaks so he wouldn't hurt himself or get over-heated but he is no longer classified as the lazy horse that would never even trot. I was told that he REFUSED to do ANYTHING BUT A WALK. And he was true to that until a couple months ago. He just feels so much better and that makes me feel good.

We went into the most beautiful trail ever, surrounded by trees and it was so dark and cool in there.

 

 

We ended up back in our own trails about 45 minutes later. Mom and Spirit were having issues so she turned around, went back, possibly walked him a bit. He's sound now, no issues but he'll have to have shoes. We're having really bad barn sour issues now and if any of y'all have tips mom would love to hear them. He's perfect everywhere, but the moment he knows he's near the barn, he acts like the devil child!

So everyone but mom went out to the huge 10 acres. I warmed Red up and took him up and down the hills. I thought I felt him want to move into a lope but I slowed him before he could and was like, "What in the world?" Keep this in mind-the only horse I have EVER cantered was the slowmo Western Pleasure Horse of my cousins, who's canter was like a cloud. Red's felt like, well, nothing like that and I almost thought he was bucking. I took him back up the hill and gave him an extra squeeze and whadya know? We lope! The first time, I was terrified. The second time, I was laughing hysterically at his cute little attempt at a lope, lol. As usual, it was fast.Red's gait is always fast. It was fun, though. Better than his trot but it still felt like he was almost trying to buck? It's  hard to explain....this was probably his 15th time, MAYBE, cantering under saddle. And he's 11. Mom came back and I yelled at her, "I FINALLY CANTERED!" and my witnesses told her I was actually doing it that time. ;) She always said that I'd never be able to sit it. ;) Take that, mom.

Pretty boy after the fun lope.

 I did it a few more times just because I COULD. That just made my day. We officially took the next step in our riding and I'm so happy. I felt like that was a hurdle I'd never get passed. To y'all, it probably seems like no big deal, but my fear has been the one thing stopping me, add on everyone saying how horrid his canter was, how he hated doing it, hated doing more than a walk and that I'd never be able to sit it, that just increased my fear. I don't want to make him do anything, but then, that was all him. He feels so good and he wants to do his best for me. Honestly, it took him just DOING it without a warning to make me realize that I was fine. Just like the trot. :)) Next step, galloping.

We rode around for at least another 45 minutes before we went back. Before I untacked him I asked mom to get some photo's of us since I had none of me actually riding.

He is LICKING me in this...

 

Red was pretty sweaty by the time we got to the barn so I grabbed the hose and gave him a little bath after I untacked him. He seemed to enjoy it quite a bit and never seemed to mind the water at all.


Got him tied again so I could put his tack away while mom was in there with Spirit. Came back and he was doing this:

Sleepy boy!

Then I had to scoot his big booty out of one of the horse's way and he looked at me all innocently:

"I totally was NOT sleeping!"

We took some more photos and I gave him a peppermint:

 

Nothing else to say so I shall say toota-loo.