March 27th Trail Ride....

Most people I know who love horses, also have horses in their lives for therapy!  Me too!  :-)  I have been wanting to ride but things keep coming up.  Well, I was a mental basket case, knew storms were coming in, and darn it, I needed to ride!  So I planned a short ride to the lake and back.  I was happy to see we had a couple of small water crossings...we have not had many to practice with.  Across the creek and up the hill we go....it doesn't look like it from this angle, but it is a pretty steep hill.
 

There is a section of woods that caught his attention last time....he wanted to take the shortcut thru the woods, and we have never ever been that way.  Same thing this time around....it was a battle of wills to get past what I have dubbed "The Haunted Forest".  Not haunted as in scary, it is haunted as in the forest casts a spell on Tripp and he thinks he needs to go that way....he would stop, he would go backwards, he would stop again.  I said "Okay, you want to go backwards, we will go backwards...the other way!"  Ha ha!  So I turned him around and we went backwards a while.  It turned into a training session and was fun!  We were backing serpentines along the trail....on purpose!  Ha!  We would turn on the haunches to face him the right direction again....if he did not go forward, I would turn around and we would back again...we would zig zag around the sapplings close to the trail...anything I could do to keep his mind on me.  We FINALLY made it to the lake!  Whew!

A couple of people were fishing on the other side, and we just stood up there a while and watched...everything and nothing...  The look on his face here is what he did the whole time we stood there...I think he was happy to get out.

On the way back we battled the Haunted Forest again, then finally made it to the big hill.  I usually walk him down the big hill because I don't want the saddle to scoot forward on his shoulders.  And when I walk him, that gives us time for self portraits!  Woo hoo!

This is a view of the lake thru the trees from the steep hill.  It was a very pretty evening.

Water puddles everywhere!  And lots of grass and flowers to go with them!  Yay!  Spring has sprung!

Okay, the last big hill, but this one is not as steep as the other.  At the top of this hill, around the corner and across the edge of the field is the road.  You can either ride the road to the parking lot (not far) or go across the road to stay on the trail to the parking lot (also not far).

I don't know why I put this picture here....I think it is because I like the way the sun is shining on Tripp.  He has such pretty eyes.  I sure do love this guy!

 Tripp and I both are out of shape, so a short ride was a good ride.  A great reward for Tripp is to let him eat grass for a while before we head back home. 

What you see here is the storm cloud line...and this is why I needed to hurry and ride this evening!  :-)

We had a very nice ride, and according to the GPS thingy it is a little over 3 miles round trip.  I have walked it several times and judging by the time it usually takes me, I think the distance is pretty darn close.  Good distance for a short but good ride.

Until later....Karen and Tripp who are springing this Spring!