Trail Ride with Friends Today...

My blog rides are going to be out of order...but that is okay.  Nobody will remember by the time they move on to the next one, including me.  :-)

I had a plan today...to get a short ride in so I can hit the 200 mile mark for the year in the Distance Derby 2013!  I was less than a mile away...woo hoo!  I had already promised Tripp I wouldn't take him because he worked very hard the past few days.  Just ask him...he will tell ya!  Ha ha!  I was going to take Wy out this evening so our chances of meeting other horses was minimal.

I got a text from a friend...she and her daughter were headed to the conservation area and they wanted to know if I would join them.  YES!  I warned them I was going to be riding Wyoming and things might be a little tense, but I can quit early and head back if I needed to, and they can enjoy their ride.

I got there a bit earlier than them because I wanted time to knock the mud off Wy, let him graze, and let him settle down a bit.   We pulled in and there were 4 trailers...most with horses attached.  Wy was very interested!

WYOMING:  "Oh look, a few of my closest friends!"




WYOMING:  "Oh look, a few more of my closest friends!"






The mud is starting to dry up, which means it is starting to wear off and I can see Wyoming's legs!  Yep, still brown to black to white.  Some people have been hosing their horses off...not me.  It is thick stuff and would take a soaker hose to get the job done.  I don't think Wy would like waiting that long.  He has a mud trench to walk thru to get from point A to point B so it would be back on in no time at all...we will just wait for it to wear off. 

WYOMING:  "Oh look, there go a couple more of my closest friends.  They are also my parking lot neighbors for the day."

WYOMING:  "Oh look!  Another one of my closest friends is here!  Hey Boone, over here Bro!"

Boone, the dark colored horse is like a mini Cyde.  He is amazing I and fell in love with him the first time I met him.  Ruth, his human, has been jumping him.  Ruth is adjusting the girth on Joe.  Joe is a big layed back paint horse...neat dude!  Patty is a shorty...isn't that the way it works?  The shorty people have the tallest horses?  :-)

And we are off...not far from here is when Wyoming got scared from something (don't know what) and he bolted right past Patty and Ruth!  It is safe to say I had a freak out moment; I was mentally fighting with myself to stay on or bail off; the one rein stop was in my mind but so was all the other junk that is also called insecurities.  Wy stopped and turned to face the girls.  Holy smokes!   At this point my biggest fear is him doing that and taking off thru the woods....oh, and falling off.  Ha!  Anyways, I don't want to get taken out by a branch.  Ruth asked if my girth was good just in case it happens again...I hopped off to check...all is good...got back on and away we went.






Checking out the lake...

Patty and Joe coming up the hill to the mud crossing...

Patty and Joe past the mud crossing...





Ruth and Boone took the lead and were heading up the hill...






We followed the road part of the way back.  Footing was better for Joe.  I love when all the rocks are kicked out to the side and ya can ride on the road a while...

Ruth loving on Boone...

After the ride we took care of our 'kids'.  We did 7.4 miles today and it was beautiful out!  A lot of other people thought so too. 

 


My Distance Derby 2013 miles are now 206.5 as of today.  I am so thankful for the person/s that started this, and the volunteers who keep track of everything.  If it was not for the Derby, and me tapping into the competitive side of me that I knew was there but was missing a while, I would not have ridden in January or February...and maybe March.  :-) 

Today's ride was good for Wyoming and me both.  Problems:  Wyoming is very worried about what is going on behind him.  He is constantly looking out of his left eye behind him...then his right.  He goes back and forth and I know his mind isn't okay right now.  If something would scare he him would jump or charge forward a couple steps.  He was on edge the whole ride and didn't try to sneak a sprig of grass or a branch or try sniffing mystery manure until we were almost done with our ride.  I was actually happy when he tried!  I knew he had one small moment of peace.

Problems:  Me...dang, when a person is dealing with fear and lack of confidence, and they start to work thru them and things are better, that is good.  But when things start happening and the bad stuff inside my head starts chipping away at the good - that is bad.  Every time Wy would jump at something I found myself going 'fetal.'  That totally throws me off balance and it will get me tossed off if I don't get it back under control.  The ideal situation would be for Wy and I to work it out and to never have a spook or have a mini bolting moment ever EVER again!  Ha ha!  But that isn't realistic...even the best most seasoned horses have their moment.

I need to find a way to get into Wy's brain and help him to be okay.  I need to do the same for myself.  I mean really, how is a crazy lady that is nervous supposed to help an insecure horse?  :-)  One step at a time I guess....we will work thru it.  I need to prove to him that I am his rock.   

In spite of that it as a great ride today.  I am so glad they called me to ride.  They are very fun to ride with!

Until later...Karen and Tripp who is impressed that I kept my promise because he is pretty amazing and it is hard to pass up something that good...  nicker snort!