Trail Ride in the Dark

I spent all day at the college trying to get registered! It took about 2 and a half hours and I was ten times more confused when I left. Jeeze, and they told me I start class tomorrow. I’m still in a spin and I have classes tomorrow! I’m taking Spanish and psychology fun stuff right? They were the only things open and I’m 3 days late for the semester.

After that was done Liz and I took the boys out again since it is pretty late and I have to get up tomorrow I’m going to keep this short. I tossed Wynter in the trailer without lunging him. I figured he was pretty tired from yesterday. There were other horses at the water crossing and we pulled off to the side. Liz scooted Alro so he was between Wynter and the other horses. It would have worked if the people would have went by. Instead they went down the stream and we went down the hill to the water. They was ohhing and ahhing our fabios! Liz convince me to pulling out Wynter forelock. I usually tuck it under his brow piece but half way down our first trail I pulled it out. Liz thinks it looks better. He was so flustered by the other horses the water was a snap, he didn’t bat an eye and he didn’t whinny at the other horses either. He had to be sexy and prance out of the water and up the hill though. Just because if there was a mare they had to see how good he looked.

Our only problem of the way was when we were walking though a trail and he got caught on a stick. He Didn’t lift his leg high enough or something because he went with him and the end of it rattled in the woods he went up and over. I went out of the saddle up in the air and back in my saddle. All the while laughing. It was pretty funny. I could sit the guy while he did a back flip I’m sure of it. He is so utterly smooth doing anything. Liz didn’t catch it she just laughed at the sound we made behind her.

After we went through the mud trail which we aced liz took u to the left instead of right to go over the long bridge. Wynter didn’t care at all but he did give the log that was a strange tan color a funny look. It was mainly because Arlo was terrified of it. That is the only bad art about Arlo he is so utterly a chicken.

We went a while and then I led. We took the front and went on a very tight trail up and around the road. Wynter did good he was tense but still forward. Then we hit the car bridge, and Wynter went over it first with out any hesitation. I chose to take the left after and go on the really windy one. it’s a really neat trail as it is very narrow and has a lot of turn but on top of that it goes up and down over tree roots. It’s probably my favorite to canter on.

A few steps into it and I knew we were going to have a problem. We turn around a tree and we have to step down from some roots right into a pit of mud and water. Wynter froze. His breathing quickened and he got tense instantly. At first I figured he was going to jump but then he stepped hid front feet down and then tried to back up. I didn’t let him and made him go forward, he was committed when he stepped down in the first place. So now he was standing like a circus horse with his feet really close together to he wouldn’t get in the mud. I stopped and let him gather himself. He was really huffing and very tense. I didn’t want to traumatize him so I let him come back to reality. A lot of the problem is the rider pushing the horse to fast. How would you like it if you were pressured without being about to think about the consequences or safety of something that you thought was dangerous or scary. You tend to just react and then you never ever want to do it again because it was a bad experience. I think the fact that I let him stop and think help. He was able to relax and take in a deep breath. After that I asked again and he sorta fanned around the mud. I didn’t force him to go directly into it. Choose your battles, he didn’t leap into the air or bolt or do anything stupid he was just be very cautious. Away we went.

We had a few I’m not so sure moments but were able to work though them. That trail is a very hard trail and there were a lot of steps that could be a little scary to a guy. Liz lead and she took us on a trail with no trail. To better give you a picture, it was a trail but then the area was logged so there is stuff scattered everywhere, twigs sticks, branches and piles of stuff. This was extremely hard for Wynter. He had no idea how to maneuver in a place like this. He tried to follow Arlo but that didn’t work and when he tried to do it on his own he chose horribly wrong and got him n trouble with me. That part was when we had to go down hill and he decided it would be better to go off the embankment. I said no way were going the other way. He Didn’t get it and he had to back up the hill and turn. As we went along he started to learn that e couldn’t ghost Arlo every time and that stepping on cetin things was bad and that he had to avoid other things. There was one part where it is quite literally covered in sticks its like they laid then down side by side across the trail. The horse had to walk on then and It took Wynter a second to figure out hoe to walk on them. He was also whipped in the face by a stick that Arlo snapped back. He then thought giving Arlo a few more inches was a good idea.

We went along for awhile and ended up side by side. By the time we were out of there he had a good sense of how to navigate. That’s when I spot a path made by an excavator straight up a hill. And I mean straight up like you have to put your hands by the horses ears, up. I thought it would be interesting to see how he handled it so I turned him up it. At first he was like ok and then two steps up he was like your joking right and stopped. A few taps and he was on his way again. I had to help him navigate as he isn’t the best of picking what route to take yet and he was going very slow. Usually when you go up hill especially one straight up horse bound up it. Not Wynter he had to micro manage it. One step quite literally at a time. Half way up I rein not a stick and had to move it out of the way or it would have hit me. Well, stupid me forgot I had his left rein in my hand when I did it. He was very casual about it. As I pushed the stick out of my way still holding his rein he stopped and bent his head around. I then realized that I was attached to him and let his head go. Sorry buddy keep going and he away he went. I think he stopped 3 times going up just because he wasn’t sure where to go. Once at the top Liz was like that was really hard for Arlo. He is used to the momentum and he had none following Wynter. I was so proud of him, he did it all by himself with out a lead horse.

Liz passed us and we went up and around and then went down the sand hill and back up the sand hill. Wynter thought that was silly. Its good for his back legs! Then Liz suggests we trot. So we both Jog. Wynter wasn’t happy about having to work while trail riding. Liz and I were surprised with there strides. They were matched stride for stride there rhythm was great! It was neat and we were both thinking driving.

We did that for a while and made a really neat turn and the Liz lead the way on the new water trail. Which is basically a 3rd trail toward the water tank. It ends at the other side of the tank that Wynter wouldn’t go near yesterday. Since Liz nor I had been on it since it was brand new it was neat to ride on. It was a lot longer than both of us realized and when we got to the end Alro stopped. He wasn’t sure about this angle on the water tank. It took Liz a second to make him go and then Wynter seen it. He shuffled but actually put him nose in the water today. Break through!!! We stood there and then the boys nose at each other. Arlo licked Wynter and then that to rinse his nose out splashing his nose in there water and the Wynter nosed the water and whipped his lip sin Arlos mane. We were obviously quite entrained by the boys. And do I ever mean boys, mares just wouldn’t do that.

By then it was almost 8 and getting dark quickly. So we headed back and that was the first time Wynter seen deer. There were actually on Arlos side and I turned Wynters head to her could see them. By the time it registered he was in front of Arlo. It was a herd of then 5 does and Wynter thought it was neat but could have cared less. His ears went up but there was no change in his body unlike Arlo who was about to blt it they attacked. We walked off and it got dark on us. We took a few trails and then just walked the road all the way back to the truck. It was good to ride him out there when it was dark although Liz and I wre freaked out. The wind tonight was plain creepy and then there was the fact that we swore we saw a UFO. Satellites move side to side across the sky this thing was moving up and down and didn’t blink. It freaked up out to the max.

Walking on the road back Wynter was a little more alive. Most likely because I was a little freak out with the UFO thing and secondly everything changes at night time. He had to stopped when he hit the car bridge, the bushes on the sides were very scary but Arlo walked over it. I assume it was because he knew that the trailer was on the other side somewhere. We walked down the road even further and Wynter had to look at every pot hole, we wasn’t afraid he just had to drop his nose all the way to the ground when he stepped in them.

When we go ton the main road it was darn near black out and Wynter decided he had to Whinny for some reason. I have no idea why as there was no hint of other horses except for Arlo. It was very odd it came out of nor where. Not sort after we were un tacking at the trailer. I was very very pleased with him today. He learned a lot and took the challenges in stride. I was riding him along when I looked down at his and all his hair. Who else can ride there 4 year old stallion on the trails like this?