Group Therapy

It was an average weekend and yet, something about it felt wonderful. We rode on Saturday and went up the road and across all our the trail cutoffs. We went backwards around the backside of the hill and we were careful to take trails that weren't too slippery. All the boys did really well--even when they did the splits a little trying to keep their footing. Buster was happy--he got to go and show Shirley how reliable and steady he could be. We all got a little wet from the branches, but it was a good day overall.

Sunday left me feeling very good about Jupiter--he is becoming such a good horse. We rode down to the meadow a different way. We went exploring and ended up near the trashy spot above the steep trail. Everyone did a great job and paid attention going through the brush. I guess Shirley and I flushed out a couple of rabbits that Lynn saw because she was down below us--but we never saw or heard them. We stayed left so as not to go down the steep, slippery trail and ended up on an old quad trail. Lynn says we've been on it before, years ago, but it wasn't real familiar to me. We wound our way pretty far up the mountain until we reached a dead end. When we came down we ended up back on the lower meadow. It was beautiful up in there and the trees were magnificient.

Then we tootled (like that word?) around the meadow and let the horses eat some apples. We went back and forth across the creek. We ended down the west side of the meadow to circle around and come back up and maybe lope a little going uphill (I'm practicing going faster.) We had been avoiding wire and fencing all along the way. Buster had been caught up in some wire earlier and we were on alert. Lynn saw some barbed wire and told us to change direction. Jupiter and I weren't that close to them, so I thought we could go below them to miss it. Instead we ended up in trouble.

I saw it just as Jupiter stepped into it--it wasn't just wire, it was the whole barbed wire fence that had fallen down. One side of it was still attached to standing tree! I made him stop and called to Lynn. I got off and she scrambled up to where we were. I told Jupes to just stand; I rubbed him and kept my voice calm. I rolled the log the fence was attached to toward him so it would relieve some of the tension; Lynn put a limb down to hold the wire down and make him step up and over, while I stood on the one that was loose and curling around and possibly catching his foot or shoe. Then I got him to step forward. He did so well! I am just completely proud of him. Although it was a bad situation--it left me feeling really good. He listened and trusted me to get him out of trouble! We are becoming a good team.

We didn't lope too much up the hill, but I guess Buster showed Shirley she had a horse under her. I am not sure if he was crow hopping or just wanting to bust loose and run--but maybe she'll give him a little more credit and not call him boring as much. He wants to make her happy that's for sure!

So it's Monday again. I have one more volleyball practice, one more game, puppies to feed for three days(my brother's), one more home football game, a boring day of inservice, Halloween to get through, and lots of major projects in all my classes. But, because of my good weekend with Jupiter (and friends), I think I will be okay.