We have braved the cold and the wet and ventured out ahorseback and every moment has been good for the soul. We have ridden every Saturday and had a glorious Wednesday thrown in. The boys have been easy to catch and ready to roll.
Buster is doing so much better--he absolutely loves Lynn. He comes right to her and although he was extremely head shy when we brought him home, he now likes to have his face rubbed and will put it on you for some attention. He unloads slowly and carefully, rather than barreling out like he was in a stock trailer; he stands still for her to mount, instead of taking off. She doesn't even use a mounting log! She says he's so short and easy to get on and off. He doesn't throw his head anymore going downhill. Ziggy is very jealous and bites at Buster all the time. Her new saddle will be here in a couple weeks and I think it will be Bus who becomes jealous. He loves to go. She gives him his granola bar slathered with marshmallow with some arthritis medicine in the middle and he's ready; however, she says she can tell that it hurts a little going downhill. We are thinking we will pony him and then take him with us camping this summer. Food for thought!
That fat, greedy boy I ride got my finger yesterday--totally my fault. We had stopped in a green grassy area and I pulled out a broken up granola bar for the girls. I don't usually give him the broken pieces from the saddle; if I am sharing a broken one, I do it from the ground and have him take from my palm. Yesterday, I was tossing them to the girls and he was twisted around so far that I thought I could do it, but nope! Even though I had no fingers out, he caught one. It's fine. Just some ripped skin. (Probably a good thing I had gloves on.)
Jupiter was a little high the first days we rode, even wanting to buck for joy. He was tossing and twisting his neck and ready to do a hard trot to a lope. I think he was wanting to be in front of Buster and get to the grassy spot first--you know how he loves to eat! But the last two times we rode, he had other things to think about: being alone and steep hills making him be out of breath.
First of all, we did a little work on them. We split up, went by ourselves on two different branches of the trail, and then came together to met on the lower end of the trail. The first time, Jupes went quite a ways before he stopped and looked back for Buster. He stopped a few times, looking for him. I just sang to him and kept his feet moving down the road. Ziva was with us and everything seemed fine. Haley joined us on a dead run. We turned off the road toward the bottom trail and Jupe started to whinny. He whinnied probably three times--big belly shaking whinnies. I told him, "You don't even like him! What's the matter with you?" :) When we saw them on the trail, he trotted quickly up to them.
Lynn's side of the split was quieter. Buster kept looking for us, didn't whinny and just felt nervous, but didn't do anything other than what he was supposed to do. Although, when Haley abandoned them, Lynn said he got more nervous.
The second time, Buster was in front. Lynn said he just motored on like it was nothing. This time Jupes could see we were not going together and he got balky. He tried a couple times to follow Buster, but eventually did what I asked of him. When we came to the road, we could see them down on the bottom corner and he did not want to get on the next trail and whinnied big time. However, he did what he was supposed to do and we met up at the bottom again.
It was interesting and fun to split up. I have never ridden alone, either. Jupes and I have never had to go for help like Lynn and Ziggy and we haven't ever had to run back to the trailer for a boot and then catch up. (Knock on wood!!) Nothing like that. We have always been with the group. Being apart was good for all of us.
We have ridden in water and mud every one of those April days. It is just running down the trails and pooled up into big ponds. Our get-on rock at the turtle pond has been nearly submerged and Lynn says she has never seen the pond so full. Yesterday, she and Buster rode through pond on what is our normal trail and the water was up to his thighs--not quite belly high--but close. Remember, he does have short legs, but it was pretty deep considering that was our normal trail. We saw lots of turtles and Lynn watched one fall into the pond shell-side down--he must either be the show-off of the family or the klutsy, gomer of the family.
Anyway, we have work to do at home and church to attend, so Sundays have been our off days. As much as I love to attend (and NEED to) church, I am sorry we are not out there right now. It is cold, but it is sunny and beautiful. So when we're retired, will we ride 4-5 times a week and then do our chores? Seven times a week? We need to make more trails! Will our chores ever be caught up enough? At least I won't have to do school stuff. Hmm. Does that mean my house will get dusted? Ha! Probably not.
