What a fabulous ride today!!! Lorna B (owner of the appaloosa mare) and I met up this morning at 9:30am and headed out on a mission to find a nice trail to ride. I was concerned about how Herki would behave considering being in a strange place. We saddled up and I walked up the road a bit to the sandpit where the horses were immediately exposed to loaders, dump trucks, and escavators (even one that was digging and moving rocks). After the initial nervousness and some tender words, the horses moved right past the moving escavator and out into the big open field of green grass. We gently rode through the field and to a paved road that we heard had a trail at the end of it that we could get on. When we reached the end of the road a cable stretched across the entry stopped us, momentarily. We stopped and discussed whether we could get around it. Lorna seemed game. So, we delicately went around the cable on onto the trail. There were several mucky spots where the horses sunk in the mud. I stopped a couple of times to ask Lorna is she was okay and to encourage her to let me know if she was uncomfortable with any part of the trail. Herki, who generally hates to lead, lead the whole way. Eventually, I stopped, got off, and called DH (friend who owns a horse at the other end of the trail that we were on). She had just sat down after spending the morning cleaning the house. I convinced her to saddle up and meet us so that Lorna and she could meet because they are so close to each other that they could hook up all the time to ride. One we met up with DH and her horse, Lucky, Herki felt the need to posture a little. The mare has been in heat and Herki had his "girlfriend" all to himself until today, when this big studly appy gelding came in to the picture. The first moments were a little sketchy but they eventually worked it out. As long as we kept the mare between us, all was well. We rode for a little bit, the three of us, and then Debby headed back towards home and so did we (my butt was beginning to hurt a little and we had been gone about 3 hours). As we were approaching the barn, Herki began prancing again and I decided to direct his energy to see if he would give me a sidepass across the road if I asked. HE DID!!! BEAUTIFULLY! Once we got back we unsaddled and stood at the tailgate of my truck for a bit, resting. Then I got out my hoof tools and did Herki’s hooves while he was tired and more willing to stand still. Lorna and I are a perfect riding pair because she doesn’t like cantering. Neither do I. I will do it but only uphill in an effort to help Herki become more comfortable with it.

Lessons from today: learn to, more often, redirect Herki’s excess energy when he is inappropriately directing it – like prancing when the footing is slippery.