Outstanding ride
Yesterday Shilo and I went out amidst a slightly cold and somewhat drizzly day. Marty was going to come and ride Ruby, but she decided she wasn't quite that determined to ride and bowed out due to weather.
Shilo brought Chick, her pale palomino QH mare, who was extremely fuzzy. Kash became quite excited seeing them pull up and actually got Ruby going a little bit. It's quite impressive to see a draft trot with that much elevation! Kash was quite a show too, his Arab neck arched, ears brushing against each other and tail curved in an arch that mimicked his neck. He was light on his feet with flared nostrils and the occational blow to emphasize his enthusiasm. I worked him in the round pen for several minutes before saddling him so that he was calm and thinking rather than tremendously distracted by Chick's presence.
Tacked up we loaded the pair into the trailer and headed off. There were two other women out, both on good-sized warmbloods (one was a grey oldenburg, the other a bit of an unknown, but interesting because he was a pinto grey and still showing a fair amount of his old dark coat), and they left shortly after we did.
It's amazing, because there can be more than ten trailers (and large ones at that) crammed in the parking lot at the San Tan Mountain Park and you never see a single person out on the trail. There's a lot of trails and a lot of space.
We headed off to the Southwest and took the broader trail. Poor Kash just doesn't have the walking stride (or refuses to give it to me ...) to keep up with Chick. However, his trot will defiantely match her pace. We walked out for a ways and picked up a nice trot for several minutes, still managing to carry conversation as we rode. Further in the trail narrowed and proceeded to swing South and we roamed up and down hills, or, rather, the ridges that make up the rise to the mountains themselves, for about a half hour before the trail started to make a slow loop back to the east. Had we more time we would have taken it to the end, but we finally flipped around and headed back downt he trail.
Kash did much better than he did the day before (Mom, Dad, and I took out Kash, Dakota, and Toby respectively) with Mom, apparently he kept on trying to charge up and down the hills. It didn't take much to keep him in check and remind him to use his haunch rather than running out. He was very much the gentleman that I know he can be on this trip.
Once we made it back to the broader path we got them up and moving. I tried cueing for the right lead, but Kash was too concerned with Chick's retreating form to listen to it. We went for a ways at a rather exhilerating pace until I pulled him up. Shilo heard me (made sure to say "whoa" quite loudly) and pulled up Chick. "Let's try that again on the right lead." Shilo agreed, and was actually surprised that Chick was smoother on the right. After one or two tries I got Kash thinking about his feet and he picked up the right and we moved out at a nice clip.
Kash and Chick got a little competetive and I don't think Kash liked the fact that I kept him to the side, if not a little behind Chick. He kept pushing into my hand, asking for more so that he could move past Chick, but I kept him back.
Man I haven't had the chance to ride like that in a long time. Shilo's one of the few people who is willing and able to do something like that with me. Just to allow the horses to open up and, for the most part, let them go. Feeling the strength, power, and joy as the wind rips past and the movement of the horse beneath. Allowing such free and reckless movement, stretching forth and reaching for the sky with each stride. Devouring the land as it comes and heading to the horizon.
After the "Brisk Walk" (as Chris likes to call it) we wandered around at the trailhead to let them cool down before crossing over the rail and detacking. The women we saw at the beginning were ending their ride as we were cooling off and we got to chatter a bit before loading up and heading back home.
Tiem to munch breakfast and work some horses.
Shilo brought Chick, her pale palomino QH mare, who was extremely fuzzy. Kash became quite excited seeing them pull up and actually got Ruby going a little bit. It's quite impressive to see a draft trot with that much elevation! Kash was quite a show too, his Arab neck arched, ears brushing against each other and tail curved in an arch that mimicked his neck. He was light on his feet with flared nostrils and the occational blow to emphasize his enthusiasm. I worked him in the round pen for several minutes before saddling him so that he was calm and thinking rather than tremendously distracted by Chick's presence.
Tacked up we loaded the pair into the trailer and headed off. There were two other women out, both on good-sized warmbloods (one was a grey oldenburg, the other a bit of an unknown, but interesting because he was a pinto grey and still showing a fair amount of his old dark coat), and they left shortly after we did.
It's amazing, because there can be more than ten trailers (and large ones at that) crammed in the parking lot at the San Tan Mountain Park and you never see a single person out on the trail. There's a lot of trails and a lot of space.
We headed off to the Southwest and took the broader trail. Poor Kash just doesn't have the walking stride (or refuses to give it to me ...) to keep up with Chick. However, his trot will defiantely match her pace. We walked out for a ways and picked up a nice trot for several minutes, still managing to carry conversation as we rode. Further in the trail narrowed and proceeded to swing South and we roamed up and down hills, or, rather, the ridges that make up the rise to the mountains themselves, for about a half hour before the trail started to make a slow loop back to the east. Had we more time we would have taken it to the end, but we finally flipped around and headed back downt he trail.
Kash did much better than he did the day before (Mom, Dad, and I took out Kash, Dakota, and Toby respectively) with Mom, apparently he kept on trying to charge up and down the hills. It didn't take much to keep him in check and remind him to use his haunch rather than running out. He was very much the gentleman that I know he can be on this trip.
Once we made it back to the broader path we got them up and moving. I tried cueing for the right lead, but Kash was too concerned with Chick's retreating form to listen to it. We went for a ways at a rather exhilerating pace until I pulled him up. Shilo heard me (made sure to say "whoa" quite loudly) and pulled up Chick. "Let's try that again on the right lead." Shilo agreed, and was actually surprised that Chick was smoother on the right. After one or two tries I got Kash thinking about his feet and he picked up the right and we moved out at a nice clip.
Kash and Chick got a little competetive and I don't think Kash liked the fact that I kept him to the side, if not a little behind Chick. He kept pushing into my hand, asking for more so that he could move past Chick, but I kept him back.
Man I haven't had the chance to ride like that in a long time. Shilo's one of the few people who is willing and able to do something like that with me. Just to allow the horses to open up and, for the most part, let them go. Feeling the strength, power, and joy as the wind rips past and the movement of the horse beneath. Allowing such free and reckless movement, stretching forth and reaching for the sky with each stride. Devouring the land as it comes and heading to the horizon.
After the "Brisk Walk" (as Chris likes to call it) we wandered around at the trailhead to let them cool down before crossing over the rail and detacking. The women we saw at the beginning were ending their ride as we were cooling off and we got to chatter a bit before loading up and heading back home.
Tiem to munch breakfast and work some horses.