Sunday morning, after Possum was fed and ate hay for awhile, I put on his halter and led him out of the paddock and down to Dad's back yard. He was feeling a little rebellious for some reason, fighting me a bit here and there, but I just kept making him stop and listen to me. Then I let him graze for a good solid hour behind Dad's house, and he was happy again. When we left for work at 2:30, he was content with his many piles of hay and his early Sunday "suppah."
Monday, the air was warming up, low 60's, and we had plans for the afternoon to meet up with the girls again for another trail ride on "the Narrow Gauge." I got rolling early, unloading the gear from the car, showering and doing bills, cleaned the bridle, bit and saddle and brushed off the saddle pad, then a quick ride down town to the bank and the market. After a small lunch, I began to get ready around 2. I put on my paddock boots and caught Possum out in the paddock, and he seemed ready to go out and play. I brushed him well and tacked up, and attached the green lead line to the back of my saddle and put his purple camp halter on his head over the bridle. We got down to Donna's around 2:35, and she and Big Mack were ready. She had to get her kids gathered as we were all walking down to Luanne's together. I stayed on Possum for the walk down, and Donna led Big Mack, while her two older kids pushed the youngest in the stroller. On the way down, we ran into Sonya and her three kiddo's, leaving her parents house (who live next door,) and then we also stopped and chatted for a minute with the people who live further down and own the 2 barking German Shepards (plus 2 or 3 little ones.) When we got to Luanne's, all the horses were hollering and running around in the excitement, and while Luanne and Donna got on their horses, I rode Possum into Luanne's little paddock / riding area, and chatted a bit with her neighbor who was out grilling in his front yard. He thought Possum was very pretty (of course!), and asked if he could take a photo. Sure, why not?
After Possum's photo shoot, the other two came into the ring, as well, and we rode around in there for a few minutes, then we got out onto the road and headed for the trail. Everybody was much calmer this time, having only done it a few days earlier, however, Big Mack was still acting a little anxious, and Donna was having a hard time keeping him sane. Luanne was great, though, giving Donna lot's of good advise along the way.
Out on the trail on Monday.
We rode all the way out to the same point we went before, then I suggested we turn and head back, as it took us about a half an hour to get back, and we had been out a half an hour. Donna and Big Mack went ahead, and all three boys began to get a little "jiggy" knowing we were turning for home. Luanne and I rode side by side for a long time, way behind Donna and Big Mack, and that was really cool. Possum was SO good!!
Back on the road, heading back to Luanne's
When we got back to Luanne's, we all jumped off and rolled up the stirrups and loosened up the girths, and I put the reins through the purple halter and clipped the lead line on the bottom ring for the long walk home. Once again, Big Mack was really sad to leave his buddy Cooper, whinnying several times on the walk back, but Possum was all like - "what evs!" We took several breaks on the long walk up the steep hill, and while Mack was sweating all over his neck and back when we got back to the Dodge barn, Possum was all cooled down with just a trace of a sweat on his back and girth when we got back home. I rubbed him down well and let him go in the paddock with a bunch of hay, then fed him half an hour later. He was so happy and proud of himself, I could tell! He was just acting really cool.
Walking back up the steep hill!
Yesterday, Tuesday, the air was even warmer, in fact it reached 70 degrees by the afternoon! I spent the morning doing bills, yoga, going to the dump, and did some work over at Dad's, then got riding Possum around 2:30. I took him left out of the driveway, after we looped behind the house and hopped over the jump, and we walked down to Dr. Doyle's and then all the way down New Road. We took the little logging trail loop on the Downing's land, exploring the little trails back there. Then we walked home. Though he was a bit sluggish on the way out, and I had to keep correcting him to stay straight and forward, on the way back, I let him pick his own pace. Because of the warm temps and his winter coat coming in, he got pretty warm and damp, so when we got back, I did get a bucket of water and sponged off his neck, girth, back and face. Then we went out to our back yard and I let him graze for half an hour. We had been out riding for 65 minutes!
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