Trail Ride from Home!

Gia and I rode up to the arena today - it's only about 2/3 miles round trip . She was a bit pokey out of the gate and up the first hill, but she warmed up and was super!

We rode with C on Cowboy -- and had Skip the dog along to make exciting things jump out of bushes. Gia took it all in stride!

I used a D-ring french snaffle and she was much less responsive than she was with the shank/snaffle bit C let me use on Sunday. I may try a few different ones.

The Bob Marshall Treeless was great ... Gia didn't blow up on me so I didn't have to stop and tighten. She seemed very comfortable in it, too. That Skito pad C gave me is great. Thanks C, and sorry it didn't work for you (kinda).

And the best news of all was I got on and off without causing myself any bodily injury. (yea)

Don't laugh, it's paid for!

Gia popped up into the 2horse straight load for her five miles of back roads with no problems!


It's like outside... but it's in side!

Gia was awesome in the inside area at C's house and only had eyes for the pinto in the next pasture.


Yes, both ankles are shot, but I'm in the saddle!

So today I loaded Gia up in the hillbilly trailer and she was a champ! She ate & pooped just like she was at home!

We got to C's house and turned her out in the inside arena, then groomed and saddled her then lunged for a bit then I bit the bullet and got ON! She was awesome! I was the only one with any issues... all in my head (ok, and some in my ankle). C rides her too and boy is she lovely under saddle. She carries her head and neck just beautifully. She needs some junk in her trunk, but a year from now I bet she'll have it!

So, C decides that she, S and I should all ride just down the road and back.

In my wussy wussy way, I decide I'll just walk her down the road to see how she handles the few cars and the crazy gelding across the street... not to mention the scary scary wabbits! So I walk to the corner of the road for about a 1/2 mile ... Gia's a dream. So I figure I'm getting on for the walk back. So I get her next to a rock to get no. Naw, she wasn't gonna sidle right up to it so C offers to hold her while I get on the "old fashioned way." Sounds good. I put my bionic leg (that's my left one) in the sirrup, grab a hank of mane and pull up.... OOps. not enough mane. My leg is too weak to hold me, my left hand slips and I fall back on my right leg, twist the crap out of it and end up on my ass. Gia glances down at me without moving a muscle and looks at me as if to say, "um, why are you down there?"

I get up and state that I know from experience this is NOT a break! Of course I need to get on still ... 1) because I cannot give up and 2) I cannot walk back on my own legs. We get Gia back to the rock and I mount. She walks back to C's place with zero issues.

And so I end up at home, hobbling to bed to ice, compress and elevate for four hours of chick flicks. The Hubby ain't happy. He has to feed tonight.

It's swollen and bruised but I'm thrilled... I think Gia is going to be perfect.

Perfect!

Trail Walk Deux

So, today Gia and I followed C. on Cowboy out & about today. She was good at gold. I wanted to actually toss a saddle on her and see if C. would try her out, but Someone in the pasture has been biting her and she has two swollen spots on her back area that were bad enough she winced when I put some stuff on them. (It's a medical term, Stuff.) Anyway, I figured there's no problem waiting and I don't want her to have any pain or discomfort the first time she's ridden in a year (or more!)

We peeled off from C and Cowboy ... Gia whinnied (read: cried & screamed) a couple of times but then she was fine. When we got closer back to home she heard George (the rooster!) and recognized his crow and she whinnied -- and sure enough, Missy answered her. She wanted to pick up the pace at that point, but as soon as I reminded her she was stuck with a gimp, she simmered down!

The weather was perfect. In the low 70's and so sunny! Good day!!

Escape Artist?

So this morning my DH goes to leave for work (it's still dark out) and Gia is standing across the street munching weeds by our neighbor's fence.

He comes and gets me and I go down to get her in... she comes right to me and goes in fine. I then scour the fence - the top wire is about 4.5/5 feet high. Nothing wrong along the fence line and all the gates are shut tight. The two other horses are still contained.

Hmmm... it's a mystery! I wonder how she got out???

Lunging

So C was kind enough to lunge Gia for me and she did well ... she has done this before we think!

We did WORK today!

Well, work might be a stretch but we sure as hell did SOMETHING!

It started with my saddle (first time!) she just stood there like, "oh yeah, one of those things - crap."



Then we met up with friend, C, and walked (leading horses) to the neighborhood arena that is up the road about 1/2 mile. Gia was somewhat reluctant to leave her new best punching bag, Cowboy, but that was brief. Once we were off the road and on the trail, Gia was happy as a clam. Very alert, but not spooky at all. She walked by a flock of teenage turkeys like they weren't there. My broken leg kept me from really going very fast, so I was having to keep slowing her down. She wasn't rushing, just stepping nice and quick. She is going to be a blast to ride!

Here are some shots of her waiting like a good girl while C worked Chunky Morgan.


To be continued ..............