Marehaven Farm
Longmont, CO
First solo trail ride on Kelton went great!
October 13 / 2007 09:48 AM Filed in: Kelton | Trail Riding
I've been wanting to do
this for a while, but yesterday I finally got Kelton
out on our first solo trail ride. She did great!
I chose to ride her at Pella Crossing, the trails that go around the ponds behind my house, but I hauled her over to the parking lot rather than riding out from my farm. I figured that had two benefits: first, I wouldn't have to get off to open the two gates in the cow pasture. And second, I wouldn't have to worry about the horses calling to her, although I think she'd be OK with that part. Once the cows are gone and the gates are left open, I'll try riding her right out.
She looked around a lot while I was tacking her up, but I could easily get her attention back to me. So I felt comfortable enough to go ahead and get on, and we set off towards the eastern loops. She was hyper aware of everything and had her head high and ears forward, and she was walking as fast as equinely possible, but she didn't feel spooky or nervous, just alert. We motored around the eastern loops in record time! I love to feel that huge forward walk offered naturally.
We crossed the street to ride the western loops and she slowed down a little, so I figured we could try some trotting. We trotted around a loop, then walked a bit, then trotted some more. She gave me a wonderful huge trot that was so fun to ride! And she listened to my very light requests to come back to the walk. Even though she was very alert the whole time, she never spooked or shied and she was very responsive to my aids. I love this horse!!
I'd like to work up to doing this regularly and doing more schooling on the trail, like walk/trot transitions, flexing/counterflexing, lateral work, etc.. Kelton has a good work ethic and works well in the arena, but she works even better in my front pasture. And even better, I think, on a trail ride where there's always somewhere to go (instead of just around and around).
But I know solo trail riding has its risks, so I'll only ride where I have cell phone service, where the footing is flat and easy, and where there are usually people around. I also want to get an ID tag for Kelton's bridle and make an "identification/contact numbers" sheet to keep on me when I ride. It's so peaceful and meditative to be out there alone with the horse that I think the risk is worth it, provided I take precautions!
I chose to ride her at Pella Crossing, the trails that go around the ponds behind my house, but I hauled her over to the parking lot rather than riding out from my farm. I figured that had two benefits: first, I wouldn't have to get off to open the two gates in the cow pasture. And second, I wouldn't have to worry about the horses calling to her, although I think she'd be OK with that part. Once the cows are gone and the gates are left open, I'll try riding her right out.
She looked around a lot while I was tacking her up, but I could easily get her attention back to me. So I felt comfortable enough to go ahead and get on, and we set off towards the eastern loops. She was hyper aware of everything and had her head high and ears forward, and she was walking as fast as equinely possible, but she didn't feel spooky or nervous, just alert. We motored around the eastern loops in record time! I love to feel that huge forward walk offered naturally.
We crossed the street to ride the western loops and she slowed down a little, so I figured we could try some trotting. We trotted around a loop, then walked a bit, then trotted some more. She gave me a wonderful huge trot that was so fun to ride! And she listened to my very light requests to come back to the walk. Even though she was very alert the whole time, she never spooked or shied and she was very responsive to my aids. I love this horse!!
I'd like to work up to doing this regularly and doing more schooling on the trail, like walk/trot transitions, flexing/counterflexing, lateral work, etc.. Kelton has a good work ethic and works well in the arena, but she works even better in my front pasture. And even better, I think, on a trail ride where there's always somewhere to go (instead of just around and around).
But I know solo trail riding has its risks, so I'll only ride where I have cell phone service, where the footing is flat and easy, and where there are usually people around. I also want to get an ID tag for Kelton's bridle and make an "identification/contact numbers" sheet to keep on me when I ride. It's so peaceful and meditative to be out there alone with the horse that I think the risk is worth it, provided I take precautions!
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