First Ride of the Three
Well that was disastrous.
We had an amazing ride yesterday. I walked. The Goblin Child rode Jerry. 8 rode Lady. Everyone was very well behaved. We walked to the mailbox and back. The Goblin Child gaited all over the place and had a blast. 8 wanted to try Jerry. He got on once we were home, asked for a gait, got a canter. It scared him but no one fell off and it was good in the end.
Today I thought I would get on Rusty. We could ALL ride for once! No riding double. No walking alongside trying to keep up with the horses.
I brought them all in. It started out great. 8 did up his own cinch. TGC hopped on all by herself while I was getting ready. 8 wanted me to pony him but that was fine. Lady was wanting to toss her head and he had the little episode with Jerry the day before. I couldn’t blame him for being a little nervous. It’s funny how they’ve switched places. He used to be the brave one, hopping on and taking off while she wanted to be ponied.
I got on Rusty with the total contact saddle. Put my foot in the stirrup for the first mounting attempt and pulled the saddle clear off the side. Re-saddled and tried again, bareback style. Once on all the horses were off.
Rusty was tossing his head too. He and Lady were matching each other, rotten for rotten. Jerry was doing good, but she was wanting to go too. Unlike her plodding along of the day before. I blame it on the cooler weather.
8 hopped off first, while I struggled to hold Rusty still. He held Lady’s lead while TGC and I rode off. Or attempted to. Jerry said no thank you. She’d rather stay with her friend Lady.
I hopped off, grabbed Jerry’s rein and insisted that yes, we were leaving Lady. After that she was fine. But I was on the ground with the equivalent of no stirrups and no way to get back on. Besides I wanted to be able to grab the reins if Jerry decided she wanted to zip off again.
So much for getting to ride WITH the kids.
We went back and picked up 8. After forcing him to get back on we walked around the barns and they were done.
Oh well. I didn’t get to ride with the kids. We didn’t all three get to ride together, but we did all get out with horses. That’s a start. Maybe next time.
