We survived the first trail ride!

[ChestnutArabianMare]

I went on my first trail ride with my horse today and she was very good, especially considering she’s a young, nervous Arab and I’ve had her for 3 months! Her old owner had her out in farm fields but this was her first real trail ride and first road ride.

We went out with a couple of experienced riders/horses, rode on the road for about a half mile and tolerated cars, trucks w/ trailers, motorcycles, someone banging tools in their garage, a for-sale sign and landscaping boulders (why are those scary when garbage cans and road signs are not)? Got to the dirt road, survived a baying hound that ran out at us with just a little scoot.

She walked, jogged and trotted very nicely in company—didn’t care if the other horses left her behind or I asked her to trot ahead a little. She led, followed and brought up the rear. The bad? She tried to kick another mare but missed by a mile and we had a little CTJ session. We also learned she has an amazing sidepass when going by scary objects.

We turned around to head back to the barn, and maybe five minutes later she started getting squirrely—carrying her head to the left and shaking her head like mad like a bug was getting her. Eventually she started prancing and turned into a little bundle of nerves, so I got off and led her with her halter/lead to calm her down. Look over a minute later, and her bit is out of her mouth and dangling next to her nose.

The Chicago screw on the bridle must have been unscrewing and she felt it—no wonder she started acting weird if her bit was starting to fall out! She led very calmly back to the barn.

Bless her heart, life have been crazy and I hadn’t ridden her in a couple of weeks, although I had been doing groundwork. Tack her up, hop on, do a couple of laps around the field to get the wiggles out and she did great.

[Pocket_Pony]

Congratulations!!!

[GotMyPony]

Good for her and for you, too, for staying calm when she got squirrely. Nice to know she had a reason for it - and it sounds like her reaction was actually pretty mild under the circumstances. She obviously trusts you and that’s the biggest part of the game right there. Many more happy trails to you!

[AKB]

Good job.

if the acting up on the way home persists, you may have to find trails that don’t just go out, turn around, and go home. Some horses do better if most of their rides don’t involve turning around to go home.

[ChestnutArabianMare]

Thanks, everybody! We’ll find out for sure next time if the squirrelyness was bit-related or heading home related. The trail is a loop, but we elected to turn around on a good note before we went by the cows and goats (also a new thing for her).

[imaginique]

I remember those days when I had my Chestnut Arabian Mare. She’s been gone for almost six years now. I am a little jealous. Congratulations on your ride!