Today Duck got to learn what it was like to be a "real" horse! Some real trail work finally! YEAH! We went on our first trail ride in North Carolina to Latta Plantation! It was a savvy trail ride with some other savvy club members (crosswise and Becky B). Lisa (Crosswise) was so patient when Duck was unconfident about the trailer. It took about 40 minutes for me to gain her confidence enough to load her. She did get a bit of a scraped nose on one of her quick exits from the trailer! Lisa was so nice that she unloaded both her mules so that I could put Duck on first because Duck was unsure about them and the trailer!
It was a very HOT ride! It hit about 100 degrees outside (so much for the forecasted rain) while we were out! Duck was quite RB at first because of all the commotion at the trailhead. She settled in some after some playing on the ground. The shade and the breeze helped cool things off some although the humidity was quite high! We had one decent spook at the "monster" rocks where she spun around quickly but it wasn't difficult to manage. Those are the times that I miss Kira my trail loving and well trained mustang! It is so hard sometimes to go back to a green horse!
By the end although we didn't go too far in the heat Duck was exhausted both mentally and physically. You could just see how tired she was! She was almost in a full body sweat even though we hadn't done more than walk and stand! Definitely her emotions were high because there was a lot going on all around us! When we got back to the trailer we played again for about 20 minutes with the trailer. Duck was much more confident this time and loaded quite well.
Her trailer issues are my fault (but not totally). The last 2 times she has been trailered have involved lots of stress considering she had spent the majority of her life in Illinois at one farm. Last two trailerings have been:
1) from Illinois to North Carolina
2)From my last barn to the new barn in the new barn's trailer and with the barn owner
I don't have a trailer to play with so the only times she's gone on a trailer was throwing her world upside down and just getting on and going! Last time moving her to the new barn (at the first of May) she was unconfident getting on the trailer. I went to shut the gate of the farm and talked to her and she whinnyed a ton at me. It was almost like she was saying "where are we going now? I am scared? Will I be ok?" I think she has had so much trauma from moving and not going back to the same place. When she got back to the barn today she was quite excited because her pasture mate was out in the pen and calling for her and quite on adrenaline. I thought she was going to jump out the window of the trailer! I untied her and threw the rope over her back to let her out. I wasn't about to get in the way of that! I think she was excited that she came back to the same place again for once!
All in all it was a great first trail ride. Not too demanding physically, but mentally she really had to tune in and we did a lot of little stuff and some sitting around too which will help with patience!
Looking forward to many more trail rides to come!
Here I am on Duck in the shade of the trees
Duck heading back home to the barn
Lisa and Buster
Becky and Jake. Aren't these mules the cutest ever? I think so. The really funny part is they pretty much match Duck's color too! We were triplets today! One of them even has spots! More than Duck!
Duck Ear view. I think she has way cute ears!
2 comments:
What Fun! I hate that I missed it. I plan on being on the next trip though!
Lisa, I love being able to keep up with you and Duckers. Glad you've gotten some ride time in.
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