Thinking about going in and then in!
India did fine on the 20 minute ride to the Hitchitee. Windy has hundreds, if not thousands of trailer miles, and is an old pro at riding in a trailer. She's a good choice as a baby sitter for India's first long ride.
Two summers ago we taught India to load in my step up, stock trailer and she went for a very short ride with Z, Elaine Olmsted's gelding. Katie will be hauling her to the clinic in the Taj Mahorse, which is slant load like Jenny's. My stock trailer is also a slant load.
Anyway, after being unloaded, India was very calm. She was interested in the world that is not what she's seen before, but mostly because she realized that a large part of the world is covered in grass. GRASS!!! It's a horse's dream, even if if the grass is dead, winter grass.
India stood calmly tied to the trailer while we tacked up. We rode down the dirt road several miles, crossing the scary, long bridge high over the creek and trotting a good bit. No action pictures because I was too busy rubbing and petting her neck the entire time as we trotted along on the buckle. India took it like a champ. She did not spook, she came down to a walk when asked and she trotted, trotted, trotted! She really worked up a sweat and it's obvious that she's not (yet) an endurance horse, but she had a lovely time. She moved off my leg, she leg yielded across the road, she trotted on past Jenny and Windy and did not suck back wanting to stop (of course I was using leg to urge her forward cause an ounce of prevention is a smart thing), and once when Windy trotted out of sight around a corner she did not get upset or even increase her speed.
We also cantered! She settled right into several canters, all on a loose rein and she came down to a trot or walk every time I asked. We got to the church and turned around. Pictures from there.
Jenny on Windy
Note how Jenny"s shirt matches Windy's brushing boots on her forelegs. It's always good to accessorize with your horse.
Me and India
And then we headed back to the trailer and India was a star. It's interesting what did catch her attention, although she never spooked. She found the metal gates with the "road closed" signs that the Forest Service has up on the fire roads and the water in the ditches on either side of the main road fascinating. Both are sparkly. The signs have reflective material in them while the ditches have quartz rock and the water that had collected in them glistened. She didn't spook, but she took long looks.
Picture of the two of us before I untacked her and she loaded back nicely and we returned to Katie's.
Also done today: visited Gwen and trimmed more off Drifter's front feet from where his toe has gotten too long and then when I returned home, I drained the water trough, scrubbed it well, and then groomed Babe. She's developed the Dreaded Rain Rot along her spine from all the snow and wet weather, so I took off the crusties and exposed the skin. Babe rather enjoyed the good rub down and then I pulled out the miracle stuff, Shapley's M-G-T and rubbed it well into the affected area. I predict the rot will be gone in just a few days.
Babe was shedding like crazy. Ralph's about to start and Asia's not started at all. Ralph's got the thickest coat while Asia's is the thinnest, so this doesn't surprise me. Now, if it will just stay warm! I would love for the worst that winter has to offer to be good and over.
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