trail riding

So I took Pip out for one of our first alone trail rides. We'd gone alone over the winter, and about a mile from the barn he stopped and grew roots. Would not move for love or money. I'd had to get off and lead him down the trail a way, then we had to practice standing for mounting. So I was a little concerned that this would be a similar day. I was worried that he would actually remember the location of the last full stop.
But he was great. A little spooky at the chickens, and really keen to see other horses, but for the most part, he was fine. One lady with tiny annoying dogs off the leash did come close to losing one of those dogs, but Pip contained himself. Normally he is quite aggressive towards dogs, and has been known to attack them. Happily, Henry the pug lives to annoy other trail riders!

I have to say, I have dogs, and I love to go out in the wilds and let them off the leash. However, they do come when I call, and I do not let them approach strange people or horses, if they are not on the leash. It makes me crazy to see people who let their dogs offleash, and have absolutely no ability to get them back on again. This lady started calling her dogs to her when she was about 100 yards from Pip and me. Those dogs *never* once went to her. They ended up walking my me (with Henry barking) while Pip and I stood on the trail. Madness!

Ok, back to Pip and me. So we walked a lot, because I think I was a little more worried than he was. But we did trot a bit, outward it was a lot less energetic than going home. We even cantered a tiny bit, but he was on alert, and seemed to feel more comfortable trotting, or just walking quickly.

Overall it was about an hour and a half, along the ditch, then over two bridges, and into the woods near the river (we call that the Bosque, here in NM). He went right through the water, jumped alittle jump, it was great. It's the first real trail ride I've had alone on him, and it was fantastic! whee!