WW: Hunter Pace Shots

The Perfect Trail Ride

I've been a blogging slacker - training for that ride was getting me moving (but now we're out... more to come).

Back to the trail ride... OK, maybe it wasn't so perfect as I had a near death experience (sort of), but it was SO much fun! It was a hot day, and we decided to go to Batsto which is a part of Wharton State Forest. I'd always seen trailers parked there, but I haven't been able to get out with a horse. There are SO many trails and great mile markers along the way so you know how far you've gone. There are also a lot of spots where you can go in the water, and Spyder was playing in it splashing like it was the most fun experience.

 

We went just over 10 miles with walk, trot, water, and CANTER! Yes, cantering straight...Cantering straight for a while and on my horse's neck... OOPS! We were fine with little spooking (even in water and past a truck with a canoe). It wasn't until the way back when we decided to pick up a crazy canter because Spyder decided he just had to keep up and put his head down to "sniff" the deeper/whiter sand when we got up to it. When he put his head down, he pulled me forward, and we were full speed ahead. He kept going and going and going, and I decided to make a noise so the rider in front of my would hear to slow down so I could get myself back together. We caught up, and I managed to somehow push myself back up off of his neck and keep riding like nothing ever happened. IT WAS SO FUN! Spyder can canter, but he'll act like he can't in the ring.

Towards the end of the ride, and during a cantering frenzy, we caught up to a man on a horse. It was actually a cowboy on a horse that claimed he knew we must have been english riders when he saw the mounting block/stepping stool back at the truck. The cowboy was riding a beautiful chestnut quarter horse and gave us tips on where to go in the next couple trips. He had his 3 dogs with him which Spyder was not fond of. There were 2 cattle dogs and some type of retriever that follow the man's horse and play and explore along the way. Spyder was getting followed by the two cattle dogs when one decided to nip at his feet. He was looking and putting his ears back the whole time we were walking, but he decided to let out a loud squeal and kick out at the dog. The one that kept to the back of us was the older one which was 14. The cowboy assured me that if Spyder kicked the dog, it would just go in the woods and die. WOW... that made me feel better. I just kept Spyder in check and gave him things to do to keep his mind off of them, and I'm not sure it's a good idea to get dogs too close to his hind end. He's got a quirk I didn't know about.

Cowboy dude

The nipper

Putting in the Miles

New gear

Saturday, my goal was for 2 hours of riding and 12 miles which wound up being perfectly met. I know I could have ridden longer, for further distance, and for better time, but I didn't want to push things since the most I've ridden on the trails is about an hour and a half at any amount of speed. Spyder was UP because the track was getting leveled out, and he wasn't paying attention to me from the very start. We started in a small warm up circle to make sure he was listening to me, and everything was SO SCARY! He was spooking at birds flying from the bushes, jumps that didn't move, and his own shadow. I didn't let it stop me, and I kept pushing until he'd get over things.

His ginger snap face.

About that pushing... Spyder was not focused when another horse came out in the area to graze with his owner, and the kids from the barn next door came over to get in the trails around the track. Spyder forgot where his feet were because he was too busy paying attention to everything else. We were going up a very small incline, and he wanted to stop because the horses were out of his sight. I pushed him to keep moving and he fell flat on his face - face plant! I managed to stay on with him coming down on his knees, and I really don't know how, but it was awesome. Awesome? Is that the right word? It was awesome that I stayed on, that is. We walked it off and kept on keeping on like nothing happened.

Spyder was getting bored of the trot and it was HIS idea to canter. I let it happen and didn't push for fear of more tripping, but he did a great job. We moved out on a larger circle to try the "going straight" thing, but he would get off balance and come back to a trot. Good horse, he did it on his own! We cooled out around the barn and I decided to hose him since it was "warm" at 50-60 for a change. I put him in his stall to eat so he could dry off before I put him back out because it is still very cold at night. He was happy to have his food, and I was happy to have him trot in hand after all of those miles! Ginger snaps > Being Lazy.

I rode while my husband took his enduro out in the woods by his brother's house. The woods connects from his town to ours, and the trails are ENDLESS. In a car, it takes about 45 minutes to an hour, so you can imagine how big it is. 115,000 acres of FUN (and over 500 miles of paved roads)! ... and there are many more woods and trails attached to them from other parks that are easy to get to (and sort of attached). The picture is for reference of the size, and for the size of the state, it's a lot of open space. While they were in the woods, they found a rider that said she does endurance rides. I posted in the NJ Trail Ride Association group to see if anyone would know who this was, and it ended up being a rider that was in the group! She friended me, and the owner of the horse did, as well. I plan on trying to ride with them soon, and it turns out, the horse belongs to a member of the equestrian club that I knew from Stockton. It's such a small world!

The red is the area we live by (from above) to compare to the size of the state, and the blue is where the endurance ride is.

Is this a bad idea?

Sunday, I did a 45 minute quick ride with w/t/c. I wanted to make sure that Spyder was listening to my leg since the day before, I just let him trot along without asking for much else. I pushed him off of my leg around a circle and had him go round to really round out our turns and get him focused. The canter was collected and I was able to sit way back in the saddle, but pushing straight was an issue. I tried to open up the circle, but he would lose his balance and begin to trot. The good news is, each time he broke, I would ask him to canter again and he would pick it right back up. He got off easy since I pushed so hard the day before, and I went home to help Chris work on my horse trailer (sort of, but not really, he did all of the work). It's ALMOST there!

Worked him more than usual. Furry, sweaty mess.

Tired after pushing for 12 miles!

Training - I Think? x2

Sunday my friend and Sassy came to ride again. We went out to the ring to switch it up, and did a whole bunch of trotting and cantering. Cantering only because Spyder was ready to go! He didn't want to trot, and I guess that's proof that he has the ability to push harder. I thought I was pushing a bit just because of distance and not so much speed the day before, but he needs more. After doing a bunch of jumps and trotting the perimeter (and trotting HUGE, moving out REALLY REALLY BIG), we headed out to the cross country jumps for Sassy. Spyder and I trotted behind, and Sassy went over all that she was asked until the ditch. She refused it, and Spyder thought she spooked so he had a head tossing fit. Sassy went around to do it again and "popped out of the woods" so Spyder freaked out again, but it didn't stop Sassy from jumping. I am proud of the way that I handled it, and we continued to follow until Spyder pulled me out in front of her. He was a feisty thing and wanted to be in front!

We went to the xc jumps that are along the edge of the woods, and these are ones that Spyder always looks at while coming around the track. There was a black pipe, a white pvc fence rail (which he huffed at, but went over), and a log that we skipped since he was worked up. We followed Sassy at a trot into the woods and let her go over some larger logs while we trotted around them. Wait, let me rephrase that, bucked, reared, and head tossed passed the jump down a hill in the woods. That was fun... not! I handled it well and he got over it to continue on.

We decided to head back out to the track since they were feeding off of each others spooky attitudes. We trotted around the track 2-3 times, and by that time, I realized it was close to when I had to leave to meet my sister and mom for lunch before the snow. We were 1/2 cooled out when we realized this so we decided to call it a ride. It ended up being 7.15 miles of handling some not so great situations, but getting in a ton of trotting and cantering. Back at the barn, I saw the cat soaking up the sun in a weird spot (or hunting because she's always getting birds).

Sweaty mess

Spyder and I trotted out before the ride with a crop that I took to the paddock, and we worked on it after the ride with a lunge whip. He didn't get it the first try, but the second, a light bulb turned on. We trotted up and back twice, and we ended it on the PERFECT note. I'm going to keep practicing, but I was so happy with his progress that I gave him all the treats he could want... OK, OK, 4! haha.

I contacted the farrier to get a trim in before the ride, and he's going to come 2 weeks out. He's clicking a bit from his overreach so I need to get his back toes trimmed shorter. I bumped up his grain a little bit since we've been working harder, and I hope he keeps his weight for this upcoming adventure. With spring, the grass should be getting better so I know that will help if this snow ever melts! I'm SO annoyed we got 6-8 more inches Sunday into Monday, but the 40 degree weekend was nice. Let's hope it melts before next weekend. I'm also battling this finger hurting, but I do know I am sacrificing healing each time I get on to ride. It'll heal slower than it should, but it is getting better.

Training - I Think?

So I decided that since I am leaning towards this limited distance ride, I should try out some more distance. My goal for this weekend was to see how we both felt after putting in the miles. I knew going to the farm that I needed to work on "trotting out" since Spyder's not so willing on the ground. I taught him to be nice and quiet while on the lead, and now I have to take it back? OK, maybe not take it back, but adding in a new level of complexity (well, knowledge) would be tough. I started by grabbing him in the field with just a lead (added crop the next day). We walked out of the gate, and I asked him to trot towards the barn. He hesitated, but he went, and so we went back and forth by the barn to practice. Not bad for the first try. For this ride, we have a vet check where we have to trot on a loose lead to and from the vet for a soundness test. The level of his trot before, mid, and after the ride will determine part of the score we get if we finish.

I've adjusted it since this. He's just thrilled.

I tacked up with a new breast plate and tried out my non-slip pad I've had for quite some time. It looked sharp, and more like he was ready to event - not partake in an endurance ride, but whatever. It's what I've got to work with to determine if I like it. My friend texted me about riding on Sunday, but I replied, "how about now?" She didn't have boots with her (or so she thought), but she put the pony on the trailer and headed over. She had boots in her car and low cut socks on, but she managed to get out of the ride without any blisters. Just as I was getting on, the woman I rode with the prior weekend was getting tacked up. Horsey fun! For the first time in quite some time, I wasn't having to ride alone.

You can see the pad we tried, sort of.

My friend and I headed out to the track and went on the short loop of a trail by the killer guinea hens. We turned before we got to the farm behind where I board and headed back to the track (and saw deer, but it was good - PLUS Spyder led!).  Heading back to the barn, the other woman was ready to go, and so we started by going on the same loop again. We went down the street to the other property the farm owns and did the trails over there before heading back to send my friend off. I decided to stay on with the other rider, and we did a bit of trotting on the track before going on more trails I had never been on. We could only get so far before large puddles were frozen so it was safer to turn around.

We rode the area by the bank and ditch jump to work on the hills again. The gray mare decided to trot/canter down a hill so Spyder followed suit. He decided to race up to her in which case she bucked, and Spyder finally realized we weren't racing (or she wasn't spooking), and he calmed down. Boy, I wish horses didn't feed off of each other so much. I'm glad this ride is going to have a ton of experienced horses, but I'm not sure we'll keep up to be around their better behavior. We headed back into the trails in the middle of the track which ended up being 8.78 miles total! Although much was walking, I was VERY happy with our progress and his attitude. All of the deer he saw called for a racing heart, a hop, and quickly calming back down. It was a great day, and ibuprofen gave me the rest of the night to relax and get started on my next graduate coursework. Perfect timing for great riding weather (who am I kidding - we just got 6" of snow today).

Barn kitty always runs you when she wants food. "Miminski"

After the two hour ride, I decided to try trotting on the lead again. After those miles, it was a great test. I tried with the crop, but it wasn't working so I had the woman from the barn chase Spyder in to a trot while I clucked for him to go. He wasn't all that willing, but I think he was confused. Since he trotted, I gave him a ton of pats, "good boy," and treats. Since this post is getting long, I'll keep Sunday's ride to it's own. I am so very proud of our progress and my questioning in gearing up for this ride. I still have to get some work done to the trailer and the truck, but I will have no choice but to put in the time to practice with it during the week. Daylight Savings is less than a week away! I have SO much more time to be happy and do fun things after work. WHOO!

Past Weekend

This past weekend was the warmest it's been since November! We had temperatures in the 50's, but we're back in the 30's with more potential snow this week... and it's snowing right now. UGH! And snowing again today - right now! :( This post is too long to proof so sorry if some of it makes no sense.

Saturday, I got to farm and a few people were out being the weather was AWESOME! Before I got there, there were lose horses, one that tried to get down in a puddle with a rider, galloping horses, and a crazy one out in the riding ring that was "grazing" aka tearing up the field and acting nutty. Despite all of this, I tacked up hoping for the best. A woman was on her horse that said we could ride together if I got on and got moving, but I wanted to warm up before I decided to ride with anyone else. I went out on the track and did w/t all the way around in both directions. Man, I had a lazy and calm horse. The other woman came with me, and she would canted next to my trot. Yes, the QH canter is Spyder's trot! He would try to go faster as if he was racing her, but he responded to slowing his speed very well... and so we went on a trail!

First, we went in the trails between the track for warm up. There was a lot of water so we got to practice pushing through (but he just followed). Since he was so good, we decided to do some hills. We weaved in and out of the cross country jumps that are up on a "hill" (in south jersey, hills are like 4'). He was SO good! We went over to a cross country ditch jump (which was filled to the brim with water) because the woman I rode with wanted to get her horse over it. She's got reins with clips so she hopped off and had to work her horse up to it. She tried away from the barn, but I told her to try the other way so her horse would be more willing. I wanted Spyder to stand still while all of this happened, and he was a perfect angel for it. Her horse got over it in both directions, and we proceeded to the bigger trails! I have decided those clip reins are awesome for getting over things your horse may be hesitant about. I need to get a pair (or buy clips to hook my reins on to like the lady I rode with showed me she did to her other bridles)! She was always a trail rider so it gives me a better idea of what I might need to get/do to get moving on the CTR stuff.

On the trail, I was told we'd come across a "bridge." This bridge was a cement piece that allowed water to flow through a hill. It was very wet and muddy on both sides so I was just hoping I could stay on because we ran into KILLER guinea hens right before the "bridge." AHH! I could feel Spyder's heart beating between my legs, and I was praying he didn't turn and run. The rider in front of me allowed her horse to stand and look which eased Spyder, and then she pushed her over the cement thing. I gave Spyder a few minutes to calm down before asking him, and he pranced over the bridge with fear/grace. We stopped to look at the guinea hens since we were a few feet closer to them, and the horses from the farm where they were galloped over to the fence to greet us. Once both horses calmed down and took a breather (us too), we headed back to where we came from and did a loop back to the track. We cooled out on some trails headed back to the barn that were ALL water, and Spyder was again an angel going through even after encountering deer on the track.

Sunday was another beautiful day, and I got to the farm around 8:30. It was already 50 out! I tacked up after getting my boots cleaned off from walking in the mud to retrieve the fat horse that wouldn't come since he was eating hay. We went out to the big field after warming up on the track, and I could tell it was going to be a good ride. We worked in the trot and got a consistent speed going, and then we moved to canter. We did some cantering only because he decided he wanted to when I asked him to keep up his speed in the trot moving away from the barn. Since he wasn't cranky, it was a great day to work on it. To the left and the right, the transitions were good, and there was no grunting or kicking. Warmer weather is so great for behavior and it was the best/most smooth canter to date. I sat back and down in the saddle and we moved out on a large circle. It was GREAT for being a while.

After the ring work, we went around the track alone. No one was out, but I thought it was a good idea since the finger incident happened, he was listening, and the day before he got to have a friend and behaved. We went out to the hills, and it was PERFECT. We walked up the first few, trotted the next few, and cantered up the last. We kept weaving like we did the day before, and Spyder even JUMPED up the one like it was a bank. There was water at the bottom of the hill (maybe 10" wide, and instead of walking through it, we went up like a bank. I am still hesitant on the actual bank at the farm, but this is proof it'll be fun when we get there!

We went into trails in middle of track and went through a ton of water to get out alone. I did have to push him through the first few larger pools of water, but he finally agreed to go. He put his head down, and I wasn't sure what he would do in the middle of the water. The breeders had took him for a swim before, and I know the horse the day before decided to lay so I gave him his head and let him make up his own mind. He just played with the water, then drank it. Good Spyder! Now hopefully this will be something he can start to do while continuing forward. I decided to end the ride there, and went back to the farm through the woods between his paddock and another. I ended up riding about an hour and a half in total. It was WONDERFUL!

This coming weekend looks cold and wet, but Spring is so close. Daylight savings time is right around the corner!

Sweaty horse for once!

Weekend Fun

Since I'm on this CTR kick, I've been trying to work out places to go, people to ride with, and questions I have to ask. I sent in my membership for the NJ TRA, but I haven't yet heard anything. They don't really respond to questions much, and it's really annoying! I tried to use it as a network tool, but the people they gave me to contact are just as non responsive as the group. I've joined a few Facebook groups to sit back and read about the sport, and I am trying to figure out a training plan. Training plan? Really?

Saturday was cold and windy, but I decided to ride since the sun was out. We warmed up, and then I used the "track my hack" app to figure out our pace and distance. It's pretty awful for the most part, and I may pick up endomondo again. We worked on the track doing trot sets, and we even cantered a bit (in circles, but it happened). I decided to man up because we both get bored and dive into the trails between the track for something different and to cool out. Spyder was 100% fine and super excited to be doing something different. We've got a whole new set of fun to be had at the farm! We did just over 3 miles with warm up and cooling out.

Very Tired Puppy

After riding, April came over so Kaiden and Gucci could have a doggie play date and we could catch up. Winter is getting to both of us, and the riding less thing is upsetting. We need spring to come so we can get out and get off the farm. Since I need to practice with the trailer, I am working on a truck, and that will make it much easier to get the job done! There are a few places to ride that aren't too far from where April keeps Shadow, and I can even ride at the farm with her there if they allow it. This riding alone thing is SO boring for both of us so we're making that happen this spring. The dogs got along after they worked out their boundaries and were looping around the yard like crazy! It was nice to have a tired pup at the end of the night.

Sunday, I had the same schedule - warm up on the track, trot sets on the track, and cantering while TRYING to move out straight which turned into a funky gait (so I came back to trot then started over with asking). Spyder's leap into the canter is so dramatic that I never know if he's going to pull a stunt or move away nicely, but he was moving nicely. There was one point where I'd say we went about 50 feet in a straight line down the track to the left. To the right, it's still just circles. To either side it's been frustrating, but it's been easier to move him out off my left leg (and I think that's my fault because it's stronger). We went faster today, and did about 3.25 miles. I have no idea what a good pace is for a ride so I guess I need to figure that out.

Amped in the Woods

Most of both days this weekend was trotting and south jersey is just too flat for the "use hills" suggestion everyone gives to work on muscle and cantering. He's got the command, and he knows that when I sit in the saddle and grab mane, I mean pick it up and go, but we are still stuck in the circles which I don't get. I'm a lot less scared to try things with him (even though he sits more, and I think it might be because he's a bit more spunky having time off in between rides which means he's more willing to go when asked. Not using spurs or a crop both days made for a great work out, and the two-point at the trot both days has really helped me stretch my legs and work on my core. I think that I'll have to get in better shape than Spyder will have to if we plan on making this happen in March. I've also networked within the groups to ask for people in the area to ride with, and I found a person a little older than me in the area where the CTR's are. I hope to get out and off the farm with her if it's nice at the end of February, and if not, early March. Spring is just around the corner! We've got 4-10 inches of snow coming tomorrow so skiing this weekend will be fun, but I'll be missing the riding time.

Blue Skies

Shadow Selfie

Happy New Year

I got to the barn after some much needed sushi and shopping to get in a ride on my day off. It wasn't perfect because Spyder was a grump, and he decided needed to kick out. I am angry with the weather and a grump about it so I can't blame him! He was a bit up, but not when it came to cantering. He didn't want to go so I didn't push him too much. Again, I was the only one at the farm riding and I didn't want to get hurt. We worked through his one episode, but that didn't stop the pinned ears and obnoxious grunts. We did some sitting trot to change the work a bit.

We worked through some transitions and didn't push to keep moving at the canter. We worked down to a trot from the canter, and we did a lot of w/t transitions. From there, we moved on to jumping. Spyder wasn't nearly as peppy as he acted when I first got on so we worked on picking his feet up over fences. I really need to get off his face, but his rushing is so frustrating so I sit back as far as I can. Since he wasn't too enthusiastic, we went out to the track. I did a lot of trotting in two-point and was trying to get him into an extended trot. Clucking, ears back, squeezing, ears back... he wasn't happy. I think he may have thrown in a few steps of pace to be spiteful, but I got him right back to trot. It was feeding time so I decided to leave it on a good note as he was actually listening (even though he wasn't happy about it). We went on a mini trail through the middle of his old paddock and the new muddy paddock, and I think he liked changing it up.

We cooled out around the barn, and he went in his stall to eat while I cleaned up the dried mud all over his legs. He was actually looking decent because I got off most of the dirt. I waited for him to finish to turn him out because the sun was starting to set, and I knew it would be the last of the sun for a bit. Our temperatures are dropping, and we are getting a snow storm tonight into tomorrow. GREAT! I hope everyone and all of the horses stay warm! I posted a picture below of our crazy changes in temperature. If you remember, I had a post about the 60's... now this! 22 one day, and 50's a few days later.

On another note, I completed a few of my "wish list" items from my page above. I ordered new boots because I found a great deal from a site where you could get a giftcard, and they would add 20% to the amount. That was like getting them for 20% off (but they were also the cheapest I had found so far), so I ordered riding gloves while I was at it! Chris cleaned up the garage so I have a crate to use as a mounting block for the trailer, and I found a hay bag on clearance from the same site. :) Happy New Year!

These changes are crazy.

Weekend of Riding

Tacking Up

OK, I did other things, too... like took the dog to Petsmart, completed homework, rented two movies (which never happens), cleaned up around the house, and raked the whole yard (Chris did most), BUT I ACTUALLY rode both days of the weekend for once! I decided against the combined event at the farm, but instead, I went trail riding with a friend. We went back to the same place where the hunter pace was. It was a bit foggy in the morning and it rained a bit, but it ended up being a decent day to ride less the dampness that made it feel colder than it was. The ride was great, but there were a few spots that were a bit mucky and slippery due to the rain. We rode about 8 miles in two-hours and it was great to get out. Spyder was an angel (and wasn't ridden for a week), and the two got along nicely!

One of the wider trails

I got up early to ride on Sunday because it was set to be almost 70! I think it got up to about 60 during my ride, and Spyder had a little bit of a sweat going for once. We rode about an hour with w/t to warm up (after we went up and down the long side of the track with me in two-point... ouch!) and moved to canter with a crop. Man is my life easier just holding it! We had two kicking out episodes which were controllable with the smack of the crop, and it seemed that he was more responsive throughout the ride because of it... take that! We moved to jumping, and it was decent (except he hit his toe once). We started with just an x-rail turning left then taking the same x-rail and turning right. It's AMAZING thinking back to when we could hardly steer. Now, we're steering over jumps... I'd say it's a plus! From that jump, we kept going right to go over a small vertical - from there, we went left, then right. We added a third jump - right over x-rail, left over vertical, small white fence. We took this jump to the left, and so there was a fourth added that was in that direction the next time around. X-rail, vertical, fence, brush box thing. We weren't all that straight going to the brush box so we went over that a few more times until it was nice. Finally, some jumping!

I am almost positive that I'm going to school xc in Maryland this coming weekend, and I am both excited and nervous being that we haven't done many xc jumps yet. They have elementary jumps so we'll start there, but the facility is beautiful in itself to even work on water and banks if all else fails. Oh, and I finally snapped a photo of the stall name plaque that Chris's dad made me for Christmas last year. We stopped by the farm with the pup and Chris put it up for me. It looks great on his stall!

Following the leader

New name sign

Our First Hunter Pace

Omg, was it fun! Spyder trailred on a slant load in the back and was perfectly happy munching his hay the 20 minute ride there (Yes, it's close enough to go back.. often!). He tied to the trailer like a champ, and he didn't get the hay bag thing. He kept taking it from the top and stuffing his face in there to get more (and getting stuck). Hello, silly, there's a hole in the front! I tacked up after getting registered and they had such a great setup of treats included in the package. Spyder got carrots, treats, and mints.. and after the pace, he even got an apple! Mr. Piggy would glady do it again for those rewards! There was frost on the ground when we got there, but it warmed up quickly and ended up being a BEAUTIFUL day! After the pace, I headed to the animal shelter to adopt a puppy (more to follow)!

I ended up riding with another horse instead of Tobi that we had worked with because he is recovering from rain rot where the saddle goes. The nice girl that trailered me had a horse for my teammate to borrow, and I was happy to find out he was a seasoned 22 year old gem that doesn't spook at a thing! We got tacked up, and were told we could go first! We let two gaited horses (walkers?) in front of us because I was worried about Spyder being first, but we ended up passing them on the first part of the ride. First? Me, and Spyder? He was beyond brave, and he was dragging me through the trails... ears up, game on.

The first few times he saw trees that were down and cut, he was NOT ok. He did spook a few times, but he got over it, and I kept on him to move forward. His spooks are just quick hops and he spreads out all fours. It's very easy to deal with, and the hops became moving to the opposite side of the trail as the logs in no time! He was so happy to be in front and set the pace for my teammate. He didn't mind being the leader or following, but he was giving me an attitude about some of the turns when he had to do them first (and he felt like he had to go when the other horse didn't... LAZY). This goes back to the show and having to do patterns on our own without the group. Spyder knows they aren't moving so why does he have to go? Again, we REALLY need to work on that!

The ride was beautiful with the leaves changing and falling, and there are a lot of old buildings and foundations to look at in the park. Spyder didn't spook at things like tall reeds blowing in the wind, birds popping out of no where, or walking over water on what is like a bridge of dirt. He looked, but didn't spool. There were huge concrete walls and stumps that were fallen over from the storms we have had, but of course, cut logs were the worst! I'm glad we made it through, and I hope one of the teams in our group wins! The costumes throughout the ride were great, and Spyder wasn't scared of them, either (We didn't have time to get anything together). I want to do paces all the time, and I think Spyder would agree! He seemed to really enjoy himself and didn't even break a sweat like all of the other horses. He's made for endurance so we're going to look into it! This ride was just 6 miles, and he was ready for more!

He looks the same after as he did before, a little girth sweat is all!