Trail Walk from the Driver's Seat

It's hot and I'm tired, so Izzy and I just slopped around western-style today. And I say slopped, not because that's what all western riders do, but because that is specifically what we were doing. I tried doing some arena work and realized I just didn't want to today.

So instead, we headed down the road. As we walked up the little hill on the pavement, a truck blasted past us at about 50 miles an hour. I tried to stay calm and Izzy didn't even blink. Yes! As we continued walking, one of her ex boyfriends started galloping the length of the pasture right next to us, running through the irrigation. She looked at him, but didn't really react. Another win!

She was pretty unsure about this whole thing. She's been out there before, but there was always either another horse for her to follow or me leading her, so she was never the one with the nose sticking the furthest out.

We rode past the herd that lives next to her, but she was starting to lose steam. She didn't want to leave her friends. Then we came to the spot where the canal branches off and you have water on BOTH SIDES. Omg. She was already behind my leg, and this was the last straw. She started backing and trying to spin around to head for home. Not too enthusiastically, but enough that I didn't feel like dealing with it. I dismounted, lead her back and forth and back and forth over the scary spot until it wasn't scary, then remounted and continued a ways.

Then I halted, turned her around, and rode her all the way home.

Not bad for our first-ever solo ride on the ditchbank.

Annnnd... I didn't bring a camera. Sorry folks. I'll try to get back to posting pictures soon.