Monday, January 3, 2011

NYE Trail Ride

This year was my best New Years Eve ever.  This is my husband...on a horse. (And yes I know that we should have helmets on.  We've already discussed and next time we agreed we're wearing them.  We just need to buy one that fits him.)  Not just any horse either!  This is my husband on December, who just a couple of months ago I thought was going to die.  She's looking pretty good now. 









Considering my husband hasn't done much riding at all I think they did a really great job.  He lead us out when we started out for the day.  She likes to walk fast and be up front.  When we got next to the lake the water kind of freaked her out.  You can see her eyeballing it here.  At one point he had to get off and walk her because she kept trying to stop and go back to the trailer.  It was a pretty passive resistance though and she never spooked, bucked or bolted.  Nothing crazy, just refused to go forward and kept turning around.  Even though he walked her a little ways as soon as we were back on the trail away from the water she was good again and no problems when we turned around to go back (of course). 


We stopped in this little park for a break.  There was a beach and I didn't think Tax would go into the water because the last time I took him to the lake he wanted no part of it.  This day he charged right in after my friend Cythia's horse almost up to his belly for a big drink.


Tax looks ready for a nap.  At least he's relaxed!  On the way out he walked nicely through mud and water and was really quiet.  We even crossed a bridge that sounded weird when they walked on it and got to jump a fallen log.  On the way back he got a little excited and we trotted and jigged a little.  He also jumped every mud puddle on the way back which was a little worrisome in the trees but he was still controlled and listening.

 This is the Rainbow bridge in Folsom, CA.  When I was a kid we used to swim down by those rocks.  These ears belong to Rommey, my friend Cythia's 16hh gray Arabian. We're going to start a gray horse riding club.

 A close up of the old swimming rocks and the river.
 And, the Cliff House restruant.  They have an amazing veiw of the river and bridge from their dining room. 
And if you ever wondered where the Candian geese migrate to now you know.  I think they are all in the Sacramento area holed up for the winter.  Great big flocks all along the river and ponds of the greater Sacramento area.  At least our horses are used to them.








It was a wonderful ride and my husband really enjoyed it.  He says he misses Grace a little because she was so sweet, but he wants to go out and do more rides with December.  Its very nice to have him involved with the horses just a little.  We're even planning for camping this summer.  Yay!