Hack #3 Amazing! So amazing!

Sunday i went out to the barn with the boyfriend since he had to do feed for the military horses so i figured i would get in some riding in the arena since it was pretty windy. While G was eating his breakfast in his stall the El Presidente (sorry i just cant call him the saddle club president its just to boring) showed up and asked if i would like to go out for a hack with him. He knows a lot of the trails and the best places to go around the barn so i couldnt turn it up... plus his horse Jack is "seasoned" on the trails so i knew that if G struggled with something he would help to keep the situation calm.

I was to lazy to take G to the cross ties to tack him up so i figured i would do that in his stall while he was eating... thats when the first shock came.... he picked his feet up... there was no fighting nor was there moving and wiggling around while i was tacking up. Mounting outside was still an issue but im learning to be more patient and understanding so eventually he stopped prancing around and stood still long enough for me to safely get on (in all fairness he was prancing around because i was using a picnic table that was half under a tent)

We started out ride with G being pretty sensitive on the gravel but he was being much more responsive when i asked him to pick up the pace. Once we got out into the summer pastures we were working on our transitions from trot to walk because we kept on having to catch up to the El Presidente.
We did a big loop around the property and Trotted through a huge feild (which felt fantastic G was so forward and had such big beautiful movement). While on our way back to the main road i managed to get G to walk in a puddle after a few minutes of convincing.

We then headed towards the highway to cross over into a neighboring farmers feild. The highways always make me nervous because it is something new and i wasnt sure how to react but before we got to the highway one of the other club members was coming down the gravel road and stopped to talk to us, G was perfectly fine with the car so i was able to breath a little more while crossing the highway (its not a busy highway its more of a secondary highway). After we crossed the highway there was a VERY steep ditch that i was a little worried G might refuse to go down into it and come out at the other side. He hesitated a little bit but with a little bit of leg he went into and out of the ditch no issues, because it was steep i tried to keep myself in a possition that wouldnt make it more difficult for him to get up.

We carried on trotting through the feild, I only trotted because i was still a little nervous about G canter but i have a feeling that has all changed now. We got to a part of the ride were we had to go through some pretty thick trees so i gave G the reins i let him find HIS was through it, i gave everything to him and trusted him to take care of me and to get me through the trees. The last major challenge of our ride was a big sand hill, El Presidente was leading and his horse went over no problems, i was trying to see if there was any way around but with a little leg G went down into the ditch and right over the sand hill no questions asked no fighting no refusing.

I was so proud of him i was beaming the whole way home, hes a green horse and im a green rider and we went on a ride away from home and faced things that were difficult that in the past i would have just avoided but instead i trusted him. I gave control to G because i knew that he would not put me in danger that he would take care of me just like i take care of him every day.

He is teaching me so much about trust. I have always been very closed off and not very trusting of people especially ones that have hurt me in the past but G is helping me past that. I am a very lucky girl to have found such an amazing partner, this weekend i am going to let him canter through that feild for both of us. I know hes not going to hurt me im not scared any more i trust him.

Some more great news. I was standing by the outdoor arena and i saw the geese and some little balls of fluff jumping in and out of a puddle (the parents were teaching them to swim i wish i was close enough to get a video) then when we were leaving the barn the family was marching towards the stream to take them swimming in real water. ADORABLE the last one kept falling and was all covered in mud.

Spring has FINALLY come to Canada! <3

Hack #2

Last night i got to the barn right after work and brough in G and his new girlfriend Bella because N and i decided to go out for a Hack and if we had time possibly jump G in the arena as well. G was very feisty he even nipped my elbow while i was trying to do up his girth, he has developed quite the personality it seems the more we work the more he is becoming himself and trying to figure out what he can and cannot get away with.

I took him out into the round pen to let him get out some of his fizzies. I havnt been lunging him before every ride lately some rides i do and some rides i dont, there are going to be places and situations were i cannot lunge him so i dont want him getting used to relying on that time to calm down i need him to be nice and calm right from the get go. Tonight since it was going to be only our second outing i wanted to lunge him to make sure he didnt have any extra energy that he wanted to get out on the trail that could put myself or N in danger.... AND he bit me lol wtf so i figured we also needed to reestablish who it was that was in control.

As usual he was perfect on our outting, still having the same issues on the rocks with his front feet but that will be resolved on tuesday when he gets his shoes on the fronts. We went down a gravel road for a bit and came accross some puddles. Now Bella is in training for eventing so N was trying to get her to go through the puddles, i figured "hey, since the last time G was SOOO great going through the water let me show you how its done" yeah... i was wrong he was having NONE of THESE puddles they were completely different than the puddles LAST time so after a few minutes i got him to put a foot in the puddle and called it a win and we carried on.

We made it into a big feild right by my barn that was just gorgeous so we did a lot of trotting through the feild G did great he was a little distracted and excited about the new environment and the other horses he could see so we didnt do any canter, if the weather clears up and i can make it out there again today i will DEFINATLY  be cantering him through that feild.

There were lots of puddles and marshy spots still in the feild we continued to walk through the middles of the marshy spots and getting G used to some more water. One spot of the feild (next to trees) i figured we would go through the puddle... well G figured he would rather walk through the dense trees almost knocking me off in the process so he didnt have to get his feet wet.

Silly G... he did great though im so happy its summer and we can get in some more hacks. Fingers crossed the weather clears up so i can get back out into that feild tonight its so relaxing not riding in the arena!!

Happy tails everyone!