Trail Blooper Tuesday

It's no secret Bast is not a confident trail horse. He very suited to the dressage ring's order and repetition. He finds that environment safe. While it's awesome he enjoys his main job, sometimes a girl just needs to get out in the woods with her horse... and not die.

Even in the pouring rain...

As such, I made it one of my goals this year to get Bast out on the trails more regularly. When Liz was here, we jumped at the opportunity to get out on the more wild trails behind my barn.

These trails really are wild in places. Seriously. I've been on endurance rides with horse eating mud holes that are easier than these. Unfortunately, most of the truly difficult stuff was completely trashed in the flooding we had last year. Liz and I (and Pig and Bast) mostly stuck to the fields and more open byways.

Wet but happy.

The ride was a complete blast. We were gone for a good long time, starting the ride in the pouring rain and finishing with lovely cool dusk weather-- seriously lucky for May in Washington D.C.

All that awesomeness aside, we had some, uh, bloopers...

To start, Bast decided bolting up a steep hill on the property in the driving rain sounded fun. Honestly, by that point I didn't really care. So I let him wear out his excitement on the hill and managed to bring him back at the top.

Of course getting to the hill also required a low-level bolt across the entire property...

Liz joined us on Pig and we headed out to the trails, which almost immediately required a water crossing.

Thank god not this water crossing...

I warned Liz that Pig will jump every water crossing, and that Bast also leaps water. I told her it might get exciting. However, I don't think she expected to have Pig cross the creek only for Bast to leap wildly over the creek and skitter-skatter past her on the muddy trail. Meanwhile, I had forgotten to shorten my stirrups and was launched over the front of the saddle, and found myself riding Bast's neck.

Thank god my horses are both super honest. Neither one has learned to put their heads down when I end up awkwardly hanging on them. Bast slowed down quickly, but before I could right myself, Liz reached up and literally hauled my ass back into the saddle.

Literally ass-saving champion!

We giggled over that save, and continued on our way. Shortly finding another water crossing. Then another. It was pouring down rain after all.

Every single water crossing Bast crossed in the same way. He hesitated for a moment on the edge before HURTLING himself straight legged at the water, landing with a jarring thud in the water, then leaping forward again. Liz and I could not stop giggling at his hilarious behavior. She even caught it on video:

Beyond the water leaping, Pig did his damnest to give Liz a concussion. He spooked at something (a house? a leaf? the wind?), and slammed his head right into hers. To her great credit, she both stayed on, didn't cry, and let the dumb orange kid live. I'm not sure I would've had the same reaction. He's done that to me before, and it sucks.

Look over there, Liz! That's where Pig is going to try to bash your brains out!

Luckily we all survived to tell the tale, and even ended the day laughing. What more can you ask for of an eventful ride?

Well... maybe a less sore back from those stiff legged jumps.