Red's Turn

Handsome boy! 

We just can't get enough of this weather! And neither can everyone else, as we ran into 4 separate parties of hunters during our ride.  Gesa & I managed to squeeze in yet another fabulous, fun evening trail ride this week.  Since Rhio is just doing light work to stay loose and rested for Point Chaser, Red got to go on this one.  What a rush to ride him again after concentrating on Rhio for the past couple of weeks!  He is such a joy - and also a challenge, sometimes.  

We walked, trotted, and cantered our way through about 8 miles of trail, thoroughly enjoying ourselves. He looked askance at a great many things, per usual, but only gave me one big, bone-jarring spook.  I have no idea what scared him, but he jumped the 16 feet or so from the right side of the trail to the left side so fast I barely knew what happened before we'd already continued on down the trail.  That's my boy!  At least when he maintains forward momentum, I usually don't come off.  

Enjoying the slanting rays of the evening sun

I always notice when I first get on Red after riding Rhio, that Red is significantly wider and feels much more powerful.  There is no effort as he powers up the hills in his big trot (and Paco has to canter along to keep up) and I can't help but break into a huge grin when he offers up a sweet canter.  I put his running martingale on, but I certainly didn't need it.  At one point, we were trotting along side by side and the horses eyed each other up, then started racing up a hill.  Zoom zoom!  

We managed to get home before dark this time, thanks to Red walking right on the trailer instead of Rhio's recent trailer loading shenanigans.  I almost didn't know what to do when my horse just followed me right onto the trailer!  What a pleasant change.