First English Trail Ride alone on the Trails with Duke, Happy Easter

Took a late day ride with Duke today,  He was good with the English saddle and wiht me too.  Im so proud of him and of me.

Went over late on Sunday, Easter Sunday.  I thought the gate might be closed.  The ride over was pretty cool I went through Billerica, Carlisle and then to Westward.  It may be a better way to drive. anyway the traffic was pretty light.  I got over after 2pm.  Kellie and Bryce was going out on the trails when I got there.  They waved and went out the back way as I got Duke from the herd. 

Bob was walking around from the back herd with Mariah, I think.  Some people came for a big visit to see about the farm because they would like to come for a trail ride soon.  I spoke with them for a while during the time I was at the rail wiht Duke brushing out his amazing amount of shedding fur.  Huge Clumps of hair.  I combed out a ton of hairs yeasterday and then today too.

They were cute, in a big shiney caddalac.  They talked to me for a while and then said they were coming aback from a trail ride soon.

After they left Bob jumped on Mariah at the ramp and then out the back way he went.  I was planning what I would do with Duke today.

I put on his english saddle.  I am starting to really like it.  Its a shame I have to give it to Mel to use.  Im not giving it to her to keep forever just to borrow for awhile.  I have fallen in love with it on Duke. 

Anyway, I quickly saddled him up and put on his bridle and decided Id try a hack around the farm to see how I stay on his back.  Last time I rode him it was in the ring. I have ridden him 3 times.  This time Im goint out on the trails, if it worked out with my test ride around the farm.  I have some pictures with him around the farm.  He responds so well to the two handed reining.  Much better than one hand.  I think he likes the feel of the English saddle with me too.

Anyway I climbed on the ramp.  He did give me a hard time during mounting, I yelled at him and pushed him around a bit.  He seemed to listen to me.  

I was nervous because its easy to just fall over off the saddle because it seems so slippery and I dont have a horn to hold on to.  I was not accidently holding his mane tightly when I mounted him.  I was able to get on Duke and he was prett good.

As we moved off the ramp area, Duke turned on his own to go the back way out of the area.  I was happy to see his enthusiasm.  We went ot the end and the gate was closed.

I turned him around using my new skills of two handed reining.

   We went out to the field and walked around it a bit.  I asked Duke to trot back up the hill on the way back to the trails.  He was good I wasnt sure if he was going to try to get me to go back.  Afer some encouragment, Duke went up into trails and we went out back way on the soft ground back trails.

As we were  walking after a while, I heard lots of noise I imagined it was either Kellie and Bryce or possibly Old Bob.  It was Old Bob, Prancing quickly with Maraih.  He didnt see me at all so I gave Mariah a command to Hoe.  Duke and I had stopped on the trail earlier because I didnt knwo when way I wanted to turing at that point.  

Well Bob yelled at his horse called it a name and then turned the coroner to me.  He said tha the wasnt calling me the swear, I think he called her stupid.  I think he was suprised ot see me on the trails.  I pretty much thin khe was suprsided to see me on the trails today.  

The rest of the ride was perfect, Duke didnt yell back at Mariah as she whinnied loudly after we passed Bob.  HE felt pretty cool passing her and Bob alone.  I told him we were not riding with Mariah but heading in our own direction.  I got to the area where Duke loves to walk where its very steep and narrow.  Duke loves that trail back to the barn. I let him choose it.  I think he loves that I let him choose his routes sometimes.  Well He trotted very carefully with me on a couple of straight awakes. I was very happy with how carefull he is wiht me.   We went back over the two bridges so he also enjoed that too.  I was very proud and althugogh ti was a little hack, it was an excellent ride where I felt just GREAT with his and my progress.  So proud of he and I together on the trails.

Next lesson I think I woujkld love to have her at Bobs to work with me and Duke. Im not sure if she would like that but now that Im working with him and my own progress, It makes sense for me to owrk with her.  Maybe I could work with Duke in a field and Kelsey could come with me.
I need to improve how I move with Duke.  Imrpove how I sit, my seat whne I am working with him in the Saddle.   I would be very happy to have her give me an evaluation on how to work wiht him.

At the endo f the ride, I needed to jump off Duke and I remembered how Kelsey said to take my shoes out of the stirrups and then slide down off him.  It was great.  The saddle was nice and tight and I almost feel that jumpoing on the saddle from the ground that I need to have spring in my step to get on him from the ground.  Grapping his mane hair then jumping in the stirrup.

Below is a picture of Duke as I opened the gate near the boarder barn on the way back.  It was cool As I was runnign with Duke back to the Barns to the next gate near the field.  Kellie and Bryce came behind me soon asfetrr I closed the gate.  They began to canter up and I opened and closed the next gate for them.  As I opened the gate, Duke walked through like he was all going to take off on me and then I telled to him to Hoooh.  He listened and stopped at the top of the hill.  Kellie and Bryce saw him listen, it made me feel so good that hey cared that I needed him to listen.  They also saw him run iwth me without a lead line alongside me.  We ran along from the barns.  I was very happy to be iwth him today.  Its such an amazing feeling that he listens and trys to keep up iwth me.  I gave him treats to reward him.

Later after I put him back into the herd, I was talking to the Kellie and Bryce, then as I gave a snack to Pedro, and Duke over in the herd way over in the field, Duke gave me a couple of words. 

Quick at the Farm 47 cloudy

Duke was so good, he was already in the herd ating.  I called him he looked up but finished chewing. Hes so sweet, I was so happy to see him.  He got his apple after we trotted to the fence and I opened and closed it.  Then we just went to the rail, I brushed him for about 2 horus it seems.  Bobby told me a ton of stories.  He said that he'd like to play a joke on me and have Duke talk back to me as I talk to him.  He said he'd plant a microphone.

Then he told me a bunch of stories.  Sometimes its pretty nice to just be at the famr.  I gave him the money for shoes and then he got his dewormer and then hes getting the shots from the Vet too.

2nd Lesson and then Duke went English with me

On Sunday I had my lesson with Kelsey and then I knew I was very busy so I hurried over to see Duke while My confidence was up and I was ready to set up the English saddle for Duke… Working with Kelsey had helped me over come some ridiculous things I was thinking bout my riding. With her as a pro training I’m able to feel good about asking many questions about how to sit with Selena and also different ways of talking to Duke.  My seat improved somewhat and I was able to trot with her in the outside ring.

IT was beautiful and she was good with me.  I personally like her a lot.  She got a spook and started to get excited and I just poke to her to listen and not worry. I knew that Kelsey appreciated my work with Selena.  I had mentioned that I like as part of the lesson that I ask her so many questions.  Its not about ride time on the horse because I am going over to see Duke after so I need to learn as much as possible while I’m with Kelsey and Selena.  Its been great

When I got to the ranch on Sunday I connected with Theresa and asked her about the grassy area when you drive into Bobby’s, couldn’t it be a ring for us?  Also Would she be interested in working with me English for a bit this summer? She was very interested. I want to get another English saddle and also start with the Aussie one this week.  Duke’s happy about the changes.  He’s such a good boy.  His time in the ring was fun.  We need to work on his mounting but other than that I feel that he has really come along with me.  I want to make sure that when I get on the mount, he is concerned with me.  That way if I need to mound him in the woods I don’t have to worry.  I actually used the fence on Sunday.  The reason is Bob watches me too closely and gets all excited about anything I do.  I went just out of the way to make sure he could see me and then I began to get the saddle straighten and climb the fence to jump on.  I really had to jump with him too. He doesn’t stand in an area where I can properly mount him. 

Thanks my next thing.

After getting on his was GREAT!

I am using my newly learned reining and he responds. I had been using the footwork with him for a while.  Ill be looking to learn more too.  He’s been the best teacher by responding to my lower leg.  Ill keep learning.

March 11th 2 rides w/Terry & Group PLUS March 12th Lesson w/Selena and English Duke Ride

Saturday

Ride with the Group then out alone with Terry and Marley

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Little mama lamb passed away this week.  I was so sad to hear. I loved her.  She was so sweet and gentle and I always felt it was unfair to keep her with a bully male sheep.  I think she should have been fixed so she could enjoy not having a baby that would kill her.  It obvious to me that it was terrible for her.  I cannot communicate how sad it makes me feel that I couldn’t do anything for her.  I loved to have Peanut butter cracker with her.  I didn’t even like peanut butter but I bought huge amounts of peanut butter crackers so I would have them in my trunk each week to share with her.  She was part of my experience at the farm.  I always believe it was more thank just the horses there.  Sometimes I feel bad for Bob because he’s alone and loves the animals He said to the girls from Chelmsford farm that the little animals were his only friends and he would not sell the donkeys, goats, sheep, chickens or minis.  When he lost the little chicken last year that hid her egg so she could have a baby, he was very sad.  I’m not sure what makes him happy, he is so angry.  A couple of weeks ago he yelled at me and to the strap to Duke.  He was trying to help me but it was the wrong thing to do.  Duke is amazing and Ill figure his out on my own time.

This weekend I felt no problem getting the English saddle out and testing it on Duke.  He shown so brightly in the old saddle.  It makes me excited to go to the Aussie with him and to learn how to work with Duke in his own language.  Kelsey told me that horses can get bored and when you change things up for them its exciting.  He may have been bored of western riding years of trying to ride for the trail riders. I’m pretty sure they had beaten him up a bit.

I think if I improve my form on him I will soon be a better trail riding too. 

Saturday was a nice day with Cassie and Terry on the guide ride.  After last week’s excitement I would imagine that a close to home ride may be a good thing for anyone.  The peepers were so loud over the water, it was beautiful.  The deer that had died on the ice and spooked all of the horses was gone.  Cassie said that it was brought deep into the woods on the hill. 

A story like that was very interesting on Sunday sharing with Kelsey.  She tells me stories of the horses that are used for show and for lessons are pretty much stall then out to lesson then some outside grazing time and then back to stalls.

I would grow so bored of this if I were a horse.

After the beautiful trail ride I was able to stop before the hill Duke loves and turn him back to the boarder barn area and Terry and I went on a 1/1/2 high ground trail ride.  We took the trails they were soft but I’m still taking it easy on Duke.  We really enjoy the leafy paths and the muddy ones you need to be careful about stepping on.  The straightaway was a little soft but we only went to the turn back on the left side that Duke loves the hill on.  As soon as we got to the straight away there was a brightly colored ATV coming head on, I stayed on the trail and Terry said should we turn back and I said No Duke looks large and he was standing in defiance sort of and he continued to walk to ward the direction of the atv.  Well the ATV back off and turned around.  I couldn’t be happier.  We continued and had a great ride Bobs Trails and then the two bridges and back through he boarder barn area.  IT was prob about 1 ½ miles.