Of unexpected water landings...and a plucky Paso...

So, I hadn't ridden Strider since Shanghai.  And, it was finally time for me to get back on and see how he was, post-shoe pull and antibiotics and sole paint.

Turns out, he was quite, quite strong and feeling very good.

Except that, as we were tacking up, he was sulking.

And by sulking, I mean SULKING!!!

Dis my sulky face...

Bug off Mom....

Hate you...Hate dis...Hate all so much....

Is okay though.  I'm still dirty.  And handsome.

He actually was very strong leading down the alleyway over the crunchy gravel and didn't beg to get off into the grass like he normally does.  I think that sole paint really is helping. 

(For the record, we're still putting shoes on though...)

I take him over to the Pecan Grove side of the property, and he behaves for me and does the "Come Pick Me Up" cue perfectly.  Stands still while I mount (might have helped I was allowing him to graze).  And away we turn from the mounting block and head out on the grass around the dirt track. 

He's very forward.  Strong.  I want to walk.  He wants to gait.  We have a discussion and I ultimately convince him that my way is the right way.

We head down into the Pecan Grove and I finally let him out a little bit on dryish patches to see how he's feeling.  "Good" the answer comes back.  So we loop around and around.  We see EB on her horse "D" and she comments that the trails really are pretty good considering the rains we've had. 

At one point, a flock of birds took off to our left, and Strider dropped and spooked so bad, I jammed my left pinky.  "What the EFF Strider?! BIRDS you dip!  BIRDS!!!" 

We fly up and down the hills as I let him get a canter beneath his feet and stretch out.  I savor the view between those perky little black ears as we go along. 

The gates are open throughout the entire Pecan Grove side, so I take full advantage and loop all of the trails together.  We loop to the upper side of the property and around.  Then I take him back down to the Pecan Grove side. 

We're at the start of the hills.

I'm enjoying the view for just a moment (okay, maybe more than a moment or two) and he drops his shoulder right, shys right...and I topple off slowly to the left.

Into a nasty, murky, sandy puddle.

"WHAT THE EFF STRIDER?!!!"

He was still on high alert.  So, with a sigh, I drag myself up and walk him over to a mound of dirt and get back on.  While my butt and leg is soaked.  And it stinks.  OH IT STINKS!!!

Taken in the aftermath once we're back at the pen.  Doesn't look SO bad, does it?

Well, there's my shirt on the side I landed on.  VERY sandy landing.  So, there's that!

It just gets progressively worse the further down we go.

Disgusting.  And STINKY!!  My sheepskin saddle cover is SANDY!!!

On the plus side, with the humidity being what it was, it was cooling.

And as such, we kept on going for another 2 miles or so.  I was hoping to get 7 miles done in an hour.  We got close to 6 done in about 55 minutes, so I figure, what with the spook and the unplanned water landing...we probably had a good, solid 6mph pace.  Someday I'd like to see him at 6.5-7, but...*shrug*  I'm a happy little Turtle.

Took him back to his pen, painted his soles again and let him go in his pen.  Where he bounced over to his water trough, took a big, long drink and then rolled.

So, I've got the Dormosedan gel ordered again, and once I get it in my hands, I'll put in a call to the shoer and get his shoes and pads put back on for Last Hoorah!

Fingers crossed that THIS year I can conquer those trails.