Riding Boundaries Broken

Today was a really awesome day!

After taking one of my twin sons, Jem, to his guitar lessons, the two of us decided to check out the Gutierrez Canyon Open Space area. The trail head is located behind the plaza where the guitar studio is situated.
I was mainly just scoping the area out to see if it is feasible for horseback riding, but the two of us ended up spending a couple hours just enjoying the trails, the gorgeous warm sunny weather and gathering pinon nuts. Have I ever mentioned that Fall is my favorite season in New Mexico?

Well, those 700 acres covered in miles of mountain trails, just 15 minutes from my house, will be just perfect to bring my painted pony to explore. I'm so excited to get the two of us out on trails together. And I was also excited to tell my neighbor friend, Val about the trails, too, so we can ride together.

After our hike, Jem and I stopped off at a local coffee shop in the same plaza to have a smoothie and a muffin, and while there we met some fellow mountain resident horse owners who shared some of their favorite places to ride out here in the mountains, too. So, now I'm even more excited to add a few more local trails to explore on my horse.

When we got home, it was just too beautiful of a day to stay inside, so I walked up to the barn and got Baby Doll all tacked up. I'm always surprised at how willing my horse is to join me to be haltered and taken out riding. Yes, she can be a bit barn sour sometimes when we get out of sight of home, but with gentle and firm encouragement she doesn't mind heading off down the trails or roads carrying me on her back.

Early on, I used to work her in the round pen before every ride, to get out any 'spit and vinegar', and bucks and farts, but have come to discover that it's just not necessary with my mare. She and I are well-matched. She's calm and level-headed and prefers to mozy down the trail quietly, just like me.

We rode around our pastures, yard, neighbor's acreage and all around the neighborhood for a while, and then I decided to head down the road towards the 'back-40'.
This is the area with trails that I often ride with my neighbor, either on my mare or on one of her Arabian mares, Nadia. And I've walked my llamas all over back there, too. But I'd never before rode the entire circuit loop on my own.

Today my painted pony and I broke some boundaries together.

When we started down the road and lost sight of home, Baby Doll acted up a little, shaking her head, snorting, leaning in the direction of home, and even gifting me with a couple of crow-hop complaints. She's always half-hearted in her displays of unhappiness about leaving home, and it's quite easy to persuade her to go where I want instead.

I did notice one positive change today, too. I had decided to loosen the nose on her Bitless Bridle while tacking up, to give her the opportunity to have more release of pressure. And she was so much softer while riding today, dropping her head low like a Western Pleasure horse and just seeming more relaxed, not fighting for her head like she often did before.

There were no dogs out today except our next door neighbors out walking their border collie, who is very well behaved, so we had a quiet uneventful ride. It was funny, though, how when we got to the same area where my mare had prevously bolted from surprise by those loose dogs riling up our neighbor's pastured horses, Baby Doll's ears perked up and she snorted while looking around for any other weird funny business.

We got through the little gate just fine, too. My horse is so thoughtful when it comes to gates and seems to know just where to fit her body, so her rider avoids getting legs smashed. We walked along the fence where cows are usually grazing and then strolled through the woods. We mosied across several roads and across pastures until we were finally behind my neighbor's barn. You might say, sort of the back way returning from the 'back-40'.

I was incredulous and so thrilled that we had made it around the entire circuit just the two of us. I have such a wonderful sense of independance and freedom knowing that I can now take my horse out alone whenever I desire.

When we got back home, I rode Baby Doll for a while around the house and neighborhood and then decided to take my mare over to graze on some of the still green grass, before it finally turned brown. This was a special reward to Baby Doll for doing her part in breaking our riding boundaries. And I often enjoy just sitting there bareback or saddled while she grazes. It's one of my favorite things to do and is so relaxing.

But I've had to train her to know when she's allowed to graze, because I don't want her to graze while we are out on the trails, or try to snatch grass while we are riding, because it's not only disrespectful, but also dangerous. She's not paying attention to me when she's grabbing grass, she could trip and fall, or pull the reins out of my hands, and she could end up eating something not safe, too.

I used to make Baby Doll understand that she could graze only if she was wearing her halter, but not her bridle. But then I realized that sometimes I'd have her out somewhere where she could eat grass, but she'd be wearing a bridle.

So, I decided to teach her the word 'eat'. Sounds silly, eh?
Well she learned the word and now will only eat when I say 'eat'. She's smarter than my dog.

Here's some photos I took about a week ago, from my 'archive', and not from today, because, well you all know why. (wah!)

Baby Doll: "Oh look, Mom! Grass! Yummy" "Can I have some, please?!"Lisa-aka-Mom: "No. Wait!"Lisa: "Eat".....Baby Doll, "Mmmmm, nummy, munch, munchy, munch" "Thanks Mom!"Lisa: "That's my girl"...Baby Doll: "I'm such a good horse.....Mmmmm grass."

While Baby Doll and I were relaxing and grazing, my neighbor friend Val came home and brought her 3 horses out to hand-graze. We took turns holding lead ropes while sitting on horses and chatting as the sun dropped lower in the sky.
When we finally decided to send the ponies to bed, it was dark outside and about 15 degrees cooler. I rode Baby Doll back to the barn, untacked her, brushed her and picked out her hooves and gave her some cookies and hay...and a great big hug.