Good as Gold (Better, Actually)

This is a post about the long-awaited "camping trip" - it turned into a trail ride, because my friend Kaylee had to work the day before the ride.  But as you will see, it was no less fun for that.

I spent Thursday afternoon preparing all my tack for the trail ride the next day, and on Friday afternoon, I went over to sponge and groom and spiffy up my horse.  I prayed like crazy as I worked, hoping that Indy would load well and get along with the other horses okay.  He would be trailered with my friend Kaylee's horse, Honee, and another mare named Sami.

God is always faithful.  Indy was good as gold.

indy in his awesome makeshift stall at kaylee's.  her little brother liked him :)

Saturday morning, early, we left for the trail ride.  It was a long trip, and I flinched every time the trailer went over a bump.  But there was no need to worry. Indy and Sami were loving it up inside, and Honee was calm as well.

Finally, we arrived.  

kaylee and honee, accompanied by a wonderful view

ditto the above caption!

The trail ride was supposed to start at 9, but we got there at 9:30 and no one was tacked up.  (There were only nine riders, sadly.)  But we had this lovely field behind our home base.

ze field

I've never raced Indy against another horse at full gallop before.  Never.  I didn't think he was competitive.  Was I wrong.

Kaylee's friend Anna, who I had met before, had her horse Shiloh there as well.  Anna and Shiloh are a wild pair who love to gallop, and she suggested a race.  No one was sure about that at first - we didn't know how the horses would react.  But then I grabbed the chance and said, sure, I would race.

Indy took off at full gallop when I nudged him and barreled down on the ever speedy Shiloh.  At a certain point, I leaned down over his neck and he shot off even faster, like he was determined to catch Shiloh.  Shiloh still won the race, but we were in second, and I was so proud and exhilarated that I couldn't wait to gallop again.

The trail itself was very stony and muddy, and Indy was not enjoying himself.  Therefore, I wasn't either, at first.  He almost scraped me against trees a couple times.  But then I realized something.  I was concentrating so hard that I wasn't breathing.

I started taking regular, slow breaths, and it was an instant change.  All of a sudden, Indy didn't try to lope through slippery mud, he just pranced or plodded.  After that, it was fun.  And finally, the trail group emerged on a high, grassy hill overlooking a beautiful view.  Sorry I don't have a photo - I couldn't risk my mom's Canon in the saddlebag.

kaylee and anna, tandem on shiloh

The last hours at camp were spent eating hobo dinners, lying around on bareback horses, and doing Redneck Barrels - using a manure pile and two buckets in your cloverleaf pattern.

I didn't want the day to end.  But it did, like all good things do on this earth.  But usually, I've found that when one good thing ends, another one is on the way.  Indy and I are off to search for it.

we're a team

*Thank you, Kaylee's family and mine, for making this work!!