Indy's First Trail Ride!

Tania and I met at Blackfoot this morning for Indy's first trail ride. The day was gorgeous - bright and sunny and warm and the fall colors were spectacular!

When we arrived, I just wandered around the parking lot with Indy letting her sniff things and get a good look around. Then after I put her saddle on, I circled her a few times and then played "put your nose on it" around the parking lot, the picnic area and grassy area until she was calm and unconcerned. She's naturally a very curious horse, so it doesn't take much to get her to put her nose on stuff. I also yoyo'd her to the tie rails and up a grassy bank.

Eventually, I felt she was ready to ride and so I got on and walked her around the staging area. There were a few other horses arriving by this time, so Indy was calling out to all of them and had to watch them all. So much to see and smell!

We started down the trail with Jack in the lead (which Tania also wanted to work on -- Jack being the leader -- so this trail ride benefitted both of us!). For about the first 200 m or so, Indy was trying to look at everything at once with lots of weaving and snorting, but mostly in a curious "holy cow there's a lot of new stuff here" way, rather than fearful. In no time she settled into a nice steady walk. She tried to trot off a few times when we got to more open areas, but I checked her back to a walk and she listened.

We stopped to take pictures here and there and Indy managed to wait almost patiently and had no problem with being re-mounted the couple times I had to get off (I was expecting her to walk off like Gypsy always does when she's agitated). She listened to my leg and the reins really well. She also took the lead a few times and managed it like a pro.

A couple other horses passed us on the trail and Indy wanted to follow them and jigged a bit and tossed her head when I held her back, but other than that, she did amazing.

At the end of the ride just before we got off the trail, Jack spooked at a squirrel and wheeled around to go back down the trail. Indy, being right behind him, also had to turn quickly to avoid him, but she didn't get upset or take off down the trail, she just stopped as if she was just trying to get out of his way. I was so impressed!

What a spectacular day! Indy is impressing the socks off me. She did fantastic for her first time on the trail!