An EPIC week!

This past weekend saw both of us at home (for a change) and with empty calendars for Saturday (for a change).  So we decided to "rent" an extra horse so the two of us could ride together for a few hours out on the trails.  Tucker was in a grand mood, as was his new buddy, Bella.  Though it was drizzly and cool, we headed out to find some new trails among the beautiful Redmond forests.  Fall is arriving at Seattle's doorstep and the smells are filling the woods.  Cooler weather means friskier horses, and these two were definitely feeling their oats!

Bella is a youngish Thoroughbred who's been evented and I suspect is from the racetrack.  She wasn't interested in having Tucker and Shanna in front, and she was very strong. (my shoulder muscles are killing me!)   If she wasn't at a full-out gallop she wasn't content.  But for the most part, after we covered the first half-mile or so, both equines behaved quite well.  Bella got frustrated a few times when I asked her to sidle up next to the blackberry bushes for the occasional snack, tending to dance around and rear up.  One of the most impatient mares I've been around in awhile!  And her naughtiness made Tucker look like the "good one"! 

Shanna and Tucker had an awesome time bonding on this ride, and both of them had wide, wide smiles.  He was bold and forward and brave, at the same time obedient and responsive.  Shanna got to spend a lot of time in two-point at the collected canter, and both of them built some more muscle.  The scenery was phenomenal, the horses were a blast and the pace was exhilarating.  A ride none of the 4 of us will soon forget!

After a day off of R&R in his field, we showed up at the barn Monday for a lunch-time ride.  Tucker seemed to be in a good mood from the start (perhaps it's the new snaffle that Shanna bought him?) and while I warmed him up in the sunny outdoor jumping ring, Shanna laid out a zillion cavalletti for walk and trot work.  Tucker was game to maneuver through the ground poles like a champ, picking up his feet (his new bell-boot-covered-feet!) and moving forward nicely.  Even his canter transitions were nice! The more muscle he develops the more balanced he gets and the more easily he's able to get underneath himself and move forward. This ride was going so well that I thought I'd take him over some of the little fences in the ring since Tucker seems to enjoy jumping so much.  The jumping he really dug, and the cavalletti he excelled at, so the only outlet for his usual shenanigans was a rather significant excursion up the hill, out of the arena.  Crazy red fella had to do something naughty or we'd suspect a lobotomy.....

There were two "scarier" fences in the ring -- more solid than just the regular poles.  I figured Tucker would look hard at them, and maybe skid to a stop the first time, which he did.  And this was his second attempt at the 20" picket and roll-top.  Rockstar!

Tucker was being so good in the arena that Shanna decided to try her hand at a few cross-rails and their joined-at-the-mindedness was evident as they cruised around the arena in synch.  I'm not sure who had the larger smile between the two of them.....  I'll make eventers out of them yet!