Trail Riding at Soapstone

This Friday Highboy and I went with Khreed the Arabian and Shambhu the Connemara/TB to Soapstone Prairie to trail ride.  We went about ten miles total, five out and five back.  Highboy was brave and led most of the way.  Khreed was an endurance horse before he came to live with Joyce, so he is a master of all things trail related and he and Joyce are an impressive pair.

Shambhu and Carol are also seasoned trail riders and are always good for a long ride.

Highboy, as usual, had to participate in some nonsense at the beginning.  Mostly it was regarding whether he was going to walk over some flat stones in a dry creek bed.  I asked him to go forwards, and he stepped backwards.  I swatted him with my crop, he kicked out.  I swatted him again and he began to back up faster, away from the dry creek bed, kicking as he went.  I shifted my weight and quickly turned him around, which put him in a position of backing fast TOWARDS the creek bed as he pitched his temper tantrum.  Before he realized what was happening, he was in the creek bed on top of the scary rocks.  Suddenly it wasn't a big deal anymore.  We calmly turned around and moseyed up the hill to the other side.  Highboy is so melodramatic, and I can't get into a wrestling match argument with him (because I'll never win against a 1200 lb animal), so it's better to just outsmart him.

Other than that our ride was pleasant and relaxing.  We saw deer, prairie dogs, antelope, bunnies, a butterfly landed on Highboy's nose, and the horses trucked along like the fabulous mounts they are, Highboy interested in everything and everyone.

At the end of the ride Highboy and Shambhu were sharing a beverage at the trailer, and they began to groom each other.  This is an affectionate thing two horses will do for each other when they are good friends, and it was fun to see Highboy and Shambhu bonding.  With Highboy these mutual grooming sessions often quickly transform into epic lip-wrestling battles, so I did stand nearby just in case things got out of hand.  Here is the video from their time tied at the trailer together.