All the horses did well, but we were mostly interested in how Rawhide would behave. All the other horses are proven trail horses with many miles of experience, but Rawhide is so new to riding that we were a bit careful with him to make sure this was a positive experience.
I started out early in the morning with him, introducing him to the inside of my trailer. My trailer is great because I can open up the front stall and lead the horse into the trailer then out the front. I began with cookies on Rawhide's trailer training, and I had his grain for breakfast set up in the front of the trailer. He was tense, but was obedient and followed me right in, had a few bites of breakfast, and then I led him out the front. We went in and out this way at least half a dozen times, with all the windows open so it seemed very bright and inviting to him. Then I let him in the back, turned him around, and led him out the back. The trailer is very large inside so we had plenty of room to do this. I generally don't recommend allowing a horse to turn around inside a trailer unless there's substantial room. Rawhide absolutely refused to back out down the step, and I didn't want to start an altercation with him since we had our big ride planned for the day, so I allowed him to exit this way.
When I was confident that he would behave and I was sure that he was relaxed, I put him away to finish the rest of his breakfast with his roommate, Garmin, in their paddock. An hour or so later I reloaded him, put the other horses in as well, and we departed for Livermore.
At Alice's place we tied the horses to the sides of the trailer and proceeded to get tacked up for our ride. I dressed Rawhide in all the usual accoutrements for trail riding, including rope halter under his bridle, saddle bags, spare leadrope, water bottles, the works. I lunged him in the field in which we were parked so that we could keep with his routine from home.
He behaved on the lungeline so I didn't need to do it for very long. Of all the riders I mounted first, and I tried to walk him around the area while everyone else got on. Rawhide was anxious, and felt very "bunchy" beneath me. Usually when I feel a horse get this tense it's a precursor to some kind of explosion, so I diffused his nervous energy by having him turn and walk in different directions. It worked reasonably well, he didn't explode, but he was sure ready to fight with me when I wouldn't allow him to get immediately behind the other horses.
He was trying to do this because all his previous trail experience was as a pack horse on hunting trips, where he was tied to the horse in front of him and they would walk nose-to-tail carrying the heavy stuff. Rawhide is smart, wanted to do what he was familiar with, and got mad at me when I wouldn't allow him to do it. Thankfully he and I have enough of a relationship that when I quietly insisted that this is a different job with different rules, he was willing to give my way a try.
We did have an episode later on the ride when I wouldn't allow him to get nose-to-tail with Khreed (this is a safety issue to ride immediately in the kick zone, and besides it's rude for a riding horse to put his nose in a stranger's behind). When I didn't allow Rawhide to get right behind Khreed, Rawhide began to hop up and down a little, and then run sideways back towards the barn. I mostly ignored this behavior and continued steering us in the direction I wanted. I also asked everyone else on the ride to ignore him and continue in the direction they were already headed. When Rawhide realized that he was a lone horse headed into an open field by himself, and he realized he was getting no reaction from me, the other humans, or the other horses, he gave it up and decided to just go where I asked him to.
We covered lots of different terrain, including hills, valleys, rocky areas, and even a wooded spot along the road. Rawhide on the whole did well, but there were some significant spooks sideways when something would startle him like a well-concealed rock in the tall grass. I was able to settle him down again after each spook, but he sure is quick when he darts sideways. He also got pretty tense when I pulled out my water bottle for a drink at one of our stops. There were ice cubes in it making scary noises as they rattled around while I drank, and he raised his head straight up to watch me out of the corner of his eye. He tensed all his muscles, ready to bolt. I was able to talk him down, and even got the water bottle put away and a cookie dispensed to him from my saddlebags. I was grateful it didn't end up being more exciting, but he is definitely a sensitive animal.
After we had been riding for a few hours we headed back to Alice's house. We rode on her property nearly the whole time - such a huge property and a fun place! We untacked and tied the horses at the trailer with water and hay bags. Alice then treated us to amazing potato salad and chicken salad, and she even had cupcakes for us!
It was such a fun day, and a great experience for Rawhide to go out with quiet seasoned animals to learn how to do trails as a riding horse. The little guy has a long way to go before I can deem him quiet and safe, but you have to start somewhere!
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