Group Gallop and a Goose

Lynx and I were invited to a group trailride, at a friend's beautiful farm. There were eight horses all together, which is the largest group Lynx has ridden with, not counting the extra large classes at our last horseshow.  

Big groups have the potential to be kind of stressful for a green horse, but Lynx once again behaved as a seasoned trail veteran. He led the group at the beginning, even leading the charge down into and across ine of the dry creek beds.

At one point we reached a field with good footing, and our host offered to let us gallop around the perimeter.  There were 5 of us who wanted to go, and the other 3 waited at the trail's entrance into the fields.  Lynx did so well with this!  Galloping in a group also has the potential to get a horse revved up, but Lynx managed to canter/gallop in the front, in the middle of the group, in the back, and it was all very controlled.  Impressive stuff for a horse who's only been riding for two months.

We had quite the conversation as we were getting started.  To Lynx, despite being in an open field, going fast with a group of horses was very similar to his time at the racetrack.  In the beginning he did pick up the canter, but when he realized EVERYONE was going fast, he switched to his pace.  

He's remarkably quick in that gait, and was near the front of the pack.  I did have him slow down, rebalance, and then pick up the canter again each time he would pace, and by the end he realized what I wanted.  

With all the galloping we've done in our fields at home, Lynx was great galloping in the group once he realized it wasn't a pacing race.  He also was very easy to bring back to the walk, and was content riding in the back of the group at the walk.  This is a good sign that he'd enjoy foxhunting too!  

I didn't have the gopro with me today, but at the slower gaits I did take video with my phone. At the end of the ride as we were approaching the trailers again, we encountered the resident guard goose.  We have a lot of wild turkeys at our place, but I doubt Lynx has seen many geese, especially one as gregarious as this one!

In true Lynx fashion, he checked it out, decided it was no big deal, and now he's Goose-Proof.

What a fantastic ride!  Group galloping, trailriding through fields and the woods, up and down through the creek beds, and meeting a guard goose.  What a day!