Willow Bend

Willow Bend

It was time to challenge Trifecta a little more.  We would ride to Willow Bend.  It is the name of a picnic area across the street from the bridle path and a perfect goal.  Round trip would be about 2 miles.  This time, we enlisted Kevin's help.  He would ride Starry with me.  Once we got across the river, Ellen would be on the other side to join us.

Before all of this, we took Cole and Dante out for their ride.  All along, I was noticing things that might worry Trifecta.  How would he be with the cars when we were close to the road?  What about over by Cougar Rock where the road and the paved bike trail is above us?  That bothered him in the past.  What if something noisy comes down the road?

When we got back from our ride, Kevin was there waiting for us.   I saddled up Trifecta and tested him out in the arena for a few minutes.  I don't need to lounge him before riding, but I do like to see how his mood is.  All seemed normal, so I told Kevin we were ready to go.

Kevin mounted Starry in the arena who then refused to go out the door.  He doesn't like to lead.  I led Trifecta, and Starry slowly followed.  This is Starry's slow time of year.  When there are a lot of bugs, he is a different horse, but after the frost, he likes to just meander.

I led Trifecta down the street, and Starry lagged behind us.  I pictured Trifecta following Starry to help with his confidence down the hill, since Ellen wouldn't be there, but we were basically on our own.  I mounted up and away we went.  Trifecta was so excited!  We had to keep stopping to let Starry catch up, but he might as well learn that lesson now.  When we got down to the river, he was a little worried about a loose dog and the man yelling for the dog to come back.  I was glad to see Ellen there to run interference.  Trifecta saw Ellen, and he flew across the river-- much too fast.  I tried to stop him, but he just ignored me.  

We waited for Starry to cross, and then Trifecta just marched down the trail.  Ellen was a little nervous, so she attached his lead rope and walked next to us.  The first part of the trail goes along a fence that is next to the paved bike trail which is next to the street.  I stopped him for each car that came by so he could watch it and see the leaves that the cars blew along the road.  Last year, he had a really bad spook caused by just that.  I am happy to say there was no spooking--just looking.

At that is basically the theme of the whole ride--looking.  He was fascinated by everything--particularly logs.  Oddly, there was a small log across the trail, and he wasn't fascinated by that at all.  He just stepped right over it without even pausing to sniff it.

Kevin would trot Starry up to us when he got too far behind--Trifecta was so excited that he was walking really fast and Starry didn't want to work that hard.  I don't know how Ellen kept up.  She kept the lead rope on just in case, but we didn't need it.  The Cougar Rock section of the trail was uneventful except for a newly cut log by the side of the trail.  He couldn't take his eyes off that, but he did pass it with no drama.

Finally, we made it to Willow Bend and turned around.  Starry came towards us, and Trifecta's head went way up in the air and his eyes got really big.  We think he forgot Kevin and Starry were behind us.  Starry passed us up so that he didn't have to lead, and we headed home.

Trifecta always settles down on the way home.  Whether it is because things aren't as novel or he is tired, I don't know.  At least it gave Ellen a break.  Starry still plodded along, and we stopped to let him catch up multiple times.  When we got to the river, Ellen unhooked us and let us go alone.  She did walk with us down the river bank.  He went a little fast, but I was able to stop him at the bottom.  I also made a point of stopping him as he was crossing the water.  That slowed him down, and he crossed much better than on the way out.  I thought he would rush up the river bank on the other side, but he walked halfway up and stopped when he didn't see Ellen.  I gently urged him to continue and we made it to the top and turned around to watch Starry.  I was concerned that his splashing might startle Trifecta--as it did with Cole on his early rides, but he was fine.

I was hoping that Starry would take the lead up the hill, but he refused, so Trifecta led on the way up, too.  He walked up the hill better than  he ever has--and I am sure this time it was because he was tired.  At the top, we met Ellen who had driven back to the barn and we went home all smiles.  For his first real trail ride, he was just wonderful!