I went trail riding again on Saturday. I’m sure you all will get tired of hearing about this soon, but I am still just so excited – I’m riding my horse! On a regular basis! It’s just so cool.
Anyway, I went with Shari and her friend/coworker, Christina. Christina happens to be a large animal vet, so I’m happy to be getting to know her better. 
We went to a place nearby that is just a nice, easy network of trails. They wander through woods, around cornfields and next to a lake. The weather was perfect, and the horses were all very well-behaved.
Shari brought her gelding, Rabbit; he’s a Quarter Horse, about 15, maybe 15.5 hh. I had my 16.2 hh Tennessee Walking Horse. And Christina had her 17 hh Thoroughbred, Wilson. Can you just picture that? Since Bill, our official (and only) cameraman, didn’t come this time, you’ll have to picture it in your head. To help you in your imagining, though, Rabbit is a bay, Valentine is of course black, and Wilson is a dappled grey. He’s a former racehorse who also was a show jumper, and Christina rides him with English tack. What a motley crew – Shari on her Western saddle, in jeans and a baseball cap; Christina on her little English saddle in breeches with half-chaps and a riding helmet; and me on Shari’s nice trail saddle (looks like a Western/English combo) in jeans and riding helmet. You wouldn’t think we’d make be a good trail group, but we did. The horses all got along famously, and as long as we were only walking, things went pretty smoothly.
Every once in a while, though – okay, several times – Wilson wanted to go just a wee bit faster. Valentine wasn’t going to take that laying down. He was like one of those drivers you encounter, who isn’t going too fast until you try to pass them, and then they speed up. The faster Wilson went, the faster Valentine wanted to go. And let me tell you, a 17 hh Thoroughbred can go pretty darn fast.
I’ve learned something else too: a former show horse is not necessarily a good trail horse. My horse, as I’ve mentioned before, was a fancy show horse. He was what you call a “big lick” Tennessee Walker. That means he was one of those horses with the big ol’ pads on his front feet, keeping his back end way down and lifting his front feet way up in the air. Pretty impressive in a show ring, but not so very practical for everyday walking. What I’m saying is, he has one gait that is really, really smooth. It’s called a “running walk.” All his other gaits are, shall we say, uncomfortable for the rider. His walk is okay – rougher than a normal horse, but tolerable. His trot is really bouncy. His canter makes it nearly impossible to stay in the saddle. We never made it to a gallop, thank goodness. I think a project in the near future will be to find someone who knows how to direct a gaited horse, so I can learn how to keep Valentine in that nice running walk. I could sit that all day.
We also took our horses into the lake. That was an adventure. Rabbit would not go – Shari had to get off and lead him reluctantly in. He has a “thing” about water. Wilson would absolutely not go. Christina got off and tried to pull him in; he pulled her out. She got back on and Shari and Rabbit stood behind, with Shari slapping him on the rump with a crop as Christina tried to get him in. No way, sister. Finally they settled on getting him to stand at the water’s edge, which he finally did. And Valentine? The first time we tried, I got him to the edge but he turned around. Then after the Wilson fiasco, I tried again and he went right in. I was so proud – two experienced horsewomen, and I, the novice, was the only one whose horse obeyed with no trouble! Later, we found a better, smoother beach and all three horses went right in, and had a high old time, pawing and splashing. We can’t wait for summer, when getting splashed will be fun for the riders too.
All in all, it was a really great day. Can’t wait for this Saturday! I wonder where we’re going?
Nice job, Oma!! Too bad you didn’t have your camera.
Congratulations on having successful trail rides. There’s a TWH at my barn who’s owner was explaining & demo’ing the running walk. Looks so smooooth!
Doesn’t 15.5hh = 16hh?
Congrats on getting your horse into the water. I’m so lucky Moon doesn’t have any water issues, but many of the horses at our barn do, which causes lots of eliminations on the x-country course.
The running walk the the main reason I want a TWH! Also, interesting to hear that his canter is hard to sit. I have heard that they are supposed to have very nice “rocking horse” canters. Some of they look really goofy while they are trying to do it though!
15.4hh actually =16hh. 1 hand=4 inches so measurements go 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 and no .4 (since that equals a new hand as it is equivalent to 4 inches)
Thank you all for the education on “hands.” Just goes to show that I STILL don’t know what I’m talking about most of the time! Okay, Rabbit must be just 15 then because Moonshine measures at 15.2 and he’s a little smaller than she is.
That is so funny how once Wilson would try to pass Valentine he would speed up. That has happened to me before. Also I love going in the water with a horse. It is just so much fun! I cannot believe Rabbit or Wilson would not go in but Valentine. He must really have trust in you and that is a huge compliment. I am excited to read about what y’all will do next Saturday!
That sounds like so much fun!
I can agree with you completely about the fact that not all horses make good trail horses. When I first got Marker, it never occured to me that I couldn’t just ride him out on the trail like I did Starman. Boy was I wrong. He will never be the trail horse that Starman is. But I love him anyway!
I ride a Tennessee Walker and I love his running walk
and canter, both. Maybe they don’t all move the same,
but Donny’s canter is so much fun….