Boring Mom Bragging

[Rides 2 Far <rides2far@juno.com>]

> A bit later as we were starting up the>road, he passed us coming down,
still in his pickup.  He said that he was>going to leave the area opened
for us.   Most motorcyclists in our area are
>very polite and I would never expect this kind of extreme care, but I
felt>that I had to particularly brag on this one.

Well... you should have had *my* day. >g<  Today...6...count them SIX
years after my oldest daughter entered an essay contest and won an 18 mo.
old Welsh pony, and then the lady decided to give it's 5 mo. old brother
to my *other* daughter, we FINALLY went on a full fledged mother-daughter
group trailride together!  The reason I put it off for so long was that
both ponies just love to throw a buck now and then, and I considering
that they're 13'2" and 13'3" I had to wait until the 9 year old got
strong enough to keep their head up.  

Our Arabian Horse Club scheduled a trailride at Prentice Cooper Wildlife
Management Area.  I quit going there about 2 years ago.  It's right by a
rock quarry and the rangers just can't resist putting rock down every
time they get a spare dollar.  The four wheelers and motor cycles are
really thick there, and there's a firing range AT the unloading area! 
I'd honestly forgotten about the firing range, since the rock was the
reason I'd quit going there.  We loaded them all up in the 3 horse slant,
first time for the ponies so I put the shortest bodied, quickest minded
one in the rear and simply hoped to goodness he'd figure out how to get
out.  He did.  He turned around the first time, but sort of bumped his
shoulder, but when we got home he backed right out.

Somebody was having a wonderful time with some sort of repeater rifle but
since we used to have a somewhat insane Yankee transplant Pole across the
street who loved to shoot off his porch, the horses took it well.

The next test was the dirt bikes.  They love to fly around the narrow
trails, and can't see you until they're right on you.  I was off trying
to shorten a stirrup when the first four came around a curve.  Josie, the
9 year old is an optomist and if her pony throws a fit she'll simply ride
it out and brag on how well he jumps straight up the rest of the day.
Bonnie, the older daughter tends to yell "help Mom" and panic.  HOWEVER,
today  the girls switched ponies.  Josie rode Bonnie's full Welsh pony
Animal Krackers, which they redubbed, "Krack head".  His quick motions
tend to make Bonnie tense and nervous.  Bonnie rode Stormy who is 3/4
Welsh, 1/4 TB and ....ummm.... does a good imitation of being mentally
slow.  He's also far more horseish in his movements and when going just
as fast as Krackers, feels much slower.  It was GREAT!  Bonnie was so
relaxed, that when the motorcycle riders went by she managed to comment
on which one was cutest. >g<

We passed 2 groups which were polite, then one JERK teenager came
barreling down the trail, saw us from at least 40 yards away, with me
motioning for him to slow down, came on forwards, looked at me and
yelled, "What do you want me to do?" and then as soon as he got past us
GUNNED it spraying rocks everywhere.  The great part was, the ponies
didn't care.

The only good spook we got out of the ponies was when a mountain bike
rider rode quietly up behind us and they suddenly realized he was there. 
The guy was nice, and I told him to just be sure and yell next time, that
the silent approach surprises them, and he seemed happy to get the
advice.

Now, I see that what I could use is a *slow* horse for me when we ride
together!  Even though Josie thought it was great that her pony had to
canter when Kaboot was in a "me hauling on the reins, slowest he has in
his gearcase trot", I was exhausted from trying to keep him slow.  It was
fun riding with the kids.  They see things sooo differently. They
commented on mudholes that were shaped like states, weird knots on trees,
smells, all sorts of things that I ignore because I'm busy looking at
footing.  After enthusiastically praising her pony and the trail for 4
hours, she said, "And just think, this is just the FIRST day of Spring
Break! :-))

Angie