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More specifically, we did the American River 25 trail (the
AR 30/50/70 is being held this coming Saturday).
It has *the* most gorgeous views of the lake and alongside
the American River - especially the bit where it is about
500 ft straight down. Gulp. At one point Provo stumbled and
knocked a rock down the side, and began spookily peering down
because he could hear it bouncing downwards ("WALK ON PROVO" -
so much for subtle aids...).
The trail itself is up and down and around, lots of rock bits
to scramble up, but the footing was good. We did it without
back shoes (mix-up with the farrier), but it didn't seem to
bother him (no hopping behind) and his feet looked really good
at the end.
Anyways, we had a ball, and Provo is definitely at his very best
on single track after 10 miles, bopping along on a dangling rein.
I was so proud of him. We had such a great time!
I can't wait to be in a position to actually train properly and be
able to do this on a regular basis. The trail head is half an hour
from my house, but with no truck and trailer it doesn't make much
difference where it is.
The one thing that did disturb me slightly, was him starting
to flip his head around the 20 mile mark.
You know the flip I mean? the one they do when running
around in the pasture, doing the "I'm better than you
strut"? Except when wearing a bridle, it flips the reins
over their heads, so they're dangling off their ears?
I know someone else has had this problem, because I remember
a post about losing the reins over to the wrong side.
He was in a light bosal, with me delicately holding onto the
very end of the dangling reins, so I don't think he can have
been trying to avoid any pressure on his head.
I don't think it was an impatient toss, because we were going
the speed he chose, more or less.
I wondered if his back was beginning to get achey, and it was
the equivalent of twirling one's head/neck to reduce that
stressy tightness in one's shoulders after a long day at the
computer? Or is that ridiculous?
It wasn't like he was tired - at one point towards the end, he
was galloping up a slope, and was still hopping about when tied
to the trailer while I was untacking him.
The following day he was sore around the girthline and a little
in the chest. I, on the other hand, can hardly move. I feel like
I've ripped all the muscles in my back, and my legs won't support
me at a vague bend. I can't even sit down properly. But it was
*the* best fun I've had on a horse in ages. Yay.
-- ************************************************************** Lucy Chaplin Trumbull - elsie@calweb.com Displaced English person in Sacramento, CAhttp://www.calweb.com/~elsie http://www.calweb.com/~trouble **************************************************************
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