My birthday ride

Team Tucker celebrated my birthday today with a trip to the lake :)Technically my birthday was yesterday. Karen gave me a nice photo of Tucker and I standing next to each other. By the way, I am now 59 years old and riding my first riding horse :)

I managed to get nervous about taking Tucker somewhere new with a different trailer and Brownie the horse was already in the trailer but Tucker is a trooper. He loaded no problem and I learned how to load the horse. Tucker backed out no problem either.

There's lots of obstacles at the lake. We did the platform, the mailbox, the zigzag, the barrels, the poles in buckets. Oh yeah, and the pool noodles across the interior of a plywood box.

We got a lesson today and that included backing up in a zig zag. Also, bending around poles and barrels.

We jogged and we do look better at the jog and there was a good 200 feet that we just floated together.

Trotting is still my nemesis :) We jogged and trotted in the round pen. We did transitions walk, jog, trot, walk, whoa. Karen said I did mange to look better at the trot :) I can't really post but I am trying.

I can't believe how much better I am at turning hind and fore. Woot!

To finish up we did a nice walk out onto the dirt road and down by the overflowing lake. We haven't had water in this lake like this in years.

Tucker is still a lookey loo but I am able to get his attention back better.

Horse time equaled about 4 hours and at least 2 1/2 hours in the saddle.

I forgot to mention something important that happened yesterday. During my ride with Tucker, he started acting funny, odd, strange. Non cooperative.

I told Tucker "What is going on here? You aren't usually like this!"

I was turning to comment on that when my trainer said "What is wrong with the girth?" I hadn't done the girth properly, I guess, because it was working loose.

I was so glad I was trying to listen to my horse. That was a catastrophe avoided.

Karen said, "That horse is trying to take care of you!"

The other thing I forgot to mention was, when we were done with our ride and waiting our turn to tie up at the trailer, I hugged Tucker's muzzle to me and stroked the far side of his face. He sighed and said "I am so happy." Tucker has a sweet side.

It is nice to know that Tucker and I are learning each other's nuances.