Bareback on Friday, Stirrup-less on Sunday!

The horse club we belong to opens their grounds to members once in a while. People come by on a Friday night with their horses to ride and socialize. When we got there, I noticed I had lost a Chicago screw from my bridle. Of course we didn't have a spare with us, so I became like McGiver and used whatever I could find -- here is a picture of my dental floss solution for the missing screw!! It is pretty neat to ride there because you can use their facilities -- there is a large arena used for competition, and a smaller arena that contestants use for warm up and practice. Both arenas have barrels set up in them. John and I went last Friday night, and decided to try something different. We got on our Girls bareback, and rode in the smaller arena. Divna and I were in the lead -- it is better for John that way, because Divna will actually walk and she keeps Zora slowed down. With Zora in the lead every ride we take becomes the Kentucky Derby. I was actually pretty proud of Zora....she started out kind of jazzed up and nervous, but she did slow down. It always amazes me that John can stay on her. So we walked around the arena, and walked around the barrels a bunch of times, then saddled them up and took them in the large arena. I was giving the barrels a try -- just running around them in pattern. Divna did pretty good -- she will get real close to the barrel and keep a tight circle. She stumbled a couple of times, but otherwise I was impressed with her. It was fun....I have to admit it would be really something to try it in competition.......

Then on Sunday we went over to the Indiana Dunes to ride the trails there. Our friends with Rocky Mountain horses were there, but they got there early and were finishig up their ride as we were arriving. It was a really neat day at the Dunes -- the weather was perfect, and we ended up having an out-of-the-ordinary experience. Like I said, when we got there our friends were there, so we were talking with them. Their two horses were nipping at each others' necks. I took a photo -- I hope you can make it out. They were so cute. Then a man with his developmentally challenged son stopped by to pet the horses -- we have seen them there before. The son just loves to pet the horses, and they are so sweet to just stand there for him and look into his eyes. Then a couple with their pre-teen daughter showed up for a picnic, and we spent a lot of time talking with them and they were petting the horses. Then a couple with a 2 year old were driving home from the beach, saw us in the parking lot and stopped so the child could pet the horses. It was really cool. We were there for two hours before we ever got on the trail!! But it was great -- no complaints. We decided to try something different again. We loped a bit on the first part of the trail, then put Divna in the lead and rode the rest of the trail at a walk with our feet out of the stirrups. The Girls handled it great, even Zora who usually gets nervous if John takes his feet out of the stirrups. I think it is good for us to do stuff like that sometimes.....but boy is it painful the next day!! You have to use muscles you do not typically use, and we are both feeling it!!!