A group of local women started a Facebook riding group which has been fun.  I do the majority of my riding alone, but it’s always nice to see who’s going where and it gives me options to see new areas, meet new people  and work with different horses.    On New Year’s Day, I rode at Washoe Lake on Xena with the FB group.  Washoe is always a popular ride… sand dunes, beach, water, and mountains standing in the background.  About 20 people showed up to ride, and as usually happens in large groups there were splintered groups, but that’s ok. I was very pleased with Xena.  She was a little power house, setting a brisk pace at walk that kept her in front most of the time.  Her running walk was smooth, her attitude was solid.  In the arena she is working hard on her downward transitions. Now that she has figured out and is consistent in both leads of canter, she just wants to GO.  So back and forth, we go…trot, canter, halt, canter, trot, etc.  It’s a lot more complicated because she is gaited so she has extra gears.  She needs to be able to come down from canter in a trot, or a gait, depending on what I ask for.  So far, when we are going left she will come down in trot, and when going right on the circle, she will come down in gait.  Still lots of work to do….especially between her ears….listening is not her forte

I rode Sundae across the river and up the hill  to check out the burn site (we had a fire across the river in January! Unheard of).  I am happy to say that the part I usually ride on went unscathed.  The cool temperatures get her revved up, and she could trot all day…..so it wasn’t the most relaxing ride, but she did alright.  She gets fabulous after about 2 hours of riding….which is why she is my choice when moving cows.  She will work all day, nose down in the sagebrush looking for calves, and just zeros in on them.  I’m looking forward to the cow sorting practices to start this spring.  We’ll be there.

The last horse I want to mention is a little red mustang that came into my life about 12 years ago.  He was 5, and started badly the first time.  He had serious trust issues.  I restarted him, slow and steady, and got him going pretty well.  I ended up selling him, but he has stayed at my ranch and in my care.  No one does much with him, so I started working with him again after a 10 year lapse.  He is super sensitive, and a tough guy, but he is loving the attention.  He hasn’t given me one bit of trouble.  I am very proud of him and our work together.  It just shows what a little kindness, a soft voice and a steady hand can do, vs. the old style of breaking horses.  So glad we have the knowledge of great trainers now to display alternative methods.