5yo 16hh Little Colorado WY Mustang gelding Rock, one of the Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassador Mustangs, has quite a few trail miles under his belt now.
Yes, he has great ears and he’s SO happy, all the time.
What he hasn’t had is consistently the same rider so I’ve been making it a point to ride him more. He’s been our “whoever needs a horse to ride rides Rock” sweet go-to boy.
Last week he and I did 12 miles together, up and down and alongside hills, through water and willows and around lots of rocks.
Walk, trot, lope, lots of leading, some following and ponying a mostly very cooperative Firefly the whole way.
He’s working on maintaining gait, standing quietly no matter what, softness/lightness, balance and lateral movements/bend. To me those are non-negotiable, no matter how much a horse is “just a trail horse”.
It’s the difference between having an enjoyable, safe ride or not, between having a horse that takes ownership of what we’re doing or one I have to babysit and nag constantly.
I want to have fun, and I want them to enjoy themselves too. Most importantly, I want us both to be and feel safe as much as possible.
This ride has a few somewhat technical spots where a major mess-up could end a little ugly. Not nearly as ugly as in some of the places we go. This was his and 3yo Bible Springs UT Mustang filly Firefly’s first time there. I’m proud of how those two are coming along and becoming backcountry savvy.
Lacy (Divide Basin WY Mustang mare, behind us) had been there and did great for Kelly Strong . 2yo Goose (Bordo Atravesado NM Mustang filly, all the way in the back) owns the ground she walks on anywhere she goes, so she made sure everyone was kept in check and given adequate side-eye.
Yay for summer mountain adventures with friends and the whole herd!
