Steamy

Man, it's steamy outside.  As a result I've been spectacularly unmotivated.  I've piddled around not getting real serious about much (although we had some wicked nice right lead canter departs a couple weeks ago). 

I rode Annie in a rope halter

and was pleased to see that she did still have brakes.

Then I convinced Cathy to take Penny out on a trail ride for "Annie Bravery Purposes."  LAZ said that hacking out would help Annie in the bravery department XC since everything was a problem but the fences.

We headed out to  Southwestway yesterday while it was a balmy 91. 
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For those who have never been, first, change that!  It's a great park inside the city that's a multi use trail.  Mountain bikes, people, and horses.  It has some great views of ravines and the river, flat open spaces for galloping, and plenty of hills for working on butt muscles. 

There isn't a huge parking area and we've never actually met other horses there although I've had plenty of friends who have been. 

Annie was a very brave horse, leading most of the way.  We stopped dead at our first patch of mountain bikers and I had to motivate her with my stick (Thank gosh I brought it!) after that the motivations decreased until she was fine.  I rode her on the buckle with her head well below her withers and when we struck up a trot she stayed in control and down shifted easily.  Except for giving the park benches the hairy arabian eyeball (un nature in the middle of nature?  how unnatural) she was super.

All the mountain bikers we met were fantastic, stopping off to the side or even getting off their bikes and pushing them. Thanks guys! 

We did meet some people walking loose dogs and a friend we were with shouted "I don't know about these horses but mine kicks dogs!"  She really didn't, but it made the owners collect their lab from under Annie's legs.  Leash your dogs people! 

All in all we had a fantastic time for just 17 miles from home.  Penny was fantastic for her first trail ride, and it was great having Lynne's horse Twigs there as the experienced endurance horse in case we got stuck anywhere.