Mag says get off. I refuse.

Today gave us some milestones,  and I'm glad it worked out, but I may never ride that trail again.

When horseless I discovered the prettiest trail in our area, and named it after myself, and insisted to my husband that we hide a geocache at the pinnacle of its prettiness. I've been dreaming of riding there for over a year.

I told Bintu's owner about it and she said, "Oh, I would never ride there, way too dangerous."

I thought, no way, it's PERFECT. It's a tiny technical single track that gently flows up and down alongside a creek, then widens to a grassy road and goes straight up a steep hill with a gorgeous view at the top that makes you think you're in the wilderness, not still actually in town (how disappointed I was my first time, when I realized where I was. Not far, not isolated, but it gives you that impression).

But since I'd been there more trees had either fallen across the path, or leaned into the path in ways that made it difficult to even lead Mag along. Agh. Fix this, guys! Also, the trail itself is barely wide enough for the hooves of a horse to step on. It is not marked as the official trails are, so perhaps it is a deer trail?

At the geocache I mounted because I was exhausted, that hill is steep. Mag was panting along behind me. Then I reminded myself how stupid riding in jeans is and wondered about the people who do it on purpose.

Milestones: We were riding away from home, on a trail Mag had never seen. Woo!

We kept hearing trees falling and sure enough, at the top, was a large sign to our right DO NOT ENTER - LOSS OF LIFE DANGER. I laughed - we're riding near guys cutting down oak trees. Another milestone! I sang my danger song and we finally crested the hill.

Heading back down, Mag hesitated, "I've never been here, maybe you should get off" and I said it's OK.

Then he started doing that uncomfortable-to-ride rushing downhill thing. He does it out of laziness, it's easier to let gravity suck us down the hill instead of using muscles to balance at a careful walk. He doesn't trip, but he feels like he's falling forward, flopping downhill. Do you know what I'm describing?

It makes me think he's going to trot or rush off, but I tell myself it's nothing but laziness and lack of balance/strength, and he's too lazy to break into a trot on his own.

Indeed, at, the bottom, joining the creek trail again, he slowed right down to his normal careful walk. I decided right then that we'll do lots of steep descents on the lead line where I ask him to stop halfway down and balance himself without a rider. Because as I'd led him earlier, twice he almost slammed into me by just klutzing down inclines and losing track of his legs altogether.

I started having fun on this most technical trail, but dodging trees constantly, and ducking. I realized S was right, this trail is not really appropriate for horses. It also has some cliffs down to the creek in places where it is very narrow, and Mag did slip one hoof off at one point, scary.

Then we came to a tree that blocked us so I got off and Mag crashed haphazardly around it, off trail.

Then I found a bench by the outdoor public pool and got on.

There was a bridge up ahead by the Fallow Deer farm and I told myself I was going to pretend it doesn't exist. It worked, Mag walked right across it while I looked for the deer herd.

I had visions of our future there, a future of trust and security. I thought about how many years it took for Aarene to make Fiddle into the dependable trail horse she is. I think she said 4 years, but Fiddle was never easy, I think her price reflected that *lol*

We crossed a creek, and since he gave a little hop instead of stepping in it, I made him go through two more times. He knows that creek so well, it's the one closest to our home. I also let him take a drink.

I found some steep drops and made him descend them one step at a time, which he did quite lurchily. I think it's Christoph Schork of Global Endurance who trains horses by stopping them on steep descents and just making them balance there like that, something I'd never seen before.

Then the trail ended at a house and the paved street began. He slammed on the brakes, "This is where you get off."

I realize that I've taught him that by dismounting when we reach pavement, but I was annoyed because I have ridden him through towns on city streets twice now, with another horse, and it was never a problem. Why was it a problem today, when we're nearly home?

I know he's not worried about the homes and pavement, so he must have picked it up from me. So we're gonna work on that starting right now.

I rode him forward, envisioning a herd of cows in front of us that we were pushing up the hill toward home. He kept stopping, looking at the homes and gardens, sometimes looking at me, "You still up there?" I knew he was not really scared, he was just asking again, "Get off my back?" so I let him stand and then asked for forward again, even getting a few steps of a trot just to show him I mean it.

We could see our home and for some reason he was still sticky. A group of deer ran in front of us but that didn't worry him. There was no fear in this equation.

Then this neighbor I do not know was petting her tabby cat and I said, "Was that my cat?" I guess there is another tabby in the neighborhood. As we stood there talking, I was totally relaxed and enjoying myself, and Mag wasn't balking, nor was he fidgeting to get home. Then we said goodbye, I let a car pass, and then rode Mag right up onto our driveway where I got off. That was the goal, no matter how long it would take, I would ride him all the way to our house.

I'm not comfortable riding through towns on pavement, but I can't let Mag tell me when to get off his back. When he's being lazy and not fearful is when I need to insist he comply. If he's truly fearful, I will cut him some slack.

No photos from the now, so I'll enjoy these again from that sweet arena: