On the trails again with lots of ups and downs, literally! LOL

Well Kaspin and I accomplished out 1st trail ride of the year!!! I think we were both rusty on how this all goes! But I was super proud of my boy!!! 

This isn't the best picture. But this is Proud Lake trails. It's about 8.5 miles. We accomplished orange, yellow and green(did not do red). So I am not sure how many miles that was exactly? But we rode about 4 hours! I found out that the yellow was the hardest and most people skip yellow. Since this was my first trip of the year I wanted to take it easy. I couldn't find any of my regular friends to ride with. So through my one friends she paired me up with a mom and daughter team. This was a trivial pursuit ride. We had to go out on all the trails and find 16 paper plates in tress with numbers 1 through 16. They had little pieces of paper in the bag for everyone to grab one number and bring it back to show you found the plate. I got 1 through 12. I missed the last 4 since I didn't do the red trail the easiest trail! I should have started there, LOL. But since I was basically going out with strangers and silly me assumed that this whole park was easy! I just followed them!! While we were out on yellow we went up and down and up and down steep hills continuously!! Finally I asked what is up with all the hills. One was sooooooo steep I was afraid Kaspin was just going to jump to the bottom. He didn't but I felt I was leaning so far back I could kiss his tail!!! Anyway, a bit much for us yet! Anyway the daughter I was with informs me then, that the yellow is the hardest trail in the park and most people skip it!!!! Then, what are we doing out here( I am thinking quietly, LOL). Well we were out there now and we had to finish up. Now I put in my memory for the future(don't forget yellow is hard, LOL)! We also came across boy scouts hiking and for some reason Kaspin was all bothered by them! I could even feel his heartbeat between my legs!!! We made it past the boy scouts. Then we had to cross rail roads tracks. OMG, I never done that with Kaspin. Kaspin's head was spinning off everywhere looking at everything. When we came up to the tracks he was just following the horse in front of him and not paying any attention to the ground. Kaspin crossed the first track then looked down and jumped the rest of the tack!!!! Silly Kaspin! I guess Kaspin was not thrilled with the tracks. And you guessed it! We eventually had to come back over the tracks to get back. When we came to the tracks the 2nd time. Of course Kaspin wanted nothing to do with them. I was afraid Kaspin would now JUMP the whole tacks. So I got off and walked Kaspin across. With me leading(Kaspin trust me) he followed me across without a problem. Yeah, for that. Our last trail was RED, the ladies asked if I wanted to go on? I was all done and I think Kaspin was too! My knees and ankles were killing ME and I had no idea why? This was my first trail ride in my new used trail Parelli crusier saddle. Plus on the red trail we had to cross a wooden bridge over running water. I have no idea what Kaspin would say to that??? And I was not going to find out anymore that day. Later I finally found out why my knees and ankles hurt so bad and why I kept feeling like I was falling forward on Kaspin just walking. I have never done hills like this and Kaspin's saddle had slid back! Kaspin is already built down hill and now the saddle was even more down hill, aghhh. Now I felt really bad that the saddle was in a weird position for so long. I realized I forgot my shims for the saddle pad too that day. They were in my English saddle pad at the barn! They raise the saddle up in the front to keep the saddle level. Well with those missing the saddle slid back even easier! So I felt really bad this all happened!! But live and learn, right?? I have to get shims for my trail saddle pad and hopefully none of this craziness will happen again:)

Kaspin being much better about being tied to the trailer. He used to be sooo nervous he wouldn't eat hay! In this picture Kaspin was eating his hay!! Good boy Kaspin!! 

 Kaspin grabbing some grass before we ventured out that morning. 

 The mom behind me and a few other riders we picked up for a short while behind us that day. 

Kaspin and I going along:) We kept Kaspin in the middle. Kaspin wasn't ready to lead and Kaspin was nervous being last in line too that day.

 Kaspin again being a good boy on the trailer. I actually left him for the 1st time(me get something to eat and bathroom). So far I wasn't able to leave him without Kaspin going crazy. And the other horses were not even that super close to him if you notice in picture. So very proud how Kaspin is being more calm on the trailer. Someday we might be able to camp after all. So far I only do day trips with Kaspin. 

Keep it natural! Janine and Kaspin!