The park finished working on our hill trail, and it was worth the wait. They did a terrific job. They still plan to fix the river banks by bringing river shale from a different part of the river to replace the mud. As it is, we can get through it--it just isn't pleasant.
We wasted no time getting back on the trail--we were out the very evening they took down the barriers. I had taken Cole on a few rides back before they closed it, but none of the other horses had crossed the river since before river froze.
We expected to have very hyper horses on our hands, but something happened. Over the winter, aliens came to our barns and replaced our horses with horses that looked like and acted like our horses--but had been ridden on the trail all winter long. They took the whole spring transition better than ever--even Bella! Yes Bella!
And Starry? He has only protested a few times about being in the lead--and all Kevin had to do was circle him, and he gave up fighting about it.
Sure, Cole has had a few Cole Bursts, but there have been very few. I may re-name Cole Burst Corner. It is the last corner on the hill on the way home. That has always been a problem spot for us, but since the park fixed the hill, he has been perfect on it.
He did burst a few times when Vicki was riding Katie Perry with us. She was in season, and Cole was very content to follow her--but when she got a little fast, he decided he didn't want to be left behind!
Perry was a little excited just to be out. Poor Vicki was just getting her riding legs back, and she wanted to take it easy. Perry gave her a funny trot that bounced her all about. From behind, she looked like a Standardbred--not a Thoroughbred. Her trot was just like a Standardbred warming up on the track--when the driver is holding the horse back.
There have been some random spooks--but they were the kind that you would expect any time of the year. Once there was a low-flying plane on the hill that created such a vortex that I could feel the breeze it made and it blew a bunch of leaves right at Bella's feet. That caused her to jump--and Starry and Cole thought she had a great idea.
We have had some issues with wild turkeys on the hill. Random gobbling caused a few spooks. Some dogs charged at Bella, (so glad they were on leashes,) and that caused her to freak out--causing Cole to freak out, too. We were able to calm them down very quickly.
Bur for the amount of riding we have done in the last few weeks, it has been amazing how few difficulties we have had with the horses.
Now, we just have to get Ellen and Dante out with us!
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