In which there is riding with friends from far away, and from not-so-far

It was a beautiful day.  So, of course we went riding!

What is that yellow shiny thing in the sky?  Aliens?  Angels?  

But look who came with us:  It's lytha from the HorseCrazyAmerican blog!

The red pony was the good pony, all day long!

She's here in the States for only two short weeks--but we were determined to get her out on the trails while visiting.  And look:

Up goes the group!
lytha had plenty of opportunity to ask questions about training
her green horse back in Germany.

Blue sky!

lytha is from here, and can *totally* cope with Swamplandic grey skies and drippy branch trails.  But how delightful to be able to take her out on the trail under blue skies!

Are they coming to get us?  Or should we just enjoy the pretty?

We didn't go fast, because we were travelling with Dory's green horse "Windfire" (we immediately dubbed him "Blue Flame" b/c he's that kind of a guy...) and with Patty and Flower.  Flower has been off-and-on lame.  She seems to be quite sound now, hurrah!

Blue Flame:  if he could reach the book of matches, this horse would totally
light his farts on fire...and Flower would just encourage him.

With all this sunshine

Fee is much better about travelling in groups, but she's still happiest
when she's on the trail solo with her mom.

we naturally headed uphill

More sunshine?  Are we in danger of getting tired of it?

until we got to

The leaves make a wonderful sound as we shush through them.

the clearcut that comes right before

the monument!

That thing really does inspire us to hum the "2001 Theme Music."

Flower had an emotional thingy going on, so she had to stand still and regain her grey cells

but the other horses grazed nonchalantly.

"Oh hey.  Food!"

And of course, we had to take pictures.

Checking out the sculpture

Then I glanced at my watch:  uh-oh.  I've gotta get back to the trailhead so I won't be late for work.  Fiddle had objected, earlier in the day, when we separated briefly from the group.  We worked through it, as usual.  And then, when I asked her to leave them

Nope.  I'm not tired of sunshine.

we just left.  Ears forward, happy feet.  This is a mare who likes to have a mission, and the mission was:  get back to the trailhead pronto.

So we did.  Easy-peasy.  And look what was stashed in the truck:

MmmmMMMM.  Chocolate!

I can only have a few squares at a time, because sugar and I aren't friends.  But this way, the german chocolate that lytha brought for me will last at least a month!

Next day:

Duana and Hana in the lead!

Duana and I went out.  Hana and Fee were both feeling mellow on this second day, and Du was feeling pretty brave.  So I said, "It's time for you to ride the Dragon."

So I hopped on Hana, and Du scrambled up Mount Dragon for a ride.

"Don't get too far behind me!" Du begged.

Du was so nervous.  She kept thinking that Fiddle would be horrible.  Unless Fiddle remembered all those cookies?

Actually neither.  Fee doesn't care at all about being good or being bad.  

Fee cares about being right and being wrong.  If you ride her correctly, she will respond with right-ness.  If the rider is wrong, Fiddle responds with badness.

Next time, maybe Du will push forward and ask for some of the Dragon's
gloriously speedy gears.

Fortunately, Du rides correctly, even when she's really, really nervous.  And Fee responded by "pushing the pram,"

Lighter seat, lighter hands = happier Dragon

i.e. caring for a rider who is trying to doing things mostly-right.

But soon enough, I was back in my own saddle again.

We live in a pretty place

Today is Hallowe'en, and of course I went riding.

If you don't know why Fee has red braided into her mane, read the story HERE.

The weather wasn't warm, and the sky wasn't blue.

By most folks' standards, it was pretty miserable.  But

No, really.  We live in a pretty place.

any day in the saddle is better than any day that isn't in the saddle.

Because riding

is Good.