Trail ride

This morning Brett and I took the horses on a trail ride. We were just going to do the loop with maybe a short detour to see a new trail that was recently cut. We tacked up and headed out. I wasn't feeling ambitious due to the ache in my shoulders, abs and thighs from yesterday's lesson. About an hour into the ride, where the loop trail turns and starts looping back, we came to the newly refurbished trail. It's a short trail linking our community's loop to the Morgan Trail which is popular with hikers. Previously, the linking trail involved negotiating a very steep hill full of dumpster sized boulders. Jackson couldn't make the hill so we hadn't been out there in years. The new link cut down by the stream and was easy. It was a lot of work to clear - I had tried to go that way once with Jackson and couldn't. We followed the link to the Morgan Trail and decided to ride it for a short distance. It is a beautiful trail meandering under huge oak trees, groves of sycamores and eventually through scrub brush. Winston was relaxed, happy and forward. He scrambled over boulders and slid down muddy inclines. He was on a long rein and I was sitting relaxed in the saddle. I can't remember ever being so relaxed with one of my horses. Auke was full of himself, strong and exhausting. Star man was afraid of his shadow so he jigged. Jackson loved it and was relaxed but he hurt on rocky parts and worried about logs. I worried about him. Winston jumped the logs. I was in heaven. We did eventually turn around and come back home. We were out for over three hours! Winston continues to amaze me. He is such an athlete.