Weekend activities

This weekend had 2 rides.

Saturday I got to go out with 3 other horses.  It was fun.  All the horses had their good and bad moments but we all dealt with it fine.  It isn't often I get to go out with 3 horses.  Zoe was good at first, not so good during the middle of the ride, and better towards the end.  I think she was excited to be out with so many horses that sometimes she wasn't listening very well (head tossing, getting too close to the horse ahead of her, not slowing down) and I found myself being heavy on her head-just at the trot.  Then after walking a ways we trotted again and I guess I was expecting her to be the same, but she didn't want to be.  I discovered that she was starting to toss her head again and I found myself heavy on the reins again...but as I let up on the reins-the head tossing stopped and she followed  the horse ahead of us at a good distance and she was listening.  Maybe this time the head tossing was because I automatically went to being heavy on the reins.  I didn't really get a chance to play with this idea alot on this ride but will try it again sometime.   It's funny how sometimes those reins can play such an important part of the ride (lightness-I can hear my old instructor now) and how sometimes they just don't listen to them or to your seat or to your words....and you have to get heavy on the reins or do circles or stop or walk or...whatever works at the time.  Zoe also got to go out with Major.  She doesn't get  to see Major that often.  At first she didn't like him behind her but she had to deal with it.  Towards the end of the ride they were able to walk side by side-and Zoe didn't make mean faces at him.  Progress.   Zoe did stop to eat at odd times-sometimes stopping from a trot-suddenly.  I'm sure the horses behind us were crowded at times.  Today she seemed to be eating alot on the ride.  I haven't had her do that in quite a while.

We all went out to lunch afterwards to celebrate a riding friend's birthday.  It was great fun to get together with all these people.  It's so encouraging to hear everyones stories-horsey stories or life stories.

Sunday's ride was also good.  Zoe went out with Skippy.  I wanted Skippy in front most of the ride so that I could try to practice some of the things I mentioned about Saturday's ride.  But no practice, Zoe did none of the things that she did on the Saturday ride.  Zoe was good...almost too good.  I guess I need more than 1 other horse to practice.  A couple of weeks ago Zoe went out with Dune and Sky, but I don't remember any head tossing.  I sound like I'm complaining about Zoe being good today.  I should be glad, she has come a long way.
The only exciting thing about Sunday's ride was on the way out.  Zoe was in front.  A horse trailer went by us going towards Sterling Pt.  As it went by it went over the manhole cover, at the same time it went over the cover (making thatthump, thump sound) the horse inside whinnied loudly.  It sounded like the horse was in our ears literally.  The combination made Zoe jump forward a few steps.  Zoe can handle the manhole cover sound fine, but I guess the combo and loudness of the horse scared her.I did run 2 GPS apps on my phone at the same time- they were close.  Endomondo said 5 mi in 1:39, avg speed 3.02 mph  and Strava said 5.4 mi in 1:37, avg speed 3.3 mph.  Hmmmmm.