Getting ready to go camping

We get to go horse camping next month!  I'm excited.  It's a different place - Wrights  Lake.  We used to camp at the lake and the area around there 15+ years ago.

The first day we are there it will just be Jim and I with 3 horses.  Everyone else comes the next day.  So I will pony a horse until another rider shows up.  And this place has an equestrian campground that we will have to high line the horses.  These are things that we need to practice.

Ponying a horse is something I know how to do, I just haven't done it in years.  I did help a friend with her filly a few times but nothing like I used to do.  I used to pony Zoe off her mom, Skippy, for a few years.  I remember Zoe as lagging behind alot and my right arm used to feel like it was getting stretched out-I was sure it was longer than my left arm after that experience.  I got so I would take the two of them out by myself.  I would ride Skippy out, ponying Zoe.  Then half way thru the ride I would switch them-ride Zoe and pony Skippy.  Then when I got back to the road I would switch again since Skippy had more experience on the road.  I have memories of Zoe doing the strangest things while being ponyed-okay some of the things were just plain stupid, but I guess that's all part of the learning curve.
So today I decided to see if I could still pony off both of these horses.  I saddled them up, went out with D on Sky, did the "hour loop" and found that they still knew how to pony and be ponyed.  And I found out that I still knew how to do it.  Zoe didn't lag behind as much as she used to when being ponyed.  I still hate it when she stops on the trail to poop.  No warning.  Skippy just wants to go, and Zoe suddenly stops and once again my right arm is getting longer than my left arm.  But I was pleasantly surprised that Zoe kept up with us for the most part.   It was easiest when I was riding Zoe and Skippy was being ponyed.  Skippy has a good walk on her.  We even trotted a bit while I rode each of the horses.   It worked out just fine.  It is different ponying an adult horse that has trail experience, much different than ponying a young horse or one with no trail experience.

Then we tried out the high line.  My friend K showed me her high line and I took her ideas and made my own high line.  It worked just fine.  The horses just "mowed" grass while tied.  They tried to walk away but found they couldn't.  They didn't panic.  It was a good first time experience with the high line.  It would be good to practice again maybe with some more activities going on around them-not quite so peaceful, then see what they do.