If this is a dream, please do not wake me. Sunday was hands down the best day I’ve had in months. Maybe a year.

The sun was shining. There wasn’t a cloud in sky. Temperatures rose to almost 70F and this happened:

I’m not even sure how this came about. One minute I was talking to Dusty while scooping horse poop out of the stalls and the next Wyatt is asking to go on a trail ride on Gem.

Um..I think it took me all of 15 seconds to hatch a plan to make that work. The next day we were loaded up and heading to my favorite trail system with my favorite bay mare and blonde boy.

For the first time in my life, I hauled the horses tacked up. It seemed the smartest thing to do rather than fuss with them at the trail head in opposite sides of the trailer. It worked out fine and we were unloaded and mounted up quickly.

Before I knew it we were both mounted and walking down the hill to enter the woods. I chose the grey trail, which isn’t one I typically use, because it is mostly a very wide gravel access road. This way Dusty could easily lead Gem without worry of being stepped on.

And everything just went…perfectly.

H’Appy generally likes to lead but he is still inexperienced on the trail and had two instances when he just said he couldn’t handle it: over the entry metal bridge and again at the hairy creek crossing. Both times Gem quietly took the lead and maneuvered through the obstacle with her head low and teeny tiny strides.
No better view than my sons back on my favorite mare out i
If it was possible, Gem made me lover her even more on this slow two mile ride. She was a saint. All her typical spooky behavior, her need to go always faster, he hatred of mud and water, it was all gone. She knew Wyatt was on her and was a newbie. She walked through ankle deep mud that, had I been on her back, she would have either forced me to bushwhack around or would have jumped over. Not for Wyatt. She was so amazing. I can’t even describe how it felt watching her take such good care of him.
H’Appy did pretty excellent himself. He led most of the way up the steep hill on the way out. He made me laugh as he would be walking forward all eager and then would look back at Gem like “Are you coming? Move it! There is so much to see!!”

You see, while Gem is a killer endurance machine and ate that 100 miler for breakfast, she walks at a whopping 1 mph pace. Honestly. No joke. I walk faster than she does. It made endurance tricky as I could never give her walk breaks. She either trotted or stopped to eat otherwise we wouldn’t make time. H’Appy has a solid 4 mph walk without trying and I can get him walking at 5 mph if I push. Gem had zero intentions of keeping up with that.

Once we made it up the hill, Wyatt declared that he wanted to turn around. We were one mike out and that’s about as far as I figured he would get. He is six, horses aren’t his go to and walking it boring. But he had a smile on his face the entire time and had fun and that was what was important.

My heart was so full
We turned around, much to the dismay of H’Appy who desperately wanted to see what was around the next corner, and made our way back down the hill towards the trailer.

We ended back at the trailer with three very happy people and two well behaved horses who never put a hoof wrong. My heart was about to burst with happiness.

I can’t imagine having more fun riding with anyone else no matter the pace, distance or location. Wyatt tackled two bridges, a creek crossing and deep sticky mud and smiled the entire time. He asked if he could do an endurance ride with me and while Dusty is more than up for jogging alongside for 25 miles, he would have to get comfortable trotting to make it work. Maybe in time. For now, I have no plans and no schemes. If he never rides again I’d still be happy to have had this one trail ride with all my loves involved.
So much love!
My good mare Princess Buttercup walked slower than me too, so if we were walking, I was on the ground dragging her along. Her legs were shorter than mine!
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Gem has no excuse for her slower than a sloth walking pace. Its like she figures if she is walking she will trudge instead.
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❤️❤️❤️ love this so much!
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It was the best day in such a long long time
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aw ❤ ❤ this was the absolute perfect thing to sit down with my coffee and read on this cold monday morning. what a perfect day with your whole family!
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It really was. Both horses stepped up to the plate and were well behaved. The kiddo was brave and patient. Even the husband didn’t complain while hiking through ankle deep mud. Couldn’t ask for a better time.
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What a wonderful day! I love how happy you all are! Doesn’t get any better than this! ❤
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I couldn’t wipe the grin off my face the entire time.
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This is SO AWESOME!!! What an incredible day! I know you’ll always cherish it. And aren’t those retired horses the best? They know when it really matters
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Gem wasn’t particularly enthused with the process but I think once she realized she was only going for a walk for a couple of miles she settled into the new job and performed foot perfect. I know mares get a bad rap, but she is worth her weight in gold x100
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Such a lovely day! I’m so glad it was so amazing ❤ ❤ ❤
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It was perfect!
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Good Gem! What a wonderful day, I loved seeing the pictures!
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Dusty was laughing and said to me half way through “you know if it was you on her she’d have spooked a dozen times, flipped you the bird and raced off at the first opportunity” Yup, thats my Gemmiecakes and the reason she now has the job of getting fat and carting Wyatt around.
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Awesome! I love it!
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No better partner than my kiddo
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Woot! What a big win!
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Everyone had a blast
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How adoreable. How well does Gem pony? Could you two go by yourselves?
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I’ve never tried to pony Gem, though I’m sure she’d be fine with it. The issue is that H’Appy isn’t experienced enough on trail for me to attempt it. He needed Gem’s lead over the creek and the bridge and I don’t need him refusing anything while Wyatt is sitting on Gem. Plus, having Dusty there helps Wyatt’s confidence. He isn’t super brave and this was a BIG DEAL for him to ask and do. I woulnd not trust H’Appy at all to be ponied from Gem with Wyatt on him. Nope.
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That all makes sense
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I Literally clicked the like button five times in a row trying to like it more (It only unliked it then liked it again LOL). YAY so much fun! What a great day and what great company! SO COOL I hope Wyatt wants to do it again sometime!
And no that appy butt does not make your butt look big 🙂 HA!
I always haul tacked up (or I did for short distances) because Remus can be such a goober tied up at the trailer (literally he is on the trailer all the time till it is time for me to ride then he goes back in while we wait at shows!! I just bridle him when I get wherever i am going. I even hauled him to the show in October tacked up.and it was a farther ride. just easier!!
YAY Again!! And give Dusty a hug for me, what a guy (tho Mark did offer to walk Tate if I wanted to ride Remus….um..no LOL)
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how was Pete on his own? Just curious!
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Pete does fine. He is used to me carting Gemmie all over creation even overnight and leaving him behind. He screams like a girl for a bit then settles in. Always meets her at the gate when she gets back home.
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Hahahahahahha…yeah you can’t like it more than once but I appreciate it!!!!
Dusty is a trail snob and almost got smacked when he made fun of the slow pace. To Wyatt it was way fast and that’s all that mattered.
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So adorable! Gem should get all the cookies!
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She did! At least the ones she decides are suitable for a Queen like her
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How fantastic! This sounds like exactly what you needed!
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It really was!
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Bliss! What a wonderful day. Thanks for sharing it.
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It’s was the perfect reminder of why I love horses and riding and what it means to me
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A perfect start to your year! Hoping your family sees many more miles together like this in 2019 =)
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I hope so too
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What a great day!
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It really was
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How fun!
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The best day
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