We took Tori, Maia and Smidge out to Denman on Sunday.
Smidge is a darling Paso Fino gelding who is here to gain a little courage and soften his reining and leg yields. He has completely won my heart. His first reaction to our pond was doubt and he entered the pond the first few times with a huge leap. Perhaps he was trying to jump over it? I have been riding him at the ranch and introducing him to our neighbor’s cows, llamas and goats. I took him to Denman with the thought of testing out his courage on the trail and seeing how he did with Little Butte Creek. Smidge was awesome! He led the way when I asked and only paused a couple of times when he lost confidence, with the tiniest of spooks in place when a bird took off from the nearby brush. While he was the last to enter Little Butte Creek, he walked in and by the third water entry, had gained enough relaxation to join in the splashing and take a drink. What a great little horse Laurie has in him!
Anne rode Maia, Katie rode Tori, Donna was on her Torfi and we were joined by Anna on her Lucas. The day was hot, but the creekside trail was cool, and beautiful. A lovely outing.