DAY TWO - Of Puddles and Trailbikes

Typing is going to be slow today because two of my fingers are taped together. I suspect I may have broken the joint in my ring finger on my left hand. It's very bruised and swollen and I can't bend it at that joint. Hence the taping. How did it happen? I'll explain.

I decided to ride at about 2pm. I spent some time grooming Willow, including brushing her mane and tail right out. She still has far too much mane, but the tail is looking good :) I also trimmed her fetlocks. Tacked up and walked her down to the back gate. I'd just unlocked it and taken her through when I heard very noisy trailbikes heading towards us. I turned her to face them and she was fairly relaxed as they came towards us, then accelerated past. She was a bit worried about that but was fine while I mounted. However when I suggested heading upstream (the same way the bikes had gone) she disagreed, thinking that clearly the other way would be better. After a brief and mild argument, she gave in and we headed upstream, past the scary waratahs next door with barely a blink and then down to the river to cross it. As yesterday she was happy to walk down to the water, but when I asked her to go into it, she was very hesitant. She snuffled at it for a while then tentatively walked through. We edged across the (thankfully very shallow) river and managed to get to the other side and scramble up. On this side of the river is a park that has enough flat space for a good canter around. We went up onto the big flat area by the road and trotted a few circles before heading along the ridge at the back of the park. We trotted all the way along and then back again, practising a few downward transitions, and then went onto the lower part of the park and had a nice canter all the way around. On our second time along the base of the ridge I let her out and she "seriously boogied" (as Alicia would say). For a moment I wondered if I'd be able to pull her up! But she came back to me without too much argument :)

We crossed back over the river and headed on up to see if there was a way to get onto the track I was on yesterday. We passed the track to the quarry and started trotting up a nice straight stretch when I heard the trailbikes coming back. I quickly moved to the other side of the track where there was a wide clearing that we could hide in and not get crashed into. Willow was already getting nervous as I hurried her along the track and then about 3 strides away she noticed a piece of broken white gate lying in the grass in front of her and propped mid-stride. I was thrown onto her neck for a moment but quickly regained my seat and took her into the clearing as the trailbikes roared past. (Idiots. They're not allowed on that track anyway.)

We carried on and went on trotting up the track, and I decided to test the track to the quarry on the way back. We went happily along the track and then I saw a narrow puddle on one side of the track ahead of us. I decided to get her to go through it. She was adamant that she would not. After some negotiation, she took an enormous leap over it, clearing it by probably 2 feet. Laughing, I let her trot on up the track, then have a short canter up to the corner. Years ago when I used to ride this trail every day, the track ended there, but now it's been extended, so we kept going. The track narrowed here and there are thick trees on the right and huge boulders down to the river on the left. I thought as we walked along it that I wouldn't want to meet the trailbikes right there! We got off the narrow part and onto a grassy bit of trail. I let Willow trot on, then I heard the roar of the trailbikes behind me again. I turned in my saddle and let them come, waiting for the guy to see me. He did and slowed down. I trotted on and pulled over into another clearing to let them pass. I waved them down as they passed, asking them to go slowly, and they did, not revving their engines until they'd gone past us. I wasn't sure how much further the trail went, and now seemed like as good a time as any to turn back, so we did.

We walked and trotted along the trail for quite a way until we reached the puddle again. I decided it would be a good idea to ask Willow again to step in it. She disagreed, but with much quiet urging, flung herself over again. I laughed at her and turned again, determined that she should at least put a foot in the water. As we turned, I told her she should stop jumping it as we were now facing a large tree on the other side of the puddle and I didn't want to be jumped into a tree. She paid no attention to my warning and proceeded to do exactly that, jump straight towards the tree. I flew up out the saddle and landed on her withers. Luckily for me, she is very sensible and stopped, allowing me to regain my seat. I had thrown my hands forward to grab at her mane as I became unseated, and as her head came up she hit against my outstretched finger, bashing it hard at the tip and so (possibly) breaking it. That's how I think it happened, anyway.

Clearly anyone with a modicum of common sense would've given up now. But that is not me. I simply approached the puddle from the other side, so we were at least jumping away from the tree :) She still didn't want to put a toe in, and leapt wildly over again, yanking at the reins and jarring my finger. So finally, I gave it up for the day. We trotted back down the track until we reached the point where the track to the quarry comes out. It's a very steep track down and up the other side, and the bottom of the track is usually a narrow creekbed. Fortunately it has been so warm lately that the water had dried up entirely. Despite that, Willow still jumped it :) We cantered on up and had a little hoon around the steep track, bouncing down the steep slopes and then racing up the other side. Lots of fun. We went out the back and up the road to the quarry. Willow was quite excited by now and jogged for a while, but settled when I told her to and we went on up to the quarry. Being Saturday, however, the quarry gates were shut and locked, so much to Willow's consternation, we turned back the way we had come and walked quietly home. The pony was getting tired now, although she'd still have kicked up a quick canter if asked. She is a lovely pony, one of those that you just have to lean forward slightly and click your tongue and she's off like a shot :) Gotta love that! Although the brakes do need some fine tuning, but I think a flash noseband will help, and I might try her in a martingale. She still tosses her head a bit, but it's mostly a "let me go faster" or "I don't want to slow down" behaviour rather than "my teeth hurt" or "my browband is too tight."

We were almost home when I heard the bikes coming again. I was determined to stand my ground, and anyway I had little choice. I was on a narrow part of the track with no room to move over and it was too stony to trot on. So I moved over to the middle so they would see me, and then kept walking. They came up behind me and drove slowly, with much revving of their engines, right behind poor Willow. I was still determined to stick to a walk and make them wait, and Willow was equally determined to get the hell out of there, so our sedate walk (on a long rein, feet dangling from stirrups) of moments ago turned into a head-tossing sideways prance, with much rolling of eyes and tugging at the bit. Just as we were about to get out to the big clearing where we had loads of room to get out of their way, they cut the engines and all was quiet. I took Willow right away from the track and we walked (well, jogged) on. About 100m ahead of us the track narrowed again for about 10m and then widened for another 50m before we would get to our gate. The bikes stayed silent, so I figured that they'd decided to wait for me to get through my gate (which they could see from where they were as the track is very straight right there). However, just as we reached the narrow part of the trail, I heard the trailbikes start up again. In disbelief, I turned to see them again coming straight toward us. Backtracking slightly, I pulled Willow over to the side of the trail where we could get out of the way and they roared past, this time completely ignoring my waving arm trying to slow them down. Willow was quite upset by this point, but to her absolute credit, she didn't put a foot wrong and do anything naughty, just jittered in place. I patted her profusely and we walked up to the gate, where I dismounted and led her through.

Walking her back through the paddocks with stirrups run up, she was very jumpy and took fright at the smallest things, including a bird that flew up from some bushes behind her. Poor pony, her nerves were all a-jangle. I unsaddled her and got the hose out to wash her down. She was sceptical at first, but when I ran the cool water over her and rubbed the dried sweat off her back, she suddenly decided that it actually felt rather nice, and was happy to let me proceed and wash her off :) She especially enjoyed being dried off with a towel. She is a bit funny about having her back feet washed (and dried) although she's fine when picking them out. Given that her back hooves are white and her front hooves are black, I suspect that she's had mud fever on her back legs before, hence her concern about me doing anything to them. She soon decided that it was ok for me to wash and dry them though and relaxed again.

I turned her out and left her to it. She had a good roll :) I put some grain out for the alpacas, which Willow was very interested in, insisting that I give her some, but I told her "not for ponies". I iced my finger, then went out in the evening (I can still drive with my bashed finger, thankfully) so came back at about 9.30pm to put her rug on. She was pleased to see me, despite the fact that it was near dark. I've stopped haltering her in the paddock to rug up, she's very good to just fling the rug on while she's standing there and she's quite patient. I rugged her up, gave her a hug and said goodnight.