Calvin went on his first and second trail rides this last week! He is such a good boy. After working in the arena for awhile, I rode him to a gate that goes out the back of the property. I asked him to side pass over close enough to it so I could unsnap the chain that holds it closed. After a couple of attempts, he stood totally still while I opened the gate.
Of course Joy is always so excited to go trail riding! She led the way for us. In Calvin’s opinion, there was only one scary thing on the first ride. It was a dog attached to his dog house. Not sure if the dog or the house was the scary thing, but regardless, I could feel Calvin’s heart beating between my calves! However, he stood still and never tried to bolt, rear or do anything stupid, as he contemplated these scary objects. Within a couple of minutes, he decided he could go forward and trotted off past the dog. On the way back, his walk was very relaxed until we reached the dog. At that point, his walked quickened a bit.
On his second ride out, we took the same route, but added a bit more distance. I opened and closed the gate (both days) from his back, with no problem. He walked right past the dog! He seems very bold and confident and like he really enjoyed his outings! At one point, a couple of ducks flew up out of the water which bordered the path we were on. He startled for a second, but never even missed a walk stride. This is one REALLY good minded boy! These two days mark his 20th and 21st ride! What a good, young gelding Calvin is!