Jetta On The Trail

Wow. You should have seen this girl on the trail. She was great! Forward, but willing to walk also, very happy to trot out though. She led the whole time; Keno was working to keep up! We rode a loop of the Grizzly Gulch trail. She crossed the river after a moment of quiet consideration. No shenanigans or upsetting behavior. She crossed some big logs, climbed up and down some steep trails, trotted between boulders, and deftly maneuvered through the rocks. I have a trail horse here! She had a small spook when we came around a corner and suddenly faced a snow bank, but no big deal. We met up with three loose dogs which caused her to take a look, but again she handled it. She's a smart girl and a thinker. Check out these photos:

Ruth was really pleased and thought she did great. She didn't think Jetta had done much in the way of mountain terrain since she was a little unsure of herself on the downhill slopes, but she handled herself well even so. Ruth doesn't care for Jetta's canter--says it's bouncy and short. I think it will eventually improve. It could be that she harbors track memories that create tension. Who knows? I'm not worried. Jetta is going to be a regular trail horse for a few months, along with getting a lot of dressage schooling. Once I feel she's pretty solid in those departments we'll be ready to up the ante and start conditioning for some distance work.

Jetta and Keno got a well-deserved bath once we got home again--two hot and sweaty horses! 80 degrees in April!

Check out the shine!