Magic and I took our first Buffalo River trail ride today. At daylight the weather was iffy, high chance of rain. But it was not raining, so we got ready. No problems loading and we actually left on time. I met Peggy and April on the way to Pruitt. We parked, unloaded and I tacked up. Magic was nervous. Probably the last time Magic went for a ride with other horses was at a race track, probably not a calming experience. The nice thing about Magic is that even if he gets nervous, he does not go to pieces. I mounted and we walked down the road a little way. Tommy and Wanda showed up about this time and we started down the trail. Tommy was on Levi, Wanda rode Rio, April was on Savannah and, of course, Peggy was on Red. About 10 minutes down the trail, we jumped a big bull elk. He was big with huge antlers about 100 yards from us. None of the horses were bothered. The elk stood in the open a look at us until Peggy got her camera out. Then he was gone. We rode about 5 miles upriver crossing the river three times. Magic was not sure what was going to happen and how he should act. He was completely controllable and did what was asked of him. He was much more inclined to jog trot than usual but he would transition to a walk and calm down when asked. We ate lunch on a gravel bar across from the bluff near Brown Cemetery. Magic was nervous when I tied him up but soon calmed down and rested. He could see all the other horses were resting and it obviously was a good idea. The return trip was uneventful, exactly what I wanted. Magic has an energetic walk with a good stride and it is a lot of fun to ride him on the return leg of a trail ride. Our first trail ride was a good experience. Now he knows what to expect and how he is expected to act. I hope he learns to enjoy trail rides. At one time I would have considered that statement unreasonable. (Why or how could a horse enjoy being ridden?) It is good to learn from your horse. I think Tut did enjoy the outings, seeing the other horses and the whole experience.
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