Magic and I rode up towards Pinnacle Mountain again today. The trails, actually deer hunter roads, go a long way back in there. There are some steep climbs on the trails that, I think, are a good way to condition a horse. We went further than yesterday. We climbed up to the switchback on the trail up to the bench above the Pitkin Limestone on Pinnacle. Magic does very good. A nice fast walk. He just puts one foot in front of the other. I like to stop a look around but Magic fidgets and wants to move on even after a climb. I think the best way to get him to stop and relax is by going with other horses and have a rest stop. Most people I ride with keep moving and go a long way and only stop for lunch. They tie their horses and walk off to the view or whatever to eat lunch. I was amazed that none of the horses ever cause problems while tied up. Then I figured it out. They are very tired and willing to stand still and rest. I think some of the horses, like Tut, really enjoy the trail rides, seeing other horses, and having an adventure. I just do not want to over-do it and make it a pain for the horses. It is not unusual to start at 9 and end at 4 with an hour off for lunch. It is usually around 14 miles. The time is not a problem but I would like to rest the horses more often perhaps staying out just as long but only traveling 7 miles. Anyway, today was Magic’s steepest, rockiest and longest climb. No noticeable movement of the saddle going up or down but it was not much of a test. He did good. It was an enjoyable ride. It would be a good idea to take a GPS and measure the distance, time, and rise/fall of some of these rides that I can use for conditioning.
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