I Did Trekking!

Hey everybodies! How are you? I am AhhhMaaazing! Yesterday was a big day for me. I went on trek with all my friends. Trek (Redwood Coast Riding Vacation) is when peoples from all over the place, even other countries, come to do pony riding on my friends and see our fabulous trails. This time there were eight guests, plus my Aunty V, plus the Lady in Red. This is a lot of ponies for me to be in a group with. Cyd came and got me very early in the morning and once I was brushed and got my saddle we went to my friends' house for me to wait in a stall with some second-breakfast. Once all my friends were ready, and the peoples made their lunches, it was time to go on the pony trailer. Aunty V was busy doing many things, but I have to go in the pony trailer first so we couldn't hang around and wait for help. I totally proved my grown-up-ness by getting on All By Myself!! We drove to Orca where the cows live to start our ride. There was a crane in my field going up and down working on the electricity pylons that are there. OhMyGoodness! We were parked with our butts to the crane (still in the pony trailer), but I wanted to see what was going on so I used my bendy-ness to turn about and look the other way. Sorry to my bestie for getting my butt in his face. I stood calmly when I was tied up, but got a bit excited and did some dancing around while every body was getting on, so Cyd decided to walk me for the first little bit to check where my brain cells were. I totally would have been fine but there were a lot of ponies around and we didn't want to cause Troubles. Once she got on me I was kinda walking by myself, cos by looky-looing at everything I couldn't keep up with the main group, but I was still going faster than the slower ponies. I wasn't doing anything bad, though Cyd says I was bit like a banana pony to ride with all my bending to look at stuff.

Waiting for ponies behind me to drink

We got to the first crossing where I have had problems before cos for it being scary, and I totally went over in a not big deal kinda way. Then it was time to divide up into groups for fast pony riding (big trots and cantering) and not so fast pony riding (normal trots and some small canters). I went in the not so fast group. The first time I did trotting I was a bit bouncy and not quite finding my feet. The second time I did much better, and we did some canter but I got bouncy again. The third time I did great at trotting, and then I did a super awesome canter, just rolling right along like a grown up. There was a drinking spot that I hate to go across, it has taken me more than ten minutes before even with Aunty V's help, and the speedy group were still drinking. They got done and let us in and I totally put my face right in for a drink, then politely hopped over, not leaping for the sky. I didn't care when the speedy group left us, then it was our turn to do canter. I had to take some breaks on the hill but I made it not far behind the other ponies. At the top the speedy group was waiting for us to ride the ridge together and do photos. They had done some already and the Lady in Red tried to get some of our slower group but Rioja totally photo-bombed us and did bouncing which made me do bouncing so we just went walking on to the next spot.

Heading to an amazing view spot!

We had to wait a long time to get fabulous photos of everybody (including me - will get those later), and I waited patiently eating some snacks. I got a bit stuck when it was time to leave, and Aunty V had to come back to fetch me. It was really warm today, Cyd's watch said 79F, which we are not used to, and I'm already getting fluffy for winter. We just did walking to the next photo spot, where Cyd hopped off me to hide in a bush, then decided since it was downhill (makes my saddle wiggle - we're trying to fix it) that she would just lead me down. I didn't walk very politely so we got left behind so I was a bit more impolite, but we made it just fine. It was only a little way back to the pony trailer, so no need for Cyd to get back on. I thought twice about getting on the trailer, but it didn't take me very long, and off we went home.

Sweaty me

Except we didn't go home! I got out when we stopped, and we were at Manchester field. I was a bit confused. Everybody was getting on their ponies again, and Cyd hopped on me with my reins on my rope halter instead of getting my bit. She said "Hey Bugsy, we're just riding to the stream for a drink, you'll be good without your bit, right?" I wandered to the stream, and got right in with no questions, but then needed some boomping to keep going. I was so thirsty I wanted to drink right away, but with eight ponies behind me I needed to get all the way in the river so we could all drink. We hung out there for a while, took more photos, did some snorkeling, and drank a ton. Then I politely waited while every single pony walked past me to leave and we went at the back. We ate our hay snacks at the pony trailer while the people ate their snacks. I was a little bit put out when Cyd came back and got on me for a third time. I was working hard today! She didn't put my bit in again since I was being so well behaved. We had to do more stream drinking first with it being so warm, and I happily walked off by myself cos for it being too crowded for me to fit in. The other ponies except for two left and I went for my drink. This bit was really deep, I might have had to swim, so Cyd wouldn't let me get all the way in (though she thought about it hehe). Even when the two remaining ponies left I finished up my drinking before going back to the trail - apparently this is a very good skill for me to have. There was a longer faster group doing a loop, and a slower shorter group going out and back on the same trail called Abalobodiah. I went in the short group. I did awesome at trotting and practiced doing some big trot, keeping up when some ponies did canter. I kept putting my nose way up in the sky though, cos I realised quickly that, in a rope halter, Cyd has no leverage to bring my nose back to where it should be. (Aunty E is going to make me a chin strap to make me not do that, one of her ponies does that too). This made it hard to steer me, and I couldn't see where I was going, so we actually crashed into a bush, which made me pay attentions a bit better. I kept doing trotting though. Then we got to the big hill. Aunty V asked Cyd if she thought I could do it, and we said I'd try my hardest. I have had problems with this trail. It makes me really tired, and it's quite steep. The strong fit ponies love to fly up it, but I have to take breaks. My first few tries, I just did stopping. I needed a lot of boomping and cheering and help from my bestie just to make me walk up it. Yesterday? I did trotting. Then cantering. Then took a break and did walking, but right back to trotting, Then cantering. I never got totally left behind. Another short trot break, then canter more. We were nearly at the top and I stopped but then saw the top so trotted the last little bit. Aunty V was asking everyone if they had fun and where were Cyd and Bugsy? She was so surprised to see that we were there and didn't need waiting for! I was breathing quite hard (my friends too) so we all took a little break then headed down the hill.

Cyd led me down the steeper section and got on at our usual spot. We did some more trotting and some canter on the flat bit. Before we got to the end, the speedy loop group caught up to us. I didn't freak out at ponies coming behind me, but did have a bit of a bounce when I realised I was suddenly in the very middle of a big group. We asked Aunty V to wait for me to catch up and then we all walked back across the field to our pony trailers. It was really home time this time. This was a long day for me - it was dark by the time my friends were put away and I could go home. I had lots of tests today and I passed them all really well, even when I had baby moments I didn't lose my brain and listened to Cyd. I'm really growing up! And look at my lifetime stats from all my pony rides:

My tracking started from my very first trail ride on January 1, 2014. I have gone more than 300 miles and over 50000 feet of up. Everybody says I'm doing really really good. We just need to get me a better fitting saddle and a pony trailer and next year I can start being an endurance pony! Weeeheeee!