Spring day but winter trail ride

All week, the weather claimed to be warm, sunny and 40's for this weekend.

More like cloudy, low 30's and damp. 

I have somehow lost, yes LOST, my warm down ugly brown winter barn coat. How? Where? WTF? It was so crusty I can only assume at this point, it literally walked off on it's own to die somewhere. 

Now, I'm left with layering myself with under layers upon over layers and vests. Grrr

Oh, and it's shedding season. If you own a Yak like myself, you clearly know that. I have eaten more horse hair than food lately.

Saturday, E and I met up for a trail ride. We both have had a hard, long week, and she was really missing her Justin. She wore her riding coat to the barn and remembered she hadn't washed it, Laz would not stop smelling her and rubbing his face all over it. It was sweet and very sad...

if people think that animals don't connect specially with certain ones, they are wrong. 100% wrong. Laz misses his buddy. He hasn't played with the others. He and Justin played with each other every waking minute.  Red has been adopted to a great home (my friend who runs a young girls riding facility about an hour away) and is being fawned over daily. So, now it's just Pito and Laz. They tolerate each other, but there is no love there. I hope it develops.

So, E grabbed Pito and we headed out...

The trails had broken trees that blocked some sections entirely, and some iced over puddles that we had to maneuver the ponies through. They did not like that, but they did it eventually. Laz pawed at the ice, broke it up, smelled it, and then walked through. Good boy!

 The trails were quiet, with the exception of one loud busy woodpecker hammering away

Footing was not great, so despite the ponies wanting to RUN, we could only canter in a couple of short spots.

I rode Laz in our borrowed bit/bridle and he did really great. Loose reins for most of the ride, and a quiet mouth. My goal is for ME to not hold him as much like I've been doing for some reason in my bitless bridle. I had MUCH less head tossing and frustration from him on this ride.

 You can see how narrow some of these trails are, it's great weaving in and out

The ride was fun, but I was FREEZING so I rode so stiffly in my body despite trying not to. 

The trails are so densely treed that it felt at least 15 degrees colder in there

Here was our ride:

My cow poke tired pony. 

He is a perfect cross between a future Hunter/Jumper (lol) and a Western Trail pony. He's my versatile OTTB

P.S. Thanks to Gen for his boots which we use ALL the time!!!

Mouthy Laz would LOVES to knock over my crate/mounting block

(side note; look at that fat belly, that untamed mane, his fuzzy fur..he is a fraggle rock pony)

"We iz DON, no more ridez today, I needz nappie"

Such a good boy!