Our first three rides at the new place!

Yes, you read that right - I've gone on three big rides since I moved Rusty last Friday.  I think I have put in more hours in the saddle this past week, than I did in most of the month of May at the other place!

Rusty seems to have settled in like a champ.  He doesn't appear to be stressed or anything. Although, he was pretty happy to see me on Monday evening. I got to the barn around 5pm and it was hot and the bugs were vicious...(The deer flies and horse flies are vicious right now - the mozzies will be out in full force now since we've had a bunch of rain.) He and the other 2 geldings had been running around to avoid the bugs and they were all sweaty and wild-eyed. 

Rusty was fine once we were in the barn and away from the bugs.  I had arranged to go out on a nice hack with the barn owner's daughter and a neighbour down the road. All told, we were out riding around for over 2 hours!  I don't think we trotted once, but it was fun walking all over the property and down the road and back.  We visited the neighbouring barn (fancy dressage place), walked an old laneway with a creepy old house (will try and get pics sometime) and even saw a deer hiding out along the trail.

I feel so welcome at this barn - the people are friendly, the property is gorgeous and it really seems to suit my needs right now.  It is also pretty quiet there - there aren't many lessons, if any, going on and people just come and go as they please. 

I sort of had Rusty on a "probation" of sorts...I had been pretty frustrated with a mix of my riding skills and his behaviour while at the old barn.  I had a really bad ride out around the fields at the old barn and was really second-guessing my move to a trail riding facility.  I told myself that I would give Rusty the summer to settle in and see how he did on the trails and I would sell him if needed in the fall.

So far, I think we are good. He has been going out where ever I point his little spotted nose and just trucks along. No spooking, no jigging, no bolting.  *Phew!*  I rode alone on Wednesday night and he was super - we did a few long trots along some of the trails and he just trucked along - no speeding up, no giraffe impressions...  Our ride was cut short due a bunch of black clouds and some thunder. I didn't really want to get caught out in a storm...This weekend, I hope to get a few canters in to see how that goes. I'm not expecting any problems.

All told, I'm pretty happy! Sorry I don't have any pictures yet - Richard took one on Sunday, but I look terrible, so I'm not posting it!  I need to find some sort of holder for my iphone so I can take it out with me while I ride. Any ideas?  I don't really want it strapped to my saddle, in case I fall. It won't do me much good on the horse!