A Fall, A Trek & Hacks Alone

After a pretty good hack out where I cantered plenty, we were just at the gate when a motor bike came up behind us. Drum spooked and tried to run forward but crashed into Katie, then swung around and backwards when the motor bike passed and I fell down his right shoulder. I felt ok about it, a bit shaken, but lead Drum back to the yard and got back on to do some circles. He was very relaxed and not worried at all about what had happened.

The next day was our big 12km hill trek with some others. It was incredibly windy and there was a silly horse coming to ride with us. I had an extra few RR lozenges as I was worried about Drum playing up. He did a wee bit but nothing too silly. He has a bad habit of walking up other horses bums and Azja kicked him in the chest at one stage. Some of the other horses were walking much to fast and Drum kept trying to hurry to catch up, so we did heaps of cantering and I just tried to relax and go with it. He does have a really nice canter but he wasnt being sensible and looking where he was going, tripping in holes, stumbling on stones and ploughing through boggy patches so I had to keep trying to guide him and pull him up but he wasnt really listening which was frustrating and a little worrying. When we got to the top of the hill, some of the horses got waaay ahead and Azja wouldnt go through a gate for Gemma and Drummer started to play up and run sideways as he wanted to catch up. I got really upset about it but Gemma caught Drums bridle and I got off, and we both walked our horses for a while. I got back on and we continued on and I did better with pushing him around. Then we all got off to go down the steep side and got back on at the bottom and I did some really good leg yielding on the final stretch home. It was very satisfying in the end, but not as much as my next paragraph.

The last two rides Ive done, me and Drum have hacked out on our own =) And we did a route he hadnt done by himself before so that was great. Although on the first one, we got to the point where he really didnt want to go forward so I got off and lead him down to the stream where I got back on, rode around the trees and stream and then home again. He was very good apart from lots of neighing out for his friends.
And the next day we went again and I got him much further than where he stopped the day before, but he stopped again, so I lead him forward and got straight back on and rode him down to the stream. This day, instead of stopping lots, all slight leg pressure and he thought we would trot! I did lots of 'juuuuust waaaaaalkiiiiiiiiing' to calm us both down and we had a really good ride. I am so pleased!

I hope to bring him home next weekend but my back has gone out twice in two nights so Im not sure whats happening at this stage. Still want to bring him home though. Hope my back is ok!