It’s official. We again have four riding horses. It’s been a while. The last time this happened the lineup consisted of Tinni, Raudi Siggi, and Signy. Hrimmi was for a long time the baby, and therefore not ridden. We either ponied her or took her for walks with and without the others.

Now the lineup consists of Tinni, Raudi, Hrimmi, and Tyra. We started Hrimmi under saddle last spring, when she turned four. We started Tyra this spring, when she turned four.

There was no hurry on our part in deciding to start Tyra under saddle. I figured that because we had three riding horses that we could wait until she was 5 or even 6

before riding her because she’s on the small side. But she has been in a hurry. She also gets bored easily. We had taken her on innumerable long walks and let her run in the woods but this was getting increasingly more difficult because now that its summer we have three other horses to ride, all of whom we are intent on getting into good condition for the upcoming Competitive Trail Ride.

Tyra and I did a few outings on the road and I worked with her under saddle in the Playground of Higher Learning. She doesn’t have shoes right now, so the hard packed gravel surface has not been to her liking. She’s kept veering off to the side of the road, where the green grass is soft underfoot.

So this evening, after dinner, I decided to ride her on our trails. Pete tacked up Tinni and Tyra and we then took off, with me running alongside Tyra – I start all our adventures this way. I mounted Tyra on Jim’s Road after Pete released Ryder. I had no problem getting on because of her small size and because I have trained her to stand still.

We first did the creek loop because the first part of Jim’s road is hard packed dirt. The second part is grass and goes over a creek.

Tyra had no problem with any of this, and in fact, she was very forward. We continued on to Siggi’s Trail, did Peaches’ Loop and concluded by doing Raudi’s Runway.

It turned out to be an amazing ride. Tyra grabbed for grass every so often, but otherwise she was a willing and happy riding horse. I did walk her down the steeper portions of Peaches’ Trail because it seemed to me that it might be too steep for Tyra. At the point at which we came to Raudi’s Runway I put her in front of Tinni, which was exactly what she wanted. She immediately livened up and after a short while trotted. Her trot was fairly smooth – there was plenty of animation to it.

We came to the road and I hopped off of her and told her repeatedly what a good girl she was. And as a further reward, I let her graze down by the roadside.

Yes, it was worth the wait for this auspicious event. I’m really glad it went to so well. Tyra is going to make a dynamite competitive trail ride horse.

Next: 154. 6/6/17: The Girls Have Arrived