Ponies anyone?

[Rides 2 Far <rides2far@juno.com>]

I had a great ride today on my Welsh ponies.  Put my neice on one and
myself on the other and headed out a little late to do a section of
Kaboot's usual "long" course.  Got there a little late in the day and saw
a whole different crowd than we usually run into at 8 AM.  LOTS of gaited
horses and some nice Quarter Horses.  Must have seen at least 30 horses,
and the amazing thing was, we just kept passing them. >g< 

 These ponies are 13.2 and 13.3 respectively, half brothers.  One is full
Welsh, the other is 3/4 Welsh, 1/4 TB.  The full Welsh had a HEAVY coat,
and travels very "poniesh" but the other sails over the ground and looks
like he might make an endurance mount if we could get some heel on his
feet.  The feeling of posting the full Welsh reminded you of hearing a
little car rev out on high RPM's.  You have to post twice as fast as
usual. I doubt I looked very intimidating to the competition.>g<

Right now I'm riding them barefoot.  I noticed all the horses we passed
were shod. The full Welsh acts like people describe Mustangs.  He'll just
decide the trail isn't the "best way" and climb a bank or whatever it
takes to choose footing of his choice.  He's got a great cup to his foot,
and good wall.  He never really gimps, but goes to great pains to find
the comfortable footing.

 We caught up with a string of Quarter Horses and were riding along
behind the group, quite content, when their leader pulled over and
insisted that we go on because "You look like endurance riders and you
probably want to go on, we're real slow".  I assured him my endurance
horse was at home and we were riding my kid's slow ponies, but they
prevailed (I guess Arabs do look like ponies to people on 1200 lb.
horses).  As soon as we got around them the ponies  took off trotting a
blue streak, I felt like I'd really made them look bad then :-/.  

I can't wait to do a ride on one...hopefully with my daughter on the
other.  All day people kept saying, "Ya'll look like twins".  Ha.  The
ponies are near identical, and I guess under white helmets, with
sweatshirts and black tights & half chaps, we must have looked like a
matched pair.   Won't you guys just *love* it when you see me struggling
to finish a 25 in 6 hours? :-) I think it's going to be a hoot.  I love
that part of endurance too.

Angie 


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