Ride 68 - We did it!!

I finally rode Chrome all the way around the block (3.5 miles)!!!  We even did the first half all alone.  :D  I led him up the driveway because he was excited and looking around for the dun mare, then I led him to the neighbor's driveway before I mounted up because the horses across the street were no longer visible there.  Then I did not have to dismount again until we got home!!  Dang my knee was killing me by then because I forgot to lengthen my stirrups back out.  The ride took an hour and six minutes with about ten minutes of standing still at the halfway point.  I'll explain.

Above was our nemesis!!  Not the water, but the mud right in front of his feet in the picture!!!!  He would NOT walk through it.  He walked down a slope with ten inch deep ruts in it, but then refused to walk through half an inch of mud lol.  We stood there for probably ten minutes because I was too stubborn to let him turn around and he was too stubborn to walk forward.  I sent my hubby a text telling him we were in a stalemate.

To my surprise he showed up on his bicycle seconds after I sent the text (when I had about decided to dismount and lead him through it-glad I didn't!)!  He had decided to join us on our ride.  :D  He took the lead rope and led Chrome through the mud and water.  Chrome walked through with no hesitation whatsoever!!  What the heck??  I guess he didn't want to drown alone lol.  That was the only time he acted like a baby.  The rest of the time he was such a good boy!!!

He was very looky and he spooked in place a few times at birds and squirrels, but he didn't even glance at the vehicles speeding by and I even rode him by the three neighbor horses as they galloped up to the fence!!!!!!!  Good boy!!  I'm so proud of him.  I'm proud of myself too for not chickening out and dismounting.  :)

Chrome was completely cool with my hubby riding his bike beside him, behind him and even in circles around him.  In fact when he got too far ahead Chrome started trotting to catch up.  So cute!!  I'm so excited!  This feels like a huge milestone for us.  I was tense and scared, but I worked through it and we both survived.  I can't wait to go again so I can hopefully relax now that I know what to expect.  :)

When we got home Zep walked over and it's like he was asking, "Where have you been for the last hour?!"

Then I fed Chrome... the brown goat ran up to his bucket... Chrome threatened him away... he came back... and Chrome trampled him!  The goat kind of deserved it for not listening the first time, but I still feel bad for him.  He was limping on his opposite back leg from the one Chrome stepped on the first day.  He's going to be fine and hopefully he has learned his lesson.  I've never seen Chrome threaten and attack another animal like that over food.  I hope he isn't getting food aggressive.  I walked right up to him and pet him all over without him pinning his ears at all, so I think it's just a personal thing with the goats.  Hopefully brown goat has learned his lesson and things will be smooth sailing from here on out.  The white goat has already learned and he hasn't even been hurt!  Oh by the way both goats have taken persimmons out of my hand finally.  They are getting slowly more tame and trusting.  :)