Chrome Ride 117 - 100 Ride Challenge Ride 3 - Rocky Ride 6 (with us)

 Mane looks much nicer when I brush it haha!

Today was gorgeous (well until now... now it's storming lol), so of course I had to ride after work.  The best part is hubby rode too!!!!  It's so much more fun riding together.  :D

We only rode thirty minutes and hubby wouldn't let me trot because Chrome's stifle gave out again.  It's so hard to not want to trot.  I kept it to a walk though, like I said I would (thanks to him hehe).  I wanted to ride out on the roads, but hubby said no (can you tell he keeps me grounded?) because Rocky hasn't been out in a really long time.  It's a good thing he said no!!!  As we were riding up the driveway, they were super excited because of the neighbor horses, but then two people flew by on bicycles with a dog.  Neither horse spooked, but their heads popped up and they were on high alert.  Then when I asked Chrome to walk to the gate he was doing that floating thing.  He gets so bouncy when he's excited!  Besides that Rocky spooked (well he took a few steps sideways) when I rode Chrome past the hay bales and my foot caught on the tarp (Chrome didn't spook yay!).  Rocky was also being barn sour, but he listened so that's okay.

I thought Chrome was dirty.... ugh no. Rocky was nasty!!

We spent forever grooming them since we were saddling up.  Rocky has lost some weight and a lot of muscle tone since he got sick, so I was worried about saddle fit.  We tried the Aussie saddle and the western saddle on him and he was looking back and pinning his ears for both.  I was so sad.  Hubby can't really ride bareback because there isn't enough support for his back, so I was afraid he wouldn't get to ride.  Then he reminded me of the treeless saddle that I'd tried on Chrome once, but it made him sore so I stuffed it in a closet.  I dug it out of the closet and we put it on Rocky with the thick western saddle pad.  He didn't make any faces when hubby tightened the girth!  I was so excited.  I think part of the reason it made Chrome so sore was because I was using a dressage pad instead of a thick wool western blanket.  We will see if it made a difference.  He didn't show any soreness when I palpated his back after the ride, but I'll check him tomorrow because it took a day before Chrome's soreness was evident.  Rocky was walking out with an over stride and didn't seem at all hesitant so I have high hopes.  Another benefit is that hubby said it's very comfortable for him.  More comfortable than either of the other saddles.  I hope it works out!!  Just for that reason it's worth saving up and buying a treeless saddle blanket with the built in gullet.  We will see how it goes.

I think that's all there really is to say.  This storm is freaking me out (tornado sirens were going off) so I'm very scatterbrained.  Here are the rest of the pictures.

A glimpse of the neighbor horses.

 Pictures of us taking pictures of each other lol.

 He caught us mid turn. 

 I was riding on the buckle, but had to pick up the right rein to turn because he doesn't neck rein.

 Chrome is so cute!!

I'm going to gather my stuff and throw it in the tornado shelter.  I'll proofread and comment that all is okay after if we have electricity.  Later!