Chrome Ride 145 - 100 Ride Challenge Ride 31

 I have to fix his other halter... it is sooo much cuter!

I had such a great ride on Chrome!  Hubby went with us, but he rode his bike. The western saddle hurts his back and we still haven't bought a blanket for the treeless saddle.  We went 3.81 miles on the road and then I rode around the yard and did some cantering when we got back.  My total ride was an hour and twenty three minutes.

Want some cute pictures of your horse? 

Put apples on the ground in front of them and then hook the reins over the saddle horn.....

 So cruel, but cute!!  Don't worry I gave him a bite of the apple after I got the pictures.

 Headed up the driveway.

Chrome doesn't mind the bike at all, even when hubby circles him and goes behind him.

 He had to wear his bonnet because the flies are awful.

 Chrome was being balky and acting terrified of everything at first......

 ... but he eventually got over it and was walking out so eagerly his reins were swinging.

He did really great passing a bunch of galloping horses in fields right next to the road.  He tried neighing a couple of times (he doesn't know how to with a bit lol) and was alert, but he didn't try to take off or jog or anything.  He only spooked hard twice.  Both times were in place.  The first time was so hard he actually tripped over his front feet and I thought he was going to face plant.  I'm glad he didn't.  I can't really blame him though because a dog came around a blind corner when they were about five feet apart.  They both saw each other at the same time.  Chrome spooked and almost fell and the dog turned and bolted back to the house.  It was hilarious!!!  The second time wasn't as bad and it was because of rabbits.

When we got home I had to do some cantering.  I'm going to try to do some during every ride so that it continues to get so commonplace that it doesn't bother either of us.  I had SO much fun!!!  He was very forward and faster than we've ever gone before.  Check it out, I even got pictures of all four hooves off the ground...

 So fun!!!  It won't be long before I'm comfortable galloping him.  I can't wait.  I miss galloping.

The funny thing is he was on his right lead.  He almost always canters on his left lead, but I guess he was tired from the ride and chose his right lead this time for all three canters (up the driveway once and down it twice).

We were hauling butt for us hehe.  It felt so weird though because he has me so used to the left lead (I was the opposite with my previous horse because she always cantered on the right).

We had a blast.  :D  He likes going fast!

 He's so cute in all his gear.

 Look! He actually sweated haha!  It was sooooo humid.

I feel like I'm forgetting something... that's the problem with posting the next day.... the only other thing I can remember is that we were trotting up a hill and hubby was riding his bike right alongside Chrome.  That is so fun, but probably really dangerous...

I guess that's all.  I'm back posting this to the day I actually rode.

I love my new phone! Chrome pictures.

This new phone takes pretty nice pictures!!  Almost makes me not so sad about not having a camera (although I still really miss macro shots).  He's so cute!!

 Oh you have the wagon out... on the outside of the fence,,,

...and there's crumbs of hay in it... must have!  Silly boy!

You know I just realized there is a strand of barbed wire on that fence....... wow that stuff is old!!  Unless my dad ran a new strand when I was living in my old town.  Hmm....

 Scratching his throat on the fence post... my poor itchy boy...

Chewing his leg...

His sweet itch is back just as bad as ever and I've been doing the neem oil almost every day.... I think the reason it isn't working as well this time is because I get off work later than I used to so the gnats are having time to bite him before I get home.  :(  I can't wait until we get his barn done so I can have him inside at dusk when they are the worst.

Anyway on a happier subject I'm very happy with my phone and I love having my own smart phone.  :)

New Gorilla Cart

Does anyone remember the Gorilla cart that I've mentioned on the blog before?  We bought it in 2009.  Here are some pictures of baby Chrome from winter of 09/10 checking it out.

 And Zep! 

 I can't believe these were taken six years ago...

So yeah, the handy dandy awesome gorilla cart has finally been replaced by a new model.  It has been the most handy thing I've ever bought and we used the heck out of it.  The reason I finally broke down and got a new one is because the handle had been stepped on by Chrome and bent was so that the grip no longer spun out of the way to attach to a four wheeler or lawn mower, something in the axle on the front broke so it could no longer be backed up by the handle (although it still pulls forward and the bed still dumps out) and finally it had been in the sun so much that it became brittle and the front plastic part of the bed broke a huge chunk out of it so it no longer carried a full load.  We are still using the old one, but it was definitely time to add a new one.  The new one will be nice and broken in by the time the old one breaks down haha.

 Mac should totally be their paid model!

I love it!  As soon as hubby put it together I started pushing it and jumping in it to ride around haha.  As my dad said... I'll never grow up.  :D  The newer model has a much wider frame and bed so it will be a lot less likely to turn over.  Mac makes it look small but he's three times the size of a purebred Yorkie so don't let it throw you off.  It has a 1200lb capacity too!  Here is the link if you're interested.  I really hope this one holds up as well and as long as the old one did.  I'm going to do better about keeping it in a barn (out of the sun) and not leaving it in the pasture where the horses can beat up on it this time.  :)

Here are some comparison pictures.  First the old one.

 You can see how the handle is bent in so the grip can't spin around anymore.

Now some side by sides comparisons (with my ultimate photobomber dog hehe).

I can't wait to start using the new one to see how it holds up!  Sometimes newer isn't better, but this one definitely looks very well built and sturdy.