Rode my 3-year old for the first time in months

I rode my boy Dakota for the first time in a few months today. He did really well, considering I haven’t even messed with him a whole lot in months besides to feed him. I left at around 1:30 and just got back at 6:00. Dakota pitched a small bucking fit (first time he’s ever bucked on purpose with me) when we reached my cousins house and he realized that we weren’t going to turn around. I really got after him with a switch and popped him a few times and made him canter for about ten minutes. After that he straightened right up.

We met up with my friend and her horse, Flicka. (Flicka is about 10 years old and is exactly 15 hands... I could really tell that Dakota has grown taller... He’s very close to 15.2 hands right now) Last time we rode Flick-Flick and my Cody-boy together, Dakota tried to kick Flicka every time she came within distance. This time, he only tried to kick her once, and that was just because she ran up on him. We rode down to the creek and rode the horses in it a little bit. Both horses got really wet and splashed like crazy. They really enjoyed it.

We rode for about two miles after that before going back to the creek. My cousins were there playing in it this time. My oldest younger cousin (she’s 12, her little sister is 10, and her baby sister is 3) took Dakota from me and rode him all up and down the creek. He did so well for her, even though she has a broken wrist and could only direct him with one hand.

Afterwards, her baby sister asked to ride. I trust my boy unconditionally when it comes to letting little children on his back. We put her on the saddle and I led her around for a few minutes before I had to go.

The way home was relatively quiet. Dakota had one episode where he wanted to go home with Flicka, but after I made him flex and get his attention back on me, he was fine. We cantered a little bit and I got him to do a hand-gallop... each time we went faster than a walk, every time I pulled him back he walked on a loose rein just like he hadn’t been trotting/cantering just seconds prior. I’m so proud of him. This was his first long ride since before April.

Sounds like you had fun

We did. I was surprised that he acted so good... Half the time I forget that he's only three and is still kinda unpredictable because he acts like an old 'been there, done that' pasture nag... He hardly ever gets hyped up, too...

My boy Pride was like that too (minus the bucking fits, and kicking other horses); He was a fabulous trail horse, considering how untrained he was when I bought him as a 5 year old. And it didn't matter how long of a lay off he had, he would generally pick up right where we left off.

Sounds like you had a really fun time...the creek sounded delectable!!! I love riding horses into water...sooooooo fun on a hot day!!!

Lol. Cool. I rode him again today for about three hours... I could tell that he was a little tired, though, because he did actually buck a few times. Though his bucks are nothing compared to my mares bucks... he definitely has some kicking power. With my mare, I have to watch out for her front end to come flying up in a buck... with Dakota, I had to be aware of how high his back-end was going the few times he did buck.

I put it off to him being a bit tired and the fact that he's not really used to riding and trotting/cantering with other horses, which is true... and the other horses were pretty hyped up (a nervous/timid 8/9 year old mare and a 'been-there-done-that-but-can-still-go' 24-ish year old mare). Which, the only times he bucked when we were cantering was when he was left behind, or when I held him back.

We rode in th water again today, only I took my mare this time (I came home and traded horses). The horses loved the water.. In the deepest spot, it goes halfway up their sides. We got off and got completely soaked and got the horses soaked... They loved it and were splashing all in the water.

While I was riding Dakota, though, we took him on the longest/most taxing trail ride he's ever been on... a trail that is on my great-something another grandma's land that goes over the mountain (really straight up and straight down) and over a steep powerline trail. Dakota did just perfect on the trail, even though he was annoyed that I made him go last way back behind the other horses.

He got tangled up in a saw-briar and stood perfectly still for me to cut him loose and was very eager to get up the trail. When we got to the top, the other horses were breathing pretty hard and were sweating a good lot... but he was barely breathing hard at all, though he was sweating a bit. This trail makes my mare breathe pretty hard when we get up it and she goes over it more often than any of the other horses. He also did very well going down, though he wanted to hurry a few times and I had to hold him back. I'll have to take him over some more hilly trails and teach him that it's not smart to run down a hill... Lol. But otherwise, he did great!

Sounds like Dakota's doing fabulous! =]
We have a horse named Marvel, and he's perfect, so chill and careful, never puts a foot wrong.. he's 9 but he's been the exact same way since we bought him at 3. :)