Goal

I ACHIEVED A GOAL. This goal acutally wasn't on my list but anyway here it is. Last summer as some of you know Navajo spooked at some donkeys along the back road I ride on. Here is the story: I was going to my aunt that lives 1/2 mile away from me and I decided to ride over there with Navajo(this is last summer) to get some books. Anyway, on the way over there he spooked at some donkeys and ran away from them along the wrong side of the road into traffic. As I said this is a backroad and there is hardly any traffic. This was soon after I had gotten him maybe about 2 months. So I got him turned around and I had his halter on under his bridle because I knew I was going to tie him over at my aunt's house so I had my lead rope along too. Then I got off and led him past the donkeys. He did not like this one bit. After we were at my aunts house (which is like 2 houses over across the road) he calmed down a bit. On the way back he was fine because the donkeys were on the opposite side of the road.

So back to this summer. They didn't have the donkeys there anymore but still had their Miniture pony Snowflake in there. Snowflake did not see us till after we were almost past and she came galloping toward us and Navajo just speeded up to trotting and went to the middle of the road but I was still in control. He was a little worked up but I got him in the grass and he was fine then. I got to my aunt's house and all he wanted to do was look around. He loves going to new places.

The thing that was different between this summer and last was: (1) Last summer I was not as experienced. (2) We didn't know each other as good as we do now. (3) This summer I have worked with him on trusting me and training him. So this summer we are closer and he trusts me. But we conquered the one very very scary thing for him. I am so proud of him and I now know that we can do some trail riding back that way:) SO over all we had a great ride and I am very proud of my boy. He got a gingersnap as a reward (he loved it).