Trail Riding with Maverick

This past weekend our drill team, Dakota Thunder, performed in Yankton, SD at the Extreme Bull Riding event. Zeke is my drill team horse but we'd also planned on having a trail ride the following day. I decided I would take Maverick along as my trail riding buddy and give Zeke a break.

What a fantastic day. If anyone has ever ridden at the Lewis and Clark Recreation Area, you'll know that you have to have a horse that's in shape. The trails are mostly up and down and fairly steep. It's also all clay so the going can get tough, which it was because it had rained earlier in the week.

It was also super humid on Sunday when we rode. But Maverick took the ride in stride. What an amazing horse. He really is something else. We were going up and down steep hills and he was acting like he'd been doing it all his life (even though I've put him on the back burner for most of his time at the Sanctuary). We went through mud and a creek and he didn't bat an eye. The best part was when we walked in the river and the itty bitty waves started lapping at Maverick's legs. He wasn't sure about it but he only cocked an ear and an eye at the water.

With just a bit more riding, Maverick is going to be one superb horse. I can't take the credit for his education. I sent him to a trainer who worked with him. I really did luck out. If everyone gave a horse a chance (and education), there would be a lot of really well trained horses out there.

I honestly think that Maverick would have gone all day. Of course all the other horses were tuckered out from the previous day's performance (and the humidity). But Maverick was ready and willing to hit more of the trails. We will have to go back to that park and discover more trails so that Maverick can get more time. Actually, it's more that I need more saddle time.

I am now considering retiring Zeke to the life of leisure and stating Maverick on drill team. I do believe that Maverick is going to be my go-to horse for everything soon. Anyone want to go on a trail ride? :-)