We have quite a way to go...

Journey is currently up to 10 miles.  She is still walking most of it, and in this heat and humidity she requires 7-8 minutes to get down to 60.  Pulse drops to 65-67 and kind of hangs there until you get the saddle off.

She really gets under herself at the canter.  Like REALLY gets under herself to the point that when she takes a short uphill sprint  I feel like I may be getting launched!  I haven't quite caught her rhythm as yet to smooth the ride out. 

I had been a little concerned about her ittty bittty little trot.  So last ride I wore my GPS to track the average speed of her trot.  So the ittty bittty little trot is 7.5-7.7 mph which is plenty fast enough for a turtle finish.  What we don't have his cardio endurance at anything above a walk.  I've yet to put the heart rate monitor under her saddle pad, but may do that soon for some baseline numbers.

Currently my trail access here at home is pretty good.  Another neighbor came by and invited us to use his trails which added an additional five miles of woodland trail.  So we have available to us right now 10 miles.  Five miles is very challening and hilly, the other five is rolling to flat.  As long as the creek isn't flooded I have access to both.

 This is what happens as you ride along unaware...suddenly huge flapping monster bursts from the brush.

 Wild turkey "herd"  I've seen up to twenty of these suckers at once!

Seriously...what horse wouldn't just LOVE this?

Journey does not like turkeys at all.  Did I mention that we are nearly over-run with very large wild turkey "herds" here in Indiana?  Yeah, I meant "herd" vs. "flock or gaggle or brood" or whatever normal turkey do when they gather.  We have monster turkey, huge hulking, and sometimes flapping things.  I swear they lay in wait for unsuspecting little fat women on horses.  A friend of mine offered up one day that they should kill every last $#!^%'# turkey in Indiana.  I friends must concur.  At least with a grizzly you have a fighting chance.  ~ E.G.