A Horse Bromance

Horses, like people, don’t always like each other. Some nip, kick, and rear at another horse they aren’t fond of. This can make for challenging rides for their humans. Some people like to ride alone out on the trail, but I prefer to have at least one other person with me. I’m not experienced enough, am not familiar with the trails, and don’t know much about horses yet – although I’m learning…quickly.

I met Gerry and her Tennessee Walker Boogie when I boarded my first horse, Button, at a nearby stables. Gerry was looking for other riders to do trail rides, which is what I was hoping to do. Being a new rider (only 2 years of experience) on a dominant mare made our first rides very interesting. I knew she wanted to go farther and to more difficult  (but not really) areas, but I wanted slow and easy. She was very patient. Boogie and Button liked each other but were always up for a bit of competitive running. Fortunately, Gerry had another more advanced woman to ride with. Those two horses were okay with each other, but there was nipping and rear-ending.

Unfortunately, Button developed cancer, and we lost riding time to her surgery and treatment. I’d bought myself a young quarter horse, thinking we could develop into a team. But the movies lied to me, and we didn’t grow into a team. Gerry waited very patiently.

So, once again, I looked around for a trail horse. I was very fortunate to find Poncho, an 11-year-old Missouri fox Trotter gelding. Two weeks after I purchased Poncho, having only ridden him a couple of times around the arena, Gerry had us go up to the mountains in Sitgreaves National Forest to ride with wild horses! 

A Friendship Formed in a Trailer

Boogie and Poncho rode side by side in Gerry’s trailer up to a stables near her cabin. By the time we reached the place, they were best buds, inseparable. So much so that we didn’t want to separate to load into the trailer. They tried to enter side by side, which was not possible!

Since that first wonderful trip, Poncho and Boogie have been BFFs. Having Poncho present in a group trail ride allowed Boogie to get used to ‘crowds.’ He’d only ridden solo or with two other horses. He likes to lead (usually), which led to trouble with the organized groups, where the horses had to stay behind the leader at all times.

They are good partners on the trail, sticking together. 

This July, off we went to Gerry’s cabin in Overgaard again, taking traveling stalls with us. I survived my first hauling of horses through the Salt River Canyon. We arrived, assembled the stalls, and then retired to the cabin.

The following day, we took the boys to the forest for some riding through pine trees and herds of wild horses.

They joined together to face the wild horses. Stallions who snorted at them.  Bachelors who tested them. Our boys were not impressed.

But loading them back into the 2-horse, slant-loading trailer was somewhat challenging.

Boogie uses the front spot in the trailer, so he goes in first. He must be clipped onto the break-away bungee and then the metal divider latched into place. This takes time—not much, but some. While Boogie is being placed, Poncho is outside the trailer, trying to climb in through the tack room, sticking his nose through the open area of the trailer, basically trying very hard to get in with his friend.

If I can fit my head in, the rest of me will fit, right?

Poncho is led to the back of the trailer when it’s his turn, where he jumps in, with or without me. If he could clip himself in, he wouldn’t need me at all! 

We drove back to the cabin, and when I opened the trailer door, Poncho stood there looking at me. “I don’t need to come out! My friend Boogie is in here. We’ll just stay in.” I coaxed him out, okay, I insisted he come out. Boogie was released, and he came jumping out. Gerry had to save herself since he nearly ran over her in his exuberant departure from the trailer.

They both walked eagerly to their traveling stalls to enjoy their dinner side by side.

Boogie and Poncho, bffs.

Gerry and me, BRFF (best riding friends forever)