Zeus and I finally went trail riding for two days. It was fun, challenging, relaxing, annoying and exciting.

Zeus is a trail horse. He has plenty of gas in the tank and sometimes he has too much horse power. He goes out calm and comes back in a rush. He will do as I ask and act like a spoiled brat. He will comply and show annoyance. He has a sweet spot with his gait and he has a trot that is hard to sit. He is barn sour even more so in the woods.

Dad has always told me that any horse can kill you. What that means is pay attention at all times when you are around horses. You could be hurt in a freak accident with your trusted mount or hurt badly by a spoiled horse with no regard for you.

While riding through the woods I thought a lot about the future with Zeus; if we are the right fit. He is fun to ride but he is also a work out. He stood straight up with me in a effort to get his way, twice. He races back to the trailer.

After seeing Zeus’ antics, my uncle reminded life is to short to ride a bad horse. “Get rid of him and get a good horse.”

Postscript: Boy Bye

The day after I drafted the above, I took Zeus out on trail again. The ride out was great. The return trip was a disaster and a race back to our trailer. The closer we got to camp, the faster he got and the less he responded to my cues and reining.

When I dismounted, I knew with every fiber of my being that this horse was going to hurt me. I am an experience rider, but this horse is beyond my comfort level. Trail riding is one of my greatest pleasures. I don’t want to spend my ride fighting a horse or racing back.

One week later Zeus was returned. I hope he finds his person. While I am soft hearted and I wanted him to work for me, I cannot keep an animal that is so barn sour that he will hurt me to get home.