Smokey's First Trail Ride

We vowed to make this an adventurous summer.
So far, so good!

Smokey

K, S & I somehow talked J into letting us ride her horses all summer. This weekend we were invited on a trail ride - a training session for J's feisty young colt, Smokey.

Reaching the top, with a loud pack of ATV drivers coming up behind us. Smokey was cool, calm and collected.

The High Uintas Wilderness area is only 45 minutes from Park City. The most commonly asked question about this gorgeous place is.... "Why don't we come up here more often?"

We chose it because it's always quiet ~ the ideal location for a long ride, a picnic in the shade and no surprises. A safe opportunity for Smokey to get used to life outside the corral.

We ran into the biggest moose I've ever seen. At least a dozen loud ATV nuts. Multiple mountain bikers.

Poor Smokey had to jump a low barrier, cross a rickety bridge and right when he was close to passing out from sensory overload, he met the scariest thing of all... butterflies!

Hard to imagine a big guy like Smokey being terrified of butterflies and not the moose but who knows what goes on inside their heads.

Megan

Don't let these quiet good looks fool you: Megan is a biter and a kicker and an all-around ornery little horse.

But, she is finally figuring out that her life is infinitely more enjoyable with me in it.

DH will drink from a water bottle, given half a chance.

The way to a horse's heart is through her stomach so I brought along a bunch of carrots. How old school can I be? At the picnic spot we discovered it's actually Fig Newtons that make them putty in our hands.

This was a good day.