Clam Beach Again

Last week, Berhwood and Giovanna went to the beach. We only got as far as the dunes, like last time, but what a great adventure!  Giovanna did very well (I lead her after we got up to the road) and finally relaxed around moving vehicles. She is not as nonchalant as Ber is, but she has made huge progress. 

Then this week, I took Berhwood to the beach with the intention of getting him across the dunes and down to the wave slope.   Stuart came along to capture the event, and a young rider friend, Anna, came along to give Ber security.  Like many horses, he feels much braver if he has a rider and a side walker.  :)

Being down on the beach was fantastic. Ber was checking everything out, in an interested, curious way.  He thought seaweed was interesting, and he loved how the firm sand felt to move on.   Walking on wet sand was hard, because with every step, a circle of dryer sand radiated out from the pressure of his weight.  He could see this out of the corner of his eye.  If the sand was really wet, he could see his reflection in it. So he was snorting and eyeing the sand a lot.

Here are the first couple of pictures. More will follow as Stuart has time to go through them. Hopefully there will be some of Giovanna, too.  Before we took Ber to the beach we rode around on Ber and Gio at the pasture and up to the road and back.

Edited to add:  Link to Quicktime movies of Berhwood's adventures, including his FIRST canter under saddle when being cued to canter.   http://www.sgibson.com/emily/June2011HorsePlay//

Ber: The dunes are sucking me under!  Help!  Quicksand.         Emily:  No, it's fine. Here, I'll jump off and walk in front.   Ber: Okay, the alligators will get you first that way...

 

Approaching standing water on sand.  

Admiring the view of Trinidad Head.  It was a stunning day.

Getting further and further away from Emily.       Ber's getting braver and braver!                                                                   Anna did such a good job encouraging him.

I think Ber is at his handsomest in this picture.  He was thinking he was all that and a bag of chips, and perhaps some salsa and sour cream, too!   Love this horse.