I rode him in the LD at Fort Robinson on Sunday. We ended up going really really slow and pulled at the vet check because we were past the cut off time. Lisco and I were a bit nervous with each other the first few miles so I wanted to just walk, then after climbing up a long canyon he had settled in enough that he could started doing a slow endurance pace but the green bean I have been hauling to rides and helping a bit was struggling with her pony being ornery. After we had gone several miles and he was refusing to go up yet another hill and she was going to lead him up it my stubborn red headed red neck, year of the dragon self hit the wall and I told her to lead Lisco up the hill and I had a short come to Jesus session with Chip and made him carry me up that hill. Another rider had caught up to us, Lisco wanted to trot after she passed us and Chip was being ok with trotting so we did make a decent pace to the vet check those last couple of miles.
If I had been on Taj and had a longer lead rope, rather than on an unfamiliar somewhat nervous horse plus shortish lead rope I might have put a lead on stubborn Chip, but the endurance saddle is not really set up to pony a horse plus I would have had some nervousness that Chip fighting the lead could have caused him to step off the trail and fall down the hill even on good old Taj so I don't know if I would have done that or not. Chip and rider have a ways to go to get to endurance riding, she gave in too quickly when he got stubborn, although to her credit she led him a ways and got back on every time but I think he figured out he could at minimum not have to carry a rider up the hills if he acted up, and she was nervous about trotting downhill. I get that, but on very gentle grades with a ride that is hilly, which is most rides in this area one needs to trot to stay on pace unless it is a steep downhill slope.
