Wild Winter Trail Ride

WOW! went on a very wild trail ride on Sunday! It was around -7 C. and everything covered in snow and ice, Beautiful!! We rode through the snow covered fields into the white forests....the tree trunks were black against all the snow, while the branches were totally white.
Starting out at the barn, the horses were antsy and I couldn't get Hory to stand still while I adjusted the stirrups. Of course, the leather was so cold and stiff and the holes had been punched so little pieces of leather were clogged in there...sigh...Hory helped by weaving fitfully and trying to break into the roped off mare's paddock.
The group started off and I quickly realized that my stirrups, though on the last hole, were WAY too long and I would be unable to ride properly. I tried to ignore it, being a little nervous about holding up the group but when we picked up the trot, it became obvious that it wasn't happening! Hory was trotting with BIG, bouncy steps to get through all the snow and the saddle was smacking me in the seat as I stood on tiptoes on the stirrups. nope.
Barbara, the leader, helpfully got off Fabia and came to roll the leathers around the stirrups while holding Fabia. Hory still wouldn't stay still, I couldn't control her, and she bashed into another mare who kicked out, hitting Barbora! Barbora, an extreme trooper and horse expert, shrugged it off.

Finally, we were off, across the first fields, a road crossing and then down into a small valley and into the woods! I love the woods at any time but in winter they are so beautiful! Deer ran past and we heard falcons crying above us.
We crossed an icy stream and a very dodgy looking small bridge. I think it may have even been a packing case thrown over the stream, I saw actual HOLES in it after I passed and was so glad Hory hadn't caught her leg in any! Europe! so different than the United States! hahaha!
Barbora's horse, Fabia, was very uncontrollable fro the get go....she'd barely walk and kept breaking into a canter and shying at everything. She had to have a lead over water several times. When we were exiting the forest, Fabia leaped up, all fours in the air and unleashed an unholy buck!! Barbora fell around her neck, clung on, and ended up sitting in front of the saddle! She calmly popped herself back in and we continued. We were all laughing in disbelief, knowing we would all have ended up eating snow on that one!
We had such FAST gallops up the hills and several unplanned runs through the forest itself, through narrow paths, surrounded by trees and high banks....as Barbora put it when we at last got back to the barn..." I'M ALIVE!"