I'm getting very bored of the trails around the ranch lately. With the hwy 1 construction, there's basically 1 trailhead that goes up into the hills where you don't have to cross the freeway, so that's where we go condition during the weekdays.

In an effort to bring some diversity to our travels, I opted to take a side trail that looked promising and interesting. We trotted/cantered up a slight grade then the trail dipped sharply down where it met up with the main trail. Looking down I thought, no problem.. we've been down steep hills like this. The trail was blanketed with those big fuzzy tail plants.. Isabella doesn't mind them when they're flying in the wind, but dead on the ground is another matter. Normally she snorts and sidesteps them like they're going to engulf her and drag her down into the depths of hell, but this time she just trekked through them like it was nothing. Good girl. A big bushy branch stuck over the trail from the right.. I thought, no problem, I'll just brush it away.

Unfortunately the big bushy branch DID NOT MOVE. Isabella scooted down the trail, but I was kind of left in mid-air, holding onto the bush just like in the cartoons. She eventually realized something was up where her rider left the saddle and stopped for her foolish mom to hurry up and get back on. It wasn't that easy.. I was determined NOT to fall off (I'm dangling sideways at this point) so I jungle gym'd it to her mane, gripping tightly so I wouldn't land on my ass. Eventually I was able to land on my feet.. first order was to look around to make sure nobody saw that. Second order was to ascess injuries. Isabella shook her mane at me as if to say, dang mom - that hurt! She quickly forgot about it with a carrot. Aside from a few scratches across the chin and chest and a slight bruise to my dignity, we were none the worse for wear.

That brings my grand total to falling off of Isabella 2 1/2 times out of the almost 5 years I've owned her! Not too shabby.

The first time was in the arena after I first got her, I was cantering her around bareback and stupid China ducked out from under the fence to 'woof' at us as we passed. Isabella teleported to the side, teleported back under me, then stopped as soon as she felt me off-balance. I had done quite a thorough job of brushing her that day so her hair was nice and slick, perfect for me to keep going when the emergency brakes were turned on. I managed to do a perfect 10.0 flying camel layback with a triple lutz and landed right on my tush.

The second time was way out on the trail, miles and miles from civilization. At the time we were still in Walnut Creek so we were in the Diablo Foothills trails and Isabella was still fairly young. It was hot that day and we were out for about 4 hours on a training ride. A big hill loomed before us and Isabella quickly picked up a gallop to run up the hill. Normally I hold her back, but I thought hey.. she's feeling good after being out on the trail this long, why not? She took a few strides then, in her exhuberance, turned on the emergency brakes and started bucking for joy. I repeated my flying camel layback with a triple lutz performance and landed in a nest of burrs that I'm sure were placed in that spot just for that reason. Up at the top of the hill, there was a mountain biker who had just climbed the hill and was taking a breather.. fortunately we were at the bottom of the hill and were out of eyesight. I brushed myself off and hopped back on.. smiled sheepishly at the biker in my now dirty/burry state, and went on my merry little way.

(hopefully this post won't detract those of you out there who have been invited to go trailriding with me.. :) )