Another Good Trail Ride

My boyfriend and I took Matt and Dude for a trail ride on Sunday. Matt was saddled first and the kids rode him while I worked with Dude. I tied Dude to a small tree with a lot of "give" while I groomed him, so no trouble there. He likes to move ALL the way over when I switch sides while grooming him. No go at all on lifting the back feet, which is usually not a problem (?). He was slightly reticent about the bridle, but nothing like he used to be. He walked around a little for the girthing, but not very fast. I got the girth underneath on the first grab and got it in the buckle. I went side to side tightening. The only thing I had a problem with was my off side stirrup leather came off and I had to approach him several times and let him smiff it and see what I was doing before he let me reattach it. Carrots were given at intervals, of course. He let me mount from the ground with no problems at all. It took me until now to figure out he likes to be mounted out of his paddock because that means a trail ride and not ring work. Dude finds it hard to train his human. His human is a slow learner (LOL). On the trail, he was great. We even jumped a little ditch. As long as his Matt is with him he will go anywhere. They both balked at an up-bank ditch thru mud so we went around. Dude didn't want to drink out of the pond we found. The funniest part was when we came to a paved road through an empty field, it took me quite awhile to get Dude to step onto it. Even with Matt walking back and forth illustrating that it would not swallow up a horse, Dude was nervous until he felt its solidness. Dude responds well to my reassurances that something is okay. I love that about him. My boyfriend thought Dude was afraid of his shadow which was projected onto the road and I agree that didn't help the situation. Both boys went through ditches, mud, tire trails through high grass, and ditch banks on the side of the busy road with no problems. They ambled home with no trying to run and were generally a joy to ride. I only walked and trotted Dude. We walked a stretch I want to canter next time, but I want to check it good for holes first.