You spin me round (like a record)

(That's the official title of the song you no doubt know as "You spin me right round baby" - thanks, Wikipedia!)

We had a very good ride Friday. Did the mining canyons and stayed soft. She relaxed enough around the boulders to just give them a very hairy eye and calmly walk past - no stopping and asking to spin and run, and not even any jigging past them.

Saturday we headed out with S and S and things were going really well! We were a couple miles away from the ranch, leading the way up a very steep and narrow canyon with deep sand footing. I had half-turned around to say something to the people behind me when a jackrabbit broke almost under Dixie's feet. She did a zero-turn 360, and I did a 280 and went catapulting off her side. I had just enough time to think "don't let go of the reins, dumbass" before it was over and I was on the ground. I did some kind of awesome front flip, because I ended up on my butt in the sand, facing my horse, holding the reins. I even managed to lean forward as I fell, to keep from yanking the reins. And Dixie, to her credit, didn't even try to run. She'd just spooked hard when I wasn't paying attention.

I got a drink of water, since I was down there anyway, and mounted back up to finish my ride. Once we got out of the canyon, on the dirt roads, Dixie decided she'd be safest if she walked between the other two horses. S from Cali's horse spooked hugely at a decorative gate, and Dixie did a small instinctive spook with him, but that was all.

If I'm sitting right in the saddle, I can ride the spooks out - but I can't be 100% correct on a 3 hour ride. You win some, you lose some. My butt's fairly sore and I think I might skip riding today. If I do, I'll definitely ride tomorrow.