Trail tales and oat round up

Some trail tales from recent rides:

While out in the big group, we passed a mini pulling a cart with a pibble running alongside (leashed, tyvm).  Peanut was not a big fan of minis when he first encountered one (the freaky tiny horse will eat my brains), but then one boarded at the barn for a while and he learned they taste like any other horse.  I didn't know what he would think of the situation, as he never saw a mini pulling a cart before, but he didn't give a damn.  Another horse, however, had to be dismounted, walked up to the mini, and formally introduced before passing.

While out with Gene and Mona, we inadvertently ended up on route of a cycling pre-race ride.  Suddenly, we ran into pack after pack of bikers on a very narrow, twisting, undulating wooded trail.  Since I was leading, as I would see them through the still-bare trees and bushes, I would call out hello, they would see me, and being very polite would raise a "horses up" call, dismount, and stand with their bikes to the side of the trail.  There was barely enough room to get through, and we were sometimes walking between riders on each side.  Peanut was not a fan of bikes when I got him, but he didn't bat a golden eyelash.  After we passed the last, largest group, I was so jazzed at how well Peanut did that we started gaiting uphill, I grabbed the reins in one hand, and held a Breakfast Club-style fist bump to the top of the hill.  We even started cantering, but I felt so good and so proud that I didn't care, and kept the triumphant fist aloft.

Oat round up:

As noted, our first concession to Gene's age was feeding him oats over the winter.  No fancy, pre-fab horse feed.  No sweet feed.  Nothing but oats and Barn Bag.  He came out of winter in great shape, even though he spent it completely naked.  Last year I was told by the BM that she would be a lot happier if he was in a blanket due to his age, and I answered that I was a lot happier without it.  He is most definitely not one of the horses that came out of the winter showing ribs, yet they were all blanketed and his juniors to boot.

He is still on oats, but I think we just ordered his last 50 lb bag.