But it went off without a hitch. I met Ellen at the barn at noon after I was done teaching. Violet loaded quietly and sweetly though she sure let out some querying stallion shouts before we drove off. She backed off the trailer quietly, she let me lunge her quietly. And boy, she was looking around and interested, but she knew she had to be a good solid girl and she wanted to join up with me. She loved the trail. She wanted to walk beside or slightly in front of Gunnar, but she was not afraid of anything. She was interested but not nervous about people walking on the trails, the workers who were doing construction at the path entrance. She was happy happy about the other horses on the trail. She stepped lively but solidly without any goosing around. She was an intelligent sweet mare. When we got back, she loaded onto the trailer. And the funniest thing of all is that when we got home and she loaded quietly off the trailer, she was so relieved to be home -- St. George! - that she shook like a dog in the cross ties and then when I released her back into her pasture -- she galloped like she was Secretariat while roaring like a stallion to shout out her relief to be home and her happiness at her big adventures. She thought trail riding was a hoot. And I was so so so proud of her!