My Separate Peace

After Saturday's ride, we went again on Sunday. It was brewing up a storm, but still pretty sunny and clear. We decided to go down into the meadow. We rode through a bunch of cows--some babies, some big horns. All the horses are fine around cows, although Jupiter gives them the eye and wide berth.

We went into the woods east of the meadow and rode down and around and back into the meadow. It was starting to be pretty breezy and the horses were a little high. We went back across the creek and took a trail that led us up to the high road. It always surprises me how easily we connect back into the main road. Lynn knew where we were, however, and was unsurprised. 

Then we decided to try to trailblaze and make or find a trail that would take us off the road but back down toward the main meadow. Well, we couldn't get through one way, so being in the back when we turned around I was now in front. Lynn said go to your left--so we did. As we were crashing through the brush, Jupes acted like he knew where to go, so I let him. The only thing was, when I looked over to see where Lynn and Shirley were, they were down about a 100 feet below a grouping of steep rocks and brush to my right. From where I was, I couldn't get to them without backtracking down and around the steep stuff.

Both Jupiter and I could see the road above us, so thinking they were just coming up another way, I let Jupiter have his head and up we went. Once we were on the road, I realized they were not coming up--they were going down and away from us. Although I know it was a bad idea to be separated, I figured she saw us on her left, went right anyway, and then could see us on the road above her and not worry that we were in trouble. When Jupiter realized his buddies were not coming up and he hollared for them. Boy is his voice getting deeper and louder! (:

My good friend Sandi told me I should really try and take Jupes out alone in an attempt to keep him from being herd-bound. I told her about the time I rode alone on Lynn's place and how well we had done together. But other than that, one: I don't have a truck and trailer to go off by myself; two: I can't back up a a trailer anyway; three: unless it's an emergency (God forbid), I have no reason to ride by myself when I have my friends to ride with. I suppose if I lived somewhere where I could just go out and grab him and ride off, I would--I get how cool it is to be with your horse all alone. It just doesn't work that way in my current life and that's okay.

So having said all that, in the back of my mind, I heard Sandi's voice and thought, "Okay, so now we are on our own. Let's see how you handle it." Jupes called for his friends and he felt a little nervous under me, but I kept his feet moving and kept talking to him. He settled down and went down the road. Occasionally, I would stop and listen for them crashing through the brush and I would pay attention to his ears to see if he could hear them, but it was quiet all around us. We came to the little grassy area where I expected them to come out. We went up a little ways and listened for their voices. Still nothing. I let Jupiter eat some of the grass and he forgot all about anything else, I am sure.

Now the thing about being separated is this: you never know if you are ahead or behind the ones you are separated from. For me, that is the worst part. I hate that part. For me, the goal is to eventually be together again. Isn't that the idea of being together in the first place? Anyway, to that end, I pulled up Jupiter and started back down the road--unsure now whether they had shaved travel time off by going in a more straight line and were now in front of us and waiting.

We went on around a few more curves in the road. Suddenly, Jupiter stopped and gave out a belly-shaking bellow. He was answered by two more from up above us. We turned around and trotted quickly back up the road to meet up with our friends. Then he set off on quick trot toward the end of the trail. He was full of himself again. Maybe he was proud of his ability to be separated. Maybe he was anxious to get me off of him. Probably he was ready to go home and eat some grass. At any rate, it was another separate, but fun day ahorseback.

Shoeless and Separate on Saturday

Two weeks ago, the clouds parted and there was sun. It was a glorious day! We walked up the hill and the horses seemed eager to go with us. (It was probably the smell of the green grass and the promise of getting to consume some.)

Right above the first woods crossing, we were all trotting on the road when the distinctive sound of a loose shoe pulled us up. Ziggy had lost one shoe. This was Shirley's first outing at home with Buster, so Lynn told us to go on and she'd head back to the trailer and do some ground work with Zigs. We went on up the hill to the top. I thought we would turn back, but Shirley turned left and we headed for the loop. Only she didn't take the trail, she stayed on the road.

We trotted and walked down the road, passing different trails that we often use. I didn't say anything, thinking she had a plan and knew what she wanted to do. We turned left onto a trail down below the big meadow. In my mind I was picturing how the trail turned and the different landmarks. At one point, it began to be extremely overgrown and rutted. I called ahead to Shirley and told her I thought we had missed the trail. We turned back and both of us recognized a tree that we should have turned by.

This is where it becomes obvious that we are too dependent on Lynn. I knew immediately this was the trail that I always have her lead on--back when I rode Brady, he knew where we going, but it's rocky and there's no real trail markers like horse tracks or a path. Plus, it has rained over 100% of normal since we took this particular trail. Jupes probably could have done it if I'd let him, but Buster had no idea. So I called it and we turned around again and doubled back.

We retraced our steps to the meadow. I took the initiative (finally) and we rode the trail from there to the top. Then we headed back. Part way down we heard gun shots. Lots of them. Big cannon-like reverberations of gun shots. Although the riders were nervous, neither horse paid attention. We arrived at the dumping area and there were three men and guns. They called up to us that they were taking a break and would wait until we were five minutes away to begin again.

Once we got to the trailer we saw there was no Lynn. No Ziggy. No sign from them.Tired of fighting the slipping, twisting saddle, I unsaddled Jupes and had him over eating grass. I figured Lynn wasn't far away and would return momentarily. Twenty minutes later, Shirley was getting nervous. She wanted to ride out and find her. She thought Jupiter would have a fit if she left and we stayed. (I think he would've kept eating.) Just as I walked him over to begin tacking up, Lynn walked in.

Her story is she put a boot on him, carried an extra boot, and ran him up the hill to find us (those long legs can cover the ground quickly!). But of course we did not take the trails and behaved somewhat erratically by staying on the road, going down below the main trail she thought we would ride, and then doubling back. In the meantime, she left us markers like her coat (which we didn't see). She lost her hat. She dropped the extra boot. None of which we saw. Again because we did not go where she expected us to go. Then Ziggy lost another shoe. So she lost time walking out. Thankfully she found the boot, her hat, and she picked up her coat.

A beautiful, but maybe a little frustrating, day. The good part? Shirley loves Buster. He's a good boy who is steady and calm. She feels confident on him and safe. For me: it's always good for me to have to rely on myself and not so much on Lynn. Next time I will be more assertive with Shirley and make sure we take trails I know well.

I've said it before, I've said it different ways, but the bottom line is: being "ahorseback" anyday is better than a day not riding at all.