When you're on vacation, every day feels like Saturday. What a great week we have had on Lynn's vacation. (: Today, we rode around the ranch/lower meadow on the Hennessey. We rode on the east side of the barn where it is park-like.We went up the steep quad track as far as we could go (there were two trees that were too low to go under and too long to go around) and back around to our favorite short cut/new trail. It's always fun and games until someone loses a dog! ):
Haley and Sammi took off after something and disappeared into the woods. Haley came back, but no Sammi. After much calling and whistling, Lynn finally said she was going to backtrack and see if she could find her. Sure enough, she was a ridge over from where we were, nose to the ground, tracking her way back from who knows where! She was easily as scared as Alisa and was happy to be reunited with familiar horses, dogs, and most of all her momma! She stayed really close to Keota and did not wander off or chase anything after that.
It was a quick ride so Alisa could come home, shower, and head out. I came home took a nap, fiddled in my yard, and basically whittled away the day. I told my neighbor I would see him tomorrow at work. Hmmm. It was hours later when I realized it was only Saturday. I guess since Alisa was going home, I thought it was Sunday!
So anyway, here I am enjoying a cool sprinkle on Sunday morning wondering if my horse is looking for me or just enjoying his day off with his friends. I know I miss him--it's pretty fun to ride every day!
I guess it's time for me make my summer list of "to dos" and get crackin'. I have lots of projects I can be working on during the week days so I can ride on the weekends with my riding partners. I am happy it's summer--it's time to get organized--then I can get everything done and play, too. Thanks for a great week to kick it off!
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Friday, June 21, 2013
Days 3 & 4: Bear Basin & Underwood
Wednesday morning started in the dark and with little sleep, for most of the humans anyway. The horses were ready to go--they knew it was going to be fun. Unfortunately, Zigman has not been himself so Lynn took Buster to ride. We stopped in Weaverville at Marino's and had a good breakfast and then we headed up Highway 3 for 29 miles to the Swift Creek turnoff and then a looong, teeth-rattling, bone-jarring six miles into the trailhead.
It was a gorgeous morning! The azaleas were still blooming and made the trail smell wonderful. There were Tiger Lillies and Columbine and Pitcher Plants and lots of other unidentified, but pretty wildflowers blooming along the trail. There was a lot of water and the horses and dogs were able to drink whenever they chose.
We saw deer, but no bears. We met horse-eating monster backpackers with long antennas meant for fishing that scared the beejeebers out of Buster. We traversed up and down steep, rocky paths and rode along beautiful green meadows. In fact, the horses thought maybe they were in Heaven again eating all the grass their hearts desired (as fast as they could!).
I think Lynn said it best: Bear Basin is magical. We discussed whether to go ahead and ride up to the peak, but a cold wind came down off the snow and the sky was getting a little dark that way, so we decided to get down off there before either lightning or snow fell on us.
The horses did fantastic. They paid attention to their feet and chose good places to put them. No one slipped badly or seemed worried about the trail. Buster is not used to being in front and he was a nervous wreck--sweating and pooping--but he did just fine. Lynn learned just how quick he is a couple times when he turned all the way around on the trail before she even knew he was going to do it! He also was quick to climb straight up a bank to get away from the backpack monsters. She said where Ziggy is the Cadillac that floats along and makes wide corners, Buster is the sportscar with quick handling and road hugging performance.
After hamburgers at Marino's, Lynn gave her own show of "flinging it out the window" by making her riding bra a bright green flag as we pulled out of the parking lot. We were all punchy and silly, but it couldn't have been more fun.
Today, we took the boys up Underwood for a quick, loosen-up your legs and backs ride. We did some steep climbs, but found a cool loop we can make to hook two of our trails together. It has a great view of the valley to the west as well and I am sort of surprised we can't see the ocean we are so high! Again, this is a great time of year to ride as there is a lot of grass and water available.
Alisa and Keota put on a show by performing like jumpers on TV--we came up to downfall log with some water running alongside it. Keo decided not to get his feet wet. Just as I turned back to see if they were fine, he picked up both his front feet, curling them just like he was going over the big poles, then he kind of coiled, and sprung forward off his back legs all in one motion as he gracefully jumped out and over the obstacle. Alisa said it was smooth and lots of fun! She wanted to go back and do it again. It sure looked neat!
In the afternoon, we took Zigs over to see Dr. Branch. He said maybe we should give him something to clean out his belly to make sure there's no sand rubbing in there. He said there are 85 feet of intestines in a horse! They have lots of hills and valleys and the sand can settle in them. So all the boys are going to have some! (I wasn't there to give it them, so I hope it went okay!) The blood work will come in tomorrow, but everything else tested okay. We are all hoping he will get over whatever is making him be "off" and be fine soon!
It was a gorgeous morning! The azaleas were still blooming and made the trail smell wonderful. There were Tiger Lillies and Columbine and Pitcher Plants and lots of other unidentified, but pretty wildflowers blooming along the trail. There was a lot of water and the horses and dogs were able to drink whenever they chose.
We saw deer, but no bears. We met horse-eating monster backpackers with long antennas meant for fishing that scared the beejeebers out of Buster. We traversed up and down steep, rocky paths and rode along beautiful green meadows. In fact, the horses thought maybe they were in Heaven again eating all the grass their hearts desired (as fast as they could!).
I think Lynn said it best: Bear Basin is magical. We discussed whether to go ahead and ride up to the peak, but a cold wind came down off the snow and the sky was getting a little dark that way, so we decided to get down off there before either lightning or snow fell on us.
The horses did fantastic. They paid attention to their feet and chose good places to put them. No one slipped badly or seemed worried about the trail. Buster is not used to being in front and he was a nervous wreck--sweating and pooping--but he did just fine. Lynn learned just how quick he is a couple times when he turned all the way around on the trail before she even knew he was going to do it! He also was quick to climb straight up a bank to get away from the backpack monsters. She said where Ziggy is the Cadillac that floats along and makes wide corners, Buster is the sportscar with quick handling and road hugging performance.
After hamburgers at Marino's, Lynn gave her own show of "flinging it out the window" by making her riding bra a bright green flag as we pulled out of the parking lot. We were all punchy and silly, but it couldn't have been more fun.
Today, we took the boys up Underwood for a quick, loosen-up your legs and backs ride. We did some steep climbs, but found a cool loop we can make to hook two of our trails together. It has a great view of the valley to the west as well and I am sort of surprised we can't see the ocean we are so high! Again, this is a great time of year to ride as there is a lot of grass and water available.
Alisa and Keota put on a show by performing like jumpers on TV--we came up to downfall log with some water running alongside it. Keo decided not to get his feet wet. Just as I turned back to see if they were fine, he picked up both his front feet, curling them just like he was going over the big poles, then he kind of coiled, and sprung forward off his back legs all in one motion as he gracefully jumped out and over the obstacle. Alisa said it was smooth and lots of fun! She wanted to go back and do it again. It sure looked neat!
In the afternoon, we took Zigs over to see Dr. Branch. He said maybe we should give him something to clean out his belly to make sure there's no sand rubbing in there. He said there are 85 feet of intestines in a horse! They have lots of hills and valleys and the sand can settle in them. So all the boys are going to have some! (I wasn't there to give it them, so I hope it went okay!) The blood work will come in tomorrow, but everything else tested okay. We are all hoping he will get over whatever is making him be "off" and be fine soon!
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Day 2: Hennessey
Today was another great day--cool and comfortable riding weather. Of course, there was the little matter of wet cedar trees and tablespoons of water in cupped Madrone leaves! We all know why cowboys wore chaps, that's for sure!
The four of us rode up to the top of Hennessey and then down and around to the pond, making stops for good, high-mountain blue grass and sips of clear creek water. The boys all behaved perfectly and a joyful day was had by all.
The four of us rode up to the top of Hennessey and then down and around to the pond, making stops for good, high-mountain blue grass and sips of clear creek water. The boys all behaved perfectly and a joyful day was had by all.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Day 1: Lacks Creek
It's the first day of our riding vacation and we set off for Lacks Creek off Bair Rd in Redwood Valley. Jupiter, Keota, & Zigs were easy to catch and it took the three of them (Shirley, Alisa, and Lynn) to corner to Star. But then we were off!
The road was dirt and somewhat slippery once we got off the main paved road and head up the hill. We accidentally passed the kiosk for our trailhead, but after meeting a friendly logtruck driver that Lynn knew we headed back to it. He even left us a great sign (actually two signs!) in case we were even more stupid than we appeared. (:
Once we were saddled up and on the trail, it was awesome. The trails were clearly marked and easy to follow. The footing was good and there was a lot of water for both the animals and for us if we had needed it. We went on the Beaver Ridge trail to Faulkner Trail which led to a meadow where we snacked while the horses ate good grass. We saw a huge redtail hawk, a ginormous black bull, a bunch of cows, a horse-eating gray boulder, but although we saw elk dung, we didn't see any elk. We went back up the trail and got back on Beaver Ridge and we followed it out pretty far, but decided that would be another day's ride.
As soon as we got back to the trucks, the heavens opened up and it poured rain! The horses were ready to get in the trailer even without having any grain. We also met two really nice BLM guys. They want people to use their trails and are working on marking some more. We all decided this ride is a definite do-over!
It was a good day and great way to start our riding week--even Star had a good time. I can't wait until tomorrow.
The road was dirt and somewhat slippery once we got off the main paved road and head up the hill. We accidentally passed the kiosk for our trailhead, but after meeting a friendly logtruck driver that Lynn knew we headed back to it. He even left us a great sign (actually two signs!) in case we were even more stupid than we appeared. (:
As soon as we got back to the trucks, the heavens opened up and it poured rain! The horses were ready to get in the trailer even without having any grain. We also met two really nice BLM guys. They want people to use their trails and are working on marking some more. We all decided this ride is a definite do-over!
It was a good day and great way to start our riding week--even Star had a good time. I can't wait until tomorrow.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Operator Error: Unscheduled Dismount
It was a beautiful Saturday morning. The first Saturday of summer vacation for me and the start of Lynn's vacation. Once on top, we turned to the left and rode the Hennessey trail in reverse. I think the horses were feeling good because it was cool and the trail looked different from the opposite direction. We let them go a little faster than normal and all of us were jumping logs and creeks and whatever. It was fun!
As we were making our way up the backside of the mountain, Jupes and I were in the back and he was trotting hard to keep up. At one point, we came down off a slope and he jumped the muddy ditch and began loping/cantering/trotting/crow-hopping to pass the boys and get in front. I do not know exactly what kind of gait it was. Lynn said it was a new invention that Jupes simply created in his desire to be in the lead! All I know is, it felt funny and I was trying not to yell at him and pull him up if he wasn't bucking, but trying to read him to make sure he wasn't going pitch me off in a hard buck. It's kind of a fine line of discrimination with him. I can hear him thinking, "Whoohoo! I'm in front! Catch me if you can!", as he shifts into happy gear and kicks up in joy! (Been there, done that!)
For all his mellowness, Ziggy really likes to be in front. I think Buster really likes to be in front of Jupes (payback for all the orneryness in the field!). So when Jupiter got the lead, the competition was on and he was not going to let go of it. Heading up toward the creek, I took him around a downed tree and Lynn had Zigs jump it. Jupiter could see Ziggy and knew that his long legs would take him over the tree and into the lead, so he cut the corner tight and squirted out in front him and back on the trail. As we headed up, Lynn laughed and said, "I saw daylight (between me and the saddle)! You'd better watch out, you're getting a little out of control!"
Well we stopped for a quick drink and then headed up the hill. I told Jupes to go easy as we went on downslopes and then I would let him power run up the next side. Well. I think the branches bend the opposite way since we usually come from the other direction, because the next thing I knew, I am trying to slow him down as I am fighting the branches. I was laying across his neck when I was lifted up and found myself looking down at his back. My right leg was still over him and as I was thinking, "Am I strong enough to pull myself back into the saddle?", I landed on my knees on the ground next to him. The hard-packed ground, I might add!
I landed with the reins in my left hand and my right hand and knees were in tabletop position right next him. He was looking at me like, "You know, we could have a lot more fun if you would just stay up there!" I got up and led him up to the flat so I could look at my knees and brush myself off. Thankfully, I am fine--scraped up knees is the worst of it. I think the tree limbs broke my fall.
I heard Lynn's, "Rider off!" as they slowed down and walked up to me. Shirley was laughing, "Well you almost made it a year!" But she also gave me a compliment--she said I was good rider and blamed my fall on not having a horn or bucking rolls. Yeah, well I know all but two times I have gone off have been my fault! I guess I should be happy that I have down to one a year. (:
As we were making our way up the backside of the mountain, Jupes and I were in the back and he was trotting hard to keep up. At one point, we came down off a slope and he jumped the muddy ditch and began loping/cantering/trotting/crow-hopping to pass the boys and get in front. I do not know exactly what kind of gait it was. Lynn said it was a new invention that Jupes simply created in his desire to be in the lead! All I know is, it felt funny and I was trying not to yell at him and pull him up if he wasn't bucking, but trying to read him to make sure he wasn't going pitch me off in a hard buck. It's kind of a fine line of discrimination with him. I can hear him thinking, "Whoohoo! I'm in front! Catch me if you can!", as he shifts into happy gear and kicks up in joy! (Been there, done that!)
For all his mellowness, Ziggy really likes to be in front. I think Buster really likes to be in front of Jupes (payback for all the orneryness in the field!). So when Jupiter got the lead, the competition was on and he was not going to let go of it. Heading up toward the creek, I took him around a downed tree and Lynn had Zigs jump it. Jupiter could see Ziggy and knew that his long legs would take him over the tree and into the lead, so he cut the corner tight and squirted out in front him and back on the trail. As we headed up, Lynn laughed and said, "I saw daylight (between me and the saddle)! You'd better watch out, you're getting a little out of control!"
Well we stopped for a quick drink and then headed up the hill. I told Jupes to go easy as we went on downslopes and then I would let him power run up the next side. Well. I think the branches bend the opposite way since we usually come from the other direction, because the next thing I knew, I am trying to slow him down as I am fighting the branches. I was laying across his neck when I was lifted up and found myself looking down at his back. My right leg was still over him and as I was thinking, "Am I strong enough to pull myself back into the saddle?", I landed on my knees on the ground next to him. The hard-packed ground, I might add!
I landed with the reins in my left hand and my right hand and knees were in tabletop position right next him. He was looking at me like, "You know, we could have a lot more fun if you would just stay up there!" I got up and led him up to the flat so I could look at my knees and brush myself off. Thankfully, I am fine--scraped up knees is the worst of it. I think the tree limbs broke my fall.
I heard Lynn's, "Rider off!" as they slowed down and walked up to me. Shirley was laughing, "Well you almost made it a year!" But she also gave me a compliment--she said I was good rider and blamed my fall on not having a horn or bucking rolls. Yeah, well I know all but two times I have gone off have been my fault! I guess I should be happy that I have down to one a year. (:
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
The Final Countdown
It's Wednesday of the last week of school! Next week is vacation and lots of riding my boy and hanging out with my besties. (:
Today Lynn and I are going to check out a potentially new place to ride. We may have two new ones to add to our regular rides. I can hardly wait.
Who's ready?
Today Lynn and I are going to check out a potentially new place to ride. We may have two new ones to add to our regular rides. I can hardly wait.
Who's ready?
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