All good things must come to an end

Our riding vacation came to an end yesterday. As I sit here, I am missing my horse (oh, and you guys, too). Ziva and I have been playing soccer and chase the tennis ball for an hour. I said, "Are you ready?" and she instantly cocked her head and was heading for the door. I think she is missing going, too.

Doggone bees ruined our last trip. The hoop-de-doo trail used to be fun, but we have not been able to do it for awhile. For one, we don't want to have to see the damage done to the lower meadow by trucks spinning brodies (and all their trash left behind). Secondly, there have been bees along the trail unless we go in the winter. Finally, there is a tree down at the end and lots of brush surrounding it, blocking our passage to the end of the trail. I can't remember the last time we made it the Underwood road and headed up the trail from there!

Anyway, it's been fun. We are lucky that we can stay home and ride everyday. (Sorry Alisa--I hope you don't mind not being home.) Just like Shirley says, "We live in the prettiest country. Nothing can compare to what we see everyday."

All the riding we did was good for Jupiter. We worked on walking with others, standing and waiting until I said we could continue, crossing bridges, stepping over logs, and navigating over rocks, rocks, and more rocks. He got better every day. Shirley says he listens to me. I guess I have won enough battles of the will that we are forming a solid team bond. He does shy at silly stuff, but I don't expect him to be perfect--after all, I am definitely not. And of course, right or wrong, I still reward him with what he wants to do occasionally.

Keota also seemed to be enjoying his days on the trail. He didn't hesitate at the bridge; he never misstepped on the rocks; he didn't do anything to get yelled at all week (at least that I noticed). He was in the front, in the back, and even sometimes in the middle without worrying about Jupiter or Star being behind him. I think he did great. I love that he lopes along without any effort. I just wish I could see him do  his perfect jump again.

Both Buster and Star gave Shirley some sideways jigging. I am not sure why they got upset--we stayed pretty close together so Star couldn't worry where everyone was and why Buster acts up is always a mystery to me. Maybe he wants to be in front! When Lynn rides him, he gets a taste of being the leader and seeing everything first. Shirley rarely takes the lead, so maybe Buster is exerting his desire to be in front. Shirley was a little nervous in the rocks with Buster, but I reminded her that Star is the one that has slipped the most and Buster has only been sure-footed with her.

Ziggy must be in his defiant teenage years. He has been so good for so long, maybe he testing the waters--just like a kid. He got in trouble everyday. I don't think he will continue to test Lynn as much, since he really is "the good kid" who doesn't like being in trouble. (Maybe Jupiter, the true bad boy, makes fun of him in the field for wanting to please Lynn so much. Just like a bully who teases a good kid into being less compliant.) Anyway, he is such a sweet boy and Lynn thinks when he gets in trouble he stops thinking and makes more mistakes that cause him to be yelled at again. Once he figures out how to break that cycle, he won't get yelled at and everything will be good again. One funny thing I heard Lynn say was that he did his cartoon stretch-car-zoom over the curves coming down from Granite Lake; the visual is pretty funny. He's a lot of horse to be making hairpin turns. :)

Thankfully we only had bees twice (three times if you count that we went through one set two times). No one was really hurt--Ziva, Sammi, Jupiter, and Zigs got stung, but not badly. We got to see new country, albeit disappointing because the trail wasn't open, and we played around with the black tarp/trail trial crossing. Riding anywhere with my horse, my dog, and all our favorite equine, canine, and "peeps" works for me.

Thanks, Lynn, for being our tour director.

Sun, Rain, Time

A little rain, a little sunshine and a nice day to ride close to home. After the drenching the trees received yesterday, we knew we would be knocking water off on ourselves as we rode this morning. Shirley went into the doctor today because she was battling a couple of lines of itchiness across her neck, so it was just the nine of us. We drove up Hennessey in Alisa's pretty truck because Lynn was in trouble again--left the window down on Shirley's truck yesterday and the seat got wet.

When we first started off, it was Haley, me & Jupes, Lynn & Zigs, Sammi, Alisa & Keota, followed by Ziva, all in a line. Well I guess we stirred up a wasp's nest and Ziva got stung on the side. On the way back down, I forgot about it and just took the same trail as always. We were back in the same formation, only this time I guess we really stirred them up. Ziggy was bucking and upset and Lynn yelled back at Alisa to go another way. Zigs, Ziva, and Sammi all got stung. Thankfully Lynn, who is allergic did not. Ziggy has a puffy spot on his side and Ziva is swollen a little over her eye.

Besides hitting bees--today was a really nice day. All the horses listened and behaved. We worked on our trail trial tarp crossing again and we went all over on the back side of the mountain. It was a fun day. The sun came out and I am glad we have had the time to ride together each day.

Three French Poodles in the Wilderness

vacation pics

It's vacation time! Alisa is here and we are riding everyday. We started up Underwood. As usual it was a good time; however, the girls were filled with burrs. Millions of them! Then we tried a new place in the Marble Mountain Wilderness: Stanshaw Trailhead. It took us three hours to trailer up there and we could only ride a couples of miles due to large, insurmountable trees in the way and no way around them. It was disappointing.

The next day we drove to the Trinity Alps Wilderness: Swift Creek Trailhead. Now we have been here before, but we had decided to ride into Granite Lake. I guess we should have paid attention to the name of it. There were lots of rocks. It was a five mile trail through some pretty stuff, but we climbed two thousand feet through a lot of granite rocks. Of course all the boys did really well and so did the girls. 

Before we left the trailhead, some "eye candy" as Alisa called them, insulted our babies. First they asked if they were Portuguese Water Dogs, but after we told them poodles, they turned up their noses to us and dismissed us, saying the dogs were "Foo-Foo dogs" with "foo-foo haircuts"!!! We could show them a little foo-foo upside the head. After all they were the ones who picked up their cow dog and put him back in the truck when they saw our four running to greet them.

Later on we met some hikers who Lynn overheard saying to his family, "Wow! Three French Poodles in the wilderness! Who would've thought?" Ha! Foo-foo dogs my foot. 

Wednesday was a day off for rest, but we'll be back at it tomorrow. It's raining right now, so the world will be fresh and clean in the morning.

A short catch up

I am the chubby hamster running pell-mell on the wheel in her cage and getting nowhere! I have stories to tell and no time to tell them!

First, we spent Memorial Day weekend riding with Alisa and Toni and a good time was had by all. As usual! Toni got to ride Buster, Mr. Steady and Reliable. Alisa didn't have an 8-second ride, but it probably felt like it. Keota threw a fit for no apparent reason and broke the brush and bucked and skewed around coming off the cut off trail to the road. Alisa just rode it out (although she did holler).

The four girls, three black wild things and one tan one, all had fun, too. Ziva even learned how to be a rock climber! Boy was she tired.

The next weekend, Lynn was talking about how all of our horses are such good trail horses. She was going on about the down-fall trees and steepness of the trails and such. Yep, we could sure show ol' what's-his-name Cameron a thing or two about trail riding. Then going on a steep downhill trail, Buster stepped on a downed limb. It broke and one end of it flew straight up and at Jupiter. He reared and hopped and freaked out. I broke a nail and said the S-word. Small horse-eating monster on the trail. From that point on he was on alert. No white rocks or gray limbs were going to take him unawares. He had his eye on them and his butt swiveled out the way just in case. We came out onto the flat below the really steep part of our top trail and lo and behold--something was in the bushes. Something big. I thought it was a horse. It was an orange cow. OMG. It was a fast and interesting ride to the trailer. Yep, Jupes is real trail horse, and a good one, just a little scaredy.

Lynn and I went to Underwood without Shirley one day. We tried out new trails and probably won't do that particular one again--it was a mess. But fun to trailblaze. They went without me one day, but only went to the top and back of Hennessey.

Now it's time for the Expo! We are eagerly awaiting the fun. I hope everyone sleeps well the rest of the week, because we are going to be tired walking and walking and talking and looking and looking and more talking. :)