Shoeless and wet blankets

 

Katie is becoming a good trail dog. She stays with Ziva most of the time, but sometimes she is out front sniffing her way back home. She now has two rides' experience. She's gets a little nervous, but stays right with us.

We have been fortunate enough to get in a couple rides this month. Jupes is shoeless, but we have only gone a little way up Underwood. We don't want Katie to get over tired. Yesterday, we put boots on his front feet so we could go a little further so we could check on our old snag. It's got some new bends in it and looks dangerous, but still standing tall!

For years, Lynn tried to get Haley to put her feet on the stirrup to reach up for a treat or to get a burr off or whatever. She's trying to Katie to do the same. Katie is still a little leery of the horses, but when I wasn't paying attention yesterday, she put her front feet on my boot and stretched up for scratch under the chin (I didn't have a treat.) She even walked back a little and had her feet on Jupiter's belly. He just kind of looked back like "What are you doing?" but it was obvious he was fine with it. Lynn called her over to try to give her a treat, but there was a little bit of wood right there and she couldn't get close enough. So she tried to stand on top of Ziva, who was not going for it at all. But how smart! She's something.

Both Toby/Cobie and Jupes were pretty jumpy coming out. Jupiter did not want to be in the back where whatever it was could get him first. He kept stopping and looking over his shoulder. 

Best story of both days is silly T/C. He gets itchy! REALLY itchy. Last year, he started going over little cedar trees; sometimes he even would stand over them and rub his belly and privates. This year must be worse. Maybe it's the winter hair. Last week, he went over a dead, scratchy, pokey tree. It was probably six feet tall. That wasn't enough, so he went over a live tree that was over Lynn's head. He bent it over and let it run between his back legs. This week, he chose another big tree that I wasn't so sure would bend! It did, but his foot also slipped on a log and it looked like he might go down or lay down or I don't know what he was doing. Lynn was conflicted, "Do I get off? Do ride it out?" but all I heard was, "What are you doing?" Geez, Louise. He is a weird horse. Jupes just looks at him. You know he's has been his whole life avoiding that kind of thing! LOL.

Tired girls riding home.

When we got home, Barry had been there working the excavator. The clean up will take years, but he is getting started so Lynn can get a barn built.

This is the old oak tree by the back of the barn.

I am so glad we are riding. I have missed it. Last year, we barely got out at all. I really wish it would rain, but if it isn't going to then I'm happy to ride now, before we have fire season again.