A New Addition to the Family

As I sit here sipping a cup of hot tea, munching a Thin Mint cookie (one of many), I have a fire going and the washer and dryer are humming and my taxes still sit on my dining table waiting to be completed. Outside the wind is picking up and the rain gauge is getting fuller by the minute, but all I can think about is going riding or helping Lynn feed the horses. Actually one might laugh watching how much I help feeding anyone--all I do is ride up there with her and then stand around and talk to and rub on Jupiter.

Looking around at the herd of horses, Shirley asked if we had enough sorrels yet. Well as far as I'm concerned we do. (: Jupiter is the smallest of the boys, but he will fill out and pass Indy up in no time. He came from a pretty ranch in Oregon called the Poco Loco where he was obviously well loved and trained well. He has a beautiful disposition and a gorgeous face. When Lynn sent for pictures the first time, I fell in love with him instantly. We were fortunate to find that he was as good as he looked and as wonderful as he was portrayed in the ad. The women who owned him saddled up a horse for Lynn (a champagne ride, named Sparky) and one for one of them and we rode around their ranch. Much of the ride was like riding on the Hennessey and Jupiter was smooth and easy. It was a real treat to be able to try him out and see how he behaved on the trail. Shirley says I got the best deal of the year. I couldn't be more happy.

Star has been ill and in the hospital for a weird fever caused by a tick bite. We have been checking the horses for ticks regularly ever since. Just a note: if you ever hear a horse grinding his/her teeth, it means they have a high fever! Star is very thin because he wouldn't eat or drink while he was there. Shirley said he practically dragged Don (T-Texas) into the trailer once he realized it was in the parking lot. He was ready to come home! He already looks better--his eyes are bright and he is more spirited again. Shirley is feeding him vitamins and sweet grain to get him to fatten up and be healthy; she wants her cadillac ready to roll.

Also in the trailer were Brady and Jupiter. Jupiter needed his shots and would not get into the trailer. Who could blame him? The last time it was a long ride! Anyway, because Brady is the best horse in the world, he was brought down to help convince Jupiter to get in. Brady ended up eating all the bribery and going for a ride to Arcata and back. He likes to get out now and then anyway.

Yesterday, we rode up the Hennessey. It was a beautiful sunny March Saturday morning. Lynn rode Brady, Shirley rode Ziggy, and Jupiter took his first local ride. Once again, he was baulky getting into the trailer. Let's see--a six hour ride and then a ride to get shots. Hmmm. Not his favorite thing. Anyway, our ride was very nice. Jupiter did great. He did not like it when Brady and Lynn (go figure) said, "Stay here, I want to check this out," and took off up a different trail. Jupiter got a little nervous and danced around a bit, but not too bad. We finished the ride and he got into the trailer on the second attempt. Maybe it's not so bad after all.

Shirley was funny riding Ziggy. He isn't very competitive (right now, anyway) and Shirley was left in the back--not her favorite riding place. And she said Ziggy was rough. We think she is just spoiled. I practiced using my legs to turn Jupe and we went in circles around some of the briar bushes by ourselves. He didn't mind being away from everyone else. He is barefoot right now, and although he has very tough feet, being on the rocks already made one of his hooves split a little, so Shirley is calling the farrier to come and shoe everyone.

So--Ziggy hangs his tongue out, Star is a cranky old man who throws little fits occasionally, Indy is an airhead, and Brady is just Brady; well Jupiter hangs his head down and sniffs the ground as he walks along. I think he was taught to stretch his head down toward the ground to relax(?) anyway, sometimes he drops his head all the way down and seems to be smelling where we are going. Lynn laughed at us. Oh well, I guess we all have our quirks. Thankfully, I am better at finding the right relationship with a horse than I was at finding a husband!

We are looking forward to riding with Alisa in a couple of weeks and I can hardly wait for camping at Cueno Creek the end of May. Next week is spring break for me and I hope to "help" Lynn feed every day.

Shopping for that special relationship

On Sunday, Shirley, Lynn, and I went horse shopping. We had so much fun! Although we only got to see Romeo, a beautiful bay, it was not wasted time. Romeo is half Arab/ half Quarter horse. He is tall and long-legged, traits that instantly attracted Lynn. He crossed his front legs like a runway model when he walked and that concerned Shirley. I wasn't too sure I really wanted to get on and ride him until Lynn had as he seemed a little high strung. Anyway, long story short, Romeo's guy rode him around and we decided that he was probably too much horse for me--too much work and not enough fun. I told Lynn if she really liked him, she could ride him and I could always ride Ziggy--Mr. Easy-going.

We searched everywhere we could think of for ads selling horses, but we could not find any! The ones we had searched for on Craigslist and Dreamhorse.com did not leave phone numbers so we couldn't reach them either; however we had left our cell phone #s on their email and Lynn did speak with one who had already sold his gelding, but he was a nice guy and gave us some leads on others.

So after a lot of driving around, watching a slow gymkana, reading every free newspaper and horse magazine ad section, and talking to cashiers and feed store workers, we decided we would try again another day. We already had one possibility, Otter, in Oroville sort of set up, so we would just line up some more and come back.

It was a gorgeous day and we laughed until I thought I might have an accident--in more than one way. We also found another great place to ride! We met Romeo's seller at the Swasey Trailhead. He rides there all the time and gave us tips about the trails.

In a moment of serious, contemplative quiet, Shirley told me not to worry and not to fall in love with and buy the first horse I saw. She said no one could/should buy a horse for someone else. She likened it choosing someone's husband for them. Having a horse is a special relationship and that I would know it when I found it.

Although the advice is good and I appreciate the feeling behind it, I do wonder if she remembers that I am single and must have missed one part of the lesson along the way. So here's hoping I will recognize the special one for me when I meet him.

Glorious Weekend

It’s February and we are having our faux spring that we often experience this time of year. The boys were pretty surprised the day Eric, the shoer, showed up; in fact, Brady was laying down and Shirley put his halter on him and he still just looked at her like, “What?” Anyway, the boys got shoes and we went riding both Saturday and Sunday. It was glorious.

Of course the horses are all muddy and wearing their winter coats so they tried to tell us they were on vacation. It didn’t matter, we brushed the mud off and put cold blankets on their backs and then the saddles. Brady put his ears back and turned toward me as if to nip to show his displeasure on Saturday. I brought him some Oreos today, so he was a little less cantankerous. Star has been a little out of sync, but he seems to have gotten over whatever it was; Lynn thinks maybe he strained a muscle rolling around and got caught up in a downed tree branch. Ziggy is Ziggy, tongue hanging and all. He’s such a sweet thing—huge, but sweet.

Brady was a little stiff today, but he still considered having a little run up the meadow—after all, we have to be in the lead. Ziggy drank at every crossing of water we came to and we decided maybe with that tongue hanging out he gets extra thirsty! Star cracked me up because I saw it coming and held Brady back, but he went into the creek after Ziggy finished and proceeded to paw at the knee deep water and send it spraying everywhere. He loves to splash. I am just happy I saw it coming and held back or Brady and I would have been soaked.

Shirley has been sore and stiff with her neck and back keeping her cooped up. She rode with a neck brace both days and she says she feels better now than before. I agree there is nothing better than being out in the mountains ahorseback! I think I will be able to make through this next week after all.

Spit and polish

The sun came out a bit and it seemed warm at 50 degrees, so we decided it was time to oil up the leather on our saddles and bridles. Of course I couldn't be at Lynn's without going up and finding the horses on the hill. I had forgotten any treats (!) so Lynn grabbed some granola bars and away we went.

They came running as soon as they heard the crinkle of the foil--boy do they know that sound. The boys are so dirty. They are definitely mudboggers--especially Brady. We will have to get the Downey out again this spring to work out his dreads.

Lynn took pictures of the new barn. It is very nice, but hopefully the back panel on both sides will be removed soon. Then it will be safe to move the feed boxes in and start feeding them under cover. It will be nice for them to be able to get out of the weather if they want to.

We enjoyed an afternoon in the clean and organized tack room. We cleaned and oiled all our equipment we currently use. Next is to do the old saddles and tack so they will be preserved as well.

Since we can't ride, we have been reading a lot of Trail Rider magazine. The newest edition hadn't arrived, so Lynn took to reading old copies. She brought me a July/Aug 2005 article by Kent and Charlene Krone. They get to do some of the coolest rides and then write about them (I could do that!). Well this particular one was in the wilderness of Canada. I totally enjoyed the article, but had to call Lynn and admit that I would be too scared to do this type of ride. She is fearless! However, being alone with grizzlies and deep, swift, glacial rivers make me nervous. I want a guide along who is armed and whose job it is to protect me. Someone who knows the easy places to cross the river and who keeps me and my horse safe.

I know I keep saying it but, I mean it! I like car camping, Lynn! I like my creature comforts. Most of all, although I love horses, riding, and camping--I am a town girl!

**pics too slow to finish uploading--so only silly ones of me are in the album. I'll get the barn pics in tonight. ****Pics are up! (Sat. 1/9)

Winter chores

Anyone who knows Lynn and her horses has heard her say, "Ziggy's growing! He's getting bigger all the time! He can stop anytime!" Well, the proof is in the pictures. His backend is higher than Lynn's head. She keeps saying she wants to pack in and camp; well, I don't know how she'll get on with her camping gear on the back of that boy! She'll need more than a passing stranger to hoist her hiney. (:

I'm a firm believer: car camping is good.

Yesterday I took some apples and treated my favorite boys to them. Then Lynn did all the hard work while I had the easy job. She cleaned their feet and took the shoes off Brady and Star. I held them, loved on them, and rubbed their favorites itches. Ziggy didn't want to be left out, so he tried to sneak my gloves out of my pockets. I laughed out loud--he is so cute, tongue hanging and all. He knows Lynn keeps treats in her pockets; he was getting those gloves out of the way so he could get his nose down in there to see if I had anything special for him.

Lynn not only had the back breaking job of holding up feet and prying the mud and whatever else out and then pulling shoes off, she also had to put up with the rest of the horses standing around her breathing on her and fogging up her glasses while they watched her work. Brady even reached down and gave her a massage on her upper back with his lips, while Indy looked on with a "Whatta ya doin'?" expression. He had to know Star would get him later for being in his personal space.

Next on our list of chores was to clean out the trailer and oil up our leather for winter storage. So we emptied everything into the quad trailer and moved them down to the tack room. Once the door was opened and the mess overwhelmed us, we decided first-things-first--we had to organize. After a couple of hours, the tack room was awesome! Although we did not get to cleaning up the leather, it will be easy to do now in the well organized and spacious room.

Although I had the pleasure of standing in the newly built, beautiful barn, I forgot to take a picture. Hopefully the sides will be modified soon and the horses will be comfortable enough to use it safely and be warmer and more protected from the elements. (After all, I am still praying for snow!)

Well, that's it for this town girl's country chores this week. Here's wishing you all a safe and blessed new year!

Wanting to be "back in the saddle"

It's December! I am missing the boys. Lynn left a cryptic message on my machine last night about keeping his head up, digging my toes into his armpits, and hanging on! I thought maybe she had been bucked off. But no, she was sending me a message about Brady who is just full of himself. He is acting like he is seven again.

The last two times I have ridden I have worried a little about going off. I think I am due. He really wants to run and when he gets started, he pulls and puts his head down--not good. He is a high-headed horse and putting his head down makes me nervous. He is too excited and just wants me to sit back and enjoy, but I am nervous about going fast.

Lynn knows this. She even had a dream about me going off. Of course she said in the dream I had five blankets on him! Anyway, she has been feeding Brady something new that is supposed to help his joints and help him feel good. It's working. I am glad he feels good, but he needs to remember it's me up there and not Lynn, the crazy woman!

I have not ridden in weeks. My mom and Gene were putting down a new wood floor for me and building a beautiful hearth. I felt guilty going riding; although, I did go to town with Lynn and Lee and bought new furniture. Now it is raining. I don't know when I'll get to go! Next week is Winter break, so I will go up and take carrots to my favorite boys.

Exploring new territory

Yesterday, Lynn, Shirley, and I tried out a new trail system. We drove to Weaverville, had breakfast, and turned up Hwy 3. We drove a few miles out of town to East Weaver Creek Campground. Lynn easily turned the truck and trailer around and we parked in a turnout near the campground and a trailhead. I say "a trailhead" because there are many possibilities to choose from!

It's October, so the colors around us were phenomenal: the yellows, pinks, and reds up against the evergreens and browns took my breath away. The boys were in high spirits--they love a new place to see. We rode along the creek for a ways and came to a fork; we chose not to cross an interesting-looking bridge and headed up a little farther where we made a creek crossing. We rode through lots of bright yellow grapevines climbing up fir trees and varying shades of pink dogwoods, mixed in with orange oaks and some brillant yellow ash (?) trees. The trails were clear and we didn't have cedar trees or madrones slapping us in the face or hanging over our heads and dropping their water down our necks! The trails were beautifully maintained and easy on our horses.

After the creek crossing we rode on a nice, soft road and enjoyed many different views; we were to the west of, and way above the town of Weaverville. We could see the regenerated burn area off west highway 299 that we drive in order to reach Weaverville. We could see Yolla Bally and the clouds that covered the mountain range to the east were an awesome sight. Unfortunately, there was one spoiler--hunters. It was the last weekend of hunting season and we heard shots fired that didn't seem as far away as they should have been! We rode around the corner to a clearing and sat, so if they were above us they would see us easily. Brady was nervous, as was I.

We continued down the road, looking for our next trail sign. We came to a road that headed back toward where we thought we should be heading, but we weren't sure, so Lynn rode into a nearby yard where a man was out working. We heard his horses calling to our horses, so we figured he must be a good guy. Anyway, he told Lynn we should travel on down the road a bit and we would see another trailhead. He recommended it as a good ride that would take us back to the campground. He was surprised and impressed we had come all the way around the top. Well, we are "cowgirl tuff."

We found the trail and headed back toward the campground area. It was indeed a great trail. There were so many signs for other loops that we became very excited to return. We rode through many different types of terrain and felt safe and comfortable all the way. We met people with dogs on leashes, others out hiking, and even two hunters who mumbled and freaked out the horses a little. We eventually found ourselves at the bridge we had seen on our way out in the morning. All three horses crossed it easily and eagerly in order to get away from the mumbling men in camouflage with guns.

All in all , I think we rode a little over four hours. Ziggy's head was hanging a little, but the other two were high stepping and happy. The three of us were filthy (of course) but as happy as we could be! Our next idea is to find out about camping there: we could get camp set up on Friday night; Alisa could meet us there and then we could spend all day Saturday and maybe a little Sunday exploring the trails. Sound good?

This is a definite redo!

(Lynn, leave me a comment with the trail committee information, address, and/or website to use in my article for Trailrider. Thanks!)