Baby Steps

Saturday was a good day for puddles. We have had almost three inches of rain this month, so the puddles and little creeks have filled back up. Out we went yesterday and first of all, the dogs at the house nearest the parking spot are getting bigger and louder and more aggressive. Jupes was crazy and I had to walk him out and on to the trail because I could not get on him. He had lost his mind and was not thinking about me and our team. Once I got on, he settled down.

When we got to the first little creek below the road, Toby was not going to go through it. So he and Lynn went through it a bunch of times. When we got to the big puddle up on top, he and Lynn got in it after doing a little more work. But the BIG news is that he went in the puddle with Shirley when we came back down. Jupes and I blocked his way to the bank and the puddle was wall to wall. Lynn came and rode on the left side of him and he walked in and all the way through!! Yaay! Of course he still jumps the little tiny trickle farther up the mountain, but it was a big success.

Sunday we rode Gray's Falls trail again. It was fun. It was a good day!

Shirley's a jump rider

Mud puddles with Toby (aka Cobie)

Cold puddles

Yesterday, rain threatened all day. We rode out on the ranch and everything was great. The clouds were crazy, but we stayed dry.

Shirley has renamed Cobie (who she thought was Colby) to Toby. They did well together until Lynn said her famous, "Wait a minute. I want to look at something." Then Toby got antsy and Shirley panicked and screeched, "Lynn. LYNNN!" So they followed up the steep embankment. I was a little worried she would pull him back over on her, but I heard Lynn say to "Let him have his head, mom," and they made it up the steep bank.

We have been working on a new way to come up from the meadow since the road is slick and steep. The roots are really starting to stick up and the rocks are at the surface. I think the vehicles have really ruined it. So we are trying to create a new trail to the road, bypassing the top meadow.

We didn't ride very long because we thought it was going to rain. It started raining at my house about two and rained steady until about eight, but Lynn didn't get it for a long while--so we could've ridden longer and farther, but it was still fun.

Today we rode up Deadwood Ridge (aka Widow Maker Mountain) because we knew it would be slick in other spots. Shirley even led a little (till she missed the trail). I told her, "Do what you're gonna do--go where you want--I don't care, lead on." To get there, we have to ride the road to the BIG mud puddle. Toby does not want to get his pretty feet wet. Or muddy! So he went around. But on the way back it was a different story.

The bottom of the trail below the turtle pond, it is deep, mucky mud. Jupes does not like it either. He whips through there and I end up with cedar in my mouth, across my face, wherever--it just slaps the crap out of me as he bolts through there (since I have no control over him!!). Anyway, I told Lynn we needed a better spot to come out of there. It is getting really bad now that the motorcycles have also been through it. We did meander our way around last weekend, but today we just rode back up to the road the way we came down. Uh-oh. That also means the horse-eating puddle awaited us.

Last week's video showed Toby going up the little bank. Today, he slipped on that bank and caught his right leg underneath him. Shirley never moved--she was fine, she might've screeched for Lynn, but I don't remember. But Lynn said that was IT! She told Shirley to get off and she got on.

She worked really hard on him, but he is not having it. Unfortunately, Ziva is becoming an uncontrollable handful and is a now barking manic trying to help. It's driving me crazy and I am worried she will get hurt. She thinks she's helping, but I don't want her to get kicked. So I eventually had to ride away to get her to come with me. Toby did not react to her, thankfully and Lynn eventually got him into the little puddles. He put his feet in three of them and walked through a little one. Progress. They ended on a positive.

At the bottom of the trail where we get off, he did better going through the muddy area than he did last week and when we went up the trail earlier. He's learning. It is just kind of weird since his field was so wet and muddy where he came from. Although, I think I understood Lisa to say the water had just started coming on again, so maybe since he had only been there eight months it hadn't been real wet earlier. I don't know. What I do know is: Lynn will help him to overcome his fear.

Today was a tougher day and I heard Shirley say, "Pretty is as pretty does" to her horse and she didn't brush him very much and he didn't get a granola bar when everyone else had one. I know what it's like to be frustrated with your pretty horse.

Blue skies smiling at me!

Whoo hoo! Another day in the saddle. For several days the sky has been hazy. No blue sky or sun. Not today!  "Blue skies, smiling at me. Nothing but blue skies do I see."

We went up Underwood this morning. We parked down on the road and rode up to our old spot. Lots of down trees and branches everywhere impeded our trek up to the road where we used to weedeat and park, but we made it. We had to go through some smallish trees that were close together and rubbed on us and the horses, but Cobie didn't flinch. We went through deep duff and he never missed a beat. He did great again.

Shirley told Lynn that she hasn't been this happy ahorseback in a long, long time. She really likes not having to urge him. He is a stepper! He goes. He follows pretty close, so he won't be able to be behind Keota, but Zigs doesn't seem to care. I heard her tell him before we left, "Pretty is as pretty does and I think you're going to pretty all the way around."She told him had good strong chest. She was sweet talking to him. She told Lynn that she did a good job picking him and bringing home.

His head is definitely Morgan and his big belly and strong chest. Lynn says his feet are all Quarter horse. I have been behind him and I'll tell you, his tail is where that 1/4 Arab shows up. He curls it and holds it up when he's working. :)

I've had three great days in row!

Love at First Sight

Shirley was holding and walking Cobie around the pull off spot. She kept saying, "Look how calm he is. I'm gonna be fine." She was talking to me. Lynn was on the other side of the trailer. "He's good. No problem."

Lynn came back around the trailer and brought Big Zig, the camel, for Shirley. She was getting the stool out. Shirley kept hanging on to her new, pretty boy and muttering that all was going to be fine. Finally Lynn tuned in to her and said, "Do you want to ride him? We don't know how he'll do in the brush. We don't know anything about what he knows and doesn't know. But if you want to, you can."

"No, no, I better not," Shirley said. Lynn went back to whatever she was doing. Shirley said to me, again, "I don't bounce so well." I looked at her. "Well, I guess Lynn doesn't bounce that well either," she concluded. 

I said, "Nope. And she's been hurt a lot more than you or I."

"Well, just for a bit," she said. Then Lynn brought over Zigs. 

As Shirley and I were riding by ourselves--Cobie is a big stepper and left us--Shirley said, "The elevation is really something up here." Bonk, bonk, bonk. "There's stuff up here I never noticed before." 

I laughed. "Yep! You're in the nose bleed section."

Ziggy was having a big pout. He was slower than Buster. Jupes was irritated and on his butt. Zigs would just stop. "Is he peeing? Is he pooping?" Shirley kept asking me.

"No. He is not doing anything." Then her little feet would bump him on the rib cage and he'd drag himself up a little farther. 

Shirley couldn't take it any longer. We didn't even make to the road from the first trail. She was ready to trade. Lynn had pulled up and waited for us below the big pile of rocks before the grassy spot we always let the boys eat at. She was smiling. Shirley said, "Have you been to Medford and back?" She was smiling, too.

Lynn said, "Tell you what Mom, I'll give you $3000 right now for this horse. You'll make $500. I'll call that lady with the smooth-gaited Haflinger and we'll go get him for you." LOL

Nope. Shirley was in love with Cobie before she even rode him. Boy, I know that feeling. :)

They did really well. Other than he doesn't like getting those dinner plates muddy, he did everything: bushes, swinging branches, uphill, downhill, through the dead branches, boonie crashing cross country.

Shirley likes him and thinks he's a keeper. It was love at first sight and after riding him--it's real love. She said it is so much more fun to ride without constantly having to kick and urge the horse under you. :) 

Ziggy did really well after Lynn got him. He was stepping out. Jupes is not sure about this pretty competition, but I told him was the most beautiful, handsome guy to me. 

When we got back to the field. Star bit him in the back right off. He chased him away from the water. Buster went up to sniff him in butt. Cobie squealed and kicked up, but Buster just sniffed him, so Cobie settled down. Then we put Zigs in. He just went and rolled. Jupes just went and rolled. Then Star said, it's on again and all of them ran Cobie to the other end and around the oak trees behind the trailer a few times. Star and Jupes and Zigs came over to us and let him be. Buster just stayed with him the whole time, "Let's be besties. I'll show where there's more grass." So Cobie has a friend. 

Cobie and Shirley NOT in the water