"Can I get any closer?" or "Whatcha got?"

Still trying for that fall color

Still trying for the fall color pictures.  The ridge is getting more color but could be better....maybe next week. 

Holding my breath ride

Today's ride was pretty slow.  We -Jim and I- went out with Dottie and Georgie.  So all of my horses were out and Georgie was on Boomer.  Boomer was doing fine at first then got a little pushy, not listening to slow down cues-but turned into a jerk 1/2 of the way thru and really did a bad thing when we were the farthest from home.  But it all turned out okay.
Here is a picture of one of the ridges we were on before Boomers rear.

So at the bottom of the ridge Boomer crow hopped, Georgie disciplined, Boomer reared on a 45 degree hillside with his hindquarters higher than his head.  (Horses never cease to amaze me with their athletic abilities)  Anyway Georgie stayed on.  Kept her body perpendicular to the ground as the horse was up but when he came down, she forgot to change her position and was on his neck and almost off to the side.  At least he stopped while she slowly figured out how to get off the horse.  As it happened we all held our breath and prayed.  She walked for a while, got on, but the horse was still a jerk and would not pay attention to her slow down cues and he insisted on being in front.  Front was the safest way to get her home, but she was on his head the whole time-not good since this horse hates that.  We concentrated on getting her home and letting someone else deal with the horse's bad behavior...since Georgie will not be riding that horse ever again.

But the whole experience was interesting.  Each rider was helping and encouraging.  Everybody I ride with is great...we all help each other out.  Each of the other horses was calm and that helped.  When Boomer reared, Zoe was a little nervous-took a few dancing steps but she listened to my calm down cues and was fine.  When Georgie found a place to get back on, we all surrounded her -a hill on one side, Skippy in front, Sky behind, and Zoe to the side.  We tried to put Zoe in the lead - a slower calmer horse, but Boomer would have none of it.  Fine...just follow.  He walked pretty fast so we trotted every now and then to keep up.   At the beginning of the ride we did "popcorn" and sometimes Boomer was behind Zoe.  The last 2 rides Zoe hated Boomer behind her...and I made her deal with it.  This time she was okay with Boomer behind her.  When something happens like this you always go back over things in your mind and wonder if you could have done things differently.  So we got a chance to talk about it on the way back....all helpful and encouraging.

So we got home safely but I don't think I will be going out with Boomer again-unless one of the trainers at the barn is on him.  This is the 3rd ride Zoe and I have done with him, each time with a different rider and each time the horse was bad.   I don't like to say that about a horse but in this case I think he needs a trainers help, I was proud that Zoe did her best with Boomer today, but I'd hate to think of one of my friends getting hurt on him.  It would be interesting to go out with one of the trainers tho...see what she does with the horse and see if my horse will still be good...of course she would be good "a horse lives up to or down to your expectations".

Why???

Today my mom took me on a ride.  She said she wanted to go up on the ridge that overlooks the meadows.  She talked to the barn manager for a while, then she forgot her helmet and we had to go back.  Finally on the trail.  We loped up the road the PGE workers flattened out.  She wanted me to lope the whole thing!!!  I tried to ask if we could slow down....maybe bring it down to a trot, but she urged me on.  Then we turned around and walked almost all the way back down....Why?  She said it would be good for me.  So did we go home?.....after all we were going back towards home....but no, we turned left and continued to the other side of the meadows.  Up the hill and on the trails.

Turned left to go up the ridge

But....why do we have to stop to take pictures.  She says it's good for me to stop and stand still for a while.  Sigh.  Ok.  On we go to the top....

 Here we are at the top...she says she wanted to get a picture with some "fall color" in it...whatever that is.  She says there's not much color yet and we will have to come back...sigh, why.

On the way out we have to go past this rock....she calls it a "knee knocker rock"  Doesn't bother my knees...why?

We finally get to move out again, now to the top of the ridge and (sigh) she stops to take another picture. Why?  She says on a clear day you can see a place called down town Sacramento.  I don't see anything like that.   Now we get to go on a nice ride.  We go many places, but she keeps turning away from home....why?  She says it's good for me.  Oh well, off we go.  Now we are on the way home and ... sigh.....another picture stop

I don't see anything here except the tree on the rock.

Now I know we are on our way home and she stops again...why?  A birds nest in a bush...really.

Then we have to stop 2 more times for pictures....why?  She says at least she got a few pictures with fall color in them.  Oh well at least home isn't far away.  Home.....rest, grass, my bucket, a good roll......

But no.....why?  There is a big noisy thing in the barn yard and she insisted that I stop to look at it.   I was a little concerned at first, but quickly got used to it.  But she didn't want me to get too close.  She said something about staying off the concrete.....why?  Oh well, soon.....freedom and a good roll.  But.....no

She says we didn't go on a very long ride and can do a few more things....why?  So she pops these things around me....says I need to get used to the noise-something she is working on.  The noise really doesn't bother me anymore.  So she decides to wrap me up in the things that make noise.  Sigh.....why?  

FINALLY  grass yum yum yummmmmm....excuse me I'm busy eating.  

Canal trail, deer leg, road work, shims

Wednesday's ride was fun, no wind.  I'm glad the wind is gone today.  We went to the canal trail-again.  Zoe is getting used to it again.  She is continuing to do well with the rocks-no stopping to be "scared".  I usually enter thru the cow pastures and go up towards Sterling Pt.  Zoe has done so well with the rocks that after the "rocky part" she tends to want to be "scared" with the rest of the ride.  Really......(sigh)  She doesn't spook or stop, but seems to be wary.  Something to con't to work on.  One good thing-she didn't try to eat AT ALL on our ride.

On our way out we saw a deer leg on the trail...it was on the big high road thru the 2nd cow pasture.  It was a front leg, from the knee down.  No signs of a struggle, matted down bushes or grass, no carcass to be found.  I think something dropped it going from point A to point B.  Zoe didn't seem to mind it.   Later we saw a buck bounding away....I think my bells scared him.  (By the way he had all 4 legs)  My barn manager said she has been finding bear scat out there.   I'm not sure a bear would take down a deer.  But a mountain lion would.  Just a reminder that we ride with the wild critters.  My first barn manager once said that there is always something watching you out there....comforting thought.   I do tend to look out farther ahead and I tend to look up in the trees too....since bears climb trees.  

PG&E is working on the road going from the cow pasture up to the "red hill" area or "grand central station" (depending on who you're talking to).  It usually has deep ruts in it.  I guess they decided to smooth it out for doing work in the future.   There were large trucks and tractors, beeping and making lots of noise.  We just took a different road to the high road in the cow pasture.  Zoe didn't seem to mind.  They have tried to "fix" that road before, but every year the rains carve deep ruts in the road.  I'm not sure I want to travel it anytime soon.  Don't want my horse to step on something that looks solid on the surface but still has a big rut underneath it.  I know it will be fine in time.  It was getting really messed up and I was thinking that this winter it would be hard to travel on.  So in time I'm sure the dirt will settle, rains will come and it will be better to travel on.  It will be fun to see the horses reaction to the changes.

I'm going to try a shim in my saddle pad on the right side.  Zoe has been having a large dry spot on her left side.  I tend to lean to the right.  Maybe there is too much pressure on the left side as the saddle presses in to the left side.   Or maybe it is the shape of her back.  The left side has a bit more muscle that  the right.  The right slopes off faster than the left.  A shim should help that too.  Anyway we will see after the next ride.