Falls are scary

19 minutes - 1.09 miles - Morgan

I got home just in time to see Rhulain getting a hoof trim ... I snapped a picture from the front porch and was astounded by the clouds.  She stood well, but she was a little cranky I went for a ride with Morgan.  I'll take her out tomorrow.

 Morgan and I snuck in a ride before the wind and rain started in earnest.  The clouds were amazing ... we even saw a rainbow!  On the way home, I asked Morgan to walk across a mound of dirt which collapsed under us.  Poor Morgan face-planted and struggled to get her legs free.  She didn't panic and she backed up and got us out safely.  She's such an amazing horse and I'm so grateful neither one of got injured for my stupid choice.

Morgie's Turn!

30 minutes - 1.2 miles - Morgan

 Morgan wasn't sure she wanted to go for a walk this morning, because breakfast was being served.  Once she saw me tuck cubes in my pocket she was ready to go.

The clouds were interesting and the colors were vibrant.  It was great spending time with her and watching the sun come up.  Seriously loving the fall.

Hoof Trim Day!

Lots of horse related activity, yet not one ounce of saddle time!

The fence line had to be fixed because our horses broke through it Thursday night.  We found them in the neighbor's yard patiently waiting for dinner. Sigh.  Bill had to temporarily fix the fence in the rain, in the dark, at 10:00 pm ... not our best evening.  So, we hired two gentlemen to fix the fencing.  On a good note, we redesigned the yard and eliminated the guest driveway which means more yard for us!

While the guys were here, they also installed my hitching post!  Woo hoo!

 Then it was time for hoof trims ... started out the morning with Majesty.  He fell asleep and I watched the clouds move over his head.  Not a bad way to start the morning.

Next came Sundance.  She had her nose on my shoulder most of the time but she was content to let me move as long as I was massaging her neck.  She presented her nose for kissing.

 Next up was Morgan. She was practically in my lap and wouldn't let me move more than an inch from her side.  Her lips were clenched the whole time.  She's a funny mare.

 Next up was Rhulain.  She was fascinated with the farrier and kept craning her neck around to see what he was doing.  Her attention returned to me once I whispered the word treat.  She did much better with her back hooves ... only tried to pull one away then relaxed.

Last but certainly not least was Wasabi.  She was unconcerned about the farrier, but was fixated on where Bill was at all times.  She came in for a quick snuggle and treat when it was all over.

Though the view was incredibly inviting, I dumped and scrubbed all of their water buckets. I find the most interesting things in the buckets ... today was no exception. Found half of a bird skeleton and six rocks in one bucket.  No idea how that stuff gets in there.

Breathtaking Sky and Good Music

21 minutes - 1.06 miles - Rhulain

The sky was absolutely brilliant this morning!  The top picture was taken from my front porch, and the bottom picture was a mere 8 minutes later as Rhu and I started our walk.

Rhu's beautiful neck ... I couldn't resist.

Rhu and I jogged quite a bit today, I think we were both feeling good.  However, a mere 20 minutes later we arrived back at the house.  

Great music today, Marilyn Monroe, The Platters, and Smokey Robinson.  Made for a calm, wonderful morning.

Riding with Bill, Day 2!

44 minutes - 2.22 miles - Rhulain, Bill & Majesty

We had so much fun yesterday, we decided to ride again ... only this time with different horses.  Rhu grabbed a few snacks for the road and we headed off snuggled up to Majesty.

These two are a nice match.  Rhulain was bug-eyed and full of nervous energy for the first 20 minutes; she definitely needs to be worked 3 to 5 times a week to keep her brain steady.  Having Majesty's calm, steadfast demeanor around really helps build her confidence.

It started to get cloudy and dark, so we headed towards home after 2 miles.  Rhulain and I worked on trailer loading again after the ride.  She's really getting the hang of it!  Next step? Trailer load her to an arena or other area of the Valley for a ride.  Woo hoo!

Cloudy, with a chance of awesome!

30 minutes - 1.10 miles - Rhulain

The clouds were amazing today!  I spent so much time cloud gazing that Rhu fell asleep while I was in the process of tacking. Sorry Rhu!

There was a lovely breeze that made it feel like we could have ridden all day.  Rhu seemed like she was up for the idea as well. 

Tomorrow starts our vacation and I knew Bill was waiting for me to go into town for last minute errands, so we cut the ride short.  
Rhu didn't seem interested in squeezing into my suitcase, so I just gave her extra hugs and told her I'd see her again on Sunday.  
Going to miss my mares.  

Storm Clouds Rolling In

25 minutes - Morgan, Bill and Wasabi - 1.02 miles

Had such a good time yesterday, we decided to repeat it today.

Morgan was very clear in letting me know she wanted to go for a walk today ... first one at the gate and shoving others out of the way.  Really Morgie girl?  Some might say your gate manners need work.

Wasabi and Bill took the lead while Morgan and I chatted and hung back.  The clouds were amazing and we discussed the pending rain and how it might affect her food.

We caught up to Bill and the girls let us take silly pictures for a few seconds before they reminded us that snacks were only .2 miles away.

At the half way point, the kids got to snack for a bit.  Bill watched the clouds while Wasabi watched to make sure we weren't coming any closer to her snacks.  Silly girl, dried grass does not look appealing to me in the slightest.

 On the way back Morg and I got in front and Wasabi got pissy.  

She picked up her pace, passed us, and this is the view I saw for the next half mile ...

 

Swishy tail, ears pinned, and she would move over to block us trying to pass her.  I had to laugh out loud.  She's quite a character.  As we were feeding the herd the sprinkles started to land on our arms ... made it home just in time!

Fabulous Clouds!

22 minutes with Morgan - 1.09 miles (.5 mi walk)
31 minutes with Rhu - 0.97 miles

Morgan made it clear that she wanted to be the first one out of the turn out today.  She was standing at the gate calling out as soon as I stepped off the front porch.  That's my girl!  We saddled up and walked the half mile down the street (with her constantly checking my pockets for snacks).

At the end of the street I let her snack on the dried grasses for a few minutes before hopping into the saddle for the ride home.  Such a delight to be with my Morgie girl!

 I took Rhu out, walked her through cones, in and out the "other" gate (since we hadn't gone through that one yet), and then tied her off to the trailer.  When I walked back with her saddle I found her parked out ... nice form Rhu!

We walked down the same road I had just taken with Morgan.  I knew the neighbor's dogs were out and I wanted to see how Rhu would handle them.  She circled around me then stopped facing the three barking dogs before dismissing them.  Nicely done.

I let her stop and snack about half a mile from the house and she managed to get bits stuck in her forelock, get her muzzle filthy, and even a few burrs in her fetlocks.  She made me laugh really hard when she lifted her head and was covered in food particles.

We walked parallel to the road on the way home just to practice with different footing and followed washes whenever possible.  We came upon my favorite downed tree log, and though she was hesitant at first, she stepped over it cleanly.  I adore her attitude ... willing and sensitive.   She's stunning in both beauty and brains!