Dead Things In The Desert

30 minutes - 1.03 miles - Rhulain

The morning started out normal ... Ryver helping me groom and saddle while Rhulain ate her morning snack

The ride started out normal ... a slight mist burning off as the sun started to rise

And then this happened ...

Rhu started acting oddly.  I turned her towards the same wash we were in last Thursday, but she started breathing heavily.  We started trotting to move away from whatever it was that had her so upset.  

Over the next crest we saw something in the distance.  Rhu's legs deadlocked and I took these pictures to figure out what it was.  Looked like a calf or goat carcass.  

It's not unusual to have a mountain lion, bobcat, or coyote pack in the area so we hustled out of the wash.  A jackrabbit sprung out of the brush just as we started trotting and Rhu took a huge step to the side, but then continued on in a controlled manner.

Are you two sharing?   Mmmm hmmm

Once she slowed down I asked her to stop, then swung out of the saddle and reached out to her ... she dropped her head into my torso and let me rub her ears and neck.  When her breathing returned to normal I hopped back in the saddle and we headed home. 

I appreciated her warning signs, her willingness to listen, and her accepting the offer of comfort when the danger passed.  It was a great bonding moment ... we listened and trusted each other fully.  She's Amazing.

My Food Hound

29 minutes - 1.10 miles - Morgan

 

We missed our Monday morning walk (it was a horrid 90 degrees by 7:30 am yesterday) so she and I headed out for a walk today.  She was very cuddly. Could have been the cubes in my pocket, or it could have been affection. Hard to say.

We started along the same path Rhu and I took last week, but Morgan wasn't impressed with the views (or the snacking selection).  We headed home where she promptly found the sweet feed.  That girl has an amazing sense for food.

So, Rhu and I got a New Saddle

33 minutes - 0.90 miles - Rhulain

Bill and I went to get Rhu's saddle fixed.  I had lost the slide for the stirrup way back in June and the replacement slides I had ordered didn't quite fit.  At the saddle shop, Bill found another Bona Allen saddle and I got excited. Then we realized the seat was too large for me, but would fit Bill perfectly. Sigh.

Bill pulled out a vintage Billy Cook saddle that was my seat size. I cringed at all the floral tooling. Once I sat in it, I started grinning ... it felt like sitting on a cloud.  The gullet size was perfect for Rhulain.

We bought it.

Rhulain was very tolerant while I adjusted stirrups, rode for a few minutes, hopped off and did more adjustments. After 3 or 4 tries, we finally got it set comfortably. Had Rhu trot and lope in the open desert so I could make sure the saddle worked for us both.  Her lope is marvelous!

When we got back, Rhu received four or five carrots as a thank you for being so understanding.  Can't wait to get in longer rides!

Wait ... There's Something Wrong With This Picture

38 minutes - 1.35 miles - Rhulain, Morgan & Bill

Rhulain, what are you staring at so intently?

Wait a minute ... That's my Morgie! 

 Bill, are you planning on riding my Morgie?  

In a bit?!

Guess so.  This is weird.  Really weird.  

I don't think I've seen Morgie's rump in over two years.

Don't get used to it you two. Seriously.

But wait, if you're riding Morgie, then you're not asking to ride Rhulain.

Hmmm.  I need to ruminate about this situation.

Morgie Mornings

26 minutes - 1.10 miles - Morgan

Morgie snacked, I groomed.  I talked, Morgan ate.  I saddled her up, Morgan grabbed a mouthful for the road.  Just a typical Morgie-type Morning. 

We wandered a bit in the open desert before she went back to the road. She's really more comfortable on a path ... she's not the "choose your own adventure" type girl.

I chatted, Morgie snacked. Morgan worried about the neighbor's dogs, I comforted.  I opened the gate, Morgan closed it and headed towards the tack shed.

A perfectly typical morning with Morgan.  No muss, no fuss, no drama. Just a pleasant time peering through perfectly shaped ears.

I'm Starting To Love Mornings

45 minutes - 2.07 miles - Rhulain
How the morning started out ...

Morgan free range feeding (she insisted she was inspecting the bottom of the buckets and to do so, she needed to dump them, which made a mess, so she had to clean it up by eating all the cubes) and Rhulain breakfasting by the tack shed. I groomed Rhu, put on the saddle pad, and announced that we were almost ready to go.  I went into the tack shed, came out with the saddle and saw Rhu heading towards the gate.  I called her name and she stopped walking and looked at me like "Well, hurry up!"  Apparently she WAS ready to go.  Funny girl!

We followed a wash, she snacked on dried grass, went around a sand dune, and then down into a much larger water run off.  She followed this path for about half a mile.  Then she decided to climb the side of the wash and we had an "iffy" moment.  A rock rolled under her left front hoof as we were climbing and she darted to the right.  On a steep cliff side, that will get your heart pounding. All was well though.

There was lots of rabbit holes once we got to the flat land, so we angled towards home.  We rocked out to music and generally had a good time.  As we crested the last sand dune she realized she could see home and called out ... just as "Rhinestone Cowboy" was blaring.  Her call was perfectly timed to the beat.  Nicely done Rhu.

We got home, untacked, groomed, and I let her wander.  Where did I find her? Right next to Morgan with her head in the feed trailer. Ha!

Life Lessons I Learned Today

30 minutes - 1.10 miles - Rhulain

I went outside with halter in hand and Morgan hid behind Sundance ... as if I couldn't see her hiding there.  I contemplated even bothering with a walk, but Rhu was at my shoulder and wanted attention.  So, I switched gears and haltered Rhulain.

 We didn't take the route that I had planned on using ... we went straight instead of turning right. What a difference those two tiny choices made in my morning!

We climbed sand dunes, walked in ravines, played hide and seek with a jack rabbit, put hoof prints in sand where there were no other tracks, and found a new scritchy spot that Rhu absolutely loves.  

We faced down scary soda cans that rolled and clattered against rocks, we squeezed through spaces walking single file, we followed lizard tail drag marks rather than beaten paths, and Rhu hugged me when we stopped to admire the view.  

We adventured. Together.

The lesson I learned from today: Be open to changes ... you never know where they will take you, but you'll certainly miss the magic if you insist on getting your way.

Did I get my walk done? Yes.  

Did it happen the way I had planned? No.  

It was so much more than I had anticipated!