Wordless (sort of) Wednesday ~ Goodbye Bella

 

                        (Jax and his kitty, Hopi, right after The Bucking Incident)

 

                                    (This morning, Colleen leading Bella away)

 

That’ll Slow ‘em Down!

 

If you read my last post you know I was griping about the speed demon motorists racing down the county road beside our neighborhood.

Well today I got even, thanks to Mother Nature.

(These photos I took from my bedroom balcony using my camera’s zoom)

We had a doozy of a summer monsoon today. The biggest monsoon storm we’ve had since living here the past 3 years. It caused flash flooding of roads,

(The main road through our neighborhood, taken from my bedroom balcony)

Flooded arenas, yards and fields,

(Photo of our chicken coop beside our house) 

Flooded our culverts,

(See that silvery thing, almost in the center of the picture. It’s sticking up through the water. That’s the top piece of metal pipe that carries overflow water out of our neighborhood)

Caused fast flowing rivers to rush down our hills,

(This is our little dirt road that goes up to our barn)

And lasted for over two hours.

This isn’t typical for most New Mexico summer storms. They usually only last 20 minutes to an hour and then move on, leaving behind cooler temperatures, fresh sage scented air, and sunny skies.

This was truly a gully washer!

I love watching storms. It can be so thrilling with all the thunder, lightning and pounding rain. But our land, plants and animals would much rather have a slow, calm, and steady rain. When the rain falls too hard and fast, the earth can't even soak it up. It just runs off as quick as it falls.

(Apache and Bella insisted on standing out in the rain under a tree the entire time. My neighbor friend, Val’s horses were much smarter and ran into her barn to escape the pelting rain. The mailbox is part of my CTR Obstacle Course.)

This type of powerful rain washes away the soil.

Filling culverts, rivers and ponds full of sediment.

(Our Pond…..poor fish almost got washed away. Photo was taken from my bedroom balcony. The metal is for shade. Yes, the weeds have kind of taken over this summer. It’s difficult to keep up with ‘em)

Small animals and snakes are washed out or drowned inside their homes when water gushes into their holes.

(This was taken from the loft balcony. The photo is of our little grassy backyard where I sometimes hand-graze Apache)

 

I really have a hard time going to the barn after a heavy monsoon storm like this, too. Our steep hill can be treacherous slipping and sliding in the greasy, slimy clay mix soil.

I can use my trekking poles to help, but I’m considering buying some of those spiked crampons that ice climbing mountaineers use. The spikes can be strapped to your shoes to help give you better grip through slippery ice as well as mud.

(My feet sloshing around in a flooded area beside our house. That’s mud splattered on my legs, not hair. lol!)

Anyway, my kidlets and I were quite entertained to see how well the flooded county road slowed down even the speediest drivers. Several times we’d see a driver barreling down the road, and have to come to a complete stop as he eyed the water covered road ahead of him.

A flooded road makes a fine natural speed bump, don’t you agree?     

She’s a Squealer

 

Not long ago, I did the Horse Personality Quiz over at Is Your Horse A Rock Star at Horse Personalities, Inc. and wasn’t surprised to learn that my Apache is considered a Wallflower.

SLAF The Wall Flower
(Submissive Lazy Afraid Friendly)

Wrap these sweet, kind, gentle horses up and keep them safe.
They are not very brave and tend to internalize their worries.
They want to please and will try very hard for you, but they
can be pushed too fast very easily. They make few demands of
you and are quite content to perform the same tasks repeatedly as long as you are pleased with them and the jobs are not to strenuous. Quiet enough for the beginner once they understand what is expected of them.

Do :

Be their leader
Keep them safe
Build trust slowly
Keep tasks simple and repetitive
Cuddle them lots
Spend the time it takes
Appreciate them

Don't :

Expect them to go solo
Scare them
Over face them
Be overly demanding
Ignore them
Hurry them
Take them for granted

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Quite honestly, Apache is the perfect horse for me. Being that I am rather soft-hearted, quiet, gentle and intuitive, she appeals to my nurturing and protective side. So far, she has never said “No” to me when I ask her to complete a task or try something new. Even if she is scared, she doesn’t put her hoof down and completely refuse. She might say, “Maybe”, or “Give me a little time and I’ll try”, but she has never given me a temper tantrum.

I’ve discovered that I don’t have to argue and fight with Apache. In fact that sort of energy only upsets her and makes her worried and nervous. She’s a low energy horse and likes her life orderly and balanced. Apache only needs to know that I really want to do something and I’d like for her to give it her full effort. I find that if I give her lots of positive encouragement, both verbally and with petting and maybe some treats, along with patience, she will do anything I ask of her.

Which reminded me of the first day of June’s ACTHA CTR and the frenetic energy and fast pace caused by the goal-oriented riders and green horses in our group.

After keeping after her to maintain a trotting and cantering pace in a field full of prairie dog holes, she finally had had enough and after realizing I wasn’t paying attention to her, she spoke out in the only way she knew how to get me to listen. She bucked. It wasn’t a buck to throw me to the ground, it was just a buck to say, “Hey, I’m still down here carrying you, and you stopped listening to me a while back. Will you listen now?”

And I did.

And it was an epiphany for me, while using the Amazon.com ‘Look Inside’ feature of this book and reading this Introduction section that the author had written, “So, that is why sweetie bucks me off. She is a Wallflower (SLAF). She is very, very, very sweet, but I pushed her when I needed to listen to her.” Now, that was such an ‘Aha’ moment for me! Totally made sense. Wish I would have read this book before that ride.

It also makes me realize why Apache was such a handful for her previous owner, who was assertive and aggressive and didn’t seek out a bond or relationship with a horse. She just got on and rode a horse and expected them to do whatever she asked……even if the horse had 2” long dental hooks that were banging against the Tom Thumb bit she was using. Poor Apache. No wonder she continually reared up on that lady. She had nowhere else to go, and the lady refused to listen to her. 

I’ve learned, and am still learning, so much about my sweet Apache mare on this journey we’re on together.   

If you were to walk into Apache’s paddock, you might think she is a little stand-offish, especially if she doesn’t know you. She’s not like overly-friendly Bella, running up to the gate when she sees you, nickering loudly, and then trying to stick her nose underneath your armpit and rub her face on your butt.

Apache is reserved and shy, and very respectful, but she still loves attention and being petted and adored. She’s not pushy, though, and when Bella, who is, moves in and cuts her off, Apache will back away quietly. She tends to be laid-back and meek and truly doesn’t have a mean bone in her body.

Except one thing.

Apache is a Squealer.

When a horse gets in her space, she’ll sometimes squeal, and loudly. Sometimes, when I’m riding her, if I let her get close to another horse and rub noses, I can expect that she’ll squeal at them.

She doesn’t typically care if a horse and rider follow us too closely or has their nose up her butt, unless she just doesn’t like the horse at all. Which she’s only had two instances of (the high spirited Tennessee Walker at our first ACTHA ride in April, and the mule during our trail ride in the Carson National Forest).

Mostly Apache is an easy-going, get-along-with-everyone kind of horse.

But she’s a squealer. Even when she enjoys what another horse is doing, like when a gelding whispers sweet nothings in her ear or another mare nibbles on her withers.

Apache and Bella from Lisa Westfall on Vimeo.

 

 

Does anyone else have a squealer?

Your Questions Answered!

 

Many of you have asked me questions in the comments section, so I’ve decided to just answer all your questions in a post:

1)Jocelyn and Fern Valley wanted to know if the extra horse hanging out with Apache is Rosie:

No. Rosie is part owned by my friend Loeta and her daughter, and leased by Colleen to use as a lesson and trail horse for her riding company. So, unfortunately Rosie’s not available to borrow, buy or adopt. (Yes. I already asked. lol!)

~~~~~~~~~~~

2)Shirley, Breathe, Flartus, and Jane, wanted to know who Bella is, why she’s here, and if we have bought her:

Bella is one of the recently adoptable horses from Walkin’ in Circles Horse Rescue. Her previous owners were boarding Bella at Walkin’ in Circles until one day they just stopped paying her board. The folks at the horse rescue tried over and over to contact them for many months to work something out, but Bella’s owners never returned calls or replied to letters or notices. So after a year, and subsequent legal proceedings, Bella became the property of Walkin’ in Circles.

Bella says, “I’m not a property. I’m a horse. Simple as that. And I want to live here with you, please?”

Colleen brought Bella here to be Apache’s pasture pal and to see if Bella is a good match for our family to adopt.

I’ve seen Bella ridden by a number of different riders out on the trails at Cedar Hill Farm, as well as up in the Carson National Forest during my recent horse camping trip, and also by a 10 yr old boy, during the June ACTHA CTR, who had never ridden a horse before. Bella took excellent care of her young rider the entire day and gave him a huge helping of self-confidence, too. 

Bella is one of those special Steady-Eddie horses, and we believe she’ll be a wonderful addition to our family, for our kids to ride as well as for Ranchman John. Bella’s got a goofy, friendly personality and gets along great with Apache, too.

So, you’ll be seeing a lot of Bella around the Laughing Orca Ranch from now on. We’re excited to be in the process of adopting Miss Bella Boo.

~~~~~~~~~~~~  

3)Blue Eyed Tango asked about the brand of fly masks I have on Apache and Bella and if they are brand new:

They are both the Defender Brand. I bought them last summer for $8.00 each from Horse.com. They fit great, are simple to put on, are a fair price, and wash well, too. That’s probably why they look brand new.

I wash them every few days and when they get dirty. Both Apache and Bella seem to like wearing them, too. Bella, in fact, when she sees me with the fly masks will try to put hers on by herself, by sticking her head and nose into the mask. I think the girls must realize the benefits of wearing a fly mask, because they seem much calmer and less annoyed by flies on their face when they’ve got them on. And I sure like not seeing all those nasty flies gathered in and around their poor eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~

4)Kate asked why our flies seem to like hanging out in the barn, instead of outside:

My thought is that they like the protection from our summer breezes and the moisture that’s available inside the barn. It’s so dry here that even the manure dries out and returns back to the earth within a few days. I don’t think we have enough flies to provide adequate food for fly predators. I’m grateful that we don’t have very many biting flies, but even one or two biting pests can be painfully annoying.

 

By the way, what color would you say Bella is?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

5) Dunappy asked if I was planning to ride in the August Santa Fe ACTHA CTR:

I’m working on those plans right now. We’re hoping to get a group of us together from the horse rescue and head up there. If Apache is sound and feeling good, I’ll be there for sure. Are you making plans to go, too?

By the way, what color/pattern would you consider Apache?

~~~~~~~~~~~

6)Sandy liked my blog music and asked how I put music on here:

I used a playlist, which is easy to pick out music for and then copy and paste the html to add to your blog as a ‘gadget’. Scroll down to the bottom of my blog and find the playlist, just click on it to visit the website and go from there. Sandy also asked if the first music was by ABBA. No, that’s Enya. She also asked about the second song. Yes, that’s from Dances with Wolves, by Enya, too. I’m glad you enjoyed my music selections, Sandy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

7)Finally, Jane, Shirley, Clairz, and Flartus knew just the right thing to say to me to make me smile while noticing how healthy and beautiful Apache is looking these days:

And there’s a good reason for that I believe. Besides the normal exercise she gets climbing up and down the steep hills in her paddocks, along with the riding we’ve been doing, she’s been on a healthy, nurturing diet since she came to live here. Besides being fed straight grass hay three times a day, she also receives a cup and a half of specially formulated grain twice a day when she’s working, and once a day when she’s not.

For anyone who may be interested, the custom-blended grain mixture was scientifically formulated through Ranchway Feed by and for the horses at Walkin n Circles Horse Rescue, and in fact is called Rescue Mix. As far as I know it’s only available at one local feed store here in our mountains, called The Hitch N’ Post.

Here are the ingredients in the order listed :

Alfalfa Pellet

Corn, Crushed

Milo, Rolled

Oats, Rolled

Barley, Rolled

Flaxseed

Wheat Bran

Beet Pulp Shreds

There is no added sugar or molasses and it’s not a sweet feed. The protein is 13%, fiber is 15%, and fat is 5%. Because of all the dry ingredients and the beet pulp shreds, I have to add water to the mixture to create a mash. It does wonders to bring rescued horses back to good health and to also maintain weight for senior and higher metabolism/high maintenance equines, too.

Apache loves it and I do believe it’s made a huge difference in the quality, texture and appearance of her coat/mane/tail, as well as the vibrancy of her eyes, the quality of her hooves, and the development and strength of her muscles.

When I first bought Apache I was worried about her coat because it felt strangely dry, rough and wiry. Now, her coat is soft, silky and lays smooth. I just love to stroke her all over now.

This is a photo of Apache right after we picked her up from her previous home on Feb 19 and brought her over to my friend Colleen’s ranch.

And this is a photo of Apache taken a few weeks ago, while I was reaching in my horn bag for a horse cookie.

 

She does look pretty good, eh? Thanks for noticing and commenting on her appearance, my blog friends. It makes me feel great knowing that my Apache girl is doing well under my care.

Oh! And in answer to all of you who asked how Apache is doing after her injury two weeks ago while riding in the Carson National Forest, by all accounts she’s doing much better. I’ve watched her trot, canter and even gallop with a little joyful buck, without any lameness, but sometimes when she walks, she still seems just a little off, so I want to give her a little more time to heal and regain her strength before I ride her again. Better safe than sorry when it comes to horse injuries.    

    

It’s been Hot and the Flies have Arrived

 

This past week the temps up here at 7,000ft have been in the upper 80’s and low 90’s. Thankfully that’s without any humidity, but without an A/C, we just keep all the blinds drawn, and the windows open for the breezes to blow through and to keep the blazing sun out.

It’s not too bad in the house, but the horses only have a few trees to stand under to get some shade, or they have the barn to go into to get out of the sun. But inside the barn is where the biting flies hang out during the day.

So the horses choose to stand under the trees for shade or just stand out in the sun and sweat it out, swishing their tails every so often to chase the flies away.

It sure is dry here, too. We could use some good rain. We’ve had a few sprinkles since last summer, but nothing to really soak the earth and help things grow. The grass has given up and anything still standing is dry, crunchy and parched. Dust clouds fly up with every step the horses take.

Bella: “What was that noise?”

Apache: “I don’t know. Where’d it come from?”

We are waiting desperately for our summer monsoons, which usually arrive in late July and stick around through August. When the monsoons arrive we can expect deeply soaking rain every afternoon for a half hour to an hour at least. Last year was not so good for the monsoons and we were only given a few deeply ground drenching rains.

Bella: “I don’t know what it was. I’m too hot to care. Let’s go up to the barn and check for some hay crumbs.”

Apache: “No. The biting black monsters are in the barn. Let’s stand here!”

I hope the refreshing, cleansing rains will come this summer. Everything will cool off and the earth will smell clean with the scents of sage, juniper, and pinon. I won’t be able to take deep enough breathes after a New Mexico Summertime Rain.

Bella: “Uh, ok, standing here underneath the blasting midday sun sounds good, too………do you have anything to eat?”

  

Wordless Wednesday ~ Equines in Disguise

 

 

 

Horse Camping ~ Trail Ride to The Mother

 

 Our horse camping weekend was drawing to a close, but first we had to make our final push towards our destination of visiting The Mother.

We left the pond, that Colleen experienced an unexpected dip into, and headed uphill on an old jeep road towards the top of a mountain. 

 

We continued up and across the side of the steep mountain, past an area where someone had been cutting down several large Ponderosas. The stumps and wedges left behind were wide and thick, showing the old age of the trees.

 

We trotted to catch up and found ourselves among a herd of free range cattle. Of course, I just had to say “Mooo!” Please tell me I’m not the only one who moos at cattle. 

 

We finally arrived at a wide open clearing at the top of a mountain. The only thing in front of us, and in the dead center of this clearing……was what we were seeking.

                                 The Mother.

                             Mother Ponderosa.

                               Mother P. Rosa.

                          The Mother of them all.

 

 

 

We all stopped and stood in awe of her grand size and her strong beauty, noticing how she was surrounded by, yet separated from, hundreds of other, smaller ponderosas, as if they were encircling her with honor and protection.

Some may say, “Oh. It’s just a tree” But I don’t agree. All living things have energy, and some exude their energy in powerful, yet understated ways. This tree, The Mother, contained such a quiet, yet strong energy, that, though none of us spoke about it, we all felt in awe of her and were respectful of this massive tree.

A couple of the other riders had been here before and shared how they felt drawn to tears when near this tree. Deb, herself said she often felt the energy of The Mother when she touched her. I decided I wanted to get closer and experience a more intimate connection to her, too. So, I dismounted and led Rosie over to Mother P. Rosa and rested my hand upon her rough bark.

 

I can’t explain exactly what I felt, as there was so much happening all at once…..like a flood. I immediately was calm and relaxed. It felt like everything tight and tense in my body was washed away and it was replaced with a deep sense of peace. I also felt a sadness at the thought of having to leave her, of having to remove my hands from her massive trunk, and having to walk out from beneath her cooling shade. Looking at Rosie, I could tell that she felt something, too. She was calm and relaxed, not searching for food, with her large head hanging low, as if in respect for The Mother.   

                         This lovely Spirit Tree.

 

But sadly, it was time for us to leave so we could get back to the camp in time to make lunch. So, I found a large stump to get mounted back on Rosie, and we headed on down the trail. But I hope someday I can return to visit with The Mother again. And I will plan to linger there a little bit longer to feel her powerful, yet gentle, energy.

A little later, I also saw the slowly waning, forlorn shape of The Grandmother beside her slender daughter, in one last final embrace.

(With Bella’s rotund rump to compare size perspective) 

 

And not far from her, stood the final resting place of The Grandfather, surrounded by all his children and grandchildren. 

 

We continued our journey back to the camp, riding through forest and open meadows, traveling east. 

 

We did a lot of trotting and cantering, and it was so much fun! Rosie took good care of me, and I felt a deeper connection as we ran across the meadows and down the trail. I felt in balance to her movement and I felt at times that we were as one.

 

We rode through a few of the Aspen Glades, of which I would love to build a little cabin within and live forever. There is something so magical and peaceful about the Aspen Glades that makes me want to linger.

(The video is funny because it has Loeta’s and my voice, teasing Colleen about the pond coming up in front of us. And no, Colleen did not allow Jake to take even one step into that pond this time around. lol!))

 

 

 

And then all too soon we were back at camp. Apache was waiting eagerly for us to arrive and seemed happy to see me, nickering to me, even though I was riding another horse.

Something I forgot to mention in my previous post, about Saturday evening, after I came back from riding Rosie. After Apache forgave me for riding someone other than her, I was standing outside of the paddock and Deb came over to chat and to reassure me about my mare and her lame shoulder/leg, as I was still feeling worried and sad. Deb has a wonderful, calming way about her, while still being able to make you laugh and get your mind off your troubles. It’s no wonder that all animals are drawn to her with trust. Animals can sense if a person is genuine and kind.

Anyway, Deb and I stood there, talking, while watching Apache gimp towards the water tank. We were both surprised to see Rosie come over to Apache and walk beside her, and then bend in front of her, as if to block her. I was worried that Rosie might hurt Apache, as Rosie tends to be quite strongly opinionated about her personal space with other horses.

But Rosie was gentle, kind, and seemed to be taking care of my Apache. Her ears were never pinned, and her eyes looked soft. When Apache would try to walk quickly, Rosie would slow her down. After Apache stopped, Rosie would move back and beside my girl and slowly walk together with her. When they reached the water tank, Rosie did make Apache wait while she bent her head down to the water, but she didn’t take a drink. Rosie then moved to the side and allowed Apache to move up beside her.

When Bella moved in to investigate, I think Deb and I were both surprised to see Rosie pin her ears and kick out at Bella, while Rosie remained beside Apache, as if protecting her.

Within a couple moments Rosie and Apache were both drinking deeply from the water tank together.

And when they were through, they both stood near each other for a long time, resting.

I wonder what that was all about? What did Deb and I witness between Apache and Rosie that evening?

I did notice that by Sunday morning, my normally meek, laid back, and submissive Apache had moved up quickly in the herd rankings. The rest of the horses, including Rosie, Bella, Jake, Bandit, even Etta Bay allowed her to guard three piles of hay while only inviting those horses that Apache wanted to come eat beside her. No one chased her away or pinned their ears at her.

(There’s Bella on Apache’s left and Rosie, to her right. Jake on the far left with Etta Bay’s rump facing the camera. Bandit behind Bella. Chester, Jasper and Pal in the next field over.)

It was fascinating to watch. I think I could watch herd behavior all day.

But I like to ride, too. So, whatever Rosie and Apache discussed among themselves that evening must have been good for me, too, because my sweet, gentle mare didn’t seem to hold it against me that I rode Rosie on Sunday morning. 

 

After a delicious lunch of Barbecue Pulled Chicken Sandwiches and a refreshing watermelon, that Colleen’s husband, John brought up with him that morning (hey! It was July 4th, ya know. hehe!), I got all my tack and camping gear packed up and ready to go. Apache was ready to get back home it seemed and she eagerly jumped up into the horse trailer with gelding Jasper for the three hour ride back home, with Matt and Callie driving.

After hugs and fond farewells with everyone, humans, horses and donkeys alike…….and promises to ride again together soon, I hopped into my van for the long drive home.

I already miss kissing adorable, sweet Ruthie’s velvety nose.

 

 

Horse Camping ~ The Final Ride ~ Frolic in the Pond

 

On Sunday morning, as soon as I woke up, I went to visit with Apache and saw that she was still lame. She was much improved from the night before and even trotted with the other horses in her field, but when she walked, I could see that she still favored that left front leg as she gimped around, holding it to the side.

(Bella, Rosie, Etta Bay, Jake and Apache)

So, after enjoying a delicious french toast breakfast, we all went out to the paddocks to get our horses, and I was invited to ride either Bella or Rosie. I chose Rosie, just because I’ve ridden her many times before and I was comfortable riding her. I was also hoping our group would do a little trotting and cantering, and I knew that Rosie has a lovely little floaty trot that’s easy to sit.

As soon as I got my saddle on Rosie and mounted up, we rode around the camp to warm up until everyone was ready. I have to admit that I still battle an unwelcome fear each and every time I tack up and mount a horse. For the first 10 minutes or so, I have to focus on pushing back my nervousness and try to refocus on getting comfortable in the saddle and maintaining my balance. I’m getting better each time, and the nervousness is much less than it used to be, but it annoys me that I still feel this way.

Before my injuries caused by Baby Doll, and even before I bought her, I was never afraid of riding a horse. I never felt afraid or nervous. My fears must have been slowly building each and every time I rode Baby Doll, when I was preparing for the crazy shenanigans that my mare would pull each and every ride; the bucks, the crow hops, the spins, the speedy back-ups, the pinned ears, the head flagging, the bolting, and the teleporting. Riding wasn’t as fun back then.

It’s not fair to my horse,  to be so nervous and afraid now. The horses I ride now have never done anything to scare me or purposefully try to hurt me. The horses that carry me now are kind, gentle, calm and willing.

My wish is that someday very soon I will tack and mount up my horse without even a shred of trepidation or nervousness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sorry. I kind of got carried away with my thoughts.

Anyway, after 10 minutes of trotting and walking Rosie around our campsite and out into the field, I felt comfortable, calm and was ready to hit the trails.

We had a mission destination in mind: to visit with The Mother. But we had a long ride ahead of us, between 9-10 miles round trip, through the Carson National Forest, to reach her.

       

That’s my friend Loeta up ahead of Rosie and I. She is actually the part owner of Rosie, and she usually rides her adorable Paso Fino gelding, Profie, but he’s not been feeling very well and seems to have caught some kind of virus or bug. So she was riding the sweet, and rotund Bella. Some of you might remember Bella from the last ACTHA ride, when Bella babysat a ‘never-rode-a-horse-before’ 10 year old boy, nephew of my dear friend Renee. I was very impressed at how well Bella took care of him and gave him a huge amount of self-confidence, too. Such a good mare.

I enjoyed the view of Bella’s lovely dun butt for most of our entire ride on July 4th. Loeta and I stayed at the back of our group and our horses and the two of us had a great little routine going on: “Stop, munch, trot…..stop, munch, trot” That’s what we did when we rode in the meadows covered in tall grass and among the trees that hid apparently delicious scrub oak leaves.

The horses probably got the better deal, because we couldn’t find any plants that grew chocolate bars for us to eat, but I think Loeta and I both enjoyed the trotting to catch up each time we let our horses grab a few bites. After a while, we didn’t even need to cue our horses to catch up. As soon as we let them grab a bite, they bit off a mouthful and then moved right into a trot. It was rather fun!

Along the way through the forest, we came to a pond.

      

The dogs traveling with us took the opportunity for a nice cool dip.

And Deb’s handsome Thoroughbred, Winston, also a former rescue, took the opportunity to play.

It was also a good opportunity to water the horses and take a little rest.

Also a good place to take a few photos. This photo is of Bill and his soon-to-be-adopted rescue gelding, Pal. Bill wore his patriotical (my new word) cheerful, American flag on his hat the entire day. It was a wonderful reminder of Independence Day as we rode down the trails.

Bill took a photo of me and Rosie, too.

All in all, a very nice spot to visit.

The next pond we visited would prove to be much more…….uh...…adventurous.

(A sneak peek……that’s Colleen and her gelding Jake)

 

 

 

To Be Continued………………..