This is a list of things that I would love to do before my body or mind give out on me. They are in no particular order.
1. Learn to rope (ranch rope and/or out of the box)
2. Show Semper in a Ranch Versatility Class - DONE - (can you tell I started this list some time ago!)
3. Become proficient at shooting skeet. That means actually hitting the clay pigeon.
4. Show in the Bridle horse class at the Snaffle Bit Furturity in Reno.
5. Own a horse that can compete in the Bridle horse class at the Snaffle Bit Furturity. (like I said - random order)
6. Get my concealed weapons permit.
7. Learn to shoot a handgun - safely.
8. Ride one of my own horses on the beach.
9. Retire and ride everyday.
10. Have a horse that I bred and raised be successful.
11. Visit Yellowstone Park camp out with my horses and spend the days riding.
12. Visit the Grand Canyon and see it from an airplane. (I really don't live that far away from either.) Take a mule ride in the canyon. An overnight one!
13. Visit Belize and scuba dive/ snorkle the blue hole.
14. Visit Ireland and find "Mooney's Pub"
15. Train a horse - Start to Finish
16. Help a horse crazy person become a successful and eduated horseman
17. Drive a team of horses - My grandfather drove a six up hitch.. how cool is that?
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Its been awhile
and a lot has been going on. Not all good, not all bad. Here are some of the highlights and then I hope to get back to regular posts.
Went to a Sandy Collier clinic. What an awesome lady she is! Straight forward, no bull kind of gal. I really enjoyed her and learned lots. I bought her book and am reading it for the second time. There is so much in it that it is going to take a couple of reads to really get it all. I took Little Bit and she ran out of gas about half way through the second day. Hindsight says I should have taken Lily. She has enough go to last through multiple days of riding and learning.
I took Bob Harley to the trainer to start his education. Here comes some of the bad. The trainer feels that he has no sense of self preservation. Not good. I sent him to the same trainer that started Scooter for me. I really like and respect him. I listened to what he said when I picked him up last week and am mulling it over. I turned Bob out with the broodmares and am going to give him until next spring to kind of soak up what he learned and then give him one more chance at a trainer to see if he matures or changes in his time out. I hate to give up on a horse to easy, but on the other hand I hate to throw money away too.
Haven't been to any horse shows - Most of the ones that I had planned on going to were cancelled due to the EHV virus. Some of them were rescheduled to later this year. I opted to not go to the MacArthur show this year. I had a great time at that show last year and was really looking forward to it. I only had one horse that was really "ready" to go. Entries would have been upwards of $600 plus the expense of a hotel, gas, etc. It just didn't make good financial sense to me to go.
I spent an amazing weekend with friends riding the Pacific Crest Trail. We stayed at a local B & B, rode out one early morning to a Drakesbad, had lunch and then rode back. We rode, ate, drank, laughed and had a great time. I am truly blessed that I have such wonderful friends. I took Lily and my daughter went along and rode Semper. Here are some pictures of our weekend.
Lily and I taking a picture of Warner Valley
My daughter Trista and I
Of course Semper lost a hind shoe on the way and we had to have the Drakesbad wrangler put his shoe back on. As you can see Semp was being very accommodating while being shod. He had is butt braced against the hitching post and his hind leg is at quite an angle! And as a side note... Nicholas the wrangler.... all that and a bag of Doritos! Worth the ride into Drakesbad. :)
Laura and Ruth at Drakesbad
Trista at the end of the ride
You can check out Drakesbad at:
http://drakesbad.com/
Great place to visit if you love nature and like to ride or hike.
We stayed at the St.Bernard Inn - Highly recommend it! http://www.stbernardlodge.com/
Went to a Sandy Collier clinic. What an awesome lady she is! Straight forward, no bull kind of gal. I really enjoyed her and learned lots. I bought her book and am reading it for the second time. There is so much in it that it is going to take a couple of reads to really get it all. I took Little Bit and she ran out of gas about half way through the second day. Hindsight says I should have taken Lily. She has enough go to last through multiple days of riding and learning.
I took Bob Harley to the trainer to start his education. Here comes some of the bad. The trainer feels that he has no sense of self preservation. Not good. I sent him to the same trainer that started Scooter for me. I really like and respect him. I listened to what he said when I picked him up last week and am mulling it over. I turned Bob out with the broodmares and am going to give him until next spring to kind of soak up what he learned and then give him one more chance at a trainer to see if he matures or changes in his time out. I hate to give up on a horse to easy, but on the other hand I hate to throw money away too.
Haven't been to any horse shows - Most of the ones that I had planned on going to were cancelled due to the EHV virus. Some of them were rescheduled to later this year. I opted to not go to the MacArthur show this year. I had a great time at that show last year and was really looking forward to it. I only had one horse that was really "ready" to go. Entries would have been upwards of $600 plus the expense of a hotel, gas, etc. It just didn't make good financial sense to me to go.
I spent an amazing weekend with friends riding the Pacific Crest Trail. We stayed at a local B & B, rode out one early morning to a Drakesbad, had lunch and then rode back. We rode, ate, drank, laughed and had a great time. I am truly blessed that I have such wonderful friends. I took Lily and my daughter went along and rode Semper. Here are some pictures of our weekend.
Lily and I taking a picture of Warner Valley
My daughter Trista and I
Of course Semper lost a hind shoe on the way and we had to have the Drakesbad wrangler put his shoe back on. As you can see Semp was being very accommodating while being shod. He had is butt braced against the hitching post and his hind leg is at quite an angle! And as a side note... Nicholas the wrangler.... all that and a bag of Doritos! Worth the ride into Drakesbad. :)
Laura and Ruth at Drakesbad
Trista at the end of the ride
You can check out Drakesbad at:
http://drakesbad.com/
Great place to visit if you love nature and like to ride or hike.
We stayed at the St.Bernard Inn - Highly recommend it! http://www.stbernardlodge.com/
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
odds and ends...
I kind of like to think of myself as a common sense kind of gal. Kind of a middle of the road person. I have been following the EHV-1 virus thing on several blogs, network boards, and state sites. Trying to stay informed. What I have noticed - is that the people with the least risk are the ones that are overly protective and the ones who have a higher risk seem to be a little more relaxed about the whole thing. Not saying they are not concerned. I am sure anyone that has a sick horse or has been in close proximity with an infected horses is hugely concerned. I know I would be. But I am not going to go crazy about it. Middle of the road. Evaluate the FACTS and make a common sense decision. What I do know is this virus isn't new. It has been around for a while. And it will raise it's ugly head again.
Of course with all the virus commotion, all the shows that I was planning on doing have been cancelled. I am a little disappointed but I totally agree with the decision. The Sandy Collier clinic that I had planned on in late May was moved and is now in late June. Gives me something to look forward too.
I moved out of SCR this Memorial Day weekend. The owners decided that they didn't want to be in the boarding business. They needed the room for their horses that are in training. It was such a great SAFE place for my man. I will miss it.
I moved to a private residence for the summer and hopefully I will find a place to call home with a nice indoor arena before winter comes around. That is...if summer ever gets to CA. As I write this, it is about 60 degrees outside and they are predicting thunder storms and rain. Ugh. We had tornadoes last week. I think that I may have been teleported to another state and just don't know it.
My friend and I went on a ride on Saturday and did a lot of long trotting and loping. We were trying to find the end of the trail, instead we found a BEAR! Yes a bear was getting a drink out of the lake and since it wasn't an encounter that I found particularly enticing... we turned around and headed home. Got back to the trailer just before the sky opened up and dumped buckets of rain.
Took Bob Harley (Bob Marleys red neck cousin) to start his education this weekend. Picked up the Scooter man and brought him home for some rest and relaxation. I plan to spend some time working on him in the next few weeks. He sure is a sweet boy. I rode him on Friday and he was willing and very easy going. I worked both the mares on cattle this weekend too. Boy I gotta tell you... they are as opposite as they are a like. Does that even make sense? They both will get down and work a cow, but they do it in completely different styles. One floats around like a butterfly, smooth and fluid and the other one is like riding a bumble bee, hard hitting and fast. It is fun, fun, fun.
Of course with all the virus commotion, all the shows that I was planning on doing have been cancelled. I am a little disappointed but I totally agree with the decision. The Sandy Collier clinic that I had planned on in late May was moved and is now in late June. Gives me something to look forward too.
I moved out of SCR this Memorial Day weekend. The owners decided that they didn't want to be in the boarding business. They needed the room for their horses that are in training. It was such a great SAFE place for my man. I will miss it.
I moved to a private residence for the summer and hopefully I will find a place to call home with a nice indoor arena before winter comes around. That is...if summer ever gets to CA. As I write this, it is about 60 degrees outside and they are predicting thunder storms and rain. Ugh. We had tornadoes last week. I think that I may have been teleported to another state and just don't know it.
My friend and I went on a ride on Saturday and did a lot of long trotting and loping. We were trying to find the end of the trail, instead we found a BEAR! Yes a bear was getting a drink out of the lake and since it wasn't an encounter that I found particularly enticing... we turned around and headed home. Got back to the trailer just before the sky opened up and dumped buckets of rain.
Took Bob Harley (Bob Marleys red neck cousin) to start his education this weekend. Picked up the Scooter man and brought him home for some rest and relaxation. I plan to spend some time working on him in the next few weeks. He sure is a sweet boy. I rode him on Friday and he was willing and very easy going. I worked both the mares on cattle this weekend too. Boy I gotta tell you... they are as opposite as they are a like. Does that even make sense? They both will get down and work a cow, but they do it in completely different styles. One floats around like a butterfly, smooth and fluid and the other one is like riding a bumble bee, hard hitting and fast. It is fun, fun, fun.
Monday, May 23, 2011
My Bubba
Last week was a rough one. I lost my stupid little dog Bubba. Two Labradors tore down our gate into our back yard and mauled my little dog. It was absolutely devastating. I loved that stupid little dog. He had a punctured lung and a huge tear in his abdomen. They tried to do surgery and he almost died on the operating table. They were trying to get him stable and thought that if they could stabilize him, I could take him to UC Davis for surgery. At 5 pm he still wasn't stable enough to move and the thought of him laying there all night, alone and in distress was more than I could bare. I made the decision to put him down. It was without a doubt the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I miss him.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
3rd horse show
Where does the time go? I went to the third horse show in the series at SCR two Saturdays ago. I can say that I stayed consistent. Zero-ing the first class and placing 3rd in the second class. In the first class when I asked for the lead change to the right Semper only changed in the front, I pushed his hip, he changed and changed and changed, front, back and side ways. He gets all balled up when things go wrong. Because I get all balled up when things go wrong. So about 2/3 of the way into the first half of our circle to the right, he is finally on the right lead. We were supposed to turn and go down the middle but were not in a position to do that without a hard, quick turn to the right. Instead of trying to finish the pattern correctly I decided to school the rest. I didn't want to get him any more confused and up tight than he already was. I went down the side and did my stops and just reminded him to stay quiet and get back on track. The second class we did pretty well. The lead changes were beautiful and he just floated around. We lost points on the stops again. I know it is me. I get bracey and nervous and it goes right down my reins and legs and into him. We had schooled stops before and he was stopping really nicely. I was relaxed and feeling pretty confident. But then we go into the show pen and it all goes to hell in a hand basket. The last show in the series is about 3 weeks away and I am hoping to get past this nervous crap by then.
I have another show this weekend. It is a cowhorse show and I am taking Semper to do the dry work and the limited boxing class and Little Bit and Ms Lily to do the limited two handed cutting. The girls are going just to school. They have never been out to a show and I am thinking that this is going to be as much of a learning experience for them as it is going to be for me! They are both a little bit of drama queens so it ought to be an interesting day to say the least. My plan is just to get them into the show pen and work on keeping them calm and focused. I don't care if they get anything done with the cattle as long as they don't lose their minds. I have had them on cattle at least once a week for the last 3 or 4 weeks. It isn't as much as they need but it is better than nothing. I took Semper the last couple of times and he is doing a decent job. Still a little bit "shiney" (easily distracted at shiney objects) but he is trying - bless his heart.
April 28th was my birthday. Not just my birthday but my 50th birthday. It was the most amazing birthday that I have ever had. We planned a party and invited friends and family. At about 10am on the morning of the party, my best friend from LA shows up - surprise! I had no idea she was coming. I was so excited! We have been friends forever. Seen each other through the good times and the not so good times - we have history - shoot, we made history! She is the closest thing to a sister that I have - I love her to pieces. We got to take a few hours and go riding. Came home and spent the evening surrounded by some of the most awesome friends and family a person could have. It was definitely in the top ten best days of my life.
Speaking of top tens.... I am compiling a list of sorts... a bucket list - I guess. Things I want to do before I get to old and decrypted. One of the things is to learn to rope. I called my horse shoer - who is an amazing roper - and asked if he would get me started. He agreed to give me a few lessons and told me what kind of rope to buy to get started. Got my rope last week and am going to go take my first lesson in a week or two. More on what is going on the list later.
I have another show this weekend. It is a cowhorse show and I am taking Semper to do the dry work and the limited boxing class and Little Bit and Ms Lily to do the limited two handed cutting. The girls are going just to school. They have never been out to a show and I am thinking that this is going to be as much of a learning experience for them as it is going to be for me! They are both a little bit of drama queens so it ought to be an interesting day to say the least. My plan is just to get them into the show pen and work on keeping them calm and focused. I don't care if they get anything done with the cattle as long as they don't lose their minds. I have had them on cattle at least once a week for the last 3 or 4 weeks. It isn't as much as they need but it is better than nothing. I took Semper the last couple of times and he is doing a decent job. Still a little bit "shiney" (easily distracted at shiney objects) but he is trying - bless his heart.
April 28th was my birthday. Not just my birthday but my 50th birthday. It was the most amazing birthday that I have ever had. We planned a party and invited friends and family. At about 10am on the morning of the party, my best friend from LA shows up - surprise! I had no idea she was coming. I was so excited! We have been friends forever. Seen each other through the good times and the not so good times - we have history - shoot, we made history! She is the closest thing to a sister that I have - I love her to pieces. We got to take a few hours and go riding. Came home and spent the evening surrounded by some of the most awesome friends and family a person could have. It was definitely in the top ten best days of my life.
Speaking of top tens.... I am compiling a list of sorts... a bucket list - I guess. Things I want to do before I get to old and decrypted. One of the things is to learn to rope. I called my horse shoer - who is an amazing roper - and asked if he would get me started. He agreed to give me a few lessons and told me what kind of rope to buy to get started. Got my rope last week and am going to go take my first lesson in a week or two. More on what is going on the list later.
Monday, April 11, 2011
2nd horse show
Saturday was the second horse show in the series of four at SCR. I don't show until the afternoon so I didn't jump out of bed. I was having a cup of coffee on the deck with my husband when we heard a large crash. Upon further examination - ha ha - it was a chunk of our ceiling in the kitchen that had fallen. We got a lot of rain this year and our house has a section of roof that is flat and it ALWAYS leaks. This year we thought we had it under control. Obviously not. Last week hubby called me and told me that a section had come down and how I owed him for cleaning it up. He has been obsessing over repairing it all week. So when this piece fell, I laughed and was immediately given a very perturbed look. No appreciation for my sense of humor at all. I helped him clean up some and then he told me to get going. He didn't have to say it twice. :)
I left the house and stopped to get a sugar-free non-fat mocha with carmel- it is better than it sounds. As I was waiting I looked one more time at the entry info and realized that I had memorized the wrong pattern. I had been memorizing pattern 2, I was supposed to be running pattern 8. OOPS. I got to the barn at around noon and they were just getting ready to break for an hour lunch. When they started back up it would be my first class - the Rookie Class. I got Semper out and warmed up. I really worked hard in the warm up. I "raised my expectations" and asked him to do things perfect. I worked until they were about 3 in front of me. I figured it would give him about 15 minutes to air up but still be ready to go. I entered the arena still feeling good about our warm up. I did the spins to the left, then to the right and then went blank. I knew I was supposed to start to the right but I couldn't remember how the circles went. Crap. So I ran half of pattern 2 and half of pattern 8 and basically just schooled through. He went where I told him to, he was soft and compliant. I was brain dead.
The next class is Green Reiner. I had gone back and really looked at the pattern and had it down. Spent some more time warming up and he was working hard. Ran the pattern like I knew what I was doing. We scored a 69.5 - only lost 1/2 pt on the right roll back. I was stoked. I was the 3rd to the last to go so I decided to wait to see where I landed in the grand scheme of things. I ended up tying for 3rd (out of 11). I think that 69.5 is my best score to date. Very happy with my boy.
I left the house and stopped to get a sugar-free non-fat mocha with carmel- it is better than it sounds. As I was waiting I looked one more time at the entry info and realized that I had memorized the wrong pattern. I had been memorizing pattern 2, I was supposed to be running pattern 8. OOPS. I got to the barn at around noon and they were just getting ready to break for an hour lunch. When they started back up it would be my first class - the Rookie Class. I got Semper out and warmed up. I really worked hard in the warm up. I "raised my expectations" and asked him to do things perfect. I worked until they were about 3 in front of me. I figured it would give him about 15 minutes to air up but still be ready to go. I entered the arena still feeling good about our warm up. I did the spins to the left, then to the right and then went blank. I knew I was supposed to start to the right but I couldn't remember how the circles went. Crap. So I ran half of pattern 2 and half of pattern 8 and basically just schooled through. He went where I told him to, he was soft and compliant. I was brain dead.
The next class is Green Reiner. I had gone back and really looked at the pattern and had it down. Spent some more time warming up and he was working hard. Ran the pattern like I knew what I was doing. We scored a 69.5 - only lost 1/2 pt on the right roll back. I was stoked. I was the 3rd to the last to go so I decided to wait to see where I landed in the grand scheme of things. I ended up tying for 3rd (out of 11). I think that 69.5 is my best score to date. Very happy with my boy.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Taking advantage
Yesterday was another beautiful day in Northern California and I took advantage of it. And I don't feel the least be guilty about it either. We took Scooter up to the trainer yesterday and dropped him off. He is going to spend some time learning the basics and being a ranch horse. I told the trainer that he needs a lot of time at the thinking post, just standing tied and learning patience.
When we got home I threw Ms Lily in the trailer and went to the lake for a ride. I love to ride the Potters Ravine trail. I don't love that the state has raised the parking fee to $8. That is just ridiculous to pay $8 to park your truck and trailer. Being the rebel that I am, I usually just chance it and don't pay at all. Unless there is a human in the box there to take my money, then it is a little hard to get around it. Yesterday there was a bass tournament and the place was crawling with state workers. I figured that I better pay or I would surely get caught. I could have trailered over to Saddle Dam and rode for free but I knew everyone and a their brother would be there. Saddle Dam is an equestrian only trail. Springtime at Saddle Dam brings out the crazies. People who haven't seen their horses all winter long except at feeding time. The first nice day they catch their horses, knock the major dirt clods off, load up and they are off. Horses are excited about being out, but completely out of shape. Riders are out of shape and stupid. Not a good combo.
So I chose the path less traveled. It is a multi use trail. It is open to hikers, bikers and horses. I was a little apprehensive about the possibility of meeting bikers on this trail but I figured it is going to happen sooner or later, might as well not prolong the inevitable. I have never encountered rude bicyclist. They are always thoughtful and pleasant. I always let them know I am there and they do the same. So off we went.
As luck would have it we did meet some bicyclist. I could here them coming and knew they were moving pretty fast. When I thought they were close enough that they could hear me, I stopped and called out - "I'm here". Four guys came around the corner and put the breaks on so fast that I thought they were going to go ass end over tea kettle! Ms Lily and I kind of snickered. They all got off their bikes and moved off the trail. You have to love polite bicyclist. We exchanged greetings and then moved by them. My little girl was so good. Even with all the shiny bicycles and Lycra clad, helmet wearing riders she didn't even give them a thought. As we passed one of them hollered back "I'm single". My only thoughts were - I'm not and I have ten horses! I just smiled to myself and kept on going.
This ride is above the lake. The lake is almost full! By late spring the water will be almost up to the trail. In the picture below you can see the debris. That is how high the water will get. All that grassy area will be under water. This is one of the spots that I like to let the horses play in the water. The footing stays good and it isn't too rocky or steep.
This is a new addition to the trail this year. Someone has a sense of humor. That is a piece of Styrofoam from a buoy. They painted a face on it, stuck some twigs in it for hair and an arm. Ms Lily wasn't quite sure what she was seeing but she just kept an eye on it and went right on by.
Another reason that I like this ride is Dead Cow Trail. Marked by dead cow bones - how appropriate. It used to have a sign but someone must have thought that the bones were enough of a clue and took the sign home.
The views from Dead Cow Trail are beautiful. The trail is narrow and rocky but Ms. Lily did just fine. Have you ever notice how a young horse always wants to walk on the edge? Why is that? I am constantly pushing her over - away from the edge. I have noticed this with all young horses I have ridden. Weird. The real reason that I like Dead Cow Trail is that after you get past the rocky, narrow part there is a wide road going up the hill. The footing is good and it is perfect for long trotting or loping to the top. It has a few twists and turns and a pretty good incline. We trotted and loped to the top. Ms. Lily was breathing pretty hard when we made the top so I stopped and let her air up before we started down the hill.
This was supposed to be wild flower but as you can see, you can't see any. There are millions of wild iris along this trail. They are a very soft lavender and ever so delicate and dainty. It was right here that I noticed that my Iphone was running out of juice. Great. This being one of my favorite rides you would have thought I would have went out with a full charge. Duh. I decided against taking any more random photos because my favorite spot on this trail was coming up.
This is Potter Point. This will all be under water in a few weeks (hopefully). But for right now, what a view! In the distance you can see the Bidwell Bridge, and the boats in the marina. I could have taken pictures of the back side of the Dam and the north fork of the lake if my battery had any juice.
This is the last photo that I took before it went completely dead. But what a great picture. Ms. Lily looks like she is enjoying the view. We came out of Potters Point and started for home. The thing that I really like about Ms Lily is that she stays alert and forward on the trail. Her ears are always forward and she walks out like she's got somewhere to go. She will spook at little things but she just jumps in her tracks. No whirling or taking off. She seems to be aware of her surroundings and picks her path like a pro.
When we got home I threw Ms Lily in the trailer and went to the lake for a ride. I love to ride the Potters Ravine trail. I don't love that the state has raised the parking fee to $8. That is just ridiculous to pay $8 to park your truck and trailer. Being the rebel that I am, I usually just chance it and don't pay at all. Unless there is a human in the box there to take my money, then it is a little hard to get around it. Yesterday there was a bass tournament and the place was crawling with state workers. I figured that I better pay or I would surely get caught. I could have trailered over to Saddle Dam and rode for free but I knew everyone and a their brother would be there. Saddle Dam is an equestrian only trail. Springtime at Saddle Dam brings out the crazies. People who haven't seen their horses all winter long except at feeding time. The first nice day they catch their horses, knock the major dirt clods off, load up and they are off. Horses are excited about being out, but completely out of shape. Riders are out of shape and stupid. Not a good combo.
So I chose the path less traveled. It is a multi use trail. It is open to hikers, bikers and horses. I was a little apprehensive about the possibility of meeting bikers on this trail but I figured it is going to happen sooner or later, might as well not prolong the inevitable. I have never encountered rude bicyclist. They are always thoughtful and pleasant. I always let them know I am there and they do the same. So off we went.
As luck would have it we did meet some bicyclist. I could here them coming and knew they were moving pretty fast. When I thought they were close enough that they could hear me, I stopped and called out - "I'm here". Four guys came around the corner and put the breaks on so fast that I thought they were going to go ass end over tea kettle! Ms Lily and I kind of snickered. They all got off their bikes and moved off the trail. You have to love polite bicyclist. We exchanged greetings and then moved by them. My little girl was so good. Even with all the shiny bicycles and Lycra clad, helmet wearing riders she didn't even give them a thought. As we passed one of them hollered back "I'm single". My only thoughts were - I'm not and I have ten horses! I just smiled to myself and kept on going.
This ride is above the lake. The lake is almost full! By late spring the water will be almost up to the trail. In the picture below you can see the debris. That is how high the water will get. All that grassy area will be under water. This is one of the spots that I like to let the horses play in the water. The footing stays good and it isn't too rocky or steep.
This is a new addition to the trail this year. Someone has a sense of humor. That is a piece of Styrofoam from a buoy. They painted a face on it, stuck some twigs in it for hair and an arm. Ms Lily wasn't quite sure what she was seeing but she just kept an eye on it and went right on by.
Another reason that I like this ride is Dead Cow Trail. Marked by dead cow bones - how appropriate. It used to have a sign but someone must have thought that the bones were enough of a clue and took the sign home.
The views from Dead Cow Trail are beautiful. The trail is narrow and rocky but Ms. Lily did just fine. Have you ever notice how a young horse always wants to walk on the edge? Why is that? I am constantly pushing her over - away from the edge. I have noticed this with all young horses I have ridden. Weird. The real reason that I like Dead Cow Trail is that after you get past the rocky, narrow part there is a wide road going up the hill. The footing is good and it is perfect for long trotting or loping to the top. It has a few twists and turns and a pretty good incline. We trotted and loped to the top. Ms. Lily was breathing pretty hard when we made the top so I stopped and let her air up before we started down the hill.
This was supposed to be wild flower but as you can see, you can't see any. There are millions of wild iris along this trail. They are a very soft lavender and ever so delicate and dainty. It was right here that I noticed that my Iphone was running out of juice. Great. This being one of my favorite rides you would have thought I would have went out with a full charge. Duh. I decided against taking any more random photos because my favorite spot on this trail was coming up.
This is Potter Point. This will all be under water in a few weeks (hopefully). But for right now, what a view! In the distance you can see the Bidwell Bridge, and the boats in the marina. I could have taken pictures of the back side of the Dam and the north fork of the lake if my battery had any juice.
This is the last photo that I took before it went completely dead. But what a great picture. Ms. Lily looks like she is enjoying the view. We came out of Potters Point and started for home. The thing that I really like about Ms Lily is that she stays alert and forward on the trail. Her ears are always forward and she walks out like she's got somewhere to go. She will spook at little things but she just jumps in her tracks. No whirling or taking off. She seems to be aware of her surroundings and picks her path like a pro.
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