Early Lake Ride

I was supposed to meet N to ride today but scheduling got flip flopped at home and I didn't know until last night that I didn't have to run around driving all over creation today. Since I suddenly had the day free, I decided to get up early and hit the lake before it got hot--the forecast for today called for a high of 98!

My husband caught a ride to fish below the damn, I can park at a spot convenient for both of us and it's a great way to spend a morning (sort of) together!

7 am at the lake, yeah!

She is still doing her stompy feet below as we head off, hates the splint boots on her hind legs but she has nicked her left inner fetlock enough times for me to need to be preventative at this point. The Haf splint boots I have are in terrible condition after light use and they're too big for her skinny lil legs. Think I'll get some short fetlock boots since I only need to protect that specific spot and she seems annoyed by the tall splints.

 See ya in a few hours!

I rode out from the base of the dam, looped around to Sycamore Hill from the railroad track side, climbed the Hill, and looped back around to the trailer area, but was only at about 6.5 miles so crossed the road and climbed partway up the dam before crossing back over the road and sneaking down the bike trails back to the truck and trailer. I walked the downhill bike trail on foot and it was longer than I remembered, but good to stretch my legs. Loose gravel on top of pavement is officially the crappiest footing ever! Slippy slidey, break your necky! I would NOT ride down it.

Beautiful morning alone on the trails:

Climbing Sycamore Hill:

View from the top of the Sycamore Hill:

And back down we go, past the horse eating rocks:

Sneaking across a parking lot to the bike trails...coz a bright white horse with it's tail to the sky crossing an empty parking lot doesn't stand out AT ALL..

2 fat noggins in one picture! yes!

Just enough water and mucky moments in the trail to make hooves and boots totally filthy. One of my fronts popped off on an uphill power move and when I remounted after cramming it back on my (metal) right ankle rolled pretty good, like the worst I've done since I broke it 2 1/2 years ago. It started to sing immediately but not too too badly and what was I going to do about it anyway, so I rode on. I felt it a bit on the long walk down the hill back to the rig and when I got home I strapped one of Desire's ice boots on my leg for a while and am wearing my ankle brace now. It's sore. My right knee is starting to ache too, I think I tweaked it a little. I've worked 40 miles with 4 different horses in the last 5 days, I won't be slowed down! Got to be careful though. Big plans for Hat Creek in a couple of weeks and all that..

Mucky toes:

Sweaty stinky mare:

And I DO mean stinky. She got sprayed by a skunk! Or rolled in grass that was sprayed, or something! Her head smells the worst. I've been thinking it for the last few days but also wondering if it was just lingering in the air around her pasture when I go out there. But my husband smelled it on her head today!  My girl dog eats feces like candies and my girl horse gets sprayed by a skunk..stinky, gross chicks!

I scrubbed Desire with Cowboy Magic shampoo and blued her mane when we got home, even let the hose pour over her head and scrubbed her face as well as she would tolerate. Surpisingly she does like having the hose up between her ears with the water flowing over her face. I would have thought she would HATE it, but you just never know and I tried it the other day with good results.

A little cleaner...

My unicorn glowing out in the farthest field, there's an evil mini lurking in the shadows behind the stump, too:

Joey training session in a couple of hours..it's HOT today, the first real day of hiding inside with the swamp coolers blasting during the hottest hours..guess it's just about summer, really!