Horse Therapy

Sometimes you just need a good ride on a good horse, with a good friend. Today was one of those days for me and fortunately my good riding buddy J and her Mustang, Sedona, could make it up to Lake Oroville and join Desire and I on the trails. We met at the trail head and rode the approx 6 mi horse camp loop first, then bypassed the trailers and went on up the ridge and climbed down the other side of the dam before turning around and heading back up for the trailers. Both horses were morally outraged at bypassing their trailers without a second glance (from their riders anyway) and both tried to crap out on us. Stop, sigh, I'm dying, I'm lame, I can't, I won't. Fortunately J and I both speak mare, and weren't buying it, and ended up putting a good 16 miles in on them despite the attempted mare strike at about 6.5 miles. I walked all the significant downhills with Desire, which may have amounted to a couple of miles. Both mares wore Renegades and did lots of moving out, hill climbing, and there were some rocky spots of footing along the way. All 6 boots performed wonderfully and completely without incident.

Beautiful fall morning on the trails

 Encountering a friend out ponying her 18 month old Arab/Mustang filly, who is just a week younger than my Sheza. A real beauty and not much smaller than Sheza, either!

 J and Sedona 

 Cruisin'

 After a few miles of trotting and a good hill climb, the girls had long drinks and took a breath

 ..or a Major snoozefest

 Of course he got behind the bush at the wrong minute but this is a nice buck with a big rack!

 Fall afternoon on the trails

 I used a new Woolback pad on loan from N, under my Eurolight today and I really liked it! It is a little thicker than my now well-worn Specialized pad and I think I'll use it on Desire from now on.

 My go-go gal after 16 miles