Hot Scrappy Hills

I put my "custom" saddle to the test today, riding 18 hot, hilly miles with J and Sedona at Lake Oroville. The pommel pack didn't bounce and stayed on great and the rigging on the rings for the breastcollar attachment seemed sound after the ride. It was great not to have that giant horn looming at the front of the saddle, for sure! The stirrup lashing worked well, except that they were too long even on the shortest hole, but fortunately J travels prepared and had a hole punch in her trailer. We backtracked out of the horse camp loop after a couple of miles, punched holes in the leathers, and then hit the trails in the other direction as a couple of groups of trail riders had headed the horse camp way and we weren't interested in traffic.

 It was hotter than we were all expecting today and there were lots of water bottles drained and troughs plundered. Scrappy shared some of his carrots with Sedona--and that wasn't all he wanted to share! We didn't even let them sniff each other but as soon as J arrived and we headed out together Scrappy was dropping his wang again! He hasn't done it at all riding with Willow, and in fact the only time he has done it before was with Sedona, at Gold Country. J said he was even partially dropped sometimes when we were trotting! Again he didn't get rude or do anything out of the ordinary, except for the grand display. Bizarre!

 We were all hot, dry, and whiny by the last 1/2 mile to the trailers but J saved the day again with enough ice water for both of us and the horses dove into their hay. I brought a pan of Elk Grove pellets but forgot to account for no water at the trail head we parked at, so Scrapster waited til home for his soup. We got a great even sweat mark from the saddle again but a bit of rubbing right up under his right "armpit," despite applying Desitin pretty liberally. Maybe I need to carry it and reapply it throughout the ride. Also he is so sensitive skinned that I am wondering if the water running down there when I cool his neck/shoulders could be making it more chafey??

I is Scrappy, and I is tired