Sheza Redheaded Filly and No Mistake

"Ermahgawd, what are you doing???"

I was all ready to post gorgeous photos of my redheaded filly in her shiny new blue rope halter--but I have a redheaded filly, so she instead remembered that she *hates* new things that smell of Store, and only wanted to wear Blaze's stanky old green halter. She is SO her mother's daughter. New halter? Eyeballs wide, snorting, jumping away. Old horsey smelling halter? Sticks her nose in it and waits to be done up. 

D-R-A-M-A. 

Still, she hasn't done her "catch me not" thing in ages (knocking on all nearby wood) which is wonderful! Matter of fact I can barely catch and get Blaze out the gate without her Ninja-ing her way along with us :-)

Hey, Blaze wears her blue well 

 Erm, not so nice on the faded green, Sheza! 

 I cleaned up their hooves today and got a few pictures of the redheaded filly beast, since it's been a while. Sheza is 26 months old now:

 Looking at her mom in the paddock next to us and wondering why I'm lurking behind her with a flashy thing

She hasn't been gaining much height in the last few months but she is certainly getting nice and stocky for an Arab her age! Her neck is even filling out some and remember, that's Blaze's halter her fat head is filling!

 Sheza was pretty good for her trim again, a few hoof pulls but no hugely dramatic spazzing. That makes 2 trims in a row without Major Spazzes! When she did pull her hoof or hop around a little Desire always nickered at her. The tender side of me says she was telling her to stand quietly but the realistic side knows it's Desire so it was more likely, "Yeah kid, jump around, get crazy!"

Blaze has general contempt for being clean and tidy. Actually even if you halter him,walk out, turn in a circle, and put him right back in the pasture he will roll and roll like he's been contaminated. Certainly keeps him flexible and well adjusted!

 Ah, dusty with some hay in my hair, much better!

 Blaze's topline has improved a LOT since earlier in the year. He carries himself pretty well naturally and does collect well without playing giraffe too often, and all this riding has brought his back up again nicely. Love it! Also this is Blaze where you can just slightly feel/see his ribs, and he still has "belly." For all you haters out there who have to declare to me that my horse is "just FAT!" as some lady did at the trail head the other day!

 "I tell ya kid, it's a hard life"

 The gang of 3, and Sheza is the tallest at 14.2! Haha

 Loving her solid build! She doesn't need to get a whole lot taller, really!

 Blaze marched over and nosed my head saying, "hey, stop taking picture of her and scratch my withers!"

Gear is starting to pile up in front of the tack room for this weekend. Heading out early Thursday and will be home either Sunday night or Monday, depending on how it all goes. Our plan is the LDs Friday and Sunday. The ride isn't far from me and Sunday's LD is only a 25 and starts at 9 so I could realistically pack up in the morning before the ride, do the 25, and be home for supper. Then again I think there is a banquet Sunday and as it's the only dinner at the ride I wouldn't want to miss all that! My crew husband is going to stay home but will probably run up one of the days with the dogs to say hello. Can't wait for the ride!

Woohoo! And Yeehaw

I officially have my first ride entry of the year in the mail! Woohoo! I certainly didn't expect it to take until June to say/type that, but then life doesn't always patter along according to plan, now does it? I've entered Blaze and I in the Friday and Sunday LDs at Wild West and can't wait to be back in a ride camp and saddling up for AERC fun.

I rode with N and Willow the other day and only took one photo! That's some kind of record. We were busy talking, who needs more photos! 

Ah, shady Oroville trails

Today I trailed down south early and loaded Blaze and my gear into J's rig and we headed to a riding spot she likes that I had never been to. They just opened a lot of new trails there and it's a very nice spot with  a spigot and buckets at the trail head, bathrooms in multiple places along the trails (no, really!), and great footing on some shady trails as well as good hill conditioning options. 

Blaze ready

 Ready to break into J's Elk Grove Stable Mix, that is

 We headed out and it was admittedly very unshady and rather hot at first. But after a few miles and a bunch of foot and some horse traffic, we got out of the Father's Day rush and enjoyed some speed on the shady, hilly trails. I don't think I got many pictures of the shady bits coz we were jamming along those trails, Yeehaw!

Busy trail head

 A shady spot with a view of the valley

 Sedona walks and trots a bit faster than Blaze! 

 So many options for trails and they are all marked with fancy wooden signs

 A few easy gates to go through

Big bridge to cross

 Some horse traffic up ahead--and hills!

 There was natural water available in numerous spots along the trail, and the breaks of greenery are always nice to see, too.

 Lots of snazzy bridges

 Multi tasking! Ride, take a Selfie, smile,  do a thumbs up, don't drop the crop! I can also pat my head and rub my belly at the same time..  ;-)

 More snazzy bridges!

 Cooling down in the creek, almost back to the trailers

 We whipped out a quick 10 miles, then made mashes at the trail head, cleaned up the horses and kicked back in the shade with lunch for all parties. The horses both felt fit and strong and ready for some LDs. J is also planning 2 if not 3 LDs at Wild West and N is going too, so it should be a fun weekend with some of my good horse buddies. Can't wait!

Vet Results and a Blazer Ride

First of all, I've now officially got Crazy Legs! I ordered these custom tights-- the same price as a pair of the plain Irideon I usually buy--for my birthday a few weeks ago and today I tried them out on warm 15 mile ride. They are very snazzy, and were very comfortable and rider approved! I ordered a Short, and am very happy with the length and fit.

Crazy Legs! 

 Before all the ride stuff, I'll go here:  my vet called and said the blood work(panel?) for EPM was negative! So that is good news for Desire. Now I move on to ultrasounds, and am sort of debating between places to take her, but will make an appointment somewhere in the next few days. The hunt for answers continues!

In the meantime, my morning got cluster-shuffled and I suddenly had the chance to go ride! And drag my husband with me, though he hurried off to the fishing hole while I got 15 miles in climbing the dam a couple of times on Blaze.

Sneaky hubby photo, haha

 I forgot to braid Blaze's luscious locks in the hurry to get organized and out the driveway "last minute" (8 amish?). He has quite the mane, like all my steeds. Later he ended up with a really ghetto braid-thing tied with a leather string off my saddle..

 New landscaping and trail work everywhere! Blaze was very suspicious of this Shiny New.

 Cruising Crazy Legs!

 The spillway was really roaring today, and there was definite humidity after all the rain/hail/thunder/lightning yesterday. I was *hot* on the last few miles walk back down the dam to the trailer. True it was almost the middle of the day heat by then but the forecast didn't call for anything too nasty that I knew of. It doesn't help that Blaze has a serious death march walk that puts you into a sleepy trance, especially in the sun..

 It was very nice in the shade, though! We trotted a lot, climbing the dam at a decent clip.

 Everything is very dead and dry already

 Drinking at the Visitor Center after climbing the backside of the dam. We continued on down to the other trailhead parking lot.

 There are still some streams and piped water flowing here and there, and soothing glimpses of green.

 I really had to pee so stopped at the other trail head's bathroom and decided to turn and head back. There were lots of rigs in the parking lot but I hadn't seen anyone which meant all the riders were out on the horse camp loop, so I decided to skip that whole scene. The hot, rocky climb back away from Saddle Dam, Blaze was playing his little horsey violin a bit at this point!

Woe is me, I am small and weary..

 Except when I'm staring at stuff instead of drinking

 We trotted the whole climb back up the dam at a good clip and I was happy with Blaze's pace and movement. He flagged once but was willing enough to continue with just a word. Then as soon as we slowed to a walk at the summit it was Farm Plug Death March again. So ridiculous, you would think he was dying or lame or something. Almost 4 years with him and his walk is still utter crap!  With constant verbal and heel encouragement he will walk out but it's not my favorite thing to do constantly. Anyhoo I couldn't take miles more of the walk and I don't charge downhills (except on foot) so I took a sneaky short cut and cut a few miles off to get back down the trailer..

Wee tiny tractors (actually large) working at the top of the dam, and a hot short cut..

 I walked next to Blaze the last few hot miles down, listening to NPR on my iPod in one ear.

 Blaze, though un-tacked, seemed world weary and unimpressed on our not-at-all shady mile walk out and back to the fishing hole to retrieve the husband, and unenthusiastically ate carrots and and a few mouthfuls of hay back at the trailer. Realistically, he ate, drank, and pooped (peed at home), trotted out nicely, and I knew he was fine, but he wasn't enthusiastic for the distance. That's another reason I don't push him to 50s. There is no question in my mind that Desire loves 50s, and would do them every day if I asked her, whether she noticed she was sound or not! Blaze, on the other hand, while in his third year of solid slow conditioning and with no soundness issues,  does well at LDs but just doesn't have the drive to go Farther, nor does my body want to go that far on him!  They sure are unique creatures and I do dearly love each of my characters. I have wishes and hopes and fears for all of them but I surely do enjoy them each and every day.

So here is my funny little sweaty bay guy Blaze, who kinda sorta likes going the distance, but wouldn't mind just rolling a lot and hanging out with some you and some carrots, either: