Had a nice 13 mile ride at Lake Oroville today. Blaze did well especially since there were two horses tacked and heading out as I was just getting tacked up so he had to stay all aloney on his owney at the trailer as they headed off and left him. Poor chap. I put the snaffle on him today anticipating a bit of silliness as he had a few days off and saw those horses leave the opposite direction but he was a total doll and I could have easily stuck with the new S Hackamore (bought @ Whiskeytown Chaser, used it on 2 rides, so far so good). We trotted and cantered quite a bit and he was well tired by the time we got back to the trailer, though we walked most of the way back. The way back is, however, a BIG gradual ascent so I thought walking up it was still pretty quality on the workout front. I walked the last mile to the trailer--he was tired but even when not he walks SO.SLOWLY. For a fun, fast little Arab he has the slowest, most dead-headed walk in the world. I have to admit it drives me slightly insane, I love a good brisk walk on a horse. If anyone ends up reading this and has any suggestion about speeding up the walk (other than constant clicking, heel pressure, oh, been there done that 239048775231 times) I would love to hear it! I think I should ride him over poles in the arena as well to help him lift his clodhoppers, he can be down right sloppy with them sometimes. OH, and he didn't drink a darn drop. I thought after his extremely awesome drinking performance at Whiskeytown he had magically turned it around but not so much. I do know he only likes crystal clear water and the two troughs along the Oroville trails are dead gross, I wouldn't drink it myself. However I offered him a clean bucket of clean water at the trailer and he wasn't interested. He also didn't eat hay when we got back to the trailer. He ate like a damnable hog at the race...I don't get it! His name isn't Whoa Damn It, it is Drink Damn It! So is he just not impressed by training rides? He came home and had a warm bath, a good roll, a pan of rice bran & beet pulp with his supplement, peed and pooped..he just seems to suck it up and wait to get home to take care of himself. I'm glad he chose to kick it into gear on that front at the race but it sort of worries me..will he just magically do that at every race?? Here is hoping! We have about 2 1/2 weeks til Cache Creek 25..
Oh, the Cell Phone part. I was trotting along the trail listening to NPR on my ipod (haha!) and I heard my phone ringing. Happened to be a good friend I haven't talked to in ages so that was a nice 10 minute interlude getting to chat with her!
Big development on filly front, going for a different post for that though!
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