Summer is Really Really Here....

The days have been warm and sunny around here. We get very excited about our summers here in the PNW. Winters are rainy, dark, and MUDDY. The pastures are dry now even in the soggiest spots. I am in heaven. I have been wanting my stepmomma Sue to come ride for ages. I didn't have anything for her at my last barn. I have been at the current place with Romeo for over three years but it was a crazy three years. We were busy taking care of her sister with late stage Huntington's disease and cancer. Then I was in nursing school. Then I was working an opposite schedule from her. 

Now after at least 15 years out of the saddle she came for a ride. She has only been on the occasional paid trail ride during my summer visits as a kid. She loves horses though and I have a feeling she is going to be a wonderful trail riding buddy. She did great. She is so smart. She asks all the right questions and picks up on things fast. She is more athletic and in better shape than I am!! Romeo was a bit jiggy every time we went up hills. I think he is convinced he will be left behind and is obsessed with his Bre. The great thing about Romeo is that he is really smooth. Bre is incredibly steady on the trails but is crazy bouncy. There is no sitting her trot. I think she might be ready to give Miss Bre a try next time though :)

Figured out how to stear Romers past the scary goats. 

Looks like she was meant to be up there. 

Feeling. Faint. Must. Eat. Grass. 

Romeo wearing Bre's fancy new halter. 

Trail Ride FAIL

Josey's lovely lessee is out of a horse to ride because Josey moved with her momma up north this week :( When I knew Josey would be moving I asked if she might like to come out and love on Bre. She rode Bre back at the big arena and they got along great. She doesn't have a ton of technical experience but she has a really stable seat, long soft leg, and gentle hand. Bre is happy as can be with her up there. She called me to ask if she could take Bre for her first trail ride. I wanted to go but I also wanted to see if Romeo cold hanle Bre leaving so I decided to stay home. 

Romeo Fail: It is well established that Romeo goes crazy when left behind but I am always the one taking Bre so I haven't seen exactly what happens. I was hoping maybe he would be crazy then calm once she left. That wasn't the case. He got more worked up the longer she was gone. I was worried he would colic so I hand walked him. I need the exercise so I didn't mind. However, I am bummed that she can't take her for rides alone. Hopefully between Romeo's owner, Romeos Girl, and me there will always be someone to ride with her. 

Bre Fail: Bre's new friend did a great job getting her all pretty. She remembered everything I told her from the last time. She remembered that Bre loves a certain rubber curry and she is particular about her hind feet. She also remembered that Bre wears boots and asked where they were. To which I responded "Oh you are just walking it should be fine." I met them once on the trail in my car just to make sure that Bre wasn't balking her "Um, I don't go places alone anymore" spot but Bre seemed to know there wasn't a beginner on her back and they were already past the spot. Bre looked great. She had her big bouncy happy walk. When they arrived back I noticed a hink in her step and her rider said she had just started limping. Sure enough Bre had managed to half tear a shoe right off. AHHHHHH!! I went into panic mode because I used an out of town farrier for her. The nails were sticking out so if I couldn't get someone there I would have to take it off myself. I sent out some panicked texts for plan A), B), C), D), and E)......... Then just when my vet was helping me formulate a plan my farrier sent a text that he was two minutes down the road. Bre had literally walked past where he was trimming on her ride. YAY!!!! 

The day was salvaged and the only real loss was the fact that I was late for lunch with barn friends. Bre is getting pull on bell boots back on. I have kept them on her for the better part of a decade and every time I slack on this I am rewarded with a missing shoe. I have many memories of shoe searching in various weather conditions. Her farrier of three years has lulled me into a false sense of security because she keeps them on with him. I guess I won't win horse mom of the year.... 

I love Bre and fall trail rides.......

........ Especially when I get both at the same time.


Last week my friend (Romeos mom) and I had hoped to haul out for a trail ride. We have been making plans literally for years to go to mission park. Between nursing school and her kid's sports schedule it never seems to happen. This week yet again w just couldn't be gone for a full day. The only day we had time was going to be pouring buckets so we opted for a little ride around the block a day early. It was sunny and crisp withcolorful leaves falling

I am waiting for a part only saddle and western kills my back so I opted for bareback. This is usually fine but bre has a trampoline trot so I was hoping the horses would be mellow. Romeo was all fired up so she schooled in the arena. It ended up being a lovely ride. We went through the Xmas tree farm the across the mini creek. When we arrived at the mini creek it dawned on me that I'm not very balance with my back flare up and bre rounds up so much when jumping she will launch u. She was all snorty at dramatic at the sight of this miniscule creek so I suspected she might jump.  I got off and she clopped quietly through the creek without a hint of jumping, figures.

Turns out the days excitement occurred because of my poor coordination rather than equine antics.  The remounting had to be funny from my friends view. The bench I mounted from was slippery with moss so I couldn't hop on it. I also realized I have zero flexibility when my backs like this. Who thought bareback was smart?  Bre was a saint. At one point I was hanging on by the point of my elbow in her wither and was kicking her in the side. I could feel her try to take my elbow stab then she hit the reverse like she was trying to help me up. Speed reverse was in fact not helpful but most horses would have put me on the ground with all the flank and wither poking

I just love my horse. By nature she hates standing still and thinks a pebble in her shoe is torture. However, when she's asked to bre will tolerate just about any stupid situation I get us into. Young horses are fun but nothing compares to a dead broke horse that you've spent so many hours riding it feels like you were born there.