Archie, Margaret, Barry and I went on a trail ride Saturday up at Millard's ranch. Archie arranged it and they were having a fish fry so I brought potato salad, veggie squares, a sugar free chocolate cake and a regular chocolate cake. We froze about 12 bottles of water to take.
Barry and I loaded the trailer Friday evening with the saddles and stuff. We got up Saturday morning and headed for the barn. Red and Sarge were eating when we got there so we had to wait a few minutes for them to get through. Barry walked Sarge out and left the gate open. I was standing on Red's right - he turned to the left and walked out the gate! I didn't know it was open. He didn't got far. I rinsed him off - he was coated with dust - I could also see quiet a bit of salt washing off. I took a rag and washed his face - it was full of sticky sap stuff. I did the same for Sarge. His face was dirty, too. Red loaded up pretty as you please. Good boy.
I talked to Margaret on the way over there. She was taking Archie to pick up the horse he was going to ride and they weren't back when Barry and I got there. They arrived and Archie saddled "Mikey" - he was the Palomino he had wanted me to buy originally. Very nice horse.
I rode with Margaret to Millard's house and Archie went with Barry. We unloaded the horses and tacked them up after putting the food up! Shawn (cousin Jim's son) came out and he was the one who was cooking - he had gone down to the Panama Canal Zone on his late father's yacht and caught the mahi mahi. He was also frying up a ton of shrimp.
We took off down the road to the left. I don't like riding on busy roads. Red and Sarge were VERY good but when cars are going 70 mph I don't like that. We turned to the left down a country road. Mikey seemed to be having trouble on the rocks, poor thing. Sarge's feet are as hard as rocks and he didn't seem to mind the rocks at all. Wow Wee I wish Red's feet were that good!
We rode quiet a ways and then turned back onto Millard's property. We had to cross a little bridge that had open little slots on the middle and solid places where the tires go - not sides dropping to a deep gully ditch. Ugh. Not my favorite thing. Cub refused a few times - then he went. Mikey followed. Sarge refused. Red said NO. I tried several times and still no. Margaret got off of Cub and walked him across. Sarge followed. Sarge probably would have went after a few tries but I am a sissy and glad Margaret walked him across. I don't like places where I could fall off!!! Maybe next time we will cross that bridge and I will be ok with it.
We rode across the pastures and it was a blast. Millard owns around 400 acres at this site. There are "roads" where he drives the trucks and tractors so it was a terrific place to ride. I took a bazillion pictures. Barry took a picture of Margaret and me. We came up the pastures to where the herd of paints are. They came running across towards us and they were so pretty!! I took a bunch of pictures of that too! Red and I trotted all over the place - he was having a ball. We rode up to the house and had lunch. Just before we got to the house there is a water trough and Red drank gallons I am sure! Cub is hilarious! He plunges his entire face into the water! Half way up to his eyes!!
I tied Red in the shade. He did terrific. He was sweating really good. He had rivers running out of this mane. Later - found out a stallion was in that area - he and Red were just about to get ugly with each other. Barry and Margaret moved him! We had a fantastic lunch and Maxine was there, too. It was good to see her.
After lunch we mounted up again. This time Archie put Shawn's kids on Mikey and Margaret ponied them. We rode down past where the horses are to the back of the pasture to where the Black Angus cows are. All of the horses had ears forward looking at the cows - even Cary Grant Red was watching them intently. Sarge was so excited when he saw them...Cub too. I think they wanted to cut cows!! We came back up the pasture and rode the tree line in the shade. Back to the house - more drinking and sloshing of water. We dropped off the girls and Mikey. Archie said he was going to sit this one out.
We went back out again and rode to the left of the ranch. We saw a coyote!!! It was in the trees going away from us - Margaret saw it and pointed it out. We also saw a pretty little calf...it looked like it was just days or maybe a week old. It was on the wrong side of the fence from its momma. Another cow and calf went to the left away from the rest of the herd. The calf looked like it was a month old or so. We rode that pasture and come through the gate. Barry and Margaret were going straight and I let Red have his head and he turned right! LOL that was back to the house...he is no dummy. He is smart as a whip. I said "no - we are going with them". We went to the far right pasture and it was pretty darn neat. Different little cow paths to take, little ditches, etc. Bending under trees. We went up the pasture that was going uphill and Margaret had said to take up the reins tighter to collect Red and squeeze with the knees. We loped up the hill - woo hoo that is fun! We rode to the little pond that is at the head of that pasture. It is a good size pond too. Back down we went through the pasture. We were going through the little cow path and Margaret saw a snake. Cub was ready to get out of its way! Red did a great job today but he stumbles constantly. Nothing in his feet - he just won't pick them up. At a lope he never stumbles. We had a blast today. It was hot but it was fun!
Back up to the house - more deep drinking - I was so glad that trough was there for the horses!! Sarge wouldn't drink the first times Barry took him to the water but he did later! The horses were wet with sweat and Red was breathing kinda heavy but nothing bad. He is out of shape and we are working on getting in shape. We took their tack off and we went and thanked Barbara and Millard for having us. They said anytime!! They are so sweet. I loved riding at the ranch today. That is the kind of riding I want to do. It is over the river and through the woods kind of stuff. Little ditches, hills, valleys, trails, bridges, etc. to go through. We had a ball.
Red loaded up with no problems and we took off. We got to Woodville and Margaret was turning left and took up our lane too. I called her and said "you're taking up two lanes". She said she learned from the Ronnie Ferguson school of trailering - take up her lane and half of yours! LOL that was funny.
We got back to the barn and unloaded and fed the boys. We pulled up to the barn and shoveled out the poo - loads of that. Barry put up the tack. I had a headache again. I had one last night. We got home and Morgan went and got dinner for us at Novrosky's. Yum. I discovered I left my camara a Millards. I called him and I will go get it tomorrow. DUH. I went to bed after 9:oo. I was tired but I woke up at 2:00 am and have been up every since. I am ready to go back to bed now.
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