A Belly Full of Horn and Maps of Ebenezer

Barry and I got up Friday morning and started the haul up to Ebenezer.  Margaret called and was taking Ronnie to the ER so she wasn't there when we got up there to get Red.  He loaded up and we went to the park.  They were burning along Hwy 63 - wow - a ton of smoke in the air.  We groomed the horses and tacked up.  I couldn't get on - wasn't stretched enough.  We rode off and had the trails to ourselves.  Red and Sarge were having a great time.  I caught a call from Kellie and Margaret on top of the big hill for an update on Ronnie.

Red was starting to get antsy from Sarge walking off and him having to stay.  I made him stay and then start off when I gave him to go ahead.  We went down the steep hill and met Barry and Sarge at the bottom.  We got to the tree down by the water.  Sarge refused but Red went over it!  Woot!!!  We went down to the water and Red had a big ol' drink.  We went back and he went over carefully, not leaping this time.  We went up a little ways and went to the right down a trail we had never gone down.  It was kinda steep.  We got to the bottom and then went up.  Red was jumping/galloping up and I pulled him up slightly and he bucked twice - but it was so steep was not a problem except it drove my gut into my horn twice.  UGH.  Burned like nobodies business - like busted blood vessels.  Stung and I was holding my stomach telling Barry that it sucked!  Red was pretty hopped up and it took me about 10 minutes to calm him down.  We walked after that - I knew I'd have an ugly bruise.  We went down the trails over to the other beach area and I got off to pull Red's saddle up.  I couldn't get back on though - my stomach hurt too bad.  We kept going - it was beautiful.  We rode for 3 hours.  It was so much fun.

We got back to the truck and I groomed Red.  We loaded them up and headed for Archies.  I told Barry he was hauling too fast.  He said he was going the speed limit.  I heard on of the boys stomping around and said "see, the boys think you're hauling too fast too".  We got out at Archie's and Red's back left leg on the pastern was skinned up and his right leg on the outside below the hock was bloody.  That is from one of the bolts in the trailer.   Barry and I had a few choice words of the cranky sort.  I don't won't my boys shy about trailering.

We turned them out and they turned up their noses at grain - they wanted the pasture!  We got cleaned up and went to eat at The Stump on the other side of the dam.  Food was mediocre.  I was tired when we got back and we crashed.  Archie's bed is way more comfy than our brand new bed.

We got up Sunday morning and were pretty lazy about getting ready.  We finally got up and out at 9:30 and I was going to drive.  I could see a white truck and trailer coming up the road from a distance and I pulled out.  Phone rang and it was Archie saying he was pulling in the house in the white truck!  LOL  He brought home 4 Angus & Angus cross heifers and 1 Angus yearling bull.  They were darling - little chunky bunkies.  Millard brought home 2 Angus yearling bulls and they were cute, too!  We took the horses out of the trailer, turned them out and drove Archie to Millard's to get his truck, stopping at a feed store for some chunks to feed the heifers.  I drove him back...we stopped at Subway for lunch and Arch told us about his trip.  We went back to his house, unloaded the feed, went to the house to see pictures of Shanna's barn and finally at 2:00 we were on our way.  Woot.  Up to Ebenezer we went.  There were quiet a few people out there.  We saddled up and hit the trail - me very carefully.  A trot was like getting kicked in the gut.  I could only walk.  Red wanted to go but he listened.  We stopped and talked to some folks from Liberty and then went on down the trail.

We then met up with two ladies from the area that were endurance riders!  Woot - they gave me 4 maps of the area and we chit chatted.  Red stood there patiently.  Later we side passed, backed up, etc.  He is doing well.  We went down to the left, came back went to the top right and down and over and then turned back.  We rode about 2 hours or so.  I hauled Red water and he sucked down 2 gallons in a flash.  We visited with some other riders and then left.  We went down 225 across the dam to go a different way.  Woot...It was fun.  We stopped and ate at the Cedar Tree.   We stopped in Silsbee so that I could get Barry a drink.  I checked on the boys and I think they were in coma's.  They didn't even lift their heads when I opened the door!!   Onward to home.  Red had not been home in two weeks and he trotted around his paddock and settled in to eat his grain.