Solo Ride with The Biscuit

Kellie and I were going riding today but she wasn't feeling well.  I was already dressed and ready to go so off I went.  

Biscuit was laying down in the sun out by the water trough but he got up and ambled over to the corral.  I gave him and Sarge a treat and closed the gate.  I haltered him and tied him to the trailer.  I hooked up the trailer and off we went to Tyrrell Park.  I did talk to Kellie to see how she was doing - sore throat and generally feeling bad.  Dang...hate that for her.

I got to the park and unloaded Biscuit.  My customer showed up to pay me for a cake coming up and they gave Biscuit some treats which he always appreciates.  I brushed him and tacked him up.  No hoof boots as we weren't going out on Cattail Marsh.

I turned his head to the trailer and mounted up the step.  Dang it.  He moved.  I moved him to where his his head was near the wheel and moved the steps.  I mounted up with no problem.  Woot.  I walked over to the woods and couldn't get Biscuit to walk through the water.  Sigh.  I remembered I left my keys in the trailer so I went back and leaned down and took them out of the trailer door.  We went across to the road - OMG he kept stopping - had to move around to the left because of the water - he was looking for Elan...ugh.  Took forever to get around to the trail opening and we went in that way.  Trail was dry in many places and then wet in some.  We went around past the Cattail little trail and then it got pretty dang wet.  Biscuit wasn't too happy and stopped right in the middle of a puddle, well, it was like The River Runs Through It right there.  OMG it took me 18 minutes to get him to move.  Wow.  I was kicking him....popping him with the crop.  Not hard - I would never mistreat Biscuit but dang - that fellow has got a hard head and is stubborn as all get out!!!

We finally moved - turned back - I think Biscuit was sure amoebas were in the water and were going to eat his feet off.  OMG he really dislikes going through mud.  We went down the little trail and it was dry in spots and then wet.  We went out to the road and walked around to the stable.  I dismounted at 1.4 miles.

I washed off his legs and belly.  I sprayed his tail good to get the mud out of it.  I cleaned his hooves.  He was a good boy and very laid back and calm today as he generally is.

We headed back to the barn and I unloaded him at the barn and tied him up.  I unhooked the trailer and jacked it up as high as I could get it.  I rinsed out the poop and went over to hug up the Biscuit.  He is wide as he can be across the back.  I buried my face in his coat and just enjoyed being with him.  Then I  loaded Biscuit back up.  Dang...what an idiot I forgot to hook it back up.  Ok...unload the Biscuit and had to hook it back up.  Had a bit of trouble but finally got it to hook back on the hitch.  I loaded Biscuit back up.  I am sure he thought I had lost my mind with all the loading and unloading!  I took him back to his paddock and turned him out.  He dropped and rolled and shook himself off.

Muddy Biscuit

Oh yeah...I got a watch to ride with!  Purple of course!  Thanks Honey Darling Precious!

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This is where he stood for 18 minutes!

Barefoot trimming

Dang - I forgot Mike the barefoot trimmer was going to be at the barn today.  I didn't get out there til late.  I went and got Biscuit some treats and bought Brutis and Ginger those huge dog bone treats they love so much.  When I got to the barn the trimmer was there.  Dang...what a dummy!!!  I would have loved to have watched him work.

I gave Brutis and Ginger their treats - Brutis getting an extra one - he was slobbering all over the place.  Bless his heart - he is such a sweetheart.  I was telling Lorraine at the feedstore about him when she asked what dogs were out there.  I told her he was a mastiff that Lee Ann P found nearly dead by the barn.  She said she thought that someone had lost their mastiff a few months back but couldn't remember.  I told her that Lee Ann had tried to find out if he was just lost to no avail but she wouldn't give him up now!  LOL I wouldn't want to see him go - I love Brutis!!  I get my doggie fix by hugging him up!

The barefoot trimmer was kind enough to check Biscuit's hooves out for me.  He didn't want to ride in my car as he said he was dirty.  LOL I told him who cares?  I get in the RAV with horse poop on my shoes so it wasn't like it was pristine!

We had told him about Biscuit being flat footed and tender.  He looked at them and said Biscuit's toe needs to come back about an inch or so.  I need to get the angles a little different.  I asked him to trim Biscuit 3 or 4 times while I work in between to get them right.  He told me how to angle it and I will start working on that.  I told him I was pretty cautious because I am NOT a farrier - just a barefoot wannabe.  He will know what to do and I am going to watch and learn.  He will be coming out on March 4 - it is on my calender so I don't forget.  It will be so worth the $$ to get Biscuit's feet where they are supposed to be.  Hopefully that will also get rid of the dang cracks in his hooves.  :-)

January 12th ride

I rode on Sunday the 12th with a rather large group at Tyrrell Park.  Randy, James and Jimmy Zinn rode with us along with Pam and her daughter.  We haven't rode with her in ages.  There were a total of 14 people - a few we knew - most we did not.  Everyone was well behaved and on well behaved horses which was nice.

Biscuit was pretty much a doll.  I got him saddled up and James held him while I got on.  We headed out through Cattail Marsh.  We all crossed the bridge and went across the little land bridge and rode to the left of the bog first.  Very nice ride across the back.  I rode with Jimmy for a while and he was telling me about his new truck and LOL  I told him that all sounded great but I didn't have a clue about trucks!  We discussed hoof boots and shoes.  He shoes Brat in the summer but said the boots would save him money.  I told Jimmy "who says a woman can't save you  money Jimmy?!"  LOL He said that was a first!  ahahahaha Jimmy is a hoot.  I told him he could try Biscuit's hoof boots on Brat when we got  back to the trailers.

When we got back to the road to go back to the trailers, I put Biscuit in a jog and jogged around the road.  We got almost to the stables and he jumped up and shook his head to go faster.  Oh Hell NO  BISCUIT.  He had to walk slow all the way back.  LOL  Biscuit was in trouble!

I took Biscuit's tack off and washed his legs and belly off.  He is such a good boy.  I hosed his hoof boots off and took them over to try on Brat.  They seemed to fit him well and I told Jimmy to take that pair and try them out on Brat til we go to Ebenezer.  I got to look in Jimmy's trailer - he has an 8' short wall Bison.  Sigh...so very nice!

The rest of the week I would go out to see Biscuit and take him and Sarge carrots.  I didn't get to ride this past weekend because of the bridal show.  

Ringing in the New Year

I went out to the barn just about everyday this past week giving the horses treats.  They are being such good boys.   I went out late in the afternoon on New Years Day with carrots for them.  They come right into their little corral - no treats unless they are in the corral.

Saturday Kellie and K.d. and I went for a ride.  I went out to the ranch and picked Biscuit up and got to use the back up camera.  Works like a charm.  I took Biscuit and Sarge a little bit of feed and haltered Biscuit.  I tied him to the trailer while I hooked it up and then loaded him and off we went.

He was a little bit dirty so I brushed him off and then tacked him up.  When I was through tacking him up I walked him over to the KILLER BRICK PILE and let him see it.  We mounted up - K.d. held Biscuit so I could get on.  My legs are weak and it is hard to climb up the mounting block without leaning on the saddle.  It is kinda awkward mounting up.  I so hope my legs improve this year.

We went around the park and some nice folks held the turnstile so we could get in.  We headed towards the big bridge with the horses moving like they were in a coma.  We got almost to the bridge and Biscuit kinda bobbled and felt like he spooked and he came to a dead stop.  At his feet was my little pink phone!  K.d. was kind enough to get off and get it for me.  Wow!  I stuck it in one of my water bottle holders.  We crossed the bridge and at the first right of way was a tractor.  Kellie walked Elan down that way and we all stood there for a few minutes and then continued on and went across the little land bridge.

This is the little snake just over the land bridge.  Ugh.  I thought it was just black garbage.  Ugh.

We went around the hairpin turn and Biscuit stopped and was looking - it was little hogs and they took off into the woods.  We continued on all the way down to the back.  We did very little trotting up until then.  The horses were moving slower than molasses.  We did a little more trotting though across the bayou side.  We cantered up one of the little hills and around a corner and even though I didn't see it, Elan kicked up at Aladin.  Kellie stopped him and was turning him in circles - giving him a blessing out the entire time.

We got to the little side trail and half way across it Elan kicked into a canter - Aladin followed throwing in two bucks at the same time.  Biscuit got into the fray and took two huge galloping strides as I was trying to pull him into a slower pace.  LOL  I think he though it was on like Donkey Kong!

We actually ate lunch at Hildebrandt Bayou.  I should have brought a spoon...gumbo out of the Thermos doesn't work very well without a spoon.  Kellie had brought banana bread for all of us.  It was very good!

We started off again.  We got up to the little land bridge and I could see a bicycle up there.  Two men were down by the culverts and popped up.  One spoke to us about the horses and he was a bit fluffy.  The other was in camo clothes and it was a little strange for 2 men on one bicycle way back there.  Gaaaa.a.a..aaa..aa.  stay out of the park strange people!

We went down the first right of way again and crossed the flooded area.  We were going to ride up to the front.  Lots of mud - had to cross some ditches - Biscuit jumped it like I knew he would.  He was a good sport about it - he is not too fond of mud but at least he wasn't spazzing out.  Way way way too muddy and nasty but we made it all the way to the front and went around the little gate and across the bridge.  We went back into the park and through the watery entrance into the woods.  We turned left.  OMG loads of mud.  After the right of ways it was drier but it is very wet/deep close up to the front of the park.  It will be June before it is dry enough to ride in there without slopping through mud.  Biscuit was a good sport about it but he was filthy.

I washed him off because he was a mess.  Cleaned his hooves and passed out treats.  He was sharing hay with Elan.  Elan gave him the ugly face and I fussed at him.  LOL  Elan is so funny.  He wasn't happy about getting fussed at but he listens.  

We had a wonderful ride for the first time of the year.  I didn't have my Garmin but I believe it was about a 8 mile ride to possibly a little more than that but we will stick to 8 miles.  It was a harder 8 miles though because of going through all of that mud.  

We had a great time - it is always so much fun to go with Kellie and K.d.  Ready to go again.  We were going to try to go Sunday but the weather was not conducive to riding.  Maybe next week.  

I did go out and give the horses treats this evening.  They are such good boys.