Quick Little Ride on a Friday with Duchess

Duchess at the end of the day, you can see Domino too!

I just needed to quickly write-up a great ride with Amanda, Duchess, and a nice family behind me. The ride was a trot and for the first time in weeks I was able to go around the lake, the weather was perfect and I knew that Colleen couldnt ride so I snuck out on the last day of the week. The week stunk Harvey and Steve were both out. I was doing all the CAGE work for the interface and to top it off, Dave and I did a session of ACME with JC Dominic in the glass room downstairs. I was ready to Get Out of Work!

I called Thursday to sneak out of work but Bobby said he had no openings. He said that the camp was just about out and the kids were still comin. Colleen was still sore from the Smokey incident. Well I let Sheila pick the horse for me, she choose Duchess. I think that Duchess is a great riding horse. This was the first time since the wild ride with Duke. We trotted 6 times at least. Amanda said it was the fastest she had ever went around the lake, 2min. She made me laugh during our ride because as soon as she had turned around to say to our group on the ride that it was the fastest time on the lake, all the horses thought she was saying lets trot, so off they went again. It was a great ride. She laughed because she was the only one that wasnt trotting.

I had no cash to tip Amanda but I told her that it may have been the best ride I had ever had and what a great summer ride on that beautiful day. I did get to quickly talk to Sheila about the Saturday before and Colleen's condition (she was limpin around for a while). She's better now.

Colleen and the horses -- Fiddlin

Just a little post to share a little about Colleen my riding buddy. She loves horses. Last Saturday she took her fiddle down to Bobby's Ranch so she could play the fiddle for the horses while they relax at the end of their long day. She went out the back of the barn where the horses love to go after they get their saddles off and before they go over in the big barn or the dining area. She gently played the fiddle for each of the horses as they walked out from the barn to the metal barn. They stopped to listen and seems so sweet and very interested in the musicial sounds coming from the fiddle into the air. She said it was a "magical moment". If you look at the pictures here you can see that the horses liked her playing and they thought or they KNEW that she was playing just for them. Look at their faces and you will see it too.

Duke pulled a "Paul Revere", today

Duke has one white eye. you can see it in this picture.

Today I finally was able to ride after over a month. There looked like a family of 7-8 were lining up for the 9am ride along with the little girl. It took a long time to load everyone up on the ride and Colleen and I were first. Our horses, Duke and Smokey (we didnt give a preference today and let the guides chose for us.) I like Duke but I know he gets rambuncous sometimes and annoyed with some of the other horses but I Like that about him. I also feel that he gives an aggressive ride. Sure thing good for our ride today.

So a new person working on the farm was driving the car (which is very loud at the back of the barn and make the 2 guys or ours rear up in caution near the water barrels. Anyway it took a long time to load the ride and Sheila said that next time it would be better for us not having ot wait. It didnt matter I was just happy to be finally at the farm.

So it was a large ride, the guide with us Colleen, myself and the little girl went straight at the downhill trail and Sheila and the other guides went to the right.

Well we hadnt even gotten to the sand and the little girl says that she sees a deer in the trail. We all stop and quickly things changed. I actually said that sometimes deers spook the horses. It wasnt a second later before the deer ran across the trail with a loud running hoff sound and the 3 horses all reared up and took off running. The little horse pixie (or cedric) was the first to respond. When Duke reared up I was holding back fast and saw that Smokey had also reared and Colleen was on the ground. I saw that Pixie and Smokey were running as fast as they could back up the trail toward the ranch. Duke kept at Smokey's side. It was crazy. I saw Colleen on the ground at Smokey's side before the real energy of the rush was realized. I was very excited when I realized that these horses are running and I am on one of them. The two were wildly running and I was pulling back on Duke to try to get control. I remembered what Sheila had told Colleen and I about speaking to the horses and they will listen. Anya didnt have a radio and no one else knew that we had a serious problem. I started to (while holding on with all my power,) pull back while telling Duke to WOAH. At the bottom of the hill is where all the horses started up the trail where the footing became more difficult after 3 Woahs and strong pull backs Duke slowed and let the other two head back to the farm. Sally (Cricket's owner) came in at that time and was trying to help. she thought that the horses that ran back still had people on them but I told her they didnt. I told her that we lost the riders back at the straightaway of the trail and that Colleen was down and Anya was with them. She started quickly and I pulled on Duke to not move. She said I can let Duke follow her and I reminded her that we shouldnt canter back but to go slower. When we got back the little girl looked good she said her shoulder blade hurt but she was good. Colleen felt that her leg or side of leg may have some muscle probs. She said that she would finish the ride (if the horses came back to us on the trail). I just got back from the Drs with Colleen she is home resting she didnt break anything. Bobby gave us a hug and a free shirt. Colleen always wanted one. More later.

You can see how pretty Duke is when he is running. He doesnt like the water because he was an event horse and they are taught that if they go through water( like we do on the trails) that he did the wrong thing. No wonder he gets stressed over the puddles. You can see his pink bottom lip.  So cute.