Interesting morning with Blue, Amanda

Great ride today.  It was so many people wanting to go for the 9am that I was wondering if I would get on the 9am.  Kanit called me over I was at the bathroom.  She said that they had picked out Blue for me.  I miss riding Duke, but Blue is a fabulous horse.  I trust him and he is a good boy.  Later after the split Amanda and I went with one of the ladies that was requesting a 2 hour ride.  It was strange that so many people wanted to go out on a 2 hour ride when Cathy was not working.
The guides decided that the ride would be an hour and return and then another hour.  It is their call, Safety First!

Later during the ride, I was a became annoyed with all the comments telling me how I should be riding Blue and also riding up on him while we were in motion.   Not a safe idea.  Thank goodness I was riding Blue and Amanda was the Guide.  They were both Great! Blue is a super hero with not cantering when I asked.  He isn't lazy, he knew the saddle was too loose.  Im so proud of him.  I appreciate guides and people like Kanti on the trail who are experienced riders.  Some people are very generous on telling you what you are doing wrong.  I am not accustomed to on our rides.

We tried about 4 times to get Blue info a canter.   The woman in front of me was on tulsa, she was very nice.  When we came to the 4 try to canter and we went up the steep hill my saddle slipped over to the left and then the right.  I could feel the looseness.  I called to Amanda to let her know.  When I asked Lexie if she saw the loose saddle she said, it wasn't loose.  She will gain experience with her volunteering over time.
Amanda when we got back to the farm saw how loose it really was and we both agreed why Blue would not try to canter after he felt the saddle slip.
I am so glad Amanda is such an experienced guide and rider.

Lucky to be with Duke on Saturday 9am

The morning was cool temps, I wasn't sure if Id need a coat or not.  I was able to ride with Duke.  So happy. I love just seeing him not only being with him.  Got in a little earlier but still not early enough.  Amy was in no Laurie of KAnti.  In the barn, I checked in an the guides were still putting together the horses.  Sandi called me over to do the tacking with her and Duchess.  I thought it was nice.  I had to get ready to go out because the ride was setting up quickly.
Sandi asked me if I wanted to help her tack up Duchess with her.  I said sure.  We went and got her saddle and she showed me how to carry it.

She put it on the rail and then she showed me that the plaid pad was Duchess because it was large sized.  She said the red plaid was for Hershey.  She took a blanket and folded it over the pad and the fold was placed in the front of Duchess and the open end on the back.  She showed me to to check in the back to see if they were even.
Then she went to Duchess's left side and placed the saddle on her back gently.  Then she placed the stirrups over to the other side.
She ran the bottom leather under Duchess and put it through the ring on the right side of Dutchy when she walked over to Duchess's right side.  At that point she ran the leather strap back to the left, then pulled up to the hoop and put it through very much like a mans tie.  Then gently pull tightly.  She then lead Duchess out to the paddock to go out on the ride.

On the ride I was behind June the horse. She was small and very pretty.  I believe that Bob got her at the auction.  They think she is pregnant.  A very young girl was riding her.  She said her name was Angela and she was Lexie's friend.  She seemed like a nice girl.  They are seem like the girls that used to ride when I was a girl.
I really like the attitude of for example Sheila and Anja, they are not the snobby horse types.  I am hoping to avoid riders with strange attitude.

The ride was nice.  Cant believe that the trail was so dusty everywhere.   Paid Bob the check 1/2 lease for Duke at the end of the ride.  Laurie had mentioned it and I figured why not be early or on time.  I don't like being late all the time.

Laurie and I brushed out Pedro and we tried to work with the little donkeys in the field. It was a nice day.

Monday 3pm Ride, 90+ degrees with Blue & girls -- 4.23 miles

This is my longest ride ever. As far as I know, meaning the most miles recorded.  There may have been some with KathyF longer.

Bought a riding helmut, its a long story. Ride with Blue today it ride changed after the splintered tree.

--My Hero today, Blue --

I was looking forward to an early morning ride with the girls.  I saw that Laurie likes to go out alone or not with the guides.  I was happy to be out on the trail either way.  James was here today and he was on Duke, I didn't mind completely but I need some Duke time soon.
Anyway there was a new person that I had not seen before and she asked me if I was a guide.  I told her no but I love to come to the ranch each week.  She said she had called for a 2 hour ride today.  It was a great day for that but I knew that Cathy was on vacation in Wyoming.  Only some guides are familiar enough to go on a 2 hour.  Sandi told the lady, who's name was Danoi, that she would go out and for the first ride and then go out again for her 2nd ride for the 2nd hour.  The lady was very nice.
She had requested either Domino or Hershey.  She said she had come for a ride about a month ago on an afternoon and had a great time.
I was looking forward to riding.  Cassie and Sandi had said that we would go on the trail and may even try some cantering after the side of the lake.  Cassie gave some tips to both Danoi and I to help get the horses to canter.  I was happy on Blue, Id ridden him so much this summer.  Oh yeah did I tell you I miss Duke.
Anyway we had talked about cantering around the corner and then again after the splintered tree.  It was going good.  We went into a canter and Blue is amazing as he goes and I felt that wonderful feeling that I get that I am flying on Blue.  He started to jolt a bit as we rode and  knew I Needed to slow him and possibly stop him.  Sandi and James were doing good in front of me but I noticed Blue was out of rhythm and something was wrong.  My foot slid out of the stirrup and I gave Blue a Firm Woah and pulled back. He didn't respond and I had to speak sharply and pull hard to slow him.  Sandi eventually heard me. I slowed Blue with a harsh loud woah and a firm pull on him.  When I began to slow, I noticed the Hershey was about on Blues back and turned more and heard crying sounds of the woman behind me on the ground.  She was crying out in pain and she said she couldn't handle it to call for help.  Sandi and James realized there was something terribly wrong.  I turned blue and was going to grab Hersh but he was a good boy and stuck to Blues side.  Good Boy Hershey.

Here is the map from today.  The end point is where we had the incident with  Hershey

Well I went back to the lady while I was on Blue and saw that it was serious.  She was crying loudly in pain.  After a while we figured out that Sandi would return with the group while I stay with the woman.  Cassie called 911, I took a radio and she met at the corner to inform the police man back to where we were. I told her i was fine and she took the horse back to meet the rest o fthe rides.
I could hear the sirens loudly.

This is a great picture of Blue Dom and Duke.  I thought Id put it up.  Didn't take any pics today.

It seemed like forever on the trail as i waited. I wondered how the girls were doing.  I tried to keep Danoi focused she cried a lot. I kept holding her hand and I promised to stay with her. It seemed like forever we were alone on the trail. Soon a lone policeman came down the trail.  He was very nice and as Danoi lay on the ground she was keeping her mind occupied he had a great way about him.  It was working.  He had been in these kind of situations before.
Soon we saw 3 emergency responders come down the trail.  I really didn't realize how far the trail edge extended or how close they could get a vehicle down there.  The First Rseponder team had a board and a pad for taking her. They got her on it.  She seemed in much less pain then when I went over to her at the beginning.  They tested her, she didn't seem to have any head injury, she did not have any pain in her neck.  She was actually pretty dam good compared to how she could be for a 6+ foot fall on a moving animal to the ground.  Cassie said that Hershey had bucked. She would know because she saw him from behind.  Thank god Cassie was on the ride.  Just saying. A funny thing she had mentioned the Hershey had looked up the hill at something and then became upset.  [This same thing happened to me on a ride a couple of months ago.  I hadn't mentioned or even went into details because the ride had made me annoyed.  Thank goodness I trust Kanti and Laurie.  Because when Hershey had done that on that ride, I told them that I didn't feel comfortable with his behavior and both Kanti and Laurie told Amy, Kristina and Lexie we would take a different trail, I appreciated them listening to my thoughts on Hershey].
Anyway an ATV vehicle was dispatched to the scene and more men arrived with the ATV.
She was slowly lifted on the back and we began to leave.  A couple elf strange things happened.  A woman and the most critical moment was walking her dog and insisted on coming down the trail and walking too close to us on the ground.  I imagen this woman was just extremely nosey.  I was annoyed.
Anyway it was about 1,000 feet to the place where all the emergency vehicles were parked.  We took the trek up the hills and over and around giant rocsk and huge bumps and roots.  As we traveled back, Danoi called someone and cried and cried on the phone as we walked up and down over the terrain.  I found it so very sad to hear her exclaim how she felt.
We got up to the vehicle and she was loaded on the back.  She asked me if I could come and I said, sure. I was very worried I woundnt have a way back to my car.  
We rode to Emerson Hospital.  We got to the emergency area and the stretcher was unloaded and a device extended the wheels to the ground and we rolled the lady in to the hospital.  The man who drove's name was Curtis.  He was very nice.  I enjoyed talking with him.  One of the other men is from the area and frequently walks his dog on the trails.  He said that the horses are always well behaved.
We got into the emergency area and the lady was put into an area that was curtained off.  A man nurse checked her in and then then a doctor came in to check her out and get her ready for X-ray.  It wasn't long before she was into X-ray and Laurie offered to pick me up at Emerson and drive me back to the farm.  It all worked out so nice.  There was a tack shop on the way, Laurie and I stopped, we ended up buying 2 new helmets. One green for her and one navy blue for me.  I like them.
We went back to the ranch and I went directly in to tell Bob.  He is really the one that needs to know the status.  He was very grateful that I represented and went with the woman.  Kanti thought she was my friend, I had never met her in my life.  Cassie was especially sweet about the whole thing.  I appreciate her cool thinking and she helped to calm the woman down and get the horses back safely with the rest of the rides.

Beautiful sun morning

Was able to have an almost private ride.  Kanti was on Red and I was riding Blue.  I enjoyed the heck out of the morning ride.  Laurie went out with Cathy and Sandy.