Andy had a screw in his hoof during ride

Today was a lesson for Colleen and I. Andy stepped on a nail during the walk and was hurt. We both noticed his stepping on the trail. At one point Andy looked like he was slipping. A few times on the incline he showed a definite problem with his stepping. Then after the rock wall on the edge of the farm's field he let Colleen know he was in pain. She said woah and he began to jump and rise off the left front foot. Sheila jumped off Tango and she told Colleen to jump off quick. Colleen knows that Andy doesnt like that and they totally have an understanding. She held Andy's reins and then then looked at his hoof. Sheila pulled out a screw while I was on Duke's back and the rest of the ride (basically some young experienced riders out for a birthday celebration for one of them. They were english riders but I could tell they were getting some western rides in and it was a special thing.

 Well we stepped to the side and the rest of the ride went on with Sheila. We walked back on the trail through the woods back to the barn. Bobby looked at the hoof. He was worried because he couldnt tell the damage. Cassie said that the mud most likely helped the pain. Andy was feeling better without the screw in his foot. Bobby said come back and ride later and we are trying to get that going. Walking back to the barn with Duke was pretty cool. It reminded me of when I had to walk with Duke under that low branch. As we got back i got a picture of Duke and I but it doesnt look that good. I look fat. :( but I'll get more pics with my buddy. Uploading pics later.

We went back at 3pm for a ride this time we said we'd have an ice coffee/ice tea on the way back. I got to bring the truck so Colleen and I had a funnier ride. The ride was big. The trot ride was huge.  It seemed like there were many less experienced riders but we still had decent trots. There was a man behind me that made Sheila laugh a few months ago and he came back.  He totally annoyed me. Colleen was talking with Sheila all the time and I didnt hear too much of it.  I may go by myself some time so that I can ride with Sheila too. The ride was nice we trotted alot. The group was large 16 maybe and I totally enjoyed the ride. The riders behind me were slow. Sheila said we were late adn we trotted in an area that I had not ever trotted. After the long railway bed and through the woods she had us trot again. The people in the group were so goofy their horses much have been frustrated. The woman and Tulsa was holding the reins too tight.

Summer lush/green looks so different than the dark winter pictures. Duke's hair are is so beautiful.

Great to be back with Blue

Got to go on a quick afternoon ride with Colleen Sunday. Last week we were at Cape Cod Canal for Memorial Day.  Back home felt good. The weekend was cool and wet. Saturday a total washout but Sunday had some promise.  It was misting all day and on the way there but I knew we would have a fine ride. It was big about 16+ people.
Sheila said to me, Jules we are going to give you Blue today.  Then she said be careful he's been so snacking on the trails. She told me to get after him.  I enjoy working with the horses and their personailities. The are all different. Blue is one of my favs and I love that he was the father of so many of the horses. While we were in line little Blueberry came to the endge of the fence and made the most intersting type winnie noise. It was almost sweet like a song.  She is so cute.
The ride looked as though it may go slow.  It was about 60 out and the guides were many. We had Sheila, Amanda, Cathy, & Anja.  There were lots of kids. The boys at the end were fooling around alot and trotting when they were not suppose to trot.  There were 2 little girls on a tether with a horse.  A little girl with her mom and a little girl with Anja and her Dad was right behind.  It was complicated 2pm ride.
Duke was with another person and Hershey was with the woman behind me.  We split off on the ride most of the riders it seemed went on the walking ride with Anja and Amanda.
Sheila led our ride. Colleen was up front and I was behind her on Blue.
I learned a new thing.
Blue will not respond a light kick on the side to go like many other horses.  All you need to do is slight put pressure on his front and make a clicking sound.  Im so happy he rode great. I was happy to be on  him.  But he does kinda slow down at the end.  He may just not like to trot much.

The lady behind me was very nice but she and Hershey were on the back of Blue so that I think Blue doesnt like it.

On the way in the car with Colleen I was talking about how much I liked the cantor ride 2 weeks ago.  I was so happy to be on Duke safe cantoring.  It was an absolutely amazing ride.  She said  that Andy never cantored.
I was so surprised.
So Duke did like crazy.  I love him.
Im so lucky.  I think that I have done ok with my progress in horsemanship.
I feel like I am getting somewhere. One day I will be able to help around the farm.
For the future I want to help around the farm and also I want to be able to help with guide rides.  I wont even need money.
Just being there is so good for me.

Special Ride, Colleens dream ride--Cantoring

The reason I say that is because we have been going lately for rides at Bobby's and we were unable to do a 2 hour early morning Saturday.  Colleen always wanted to have a 2 hour ride with a cantor ride.

Finally we both made it for the 9am.  They were having one and the biggest surprise is that Sheila was our guide.  We didnt go over 2 bridges we didnt cantor through the field but we did cantor, alot.  We rode areas I had never seen.  Duke was a grass stealer today and I was actually to the point of giving him the strap on the side of the butt.  Sheila told me because the amounts of kicking and of pulling didnt keep him from the green grass temptation especially on Rocky Road, a real place where we rode today.  Colleen was very happy with her horse Andy.

Duke was full of vigor and I love that so much.  Sheila was on Tiana and she was a real sweetie.  Sheila was down because of a situation with Tango and drama at the barn.  I understand that very much.  She lives like Bobby's sister and it must be cool.  Young Bobby told me she was like a sister to him, known each other over 40 years.  Wow  Anyway I can tell you the ride was great.  Sheila made sure that Colleen was up to the challenge of cantoring with Andy.  She did great.  There was another man on our ride James.  He rode Oreo and he seemed to be doing great too.

Duke provided me with tons of horse interaction and I loved him to pieces.  Duke was first and I asked Colleen to have Andy and her behind me because Duke likes to go fast.  And he did.  His Cantor is beautiful.  He is a wonderful horse. I feel like we are flying when he cantors.  I become light as a feather and float over the air with him.   Im so proud to be on him when we ride.  I know all the horses are amazing though.

Anyway Colleen was so tramatized because her ATM was rejected, she actually said,  "I cant ride".  I threw down the $60 and said, hurry up!  She actually got on the phone with the bank and straightened it up.  I didnt want some stinkin bank ruining our ride so I would have waited til we got home.

James was on Oreo.  He seemed to do fine. He was in the back and had lots of patiences with him.  Or should I saw Oreo had paitence with him.  Either way the 2 Hour was amazing. Most Cantoring for Colleen but not me.  I still have the ride with Duke, Smokey, Tabeo and Tulsa on my mind. We are talking about a ton of cantoring.
Sheila looked so cool on Tiana when she took off for the cantor.  She made dust.  It excited me.  The areas that Sheila chose were perfect for our horses.  I must admit that because Duke was stealing so much food it slowed down the ride.  Jerky Duke  jk  :o)

While on the ride many trees had fallen and Sheila and Tiana had to bushwack through some trails.
I actually had to get off Duke and walk him under a tree because he is so big.  I then got on from the ground.  It was amazing.  I got back on pretty good.

The fun part of today is that they were short guides and Colleen and I were asked to help out by going to the water barrels and standing with the next ride so that it went smoothly down there.  She was short guides today and it was a great thing to get to Help Out.

I think we were just hanging out with horses and talking to people but young Bobby and Sheila thanks us for the help.  It was our pleasure totally!

Largest ride ever! Tulsa

Seems like every guide was on the ride.  Sheila, Amanda, Val, Jess.  There were about 24 riders.  Bobby said he had 124 riders on Saturday.  I happened to be wtih about 23 of them.  We were late even.  I didnt want to ride in the afternoon.  But we need to ride and that was the only time that Colleen could go.  When I saw all the cars  knew we were in trouble.  There were 5 people waiting on stand by. A dad was talking to Bobby as we tried to sign in and he was trying to get an additional ride for his daughter.
Crazy ride.  There was a lady on Boger that was freaking her kids out (Im pretty sure).  The girl her daughter that was about 16 years old was saying that Andy was making her nervous.  The mother was telling me that she was on a ride in Las Vegas and all the riders were thrown by the horses.  She was a problem on the ride.  Her daughter became so nervous and Jess ended up tethering the girl to help her to be calmer.  The woman had 2 square camera bags on her back and a huge camera on her front.  Her boys were very good on the ride but she had traumatized the girl.  We actually had a trot ride.  I felt it was too dangerous but we did it.  Sheila came around and helped me get Tulsa out of the line at the first little desert and I was able to ride with Colleen on Foxie at the end.  The bonus was Domino was in front of me. This was great. The young man on Domino was a ton of fun.  He loved his horse.  Domino was stealing leaves all over the place.  It was almost funny.
Tulsa wasnt her self at the water barrel. She kept turning around.  She was tense for some reason.  Later on the ride Sheila told me a story about a guy that was kicking and pulling on Tulsa and she hasnt been the same since.   She was a great ride. Actually when we came out of the woods to go back tot he barn, Domino, Tulsa and Foxie all went into a quick trot together.  It was tons of fun.  Colleen the man in front of us and I were delighted to get the extra fun on the end.   We trotted a couple of times.  The first test trot, it was not so smooth.  The before the bridge trot it was short and choppy.  Then the trot that we had before you go around the corner was ok.  So the last one was a bonus.
Tulsa is so great to ride.  She is a sweetie.  Love her!

Tango is like the official Bobby's Ranch Greet and hang out with the riders horse.  Hes the sweetest

Tango, the Guide horse that is part Guide

Here is a great picture of Tango a hard working lead Guide Horse that is Sheila's horse for trail rides.  The reason that I am highlighting this sweet guy is that he is a full potential of a horse.  Tango love fiddle music (more than any other horse in herd) Can chose and navigate the best path (under servere conditions), he his responisble and never acts up during rides, when you walk over to the horses he like to interact with people and lets visitors pet him and listens while you talk to him.
He is an amazing smart horse.

Im a huge fan of this sweet, friendly smart, responsible horse.  I dont even know him like the guides on the farm do and Im sold, he is an amazing guy!

Colleen's biggest fan on the fiddle is a horse named Tango!

Hanging with the guys at the Dining Hall, no saddle Yeah! Tango and Cash

Hangin at the Farm after ride

Ill post some pics soon.

Sheila spolt us today with with trots - Duke

Today was Colleen's ride for her birthday.  She was happy. Since the morning we were doing Joe's House inspection in Tewksbury at 9am it set Colleen and us to go to at 1pm.  It was an amazing ride.

Duke is an amazing horse.

There were two Indian men, like from India and they seemed like riders.  Colleen thinks they were green about riding but I think they were a little experienced.  They kept saying, do we gallop?  Can we cantor?

Smokey close up xoxo Im wanting to ride him soon. With out Colleen though, He scares her.

Steep hill on the trail

This is going down the steep hill you cant really tell but its a steep hill.

The railway bridge at the end of the last trot at the begining of the long railway bed ride back to the farm.

Side view of my sweet boy Duke

This is the new Horse, they named him Rio, He went on the ride today.  Hes perfect horse Jess said.  I like to ride him too someday.

Jess is riding the new sweet horse, Rio.  He is the one that I sat with one day and took pictures.  Sheila was riding Rocky because he needs some loving to relax with people.  Both horses were spooky going over the bridges because of the water. They didnt feel like it was shallow.  It looked deeper than it was.

It was bugging Sheila.  Oh by the way Sheila's daughter Jess was there on the ride too.  Amanda, Anja put me on Duke.  I had asked for Horsey Mumps but they said that we should try another horse. They asked me about Duke.  I like Duke very much. So Duke it is.

We had an amazing trot from just after the lake bridge up the hill around the corner down the hill and past the lake.  Colleen was so happy.  It was a long trot.  I hate being behind Andy.  Next time I need to be in front so that I can enjoy Duke's amazing ride.


Anyway afterwards we were really happy with the horses.  Colleen played for them and I took the pics. We went over to the dinning areas too. I took some pics of her for her fiddle pics.  They came out great!