…And it isn’t pretty!

 

That’s right I will now be rolling in a ’97 F250 super diesel, in attractive Caltrans orange. It was in fact a Caltrans truck and has been coddled along through life and given multiple upgrades. It’s technically a 3/4 ton but has 1 ton shocks and gear. Oh, and it came with a snow plow. Anyone want to buy a lovely snow plow? 

We got a great deal on it and it is a work horse, and that is what matters. There is a paint job in it’s future, to be sure. I’m thinking a deep blue.. 

P.s. It has a fuel tank and tool box in the back..bonus!

 For those of you dear readers who aren’t familiar with my lake trail stomping grounds, I’ll let you in on the hill that is Sycamore. To be honest, I’m not as impressed as I feel like I should be for the all the talk about it. Hmm, maybe I shouldn’t be admitting this. But a little honesty is good sometimes. Anyhoo, Sycamore hill is a nice hill, to be sure. Switchbacks, and if I remember correctly it is a 3/4 mile climb. I enjoy climbing it, but don’t enjoy the descent as its pretty rocky and bumpy and well, my gelding isn’t exactly a mountain goat. Maybe I’ll have better luck with the downhill portion on Desire, she seems to have a bit more of grasp on where her four hooves are at any given time. I haven’t had the chance to ride Sycamore hill with Desire because of the ridiculous parking problem. The parking lot to access the hill in the easiest way is way out in the boonies and is where my truck was broken into and my purse stolen. It just isn’t safe to park there. The next closest parking spot I have frequented in the past, but my husband has been informed that cars are being broken into there and at the fishing hole nearby quite often lately. SO. The only parking option is way over on the other side of the ridge, which makes getting to Sycamore hill rather a project. I digress. I just wanted to let you in on what a Sycamore Hill is, and then you can join in my excitement at the fact that I found my own Sycamore Hill in my backyard today.

Not exactly MY back yard. But I did ride out from my front gate, about 2 miles down a dirt road, crossed the main (very tiny) road, another mile on a paved road and there we arrived at the local State Wildlife Area. The ride down the dirt road from home was pretty mellow, a dog followed us for a while until I bellowed at it, and we jogged down to the main road crossing, taking things in with perked ears but a relatively calm eye. The road crossing made me nervous. It is an uphill/downhill straightaway with a sloping hill that gives you a thrill in the stomach if you accelerate over it. People tend to, ahem, fly down that particular stretch. Needless to say I encouraged Desire along as quickly as I could while keeping her calm, hugging the thin grassy verge next to the road. It isn’t far to the safe crossing and we managed it uneventfully. A dog went bananas at us as we rounded the corner on the street but that doesn’t phase us anymore. So very MANY dogs behave that way on our neighborhood rides.

 

We cruised down the mile of paved road, Desire eyeballing the various cow herds like a human would little green creatures descending an UFO ramp. Of all the silly things we encountered on our ride today, the tinsel, dogs, trucks, bikes, birds flying up, and scary wood items on the ground, cows are apparently the epitome of evil to Desire. She is SO suspicious of them. And god forbid one of them moves, because that about drives her around the bend. One herd of cows started a literal stampede when we walked by and I thought for a minute my mare was going to come unglued.

 

I encouraged her along and managed to refocus her attention on the road ahead, thankfully. Phew. Moments like that still get my heart rate up a little bit. We arrived at the State Wildlife Area entrance in good time, and encountered the first, and most treacherous, obstacle to our choice of riding place. A cattle guard. Yep. With fencing running off in every direction, and no way around. Pretty. Sucky. I encountered it the last time (which was the first time) I road at the wildlife area, and I manged to squeeze Blaze around the cross bars supporting the fencing to the grate. I blocked the guard with my body and made him step over the cross bars on the safe ground. He does things like that fantastically. I wasn’t really sure how Desire was going to do at it, to be honest. Again I stood on the bars and blocked them with my body and I encouraged her forward over the cross bars. She stepped daintily over both with all four feet, phew! A very good girl for that. Reassurance all around. I mounted and we trotted on and came to our next obstacle. The gates to the wildlife area itself. The big gates are locked and the walk-through gates have bars placed strategically so that motorcycles and ATVs won’t fit through. Sooo there is rather a tight space to squeeze a horse through. Desire fit through better than Blaze, since she is taller and skinnier! Yes!

 

Getting away with all sorts of close calls today. (Btw my husband said he is going to stash a solid board in the bushes for me to put down as a ramp for Desire to go over the cattle guard. If it sits solidly, uh score!) I mounted yet again and we headed down the trail, past the little old paddock and cattle chute, and across the little streams. It was a little soggy around the water holes but not bad. I always laugh when Desire’s Easyboots squish after we cross water. So undignified for a fine mare like that 😉

There are some really nice trotting stretches available in the wildlife area, which is the big perk of the journey. There isn’t a whole lot of trail itself, but there are 4 or 5 really nice half mile or so stretches that are fun to blast back and forth on. My favorite swings to the north after crossing the streams and runs along flat for a quarter mile, then a slight dip and it swings you up a little hill and onto about a half mile of gradually undulating great footing.

 

This is where I opened Desire up a bit and felt what an 11.5 mph trot felt like! I guess I’ll say…Wow! It is powerful. And almost on the verge of out of control, LOL. I think I could have pushed her a little faster even but I didn’t want to! She sure loves to go though. A nice forward, comfortable trot on her is about 8.5 mph. 6.5 is smooth jogging happiness, 10 is getting a little hot.  That’s my taste these days. Probably more conservative than I would have been 4 years ago but hey, I’m surviving and enjoying things! When we are really trucking at brink speeds of trot or canter I get vivid flashbacks of the gelding bucking under me from my accident. So annoying that it should turn up like that 2 years later! I just put it out of my mind and bring myself and the horse back into control. It’s all good and it is so fun. My need for speed that was a little frustrated by Blaze is making a bit of a comeback riding Desire. It was actually really nice to have stretches of pavement where we could only walk, as it made us both calm down a little and smell the roses, as it were. We’re Go Go Go Girls! Almost all the time, for me. Haha.

 

We explored a trail (btw these trails are basically just well worn truck tracks from the guys that keep cattle in the wildlife area) that I had been on with Blaze last time, but this time I noticed a trail to the east that headed up a fairly steep hill. Since I knew Desire had *plenty* of gas in her tank yet I pointed her up the hill and we went into adventure mode. She wanted to gallop up the hill but the footing was just iffy enough that I kept her to a slow jog at the most, sitting up out of the saddle on her mane. It was steep enough!

 

We climbed up and up and around a bend and higher still, finally Desire was huffing and puffing like I’d never heard from her before. We stopped and took a moment to collect ourselves, sample the local grass, then continued our adventure up the hill. About this time it occurred to me that in this area, following faint tire tracks way out into nowhereville, might easily lead me to a Grow. I’m sure you all know what I mean by that. I’m not sure if people do that sort of thing in the wildlife area, but there is always that potential. Not good to be wandering in the wilderness in the fall in this area, put it that way. Anyway since its December I figured it was probably safe enough, but we picked our way slowly and I kept my eyes and ears peeled for any signs of anything. It was kind of thrilling, and scary. I admit to giddy feelings of cowgirl-hood when riding in the western saddle with a horn. A horn on a saddle is SO foreign to me that its still a novelty. So adventuring in the wilderness, a little scared, with my water in my pack and my horn on my saddle..well it was pretty fun.

 

The tracks narrowed to ATV tracks and I figured these had to be hunting trails. People hunt small game and birds in the wildlife areas and I know hunters love their ATVs (or Polaris, in my husband’s case). We wound around following the faint tracks and finally climbed another little steep bit and came to a fence line. The trail continued on but went down a really steep nasty looking hill so I decided that was quite enough of that and we turned around.

 

Little miss stumble bum slowly picking her way up the hill like she was on her last legs suddenly turned into a prancing pony! What a scam artist she is! Pretty funny considering how for the most part she just loves being on the trail, but she was totally boon dogging me on the way up that hill making me feel sorry for her. We headed back down the hill (which was in total just over 1/2 a mile climb, by GPS) and had some discussions along the way, she wanting to trot and me wanting to not face plant.

 

 

When we finally reached the bottom and flat ground again and I thought, “AHA! Our own Sycamore Hill!”  Sure it isn’t as long but its a pretty damn good climb and here it is, just a few miles down the road with only a few treacherous obstacles along the way. Totally worth it. Once in a while, anyway. I’m pretty stoked with the discovery of the hill. Desire was really huffing and puffing so I know she could use some hill work. Muahahaha.

 I thought I was really clever and knew a place we could exit the fenced area without having to brave the cattle guard again. The really long fun trotting stretch ended in another parking lot and gated area. Surely we could get out that way, thinks me! Nope. We hauled ass all the way over, I hopped off all eager and proud of myself and..all the gates were locked. I towed Desire through the woods for a minute looking for any way around but it IS fenced for cattle and there weren’t any escape routes in the nasty barbed wire. Back on again and we went hauling ass back down the stretch (weeeeee! Some cantering) and back around, down through the stream crossings, and back up to the gates on the side we came in. We squeezed through the gate and jogged down to the cattle guard.

 

Desire knew what to do this time but for some reason she froze with her front feet only between the braces and then started to panic so I had to just move her forward quickly before she could melt down next to the guard itself. She popped over safely, phew heart beat up on that one! Definitely making that situation less dangerous next time. I mounted yet again (I lost track how many times today, really) and we headed for home down the paved road. A vulture picnicing on a dead skunk sprang up into the air out of the bushes and about gave us all a heart attack, and BOY was I glad we had on Easyboot Gloves and not steel shoes because this happened on pavement and the four legs in the air SPROING Desire gave would have been scary on steel. She had two more moments like that right after since she was already in the shivery mood, you know how those things seem to follow once the mood is set..I had to snap her out of when a small discoloration in the pavement made her quiver like jelly, good lord mare, get a GRIP. Refocused on going forward we continued peacefully up the road. It was downright cold in the areas that were shaded, I mean really cold. Today was the first day my toes got cold and I started thinking about some warmer shoes to wear. I guess ventilated sneakers in winter isn’t really the answer. And I had my down vest zipped to my chin and was wearing gloves, but I could have used a scarf. My neck is a real temperature regulator for me so if my neck is covered and my core is covered in a vest, I am good to go. So a scarf would have been a plus. But as it was the sunshine just felt amaazzzinnggg when we hit it. A few cars passed us and we made it back to the scary road crossing uneventfully. We were crossing calmly until the fluffy white dog at the house on the corner came tearing out of the bushes barking like a nutcase and again, I was glad for rubber Gloves and not steel vs. pavement. I hurried her along across the road and onto safer ground and breathed a sigh of relief when we made it back to the dirt road that leads to the property. We had some more “special moments” when passing cow herds but were soon enough coming up the hill for home and watching Sheza-filly and Blaze come galloping down to meet us, yelling their heads off. It is pretty gratifying how ecstatic all the animals are when we get home. Oh, and I just remembered, I think it takes a hell of a horse to walk past her yelling baby and head off down the trail away from the barn like Desire does! I mean really! Pretty cool.

We ended up going 13 miles in exactly 3 hours. 6 miles round trip and 7 miles of screwing around in the wildlife area. A heck of a hill and LOTS of scary stuff to deal with. It was a fun ride but definitely draining as I was on full alert the entire time. I hadn’t taken Desire on any of those trails before and there was a lot to be seen. She did really well and pooped and peed under saddle again. She didn’t graze or drink because she was so amped up and ready to hit the trail. The only drink opportunity was the really shallow stream and she just wasn’t into it for whatever reason. She got a thorough rub down and grooming and had a hot mash which I served next to her water bucket so she was handy to drink. I like to think that matters but I don’t know. She is such a hoggy she doesn’t like to leave mash but if the water is *right* there she will probably drink sooner, is my thought.

It is really chilly this evening. I came into the house after the ride to the smell of lasagna just coming out of the oven. That husband! I’m enjoying relaxing in my warm living room with the strong scent of Christmas tree in the air. Mmm what a great smell. Time for some hot chocolate! I hope I have marshmallows.

 *Someone pointed out that there isn’t anything about training on here, and I’m betting she isn’t broke to ride. A shame. But p.s. I would never buy this mare, just sharing some of my OFA madness. I’m a craigslist frequenter, what can I say.

I do NOT need another horse! But this mare has been for sale for a year and I’m a teensy bit OFA (Obsessed From Afar). I haven’t met the horse or corresponded with the owners, but I always look at her ad and search it out to see if she is still for sale. I think she started at $6500 and is still probably overpriced. I really hope she goes to a good home..and does endurance!! Any readers out there interested? If you buy her I want to ride her once pleaaassseee   😛

Friesian/Arab Cross Mare

 (There are more photos in the link above, but in case the link becomes unavailable):

“Registered Friesian Sport Horse, grandaughter of Fuerst Gotthard, great grandaughter of TSJERK 328, and Godalier granddaughter on the arab side, outstanding girl, 15, 4yrs old Great kind, friendly disposition and nice movement. This is an amazing cross and she could do anything, dressage, trail, endurance, cutting, reining, a perfect horse in every way and one of the most beautiful creatures on the planet. I never intended to sell her but have had unexpected medical bills. Raised right, pastured with other horses on hills so she knows where her feet are and is balanced. Pictures speak louder then words call if interested”

 

They are pack goats that belong to our neighbor’s, who are long time friends of my husband from Southern California that happened to move up near us a few years ago. The goats are quite sweet and will be wintering here as the neighbor’s spend the season in down south. I’m really not a goat person but these are friendly and don’t seem too loud or out of control so far. I was thinking I might turn Sheza out in the big pasture with them to see what they did. It’s big enough that everyone has room to get away but they might end up being a little herd, who knows.

 

Sheza hind hooves

 Blaze taking a friend for a ride in our arena this morning

 

It was, indeed, a day. A fun day. A long day. A frustrating day, in some parts–but mostly a great ride day.

It started with the realization this morning that yet another of our pet/laying ducks was gone. In the last three weeks we have lost 4 large laying ducks, we now have only a regal pair of Mallards left and I really hope they live to tell the tale. We set traps around the coop for raccoons and the usual suspects, but we trapped nothing (except one of our cats, twice) and ducks still disappeared. Our dogs didn’t raise a ruckus on the nights the ducks vanished. There were no feathers or any blood, no evidence at all, so it has to be something sizable to completely spirit away a large adult duck. We’ve seen three different neighborhood dogs, two of which are large un-cut males, at our front gate in the last month, and have busted our dogs fraternizing with them. Yesterday driving home my husband saw and photographed one of the neighborhood dogs running from the end of our road with a chicken in it’s mouth! Not one of our chickens, apparently someone else was visited that day. SO. It makes sense that our dumb shit dogs socialize with the dog, let it in, and it merrily carries off our ducks, leaving no evidence. We’ve fired warning shots over the dog’s heads when they showed in our yard before, and now thanks to my husband we have photo evidence of the chicken-killer, who is most likely our duck-killer. I made up posters this morning with the photo of the chicken-carrying dog and a warning and am going to post them on the mailboxes at the end of the road tomorrow. The dog lives at one of the houses right behind the mailboxes and I saw it again hanging out next to the street this evening when I got home! We are giving the owners every chance to contain their dog but if it comes on this place and touches a hair or feather on anyone’s head here again, it isn’t going to walk away happy. If I seem overly rabid on the topic, sorry, but I dealt with rounding up loose neighbor’s horses all last summer and this spring and had damage done to my property as a result, so I am just OVER dealing with other people’s lack of attention to their animals.

Wow, a long post already and I haven’t even gotten to the riding part! So here it is. I made Desire spend an extra twenty minutes in the cross ties this morning, to work on her patience. She tap danced away in there back and forth, back and forth, and only quieted down a minute or two before I pulled her to leave. It boggles my mind that she is that persistent. Like yes, you’re tied on both sides, *shuffleshuffleshuffle*, you’re STILL tied on both sides, *shuffleshuffleshuffle*   Isn’t the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results? Anyway we headed out and about a half mile before the trail head parking lot came upon a fresh bad street bike vs. car accident. I was just going by as fire trucks were arriving but it didn’t look good as the EMTs were treating someone a good 30 feet off the road in the grass, which tells me the motorcycle rider probably flew. Yikes. Street bikes are SCARY. I was right about on time and Desire came out of the trailer dry and calm.

 

Anyhoo, there was too much stressful bike noise and comings and goings on that side of the ridge so at N’s suggestion we decided to turn around about 5 miles out and ride back toward the trailers, then bypass them and do the horse camp loop. I was taken with the idea as it was a route I had been wanting to try (for the practice of passing the trailers etc) and getting away from the noisy ridiculous bikers was top on my priority list. At one point I had to stop and fix my saddle pad and on the way down missed hitting the saddle horn but managed to snag my shirt on my too-tall water bottle and gave myself a nice raspberry scrape up my stomach as I descended. Ooppps. On our second safe road crossing Desire powered up the hill out of the street and her right hind boot came off. It was our first boot-falling-off incident and was pretty minor, since the gaiter held it snugly on and Desire kicked her foot out quickly 5 or 6 times then gave up, without any more fireworks. Thanks to a fresh trim I managed to fit the boot back on quickly and on we went. N and I were discussing our speed and with a little more thorough investigation of my wrist Garmin I managed to get mph on my display instead of speed per mile, which I had been using. We agreed that trotting down the trail trying to figure out how speed/mile translated to mph was too much in the mental acrobatic department, and finding the good old Mph setting was exciting. Desire’s relaxed trot is about 7 mph, her more motivated trot 9.5 mph and I’m thinking when she really stretches out it will go 10 or 11 at least. Wheeee! We made it back to the trailers at about 10 miles and rode right on by and headed out on the horse camp loop. It actually makes a perfect ending loop to a ride because you are already warmed up to jam up the big hill at one end, then the loop has some great trotting spans, and ends with very gradual downhill and a long flat walk back to the trailers. We came back to the trailers at 16 miles+my 1 mile warm up so 17 miles for the day. With our water stops (Desire drank at 4/5) a few grazing breaks, a tack adjustment, and a boot reapplication, it took us 4 hours and 20 minutes.

 

Miss D pooped and peed while on the trail as usual, and was chowing at her hay net back at the trailer (until it fell down and scared the bejesus out of her, lol). I loaded her up with the polar fleece cooler on as it was already almost 4 pm and getting cold– and it is colder still up at our house. I had to stop for 10 or so minutes at the feed store for dog food (and there ran into another endurance friend I hadn’t seen since August) and drove on home. Desire came out of the trailer minus the cooler and plus two small cuts, one on a foreleg and one on a hind. And sweaty and trembling. SIGH. How the heck she got a Velcro-ed on blanket off in the confines of a straight load..I guess I don’t even want to know. It is so frustrating to drive slowly and smoothly the same way every time and half the time she comes out dry and calm and the other half of the time she is a sweaty basketcase. I really don’t think she likes being alone in the trailer, as she wasn’t trailered that way at her previous home and she watches me like a hawk when we are alone at the lake. She seems to have some anxiety being alone. Except on the trail, where she is happy as a clam. I think I’d rather deal with her this way than if she were fine otherwise and a nutcase alone on the trail, though! I’m confident that with time and experience she will get better at trailering. She already loads in instantly, though I am still showing her the dressage whip to accomplish it.

I cleaned off her little cuts and sprayed Vetericyn on them, gave another (pointless) attempt at cleaning her up–grey sweaty horse in winter, ugh–and fixed her a hot EGM pellet mash. It was already almost dark and time to feed everyone else by the time I got home! The husband cooked up a phenomenal grilled chicken, rice, and spinach salad dinner, it was so fantastic after a day in the saddle. I have a feeling I’m going to be sore tomorrow, since I haven’t ridden that far since August. Worth it!