A Good Ride

I decided that I was not getting enough riding in. The  trip to Texas and work at the Men's Shelter has taken up what seems to be a large part of the summer. Alpine was my first victim candidate. Most of her previous riding with us has been road side and fields. I decided that it was time to take her on some trails and see how she performed.

She was reluctant to leave the other horses, but gave in without a tussle. She did not much want to go down the big, long hill by our place, but again, she complied. Along the way, we picked up our two dogs plus the neighbour's Yellow Lab and Pit bull. Nothing would deter them from coming along. It seems the word gets out pretty quick in doggie land when somebody saddles up a horse.

The temperature was 27C (81F) with a very high humidity. When we hit the trail, I was surprised how well she took to it. Even when we came to blow downs from the big storm, she was willing to leave the trail and go around, or step over some pretty big trunks. When we got to the river, she looked at it and I think wanted to go into it, but the banks were eroded out too bad from the flood and there was no safe way to get down. I took her back a different way and she was fine. The standing water on the trail was no problem for her. She looked at it and plodded on through.

The dogs were another story! They all hit the river and had a very long drink. All  4 tongues were dragging the ground from the heat. Brooklyn and Boots lagged behind about a half mile coming back, and were walking at a dead slow pace. Boots hit the shade and was so tuckered out, he did not even eat his dinner that night. It seems that a two hour ride in that heat was a bit much, or they are not getting enough exercise.

Brooklyn ate OK, but was the next best thing to useless ( Boots) the next day. Maybe next time, they will listen when I tell them to stay, or go home. 

No, I guess that will likely not happen.