oh deer

Friday's ride consisted of avoiding kamikaze deer. Usually during the heat of the day the deer lay low, we rarely see them. Maybe because the grass is almost all dried up, they were coming closer to the lake for water, but they were everywhere! A few bounced fairly harmlessly away in the bushes, horses seemed OK with those ones. Then Major was convinced something was following him, the other horse whirled around, and a large buck was about 10 feet behind us on the trail! After another came crashing across the trail (in a steep section, lovely) we were laughing about it...to keep from worrying!

My favorite may have been the deer that lay in wait, hiding in the blackberry bushes. I think it thought we would just go past it...but then it couldn't contain itself, and jumped from the bushes, onto the trail, about 5 feet in front of Major. Scared me to death, luckily that one didn't bother the horses (you just never know, sigh...). That one continued to trot down the trail, and across the bridge in front of us, before disappearing up the hill.

The ride was nice, a bit farther on the usual trail, I don't want Major thinking that we always stop at the same place. When we went to ride past Avery Pond he did wonder "why are we going here? This is where we stop" so I was glad we went past just about a mile, then back. Routine is too easy to develop, and the horses pick it up so easily.

Coming back, some very fast horses were heading the other direction. Usually on the trail we slow to pass, since the trails are narrow, but these two didn't slow. Major thought it would be fun to turn around a follow them! After a small discussion, all was fine. A good Friday ride.