ten months!

 

spring lupine

Have I really not written since last December? So much for new year's resolutions to do better! To quote Wesley in The Princess Bride “Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up.”

fun spring on local trails

nine years old!

Miles and I had a good spring. He really seemed to remember our training and we had not nearly as many disagreements! Then we had some misadventures. Let's see, what was first. Oh yes, falling off the trail! A trail I've ridden hundreds of times. Towards the end of a lovely 16-mile ride. His foot hit the soft edge, and his back foot too, and then it happened so fast, we rolled, I leapt to the side, and I just saw his feet in the air and disappear. Luckily there were bushes and trees to stop us. I was shaken up but terrified as to how broken Miles would be. Crawled down through the bushes to him, he was only about 10 feet off the trail. Inspected legs, no blood, all seemed ok? His reins were caught under his leg, I unhooked them and asked him to follow me up back onto the trail. Once on the trail I didn't let him move, inspected him all over. In my head was calling the vet, how would they get there, all the worst-case scenarios…and he had one 4-inch scratch on his hind cannon, and the saddle had a mark where a small tree had been smashed by it. I hand-walked him home, slow as molasses, watching every step, totally paranoid. He was looking at me "Mom, why are we walking so slow? What is wrong?" It was the scariest horse event I've ever had, and he didn't care at all. And was totally fine. Lucky. I'm still being extra cautious on anything narrow!

a few miles before the crash

What fun vet visit came next? Oh that would be stepping on a screw! Yes, it was that terrifying. Found him lame in pasture, not sure what was up, lifted his foot, eek! Had all the right foam and padding for wrapping in my emergency kit (highly recommend everyone, shit happens!). Straight to the vet. Didn't hit anything important, just very close. Two weeks of wrapping, three weeks off to be safe, never took another lame step…sigh of relief. 

what no horse owner wants to see

More riding, month of June, all was fine. I show up one day in July after work, the left side of his face is droopy!? Still had eye reflex but lip was all sad, ear drooping, and he was stretching his neck, bothered by it. Again, straight to the vet. Head x-rays and bloodwork showed nothing, vet though maybe he just whacked his head/nerve on something? Anti-inflammitories, vitamin E, hay on the ground (not the usual net) and see if it's better in a week. Yep, just fine.

OK, that is enough scary vet adventures, thanks Miles! Really glad we have a vet plan where we don't pay any emergency fees (just the normal crazy vet costs, gotta see some silver lining). Can we just have some regular adventures now?

upper trail early summer

almost the same view, late summer!

So for the rest of the summer we have! Locally riding along the lovely sandy lake trail and dry forest paths. Also riding with friends in Auburn (where a fire-fighting helicopter was practicing water drops and the horses didn't even care). On the weekends I'll fit in longer rides in Auburn or to Granite Bay. And I try to fit in a couple short rides after work, sometimes they're hikes, sometimes a barefoot 5-miles in the forest, which can be slow or fast, never sure on the day what we'll do!

small lake on the Los Lagos trail

hot afternoon to lookout rock

morning ride through late summer flowers

And we've done some really fun camping trips this year too: Georgetown fun ride, exploring Oroville (had never been before), Skillman (old closed trails re-opened), Point Reyes (it's always amazing) and Tells Creek (wow, just wow). Maybe I'll do a post just on those so you can see more of the amazing scenery.

Georgetown fun ride

Lake Oroville

Point Reyes, above Wildcat beach

Skillman re-opened trail

Tells Creek, Shadow Lake

So even with the scary stuff, it's been a pretty fun year. I am more and more impressed with how well Miles can listen (when he wants to, which is more of the time!) and how athletic he is. I'm not pushing his talents by any means, but endurance is not calling me back. When I competed it was so fun (afterwards), and so stressful. I liked seeing new places, but not all the worry. I won't say never, because things change, but right now we're having a lot of fun and seeing new places without competition, and that works for both of us!

orange boyz

I'm spending less time online, and more reading, hanging out with the orange brothers Wesley and Geordi, and horse time. A better balance, though I do miss the blog world and how active it all was for a few years in its heyday. I hope everyone and their ponies are well, I do try to read the few blogs that are still active, and love all the stories.

last weeks' ride along the river in Auburn

I haven't done Instagram (laughing in Gen X), but I may try to update there more often, just a photo seems something I might be able to accomplish! Link to my Majestik Mirage Instagram

Hope to "see" you around, but no matter what: happy trails. 

Summer days at the lake

 

almost solstice

Almost solstice. And what have we been doing since I last updated back in (mumble, sorry) August?

how cute am I?

First the bad: everyone in my stable (that had it's issues but was pretty damn good) was given 30 days notice. No options. Now the owners had done this before, saying (fill in the blank) insurance, cost of hay, maintenance, etc. We boarders asked if we could pay more, etc. Nope, get out. Now a nice facility with turnout and direct trail access sits empty. Probably to be sold to someone who’ll turn the pastures into an ego vineyard or some such. Sigh. 

Miles waiting for me in his new pasture

hanging with new buddy Copy

I desperately called up my friend S, who lives close to the old stable, hoping to have her place be a stopgap measure. But it’s worked out! I was worried about mixing friendship and boarding, but we’re both quite reasonable people (sometimes unusual in the horse world!) and things are good. 

eating snack with new friend Guinness

Except the move really stressed Miles out. Who acted colicky one morning (except ok on gut sound and EDPP) so what was going on? Ulcers. A month of treatment made him much better (though not my pocketbook).

when your mom tries to take a nice picture…

Oh, and that saddle I got from the saddle fitter? Big fat white-mark on shoulders nope. Damn. I’m back in the Freeform for now, Miles likes it and I’m used to it now, though still keeping my options open. 

the usual no hands view

hanging with some bay boys before a ride (he's in the middle)

learning the Ikea bag is full of yummy

But the good! So we’ve been riding hither and yon. Lots of riding from the stable, short and long, to work on his anxiety and learn to deal with life! Our local Folsom Lake beach trail is gorgeous, even with the water low now, fall in the foothills means the grass has gone green, which Miles is all about!  

blue sky days at the lake

We did have a fun, short trip camping at Skillman horse camp in Nevada County. Another camping trip in Pt. Reyes (where it was fun but Miles felt crummy and we went home early, that was the ulcers showing up). Really would like to do more camping next year, already penciling in some new places to check out.

Skillman trails

Skillman camping (pens are nice!)

S and Rocky in Skillman pines

Point Reyes fog

Point Reyes Ridge trail

messy camp at Point Reyes

But on our rides Miles is being pretty damn good! We have some triggers we’re working on (horses cantering off). But we can even trot towards home on a loose rein (some days! There are others that are E ticket rides!). He is slowly getting better at the extended trot, but prefers to canter. Which I let him IF he is listening. Big IF there. Now to figure out a big walk, which he'll sometimes do, other times it's tiny mincing stupid steps until he figures we're not getting anywhere. It's a process.

Evening shade along the lake

Empire Mine in the fall

The bridges of Hidden Falls

S and Beau on No Hands with it's stupid new, huge, non-historic railings WTF?

someone lined the trail with pine cones

We do “boring” walking rides that aren’t his favorite but he can deal with his oh-so-difficult life. Sometimes we go out with barn buddy Rocky, who is unfazed by everything and such a very good boy. (Even when Miles tried to nip him in the butt which he would NEVER do at home since Rocky is in charge in the pasture). Because then we have fun faster rides alone, or sometimes with old barn buddy Beau. (A slower ride with Beau completely annoyed them both, to which we said good, deal with it!)

lake drink, good boy!

learning to tail

a cloudy walk after work

low lake and "my" balancing rock

ears say "dinner is in one hour we should go home now."

Of course I have all next week off to ride, and it’s supposed to rain all week. So much for a Solstice ride! An expected El Niño winter calls for more rain than usual…sigh. But we had a fall with no major fires in my part of Nor Cal, so I’ll take it and let the forest recover some moisture from the long drought. 

low sun and lake on my ride Wednesday

After December 21 an added minute of daylight doesn’t seem much, but every day it will add up quickly. I hope you can ride or at least enjoy the Solstice in warmth and comfort. 

Wesley says Hi

Wesley in his uniform for Halloween

ups and downs

(Photo spam post. So much for "I'm going to update more." I say it's because I've been riding and it's too damn hot to work in my office on the computer, but…)

a favorite view

Yeah, I'd say summer is here!

In the last month we've ridden 70 miles with 7,300 feet of elevation gain, but our ups and down aren't just elevation. Miles had too much fun camping and after we came back needed a refresher on not being barn sour on rides from home. I had a couple epically annoying, jiggy rides. Dragged along poor S and Rocky for a couple of them. Thank goodness for good friends with solid horses!

pony does not give  *uck about my opinion

One morning we headed out early to Granite Bay. The lake is so high some of the trail looks very different (water below instead of rocks). This is the highest the lake has been in many years, which is good, though the lake trail being underwater is disappointing. On this ride we switched off and on who was in front, with Miles losing his privilege when he got too stupid. I take him out enough alone that I think using the other horse to remind Miles we're not doing what he wants (as well as my instruction from the saddle) is ok, though I may be wrong about that!

one of the lake drop-off trails

Beals Point overlook

I tried a longer ride to see if that would help, or just enforce, not rushing home. I also stopped for pictures, to just make him deal with his life, and to drink some water, keeping it chill. I don't think the 11 mile out-and-back to Avery Pond tired him out, but he did have 5.5 miles of coming home to be reminded not to make poor choices. And he did ok! 

new fashion, looking out through the ear holes?

trail covered in cottonwood "snow"

star thistle pokey trail

Avery trough, so nice but no drinking today

 

river so high it is the lake here now!

I get bored doing the same rides over and over. So we wandered about in the forest one day, then went to Auburn the next time. I hadn't ridden to Cool since last fall I think. I rode with S and C down to No Hands Bridge, then split up. I wondered how that would go…but Miles didn't look back. See ya guys! We went up to Cool and relaxed a bit at the staging area.

rerouted trail doesn't parallel the highway any more!

gotta snack for the long ride ahead

Foresthill bridge (but traffic is SO loud!)

The trail has gotten especially rocky after the last wet year. On our way back I hand-walked most of the way down the Cool side of the river, taking it easy and giving him a break. I'm having a hard time figuring out Miles' fitness. Since coming back from Cool includes about a 1000 foot climb at the end, I didn't want him to over-do it, so I tried to keep him to walk and easy trot. He did chose to canter up Robie Point (and was behaving himself), then I got off and walked down (and found a toy, he was not impressed). We came back with plenty of energy, I'd rather be cautious than burn him out!

terrible No Hands railings now

found an alligator!

almost back to the Auburn staging area trough (Tevis finish line)

playing in the big boys pasture

The next time out in the forest I decided to do some bushwhacking. I love this one trail that only I use, so it's pretty overgrown! I spent some time trimming some bushes and trees, then out to the oak knoll overlook here, one of my favorites. Then randomly decided to go see what the lake was like. The access I use had a small footpath alongside, completely overgrown and squishy, so it is now just a slab of rock. I think Miles is part goat! He needed to be reminded not to rush but did fine. There was no lake trail, and no getting to the water with the shrubbery and washed-up debris piles, so time to head home. So I tried letting him trot a bit home…a few big reminders where I just turn him around and we go back, past where he was naughty (breaking gait, not listening) then we start again like nothing happened. He is making better choices more often! 

oaks don't mind the heat

down one of my favorite trails

it has a newly installed trail sign (by bike riders I think). Hmmm?

three oak knoll

climbing over granite

no getting to the lake here!

Until the night ride. S wanted to try going out at night as she is sweep riding a night section of Tevis in a few weeks. Maybe Miles was mad he didn't get to finish dinner, maybe it was being out at night. But the jigging home on a three mile ride was arghh! (And I didn't get to do as much correction as I'd like, it being dark and being with S).

night ride sunset

camera still sucks at night photos!

So I set off early this morning with the intention of recreating that ride (but during daylight). We left breakfast at home (he had a small snack only) and he was super good, we trotted home on a loose rein. Seriously? I'll take it, but double arghh for inconsistency!

morning field of flowers

Miles does not think we should stop for photos

So the ups and downs continue. The temperature is pretty limiting right now, but we have another camping trip planned, and a lot of summer riding left to go. I'm not feeling the need for a goal, but sure do like thinking of some long rides I can take!

Also, I got another new pony, what do you think1? I had one just like it as a kid. I need a name, he joins another one (all white) in my yard. I guess I've got a thing for bays…

another bay pony for me!

I think my cat has melted. How Wesley?