Pictures

There is really nothing less flattering than a picture of one atop a horse. That is why I won't post any of them, but if there is anything more motivating for losing weight, I have yet to see it. I do need to lose it, for both Peanut's sake and for the cruise I'm going on next Feb. I've been having such a hard time with the stress from work these days. :(

I rode today, just around the property since the trails are a sodden mess. Of course, this kept no one else from riding them, but the rangers do not like horse traffic on sloppy trails. Rick and I respect this, but most don't. As a result, the trails often dry rutted with hoof prints until enough other horses come along to beat the dirt back down. No wonder some bikers hate us. Well, that and the piles of poo.

At the end of the ride, not wanting to dismount at the barn (I try my best to vary my dismounts), I decided to take Peanut a tiny bit onto the trail and dismount there. We would really only get his whole body onto it, and would turn around before the first quagmire. Going down the slope to the road, crossing it, and heading into the trail was a serious challenge for us when we first moved there, and I had never attempted it alone. It went great!!! :D

So, we rode around today. I may not be photogenic on a horse, but horses themselves are impossible to photograph and have them recognizable as a horse. Here we have a huge headed, long necked, stubby legged Peanut.

I wanted a picture from Peanut's back of the pond that's on the property, but instead he decided to take advantage of the free rein to start wandering to the driveway. Sigh.

I then rode up to Rick and gave him the camera, hoping that he would get some pictures of Peanut and I practicing on the driveway. Since I looked like a sphere in this picture, here is a crop showing that, yes, it could be a running walk! Definitely not a pace, and I think that there is enough variance between his front and back stride to rule out a rack... or so I hope.

While I was wandering around the property, Gene was talking to the TB mare over her fence. I don't think that it went well.

And Peanut, giving me the guilts, after he was put back.

One thing that I've noticed, that I really need to look into, is Peanut's back's reaction to my nails being run down either side of his spine. When it reaches the area where most of my weight ends up centered in the Fhoenix, he drops his whole back away. I must say that I don't know how to test for soreness in a back, but I know that Dawn does and, since she's coming this upcoming weekend, I hope to ask. I also have to remember to try it before I ride. Sheesh.

I also have to remember to take samples from his field for nutritional analysis. I keep forgetting, and Dawn gave me the test kit at our trim last month.

Lastly, Gene finally got his Adequan and both horses were wormed.