A weekend of war and wonderful weather

The Scratches Skirmish is going well.  The big, finger-like scabs are gone, and all that remain are low-level scabs over where the skin was open and some areas of hair loss.  It actually looked like they were on their way to healing themselves when I got out there Saturday for the first battle, but I am happy with the progress.  Other than the flashes of pink skin and the, as Frank McCourt would describe it, "stand up, north of Ireland, Protestant hair", you wouldn't know anything was amiss.  No more grungy scabs.

The battle continues today.

And, might I add, blow-drying my horse's feet is probably the oddest thing I've done at the barn, and I've done some odd things.  At least people look at me, see the white feet, think for a minute, then just say: "scratches?"  Last night one of the other boarders looked at me and said, "I know that face, he's got scratches."

I must say, Peanut is taking a blow dryer like a champ.  The first time I had to aim it at his nose so he could sniff the air, but after that he just stands there and lets me do my thing.

I rode on Saturday and yesterday.  The weather has been gorgeous!

Saturday I rode with Stephanie who took Gene for her first English trail ride.  She's not from the East Coast, so she marveled at the scenery and I realized that I take a lot of it for granted.  From the tall deciduous trees to the mushrooms, she was like a kid in Wonderland.

We went through some tougher trails, did some trotting and cantering, and everything went well.  :)

Ride stats:

Total Distance: 6.66 miles
Max Speed: 10.96 mph
Average Speed: 3.56 mph
Average Moving Speed: 5.38 mph
Total Time: 1:52:27
Moving Time: 1:14:20
Elevation Gain: 1,507 ft
Min Elevation: 236 ft
Max Elevation: 416 ft

Yesterday I was supposed to go riding with Joan, but she bowed out last minute.  Instead, I rode out alone.

I was grumpy going out.  I had spent I don't know how long sticking the end of my dressage whip into the crevasses of my saddle's flaps to flick out stink bugs, and at one point needed a hoof pick to dig out one that I inadvertently just sent into the corner where the flap attached.  I went to tack him up, decided that I better look under the saddle pad (I keep it attached to the saddle), so I turned the whole thing upside down to find that, yep, there were more hiding there.  So I brushed those off while displaying a masterful balancing act.  As I saddled him, more stink bugs would appear and I would flick and curse them away.

I got my half chaps, and had to dislodge the stink bugs that were living inside.

I at least remembered to check my helmet before putting it on, but luckily it was bug-free.

Then I saw that, once again, the straps holding the pad to the saddle had moved on one flap and thus the saddle pad was wonky, so I got to try to adjust it while it was on the Nutters, then smooth down his hair.

Heading out, Peanut was slow as molasses in January.  Every... step... was... a... feat....  He had to pee, no he didn't have to pee, no he did have to pee, no he didn't have to pee, no he had to pee.......

Grump grump grump.

At one point on trail I thought to myself that this is stupid.  I am supposed to be enjoying my horse, enjoying his company, and feeling the remarkable partnership between two very different critters.  So, I stopped him, took a good look around, and just played in his mane as I enjoyed the moment.  We stood there for quite a while, both sighing every now and then, and I got my mood back together.

Once we started walking again, I soon saw a deer hopping in the trees next to the trail ahead.  Peanut stopped and looked, stayed calm, and found a cookie presented to him.  He kept watching, kept calm, and kept finding cookies.

As we approached, the deer didn't move.  It was just browsing in the low leaves of the understory, looking at us every now and then but seeming rather unconcerned.  So, we stopped again and watched for a while.  It never ran off, not even when we finally left.  Crappy cell phone pics ahoy!

Straight ahead from where we were watching the deer (yeah, we're a bit off-trail):

From later in the ride (actually from the corner at the very top of the above pic).  Peanut looked back and the sun hit his face so beautifully that I just had to take a pic.  Of course, the moment had passed by the time I dug out the camera so I had to recreate it with the help of cookies.

Later in the ride I decided to ask for a gait, and he gave me a lovely one, if slow.  Usually he will always fall into the canter, but he didn't.  After that, we turned around and went back.  I asked for a gait a few more times (and got more enthusiastic ones since he was headed home), and never had a stride of canter.  Good boy!

Ride stats (and proof that the speed stats are a load of dingo kidneys, this was a sloooow ride):

Total Distance: 5.6 miles
Total Time: 1:16:50
Moving Time: 53:52
Max Speed: 12.31 mph
Average Speed: 4.38 mph
Average Moving Speed: 6.24 mph
Elevation Gain: 663 ft
Min Elevation: 230 ft
Max Elevation: 411 ft