Well there are three posts today for a very good reason. First the windstorm gave me problems, and I had the Internet only intermittently, or at least I thought it was the storm. I wrote my posts as usual, I just couldn’t post them on the Internet. Well today I finally decided something was terribly wrong, as I couldn’t get anything. I called our Internet provider, and they ended up replacing my modem. I’ve had problems with that thing for a long time, it just finally gave up the ghost.
Today as promised was a beautiful morning (weatherman gets a few points for that). I fed a little early so I would be able to get a decent start on the morning. I had to go back to the pasture to turn off the water, and as I rounded the curve, I saw a doe at the water tank. Unfortunately the gator is too noisy so I couldn’t get the camera out before she took off. The horses share their tank with a small herd of deer, and some elk during the rut. One of these days I will get some pictures of them. There were interruptions, so it was actually about 11:00 am before I went back down to the barn. Marina was taking a nap, and must have been really out of it because she didn’t get up when I brought the gator around. I went into her stall, and she was still lying down. I went over hoping there was nothing wrong, gave her some pets, and then went for her halter. When she saw the halter she finally got up as if to say ok, I’m awake. We proceeded to the arena, I unhooked her, and she took off like a bat out of Hades. I guess there was nothing wrong.
Marina carried on racing around the arena like a little idiot. All I did was stand in the middle, and take pictures. By the time she got done she was huffing, and puffing so bad I thought she would have a coronary. I tried to let her just walk around, but she knew we were going riding, so all she did was wait at the gate for me. I took her out, and started grooming her. That calms even Marina. By the time we were ready to go she was breathing normally again. She is so out of shape, and so fat for her, I decided we would just calmly walk around the arena for a warm up. Right. She did pretty good for Marina. We got around once before she had had enough of that. She started chomping at the bit going into a trot, and then a short choppy canter when I heard the dogs barking. I had told the Internet tech that I was going riding so it would be better if someone came in the afternoon. I walked Marina to the house, and there was Gray checking the DSL line. I asked if that was the problem and he said no, it had to be inside somewhere. I told him to do whatever. He knew where everything was having been here before, so I let him do his thing, and I went out the gate for a calm leisurely ride.
Well the leisurely ride lasted till we got down the road a bit, and turned to an ATV track down our property line. As soon as Marina came to a flat spot she wanted to take off at a gallop. I kept telling her it was going to be a long ride, and she needed to pace herself, to no avail. I rode her to a spot where she had to slow down because of the terrain. Finally she began walking till she came to a spot where the footing was sound again. I swear every meadow we got to she wanted to gallop across. She never did anything wrong, she never does, she was just so excited to be out on the trail, I had to fight her half the time to get her to walk, or at least trot at a normal pace. That’s all we’re supposed to do, slowly walk up hill, and down dale. Unfortunately slow isn’t in her vocabulary. Still it was a nice ride, and we covered a lot of ground.
We made it to where a neighbor is keeping a couple of his horses, and she said oh boy! She hasn’t been around strange horses for a while, so again I had to make her behave herself. I told her if we did the ride in July there were going to be a lot of horses she didn’t know so she had better get used to it. We walked, trotted down the road a bit, and then turned around to go back home. We had been out for approxamately an hour. The road is not kept up there, and there is a steep part that is very rocky. I told her to watch her step, and let her go. When the terrain is bad, they know best where to put their feet. Once you get to the top of the hill it is a maintained road, and she finally walked quietly. Unlike most horses, when she knows she’s at the end of the trail she slows down to try to make it last longer. What can I say she’s Marina.
Once at the barn I took off her saddle, and her whole front end was all sweated up. The last walk did cool her down however, so I wasn’t worried of her catching a chill. I brushed her out as best I could. She really needed a rinse down, but it’s still too cold for that so I put her in her stall, and went for the carrots I forgot to bring down. She gave me a good workout, and deserved a treat. Somehow that sounds backwards but that’s Marina. I don’t even want to think about her being in shape, and us going for a trail ride. Maybe by then I’ll be in better shape too. She thankfully ate her carrots, and went to finish her nap. By now I needed one too so I followed suit. She should have been a racehorse, and if I were into racing I would breed her to a good racing Arabian, and clean up. That’s a world I have no desire to enter. I wouldn’t mind the breeding so long as the baby were sold invetro. It would be cool to own the dam of a winning racehorse, so long as someone else owns the horse. I love racing, I just don’t like the racing world, and for the most part it is too cruel to the horses, unless very conscientious people who have a lot of money, and clout own them. I have neither. I would get chewed up, and spit out before I knew what was happening.
The rest of the week is supposed to be the same as these past few days, until Sunday I believe when the winds are supposed to be up to 60 mph gusts. The more nice days there are the more I can ride, and hopefully get both Marina, and Ibn in shape. Come Summer I can ride in the early evening. By then I should be working again, and my life, as a rancher will be over. If I could find a way to make money at home, or win the lottery, life would be perfect, and I could spend all my time running the ranch. Still I am grateful for the time I have had even if it has put us in the poor house. To be able to do the thing you love most is a precious gift if only for a short while.
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