Karen P Comes Back!

This weekend Karen P came back for a visit! Between terrible weather and even more terrible work schedules, this is the first time we have been able to ride together since there was snow on the ground! Although Karen has her own horses (Hershey and Misty), she doesn't have a trailer so when she comes out west to see us, she rides one from Bill's herd. This Saturday when she came, she rode Glitter.

Usually Karen rides with english tack. But here is Bill helping adjust her stirrups up on the Syd Hill saddle that I have been using. She thought maybe she'd give western a try. At the end of the ride, I don't think she had any plans to make the switch! Meanwhile, I was trying another saddle from Bill's collection--a Heiser from Denver, Colorado. I think Bill said it was made in the 30s. It looked awesome-- so much more cowboy-ish than my Big Horn.

We rode a total of 15 miles. Here we are getting started on the River Trail. If you want to get in the water, you have to bushwhack a little through a swampy, viney area with a little twisting creek meandering through it. The trick is to get the horses to walk through the creek, rather than jumping over it. Glitter got a little mischievous in this area but Karen is no slouch and got her back in order. The day before CC had been riding Yogie to the river and he got his foot tangled in one of the dastardly vines!! That is Bill riding Ruby, the horse who slithered out of QTee and into Bill's arms when she was born.

We were all taking so many pictures. Photo ops galore!! There is Karen with Glitter in the hayfield.

And a few seconds after that picture of Karen, Bill must have taken this one of me. This is so comical. Ruby is seizing the moment to shove her face with freshly cut hay, and it looks like I am trying to pat my head and rub my stomach at the same time. Hah!! Actually, I am pretty sure I felt a bug in my helmet. Isn't Ruby a scream? That is so funny.

Here we are coming out of another hayfield. We have to ride in single file so hay doesn't get trampled.

I uploaded these pictures completely out of order! Here's Karen and Glitter in the river! You see it is not a very big river at all. It is deeper in some places but we cross here and go up into a tiny hamlet with three or four little houses tucked in the middle of nowhere. It is like arriving in Narnia.

There is also a little bridge in the hamlet. All the brumbies crossed this bridge without any trouble.

The horses were really hot and sweaty when we got back to the barn so we indulged them with a little shower from the hose. My brumby is never one to shy away from a little water.

Here I am saying, Do you want the apple, Glitter?

I ended the day with Brandon at a garden party. Kestrel and her sleepover friend Sadie were very bored at the party until someone arrived with about ten hula hoops. Two hours later they were still hula-ing.

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Today is Father's Day! Happy Father's Day to

My own dad Tom, who is in Illinois

My husband Brandon

and

My cowboy buddy Bill.