On a ROLL!

Redmond Watershed Preserve Ride

Spoiled, no other word for it!  All these sunshine days have been so incredible that any horse person really feels the need to ride!  Farah had a bath yesterday - overdue!  Polito was kind enough to have her blanketed & ready when I arrived at the farm to pick her up at 7:30 this morning.  It was Cold!    I planned at least 1-1/2 hrs. travel time to get to the trailer parking at the Redmond Watershed Preserve.  Leaving the farm before 8 a.m. I took the back roads going down.  We still pulled in just after 9 a.m.  That gave me plenty of time to get Farah saddled & warmed up before anyone else arrived.

This ride was organized by Amanda - a member of our Saddle-Up group, ride out at 10 sharp!   Six riders had signed up, five made it -  for what was to be a faster paced ride.  Layers came off before we left the trailers!  Wish I'd thought to get a picture, but with two buckskins, a paint, a bay & Farah - we were a colorful group :-)

My "re-furbished" GPS recorded our ten-mile route.  I forgot to start it as we left the parking area, you see that at the lower right of the picture.  The other break in the path is at the left side, top corner of the square - where we stopped for a few minutes at Farrel McWhirter Park.

Farah clean & ready to go :-)

Farah soon let me know that she was too wound-up to have anyone behind her & let the horse behind know too... with a big Swish of her tail!  So we took up the rear position.  It took about six-miles for her to settle down to business & from then on she was a Grand ride!  She recognized the area when we stopped at Farrel-McWhirter Park for a short break.  I was amazed that no one was there.

On such a beautiful day, even with five horses who didn't know each other - we had a perfect ride!  We all felt that we made a very compatible group :-)  When we returned to the trailers, I was smart enough to get Farah's saddle off quickly & then lead her to some nice thick, damp grass for her mandatory roll!  My training has progressed!  :-)