"Hill of Death"~

HOD, zig-zag on the right~

Our local test of fitness for our horses heading to the first endurance ride of the new season - Home On The Range - is how well they can trot up a four-mile climb that we named appropriately, the "Hill of Death".  It's a tough, tough climb - heart rates go up & stay up - all the way to the top.  Once you're up there though - the view is always well worth the trip.

Khari admires the view in a borrowed headstall :-)

I feel so lucky to have managed some really nice rides this last week, in spite of jack-knifing my truck/trailer in my own gate...  (Thanks to a neighbor, we managed to get me unstuck.)   Since I'd planned extra time, still on schedule, I drove over to the farm - pulled Farah from her stall &  grabbed what I thought - was her headstall.  Arriving at Kathryn Taylor, it became obvious when I started to try to put the bridle on Farah -  that it wasn't hers!  As a matter of fact... it was Thoroughbred size!  That made for some interesting re-working with some thick string :-)  

Early Thursday morning - Khari & I head up north to ride with Fish Creek Team members & a Pirate...  Opening the tack room door on my trailer - I realized that I'd forgotten Khari's headstall!    OK, do I ride her in a halter?  Not easy with a group of competitive horses!  To my rescue is Aarene of Haiku Farm fame!  She produces a a nice halter/bridle combo with bit - that sported Calvary brass!

Tagged!

Finally - today - I meet Charlotte up at the Glass School for a couple loops, one slower paced with a friend conditioning a youngster, then a second faster paced loop.  We return to the trailers to find that we'd been tagged!  Of course we have NO Idea WHO the offender could be - but...  we both think that the fact we did see Aarene getting ready to leave might be somewhat suspicious?