Quiet Ride~

On our way~

This is February?  It is - but it's more like a better than average March!  Last Thursday - I took Farah to Dr. Essex for her vaccinations.  Friday she was really under the weather.  In the past, I've ridden her the day after & watched as she put on a layer of foamy sweat.  This year, I had no time to ride - so she had a few days off.  Today, I was happy to see the gold girl was back to her normal ornery self!  It takes longer to saddle now that the hair is coming off - in sheets under the shedding blade.

Trails~

It was in the 30's this a.m. - but by mid-afternoon, chores were done, so I saddled up & headed out on our trails.  It seemed like a very long time since we'd been up there.  It was So quiet, even the frogs weren't croaking.  I didn't plan to be out long; it was so warm I just wore a t-shirt & hoodie.

On the power lines~

As we came out on the power lines, there were two deer watching us.  I'd forgotten the camera, so using my phone - I couldn't zoom in on them.   It was so warm & nice in the sun, I dismounted & let Farah graze on the fresh green grass - sprouting everywhere!

At the wetland~

I'm still getting used to no longer riding for miles :-) Not that riding isn't always fun - but we'd been pushing pretty hard the past couple years.  Now - I don't watch the GPS & let the miles fall where they will.  It was probably at least 50 degrees when we left, the hoodie came off & ended up around my waist - but when sun started sinking to the horizon, the temperature fell with it!

Coming home, the sky was turning turquoise & pink, an amazing end to another beautiful day~

Clean Bill of Oral Health!

Dr. Holohan with Farah

At least I knew what I was doing when I scheduled another check-up for Farah's teeth!   I wouldn't have been riding today!  It was pouring rain when we left home & really pouring rain when we arrived at Philchuck!  The rivers are rising too!   We hustled to the scale & Farah walked on - 1060 lbs.!  A new high weight for her & I'm not surprised, since we've not had our usual time on the trail.    With the sopping wet pasture & confinement that all this rain creates - I've been keeping that good Eastern, WA grass hay in front of her.   She looks Great - solid, smooth & muscled.

Good News!

 The good news was that the pocket we've been working on for almost a year now - is Gone!  The one on the other side is almost gone too!  With just a little of Dr. Holohan's expert work today - we feel confident that it too will disappear by the time for Farah's annual float in Aug.

While I was there I went ahead & had her given the  Flu Avert I.N. that Dr. Essex had suggested.  Dr. Holohan shared a story of a barn where most of the horses had received the usual Rhio/flu vaccinations.  When horses in the barn got sick - the ones who had not been vaccinated were very sick.  The ones who had been vaccinated showed fewer symptoms & were not as sick.  The final group who had also had the inter-nasal - did not get sick.   I was reminded that Spring is the time horse owners are starting to go to Clinics, out onto the trail & mingling with others...  The time of year where illness can easily spread.

Hazy Day Sunshine~

Joe with Jesse, Target & Joyce on Tin Bridge

The day started out looking cold & foggy, but within 30-min. the sun was breaking through the clouds & I was to meet-up with Joyce & Joe at the Bracken Rd. trail head.  The sun felt So good, Farah was happy to see her friend Target & knows Jesse - but prefers Target :-)  Much better behaved today - thank heaven!  She'd worn off her own edge yesterday.  Ten days off, smart enough to not go ripping around the pasture to release her extra energy - she'd just bottled it up!  I did have a little talk with her this morning - but what fun to do some nice trotting all three horses working so well together!

The Stillaquamish - With WATER!

Joyce wanted to ride over to the river & see what the water level had done since the week + of rain.  It was up!  Really good to see - not where it usually is - but a really good flow.  Lots of fresh snow showing up on the mountains too

Grazing break~

We hadn't gone far when the clouds moved over the sun & the temperature dropped.  We went to the current end of the Whitehorse as it heads east toward Darrington.  The valley is so beautiful, it was very quiet.

Our way back toward Tin Bridge & Arlington

Joe was telling us that in years past, this valley was used for Civil War reenactments - that would have been fun to see!  We made good time, stayed on the dryer trails & covered some ground.  Once back at the trailers - the sun returned :-)

I'd failed to schedule Farah's first of the year vaccinations - so called Dr. Essex as we were leaving on the chance that he could do the deed today.   He could!  So,  we headed to the farm, for the first time in a while, to find it humming with activity.  Lots of horses home from the track, Kisses flying down one of the big pastures - tail flagged!  Our friend & top track groom Manuel, soon had Farah ready for the "pokes" as Grandson Mason called them!  That done - Polito asked if he could sit on Farah so that his wife, (visiting from MX) could get the photo of him on her - that he's wanted for a couple years now.

Polito on Farah

Farah was happy to oblige.  Dean said that the way Farah draws attention is similar to the way men feel about blonds with large chests :-)  Well...   We all decided that analogy would work - since she is blond & does have a nicely developed chest :-)

A note regarding vaccinations - I asked Dean today about people who say they've had a "bad reaction" with vaccinations & no longer vaccinate.  Part of what he shared with me was to say that the drug companies have refined many of the current vaccinations - that they are safer & more effective than ever before.  You not only protect your own animal - but help to protect all the animals that come into contact with yours.  With proper vaccination protocol, the track has dramatically cut the amount of horses that get sick.  It's the responsible thing to do~