Scenes From Our Horse Ride

Cliff and Gambler

Cliff and his friend, Preston, host a winter horse ride every year. They call it the Gator Ride because they ride in gator country. Although, I'm not sure they have ever seen one this time of year.

Cliff and Preston like to go out a couple weeks early to check out the conditions in the Francis Marion National Forest and that's what we were doing Sunday. They like to make the ride challenging for the veteran riders that come. The thicker the forest, the snarlier the brambles, the muddier the roads, the deeper the water....the better. And, if they see a gator.....icing on the cake!

I'm not one of those die-hard riders. I would rather stay mostly in the clearings behind the camera. Preston would stay with me, for my safety, while Cliff was exploring.  Sissy and I did walk through some water up to her knees, though. She trusts me because she knows I don't want to go any where that she doesn't want to go. Ha! At least that's what I thought until she had a little freak, later.

The ride was pretty uneventful, except for the time Cliff and Hunter (Preston's friend) rode through the brambles and Preston and I rode around the outside perimeter. Sissy couldn't stand that her boyfriend, Gambler, left her. She was biting at the bits to get to him and would twirl me around in some vicious circles. But Cliff wasn't gone long and she calmed down, when she saw him and Gambler coming back. And then there was the time that Gambler saw some rusty fence wire lying off to the side of the path and did a quick side-step because who knows what he thought that was. Oh wait, and there was the 'when Sissy freaked' thing. You'll see the pictures below of the water we had been walking in all day. The water...dark and knee deep. You would think this was the creepiest of creeps, but no....we came up to a tiny stream. I'm talking about 8 inches wide, if that. The water running through it was but a trickle and couldn't have been more than a half inch deep. Yet, Sissy freaked and felt like she had to jump the 8 inch wide, half an inch deep stream or drown. Now, I wish I had a picture or video of that. Good thing I was holding on! I told Whitney about it and she said, "Yeah. she just can't wrap her head around that." Ha!

Well, there's lots of pictures to look at, so I'm going to leave you to it.....

 The Francis Marion National Forest

 Saddling up. 

(Whitney, don't look at the dreadlocks)

Cliff and Hunter clearing the brambles. Sissy was so excited!

 Cliff and Gambler trudging through knee-deep water.

 Cliff on Gambler and Hunter on Waylan. Do you see the swampy area in the background? 

 Gator country.

 Preston on Dolly and Cliff on Gambler.

After the ride, we took the horses back to the barn. Our horses are boarding at Preston's farm, temporarily. They have guineas at the farm. Aren't they interesting?

 

 From the neck up, they are as ugly as sin. But, from the neck down...... just look at that beautiful plumage. 

 Heading to the barn for some R&R and food.

 But first, a dirt bath! 

 And now, a well deserved meal.

Talk soon,

Laurie

Today On The Beach....

 There were horses.......

Horses and geese.......

Mules and wagons.......

Egrets.......

Pigeons.......

Gilbert the pig.......

And, Pooper Scoopers.

Thank Heavens!

Laurie

Horse Love

Meet Gambler.

 

A few weeks ago, he was being trailered to a trail ride in the back of a friends trailer. Something freaky happened....we don't know what.....and Gambler's leg went under the partition in the middle of the trailer and he was cut very badly. You can see it here...back leg on the left.

You may see it better here. Anyway, Cliff spent that whole day getting Gambler to the vet, having him treated and then getting him back home and stalled. He needed to keep the cut as clean as possible. It was bandaged and Cliff would have to change the dressing and put medicine on it regularly.

Gambler has had to see the vet, weekly, for check-ups to make sure he's healing properly. Here he is on his vet-visit, yesterday. The vet is pleased with his progression of healing.

 

Now, meet Big Butt Bertha. Just kidding, although she does have a big rump, her name is Sissy. Sissy is my daughter, Whitney's, horse. Sissy looks a little rough right now. Her mama hasn't been able to be here to comb out her mane. But back in the day, Whitney and Sissy won tons of blue ribbons. Whitney will be home for Emily's wedding in April, so Sissy will get some mama love, then. 

 

Speaking of love......Sissy liked to have freaked, when Cliff loaded Gambler on the trailer to take him to the vet. She runs rampant in the pasture until she's a heaping sweating mess. Finally, she gets so tired that she calms down and just stands at the stall looking longingly for her boyfriend to return home.

 

This picture of her and the two above show her watching as Cliff takes Gambler out of the trailer. She gets so antsy, she can hardly contain herself. And then, when Cliff opened the stall door and let Gambler in......

 

He runs to her and they hug! This is serious Horse Love, y'all!

And because today is the day.....a little color to say.....Happy First Day of Spring!

 

Take care...Talk soon,

Laurie

 

(Pssst....took these with my phone. I'll take better ones another time.)