If you're new here, I leased her from a dear friend and did CMO and endurance with her for 7 years. When I met my to-be husband, she carried him in the mountains 5 hours on our first ride together. Then we went camping at Salmon la Sac and rode all day long on sketchy cliffsides. He had nothing to fear, she's the ultimate push-button horse. There is rarely a horse one can not find fault with, but she was one.
My helmet was in my hand for the photo.
Airstrip at a horsey camp near Cle Elum.
Meeting my man in camp - Cascade/Renegade.
The only time she ever hesitated with me, because I panicked - omgosh how deep is that? (Mt Adams CMO ) But then I said, "OK" and she went.
Prettiest place I've ridden. There were frogs singing in that pond, and flowers abounded. Just me and my horse and the mountain and its life. A perfect day.
Blackbirds singing in the desolate rocky places I'd hate to call my home.
Taking a friend on her first 50, I think. Because I was bad and lost her, and she didn't have a good day. I'm not such a good mentor.
This horse would walk head down, long rein over the start of any endurance ride. People would laugh like she didn't belong. I was always late, so I didn't have time to warm up, so I'd let her walk the first mile or so, munching whatever breakfast was in my pockets. Then I'd say, "OK" and she'd take off. She would go every loop faster than the last, and she knew exactly how long 50 miles was.
Worst tunnel ever. Ask Aarene.
Why am I grinning? Because on the way back I realized it was actually relevant when they said a flashlight was important, and I buddied up with some guy on a Mustang for his flashlight. The pitch darkness on the way through was enough for me. I'd never ridden in total darkness before, and I was holding my saddle fighting vertigo.
Woo, 20 miles in 2 hours, cuz I was so bored. I hated that ride. Bad me, my horse did not finish: ( I had no idea how strenuous a flat ride can be for a horse not used to flats.
A wolf farm in Maple Valley. I must have been on Baasha at the time. Baasha used to hide behind me when the wolves howled.
LLAP Princess Buttercup.
11 comments:
Awww!!! What great memories!!! I actually thought that was Mara when I first opened up the post. Are they the same shade of chestnut or am I just crazy? I hope you can find another horse like her someday. I miss the old days when I was confident on a horse. :\
That tunnel looks crazy!! I bet it was extremely disorienting to be in total darkness. I get kind of claustrophobic in situations like that lol.
I thought it was Mara too when I saw the pictures.
Achieve, I've been waiting for you to catch up here, especially if you had thoughts about that weird horse leg. The tunnel of doom was doomy and I won't go back!!
NM, isn't it odd, two tiny chestnuts with a star and back hind white leg, and Arab in their blood, but one is good, and one is bad....
Lovely horse, and yes, she does remind me of Mara too. You should be having rides like that now, and I am sad that you are not. I do hope that Mara can get over her fears and enjoy going out.
Looks like you were really enjoying yourself in these photos. Lovely to have nice memories like these. . .
What a wonderful mare. And yes, I too thought it was Mara at first! How odd that they would be so very similar in appearance but so much opposites in personalities.
Awww, Princess B! How we luvs her.
The Boylston tunnel, not so much. They've completely closed it now to all traffic. Maybe that will make you want to go in...
Was "the guy on the mustang" Chuck? Kinda looks like his horse!
Aarene, the guy on the mustang was one of Chuck's people. They were riding that trail barefoot (!!), and matching my pace til I got pulled.
She sounds like a very lovely horse!
And I'm jealous of the scenery - well, minus the tunnel. The best view I ever get out on trails is when I ride in the direction of our local "mountain" (a hill of whopping 600m ;-) ).
Hey! Dem's my stompin' grounds! (Our place is ten miles, as the crow flies, south of the Boyleston trailhead.)
Love the Salmon la Sac/Pete Lake area, because of the trees. Hate Boyleston, not so much because of the tunnel, but because of the flat boring, no-trees!
I, too, wish that Mara could do better to aspire to behave as her look-alike!
Evensong, isn't it cool, that I am posting pics of your home from Germany? Can you do the same then? Come to Germany and, well, you'd better visit if you do: )
Pete lake? I thought it was Lake Cle Elum or ...? We were at a guest ranch there, I forget what it's called. Although I have no pics, cuz it was the 90s, I also stayed a week at a ranch in Cle Elum called Hidden Valley Ranch (like my favorite salad dressing). I had the best time of my life, my very own cabin, and waking up to roosters and then running to feed Baasha in the morning. Then they'd give me this massive breakfast, fill my saddlebags with food, and I'd ride all day long alone in the hills. And get lost. And never, ever was I hungry for dinner. I highly recommend it to anyone who lives in the city and wants to experience country life with their own horse.
Lytha, I just now saw your response to my comment.
Your were riding out of Silver Ridge Ranch in Easton, where they front on the airstrip. So, no that wasn't Pete Lake--that's farther back into the wilderness (NW of SR.). They have a couple of poker rides out of there every year, and I took my hubby there for our anniversary a few years ago (last time I got him on a horse!). We left early 'cause we couldn't stand the highway noise!
I've been to visit Hidden Valley Ranch, too--I think to look at a horse or something. They were threatened mightily a couple of years ago when we had the HUGE Taylor Bridge fire west of Ellensburg, but escaped with no buildings damaged (some of their forest, though).
Next time you're in the States, I'll have to take you to Pete Lake!
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