- Trail: Weiser River Trail
- Miles: 10.35
- Riders: Self
- Horses: Jack and J'Lo
- Dogs: Hank and Shade (shorter hike)
Notes:
Took the horses and dogs for a ride on the WRT since I couldn't come up with a better plan. I usually ride Jack in and J out. J is getting to be a pain in the butt to pony. She stops unexpectedly for whatever reason...which wouldn't be that big of a deal. Normally I can dally up and Jack drags her sorry ass along. However, the POS halter I had on her has a totally worthless Velcro fastener. Any tension on it and it pulls right off her face. It didn't take her long to figure that one out. Being her obstinate self - she plants all fours - about jerks my arm off - I dally up real quick and Jack throws his shoulders into it to drag her lard butt down the trail. The halter snaps off leaving her standing in the middle of the trail with a smug look on her face.
Today was not a good day to test my patience. I turn Jack around to gather her up and she whirls around and takes off for home. Fine, you counterfeit red-headed bitch...Jack and I take off after her. She can't outrun Jack on his worst day - we catch her - gallop alongside her and I reach over and grab a hunk of her forelock. Now what? A nice heading rope would come in handy about now but I don't have one on me. I might have been able to slip the lead rope around her neck had it not been laying in the middle of the trail 100 yards up. I've seen a lot of bulldogging in my life and it looks like things were going that direction...only they have horns. No horns - no rope. Jack hazed her off the trail just so far before I pulled him up. No sense risking falling in a gopher hole or running into wire over it. I pulled up Jack and we let her go.
Jack and I head back up the trail, retrieving her halter. J stays about a quarter of a mile behind us trying to convince Jack to follow her by whining to him. Jack knows that if he whinnies back - I put him to work so he pretty much ignores her. Once we get almost out of sight - she trots after us. I stop and turn around to wait for her and she stops...turns around - and heads for home. Fine - go home you worthless nag. I bet you wouldn't even make good glue. That's it, run all the way home, I hope you fall in a gopher hole and break your leg but you damn well better not scratch up my saddle in the process.
We did this for about a mile. My only real concern was that she would run back to the trailers and somebody would find her and think she had a rider that was hurt somewhere. Jack and I discussed the matter and came up with a plan. If she could see us - she would stop or turn for home. When we were out of site - she would try and follow. I found a good straight stretch where she could see us and took off at a run up the trail - glancing back I could see the further we got from her - the more worried she got and would trot after us. I know this section of trail like the back of my hand. I would dive off the trail into a hole of sorts in some bushes that would put us out of her sight.
Jack and I waited in the bushes as J'Lo came running. I could see her - but she could not see us. I was relieved to see her saddle was still on straight as she picked up speed. I think I might have a mean streak. I waited until she was directly across from us at a dead run. I jumped out of the bushes, threw my arms up and using my very best Sasquatch meats Satan yell, I commenced to scare the living shit out of her. She literally jumped the width of the road before catching site of Jack. She skid to a stop, whirled around and about knocked us both over trying to get back into her halter. Serves you right. Infuriating beast.
I hard tied the halter and we were back on the trail. It didn't take her more than a few times of balking and Jack about ripping her face off that she figured out she wouldn't be escaping again. Now when I ask for a trot or a lope from Jack - she's right there. She's cantankerous, but she's a fast learner.
I swapped horses at the second gate and headed back to the trail head at a long trot. I didn't get on Jack for biting her on the butt most of the way home.
Disclaimer. I really do like that mare. She's solid as they come. She takes care of my grand-kids. Anybody can ride her. She's an awesome shooting horse. She's amazing in the arena, etc...but she is the worst, most non-leading animal on the planet. I guess it's just something we need to work on.
