Trail Log: 11-18-2019

• Trail: Indian Head
• Miles: 4.3
• Riders: Self
• Horses: J'Lo
• Dog's: Shade and Hank

Notes: Needed a quick ride within a short hauling distance. Tried out a trail I'd not ridden before that panned out pretty good. Ran straight up Indian Head. The steep incline made up for the short distance...much to J'Lo's dismay. We took it pretty easy due to Shade being along and J' has an intermittent cough. Seems like she always gets one this time of year.

After downloading my tracks - it looks like I can connect this trail with a couple others I've ridden up there and make some nice, longer loops.

Record high temps make for a beautiful day to ride - but winter is lurking around the bend. Arizona or bust?

Trail Log: 11-15-2019

• Trail: WRT
• Miles: 5.87
• Ave mph: 3.5
• Max mph: 21.8
• Riders: Self
• Horse: Jack
• Dogs: Hank - Shade (shorter hike)

Notes: Hard not to climb in the saddle when it's so nice out. I needed to run to town for diesel. If I could grow my own diesel (and twinkies), I'd never go into town. I made the trip worth it by loading up Jack for a quick jog on the WRT.

I let him pick his speed on a couple of straight stretches not littered with gopher holes. I clocked him out at 21.8 mph effortless stride. We ran out of trail before asking him for more. The WRT is practically concrete  - so probably not a good idea. One of these day's we will head out to the Owyhee's and find a wide, dirt road to race on.

My dream barn

Trail Log: 11-9-2019

Trail: Twin Springs Rd to Nyssa (Twilight)
Miles: 11.4
Max mph: 18.5
Riders: Self - Lee - various others
Horses: J'Lo - Prince - various others

Notes: I had the last week pretty well planned out as far as what/where I was riding. Things seldom work out as planned so shuffled the deck and played the hand that was dealt. Turned out pretty good. Bagged a couple organized rides and took up an invite to help move cows on Saturday. I've only moved cows a few other times. Sometimes it can be chaos. This gather was fairly well organized. We did pretty good. I took J'Lo - thinking I might be moving cows on Jack the next day on a much longer drive. J did fine.

J and I found a stray calf even. We brought it in to the sorting pen. Either it, or it's brother - escaped the sorting and took off after who knows what. I was the only one outside the sorting pen on horseback so J and I took off after it. We almost had it turned but ran up on a badger hole land mine and had to pull up. The calf squirted through the fence and took off. I figured it wasn't worth breaking a leg or neck. About the same time, a gal took off after another calf and her horse fell in a hole and flipped ass-over-teakettle on her. Luckily, neither horse nor rider were seriously hurt.

Beautiful country - I miss living in the Owyhee's.

Trail Log: 11-7-2019

• Trail: Hwy 201 - Loves Res. Rd. 
• Miles: 15.90
• Ave mph: 3.5
• Max mph: 17.3
• Riders: Self - Patty D. 
• Horses: Jack - Mocha 
• Dogs: Hank

Notes: One of the most enjoyable days in the saddle in a long time. Was able to let the horses stretch out for a good run. Patty was familiar with the area from moving cows over the years but had not been to Loves Res. proper...so, we went.

It's not who you are, it's who you take riding with you and I picked an excellent riding partner this day. Patty shared her lunch of fresh vegetables - pepper jack cheese and green olives stuffed with garlic and jalapenos to die for. Beat the heck out of my jerky and Beanee Weenee's. Patty said not to get use to it though - she didn't make a habit of eating this well on the trail. I think she's fibbing - besides, I'd ride with her even if all she brought was brussel sprouts. *shudder*

Jack and Mocha are a great team. Jack can sometimes be a handful if your loping down the trail with another horse - everything is a race to him and he feels the need to keep out in front despite attempts to rein him in. Him and Mocha ran side by side and Jack didn't seem as anxious to outrun her and let me pull him in when asked. Proud of my pony.

If it weren't for the shorter days we'd probably still be out there.

Trail Log: 11-6-2019

• Trail: Eaton - Private Property
• Miles: 3.8
• Riders: Self - Sharon
• Horses: J'Lo and Elli
• Dog's - Ben - Rolland - Sally and Annie

Notes: A quick ride to check out a place to ride after getting permission from the landowner. It's close to home and has some potential.

Trail Log: 11-5-2019

• Trail: WRT - Galloway toward town
• Miles: 8.0
• Max MPH: 22
• Riders: Self
• Horse: J'Lo
• Dogs: Hank

Notes: Don't usually go toward town on the WRT.  I went this way as there seems to be less gopher/badger holes and I wanted to see if J would stretch her legs out at a faster run. I think it helped a little - she still has a weird shutdown...bunny hops in the back-end when she goes to slow down from a run. Weird.

Isn't much to see heading west on the trail toward civilization...unless you count the zebra. The zebra and the miniature Brahma bull. Oh ...and the emu. The zebra, the miniature Brahma bull and the emu. If encountering a zebra or an emu on the trail doesn't get you killed - a miniature Brahma bull certainly will.

I'm pretty sure J saw the zebra - even though it dashed into the willows to conceal itself. She couldn't miss the emu. It....bounced? Bounded? I can't describe it's movement - something between a giraffe and Tigger from Winnie the Pooh. Scared the shit out of me - but J was more focused on something trotting toward us on the other side of the trail resembling a hunch back pig. Apparently it was more terrifying than a stripped horse and a mutant, feathered giraffe. I've come to the conclusion that J is terrified of everything miniature. Ponies ...hates 'em. Mini's...nope. Mini pulling a cart...not happening.

We managed to make it to the trailer without stroking out...barely.

Trail Log: 11-1-2019

• Trail: Hwy 201 to Loves Res. 
• Miles: 10.8
• Riders: Self
• Horses: J'Lo and Jack
• Dogs: Hank - Shade stayed in trailer after shorter hike

Notes: Haven't ridden across the freeway this year. Took advantage of the warmer weather to leg up the horses. Rode J in and Jack out. Jack was feeling his oats on the way home. That horse has some power and would really like to run flat out. Dragging J'Lo behind hinders us both - she gets pissy and tries to bite at him while we are sprinting across the desert 9-0. I'm going to stop towing a horse as much  and ride each of them separate before we get into a wreck.

The reservoir was more full than I've seen it in years - maybe ever.