New trail and a switcheroo

Headed out a couple of days ago for my first real trail ride of the year. Gussie and I and Janice and Jade, and their dog Gus went to McGinty lake which is a nice ride through widely spaced Ponderosa Pines and lots of wildflowers (which I didn't get photos of!). We rode about 2 and a half hours which was perfect for my out of shape horse and my butt .

There be mountains in the distance!

Both horses knew there were other folks out and about even though we couldn't see them at first. 

Jade and Gussie are the same age, 16. Jade is a Morgan. Ain't she pretty? There was something she was alerting on that we couldn't see- maybe it was the skunk that we kept getting whiffs of as we ate our lunch by the lake.

Gussie, however was busy with her own lunch!

I got a kick out of Gus (the dog) who had to go into every bit of water he could find- whether it be a mud puddle-

or the lake, where he happily bailed right in and swam around just for the joy of it. That's a Labrador for you!

It was good to have him there because this is bear country. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch....

I have kept Booncat and Sassy separate from the herd as Sassy got used to being a mama, and because Sparkle and her sometimes get into kicking matches and I didn't want any injuries now that Sassy has been sold. So I brought Sparkle and Drifter out and put Sassy and Booncat in with Belle, Eli and Gussie. It worked out really well, as Sassy is finally chill enough that she doesn't get all worried if Booncat is out of her sight. At first she put the run on Eli as he checked out this new addition which he has only visited with over the fence so far. But today, he was allowed to approach.

There is 2 months difference in their age, hence the size difference- plus Eli is going to be a BIG boy.

And about Drifter- we kicked him into the mare herd so that he can learn herd manners, which was working perfectly, because Belle is already in foal to Beamer, and if we have a catch colt from him with Sparkle or Gussie it won't matter. We want Sparkle to get used to stallion behaviour so that she can get in foal, which up to this point she shuts down around stallions, as Janice found out to great expense over the last 3 years. So far, it is working: Drifter is mindful of the mares tolerance for him, and Sparkle, although she hasn't shown heat in the 2 months she has been here is at least tolerating Drifter's attention.

 I took the stall front off of the foaling stall so it's nice and open and they can both go in if the weather gets bad. They actually get along quite well- and Sparkle is the boss!

Riding day 46