Monday, August 29, 2011

CHC Ladies Ride

I always enjoy when I can take 5 days for a weekend camping trip! Especially when my horse and dog are involved, as well as good friends. I was trailboss for the annual horse club ladies ride this year, decided to move it back to Silver Ridge Ranch in Easton this year, I enjoy the riding and camping over there.

Amber came along with Oakley, it was her last weekend with him as he came home with me for good. She would have gladly kept him, but timing is not right for her and Derek is in need of a riding horse since Edgar has been having lameness problems off/on this summer again. :( I brought Ellie along, thought it would be a good bonding weekend and a good safe environment to work off-leash with her and see how she handles it. She handled it perfectly! She was my little angel and I was so proud of her!! Just made me love her so much more, by the 4th day I was able to keep her off-leash for most of the time I was in camp. She was comfortable in the camper as well and would lay quietly when I would go out riding.
The lake was SUPER SUPER high this year, the highest I have ever seen it by a couple hundred yards!! And thats no exageration. It was so beautiful this year and because it was so high, it was perfect for wading the horses in to cool off. Had I been prepared, I would have rode in my swimming suit (well with clothes over the top as that would not be a site for sore eyes to see me riding down the trail in a bathing suit!!) :)

The area Barb & Nadine are looking straight over at is normally not covered in water. We were up on this almost-an-island high section. The weather was perfect for us, in the 80's mostly.

Amber & I. Oakley looks so great!!

Amber & Oakley in the creek. The trails around the creek were not great, they have been de-commissioned in this area to keep ATV's out which is a pretty big bummer. We tried crossing the creek and hitting the hills on the other side, but those trails have not been maintained much and there was a lot of blowdown.

Hot & Dry! I love this picture and amazingly it was taken with my horse riding the same direction as all of them! I turned as sideways as I could get in my saddle (which isnt far) and turned the camera behind me, hoping to get a decent picture.. looks like I succeeded.

This was my favorite place to ride to over the weekend! Went here all 3 days that I rode, a really nice watering hole to play in. Amber's looking down at all the baby fishes, there were hundreds!
Chillin!

On Thursday as we rode, I hid some flagging out on the trails and then told the ladies Friday night that if they found a group of flags, to bring them Saturday night for a prize. I had 4 prizes to hand out, it was fun. I also brought some bells and beads for the girls to make either a bear bell or just fun bells to hang from your horses or dogs, some made bracelets and rings and tack attire, it was fun... Amber & I rode 3 days in a row, putting in 12 hours, I think I wore her ass out though, she was a bit sore.. :) she does not have the natural cushion that I do.

By Sunday, Ellie was ready to go home.. as well as me. We are loaded up and almost ready to hit the road. She seems happy to know her life will get back to a normal routine.

Once she realized we were headed home, she just sat back and enjoyed the full-bast AC on her face!!! AHHHHH
It had been a very stressful couple days building up to the ladies ride this year.. I left on Wed wondering if Derek was going to have a job when I got back on Sunday and it turns out he did end up unemployed within that 5 day period. But all is OKAY and with the BS, it truly was for the better for him. It just means something bigger and better is waiting on down the road... :)

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