Today was spent on horse back checking out our trails. We left the tack room (really a building) where we keep our saddles and such it sports pink cast off carpet out of our bedroom, fluorescent lights , many many hooks, a mirror to fit ones riding helmet in, shelves of horse related and all needed products, as well as an old record player complete with Gordon Lightfoot, Neil Diamond, and Beatles albums plus a front porch with comfy chairs and the most wonderful wind chimes that Diane B.’s husband made for her years ago and she so graciously shared with me after his passing Yes Precious is what they are but they make the most beautiful sounds, oh and the old trunk from Hot Springs Arkansas (we drug that back from a trip to a horse sale in Oklahoma years ago). And curtains I found at an estate auction with cowboys on bucking broncs.The outside of this building has the boards off an old barn over 100 years old that was being torn down in our community as well as old harness and horse related items. My Grandpa called this kind of building a Harness Shed. I doubt he would have liked the color of the carpet! But it does the job and was not wasted and that he would have liked.
We left at 1:00PM the dogs had to stay home this time, too much road riding expected, and I rode Texas my paint gelding and Les rode Santee his buckskin gelding. Both horses did very good.
We went out on the Mountain Trail and it is now grown up quite a bit, went through the Rogellia’s property and over to Clay and Debbie Trotter’s (Clay is a potter) they were getting ready for a show tomorrow. Clay does such wonderful work. On our trail ride next week we will stop in on horse back and Shop!! Cool ? !! He even has hitching posts for us! We visited a while.
Then we took the Creek Trail. A good portion of this trail is actually IN Jackson Creek itself!! The creek bed is solid and gravelly and not deep and oh so fun to ride in. I love it when my horse’s feet splash water and or I get splashed by another horse’s feet. We had to do some tree limb removal out of the creek itself. Les was able to do all this from the back of Santee and not get off or get wet! Amazing horse and rider!!
From there we journeyed on across Raymond Gallimore’s land and then over the ole mountain behind Grandma’s house. The trails located here are not for the faint of heart. There is some pretty rough places on this ole mountain. I have seen many a “Trail rider” go back, walk, and a few cry. Years ago I was on a Two Eyed Jack mare that was green broke and she and I were having much difficulty. Grandpa was with me and he said “If you can’t ride that mare then get off her and lead her !” After she laid down to roll with me (down the mountain) I did just as he said. It is a rough ole mountain and you need a good horse.
We did quite a bit of trail maintenance, cut limbs and small trees across the trail and THORNS the green sneaky grab you hurt you don’t let you go kind.
We arrived back at the tack room at 5:30 PM. Untacked gave our horses a bath and put our tack up and I headed in to cook supper.
It was a beautiful fall day. Sunny, cool ,breezy and the smell of the woods heavenly!! We had a real nice time and the only wildlife we came across were squirrels.
tomorrow “Whispers and Memories”
