This morning I thought I'd take Siera and Morris for an early morning ride. My weekend was starting to look a bit busy so I thought I'd grab some time while I could.
Give Morris a morning romp and give Siera another solo workout.
The humidity was 100% according to the weather site and I could see fog laying in the low spots. I wondered if I could get Siera into the creek valley and look for spider webs with dew hanging on them.
This used to be a favorite thing of mine to do with Badger.
Now I know that it is totally unfair and non realistic to ever try and compare any other mule in my life to Badger. He was just that different and that wonderful ... we were so connected, I swear he knew what I was thinking.
Anyway, off we went. Morris trotted happily along as Siera strutted her stuff...her gait nice and smooth. I had expected some refusals in leaving home, but it didn't happen. Perhaps because she liked Morris's company?
The air was very heavy and dense, the scent of ragweed was extremely strong. We'd reached the bend in the long Peterson driveway when I noticed that Morris was wheezing.
Oh crap. I hadn't taken him on an early morning ride in such a long time that I'd forgotten how he had allergies to ragweed.
I dismounted and tried to figure out if I should just quit my morning ride and turn back home or...
I looked at Morris. He didn't want to quit. He moved up next to me and put a foot on my leg.
I know what he was asking for.
A ride.
A ride in the saddle.
I sighed and ran a hand along Siera's neck, then picked Morris up and put him in the saddle. Morris quickly tried to find a good spot on the little Stonewall Saddle. Siera picked up her ears and turned them back to Morris and I.
I asked her if it was good with her. Right, as if she'd answer. Siera stood like a statue.
I remounted and adjusted Morris in my lap.
We traveled on. Siera neck reined almost perfectly down the old ridge road. We road up to the 'Grumpy Tree'.
I also think of this crazy looking tree as the 'gate keeper' to PeeWee's Valley.
Part way down into the valley a 2 does came crashing down the hillside and across the hill road in front of us. Morris and Siera curiously watched.
We rousted turkeys out of their night nests. They came crashing down and flew overhead in their horrid lumbering fashion.
Morris and Siera just watched.
I let Morris off by leaning over and letting him jump to the ground. He either led us or followed us depending on his mood.
We crossed the creek where Morris got a drink.
I dismounted in the valley floor and walked over with my camera to take some shots of Blue Lobelia with the morning dew on the flowers.
Siera dropped her head and grazed on the long grass. Morris did the following.
Pretty bold move for a dog around a mule. But Siera knew he was there and didn't mind.
[I knew that this dog and mule were good around each other before I tried this on a ride. Siera is extremely tolerant of Morris at home ~ so I was not worried about her having a bad reaction with him on the ground.]
I took some shots of the wild flowers and as I was ready to remount, Morris put a foot on Siera's front leg.
I stared at the two of them. That was Morris's signal to Badger that he was tired and wanted Badger to stand still.
I praised Siera and put Morris back in the saddle.
We rode home through the early morning light.
One dog, one mule, and me.
Siera had just passed the toughest test I've ever known for one of my mules.
She passed the Badger Exam.
Oh yes, I compared her to Badger this morning and she filled some very big hooves. She will never BE Badger.
She will be Siera.
And I think if I have a mule after Siera, that mule will also have some huge hoof prints to fill.
There was a lump in my throat and a wee...bit of a tear in my eye as we finished the ride.
Life just doesn't get better than this.
Here is the driveway we have to take now to get into the woods where we ride. The area of woods near us has been so damaged by this year's flash floods and wind damage that it may take me most of the fall and winter to re-claim my old mule trail.
Siera is in the lead here. Note the ears. She is watchful.
Here Opal is in the lead, Siera has relaxed and is letting Opal do the scouting. She is thinking that any mule monsters will knock off the old lady mule first and she will be spared.
We ride the 'back valley' trail and Siera leads there. She decides that she wants to go up the steep hill and go towards home. I turn her briefly up a steep deer trail and then come back down and take the overgrown ridge road.
Hubby and Opal wait patiently. Younger mules often think they can 'get one over' on the rider by trying to take a short cut. We generally let them know that the short cut is not always a very nice way to go.
Siera settled down and stepped out then, weaving between branches, her reining skills back in place.
We rode to the 'old' section of the woods where the undergrowth has been shaded out by the canopy of old trees.
It was cool and nice there and everything seemed to have a green hue to it.
It was a nice spot to rest the mules and let Siera think about standing still.
It was also a good place for her to practice standing still for photographs.
She did very well. She got a bit anxious of course when Opal and hubby rode off. But that is expected when two mules ride together. [Badger however was not like that! He simply didn't care for other mules at all!]
We let the 'girls' graze some in the open field before heading back home.
Siera's biggest challenge was not to 'race' back home and to follow behind Opal quietly.
She did well.
I am very pleased with her.
As I said before, as a groomed trail mule, she'd perform fantastically. Most would call her a fine trail mule.
She does very well with company.
But I don't consider her finished or experienced until she's had about 5 yrs of 'my' kind of riding on her.
That means she has to work on patience although that will come with maturity. There are other things, but that too will come with time and wet saddle blankets.
A fine day. Riding with hubby and two fine mules.
Stopping on the ridge and talking while the animals cooled down in the nice breeze.
Exploring the Back Valley Woods, watching wildlife from the saddle.
Spending time together.
Scenic views from the saddle.
Pretty woods.
My day couldn't have been more perfect.
Oh darn another mule related post.
Well with the good weather that is what I've been working on in any free time I have.
My work with Opal over the past few yrs has really paid off.
She was the impossible mule to catch unless you liked to try and run her down or keep herding her into smaller and smaller areas.
It was very frustrating.
When my husband told me I could begin riding her when Badger fell ill, I decided that I didn't want to spend 30 minutes or more trying to catch her just to go for an evening ride. In fact I was convinced I could get her to let me catch her.
Or, so I thought.
She has even progressed to the point that she will let my husband catch her.
Yesterday I went to catch Siera for her daily dose of work. I am putting in the time and effort like I did for Badger years ago and that requires lots of hands on time. Not always riding, but always doing something.
So I walked into the pasture with a lead rope and halter over my shoulder.
This long eared shadow appeared at my side.
Note the tilted ear as I tell her that I appreciate her and after I am done with Siera, she can get groomed.
Apparently that wasn't good enough, so she thought she'd try my other side.
I did get Siera first and we did a bit of halter work. She can be pretty amazing. We walked up to a large tarp in the yard that we had spread out to dry, the wind tussled it up.
She looks terribly concerned. Never blinked an eye. However the septic tank cover that we'd dug out was sure to eat her. She is pretty leery about anything with holes it seems. After a bit she decided it was no big deal and I groomed her.
Yes her face is oddly colored if you notice. That is not dirt, but one half of her face gets very light while the other side stays dark bay.
Opal did get to come out. I groomed her and let her work on the yard a bit while I sat on the picnic table.
Fred was not to be left out and decided he needed to be caught also.
Fred can always be convinced to come if I take Opal away from him. He loves to hate her. Can't stand it when she is out of his pasture. Can't seem to stand her when she is in his pasture!
Mules, you gotta love them!
I'm sure that anyone who has equine can understand how nice it is just to spend some time with your critters.
Thank you Opal for turning out to be such a nice beautiful mule.
Bet some of you thought that I'd given up on her. No, she just had some time off.
Last night 'we' both got a lesson in lead line patience and paying attention.
Siera hates leaving her friends. I've already established that she is a bit herd sour. But not the rearing, bucking, head twisting kind of herd sour that I have seen in some equine.
She'll walk 7 steps and then lock her legs while I'm trying to get her out of the pasture. She twists her head and looks back. Or worse ... backs up.
I found this rather irritating last night as I was trying to get her out of the elder mule pasture. She wasn't happy with Opal following alongside her. She was rather displeased and kept looking over her shoulder at the far off Molly and Mare pasture.
Now I don't want her thinking she can back up and pull me when she is displeased. I did get around her and make her move sideways in the direction I wanted.
But I want her to walk with me without any fuss.
Using a 'Come Along Halter' made out of a kids lariat works well for teaching her not to back up or resist. It is similar to a 'war' bridle in a way and used correctly is very humane.
Now the flip side to this is that she never has issues if she is with one of her other pasture mates. She comes along fine, and leaves home fine...but, mostly I have to ride alone. 99% of my rides are solo.
I could take Opal and Fred and have no issues, but Siera is really one fine mule.
So we will learn to come along together.
Last night we just worked on walking up the long driveway to get the mail and then stand around and be patient.
Siera pulled back once.
I stood quietly and then watched as she assessed the pressure on her nose then stepped forward to tons of praise.
I took the mail and fluttered it around her. It was boring. She yawned.
I shook the mail, flapped the mail, put the mail between her ears. I'm sure she thinks I'm just an idiot.
I want Siera convinced that she can never pull me around while on lead. So far she has not, but prevention is the key.
More walks are in order.
I know, in June we were complaining about all the rain.
But suddenly it stopped. No rain for days.
It was getting rather dry here.
This morning in came. The rain should have come a bit more gently, but I guess we'll just take it right?
When the lightening stopped and the downpour eased up I put on a slicker, boots, and wide brimmed hat and decided to go out and take a look around.
I guess I am never disappointed when walking about in the woods. I found these tiny beauties on a log in the neighbor's pasture.
I went to the creek and saw that the water was up from the day before but not flooding. The water was running harder and it was brown from mud.
A fog hung over the water.
One thing I did notice though. The amount of leaves that have fallen are quite startling compared to just days ago.
I know the end of summer is approaching.
Me?
I'm not sure I'm happy about it.
Although there is nothing I can do but enjoy the changes of the seasons.
And...keep finding surprises that Mother Nature likes to leave for us.
I knew that last Sunday would be my last day that I would be able to ride Siera for a week.
I was working and then off on a visit to another part of the state.
So I put Siera in with the 'elder' mules.
She acclimated right away. She decided that the 'elders' were not her cup of tea and went to the fenceline to see if she could see her herd mates. And most important of all, see the mares.
My husband told me when I arrived home today that my silly mule has really been trying to buff herself up for me.
I got curious and went out to see her.
The older mules were walking under the apples trees trying to coax some apples to fall for them. They were quiet and nonchalant.
However, Siera was pacing the fence line. I walked down through the pasture to see if I could get her attention.
I did.
She walked up to me. Then turned and began to pace the fence again.
I stood back and watched. Siera no longer had the huge hay gut she had 2 weeks ago when she got ill. I could actually see muscles moving. My mule had lost weight and put on muscle! I know this was occurring before I left town for 4 days. But being away from her and coming back ... was startling!
She probably will be a bit harder to ride off from the farm when we have at it again, but I imagine she'll do better as she is stronger and not so heavy.
No worries, she is eating and drinking normally, just exercising a bit more than she used to!
