Yesterday I took Falcon back up the mountain trail to the radio tower. This time I made a right hand turn and headed East down the Fire Road, handwalking Falcon because of the numerous small rocks on the trail. The footing is very unstable most of the way down.
Once again, I did not go all the way to the gate to see if I could get around it. I hope to do that on a day that someone is riding with me since from there I would be on a well used gravel state road.
Anyway, we checked out a graded road to the left. I have never seen so much natural gravel. Anyway there are numerous posts with pink tape on them like the place is being divided up in to lots for sale or building. That trail dead ended. I was hoping that it would end on the road.
So we turned around and headed back to the fire road...crossed it and checked out the opposite graded road which, instead of gravel was all sand. Very interesting change in the soil. But it was great for cantering and so off we went at a nice pace, around several bends and seeminly back up the mountain, but once again, dead end.
Back down we came and turned up the Fire Road. The Maremma's, Cola and Gemma had trotted right along with us the whole way, several times dashing through the woods and barking. Could have been deer, but there was plenty of bear scat on the trails...so it could have been a bear they were chasing as well.
The heat was almost intolerable. Not even a breath of air in the woods and I was thankful for the tree cover.
Another problem for Falcon was tiny little flying insects that tormented his head. So he was constantly shaking, shaking, shaking his head. I felt like I was being "shaken and not stirred"
On the way home the maremma's were really panting hard and I was afraid they were going to have heat stroke, but they soon found a puddle and flopped in it and wouldnt even move out of the way for Falcon.
Later the dogs also found a "three trunked" tree. They ran to it and started lapping up water that had pooled there from Sundays rain storm.
Ok, so we did 4.65 miles in about 50 min. Not bad, once again completed with plenty of graded elevation climbs and unmerciful heat. Falcon just LOVED his cold shower back at the barn, and the dogs flopped out flat in the cool shaded grass and looked to be half dead.
1 comment:
Oh man, I do not envy you for the heat. I have heard of either applying fly spray on their face with a cotton ball before riding to help with the insects, or they make little fringe type accessories the horse can wear with a bridle also to help detour insects.
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