Slip & Slide~

A super charged hot & very humid day with a blowing wind!  I called to see if the trails at Waubonsie were open after the rain we received over the weekend.  They were - I was thinking they hadn't received the rain we did.

On the Trail~

 Wrong assumption.  As we left, the trail was wet & when Farah stepped - she slid.  With the wind & the heat both - I thought for sure that the trails would improve as we went on - but they didn't.

Further along~

 I didn't put Farah's bug bonnet on - it was just So hot & I counted on the wind to keep the bugs at bay.  Wrong there too - they still tried & Farah was shaking her head to keep them off.

Farah's barefoot print in the mud~

 The soils here are so different!  You'd think that such a sandy based loam wouldn't be too slippery - but again - that's wrong.  Since each step was a slide, I looked down to see what was going on.

Front hoof~

The mud had packed into the bottom of her feet, it was like she was walking on ice.  We're overdue for a trim too.  I had her front feet x-rayed at the Vet in Sidney a few weeks ago.  She had started to forge again & I wanted to see the angle of her coffin bones.  Her joints were nice & clean - but the front angles need to be lowered & rear toes shortened.  

Rear hoof with the mud sticking~

 I don't think shoes would have made any difference at all in the mud.  We'd only gone about a mile, one easy step at a time - when we came to the first down hill grade.  Farah hesitated at the top, I had to encourage her to start down & knew right then I shouldn't have.

Our slide~

 When we slid, I realized even if we made it to the bottom, getting back up would be the trick.  I'd heard stories of a rider who'd gone down & found it impossible to get back up.   We turned back right there & Farah took the edge of the trail to try to gain enough purchase to climb back up.  It was a relief to reach the top.

Sign of Fall~

 We stayed on the short flat section of the trail & stopped at the 1-mile rest area.  The bright yellow leaves from the Walnut trees were flying through the air & littered the trail.  The wind was relentless & I watched as the large trees were battered back & forth.

It was beautiful~

 It's always beautiful - & we're both always so happy to be out on the trails - but it was obvious this was not going to be the day.

Farah loving the tall grasses~

 The wet spot-on Farah's neck is fly spray.  I think Iowa probably keeps at least a few repellant companies in business...  Back at the trailer - I gave her a bath.  The wind had her dry almost faster than I could get her rinsed.

Grazing time~

 She had her usual good roll & I covered her with fresh fly spray.  I felt a little cheated our ride had been so short.  I sat out & enjoyed the afternoon for quite a while.  The wind at least made the heat bearable.  Our laundry dried quick - a fly mask & leggings.  I finally loaded us up for the road trip back to the farm.  Two new Gypsy Vanner horses arrived today, I only got a glimpse of one, they'll be stabled on the far side of the barn from Farah's stall & run.

The remainder of this week's forecast is for temperatures above 90!  Sat. we've scheduled that overdue trim.  Next week temperatures are dropping back into the 70's - but with a rain chance too - about every day :-(  At least now I've learned- riding wet trails here is impossible...