The Continuing Adventures of Choctaw Lily
In the indoor at Meadow Ridge Farm.
Gurunam doing what girls do, braiding hair.
"Okay, I'll indulge her."
"Thanks."
"There must be a little grass in all this mud."
Me with Ashley, the Percheron mare.
She and Lily get along well. They are the biggest and smallest horses at the barn. I lead them up to the turn out together. Lily walks quite a bit faster then Ashley though.
Coming over to check out Gurunam.
"Hi! What's that your holding?"
Nice shot of Ashley's eye with us reflected in it.
The braids
Elephant nose!
Tasting.
Me too.
Walked Lily down from the mare pasture with her lead over her back. She halted and walked with voice commands and stayed right by my shoulder.
Brushed her and hosed her feet to get her used to the idea of a running water. The water made noise. The hose leaked and sprayed water on her face as she checked it out, but she stood still not moving a foot.
There was a lot going on at the barn today. School is out, so everyone was there. Two lessons happened and several horses were moved around, groomed and bathed. People with wheelbarrows, hay carts and feed buckets going every which way. It was good for her. Lily watched everything very attentively, but was pretty okay with it.
Then we went outside and I sacked her out with a saddle blanket all over, both sides, legs, belly, neck and she didn't care. I let her graze, put the blanket over her back and let the fluffy barn cat have a ride. The kitty loves it as she gets petted and has a nice warm place to perch. Lily doesn't care at all, even when the kitty kneads with her claws.
The cat rode Lily all the way up to the pasture and sat on the blanket on the ground as I put her out. I carried her back down to the barn so she wouldn't get her little footsies wet.
We hiked up past the mare pasture. They have been logging there lately, so it was easier walking where the trees had been dragged and the tall grass flattened. They had provided good obstacles too, logs, piles of brush and slightly boggy spots. Lots of signs of elk, but no sightings. Just the huge flock of Canada geese that winter in the field across the road.
I found that Lily likes to be in front. :) I could hang onto her mane with the lead looped over her neck and let her pull me up hill. When my friend's daughter would get out in front Lily would speed up. She set a good pace for everyone to keep up with. I can see her being a great trail horse. She was eager, but responsive. We trotted up a couple of hills. Great exercise for me! She went through anything I asked her to, even jumping a 2' high log. She halted on one side and waited for me to climb over, then jumped carefully when I asked her to.
After they left, I groomed her and took her back up to explore some more. She loves eating downed fir branches, blackberry leaves and dried ferns. (I have since learned that dried bracken ferns are toxic and won't let her eat any more!) Green fern were of no interest, only the brown ones. As we walked more, she had the uncanny ability to see a scrap of fir under matted grass and snap it up as we walked by. The smell was wonderful. The other mares thought it quite odd that she was on the "wrong" side of the fence. lol! We spent some nice time with her grazing and me leaning on her warm body. :)
This will be a regular event for us. And makes me want to make sure any future boarding place has some trails nearby. Hiking is so much more fun with a horse along!
Trying on a new bridle for size. I have found that she takes a 4.5" bit.
The bridle is cob size, but the browband and noseband are a little small. She is a bit hard to fit. I am going to wait for her to mature a while to have her carry a bit. She still mouths it a lot.
Munching on fir branches while out on a walk.
My friend, Susan, took this photo out in the rain when she came to visit.