The GRAND Rose!

The GRAND Rose and Jesse!

Today WAS a very special ride day! My granddaughter from the PNW is visiting and TODAY was ride day. We started out a bit late...it was cloudy and cold, so I waited to wake her...then she climbed into my bed to snuggle under the covers for 2 more hours! Finally, we are ready to leave the house but the stop for gas, a Starbucks stop and a to go lunch stop made us quite late for our ride. We FINALLY get to the stables and hook up Jesse's Limo to the King Ranch before we groom and tack up the horse's.

So...I give the GRAND Rose instructions as to what I need from her to make this a quick, successful hookup. However...in the past my "backup buddies' have not been 15 yrs old. So...we begin the process and on the 2ND try, she mentioned that maybe she should let me know when I am an inch away from hitting the trailer on the right! Yup...she should! After my usual 5Th try (with out help) we were right on and got hooked up and pulled close to the tack room so we could load up ASAP! This part of the process was MUCH easier and with less angst. However...I now have to come up with an alternative trail to ride as the one I had previously picked for us was no longer an option because of time limitations we were facing. We made it to the staging area and unloaded as several of my desert riding club members were loading up after their ride. Of course they had to mention HOW cold it was getting. The GRAND Rose and I put on our sweatshirts and took off on our revised ride. We would not be climbing any hills but instead keep to the lower ground through 2 water crossings and to a palm tree oasis picnic ground, making a big loop back to the staging area. The GRAND Rose was riding Jesse and I was on Little Lady...The Bossman's 5 year old mare. Now Little Lady is a beautiful 3/4 Tennessee walker and 1/4 Morgan??? ( The Bossman will correct me on this...I am sure) Her Dad is Slick, The Bossman's full Tennessee walker Stallion that frequently rides with our "cozy" little group. Her mother " Little Bit" has since passed, but was a bay???. ( again The Bossman will butt in here) Little lady did NOT paint out, ( we don't hold that against her). We started out great... till we met a boarder from our stables...meditating in a place on the trail that you would NEVER see someone sitting on the ground. This year...Little Lady's new thing is to SNORT and act like she is going to bolt when she gets uneasy. So... we pass this boarder...snorting! Then Jesse decides he wants to pass Little Lady! The GRAND ROSE Handles Jesse beautifully and although this was the place we were going to lope, we opted not to. Too cool and snorting horses does not make for a good lope. We pass a BIG dumpster in the middle of the Canyon for Ranger dumping and go up to it so Jesse can LICK it and Lady can snort at it. The on to more trail and hikers ! A bit more snorting but no issue. I now think that snorting is Little Lady's way of saying...I am woman, hear me ROAR!

We stop to talk to some LA residents in for a desert visit and then head back toward the trailer. Only...in trying to cut some time off the ride (we are late) I take us off trail several times with risk of a ranger scolding if caught. To make time we decide to trot a bit, maybe a small lope. But Little Lady's gate is not really fast enough for Jesse to go into A LOPE and he keeps trying to pass her. SHE...does not like this and we get a few crow hops and one REAL buck!

Now Jesse and little Lady have known each other since she was a yearling. He has ponied her more times than I have said horse shit! But they were so funny today. She was in the lead but HE thought HE should be. No way in hell was SHE going to let him ahead of her! Some peoples KIDS!

Well...Yes we made it back to the staging area and then trailer in time to get out of the canyons. Untacking, grooming, blanketing, to bed and dinner all went smoothly. The GRAND Rose and I celebrated by going to our fav desert Italian restaurant for dinner!

Happy Trails,

The Desert Rose!