Went to Shamrock ride over the 4th

It was not a success by conventional measures.   Sadie was a bit off on the right front after completing the LD on Friday even though we went quite slow.    She was a little punk at the start -didn't want to leave base camp and Tanza and Razz and even late in the ride when asked to stand still she was doing some jumping up and down and being obnoxious.   Hopefully she'll get through this phase fairly quickly.

Tanza's turn was saturday and I had expectations that he'd get into a go with the herd flow and be fine for any water crossings and whatnot that he'd otherwise have hesitations about.   But after leading him out at the start to avoid rodeo he lost a hoof boot on his right hind leg right after I got on.  So after leading him back to the trailer so I could tie him to replace it (and I had to get a new boot as the old one was torn by that time if it had not been right way when it came off)  there was only two other people in sight and they were only still in sight because he was leading his green horse because she had been very wound up.   Tanza would not pass them and go on his own and they graciously let me stay with them.

Then Tanza would not cross water even when their horses crossed nicely in front of him.  I had to get off and lead through water.  He lost a boot in mud at one point and I could not find it and the spare I had grabbed was the next half size that was a bit big even for his front feet.   So it did not stay on long; and I decided to just leave it when it came off.  Tied it on my saddle but it came off sometime on the loop.   Sigh I hate hoof boots, I must see if I can get D or someone else out to shoe him.

The couple that babysat me were riding very slow as they thought their green horse was also not fitted up and they were going to just to the first loop (they said) --not sure if they would have rode both loops if they had not been extra slowed down waiting for me with Tanza through the canyon part with the water crossings he would not do.    Tanza was ready to pick up a decent trot the last 3 miles to camp on road we had ridden out on after drinking at the trough so I had him do that and I did do the second loop.  

We would have been on time if we rode the loop in 2 hours and 20 minutes and I think Tanza was fit enough he could have done that but with going out by himself as green as he is I figured  I'd have so much leading and slow at start and leading through at least first few water crossings that we'd be over time, and my watch was trying to get itself back to Central time I think so I took it off and decided I'd just ride Tanza at whatever pace felt safe for his physical and mental state.   I was correct and we were OT although he did finish the loop in 2 hours and 40 minutes which was not bad after the slow start.   He gave me a nice trot in spots and was walking through water with me on him after a few of the creek crossings and even stopping and drinking out of the creeks by the end of the loop so it was a really good training ride for him.

I was way tired plus felt that no more miles than I've put on Tanza it might be overreaching to try to ride the 30 again on Sunday so thought I would do the fun ride with Dad on him to reinforce the water crossing.   But Tanza tripped himself on the high tie Sunday morning and bruised his right front tendon in the splint bone area.   Thank god folks were still in camp and a gentleman loaned me his knife so I could cut the halter to free T.   I have got to find a sheath knife that I can carry around my neck or waist all the time.   I often don't have pants pockets and fairly often not shirt pockets so I can't get myself trained to carry a pocket knife even the times I do have a pocket of some sort.

I rode Sadie on the fun ride since Tanza had that fresh tendon bruising.  She seemed to work out the glitch in her RF leg after walking a few miles and was being fresh and wanting to prance and trot the last part of the ride when I was asking her to walk so Dad could walk on RazzMo.   So that worked.  I could have rode Grey who I dragged along at the last minute because he was ADR thursday morning when I fed hay, but it was good that it worked out with Sadie.   Grey was fine later thursday morning when he got his soaked senior feed; I think he's been having problems chewing the new hay we got and I am working out what kind of soaked hay cube or pellets he will eat and if other hay will work better for him.   I will have to have him by himself when we are gone so he can eat.   Hopefully he'll be OK with visiting over a fence, he does not do well with separation but I can hardly ask the neighbor do come over 4 times a day so they can feed him extra and then put him back in with Shade.