Back from Wyoming Ride

Tanza did a nice job on the 50.   I got to ride with Crockett.   He was riding at a modest pace.  We finished in 8 hours of riding time.   I was wanting to be no faster than 7 hours but hopefully not slower than 8 hours so that was perfect.  I want to write it up more but am dragging ass tired tonight.  Tried to do the LD on Sadie on Sunday and she was lame :(   She was off and on lame a good part of the first loop, the vet did not catch it at the hold but when I asked him to watch her at the end of the hold she was definitely off.   She seemed fine trotting in paddock after getting home today so hopefully she remains OK for light pleasure riding.    She rode like a broke horse so that was a relief after she was so snotty at Shamrock and Buffalo Creek last year.  

I may buy another horse.  The family I have hauled some took over board on a horse whose owner passed away, the horse and J have a bond with each other.   If the state or owners family/estate need the horse to be sold to settle the estate I have said I will buy him.  I will only do so if I have a contract for the family to adopt him the next day though; I am not volunteering to take this one home to feed every winter.   That is OK for Lady since I own her and am happy to just get her messed with and fed by someone else during the summer but I don't want to become an un-official rescue.

Hopefully they can contact the estate and either just be given the horse by the estate or work out a sales agreement.   It seems that Colorado law insists that horses be sold at auction if a landowner wants to sell to collect unpaid board, from what someone posted on FB recently or if a horse would be considered abandoned the brand inspector takes it to auction.     Writing a check to buy the horse would be easy, it will suck if I have to haul him home from an auction and especially if I have to go bid on him in person rather than just doing a check or cc over the phone after the family or a proxy of theirs did the actual bidding.  

Not a bad ride conditioning weekend.

I started Tanza on Redmond stress relief formula about 10 days before and he was better about eating his mashes.   I still felt like he wasn't drinking like he should.  It was pretty hot for this early in the year.   But Tanza went out in the lake and splashed and splashed but didn't try to lay down and was pretty well behaved by my standards.    By the NATRC and ranch people standards I am the worst horseman in the world since he did a bit of going sideways at times and I let him walk off when I am mounting.   Coming in from the only 18 rather than 25 expected miles I felt like Tanza and I should go back out but back in camp I was feeling overheated and no one else was going to ride anymore. But overall I think the weekend was useful to help get us stronger for my Shamrock goal and that is what matters to me.

I had no propane.   Apparently last trip when I thought I diligently turned off the propane what I really did was crank it as wide open as possible.   I need to get indicators for those there are ones that are portable and then make a point to always get a new full tank as soon as one is emptied.   Hate when I have those moments of gas-lighting myself.