Out To Beat Pete

Jetta and I headed out alone this morning to do a solo journey around the seven or eight mile loop trail we call Pete Winward. Our goal was to ride the loop in an hour and a half as opposed to the two and a quarter hours we rode it in last week. Last week we were with trail riding friends and trotted some, but today we trotted everywhere the footing was good (and not too downhill!) which is almost all of the first half and some of the last half.

Jetta started out a little insecure, looking at downed trees and funny-shaped logs and acting a little silly, but it didn't take long for her to settle and move out. We had a blast! We climbed steep hills and trotted over roots and logs and cow patties. Yes, the cows were out and we even had to tell one to get out of our way! Jetta was a big girl and handled all the questions well. She didn't drink at the three or four creek crossings, but she played in the water and nibbled some grass. The Rock Springs Trail is rocky, so we mostly walked there. Her Easyboot Gloves continue to perform flawlessly. We walked the steep downhills and trotted the relatively level, good footing areas. No other riders, hikers, mountain bikers were out on this glorious morning. Unbelievable. Well they missed out, but Jetta and I didn't complain about having the trail to ourselves!

Congratulations to me for not getting us lost; that was the first time I've done that trail alone, and I didn't miss any of the turns. (OK, fine. So I had to backtrack twenty yards at one point, but at least I recognized my mistake immediately!) There are many connecting trails, and I've been on all of them--behind friends who have ridden up there for years. I felt quite pleased with myself when we arrived back at the trailer! Of course, I was even more pleased with Jetta! We did the loop in one hour and thirty-three minutes! So yeah, we beat Pete in a not too shabby way!

UPDATE: Cinnamon, the foundered, neglected, and now rescued pony has had her forth trim. I visit her each week and work on her feet. Her back feet are looking good; new growth shows a good hoof wall attachment. Her fronts, however, are still not great. Cinnamon's front fetlock joints are still knuckled over although we are starting to see some improved flexibility. I would like to see more. The owner wanted to get x-rays, but has put that on hold due to financial reasons. Cinnamon hobbles around and once got out of the field and ran when the owner tried to catch her! She actually doesn't appear to be in pain; she's bright-eyed, feisty, and getting spoiled. So she seems to be "happily" getting along, but the question remains: will she ever be "normal?" On the top below is the photo from the July 12 post. On the bottom is today's photo.