Hey Sweetheart!
Got off to a slow start this morning, but finally got my act together when Cathy came around at 11:00. I still hadn't decided which horse to ride, but decided on Apollo when Flash still seemed to be a bit tender on his ankle. Headed for a nice loop that would give us an opportunity to come back to came early, and Cathy to keep going, just in case it was too much for him. Once he got going, though, he did a great job! The trails here are quite nice, the weather was perfect, the footing had the occasional bit of rock but not too much, so it was very enjoyable. We actually missed a turn and ended up going for over six miles, the longest Apollo has done in a long time, almost double what we did on our last ride! He seemed to loosen up quite nicely, didn't stumble nearly as much, and seemed to really enjoy himself. This is the third time in a week he's been ridden, and I think it's doing him a lot of good. His hindquarters were getting a little hollow, but now they're firming up again. You'd never know this old guy is 30 now! Way to go Apollo! A very pleasant ride. Cathy's horse Whiskey didn't seem to mind the slow pace, and that last stretch home was the fastest. There were a lot more trees down on the trail than I would have expected in a state park, but nothing we couldn't get around with a little effort. Got back to camp to find Flash had hardly touched his hay, and that's the same bag as I put up last night, so I was a bit worried about him. Later, though, Cathy helped me rinse down his ankle, and he made a good pile of manure, which I was very glad about because it didn't look like he'd been doing much of that, and then he finally started munching down on his hay, so I guess he's on the mend. Apollo had no ill effects from his ride, so it turned out to be a good day all around! Later I visited with Cathy for awhile, then I helped her fill up her water tank in the back of her golf cart, and she helped me drag my manure in her sled to the manure pile, which is WAY over on the other side of the parking area. We waited until nearly 8:00 to do that, so that everyone had left, but the DNR guys showed up just as we were finishing. Technically, she's not supposed to have a golf cart here, but seriously? It's not like she's running around the park, she's just going from her stall to the manure pile, and now to the water pump. They told her she could get a permit for it for her stay, something the folks in the front office apparently neglected to tell her when she checked in. They also said Lola needed to be on a leash, even though there was no one else around (state law), and we were only walking from the manure pit back to Cathy's site. Anyway, finally got back home and settled down for the night, with plans to ride in the morning and pick up hay in the afternoon. Another lovely day on the road! Good night, my love!
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