This November

I must admit, November has traditionally been Didder’s and my worst riding month, but looking back on some of the fun adventures we have had lately, I just can’t say that about this November. When we have not been playing Cowgirl/Cowpony Dress up (how DID those cowboys ever manage to shoot on horseback anyways?), we have been riding with our partners Angie and Chester (well, and OF COURSE Harold!), riding with some new friends, riding in some new places, practicing our groundwork, and hunting for Red Berry Bushes. I just love these red berry bushes. November colors can be so drab if you’re not looking very hard, but these bushes shine a cheerful bright red. My admiration of them borders on obsession. They grow in swampy areas or next to streams, so oftentimes Didder and I can’t get near enough for close ups. Today, we found a red berry bush in a prime location – growing over a patch of green grass
.Another awesome thing about this November is that I have learned to squeeze in all the rides I can on Sundays in order to TRY to keep up with my Maine Gaines partner, so I have been in the saddles at sunrises and sunsets. I have lost track of which of these are rises and which are sets, but any with snow in them are from this morning. Sometimes insomnia is helpful, like when I am awake at 3:30 am; I pull on boots and feed Didder his breakfast so that he isn’t hungry at dawn when we hit the trail.

Last Sunday, Didder and I had a surprise! My daybreak ride, I figured I’d officially get in a stream walk, even though my partner Angie is suffering a drought in Texas. Which reminds me, Angie, this is for you. Just look at the reflection in this pond. It was deliciously warm just about all that day, and Didder had no problem testing the water. His waves and splashes ruined the reflection, though. But I digress. On the way to the stream, I noticed that I only had three dogs with me, and I was annoyed because I didn’t want the older dogs teaching the pups that they could wander. I yelled for Ruby and Grace, and I could see them through the tree trunks, and then Grace came around the corner carrying this. A deer leg bone. She was such a good girl to come when I called even though she had a huge treat, that I let her carry it for quite a while. I located the carcass and texted my neighbor who assured me that everything was A-Ok. I was thinking about Linda V’s post, and thought I’d see how Ah-D reacted. He was very alert, in fact, he’d BEEN alert and I knew something was up even before Grace showed up with the leg, but he went right up to the carcass and sniffed it. He snorted quite a lot about it, and I got a kick out of it. I wished I’d thought to take a video. I just love how he trusts me so much now that he will do things that make him nervous, in fact, I just love my horse! So, deer carcass wasn’t on the November Challenge list…what’s up with that? ;) I can’t text and ride at the same time, and while I was walking and texting we ended up on a steep hill and I mounted from the off-side. No big deal to Didder, even when I was uncoordinated about it and thumped him in the butt with my boot. Good boy!

As you can see, I doubt there will be any more opportunities to pond-ride this November.Today is the last day of rifle hunting season. We say bye-bye to that without a trace of sadness in our heartsWe had to stick on the road and gaze at the wooded hills full of interesting trails. Didder kept offering to veer off onto them at opportune moments and couldn't really figure out why we kept to the road. Well...mostly kept to the road.This field looked ripe for a canter. Ah-D thought it looked ripe for a gallop and that maybe he could get away with ignoring my slow down cues. This bling bridle has a broken snaffle, not his usual bit combo, and he knew it. Stinky boy!Even so, when we stopped at the neighbors to chat, I said OK to an apple treat. Terry admired Ah-D's curly coat, so OF COURSE that opened the door for a lively discussion about Curlies and their admirable traits. We didn't discuss his earlier snafu. ;) Hope you all had as wonderful a Thanksgiving as I did! ~Susan and Stinky Didder of the Maine Gaines Team~