Giovanna's First Adventure

Looking where we came from...

Not to be outdone by Berhwood, Giovanna went for her first adventure today.   I took her on the same path as Ber and I traveled yesterday, but I walked her all the way out.   Wasn't sure if she would be steady or spooky.  She did great, and was much calmer and more settled than she's ever been, anywhere. This herd life really suits her, and this ranch has good energy.

It is a rare overcast, muggy day here. Still over 100 degrees, but the shade is nice.

The trail goes along the edge of the pasture the herd is in, except the pasture follows the ridge of a hill.  As we walked off down the trail, the rest of the herd walked along the fence line. They looked like they were going up an escalator as they rose with the hill.  We left them behind and ventured out into the ranch.   

The next section of trail to explore....

I rode Gio back. Boy does she walk out quick!  She was much steadier than I expected, and not in a terrible hurry to get back to the herd.   All in all, another good horse day.

Herd buddies just neighed, hence the cocked ear and eye....

Canning season has arrived. First up was plum jam.  These were clingstone plums, so we experimented with methods for getting the plum flesh free from the pits.   Cooking the plums in a bit of water, then cooling them and fishing out the pits worked well.   Pretty much no loss of juice or flesh that way.  Hands get stained, but that's okay!  Reminds me of my mom's hands when it was blackberry picking season.

Looking to the yonder.

Today is pickled beets. Tomorrow or Thursday will be Asian Plum Sauce. I had one jar left from the infamous Rio Dell plum canning of 2011, and we used it the other night in stir fry. Jay thought it was awesome and we need more.   :)

Where we came from....

Adventuring We Go!

Ber looking out at the great beyond.

Monday, Ber and I ventured out onto a trail at the ranch.  We have gone over to the arena, but this was the first time crossing through a gate and seeing what was out there.  I was waiting for the herd to settle down a bit so that my removing Ber wouldn't cause too much upset.   Ber, he wasn't worried at all about being taken out. He is the bottom of the pack, so I didn't expect him to mind.    The others, they were back in the pasture calling for him and worrying. 

He turned for a "horsie" (horse version of a selfie).

Horsing around!

 
  The ranch is 1500 acres of rolling hills with oaks and grasslands. There's a dry creek bed going through a valley, and a semblance of a road going along the creek bed. I felt this was the best choice for our first venture, since the gate is right next to the Red Barn where the horses are located. 









The grass is all dry now, so it is this tawny yellow-gold color.  When we set out, it was about 80 degrees and climbing. The forecast was for 106 degrees (Fahrenheit, of course).  With the heat, there wasn't much out and about, save a couple birds in the bushes.

and there's the great blue yonder....

Throughout the whole ride, Ber showed his steadiness and enjoyment of adventure.   He was curious and interested in his surroundings, without tension in his body.  He startled just three times, where his body kind of jumped a bit and he looked closely at something. Once was a flicker flying up from a tree, once was a log that appeared suddenly when we rounded a corner, and once was a hole in a tree that looked different when we came back the other way!    All three times he looked and then resumed his journey. I stopped him many times along the way to give him room to look around at things.   

 

Heading back to the pasture.  Relaxed, enjoying the journey.  

This was our first of what I hope to be many enjoyable adventures at this ranch. How lucky we are to have this place to explore!   How lucky I am to have this horse Ber to share these adventures with.  He turned 11 this year, and he's matured into a pretty lovely boy.  Being a part of a herd has put the icing on the cake as far as his steadiness and relaxation goes. He seems to be very content right now.

In other news, I am continuing to search for a job, while also enjoying time to settle in and explore life in this new town.  Jay works as an ER nurse, and works six 12 hours shifts every 2 weeks.  It is a pretty sweet schedule, in that he has a lot of time to do what he wants during the week, though those long days are pretty long!  Yesterday, after dinner, we had just enough time before bed to walk to the golf course 1/2 mile away.  Jay putted and pitched and I went for a 30 min. run.    We met back up and walked home in the twilight, marveling at the wonder of it all.
 

The joy of rolling in sweet grass...

I am grateful beyond measure for this opportunity....to see this version of my life unfold, to feel like a kid again every day when I wake up, wondering "what will this day hold?"    Right now, I am going to walk to the nearby bakery to pick up a few loaves of day-old bread for the freezer, and then ride my bike to the horses to check on them and see what Giovanna wants to do today....

How Many Horses Does it Take to Make a Herd?

Happy Herd in the morning...

My two horses  are growing up! Yesterday, Ber and Gio merged with Badger and Lacey to make a herd of four.  I can imagine how parents feel on the first day of school, when their children merge with the other kids in a classroom.   How will they get along?  Will they be good to the other horses, get picked on, or be a bully?  Will other horses like them?    Have I been a good horse owner?  

Herd dynamics at the water trough.

We first put Badger in with Gio and Ber.   Tom (Badger's owner) thought that would be easiest since Badger's pretty low-key. But I'd been watching Badger threatening Ber, and trying to "protect" Gio from Ber over the fence, and the intensity of Badger's focus made me think there would be a contest of wills there... Knowing Berhwood well, I figured he wouldn't back down easily, but he also wouldn't be interested in having a battle.   Badger took Ber's number, and rang it a few times. Lots of chasing with teeth bared. Lots of wheeling and threatening.  Then a few solid kicks to Ber's haunches.  Did Ber give up?  No. He kept trying to come in and be a part of things, testing the waters, seeing how close he could get before Badger would erupt. This is Ber's new research project... Meanwhile, Giovanna also put Badger in his place, and reminded Ber of his place.  

Where's Berhwood?  Giovanna and her minions....

Once they had ironed things out, we brought Lacey in.   I had wanted to do it separately, and I'm glad we did.  Dropping Badger and Lacey in at the same time would have been extremely chaotic.  I predicted that Gio and Lacey would need to decide who was lead mare, and they did not disappoint.   The threats built, with Giovanna backing up her threats. They had one serious kicking bout, with Giovanna practically running backward, chasing Lacey while kicking, and Lacey kicking back while moving forward. At one point, Giovanna was turning in circles, backing up and kicking at every horse until they were all in a circle around her, standing at a distance, waiting for instructions.

How close can Ber get to the herd?  He eats a bite, takes a step, eats a bite, takes a step.

When the dust settled, Gio had a herd.   Lacey seems to be fairly comfortable following Giovanna's lead.  Badger walks around near Gio (her right-hoof man), and any time she turns an ear at Ber, Badger chases him away.  They follow her anywhere.    Interestingly, Ber is the adventuresome one, and because he goes up into the trees to eat and explore, Gio follows him, and the herd goes with her. So even though Ber is the outcast, he has a lot of influence on the herd.   When I look out, The three are clustered together, with Ber nearby.      

Badger says that is close enough!  Just after this picture was taken,  Badger ran after Ber and the herd is stirred up.

So far, the dynamics of the herd after 24 hours:  Giovanna runs the show.  Badger backs up her threats.  Lacey is not rocking the boat. Ber is testing everyone to see what he can do, how close he can get, etc.    Yes, he's pushing the buttons. I don't think he's going to get bored for a good long while!  Gio is in her element, with three horses paying attention to every flick of her ear.

Ber is back behind the tree, the herd settles in again.

This morning, Gio had scrapes and gouges along the entire length of the inside of her left hind leg, with swelling along the bottom portion.  Not sure if she got hung up on the fence or a log. No loose wires anywhere, so I'm betting log.  The way she was kicking everyone yesterday, I thought she was going to break one of her petite legs.  Interestingly, she is the only one with injuries. Everyone else seems to have emerged unscathed except for bruises. 

Then, the herd gradually drifts over to where Ber is.  They just want to be together.

This creating of a herd has many benefits, especially for the mental health of my horses.  They need to be in a herd, it's how they are hardwired.    However, one of the big benefits for me is that Ber has better manners, and he seems to want to be around me more enthusiastically, as if I am a safe place for him.  Additionally, being a herd has broken the "joined at the hip" bond Gio and Ber had from all the time they spent together.      It is much easier to take Ber away to have adventures. And Gio seems more secure and stable.

Giovanna explaining that no one is to be in her space.

I know I said last week that this post would be about job prospects, but that will have to wait.  I am continuing to apply and seek work that will be enjoyable and purposeful.  Meanwhile,  I'm enjoying settling into my new home and finding new routines to my life.  I'm cycling every day, and my hip pain has gone away so I've started running again!  What does that look like?  Me running 2 minutes, walking 2 minutes, repeating for as many reps as I can, every other day.  Last night I did 10 reps, so ended up running a total of 20 minutes. I'll keep increasing the running and decreasing the walking, as long as I have no pain. I'm also working on my Spanish by reading children's literature, since I found a bunch of Spanish elementary school textbooks.  :)  And right now, I'm going to set up my little office space and write a cover letter for a job that's right up my alley....

The trio eating.

The outcast enjoying cool water.

Happy 4th!!