I saddled the beast up this morning and went for a fight...er, ride. He was an absolute booger most of the morning, fighting me nearly the whole time. I have discovered I start to really get grouchy with him about the time I'm in need of a drink--which happens faster when we're fighting with each other.
Anyway, I also rotated the cows--which is where the soggy boots come into the story. I had gotten the 'girls' over into the north pasture when I remembered that I needed to go take care of the gates into the woods. I grouched at Snip some as he kept poking his nose into the grass while he should have just been standing and waiting for me. He's started doing this a little more than he used to.
After closing the last gate, I remounted and clucked at Snip. I went down to the creek overflow and let him drink, then on the spur of the moment decided that we should go through the creek area. It's been a couple weeks since the last time--and the water is higher. I pretty much remember where the low spots are (the benefits of being very familier with the terrain) so I thought we could get through without too much problem. I rode through half a dozen spider webs and tried very hard not to freak out too much about it. I didn't see any spiders, so I didn't completely go nuts. :)
Well, we managed to get almost all the way through the bayhead before the wetting came. I purposely didn't go the way I go when it's dry back there because it would assure a swim for Snip and a soaking for me. Neither did I go the way I had the previous two times because last time I nearly boxed us in--and I wanted to avoid any more spider webs if at all possible. I should have known that the water was going to be deeper at this particular spot--we were shooting here a couple of years ago--but I plowed Snipper down anyway. All of a sudden I realized that there was no helping it...water was cascading into my boots and I was at least calf-deep in the water (which means Snip was in about half-way up his withers). I'm not sure he didn't even swim a stroke or two. Anyways, I kept pushing and he climbed out (kind of steep right there). I pulled him up, hooked one leg over the saddle horn, removed my boot and dumped the water out and then repeated the process with the other foot. I grabbed the boots by the spurs and carried them with me like that--sort of upside down, trying not to drip water onto my pistol. Then I headed to the house with my feet encased in soaking wet blue argyle socks. Those feet stayed out of the stirrups mainly--I can't exactly reach the stirrups bootless anyway (except with my toes stretched . I did find that it was easier to bump Snip with (essentially) barefeet than it is in my mud-boots. He behaved like a gentleman all the way back to the house, even when I dropped my boots over the electrice fence.
I'm going back to the bayhead now--but not with Snip. I'll be lugging my camera... :)
Anyway, I also rotated the cows--which is where the soggy boots come into the story. I had gotten the 'girls' over into the north pasture when I remembered that I needed to go take care of the gates into the woods. I grouched at Snip some as he kept poking his nose into the grass while he should have just been standing and waiting for me. He's started doing this a little more than he used to.
After closing the last gate, I remounted and clucked at Snip. I went down to the creek overflow and let him drink, then on the spur of the moment decided that we should go through the creek area. It's been a couple weeks since the last time--and the water is higher. I pretty much remember where the low spots are (the benefits of being very familier with the terrain) so I thought we could get through without too much problem. I rode through half a dozen spider webs and tried very hard not to freak out too much about it. I didn't see any spiders, so I didn't completely go nuts. :)
Well, we managed to get almost all the way through the bayhead before the wetting came. I purposely didn't go the way I go when it's dry back there because it would assure a swim for Snip and a soaking for me. Neither did I go the way I had the previous two times because last time I nearly boxed us in--and I wanted to avoid any more spider webs if at all possible. I should have known that the water was going to be deeper at this particular spot--we were shooting here a couple of years ago--but I plowed Snipper down anyway. All of a sudden I realized that there was no helping it...water was cascading into my boots and I was at least calf-deep in the water (which means Snip was in about half-way up his withers). I'm not sure he didn't even swim a stroke or two. Anyways, I kept pushing and he climbed out (kind of steep right there). I pulled him up, hooked one leg over the saddle horn, removed my boot and dumped the water out and then repeated the process with the other foot. I grabbed the boots by the spurs and carried them with me like that--sort of upside down, trying not to drip water onto my pistol. Then I headed to the house with my feet encased in soaking wet blue argyle socks. Those feet stayed out of the stirrups mainly--I can't exactly reach the stirrups bootless anyway (except with my toes stretched . I did find that it was easier to bump Snip with (essentially) barefeet than it is in my mud-boots. He behaved like a gentleman all the way back to the house, even when I dropped my boots over the electrice fence.
I'm going back to the bayhead now--but not with Snip. I'll be lugging my camera... :)
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