This message is from: "Gail Russell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hi all,
I am supposed to be cleaning, so will not go on at length, but wanted to let everyone know what a beautiful fall day I had with Rom at an organized 3 hour trail ride at the Fred McMurray Ranch. I had just impulse-bought (EBAY, where else?) a 1991 vintage Orthoflex Competitor saddle with (I think) System I panels. Beautiful boar's hide, with Montana silver conchos and breast collar and bridle to match. So....this was our first outing with it and it fit Rom (and me) like a dream. I am convinced that he walked out MUCH better than he has in my other saddles. He just took off. My friends were on an Arab and a young quarter horse, respectively. The QH was having fits, wanting to get going sooner, and was throwing in a few little bucks, minor rears, and backing up into the sharp vineyard support system. (Fred MacMurray had a cattle ranch, but Gallo wine put grapes in a few years after he died, and now runs the vineyard in some kind of partnership with Fred's daughter.) The Arab just did a lathery little jog-trot the whole day. Rom was not bothered in the least. He just walked on. He did have a bit of problem with the heat, and did stop once or twice on the really long steeper hills, but generally, he just trucked along. Everyone thought he was wonderful. We passed several older women (like me) on gorgeous Warmbloods. I was not envious as their horses bounced around. Rom did have a few anxious moments crossing bridges, but managed to hold it together just fine. And, when we stopped, he stood.....or ate. And, we did the whole ride barefoot. I had had Rom's shoes pulled two months ago when he came back from cowboy camp, after my new farrier was horrified by the shape of his feet. He was heading for long toe, low heel, had nasty looking white line areas, and the angles on his back feet were all out of whack. I had bought Boa boots, and was going to use those, but got them on his fronts at the start of the ride and decided there was too much danger he would end up with a heel bulb rub. I don't know if I just failed to hammer the boot back so his toe would go down into it, or if his feet had grown out enough that he needed a bigger size. In any case, we figured we had better go without the boots. Turned out Rom went the whole way barefoot, without missing a step. (He also lucked out because his shoeless condition meant I felt it necessary to walk him on the shoulder of the road...where all the nice tall weeds were right about mouth level.) People thought he looked great, though many mistook him for an Icelandic pony or a Haflinger. The mule people immediately suggested a Fjord mule (I explained about the prohibition.). Rom, by the way, was completely unconcerned by the mules we traveled with, and by the American flag waving from the lead truck. We did have a little near miss when I absent-mindedly let him get too close to the refreshment table while I was trying to get a bottle of water. His lips JUST grazed the sugar topped muffins. They would have been gone if Rom had not hesitated a moment trying to decide whether he thought he LIKED sugar topped muffins. At one point Rom was insisting we take a fork in the road that led away from the path all the other horses were taking. I had my suspicions at the time, which were confirmed later when the group doubled back to this fork and took it pretty much directly back to the trailers. I do not know how horses can do this, but Rom knew exactly where his nice comfy hay-stocked trailer was, and he much preferred that idea to following a bunch of horses up and down hills. Well...back to work. Just wanted to let everyone know Rom was a big hit and I had a glorious fall day. Gail Russell Forestville CA
