Hail for Hammer

This was the scene of the high point of our trail ride today--right before all hell broke loose. We had a lot of hangups getting ourselves to the campground today, but finally got here three hours later than anticipated. We hurried as fast as we could to saddle up and get out, since our friends had been waiting forever.

We should have know something would go berserk, as we had driven through off and on monsoons all morning to get here--but it had only sprinkled here.

Hammer got off the trailer a little shaky and a lot scared, but we did not have time to indulge that. He was immediately hooked to a picket line for his first time, so we could unload the trailer, etc. He did GREAT. Honestly, that was what worried me the most--picket lines are something we take for granted, but we are bound to eventually have a young colt that takes exception. Somehow, by the grace of God--today was not that day. Anyone who placed money on that deal---you will collect from me, because I sure did not see it going that easily.


Anyway, we went to the scene of the most infamous trailriding crime of my time--the place where Haida Girl hauled balls years ago, leaving me stranded miles from camp, on a bluff high above the Shawnee. We arrived, and I am not exaggerating, the second we got off our horses, I took this photo.

This was at about 3 pm. Brightest part of the day, on one of the highest points in the Shawnee. If you could see this on a regular day, you would see hills and bluffs for maybe 50 miles--but this storm was a doozy. We started out hiding in the trees and commenting on how easy it was to avoid the raindrops. That did not last long. Before we knew it, it was hailing and blowing and raining so hard, I was soaked through to my drawers within minutes. And it showed no sign of letting up.

We had no choice but to head back to camp in that mess--we were freezing and the rain was coming down so hard that previously hard packed trails had water running down them the wrong way. We made it back in about 45 minutes--but they were a long 45 minutes!

I could not have been more proud of Hammer. He hesitated at nothing. Mud? No issue. Logs? If they were below belly level, he never even hesitated. He did not need to be up anyone's butt, he was content to be left behind by hundreds of yards, he did not blindly follow the horse in front of him ( a pet peeve of mine)--he was just outstanding. My little scaredy cat acted like a seasoned pro. I felt as safe as if I had been on one of the oldsters who have done it a hundred times. On top of all that, he was as happy as I have ever seen a young one faced with all these challenges the first time.

Right now, I am outside the trailer at a picnic table--watching him on the picket line--which is also okay with him. He did not even have the initial trouble all babies have when trying to eat from a mobile hay bag--he figured that bad boy out with the first bite. Right now, it is strung across his back--about twice as scary as the rope that he got wonky last week after his bath that caused him to attack the barn wall, and yet he is not even bothered by it. I could not be more proud of him, I swear it.

I am psyched about tomorrow--if riding in a hail storm does not phase him, I feel a whole lot more secure in him than I had ever anticipated I would at this stage of the game. I am so psyched for tomorrow. Hopefully, there will be no more hail. The charm of that has passed.