Good Eye

 I’d like to think I have a decent eye for good horseflesh - I certainly hope this latest prospect of mine turns out to be a good investment. 

At least three years ago (but it could’ve been 4; my sense of time gets increasingly screwed up these days) my groomer Ashley took in a gelding which her hairdresser had bought - he was “too much hoss” for her. Green horse + green rider = black and blue! While I think the original plan was for Ashley to work with Bo (she’s a fair ‘nuff cowgirl), enough time passed for Bo to become a permanent part of Ashley’s herd. Unfortunately between 5 kiddos and her grooming/boarding business, Bo remained “outstanding in the field”. Last year a lesion appeared on his left lower eyelid - I advised Ashley on its treatment, but it only got worse - the dreaded “cancer eye” which afflicts white-faced horses and cattle. (Squamous cell carcinoma) 

I finally offered to take Bo over myself - I’ve always wanted a buckskin. It may not be perfect, but he may make a “fair ‘nuff” trail horse once his eye heals. We visited Texas A & M last Thursday for his first round of treatment, with follow up in 4 wks.  

I wasted a lot of time yesterday monitoring the Tevis ride (the pinnacle of endurance achievements, a 100 mi ride from Lake Tahoe to Auburn over the Sierra Nevada mountains). It had a lower than normal enlistment (there is a 250 rider limit, but yesterday only 133 toed the line). Of course it was canceled last summer due to the pandemic, but in years past you had to send in your entry early to get your spot. The trail did its usual work of weeding out about 50% of the participants - there were only 63 finishers.  

But one of them was this fine mule and her intrepid rider -  
 
I originally joined SparkPeople 11 years ago, planning to peel off enough excess weight to toe the line again myself. My ex cruised through in ‘97 on The One n’ Only Fabulous Wynkhy, but by Y2K his high mileage was starting to catch up to him. I still tried to train him up for my attempt, but he went lame at a crucial ride 2 months before… I moved on to 2nd stringer Ahab; he stepped off the trailer lame when we arrived in sunny CA. I leased a good mule, but never having ridden ol’ Jake before, we fell too far behind and were pulled for running overtime by Mile 56. I bought Baraq, hoping he could be Wynk’s successor (no equine could ever “replace” him) - and while Baraq has performed admirably, I have failed to allow him to achieve his full potential… 
No doubt in my mind that my little Baraquinator could still do it - I remain the weak link. 

However, hope springs anew as I got in a good ride on Ms Kizzy this morning. She does better and better each time I ride her - now if only she could remember how to STAND STILL at the mounting block! 
 
Warm-up lap around the soccer fields 
 
Starting down the trail 
 
Be sure & get our good side (sheesh!)