Adventures with Cherie

 

Adventures with Cherie

Note that Cherie is different from Shari with Bella.  Shari was on vacation, so we took our "Replacement Cherie" with us on a trail ride.  She rides a small pinto named Warrior who looks a lot like a Thelwell pony.  He seems to be misnamed, because he's more like a pussy cat than a warrior.  Compared to the other Shari's Bella, going on a ride with him is just a slow amble through the park.  Dante likes to be with him.

We went on a longer ride than Cherie is used to which involved crossing the second river.  Warrior was awesome.  On the way home, Warrior picked up the speed, and he reached the river with Cole--quite ahead of Starry and Dante.  We decided to go ahead and cross.  Since Cherie isn't too familiar with this river crossing, she wanted to follow Cole.  Usually, we cross one at a time in case one horse falls--then they all won't go down.  (Been there--done that.)  Cole never likes horses splashing him, and since we no longer practice it, I didn't know how he would be with Warrior behind him.  I figured I would just keep him ahead far enough to avoid being splashed.

Well, for a pony, Warrior can really splash!  At one point, he stumbled a little, but he quickly regained his footing and continued to splash across.  He splashed the equivalent of at least 3 horses.  Cole felt a little nervous, but I just kept him moving.  Towards the end of the crossing, he was walking pretty fast, so I braced myself.  As soon as he hit the shore, he burst--and cantered up the bank.  I was ready for it, so it wasn't a big deal at all.  In fact, I laughed.

By now, Kevin and Ellen caught up and started to cross while we waited for them.  Ellen got across first, and she noticed that Warrior had lost one of his hoof boots.  Cherie had just bought a new pair, so I really wanted to find it.  Those things are rather expensive.  

We told Kevin as he finished crossing, and he said he saw something that looked like a hoof boot in the river.  I told Cherie that I would get it for her.  He took Starry back into the water and showed me where it was.  It was right where Warrior had stumbled.  I brought Cole over to it, and Kevin hurried Starry out.  He didn't want Starry close to us as I landed in the water.  The river was about a foot and a half deep in that spot.  I had done this before when Starry lost one of his fetlock boots in the river--it wasn't as deep that time, but Cole didn't seem to mind me dismounting in the water, so I figured he would be fine this time, too.

I was right.  I slid down into the water, grabbed the boot and led Cole to the other side of the river--which was closer to us.  At one point, the water was about 2 feet deep, and I got pretty wet.  I didn't mind since I was wearing old jeans and old boots.  

I led Cole up the river bank, mounted and headed back down the bank.  Cole took off trotting!  My reins weren't long enough and I had one hand holding the boot, so I couldn't stop him.  It was a long, steep bank, so I have to admit it was pretty scary.  By the time we got to the bottom, I had him walking and we made it back across the river without any trouble.  Ellen thinks he was startled by my wet legs--which makes total sense.

I gave the boot to Cherie, and she got off to put it back on Warrior.  Now, we had another problem.  Cherie doesn't mount from the ground.  We walked down the trail looking for an appropriate log to use as a mounting block, but she was so concerned about poison ivy--which our woods is filled with and she is extremely allergic to it.  Finally, she decided that she would just mount from the ground.  I suggested that I get off and hold her opposite stirrup so that the saddle doesn't slip.  I often do that for Ellen.

We set up the horses, but she was still having trouble.  A couple of hikers happened to come by and offered to help.  They both shoved Cherie up while I held the stirrup--and hurray!  She was in the saddle!

I think that is when she told me that it was one of her old boots, because the new ones were rubbing Warrior a little.  All that for an old boot?  I teased her and said I wouldn't have gotten it if I knew it was an old boot.   (It was just teasing-I would have retrieved it for her anyway.)

I mounted back up for the third time that day--glad that I worked so hard to keep my mounting ability when I was side-lined after breaking my wrist.  We all just walked down the trail and relaxed--for about 2 minutes--when Ellen noticed that Starry lost a shoe!  (Ellen has the best eyes--she notices everything.)  We looked around and found it right away--and it meant that I had to get off and get it--since no one else can mount from the ground.  I sighed--my fourth mount of the day.  I had a jacket, so I was able to put the shoe in my pocket.

A short while later, we crossed the river to go home, and Kevin got off to lead Starry the rest of the way.  My legs were much drier by then, so I didn't change into the dry clothes I had in the car, but I did change into some dry shoes.  

Everything went well.  Cherie had her boot, the farrier was able to come out the next day to put Starry's shoe back on and I got some delicious home made chocolate chip cookies from Cherie.