10/4/21
2:57 pm Monday
On The Trail Of Joy With My Dales Pony Arabella, Abby Gets Off The Farm And Gives Us A Ride Of A Lifetime
Late afternoon Shuna asks Viggo and me if we want to go on a ride on the ponies in the arena or on the trails. Viggo says, “Trails!” I have some cleaning I want to finish. Sunday is cleaning day at Cascadia Heritage Farm. But it gets dark so early in the Pacific Northwest during fall and winter I hold off on getting all of my cleaning done and help Shuna start getting the mares ready. Shuna decides to get Abby out for a ride instead of Taz, our stallion. I start with picking hooves. I have gotten better at picking hooves, and it is rewarding work, but not the easiest for me. Abby gives me a little trouble but not too much with her back hooves. Her baby was just weaned so her udder is full and somewhat painful from not being nursed. Shuna had given her pain medication earlier, but she is still in some discomfort when I pick up her back feet. The other day she sniffed my head while I was picking her hooves, quite sweet.
We brush the ponies and Shuna gets saddles, pads and bridles on and adjusted. Shuna does a great job and knows how to do it quickly and makes it look easy! Shuna has the mounting block ready and we are all happy to use it. Shuna held Bess while Viggo got on his Bess. I was able to get Arabella to the mounting block and Shuna reminded me to check the girth. I did and was able to get on by myself. Shuna easily mounted Abby. It is a cool bright fall day in the late afternoon, and it is so pleasant to be out on our ponies. I am not sure what makes it so pleasant on these cool bright Fall days, but perhaps it reminds me of the first time Shuna and I went on a trail ride at Happy Jack’s in Cle Elum. Its so soothing to be out on a ride and to feel the warmth of your pony radiating through you. I really am having a hard time putting this into words.
Out of our property we go and this ride is different right off the bat. Taz gets nervous when the mares get too close. They have given him a good kick or two in the past, so I don’t blame him. With Shuna and Abby leading the way, that tension is not there. Abby has not been on a trail ride for a long time since she was pregnant and then nursing. She is very excited to be out, and this excitement is contagious!
As we are about to enter the forest Abby whinnies with anticipation and picks up a trot. Viggo says later that her whinny sounds like a baby horse whinny and he is right! Off we go into the forest. There is a tree across the path but Abby, our fearless leader, plows right through. We get to the fire road and Abby whinnies and off they go at a brisk trot with ears pricked and looking around. Arabella at first was not interested in trotting behind Abby. Viggo says, “Get your horse going, she is too slow!” Shuna and Abby slow down. I tell Shuna you won’t be able to keep Abby on the farm any longer now she has seen the lights of “Paris/Pareee”! We hear the whinny and off they go again, and now Arabella is getting in the grove. We turn off the large path to do the “Big Circle”.
Now the real fun begins as we trot down narrow turns and up step hills. Roots everywhere, watch out for that branch, made it through, all fueled by that high octane whinny. Viggo asks Shuna, “Mama are you asking Abby to trot?” Shuna laughs out, “No, I’m just letting her go at the speed she wants to, I want her to have a good time out!” She is in the process of training Abby and has made remarkable progress! When we first got her she was a plodder and now she is practically Pegasus! Shuna you work miracles!
There is the whinny again, and Viggo laughs, “There goes Abby!” We are racing up these narrow paths and I feel very confident on my pony Arabella as the forest is getting darker, huge Douglas firs flanking and ancient sword ferns billowing up from the duff. We slow down again, and we are all laughing. I mention to Shuna that my inner thigh are getting stronger.
There is the whinny and off we go. I remind myself, heels down, wrap my legs around. Keep the reins short but not too short, lean forward or is it lean back, Hold On! I am thrilled as be getting out of the darkening forest to the main fire road again. We are all laughing and I ask Viggo if he is enjoying himself. He says, “He is LOOOOOVING IT!”
There is the whinny again and off we go, this time we are on the wider fire road and we break into a gallop. I feel my pony rounding her back and I equate this to a seismic event / an act of God and hold on for dear life. I keep saying to myself, don’t fall off, don’t fall off, wrap your lets around, heels down, short reins. I don’t fall off and it feels good, it feels really good! We stop again, laughing, and I am so proud of Viggo who is doing so well and having a blast. Shuna makes it all look so easy as our fearless leader. She even has her hands outstretched without holding the reins in yoga position while she trots and canters! Impressive!
We get to the down tree and decide to lead the ponies on foot. The sun is setting and the glow is everywhere. I tell Shuna that money could not buy this experience.
It has not been an easy few years at Cascadia Heritage Farm, nor have these been easy years for the world. We have had serious medical issues with my mother-in-law, challenges with her husband, managing her estate, selling my business in part due to my good friend / business partner having cancer, all the work of starting and running a farm while doing a house remodel. We try to be thankful and appreciative but sometimes we just plain get overrun and the darkness floods in.
I can honestly say being out in the forest on an adventure with my family, securely carried by my pony Arabella while being swept along by the excited whinny of Abby as my son bubbles over with laughter is the cure to this darkness. I am so immensely thankful to have had this opportunity, a ride of lifetime. Thank you Shuna for making all this happen!