Silver Sage

I been thinking I might just keep my ponies at home this year and haul down to Silver Sage Arena in Brooks to ride.  I love love love the arena there but it is an hour from home and so i thought I would take a test trip down there and see if it was something I wanted to do.  It was not really a real test since the ponies are out in the pasture still and they will be kept in and blanketed if I am riding, but close enough.  I took a few pics with my phone so not great quality but just to show what it was like.

So last Saturday was the day, I called and there was open riding all day and so perfect!  after lunch I hooked up the trailer and got Jessie and Kali out and before I could get the gate closed Razz got in, ugg.  I did not really wanna take her but I had to catch her now to get her back out....I almost debated on it but it was getting late and riding one more horse would just make it later so out she went, she actually looked sad I put her back...guess its time to start riding her again, lol.

I loaded up and away I went, I brought layers for me and coolers for ponies cause I didn't know what it would be like (hence test trip)  and it was fairly decent here (about -2) but warm in Brooks!  I think +5 and they have no snow!  water was running off my truck and trailer, I wanted to stay and get it all melted, lol.  But I went to look inside and there was no one there on a Saturday afternoon, was really odd.  Looks like there was a meeting upstairs but they were just leaving and so was there all by myself, weird being in such a big public place by myself.  So I turned on the lights and went and saddled the ponies and brought them in.  Am gonna try riding Kali in my ranch saddle so I don't have to switch cinches between rides (not the same at all, Jess wears a 36 and Kali a 30 but could use 28, lol)  It seems to fit her well and so that made me happy.

I had to tie Kali in the arena area cause she is such a spaz about being left alone that is would have been horrible with her calling and pawing all the time I rode Jessie.  I planned to ride Jess first cause I knew she would sweat and figured she could cool/dry off while I rode Kals.  So many spooky things in that arena, lol.  Probly wouldn't have been if we were not by ourselves, but there is bleachers and an upstairs, don't know if ponies ever seen someone come down stairs like that before, and there were balloons in there and one guy walked into them so bouncing all over, they sure gave a funny look to that, lol. Jess was really good, we did pretty much everything and all was good and she had a good workout then I kinda wimped out and thought maybe pony Kali before riding her, and she was good of course and we even trotted and she is way faster than Jessie.  I never did ride her, if there were others there I woulda but I know how she is and its been a while since i rode it woulda just ended up a fight and I didn't wanna do that and then not ride for a couple weeks, so she got an easy day.

I untacked them and put a cooler on Jess and went back inside to pay and go the bathroom.  wow is it ever hot in the bathroom, it was warm enough in the arena I rode in a t-shirt but way more in the bathrooms.  Then headed home and it was almost dark when I got there and starting to get cold, but the ponies were dry so I fed them some oats and turned them out.  Sure would be nicer if they were in, but soon they will be :)  All in all about 3 1/2 hours, so I figure if I leave at 10 should be home and organized by 2 that is more likely to happen but it wasn't too bad, but will probly only go a couple times a week and then maybe a lesson once a week if the weather is nice.  Less riding but I think it will work for now.