Chapter 11 ~ Page 149
I think our high morale carried over to the horses too. That morning, marching out behind The Colonel proudly carrying our banner forth, there was much wickering in the ranks:
"Yahoo," whooped No-Name, "never thought I'd see the whole gang again. Boss man stuck me in a pasture with Kookie Skookie and if there had been a wall to climb, I'd been up it. Then this truck we were riding went lame."
"Don't miss him at all," replied Big-Enough, "especially since we got that new Mandy mare."
"Yah," said Pokey, "but that big dumb gray won't let you near her. He thinks we're out for a Sunday picnic. Asked what those funny looking saddles are for. I told the ninny they were to carry oats. He thought that was such a great idea, I'm going to let him carry my share."
"Welllll," said Chiquita, "I think he is handsome, and I rather like packing."
"Never said I didn't care for the mountains, and the meadows, and moving along every day," answered Poke, "'but you just watch. I'm going to get Colette for a rider this year, and take it easy."
"Hrump," snorted The Colonel. "Young whippersnapper. Don't you have any sense of duty? That's the trouble with you flashy hot rodders. Just don't make horses like they used to .. . hup .. hup .. hup."
Colette had traded Petite for Mandy, which I made her give to BJ in trade for Pokey. Somehow, before the trip was completed, Barry had run his personal stock from Pokey, which had cost him $75, into a herd of horses worth not less than $1,000. Bernadette, the gentlest of my horsewomen, reluctantly was talked into riding Daisy, provided the foal would belong to her. Bernice flat stole Charlie away from me. I got stuck with the animal that nobody wanted to ride, or pull along in a string. No-Name.
Most of our new mounts worked out well. Daisy's pregnancy didn't effect her "stepping out" gait, and she took the lead whenever we needed to make good time. For difficult sections that required the grace of a ballet dancer pirouetting around windfalls, I sent BJ ahead on his, "Precious Biggy." Only problem was Colette on Pokey. Together they could disappear over a hill faster than I could yell, "Slow down." Now and then to keep order, I made her ride Sugar, and Pokey got stuck at the tail end of a string.
The first day we only did nine miles. My excuse was that the horses, fat from spring pasture, needed to be broken in easy. I needed a little gentle easing into the saddle myself. Also, it rained that afternoon for a half-hour (an omen?), and we wanted to make camp to try out dinner menu #1.
Our off loading procedure hadn't changed. We just made it more final. The tents were set in a triangle, with the kitchen and grain panniers closing the open sides. These were left in a row for packing the next morning. Saddles went into the middle aisle, riding one end, pack the other, and all was covered by the mantys. Ropes were coiled, and every piece of equipment had one place where it belonged.
"Yahoo," whooped No-Name, "never thought I'd see the whole gang again. Boss man stuck me in a pasture with Kookie Skookie and if there had been a wall to climb, I'd been up it. Then this truck we were riding went lame."
"Don't miss him at all," replied Big-Enough, "especially since we got that new Mandy mare."
"Yah," said Pokey, "but that big dumb gray won't let you near her. He thinks we're out for a Sunday picnic. Asked what those funny looking saddles are for. I told the ninny they were to carry oats. He thought that was such a great idea, I'm going to let him carry my share."
"Welllll," said Chiquita, "I think he is handsome, and I rather like packing."
"Never said I didn't care for the mountains, and the meadows, and moving along every day," answered Poke, "'but you just watch. I'm going to get Colette for a rider this year, and take it easy."
"Hrump," snorted The Colonel. "Young whippersnapper. Don't you have any sense of duty? That's the trouble with you flashy hot rodders. Just don't make horses like they used to .. . hup .. hup .. hup."
Colette had traded Petite for Mandy, which I made her give to BJ in trade for Pokey. Somehow, before the trip was completed, Barry had run his personal stock from Pokey, which had cost him $75, into a herd of horses worth not less than $1,000. Bernadette, the gentlest of my horsewomen, reluctantly was talked into riding Daisy, provided the foal would belong to her. Bernice flat stole Charlie away from me. I got stuck with the animal that nobody wanted to ride, or pull along in a string. No-Name.Most of our new mounts worked out well. Daisy's pregnancy didn't effect her "stepping out" gait, and she took the lead whenever we needed to make good time. For difficult sections that required the grace of a ballet dancer pirouetting around windfalls, I sent BJ ahead on his, "Precious Biggy." Only problem was Colette on Pokey. Together they could disappear over a hill faster than I could yell, "Slow down." Now and then to keep order, I made her ride Sugar, and Pokey got stuck at the tail end of a string.
The first day we only did nine miles. My excuse was that the horses, fat from spring pasture, needed to be broken in easy. I needed a little gentle easing into the saddle myself. Also, it rained that afternoon for a half-hour (an omen?), and we wanted to make camp to try out dinner menu #1.
Our off loading procedure hadn't changed. We just made it more final. The tents were set in a triangle, with the kitchen and grain panniers closing the open sides. These were left in a row for packing the next morning. Saddles went into the middle aisle, riding one end, pack the other, and all was covered by the mantys. Ropes were coiled, and every piece of equipment had one place where it belonged.
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Text and Photographs © Barry Murray 1971-2007 Mac&Murray Multimedia