Ridecamp: [RC] Cadillac/Jeep - Part 3

I live right down the street from Jurupa Park and I had no idea you could
camp at the place, let alone that it has a magnificent horse camp.  For
all you people that want to get an idea of what the NRR is all about, but
are too far away for just a day trip Jurupa Park is the place to come. 
You lead a pretty pathetic life when you don't even realize what your
neighborhood park has in it.  I gotta get out more.

We were passing a barn by the park and espied Trailmaster's and
Braveheart's farrier.  Trailmaster wanted to talk to Jose for a few
minutes, so Braveheart and I got down to stretch our legs and give the
horses a break.  Braveheart assured me there would be a spot nearby to
climb back on board.  Caddie was now intensely interested in hat was
going on in the field we were standing next to.  Her head was up, ears
pricked, nostrils flared and eyes wide.  I saw an ear twitch to the side.
 She was looking for a way out.  I turn around and what do I see, the
prettiest little cow staring right at me.  She was gorgeous.  Kind of
like the cow in the City Slicker movies.  Caddie is terrified of cows. 
Her team penning days were a real bust - we provided the comic relief for
the club.  Even the 2 time World Champion Team Penner Whats-his-name
tried working on her.  Came back, handed me the reins shaking his head,
sucking on his teeth, patted my shoulder and said, "I see what you mean."
 Anyway, here's this gorgeous cow right next to the fence gazing at us
with those great big brown eyes desperately wanting to say hello, and
what does Caddie do ... she tried to go over and say hello!!!!!!  Totally
out of character.  Had me so discombobulated I refused to let her go near
the cow.  Caddie's sneaky.  She may have feigned interest in making
friends, but she probably would have tried to bite the poor thing. 

Trailmaster came back and decided to walk with us.  We walked over to the
horse camp area - a pleasant stroll of about 5 minutes.  It would have
been really nice if Caddie had behaved herself.  I don't walk fast, never
have.  In my best days I can't walk as fast as Caddie's slowest walk.  I
sure as heck can't keep up with Braveheart's "I'm late for my board
meeting" pace.  I've long stopped jogging to keep up.  I know eventually
I'll catch up.  Caddie, however, doesn't like being left behind.  As Jeep
and TB got further away she started throwing a temper tantrum.  She swung
to longe around me, but, instead of the nice wide circle she usually
does, she cut back to the front just as she passed my left shoulder. 
Knocked me out of the way and tried to lunge forward.  That was the last
straw.  I yelled quit, and wailed a good hard blow from the reins across
her chest.  That usually does the trick.  I had to touch her a couple
more times with my hand when she tried to drag me ahead, but she settled
down when the others stopped and waited for us to catch up (thank you, by
the way).  We stopped under a tree to let them eat for a couple of
minutes, and then headed over to the water trough.  All the horses drank
this time.  Gratefully.

I looked over at Trailmaster and he was hosing his head and hat off.  I
looked at Braveheart and said, "Oh good, that is exactly what I need to
do."  I felt fine.  It was noon, and I was a little hungry, but we were
going to go to IN and OUT Burger for lunch and that wasn't too much
further up the trail.  I was a little hot, but not boiling.  I had been
drinking well, wasn't thirsty at all.  I just wanted to "sponge off" a
little.  My next words were, "I'm going over to the tables to get on." 
Not remembering I wanted to hose off and cool down a little was mistake
#5, and probably the first unnoticed sign that something was wrong.

I walked Caddie to the picnic tables and climbed aboard.  Mistake #6, I
forgot to check my cinch.  Since I was on the top of a table when I got
on all of my weight wasn't on one side of the saddle for long enough to
move the saddle.  All was well in la la land as far as I was concerned. 
Now the trail started getting interesting.  We went through some areas
that didn't seem like they should belong in Southern California.  Very
East Coasty - lots of vines (kind of Potomac Virginia looking).  My one
and only trip to the East Coast consisted of 10 days in Washington DC.  I
took a tour bus down to Mount Vernon and the area kind of reminded me of
that drive.  Anyhoo, more sand, twisty trees (note for NRR entrants ...
duck), and finally back to the rivers edge for, what was for me, a
harrowing experience.  Very narrow ledge, rock face on one side and cliff
down to the river on the other, and there I am on a horse that is
frighteningly clumsy in situations like this.  She had her head cocked
eyeballing that river, I had my head searching for possible bail out
locations.  I thought all was going well until we turned the corner away
from the river and off the ledge.  The trail went up a steep hill that
was even narrower than the ledge, and in the middle of it was a big rock!
 I saw that rock and said a small prayer, "Please don't let me die."  He
didn't.  Caddie didn't even trip!  I was very grateful I was in the
middle.  Caddie didn't want to be that close to TB, so she wasn't
tailgating.  If we had been behind Jeep at the end of the line she would
have been insistent she be right with Jeep.  On a  ledge that narrow
fighting with her to stay back could have proven nasty.  When we got to
the top I looked at Braveheart and said, "I'm really surprised she did
that so well."  Braveheart's comment went something like, "Yeah, I was
pretty surprised too."  I'm waiting for someone to ask me why I keep a
horse that makes me very uncomfortable in rough terrain.  Lord knows my
husband used to ask it all the time.  But he's learned the reason why,
and agrees with me.   

We entered the bluffs above the river.  You know, I was getting pretty
darned hungry.  I had a bite form one of Braveheart's Cliff Bars, but
that was on leg 3.  In and Out wasn't too far away.  Good thing.  When I
saw the route Trailmaster was taking through the bluffs I had to put my
foot down.  No the trail wasn't too steep.  Three years ago Caddie would
have had no trouble with them, but her hocks are in bad shape now, and
steep hills are really painful for her.  I said I was taking the long way
around.  Braveheart came with me.  I don't know if she did this because
of Jeep's recent lay off, or if she came to keep me company, but we made
our way around the steepest of the hills on the top of the bluffs.  There
was really only one steep hill left, and no way around it.  Fortunately
it was relatively short.  I had thought to go down in one direction, but
didn't like the looks of it and opted for the side Jeep was descending. 
Caddie swung back to follow and the saddle slipped ever so slightly.  I
managed to get it back in position as she was sliding down the hill.  I
should have taken more note of it (mistake #7).  

We came to a gully.  Small, hardly worth noting.  In the bottom was a
rivulet of water about a foot across.  Easily stepped over.  TB stepped
over it.  Jeep stepped and hopped.  Caddie wanted to flat out jump it. 
Absolutely not.  All I asked from her was straighten out your rump in
line with the trail and step across.  She basically told me to F--- Off,
and leaped across the rivulet ... sideways.  Her swing to the right as
she leaped pushed me and the saddle to the left.  I felt the saddle slip
and tried like Hell to get it upright.  The more I struggled to get back
upright the farther the damn thing slid to the left.  It finally reached
a point of no return and over the side the two of us went.  By the time I
let go and pushed away from Caddie I was well down the side of her body,
so I didn't have too far to travel when my roll hit the ground.  First
time in 7 years my body has parted company with a horse.  In full view of
Trailmaster and Braveheart too.  How humiliating.  Trailmaster grabbed
Caddie's reins - although she never would have left Jeep.  I got up and
picked up my saddle pad and walked to my horse.

More of this intriguing drama in Part 4.

Chickenshit

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