which_chick | (no subject)

Horse outing again today, in the AM. That went pretty well -- La took Thyme, who needed an outing. She was kind of goochy but didn't do badly.

Nick and Casper need something on their back feet. They've worn them off on the blue gravel road. I'm going to stop at the tack store on the way home to see if they have (a) two easyboots, size 00 (for Nick's back feet) and (b) an English girth, slightly smaller than the one I have, with a loop for a breastcollar and (c) a breastcollar in size "Cob" suitable for use with item (b). It's only money... Also, if there's a hoofpick like the one I currently cannot locate, I'm getting that. And a brush that I like. (Tractor Supply does not have the right kind of hoofpick, I checked the other day when I picked up another block of salt.)

We're trying assorted fly sprays to find something that works on the fucking deer flies. They're nasty, stinging flies and they bother the horses. Your best value for fly sprays comes as stuff you mix up yourself, so we are working our way through the concentrates. Most anything we use, we add a little avon Skin So Soft because it really is effective, something about the way it smells. (Do we read the lables? Sure, we do. However, as we have discovered, not all manufacturer claims are accurate reflections of efficacy-in-the-field. Every fly spray product claims it works on deer flies but few of them actually do. The bath oil from Avon makes no claims as to efficacy regarding its off-lable use as a bug repellant but it works fairly well. Too much of this kind of thing could lead me to lose faith in reading-the-lable.)

Anyway. We did our standard 7.6 miles and didn't do more than that because Thyme was totally not at all conditioned and because Casper and Nick need some feet on the hinds and because we did 10 yesterday and they're used to getting a day off between rides. The English saddle continues effective, horse is nonreactive on her loin. I am slightly worried about the front of the saddle, where it sits, that it has enough room to clear the spine, but there aren't any problems in that area yet either. We will proceed cautiously forward on the saddle issue and keep an eye out for problems. (If this one doesn't work, I have another sort-of-free one that might.)

After the ride, we hauled Nick over to Tasha's house, where she will be staying for a week. Look for Rides-At-Tasha's-House updates this week. They should be exciting. There is *hard road* between Tasha's house and The Woods (tm). Sometimes this paved road has cars on it. Also, one sincerely hopes that I can locate Tasha's house -- it's kind of in the hinterlands. I've been there before, but not enough to make it without getting lost. This is because I navigate with the focused, purposeful sense of direction you're more likely to associate with the Democrats. (Lest I be deemed making with the hate speech, here, let it be known that while the Republicans have a focused, purposeful sense of direction, I'm not entirely sure we should be heading for Christian Fascism.)