Couldn't stand to spend another weekend at home. Loaded up the horses and headed for the high desert.




Wandered up a few slot canyons.
'

It was a nice day to be out and a good work out for the horses that have been standing around except for a few arena rides all winter.

Sure wish we had some places like that to ride around here. Very beautiful indeed.

Hey Daniel,

You didn't get a call from Utah to go ride'n? Me either......

I've gotten in a couple days of mounted shooting practice for the year. But I'll be head'n out soon Nv. Ut. Az.,

A bottle of good single malt scotch and getting laid has always worked for me. I hate snow unless I can smell bull elk in the rut.

Rich

Your welcome to come, I had to leave two horse home because I couldn't find any butts to put in the saddles. And they need the exercise.

Man that looks cold. I bet my poor horse would freeze.

The only thing that would improve the photo is some hounds free-casting and a lion strapped over the pack saddle.

Looked like a fun day!

Jerry

No shoes?

Or should we start that discussion again?

JK, man. I'm suffering as well, and bourbon and, um, the other, need a little rest, which, I guess, is a good thing.

Deertick I find I can ride that country just fine barefoot. The washes are sandy and even if you get into some rocks, the sandstone is a softer flatter rock. It's not like riding in the Wind Rivers on granite rock that is harder and has sharper edges.

I try to leave my horses barefoot as much as possible. Winter is a good time of year to give them some time off from shoes. They snow helps cushion their feet and no shoes helps prevent snow balls.

I gave them a good trim before we went, rolled the edges so they didn't chip and they did fine. I've got boots that I occassionaly use, And I did last fall put shoes on for the fall hunting season. So I'm not opposed to their use.

quote:

The only thing that would improve the photo is some hounds free-casting and a lion strapped over the pack saddle.

That is something I have always wanted to do.

I was just kidding, PH. Stirring the pot, as they say.

I haven't had shoes on my horses for 3 years, and we ride rough granite all the time ... training for endurance and CTR.

You do those events, don't you?

I used to do a LOT of CTr. But got tired of having to drive to Colorado every other weekend. I sponsored a ride in Utah for 6 years. But we just couldn't generate enough interest in the sport to develop following here. If everybody attending the ride comes from Colorado. Why not do the ride in Colorado?

The folks that took over my ride do endurance and it's now the Strawberry Fields Endurance ride, I still go up and help clean & mark trails.

This will be the 4th summer for my horses to not have shoes. I did shoe the geldings for 8 weeks for last falls hunting. So my two mares have been barefoot for 4 years. The two geldings have had 16 weeks of shoes in 4 years.

As I tell folks, My horses can go anywhere barefoot for a day ride. The challenge is doing 3-4-5 days in a row of hard rides.

Well, Strawberry Fields, eh?

I won't be there, but my wife and son are thinking of going. Perhaps they can meet you.

I haven't had any trouble with extended barefoot rides. How's the footing at Strawberry Fields? My wife will have a barefoot gelding there if she goes.

As for hunting, I just don't think that's nearly as tough on feet as a 25 or 50 over rough ground, but like you, I'm not a "Barefoot Uber Alles" as the farriers call them. I just haven't had much of a need for steel shoes.

We do use the Gloves on 2 of our geldings on 50's and up -- so I'm not at all a complete "barefooter".

Anyway -- good luck with the ride. Hopefully, someone from Laramie will meet up with you.

Nice photos, thanks for sharing

I probably won't be at the actual ride, I like to go up the weeks before and mark the trail, pack a chainsaw around and cut out the blowdowns etc. The week end of the ride, there are just too many people.

It's a beautiful area and your wifes horse should do just fine. It's not terriby rocky. I ride my horses up there barefoot all the time, But I'm not racing them.

A 25 or 50 over trails like these are much easier




Than 20 miles of of what I have to cross to get to my hunting area.

That sure is some beautiful country!


Alot different than these Fl swamps.

I spent a couple of years in Georgia. I got a little claustrophobic down there where I couldn't see very far.

quote:

Originally posted by Painted Horse:
I spent a couple of years in Georgia. I got a little claustrophobic down there where I couldn't see very far.

Ha,Ha I bet you did.

Went back out to th Swell and rode the canyons I had tried to get up in late February.

The entrance to Chute Canyon


Inside the canyon




Coming down Wild Horse Canyon


Squeezing through the narrows