A Rose of a Different Color

A Rose of A Different Color

It's bad enough that I got left home again, but to find out that Dangerous was in St. George visiting another Rose can make a girl a bit jealous. Dangerous has always been a sucker for a good looking red head, but I doubt I have anything to worry about. While we might share the same name and similar hair color, I can't picture St. George Rose playing tug with Dangerous or sitting on his lap.

Let's Play Tug

What I can't figure out is how Dangerous is going to keep us straight. At his age, he struggles remembering the names of family members and close friends. I can only imagine the confusion that will exist when we are out riding. When it's time for us to load up, I won't be sure which Rose he is calling. Will St. George Rose try climbing into my dog kennel while I jump into the horse trailer with Dottie and Little Guy? More confusing than loading to go will be the profane oaths that Dangerous usually directs at me when he is mounting up. In the past, he usually yelled something like, "Rose, I am going to get down and kick you in the guts if you don't shut up!" With another Rose around, I have the perfect excuse to continue barking and ignore his idle threats. I will just give him that sheep dog look expressing confusion about whether he is berating me or the other Rose.

St. George Rose and Dangerous

You're probably wondering how Dangerous ended up with another Walking Horse. Well, you have to understand that he doesn't own the whole horse. I am not sure how you own half a horse, but knowing Dangerous, I know which half is his. He tells me that he owns the horse jointly with his buddy Bill, and they divided Rose diagonally. Splitting her diagonally gives them each a half that can't be ridden alone, but can stand by its self. At least that's what Bill told Dangerous when they split the horse, and he is an architect.

Bill and Thunder

Rose lives with Bill with seven other Walking Horses in St. George. Her current owners are friends of Bill's who have boarded Rose at his place for years. Since they don't get to ride much, they decided it was time to sell her. Well, Dangerous is almost as bad as Bill when it comes to parting with a good horse. Neither one of them needs another horse, but they couldn't let Rose go to another home, so they bought her together. Rose gets to stay in St. George, and Dangerous has a horse to ride when he visits.

A Walking Horse in Every Port

Dangerous tells me that St. George Rose has a sweet Walking Horse gate, and independent personality. According to Dangerous, riding her is like sitting in a rocking chair, and she doesn't need the company of others, so I don't have to worry about her replacing me anytime soon. Love to hear from you!

Chasing the Sun

What do you think of a guy who would leave his best pal home freezing in her dog pen while he enjoyed three days in the sunshine? Well, that's exactly what Ol' Dangerous did to me! He left me sitting in the cold and drove off without a backward glance. While he was riding horses in the Washington County sunshine, I was stuck at home breathing polluted air, freezing in my pen. I might be interested in a new best buddy. Anyone out there interested?

Dangerous and Balthazar

Actually, from what Dangerous tells me, I might have been better off at home. It's hard to tell from the picture how big Balthazar really is, but I know firsthand that he is a giant. Dangerous tells me that he had to let his cinch out all the way, and his breast collar was extended to the limit. Bill, who owns Balthazar, was surprised when Dangerous was able to climb on without a leg up or tall rock to stand on.

While his size is impressive, Balthazar's strength and speed is intimidating. Dangerous tells me he rode with two hands while trying to keep this speeding giraffe from getting away from him. According to Dangerous, I would never have been able to keep up. At normal Walking Horse speed, I struggle to maintain the pace, but I guess Balthazar's running walk would have left me in the dust.

The Pine Valley Mountains

As you can see, taking a picture from the back of this giant horse is a bit difficult. Dangerous wanted me to see the Desert Tortoise Reserve with the Pine Valley Mountains in the background, but the beautiful landscape is obscured a bit by Balthazar's ears. According to Dangerous, it was difficult to find a camera angle that didn't include some part of this big horse.

Bill Takes a Rest

Riding Walking Horses at break neck speeds on icy trails can take a bit out of most anyone. As you can see, after a few hours in the saddle, Bill needed a brief nap. While he put Dangerous on Balthazar, his horse Thunder is no slouch. I have followed Thunder before, and understand why Bill needed a rest.

Bill and Thunder

I know it's hard to believe, but there are a few trails in Zion's National Park open to horses. Bill swore Dangerous to secrecy about where this trail is located, so I can't give you a name or tell you how to find it. You probably think it's located outside the park, but you can tell by the scenery that it isn't.

A Horse to Match the Scenery

If you look closely, you can detect a faint smile on Ol' Dangerous' face. Anyone who knows him will tell you it takes a lot to get him grinning from ear to ear. From what I can tell, riding a good Walking Horse in beautiful country comes about as close as anything. Love to hear from you!

Mares and the Fools Who Ride Them!

A Missed Opportunity

Since I am a girl, I guess I can safely comment on females of another species. Please don't take my observations out of context and generalize to wives, girlfriends, mothers, sisters, or women acquaintances. As you can imagine, my experience with women is very limited, but I have observed, first hand (paw), Dangerous' Walking Horse Dottie these past six years. In full disclosure, I have to tell you that on occasion I take great delight in revving her up. I usually choose the exact moment when Dangerous is most vulnerable and can't effectively discipline me, or control her. I wait until he has his left boot in the stirrup and is swing into his saddle. While he is suspended in midair, I dart at Dottie barking loudly, and jump as high as I can, snapping furiously at the base of her tail. Boy what fun, but you should hear the cussing. On occasion, Dangerous has even threatened to kill me, and I think he means it.

Calm and Sweet

Play the short video, and you will see a sweet, calm horse. Visitors usually lean over the fence wanting to pet and stroke the pretty pony on the other side. She stands quietly at the fence rails, letting anyone scratch her ears and rub her soft nose. But, don't be deceived by her calm demeanor. Like most mares, there are times when, to say the least, she can be difficult.

Dottie Munches Quietly

Hiding behind those soft brown eyes is a hyper attentive mare. Dottie is like most mares, extremely cautious. She is constantly surveying her surroundings on guard against possible predator attacks. While caution is a good thing, there are times when her extreme caution is hazardous to her and Ol' Dangerous. Dottie sometimes sees danger where there isn't any. Large, shadowy rocks become bears lying in wait. When she catches sight of one, her head comes up, her ears and nose point rigidly towards the threat, and her muscles tighten up. Fearing imminent attack, she can jump right out from under Dangerous leaving him hanging in midair. It isn't the hanging that's a problem, but the landing.

Water isn't Her Favorite Thing!

Looking at the picture, you would think Dottie loves water. Let's put it this way. After six years hard riding, Dangerous gets her to cross most streams. However, she still doesn't like mud puddles, black mud, or mountain bogs. To this day, Dangerous has to really encourage her to cross narrow, rocky trickles that she thinks might suck her in. You have to remember she is St. George bred and raised. Before Dangerous bought her, Dottie thought water was only something you drink from a trough on a hot day. She prefers her water clear and flat, and if possible, directly from the hose. According to Dangerous, there is some poetic justice in the world. Dangerous bought Dottie from his riding buddy Bill who supposedly introduced her to crossing water. Well, Bill is now struggling to teach Dottie's sister Bug about water, and as you can guess, Dangerous knowingly smiles when Bill tells him about Bugs water phobia.

Best Place in the World

Dangerous will tell you that 95% of the time Dottie is a pleasure to ride. She has a sweet gate, and goes about anywhere he points her nose. But, because she is a mare, there will always be those moments when she is difficult and temperamental. A lot of Dangerous' riding buddies won't ride mares, but if he started getting rid of all the female horses, dogs, and cats around the place, he would be pretty lonely. It isn't like he doesn't have experience. Dottie is his fourth mare, and all of them have been challenging. More riding at Walking Horse speeds is what Dottie needs most. I suspect that's exactly what Dangerous has planned for us. So watch out as we speed by on the trail. Remember, Dottie is the one with the darting ears and soft brown eyes checking every sight and sound, and I am the short one trying to keep up with my tongue hanging out while gasping for air.

We are off again next week to do some late season hiking. Nature Dan is joining us, and we are going to southeastern Utah to visit more Indian ruins. I should have some interesting observations to share because this year we are taking the sheep camp rather than staying at Recapture Lodge. Three men and a sheep dog living in close quarters might sound like fun to you, but I am not sure. The trip should produce more interesting material that I will share when we get back. Stay tuned! When we return, I plan to post Mississippi Max's commentary on his last visit, and yes, it is a poem.

Love to hear from you!

Change of Seasons

If you haven’t noticed, there is a definite change in the air. Ol’ Dangerous had to turn the furnace on in the sheep camp to keep us warm this past weekend. Even my heavy fur coat wasn’t thick enough to keep me warm at a chilly 26 degrees. Remember, Dangerous gets the comfy, queen size bed while I sleep on the cold, vinyl floor. I do get a rug to lie on, but he doesn’t offer to share the bed.

There are other ways besides the weather to tell winter isn’t far off on the High Plateau. The elk are bugling all around, and there are hunters camped all along Highway 12. The tourists viewing the fall foliage have been replaced with hunters wearing bright orange vests and packing high-powered rifles. It isn’t a safe time to be riding a dark buckskin Walking Horse in the aspens and pines.

Dottie Gets a Rest

Another way to tell winter is just around the corner is the annual, fall Walking Horse ride. From May to October, Dottie is usually the only Walker in the group; but in October Bill shows up with his high-powered horses. When Bill and Thunder come to ride, Utah Jack and Little Guy choose to stay home. Even Fremont Bob, took the weekend off to nurse his injured hip. Utah says riding at Walking Horse speeds dries his eye balls out, and Fremont compares the experience to the Star Wars movie where Luke and Hans are darting in and out of trees at breakneck speed on their rocket powered scooters.

Bill and Thunder

Bill and Thunder set a wicked pace. With my short legs, I have to run to keep up, and it isn’t long before my tongue is hanging out. Normal horses usually walk three to four miles an hour across flat ground, but not Walkers. Thunder’s flat walk is probably five miles an hour, and at a fast walk, he travels between eight and ten miles per hour. You might not think that is very fast, but you ought to try keeping up. Utah rode once with the Walking horse bunch, and didn’t have time to take in the scenery or snap any pictures. To save me, Dangerous tries to put Dottie out front. She really covers the ground, but always has Thunder’s head sticking in her butt.

Upper Gulch, Grand Stair Case

I have never seen Dangerous try to take pictures while riding at Walking horse speed. The landscape is usually a blur, and trying to dig his camera out to snap a photo is a bit foolish. Pictures have to wait until we are stopped. Even though Dottie has an incredibly smooth gate, Dangerous is usually concentrating on staying on and keeping her upright in rough country. When we do stop, out comes the camera to record where we have been or where we are going.

John and Misty

You can tell by his outfit that John isn’t a regular rider. He doesn’t wear the requisite boots and spurs. From what I overheard, he had been on a horse a few times but years ago. I don’t know how Bill cons his friends who haven’t ridden much into joining us, but he does every year. He gets them to go by telling them that riding a Walking Horse is as smooth and comfortable as sitting in a rocking chair. There is an element of truth in what Bill tells his friends, but as John mentioned a number of times riding a horse, even a Walking Horse, is pretty demanding exercise. John was a good sport and never complained, but started and ended the day with a strong dose of ibuprofen. Fortunately for John, Bill had him riding his sweet mare Misty who took good care of John.

Sulphur Creek

Dangerous had planned to show John an alpine trail in full autumn colors. However, the weather and hunt pushed us into the desert. With the wind, rain, and occasional snow shower, we rode the desert surrounding the High Plateau. It was a lot safer with all those trigger happy hunters on the mountain, and the weather ended the fall display early this year. I don’t think John was disappointed with what he saw. Every year Bill wants to know why Dangerous hasn't told him about the trail we are riding. I think Ol’ Dangerous might be holding out on him.

Another Desert Traveler

While we didn’t see any hunters, we did share the desert with some other travelers. This five to six foot gopher snake was looking for a sunny spot on a cold, windy day. I hope he gets a few warmer days before winter drives him into his den. Let’s hope the riding season isn’t over, and we get a long Indian Summer that takes us past Thanksgiving. Love to hear from you!