Lake Sonoma Adventuring

Hello everybodies, how are you? I am fabulous, though that was not entirely accurate for my whole entire weekend. As you know, I was supposed to go another 50 miles with Cyd to do more enduring, at somewhere called Lake Sonoma. This didn't happen, but I did do a lot of learning.

It was meant to be really hot at Lake Sonoma, and I've been getting pretty fluffy lately, so before my adventure we had to do a new thing to me. Shaving! Cyd bought me some brand new clippys to shave off my fur so I dry fast and not get too hot. We just did my neck so that I don't get too cold when not doing my enduring. First off, I needed a bath to be sure my fur was really clean. This is only bath number two for me this year, cos for the drought sucking up all our waters. (There's no water in the town where Cyd lives, they don't even do dishes in some restaurants). There's a well at my house, but we try to save all the droplets we can so no baths unless it's important, and only sponging for post-ride sweats. Being shaved warrants a bath, so I got scrubbed down and shampoo'd really fast. I was not impressed. Why do I get washed on the only cold day in ages?

Brrrr. Least I'm clean

 Aunty V and Aunt T came to help hold me in case I didn't like to be shaved, but it turned out to be easier with mostly just Cyd. Either way I like to have a cheer squad. I looked a little bit mouse-chewed, but good enough for not being a show pony.

 Early on Friday, my Ticopony friend came with his people D and L to collect me. We were going to share his pony trailer to travel, then I was going to sleep at a different pony trailer when we got there. We quietly drove, and found a good spot to park. It was time to get out. This is where I failed at being a grown up. I was so eager to get out the pony trailer, I tried to go to fast, and slipped and hurt my leg on the pony trailer. I walked around holding it in the air very dramatically, and Cyd told me I was fine even though some bloods were coming out. Once Tico pony was out and settled and we drinks and snacks, Cyd borrowed something called ice boot for me to wear to make my leg feel better. I was quite convinced it was going to take my leg off, so held it in the sky ready for amputation. Apparently I am a drama queen. 

Shiny and wimpy

When I didn't have my borrowed boot on, I walked just fine, so when it was check in time I went to see the vet like normal. Guess what you guys? This time my pulse was 48! It has always been in the 50s before, so I'm learning to be calmer (my resting pulse when not excited is 36). I did pretty good at my vet-checking, and our trot out was not perfect, but vastly improved. I scored all As even with my owie.

Doing my trot-out

Back to the pony trailer to relax and eat up ready for the next day. I was meant to camp with Aunt-E but their pony trailer did not be helpful so they got delayed. By the time they got here there was no spaces and they had to go to a different camp ground. Cyd was going to put on my saddle and ride me over there, but then she couldn't get her camping truck out. We couldn't have me sleep one place, and Cyd another. Some asking around got me two different places to sleep, thank you lovely endurance peoples! Cyd went to her truck, and saw that there was an empty spot on the trailer next to her truck, and they also said I could sleep there, which was the better place for me to be, so Cyd could hear if I had troubles or was a pest. Thank you M and L for letting me hang out on your trailer, we enjoyed meeting you! 

Me posing at my vet check

I was really good all night until 4:30 in the morning when I finished all of my hay. I decided I should probably let everybody in camp know that I had eaten all my snacks and Cyd jumped out of bed making me shush. I went right back to snacking, and apparently didn't wake anybody up. Cyd curled in bed for a while, then took me for an early morning walkabout. I was quite well behaved, and we were very quiet cos for only seeing one other person awake. Back at the trailer Cyd touched my owie leg and it was swelled, and a little bit warm. Uhoh! No enduring for us. We went to let the fabulous organising people know, and Cyd became a volunteer for the day so as to still be helpful and do learnings. I was very behaved in camp even when all the ponies left me, and then they were coming and going all day. I did resting and snacking and resting and playing in my water bucket and snacking some more. I also borrowed the ice boot again, and still didn't like it.

Ice-booting

Lots of people said how wonderful the pony ride was, so we are going to come back next year to try again! After most people were done with the pony ride, a lot of them left, so Cyd could move her truck. I walked with Aunt-E and Elliepony to their campground about a mile away. I started doing my bad behavings, so Aunt-E worked with me while Cyd took Elliepony to teach us some new tricks for when I behave like a bad pony. I quickly learned and did walking on a loose rope. In camp site number three, I went on something called Hi-Tie, which will be on my pony trailer when I get one. It's like being tied up, but with more space. 

On my hi-tie

My leg was a little bit better after my walking, but still swelled. The nice vet man who I met before at my other enduring rides, Dr D, came to check on me. He put a bandage on my leg, and some medicine in my neck. Because I have never been on a Hi-Tie before, I was left on something called 'blocker tie-ring'. It sets panicking ponies free so they don't get hurt. Troubles is, I totally figured out how to escape in the night time. Cyd had heard me walking about, so she came to check on me and I was tied up so she went back to bed. In the morning though, N my trimmer lady said she had to retrieve me from going out and making friends and sampling left over snacks from other ponies. Thanks for bringing me back! Cyd knows not to do that again.

Me and Tico leaving

The next morning D, L, and Ticopony (who totally did awesome at his first LD enduring ride - congrats Ticopony!!) came to collect me, so I didn't have to walk the mile back to their campground. I came to this enduring ride to practice being polite, and I totally did that, even if we didn't get to pony ride. I am totally fine now, just a bit scabby. Cyd took off my bandage this morning and it looks great. 

Even though things didn't go to plan, we had so much fun this weekend. We got to see lots of friends, do some learning, practice my manners, test Cyd's new camper, and just relax. Success!