Hot & More Hot

Actual temps have been 105°-107°. I don't even want to know the heat index. It's hard to muster much motivation.

I got back in touch with the guy that sold me Poco to see if he still had the Aussie saddle he had back when. He doesn't have horses anymore and I figured that even if it wouldn't work for me, I could clean it up and sell it or trade it. He showed up not only with the Aussie saddle, but with the cutest little Mexican-made kid's saddle, which he gave me. No pix until I work on them, but that ain't gonna happen until the weather breaks. Sweat will be involved even then.

I haven't mentioned it here before, but the reason I'm excited about the kid's saddle is that our son and daughter-in-law are expecting our first grandchild, a boy, in October. Let the spoiling begin. My revenge will be complete. They have been warned.

I rode Jaz Sunday in the Aussie saddle. It's okay, but I don't feel the need to keep it. It's an inexpensive saddle, but I think I can make a couple bucks selling it. If one needed an additional saddle, or one to break youngsters, this would work. I can tell by the way it fits Jaz, that it won't fit Poco; he's very particular about his shoulders.

Whether Jaz was expressing his opinion of the saddle, the heat, or was just being a stinker, the ride was a struggle. Heather rode Dream, her leopard Appaloosa filly. Both were perfectly willing to walk, but neither wanted to move out. And who could blame them? We made the mistake of sitting in the shade after we hosed them off, and there was no getting back out there. I groomed Poco, who was also kind of cranky, and we let him, Jaz, and Daltrey graze in the area outside the pens.

I keep reminding myself that summer is the price we pay for being able to ride in jeans and a T-shirt most of the winter. It's hard to keep that in mind as your brain bakes.