Dudley's Escort Services, LLC

Wednesday August 27 2014

Step this way, little lady, Dudley says to Smokey. I'll escort you down the trail.

Smokey is green-broke, learning the ropes of riding the trails.

Dudley is, well, The Dude, and while he can have his (exciting) moments on the trails, he performs his escort duties with aplomb as he accompanies Smokey along her future endurance trails.

Steph says Dudley is just following along, looking for something to eat. Well, Dudley is ALWAYS looking for something to eat, but in addition to that, he carefully watches over Steph and Smokey,

keeps a close eye on Smokey as they amble along,

keeps his cool when Steph works on carcass training with Smokey,

it's a giraffe carcass someone stuffed onto a sagebrush!
and just in general exudes casual calm, masculine confidence out in the wilds of Owyhee.


Not to mention the obvious - he's a knock-out gorgeous dude, a stunning creature to be seen out and about with.

Dudley is following in the hoofprints of Jose's Escort Services, LLC

Snow Horse

Saturday December 12 2009

After being -10* the last 3 nights, 30* and snow felt downright balmy.

Good thing, because no matter what, rain, sleet, snow, hail, or the W-word, Kazam must go out.

And I don't dread it anymore, because he really is getting better - a little bit every ride.

Today we had a nice meander in the quiet desert snowfall.

There was a day I didn't think he'd ever be a decent ride. He's getting there.

I am pretty sure his brother Jose has been mentoring him.

A Poke in the Eye

Wednesday December 2 2009

I went out to catch and saddle Kazam yesterday, but I found him with tears running out one eye; he could barely keep it open on the sunny side. He'd poked it with something - probably a sharp hay stick, seeing how the horses bury their heads into the big hay bales up to their withers. I couldn't find anything in his eye, but it was continuously tearing, and he preferred to keep it barely open, or closed altogether.

I decided not to ride a one-eyed green, spooky, bolty, insecure horse, so we scrapped the riding for the day.

This morning his eye was back to normal - so we went out for a ride. I've been holding my breath, afraid to put it in words that he is improving, but I can say it out loud now, even with a day off between rides.

While there's no call to let my guard down any time soon, and he's still got a long way to go, he is getting better, little by little - the Hamster is mentally growing up. He's not so reluctant to go out, and he's getting a darn good walk on him. He's relaxing sooner, and when he looks around, it's now more curiosity than fear. He trots and canters and slows down with just a slight squeeze of the legs. When he bolts, now it's more of a goose in the butt, not a real bolt. He rarely tries to jig on the way back. And he's now a one-handed gate horse - I can hold the reins in one hand and open and close gates, never letting go of the gate with my other hand. And he knows when he's a good boy. I'm not thinking "Tevis Horse!" yet, but if he keeps it up, he might become a nice little riding horse.

So what's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick? Getting to ride Kazam... and having a pretty darn good ride.