Memories From Last Week

Riding Bareback

Nice that the evil horseflies are gone, that they have finished their one-month cycle of attacking animals for blood, so I can ride back in the woods again! Last week, the ride after this pictured ride, I went back out in the woods after a two-week absence. I did not want my horse to have to suffer horsefly attacks. They are horrible (see also URI‘s Factsheet): they swarm in groups of 5 or 10 or 25; they cut into animals with knife-like “teeth” instead of sucking blood like mosquitoes; they leave trails of blood a few inches long; they are so bloodthirsty that no amount of flyspray or Deep Woods Off will keep them away. They deserve to die. But today and Monday I had good two-hour, unmolested rides in the woods. Sunshine, blue sky, green trees, dark shadows, brown earth, my horse, me, and peaceful, pleasant solitude.