“Minoru” to “Eastleigh” :Newell Highway-10kms from West Wyalong
Wednesday 26th May-10kms from West Wyalong
Welcome rain has fallen across the central West here to give a kick start to newly sown crops all over the region. Made for interesting riding for this trekker and my three horses, who for the first time experienced walking on wet black soil. The soil sticks to their hooves and they all grew an extra hand high! I had to take their bell boots off (rubber protective boots I put on the led horse and my saddle horse to protect their heels from the ‘tail tied’ horse in the instance he crowds the two front horses and steps on their heels), as the mud was sticking to the inside of the bell boot and making it impossible to walk properly. I had the company today of another rider Linda Maslin from “Caragabal West” on the Grenfell Road where I stayed last night with Linda and her husband James, and had dinner with their son Charles and girlfriend Bec. We had a great night yarning around the table. Linda saddled up this morning and rode from “Minoru”, Richard and Sue Maslin, where I’d stayed for a couple of nights, to “Eastleigh” 10kms from West Wyalong (approx 32 ish kms) where I’m camped for a couple of nights with Alex and Leslie Maitland while I visit the High School in West Wyalong and get another Bowen Treatment done on the horses. Which I must say has made a big difference to the inflammation in the horses backs! Good news. Linda rode her mare ‘Maggie’ and we had a good time yarning most of the way when we could above the truck noise!
I pulled up to water the horses in a good puddle and low and behold a whopping great yabbie was in it with his pincers up in the air having a ‘go’ at me! I was amazed to see the critter like that and to see the fight in him/her.
I had a great interview on Riverina ABC Radio this morning just after nine, I simply pulled the horses up and let the eat grass while I did the interview with Simon. It went really well and had the ‘authentic’ background noise of dozens of B-Double trucks the whole time!
I ride out of here on Saturday morning, and will be visiting the West Wyalong Pony Club jumping day on my way through town. I’ll also have the company of a couple of other riders too which is great. One of whom is Les Warner, an old drover who used to know my dad Kevin Luxford years ago when we were droving through this area. I always feel so heartened to meet people who knew Dad and know what a good stockman and horseman he was. I often think about what Dad would make of me doing this ride with my three horses and I reckon he’d be very proud of me for having a crack and to be doing something like this that will benefit so many other young people just like Hannah.
