I've always loved summer. Summer means spending lots of time outdoors, and once I had a horse, that meant trail riding, trail riding and more trail riding. Well, not this summer. We've gone from wet to hot, hot to cool, back to wet, and hot again. It has created an environment for gnats, mosquitos and deer flies to not only exist but to thrive! With the wetlands in and around this area, the woods out behind our boarding facility are impossible to traverse, as the moment you enter the woods, you are swarmed by deer flies. I'm talking 30-40 at a clip. I've never ever seen anything this bad. The past two trail rides, I've trailered over to Salmon Brook Park and ridden there for a couple of hours. Its been wonderful, but I miss the convenience of just riding out the back door so to speak. Even riding the outdoor arena can be daunting between gnats and mosquitos. One of the down sides is that G isn't in as good a shape as he was last year traversing the hills out back 3-4x a week. It's definitely noticable under saddle, as he has lost some of his hind end strength. All we can do is wait until the first frost that kills off the bugs and start enjoying our woods again.
And like the annoying mosquitos and gnats, we have a new boarder coming in this week. She's someone that two of us in the barn were very happy to leave behind at the old barn, which is closing its doors. She is a non stop talker who thinks she is queen of the world and all that she surveys. I can only hope she hates it and leaves. Truly, I'm not sure I have the patience to deal with her any more. She really burned a couple bridges at the last place with me and hubby. So I guess the only thing I really can hope for is the bugs to die off so I can spend more time on the trail and less time at the barn, lol!! Praying for strength, I'm gonna need it.
Showing posts with label General Horse Stuff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label General Horse Stuff. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
Okay, I'll Keep Him....
All my fears were for naught. G, the unforgiving type, completely forgave me my moment of insanity and we have been enjoying the spring like temperatures. Oh heck, just not having snow on the ground is exciting and new!! We hit the trail a week ago Sunday with Ozzy, who was sooo excited to back at the barn, never mind out on the trail with his buddy G. Since this was the first trip out, we only did the small wooded trail out back that leads to a large crop field. I think we stayed out all of 35 minutes, but every minute of it was wonderful. Here's a little video between G's ears.
This past Saturday, we got together with Jane and her mare Sierra and did the same trail but kept on going along the crop fields for an additional 30 minutes. We still haven't found the end of them, and I'm betting we can travel another 6 miles before finding a road to cross (well, that's my guess). G and Sierra are really good together. G loves her calming influence, and since he stays cool, so does she. Normally when we turn for home G gets more than a bit anxious, but Saturday he was happy to just move along at a nice forward walk without any stress whatsoever. It was a perfect ride in my book, and one that again reminds me of the bond that we do have, and makes me reflect on how empty my fears of losing him were. We are good together. He brings out the best in me (eventually). He keeps me honest with myself and makes me strive to make our relationship that much tighter. I know I'll never be the perfect rider, nor will G ever be the perfect horse, and that's why we were made for one another....we will just strive to be the best that we can be.
Friday, April 1, 2011
In Time of Need, A Quote From a Friend
"Never let it be far from your heart that he lives in a world made by us not by them and sometimes their pressure builds and needs to be released just as ours does at time. He needs you and these are the times to dig deep in our selves and find that inner strength to help him , just as they do for us when we need release as well. Grow from it and let it all take you to the mature wisdom in self growth and the next level you need to look to in you advancement of horsewomenship. You can do it, you are strong and I believe in you, so believe in your self!
Sometimes, it takes someone with more wisdom, abundant horse knowledge and horse heart, to give you a little help you see the forest through the trees. I consider myself a very fortunate person to have such a friend and mentor in Liz.
But I would be remiss in not mentioning all the other wonderful horse friends that me & G have acquired over the past 8+ years. Your kind words of encouragement were heart felt, and I thank all of you for taking the time to share your thoughts and stories.
I spent last Sunday just hanging out with G. Rather than letting him have his lunch hay with the herd, I set him up in his outdoor stall run, and while he happily munched on his hay, I gave him a thorough grooming. We had a nice long chat. Well I chatted, he listened - or least I think he listened. I apologized for failing him; and that I would try harder if we have to deal with the dreaded dog again. Then I stopped chatting and just sat on the groom tote and watched him eat. Every once in awhile he'd stop and do the camel lip thing on my knee. Not sure if he was checking out the jeans or simply scratching and itch, lol. All the reasons I fell in love with him in the first place came flooding back to me. His beauty, his heart, the sounds he makes as he eats. After he was done eating I took him out to the arena and let him loose. He trotted, cantered, and when he got to the corner where the kids popped out it was like the devil was after him. He galloped across the arena, screeched to a halt at the gate ( a sliding stop a reiner would've envied) raised that head as far as it could reach and snorted like crazy. When I asked him to move out again, he was a little crazed, but I kept asking him to slow and walk, and within about 5 minutes he finally did. After he circled me in both directions a few times I asked him to hoa, and then gave him the signal to follow me. We then walked around the arena for about 10-15 minutes.
He shadows me like a heeling dog. I stop, he stops, I turn, he turns, I back up so does he. Again the flood of wonderful memories of why we are together rush over me. I stopped, he stopped and I just hugged his neck. He doesn't quite understand it when I get emotional, but he puts up with me. I cried a little, then had another heart to heart as I gave G a mini massage and had another chat. The best therapist on the planet; the other reason why I love him so. Tomorrow hubby heads to New York for his buddie's last lost weekend (getting married in July). I'm going to head to the barn and spend some quality time with G. It's supposed to be in the 50's so maybe we'll get a small ride in, maybe not. Just spending time with him is a good time.
When I come home I've got some beautiful new papers and accessories from the scrapbook store Thursday, so I'm going to create! It's going to be another wonderful indulgent day!!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
And lest I forget.....
Sometimes, it takes someone with more wisdom, abundant horse knowledge and horse heart, to give you a little help you see the forest through the trees. I consider myself a very fortunate person to have such a friend and mentor in Liz.
But I would be remiss in not mentioning all the other wonderful horse friends that me & G have acquired over the past 8+ years. Your kind words of encouragement were heart felt, and I thank all of you for taking the time to share your thoughts and stories.
I spent last Sunday just hanging out with G. Rather than letting him have his lunch hay with the herd, I set him up in his outdoor stall run, and while he happily munched on his hay, I gave him a thorough grooming. We had a nice long chat. Well I chatted, he listened - or least I think he listened. I apologized for failing him; and that I would try harder if we have to deal with the dreaded dog again. Then I stopped chatting and just sat on the groom tote and watched him eat. Every once in awhile he'd stop and do the camel lip thing on my knee. Not sure if he was checking out the jeans or simply scratching and itch, lol. All the reasons I fell in love with him in the first place came flooding back to me. His beauty, his heart, the sounds he makes as he eats. After he was done eating I took him out to the arena and let him loose. He trotted, cantered, and when he got to the corner where the kids popped out it was like the devil was after him. He galloped across the arena, screeched to a halt at the gate ( a sliding stop a reiner would've envied) raised that head as far as it could reach and snorted like crazy. When I asked him to move out again, he was a little crazed, but I kept asking him to slow and walk, and within about 5 minutes he finally did. After he circled me in both directions a few times I asked him to hoa, and then gave him the signal to follow me. We then walked around the arena for about 10-15 minutes.
He shadows me like a heeling dog. I stop, he stops, I turn, he turns, I back up so does he. Again the flood of wonderful memories of why we are together rush over me. I stopped, he stopped and I just hugged his neck. He doesn't quite understand it when I get emotional, but he puts up with me. I cried a little, then had another heart to heart as I gave G a mini massage and had another chat. The best therapist on the planet; the other reason why I love him so. Tomorrow hubby heads to New York for his buddie's last lost weekend (getting married in July). I'm going to head to the barn and spend some quality time with G. It's supposed to be in the 50's so maybe we'll get a small ride in, maybe not. Just spending time with him is a good time.
When I come home I've got some beautiful new papers and accessories from the scrapbook store Thursday, so I'm going to create! It's going to be another wonderful indulgent day!!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
And lest I forget.....
A rider needs to recognize the horses' need for self-preservation in Mind, Body and third factor, Spirit...he needs to realize how the persons approach can assure the horse he can have his self-preservation and still respond to what the person is asking him to do. ~ Tom Dorrance
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Melt Down
It's been a pretty terrible winter this year. We didn't get many opportunities to ride, even with and indoor arena. I believe our snow total for the year is 85 or 86", which puts us in the 2nd snowiest winter on record for our state. When the roads were good enough to drive, there was so much snow on the arena roof, that they closed it for fear of collapse. Once the owners were able to clear the snow from the ends of arena roof, the center ripped open from the weight of the snow and ice. Now, picture trying to ride inside with a big piece of canvas blowing over our head. I didn't mind so much, but you can imagine how Mr. Sensitive felt about it. So we were restricted to "unbreezy" days to ride indoors. I dropped from riding 3x a week to 1 time a week if I was lucky, and stuck to lunging him for the most part.
Fast forward to spring.....now we have mud and lots of it. The outdoor arena is finally cleared - yippee! I've only managed to ride once a week the past couple of weeks. What a great feeling to be riding outdoors again.
Yesterday after work I headed to the barn and got G tacked up for a ride. We had the arena to ourselves which was a real treat! G was doing great, he felt loose, he was yielding smoothly, side passing right and left and I was happy to find that even being out of practice he still had his moves. Ater about 15 minutes I felt him tighten up, his head swiveled looking over to the next property and he just stopped dead. I had my iPod on softly so I took one ear piece out and I could hear voices of kids yelling. Before I could think the words "what the heck" G spun and started to head toward the arena gate. I doubled him and asked for a circle. He was tight and not listening. I asked for him to stop and stand as I wanted to figure out what was going on. The voices got louder, he started backing up. I asked him to move forward, he side passed. He was snorting, jigging, and he wouldn't stand still. All of a sudden two kids come running up to the backside of the arena and they're yelling "willie" or "billie" not sure which and I yelled "stop yelling you're scaring my horse". Well all of a sudden from the side yard comes this medium size black dog who looks like he's running for his life. He ran straight through the arena, not paying us much mind. Well G was paying a whole lot of mind, and I'm asking him to stand which he won't, so I decide to keep him moving forward at least. Nope, he jigged, he side passed; completly blowing off my cues. Meantime the kids are still yelling, one of them running along side the arena yelling for the dog, the dog is flying all over the place, and all I want is G to stop for one second so I can dismount. One of the fellow boarders who had been in her car hopped out and tried to help the kid corral the dog. I've never seen a dog run so fast and pay zero attention to its owner. Of course I have to yell "where the heck is his leash....if he runs into the road, you're going to be minus one dog". What was I thinking? I'm not, I'm reacting and being a bitch. But the barn is on a major commuter road and the cars travel on average at 50 mph. This dog will stand no chance if he makes it out there. Why do parents let kids handle dogs that aren't trained? So now I'm uptight, really uptight; G's still moving his feet and I make another attempt to ask him to stand. He starts to back up faster than I've ever felt him and for the first time ever, I felt him start to rear. I made one more attempt to push him forward, and when he did I popped my right foot out of the stirrup and pushed myself off him. He stopped still. The head pops up and he starts snorting like something is out to kill him, he starts spinning right and left as I'm holding the reins and I'm trying to talk calmly to bring him down. Zip, in comes the dog again and starts it all over again. The dog now discovers G and starts rnning back and forth behind him barking at him. Great, it was like a three ring circus. The next thing I see is the dog running down the drive toward the road, with the little boy chasing it....never chase a running dog, it will just keep running. I didn't hear any squealing tires and it got quiet so I figured maybe they caught him. Katie comes into the arena and starts talking to G in this wonderfully soft voice, "oh what a brave horse you are G, that was a big bad dog wasn't it" G's getting calmer, and I'm thinking to myself, "why can't I be that soft and gentle - that's exactly what G needs". Katie left and I walked G around the arena for about 10 minutes, he finally lowered his head and took a couple of heavy sighs. I decided I'd remount and just walk him around for a couple of minutes and then call it a day. Everything was fine for all of about two minutes until we got to the backside of the arena where the kids had popped out initially and he tried to bolt again. We jigged, I asked him to soften and circle, he started to sidepass, I ask for a circle again, and kept circling til we got to the gate where I didn't wait for a stop this time, I just hopped off. I opened the gate and G ran into my shoulder. This was the final straw and where I lost it, I backed him up 10 feet and then jogged him into the barn where I stripped off his tack and roughly walked him into his stall. I can't remember the last time I've felt such anger, it wasn't pretty and looking back its as if I lost all control of my wits. When I went to remove his bridle he raised his head as high as it would go with this wild eyed look. I know this look, it's fear, yet it didn't stop me from yelling at him and backing him into the corner to remove the bridle. I called him Alpo, I told him I was through, and that this was the last time I would deal with his assinine behaviour. I shut the stall door, put all my stuff away and walked away. When I shut the barn door the last thing I saw was G's head hanging over the stall door, still waiting for his treat. He has no clue of what just transpired. I got into my car and the tears started to roll down my cheeks. As mad as I was at G for over-reacting, I was four times madder at myself for losing control. All that I've worked so hard for, any amount of trust, just shattered in 20 minutes. I started to drive and the tears continued to flow.
Today was a perfect example of why I feel I'm not the right person for G. He deserves someone who is a relaxed soul, someone who knows how to maintain control at all times; someone who recognizes in themselves when its time to back away. Someone who can connect to G's soul and gain 100% of his trust, in a way that I don't think I ever can. What scared me the most was that going into the ride I felt totally relaxed. I didn't feel any stress whatsoever. Where this anger came from was deep and it was scary. I still don't understand where it came from, but I do know that I didn't like it or me at that moment, and I still don't. I can only hope he can forgive me.
Fast forward to spring.....now we have mud and lots of it. The outdoor arena is finally cleared - yippee! I've only managed to ride once a week the past couple of weeks. What a great feeling to be riding outdoors again.
Yesterday after work I headed to the barn and got G tacked up for a ride. We had the arena to ourselves which was a real treat! G was doing great, he felt loose, he was yielding smoothly, side passing right and left and I was happy to find that even being out of practice he still had his moves. Ater about 15 minutes I felt him tighten up, his head swiveled looking over to the next property and he just stopped dead. I had my iPod on softly so I took one ear piece out and I could hear voices of kids yelling. Before I could think the words "what the heck" G spun and started to head toward the arena gate. I doubled him and asked for a circle. He was tight and not listening. I asked for him to stop and stand as I wanted to figure out what was going on. The voices got louder, he started backing up. I asked him to move forward, he side passed. He was snorting, jigging, and he wouldn't stand still. All of a sudden two kids come running up to the backside of the arena and they're yelling "willie" or "billie" not sure which and I yelled "stop yelling you're scaring my horse". Well all of a sudden from the side yard comes this medium size black dog who looks like he's running for his life. He ran straight through the arena, not paying us much mind. Well G was paying a whole lot of mind, and I'm asking him to stand which he won't, so I decide to keep him moving forward at least. Nope, he jigged, he side passed; completly blowing off my cues. Meantime the kids are still yelling, one of them running along side the arena yelling for the dog, the dog is flying all over the place, and all I want is G to stop for one second so I can dismount. One of the fellow boarders who had been in her car hopped out and tried to help the kid corral the dog. I've never seen a dog run so fast and pay zero attention to its owner. Of course I have to yell "where the heck is his leash....if he runs into the road, you're going to be minus one dog". What was I thinking? I'm not, I'm reacting and being a bitch. But the barn is on a major commuter road and the cars travel on average at 50 mph. This dog will stand no chance if he makes it out there. Why do parents let kids handle dogs that aren't trained? So now I'm uptight, really uptight; G's still moving his feet and I make another attempt to ask him to stand. He starts to back up faster than I've ever felt him and for the first time ever, I felt him start to rear. I made one more attempt to push him forward, and when he did I popped my right foot out of the stirrup and pushed myself off him. He stopped still. The head pops up and he starts snorting like something is out to kill him, he starts spinning right and left as I'm holding the reins and I'm trying to talk calmly to bring him down. Zip, in comes the dog again and starts it all over again. The dog now discovers G and starts rnning back and forth behind him barking at him. Great, it was like a three ring circus. The next thing I see is the dog running down the drive toward the road, with the little boy chasing it....never chase a running dog, it will just keep running. I didn't hear any squealing tires and it got quiet so I figured maybe they caught him. Katie comes into the arena and starts talking to G in this wonderfully soft voice, "oh what a brave horse you are G, that was a big bad dog wasn't it" G's getting calmer, and I'm thinking to myself, "why can't I be that soft and gentle - that's exactly what G needs". Katie left and I walked G around the arena for about 10 minutes, he finally lowered his head and took a couple of heavy sighs. I decided I'd remount and just walk him around for a couple of minutes and then call it a day. Everything was fine for all of about two minutes until we got to the backside of the arena where the kids had popped out initially and he tried to bolt again. We jigged, I asked him to soften and circle, he started to sidepass, I ask for a circle again, and kept circling til we got to the gate where I didn't wait for a stop this time, I just hopped off. I opened the gate and G ran into my shoulder. This was the final straw and where I lost it, I backed him up 10 feet and then jogged him into the barn where I stripped off his tack and roughly walked him into his stall. I can't remember the last time I've felt such anger, it wasn't pretty and looking back its as if I lost all control of my wits. When I went to remove his bridle he raised his head as high as it would go with this wild eyed look. I know this look, it's fear, yet it didn't stop me from yelling at him and backing him into the corner to remove the bridle. I called him Alpo, I told him I was through, and that this was the last time I would deal with his assinine behaviour. I shut the stall door, put all my stuff away and walked away. When I shut the barn door the last thing I saw was G's head hanging over the stall door, still waiting for his treat. He has no clue of what just transpired. I got into my car and the tears started to roll down my cheeks. As mad as I was at G for over-reacting, I was four times madder at myself for losing control. All that I've worked so hard for, any amount of trust, just shattered in 20 minutes. I started to drive and the tears continued to flow.
Today was a perfect example of why I feel I'm not the right person for G. He deserves someone who is a relaxed soul, someone who knows how to maintain control at all times; someone who recognizes in themselves when its time to back away. Someone who can connect to G's soul and gain 100% of his trust, in a way that I don't think I ever can. What scared me the most was that going into the ride I felt totally relaxed. I didn't feel any stress whatsoever. Where this anger came from was deep and it was scary. I still don't understand where it came from, but I do know that I didn't like it or me at that moment, and I still don't. I can only hope he can forgive me.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Is it Spring Yet?
I used to love snow as there is something so pristine and peaceful about new fallen deep snow. The world gets quiet, sounds are muffled. Wildlife is easy to spot and follow as you snow shoe through the woods.
Okay that was then, this is now! I hate snow, I'm tired of snow, I wouldn't mind if I don't see it for the next two winters! We stopped counting the inches we've had so much. I think last count was 85" this season and the all time record is 115" so it is feasible that we could see that again. UGH!!
We haven't seen the ground since mid December. It was so nice in the beginning as we could ride the trails and enjoy the beauty and peacefullness. Then we got an ice storm that put a crust of ice on 2' of snow. Needless to say that was the end of trail riding for us. I'm guessing that we still have 3-4' of snow on the ground. Much too much to ask a horse to ride through. Heck, they're all having enough problems out in their pastures. Each pasture has single trails that meander not more than 1/3 of the way into them lol. They certainly aren't getting much exercise out there these days.
The last storm dumped another foot of heavy snow which has demolished its share of roofs and buildings throughout the state. Today another horse barn roof collapsed, this time horses were inside and were killed. It's devestating to hear about. Folks all over are buying roof rakes and getting up on their roofs to shovel. I'm betting there have been some slips and major injuries doing this, as its not the safest thing to do when a roof is dry.
Our indoor arena has been closed since last Friday due to the inability to remove all of the snow from the top. It's one of the clearspan types with the heavy fabric roofs. It took a few days just to move trailers and get the snow removed from around the arena so they could drive the boom truck around it and use the roof rake. Unfortunately with the weather and cold they've only been able to do a little each day.
I did get to ride G up and down the driveway last Sunday as it was near 40 degrees and the snow/ice was loose enough to not worry about slipping. I so can't wait until we can ride again. I know G would love to kick up those heels so I'm thinking he will have the opportunity to free lunge before I mount up lol....I'm not sure I'm ready for all the energy he's been storing up!
Is it spring yet? whine whine whine
Okay that was then, this is now! I hate snow, I'm tired of snow, I wouldn't mind if I don't see it for the next two winters! We stopped counting the inches we've had so much. I think last count was 85" this season and the all time record is 115" so it is feasible that we could see that again. UGH!!
We haven't seen the ground since mid December. It was so nice in the beginning as we could ride the trails and enjoy the beauty and peacefullness. Then we got an ice storm that put a crust of ice on 2' of snow. Needless to say that was the end of trail riding for us. I'm guessing that we still have 3-4' of snow on the ground. Much too much to ask a horse to ride through. Heck, they're all having enough problems out in their pastures. Each pasture has single trails that meander not more than 1/3 of the way into them lol. They certainly aren't getting much exercise out there these days.
The last storm dumped another foot of heavy snow which has demolished its share of roofs and buildings throughout the state. Today another horse barn roof collapsed, this time horses were inside and were killed. It's devestating to hear about. Folks all over are buying roof rakes and getting up on their roofs to shovel. I'm betting there have been some slips and major injuries doing this, as its not the safest thing to do when a roof is dry.
Our indoor arena has been closed since last Friday due to the inability to remove all of the snow from the top. It's one of the clearspan types with the heavy fabric roofs. It took a few days just to move trailers and get the snow removed from around the arena so they could drive the boom truck around it and use the roof rake. Unfortunately with the weather and cold they've only been able to do a little each day.
I did get to ride G up and down the driveway last Sunday as it was near 40 degrees and the snow/ice was loose enough to not worry about slipping. I so can't wait until we can ride again. I know G would love to kick up those heels so I'm thinking he will have the opportunity to free lunge before I mount up lol....I'm not sure I'm ready for all the energy he's been storing up!
Is it spring yet? whine whine whine
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Two Wolves Captures G's Spirit in Leather
I'm not sure if it was the lunar eclipse or if the planets are in alignment or something..... I sent a bunch of photos to Shutterfly last week for enlargements so I could frame them. A couple for gifts and an 8x10 of one that I've been meaning to do for a long time as its one of my favorite pictures of G. I picked out frames and hung it on the wall yesterday....
Back in July Val (loneelk) had asked me to do some touch up work on a photo of Chet Two Wolves' recently deceased horse Red. And I asked if it would be okay if I did something with it and I created a 12 x 12 scrapbook layout. I framed it up, sent it off to Two Wolves and it became part of their memorial wall. Val told me that some day in some shape or form Two Wolves would repay me for my gift. I told her that wasn't necessary, but she explained that it was the Lakota way. So to respect Two Wolves and Val, I knew I would accept this thank you. Well, a couple days ago Val told me to be on the lookout for a package and it came today. I just about fell down when I unwrapped this beautiful piece of art.....
Words cannot fully express what this gift means to me, truly they can't. I will cherish it always, as it is not only my heart horse, but when I look at it I will always remember the events that unfolded leading up to its creation; the story of the man/the artist, his lovely wife, and his heart horse Red that left this world too early.
If any of you horse lovers out there would love to see your horse come to life in leather, you can contact Val & Two Wolves through their Bonanza booth at http://www.bonanza.com/booths/loneelk
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Stewards of the Animals
Yesterday I received a message from a fellow horsewoman so poignantly written, that it got me to thinking (such a dangerous thing). In it she stated that we as horse(wo)men should see ourselves as the stewards of the animals whom we bring into our lives. I believe in this statement, and I (we) also believe that others should do the same. When we see something happening with another horse person that goes against all that we feel is in the best interest of the animal over the course of 7.5 years repeating itself over and over, do we stay silent and let it pass, or do we stand up and make our feelings known? Even when we know that our thoughts will be construed as a personal attack by others, no matter how worded?
I am by no means a perfect human being and have never professed to be one. But there are some things I do know. Like knowing the difference between what is good for a horse’s psyche and what is damaging, and understanding that there are basic steps in looking for our lifetime equine partner. Knowing enough that if I were to make a mistake in that process that I would need to review my prior actions and rechart the course for the next time, not simply repeat the same mistakes over and over.
Horses are not shoes that are tossed aside if they pinch a little. They are not perfect beings, even the best of them. If a person isn’t willing to put a true effort and time into them, they will receive nothing in return. My friend Beeswood’s favorite saying is “Show me your horse and I’ll tell you who you are” and it has become one of my favs too, because it is so true. We leave our marks on our horse’s behaviors and personalities, as they do on ours. Just as we do with our children, they are, in most instances, a reflection of the effort we put forth.
God blessed me with more common sense than book smarts, and although at a few times in my life this has bothered me, today as I see many highly intelligent humans making serious errors in judgment over and over again, I thank God for the gift that he gave to me and I will never question his decision again.
So truly when is enough enough? How many horses should one person go through in 7.5 years searching for their lifetime partner? And how does one know a particular horse is their heart horse in the first 30 days and then have a change of heart and decide its unsuitable 90-120-250 days later? And most of all when you see someone go through 7-8 (I’ve honestly lost track) horses in this time span; should you stay silent when another is sent packing back to the seller or remain an enabler? I would love to hear your thoughts.
I am by no means a perfect human being and have never professed to be one. But there are some things I do know. Like knowing the difference between what is good for a horse’s psyche and what is damaging, and understanding that there are basic steps in looking for our lifetime equine partner. Knowing enough that if I were to make a mistake in that process that I would need to review my prior actions and rechart the course for the next time, not simply repeat the same mistakes over and over.
Horses are not shoes that are tossed aside if they pinch a little. They are not perfect beings, even the best of them. If a person isn’t willing to put a true effort and time into them, they will receive nothing in return. My friend Beeswood’s favorite saying is “Show me your horse and I’ll tell you who you are” and it has become one of my favs too, because it is so true. We leave our marks on our horse’s behaviors and personalities, as they do on ours. Just as we do with our children, they are, in most instances, a reflection of the effort we put forth.
God blessed me with more common sense than book smarts, and although at a few times in my life this has bothered me, today as I see many highly intelligent humans making serious errors in judgment over and over again, I thank God for the gift that he gave to me and I will never question his decision again.
So truly when is enough enough? How many horses should one person go through in 7.5 years searching for their lifetime partner? And how does one know a particular horse is their heart horse in the first 30 days and then have a change of heart and decide its unsuitable 90-120-250 days later? And most of all when you see someone go through 7-8 (I’ve honestly lost track) horses in this time span; should you stay silent when another is sent packing back to the seller or remain an enabler? I would love to hear your thoughts.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Ride for the Cure 2010 - 10/3/10
This past Sunday began with the alarm clock going off at 6:00 a.m. UGH! We hopped out of bed, quickly dressed, ate a quick breakfast and got ready to roll. My big sister Susie came over at 7:00 and we loaded up the car and headed to the barn. Susie was excited to see a few of the horses hanging around in their runouts so early....
We'd hooked the truck up to the trailer Saturday night so we could quietly roll into the farm and quietly roll out. Surprisingly G loaded up quickly and at 7:38 we were on our way to Pomfret CT, which is called "the Quiet Corner". I've actually never visited this town and hope to go back one day soon as it seemed like a lovely community. Based on the amount of BMW's, Mercedes and Lexus vehicles we saw in the center, I have a feeling its a bit of a pricey community too.
Anyhowzer, our destination was Tyrone Farm which is host to the 10th Anniversary of the Komen CT Ride for the Cure.
Breast Cancer has been an important cause to my family, as my big sister Susie who joined us today is celebrating her 10 year anniversary of being cancer free (first ovarian then breast cancer). Today we were riding to honor my sister Susie and it was special to have her with us. But kick me now cause do you think either one of us thought to ask hubby to take our picture together? Duh!
We passed the equestrian facilities where the big rigs were parked and were directed about 1/2 mile up to a large field that sits across the road from the house and barn in the picture above. About two rows of trailers came in after this picture was taken...
Getting G ready to go....all the while hubby is saying "ahhh man, he's a boy horse, poor thing"
The trails traversed meadows and fields; through Tyrone Farm's cross-country courses and through the woods in between them all.
I'm guessing it was about 10 miles in total which I covered in about 2 hours with a couple of rest stops which came equipped with porta pottys, water for horse and rider and a live lawn jockey....
G was quite high headed to start the ride, and it lasted about 15-20 minutes of continuous half halts, leg yields, one rein stops, etc. to try and get his head back on me rather than the horses out in front of him. He hates, absolutely hates to have horses out in front of him unless his head is about touching their tail. Since I won't allow that, I get to ride the prancing pony who can almost do a canter in place! I finally worked him in one of the fields doing circles until the horses disappeared from view. Once he couldn't see them any more he went back to being the relaxed horse he is when we ride alone or with one other horse. With his big walking horse stride it didn't take long until we caught up to the groups ahead of us. I asked if they would mind if we passed and no one objected which was great. We spent about an hour basically riding in the woods all by ourselves, it was absolutely beautiful and a peaceful way to spend a Sunday. I was really surprised at the amount of stone walls and foundations out in the middle of the woods. It made you wonder what it looked like back in the 1800's.
Barn owner's horse Tristen
G getting his breakfast in bed :)
We'd hooked the truck up to the trailer Saturday night so we could quietly roll into the farm and quietly roll out. Surprisingly G loaded up quickly and at 7:38 we were on our way to Pomfret CT, which is called "the Quiet Corner". I've actually never visited this town and hope to go back one day soon as it seemed like a lovely community. Based on the amount of BMW's, Mercedes and Lexus vehicles we saw in the center, I have a feeling its a bit of a pricey community too.
Anyhowzer, our destination was Tyrone Farm which is host to the 10th Anniversary of the Komen CT Ride for the Cure.
Breast Cancer has been an important cause to my family, as my big sister Susie who joined us today is celebrating her 10 year anniversary of being cancer free (first ovarian then breast cancer). Today we were riding to honor my sister Susie and it was special to have her with us. But kick me now cause do you think either one of us thought to ask hubby to take our picture together? Duh!
We passed the equestrian facilities where the big rigs were parked and were directed about 1/2 mile up to a large field that sits across the road from the house and barn in the picture above. About two rows of trailers came in after this picture was taken...
Getting G ready to go....all the while hubby is saying "ahhh man, he's a boy horse, poor thing"
Rider up and ready to rock 'n roll with my Glam Rockin' Tennessee Walking Horse!
While waiting our turn for the professional photographer we snapped some pics of other riders and their horses. It was so neat to see horse's and riders in all sorts of shades of pink and to see how far some would go to "pink it out". Some of the best I saw were out on the trail when I couldn't get my camera out. And then there were some that didn't have any fun with it at all. I guess I'm just a big kid!
The trails traversed meadows and fields; through Tyrone Farm's cross-country courses and through the woods in between them all.
I'm guessing it was about 10 miles in total which I covered in about 2 hours with a couple of rest stops which came equipped with porta pottys, water for horse and rider and a live lawn jockey....
G was quite high headed to start the ride, and it lasted about 15-20 minutes of continuous half halts, leg yields, one rein stops, etc. to try and get his head back on me rather than the horses out in front of him. He hates, absolutely hates to have horses out in front of him unless his head is about touching their tail. Since I won't allow that, I get to ride the prancing pony who can almost do a canter in place! I finally worked him in one of the fields doing circles until the horses disappeared from view. Once he couldn't see them any more he went back to being the relaxed horse he is when we ride alone or with one other horse. With his big walking horse stride it didn't take long until we caught up to the groups ahead of us. I asked if they would mind if we passed and no one objected which was great. We spent about an hour basically riding in the woods all by ourselves, it was absolutely beautiful and a peaceful way to spend a Sunday. I was really surprised at the amount of stone walls and foundations out in the middle of the woods. It made you wonder what it looked like back in the 1800's.
While we were standing here soaking in the quiet, I realized that no one had taken a close up picture of G in his bridle. Now that he had on his ribbon honoring my big sis I thought it would be a great time to take one. I'm know I'm biased, but isn't he handsome?
These woods were gorgeous and they led us deeper into the forest into a private hunting preserve. When we turned the corner we came upon this sign....uh oh!
Now it's a damn good thing that G does not know how to read, cause at this point if he did, he woulda lost it right then and there and he would've been galloping through the forest all the while yelling "I told ya so, I told ya those trees would eat me!"
While we were out on the trail, hubby and Susie had set up a small table up at the barn to sell bridle charms. They were supposed to be inside the barn but I didn't find out until after I got back that they stuck them and the lady selling t-shirts outside in the cold (not happy). Here's pictures they took up at the "event" barn. Events being, weddings, anniversary parties etc.
Here's our Too'Shay leather cross that Kysa made special for our ride.
This was our first time riding in this or any fund raising event, and I have to say it was not only rewarding, but a lot of fun. It doesn't hurt that it is a cause near and dear to my heart either. I love my sister Susie, the little things she does for me. Like to take a picture of this for my scrapbook :)
I was extremely pleased to have raised $625 for the event! Many wonderful people by way of monetary donations, bridle charm and other sales, exceeded my expectations. My goal was originally $500 so this was a nice bonus! The last posted dollar amount on the Susan Komen CT site was on Friday and dollar amount raised at that point was over $85,000 !! Wonderful.
And last but not least, how can a certain someone I love pass by a statue without whispering in its ear. I once asked hubby what he tells them and he said "dirty jokes to make them smile". So if you pass by a smiling statue somewhere around the globe, stop and ask if they know any dirty jokes. Hubby just may have been there before you.....
10/6/10 Update from Komen CT Ride for the Cure ~
2010 was their most successful ride event in their 10 year history ~ 125 riders raised over $111,000.00!!! Nice!
Until next time......
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Summer is fading away....
It's hard to imagine, but summer is beginning to fade away. It could be due to rainy weather the past few days, but now its fairly dark when we wake up and the sun is setting around 8:12 [heavy sigh]. I won't miss the horrendous heat and humidity that kept us off the trails for almost a month; but I sure do miss the longer days. Especially now that I drive farther to see G.
We've been doing alot of riding the past month. We were able to finally meet up with Cora and her new horse Skip; and have since met Patty and her horse Woody. Woody is a SSH that came from the same farm as G in Shelbyville.....Evening Shade Farms. He's a nice horse, and fun to ride along side. They came out one weekend to the farm and we did the trails out back and then two weekends we met up with them at Salmon Brook where I showed them the trails. I didn't realize how much I missed those trails until we got out on them. Lots of variety in terrain; multiple stream crossings where you can let your horse stand to cool down; some small hills; loping meadows and gaiting trails. I've since taken G back on our own to ride, and it was fabulous! He was fabulous! I have a small video to share but its at home.
We also finally got to ride the trails with the other Walking Horse and her owner at our barn last Sunday. What a nice mare! This horse has a smooth effortless running walk, and she's purdy to boot. Hopefully we'll get to ride with them more this fall. It really is nice to ride out with horses that are equal in stride length. As much as I love riding with my QH friends, we do spend a lot of time waiting for them to catch up.
We've been doing alot of riding the past month. We were able to finally meet up with Cora and her new horse Skip; and have since met Patty and her horse Woody. Woody is a SSH that came from the same farm as G in Shelbyville.....Evening Shade Farms. He's a nice horse, and fun to ride along side. They came out one weekend to the farm and we did the trails out back and then two weekends we met up with them at Salmon Brook where I showed them the trails. I didn't realize how much I missed those trails until we got out on them. Lots of variety in terrain; multiple stream crossings where you can let your horse stand to cool down; some small hills; loping meadows and gaiting trails. I've since taken G back on our own to ride, and it was fabulous! He was fabulous! I have a small video to share but its at home.
We also finally got to ride the trails with the other Walking Horse and her owner at our barn last Sunday. What a nice mare! This horse has a smooth effortless running walk, and she's purdy to boot. Hopefully we'll get to ride with them more this fall. It really is nice to ride out with horses that are equal in stride length. As much as I love riding with my QH friends, we do spend a lot of time waiting for them to catch up.
We're going camping in Massachusetts next month and meeting up with another gaited horse & owner, Jill & Sprite. We met Jill in person at Equine Affaire years ago; and she came to a Liz Graves clinic held at one of the barns we were boarding at. That was some six years ago maybe? Although we only live about 4 hours away from one another, its taken this long for us to finally get to meet up to ride together. I think this will be a blast!
G is loving life at the current barn. Each visit I find a new scratch or cut that he acquires while playing with his buddy Irish. I feel like a mom with a 5 year old boy. I miss my scratch/scar free face; but I wouldn't trade this happy horse for it..... He's thriving here and our rides just keep getting better, as does our relationship.
I recently finished a tribute layout for a woman as a gift to her husband who recently lost his horse to colic. She had approached me about PhotoShopping a head shot of her husbands horse, as she wanted to change the background so she could frame it. I asked her if I could do a layout instead, and that I wanted to do this as a gift to them. We emailed back and forth and she shared additional pictures for me to chose from. She shared some stories of Red & Two Wolves and that he liked using the colors of the medicine wheel in his artwork. She allowed me complete freedom over the design. Her husband had no clue it was coming. This was the piece before I framed it.....
When I finished the layout and stepped back away from it I got chills like nothing I had experienced before. The spirit of Red and his owner Two Wolves came alive somehow, and I felt like I had captured their relationship and how Two Wolves would view the spirit of his horse Red. When it finally arrived in New Mexico and Val emailed me to convey their feelings, I felt a warmth fill my heart and I knew that I'd succeeded in my quest to make a memorable tribute to Red that they would cherish. And I have horse friends who ask me how I could spend an entire day a month inside scrapping? This is one of the reasons why. I just love creating a story from a picture or two!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Special Moments
He breathes softly
I listen
He licks his lips
anticipating that which he knows I have
I look
I give in
Softly I open my hand and offer up
what he so desires
He walks to me, lowers his head,
and softly nickers
The treat is his for the taking....
It's virtually quiet ~ the sounds of birds chirping; soft sighs and the sounds of chewing. Every so often G stops eating his hay and comes over to where I'm sitting to investigate why I'm sitting on my groom tote in his stall , journal in my lap, pen in hand.
It's been quite some time since I've just come to the barn to sit in his stall and hang out. I love this stall as I can sit next to the back door opening to his private run out and not feel closed in. I know he must love the freedom this represents. So tonight there is no tacking up; no riding; no lunging. Just a leisurely brushing, taking extra care and time to brush his face ~ his most favorite thing over food. It's just me sitting here quietly, taking in the wonderful sounds and smells that only a horse person can understand loving. It is soothing, this earthy aroma; these soft sounds of chewing, sighs and small snorts. It washes away the stresses of the day; takes away the sorrow I feel for those I cannot help nor save; it is what keeps me sane.
Outside it's raining. Finally. A good soaking rain that the parched landscape so desperately needs in order to survive. Mother Nature has not been so kind to her living things this summer. The ground is so hard, I'm sure the first couple inches will simply run off.
As I sit here against the wall at the stall door the light is growing dimmer, as the sounds within the barn and outside get even quieter still. No human voices except that of my own voice inside my head as I write down my thoughts and feelings of this wonderful time with my horse.
I can hear G swallow as he takes in a nice long drink in between his courses of hay. I find myself counting. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, then dribble dribble dribble on the stall mats. Ever since his colic in '08, when he drinks I count the swallows. It's a good sound - its a a healthy sound. I notice that the fog is rolling into the valley which I can see over the roofs of the farm house - the air is finally getting cooler, offering up a slight breeze through the door. I probably should leave soon so I don't have to drive over the mountain in fog & heavy rain, but the peacefulness that I'm soaking in is too precious to give up so soon.
There will be more moments like these when we move to Tennessee and G is in our own barn, and I'll be able to tip toe out in my pj's to see him when the mood strikes me. But right now I'm feeling greedy and I don't want to give up these moments of bliss. G just stopped and gave me a nuzzle on the top of my baseball cap on his way out the door ~ a small gesture, but one that fills my heart.
I hear voices approaching the barn - it must be time for the night check. Looks like my nirvana is over for the night.
Until the next time; I will close my eyes when I'm stressed at work and picture these moments. Thanks for sharing your home with me G.
I listen
He licks his lips
anticipating that which he knows I have
I look
I give in
Softly I open my hand and offer up
what he so desires
He walks to me, lowers his head,
and softly nickers
The treat is his for the taking....
It's virtually quiet ~ the sounds of birds chirping; soft sighs and the sounds of chewing. Every so often G stops eating his hay and comes over to where I'm sitting to investigate why I'm sitting on my groom tote in his stall , journal in my lap, pen in hand.
It's been quite some time since I've just come to the barn to sit in his stall and hang out. I love this stall as I can sit next to the back door opening to his private run out and not feel closed in. I know he must love the freedom this represents. So tonight there is no tacking up; no riding; no lunging. Just a leisurely brushing, taking extra care and time to brush his face ~ his most favorite thing over food. It's just me sitting here quietly, taking in the wonderful sounds and smells that only a horse person can understand loving. It is soothing, this earthy aroma; these soft sounds of chewing, sighs and small snorts. It washes away the stresses of the day; takes away the sorrow I feel for those I cannot help nor save; it is what keeps me sane.
Outside it's raining. Finally. A good soaking rain that the parched landscape so desperately needs in order to survive. Mother Nature has not been so kind to her living things this summer. The ground is so hard, I'm sure the first couple inches will simply run off.
As I sit here against the wall at the stall door the light is growing dimmer, as the sounds within the barn and outside get even quieter still. No human voices except that of my own voice inside my head as I write down my thoughts and feelings of this wonderful time with my horse.
I can hear G swallow as he takes in a nice long drink in between his courses of hay. I find myself counting. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, then dribble dribble dribble on the stall mats. Ever since his colic in '08, when he drinks I count the swallows. It's a good sound - its a a healthy sound. I notice that the fog is rolling into the valley which I can see over the roofs of the farm house - the air is finally getting cooler, offering up a slight breeze through the door. I probably should leave soon so I don't have to drive over the mountain in fog & heavy rain, but the peacefulness that I'm soaking in is too precious to give up so soon.
There will be more moments like these when we move to Tennessee and G is in our own barn, and I'll be able to tip toe out in my pj's to see him when the mood strikes me. But right now I'm feeling greedy and I don't want to give up these moments of bliss. G just stopped and gave me a nuzzle on the top of my baseball cap on his way out the door ~ a small gesture, but one that fills my heart.
I hear voices approaching the barn - it must be time for the night check. Looks like my nirvana is over for the night.
Until the next time; I will close my eyes when I'm stressed at work and picture these moments. Thanks for sharing your home with me G.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Busy, Busy, Busy
It appears the official start to summer has begun. With Memorial Day comes parades; flowers on soldier's gravestones; and family time. Flags waving from the front stoops of neighborhood houses; smells of barbeque in the air.
We spent a pretty quiet weekend staying away from computers, blackberries and cellphones. The only electronic device used was the TV for awhile as we watched some old classic war movies. Pin Up Girl with Betty Grable was my favorite since I'd never seen it and boy oh boy did it make me think of my dad and his service days in WWII. I'm sure he or someone in his barracks had this pin up inside their locker .
"Wow look at those GAMS" I can hear my father saying. In seeing this particular photo I can see why he used to tell me that wearing a one piece bathing suit was far sexier then a bikini. In his words "your eyes are drawn to the whole body, not parts and pieces" he said to me many times. Yep, I think women have lost much of the mystique since wearing less in public has become the norm. Anyway, it was a fun corny movie and hubby and I both found ourselves giggling throughout.
Saturday was a work day. It was predicted to be the coolest of the three days so I wrangled hubby into tearing out the living room wall to wall carpet. I'm guessing the carpet was about 20 years old. Coming from a house with many cats & dogs throughout the years and a mom with a "dripping" oxygen tank, the wood floor underneath was definitely stained, but we think totally salvagable. Oh man the fine sand and dirt under the foam padding was enough to choke a horse! I think I know why hubby & I have been so stuffed up lately. Even the power vac we have wasn't picking this up. So once removed, we vacuumed a couple times; I washed the floor twice and then dry mopped Old English hoping it would moisturize the wood a little. We then went out and bought an 10' x 12' remnant piece of burgandy carpet to protect the wood from further damage (and not see it of course). The next task will be removing the 12" x 12" peel & stick tile I installed for my mom over the dining room area and hallway wood floors. I can't imagine the mess, and it will be a long process I'm sure. But once done, we can refinish the wood floors, which will definitely add value to the resale value.
Although I had three days off, I only rode G on Sunday morning. Since it was supposed to get hot we hit the trail around 10:15 with our trail buddy Ozzy. Going out G kept turning his head to the left looking at the farm and I kept urging him forward. Great, I'm thinking. Now he's going to be buddy/barn sour. We got up in the woods and he at least stopped looking around. We got a good groove going and then navigated down Big Butt Hill (yeah I know all you mountain folks laugh at this lol). Since the black flies are at their worst, I stayed out of the woods and went through the Christmas tree farm toward the marshes. Around the corner we go and G drops a shoulder, stops and snorts. Off waddle two Canadian Geese to the marsh on the left. Okay buddy, just Geese let's go I said. I could feel his tenseness so I made sure I was breathing nice and steady, sitting in my 3-point position. This didn't seem to help. As we turned to the right, we flush out a Red Tail Hawk out of a low bush. Dropped a shoulder again with a half hearted attempt to spin. Caught him in time and urged him forward. He's getting more tense. I've really focused on being relaxed and then I see Ozzy sniffing something in the middle of the trail. As we ride up to it I realized he was sniffing Bear poop. Oh great, I bet this is what G is smelling. So I urged him past and took him to the end of the other marsh to the right.
When I turned him around he turned into the G I remember oh too well. Jig, jig, jig, "gotta go, gotta get out of here, gotta gooooo hoooooome". It never ceases to amaze me how a horse that will stop on a dime with my seat cue in the arena can totally blow it off on the trail. This means I have to add in rein cues. Okay, that's not doing much either but slowing him down until I would release, then it's back to jig, jig, jig, "gotta go, gotta get out of here, gotta gooooo hooooome" [heavy sigh]. So begins our one rein stops. Stop turn around walk the opposite direction 10 steps, stop stand relax, turn. G jigs, we one rein stop, we turn, we travel in the opposite direction, we stop facing away from home until he relaxes, we turn again. After the 4th or 5th time I decided to try Joanna's trick she uses with Montero and rather than allow him to walk forward toward home, he can walk backward. Once the head would come down and he seemed softer, turn around again walk toward home. Jig, jig, jig. Poor Ozzy. At this point he's run back and forth trying to follow us during the 15 minute exercise and he's out of breath and panting. I got G turned around again, stoppped and standing long enough for me to give Ozzy a drink from his doggy bottle/trough. By this time we're at the base of Big Butt Hill and he has one choice. Walk it, or not go up it. Surprisingly he walked it. A little more animated then I would have liked, but by about the 20th step he realized he'd better pay closer attention to his steps and lowered his head. Ahhhhhhh. Rather than stop and let him blow at the top I let him continue walking. Now he's walking rather than jigging so onward. He got a little antsy coming back down the hill to the farm, but by the time we reached the bottom he was happy to deliver a nice relaxed walk. Of course he thought he was done, so I took him to the outdoor arena and started working on side passing to open the gate, walk through it and close it. It took about 10 minutes until I could unlatch the chain and open it, as we walked through G rushed through so I had to let go of the gate. Dang, we're going to get this yet. We cantered both directions about 4x each and then I walked him until he cooled down some. On the trail, I'm not sure if it was the biting bugs (I got bit a couple times) or the smell of the bear, or a combination of it all, but he was back to being the G of 6 years ago [heavy sigh again]. I think its Lynn Palm that advocates "if you're not having fun, time to sell the horse". I can't tell you how many times this thought went through my head during the weekend. Am I really having fun? I question my sanity, wonder why I love this horse with all my heart, and then realize that I can't imagine life without him at this point.
Monday we stopped at a friend's house who has holds an annual campout and just hung out for awhile. Its a chance to get to see some people we don't see often. After we headed over to the barn to check on G. As expected the day would come....I stood at the gate and whistled. The lead horse Sunny picked up his head, everyone else ignored me and kept on grazing. I called G, he ignored me. I asked him if he was a good boy [he knows this means a treat] he ignores me. I went out into the pasture about 1/4 of the distance to the herd, still talking to G and who comes up but Sunny - "hey you got something for me?" I shoo'd him off. Next comes Irish, G's best buddy - "hey is that for me?" I shoo him off. I took four more steps and said "G were you a good boy?" and he finally lifts his head. Hmmmm....naahhhh grass is better. Took two more steps "G, last call. Come and get it or it's going." I get that look like you'd imagine your 5 year old gives you "oh do I have to?" but he walks over. I let him have one morsel of oatmeal cookie and walk to the gate, he's following closely behind. Food, the great motivator. When he got to the gate, I gave him the rest of the cookie, gave his neck a stroke and walked out. I stand there watching him walk away to the water trough and I look at hubby and say "I've lost him to the herd, just like I thought". Hubby put his arm around me and went back to the car. All the way home I keep thinking to myself.....would G be happier somewhere else? Would I be happier with a different horse? Am I ready to move on?
We finished off the day with a nice steak on the barbie with grilled asparagus, garlic toast and played some cribbage before calling it a night. It was overall a very productive and relaxing weekend. I went to bed and stopped asking questions.
We spent a pretty quiet weekend staying away from computers, blackberries and cellphones. The only electronic device used was the TV for awhile as we watched some old classic war movies. Pin Up Girl with Betty Grable was my favorite since I'd never seen it and boy oh boy did it make me think of my dad and his service days in WWII. I'm sure he or someone in his barracks had this pin up inside their locker .
"Wow look at those GAMS" I can hear my father saying. In seeing this particular photo I can see why he used to tell me that wearing a one piece bathing suit was far sexier then a bikini. In his words "your eyes are drawn to the whole body, not parts and pieces" he said to me many times. Yep, I think women have lost much of the mystique since wearing less in public has become the norm. Anyway, it was a fun corny movie and hubby and I both found ourselves giggling throughout.
Saturday was a work day. It was predicted to be the coolest of the three days so I wrangled hubby into tearing out the living room wall to wall carpet. I'm guessing the carpet was about 20 years old. Coming from a house with many cats & dogs throughout the years and a mom with a "dripping" oxygen tank, the wood floor underneath was definitely stained, but we think totally salvagable. Oh man the fine sand and dirt under the foam padding was enough to choke a horse! I think I know why hubby & I have been so stuffed up lately. Even the power vac we have wasn't picking this up. So once removed, we vacuumed a couple times; I washed the floor twice and then dry mopped Old English hoping it would moisturize the wood a little. We then went out and bought an 10' x 12' remnant piece of burgandy carpet to protect the wood from further damage (and not see it of course). The next task will be removing the 12" x 12" peel & stick tile I installed for my mom over the dining room area and hallway wood floors. I can't imagine the mess, and it will be a long process I'm sure. But once done, we can refinish the wood floors, which will definitely add value to the resale value.
Although I had three days off, I only rode G on Sunday morning. Since it was supposed to get hot we hit the trail around 10:15 with our trail buddy Ozzy. Going out G kept turning his head to the left looking at the farm and I kept urging him forward. Great, I'm thinking. Now he's going to be buddy/barn sour. We got up in the woods and he at least stopped looking around. We got a good groove going and then navigated down Big Butt Hill (yeah I know all you mountain folks laugh at this lol). Since the black flies are at their worst, I stayed out of the woods and went through the Christmas tree farm toward the marshes. Around the corner we go and G drops a shoulder, stops and snorts. Off waddle two Canadian Geese to the marsh on the left. Okay buddy, just Geese let's go I said. I could feel his tenseness so I made sure I was breathing nice and steady, sitting in my 3-point position. This didn't seem to help. As we turned to the right, we flush out a Red Tail Hawk out of a low bush. Dropped a shoulder again with a half hearted attempt to spin. Caught him in time and urged him forward. He's getting more tense. I've really focused on being relaxed and then I see Ozzy sniffing something in the middle of the trail. As we ride up to it I realized he was sniffing Bear poop. Oh great, I bet this is what G is smelling. So I urged him past and took him to the end of the other marsh to the right.
When I turned him around he turned into the G I remember oh too well. Jig, jig, jig, "gotta go, gotta get out of here, gotta gooooo hoooooome". It never ceases to amaze me how a horse that will stop on a dime with my seat cue in the arena can totally blow it off on the trail. This means I have to add in rein cues. Okay, that's not doing much either but slowing him down until I would release, then it's back to jig, jig, jig, "gotta go, gotta get out of here, gotta gooooo hooooome" [heavy sigh]. So begins our one rein stops. Stop turn around walk the opposite direction 10 steps, stop stand relax, turn. G jigs, we one rein stop, we turn, we travel in the opposite direction, we stop facing away from home until he relaxes, we turn again. After the 4th or 5th time I decided to try Joanna's trick she uses with Montero and rather than allow him to walk forward toward home, he can walk backward. Once the head would come down and he seemed softer, turn around again walk toward home. Jig, jig, jig. Poor Ozzy. At this point he's run back and forth trying to follow us during the 15 minute exercise and he's out of breath and panting. I got G turned around again, stoppped and standing long enough for me to give Ozzy a drink from his doggy bottle/trough. By this time we're at the base of Big Butt Hill and he has one choice. Walk it, or not go up it. Surprisingly he walked it. A little more animated then I would have liked, but by about the 20th step he realized he'd better pay closer attention to his steps and lowered his head. Ahhhhhhh. Rather than stop and let him blow at the top I let him continue walking. Now he's walking rather than jigging so onward. He got a little antsy coming back down the hill to the farm, but by the time we reached the bottom he was happy to deliver a nice relaxed walk. Of course he thought he was done, so I took him to the outdoor arena and started working on side passing to open the gate, walk through it and close it. It took about 10 minutes until I could unlatch the chain and open it, as we walked through G rushed through so I had to let go of the gate. Dang, we're going to get this yet. We cantered both directions about 4x each and then I walked him until he cooled down some. On the trail, I'm not sure if it was the biting bugs (I got bit a couple times) or the smell of the bear, or a combination of it all, but he was back to being the G of 6 years ago [heavy sigh again]. I think its Lynn Palm that advocates "if you're not having fun, time to sell the horse". I can't tell you how many times this thought went through my head during the weekend. Am I really having fun? I question my sanity, wonder why I love this horse with all my heart, and then realize that I can't imagine life without him at this point.
Monday we stopped at a friend's house who has holds an annual campout and just hung out for awhile. Its a chance to get to see some people we don't see often. After we headed over to the barn to check on G. As expected the day would come....I stood at the gate and whistled. The lead horse Sunny picked up his head, everyone else ignored me and kept on grazing. I called G, he ignored me. I asked him if he was a good boy [he knows this means a treat] he ignores me. I went out into the pasture about 1/4 of the distance to the herd, still talking to G and who comes up but Sunny - "hey you got something for me?" I shoo'd him off. Next comes Irish, G's best buddy - "hey is that for me?" I shoo him off. I took four more steps and said "G were you a good boy?" and he finally lifts his head. Hmmmm....naahhhh grass is better. Took two more steps "G, last call. Come and get it or it's going." I get that look like you'd imagine your 5 year old gives you "oh do I have to?" but he walks over. I let him have one morsel of oatmeal cookie and walk to the gate, he's following closely behind. Food, the great motivator. When he got to the gate, I gave him the rest of the cookie, gave his neck a stroke and walked out. I stand there watching him walk away to the water trough and I look at hubby and say "I've lost him to the herd, just like I thought". Hubby put his arm around me and went back to the car. All the way home I keep thinking to myself.....would G be happier somewhere else? Would I be happier with a different horse? Am I ready to move on?
We finished off the day with a nice steak on the barbie with grilled asparagus, garlic toast and played some cribbage before calling it a night. It was overall a very productive and relaxing weekend. I went to bed and stopped asking questions.
Monday, May 17, 2010
My Very Own "Breyer-Style" Horse
A wonderful woman and acquaintance from a gaited horse message board recently found her hidden talent in scuplting horses in clay. After seeing a couple of heads/busts that she did I knew immediately what I wanted her to do for me. I've always loved this picture of G, mainly because it is such a different picture than the high headed/slab sided horse that came to live with us 6.5 years ago. He's filled out physically and has definitely relaxed mentally.
I'm so excited that she has begun the process and sent me the following pictures to show her progress in making my Breyer horse come true.....cool huh?
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Wonderful Weekend!
Started the weekend early by leaving work at 3:30 on Friday. I'd made plans with Trish earlier to go on a short trail ride at 5:00. Off we went along with her two Great Danes, Lily & DJ. These two could be mistaken for ponies as they are soooo big! They are also great with horses and stay on the trail too. We had a nice walk through the woods and ventured down a side trail a little ways til we found a huge puddle (looked like a small pond) so we turned around. We headed further down the trail and found that it leads to a huge open field where bird houses are scattered alongside a road to the north. The trail continues along side the south side of the woods but we decided we'd save that for another day and turned around. I found out later that this is a nature preserve and bird habitat.
Yesterday I had my friend and former farrier Diane come out to trim G and give me instruction on what I can do better. G was overgrown in the hinds, which I knew. Part of the reason I wanted her to come out as I didn't want to over trim it in one trim. With exception to not being aggressive enough on keeping those toes back she said I've been on the right track and she really didn't think he needs to be shod up front. She was pleased at how his overall hoof health is; even his frogs up front show a vast improvement from what she remembered. So good news, I just need to roll those toes every 2-3 weeks.
This morning hubby was going to the work party a the gun club he belongs to, that just happens to be about 10 minutes from the barn. So I convinced him to car pool and he dropped me off at the barn at 9:15. By 10:00 G was tacked up and we were headed toward the trail with our new trail buddy Ozzy. This time I didn't play or walk Ozzy before hand, which I think helped with his stamina. The temps were low 70's and you could feel the humidity beginning to build. I decided to head directly for the nature preserve. On the way there Ozzy stopped a few times in the trail and each time when I called he came. I came across a few puddles and stopped G to give Ozzy a chance to drink and drink he did. Once he got some H2O he was out running in front of us again.
Oh my goodness is this area beautiful. The birds are singing and breeze is blowing through the trees and I can't hear a highway, I can't hear cars, I can't hear anything but nature - my horse - and my dog. We followed the trail and found that it leads into the woods again and has many little side trails that we will need to investigate. The stuck to the main trail and found it comes out to a large crop field of some sort and there was a road on the other side of the houses about 1/4 mile off. We turned around.
It was a leisurely ride back, probably the most peaceful ride we've ever had. G has no tension or anxiousness about him. Nor did I. G never questioned my decisions on the trail and was happy to go where I pointed him. I think the addition of Ozzy to our trail adventures puts both of us more at ease. It's as if G views him as a member of the herd, and I view him as my protector. I told hubby on the way home it was the best trail ride, start to finish, that I've ever had on G. I truly think we've found heaven!
Yesterday I had my friend and former farrier Diane come out to trim G and give me instruction on what I can do better. G was overgrown in the hinds, which I knew. Part of the reason I wanted her to come out as I didn't want to over trim it in one trim. With exception to not being aggressive enough on keeping those toes back she said I've been on the right track and she really didn't think he needs to be shod up front. She was pleased at how his overall hoof health is; even his frogs up front show a vast improvement from what she remembered. So good news, I just need to roll those toes every 2-3 weeks.
Oh my goodness is this area beautiful. The birds are singing and breeze is blowing through the trees and I can't hear a highway, I can't hear cars, I can't hear anything but nature - my horse - and my dog. We followed the trail and found that it leads into the woods again and has many little side trails that we will need to investigate. The stuck to the main trail and found it comes out to a large crop field of some sort and there was a road on the other side of the houses about 1/4 mile off. We turned around.
On the way back G was super relaxed and I decided to give Ozzy a break and walked G into a shady grass area and loosened the reins. He immediately dropped his head and began to graze. I asked Ozzy to lay down, and he did. As G grazed moving a step at a time, Ozzy would get up walk 10' ahead of us and lay down again. G was loving life. In the past when I've done this on the way home G would grab two bites and walk off. G was actually content to stay and graze. I took the time to sit back a little and listen and watch the nature around me. It was an exceptionally tranquil morning out in that field. Listening to G's chewing, soft blowing, and the birds singing was music to my ears. After 15 minutes I decided we should head back as I knew hubby would be back around 12:15.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Day of Firsts!
Absolutely one of the prettiest spring days you could ask for! Sunny temps in the high 60's. I brought Ozzy to the barn with me this morning as most of the other boarders have been bringing their dogs and I thought it would be could to get Ozzy acclimated to the horses. I took him and G for a walk to the back of the property and except for sniffing each other, they were both fine with one another. Soooo I tacked up went and got Ozzy and we headed off to the trail.
It was my first time out on the trail with G (with exception to going up the hill to the trail head). Ozzy's first time out on the trail and with a horse, and G's first time on the trail with Ozzy. It went even better than I expected. For the most part Ozzy stayed way out front of us or behind a safe distance. As we got deeper into the woods Ozzy started to stop in the trail behind us and didn't move forward until I called. After the third time he did this, I thought he was trying to tell me something. Either he didn't like something he smelled (I hear there is a bear somewhere up this way as well as coyotes) or maybe he was just plain tuckered out. He was after all running/jogging for a good 30 minutes. So I decided to call it a day and turn around. Ozzy was running so I think the tuckered out theory was out. I had to keep calling him back cause he just wanted to go home. It was neat that when we came out of the woods, Ozzy knew where to turn to head back to the barn. The hill up the side of the Christmas tree farm is really long and steep and since Ozzy was cantering, Mr. G thought he should too. I kept half halting and bringing him back to earth. He got a wonderful hindend workout today both down and up this hill. Its a great hill! The trails are really pretty, some black flies but not bad and no mosquitoes. Hallelujah! By now the trails behind are old barn are infested with them.
A took a couple of videos to show hubby what a great trail dog Ozzy is! It's a bit shaky here and there, but hope you enjoy the scenery, I sure did!
It was my first time out on the trail with G (with exception to going up the hill to the trail head). Ozzy's first time out on the trail and with a horse, and G's first time on the trail with Ozzy. It went even better than I expected. For the most part Ozzy stayed way out front of us or behind a safe distance. As we got deeper into the woods Ozzy started to stop in the trail behind us and didn't move forward until I called. After the third time he did this, I thought he was trying to tell me something. Either he didn't like something he smelled (I hear there is a bear somewhere up this way as well as coyotes) or maybe he was just plain tuckered out. He was after all running/jogging for a good 30 minutes. So I decided to call it a day and turn around. Ozzy was running so I think the tuckered out theory was out. I had to keep calling him back cause he just wanted to go home. It was neat that when we came out of the woods, Ozzy knew where to turn to head back to the barn. The hill up the side of the Christmas tree farm is really long and steep and since Ozzy was cantering, Mr. G thought he should too. I kept half halting and bringing him back to earth. He got a wonderful hindend workout today both down and up this hill. Its a great hill! The trails are really pretty, some black flies but not bad and no mosquitoes. Hallelujah! By now the trails behind are old barn are infested with them.
A took a couple of videos to show hubby what a great trail dog Ozzy is! It's a bit shaky here and there, but hope you enjoy the scenery, I sure did!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Signs of Spring
60 degree temps in one sign, but before peepers comes "angel wings". You know when you use a shedding blade on your horse and the hair comes out in wings rather than individual hairs. Tonight G was shedding angel wings to beat the band. I sure wish I had a camera with me as it was a heck of a sight. I walked down the barn aisle to talk to one of the boarders and she said "look at Mr. G - if he sneezed that would be all over the place". I turned around and laughed as there he stood with fur and dirt 6" deep all around him. His new nickname for spring "Pig Pen".
The last few days have just been spectacular as far as spring weather goes and between being sick and working, there was no opportunity to ride. Sure would've been nice. Weekend weather calls for rain from Friday through Monday, which means no trail riding this weekend, and probably not the next due to the mud that will be a result of this weekend :( grrrr.....hoping we don't have a wet trail riding season like last year.
Other fun stuff from this weekend, hopefully I can find some time to write some more. Need to get some sleep. Tax extensions at work are wearing me down!
The last few days have just been spectacular as far as spring weather goes and between being sick and working, there was no opportunity to ride. Sure would've been nice. Weekend weather calls for rain from Friday through Monday, which means no trail riding this weekend, and probably not the next due to the mud that will be a result of this weekend :( grrrr.....hoping we don't have a wet trail riding season like last year.
Other fun stuff from this weekend, hopefully I can find some time to write some more. Need to get some sleep. Tax extensions at work are wearing me down!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Phew, the "tail" thing
Well now I feel better! I linked a couple of old videos of G trotting and galloping in a field back in 2003 and he held his tail to the left in both. So phew, nothing new!
Now I'm wondering is it normal for horses to hold their tails one way or another? Since he was trained to show, and I know his tail wasn't cut, can the tail sets effect the way a tail sets? Or is it like any creature just normal?
I guess as long as it sways in a relaxed fashion he's good.
I've been enjoying Mark Rashid's novel "Out of the Wild" and sure wish I had an afternoon to just sit and read it straight through. It was a little hard to start, but once it got rolling it's been wonderful. Not knocking it mind you, but I know some people will stop reading a book if it doesn't capture them from the first page. Give this one a whirl, you'll be glad you did!
Now I'm wondering is it normal for horses to hold their tails one way or another? Since he was trained to show, and I know his tail wasn't cut, can the tail sets effect the way a tail sets? Or is it like any creature just normal?
I guess as long as it sways in a relaxed fashion he's good.
I've been enjoying Mark Rashid's novel "Out of the Wild" and sure wish I had an afternoon to just sit and read it straight through. It was a little hard to start, but once it got rolling it's been wonderful. Not knocking it mind you, but I know some people will stop reading a book if it doesn't capture them from the first page. Give this one a whirl, you'll be glad you did!
Friday, January 22, 2010
Quick Update
Nothing earth shattering to report, nothing really new going on. But I did have another wonderful ride last night on G and that always makes me smile.
I’m beginning to “feel” more and am working hard at using “intent” to cue G rather than direct aids; and he’s beginning to gait more with his neck in “neutral” rather than upright. I’m trying not to get overly excited and allow him to gait much, as I love the relaxed frame of mind and the smoothness of gait he’s delivering. So I will only circle the arena once in gait and then ask him to walk. We then go back to walking circles or serpentines; a little leg yielding on the next long side; shoulder fore on the next; and stopping square after each corner. Maybe 5 minutes later I’ll ask him to pick up gait again. But we spend more time in relaxation each time we work. This is a great thing!
G is also beginning to grasp the concept that just because I ask for a 20 meter canter on one end doesn’t mean I’m going to ask for it again on the next corner. He used to continually anticipate what he felt I was going to ask; but now he’s beginning to understand that he needs to wait for my cues. He would get so up and anxious over it. As I continue to get better at my consistency in directing what, where, how fast, how slow; he is waiting for me before acting. I’m so hoping that when spring does get here and the trails are no longer covered in ice that all of this arena work is going to translate on the trail. It has in the past, so I’m hopeful.
Next lesson up this Saturday. I’m going to try and remember to bring the camera and set it up to tape; then following the lesson I’m going to meet Cora’s Walking Horse/SSH Georgia. Should be fun.
Stay tuned!
I’m beginning to “feel” more and am working hard at using “intent” to cue G rather than direct aids; and he’s beginning to gait more with his neck in “neutral” rather than upright. I’m trying not to get overly excited and allow him to gait much, as I love the relaxed frame of mind and the smoothness of gait he’s delivering. So I will only circle the arena once in gait and then ask him to walk. We then go back to walking circles or serpentines; a little leg yielding on the next long side; shoulder fore on the next; and stopping square after each corner. Maybe 5 minutes later I’ll ask him to pick up gait again. But we spend more time in relaxation each time we work. This is a great thing!
G is also beginning to grasp the concept that just because I ask for a 20 meter canter on one end doesn’t mean I’m going to ask for it again on the next corner. He used to continually anticipate what he felt I was going to ask; but now he’s beginning to understand that he needs to wait for my cues. He would get so up and anxious over it. As I continue to get better at my consistency in directing what, where, how fast, how slow; he is waiting for me before acting. I’m so hoping that when spring does get here and the trails are no longer covered in ice that all of this arena work is going to translate on the trail. It has in the past, so I’m hopeful.
Next lesson up this Saturday. I’m going to try and remember to bring the camera and set it up to tape; then following the lesson I’m going to meet Cora’s Walking Horse/SSH Georgia. Should be fun.
Stay tuned!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Monday November 9, 2009
Tonight after dinner I went to the barn and decided that rather than ride I would do some in hand work with G. We worked on lateral softness and backing. I think G is finally "getting it" and I believe this Rockin' S Raised Snaffle has made all the difference in the world. Although his first response is to lean against it when I first ask him to yield laterally, as I keep my intent steady he softens. Each time his response comes faster, and softer until he's licking and sighing.
I sure wish it weren't getting dark out so soon as I'd really like to get him out on the trail by myself to see if we can replicate the great ride we had on Sunday with company. Supposed to rain Saturday so it looks like Sunday is the day. Wish I could catch ride tomorrow morning before Equine Affaire, but the first clinic I want to see is at 10! Bummer :0) yeah right, how can going to Equine Affaire be a bummer?!?!
I sure wish it weren't getting dark out so soon as I'd really like to get him out on the trail by myself to see if we can replicate the great ride we had on Sunday with company. Supposed to rain Saturday so it looks like Sunday is the day. Wish I could catch ride tomorrow morning before Equine Affaire, but the first clinic I want to see is at 10! Bummer :0) yeah right, how can going to Equine Affaire be a bummer?!?!
Friday, October 23, 2009
The True Horseman?
So what is it exactly that makes one a true horseman? Is it the opening of the heart mind and soul to the horse? Is it the resolve to take as much time as it takes to learn something? Is it working a horse without the use of force or pain? Is it having the patience to wait it out when your horse doesn’t “get it”?
I didn’t have the opportunity to own horses when I was younger; but spent my lifetime dreaming of the day that I would have a horse of my very own. I spent countless hours on hack line ponies and horses; spent more countless hours on the back of wonderful ranch horses in beautiful majestic mountains, Navajo tribal parks and the Arizona desert; I pretty much rode every horse I could get my hands on from an early age. Does this make me less of a horseman because I haven’t trained a horse from birth? Or because I didn’t own countless horses looking for that “perfect” mount?
I think a true horseman is someone who is willing to open their heart, mind and soul to the betterment of the horse and the rest of the questions I outlined above. Plus I think a true horseman understands that it is a never ending journey. Destinations don’t matter, the journey does – it’s a quest to be a student of the horse. It's about taking what you learn and paying it forward as Liz Graves loves to say. She is a true horsewoman; she has all the qualities and is so giving of her talents. I can only hope to have 1/2 her horse knowledge before I die.
I knew when I bought G six years ago that he would be a challenge ~ not a horse most people would recommend to a new horse owner, but I felt having good basic riding skills and what I considered good horse sense, we would in the end be a good fit for one another. He hasn’t proven me wrong yet. The patience I didn’t have, G brought to me. There was no other choice. Undoing the damage that was done before me was more of a task than I thought. I’m sure someone of Liz Graves or Mark Rashid’s talents could have turned him around faster, and this is where the experience of a true horseman comes in. Its not that I didn’t try as hard as they would have; or showed G any less patience then he needed. It just took me longer to find the answers to my questions. The fact that we’re into our sixth year and just finally “getting it” together I know is well beyond many people’s capacity for patience. But I now know that I have it! I knew the minute I met G six years ago that he was a special horse with a big heart and I was willing to take however much time was needed to find our communication and become a team. Let the journey continue....questions I got!
I didn’t have the opportunity to own horses when I was younger; but spent my lifetime dreaming of the day that I would have a horse of my very own. I spent countless hours on hack line ponies and horses; spent more countless hours on the back of wonderful ranch horses in beautiful majestic mountains, Navajo tribal parks and the Arizona desert; I pretty much rode every horse I could get my hands on from an early age. Does this make me less of a horseman because I haven’t trained a horse from birth? Or because I didn’t own countless horses looking for that “perfect” mount?
I think a true horseman is someone who is willing to open their heart, mind and soul to the betterment of the horse and the rest of the questions I outlined above. Plus I think a true horseman understands that it is a never ending journey. Destinations don’t matter, the journey does – it’s a quest to be a student of the horse. It's about taking what you learn and paying it forward as Liz Graves loves to say. She is a true horsewoman; she has all the qualities and is so giving of her talents. I can only hope to have 1/2 her horse knowledge before I die.
I knew when I bought G six years ago that he would be a challenge ~ not a horse most people would recommend to a new horse owner, but I felt having good basic riding skills and what I considered good horse sense, we would in the end be a good fit for one another. He hasn’t proven me wrong yet. The patience I didn’t have, G brought to me. There was no other choice. Undoing the damage that was done before me was more of a task than I thought. I’m sure someone of Liz Graves or Mark Rashid’s talents could have turned him around faster, and this is where the experience of a true horseman comes in. Its not that I didn’t try as hard as they would have; or showed G any less patience then he needed. It just took me longer to find the answers to my questions. The fact that we’re into our sixth year and just finally “getting it” together I know is well beyond many people’s capacity for patience. But I now know that I have it! I knew the minute I met G six years ago that he was a special horse with a big heart and I was willing to take however much time was needed to find our communication and become a team. Let the journey continue....questions I got!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
On The Road Again....
Finally a new truck and of course I've already booked a clinic! Me & G will be working with Mark Rashid for two days in October. I am so psyched as he is my numero uno horse trainer. I just love his philosophies and his ability to read horses. I am extremely curious as to what his take on "G" will be.
Now to get G back into "trailer loading" mode. Hoping to take a short couple of trips to some dry trails soon. The trails out behind the barn are just a muddy wet mess. The river is actually higher than it was this spring after the snow melt from Northern New England. We can only hope for a beautiful picture postcard perfect fall! That's what has been my saving grace this summer as we really miss trail riding. Our last real trail ride was late April. Our last trip out we could only circumnavigate about an hours worth of trails. Okay no more whining from me.
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