Cowboy Gary

Just before Christmas last year, I helped my neighbor Gary buy a pony for his girls. We went to look at a couple of private-sale ponies but decided early on that the best place to look was a local “horse dealership” named Hemphills. That pony seems to be working out fairly well.

On the day the picture at left was taken, Gary decided that in order to get the best use out of the pony, he needed a horse for himself. His girls are only 4yo and 6yo so they’ll need to be ponied on the trail for a while.

For the last few months he’s been sending me links for private-sale horses and I kept saying no for one reason or other. Finally he decided that was the best place to go was back to Hemphills. So last week off we went.

The first two horses they showed us were totally unsuitable... the first horse had teensy-tiny feet, and the second one freaked out under heavyweight riders.

The third seemed good. He was a 6yo registered Quarter Horse. He was built relatively well, though because he was young he had some filling out to do. He was calm under saddle for the salesgirl and for Gary, and I liked him when I rode him. (He was the only one I bothered to ride, which tells you something.) He apparently arrived with a french braid in his tail, and he still had four shoes with clips, so with his conformation (and the fact that he direct-reins better than he neck-reins) I’m guessing he was previously an English Hunter Under Saddle show horse.

Here he is with Gary, then with the 4yo aboard. Soon after the 4yo got off, the horse kissed the 6yo on the cheek and quietly, politely stuck his nose under Gary’s arm for a cuddle. Awwwwwww...

The fourth (and last) horse they showed us was our second favorite, he was built better but didn’t seem as calm-minded. He was ok, but not as solid as the dun.

On the drive home, Gary and his family decided to go with the dun.

Fast-forward through my MN trip, to yesterday, when I took Gary and “Rocky” for their first trail ride.

Here‘s Rocky in the driveway before we left, modeling his new bridle (from the MN Horse Expo), borrowed hackamore, and the new saddle that Gary bought from my friend Lysh. It’s a 17” Big Horn, and even on the last hole down, the stirrups are still a little bit short for Gary.

His main complaint with it, though, is that it doesn’t have a cup holder for his beer. He was quite jealous of my saddle bag with its’ built-in bottle holder. I told him I trot too much to have beer on board, it would explode everywhere!

We headed out on the trail that connects Gary’s house to mine. It crosses one road and two streams, and I hadn’t been through since last fall so I was sure there would be plenty of blow-downs to hack through with my folding saw.

And here is Mutt and Jeff (I'll let you guess who is who) at the road crossing. This picture was taken by a very surprised friend of Gary's who saw us as he was backing out of his driveway... he decided he needed a closer look at this marvel so he actually turned his car around and got out to talk. (Gary got that same slack-jawed look from everyone else we encountered. EVERYONE knows Gary.)

We had to ride alongside the road for a short while, maybe a few hundred feet, so I decided to let the horses trot. (It’s a quiet road with a good shoulder.) Rocky kept insisting on trotting on the pavement! He responds to leg pressure but Gary doesn’t yet know how to easily use leg/rein pressure to keep a horse straight, so they looked drunk as they swerved between sand and pavement.

A little ways down the trail on the other side of the road, I completely lost the trail. I couldn’t even find the ALTERNATE fork of the trail... there were way too many blow-downs. We had to turn around and go back out to the road. We took a shortcut through the neighbor’s wood-yard... both horses were fine with the machinery... and Gary got some good-natured ribbing from Buddy and Jason.

Once we got back out onto the road, we made a left onto another paved road (the one we both live on) and then a left into my neighbor’s driveway. We then attacked the blown-down trail from the other side. There were no trees down on that piece of property (one owner).

Here’s Gary and Rocky at one of the stream crossings (actually more like a small river). Rocky isn’t scared of water or mud AT ALL, so clearly he rode trails with his previous owner in addition to showing.

As soon as we got across the stream, the trail started to get blocked more often, but most of them were small dead saplings that I could just break up and throw off the trail. One was bigger but I was able to clear a path around it. The funny thing was, from that direction we had no problem AT ALL following the trail!! I honestly have NO IDEA how we couldn’t find it from the far side! Anyway, we cleared it all up and turned around to head back to my house. Here’s Rocky at the same stream, going the other way.

We got all the way through to my house this time, and said goodbye to Gary and Rocky, who then rode home along the road. Gary later reported that Rocky did just fine, though he did still want to trot on the pavement. I wonder how long it will take before Gary gets stopped for RUI (riding under the influence)? He sure does like his beer...

Minnesota Madness

Nah, there wasn’t really any madness, I just seem to like the alliteration lately. 

Hubby got me to the airport in plenty of time for my flight, so I started in on one of the two paperbacks I’d brought.  I left Bangor on a 6:30ish flight, connecting in Detroit.  By the time I got to Detroit I had finished the first of the two paperbacks I’d brought in my carryon.  My layover in Detroit was only 30 minutes so I had to zoom from one terminal to the other.  I took these pics near my departing gate, once I determined that I had a moment to spare. 

Detroit, unlike Bangor, is a real airport... it has more than one place to eat, and it has a TRAIN that just goes up and down the length of one of the two terminal buildings!  There’s also a tunnel under the runway between the two terminal buildings, where they play relaxing music and a light show. Sorry a couple of the pics are blurry.

I tried to get bumped from my flight to Minneapolis, because I knew I’d have a lot of time to kill before Steph got home from work, and because I wanted the flight voucher.  But they didn’t need any volunteers.

The flight to MN went well and I just about finished the second paperback.  Funny story from the Minneapolis airport... on my way to Baggage Claim, I was walking briskly along one of those walkways that looks like a giant grocery store conveyor belt (see tunnel pic above), and as I zoomed past a woman standing along the side, I glanced at a baggage tag on her backpack.  I got three steps past her before my brain registered what I’d seen... I could have sworn it was the logo from The Visible Horse demo that Susan Harris does.  It was only a little over an inch wide, so it was really quite surprising that it caught my eye.  I thought about it for a microsecond, then took three brisk steps backwards.  As I peered at her back, I explained to the woman that I was just looking at her luggage tag... “is that the Visible Horse?”  She looked stunned, and said yes, it was, and I was the first person to ever notice it.  Turns out, it was Susan Harris herself!  I introduced myself and stood next to her the rest of the way to Baggage Claim.  I had to call Steph and tell her what happened, of course, and she said “please tell her I said welcome to Minneapolis!” and before I knew it I said “you can do it” and held the phone up to Susan’s ear.  Of course Steph didn’t just say that, so there I was feeling foolish, holding the phone up to Susan’s ear for almost a full minute before I muttered “sorry, she doesn’t realize I’m holding the phone up to your head”.  Susan took pity on me and took the phone.  But she wasn’t on the phone much longer, and soon we arrived at Baggage Claim and said our goodbyes. 

I finished both my paperbacks by the time my friend Steph’s mom picked me up at the Minneapolis airport at 1pm Central Time.  (I was starting to think maybe I should have brought more than four books!)  Cheri dropped me off at Steph’s house and I took a nap while I waited for Steph to get home.  The dog (Stella) and cat (Jerome) kept me company.

When Steph got home, we just relaxed for a while until her other two houseguests, Dana and Meagan from “Herbsmith”, arrived.  Then we all piled into Steph’s truck for a trip to the Mall of America for dinner and a little shopping.

The Mall of America, unlike the Bangor Mall, is a real mall... it has more than one floor, and it has an AMUSEMENT PARK!

 

We had dinner at Famous Dave’s BBQ.  We chose the variety platter... it was served on a GARBAGE CAN LID!  Sorry the first picture is so blurry, the waitress was in a hurry.  The second pic is Dana and Meagan.

 

We all ate WAAAY too much.  After dinner we waddled around the mall doing a little shopping.  There were some neat Chinese drummers playing in one of the atrium areas.  I did take a video of it but the sound didn’t come out well enough to bother sharing.

Steph had to work Friday morning so I slept in.  We got to the MN Horse Expo in the early afternoon.  It was cool and cloudy.  We hit the 4-H tack swap first, hoping to find some good deals, but we didn’t end up buying anything.  The prices weren’t that good, and we didn’t find anything just right anyway.

I went to Dale Myler’s seminar to learn the Myler brothers’ theories on bits and bitting, and found it fascinating.  His first point was that if you don’t have the horse’s mind focused on you (and relaxed/calm) then his whole body will not be relaxed.  His second point was that all the ways horses evade the bit (head up, nose toward chest, tongue out the side, tongue over bit, mouth gaping open, tongue stuffed into throat) all have one thing in common... the horse is avoiding pain that the bit puts on the tongue.  He showed a whole series of pictures and I was amazed at how many of them showed the horse’s mouth gaping open with no tongue in sight.  (Side note... I observed horses for the rest of the weekend in demos and warming up on the road running through the expo grounds, and found that probably 80% of them displayed at least one of the bit evasion methods listed above.)  Almost all the Myler bits are designed with a curve in the mouthpiece that the tongue fits into.  (I always thought the curve stuck up into the roof of the mouth, but it doesn’t, it just goes up and over the tongue.)  His “after” photos showed horses that were much more relaxed, and those pictures were taken on the same day (many within minutes of the “before” photos).  I will never put a horse in a non-Myler bit again!

I renewed my resolve to buy one of their Combo bits to try during the first loop of my endurance rides... I really think it will help.  (The Jim Warner hackamore works but I feel like I have to haul on him too much during those first 12-20 miles.)  The combo will give a pre-signal when I use just a little rein (ie nose pressure) and then with increasingly more rein pressure it will, in turn, give signal to the poll, jaw, bars, and finally the tongue.  Dale says ideally I’d get the Combo with a MB36 mouthpiece, 3-ring shank, and rawhide nose, but since that mouthpiece is only available on the Combo if you have it custom made by hand, he said the MB43 mouthpiece was the best compromise.  I’m saving my pennies...

Friday night we went to the rodeo!  It was my first rodeo ever.  I like to watch it on TV though, so I was sure I’d enjoy seeing it in person. 

Saddle Broncs (by chance, the first three were white):

 

 

Then came the steer wrestling.  WOW.

 

 

Then there was some barrel racing.  I could never do that...

Right before the bull riding, we really got a show from John Payne, “the one-armed bandit”.  Make sure you take the time to watch these...

I didn’t get any pictures/video of it, but he also had his horse spin around in circles on top of the trailer... I think before the buffalo got up there but I’m not sure.

Then we had some bull riding!  Not too many guys got their 8 seconds.

After the rodeo, we headed home for a couple of drinks and bedtime.  We were zonked!

On Saturday we slept in and got to the Expo just before noon.  We were supposed to meet up with a bunch of folks from the HorseCity online forums, but only “Pepper’s Dad” and his wife showed up.  That was fine with us, we enjoyed the visit.  In the photo below, it’s Darrell (“PD”), then me, then Steph, then PD’s wife... I’m sorry, I don’t know her name.  The dog is Steph’s 5yo Doberman, Stella, who was an angel all day long despite the hordes of people demanding to pet her.

We did most of our shopping on Saturday.  Fabulous deals were scarce, but we did each get trailer door organizers for $16.  I also found one of those low wide “Tub Trugs” tubs to use for my shower tub in the trailer.  Some of you may recall reading about my disastrous attempt last summer to use a Rubbermaid storage tub.  I look forward to trying this one out!  I bought a few other things, like Thrushbuster, dewormer, a fly mask to use while riding, and a CAUTION HORSES sticker for my trailer... but none of them were really “a great deal”.  Mostly we both just went crazy because of the huge crowds!  It was TOTAL MADNESS!!

Here’s Steph with her friend, Nashville country singer Templeton (Tempi) Thompson, and Tempi’s husband Sam.  Tempi rode (and sang at the same time) in Friday’s rodeo, but we missed it because we were in line for tickets.  Bummer!

Here’s Steph with her friend Margo, who was working at the Saddle Up booth.

Saturday night we were exhausted so we went back to the house and relaxed on the couch with bean dip and chili.  Yum yum!  Steph was expecting a few friends but nobody came, so we had more food for us.  Well, Dana and Meagan did eventually come home, and we all had a nice visit before bed.

Sunday morning it was drizzling when we left the house.  We had to be at the Expo by 8:30am to staff the Minnesota Distance Riders’ Association (MnDRA) booth, but we were a few minutes late.  Must have coffee and apple fritters, you know.

The rest of the day was much less busy than the day before, probably because it was raining CATS AND DOGS for most of the day.  I’m surprised we didn’t get hail... we did get high winds, thunder/lightning, and a torrential downpour.  Running between buildings wasn’t much fun, so we stayed for quite a while in just the one building with the most vendors.  By this time though I was DONE with shopping and browsing, and just wanted to sit down for a week.  I did manage to find a really nice bridle for my neighbor’s new horse, though.

We went back to the house earlier than we’d planned... maybe around 3pm.  We lazed around for a few hours and then headed to Steph’s boarding barn around 6pm for a thorough grooming session.  Jake really enjoyed it!

On Monday morning, we rode!  Steph rode her friend’s horse Amigo, and I rode Steph’s Morab gelding, Jake.  We just rode out from the barn through a residential neighborhood, then onto a straight/wide dirt road.  We probably did about 10 miles out and back, if we had to guess.  It took me a while to get comfortable on Jake, partially because the saddle is so different from mine and partially because I was riding him in a sidepull.  It was only the second time I had ridden him and I was a little nervous.

We finished our ride and returned to the house with plenty of time for me to finish packing my stuff and get to the airport for a leisurely dinner with Steph at an airport restaurant, and get to my plane an hour before boarding.

In Detroit they offered me the chance to get a $300 travel voucher if I was willing to get bumped from my flight and stay overnight at their expense, but I just wanted to get home.  It was already 9pm, and I would have had to fly out before 7am and connect through Philly instead of going directly to Bangor.  No thanks, not for that kind of money.  Why couldn’t they have needed someone to get bumped from the Detroit-to-Minneapolis flight last week???

Louis picked me up at the airport at midnight and we were home and crawling into bed at 1am.  I had a headache so bad I was nauseous, and it was still bad in the morning so I stayed home.  I feel better now.

Beach Bingo

My second and last beach trip of the spring was supposed to happen this Tuesday, but an unpleasant weather forecast changed it to Sunday.  One thing after another made it so none of my riding friends could join me, but our neighbor from across the road (Mary) said she’d like to come just for the walk, and to take pictures.  Mary sometimes takes care of Zephyr for me when we’re away traveling.

We left the driveway around 8:45am and made decent time getting to Scarborough, arriving at 12 noon.  Low tide was at 1:30 so I tacked up quickly.  I just replaced the battery on Zephyr’s heart rate monitor belt transmitter (bottom right photo) so I did take the time to make sure it was working before we left.

There were a bunch of other riders already there, and more arriving every minute.  We ended up with probably 8 other riders on the beach with us... but thankfully never WITH us.  When I ride alone I like to be alone... strangers never go the right speed.  At one point, two horses cantered by while we were trotting, and Zephyr was a little jumpy, but then I guess the exposure is good for him.

When we first got out to the beach there was a family with a kite just off camera to our right.

 

<< I like this picture... check out the tongue...

One of the horses that arrived just before us was a big black Percheron.  Mary was quite taken with it:

After our brief photo session, Zephyr and I headed down towards the pier.  He was willing and forward, but wasn’t interested in galloping.  We mostly trotted on this first trip, an easy 9-10mph trot.  I don’t have any pictures from that trip down because I left the camera with Mary. 

On the way back, we were enjoying a nice relaxing canter when my phone rang.  I could tell that it was my best bud Steph so I decided to see if I could answer it without Zephyr breaking stride.  It was strapped to my leg so I reached down, unvelcroed the top tab of the phone holder, and was able to answer it without dropping it.  Yay!  She asked what I was doing and I said “cantering down the beach”.  It took a minute to convince her that I was actually STILL cantering down the beach.  I had to hold the phone down near Z’s shoulder so she could hear his feet on the hard-packed sand!  She was impressed, I think, but we agreed that we should probably talk later because of all the dogs and little kids I was having to pay attention to avoiding.

After the first trip down and back, it was time for a drink of water and a bite to eat.  Hay for Zephyr, chocolate pudding for me.  I had a sandwich (prepackaged, eww) but it was exactly low tide and I wanted to get back out there.  Wasn’t too hungry, anyway.  A young boy and his father came over to say hello... the dad was wearing a walking cast up past his knee but his son REALLY wanted to “go pet the horsie” so over they hobbled.  Zephyr pretty much ignored the kid, just kept eating.

After lunch, Mary got some video of us.  Unfortunately I didn’t realize she was there, so we’re really far away!

We went down to the pier again, and all the way back Zephyr kept pulling hard to the left.  I assumed he wanted to be further from the water but I “let him have his head” a couple times and each time he made an abrupt U-turn back towards the pier!  Apparently he didn’t want to go home. 

At some point, the inevitable happened.  He stopped and dropped a load of manure, which I then was responsible for picking up.  I hopped off and dug out my plastic shopping bags, scooped the poop into one of them, double bagged it and tied it on my saddle.  Just as I was doing so, four riders walked their horses past and asked if Zephyr was a Morgan.  I said no and explained about his breeding (Arab x Rocky Mountain) and gaits (walk, foxtrot, rack, trot, extended trot).  They ohh’d and ahh’d.  I think they were a little surprised that I was actually picking up my horse’s manure... there was so much of it all along the beach that I’m sure nobody else was.  It was like beach bingo... which square will the horse poop on?  I mean, yeah, the tide was coming in but if horseback riders don’t follow the rules they agreed to when they applied for their permit they might someday lose the privilege!  Of course from then until I found a trash barrel I had to ride with one hand on the manure bag... not an easy feat at a canter.

Just as we got back to the path to the parking lot, this is what we saw:

I was pretty freaked out, thinking he’d spook, so I let him make his U-turn and we made another trip to the pier.  When we got down there I stopped him and turned him back towards the trailer, and he wouldn’t walk forward.  When I let him have his head, he turned around and started walking toward the pier.  Very strange... normally the pier freaks him out a little bit.  I pressed the issue and off we went back towards the trailer.  On the way back, the parasailer passed us and Zephyr didn’t even blink.

According to the GPS we did 15 miles total, almost entirely at a trot or canter, so he was pretty soaked in sweat when we got back to the trailer.  Mary had gotten cold and was reading in the truck, so I pulled his tack and walked him back to the beach for a quick roll in the sand.  He drew a crowd of about 30-40 people, many with cameras, as he rolled over and over again for a couple minutes.  Then got up and found another spot to do it again!  He was a sandy beast when he was done.

The trip home was uneventful.  We stopped in Topsham for a quick Ruby Tuesday’s meal with my parents, and were home by 8pm.  My back muscles are a little sore today but I’m happy.  :-)

It's a wonderful day to be alive!

It's sunny and warm out, no bugs yet, no mud in my paddock, I get to ride tonight, I'm riding at the beach on Sunday, someone is coming this weekend to take all my manure away, and next Thursday I fly to MN to spend five days with my best bud in the whole world (if you don't count hubby). Oh, and within the next couple weeks I will be able to start turning Zephyr out in my neighbor's 6-ac grass field during the day. It's a good day... I just had to yell to the skies or I'd burst!

D'OH! Holy huge feet!!

When I got home from riding tonight, I tried (again) to put Z's new easyboots on. I was thrilled to have found a great deal on them and I wanted to be able to USE them!

They're the same size that I've always used as a "spare tire" out on the trail... size 0... but even after rasping his edges down to nearly-freshly-trimmed he's still wasn't fitting into the boot. So I flipped it upside down and compared the bottom of the boot to the bottom of his hoof................ and lo and behold, they were the same! There is no way his foot will fit in there.

So I measured. 4.75x5.25". Looking at the easyboot sizing chart, he now needs a SIZE TWO!!! Um, holy hannah, he got two sizes bigger over the winter????????????? Sanity check. What have I been feeding this boy?????????? Sheesh!

Edited a couple days later... turns out the boot I have is from before 2005 when Easycare changed their sizing charts. I have an OLD size 0, and the NEW size 0s are much smaller. D'OH is right! I did try to put the old 0 on last night but it didn't slide right on. Will fight with it some more tonight... might still fit, might not. If it does, I have a lead on some old 0s for cheap, and I'll probably buy those.

Zephyr is Famous (Again)

This photo/caption appeared in all the Turner Publishing newspapers… around 15 publications I think?  :-) 

Today’s Ride

	Found a new trail, but couldn’t explore that far because there were so many downed trees.
	A different new trail… a road along the power lines that turns into log skidder roads.  Can’t tell if any of them go anywhere.
	I don’t know if you can tell from this pic or not but honestly I think he looks DARN FINE this spring!!  No extra weight to speak of.

Source for Small-Hole Mesh Hay Nets

Horse & Rider, Etc. has Shires brand small-hole mesh hay nets for $6.95!

I used a homemade version of this all winter, and I'm thrilled to report that Zephyr looks better than any other early-spring so far. I was able to feed less hay because he ate much more slowly... so he's NOT a porker this year!

Excellent article on wound cleaning and care.

"Wound TLC" at thehorse.com is a wonderful reference, very easy to read and understand, on the different kinds of wounds and how to take care of them. You'll need to register for a free membership, but it is SO worth it. Great article... print it and post it in your barn!!!

First Aid for Horses

The April meeting of the Mid-Maine Equestrian Search & Rescue unit focused on on-trail First Aid for Horses. A local vet volunteered her time to come and speak to us. She first spoke about various supplies we should have on hand, and why, and then we practiced bandaging. We were all fascinated to learn that in order to wrap a hock you first wrap the lower leg, then the hock, so that the hock wrap doesn't slide down.



Where to check the pulse... jam that stethoscope right up in there behind the elbow!


Where to listen for "upper quadrant" gut sounds (do this on the other side too).

Where to listen for "lower quadrant" gut sounds (do this on the other side too).

Unit members, vet, and demo horse:

Wham, bam, thank you ma'am!

 

Today I took Zephyr for his annual chiropractic adjustment. He didn't really seem to need one, but I had promised to take my neighbor Melinda's horse Jamaar, so I decided to take Zephyr along.

We really had no idea how willing Jamaar would be to load into my trailer, so we decided that Melinda would bring him over to my place extra-early. We had a 6:30pm appointment and the chiropractor (Dr. Cindy Reynolds) lives only 25 minutes away, but Melinda had Jamaar at my place by around 4:15. Zephyr was standing tied at the telephone pole, which is my hitching post, when Jamaar came up the driveway with Melinda and her friend Terry. Because Zephyr lives alone, I expected him to get all excited and start dancing around and whinnying, but he just stood like a rock. Good boy!

Last night I removed the rear tack rack and collapsed the compartment, so that Jamaar wouldn't have to get in through the half door the first time he rode in my trailer. The narrow doorway can be very scary for a horse that isn't used to it. Maybe Jamaar is just easygoing, or maybe having it wide open made the difference... but whatever the reason, he loaded instantly! We took him off and on a few more times until he would back off quietly, and the last time we opened the rear tack back up. I prefer to haul that way so that the butt bar can be used... it's safer. I loaded Zephyr in the rear stall and we were good to go.

A few miles down the road I stopped so Melinda could check on Jamaar. He was doing great.

When we arrived at Dr. Cindy's farm, we unloaded both horses and then reloaded Zephyr so I could take pictures for Melinda, and listen in, without having to deal with Zephyr and his boredom.

 

 

 

 

Jamaar wasn't sure what to think at first!  >>

 

But he got the idea eventually:

 

Dr. Cindy didn't find too many things wrong with Jamaar chiropractically.  What she did find really didn't explain how lame he is. So the next step is to go see Dr. Tim Powers in Pittsfield... in Maine, he's the lameness expert!

 

Zephyr took it all in stride, as usual. He only had two neck vertebra that were out.  In this pic Dr. Cindy is checking his hips.

 

Jamaar reloaded very nicely, though I did have to wave the lead rope at his butt.

Rider Checklist - This is GREAT!

This was posted on the Maine Riders' board. I love it, so I'm reposting it here. Right now I'm not sure where it originally came from but if I find out I will give credit.

Rider Checklists
Keith Hosman

I'm going to give you three "Rider Checklists" today. Together they'll keep you safer and accelerate your training to boot.

They'll keep you rational; they'll keep you from "losing it" – which has the effect of setting your training back. The fact is, when we don't have an objective means of approaching our training, when we simply "ride," reacting emotionally to what's happening, we're asking for a wreck – or at the very least, a bad day. The horse gets confused and we get frustrated or lose our temper. Not an environment conducive to a proper education, would you say?

Each of the following lists will cover small things you can simply check off in your brain. Basically, has something happened or not? If the answer is "not," I'll tell you what to do. Your answers to those questions will, flowchart-like, tell you how to act in the moment or how best to form your day's game plan.

The lists were created to "be done in order."

Checklist One: How To Keep From Totally Losing It
Before you ever get on your horse:
Back when you're approaching the barn, ask yourself one easy question: "Am I training today or am I joyriding?" If you answer "training," skip to Checklist Two. If you answered "Uh, I'd like a day off from training, please. I got a horse to have FUN, Mr. Wet Blanket Trainer Man" – that's great, too. It's great as long as you can honestly say that not once in the last few days or months have you turned to a friend and said something akin to "Flicka nearly bucked my teeth out back there" or "This (expletive deleted) horse keeps trying to eat grass. What's the number for the tiger sanctuary?" If there are known issues, then it doesn't matter where you ride (trail or arena), the fact is, you need to be training as opposed to joyriding.

At clinic after clinic, here in the states or in Europe, I get a version of the same question: "I'm out on the trail. On a cliff. With a ten thousand foot drop to my right and cactus on the left. My horse hates plastic bags – but one blows by and he freaks. What do I do?" To which I answer something akin to "Say your prayers." See, training is not a widget that you carry in your back pocket and pull out like a parachute when the plane goes down. It's about practice and preparation. Ignoring warning signs and riding into potential disaster is like eating a cake every night and suddenly freaking when the scale reads "300."

If riding your horse has become an aggravation or something that – even at times – frightens you, then you gotta answer "training" until riding is fun again. Following this simple thought process will have a bigger impact than if I told you to specifically do a, b, or c – because there are trillions of horse/rider combinations and situations that might be described. So, with a nod to the ol' John Lyons axiom "Ride Where You Can, Not Where You Can't," we'll consciously pick a reasonably safe place to do our training and get at it. Example One: Is your horse "jiggy"? Then you need to capture his attention by improving his performance. How do you do that? By being a proactive rider. Keep giving the horse something to do. Make him spin enough plates and he'll hand you control. Example Two: Does your horse keep munching grass? Then develop a zero-tolerance policy toward any resistance on the part of your horse. Be on the lookout for resistance in the form of a stiff neck or a horse that won't move forward when asked. Don't wait till his head's on the ground. Test constantly and the instant you feel reticence, correct the situation. If you feel an ounce of stiffness in the neck, apply pressure and get the horse moving till he relaxes, then you relax. Teach the horse that the way to get you out of his mouth is to stay soft and obliging.

The answer is the same if he drops to a speed you didn't ask for. Be ready with a good kick and swift reward. If you just thought to yourself: "That's what I do and it doesn't work" then what's happening is that you're keeping pressure on the horse's mouth all the time (example one) or kicking all the time (example two). The horse has learned "I get punished no matter what I do so I might as do what I wanna do." Learn to be more aware of when you're applying pressure. It doesn't matter what you think you're doing, your horse's actions tell a different story.

Checklist Two: The Best Advice I Will Ever Give You Emotion is a wonderful thing when the sensation you're experiencing is "elation" – but it's a total bummer when you're feeling "anger" or "frustration." In that respect riding can be truly feast or famine. I'll explain:

As rider/trainers, we've got great days and we've got "blech" days. A blech day happens when we allow our emotions to creep into it our training. The horse doesn't get it or just doesn't give a darn and we get angry. That's bad mojo there – because what happens is that anger causes us to let go of the reins not when the horse simply gives to pressure – but after we've "really made our point." Or to give them an extra kick after they've sped up to "really teach them not to slow down." Things go from bad to worse and we walk back to the barn dejected. We spend the rest of the day depressed or wondering what we're doing with a horse in the first place.

But you can have a great day every day! A great day is any day that we make an improvement, however small, and keep our negative emotions in check. Doing so will keep you and your horse on the same page and build a positive relationship. Get busy with your training and react objectively to any roadblock your horse (or nature) might erect and you'll find yourself enjoying the heck out of riding that day.

So Checklist Two only has one question on it: Are you keeping things objective – or letting negative emotion creep into your reactions? Notice the word "reactions" in that last sentence. Becoming emotional puts you in a position of reacting rather than being proactive. That's a downhill slide. The horse misunderstands something and you react by jerking the reins. The horse reacts to that by bracing and stiffening up. Break this cycle: Every so often as you ride, take stock of the situation. Are you staying calm and methodical? Are you trying your level-best to break things down into their simplest form? Or are you beginning to blame the horse? Blaming the horse is a pretty good sign we're not being rational. Get off and walk around, cool out. Ask yourself if you couldn't break down your lesson even more. Then give it another shot.

The single best advice I can ever give you in the world of horse training comes into play right here: No matter what your horse (or the day) throws at you, learn to find joy in it. Short of getting kicked in the head, you've got to react to your horse's reaction by smiling and telling yourself two things. One, your horse has given you a gift; he's told you exactly what you need to work on. No more wondering "What do I do today"? He's told you. Two, well, there is no "two." Go back and re-read number one. It all boils down to this: Approaching your riding with "We're going to do what I want to do" is asking for trouble. Riding with the attitude of "Horse, what would you like to work on?" will keep you forever in a positive frame of mind. You will enjoy your horse's company; he will enjoy yours.

Checklist Three: When Can I Get Medieval On Ol' Dobber?
Whether you're leading, feeding, roundpenning, riding or just hanging out with your horse, there should always be "two versions of you" out there with the horse. One of you is Dr. Jekyll the other, Mr. Hyde. Dr. Jekyll is the nice guy, the one who everybody loves, the life of the party. He's patient, easy-going, fun and kind. Still, nobody messes with him. Why? Because of his close relationship with Mr. Hyde. Mess with Jekyll and Hyde comes out of nowhere, delivering his punishment, vanishing in an instant.

Now, let's not take this analogy to an extreme: Nobody's suggesting that you get all medieval on your horse. But what I like is the idea of staying cool the bulk of the time and meting out punishment quickly, a reprimand served cold, sans emotion.

But is punishment even called for most times? More often than not, no. Can we simply stipulate here then, that smacking your horse unnecessarily is just asking for trouble? We must because it's more than that. Being "rude or disrespectful" isn't winning you any points either. There are two ways to quickly lose your horse's respect: 1) smacking them randomly, for no good reason and 2) not dealing instantly with their disrespect. Be consistent on those two matters and you'll be fine. Slack off and you'll have a brat that you can't take to a restaurant and who mouths-off at family get-togethers.

If you find yourself going around in circles, so' to speak, and your horse just "ain't getting it," begin by asking yourself "Have I kept things business like and kept emotion out of this?" "Can I break the lesson down to make it even simpler," as outlined in CL2? If you can honestly say "yes and yes" then next ask this: Do I have a horse that is trying at this moment or not?

If you're asking and your horse is trying, then no punishment is called for. Not ever. I'll type that again, because it's just that important: If the answer is "He is trying" then you cannot punish whether he's doing what you expect or not. I define "punish" as any sort punitive action such as yanking the reins, spurring, screaming obscenities, etc. If he's trying, you keep asking until he finally stumbles upon the answer or you find another way to ask. Patience is the rule here. Smile: Your horse is teaching you to be a better trainer. Have fun: He can only go 6 directions (up, down, left, right, etc.) so we know he'll get it sooner or later if we stay consistent. And keep Dr. J locked up.

If our questions and answers have led us to "He ain't trying and a reprimand is called for" then try making the "wrong thing uncomfortable and the right thing comfortable" as Clinton Anderson likes to say. Apply more motivation in the form of speeding the horse up, changing the angle of your rein or asking for a different movement entirely. A classic example would be the horse who won't back up or the horse that won't move his shoulders: Rather than getting into an argument, we ask for something entirely different like asking him to disengage his hips. Above all keep this in mind: Your horse is going to make great sport out of throwing roadblocks out in front of you. You can win the day by finding pleasure in successfully dodging them.

Cause for Celebration!

Today was the first official after-work ride of 2009. I didn't leave work early to ride, I just came home at the regular time. I was saddled up and riding out of the driveway at 6:30 with the goal of getting home between 7 and 7:15... the earlier the better because it would be all road.

Just as I got out onto the main road, which can be fairly busy and is more hilly/curvy than I like, my cell phone rang. It was my best bud Steph, who I am visiting in MN two weeks from now. I had to tell her I'd call her later because it was time to boogie... like I said it's a busy road so I didn't want to be trotting while I talked on the phone. That's just too many things to concentrate on at once!

About a mile down the road we cut into the woods on a short trail that connects my road with an intersecting one. Picture a "P" turned counter-clockwise by 90°... we started at the bottom and were about to make a right turn up into the loopy part.

There was still snow on this trail and LOTS of water. We got almost all the way out to the other side, maybe .3 of a mile, when we came across a very large downed tree. Spruce, I think. It was lying diagonally into the trail, about waist/chest high, and its very tip was just inches from a tree standing on the right side of the trail. I felt in my packs and realized my tree-cutting tools were at home. There was no easy go-around either.

Turning around would have pretty much meant scrapping this ride, so I tentatively pulled on the top of the tree to see if I could bend it out of the way. No go. From the other side it would have been easy, I could have just pushed through it, but from this side it was pointed at us on the diagonal and there was nothing for it. I would have to get off, and even then I wasn't sure it would work.

I got off, disconnected one end of the reins, and stood with my back pressed against the top of the tree. I was able to bend it far enough back to make exactly enough room for Zephyr to pass between me and the upright tree on the other side of the trail. He would, in fact, have to step right over my feet, as they were in the middle of his path so I could brace myself. After some urging, he started to go through but stopped with his butt right in front of me. I pushed on it with my thumbs, telling him to walk on, but the rein must have gotten snagged and pulled on his head. He thought he had to turn around and come back. I truly do not know how he accomplished this, as he had to bend himself in half with the front half in the spruce tree. When he turned and squeezed back past me I saw lichen had gotten tangled all through his mane!

Let's try it again, I thought, and this time I'll use the lead rope. I have a thin rope halter under his new add-on bridle, and the rope was tied up onto my pack. I quickly unknotted it, pressed my back against the treetop again, and pointed him through. This time I was more insistent with my pounding on his butt and saying WALK ON! GO STRAIGHT! GO! and this time he went. For the third time in a row, he avoided stepping on my feet as he went by.

Cool, I thought, we're on our way with just a few moments wasted. Up I got, and down the trail we went. We came out onto the next road and turned left. This road is great for trotting and cantering; it has a wide dirt shoulder that is level and has very few mailboxes. There is a gradual uphill trend, not enough to really notice but it's there. He was very forward in this stretch, offering to canter most of it.

Another left and we were back on my road. He was really starting to pull now. I didn't want him to canter because the cars drive so much faster on my road, but he was really arguing with me about it. I was glad of it, though, when a car passed us just after the next turn. It was one of those little red hatchbacks with the really loud exhaust, and it roared past at about 60mph. Yes, it moved over, but it was so loud and moving so fast that it made Z jump. I was glad we were only trotting slowly when it passed.

 

The remainder of the ride went quickly and well. Here's a couple pictures from afterward. I am very pleased with his condition this spring, I don't think he's ever been in such optimum weight in April before. The small-mesh hay nets I used over the winter really helped... I was able to feed less hay because the mesh slowed him down.

Horse Survey

Saw this on a friend's blog and thought it would be fun to answer.

1. How old were you when you first started riding?
My first pony ride was when I was about 4, but I started lessons when I was 21.

2. First horse ridden:
Mmmm, lesson horse named Amy I think? Morgan, I think?

3. First horse trotted on:
Amy

4. First horse cantered on:
Amy... flew off her right shoulder when she started bucking out of excitement... all the lesson horses were cantering at the same time. Couldn't canter for MONTHS after that, still have trouble with canter departs in an arena.

5. First Horse fallen off of:
Amy

6. Most recent horse fallen off of:
Zephyr. As I recall, I was walking him down a gentle snow-covered slope and he did some weird kind of duck and spin thing, and I came off over his right shoulder. I suspect I always come off over the right shoulder.

7. Most terrifying fall:
My old TB gelding "The Gentleman" that I owned in college... I was jumping him in the outdoor arena and the sand was waterlogged. Showing off for the boyfriend (now hubby). He took the corner too fast and fell on my left leg. BAD sprain... heard it pop in three places but no broken bones.

8. First horse jumped with:
Hmm. Not entirely certain. Possibly Gentleman? I rode a lot of lesson/lease horses before him, so maybe not.

9. First horse who ran away with you:
The TB gelding, no question. He was FAST for a cull!!

10. First horse that scared the crap out of you:
Amy. Falling off at the canter really did a number on me.

11. First horse shown:
The Gentleman (“Manny”).  He had a god-awful trot and ran away over jumps... no ribbons that I remember.

12. First horse to win a class with:
I don't remember ever winning. I might have, but I'd have to look at my ribbons to be sure.

13. Do you/have you taken lessons:
Yes, in college. My instructor called me her 50mph student because I was such a fast learner. At one point she accused me (teasingly) of taking lessons somewhere else in between her lessons, but really I was just going home after each lesson and visualizing it over and over again until I got it right in my head. Then next time I rode I DID get it right. Little did I know that I was doing an actual accepted method of learning!

14. First horse you ever rode bareback:
A QH gelding that I leased during college before I bought Gentleman. Don't remember his name.

15. First horse trail ridden with:
Probably that same QH, but I'm not sure.

16. Current Barn name:
None, I have Zephyr at home and it's really not a "farm" so hubby says it would be silly to name it. I think if I WERE to name it, maybe I'd call it PineApple Creek Farm?? We've got a lot of pine trees, a lot of apple trees, and a creek. Also, pineapples are the symbol for hospitality, and I like to think that hubby and I are very good hosts.

17. Do you ride English or western?:
Endurance. That is, whatever works. Right now it's a shanked hackamore and an English treeless saddle. Zephyr neckreins and direct reins, so no problem there. He doesn't do a western jog though, he foxtrots/racks instead.

18. First Horse to place at a show with:
Probably the TB gelding I leased during the year after I graduated college? I took him to some dressage shows and some regular hunt-seat shows. He was a real stinker, I remember getting 2nd or 3rd in a big equitation class one time because he was acting up SO badly... just not quite badly enough that we had to be excused from the ring, and the judge told me she really admired the way I handled him.

19. Ever been to horse camp?:
Nope.

20. Ever been to a riding clinic?
Yes, several. Took Zephyr to four sessions of gaited riding clinics (two were at Equine Affaire), and attended a couple with local horsemanship trainers (two as an auditor, one as a participant).

21. Ridden sidesaddle?
No.

22. First horse leased:
Can't remember his name.

23. Last Horse Leased:
Can't remember his name either.

24. Highest ribbon in a show:
I really don't know. I might have won a class or two but I'd have to go look at my ribbons to know for sure.  Zephyr did get Reserve Champion at a 25-mile competitive trail ride last year. 

25. Ever been to an 'A' rated show?:
No.

26. Ever competed in pony games/relay races?:
No. Endurance rides, and CTRs, yes.

27. Ever fallen off at a show?
No.

28. Do you ride Hunter/Jumpers?:
No.

29. Have you ever barrel raced?
No. OMG that is a funny thought. Absolutely not.

30. Ever done pole bending?:
No.

31. Favorite gait:
Depends. Love a nice relaxed canter, but there's nothing like the "high" you get from a really great extended trot!

32. Ever cantered bareback?:
Yes. It's way easier than trotting.

33. Have you ever done dressage?:
Yes.

34. Have you ever evented?:
No.

35. Have you ever mucked a stall?:
Yes.

36. Ever been bucked off?:
Probably, but I consider it more “lost my balance and slid off”.  It’s never during the actual buck... only after.

37. Ever been on a horse that reared:
Yes, but not one that went very high.

38. Horses or ponies:
Horses.

39. Do you wear a helmet?
Every time.

40. What's the highest you've jumped:
Maybe 2'? I'm a scardey cat with jumps, especially in an arena. Out on trails, on a straightaway, I'm more brave.

41. Have you ever ridden at night?:
Yes. I even got a 'completion' at the 2007 Moonlight in Vermont 50-mile endurance ride.

42. Do you watch horsey television shows?:
Sometimes. The ones that aren't educational are often highly irritating, so I try to avoid them.

43. Have you ever been seriously hurt/injured from a fall?
I had that bad sprain, but I don't know that you'd call it SERIOUS.

44. Most falls in one lesson:
One.

45. Do you ride in an arena/ring?:
When I have access. I don't have one at home.

46. Have you ever been trampled by a horse?
No.

47. Have you ever been bitten?
Yes.

48. Ever had your foot stepped on by a horse?:
Sheesh, do you have to ask? Of course!

49: Favorite riding moment:
Whenever I want to go to a "happy place" I think about the Justin Morgan 50 back in 2007. There was this one field about halfway through when 4 of us were cantering side-by-side down a mowed path... the sun was shining and the birds were chirping and the air was thick and warm on my skin... I dropped the reins, spread my arms wide, and lifted my face towards the sun. ALL was well in that moment.

50. Most fun horse you've ridden:
Zephyr. He and I are basically one person at this point, I think.

Tax Reform

Sorry, this isn't horse related, but I found a nugget of PURE GOLD buried in a news article today.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04/01/house-republicans-stimulus-repeal-budget-plan/

A partial quote: "The GOP plan also proposes major changes to the tax code. It would allow taxpayers to either file under the current system or choose a simpler option: Individuals earning $50,000 or less, and couples earning $100,000 or less, would be taxed at 10 percent. The rate for income above $100,000 would be 25 percent. Republicans say they would allow taxpayers to fill out their income taxes on an index card. "

Now THAT is the smartest idea I've heard for an economic stimulus plan in a long while. Of course, we'd also have to curtail spending, but that needs to happen anyway. You truly cannot get rid of a debt problem by spending more money!