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| Blue discovers Mud |
| Blue is a rather amazing horse, for one thing he is litter-box trained. Well, manure pile trained. His daytime turnout area also contains our composting manure pile and when he has access to it, he makes the walk all the way over to it to do his business. Most of the time at least. As his stall cleaner, I really appreciate that. Another cleanliness issue with Blue is that he, in all of his nearly 11 years of life, doesn't roll in the dirt. He will lay down and sleep in his shavings, he loves to scratch against a fence or gate but he never wallowed in the mud, even after a fresh bath. Until now. He has finally discovered that a good roll in the mud feels great and, even though he now needs real grooming! I don't mind. I've worried all along that he was not rolling because he was sore, that getting up and down hurt. Blue has had his share of odd, fleeting, difficult to diagnose lameness. It seemed entirely possible to me that he wasn't doing the normal roll-in-the-mud thing because he was uncomfortable. Blue's mom, Bonnie, was an avowed toss-herself-down-in-the-wet-mud-or-sand fan. If a show was coming up and I bathed and clipped her, I had to keep her tied up until dry and then swaddle her with hood and blanket or else she would be an encrusted dust-bunny by morning. As soon as we got home from such shows, I would turn her loose in the sandy footing of the round pen and she would literally throw herself down as soon as she was released and roll so vigorously that there would be wet sand in her ears, crusted over her eyelids and ground into the base of her tail. I can still remember, with horror, the first day that she was turned loose in a small turnout after her terrible broken withers accident. It had been less than two weeks, she was still in pain, but the first thing she chose to do when I released her halter was drop to the ground and roll ... on broken withers. She repeated that every time I turned her out after that, as if to prove that she could still do this one thing, that she equated with being a horse. But Blue, he never seemed to make that connection. Writhing around in damp sand or mud didn't occur to him. Well, until about a week ago. There is a particularly good spot to roll in his turnout - no rocks, silty mud, the kind of place most horses would head for in a minute. And finally, he's discovered it. Learned to grind his neck into the good spots, get great globs on both hips, and come out to be groomed with dirt and dust thoroughly worked into his long winter hair. I can't be too upset, even though grooming is not my favorite activity. I hope it means he is feeling good. Certainly he has been playing in the paddock more often. And, his mom would be proud. |
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| Horse Happiness |
| A few things that make me happy - Seeing my horse standing squarely on all four legs when at rest -- he's not favoring the old injury, not cocking a front leg forward, not standing with his neck always shifted to the right. Watching him move loose around the arena and stretching his neck out, his back up. He decides to change directions and does so by rolling back over his hocks, squatting low and pushing off into a lope in the new direction, on the correct lead, to the right. He asks me if we can canter now. He asks if we can canter some more. He hops into the trailer. No More Cinchiness! |
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| Riding into a New Year |
| What a pleasure to have a mature, "broke" horse. Started riding Blue again after his December off, and we just started right up where we left off. Well a bit of an easy work out as he is a little out of shape, but how nice to just start thinking again about how he is going and where we want to go this year. Last year was a good one for Blue -- I'm happy with our progress and feel we achieved most of the goals I had set out. One might think that working on advanced training would be easier than working with a very green horse, and I do admit it is physically less dangerous for the rider (less chance of being bucked off . . .) but it is every bit, if not more, challenging in the planning department. Figuring out what needs to be discussed next, and how exactly to do that with this horse, so that he improves his performance, stays sounds, stays sane. Building on a conversation that has grown and changed too as Blue has matured. I could list the handful of things I will be working on with Blue this year, but as usual when I start writing them down I realize that it is really a list of places I need to improve, or pay attention to, in my riding. Blue won't improve if I don't, he won't learn new ways of doing things if I don't also. So there are resolutions for me there, already formed and measured by my horse. Now, to do them! |
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| Fressa ... more to come |
| I know I promised an entry on Fressa -- and there will be one. Just that I am bogged down with work (damn the work! ... no wait, thank goodness for work ....) we are on our way to the last Jec Ballou clinic of the year this weekend so I will be out riding instead of writing this weekend. I did get a wonderful photo from Dana who owns one of Fressa's foals, Miss Katie Hancock. Katie was a successful show cutter and now is a successful broodmare. Katie is also sired by the infamous JD. It is so great to know that Katie is doing well, is loved, and is producing more great babies! I look at this photo, and I can see Fressa and JD both ... how wonderful. Thanks Dana.  |
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| Take a trip ... |
| We got home last week from our increasing-long annual vacation to Montana. This year it was three weeks, and still went by too fast. We do a lot of hiking, driving around looking at stuff, taking photos, visiting with family, reading ... relaxin' in general. We often talk about going up there for the whole summer, but only if we could take some horses. The ranch is wonderful riding country -- in the Smith River Valley (actually the ranch we stay on is in the Castle Mountains overlooking the valley) is known for being Charlie Russell country. When you see the scenery in a Russell painting, that's what it looks like. I don't miss riding for the first week or two (except for those long uphill portions of the hiking ...) but as the third week passed I was wistful for a few hours horseback. And with the hay meadow below the cabin being about hip deep in grass, I could only imagine what Blue would think if we turned him loose out there. Of course that would be turning him loose on about 2000 acres, but somehow I think he would be right there in the morning anyway. Blue likes his company. Even though I am not horseback during our vacation, I think about it. I tend to return home with plans and renewed interest. Absence makes the heart grow .... Of course we would not be able to leave without the wonderful help of our support team! We have had, over the last few years, great reliable young people who do the daily chores of feeding and cleaning and opening/closing gates and our horses look as good when we get home as they did the day we left. And, it's especially nice to have someone to turnout, groom and lunge Blue -- thank you Anne! Here's a few pictures, to show where we were ... The view from the deck of the cabin - that tan dot in the middle of the meadow is an antelope.  Here's John on the deck, with the view to the east. We could ride all over everything you see here!  Looking from the meadow to the cabin - that's our truck heading in (yes I am running behind taking photos)  |
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| More Right Things ... |
| Ashlynn and Radar ( and Blue and I) went to our first show together last weekend - the Shoreline Riders show in Ft Bragg CA. Always one of my favorite shows because of the great coastal weather, the great soft sand arena and the homemade hamburgers!! The new team (Ashlynn and Radar) did really well -- 6 firsts and 2 seconds, and they tied for 17 & under High Point. Ashlynn got to try some new events and they looked great in a new mint green and black outfit. I think Ashlynn got a taste of showing a very reliable horse -- as I told her Radar knows what to do! Blue and I also had fun -- went in 4 under saddle classes and won 3 of them. The one we did not place in, Blue was a little too fresh and thought that lope phase should really be a race! The Thoroughbred in him coming out -- he felt a lot like riding his mom. I'll try to add some photos ... .  Me on Blue, Ashlynn on Radar - discussing what just happened in the class!  I like this shot of Ashlynn and I preparing our strategy  Ashlynn and Radar warming up. (all photos by Lynette Rose) |
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| Stupid Drivers |
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Last night just as it was getting dark some idiot drove off the street
through our front pasture fence and then spun around in the pasture and
just drove back out through the fence in another place!! Tore out three
wood fence posts, dragged the wire out into the street and then just
took off heading south! I heard the noise and saw the horses all
spooking around by the barn, and when the next car came by I could see
something in the street in the headlights. I was afraid it was a deer
or a dog so ran down there ... only to find our fence all torn down!
Our neighbor across the street (the ones with the loose horse the other
day) heard it to and came out and helped us wire some of the fencing
back up but its pretty destroyed. The electric fence was not broken, so
I propped that up and turned it back on to try to keep the mares away
from it. I would have just locked them in the top field but the water
trough up there isn't working. We were working by flashlight so didn't see the place where the car came into the pasture at first ... and it looked sort of okay, but when I looked out this morning there was Poppy the youngest mare crawling under the hot wire and through the downed field fence to reach the green grass along the rode! So I was down there at 5 AM chasing her back into the pasture and then locking all of them in the top field until we can put up new wire this morning. And of course when I tried to pull the down fence back up, I got a big shock from the electric wire! How does that mare crawl under it? Ay Yi Yi. I hope they did a lot of damage to their car! |
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| Sometimes the right thing happens |
 I really don't like selling horses. Its stressful for everyone including the horse. But once in a while I get to be part of a really fun "new horse" experience. Earlier this week I got to help deliver a gift... my friend bought a wonderful horse for her daughter (a horse that I have had the privilege to train and know well) and we planned a surprise. Lynette told Ashlynn that they were going to help me move a horse because my truck was broke down. When they arrived with their trailer at my barn, I had Radar "the gift horse" all bathed and clipped and decked out in ribbons and a big tag -- to Ashlynn love Mom. I think it took Ashlynn a few minutes to really understand that she was the new owner of a horse she already loved. What fun! And what a great home for Radar, with his very own girl to love him and care for him. Radar is such a wonderful guy that it felt good to know he is going to a home where he will be appreciated! |
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| Naked Motorcycle Guy |
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My arena is alongside the road. This not only ensures that my horses get very sacked out to vehicles roaring by, but also gives me the opportunity to wave (or nod, if I’m on a colt) to all my neighbors as they drive past. I also get to monitor which farmers are moving equipment to which fields, who’s going to the dumps on a Saturday morning and who might have a new car. Occasionally someone pulls over to ask directions. And sometimes I see something unusual. I was riding Blue the other afternoon, and was just coming along the side of the ring closest to the street, when we heard a motorcycle zinging around the corner from town. Because it sounded like it was traveling pretty fast, I slowed Blue and turned to look. A fast yellow road bike flew down the road, with the driver bending low. At first it all appeared pretty normal – I could see the guy’s helmet, gloves and boots – but as he came next to us I realized that it wasn’t very normal at all. The guy was bare-assed naked. Well, I guess not naked if one counts helmets and gloves, and for some reason a flapping leather vest, but for sure the guy’s ass was bare, along with the rest of him! Luckily for those who had a view as he zoomed by, the guy had a cute butt (I once followed an extremely overweight fellow on a Harley with a bad case of plumbers-crack …had to follow him all the way to the freeway and was quite glad to finally pass him). I watched Naked Motorcycle Guy all the way out of sight around the bend. He was going fast, but not unsafely fast. He must have been cold, because though the sun was shining there was a brisk breeze. I wonder where he was going … and where he came from. Had to be some kind of dare, don’t you think? Unless it is some kind of ritual, in which case I am going to take a close look at all motorcycle riders coming past the arena from now on. You don't believe me? Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me, but I do have a witness. Just ask Blue. |
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| bronco Blue |
| We rode today and Blue did one of his rare (but quite capable) buck
routines. I did not go off, but remember the ground getting reeeaaally
far
away as he went up. He did it right beside Anne and Radar and Anne's
comment was "you were this high! (holding her hand over her head) and
I'm on a horse!" Luckily for me I managed to bring his head around and
stop him before a third buck. Yikes too much good feed and not enough
exercise! But, Blue warned me several times that he was going to have
to buck -- I longed him with the saddle on, but then tightened the
girth before mounting and his eyes bugged out when I did. But I thought
(in a moment of foolishness) that I would just trot him around until he
got out of that .... well he was holding his breath and he kept trying to lope and I knew what was
going to happen if he loped .... and it did <G> got off and
readjusted the saddle and then longed a lot more then just walked him
cool and will see what happens tomorrow! |
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