Just fun

Today, Heather and I met Jennie and two of her boarders at Lower Green Swamp.  As we started our ride I found out that Jennie hadn't been there yet so I was to be the guide.

Unfortunately, things have changed a bit since my last ride out there.  For one, some of the pine trees have come down with a disease, so there were crews (with logging trucks) working in part of the preserve.  It looked like they were culling and removing the diseased trees.  These girls' horses are all in trail training so they wanted to try the creek crossing/bridge trail, of which part has been churned into deep, rutted sand by the trucks.  But, we didn't know that until we were committed.  Oh well.

We got to the creek crossing pretty quickly.  Candy was wearing her Old Mac boots (or some other older type boot with a lot of fabric) so Heather didn't want to go through the water.  We decided before the ride that Ruby would lead the way over the bridge, since Candy would probably follow Ruby through fire.  None of the other riders opted for the water crossing either, which made me wonder if it's because they needed a horse to lead them through as well.  Back to that later.

After the creek, we had the option to go right (our usual direction and now a sand logging road) or left along the creek for a bit.  I wasn't sure at this point where the trucks were going, so we went left.  It wasn't long before Ruby was giving me the 'there's something in the bushes' cue.  Instead of stopping her, I kind of turned over my shoulder and yelled that there was something in the bushes...which scared that something.  And there was lots of crashing through the brush (which made Ruby dance to the right, forward, and finally part of the way back to the other horses), then there was splashing as the group of pigs ran through the creek.  It was LOUD.  One of the girls said something about wild cattle (in her defense, it did sound like huge animals), but a few seconds later a piglet started squealing and squealing.  My guess is that the little guy couldn't get back out of the creek and up the opposite bank.  Did I go to save him?  No.  First, the creek wasn't deep and second, wild pigs have tusks.  I'm not risking myself or my horse.  Besides, I could see the group/herd/whatever you want to call it on the other bank - they weren't leaving him.  But, wow, that piglet was convinced that he was dying.

Ruby was literally shaking, poor thing.  One of the other girls rode on by, so Ruby decided to reclaim the lead and snapped out of it.  As soon as we started moving, I had my all-business mare back. 

Maybe 10 minutes later, the girls decided they wanted to trot.  Ruby started out with the nice little trot we've been working on until she heard the other horses gaining on her.  I'm going to have to start leap-frogging with someone at the trot so that she doesn't think she always has to be in front. But today I let her have her fun and when she wanted to lengthen her stride a bit, I let her.  Honestly, I also wanted to see if any of the other horses could out-trot her.  Maybe they can, but they didn't today :D 

We probably trotted for a good half to three-quarters of a mile, which is when a few in the group asked to stop.  It was good timing because we came to the sand road a little while later.  We opted to go left, which dead-ended at a gate behind which the loggers were working.  By this time, I was wondering if they'd changed the trail since I was last here - I'd been looking for a turn that never appeared.  I asked everyone if they wanted to go off-roading to look for the other little trail, and they were game so we veered off into the undergrowth.

I have never asked Ruby to leave the trail like this, but she did great, especially considering we were tramping through weeds that were horse-shoulder high.  She was smart about it too, looking for clearer areas in the direction I asked her to go.  This was about the time that Jennie started remarking on how much Ruby has changed.  She has, so much.  She just needed the opportunity to show everyone what a great horse she is.  But, this part of our little trek unfortunately ended in a shallow swamp so we made our way back to the road.  If you've never ridden through Florida swamp, suffice to say that it doesn't have to be deep enough for alligators to be dangerous.  Cypress knees, moccasins, and (rarely) quick sand - nope, back to the trail please.

I never did find the turn-off I was looking for but we did find another new-to-me loop that stayed pretty close to the little creek.  We had no more pig encounters and little piggy and his family were long gone by the time we got back to that part of the creek.  As we got closer to the bridge, I let Heather know that I planned to take Ruby through the creek and if Candy needed us, we'd cross the bridge back to her to lead her across.  I doubted she would need it though since Candy has a fantastic sense of direction and always knows when we're heading back to the trailer. 

This creek is down in a little gully, maybe 15-20 feet deep but the water is only about a foot deep and clear.  Ruby led the way but did need some encouragement.  She drank (yay! she doesn't usually drink on trail), then plowed on through.  I looked back to check on Candy and saw the exact moment that she realized Ruby was crossing the creek and started booking across the bridge.  I let Ruby trot up the other side and we continued on our ride.

A few minutes later, I heard a logging truck behind us.  Not knowing how the other horses would handle the truck, I asked everyone if they wanted to trot to get away from the road.  So, we trotted, then stopped when we were at a safe distance so the horses could watch the truck go by.  They handled it okay so we probably could have stopped sooner, oh well.

So that was pretty much it.  We rode almost exactly five miles (would have been further if we'd started earlier).  I thought it was a fantastic ride, including the detour, and am hoping that we can all get together again at some point. 

First conditioning ride, sort of

I'm loathe to call it that because it was so ridiculously short, but that's what it amounts to.  No laughs now - it was only 3.5 miles.

For the last few days or so, I've been wrestling with myself over the fact that riding alone at Marshall Hampton was starting to become something that I dread doing...This is where the whole kicking-out, threatening to buck thing started and there's even an exact spot on the trail where it begins.  Ruby's never been a work-shirker before but I have looked exhaustively for another option.  The only things I haven't done are x-rays or chiropractor (seeing a chiropractor is on my list) but considering the circumstances under which this happens, I'm leaning towards the fact that it is just attitude.

I'm not so much afraid that Ruby's going to hurt me, I'm worried that I'm going to ruin her - yes, I can be a bit of a drama queen.  Anyway, this morning I decided to just suck it up already.  But I did take some precautions to, hopefully, put myself on the winning side.

Before loading Ruby this morning, I round-penned her for a bit.  Just to make sure that she was in a cooperative mood and moving out freely.  I packed a lunge line, a whip, and my crop in the trailer.  Even though it seemed like overkill, I planned to lunge her again the parking area before our ride.

When I got to MH, there were seven or eight cop cars in the parking area.  I debated whether to keep driving at that point, honestly, but there was no police tape across the entrance so I pulled up to the trailer parking gate.  By this point, I had attracted the attention of a lady cop so I asked if there was something crazy going on (dead body, meth lab, dire wolf sighting).  She stated that they were just training (with K-9s), so I asked if it would be a problem if I rode.  She walked off to ask her supervisor while I unlocked the gate and explained that I would have to enter the parking area to turn around.   Lady cop walked back over and said it would be fine to ride, but I would need to wait a bit.  They'd just laid a track for the dogs.  No problem.

I left Ruby in the trailer for 10 minutes or so (much to her dismay) while I watched and debated whether to take cell phone pics of them and their cars.  Ultimately, I decided not to be 'that guy' and unloaded Ruby.  She was all excited, not even nibbling her hay while tacking up - things were not boding well for our ride.  I pulled out the lunge line and worked on getting her brain back for 10 minutes or so.  It took that long before she would willingly walk; before that she was all blow, snort, TROT!

After she settled down I grabbed my helmet and led her over to the picnic table - my usual mounting block.  I asked the officers if they minded if I used the table to climb on, they said no and then they all got up.  I laughted and told them they didn't have to move, Ruby only pretends to be a fire-breathing dragon, then I lined her up and mounted up.  We rode around in the parking area for a while, and I got the okay to head out when the blood hound pup came back from the field.

Ruby was surprisingly good while heading towards the trail head - usually I have to use a lot of leg to keep her going forward.

Trail head, a perfect panther trap according to Miss Ruby

We got through the first little section of woods with only a back-foot tap dance at something in the bushes, and entered the second wooded section of woods.   Coming out of these woods, you can choose to go left around the lake, or right.  Ruby always wants to go left, and to the right is her little fit-throwing spot.  She tried to duck to the left so I kicked her up into a trot to the right and we made it through with no fit, success!  We kept trotting until she asked to walk.  It really is a beautiful little trail, I just wish it was longer and had water.  Unfortunately there is no safe way to get to the edge of the lake for a drink as the ground drops very sharply down to the water's edge.  Ruby and I went our usual route through the woods.  I'll have to get a picture of the lake next time.

Between the two main wooded areas.  Flat, dry, and surprisingly devoid of palmettos. 

Love

 

Ruby was asking to walk a lot more than I thought she would, especially because she wasn't blowing or acting worn out.  When she'd ask to walk, I'd encourage her to trot for another 30 seconds or so, then ask for a walk.  I hate to be a hard ass, but considering what's been going on lately this is how it's going to be for a while.  After a short break, I would ask for trot again and she'd go without a fuss.

Nothing exciting happened on trail until we caught up with a hiker.  Ruby gave me her 'oh no' stop a few times because she could hear him long before she could see him.  After he came into view, we walked for a while then I asked if he'd mind if we passed.  He politely stepped off trail and we trotted by. 

By the time we got back to the trailer, all of the police officers had left.  And as soon as I tied her, Ruby peed, which I imagine is why she kept wanting to take so many walk breaks. 

All in all, we had a very good ride.  No spooks, no attitude, and she seemed to enjoy herself.  It looks like I'll be lunging her before solo rides for the next few weeks or so until we're over this little hump. 

It's a beautiful thing

Now that I'm actively working on myself (and know exactly what to work on), our rides are getting better and better.

Yesterday, Ruby and I accompanied Heather and Candy on a fence-mending venture.  Ruby was so unbelievably full of herself that I couldn't help but laugh.  She was having the damnedest time standing still, so we did a few laps of the pasture at a speedy trot.  She broke into a canter at one point, as we came around a tree from one pasture to the next, crazy mare.  Towards the end of the ride she finally rediscovered her ability to stand still.

The very aptly named Beauty Berry bush - I can't quite get the colors right but the berries are a very bright purple.  Supposedly, though fairly tasteless, they make a great jelly.

Wondering what all the fuss is about.

Today was supposed to just be an arena ride.  We did a few laps walking while I two-pointed, then moved into a trot.  It was the most beautiful, balanced trot.  She slowed down, lifted her back, it was fantastic - we even were able to weave between some barrels.  When I asked her stop, I praised her profusely and gave her a cookie (I know, I know!), then asked her to walk on...She kicked out with her left hind so I kicked her with my heels.  At that, she kicked out again and squealed at me.  Oh, mare.  We worked for another 10-15 minutes at a working trot, then I dismounted and walked her to the round pen.  There, we round-penned for another 10 minutes or so - enough that she was asking to stop after an initial fit.  I tied her and went to retrieve our road-riding gear (vest and reflective leg wraps).  I put her wraps on and asked her to trot for another lap or two so she could get used to the feeling, then we went out for a road ride.

I brought a crop for the first time, ever.  I have no issue with smacking a horse that really needs it, and I wanted to have the ability to bring the thunder if she tried something stupid/dangerous while we were out - I absolutely hated that I felt the need to bring it, though.  She tried to balk a few times as we were heading out so I popped her lightly with the crop and I didn't have to use it again.  She was very good on our little jaunt.  It's weird, it's almost as if she forgets that she enjoys getting out until she finally relaxes into it.  

So, our rides are getting better besides this one issue.  I'm thinking I should probably bring a longe line to use before rides when we are riding by ourselves.  This way, I can really check to see where she's at mentally and correct any problems before heading down the trail. 

Slowly making progress

I've been trying to ride every day in the hopes of getting a jump on the muscle memory that's going to help me help Ruby lug me down the trail.  We have had some success, as evidenced by the saddle still being centered at the end of our rides. It's a work in progress though, and requires concentration on my part. 

This morning was the first trail ride we've done since my lesson on Saturday.  We trotted as much as Candy (trail buddy) could, which ended up not being much due to her being a touch tender-footed.  Ruby tried her kicking-out trick at the beginning but it was only once and half-hearted.  I grumbled at her and that was that.   Again, it took her about a mile to get into the groove, after which she was golden. Trotting through the woods at her medium trot (in which we could zoom through the twists and turns) was much more fun than flying to the turn, walking through the turn, flying to the next turn.  According to the two apps I use, we were trotting at around 9 mph, which sounds about right. 

I no longer think that we'll make it to any real rides this ride season - I have too much to work on with my riding and feel that asking Ruby to carry me 25 miles before I fix myself is not fair.  In a way, this really sucks but it'll be better for us both in the long run.  In the meantime, there are lots of little fun shows coming up and everyone is coming out of their heat-induced coma (and therefore wanting to ride), so we'll still be training and having fun. 

Riding lesson

Went fabulously.  Marie helped me to correct myself (temporarily - truly correcting these issues will take time), which allowed Ruby to round her back and drop her head while trotting.  I have a tendency to push the saddle's cantle to the left with my stronger right leg but the saddle was still completely centered at the end of the lesson.  I am ecstatic. 

Fun stuff

The last couple of days, Ruby and I have been doing short training rides in the arena, working through the kicking out issue.  As of yesterday morning, we had zero attitude when asked to move out.  And, my brain finally kicked in on how to get Ruby to actually pick up her feet when trotting over poles.  She picks them up fine when longing but tends to kick them around when I'm riding.  Because she picks up her feet to avoid rocks and sticks on the trail, I believe this is a lazy thing.  I lined up two of the heavier poles and laid them beside each other to make them wide and harder to kick and voila - she actually trots over them now. 

Last night, Heather and I took our girls to an obstacle course practice.  Angela brought her palomino TWH gelding, Sparky.  The practice was from 3-7 pm - we arrived at 6:15.  Everyone else had already packed up and left, so we got to try the obstacles without a lot of extra distraction.  We were told that this was the 'tame' version - holy hell.  It was like an equine house of horrors.  Their balloon obstacle was horsey terror-in-a-can.  Their balloon was one of these.  Btw, the fact that the very center of the 'eye' was reflective apparently made it even more horrible.  Attached to the balloon, there were streamers and blowing sheets.  Eventually, Ruby was brave enough to sniff but even when the other horses were lifting the lid and she knew it wasn't going to eat her, she couldn't help but startle a little.  They had a tarp that changed color three times while going through a ditch.  Ruby nearly jumped this one, lol.  She bunched up but at the last minute decided to walk through calmly.  Backing through the L was ugly, but this is my fault because I don't consistently require straight backing.   They had a deep pit full of empty plastic bottles and pool noodle pieces - after sniffing, she had no issue with this obstacle.  We went through closely spaced, painted tires on the ground with pool floaties hanging from the trees. The only obstacle that she refused was a small kiddie pool with a tire in it.  There were old leaves in the pool and a barrel on either side.  It looked difficult to step through and I don't think she was feeling confident enough to jump in the near-dark.  She started kicking out when pushed, so I smacked her on the butt.  I don't mind her saying she can't (actually, I can't remember another time ever when she has said she can't) but I didn't appreciate the attitude thrown in either.  She didn't kick out again.  I asked again, she told me that she couldn't politely, so we went on to something else.  I was worried about the mattresses but she had no problem.  The last thing we tried was a tiny teeter-totter.  It couldn't have been more than 18 inches wide.  Ruby would put one foot on it but I think she was mostly having an issue with it being so small.  By the time we headed back to the trailer, the sun had fully set.  Ruby had a small freak-out in the trailer when she couldn't see Candy - crazy mare.  All in all, we had a great time. It was a good experience for both of us.  Looking forward to the real thing!

Trouble in paradise

Ruby and I went to Marshall Hampton yesterday.  The plan was to trot as much of the trail as possible, doing both loops once.  That plan went out the window almost immediately.

As we got to the lake, Ruby started to refuse to move forward.  Hmm.  When I'd give her some more leg, she'd kick her belly or kick out with her left hind.  I climbed down and did, in fact, find a bloody spot where she'd been bitten by a fly on her belly near that leg.  While I was on the ground, I checked her leg and foot for any burrs, cuts, etc.  I led her over to a bench to climb back on, but when I asked her to walk we had the same problem, only this time with ear-pinning. Damn mare is too smart for her own good sometimes.  Instead of fighting with her, I hopped down again and led her for a quarter mile or so at a pretty good clip, then I remounted.

She was jumpy, not bad, but jumpy which, after the kicking out/almost bucking, I allowed to make me jumpy - FAIL.  By the time we were halfway around the lake, I was telling myself that we would just do the one loop at a walk and call it a day.

When we came out by the trailer, I let her graze for a bit and watched another horse trailer pull in.  Two ladies, one with a big warmblood gelding, the other with a paint horse.  When I asked Ruby to walk again, I got more attitude - ear-pinning and refusing forward movement!  The lady with the warmblood asked me about my saddle.  Most people, the first time they see it, exclaim about how comfortable it looks.  It most definitely is comfy, if you're wondering.  They left for their ride and I went to load Ruby and she stopped at the back of the trailer. By this point, I was barely holding onto my temper. I got her loaded within a few minutes by tapping her butt with the lead rope.  

When we got back to the barn, I unloaded her and immediately asked her to load again, which she did with just a small hesitation.  I checked the saddle pad and girth for burrs (I check before every ride, too) but found nothing.  I round-penned her, watching for any sign of lameness, and saw nothing.

This morning, I checked over her whole body and palpated her back but she was fine.  Within minutes of me mounting in the arena, she was kicking out with her left hind when asked to walk.  With ear-pinning.  To un-stick her feet, we did lots of figure-eights.  When I had actual forward movement, we did a bit of trotting, then we just worked on walk-halt-back-walk transitions.  By the end of the session, she was moving forward willingly with no more kicking out.

Now, a confession.  I know plenty of people that don't feed cookies to their horses often, but Ruby isn't one who loves pats or scratches so I do give treats quite often. She has never been pushy or demanding about them, ever.  But, maybe yesterday she decided to make her move?  She was very obviously looking over her left shoulder at me while pinning ears, then she would kick out - trying to demand cookies?  Maybe it was a combination of factors: cooler weather, windy, maybe she's in heat, and that all put her in an uber-pissy mood? I don't know.  I'll be riding every day for the rest of the week trying to fix this issue (and still watching for any signs of lameness/soreness).  For now (barring unforeseen circumstances), I have Marie coming out on Saturday for a lesson. I'm looking forward to having her watch and critique Ruby and me and getting her opinion on the situation. 

Pink Your Pony ride

Heather and I took Candy and Ruby to the ride this morning.  I did my best to pink Ruby without spending lots of cash or time doing it.  We were somewhat presentable.

I covered her breast collar with pink ribbon, but left the bridle because I didn't want her face to be irritated by tape, etc. 

It was a trying day for Ruby: leg wraps, boas in her mane and tail, but somehow she made it through.

Our horses were pretty great, but we were witness to tons of drama.  Lots of horses acting up on the trail (rearing, spinning), riders not paying attention to what was going on around them, etc.  About halfway through the ride, we heard yelling and hooves behind us.  I looked over my shoulder and saw a huge Belgian barreling down the trail.  We pulled the girls to the side of the trail and turned them so they could see him coming - there was enough room for him to go by if that's what he wanted.  Luckily, he was happy to walk when he caught up to us.  His rider was still yelling about someone else cantering that had apparently set him off.  I didn't see anyone canter all day, so I dunno.  I'm just glad he didn't decided to try to run through/over us.

Ruby's biggest problem all day was walking s-l-o-w. She thought it was tortuous, but not long after the Belgian incident we were able to pass some people and she got to stretch out a bit. All in all, we had a good time because our horses behaved in spite of what was going on around them. 

Balloon...

Bourbon - 'OMFG, we're all gonna DIE!!!'

The last time Heather went to one of these obstacle challenges, they rigged up a rope to a metal trash can lid.  The rope was thrown over a tree branch.  Inside the trash can, was a balloon with a face drawn on it.  The rider grabs the rope and backs their horse away from the trash can, balloon pops out, rider releases lid which then crashes back onto the can.  Ruby is pretty steady but I don't want her to come home from the obstacle challenge with a complex, so we practiced this 'obstacle' today. 

Most of the barn horses reacted like Bourbon did above.  Rolling eyes, snorting, etc.

Honey badger don't care

Ruby was another story, she had better things to do - such as grazing, thank you.

Honestly, the video is completely boring.  I tried to get some kind of reaction, by banging the lid down on the can a few times, still nothing.  Even when the balloon escaped and started drifting  towards us.  She was watching and curious but not jumpy.  She is awesome :)

Five Miles

Ruby and I went to Marshall Hampton today for a trail ride.  The weather was perfect, sunny and in the seventies with a nice breeze.  I wanted to do about five miles, with some trotting if Ruby was up to it.

When we arrived there were no other horse trailers, but there was a city truck with an empty trailer.  I couldn't hear the mower so we entered the woods.  Ruby was iffy a few times, blowing at nothing, sure something was in the bushes.  I love that we are at the point where I can tell when Ruby knows something is in the bushes verses when she thinks something might be there.  Of the few places we normally ride, she has the hardest time here.  First, the trailhead makes her feel very claustrophobic.  We ride through an open field, then through a (dark) hole in the trees into the woods.  She doesn't see a trailhead, she sees a cougar ambush in the making.  She is getting better about things like this but it's still a work in progress for us.  

We made our way through the first wooded area without incidence and turned left to go around the little lake.  We still had a few minor problems.  She would stop and stare intently at bushes for a few seconds every hundred feet or so.  Then we came to a part of the trail covered with sugar sand.  She was crossing fine until she realized how soft it was, then she actually tried to turn back for the trailer, crazy mare.  By this time, I could hear and see the mower - halfway around the lake, headed away from us with the added bonus of clearing out any critters before we got there. 

It took Ruby about a mile to settle into the ride.  We caught mower guy as the trail split - he kept going around the lake while I asked Ruby to go down an embankment to the other loop.  She wasn't being dangerous but she did not want to go down that short, steep hill so I found a go-around.

The second loop is when Ruby really started to get into the ride.  Several parts of the trail were under water.  She hates getting her feet wet but by the fourth or fifth crossing, she was all business.  Besides water, there were also a few places with slick, black mud.  She would very carefully pick her way through.  When the trail allowed it, we trotted. 

Beautiful trail

This time with Ruby ears - notice her left ear 'WHAT are you doing?  Can we go???'

We have trotted on trails before, but it was usually to outrun biting flies and we were always with someone else (who was usually falling behind).  This time it was just us and Ruby was really enjoying herself.  We would trot along, with me in two-point, until we came to a blind curve or the footing got bad.  Then we'd walk a while until the trail got nice again.  Ruby never did her zoomy trot but we were moving along at a pretty good clip; then when we would drop to a walk, she'd walk very slowly.  She wasn't getting winded, so I began to wonder if someone needed to pee...

It wasn't long before we were back at the lake, from there we walked back to the trailer.  She peed within minutes of being tied to the trailer, silly mare.  This is easily the longest ride we've done alone - I think our max before was 1.5 miles or so.  Screen shots from Endomondo and Strava follow:

Blogger won't let me line them up side by side, sorry folks. Anyway, you can see that they don't match up - even the times.  I turned them on within seconds of each other, so I have no idea what's up with that.  Strava shows our fastest speed as 12.3 mph, Endomondo says 11.3.  They even have different distances, though they are close.  Hmmm. 

In other news, looks like Ruby and I (finally) hit the 100 trail miles mark - as of today, according to Strava, we are at 101.4 miles.  It blows my mind that it took me months to put 100 trail miles on my mare, when there are people doing it in less than 24 hours.  Just wow. 

And in yet other news:

Bazinga!  I ordered this vest and reflective leg wraps last week after my almost fiasco with the dog and van.  One can only hope it will make a difference.  

Past two days

Yesterday, Ruby and I puttered around the arena a bit.  She didn't seem to be feeling well, and did her 'I'm hiding my face' routine when she saw the saddle.  This happens occasionally when it's hot outside, but is not the norm for her lately.  I noticed that she didn't drink much water the day before, so after our ride I made her a super-slurpy beet pulp/hay cube mash with molasses. 

She was much, much perkier today, so Heather and I rode in the arena again.  Besides the usual, we practiced opening and closing the 'gate' and I rode a few minutes in 2-point in response to Viva Carlos' 2pointober challenge.  I'm not actually participating in the challenge but I will be making it a point this month to ride in two-point much more often - it is great for building core strength.

Before calling it a day, Heather and I also decided to have the girls pull a tire around.  We're gearing up for an obstacle challenge on November 1st - I don't expect to place but I don't want Ruby to be completely unprepared either.  We took it very slow.  First, I pulled the tire around myself while Heather led the mares some distance behind the tire.  A few times, they were allowed to 'catch' the tire and sniff. Then we each led our own mare around while we pulled the tire.  Candy has pulled a cart so for her this was really no big deal.  Ruby on the other hand, wasn't sure she liked this new game.

My shoulders when we were backing - gah!  Something else to work on.  Anyway, Ruby did very well.  I expected at least a 'scoot' when we turned around and started walking, but needn't have worried.  Before the corner she was turning her head to the right and keeping an eye on the tire, just in case it grew legs and came after us.  The head-toss at the end was when a dragon fly flew by her face.  She does not like when bugs fly within three feet of her head and will toss her head every time. I was very pleased with how well she did and in fact, after Heather and Candy had taken their turn, Ruby and I pulled the tire all the way back to arena gate like she'd been doing it forever.  We have more pony tortures scheduled this week, so stay tuned.

Endurance 101

I purchased the Kindle version of Endurance 101 earlier this week.  I've been slacking on buying it mostly because I didn't know if it would have any helpful information for someone who's been researching and reading about the sport of endurance for years.  This was my thinking: I am at the point where I have a lot of book knowledge on the sport, and now I need actual hands-on experience.  I decided to go ahead and try it for a few reasons.  First, I already know that I like Aarene's style of writing because I follow her blog.  Second, it's only $10.  And third, I'm happy to help support other endurance riders in any way I can.

I am ecstatic to report that I actually learned a lot from this book.  She gives camping tips and explains what to expect before, during, and after the ride.  She goes into how to condition your horse based on your horse's current level of fitness.  There is helpful advice on how to train your horse for the trot-out, based on their personality.  Unwritten ride camp rules.  And, I love the Bad-Idea Fairy.  I can't help but wonder how many BIF dopplegangers that endurance riders and ride managers have seen over the years.  Aarene also goes into how to take care of your horse after the ride.  This is the practical 'boring' stuff that many bloggers don't write about. Partially because they are just relieved to make it through the ride, partially because they're so exhausted afterwards.

Anyway, if you've been on the fence about whether to buy this book, don't be.  It's a very easy read and I'm sure you will find some nuggets of information inside that will help you to successfully condition for and complete your first few rides.  

Floridians...

Most keep their A/C set at 68 degrees but wear jackets when it's cooler than 72 degrees outside. I keep mine set at 78 and wear a jacket when it's under 75, lol.  Brrr!

Yesterday, I round-penned Ruby.  The plan is to use the round pen to start building muscle and endurance until I get myself more evened-out.  This is hard to explain, but basically I'm hoping to start increasing her fitness while not adding too much mileage or speed during our rides - at least until I can get myself straightened out some.  Speaking of which, Marie still gives lessons in this area a few times a month so I'm trying to see if she can squeeze me in sometime soon.  Claudia is a great instructor but she's an hour away and charges nearly twice what Marie does, and even more if she comes to you ($75 + travel time, ouch).  And Marie and I just click, so hopefully we can get something going.  Marie is no shabby instructor either - she was on the short list for the 1984(?) Olympics in Eventing before her horse bowed a tendon.  She also has a masters in teaching, and it shows in her instruction.  But she's not one to brag - I found all of this out from her mother during a show last year, when I'd already been her student for several months. 

Anyway, about Ruby and the round-pen.  When I let her have her first walk break, she decided to crop some grass...and took off at a gallop before I even took a step in her direction.  Crazy Mare proceeded to zoom around the round pen at Mach 10, leaned over like a motorcycle racer, for 7-8 laps before she'd calmed down enough to trot when I asked.  We proceeded with her workout for another 10 minutes or so.  I would imagine she's just a little sore after her melodramatic stunt or I would have saddled her up for a short ride this morning.  Instead, I groomed and loved on her a little then let her dive into her hay. 

This morning

Ruby and I had a very close call this morning.  I haven't ridden her much this week, due to all of the rain we've been having but we've had two whole days (TWO WHOLE DAYS) without rain as of this morning, so I saddled her up for a ride down the road.

Heather wasn't interested in going so it was just me and Ruby.  The plan was to see if her feet were up to trotting a few stretches right on the edge of the road.  I didn't have much hope for this, since everything has been so wet.  You folks in California don't know how good you have it with the hot, dry summers with no humidity.  But then, you probably have much bigger arm muscles than I do, for all of the trimming you do on your horses' rock-hard hooves.  Anyways, we started off walking as usual because Ruby was being a little looky.  I mounted up right after the first curve and we went on our merry way.

We were able to trot a few stretches, though they were very short due to mailboxes, drive ways, etc. Things were going very well when we approached the black/white dog's yard.  I veered Ruby off into the grass a bit and let her start munching while I scanned the yard for the dog.  He was maybe 10 feet from the fence, snoozing in the grass when he heard us and alerted his BFF, the old Labrador.  Ruby was unconcerned.

Black/white dog in front of large oak on left, Labrador is easier to spot.

She's deathly afraid of barking dogs, obviously.

I sat there for a few minutes, letting Ruby graze, watching the dogs surreptitiously, hoping they would get bored and find a shady spot to lay down.  No such luck, so I decided to get on with it and ride by.  The dog's side of the street has a 10-12 foot shoulder while the other has none, so we stayed on the side with the dogs.  We were walking along when we came to a hole under the fence that has been blocked with a cinder block, when Archie (black and white dog, short for Arch Nemesis) slid under the fence not 8 feet from us.  I was watching the dogs from the corner of my eye, and saw this and yelled 'Hey!' at him.  He stopped, tucked his tail and trotted off a bit.  Damn.  The dog is loose on the street and his Lab buddy is still raising hell on our right.  I didn't want to turn Ruby around because most dogs take that as an invitation to chase - instead, I decided to back Ruby past the fence and then reassess.  When I looked back over my shoulder, I saw a van coming our way from down the street.  I turned Ruby so she could see the van, waved at them to slow down and turned back to the dog.  He had used my distraction to creep closer to us, maybe twenty feet away.  I honestly thought we might die.  The Lab was right behind us, barking for all that he was worth trying to drive us away from the fence, Archie was creeping closer every time I looked away, and now this van was coming towards us and still picking up speed.  I waved and yelled, 'Slow down!' but he kept his foot on the gas pedal.  While I was busy freaking out, Ruby was still calm. The van blew by us (she didn't even flinch) and suddenly Archie was no longer interested.  I guess that last yell at the driver made him decide that we weren't worth it?  Once past the fence, I let Ruby graze again so I could take a breather.  Archie was busy marking everyone's mailbox and heading the other way.  I took the opportunity to loosen my muscles - I was so tense that my whole body was aching.

We trotted once more on the way home, and Ruby did her usual 'we're flying' trot, but mostly we moseyed.  My nerves couldn't take much more drama.  Ruby did get a little nervous when we rode by a home who's yard had a dog that had never had one before, so I think she was possibly more bothered than she let on.   We stopped at one point so I could save a baby soft-shelled turtle from the road.  I would have taken a picture but Ruby is more nervous when I'm not mounted and the new dog was still going nuts barking at us.  I took the little turtle to a ditch full of water which flows into Tenoroc.  We were almost home, so I walked the rest of the way.

We both have freckles :D

Phew, I'm so grateful for this freckle-faced mare who charged into my life last November.  I'm also so glad that Heather didn't want to ride this morning - I don't think Candy would have handled the drama well.  So, what to do about next time?

I'm resisting the urge to carry rocks in my pockets - if I'd had one this morning, I'd probably be in jail right now.  I wear a highlighter yellow safety vest during these rides, but I think I'll order one of these: equestrian road-riding vest.  I like the fact that it has a message across the back, for those drivers who have no horse sense.  I may also order some of their reflective boots for Ruby's legs.  Still, I don't think the guy didn't see me, I think he just didn't care.  I do know he didn't see the dog.  I don't have anything against Archie and I'm glad he didn't get hit either. 

In other news: I hate the gaiters on the Easyboots. The velcro sucks (already falling apart), and when they get wet, they stay wet. And let's face it, in Florida the grass is almost always wet except for a few hours a day.  I've been totally slacking on contacting Mel regarding purchasing used Renegade boots.  For now, I will probably continue to use the Easyboots for trails which have gravel but I won't be buying them again.