At least we weren't arrested...

As soon Ruby and I got the go-ahead to ride from the vet, I had offers from barn family to go ride - in fact, some of them were just as excited as I was, lol.  After getting together, two of the girls and I decided to go for a short ride Friday evening.

My plan was to lead and ride, the amount of which depended on the length of the ride though I knew I didn't want to do more than 2-3 miles total.  First, I groomed and picked out Ruby's feet, holding that right front for a little longer than normal to make sure she actually had her balance (I can't help but wonder what in the world was going on with her and why it suddenly stopped?), then I tacked Ruby up and put on her reflective gear. Both of the ladies I was riding with are older, so they mounted up using a block at the barn, while I stayed on the ground to shut the barnyard gate and lead Ruby over the roughest part of the road.

I mounted at our usual spot, about a quarter of a mile from the barn.  Ruby felt so good.  She was striding out, easily keeping up with the TWH gelding we were riding with.  Ears perked - she was a happy mare.

The best view in the world

But as the sun sank, Ruby started getting antsy.  We've only ridden at night a few times, and that's always been at the barn.  She was getting looky, not watching where she was putting her feet, and kept trying to break into a trot. 

And then I succumbed to peer pressure...A. had ridden in one of the orange groves that line the street the night before and wanted to get off the road - partially for safety, partially just because.  I normally don't do this kind of thing - I won't even ride on the hiking-only trails, much less trespass on someone's property.  But this night I did.  We turned into the orange grove and continued with our ride.  We were maybe 150 feet into the grove when headlights appeared behind us.  Damn. 

That's when things started to get a little crazy.  As the vehicle got closer, Ruby started acting up - walking sideways and/or backwards, trying to look into her own moving shadow for monsters.  A. started talking to the driver as another vehicle came up behind the first, and I wondered if I would soon be calling my husband to tell him I'd been arrested for trespassing.  I dismounted and attempted to talk to the driver but I had to keep moving Ruby away from the front of the vehicle, which was in serious danger of being crushed by Ruby-ass, ensuring police involvement.  The owners were actually very nice about the whole thing and we apologized (A. was disappointed, I was just embarrassed and relieved) and headed home.

But Ruby would not calm down and I didn't want to have this fight on a road at night, so I had to lead her all the way back home (3/4 of a mile?).  She continued to be a brat and worried as the TWH got further and further ahead of us, even though we had another horse to walk with.  When we arrived at the barnyard, I took her to the arena and we worked for maybe 10 minutes at the walk, rebuilding those rusty connections - what I know we should have done to begin with.  We ended on a good note, and I linimented her right hind before turning her back out.

Saturday I was unable to get out to the barn, but I rode Ruby for about 5 minutes yesterday, just around the barnyard.  She didn't seem sore (yay!) but I linimented her fetlock and put her up for the day.  Slow and steady, slow and steady...

Mustangs update: one of Jennie's proteges and fellow TIP trainers picked up her Extreme Mustang Makeover horse late last week.  I am so excited to see how this boy turns out. He's a beauty, and very bold.  I'll try to get pics next time I'm out there.

Sally has been adopted and seems to love her new person.  I'm so happy for this mare, who has been passed around and passed over so many times.  I hope she's found her forever home and that her adopter continues to share stories and pics with us.  My search for a second horse has been temporarily sidelined as some big changes are in the works for my family later this year. 

Progress

Abby is doing well.  I've been on her twice now.  Each time, I kept short and sweet because the poor thing is terrified to the point that she starts shaking.  The first time, we just practiced mounting and dismounting until she was nearly falling asleep.  The next day, I had Heather come out and lead her around with me riding.  At first, she would stop every few steps, then nearly jump out of her skin when I gave a little squeeze.  She also jumps each time I pet her from the saddle (though we have practiced this ad nauseam with me standing on the mounting block).  I had Heather let go of the lead rope a few times while leading us around but Abby would stop a few steps later, not sure how to proceed.  We'll practice this, then I'll have Heather move to the middle of the pen in the future.  In the meantime, we are also adding obstacles (from the ground) in order to increase her confidence in both her handler and herself.  I ponied her through a few obstacles this morning, then walked her through an empty kiddie pool all by herself.  This was a big deal for her, so we called it day immediately after.

Which brings me to Pony #2.  Miss Ruby.

All dressed up.  I haven't bitten the bullet and added Velcro to the new saddle pad yet, hence the pad underneath to protect her from rubbing.

Ruby started off this morning by ponying Abby through some obstacles and finished off by taking me for a short ride down the road.  Love my girl! And I can't tell you how amazing it was to climb up on a horse without feeling the need to take a deep, calming breath first.  She was a little bit of a butthead coming home (after something rustled in the bushes behind us as the mail truck drove by), and tried to start trotting so I opted to walk her the rest of the way back to the barn.  She is rusty let me tell ya, but that is only to be expected.  I can't wait to start hitting the trails with her regularly again. 

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. 

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. 

My absenteeism

Immediately after I fully recovered from whatever hellacious cold I had, life knocked me right on my ass.  Finally, I'm hobbling along again.  We did not make it to the intro ride.  Bummer but I just was not up to it.

Ruby is good, though she was a little starved for attention for a while.  I wanted to ride but I wasn't sure how I would react if she wasn't absolutely perfect.  Not fair to her at all, so I didn't ride for a week and a half or so. When we did ride again, she was, of course, perfect.  She enjoyed getting out and spending time with me.  We had a great time.

Waiting for Heather and Candy, Ruby kept looking pointedly down the road.  "Let's go already!"

Two days ago, I figured we should probably start learning some actual lateral movements. When she was moving straight sideways when asked, we practiced opening and closing a 'gate' (two jump standards with a rope strung between).  The first time, she didn't get it at all. The second time, she focused on the rope and seemed to get the point.  We stopped for the day.

Today, we just did some lunging.  I need to start building her topline.  It is so much better than when she first arrived, but not enough to make me comfortable.

One of the better, recent pictures I have, taken on Sept 10. Not a protruding spine, but not much muscle development either.

The only surcingle I have access to puts too much pressure on her withers, so I'm going to start looking for a used one with wither clearance.  Maybe something like this.

In other news, I finally know who Ruby's sire is!  I never had any grand illusion that he was some world-class stallion (and he isn't), but it's nice to have another piece to the puzzle that is Ruby's mysterious past.

Photo of WS Royal Sultan, shamelessly borrowed from allpedigrees.com.

Now I know where Ruby got her withers.  He hasn't done much, if anything, that I can find but he is a beauty.  If Ruby was born in 2000/2001 like it appears, he bred her dam as a yearling or two-year-old.  Not impossible, but not the norm for responsible, knowledgeable breeders either.  I don't care too much - whatever the circumstances were, I'm glad Ruby is here.

One more thing...something that bothers me.  On Monday when I went to take care of Ruby, I noticed that someone had braided a bit of her mane.  Her hair is wiry enough that it was still mostly there and obviously not a tangle.  Ruby is not a horse that enjoys scratches and cuddles, so I find this to be bizarre. And, it totally creeped me out that I don't know if it was another boarder or some random person who saw the pretty ponies and helped themselves to an unwelcome visit when no one was around.  It doesn't really make sense for it to be another boarder - they have their own horse's mane to braid, so I'm leaning towards 'other.'  I'm feeling a little paranoid about the situation. 

Short road ride

Went for a short road ride with Heather this morning.  It was short, and slow, but still a nice little ride.  I won't be winning any equitation classes anytime soon!

Love her appy butt and strawberry blonde tail. 

And this isn't her fast walk. 

Notice her left knee - a split second away from walking off, hence the crazy-tight reins.

When we got back to the barn, we proceeded to the round pen and worked on voice commands.  I started her to the right and she did very well.  When I turned her to the left and asked for canter, she offered to buck.  Hmm.  We'll do it again tomorrow without tack but it might be time for a chiro appointment.  Until yesterday, I'd never seen this mare buck, even out in the pasture.  Something may be up. 

On knuckleheads

Ruby, Ruby, Ruby.  I discovered this on her right hip this morning.

Honestly mare, what have you done to yourself now????  As evidenced by the one flap of skin, the scratches start at the bottom left and angle to the upper right.  Bizarre. 

And on her left front:

Two little scratches, obviously not as deep as the ones on her hip.

Both areas were covered with dirt and had to be rinsed.  The only possibility that I can come up with is that she rolled on something sharp. But what?  Our pastures are not fenced with barb wire.  I walked to all of the sandy roll spots in her pasture, drug my boots through the sand, and didn't find anything but, well, sand.  I let Heather know so she can thoroughly check the other horses for marks and wrack her brain for what might have happened. 

Ruby did not seem to be sore, and neither spot could be rubbed by tack, so I decided to be evil and ride this morning anyways.  Ruby was a knucklehead from the get-go.  First, she tried to balk a few times when being led down the road. Now this could be because she does not like to walk on the soft edge of the road if there are (monster-hiding) trees on either side of said road.  I trimmed her yesterday so she may have been a little tender-footed on the pavement, but mare, honestly, if that is the problem why not just walk on the soft stuff?  She definitely walked faster when finally encouraged that the edge is the place to be.  When I got down to the corner to mount up, she attempted to graze instead of standing still, grrr.  When asked to move off, she took that as a cue to TROT ON.  No, mare, that is not what we're doing.  When she slowed to a walk, she decided I must want her to graze. No. Mare. 

We continued on and she was mostly good (other than the occasional trying to trot) until we turned around for home.  One day very soon, I'm going to have to ride Ruby out, and then round pen the tar out of her upon returning home.  But not today, it was waaaaay too hot.  The journey home was turning into a battle of sorts.  We did one-rein stops, we did stopping and backing, we did stopping and standing still, etc.  It wasn't like this every step of the way but still enough that I was getting pissed.  When we were approaching the barnyard gate, I could feel Ruby warring with herself again.  She knew what would happen if she picked up a trot or turned towards the gate without being asked, but her excitement again won out over her will power.  So, we trotted on down the road a ways, then we turned around and walked quietly back to the gate.  This was one of those rides where the horse and the rider really have a hard time getting in sync with each other but it was still a good training ride.  And I know I can't complain.  Not once was I in fear that she was going to do something dangerous that would get us hurt.  I'll take it. 

End of the week update

Road riding yesterday did not go well, mostly due to people speeding up behind us.  Actually Ruby did very well, it was me who was having the problem.  I just don't trust people not to hit us.  Hell, in this area you can't trust people to not run red lights (unless you want to die, you look both ways before going on green, no lie).  I attempted to ride on a different road yesterday but we'll be sticking to our little road from now on.

Afterwards, though, I did find a way to the park behind us, woohoo!  It will require a little bush-whacking but I can handle that.

Today I trimmed Ruby's feet.  I'm going to have to start taking her heels down more because they are becoming under run.  It makes me nervous because it doesn't look like there's any extra to take off.  Her white lines are showing great improvement, and all of those little toe cracks shown in the last photo set are now gone so I feel like we're making progress.  I'll post more pics soon.

ETA: I should have some Easyboot Gloves on the way, now I just have to find some used Renegades. 

No trail ride for me...

Gloomy skies

It was sunny at my apartment but had just stopped raining when I got to the barn this morning.  I even saw lightening on the drive, so I was pretty bummed out.  When I parked at the barn, I went ahead and checked the weather radar.  It looked like the barn was in a pocket between storms, and it was possible that it would stay that way but there was no way to be sure.  I decided to tack Ruby up and listen for thunder.  If there was no thunder or lightening during that time, I would ride around the neighborhood but the risk of having to bail out on my planned ride was too high to bother hooking up the trailer and hauling out. 

Ruby was being a bit of a prima donna about the wet and the mud.  This is her trying to keep her tootsies dry.

All tacked up, my girl is starting look like an endurance horse!  Hopefully we'll be able to trade in our 'wannabe' status for 'endurance team' next fall. 

She looks so spiffy in blue.

Chipmunk cheek in horse form:

Reminding me of a hamster

I did things a little differently this morning and mounted up right after leaving the property, instead of walking her for a bit first.  She was a little full of herself, and started striding out immediately.  We were booking - not one short stride on the pavement today, so our recent road rides may have made her feet a bit tougher.  Instead of turning left on the main road, we turned right.  There are more horses and a lot more activity on this side, but Ruby was handling it very well.  Until.  I will admit that I have gotten a bit complacent and so was completely unprepared when Ruby spooked. What did she spook at?  A little girl sitting on her own porch. But anyways, Ruby started scooting to the right, off the road, down into a shallow ditch.  I was pretty unconcerned and didn't take up the reins fast enough...When Ruby realized that nothing was stopping her, she decided to try to take off at a fast trot, straight away from the noise she spooked at.  Lesson learned.  She didn't get more than a stride in, but I now know that if I don't shut her down immediately, she will not choose to stick around after a spook.  All of the commotion actually caused the girl to give out a little shriek, which I'm sure validated Ruby's reaction in her own mind.  Anyway, now she was totally worked up.  Not bad but quickly turning into reacting freight train mode (hard to turn, hard to stop, FORWARD, FORWARD, FORWARD).  I asked her to turn around and cross the ditch again, which she did beautifully.  She did eventually see the little girl but did not make the connection to the noise that scared her.  We continued down the road until the next dead end street, which we have never explored.  Looking back now, it was probably a bad idea to ask her to turn down a completely new street when she was worked up, but I wanted to get off the main road in case there were any more shenanigans.  On the left side of this new road, there were two fenced yards with barking dogs, on the right side another dog came running out from his hiding spot.  Ruby is not afraid of dogs but all of the commotion was not helping her nerves.  We rode down to the end of this road, turned around and came back without incidence other than Ruby having ants in her pants.  At this point, I decided to head back to the barn - she was all for that plan.  We had two episodes of her trying to break into a trot on the way home.  This is what usually happens: I can feel Ruby just on the verge of trotting.  I usually say something along the lines of, "Don't do it." She wrestles internally with herself but generally her excitement wins out over her will power.  I ask nicely for her to come back to a walk (slight squeeze of my fingers, lean back a bit).  Sometimes she will ignore that, in which case I ask her to turn around and have her trot a forward, straight line in the opposite direction.  This usually cements my point for the next 20 yards or so and we have to do it again.  On our second episode, she actually tossed her head a bit and stomped her foot when I asked for that trot away from home.  Instead of laughing (the usual when she's being ridiculous), I yelled that she better not try that crap with me.  She considered for a second, let out a huge sigh, and when I asked I got a very nice trot.  We continued on and everything was roses until we got to our turn and she tried to pull towards it.  Instead, we walked by, turned around and walked back by, then took our turn.  I rode her past the barn gate before dismounting.  It was a short but very good - and thankfully dry - ride. 

So far this week

Note: Multi-day posts are written on the day referenced, so will say today, tomorrow, etc. even if posted days later. 

Sunday: I trimmed Ruby's hooves and measured her front feet for boots.  They are 4.75" long and 4.75" wide.  I've put up an ad or two looking for used boots, either Renegades or Easyboot Gloves.  I would like to try out both types to see which fit Ruby best before spending the money for new.  Buying the wrong boots would be an expensive mistake. 

Monday: I finally got to see why there were so many road maintenance vehicles parked on the barn road - they were getting set up to re-pave it this morning.  I debated riding along the road today but I had one last hope for finding a back way into the park, so I saddled up.  I had to walk between some parked vehicles and the 'crazy horse' pasture - there was just enough room.  Ruby was much more concerned about the horses than the moving, beeping, steaming equipment a few feet away on the road.  I walked her down to the first corner before mounting up and rode to the area in question.  It looks like it needs to be explored on foot before asking a horse to follow - I might do that tomorrow.  On the way back, during one of Ruby's 'we're not going fast enough' episodes, I heard the distinct clink-clink of glass.  Luckily she didn't get cut, or even seem to notice but I'll feel much better when we've got boots! I dismounted after the next curve and walked her back home with no issues.  Oh, and my Evolution bridle from Rock Moss Endurance came in the mail! 

Tuesday: I got to try out my new bridle from Moss Rock.  I was very worried going into this - the last bitless bridle that I tried was horribly designed and has been sent back.  I should have trusted though; Lisa knows her stuff and designed this bridle herself.  First, I went to fit it as a halter:

I ended up taking the throat latch up a hole or two after this picture; but it fits!  Ruby is trying not to fall asleep.

So far, so good.  I finished tacking up and decided to try it as a side pull first.  I took her for a spin around the barnyard and she was doing very well - a huge improvement over the last bridle, in which she acted like she had no idea when I was asking for a stop.  Now I was really starting to look forward to trying it as a cross-under bitless bridle.  Ruby was fantastic while I finagled my way through getting the reins on properly.  I decided to stay in the barnyard while she got used to it.  Again, she was very responsive; barely a squeeze of my fingers was enough to get a turn or stop.  I was very happy to see that this particular bitless does not have the release issue that some have.  She was doing so well that I decided to put it through the ultimate on-property test: riding in the larger arena with the gate open.  Ruby has two main bad habits. The first is that, in this arena in particular, she will try to go towards the gate.  She doesn't head towards the gate, she will turn her head in the direction you are asking, but she will bend her body towards it and before you know it, you're doing a half pass towards the gate.  Her second bad habit is that walking is not always fast enough in her eyes - she wants to trot All. The. Time.  Generally speaking she was respectful of the side pull, but there were times that I had to be much harsher than I wanted.  Occasionally at the end of a trail ride, she would have a small rubbed spot on her nose from the rawhide nose band.  I was very happy to see that she cannot blow through this bridle.  Whereas it would sometimes take me 6-7 strides of trot to bring her back to a walk, I was able to do it in 1-2.  She was also unable to blow through my cues and drift towards the gate.   I am more than pleased with this bridle, I'm ecstatic! 

'Cookie?'

Things I like about the design: the part of the reins that cross under the jaw are a thinner width, which seems to ensure that there are no hang-ups when giving the horse their release.  The throat latch lays flat (does it bug anyone else when they twist awkwardly?).  There is only one piece of beta over the poll, so there is no chance that the horse's skin will be pinched or mane/forelock will be pulled.  The browband is long enough that the cheek pieces aren't too close to the eyes, and there will be no pinching near the ears.  Lisa really did a great job designing this bridle.  Heather is going to try it out on Candy tomorrow; she may be putting in an order of her own soon. 

And a quick little side note - Ruby threw in two strides of canter on Tuesday when we were supposed to be trotting.  This is the first time we've done anything over a trot as I wanted to get some other issues straightened out first (including my own!).  She was very balanced but I brought her back down to a trot immediately because I hadn't asked for a canter.  Soon, my dear!

Wednesday: Ruby got a day off while Heather tried out the new bitless on Candy.  Not sure yet that this bridle will work on a more stubborn, less sensitive horse.  She only had a few minutes to try it out so wasn't able to get a good feel for it.

Thursday: a busy day! My kids had their school orientation this morning and the hubby is taking me to a concert tonight.  I have plans (that hopefully won't need to be cancelled again!) to go trail riding tomorrow.  So, no riding for me today; Ruby's starting to look at me like I'm forgetting something :)

Another road riding adventure

Yesterday evening, I spent time on Google Maps attempting to find a back way into the park that borders some of the properties near the barn.  I found a trail that looked very promising, so I checked the street view.

Snippet of Google Maps view showing the trail, woohoo!

To get to the trail, I would have to ride maybe 3/4 of a mile on the busy 45 mph road near the barn, only one short stretch of which would have skinny shoulders.  Originally, I was going to wait until next week to check it out but the trail ride scheduled for this morning was cancelled, so went today instead.  It looked like the trail into the park was a good 3-4 miles long, so Ruby got to eat from her hay bag while tacking up - it made her morning, lol.  Same as yesterday, I led her down to the first corner then mounted up.  The road maintenance equipment was still parked on the barn road.

I saw several people out in their yards today, all of which seemed to be happy and surprised to see someone out riding.  I was passed by a few polite drivers and two speeding knuckleheads, but Ruby was was unfazed.  We made it to the yard with the black and white dog much sooner than yesterday but I was very happy to see that the gate was closed this morning.  B&W's side kick is an ancient yellow Lab, who is LOUD and made the first dog much bolder but we made it by that property with Ruby barely acknowledging their antics.  Next up was an old Arabian in a pasture that wanted to visit, but again, Ruby had better things to do.  We made it all the way down to the main road without incident, where I hopped off to determine our next steps.  I let Ruby graze beside me while I gazed down the road...and reconsidered.

I tried to see how I could get us safely to the place where the shoulders widen out again but I couldn't find a good way to make it happen.  My original plan was to dismount, wait for a break in the traffic, and jog her on the shoulder to the 'safe zone', starting at the next street over.  The connection that I didn't make before standing there is that the traffic was coming towards us around a small curve.  The speed limit here is 45 but right before the curve, the road slims down from four lanes to two.  A LOT of people speed up to pass before the road narrows and are still speeding when they come around the curve.  There's no way for them to see (assuming they would care) a horse and person right beside the road before the curve.  I let Ruby graze while I thought, and looked, and thought again but let's face it - I don't want either of us to ever become hood ornaments, so we turned around.

On the left (the part I was thinking of jogging) you can see the thin strip of grass that is the shoulder. It dips down into a 3-4 foot deep ditch.  The farthest car has just come around the curve I mentioned.  This picture was taken near noon and this area is much more shaded in the morning when I was riding.  I may be able to travel down the shoulder on the right though, hmm.

A few minutes after we turned back, a guy brought his little girl out to pet the pony.  The poor child was very excited to meet Ruby until she realized just how big she was, lol (big being relative, Ruby's only 14.2).  We parted ways and I decided to let Ruby graze for a minute when the shoulder widened out again.  I was sitting there, watching for cars and dogs when I saw movement.  The black and white dog was out, and maybe 60-70 feet away on the other side of the road.  Ruby continued to graze while I figured out what to do.  I'd just determined that it was not safe for us to ride down the main road, so this was our only known path home.  I knew that yesterday he was fairly non-confrontational but he was much more bold with his buddy.  I didn't see any sign of the Lab so I decided to dismount and lead Ruby past the property.  It was about this time that the dog saw us and started slowing trotting our way.  He kept looking over his shoulder for back up and the Lab started barking. With relief, I saw that the gate was still closed and the Lab was still in the yard.  B&W gave us a wide berth, occasionally barking at us as he trotted by.  He went to stand by his yard and watched, but didn't make any move to follow us.  About this time, someone came out of his house to yell at the barking dogs so I told her that one of her dogs was out.  She said, 'Oh, that's not my dog.  He just hangs around here - he was dropped off by someone.'  But she did come and get him off the street.  Thinking back, this may be the same dog I saw at another property weeks ago.  Anyway, I hope she decides to give the guy an official home, that or take him to the shelter where he won't die a painful death on the side of the road.  Ruby was glad to be heading home - a little too glad and was trying to break into a trot, silly mare.  When she did, I'd turn her around and make her trot the other way for a bit, then we'd turn around and try again.

The most blind of the blind curves, and the one closest to the barn. This is the good side, with wide shoulders, heading back to the barn. Immediately after this turn, the shoulders become deep ditches.  The only place to get off the road safely are the two driveways on the right (can't see in pic).  I apologize for the blinding quality of my photographs - iPhone cameras suck and I'm no picture-editing genius. 

We didn't see any more dogs or cars, but Ruby had one more mini-antic up her sleeve. As we got closer to the barn, she tried to trot to the barnyard gate without me asking, so she was forced to trot all the way to the end of the street and had to walk quietly back.   This is the worst of her acting up - I'll take it gladly!

'Where is my cookie, human?!'

Last on the agenda for this morning was measuring for boots.  Ruby is sometimes slightly ouchy when riding on pavement, so I'd at least like to get a used pair for her fronts.  Unfortunately, the only measuring tape I could find was marked in inches only, so that was a bust.  Besides that, to get a truly accurate measure, I'll probably need another set of hands as well.  I hope to accomplish this tomorrow.

Two short rides

Thursday - another short arena ride, though I almost chickened out because it was so hot.  With the new girth, Ruby tends to settle into a steady trot after half a circle or so.  She's not collected but it's nice that she doesn't feel like she could fall on her face at any moment.  We only rode for 15 minutes but it was enough that we were both drenched.

Unenthused before our ride on Thursday

Before I tell about Friday's ride, I should probably describe the roads around the barn.  The barn itself is on a dead-end, one-lane, 15 mph road.  There are wide, flat shoulders on both sides of this road.  The barn road meets a 25 mph, two-lane road shaped like a long rectangle.  One of the rectangle's short sides is a very busy, 45 mph road.  The corners of the other short side are very sharp, blind corners.  The entire rectangle is 2.5 miles long.  On this road, there are sometimes wide shoulders, sometimes deep ditches beside the road. 

Friday - it felt much cooler than usual so I drove to the barn with designs to talk Heather into going on a trail ride with me.  Unfortunately, she was already done with her barn chores before I made it out.   Instead of hauling Ruby, I decided to ride in the arenas and down the road a bit.  We rode in the small arena for 15 minutes or so, then went to the larger arena.  We rarely ride in this arena, and Ruby is more prone to pull back towards the gate for this reason.  When I got a straight, steady trot away from the gate in both directions, we headed off property.  I lead her for the first part of the ride, partially because there were several pieces of road maintenance equipment parked on the barn road, partially because we were going to go by a yard that had a loose dog last time.  The dog was no where to be seen today so I mounted up after the first corner.  Ruby was loose and swingy, relaxed but still alert.  I spotted a pile of tires on our left but she was unconcerned about them.  We trotted a bit on this short side, until Ruby tripped in the tall grass on the shoulder.  I originally planned to ride her all the way to the busy road, but things didn't quite go as planned.  About half way down the long side, I heard a dog bark.  With a sigh of relief, I realized that this dog was behind a fence, so Ruby and I kept going.  Then I noticed that the gate to the dog's yard was wide open. This dog was not behaving aggressively (not charging or biting the fence, he wouldn't even look at us if we were looking at him) but I decided not to tempt fate and we turned around.

Pretty orange grove we rode by

The ride back to the barn was calm and easy (love my mare!).  I let her graze for 5 minutes or so after we left the dog property behind; she acted like she could happily stay there all day.  When we were close to our turn-off for the barn, I heard a truck speeding around the blind corner behind us.  Luckily we were in a spot where we could get off the road and Ruby took me seriously when I asked her to move it.  The driver slowed down after seeing us, which was nicer than you can usually expect around here, but it still irked me a bit.  Anyway, we had a really great ride.  I have no idea if the yard with the dog usually has the gate open or if it was a fluke, but I'll probably be finding out soon.

PS.  Google Maps now shows trails and property lines!  VERY helpful for those looking for new trails. 

Another good day

Today was more of the same for Ruby and me.  We tacked up and went to the small arena.  After warming up, we trotted a pole a few times.  She still gets close to chickening out but when I keep posting, she will actually trot over it, funny girl.  At one point I asked her to trot a straight line in between a row of barrels and some poles...poor Ruby kept asking, 'Around the barrel?  No?  Then over the pole?  No?  Maybe around the next barrel?'  She really tries so hard.  And she's starting to respond to my seat when it comes to trot rhythm, yay! She has started collapsing her inside shoulder during sharper turns, so no more baby steering for her - I'm going to have to start supporting her through the turns with the outside rein and inside leg.  I haven't had any luck so far in finding a local dressage trainer for lessons so I might have to *shudder* haul Ruby.  I don't mind hauling other than the time it takes to hook up the trailer, pack all the stuff, load the horse, and repeat in reverse.  To do all of that for an hour-long lesson seems so wasteful.

After our time in the arena, we went for a walk down the road.  She was great, no spooking even when a truck and a four-wheeler drove by us. Mind you, I was on foot but I decided to swing up when we got back to our street.  She was rushy so I decided to keep going passed the gate back into the barnyard - she looked at the gate (on our left)  but kept going straight with just a tiny squeeze of my right hand.  No fussing, no drifting, awesome. 

On another note, Ruby is being bitten by something that is leaving huge welts and holes in her skin.  It caused the knot Ruby's face a month ago or so.  It also caused the welt that made Heather and I cancel our last trail ride before her vacation.  I've never seen anything like it, so bizarre.

And, I ordered Integri-Hoof supplement for Ruby.  I finally figured out that she hates her vitamin supplement (doh!) so it's time to figure something else out.  This is supposed to be a great vitamin and hoof supplement, so fingers crossed that she likes it!

Today's antics and other stuff

Today I thought we'd try some 10-10 transitions (ten walking strides, ten trot strides) and maybe start working on some baby roll backs in the arena.  Ruby was a good girl, especially considering all of the distractions she had to deal with - across the street, there were several large electric company trucks and a group of men (loudly) working.  I ended up moving the strides up to 20 with the idea that as she gets more responsive, we'll start cutting the number down.  As for the rollbacks, we really need to work on her backing.  She was doing very well with it before the trailer slip but we haven't done it much since.  Still, she did so well that I figured we'd take a trip down to the tack shop.

The tack shop is on a very busy road, though I don't have to ride down the busy road to get to it - the cross-street is our slow, country lane.  I've been thinking for a month or two that I need to start seriously working Ruby out and about on our own.  Heather is a great friend and I really enjoy riding with her but she has no endurance aspirations - after we start adding speed and distance, most of Ruby's rides are going to have to be solo.  With that in mind, I had to stop at the tack shop so thought, why not start today?  I left her halter on under the bridle, tied the lead rope around her neck and walked her out.  The plan was to walk past the crazy mares on the corner and the crazy geldings down the road a bit, then if she was calm, I'd mount up and ride down to the tack shop.

She was looky and worried about leaving the barnyard, and it wasn't long before she starting trying to lead me - not happening.  She had this same bad habit when I first brought her home, so I corrected it the same way.  When she walked ahead and wasn't paying attention, I stopped and made her circle around me.  This would have been much easier with a crop but I honestly didn't expect any problems today *sigh*.  She started getting lazy about moving her hindquarters so I began pushing into her with my fingertips.  Instead of moving out, she flinched her muscles then decided to kick out.  She intentionally did not kick me - she missed me by so much that I didn't feel the wind even though she kicked with enough force to easily break my leg and send me flying.  Amusingly, I saw her almost stop herself and then decide, what the hell, why not?  She's never done anything like this before, crazy mare!  Anyway, I started yelling and getting crazy, and backing her up.  When she lowered her head we continued on our walk.  Amazingly, I had no more respect issues.

Several vehicles passed us while we were out and all but one were extremely polite as they went by, hallelujah.   She started to get nervous again when we walked into the parking lot of the shop - understandable because the speed limit is such that the vehicles make a loud 'whoosh' sound as they go by.  I tied her, stood with her until she was settled, then walked to the door.  I was checking to see if they'd gotten something in, so didn't have to go into the store itself and we left a few minutes later.  She started getting nervous again when leaving - there was a large box making a strange noise (an A/C unit) and a dog barking.  She was much better heading back home and I thought about mounting up but decided not to push my luck any further today.  We're going to have to do things like this more often.

In other news, I found a new (to me) endurance website with a conditioning plan.  I really like that this one places so much emphasis on slowly building a solid foundation: Perseverance Endurance  I think we'll start this conditioning plan once I can get her riding solo consistently.  Depending on Ruby's fitness level, we will probably only do 4-6 weeks walking even though she is barefoot.  We will do the full three months for the trotting stage though.  That means that starting LDs this year is unlikely, especially if there are any breaks in training, say for hurricanes or other nonsense.  There are plenty of other things to do  - I may take her to the next distance riding clinic and the fun ride is still a go.

Unfortunately (or excellent training opportunity, depending on your view), it looks like I might be riding alone at the poker ride this weekend. That is, if I can scrounge up the nerve to haul for 2-3 hours by myself.

Nope, she's not that white - she's just that shiny.

Slacker!

At least when it comes to blogging (and homework).  Heather has been out of town, so I've been feeding the horses, turning them out and cleaning a few stalls in the morning.  I've also had no one to go trail riding with, so Ruby and I have been spending a lot of time in the arena.  I'm pleased to report that her arena-attitude is pretty much gone and she's trotting for longer periods, with some steering!  Oh, and in a snaffle bit.  Today was particularly tortuous....

First we did a few stretches.  She had no idea what I was doing, but she tried.  We started out on the lunge line in the small arena.  After she was warmed up a bit, she trotted three poles in both directions so we went back to the barn to tack up.  Now, generally speaking, when we go back to the barn that means work is over.  Ruby was very perky thinking that she was going to be diving into her hay at any moment.

Instead, I tied her up and brought the saddle out.  I could almost hear her say 'Damn' but she was a good girl and stood stock-still while I saddled her up.  Walked back to the small arena and mounted up.  Yesterday I was getting attitude when trotting to the left, but not so much today so I have no idea what was bugging her.  After a while, we walked over the poles a few times, then I decided to see how she would react to trotting over them.  Poor Ruby, she really tried for me but at the last minute lost her confidence and dropped to a walk.  That's ok, we'll just keep practicing.

After thirty minutes or so, I hopped down to open the arena gate, mounted up and rode to the larger arena.  She's never ridden in this arena alone before but she did well.  More circles, more transitions.  She's learning to leg-yield on these circles - progress!

Finally, I decided to ride her down the road a bit.  I have taken her for walks down the road, and ridden down the road with Heather, but I've never ridden her off property by herself before.  We rode down the road a bit, turned around and rode back past the gate a bit and did it again.  When riding by the gate, she would try to scoot over to it but there were no freak-outs or melt-downs.  For a first time, especially considering how little confidence she has, I think she did fabulously.  I'm going to try to make this a regular part of our routine.

Oh, and one more little tidbit.  Ruby does not like taking a bit.  The first time I tried to get her to accept a bit, it took me 45 minutes or so to get her to take it (yes, I had her teeth done before this because I'd seen Jenny try to bridle her once).  Today when I was removing the bridle, something caught it on the other side of her face.  I think the full-cheek snagged on the halter.  Anyway, Ruby went to pull her head away, then realized that she was still tied.  She got that crazy look in her eye and started to really pull back but stopped when I said 'easy'.  Made my day that she trusts me that much :D

I'm on pins and needles waiting for my Evolution bridle from Moss Rock Endurance. Hopefully it will arrive sometime next month, but I won't be surprised if it takes until August or longer.  Patience is not my strong suit!  In the meantime, I found another great blog to read: Wait for the Jump.

Crazy Week

A lot of the horse stuff has been put on hold since last Monday due to some family craziness, but things are slowly settling back down, phew!

We've ridden maybe 4-5 times since our ride at Tenoroc.  Most of these have been short, but off-property or out in the pastures.  Ruby impressed me during our one road ride - she had to deal with excited horses (in pastures), loudly barking dogs, large trucks, and even being chased by a mini-mutt who in turn was being chased by a yelling woman.  The one time she did the tap-dance was when we had excited, galloping horses on our right and a truck approaching too fast.  So far, she has been pretty good about keeping her cool.  Her tendency is to put her excitement into walking - and she can move out, wow.

A couple of times on our outings, we have had an issue with her throwing her head way up - to the point where she could whack me with it if she were so inclined.  My belief is that I'm actually causing this by anticipating her moving off after our stop, and not releasing my grip on the reins.  Hoping this does not become a habit.

Barn owner is going to record me during our ride tomorrow - if I'm not too bad, I may post it here, we'll see :)  In the meantime, more confo pics.