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.
Showing posts with label trail ride. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trail ride. Show all posts
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
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.
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.
Saturday, October 11, 2014
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.
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.
 |
| 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.
 |
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
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.
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:
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???' |
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:
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. |
Friday, September 26, 2014
An exciting ride
The mornings are (finally!!!) cooling down some, so right before I threw the kids in the car to take them to school, I texted Heather to ask if she wanted to go to Tenoroc. We didn't want to feel rushed, so just decided to take the short northern loop today.
Right from the start Ruby was slogging along - the norm when she has to pee. Knowing that she won't go until we get back to the trailer, we pushed on. This particular loop is a little over three miles long. I felt bad for her, and I'm hoping that one of these days, she'll just get it over with already. I haven't figured out why some horses hold it like this, but to each their own.
The good thing about Ruby's extremely un-Ruby-like pace is that Candy was able to keep up easily. No stopping and waiting. Heather and I moseyed along the trail while she updated me on another boarder's Great Saddle Search. The plus for Heather is that she is also in the market for a new saddle, so she gets to try out All The Saddles. We were coming up on a hill when Candy started blowing. Then Ruby did her death stare stop and I let Heather know that there really was something in the brush. Because her saddle screws with her balance, she opted to climb down and lead for a ways. She remounted at the crest of the hill and we went on with our ride.
Now, I'm going to confess something here. I think I've already made it clear that I'm not a great rider. I'd like to think I'm at least a decent one, but probably not. Candy and Heather trail behind when we ride together because even when Ruby's doing the pee-pee dance she just naturally moves faster than Candy. This results in a lot of head-turning on my part so that Heather can at least hear me when I respond. So, we were plodding along, talking, me with my head turned back over my left shoulder when something moved in the bushes just behind and the right of us. I barely heard the rustle and before I knew it, it felt like I was laid back over Ruby's butt as she bolted. The first bound forward, I remember thinking, "What the hell?" Second bound, "Ruby's bolting!" Yes, it took me that long to get my shit together. I sat up, and knowing that I'm not always organized when gathering my reins, decided to lean forward and grab the reins a few inches from the headstall. As soon as she realized I wanted her to stop, Ruby put on the brakes, hard. So hard that her front legs bounced twice...and we smacked heads twice. It hurt, even through my helmet. I started rubbing her forehead as I looked back to see what had become of Candy and Heather. Luckily, Heather was still in the saddle but it was a close one. Candy did one of those flat 180 degree spins but stopped when she realized Ruby was hauling ass in the other direction. The whole thing was over 4-5 seconds after it started. The girls calmed right back down. I'm proud of them and so thankful for my helmet. And thankful for my saddle, which felt like it was glued to my pants for the whole episode. I seriously cannot believe that I didn't flip over backwards, phew.
Neither of us saw what was in the bushes, but it was probably a pig. A bit further down the trail, we decided to trot because the biting flies were getting bad. Ruby is a trip. She started out slow but soon was seriously motoring down the trail. We were leaving Candy way behind so I asked her to slow up a bit. We took a short walk break, and finding that we still had not left the flies behind, decided to trot again. These were short stretches, maybe a couple hundred yards or so. We slowed again as we came to a curve that should have taken us back to the beginning of the trail. Only it didn't. Coming down off the hill, this stretch of trail looked exactly like the beginning and went to the road, as it should. But there was a gate closed across the trail. Oops, missed a turn. There was just enough room beside the gate for a horse to be led through, so we dismounted, went around the gate and mounted back up. We rode by Ruby's favorite horse-eating-rock and discovered that Candy is also a fan. The rest of the ride was uneventful. Ruby seemed surprised and, dare I say, disappointed to see the trailer again. Candy was relieved that the ordeal was over. Right after tying her, Ruby peed for what seemed like forever. We rinsed the girls, loaded them up, and headed back to the barn.
So, lesson learned. Wear your helmet - you don't have to fall off to need it. My head hurt for a good 10-15 minutes after bonking it on Ruby's; without the helmet, I'd probably have knocked myself out. And, learn to take up your reins properly. I had plenty of time to gather my reins, but I didn't know if Heather was still mounted or if she was hurt so decided not to. In hindsight, I probably could have just asked Ruby to whoa; she was ready to stop as soon as she realized that's what I wanted. I honestly did not think about it, bad rider! All in all though, it was a very good ride.
Right from the start Ruby was slogging along - the norm when she has to pee. Knowing that she won't go until we get back to the trailer, we pushed on. This particular loop is a little over three miles long. I felt bad for her, and I'm hoping that one of these days, she'll just get it over with already. I haven't figured out why some horses hold it like this, but to each their own.
The good thing about Ruby's extremely un-Ruby-like pace is that Candy was able to keep up easily. No stopping and waiting. Heather and I moseyed along the trail while she updated me on another boarder's Great Saddle Search. The plus for Heather is that she is also in the market for a new saddle, so she gets to try out All The Saddles. We were coming up on a hill when Candy started blowing. Then Ruby did her death stare stop and I let Heather know that there really was something in the brush. Because her saddle screws with her balance, she opted to climb down and lead for a ways. She remounted at the crest of the hill and we went on with our ride.
Now, I'm going to confess something here. I think I've already made it clear that I'm not a great rider. I'd like to think I'm at least a decent one, but probably not. Candy and Heather trail behind when we ride together because even when Ruby's doing the pee-pee dance she just naturally moves faster than Candy. This results in a lot of head-turning on my part so that Heather can at least hear me when I respond. So, we were plodding along, talking, me with my head turned back over my left shoulder when something moved in the bushes just behind and the right of us. I barely heard the rustle and before I knew it, it felt like I was laid back over Ruby's butt as she bolted. The first bound forward, I remember thinking, "What the hell?" Second bound, "Ruby's bolting!" Yes, it took me that long to get my shit together. I sat up, and knowing that I'm not always organized when gathering my reins, decided to lean forward and grab the reins a few inches from the headstall. As soon as she realized I wanted her to stop, Ruby put on the brakes, hard. So hard that her front legs bounced twice...and we smacked heads twice. It hurt, even through my helmet. I started rubbing her forehead as I looked back to see what had become of Candy and Heather. Luckily, Heather was still in the saddle but it was a close one. Candy did one of those flat 180 degree spins but stopped when she realized Ruby was hauling ass in the other direction. The whole thing was over 4-5 seconds after it started. The girls calmed right back down. I'm proud of them and so thankful for my helmet. And thankful for my saddle, which felt like it was glued to my pants for the whole episode. I seriously cannot believe that I didn't flip over backwards, phew.
Neither of us saw what was in the bushes, but it was probably a pig. A bit further down the trail, we decided to trot because the biting flies were getting bad. Ruby is a trip. She started out slow but soon was seriously motoring down the trail. We were leaving Candy way behind so I asked her to slow up a bit. We took a short walk break, and finding that we still had not left the flies behind, decided to trot again. These were short stretches, maybe a couple hundred yards or so. We slowed again as we came to a curve that should have taken us back to the beginning of the trail. Only it didn't. Coming down off the hill, this stretch of trail looked exactly like the beginning and went to the road, as it should. But there was a gate closed across the trail. Oops, missed a turn. There was just enough room beside the gate for a horse to be led through, so we dismounted, went around the gate and mounted back up. We rode by Ruby's favorite horse-eating-rock and discovered that Candy is also a fan. The rest of the ride was uneventful. Ruby seemed surprised and, dare I say, disappointed to see the trailer again. Candy was relieved that the ordeal was over. Right after tying her, Ruby peed for what seemed like forever. We rinsed the girls, loaded them up, and headed back to the barn.
So, lesson learned. Wear your helmet - you don't have to fall off to need it. My head hurt for a good 10-15 minutes after bonking it on Ruby's; without the helmet, I'd probably have knocked myself out. And, learn to take up your reins properly. I had plenty of time to gather my reins, but I didn't know if Heather was still mounted or if she was hurt so decided not to. In hindsight, I probably could have just asked Ruby to whoa; she was ready to stop as soon as she realized that's what I wanted. I honestly did not think about it, bad rider! All in all though, it was a very good ride.
Sunday, September 7, 2014
What a week
Last Saturday, warning: not horse-related. A few weeks ago I started really looking into something that we can all do as a family. See, I'm the only horse person in my family. My husband would like to have a horse so he can ride with me, but it's not something that he's considering until we have our own place again. So, I started thinking about the dogs. Growing up, my family was involved in AKC conformation showing and obedience. It was fun (isn't winning ALWAYS fun?) but I've just gotta point out...there are a ton of stuck-up dog show people. I'm sure the same is true in the horse show world but I seriously doubt they can trump the dog show folks - it's impressive in a sad way. We never really did fit in, and honestly, didn't really want to. We stopped doing things with our dogs when we returned to FL.
Twenty years later, there are so many more dog clubs and activities (or maybe the internet makes it seem that way, I dunno). One of our dogs is a Jack Russell terrier and is absolutely the funnest dog I've ever owned in my life. We didn't buy him from a breeder; he was given to us by a guy my husband used to work with. Apparently he and his wife just couldn't stand Cooper. They asked us to watch him while they went out of town for Thanksgiving in 2010 and Cooper never went back. I've done some research on the breed and came across terrier trials. It turns out that the local club was having a fun day on the last Saturday of August. We signed Cooper up for everything but the group races and planned to get up really early on a Saturday - a true trial for my family.
We made it to the trial around noon and were immediately welcomed by everyone we saw. People we didn't know were asking about our dogs (even for Stella, who is obviously not a JRT). Cooper was unenthused when it was time for him to go to ground, so we're going to build him a tunnel and practice (some day). He was allowed to run the race course by himself with a borrowed muzzle and had a blast. Then it was time for the lure-coursing. I'm not sure I've ever seen him so excited as when he was watching the other dogs run. Then it was his turn.
This video shows his second run, which was fast enough for a first place in his class over five other dogs. Yay, Cooper! The video is wobbly because Stella was trying to yank my arm off in her attempt to get the bag before Cooper.
They let Stella run twice, too, which was awesome of them since there are no classes for off-breed dogs. By the time we left, everyone was pooped and hooked. I see this becoming a regular part of our lives in the near future.
When I woke up Sunday, I was miserably sick and stayed that way until Wednesday. I still have the headache so it may have been some kind of flu. Anyways, on Wednesday morning, I woke up thinking I was feeling well enough to take Ruby out for a ride. We went to Marshall Hampton but weren't more than a quarter mile into our ride before the flies caused Ruby to go bat-shit crazy. In desperation I kicked her up into a trot in an attempt to outrun the flies....then Ruby kicked her belly while trotting. I've never been one who likes to land on her head, so I pulled Ruby up and hopped down to help her out, which is when I realized that these vicious little bastards were biting her udder (ow!!!) and the inside of her legs. I killed 7-8 of them and she stood completely still so that I could. I decided to lead her to the next grove of trees and we got maybe another 50 feet before she started kicking her belly again - she had another 7-8 flies biting her. We tried one more time but when she stopped this time and I started killing flies, my hand came away from her udder dripping blood. That's when I called it and we walked back to the trailer. It was INSANE. I swear I think fly spray is just expensive, smelly water because it doesn't seem to do a damn thing for the flies out here. Swat works until it sweats off about 15 minutes after application. We won't be going back to MH until it cools off some.
On Saturday, Lee (with Paso gelding, Copa) and I went to Tenoroc. The flies were bad in parts but nothing like MH, thank goodness. I put Ruby's Gloves on for this trail ride and I'm happy to say that they stayed on the entire time. They don't twist but I'm going to have to order power straps due to the gapping at the front of the boots. We did the actual north loop this time. I like this loop other than for the first half mile or so, the trail has been torn up very badly by the hogs. After that, it smooths out and there are a few steep hills to climb. There's also a mile or so of nice, flat straight away - one of these days, Ruby and I are going to canter this part of the trail. When the flies got really bad, Ruby and I trotted while Copa and Lee gaited - Ruby rather enthusiastically leaving Copa in the dust every chance she got. In poor Copa's defense, I think his neck was sore from shots received on Thursday night.
The north loop is very short, maybe 3 miles, so it wasn't long before we were back at the trailer. Lee needed to stretch so we hung out for a minute before going back out onto the southern loop. The trails out here are not always well-marked and I missed a turn so we ended up back at the damn trailer maybe 20 minutes later - oops. Copa was non-plussed when we rode right past it up the dirt road. This time, Lee was leading the way, and she missed a turn. But things worked out well - we found a very nice little trail through the woods where it was so much cooler. The trail took us to another little dirt road and continued on the other side, but it was obvious that Lee and Copa were pretty well done. I am looking forward to following this trail next time I ride at Tenoroc - I seriously love exploring on horseback.
We did about 8 miles, though Strava shows 6.6 - somebody forgot to start it again when we left the trailer after our break.
Saddle and other update stuff:
Nickers cannot change saddle rigging after the saddle is completed, but I expected as much. I was told that they can make me a special bolster to support my left hip but I'm not sure my unevenness is quite that bad. I haven't yet ordered the new saddle inserts, partially because I'm still not feeling 100%.
At my last lesson, Claudia had me move my stirrups back an inch or so - on Saturday I had zero knee pain, hallelujah!
My saddle did not shift during the ride but I made it a point to use my left leg. Ruby's back is not sore today but I'm not sure 8 slow miles is enough to cause a problem.
I did not start yoga this week but I did start roller-blading with my dogs. If you have a dog, you owe it to yourself to give it a try. My dogs seriously love it.
Twenty years later, there are so many more dog clubs and activities (or maybe the internet makes it seem that way, I dunno). One of our dogs is a Jack Russell terrier and is absolutely the funnest dog I've ever owned in my life. We didn't buy him from a breeder; he was given to us by a guy my husband used to work with. Apparently he and his wife just couldn't stand Cooper. They asked us to watch him while they went out of town for Thanksgiving in 2010 and Cooper never went back. I've done some research on the breed and came across terrier trials. It turns out that the local club was having a fun day on the last Saturday of August. We signed Cooper up for everything but the group races and planned to get up really early on a Saturday - a true trial for my family.
We made it to the trial around noon and were immediately welcomed by everyone we saw. People we didn't know were asking about our dogs (even for Stella, who is obviously not a JRT). Cooper was unenthused when it was time for him to go to ground, so we're going to build him a tunnel and practice (some day). He was allowed to run the race course by himself with a borrowed muzzle and had a blast. Then it was time for the lure-coursing. I'm not sure I've ever seen him so excited as when he was watching the other dogs run. Then it was his turn.
This video shows his second run, which was fast enough for a first place in his class over five other dogs. Yay, Cooper! The video is wobbly because Stella was trying to yank my arm off in her attempt to get the bag before Cooper.
 |
| Cooper, looking smug, with the hubs |
When I woke up Sunday, I was miserably sick and stayed that way until Wednesday. I still have the headache so it may have been some kind of flu. Anyways, on Wednesday morning, I woke up thinking I was feeling well enough to take Ruby out for a ride. We went to Marshall Hampton but weren't more than a quarter mile into our ride before the flies caused Ruby to go bat-shit crazy. In desperation I kicked her up into a trot in an attempt to outrun the flies....then Ruby kicked her belly while trotting. I've never been one who likes to land on her head, so I pulled Ruby up and hopped down to help her out, which is when I realized that these vicious little bastards were biting her udder (ow!!!) and the inside of her legs. I killed 7-8 of them and she stood completely still so that I could. I decided to lead her to the next grove of trees and we got maybe another 50 feet before she started kicking her belly again - she had another 7-8 flies biting her. We tried one more time but when she stopped this time and I started killing flies, my hand came away from her udder dripping blood. That's when I called it and we walked back to the trailer. It was INSANE. I swear I think fly spray is just expensive, smelly water because it doesn't seem to do a damn thing for the flies out here. Swat works until it sweats off about 15 minutes after application. We won't be going back to MH until it cools off some.
On Saturday, Lee (with Paso gelding, Copa) and I went to Tenoroc. The flies were bad in parts but nothing like MH, thank goodness. I put Ruby's Gloves on for this trail ride and I'm happy to say that they stayed on the entire time. They don't twist but I'm going to have to order power straps due to the gapping at the front of the boots. We did the actual north loop this time. I like this loop other than for the first half mile or so, the trail has been torn up very badly by the hogs. After that, it smooths out and there are a few steep hills to climb. There's also a mile or so of nice, flat straight away - one of these days, Ruby and I are going to canter this part of the trail. When the flies got really bad, Ruby and I trotted while Copa and Lee gaited - Ruby rather enthusiastically leaving Copa in the dust every chance she got. In poor Copa's defense, I think his neck was sore from shots received on Thursday night.
The north loop is very short, maybe 3 miles, so it wasn't long before we were back at the trailer. Lee needed to stretch so we hung out for a minute before going back out onto the southern loop. The trails out here are not always well-marked and I missed a turn so we ended up back at the damn trailer maybe 20 minutes later - oops. Copa was non-plussed when we rode right past it up the dirt road. This time, Lee was leading the way, and she missed a turn. But things worked out well - we found a very nice little trail through the woods where it was so much cooler. The trail took us to another little dirt road and continued on the other side, but it was obvious that Lee and Copa were pretty well done. I am looking forward to following this trail next time I ride at Tenoroc - I seriously love exploring on horseback.
We did about 8 miles, though Strava shows 6.6 - somebody forgot to start it again when we left the trailer after our break.
Saddle and other update stuff:
Nickers cannot change saddle rigging after the saddle is completed, but I expected as much. I was told that they can make me a special bolster to support my left hip but I'm not sure my unevenness is quite that bad. I haven't yet ordered the new saddle inserts, partially because I'm still not feeling 100%.
At my last lesson, Claudia had me move my stirrups back an inch or so - on Saturday I had zero knee pain, hallelujah!
My saddle did not shift during the ride but I made it a point to use my left leg. Ruby's back is not sore today but I'm not sure 8 slow miles is enough to cause a problem.
I did not start yoga this week but I did start roller-blading with my dogs. If you have a dog, you owe it to yourself to give it a try. My dogs seriously love it.
Friday, August 29, 2014
Just what I needed
I'm not going to lie, I was pretty bummed after yesterday's lesson. But, Ruby has never shown any signs of back soreness and I've never been as unbalanced on her as I was on Rita so I decided to go for a ride today.
First, I pulled out and checked the foam in the body of the saddle. The foam looks to still be in very good shape from what I can tell, but it can't hurt to replace it. I haven't heard back on whether the saddlery can change my rigging, or even if they think it might help the issue. I'm still considering a crupper.
We went to Tenoroc for a short ride. The original plan was to ride the north loop, which is only 3.5 miles long. The problem is that I have only ridden part of the loop once, and we followed it back to the trailer - we didn't start out on it. So, I took a wrong turn. It was a nice trail, with small hills and turns on the trail. About 1/2 mile out, I saw a black lump on the trail as we were about to come around one of those turns. It looked to be 2-2.5 feet tall. I stopped Ruby behind a tree while I tried to determine if it was a hog or a small black bear. It was a lone hog so I started calling out to it and it eventually moved off the trail. About a half mile later another, smaller hog came out onto the trail. Again, I started calling (Hey, hog! Hey, hog!). Yes, I probably sounded dumb but seriously, these hogs seemed completely oblivious to the fact that Ruby and I were even there. When they did see us, they thought about whether or not to give way before they actually did. The last hog stood her ground, then grunted at her piglets and took off across the trail. Ruby liked that the hogs ran from her, lol. It definitely gave her a confidence boost. It wasn't much longer until we came to a trail marker, and a dead end. It was so weird - the trail marker was a horse and '1 Mile', and then a tiny clearing with no trail....Whatever. We turned around and called it a day. I didn't want to ride too long because I'm now paranoid about how I ride and it was screaming hot.
When we got back to the trailer, I stripped her tack then brought out her beet pulp/hay cubes mash. She does not like beet pulp alone, grrr. We didn't ride long enough for her to need a mash when she'd been noshing on hay all morning, but I'd like to have a way to get water into her when she won't drink after a hot ride - I'm glad she'll eat this, picky mare!
She loaded onto the trailer with no issue. We rode only 2.6 miles at 3.9 mph but it was worth it to get my head back on straight. I'm going to do what I can to fix myself but I'm not going to stop riding in the meantime.
Easyboot update: they came earlier this week and we tried them on Wednesday. I should have recorded her first few steps - she was, let's say, unsure of this new pony torture device. They seemed to fit ok except there was gapping at the top of the boots. I lunged her and they stayed on through sand, even when cantering. I rode a bit down the road and they were ok but I'll need to watch the fitting videos and possibly order a fit kit to be sure.
I'm still looking for some used Renegades.
First, I pulled out and checked the foam in the body of the saddle. The foam looks to still be in very good shape from what I can tell, but it can't hurt to replace it. I haven't heard back on whether the saddlery can change my rigging, or even if they think it might help the issue. I'm still considering a crupper.
We went to Tenoroc for a short ride. The original plan was to ride the north loop, which is only 3.5 miles long. The problem is that I have only ridden part of the loop once, and we followed it back to the trailer - we didn't start out on it. So, I took a wrong turn. It was a nice trail, with small hills and turns on the trail. About 1/2 mile out, I saw a black lump on the trail as we were about to come around one of those turns. It looked to be 2-2.5 feet tall. I stopped Ruby behind a tree while I tried to determine if it was a hog or a small black bear. It was a lone hog so I started calling out to it and it eventually moved off the trail. About a half mile later another, smaller hog came out onto the trail. Again, I started calling (Hey, hog! Hey, hog!). Yes, I probably sounded dumb but seriously, these hogs seemed completely oblivious to the fact that Ruby and I were even there. When they did see us, they thought about whether or not to give way before they actually did. The last hog stood her ground, then grunted at her piglets and took off across the trail. Ruby liked that the hogs ran from her, lol. It definitely gave her a confidence boost. It wasn't much longer until we came to a trail marker, and a dead end. It was so weird - the trail marker was a horse and '1 Mile', and then a tiny clearing with no trail....Whatever. We turned around and called it a day. I didn't want to ride too long because I'm now paranoid about how I ride and it was screaming hot.
When we got back to the trailer, I stripped her tack then brought out her beet pulp/hay cubes mash. She does not like beet pulp alone, grrr. We didn't ride long enough for her to need a mash when she'd been noshing on hay all morning, but I'd like to have a way to get water into her when she won't drink after a hot ride - I'm glad she'll eat this, picky mare!
 |
| Ruby approves. |
She loaded onto the trailer with no issue. We rode only 2.6 miles at 3.9 mph but it was worth it to get my head back on straight. I'm going to do what I can to fix myself but I'm not going to stop riding in the meantime.
Easyboot update: they came earlier this week and we tried them on Wednesday. I should have recorded her first few steps - she was, let's say, unsure of this new pony torture device. They seemed to fit ok except there was gapping at the top of the boots. I lunged her and they stayed on through sand, even when cantering. I rode a bit down the road and they were ok but I'll need to watch the fitting videos and possibly order a fit kit to be sure.
 |
| Looks like we need power straps |
Monday, August 25, 2014
Tenoroc Trail Ride
I got an email last week stating the FSHC was planning a ride at Tenoroc this morning. Their ride start times for Monday morning are 9 am, which is difficult for me due to other obligations but I figured I'd attempt to make it. If they left before I got there, we would ride anyways and maybe run into them on the trail.
Wouldn't you know that the morning I don't have any extra time is the time that Ruby decides she doesn't want to load. For the first time, ever...I retrieved my crop and we did some refreshing on 'sending' and then went to the trailer again. She tried to evade a few times but did eventually load herself in the trailer and stand there quietly while I climbed in, tied her, put on her fly mask, and closed the divider. I don't know what got into her. I always drive very carefully knowing full well that some horses don't like to load because they don't enjoy being thrown around in the trailer. Anyways, we arrived at Tenoroc ten minutes before ride time.
It was just Jerre (actual spelling, pronounced Jerry) and Karen riding this morning and they were gracious enough to wait while I unloaded, groomed, and tacked Ruby. Before I mounted up, Jerre asked if Karen or I were in any hurry. When we replied that we had until this afternoon, he said he wanted to ride out, come back to the trailers for a quick break, and then ride another 3-4 miles before calling it a day. A perfect training opportunity for Ruby.
One of the main reasons I wanted to make this ride is because the weather was supposed to be 8-10 degrees cooler than normal today, but back to killer heat by Friday. It was absolutely blissful - partly cloudy with a steady breeze. It almost felt cool a couple times.
Ruby was obviously happy to have company, I could almost feel the relief that all the responsibility of watching for monsters was not on her overburdened shoulders. We started out on the usual wide, grassy path but it wasn't long before Jerre had us all off-roading onto some mostly unused trails.
After a mile or so, Jerre led us down a steep, 20 foot embankment. Ruby handled it like a pro. We circled around and rode by the many different ponds and waterways. We only saw a few parked trucks with empty boat trailers, and not one alligator. Jerre took us down to the end of a boat ramp to let the horses drink but Ruby was more interested in eating the plants at the edge of the water. On our way back to the trailer, I saw my first indigo snake cross the trail ahead of us, very cool! Ruby led or followed depending on what the other horses were doing. At one point, she did not want to let Cash (Karen's horse) pass but Ruby backed off when I asked.
Jerre and Karen had a lot questions about Ruby, as far as how she became mine. I told them that I contacted the local mustang rescue late last year and let them know that I was looking for an endurance prospect - and how excited they were that they had an Araloosa mare. I told them about how Ruby tried to run me down the first time I met her. I explained what I know (or have been told) about her past, and how I restarted her myself this past January so whatever bad habits she has at this point are my fault and no one else's.
Two hours and eight miles later, we made it back to the trailer for a short break. I offered Ruby water (no go) then took her to the trailer to eat her hay. Before I walked away, she peed, good girl! Though I wish she wouldn't hold it on the trail. At least this explained why she was dragging during the first part of the ride.
The second part of the ride was very interesting. Jerre led the way again, this time down a twisty, single track trail that he himself made. The problem - the spiders...I have an irrational fear of spiders. It has gotten better in my old age, so that now I can (kind of) handle being around them as long as they aren't on me. Lucky for me, Jerre was leading the way and taking out the webs but seriously there were times that he had 3-4 large banana spiders crawling across his shoulders *shudder*. In an effort to miss the spiders still hanging from their webs and tree branches, I was doing crazy contortionist moves in the saddle. It truly was a great little trail but it's one that I won't be using again until winter. After a mile and a half or so, it popped us back out onto the north loop, much to my relief. I was trying hard not to have an anxiety attack by this point - at least I'll know why if I suddenly stop getting FSHC ride emails.
By this time we were getting close to the gun range. It was very loud which is probably how we got close enough to startle the coyote. He jumped out of the brush on the right side of the trail about 30 feet in front of us, ran down the trail a bit, then ducked back into the woods on our left. Ruby was leading when it happened. She paused for a second mid-step, then continued on. She's getting so brave!
Back at the trailers I offered Ruby water again, and she refused again. Silly mare. I stripped her tack and hosed her off. Jerre made a point to tell me that I have a nice little mare and I have to agree. Not one spook, and she was happy to go back out again after our break earlier in the day. We did have more loading problems when it was time to go home (!!!!!!) and so we'll be working on that tomorrow. We rode 11.7 miles and averaged 3.7 mph. That brings Ruby's trail riding total to only 82.5 miles according to Strava. I'm so proud of her - she's turning into quite the little trail horse. I can hardly wait to start adding a little speed.
Wouldn't you know that the morning I don't have any extra time is the time that Ruby decides she doesn't want to load. For the first time, ever...I retrieved my crop and we did some refreshing on 'sending' and then went to the trailer again. She tried to evade a few times but did eventually load herself in the trailer and stand there quietly while I climbed in, tied her, put on her fly mask, and closed the divider. I don't know what got into her. I always drive very carefully knowing full well that some horses don't like to load because they don't enjoy being thrown around in the trailer. Anyways, we arrived at Tenoroc ten minutes before ride time.
It was just Jerre (actual spelling, pronounced Jerry) and Karen riding this morning and they were gracious enough to wait while I unloaded, groomed, and tacked Ruby. Before I mounted up, Jerre asked if Karen or I were in any hurry. When we replied that we had until this afternoon, he said he wanted to ride out, come back to the trailers for a quick break, and then ride another 3-4 miles before calling it a day. A perfect training opportunity for Ruby.
One of the main reasons I wanted to make this ride is because the weather was supposed to be 8-10 degrees cooler than normal today, but back to killer heat by Friday. It was absolutely blissful - partly cloudy with a steady breeze. It almost felt cool a couple times.
Ruby was obviously happy to have company, I could almost feel the relief that all the responsibility of watching for monsters was not on her overburdened shoulders. We started out on the usual wide, grassy path but it wasn't long before Jerre had us all off-roading onto some mostly unused trails.
 | ||
| My favorite view in Tenoroc so far. We were about 20 feet over the water, though that's hard to see in the pic. |
 |
| Cypress trees, spanish moss |
After a mile or so, Jerre led us down a steep, 20 foot embankment. Ruby handled it like a pro. We circled around and rode by the many different ponds and waterways. We only saw a few parked trucks with empty boat trailers, and not one alligator. Jerre took us down to the end of a boat ramp to let the horses drink but Ruby was more interested in eating the plants at the edge of the water. On our way back to the trailer, I saw my first indigo snake cross the trail ahead of us, very cool! Ruby led or followed depending on what the other horses were doing. At one point, she did not want to let Cash (Karen's horse) pass but Ruby backed off when I asked.
Jerre and Karen had a lot questions about Ruby, as far as how she became mine. I told them that I contacted the local mustang rescue late last year and let them know that I was looking for an endurance prospect - and how excited they were that they had an Araloosa mare. I told them about how Ruby tried to run me down the first time I met her. I explained what I know (or have been told) about her past, and how I restarted her myself this past January so whatever bad habits she has at this point are my fault and no one else's.
 |
| Another nice view. We must have been a whole 30 feet above sea level here. |
The second part of the ride was very interesting. Jerre led the way again, this time down a twisty, single track trail that he himself made. The problem - the spiders...I have an irrational fear of spiders. It has gotten better in my old age, so that now I can (kind of) handle being around them as long as they aren't on me. Lucky for me, Jerre was leading the way and taking out the webs but seriously there were times that he had 3-4 large banana spiders crawling across his shoulders *shudder*. In an effort to miss the spiders still hanging from their webs and tree branches, I was doing crazy contortionist moves in the saddle. It truly was a great little trail but it's one that I won't be using again until winter. After a mile and a half or so, it popped us back out onto the north loop, much to my relief. I was trying hard not to have an anxiety attack by this point - at least I'll know why if I suddenly stop getting FSHC ride emails.
 |
| Happy to lead the way |
Back at the trailers I offered Ruby water again, and she refused again. Silly mare. I stripped her tack and hosed her off. Jerre made a point to tell me that I have a nice little mare and I have to agree. Not one spook, and she was happy to go back out again after our break earlier in the day. We did have more loading problems when it was time to go home (!!!!!!) and so we'll be working on that tomorrow. We rode 11.7 miles and averaged 3.7 mph. That brings Ruby's trail riding total to only 82.5 miles according to Strava. I'm so proud of her - she's turning into quite the little trail horse. I can hardly wait to start adding a little speed.
Friday, July 18, 2014
Another short solo ride's in the bag
I rode Ruby yesterday and she felt great so I asked Heather if she'd like to ride today. Ultimately, she decided it wasn't worth the sweat equity (can't say that I blame her). So, what to do? If you're like me, you have two little voices in your head. One of them is completely reasonable. This is the one that says, 'Maybe it's not a good idea to let the kids run through the kitchen' (re: pots of boiling water, hot oven, knives, etc). Then there's the other one. That other voice is a complete coward and will keep you from living your life if you let it: if you take a plane, you might die; if you walk out your door, you might die; if you do that, you might screw it up. Part of getting back into horses for me has been telling that second voice to shut the hell up. So, I hooked up the trailer, loaded Ruby, and headed out. We went to Tenoroc, which has wide, mowed trails and is only a ten-minute drive. It was actually a great day to go riding: no rain clouds in sight, a nice breeze, and it wasn't 'make-you-wanna-die' hot.
It took me a good ten times to back the trailer in straight, but I'm getting it. Regarding the rub and this saddle pad: I am in the process of modifying a Toklat Woolback pad into something that I (hopefully) will be able to use. In the meantime, I sprayed her sides with Show Shine and put a thick line of Desitin on the seam of the right flap. The plan was to hop down and check every so often and watch her body language: if I listen, she will tell me when something isn't right.
Ruby was completely calm standing by the trailer but is a different beast after you mount up - she becomes completely incapable of standing still. In fact, she doesn't even possess the ability to walk at less than break-neck (well, for walking) speed. We went around and around (and around) the parking area, with her giving the hairy eyeball to the trail head - at the beginning of a ride, she dislikes thick brush being close to the trail. When I got serious about pushing her to the trail entrance, she went. We have gotten a lot of rain in the last few days, so there were muddy parts and places under a few inches of water. She's a bit of a prima donna when it comes to getting her feet wet so I let her choose her way across as long as she stayed on the trail.
We rode for about 30 minutes when I decided to hop down and check her for rubs - so far, so good. I walked her maybe another 20 feet, mounted up and headed back to the trailer. I didn't want to stay out too long because I'd completely forgotten sunscreen and the trail has next to no shade. If it wasn't so muddy, we would have done more trotting and gotten more mileage.
When we popped out into the parking area, I expected Ruby to make a beeline for the truck but she marched right past it and started following another trail. Laughing, I decided to see how far she would go until I almost caught a spider in the face. I turned her back towards the trailer, and she picked another trail beyond it and made a beeline for it. Ruby is a trip and I love that she seems to enjoy the trails. She didn't spook once, only tried to trot off with me a few times, and was willing to keep going when we were done - I'm proud of my girl :)
We rode 3.4 miles in just under one hour, average speed 3.7 mph: https://www.strava.com/activities/167592460. I was worried that our first solo ride was a fluke, but today proved otherwise. My girl is ready to go solo. I cannot tell you how freeing it was to pull in, park and fiddle around until everything was just right, with no one waiting for me or vice versa. If things went well, fantastic, if not, I could leave whenever, no big deal. And, I no longer have to wait for anyone else to want to ride - if I feel like riding, I'll go.
New/different things:
The Desitin and Show Shine did what was hoped, but we might not have ridden long enough. For now (as long as there are no new rubs), this will have to do. As stated, I am modifying another pad that I hope will work for us until I can buy a new one.
I think I've finally figured out which pad to buy when I do buy a new saddle pad. I'm on a mostly self-imposed budget (is there anyone else that feels guilty spending cash on horse stuff when their spouse doesn't?) so I research and research and research, then I cross my fingers and say a little prayer before pushing the 'Buy' button.
Jeggings - super cheap and way more comfortable than my cheapo riding tights. I read about them on the AERC Facebook page. They may not hold up for very long, but at under $13 a pop, I can afford to replace them.
Side pull - Ruby prefers the side pull so no more bit for her. Oddly, she is also more responsive in the side pull than the snaffle bit. Maybe at some point I'll find one she likes, but until then we're going bitless.
Finally, my dressage lesson has been rescheduled for Monday due to the rain - I'm looking forward to it!
It took me a good ten times to back the trailer in straight, but I'm getting it. Regarding the rub and this saddle pad: I am in the process of modifying a Toklat Woolback pad into something that I (hopefully) will be able to use. In the meantime, I sprayed her sides with Show Shine and put a thick line of Desitin on the seam of the right flap. The plan was to hop down and check every so often and watch her body language: if I listen, she will tell me when something isn't right.
 |
| Not a care in the world... |
We rode for about 30 minutes when I decided to hop down and check her for rubs - so far, so good. I walked her maybe another 20 feet, mounted up and headed back to the trailer. I didn't want to stay out too long because I'd completely forgotten sunscreen and the trail has next to no shade. If it wasn't so muddy, we would have done more trotting and gotten more mileage.
 |
| Heading back |
We rode 3.4 miles in just under one hour, average speed 3.7 mph: https://www.strava.com/activities/167592460. I was worried that our first solo ride was a fluke, but today proved otherwise. My girl is ready to go solo. I cannot tell you how freeing it was to pull in, park and fiddle around until everything was just right, with no one waiting for me or vice versa. If things went well, fantastic, if not, I could leave whenever, no big deal. And, I no longer have to wait for anyone else to want to ride - if I feel like riding, I'll go.
New/different things:
The Desitin and Show Shine did what was hoped, but we might not have ridden long enough. For now (as long as there are no new rubs), this will have to do. As stated, I am modifying another pad that I hope will work for us until I can buy a new one.
I think I've finally figured out which pad to buy when I do buy a new saddle pad. I'm on a mostly self-imposed budget (is there anyone else that feels guilty spending cash on horse stuff when their spouse doesn't?) so I research and research and research, then I cross my fingers and say a little prayer before pushing the 'Buy' button.
Jeggings - super cheap and way more comfortable than my cheapo riding tights. I read about them on the AERC Facebook page. They may not hold up for very long, but at under $13 a pop, I can afford to replace them.
Side pull - Ruby prefers the side pull so no more bit for her. Oddly, she is also more responsive in the side pull than the snaffle bit. Maybe at some point I'll find one she likes, but until then we're going bitless.
Finally, my dressage lesson has been rescheduled for Monday due to the rain - I'm looking forward to it!
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Alafia River State Park
Lee and I decided last week to take our ponies to Alafia today. We met up around 8 am, loaded our crap and the ponies and got on the road. Alafia is about an hour and a half drive, and we arrived around 9:30 - so far, so good. Unfortunately, immediately after mounting up Lee and I got sucked into a conversation with a very nice lady who was already done riding for the day. Seriously, this conversation dragged on for over half an hour - long enough for me to start Strava and turn it off to wait for the conversation to be over. I'm not really anti-social, I would just rather ride than talk, especially when riding an antsy mare that believes that no good can come from standing still.
Anyway, we had a great ride - it was mostly overcast in the morning, so was relatively cool. The trail was constantly changing and therefore interesting. There were a few other folks on the trail but not too many; we were having a great time. After two and a half hours or so, we came upon a water trough so we took the opportunity for a break, during which I got this picture.
Right after this picture was taken, we decided it might be a good idea to find the trailer - ominous clouds were beginning to gather. It turns out we were lost and it took us another two hours to find the trailer...Two hours, with it getting hotter and sunnier but with a huge thunderhead forming in the sky. We did trot a few stretches which brought into perspective that Ruby cannot trot a decent straight line to save her life, lol. We need to practice this, a lot...We did eventually make it back to the trailer, not long after which we started to hear the thunder. Ruby loaded up fine, but Copa didn't want to load, crap! It was right around this time that Lee started having real issues with the heat. In her defense, when we got to the trailer the air was so thick it felt like it was sticking to us - it was HOT. Lee went to sit in the truck's AC for a few minutes while I tried to load a horse that wanted to load even less for someone he doesn't know *sigh*. Eventually, Lee recovered a bit, loaded Copa and we took off. The storm followed us north to the barn and rolled in a few minutes after we got the horses unloaded. Poor Ruby probably feels like I don't appreciate her at all! I was able to run a little water on her before the lightening started, then I threw her into her stall with some hay and ran to park the trailer. At this point, the flashes of lightening and sound of thunder were nearly simultaneous. We got the trailer parked and unhooked, and I got the barnyard gate closed right before the sky opened up.
All in all we had a good ride, no spooks or refusals - other than at the trailer. I did learn that it's a bad idea to wander in the forest under the impression that you have all day. I also learned that Ruby needs to do more trotting outside of a small arena, and I really need to work on bringing her back down to a walk on the trail as well. We rode 13.6 miles today - a new record for us, woohoo! http://www.strava.com/activities/162122720
Anyway, we had a great ride - it was mostly overcast in the morning, so was relatively cool. The trail was constantly changing and therefore interesting. There were a few other folks on the trail but not too many; we were having a great time. After two and a half hours or so, we came upon a water trough so we took the opportunity for a break, during which I got this picture.
 |
| Yeah, next time we might want to remove the masks...still, they are obviously trying to be cute for cookies, which, of course, is cute! |
All in all we had a good ride, no spooks or refusals - other than at the trailer. I did learn that it's a bad idea to wander in the forest under the impression that you have all day. I also learned that Ruby needs to do more trotting outside of a small arena, and I really need to work on bringing her back down to a walk on the trail as well. We rode 13.6 miles today - a new record for us, woohoo! http://www.strava.com/activities/162122720
Thursday, July 3, 2014
First solo ride
It went well, though not without its moments. If you dare to look at the Strava link, you can see that the beginning of the ride had lots and lots (and lots) of circles. Ruby was very up - she wanted to trot everywhere and (predictably) was not listening when asked to slow down so we did lots of one rein stops. Even the one rein stops didn't stop her feet right away though; at one point, we circled so many times that I was actually getting dizzy! When she was walking calmly, we headed to the trail *cue Jaws music*. There was stopping, and ducking to the left or right in an attempt to get back to the trailer, but nothing too serious. Even so, I was starting to feed off of her nerves so I turned on some tunes and started singing to calm myself. There were moments of brilliance, when she was listening to slight cues and walking forward with impulsion like she knew what she was doing and maybe starting to enjoy herself a bit. Then she was attacked by a monster horse fly, so I hopped down to lend my assistance. That's when I heard the first peals of thunder, uh oh. People and horses get struck by lightening all the time here in the Sunshine State so it was time to leave. On the way back she was calm, forward, and rateable - a pleasant surprise, as I thought I was going to have a real fight on my hands with her trying to bolt back to the trailer. When we got back to the trailer, I untacked and loaded her in record time. Within two minutes of pulling out onto the road, I saw a lightning strike. Somehow, the storm completely missed us during the drive and didn't hit the barn, phew! Even though our ride was cut short, I feel like Ruby did very well - I am proud of my girl! https://www.strava.com/activities/16125472
 |
| Ever-so-slightly worried about what her crazy human may have in store for her... |
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Poker Ride
No one from the barn wanted to brave the heat (or get up at 4 am on a Sunday), so Ruby and I went to the ride solo. Instead, I was supposed to meet a SEDRA mentor, but that didn't work either. We still had a fabulous ride.
True to form, I nearly chickened out at the last minute. Driving around here is not for the faint of heart, towing even less so, and towing in the (near) dark alone is something I was dreading. I was going to have to hitch the trailer in the dark, load Ruby into a dark trailer, etc. But you can always find reasons not to do things, huh? Obviously, we went anyway.
I took a wrong turn and didn't make it in time to meet the mentor, so Ruby and I struck out on our own. She was alert but not really nervous. It wasn't long before we caught up to a group of riders and I was having to hold Ruby back - have I mentioned that she has a ridiculously fast walk? They offered to let us pass...and we just kept passing people. We passed at least 30 horses - all by just out-walking them. We trotted a few times but not for long stretches because she wasn't really watching her feet. The trail changed from regular woods to grassy, open trail, to twisty single-track through thick, scrubby woods.
Ruby was fantastic. She never got attached to any of the horses on the trail, and she was so brave. The only time she got flustered is when we came up behind a horse-drawn buggy. They were stuck when we came up on them and when they got unstuck she initially freaked when she thought the horse was being chased by the buggy, lol. Her only real issue was watching her feet - I cannot always trust her not to trip over something, even if it's obvious. I think she'll get over this as she gets more trail miles. Oh, and my poor mare doesn't seem to have any sense of direction whatsoever - she always seems so surprised to find herself back at the trailer. As we came out of the woods, a lady asked to take our picture so maybe we'll see it on the SEDRA website. Unfortunately I didn't get any good pics today.
We had a really good ride and I feel like we hit another milestone today. No, we were not truly out there alone but Ruby and I were only out there with each other. Oh, and this was the first trail ride that I haven't felt wiped out at the end - I know it's pathetic but also true. https://www.strava.com/activities/159553482
True to form, I nearly chickened out at the last minute. Driving around here is not for the faint of heart, towing even less so, and towing in the (near) dark alone is something I was dreading. I was going to have to hitch the trailer in the dark, load Ruby into a dark trailer, etc. But you can always find reasons not to do things, huh? Obviously, we went anyway.
I took a wrong turn and didn't make it in time to meet the mentor, so Ruby and I struck out on our own. She was alert but not really nervous. It wasn't long before we caught up to a group of riders and I was having to hold Ruby back - have I mentioned that she has a ridiculously fast walk? They offered to let us pass...and we just kept passing people. We passed at least 30 horses - all by just out-walking them. We trotted a few times but not for long stretches because she wasn't really watching her feet. The trail changed from regular woods to grassy, open trail, to twisty single-track through thick, scrubby woods.
Ruby was fantastic. She never got attached to any of the horses on the trail, and she was so brave. The only time she got flustered is when we came up behind a horse-drawn buggy. They were stuck when we came up on them and when they got unstuck she initially freaked when she thought the horse was being chased by the buggy, lol. Her only real issue was watching her feet - I cannot always trust her not to trip over something, even if it's obvious. I think she'll get over this as she gets more trail miles. Oh, and my poor mare doesn't seem to have any sense of direction whatsoever - she always seems so surprised to find herself back at the trailer. As we came out of the woods, a lady asked to take our picture so maybe we'll see it on the SEDRA website. Unfortunately I didn't get any good pics today.
We had a really good ride and I feel like we hit another milestone today. No, we were not truly out there alone but Ruby and I were only out there with each other. Oh, and this was the first trail ride that I haven't felt wiped out at the end - I know it's pathetic but also true. https://www.strava.com/activities/159553482
Friday, May 30, 2014
The Rubes
Known also as Ruby, Psycho, Crazy Horse, Redhead, Freckles, Wonderful - there are others. The swelling has gone down a bit and she was cleared to ride yesterday, so we went on another trail ride today.
It was just me and Heather today and the plan was to go to Lower Green Swamp. On my way to the barn, Heather told me that she'd haul since Lee wasn't going to make it. At the time I thought I should offer to hook my truck up anyways, but it turned out to be a blessing that I didn't...
It was a great morning to go riding - mostly overcast, a nice breeze, and definitely cooler than earlier in the week. The first mile or so though, Ruby was being seriously bothered by large biting flies. I sprayed her heavily with fly spray before leaving the trailer, and put Swat under her eyes, on the bridge of her nose, on her ears and even her udder. I have got to find a horse-hair swatter and some tassels already! At one point I had to get off due to a particularly tenacious fly - when I found him, he was biting her belly but a well-placed flick sent him on his way.
The biting flies pretty much stopped when we got the area where cows are allowed to graze, perhaps because they had something else to snack on. Anyway, we ended up having a good ride with some trotting thrown in: 5.7 miles, moving time 1:37, average speed 3.5 mph, fastest speed 11 mph. https://www.strava.com/activities/147297035
According to Strava, I have trail ridden Ruby a total of 45.4 miles - crazy that she's come so far already. I wonder if I should throw a party when we hit 100? Hmmm.
So, we got the ponies packed up and back home without incident. Then I had to give Ruby her banamine - she was so unbelievably pissed at me, she even pinned her ears and ignored me when I left. It probably didn't help that I laughed at her expression though :) Anyway, I got to my truck and started to leave when I realized that something was very wrong...Yep, I have a flat. I'm so grateful that it didn't happen when pulling the trailer. So, after the vet bill yesterday and a new truck tire today, I'm pretty well broke *sigh*
It was just me and Heather today and the plan was to go to Lower Green Swamp. On my way to the barn, Heather told me that she'd haul since Lee wasn't going to make it. At the time I thought I should offer to hook my truck up anyways, but it turned out to be a blessing that I didn't...
It was a great morning to go riding - mostly overcast, a nice breeze, and definitely cooler than earlier in the week. The first mile or so though, Ruby was being seriously bothered by large biting flies. I sprayed her heavily with fly spray before leaving the trailer, and put Swat under her eyes, on the bridge of her nose, on her ears and even her udder. I have got to find a horse-hair swatter and some tassels already! At one point I had to get off due to a particularly tenacious fly - when I found him, he was biting her belly but a well-placed flick sent him on his way.
The biting flies pretty much stopped when we got the area where cows are allowed to graze, perhaps because they had something else to snack on. Anyway, we ended up having a good ride with some trotting thrown in: 5.7 miles, moving time 1:37, average speed 3.5 mph, fastest speed 11 mph. https://www.strava.com/activities/147297035
According to Strava, I have trail ridden Ruby a total of 45.4 miles - crazy that she's come so far already. I wonder if I should throw a party when we hit 100? Hmmm.
So, we got the ponies packed up and back home without incident. Then I had to give Ruby her banamine - she was so unbelievably pissed at me, she even pinned her ears and ignored me when I left. It probably didn't help that I laughed at her expression though :) Anyway, I got to my truck and started to leave when I realized that something was very wrong...Yep, I have a flat. I'm so grateful that it didn't happen when pulling the trailer. So, after the vet bill yesterday and a new truck tire today, I'm pretty well broke *sigh*
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
I feel like a broken record
Because we had another great ride - Ruby's turning into quite the little trail horse! Super-short at 4.5 miles, happy pony the entire time with no major spooks, just some skitters. I am going to have to figure out some kind of biting fly protection for her though - fly spray only works so long and Swat just melts away. I'm thinking of getting some horse hair tassels to attach to her bridle. We did have one short trotting session from one group of trees to another and she slowed when asked to let Copa (Lee's gelding) pass us. Oh, and I attached some bells to her girth and saddle but I'm going to have to go back and get some bigger (louder) ones. Anyways, we all had a blast! https://www.strava.com/activities/146542333
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
I take it back
Tenoroc is not boring after all. The trails on the map are...but yesterday we went off-roading.
Originally we (Heather and Lee) planned to ride with a large group, but we were running late. The older gentleman that we met last week and a friend of his waited for us to arrive, then he led the way. We had a fantastic ride. Ruby was fine riding in the front or the back. She does need to learn to watch her feet better - she would stumble when stepping on a rock wrong (think of stepping on a lego barefoot), which was often. She got the chance to evil-eye a soft-shelled turtle on the trail and the opportunity to skitter when some wild pigs ran out of some brush (far) behind us. I think with more miles and exposure she'll settle in and start to understand that most other animals don't care for horse meat. I made sure to tell the rest of the group that Ruby was green and was told at the end that she doesn't act like it - I'm proud of my girl :D Towards the end of the ride, Ruby and Candy kept falling behind the group so we decided to trot to catch up...Ruby is hilarious. She was determined that Candy was NOT going to pass her so she extended her trot - and we were really moving out. I couldn't help but laugh at her, she's such a fun dork sometimes. I didn't know until today that when Ruby was really going, Candy was cantering just to keep up. We fell far behind a couple of times, and trotting to catch up was a blast. Anyways, the rest of the group may think I'm a little nuts after all of the loud laughing but her attitude about it was killing me. I did let Candy pass once so Ruby could see that she doesn't necessarily get to set the pace. Should be fun at the beginning of an endurance ride! We rode a little over 8.5 miles. At the end, she didn't seem tired but she did seem like she was done with the heat already! https://www.strava.com/activities/145827614
Today was a rest day for Ruby, so I popped a bit in her mouth and groomed her, then braided her mane. It took her a minute to take the bit but there was no fighting this time. When I removed it, there was no snatching her head away. She's come a long way already :)
Originally we (Heather and Lee) planned to ride with a large group, but we were running late. The older gentleman that we met last week and a friend of his waited for us to arrive, then he led the way. We had a fantastic ride. Ruby was fine riding in the front or the back. She does need to learn to watch her feet better - she would stumble when stepping on a rock wrong (think of stepping on a lego barefoot), which was often. She got the chance to evil-eye a soft-shelled turtle on the trail and the opportunity to skitter when some wild pigs ran out of some brush (far) behind us. I think with more miles and exposure she'll settle in and start to understand that most other animals don't care for horse meat. I made sure to tell the rest of the group that Ruby was green and was told at the end that she doesn't act like it - I'm proud of my girl :D Towards the end of the ride, Ruby and Candy kept falling behind the group so we decided to trot to catch up...Ruby is hilarious. She was determined that Candy was NOT going to pass her so she extended her trot - and we were really moving out. I couldn't help but laugh at her, she's such a fun dork sometimes. I didn't know until today that when Ruby was really going, Candy was cantering just to keep up. We fell far behind a couple of times, and trotting to catch up was a blast. Anyways, the rest of the group may think I'm a little nuts after all of the loud laughing but her attitude about it was killing me. I did let Candy pass once so Ruby could see that she doesn't necessarily get to set the pace. Should be fun at the beginning of an endurance ride! We rode a little over 8.5 miles. At the end, she didn't seem tired but she did seem like she was done with the heat already! https://www.strava.com/activities/145827614
 |
| One sweat-soaked pony |
Monday, May 19, 2014
She's a terrible beastie!
Heather surprised me this morning with a 'Wanna go ride at the Hamptons this morning?' How could I refuse?
The weather was beautiful and nothing seemed amiss, at first...
Things started getting crazy when we got to the trailhead. I circled and circled and circled...and Ruby's brain would not turn on. It was so bad that Heather and I got off and walked the first little bit of trail - due to the fact that the last time Ruby acted like this, there actually was something in the bushes waiting to eat us all (a completely deaf deer). Anyway, she never really did settle down and was constantly expecting something, anything to jump out and get us...it was not a relaxing ride at all. That being said, there were tiny moments when we were really 'together' - she was listening and we were actually in harmony. Yep, it sounds completely corny but most other horse people know what I'm talking about. Heather and I decided to call it a day after finishing the short trail around the lake - neither of us wanted to push my luck any further. Ruby did start to get (more!) nervous again as we approached the trail head, but then relaxed. Hmm.
When we first arrived, there were three horse trailers in the parking area. We passed the other riders at one point, and said hello. When we got back to the parking lot, an older gentleman approached us. Apparently they belong to some kind of local trail riding club (yay!!) and ride all over this area a few times a week. I'm looking forward to taking Ruby on the trails with some more experienced horses.
We rode 2.8 miles in just under an hour. Maybe we'll be ready for an LD by the time Ruby's 25... https://www.strava.com/activities/143064144
The weather was beautiful and nothing seemed amiss, at first...
 |
| Yes, she does have pink Swat-ified ears...no, she was NOT amused :) |
When we first arrived, there were three horse trailers in the parking area. We passed the other riders at one point, and said hello. When we got back to the parking lot, an older gentleman approached us. Apparently they belong to some kind of local trail riding club (yay!!) and ride all over this area a few times a week. I'm looking forward to taking Ruby on the trails with some more experienced horses.
We rode 2.8 miles in just under an hour. Maybe we'll be ready for an LD by the time Ruby's 25... https://www.strava.com/activities/143064144
Thursday, May 15, 2014
New Place to Ride
 |
| Ready to go! Don't mind the rust :) |
The ride itself was more exciting than it really should have been. Ruby always stands stock-still for me to mount up, because if she does she gets a cookie. Except today. I took the time to correct the issue, instead of swinging up anyways. Hopefully, it won't become a problem. A little ways up the trail, she got boogery so Candy passed us. Then Candy remembered that she doesn't actually like to be in the lead and did a mini-spook. Ruby almost left me in the dirt - one second she was facing straight down the trail, the next she was facing 90 degrees to the left. If she'd kept going, I'd still be picking sticks out of my backside. Later on we saw a very fat black racer and a raccoon that apparently didn't get the memo that he's supposed to be nocturnal. After the raccoon, it was obvious that Ruby felt completely justified in giving the stink eye to every bush we passed *sigh*. She is figuring out the 'Want a bite?' cue for grazing (that I totally copied from Haiku Farm) - what's great is that she'll grab a bite or two, then she wants to start moving again. She's also coming to the realization that I can be quite the horse-fly-swatter. She was starting to relax a bit as the ride was coming to an end...and honestly, she is doing great and we had a very enjoyable ride. As she gets used to the sights and sounds of the trail, we should have less boogery moments.
 |
| Don't feel too bad for her - we rode for an hour at a walk in 75 degree temps...she's just a bit of a drama queen is all. |
I checked the spot again today and it looks fine (no rubs, no dry spot, no heat or swelling, etc.). I might get some shims anyways to fill in the shoulder dips. We'll see.
Friday, May 9, 2014
Getting back into the groove
Ruby was on-again, off-again lame for a few weeks, but we finally started back into her training as of Wednesday. I may have figured out what caused the lameness. On our way to Lower Green Swamp before our last trail ride, she slipped in the trailer. I didn't post anything about it because she was sound before, during, and after our ride - but I believe now that she may have pulled or tweaked something. She's been sound now for a few weeks - I gave her the extra time to be sure that the injury wasn't aggravated during the healing process. We're starting back slowly and her soundness is constantly being re-evaluated. Crossing fingers that the worst part is over and she's truly back to 100%.
In the meantime, I changed her feed again. She's now getting rice bran, beet pulp, and O&A along with a vitamin and MSM. Finally she has put on some weight and muscle. Forgive the fact that her head is in shadow - this picture shows her condition so well. Her feet are also looking fantastic - she's starting to get some nice concavity and the wall cracks are growing out. I'll take pics after her next trim.
In the meantime, I changed her feed again. She's now getting rice bran, beet pulp, and O&A along with a vitamin and MSM. Finally she has put on some weight and muscle. Forgive the fact that her head is in shadow - this picture shows her condition so well. Her feet are also looking fantastic - she's starting to get some nice concavity and the wall cracks are growing out. I'll take pics after her next trim.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Another Five Miles Down
And another great ride. Heather and I went back to Lower Green Swamp to ride this morning. It took about 15 minutes for Ruby to settle into it (in her defense, a deer DID try to eat her last time and there were deer tracks everywhere this morning), but then she was all business. We started out circling back to Candy when she'd fall behind but Ruby really has no patience for that (WHY are we turning around, just to turn back around???) so instead, she got to graze when it was time to wait. On our way out, we took the bridge so on the way back I wanted to try the creek. But...we had a ton of rain the other day so it was much higher and faster. Instead, I figured I'd take her down to the edge to see if she wanted a drink...but Ruby had other ideas. She waded into the water and decided to cross. There were submerged logs so instead of turning her around, I just picked my feet up (it was horse-belly deep!) and let her go. It was great, getting splashed and knowing that this mare who wouldn't step in a puddle a few weeks ago will now cross small rivers if she thinks that's what I want.
On our way back, we did a teeny bit of trotting - the fanny pack and trotting do not get along so I'll be looking to buy or configure some kind of saddle bag for my water and other goodies. Oh, and I should also probably get one of those 'life-proof' cases for my phone...for a minute, I thought the creek was deep enough that Ruby was going to have to swim!
Strava data: 5.1 miles, 1:28 moving time, average pace 3.4 mph...but it also says that our fastest speed was 18.6 mph and that was halfway through the ride - no way. I plan to keep using Strava, but just for average speed and time, which I may have to verify by other means. We'll see: https://www.strava.com/activities/122079205
On our way back, we did a teeny bit of trotting - the fanny pack and trotting do not get along so I'll be looking to buy or configure some kind of saddle bag for my water and other goodies. Oh, and I should also probably get one of those 'life-proof' cases for my phone...for a minute, I thought the creek was deep enough that Ruby was going to have to swim!
Strava data: 5.1 miles, 1:28 moving time, average pace 3.4 mph...but it also says that our fastest speed was 18.6 mph and that was halfway through the ride - no way. I plan to keep using Strava, but just for average speed and time, which I may have to verify by other means. We'll see: https://www.strava.com/activities/122079205
Saturday, March 15, 2014
A Day of Firsts
 |
| Me and Ruby, Michelle and Guapo, Heather and Candy |
We ended up riding 9.2 miles, moving time 2 hours, 36 minutes, average speed 3.6 mph. She does not get tired, though I do, wow! Our fastest speed was 8.5 mph...this was way after the deer incident so had to be one of her short trotting bursts? Can't wait to see how she does as we get more miles under our belt. Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/120888430
 |
| One of the few times Ruby wasn't in the lead - we'd just turned around. |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)