Is It July or the End of September?!

Needless to say, I decided not to ride this afternoon when I got off work. The boys hung out in the shade of the barn with the fan blowing all afternoon! Tomorrow will be a little cooler hopefully so Flyboy will get some arena schooling!

Autumn Splendor

Good friends heading down the trail!

I needed to get Keno out today and decided to pony Flyboy, too. I had a bit of drama getting Fly into the trailer first. Keno was waiting--tied to the fence and Flyboy didn't want to get in and leave Keno! Eventually he did and we headed up the canyon. It is so incredibly colorful up there right now--red, yellow, and gold everywhere you look!

We had to ride about half a mile up the paved road (no traffic to speak of) before we caught the small dirt road that heads west through a small, ponderosa pine forest. Keno and Fly trotted along well together, with Keno only trying to give Flyboy the evil eye if he tried to pass him. Keno can be really bossy, and Flyboy is not going to argue with him! We explored for about 45 minutes or so, turned around and headed back toward the main road, but we explored a couple of off-shoot trails, too.

Before we got back to the trailer and hour and a half after we started, we took a trail down to the river, and both horses had a good drink. It was a hot day--about 90 degrees! At the end of September, no less! Gotta love it 'cause when the snow flies the canyon trails will be unridable till late April. So I'm loving it and getting up there as much as possible!

A little more trailer loading drama again. Fly actually tried to turn around in the trailer after I closed the slant panel; he caused himself a little excitement and nicked his nose in the process. Poor boy! I think we'll work on some Parelli games to help him with the loading. I don't like trailer drama!

Flyboy wore Easyboot Gloves on all four feet today. They stayed on well through walking, trotting, and playing in the river. I think they'll be an OK fit. Size 1's on fronts and 0.5's on the backs. He didn't seem to mind them. I touched up his trim when I got home--it's so easy to do after they walk through the river and ride home with booted wet hooves!

Please appreciate the difficulty of getting two horses to pose like this!

P.S. The pacing seems to have gone away! Apparently Flyboy didn't see the point of pacing around two big tires and a barrel. I laid them in his chosen path four days ago, and he hasn't paced since, knock on wood! ;)

Fly Solo!

I flew solo with Flyboy today!

After picking up the repaired trailer tire I dropped off at the tire repair place this morning, I drove home and put the tire back on the trailer. That accomplished, I loaded Flyboy, and drove back to the tire place to get them to tighten the lug nuts. I must say poor Flyboy was not too crazy about the air gun being used on the tire under his hind feet! I calmed him through the window, and told him what a brave boy he is, and we headed out.

Dog Valley is a wide desert valley full of sage brush and cedar trees. It's extremely dry and arid right now and overrun with grasshoppers, but it's one of my favorite places: relatively level (compared to mountain riding), open 4-wheeler trails, and good cell phone reception. The beauty and serenity and stillness of the desert is very therapeutic, too.

Flyboy looked around with big eyes--woohoo!--something new! But he was relaxed and interested, not anxious and excited. He stood still for saddling and mounting and away we went. Tentatively. At least at first. After the first half mile he started walking out a little better. But then we saw The Rocks. He decided that we could not pass The Rocks. Not that there was anything unusual about those rocks in my opinion--just typical Utah boulders--millions of them everywhere. Finally after he tried backing up, turning around, and side stepping, I got him moving again. We went off-trail through the sage brush over some nearly indentical (but not scary) rocks and back to the trail again.

We followed the trail between a couple of low hills and came out into the open valley. Now it was time to trot. This was my first time asking him to trot out and keep trotting. Mostly we've walked on our trail rides, with just a tiny bit of trotting here and there. He was brave and trotted out very nicely. It's harder to be tentative when trotting and he was going quite well, nice and mostly forward, and I was starting to really relax. Then came The Big Spook. I have seen that old piece of sheet metal lying in the same spot in the sage brush for the last ten years and I should have expected him to look at it, but I was having too much fun so he surprised me. The horse can spook! Flyboy suddenly jumped sideways about six feet and whirled around to look at that scary piece of tin. He immediately realized it was not a serious threat, I rubbed his neck and we carried on trotting down the trail. That was it: The Big Spook. Not too exciting, huh? I love it.

I tried to choose trails that were good footing since he has been a little ouchy on the rocks. We trotted for a long stretch and then walked a ways. No more spooking. He did very well, and I was really proud of him. We trotted up to the top of one of the hills to take in the view and I think Flyboy was suitably impressed!

The only trouble I had was on the way back to the trailer when we were headed toward the area where The Rocks were. He just stopped on the trail and said, "No way. I'm not going up there. End of story." I let him stop and relax and look, but he had made up his mind. I used my leg and said, "We will go." Didn't work. I even used my crop (which I was carrying for the first time) and said, "We WILL go." Nope. He backed up. He got a little excited and tried to spin around. So I decided circles were a good idea, and we did some small circles in both directions through the sagebrush until he decided that going down the trail was probably easier than all that work. When we actually came to The Rocks, Flyboy didn't even look at them. I have no clue if it was the memory of the rocks or some other something that bothered him, but we worked through it.

We got back to the trailer after the hour and ten minute ride in good spirits.(That would be an hour riding and ten minutes of working on getting unstuck!) Flyboy seemed happy and relaxed and barely sweaty. I, on the other hand, was hot and dripping wet with sweat. Wearing a black crash vest in 88 degree sunshine in the desert just doesn't seem normal for the end of September. But hey, I'm not complaining. Not a chance! It could stay like this all year and I'd be happy! Dehydrated, maybe, but happy. It was a great ride and a fun test for Flyboy. He'll learn to love Dog Valley. That's where we go to fly!

Into the Hills We Go

What a spectacular afternoon! Deep blue skies and incredible fall colors---doesn't get better than this!
Flyboy was great as we loaded into Tammy's trailer and headed up the canyon. He is getting better about the trailer, but he's still a little unsure of himself and backing out once or twice before staying put.

We took a "new to Flyboy" trail that was fairly rocky and eroded and uphill, and he handled it all like the good boy he is! Flyboy was happiest following Joker, Tammy's mustang gelding, but about halfway through the ride I put Flyboy in front and insisted that he take the lead. He was extremely tentative at first, but with lots of encouragement and urging and praise, he started to step out a little more confidently. Joker and Tammy were right behind us, but he kept checking just to make sure. What a huge improvement, though. He has a long way to go to become a truly confident guy, but the fact that he was willing to try was a great sign!

I booted Flyboy in Easyboot Gloves (only on the fronts) for the very first time today.  He went very well in them; they stayed on through the river, the rocks, the erosion, and even the bog. Flyboy did not like the bog!! It was scary! He handled himself just fine, but was sure it was going to suck us under. I think the size 1 Gloves are a bit big; they came off very easily when I got home. I should probably try the 0.5's. I didn't have any probs but we were only walking for the most part!

Flyboy has one annoying habit. He paces in the back of the pea gravel area behind the barn. It's strange because he is not penned up; he has the run of the place along with Keno. But when I go out to feed early in the morning, I can see the torn up ground where he has walked back and forth, back and forth. Not only is he tearing up my footing, which I work very hard to maintain, all the pivoting seems to be making him sore on his hind feet. This is a "stalled horse" behavior that he acquired at his previous place, but I am working on ways to break the pattern. I have laid tires in his path as well as a 55 gallon plastic barrel. I am also making a "hay tree" to hang an extra small mesh hay net to occupy his mind if he is bored. Time will tell if I am smarter/more resourceful than the horse!

Poker Ride

OK. I think I blew a really good training op yesterday. I took Keno to a local poker ride fund raiser, and although we had tons of fun and Keno enjoyed himself, I think it would have been great training for Flyboy, too. Kind of a mini-endurance ride situation. I didn't know what to expect in the way of activities, number of horses, or terrain, so I opted not to take Flyboy to face the unknown this soon in our relationship.

I should have been a little more daring because I think he would have handled it quite well--there were only twenty or so horses, easy (I mean really easy!) trails, and although there were lots of four-wheelers entered they were on different trails. We participated in some fun little activities like a horseshoe toss, football throw, barrel racing on a stick horse, and BB gun shooting. Nothing too serious obviously! It would have been good for Flyboy! I hope they have another one soon!

In any case, I am excited about this week. The fall colors are blazing in the canyon--gotta take this boy out to see the local sights! We have some arena work to do also, as well as the ongoing ground work/play that we do daily. Plus, think Flyboy likes me. I do. It's kind of like that floaty feeling I had in sixth grade when I though Jeff Sumner liked me. Only better, because that kid was way shorter than me, and Flyboy is just the right size!

A Walk Through Town

I wanted to work with both horses at the fairgrounds arena this afternoon, so I saddled up my guys and rode Keno while ponying Flyboy across town. Granted, we live in a pretty small town--it's only 8 blocks to the fairgrounds! I often ride Keno that route, but it was a first for Flyboy. He did great--he looked at a few things of course, but no really big spooks or excitement!

In the arena we did lots of circles and serpentines walking and trotting. Flyboy learns quickly, and I suspect that he has done some of this before but maybe just forgotten. After about ten or fifteen minutes, he got quite soft in the bridle and was finding his own release. He was starting to listen to my leg as well. A couple of times I could tell he was getting frustrated, but then he would get it figured out. I didn't ask for much--kept it simple. We worked on bending, moving away from pressure, moving forward, halting with seat and voice. He was really getting it! I think I need to add in a few trot poles and maybe some pole bending poles or something to keep it interesting for him, though. We did two big multi-looped serpentines across the arena and he was so great turning and bending with my seat and leg, I hopped off and told him what a good boy he was!

The only thing I didn't like was his behavior while I was riding Keno. He was tied to a solid post outside the arena, and he didn't pull back but acted like he wanted to a couple of times. He paced. He actually paced with only a three foot rope! Back and forth non-stop. Hmmmm. How to fix that? It will come to me I'm sure, but if it already came to someone reading this, please clue me in!

We rode back home, and the scariest thing we had to pass was the big diesel Union Pacific truck. Not much courtesy from that driver--and Keno really hates big noisy trucks due to a bad RC Willey furniture truck experience a few years ago! Whatever. We all survived and Flyboy was not as rattled as poor Keno was.

I have an appointment with the chiropractor vet for Flyboy on Oct. 11. That's the soonest she will be down in this area. :(    I couldn't really feel anything to worry me, though. I liked what I felt today for sure!

I do need to get in the picture-taking mode though!

How Green Is This Horse Really?

Flyboy and I headed over to the trainer's place today. Ruth rode him for half an hour or so. She was impressed with how smart he seems and how willing to try he is. She was impressed that he didn't seem terribly spooky or worried. After riding him at the walk, trot, and canter out in the field, her assessment was basically that he simply lacks education. He didn't move off her leg because he really didn't understand what she was asking. He is not being obstinate or insensitive at all, he truly doesn't know how to respond to the pressure. (I have noticed that while he is very good at a lot of ground games, he does not move sideways easily or give to pressure on his barrel or shoulder. He backs well and yields his hind quarters and circles well. It is also difficult to get him to yield (drive) his front end into a circle away from me, although he is learning that very quickly already.)

Basically, Ruth thought he would be a fun training project and a good endurance prospect. She was a little surprised that his trot was not smoother (I think it's comfortable) with his big shoulder, but she thought his canter was wonderful. She said I should definitely get him halting and slowing better before I ask for much else. He gives his head to the side readily, but he doesn't give to the bit on the straight.

Everything Ruth said was pretty much in line with what I have already discovered. None of those issues put me off  at all. Those are all things I can address and deal with. The only thing that concerns me is that he occasionally drops his left hind or drags (slightly) his toe. It's not really obvious and I might not have noticed if she hadn't pointed it out. He may need a chiropractic appointment. I tried to call Dr. Bartlett, but it was too late--have to call tomorrow.

I am excited; I like this guy! His owner gave me a week or two to make sure he was "the one" so I just need to get him checked by the vet/chiropractor. I don't think it will be any real problem--he probably just needs an adjustment. Anyway, it was a successful day. Tomorrow I will pony him to the arena and work both horses.

Ponderosa Trail

Wow. Double wow. Flyboy was a real trooper today! He crossed the river, maneuvered across boulders and ledges, and climbed the mountain trail like a big boy!

I arrived at the trailhead 45 minutes ahead of my good friend, Sharon, so Flyboy had to deal with being alone for a while. I played with him on the ground a bit--circling him up a little embankment through rocks and sage brush and taking him down to the river and asking him to go out into the water. He was a little unsure of himself and was worried about the cars on the road and the camper trailer parked nearby, but he soon relaxed and never got overly stressed. He wasn't too concerned about the water or the terrain. Watching him and his reactions was interesting. He thinks about things.

Sharon arrived and we headed out on the trail. Crossing the river was no big deal. The trail heads up a small canyon following a gully toward an old pioneer salt mine. Flyboy did NOT want to lead the way, but quite willingly followed Sharon's horse, Mikey, up the trail. He doesn't seem very confident, but he is willing to try. Confidence will come.

Flyboy doesn't move off my leg very well and he wanders on and off the trail a bit, so I was a little concerned about how he would do on the ledgy parts of the trail just past the salt mine. No problem at all; I let him have his head and tried to stay out of his way and he did great. The trail then gets quite steep for a long climb up to the Frog Pond and Flyboy was huffing and puffing by the time we got to the top. We took a break and let the horses catch their breath. He was probably thinking, "Holy cow! We're not in Kansas anymore!"

The fall colors are going to be amazing this year. Bright red and flaming orange leaves covered whole hillsides in places--quite amazing! Flyboy seemed to enjoy being out on the trail. When he gets startled, he stops suddenly and his head goes up till he figures out what is bothering him. We passed wild turkeys, cows, and some kind of weird crazy squawking (or choking!?) bird that we never saw--just heard. Each time Flyboy would stop and check things out. When he was done analyzing the situation, he let out a big breath and carried on. I didn't hurry him, just talked to him and rubbed his neck. I can handle those kind of sensible reactions! Oh, yeah.

Flyboy took a sip from the cattle tank at the top, and then we headed back down the mountain.

I think his feet were getting a little sore on the rocks on the way down. I may need to introduce him to Easyboot Gloves here soon, but I am hoping his pasture/arena feet will toughen up. This was just a walk ride, but I have boots for him if he needs them when we start to add in some trot time.

I am so pleased with this guy. He seems willing and very sensible. He does need more education and lots of good confidence-building experiences, but we have lots of time. Tomorrow my friend, Ruth Livingston-horse trainer extraordinaire, is going to ride Flyboy to evaluate his level of training. I think it will help me know what to focus on and what he needs the most. I want to do right by him--he's going to be fun!

My tired boy: that was a big test for him today and he passed with flying colors! (Don't worry, Flyboy buddy, we're going to take it slowly--you won't have to do that everyday!)

Flyboy Comes Home

Well, I did it. I made it through the stressful days of horse shopping and finally found a horse I think has the athleticism, sound mind, and hopefully the heart to do endurance. I'm going to try again to bring a young, green broke horse into the adventures and excitement of endurance riding. (See www.gloryofthewind.blogspot.com)

Flyboy is a five year old BLM mustang. He was actually born in captivity, adopted early, and started by an experienced mustang trainer at the age of four. He was used at the National Ability Center in Park City for several months, but they decided he wasn't truly suited to therapy work, so they wanted to find him a place he could thrive and grow.

Well, big surprise: my horses are my therapists, so he is still doing therapy work! We'll see how he likes his new job soon. He has very little trail experience, is pretty green in his overall education, but seems to be willing and sensible. Besides that, he's very cute! (We will eventually get the neck muscles rearranged.) So follow the blog and watch our progress.

I'm taking him out on the Ponderosa Trail this afternoon. The very first big test will be to see if he crosses water! The river is not too high but is quite rocky and fast. The trail is steep, ledgy in a few places, rocky in others, but nothing too scary hopefully! It will be a great test to say the least. I'll take pictures if my hands aren't too full!