Good-bye, Fly

I sold Flyboy tonight to a very nice family. They had come out to ride him a couple of days ago, and then the guy texted me on Sunday. He said they had decided they'd like to make Flyboy a part of their family. He will be ridden by a fifteen year old girl with the close supervision of her horse-savvy uncle. They asked a lot of good questions and seemed to be a pretty good fit. I hope he will be a good, fun horse for them. He was fun to ride, and I have learned a lot from my experiences with him. He has a very sweet, non-aggressive nature and deserves someone who can work with him and help him grow. I will miss him.

Please follow Jetta's journey as we continue training toward our endurance goals. Jetta is much more suited for endurance and is very quickly learning and progressing. I am excited to see what this girl will do!

www.thejettajourney.blogspot.com

Happy trails!

Still For Sale and Having Even More Fun!

Flyboy and I rode with a couple of friends up on the Ponderosa Trail this afternoon! It's SO nice to be back up in the mountains! The grass is super-green (which Fly desperately wanted to eat!) and the oak trees are starting to leaf out. It was sunny and cool and so beautiful; I want school to be out so I can ride up here every day!

This was our second ride up here in the last couple of weeks. Flyboy was very good. This was mostly a walk ride--through the river, up and down the mountain trail, over logs, through the rocks, and through one boggy area. Fly took it all in stride. He wasn't very keen on leading the way, but he was perfect in every other aspect. He was doing better when I was able to ride him more often. I'm lucky to get to ride him once a week now. It's really hard keeping him out at Sharon's. Three horses is just more than I can realistically manage, time-wise. I dropped his price to $600 in hopes I can sell him this weekend.

Still For Sale and Still Having Fun

Fly and I rode the Ponderosa Trail yesterday with Sharon and her horse, Mikey. It was GREAT to be back on the mountain! The river was not high (at least not as high as normal for this time of year!) and the trail was dry. Flyboy was great! He handled the steep climbs, the river, the ledges, the deer, and everything else he was faced with. He was a very good boy. Yay for spring and a good horse!

Fly Is Sadly For Sale

Tough days for me. I'm just not cut out for horse trading. I don't want to say good-bye to Flyboy, but this new Arab mare is definitely going to stay. My friend who had Fly this week decided not to buy him after all. Money was tight and I really need $800 for him. He's a good boy and with a few more miles he'll be really solid. He's good an trail and seems to be getting more confidence every time he's ridden. Since I can only really manage two horses, I have advertised him for sale on ksl.com. I hope the perfect person comes along. It's hard enough to say good-bye to a friend, without wondering about where he'll be and if they'll take good care of him. Sigh.

Fly Out On Trial

Well it was a good day and it was a bad day. Good because we had a great ride--me on Keno and a good friend on Flyboy. But bad because she liked him and wants to play with him for a week and will probably buy him. Sniff. I hope I am doing the right thing. I like him and he is fun, but I can't keep up with the demands of three horses, especially boarding one ten miles from home. I just hope the new girl turns out to be really nice, because Fly is already on the way to being a nice ride.

My friend is a very experienced trainer, she does endurance, jumping, and has fabulous training/conditioning trails right outside her door. I couldn't hope for a better place for Fly if I have to part with him. Watching her ride him was fun since I never really see him when I'm on him myself! He was a very good boy and also very cute. We rode through sage brush/cedar covered hills. Too many hills according to Keno who was coming off a very busy weekend riding trip. (Plus it was hot! Actually hot in April!) So even though Keno wasn't all that enthusiastic, Fly was a trooper and pushed his way up the hills with gusto. I filled her in on all of Fly's good points and not so good points. She understands green horses very well, although I don't really consider him green anymore. He just needs lots of miles and lots of consistency.

We'll see if she thinks they'll be a good fit in a week. She liked him today. I want him to go to the right person and the added plus with her is that he would still get a chance to try his hoof at endurance. I would love it if I got to see him on the endurance trail in a year or so when Jetta is ready to get out there, too!

Fly In The Lead At Last

It's a red letter day! A couple of friends and I rode up a new trail south of the Roller Coaster Hills. It was a cool canyon full of silver cedar skeletons and rocks. In a few places the trail was very narrow and we had to squeeze our way through the green cedars. A few steep places, too, but no problems with any of the terrain.

Fly was a good boy and on the way back he led the way almost all the way to the trailers! This was a first for him he usually wants to stay back and hesitates about getting out front. He walked along really well, blew a couple of times and seemed quite relaxed. What a fun boy and what a perfect day for a ride--blue skies, warm sun, a cool breeze, and good company!

Fly Up Long Ridge Canyon

Today was Flyboy's turn to get out for a ride. I must say I am very grateful to be able to keep him at a good ranch only ten miles from home, but it is hard to get out there as often as I would like. I usually ride him at least three of four times a week, but this was his first ride all week! He needs consistency to progress! I've got to try to do better.

We trailered a short distance to a trail we call Long Ridge. It's rocky. Everywhere. We climbed up through a long, steep, rocky canyon, through silver cedars left over from a wildfire years ago. We maneuvered through, over, and around boulders, washes, and ledges. Fly was a champ and handled it all very nicely. Of course he was with Mikey, the all-terrain horse who sets a great example! We came down the mountain cross-country, picking our way through the trees and rocks. At one point Fly looked back the way we came as if to say, "What was the point climbing all the way up if we were just going to come back down again?" The views were wonderful even though it was cloudy, and the hills are turning green. Flyboy was great; we walked, trotted, and cantered as the footing allowed. I was proud of him!

Flyboy is a fun horse, but I am facing a tough decision. I am really liking this little arab mare I have at my house. She is young and will be a project, but we seem to be clicking already. I can't ride her yet because she is still healing from a bad girth itch problem, so I don't really even know how broke or green she is. I love the way she moves, and she has a very nice temperament from what I have been able to tell in two week's time. I can't keep three horses fit, fed, happy, and progressing. I have a job and a family as well, and I know my limits. Keno has been with me for over ten years and is family; he stays. Fly needs consistent work to keep him moving forward. He is gaining confidence and condition and just needs more miles and time. I think he could do a good job as an endurance horse, but he needs to be someone's main project to make that happen. I think this young mare is going to become my main project, so I'll be on the lookout for a good place for Fly. It makes me sad, but it would make me even sadder to see him sidelined and not reach his potential.

Definitely Spring Again! Great Ride!

Wow, what a fun ride I had on Flyboy today! Four of us met and trailered over to the Long Ridge tank. After saddling up we headed toward Spring Canyon. We rode for three hours (walk and trot) and had rocks, hills, mud, puddles, deer, etc. to deal with. We climbed all the way up the mountain until we had a fabulous view of the next county. Flyboy was totally awesome the entire time. No spooks. No shenanigans. He was just an all-around good boy! I rode in the Bandos treeless trail saddle and both he and I were quite comfortable. He wore Easyboot Gloves on his front feet and handled the extremely rocky and muddy ground with no problems at all. This was the kind of thick black mud that really sticks and adds five pounds of weight to each hoof! Fly also drank from nearly every puddle and had a good drink when we returned to the water tank. He even volunteered to lead out a couple of times and trotted right on past Mikey. He is gaining confidence! Not much else to say---he just did great!

Good friends, good horses, good weather. Gotta love it!

Now that is a view!

Spring. No, Winter. No, Spring again!

OK, last week we had spring, but over the weekend we had a snowy cold blizzard come through. Five inches of snow and it was only 18 degrees when I went out to do chores this morning. Oh, well--it's sunny again now so I won't complain. I'm heading out to ride Fly tomorrow afternoon. Afterwards I will trim his hooves. Sharon says he is enjoying the social life out at her place and getting to know the herd-mates.

Keno came up lame on his right hind pastern. Three days on bute so far, and he is slowly improving. Poor guy. He has done this before, so I think it will get better on its own. He was in no shape to give a lesson today though!

The new girl, newly named Jetta, is adapting to her new routine. She seems very sweet, somewhat shy, but willing. She is easy to handle on the ground so far. I worked on her feet again this afternoon; they now look pretty good. Good sized and nice and round. She has a bad case of girth itch--the first I've ever seen. Apparently the owner's other horses have it as well. I'm treating it aggressively and have disinfected all tack, brushes, etc. that she has been in contact with. She has a snotty nose (likely due to stress) which is improving, but probably contagious as well. So basically she is quarantined for now, and I am watching Keno closely since he has obviously been exposed. NOT an ideal situation! I'm so glad Fly is out at Sharon's and won't be around till we get all this cleared up.

I do like this girl an awful lot, though. She has real potential even though she may turn out to be a bigger project than I expected. That is to say, I don't think her training has been any sort of real education. I think they just saddled up and headed out at speed on trail and at the track. She needs even the basic ground work, which is what I've been doing this week. Yielding the haunches, basic lunging, backing, softening, etc. She is smart and willing, once I get through the attitude, and she is a really nice mover. The next few weeks will give me a better idea, but right now I think she might be a keeper.

I don't know what this means for Fly. I really like him; he's so fun to ride. (Especially that canter!) I'm not making any decisions right now, but I will have to think about things in the coming weeks. For now, he's happy where he is and I can get out to work with him easily, and tomorrow is supposed to be sixty sunny degrees! I'm looking forward to a trail ride!

Spring + Sunshine = Sunburn

Fabulous spring day--truly warm at 65 glorious degrees! A couple of friends and I headed out to the roller-coaster hills to work our ponies. Flyboy was very good--forward, relaxed, and happy. It was a fairly short ride, but a really good one for him. I rode in a t-shirt and caught the sun to prove it!

I had an interesting weekend to say the least. On Saturday, an endurance friend called me to come take a look at a four-year-old off-the-track arabian filly that needed an endurance home. I am not in the market for a third horse so I tried to resist but got sucked in and decided to go take a look. The problem was I really liked what I saw. Now this filly is in my corral hanging out and eating hay with Keno while Flyboy is camping out at a friend's place nearby. I have this very green young filly on a thirty day trial. Then I have to make a decision.

Fly has come a long way in a few short months. He still has a ways to go, but I am very proud of him. Today was proof of his ability to be a good mountain horse and a fun trail companion.

Gorgeous Spring Day

I know it can't really be spring yet, but man-oh-man was it nice today! I loaded Flyboy up and met my friend Gail near the hills east of town this afternoon. The ground is mostly dry out there, and the parking is easy (we parked on the road), and there is a spectacular view of....the freeway. OK, so it's not the most interesting location, but the hills are good exercise, the terrain is varied and vast, and the large herds of deer create some excitement. Although Fly seemed more interested in watching the cars passing on the freeway in the distance!

Fly was much better on this ride--his head wasn't quite as high, and he walked with purpose and even led the way voluntarily several times. The hills were a good workout. The "No Horses Allowed" sign was no longer a worry, which is a good sign! There are trails, but since the whole area is open for miles around it's nice to just go cross-country, too. We found a water tank and with a little encouragement both horses got close enough to sniff the water, then Fly suddenly plunged his head in halfway to his eyeballs! He munched on the dried out weeds as well.

Gail's horse, Annie, was a good girl. We rode north into the wind (chilly!) but heading back to the trailers it was nice and warm and we were just happy to be out in the sunshine! I want to go again tomorrow!

I will definitely ride tomorrow because I have to try the new (as in used, but new to me) saddle that the Big Brown Van delivered tonight. It's a Bandos Trail saddle--treeless and similar to the Black Forest Shasta. (More similar to the Torsion, or so I've read.) It does have some interesting features--adjustable stirrup placement, Y-girthing, and it seems to be a lot more flexible. The Shasta is quite stiff and seems to be bridging on both of my guys. I am hoping this Bandos will not cause the loin rubbing the Shasta has. I will trying it out and keep my fingers crossed. (I like the Shasta, but it's not working for Fly.)

Keno in the Canyon

I wasn't feeling very well today and decided to just take Keno up the canyon for an easy ride. It was sunny and beautiful with lots of snow and blue, blue skies! Keno was a good sport and we rode for a couple of hours. We spooked up a bunch of turkeys and he got a rise out of that!

I came home and worked Flyboy on the ground. He was full of it---probably mad at me for taking Keno today! We did some lunge work, side passing, backing, etc. He was a good boy in the end!

A Late Post

Well, I have not kept up with posting as I normally do! Monday was clear, sunny and a warm 60 degrees! Incredible for early March and I definitely planned on riding outside. My friend Tammy and I planned to meet and go for a trail ride out west of town. Unfortunately Flyboy picked the warmest day of the year to decide that he wasn't going to get in the trailer since Keno was not going.

Twenty minutes later, I called Tammy and advised her to head out without me since this was a test/battle I was not going to lose. I worked with Fly on the ground for another twenty minutes or so, until he was in a "thinking" frame of mind again. I asked him to step into the trailer and he did. I asked him to back out again. Get in again. We did this for a few minutes and then I closed the slant panel and took him to the fairgrounds parking lot where we repeated the exercise several more times. Then I took him out to Tammy's place to hang out till she got back. I was hoping she'd go out again with another horse!

Luckily she agreed and we headed out for an easy trail ride down a long straight dirt road. It was still sunny and warm, too! Fly was pretty good and loaded easily for the ride home.

Yesterday was lesson day again, so off to the arena we headed. The new saddle pad had arrived so I was anxious to try it. I have read good reviews about the Suberpad and was happy to get a good deal on Ebay! I rode Keno for a few minutes first and liked the pad very much. It helped the treeless saddle have a bit more "twist" on his wide body. He seemed quite comfortable as well and moved out nicely. Then I saddled Fly and rode with the same saddle and pad combo. Hmmm. Very different feel. It actually made my comfy, narrow guy feel much wider. Not necessarily a good thing---I like his narrowness! However, it was a short ride, so we will try again tomorrow. It will take a couple of rides to sort it out, I'm sure!

Today was windy and COLD, so no riding. March weather is weird.

Warm Before the Storm? Not!

Since tomorrow's forecast is dire indeed, I decided Flyboy had to have a trail ride! We may be buried in snow again within twenty-four hours and lose the opportunity for who knows how long. Our last trail ride was December 30--two whole months ago! I called three friends, but no one could ride today. I decided we would trail ride, though, so after a small discussion about getting in the trailer, Fly and I headed out. (He loads perfectly fine if Keno is nearby, but balks when he is alone--we are working on this issue.)

Today the wind was whipping around pretty good and it was overcast, but it wasn't too cold. Ha ha---or so I thought. I took Fly out to the hills east of the freeway and saddled up. We also booted up for the first time in months. Easyboot Gloves, size 1, fit fairly well. I also wore my crash vest, SPOT satellite tracker, cell phone, and helmet of course.. Just call me cautious. Fly's head was six feet in the air and he was looking around at the great wide world like he'd never seen anything like it before! But he headed gamely up the road and onto the jeep trail. This is rocky country. Boulders everywhere! None of those more natural looking things seem scary to Fly, luckily. We headed up a very steep long hill at a walk. He wanted to go, but I held him mostly to a walk since he was a little jumpy. At the very top of the hill is a fence and a gate with a wilderness area sign. I believe Fly thought the sign said "Absolutely No Horses Beyond This Point," because he flatly refused to go any farther! It took about 5 minutes of doing small circles and lots of encouragement before he would pass that sign. But he did pass it and on the way back, he didn't hesitate. Good boy.

The wind at the top of the hill was fierce! And COLD. Freezing, actually. And all my long thermals were in the washing machine at home, wet! So I was feeling that wind! One thing is funny, though--of all the things that bother Fly, the wind is not one of them. Lots of horses get extra frisky and skittish on days like today, but not Fly. Maybe he has enough other things to worry about.

When we turned to head back to the trailer, he was a very good boy. No hurrying. He just walked out nicely and blew quite a few times. Hopefully he was letting out some of the tension he had been holding. He loaded like a champ and we headed for home, slightly frozen and wind chapped, but safe and sound!

Things about the ride I liked:
1. Fly has a good, forward walk.
2. Even though he was anxious, he still listened to me.
3. When he was scared of the sign, he didn't spin and run, or rear. Whew!
4. He walked nicely on the return.
5. Even though he was "spooky" acting, he didn't really spook at anything.

Things I didn't like:
1. I don't like horses to start backing up when they are frightened. He started backing up several times when I           asked him to approach the sign.
2. Gale force winds!

Fun and Games

Well, since Mother Nature is acting quite fickle this week it was back to the arena again. Keno had a lesson to teach, and Fly did some schooling. The last two times we've been down there, Fly and I have struggled more than we were a few weeks ago. Perhaps it was the time off while I was away, or maybe it was just a phase we needed to work through. Maybe it was a more mechanical type reason--saddle fit or even rider error. (Yikes.) Whatever it was, it was gone today. Fly was close to perfect. He worked nicely and was soft and flexible. We worked mostly at the trot and walk, with just a few canter circles.

I have noticed that Fly anticipates and lifts into a canter too often, and I don't mean just when asked. At first I thought he was just offering because he enjoys it, but I have decided that is not quite right. I think this behavior (over-eagerness while working, while bridling, etc.) is actually a form of anxiety. I'm still figuring out what he is worrying about. He may be over-trying for good reasons: the desire to please, or trying hard to learn. Or he may be worried about not getting it right. Performance stress sort of.

This behavior reminds me of a horse rushing to a jump. Whatever Flyboy's reason, I want him to relax and realize there is no need to rush. No need to hurry. We're just taking our time. Willingness is great, but he doesn't need to hurry and jump into every request too quickly. So today we just worked on taking our easy, sweet, methodical time. Walk on. T-rot. And waaaalk. T-trot again. Nice and soft...now can-ter! Minimal rushing today, and much more relaxation and softness. This was a great lesson for me and very nice work on Fly's part.

Fly then got to stand at the rail while I taught a lesson. I have included lots of games in Olivia's lessons--because it's fun, of course, but also to help her "see" the bigger picture. She's doing a great job of putting it all together and using her new skills to get a job done. Today's game involved picking up and carrying the orange plastic cones from the barrel at one end of the arena to the barrel at the other end of the arena one at a time. This was a timed exercise! And she did a great job. At the end of the lesson I got back on Flyboy and Olivia and I competed against each other. It was pretty funny, but in the end Fly was getting into it. A nice change for him, too, and it's good to "see" the bigger picture in practice.

The Cone Competitors

Yesterday Keno got to go on his first trail ride in a while. I went alone since I didn't know if he might be sore on uneven ground. He had his hocks injected a few weeks back and I have noticed some residual stiffness. If he seemed sore or uncomfortable I planned to just turn around and head home again. As it turned out, he felt great and we had a good easy ride looking for shed antlers. (Didn't find any though!) The wind was cold but it was a beautiful ride on a great horse. I hope to take Fly there soon and start some hill work.

Back in the Saddle Again

After nearly two weeks without riding, Keno, Fly, and I were back at the arena today. Flyboy was very good, but not as soft and easy as he had been--I felt like we lost a little ground. It was minor, but we'll head to the arena again tomorrow to see if we can get back on track. Don't get me wrong, he was very good and willing, just not as highly maneuverable as on our last ride. (See our Feb. 6 post.) Several times Fly popped that shoulder and drifted off the circle. He was a bit resistant once or twice as well. But he was forward and very willing to canter. And so smooth!

A couple of other riders were using the arena so we had company, including a green colt being saddled in the round pen for the first time. Snow was sliding off the arena roof at regular intervals--loud crashing sounds included! But for all the distractions (we were trying hard not to be distracted) I feel like we had a pretty good ride. My good friend Sharon showed up and she even got in on the action for a few minutes!

Cruel Weather

Spending a week in sunny warm Florida was a wonderful winter break, but oh, how cruel of Mother Nature to hit us with this the day we returned! I arrived home jazzed and ready for spring training. It's time for Fly to begin more serious conditioning for his first endurance ride. It's going to be hard to start that this week!

Our first 25 mile endurance ride could be Antelope Island on April 14 or Hell's Kitchen Canyon on May 19. I have been to both and either would be a good first ride for him. Hell's Kitchen is much closer, so depending on how well Flyboy is trailering, it may be the better choice. April 14 may be a bit soon unless the snow melts tomorrow and we can get out on the trails! I don't mind riding in the snow, but parking is definitely a challenge. I am, however, hoping to go visit a good friend down south to let Fly experience an overnight trip. She has warm sandy desert riding this time of year! In any case, I will not rush him mentally or physically. He will start his endurance career when he seems ready.

Class Clown

Well, I didn't get my riding lesson--I got an awful sinus infection instead. Boo. Got antibiotics on Wednesday. Today I felt well enough to ride (the 50 degree sunshine helped!) but since our car is ailing, my husband took the truck to work, so I was stranded! I guess I could have ridden Keno to the arena or just around town, but I opted instead to play at home.

Flyboy has turned into the class clown as you can see from the pictures. I started out doing some of our regular ground work: following a feel, yielding, side passing, etc. I played rope games with his feet in preparation of teaching him to hobble. I lunged him over the barrels---which he jumps nicely. Then I got out the tarp and an empty (crackly!) dog food bag. Fly has always been fine with tarps UNDER him, but he has been very nervous about them being over or on him. Not any more. Today, Fly became brave. I had both the dog food bag (like a thick, stiff tarp) and the regular tarp all over him. Once we had done that, I turned him loose so I could work with Keno.

Keno is an anti-tarp horse. He always has been, but I have decided to fix that hole in his training. But while I was doing some ground work/lunge work with Keno, Fly kept stealing the show. He was after the tarp, the bag, and anything else. He stomped, pulled on, picked up, shook, and chewed the tarp.

At one point the wind grabbed the tarp and threw it up against Fly's front legs. He did a little half-spook and then just stood there thinking about it. Something in Fly's mind has changed. (I will post more about it eventually.) Poor Keno kept getting put in his "stand still and don't move" command

 so I could photograph the class clown. Even Keno gained some confidence today--walking and trotting over the tarp. It was great!

Fab Ride

Flyboy trailered solo to the arena for a fabulous workout all alone at the indoor arena. I was totally bummed no one was there to see this ride. He deserved an audience. What a good boy he was--soft, very forward and generous. I LOVE his canter. I love his trot. I love his flexibility and maneuverability. He is just a fun ride.

We did a little ground work, then a little under-saddle warm-up. Then it was circles and serpentines, again. Who would have thought circles could be so fun? Fly was a little cautious about the far end of the arena where the windows and the calf chute are, so I hopped off and dragged a few trot poles out to play over down in that end. I thought maybe if he had something more important to think about, he would forget about worrying about the calf chute. It worked; he was very business-like and careful over the poles. I may just decide to start adding elements: trot poles to a cross-rail, or cavalletti. He could be ready to do some gymnastic grids in no time.

Flyboy got a well deserved grooming and a couple of cookies before trailering home again. And that was after I told him what an amazing boy he is! I hope he will be as good tomorrow since I am finally getting another lesson with Marleen. And on Thursday we are going out on trail at long last. Seems like forever since we had a trail ride!

Trailer Solo

Yay! Fly did it! I trailered him solo down to the arena and although he was a little nervous, it was no big deal. He loaded fairly well and unloaded like a champ. Whew. I hope he is getting past the bad memories and we can just carry on from where we were pre-November 23, 2011.

I had heard the arena was booked for calf roping so this afternoon I just planned on giving Flyboy some solo practice in the trailer. However, after loading him, I headed down to check out the arena activity and no one was there! I let Fly run, did some ground games and gave him a good grooming before loading him up to trailer home again. Even though he wasn't as relaxed as when Keno is with him, it still went fairly smooth and I am encouraged. We will be adding lots of solo trips from now on. This is supposed to be a good weather week, so hopefully we can get out for a trail ride somewhere.