Happy Halloween Ride

Looks like the SWAT team showed up!

This has got to be a Halloween for the record books! Lovely, mild sunny weather! Three of us headed up the canyon to ride around the Ponderosa Loop again. Absolutely amazing for this time of year! It's supposed to rain tomorrow, which probably means snow for the mountains, so this was quite likely our last ride up there this year. But it was a good one--Flyboy was excellent; he even led the way for quite a long stretch. He is getting braver and becoming a solid trail horse! The fall colors are gone from the mountain, but crunching through all the leaves was a blast. The bog was drier than the last time we were there, but it was iced over.

My two horses are fascinated, curious, and somewhat terrified of the trick-or-treaters out this evening. It was a hoot watching them trot toward the fence, stand really tall with arched necks, snort, and then bolt for the barn. Curiosity is a strong draw though, because a few minutes later and they were sneaking toward the fence again. Keno flat out refused to approach the fence while I was wearing a witch's hat, though. He just stopped and stared at me. Not even the enticing sound of the plastic Smarties wrapper could convince him to come up to me! (I see a friendly game coming on next week....!)

I am finally going to get a lesson from my friend, Marleen, tomorrow. If Fly and I are going to be arena junkies this winter, we need to get going properly. Dressage type proper is what I mean. I'll definitely write a post about how the lesson went tomorrow.

A bunch of us are planning to start playing equine soccer this winter. Fly will like it I'm sure. And it will be good for Keno, The Big Chicken, too. Seriously. You should have seen him tonight. Even the clown costume had him snorting boogers!

Saddle Sadness

BooHoo. The new saddle doesn't work. It seems to fit Flyboy pretty well, but the seat is way too wide for me. I actually need a fairly narrow twist to be comfortable, and this saddle unfortunately doesn't fit the bill. Dang. I was really hoping it would work since my Down Under Longreach is pretty comfortable for me; I didn't think there would be that much difference. You can actually look at the two saddles side-by-side and see how much wider the seat of the Campdraft is though.

I am the most comfortable riding Fly in my Stubben Siegfried. It has a narrow twist and fits me well, but I'm not sure Flyboy is really happy in it. I rode him in the arena for half an hour in it yesterday and felt like something was bothering him--it's hard to say what, though. Saddle too wide, bored with the arena, wishing he was out on trail instead? I don't know; it was just a feeling I was getting from him. So the saddle search goes on. I wish they could put Aussie poleys on my jumping saddle and make sure it fits Fly. All I want is comfort and security for both of us-- that's not too much to ask is it? But in my price range?

Dream saddle list: (I've ridden miles in these!)

1. Arabian Saddle Company Solstice--(SO comfy!)
2. Orthoflex English Endurance Saddle-(lux!)
3. Freeform Cutback SB Classic--(cushy, cushy)

Reality saddle list:

1. Used, under $500

Sigh.

New Saddle Has Arrived

I took Keno out with a couple of friends to a new trail in the hills east of a neighboring town. Hunters are crawling the canyons right now, so we were covered in orange. We didn't get shot and we had a spectacular ride. Keno was happy to get a turn to go and was energetic and relaxed, of course. I love that boy! I can't wait to go back and explore a little farther--miles of inviting trails and scenic views. The only down side was the very dusty dirt road we had to drive in on!

I am absolutely, completely, totally, 100% blown away. Get this: I ordered a saddle the day before yesterday and it arrived this afternoon! The Down Under Saddlery folks have certainly lived up to their web reviews in the customer service department. They obviously wrote the definition for "fast, friendly service!" Tomorrow we'll see if the saddle itself will live up to its reviews; it is gorgeous. And big. Bigger than my Longreach and certainly heavier although the seat size is supposedly smaller. I sure hope it fits me and Flyboy. If it does, I will have to modify it to remove some of the weight: swap out the thick leathers and very beautiful (but very heavy) brass stirrups for webbers and aluminum endurance stirrups, Wintec dressage girth instead of the very nice (but very heavy) fancy girth. I will post pictures tomorrow. It really is a beautifully made saddle. My fingers are crossed! I will head for the arena in the morning to try out the new ride on both horses. It would be awesome if it actually fits Keno, too. Hope I can sleep tonight..... ;)

Staying Home

Big sigh. OK, fine. Practicality wins out. I am not going to Moab this weekend after all. Several things seemed to be conspiring against me for the trip. But one of the biggest reasons I am staying home is to save the gas money (since I was only going to hang out in camp and not compete anyway) and put it toward my new saddle instead!

I spent an entire afternoon on the taking pictures, emailing pictures, faxing a wither tracing, and talking on the phone to the Down Under Saddlery people. Ricki helped by analyzing Flyboy's size and shape and the fit of my Longreach endurance saddle. It has caused the hair on his back/loin to be rubbed thin. I adjusted the placement of the saddle, readjusted the breast collar, etc, and while that may have helped some, the bottom line was that the saddle is simply too wide for his shoulder.

After a lot of discussion, reading, research, and thought, I have decided to invest in a new saddle. It's another Australian saddle that Ricki from Down Under says will fit Flyboy very well. I got a screaming deal on it, so I hope it fits him and me! I decided on an Aussie saddle again, because that Longreach has kept me safe and secure through some pretty rough spots on both Flyboy and Riyah. Extra security feels good on the greenies!
If it is truly a good fit for us both, then we should be happy to have a good saddle that will last us a long time.

I hope all the endurance riders have a blast this weekend. The Moab canyons ride is my very favorite! I was hoping to see a few friends, too. Ah, well. We'll keep on getting Fly ready for his debut next spring. He still needs lots of riding and tons of good experiences. And arena work. And ground games. And confidence building lessons. Etc, etc, etc! It's all good.

Arena Weather.....Sigh

I wasn't too happy for the fall weather to turn cloudy and quite nippy, but I am very happy about my ride on Flyboy at the arena today. We worked on transitions and bending. Actually he is about the bendiest horse I've ever ridden, but bending the right way at the right time is what needs work! To the right he stays soft and "straight" on the circle at a walk and a trot. To the left seems more difficult for him. He tends to bend "away" from the circle. If I really concentrate on my position (shoulders, hips, and legs) then he gets it just fine. This is making me think that I need to get Marleen down here asap to look at my riding and give me a couple of dressage lessons again!

Fly did great with the Kimberwick bit again. I will go back to the snaffle for arena work eventually, but I want him to really understand the Kimberwick for now. Transitons were great and very responsive. We worked on half halts, too, and had a bit of a breakthrough in his understanding of what I was asking. I swear this is a very smart horse.

We also got out of circle mode and worked on the straight. Now it's one thing to be straight on a circle, but it's a whole different thing to be straight on the straight! He wasn't! We wiggled all over the place. I focused on a point at the end of the arena and tried to ride straight to it. We made some improvement, but it wasn't easy. It's  going to take practice and some dressage work to get that wiggliness under control!

Fly is leg yielding very well to the left. Surprisingly well, really, but going toward the right is a lot more challenging. It's not something we've worked a lot on yet, but I've played around with him out on trail, asking him to step under and move over for a step or two. He is so flexible and "reachy" that I think he could be a good dressage horse.

His canter feels great. It will feel better still when he is straight! It's hard work cantering in the deep sandy arena. Fly actually broke a sweat today! Picking up his left lead is more challenging than getting the right. Is this my position/riding again? Or is this a right handed/left handed thing with him.?

Anyway it was a fun ride and confidence building for me and hopefully for him, too, after Saturday's ride! I am watching the weather station to see what the weather will bring for Moab. I'm still planning to go down if it isn't going to be too cold. I am a terrible camping wimp in very cold weather! (So give me a living quarters trailer with a nice heater and I might buck up, but the back of my truck can get too freezing cold!) ;)

Solo Shenanigans, Saddle Switching, and Sunshine

We had an interesting ride today. Interesting in several ways--some good, some not so good. I took Flyboy out to the west hills today to try out a couple of new ideas in regards to saddles and saddle pads, and also to try the Kimberwick bit out on a real ride. (I tried it on him in the arena yesterday with very good results!)

This morning I borrowed a saddle from my friend, Sharon, in hopes of finding something that fits him better than my super-secure comfy-for-me but too-wide-for-him Aussie Longreach endurance saddle which has rubbed the hair on his back/loin. Sharon loaned me a Wintec English saddle with a medium tree. This afternoon I planned to ride a loop of a couple of miles in that saddle, coming back to the trailer to switch saddles and then ride another loop in my Stubben jumping saddle. I wanted to compare fit and comfort.

It took me a few minutes to tack up. The Wintec didn't look like a good fit from the start. I could see possible pressure point issues with the back of the panels. Instead, I saddled up using my jumping saddle which is a wide tree, but it actually doesn't seem like a bad fit--weird because when I am on Flyboy I feel like I am riding a plank. He feels very narrow! In any case the saddle seemed OK; I used a 1/2" felt protector pad and a thin foam pad that was with Sharon's saddle. He had plenty of wither clearance, too. I used the breast collar of course, since this guy has zero waist and any saddle is going to slide back on him.

English chap

I booted his front feet and bridled him. The Kimberwick is a solid-mouth ported bit with a curb chain that I kept quite loose. It took Flyboy about fifteen minutes to get in sync with me in the arena, so I was ready to try it on trail. I wore my florescent orange vest since today is the opening day of the deer hunt. (It would have to be a pretty dumb hunter to be looking for deer out in these dry, waterless hills, but you never know!) I did not wear my crash vest for the first time on trail with Flyboy. I figured he was so good and steady on his "big boy" ride the other day, I didn't need to worry about it anymore. (After the accident I had on Riyah last year, I just made it my policy to wear it on green horses. That accident hurt!)

We headed out after doing a few circles in the sage brush just to let him get a feel for this bit again and the different saddle. My jumping saddle has been to lots of shows and mini-events with Keno, but these days it is also my trail saddle with him. I have replaced my English irons with a pair of endurance stirrups complete with toe cages. (Sounds odd and to some, even irreverent perhaps, but it is the epitome of comfort, and crossing cultures like that may help bring about world peace.)

Today Fly was looking for the bogey man behind every tree. There weren't any, but he was looking anyway. Maybe it was my neon orange vest, I don't know, but he was pretty hesitant and gawky and jumpy for the first mile or so. After that he seemed to settle down a bit and we trotted the next couple of miles. I had given up on the short loop idea since the other saddle didn't seem to be a good match. I wanted to cover eight to ten miles if he seemed comfortable with this saddle.

At this point I need to mention that for the last couple of weeks I have been planning to take Flyboy to Moab for the endurance ride next week, not to compete, but just to camp and experience the experience basically. However. After the big ride the other day, a couple of friends encouraged me to think about riding in the 25-miler with him. He certainly seems fit enough physically. Sweet temptation! I would love to do the ride! I've only been to one ride this year. It would be so fun! Maybe he could do it? Should we try? As I was riding this afternoon, these thoughts were running around in my head. If I could get in ten solid miles that would help me decide if he could possibly do it.

Well, there's nothing like a few unsettling shenanigans to humbly help me realize that Flyboy is still green and just learning how to be a brave trail horse. About four miles from the trailer Fly suddenly saw the bogey man (I never did, but he obviously did!) He stopped suddenly and started backing up. I tried to reassure him. I asked him to go forward. Fly whirled around! I had two thoughts going through my head. Number one: don't fall off because it will upset Fly. And number two: why didn't I wear my crash vest because I almost came off!  I kept Fly facing the bogey man trail and eventually calmed him down and we carried on. It took a few minutes for him to relax again, but eventually he did.

See that ground? Looks hard, huh?

I realized this most likely would not have happened if another horse was there to give him confidence. But, you know, even if you plan to ride with a buddy at an endurance ride, you may end up alone. Your buddy may get pulled. Or maybe the buddy gets upset by something and freaks out and needs your horse to give him confidence. Flyboy is not prepared to handle twenty-five miles of unknown challenges yet. I mean, seriously. Cedar trees are still scaring him! He just needs to slowly build more confidence in himself and in me. He needs more miles with buddies and without, and more time. He needs to trust my leadership. Physically he may be able to manage twenty-five slow miles, but emotionally and mentally he is not ready to face that, even though we have had some great rides lately. I am sure he is going to be ready eventually. I am going to be patient and stick with my first plan. Go camp at Moab, play, have fun, ride a couple of miles on nearby trails, and come home. Then: carry on until spring helping this guy grow some confidence and skills, so we will be ready to begin.

I read a great article in Endurance News recently. It was called, The Early Years: Bloom, Don't Break, by Stagg Newman and John Crandell III. The article says first, develop the mind, then the body. I am still working on developing Flyboy's mind. I want to do right by him and I'm not going to rush him or over-face him. I will be patient.

Sunshine! 70 degrees. Fantastic riding weather continues! Woohoo!

The Red Rock Pasture

I am still grinning about the incredibly gorgeous and fun ride we had yesterday. It was a spectacular fall morning, sunshine and golden leaves everywhere. And I was riding this amazingly cool horse! Flyboy really proved his mettle today and left me in total awe of his levelheadedness. I am really looking forward to his future as an endurance partner; it’s looking bright and we are going to be a good team!

There were six of us heading out this morning at ten o’clock. Tammy and her horse, Joker, trailered up with me. It took a few minutes to saddle up once we arrived, and I had to rearrange saddle pads again, trying to find a combo that would help my saddle fit Fly’s narrow build a little better. (A couple of weeks ago I fitted my saddle pad with shims in the wither area, and that seemed to work. I discovered a problem though, after my long ride in Dog Valley. The shims lifted the front of the saddle causing pressure points under the cantle on Fly’s loin. The hair had actually been rubbed thin. Needless to say, I removed the shims.) I double padded him today, added water bottles, and my lunch, donned helmet and crash vest, and we were ready.

This trail drops 1600 feet in four miles—all single track mountain terrain, including steep hills, boulders, logs, fallen trees to bushwhack around, side hills, ledges, multiple creek crossings, steep and muddy creek banks, and deep gullies. In effect, this is not a trail for beginners. Not beginner riders, and not beginner horses. It is wilderness country at its best.  Our goal was a tiny cabin, built in the early 1930’s and still used by the occasional hunter. The cabin can’t be seen from the trail, and only those who have been shown the way can find it.

Flyboy was excited by the fact that there were six of us today. He was a little anxious to start with, but within the first mile he settled nicely and followed Sharon’s foxtrotter mare down the trail. It was truly glorious—dark pines accented by golden leafed quakies shimmering in the breeze. Bronzed oaks everywhere. We could not have asked for a prettier day to be out on the trail. We followed the winding trail down the mountainside to meet the creek. We then followed the creek down the canyon to the valley floor.

Fly valiantly handled every question he was presented with. He maneuvered his way over logs and deadfall. He picked his way over boulders on the ledges. He kept his feet under himself while skittering down steep muddy trails to the creek below. He braved his way past cows on the trail (Janey’s confidence rubbed off on him for that, thank goodness), and he nimbly followed the twisty trail all the way down. He wasn’t even sweaty when we arrived at the Red Rock Pasture four miles later. That was totally amazing.

The little cabin was how I remembered it, although it seems to be leaning a little more. Someone had strung a tie line between a couple of trees, so I dismounted and loosened my girth, removed Fly’s bridle, and tied him with a long enough lead that he could reach the grass at his feet. The other riders tied to nearby trees. All six horses were glad for a break.  We sat on logs in front of the cabin and ate our lunches in the cool fall sunshine.

Forty-five minutes later we were in the saddle heading back the way we came. Uphill for the most part this time! Flyboy actually seems to excel on uphill climbs. He felt very strong and even confident climbing up this trail. He drank at the first creek crossing we came to. He drank again at the second and third creek crossings. (Endurance horse material here, people!) He climbed those steep creek banks like nobody’s business, too. He felt stronger with every mile. I was amazed at this boy. When we arrived back at the trailer, he was the only horse not caked with sweat. He was sweaty under his girth and a little under his breast-collar, but that was it. I don’t think he was even very tired. Wow. I am still grinning.

"Hey! I see a cougar over there!"

The biggest issue I had today was feeling like I don’t really have a good whoa in place. He wasn’t really pushy or trying to run away with me or anything like that, but I don’t feel I have a really good emergency stop. If I ask for a straight halt, he sometimes braces against the bit and runs through it. A one rein stop works, of course, but that is useless on a narrow ledgy trail or any trail too narrow to turn around on. I want a better straight halt. Flyboy doesn’t understand half-halts at all, but we are working on that, too. At the rate he is progressing, I think it will come. 

Flyboy was booted on all fours in Easyboot Gloves with Keno’s semi-squashed comfort pads in the fronts. He went very well in them; all four stayed in place through all the rigorous terrain. The pads may have changed the boot fit just enough to rub his heel bulbs a little, though. I will have to experiment and see if that was the problem, or if it was something else. It wasn’t a big deal, but this was only eight miles. It might be different on a twenty-five mile ride.

It was a great day for Flyboy.