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.