Weekend+

My life never slows down, I swear.

Mike worked on Saturday. After lounging around for most of the morning, I decided to go to the barn and play with the ponies. I made a makeshift cross rail on the short side of the ring and decided to see what the boys thought of the whole thing.

CP was up first and he went right over, albeit awkwardly. Within a few laps he wasn't even breaking out of the trot over it. We finished by cantering the cross rail a couple of times in each direction, ending on a great note with a relaxed pony. I was delighted.

JR was next up, with his first ring ride with me. I  was worried he wouldn't be as happy in the ring as he had been on the trail last week, but I needn't have worried. He warmed up happily, although he's going to need a lot of work to reverse that ewe neck, and trotted with very little encouragement. It is my mission to make that pony not dead to the leg any more. When it came time to canter, I was pleased when I didn't have to touch him with the whip. I was even more pleased when he didn't even try to buck. Good man! Just for giggles, I aimed him at the cross rail. He hopped right over it without so much as a glance. I suspect he's got more jumping experience than I do :-P We popped over the cross rail in the other direction and called it a day. He still needs to pack on pounds and gain fitness and there's no reason to rush him.

I was thrilled with my client ponies for the day. I was less thrilled with Ozzy who decided to high-tail it across the pasture the second he saw me coming. My client ponies who are in regular work and who I demand excellent behavior from come running when I pull up the driveway, but my own people-crazy, semi-retired, trail horse wants nothing to do with me. Remind me why I pay his bills...

That night we finally got to unwind after a long week. We drank cider and vodka and watched TV and ordered food. I wanted to build a fire, but Bryce had already fallen asleep. Best of all, we got to sleep in on Sunday morning because my photography client cancelled (her horse was getting really stressed on the trailer and it wasn't worth risking injury to get to the inspection). Boo no money, but YAY snuggles.

Sometime in the afternoon, Mike and I decided to head out and be productive. We ran to Home Depot and Horsemen's to pick up jump building supplies and spent the day at Mike's mom's, where he made me two sets of jump standards. They are really well made to pro specs and I am thrilled to have my own jumps at last. For you local peeps-- he's selling standards and jumps way, way, way cheaper than you can get them commercially. We'll even go so far as to customize them. I'm getting wing standards next :-P

While Mike worked, I humored Herbie.

At one point, Mike's mom came downstairs to see how things were going. That's when she pointed out that there was a squirrel sitting on one of my standards. It turns out it was just a baby. He must have thought he was sitting on a tree. I tip toed around the truck to get my camera and proceeded to get totally and completely distracted for the next half hour or so while I stalked the little guy all over the yard. At one point, he was sitting on the wall of the house at eye level and I managed to PET HIS TAIL!!!! OMG YOU GUYZ. I love squirrels so much... it totally made my day. *squee*

Anyway...

We toted everything back to the barn, but didn't have enough time to stop at Tractor Supply for a replacement gate to the indoor. Turns out that's a good thing because TSC sells 10' and 12' gates and the gates at Carolyn's are 11'+. We'll have to measure the ones at TSC to see how big they ACTUALLY are, but I'm glad I didn't just get a 12' one because it wouldn't have fit in the doorway. Strange.

Today it was back to the daily grind. I helped Carolyn out at McSNIP for the morning. No spoilers, but I may be fostering a pair of adorable black kittens for two weeks.

I also rode both CP and Ozzy.

I set two cross rails in the ring. One of them is ridiculously high. The other one is just sort of high. After we worked on our trotting for a while, I lined the pony up with the smaller rail. On the first approach he was all *trot trot wiggle stare WHATISTHAT bobble* but I booted him over it and he did go. He knocked the rail, but didn't seem bothered by the whole experience. On the second approach he was all I CAN JUMP FOUR FEET!!!! and I was all 'just be normal'. I will say it was a comfortable four foot leap. Thankfully, on the third approach he went over like he'd been jumping his whole life.  We just practiced back and forth at the trot and canter, mixing up the approach and the landing until he didn't think much of it. I didn't push my luck by adding the bigger rail, but I don't think it'll be long before he's doing courses.

Ozzy, on the other hand, made me want to tear my hair out. I really have no idea what has gotten into him. He seems to be feeling fine, but he was a holy terror to ride. I realize he's been off for a while, but he was spooking at EVERYTHING and wouldn't go through some low hanging branches. We just rode on the trails on the property, but he was super tense the whole time. I really should take advantage of this mood of his and get video of him speed racking. Ugh. He didn't do anything truly bad, but he's definitely acting like he's never been ridden before.

I just don't get it. I ride all these 'crazy horses' and never have a problem. I work through the issues that Ozzy has with other horses in record time and they seldom relapse, even after they go back to their owners. I've had Ozzy for five years and in that time we have accomplished a LOT. He has jumped, done lower level dressage, schooled cross country, done 50 mile endurance rides, given beginner lessons, and done all sorts of silly things like trick-or-treating or riding into town for pizza and ice cream. Sometimes I think it's because he's been mostly off for so long now, but then I remember that I barely rode him the summer I dated Tommy and he was fine then. His training issues are unlike anything I've ever encountered, and while I love the horse dearly and appreciate that he has forced me to be a better rider, sometimes I wish he would just. be. normal.  I wonder if he really does have some brain damage that explains it. The complications at birth definitely impacted his ability to interact with other horses and to do certain things that other horses do naturally (he doesn't grow a normal winter coat and he doesn't know how to groom other horses the normal way). Who's to say it DOESN'T affect his training. I look at videos and photos of him in his prime and miss it so badly. Then I wonder if he really does need to be in work 5-6 days a week to stay that way. Maybe it's the consistency that does the trick and he just can't retain over long periods of time. But... his body can't hold up to six days of work a week, and that's when I ask myself, "What's the point?"

I try to tell myself that I'm going to just enjoy my horse. There's no denying that he and I make quite a team. We definitely have a strong relationship. I have no issue just pleasure riding him. He doesn't need to jump or do endurance or compete in dressage. I'm happy just hacking him on the trails a couple times a week. But when he acts like he did today, I DON'T enjoy him. And at this point, quite honestly, I don't feel the desire to fight him to make him work through it. Some days I just want to keep him as a pet to photograph and do fun tricks with, but I think he'd die of boredom.

GAH!!!!

HORSES!!!!

Anyway... have some photos and videos of the last few days.

Eleven

Happy 11th birthday to the most ridiculous horse in the world:

Mikey Photos

Cara is looking for a leaser or buyer for Mikey (yes, that Mikey) and asked me to come take some photos of him. I hadn't seen the horse since shortly after I sent him home following his rehab (about a year ago). He looks good and seemed happier than I've ever seen him. He even greeted me with pricked ears (unheard of! The horse hates me.) So Cara rode him around and jumped him a bit and I snapped away. If anybody wants a super honest jumper, I'd recommend him.

Training Stuff

Aside from yesterday's excitement, things have been going well in the horse-training part of my life.

Yesterday morning, I drove up to see Romeo. This time, I stuck him in the harness and long lines instead of his saddle, and we worked on ground driving. It was a challenging concept for him at first because he kept trying to default to the PP concept of 'hide your butt', and that REALLY doesn't work well for an exercise that involves a human walking behind you. Thankfully, once he figured out that it really was ok to turn away from me instead of toward me, he seemed to relax, and it wasn't long before we were walking and trotting circles, figure eights, and serpentines around the outdoor. Good boy! He'll need a little more practice before he really gets it, but he's off to a good start!

Today, Christine came down to ride again. This week, the weather was perfect and we didn't have to worry about the horses stroking out from the heat. My original plan was to take CP, but when I went out to the pony pasture, JR volunteered himself. The little guy is still pretty unfit and I'm going to ease him into serious work. This seemed like the perfect pace for his first ride back and I wasn't terribly concerned about the possibility that he might act up.

We ended up having a perfect ride. JR was on his very best behavior and Art took good care of C. We warmed up by walking around the front field by the barn, then wound our way around the back of the property with Herbie in tow. We meandered through the woods and came out in the field behind the indoor. There, C decided she was feeling brave. Before long, we were trotting and cantering in big circles all over the property. We even rode in the part of the horse pasture that's currently being rested. It was nice to get to do something nice for my bestie for a change.

JR was a very good boy. You never would have guessed this was his first time being ridden in close to a month, or that he'd only been on this property for a few days, or that this was his first trail ride in a new place. He started off a little sluggish, but a reminder with my dressage whip woke him right up. He walked, trotted, and cantered on a nice, loose rein and wasn't bothered by anything. He led the whole way and didn't put a hoof out of place. He really is a nice pony, and one that I would love to add to my stable long term.

Good ponies get flowers in their bridles. 

Erin Rides CP

(O look... I've made 400 posts on Blogger. Go me!)

CP has been doing really well in training. Our rides have been uneventful and we've been alternating dressage schooling with ground poles and lunging sessions. The pony is really learning to use himself correctly and his naturally nice gaits just keep getting better. After a particularly good string of rides, I decided it might be time to throw a second rider on him to see if it's just me or if the training is really sticking.

I was hoping to get Tor to come out since her riding style is the most similar to mine and she's itty bitty with a velcro butt. Unfortunately, she's not available until next week and I really wanted someone on him before then. Thankfully, Erin was available and willing to hop on the pony for me. Erin is an awesome rider and one of the only people I'd ever consider hiring as a second rider. She's got a great leg, good feel for the horses, and a way of praising good behavior that others would be wise to replicate. She also doesn't hold a grudge.

Erin and I drove out to the barn together and I had CP ready in record time. He walked calmly to the arena with Erin and stood like a gentleman to mount. He looked a little confused at the rider swap, but walked off obediently. It looked like we were off to a good start. Erin warmed the pony up and got a feel for his buttons before asking for the trot. They went around the ring happily while I snapped pictures. Eventually, Erin even picked up a canter. It went well and CP even pulled a flying change to correct his lead. Things were looking up!

And then CP decided that he'd been a good boy and would like to be finished working already. He slowed to a halt and ignored Erin's request to continue forward. This is unacceptable for a lot of obvious reasons, starting with the fact that I teach ALL of my horses that the answer is ALWAYS forward. Erin added more leg. A month ago, this would have led to CP kicking out or even bucking. Today, he simply ignored her. You can argue that this is progress of sorts, but I wasn't thrilled.

After some thought, I told Erin to go ahead and tap him with the end of the reins (something I frequently do to 'unstick' horses). I'd been worried that he might bronc then, but CP just livened up, got out his 'yes ma'am' attitude and carried on trotting. Unfortunately, his attitude at that moment changed and he seemed almost determined to say, "I'll show YOU to smack the pony with the reins..."

The next time Erin asked for the canter, CP gave it to her, but only for a stride. Erin did the nice thing and decided to stay right out of the pony's way, to which CP said, "You do that. You know where you'd be most out of my way? On the round," and politely deposited her in the sand. He just sort of thrust both front legs out in mid stride, stopped, ducked his head, and trotted away. No nasty buck, no malicious intent, just a quick, athletic motion and away he went.

Erin was a good sport, picked herself up, dusted off, and got right back on the pony who, quite frankly, looked startled that she'd come off at all. They finished the ride on a good note with no further shenanigans.

I am disappointed that CP wasn't a total saint for Erin, but it gives us something to work on. She found the cheeky bastard to be quite adorable and will be back for seconds in the near future. I don't think I'll be sticking a kid on him any time soon, but I do think he is worlds better than he was this time last month.

JR

My new full board pony arrived yesterday. He's with me for two months to start and will probably be available for lease after that, if all goes well. JR's arrival was very low-drama. He unloaded quietly and stretched his legs and went for a roll in the outdoor. I put him in a stall while I rode another client horse in the afternoon and he befriended CP. We had just had the fields limed and needed rain before anyone could go out in the front pasture. Thankfully, it poured last night. Mike and I ran to the barn in the middle of the night as soon as there was enough water on the ground and moved the pony to his new pasture. Running around in the rain with the truck headlights lighting the way and lightning flashing on the horizon made me feel ALIVE. JR will be turned out on his own for a few days. He can touch CP and the minis over the fence so they get to know each other. By the end of the week, they should all be living in one happy herd. I'm excited about the new addition and am secretly hoping my lessons student will fall in love with him so he can stay long term.

Not a Jumper

My idiot horse tried to jump the indoor gate from a standstill for  no reason today. As far as I can tell, he's fine. He'll probably be a little stiff tomorrow from getting his back leg hooked, but there was no blood and he trotted off sound after he got himself untangled. The gate did not fare as well. I want to strangle him for giving me a heart attack.

Roxie

Melissa is going to Atlantic City for a few days and her dog sitter abandoned her at the last minute. Melissa took Runty when I moved in with Bryce and had to re-home my cats so the least I could do was take her ancient beagle, Roxie, for a few days. The old girl has settled right in and even slept in bed with Mike and me last night.

Herbie is intrigued. This is the first dog to stay over night with us, and Shadow was the only other one that ever rode in the car or came to the house. Herbie seems to understand that Roxie is old and not something to be rough-housed with, but she is still trying really, really, really hard to be friends. This includes lots of stalking and face licking and pancake-dogging. Roxie mostly wants to sleep and smell things, but she seems to have figured out that Herbie gets less annoying if you ignore her. They were both in bed with me this morning after Mike and Bryce went to work and I suspect they'll be snuggling by the end of the weekend.

Meet my house guest:

Another Barn Day

Yesterday was a lovely, relaxing day. The weather was gorgeous and I was free to make my own schedule. I slept in then did some useful things around the house, including laundry, before joining Bryce on his lunch break. The afternoon was spent with the horses.

I started by running over to Jen's to work with Romeo.

Herbie entertained herself by playing with the pig the whole time. The two of them have gotten really comfortable together and I found them sitting in the sunshine together after I was done tacking up.

Romeo had another great session. We lunged under tack and he did very well. I've left the side reins pretty loose because he's just a baby. I want him to accept bit pressure before I teach him to ground drive, but I'm not really worried about developing a frame at all. He was very good, but there were moments where he really showed his age. He may be a big and level-headed boy, but there's a reason I don't ride horses until they turn three.

Regardless, he was so good that I finished the session by introducing the mounting block. I basically tossed it at him so it made a ton of noise and bumped his leg. He didn't care. I stomped up and down the steps. Nothing. I leaned over his back. He flicked an ear. I thumped him with the stirrups. Nada. Then I stood on one side while slapping the opposite side of his rib cage. That got his attention a little and he turned to sniff my leg. Hmmm. Figuring that I had a pretty good hold on him and that there wasn't a big chance he'd do anything, I leaned all my weight in the saddle. He cocked a foot. I praised him and repeated the process from the other side then called it a day. I think this horse will be fine when the time comes to finally throw a leg over.

Next I went back to my own barn. The pony came right over as soon as he saw me. Yesterday I put the ground poles away and schooled some more dressage. He is really starting to get the concept of the free walk and will stretch down, down, down into the contact, then pick right back up when I ask. The idea hasn't really carried over into the trot yet.  Our stretchy trot needs some work. He'll lunge beautifully in a frame, but he  can only give it to me for a few strides at a time with a rider up. His poll is definitely softening, but it hasn't become second nature yet. As long as he's relaxed, I'm not nitpicking though, and we did get some gorgeous sitting trot toward the end of our ride yesterday. We worked on some leg yields and lots of 20m circles, then finished off by practicing our flying changes. The pony is a natural. The changes aren't automatic yet, but I think that'll come with time and minimal effort. Good boy. Carolyn complimented him when she came up the driveway on her way home from getting her son.

I put the pony away and retrieved Ozzy. It's like he read my blog and knew I was worried. He has started grazing in earnest and has really put the weight back on. His summer coat is coming in nicely under his shag and I'm thinking his winter coat just sucked because it's the first time I've let him grow  one in three years and the weather didn't really warrant it this year. I spent a boatload of time shedding him then tacked up for a short walk-trot ride in the outdoor. The more I ride him, the more I accept that he really just needs to be a beginner lesson horse and for-fun trail pony. It's what he enjoys and it's good enough for me. He's happy and has good manners and tons of personality. His body can't keep up with endurance and I don't care enough about dressage or jumping to torment him with it past the very basic level. I am happy to pamper him and teach him useless party tricks.

All in all, it was a productive day and I can't complain. I'm easing back into the horse routine and the transition should be easy as the clients pick up. Woo!

Christine Visits

Growing up, my best  friend and I took riding lessons at the same time, but never together. I actually have her to thank for the fact that I got lessons at all. My parents had managed to put it off for 16 years, but when C got lessons, I was so jealous I cried and my mom caved. As you all know, I stuck with the horse thing. C rode all through high school and worked with me at the track for a while (and then at another barn while she was at school), but she pursued her incredible artistic abilities and the horses sort of faded from her life.

It has recently come to my attention that not everyone is as balls-to-the-wall as I am when it comes to horses. Did you know that many riders don't like riding outside the arena? Did you know not everyone feels completely safe on a bolting horse? Did you know that some people DON'T go back to riding after they sustain a serious injury (like my broken jaw senior year of high school)? None of that ever occurred to me until the last few years. I just assumed that if you rode horses, you were brave and fearless and wanted to do everything the horse was capable of. It wasn't until a few weeks ago that I realized that my own horse is kind of a tank and gained some perspective on why some people might find a thousand pound animal intimidating.

I also found out that riding with me comes with a disclaimer! Apparently the way I trail ride is not the way a lot of other people trail ride. 

I like to think that I'm pretty considerate of other people's needs. I don't gallop off without warning. I don't pressure anyone to do anything they're not comfortable with. I don't knowingly take unnecessary risks. In fact, I flat out specialize in riders with confidence issues and people who are timid in general. 

With that said, I realize that I haven't always been this way. 

I grew up riding 'crazy racehorses' and poor Christine often got wrangled into those adventures with me. For a while there, it seemed that every ride with me ended in disaster for her. The words, "He's fine to ride as long as you don't touch him with your leg at all," left my mouth. I'm not kidding. I got C dumped off of horses more than once and it was my 'barn nazi' attitude that scared her off of continuing to work at the track. She told me once that it wasn't our boss that she was afraid of disappointing... it was me. Whoops!

On top of that, C knew Ozzy in his dangerous years... when you had to go in a stall with a whip in one hand for self defense. She remembers the crazy eyes, the bared teeth, the flying hooves, and the heaps of broken race equipment. She remembers the tranq that was part of his training routine and she remembers the times he lifted me off my feet in an effort to get out of doing something.

Obviously, Ozzy has come a long way since then and C knows this. They are now buddies on the ground and he loves nothing more than to make her laugh. Ozzy has known C for ten years and he definitely recognizes her when she comes to visit. She is happy to handle him, groom him, and goof off with him, but she has told me on numerous occasions that she doesn't think she'll ever be able to fully trust him.

She did get brave and ride him once, two years ago when I worked at SRF. She even took him out of the ring and joined Erin and Willie for a leisurely stroll around the farm. I was proud of both of them, but C says that ride doesn't count because it was 'just a game of follow the leader'.

That was the last time C was on a horse. The last time she really rode was about five years ago. Now that she graduated college and settled her life a bit, horseback riding is something she wants to get back into. As it happens, she knows a girl who can make that possible. *beam*

So yesterday, on the first 90 degree day of what promises to be a long, hot season, C came down for a riding lesson.

 I rode CP first and she commented on the fact that I made riding him look effortless. 

Then I introduced her to Art, the horse she would be riding. Art gave her the 'you're not my usual student' look, then plodded obediently up to the barn. It's hard not to feel completely at ease on a retired police horse with a honey badger attitude and it wasn't long before C was grinning. We kept the ride short because of the heat, but we ended on a good note and C announced that she wants to make this a regular thing. Riding seems to be like riding a bike for her and her posture was pretty good right off the bat. She even trotted withing a few minutes of being in the saddle, and went back to posting like she'd never stopped riding. Best of all, I was told that I'm not scary to ride with. :-P

Poor Art got a double work out. He reminded me last week that he needs a refresher course on ground poles and that's exactly what he got. In the mean time, I got photos of me riding a horse that I'm on pretty regularly. I'm surprised it took this long. 

Yesterday was bath, wormer, and vaccine day for everyone on the farm. Ozzy got the spa treatment, complete with soapy bath, spray detangler, and Cowboy Magic. He rolled for 20 minutes straight afterwards. 

C and I also made time to see Erin and enjoyed the air conditioned dining area at Panera before going to visit Erin's horses. Sunny days full of horses and friends. It's everything I dreamed of as a kid. 

Weekend

Mike has been working 12 hour days, six days a week. This weekend was the first he's gotten since he started back. It was nice to have him around for company again.

On Saturday I got my tires done. Since we were in the area anyway, we drove around and looked at some of the properties Mike does during the week. Some of them have some pretty killer views.

On the way home we stopped to see Piggly Wiggly then paused at Bluestone so Mike could see the foals. Joy had just had her colt the night before so Mike got to see a brand new one. Although, he was so tall I don't think it counts. I also introduced him to Possess Me's colt, the black foal who likes having his belly rubbed like a dog. I wish they were ALL that friendly.

Long time readers may remember that Bluestone won the Hambletonian Oaks in 2010 with their filly, Bar Slide. Ozzy and I had the pleasure of riding in the opening parade at the track that day and it was very cool to see their win first hand. This weekend, nearly two years later, Mike and I got to visit Bar Slide and her first foal! Nobody has informed the mare that her track days are over and she still has plenty of go left. That foal will be race fit by the time it's weaned.

From there we were off to my home barn to pamper Ozzy and check on the pony. Everyone is shedding in full force and we spent some time grooming out in the newly extended pasture. All three horses were really riled up and spent a lot of time galloping around the pasture.

That night we drove up to visit Dev and C. The four of us went out to a hole-in-the-wall Mediterranean place with excellent food then shot each other with Nerf guns at Dev's apartment.

We were up bright and early Sunday morning for the long drive to Maryland to help my dad with his boat. The whole process took less than an hour and a half. My dad has it down to an art by now and really only needs help with the actual raising of the mast. In the process I got to take pictures of a nesting pair of ospreys. We also got a tasty lunch at our usual 301 Plaza. Despite heavy traffic coming over the Delaware Memorial Bridge, we made good time coming home and even got a chance to nap before Bryce came home.

Today it's back to the daily grind.

Friday the 13th

I think I can officially say that was the best Friday the 13th ever! If every day at 'work' could be that much fun, I would never complain again. Not only did I get to meet two AWESOME bloggers and their lovely horses, I got to spend the day hopping between beautiful farms and enjoying the gorgeous weather. Bad luck my ass!

Ok... so there was one bit of bad luck... my plugged tire didn't hold for the SECOND time. Mike has plugged over 50 tires over the years and every single one has held. I'm not sure what the deal was with this one, but it wasn't meant to be. I finally caved and spent $500 on new tires on Saturday. On Friday, however, I had places to BE so Mike and I swapped cars for the day. He took Poof to work, where my magic hatchback got to sit in a driveway and deflate all day, and I took his truck so I wouldn't have to worry about getting stuck or missing appointments.

First, I was off to meet OnTheBit from A Horse and a Half. She had contacted me about teaching her leased mare, Lucky, to self load. Trailer loading a horse named Lucky on Friday the 13th?!?! Count me in!!!

I was given really awesome directions to the farm and found it in no time. I had given myself some extra time, as usual, so I arrived before the horses were done eating. The farm was quaint and welcoming and I absolutely LOVED the house. I was greeted by happy horses and ponies and a sassy barn cat who instantly started teasing my dog (Herbie loved every second of it). I've been dying to meet OTB FOREVER. I feel like I've known her for years and I can't believe it took us this long to get together!!

As soon as the horses were done eating, we set right to work (so much so that I didn't even get a single photo of the farm!!!) I should preface all of this by saying that Lucky was not a problem horse. In fact, this 21 year old mare was totally awesome and had me in stitches within minutes of our introduction. Lucky is obviously very bonded to OTB and hopped right on the trailer as soon as she saw her 'mommy' at the other end. The goal wasn't to fix a problem loader. It was to teach Lucky to self load so OTB can be independent and go wherever she'd like without relying on someone else for assistance.

I took a few minutes to play with the horse, so I could figure out what she'd been taught and she could understand what I was asking of her. It did not take the clever mare very long to get exactly what I wanted. I'd love to take all the credit, but a little birdie told me that the mare used to self load in her younger years. I suspect that whoever taught her in the first place used the same method I do.

Lucky was all, "Self load? Why didn't you just say so?" *hop*

I handed the horse back to her rider and told her how to ask and why. OTB is just as smart as Lucky and it was less than a minute before they figured it out. A few practice loads later, both girls had their confidence up and Lucky literally trotted up the ramp. There was cheering and showing off and... COOKIES. OMG THE WOMAN BAKED ME COOKIES. Seriously the best morning ever.

The universe only continued to align from there. We were watching Herbie torment the barn cat (the cat started it!) and I happened to mention that I board my horse at a spay/neuter clinic. Next thing I knew, I had a cat carrier strapped down in the bed of the truck and the barn kitty was going in to have his balls snipped off. I was passing Carolyn's on my way home for lunch anyway and, as it happened, my second appointment for the day meant going back the way I came, making drop-off easy.

My afternoon appointment was with Marissa from Tucker the Wunderkind. I'm not going to steal her thunder and reveal her exciting news until she does, but I will say that she requested my presence for a photo shoot with her horse. I was happy to oblige. Marissa has ALSO been on my to-meet list forever. She's from the same town as Mike and our paths in the horse world keep criss-crossing. She was also a big help when I needed to get out of SRF and wasn't too sure about my options legally.

I was even earlier for my appointment with Marissa. I took the back roads because they're extremely scenic and it didn't take nearly as long as Google Maps had told me. I pulled into the driveway of an absolutely stunning private barn and sincerely hoped I was in the right place. White fences surrounded green pastures full of shiny horses and the barn was neat, tidy, and classic. If you went left at the waterfall, you could see a giant indoor at the top of the hill. The footing in the outdoor I parked near was to die for. Wow. Just wow.

Some time later, the barn owner's husband approached my truck. I guess he found it suspicious that a strange vehicle was just sort of chilling in his driveway. Thankfully he'd been warned about the photo shoot and was actually extremely welcoming. Phew!!! My heart jumped for a moment there. Once I knew I was in the right place (and not annoying anybody) I sat back and enjoyed watching people sky dive over the tree line next door (?!?!)

It wasn't long before OTB arrived to keep me company. Apparently she and Marissa are great friends and she wanted to help with the shoot. Awesome! Marissa was right behind her and the barn owner had already brought Tucker in. I won't repeat the awful things that the handsome horse's owner had to say about him, but I WILL say that he was plenty photogenic!! :-P

We started with the formal shots. The light was perfect and it wasn't long before Tucker figured out that we wanted him to look regal. Some forsythia bushes in the front yard made for a lovely back drop and I took a hundred photos before I even realized it.

Of course, none of us could resist the urge to set Tucker loose for some action shots. We didn't want to upset the other horses so we let him go in the arena. Right on cue, he pranced around, showing off his gaits and acting like a beast untamed.

Before long, the shoot was over and we were relaxing over beers in the barn aisle (can I board there too, please?) Seriously. Beer and cookies in the same day!!! Bloggers make the best clients. Haha.

And of course I'm sharing the photos I took that afternoon :)

Duncraven Photos

I have been away from the computer since... ummm... Wednesday? I think what's going to happen now is a whole series of short entries. I apologize for flooding your readers.

On Thursday morning I went over to Duncraven for the jumper show. Lynn's friend and trail riding buddy, Laura, was there with her Dutch Warmblood, Metro. I have heard a lot about them over the years and was happy to finally meet them. Laura is the nicest person you could hope to meet and Metro is GORGEOUS. Of course the sun decided to go behind the clouds every time they went in the ring, but they managed a blue ribbon round so HOORAY for them! I only took a handful of snapshots because I didn't want to step on the photographer's toes.

Horse Stuff

I have about an hour before I run out to a horse show, then give a tour of Cat Tail Farm to a potential boarder, then give a lesson, then ride CP, then work with Ozzy, then probably drive 20 minutes to work with a two year old.... so let me catch you up on a few things. I've been busy. Are we surprised?

On Tuesday, Tor came down for the day. I took advantage of her presence and went up to do my first session with Jen's coming two year old American Warmblood, Romeo. Jen picked him up on Craigslist. He was originally listed for $400 and a friend of hers told her to go take a look. The poor thing needed an upgrade. She told the owners that she'd have to pick up his expenses so she wasn't looking to pay for him, but she would provide him with a good home and proper training.The owners agreed and she got him for free. The poor thing was ribby, covered in rain rot, and barely handled. He didn't lead or tie and hadn't seen much of the world.

Since then, Jen has worked on all the basics with him. He ties, picks up his feet, bathes, and has been introduced to the basics of lunging. He has also worn a harness and bridle. He turns two next month. Neither Jen nor I believe in riding two year olds, but he's a big boy and we WOULD like to get him used to having someone sit astride at the walk. Jen wants to sell him in a few months, and the more he knows, the better the home he will find. In the mean time, I'll get a much-needed chiropractic adjustment for every time I work with the youngster.

You'll notice in the photos that I'm carrying a Carrot Stick. Jen uses the 7 Games with all her horses and I respect that. Long time followers may know that I went to several NH clinics a few years ago. I have seen Parelli live and have a very good understanding of how it works and the theories behind it. I have studied it enough to use the parts I like and to understand the parts I don't like enough to undo them. Personally, I'm much more in agreement with Clinton Anderson, but that's a whole different blog entry. I don't normally mention my knowledge of NH or my opinions on it (or its followers), but I will say that I've gotten my share of Parelli horses gone wrong. With that out of the way, Jen does Parelli CORRECTLY, and while it does present me with some training challenges, it's mostly a useful thing.

I arrived at Jen's and was greeted by an excited pig. Herbie remembered the pig from last time and got much braver the second time around. The two of them actually spent a good bit of time playing together.

Sunraider and Romeo had taken down the electric tape at the back of the ring and were hanging out in the woods when I arrived, but both boys came galloping right up as soon as they heard people. It was clear from the get go that Romeo was going to be very frisky that day. The first time I saw him, it took a lot of effort for Jen to keep him moving forward, but on Tuesday he was prancing around with his tail flagged.

I started off by just lunging him in a rope halter to get a feel for what he knows and how he reacts to different forms of pressure. He was definitely up, but obedient. After sending him over some ground poles and around some obstacles, I brought him into the barn. He stood calmly while the pig and Herbie tore up and down the barn aisle in a game of chase.

Romeo had never had a saddle on before, but I didn't see a reason he couldn't start then and there. He barely flicked an ear when I thumped the saddle on his back and tightened the girth. Good man. The loud endurance stirrups didn't seem to bother him and he snoozed while I retrieved his bridle.

We went back out in the ring and worked some more, mostly at the trot. I eventually introduced side reins to get him used to the pressure of the bit in his mouth. He was a pro about the whole thing. He still needs to learn the fine line between being out of my space and dragging me off my feet, but that will come with time. Over all, our fist session went very well. He even broke a sweat! I think he'll be a quick study and will make someone a very nice riding horse in another year and a half or so.

Next we went back to Cat Tail Farm where Tor groomed Ozzy while I rode CP. Mike and I had run out to Home Depot the night before to pick up some ground poles and the pony is officially starting his jump education. I hand walked him over the rails the first time, but he didn't even bat an eye so I climbed on board. I kept it short and simple... walk, trot, canter over the poles in each direction, 20m circles at each gait, and call it a day. CP definitely had his concentration ears on for the poles, but he went right over albeit in a slightly drunken manner.

Yesterday I tried to do him a favor by lunging him over the poles so he could just worry about his feet and not the weight of a rider, but he seemed to lose his confidence that way. He went over, but it took a lot more coaxing. I'll probably just keep riding him over them for a few days. I won't have jump standards until next week anyway.

Finally, Tor finished up by riding Ozzy.

I've been afraid to say anything out loud, but I still don't think he's right. In fact, his whole hind end seems to be getting worse. He's always had bad conformation and we know he's got all sorts of arthritis, and I think that's the root of it, but I can't help wondering if there's more to it than that. He's incredibly unfit. After all, he's had most of the year off. He has lost all his butt muscles and top line and really just kind of looks ratty in general. I think that's a big part of why he's fumbling around and being clumsy, but I'm not 100% sure. I'm getting him re-tested for Lyme and I'll probably have his ankles and hocks injected at the beginning of the summer, but I'm starting to wonder if he's going to fall apart in his teens. He's happy in the field and doesn't seem lame, but he's definitely not the rip roaring endurance horse he once was. Tor confirmed my fears, saying that he felt sloppier than usual. Ugh. They had a good ride, but we definitely took it easy on him.

I'm going to put him back in slow, easy, regular work in the next month and see if gaining muscle helps with his lack of coordination. I'm perfectly happy just having him as a pleasure horse, but I'm still trying to figure out which steps to take next. Shipping a sound, happy horse to the clinic for a battery of expensive tests seems silly, but I've always been about doing EVERYTHING I need to do for him, and I'll kick myself if it turns out he has something and I didn't catch it early enough. ARGH.

Ozzy DID give a lesson to my  youngest student yet yesterday. V is a four year old little girl who has had the horse bug since day one. Her mom is friend's with L's mom(from a few months ago) and when she mentioned she was looking for a riding stable, L's mom recommended me. I warned them right off the bat that I have a full sized horse and that I wasn't sure how much a four year old could physically do, but welcomed them to come out for a trial lesson.

When I arrived, the horses were up by the indoor. Ozzy greeted me with an excited whinny, but then trotted away when I came up to him. I gave cookies to Art and Rue and Ozzy came back long enough to snatch one and run off. I grabbed a bucket of grain and lured Art and Rue to the indoor. Ozzy followed and I shut the door. Art knew what was up and came right up to me. I put him back out to eat and be away from the drama. Rue and Ozzy went into full fledged 'OMG you're gonna kill us' panic mode, galloping around the indoor like a pair of lunatics. I had told Herbie to get out and stay and she sat at the gate, half-barking in frustration. I prayed that my new clients wouldn't pull up the driveway into the middle of this circus. Eventually, Rue caved and came up to me. I threw him outside and Ozzy knew the game was up. He came up to me like nothing ever happened.

Of course he was sweaty and gross by the time my clients arrived. Thankfully, Ozzy was on his best behavior and I didn't have to convince them that he'd take care of their child. Sheesh!

The lesson went really well, actually. V was very gung ho about the whole thing and memorized everything I told her. I was extremely impressed when she was able to identify the girth. She was brave and chatty and didn't seem shy about meeting a new person at all.

Before long, we all went down to the outdoor and V got boosted into the saddle. I told her how to hold her hands and feet and instructed her to sit up straight and hold on tight.

"When you want the horse to walk, you go like this," I clucked. "Can you do that?"
She kissed twice, ever so softly. Ozzy flicked an ear and walked forward. A few strides later, she said, "Whoa." Ozzy stopped dead. Good lesson pony.

By the end of the lesson she was actually stopping and steering on her own. Did I mention she made up a song just for Ozzy on the spot? The smile on her face totally melted my heart. I think I'm going to have to invest in a slightly smaller kid safe horse.

After the lesson, we took a walk out to the pony pasture. CP was totally intrigued by the little girl. I told him, "If you ever learn to behave, you can have one of your own, you monster!"
 Meanwhile, V was totally enamored with Lunar. He wasn't quite sure what to make of such a tiny human so he just stood stock still and let her do as she pleased. I should get a mini harness and break him to ride. The exercise would be good for him and he's the perfect size for a four year old. He's such a mellow guy...

So, yes, V was thrilled and it looks like I have a new student for the time being. I'm gonna need a smaller saddle.

C's Visit and a Photo Dump

C from Go Diego Go! was in NJ for the week on business. She pushed her flight back til Saturday so we could meet up and hang out. The plan was to get together on Friday, drive around and see NJ, maybe go hiking, and put her up  Friday night before her trip home on Saturday.

Unfortunately, life likes to throw curve balls at me. I went to the barn for my trail ride on CP. As soon as I got out of the car, I heard the telltale hiss of my tire going flat. Apparently, the plug that got me to Maryland and back wasn't going to hold for one second longer. I watched in dismay as my tire deflated before my very eyes. Carolyn wasn't home and Mike was at work. Thankfully, Bryce was able to come pick me up on his lunch break, and I made it home just two minutes before C pulled up the driveway.

Thankfully, C had a rental car for the weekend and my lack of wheels didn't stop us from having a great time. Basically, we spent her visit on a whirlwind tour of the NJ countryside. We started by going back to Carolyn's to meet Ozzy, CP, and the rest of the horses. Then we went up to Baldpate to see one of the few worthwhile views in the area. C is from Nevada, and I don't care how much you like trees, NJ cannot do anything to match the landscape out there. Next, we drove down the back roads of the Amwell Valley and through Hopewell to stop by Bluestone. There we scratched baby horses and caught up with Greg and one of his daughters, which reminded me that you really can't come to NJ without seeing Deo Volente. We wound up driving through the back roads of Hunterdon County, where we got to see the world's creepiest Easter decoration as well as the dome house and some beautiful farmland. By then, Mike was done working and we headed back to the barn to get my car taken care of.

Along the way, we took a detour and stopped at the abandoned high school on the hill behind Lambertville. Despite the fact that this is a well known landmark and only 15 minutes from my house, I had never actually been up there. I have been warned that it's pretty strictly patrolled by the police, but we didn't seem to attract any law enforcement while we were up there. The building is a total ruin and there isn't much in terms of old furniture or souvenirs. The local kids have done a pretty good job vandalizing it and it's mostly rubble and collapsed walls. It was cool all the same and had a great view of the town below. I definitely plan on going back to photograph it for real, but we were on a schedule and the sun was setting.

After Mike examined and filled my tire, we went to Sumo for dinner. I had been craving sushi in the worst way. We may not be the all you can eat sushi capital of the world, but the meal left us all stuffed, with enough left overs to make Bryce very happy when he got home.

That night we relaxed and shared pictures and stories. Mostly I just stared in awe at C's scenery. I was also totally jealous of her Tevis experiences, and especially her completion a few years ago. That night I dreamed that she was helping me pick out my next endurance horse. Haha. I feel like I know Sinatra and Diego now, even though I've never met either one. VERY cool and inspirational.

We were up as soon as the boys were out the door the next morning. C had to leave for the airport by 11am, but I wanted to squeeze in the harness racing tour. We drove over to White Birch, Showplace, and Gaitway to see the horses work and get a feel for the way training centers are set up out here. I also drove her around Perretti's land to give her a feel for just how much of our countryside is preserved by the harness racing industry (which our jack hole governor is doing his very best to kill... hooray future housing developments and sky rocketing hay prices!)

Before heading home, we stopped at a deli that looked like it could use some business. The whole place was dug up and under construction, but a series of signs outside promised they were open. I'm glad we stopped in because their sandwiches were very good... even though mine tried to blow away.

It really was a trip in fast forward, but C was really cool and we'd love to have her back for a longer visit.

The rest of the weekend is sort of a blur. Mike patched my tire and I'm mobile again (thank god). We had a lovely and uneventful Easter and even did some driving of our own on our way between parents' houses. I had a few too many whiskey sours on Friday night, but apparently I was hilarious in the meantime.

Have some photos from the last few days:

Trail Pony

I have a lot to blog about, but first I wanted to brag about CP. Yesterday morning, I took him on his first REAL trail ride. Jen's niece was on spring break and was riding Sunraider. Jen has always wanted to ride Ozzy (mostly to try his running walk) and I was happy to lend him to her so he could go for a trail ride too. We shipped up to the mountain where Jen's friend, Susan, joined us.

As I mounted up, I asked the pony, "If you dump me, can you do it NOT in the gravel parking lot?"

He stood rock steady for me to get on and hung around patiently while we waited for everyone else to be ready. When it came time to ride, he just walked off calmly in the middle of the pack. I parked him behind Ozzy to be safe. He seemed a little suspicious at first ("Hey, I got to do this without a rider last time!") but it wasn't long before he was completely relaxed and just plodding along.

I have to admit that the pony blew me right out of the water. We rode for about five miles, most of which was at the trot, and he didn't balk at a single thing. We crossed over a creek and worked through some mucky areas. Other than dropping his head to sniff, he didn't even hesitate. We even jumped over a pretty big log. He approached at a confident trot, picked up his knees, and landed cantering. There was no bucking or over jumping or anything. Everyone cheered.

When we came up on the big, steep hill, I dropped CP to the back of the pack so he could take his time without creating a pile up. Because his legs are so much shorter than the other horses', he fell behind a bit. I clucked, urging him to pick up the pace a little bit. He flicked an ear and I could see the wheels turning in his head.

"You didn't say I could canter... but I can POWER TROT!!!!"

He lengthened his stride and pulled out that endurance trot that I so love. He actually caught right up to the bigger horses without a problem!!! And when I asked him to walk, he just dropped his nose and plodded right along.

I had been telling Susan Ozzy's life story and she has heard tell of CP over the years. When she turned around and saw me trotting down the trail, one-handed on a loose rein, she asked for my business card. Apparently she has a horse who needs to be started back into work. Huzzah!

I was completely thrilled with CP when we got back to the barn. He was obviously a little tired, but he seemed perfectly happy with his morning work out. I think he would make a kick ass young rider's horse in endurance/CTR, but with his jumping ability, I could probably boost his value and make him into a pony jumper.

I am most likely taking him to a hunter pace in two weeks, if things keep going according to plan. Rider Launch Express to reliable trail mount in a month? This pony has talent.

Ozzy's butt and CP's ears (that's a change).

Pro Photos Cont'd

Two more pro photos:
One
Two

3 Farms 1 Day

That's it, I'm doing this as a photo dump!!!

Yesterday was pretty nuts. I started off by feeding over at Emily's barn. I took my time, double checking to make sure I didn't miss anything. I was super thorough and it was relaxing to be doing barn chores again. After the girls had their breakfast, I turned them out and took some photos.

When I was done there, I drove over to Jen's place to meet her two year old, a Percheron x TB named Romeo. He's the horse I will be working with in exchange for chiro adjustments. He's an absolute doll and I think he's going to be easy as pie to work with. Jen got him off a CL ad. He was originally listed for $400 (and with a laundry list of  reasons why he was 'dangerous') but Jen talked them into giving him away for free. Now he has a great home and (shock surprise) no 'dangerous' issues.

I brought Herbie with me and she got to go on a doggy play date with Jen's two dogs, Frodo the corgi and Theo the poodle. Jen also brought over her friend's black shepherd, Shadow. But the best member of the group was Piggly Wiggly, a one-eared pot bellied pig who thinks she's a dog. Herbie was intrigued and intimidated by the pig and it was hilarious to watch them interact.

After a quick lunch break, I ran to Carolyn's to get the horses' feet done. The weather was gorgeous and I hung out for a while afterwards, just enjoying the sunshine.

More substantial updates at a later date. In the mean time, have more photos.

Pekoe and Tryssta

Barn in HDR

Pro Photos

Photos from the CTR are up. I want to buy a print. I'm expecting a few more shots to be up in the next few days, but so far I like the following ones. Photos ©Brenda Hall.

One 

Two

Chesapeake CTR

Sunday was my Competitive Trail Ride (CTR) with Spot in Maryland.

Mike and I slept in on Saturday morning and drove down in the afternoon. My tire held up reasonably well, but I do think I'm going to have to get new tires on the Poof in the next month. Boo hiss. I'd love to smack the idiot who put them on in the first place. Did you know they're actually mounted backwards? That explains why my car has been sliding in the rain even though the tread is good and the pressure has been fine until recently. ARGH.

We took our time driving down and even stopped for an hour lunch break. We still made it in under three hours. It's a good thing I DON'T have a trailer or I'd be going down there to ride on the weekends all the time. I'd bankrupt myself doing it.

We rode out of Fair Hill, which has always been one of my favorite places to ride, despite the countless misadventures I've had there over the years. This time, however, we camped out at the track stables, which was something on my bucket list. It was nice to have the horses in stalls where we didn't have to worry about loose horses and weather.

Mike and I beat Wendy there and Cate put us straight to grazing the horses. I took Spot, of course, and Mike grazed his buddy, Buck. Apparently Spot and Buck are joined at the hip. Thankfully, Cate took Buck home after the vetting so Spot wasn't thinking about him the whole weekend.

I had Spot vetted in almost immediately and he passed with flying colors. CTR runs differently from endurance and I had to ask a few questions to understand his scores. Thankfully, Nick (who I see at every endurance ride I go to) was the vet and was sympathetic to the out-of-place endurance rider. He did laugh at my inability to trot circles in hand, but only after he 'recorded it for posterity'. Poor Spot knew more about the vet in than I did.

I did take Spot out back where nobody could see us to practice our circles that night and it wasn't long before I was feeling confident in my ability to keep him moving out and the circle round. Maybe I could do this CTR thing after all.

That night, Mike, Wendy, and I went out to dinner at a local restaurant with the best crab products I've had in a long time. We positively stuffed ourselves and I was ready to go into a food coma by the time we got back.

Mike and I slept in the back of Wendy's trailer with our trusty air mattress and sleeping bag. We used the kerosene heater to warm the trailer while we fell asleep, but stayed warm enough even after it ran out of fuel. I sleep better outside than I do in my own bed and was well rested by 6am when we got up.

The horses were already halfway through their breakfasts and it was strange for me to stand around waiting instead of rushing around with a thousand things to do. I'm not sure I'll ever get used to riding other people's horses instead of doing it all myself.

The morning dawned cold, but at least the rain from the night before had stopped. It actually made for good riding conditions because the horses weren't going to get over heated, we weren't going to get soaked, and the footing on the trails was awesome.

After a brief ride meeting, Wendy and I went up to the barn to tack up Poe and Spot. Spot was clearly excited to get going and pretty much dove into his hackamore. I hopped on board to let him walk around while I waited for Wendy.

Spot did test me right at the start. We were walking next to the barn when he spun, tried to buck, bolted backwards, and then reared. I booted him forward and casually waved to his owner, who had witnessed the whole thing. Just around the corner, he tried a similar set of antics. I thought he was going to double barrel through the door of the truck parked next to us. That time I got out the Devil Voice. After that, he settled quietly and grazed while waiting for our turn to start.

In the mean time, Mike had gotten volunteered as the in-timer. He started off worried that he wouldn't know enough about it, but by the end of the day he was directing riders like an old pro. I kept getting compliments from everyone all day about him.

"Your boyfriend is a real sweetheart!" a woman I don't know beamed at me while I was in the hold with Spot.

Cate told me, "I'm glad that  boy is going home with you. He is amazing. I hope you plan on holding on to him."
"I do."

As I mentioned, CTR's run differently from endurance rides (although AERC miles count for ECTRA). A CTR is a ride for ideal time. In this case, we had between four hours and ten minutes and four hours and forty minutes to ride 25 miles. Finishing too fast or too slow results in penalty points. The ride features a staggered start with groups of no more than five going out a few minutes apart. At the hold and the finish, the horses have 10 and 20 minutes respectively to meet pulse criteria. Lower pulses are rewarded with higher points. Penalties are given to horses who take too long to come down. Etc, etc.

Wendy and I rode out alone. We were two minutes late for our start time because we forgot to electrolyte the horses in the process of rushing around after the ride briefing. Whoops! You would think that would be the one thing two endurance riders would remember to do! By the time we got across the line, Spot had really settled down. We had no acrobatics at the start.

In fact, Spot really only acted up with me once on trail. We hit a dip at the bottom of a big hill with Poe in the lead. Poe cantered through the dip and Spot wanted to canter too. When I held him to a trot, he threw his head down and leaped forward, throwing in a few victory bucks after the fact.
I cranked his head up and yelled, "Unnecessary!" and he carried on trotting in a manner I can only describe as apologetic.

Wendy and I took turns leading through the first loop, leap frogging back and forth. Spot seemed to prefer leading in the woods while Poe liked to be in front in the fields. The horses get along famously and we were able to just enjoy the scenery while maintaining a good clip at the trot. Sadly, we didn't ride through my favorite covered bridge, but we did go past the old stone ruins and through the tunnel.

For those of you who haven't seen me blog about Fair Hill before, Maryland features lots of rolling grassy hills, windy switchbacks through wooded areas, plenty of water crossings, and every type of bridge you can imagine. Concrete bridges, wooden bridges, bridges with high rails, bridges with no rails. If you ride at Fair Hill, your horse will never balk at a bridge again. Haha.

After the first loop, we had a 20 minute hold. In endurance, you ride in, get your in-time, and have x amount of minutes to pulse in. AFTER you pulse in, you have a minimum 45 (or so) minute hold. In CTR you get your in-time and have ten minutes to pulse. Your 20 minute hold time, however, starts at your in-time, not your pulse time. I barely had enough time to dismount and pee before we were ready to get back on trail. Zoooom!

I was a bit disappointed in the fact that our second loop was just a repeat of the first loop, but it WAS reassuring to know where we were going and what to expect. Since we knew what time we were aiming to finish at and were familiar with the terrain, we got some really nice canters in. Spot was THRILLED. He has a gorgeous canter and he gets so INTO IT.

He's just a cool horse to ride in general. He is extremely sure footed and very forward and bold. As Cate says, you'd be hard pressed to find a better CTR horse. I was warned that he wasn't as fit as he could be, but the horse certainly didn't have any quit in him at the end of 25 miles. He powered right along, stopping only for drinks and taking bites of grass on my request before trotting away without a second urging. Poe, on the other hand, was trying to convince Wendy that he was certainly going to die if she didn't let him graze and graze and graze in every open field.

As we came back to camp, Spot let out a long neigh to announce his arrival. Cate came rushing over saying that we were about to give her heart failure.
"You better trot up to that line or you won't make time!"
We were startled since we'd been aiming for one-ish and it was 1:00pm on the dot.

It wasn't until later in the day that I learned how my Super Boyfriend had saved the day. Apparently the woman in charge of calculating times had been calculating for 20 minutes instead of half an hour and had cut everyone's max time by ten minutes by accident. It wasn't until a Serious Business rider threw a fit that Mike double checked the numbers. He found the glitch and recalculated everything himself before arguing the case to the higher ups. It's a good thing he caught it because there would have been a lot of unhappy, disqualified riders otherwise. Whoops! As it turns out, we had finished with ten minutes to spare. Perfect.

We fed and sponged the horses then went over to P&R. Spot pulsed in at a perfect 44bpm and we went for our trot out. I was ready for our circles. I had practiced.

My trot out was a disaster.

I went to circle Spot and he threw his head down to graze. I flung the end of the lead at him to move him out and he moved out alright... into a canter with a kick aimed at my head!!! My trot back was more a zig zag than anything else. Whoops! Dom... providing laughter and entertainment for the masses since 1986.

Well, apparently you don't need to be able to do perfect circles to do well in CTR. Haha. We grabbed (delicious) food before heading back for the awards ceremony. They started by giving out breed awards and I was flattered to get best appaloosa, but didn't think much of it. After all, I'd only seen a handful of spotty horses at the ride. Then they handed out completions. Then they got to the top 15. Then they got to top ten and I got excited that I had placed. Then Wendy got her 6th place ribbon and Mike excitedly whispered, "You got top 5!"

Fifth.
Not me.

Fourth.
Not me.

"I bet you won it," Mike grinned.
"I doubt it. I've never done a CTR that wasn't pass/fail."

Third. Not me. Second... omg... not me.

SPOT AND I GOT FIRST!!!! I guess I can't keep hating on CTR now.
Mike texted home, "Dom won. Shock."

I got prizes... AND A BLUE RIBBON!!! I never compete in anything for ribbons really. This was exciting for me. I felt like I was twelve.

And this is where it gets sad. Spot is a really good horse. He has some bad habits (which is how Cate got him to begin with) and I've never been an app fan, but he is seriously earning a spot in my heart (pun intended). He'll probably win me over just in time to break my heart. Spot has squamous cell carcinoma which manifested as  tumor on his sheath. He went to New Bolton for all sorts of test. I hadn't asked about the prognosis.

After our ride, I was grazing Spot and telling him what a good boy he was when he tried to rub on me. "Uh, no. You weren't THAT good," I pushed him back. "That's what you have legs for."
"You could be a little nicer to him," Mike chided. "Cate was getting all emotional over his trot out." I stared at him blankly. "You know, since he's not going to be around long."
I made that fish-out-of-water face. *Stammer* "What? What do you mean?"
"O... did Cate not tell you? Didn't you see her getting all teary eyed?"

Apparently the prognosis is not good. The cancer has already moved into his lymph nodes. There aren't really any treatment options. It's going to be a matter of pain management. The doctors say he most likely has between a year and two years left, but he could get lucky and make it five years. Cate has accepted his fate and plans on letting him compete to his heart's desire until he can't or doesn't want to. He's only 15.

With tears in my eyes, I hugged Cate and thanked her for letting me ride her heart horse. She congratulated me and told me I'm welcome to compete him whenever. She also asked Mike to come back to help with the fall ride she runs.
"If you give Dom a horse to ride, we'll be here," he replied.
"Well, of course! She can have Spot."

This is a story that ends in heart break, but I'm hoping this is just the beginning of my friendship with this horse.

We packed our things in record time and hit the road by 4pm. It took us about two hours to get home and we still had daylight left. I'm pleased to report that I'm more sore from having the knots worked out of my muscles yesterday than I was from the ride itself. Apparently I'm not as out of shape as I feared. All in all, it was a lovely start to another ride season.

Herbie

Have a random video of my dog licking a jar:

Also, random photos of dog: