 |
| Mike and I went to this great taco place by his work. The food was amazing, the service was great, and the decor was a nice touch. It was a little pricier than other chains in the area, but for me, it's worth it for quality ingredients prepared fresh. I was shocked that the place was completely empty when we went (lunch time on the weekend!) |
Saturday, December 29, 2018
December Photos
OMG I actually managed to keep up with my photo spam every month!!Here's the final photo dump for 2018.
Tuesday, December 25, 2018
Christmas Gunner
I'm not much of a holiday person, but Gunner's outfit this year is too good not to share!
Monday, December 24, 2018
Year in Review 2018
My annual Christmas Eve blogging tradition :) This year was a rough one in many ways, some of which I never discussed on here. Still, it featured a lot of good memories and wonderful people. At the risk of jinxing everything, it was also a financially lucky year for us, which is probably a first. Here's the month-by-month breakdown of 2018. Hopefully I'll tie up a lot of loose ends in this post, since I mostly blog in fits and spurts any more.
Friday, December 21, 2018
Hiking Merrill Creek
Now that the year is winding down and the weather is dreary, Mike and I have been revisiting some of our favorite places, rather than exploring new ones. Two weeks ago, we visited MCR for the first time in a long time. It was eerily quiet and empty, but we had a good time nonetheless. We parked in the field by the dam instead of the main visitor area. Then we hiked down to the Deadwoods and back (instead of trying to get around the entire thing before dark). We Geocached along the way, finding several on the long list of hides on the perimeter trail. We also saw one of the bald eagles, though only from a distance. He was returning to his nest, presumably after doing some hunting. Not too many exciting photos since everything was gray and there was no exciting wildlife otherwise. Still, it beats being cooped up inside with nothing to do!
Saturday, December 15, 2018
Jockey Hollow
At the beginning of the month, I was going a bit stir-crazy. Between the mud, the short days, and the less-than-compliant weather, we haven't done a lot of hiking recently. Still, I needed to get out of the house and do something. Mike suggested we go Geocaching so I pulled up the GC map and landed on Jockey Hollow, a historic site not far from us. I actually spent a lot of time mountain biking there with my dad as a kid, but I haven't been back as an adult. After our visit (during the course of which we didn't actually log a single cache) I decided that we really need to go back and explore the entire park in the future.
We parked in the visitor center parking lot and started by checking that out first. I love learning things. It's ironic that I find history so fascinating as an adult since it was hands-down my worst subject in school. We learned a lot in the visitor center, taking the time to watch the 15 minute video about the property and the part it played in the Revolution. In the process, we got hiking recommendations from an employee, who said that the blue trail featured one of two scenic vistas in the park.
From there, we moved on to the Wick House, where the hints for our first cache were.
We quickly deciphered the clues and plugged in the resulting coordinates, only to find that the actual final cache was in the neighboring Lewis Morris Park (also on our to-do list). We started to wander in that direction and, in the process, crossed over the blue trailhead.
As it turns out, the blue trail is the only one in the park that doesn't actually feature a single Geocache, but we didn't mind. It was roughly a five mile hike from start to finish, and it was pretty tame compared to all the adventuring we've done this year, but it was good to get out in the fresh air, and get some peaceful walking in.
We got back to the car just before the forecasted rain started to spit down at us, and we were home just after dark. Winter puts a bit of a damper on our hiking escapades, but it's a good opportunity to explore some more local hot spots.
We parked in the visitor center parking lot and started by checking that out first. I love learning things. It's ironic that I find history so fascinating as an adult since it was hands-down my worst subject in school. We learned a lot in the visitor center, taking the time to watch the 15 minute video about the property and the part it played in the Revolution. In the process, we got hiking recommendations from an employee, who said that the blue trail featured one of two scenic vistas in the park.
From there, we moved on to the Wick House, where the hints for our first cache were.
We quickly deciphered the clues and plugged in the resulting coordinates, only to find that the actual final cache was in the neighboring Lewis Morris Park (also on our to-do list). We started to wander in that direction and, in the process, crossed over the blue trailhead.
As it turns out, the blue trail is the only one in the park that doesn't actually feature a single Geocache, but we didn't mind. It was roughly a five mile hike from start to finish, and it was pretty tame compared to all the adventuring we've done this year, but it was good to get out in the fresh air, and get some peaceful walking in.
We got back to the car just before the forecasted rain started to spit down at us, and we were home just after dark. Winter puts a bit of a damper on our hiking escapades, but it's a good opportunity to explore some more local hot spots.
Friday, December 14, 2018
Jax and Dakota Photos
I am working on my ESCDTA championships post, which is long overdue, but I'm waiting to iron out some details with the show photographer before hitting "post". In the mean time, I'm going to dump some photos, as usual. It's the only way I know how to blog.
Juli brought her dog, Jax, to work to blow off some steam this week. I happened to have my camera because I was planning to take pictures of Gunner that afternoon (that post is also coming soon to a screen near you) so I took a billion photos of the dogs playing.
So here ya go... some happy-dog filler post for you're viewing pleasure.
Juli brought her dog, Jax, to work to blow off some steam this week. I happened to have my camera because I was planning to take pictures of Gunner that afternoon (that post is also coming soon to a screen near you) so I took a billion photos of the dogs playing.
So here ya go... some happy-dog filler post for you're viewing pleasure.
I like this one because Dakota isn't touching the ground. She's the fastest dog I know and it's pretty hard to photograph her.
Sunday, December 9, 2018
We walk silently, hand-in-hand under a star-strewn, moonlit sky; traipsing by memory across the acres we've called home for just shy of five years. As the pre-winter frost crunches under my filthy muck boots, I can't help wondering how many nights like this we have left. Though this tiny farm, carved out in between boulders on top of an unlikely mountain range, is such a prominent piece of our unfolding story, she is not our own. The end has been imminent for so long it feels like the walls have already come crashing down, and I fear the whole chapter is about to close, pages ripped from their binding, roof ripped from over our heads.
This place has been kind to us through ravenous winter snows, and oppressive summer afternoons when the concrete walls have kept us cool.
In between seasons, I've spent countless hours romping through the forest, faithful hell hounds by my side, golden-hour rays slanting dramatically through the oaks and maples and birches; then falling, dazzling, across dense underbrush where the does hide their fawns in spring and the bucks practice with their new antlers in fall. I've laid in fields of buttercups, flat on my stomach, watching the horses devour the emerald sprouts of spring, their tails twitching habitually at the memory of flies.
We've parked our rotating herd of cars under the half-dead magnolia tree out front, using high beams and head lamps to scan the dark horizon for eyes, both wild and domestic. We've learned to tell visitors apart by the colors of their reflective orbs in the night and their cries while we lay tangled up in our bed, windows open wide to the wilderness. The crickets and the screech owls and the foxes and coyotes singing a country lullaby, and the fisher cats with their mocking laughter echoing through the trees.
In daylight hours, Mike has hammered fence boards and mowed the lawn, scrubbed troughs and thrown hay, and listened to classic rock with the volume all the way up in his shop on the second floor of the cattle-barn-turned-warehouse.
In the dusty third floor loft, between long-empty swallows' nests, Ozzy's entire life is tucked away in little boxes, alongside trunks full of photo albums, books, and knickknacks from my childhood. Picture frames of varying shapes and sizes are stacked in the former dumbwaiter in our living room where chickens once laid their eggs. These are filled with more current memories, smiling faces, vibrant backgrounds, countless adventures, wanderings, moments in time. I long to hang them on our powder blue walls, but my hands can't seem to find the strength when I think of taking them down again.
I will miss the feel of the cream colored stucco, and the roof in a color Home Depot calls Gleeful.
I will miss the balcony where my little pink pitbull sunbathed herself purple, and where Julio barked at the ground hogs, and the rabbits, and Not Our Cat. I will miss the kitchen where we drank whiskey and slow danced while cooking with never-enough garlic and cheese.
I will miss riding bareback under Orion's belt after having a few too many; and the rise-and-fall rhythm of fly spray in the summer and thick, scratchy, fresh cut alfalfa in the winter, my coveralls swishing against the onslaught of the cold.
I will miss the ghosts that made this place locally famous, and the bold mouse in the pantry who we keep relocating to the pine tree outside. I will miss the crooked floor, the unfinished cupboards, the sticky front door, and Leroy, the shower spider.
But most of all, I will miss our moonlit walks at midnight, when we wander together, but alone with our thoughts...
This place has been kind to us through ravenous winter snows, and oppressive summer afternoons when the concrete walls have kept us cool.
In between seasons, I've spent countless hours romping through the forest, faithful hell hounds by my side, golden-hour rays slanting dramatically through the oaks and maples and birches; then falling, dazzling, across dense underbrush where the does hide their fawns in spring and the bucks practice with their new antlers in fall. I've laid in fields of buttercups, flat on my stomach, watching the horses devour the emerald sprouts of spring, their tails twitching habitually at the memory of flies.
We've parked our rotating herd of cars under the half-dead magnolia tree out front, using high beams and head lamps to scan the dark horizon for eyes, both wild and domestic. We've learned to tell visitors apart by the colors of their reflective orbs in the night and their cries while we lay tangled up in our bed, windows open wide to the wilderness. The crickets and the screech owls and the foxes and coyotes singing a country lullaby, and the fisher cats with their mocking laughter echoing through the trees.
In daylight hours, Mike has hammered fence boards and mowed the lawn, scrubbed troughs and thrown hay, and listened to classic rock with the volume all the way up in his shop on the second floor of the cattle-barn-turned-warehouse.
In the dusty third floor loft, between long-empty swallows' nests, Ozzy's entire life is tucked away in little boxes, alongside trunks full of photo albums, books, and knickknacks from my childhood. Picture frames of varying shapes and sizes are stacked in the former dumbwaiter in our living room where chickens once laid their eggs. These are filled with more current memories, smiling faces, vibrant backgrounds, countless adventures, wanderings, moments in time. I long to hang them on our powder blue walls, but my hands can't seem to find the strength when I think of taking them down again.
I will miss the feel of the cream colored stucco, and the roof in a color Home Depot calls Gleeful.
I will miss the balcony where my little pink pitbull sunbathed herself purple, and where Julio barked at the ground hogs, and the rabbits, and Not Our Cat. I will miss the kitchen where we drank whiskey and slow danced while cooking with never-enough garlic and cheese.
I will miss riding bareback under Orion's belt after having a few too many; and the rise-and-fall rhythm of fly spray in the summer and thick, scratchy, fresh cut alfalfa in the winter, my coveralls swishing against the onslaught of the cold.
I will miss the ghosts that made this place locally famous, and the bold mouse in the pantry who we keep relocating to the pine tree outside. I will miss the crooked floor, the unfinished cupboards, the sticky front door, and Leroy, the shower spider.
But most of all, I will miss our moonlit walks at midnight, when we wander together, but alone with our thoughts...
Sunday, December 2, 2018
Childhood Riding History
(This started off as a part of my 25 Questions post, but quickly took a life of its own...)
What was your riding “career” like as a kid?
Horses were not readily available to me as a kid. Horseback riding is expensive everywhere, but especially in north Jersey. I spent my early years reading every horse-related book I could get my hands on and memorizing every little fact I read. I tied a rope to a chair in my bedroom and pretended to trail ride and do dressage on my dream horse, a 15.2hh dapple gray thoroughbred named Pepper.
What was your riding “career” like as a kid?
Horses were not readily available to me as a kid. Horseback riding is expensive everywhere, but especially in north Jersey. I spent my early years reading every horse-related book I could get my hands on and memorizing every little fact I read. I tied a rope to a chair in my bedroom and pretended to trail ride and do dressage on my dream horse, a 15.2hh dapple gray thoroughbred named Pepper.
Thursday, November 29, 2018
Mustang Memorial Photos
The end of the year is fast approaching, which always sends me into a bit of a tizzy (sorry). Every year I see everyone's year end goal review posts and I tell myself I should really make goals and try to actually achieve them. This year, I made a list and wrote it down in a notebook. It was my compromise. Something between "don't set goals" and "commit to all the things in public". I left the goals pretty broad (hike more, drink less) and tried not to put hard boundaries on anything. Still, there were a few things that I really wanted to accomplish (doing 3 50's to get my AERC 1000 mile patch). Needless to say, my year did not go as planned. One of the very few goals that I put a number on was "post 100 blog entries". Two entries a week seems reasonable. Well... it's November 29th and this will be entry #78. No pressure. (Actually no pressure since this is a pretty arbitrary goal. On the other hand, I'm going to be annoyed if there are like 97 entries at the end of the year.)
So... as part of my annual year-end cleansing/organizing/blank page mission and as part of my 100 entries goal, I am going to start dumping photos that I just never got around to posting. I'll spare you by not posting one photo a day, every day, for the rest of the year. You're welcome.
As you've probably read, I stopped in at the Mustang Memorial endurance ride back in October. It's less than two hours from our apartment and I was dying to see everyone, so we popped in just to visit and hang out for the day. Mike brought his camera and snapped some pictures. I caught up with Evelyn, who was crewing for Jeff in the 75 (omg I cannot imagine more than 50 miles in NJ's flat, sandy, boring Pine Barrens... good god).
The weather wasn't super cooperative for photos, but Mike made do anyway.
Most excitingly, Dawn had just gotten her new puppy, a border collie girl named Kestrel, so Mike got "hired" (payment in the form of beer... no complaints!) to take some pictures of the little cutie.
We ended up leaving before the end of the 75 since our own dogs were sitting at home, waiting for dinner. It was a nice and relaxing way to spend the day and it was so so good to see everyone. Plus, you know, Jen happened to be there and asked me to ride Peyton, so that worked out!!
(Isn't it nice that I have a story that isn't a story at all? We went to an endurance ride. Nothing exciting happened. The end.)
Have a slew of random photos for no reason :)
So... as part of my annual year-end cleansing/organizing/blank page mission and as part of my 100 entries goal, I am going to start dumping photos that I just never got around to posting. I'll spare you by not posting one photo a day, every day, for the rest of the year. You're welcome.
As you've probably read, I stopped in at the Mustang Memorial endurance ride back in October. It's less than two hours from our apartment and I was dying to see everyone, so we popped in just to visit and hang out for the day. Mike brought his camera and snapped some pictures. I caught up with Evelyn, who was crewing for Jeff in the 75 (omg I cannot imagine more than 50 miles in NJ's flat, sandy, boring Pine Barrens... good god).
 |
| Dart and Jeff getting ready to go out again. |
Most excitingly, Dawn had just gotten her new puppy, a border collie girl named Kestrel, so Mike got "hired" (payment in the form of beer... no complaints!) to take some pictures of the little cutie.
 |
| I'll take seven, please and thank you. |
(Isn't it nice that I have a story that isn't a story at all? We went to an endurance ride. Nothing exciting happened. The end.)
Have a slew of random photos for no reason :)
Tuesday, November 27, 2018
Leo Gets Ridden
Some of you might remember Leo from my retiree photo dumps. He caught my eye early on because he looks like a horse named Fantasies who I loved as a teen.
Leo is a warmblood gelding who retired at work through a loving owner. The story varies a bit, depending who you ask, but Leo was pretty young when he retired. It sounds like he might have had a suspensory injury or something similar that prevented him from being sound for the upper levels. He arrived with a box of his favorite toys and has been living the lazy life in the woods field since. His age also varies depending who you ask, but he's on the young side... somewhere between nine and twelve years old.
We're in the process of revamping the farm website and doing some advertising for more retirement board clients. This means I've been taking some photos around the farm. It also means that the retirees' owners are getting photo updates on their ponies. Apparently Leo's owner replied to one of the emails with a casual, "You know, I bet Leo would love to be ridden..."
So, one day last week, I helped Steph bring a slightly confused Leo in from the pasture and stick him in the barn to clean up and ride. He hasn't been sat on in at least two years. In that time, he's only been out of the pasture a handful of times, mostly to get his feet trimmed. Despite some nervous snorting, Leo was on his best behavior as I led him across the property. At first, he whinnied a bit to his buddy, Taylor, who Steph rides on a regular basis, but after a few minutes, he settled down and began munching his hay.
After watching Step work with Leo, I decided that I could really go for a Leo in my life. He seemed slightly puzzled by this very strange day he was having, but he never put a foot out of place. He never spooked or tried anything silly. Steph lunged him first, just to be safe, and I led him around the indoor for the first lap after she hopped on board, but neither precaution was necessary. After a couple laps of walk and trot inside, Steph took Leo out in one of the dry lots and rode him around like he'd never missed a day of work. Then she cooled him out around the farm on a loose rein, all on his own.
I followed Step around, getting photos for Leo's owner. Some of them turned out quite lovely, if I do say so myself! Leo may not have a future as an upper level horse, but he could certainly model!!!
Leo is a warmblood gelding who retired at work through a loving owner. The story varies a bit, depending who you ask, but Leo was pretty young when he retired. It sounds like he might have had a suspensory injury or something similar that prevented him from being sound for the upper levels. He arrived with a box of his favorite toys and has been living the lazy life in the woods field since. His age also varies depending who you ask, but he's on the young side... somewhere between nine and twelve years old.
We're in the process of revamping the farm website and doing some advertising for more retirement board clients. This means I've been taking some photos around the farm. It also means that the retirees' owners are getting photo updates on their ponies. Apparently Leo's owner replied to one of the emails with a casual, "You know, I bet Leo would love to be ridden..."
So, one day last week, I helped Steph bring a slightly confused Leo in from the pasture and stick him in the barn to clean up and ride. He hasn't been sat on in at least two years. In that time, he's only been out of the pasture a handful of times, mostly to get his feet trimmed. Despite some nervous snorting, Leo was on his best behavior as I led him across the property. At first, he whinnied a bit to his buddy, Taylor, who Steph rides on a regular basis, but after a few minutes, he settled down and began munching his hay.
After watching Step work with Leo, I decided that I could really go for a Leo in my life. He seemed slightly puzzled by this very strange day he was having, but he never put a foot out of place. He never spooked or tried anything silly. Steph lunged him first, just to be safe, and I led him around the indoor for the first lap after she hopped on board, but neither precaution was necessary. After a couple laps of walk and trot inside, Steph took Leo out in one of the dry lots and rode him around like he'd never missed a day of work. Then she cooled him out around the farm on a loose rein, all on his own.
I followed Step around, getting photos for Leo's owner. Some of them turned out quite lovely, if I do say so myself! Leo may not have a future as an upper level horse, but he could certainly model!!!
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| I work in a pretty place... |
Sunday, November 25, 2018
A Slightly Strange Trail Ride
Mike: How was your ride?
Me: It was good. We only had to call 9-1-1 once!
Me: It was good. We only had to call 9-1-1 once!
Saturday, November 24, 2018
November Photos
This may be the shortest month-in-photos post I've done this month. I guess it just wasn't a very cellphone photogenic month. Or it might be the fact that there's still a week to go and some of my photos will be getting their own posts. Either way, here ya go!
The biggest update is that Loretta got the hell out of Riverview. It's a long story full of lots of drama, and once the dust settles, I am probably going to make a very public entry calling out all the assholes by name. It's not really my fight, but it never ceases to amaze me when people show their true colors. I'm very happy to be in a position, professionally, where it literally doesn't matter who comes or goes, so this wasn't particularly stressful for me, but still. I kept the clients I love and we now have a much nicer facility that is closer to my house and is much quieter in general. Plus it gives me options for full training horses (not that I have time for any of those right now!!) So, in the mean time, here's a photo of the lovely covered arena I get to play in this winter. (Although, I do wonder who builds a covered arena rather than a full blown indoor in the Northeast. Whatevs, the footing and lighting are to die for.
Friday, November 23, 2018
Julio Goes to the Beach
I'll have to do a separate post on Herbie at some point in the near future. I mentioned in passing that she tore her other CCL a few weeks ago. It looked like she was probably going to need surgery. Long story short, after a consult with one of the best TPLO surgeons in the country, we think we may be able to rehab Herbie with physical therapy and a brace. I plan to do a write-up on the whole process once we know for sure whether Herbie is going to need surgery or not.
In the mean time, Julio was making me a bit crazy with all his pent up energy. It really wasn't his fault. After all, we'd gone from hiking together a few times a week to pretty much sitting around the house with just a few romps around the farm each day. Everything was a muddy, disgusting mess. The temperatures could hardly be considered pleasant. Plus, I was spending a lot of time alternately driving Herbie to various specialists and working extra hours to pay the growing vet bills. Poor Julio had sort of been shoved on the back burner and he was going a bit stir crazy.
So, last weekend, when the weather finally promised to be rain-free and above-freezing for one whole day, Mike and I decided to throw our unusually rowdy dog in the car and take him to Island Beach to blow off some steam. A five mile hike through deep sand should do the trick! Plus, there would be no mud (and very little chance of running into off leash dogs).
Julio had only been to the ocean once before, when we first got him in 2013.
In the mean time, Julio was making me a bit crazy with all his pent up energy. It really wasn't his fault. After all, we'd gone from hiking together a few times a week to pretty much sitting around the house with just a few romps around the farm each day. Everything was a muddy, disgusting mess. The temperatures could hardly be considered pleasant. Plus, I was spending a lot of time alternately driving Herbie to various specialists and working extra hours to pay the growing vet bills. Poor Julio had sort of been shoved on the back burner and he was going a bit stir crazy.
So, last weekend, when the weather finally promised to be rain-free and above-freezing for one whole day, Mike and I decided to throw our unusually rowdy dog in the car and take him to Island Beach to blow off some steam. A five mile hike through deep sand should do the trick! Plus, there would be no mud (and very little chance of running into off leash dogs).
Julio had only been to the ocean once before, when we first got him in 2013.
Sunday, November 18, 2018
Hiking: Pulpit Rock to Pinnacle
Mike and I haven't been hiking recently, mostly because the weather has been dreadful. Our last formal hike was at the end of September. We had just returned from our Niagara vacation, and after seeing so many awesome waterfalls in such a short period of time, anything local seemed pretty boring in comparison, so we decided to specifically find a hike with picturesque vistas. Mike also suggested heading out to Pennsylvania since we'd been mostly focusing on NJ and NY all year long.
In the end, we picked out hiking another stretch of the AT, which would take us to both Pulpit Rock and the Pinnacle. It was an eight mile hike and the views did not disappoint.
In the end, we picked out hiking another stretch of the AT, which would take us to both Pulpit Rock and the Pinnacle. It was an eight mile hike and the views did not disappoint.
Friday, November 16, 2018
Amira Photo Dump
I mentioned in yesterday's post that I have a bunch of photos sitting on my computer that I haven't posted.
In August, after our "adventure" in Deer Path Park, Julie and I met up for another leisurely trail ride. At the time, I was beyond stressed, so Julie went out of her way to make sure this ride would be low-key and brain-free. She contacted a friend of hers who has a gorgeous horse farm that backs up to some of NJ's nicest hunt country. There are beautiful, well-manicured trails that go for miles. We later found out that we could have ridden all over the neighbor's famous private property, but we were trying to make sure we didn't burn any bridges and just stayed to the public trails.
We also ended up moseying down some dirt roads past some of the rich properties that dot the area, and Julie shared stories of her childhood (she grew up in that vicinity, which is how she met this particular friend).
It wasn't until after the fact that I realized who the friend was or that the pretty ponies I'd been petting earlier in the day are worth $500k+. The friend, who was kind, welcoming, and down-to-earth is technically an ammy, but has competed successfully against the likes of Steffan Peters and Lisa Wilcox. She is a cancer survivor who grew up riding a "tough pony" around the corner from the beautiful farm she owns now. And the mare I was scratching over the stall door earlier in the day? She won both the Grand Prix and the Freestyle at the Adequan US Dressage finals at the Kentucky Horse Park. It's probably a good thing I didn't know whose farm it was while I was there. I would have been a blithering idiot!!
The ride itself was a non-event. We mostly kept it to a walk while we covered a measly five and a half miles. We did a lot of gabbing and I got a lot off my chest, which I really needed at the time. The ride served as a huge stress reliever and helped me relax when I needed it most. This year may not have gone to plan (in so, so many ways) but I will always be grateful for the time I got to spend with Julie and Amira.
So, without further ado, here are a bunch of photos I took with my phone back in August!
In August, after our "adventure" in Deer Path Park, Julie and I met up for another leisurely trail ride. At the time, I was beyond stressed, so Julie went out of her way to make sure this ride would be low-key and brain-free. She contacted a friend of hers who has a gorgeous horse farm that backs up to some of NJ's nicest hunt country. There are beautiful, well-manicured trails that go for miles. We later found out that we could have ridden all over the neighbor's famous private property, but we were trying to make sure we didn't burn any bridges and just stayed to the public trails.
We also ended up moseying down some dirt roads past some of the rich properties that dot the area, and Julie shared stories of her childhood (she grew up in that vicinity, which is how she met this particular friend).
It wasn't until after the fact that I realized who the friend was or that the pretty ponies I'd been petting earlier in the day are worth $500k+. The friend, who was kind, welcoming, and down-to-earth is technically an ammy, but has competed successfully against the likes of Steffan Peters and Lisa Wilcox. She is a cancer survivor who grew up riding a "tough pony" around the corner from the beautiful farm she owns now. And the mare I was scratching over the stall door earlier in the day? She won both the Grand Prix and the Freestyle at the Adequan US Dressage finals at the Kentucky Horse Park. It's probably a good thing I didn't know whose farm it was while I was there. I would have been a blithering idiot!!
The ride itself was a non-event. We mostly kept it to a walk while we covered a measly five and a half miles. We did a lot of gabbing and I got a lot off my chest, which I really needed at the time. The ride served as a huge stress reliever and helped me relax when I needed it most. This year may not have gone to plan (in so, so many ways) but I will always be grateful for the time I got to spend with Julie and Amira.
So, without further ado, here are a bunch of photos I took with my phone back in August!
I could live here...
Thursday, November 15, 2018
A Return to Distance Riding
This year, I took an accidental hiatus from distance riding. It wasn't something I planned. It just sort of happened. Life got in the way, not just for me but for many of the people I ride for or with. This is the first year since I joined AERC in 2008 that I haven't done a single endurance ride. I've missed endurance, and especially the community, but I was able to fill the time and sort of push it to the back of my mind.
My last AERC completion was in August of 2017 when I did an unplanned LD on Hombre in Maine. My last attempt at a 50 was in April of last year at No Frills. That's over a year and a half, and that is mind boggling to me.
Despite not riding this year, I still went to Biltmore, Old Dominion, and Mustang (which I still haven't blogged about) this year. I was supposed to ride at a handful of rides this year, but they all fell through for one reason or another.
I was also supposed to crew at a bunch of other rides (including WEG... can you imagine how fun that blog post would have been?!?), but decided that if I'm not riding, I need to put that on the back burner too, and devote that time to things that benefit Mike and me (like our vacation and all the hikes we did this year). As I mentioned in my 25 Questions post, balance is something I'm always working on. Balancing an active endurance season with the rest of life can be a challenge. In the past few years, endurance has really ruled our schedule (which I love) but this year was a nice change of pace despite the fact that I miss my sport.
Luckily, my endurance friendships are strong (seriously, I've met some of the best and most important people in my life through distance riding) and it appears that the dry spell may be coming to an end.
My last AERC completion was in August of 2017 when I did an unplanned LD on Hombre in Maine. My last attempt at a 50 was in April of last year at No Frills. That's over a year and a half, and that is mind boggling to me.
Despite not riding this year, I still went to Biltmore, Old Dominion, and Mustang (which I still haven't blogged about) this year. I was supposed to ride at a handful of rides this year, but they all fell through for one reason or another.
I was also supposed to crew at a bunch of other rides (including WEG... can you imagine how fun that blog post would have been?!?), but decided that if I'm not riding, I need to put that on the back burner too, and devote that time to things that benefit Mike and me (like our vacation and all the hikes we did this year). As I mentioned in my 25 Questions post, balance is something I'm always working on. Balancing an active endurance season with the rest of life can be a challenge. In the past few years, endurance has really ruled our schedule (which I love) but this year was a nice change of pace despite the fact that I miss my sport.
Luckily, my endurance friendships are strong (seriously, I've met some of the best and most important people in my life through distance riding) and it appears that the dry spell may be coming to an end.
Sunday, November 11, 2018
25 Questions
Since I don't have time to catch up on my blog as it is, I wasn't planning to do this blog hop, started by The $900 Facebook Pony, but I've really loved seeing everyone else's 25 Questions posts so I'm going to also jump on the bandwagon!!
Why horses? Why not a sane sport, like soccer or softball or curling?
I ask myself this question on a daily basis. Horses are hard. They are expensive. They are dangerous. They are heartbreaking. But, for some reason, I've been drawn to them literally since birth. My mom took me out to meet the critters as soon as I was old enough to withstand the germs. My parents weren't horse people per se, but they did also have horses at their hostel. You know that scene in Spirit where the baby grabs Spirit's nose and squeals? Yeah, that was me.
I have always loved animals of every kind. Not being allowed to have pets as a kid in an apartment complex only made that worse. There was something about horses in particular, though, that drew me like a magnet. As an adult, I think it's the fact that you can have such a huge, flighty, delicate creature, and it can learn to trust you and carry you and do all sorts of super-animal feats for you. There's something magical about that.
And now? Well, I've apparently committed to this lunacy full time and I don't think I could get out even if I tried. Am I even qualified to do anything else? In all seriousness, I love the challenge and the constant learning. I find horses fascinating from a medical, training, and management perspective. They keep me on my toes and anything else seems boring compared to them.
Why horses? Why not a sane sport, like soccer or softball or curling?
I ask myself this question on a daily basis. Horses are hard. They are expensive. They are dangerous. They are heartbreaking. But, for some reason, I've been drawn to them literally since birth. My mom took me out to meet the critters as soon as I was old enough to withstand the germs. My parents weren't horse people per se, but they did also have horses at their hostel. You know that scene in Spirit where the baby grabs Spirit's nose and squeals? Yeah, that was me.
I have always loved animals of every kind. Not being allowed to have pets as a kid in an apartment complex only made that worse. There was something about horses in particular, though, that drew me like a magnet. As an adult, I think it's the fact that you can have such a huge, flighty, delicate creature, and it can learn to trust you and carry you and do all sorts of super-animal feats for you. There's something magical about that.
And now? Well, I've apparently committed to this lunacy full time and I don't think I could get out even if I tried. Am I even qualified to do anything else? In all seriousness, I love the challenge and the constant learning. I find horses fascinating from a medical, training, and management perspective. They keep me on my toes and anything else seems boring compared to them.
Saturday, November 3, 2018
Drive-by Vacation Post
Not sure I will ever actually get around to editing the 558 photos I took on our vacation, so I think I'm going to just dump the ones I took with the cell phone in a post real quick. Most of them are selfies. We did a lot on our short trip, and I want to go back!!!
Selfie at Niagara
Friday, November 2, 2018
October Photos
Well, that just about sums it up...
And this month's special feature is this amazing piece by Chelsea, titled "Flying Lessons". Chelsea is living her best life in the Caribbean, but I really miss her so, so much. What a terrific friend and talented artist.
No matter what else happens this year, 2018 will always be the year I lost my heart horse...
Friday, October 26, 2018
Introducing Kyle and Marshall
We (finally) got the two new babies (yearlings) in at work.
The one on the left is Supply Sider. He is Patrick's half brother (same dam). He is by Marsh Side so we are calling him Marshall (because, really, what the heck do you do with a name like Supply Sider?) When he's bad, we can call him Swampy or Bog Beast.
The one on the right is Fatima's Blessing, a colt out of Pebbles' sister, Kylie. So we're calling him Kyle. We debated calling him "Fatty" or "Duke" (because we go to Duke's to get fat).
Both boys came from a farm in New York where they've been turned out together in a herd. They belong to the same client of ours. Marshall will be started under saddle this fall, if all goes according to plan, then have the winter off before starting training in the spring. Kyle, on the other hand, was a June 2017 baby, so he's barely a yearling. He'll get turned out with Tony (who got weaned on Monday) and get some time to grow and mature. His entire bloodline consists of late bloomers so we're not worried about what (if anything) he does as a two year old.
While these colts have been handled somewhat (are halter broke and have had their feet done), they're not nearly as social and friendly as our homebreds. (Tony is already a pro at getting groomed, sprayed, having his feet handled, leading, riding in the trailer, living in a stall, etc.) For now we're just focusing on getting them into a daily routine where they get handled, turned out, turned back in, etc. While they're a little skittish, especially about being handled on the right, they are clearly bright pupils and are picking things up quickly, with plenty of try to go around.
Working with youngsters always gets me excited, no matter how many times I do it. Since my racehorse posts seem to be pretty popular (yay or nay?) I'll try to chronicle these boys' progress a little more thoroughly than I did with Patrick and Percy.
I'll start with photos of Kyle and Marshall turned out together this week. (Plus, this way you can all get a good look at Marshall's beautiful silver tail. He inherited a Gulastra's Plume, just like his brother, Patrick. I guess that means they get that particular trait from mom!)
The one on the left is Supply Sider. He is Patrick's half brother (same dam). He is by Marsh Side so we are calling him Marshall (because, really, what the heck do you do with a name like Supply Sider?) When he's bad, we can call him Swampy or Bog Beast.
The one on the right is Fatima's Blessing, a colt out of Pebbles' sister, Kylie. So we're calling him Kyle. We debated calling him "Fatty" or "Duke" (because we go to Duke's to get fat).
Both boys came from a farm in New York where they've been turned out together in a herd. They belong to the same client of ours. Marshall will be started under saddle this fall, if all goes according to plan, then have the winter off before starting training in the spring. Kyle, on the other hand, was a June 2017 baby, so he's barely a yearling. He'll get turned out with Tony (who got weaned on Monday) and get some time to grow and mature. His entire bloodline consists of late bloomers so we're not worried about what (if anything) he does as a two year old.
While these colts have been handled somewhat (are halter broke and have had their feet done), they're not nearly as social and friendly as our homebreds. (Tony is already a pro at getting groomed, sprayed, having his feet handled, leading, riding in the trailer, living in a stall, etc.) For now we're just focusing on getting them into a daily routine where they get handled, turned out, turned back in, etc. While they're a little skittish, especially about being handled on the right, they are clearly bright pupils and are picking things up quickly, with plenty of try to go around.
Working with youngsters always gets me excited, no matter how many times I do it. Since my racehorse posts seem to be pretty popular (yay or nay?) I'll try to chronicle these boys' progress a little more thoroughly than I did with Patrick and Percy.
I'll start with photos of Kyle and Marshall turned out together this week. (Plus, this way you can all get a good look at Marshall's beautiful silver tail. He inherited a Gulastra's Plume, just like his brother, Patrick. I guess that means they get that particular trait from mom!)
Saturday, October 20, 2018
Life Lessons from Riding Racehorses
Last week, after over a year of pretending to be an exercise rider, I came off one of the racehorses. Since I started doing this, the girls and I have been talking about how taking a no-big-deal tumble off of one of these things might actually be the best thing for me.
Not me, obviously.
Saturday, October 13, 2018
Hiking: Sugarloaf Mountain NY
At the beginning of September, Mike and I randomly stumbled upon a gorgeous hike in the Hudson Highlands in New York.
I was just scrolling through my AllTrails app that morning when I spotted what appeared to be a nice loop with some worthwhile views within a reasonable drive of us. We don't usually go in that direction (although I think that needs to change) so it promised to be a change of scenery at the very least.
I ended up planning out a five and a half mile loop that promised some spectacular vistas and would probably get us away from the crowds.
I was just scrolling through my AllTrails app that morning when I spotted what appeared to be a nice loop with some worthwhile views within a reasonable drive of us. We don't usually go in that direction (although I think that needs to change) so it promised to be a change of scenery at the very least.
I ended up planning out a five and a half mile loop that promised some spectacular vistas and would probably get us away from the crowds.
Sunday, October 7, 2018
Riding Jetty
Just a quick photo post between an endurance ride and a dressage show...
Jetty and Mel have been doing so well in their lessons. They have quickly become one of my favorite pairs and I look forward to seeing them every week.
Recently, I've gotten to sit on Jetty a couple of times, mostly to work on balancing his canter a bit. He is such a joy to ride and I always end up grinning ear to ear as I dismount. It's so nice to be at a point where my client horses are actually broke and mostly good citizens. It does mean I don't get to sit on them as often, but I do enjoy them so much more when I do ride them myself.
This week, Mike happened to be with me when I rode Jetty at the beginning of Mel's lesson, and he got some photos of us. Of course, this means I'm nit picking six hundred things about my own posture, but I'm pleased with how Jetty looks. I am finding myself in this weird limbo where my posture hovers somewhere between exercise rider and dressage/endurance rider, which is kind of a no man's land of bad eq. I need to get a horse so I can take lessons regularly (I did take some in the spring, but that was a long time ago and I never even blogged about it).
ANYWAY.
Here are some pictures of me riding Jetty, and then a few "teacherly" ones with Mel in the saddle.
Jetty and Mel have been doing so well in their lessons. They have quickly become one of my favorite pairs and I look forward to seeing them every week.
Recently, I've gotten to sit on Jetty a couple of times, mostly to work on balancing his canter a bit. He is such a joy to ride and I always end up grinning ear to ear as I dismount. It's so nice to be at a point where my client horses are actually broke and mostly good citizens. It does mean I don't get to sit on them as often, but I do enjoy them so much more when I do ride them myself.
This week, Mike happened to be with me when I rode Jetty at the beginning of Mel's lesson, and he got some photos of us. Of course, this means I'm nit picking six hundred things about my own posture, but I'm pleased with how Jetty looks. I am finding myself in this weird limbo where my posture hovers somewhere between exercise rider and dressage/endurance rider, which is kind of a no man's land of bad eq. I need to get a horse so I can take lessons regularly (I did take some in the spring, but that was a long time ago and I never even blogged about it).
ANYWAY.
Here are some pictures of me riding Jetty, and then a few "teacherly" ones with Mel in the saddle.
Friday, October 5, 2018
September Photos
Is it just me or did September only last about three minutes? September featured our first vacation, a wedding, lots of lessons, lots of hiking, and the usual amount (a lot) of dog photos taken with my phone.
Starting on a vain note. Got my hair and make up done so I could look like an actual girl for the wedding. I wish I had the time and money to actually look like this on a regular basis. I am a dirt under my nails, not afraid to bust my ass kind of girl, but I do secretly enjoy being dolled up.
Sunday, September 30, 2018
Julio at Round Valley
(And Herbie playing fetch at home.)
Along with doing more hiking in general, one of my goals for this year was to take Julio out to more adventures.
Unfortunately, Herbie can't hold up to any serious hiking these days (she gets tired after about a mile, and nobody wants to see her sore). It's a struggle for me not to feel guilty taking one dog and not the other, which leads to me just leaving both of them home or sticking to local spots more often than I'd like to admit. Herbie, for the record, doesn't mind being left behind. It's entirely a me issue. I just give her a peanut butter-filled bone right before we leave and leave the door to the back deck open so she can be "outside" if she wants, and she's perfectly content with that. She prefers fetch to hiking these days, anyway.
Part of the problem is that Julio can be dog reactive. He's fine with some dogs, but not with others, and you never know, so we mostly avoid stranger dogs. It's manageable so long as other people follow leash laws, but it takes some vigilance, and I know Mike finds the effort mentally draining. Plus, you know, people often don't follow leash laws and I'd hate to have to deal with the fall out of my "vicious pitbull" getting into it with someone else's off leash dog. We do have a muzzle and Julio is happy to wear it. My hope is that if someone sees a muzzled dog, they'll give us more space than we actually need.
In any case, all of this means that we don't take Julio along if we're going anywhere that features crowds, which most of our hikes this summer have.
The weather has also been a factor. Julio is definitely and Indoor Pet, and hiking in high heat and humidity does not interest him. He'd rather be home on the couch with the AC cranked.
The good news is that the weather is starting to cool off and be dog friendly again.
After going to a wedding on Friday night, Mike and I woke up too late yesterday to go anywhere new and exciting. Instead, we decided to grab the Black Dog and head to one of our favorite local places, Round Valley. Before we left, we played fetch with Herbie until she quit and asked to go back inside. I stuffed her bone for her and left her with access to the deck while Mike loaded Julio and our backpacks into the car.
Along with doing more hiking in general, one of my goals for this year was to take Julio out to more adventures.
Unfortunately, Herbie can't hold up to any serious hiking these days (she gets tired after about a mile, and nobody wants to see her sore). It's a struggle for me not to feel guilty taking one dog and not the other, which leads to me just leaving both of them home or sticking to local spots more often than I'd like to admit. Herbie, for the record, doesn't mind being left behind. It's entirely a me issue. I just give her a peanut butter-filled bone right before we leave and leave the door to the back deck open so she can be "outside" if she wants, and she's perfectly content with that. She prefers fetch to hiking these days, anyway.Part of the problem is that Julio can be dog reactive. He's fine with some dogs, but not with others, and you never know, so we mostly avoid stranger dogs. It's manageable so long as other people follow leash laws, but it takes some vigilance, and I know Mike finds the effort mentally draining. Plus, you know, people often don't follow leash laws and I'd hate to have to deal with the fall out of my "vicious pitbull" getting into it with someone else's off leash dog. We do have a muzzle and Julio is happy to wear it. My hope is that if someone sees a muzzled dog, they'll give us more space than we actually need.
In any case, all of this means that we don't take Julio along if we're going anywhere that features crowds, which most of our hikes this summer have.
The weather has also been a factor. Julio is definitely and Indoor Pet, and hiking in high heat and humidity does not interest him. He'd rather be home on the couch with the AC cranked.
The good news is that the weather is starting to cool off and be dog friendly again.
After going to a wedding on Friday night, Mike and I woke up too late yesterday to go anywhere new and exciting. Instead, we decided to grab the Black Dog and head to one of our favorite local places, Round Valley. Before we left, we played fetch with Herbie until she quit and asked to go back inside. I stuffed her bone for her and left her with access to the deck while Mike loaded Julio and our backpacks into the car.
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
Riding Amira
(Originally I was going to make one big post about my rides with Amira, but I seem to have derailed a bit so here's part one while I'm thinking about it.)
I managed to get two more trail rides in on my little gray mare friend, Amira, this summer. September got away from me entirely, but I'm hoping to get back on her some time in October. (We considered doing a hunter pace together, but it was going to be too much on short notice. Then it ended up raining unexpectedly anyway, so that worked out.) Amira has apparently been on her very best behavior at home, too, and Julie's daughter was able to ride her w/t/c, and pop her over some cross rails, so her sale ad has officially come down. Hooray! Selfishly, I hope this means more saddle time for me, because I do love this sassy girl.
I managed to get two more trail rides in on my little gray mare friend, Amira, this summer. September got away from me entirely, but I'm hoping to get back on her some time in October. (We considered doing a hunter pace together, but it was going to be too much on short notice. Then it ended up raining unexpectedly anyway, so that worked out.) Amira has apparently been on her very best behavior at home, too, and Julie's daughter was able to ride her w/t/c, and pop her over some cross rails, so her sale ad has officially come down. Hooray! Selfishly, I hope this means more saddle time for me, because I do love this sassy girl.
Saturday, September 22, 2018
Grace Goes to Nationals
So much to update on, so little time! Mike and I actually got away for our first real vacation together, which means I have about a billion photos to go through and a lengthy post coming. We're about to head out the door to go hiking so there isn't enough time for that. I do have a quick, happy update to share though!
Remember Grace, the TWH filly I started under saddle last year? She and her sister, Mica, both graduated from my program at the end of the summer, and I haven't heard many updates about them. In most cases, no news is good news as far as horses I've trained goes. In this case, no news was fantastic news!!
Grace just got back from the NWHA National Championships, where she showed extensively in the Trail Pleasure Amateur Two Gait division. She was the Champion in the amateur owned, and second in the over 50 class.
Most importantly, the NWHA is an organization that advocates for the humane treatment of walking horses, promoting natural gaits. They emphasize soundness, and there are no stacks or chains. There is no soring. The horses get to be horses and showcase the beauty of the gaits mother nature gave them.
When I saw the photos of Grace, I was beaming. She looks so happy and relaxed, and I am so very proud of my little red roan girl.
Remember Grace, the TWH filly I started under saddle last year? She and her sister, Mica, both graduated from my program at the end of the summer, and I haven't heard many updates about them. In most cases, no news is good news as far as horses I've trained goes. In this case, no news was fantastic news!!
Grace just got back from the NWHA National Championships, where she showed extensively in the Trail Pleasure Amateur Two Gait division. She was the Champion in the amateur owned, and second in the over 50 class.
Most importantly, the NWHA is an organization that advocates for the humane treatment of walking horses, promoting natural gaits. They emphasize soundness, and there are no stacks or chains. There is no soring. The horses get to be horses and showcase the beauty of the gaits mother nature gave them.
When I saw the photos of Grace, I was beaming. She looks so happy and relaxed, and I am so very proud of my little red roan girl.
Photo by Ken Siems
Saturday, September 8, 2018
Galloping Photos
Here's a random assortment of pictures I took in July with Christine's camera. Just daily gallops on the hill :)
This one of Desperado is by far my favorite. He scares me half to death, but he is gorgeous!
Friday, September 7, 2018
Kayaking Adventures
Mike and I have been toying with the idea of getting kayaks for quite some time now. With our busy schedules in years past, we've never managed to find the time. In fact, we've been lucky to get out to Round Valley twice a year. With Mike's new office job and my indefinite hiatus from endurance riding, we've suddenly had weekend time during the heat of summer. I don't think we've experienced that consistently since 2011. Everything sort of came to a head when Erin (yes, Erin's still alive and well!) invited us to go on a guided kayaking tour at Island Beach a few weekends ago. We already had plans that weekend, but it got us thinking and talking about kayaks again, and this time much more seriously.
Mike, understandably, had some concerns. I've toodled around on kayaks several times over the years, but Mike had never actually been on one. He liked the idea in theory, but he's not a fan of making a fool of himself, especially in front of strangers. He didn't want to try kayaking for the first time on a guided tour with a group of other people all around. I assured him that kayaking is pretty basic and that most of the people on this tour would probably be first timers, and that most of them would probably be much less generally fit and balanced than Mike is. He wasn't having it though. I suggested renting kayaks nearby one weekend on our own, or borrowing some from friends in the near future. Mike was being more resistant than he usually is about anything so I dropped it. We tabled the discussion at, "You know what? I don't really want to try it that badly."
Two days later, we found ourselves at the Dick's check out counter, paying for a pair of kayaks, paddles, life vests, emergency whistles, and some other accessories. I'm still not really sure how that happened, but it's a funny story.
Mike, understandably, had some concerns. I've toodled around on kayaks several times over the years, but Mike had never actually been on one. He liked the idea in theory, but he's not a fan of making a fool of himself, especially in front of strangers. He didn't want to try kayaking for the first time on a guided tour with a group of other people all around. I assured him that kayaking is pretty basic and that most of the people on this tour would probably be first timers, and that most of them would probably be much less generally fit and balanced than Mike is. He wasn't having it though. I suggested renting kayaks nearby one weekend on our own, or borrowing some from friends in the near future. Mike was being more resistant than he usually is about anything so I dropped it. We tabled the discussion at, "You know what? I don't really want to try it that badly."
Two days later, we found ourselves at the Dick's check out counter, paying for a pair of kayaks, paddles, life vests, emergency whistles, and some other accessories. I'm still not really sure how that happened, but it's a funny story.
Thursday, September 6, 2018
Hiking Buttermilk Falls to Hemlock Pond
On August 19th, I got up early and went riding with Julie on Amira (separate post coming soon). Afterwards, Mike and I still had enough time to plan a last minute hike. The weather was on the warm and moist side but not as oppressively hot as it has been (and, hey, it wasn't raining for a change!) Following our accidental sixteen mile trek, we were both ready for something a little shorter and more predictable. After consulting our growing list of hikespiration, we settled on Buttermilk Falls in the Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area. This is the tallest natural waterfall in NJ, which isn't really saying a lot, but put it on our to-see list. From there, we would hike a five mile loop that included Hemlock Pond.
Sunday, September 2, 2018
Impromptu Dressage Show
Tuesday night was the last in the local dressage series. Both Nikki and Kylie are already qualified for the ESDCTA championships in October, but Loretta and Sam signed them up for one more show. After all, more show miles are always a good thing!
Except then it was a hundred degrees all week and Loretta did not want to ride after doing barn chores all day. So around 5pm, she texted me, "Do you want to show Nikki for me tonight?" The entry fee was already paid and they were going to be trailering over to the horse park regardless. Getting paid for two horses instead of one sounded like a good thing to me. Plus, I enjoy Nikki. I agreed. Thankfully, it turned out that I still fit into my show breeches. Haha.
I haven't sat on Nikki since June or so. Nikki hadn't been ridden at all since Friday because of the heat. Seems like a good idea, right?
Poor Mike got dragged along, too. He hadn't been to a TEDS at Bucks yet, and I figured I could make him take pictures of me.
We arrived at the show at about 6:30pm. My ride time was 7:12. I chatted briefly with Shelby while waiting for Loretta's rig to arrive. Shelby was showing her horse, Rio, for the first time this year. I had never actually seen her ride him!
Except then it was a hundred degrees all week and Loretta did not want to ride after doing barn chores all day. So around 5pm, she texted me, "Do you want to show Nikki for me tonight?" The entry fee was already paid and they were going to be trailering over to the horse park regardless. Getting paid for two horses instead of one sounded like a good thing to me. Plus, I enjoy Nikki. I agreed. Thankfully, it turned out that I still fit into my show breeches. Haha.
I haven't sat on Nikki since June or so. Nikki hadn't been ridden at all since Friday because of the heat. Seems like a good idea, right?
Poor Mike got dragged along, too. He hadn't been to a TEDS at Bucks yet, and I figured I could make him take pictures of me.
We arrived at the show at about 6:30pm. My ride time was 7:12. I chatted briefly with Shelby while waiting for Loretta's rig to arrive. Shelby was showing her horse, Rio, for the first time this year. I had never actually seen her ride him!
Shelby and Rio in the warm up.
Friday, August 31, 2018
August Photos
The only way I stay current on anything ;)
Chelsea (Beamer's owner who is living in Grenada right now) drew this for me while I was going through a rough patch. I absolutely love it. It has been five months since Ozzy passed and it still doesn't feel real half the time.
This finally came in the mail and I love it. I was starting to worry because the website said six weeks for delivery, and it had been ten. Turns out the poor girl who makes the bracelets had to have emergency surgery at the beginning of July and all her orders got back logged. I'm just glad that it wasn't lost in the mail with the rest of his tail. I'm not sure I could have handled that.
Monday, August 27, 2018
More Retiree Photos
Working on a longer photo post in another tab, but I took these today and I almost never get to blog on the same day I take photos, so I'm sharing real quick. Plus these don't require any background story. Just more photos of the retired horses at work. Fly masks are ugly, but I don't have the energy to remove them for photos and then try to catch horses to put them back on after, so you'll have to use your imaginations!!
Top three first:
Top three first:
Taylor was the only one who cooperated with my black background sheme.
Well, Nike passed by it briefly.
Nike made up for his fleeting cooperation by giving me this nice pose though. Fancy prancy pony.
Saturday, August 25, 2018
After the Races (And Introducing Jetty)
Oh hey, did you know I have a blog?
This post serves one purpose and that is to highly, highly recommend After the Races in Maryland. As most of you probably know, I am extremely jaded when it comes to "rescues" and horse shopping in general. There are so many shiesty, dishonest people in the horse world that when I stumble upon some of the good eggs, I feel like I have to shout it from the rafters.
This post serves one purpose and that is to highly, highly recommend After the Races in Maryland. As most of you probably know, I am extremely jaded when it comes to "rescues" and horse shopping in general. There are so many shiesty, dishonest people in the horse world that when I stumble upon some of the good eggs, I feel like I have to shout it from the rafters.
Friday, August 10, 2018
Introducing (and Galloping) Sam
This post is long overdue (what else is new?)
A few months ago, this gigantic 17hh three year-old chestnut colt moved into the barn. His (terrible) name is Sam's Last Ghasp and we briefly debated calling him Wheezy before settling on the much more obvious Sam as his barn name. He's just too good of a boy to be called Wheezy.
The name comes from his sire, Heavy Breathing. Those of you who are really stalking these things will notice that means he's by the same stallion as my beloved Harry. Well, I don't know if it's the sire line or what, but Sam shares all of Harry's good qualities despite the two of them not looking anything alike.
Sam came to us for rehab and came sound quickly. Juli hopped on him first and after some very minor propping, he was a perfect gentleman under saddle.
I have been riding Sam since! We started off just jogging a mile inside, which is where we got to know each other. Sam is on the lazy side, which I love. His only "bad" habit is that he calls to the other horses sometimes. Other than that and the fact that he's a little mouthy on the ground, you'd never know he wasn't a gelding!
Once we'd worked up to a mile and a half jogging, I took Sam out on the turf course. He did get a little distracted by the other horses, but wasn't the least bit spooky or strong. He did think about running off once when a motorcycle passed behind him, but I never lost brakes and was able to pull him up in just a few strides.
Next, I took Sam out in the orchard field to do our first gallops. He was like a big hunter pony, loping around on a loopy rein, so I took him up on the hill. Sam has been great for my fitness and confidence. He's big enough and takes enough of a hold that I build cardio and muscle by riding him, but he's so saintly that I'm finding myself being really brave on him. I've ridden him the fastest out of all the horses I've gotten on in the last almost-year. In fact, I'd do just about anything with him by ourselves!
Sam has also started going in company again. The first time I took him in company with Juli, I thought my arms were going to get pulled out of their sockets. Sam wasn't running away with me, but he was leaning on me (politely, but with a head that feels like it's three hundred pounds!) I only got through three laps around the Hill before I had to pull up because I was out of breath!
Since then, we've graduated to the alfalfa field, which is a half-mile mowed gallop where we can work in the correct direction and incorporate lead changes like they do at the track. Juli was out the week that we started using the "west gallop", as Doc calls it. I put on my big girl pants and went out with Christine and Bam Bam. This was the first time that we went fast and instead of fighting to maintain control, I let the reins go and got out of Sam's way while he did his job. In fact, we ended up leaving Bam Bam in our dust at one point and Christine actually had to send him to come catch us!!!
The heat is definitely putting a damper on my fitness and riding. I struggle in the heat in general, preferring winter to summer. I get winded and shaky very quickly, and wearing a hot vest doesn't help. Still, I'm trying to keep it up! I did miss two weeks due to my sun poisoning so it'll be interesting to see where I'm at on Monday when I get back on Sam again.
Still, Sam is the type of horse I could see myself actually breezing on. We already went "two minute lick" pace. Christine breezed Sam on Wednesday, for the first time since he's been with us. He did have a few timed works at the track previously, and they were unimpressive at best, so it was no surprise when Sam breezing by himself was best described as uninspired. I'm not sure he actually went any faster than he did when I rode him with Bam Bam!
As always, I half hope Sam will flunk out of racing so he can making someone a very nice riding horse (I'll keep you all posted if he does!) In the mean time, I hope he stays at the farm long enough for me to learn more from him. I suspect he'll be leaving soon since he's doing so well, though.
As you can probably tell from my gigantic grin, I'm really enjoying this big red horse for now:
A few months ago, this gigantic 17hh three year-old chestnut colt moved into the barn. His (terrible) name is Sam's Last Ghasp and we briefly debated calling him Wheezy before settling on the much more obvious Sam as his barn name. He's just too good of a boy to be called Wheezy.
The name comes from his sire, Heavy Breathing. Those of you who are really stalking these things will notice that means he's by the same stallion as my beloved Harry. Well, I don't know if it's the sire line or what, but Sam shares all of Harry's good qualities despite the two of them not looking anything alike.
Sam came to us for rehab and came sound quickly. Juli hopped on him first and after some very minor propping, he was a perfect gentleman under saddle.
I have been riding Sam since! We started off just jogging a mile inside, which is where we got to know each other. Sam is on the lazy side, which I love. His only "bad" habit is that he calls to the other horses sometimes. Other than that and the fact that he's a little mouthy on the ground, you'd never know he wasn't a gelding!
Once we'd worked up to a mile and a half jogging, I took Sam out on the turf course. He did get a little distracted by the other horses, but wasn't the least bit spooky or strong. He did think about running off once when a motorcycle passed behind him, but I never lost brakes and was able to pull him up in just a few strides.
Next, I took Sam out in the orchard field to do our first gallops. He was like a big hunter pony, loping around on a loopy rein, so I took him up on the hill. Sam has been great for my fitness and confidence. He's big enough and takes enough of a hold that I build cardio and muscle by riding him, but he's so saintly that I'm finding myself being really brave on him. I've ridden him the fastest out of all the horses I've gotten on in the last almost-year. In fact, I'd do just about anything with him by ourselves!
Sam has also started going in company again. The first time I took him in company with Juli, I thought my arms were going to get pulled out of their sockets. Sam wasn't running away with me, but he was leaning on me (politely, but with a head that feels like it's three hundred pounds!) I only got through three laps around the Hill before I had to pull up because I was out of breath!
Since then, we've graduated to the alfalfa field, which is a half-mile mowed gallop where we can work in the correct direction and incorporate lead changes like they do at the track. Juli was out the week that we started using the "west gallop", as Doc calls it. I put on my big girl pants and went out with Christine and Bam Bam. This was the first time that we went fast and instead of fighting to maintain control, I let the reins go and got out of Sam's way while he did his job. In fact, we ended up leaving Bam Bam in our dust at one point and Christine actually had to send him to come catch us!!!
The heat is definitely putting a damper on my fitness and riding. I struggle in the heat in general, preferring winter to summer. I get winded and shaky very quickly, and wearing a hot vest doesn't help. Still, I'm trying to keep it up! I did miss two weeks due to my sun poisoning so it'll be interesting to see where I'm at on Monday when I get back on Sam again.
Still, Sam is the type of horse I could see myself actually breezing on. We already went "two minute lick" pace. Christine breezed Sam on Wednesday, for the first time since he's been with us. He did have a few timed works at the track previously, and they were unimpressive at best, so it was no surprise when Sam breezing by himself was best described as uninspired. I'm not sure he actually went any faster than he did when I rode him with Bam Bam!
As always, I half hope Sam will flunk out of racing so he can making someone a very nice riding horse (I'll keep you all posted if he does!) In the mean time, I hope he stays at the farm long enough for me to learn more from him. I suspect he'll be leaving soon since he's doing so well, though.
As you can probably tell from my gigantic grin, I'm really enjoying this big red horse for now:
Photo by Christine (almost all the ones in this post are).
Monday, August 6, 2018
That Time We accidentally Hiked Sixteen Miles
At the beginning of July, Mike and I decided to go hiking up at the Delaware Water Gap. With the help of AllTrails.com, I planned out a nice eight or nine mile hike, starting and ending at the Dunnfield Creek parking lot, where we'd last hiked this trail from. The plan was to hit the Mount Tammany overlook and Sunfish Pond in the same day, and get away from the crowds in between.
Except that when we drove up to Dunnfield Creek, the parking lot was so packed that they had it corded off. Whoops! (I forgot that it was technically a holiday weekend...)
Not to worry! I had an alternate plan, as usual. We ended up parking around the corner on Old Mine Rd. There were a lot of cars there, too, but there was still plenty of space available. This did add about three miles of hiking because we'd have to do an out-and-back on the Fairview trail to get to the loop I'd planned originally.
Here is a map of the trail we ended up doing:
Except that when we drove up to Dunnfield Creek, the parking lot was so packed that they had it corded off. Whoops! (I forgot that it was technically a holiday weekend...)
Not to worry! I had an alternate plan, as usual. We ended up parking around the corner on Old Mine Rd. There were a lot of cars there, too, but there was still plenty of space available. This did add about three miles of hiking because we'd have to do an out-and-back on the Fairview trail to get to the loop I'd planned originally.
Here is a map of the trail we ended up doing:
Friday, August 3, 2018
Dressage Shows with Nikki and Kylie
As I've hinted over the course of a few entries now, I have been going to the Tuesday Evening Dressage Series at the Bucks County Horse Park with two of my students and their horses. It has, for the most part, been going swimmingly!
Sam with Kylie and Loretta with Nikki.
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Tony Photos
We only have one foal at work this year. His sire's name is Danza, so naturally the baby's barn name is Tony. His registered name is going to be Whose the Boss (grammar mistake necessary to be JC legal). There's not much to report about Tony. He's currently at the bosses' house, separate from the main farm, growing and getting to just be a foal. I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot more of him once he's weaned. He is already halter broke, picks up his feet, and has been on a trailer ride, so he's off to a good start in that department. In the mean time, I figure everybody loves foal photos, so I'm going to dump a bunch of them on you guys now and get one more topic checked off my blog list.
If only they stayed this size. I have missed baby horses <3
Sunday, July 29, 2018
July Photos
Since I'm so sunburned that I had to cancel my morning ride and can barely walk...
One of my favorite local views.
Saturday, July 21, 2018
Hiking Jenny Jump
About a month ago, Mike and I went up to Jenny Jump for a short hike. It was hot and buggy and we had slept in a little later than we usually do, so we weren't up for a longer adventure. Jenny Jump is on all the "must hike in NJ" lists. Despite the fact that it's relatively close to where I grew up, I don't think I'd ever been. To my delight, there were several Geocaches in the park, which would give us a way to pass the time on a shady hike.
After doing some research, we decided to park down on Shades of Death Road and hike up from Ghost Lake. (And for those of you wondering, yes, the road and the lake are as creepy as they sound if you go at night. Some of my high school friends and I had a very scary experience when we got lost and ended up on Shades of Death late one night in 2005... Long story short something climbed on top of our moving car while we drove down the road, and the late night dew revealed over-sized hand prints on the car when we parked at the diner later...)
We parked in the empty lot by the lake, quickly found the first Geocache, and started hiking up the mountain. The weather was bearable in the shade, and we had remembered bug spray, which was very helpful.
The lake was lovely, full of dragonflies and lily pads.
After doing some research, we decided to park down on Shades of Death Road and hike up from Ghost Lake. (And for those of you wondering, yes, the road and the lake are as creepy as they sound if you go at night. Some of my high school friends and I had a very scary experience when we got lost and ended up on Shades of Death late one night in 2005... Long story short something climbed on top of our moving car while we drove down the road, and the late night dew revealed over-sized hand prints on the car when we parked at the diner later...)
We parked in the empty lot by the lake, quickly found the first Geocache, and started hiking up the mountain. The weather was bearable in the shade, and we had remembered bug spray, which was very helpful.
The lake was lovely, full of dragonflies and lily pads.
Friday, July 20, 2018
Percy Photos
I keep touching on everything with Percy without going into too much detail. Before he started rearing regularly again and earned himself a snip-snip, I really managed to build my confidence on him. We were going up on the hill regularly with Juli on Patrick and I was actually getting comfortable going "fast". We broke 25mph, which is bordering on a two minute lick (one step below breezing). After Doc came up and physically pulled my reins out of my hands (longer rein, faster), I really got better with my position, steering, etc. Juli and I were regularly clanking stirrups and I was getting ready to breeze.
Even when Percy started to rear again (and these are the Hi Ho Silver variety rears where you see front legs up above your head), I was getting braver about handling it and smacking him forward. I still didn't love it, but I wasn't immediately dismounting and freaking out for six days after the fact.
It's funny, now that I'm riding some of the other horses (Bam Bam, Sam, and Patrick) and am learning how these guys are supposed to feel, I'm realizing just how tough of a horse Percy is (at all, but especially to learn on!) He's got an exhausting way of moving, is huge and gangly, is liable to trip, and likes to throw tantrums. I feel less like a failure now. (Oh, and I've realized that Harry really didn't have brakes or steering!!) Still, I miss the big guy (he's 16.1hh at the withers and 16.3hh at the croup and he's only two!) Hopefully, he'll come back from the track in a few weeks with a little more education and I'll be able to get back to riding him.
In the mean time, I'm finally getting around to sharing some photos Christine took of us on the hill at the end of May. Also, have this awesome slow-motion video her friend, Heather, got for us that day!
Even when Percy started to rear again (and these are the Hi Ho Silver variety rears where you see front legs up above your head), I was getting braver about handling it and smacking him forward. I still didn't love it, but I wasn't immediately dismounting and freaking out for six days after the fact.
It's funny, now that I'm riding some of the other horses (Bam Bam, Sam, and Patrick) and am learning how these guys are supposed to feel, I'm realizing just how tough of a horse Percy is (at all, but especially to learn on!) He's got an exhausting way of moving, is huge and gangly, is liable to trip, and likes to throw tantrums. I feel less like a failure now. (Oh, and I've realized that Harry really didn't have brakes or steering!!) Still, I miss the big guy (he's 16.1hh at the withers and 16.3hh at the croup and he's only two!) Hopefully, he'll come back from the track in a few weeks with a little more education and I'll be able to get back to riding him.
In the mean time, I'm finally getting around to sharing some photos Christine took of us on the hill at the end of May. Also, have this awesome slow-motion video her friend, Heather, got for us that day!
Tuesday, July 17, 2018
The Babies Take a Field Trip
It has been over a month since these photos were taken, and a lot has changed since then. In fact, Patrick and Percy moved to the track until further notice yesterday. In the mean time, Darby and Flame had their first race (I have an entry coming up about that too!) and poor Pebbles came home lame, grew lamer, and finally formally retired from race training.
As an aside, Pebbles had a ruptured bladder at birth and had to undergo lifesaving and very expensive surgery to save her. Some people might argue that she never should have been declared a live foal. She was started at the farm and has lived at the track on and off for the last few years. She never made a start, and had a lingering mystery lameness up front. She also had a pretty crooked pelvis. Over the years, she has been seen by multiple professionals (remember, our boss is a vet!) She even had extensive chiropractic and massage done at home before the last time she moved to the track. Nobody could ever pinpoint what was wrong with her, but she did lose her mind and crash through a fence last summer (with Shelby on her!) and she flipped over a lot as a baby (not during training, but as a foal) so that may have contributed to it. At the time these photos were taken, Pebbles was four and still hadn't made a start. She was going the best she's ever gone and there was talk of possibly finally starting her racing career this year. She was relaxed, sound, and happier than she's ever been. Unfortunately, it didn't last and she came up NQR behind. We brought her home to rest, and the atrophy in her hind end got worse and worse. After trying one last round of treatment, her owners decided to pull the plug. She got her shoes taken off and got turned out with two of our senior citizens, Tristan and Wednesday. She is currently out in a big, huge grassy pasture. She is queen of her little herd, and looks happy and sound. She just did not want to be a racehorse. We'll see what she looks like in a few months, at which point maybe she'll get a shot at some other riding career. I want to emphasize that both our bosses and Pebbles' owners did everything in their power to give this filly a chance at racing, and then made the right decision and let her have the retirement she deserves when it didn't work out. Lest anybody think there's any kind of negative connotation to "retired from racing".
As an aside, Pebbles had a ruptured bladder at birth and had to undergo lifesaving and very expensive surgery to save her. Some people might argue that she never should have been declared a live foal. She was started at the farm and has lived at the track on and off for the last few years. She never made a start, and had a lingering mystery lameness up front. She also had a pretty crooked pelvis. Over the years, she has been seen by multiple professionals (remember, our boss is a vet!) She even had extensive chiropractic and massage done at home before the last time she moved to the track. Nobody could ever pinpoint what was wrong with her, but she did lose her mind and crash through a fence last summer (with Shelby on her!) and she flipped over a lot as a baby (not during training, but as a foal) so that may have contributed to it. At the time these photos were taken, Pebbles was four and still hadn't made a start. She was going the best she's ever gone and there was talk of possibly finally starting her racing career this year. She was relaxed, sound, and happier than she's ever been. Unfortunately, it didn't last and she came up NQR behind. We brought her home to rest, and the atrophy in her hind end got worse and worse. After trying one last round of treatment, her owners decided to pull the plug. She got her shoes taken off and got turned out with two of our senior citizens, Tristan and Wednesday. She is currently out in a big, huge grassy pasture. She is queen of her little herd, and looks happy and sound. She just did not want to be a racehorse. We'll see what she looks like in a few months, at which point maybe she'll get a shot at some other riding career. I want to emphasize that both our bosses and Pebbles' owners did everything in their power to give this filly a chance at racing, and then made the right decision and let her have the retirement she deserves when it didn't work out. Lest anybody think there's any kind of negative connotation to "retired from racing".
Abused, clearly.
Saturday, July 14, 2018
4H Shows
Two of my students have been trying to qualify for the big 4H State Horse Show at the end of August at the Dream Park.
Leigha has been showing in both the English and Western divisions on Nikki and Justin respectively. She lessons regularly, splitting her time between the two horses. I have also ridden both horses myself on multiple occasions.
Caitlyn has been showing strictly English on Huey.
Leigha has been showing in both the English and Western divisions on Nikki and Justin respectively. She lessons regularly, splitting her time between the two horses. I have also ridden both horses myself on multiple occasions.
Nikki
Justin, photo by Leigha's mom.
Caitlyn has been showing strictly English on Huey.
Hubert.
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