More Satin :)

Can you tell a little boy lives here?

Endurance is amazing in a lot of ways, but it really falls short for me in one area: awards. I know, I know...the trail is your award. I get it. I just wish they gave out ribbons or even better a medal like at the end of a marathon. Something I can hang up and look at with a smile. Hanging up a mini flashlight is just weird.

The hunter paces however do this extremely well and now. Gem has now earned three ribbons this season and each time an envelope shows up in my mail box I get all excited tearing it open. The pink ribbon above was from Windridge and I really like the decorative button in the center. I thought this would be my favorite ribbon until the one below showed up this week from River Valley.

I adore the horse ribbons and the length is pretty awesome too. This one came with a little letter of congratulations as well which was a nice touch.

If this keeps up I may have to find a way to display these somewhere. Gem makes my heart smile.

Hoarding - A Blog Hop

Blog hops, specially during the down times in my horse world, are one of my favorite things to participate in. The $900 Facebook Pony started a new one about collecting/hoarding items.

I am not much of a collector. Honestly, I can't think of a single real life "collection" that I have. It stems from my need to throw away all the things. I also like to sell an item before buying a replacement for it and keep an entire PayPal account just for my horse items.

Two things come to mind though.

The first thing: hats. Much like Amanda from $900 Facebook pony, I love hats. Off the top of my head, I can picture 12 different ones sitting at home. Most are from Life is Good, but there are two that stand out.

One is this lovely black hat that Dusty bought for me at the Run for the Horses Endurance Ride/Ultramarathon back in September. It fits me well without covering my ears or being too tight and black goes with everything. It was purchased to help replace my all time favorite hat: a grey one with a horse embroided on the front. This hat was special and irreplaceable. It was the completion award at my first ever LD in 2011. Then Einstein ate it.

 

The other is this blue running hat made by Headsweats. If you have ner worn a Headsweats hat, you are seriously missing out. The sweat band is comfortable and actually works to keep the sweat from stinging my eyes and the material is light enough to prevent an inferno on my head in the summer heat.

The second collection: ride photos

At every endurance ride I try to buy a ride photograph or two. I don't have a professional one from my first LD because the ride photographer wasn't there the day I rode, but I have one from my second LD and both 50s. The goal is to create a ride scrapbook that includes the ride photos, special moments, mistakes made, thigns done right and her ride card if I can remember it.

I guess I am a pretty boring hoarder.

Goals?? What Are Those?

Recently I was informed that the lack of short and long term goals leads to burn out. It was brought to my attention in regards to my private practice for which my only goal since opening in April 2014 has been to pay my bills and remain open. Apparently this fact applies to business, home life and hobbies alike.

Generally with Gem I tend to have little focus. I make about 2 endurance rides a year and only really up the conditioning about 2 months prior to that for peek condition to hit around race day. Afterwards she gets about a month off, more for our relationship than her physical needs. So what do I do with her the other 6 months of the year?

There are some long term goals with her: decade team status which can be achieved at the earliest in 2023 (scary when put in writing!), but other than making/completing one 50 a year that doesn't really account for our day to day lives together. I also want to complete a 100 mile ride on her prior to her turning 20 which gives us 3 1/2 years to accomplish this goal.

I think this is why I tend to lose focus/burn out with her throughout the year which results in long periods of nothingness and loss of overall condition. Now this year was a bit different with her injury, time off and slow return to work, but still the fact that I let her go then bring her back just to let her go again so much can't be all that good in the long run.

That's where some goal setting comes in.

The hunter paces have been a great way to maintain focus this fall and bring her back to work while also working on her mental game with moving out alone, leading, crossing obstacles and handling passing/being passed in a controlled and non cranky fashion. I like the paces and they fit in well with my life right now, however I really don't see being so focused on attending all of them again next season unless I manage to screw up and not get the supporter award this year.

So I need some goals to focus on to keep us working together and not just thinking "Oh no big deal if I don't ride today...I can ride next week" which is basically my life right now and isn't doing Gem any favors.

I really plan on our first 100 occurring Jan 2017, so most of our 2016 is geared towards properly preparing for that.

Goals for 2016:

1.) Finish up the 2015-2016 hunter pace series and earn the Supporter Award. All rides do not have to be on Gem, but I do have to personally attend them all.

2.) Multi Day Endurance ride in the Spring. Can be either two 50s or a 50 and 25. Currently aiming for a ride early April in Jasper, FL.

3.) Help manage an ultramarathon alongside Dusty to coincide with the Ride Between the Rivers Endurance Ride. Dusty was approached about this idea when we were there this summer and we are both super excited. Gem will likely stay home unless someone wants me to bring her along to ride her in the endurance ride.

4.) Get Haley to her first endurance ride. I'm already making excuses for this one, but she can only attend in the summer and summer rides just don't happen down here. The only viable option would be the Moonlight Sandhills ride, but I think it may conflict with the RBTR ultra/endurance ride.

5.) Attend the Run for the Horses 50 at Biltmore in September. Not necessarily as a rider, but to either crew for Dusty again or to volunteer. It is my favorite ride of the entire year.

6.) Complete the Broxton Bridge 50 in November. This is a big deal for me. It is the same ride where I plan to do our first 100 the following Jan. Getting Gem exposed to the trails, learning the camp, figuring out crewing situation etc... will all help ease my stress levels a bit for the January ride when I won't have a crew and will have to figure it all out myself.

7.) Figure out her hoof protection situation once and for all. The April ride and the November Broxton ride will help me test things out. I won't ask her to do a 100 barefoot, but I know the trails are friendly incase something were to fail.

8.) Get the trailer organized. This has been a work in progress for over a year now and just needs to be completed before I rip my hair out. Trying to ease all stress that I can before next January.

9.) Compelte an Equathon. This is kind of a sorta goal in that if it works in the schedule and helps Gem's conditioning then great, but if not it isn't a big deal.

10.) Continue to improve my fitness. I've started to run again and will be adding in some weights and spin classes as able throughout the year.

11.) Dressage lessons. I would love to start taking some dressage to help Gem improve in her movement and make things more efficient for her. I can't afford both lessons and the paces, so this will have to wait until the summer.

River Valley Hunter Pace

Under a heavy cover of fog and the promise of sunny blue skies, Gem and Waffles loaded on the trailer Sunday morning for the last pace before a small break. The drive was uneventful unless you consider watching three year old Wyatt shove nearly a full bag of Doritos in his mouth on the way up. The kid loves anything cheese related.



I finally managed to remember to grab a photo of the beautiful hand made bridle charm that Karen of Trails to Lead Old Cowboys Home fame made during Gem's injury. It is perfect for us, fit onto the bridle well and I just plain love it.

The ride started late, 10 am, and the parking area was already filling up when we pulled in at a quarter to. Registration was quick and soon we were making the trek to the start just as the sun came up and started to heat things up. A lot of riders were decked out in Christmas apparel and I warned Gem that next year she would be getting a nice hat to wear.

The starting guy was hilarious as usual. You would think his approach would lead to some really confused and lost riders, but somehow he manages to be funny and make things stick. His assistant was holding up the large purple arrow used to show turns and pink ribbon for trail marking as he informed us that we needed to follow the green ribbon and red arrow. I laughed as always and waited to be counted down.

Gem actually wanted to lead at the beginning and I edge her out in front of Waffles. The first mile was up a large hill that got both mares breathing pretty good but the time we crested the hill. I don't nit pick on Haley during our rides since I am not a trainer, but I do focus on safety and proper etiquette. When we got to the top, the tight twisting trail opened up and she got ready to ask for a canter, but I told her to walk to allow the girls to catch their breath and not overheat.



Proof we do actually go in front at times

It didn't take long for Gem to return to normal, but Waffles was still breathing pretty hard as we descended back down. Once at the bottom, she was breathing normal again and we took advantage of the cooler, shaded air by the creek to get moving. The trail remained tight and twisting in the woods for the majority of the ride.

The trail floor was covered in a thick layer of leaves that made it hard to discern the underlying conditions. Gem has really learned her job though and I trusted her to slow down when needed and pick the trot back up when able. At times, the leaves would give way to a carpet of pine needles and we would shift gears to a canter.

This ride had less open fields than any of the previous ones which was a nice change of pace. When the grass would show up under the horse's hooves we would open them up and giggle as we chased the wind.



One benefit of pony clubbers marking the trails: a sense of humor!

One of Waffles major flaws is her inability to follow a trail on her own. When Haley stops riding, Waffles will take the opportunity to go off trail. This has led to her going down a steep bank and crashing into the woods. As we were cantering down a cleared grassy lane with the woods on either side, Haley lost focus and I watched as Waffles made a 90 degree left into the trees at a canter. Gem and I kept going forward and they eventually caught back up to us. I've cautioned Haley about losing focus and stopping riding and at this point I figure she will have to learn it the hard way. Nobody was hurt, except her pride I believe.

The half way point was the jaw dropping gorgeous back yard of someone far luckier than I am in life. Thankfully, they had brought not only drinking water for the horses, but sponge water as well. I jumped off and sponged the lathered sweat from Gem's chest and neck. She breathed a sigh of relief and was much happier afterward.



Can I move in here please?



I won't be a bother, I swear!!

We had been warned that after the hold would be a series of fields with newly planted grass. We were to stick to the very edge to avoid damage. They seemed very concerned that any damage would lead to future loss of land use. As we came up to the first field we saw the warning sign. To our left was the field and to the right was a house with a fenced in yard. We were told to hug the fence. As we approached the fence three very large, very loud and aggressive dogs came charging the fence growling and barking. Both mares stopped in their tracks and would not budge. Eventually I got Gem moving and we made our way along the fence line watching as one dog attacked its housemate in its frenzy over the horses. I made the comment, quite loudly, that if the people didn't want their grass trampled they should have put the dogs in the house.

After that the trail wove in and out of the woods and through fields. We came upon a picturesque pond and Haley remarked that it would be the perfect spot for the photographer. Just as we passed the pond we saw the photographer hiking her way to the pond. We had just missed her.

All too soon we saw the trailers in the near distance. The trail made a sharp right to the outskirts of the parking and wrapped around the lower parking field, then between the lower and upper and then along the edge of the upper field to the finish in an uneven figure 8.  As we came into the field, Haley did the other thing I am working hard to get her to stop doing: she stopped riding. I am all for a slow start and fast(ish) finish and Haley will just sort of lose interest close to the end and let Waffles slow way down to a crawl. Nope. I want off my horse. I want to get the tack off my horse. I want to let my horse eat and drink and chill out. I don't want to amble on in.(So I told her to get her butt moving and get across that finish line!

We crossed and I immediately jumped off Gem. She was dripping with sweat, but breathing normal even with a nice canter uphill to the finish. Waffles was just as sweaty, but breathing hard and I told Haley to take her bit out and loosen the girth. We hand walked the mares back to the trailer where they immediately both peed and stuffed their noses into the hay bags while we got their grain ready.

Gem looked pretty darn good at the end and we left the pace with two tired mares.



She looks skinny to me. I need to build up her top line again which will help her overall look.

The trail was just around 7 miles in length with an optimum time of 1 hour 22 minutes. We placed 4th and were too fast by 2 minutes 49 seconds :) 



Look Mom! I'm on the hood.

In Which I Manage To Get Arrested For Shrubbery

Yeah...2015 has been a banner year. I think an adult night of watching Monty Python and the Holy Grail with a big old glass of vodka is in order. You know, cause of the shrubbery thing.

So here's the thing. I'm a rules following kind of person. Straight and narrow, never in trouble, good student, the whole nine yards. The worst thing I have ever done is get a speeding ticket. (Unless you ask the husband - he may say the worst thing I ever did was back into the cop car and put a big hole in his bumper...but that's a different story).

You can only imagine my surprise then on Tuesday when I opened the mail to see a big old WARRANT FOR MY ARREST.

I went into panic mode: what am I getting arrested for? Will this go on my record? Will I have to report this to my licensing board? Will they then revoke my license? Will I be out of a job? Would I survive in jail? Are the cops coming to my work? My house? What is going on here?

Orange really isn't my color. I guess I could rock some stripes though.

Dusty had one too which was both a relief and even more frazzling. If we both got arrested, what would happen to Wyatt??

WHY AM I ON THE MOST WANTED LIST??!?!?!?

The warrant was issued in OH, a state we haven't lived in for many years. A quick call (or 5) to the courthouse and the answer was revealed:

We had an unruly hedgerow at our rental house.

Wait? What?!?

There is a warrant issued for my imminent arrest for.....unkempt shrubbery?

Then the panic was replaced with a deep seated, fuzzy, red anger.

In a world of racism, terrorism, mass shootings, bombings, drugs, woman and child trafficking and black market weapons, my overgrown bush is such a priority that I would be arrested for it? Seriously? That's an arrestable offense???

To make matters worse, we have a property management group who gets part of each month's rent to manage the property. We hired them to collect the rent, handle tenant issues, fix things that go wrong and make sure the property meets all codes at all times. You know, to avoid things such as fines. I guess I should have been more clear that they also needed to avoid getting me arrested.

To be fair, we had received a citation back in the summer for the bushes not being trimmed, dog poop being in the yard, the house needing painting and some other things. We paid to do all the things that were on the list and our responsibility, but made it perfectly clear that yard maintenance, including the hedgerow separating the yard from the sidewalk, was the tenants responsibility. The management group said they would get it all fixed and then even went so far as to email us and tell us it was handled and completed.

Apparently not.

Tuesday was a blur. Dusty called and called and called and called the prosecutor to try to figure things out. Would we need to go to OH to clear our names? So many questions. He left 5 messages and then began calling again on Wednesday. The poor prosecutor apparently only works Thur-Fri, but having been blasted with a million calls from us, he kindly called us from home on Wednesday morning.

As of today the warrant has been lifted.

I am no longer a fugitive.

We have to fix the hedgerow (contacted someone and they will be trimming them ASAP), have the city inspector out to verify and then everything will go away.

Well, not everything. Once everything is officially erased I will be contacting the management group. It won't be pretty.

25 Questions Answered

It is raining. Again. With standing water everywhere, the next pace is sure to be postponed and there is precisely nothing going on with Gem at the moment. So, to jump on the bored blogger bandwagon, here are my answers to those ubiquitous questions popping up on horse blogs.

Mares or Geldings? Why?In all my time riding I have been on two geldings and countless mares. There are times when I wish I was on a gelding who just did what I asked in a good natured sort of way and was the exact same every ride, but then I get on my opinionated, highly intelligent, sentient being of a mare and remember why it is that I love mares so much. I want an opinionated partner. I want to learn and grow and build a relationship based on mutual respect. I must be insane.

Green Broke or Fully Broke?
I am a one horse woman and when I get a horse it is for keeps. Given that, while I don't really want a been there done that plod of a horse, with specific goals in mind in a sport I wish to pursue, I need a horse that has some basic experience so that I know they will be a good fit. This wasn't the case with Gem, but back then I didn't have any goals except to enjoy my horse. With my next horse I want to be sure they can perform the tasks that endurance requires both physically and mentally. I don't want to buy a green broke horse with no experience in endurance just to find out they can't handle camping, trails, etc...

Would You Own A Hotter Breed?
I do now although I prefer the Arab crosses to full blooded. 

What Was Your Dream Horse Growing Up?
There wasn't any specific breed that I can recall. I just wanted a horse of my own.

What Kind of Bits Do You Use And Why?
Gem has been in a full cheek French link snaffle with a copper lozenge for several years now. She seems to be fine with it. I want to try a baucher on her though. When she went in her leather bridle I used bit keepers that allowed for a more stable bit in her mouth and she really seemed to like that. My bit keepers do not find on my halter/bridle and I think a Baucher would be a nice change for her to give her a similar feel to the full cheek with more stability in her mouth.

Helment or No Helmet?
A helmet. Every ride. All the time.

Favorite Horse Color?
A nice strong bay with obvious black legs, amen and tail. My dream color is a light buckskin with jet black legs, mane and tail.

Least Favorite Horse Color?
Cremello, palomino and overly flea bitten. I owned a mare with white around her eyes and she had cancer that required surgery and chemo treatments. I will never own a horse with pink around the eye again.

Dressage or Jumping?
Jumping is more fun, but only on a horse that will safely do it and enjoys it. Gem is not that horse.

How Many Years Have You Been Riding?
 For forever. Let's see....close to 30 in all, but there were large breaks in there for college and medical school.

Spurs/Whip or No Spurs/Whip?
When the occasion calls for it and when used properly, I am not against either.

Your First Fall?
Too long ago to remember. My first fall off Gem was back in Ohio when I first had her. Dusty was riding Pete with us in the indoor and the trainer put the sprinkler on to water the dusty footing. It was one of those old fashioned kinds that spurted and sprayed going clockwise and then rushed back in a  steady stream counterclockwise. Dusty rode Pete along the outside wall and he got a little spray on his lower legs without an issue. When I went to go, he decided to cut on the inside of us. Pete then got blasted full force in the chest which freaked even Mr. Unflappable out. Gem was trapped between him and the wall and had no clue what was going on, so she bolted. I landed in the fresh mud.

When Was The Last Time You Rode And What Did You Do?
Last Sunday and we kicked butt at the hunter pace.

Most Expensive Piece of Tack You Own?
Saddle for sure.

How Old Were You When You Started Riding?
I started being ponied by my uncle around the age of 3 and slowly graduated to my own pony then horse and so on.

Leather or Nylon Halters?
Nylon. Gem's halter sits on the pasture gate 24/7 and a leather one would be ridiculous. I also like the fun colors you can get and have an outdoor halter in some indiscriminate color plus her "show" halter which is red and black and monogrammed with her name on it.

Leather or Synthetic Saddles?
This is tricky. For ease of use I like synthetic, but I've never really been able to sink into one and be comfy. For that I really like leather.

What Type of Reins Do You Like?
I hate rubber reins and I really hate the ones with the knobby things on them. How do people ride with those? I like the leather lace reins and have some odd nylon type ones now.

English or Western?
English for sure, but Gemmiepants fits way better in the rigging available with western saddles so we are in a western based endurance saddle at the moment.

How Many Horses Do You Currently Own/Lease?
Technically two since we are married and therefore Pete is also mine, but I rarely do anything with him.

Do You Board Your Horse? Full Board? Self Care? etc.?
Pasture board at probably the best place we have ever boarded. Some day we will get our own farm, but I have been saying that for 15 years now, so who really knows.

Have You Ever Put Down A Horse You Loved?
I find the distinction of "You Loved" here to be really odd. Would it be different if it wasn't a horse you loved? How many people go around putting down horses they do not love? Anyway...to answer the question...no.

How Many Saddle Pads Do You Have?
 2 in service (Reinsman tacky too pad and ThinLne endurance pad), plus two AP trail pads that are somewhere in my garage.




Reinsman

Slant-Load or Straight-Load Trailer?
Straight load all the way for two horse. Above that and to save space and not be driving around a semi truck, slant load.

Why Do You Ride?
Riding is the only time in y entire life that my brain just shuts to poop up. Running, spinning, work, driving etc...it is always churning away with lists of thing to do, worries, dreams, hopes, or the fact that I hate running. When I get up on Gem it just shuts off. Everything is quiet and I focus on the ride, the horse under me and enjoying the moment.

Windridge HP Results

We came in 5th again :)

Optimum time was 1:08 and we came in at 1:00:29, so we were over 7 minutes too fast.

Season standings have not been updated yet, but going into this we were sitting in 7th overall. I think we will end up moving to 6th after this event.

I'm obsessively checking for the pictures to be posted as well. I had Gem in a lovely canter when we approached the photographers and I don't think I have any pictures of me cantering her to date. Hopefully they got a good shot.

One more pace left before the winter break which is slated for this weekend, but I think it will get postponed a week with all the rain we are getting. After that there is nothing until the winter Biltmore ride at the end of January. I am really excited for that one. They expanded the course to be 15 miles so that we can ride by the house. Plus it is only $40 which is the lowest price to ride at Biltmore you will find.