# going the distance - my endurance adventures



## phantomhorse13

I figured since I babble so much on several threads, it might just be easier to start a journal. Thanks for reading!

Quick intro/review: This is my 10th season in distance riding. I generally do endurance events (which are sanctioned by AERC), but also do some CTR events (sanctioned by ECTRA). 

I am super lucky that my DH also distance rides. Our horses are kept at home and I can ride right off the property. The herd includes:

*Dream* (Wirtual Dream), 2000 Arabian mare. I started distance riding with her and was spoiled by having a super horse right from the start. She has 2,120 endurance miles and 80 limited distance miles, including 3 one-day 100s, 31 Top Tens, 2 wins, and 6 Best Conditioneds. Sadly, she is now retired due to complications from a trailer accident and Lyme disease that has left her unrideable. :sad:











*Phin* (AM Bet on Dorsaz), 2008 Arabian gelding. We have just started competing this season (I just got him last year), so far having completed 1 limited distance ride (30 miles) and 1 endurance ride (50 miles), including 1 Top Ten.











*Sultan* (RA Sultan) is DH's heart horse. They have been doing distance together for 9 years. Sultan (in blue) has 2,040 endurance miles and 140 limited distance miles, including 4 one-day 100s and 14 Top Tens.











*George* (RA Silbaaddin) is Sultan's 3/4 sibling and they have been together literally their entire lives. When DH went to buy Sultan, he was told it was both or none! Luckily, he picked both. George (in red) has been doing distance for 8 years and has 1555 endurance miles and 55 limited distance miles, including 3 one-day 100s and 17 Top Tens.


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## tim62988

good looking horses and impressive amount of miles under them. please continue to babble in the other threads too, i have seen that you put on some miles to get to your endurance rides, really wish there were more in the north east but happy with the outstanding trail riding i have close to home (if you ever do the brookfield NY ride & need anything while up this way PM me)


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## phantomhorse13

This past weekend, DH and I went south to Virginia for the Old Dominion ride. That ride is notorious for heat, humidity, and rocks - it's called the Beast of the East. This year did not disappoint!

We got there Thursday afternoon and I grazed the horses while DH set up the pens. After putting George and Phin into them, I was heading to fill the water buckets while DH was getting the eletric hooked up, when I heard a weird cracking noise in the woods just behind the pens. I swung around to look, saying something to DH. Both horses were on their toes. More cracking noises and the horses are both acting like they would like to leave the premises as I am looking for the creature making the noises. The next instant, a TREE comes crashing down, landing inches from the pens. :eek_color: The poor horses were less than happy, but neither so much as tested the fence!

Nothing else out of the ordinary happened before the ride. The horses vetted in without issue. Phin is still a bit squirmy with strangers touching him, but nothing too bad. And the vets are all sympathetic, so make it a good experience instead of being angry about it.

Saturday morning was fairly comfortable in terms of temps and it wasn't foggy! We were happy to take whatever break we could, knowing the temp was forecast to climb into the 90Fs and get more humid as the day went on. DH and I were riding the same distance but planned to do so separately, as George is generally much faster than Phin. After tacking up, we mounted up and then went our separate ways.











The start was a bit exciting for me, as Phin had never done so before without George or Sultan along. There were also 71 horses starting the ride, so it was quite the crowd! I hung back and let the front runners and most of the pack go before heading out myself. The first loop was 16 miles. Here we are just as we passed the start:











Phin was quite forward and decided that if he couldn't ride with grey horses he knew, then strange grey horses were better than nothing. I was not real pleased with the people we wound up behind, as they tend to ride a yo-yo pace (cantering one moment, walking the next), so I had a heck of a time keeping Phin at the steady trot I wanted. Once we hit the first big climb though, everyone was walking!





















After the climb, the people on the greys vanished into the distance, cantering off downhill. Phin really wanted to follow, but I was able to keep him to a trot. The person who had been following us up the climb (a friend), tried to get him to buddy up with her horse, but apparently Phin is color-biased! All the way to the first hold, he just looked for more greys.





















When we got to the hold, I had expected to find DH there with George about ready to go back out. Instead, they hadn't even vetted yet! George was being a bit of a pill and had taken some time to calm down and pulse down. Once he saw Phin, he was hollering like a fool so DH had to wait for me to untack before trying to pulse George. Phin was down by the time I had the tack off, so we went and vetted together uneventfully.

Phin did a super job of eating during the hold. After how fussy Dream was about eating, I still can't believe it. Phin will eat basically anything and everything you put in front of him!










to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

DH and I decided that since the horses were both there, we would ride the next loop together and see how things went. That loop was 17 miles. We headed out with happy horses and while George had to slow a bit, he didn't seem to mind and wasn't fussy about it.











We had been told the really tough climb had been taken out of this loop due to trail erosion making it dangerous. So we went along, waiting for the trail to deviate from the one we knew. It didn't. We kept thinking the new turn would come any moment. It didn't. Eventually, we were at the bottom of the notorious climb.. surprise! It was in the course after all.





















Amazingly, we passed a group of hikers who were trimming trees along the climb. I had to give them massive kudos for their efforts!!































When we reached the summit, we figured we had seen the worst of it. The climb was always very rocky, but didn't seem any worse than previous years. Then, we came to the first downhill. We had caught up with a couple other people (riding experienced horses) and knew something was up when they halted and dismounted. DH did the same when he looked over. When I saw the trail, my stomach sank. The trail had washed out badly around the rocks, leaving scary gaps just asking to trap a foot. Phin has come a long way, but he is still not the most coordinated going downhill over funky terrain. I don't have any pictures because I was too busy trying to help Phin (and myself) navigate the trail. I am happy to report he kept his head and carefully placed one foot at a time. There were shoes and boots all over the place - evidence others had not been so careful. But everyone in our group made it down unscathed and we continued on.











The second hold was a place that crews cannot get to, but there are always volunteers to help. The horses were provided water, hay and a variety of grain and they had water and goodies for us, too. The place is always an oven - never any breeze and the rocks  seem to reflect the heat even into the shade. We were not sorry to get back on trail for the next 13 mile section.











to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 3

This loop had quite a bit of road, which was a nice change after the horrible rocky sections. The horses perked up and were happy to move along.




















Before long, we were in the hold (which was the same place as the first hold). The boys pulsed down right away and vetted through with no issues. I had a few bad moments as Phin didn't want to eat or drink much to start with. I had given him a dose of electrolytes on trail during that loop and he had taken great offense to it. After repeatedly rinsing his mouth out with water and then coaxing him with hand feeding, he took a couple bites and realized I hadn't poisoned him after all. Lesson learned - no elytes on trail for Phin!!











The last loop was a quick 6.5 miles and the horses knew they were going home. We made a point to let them drink their fill at the creeks and do a lot of sponging, not letting any of them hurry home. We crossed the finish line together after an amazing day.
















George and Phin passed the final vetting with flying colors, though Phin did show some sensitivity in his girth on the right (so I know I have some tack tweaking to do). That completion means 

Phin is officially an endurance horse!!












I couldn't be more pleased with how he handled himself. We tied for 14th and only about 50% of the horses that started, finished.

:clap: :happydance: :clap: :happydance: :clap: :happydance: :clap:


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## Saranda

A fascinating journal I will definitely sub and continue to read. Thanks! I live in a country where endurance riding is practically non-existent, but at least I can imagine it through stories like these.


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## evilamc

I love Phin's happy forward ears  Bout time you started a journal!


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## walkinthewalk

You are living what I always wanted to do but, even competitive riding wasn't in the cards for me so I created my own"endurance riding" 

I spent the first 51 years of my life on the Oh/PA border. We did a lot of riding at Beaver Creek, OH and up in the Allegheny's.

Hats off to you, I will be following along


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## evilamc

Too bad you aren't riding anymore Walk! Beaver Creek is just over 2 hours away from me  Since moving to Ohio I'm having a lot of fun checking out all the parks!


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## tinaev

I'll be watching this thread! I'm so fascinated by endurance riding, I really hope to try it one day. Love all your bright red next to Phin's grey.


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## Blue

Wonderful story and as always amazing pictures!


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## Twalker

Way to go PH. What a great ride.


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## LoriF

That looks like so much fun. I've often toyed with the idea of endurance riding. It just looks like a really great sport. Do you see a lot of breeds out there doing this?

I think it's pretty cool that both you and your husband enjoy this, it gives you a lot to do and talk about together.


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## Celeste

I am just posting so you will know that I am subbing. That way I won't look stalkerish. I live vicariously through your riding. Keep up the good work!


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## whisperbaby22

Yes, thanks for starting this. Always a great read.


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## AnitaAnne

WOW Phantom!! Phin is so beautiful, I could look at pictures of him all day! He is whiter than white. A BIG CONGRATULATIONS to you both!! 

It is amazing to me how much Phin has grown and developed under your expert TLC and careful training. I remember when you first bought him and he really doesn't even look like the same horse. Much improved! 

Was :rofl: reading how he wanted to be with other greys! What a character he is. Speaking of character, George's antics had me laughing so hard I nearly burst! Your DH must have been furious with him, but I think it is rather sweet that George forced you into riding together. I think he needs a carrot reward 

Hoping you keep writing about your rides, this journal is very good reading.


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## karliejaye

Hooray Phin! Great work. I look forward to reading more and living vicariously through your journal!


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## phantomhorse13

LoriF said:


> That looks like so much fun. I've often toyed with the idea of endurance riding. It just looks like a really great sport. Do you see a lot of breeds out there doing this?


While Arabs are certainly the most common, you do see other breeds competing. If you want to _win_, you likely need an arab.. but if you just want to ride and enjoy the trails, then most any breed will do. And there are always examples of individual stand-outs among non-arabs (see Sarge below).

Here are some 'alternative breed' horses I have had the pleasure of riding:

Ned, Trakeher/Arab (a decade horse - meaning he has been doing endurance for 10 years straight with the same rider!):










Possum (grey), Morgan/Standardbred and Levi (chestnut), Morgan:










Hollie, TB: 










Justice, Morgan:










Shiloh (chestnut), Quarab (also a decade horse and still competing at 23):










Sarge, Morab (a decade horse and he was the national champion 100 mile horse last year):










Fluffy (grey) and Brimstone (bay), 1/2 perch 1/2 arabs:










Duroc, 3/4 TB, 1/4 welsh:










It's also not uncommon to see gaited breeds (around here, tend to be walkers and pasos). I even have a friend who competes on a full perch!


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## phantomhorse13

I got Sultan out yesterday for the last training ride before his next competition. The weather was pretty agreeable but the bugs were simply awful, so the Dreaded Fly Bonnet came out. I don't know if they hate it because they know how silly they look (the ears are several inches too long), or just because its something different. I wished I had one for me, as I was being bitten up quite badly.


Brad (who works for my BIL) was out raking hay as we went by:










Everything is so overgrown, which I am sure does not help with the bugs.










Great place to work on de-spooking - the truck and equipment graveyard.










The creek looks refreshing, but it's an old mine outflow so full of sulfur and stinks!











Sultan was very well-behaved with only an occasional evil eyeball at a purple flower (otherwise I would have thought he was ill). He was forward and well within himself, so should be ready for the 75!


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## phantomhorse13

Ugh, just got a call from the vet: George has chronic Lyme. His titer was 7200 (and high end of normal is 950). Blast!!

We had thought something was going on as he's been NQR.. so while its good to have a diagnosis, I sure wish it could have been something else! [For those that don't know, my mare Dream has a long, miserable history with Lyme and its resulting issues). Vet will be out shortly to start the oxytet injections. Fingers and toes crossed we can get him feeling better!


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## evilamc

Awwww poor George!! Are you going straight to 30 days of oxytet? I'm happy to be in Ohio now, while there still are confirmed cases of Lyme it's no where near the epidemic like on the east coast/back home 

I hope George is able to bounce back quickly and doesn't have too many lasting effects  terrible that it's already chronic though.

Not sure what you feed your horses but before I moved I actually fed Jax a modified version of horsetehs high point ration balancer. I had them add more stuff in it for boosting his immune system to TRY and help fight off Lyme if he got bit


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## Blue

Oh Phantom, I'm so sorry for George and you.


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## phantomhorse13

evilamc said:


> Awwww poor George!! Are you going straight to 30 days of oxytet?
> 
> Not sure what you feed your horses but before I moved I actually fed Jax a modified version of horsetehs high point ration balancer. I had them add more stuff in it for boosting his immune system to TRY and help fight off Lyme if he got bit


We are doing 7 days of oxytet and then 30 days of oral minocyline. If it was still in the acute phase I might have opted for longer IV, but it doesn't seem to help the chronic in quite the same way. Figures.

In terms of diet, we feed Legends Senior as our hard feed, plus unlimited grass hay and pasture. George gets about 1/3 a scoop of hard feed twice daily. We also supplement with a probiotic (we use FasTrack) and a muscle supplement (we use MyoGard) with added vitamin E twice daily. Ironically, I had just ordered a bag of flax seed from our local store to start the competition horses on, so that will be helpful as an immune booster, too (will grind it fresh).

All the horses are lyme vaccinated twice yearly with the Merial canine vaccine, and George's OspA (the vaccination one) showed a nice high number. Current idea among the vets I talked with is that the vaccine kept him from being horrendously sick to start with, but wasn't quite enough to prevent the infection altogether (kind of like the flu vaccine in people sometimes).

Kind of a mixed bag there.. would it have been good to know when he was first infected, as the acute infection (in theory) can be cleared? Maybe.. but sure would have sucked if the acute infection settled in his joints or nervous system before we could get it under control and caused permanent damage. We are hoping that since he has been basically subclinical, the infection will be pushed into remission with just a single treatment course.. but of course Lyme does whatever the h#ll it wants to. Fingers and toes crossed tho.


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## evilamc

Oh wow you did the vaccine and he still ended up getting it  I've always been scared to try the vaccine. It really is hard to say if its good or bad, because like you said if he wasn't vaccinated you may of been able to catch it in acute phase....but at same time its probably helped fight it off awhile and maybe kept him from feeling AS sick. 

I hope you're able to kick it into remission with this one treatment. Have you ever spoke with Joyce Harman? When I had Dexter I did a consult with her, shes wrote some pretty good articles. The Harmany Equine Clinic

Shes the one that suggested supplementing vitamin C to me. I like the idea of the fresh ground flax!


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## phantomhorse13

The spiel from the vaccine people (which I heard because I worked in a small animal clinic) was that the vaccine was about 80% effective. So surely better than nothing, but still not 100%.

Maybe we need to have George pick us some lottery numbers!


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## evilamc

LOL that would be entertaining to watch, pick lotto numbers by how fast he does certain miles LOL!

See I had some vets pushing it on me....while other vets, including my DOGS vet telling me NOT to get it! It made me so confused. I know a lot of my friends are doing it back home though. One thing I was confused about though is one of my friends vaccinated her already chronic mare? Wouldn't that do more harm then good? Her mare was in remission but I dunno..just seems weird. I guess it could keep her from getting infected again? I know some people have horses that are chronic then get a new acute infection. I don't think I'll ever fully understand how lyme works, its crazy.


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## phantomhorse13

evilamc said:


> One thing I was confused about though is one of my friends vaccinated her already chronic mare? Wouldn't that do more harm then good? Her mare was in remission but I dunno..just seems weird. I guess it could keep her from getting infected again? I know some people have horses that are chronic then get a new acute infection. I don't think I'll ever fully understand how lyme works, its crazy.


The problem is _nobody_ really knows how Lyme works. Just when they think they have it figured out, it does something different. Is that because they never noticed that action before.. or because the spirochete is adapting and changing? If you think its a mess in domestic animals, talk to a person with it.

I chose to vaccinate (including chronic Dream) because of the risk of new infections. The Merial Lyme vaccine is a recombinant subunit vaccine, meaning it should_ not_ be able to cause infection outright (unlike modified live ones). Where we live and ride is a tick heaven and I can look out the window and routinely see deer and rabbits and squirrels (who are known to harbor infected ticks).


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## tim62988

Phantom: have you tried Vectra on your horse to see if that helps to deter the ticks?


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## phantomhorse13

tim62988 said:


> Phantom: have you tried Vectra on your horse to see if that helps to deter the ticks?


I do use Vectra and it works better than any other topical I have tried! It was the difference between picking off literally 50+ ticks crawling on the horse after a ride and only finding maybe one or two. But while I have never had a tick actually bite any of my dogs while using Vectra, I have still found the occasional embedded tick on the horses.

Nasty things, ticks.


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## tim62988

impressive that it has reduced it from over 50 to just a few


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## carshon

Fingers crossed for George. Poor guy.


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## Celeste

At some point I remember reading an article that said that in dogs, the vaccine seemed to help even in the face of active infection. I can't find the article now. So what I am wondering is whether it would be worthwhile to revaccinate now. 

This is just speculation with nothing to back it up. I am not recommending anything except that it might be worth researching.


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## karliejaye

Poor George 
A little over a year ago I got bit by a tick and developed a bulls eye rash and super achy joints. Dr treated for Lyme but it's impossible to know if we got it or it went into "hiding". It is such a nasty bug. 
I sure hope he gets to feeling better and you guys can manage it.


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## phantomhorse13

karliejaye said:


> A little over a year ago I got bit by a tick and developed a bulls eye rash and super achy joints. Dr treated for Lyme.


What were you treated with? Doxy? For how long? Did they put you on anything else (western medicine or supplements)?

I find the variety of treatments given to people fascinating. Our farrier is currently battling with Lyme and seeing what he went through to even be diagnosed, forget treatment, was insanity. I hope you have not had any flares since. Did they run titers before and after like we do with the animals?


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## karliejaye

Over here Lyme is RARE, so the Dr didn't think titers would be any good (he said there's too many false positives and false negatives, I had the bulls eye, let's just treat it). I went on 14 days of Doxy. No tests before or after. So far no flare ups that I can tell, but I also deal with an autonomic nervous system disorder that gives weird symptoms, so it's hard to separate the wheat from the chaff sometimes.


I almost wish I were on the East coast where Dr's seem to be more aware of it.


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## phantomhorse13

karliejaye said:


> I almost wish I were on the East coast where Dr's seem to be more aware of it.


If my farrier is any indication, while they may be aware of it.. it still takes an act of God to get someone to diagnose it. Bill (who has been our farrier for years) is the type of guy who never sits still and routinely functioned on 3 hours of sleep, etc.. so for him to be tired and constantly hurting and lacking motivation was out of character. But not only did he have to go to 4 doctors before anybody would listen, at least 2 suggested it was all in his head!!

I don't get why if a test like cornell's multiplex/C6 works so well in horses and dogs, the same can't be done to people. When I worked at a small animal practice, we used to joke about drawing blood from one of us and sending it to be tested, to see what kind of results came back.

Human healthcare sucks.


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## egrogan

Sorry to hear about George. My vet has always been pretty down on trying the dog vaccine on horses. This time of year, I'm picking ~5 embedded ticks off Isabel while tacking up, and finding a few new tagalongs that come home from our ride when I untack. Never mind the number of serum crusted lumps all over her that I clean and itch for her. You just can't win. As far as I know, she's never shown symptoms, but surely she and all the horses at our barn would test positive given the exposure they've had over their lifetime.

Changing topics...for ear bonnets, forum member @*mkmurphy81* custom made a great, durable crocheted one for Isabel last year as the premade ones never fit her ears either! Not sure if mkmurphy is still doing that, but you might message her to see. It's still going strong this year even after going through the wash a few times.


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## Celeste

I can't understand how any doctor in the north-east can doubt that someone might have lyme disease. The CDC thinks they get it.

CDC Map of Lyme Occurance


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## ChitChatChet

evilamc said:


> Oh wow you did the vaccine and he still ended up getting it  I've always been scared to try the vaccine. It really is hard to say if its good or bad, because like you said if he wasn't vaccinated you may of been able to catch it in acute phase....but at same time its probably helped fight it off awhile and maybe kept him from feeling AS sick.
> 
> I hope you're able to kick it into remission with this one treatment. Have you ever spoke with Joyce Harman? When I had Dexter I did a consult with her, shes wrote some pretty good articles. The Harmany Equine Clinic
> 
> Shes the one that suggested supplementing vitamin C to me. I like the idea of the fresh ground flax!


I second the vitamin C.


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## phantomhorse13

This past weekend, DH and I trekked to southern Ohio for the Black Sheep Boogie. We had never been to this ride before, but had heard nothing but good things from the friends who had gone. The original plan had been for DH and a friend to ride the 75 on Saturday, then I would ride the 50 on that friend's other horse on Sunday. However, 3 days before we left, the horse I was supposed to ride hurt himself in the pasture so would not be going to the ride. I was bummed.

Thursday was pretty miserable driving down. It rained. Then, it rained hard. Then, it stormed and hailed. I think about 7 hours of the 9 hour trip were wet. 











We got lucky that the rain ended for the last part of the trip, which involved driving down some pretty windy, narrow roads to camp. The field we were to camp in was pretty soggy but we got in without issue and set up. Only a handful of other people were there, which surprised us. After getting everything as prepped for the ride as possible, we settled down to watch the next round of storms come in.

(notice the empty buckets):










We didn't have long to wait before it was storming again. We actually knew it was coming before we could even see the clouds, as suddenly the small creek that bordered the pasture we were parked in was _raging_.. little did we know what was happening about 45 minutes northeast of us.











The runoff easily filled all those empty buckets! The storms finally abated just after dinner.. giving the sun just enough time to heat things up and make it feel like a swamp. Yuck.

Friday was forecast to be sunny, breezy and 85. We woke up to overcast skies and fog.. and weren't we surprised when it started raining about 7am.. and kept raining until just after lunch! Other riders started rolling in and we did not envy them having to set up in the rain. Eventually, rigs had to be dragged to their places with the tractor! We were lucky that the field around us was parked first, so not badly torn up.











The sun came out in full force for the afternoon, making temps climb sharply. Not sure the humidity dropped at all though and it continued to feel like a swamp. Some friends went out for a brief ride and came back to report the trails were a slimy, muddy mess - to the point that one dropped from the 75 to the 50. Oh boy. Got registered and vetted in without incident.

It never really cooled off overnight and was still really humid (meaning foggy) when the 75s started at 6 am. Thirteen brave souls departed camp looking enthusiastic.











The first loop was 13.5 miles. We expected the front runners in about 90 minutes. DH expected to be back in 2-2.5 hours. I got the last of the hold stuff set up, watched the 50s and 25s start, then sat down with the friends also crewing and waited. 90 minutes, no front runners. At about 2 hours, the front runners arrived. DH came in about 30 minutes later. We got Sultan pulsed down and into the vetting with little fuss and a healthy dose of water.











DH said the trail was not only muddy (hardly a surprise), but was also very, very technical. You were either going up or going down with no places you could really make time. That was not how the trails had been described to us, so we figured they were giving them the worst first thing to get it over with before the heat. In no time, the 40 minute hold was done and DH and Sultan were back out for the second loop, this one 25 miles. DH expected it to take about 4 hours.











I passed the time helping anybody who looked like they needed a hand. I didn't know many people at this ride, as it drew people from the mid-west versus the northeast people I tend to know. I got to see some amazing horses and meet some new friends. We got a bit of a break between when the 50s and 25s went out and the 25s finished, so I made sure to have some food myself and top off all the buckets, etc.

We had expected the 25s to start rolling in to the finish about 11.. but none did. Eventually the first one came in about noon.. and the water started flowing. It was hot, still super humid and the sun was blazing with not even a hint of a breeze. About 15 minutes after the winner, another group came in to round out the top 10.. but everyone was having a hard time pulsing down. The bulk of the LDs came in just before cutoff.. giving them very little time to make pulse. I was hearing from everyone that the loop (which was to be the one DH did last) was _horrible_ - muddy and rocky and longer than the 11 miles it was supposed to be. Oh oh.

We expected the front runners of the 75 into the second hold about 11:30.. but they didn't arrive. So we waited.. and waited.. and waited. And I started getting that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. The front runners eventually came in about 1:30.. and they didn't have anything nice to say about the trail. DH made it to the hold about 2:30 - a full hour longer than he had expected.

Sultan came in hot, which was no surprise. I had the water and ice ready and he was soon looking like a drowned rat. His pulse was jumping around a bit, but it never occurred to me that was anything other than heat related - it would be at parameter (which was 60 all day), then jump up to 64 or 68 when he moved. Water on, scrape, water on, scrape.. then off to the vetting.

DH brought Sultan back after getting all As and he happily drove into his sloppy food. DH said they needed to go back for a pulse recheck, because he was 60 at the pulse takers but had bounced up to 68 by the time he walked through the ankle deep mud to the vet (who was out in the sun), but then was down to 64 after the trotting. The hold passed quickly, between refilling Sultan's mush and trying to cajole DH into eating. He had nothing nice to say about that loop and was not looking forward to going out and having to do it again!

We got Sultan tacked back up and DH went back to the vet for the pulse check. I followed at a distance, carrying the mounting block. The vet listened, and listened, and listened, and listened. Then he went and got the head vet. Oh oh. She listened. Then she started walking towards her trailer, with DH and Sultan following. Oh oh!

I go across the vetting area (still carting the mounting block) and ask what is going on. DH says heart rate is fine, but vet heard an arrhythmia! Vet gives DH a couple syringes of oral calcium, one for then and the other for 15 minutes later. Then come back for a recheck. We go back to the shade and I pull out the stethoscope (we normally use electronic heart rate monitors). And indeed, I hear it too. Shiitake.

We stand in the shade with a confused horse (he knew he was supposed to be out on trail again), me listening to the arrhythmia normalize after about 8 minutes. DH and I discuss what is going on and the trail conditions and the weather and the time and decide its not worth it. We untack. Sultan is totally back to normal well before the second calcium dose, but we give it anyway and go back to the vet.

The vet is initially concerned seeing us reappear with a naked horse, but she listens and agrees the rhythm is normal. Sultan is cleared to go back out on trail. DH rider options. Ride over.

I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening going between crewing for others and listening to Sultan every 15 minutes or so. He was totally fine from that point onwards and I think was rolling his eyes at my obsessive checking. He was bright-eyed and happy and actually was something of a jerk when out hand grazing. There were lots of other rider options, as that 25 mile loop (which the 50s did too) was just brutal, and everyone had heard from the LDers that the final loop was no better. It was also hot as hell and still humid (someone at the hold said the office weather station said it was 92 with a real feel of 108).

The winner of the 50 came in about an hour before cutoff. I am not sure I have ever been to a ride where so many people - and people known for being fast riders with good, experienced horses - barely made time or didn't make time! It was so bad, the ride manager wound up changing the last loop for the 75s, going out to mark an entirely different trail consisting almost entirely of gravel roads. Otherwise, I am not sure anybody would have made the time on the 75.

The next morning, we got packed up and on the road early. We had heard some rumblings from people coming into camp Friday about bad weather having hit West Virginia.. but we got to see some of it for ourselves. While the interstate (79) was open, the evidence of the mudslides that had it totally closed for a while was still apparent. We passed multiple places where it was clear the hillsides had come down, and in several areas the road crew was still out scraping up mud and trucking it away:











We passed the exit for Clendenin which was blocked by police cars.. which prompted a quick google search as to why:




















That certainly put some perspective on our disappointing weekend. :sad: 


Big lesson learned this weekend was that electronics are not always your friend. I thought I had done my homework in terms of stethoscope vs electronic monitor by using both at home after training rides to make sure the handheld was getting accurate readings (which is was). [Some horses are never read correctly by such electronics.] It never occurred to me that when his pulse was jumping around, it was actually an arrhythmia that it was picking up, versus a heat reaction. Now I know, if I ever get such erratic readings again, the stethoscope will come out! We could have corrected the problem an hour earlier if I had.


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## Blue

*Phantom*! Wow! What a weekend! Glad everyone got home unharmed though.


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I planned to get Phin out for a quick ride before the bad weather moved in during the afternoon. I wanted to see how the saddle did now that I switched it from long to short billets. I guess I should know better by now to tempt fate in such a way.

Phin was fine to catch, tack up and initially leave the barn. But within a half mile, I knew his brain was elsewhere. He was totally distracted and jumpy, looking at the crops and bugs and sometimes at things I couldn't see. He kept wanting to turn for home, which was a first. I am still not sure if he was reacting to the weather coming in or if he was just having a brainless day.. but we got as far as the outdoor and I decided that was far enough. Time to school.

I am a lazy person. I don't want to be a dressage rider or have to drill a horse. However, I do expect the horses to have some basic manners and at least pretend to be paying attention to me. It took about 45 minutes of work before Phin even came close to settling down, and even then he was far from relaxed. At that point, I could see the ugly clouds starting to gather in the distance, but since Phin was still trying to turn for home, I didn't want to reward him by heading that direction.

We headed out to do the shortest loop I could close to home. He was still jumpy and distracted, but at least had quit trying to turn for home and/or going along like a drunken giraffe.





















Once we turned for home, his brain left again. We wound up working circles and figure 8s in one of the hay fields until he found it again, then continued for home. We started getting wet on the way, which set him off again. Maybe his old owner used to run home when it rained? I have no idea, but I was not playing that game. As much as I hate being rained on, I hate a horse thinking it can run home more. We spent a lot of time standing. Then walking 3 steps, then backing up as he tried to jump into a trot, then standing more. By the time we got back to the barn, we were quite wet.

However, I was not going to let him just go into the barn. We worked on turns on the forehand and the haunches. We worked on sidepassing. Then I got off and made him help me gather the stuff that had been drying on the clothes line, then carry it around a while. Eventually we made it into the barn itself.











Phin was only marginally better upon returning to the barn. It was pouring rain by that point, which is quite loud on the metal roof. However, he stands in the stall all the time when it rains, hearing the exact same noise (and George and Dream were both standing in stalls, watching it rain). So, we spent a lot of time standing in the aisle, remembering what it means to stand still.

My quick ride (of a whole 8 miles) wound up taking almost 4 hours!! :icon_rolleyes:


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## Zexious

^Goodness!
Glad I came over for the read!

I know this is of little/no consolation, but I absolutely think you did the right thing. It's so easy to dismiss ill behavior (is that a term?) and to head home, especially when the weather doesn't go your way.

But kudos for muscling through!
You're a fabulous rider and a fabulous horse owner. 
I so enjoy keeping up with your adventures <3


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## egrogan

Maybe you can find some solace knowing that it makes us mere mortals feel a little better knowing that even your horses have disagreeable days 

Seriously though, sorry you've had a rough few days. The weekend trip sounds really awful.


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## AnitaAnne

WOW *Phantom* what a weekend you had! Rain is good but that downpour was horrible! Terrible to have the mudslides and flooding of that town. 

Reading of your DH and Sultan's ride had me on the edge of my seat. So thankful to hear Sultan is ok. Vet is very good to catch the arrhythmia. 

Was a bit funny to hear Sultan was ready to go on and acting up! Guess he was feeling much better. 

Sure hope your next ride is much improved!


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## phantomhorse13

I got Phin out for another ride today. I suspected things were not going to go well when it took me 10 minutes to catch him.. something that hasn't happened since he first arrived. He certainly looked lovely, with a big floaty trot and his tail up over his butt doing big circles around me. :icon_rolleyes: Dream and George, who were in another part of the field, looked like they were watching a tennis match, with their heads going back and forth watching him go.

Once his self-imposed warmup was done, he came into the barn quietly and stood like an angel to be tacked. Once I was on, he was up and ready to go. He was eyeballing everything and nothing from the start, so we went down the trail practicing shoulder in and leg yields. Since there weren't storms coming in, I headed for the Sugarloaf, figuring he would eventually find his brain if we climbed enough.

No brain here..











Or here..











ooo, maybe here?







Hmm, almost but not quite. So we went to climb the Tomhicken and.. we found it!











But then when we turned for home, it left again. So, instead of going home, we practiced standing beside the things we were using as an excuse to spook and scoot into a canter for home. Keith had the hay fans - aka Horse Eating Monsters - going, so we enjoyed watching them until he stood and relaxed.






Eventually his brain came back (or else he realized I intended to make him stand by things all day) and we were able to make our way home.











I think Phin's real issue is he is entirely too fit for his own good. Nothing he is doing is mean or intended to get me off, he is just feeling good and bored (the downside to trails right off the property).

As an aside, this was the second ride with the saddle using the short billets and the thin fleece regular length girth. (I had been using the long billets and a dressage-length girth, also fleece but fairly thick.. and he was very girthy by the end of the 50 we just did.) I didn't think the last ride gave me a very good test since he was so silly.. and while he was also silly this ride, he did move out and do a lot of climbing. I didn't feel unstable in the saddle, but when I untacked, he had 2 small swellings about a hand width behind both elbows. They weren't sensitive, but they sure weren't there when we started. Blast. 

My next step will be to tighten the girth another hole and see if it being relatively loose is the issue. Fingers crossed that does the trick because I really don't want to have to buy different girths, and I love being able to throw these fleeces ones in the washing machine to clean them!


11.59 miles, 2410 ft climb, 4.7 mph, 80F


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## tim62988

i'm curious, what is your average mph training time and average mph race time? i know there are a lot of variable such as the terrible weather & trails from the weekend but 1/2 curious about the potential of my wife's horse for some LD's at some point


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## AnitaAnne

You are very fortunate to have so many brain-finding hills to climb! Phin is quite the character. He is just trying to keep your attention :wink:

The horse eating hay fan is great! We had a big fan in the hall for two whole days until the BO saw it and said it must go back. Anyway, had great fun walking horses past it! Most of them were ok, until passing it and the big wind attacked them in the rear...had some tail-tucking, sideways jumping WTH moments


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## Zexious

So glad to hear Phin got his wits about him at some point during the ride!
I can definitely agree with you--better condition means energy to burn. It's easy to lose your head Dx


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## phantomhorse13

tim62988 said:


> i'm curious, what is your average mph training time and average mph race time? i know there are a lot of variable such as the terrible weather & trails from the weekend but 1/2 curious about the potential of my wife's horse for some LD's at some point


In general, our training rides are 5-8mph overall. Because of the trails I have access too, its hard for me to really crank up the pace unless I want to literally circle the same field over and over and over. However, I have always been taught that climbing can compensate for speed work (within reason of course), and seeing as I have no plans to _race_ Phin any time soon, I haven't worried too much about speed training. 

Phin has done 3 competition rides so far. The first one had 589 feet of climb over 51.76 miles (so very flat). It was 73F and humid and his average pace was 7.3 mph. The next one had 4179 feet of climb over 30 miles (not flat). It was 64F and not all that humid and his average pace was 6.5 mph. This last one had 7083 feet of climb over 51.89 miles (not flat). It was 94F and humid and his average pace was 5.9 mph.

If your wife is out doing 10-15 miles and spending most of the time trotting (or gaiting) with some walking and maybe some canter, then chances are your pace is fine for an LD. You have 6 hours to complete the 25 miles and most of the time have a 45-60 minute hold. That leaves you roughly 5 hours to ride 25 miles. However, because you know things like stopping to drink will happen, generally minimum overall pace needs to be about 6 mph.


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## phantomhorse13

The holiday weekend was not quite what I had hoped for. 

On Friday, I got home in the afternoon and went out to put some stuff in the tack room away. The horses were standing in the stalls, so I grabbed a cookie for each of them. As I fed Phin, I did a double take - one of his legs was blown up! :eek_color: I went into the stall to investigate and the instant I touched that leg, he yanked it away, hopped backwards and went trotting out into the paddock.. grade 3 lame. Shiitake!! :dance-smiley05: 




















I took pics and texted then to my vet, then brought him into the barn to investigate further. The leg was hot to the touch and the soft swelling was obviously uncomfortable. I couldn't tell if soft tissue at the back of the cannon was involved for sure, but he was sound at the walk which generally is not the case if tendons or ligaments are involved. He reacted the worst if I tried to touch the inside of the cannon. There was no digital pulse and his systemic temperature was normal.

The dink on the inside of that leg had happened 2 weeks ago at the OD. It was mildly sore the afternoon it happened, then had been fine since. However, unlike a normal interference mark, it had a lump under it the entire time. It was located low on the splint bone, so I figured it was just going to be an unsightly blemish when it finished healing. Since it wasn't bothering him, I did my best to ignore it.

Heard back from my vet, who suggested cold therapy overnight and reassess in the morning. I got out an ice boot and Phin was very good about standing with it on (not sure if he's ever had such a thing on before). After the ice, I applied witch hazel and gave him some arnica tablets in a carrot. We shut everyone into the catch paddock in the hopes of keeping him mobile but not giving him a ton of space to rip around in. They were highly insulted. I did a 20 minute session of cold hosing and another round of witch hazel and arnica before going to bed.

In the morning, the swelling was down slightly. It was still very hot and tender on the inside of the leg, but the back had lessened to the point I was sure it was not a soft tissue injury. Another session in the ice boot and another application of witch hazel. His systemic temp was still normal and he was acting fine. Everyone stayed in jail for the day.

I spoke with my vet again and she agreed that the dink seemed to be the issue. I was hoping he had just whacked himself again on our ride (since he was quite silly).. but I was worried that the dink was actually a sequestrum (where a bone chip breaks loose and abscesses). Those almost always require surgical removal. Only one way to know for sure, so made an appointment with the vet for x-rays for the following morning. I continued with the cold therapy and witch hazel.


On Sunday, the swelling was again down a bit, remaining only on the inside of the cannon. There was also a small amount of discharge from the dink! I was pleased to see that, hoping it meant whatever was going on had opened up. He was still acting totally normal and had no fever. When the vet came, he was only slightly off even trotting on the driveway. But the x-rays would tell the tale.











Phin was super about standing for the films - didn't need any sedation at all! The vet left me with some antibiotics (oral TMZ which I started right away) and said she would call with the results of the rads. 

Luckily I didn't have to wait very long before I heard back - NO sequestrum!! :happydance::clap: :happydance: 

Vet thought bone bruise was most likely, so would start with 10 days of antibiotics and the reassess. HUGE relief.

Today, the swelling on the inside of the cannon is slightly smaller, the heat is gone, and he didn't object to my handling it! I still cold hosed it a couple times, likely more to make myself feel better than anything. Needless to say, I didn't do any of the riding with him I had planned for the weekend. :icon_rolleyes:

But on a good note, I am so thankful to have horses that are not reactive to fireworks. Because of our location, we can see for miles around and its not uncommon for 4 different displays to be happening at once. It's actually funny to see the horses watching the fireworks just like DH and I do!


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## Blue

*Phantom*, Whew!


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## carshon

I LOVE your posts! And all I can say is that I wish my horses stood for fireworks. My new mare was a basket case so I stood by her stall run while she paced and worked herself into a sweat while the neighbors shot fireworks off into my pasture (not happy about that at all!)


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## AnitaAnne

Jeez *Phantom*, Phin gave you quite a scare this time! Horses are always changing one's plans :icon_rolleyes:

You have mentioned several technical terms I was not familiar with so need to educate myself a bit. Always learning something on HF 

Very good to know Phin will be ok. The picture watching the fireworks is cute; nice to know they are ok with them. Here they are much closer to the horses and much scarier, but mine tended to watch them too. 

Love reading your posts; have you ever thought of writing articles for magazines? You have a lot of knowledge and a fun writing style.


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## sarahfromsc

phantomhorse13 said:


> I got Sultan out yesterday for the last training ride before his next competition. The weather was pretty agreeable but the bugs were simply awful, so the Dreaded Fly Bonnet came out. I don't know if they hate it because they know how silly they look (the ears are several inches too long), or just because its something different. I wished I had one for me, as I was being bitten up quite badly.
> 
> 
> Brad (who works for my BIL) was out raking hay as we went by:
> 
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> Everything is so overgrown, which I am sure does not help with the bugs.
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> Great place to work on de-spooking - the truck and equipment graveyard.
> 
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> The creek looks refreshing, but it's an old mine outflow so full of sulfur and stinks!
> 
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> 
> Sultan was very well-behaved with only an occasional evil eyeball at a purple flower (otherwise I would have thought he was ill). He was forward and well within himself, so should be ready for the 75!



LOLOL, my grey Arab gives every purple flower he sees the stink eye. And only purple.

Glad he isn't the only one.


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## phantomhorse13

carshon said:


> My new mare was a basket case so I stood by her stall run while she paced and worked herself into a sweat while the neighbors shot fireworks off into my pasture (not happy about that at all!)


Wow, that is really obnoxious of your neighbor!! I assume this is not someone you have a very good relationship with? I would have been calling the cops. :x I had a dog who was massively noise-phobic, so I am all too aware of how awful this time of year can be (and you can at least drug a dog to sleep.. not really an option for a horse).




AnitaAnne said:


> You have mentioned several technical terms I was not familiar with so need to educate myself a bit.


Thanks for the kind words - I have always enjoyed writing (and talking, as anybody who has met me irl can attest to :wink. I am sorry to be throwing technical terms around.. what one(s) did you not recognize? Hopefully, I can explain it and save you some googling.


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## Zexious

Horses are always looking for a way to hurt themselves, aren't they? x.x
Wishing Phin a speedy recovery!!


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## phantomhorse13

I got Sultan out for his last ride before Vermont. It was 83F with 92% humidity when I left the barn and by the time I returned, the humidity was 'down' to 89% and the real feel was 101F. Heat training anyone? :icon_rolleyes: [Our normal temp for this time of year is 81F.]

Thank goodness Sultan was wonderful, as I didn't want to be out there any longer than necessary. Apparently he felt the same way!

the potato plants are in full bloom:



























the corn is loving this heat:









14.6 miles, 1852 feet of climb, 5.9 mph average


George and Phin continue with their meds and seem to be doing well. Phin's dink still looks lumpy, but I am suspecting maybe it always will. The swelling continues to decrease slowly. At least with the weather being so extreme, I am not itching to do more riding.


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## Prairie

Wow, I grew up in northern Delaware just across the border from PA and I only remember a handful of times when the heat was like you're having. That's more normal for where I live now!


Thanks for your pictures of your ride......that brings back some good memories of trail rides and fox hunting in your area.


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## phantomhorse13

Prairie said:


> that brings back some good memories of trail rides and fox hunting in your area.


The ladies I rode all winter for are avid foxhunters down in Virginia.. I haven't been brave enough to try it again. I had two pretty hair-raising experiences with it in college and I am way less brave now than I was then. 

Is there hunting in Kansas?


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## Prairie

There is coyote hunting, usually done with greyhounds and mules. Fox hunting is found in NE Kansas, about 300 miles from me. I've done it a few times, but that's make for a very long weekend. I've fox hunted in PA, DE, MD, and VA. I'd love to try it in the Tyron area of NC, but am always there during the wrong season.


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## AnitaAnne

I have no idea what a "dink" is...or how to treat one :redface: or what else it could be besides a dink, whatever that is, lol.


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> I have no idea what a "dink" is...or how to treat one :redface: or what else it could be besides a dink, whatever that is, lol.


You would likely have a hard time finding out the answer on google, as its about as far from a technical term as you can get!! 

Somewhere along the way, I picked up that slang term to describe any small wound on a horse that likely came from the horse doing something silly - as in being a dope led to a dink. :icon_rolleyes: My guess is it came from my time with racehorses, as they were experts in doing stupid things that resulted in marks.


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## Prairie

I here the term "dink" when I worked at a race track during the summers......the trainer would yell at the groom to call the vet since the *****horse had a "dink" that needed attention.


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## phantomhorse13

This weekend DH and I went north to Vermont for the Moonlight ride. The trip was rather last minute, as we hadn't planned on going at all.. but since the last ride didn't work out, Sultan was ready. Only catch was the shoes.. we were in the middle of the shoeing cycle (4 weeks out) and the ride is notorious for eating shoes. We debated having the farrier out to replace them and going for the 100, but the farrier was on vacation, so DH decided on the 75.

We left at 4am in the hopes of beating the traffic. Traffic was actually so light, we made fantastic time. There were some unusual things on the road though - there must have been a NASCAR race somewhere that weekend, as we passed multiple rigs carrying race cars. Then we came upon this:










Not even sure what to say to that!!


We arrived at camp and set up. The entries for the ride in general were down (only 55), so people slowly trickled into camp. Then the storms started.










It didn't rain for very long - just enough to cut the dust really - but multiple people arrived and had to set up in the rain (which always sucks). But after the storm, we got a treat!











Having been up so early for the drive, we went to bed early. The next day, my fellow crew person Russel arrived and we went out to drive the crew route. This ride has all away holds and the directions sometimes leave something to be desired, so I know to drive it ahead of time. It took 3 hours to drive the whole thing! Got Sultan vetted in no issues, then heard a friend had been hurt during her pre-ride. Some people on mountain bikes were where they shouldn't have been and basically crashed into her horse, sending him bolting into the woods. After being bashed on a couple trees, she took a limb to the head and came off. She went to the hospital and her horse got stitched up.

To say that caused a stir was an understatement. While waiting for word from the hospital about Teri, we tried to figure out what Liz and Adrienne were going to do the next day, as they had been planning to send their stuff around in Teri's truck. Understandably, Teri and her group were going to go home as soon as they could. Teri got very lucky to wind up with only 3 staples in the side of her knee and a mild concussion.

Liz and Adrienne decided they were going to send horse stuff out to the hold with ride management and send their people food cooler out with another 100 mile crew in the morning. We would hope to catch up to them at the second hold, where the 75 joins the main course. We had the ride meeting, then dinner, and it was bedtime before we knew it.

This ride is set up so everyone finishes together in the dark. All the holds and pit crew sites are numbered by how the 100s hit them. The 100 mile runners went out at 4am. The 100 mile riders (14 of them) at 5am. That group runs the "real" course. The 100K runners at 9am. DH and the other 6 people entered in the 75 went out at 9:15am - they join the real course at the second hold. The 50 (with 34 entries) started at 2pm and joins the real course at the 4th hold.

DH and Sultan started uneventfully. The first pit crew happened to be at the bottom of camp, so Russel and I had plenty of time to load the truck and have everything ready to go by the time he got back. I was even able to meet a couple member of the Green Bean team I am on online mentor for! DH looked great at the first pit crew. A bit of water sloshed and a snack and they were off to hold 2 (our first hold).

Russel and I got there and set up just as Liz arrived. We helped her vet Sammy through and get settled, then Adrienne arrived. She had slowed down because Muse (who was in raging heat) was a bit tight to start, but she had worked out of it and looked great. She vetted through with no issue. Not long after, DH and Sultan arrived. They also vetted through with no concerns.

The next pit crew stop was uneventful, and we got a parking spot with no issues. We made it in time to see Liz and Adrienne before DH came through.

Next stop was hold 3. We got set up and grabbed a quick bite to eat ourselves, knowing the rest of the day would be very busy and crowded, as the 50s came in. The time I expected Liz came and went and we started getting worried. She eventually came in on foot because Sammy had lost one shoe and worn through half of another! DH came in only a couple minutes after Liz and was also minus a shoe, as Sultan had gotten caught up in a root and pulled it off. [email protected]

Both horses vetted through with no issues, then headed for the farrier. We brought all the food and water for the horses over, so they could eat and drink while waiting. The farrier was very very thorough (aka, slow as all get out).. and Liz wound up needing ALL her shoes replaced.. so DH was waiting for almost 90 minutes for his turn. It was an HOUR past his out time before Sultan got his turn. Ugh.











We carry spare shoes, so I had a shoe already shaped by our farrier to tack on. While he was getting that done, Liz waited. Adrienne had come in while Sammy was being shod, had her hold, and continued on. Adrienne was concerned about Muse's hind shoes but figured she was better off seeing the farrier at the next hold than waiting in line.

As soon as DH and Liz were back out (about 90 minutes after their out time!!), we were in the truck and racing to hold 4. This one is always crazy, as the 50s are on course and normally you have to park a distance and cart things in. We had gone from running in the front to being well behind, so I expected to be parked out in the back 40. Because Adrienne had left an hour ahead of DH and Liz, I wasn't sure we would even get to the hold before her.

Adrienne was JUST getting to the hold as we arrived, so Russel got out of the truck to help her while I went to park. Thank the universe that someone was pulling out of a spot _right beside the hold_ as I came in!! It took me 3 jiggles to get the truck backed into the barely-big-enough spot, but I made it work. It was SO nice to not have to carry things but 10 feet!

Adrienne looked like [email protected] She hadn't eaten or drank much at the last hold and was paying for it now (what we refer to as 'bonking') after a long, hot loop. I sent her over to the crew stuff with instructions to sit and eat and drink. Russel and I took Muse over to the farrier and got that going. I brought her up some food and she was happy to eat while being worked on.










I went back and worked on Adrienne. Luckily even feeling wonky, she was able to eat and drink and the food stayed down. Before long she was looking much better. Muse was done with the farrier and we got her tacked back up and her night gear (glowsticks) on. We got Adrienne ready too (headlamp), and she was just leaving as DH and Liz arrived.

They all looked great, which we had expected as they had such a long time to eat, drink, and rest while waiting at the last stop! The hold time flew as we got everyone geared up for night, fed, watered and ready to go. They were towards the back of the race now, with not too many crew vehicles left. As we pulled out, I realized we were following another crew truck of someone I knew - who promptly took a wrong turn. Thank goodness we happened to be in a place with cell reception, so I was able to call him and tell him to turn around! He asked me to wait so he could follow us to the next pit crew stop. 

The delay actually did us good, as we arrived to find some others leaving, giving us great parking spots right up close. It wasn't long before Adrienne came through, with DH and Liz about 15 minutes behind her (so they were closing the gap). It was full dark by our arrival at the next pit crew stop and the mosquitos were out full force. We were happy to not have to wait long for the riders to go through, as we were being chewed up despite the bug spray.

We got lucky with parking at the last hold too, as people parked in the spot closest to the barn pulled out right as we pulled in. We had just enough time to set up before Adrienne arrived. Muse had just vetted though when DH and Liz arrived. We got them vetted, then it was time to get Adrienne and Muse back out on trail (last hold is only 30 minutes, which flies by with 1 rider, forget 3). Then, DH and Liz were back out.

That left me playing Tetris with the last of the stuff. Because Liz and Adrienne hadn't been sure about crew, they had sent stuff to each hold.. meaning as the day went on, I had not only all of DHs stuff on the truck, but stuff from each hold from the ladies! By that last hold, I had the tool box and 2 35-gallon water tanks that live on the truck, 4 coolers (people food and water), the fold-up cart, DH's gear bag, Liz's gear bag, 1 saddle rack, 1 pop up canopy, 4 rubbermaid bins (the big one was 18x48, the others were 18x36), a garbage bag of hay, a case of water (well by that point it was a half case), 2 chairs, 3 muck tubs full of alfalfa, and a 3 foot tall stack of misc stuff: 2 muck tubs, 2 soft tubs, 3 5-gallon buckets, 5 small buckets, 5 feed pans and 7 sponges!! And our truck is a flatbed with 6 inch tall sides.. so it looked like a bungee cord factory had exploded. In the truck were both dogs, 2 horse coolers, 2 rain sheets, a muck tub of alfalfa, and the (very full) trash bag and myself and Russel! 

I wish I had thought to take a picture, but I was just too focused. We went racing to the last pit crew stop and everything stayed in the truck. We got there just in time to see Adrienne, with DH and Liz about 10 min behind. Then it was back to camp.

Management had been adamant that no crew vehicles were allowed at the finish, so we parked at the trailer and grabbed the cart, a couple buckets, the stethoscope and the handheld heart rate monitor and went racing to the finish line. As we went, we noticed what sure looked like lightning.. oh oh. It wasn't supposed to storm, and with no cell service I had no way to check radar and find out.

We waited about 5 minutes and the thunder started. Oh oh. It was raining lightly when Adrienne arrived. She and Muse looked great. We got the tack off and some water on. Adrienne was heading to the vetting as DH and Liz arrived. It was thundering for real now, with a massive lightning show. The rain was starting to get serious as DH did Sultan's final vetting.

Sultan looked great (as did Sammy and Muse) and had no trouble at the final vetting. Adrienne was 3rd and Liz 4th in the 100. DH was 4th in the 75. Everyone was hugging when it suddenly occurred to me I had left the truck windows open!! It was now pouring, so I went running back up to our camp and got the windows closed. The driver's seat was quite wet, but I did my best to mop up the water with my clothing. :wink: I returned with the rain sheets for all the horses, as the rain showed no signs of slowing.

In fact, it stormed like mad the rest of the night. I wound up tossing anything we didn't want any more wet into the back of the trailer to be sorted in the morning. DH could not believe the amount of stuff we had in the back of the truck - it about filled the 2 stalls of the trailer!!

The next morning, camp had transformed into a mud bog. Someone said we had gotten 4 inches of rain in the storms and I would believe it. We sorted stuff out and only had 1 bucket that wasn't any of ours. Adrienne realized she had misplaced a sponge. All things considered, amazing! We went to awards (DH got a lovely hand-painted soup mug), then hit the road. Because we were one of the first people to attempt to leave, we were able to get out without concern. I suspect the tractor made an appearance for later departures.

The trip home was long (almost 8 hours), but uneventful. We hit the normal traffic by NYC, but no major accidents. Sultan ran around like he hadn't done a thing upon our arrival home. I wish I could have claimed equal enthusiasm about cleaning up all the wet stuff from the weekend. :wink:


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## Blue

As always, love your narratives! You seemed to have the irish luck with all your parking! Good job to all!


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## AnitaAnne

Dang *Phantom*, another missive from you where I am sitting on the edge of my seat as I quickly read of the latest adventure! 

So wish you had taken a picture of the truck! Your DH and all the others are fortunate to have you crewing. You might have worked harder than anyone...

So sorry to hear of the accident and hope they both make a full recovery. 

Congratulations to your DH and Sultan *4TH PLACE in the 75*!! WOOHOO!! 

Congratulations to Adrienne, Liz, Sammy and Muse too! Great riding everyone :clap:


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## Prairie

Congratulations to everybody who finished! I enjoy reading your journal since you are such an excellent writer. Thanks for sharing your adventures.


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## tinyliny

wow. simply, wow. I stand in awe.


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## carshon

I love reading your journal and living vicariously through you. I am honestly not sure if I would have the stamina to help all day. But would love to just sit and watch. Never been to an LD race and probably never will be one near me. I rode 8 miles on Saturday and was quite pleased with myself


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## egrogan

Ahh...forgot about that overnight storm...and that riders would have been finishing up in it! That's no fun. 

I saw that tank-thing too!!! What in the world?? There must have been some kind of event, there were a bunch of military things on the highway on Sunday.


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## phantomhorse13

carshon said:


> I love reading your journal and living vicariously through you. I am honestly not sure if I would have the stamina to help all day. But would love to just sit and watch. Never been to an LD race and probably never will be one near me. I rode 8 miles on Saturday and was quite pleased with myself


I can still very clearly remember my first 6 mile training ride. I thought I would die before it was over. And then I couldn't walk right for at least a week!

You would be amazed what you can do if you train for it.

Where in the world are you? There may be events closer than you think.


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I got Phin out for the first time since he was done the antibiotics. I tried to treat it like no big deal, but I knew the ride would tell me if that dink was just a dink or if the bottom of the splint was involved and the process wasn't done yet. I took him out in front splint boots, figuring to give that dink some protection. I also tightened my girth a hole on each side to see if that made any difference.

The weather was glorious. After days of 90F+ and high humidity, temps dropped to normal (84F) with relatively low humidity at about 60%. The sun was shining and there was a lovely breeze. And Phin had a brain from the start!

Some of the fields are out of control.. the grass and weeds were taller than we are:










Hadn't been up to the lookout lately. I need to find a way to trim that silly little tree growing right up in the middle!










Hard to see, but there are a bunch of deer out in the field - but the grass is as tall as they are!










The corn has been loving the heat and growing like mad - some is already in tassle:










Time for our second hay cutting already:










Phin was forward and happy and felt great during the ride. He was silly at times, but more from feeling good than being naughty. I was thrilled to see his girth looked normal on both sides when I untacked. He had no issue with the boots either and both legs looked great.

Unfortunately, there was a bit of filling around that dink when I fed dinner later that evening. I wouldn't have noticed if I wasn't looking and feeling for it.. but it was there. Phin didn't care at all, but it answered the question: it isn't done healing yet. So my plan is to pull his shoes (I am worried he keeps whacking that spot, likely with the shoe clip, when being silly in the pasture) and give him a month off. *sigh*


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## carshon

Sorry to hear that he has to have time off. Horses always seem to dash our plans for riding with odd injuries. I am NW IL near the WI and IA borders. Not much LD riding her nor any competitive trail rides. I would love to try something fun with my horse - I now have a green horse since my gelding passed away in March so I think any "fun" is a year or so in the future.


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## AnitaAnne

What a beautiful ride! Lots to see and big fields to ride in. Must have been such fun to have a nice ride with Phin's brain intact the entire time. 

Then find swelling on the dink :sad: Going to hope it is a bump from the shoes. Hope the month passes quickly for you


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## Prairie

Sorry that you have to give Phin a month off........can you ride him barefoot if you watch what type of ground you're covering?


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## phantomhorse13

Prairie said:


> Sorry that you have to give Phin a month off........can you ride him barefoot if you watch what type of ground you're covering?


I probably could if I took it easy and stayed in the fields, though he was pretty ouchy barefoot when I first got him. However, I think the concussion of being ridden period is also part of the problem. While we have had more rain than some places, we are still technically in a drought and the ground is pretty darn hard.

I keep telling myself he is too nice to not give him time to heal completely.. but patience is _not_ one of my virtues!! :icon_rolleyes:


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## Prairie

If it’s the concussion with the ground causing some of hissoreness, what about using hoof boots?


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## phantomhorse13

Prairie said:


> If it’s the concussion with the ground causing some of his soreness, what about using hoof boots?


While I know some people do very well with boots.. I find them the work of the devil. We carry them as spare tires if someone loses a shoe. Booting may help with concussion while riding, but it's also going to change his way of going.. which may be fine, or it may cause him to interfere even more.

It's entirely possible Phin might have a foot that holds a boot with no issue and I am just making drama where there is none (I have never had one on him but to check size).. but honesty I would rather not ride for 4 weeks than deal with the hassle. :hide:

He doesn't seem to be _sore_ - even yesterday with the slight fill around the dink, he didn't care if I pushed on it. But I don't like seeing filling. The other leg didn't have any. So better to stop and let it heal before it becomes sore again.


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## Prairie

I can understand your concerns, but know how difficult it be to keep a horse who has some time off in good, hard condition. Hope the dink loses it's swelling quickly.


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## LoriF

Giving the rest is worth it, my mare spent 18 months on rest and I'm glad I did it. She is now completely sound when the vets said it wouldn't happen.


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## Blue

*Phantom*, I'm with you on the hassle thing. I tried good quality boots a couple of years ago. Not so much catching on to a passing fad, but would going barefoot really benefit my horses?

My palomino lost 3 of them in the desert. No matter what I tried, I couldn't get them to stay on. I even had the "pros" at the company come out and look. I was doing everything right, but he just couldn't keep them on in our rough terrain. Turned out to be way more expensive than shoeing.

My paint on the other had, I could put them on in the morning and they'd still be there at feeding time in the evening. Never even had to adjust them.

However it was a huge hassle putting them on and taking them off. Sadly my riding time is limited and I want to get my butt in the saddle and ride! Plus, if hooves grew out too much they didn't fit right and so no riding. 

Plus, I noticed that they stepped differently. Odd? I don't know, but my trimmer said he had a couple clients that found the same thing. Some horses take to it and and some will do ok, but step with much more confidence with shoes.

As an aside. With a mystery dink like the one you're dealing with, I also would prefer to go the "rest" route. With a good healthy horse, getting back their condition is no problem. Dealing with an injury for a year because you didn't take the time necessary NOW, is a problem.


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## phantomhorse13

Prairie said:


> I can understand your concerns, but know how difficult it be to keep a horse who has some time off in good, hard condition. Hope the dink loses it's swelling quickly.


It was gone this morning, thank goodness. Luckily horses don't lose fitness as fast as we do, though Phin doesn't have as solid a base behind him yet like George did before his time off. But I have nothing to prove. Phin will miss the ride at the end of August I had hoped to get him to, but there will be others. The one I would really like to get him to (the final leg of the OD Triple crown), is in October.


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I got George out for the first time since his Lyme diagnosis. I figured his behavior would tell me pretty quickly how he was feeling. Glad to report that George acted like a complete ding dong - he is back to normal! :wink:

I didn't want to totally kick his butt in terms of my trail choice the first ride back, but I also suspected I would need a hill or two to get his brain. I decided on what we call the yellow gate trail as that is relatively flat. To get there I ride a lot of the power line, which offers some hills.

This is looking down onto DH's family farm. We will be riding past the power tower in the distance (though you don't get to it going up the visible grass, as that is much too steep to climb):










We walked up this hill, much to George's horror. So he spent the time picking rocks to spook at. :icon_rolleyes:










This is actually the power tower one past what you could see in the last photo. I was riding yesterday at the far tower in the distance.










On the way home, I paused to snap this pic looking down on DH's family farm from the other direction. This is taken from the far power tower in the first picture (that pic was taken at last tower visible in this pic):










While George was very silly, I was actually pleased to have him that way. He was happy to move out (esp when pointing towards home!) and didn't get too panty or struggle with any of the hills. It's amazing how much fitness horses retain (versus me who am def feeling having ridden 30 miles in the past 2 days after not riding for a couple weeks).

11.03 miles, 1577 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 84F real feel

The weather goes back to hot and humid tomorrow, so not sure how much riding I will be doing over the next few days..


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## tinyliny

i'd be over the moon to ride that far! I rode about 8 miles the other day, on convoluted wooded trails (so hard to judge distance) and was like crippled the next day due to back pain. I wish, oh I wish I could ride out in open country like that.

your DH's family farm, will it survive this century? I mean, the whole 'family farm' thing is so endangered even now.

beautiful country! God Bless America.


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## AnitaAnne

Wow *Phantom*, what fabulous pictures! Where you ride looks so wonderful. Great news that George is feeling better! 

Very good to hear the swelling is gone in Phin's Dink. I am trying to get used to that word but it is just really odd sounding to me :shrug:


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## phantomhorse13

tinyliny said:


> i'd be over the moon to ride that far! I rode about 8 miles the other day, on convoluted wooded trails (so hard to judge distance) and was like crippled the next day due to back pain. I wish, oh I wish I could ride out in open country like that.
> 
> your DH's family farm, will it survive this century? I mean, the whole 'family farm' thing is so endangered even now.


What type of stirrups are you using when you ride out? Your normal irons? You may want to look at getting wider trail stirrups (or even wider irons like you see on aussie saddles) and see if that helps your back pain when out. Mine make a huge difference in my comfort. I am not sure how people hunt and are not crippled after (forget the whole scary jumping thing). If you are walking on your rides, you may also want to try getting off and walking on foot to loosen up every so often. That helps my back a lot too.

In terms of the farm, the family is sure trying to keep it going. My DH is not working it himself as its not big enough to support everyone, but both his brothers still do (Keith is doing it full time and the one in charge). Keith's daughter and her husband hope to take it over in time. It's an insanely hard way to make a living - which I had no idea about until coming here and seeing it for myself. I will never fuss over the price of hay or grain again after seeing what has to happen to produce it.




AnitaAnne said:


> Very good to hear the swelling is gone in Phin's Dink. I am trying to get used to that word but it is just really odd sounding to me


lol. when you capitalize it that way, it almost seems naughty! :rofl:


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## Change

Subbing! And enjoying reading your writing, Phantom! You tell a great tale!


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I figured I better get in my ride early, as the weather has been awful, with temps in the 90s and high humidty (normal high is 85F). It was already super humid and 82F when I left the barn at 9am!

I had hoped George would be more reasonable today, so went over to the trails that are more fields than hills. I went across Alamar first (that is the farm next door that belongs to my BIL).. it sure looks different since the fields got cut this week:











I thought sticking to the shade would be more comfortable since the sun was broiling, but it was actually even more humid in the woods and not a hint of the slight breeze you could feel in the fields.











It wasn't long before we got to the neighbor's fields. That hill in the distance is the Sugarloaf and the break in the trees on both hills is the powerline I rode last time:










Most of the time, George was very good. He was forward without being too obnoxious. However, when we turned for home we had a small discussion about speed. I thought I had gotten my point across with the dressage work around the trees, as he had seemed to settled and we continued on for home. But George had the last laugh when he pulled a giant spook at a log on the ground and yanked a front shoe off in the process!!

I carry an easyboot glove as a spare tire and was able to get it on despite the wall of his hoof being somewhat of a mess from the shoe's departure.











I had a nice two mile walk home. When we got there, I got out the rasp and took the rough edges off the foot. The farrier is coming Tuesday, so hopefully he won't tear that foot up too badly before then. Horses! :icon_rolleyes:

11.35 miles, 1048 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace.


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## phantomhorse13

The farrier came today and I had him pull Phin's shoes as planned. I had wrapped the dink for a few days using a concoction a friend suggested (she had used it in the past with success). I am very pleased with how it's looking!

July 4:










today:










I had hoped to maybe sneak in a ride today since George has shoes again, but had to run for some parts for DH. Upon returning home, I was greeted by this:



















Sure as heck wasn't gonna saddle up and head out into that!!

I got this amazing shot after the storm (which gave us an inch of rain) passed:











My idea of a pot of gold for sure!


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## phantomhorse13

I got George out today. It took a while for the fog to burn off, and even then it was humid enough to feel like I was riding in a swamp. 

I decided on what we call the space needle loop, as it gives me the best places to be able to move along consistently on. I also put the heart rate monitor on, as I wanted to see just how much fitness George lost. That series of trails also stays decent even when wet, and we got an inch of rain last night.

Many of the trails I ride are on the far side of the main farm, so today it was yet again the power line and over. The crops were so happy to have had some rain!











Once at the top of the far ridge, instead of following the power line, we mosey through a housing development to the other trails. Today was the always exciting Trash Day. :wink:











The arduous trek past the potentially horse-eating cans and bags is well worth it! 




















the space needle - it's actually a government-owned weather station:










The view from just beyond the needle. The big hill you see in the distance is the Sugarloaf (which is between home and the family farm).











The loop is basically a giant lollipop, so we got home through the housing development and then back across the family farm. George felt good and was forward without being too silly. I was pleased to see his recoveries were better than I expected - especially considering how hot and humid it was.

I suspect this is his favorite part though:



















:rofl: :icon_rolleyes: :rofl:


Then as a fun aside, when I got in and went to change, I found this:










:eek_color: :think:

I had tried a new pair of sneakers.. and thought I could feel every pebble as I was walking or jogging. Shoe fail!

12.42 miles, 1340 feet of climb, 6.2 mph average speed, 93F real feel


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## egrogan

Love the happy muddy horse and gorgeous views- sorry about the sneaker fail!


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## weeedlady

subbing. I don't want to miss any of your adventures. Great photos and great writing. I'm enjoying your journal very much.
_M_


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## HeroAndGunner

Subbing!


I love reading about your adventures! I never took a liking to endurance until I started reading your thread! 
It looks like a great sport and can't wait to hear more.


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## AnitaAnne

Great to hear how well George is doing! The area is so beautiful, every picture is so lovely to see. Even the muddy horse picture! The joys of owning grey horses :wink:


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## phantomhorse13

This past weekend, I went to the Muckleratz Competitive Trail Ride. I was riding a friend's Morgan gelding in the Saturday 25 miler. DH had hay to deal with at home, so I was flying solo. Decided it was too much hassle to bring the rig for one night (and the ride was over full, meaning parking was going to be super tight), so camped in my subaru.

Meet Romeo:











He is every bit as nice to ride as he looks like he would be! He is also a savvy competitor, who was happy to grab a nap during the heat of the day Friday (it was 89F with a real feel of 101F). You can also see my accommodations parked in the trees. There was a bit of a delay in vetting in, as the vet judge didn't make it to ride camp until 5pm. We got lucky and were in the front of the line.. there were so many horses to do (70+ entries for Saturday) that not everyone got done before it got dark!! That meant the ride meeting was well after dark, which is not something that generally happens during summer rides. But it certainly kept everyone as brief as people wanted to go to bed. :wink:











We got some rain overnight, but it wasn't enough to make the ground muddy. It was, however, so humid that the rain couldn't evaporate, leaving all the trees and bushes wet and the area feeling like a swamp. 

We are ready:











We were glad to be literally the first ones out at 7am. CTRs do timed, staggered starts as you are riding against the clock and not in a race. Ideal time for the 25 miles was 4:20-4:50, including a 30 minute hold. [You get points off for coming in up to 30 minutes before or after that window - anything outside of that means disqualification.]











These trails generally have spectacular footing and this year did not disappoint. While there were some places you could see runoff had brought rocks to the surface, overall it was fantastic.











Romeo felt great and _really_ wanted to go faster than the pace required. I was glad he was feeling good, but was very mindful of the fact it was insanely humid and he is a heavy muscled horse. Once you get a horse like that internally hot, its almost impossible to cool them down quickly again.











I wanted to do the 13 mile loop in about 2 hours, and we got into the hold about 10 minutes ahead of schedule. There were so many riders going out, the last rider left only 5 minutes before we arrived!! We had walked the last half mile in (much to Romeo's dismay), so cooling off was not as big a challenge as it could have been. But when dealing with Morgans in the summer - there is never a lack of water.











The 30 minute hold flew by and we were soon back out on trail. The second loop was basically the first loop with a couple corners cut, as it was 12 miles. We walked the long first hill, then I let Romeo go a bit. He still didn't get to go quite as fast as he wanted to (especially on the downhills), but we both had a total blast. His cruise trot is 11mph!











The footing remained amazing even after 70 horses had gone over it. We made good use of all the water tanks on trail to cool thoroughly, as it was still insanely humid and the temp had risen sharply during the second loop. We walked the final 2 miles down the hill and into camp.











I thought I heard thunder on the way down, so got out my phone to check radar. Some riders passing on their way out to the second loop asked me if I was chasing Pokemon!! :shock:

I had the finish timed right as I wanted it, coming in towards the beginning of the window. You can hear the timer jokingly giving me a hard time about it at the end of the video:






The end of the ride involved more water everywhere. Romeo felt cool to the touch when we went to the vetting in 20 minutes (the required time) and I was soaked! The bugs were _horrible_. I was doing my best to shoo as many as possible, but he was obviously agitated by them during the pulse taking. He got a final pulse of 48 bpm (ideal is 44, passing is 64), which I was happy to take considering the circumstances. He trotted out well. Then it was hurry up and wait for Hands On (which is done when all the riders have finished and trotted).

Snack and rest time while waiting for hands on:











We finished at 11:23a. We got called for hands on just before 2pm! By then the weather had gotten angry, with obvious storm clouds rapidly approaching. Thunder accompanied our hands on exam.











We got finished and had just gotten back to the trailer when the heavens opened! I felt very bad for people later in the ride order, as they were still doing hands on when it started pouring.











It rained. And rained. And _rained_. Ironically, it was a lot more comfortable outside with the rain, but after an inch and a half in about an hour, everything was quite squishy.

That didn't deter people from tromping up to the awards later that afternoon. With 36 people starting the 25 miler, I was not expecting a good placing considering the conditions and his final pulse. Wasn't I thrilled when Romeo was 8th overall and High Point Morgan! He earned his owner a bunch of loot:










What a great weekend! While this had been a ride I had hoped to get Phin to, I felt very blessed to have someone trust me with their horse.


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## Blue

*Phantom*, What a great ride! So happy for you and Romeo. Gotta love a Morgan. They're great all around doing horses.


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## carshon

I love Morgan horses. I so enjoy this journal. Thank you for documenting and including us in your adventures!


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## egrogan

Can't beat a Morgan in my book  And Romeo lives up to his name!


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## phantomhorse13

Today I got Sultan out. It was his first ride after the last competition, which generally means he will be full of himself. Indeed, he did not disappoint. 

I didn't want a massive workout, so I headed for what we call the big square (its riding around fields so looks like a bunch of squares on the garmin tracks). Sultan started out fine, but he felt how the racehorses I used to ride for a living often felt.. so I knew it was just a matter of time. We moseyed along at a walk for 10 minutes (our normal warm up) and I made a mental note that I needed to do some trail maintenance.











The first time I asked him to trot, the first few steps felt so odd that I thought he was lame.. and then I realized.. he was crow hopping. :icon_rolleyes: A bit of leg yielding had him abandoning that idea quickly, but I suspected the fun wasn't over.

Next, we came upon the Scary New Fence. I knew it was there and told him it was there.. but he still had to see what would happen if he spooked at it. To see him on a training ride, you would wonder how he could make it through an LD, forget a 100 like Tevis (this is the same horse who without fail will try to spook at purple flowers - only purple ones!). Even once he realized I was not going to let him just turn and go home, he crept past the fence on his toes. Note that ear:











After surviving the fence, we made it out into the fields. Sultan didn't mind the multiple turkey bombs or groundhogs all over. What he did mind was my asking him to go straight when he wanted to turn left.. and the temper tantrum I had been anticipating arrived. :icon_rolleyes: He tried to bury his head to buck and instead got a crack on the butt with the reins. Thought about trying it again but a growl was all he needed. We cantered on and I could hear him grinding his teeth for a bit as he pouted. 

Luckily, that was the end of it. I fear to think what would happen if he wasn't corrected immediately, but at least he gives up fairly easily. The next canter was much less exciting:






We follow the same power lines here too:










Disturbed a couple buck in one of the soybean fields:










The power tower you can just see at the top of the hill in the distance is the one leading to the family farm:










Once we got home, Sultan wanted to rush for the barn.. so we did 15 minutes of bending and circling around the trees in the yard. Once he gave in and gave me some soft, slow trot work, I let him be done. I am much too lazy to want to do that for any longer than I have to! :wink:

10.48 miles, 1013 feet of climb, 6.6 mph average pace, 85F real feel


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## weeedlady

I enjoy your posts so much. Thanks for sharing. 

I've noticed your horses must wear bells of some sort. I assume there is a purpose? 
Love listening- It always sounds so cheerful.

_M_


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## phantomhorse13

weedlady said:


> I've noticed your horses must wear bells of some sort. I assume there is a purpose?
> Love listening- It always sounds so cheerful.


The bells are to make people (and animals) aware we are coming. I used to train on multi-use trails and found that people were fairly oblivious to the sound of hoofbeats and often even to my hollering hello when coming up behind them. However, people pay attention when they think Santa is coming! :wink:

Since then, I have just gotten into the habit of using them any time I am riding alone. When riding in company, I yak enough that there is no chance of sneaking up on anything! :lol:


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## Change

I know you mentioned it before, but I'm too lazy to scroll back through 11 pages to find it.... 

What app (I'm assuming it's a phone app) do you use to track distance, climb, time and mph on your rides? After a 2 month hiatus because of my surgery, I want to start getting my mare back into shape and would love to track progress!


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## anndankev

Will you post a pic of your bells? Please.

I always enjoy your pics and stories immensely, glad you have started a journal.


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## phantomhorse13

Change said:


> What app (I'm assuming it's a phone app) do you use to track distance, climb, time and mph on your rides? After a 2 month hiatus because of my surgery, I want to start getting my mare back into shape and would love to track progress!


I ride using a Garmin 310XT and that is where my stats come from. However, in the past I have used the Endomondo app and had good success with it. It will also give you all those stats, though it does run your phone battery down in the process. I know others who use Track My Hack, but I have not used that one myself.




anndankev said:


> Will you post a pic of your bells? Please.


I am out and about already (currently waiting for the grocery store to open), but will take a pic for you when I get home. Prepare to be underwhelmed, as they come from the dollar store! 




Thanks to all for your kind words regarding enjoying my stories. I am glad to know people are reading!


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## HeroAndGunner

Because of your journal and reading about your amazing adventures I started talking to mentor in my area! Thanks for bring the sport to life on The Horse Forum!


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## phantomhorse13

@anndankev: here are the bells! i clip them onto the rings of the breastcollar, one set on each side.











All of the parts came from the dollar store.


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## phantomhorse13

HeroAndGunner said:


> Because of your journal and reading about your amazing adventures I started talking to mentor in my area!


That is fantastic!!! I hope to see you out on trail one of these days.


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## Change

You've got this little old lady wondering if her body could handle a few LDs on a RMH! LOL! My 4y/o gelding is going to be under saddle by Thanksgiving and, well.... ;-)


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## anndankev

Love the bells, may be some like that in my Christmas decoration box. LOL

I was imagining a necklace of tiny bells (like belly dancers wear).


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## tim62988

as my wife and I are plodding down the trail today I was thinking about your stories, so what do you do to keep your horses in shape through the winter? or do you give them the winter off?

In the past i've thought "hey it's october i have my mare in the condition i want I'll keep her riding through the winter" 2-3' of snow with 3-5' drifts from the plow and i give up on the thought, but that is light fluffy lake effect snow up here in NY. what do you do with the heavy, dense, packing, icy snow of PA?


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## phantomhorse13

Didn't want anybody thinking I missed or am ignoring their posts and questions. We are currently away at a week-long ride and my phone generally hates the mobile version of HF and won't let me reply (and often eats posts). I will catch up when I get home!


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## Change

After a week long ride, we will require pictures and a full write-up!!


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## phantomhorse13

Change said:


> After a week long ride, we will require pictures and a full write-up!!


Of course!!

We are on the way home now, but will likely be a few days before I have time to edit the videos and get my act together. 

So I shall leave you with these teasers:


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## ChitChatChet

OH WOW..... Amazing pictures. Cant wait to hear all the details. *drooling* over here. LOL


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## HeroAndGunner

Maybe! I live in Southern Ohio! So not to far from you I believe ! I'm waiting for my AERC new member packet  !


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## phantomhorse13

Change said:


> You've got this little old lady wondering if her body could handle a few LDs on a RMH! LOL! My 4y/o gelding is going to be under saddle by Thanksgiving and, well.... ;-)


Only way to know is to start training for it and see! Just start out doing whatever is fun and doable for you. Then, start slowly pushing the edges of that comfort zone: ride 30 minutes longer, ride the same amount of time but do more gaiting, etc. As you and your guy get to know one another, who knows what you may be able to do!




tim62988 said:


> as my wife and I are plodding down the trail today I was thinking about your stories, so what do you do to keep your horses in shape through the winter? or do you give them the winter off?
> 
> In the past i've thought "hey it's october i have my mare in the condition i want I'll keep her riding through the winter" 2-3' of snow with 3-5' drifts from the plow and i give up on the thought, but that is light fluffy lake effect snow up here in NY. what do you do with the heavy, dense, packing, icy snow of PA?


As with so many horsey things, the most honest answer is "it depends." :wink: It depends on the horse and on what momma nature throws at us. In general, the older, fit horses (George and Sultan) will get 6-8 weeks off. We pull their shoes and leave them totally alone to rest and recover. That generally happens in early December and we start legging them back up early February. Last winter was my first with Phin, so he stayed in as regular work as I could maintain around momma nature's whims. We got fairly lucky with the weather and I was able to keep riding on most all of the trails the entire winter. I gauge if I will ride by what I jokingly call my jog test. I literally go out into the back yard and jog up and down the fenceline. If breathing hurts my lungs, I won't ride. I have yet to figure out exactly what circumstances equal painful breathing or not, as its not always related to the temperature.

Two winters ago, momma nature was a lot more angry with us. We kept getting a couple inches of snow that would end with ice, then a horrible cold snap would freeze it all solid. I didn't have any 'natural' footing that was rideable. Luckily for me, since I have the farm roads around our place and Alamar, we would use our tracked skid loader to break trail consisting of a 2 mile figure 8. Riding around and around and around was not very exciting, but it was effective. I generally would ride one and pony the other so I didn't have to ride that many more loops. I had enough people express interest that year I took the helmetcam out to record it. The filmed loop was after a couple as warm-up, so the pace is full speed:






I pray this winter is kind and I don't have to resort to that again!



I hope to have the Pine Tree ride story up in the next couple days. I have the video almost edited, then it will take a day to upload it (hooray for pathetically slow internet).


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## AnitaAnne

@phantomhorse13 Really enjoyed watching that video of you riding Sultan and ponying George along the 2 mile winter practice route! Have done my fair share of pasture riding (doing it again) so I understand how much you enjoyed that...But I just can't stop laughing at George! That tongue wagging has me :rofl: He looks like he is cantering along with his eyes closed and wagging that tongue! OMG I love it!!


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## Change

I was giggling at the waggling tongue, too! Great video! I think I'd kill for some of the countryside you have to ride in, winter or no, though. I'm stuck with fairly flat circles around cotton fields, or along busy highways!


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## weeedlady

The snow looks pretty good to me right now.


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## HeroAndGunner

Mother Nature is getting on my nerves here. LOL


I'm trying to start conditioning my steed but the rain isn't letting up! I think I'm just gonna have to deal with getting wet..maybe. 


I love the video of the snowy loop! Such beautiful scenery.


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## carshon

I am with the other the tongue wagging out had me chuckling.


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## phantomhorse13

Never have to wonder if George is having a good time.. if he is, that tongue is flapping!

I have been having a crazy week, as my MIL is moving and I have been the one doing most of the packing and carrying. She has been living in the house for 60 years, so you can only imagine the amount of stuff in it! I finally got the last of the pics done tonight and they will upload as I sleep. Fingers and toes crossed that I get some time tomorrow to write the stories.. can't believe it's been a week already.


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## phantomhorse13

Last week, we went up to Maine for the Pine Tree multiday rides. This ride is a unique one not only because it has rides on 5 days (the only one on the East Coast) but ridecamp is the Fairgrounds, meaning there is water and electric hookup for the trailer and a building with flush toilets and hot showers!












The first night we decided to go into town for dinner, as a local pub has fantastic food. Despite the forecast calling for no chance of rain, a pop-up storm developed while we were eating. We gobbled our dinner as all the windows were open on the trailer back at camp! Of course as soon as we were leaving, the rain stopped. But momma nature tried to make up for it:











We got back to camp and found George had turned into a zebra while we were gone!!











Best guess is the fly spray left some sort of residue that the soil really glued itself to.. but he was the talk of camp as people thought we had spray painted him! :rofl:


The first riding day was Tuesday. I was supposed to be a riding a friend's mare in the 50 while she rode her older gelding in an attempt to get their Decade Award. Unfortunately, the mare kicked the gelding the afternoon before, so he was unable to go. The owner had knee surgery several months ago and the saddle that fit the mare bothered her knee, so she wanted me to still ride her. Instead of the 50, we dropped down to the 25. I planned to ride the next day with Lani (one of the ladies I rode all winter in Florida for) and Fuji.

The river was low enough this year to be able to cross it, which was a nice change from last year (where we were stuck riding up the side of a paved road for a bit right away to get to a bridge). We started after the main pack had left.











A lot of this ride goes around crop fields, with potatoes being the main crop. It almost felt like being home, though the sandy soil made for lovely footing compared to what we have here. Despite seeing mountains all around us, were we rode was relatively flat. But boy the views!





















The first hold was an away check, located at a beautiful covered bridge. I wasn't sure what the horses would think of trotting out in the bridge itself, but none seemed to have any issue.











The check and the road leading into it run beside the "dead" portion of the Saco river. About 100 years ago, the local farmers cut a channel in the river to help reduce flooding and get additional irrigation to fields. The river liked the new channel so much, it diverted its course permanently.. leaving 30 linear miles of original river cut off!











On the way home, we got to go under the center-pivot irrigation system! The mare wasn't so sure that was a good idea to start with, but Fuji calmed showed her it was no big deal. The cool water actually felt wonderful, as it was getting quite warm even though it wasn't even lunchtime yet.











The final trip across the river was a great place for the horses to drink well and for us to get them cooled down. I was surprised to find the river water was almost the temperature of bath water! But it was still wet and sure felt good in the balmy temps.





















We got back into camp and pulsed down with little fanfare, as the barns all had hoses available! Sure much easier than lugging buckets and having to sponge like most rides. We wound up placing 6th and 7th.

25.69 miles, 422 feet of climb, 7.5 mph, 89F real feel

DH and George did the 50 and had a very good day. Not only did they place 4th, George took home High Vet Score and Best Conditioned!!


to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

On Wednesday, I rode Duroc for Lani and she again went out on Fuji in the 25. [Duroc is a just-turned-7yo 3/4 TB, 1/4 Welsh gelding. He is one of their homebreds and got a couple rides under his girth when he was a late 4-year-old, then hurt himself in a pasture accident and had over a year off to heal. They sent him to their trainer (who is an eventer) for a tune up and something happened while he was there. He went from a sweet, willing guy to one who was extremely anxious and claustrophobic. When he got to the point he was routinely rearing, the ladies said enough and brought him home and turned him back out. They asked me if I was interested in working with him last fall and we did our first ride in October. He is one of the horses I rode all winter in Florida.]

Duroc has particular anxiety at the start, as he is excited to be going but at the same time other horses can really set him off - especially if they come up behind him. Nobody had ridden him since I last rode him in Florida in March (they do their conditioning ponying from a 4 wheeler), so we weren't sure what to expect. He had really come a long way during our time in Florida, so I was hopeful he hadn't regressed too much. 

We actually left camp at a walk (woohoo!), but unfortunately we got stuck in some traffic a couple miles out that got him worked up. But even worked up, he kept his brain and listened to me and kept all his feet on the ground! In an unexpected turn of events, Fuji decided to act like a jerk and at one point tried to dump Lani.. I swear he was laughing at us. :icon_rolleyes:











This was taken about 5 miles out, so he was still fairly up. You can tell from the dust around us that horses were not far in front of us and he was not very happy about it.





















We finally found our own space when the people in front of us stopped to graze. We went on by and I was thrilled when they didn't come out right away behind us. Not having any other horses in sight allowed Duroc to settle down.





















Just before the hold is a section of trail called Fern Gully (as it is single track that goes through a bunch of ferns). There is a wooden bridge that crosses a creek at the start and the bridge had some alarming holes in it. Therefore management had said we could go around the bridge on the right (the creek was dry). We dropped down into the section and I had a choice of what looked like ugly rocks to the left and dried bank to the right. I chose to the right.. and I couldn't have been more wrong.

Duroc got a stride of solid ground, then his front end suddenly plunged down and the next thing I knew, I was in jockey position as my feet were touching the ground on either side of his belly. He was in a bog!! I had just enough time to think some very choice words, kick my feet out of the stirrups and grab for straps. They keep the mane only a couple inches long, so its useless to grab. I grabbed the breastcollar strap with one hand and his neck collar with the other.

In the most amazing way, Duroc rocked his weight backwards and flung himself at the far bank. He landed with his knees on solid ground and his back legs buried. He repeated the same action and was suddenly up on the far bank.. where he stood quietly and turned his head every so slightly to look at me.. as if wondering why I was so tense. Like he lands in bogs every day of his life! I couldn't find enough words to praise him for his amazing effort. Lani, who had eyes the size of dinner plates, quietly said, "I think I am going the other way." The rocks proved to be solid and she got across without incident.

When we finished that section and had to go back, Duroc never hesitated when I asked him to drop down into the creekbed (though we sure as heck went over the rocks). THAT is the reason his owners haven't given up on him as a distance horse and a foxhunter (their other horsey passion). A horse than can calmly and quietly get himself and his rider out of a bog, then stand waiting for instruction is not something you find every day. If he can do that, we can work together to help him to not be anxious about the start or other horses.

Notice the mud up to his stifles and elbows in the hold:











After the bog incident, the running irrigation sprinklers on the way back to camp was a non-event. He was a bit nervous approaching, but listened to me when I told him it was ok (you can see the whole thing in the video, which will be at the end of these posts).































When I saw the river crossing pic from the professional photog, I almost cried. That is the first picture I have where Duroc looks truly calm and relaxed.. and dare I say interested and enjoying himself. I could not have been more proud of him that day.

In the end, we placed 5th and 6th. Duroc was second by only 1 point for BC.

26.0 miles, 423 feet of climb, 7.9 mph, 93F real feel

DH and George again rode the 50. They had another great day and finished 2nd. We are SO pleased that George has recovered from the Lyme. Please let it stay in remission..


to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 3:

On Thursday, I again rode Duroc and Lani rode Fuji in the 30. In addition, DH joined us on Fluffy! [Fluffy is a just-turned-7yo 1/2 Perch, 1/2 arab mare. She is 3/4 sibling to Lani's favorite mount. Lani came off Fluffy a couple years ago and has been nervous about her green horse acrobatics since. She spent some time at the trainer, then I was asked to start competing her in distance events. She is the other horse I rode all winter in Florida. She, too, has come a long way with her behavior.]

The day was forecast to be brutally hot.. and we were pleased to start at 5:30am with the 50s (instead of the 6:30 start time of the previous days). It was already 74F and 94% humidity when we left - in other words, it was FogWorld. It was so thick that it was condensing on my eyelids and running down my helmet. We left towards the back, as we wanted to keep Duroc as calm as possible.






















Fuji didn't want to maintain as quick a pace as the kids, so Lani dropped back to ride with some other friends as we passed them. Duroc and Fluffy were on their own!











I was pleased they both acted reasonably as they came into the hold. Fluffy was somewhat warm (no surprise with the horrible humidity), but pulsed down within 10 minutes. We were just done the vetting when Lani and Fuji showed up. That helped the kids to settle down and eat as Fuji knows the deal and is much more interested in eating than in looking all around.











As we headed back to camp, the sun finally burned the fog off and the heat got serious.









































Taking advantage of the heat, I borrowed Fluffy's sponge to use on Duroc for the first time ever as we crossed the river on the way back! He acted like it was no big deal, which was very exciting to me as he can be fairly head shy.

We got back to camp and were thrilled to have the hoses to help cool the horses. We placed 5th and 6th, despite the heat. Lani and Fuji came in about 15 minutes after us (they were 10th).

28.97 miles, 882 feet of climb, 7.7 mph, 97F real feel

That happened to be my birthday, and I was surprised with a cake at dinner that evening:










Can't think of a better way to spend a birthday! 

:loveshower:


to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 4:

On Friday, I was the only rider left standing.. so Fluffy and I went out by ourselves to tackle the 25! It was her first solo outing and it was forecast to be another scorcher, so I was the last person out of camp.. but Fluffy was on her game and we didn't stay last for long. The mare has an easy trot of 10mph.. when she wants to move she can easily hit 12. I tried for a compromise at about 11mph as I was afraid of getting her large mass overheated (aka "cooked") since it was 75F and 89% humidity when we left camp at 5:30am.









































We caught the front runners about 5 miles out, prompting one lady (in the 25) to gallop away and the other (in the 50) to be happy for saner company and stay with us.











We got into the hold and I was thrilled to find Fluffy wasn't cooked.. in fact, she pulsed down within 5 minutes and by the time we got to the vet (there was a bit of a line), her CRI was 52/52! She was a little fussy during the hold, but eventually settled down to eat and watch the commotion of the others coming in.

Heading back to camp, you could feel the sun beating off the sand in the fields - it was like an oven. 











We enjoyed every bit of shaded trail on the way in!











Before long, we were at the final river crossing. Fluffy knew she was close to home and wanted no parts of hanging around after she finished drinking, especially as another horse had come galloping up behind us. But Pam and I insisted the horses stay in the water so we could douse them thoroughly (as the other rider rushed across and disappeared towards camp).





















We got into camp just as the first place horse was pulsing in to win. Fluffy calmly stood in the shade of the pop up canopy as we cooled her with the hose. The rider who went rushing in ahead of us went into the vet to pulse.. but was still there when we presented. In fact, she was still there trying to make pulse when Fluffy had totally finished her vetting (with a final CRI of 52/48!!). Fluffy was SECOND, and in the heat.

25.98 miles, 421 feet of climb, 8.5mph, 99F real feel

We stood for BC an hour later and she looked great. However, a large man came over to present his horse for BC just as we were finishing, and I suspected our shot at it was gone, as he would definitely outweigh me. And indeed, I was correct. Fluffy got High Vet Score (!!), but the 30 lb weight difference was too much and the man's horse won BC.

While that was a minor disappointment, it couldn't put a damper on the overall fantastic day.. which was a great end to a phenomenal week. Between myself, DH, and Lani we had 10 starts.. and we not only got 10 completions, but all were top 10 and 4 were top 5.. and we got 2 High Vet Scores and a BC. Got to love that!!


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## Blue

*Phantom*, that is awesome! What an incredible event. So proud


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## weeedlady

@phantom. Thank you for sharing! Enjoyed every minute.


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## ChitChatChet

Incredible!! 

Thank you for taking the time to share all of that with us!

Inspiring


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## Change

It's incredible that you managed 125 miles on 3 horses in 5 days! You are the one who should be getting the BC award! LOL!


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## cbar

I have been stalking your thread since you started it...I am so thrilled with your posts! Your adventures sound amazing....the dedication & hard work that you put in is inspiring. Good job on the amazing rides; I can't even imagine sitting in a saddle for 25km, nevermind 25 miles!!! 

Keep the stories coming!


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## ChitChatChet

Change said:


> It's incredible that you managed 125 miles on 3 horses in 5 days! You are the one who should be getting the BC award! LOL!


Good point.

Cant imagine how sore my back side would be.....


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## phantomhorse13

On our way home from the NorthEast Challenge in Maine. I am thrilled beyond words to report:

FLUFFY IS A 100 MILE HORSE!!!!

A full ride story with pics and video will be up when I get some time to work on them.


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## carshon

I just love that the horse is named Fluffy - makes me giggle every single time I read it! 

When you have time can you answer a question? Do you ever get tired of riding to condition the horses? Does it ever seem more like work and less like fun? Just curious as I can tend to be a fair weather rider and I am so envious of your drive and passion


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## Change

Yay, Fluffy!


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## walkinthewalk

The pictures and videos are amazing. Thank you very much for taking so much time to write, edit and post everything


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## phantomhorse13

carshon said:


> Do you ever get tired of riding to condition the horses? Does it ever seem more like work and less like fun?


Some days it definitely can seem like work.. generally those are the days that the weather is uncooperative. Luckily for me that is not often (though the ongoing heat this summer got very old), and even some days I dreaded getting the horse out and tacked up, the actual riding was still fun.

But let me tell you.. even the worst day riding is still way better than having to go to a job! I do my best to keep focused on just how lucky I am to be able to do all the riding I am doing (while my wonderful DH is stuck at work).


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## phantomhorse13

With all the craziness going on in my life with MIL moving, I realized I missed a training ride post before this most recent ride.. so let me catch up.

Two weeks ago, I got Sultan out for his last leg-stretch before the Northeast Challenge. I was pleasantly surprised that he just did his thing and we had no issues! We moseyed around the short yellow gate trail loop.




























10.58 miles, 1298 feet of climb, 6 mph average pace, 84F real feel.


Today, I got George out for his last leg-stretch before the Hector Half Hundred next weekend. He was feeling mighty fine and it took him a little bit to settle down.. but luckily for me he did after only a mile or so. I was expecting worse as storms were coming in and the air had that electric feeling. We went over to do the big square.





























10.37 miles, 1057 feet of climb, 6.8 mph average pace, 90F real feel.


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## phantomhorse13

This past weekend, DH and I went north to Maine for the Northeast Challenge ride. We left on Thursday at 5am, the same day of the week and time of day we left for the Pine Tree ride. That trip was the same route as this one, so we expected the same smooth ride. Wrong. Traffic was horrendous from the start. The trip should have taken 8 hours and instead took over 9. 

We got to camp and got set up. Lani and Kathy had arrived just before us, so I was pleased to see Fluffy settled in beside their rig along with Fuji and Cowbboy.











We enjoyed a wonderful early dinner cooked by Patti (who is the best cook ever!) and a lot of good conversation. Later that evening, ride management had a campfire and some friends of the ride manager came to entertain us:











The next day, we took the horses out for a brief pre-ride to make sure the tack and horses all felt ok. I was glad we did as the starting trail was a bit confusing, having just been cut after the original trail was blocked by logging. Fluffy was up and ready to go!











After the ride, we got everything prepped for the following day. We attended the ride meeting and got to see the wonderful information center - if only all rides did this!











We started Saturday morning at 5:30am. It wasn't quite full dark but it sure wasn't very light either. Fluffy seemed unconcerned about heading out in the gloom, though she was somewhat concerned when Cowbboy and Fuji went the opposite direction (they were doing the 50, which started the opposite way out of camp). We started towards the back of the 18 horses as I wanted her going a steady pace and not chasing the front runners.











The footing was quite variable with a lot more rock than I expected. While DH and I hadn't planned to ride together, I wound up catching up to him within the first few miles and then he was stuck with us the rest of the day. Sultan was a good influence on Fluffy, being brave when faced with things like a pen of hissing, flapping geese beside the trail. He also was a good buddy horse to help her stay calm for vetting in the holds, as Cowbboy and Fuji were in a different ride.











While the trail itself was interesting, the markings left something to be desired. There was some sabotage which certainly didn't help, but even the untouched sections of trail were very light on markings. At the end of the pink loop, we passed a plate that said to go home on red.. but there was no turn marker, so we kept on straight.. picking up the red _the wrong way_. We did over 2 miles the wrong way before running into some of the 50s head on and realizing what happened. Super frustrating.

During the third hold, Lani and Kathy were done with their ride and waiting to help. We got Fluffy pulsed down and vetted with little issue, but Kathy didn't like the looks of one hind shoe, so addressed it during the hold.











We went back out on the next loop happy that the heat of the day would be passing and hoping for some better markings. Unfortunately, we didn't get that but we did get some amazing views and some nicer footing.





















By the fourth hold, Fluffy knew something different was going on, as the tack went back on just after the vetting was done. She ate well, then took a short nap.











The next loop had us chasing the vanishing sun. The temps started falling and Fluffy got her second wind. She was totally unconcerned about the disappearing light.































We did the final two loops (really the same loop twice) in the total darkness. Continuing the trend of less-than-generous markings, the glow sticks were few and far between - some as far as 1/2 mile apart! I had never been to a ride where you couldn't see the next glowstick from the previous one, so that made us nervous we were off trail for a while.

Fluffy was an absolute machine in the dark. We finally had some decent footing, with that loop being entirely either dirt or paved road. The temp had settled into the low 60s and she was roaring to go. She led the entire time in the dark, maintaining a steady 8mph pace regardless of climbs or decents.








We crossed the finish line about 1:30am.. and Fluffy felt good enough to want to chase the horses in front of us, who we caught just before the finish (they took off at a canter at the sight of us coming). She vetted through without issue and trotted out strong. The vet exclaimed it looked like she was ready to go do it again! We wound up tied for 10th, which was just the icing on the cake.

The next day, she was bright and happy. While a bit tucked up, I thought she looked fantastic:











100.58 miles, 10,734 feet of climb, 6.3 mph average pace, 84F real feel

We packed up and headed for home about lunchtime Sunday. We suspected traffic was going to be awful and it did not disappoint.











The trek home took over 10 hours.. but Sultan ran around like he hadn't done a thing when we got there. I heard that Fluffy did the same thing upon her arrival home. Horses are just amazing!


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## Change

You and your husband are truly amazing!


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## phantomhorse13

Change said:


> You and your husband are truly amazing!


You would not say that had you seen us hobbling around after exiting the truck Sunday.. or getting out of bed Monday morning! :rofl:


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## Change

Well, at least you didn't have to get dressed up and go to work to sit in 6 hours of meetings (my Monday). ;-)


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## carshon

I love your posts! They really make me just want to get on my horse and ride! Not endurance but just ride - and some of the scenery is amazing! Thank you for sharing - I know its work but it is something I look forward to.


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## HeroAndGunner

Do you have any rides planned for November?


I'll be volunteering at the Gobble till You Wobble at Elkin's creek Ohio on Nov 12.


This will be my first to see in person. So I'm excited!


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## phantomhorse13

HeroAndGunner said:


> Do you have any rides planned for November?
> 
> I'll be volunteering at the Gobble till You Wobble at Elkin's creek Ohio on Nov 12.


November is currently a question mark for us. Normally the last ride of the season in our area is the same weekend as the Gobble ride, but this year they moved to Oct 1st. That would free us up for the Gobble ride.. but after the less-than-ideal experience we had at that venue in June, I am not sure we would go back unless Mollie has made some major changes to her trail. You will have a blast volunteering though, as all the checks are in base camp and the facility is a nice one.

There is another ride over Thanksgiving weekend (the Carolina ride, also knows as JD's after the manager) that we have talked about trying to get to for years.. but every time we have planned to go, it has snowed here at home and we have had to cancel! We joke now that we are just not going to even think about the ride or mention it at all, then throw the stuff and the horses into the trailer at the last second to see if we can fool momma nature. :wink:


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## Rain Shadow

Phantom are you doing any in Florida this January? I'm aiming for my first ride to be in january if I can find someone willing to trailer Kenzie.


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## phantomhorse13

I got Phin out for the first time in a long while today (he had gotten time off due to that dink on his splint). The weather suddenly decided it would drop to normal temps, so it felt like fall. I suspected Phin was going to be up and silly and he did not disappoint. Luckily, Gina agreed to come out with Amish as a babysitter. I don't want to think how exciting the ride would have been otherwise!












Any time Phin was up front, he was just looking for a reason to spook and then try to scoot off. He also thought about bucking for the first time ever, but luckily gave me enough warning each time for me to correct it before it got going. :icon_rolleyes:





















After 3 climbs and about 8 miles, he finally sort of settled down. He was like sitting on a powder keg though.










10.04 miles, 1451 feet of climb, 3.9 mph average pace, 78F real feel

So far, no sign of swelling or change in that dink. I will certainly be staring obsessively at it the next few days.


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## SwissMiss

78F real feel? No wonder Phin felt mighty fine, lol


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## carshon

I hare that feeling of riding a horse that could explode at any second!


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## HeroAndGunner

phantomhorse13 said:


> November is currently a question mark for us. Normally the last ride of the season in our area is the same weekend as the Gobble ride, but this year they moved to Oct 1st. That would free us up for the Gobble ride.. but after the less-than-ideal experience we had at that venue in June, I am not sure we would go back unless Mollie has made some major changes to her trail. You will have a blast volunteering though, as all the checks are in base camp and the facility is a nice one.
> 
> There is another ride over Thanksgiving weekend (the Carolina ride, also knows as JD's after the manager) that we have talked about trying to get to for years.. but every time we have planned to go, it has snowed here at home and we have had to cancel! We joke now that we are just not going to even think about the ride or mention it at all, then throw the stuff and the horses into the trailer at the last second to see if we can fool momma nature. :wink:


That is crazy, I went back and read the Black Sheep Boogie ride post. Now I'm more interested to see how it goes in November at the venue...


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## phantomhorse13

I got Phin out again yesterday with Gina, though this time she was riding her mare Giselle. I was trying out a new girth - a mohair with no buckle covers and that gets wider in the middle. It was a touch longer than would have been ideal, but it just fit with it all the way up on both sides. I had decided to go back to the long billets as the short ones did not seem to solve the problem.

Phin started out much better than the last ride. DH was doing some work in the barn, but Phin tolerated the hammering and ladder clanking without issue. Rode over to meet Gina and he didn't spook at a thing or try to scoot off. We planned to do the space needle loop with the rattlesnake trail (so named because George and I encountered a rattler there a couple years ago, a first and hopefully last!).

This week is a busy one for the farm (with both hay and potatoes happening), so a lot of equipment was out being prepped. Excellent training opportunity.











It was also apparently mechanized vehicles on the trail day, as I bet we saw at least a dozen ATVs, UTVs and motorbikes. For whatever reason, Giselle got a wild hair up her butt at the second set of ATVs we encountered and lost her mind. She was a prancing, jigging, head flinging mess the rest of the ride. She was bad behind Phin, but even worse in the front, so Phin led the rest of the time.































It was an interesting experience. Outwardly, Phin seemed totally calm and just about oblivious to Giselle's antics. However, the heart rate monitor told another story, as it was reading much, much higher than it should have been. Amazing how much a horse can internalize.

When we got back to Alamar, Gina took Giselle to the round pen to work her more and Phin and I continued on towards home alone. We had to pass the potato harvester, which Phin had never been near. I was super pleased he wasn't concerned at all, and even more thrilled when the hoard of dogs came out with Keith and Phin didn't even startle!






Got home without incident and untacked.. and found the girth was a total failure. One side had several sensitive swellings and the other side had 2 dime-sized open sores behind his elbow!! :eek_color: I was horrified.  

I have another girth on the way, being lent by a friend for a trial. That one is also mohair, but has buckle covers and does not get wider in the center. It's also shorter. Fingers and toes crossed that does the trick as I am running out of options. I am starting to worry the problem is the saddle, despite having been fit by a professional and seeming to be fine. :sad:

I had hoped to get him out at least once more before we left for Hector Half Hundred this weekend, but that isn't likely now.

12.44 miles, 1402 feet climb, 3.6 mph average pace, 79F real feel


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## HeroAndGunner

@phantomhorse13 


This may be a silly question as I'm still a newbie but what shoes do you ride in?


I did a 20 mile ride this past weekend in my regular cowboy boots and my ankles were KILLING me. I see pictures and most riders are wearing what looks almost like hiking boots to me..? Please forgive me! LOL I'm still learning.


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## phantomhorse13

HeroAndGunner said:


> This may be a silly question as I'm still a newbie but what shoes do you ride in?
> 
> I did a 20 mile ride this past weekend in my regular cowboy boots and my ankles were KILLING me. I see pictures and most riders are wearing what looks almost like hiking boots to me..?


I ride in low hikers. I like the low ones because I have found having too much shoe around my ankle makes my foot fall asleep. I started out in plain old sneakers and rode for several seasons in them with no issues (though I did make sure to put cages on my stirrups for safety reasons). When I got together with my DH (who does some running), he cajoled me into getting off and using my own feet for some downhills. I found the sneakers didn't have as much support as I would like when I got off to walk/jog (and by jog I mean this horrible shuffling pace that only happens downhill) on the uneven terrain of the trail.

While I still own paddock boots from my show days, I cannot think of the last time I rode a horse in them.

The other question is what type of stirrups are you using currently? Those could be some of the problem, too.


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## Change

It's good to know I'm not the only one who prefers sneakers or hiking boots when riding!


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## ChitChatChet

Within the last 5 years or so I have ridden in Ariats lace up boots. They are my all time favorite boot been wearing them 25+ years plus. But I noticed they did some nerve damage in July. Have almost recovered from that so with this last trip I made knowing we'd be riding lots of miles I wore tennis shoes as they have tones of support and a slight indent before the heel making them work well with stirrups. Also lengthened my stirrup a bit more. Perfectly comfortable and no more nerve damage.


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## tim62988

now i'm curious with your girth issues: any way to move the girth back some? and have you tried a coolback or woolback girth cover?

i ride in a western saddle but eventually figured out the centerfire rigging was the ticket for my mare, using my wife's new pandora saddle i try to keep the girth back where it sits with my abetta and my mare does fine. I started using the covers at the same time as the centerfire so not 100% sure the covers are "necessary" anymore but we ride in a lot of sand here in upstate so figure not as abrasive if the sand gets into the thick fabric.

good luck w/ the sores & good luck w/ the hector this weekend


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## phantomhorse13

tim62988 said:


> now i'm curious with your girth issues: any way to move the girth back some? and have you tried a coolback or woolback girth cover?


Ironically, I think the heart of the issue is Phin has a very _forward_ girth groove. The sores were not from the girth rubbing, but the skin in his elbow/armpit rubbing on itself. My best guess is the girth getting wider in the middle somehow kept the extra skin from being able to move backwards, so it rubbed.

I started out using woolback girths. They did fine during the competitions when I was still using the Torsion, but I had an issue at the end of OD using the Rubicon. Best guess there is the treeless basically warped to allow the girth to go more forward (where it naturally wants to be), whereas the treed saddle won't give, so instead the pressure is uneven. Before the mohair disaster, I had been getting soft sensitive places about a hands width behind the elbow, right where that big plexus of muscles and nerves are - but never any sort of open lesion. Phin's muscling pops out there all the time, so 50 miles worth of friction did not make it happy.

I have been talking with my mentors and I now have a few things to try.. but I suspect at the end of the day I am going to need one of those anatomical or shoulder relief girths. Or to learn to ride balanced enough to not need a girth at all. :wink:


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## phantomhorse13

This is how and where the saddle was sitting with the disaster girth. That pic also shows how the billets aren't going straight down, but instead angled forward. And then a pic of the resulting sores. You can see from the sweat marks where the girth was laying.


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## Change

Ouch! I was looking at some cinches (western - sorry) that actually curve back from the girth groove to give more room and to eliminate that slant when the horse has a forward groove but the saddle sits farther back. I may have to go that route with Cally just because of her high, long wither!


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## Change

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51gk0pUzWAL._AC_UL115_.jpg

Like this!


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## phantomhorse13

Yes, that is one of the types I have been looking for. But won't lie, sure hoping it doesn't come to that.. cause those suckers can get crazy expensive.

Tekna ($70):











Total Saddle Fit ($130):











PDS ($330 :eek_color:











Also, not having the ability to just throw them into the washing machine to make them clean makes my lazy anti-tack-cleaning self sad. The first one at least is synthetic, not actual leather..


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## Change

Yep! I was cringing at the prices, too. I'm also having the same issue with finding a decent contoured pad. Hurts the wallet just thinking about them!


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## phantomhorse13

I keep telling myself that often you get what you pay for.. but first you have to be able to pay for it!!


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## Change

phantomhorse13 said:


> I keep telling myself that often you get what you pay for.. but first you have to be able to pay for it!!


TRUTH!!!! And my credit cards cry every time! LOL!


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## phantomhorse13

This weekend was the Hector Half Hundred in Hector, NY (which is along the edge of Lake Seneca). DH and I went up early Friday and were pleased to get a nice camping spot. We were right beside Patti and Rich, so I could help not only Dean but Rich, too. [Patti got kicked at the 10 mile stop and go at the NEC and spent the rest of the day and night crewing for us anyway - even after Rich RO'd at the third hold. Turns out that "no big deal" kick fractured bits off the top of her tibia, so she was crewing on a broken leg!!] DH and George were riding the 55 miler.











Our spot was right across from the vetting, which is always great for crewing from the trailer. The camp is the big back field of the local fire department.











This corral set up drew my eye as I was out grazing George Friday evening. I have never seen anything quite like it: that is a _ride water tank_ incorporated into the pen!! The (not-actually-electrified) fence being so low and only held up by 2 fence posts while containing 6 horses (who were none too friendly with one another) was alarming. Patti attempted to ask the people about it, but was basically told to mind her own business. We both made a point to speak to the ride manager after that. Using the tank that way is just rude, but the fencing made us worry about horses getting loose (and potentially going through our pens as they ran amuck).











The camp was apparently a group of locals doing their first ride. While they wouldn't accept out suggestions, they weren't silly enough to speak that way to the ride manager.. so a few more fenceposts were found to at least elevate the fence above stepping height. :icon_rolleyes:

Saturday morning was almost cool and overcast.. belying the heat we knew was coming. Rich and DH heading out:











The first loop was 22 miles and unfortunately the sun came out and the temps started rising. George vetted through with no issues, taking only a few minutes to cool and make pulse. Sarge (Rich's horse) vetted with no issues, but had a couple shoes that were in need of nails, so the farrier was called to address that during the hour-long hold.











The second hold was away from camp at a lovely local farm. Patti and I were able to get set up in the one patch of shade available (notice her sitting and icing her knee!). We got a bit of time to rest before the guys were in from the 18 mile loop. 











Both horses vetted with no issues despite the heat (actual temp of 90F with a real feel of 98F) and were soon heading out for the final 14 miles back to camp.











Gorgeous view of Lake Seneca on the way back to camp:











Again, it wasn't long until the guys were back. George and Sarge paced well together all day and both finished strong, tied for second place!











George relaxing and chowing down while waiting for the BC exam.










Sarge wound up taking BC, which was almost as nice as if it had gone to George. DH got a tshirt as a completion award and a lovely embroidered people blanket as a top 10 prize. The fire department had a fun-raising breakfast Sunday morning, so we were able to start the trip home with a full and happy belly.

Great weekend!


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## Change

Sounds like a lot of fun!


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## egrogan

Nice! I love that part of New York State.


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## tim62988

i figured in that country your friend patti would have had a glass of wine on top of the ice on her knee 

i must say the drive down along seneca lake is a nice one and I think the area could make out well with a campground that has horse trails linking all of the wineries, wine tasting by horseback with a delivery service from the winery to the campground every evening.

congratulations to the guys of human & horse variety for their accomplishments over the weekend


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## phantomhorse13

At Hector, Patti was kind enough to lend me 2 girths to try with Phin. One was a standard size Wintec Cair:












The other was an Ovation gel dressage girth:










I was pretty leery of the wide center in the Wintec after the mohair disaster, so decided to try the Ovation first. I was even more excited about the Ovation when I realized it had elastic on both ends. Upon tacking Phin up, the billets seemed to be less angled (though still not perfectly vertical) while still leaving clearance behind the elbow:












After the last test, I was afraid to be out for too long a ride with the new girth. We decided to go over and ride the Big Square, as that would give us a bit of everything terrain wise (climbs, flats, and downhills) and give me some time at each gait. DH came too on Sultan, as he was testing some new stirrup leathers (he had been using webbers but kept breaking them where the t-post goes into the leather.. so it was time to try something else).































Our horrible clashing training wardrobe (I got those horrendous two tone blue chaps on clearance for $5 many years ago.. and they are just now showing their age - I always said they were too ugly to wear out):










We got back and I was thrilled to find no lesions and no swellings or sensitive places on his girth!

Phin's girth also looked normal hours later at dinner as well.. and he was very tolerant of both my poking and then my happy dance while he ate his dinner.

:happydance:

7.14 miles, 793 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 80F real feel


I got Phin out again today for another test ride using the Ovation girth. I did a bit of research online today and was thrilled to find it's one of their least expensive models, selling for around $40!! I will need to get a center ring added, but Patti said her local Amish guy did hers for next to nothing, so I can always send mind up there if I can't find anybody reasonable here.

Phin and I went out alone and I wasn't sure what to expect. He had been pretty up and silly on Sunday, so I was concerned we might spend the ride looking for his brain. I headed for the Sugarloaf, figuring that gave me good climbs which would be more test for the girth and useful for brain-hunting if necessary. Pleased to report Phin was very well behaved. He was up and felt good, but wasn't overly spooky or constantly trying to turn for home.

And a good thing, as the trails are horribly overgrown. I guess hot and dry is perfect growing conditions for weeds. Kind of scary when the 'trail' looks the same as the edge.. which does drop off!





















One property owner had done some mowing.. and the weeds eventually broke the mower!











When I got home after the ride, I was again thrilled to see the girth caused no issues. There was not even the slighest bit of swelling or sensitivity. It was quite humid today, so Phin was rather sweaty, much more so than the ride Sunday. Cautiously optimistic that I may have found his girth!


8.07 miles, 1384 feet of climb, 5.1 mph average pace, 89F real feel


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## Change

So which girth did you like best? The Ovation or the Wintec?


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## egrogan

I just got that Ovation girth and will try it out this weekend. I had a Thorowgood synthetic, and it became horrible cracked around the edges. I am also hopeful about the Ovation.


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## phantomhorse13

Change said:


> So which girth did you like best? The Ovation or the Wintec?


I haven't tried the Wintec yet.. and honestly not sure at this point I am going to. I also haven't tried the different style mohair that a friend sent. The analytical part of my brain says I should try them both, as maybe one or the other would be even better than the Ovation.. but I am uber paranoid now that I am going to make more lesions! And they are both totally straight.. and the curved form does seem to make the billets lay better. 



egrogan said:


> I just got that Ovation girth and will try it out this weekend. I had a Thorowgood synthetic, and it became horrible cracked around the edges. I am also hopeful about the Ovation.


The Ovation seems like a nice material. It has a lot of flex, which hopefully will keep it from cracking over time. 

I got to touch a Tekna girth over the weekend as a friend at the ride uses them, and I was not impressed with how heavy it was and how stiff. Though maybe I am just too used to the light endurance stuff? She also covers it with sheepskin, which for me would defeat the point as it would be one more layer of stuff!

UGH - why can nothing be easy? :???:


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## Change

LOL! If it were easy, they wouldn't be horses and we wouldn't bankrupt ourselves 'enjoying' them! ;-)


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## phantomhorse13

Finally got some photos from the professional photogs at a few rides!

Muckleratz (riding Romeo):















































Pine Tree (riding Duroc)











Northeast Challenge (riding Fluffy):




















The photog at NEC didn't get all the horses (none of DH at all).. so I am beyond pleased I have at least a couple pics of Fluffy doing her first 100!


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## carshon

the ones with Romeo are simply gorgeous! But I love Fluffy. The name just makes me happy


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## tim62988

curious: what for pants/tights do you wear and your husband wear?

also i see you riding in half chaps, is that because of the riding tights? or do your leathers pinch you when you ride? (so far the few times i've ridden with the new saddle that has english riggings no issues with pinching like others have said there would be)


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## bsms

phantomhorse13 said:


> ...Phin and I went out alone and I wasn't sure what to expect. He had been pretty up and silly on Sunday, so I was concerned *we might spend the ride looking for his brain*....


 [Boldface added by me]

I read that post a while back, but that phrase has stuck in my mind. It is beautifully evocative of my riding life. It means a lot to me to realize than even a very experienced rider has days where she has concerns like that!

I've had fewer of those rides with Bandit than with Mia, but I know now there will be rides in the future where I will jump into the saddle while thinking - and maybe saying - *"Let's go looking for your brain!" :cheers:
*


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## phantomhorse13

tim62988 said:


> curious: what for pants/tights do you wear and your husband wear?
> 
> also i see you riding in half chaps, is that because of the riding tights? or do your leathers pinch you when you ride? (so far the few times i've ridden with the new saddle that has english riggings no issues with pinching like others have said there would be)


Ironically, DH is currently riding in a pair of Irideon Synergy tights that were intended for me, but the knee patches were in the wrong place for me, so they drove me crazy. He tried them and loves them. He also has a pair of Rackerswear and a pair of Tolts that he likes. He has a pair of Saddle Bums too, but doesn't like the fit of those as much.

My fav tights are Irideons, but not even sure if you can find the type any more. I got them going on 7 years ago and they were just "performance tights" back then. The most recent pair I found that I really like are Kerrits Ice Fill. Haven't used them much yet though, so can't speak to the longevity. I had a pair of Kerrits in the past that did not seem to hold up well, but these are a different material. I also have a pair of Rackerswear, but the material is not as stretchy as the others and they tend to be even more slippery somehow. They do have a reflective stripe sewn in the side though, which is nice for night riding.

I have a pair of Tropical Riders and a pair of TuffRiders that I use for training. I find the material in the Tropical riders to be pretty slippery, even with the half chaps and saddle cover. However, they are also quite old and have worn like iron. So could be newer ones don't have the slip issue as badly. The TuffRiders I got out of a consignment bin and are very thin.. not sure I would have paid full price for them because of that (assuming current ones are equally thin).

I started out wearing half chaps because of the pokey nature of the foliage around here. I doubt the tights would hold up to repeated attacks by stickerbushes. I am not sure I have ever ridden our current saddles without them, so can't speak to the leathers causing issues.. but I know historically I had issues riding in english saddles in just paddock boots (back when I did the show thing). If you don't like the idea of half chaps and have future issues with pinching, you could always get sheepskin covers for your leathers. [@bsms would that count as leg velcro?! :grin:]

For a while, I said I was going to get a full saddle cover and then I wouldn't need anything.. but that still doesn't fix the stickbush issue!


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## phantomhorse13

carshon said:


> But I love Fluffy. The name just makes me happy


I am very happy that Fluffy does not live up to her name any more (in either personality or looks).

I never would have thought that I would love a draft cross for endurance.. but let me tell you, if she ever came up for sale somehow, I would mortgage something to pay for her!


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## egrogan

Hey @phantomhorse13- I tried out the Ovation girth today. I really liked the feel of the material and the gel cushioning. One of the complaints I had read in the reviews was that people disliked how the buckles were not secured with a keeper and could slip around and end up sitting right on the horse. I couldn't really understand how that could happen, but when I tightened the girth, I got it. The buckles seem like they can easily slide off the material backing to either side. I made sure they were sitting centered before I mounted up, and checked a couple of times while I was riding, and they didn't seem to be pinching or slipping anywhere. But I could see that happening, so will keep an eye on it. Did you experience that at all when you tightened the girth?


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## phantomhorse13

egrogan said:


> The buckles seem like they can easily slide off the material backing to either side. I made sure they were sitting centered before I mounted up, and checked a couple of times while I was riding, and they didn't seem to be pinching or slipping anywhere. But I could see that happening, so will keep an eye on it. Did you experience that at all when you tightened the girth?


Hmm, I must not tighten it enough for that to happen.. or maybe the fact it's a size bigger than it needs to be (and therefore touching the saddle pad) keeps it more stable?

I will def pay more attention to it the next time. Thank goodness the buckles have not gone anywhere they shouldn't!!


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I got Phin out for a jaunt. Gina and I were planning to meet Christine, who was riding for the first time since coming off her mare and breaking her wrist. I figured Christine (who is still in a cast) would be taking things slow and easy, so wanted to get Phin a bit of a workout before meeting up. Gina (riding Amish) came along as Phin and I trekked up the Sugarloaf, around the little loop on the other side, and then halfway up the back side. Phin was relaxed but forward, even when passing the area that had exploded with turkeybombs last ride.

We crossed the farm and were happy to see the apple trees coming along well:











We collected Christine and headed out. Amish was being a bit of a pill, wanting to jig and toss his head, which was upsetting Christine (she was very nervous about being back in the saddle). Before her being upset could upset her mare, it was decided I would go first and Amish take up the rear. Phin was fine with that.































When we went back to the barn to drop Christine off, we went in the back way.. meaning we went up the aisle between the cows and another boarder's very excited horses. Phin had never seen either before, but he led the way with only the heart rate monitor showing me how nervous he actually was - externally he never put a foot wrong! I have no idea if he has ever seen cows up close before.










There is also a fairly scary bridge between the pastures and the barn, which Phin went across with only minor issue:






On the way home, we stopped at the pond for a photo op:











I could not have been more pleased with Phin today. He started out quietly and ended that way, having faced some pretty scary things in between. The Ovation girth still seems to be doing its job, with no rubs or swelling. Woohoo!


:loveshower: :cowboy: :loveshower:

10.89 miles, 1751 feet of climb, 3.7 mph average pace, 80F real feel


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## Change

Can you show (take a picture?) how you mount the heart rate monitor when you're riding? Your comment that you could tell Phin's rate was up by the cows has me curious!


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## KigerQueen

i second that. we are getting our 31 year old back in shape and even though his heart is strong i know that horse will work and run until he drops. want to see where he is at if i can lol!


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## egrogan

phantomhorse13 said:


> Phin was relaxed but forward, even when passing the area that had exploded with turkeybombs last ride.


Ha, we have the turkeys too, but the last couple of days, we've had something much smaller (mourning doves maybe?) flying 10-15 at a time out of high grass right under Izzy's nose. They were so close today I could see the individual feathers in their wings. Izzy never seems to worry about it though, even when it makes ME jump, like it did today!


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## cbar

i just have to comment @phantomhorse13 that I love how you are smiling in EVERY picture. You are genuinely enjoying yourself; it's a real treat to see someone having so much fun...even if in those moments you weren't, you exude confidence and an overall sense of enjoyment.


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## tim62988

egrogan said:


> Ha, we have the turkeys too, but the last couple of days, we've had something much smaller (mourning doves maybe?) flying 10-15 at a time out of high grass right under Izzy's nose. They were so close today I could see the individual feathers in their wings. Izzy never seems to worry about it though, even when it makes ME jump, like it did today!


interesting you had doves, that is what we had yesterday. usually it's turkeys from a slight distance or the dang grouse right under foot but yesterday one dove took off then a second right beside my wife's mare, i had never seen a dove take off from the brush before so glad I'm not crazy saying "gee looked like a dove but was it"

and i agree with the previous comment, love the stories, pictures, and smiles


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## phantomhorse13

Change said:


> Can you show (take a picture?) how you mount the heart rate monitor when you're riding? Your comment that you could tell Phin's rate was up by the cows has me curious!


I will take better pics next time I am tacked up, but for now this was the best pic I could find:












The bottom right arrow is pointing at the loop around the girth that holds one lead in place. The lead itself sits against the horse and the strap velcros around the girth. The bottom left arrow is pointing out the cord coming from the lead. It runs up and between the parts of the saddle bag, then plugs into the white cord you can see by the topmost arrow. The black thing with the clip on the end is the pouch the actual heart rate monitor is in.

The other lead - which you can't see at all in this pic - is under the saddle pad and winds up in the general area of my left seatbone (the cord runs up the channel of the saddle and also plugs into the monitor up front). Some people find they get better readings with that lead on the left shoulder or on the right side in either of those places. I think some of it depends on the horse's confo (a horse with a big pocket behind its wither might not get the best contact with the lead there) and some I honestly think is dumb luck. Riding with a loose girth can also affect the reading (or lack there of), to the point that I sometimes know my girth is flapping because the monitor is no longer working.

As I said, I will take better pics next time I am tacking up!

@egrogan : you can see the buckles on the girth are well within the backing here.. but i will def be keeping a good eye on them from now on.


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## phantomhorse13

egrogan said:


> Ha, we have the turkeys too, but the last couple of days, we've had something much smaller (mourning doves maybe?) flying 10-15 at a time out of high grass right under Izzy's nose. They were so close today I could see the individual feathers in their wings. Izzy never seems to worry about it though, even when it makes ME jump, like it did today!





tim62988 said:


> interesting you had doves, that is what we had yesterday. usually it's turkeys from a slight distance or the dang grouse right under foot but yesterday one dove took off then a second right beside my wife's mare, i had never seen a dove take off from the brush before so glad I'm not crazy saying "gee looked like a dove but was it"


We have the dove invasion going on around here, too. In fact, we passed a father and son out walking the fields with .22s last ride and were told it's actually dove season! I had no idea there was a such a thing. Of course none of them were where these guys were. Do doves migrate? It's not unusual to see some around all the time, but there do seem to be tons lately. We have also had an influx of things that looked like plovers to me, but DH said they are killdeers. Anything that may eat a bug is wonderful in my world and luckily they don't bother the horses too much flying out of the crops.




cbar said:


> i just have to comment @*phantomhorse13* that I love how you are smiling in EVERY picture. You are genuinely enjoying yourself; it's a real treat to see someone having so much fun...even if in those moments you weren't, you exude confidence and an overall sense of enjoyment.


Thank you for the lovely compliment. While I am generally enjoying every moment I am in the saddle, I have also learned over the years that if I see someone with a camera, I better grin like a fool.. because otherwise I have a wicked game face. 

I have pictures from my early seasons before I figured that out where I look angry or constipated or something that doesn't look anything like fun:




























:rofl: :dance-smiley05: :lol:


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## Werecat

Love the video of Phin crossing the bridge, he seems like such a well rounded boy! I had a good laugh at the earlier pictures with the "constipated" or "angry" comments, because I photograph the same way when riding. If I'm aware someone is taking a picture, I forcefully grin just to try to avoid an embarrassing photo.


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## phantomhorse13

After spending the week playing with potatoes (one of Keith's major crops), I finally got some saddle time! DH was able to get out of work a bit early so I even had some company. Sultan just needed a leg stretch before his upcoming ride, so we went over to do the Big Square.

But before I get into that, I made a point to take better pics of the heart rate monitor set up.

Here is a picture of both leads. I use ultrasound gel to help get a better reading (helps until the horse is wet or sweaty, then it's not needed):











The white lead goes under the saddle. Some put it on the right side of the spine. Others find it reads better under the pommel of the saddle. The wire runs up to the pommel, staying in the channel:











Here is the transmitter (which in this case is read by my Garmin 310xt). [I have the alligator clips from the pig tails electrical taped onto the transmitter because otherwise they wanted to wiggle loose at times. The leads snap onto the short pigtails. Other monitors don't have the pig tail portion, so would snap right into the transmitter.] The monitor will slip down into the black pouch (which velcros closed) with the leads coming out either end:











The black lead, which goes on the girth. Riding with a loose girth can interfere with the readings, which is why I try to keep it as high on the girth as possible. [I also want to keep it away from that ridge of muscle which is so prominent with Phin, for fear of rubs.]











The weather was lovely, with temps in the low 80s, a gentle breeze, and relatively low humidity. Phin and Sultan pace well together, and both were feeling good but sane.











We found a newly downed tree and stopped to do some branch clearing to make it jumpable.






























Sultan looked good and seems more than ready for his next ride. DH continues to like his new stirrup set up, so hopefully it will pass the longer distance test. On the way home, we stopped in the outdoor arena and I popped Phin over a couple fences. He even went over the 'big' oxer for the first time (big being maybe 2'6".. an eventer I am not! :wink. Super pleased with him.

8.24 miles, 859 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 82F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

This past weekend, DH and I went down to New Jersey for the Mustang Memorial ride. This ride is normally the last of the NorthEast season in mid-November, but it was moved up this year. Jersey rides are known for sand, pine trees, and miserable weather. There was hope that the earlier date would break that weather cycle, but no such luck. :icon_rolleyes:

It was pouring rain when I got up at 3am and that rain continued for the entire drive and our arrival at camp. Nothing like setting up camp in the rain.











The weather made for some parking excitement:











Luckily the bulk of the rain ended by lunchtime, though it stayed drizzly and damp for the remainder of the weekend. We got Sultan vetted in for the 75, then went to help Rich and Patti with Wynne and Sarge (I would be crewing for them as well, in the 75 and 30).

The forecast for Saturday was a high of 68F with off and on showers, and we were happy to not have to tack up in the rain. The weather was still holding for the start and Dean and Sultan left camp in only a fine mist.











Rich waited in camp until well after the other riders had left, as Wynne gets very race brained. The idea worked well and Wynne actually walked out of camp!











Their first loop was 12 miles, and while they were out the 50s started. I helped several other friends with last minute things, as well as putting up multiple pop-up tents, as everyone was worried about rain. The 50s got off without incident and then it was time to help Patti tack up for the LD. The timing here got a bit tricky, as Dean got into camp for his 10 minute gate and go about 10 minutes before the LD was to start! He and Sultan were doing well and Sultan spent the entire 10 minutes chowing down. Management delayed the start of the LD by 5 minutes to let the 75s get out on trail before the LDs overran them.

Patti and Sarge heading out:










Rich and Wynne arrived in camp not 5 minutes after the LD started, which was on purpose as Rich did not want Wynne and Sarge to see each other! Wynne hollered a couple times, but when nobody was there to answer, he soon settled into eating. The ten minutes flew by and he was soon back on out on trail for the next 12 mile loop.

Before I knew it, Dean was back in for his first hold. It was insanely humid, but Sultan has no issue pulsing down and vetting through. He always eats well and that day was no exception. There was a bit of a chill in the air despite the humidity, so I put his tack back on after the vetting. Fussed at DH to eat and drink something, then Rich arrived! I left Sultan and DH to eat while I got Wynne pulsed down and vetted through. [Rich has a rare genetic disorder called Pachyonychia Congenita that results in constant, extreme pain in his feet. We do our best to never let him jog his own horse or walk any more than necessary. He is also Type I diabetic. He is the toughest person I know, so would do it himself if nobody was around to browbeat him into sitting still.]

Dean and Rich went back out on trail for their third loop (20 miles). They were about 30 minutes apart, which worked well for me to be able to go back and forth between the two. Patti came in for her hold not long after Rich left. Sarge - who was the National 100 mile champion horse last year - wasn't even warmed up, so pulsed down and vetted through no issues. Patti is still recovering from having been kicked by Wynne at NEC, which resulted in chip fractures to her tibial plateau. The fact she was riding at all only a month after the injury is a testament to her toughness (or stubbornness, depending on who you asked!). She also was not allowed to jog her horse and she only agreed to sit and ice her knee during the hold when I threatened to knock her down and do it myself. :wink:

Patti was soon back out on trail for her final 12 mile loop. Not long after she left, Dean came in for his next hold. Sultan was doing great and pulsed in easily despite the continuing humidity. DH, however, was not fairing as well, as he was having quite a bit of digestive upset. Never a good thing, and certainly not good in the middle of a 75! He was determined to keep going though, so the hold flew by and soon he was heading back out on trail. As he was waiting to leave, Patti came in.











Sarge had been a bit of a pill on the last loop, as another horse going past him got him all riled up (and he felt the moderate pace was for the birds anyway). Patti said she had been feeling like a weenie for not doing the 50 until then, but after was glad to be doing the LD. She refused to sit and ice her leg until after Sarge's pulse and vetting.

Sarge pulses well despite his size, and he vetted through with all As. Here we are heading out for the final trot:











We had just finished with Sarge when Rich and Wynne came in. I took care of Wynne while Patti made sure Rich was taken care of. Both were doing well and were soon back out on trail. Poor Sarge was not impressed to be left behind, and stood looking and calling to every bay that went by after that!











It seemed like no time before Dean was back in, as while he was gone the 50s came in for one of their holds. Typical of any ride, some friends were having good days and others not so much. The sand can be really tough and a lot of people underestimate the course because its flat. There are always lameness pulls, most often from a hind leg cramping up. Sultan is a good sand horse though, so came in and again vetted through with no issues. He ate and drank well during the hold. DH still wasn't feeling real well, but he managed to eat some bland food and was soon back in the saddle for the next loop (18 miles).











to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part two:


After DH left camp, I kept myself occupied helping others. I became designated trotter for any person with their own lameness issue. :razz: I found that while those muck boots did a great job keeping my feet dry, they are sure not much fun to run in!











Rich came in for his next hold having slowed down a bit to keep Wynne in a pocket away from other horses. The plan was a success and Wynne was overjoyed to see Sarge. He vetted through with no issues and they too were soon back out on trail.











After that, a couple of Patti's green beans (the affectionate term given to riders new to the sport) came in for their final hold. They were both trying their first 50. One of the horses was a bit tight in the hind end, so everyone was working to try to massage the cramp out while the riders rested and recharged.











It wasn't long before Dean was back in again. He was still not feeling great, but was pleased with the timing as it looked like he would finish before dark! Sultan vetted through easily and ate like a pig the entire hold. He even took advantage of the minute he had to wait before leaving for the final 12 mile loop:











DH and Amanda, heading out for that final loop.











Rich came in about 45 minutes after Dean left. Wynne had finally found religion, deciding that trotting along nicely even in the company of other horses was a good idea. Everyone was thrilled, as that had been the whole point of putting him in the 75 (to try to fix his race brain). Wynne vetted through with no issues and they were soon back out on trail for the last loop. They were the final riders in the 75, and while they weren't expected to make it back before dark, everyone was thrilled at how early the finish would be compared to other years.

DH and Sultan finished about 6:45 pm, tied for 2nd. Sultan vetted through well and was happy to get a good roll and more food. It was dark by the time BC exam was held an hour later, and the whole time that was happening we were keeping an eye out for Rich, who had passed the final checkpoint (4 miles from the finish) a little before the BC exam started.











By the time the exam was done and Sultan was put away.. you could tell people were getting concerned. When another 20 minutes went by and still no Rich, management went out to look for him. They ran the trail backwards (in a Jeep).. and found trail sabotage. Someone had taken the glow sticks.. and not just a couple marking a turn, but a huge section - management figured over 30 were missing. :eek_color: Shiitake. 

Patti started calling Rich. No answer. We knew his phone was in his saddlebag.. but no idea if it was even on. She called, and called, and called. Meanwhile, management ran the last loop from both directions, hoping maybe when the markings stopped he turned around and started backtracking. No sign of him. A couple more vehicles headed out, planning to take some of the bigger turns. Patti kept calling. Now the concern was that Rich and Wynne were no longer together.. and Wynne had been known to leave his rider if they came off. The area missing the glow sticks was only 1/2 mile or so as the crow flies from the finish line field (which was about 1/2 mile from camp itself). I took Sarge - in hand - out there, hoping his calling might reach Wynne and give him a direction to aim for. I had just gotten out there when we heard the best news ever - Rich had finally answered his phone!!

Rich and Wynne were fine. Rich had wound up going in a couple big circles, trying to find the correct way back. Turns out the vandals took not only the glowsticks, but all the other trail markings in that section of trail, too.  Once located, it wasn't long before Rich and Wynne were back in camp. Wynne vetted through with no issues, ending what turned into a longer journey than expected. Guess he is ready for a 100!

In the end, Sultan got High Vet Score but the winner - who came in about 40 minutes ahead of them - got BC. Interesting weekend for sure, and a successful one even with the scary parts.


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## frlsgirl

"vetted in" - so the horses have to be cleared by a vet before they go on an endurance ride? Do you have to hand trot your horse up and down like they do at FEI level comps?


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## phantomhorse13

frlsgirl said:


> "vetted in" - so the horses have to be cleared by a vet before they go on an endurance ride? Do you have to hand trot your horse up and down like they do at FEI level comps?


Yes, all horses are checked by a vet before being allowed to start a competition. The vet check in AERC is very similar to an FEI vet check, with only some minor timing differences. They are checked for heart rate, hydration status (CRT, skin tenting, and jugular refill time), gut sounds X4, muscle tightness, wounds and/or soreness, and also trotted 250 feet to check for soundness. The trotting is always in hand to get the most unbiased view of the horse possible. Many joke it's like getting a pre-purchase exam every loop!


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## frlsgirl

Wow! So I bet that's built into a higher entry fee? A base PPE around here is $75.


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## carshon

It is so discouraging to hear that someone sabotaged the trail! How do you determine who/when/how this was done? 

I assume that there are no winnings but awards or is there monetary gain for winning?

So glad Rich made it back safely.


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## phantomhorse13

frlsgirl said:


> Wow! So I bet that's built into a higher entry fee? A base PPE around here is $75.


Yes and no. While there is some variation from ride to ride, most entry fees are somewhere between $100-$150 for the event. Considering all horses get vetted in and vetted out, then get an additional vet exam at each hold, the fee is much cheaper than that many PPEs. The entry always includes the vetting process and some type of completion award. It often includes a meal and the camping fee (though some rides do charge for those things separately).




carshon said:


> It is so discouraging to hear that someone sabotaged the trail! How do you determine who/when/how this was done?
> 
> I assume that there are no winnings but awards or is there monetary gain for winning?


There are no money prizes in AERC - as a matter of fact, there is a specific rule against it. Most completion awards are something fairly simple: a t-shirt, a coffee mug, a photo from the ride, a bucket. There are often additional awards for juniors, Top 10, First to Finish, Best Conditioned, and Turtle. Sometimes also for High Vet Score and Middle of the Pack. Those prizes could be anything from a monogrammed cooler (generally for BC or 1st) to a hoof pick or in one memorable case, a book of roadkill recipes (yes, really! :rofl.


In terms of trail sabotage, that is something not all that uncommon, especially on multi-use trails. Sometimes people don't know what they are doing (I once came across a man simply covered in ribbons, who was "cleaning up garbage" and had no idea he was making a bunch of people lost!), but most I think are just jerks wanting to make trouble. It's rare that the sabotage is done by another rider, though there are a couple people in our region who have been accused of such (they weren't at this ride). There is a campground not far from the area things went missing, so likely they saw the glow sticks and thought they would help themselves (and too much beer may or may not have been involved). Might also have been disgruntled hunters who blamed us for wrecking their hunting that day. Sometimes it's an angry local who doesn't want a bunch of strangers around.


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I got back on Phin! The weather finally cooperated, so I was happy to saddle up and go over to meet Gina. We weren't sure how the ground was going to be after all the rain, so figured on going up the Sugarloaf, as that footing stays good even when wet.

Phin was on his toes from the start. I don't know if it was not having been out in a couple weeks or the weather change (only 61F real feel) or aliens hiding in the bushes, but he was cranked. Even following, Phin was eyeballing the bushes and spooking at nothing (at least nothing I could see). Amish did an excellent job of ignoring his silliness!





























The footing wound up being quite nice, which I guess shouldn't have been such a surprise considering we are still technically in a drought. However, the ride was cut somewhat short when Gina realized Amish was slightly off. The farrier had come yesterday and she was worried he had a hot nail. We turned around and went back. 

I didn't want to take Phin straight home with him still being so silly, so instead headed down to the outdoor arena. We did some schooling, working on circles (ovals :icon_rolleyes, serpentines and figure 8s. He was a ding dong to start with, but eventually settled down when he realized we were gonna keep at it until he listened. I popped him over a couple fences in the process, just to keep him paying attention.

I went home via the fields and used the trees to my advantage to practice weaving with correct bend (versus flinging up head and fake spooking to try to scootch for home). When we got home he was still a bit more forward than I wanted, so we worked more figures in the hay field. I even popped him over the log on the edge of the field, the first time he had been over that one. Then we went into the yard to run the gauntlet.

I had cleaned everything from the ride yesterday and put it out to dry. Surprise, it rained out of the blue and everything got soaked.. so it stayed out in the yard. Phin had given it all a mighty hairy eyeball on the way out, but I needed to meet Gina and didn't have time to deal with things if they escalated, so I cheated and went out the other way. Didn't avoid it going back!







You can hear from his whistling that he was not impressed, but he was a good boy and listened to my cues and kept his head. [Any time he is nervous, he makes that whistling sound as his respiration rate increases. Its the result of an injury to his nose/sinuses before I got him, but sure never any hiding when he is blowing! Oddly, it doesn't happen when he is calm and working.]

8.85 miles, 1091 feet of climb, 4.2 mph average pace, 61F


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## phantomhorse13

Today, it was George's turn. He just needed an easy workout to see how he was feeling after the last competition, so I figured I would head over to the Big Square and do some trail trimming. George was feeling good, so was pretty disgusted at having to keep stopping to trim things. But he was a good boy and stood patiently as I worked. Wish I had thought to wear gloves, as I rubbed some skin off from the clippers. :icon_rolleyes:











Not only had the grass around the field edges been mowed, the corn has been harvested. Poor George had nothing to spook at and nothing to eat!











After the ride, I took advantage of the unexpected warmth and gave George a quickie bath. Of course once I turned him loose, he looked like this:










:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

10.05 miles, 908 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 84F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

I got Phin out Thursday for the longest ride yet to test the girth. The weather was a lovely and sunny when we left the barn just before lunch. Phin was feeling good and while somewhat looky, he did very well with keeping his head - even when a turkey fell flapping out of a tree and landed beside us on the trail! His eyes bugged out and he got about 3 feet taller.. but he didn't move his feet an iota off the single track trail. I swear he is a magnet for turkeybombs!!

We went up the Sugarloaf, then across the farm to the Tomhicken, where we did the long loop (yellow gate to the other side to the s-turn to the space needle). I wanted a combination of climbs and places we could move along a bit, as that will be the terrain for what I hope is our next competition.











Saw a lovely fox hunting mice in the fields:





























I was super pleased with how Phin did during the ride. At no point did he seem tired - in fact, he would have cantered all the way had I let him! I took advantage of the 82F temp when we returned to give him a bath. He is the only one who likes water, and will grab the hose to play if given a chance!











The girth passed with flying colors. No rubs, no swelling, no marks. Certainly a very promising thing! The one I ordered will be getting the middle ring attached this week, then I will start using that one and hope it works equally well (it should, as its the same thing but one size smaller.. but it will give me anxiety all the same for a while).

20.55 miles, 2569 feet of climb, 6.4 mph average pace, 82F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Quick video from Thursday's ride:


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## frlsgirl

Love the pic of the fox! I bet you've encountered all kinds of critters while out in the woods.


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I got George out. The weather has turned fall-like (we got our first frost last night), though we don't have much color in the trees yet. As I expected due to the weather, George was feeling mighty fine. But typical of George, he broadcasts that he is looking for something, anything to spook at, so it didn't take him long to decide that just trotting down the trail was much easier than doing leg yields or some other thing resembling work when he started looking around. 

One nice thing about the cooler nights is that the weeds are finally dying back. Now we can almost see the trail again!











It also means the apples are ripening and falling from the trees. George didn't need any encouragement to stop so I could grab us both a snack.











There is actually more color on the ground than in the trees. We are still in a drought, so I suspect that is part of the problem.



















12.82 miles, 1658 feet of climb, 5.7 mph average pace, 57F real feel


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## frlsgirl

So with your crew of horses, how do you manage to keep them all in top shape? Do you rotate? Ride a different one each day? Lunge one and ride another one each day? What's their minimum required work load in order to stay in shape?


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## phantomhorse13

frlsgirl said:


> So with your crew of horses, how do you manage to keep them all in top shape? Do you rotate? Ride a different one each day? Lunge one and ride another one each day? What's their minimum required work load in order to stay in shape?


Luckily for me, horses maintain their fitness much better than people do! By this time in the season, the regularly-competing horses don't need much riding between competitions. [I can't think of the last time I longed one of our horses.. might have been during Phin's PPE.]

In general, we do about a competition a month. The horses get rested after each one - a week for every 25 miles they did in that competition. During that rest, they are out in the pasture 24/7 and we just make sure they are upright. They may get groomed, but no exercise beyond what they choose to do in the pasture. 

Even if the rest period goes up to the next competition, I will still get that horse out for at least an easy leg stretch ride the week before the ride, just to make sure nothing unexpected has happened. If the rest period ends before the next competition, I will get that horse out according to who it is. The older geldings don't need frequent rides to maintain their sanity or base fitness, so I look at doing 10ish mile rides once to twice a week just to keep them loose and their cardio sharp. Phin gets ridden a bit more often - I do my best to ride him at least twice weekly - as he is still young and more prone to needing a reminder that he isn't feral. :wink: Phin is also still working on his baseline fitness level as this is his first season competing. That is built by "LSD" (long, slow distance). Sultan and George have been competing for many years, so they already have a solid base.


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## frlsgirl

Wow that's so interesting; I had no idea that they need a whole week off; I always thought it's best to have alternating work days and days off; like Ride Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and have the remainder off to recuperate. Regarding long slow distance, does that mean just walking?


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## phantomhorse13

frlsgirl said:


> Wow that's so interesting; I had no idea that they need a whole week off; I always thought it's best to have alternating work days and days off; like Ride Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and have the remainder off to recuperate. Regarding long slow distance, does that mean just walking?


I think the value of rest is often overlooked when it comes to horses in heavy work. Think about the premise behind physical conditioning: breaking things down to build them back stronger. However, if the rebuilding process isn't given enough time, then things just keep breaking down!

*This article *is rather long, but it does a fantastic job of explaining the process (and it speaks to overtraining towards the end). The only thing it doesn't discuss is the detraining process difference in horses stalled versus horses in pasture. I can't find the links right now, but a couple studies were done that showed horses at pasture did not lose fitness as quickly as those stalled (which certainly makes sense to me).

Long, slow distance can vary somewhat from horse to horse, depending on the fitness level they start at. For example, if I was starting a just-saddle-trained 4yo, then LSD would be a lot of walking, a bit of trotting, and a touch of canter. The progression of distance traveled at those speeds would increase quite gradually, as the horse has no real base fitness. Whereas, if you were starting out with Ana, you would be able to do more trotting and cantering from the beginning because she already has a fitness base from being a dressage horse.


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## frlsgirl

This is a great article! Thanks for sharing; we were just talking about this in another group and one of the ladies is a doctor and was looking for scientific resources; I'll share this with her.


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## phantomhorse13

I got Phin out yesterday. The weather had taken a cool snap and there was a stiff breeze (it was 51F with a real feel of 39F!), so I suspected Phin was going to be silly. I knew it was going to be an entertaining ride as he was looky even in the yard, but he needs to learn to function in windy conditions, so out we went.

And we went right to the Sugarloaf and started climbing. Phin went up the first time like his tail was on fire, eyeballing both sides of the trail and everything in between. 











Then, we did what I now call the 'animal bomb trail.' Every time we go up it, something jumps out of the bushes. Normally it's turkeys or deer (or maybe both), but lately it's been a lunatic squirrel coming out of a specific bush.. and for whatever reason, it waits for us to be closer and closer each time before bursting out and running across the trail. Well the squirrel outdid itself this ride - the crazy thing waited so long to run out of its bush that _it actually crashed into Phin's leg_ as it went across the trail. :eek_color: It hit his leg hard enough to go somersaulting back off the way it came.. and thank goodness Phin was coordinated and athletic enough to keep trotting even though his head was between his front legs looking at the squirrel in horror!!











After that, I had to laugh at him when he eyeballed the bushes, though I guess you couldn't really blame him after the squirrel attack. We went up and down the Sugarloaf several more times and he showed no signs of tiring or settling. I was pleased to see his heartrate drop from a max of 180-200bpm during the climb to under 90 before I could even dismount at the top (I walk down the steepest hills).











Knowing I would be out there a long time if I attempted to tire him, I just worked him until he was at least listening to me most of the time versus staring into the bushes and/or trying to rush towards home. We were actually walking on a nice loose rein not even 1/2 mile from home when we suddenly came upon The Pond.

I have no idea what the heck he thought he saw in there (I didn't see or hear a thing), but he pulled a true arab teleportation maneuver (spook and spin 180 in the blink of an eye) and I was very lucky not to find myself sitting on the ground!











So much for going home quietly. 

We worked in circles beside that pond for over 30 minutes before he stopped trying to shy away as we passed. He was still wanting to rush for home more than I wanted though, so after returning home he didn't get turned back out right away like normal. First, he got to stand around in the cross ties while I cleaned up the tack room, swept the aisle, and prepped dinner feed.











Afterwards, he got to come outside with me and weed the garden. Then, we took down the hanging laundry. Then, we walked a letter to the mailbox. Then, we had a nice grooming session and he got to go back outside.

Silly young, fit ayrab! 

12.85 miles, 2363 feet of climb, 5.2 mph average pace, 39F real feel


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## Blue

*Phantom*, you are still my hero!


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## SwissMiss

Sounds like an entertaining ride!
I have to admit I laughed out loud at the squirrel-story. You really can't blame Phin being concerned about the bushes now, lol.


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## Change

I laughed at Phin's reaction to the squirrel - could actually picture him looking down between his legs as he trotted on. I worry about that squirrel, though. That's not normal behavior! Please check the horse's legs for bites or scratches if it attacks again.


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## phantomhorse13

Change said:


> I worry about that squirrel, though. That's not normal behavior! Please check the horse's legs for bites or scratches if it attacks again.


I agree it's not normal, but it's on property where the owners don't believe in hunting so I can't go try to make it have an accident. Luckily, the leg it ran into is one that wears a splint boot, so no chance that it broke skin!


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## carshon

Phantom- we had a squirrel drop out of a tree once - hang onto my horses mane for a split second and then plop to the ground. I had a Appy then and he was a star but after that the rustling in the trees above him used to make him snort! I love the teleportation comment!


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## frlsgirl

Silly Phin - he does look truly sorry for all of his transgressions standing there in the cross-ties


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday was a busy day. Monday didn't go as I had originally planned, so I needed to get both George and Phin out. I also wanted to take advantage of the record-setting temperatures to be able to actually bathe both horses before clipping them!

I got George out first. It was already in the 70Fs when I left the barn at 10am (our normal high for this time of year is 61F). We are finally starting to get some fall color, too. George didn't need but a leg stretch so we just moseyed around the Sugarloaf.




















Once we got back, George got a bath, with soap! He got to graze in the yard a little bit to make up for the horror, before going into a stall to dry while I rode Phin.










6.73 miles, 968 feet of climb, 5.5 mph average pace, 82F real feel



I was expecting a less exciting ride with Phin and was pleased to be correct. We went around the Sugarloaf and took advantage of the trail maintenance DH and I did over the weekend. Amazing the difference a mowed path can make!!











It was so bizarre to be wearing a sleeveless shirt in mid-October and be sweating!











We did go on the animal bomb trail and I am happy to report there was no sign of that squirrel at all. Perhaps it learned its lesson last time! In fact, not a single thing jumped out of the bushes. Instead the property owner came up the driveway (which is what that animal bomb trail connects to) in a giant dump truck pulling a trailer full of loose, loud scrap metal. Poor Phin! He stood and bravely faced the monster but was shaking head to tail until it passed (he is still super noise reactive).

But on a more fun note, we found a convenient downed tree to play with:

















On the way home, I made a point to go back The Pond. Phin was not thrilled about it, but no spooking today. I let him stand there until he relaxed, then fed him the remains of the apple I had from the orchard.










10.36 miles, 1869 feet of climb, 5.5 mph average pace, 90F real feel


After the ride, Phin got his bath, a bit of hand grazing, and then stood in a stall to dry while I clipped George: 











Once I was done with George, Phin was dry so it was his turn:











Our next competition is next weekend!


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## frlsgirl

Nice work with the clippers; I don't recall ever clipping a horse in Germany; must be an American thing or maybe a 21st century thing. The H/J barn I was at did a lot of clipping but I never saw this at the Dressage barn. Maybe because Dressage horses don't get as sweaty?


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## walkinthewalk

Wow! What a stellar clip job on both horses! That is artwork:bowwdown::bowwdown:

I don't see any pencil lines -- you must have done that by eyes only!?

I have never been allowed to have body clippers in my hands ---- I am barely allowed to clip fetlock and jowel hair-----------


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## phantomhorse13

frlsgirl said:


> I don't recall ever clipping a horse in Germany; must be an American thing or maybe a 21st century thing. The H/J barn I was at did a lot of clipping but I never saw this at the Dressage barn. Maybe because Dressage horses don't get as sweaty?


The heat/sweat factor is why we do it. The weather has been so all over the place, we didn't want to take the chance of it being super warm at the ride next weekend. Dealing with a winter coat for 30 minutes of work is one thing, but dealing with it for 8 hours is another.




walkinthewalk said:


> I don't see any pencil lines -- you must have done that by eyes only!?


I do the clipping freehand - I never could be bothered using pencil or tape as that just made the process take that much longer. Luckily nobody at endurance rides looks too closely! :wink:


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## Drifting

I'm a serial stalker of this thread. Good luck on your next competition!


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## phantomhorse13

This weekend was Fort Valley, the final leg of the Old Dominion Triple Crown. We had planned to head down to Virginia on Thursday morning, but it was forecast to sleet/snow eek_color then, so we bailed Wednesday to beat the weather. [It did indeed sleet the following morning at home, so very glad we went early.] There were already almost a dozen rigs at camp, even though the ride didn't start until Friday! We got there just in time to set up camp and then go to bed.












Thursday morning, we got our crew spot picked out (ours is back beside the farrier truck), and watched as tent city sprung up around us.











Then, it was time to vet in. Phin was feeling mighty fine. 















We spend the rest of the day making sure everything was prepared for the ride. And socializing, of course. This is the last ride of the season in the NorthEast, so a very good turnout.


Friday morning it was fairly chilly, but we got lucky that there wasn't much dew on the ground. Phin was very settled while I was tacking up, which was a huge improvement over the last ride.











The start of the ride is controlled, as it goes up pavement for about 1/4 mile before turning onto a gravel road. That road climbs for another couple miles to the top of Edinburgh Gap. Because the photog understandably didn't want to be hiking for hours, she stayed on the roads close to camp. I was pleased to have Phin so relaxed at only mile 2:











George couldn't contain his enthusiasm for being on trail. The photog caught him mid-tongueflap!!











The first loop was a rugged 17 miles. You went up the mountain, down the other side, dropped down to the valley floor along the river, then climbed back up the mountain. The OD rides are notorious for rocks and climbs and this one is no different.











But oh the views!!











Heading back down the road towards camp, Phin was eyeballing something on the left side of the road super hard, thus my leg being so engaged trying to keep him from running the photog over! 











The first hold went quickly and easily. Both horses pulsed down right away with tack on, then were happy to eat everything in sight. Yet again, Phin was insulted beyond words over being dosed his electrolytes by syringe. [We use endura max powder that we mix into the buffer Pro CMC.] While I do wait until after he's done eating and drinking, such a strong reaction worries me. Last ride, he wouldn't eat or drink for what seemed like forever afterwards. When he seemed to be reacting the same way this time, a friend offered me a dose of Perform and Win - which is meant to be added right to the feed - to try for the next hold.











I figured what the heck, can't make him any more insulted!


to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

The second 18 mile loop started out the same way, climbing up and over the mountain. But at the bottom of the mountain, you turned right and looped down the valley in a different direction. This loop has some of my favorite pieces of trail and the dryness made the footing perfect! The dryness, however, made water on trail pretty scarce.































The climb back up the mountain always seems twice as long as it does when coming down!





















Soon we were back in the hold, where the horses again pulsed down with no issues with their tack on. I was _thrilled_ when Phin ate the feed with the eletrolytes in it!! He didn't eat it with quite the zest he does untainted food, but he ate it so that was what mattered. I just about did the happy dance around him.

[I didn't realize until I got home and uploaded the pictures that I managed to take an almost identical picture in the second hold - the only difference is some stuff changed in the background. Too funny! Guess we are consistent.]











The final loop of 14 miles still has some climbs, but it also has some places which just beg for cantering. The color wasn't quite as spectacular as some years, but the scenery is still amazing. 































We crossed the finish line holding hands for the tie. We had ridden a very conservative pace and expected to be solidly middle of the pack of 42 starters. I almost fell over when the gentleman running the finish line informed us we had *tied for 6th*. We were convinced there had to be a mistake. We found out a bunch of people had missed a turn and wound up lost.. so we lucked into a top 10 finish!! mg:


Both horses had no trouble passing the final vetting, though George was a touch girthy. Phin's girth showed only the very slightest swelling, which I wouldn't have noticed had I not been looking for it - so the girth passed the test. That completion officially gave Phin his Triple Crown!!

I decided to stand Phin for BC simply for the experience for him. We were hours behind the winner and I knew Lani had finished ahead of me as well, and she easily gets me on weight. But Phin had never been asked to trot circles at a competition before, and getting a free additional vet exam is a win in my book.

Waiting for our turn for the BC exam:















To say I was pleased with how Phin looked is an understatement. While breaking into a canter in the last couple steps wasn't exactly what I intended, he certainly didn't seem tired!! :loveshower:

After the BC exam, we got everyone settled and then I got things ready for my ride on Duroc the next day. Before long it was time for dinner and awards. I was so proud of Phin for having gotten the Triple Crown in his very first season! When Phin's name was also called for *High Vet Score*, it put me over the moon. And he didn't just beat the next horse by a point or two, he was over 20 points higher than the next highest scoring horse. Unreal.

:happydance: :clap: :happydance:


The icing on the cake was Lani and Fuji winning BC.


to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 3:

On Saturday, I rode Duroc and a new-to-endurance rider was on Fluffy in the 50. Arianna works for Lani and Kathy and also hunts their younger horses (she is their hunting crash test dummy while I am the endurance crash test dummy :wink. I hadn't met her before, but no surprise we got along well. She was very enthused to try endurance and seeing as she is a 2-star eventer, I knew she would be up for the challenge!


The kids were quite riled up by the time we were done tacking. Fluffy hadn't been ridden since we finished the 100 at the end of August and Duroc hadn't been ridden since I had been on him in early August! [Kathy does most of their training via atv or else rides one of the older horses and ponies the kids.]











I knew Duroc was going to be riled up, so we waited until the main pack was out of sight to leave camp. While he was jiggy, he wasn't stupid. Unfortunately, we caught up to people quite fast which kept him on his toes. The photog was in the same place and I can't believe she caught a moment where he didn't look like a fire-breathing dragon (because he sure felt like one).











I wasn't able to take many pictures as I had my hands full keeping Duroc's good spirits under wraps. We would find a break in the group for a bit and he would almost settle, then we would either catch someone or they would catch us and it was back to square one. I kept telling Arianna that the pace was much faster than ideal, but forward was better than rearing. We finally found a nice bubble of space on the one of the big climbs.











Heading down the road to camp.. so funny to see the difference in energy level between Fluffy and Duroc!











The first hold was relatively uneventful. Duroc always pulses well, though it was quite humid and already getting warm. Fluffy took a few minutes longer, but no surprise with the weather like it was.











We were back out onto the second loop and Duroc finally settled down (climbing that mountain again may have had something to do with it). I left my camera in my coat pocket, which I took off and left at the trailer, so have no pictures from the second loop (duh!). The trail was the same as the previous day. The loop was tons of fun, though Duroc did leap up a 3 foot bank from a standstill when he decided he was done drinking and Fluffy was in the way of his trail access. :eek_color: Arianna said I missed my calling as an eventer. 

I was glad Duroc had settled down as the temp was rapidly climbing into the upper 70s. It was still quite humid so we took the climbs very easy to keep Fluffy from overheating. We got into the hold and got them both pulsed down with some cooling, then went back to the trailer for the hold. The sun was super hot, so we didn't leave them on the ties for long. Instead, we looked for what little shade we could find.











The last loop was lovely, but it was hot enough that we kept the pace very mellow to keep the horses as cool as possible. We walked all the hills and didn't do much cantering at all despite the lovely fields.











Unfortunately, about 5 miles from the finish, we caught up to a rider whose horse wouldn't go by itself. When she allowed the horse to latch onto us, Duroc and Fluffy made it clear they hated its existence. I tried nicely telling the rider that she could not stay with our young horses as strange horses upset them, but she couldn't make the horse go ahead of us. The rider did not have enough control to be able to hold the horse back from following right behind us, so we spent the last 5 miles trying to keep that horse from being kicked or bitten. All things considered, Fluffy and Duroc behaved amazingly well (as nobody actually kicked out or bit) .. but the experience was super stressful for them. I watched Duroc's heart rate catapult from 115 bpm without that horse to consistently over 180 with it there. But _nothing_ we did made any difference to that rider. We tried multiple times to stop and let her go on ahead of us.. but even after standing for 5 minutes to let them graze, then walking we caught up within a minute of our moving again.. and then the horse was right back to being up someone's butt. I actually got ugly after the 4th time she crashed into the back of Duroc (literally) and told her to get the f*ck back or I would kick her myself. It didn't make any difference. 

I was never so thankful to see the finish line. Duroc pulsed down within about 10 minutes, which is a long time for him. However, it took us a lot longer to get Fluffy to pulse down.. like right to the final minute of our 30 minute window. So many people don't realize that emotional stress can tax a horse just as much as physical stress!

But in the end, both horses got their completion. 

I did almost lose it when I found out that rider had requested to tie with us (despite coming across the finish line up Duroc's butt, meaning she was most definitely _behind_ us). Normally, I would not be concerned about placings when talking about 19th vs 20th place.. but the principle of it just really irked me badly. I spoke to the ride manager about it afterwards.. hopefully it will be resolved before the official results hit AERC.

Of course the horses didn't care about any of the drama. They just wanted dinner!











What a weekend!!

I have not had a chance to edit the helmetcam video, but will post that when I get it done.


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## frlsgirl

Eeek; on the rude horse crashing the party. Ana always has to be in front or else she is on everyone's behind but so far it hasn't been a problem as people are usually happy to let us go first.


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## carshon

Phantom - I love your posts and the pictures. Especially the one of Phin and George drinking together. And riding to the finish holding hands almost made this hormonal 46yr old cry!

And reading about the woman on your tail made me so mad! Especially for poor Fluffy ( just love her) It is good to know that everyone has horse issues but makes me mad that she just did not get off of her horse and lunge it until you could get safely ahead! And then asking to tie with you- kind of a compliment but definitely not very sportsmanlike.

Sorry to hear the season is winding down. I am sure going to miss your posts about the rides.


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## egrogan

What an irritating end to the ride. I would be mortified if I were that rider and had so little control over my horse. I guess I have always assumed that anyone who attempts what you do is as good a rider as you 

But seriously, are there not rules about basic levels of horsemanship required to go on a ride like this? How could it be safe for someone who can't make their horse move forward to be out on such a rigorous ride?


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## LoveGus

I've been lurking but your last post drove me nuts. I don't ride,haven't in some time, but I even know well enough to move when someone tells me. Hopefully it does get sorted out


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## ChitChatChet

Oh wow. How frustrating to have to babysit an insecure rider. Then her horse no doubt picked up on those insecurities.......

Thank you so much for sharing your adventures so well with all of us!


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## phantomhorse13

carshon said:


> And riding to the finish holding hands almost made this hormonal 46yr old cry!
> 
> Sorry to hear the season is winding down. I am sure going to miss your posts about the rides.


The first video is uploading, but here is a sneak peak of the finish:










:loveshower: :loveshower: :loveshower:


And the NorthEast season is def winding down.. but I was invited back to Florida this winter, so it won't be winding down for me!! :clap:




egrogan said:


> But seriously, are there not rules about basic levels of horsemanship required to go on a ride like this? How could it be safe for someone who can't make their horse move forward to be out on such a rigorous ride?


Endurance is a sport that prides itself on its relatively few rules, especially for people. While there are rules about things like abusive or dangerous behavior, there are no rules requiring horsemanship or common sense. The rider in question has actually been around the sport a long time and I would have expected much better from her.. so best I can say is to blame it on DIMR, which is distance-induced mental [email protected] (which is likely not even close to a PC term any more, but its not intended to be offensive). It simply explains how for some, the longer the mileage, the less the brain functions. It was also uncommonly hot, so its possible the rider wasn't caring for herself and therefore suffering some type of heat event.

It's also possible she started out riding with someone else, knowing her horse needed company on trail. If that person got pulled, she would have to decide to go on alone, rider option, or see if she could find some other company. The mare didn't seem tired as she happily kept up with us.. she just knew her rider wasn't in charge.

Shiitake happens. But its why I do my best to prepare my horses for anything. Never underestimate stupid. :neutral:




LoveGus said:


> I've been lurking but your last post drove me nuts.


Thank you for unlurking! Please never hesitate to chime in.


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## Oreos Girl

I have had the ahole of the horse at a ride before at my second ACTHA. A safety rider came through on a mare that was calling and calling. My chill gelding decided that it was his pasture mate that wasn't even there and looked for her for a very long time. I finally figured out which horse he had fixated on and asked if I could ride near her. But I did ask. Even then, I wouldn't let him tailgate, he would have to keep a respectable distance.


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## phantomhorse13

Videos are done!













I hate that YouTube gives you only 3 choices for the cover clip.. they always seem to choose the worst frames!


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## Blue

Phantom, thank you for keeping us in your rides! Awesome weekend. Holy Moly! BC, Triple Crown, Tied for 6th. I wouldn't have been able to contain myself! Nicely done. 

On a side note. Maybe you should have let one of your horses kick or bite that rude rider's horse? That's mean, I know, not her horse's fault. Not sure I would have either, but what a scum to try to tie with you after all she put you though. You have class my dear.


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## frlsgirl

Love watching those pointy ears; 50 miles! That's really far! We are considering a 4 mile trail ride Saturday to the Riverbend Arena; it's a really big deal for us to go that far, lol


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## phantomhorse13

Blue said:


> On a side note. Maybe you should have let one of your horses kick or bite that rude rider's horse? That's mean, I know, not her horse's fault.


Trust me, that thought was going through my mind.. and imagine if Fluffy - with her size 4, studded steel shoes - really kicked that other horse?! If this had happened even 6 months ago, I think either horse would have been firing.. but they have learned that isn't allowed and gained self-control. As horses that will at some point go on to be field hunters, kicking is simply never ok under any circumstance.. even when justified! :neutral:




frlsgirl said:


> Love watching those pointy ears; 50 miles! That's really far! We are considering a 4 mile trail ride Saturday to the Riverbend Arena; it's a really big deal for us to go that far, lol


Everyone has to start somewhere!!

I can still vividly remember my very first ride on Dream.. we did a 6 mile training ride and I thought that perhaps I might die. I couldn't walk right for days. At the time, I wasn't even sure I would have the leg strength to drive home!!

Have a blast on Saturday. Bet you will find your inner canter! :runninghorse2:


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## LoveGus

phantomhorse13 said:


> I can still vividly remember my very first ride on Dream.. we did a 6 mile training ride and I thought that perhaps I might die. I couldn't walk right for days. At the time, I wasn't even sure I would have the leg strength to drive home!!
> 
> Have a blast on Saturday. Bet you will find your inner canter!



Longest I've ever gone, on a borrowed horse, was five miles. I loved it but I was sore for a bit afterwords.

On a side note. How did you chose the wonderful horses you have? Im sure you had to look at a few before finding your current team .


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## tim62988

I must say i loved the commentary on the video of Phin's BC trot out :-D 

and my question why wouldn't the person hop off their horse and walk it to put the space between you? I understand the magnet horse, I can ride my mare out alone but if we catch up to another group going the same direction she gets a bit bull headed to try and catch up but would think the rider would ride the other direction for 5 min, do some circles, ect....


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## phantomhorse13

LoveGus said:


> On a side note. How did you chose the wonderful horses you have? Im sure you had to look at a few before finding your current team .


There are 4 horses here on the property: George, Sultan, Dream, and Phin. George and Sultan belonged to my DH before I met him; Dream and Phin are mine. George and Sultan came from a small breeder in Kentucky, whom DH found via a friend of a friend when he decided he wanted to get serious about endurance. He jokes now that he was either going to buy a horse or a Harley. He originally went to look at Sultan, but was told it was both or none, as the boys (3/4 siblings born 2 weeks apart) had been together their whole lives. Luckily for me, he chose the horses. :grin:

How Dream and I got together is rather an amazing story. Once upon a time, just after college, I worked for an Arab breeding farm that specialized in racehorses. Dream was their first embryo transfer foal - so the first time I saw her, she was a 16-cell blob in the eyepiece of a microscope!! I wish I could say I felt some special attraction to her as a foal.. but honestly, other than the novelty of seeing an Arabian foal come out of a Saddlebred mare.. she was just one of many of that year's crop.



















I left the farm when she wasn't quite a yearling and never gave her another thought for years. I happened to see a posting on ridecamp (an endurance email list) asking for any personal experiences with horses recovering from lightning strikes. A farm I had worked at a couple years earlier had a mare who had been struck and recovered, and I contacted the poster with her story. When he responded, he mentioned the name of the mare he had who was struck - she was one of the foals from that long ago farm! And he also had another mare from the same farm who was in need of a rider.. that was Dream.

I rode Dream for that gentleman for many successful years, learning all about endurance. When his health declined to the point he could no longer keep the farm, he gave her to me. She has since had to be retired due to issues resulting from a trailer accident (a kid late for work and on his phone texting broadsided the trailer), which left her neuro and unrideable. She is now our pasture potato.

After we realized Dream was not going to recover, DH encouraged me to look for another horse. He was very generous in sharing his boys with me, but they weren't mine. I wasn't really shopping yet (I was still grieving over Dream's diagnosis), when a friend mentioned he knew someone who was looking to place her arab as she had changed disciplines and was into QHs now. The gelding was fairly young at 7, had some trail experience, and was bred to be a performance horse (he's from the Al Marah program). I liked the look of his photos, so we went to check him out.. and Phin came home with us. That was a little over a year ago.


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## phantomhorse13

tim62988 said:


> I must say i loved the commentary on the video of Phin's BC trot out
> 
> and my question why wouldn't the person hop off their horse and walk it to put the space between you? I understand the magnet horse, I can ride my mare out alone but if we catch up to another group going the same direction she gets a bit bull headed to try and catch up but would think the rider would ride the other direction for 5 min, do some circles, ect....



Ah yes, my DH and the male vet were def having some fun. I made sure to mention after hearing it that one of the lost people was another male friend!

I suspect the rider didn't get off because she wouldn't have been able to get back on again, though the thought did cross my mind to help her dismount. :wink: As for why she didn't ride the other way.. guess that comes back to her claim to not be in control. But I never did see her trying very hard to do much of anything. :icon_rolleyes:


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## bsms

phantomhorse13 said:


> ...Everyone has to start somewhere!!
> 
> I can still vividly remember my very first ride on Dream.. we did a 6 mile training ride and I thought that perhaps I might die. I couldn't walk right for days. At the time, I wasn't even sure I would have the leg strength to drive home!!
> 
> Have a blast on Saturday. Bet you will find your inner canter! :runninghorse2:


I want to thank you for the encouragement you give those of us with, shall I say, more modest goals? It is so nice to 'meet' an experienced rider who says, "Keep going!" instead of "You suck!" Bandit and I didn't do 2 miles today. Unless sideways counts. It is SOOOO nice to run into someone who does 50 miles and more - but who builds others up.

Another poster once asked me if I thought posters treated their horses the way they do other people. If so, I can understand why your horses grow instead of shrink...

:cheers:​


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## phantomhorse13

bsms said:


> I want to thank you for the encouragement you give those of us with, shall I say, more modest goals? It is so nice to 'meet' an experienced rider who says, "Keep going!" instead of "You suck!" Bandit and I didn't do 2 miles today. Unless sideways counts. It is SOOOO nice to run into someone who does 50 miles and more - but who builds others up.
> 
> Another poster once asked me if I thought posters treated their horses the way they do other people. If so, I can understand why your horses grow instead of shrink...
> 
> :cheers:​


Thank you! 

I am still amazed that people are interested in reading what I am doing with our horses.. but I love sharing what I have learned and learning from others. 

And from your description of today's ride in your journal, that 2 miles was much harder than many rides I have done, even if the mileage happened to be longer!


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## Change

I've been on some fairly long rides, but nothing like what you do. I think the hardest ride was the 15 miles from the base stable to the new home with a yearling filly in tow. She refused to load into the trailer - would literally just buckle her legs and lay down rather than load. No fighting, no rearing. Just passive resistance! LOL! So I took my (flabby) reliable gelding and asked my sister & her barrel racing stallion to join me, then ponied that filly all the way home (through the desert, in the summer). I thought it was funny that at the end of the ride, both the filly and stallion were dragging their feet, and my out-of-shape gelding was still high-stepping and wanting to keep going! Oh - and those 15 miles? Took us 4 or 5 hours.


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## phantomhorse13

Just got sent some additional pictures of the finish from a friend.. the endurance community is amazing!





























These will be printed for my 'hallway of vanity' for sure!


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## egrogan

^^Stunning shots. How fun!


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## tim62988

I think a lot of us enjoy your journal because you tell such a great story.

You show us the behind the scenes, the friends, the horses, the scenery, always willing to answer questions on tack/horse/training and a lot of us dream of being able to do endurance at some point.

I would LOVE to do endurance, my current horse is my first horse and we have formed a bond in such a way that I won't sell her unless financially absolutely necessary but she is a rougher ride at times so not a 50miler and my wife's horse is the ticket for an endurance mount but I'm not enough of a rider for that chunky fireball who has yet to get tired no matter what we throw at her so for me your journal is an encouragement for "the next horse"


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## Blue

tim, don't write off that "chunky fireball". My old Bart was still a handful and a half at 18 years. We decided to go on a 3 day, cross country ride through mountains in February. Best thing we ever did. He blew those youngsters in the weeds and I had a blast! Sometimes those fiery ones need some excitement !


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## phantomhorse13

I got Sultan out for a ride today. The weather continues the ongoing yo-yo.. yesterday I needed a winter coat, but today it was sunny, with low humidity and temps in the upper 60s when I was done with my ride! I went out early knowing Sultan would be warm in his winter coat (he is resembling a yak more and more each week.. not a good sign for the type of winter coming :shock. I think we are about peak for our fall color too, as many leaves are now coming down. In general, today was just an amazing day to be on a horse out in the world.

We went over to do the Big Square. Sultan was mostly very good, though he did have a couple moments of stupid. After his atrocious behavior at the canter when my friend rode him last, I was expecting some issue. The first canter was no problem, but during the second one, he felt a hand gallop was in order. When I didn't agree, he thought bucking would get him his way. He quickly found that it did not.. but it _did_ result in having to practice leg yielding both ways at the lope. Sultan doesn't like dressage work any more than I do, so quickly decided just cantering along slowly without threatening to leave or buck was much better! 





























Sultan was a bit rushy going home, so we did more dressage work upon returning home. I made good use of the trees in the yard to ask for bend and direction changes.. and the highest insult was practicing walk/canter transitions from the barn doorway - going away from the barn. As if all of that wasn't bad enough, once I got off and untacked, he got a bath. 

The horror. Being allowed to graze in the yard afterwards may have erased some of the trauma. Maybe.










11.09 miles, 993 feet of climb, 7.3 mph average pace, 68F real feel.


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## tim62988

Blue said:


> tim, don't write off that "chunky fireball". My old Bart was still a handful and a half at 18 years. We decided to go on a 3 day, cross country ride through mountains in February. Best thing we ever did. He blew those youngsters in the weeds and I had a blast! Sometimes those fiery ones need some excitement !


i know Missfire would do respectably well for endurance, not a winner but she has the frame/stamina (arab irish draught cross) 7 years old we've had her for 2 years now and she's proving to be quite the trail horsei. just too much horse for me to hop on and condition and the wife doesn't have time but maybe as I progress and Missfire progresses it will be an opportunity.

my 16 yr old twh is the best conditioned of the horses we ride with, everyone else is 6-8 but they don't get ridden as much (except my wife's horse) just wish mine would gait instead of pace although she may have it in there and just one of those me learning to ask/push for that extra 1/2 speed to get where we need to be... so not counting her out just not aiming for the stars just yet either


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## frlsgirl

Oh wow you really worked him! Poor Sultan....not!


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## phantomhorse13

Today was an interesting day.. like the chinese curse ''may you live in interesting times." :|

It started out well enough. Just before lunch, I gathered my trail trimming things (a couple pairs of clippers, loppers, a saw, gloves and a leadrope) and stuffed them into a backpack. I figured I would combine trimming the last bit of trail on the top of the Sugarloaf with a lesson in patience for Sultan. Using him to get me up there would save my legs hiking all that way and it would be good for him to stand around while I worked. I also made my ******* repair to the training pad, which had an insanely short keeper for the billets:










Baling twine fixes anything, right?!

So off we went, me dressed as my best impersonation of a pumpkin and sporting the backpack:











I have never attempted to ride with a backpack on before. After today, I don't think that I will again! I was able to mount without issue, but then had to start tightening the straps to keep the bottom of it from banging against the cantle of the saddle. I finally got it tight enough to not hit the saddle, but it was tight enough to constantly remind me of my poor posture and rolled forward shoulder position.. so I forced my shoulders back and sat up super straight as we walked along.

Then, I asked for a trot. Sultan is the most comfortable of our boys, but within 3 strides that backpack felt like it was bouncing out about 3 feet, then crashing back into me. I tried tightening it more, which just resulted in my feeling like I couldn't move my arms while not decreasing the bounce in any way. All this was happening in the 1/4 mile between home are the buildings at Alamar - I can only imagine how comical I must have looked to anybody able to see me. :hide:

I finally gave up on tightening the straps any more, and instead just reached around with my non-rein hand and grabbed the bottom and held it against me. Whew, relief! We get across Alamar and down the road and I look silly but it's not bouncing (and heck, its probably the best my posture has been since the last time I took a dressage lesson and got yelled at to sit up straight repeatedly). But then my arm starts hurting from holding the bag.

By now, the whole thing has struck me as funny, so I am giggling like a fool as we trot down the neighbor's driveway, debating if I can hold out long enough for my arm to just go numb. Of course I can't, so instead switch arms. I use that arm until it starts going numb, then switch back. We have now made it maybe a mile and I am seriously wondering if I would have been better off hiking after all!

We finally approach the first spot I plan to trim and I am _so_ thankful to stop trotting. Can you tell where I had stopped trimming the previous visit?! 











I am just getting the clippers out when my phone rings. I generally won't answer the phone when I am riding unless its my DH calling, but I see its a friend who is on vacation out of the country.. so her calling cannot be a good thing. And indeed, its not: one of her horses was down in his stall and her farm sitter was overwhelmed.. the vet was called but was over an hour away. Could I possibly go over and see what I thought?

Of course I said yes, hung up the phone, and pointed Sultan for home as fast as he could safely go. Ironically, holding onto the silly backpack was a lot more comfortable at the canter! Sultan must have thought I had lost my mind, as he kept trying to slow, knowing that cantering home was never allowed. But canter all the way home we did, but for the 100 yards we went up the pavement, and thank goodness for his fitness as he hadn't even broken a sweat. He likely thought that was the best training ride of his life! I was able to toss him right back out to pasture and jump in the car for the 20 minute drive.

I got there and found the gelding down, laying flat and still in the stall. He was being stalled due to a suspected soft tissue injury from getting caught in the fence a couple weeks ago, but he had been doing better with it until yesterday, when the leg had some swelling again and he was lame. I have to admit to thinking the worst as I went to check his vitals, but I was surprised to find his eye bright and his mucous membranes and CRT normal! Listened to his heart and the rate was normal. His temp was low and his respiratory rate was decreased, and the down hind leg felt cold to the touch at the pastern.

Found out from the farm sitter than he had been fine last night, eating and drinking and acting normally other than the new swelling in that leg. He was down when she went to check him this morning, about 10:30. He had drank a normal amount of water and eaten a normal amount of hay overnight. The stall was quite disturbed. He had tried to get up on his own a couple times after the farm sitter arrived, but was never able to get past dog sitting as the down hind leg wouldn't support him. Then, he just kind of gave up and laid there. The farm sitter had called a neighbor with horses, who had come over (along with another lady), took a look at him, and decided he was colicking (which understandably upset the farm sitter all the more). That is when the owner called me.

I have seen more than my share of colics (I am a licensed vet tech) and had never seen one so bad as to be totally flat, yet still have normal CRT and mucous membranes. When I manipulated his back legs, the top leg was fine, but he was painful when I flexed the hock on the down leg - painful to the point he actually rolled up sternally to try to get that leg away from me. I checked his belly and was able to hear normal gut sounds in all 4 quadrants and he also passed some manure, which looked totally normal.

His owner had asked I go over and check things out and treat him like I would one of my own.. so that is what I did: I didn't believe he was colicking, so I asked him to get up. He gave a good effort, but was not able to get his good hind leg under him because of the way his hip was angled and the bad leg simply couldn't support his weight. He settled back down and I went to gather lead ropes. When asked what I was doing, I said I wanted to try to shift him over so the good leg was down. The farm sitter came out to help me gather ropes. As we returned with them, one of the ladies said she didn't think that was a good idea, because if he was colicking he might have ruptured or twisted something. It wasn't said in the nicest tone (which matched the not-very-nice look she was giving me), so perhaps it wasn't very tactful when I replied with "if he's been down since before 10 and was twisted or ruptured, he would be dead by now." That earned me a glare and she stalked out of the barn. :icon_rolleyes: The farm sitter whispered she was glad to see her go!

Luckily for the horse, the farm sitter and I were able to get him squirmed around into the corner of the stall using a couple ropes and the top of the stall walls for leverage. He was so careful not to step on me in his movements. He eventually was able to get up by bracing his front legs against one wall and shoving the hip over his bad leg against the other wall until he could get the good leg under him. Once he was on his feet, he didn't want to put the bad leg down.. but was happy to hop over and check my pockets for cookies!

What a huge relief. While I didn't like that he didn't want to put weight on the bad leg, at least he was standing! The vet arrived about 15 minutes later and the grumpy neighbor woman came back into the barn when she did. She was quick to talk over the farm sitter when the vet asked what had been going on, saying how she thought the horse was colicking and should have been left down, etc. I had to hide a smile when the vet - who was already examining the horse - basically ignored the other woman and only listened to the farm sitter. The vet agreed she didn't like the looks of the hock and he would barely toe touch with that leg when walking, even out of the stall.

The vet sedated him to take rads of the hock and palpated him to double check he wasn't colicking (he wasn't) and to check for pelvic fractures (none of those either thank goodness). The hock rads found something suspicious, and a quick view of the normal hock confirmed it - avulsion fracture. Shiitake. An appointment is scheduled with a surgeon to ultrasound it next week. It may be a simple chip that can come out.. or it may involve the collateral ligament, which could render him permanently lame. Fingers and toes crossed it's just a simple chip. :frown_color:


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## Drifting

I can't like your last post because of the horse issue  But glad you could help. It must be a relief for your friend knowing she has someone she can call to help if she's not there.


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## phantomhorse13

Drifting said:


> I can't like your last post because of the horse issue  But glad you could help. It must be a relief for your friend knowing she has someone she can call to help if she's not there.


I figure it's all about karma.. I sure would want someone to drop what they were doing and go help my horse if something happened when I was away.


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## Blue

Ah, *Phantom*, we all know that for you karma has little to do with it. You would have run to the rescue of anyone who needed it. Best wishes for your friends horse. Did you go back to trim that trail yet?


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## phantomhorse13

Blue said:


> Did you go back to trim that trail yet?


Not yet, but hopefully tomorrow. Debating if I am going to try the backpack again..


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## carshon

Fingers crossed for your friends horse. There is nothing harder than finding a good horse sitter while out of town. But nothing more treasured than a horsey friend that will drop everything and come to your hoses aid. You are a Gem Phantom. Just adding to the reasons I follow your journal.


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## Tazzie

You really are a gem to drop what you're doing to go help. There sadly aren't enough people like that around anymore 

When is his appointment? Fingers crossed it'll be good news!

I do love your pictures though! The ones of you and your DH holding hands across the finish line are just the sweetest!


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## tim62988

does the backpack have a waist belt? if not I would say try and find one with a waistbelt, may make a huge difference for trips like yours.

also good luck with the neighbor's horse, always my biggest worry when going away is what will the horses or dogs get into


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## Change

Ditch the backpack and break out the saddle bags!


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## phantomhorse13

Tazzie said:


> When is his appointment? Fingers crossed it'll be good news!


His owner gets back into the country tonight, so I am waiting to hear when the appointment will be. hopefully later this week as I am sure she is agonizing over not knowing. On a good note, he's been pretty comfortable on that leg since, which I am hoping is a sign that the ligament is not involved..




tim62988 said:


> does the backpack have a waist belt? if not I would say try and find one with a waistbelt, may make a huge difference for trips like yours.


The backpack does not have a waist belt. It is the ancient Eastpack I used to carry my books in high school and college. I don't carry anything like that very often so was going to make due with what I had versus buying something.




Change said:


> Ditch the backpack and break out the saddle bags!


If what I had wanted to carry would have fit in saddlebags, I certainly would have done that! However, the loppers really didn't fit well in the backpack (which is much bigger than any saddlebags I have).. I wound up looking mighty silly (no those are not skewers coming out of my back, they are the lopper handles!):











So I did get Sultan out today, and I did get the trimming I planned done (much to his dismay). :mrgreen:

The weather has shifted back to normal (highs in the low 50s, lows in the upper 20s), so there was still some frost around as we started out.











Sultan was less than impressed about having to walk and stand and walk and stand as I clipped along the trail. It was so good for him to just chill out and not anticipate going at speed. When we got to the very top of the Sugarloaf, I tied him to a tree while I carefully climbed over the edge to trim back the new growth that was blocking the view.










Good to know we could use him for ride and tie if I ever lose my mind and want to run on perfectly good riding trails. :wink:

I am happy to report I did not fall off the edge and the loppers were perfection - I was able to get everything cleared and didn't even need to break out the saw! A shame that our color is past peak now, but you still get the idea.










Sultan was even less impressed when I continued to trim trail down the other side and on the way home. He thought about getting fussy, but luckily decided that as terrible as walking and stopping was, he could do it and not actually die (or explode).

As we got home, I couldn't resist this colorful shot. All the horses are even far enough away to look clean!











5.04 miles, 531 feet of climb, 2.8 mph average pace, 54F real feel.


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## frlsgirl

I'm a couple of posts behind, but oh my goodness about your friend's horse. Also, you're a licensed vet tech? That's awesome; I bet that comes in handy with your rowdy bunch. About the back pack situation, good thing your horse is so level headed and didn't freak from all the commotion. I have yet to find a good way to secure belongings to me when going for a trail ride; I try to wear a vest with pockets and spread my belongings equally but there just isn't enough room for anything except a mini bottle of water, my phone and a granola bar.


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## SwissMiss

phantomhorse13 said:


> 5.04 miles, 531 feet of climb, 2.8 mph average pace, 54F real feel.



Beautiful pictures as usual.

Now, _that_ ride summary is more achievable for me :rofl: Except the climb, of course


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## Blue

I had a friend that was quite an amazing leather craftsman. He actually modified a rifle scabbard to carry loppers and a saw. That's the beauty of riding western. Lots of equipment to carry stuff!

Beautiful pictures as always. Thank you for taking us along.


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## tim62988

you mentioned in another post about not sure why we keep following your journal: 

for me personally some of the pictures are a reason to follow your adventures, I grew up in south central PA so the pipelines, valleys, and mountains take me "home" NY isn't far but the topography where I live still isn't "home"


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## Change

You could title that first picture, "_Shadow Ninja_!" The lopper handles look like Samuri sword hilts!

All your pictures are great, but you also tell a great tale! Not many professional writers out there who could keep all of us riveted on a simple trail clean up ride!


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## gottatrot

Very nice photos! Beautiful scenery. 
I hope your friend's horse will be OK. What a great thing to have someone like you to check on the horse and make logical and informed decisions about his care. She was lucky to have you.


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## phantomhorse13

frlsgirl said:


> I have yet to find a good way to secure belongings to me when going for a trail ride; I try to wear a vest with pockets and spread my belongings equally but there just isn't enough room for anything except a mini bottle of water, my phone and a granola bar.


I stuff most of the things that I normally carry into my saddle packs, leaving my phone on myself in this great pouch a jogging friend recommended (and it really doesn't bounce, yet doesn't feel like you are being cut in half). I could see a vest being ok for me at the walk, but then doesn't stuff get to bouncing like crazy at the trot? If nothing else it might be a good de-spooking lesson. :wink:




Blue said:


> I had a friend that was quite an amazing leather craftsman. He actually modified a rifle scabbard to carry loppers and a saw.


This is a fantastic idea! That would be so useful for someone doing a lot of trail maintenance by horseback. I know some people even carry chainsaws somehow.




Change said:


> You could title that first picture, "_Shadow Ninja_!" The lopper handles look like Samuri sword hilts!


Love this thought!! Ninja trail trimming.. way more fun than plain ol' loppers. And I bet a sword would hack through those stickerbushes with ease.. and keep my hands and arms from getting scratched up in the process. :rofl:




gottatrot said:


> I hope your friend's horse will be OK.


His appointment for the ultrasound is Monday. He has been having more good than bad days, so hoping that means the ligament is not involved..


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday I had hoped to ride, but would up helping with potatoes and didn't have time. But I did have time to get the political signs out into the pasture. Phin had been less than impressed with them along the one part of road we ride, so I asked if I could have them after the election. As I expected, it didn't take long for Phin to go from suspecting they were monsters to thinking they were toys!







Guess that is his opinion on politics!! :dance-smiley05: :rofl:


Today started out with a smile, as a friend pointed out that DH & I eeked into the standings for a nationwide AERC award! While I don't expect to stay there until the end of the season, I will have the screenshot forever. :wink:











I didn't have to play with potatoes, so I was finally able to get Sultan out. Of course the weather had turned unpleasant.. while the sun was out off and on, there was a horrendous wind.. the real feel was in the lows 30s! I figured Sultan would be up, but he wasn't getting out of work just because of wind.

The next competition is at a pretty flat place, so I had been planning to limit the climbing and instead go around some of the fields near the Sugarloaf before heading home. The ride got interesting as we headed up a private road and noticed a landscaper vacuuming up leaves at one of the houses. The truck was parked beside the house on the edge of the road, so there was plenty of space to get by. Sultan was still sulking about heading away from home, so didn't act silly and just slowly jogged by. Well good thing, as right as we got up beside the truck, it suddenly pulled out right at us! :eek_color: Sultan was able to leap sideways into the grass to avoid being hit, then I swung him around and went over and gave the driver a piece of my mind. He obviously hadn't bothered to look and had I been in a vehicle he would have hit me for sure. 

After my tantrum, we continued on down the road to the last farm. Just as we got to where we normally turn off the drive into a field, gunfire erupted. It is NOT firearm season for hunters here, so it didn't take me long to realize the police were doing another training (I had the same issue with Phin in the same place months ago). Instead of going into the field (which would have taken us in to the line of fire), we continued up the driveway into what sounded like a war movie. Luckily, they paused and walked out to inspect the target as we got to the end of the drive and turned up towards them. Needless to say, my plan for working around those fields was out the window.

Instead, I decided to go over the Sugarloaf and head for the Tomhicken. I figured at least the people there should only have crossbows!!











On the way across the family farm, we again came upon the field fox out hunting. The poor critter had just pounced on something when we came up from downwind, much to his surprise.











After going a quick loop on the yellow gate trail, we headed home around the far side of Sugarloaf. I haven't been that way in a while as the crops had been planted all the way to the woods, not leaving any way around the field without stepping on plants. But they are all harvested now, so were able to get around.











We also got to see the elk for the first time in a long, long while! I am not sure what the owner does with them (super big pets?), but pretty cool to see the huge rack on the bull this time of year.











Sultan was a bit of a pill the whole ride, always wanting to head towards home no matter where we actually were. While he was smart enough not to try to bolt, he was shaking his head and constantly leaning against the reins asking to go faster. When he was still acting the same way when we got back to Alimar, I decided I was going to let him go home, let him stand in the crossties for a few minutes, then take him back out again.

@Tazzie , you inspired me! Instead of keeping Sultan tacked for his second jaunt, I took off the saddle, tossed on the cooler, and hopped on bareback. I can't even think of the last time I rode bareback.. Mia came too, in case someone needed to go for help when I fell off. ;-)




















We didn't do much more than a walk, as I was trying to cool him out, but we did a _bit_ of jogging off and on (and I am sure my legs will remind me of it tomorrow!):






14.05 miles, 1731 feet of climb, 6.5 mph average pace, 31F real feel.


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## Tazzie

Yay!! I'm glad you took him out for a little ride bareback! He looks like he did well too  I used to love bareback, so it's kind of fun to revisit it! I'm loving seeing everyone be inspired by it though!

And I really love you take so many pictures and videos  it's like we're really along for the ride with you!


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## Change

I used to prefer bareback over saddle, and was a lot more confident that way. Fast forward 20 (or 30) years... when I was looking for a horse 2 years ago, I went to look at a nice little mare, rode her saddled for a bit, then stripped her and got on bareback. Muscle memory remembers how to do it, but it's a lot harder now! That was my last attempt. Guess I'm getting too old!


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## phantomhorse13

Today, DH and I took George and Phin out for a hack. DH wanted to check out around his tree stand on the Sugarloaf, so that is where we headed.




















Both boys were feeling fine, but behaved themselves well (this was their first ride since the last competition). After DH scoped out everything he wanted to see, we turned for home. On the way, we stopped at the outdoor arena and I took advantage of having DH along to make him play videographer while I took Phin over the jumps. It was the first time Phin had ever been over the panel jump.







I have no idea what I am doing with my hands and arms .. apparently I was practicing my chicken impression.  Glad I am not pulling on Phin's face but sure need to concentrate on not flapping next time I am schooling! DH tried to take some pics but couldn't get the timing right, so these are pulled from the vids:





























As we returned home, I thought I would end the day popping Phin over the log that is in the corner of the hayfield. I have jumped him over that before, so was not expecting any issue. Surprise.

I am still not really sure what happened, but just as I expected him to take off, Phin instead propped hard. I went up his neck and then he launched over it from a standstill. He hit the ground bucking at the canter (per my DH) and I managed to get his head up and slow down to a trot.. but I had lost both stirrups and I can't sit his trot under normal circumstances. Within 2 strides I knew I was bouncing off, so did an attempt at an emergency dismount. My feet were just touching the ground when he realized I was beside him, at which point he threw it in reverse. I initially landed on my feet but wound up on my knees when I didn't let go of his neck before he ran backwards. 

I am not sure who was more upset, Phin or my DH. Phin looked like he expected me to beat him when I approached - he was literally shaking head to tail and he couldn't have gotten his head up any higher. I am not sure he breathed at all in the time it took me to lead him back over to the log and get back on and he walked on eggshells.

I worked him around the field until he calmed down. When I pointed him back at the jump, he didn't want to go within 10 feet of it. I got him to walk up to it, but he was shaking as he stood and would have left the area if given a choice. I know I am not a good enough jumper to deal with a panicky horse leaping over something they are afraid of, so I got off once he stood quietly and relaxed. I attached the reins to his halter and worked him on the line. Even from the ground he wanted no parts of that log to start with. After a few minutes of quiet encouragement I got him over it. Seeing the massive leap he gave, I was very glad to be on the ground!! I asked him to go over it a few more times (until he did so quietly), then called it a day.

I still have no idea what he saw today to cause such a reaction. DH didn't notice anything either. :confused_color:

8.87 miles, 1025 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 48F real feel


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## gottatrot

Phin is a cute little jumper! I "chicken wing" too sometimes when I'm on green horses and focusing on not hitting them in the mouth. Looks like you do a great job of staying with the horse over the jump. 

Oh those silly Arabs. They have such a difficult time committing. Many horses will run out or stop or jump late. Arabs might decide to do all three on the same jump! Glad you didn't have a bad fall. Chances are next time you'll be prepared for him to be nervous about the jump, and it won't bother him at all. Or he'll continue to jump everything you want except that one jump will be his nemesis. LOL.


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## Tazzie

Love the video and the screenshots from the video! Phin looks like a fun little jumper!

And who knows. We make up scary shadows and stuff too :lol: but I'm glad you got him calmed back down! And that you weren't hurt!


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## carshon

You just never know with horses. Glad you are OK and poor Phin! Loved the pics. I would hate to see what my arms do if my horse jumped something.


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## PoptartShop

Awww gorgeous photos. Amazing scenary that's for sure, can see everything up there!
Cute jumper too!
Glad you were both OK, whew!


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## Change

The last time I had a horse balk at a jump, I went over the rail, she went over the post... then over the arena fence. If I'd known she could jump 5' I wouldn't have insulted her with the little 2' I was asking for! LOL! Her nemesis, though, was this little trickle of a stream. She'd go 3' high and 6' distance to cross 2" of water. 

Glad you were able to stay with Phin even if it was a less than graceful dismount. And poor Phin! It's a good horse that worries that much when he loses his rider. My current mare would just laugh at me and try to do it again!

Horses are fun!


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I went with that friend to have her horse's hock ultrasounded. 

The 2 hour trip down was uneventful, as was the return haul. There was an oh-oh moment when we arrived at the clinic and the front desk didn't have record of the appointment! Luckily the doctor - who had arranged the appointment via my friend's regular vet - was expecting us so there wasn't an issue (though I suspect that poor woman at the front desk had some choice words for the doctor). 

The horse behaved beautifully during the testing. The doctor was very good about explaining to the owner what he was looking at and what it all meant. That bone chip was indeed the insertion point of the medial collateral ligament, but it was not impeding the DDF or other soft tissue structures. The rest of the bony structures of the hock were unaffected. There was a lot of swelling and debris in the joint capsule, which prompted the doctor to suggest a joint tap, as that debris was either old blood that hadn't yet resorbed (not ideal but recoverable) or else infection (very, very bad). It was all I could do not to cheer when he inserted the needle and red fluid dripped out! No infection, just old blood!! 

In the end, the diagnosis was the best it could have been. The recommendation is 4-6 months of rehab mainly involving small paddock rest and slowly increasing exercise over time. A long process, but least a good chance for a complete recovery! :clap:


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## Tazzie

HOORAY!!! Now that is the news we were hoping for! SOO glad the joint wasn't infected and there is a good prognosis!


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## egrogan

Yes, that's great news. A friend just had to put her beautiful mare down do to a joint infection & severed tendon that they had been desperately trying to heal up for months. Glad you got better news!


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## ChitChatChet

Change said:


> Her nemesis, though, was this little trickle of a stream. She'd go 3' high and 6' distance to cross 2" of water.


That sounds like a donkey!! my donkey would seriously clear tiny streams of water but would walk through larger streams. Always left me scratching my head.


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## frlsgirl

I didn't know you guys jump as well; very nice. As usual I'm several posts behind and will try to get caught up.


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## phantomhorse13

frlsgirl said:


> I didn't know you guys jump as well; very nice. As usual I'm several posts behind and will try to get caught up.


I jump small things because I think its a good idea for a trail horse to have at least the basics. There have been times I have come across down trees on trail and being able to hop over them has meant our ride could continue.


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## tim62988

phantomhorse13 said:


> There was an oh-oh moment when we arrived at the clinic and the front desk didn't have record of the appointment! Luckily the doctor - who had arranged the appointment via my friend's regular vet - was expecting us so there wasn't an issue (though I suspect that poor woman at the front desk had some choice words for the doctor).
> :


you can tell i grew up in the vet world and married a vet tech when of the whole paragraph i'm glad the horse is fine but the real grin is at the dr/receptionist interaction at least no one saw an empty slot in the book and filled it on the dr

and another plus side, going into winter so barring any ice :-/ it's an easier time to deal with a more relaxed rehab instead of spring then getting back to sound and ready to ride by winter


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## Blue

*Phantom*, Whew! What a relief! So glad the outlook is looking better.


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## Change

I'm so relieved to hear that the vet visit shows promise of recovery! And you are a really good friend to be there for emotional support. 

My current mare (who would laugh gleefully if I came off) is a great trail horse. My son and I (he was riding his 4-wheeler) were on a trail and came across a fairly large tree that had fallen across it. Cally didn't bat an eye and just stepped over it and continued on down the trail for a dozen steps before she realized her best buddy (the 4-wheeler) wasn't coming. She stopped and neighed at it. 

I guess she didn't understand why a little 30" tree was a problem! ;-)


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## gottatrot

Good to hear about your friend's horse! I am hoping for a full recovery.


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## phantomhorse13

tim62988 said:


> but the real grin is at the dr/receptionist interaction at least no one saw an empty slot in the book and filled it on the dr


One better: after hearing the receptionist's end of the convo, I realized the doctor doesn't normally see appointments that day! So very good the slot wasn't double booked.. but the poor woman wasn't even sure if the doctor was _in the building_ at that point.. yet here is a client showing her a confirmation email for the appointment, after hauling for hours! Having been on that side of the desk plenty of times, I had such empathy for her. Nothing like looking like an idiot because of no communication! Def part of the job I do not miss.


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## PoptartShop

Great news!!!!!  So glad!


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I clipped a yak in preparation for our next competition:











And as if making him nekkid wasn't bad enough, I also took Sultan out for his last leg stretch before the competition. The day had started off sunny, but by the time I tacked up, the clouds had moved in and a wicked cold wind had blown up. We went over to do the Big Square, as I wanted a good cardio workout.











The pond shows just how much of a drought we are still in - never seen it so low before.











I made sure to go through the spook zone several times, as I have heard this next ride location can have a lot of odd things around on the trails.











Overall, Sultan was very good. That was actually a blessing for me, as one of the reins came unclipped in the middle of a canter across a field - and pointing towards home no less. Had I not been holding the snap, I would never have known though, as Sultan slowed with just the verbal command and shift of weight like normal. Whew!!

When I got back, I decided to cool him out bareback again. Mia loved going for a walk around Alimar, but I am not sure that Sultan was equally impressed. :wink:











12.56 miles, 1128 feet of climb, 7.2 mph average pace, 41F real feel


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## Tazzie

I've always loved the look of a nice, clipped horse! You do a great job of it!

Yay for bareback too! Look at you go  when is the next competition?


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## Rain Shadow

Is there a particular reason you leave the girth area? I find on Kenzie that she's so wooly that the girth only rubs when she's super hairy and it tends to pull on the hair. If I keep it clipped, no rubs or pulling.


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## phantomhorse13

Tazzie said:


> I've always loved the look of a nice, clipped horse! You do a great job of it!
> 
> Yay for bareback too! Look at you go  when is the next competition?


You only say that because you can't see it up close. :rofl: Thank goodness such things aren't judged at distance events, because I would surely be laughed out of any show ring.

Next competition is November 26th in South Carolina! It's a ride we have never been to before.




Rain Shadow said:


> Is there a particular reason you leave the girth area? I find on Kenzie that she's so wooly that the girth only rubs when she's super hairy and it tends to pull on the hair. If I keep it clipped, no rubs or pulling.


The people I learned from kept it, as they had issues with the clipped hair rubbing. So far, none of ours have had issues with the hair staying there. *knock wood* But we also ride with pretty loose girths, so that may help.


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## phantomhorse13

Today was simply too nice to not ride. With temps 10 degrees above normal, and not much wind, it felt super during the day. I wasn't able to get out as soon as I had hoped due to family commitments, but had been wanting to do some exploring around what I call the Big Open (its a large open area that is reclaimed mining land). I know the main trail, but there are lots of off shoots. 

Phin was less than impressed with the exploring. That route is normally one I use for faster work and he was quite peeved at the leisurely pace and the detours. So today's adventure became a good lesson for him: expect the unexpected and wait for instructions.

While I knew that main trail went in a big circle, I had no idea that it was going around a pond!











It really shouldn't have been a surprise, since many old strip mines have filled up with water, or in some cases the ponds were used in the mining operation. The trails on this property are mainly used by hunters, so most of the offshoots just brought us out to different places around the pond and accessed tree stands.











One offshoot will potentially be useful in the summer, as it brought us right TO the pond. While I don't know about drinking that water, it will be great for sponging. 











We eventually worked our way all the way around the pond. 











On the way back, Phin showed his disgust at the slow pace and constant turns by trying to rush for home. When I wouldn't let him rush, he started fake spooking at everything and nothing. Seeing as it was trash day in the development we have to go through, he had plenty of things to look at. But more than even the trash cans, he decided that the mailboxes were going to eat him. :icon_rolleyes: I am not sure if anybody looked out their windows and saw me sidepassing up to their mailboxes and making Phin stand while I opened and closed them.. but we did that with at least a half dozen on the way down the road!! 

When we finally got home, Phin got unsaddled and then taken right back out again for a bareback cooldown. I had only been on him bareback once before and that was with DH along to babysit last year.. but I hoped that I would not come off him twice in as many rides! Phin was not happy to be leaving the barn again and was like riding a drunken moose for a while.. but eventually he gave up and just walked along like a good boy.




















Overall, it was a really good ride (and I stayed on even bareback :wink.


16.26 miles, 1274 feet of climb, 5.9 mph average pace, 60F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

Today, it was George's turn to explore trail. The weather was crazy today - nearly 20 degrees above normal!! I was riding in just a t-shirt and sweating while doing it. It actually felt good in the shade.




















We went back over to the Big Open and poked around the last couple side trails I hadn't covered with Phin. I had a good idea where those went and I was pleased to be right. 











However, one trail held a surprise:











Hopefully when they are done with the gas wells, they will return the road to rideable shape. Meanwhile, it's a big mess.. and will be a mudhole when it finally starts raining. Ugh.

10.73 miles, 961 feet of climb, 6.9 mph average pace, 68F real feel!


Once I was done with George, I went over and rode with my SIL, Gina, on one of her horses. We went out via my place, so of course everyone had to come say hi. Think they were going nah-nah?











Bear season starts tomorrow and that goes right into deer rifle season.. so my saddle time will be limited to just Sundays for the next few weeks. The weather is also gonna go downhill this weekend, with the dreaded s-word in the forecast. At least it waited until a week I can't ride anyway!


----------



## Tazzie

Yay for more bareback riding! You survived!! Those tails sound fun to explore 

Sorry about hunting season starting and limiting your rides  that's no fun!


----------



## phantomhorse13

Tazzie said:


> Yay for more bareback riding! You survived!!


Today I was brave enough to _start out_ that way with Phin!!

I spent the morning and early afternoon at a tack swap, but the nasty weather hadn't arrived by the time Gina and I got home. It was mid-60s and the sun was shining - how could we not ride?! We had to stay on Alimar because of hunters other places and Gina is a mostly-walking trail rider normally.. so when she said she wouldn't have a problem not trotting at all, I took Phin out bareback.



















Phin did great. He was a little drunken when we first left the barn, but once he met up with Gina and Amish he just moseyed along enjoying the day.











That wall of clouds was the approaching front, which we knew was supposed to be ugly, so we headed straight back. I had just gotten Phin into the barn when it hit - and it hit hard enough I thought something might have crashed into the side of the barn. :eek_color: Poor Phin was NOT impressed, but he never challenged the crossties, just danced around with his eyes bugged out (and I couldn't say I blamed him). Luckily, the other horses came up into the barn to shelter from the wind, so seeing them alive calmed him. Sure was glad we weren't caught out riding in it!

2.25 miles, 204 feet of climb, 2.9 mph average pace, 66F real feel

It's now 40 degrees colder and snowing sideways.. but this afternoon was sure fun. :wink:


----------



## Rain Shadow

Don't you know those nutjob Arabs can't be ridden bitless much less bareback?


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## phantomhorse13

Rain Shadow said:


> Don't you know those nutjob Arabs can't be ridden bitless much less bareback?


Maybe I am getting away with it because doing both together, they cancel each other out?!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:


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## frlsgirl

Wow definitely nice weather for riding! I know exactly what you mean about riding a drunken moose; Ana does the same thing when she thinks she should be done but I put her back to work instead.

How strange about the mail boxes; surely he's seen those 100 times before. Yay on a successful bareback ride on Phin!


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## phantomhorse13

Will post the entire story with pics and video when we get home (just about no service here; not even sure this will post). But have to share: 

DUROC IS A 100 MILE HORSE!!!


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## Drifting

I saw it mentioned the AERC facebook page! Congratulations!


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## frlsgirl

Congratulations!


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## phantomhorse13

DH and I were on the road at 2am Thursday morning, heading down to South Carolina for the last ride of the 2016 season (AERC goes December through November, not by calendar year for some reason). We have tried to get to this ride in years past, but momma nature always threw nasty weather at us and spoiled the plans. But not this year!

We arrived at ridecamp about lunchtime and found only 2 other trailers there. We quickly picked our spot and saved a spot for Kathy and Lani, who arrived a few hours later. Having electric and water hook ups was a great surprise, as we didn't expect to get to camp before those spots were taken. 











The friend parked on the other side of us is a big cook, and she actually brought an electric roasting pan to cook a turkey!! We were thrilled to be invited to share their meal, which included not only the turkey, but stuffing and all the other food of the season:











Friday was warm and sunny and we went out for a brief pre-ride. Duroc felt more than ready and thought walking was for the birds. It was nice to see the common trail that all loops would come back into camp on, so I would recognize it for the ride. Later on, I hopped on a friend's horse to sit in her new Pandora saddle for a few minutes. [As I suspected, the Pandora is just a plastic version of the Stonewall, which is what Duroc and Fluffy use.]











This ride is very no frills and casual, so it was late in the afternoon before the vetting started. The vet area was right in front of our trailers, so we were the first people to notice the vets were ready and get done. Everyone vetted in no problems. Ride meeting was short and sweet (the best kind) and allowed us to get to bed at a decent hour.

Saturday morning was comfortable (about 50F) and clear with a breeze. Duroc and Sultan were ready to go by first light:











We started on the white loop, which was supposed to be 25 miles. DH and I were the last people out of camp as I didn't want Duroc to be able to see the front runners. I had been told the footing was all packed sand road and that was certainly the majority of what we found. There were sections of deeper sand now and again and some gravel road, too.






























Duroc was feeling mighty fine and kept a strong pace, despite the fact that loop actually turned out to be 27.5 miles long! Both horses pulsed down and vetted through easily. I was not sure how Duroc would behave back in camp without any of his herd there (Kathy and Lani were out doing the 55), but he was happy to buddy with Sultan. They both spent the hold chowing down.











The second loop was the green loop, meant to be 13.8 miles. It was my favorite loop of the ride, and the horses were still feeling fresh, so were happy to move out.




















That loop rode pretty true, coming in at about 14 miles. The horses again vetted through with no issues and the hold flew by. A strong, cold wind had come up, making it seem much chillier than the actual 61F temperature.











The third loop was the white loop again. It was a bit daunting to think about having to do that long a loop again in the middle of the day and we hoped to be back to camp before it was dark. 











There was an 'oasis' (with food and water for the horses) set up about 11 miles in, which was a lovely break. Duroc and Sultan ate everything in sight and we took advantage of it by stopping for a few minutes. Soon enough, it was time to continue on:





















to be continued..


----------



## phantomhorse13

part 2:

We continued on the white loop and the sun started sinking. Never having done a 100 in anything but summer, it was weird to only be halfway through the ride when it started getting dark!




















We got back to camp for the third hold just as it got to be full dark. Duroc was very happy to see Cowbboy and Fuji, who were done with their ride. Vetting was no problem and the horses stood under multiple blankets as they ate.

Soon we were heading back out on the green loop again.











Duroc had never been ridden in the dark before, but after figuring out the glow sticks were actually trail markings and not monsters, he did very well. The loop was familiar and it passed quickly. The temperature plummeted and we were very happy to get back to camp to put on more clothing!

The vetting and hold seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. Here we are waiting to head out on the yellow loop:











The yellow loop was supposed to be 11 miles, but we expected it to be shorter to make up for the white loop having been longer (my garmin was reading 83 miles at that point). We headed the opposite way out of camp and soon turned onto a dirt road.. and kept going.. and going.. and going. When we finally got to a turn, it was away from camp on another dirt road. We kept going.. and going.. and going. We started getting concerned, as we had not gotten back to the common trail when the 11 mile mark had come and gone, but we were definitely on trail.

Eventually, we got back to the common trail and then back to camp itself. At that point, my garmin was reading 98.5 miles - meaning that yellow loop was actually 15.5 miles.. and we were supposed to do it again!! As we came into camp, we found out they had already been told about the mileage problem. Management asked to see my garmin to verify the lead rider's measurements and were horrified to see mine in agreement. Management extended the hold to give them time to figure out what to do before the lead rider would go back out on trail.

It was decided the next loop would be shortened to a mile out and back, which was wonderful news. Duroc was not exactly enthused, but left camp again when asked.











It didn't take long to go out to the turn around point (where the ride manager was parked to assure everyone did the small loop) and then go back to camp. We crossed the finish line in 2nd and 3rd place, much to our surprise. The horses passed the final vetting with no issues - completions. 

Duroc was a 100 mile horse!!

:clap: :thumbsup: :clap:








The next morning, we got some verification that the cold hadn't been all in our heads:











A lot of people had left Saturday evening, and by Sunday lunchtime we were the only ones left!











DH and I spent the afternoon relaxing:










We headed home early Monday morning. Sultan ran around upon arrival home like he hadn't done a thing. What a weekend!!


----------



## Blue

Love the story! Thanks for taking me along. ((heavy sigh))


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## gottatrot

Congratulations! Sounds like it was a great ride. Thanks for sharing.


----------



## Drifting

That looks like so much fun! Durac looks like a beast (in the best of ways.)


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## PoptartShop

What a beautiful ride!  That looks like such a blast! I'm jealous lol.


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## carshon

What a fantastic story! And congrats to Duroc (and you)


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## egrogan

Congrats to you and Duroc!!

Love that picture of you curled up with your dog


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## cbar

That's awesome! Congrats to you & Duroc! So that is the last competition for the season? Do you start up again in the spring? 

Amazing - I would probably chicken out to ride on strange trails in the dark..LOL.


----------



## phantomhorse13

Drifting said:


> Durac looks like a beast (in the best of ways.)


Duroc certainly can be a beast!! It's amazing to think how far he has come in a year. The first time I rode him - last October - I was seriously concerned for our safety.. and debated riding him at all the next time I was asked. I don't think he will ever be a _mellow_ ride, but he is a blast.




egrogan said:


> Love that picture of you curled up with your dog


Mia is generally not one to snuggle, but I think she was concerned when we didn't get in the truck and go home that morning like normal.. so she wasn't letting me get away! 




cbar said:


> So that is the last competition for the season? Do you start up again in the spring?


That was the last competition of the 2016 season. There are no rides here in the NorthEast until spring due to the weather. However, other regions do ride throughout the year and the 2017 AERC season starts tomorrow. I have been asked to ride by Lani and Kathy again this winter, so look forward to trekking down to Florida and other places in the deep SouthEast for rides. How lucky am I?!


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## Tazzie

I love reading about your riding! It sounds so fun! But I'd also chicken out with riding in unfamiliar areas in the dark :lol: but I love the pictures!


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## frlsgirl

@phantomhorse13 - wow you are a lucky gal indeed; getting to travel and ride all over the place. So do your horses take a semi vacation for winter? Or do you try to keep them perfectly conditioned? Can you trailer them to an arena somewhere?


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## phantomhorse13

frlsgirl said:


> So do your horses take a semi vacation for winter? Or do you try to keep them perfectly conditioned? Can you trailer them to an arena somewhere?


Sultan and George will get a couple months off to just be horses. George had his shoes pulled last time the farrier was out and Sultan's will be pulled the next time he is out. They won't get any work beyond maybe a bareback mosey around the farm if the mood strikes until late January. Fit horses maintain their base amazingly well (much better than we do!), so getting them back into shape for the first ride of the spring (late March) will only take a few weeks, focusing on mostly cardio conditioning.

Phin got a couple months off in the middle of the season due to that splint, so I hope to keep him in work this winter. The reality of that, of course, will depend on momma nature's mood. There is a barn with an indoor arena in the next town over that I can haul to, but I have to admit to my innate laziness not making that a very likely option. :wink: I really should change my poor work ethic, as Phin and I both could benefit from a winter of dressage work. So we shall see!


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## AnitaAnne

What a perfect end to the season! Huge congrats to you and your DH and of course Duroc and Sultan!! Fabulous to finish in the top 3 on his first 100! 

The area looks lovely too, but cold and dark on an unfamiliar trail is a challenge for sure! Good to hear you didn't have to ride an extra 15 miles, TG for the Garmin


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## phantomhorse13

@AnitaAnne : welcome back!! its been way too long.


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## Change

That last couple of seconds of the video - pitch black with only flickers from the glowsticks??? Wow! I hope your night vision was better than the cameras!!! 

Congratulations to you and Duroc for the 100, and to DH and Sultan as well. Do you hope for Phin to do a 100 next season, or does he have another year or two of conditioning first?


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## phantomhorse13

Change said:


> That last couple of seconds of the video - pitch black with only flickers from the glowsticks??? Wow! I hope your night vision was better than the cameras!!!
> 
> Do you hope for Phin to do a 100 next season, or does he have another year or two of conditioning first?


We ride with a light on the bottom of the breastcollar, which lights the ground just enough that I can see about 3 feet in front of the horse, but its not enough to show on the camera. I started doing this because Dream wanted to move the same speed in the dark as she did during the day and I was finding myself left behind when she would alter her stride to avoid obstacles she could see but I couldn't with just the light of glowsticks. I also use a headlamp, which is normally on the red light, as that warns of branches about to hit (though at this ride, that wasn't an issue since we were riding roads). But its nice to have the option of turning on the white light, to check trail markings or hazards the breastcollar light doesn't illuminate enough.


I don't plan on a 100 for Phin next year as I think he needs a more solid base under him before moving up. If this season had gone differently, I might have looked at a 100 late next season. At this point, my rough plan for 2017 will be to continue with the 50s and if all goes well, maybe a slow 75 in the fall. But of course lots of things can happen to alter that plan!


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## sarahfromsc

I had someone tell me once, if you want to make God laugh, make plans. Doesn't that seem especially true with horses? LOLOLOL


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## phantomhorse13

sarahfromsc said:


> I had someone tell me once, if you want to make God laugh, make plans. Doesn't that seem especially true with horses? LOLOLOL


Oh yes!

We always joke we start with Plan A and wind up implementing Plan Q. Horses certainly keep you humble. :icon_rolleyes:


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I finally was able to get Phin out. Rifle season is in full swing, so riding Sundays is the only option for now. Thank goodness momma nature was in a good mood and sent the best weather of the week. The sun actually peeked out a few times and there was only a breeze (versus the gales we had been having). They are calling for snow tonight, but sure hoping they are wrong.

Gina came out on Amish. Normally he is a pretty steady guy, but today he was full of himself. Not sure if the weather change caused his high spirits or what, but luckily, Phin was totally unphased by his behavior.











The killer rock Amish simply refused to go past, despite having been this way dozens of times. Phin was trying to figure out what Amish was so upset about, but we never could figure it out.











Once past the Evil Rock, Amish just jigged and jigged and jigged. I was pleased that at no point did Phin feed off that nervous energy.





























Poor Gina was fit to be tied by the time we finished, as it took 4 laps around Alimar before Amish would flat walk so she could be done. I think Phin was simply disgusted by the whole thing. 

13.79 miles, 1763 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average pace, 37F real feel


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## Blue

Momma said there'd be days like this, right?

Good job.


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## Change

I find it remarkable that you ride what? 10-15 miles three to five times a week? Wow. Just wow!


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## phantomhorse13

Change said:


> I find it remarkable that you ride what? 10-15 miles three to five times a week? Wow. Just wow!


Nah, its rarely more than 3 times a week unless it happens to be a week I needed to get all 3 boys out and/or I went out with Gina.. and now that its hunting season its only once a week! 

Conditioning will ease off for the winter, maybe even becoming impossible altogether depending on what kind of winter we get. I am certainly doing my best to appreciate the riding I can do now.


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## carshon

I will say it again. Sometimes it is just good for my soul when one of my role models horses acts like my horse! I know it was Amish acting silly but I seem to be the queen of horses who act silly!

My TWH has been doing her best impersonation of a Friesian lately and I am not all that impressed!

8" of snow here with wet swampy mud underneath. Riding officially done until it freezes


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## phantomhorse13

carshon said:


> 8" of snow here with wet swampy mud underneath. Riding officially done until it freezes


Oh no that is surely miserable! Will you have issues with ice under the snow or do you expect the snow to melt off before the freeze?

Our first true cold period is coming at the end of this week, and ice will def be an issue with how wet everything is. Ugh.


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## carshon

There will be ice under the snow if it gets as cold as the weatherman predicts. If we can keep a few inches of snow on top it won't be too bad. But the snow we did get was very heavy and wet so if it hard freezes we will have the tough crust for horses to poke through - we will be alert for blood in the snow indicating some knicked fetlocks. Riding may very well be over *outside at least.

Planning to go to an indoor this Wed to get some riding in


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## phantomhorse13

This weekend was the annual Old Dominion Christmas Party. Not only is it a good excuse to get together and eat and drink and be merry, its when the Triple Crown Awards are given out. This year the party was at a new place (it had always been at a hotel in the past) and instead of catered food it was a pot luck. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but it was fantastic. I think around 60 people came, so there was plenty of food and fun. DH and I were at the rowdy table:











Lani is the OD president, so she was giving out the awards:











This year's award took the cake for the best actual prize so far!! I love getting things that are actually useful. Who doesn't need a cooler on wheels?!











Also got a nice certificate for my Hallway of Vanity:










:clap: :thumbsup: :clap:

Then came the real entertainment: the door prizes! Those were all the wrapped gifts on the table beside Lani. There was also a "special bonus prize" in just one of the gifts. Nobody had any idea what was in them, so it was great fun to watch people opening things. The prizes were all donated by local businesses, so there were all kinds of things: from hats and gloves to tools and plates! There were so many that basically everyone there got a door prize.

DH got a fancy decorative plate with a horsey hunting scene on it (in the box on the bottom). I got a level - and the special bonus prize: $20!!











For whatever reason, the hats were super popular. They were passed all around for photo ops. The light colored one was originally won by a man who was gracious enough to offer it to me when he saw me standing with Kathy and April bare-headed. Can't imagine why he didn't want to keep it for himself! :rofl:











We stayed overnight locally and planned to be up early to beat the snow home (which was forecast for the afternoon). Weren't we surprised (and horrified) when we got up at 6 and there was already snow on the ground!! The first 30 minutes or so of the trip home was mighty interesting, as apparently Virginia doesn't believe in treating the roads - not even the interstate. We passed no less than 8 accidents in that stretch, two of which were serious enough to involve fire trucks. 

We made it home without incident in time for the snow to decrease to flurries. I decided to get Phin out in the break between the squalls.

Big mistake.

I have no idea what Phin's problem was, but his brain was MIA. He was a jiggly cranked up mess from the instant my butt hit the saddle. I don't think the footing was quite as bad as his antics made it seem, but it was quickly apparent that my planned ride was not going to work if I wanted to stay upright. We never even made it off Alimar!



















We did a lot of working on walking and halting and standing (versus jigging and spinning towards home). Phin had seemed to settle down some - until we turned for home. Then he was cantering in place, as he knew he wasn't allowed to _actually_ run home but he literally couldn't contain himself. Such behavior is never appropriate, but it was pretty darn scary considering the conditions. After getting him halted and doing some bending and then managing a few steps of very hurried walk, I got off.

Once on the ground, Phin needed a bit of reminding about who was leading who, but I was able to make the necessary corrections without fear of us both falling. Luckily it didn't take much, though he sure looked like he belonged in the halter ring versus on the trail! Once we got back into the yard, I got back on and made him work. We practiced backing around trees, leg yielding and sidepassing - anything that got his brain working even for a moment at a time. He even managed a couple nice turns on the forehand, though he looked like a crazed giraffe the entire time. 

Once we got into the barn, Phin was all over the place in the cross ties. I took my time, as he felt the need to dance around. Only when he stood did he get any attention in the form of untacking. He still hadn't settled down when I had finished, so I decided I was going to freshen up his clip (which I had been meaning to do, though not today!).

Phin now looks like a drunk person attacked him with clippers. I am not the greatest clipper in the best of circumstances, so trying to clip a wiggling target was challenging. He finally settled down by the time I got to his butt, so I didn't want to prolong it trying to get everything even. I don't care that he looks silly, and maybe if he acts dumb after the next ride the clippers will come out and things will get tidied up. :wink:










3.11 miles, 223 feet of climb, 2.6 mph average pace, 20F real feel


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## Blue

*Phantom*, Wow! Great party. That's wonderful, sometimes those events can go the other way. Good for you for getting the "special door prize!"

Too bad Phin had to be a jerk, but at least you got him handled. And I always say that any day when a rider or horse aren't injured was a good day!


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## frlsgirl

Congrats on your award! Can't wait to see more pictures of you riding in the snow!


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## Tazzie

I'm glad the party was so much fun! I love the picture of you all wearing the hats! No clue why that man wouldn't want the cream colored hat :lol:

And glad you were able to handle Phin as well as you did. Naughty boy for being so ramped up!


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## phantomhorse13

frlsgirl said:


> Can't wait to see more pictures of you riding in the snow!


Then you will like today's pics! :grin:

The weather was fairly cooperative today, with little wind and the sun trying to peek out. There was still some snow on the ground, but I figured that yesterday's sun would have melted the snow on the roads, so planned to get Mr Naughty out. I figured on going up the Sugarloaf, then up the Tomhicken, then up to the Space Needle (seeing a trend here? :wink in hopes Phin's brain would be located. That route also put us on roads, which should have solid footing.

Before I even left the property, I did some work on bending and softness. Being the lazy person that I am, I have little desire to school.. but after the last ride, Phin made me realize I was doing him a disservice by not engaging his brain more. He was a bit looky at the snow to begin with, but a few minutes of serpentines around trees and some lateral work, he settled down nicely. So off we went!

As soon as I got to Alimar's driveway, I suspected my ride plan was out the window. While Phin was behaving beautifully, the driveway was a sheet of ice! That didn't bode well for the driveway to the Sugarloaf farm either. I dismounted and we crept down the edge of the driveway, then down the paved road for a moment to the next driveway. And indeed, it was no better than on Alimar:











The grass was a bit mushy, but not icy so I decided to stick to places that wouldn't have been plowed or had vehicles run over them. Phin went up the Sugarloaf without issue, so I just stuck to the woods paths. Phin got a little rushy any time he thought he were heading home, but a quick session of bending and lateral work had him settled in no time.




























We came home via the field that leads to the Very Scary Pond. Apparently, the pond is not scary when it's iced over. Go figure!

10.32 miles, 2043 feet of climb, 4.3 mph average pace, 34F real feel


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## tim62988

i know you said you ride by what the conditions allow for the winter which may include plowing a path with the bobcat.

but how do you deal with the snow balling up under the hooves while riding? I imagine when you start to get more snow on the ground with yours being a heavy wet snow that it balls up faster than ours in NY and would like to ride a bit before we have too much to ride through up here but crossing a road with a snowball foot worries me


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## phantomhorse13

tim62988 said:


> how do you deal with the snow balling up under the hooves while riding?


Snowball pads! Because where I ride is also rocky, we use the full bubble pad vs a rim pad.

Phin already has them on, as all the dire predictions about this winter being awful had me worried that we would get snow in December (farrier was last here the 3rd week of November). Phin will hopefully be able to use the same set of shoes with the pads all winter, as the snow doesn't wear them much.

Amazing to think a year ago we set a record for the warmest day on record! By Thursday, they are saying outright temps in the low teens with 20mph wind. Ugh.

Are you guys buried in snow already?


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## phantomhorse13

I got Phin out again this morning as it's likely the last chance I will have for a while as miserable weather is coming. I headed over to the Big Square, knowing the ice wouldn't be off the roads but the cold overnight would likely have firmed up the footing in the fields.

Phin went out quietly and moseyed around the fields with minimal fuss. The footing was even firm enough to do a bit of trotting.





























The ride was going well, though the wind had picked up which was fairly unpleasant, until we turned down the private road. It was trash day, and Phin decided that the flapping trash bags beside a driveway were going to eat him. Even knowing that direction was home, he initially wanted NO parts of going anywhere near the bags. Of course the footing on that part of the road was horrific, so I was having to keep him in the ditch to not be on ice. Eventually he decided the bags were just bags and not Horse Eating Monsters. :icon_rolleyes:











The rest of the ride was uneventful, though riding home into the wind was quite unpleasant. I thought I was just being a weenie until I got home and saw the real feel was 13!!

Phin got to model my attempt at turning an orange vest into a don't-shoot-me rump rug. I refused to pay the crazy prices for the couple real orange rump rugs I was able to find, and I wanted something lightweight to not encourage any more sweating than necessary. It looks silly, but should be effective! :rofl:










10.03 miles, 874 feet of climb, 4.5 mph average pace, 13F real feel shock


----------



## tim62988

phantomhorse13 said:


> .
> 
> Are you guys buried in snow already?


simple answer: yup

winter has set in on the tug hill:
probably only a foot for now but some are saying another 1-2' this weekend, probably more like 6-12" but all depends where the wind blows. i'm thinking winter riding for me is pretty much just a lost cause, the snow drifts from wind and plows makes it just off the road up to my mare's belly (she is 16.?) but then to plow those in get into some wetter ground since the snow comes usually before the ground freezes AND took the shoes off my mare for the winter because I knew the ambition wouldn't be there like yours to ride ride ride in this cold crud (-10 tomorrow night)


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## egrogan

tim62988 said:


> ...the snow drifts from wind and plows makes it just off the road up to my mare's belly ...


Somehow I neglected to consider the fact that once the plows rolled, there would no longer be a shoulder on the residential roads I have to ride to get to a closed-for-winter dirt road I had been dreaming about riding to my hearts content until the spring. The residential roads are pretty lightly traveled, but still, if someone is coming around a corner too fast, I want to be on the shoulder, not in the path of traffic, especially in winter conditions. Sadly, I think I'm going to be stuck riding inside for the rest of the winter if we get ice as expected this weekend...


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## phantomhorse13

tim62988 said:


> probably only a foot for now but some are saying another 1-2' this weekend, probably more like 6-12" but all depends where the wind blows.


Ugh, that is plenty already! They are forecasting snow for friday night/saturday here.. though how much and when/if it changes to ice and/or rain seems to be up for debate. I am already over it. I would only imagine its 10 times worse up there.


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## tim62988

i only know one person up here that has done endurance (i know others do too) but when i heard of her training rides down the back roads after work, 15 degrees out... that was the point where I decided i'd rather follow other people's endurance endeavors and just let my girl relax for the winter.

when it's time for a new horse, or when my wife's horse has mellowed out a bit so I can ride her then I may revisit it since I have gathered from you and others that the horses tend to keep muscled up easier than you or I. but perfectly happy learning the ins and outs of better equipment, how to condition a horse better, and just interesting following people's adventures at the rides (distances to the rides, conditions at different rides, good/bad excitement, ect...)


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## phantomhorse13

tim62988 said:


> i only know one person up here that has done endurance (i know others do too) but when i heard of her training rides down the back roads after work, 15 degrees out... that was the point where I decided i'd rather follow other people's endurance endeavors and just let my girl relax for the winter.


You aren't the only one who feels that way! There will def be days I wonder what the heck is wrong with me, to be sitting on a horse when it's 15 (or when its 95).. At least I can ride during the daylight? :wink:

I hope to get to meet you at a ride at some point. There are a couple new ones this season that may be in a reasonable traveling distance for you to come to volunteer or *hint*hint* crew!


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## Change

@PhantomHorse - you may end up with more "crew" that you know what to do with at Yellowhammer if we all show up!


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## SwissMiss

Change said:


> @PhantomHorse - you may end up with more "crew" that you know what to do with at Yellowhammer if we all show up!


:iagree:


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## phantomhorse13

Change said:


> you may end up with more "crew" that you know what to do with at Yellowhammer if we all show up!


I am not sure there _is_ such a thing as too much crew.. I would surely love to try it! Especially if we ride all 3 days..


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## egrogan

And if you come back to the VT100 this summer, I will clear my schedule well in advance so I can come help!


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## tim62988

phantomhorse13 said:


> You aren't the only one who feels that way! There will def be days I wonder what the heck is wrong with me, to be sitting on a horse when it's 15 (or when its 95).. At least I can ride during the daylight? :wink:
> 
> I hope to get to meet you at a ride at some point. There are a couple new ones this season that may be in a reasonable traveling distance for you to come to volunteer or *hint*hint* crew!



if you ever ride Brookfield let me know, i'm 1/2 tempted to do one of the shorter rides, not fond of pulling my mare off the cosequin for a few days but may just buy a jug of the straight cosequin 

but may also be game to crew if i decide not to try the ride


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## phantomhorse13

tim62988 said:


> if you ever ride Brookfield let me know, i'm 1/2 tempted to do one of the shorter rides


The New York Adventure (which is brand new ride at the end of May) is using the Brookfield trails, and that one should be on our calendar! It doesn't look like she is offering an intro ride, though I can ask her. The ride flyer is here.

We have heard such nice things about that trail system but never been there (the CTR was always a conflict).


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## tim62988

the CTR is the one I would do just for the shorter distance, it appears to be a week earlier this year? June 23, usually it's over the weekend of the 29th, also looks like a sunday monday tuesday, but I'm guessing that isn't right?


I really do need to go check out the brookfield system but most everyone we meet on the trails on the Otter Creek trail system say "why go to brookfield, this is nicer and closer for you" I think it may just be parts of the brookfield trails have more rocks, but not sure. also i'm not as impressed with the maps of brookfield, a bit spoiled by the maps for otter creek 

http://lewiscountyny.org/content/De...ld=documents;/content/Documents/File/3381.pdf for a couple bucks they have a fold up version that fits right in the pommel bag and you're good to go.

but in any case, thinking 30 may be a bit much for my first ride, need to work on my mare's speed a bit more first... so if you and your husband make it up and need a hand there is a decent chance I will be able to make myself available as long as I don't bring you guys my memorial day ride weekend luck of throwing a shoe 3 miles in


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## phantomhorse13

Today I finally got some saddle time. Things have been totally crazy here as my MIL died unexpectedly on Saturday from complications of the flu. To say it set everything into a tailspin is an understatement.

I had been hoping for a relaxing ride, but the universe had other ideas. The forecast was for sun, no wind and temps in the mid 40s.. but when I left the barn just before lunch it was cloudy, windy, and certainly _not_ anywhere near 40F.

Phin was ok until we got onto the airport strip and he caught sight of Gina and Giselle disappearing down the Alimar driveway.. and then he lost his mind. He was jigging and flinging his head and cantering sideways. While most of the snow has melted, the ground was hardly good for such acrobatics and I was happy he stayed upright. I eventually got him halted and got the h*ll off, working him on the ground to get his mind back on me. We kept heading for the Sugarloaf as we worked as I was not going to reward him by giving up and going home.

I got back on once we got past the short bit of paved road, as I did not want acrobatics in traffic. Phin was full of it and we headed for the Sugarloaf at a trot that would have put any english pleasure show horse to shame - he was so animated I was surprised he wasn't hitting himself in the head with his knees. His enthusiasm hadn't lessened much when we got partway up the climb and caught up with Gina. I wasn't going to reward him by stopping, so we trotted right on by and kept going. Suddenly, he wasn't nearly as enthused but I insisted on the same pace all the way to the top.

On the way back down, I could see the tractor in the upper orchard and realized Bruce was trimming trees. He uses some type of air-driven lopper (it attaches to the tractor) and Phin has never been a big fan of the sound. I decided to get off and led him past it before he could turn into a lunatic drunken giraffe. He managed to behave himself on the ground, but he certainly was on his toes. I got back on and we continued down to the farm.

And came upon the Killer Hay Bales. :icon_rolleyes:

Someone had the audacity to move a couple big bales out of the shed. Phin was convinced there was a horse eating monster behind them. Some lateral work got him close enough to suddenly realize that the monsters were actually food - at which point he went from totally tense to snacking like nothing had ever happened!!











I decided more hills were necessary so we went across the farm and up the Tomhicken. Luckily, Phin found his brain about halfway up that climb. And a good thing too, as some places after the climb were quite icy.











Some place were open and just about dry, so we did get some faster trot and even a bit of canter.











We also got to practice our lateral work weaving around the frozen puddles. But this point Phin was relaxed and actually seemed to enjoy the game of picking which side of the puddle was best.











Heading back, Bruce was still out trimming trees. I was pleased to see him as it gave me the opportunity to work Phin under saddle back and forth past the hissing, tree-branch-throwing monster. It took about 10 minutes, but by the end he was walking quietly by on a loose rein.











We went home via the field that leads to the Killer Pond. Phin was happy to be heading home but was smart enough not to be rushing as we came across the last part of the field. All of a sudden he screeched to a halt, gave a massive snort, and stood staring at a tree we have passed tons of times. Initially, I wasn't sure what he was looking at, as I didn't see or hear anything.. but after a moment a _huge_ raccoon came out of the hole at the base of the tree. At that point the wind died down for a moment and I could make out the growling - no wonder Phin had stopped!

That **** stood there staring us down and growling, which is certainly not normal behavior. I waited, thinking the **** would retreat, but it didn't move, just growled. It was about 10 feet away, so I hollered while asking Phin to take a couple steps forward, hoping like heck the **** would back off. Thank goodness, the **** turned and climbed the tree, growling all the while. We took a good-sized detour around the tree, as I wasn't totally sure the **** would stay there. [I tried calling my DH and Keith but neither were available to come out to shoot it.. hopefully we don't encounter it again, but I will certainly avoid going close to that hole just in case.]

The rest of the ride was uneventful, though it did start to snow just as we got back to the barn. Sunny indeed!


14.25 miles, 1795 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average speed, 20F real feel


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## egrogan

So sorry about your MIL!


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## tim62988

sorry about the mother-in-law

as far as the ****, probably a den tree so the guys may be able to get that one for you without too much effort


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## weeedlady

Sorry for you loss


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## cbar

Very sad to hear about your MIL. 

Are raccoons a huge problem where you are? They are probably carriers of rabies?


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## phantomhorse13

cbar said:


> Are raccoons a huge problem where you are? They are probably carriers of rabies?


Normally ***** and other wildlife aren't a problem because there is plenty of place for them to be without routinely interacting with humans. We keep food in closed containers and have lids on the trash cans, etc to discourage the local critters from visiting. We might flush some stuff riding now and again, but I don't think I have ever seen a raccoon since moving here as I normally ride during the day.

Rabies is endemic here. It is always the first thing I think of when I see an animal acting oddly. A raccoon out during the day on its own is odd enough, but having it stand its ground when not cornered is even more out of character. DH shot a not-right fox a couple years ago in the field beside the house that was positive for rabies, so we know it's in the area.


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## sarahfromsc

I am so sorry to hear about your MIL. Always hard, but especially during the Holidays.


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## Tazzie

I'm so sorry for your loss  such a horrible unexpected event


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## bsms

Liked most of your post, but sorry to hear about your mother-in-law. It is hard enough at any time in the year, but this season seems to bring out the loss even harder.


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## phantomhorse13

I just got home from a long weekend in Florida.. what a way to finish up 2016 and ring in 2017!!

I drove down to Lani and Kathy's place in Virginia late Tuesday night and we left there well before the sun came up Wednesday morning. The first half of the journey wasn't too bad, but the second half involved a lot of this:











It was past dark by the time we arrived at the Florida state line. There was someone training at the Ag Inspection station and we were there almost 45 minutes while they copied and looked and checked everything. :eek_color: We finally arrived at the Florida farm about 24 hours after we left Virginia, for what should have been an 18 hour trip!











On Thursday, we got the hay off Baby Kitty first thing, much to the delight of the herd:











We then started packing up Jefferson (the big van) for the ride. This was to be the first ride the ban went to, so everything was a big experiment. They had converted 2 stalls into mini LQ, which was just amazing to see. While Lani was finishing up a project, she had me take out Fluffy and Brimstone for a leg stretch. We wanted to see how Fluffy was feeling and Brimstone needs the shorter works as he is just coming back into shape after time off for an injury. 











While Fluffy was sound and seemed forward and happy during the brief ride, she was puffing more than we would have expected for such a short, slow ride and her temperature had gone up a couple degrees more than Brim's (we had done about 4 miles with a 4 mph pace). Fluffy had been NQR and spiked a low fever after her haul down a couple weeks ago, so they had run a bunch of bloodwork. While most of her values were normal, her Lyme test had come back mildly elevated for acute infection, and her serum amylase was high (that is a marker for inflammation). We had retested her SA before I rode her and it was normal.. so we weren't sure what to think.

With the pre-ride not really helping make a decision, we decided Fluffy would go to the ride and we would take her out again before deciding if she would actually compete. We got everything into Jefferson and loaded up Fluffy, Duroc, Fugi and Bunny and headed to the ride. There was about twice the turnout as the previous year, but we found a nice spot and got everything set up. Bunny and Fugi vetted in without issue and the course was similar to last year's, with the exception of a cross-state pipeline installation happening in the park.


to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

Friday morning was sunny and warm to me, though the upper 40s was pretty chilly in the opinion of the natives. :wink: We got the horses tacked up and ourselves fed and watched the 50s head out of camp. Bunny was a bit agitated, which was not really a surprise as she has been at the event trainer for the past couple years so was likely expecting an event not a distance ride!

Meet Bunny, a 10 year old TB mare. She is regally bred to be an eventer, but she washed out of her breeder's very demanding program due to her sensitive temperament as a 5 year old. She spent a couple years relearning that people were here friends and that riding was really OK as a distance horse. Then, feeling like her potential as a jumper was being wasted, they sent to their trainer to see if maybe she wanted to event after all. While she can jump the moon, and the trainer brought her along very slowly and kindly, she was always very anxious at shows. They decided the sport just wasn't for her and she came home from the trainer a week ago. 











I had never ridden Bunny before that morning, and when she bucked the first time I asked for a trot during the warm up, I wondered just what kind of a day I was in for!! Luckily, the bucking seemed to be more of a test of me than any true ugly behavior and she didn't even think about repeating it. She was definitely anxious and wary of me (not surprising considering her early mistreatment), but we got it figured out.

Florida trails are all sand and this trail system had a nice mix of single track and jeep road type sandy trails with very little deep stuff. The places the pipeline was going in made for some entertainment, with various construction equipment doing various things and trail footing altered. Bunny couldn't have cared less about any of that, and happily led Fugi around the start of the ride.





















A good thing Bunny was used to being independent, as Lani felt Fugi take some funny steps and decided to send us on ahead without them. Bunny never looked back! I wasn't sure how she would do alone and she quickly showed me it didn't matter who was or wasn't around. She trucked down the trail like a woman on a mission, yet happily drank at every tank. I wasn't sure how she would handle coming into the vet check with a stranger and no buddy horse, but she pulsed down and vetted through with no problems at all! I took her back to Jefferson for the hold so she could eat, drink, and relax with company.











Lani and Fugi arrived about halfway through our hold. Fugi was fine at that point, but Lani rider optioned as this isn't the first ride he's had issues. [They had hoped it was a girth issue, but that was not the case. Suspecting a mild soft tissue strain in the problem leg, he will get time off to rest and heal.]

Bunny and I went out on the second loop alone and never saw another horse until the last half mile. She finally totally relaxed and I had a blast that loop. The sun was shining, there was a strong breeze, and the temp was in the low 60s.





















We came into the finish and she was pulsed down before I even had her tack off. I was floored to be told we were 3rd!! We stood for BC and she showed like she hadn't gone a single mile - it was all I could do to keep up with her trot at a dead run. After a sketchy start, the day couldn't have gone better for Bunny.

















At the end of the day, Bunny was awarded both *High Vet Score* and *Best Conditioned*!!

:clap: :happydance: :clap:











After awards, Lani and I took Fluffy and Duroc out for a ride. We went about 4 miles with a pace of about 5 mph. Fluffy again seemed forward and willing, but was quite puffy and her temperature was a couple degrees higher than Duroc's when we finished. It was decided that it was smarter to not compete her and treat her for Lyme, as letting an infection go chronic is a disaster. That meant I would be going out the next day on Duroc.. alone.

to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 3:

It got quite chilly overnight Friday - cold enough there was a skim of ice on the buckets Saturday morning! The Florida natives were grumbling loudly, but I was thrilled at the cooler temps, especially as I knew it would climb into the 70s later. Duroc was on his toes and ready to go.











Duroc was very unsure about leaving camp alone. Normally I try to keep him away from the start, so he doesn't get his eye on the front runners and want to run. In hindsight, I should have allowed him to see other horses, as it may have helped with his stickiness about leaving camp. He had a couple hoppy moments (which I left in the video), but that was fantastic compared to the crazy rearing mess he was _with_ company only a year ago!

Finally seeing a horse in front of him got his mind back on track. It wasn't long before he was moving out with confidence and we passed that lone rider.











It wasn't long before we came upon another pair of riders, but when we tried to pass them, they came along with us. Duroc is not a big fan of strange horses, but it soon became obvious that at least one of the ladies simply had no control of her horse what so ever, so my requests to keep their distance was futile. If I slowed Duroc to let those ladies go ahead, both horses turned into spooky nuts who wouldn't go forward (which, of course, is why we caught up to them to start with!).

Oh boy.

While Duroc was _not_ thrilled with his new 'friends' in any way, he handled himself amazingly well, only resorting to pinning his ears when they actually made contact with him. For miles and miles it went on this way, with those riders unable to let us continue on alone, yet their horses would not lead to let us drop back. I would have loved to kick them myself!!  But like Duroc, I did my best to just grit my teeth and ignore them.











I was thrilled to get into the hold and have a moment's peace. Lani met us at the vetting with Fugi, as Duroc was quite beside himself once we got back to camp. Even as worked up as he was, he pulsed down and vetted through with no issue once Fugi arrived.











I was thrilled to see we had one less leech for the second loop. And actually having that other horse for company may have made leaving the second time easier, but that horse didn't actually want to leave either. :icon_rolleyes: But we got it done and were soon back out on trail.




























Duroc was relaxed and happy having just the one friend, which I was happy to see. I am still not sure if that rider still didn't have much control of her horse's pace or if she was _trying_ to scoot ahead and leave us every so often.. but Duroc was well within himself. I got to chatting with that rider and found out she always rides with her husband, whose horse always led. The lady said that horse hadn't been to a ride in a while due to an injury, so she was happy he was feeling so good. The other rider came galloping upon us about halfway around the loop (looking like a bad western sheriff's posse chasing the bad guys), and I moved over to let her pass. However, the horse only bounced off the back of Duroc before settling a few paces back. :icon_rolleyes:

I had no idea we were in the front until we got into camp and the one lady's husband, standing holding a jigging horse, was freaking out that she needed to hurry up so she would win. I never will understand how some people think getting loud and excited will help a horse to pulse down!!

Duroc was hardly tired despite the fast pace and he pulsed down easily. We started into the pulse box at the same time as the lady with the chestnut, but the rude husband shoved his way in front of us with his red-ribboned, unruly buddy horse. Lani and I both rolled our eyes over Duroc's neck and stepped back.. winning an LD was not worth someone maybe getting kicked. Duroc placed second, which was certainly a good result.. but I was much more pleased about how he had handled himself and the day's challenges.

















We stood for Best Conditioned for the experience for Duroc, but didn't expect to win as a heavyweight rider had finished in the top 10. [BC takes into account vet score, time/placement, and weight. So even with his good vet scores and placing, it wasn't enough to make up for the weight difference.]











We packed up Jefferson and were on the road home by just after lunch - one huge benefit to riding the shorter distances as the front runners in the 50 weren't even done yet. 

to be continued:


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## phantomhorse13

part 4:

We got back to the farm and got everyone unloaded. They led the herd in a mass buck and fart gallop around the paddock. It's always great to see the horses feeling so good after a competition!

Lani wanted to get the guys who hadn't been to the ride out, so we tacked up and headed out. I got to ride Cowbboy for the first time. [He is the horse Kathy did Tevis on last year and has been campaigning ever since - nobody else has ridden him since she took him over.]



















Cowbboy is just over a nasty abscess and Brim is rehabbing from a hoof cyst, so we just went out and putzed around to check soundness. Cowbboy was sound on the soft footing but still a touch sensitive on the rocks. The 3.5 mile ride was pretty casual, so we enjoyed the amazing weather (sunny and mid 70s).

After the ride, we got Jefferson cleaned up, then cleaned ourselves up and went out to dinner to celebrate. The farm owners were doing a movie night to ring in the New Year, but I was happy to be in bed by 10!

Sunday was errand and chore day. We ate a quick breakfast then I was all to Walmart, hoping if I went early enough I would beat the crowds. My plan was a success and I was in and out in 30 minutes. There was a lot more traffic on the road for the trip home, some of which I think was still drunk from the night before! I got stuck behind a car going about 20 (in a 55 mph zone), and before I could pass them, they slowly drove off the perfectly flat road, across the shoulder, and off the edge into the sand.. where the car promptly bogged down. I was just happy they were out of my way!

Upon return to the farm, I found Lani already well started on some Jefferson projects. We had come up with a list of things that needed tweaking before the next ride (like a taller mounting block to make getting into the van less of a climbing challenge), and she had created some great solutions. 











While she finished the construction, she sent me out to do some riding. I started with Bunny, who just needed a nice leg stretch to see how she had recovered. She started the ride somewhat anxious, but we worked through it and she was soft on a loose rein by the end of the 8 mile jaunt.











Next up were Brim and Cowbboy. We decided to pony as Cowbboy can be a big spook out alone, so that would not be a very good way to judge how that foot was feeling. We puttered around a moderately-paced 4 miles and both boys felt great.











It was outright hot by the time I got done, with temps in the mid-80s and the real feel approaching 90. Despite drinking and eating, I wound up with a migraine. We had been invited to a party at a local endurance rider's place for a party, but I was in no shape to go. Lani was happy to use keeping an eye on me as an excuse not to go to the party either, so we vegged in the house (AC!) until bedtime.

We were up at 2am and on the road home by 3am. We hoped to avoid some of the traffic with the early start time. We also got lucky and avoided the worst of the storms. The trip home went well, and we listened to a fun **** Francis mystery on cd. Fluffy and Fugi traveled well.











I got home just after midnight last night, feeling rather like a zombie. But what a start to the season and the New Year!!


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## Blue

:bowwdownhantom!:thumbsup::cheers::clap: We definitely need a "high 5" smiley. So happy for you! Your skills show through the horses you ride.


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## 2Wanda61

I find it exciting to read of your experiences and the pictures are such a bonus. Thank you for sharing


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## ShirtHotTeez

:winetime:

happy new year

really enjoy your journal. can't wait to ride again.

i did a marathon today. sitting on my butt and achieving very little! I only found this thread this morning, and i have read it right through!!

amazing pics, what an incredible place you have to ride. i really cracked up at the squirrel incident, still giggling about that. 

so sorry about you MIL, no one is ever ready for that even if it is expected.

looking forward to ...the next exciting instalment 

:gallop:


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## gottatrot

I think this is a better career choice for Bunny, she seems great at it!


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## phantomhorse13

ShirtHotTeez said:


> looking forward to ...the next exciting installment


Too funny.. if asked, I would say I do my best to avoid having exciting rides!! :rofl:




gottatrot said:


> I think this is a better career choice for Bunny, she seems great at it!


I agree, though I can understand why her owners wanted to give her another opportunity at her original sport in a supportive environment as Bunny does seem to love to jump (she was happy to hop over all the logs on trail that everyone else trotted over). Maybe she will eventually settle enough to be a fox hunter as well as a distance horse.. otherwise she can just enjoy showing off on trail!


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## SwissMiss

Wow, what a start to the new year!

I have to admit: I am in love with Bunny's ears! So perky with the perfect amount of black liner!


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## Tazzie

Hooray for such a successful start! I love reading your adventures! And naughty Duroc, trying to pull stuff like that. Least he worked through it. And ugh, what is with velcro people?!


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## carshon

I love your journals! I am in serious withdrawals from riding. I have not been on my horse since mid-Nov and we are in a deep freeze again. All of our snow melted and left huge ice puddles everywhere - so no riding!

Thank you for posting. Please keep us updated on Fluffy - I love her!


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## phantomhorse13

I got Phin out yesterday despite the slop that is the ground. Knowing the weather was supposed to take a nosedive in the afternoon and only get worse overnight, I figured I could just stick to the roads and the footing would be doable. I got a new GoPro for Christmas, so I figured it would be a good chance to see how it worked in a variety of weather. I also had made a "rump rug" out of an orange vest for hunting season, so was going to try that for the first time. 

I expected Phin to be a bit of a handful, since he'd not been out in a couple weeks and a front was coming. However, I was pleasantly surprised that he was a complete gentleman the entire time! The weather was a cloudy but fairly calm 41F when I left the barn.






































The front came through not even halfway through the ride, bringing some peeks of sun but lots of wind and falling temps. By the time I got home, it was actually spitting rain enough to make a rainbow!










The rain then changed over to hail, so I was very glad to be inside. The real feel was 18 when I got back in the house. Crazy weather!

8.07 miles, 1526 feet of climb, 4.4 mph average pace, 41-18F real feel

I was pleased with how the new helmetcam worked. I asked for the basic model, as I never used all the functions of the Hero (at least not on purpose!). This one, a Session 5, is waterproof all by itself, so hopefully that will remove the horrible casing rattle. It doesn't buffer the wind at all though (as heard on those clips). I also seem to stick my fingers in front of the lens without fail turning it off. Guess its a good thing I normally edit my videos!


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## carshon

Thank you for posting! Do you and hubby maintain all of those trails yourselves? The footing seemed quite forgiving from the sound of the video clips.

I guess I am going to have to ride vicariously via your videos as the ground is a solid block of ice here!


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## phantomhorse13

carshon said:


> Thank you for posting! Do you and hubby maintain all of those trails yourselves?


Hmm.. mostly? All the land I use to train is private property. Most other trail users are hunters, who are pretty seasonal. Therefore, I would say DH and I maintain the _trails_ about 90% of the time, as trees down or evil stickerbushes growing everywhere impact us on a regular basis. However, I am able to ride around several sets of fields and in those cases, the farmer is the one doing the mowing and maintenance.

I feel very, very lucky to have the use of private land in a world where more and more people are afraid of liability, etc, so I consider the trail maintenance we do a no-brainer trade for the ability to ride on that land. That is also the reason I am somewhat bonkers about not riding certain places when its wet.


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## phantomhorse13

Today the wind is just a breeze versus a gale, the temps are in the positive in terms of real feel, and bad weather is coming tomorrow.. so I figured I better get Phin out. It seemed like a good idea at the time..

Phin was pretty cranked right from the start, which wasn't a surprise once I realized the wind, though better than previous days, was still pretty sharp. We started with lateral work around the trees in the yard for a bit, until he could at least flat walk. I had originally planned to go over around Bellheimer's while the ground was frozen, but the wind quickly changed my mind. The footing left a lot to be desired, with just enough snow to cover the ice and make the uneven frozen ground hard to predict. Phin was feeling entirely too good and I headed down to the outdoor, thinking that at least would be a reasonable place to school.











Getting there involved a lot of lateral work and circles and going the other way and backing up in response to Phin's repeated attempts to trot. I loathe a jiggy horse and was not about to tolerate that behavior. Since I didn't have a big hill to put him up (which would always be my pick first as a jig-fix, lazy person that I am), I had to resort to actually riding. I think it took us nearly 30 minutes to travel the 3/4 mile to the outdoor, as we spent so much time not making forward progress. But on a good note, those movements did actually work, as opposed to getting him more and more cranked up like trying to hold him back does.

Once we got to the outdoor, I was not pleased to find the wind was quite sharp there as well. While that wasn't really making any difference to Phin's behavior, it made a big difference to my comfort! I generally get warm when I ride, so I don't go out in many layers knowing that. I had dressed for a moving along ride, not a walking one.. so I was not dressed appropriately with only 3 layers (long sleeved base layer, t-shirt and windbreaker), lightweight gloves, and nothing on my ears or neck. Pretty soon my nose and ears were screaming, as were my fingers.

By then Phin was at least walking without needing correction every 3rd stride, even if he looked like a drunken giraffe while doing it. I really wanted to go home and warm up but did not want to reward him as he was still very focused on the direction of home, so I tried heading for the woods in the hopes the wind would be blocked there. It did help, a bit.. but it sure wasn't warm!










Phin finally settled down when he thought we really were heading to Bellheimer's. I was happy to take a turn for home, which resulted in a slightly more energetic walk, but only a walk. When we got back to the property, I started on the normal figures around the trees I do in an attempt to make home = work. He was less than enthused, especially when turning away from the barn, so I asked for a trot for the first time. He gave me a nice trot, but when I turned him around a tree, i thought I felt a couple off steps. Straightened him out (happened to be towards the barn) and he was fine. Trotted away from the barn and he was fine. Trotted around another tree and got some short steps. WTH.

Got off and didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Felt all his legs and found nothing. Hmm. Took him to the driveway and trotted him out straight - fine. Asked for a circle to the right and he was fine. Asked for a circle to the left and bingo, short steps on the left front. Felt all over the leg and couldn't get a response. Wiggled all the joints and didn't get a response. Hmm.

I poked the heel he had apparently stepped on while running amuck in the pasture the end of last week, which at the time had seemed blessedly minor and didn't concern him in the least. He still didn't seem to care about my poking it, but it made me suspicious. Into the barn we went and out came the hoof testers - and indeed, he was a bit sensitive on that heel. Blast. Tho really, at least I had a reason. He doesn't have a fever and the small abrasions seem to be healing fine (I had to really search to even see them and likely wouldn't have found anything at all if I hadn't know what to look for from the other day), so I don't think antibiotics are necessary at this point. With the way he was moving, I would have thought it was higher than his foot, so now I wonder if he wrenched that shoulder in the process of stepping on himself. I couldn't find any muscles that felt warmer, but not sure my frozen hands would have felt much subtle change. DH will bring the thermal gun home with him, so maybe that will show me something later.


I think it was @tim62988 that had asked me about the shoes I use this time of year, so took a picture.











3.43 miles, 223 feet of climb, 3.3 mph average pace, real feel 6F


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## Change

Real feel 6F would have found me curled up in my recliner next to the fireplace, two lap blankets, a hot toddy, and a good book! And if I did go outside at all, it'd be in 3 layers of thermals, two layers of gloves, a neck scarf, ear muffs and a hooded coat... and I wouldn't have even considered riding. You are one tough lady, my friend!


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## PoptartShop

Wow you really are a brave soul, woman! 6F???? I wouldn't even be able to step outside. :lol:
Beautiful trails nonetheless!


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## weeedlady

my hero (or heroine)


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## cbar

Gross!! That's like almost -15 celsius. You are a tough cookie!! I can manage a ride at -8 celsius if there is no wind and the sun is shining. 

Hopefully Phin checks out OK!


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## phantomhorse13

cbar said:


> Hopefully Phin checks out OK!


The jury is still out.

The thermal camera was an eye opener, as we found nothing abnormal with either shoulder or either hindquarter. But we did find this:










:eek_color: :eek_color: :eek_color: :eek_color:


So, I obviously wasn't just imagining things. The foot looked like that all the way around. I cold hosed the foot (much to Phin's dismay) and pondered strains and abscesses. When I rechecked it the next day, it looked the same. The lameness was the same (none on the straight, minor on the circle). Sent the photos from both days to Kathy and Lani and pondered more. They both agreed with strain or abscess being the most likely, but Lani also said the dreaded L-word: Lyme.

That put up some red flags for me. DH and I had both noticed over the past few weeks that Phin was starting to challenge Dream and sometimes even George (who is the Boss of All, without question). Phin has always been the bottom of the pecking order and I had never even seen him pin his ears before, so this behavior was certainly unusual. He had also been more reactive during rides, which I had chocked up to the weather.. but what if it wasn't?

The vet came this morning to pull blood for the multiplex. Of course since she came, his foot was back to normal (which was both a big relief and mildly frustrating). Luckily I have a very good relationship with my vet, so she was happy to pull the blood for the test even without him being currently lame. Hopefully, I am just paranoid and Phin simply twisted that foot on the bad ground..


----------



## SwissMiss

Hoping for a negative test result for Phin!


But I have to say, that thermal camera is awesome!


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## cbar

^^^^ I agree. That thermal camera is the bomb!!! So handy!! 

How long do you have to wait for the blood results? Fingers crossed all is normal and he just had a bad step.

Friggin horses...it seems to be always something......


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## phantomhorse13

cbar said:


> How long do you have to wait for the blood results? Fingers crossed all is normal and he just had a bad step.


I should have results by the end of the week, or the start of next week at the latest. Trying not to worry myself to death until then (or "don't borrow trouble" as my very wise great aunt used to say)..


The thermal camera is a great tool! DH owns a HVAC business, which is why he has it. It luckily doesn't have much call to scan the horses and mostly hunts for drafts, but sure nice to know it's there if needed.


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## tim62988

my question: has he had any previous injuries to that hoof? is there a possibility that the odd heat signature is just a spot where the hoof horn didn't grow back completely normal due to an old abscess/injury? 

i know with cows I occasionally get a pocket where there appears to be healthy hoof, the pocket where the abscess was, then the good new growth from the laminae. also get spots where the hoof never really grows back normal due to damaged laminae but that shows on the exterior and you would have known that one long long ago


and thank you for the shoe/snow pad picture, looks like a good way to counter the ice/snow but i just don't have the dedication that you do to make it worth it (and can't ride outside the pasture because of my wife's horse being a nut job haha)


----------



## phantomhorse13

tim62988 said:


> my question: has he had any previous injuries to that hoof? is there a possibility that the odd heat signature is just a spot where the hoof horn didn't grow back completely normal due to an old abscess/injury?


No injury since he has been with me, but that has only been about 18 months. And that heat signature went all the way around the hoof, along the coronary band (not just in one spot). Now that the foot has seemed to return to normal, I have been poking all along the hairline to see if anywhere starts to feel mushy. So far, all fine.

I really think he just wants me crazier than I already am. :wink:


----------



## Blue

*phantom*, I'm going with the crazier theory. Who know what these horses do when we're not around, but I have no doubt you'll get to the bottom of it.


----------



## phantomhorse13

Today we set a record for high temperature. I simply couldn't stand being inside, so cajoled DH into coming home from work a bit early so we could take George and Sultan out. The ground is a mucky mess, and the boys are barefoot, so we just slogged around Alimar. Both boys acted like blooming idiots, spooking at nothing and snorting with tails over backs. Silly ayrabs!

George and Sultan both had been enjoying the melt. Got filth?! Both sheets were so plastered with mud, you couldn't even tell what color they had started as.

































2.03 miles, 184 feet of climb, 2.8 mph average pace, 50F real feel!!


----------



## PoptartShop

Looks like you had such a nice ride! I love how open it is!  So beautiful and peaceful. Bareback is awesome. 
So cute!!


----------



## phantomhorse13

I heard back from my vet about Phin's multiplex results. 

vaccine 2100, where >2000 = positive (this is good, as he is vaccinated)
chronic 358, negative
acute 958, where >1000 = positive

W.T.F.  :dance-smiley05: :confused_color: :shrug:

So what does that mean? It means right now he is technically negative.. but that acute number is high enough to be suspicious. Did he just get bitten/infected 3 weeks ago and full blown infection hasn't had time to set in yet? Is that number simply showing some exposure (no surprise in our tick-infested area) but not actual infection?

 :dance-smiley05: :confused_color: :shrug:

I have an email out to a few different vet friends who are pretty experienced with Lyme to ask their interpretation.

Right now, I think my plan will be to leave him alone until I come back from Florida (about 10 days from now), then have blood drawn for another test..

As usual, nothing can be @*%$ing easy. :-(


----------



## Blue

Phantom, sorry it isn't going to be clear cut and easy. How's he doing today?


----------



## phantomhorse13

Blue said:


> Phantom, sorry it isn't going to be clear cut and easy. How's he doing today?


He seems fine, though I didn't make him circle. I am trying hard to just leave him be and not be a helicopter mom.


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I was supposed to meet a friend and ride one of her horses on some new-to-me trails. However, momma nature had other ideas as she got ice where we just got a bit of snow (she is about 45 min south of me).. so there went that plan.

Instead, I again cajoled DH into getting Sultan and George out this afternoon. Temps never made it above freezing, so I figured the fields would be firm enough to mosey around.




























It was amazing how much nicer it felt when the sun was out! But the biggest help was not much wind, which is very unusual for this time of year. The boys were much less silly than last time out.

3.58 miles, 306 feet of climb, 3.1 mph, 24F real feel

On the way home, we went around the outside of the paddocks. Phin was happy to trot around showing off, then ended with a massive gallop/buck/fart event across the length of the paddocks - he sure looked sound to me!


----------



## PoptartShop

Aww I'm glad you had such a nice trail ride.  The sun definitely makes all the difference. 
Glad Phin is doing well!


----------



## phantomhorse13

The weather was amazing today (34 and sunny with no wind!), so poor George got ridden again. Since DH had to work and I was planning to go across the road, I decided to play it safe and use the saddle. George is quite chubby having been off work (needed an extra hole on both sides of the girth!), so I plan on doing shorter, more frequent rides to bring him back into condition.

We stuck to the fields again, as George is barefoot and prone to chipping. He was very glad to just look at the hills and not have to climb them. 










The elk were out sunning themselves. Normally they hide in the treed portion of their pen, so its fun to see them (though not sure that George thought so). A shame the bull, who still has a full rack, was too far away to really see him:


















On the way home, we went via the outdoor. George got a bit silly, wanting to scoot for home, so we did some circles and bending work. He also had "forgotten" how to sidepass to the right, so we spent some time working on that. :icon_rolleyes: Eventually he gave in and remembered, at which point we moseyed home.

5.33 miles, 401 feet of climb, 3.8 mph average pace, 34F real feel


----------



## Rain Shadow

Have you contacted Cornell? My friend has a TB with Lyme and Cornell knows their stuff. The vaccine messes up the test and can give false positives. But you can contact them and they are a big help.


----------



## phantomhorse13

Rain Shadow said:


> Have you contacted Cornell? My friend has a TB with Lyme and Cornell knows their stuff. The vaccine messes up the test and can give false positives. But you can contact them and they are a big help.


Cornell is where the multiplex is run. Testing for the vaccine has it's own portion (Osp A), and won't influence the results for Osp C (acute infection) or Osp F (chronic infection). Results from the IDEXX snap test (which is an ELISA test normally run on dogs) show the presence of antibodies, not if those are the result of vaccination or infection.

Unfortunately, I have a lot of experience with Lyme as all 3 of the other horses have it, as well as 2 of the dogs. :-?


----------



## Tazzie

Sure sounds like the perfect weekend with all that riding! Care to send some snow/colder temps? We've had nothing but rain every single day!


----------



## phantomhorse13

Tazzie said:


> Sure sounds like the perfect weekend with all that riding! Care to send some snow/colder temps? We've had nothing but rain every single day!


We have had a lot of rain, too! I never thought I would wish for cold or snow, but the ground being frozen is sure nicer than the muddly mess left after the rain. This entire week is forecast to be 10-15 degrees above normal and rain every day - so odd.


----------



## PoptartShop

Aww glad you got George out.  Sure he enjoyed it! Looks like another nice ride & good weather.
We need some snow/sun too...raining here also! 
So much better than after the rain, not as muddy at all. That's why I'd rather it snow than rain. :lol: I agree!


----------



## Change

It's midnight and 57F here. Tomorrow's high in the low 60s, overcast and rainy. By Friday we'll be pushing 70 but only partly sunny with rain scheduled for the weekend (of course!). I can honestly say I prefer wet and warm over freezing, but then, I'm a weather-wimp. I don't do cold anymore.

But this is weird weather for January. I keep waiting for the winter-shoe to fall. February is just around the corner, and that's usually the worst month for cold weather... but with January being so unseasonable warm, I just don't know what to expect!!


----------



## phantomhorse13

I just got back from another ride in Florida. Lani and I drove down Wednesday and had an uneventful trip (Kathy had planned to join us, but an ongoing head cold that was trying to turn into pneumonia kept her from going). I was ready for another shower by 9am Thursday, after we dealt with the roundbales we had brought down.

A shame the horses are so spooky:











We had the truck packed and the horses loaded before lunch and were at camp in no time - so nice when the ride site is only 5 miles away! We were back and forth about our ride plans, but knowing the weather wasn't going to give us a break this time (temps in the mid-80s with humidity and sun), and knowing we needed to put up a bunch of temporary fencing in the pasture back at the farm, we decided on a plan: Bunny and Cowbboy in the LD on Friday and Duroc and maybe Cowbboy again in the LD Saturday. 

We vetted in all 3 horses on Thursday, then Duroc went back to the farm for the night.











During the ride meeting that evening, Lani suddenly startled and looked down to find a friend crawling up her leg! He hopped down and was heading for me:











I caught him (and he was a quick and elusive ******!) and took him outside. It was hard to focus on the rest of the meeting because we both kept randomly giggling about the frog (I think the heat had gotten to both of us). Luckily we had both done the ride before and nothing had changed from the previous year.

The next morning was so humid, I was sure it must rain at any moment. It was already in the low 70s and I was praying the haze of clouds would stick around.











No such luck though, as the sun was out full force in no time. The only saving grace was a pretty strong (though hot) wind and at least some of the first loop was shaded.




















The 16.5 mile first loop flew by. Bunny easily outpulsed Cowbboy at the hold, so Lani said to go ahead once the hold was over.











The second loop was shorter and in general rode very nicely. We did have one small exciting moment when an alligator sunning itself on the side of the trail slide into the swamp, which Bunny didn't much care for. The resulting HUGE buzzard that flew out of the swamp and across the trail also didn't go over real well. But I stayed on and we didn't land in the swamp (which was on both sides of the trail at that point).. though Lani did notice our footprints all over the place when she passed the place after us!




















We came into the finish and there wasn't another horse in sight anywhere in camp. Bunny pulsed without incident despite the heat and lack of a buddy. Even after the vetting, there were still no other horses in sight. I was floored to find out *we had won the LD*! 

Bunny was content to doze at the truck while waiting for Lani and Cowbboy to finish, which they did in 5th place.















We stood for BC, but so did the heavyweight man who finished second. When Lani realized that, she decided to stand Cowbboy for BC, knowing she would outweigh that man and even if Cowbboy didn't show well, her weight would change up the numbers. While Bunny's trot out wasn't bad, she was less than enthused about it (and couldn't say I blamed her as running in the heat was no fun for me either). I trotted Cowbboy out for Lani and he had an inspired moment and trotted like a champ! Every single person who finished in the top 10 stood.

Lani decided that Cowbboy would go the next day, so we brought Duroc and Brim to the ride site (Brim was to be company for Bunny while the others were out on trail). After we got them settled, it was time for the LD awards.


to be continued..


----------



## phantomhorse13

part 2:

This ride always has fun, often hand-made prizes. This year, we got a cooler bag as a completion award, a hand-made horsey hat as a top 10 prize, and Bunny got a reflective neck collar as the first-to-finish prize:











Cowbboy won BC! Bunny was second by 11 points. The BC award (which I apparently never thought to take a picture of) was a picnic basket hand-painted with the ride name and logo, and inside that basket was homemade blueberry jam, a bottle of Maine maple syrup and 2 potholders with foxhunting scenes. 

We had to pose with the ponies and our super hats, though the horses would rather have just kept napping:











The next morning was just as humid and warm, with temps in the 70s, but no saving scrim of clouds to hide the blazing sun. There was a bit of a breeze, which was wonderful. Duroc was ready to go and wouldn't stand still on his hi tie to pose!











Knowing Duroc would be going much faster than Cowbboy, Lani and I started separately. I let Duroc stay within sight of other horses at the start and he quietly left camp on a loose rein!











We quickly passed the handful of people who had been around us at the start and spent the rest of that loop totally alone. Duroc was somewhat unsure, but he behaved himself well with no balking or being silly. Only the heart rate monitor showed that he wasn't really happy about being alone, but he was dealing with it.






































We got into camp for the first hold and Patti brought Bunny over for company (Duroc is def not ready to cut the cord in camp yet!). It was already hot as blazes, but it didn't take too long for Duroc to pulse down. However, he was a bit off in one hind leg during the trot out. Of course it was one of the bad legs (he fractured his pelvis in the pasture a few years ago) and the issue was mild enough as to be hard to pin down. I thought I could feel a touch of swelling and heat in an inside thigh muscle, but nothing else seemed amiss. Ride over for us.

Cowbboy and Lani came in a while later and Patti and I worked on him for a bit to get him pulsed (he always seems to take forever). But he came down after a bit and vetted through with no issues.










Lani had hooked up with some newbies doing their first ride, so was having a blast mentoring the ladies (and they were profusely grateful for such knowledgeable company!). Lani was sorry to hear about Duroc, but asked me to get Brim out for some work since I would have the time while she was on the last loop. Lani and Cowbboy both enjoyed some shade and food during the hold, then went back out to finish the ride.


to be continued..


----------



## phantomhorse13

part 3:

I got Brimstone out once Lani and Cowbboy were back on trail. In order to not interfere with the ride, I went out on the blue loop, which the 50s had already finished earlier in the day.











Brim was very excited to return to camp and felt 10 miles was nothing, so on the way back we wandered through some of the various driving obstacles (camp was at the Black Prong Center, which is all about driving).











Lani and Cowbboy (and the ladies they were riding with) all successfully completed the ride. Once we got Cowbboy settled, I got Bunny tacked up and had a dressage lesson with Patti. I haven't had a chance to get that footage edited yet, so will add that in another post later on. After the lesson, we packed things up and got everyone back to the farm. No rest for the wicked though, as we tackled the job of putting up some temporary fence. Pounding t-posts into the ground sucks, even when the ground is just sand. I was never so happy to shower in my life. We met with some friends for dinner at a Japanese place in the next town and had a ton of fun (and ate way too much).

The next morning, we were happy the rain held off long enough to do a lameness exam on Duroc. While the average person likely wouldn't have noticed, Lani knows how he moves well enough to know that left hind still was NQR. We started with a lactate to see if the issue really was muscular:










It wasn't. 

Did some flexions and there was no change. 

So, Lani (who is a vet, in case I hadn't mentioned it before) started doing blocks to see if we could find the source of the issue. Blocking the foot showed no improvement, nor did blocking a bit higher up the leg (meaning the lower soft tissue structures were not the problem). He _may_ have responded to blocking just under the hock, but the lameness was so subtle to begin with, it was hard to be sure. He has a small lump just under his hock on the inside that may be new, but he was totally unconcerned with anything we did to it. So frustrating!

We knew bad weather was due any minute, so we loaded up the truck and headed out just before lunch. The trip was very exciting, as radar looked like this a lot of the way:











Feeling how much the wind was pushing the dually truck around, I did not envy the people driving small cars! Often the road was so flooded, it was more like boating than driving. We made slow but steady progress and eventually drove out of the worst of the storms by North Carolina. It rained all the way to Virginia though, and was still raining when I drove home to PA after napping a bit. Better than snow I guess!


----------



## phantomhorse13

I got home about 11am yesterday and decided I better get George out before the weather got any worse. It was only drizzling at home yet that big nor'easter we had driven through was coming - and if it would be rain or snow or ice here was anybody's guess.

By the time I tacked up, the drizzle had stopped but the wind was simply roaring (looking at the gauge later, we had gusts to 38mph). The temperature was also dropping rapidly. I so wanted to just crawl into bed and nap!!

George was pretty good despite the raging wind, only being a bit jumpy at times. His being chubby likely helps with that!











The elk were near the fence again, including the big bull. He had some kind of vines stuck to one side of his rack and George was not impressed with the wind flapping it around (would imagine nor was the bull):


















We got back to the barn just as the sleet started, so the timing was excellent.

5.22 miles, 489 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 16F real feel


----------



## gottatrot

Congrats on winning the LD with Bunny!
Sounds like the whole trip was great.

The froggie was cute, but I can't imagine facing an alligator on the trail. 

I'm curious about Duroc's pelvic fracture. Do you happen to know how it occurred in the field? It is good for me to hear he has been sound afterward, since online it keeps saying pelvis problems are often difficult for returning a horse to soundness. I am hoping my mare has a pelvic strain, it's only been several days but I am still worried. Her lameness is fairly subtle though.


----------



## carshon

I think Bunny is simply gorgeous! I love the pics!


----------



## phantomhorse13

gottatrot said:


> I'm curious about Duroc's pelvic fracture. Do you happen to know how it occurred in the field?


No idea how it happened. As a 4 year old, he was out in a big hilly pasture with a herd and he is known to be a pest. He was found limping in the morning and had some minor scuffs on the left hip.. so while I can certainly imagine lots of scenarios (kicked just right? fell? ran into a fencepost just right?), no way of knowing for sure.

His owners didn't expect him to return to soundness and figured he would be a pasture ornament at best; he just beat the odds. He does have some permanent changes to his pelvis as a result, so doesn't move totally symmetrically even on the best day. Until now, that hasn't seemed to bother him at all. But of course now we are left not only trying to pinpoint exactly what the current issue is, but is it a result of the previous injury or something totally independent? My inclination is it's at least related, as moving asymmetrically does stress one side more than the other.. we shall see what the ultrasound shows.

And of course I am praying it was a total anomaly and that he will be 100% next time I see him!


----------



## gottatrot

phantomhorse13 said:


> His owners didn't expect him to return to soundness and figured he would be a pasture ornament at best; he just beat the odds. He does have some permanent changes to his pelvis as a result, so doesn't move totally symmetrically even on the best day. Until now, that hasn't seemed to bother him at all. But of course now we are left not only trying to pinpoint exactly what the current issue is, but is it a result of the previous injury or something totally independent? My inclination is it's at least related, as moving asymmetrically does stress one side more than the other.. we shall see what the ultrasound shows.
> 
> And of course I am praying it was a total anomaly and that he will be 100% next time I see him!


Thank you for sharing this info. I hope everything will be fine. It is very tricky when there are old or underlying issues to complicate things.


----------



## Change

@PhantomHorse - every time you post I am in awe of you!! Not so much for the actual competitions (and congrats on the LD win!! :-D ) but for being able to ride 10+ miles in 16F real feel temps after driving home from Florida in a constant rain??? OMG!! You are totally amazing!

I sure hope Duroc is okay - keep us posted, please! 

And I'm curious, why did Brim not compete? (he's gorgeous!!)


----------



## phantomhorse13

Change said:


> And I'm curious, why did Brim not compete? (he's gorgeous!!)


Brimstone is just coming back into work after some time off. He is Lani's favorite horse and unfortunately was NQR by the middle of last season. After much testing, it was finally discovered he has a cyst in his foot. The cyst was injected to shrink it (removing it is not an option) and he was given time off. Normally, a cyst of this type regrows, so Lani has been very, very careful about bringing him back into work slowly to make sure he isn't masking anything (he loves to be on trail and will meet you at the gate to be caught). So far, all seems fine.. hopefully Brim will be doing the LD next month.


----------



## phantomhorse13

I got George out today. It was spitting snow when we left the barn, but you could see the clouds trying to break up in the distance. It was quite windy, so George was pretty cranked up. I look forward to his getting shoes on next week, so we can start climbing hills!
























6.65 miles, 632 feet of climb, 5.2 mph average pace, 23F real feel


I heard back from the vet today about Phin's second multiplex. The Osp A has risen to 1182, meaning he does have Lyme disease. :eek_color: Shiitake.  The vet will be out to start treatment in the morning. I am trying to stay positive that I caught it in the acute phase.. but it still sucks.


----------



## egrogan

Sorry to hear that about Phin. Such a frustrating thing about living in this part of the country! Sending good thoughts.


----------



## phantomhorse13

The vet came this morning to start Phin's Lyme treatment. He is not a big fan of being poked, so I wasn't sure how the slow IV injection of oxytetracycline was going to go. I am happy to report that while he was hardly happy about it, he stood like a good boy (and a few cookies didn't hurt either).

I was feeling fairly unmotivated today, so just hopped on George bareback to take the dogs for a walk around Alimar. George was also feeling unmotivated, which was actually a good thing as I was able to do some trot work without bouncing right off. It's amazing how out of shape I am in terms of posting without stirrups. I could only do maybe 1-2 minutes at a stretch before my legs simply refused to work. I think I trotted about 1/3 of the mileage we did.. will be interesting to see if I can walk in the morning. :icon_rolleyes:



















It spit snow off and on all ride, which my face didn't appreciate but didn't phase the dogs in the slightest. The ground is in the process of freezing, so I hope tomorrow will have decent footing.

2.28 miles, 217 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 21F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

Despite a surprise dusting of snow overnight, I got George out. I had been planning on a nice and easy mosey around, but George was feeling mighty fine - nothing like a cold wind to bring out the crazies! :dance-smiley05:











While the wind never abated, the sun actually came out!! That made things seem so much nicer.











Because George was a bit of a ding dong, he was sweated up when we finished the ride I had intended for today. I had planned to get Sultan out and hack around with the dogs, but figured I would take George out a second time to reinforce that getting home does not mean the work is done. He was quite perplexed when the cooler came off and I hopped on bareback instead of turning him out. 










George was much less enthused leaving the barn for the second time - imagine that. :wink:

8.3 miles, 769 feet climb, 5.8 mph, 22F real feel
1.97 miles, 183 feet climb, 2.9 mph, 22F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I got George out for a bit bareback. The dogs enjoyed wandering around and I did as much posting trot as I could stand at a time. 

I have been trying to pay attention to my posture and how it effects the ease of my posting. I know I post very much from my stirrups normally, as that uses the least amount of effort. I ride with very long stirrups, so normally have a pretty level foot, so its been interesting to see how dropping my heels bareback makes a huge difference in my ability to post and stay balanced. Or maybe I am just finding weird things to think about to distract me from how badly my legs hurt! :rofl:



















2.52 miles, 249 feet of climb, 3.8 mph average pace, 22F


Today, the farrier came so now Sultan and George both are shod (Phin got his shoes pulled). The weather was miserable, but I am heading back to Florida tomorrow morning, so I needed to ride today. I didn't have time to ride both horses, so I rode Sultan and ponied George. 

It was so nice to be able to see other trails and not just go around the fields over and over!! The snow that was only supposed to be only in the morning didn't show any signs of stopping, but they were very small flakes so didn't really accumulate much. They didn't feel very nice when we had to go into the wind though.










I am so very pleased with how they behaved. Sultan hasn't really been ridden in months and I wasn't totally sure how he was going to be on his first ride back.. so adding ponying George into the mix could have been very exciting. So pleased that it wasn't!!










We walked up all the hills then trotted all the flatter spots. Both boys were forward and happy.










10.17 miles, 1702 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 18F real feel

Once we got back, George was dry and cool, so I put him back out. Sultan needed some cooling time, so I hopped on him bareback and took the dogs for a walk around Alimar. The sun peeked out briefly between snow showers, which was fun.










2.22 miles, 169 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 18F real feel


----------



## PoptartShop

I'm glad you had a nice ride before heading back to FL.  Beautiful open trails!


----------



## cbar

I'm so jealous of all the riding you do...you are so dedicated and I wish I had that trait when it came to riding. Especially in the wind. Ick. I aspire to have even a fraction of the dedication you do


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## phantomhorse13

I just got back from a whirlwind Florida trip. This one wasn't for an competition, but work and exercise. I left here just before lunch on Wednesday and we arrived in Florida at 6am Thursday morning. We unloaded the horses, then got a couple hour nap before starting the day. It began with my acting as a tech for Kathy, as she had a few horses to check out. She did several lameness exams and the assorted things that go along with them. By mid-afternoon, we finally got some saddle time.

I started out on Bunny. After the success of dressage lesson, we decided to try her in a snaffle with a single joint on trail, as she liked that so much better than the solid mouthpiece. I also rode her in a english saddle with a long girth, which got the buckles off her sides and under the flap. The results were _magic_. She was soft in the bridle, relaxed, and didn't toss her head once! She also didn't have any sensitivity in her ribs when we finished. Fingers crossed that holds true at the competitions as well.










5.91 miles, 33 feet of climb, 5.6 mph average pace, 78F real feel


Next, it was time to ride my newest project for the first time. Meet Flo, a 6 year old National Show horse:










I was warned she was spooky - that was an understatement. She couldn't go 3 steps without looking at something, and 'looking' ranged from shying sideways to a hard prop and spin or back up. She was doing it at just about anything along or on the trail, which was pretty ridiculous considering she is not new to the trail. I began correcting her for the behavior (as opposed to ignoring it) and was pleased to find she responded to my seat and leg cues quite well. I used my voice to growl at her as soon as she started eyeing _anything_ as well as bending her body towards the monster (so her head looked away, breaking her focus).

I was pleased to see improvement in just that single ride. While she was going down the trail like a drunken giraffe at times, she wasn't propping at all by the end as I was able to shut that down and redirect her.










5.66 miles, 33 feet of climb, 5.6 mph average pace, 76F real feel

That evening, we met up with the Olsons for dinner at a local place. I was so tired I could barely keep from putting my head on the table, though the conversation was lively. I was so happy to fall into bed before 9!

The next morning, Kathy had to take the van in for some work, so I took Brimstone and Fluffy out with a group for a ride. They were the best behaved horses there!



















We even got to lead for a while, which made them both super happy as they have bigger walks than the arabs.



















13.9 miles, 49 feet of climb, 4.3 mph average pace, 80F real feel

Next up was Bunny. I was thrilled that yesterday's ride was not a fluke, as she was again soft and quiet. Hopefully, we have found what makes her happy!










6.67 miles, 37 feet of climb, 7.0 mph average pace, 81F real feel

Kathy returned while I was out with Bunny, so she and I went out together for the last set. She rode Cowbboy while I rode Flo. Happy to report that Flo remembered her lessons from the previous day and continued to improve. Kathy and I did a bit of exploring and found another nice loop. The sun was starting to set by the time we got back to the farm.



















We had a cookout that evening with the group I had ridden with in the morning. They stay at what is called Camp Connie (as they all rent paddocks and trailer hook up space from a lady named Connie). It was a lot of fun, but I was not sorry to head home and be in bed before 9.

The next morning, I hopped on Brim bareback for a quick ride as we wanted to make sure he was still comfortable after yesterday's ride. Happy to report that he felt great!










We were on the road for home by 8 for a very long but uneventful journey.


----------



## Oreos Girl

I can't believe you are driving to Florida. That is a a long mule way to go.


----------



## PoptartShop

Sooo jealous of your Florida trip.  Looks like you had a blast! More beautiful trails too. 
Definitely a lot of driving, I'm sure you were exhausted after all that!


----------



## phantomhorse13

Yesterday was Phin's last day of the IV oxytet!! Now onto 30 days of oral doxy..

I needed to get both boys out, as rain was coming overnight and for the next couple days (and now the dreaded s-word is even in the forecast). I was going out regardless of the weather, but momma nature smiled with sunny skies and only a strong breeze (versus the clouds and strong winds that had been predicted).

I got Sultan out first and went over the tomhicken to the space needle loop. I haven't been over that way in weeks, so was glad to see no trees down or other surprises. Plenty of frozen puddles to practice leg yielding around though.




























Sultan was very good overall, though he did have one stupid moment on the farm going home where he thought perhaps galloping home would suddenly be acceptable. It wasn't. :icon_rolleyes:

12.1 miles, 1312 feet of climb, 6.9 mph average pace, 36F real feel


Next came George. I decided on the yellow gate trail and wasn't surprised to still find some patches of snow hanging on in the places that stay shadowed. It made the other parts of the trail feel that much nicer, with full sun and only a breeze.



















Ironically, George's only major misbehavior was in almost the exact same spot as Sultan's on the way home.. but he got the same reaction. He was pretty sweaty when we got back to the barn, so I took him out bareback (with Mia) to cool down and dry off.










13.83 miles, 1408 feet of climb, 5.7 mph average pace, 42F real feel


I can only hope momma nature stays happy and the s-word forecast for tomorrow night is wrong. I would love to keep using the plow as a drying rack:










:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:


----------



## gottatrot

I love your trail names. Why is it called the Space Needle loop?


----------



## phantomhorse13

gottatrot said:


> I love your trail names. Why is it called the Space Needle loop?


Because this is at the top:










It's actually a government-owned weather station and that is some kind of radar antenna, but my SIL coined 'space needle' to describe it.


----------



## phantomhorse13

Today it was 50F!! The sun was doing it's best to peak out from the light scrim of clouds and the breeze was actually lukewarm, making the real feel 48. Despite a less-than-ideal visit to the doctor this morning, I was determined to ride.

When I went out to get George, I found I was interrupting nap time:










I was surprised that Phin was still laying down by the time I got over to them, as normally he hops up as soon as he sees a person. I couldn't resist seeing if he would let me go right up to him, and he did!! First time ever. He got several cookies. :loveshower:











Loving on Phin for a few minutes didn't save George from being worked though. :wink: I could hardly believe the temps - I rode in just a TEE SHIRT in February!! (Our normal high for today is 26F.)










I decided to do the space needle loop, as I knew the footing would be good there despite all the rain yesterday. I wasn't expecting any changes to the area, but the Scary Blue Snake of Death had appeared since I was there with Sultan on Monday. :icon_rolleyes:










After escaping from that with our lives, George didn't see any reason not to hurry for home, since it may have decided to follow us at any moment. A detour to climb the back side of the Sugarloaf on the way back made him decide that perhaps he could jog on a loose rein after all. 










Of course, he was soaking wet by the time we arrived home, so after untacking and working on him a bit with a towel, I hopped on bareback and went to slog around Alimar. Mia came along, though the wet ground was less than ideal in her world (poor delicate flower pup).










15.35 miles, 1878 feet of climb, 6.1 mph average pace, 48F real feel!

Tomorrow the snow comes. We are in the 6-10" range, supposedly. I am hoping it will just go elsewhere!!


----------



## phantomhorse13

That storm didn't go elsewhere..










We got something like 8-10" Thursday morning, along with gale force winds.. so some places were about bare and other places were drifted to my waist. I wasn't about to ride in those conditions, so I took the time to rest and try to get over my illness. It seems to have worked.

Today, DH and I got Sultan and George out. There was only a light breeze and the sun even came out! The footing wasn't too bad to start with, though it was quite mushy by the time we got done.




























13.6 miles, 2030 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 42F real feel


Tomorrow another storm is coming.. just what kind of precipitation is anybody's guess though, as I have heard freezing rain, sleet, rain and/or snow. Ugh!!


----------



## PoptartShop

Wow, so much snow for you!  That's good you still got a nice trail ride in. So cute!


----------



## phantomhorse13

I have journeyed back to Florida yet again. This time I flew in and got here a couple days ahead of Kathy and Lani (and will get to stay a couple extra days and play tourist, yay!). Yesterday, I needed to get everyone out for exercise of some sort.

I started out riding Brimstone and ponying Cowbboy. We went out and moseyed around the pink loop, which is a big lollipop out from the farm. Neither horse was particularly enthused to start as it was super humid.










When we were about 2/3 of the way around (so heading back towards the farm), Cowbboy suddenly went from a nice easy trot to a dead halt. He ripped the rope through my hands and almost yanked me clean off Brim. He simply refused to move any more no matter how I asked. At all. I got off and checked him - nothing tight. Nothing in any foot. Nothing was hot or swollen or sensitive anywhere. No apparent reason for his behavior. Asked him to move forward and he pinned his ears and snaked his head at me. That made me decide he was just being a jerk and I cracked him on the butt with the rope. Suddenly, could move again! A miracle! I got back on Brim. We walked and Cowbboy was fine. We jogged and he was fine. We went about a mile and he did it again. This time I just got Brim behind him and bodily shoved him up the trail a couple steps, and like magic, he was fine. He did it a third time in the woods right beside the farm - he is lucky I didn't just tie him to a tree and leave him there. 

6.24 miles, 38 feet of climb, 6.3 mph average page, 75F real feel

I found out later from Kathy that is a stunt he apparently would pull with his real owners, though generally it was under saddle. So good to know nothing was physically wrong with him. I wish I could say the same about myself, as his antics raised blisters and/or tore open skin on every digit on both hands, right through my gloves!! :eek_color:


Next up, I needed to get Duroc out for a walk. I wasn't sure how he would be just walking (he is doing that as injury rehab), so decided he was more likely to behave with company, which meant ponying. Brim was pretty disgusted to have to go back out, but he trudged along.










Duroc was a very good boy, which I was very pleased about as my hands were killing me despite having iced them.

3.4 miles, 29 feet of climb, 3.3 mph average page, 75F real feel


Next up was Fluffy! This was the first time she's been ridden in a while so I was expecting her to be a bit silly. She was full of herself and boinged the entire time. That is exhausting to ride, but I was glad she felt so good. We did the same pink loop.



















6.14 miles, 35 feet of climb, 6.6 mph average page, 76F real feel


Next up was Flo and Beth (owner of the farm down here) came out with me on her Walker. That horse perplexes me, as he flat walks, then does some sort of pace, then does a weird crooked canter. Shouldn't a Walker be able to gait at 7-8mph (which is a medium trot) without issue? He was constantly falling behind then having to canter to catch up. However, his rider is simply a passenger, so I suspect that may be a big part of the issue. For variety, we did the pink loop the other way around. 










We came across a turtle on the road, which is a first for me. Beth thought it was one of the endangered species, but I had no idea what type it was. It's shell pattern reminded me of box turtles, but it had a snapping-turtle like snout, and was much bigger than a box turtle. It didn't seem all that happy to see us, so we didn't pester it long.










Overall, Flo did really well and she ignored all of the gelding's random pace changes. She is still looky of course, but I am doing better each ride with anticipating and redirecting her.

6.13 miles, 35 feet of climb, 6.4 mph average page, 76F real feel


Last up was Bunny. It was already 5pm when we headed out for the pink loop, so we got to watch the sun drop lower and lower.










Bunny was doing really well, going along nice and relaxed, when several pigs suddenly jumped out of the bushes and ran across the road right in front of her. No surprise that she slammed on the brakes and spun away from them. I am riding her in a smooth leather english saddle, without even a pommel bag, so I went flying like a lawn dart. I almost landed _on_ the last pig as it scurried past. I managed an unpleasant dive roll on the limestone and was happy no more pigs came (as I have heard they can be nasty). Thank goodness Bunny just stood looking down at me in horror from a few feet away and let me catch her and remount without issue.










The rest of the ride was uneventful.

6.18 miles, 35 feet of climb, 6.3 mph average page, 72F real feel


Today, I was happy to find I was not nearly as sore as I expected to be. While my shoulders are less than happy with me, I have full range of motion in both arms. My hands remain pretty angry, though. I was surprised to wake up to high winds with off an on rain showers, as the big front wasn't coming until lunchtime.

I figured I better try Duroc first, as the weather was only going to get worse. I wasn't sure how he was going to be, going out alone.. forget adding the crazy wind in. I figured if he was that bad, I would just get off and hand walk him the hour he needed to go.










I am thrilled to report that I stayed in the saddle the entire time. He was somewhat sticky going away from the farm, but at no point did he get light on his front end! [For those who don't remember, he had a very bad rearing problem when I first started riding him a little over a year ago.] He wasn't happy about it, but he did what I asked. When we turned around to head back, he would have preferred to go faster than a walk, but tolerated my rating him. Super super pleased with how he did.

2.12 miles, 29 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average page, 70F real feel


Next up was Brimstone and Fluffy. They just needed a good mosey, so I took them to a trail behind the farm that Kathy had showed me once and we managed to find our way to the road and around. It spit rain on us a few times and the wind was simply roaring by the time we got done.










4.18 miles, 36 feet of climb, 4.9 mph average page, 70F real feel


I had hoped to have time to get Flo out, but the weather had other ideas. Very glad I wasn't out on trail for the storm!










I got stuff in the truck organized, including adding a sheepskin to Bunny's saddle. Don't know that that would have made a difference in the pig situation, but every little bit helps!! Tomorrow Kathy and Lani will arrive and we will head to ride camp.


----------



## gottatrot

phantomhorse13 said:


> Bunny was doing really well, going along nice and relaxed, when several pigs suddenly jumped out of the bushes and ran across the road right in front of her. No surprise that she slammed on the brakes and spun away from them. I am riding her in a smooth leather english saddle, without even a pommel bag, so I went flying like a lawn dart. I almost landed _on_ the last pig as it scurried past. I managed an unpleasant dive roll on the limestone and was happy no more pigs came (as I have heard they can be nasty). Thank goodness Bunny just stood looking down at me in horror from a few feet away and let me catch her and remount without issue.


Ha ha, great story! Sorry you went flying like a lawn dart. 
Too bad you escaped one type of bad weather and headed into another, but sounds like you got some great rides in.


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## carshon

I love your posts. I am sorry you fell off and that your hands got scraped up. I always thought I envied the amount of time you ride - but this story made me happy to not have to ride multiple horses.

Keep posting this is one of my favorite threads!


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## PoptartShop

Ouch, that sounds like it hurt!  Whew.
Sorry you had a fall, hope you feel better. Like, thanks a lot pigs! 

Looks like some great rides otherwise.  Love the pictures.


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## tim62988

i'm really enjoying looking at the elevation change of florida vs PA probably can't go from one end of the pasture to the other at home without a 35' elevation change


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## phantomhorse13

Not sure if this will send as I have fairly awful reception..

But Bunny completed her 50! Woohoo!

Tomorrow is Flo in the LD. Fingers crossed the rain holds off till we are done..


----------



## egrogan

Go Bunny Go!!


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## OldEnduranceRider

Very Cool PH, I did endurance from 1987 to 2001, only had 2 horses, and my husband wasn't into it. I see you've done Tevis, your pic, what year did you do it? My claim to fame, I did Tevis in 1998, then again in 2000. In 2000 I started about 15 minutes AFTER everybody left the start. My horse, he was 14 at the time, was a REAL pistol. I did not want to get any of the other horses, people or him self hurt, on shotgun starts he was very bad. The timers were mad at me. Anyway, that year there were 259 horse/rider teams starting the ride, we finished 30th. 


I have to run, never have enough time to stay on the computer, 


TTFN


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## phantomhorse13

Last weekend's Gator Run ride was a huge success!

We headed over to ridecamp, which was only about 15 minutes from the farm, on Thursday and got set up with the horses going Friday. Cowbboy and Bunny would be doing the 50 and Brimstone would be doing the LD. We went on a short pre-ride to make sure everyone was feeling fine and vetted in with no issues.











Friday morning was actually fairly chilly, with temps in the upper 30s when we started. The humidity was fairly low, a nice treat for a Florida morning. The sun was shining and the trails were welcoming with mostly firm sand and some limestone road.











Bunny was going out in a different bit - a baucher - and I was thrilled to find she was much easier to rate and tossed her head much less (she had done great training in it, but of course a ride is a whole difference atmosphere). She was not impressed with the 8ish mph pace I was asking her for though, as she felt faster would have been better!










The Tidewater trail system is my favorite of the places I have ridden in Florida, and this year did not disappoint. And I am happy to report we did not encounter any wildlife at all! 










Cowbboy and Bunny took turns leading, which was nice to be able to let her relax in behind an experienced horse. We even cantered in a couple places, which was a first for us in competition.










We did still have some issues with the saddle and her sides though, which was frustrating. She kept on trucking anyway and I rode the last loop with a super loose girth to make her as comfortable as possible.





























In the end, we kept the pace we were planning on and finished the ride with plenty of horse left. We will try the big fuzzy girth from the start next ride and see if that helps with the sensitivity.

























to be continued..


----------



## phantomhorse13

part 2:

Saturday morning wasn't nearly as chilly and we got Kathy and Cowbboy off on the 50 without incident. Fluffy wasn't very impressed about being left behind to start with, but she soon decided that Flo (who is a new addition to the herd) was better than nobody in terms of having a friend. 











Soon enough it was our turn to start. Flo was pretty cranked up to begin with, which we expected as her previous owner raced her. We made a point to stay far away from the start and did our best to walk out of camp. Flo was less than impressed with the slow pace, especially when a handful of people passed us, but she didn't do anything naughty.










Flo was actually more settled being in the lead, so after a short bit of following Fluffy, that is where we stayed. She was still somewhat looky, but nothing extreme.



















Flo was fantastic at the hold, easily pulsing down even with her tack on, and then happily eating everything in sight. While Fluffy also passed the vetting with no issues, Lani felt she was not quite herself, so rider optioned. That meant Flo and I were going out to do the last loop alone!










I wasn't sure what to expect, as I didn't think Flo had ever gone out alone before. She was a bit hesitant leaving camp and did call out a few times, but she soon settled into things. I was pleased that she wasn't any more spooky being alone than when Fluffy was along.

































With mother nature providing some cooling in the form of rain showers, we had no issue pulsing down as soon as I had her tack off at the finish. I couldn't be more pleased with how she handled herself all day!!










Fantastic weekend!


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## phantomhorse13

On Sunday, Kathy shod a couple of the horses while Lani went and did some vet work for a nearby farm. We grabbed a quick bite for lunch, then they were on the road home. 

I took Duroc out for his walk once they were on the road. He was a bit sticky going out, but better than the previous ride. He was all about marching for home though. :wink:










2.61 miles, 21 feet of climb, 3.1 mph average pace, 82F real feel

Monday, I spent the day on Clearwater beach! It was so nice to be able to just sit still and relax and soak up some sun.

Tuesday, I was back in the saddle. I started out with Duroc's walk. This time I went the opposite way at the fork and for whatever reason, he was much less sticky about going out that way.



















2.82 miles, 49 feet of climb, 3.3 mph average pace, 76F real feel

Next up was Flo. She didn't need a big workout, but just wanted to continue to work on her bravery and our getting to know one another. She was much faster to relax into the mellow pace.


__
Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18
Show Content



















3.46 miles, 40 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 76F real feel

Last up was Brimstone. He did really well until a pig jumped out of the bushes, at which point he spun around and bolted. It's amazing to think such a giant horse is afraid of a pig! Luckily I got him under control within a few strides. He was not happy about turning around and going back, but he did it.



















5.84 miles, 27 feet of climb, 5.7 mph average pace, 77F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Thursday, I was back home and got George out. I apparently brought the warm weather home with me, as we have had record high temps since I returned!

I tried to keep the climbing and speed to a minimum, as George still has a heavy winter coat. He was a little bit silly until partway up the first climb, then he decided it was just too hot for any more. :wink:




























11.01 miles, 1846 feet of climb, 5.3 mph average pace, 67F real feel


I had hoped to get Sultan out yesterday, but unfortunately spent the day nursing my dog Mia through a medical crisis. I believe she had some sort of transient ischemic event (aka a small stroke), but thank goodness she has recovered to about 95% of normal. Super scary day though.


----------



## phantomhorse13

Today, I went and rode a friend's mare at Blue Marsh Lake. Moxie has only been under saddle about a year, after having been untouched for the first 7 years of her life. I was super flattered to be asked to ride her.

I haven't ridden at Blue Marsh in probably 5 years, but other than the lake level being very low, the trails were the same. Moxie and I started off leading and she was a lot of fun. It was outright hot today, with temps in the mid-70s and full sun. I don't think I have ever sponged a horse during a training ride in February before!!





































13.57 miles, 1389 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 75F real feel


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## Change

I couldn't like the post about Mia possibly suffering a small stroke! Scary! Having one dog with seizures, I know how worrisome it is when they don't come back to themselves for awhile. Hope she's doing much better.

And, as always, super jealous of all the saddle time you get.


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## Zexious

^Second all of the above!

phantomhorse, I so love following your adventures :')
Moxie is a lovely looking mare, who sounds very much like she's coming along nicely for just a year under saddle!

Keep the updates coming


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## phantomhorse13

PHP:







Change said:


> I couldn't like the post about Mia possibly suffering a small stroke! Scary! Having one dog with seizures, I know how worrisome it is when they don't come back to themselves for awhile. Hope she's doing much better.


Mia is doing much better!! I am of course still uber paranoid, but she seems back to normal (thank goodness).


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## carshon

I loved the videos. I feel sorry for Bunny as her trail partners lopes along she gets to trot.

Can you please describe your "watch" cue? Is it just kind of a "heads up" warner to your horse?


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## PoptartShop

Love love love all the adventures. So beautiful the photos are, as always! :smile: I love it!
I am living vicariously through you. :lol: 
That is scary about Mia, I am glad she is doing better though. Whew. That is scary.


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## phantomhorse13

carshon said:


> Can you please describe your "watch" cue? Is it just kind of a "heads up" warner to your horse?


That is my verbal cue to pay attention, generally to the footing. That might mean roots, a puddle, mud, something I have to duck, etc. It's basically a verbal half halt, since I tend to ride with little contact.

With Flo, I have also started working on a "see it" cue. She is so insecure that she will look at just about anything different (sticks on trail, a fallen log on the edge, even dead leaves on bushes!). I found that if _I_ draw her attention to the scary thing before she notices it herself, it seemed to signal to her that she doesn't need to worry, as I am already aware of it. I can only imagine how silly I sound to others as we go down the trail and I am using that cue every 15 seconds (and I was doing that during the ride in some places).. but if it works, I don't care how silly I sound!


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## phantomhorse13

I got both boys out on Saturday. The weather was warm to start, but storms were forecast for the afternoon, so I kept a close eye on the sky all day in case they came in earlier than predicted.

Sultan and I went and did the yellow gate trail.



















11.95 miles, 1563 feet of climb, 6.3 mph average pace, 63F real feel

After finishing with Sultan, I checked the radar and was happy to see the main line of storms was still a distance away, though some random smaller ones were popping up randomly. I decided to go over and do the Big Square with George, as that was open enough to let me keep a good eye out for a pop-up storm.



















And indeed, as I was finishing up, the sky got dark. I was in sight of the house when the thunder started.










10.66 miles, 1012 feet of climb, 6.3 mph average pace, 66F real feel

By the time I was done untacking George, the first storm was upon us. It was an ugly one too, with really heavy rain and even hail. The rain was actually starting to slow and I had just turned George out when my phone suddenly alerted: the NWS issued us a tornado WARNING!! :eek_color:

DH and I ran outside to look. Thank goodness the cell in question had already passed us by, as a F2 tornado _did_ actually touch down about 20 miles north of us!! 










It stormed like mad for the next couple hours. We got multiple rounds of storms which gave us just under 2 inches of rain and several sets of hail. Thank goodness all the trees stayed upright and we are on high ground so didn't have to worry about flash flooding. Super scary.


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I needed to get both boys out for their long work in prep for the first competition of our season, as I head back to Florida tomorrow! Momma nature was in a pretty reasonable mood for the end of February and the chance of showers possible for today never materialized.

I started with George. We did the yellow gate trail to the Tomhicken road trail to the s-turn to the space needle, then went up the Sugarloaf on the way home for good measure. George was a spooky idiot the entire time, simply because it amused him. He was just as silly at the end of the ride as he was at the start! :icon_rolleyes:




























20.26 miles, 2379 feet of climb, 6.5 mph average pace, 39F real feel


Next up was Sultan. I needed to mail a letter, so we started off sneaking down the hill into town to go past the post office. Sultan was happy to pose for a couple pictures with some people who were coming out of the post office. :lol: From there, we went up through the monastery to get us back to the main farm, and then did the big space needle loop and came home via the Sugarloaf.

I don't know if the people fussing over Sultan at the post office soothed his ego or what, but he was _fantastic_ for the entire ride. Sure was a nice change after George's shenanigans!




























20.03 miles, 2384 feet of climb, 6.9 mph average pace, 42F real feel


----------



## Change

Isn't it something that I'm beginning to be able to tell George and Sultan apart by their ears? ;-)


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## phantomhorse13

Change said:


> Isn't it something that I'm beginning to be able to tell George and Sultan apart by their ears? ;-)


Very flattering statement (or else a comment on the number of pics I take :wink, but its much easier to look at the color of the tack than the actual ears to tell them apart. :rofl:


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## Change

Sultan has a lot more color on his poll and ears; George's grey is more white than tannish flea-bite. And since most of the pictures are between the ears, it's sometimes difficult to see the tack! LOL! In truth? I didn't even notice the different color headstalls until you mentioned it. ;-)

So - since no one answered the question in Over 40s. Is it okay to bring non-competing horses to Yellowhammer just to trail ride? I'm more than willing to slave when needed, but would love to get some trail-riding in, as well.


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## phantomhorse13

Change said:


> So - since no one answered the question in Over 40s. Is it okay to bring non-competing horses to Yellowhammer just to trail ride? I'm more than willing to slave when needed, but would love to get some trail-riding in, as well.


Sorry, I am just getting a chance to sit down at the computer today, so hadn't seen the question.

And I don't know the answer. I have never been to that ride before, so don't know if the camp is at a public facility or a private farm. Your best bet would be to contact the ride manager and ask.


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## phantomhorse13

I was back in Florida for the Fun in the Sun, aka FITS, ride this past weekend. Kathy and I flew down late Tuesday after a brief delay and arrived at the farm in time to go to sleep. The next morning, we were up and off to ride camp first thing to get a crew spot picked out. We learned the hard way last year that spots fill up super fast.. and indeed, there was very little space close to the vetting even that morning, despite only a handful of trailers being there! All of the close spots were already taken by the various FEI groups, as having the FEI parking closest to the vetting area wasn't enough. [FEI riders must all camp together, generally meaning they are up close and the AERC riders get the far away spaces. If you notice in the pic below the trailer in the distance behind the red food trailer, that was the closest AERC spot.. all the rest of the space from there forward was reserved for FEI riders only.]











FEI is the international version of the sport and it has its own rules and regulations in addition to the ones in place by AERC. Normally, I do my best to avoid anything related to FEI, but Kathy had talked me into trying again this year. [Last year, I had an issue with a specific vet who took a dislike to Fluffy's size and went out of her way to make our lives miserable all day. Even though they aren't supposed to use the FEI rules on people riding 'just' AERC, they generally do.] We intentionally did not bring any of the heavy horses this year because we knew that vet would be back.

FEI in general, and this ride especially as it's run by a Big Name Person, has way too much pomp and bluster for me. They take themselves very seriously and generally seem to expect special treatment and can act very entitled. For example, this was the vetting area:










While the horses ignored the silly potted flowers along the trot lanes, let me tell you how much they loved trotting towards the flapping advertising banners on the fence at the far side of the arena! :icon_rolleyes:

After vetting, we got the horses out for a brief leg stretch. Camp was slowing filling, but many haul in just for the day since they live so close.











Dinner was, to me, the perfect example of why I try to avoid all things FEI. We went down and got a couple spots at an empty table towards the back and didn't think twice of leaving the chairs (which were our camp chairs, not the folding chairs provided by the ride) and our water bottles at the table as we got in line for food. About 2/3 of the way through the line, I watch in amazement as a group of FEI minions associated with the Big Name individual sit down at our table. When there wasn't enough room for all of them in the open space, they simply shoved our chairs out of the way and sat down at the table, pushing the water bottles to the center of the table. :evil:

I managed to control my temper - barely - after we got our food and made our way back to get our chairs, as I knew I was riding for Kathy and didn't want my behavior to reflect upon her. I couldn't resist a very large, elbow flapping retrieval of our drinks along with a loud comment of, "WELL, I guess we WON'T be using this table. I'm surprised you didn't sit in my chair, too" as I did so. I was pointedly ignored. [Had I been there on my own, I would have shoved my way back into the table and sat down anyway, simply on principle.] 

The ride meeting held no surprises (unlike last year where they changed not only the distance of the entire ride, but changed the vet checks from in camp to a place 20 minutes away!), but it had lots of commercials for FEI-related things and the various products that Big Name uses and is paid to endorse. After nearly an hour of babble, we finally got the info we needed and were able to get the horses settled for the night and prepare for bed.

Kathy was doling out the final wet alfalfa mush of the night when Bunny lost her mind. I was inside the van prepping our breakfast and didn't hear a thing, but suddenly the van was rocking wildly. I ran to the door and looked out to see Bunny at the very end of the hi tie line, rearing and striking at the rope! She looked like a wild horse in a bad western movie, fighting like a bronc. I finally got my wits about me to call her name, and she dropped to all fours and stood shaking head to toe.

We checked her over thoroughly and could find nothing wrong. Kathy had been dumping the cubes out of the bag about 10 feet away when it started, but she had been fed from the same bag in the same place multiple times already that day, so we couldn't figure out why it would have been upsetting that time. I stood with her a while and she eventually calmed down and went back to eating. Luckily, the incident did not repeat itself, though I certainly did not sleep very well that night.

The next morning was overcast and very humid. There was a chance of showers in the morning but it was expected to clear by afternoon. The air was heavy as we tacked up, but Bunny and Cowbboy were soon ready.











We were one of the few open (non-FEI) riders of the 26 starters in the 50, so we were happy to hold back and let the mob gallop out of camp. The first several miles of trail were along the side of paved roads, so we definitely wanted the horses paying attention to us not the pack. I was very happy to finally reach the real trails, as Bunny was very unsettled, fighting the bit and not wanting to rate. She calmed down some once we got off the road.



















The first loop was a 22 mile lollipop, which took us on some familiar trails that were used in other rides. The footing was lovely and we got a nice variety of sandy trail, grassy paths, and limestone road.










It started spitting rain as we got back to camp. The horses vetted through without issue and we went back to the van for the hold. I had used a big, fuzzy girth on Bunny which seemed to help with the sensitivity in her sides. In no time at all, we were back on trail for the second 18 mile loop.

This loop again was a lollipop that had the start and end along pavement. The horses started out happily enough.










We had to go past the Black Prong facility, which was hosting a big driving competition all weekend. Cowbboy was less than impressed at the sight of the carriages and Bunny figured if he thought it was bad, it must be. Yet again, I was very happy to get onto the real trails.










This loop had some brand new trail that had recently been reclaimed. The drought in Florida meant that areas which are normally swamps have receded, making trails passable that normally wouldn't be. This was my favorite loop of the day. Bunny seemed to have settled down and happily took turns leading.










In no time, we were back on the edge of the road for the couple miles back to camp.

As we were jogging along, Bunny suddenly spooked violently, dropping her shoulder and spinning. I managed to stay on top for the first one, but when she did it a second time a stride later, I went flying. I somehow got my left arm tangled in the reins in the process of dive rolling from her, so was briefly dragged until the reins slide down my arm and my garmin broke off my wrist. Unlike my previous falls, this time Bunny did not stick around and instead headed across the road and up the other shoulder. :shock: Thank goodness there was no traffic (the speed limit on that road is 55mph) and Kathy was able to catch her before she went too far.

I got myself together and got back on. We got back into camp without further issue, though I was hurting pretty good and Bunny was quite out of sorts. She vetted through without incident, but was very agitated on the hi tie, pacing and not wanting to eat. Cowbboy was his normal calm self, so whatever the issue was, it did not seem to be external. I wound up hand walking Bunny and hand feeding her throughout the whole hold. She did eat that way, but she was certainly not herself. When I tacked back up, I was not surprised to find both her sides very sensitive as it was obvious she was an anxious mess. :sad:


to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

We headed out for the final 10 mile loop and the sun was trying to peek out. I hadn't checked the radar with all that went on during the hold, so it was a nasty shock when dark clouds rolled in and the heavens opened. We were soon thoroughly soaked.



















I was so happy to get that loop done and return to camp. Bunny was still unsettled but moved along fine on trail despite her sides. She was pulsed down by the time I pulled her tack and vetted through with all As. We finished 8th & 9th. She was happy to have her rain sheet put on and dove into her mush with vigor when we got back to the van.

















After a bit, we took Bunny back to the farm and brought Flo over to camp. She vetted in without issue, but we waited in line a long time to register so it was time for ride meeting by the time we finished. The meeting - which had no dinner - was another series of commercials to start, but eventually we got the information we needed and were able to settle the horses and get to bed.

Friday morning was gloriously chilly (38F) and there was barely a cloud in the sky.










Cowbboy and Flo ate their breakfast with vigor and it was soon time to tack up. Flo was on her toes and kept a constant eye on me, as if I was going to start without her!










We again waited to start after the main pack left, though only 12 started the 50 (many were doing the 100, which had started earlier). We were doing the same trails as yesterday, so the loops were familiar and rode just as nicely.



















Flo led the entire first loop, except for the few times the 100 milers came cantering at us head-on (which I don't think the poor mare had ever experienced before). Both horses vetted through the first check easily and chowed down during the hold. It was still chilly by Florida standards (mid 50s with a strong breeze), but I was loving it.











to be continued:


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## phantomhorse13

part 3:

Flo was less enthused heading out on the second loop, and actually settled down behind Cowbboy at times instead of constantly tossing her head and trying to pass him. We had been worried the trail would have been torn up after all the use yesterday, but the footing was just as nice as the previous day.





































We got into the final hold at the same time as a lot of the 100s, so there was a bit of jostling for position in the vetting area. Typical of my experience with co-sanctioned rides, the FEI riders were allowed to move ahead of the open riders. Much as that irked me, I knew there was no point in complaining. The horses vetted through easily once they got to see a vet and ate and drank well during the hold.










It was amazing how nice the last 10 miles was in the sunshine! It was like riding an entirely different loop than the day before, as the rain had actually improved the footing. Flo was less than impressed about having to go back out, but she was not going to let Cowbboy get away.










There was a random cameraman at one of the water stops, filming for some sort of USEF video production. Kathy and I had a good laugh after we rode on over how interested he was in how long our horses drank - made us wonder how many of the others bothered to stop at all!










In the end, both horses finished strong in 7th & 8th places. Flo handled the ride - which was only her second 50 ever - really well, especially considering the chaos around her at times.


























Overall, the whole ride was a mixed bag. Flo did super and we are really pleased with her. Bunny, however, is obviously not happy. She is getting worse instead of better with each ride, which I discussed at length with Lani after the ride. Because we don't like where things are heading, Lani has decided Bunny is going to go home and get turned out and just be a horse for a while. While that is certainly the best thing possible for Bunny, it's a bummer for me because it means I will not be going to the Yellowhammer ride after all. :sad:


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## gottatrot

Great videos and pics as usual.
Very interesting to hear about how it went having the FEI involved with the ride. I've heard that some rides have a dress code, which seems ridiculous to me. I had to look up the ride and see which VIP was there. :smile:

Did your Garmin survive? I wonder what is going on with Bunny. Do you think her saddle fit could be improved? I've had more trouble with girths when the saddles didn't fit perfectly, but also it is so tricky finding one that will work regardless sometimes. For Amore I can only use the super flat natural mohair girths or else she rubs. I've heard other people can only use other types for their horse.


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## phantomhorse13

gottatrot said:


> Great videos and pics as usual.
> Very interesting to hear about how it went having the FEI involved with the ride. I've heard that some rides have a dress code, which seems ridiculous to me. I had to look up the ride and see which VIP was there. :smile:
> 
> Did your Garmin survive? I wonder what is going on with Bunny. Do you think her saddle fit could be improved? I've had more trouble with girths when the saddles didn't fit perfectly, but also it is so tricky finding one that will work regardless sometimes. For Amore I can only use the super flat natural mohair girths or else she rubs. I've heard other people can only use other types for their horse.


FEI has a dress code, most obvious being a requirement of a collared shirt. I get plenty warm enough when riding, so the last thing I want is something else around my neck! Last year, I had the problem vet make a crack about my "inappropriate dress" but nobody said anything this year. I do suspect my lack of collared shirt will mean the water stop footage won't be used, as USEF would never want someone to think they support the wearing of a v-neck shirt. :wink:

As for the side sensitivity, it seems to be purely anxiety-related. We have tried different saddles (with both normal rigging, center fire rigging, and short billets), different pads, and multiple different girths (leather, neoprene, mohair, some sort of waffle synthetic, wool fleece). We even tried having the girth at various levels of tightness and it made no difference. None made any sort of rub or left any sort of swelling on her sides (and with her coat being clipped, no way to hide any change). Her _back_ has never been sore, including in the days after the ride and she's always had even sweat marks. About 30 minutes after the ride is over, her sides are totally back to normal and they stay that way. 

My garmin and helmetcam were both fine, though the garmin did break the spring pins attaching it to the wristband. My upper arm is sporting an impressive bruise and I got quite the lecture from my chiropractor yesterday. Got very lucky!


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## phantomhorse13

On Saturday, I got Brimstone out for some exercise while Kathy shod a couple horses. He needed a good workout as it will be the last time he is ridden before Lani goes down for the Yellowhammer ride. It was a ton of fun to let Brim move out and we had a blast. I went out and did the new-to-us loop that Kathy and I found a couple trips ago.



















9.81 miles, 65 feet of climb, 8.0 mph average pace, 65F real feel

Awards for the ride was just before lunch. I went over while Kathy finished up some packing at the farm. As always, we got product from the various companies that the Big Name Person endorses. That doesn't sound too bad as a prize, until you realize that means we got a "weight-gain" product without a complete label (no ingredient list, only the cutesy product name) and someone had actually blacked out with a marker the ingredients and dosing information on the other!! Needless to say, we won't be feeding either of those. :icon_rolleyes:

We stopped at a consignment tack store in Ocala on the way to the airport and I found a pair of brand-new looking Irideon tights, with red accents, for $25! Hope they ride as nicely as they seemed to fit in the store. The flight home was uneventful and I crashed at Kathy's overnight before heading home Sunday.

On Monday, I got back on Phin!! He finished his doxy last week and seems to be acting normally again. I had hoped to get him out with some company, but Gina had something come up so I took him out alone.

Phin isn't shod, so I had planned to stick to the fields for an easy workout. Phin had other ideas as he was so excited to be out, he was about beside himself. While he would walk, he simply couldn't contain himself to a trot if I asked for the jog and instead wanted to canter. If I asked him to slow, he just cantered slower - at one point I think he was cantering at just 6mph!










After some acrobatics around the fields, I finally gave up and walked him up the bottom side of the Sugarloaf. He certainly didn't act like his feet were bothering him, but the hill work gave him back enough of his brain that we were able to head for home at a somewhat controlled pace.










We spent time schooling circles and spirals and lateral movements in each field as we worked our way home, so we did more mileage than I had intended. But by the end, he had settled down enough for me to feel confident he was sound. Fingers crossed he stays that way! The farrier comes next week and he will be re-shod so the real conditioning can begin.

9.05 miles, 821 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 39F real feel


DH wound up being able to sneak away from work a bit early, so we also got Sultan and George out for a spin that afternoon. We went up the Sugarloaf a couple times, then over to the lower Tomhicken logging road and then home.










The initial climb went without incident. As we were coming around the back side of the Sugarloaf, we couldn't mistake the roar of a nearby helicopter. It was too early for anybody to be crop spraying, but we soon figured out the cause:










They were checking the small power line! Thank goodness the boys are used to the crop-spraying helicopter swooping right beside their pasture, because they only watched the action with interest. We wound up following for almost a mile, as we rode along the rode beside that power line.










After the main ride, DH went back to work and I hopped on George to do the bareback cooldown. I decided to pony Sultan to review with him that he really could be ponied. Normally I ride him and pony George, as otherwise Sultan tends to be sulky and hang on the line and George tends to be extra spooky because it amuses him. That ride was no different, as the dogs made for a great excuse to spook every time they appeared from the bushes (despite being belled, so we all knew exactly where they were!). Gotta love an ayrab sense of humor!! :wink:










[I obviously bumped something on the phone to make the colors so weird.. but neat pic even if somewhat unnatural looking.]

12.8 miles, 2474 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 44F real feel


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## PoptartShop

Gorgeous trails.  
Bareback sounds like fun. The helicopter photo looks really cool, lovelovelove the ears!!! <3


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## AnitaAnne

phantomhorse13 said:


> Sorry, I am just getting a chance to sit down at the computer today, so hadn't seen the question.
> 
> And I don't know the answer. I have never been to that ride before, so don't know if the camp is at a public facility or a private farm. Your best bet would be to contact the ride manager and ask.


The camp is at Warden Station in the Talladega Forrest, so no not a private campground.


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## carshon

@PhantomHorse I really enjoy your posts. I cannot imagine riding 50 miles multiple days in a row and still smiling!


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## AnitaAnne

@phantomhorse13 what an exciting time you had! Dealing with FEI sounds like a real PIA, then getting tossed by Bunny; ouch! Those random spooks are concerning. Chivas has tossed me that way before and it can be a hard landing. Glad to hear you are mostly ok. 

Very disappointed to hear you won't be coming to the YellowHammer this year. What about bringing Flo? She seems to be coming along well. 

They are all very beautiful horses!


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> Very disappointed to hear you won't be coming to the YellowHammer this year. What about bringing Flo? She seems to be coming along well.


Flo will be there, but Lani plans to ride her in an LD, as well as Brimstone in another LD. It doesn't make any sense to fly us both to Florida and then drive all the way to Alabama (like 10ish hours) for us each to ride a single LD and then drive all the way back to VA. 

If Kathy decides to go to Sand Hills in April, I may get asked to ride Flo there. Though also possible that Lani may want to ride her if Yellowhammer goes well. I have known all along that my goal with the kids is to train myself out of rides. Apparently that is working!!


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## phantomhorse13

OldEnduranceRider said:


> I did endurance from 1987 to 2001, only had 2 horses, and my husband wasn't into it. I see you've done Tevis, your pic, what year did you do it? My claim to fame, I did Tevis in 1998, then again in 2000.


 @*OldEnduranceRider* : I thought I had replied to this long ago, but guess my phone ate the post somewhere along the way - sorry!

You are super brave to tackle Tevis twice. I was out there in 2015 and once was _more_ than enough for me. There are some other rides out there I would love to try, though (like Big Horn or Virginia City).


Are you the same person who just posted to ridecamp asking about beta vs biothane and s-hack options? Guessing so, as your choice of username is pretty original.


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## phantomhorse13

Momma nature needs to go back on her meds!!

Yesterday, I wanted to get Phin out for a ride. I knew it was windy, but I underestimated just HOW windy.. we didn't even make it off Alimar. The screaming and creaking of the trees was scaring _me_, so I couldn't blame Phin for being very unsettled. So, we practiced walking (versus jigging or outright bolting for home) and stopping to graze despite being nervous about the hurricane-like winds around us.



















Upon checking our weather station when I got back (which I obviously should have done first!), it was reading sustained winds at 33mph with the gusts to 56!! :eek_color:

1.46 miles, 144 feet of climb, 2.9 mph average pace, 54F real feel


Overnight, it went from spring back to winter, as a storm that dumped 5 or so inches of snow rolled through. It finally stopped just before lunch, so I figured I better get the boys out, as tomorrow is supposed to have a real feel in the negatives all day with only minor improvement Sunday!

The sun was shining and there was only a light breeze when I left the barn with Sultan. I planned to climb the Sugarloaf and this side of the Tomhicken, knowing the ground under the snow would be best there. It didn't get below freezing until the snow started, so I expected the bare ground under the snow to be a mess.



















The weatherman warned of snow squalls off and on all afternoon, and indeed we got caught in one on the way home:






That squall got so ugly that I was riding in white out conditions across Alimar - luckily I was able to just make out the corn stubble to be able to stay on track home!!

10.18 miles, 1630 feet of climb, 5.8 mph average pace, 22F real feel


Next up was George. While the squall had passed, the clouds remained and threatened another one at just about any moment. The wind also started picking up, which was fairly miserable.



















By the time we got back, the wind was raging. I briefly debated doing my normal bareback cooldown, but when it started snowing sideways, that quickly made up my mind! 

10.41 miles, 1909 feet of climb, 5.7 mph average pace, 14F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I went over to a friend's and got to ride her Peruvian Paso, Hombre. First time on that type of gaited horse for me!




























Riding a gaited horse was certainly different from my arabs. Hombre was very comfortable, but I didn't know what to do with myself not having to post! :wink:

8.73 miles, 406 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 24F real feel


And then today, this happened:










*TWO FEET* of snow!!! :eek_color: :sad:  :dance-smiley05: 















This is the driveway mid-afternoon, after having been plowed twice:

































Winds are now raging and supposed to be that way for days.. who wanted to ride anyway?!


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## Blue

Wow! Feel so bad for you all back there! We went to the Nascar race this weekend and got a sunburn! 

Gaited horses are tons of fun, but you gotta get a good one! Hang in there!


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## PoptartShop

Woah, you got way more snow than we did! LOL we only got a few inches. More ice than snow though. :lol:
Great photos & videos though.  I'm glad you got some good rides in despite the snow, & Mia looks like she is having a blast!


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## gottatrot

The Peruvian Paso I used to ride would feel like he was expending all kinds of energy, but we were not going very fast! Only as fast as a trot. I guess their gaits are more efficient than they feel, but are comfortable for sure. Hombre is very cute. My cousin's Paso was named Tory and was the same color.


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## tim62988

if you want to just throw Hombre on your trailer if you and your DH ride in NY at all this year let me know... i'll gladly lighten your load for the return trip :-D 

heck i'll even trade your friend my wife's arab-cross  

no clue how your mind remembers how to dress in the morning with your bounces between states and bounces between seasons in the northeast we have had


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## AnitaAnne

Hombre is adorable and Mia is grateful a path was shoved for her! 

As for all that snow! In March?? Holy Moly. How long will it take to dig everyone out, lol


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> How long will it take to dig everyone out


That may wind up being a big issue. While it's annoying that I haven't been able to ride Phin because of the weather, the snow may ruin the plans for our first ride of the season.

As of right now, we cannot get the big trailer out of the garage, because the plow piles from the driveway are in the area needed to turn the trailer. In the normal progression, we would get the trailer out this weekend as the ride is next weekend. Well at this rate, we may not be able to get the trailer out before the ride, period!!

And that is without the additional snow that is predicted this weekend and maybe early next week. It really is insane. While the sun is at least out today, the real feel is still in the low single digits. I am yet again hiding inside except to shovel what keeps drifting closed again. So frustrating.


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## Change

And this is precisely why I live south of the Mason-Dixon!


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## phantomhorse13

Today, momma nature was in a slightly better mood with only 8mph winds instead of 20+. The snow hadn't magically disappeared overnight (though I had sure hoped!), but I tacked up Phin and figured plodding around was better than nothing at all. And if he was silly, surely the deep snow would help him find his brain, right?

Phin started out somewhat hesitantly, as if he couldn't believe I was serious about leave the barn. He eyeballed everything, because I guess snow hides monsters. :icon_rolleyes: The snow was as deep as I feared it would be (knee deep in most places, up to belly deep in others!): 















The high winds had left a lot of designs in the snow. I thought they were amazing and Phin thought they were highly suspicious and needed to be watched closely. :wink: I had hoped to get across the road, but the plow piles were giant, so I figured it was safer to just stay in the fields we could easily access.




















We went down to the outdoor on the way home. I had hoped for less deep footing, but no such luck. Those lumps in the snow are my ******* jumps, which are between 2' and 2'6" high!!










Knowing the ground underneath was good, I let Phin blow off a bit of energy. I had thought the deep going would help settle him down, but he wasn't phased in the slightest.






4.12 miles, 326 feet of climb, 2.8 mph average pace, 26F real feel


DH got home from work a bit early and we took the older boys out so DH could make sure all was good with the new stirrup leathers (didn't want to wait until the competition to try them out and find out there were issues). We just wandered around Alimar.

This is along the edge of the outdoor arena:










Notice the snow is up over Sultan's knee!









The top of one of the hayfields:









The lower woods path, with deer tracks on the left and Phin's on the right:









The field right beside the driveway - George was glad I didn't make him wade through that!!









2.95 miles, 230 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 30F real feel


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## cbar

Good for you on getting out and riding!! I would never be able to ride in those conditions....you are my role model!! Haha. I despise the wind and find it hard to get motivated when it is breezy out there.


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## OldEnduranceRider

phantomhorse13 said:


> @*OldEnduranceRider* : I thought I had replied to this long ago, but guess my phone ate the post somewhere along the way - sorry!
> 
> You are super brave to tackle Tevis twice. I was out there in 2015 and once was _more_ than enough for me. There are some other rides out there I would love to try, though (like Big Horn or Virginia City).
> 
> 
> Are you the same person who just posted to ridecamp asking about beta vs biothane and s-hack options? Guessing so, as your choice of username is pretty original.


Ha!! Yes, that was me on Ridecamp! I just got my Zilco S Hackamore, and Zilco Trail Bridle day before yesterday. Both were on sale, so I'm doubly happy! Aww, if you've conditioned correctly, horse and yourself, Tevis is not too bad. The first time I did it, I was so amped up, it carried me through the entire ride, also, I was more than prepared. I'd studied that trail every which way I could. Where I lived, at the time, was a GREAT place to condition for Tevis, never had to trailer anywhere. I deliberately, tackled all the toughest trails there, it prepared us to a tee!


You take care, love your posts!


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## phantomhorse13

OldEnduranceRider said:


> Tevis is not too bad.


I am terrified of heights. No way to condition myself out of that!! :rofl:

The actual TRAIL I found to be a lot of fun. It just needed to not be on the sides of cliffs. And not to be riding with 200 other riders, many of whom had no control over their horses and/or no trail etiquette at all.


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I got Phin out. The sun was shining and the snow is starting to melt (though not nearly fast enough for me!!) and there wasn't even much wind. The temp was 10 degrees below normal for this time of year, but it felt wonderful all the same.

Phin was feeling very full of himself, so I decided since the snow was plenty deep to keep the rocks from bothering him (he is still barefoot), we were going to walk up the Sugarloaf and see if we could find his brain. I had hoped the knee deep snow plus the climb would do the trick..

It didn't even make him breathe hard!! So, we went down the backside and I was pleased to find less snow.. so we cantered back up. That made him sweat just the smallest amount (as you can see behind his ears here), but didn't curb his enthusiasm one bit.










So, we practiced walking down the hills and then moved out when we could on the uphills.





































At no point was he not overly enthusiastic, but I started making him have to think on the way home (where we had no choice but to go back through flat fields). We practiced walk to canter to walk transitions, walking then trotting a specific number of strides, halting and *gasp* standing, and sidepassing, etc. He was pretty thoroughly disgusted, but he did it!

8.48 miles, 1444 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 36F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I finally got Gina out for a ride - she hasn't ridden in months! We weren't sure how Amish and Giselle were going to behave, but we figured the deep snow would keep them from being but so silly since they are out of shape. The snow was a bit mushy as things are starting to melt, but the footing wasn't too bad.





























When I got home, I went out to pick out under the overhang and got accosted by the herd, who were convinced it _surely_ must be dinner time. I don't think I have ever managed to get Phin (dark nose) and Dream (white snip) in a selfie before.










Amazing how starvation ups the cuteness factor! :rofl:

The farrier comes tomorrow, so Phin will be shod and then we can really get back to work.


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## PoptartShop

Ahhh cuteness overload.   Love the pictures!!!


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## phantomhorse13

Today the farrier came and now all the boys have shoes and are good to go! The sun was shining and the wind wasn't too bad, so I took Phin out for a real ride. I am kicking myself for not thinking to put on my GoPro.

I decided I to go up the Sugarloaf, over to the Tomhicken, and then to the Space Needle. All of the road up to the Space Needle is nice gravel road, so I didn't need to worry about what was under the melting snow. And Phin and I both needed a good run!

Phin was really good right from the start. He eyeballed the plow piles of snow everywhere (he is so aware of the slightest change), but he went right past the guys tearing out the deck of a house beside the private road we use. We walked up the Sugarloaf, as the snow was still almost knee-deep on the north side's climb.




















We also walked the Tomhicken climb, as the snow was still really deep (not unusual as it's also the north side).











Phin was very suspicious of the plow piles as we went down the street through Prospect Park. He also thought the one driveway with the missing mailbox (guess it got hit by the plow, oops) was very suspect. How does one shy at something that isn't actually there?! :lol: You can sure tell he grew up feral by how well he remembers his environment.

I was floored that nobody had been on the Space Needle road with ATVS.. so we had a mile of gorgeous unmarked road all for us!! Phin was more than happy to move out - I think this was the first time I had him all out. [Sorry for the shaking; sure wish I had taken the helmet cam.]






That is the Sugarloaf in the distance:










Phin was up but rateable for the trip home, which I was pleased about. I couldn't resist letting him canter as much as he wanted on the Space Needle road.







On the way home, we found a Very Scary Thing while crossing the farm. Here is a pic of it:











Anybody want to guess what the thing is?? 

Not any of the farm equipment.. or the running uhaul.. or even the snow pusher peeking out on the right. 

Nope, the Very Scary Thing was the _tire tracks_ that cut the edge of the plow pile on the left. :rofl: I have no idea why Phin thought that was so bad, but it took me a minute to convince him to go by as I was laughing too hard to steer!

11.72 miles, 1545 feet of climb, 4.5 mph average pace, 48F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

This weekend, DH and I headed down to Jersey for our first ride of the season. In preparation, I clipped both Sultan and George. Of course that prompted the temperatures to plummet and the wind to rage. And it's supposed to be spring!










George obviously loved his clip. :lol:










The crazy weather also meant getting the big trailer out was something of a circus. DH had to shove back some plow piles with the skid loader, then used the tractor to pull the trailer out as the truck didn't have enough room to make the turn even with the pushed back piles. And the trailer couldn't park in its normal place because it was still snow-covered. But it was out, so that was the most important thing!











Freezing rain was in the forecast for Friday morning (of course it was!), so we were on the road super early to avoid it. Luckily the badness was only at home and the sun was actually out by the time we arrived at came. We were the first people there and got our favorite spot. This ride has panels available to rent, which we like to take advantage of.











The boys vetted in with no issues and we spent the day socializing with people we hadn't seen all winter. Dinner was wonderful (this ride always has the best food!) and the meeting was over in no time. The temperature actually rose overnight and the clouds had disappeared by the time we got tacked up in the morning.











Rabbit Run is in the pine barrens, so sand and pine trees are the norm. Last week's "blizzard" had actually dumped a bunch of rain on the drought-stricken area, which helped to pack down the loose sand. While there were very few puddles like normal, the footing was actually amazing.











The first loop was 20 miles and rode very nicely. We are pretty familiar with these trails, though we did get a couple miles of new stuff this year as the rains had washed out one of the cranberry bog trails. 




















The sun was still out for the first hold despite the forecast for clouds and maybe rain. The boys pulsed down easily and vetted through with no concerns. They both chowed down during the hold, which was a nice surprise as sometimes George can be too busy gawking around him to eat unless you stand and hold the bowl under his nose.











to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

The second loop was 15 miles. The sun was out full force but the boys were still feeling good.











We had heard the abandoned railroad line had been reclaimed, so I suspected the trail running along it would not be the same as it had been in years previous. That section had been one of my favorite parts, as it was almost single track and the footing was great.. well not any more. Not only was the trail widened out and fairly torn up, they had been actively burning on both sides!




















The last hold was quite hectic, as the vet was doing the LD BC judging right beside our trailer. The boys vetted through with no issues, but I had to stand and hold George's pan under his nose during the hold as he was much too interested in watching the horses trotting around to remember to eat on his own. :icon_rolleyes: They were finally done the judging about 10 minutes before our hold ended, giving the boys time for a quick nap before the last loop.











The last 15 miles was quite warm (enough I was sponging myself as well as George!) and we were careful to keep the pace reasonable. That loop was similar to the first loop, so we knew what to expect and the miles flew by.



















You could see the clouds rolling in as we started back for camp, and we were not sorry to see the end of the sun.










The predicted rain held off just long enough for us to finish the ride and get the boy's completions. 


































We tied for 12th and completed in about 6 hours and 12 minutes. I had been wanting to ride it in 6-6.5 hours, so was very pleased with how everything went. Great weekend!


[I am still waiting to get the photos from the professional photog.. will post them when he finally emails them!]


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## carshon

You amaze me - I just am not sure if I could ride that many miles in a day and be able to function afterward! Lovely post and congrats on the tie for 12th!


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## phantomhorse13

Got the professional photos!




















:loveshower: :cowboy: :loveshower:


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## gottatrot

Nice pics! Those parts along the water are just beautiful.


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## PoptartShop

Beautiful shots! I love the blue & red as well.


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## Oreos Girl

Your DH looks so serious in that picture where you have a big smile. It is always fun to watch your videos and see your pictures.


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## phantomhorse13

Oreos Girl said:


> Your DH looks so serious in that picture where you have a big smile. It is always fun to watch your videos and see your pictures.


DH rarely smiles in his pics.. it's actually a running joke (though not sure he thinks its all that funny!). I have learned to grin like an idiot when I see the photog, because otherwise I look ****ed off or constipated or something unpleasant - apparently I suffer from riding b!tch face. :rofl:


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## Blue

Lol, I was going to say something about him always looking so serious! How awesome that you two have something to enjoy together.


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, my friend Nicole hauled her horse Polo over to ride with me (she is the owner of Hombre). We had been trying for weeks and something always came up, but it finally happened!

Nicole said she wanted to do some hillwork, so we started out going up the Sugarloaf. We hadn't even gotten halfway up when she declared she wanted hill work, not mountain climbing. :lol:











After that, we headed across the farm and up the Tomhicken. The boys paced pretty well together even with Polo being gaited, though he has one amazing flat walk that I can only wish Phin would replicate.











Phin was apparently unimpressed with our playing tourist, as he stuck his tongue out at every photo stop!!











We came home past the Very Scary Pond.. and I warned Nicole that something would jump out of somewhere, no matter how empty it looked. She laughed, thinking I was kidding..











Buuuut, here is Phin spooking at the turkey that bombed out of the ditch just out of the shot! :rofl: Can't blame the poor horse for hating that place. 










11.3 miles, 1654 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 52F real feel


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## egrogan

I love the "spook in progress" picture. The turkeys here are super loud right now- the toms are all out causing trouble!


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## phantomhorse13

On Saturday, DH and I headed down to the Fair Hill facility in Maryland for a CTR/Ride and Tie event on Sunday. The original plan was DH was going to take Sultan in the 12 mile ride and tie (their first!) and I was going to drag ride the CTR with Phin, as he has never seen the many challenges of those trails before. However, a phone call from Lani as we pulled into Fair Hill changed that plan.

Lani and Kathy were also coming to do the ride and tie, and bringing another friend to partner with Dean. They were bringing 2 horses, one for them to ride (Teabiscuit) and Flo for another set of friends to use for the ride and tie. However, those friends wound up with food poisoning.. leaving Flo available for me to ride in the CTR!

After some groveling to the ride manager - who luckily happens to be a friend - it was all arranged. I would ride Flo in the CTR Sunday, but would be able to get Phin out and exposed to the trails by pre-riding the trail and checking the markings that afternoon. Woohoo!

I headed out with Phin to check trail after everyone had been vetted in and settled. Vetting for CTRs is a bit more involved that for endurance rides, as you trot circles and have 2 judges looking at the horse (one vet, one horsemanship). [I call it the dog and pony show portion.] Phin and I left a bit later than expected as the trail marking had been delayed due to a bicycle event using a lot of the same trails. The wind was _raging_ as we left camp.











Because the area had gotten almost 2 inches of rain the day before, the route stayed mostly on gravel roads.










We did go across several sections of the cross country course.










I was thrilled when Phin relaxed enough to drink even after eyeballing the broken cement suspiciously. And this was only about 3 miles in!











The covered bridge is an icon of Fair Hill:










The creek was still very high - no crossing it this ride.










All the rain meant lots of places to drink, and Phin took advantage.









We returned triumphant. Phin had faced the tunnels, bridges, and other challenges alone!














12.07 miles, 972 feet of climb, 7.2 mph average pace, 48F real feel

:clap: :loveshower:  :loveshower:  :loveshower: :clap:


to be continued..


----------



## phantomhorse13

part 2:

Sunday morning was clear but quite chilly and there was still a pretty good breeze. I introduced Flo to Steele, who was going to be her mentor for the day as Flo had never been to Fair Hill either!











CTRs do staggered starts, so we left camp with just our happy group of 3. Nicole was also riding with us on Polo.










Flo and Polo paced well, which was nice for the moments Flo needed a bit of a confidence boost. Steele brought up the rear as she is an experienced competitor and found no reason to be in a big hurry! Flo was a bit up, but she was much less fussy about settling back into the pace I asked her for.





























The 12 mile loop few by as the horses were forward and the conversation was good. Everyone vetted through with no issues. Steele came to hang out at Flo's stall during the hold and they both chowed down.











The second loop was a repeat of the first, but even though we knew the trail, we needed to keep the pace moderate. CTRs give you a window of time to finish in (in this case, 4:10-4:40 including the 20 minute hold) and if you come in before or after that window you lose points.











We finished comfortably in our window, then waited the required 20 minutes to pulse and vet. We weren't the only ones, so there was quite a line. Having to hurry up and wait is a norm for CTRs.











Flo did great for her final exam and I was pleased she was still pretty perky for her final trot out. CTRs judge not only soundness but animation of the gait, so they better they show, the least points lost.

After everyone is done, all the horses are brought back for the "hands on" exam. Because we were towards the front of the starters, we had a bit of a wait for that to happen. Flo didn't mind spending the time grazing despite the chaos around her.

















At the end of the day, Flo placed 9th out of 26 starters! I was super pleased with that result, as I am not all that into the dog and pony show aspect of things. They take points off for ANY change, so every hair out of place is noticed.











DH and Sultan completed their ride and tie with flying colors also. We aren't sure if they were first or second (out of 4 teams), as there was some confusion with the timing.

Excellent weekend!


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## frlsgirl

Congrats! That is great! It was neat to watch the video of your ride; like going on a virtual trail ride. Have you seen the Samsung phone mask that you can attach to your phone? It allows you to experience virtual reality; I wonder if they have a virtual trail ride app yet?

Gear VR (2015) Virtual Reality - SM-R322NZWAXAR | Samsung US


----------



## carshon

I just love your posts! and congrats to you and Flo and DH and Sultan


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## PoptartShop

Fair Hill is SO awesome!  I love it there! <3 It's right near where I ride at, too! 

Congrats!! That's great, I love the riding video too. I need a GoPro...might I ask what kind you have???

So glad you had such a great weekend!


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## phantomhorse13

frlsgirl said:


> Have you seen the Samsung phone mask that you can attach to your phone? It allows you to experience virtual reality; I wonder if they have a virtual trail ride app yet?


I hadn't seen that! Amazing what is so readily available now. A trail riding app would certainly be a lot of fun.

I have to wonder though, if it would make me motion sick. I get sick in omni theaters and in those silly rides where you (and 20 of your closest friends) sit on chairs on a big platform that moves a bit to simulate skiing or journeying down a river, etc. :icon_rolleyes: 




PoptartShop said:


> I need a GoPro...might I ask what kind you have???


I used a Hero2 for many, many years and just recently got a Session 5. The Session is like the lite version of the Hero, with only a single button to turn it off and on. While I did eventually learn to use the Hero2 with only moderate error, it did take a bit to figure out how hard and long to push which button and to interpret the beeping (if you pushed the mode button too long or twice by accident it would go from taking video to pics, etc). And every so often, I would think I was taking video but really it was on picture mode, etc. So far, I have not managed to mess up the Session! It's also waterproof all by itself, so I no longer have the housing rattle issue I did with the Hero2.


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## frlsgirl

I had the fancy Hero Black for exactly a year before it just stopped working - $400 down the drain. So I bought the cheapest, Go Pro I could find, I think I paid $129 and it's still going strong! I was curious about the Session, glad you like it.

And yes, virtual reality type gaming probably does cause motion sickness especially if you're not used to it.


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I got Phin out for a long ride in preparation for his first competition of the season. I started early as I knew it was supposed to get fairly warm and sunny by the afternoon. My plan was to do the big loop with as much climbing as possible: that being up the Sugarloaf to the Tomhicken, down the yellow gate trail, across and along the Tomhicken road, then up the S-turn, up to the Space Needle, then home via the back side of the Sugarloaf.




















All was going according to plan until I got down the yellow gate trail and crossed Tomhicken road. Once there, I could hear gunfire. Knowing the trail I was hoping to use went right past a place a hunt club has targets set up, I decided to add in another loop before heading that way. We went up the power line and along part of the yellow gate trail again, then down the gas line back across the road. I was pleased that I no longer heard gunfire and could continue with the plan!











Phin was fantastic. He was happy and forward but soft and responsive. He didn't look at too much and even jogged past all the trash cans and bags in the housing development without fanfare.

Once the sun had come out, the temperature shot up, so Phin was fairly sweaty by the time we got home. I decided to hack him around Alimar bareback to dry out.











While out there, I figured it was the perfect time to do some work on tailing. While I normally expect the horse to cart my butt up hills mounted, I think tailing is a good skill for any trail horse to have. I can't imagine anybody has ever done such a thing with him before, but he caught on quickly. I think he is so used to me doing weird things, this was nothing special! :wink:











23.86 miles, 2785 feet of climb, 6.4 average pace, 60F real feel


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## frlsgirl

Tailing? Do you hang on to the tail and let the horse pull you up a hill?


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## phantomhorse13

frlsgirl said:


> Tailing? Do you hang on to the tail and let the horse pull you up a hill?


Yes, exactly.

However, I learned from my mare than she could go uphill much faster than I could, even hanging onto her tail for dear life. I can think of _one_ time in a competition I thought it would be a good idea to get off to "spare her" carting me up the hill. She would walk a few steps, pulling me along up the rocky climb, then would have to wait for me to catch my breath. While I stood panting, she would turn around to look at me. You could clearly see the disgust in her face - I was just slowing her down!! :rofl:

Since then, it's something I have taught everyone but have never used it except for training. The horses are much more capable of climbing than I am!


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## frlsgirl

Oh my goodness, I can only imagine that look. It's probably very similar to the look I get from Ana when I'm taking too long fiddling with the lunging gear.


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## PoptartShop

Beautiful ride!  Oooh, a Session! I will have to look into that, definitely going on my wish list. :smile: Awesome!!

Oooh, I've never heard of tailing either. That's pretty cool! What a workout, too! I'd probably fall & get dragged knowing my clumsy self. :rofl:


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## phantomhorse13

This weekend, I was back at Fair Hill, MD with Flo - this time for a 50 miler! It was a last minute change of plans on Kathy & Lani's part, but worked great for me.

Because it poured rain on Thursday, it was decided the horses would be staying at the stalls the CTR used, versus the open field used by the rest of the endurance ride. Jefferson (the horse van) is not 4wd, so nobody wanted to be stuck! Flo, Cowbboy, and Brimstone arrived without incident and settled into their stalls. We rode over to the main camp to vet in. We made a point to go back via the start to let everyone get a look at the jumps.











Saturday morning was clear but quite chilly. The wind had been very strong overnight, which was not very comfortable but helped with drying out the trails immensely! Thirty four horses started the ride, and we made a point to hang back and let most of them go ahead of us. Flo was much more relaxed at the start this ride.











Having been over the same trails at the CTR the weekend before was a blessing, as Cowbboy had never been there before and was happy to let Flo take the lead at the challenges.











Amazingly, the water levels in the creeks weren't too bad at all.











Despite trying to find our own space, we wound up with an entourage for the entire first loop, which was 25 miles! Flo was a bit unsure at first, but again I think the practice of the CTR the week before made a huge difference.











The first vet check was actually cold, as the wind was back to raging. The horses passed the vetting with no issues and settled in to chow down.











Next up was a 13 mile loop. One member of our entourage had rider optioned at the hold, but the other two remained. Luckily, they stayed at a respectful distance behind and Flo ignored them entirely.










Because of the earlier rain, a lot of the normal trails were not used, but instead we stayed on the gravel roads.










This ride actually takes you through the Covered Bridge, which Flo had not done the week before. She was super brave and willingly went first through it!










As we neared the end of this loop, I noticed Flo was starting to take some off steps on her right front at times. She wasn't padded, so we wondered if she had nailed herself on a rock along the way.











to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

While Flo pulsed down without issue and all the rest of her parameters were As, she was showing some intermittent lameness on that front foot for the vetting. The vet held our card and gave us the hold to see if we could work it out. She was definitely sensitive on one heel on her right front, though there was no obvious cause. We figured we would let her stand and eat and relax during the hold and see what happened..










Flo and Cowbboy both never lifted their heads out of their pans. When it was time for our recheck trot, Flo was dramatically improved, showing not even a single weird step. However, the vetting area was grass. It was decided that Kathy would go on ahead with Cowbboy while I did whatever I thought was needed for Flo pace-wise the last loop.

I wasn't sure how Flo would be leaving the hold alone, but other than being highly suspicious of one of the cross country jumps, she went out without issue. She was still taking a funny step every so often on the roads, which I had to assume was when she landed on a rock just right. She was totally happy on the softer footing. I decided that I was going to let her move out on the grass and keep her to a walk on any other footing.










Our overall pace dropped tremendously, as the trail continued to be a mix of fields and roads. Amazingly, despite the slow pace, we only saw one other rider the entire 12.5 mile loop! Flo was unconcerned by facing the obstacles alone. She was quite disgusted at my insistence she walk on any hard footing and all the downhills.










During one particular section that I knew was going to be several miles of roads, I actually got off and handwalked. Flo found that to be the most perplexing of all, though she of course followed along quietly. I told her it was practice for ride and ties, just without the typing part. :wink:
















The 12.5 miles rolled by and we were soon back at camp. I had done all I could to keep that foot as happy as possible that last loop. By the time I had Flo untacked at the finish, she was pulsed down. I jogged her for Lani and Kathy, who were both there waiting, and she seemed fine. We headed for the vetting.. and Flo passed with flying colors!! Completion - we were 15th. [Kathy passed several people that last loop and finished 7th. Brim & Lani finished 37th out of 74 LDers!]

:thumbsup: :clap: :cheers: :happydance:

I went home that evening after getting the horses settled and our hold area cleaned up. Kathy and Lani jogged Flo the next morning and she was totally sound, even on the gravel roads. Yay!!


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## frlsgirl

Lovely pictures. That bridge had to be so scary; not only does it feel like an enclosed space but I'm sure it was loud going through it - the perfect spookortunity. Glad Flo recovered well. It's nice to have so many vet checks; I'm sure it helps catch minor things before they become big problems.


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## phantomhorse13

On Sunday, DH and I got George and Sultan out. Spring has finally sprung here, so it was a glorious day for a ride. We went up the Sugarloaf on the way to the Tomhicken and the Space Needle loop. The boys were feeling good and we had a blast.





































15.01 miles, 1617 feet of climb, 6.1 mph average pace, 63F real feel


Yesterday, I went over to Nicole's and got to ride Polo for the first time! We went the opposite way of previous rides so I got to see some new-to-me trail. It reminded me a lot of the Tomhicken trails, as they were old coal mining roads.




























We stopped in to look at some property Nicole is considering and I did the meet and greet for the kids while she looked around.









This pond has the perfect bottom to encourage the horses to go in, yet its deep enough to swim in the middle. How much fun will that be in the summer?!









7.46 miles, 711 feet of climb, 4.9 mph average pace, 73F real feel


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## PoptartShop

Wish I would've seen you at FH! LOL but I didn't do the endurance ride.  So beautiful!!! It was the most perfect weather, too. 
That bridge made me anxious when I was watching LOL. Sheesh! Really really awesome ride.

Beautiful trails, & that pond is beautiful too. Going to be so nice in summer!


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## carshon

Polo is just gorgesous!


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## phantomhorse13

carshon said:


> Polo is just gorgesous!


He is, and was a lot of fun. He's gaited, but also trots.. so was super for me to try to feel what his legs were doing and learn how my body position could help (or hinder) his gaiting. He has trouble with maintaining a consistent pace, so hopefully with work we will see some improvement with that. I am really encouraging Nicole to move up to 50s with him. With that hind end as an engine, no reason he shouldn't be able to do it.


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## Blue

*Phantom*, he looks exactly like my Bart! Bart is morgan/qtr and could single foot as well as trot and canter. Also had a gallop that was awesome. Incredible horses with stamina that lasts like the energizer bunny.


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday was quite an adventure!

Nicole had a friend coming up to spend a couple days with her, bringing her Paso along. Phin and I were invited to go over and ride with them. I jumped at the chance, as it would be the first time I hauled Phin somewhere just to train (normally he is only trailered to a competition). I think he was a bit perplexed when I unloaded him and we weren't at ridecamp, but he willingly went into the strange barn and tacked up without issue.

Nicole made him a new fixed-v browband, which fit him perfectly!











It was fun for me to ride behind the Paso and watch his feet. I think Phin was also intrigued at those legs going every which way rapidly.











It's funny how a powerline trail looks like a powerline trail regardless of what town it's in! The view is a little different than the trails more local to me, but the footing is the same.











All was going well until we stopped at a stream to drink. Polo decided to dance around, and instead of backing out of the stream, he surged into the middle of it.. and promptly sunk in the mud up to his knees. He leap forward again and was then belly deep in the muck. Nicole jumped off as Polo leapt again. He managed to get himself onto the bank, at which point he promptly took off!!

Nicole was fine, so Phin and I went after Polo. I had been hoping he wouldn't go far.. and indeed, he kept just ahead of us for a few miles, but I didn't know the trails well enough to be able to cut down to get in front of him. Once we got back down the mountain and into the fields, he took off for home at a dead run. I was just calling Nicole to tell her what happened when a nice neighbor appeared on an ATV. He had seen the riderless horse go by and was coming out to look for the fallen rider!

Once Nicole heard where we were (luckily the neighbor knew as I sure didn't have a clue never having been there before), she said Polo would be home already. Apparently this wasn't the first time he had gone home without her. :-? The guy with the ATV was kind enough to go up and pick Nicole up so she didn't have to walk all that way home. I was working my way back up the trail we had come down, planning to meet the other rider where Nicole had come off so we could go back together.

Phin had been excellent during the chase.. forward but controllable as we maneuvered down strange trails at speed. He hollered once when Polo vanished into the distance at a run, but didn't fuss when I wouldn't let him follow. When we turned around to go back, he was happy to do that too and we trucked back up the mountain without issue. When we got back to the spot the fun had started, the other rider was nowhere to be found! After some confused phone calls, Nicole figured out the other rider's horse refused to stand still, so the rider had just given him his head and let him go back instead of waiting. :shrug:

Nicole tried to explain how to get to the quickest way down (which, ironically was the way I chased Polo as the guy with the ATV was only about a mile behind Nicole's barn!), but I had had enough fun going cross country over less than ideal terrain for bush whacking. I simply turned my garmin to the map mode and back tracked the way we had originally come up. I can't even imagine what Phin must have thought of the whole deal!




















We made it back to Nicole's barn without incident and found both other horses and humans there. Thank goodness nobody was injured!










11.98 miles, 1537 feet of climb, 4.4 mph average pace, 66F real feel

Nicole wanted to take her arab out for a brief ride and a girl who does some part time barn work for her had also shown up hoping to ride, so we decided to go back out for a short hack. I felt Phin had done plenty so wasn't going to go out again. However, Nicole thought Polo needed to go again, so it was decided I would ride him. He was less than impressed about the slow (flat walk only!) pace, but he survived. :grin:




























1.98 miles, 101 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 68F real feel


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## cbar

That sounds like quite the adventure! Glad everyone ended up being OK..and bonus that Phin was such a good boy. 

So Polo has a penchant for dumping his rider then? Good thing he knows his way home!!!


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## PoptartShop

Oh wow, what an adventure that sure was! :O Polo is quite the mischief! :lol:

Glad nobody got hurt & he did in fact find his way home safe and sound. Whew! Never a dull moment huh LOL.
I love the new browband Phin has, looks so good on him!


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## Blue

Yup! That sounds just like the trouble my Bart used to cause me! Glad everyone made out ok


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## AnitaAnne

WOW, an adventure indeed! 

Love the new browband on Phin!! He was such a good boy too, chasing the runaway Polo! 

Polo was not very nice to his momma! :falloff: Good thing he went home though and didn't get lost. 

Everyone is ok, thankfully.


----------



## phantomhorse13

cbar said:


> Polo has a penchant for dumping his rider then? Good thing he knows his way home!!!


Polo likes things his way. While in this case he didn't exactly dump Nicole, his bailing for home when she got off sure wasn't very nice! He can have a wicked spook, which has gotten her off before. He also has a 180 spin temper tantrum move which has caught her a few times (which she admitted after he pulled that on me during our only-walk ride - luckily I stayed on board!).

I compare some of his behavior to that of a spoiled child.. hopefully if it stops working, he will stop doing it. :icon_rolleyes:


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## carshon

Wow! what an adventure and Yeah for Phin. Love his new browband!


----------



## Blue

*Phantom*, how long has she had Polo? Is he still testing her? Bart still can pitch a fit about something that displeases him.


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## phantomhorse13

Blue said:


> *Phantom*, how long has she had Polo? Is he still testing her? Bart still can pitch a fit about something that displeases him.


I want to say about 3 years? But she is a relatively new rider, only having started to ride about 6 months before she got Polo. So she is still figuring out things as she goes along. I can understand a newbie falling into the horse-should-be-my-friend thing (and its certainly preferable to one who thinks a horse is a machine and should be treated harshly), so Nicole is now trying to start to establish herself as the boss, not just a passenger. I will have to ask her how she came to buy Polo - bet its a great story.


----------



## phantomhorse13

On Thursday, I got George out for his last leg stretch before our next competition. The ground had finally dried up enough to be able to ride the Big Square.




























George felt great and would have blasted around at a dead run had I let him. He is def ready for the ride!

10.26 miles, 1024 feet of climb, 6.7 mph average pace, 52F real feel


Yesterday, I got Sultan out. We did the same route I took George on the day before. Sultan was full of himself and looking for any excuse to spook. See all the scary things here? :icon_rolleyes:











Though, typical of him, Sultan didn't do more than flick an ear at the only truly unusual thing we saw:
























10.19 miles, 1076 feet of climb, 7.0 mph average pace, 60F real feel


----------



## frlsgirl

Sultan seems to move really well for you at the canter. Did you have a hard time finding a saddle for him that would allow him the freedom to move this way? I've heard that Arabs are notoriously hard to saddle fit because of their back shape.


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## PoptartShop

That's great you got them both out. Sultan is a good boy!  What a lovely ride!


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## Oreos Girl

Odd question but where did you get the bell that you ride with?


----------



## phantomhorse13

Oreos Girl said:


> Odd question but where did you get the bell that you ride with?


The Dollar Store!











They always have a variety around the Christmas holidays, so I buy a bunch to have on hand. Iirc, the bigger red one came off a necklace and the gold ones were parts of a door decoration. I put them onto key rings and then clip a set on each side of my breast collar.


----------



## phantomhorse13

Today, I wanted to clip Phin in preparation for the ride this weekend in Virginia. The forecast is to be near 80, though you would have a hard time knowing it here today, where its in the mid-40s with a nasty cold wind.

The horses were feeling frisky and put on quite a show for me:






:icon_rolleyes: :gallop: :icon_rolleyes:


And what, you wonder, would get 4 experienced endurance horses so riled up?










The dreaded horse-eating deer! :rofl:


After watching them run around for a bit, I went out to catch Phin. Once I was in the barn, it started sounding like a tractor pull outside, as my BIL and his guyss came over to work up and fertilize the fields beside the house. Poor Phin - things that should be simple always turn into a circus when he is around! Despite the chaos, Phin kept his head and was soon somewhat nekkid. 











The next week is fairly crazy, as we head for the ride early tomorrow, come roaring back on Saturday for a memorial service, then head down to my parent's for the night. First thing Sunday morning, we are heading off on vacation!

Hope everyone gets some saddle time for me while I am away.


----------



## LoveGus

So many greys ?.

How do you tell them apart?

I'm sure they may be built different etc but I'd be the one to put a color spot on each rump so I know whose who


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## phantomhorse13

LoveGus said:


> So many greys ?.
> 
> How do you tell them apart?
> 
> I'm sure they may be built different etc but I'd be the one to put a color spot on each rump so I know whose who


They are all built differently (Dream is 15.2 and Phin is maybe 14.1), but they also have different head shapes and face markings. It's not nearly so hard to tell who is who when you are up close!


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## frlsgirl

They are so funny. You can almost hear them say "OMG, OMG, did you see them, they are going to eat us!" "OMG! I just saw them too!"


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## PoptartShop

Funny about how many greys there are- at my barn, we have mostly Chestnuts! :lol: But we can always find out who's who LOL. By their face, markings etc.

They are so cute!!! Love the video. They're so cute playing!  Phin looks great, too.


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## LoveGus

Where my sister boards her horse it's mostly dark bays. I've seen times when a horse of a lighter coat color (chestnut sun paints etc) comes in and the herd shuns them. If a dark coated ( dark bay, black etc) horse comes in they are welcome with open arms (errr hooves). So I guess you can say that hers is racist.


I love your horses though, I'm sure it was no easy task putting together your bunch. I can also picture grooming day after a nice rain comes through when mud is still fresh


----------



## phantomhorse13

Sorry I have been so quiet, but the last 10 days have been insane. First we had a competition, then we went on vacation!

Last Thursday, DH and I headed down to Virginia bright and early for the No Frills 55 miler. That ride is the first in the Old Dominion Triple Crown series. The weather was a summer preview, with temps in the upper 70s and bright sunshine. George and Phin traveled well and vetted in with no concerns.











DH and I did not intend to ride together, as I planned to take Phin at a much slower pace than George could go. Phin was a bit perplexed when DH & George left to warm up on their own, but he handled himself well. I was to ride with my friend Linda and her experienced horse Hunter.











The photographer was about 3 miles from the start for the first photo op, and this pic of George says it all!! He and DH flew all day and I never saw them at all.











Hunter was quite riled up from the start, but Phin just trucked along like nobody's business. He took the start and the other horses around him totally in stride, including ignoring Hunter's antics.










This trail, like all the OD rides, is a lot of elevation change and often with less than ideal footing. We got lucky with the clouds to start with and it even spit rain a couple of times! 










Normally the views on the ridges are hidden in the fog/rain/snow, so it was a treat to be able to see them this year.











The first 18 miles cruised by and we picked up another couple riders on trail as the horses paced well together. Phin vetted through immediately upon reaching the hold and I didn't bother to untack him. He ate his electrolyte-spiked mush with little complaint and then stood munching on hay until it was time to head back out. 










The clouds had cleared and the temp started to rise under the blazing sun. The second loop of this ride is 25 miles, and not very nice miles for most of it. There is a rest stop 14 miles out, so you try to think about that versus the whole thing!










We had some momentary excitement when Hunter wouldn't stop at a water hole when Suz's mare was drinking. She didn't react when he first bumped into her, but when he reached down to scratch his head on her butt once he did stop, she resented it with a kick. :eek_color: The kick hit Linda and not Hunter; thank goodness making contact on the meaty part of her thigh and not on bone. I couldn't really blame the mare, but Suz was horrified.

Phin didn't even stop drinking during the exchange! He was all business on trail and it is amazing to think how much he has matured in a year.




























As was going well until we got into another creek to drink.. and Hunter crashed into the back of Phin. As if interrupting his drinking wasn't bad enough, Hunter stepped on the back of Phin's right hind shoe and ripped it off!! The clip also took a pretty good chunk out of the side, which I was not pleased to see. I carry an Easyboot Glove in my saddlebag and put it on with a small prayer.. 

to be continued..


----------



## phantomhorse13

part 2:

I started out on foot to watch the boot, as I had no idea how it would do in the rocks. Thank the universe the boot stayed on!! Once I was back in the saddle, the entire group helped me keep an eye on it. 

We got into the rest stop and Phin was thrilled to chow down on more mush for a few minutes. We also stuffed our faces with homemade cookies (for a ride called no frills, there are really tons of perks!). Before long, it was time to face the last 11 miles back to the second hold.



















Upon arrival, I hurriedly removed Phin's tack to make sure his pulse came down as fast as possible. It was very hot and I wanted time to see the farrier about replacing the shoe. Phin easily pulsed by the time I had the tack off and we were at the farrier within 5 minutes of arriving.

The farrier looked at Phin's foot - specifically at the missing wall on the lateral side - and said he thought if we had been doing ok with the boot so far, I should finish the ride using it. Not wanting to risk creating more issue, I slapped the boot back on and let Phin eat his elyte mush in peace.

It was HOT. The atomic clock was reading 84F and the light breeze wasn't doing all that much to stir the humidity. Crazy to think some years we worry about snow at this ride!!










The final 9.5 miles is almost all gravel road. After so much rock, its nice to have ground you can make time over!










We arrived at the finish with no surprises and happy horses. Phin was pulsed down by the time I pulled my tack and his final vetting was great. I got some gentle teasing by the vet (who is the guy who owns the farm we stay at in Florida) about needing to ride my horse faster!
























In the end, we tied for 15th (out of 31 starters), as there had been many heat-related pulls.

DH met me at the finish and was happy to report he and George finished 3rd! We were both thrilled when George not only earned *High Vet Score*, but also took home *Best Conditioned*!!!

:happydance: :loveshower: :clap:


Of course, the boys favorite part was the welcome-home roll. @LoveGus , you said something about the joys of grooming greys?! :rofl:










Thirty miles in an easyboot spare tire - that is a first for me!


----------



## cbar

Glad you were able to finish the ride - sans shoe and everything!! I love the photo of you & Phin in his extended trot; he looks so focused.


----------



## Blue

Wahoooo! For all of you! Well done.


----------



## carshon

I love your posts! What a champ Phin is becoming!


----------



## PoptartShop

So great!!  You & Phin look lovely. Love it. Way to go!!!


----------



## frlsgirl

hey, 15 out of 31 ain't bad! Looking good as usual.


----------



## phantomhorse13

A wonderful woman who was at Fair Hill taking pictures for both the CTR and the endurance ride the following week finally got her photos online. She got some nice ones!



















Love this series:


----------



## phantomhorse13

Today, I got Sultan out for a spin in the morning. He hasn't been ridden since he saw the chiropractor/acupuncturist about 2 weeks ago. At that time, I had discussed with her my concerns over his apparent weight issues and muscle loss (she is also a vet). She agreed she saw changes in him (she last saw everyone in the fall). Sultan was quite body sore, while not really having any big issues chiro-wise. She did an adjustment and some needling and suggested giving him some time off to see if that helped any.

Sultan was pretty touchy as I groomed him before tacking up. He didn't react as back sore if I palpated, but he sure resented both the curry and the stiffer brush just about anywhere I used them. Under saddle, he was forward and willing, but did eyeball some random things (like clumps of grass that were a slightly different shade). He trucked up the hills like nobody's business though.

Spring has sprung here and things are blooming all over!











Coming back across the farm, I came upon a turkey hunter who had set out a couple decoys. You would have thought they were fire-breathing dragons to see Sultan's reaction. I wasn't sure I was going to get him past them, he was _that_ upset.










I can only imagine what the hunter thought of his antics and acrobatics. The poor man probably thought he was going to have to perform first aid when I went flying. Luckily I stayed on and we did eventually get past the Deadly Decoys.

I hadn't known it was turkey season. That explains why we didn't see a single turkey the entire ride! :grin:


The lilac in the yard is in full bloom beside the hay field - love that smell!











Once we got home, I let Sultan do a bit of ******* weedeating before I untacked him.










10.11 miles, 1714 feet of climb, 5.8 mph average pace, 72F real feel


When the saddle fitter came in the afternoon, I was thrilled that Phin's saddle didn't need any adjustment and he only needed a small amount of body work on his shoulders. George's right TMJ needed attention (not unusual for him) and a touch of wool added to the front of his saddle panels as the old stuff had packed down a bit. Sultan, however, was a mess. He was sore in both hips and his shoulders. And he had lost so much muscle just behind his withers than the fitter said the tree could actually be adjusted an entire size down!! This is the saddle he has been going in for _years_, with only minor wool added as the old stuff packed down. 

That cemented my worries - I think he may have Lyme again (he was treated back in 2012). The fitter agreed that having bloodwork run was a good idea before we changed the tree. Hopefully if I can get to the bottom of the issue, Sultan can put back the muscle that was there previously and the tree will fit again. Meanwhile, if I ride him I will do so in the skito pad with the inserts (which ironically makes the too-wide tree fit perfectly in his current state).

The vet is coming tomorrow morning to draw blood. I hate to hope for Lyme, but at least it would be a reason.. :-|


----------



## frlsgirl

:rofl:"******* weedeating"

I must say, you guys always have great pictures from your events; we seldom have a professional photographer at our shows.

The pic with the lilac...just lovely. Glad you survived your eventful ride! Horses spook at the oddest things.

About body soreness, my vet recently recommended Platinum Performance CJ because it has MSM in it with a proven delivery system plus joint support. Apparently regular MSM can't be absorbed by horses unless it has a delivery system that aids in absorption. :think:


----------



## PoptartShop

Aww, I hope he doesn't have Lyme. But it's good you are getting him checked. Fingers crossed everything will be OK!

That's awesome Phin's saddle didn't need an adjustment! Love the pictures as always, such beautiful rides!  Love the flowers!


----------



## phantomhorse13

We got the results of Sultan's multiplex back on Friday, and it was negative for both acute and chronic. Nothing can be easy! The vet came out yesterday to draw more blood for a full panel and a couple other tests. Still waiting to hear the results of those. :-|


Both DH and I contracted a respiratory plague that hit last week. I spent all weekend trying to cough up both lungs and moping around. The weather was miserable (monsoonal rains with real feels in the middle 30s!), so I wouldn't have been able to ride anyway. Today, I felt almost like a human again and momma nature was in a much better mood, so Nicole came over with Hombre and I got Phin out.

I was expecting Phin to be a bit silly as he's not been ridden in over 2 weeks and the weather is still cool, but he was a very good boy. He was fairly disgusted over the casual pace, but he behaved himself all the same. We just moseyed around the Sugarloaf, then went home via the outdoor ring.




















We saw lots of wildlife, but most kept a respectable distance. When we got to the outdoor, Phin eyeballed the jumps like they were going to eat him, so I decided to circle around and pop him over one of the smaller ones. Nicole did not want to jump so stayed at the far end to watch. As we circled around, Phin went right over a turkey that I assume was sitting on a nest, as it didn't fly until we were literally right on top of it. Phin lept straight up and got enough air that I had time to think "oh this is gonna suck." I expected him to hit the ground bucking and we were not too far from the rocky place the creek crosses, and that way as it was towards home.

I was thrilled beyond words that he hit the ground and promptly came right back to me, with not even a hint of a buck. We made a small circle and then went back to the jumps. While he was def agitated, I was pretty pleased with the result! Turns out Nicole had been filming, but she stopped paying attention to where she was filming once the turkey flew up as she was expecting me to hit the ground. Here you can see the (very blurry due to cropping) slowed down version, then the jumping. Never a dull minute!!







The rest of the ride was uneventful, thank goodness.

7.42 miles, 1111 feet of climb, 4.1 mph average pace, 60F real feel


----------



## Celeste

Phin was a good boy!

I noticed that when Sultan was a little bit off, you had the vet do all kinds of tests.

Then you and your DH get sick and I didn't even hear a mention of a doctor. 

Sounds like regular horse people to me.


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## PoptartShop

Aww, Phin is such a good boy. :smile: 
Gorgeous ride! Glad the rest of the ride went smoothly though, awesome!!!


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## frlsgirl

It's so frustrating when you don't know what's wrong with your horse. I hope you get it figured out. Wow Phin does look rather agitated; he clearly has an opinion about all this. Sorry you and DH are sick now too. It's going around everywhere.


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## cbar

Hopefully you can get to the bottom of what's going on with Sultan. So frustrating playing the guessing game. 

Although we don't have wild turkeys here (or at least I've never seen them), I HATE those birds (I think they might be pheasants) that wait till the last possible second to take their leave. Then they fly off making all the noise in the world, scaring the bejesus out of me & the horse. Glad you got through the turkey episode and Phin didn't kept his head. Never a dull moment!


----------



## phantomhorse13

Celeste said:


> you and your DH get sick and I didn't even hear a mention of a doctor.
> 
> Sounds like regular horse people to me.


Doctor?! :eek_color: :hide: No way!!


----------



## phantomhorse13

Today, I got George out for his first ride in over 2 weeks. The weather is still brisk so I was expecting him to be a hyper goof and he didn't disappoint. When George realized the ride wasn't going to be at breakneck speed, he started spooking at everything and nothing. At one point, he leapt sideways into a huge patch of stickerbushes which were tall enough to come across my lap! He came out of that one bleeding from multiple small places on his legs (so did I :-?).. luckily nobody was around to see him or they would have thought I was abusing him. :icon_rolleyes:




























When we got home, I hosed him off to get a good look at the marks, but they were nothing but scratches. Once I turned him out, he immediately dropped to roll, then jumped up to run around the pasture bucking and farting. Obviously, I exhausted him. :grin: 

10.67 miles, 1087 feet of climb, 5.8 mph average pace, 58F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I got Sultan out. All of his bloodwork came back normal, so we are at a loss to explain what happened to cause the muscle loss. The plan now is to continue conditioning and see what happens. I also intend to start doing some ground work over poles in at attempt to really get him to use his back and build the topline. He hates jumping, so that may be quite entertaining!

We did the same loop around the Sugarloaf and the farm that I did with the others earlier in the week. Sultan was forward to the point of being a bit obnoxious, which is pretty typical of his behavior when he is too fit for his own good. He will rate, but then start looking for things to spook at. Who would have thought weeds and butterflied were so horrifying? :icon_rolleyes: But as annoying as that was, I was happy he was feeling good.

































10.13 miles, 1608 feet of climb, 5.5 mph average pace, 61F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

Today, DH and I got George and Phin out. Storms were predicted for the early afternoon, so we got out first thing. 

On our way over to the Sugarloaf, one of the neighbor's kids was out. She _loves_ the horses and always wants to pet them. She is one of those kids who is super loud and excited and jerky (even when asked to be slow and quiet), so it has taken Phin a long while to decide she isn't going to eat him.











We went up the Sugarloaf, then over and up the Tomhicken to the yellow gate trail. 










We came across several kids on ATVs, but they are the same boys I often see, so they promptly pull over and then wait for us to come by. Two of them are even brave enough to feed the horses treats now, so that is a huge bonus for Phin.










George is a whole different horse when he is out with company.. he just meanders around behind without a care in the world. Never a spook or a hurry - guess he figures the monsters will eat the other horse first!



















On the way home, we stopped to chat with the family who were outside enjoying the day. It was excellent for Phin both in terms of standing patiently and in terms of dealing with a strange dog (not that Skeeter is interested in the horses at all, just that ball!).










We heard the first thunder as we got back onto Alimar and it was raining by the time we were in the barn and untacking. The bulk of the storm missed us, but I was glad to not be out in it all the same!

10.05 miles, 1609 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 58F real feel


----------



## frlsgirl

Yikes! Children! It takes special horses to be able to deal with children; some do quite well with it and others not so much. Glad Phin didn't get eaten


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## phantomhorse13

frlsgirl said:


> Yikes! Children! It takes special horses to be able to deal with children; some do quite well with it and others not so much. Glad Phin didn't get eaten


I swear he is reflection of my own personal feelings.. cause when I see kids, I cringe and want to flee!! :wink:


----------



## egrogan

Despite the fact that she despised being a lesson horse, Isabel is actually great with kids. At our old boarding barn, she used to get pampered and loved on during summer camp week, which often corresponded with me being away for work. It was great- she got some extra attention while I was away, and the riding program got a "fresh" horse who could take some pressure off their saintly lesson horses.


----------



## phantomhorse13

egrogan said:


> Despite the fact that she despised being a lesson horse, Isabel is actually great with kids.


I think having a horse able to deal with children is a great thing, because kids are the ultimate de-spooking agents! Your mare is a very good girl (but then, we knew that already).

I don't think Phin is ever going to _like_ kids, but the fact he can stand still and deal with one is a huge improvement. I cannot imagine Phin being a lesson horse, though maybe I am just selling him short. He might be great as a lead line pony, because he is very responsive on the ground. Maybe we will find out when my nephews get a bit older (right now the 2 yo is terrified of the horses for some reason and the other is only 6 months old).


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## frlsgirl

Ana seems to understand that she has to be careful with little ones and mostly tolerates them well. She does allow kids to ride her but you can tell she's uncomfortable with it; she won't leave my side if a little one is sitting on her back even if the little one is determined to ride Ana by herself; and then she'll give me her annoyed "You owe me big time for this" look


----------



## phantomhorse13

frlsgirl said:


> she won't leave my side if a little one is sitting on her back even if the little one is determined to ride Ana by herself; and then she'll give me her annoyed "You owe me big time for this" look


Gotta love a mare!!


----------



## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I got to ride Hombre with Nicole and a new friend at Blue Marsh Lake. We had wanted to go to Hawk Mountain (which is closer), but turkey hunting now goes all day and Hawk is closed to riding except on Sundays. At least we figured that out before we got there!!

Momma nature has decided to make it summer. We set a record high yesterday and the truck said it was 88 when we tacked up and 94 when we got done!! (Normal high is 72F). We kept the pace pretty casual because of the heat.














































7.82 miles, 729 feet of climb, 4.5 mph average pace, 93F real feel


----------



## PoptartShop

Looks like sucha fun ride!! Awww!  I love it, & everyone's so colorful.


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## phantomhorse13

PoptartShop said:


> everyone's so colorful.


They sure are! The next person who thinks our horse's just red or blue tack is wild, I will be sure to direct them to Nicole's!! :lol:


----------



## Change

I notice you dressed to match the horse's tack, as always! LOL! 

Even after having and raising 3 kids of my own and having 4 grandkids, I am definitely not fond of children in general. However, there are a few kids along the roads I ride, and Cally is amazing with them. She'll stand quietly while they pet on her, and on the few occasions where I've put one in the saddle for a lead line ride, she's very calm and steady, and really pays attention to what I'm asking of her. She's not what I'd consider a 'husband' or 'kid' proof horse, by any means, but with the littlest ones, she's a great ambassador!

Tango has only met a few kids while I was riding, and he did okay. He was probably just as curious about them as they were about him. ;-) "What are they, Mom?"


----------



## phantomhorse13

Today was heat training day. Momma nature is still stuck on summer, with another record-breaking warm day. It was already 91 with a real feel of 93 when I went out to tack Phin up just before lunch (can't ride before noon due to turkey season).

Knowing it was brutally hot and that only a leg-stretch was needed, I decided we would jog over to the Sugarloaf, walk up that, then mosey home via the hayfields.

My BIL finished planting potatoes today and we caught him filling up his last load:





























Phin did really well, until we got to the Terrible Pond. He was already pretty enthused about going towards home, so when the geese exploded out of the pond, he launched. He only went a couple strides before coming back down, but we had lost our ability to walk.

So.. instead of just being able to mosey the last mile, we did lateral work and bending exercises and backed up and and did more bending and more lateral work all between about 4 steps of hurried walk at a time. :icon_rolleyes: [email protected] fit ayrab!!

5.69 miles, 923 feet of climb, 3.3 mph average pace, 93F real feel


After Phin got hosed and put back out, it was George's turn. I intentionally did not go inside to look at the temperature before I tacked up and went back out. 

Thank goodness George was totally unphased by the killer geese:




























George must have decided it was too darn hot to even bother spooking. We had a lovely mosey around with no excitement. He even seemed to enjoy the hosing off when we got back.

I made the mistake of looking at the weather station when I went in the house to refill my water bottle:










:eek_color: :eek_color: :eek_color:

Very glad I didn't look before I got on George!!

4.83 miles, 871 feet of climb, 4.5 mph average pace, 102F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, it was Sultan's turn. Momma nature wasn't quite done with summer yet, though there was at least a bit of a breeze. Sultan didn't mind the heat at all and would have gladly gone even faster the whole ride had I let him. We did the same basic loops around the Sugarloaf as not to encounter any turkey hunters.

































10.02 miles, 1604 feet of climb, 6.0 mph average pace, 96F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

Today, I got Sultan out. It was supposed to rain by mid-morning, so I was out of the barn by 8:30, decked out in my blaze orange just in case anybody was silly enough to be out hunting turkeys where they didn't belong.

I decided to go up the Sugarloaf and across the whole main farm for a touch of variety, as I am sure Sultan is just as bored as I am doing the same trails over and over. We saw both the elk and a lot of deer today, but no turkeys. Sultan was amazing - not a single spook the entire time. 





























Someone even walked home with no hint of rushing - woohoo!






10.51 miles, 1816 feet of climb, 5.5 mph average pace, 52F real feel


----------



## tim62988

are you and your DH headed to the brookfield ride this weekend? if so have fun & good luck


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## phantomhorse13

tim62988 said:


> are you and your DH headed to the brookfield ride this weekend? if so have fun & good luck


We are! I was going to message you to see if you would be around. I figured the holiday weekend meant it was likely you would be unavailable, but would love to meet you if you are around.


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## PoptartShop

Beautiful trails/rides.  Glad Sultan was a good boy & there were zero spooks. Great pictures of the deer too. He's such a good boy!


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## tim62988

if you have extra space on the trailer and Hombre just happens to end up in NY let me know ;-) due to the colors your guys remind me of my wife's old POA but hombre is just a breed that intrigues me and he's a pretty cool looking fella 

just don't tell his owner if he happens to walk into a different trailer :-D


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I rode with Nicole at Jacobsburg Park. I had never been there before and Nicole had only been there once, so we knew it would be something of an adventure. We thought we got lucky that there were trail maps at the parking lot.. but we soon figured out the map was just a suggestion at best! :wink:

The weather was overcast and somewhat humid, but it was comfortable riding in a tshirt. The trails are all multipurpose, being a nice mix of single track, gravel paths, and dirt roads. We saw maybe a handful of other trail users the entire day. Hombre and Polo were their normal hyperactive selves to start with, but they both did well handling the bridges and tricky footing.














































10.49 miles, 793 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 62F real feel


Today, I got Sultan out for an easy work. He thought having to mostly walk was insulting, but he did it. We went up the Sugarloaf and then moseyed back home.




























6.06 miles, 1027 feet of climb, 4.1 mph average pace, 65F real feel


----------



## frlsgirl

We are getting ready to move Ana home with us into a horse community; they have trails that go all around the neighborhood; can't wait! It will make me feel a little bit like an endurance rider


----------



## phantomhorse13

frlsgirl said:


> We are getting ready to move Ana home with us into a horse community; they have trails that go all around the neighborhood; can't wait!


I bet you both will love being able to be out and about when you want to be! Such a nice break from arena work for both of you.


----------



## phantomhorse13

tim62988 said:


> if you have extra space on the trailer and Hombre just happens to end up in NY let me know ;-)


Nicole has family stuff during this holiday weekend, but I am trying to talk her into coming to the CTR in June. If she does, I am hoping she will let me ride Hombre, as I will be crewing otherwise.


----------



## tim62988

i need to get my girl working on speed/distance but may look into the CTR down there end of the month


----------



## phantomhorse13

This weekend, DH and I went north to the brand new New York Adventure ride. We were up bright and early Friday morning to be on the road by 5am, in the hopes of avoiding holiday weekend traffic. It worked and the 3 hour trip was uneventful. Ridecamp was at lovely campground facility which has hosted CTRs and other clinics, but never an endurance ride. I can only hope they will allow us to come back now that the weekend is over - they had never had so many people attend an event there before!










The weather was rainy despite the forecast, so we spent a lot of the day hiding inside the trailer. Mia was happy for the cuddle time:










Saturday morning was still cloudy and threatening, but didn't do much actual raining. I wanted to take advantage of the trail challenge obstacle course they had on site. I wasn't brave enough to do it under saddle for fear Phin would hurt himself (always a huge pre-ride paranoia), so we did work in hand.










































I was super pleased with how Phin handled himself! :loveshower:

We registered and vetted in without incident later in the afternoon. We planned to spend the holds at the trailer, so only needed to take a couple buckets and sponges up towards the vetting area. Dinner was excellent as the food provided by the campground was amazing and plentiful. I got super lucky to sit with a friend who is also a vet, so I was able to pick her brain about Sultan. I hadn't even gotten out 3 sentences when she said we needed to test him for Cushings. I was initially surprised at the suggestion, but I hadn't thought about what Cushings without accompanying IR would look like. It was certainly something worth ruling out!

The weather finally got less grumpy, with some breaks in the clouds and brief peeks of clear sky as we got ready for bed. 

to be continued..


----------



## phantomhorse13

part 2:

Sunday morning was foggy, but you could tell the clouds had finally broken! The boys ate and drank well overnight and were on their toes. We too were excited to see some new-to-us trails. We had heard it would be a mix of gravel road, atv roads, and wooded singletrack.










We let the main group disappear from sight at the start, then moseyed out of camp. George was quite excited, which in turn got Phin quite excited. The first loop was 20 miles.

We knew we were in for a wet day when even the road was sloppy:









While some trail wasn't too bad:









A lot was pretty miserable:









The many wooden bridges were saturated, so quite slick. Luckily neither Phin nor George objected to them and calmly walked each one.









We did get some decent gravel roads in places, where we let the horses move out. I don't know if it was the unusual pace (we normally try to stick to a steady trot, versus walk then canter than walk) or George's excitement that had Phin totally keyed up. He was forward to the point of pulling, which is not normal for him.










I was not sorry to see the first hold. While the trail master did a good job of mixing up the wooded (aka muddy) trail with the gravel roads, it was still a lot of slogging. 

Both horses pulsed down still tacked and we quickly went into the vetting. I was less than thrilled to find myself at the problem vet.. someone I know historically always finds _something_ wrong with the horse, each and every time. While I have no issue with someone taking note of issues, I don't think they should be making something up just to have something to say! [I rode a 75 miler where I got stuck going to this vet 3 of the 4 holds.. and she told me my horse looked "slightly uneven" all 3 times.. but on a different leg each time!!] But I put on a big smile, knowing Phin was feeling great.

No surprise that the vet found an issue - he was "tight behind" but trotted totally sound and even. She also couldn't show me what specific muscles she thought were tight when I asked her (so that I could make sure to massage them during the hold). So Phin got a B- for muscle tone mad, but she didn't hold the card. I asked a couple very experienced friends who had been watching if they saw anything and they said he looked fantastic. That is what I expected - but that vet always makes the paranoid voice in my head scream.

As if that wasn't enough to make me crazy, when we got back to the trailer, George did his normal unfocused watching of stuff going on around him instead of eating well. That is not unusual for him and normally means we stand holding the bowl under his nose. However, Phin mirrored George's actions and also was too busy looking around trying to see what George was seeing to eat!! Normally Phin is a fantastic eater, so I was not pleased at all. I tried taking him to the other side of the trailer, but then George would start screaming. Instead I spent the entire hold trying to get Phin's attention back on his feed pan with minimal success.

I knew the next loop was 19 miles. I knew it was likely to be just as ugly as the first loop in terms of the mud, if not worse, as the last 2 loops were done by both the 50s and the LDs, and of course the LDers would have already gone over them. Did I think Phin had eaten enough?

While I was debating this, some friends came over to ask if we would sponsor their kids as their mom had been pulled at the hold. Both girls are experienced riders with experienced horses, so of course the answer was yes. They were out about 10 minutes after us, which worked fine by me as that gave me another 10 minutes to cajole more food into Phin.

Because he only ate about half his food, I was worried he hadn't gotten enough electrolytes (which are in his mash). I had to take my chances with his being insulted about my dosing him with a syringe, as it was just too humid to skimp on the elytes. I gave him the dose, then rinsed his mouth out with plain water 4 times. That seemed to do the trick, as he was happy to graze while we waited for the kids to join us at the out timer. Whew!!

Off we go on the second loop, with a couple new friends. That loop shared some trail with the first loop, but much was new. Unfortunately, it wasn't any drier. We were forced into the same yoyo pace as the first loop, walking a lot of the wooded trail due to the mud and then cantering on the roads.



















As always, George was a bit of a pill in the start of the loop, but eventually settled down as the loop went on. That meant Phin, who was still mirroring his every move, also finally started to settle down.






































We got into the second hold, delivered the two girls to their parents, then got our guys vetted through. It was warm enough we pulled the tack just to be sure, but both horses were pulsed down by the time we were done doing that. This time I avoided the problem vet and Phin got all As. The girls also vetted through without issue, so would continue with us.

We took George and Phin back to the trailer for the hold after throwing the tack back on them as we passed our buckets.


to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 3:

During the hold, George was a lot more settled, which meant Phin was a lot more settled. We still had to stand and hold pans to noses, but at least they were eating! Phin finished the food he hadn't eaten the first hold, but since that was only a 1/2 dose of elytes, I did dose him orally with more. I again rinsed his mouth out with water several times.










DH and I finally sat down for a moment to feed ourselves, watching the horses quietly munching their hay. George postured and urinated and I almost fell over at the color - dark.. panic-right-now kind of dark. :eek_color: Shiitake!! I jumped up and went over and palpated his hindquarters.. nothing tight. Poked other places. Nothing tight. Take his pulse: 48. Meanwhile, George is munching his hay and watching me without concern. But dark urine doesn't lie; something bad was going on. [This was exactly what he did at a ride last spring before being diagnosed with Lyme disease, so DH and I were not happy to see it happening again! Not that a normal tie up is a good thing, but the Lyme flaring is a whole different can of worms..]

So while I hurriedly ate the rest of my snack and got ready to go back out, DH took George back to the vets. I headed out for the final 11 miles with the girls as DH and George headed to the treatment vet. Phin wasn't too sure about leaving camp, especially with George screaming his fool head off, but he went when I asked him. He actually led every step of the entire loop!

The last loop seemed promising at first:









Then reality hit:









While some parts of the wooded trail were lovely, the places that were muddy were BAD, as 70+ sets of hooves had already traveled across it. We slowly made our way, walking a lot and trotting where we could.










I was never so happy to see road as I was when we got back onto the common trail back to camp!










The girls' parents were at the finish line waiting for us and of course I let them finish ahead of me. I was pleased to have gotten everyone back with all shoes and boots intact!

I could hear George calling from the trailer, which was a good sign. Phin vetted through without incident. I took him back to the trailer for a well-deserved dinner, which he ate without hesitation.

























In the end, we placed 17-19, out of 34 starters. Only 21 people finished, showing what a tough day it was.



Today, our vet came to pick up the blood that the ride vet drew on George (to test for Lyme and a checm panel to see where his muscle enzymes are at) and to draw blood on Sultan to test for Cushings. We should have results this week - hopefully it gives us some answers.


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## gottatrot

Sorry about George, I hope he will be fine.

Slippery wooden bridges are scary. Especially when there is a drop off on the sides. That's one thing that makes me nervous. I've had three feet slip and only one stick before, but the horse still regained her footing.

Some of those puddles were huge. Very interesting to see the horse being driven along the side of the road, coming toward you. The kids were so cute, bouncing along on their horses. 

Phin sure did great with the obstacles.


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## phantomhorse13

gottatrot said:


> Very interesting to see the horse being driven along the side of the road, coming toward you.


There was a small standardbred farm just up the road from the campground and they were very gracious about getting as far off the road as possible as many of the ridden horses had no idea what to make of a horse pulling something! George and Phin were fascinated with them going by all day the days before the ride and watched them with great interest every time.

Even scarier than a horse pulling the bike was the very rattly gate-trainer a few went by attached to the days before, which was pulled by a truck - thank goodness _that_ didn't pass us during the ride!!


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## tim62988

those mud holes seem about typical of this area of NY, where we ride it's sand roads vs gravel but otherwise looks about the same even in a drought some of those holes will still be just as muddy but a lot of the slimy single trails leading up to the hole will firm up nicely.

glad you had good weather and good luck with the blood results


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## carshon

Hope George and Sultan get positive results back!


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## EmberScarlet

I can't imagine doing 100 miles in a day or two! At wagon train, we usually go 80-100 miles, and that takes 7 days.  It seems like forever!


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## phantomhorse13

EmberScarlet said:


> I can't imagine doing 100 miles in a day or two! At wagon train, we usually go 80-100 miles, and that takes 7 days.  It seems like forever!


I can't imagine trying to keep a team happy for that kind of trip.. forget having to worry about the wagon and if the trail was passable - can't exactly go bushwacking around a downed tree with a wagon!


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## EmberScarlet

phantomhorse13 said:


> I can't imagine trying to keep a team happy for that kind of trip.. forget having to worry about the wagon and if the trail was passable - can't exactly go bushwacking around a downed tree with a wagon!


I'll give you a hint; it's hard. People are often whining and complaining (sometimes myself included, haha) like the people long ago who were actually headed to Oregon. 
As for hacking stuff, that's the scout's job (AKA my job). They ride ahead and scout obstacles, trails, and cut down / move downed trees. 
When we went scouting (before the event. We need to find places to camp and how to get there) to plan trails for this year, we had to cut away 11 trees on one road to get our Jeep through.

It takes a lot of licensing to be able to do that, too.


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## phantomhorse13

EmberScarlet said:


> People are often whining and complaining (sometimes myself included, haha) like the people long ago who were actually headed to Oregon.


Are you doing this when moving cattle? While hauling tourists around? Because you like to haul your tiny house around with horses? 

Good thing to scout ahead of time because I cannot imagine how to deal with 11 downed trees from horseback!


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## EmberScarlet

phantomhorse13 said:


> Are you doing this when moving cattle? While hauling tourists around? Because you like to haul your tiny house around with horses?
> 
> Good thing to scout ahead of time because I cannot imagine how to deal with 11 downed trees from horseback!


No. Let me explain.

The wagon train I attend is a 4H event. Every year, once a year, 4H people can sign up to join a seven-day trek around a designated area (this year we are moving around the Barlow trail up at Mt. Hood). You can join as either a rider, walker, or bring a mule/horse team to pull your own wagon. There are many jobs. Wagonmaster, scout, cook, etc etc.. Not everyone has a job, either. You have to be approved.
On the designated week, you arrive with all your gear and what-not, and we break camp the next morning after assigning ''families''. Once you leave the base area, you now rely on 4H leaders to provide your food, tent supplies, and a area to set said things up. 
The walks range anywhere from 7-17 miles a day. Usually around 9-12. Halfway through, we all find a spot to rest, eat lunch ( carried on the wagons ) then lift off again. 
We usually get to the pre-planned area to spend that night at around 3-5 PM. 
The cook shack, supply / bag truck, and the biffies (toilets) are all set up by support by then, and each ''family'' has a color that is taped onto their bag. Everyone's stuff is taken out of the truck and the ''families'' each have to build a tarp tent to sleep in. 
The process continues until the last day, where we arrive and pack our things into the car to end the journey.



Essentially, it's a way for people to experience the ''Oregon trail'' in a safe manner. It may not seem like much, but it's quite the time. 

As for ''mini houses'', the wagons are nothing like that here. 4-H Wagon Train they don't hold anything but food and the swampers. They are also very light, and small! Wagons are depicted a LOT larger then they normally were. 
Lately, though, a lot of people are bring non-traditional wagons, and even stages and carriages. LOL.


So no. No cattle, no ''tourists'' (lol), and the equines---usually mules---aren't abused.


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## phantomhorse13

EmberScarlet said:


> Every year, once a year, 4H people can sign up to join a seven-day trek around a designated area (this year we are moving around the Barlow trail up at Mt. Hood).


This sound like a fantastic experience!! 

I wish I had known about it when I lived out that way - I have ridden part of that trail with friends who lived in Zig Zag. I even worked with a 4H group (though farther down the mountain).. though I cannot imagine most of those particular girls thinking such camping would be any fun at all. :wink:


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## bsms

There is a good article here:

The Prairie Schooner Got Them There | AMERICAN HERITAGE

A typical wagon was longer than a long-bed pickup's bed, but narrower. Oxen were used more often than mules, and horses almost never pulled the wagons. Doing it for a week sounds fun. Doing it for 4-6 months...not so much.

My daughter & I went hiking in Saguaro Nat'l Monument about a week ago. Part way along, we looked across the desert and both wondered, "_Who in their right mind would try crossing the Sonoran Desert before roads?_"


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## tim62988

emberscarlet: i'm thinking you need to start a thread dedicated to this wagon train. haha any thoughts of doing it with former 4-H members? sounds like a heck of an experience and also a bit of a nightmare on the paperwork end of things if your paperwork is as stringent as what PA's paperwork has gotten to be in the past 5 years


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## EmberScarlet

tim62988 said:


> emberscarlet: i'm thinking you need to start a thread dedicated to this wagon train. haha any thoughts of doing it with former 4-H members? sounds like a heck of an experience and also a bit of a nightmare on the paperwork end of things if your paperwork is as stringent as what PA's paperwork has gotten to be in the past 5 years


I might, expect that I would have to ask every single person my stories include to post it according to the terms and conditions. I've asked before.  

The cool thing is, a large amount of the people who come are adults (maybe 1/2?). Some are parents, others are staff or teamsters for the wagons. There are a few great members that are a pleasure to speak with!

As for paperwork, I haven't done any of it personally (I'm a minor, goodness gracious), I hear it's quite a pain!


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## phantomhorse13

Sultan does not have Cushing's.

George is positive for chronic Lyme. Formulating a treatment plan now. *sigh* But at least it's a reason..


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## frlsgirl

Poor George; sending healing vibes from Oklahoma; but yes, having a formal diagnosis is the first step into getting him well again.


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## phantomhorse13

Today the farrier came to put fresh shoes on for Old Dominion this weekend.










George has one more IV oxytet treatment tomorrow, then will do 30 days of doxy. He seems perfectly normal, but we pulled shoes for this cycle anyway as I won't train while he is being treated.

This will be a busy weekend, as Phin and Sultan will do the 50 on Friday and then Dh and I are crewing for a friend in the 100 on Saturday. The current forecast is amazing (75 and sunny) considering this ride is notorious for being hot and humid and miserable. Everyone think cool, dry thoughts!


----------



## PoptartShop

Aww, sorry to hear that about George. :sad: I hope his treatment goes well & he will be back to his old self soon. Ugh, I hate Lyme!
Hope you have some cool weather!!!


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## LoveGus

Here's a question @phantomhorse13 what got you into endurance riding? You really have a passion for it and every good rider has to get the bug for there disincline somewhere


----------



## carshon

So sorry to hear about George - what horrible diagnosis


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## phantomhorse13

LoveGus said:


> Here's a question @phantomhorse13 what got you into endurance riding? You really have a passion for it and every good rider has to get the bug for there disincline somewhere


My first taste of distance riding was because I answered a 'rider wanted' postcard tacked up on the horsey board at college a million years ago. I got to help a lady do some conditioning on her horses while her husband was recovering (non-horsey related accident) and I was totally intrigued - talk about a whole different world than the hunter show ring! While I had some done trail riding growing up (never had a horse but was one of those kids who would hang around the barn and work and ride anything anybody let me sit on), and I knew I liked being on trail a lot better than being in the show ring.. something about the idea of distance riding really struck me. But her husband healed and was able to ride his own horse again and I graduated and went to work at a breeding farm. Life happened and I was too busy to do much riding period (as anybody who has worked on a farm knows!).

Fast forward a few years (a marriage, a cross country move, and a normal-person job), when I got to know a local woman via my ex-husband (who is a farrier) who did endurance. Remembering how much fun it was conditioning back in the college, I asked if she needed any help riding. I got lucky that she had a young horse who needed to be saddle broke, so she was happy for my help. I got to help at several endurance events in the area and really see what the sport entailed while getting the youngster going. Life happened before I got to do any actual rides (divorce, a big move, putting my life back together, etc), and again the idea went on the back burner.

A few years later, I answered an email sent to ridecamp (a big endurance mailing list) about a horse struck by lightning, of all things. The man had a mare recently struck by lightning and wanted to know of anybody who knew of horses that recovered. The farm I was working at had two mares who had recovered, so I reached out to him to share their stories. In one of those you-can't-make-this-stuff-up moments, the horse happened to be one I foaled out at a farm I worked at years earlier. The owner - who didn't ride himself - had that mare and another I knew from the farm and had gotten them into endurance. When we realized we were relatively close (about 2 hours apart), he asked if I was interested in riding the other mare and getting into the sport. 

That other mare was Dream.. and I was hooked.


----------



## LoveGus

phantomhorse13 said:


> LoveGus said:
> 
> 
> 
> Here's a question @phantomhorse13 what got you into endurance riding? You really have a passion for it and every good rider has to get the bug for there disincline somewhere
> 
> 
> 
> My first taste of distance riding was because I answered a 'rider wanted' postcard tacked up on the horsey board at college a million years ago. I got to help a lady do some conditioning on her horses while her husband was recovering (non-horsey related accident) and I was totally intrigued - talk about a whole different world than the hunter show ring! While I had some done trail riding growing up (never had a horse but was one of those kids who would hang around the barn and work and ride anything anybody let me sit on), and I knew I liked being on trail a lot better than being in the show ring.. something about the idea of distance riding really struck me. But her husband healed and was able to ride his own horse again and I graduated and went to work at a breeding farm. Life happened and I was too busy to do much riding period (as anybody who has worked on a farm knows!).
> 
> Fast forward a few years (a marriage, a cross country move, and a normal-person job), when I got to know a local woman via my ex-husband (who is a farrier) who did endurance. Remembering how much fun it was conditioning back in the college, I asked if she needed any help riding. I got lucky that she had a young horse who needed to be saddle broke, so she was happy for my help. I got to help at several endurance events in the area and really see what the sport entailed while getting the youngster going. Life happened before I got to do any actual rides (divorce, a big move, putting my life back together, etc), and again the idea went on the back burner.
> 
> A few years later, I answered an email sent to ridecamp (a big endurance mailing list) about a horse struck by lightning, of all things. The man had a mare recently struck by lightning and wanted to know of anybody who knew of horses that recovered. The farm I was working at had two mares who had recovered, so I reached out to him to share their stories. In one of those you-can't-make-this-stuff-up moments, the horse happened to be one I foaled out at a farm I worked at years earlier. The owner - who didn't ride himself - had that mare and another I knew from the farm and had gotten them into endurance. When we realized we were relatively close (about 2 hours apart), he asked if I was interested in riding the other mare and getting into the sport.
> 
> That other mare was Dream.. and I was hooked.
Click to expand...

I loved ready this : ). It's almost like what happened with my sister. She went to Vermont on a vacation and got bit by the Morgan bug and was sucked into carriage driving


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## tim62988

haha, so the next question: how did you hook your husband into riding the distances with you 


i don't think my mare is cut out for distance but my wife's horse I think would be a fine distance horse if she had something substantial between her ears, wife just says "heck no" as she doesn't want a hot headed race horse which I agree but know it doesn't have to be that way.


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## phantomhorse13

tim62988 said:


> so the next question: how did you hook your husband into riding the distances with you


My wonderful DH was doing distance before we got together - endurance is actually how we met!

How freaking lucky am I?!


----------



## tim62988

are you the lucky one or is he?

you have shown us the crappy weather you ride in just to keep the horses in condition


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## phantomhorse13

Last weekend, DH and I went south to Virginia for the Old Dominion. This ride, called The Beast of the East, is notorious for not only rocks and climbs, but heat and humidity. This year, momma nature continued in her randomness and actually sent us _nice_ weather, with temps in the lows 80s and a breeze and only moderate humidity. This year the ride format was also different, with the 25s and 50s riding on Friday and the 100s on Saturday. DH and I were entered in the 50 and then were going to crew for our friend Liz for the 100. 

The assigned parking spots were a bit larger this year, which unfortunately caused us a bit of an issue to start with. DH, who likes to set up the pens, originally ran them so they were long and skinny so that the gates both opened towards the back of the trailer. I was concerned that if someone rolled, they might wind up tangled in the fence if they laid down the wrong direction. DH just looked at me and rolled his eyes and said it would be fine.

Well, unfortunately, about 10 minutes later it wasn't fine. Phin laid down to roll and even though he started in the middle, when he rolled all the way over, he landed in the fence.. which was on, so of course was shocking the shiitake out of him. :eek_color: He leapt up with both strands of fence tangled around his hind legs and jumped away - landing right in the fence of the neighbor's pen. He then shot back the other way..

While the whole incident took maybe 3 seconds, it seemed like forever as I envisioned Phin going through both his pen and Sultan's in his desperation to get away. I got there just as he leapt again, breaking our fence strands and freeing himself from the neighbor's. He was then one jump away from taking out the other side of his pen.. but he stopped. And stood shaking and snorting at the upright fence beside him and the bits of fence strewn all around him. He let me approach and get a hold of his halter, shaking like a leaf the whole time.

I checked him over while DH repaired the pens and changed their orientation to be wide versus long. I was amazed that Phin's hind legs - especially the left which took the brunt of the breaking - had no marks and did not seem to be injured in any way. I said many, many, many prayers of thanks that the situation hadn't been any worse, as that could have ended so very differently. I took Phin and Sultan out to hand graze while DH finished the pens and soon Phin was calm.

Once back in the pen, Phin was super suspicious of the fencing and stayed as in the middle as he could. I don't think he had any idea how the fence came to bite him when he rolled and I sure didn't see him try to roll again!










I kept a very close eye on Phin's lower legs the rest of the day and was pleased there was never any swelling or heat. When we vetted in, he was his super-animated self, with his tail up over his butt and his knees and hocks reaching for the sky. It never occurred to me to jog him out again later, when he wasn't so animated.. 

Later than afternoon, Lani asked me if I minded taking Duroc out for his pre-ride, as she had vet things she needed to do. You didn't need to ask me twice! While I am so happy and proud that Lani is comfortable enough to ride Duroc herself, I do certainly miss my red pony. 










The rest of the day flew by with prepping for the ride, as the hold was away so we had to truck our stuff out and get it all set up. Ride meeting brought no surprises other than it cooling off enough I needed a light coat (which is very unusual for OD).

The next morning was crisp and not 100% fog (which is the norm with the high humidity). We got both boys ready with no incidents. Phin's lower legs still looked great.










DH and I met up with Liz & Comet (Liz would be riding both days!) and moseyed out at the start. 










It was a simply glorious day to be out on trail. It was almost cool as we worked our way up winding single tracks and navigated the rocks and woods. There were occasional gravel roads, which is nice to make time on. I even got off and jogged about 2 miles down one (which my legs were very displeased with me about the next day :wink.









































































We made it in to the hold in about the time we expected (about 2 hours to cover the 16 miles). Everyone pulsed down without issue, even with their tack on. Sultan and Comet both looked great.. but Phin took a couple short steps with his left hind during the trot. It wasn't consistent and he actually only got a "B" on gait.. but it worried me. The vets didn't hold my card (meaning I didn't need to re-trot to be able to go out on the next loop).










During the hold, Phin did a much better job of relaxing and eating since Sultan is a chow hound, but he was not enthused about eating the mush with the elytes in it. I guess the honeymoon with that is over, as he ate well with non-elyted mush. While he was eating, I was working on that hind leg as I did find a small muscle on the inside that was a touch tight. It would soften as I massaged it, then would be firmer again once I started. Shiitake.

Just before the end of the hold, I went back to the vets to have him trot again. Nobody else was being vetted at the time, so I had 4 sets of eyes to watch. While the original vet was pleased Phin didn't look any worse, there were still a couple not-right steps. Knowing the awful climb that was awaiting us on the next loop, I said our day was over and Rider Optioned. 







to be continued..


----------



## phantomhorse13

part 2:

Phin barely lifted his head from the hay when Sultan and Comet headed out on the next loop. We waited a very short time until the ambulance trailer was ready for us - a dark, 2-horse step-up straight-load. The horse going back with us wouldn't even go near the trailer to start with, so I asked Phin to load first. He's never been on such a trailer to my knowledge, but he calmly and quietly followed me without a hesitation. He unloaded equally well once we got back at camp. What a good boy!

I poulticed Phin's lower legs and put some Sore No More on the inside hind when we got back to camp, then let him settle into his pen. The neighbor's horses were there to keep him company, as one of them wasn't going until the 100 the next day. We had also brought Sammy - Liz's 100 mile horse - over to stand in Sultan's pen that morning so he wasn't alone. Phin was happy to eat his hay and relax, so after grabbing some lunch for myself, I hopped in the truck and went back out to the hold to wait for DH and Liz.

I helped a bunch of people while waiting and also did some P&Rs for the ride, as they were short on pulse-takers after the LDs finished their hold. About when I expected them, DH and Liz appeared. Both horses still looked great and quickly vetted through.










Liz, however, wasn't feeling well herself, so we spent the hold stuffing her full of tums and pepto. She was looking slightly less green as they got ready for the last loop back to camp.



















Both horses crossed the finish line looking fresh and happy. DH and Liz argued over who was going to go across the line first, which was fairly amusing. Both horses got all As on their final vetting.

After settling the horses, we got the truck packed with all the stuff Liz would need for the next day. The OD 100 is a big circle, so we wouldn't be back to camp until the finish. The ride meeting confirmed what we already knew and it was soon bedtime.

The 100s started at 5:30am Saturday morning and momma nature again smiled with relatively cool temps and only moderate humidity. Liz and Sammy left looking great.










Liz got into the first hold on the timeframe we expected and Sammy was his normal hyped-up self. Sammy vetted through with no issues and we didn't even need to pull his tack. During the hold, DH did his best to encourage him to eat while Liz got the stuff she would need for the second hold (which crews can't go to).










Once Liz was back on trail, we packed up and headed to the third hold. We had several hours to wait and for a change we weren't feeling like we were in an oven while doing so!










Liz and Sammy arrived at the hold about when we expected them to. Sammy pulsed down with minimal cooling.. but he was off during the trot out. :neutral:










The lameness was mild, but def there. Hoping there was something stuck under a pad, we took him right to the farrier. The farrier cut the pads out and put hoof testers on him. He thought he got a mild reaction the hoof testers in the toe of the problem hind foot. He jogged out better, but still off. The farrier pulled the shoe altogether and this time def got a positive reaction to the hoof testers at the toe. Shiitake. Day over.










Not ever the view you want to see during a ride, but Sammy loaded up with no issues. We got back just in time to get his foot wrapped and then have dinner. After eating, we got the truck unpacked and then went to bed, knowing we planned to be up early to get home before the heat hit (forecast was for 94 the following day).

We were camped not far from the finish line, so we got to hear the updates as the remaining 100s finished. While we were bummed Liz wasn't one of them, it was awesome to hear about the friends who did finish.

When we got home, both horses ran around like fools.. great to see the weekend hadn't taken much out of them!


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## phantomhorse13

Just got emailed a few more pics from a friend!

At the start:









Coming into the hold:









In the hold:










Crewing for Liz.. she was on the cosmic cats team, and the crew for all 4 riders were given these shirts (I wish I had a pic of DH's face when he first saw it!):










:rofl: :dance-smiley05: :rofl: :dance-smiley05: :rofl:


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## carshon

@phontomhorse3 I really love your recaps. And reading your posts about evaluation and I am so glad to see that you and your friends put your horses first and option out and pull out when the horse seems even a little off.

Hope Phin and Sammy are better now and getting ready for their next adventure!


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## egrogan

Oh my god, those shirts. I love them. I am obsessed with palindromes (ask my husband how many texts he's gotten of cool mileage palindromes while I'm driving :wink but word versions are harder to find. Any other nerds who love them may like this post: What may be the longest single palindromic word? | Dictionary.com Blog


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## Celeste

@phantomhorse13 I love the shirts! I really respect your decision to pull Phin from the ride. He probably would have been fine, but the chance that you could have caused damage was also there. It was a good decision. I am glad to see you put his health before your chance to place.


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## frlsgirl

It looks like you guys had a lot of fun; love the T-shirts. Hope everything is ok with Phin.


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## phantomhorse13

Phin hasn't taken another off step that I have seen. He and Sultan are both doing well and have gotten plenty of heat training just standing in the pasture lately! George continues with his meds and also seems to be fine. 


Last week, Nicole invited me to ride with her and another friend again at Blue Marsh. The weather was supposed to be overcast and not as hot, but momma nature yet again had her own ideas. We enjoyed a nice mosey under a blazing sun with very little breeze. This time I got to ride Polo.



















7.77 miles, 732 feet of climb, 3.7 mph average pace, 86F real feel

After the ride, we took advantage of the lake to have a quick splash. Polo isn't the biggest fan of water, but we got it done.
















Nicole took Hombre in and he started fussing (which is unusual for him as he normally loves water). Nicole was on bareback - something she had never tried before - and she didn't feel comfortable trying to correct him. So instead of tacking him back up, she asked me if I would hop on him.

He started out fussing as soon as he realized we weren't heading for the trailer (he is the type that I joke about the quarter running out.. he had apparently decided we had played in the water long enough).

The expression on his face here says it all!











Because he is so smooth-gaited, his fussing wasn't unseating at all, so he eventually gave up and just went in.






Silly pony!


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## frlsgirl

Awww - I miss going swimming with horses. I need to add that to my list of "must haves" in my next horse - must love water!


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## phantomhorse13

DH and I had hoped to get Sultan and Phin out Wednesday evening for a ride, but life got in the way. That meant they needed to get out yesterday but I had only a 2 hour window, so wouldn't have time to ride them both. Knowing it was likely to be interesting (like the chinese curse means interesting), I rode Sultan and ponied Phin.

From the start, Sultan was a complete @ss. We passed my BIL in the tractor sprayer on the way off of Alimar and Sultan spooked so hard at it that he actually knocked Phin's front feet out from under him!! Thank goodness Phin was able to get back up and I kept ahold of the rope, but Phin was understandably upset by the whole incident and eyed the sprayer like it was going to eat him. I can only imagine what my BIL thought watching the whole thing! :eek_color:

Next up, we had to pass by where my DH was tedding our hay. I could feel Sultan getting tense and was quite free with my threats to end his life if he so much as dared make a funny move, as I knew darn well he is not actually afraid of equipment. He apparently took my threat seriously and only rolled his eye at the horse-eating tractor as we trotted by. [DH commented later than I sure seemed to be scowling as I rode part - go figure :twisted.

We went around and up the Sugarloaf without incident, though Sultan was eyeballing every weed and rock and limb to start with.










By the time we got to the top, Sultan decided it was much easier to just trot along. Amazing how a bit of climbing in the heat can make a brain work again!! :grin:

We finished with a jaunt around the main farm before heading home. 










As we went up a short stretch of blacktop - which was empty of all vehicles when we started out - I could hear a huge rattling dump truck coming up behind us. Because there isn't much of a shoulder and I was riding and ponying, we were taking up most of the lane. Thank goodness the driver just slowed and waited the extra moment for us to get to the driveway and turn. Sultan didn't so much as flick an ear at that, including when the air brakes made that loud hissing noise they do. 

7.79 miles, 1317 feet of climb, 5.5 mph average pace, 90F real feel


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## egrogan

^^I always give a huge mental thank you, and a big wave and smile, to drivers who are patient and let us get safely out of their way on the roads. Especially when they're driving something big and loud. I have to say (hopefully not jinxing myself :wink that drivers on the roads I ride are almost always courteous and patient, even the ones I don't expect to be (e.g., teenagers in tuner cars).

I have one eye out the window on the hazy storm clouds here and hope they stay away until I head out for a planned ride at 3pm!


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## phantomhorse13

egrogan said:


> ^^I always give a huge mental thank you, and a big wave and smile, to drivers who are patient and let us get safely out of their way on the roads. Especially when they're driving something big and loud. I have to say (hopefully not jinxing myself :wink that drivers on the roads I ride are almost always courteous and patient, even the ones I don't expect to be (e.g., teenagers in tuner cars).
> 
> I have one eye out the window on the hazy storm clouds here and hope they stay away until I head out for a planned ride at 3pm!


I hope you get your ride in! Today has been off and on rain here (at the jersey shore currently) and apparently a total washout to the point there are flood watches at home.

Around here, most drivers are just clueless and don't act like a person on a horse is even there. The road I am riding down has a speed limit of 35, but most people go about 50.. so when they don't really move over to pass, its pretty scary. Clueless is, of course, one step ahead of the jerks who honk. -I- am nervous in traffic due to witnessing a fatal horse-related accident years ago, so I know my tension doesn't help keep the horses calm. It's why I do my best to avoid roads as much as I can or I will get down and lead if I am feeling particularly anxious.


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## PoptartShop

You always have the most awesome rides/pictures!


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## frlsgirl

^^^what she said^^^


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## phantomhorse13

We have our next ride this weekend and I have been busy getting things ready, but I couldn't resist my Gina's offer for a ride when she called yesterday afternoon.

The weather was a lovely 80F and sunny with not much humidity when we went over to mosey up the space needle and down the rattlesnake trail. I got to ride Amish.




























The weather returns to summer today, with the next heat wave starting and brutal humidity. Nasty storms are forecast for Saturday night, which I sure hope aren't as bad as predicted, as I hate camping in storms!!


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## LoveGus

@phantomhorse13

How do you decide what events you go to?


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## phantomhorse13

LoveGus said:


> How do you decide what events you go to?


Proximity has a lot to do with it.. we don't have tons of rides local to us (at least not compared to places like Cali or Florida). We generally stick to rides no farther than a 6 hour drive, unless they are a long distance (a 100) or a multi day ride. While we do have 3 new rides in the region this year (woohoo!), that has not been the norm for many years - in fact, we have lost several rides since I started the sport. So there _being_ an event is the first hurdle, then we look at things like trail/terrain and management (we try very hard to avoid FEI rides).


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## frlsgirl

For the July photo contest they are doing summer themed horse/riding pics. You could totally win this category!


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## phantomhorse13

This weekend, DH and I had just a short jaunt to a new ride here in PA! The location has been used for CTRs for many years and the wonderful ride manager finally got the sanctioning he needed at the same time the private campground was available to run an endurance ride. Early Saturday morning, we loaded up Sultan and Phin for the 90 minute drive.

We got to camp and got set up, then got asked to help. DH went with the ride manager to put out water tanks and do some final trail markings while I helped the ride secretary with last minute details. About mid-afternoon, the wind picked up and the sky got dark. We had just taken the horses over to vet in, which luckily went without incident other than being very slow. Bad storms had been forecast, but we of course had hoped the forecast would be wrong. Nope:










We got about in inch of rain out of that, plus a lovely light show. We had put the horses back on the trailer, as rain is one thing but lightning is another. Everyone weathered the storm just fine, though the pens were a muddy mess from that point on. Yuck. 

Dinner and the ride meeting went without any surprises. Someone snapped this pic during the head vet's part of the meeting - luckily I look like I am paying attention. :wink:











It never cooled off much overnight, so we woke to warm and muggy. The storm front was supposed to have dropped the heat and humidity, but sure didn't feel that way. The boys were on their toes and feeling good despite the swamp-like conditions.










At 6am, the trail was open and off we went. This was the first time I started Phin with other horses around (about mid-pack), but he kept his head even if he was quite enthusiastic. 










We had a 20 mile loop to start. We knew it would climb pretty quickly upon leaving camp to the top of the mountain. There is a hang glider launch at the top, and as expected, the photog was up there waiting to capture the moment.



















Not long after that, we dropped down some pretty technical single track trail to the bottom of the mountain. That trail isn't used in the CTR and we understood why after riding it! That part was slow going, but the rest of the footing more than made up for it (even if we did have to climb the mountain again).










We got into the first hold after about 2.5 hours and the boys pulsed down with no worries. Phin and I got the vet who is notorious for being slow and doing a pre-purchase exam.. and he always finds something "wrong." In this case, he thought maybe Phin was not even in terms of his muscling tightness behind, yet he couldn't show me what he thought was tight and he gave him an "A" for gait! I did my best to bite my tongue and just smile and nod and not roll my eyes. :icon_rolleyes:

During the hold, I was interested to see if Phin would eat his elytes in his food if I kept him on the senior pellets he gets at home, versus the high performance pellets we normally use at rides. He was not real enthused, but he did eat them. So maybe he just doesn't like the performance pellets?










The second loop was a repeat of the first, so we knew what to expect. This time the hang glider launch was empty, but the view was still lovely. The sun was strong and while the humidity was slightly better on top than down in camp, it was still rather stifling. You can see the haze obscuring some of the view.




























Phin was super happy to move out when the footing allowed and his heart rate told me he wasn't taxing himself, so we did a lot of cantering. I gave him a dose of elytes via syringe a little over halfway, as we knew that place had a good water tank. I rinsed his mouth out multiple times with the water after and that seemed to do the trick - he was happy to graze immediately after he was dosed!! :thumbsup:

to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

We got into the hold and both boys pulsed with no concerns despite the heat. We both avoided the troublesome vet, so vetting was no problem. Phin decided he was not going to eat most of the poisoned (elyted) food, so got some naked mash instead. That meant he got dosed by syringe, but again I rinsed his mouth out multiple times and that did the trick.










The last loop was 11 miles, which included the climb up the mountain. It was hot as blazes and I was less than enthused, but Phin was happy to _canter_ that climb! Once we got to the top, we quickly caught the person in front of us, a friend riding her daughter's horse (the same one I rode at NEATO last year).




























The three horses paced well together, so we stuck together for the last loop. That loop did not have the switchback section of trail, so we were able to move along and make great time. Before we knew it, we were at the finish line. Weren't we surprised to hear we were 11th! I had expected to be more like late teens.

We got the boys untacked and sponged off and went to vet.. and found a line of horses waiting and only 1 vet in sight! When management realized the backup, they went looking for the missing vets. One, the head vet, was doing some BC exams.. the other - the problem one - was just MIA. I was frantically hoping the other vet would get to us before he was found, but no such luck.

Despite the very thorough exam, he couldn't find anything to fault Phin on other than some "quiet" gut sounds in one quadrant. I couldn't have been more pleased!










Unfortunately, Sultan was not so lucky. The vet - who was not wearing his glasses - thought he saw some "off and on" lameness in the hind. I didn't see anything. When he found his glasses and had Sultan trot again, he claimed to still be seeing something. I still didn't. We had about 45 minutes to find his "problem" and fix it! :eek_color:  :shrug:

Upon walking away, we were greeted by several very experienced friends who expressed their disbelief at any issue; nobody had seen anything! But we made a great show of dosing Sultan with elytes and massaging his hind end while sponging the front end and holding his bowl under his nose. Thank goodness our efforts paid off and the vet said he was "greatly improved" for his representation trot. He got his completion. :-? :icon_rolleyes:
















We found out at the awards that we actually wound up *tied for 10th*, as there had been a pull ahead of us. What a weekend!


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## AnitaAnne

Fun times! Nice to have a ride only 90 minutes away. Considering there were storms the day before, the trail doesn't look too bad. 

I just love watching your rides. Looks like so much fun. Laughed when both boys went :shock: at that big trash bin out along the trail!

All the pictures are fabulous, y'all are very photogenic!


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> FLaughed when both boys went :shock: at that big trash bin out along the trail!


Yes, and that was the 5th time they had seen it (3rd time from that direction), at it was right at the entrance to camp! Gotta love a horse sometimes.. :icon_rolleyes: :lol:


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## phantomhorse13

Just found out today that the horse I was supposed to ride next weekend is still sensitive to hoof testers from a previous stone bruise - so no riding the Vermont 100 for me. Ugh. :sad:

But on a good note, this evening is George's last dose of doxy.. so fingers and toes crossed that did the trick!


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## knightrider

Awww, sorry to read that bad news. I can't even imagine riding 100 miles. I salute you!

At one time it was my dream to do a 50 mile ride, but those days are over for me.


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## Celeste

I want to click "unlike" about the horse with sensitive feet but click "like" about George. I hope he is better.


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## frlsgirl

Speaking of the sore sole, do endurance riders have any special tricks, special shoes or potions they use on their horses to keep the soles from getting bruised? I saw an add for hoof packing material and wondered if it's something that endurance people use.


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## phantomhorse13

frlsgirl said:


> Speaking of the sore sole, do endurance riders have any special tricks, special shoes or potions they use on their horses to keep the soles from getting bruised? I saw an add for hoof packing material and wondered if it's something that endurance people use.


A lot of this depends on what region you ride in, as the terrain varies wildly from state to state (and even ride to ride within a state). Some rides in our region _require_ shoes or hoof boots whereas a couple are barefoot friendly.

In general, a lot of people in this region use pads with their shoes, though I do know a few people who exclusively use hoof boots. The shoes vary by the person: some do steel shoes, some do easycare shoes, some do aluminum shoes. What kind of pads also depend on the person: some like plastic, some like leather, some use pour-in pads. We use steel shoes with quarter clips with pour-in pads on the fronts (no pads, just shoes on the back):


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## frlsgirl

Thanks for the detailed explanation and the pic; about the pads, do you just slide them out to clean and put them back on? 

Also considering the distance and terrain you guys cover, what happens if you lose a shoe or pad or hoof boot? Do they have farriers at the vet stations?


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## phantomhorse13

frlsgirl said:


> Thanks for the detailed explanation and the pic; about the pads, do you just slide them out to clean and put them back on?


Pads are permanently attached to the shoe, so they are not removed until the shoe is. Pour-in pads fill the entire hoof, so there is no way for anything to get in there to need cleaning.

For pour-ins, plastic mesh goes between the hoof and the shoe, so all the nails holding the shoe on also hold the mesh on:









The foot is trimmed and brushed well before the shoe and mesh are nailed on:









The pad material starts out liquid and is poured into the foot and filled until it covers the mesh. That way when the pad sets up (into what feels like rubber), it has the mesh inside it to hold it in. Trying to do pour-ins without the mesh generally means they pop out at some point as they don't adhere to the edge of the shoe enough to stay in.












frlsgirl said:


> Also considering the distance and terrain you guys cover, what happens if you lose a shoe or pad or hoof boot? Do they have farriers at the vet stations?


Most rides do have a farrier at the holds, but we also carry some type of hoof boot (what we call a "spare tire") in case we lose a shoe out on a loop. [I also keep a complete set of shoes for each horse in the trailer, so we have ready-made extras for the ride farrier to apply if needed.] Phin lost a shoe at the No Frills ride and sported his spare tire for 30 of 50 miles, as the farrier did not want to try to get a shoe back on that right hind foot!


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## phantomhorse13

Today I got back on George!! He finished his doxy a couple days ago and the ground has dried up enough I could ride the fields without leaving hoofprints. Because he is barefoot, I wanted to stay as much in the fields as possible. The nice footing, however, meant we would be fair game for all the bugs!

I tried to stick to the field roads I knew had been mowed, but that wasn't possible all the time.










The grass and weeds in this part of the "trail" was actually as tall as George!! I dumped a ton of grass seed out of my shoes when I got home.










I love seeing the crops progress. Keith was cutting the wheat in one field already! This field is soybeans.










George was just as full of shiitake as I expected him to be after 6 weeks off work.. but while he did get reprimanded for some yeehaw bucking, I was very happy to see him feeling so good!

8.43 miles, 991 feet of climb, 5.7 mph average pace, 92F real feel


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## carshon

Just a quick question. Your average pace is 5.7mph is this mostly walking? We average about 5 MPH on our gaited horses on the trails but that additional .7 is a lot more speed.


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## phantomhorse13

carshon said:


> Just a quick question. Your average pace is 5.7mph is this mostly walking? We average about 5 MPH on our gaited horses on the trails but that additional .7 is a lot more speed.


Today had more walking than the route would other seasons because of the insanely high grass and weeds in places, so it was probably about 1/2 walking and 1/2 trotting or cantering (with much more trot than canter).

Our arabs only have a pathetic 2.5-3mph walk normally.. and today was more like 2mph when you add in pushing through head-high plants!


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## Twalker

phantomhorse13 said:


> Just found out today that the horse I was supposed to ride next weekend is still sensitive to hoof testers from a previous stone bruise - so no riding the Vermont 100 for me. Ugh. :sad:
> 
> But on a good note, this evening is George's last dose of doxy.. so fingers and toes crossed that did the trick!




PH - Sorry about the ride. I have always wanted to go to Vermont. Keeping everything XXXX the George has a clean bill of health.


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## frlsgirl

phantomhorse13 said:


> Pads are permanently attached to the shoe, so they are not removed until the shoe is. Pour-in pads fill the entire hoof, so there is no way for anything to get in there to need cleaning.
> 
> For pour-ins, plastic mesh goes between the hoof and the shoe, so all the nails holding the shoe on also hold the mesh on:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The foot is trimmed and brushed well before the shoe and mesh are nailed on:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The pad material starts out liquid and is poured into the foot and filled until it covers the mesh. That way when the pad sets up (into what feels like rubber), it has the mesh inside it to hold it in. Trying to do pour-ins without the mesh generally means they pop out at some point as they don't adhere to the edge of the shoe enough to stay in.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Most rides do have a farrier at the holds, but we also carry some type of hoof boot (what we call a "spare tire") in case we lose a shoe out on a loop. [I also keep a complete set of shoes for each horse in the trailer, so we have ready-made extras for the ride farrier to apply if needed.] Phin lost a shoe at the No Frills ride and sported his spare tire for 30 of 50 miles, as the farrier did not want to try to get a shoe back on that right hind foot!


Thanks for all the details. I felt like I was right there putting the pad on myself. 

You guys are so resourceful, between carrying extra shoes and "spare tires" lol. The barn owner suggested duct tape, especially if you're just going for a short trail ride in mostly good terrain, but that wouldn't work for you guys, the tape would come flying off after the first mile. I was thinking about making mud with miracle clay, cleaning Ana's feet really well and then smearing the mud in all the crevices; 95% of the terrain we ride on is fresh green grass, the remaining 5% is a mixture of sand and sharp little rocks, so I just need protection from that pesky 5%. If that doesn't work, I'll look into the "spare tires"


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## phantomhorse13

I have gotten some saddle time a couple days this week, in between momma nature having weather fits (be that rain or sweltering heat and humidity or sometimes all 3 at once!).

On Tuesday, I went over to Nicole's barn. I had intended to help her with Drakkar in almost a mini lesson (she is learning to post, having only ridden gaited horses before). However, when a couple other people arrived to ride too, it became a bit of a round robin of me riding various horses, then we went out for a brief trail ride.

I started out riding the 5yo walker Charm. He, ironically, belongs to the girl who previously owned Amish! She is recovering from a work-related accident so wasn't planning to ride and offered him to me. I found out later she doesn't do much ring work, which was pretty apparent (tho he was willing, if confused). :wink:




















Nicole then wanted me to hop on Drakkar.










Next up was Hombre, who thought being in the ring was for the birds. While he wasn't concerned about anything, he wanted to rush around at full speed in disgust. It was actually pretty comical as he zipped over the cavaletti and around the pole bending poles.










Then we went out for a short trail ride. Charm's owner decided since he was so good for me in the ring, she would get on him for the hack.



















4.01 miles, 171 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 85F real feel

Today, I got George out. It was already a real feel of 92 when I went to the barn at 8:30 (yes, am!) to tack up. George was much less enthused about life and behaved well. Between the heat and the bugs, the ride was def a chore.



















When I am done a ride, I always stop and let the horses take advantage of the leftover bits of alfalfa that didn't get plowed under. I think this was George's favorite part of today's ride! [The potatoes are in full bloom and Keith harvested the wheat yesterday, so should bale the remaining straw tomorrow.]










9.28 miles, 992 feet of climb, 5.8 mph average pace, 96F real feel.

Tomorrow, we head for Vermont first thing. Fingers crossed the weather gives us a break up there..


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## SwissMiss

phantomhorse13 said:


> Next up was Hombre, who thought being in the ring was for the birds. While he wasn't concerned about anything, he wanted to rush around at full speed in disgust. It was actually pretty comical as he zipped over the cavaletti and around the pole bending poles.


:gallop: reminded me of another pony I know :rofl: Except the one I am thinking of is concerned about _everything_:eek_color:


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## phantomhorse13

This past weekend, DH and I trekked up to the Moonlight in Vermont ride. I was supposed to ride Liz's experienced 100 miler Sammy as a babysitter for her other horse Comet's first attempt at a 100, but Sammy was still reactive to a hoof bruise. But since DH and a friend were going to be our crew, we didn't want to leave her crewless at the last instant. Another friend, Patti, had lost her crew at the last moment (the woman's daughter was being induced), so we took up a second truck so that I could crew for Patti while Dean and Alan and Brit crewed for Liz as originally planned. As an added bonus, @egrogan agreed to come up and help me!

Because we weren't riding, we only took the trucks and tents. Space in camp was at a premium, as the rain all week had left the field a flooded mess. Hard to see from this pic, but that open space between our tents and the next set of trailers had standing water in it!











The plan was Dean, Alan and Brit would crew for Liz in the 100 all day. Because the 50 (which is what Patti was riding) didn't start until 2, I was going to go out with Lani and help her crew for Kathy and Rich until about 1, when I was to meet @egrogan back at camp to get Patti out on trail.

The 100 starts at 5am, which means prepping in the dark.










It was about half light when they headed out on trail. Liz & Comet looked great.










Rich & Sarge and Kathy & Cowbboy also moseyed out of camp with no excitement.










This ride is unique in not only do the riders share the trail with 100 mile ultra runners, but the crews get to meet the riders at "pit crew" stops as well as at the holds. The PC stops don't have any vet exams or holds, so you just offer the horses and riders food and water and sponge off the horses and get them on their way.










It was still super humid at the first hold, but all 3 horses pulsed down and vetted through with no issues. Liz was running a bit ahead of Rich and Kathy, which was nice as it gave me time to help Lani set up before Liz arrived, then Liz was done vetting by the time Rich and Kathy arrived.










Kathy actually _sat down_ during the hold, which is almost unheard of. Gold star for us!










I made it to a couple more pit crew stops and then helped Lani set everything up at the second hold before having to go back to camp to meet egrogan. She actually beat me to camp and I was thrilled to find her sitting and chatting with the lovely Canadian gentleman who was camped beside us!

I gave her a brief run down of what to expect, then we went to meet Patti & Iggy. Iggy is still new to Patti and this was to be their first 50 together (though Iggy had done a couple 50s a few years back with a previous owner). Iggy was _not_ impressed that Sarge had left him alone, so was a bit of a handful to get tacked up. But soon enough, Patti was on board and out on trail!










Her first loop came back into camp for a 15 minute gate and go, so egrogan and I had a chance to eat lunch and get the truck packed before going down to the field to await Patti's arrival. We got to watch the front runners come in, which gave me a great opportunity to explain what to expect before Iggy made an appearance. Patti came in smiling as Iggy had done really well on trail, keeping the mellow pace she was planning on without being balky (which he sometimes is when training).

We got them back out on trail with only a minor issue (a forgotten sponge which I ran back to the trailer for while Iggy enjoyed his food). After they were back out on trail, egrogan did not make a break for her car, but instead willingly got in the truck with me - yay!

We got stuff set up at the hold in plenty of time.. but soon enough another friend (Melissa) who didn't have a crew came in.. and she couldn't find the stuff she sent out to the hold. The great thing about our sport is everyone happily shares, so I was able to easily find whatever stuff we didn't happen to have extras of to take care of both Melissa and Emu.










It wasn't long after Melissa & Emu left before Patti & Iggy arrived. He was pulsed down by the time we got his tack off, so egrogan and I took him to the vetting. We happened to get there during a lull in the action, so actually had the pulse takers and the vets lined up waiting to help us! Iggy passed the vetting with flying colors, even doing an almost-enthusiastic trot out.










The hold was 45 minutes, but that time really flies. It was so nice to have egrogan there to help with Iggy so I could focus on Patti. Getting her to sit in a chair took some good-natured ribbing to start with, as she is used to not only having to take care of herself but also Rich in holds. Iggy was a champ, eating everything in sight.



















After that hold, we got to see Patti & Iggy at a couple PC stops before heading to the final hold. There is a lot of driving for the crew, so I didn't do a very good job taking pictures along the way!

As we headed to the final hold, I got a text message from my DH that Comet had been pulled - cramp in a hind leg. Shiitake!! Def not what we wanted to hear. We happened to be in the vicinity of camp, so we stopped in to check on Liz and grab some additional clothing. DH and Alan had gone back out to help Lani, while Brit stayed in camp with Liz. 

It was dark by the time we got to the final hold. Again, Melissa & Emu came in ahead of Patti.. and while Emu passed the vetting, he would not eat during the hold. Red flag. Yet again Melissa's stuff was nowhere to be found, but we were able to scrounge up some belly buffer to give him. Unfortunately, it didn't help. Melissa went and got the vets, who looked him over and agreed with Melissa's decision to rider option, as something was obviously not right. As Patti came in, Melissa was waiting on the ambulance trailer to take them back to camp. Thank goodness egrogan had everything set up perfectly for Patti & Iggy, as I had been distracted by what was going on with Emu - she gets 2 gold stars for picking up exactly what to do so fast!!










Iggy was a bit tired, but he pulsed down with no issues. He found the indoor arena's mirrors to be scary, so he was super animated for his trot out, which had us all laughing. Yet again, with egrogan's help, I was able to get Patti to sit down and take care of herself as we took care of Iggy. Soon enough she was back on trail for the final loop.

We got back to camp and unloaded some stuff before heading to the finish. Liz met us with some horrible news: Emu had had a seizure while at the treatment barn, and landed on Melissa.. breaking her leg. She was currently en route to the hospital via ambulance and Emu was still being treated. I can't even begin to express my horror at hearing such a thing.

The wait at the finish line was the longest of the day.. and since it was after 1 am, I sure felt the drag. I was so impressed with egrogan, who not only didn't make a break for her car, she was still smiling and enthusiastic as we sat and chatted with others at the finish line, trying hard not to worry about Melissa or Emu. After a while, we saw the best sight:










Iggy passed his final vetting with no issues and Patti was thrilled with the turtle award. DH, Alan, and Lani arrived while we were vetting, so we knew Rich and Kathy weren't far behind. Both Sarge and Cowbboy vetted through with no issues, tied for 6th. Woohoo!

As we walked back up to our campsites, Liz appeared with an update. Melissa was going into surgery to repair her badly broken leg (tib/fib).. and Emu needed to be transported to the emergency clinic.. which was 2.5 hours away! Nobody else had stepped up to do it, so DH and I did, using the truck and trailer of another local rider.

It was just before 4am when we loaded a very drugged and battered Emu. The vets on site weren't totally sure he wouldn't have another seizure and looking at him, I wasn't sure he would stay on his feet for the trailer ride.. but we had to try. Saying many prayers, we pulled out in a strange rig which only had 1/3 a tank of gas, with only the vaguest idea where an all-night fuel stop might be.. and with no cell reception at camp, no real idea of our route to the clinic beyond getting ourselves back to the interstate.

We made it to the interstate and found the 24 hour gas station the local constable had suggested to us. By then, we had cell reception and were able to enter the clinic address into Waze. There was little traffic (go figure so early on a Sunday morning!) and adrenaline got us most of the way, with caffeine doing the rest. And Emu stayed on his feet.

Emu was more alert when I unloaded him, though he was still shaky and unsteady on his feet. DH got back into the truck to nap while I handled Emu for the exam. The vet did all the expected things (bloodwork, palpation, ultrasound) and thank goodness was not able to find anything too out of the ordinary. After about 90 minutes, Emu was settled into a stall and started on fluids. I filled out paperwork as best I could and was profuse in my thanks to this facility for accepting the horse despite all the weirdness.

I was pretty cranked still, so I drove back to camp while DH napped. There was more traffic by that point, but nothing too bad and we were familiar with the route back. We got back to camp and started packing our stuff up, as we needed to start for home - another 6-7 hour drive! As we were getting ready to leave, word came that Melissa was out of surgery and her BF had arrived at the hospital to be with her. Alan drove one truck, leaving DH and I to switch off between driving and napping in the other. We got home about 7pm and I have never been so happy to see our place!! 

All we did was dump the gross stuff out of the trucks into the garage, then shower, and stagger to bed. I spent yesterday cleaning and drying and getting stuff put away, still feeling somewhat zombified even after a good night's sleep.

What a weekend.. talk about high highs and low lows.


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## knightrider

Update on Emu and Melissa?


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## Change

^^^ What knightrider said! 

Wow - scary about Melissa. I had a 1200lb QH go into seizures with me in a 12x12 box. Thankfully - for me - he dove forward as he went down which gave me the opportunity to jump clear. Unfortunately, I lost my sweet boy that night (anaphylactic shock). Glad to hear Emu's seizure had a better outcome. Dehydration?


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> Update on Emu and Melissa?


Melissa is still in the hospital. She has a rod and multiple pins in her lower leg, as it was not a clean break but instead had multiple pieces. She is having a lot of issues with swelling and pain. They had hoped she would be released tomorrow, but as of this morning that does not seem likely.

Emu is eating and drinking and mobile.. but currently blind in one eye. I am not sure if his hind end is any more stable than it was, as Melissa was quite distraught talking about the eye and I didn't want to upset her any more by asking additional questions. She did tell me Emu has shivers and is very sensitive to sedation, so I am hoping those things explain what I saw and he was fine once all the sedation wore off.

The cause of the seizure is still unclear. I think there is some specialized bloodwork out for a condition called hyperammonemia, but I am not totally sure and certainly don't know the results if there are any. The bloodwork run in the clinic that morning was basically normal (it showed some minor elyte deviations and slight muscle enzyme elevations, but nothing you wouldn't expect from a horse that had just done 40 miles and then had a seizure). Please keep them both in your prayers as this ordeal is far from over. :-(


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## egrogan

Thanks for the Emu and Melissa update. I'm sure it's incredibly difficult for her but so glad she's starting to get some answers. Sending all the good thoughts I can muster their way.


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## Tazzie

First off, prayers for Melissa and Emu. Please keep us updated :sad: how devastating. I hope all come out ok :sad:

Second, I do love your stories, and I'm glad you had a good time with Egrogan. I wish there were a love button particularly for that, and a sad button for Melissa and Emu.


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## AnitaAnne

Wow. @phantomhorse13 you are a superhero! You, your DH, and all the others who selflessly assist your fellow competitors. 

*Sportsmanship at its finest. *

Very thankful that Melissa and Emu were not out on the trail when this happened. My first though was stroke or aneurism for poor Emu. Praying for a full recovery for them both. 

Iggy is adorable! Congratulations to Patti and Iggy on the fabulous Turtle award 

Congratulations also to Rich and Kathy on their 6th place finish!! WOOHOO 
@egrogan was this your first time at an endurance race crewing?


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## egrogan

Hi @AnitaAnne- yes, it was my very first time crewing or even attending an endurance event. I totally fell in love with it. I am so lucky I learned from one of the best :grin: And you're right, the sportsmanship and camaraderie was one of the first things I noticed, it was the theme of the whole weekend.


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## PoptartShop

Aww, sending my thoughts your way for Emu & Melissa. :sad: Hope they are going to be OK. 
I am also glad you had a good time though, it sounds like you had a blast.


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## SwissMiss

Wow, what a weekend!

Sending jingles for Melissa &Emu!

Seems like sportsmanship are still lived at endurance events! Or at least where you are involved:wink:


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## Change

Sending healing vibes toward Melissa and Emu! Poor Melissa, though - having to worry about her horse as well as trying to recover from her broken leg. She must be overwhelmed! Bless you for being the champion friend that you are!


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## phantomhorse13

First off, I got a super update from Melissa today: she is doing much better with the swelling and resulting pain and may be transferred to a rehab facility as soon as tomorrow. Emu is also showing some improvement, with some vision returning to his eye. Keep the good vibes coming!


Yesterday, I got saddle time twice. The farrier came first thing and all the boys got shoes. Despite the insane temperatures, I got George out. I planned to go up the Sugarloaf and then over to the Tomhicken, specifically hitting all the creeks I could to sponge out of. It was hot and humid and the bugs were horrendous, but we got it done. We got lucky that the only tree we found down from the previous evening's storms was easily gotten around!




























10.19 miles, 1805 feet of climb, 5.1 mph average pace, 103F real feel

When DH finally got home from work, we got Sultan and Phin out. They only needed a leg stretch, so we went up the Sugarloaf and around the farm and home. The temp hadn't dropped very much and the bugs were no better..




























6.31 miles, 1056 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 98F real feel


I don't know how those of you in the South survive.. :eek_color:


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## AnitaAnne

@egrogan yes, very fortunate to learn from the best! 
@phantomhorse13 Thank you for updating us on Melissa and Emu! Good news indeed 

We survive in the south by not admitting how hot it is. Only a _bit warm_ or a_ bit cool_, never hot or cold, lol! 

Plus tea. Lots of tea, and big porches with rocking chairs.


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I got George out early with the intention of having a good length ride despite the heat. My plan was to go over and do the space needle loop, as it would let George stretch out a bit with relatively little climbing.










However, as we came down across the farm, Patti contacted me about this weekend (which is the Ride and Tie World Championships). She was entered in the equathon, but due to an issue at work, she would not be able to go. She was hoping to find someone to take her spot so her partner wasn't abandoned. After some ironing out of details, it was decided I would take her spot - with George! (DH was already going to do the 20 mile ride and tie course with Sultan).

So our ride got cut short, as I turned around once I reached the top of the Tomhicken. I went back down to the farm via a side trail, which obviously needs some trimming:



















6.73 miles, 1068 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 96F real feel

The Ride and Tie World Championships are taking place at the Old Dominion and the forecast for Saturday is brutally hot (and humid goes without saying as its Virginia). I decided to clip the boys' necks, figuring any hair I could get off them was a help. OMG clipping a summer coat is a nightmare - thank goodness they are grey so it mostly hides my hack job. :hide:



















It was a real feel of 109 when I was done and crawled inside to take a cold shower. :eek_color:

Tomorrow, we head to Virginia bright and early.. everyone think cool thoughts!!


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## egrogan

The ride and tie is where you use one horse and the people run part of it on foot?

If so, you all are even more badas* than I thought!!! :wink:


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## evilamc

Ohhh! I'll be in VA visiting my parents! You guys should stop by the beach on your way home  

I can't imagine clipping a horse with real feel of 109....sooo sticky and hairyyyyy!


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## PoptartShop

Love the ride!  Sooo beautiful. Omg I bet that cold shower felt amazing! The humidity is just horrible lately. :sad:
Crossing my fingers you get some nice cooler weather in VA!!!


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## LoveGus

Haven't been able to access any thread here for an hour except yours, even one I started, lol. Though I enjoy reading about your adventures.

I don't think you clip looks that bad


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## frlsgirl

Glad you got to meet @egrogan. Small world, huh? Clip doesn't look bad at all, or maybe it is all the white hair hiding the details, lol. Good luck at championships tomorrow!


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## phantomhorse13

This weekend, DH and I headed down to Virginia for the Ride and Tie World Championships, which were hosted by the Old Dominion. Ride and Tie is a sport involving 2 people and one horse. One person runs while the other rides for a while, then gets off and ties the horse to a (hopefully) stationary object. The rider is now the runner and heads off up the trail. Meanwhile, the runner catches up to the horse, unties it and hops on. 

[Lani and Kathy are very into Ride and Tie (Lani has over 4000 miles!), so when the OD's bid to host the Championships was accepted (the first time its ever been east of the Mississippi), they started talking the event up to anybody who would listen. I have no desire to run, but DH was interested and has been training for it for months now. There were lot of novice teams, as many of our endurance friends wanted to help support the OD and Ride and Tie.]

The original plan had been for Sultan, Dean and Emily (a girl from NYC doing her first RaT event) to run the 20 mile "short" course while I drag rode that course on Phin. However, circumstances changed and I found myself and George entered in the 20 mile Equathon, partnered with a guy named Todd who was an ultrarunner. Equathon is one part riding and one part running; one person can do both parts or one person can ride and another can run. Needless to say, I was sticking to the riding part!

We got to camp and were set up beside Lani and Kathy. The weather was hot and humid, but storms were forecast for the afternoon, and for a change the weatherman was right. However, the area has been in a drought, so within about 30 minutes of the deluge stopping, not a puddle was to be seen!










The boys vetted in with no issues. At the ride meeting, we found out that all distances would be starting at the same time and would be on the same first loop. I was happy I would get to see the ride and tiers in action, as we had been told that top teams could keep the same pace as people just riding! I briefly met Todd, my partner for the next day. He shook my hand and immediately asked if I had a rough guess how long my portion of the course would take. I told him (guessing about 2.5 hours) and he answered with, "ok great! Nothing personal, but I have a flight to catch tomorrow at lunchtime, so I will be running my part as fast as I can. I won't be waiting at the finish. Have a great ride." It was all I could do not to laugh out loud!! :rofl: 

It didn't cool off much overnight, but the race starting at 6am meant we could take advantage of as much cool as possible. We just won't mention the humidity..










The start of the race was amazing! George was somewhat perplexed at all the people running with us to start with (watch his ears in the start of the video).. and even more perplexed when we started coming upon horses tied on the side of the trail. He wasn't sure if we were at a race or if he should be wanting to hang out with the tied horses. :grin:

Rich and I had planned to ride together, knowing Sarge and George paced well as they have gone together before. Rich and Sarge just did the VT100 and this was George's first race back after the Lyme treatment, so we were not planning on an earth-shattering pace.











Note George's tongue flapping! We were all having a great time.










The course was still OD trail.. plenty of rocks and climbing. We soon left the main pack of ride and tiers behind, finding ourselves leapfrogging the top 3 long course teams. It was unreal to watch the people jog up the rocky climbs and I could certainly see why they could keep up with horses on that terrain.





























Just before the Bird Haven vet check, there is a lovely creek we planned to stop to sponge in, so the horses would pulse easily at the check. Weren't we surprised to find it _dry_!! 










Even without the sponge stop, both boys pulsed down easily in the check. Todd and Rich's partner, Kevin, were both there waiting. The runners can start their portion as soon as the horses hit a pulse of 64, so off they went while we finished vetting. I never saw Todd again. :wave:




















to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

Rich and I could have trailered the horses back to camp, but they were both feeling good so we got permission to ride back instead. We were just getting ready to go when DH and Sultan came into the check, both looking good. I scooted George out of there before he realized Sultan was there, with Sarge catching up a moment later. Both George and Sarge have ridden the OD a lot, so they were quite confused when we left Bird Haven and didn't head for Laurel Run (the normal next loop). They both kept looking off to the right, expecting at any moment we would notice our mistake and go the 'right' way. After a couple miles, when they realized we really were going back to camp on purpose, you could just about hear them yell yeehaw! They felt great and would have galloped back to camp if we had let them.






We weren't back in camp long - in fact I had just finished untacking - when DH, Emily and Sultan came in to the finish! I was thrilled to see them looking good but bummed I missed being at the finish line to get their picture. Sultan vetted through easily, meaning not only had they all finished the course, they had won!! 

Both boys got a wash down and poultice and then of course had a good roll.










Neither of us lost our numbers (I was concerned it would get ripped off ducking under branches):










After getting the horses settled, DH took a nap and kept an eye on camp while Rich and I went back out to Bird Haven to help with Lani and Kathy. An ugly storm came close enough to scare everyone, but stayed just north thank goodness. The ladies were all business when they came in, but were doing well as was Teabiscuit. There was much celebration when they got to the finish line!

Dinner and awards that evening was tons of fun. If I thought endurance people were rowdy.. well they don't hold a candle to ride and tie people! There were lots of laughs and jokes the entire evening, continuing even when another storm came in and dumped more rain.

I wound up winning the Equathon and got quite a haul of loot:










How ironic that the tack set was made and donated by Nicole!! I also got a chuckle when the photographer pulled me aside after awards to explain Todd ran his leg so fast, she hadn't had time to get out on trail before he finished.. so no picture of him to make a collage with. I told her the story about what he said to me beforehand and we both had a good laugh.

Dean and Emily got a framed photo each, gift certificates, and these hysterical prizes:











We haven't figured out where that is going yet (Dean took the butt one!), but the framed pics are front and center in the living room:









Great reminders of a super fun weekend!


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## gottatrot

That sounds like great fun! I'm thinking a ride and tie is in my future. I've never seen a video of one before, thanks for sharing.


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## egrogan

There was a moment in the video where you ride up to a cute little grey horse tied up alone in the woods...I was sort of laughing to myself because s/he was just sort of standing there, ho hum, and looked at you as you rode by with an expression like, "hey guys, how's it going, don't you want to stick around to be my friend?" but then continued to stand nice and calmly as you rode on.

Got me wondering how you train a horse to be so accepting of standing alone in the woods, being passed and left behind by other horses? I think Isabel would have taken half the woods down with her to follow along with other horses rather than be left alone! :redface: 

The horses that do this sport continue to impress me!


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## phantomhorse13

egrogan said:


> Got me wondering how you train a horse to be so accepting of standing alone in the woods, being passed and left behind by other horses? I think Isabel would have taken half the woods down with her to follow along with other horses rather than be left alone!


That was actually a big concern of mine too, when DH started talking about wanting to do this with Sultan. While all of our horses tie, Sultan is not known for his patience. Lani's advice was rope halter with lead rope perm attached (so no hardware that could break), and hard tie him higher than the wither to a solid tree with not too much slack. She said most horses fuss some the first few times, but quickly figure out the procedure assuming they don't get themselves loose. 

It worked! Dean said Sultan was antsy the first time he tied him, but he was still there when Steph got to him. [Sultan did his first ride and tie back in April.] By the third tie, he was totally chill about the whole thing, already looking back down the trail for Steph as Dean ran the other way!


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## Celeste

Congratulations on your win! What does "Equathon" mean? Did you win the whole thing, or were you the fastest for separate rider and runner? I am a bit confused on the terminology.

I am always so impressed with you and your riding!

You are my hero as always!


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## cbar

That looks like so much fun!! I've heard of events like that and always wanted to do one - since I love running AND riding. But I don't think they have them up here (or at least they aren't as popular). 

Great pics, and I'm so happy to hear you guys all finished well and had a good time!


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## phantomhorse13

Celeste said:


> What does "Equathon" mean? Did you win the whole thing, or were you the fastest for separate rider and runner?


Equathon is a division (for lack of a better term) within ride and tie. It is its own event, so even though I was sharing trail with the short and long course ride and tiers, I was not competing against them. Equathon is one riding section and one running section (in this case, 16.5 miles and 6.5 miles respectively). The same person can do both the riding and the running or one person can ride and another person runs. The runner can start his/her section once the horse's pulse has reached criteria at the vet check. I suspect they added this event onto the normal ride and tie events to help draw in people who liked to ride but didn't like to run (aka, me!).




cbar said:


> That looks like so much fun!! I've heard of events like that and always wanted to do one - since I love running AND riding. But I don't think they have them up here (or at least they aren't as popular).


Ride and Tie seems to be most popular on the west coast, which is why the championship being this far east was a really big deal. Most times they seem to be run in conjunction with distance rides, but even here they are not all that common. I can think of only 7 events off the top of my head that have ride and ties, out of all the AERC and ECTRA rides all season! You could always check out the Ride and Tie website and see if any are around you - hope you are pleasantly surprised.


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## frlsgirl

Congrats on your win!


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## phantomhorse13

DH and I headed up to Maine for the Pine Tree rides last Sunday. We had decided to take all 3 boys, so packing was especially exciting as I didn't have a spare stall like normal. I managed to cram everything from the stall plus 10 bales of hay into the living quarters - it was mighty cozy!! 






The drive was not short but relatively uneventful. A handful of people were already there, but we were able to get the stalls we like. Setting up took a lot longer than normal, as of course everything had to come out of the LQ and go into the horse section!











On Monday, we took advantage of having a free day to take the dogs down to the river to play. That also gave us a chance to look at the new trail that had been cut after a large tree blocked the normal river access.










We got the horses vetted in without incident. Phin and Sultan would be doing the 50 the next day.

In the morning, there was a delay of the start due to an accident which resulted in a closed road.. detouring traffic onto the gravel road we used to get to the first hold (which was away from camp). I am generally not good at having to wait, as my stomach tends to get quite upset. Luckily, breakfast stayed where I put it and the accident was cleared much sooner than we expected. The weather was already warm and humid, which didn't bode well for later in the day.










A little after 7, we were off! Another friend on a green horse had asked to ride with us and we tried to be the last people out of camp. There was a big turnout compared to some years (I believe 23 started!) and we weren't looking to race.










Unfortunately, Phin did not get that memo! I am not sure if he was reacting to Dart (who was a touch cranked up) or the other set of horses we picked up just out of camp.. but he was like riding a keg of dynamite with the fuse lit. He was all over the place and had 2 different tantrums that involved bucking and then what felt like getting light in front. :eek_color:

I was quite surprised and none too pleased with his behavior. Eventually some of the extras backed off and another lady went ahead, which helped some.. but not totally. This ride is quite flat compared to most, so there was nothing to take the edge off. When we went by the hold for the first time, he finally started to settle down. 



















The 3 mile lollipop loop after passing the hold was swarming with blood-sucking insects. And I don't mean one or two, I mean _hundreds_ of them. It made both us and the horses crazy and certainly did nothing to help Phin settle down. I was never so happy to leave an area and get into the hold, as I was so itchy I didn't know what to do with myself. [The bites were so bad and so on top of each other, I looked like I had poison ivy!]










Phin and Sultan pulsed down immediately and Dart was only a moment or two behind. We left the tack on to give the mosquitoes a bit less surface area to attack - notice the long sleeves on Evelyn despite the warm temperatures! I was amazed the horses were even interested in eating, as all I wanted to do was dance around smacking myself.










That hold couldn't have been over fast enough. As we got back on trail for the loop back to camp, we caught up with another couple riders.. and that had Phin beside himself again. While he didn't have any more tantrums, he was a head-flipping, agitated fool. Boy did I wish for a nice hill to climb, but the fields were nothing but flat and lovely.










to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

The horses had no issue pulsing down at the next hold and we were able to pull tack as we were away from the bugs. It was quite hot by that point and I was starting to feel it, as I had not been taking care of myself on trail since I was arguing with Phin. Thank goodness for Nicole and Evelyn, who took charge of the 3 horses so we riders could take care of ourselves. I took a bunch of advil and drank some pepsi, as well as forced myself to gag down a protein shake and some granola. I was still not feeling quite right when it was time to head out on the next loop.

We had company in the river for this crossing, but luckily these ladies were quite nice to stop paddling and talk to me as they went by, as Phin didn't know what to make of them!










This loop involved both going around the fields and going along some single track and gravel roads. We were so thankful for the shade, as the temperature was mid-90s. Damage from some of the strong storms they had last week was still evident in places.










We got into the last hold and were so happy for a shady spot. The horses pulsed and vetted without issue, but the people were definitely feeling the heat. I had done much better drinking that loop, so I didn't feel nearly as wonky. 










Soon enough, it was time for the last loop. The sun made going around the fields a toasty experience, but the footing was good and we let the horses move out.










I made a point to take Phin into the deepest parts of the river, as the cold water felt simply wonderful. At one place it was nearly to my shins!










We got back into camp without issue. Phin and Dart vetted out with no issues.. but Sultan was off on his right hind. Shiitake. I found a tight muscle in that leg, so we double dosed him with elytes and worked on massage and stretching. We worked on him for all the time allowed (you have 60 minutes after crossing the finish line to pass the whole exam), and he did improve some.. but not enough. He was not given a completion. :icon_frown:

I decided to stand Phin for BC, not because I expected to win (the front runners were an hour ahead of us), but simply because its good experience for him and who doesn't like a free vet exam? He was happy to return to his pen and nap.
























We crossed the finish line tied for 7th, but wound up moving up to 5th when it was discovered the leading 2 riders had taken a wrong turn and missed some trail. A nice surprise considering I just wanted to finish.

Not long after the BC exam, we sat down for dinner and the skies opened in a spectacular storm. I haven't seen such a lightning display since having visited Texas.










to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 3:

On Wednesday, the ride got started right on time. DH and George went out at the front of the pack, while Nicole and I hung back and let everyone else go (though at only 12 starters, there weren't tons of people anyway). Phin was quite riled to start with, having left George after we tacked up. I was not looking forward to another morning of stupid.. but thank goodness he settled down quickly!










Nicole was nervous but excited about starting her first endurance-distance ride. I had to laugh when management decided to make it the 55 mile day (which had originally been scheduled for Thursday). The weather was already humid and not exactly cool.. and the bugs were out.










The first loop was the same as the previous day and I was pleased to see the torrential rain hadn't left nearly as much mud as I had feared. There was even a slight touch of a breeze to help break up the morning fog.










While Phin pulsed down at the first hold basically as soon as we arrived, Polo took a bit longer and I waited to go up with him. George and DH were also in the hold, which lead to a noisy reunion. George had vetted out fine, but was refusing to eat (which is not atypical of him during the first hold). 










The vetting revealed that Phin was getting a bit sensitive around his girth, so I pulled his tack to give the spots a break. DH and George headed out, leaving Phin to take Polo's good example of eating everything that wasn't nailed down! When I tacked back up, I left the girth a hole looser than normal and slathered him with desitin, holding that might help the sensitivity.










We left that hold with some extra company, as Evelyn had been pulled at that hold, leaving Jeff alone. His mare was not happy without company, so of course we said he could come along with us. Phin eyed her a bit, but thank goodness kept his head and didn't repeat the nonsense of the day before.










The ride back to camp was a worrisome one for me, as I watched Phin's heartrates skyrocket if we went much over an easy jog. While he went along happy as could be, that girth was obviously bothering him. Shiitake. When we got into the hold, I could see George back in the pen and DH waiting with Evelyn at the gate for us. Double shiitake!

George had felt great on the loop back to camp, but took a funny step in the river. He was slightly lame behind at the hold. Pulled. Ugh.

While Phin pulsed without issue and passed his vetting, I knew I couldn't continue like I was. Not only was his girth sensitive, his loin was starting to be as well, as he traveled hollowed out to try to save his girth. While I did have a spare saddle with me, the Torsion has the same girth placement as the Rubicon. If I hadn't been escorting Nicole around in her first ride, I would have rider optioned at that point.. but I didn't want to abandon Nicole with the hardest part yet to come, so I formulated a plan.

I asked Evelyn if she was willing to lend me her Pandora saddle. While her rigging wasn't set up in a way I could use it as true center fire, the back billet strap was about 2 inches farther back than mine. Evelyn graciously agreed, so I rigged up the girth to be basically attached only to the back billet, with the front one a hole looser on each side just to keep the straps from flapping. I didn't think to take a side-on picture as the hold went super fast with all my tack adjusting, but you can sort of see what I did here.










As we left camp, Jeff commented that he could see daylight between my girth and Phin and did I want to fix it.. my answer was no. I hoped the breastcollar would help stabilize the saddle and that after 75 miles Phin was over being silly.

There were lots of people using the river, but Phin wasn't bothered since they would have eaten Polo first. You can see here just how far back the girth is compared to my other saddle.










I held my breath for the first mile, hoping like heck the saddle would be stable and Phin's heartrates would be better. It worked!! I felt pretty comfortable in the saddle and Phin's rates went back down to normal. HUGE sigh of relief.










That loop was quite slow, as the temps were really climbing and Polo is a heavy muscled guy. We walked all the shady places to help keep him from cooking, but then got chewed on by bugs. We eventually made it back to the hold and I was happy to see the plan had paid off. Polo only took a few minutes longer than the Arabs did to make pulse. Unfortunately, Jeff's horse was off behind, so he got pulled. But Phin's girth and back were actually less sensitive! Woohoo!

The last loop was the same as the previous day, so I knew it would be hot but relatively easy going. Polo was doing well, but Nicole was another matter. Her legs were bothering her a lot and we basically had to threaten her to get her back into the horse for the last loop.

Going out, all she wanted to do was walk. While I understood her feeling bad, I also knew that the longer the loop took, the more chance there was of Polo either cooking (since most of it was in the sun) or one of the horses cramping up. I tried to explain that to Nicole, but she was past the point of really hearing me. Knowing I had warned her I would get her through the ride no matter how mean I had to be.. I did what needed to be done.

I started out in the lead, but Polo stayed at a walk when Nicole didn't cue him to go faster.. so I dropped back to ride beside them and clucked to ask Polo to move forward. Despite Nicole's colorful language, Polo listened to my clucking and moved out. Because Nicole wasn't steering, I found it easier to follow them, so I could move Phin to either side and herd Polo in the direction he needed to go.

Poor Phin wasn't sure what on earth I was asking him to do to begin with, but he listened to my cues and I think eventually figured out the game. I didn't have time to take pictures or video, as I was too busy. Polo was an angel and soon was ignoring Nicole and only listening to my verbal commands. Before long, we were back to the river for the last time.










Coming into the finish, I knew Polo would want to hang right to head back to his pen and Hombre, so Phin and I ran interference.. the video is pretty entertaining. I think the expression on Nicole's face says just how poorly she felt.. but she endured and we finished!!
























In the end, we managed to place 5th as there were several pulls. Mostly, I was so **** proud of Phin I was almost in tears. Nicole needed a few minutes to gather herself in her trailer, but then she was my friend again and apologized for spending the whole last loop cursing at me. 










I am so proud of Phin!! :loveshower:

We volunteered on Thursday before heading home Friday morning. Traffic was awful and we were so happy to be home. All 3 boys trotted off sound as they frolicked around the paddocks.


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## cbar

Wow! Sounds like you had some challenges on this one. That's awesome that you found a solution for Phin's girth....otherwise Nicole likely wouldn't have finished? Sometimes there is no solution other than tough love; and she is probably so glad that you pushed her & Polo to get it done (although, probably not so much at the time, hey?) Good for you & Phin!!!!


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## phantomhorse13

cbar said:


> Wow! Sounds like you had some challenges on this one. That's awesome that you found a solution for Phin's girth....otherwise Nicole likely wouldn't have finished? Sometimes there is no solution other than tough love; and she is probably so glad that you pushed her & Polo to get it done (although, probably not so much at the time, hey?)


While I will never know for sure.. if I hadn't gone on she would have been out on that last loop alone (as Jeff was pulled). I suspect she would have quit at the last hold.. and even if we had shoved her onto Polo and led her out of camp.. walking that whole loop may or may not have gone well. Too many variables to know for sure.

But I am super proud of her for getting it done, even with her colorful language.

And now I am saddle shopping.. :eek_color: :shrug:


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## AnitaAnne

WooHoo!! What an adventure! You and Phin doing it cowboy style...first a little rodeo (bucking) then some herding (Polo) with a bit of Dressage (light in front) thrown in! 

That does look super flat and super hot. Would have been tempted to jump in that water for a bit along with the horses. 

Congratulations on the 5th place finish!! 

Congratulation to Nicole too on her completion on her first time! She definitely is fortunate to have you to herd oops I mean mentor her :grin:

Does Phin need a new saddle or a second saddle? 

Love all the videos too. Really great pictures of you and your DH.


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> Does Phin need a new saddle or a second saddle?


This is still kind of up in the air. DH agrees the current saddle is likely not going to work for longer distances.. but whether I keep the rubicon or sell it to help finance the cost of a new one hasn't been decided yet.

I am inclined to keep it, as it does well for Phin in the 50s and maybe it will fit whatever horse we get when George and Sultan retire.. but that is easy for me to say as the non-working member of the household! :hide:


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## AnitaAnne

phantomhorse13 said:


> This is still kind of up in the air. DH agrees the current saddle is likely not going to work for longer distances.. but whether I keep the rubicon or sell it to help finance the cost of a new one hasn't been decided yet.
> 
> I am inclined to keep it, as it does well for Phin in the 50s and maybe it will fit whatever horse we get when George and Sultan retire.. but that is easy for me to say as the non-working member of the household! :hide:


Let me know if you are interested in a FreeForm...girth placement seems to be similar to a centerfire, at least on my horses anyway. 

IMO you need two also, as his skin may get sore in any girth for extended distances. Or I guess you could ride bareback :razz:


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## egrogan

You had a real North Woods experience, flies, canoes, and summer humidity! I am still laughing about the canoes. I think if Isabel ever saw canoes in water, she'd go up in a puff of smoke before the alligators could eat her :wink: And she'd probably never cross water again.

Glad Nicole and Polo made it- her face in that completion picture is priceless.


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> Or I guess you could ride bareback :razz:


At a walk maybe.. as bouncy as he is, I don't think I could make 3 strides of trot before becoming a catapult.. :eek_color:




egrogan said:


> I am still laughing about the canoes. I think if Isabel ever saw canoes in water, she'd go up in a puff of smoke before the alligators could eat her :wink:


I think perhaps my saving grace with Phin was that he has seen kayaks in the creek here a couple of times.. though always next to the trail, never when we were in the water, too. He also had Sultan to lead the way, and no silly kayak is going to bother Sultan during a ride (now at _home_ is a whole different story..). 

One group actually had what could have been a very ugly experience when a group of 20+ canoes intentionally saw the riders and came flying down the river to surround the horses! The photographer said the boats were actually making contact with the horses, but luckily neither horse cared at all. I cannot imagine Phin would have stood still had a canoe actually touched him and those boaters would have been subjected to a lot of ugly language from me for being stupid enough to cause such a situation..


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## egrogan

Wow, that sounds terrifying. What were those people thinking??


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## carshon

I am having repeated girth issues as well and wondered if a shoulder relief girth would work for Phin? I am contemplating one for Tillie but they are really pricey!


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## phantomhorse13

carshon said:


> I am having repeated girth issues as well and wondered if a shoulder relief girth would work for Phin? I am contemplating one for Tillie but they are really pricey!


I am already using a shaped girth. While that did help (he was having issues on training rides in some girth types!) and has been working for 50s.. I don't know if its going to work for longer distances now.

Phin has a forward girth groove, but he also has a very distinct line of muscle running down his abdomen.. almost like a heave line. Where that muscle crosses the girth, it bulges out enough that the girth is always touching it. Eventually, the friction causes swelling and sensitivity. 










That muscle is always there and bulging slightly, even at rest. You can see how well developed its become, with that giant vein running along the top of it! I had hoped the shaped girth would shift things back enough to no longer irritate it.. but it's apparently not enough for longer distances. A saddle with center fire rigging would have the girth laying behind that spot (basically where the dirt starts), where the muscle isn't as prominent. Hoping that will solve that issue..


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## AnitaAnne

Oh my, that is a seriously giant vein in a very bad spot! 

_*puts on thinking cap*_

Tossing around ideas in my head of a modified girth. Thick, thick memory foam over that muscle and vein? Or does that spot somehow _have_ to be uncovered? 

The problem I have had with my forward girth groove horse is centerfire riggings won't stay put and the saddle slides forward. Of course he has no withers either :icon_rolleyes:


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> Oh my, that is a seriously giant vein in a very bad spot!
> 
> _*puts on thinking cap*_
> 
> Tossing around ideas in my head of a modified girth. Thick, thick memory foam over that muscle and vein? Or does that spot somehow _have_ to be uncovered?
> 
> The problem I have had with my forward girth groove horse is centerfire riggings won't stay put and the saddle slides forward. Of course he has no withers either :icon_rolleyes:


So far, every girth I have tried that touched that muscle has eventually caused issue.. some in as little as a 10 mile training ride, some only showing at 30+ miles. I have tried fleece (both thick and thin and natural and synthetic), mohair (both shaped and straight and with buckle covers and without), neoprene (both shaped and straight), and I tried a sheepskin cover over a variety of them as well. 

I really hoped this shaped, synthetic girth finally had the issue solved, but as the distance increased over 50/55, the issue has represented. And I really think how much of the girth touches that muscle is the root of the issue, because the more of the girth that touched it, the less that girth worked.

Luckily Phin has withers, so I am hoping that will help stabilize a center fire saddle. The trail in Maine didn't have much elevation change, but that saddle did seem to stay put for what we did encounter, and that was with the girth pretty much flapping. I have a handful of friends who ride in Pandora saddles and they absolutely rave about them. I was pretty skeptical when they first came out a few years ago, but they seem to be living up to the hype. I am lucky that someone fairly local to me has two and would be willing to meet me for a training ride and let me try her spare on Phin.

I appreciate the brainstorming as I sure wish I could find the right answer!!


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## AnitaAnne

I have a very large vein on the thumb side of my wrist; I cannot wear anything there (like a watch) even snug. It has to be very loose to be tolerable. Sometimes get flack from people for wearing watches loose :sad:

Makes me think irritation to the vein is the initial issue leading to irritation to the muscle below, yet caused by the muscle movement against a girth. 

Saddles look very high tech, fabulous you can borrow one for a bit!!! Can't wait to hear how it works for Phin.


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## tim62988

sounds like quite the adventure you guys had. i must say i've been very impressed with the versatility of the pandora. my wife has one and I think the new ones with the webbing for the girth straps may allow you to adjust the girth placement on the fly switching up the placement just a bit to keep Phin a bit happier.

tell your husband it's a sound investment, i've seen people listing them for the price of a new one... do they sell for that? or maybe $50 less? not sure which but they hold their resale which is why we took the chance and both love it but since my saddle still fits my horse I don't get to spend the $$ on the saddle, pad, stirrups & stirrup leathers just yet


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## frlsgirl

I wonder if someone like a saddler could make you a custom girthing rig? Maybe a criss-cross girthing system?

Also, it turns out distance riding is a thing in Germany as well and just like over here, they use Arabs. What surprised me is that they had to cross public beaches, busy roads etc. In addition to distance riding, they also had distance driving at the same time. And, OMG, they had a young Arab stallion ride along with everyone else. He was quite a handful.


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## phantomhorse13

frlsgirl said:


> I wonder if someone like a saddler could make you a custom girthing rig? Maybe a criss-cross girthing system?


Center fire rigging is basically a y-type rigging, which allows you to put the girth more forward or back depending on how you adjust the buckles on the girth. This is a random example I found online:











The new saddle I am looking at has this type of rigging. So, I can just align the girth to fall farther back, away from that ridge of muscle. Hopefully anyway!


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I went over to Nicole's to ride a new-to-us trail that she just got access to. The trail was meant to be a bmx racing course, so we weren't sure how horse-friendly it would be. I started out on Hombre with Nicole on Prada.

Heading to the trails, we happened upon a friend who was delivering mail. She is an avid photographer who snapped this great shot of us moseying down the road.










The trail was a combination of gravel road and single track trail. The road parts were pretty good. The off road parts, while extremely well marked, were a bit exciting in places. I can understand motorcycles not minding muddy, steep, and rooty creek crossings, but I was a bit curious how they would navigate up the very bouldery inclines! We also did a lot of ducking, as I guess people on motorcycles aren't as tall as riders on horses. :eek_color: 










One of the nicer parts of the single track.. the exciting places I was too busy riding to take pics.



















On the way back to the barn, we went via some farmland. We swapped horses so I got to ride Prada for the first time. She is a Paso Fino, so her gaits felt very different from Hombre's.










The main crop is cabbage.. and you could smell them before you got to them!










A fun ride, though I am not sure we will repeat all of the single track. The property does back up to some state gamelands though, so that will give us even more trails to explore next time.


9.29 miles, 926 feet of climb, 3.7 mph average pace, 80F real feel


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## SwissMiss

That's quite some elevation! And the real feel???? Can I come and visit?
It is always fun to explore new trails - even if you decide afterwards once was enough!

I think I mentioned that before, but Hombre is such a handsome fella!


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## PoptartShop

What a great ride!  And like I've said a million times before, THOSE COLORS!!! Love them!!


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## phantomhorse13

SwissMiss said:


> And the real feel???? Can I come and visit?


Yes it was lovely! A brief taste of coming fall. No worries, it didn't last (though at least it's not back to real feels in the triple digits)..


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## phantomhorse13

On Tuesday, I got George out. I expected him to be a bit up since it was the first ride back after a bit of time off.. and he did not disappoint. It was about 1000% humidity, but that didn't slow him down at all. I planned to do the Sugarloaf over to the yellow gate trail, hoping the climb would take the edge off and then we could do some consistent trot and canter work once he settled.

Up the Sugarloaf we went, and down the other side with no loss of enthusiasm! He was forward and looking for anything and nothing to spook at in an attempt to go faster. When we got down to cross the farm the first time, he decided the _soybeans_ - of all things! - were scary. The soybeans are only about knee high, so they are unlikely to hide much of anything, but there was no telling that to George..

When we got into the woods and headed for the climb up the Tomhicken, he didn't even pause. And his tongue was flapping like mad, so he was obviously enjoying himself.










I decided to go all the way down the yellow gate trail so we could come back up the gas line and I let him yeehaw a bit.. which finally took the edge off so he wasn't looking for a reason to spook every minute.










We had an interesting encounter going back down the Tomhicken. That section, about 1/2 mile, I generally get off and jog down.. partly to save the pounding on his legs and partly in a pathetic attempt to get myself fit. I was just getting to the point where I start wondering why I am jogging when I have a perfectly good horse to ride, when a bear wandered out of the bushes and appeared on trail. :eek_color:

Luckily for me, the sound of my gasping for breath as I jogged must have sounded pretty scary (or perhaps the sight of George and the jingling bells), but the bear took one look at us and bolted off the trail and up the side of the mountain. I suddenly had the motivation to keep right on running!! George, however, didn't bat an eye or even hesitate in his stride beside me.

Coming back across the farm, the soybeans were still a Very Bad Thing for reasons unknown. Gotta love a horse that isn't phased by a bear, but has enough sense of humor to act afraid of plants. George didn't mind all the construction equipment putting the new building up at the farm, but gave the stink eye to the next set of soybeans we passed. :icon_rolleyes:










Overall, it was a pretty fun ride even if George was so silly. And now I know that if I ever need him to do tempe changes, I just need to ride him past soybeans! :mrgreen:

11.87 miles, 1928 feet of climb, 5.5 mph average pace, 86F real feel


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## knightrider

I didn't just "like" this, I "loved" it! My horse Chorro has encountered bears at Doe Lake about 8 times and never bats an ear. But, boy those horse eating butterflies really get to him. I loved the part about the dangerous soybeans.


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> But, boy those horse eating butterflies really get to him.


Lol - butterflies! Gotta love a horse.


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## egrogan

For Izzy it's boulders. Wildlife, no big deal. A boulder you can suddenly see when grass starts wilting in the fall- sheer terror.

Another sense of humor moment today- she's been thinking puddles and small streams are sure death all summer, but today we rode over some huge puddles with big frogs (or toads? I can never remember which ones do water) jumping around and poking their noses up to breathe, and she was ho hum about it.

Yep, horses....


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I went over to Nicole's to do some more exploring on the new trails. Momma nature kept us to a very strict time schedule, as the first round of storms finished at breakfast and the next round was due just after lunch. It was 1000% humidity when we left the barn and it didn't improve much at all during the ride.

I started out on Polo with Nicole on Hombre. We stuck to the roads, as we expected the single tracks to be very muddy after the overnight rain. We found another path up the hill and this one had really nice footing most of the way.










When we got to the top, we were actually IN the clouds!










We found a way to get back to the state gamelands, but knowing it was supposed to storm, we didn't go very far to explore. On the way back down the hill, the sun actually peeked out for a few minutes.










Nicole and I swapped horses for the second part of the ride. The boys were quite enthusiastic about moving out, which we didn't mind as we could see the dark clouds starting to gather in the distance.




























We got back to the barn just as the first rain started falling, so the timing couldn't have been better!

11.86 miles, 1160 feet of climb, 5.8 mph average pace, 91F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

On Monday, I got both George and Sultan out. It was the only day this week I had available to ride, so I had to brave possible blindness from the eclipse. :wink:

George and I went over and did the Big Square. The weather was very humid, so the clouds were actually welcome to hide the broiling sun. George was feeling good and was as un-silly as he gets.




























One of the people who live on the private road got a new dog.. a heeler.. which was not only a horse-chaser, but was actually _nipping_ George's legs!! The owner had no control over it at all, which doesn't bode well for more riding there. George didn't care at all, but Phin would have been beserk.

11.08 miles, 1178 feet of climb, 6.2 mph average pace, 91F real feel


Because of our encounter with the dog, I decided I was not riding the Big Square with Sultan. Instead, we headed over to the Sugarloaf. Sultan was up and silly as I expected after his time off, so we alternated between climbing and schooling circles and figure 8s in the fields.









When it was time for the eclipse, we went up to the top of the Sugarloaf. It was interesting to hear silence, as all the birds and insects were quiet. The sunlight was a bit dimmed, but it wasn't all that noticeable.










I got lucky with the clouds and managed to get this shot, as I wasn't riding with eclipse glasses (or the welding helmet :wink, so did not spend any time looking at the sun.










Sultan couldn't have cared less and did not stare at the sun and blind himself (nor did any of the other horses, left at home out in the pasture with only their normal fly masks on). :icon_rolleyes:

I didn't notice much difference in the shadow the eclipsed sun cast, but we were only at about 78%. A quarter sun is still pretty darn bright!









12.04 miles, 1842 feet of climb, 5.4 mph average pace, 89F real feel


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## Celeste

That too bad about the dog. Will one of your horses chase the dog and terrorize him?


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## AnitaAnne

The problem with heelers; they nip :frown_color: Hope the owner gets some more control before your next ride there. 

Nice shot of the eclipse! I was working so couldn't watch although turns out a lot of employees did make it outside and shred the glasses.


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## phantomhorse13

Celeste said:


> That too bad about the dog. Will one of your horses chase the dog and terrorize him?


Either Sultan or George would turn and run down a dog if asked. Phin will too with barking dogs, not sure what he would do at think point if the dog made contact first.. he's been unhappy about dogs since that pair attacked him when I first got him.

Problem is, the dog belongs to the (adult) daughter of the property owner.. so running over the dog or bringing a water pistol full of vinegar to squirt him with (or any other tactic I have tried with annoying dogs) may not be the best way to keep my riding privileges. :-?


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## frlsgirl

Ana gets super irritated with the barn dogs and will try to chase them away; when we trail ride they come with us and Ana will lower her head, pin her ears like "we aren't going to have problems, are we" lol.

I guess that's part of the excitement of distance riding; you never know what you might encounter. I watched another German video on distance riding; and it turns out they do use other breeds as well; this particular video was of an older lady with an 18 year old Hanno mare; they rode clear across Schleswig Holstein from the Northern sea to the Eastern sea; at was the first time for the horse to go on a ferry, and it was well behaved but then freaked out later over pigs; I guess a lot of horses do not like pigs. But she arrived safe and sound on the other side.


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## phantomhorse13

frlsgirl said:


> I guess that's part of the excitement of distance riding; you never know what you might encounter.


This is so true! There are rides which are well known for their on-trail monsters:

Fort Valley has the Minis of Death
Northeast Challenge has the Savage Chained Pitbull (tho honestly, this one scares me too.. god help whoever is near that dog if he ever breaks that chain..
Iron Mountain has Killer Cattle
Carolina has Drunken Hunting ******** (yes, really!)

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:


Hector Half Hundred has cattle as well.. will be interesting to see how Phin reacts to them when they aren't safely on the other side of the fence!


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## SwissMiss

And don't forget the horse-eating butterflies, which are everywhere!

Almost fell off my horse laughing, when my buddies mare spooked and tried to bolt because of a butterfly!
But that is the same horse that is ridden in a forest ALL THE TIME and still spooks at every tiny branch that is on the trail, so...


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I got George out. I wanted to give him a fast work as a final prep before the next competition, so I headed over to the space needle loop. George was feeling mighty fine and did not limit his silliness to soybeans this time. I am not sure if he was trying to give me a chiropractic adjustment or make sure I keep my appointment on Thursday, but he was one ongoing spook.. and the tongue never stopped flapping. I am glad one of us was having such a good time. :icon_rolleyes:











Here I managed to take a picture of the Terrible Tree Branch, one of many, many things that tried to eat George today:









Here are some very dangerous Horse Eating Shadows:










I was thrilled that someone had done a bit of trail maintenance.. George spooked at the missing weeds. Pretty funny to watch a horse spook at the _lack_ of something! :shrug:









On a good note, George's recoveries were fantastic and he is more than ready for the next ride!!

12.01 miles, 1314 ft of climb, 7.4 mph average pace, 73F real feel


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## SwissMiss

Sorry, but I just laughed out loud while reading this!
Yes, not fun while you are sitting on them, but for sure entertaining to read (and for sure to watch as well)!


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## egrogan

phantomhorse13 said:


> I was thrilled that someone had done a bit of trail maintenance.. George spooked at the missing weeds. Pretty funny to watch a horse spook at the _lack_ of something! :shrug:


YES! A friend did some trail maintenance for us a couple of weeks ago and widened the path around our water crossing-Isabel used that as an excuse to not just hesitate at the water but to throw in a full spin. 

Thankfully after that she seemed to realize it was actually a lot less claustrophobic to go over it without so many saplings crowding the trail, and now she's not even hesitating.

Hope the next ride goes well!


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## carshon

I too had to laugh at all of the horse eating items on your ride. Tillie seems to have a case of the sillies these last couple of weeks and is shying at things only she seems to see as well as the logs, boulders, her riding buddies - well just about anything. 

So glad he was feeling good though!


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## Change

Cally doesn't like the Horse Eating Chickens on the far side of the cotton field. Tango is sure that the wind ruffling the cotton plants is really a Hidden Tiger stalking him. And then there are the Very Dangerous For Sale signs!!

Both horses willingly spin toward the loose heeler across the street. I think one of them may have kicked him once, because once the horse faces him, he retreats back to the porch.


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## bsms

Bandit and I encountered the Tree Limb of Death again today. I'll share because we've dealt with the Tree Limb of Death a dozen times now, with varying levels of success, but today's encounter was interesting. 

It is a dead tree branch that hangs out and over the narrow wash, maybe horse head height. We've always approached it from the north before. We usually get past it, but invariably with drama.

This time, we had zig-zagged across desert, dodging cactus and dropping into the wash south of the TLOD. As we got closer, Bandit balked. My DIL was on Cowboy, and he pushed a little closer...but Bandit was balking, so Cowboy decided it was too scary. But Cowboy was closer and not in a good position to turn around.

At that point, without any further urging from me, Bandit pressed forward. He pressed against Cowboy so hard that both Cowboy and my DIL were riding thru branches themselves, but Bandit stayed a little forward and between Cowboy and the TLOD. Bandit stayed in the exposed position until Cowboy was safely past as well, with Bandit keeping close watch on the TLOD. Then both sighed, and we continued on with relaxed horses.

Had we been alone, I don't think Bandit was going past it today. It may look scary from the north, but from the south? SCARY!

I think the only reason Bandit went by today was to help Cowboy. When Cowboy stalled out, too close for comfort but without much room to turn, Bandit very deliberately moved into "danger" and kept Cowboy protected until both were safely past. He's the most cautious horse I've owned or met. But if he sees a reason to do something, why it is needed, he becomes my bravest horse.

It was similar to when we were crossing the desert. Bandit hates to be confined, and he hates to push into brush. But we reached a point where we either needed to turn back, or push between two 5' tall, spine covered trees (_well, that is what we call 5' shrubs in Arizona!_) to get to an open area. Bandit hesitated, but he could see the open area as well as I could. So after a moment of thought, he pushed through, scratching both of us. Reliable Cowboy followed.

If I put two poles up in the arena, and attached pool wands to them, Bandit would buck rather than go between. Why risk death by pool wands if you can go around? But he's the bravest horse I own IF he sees a reason. If he doesn't...well, he doesn't and we won't.


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## phantomhorse13

bsms said:


> It may look scary from the north, but from the south? SCARY!


Amazing how seeing the same thing from a different angle or direction can elicit such a reaction.

I actually did this with (to?) Phin today..

Nicole was supposed to come over but unfortunately she wasn't feeling well and had to cancel. I am not sure I will have any other days to ride this week, so today it was. Phin didn't need a big ride, just a jaunt to make sure all the parts are working before this next competition. I expected him to be up and silly as he's been resting after the last competition, so not ridden in over 3 weeks.. and the weather has decided to be fall, with temps only in the low 60s and a cool breeze.

We didn't even get out of the yard before Phin's first heart attack, which was a result of the OMG-Where-Did-That-Come-From (new) Deck, which was occupied by the Horse-Cooking Grill from H#ll (which had a slighty flapping cover over it). I would have laughed if I wasn't so busy trying to keep him from leaving the area.

I had planned to go up the Sugarloaf and then down around the farm and home. That would have given me a bit of climbing and then places for all gaits. But after seeing just how cranked up he was, I decided that I needed a new plan. We focused on walking (calmly or otherwise) and lateral work in an attempt to find our happy place so we could live long enough to get to the Sugarloaf..

Once we got there, we walked up the Sugarloaf. Walking itself is apparently hard because it gives the monsters a longer window to attack. And there were monsters everywhere.. :icon_rolleyes:

Note the Horse-Eating Trees..









After climbing the Sugarloaf did nothing to settle him down, I decided to change things up and reverse my normal trail around the backside. I normally do it a specific direction because the terrain is more friendly for trotting that way, but since I was just going to walk it didn't matter about doing it backwards.

Well it sure mattered to Phin! Even though he has been that route a bunch of times, seeing things from the opposite way was Very, Very Bad.

Here we have the Impaling Sign of Death, which was located alarmingly near the Killer Soybeans..









This path was a huge conundrum for Phin as it was heading towards home, but had both Killer Soybeans _and_ Horse-Eating Trees..









And then there was the Terrible Pond. This place is awful in his opinion on even a normal day, so I was very curious how things would go today..















He actually was better about it than he is most days! Go figure. :grin:

I am happy to report we did make it home - at a walk - and all of our limbs were still attached. And I made sure to dismount beside the Horse-Cooking Grill (and nobody died). :lol:

6.89 miles, 1042 feet of climb, 4.1 mph average pace, 62F real feel


After I finished with Phin (and he ran many many laps around George upon his release, so glad to see all that work exhausted him), I went to torture Sultan with his new exercise program. 

As you know, we have been having issues with his lack of topline, and after ruling out every medical thing I could think of, we (that being my vet, the chiro who is also a vet, a bodyworker, and my communicator friend) came to the conclusion that his issue may be a result of his living situation. A little over a year ago, he got placed into his own pasture when he would not stop acting studdish over Dream and beating the snot out of Phin. His behavior was so extreme that he was even hurting himself in the process. Seeing as the others got along fine and he was the only problem, he went into the paddock beside everyone else. Overall he seemed to do well with the arrangement, eating well, etc. Though he did spend some time pacing the fence, it didn't seem excessive so we didn't think much of it.

Now, we wonder if Sultan was pacing more than we realized.. and in the process, he was picking his head way up and traveling massively inverted. Also, in thinking about the pacing I did see, it seemed like he tended to do it only facing left.. so as a result, he was not only inverted, he was crooked, too! He passes all the traditional lameness tests (flexions, circles, etc) with no issues. The chiro was consistently finding soreness in his lower back/loin and felt he was much stiffer bending to the right than left. The bodyworker agreed and it correlated with what I would feel under saddle in terms of turns.

Dream is now turned out with Sultan. That seems to have totally eliminated the pacing. However, we are still left with needing to correct the unevenness and hopefully build his topline back up. It was suggested to try some longe work, to not only work him in easy circles to encourage the stiff side to stretch, but to also encourage him to go with his back in a less inverted position.

I have no idea when the last time Sultan wore a bit was.. likely over 10 years ago, as DH has ridden him in the hack ever since his very first season. DH isn't sure if he's ever gone in side reins, so I started with them super super loose just in case he had a problem. I am generally not one for gadgets, but they will be adjusted loosely enough to be only a suggestion (versus cranking his head down and creating a whole new and different set of issues).

Other than being insulted, he did much better than I expected. I even got some relaxing and better posture at times.



















The plan is to longe him daily or every other day, starting with a few minutes on the bad side, then a few minutes on the good side, and ending with a few more minutes on the bad side. 

Guess we shall see if this makes a difference or if I am simply tormenting him..


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## carshon

The horse eating (insert object here) stories crack me up! So glad it is not just Silly Tillie with issues these last couple of weeks. Kind of tired of my family laughing at me as my horse spins or jumps at well........ insert object of your choice here.


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## phantomhorse13

carshon said:


> The horse eating (insert object here) stories crack me up! So glad it is not just Silly Tillie with issues these last couple of weeks. Kind of tired of my family laughing at me as my horse spins or jumps at well........ insert object of your choice here.


Nope, def not just your horses. And from posts from friends on the book of faces, it's not just us either. The reasons (excuses?) people come up with are pretty entertaining too: the eclipse, the changing weather, the fact mercury is in retrograde, and the hurricane are just some I have seen. :lol: :shrug: :dance-smiley05:


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## AnitaAnne

Yeah, spooking at seen and unseen horse-eating monsters! Our horses' idea of an interesting ride :evil:

That monster deck should be fun for quite a while for all the horses. Phin was reporting to George everything he did as he ran around him..._wait until you see what they put up at the house!! A huge wooden bridge and I didn't even have to walk over it! I was jumping all over the place though, just in case she tried to make me..._


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## frlsgirl

Poor Phin - does he watch horror movies in his spare time or why is everything so spooky to him? ;0) He certainly seems like he's just waiting for something to jump up and eat him!

Oh lunging, yeah I'm supposed to do that with Ana too but I always seem to talk myself out of it. She always looks so tortured plus none of the equipment fits her all that well; I'm sure you can relate as your horses are about Ana's size.


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## phantomhorse13

frlsgirl said:


> She always looks so tortured plus none of the equipment fits her all that well; I'm sure you can relate as your horses are about Ana's size.


Oh yes - I am a master at using the leather hole punch and/or modifying things with twine!! :mrgreen:


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## Change

We finally had the old mobile home removed from the lower property. You would think that something being missing wouldn't be scary - but no! Something ATE the trailer and is now looking for prime horse-flesh! The wouldn't go within 20 feet of the fence line that used to be 5 feet from the trailer! And every few minutes, even while grazing on Real Live Grass, they had to check for the Trailer-Eater.

Funniest part of all of this - they watched their old friend being hauled away.


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## bsms

FWIW, I told the farrier yesterday about Bandit and the empty potato chip bag of death. He laughed and asked if Bandit then was scared when the bag disappeared.

Yep.

I pointed out that if horses handed out medals, the horse heroes would be the ones who said, "_Nope! Sorry! Not worth the risk! How about we turn around and go get a bite to eat._.."


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## phantomhorse13

This past weekend, we trekked north to the Lake Seneca, NY area for the Hector Half Hundred ride. We took George and Phin and planned on the 50 for both. We went up Thursday afternoon and were treated with quite the show by momma nature along the way; we saw 6 different rainbows, including this full double!










We got to camp and set up before dark. The only other rig there was Patti and Rich (and Iggy), as the guys were to be the parking directors the following day when camp officially opened. Phin was pretty agitated, staring off into the distance at nothing we could see, then pacing around his pen. George was totally unconcerned, as was Iggy. Phin was still eating hay between pacing rounds, so I figured there wasn't much I could do about it.

The next day was busy with helping get things set up and everyone arriving. When another rig set up on our other side, Phin apparently decided that horse would get eaten before him and settled down. The forecast had been for a slight chance of showers, but unfortunately we got quite a bit of rain.










We weren't sure what to expect from the trails, as they were notorious for being very ugly with bad weather. The area had been fairly dry beforehand, so we hoped for the best. At least it didn't rain any more!

The morning was fairly cool but muggy. The ground didn't seem to have dried much overnight. We got tacked up without issue and then separated to warm up: we have learned that George and Phin do not do well together at rides, so would not be riding together. Originally I had planned to ride with Nicole and Polo, but she wound up not coming to the ride at all. I tried to keep Phin out of sight of George, but George was doing a lot of calling, so Phin was well aware of him. When trail opened, I went out mid-pack, but Phin knew George was up ahead somewhere and was on a mission to find him.

Luckily for me, it wasn't too long before I came across some friends on their super-experienced horses who didn't mind letting Phin tag along while he was looking for his brain. Phin was not real pleased to find his efforts to rush ahead and find George stifled, but I sure was!










The first loop was 20 miles. There was a nice mix of wooded singletrack, gravel road, and open land. The open fields were actually cow pastures. Phin was very aware of the cows, but luckily none came too terribly close and the other horses never batted an eye at them. [The lady in the blue is an FEI-level rider on her international mare and the man in the teal is in the AERC Hall of Fame and has over 27,000 miles, including over 150 one-day 100s!! So I could not have asked for better babysitters.] 










The sun was starting to peek out as we headed back to camp for the first hold. Phin had settled down for the most part, though he did keep a sharp eye out for any wayward cows!

George was in camp when we arrived, so there was much hollering. I am trying very hard to not allow Phin to be herdbound, so we went right past our rig to the vetting area, where I pulled tack and vetted him through. I was pleased he pulsed down without issue, despite George screaming like an idiot from the trailer.

Our friend Rachel took a break from being unofficial photographer to crew us at the hold. This was hugely helpful as George was no longer eating (he'd been there about 30 minutes already), so instead was looking all around. That made Phin want to look all around instead of eat, so holding the pan under his nose helped to keep him focused. [This is why we don't ride them together; now I know to plan to have my hold stuff away from the trailer if I expect George to be there at all!]










Unfortunately, George was a bit off in the hind during the vetting. When DH took him back for a recheck at the end of their hold, he was still off, so was pulled. It was the same leg that was not right in Maine: ugh.

Phin had pulsed down before the group we had been riding with. One was out 2 minutes after us, the others 5 minutes. I decided I would take Phin out of camp alone as it would be good for him, expecting the others to catch up to me not far down the trail.

Phin left camp with only a bit of hesitation, which was pretty impressive as we had to ride right past a screaming George in the pen on the way out. It wasn't too long before I heard hoofbeats behind us, but it was not who I expected to see catching me, but instead another group of friends. I think Phin was just as happy for the company as I was.










The second loop was 18 miles out to an away hold. We traveled with the big group for a while, which was very helpful when dealing with scary things like cows against the fence:










However, once we got onto the first set of road, most of that group wanted to move out faster than I wanted Phin to go. We backed off along with 2 others. Phin happily led the way.










This loop was a lot more single track, some of which was muddy and some of which was full of roots and downed trees. I was very glad we weren't in the fast-moving group!










Phin led the entire loop, including through the cow pastures. We actually opened and shut one of the gates without having to dismount, a first during a competition. He also took very good care of himself, grabbing bites of grass along the way and drinking well at every opportunity.










We got into the away hold and I pulled tack right at the pulse area. The vet area was right beside a farm building with flapping tarps, which Phin eyed with great suspicion. He looked like a halter horse his trot was so animated - the vets were all laughing at him. I was a bit concerned his second pulse would be sky high, but it wasn't enough to concern the vet.

My wonderful DH came out to the hold to crew. He had set up our stuff a bit away from any other horses. I wasn't sure what Phin would think of leaving his new friends, but I was thrilled to see him ignore the other horses totally and dig into his food! He cleaned up a double ration of beet pulp, pellets, and oats before moving on to his hay.












to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

We headed out onto the final 12 mile loop having lost one member of our trip when his horse was off, but gaining another. The new addition was another extremely experienced rider on her old campaigner - so old, in fact, that finishing this ride gave them their DOUBLE decade award (as in, they did at least one 50 mile ride every year for TWENTY YEARS in a row). There are only a handful of horses in the history of AERC to have achieved such a thing!










The final loop in was some singletrack but also a lot of nice road, so we were able to make good time.










About halfway back to camp, one of the friends I was originally riding with caught up to us. I was pleased to be able to finish the day with her since she had helped so much on the first loop. 

The final trail around the vineyards overlooking Lake Seneca was just breathtaking.
























In the end, we wound up tied for 22nd, which was right where I expected to be in a field of 40 starters. Phin didn't act like he had done anything and certainly could have gone out for more. 



















:cowboy:


DH called our vet while waiting for me at the hold, to arrange for her to come out to pull blood on George. We aren't sure what is causing his issue, but want to do some tests to rule things out (like Lyme). I was so bummed they didn't finish another ride. :frown_color:


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## egrogan

Fingers crossed the news for George is more good than bad.


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## carshon

Also fingers crossed for George. @phantomhorse13 I share your videos with my husband. We do not ride endurance but trail ride - he has started using your "watch" cue and feels his mare is responding well and shying less. 

And he also reads your posts about the importance of eating and drinking on a ride. His mare has struggle with urinating away from home. This has been stressful for us as we sometimes trailer out of state for rides and may be gone for 12 or more hours at a time. He has learned (from your posts) how important eating and drinking are (doesn't want to listen to his wife) just mid-summer his mare has urinated on the trail a couple of times. We were so happy (odd what makes a horse person happy) and yesterday on a trail ride his mare drank from a stream - this was HUGE for us as we have a 17 mile ride coming up out of state and she really needs to drink when she can. (just an organized ride not endurance- it will take us all day to ride that ride!)

Thank you for your wonderful posts - they are entertaining was well as educational.


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## PoptartShop

Crossing my fingers as well for George. I hope he will be okay.

That really looks breathtaking! My oh my!  You guys look lovely!


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## phantomhorse13

carshon said:


> he has started using your "watch" cue and feels his mare is responding well and shying less.
> 
> We were so happy (odd what makes a horse person happy) and yesterday on a trail ride his mare drank from a stream - this was HUGE for us as we have a 17 mile ride coming up out of state and she really needs to drink when she can.


I am glad you are enjoying my posts and flattered that you are learning things from them! 

Hopefully your mare will keep improving, now that she has both urinated and drank on trail and not actually died from either activity. Amazing how silly horses can be.


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## frlsgirl

Thinking of George....


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## tim62988

glad the weather cooperated for the ride even if you did get some rain at the start of your trip, here in northern NY it was a flat out gorgeous week for riding.

i'm very impressed with you & Phin: you are racing without a bit and keeping a nice distance between other horses. the control you & i'm assuming your husband have over the horses both in their physical placement as well as their mental state of mind to focus on you vs rushing up on other horses is just awesome


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## Denisona2222

Hi, Im following your thred for quite some time and am enjoying the descriptions and videos of rides where you compete. Im also interested in endurance riding, however it is not popular in my area. However, I have a question about the video - some of the horses going in front of you in the video are keeping their tails elevated, i.e. keepig the tail relatively high. Could you, please, comment on why is it so?


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## phantomhorse13

tim62988 said:


> i'm very impressed with you & Phin: you are racing without a bit and keeping a nice distance between other horses. the control you & i'm assuming your husband have over the horses both in their physical placement as well as their mental state of mind to focus on you vs rushing up on other horses is just awesome


Well do keep in mind I am the one taking (and editing) the video clips.. so while I try hard to include an honest variety of trail and behavior.. sometimes if the horse I am riding is being a particular pill, I am not able to get the camera even turned on.. so you aren't going to see the less-than-stellar moments.

I try very hard to instill manners in all our horses (which includes not tailgating) and at least encourage it when I ride horses for others, and some days that works better than others. :wink:

I also try hard to not include moments where other horses are acting up. I wouldn't want someone posting not-so-nice footage of my horse.

A great example is the following clip, which I originally only made so the owner of the grey horse and the friend riding her could see what happened and maybe come up with a reason (the horse's owner has since asked me to make the video public as she used it on her blog):







I love how Phin handled himself in the situation, and Steele did come up the hill after us.. but it not something I would normally include in my ride videos. It's a great example of how things can go bad fast and why I try hard never to tailgate! Steele is a super mellow horse who rarely spooks and is generally a babysitter, so that whole episode was very surprising and unexpected.





Denisona2222 said:


> I have a question about the video - some of the horses going in front of you in the video are keeping their tails elevated, i.e. keepig the tail relatively high. Could you, please, comment on why is it so?


They have their tails high (aka, flagged) because they are excited and that is just what arabs do when they are silly. Other breeds can and will do it, too at times, but it really seems ingrained in most arabs. Some will go like that a good portion of the ride, some just do it in the beginning and then settle down. Personally, I find it fascinating to see if a particular horse always holds it to the same side or if they switch sides depending on the circumstance (like the boogie man in the bushes on the left versus the right).


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## phantomhorse13

The good news: the friend who was unofficial ride photographer at the last ride got her photos posted!

out on the first loop: 



















the first hold: 



















electrolytes are bad :rofl:




























heading out on the second loop:










phin channeling his inner qh! :biggrin:



















any guesses what direction George is? :wink:










to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

coming into the second hold.





































waiting for his pulse - can you see him keeping an eye on the flapping tarp building? 










any guesses which direction that building is?! :wink:



















How spoiled am I to have so many amazing pictures from one event?!


and then the bad news.. 

Sultan has EPM. 

As you know, we have been struggling to explain the changes we have seen in him over the past year. When I started the longe work program with him, I got to really _see_ how he was traveling. That got me concerned. If he trotted with his head down, he was dragging his back toes and having trouble tracking up. If he went like an inverted giraffe, he was forging like mad. So another call to the vet and more blood and bingo, a possible answer.

Sultan has been on Marquis for a week and we are already seeing positive changes. He is acting more like his normal self (sometimes hard to catch, hollering and pacing when he sees you coming with his meals, etc), so we sure hope we have finally found the root issue. The longe work (and any under saddle work) has been put on hold during the treatment, as to stress him as little as possible.

And then you have George. He was still quite body sore for several days after the ride and developed some cellulitis in a front ankle where he had nicked himself. His blood panel (cbc, chem panel and electrolytes) was normal, which was good in that it wasn't another atypical tie up, but frustrating as no clear reason for the soreness. His Lyme multiplex came back as negative (even the chronic numbers!). His EPM test, however, came back even higher than Sultan's!! :confused_color: 

That particular test measures antibodies.. so it's a measure of exposure not necessarily active infection. Since he's not neurologic in the expected way, we are doing a different type of EPM test to hopefully give us some clarity. Meanwhile, our vet sent his test results to a muscle specialist friend of hers and she suggested he may have PSSM! :eek_color: :frown_color:

The type of PSSM found in arabs is not the type that you can do the genetic test for - that would be too easy! In fact, there is no real definitive test for type 2; it's more of a rule-out diagnosis. If the second EPM test doesn't confirm the (potentially) positive first test, then we will take a closer look at the possibility of PSSM by doing exercise trial bloodwork. 

Meanwhile, George is done with his course of antibiotics for the cellulitis. He is moving soundly now (he was very lame on that ankle) and most of the swelling is gone.. however, there is still some firm swelling right under the mark. The mark has closed beautifully and he doesn't mind my palpating it at all. It reminds me of what happened with Phin's leg last year when he popped that ugly splint. Only this is on the outside of the ankle, so there is no splint bone to be angry! I currently have that spot wrapped with the drawing concoction that did so well for Phin's leg, so hoping that will draw out whatever is still in there.

DH is pretty bummed that both his boys are having issues. Needless to say, his riding season is over. Vibes/jingles/prayers that we can get to the bottom of George's issue are much appreciated!


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## gottatrot

The physical issues are the worst...I'd rather have behavioral problems any day. I hope your horses will recover quickly and well. I thought Halla had PSSM for awhile but she just has a strange issue where she can't store Vitamin E. If I give her a good amount every day, the weird neuro/muscular stuff goes away.



phantomhorse13 said:


> Personally, I find it fascinating to see if a particular horse always holds it to the same side or if they switch sides depending on the circumstance (like the boogie man in the bushes on the left versus the right).


I've had a body worker tell me a horse will tend to hold the tail to a certain side because of muscle imbalances or unevenness on one side. I've not been able to correlate this in my own horses. Basically, Amore always seemed fairly evenly strong and muscled, but held her tail very crooked, and Halla tends to hold her tail straight while having more serious muscle imbalances. So I'm not sure if that is sometimes the case or not.
I think I agree with you, that the horse's tail position depends on where the scary stuff is.


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## knightrider

@phantomhorse13, I am so sorry to read that news. I hope both horses can be healed and sound. Someone on this forum named @Wallaby has done extensive research on PSSM and has tried many different solutions. If you haven't read of her experiences, it might be helpful. You have my prayers. This is tough. 

I lost a horse to EPM. His came on very fast. I had a wonderful ride on him one day, and 3 days later, he was staggering and could barely walk. I gave him Oraquel (sp) and he improved 100%. I rode him everywhere for 2 more years, then it came roaring back and within 4 days, he was dead. Since Sultan's EPM has not been as severe, it looks much more positive, and I pray that it continues to be.


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## phantomhorse13

gottatrot said:


> I thought Halla had PSSM for awhile but she just has a strange issue where she can't store Vitamin E. If I give her a good amount every day, the weird neuro/muscular stuff goes away.
> 
> 
> I've had a body worker tell me a horse will tend to hold the tail to a certain side because of muscle imbalances or unevenness on one side. I've not been able to correlate this in my own horses


I remembered your experiences with the vitamen E and we actually have a test for that on George pending - figure its worth ruling out!

I have also been told that the tail being sideways means imbalance or side preference.. and maybe that is true in breeds that don't routinely flag their tails, but I also have found no correlation in my arabs.




knightrider said:


> Someone on this forum named @*Wallaby* has done extensive research on PSSM and has tried many different solutions. If you haven't read of her experiences, it might be helpful. You have my prayers. This is tough.
> 
> I lost a horse to EPM.


I could not 'like' your post after reading of your horse's death. How absolutely horrible.

I have already been in contact with Wallaby, as she was the first person I thought of when PSSM was mentioned. Thanks for the suggestion as she is a great resource.


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## Celeste

I have read that as many as 50% of horse in Georgia will test positive for EPM; however, very few have symptoms. The antibody test only indicates exposure.

Response to treatment does sound pretty convincing though. I hope neither of them have it and they have something simple like a pulled muscle.


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## carshon

Wow! I am so sorry to read that George has some mystery going on. And poor Sultan. Is EPM prevalent in your area? How lucky your horses have such a diligent owner. But I am sorry that your husband's ride year is over


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## egrogan

Yes, really sorry to read this update for George and Sultan. What a bummer.

I wonder if what I perceive as an increase in the prevalence of things like Lyme and EPM is a true increase, or a result of our better detection methods? In the past year it seems like virtually everyone I know with horses has had to deal with one or both. Why is veterinary medicine so slow on the prevention side, and are treatment advances happening quickly enough? I'm certainly not a vet, but for those who are or have been, what does the field think about this?


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## tim62988

egrogan said:


> Yes, really sorry to read this update for George and Sultan. What a bummer.
> 
> I wonder if what I perceive as an increase in the prevalence of things like Lyme and EPM is a true increase, or a result of our better detection methods? In the past year it seems like virtually everyone I know with horses has had to deal with one or both. Why is veterinary medicine so slow on the prevention side, and are treatment advances happening quickly enough? I'm certainly not a vet, but for those who are or have been, what does the field think about this?



hopefully won't drag things too far off topic: but my understanding is on some things like Lyme, it is prevalent but we didn't necessarily "know" about it for that long. the Lyme vaccine for dogs is only getting more reputable within the past few years, it was used longer but did it work? 

I know in the dairy end of the vet world they have plenty of preventative products that say work on strains 1, 3, and 5... but if your farm's bug is strain 2 or 4 you can still use the product but it won't provide protection.

as phantom also pointed out with the different strains sometimes the only way to test is by process of elimination which to me sounds like it's going to be harder to come up with a how to prevent or diagnose it early when they are still trying to figure out how to identify it faster.

so to sum it up: big $$ in the veterinary medical field, lots of hurdles to get over, FDA to work with, and we are learning more faster


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## SwissMiss

So sorry to hear the update on George and Sultan! Sucks! Glad to hear that Sultan is responding well to treatment and I am hoping you find out soon what is _really_ going on with George!!!

But yay for the awesome pictures! Phin is such a handsome fellow - even when channeling his inner QH!


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## phantomhorse13

Celeste said:


> I have read that as many as 50% of horse in Georgia will test positive for EPM; however, very few have symptoms. The antibody test only indicates exposure.


This is exactly our current issue with George's results.. he isn't "neurologic" in the normal sense and currently passes the basic neuro tests (crossing over legs while circling, backing up blindfolded, etc) without question. However, Sultan passed all his neuro exams this spring and summer, too - it was only with passing time that the less-subtle signs started showing up. And honestly, if Sultan was just a weekend warrior type of trail horse, would we have even noticed those signs yet?

George's issue can easy be seen as a chicken-or-egg argument. He seems fine to start with. After 25-30 miles at competitive speed, he is off in his right hind and is very sore across his loins. So is the potential EPM causing a change in how he travels, which results in his muscles working harder/differently, which then results in the lameness and soreness? Or does he actually have PSSM, which means the muscles themselves are the issue, resulting in the lameness? 

Or does he have kissing spine (another possibility), and that is the root of the issue?

Or is something else altogether going on that we haven't even considered yet?

So. Frustrating.




carshon said:


> Is EPM prevalent in your area?


It's not uncommon. Just among our endurance friends, I can name 5 horses that have been treated for it (and all have returned to competition, thank goodness). Considering how small the population of endurance riders is compared to other types of riding, that makes me think there is a lot around.




egrogan said:


> I wonder if what I perceive as an increase in the prevalence of things like Lyme and EPM is a true increase, or a result of our better detection methods? In the past year it seems like virtually everyone I know with horses has had to deal with one or both. Why is veterinary medicine so slow on the prevention side, and are treatment advances happening quickly enough?


I think some of it has to do with better understanding and detection, but some - like Lyme - I think is truly increasing. I know the past few years, there seems to be a huge increase in the number of ticks around here, so I would think more ticks = more chance of Lyme exposure.

Like @tim62988 said, I think the vet med field IS working on trying to create vaccines, but finding something effective and safe is not easy. While I do think most vets have the animal's best interests in mind, I am not so convinced that big pharma companies do; I think they are all about the profits. And with our litigation-happy society and people willing to get on social media and blame fill-in-the-blank med for killing Fluffy, I wonder how many don't bother to spend the money to even develop a vaccine/med, forget try to have it approved. That is the reason you see canine Lyme vaccines but not equine ones: lots more money in small animal products and it's not worth going through the approval process to get it labeled for equine - especially if you know many are going to use it off-label anyway.

And I think change is hard for a lot in the medical industry, even if they are well-meaning. I told you about having to walk away from the vet at the Vermont ride who said that Lyme doesn't cause muscle issues.. because I have THREE horses here that have proven that statement wrong. So if vets (or h#ll, human doctors) can't even agree on what Lyme _does_, how are they supposed to find better ways to treat or someday prevent it?


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## evilamc

I'm so sorry the boys are going through this! All I can do is send you jingles!!

I agree that some vets really just have no clue. My current vet here claims hes never even tested a horse for lyme because hes never seen a case of it...while the dogs vet says the number in cases have been steadily going up....HMMMMM?


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## phantomhorse13

evilamc said:


> My current vet here claims hes never even tested a horse for lyme because hes never seen a case of it...


Imagine that, if s/he won't bother to test for it!! :icon_rolleyes:

Thank goodness our vet is very tolerant of my bizarre test requests and doesn't take it personally when I am consulting with others and not just blindly following her suggestions. I actually got to show her something she'd not seen before yesterday, when I ran a stallside SAA test (which I had gotten from Kathy and Lani) on George's blood. [It was negative/normal.]


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## AnitaAnne

@phantomhorse13 The pictures of Phin are all fabulous! He never takes a bad picture!! 

Must have been a model in his younger years. 

So very sorry to hear about Sultan and George. Your poor DH has suffered too much this past year. He and the horses are blessed to have you to watch over them and give them the very best of care. 

Going to pray that his horses have a rapid and complete recovery.


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## Celeste

phantomhorse13 said:


> So if vets (or h#ll, human doctors) can't even agree on what Lyme _does_, how are they supposed to find better ways to treat or someday prevent it?


If you put 5 "experts" in a room, you will probably get 6 opinions.


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## PoptartShop

Sorry to hear that about the boys. :sad: I hope they feel better soon. <3


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## frlsgirl

Oh man, sorry to hear about the boys. Finding a correct diagnosis and corresponding treatment is kind of like navigating a maze. I went through that with Ana. She's still kind of off sometimes but she works out of it so it's hard to tell if it's a new problem or the result of EPM. You can't always treat every single condition to a point of 100% recovery. I was just talking to my trainer about this; it's more about a quality of life; then you are on the right track. Sometimes that means making them a pasture pet, other times it means using them as an occasional riding horse and many times you can get them back to a place where they are doing their normal job even if they are not 100%.


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## phantomhorse13

DH and I hauled a horse for a friend today, and in preparation, I got my 2-horse trailer hooked up and moved on Friday (wanted to make sure no surprises this morning, since that trailer hasn't been used in a long while). Since I had it hooked, I thought it would be a good opportunity to see if Phin knows how to self-load. [I keep telling myself that I need to start hauling him to train so maybe the trailer will be less exciting and he will eat better during trips. And if I am going to start doing that, being able to get him on my straight-load trailer alone is necessary!]

When I first brought Phin out, you would have thought he had never even seen a trailer before, though he was equally worried about the flower beds I had trimmed back, and the fact that 2 chairs on the deck had moved. :icon_rolleyes: 

We did a few minutes of in hand work to get his brain focused, then I asked him to step onto the ramp. My plan was to have him follow me into the trailer initially and back off until the new trailer was a non-event, then see if I could send him on. The first step he took onto the ramp, of course it shook the trailer and there was *gasp* a bit of noise - I think he jumped 6 feet straight up and all his hair was standing on end!! :eek_color:

It was all I could do not to laugh, because he came down just inches from where he started (though of course not with that foot on the ramp) and looked _so_ abjectly horrified. His eyes were bugged out and his head was straight up and he was snorting in alarm. Yet, when I asked him to walk forward again, he did so with only a mild hesitation.. and kept walking right up the ramp and into the trailer behind me. He walked like he was on eggshells and it was amazing he didn't hyperventilate from all the snorting, but he did it.

Phin got lots of scratches inside the trailer (and some carrot), before he slowly backed off.. still snorting like the world was ending. After a couple more times in and out behind me, I started working on sending him in first. After about 10 minutes of work (15 total including the following me in work), I got this:










Phin was still snorting under his breath (due to his old nasal injury, he actually makes a whistling noise when he is nervous, so you can never miss how he feels about something!), but his eyes were less frantic and he even took a couple big breaths and looked around. I picked up the butt bar and waved it around behind him, but didn't actually hook it as I wanted to end on a good note.

Today, I planned to work with him again when we got back from helping our friend. I debated starting off having him follow me into the trailer again the first time, but figured I would give him the benefit of the doubt and just ask him to load. And he did!! I put the butt bar up and shut the ramp, then went into the trailer to give him lots of scratches and some carrots. We stood for a minute or two until he wasn't whistling any longer, then I went back out and unloaded him.

It was hard to keep my energy level neutral, as I just wanted to jump up and down and cheer (which of course he probably would have taken as the world ending ).

The second attempt, DH filmed it for me:







This horse never ceases to amaze me with his heart and try. :loveshower:

---

We are still waiting for the results of George's second EPM test, though the results of his Vitamin E testing came back normal (and even on the higher end of normal, which is good). I am hoping to hear something early this coming week..


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## SwissMiss

Phin is such a good boy!!!!!


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## knightrider

YAY! For the successful trailer training!


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## AnitaAnne

Good boy Phin!! He looks good too! 

What kind of trailer is that? Looks light and yet a good size.


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## frlsgirl

What a good boy Phin! Honestly, I need more trailer training than my horse; Ana goes in pretty willingly now but I'm totally overwhelmed at the idea of trailering my own horse; I've been pretty lucky so far and hitched rides with others; besides Ana is so small she practically qualifies as a stowaway.

About the vitamin E; I've been supplementing just in case, with Thrive; I get it from Smartpak.


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## phantomhorse13

The weather finally broke on Thursday (back to normal fall temps!!) and I had the day off from potatoes.. so it was saddle time! Gina is trying to get Giselle ready for a camping trip in a month, so we went out together. As always, Giselle is a bit of a pill when she is with strange horses and it doesn't seem to matter that she's met Phin before.. but I look at it as good training for Phin, as he soon ignores her jigging, etc.

We went up to the space needle, then down the rattlesnake trail to the s-turn and home. A bit of that was new trail for Phin, which is always fun. Giselle led most of the time as otherwise she is really silly.. which is just fine with Phin as then the possible monsters will eat her first!





































We mostly walked, as Giselle is not very fit. We did a couple shorts trots and during the one canter we did, Giselle pulled off a shoe! Gina has constant issues with her feet, so it wasn't really a surprise but it was still frustrating. Phin did well overall with the mellow pace, though was certainly happy to head for home. So was I, in all honesty, as only walking just kills me physically.

13.51 miles, 1528 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average pace, 71F real feel


While we were out, I got a call from the vet: George's second EPM test came back positive with a 75% probability of active infection. *sigh* We started him on Marquis that evening. Fingers and toes crossed this is the answer and he responds to treatment!!


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## Twalker

phantomhorse13 said:


> The weather finally broke on Thursday (back to normal fall temps!!) and I had the day off from potatoes.. so it was saddle time! Gina is trying to get Giselle ready for a camping trip in a month, so we went out together. As always, Giselle is a bit of a pill when she is with strange horses and it doesn't seem to matter that she's met Phin before.. but I look at it as good training for Phin, as he soon ignores her jigging, etc.
> 
> We went up to the space needle, then down the rattlesnake trail to the s-turn and home. A bit of that was new trail for Phin, which is always fun. Giselle led most of the time as otherwise she is really silly.. which is just fine with Phin as then the possible monsters will eat her first!
> 
> 
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> 
> We mostly walked, as Giselle is not very fit. We did a couple shorts trots and during the one canter we did, Giselle pulled off a shoe! Gina has constant issues with her feet, so it wasn't really a surprise but it was still frustrating. Phin did well overall with the mellow pace, though was certainly happy to head for home. So was I, in all honesty, as only walking just kills me physically.
> 
> 13.51 miles, 1528 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average pace, 71F real feel
> 
> 
> While we were out, I got a call from the vet: George's second EPM test came back positive with a 75% probability of active infection. *sigh* We started him on Marquis that evening. Fingers and toes crossed this is the answer and he responds to treatment!!


Hope that George's meds do the trick. Sorry test came out positive.


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## phantomhorse13

Friday, I got Phin out. Momma nature thinks it's summer again, but Phin was undetered in his enthusiasm. I figured on going up the Sugarloaf, around the farm, and then home in prep for the upcoming ride.










It's archery season, so we were in our full hunting regalia. :grin:










I wanted to go around the shop to make Phin look at all the scary things, as this next ride goes through a trailer park that often has all kinds of weird things around.



















I hadn't planned on a big ride.. but since Phin wanted to rush every time we turned for home, we kept turning away.









12.15 miles, 1833 feet of climb, 5.6 mph average pace, 86F real feel eek_color


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## egrogan

I am SOOOO over this weather. Messed around with Izzy today just around the turnout fields and up and down the road because it was misting on and off and I didn't want to get soaked if it really rained. About 40 minutes of only walking and she was still drenched with sweat because it was so hot and humid.

I feel you on the orange gear. I considered an orange reflective tail wrap at the tack sale yesterday but decided that was taking things a bit overboard :wink:

Can't wait to hear how Phin's next ride goes!


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## phantomhorse13

egrogan said:


> I am SOOOO over this weather.


Agreed. I don't even like hot when its August - I sure don't want it in October!! This is supposed to be the best time of year for riding, and instead I dread even going outside because the bugs are worse than ever and the horses are sweating just standing still.

And now I am just waiting for the massive swing.. when its 20 degrees below normal and snowing. Ugh.

However, if you are a follower of the woolly bear caterpillar black markings as as winter weather predictor.. look at what we have been seeing lots of:











So does that mean we won't even _have_ winter?! :think:


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## SwissMiss

egrogan said:


> I am SOOOO over this weather.


The weather forecast in the radio today was: "warmer tomorrow and terribly humid" :-?

I found it warm and humid enough today already...


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## egrogan

phantomhorse13 said:


> However, if you are a follower of the woolly bear caterpillar black markings as as winter weather predictor.. look at what we have been seeing lots of:
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> So does that mean we won't even _have_ winter?! :think:


Ooohhh...I find that sort of ominous. Things have just felt "off" all fall here. Too warm most days, foliage coming in way late, mosquitoes and biting things still out in full force.


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## weeedlady

^^^^^ Ominous is a good word for it. The weather is just WRONG right now.


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## sarahfromsc

phantomhorse13 said:


> Agreed. I don't even like hot when its August - I sure don't want it in October!! This is supposed to be the best time of year for riding, and instead I dread even going outside because the bugs are worse than ever and the horses are sweating just standing still.
> 
> And now I am just waiting for the massive swing.. when its 20 degrees below normal and snowing. Ugh.
> 
> However, if you are a follower of the woolly bear caterpillar black markings as as winter weather predictor.. look at what we have been seeing lots of:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> So does that mean we won't even _have_ winter?! :think:


Here in TN, ours are totally black. What the hell does that mean? Not sure if I want to know.


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## phantomhorse13

Knowing that - in theory anyway - the weather should be cooling off and turning rainy, DH and I had this weekend picked as a work weekend. The project was to extend the shed in the paddock where Dream and Sultan are.

When DH first built the place, he had George and Sultan and they both lived in their own paddocks, so he got a small run-in shed for each field and it was all good. Eventually the boys lived together, but they would each go to "their" shed when the weather was bad. That worked fine until I arrived with Dream.. so we wound up building an overhang out from the stalls as a big "shed" that all 3 horses could use comfortably. When Phin arrived, we still had plenty of places for them to get out of the weather, with 2 sheds and the overhang. 

Then, Sultan got banished to his own paddock when he wouldn't stop bullying Phin. That worked fine as the shed was perfect for one horse. But now that Dream lives in that paddock too, we found we needed more shed. While Dream would let Sultan stand in the shed with her, once he started nuzzling and nibbling on her, she promptly kicked him out! Since Sultan is often a pest, that happened fairly frequently. Once we were sure this paddock arrangement would work, we knew we needed to do something about the situation.

This is what the sheds looked like on Friday.











We early Saturday to get going, as of course the forecast had changed from too-warm and clear both days to mostly cloudy Saturday and rain on Sunday! While we need the rain, we were not happy for the time crunch on the project.










The clouds were breaking up and the sun was out by late morning.. and it sure felt like August. Luckily we got the posts in before the wind started picking up.










The sun was out full force by lunchtime, but there was a fairly stiff breeze. That breeze was a godsend as it not only kept us from actually having a heatstroke, it also kept the worst of the bugs away.




























Our goal for the day was to get the roof on and the tar paper down, knowing it was supposed to start raining overnight.










While the temperatures felt like summer, the fading daylight sure didn't! But I found I am not nearly so unhappy being on a roof in the dark, as I can't see how high up I am.. though I still made sure to stay well away from the edge. :wink:










We got done just before 9pm and it started spitting rain not 30 minutes later! 

It rained off and on all night, but cleared up my mid-morning Sunday. While no rain was actually falling from the sky, it was about 1000% humidity when we went out to resume work.




























My DH is amazing!! :loveshower:


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## frlsgirl

I'm concerned about that as well; you can build perfect barn and turn out and then if horses don't get along you have to change everything. 

It turned out really nice! You guys are so crafty!


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## Chevaux

Nicely built, Phantom. Indeed your DH is amazing and it doesn't hurt that he is very fit looking:wink:


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## phantomhorse13

frlsgirl said:


> I'm concerned about that as well; you can build perfect barn and turn out and then if horses don't get along you have to change everything.


How true! Horses keep you humble for sure.




Chevaux said:


> DH is amazing and it doesn't hurt that he is very fit looking


He is indeed very easy on the eyes. I am so very lucky! :grin:


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## PoptartShop

I need to get a hubby like that! LOL that is amazing!  That looks great!!!


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## knightrider

@phantomhorse13, have you seen the November issue of Horse Illustrated? It has an article about the Tevis Cup ride this past year and it is quite well written, in my opinion. Besides describing the Tevis Cup, and telling something about it, the article then goes on to describe the experiences of the first place winner and the last place winner. It's called "The Tortoise and the Hare." It's a real pleasure to read and I think you would enjoy reading it quite a lot, and bring back some vivid memories. I am curious. What place did you finish? Did your husband also finish?

I can't even imagine completing a ride like that. I find it SO admirable for anyone to complete it.

Also, if you don't mind, I think it was you who said the Old Dominion is actually more difficult than the Tevis because of the heat and humidity. Was it you who said that, and if not, do you agree that the Old Dominion 100 is more difficult? My dream was to complete the 50 at the Old Dominion. My appaloosa had iffy hocks and I didn't think she was up to it, and when I got a young appaloosa who could have done it, I got caught up in jousting at Renaissance Festivals and no longer had the time to train. Plus, it was a real kick to get paid to ride rather than paying to ride, and I was making good money riding at Ren Fairs.


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## phantomhorse13

Last Thursday, DH and I went south to Fort Valley, VA for our last ride of the season. It was the first time Phin would be hauling and camping alone. I wasn't anticipating any issues, but sometimes you just never know until you try! I am happy to report he was super; hauled down quietly and camped like a pro.

We set up camp, registered, and vetted in without concerns.










Then we made the mistake of asking the ride manager if there was anything we could do to help. She gave us the task of removing the labels - and the glue - on some fence feeders which were to be top 10 prizes. The paper part of the label came off with just a soaking with water.. but the glue was much more stubborn. Not having Goo Be Gone in the trailer, we set about experimenting with the stuff we did have to see if anything would work. 











In the end, we found a combination of WD40 and glass cleaner did the trick. We then applied 3 different new stickers, marking them as 2017 OD Top Ten awards. Afterwards, I wound up with a migraine from the heat and flopped down in the grass for a nap. Mia - who is normally not much for cuddling - came over to keep me company (or perhaps make sure I stayed still).












Temps cooled off a bit overnight, thank goodness. We woke up to temps in the low 40s and relatively low humidity; generally this ride starts in solid fog, so not seeing any fog at all was a shock! Phin had eaten and drank well overnight. 

I was in the process of tacking him up when out of the blue, a loose horse went rocketing past our trailer - close enough to whack into the awning brace, making a huge rattle in the process. Phin understandably startled, but when he hit the end of the rope, he panicked. He flung himself back like a fish on a line, sending the saddle and blanket flying. :eek_color: I couldn't do anything but watch in horror as he struggled, hoping he wasn't going to kill himself. The halter and rope held and luckily he didn't break his own neck. I had just gotten him untied when the horse came back for another circuit!! 

It took multiple people and about 15 minutes to finally corral the loose horse, which ran laps around our trailer and the one beside us the whole time. Phin was thoroughly upset by the whole ordeal, and not wanting to prompt another pull back, I had DH hold him while I tacked up (and I have to say, the incident had _me_ quite unsettled as well).










Phin had settled down by the time I was done tacking, so I did my best to take a deep breath and let the incident go. I didn't have an arranged riding buddy; I figured I was just going to go out at the end of the main pack and see who I found he paced well with. If we didn't find anybody, we would go it alone.

As I wandered around camp warming up, I came across a friend being led by another friend, as her horse can be a bit of a pill at the start of the ride. Cathy didn't want to get caught up in the front runners either, so had the same idea I did and was circling around the far side of camp. She asked if I minded some company and I told her I was willing to try it, but that Phin was still fairly green himself and might not be able to tolerate Epyc's antics.

However, the universe smiled - Phin and Epyc did beautifully together! At no point did Epyc (who can be very race-brained) look at Phin as competition, but always as a buddy. Cathy and I had an absolute blast riding together, yakking the miles away.

This ride has both the infamous OD rocks and some places you can make good time. It also has simply stunning views. The color wasn't as good as some years, but the hot, dry weather meant the footing was spectacular. It also meant we treasured any water we found on trail!














































In what seemed like no time, we were done the first 18 miles and were back at camp for the hold. The temps were warming quickly, but Phin still pulsed right away with his tack on. He got a B for skin tenting, but he had drank every opportunity he had, so I wasn't concerned.

During the hold itself, he ate and drank well, cleaning up not only his mush but also happily finishing Sarge's (DH was also crewing for Rich, who was well ahead of us). I was just getting ready to go back out when someone came over to ask if she could borrow something. 










Instead of taking Phin and letting DH handle the request, I did it.. allowing myself to be distracted from my horse. As a result, I forgot to apply more desitin to Phin's girth and armpits before heading out on the next loop.




























We were about halfway around the 17 mile loop when it suddenly occurred to me about the desitin. We stopped and I applied a bunch (I carry some in my saddlebag), but Phin was already flinchy. He went down the trail without protest though, leading much of the way. This loop had more water than the first, which was nice as the temps rose into the upper 70s.










to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

We got into the second hold and I pulled tack just on principle as it was so warm. Phin was down, so we went in to vet. As I suspected, his girth was sensitive, which affected his movement and earned him a B on gait. I could have kicked myself.

Phin was only concerned with the chow, eating everything that wasn't nailed down during the hold. I made sure to apply large amounts of desitin to him before tacking up and left my girth a hole looser than normal in hopes that would help.










We headed out on the third loop, which has some decent climbs but also has the best footing. We did a lot of cantering, with Phin taking the lead most of the time. While he was happy to go forward, his heart rate was jumping around a bit, so I knew the girth was bothering him.



















We got back into camp for the finish an hour earlier than we had the year before! I was so pleased with how Phin handled himself all day. He pulsed down without issue, as there was a 1/2 mile to walk between the finish line and the vetting area. As expected, he did show sensitivity in both his girth and his back - no surprise considering my desitin mistake. But he did get his completion and weren't Cathy and I shocked to learn we had tied for 10th!

























The next morning, DH was riding for our friend Liz in the 50. I helped them get ready and headed out on the trail before I got Fluffy ready for the LD.










Fluffy was feeling mighty fine as we headed out of camp. It was her first ride since last winter, when she was diagnosed with Lyme. While we had Lani and Brim as a babysitter, several others tagged along as well and Fluffy wasn't as sure about their company to start with.



















Once we were out on trail, some of the group went ahead once they realized we intended to walk up the first big climb. That gave us a nice space without other horses in sight once we got going.

The first loop of the LD was the second loop of the 50, so I was familiar with the trail and the miles flew by.




























The three amigos are Beryl, Brim, and Fluffy - all bred by Lani. Beryl and Brim have the same sire, Brim and Fluffy have the same dam. Very fun to have them on trail together!










to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 3:

We got into the hold and were surprised that Fluffy suddenly had a massive case of ADD - she was simply all over the place, knocking over buckets and trying to look every way at once. Her pulse would be down, then it would shoot up as she found something new to stare at. After a while, she eventually settled down, but it was pretty frustrating. She vetted through without issue.

The hold passed quickly as the horses did nothing but vacuum up food. They don't get any sort of hard feed normally, so feel that the handful of sweet feed and alfalfa cubes they get at rides are a huge treat.










As we got ready to head out on the second loop, the timer's assistant offered us some candy from a plastic jack o lantern. Fluffy was fairly sure it would eat her to start with, but the guy was very patient.. and after some brief reassurances, I was able to get my chocolate.










We headed out on the second loop, which was the last loop of the 50. I knew we had some climbs but a lot of lovely footing to look forward to. We moseyed along, walking the big climbs and making time where we could. It got quite warm again, so we took it pretty easy. We never saw another horse or rider the whole time, much to our surprise.





































We got back into camp at the finish and Fluffy had another episode of ADD. Brim pulsed down as soon as we pulled tack, so he went to get his finish while the rest of us struggled with Fluffy. As earlier, she eventually found her brain and settled down. Once she did, she had no trouble vetting though.



















In the end, Brim was 10th and Fluffy was 11th.







After getting Fluffy settled, I went out to the finish line to wait for DH and Liz. I had heard their ride was going well, so was pleased to make it out to see their top 10 finish.



















Both horses vetted through without incident, then stood for BC. I thought the horse DH rode looked particularly good.. and apparently I wasn't the only one. Sammy won both High Vet Score and BC!!

They drew the winner of the raffle horse that night at awards, but unfortunately we were not the winners. We went home the next morning with Phin hauling solo. It was still unseasonably warm when we got home, so after giving him an hour or so to roll and stretch his legs in the pasture, I gave him a bath. I figured getting all that dried sweat off would feel good.

Phin seemed to enjoy the post-bath drying in the alfalfa field much more than he did the bath. :wink:










Later, he ate his dinner out of his top 10 award - one of the feeders we removed the labels from!










Talk about a fantastic end to our season!


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## carshon

I so enjoy your posts! And the videos were stunning. Is Brym a draft cross? That horse seems really large!

Congrats on a successful last ride of the season!


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## lsdrider

TYVM for sharing your adventure at OD, both in words and pics! Too many "quotes" to respond to them all, lol.

OD is a bucket list ride for me, not out of reach, so your sharing means a lot.


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## laffysapphy

I loved reading through this! You've made me want to try endurance, any tips for a complete beginner? Arabs seem to be the best breed for this, but would a friesian sporthorse be alright if we were just in it to ride or possibly the top ten(half friesian and a quarter each of paint/warmblood)?


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> have you seen the November issue of Horse Illustrated? It has an article about the Tevis Cup ride this past year and it is quite well written, in my opinion. Besides describing the Tevis Cup, and telling something about it, the article then goes on to describe the experiences of the first place winner and the last place winner. It's called "The Tortoise and the Hare." It's a real pleasure to read and I think you would enjoy reading it quite a lot, and bring back some vivid memories. I am curious. What place did you finish? Did your husband also finish?
> 
> I can't even imagine completing a ride like that. I find it SO admirable for anyone to complete it.
> 
> Also, if you don't mind, I think it was you who said the Old Dominion is actually more difficult than the Tevis because of the heat and humidity. Was it you who said that, and if not, do you agree that the Old Dominion 100 is more difficult? My dream was to complete the 50 at the Old Dominion.


Tevis. :neutral: Even two years later I am still somewhat bitter over the whole experience. I started it in 2015; DH was not to ride, but to crew, but due to work issues, DH didn't even get to go out to cali at all.

The PC version of my Tevis Adventure can be read here. The not-so-PC real story can be read here, starting with post #139. The bottom line is I rider optioned at mile 68, though my official record says "overtime" because my vet card was lost for a long while and nobody could do anything official until it was found, and by then I had tripped the system as overtime for not having left that vet check in time. That clusterf*ck was a fitting end to the whole saga, so I never could be bothered to correct it.

I did not see the article as I do not get Horse Illustrated - I will have to see if there is an online version somewhere. It's certainly a legendary ride. 

I feel the actual trail of the OD is harder, but the crowds and chaos at Tevis made that ride much harder for me personally (I also don't like heights at all). As rocky and humid and miserable as the OD can be, you would have to work pretty hard to fall off the trail and die; at Tevis, you wouldn't have to work hard to fall to your death at all, and one of the many others on trail might help you do so as well. At Tevis, the only thing I bought was helicopter insurance, whereas I have lots of OD shirts and hats..




carshon said:


> Is Brym a draft cross? That horse seems really large!


Brim and Fluffy are both 1/2 percheron, 1/2 arab.




laffysapphy said:


> You've made me want to try endurance, any tips for a complete beginner? Arabs seem to be the best breed for this, but would a friesian sporthorse be alright if we were just in it to ride or possibly the top ten(half friesian and a quarter each of paint/warmblood)?


Start with the horse you have and see how things go as you start to increase your workouts. Increase speed or distance but not both as you train. While I doubt a horse as heavy as a friesian sporthorse likely is would ever _win_ events, it may well be able to finish them. I have a friend who competed on a full percheron and did LDs and some 50s - she was just smart and picked rides with appropriate temperatures and terrain for her horse. What area are you in? Perhaps there are rides in your area you can volunteer at to get your feet wet.


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## knightrider

Oh! My! Gosh! What a story! The ultimate ride from [email protected] How awful for you. Just heartbreaking. Thank you for sharing. If you don't find a Horse Illustrated from a tack shop, I will mail you the article. I give my Horse Illustrated to one of my daughter's friends after I read them, but I haven't yet.

Again, I am so impressed with your skill and patience.

When I was younger, I knew I wasn't cut out for anything like the Tevis. I used to ride 8 hours when I was a kid and knew that was about my limit. After that, it stopped being fun. I used to work at Bowie Race Track and discovered that doing horses full time made horses not very fun. I wanted horses to be ALL FUN. On the other hand, I thought I could manage a 50, and dreamed of doing one one day. Nowdays my goal is a 15 or 20 and that's when it stops being fun.

I am so admiring of your riding and your dedication. I have some idea of how hard it is to do what you do!


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## egrogan

Oh wow, I don't think I ever read that other thread's version of the Tevis story. How amazing and frustrating all at the same time.


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## frlsgirl

I could totally use your expertise today. I'm taking Ana on a big group trail ride again and last time she was so naughty that I hand walked her for the first loop. I don't like to dismount because I don't want her to think that acting up causes me to dismount which in turn rewards her. But she gets too hot and worked up that she rears and even if I put a loop in the reins she continues to rear. It just feels like I'm sitting on a ticking bomb. I'm gonna try to get there early and work her solo before we set out to see if I can get her focused on me. I was thinking Natural Horsemanship stuff, like circling her until she settles down and start with a not so scary spot so she can solve the puzzle on her own fairly quickly. She's just so rude and pushy and tries to run over the other horses but if I try to hold her back she rears. it's not a full on circus rear, she just levitates which scares the [email protected]! out of me. What does help is letting her graze a bit here and there, she stuffs her mouth with a bunch of grass and then she nurses on it until she runs out and then she has to stop and build up mouthful. Silly Morgan girl. What would you do? I might invest in having the NH trainer that came to horse camp take her on a trail ride to help her work though some of the issues.


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## gottatrot

My personal opinion is that dismounting only rewards a horse if you then go put them back in their home field or safe place and/or feed them. If you're still out there walking, working, in the environment where they're upset, it's not teaching the horse anything bad. I've never known a horse that worked hard to make a person dismount unless the person got off and also stopped the work.

Sometimes it's safer to stay mounted, sometimes it's much safer to get off. If you feel safer getting off, then do it and don't feel bad about it. In the process of getting horses used to things, I've hopped off hundreds of times. We always made progress and it never made things go backward. If something unexpected comes out of the bushes and I feel the horse is going to go nuts, I'm off in a flash. Better to get off than get thrown off, is my motto.


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## AnitaAnne

Finally had a chance to read thru all the posts from your ride @phantomhorse13 plus I went back and re-read your Tevis adventures. Reminded me of when you were riding in it, we were all so excited for you. I was working that night and kept checking in to see where you were at. It was nerve racking when I kept waiting for you to leave that last hold...and it didn't happen  

Of course that was before we heard of all the mis-adventures that happened to you and poor Sultan. 

But what sticks out to me is the big grin you had in all the pictures. 

Anyway, loved reading about your last ride of the season, nice way to finish the year with a top ten placing!!! Phin looking like a model. He is such a handsome boy; you must never get tired of looking at him. 

Super thrilled your DH was able to ride and to get the BC award!! Finally some good news for him :loveshower:


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> I wanted horses to be ALL FUN. I thought I could manage a 50, and dreamed of doing one one day. Nowdays my goal is a 15 or 20 and that's when it stops being fun.


I agree that I want riding to be all fun, or at least mostly fun. I think we need to adjust our goals to match our current situations - be that physical or financial or emotional. Doesn't mean you still can't strive for the dream, but that realism does have to have some part in the picture. Deciding that LDs are the distance for you is a lot better choice than trying to push for a 50 and having both you and your horse be miserable.




frlsgirl said:


> I could totally use your expertise today. I'm taking Ana on a big group trail ride again and last time she was so naughty that I hand walked her for the first loop. I don't like to dismount because I don't want her to think that acting up causes me to dismount which in turn rewards her.





gottatrot said:


> My personal opinion is that dismounting only rewards a horse if you then go put them back in their home field or safe place and/or feed them. If you're still out there walking, working, in the environment where they're upset, it's not teaching the horse anything bad.
> 
> I feel the horse is going to go nuts, I'm off in a flash. Better to get off than get thrown off, is my motto.


THIS!! I just don't get where the attitude of dismounting is bad/letting the horse win/wussing out, etc comes from. Nobody with any brains at all should want to set themselves up to be scared and/or dumped. If you don't feel comfortable riding it out, get down and deal with things!

As you all know from reading my journal, if I have any question, I get down. If that makes me a wuss or weenie, I will wear that badge proudly on my non-injured body while holding my not-running-loose horse!!

@frlsgirl , I hope you had a successful ride on Ana. It sounds to me like she just gets super excited at all the new stimulation and needs to be able to move her feet. I think your plan to get there early and get her working and listening to you is a good plan. I will be sure to check your journal to see the outcome!




AnitaAnne said:


> Super thrilled your DH was able to ride and to get the BC award!! Finally some good news for him :loveshower:


I was beyond pleased for him - after such a rough season, it was so nice to see him succeed and in a big way!


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## lsdrider

Congrats to your husband wtih his top 10 and BC!


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## lsdrider

frlsgirl said:


> I could totally use your expertise today. I'm taking Ana on a big group trail ride again and last time she was so naughty that I hand walked her for the first loop. I don't like to dismount because I don't want her to think that acting up causes me to dismount which in turn rewards her. But she gets too hot and worked up that she rears and even if I put a loop in the reins she continues to rear. .


Had rearing problems at events with daughter's horse, an edgy Mustang x TB. Had to stop grain a couple days prior to events, he was just too hot / hyper with the new environment. 
Give him a job away from the main hustle and bustle and he'd settle in. 
Once the new enviro was normalized he was fine but it took time.


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## frlsgirl

Thank you for your reply @phantomhorse13 - we did have a good ride and I didn't dismount, but next time I do I won't feel so bad about it.


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I got Phin out using the Pandora! Nicole came over and brought Drakkar. The plan was to head up the Sugarloaf and then come around the backside and home through the fields. We did almost all walking as Drakkar isn't very fit and is still rehabbing after a serious hock injury a few months ago.





































6.47 miles, 1032 feet of climb, 2.9 mph average pace, 63F real feel


I don't think this ride was a very good indicator of anything for the saddle. I expected it to not be the most comfortable thing to just walk in, and I was correct in that (no different than the Stonewall). I did like where the stirrup bar was, as it put my leg in a comfortable, correct position. I was able to get off his back for the climbs without whacking myself in the butt with the cantle. I didn't notice any real difference in these stirrups versus the older ez rides, other than the plastic toe guard makes a pretty distinct clacking sound when it taps against the girth buckles. The center fire rigging kept the girth back off that problem ridge of muscle, so that seems very promising. I will be interested to ride more at speed and see how things go.


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## laffysapphy

phantomhorse13 said:


> TStart with the horse you have and see how things go as you start to increase your workouts. Increase speed or distance but not both as you train. While I doubt a horse as heavy as a friesian sporthorse likely is would ever _win_ events, it may well be able to finish them. I have a friend who competed on a full percheron and did LDs and some 50s - she was just smart and picked rides with appropriate temperatures and terrain for her horse. What area are you in? Perhaps there are rides in your area you can volunteer at to get your feet wet.


Thank you! I'm sure we won't win, I'm just interested in it for the experience. I'm in South Florida.


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## phantomhorse13

Last weekend, I went to New Jersey with Nicole for a CTR. She had asked me to ride Polo while she rode Hombre in his first 2-day 50 miler. I was flattered to be asked, as Nicole has been the only one to ever compete Polo.

We got to camp and set up before too many other people had even arrived. Both horses vetted in without issue. The weather was unseasonably warm with temps in the mid 70s, so Nicole had clipped the front of Polo, who has a coat like a yak. Both horses were happy to stand in their pens and snack and nap while we got things ready.. until they heard us cutting up carrots and apples for the next day. Then we had this:










Saturday morning, we putzed around waiting for it to be start time. Typical of CTRs, many people hauled in and vetted in the morning, which delays the start. We headed out just after 9am with temps already in the upper 50s and rising.

The first loop was 15 miles. While I had never done this specific ride before, it uses the same trail system as Rabbit Run. The sand and pine trees hadn't changed much since March! 



















Because of Halloween, costumes are sometimes seen at this ride. Nicole and I decided to dress up. 










The first loop was uneventful for us, but others were not so lucky. There was sabotage on the trail, with someone turning some arrows. Being off-trail would be bad enough, but the arrows actually put them onto part of the second loop, so people didn't realize it was wrong until they wound up back in camp well before the 15 miles were done.










We got into the hold and worked on the horses to get their pulses down. CTRs are all timed, so you only have 10 minutes to get to pulse criteria. Both Polo and Hombre pulsed down and passed the vetting with no issues. They were happy to eat the entire hold time.










The second loop was 10 miles. This loop, the trail sabotage reached a new level: someone had not only dumped out all the water tubs at the 3 water stops, they had _run them over_ - breaking them beyond use. I have never seen or even heard of such a thing before. There was a motorcycle race happening in the area, so while the bikers we passed were very gracious and respectful, you had to wonder if someone involved with that race did the damage.

Messing with trail markings is one thing.. but screwing around with the water puts the horses at risk. I can only hope karma takes care of whomever did the damage. 










Because the trails go through some cranberry bogs, we were not without water altogether. We were happy to have the places not only for the horses to drink, but to be able to sponge.




























We got back into camp without any more surprises. The horses pulsed down and passed the vetting without concerns.










It was warm enough that we sat out in the sun in just tshirts and enjoyed the day. We knew, however, that it wasn't going to last. Rain was coming for Sunday and just when it was to start depended on the forecast - various reports claimed anytime from 2am until 11am the rain would begin. And they were calling for over 3 inches!! 

A lot of people had decided not to ride Sunday because of the terrible forecast. We had watched people pack up and leave all afternoon. Nicole gave me a hard time about it, joking she needed to watch me so I didn't jump into someone else's truck as they left, as she knows I hate being wet. But she had signed us up for both days, so both days it would be!

to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

The next morning, we were thrilled it wasn't raining as we got up and got ready. Nothing is more depressing than tacking up in the rain, especially knowing that rain will continue all day. It was still relatively warm, with temps in the low 60s, which made knowing how to dress complicated. My supposedly water-resistant tights are insulated, so I worried about getting too warm wearing them. In the end, I wore my summer tights with rain chaps and my raincoat. 

It started raining just about the moment we mounted. It wasn't a real heavy rain to start with, but it was certainly not dry. Have I mentioned how much I hate being wet?! :wink:










The trail was the same we did the day before. Luckily, rain only improves sandy footing.



















By the time we got halfway around the first loop, it was raining steadily. It was still raining when we got into the hold. The horses vetted without issue. Because we know Hombre will roll with his tack on, we took turns holding him. Luckily the insult of being on a lead didn't diminish his appetite at all. Polo also happily ate everything in sight every moment of the hold.










The rain started falling heavily as we left on the second loop. I have found not much raingear is truly waterproof for long, so I was unamused but not surprised that my rain chaps had soaked through. Before long, I may as well not have been wearing them, as I was soaked from the waist down. Always fun when water is squishing out of the tops of your shoes with every stride.

Have I mentioned how much I hate being wet?! :wink:










There was a bit of excitement a few miles from the finish, as yet again the trail was sabotaged. This time, they didn't just content themselves with turning arrows - they removed the turn markers and the confidence marker altogether!! However, when the road we were traveling went from many hoofprints to not many to none, we knew something was wrong. We turned back to look for where we went wrong. Luckily, the correct path was full of hoofprints, so it didn't take us long to get back on track.



















When we got back in to finish, the weather made things interesting. It was warm enough the horses needed to cool down a bit, but the rain made me concerned about muscle cramps. It always seems bizarre to be sponging the front half while the back half wears a cooler, but it worked.



















Both horses vetted through without concern, with pulses low enough to not lose any points (in CTRs, the final pulse needs to be 44 bpm or lower). Completions!

















In the end, Hombre placed 1st and Polo was 2nd (which is actually 3rd & 4th because CTRs award Grand and Reserve Champion above 1st place). We got fun t-shirts, a bowl and some candlesticks as prizes. Not a bad way to end the competitive season!


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## egrogan

Holy h*ll!!! Trail sabotage?!? That is nuts. Particularly two days in a row. I just can't fathom what kind of "thrill" a person would get out of doing that.

On a lighter note, loved your costumes. A few years ago, Izzy and another Morgan mare- who looked exactly like her- were Thing 1 and Thing 2 for a therapeutic riding program Halloween horse show. Here they are (Abby photo left, Izzy photo right) with a volunteer that day:









And just Izzy showing off for the camera :grin:


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## phantomhorse13

Yeah, I don't get the point of ruining someone else's activity.. I guess luckily for me I don't feel so bad that I need to be ugly to others to make myself feel better.

I love Izzy's costume!! Dr Seuss is a favorite for sure.


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## carshon

I loved to hear the bit chains jingling in the video! But I am with you. Hate being wet when I ride!


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## AnitaAnne

Congratulations on the completion and placings! Always fun to get some gifts. Those Thing 1 and Thing 2 outfits are cute; Dr. Seuss always makes me smile :grin:

The sabotage is something else entirely! Doing it the first day was bad enough, but going out in the rain to move markers? Pure evil 

Sounds more like kids though than the bikers; would like to think that adults would not play such childish tricks. The run over water containers does make one wonder though...


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> Sounds more like kids though than the bikers; would like to think that adults would not play such childish tricks. The run over water containers does make one wonder though...


I agree its certainly someone with the mentality of a nasty child.. but the run over tubs likely meant something mechanized was involved as the marks were wider than bicycle tires would be. I would also think mashing a muck tub into pieces even with a heavy mountain bike would take a lot of time and effort.

The ride is held is a state forest and there is some tension between various user groups on a regular basis. I know there is at least one local offroading group that has been pushing to limit rider access for years. This CTR is the same weekend every year and I believe they "contract" their dates every 5 years with the park service, so the ride is hardly a surprise. There has never been a motorcycle race on the same weekend before.. and management was actually surprised to hear the park service would allow two events to happen the same weekend as in the past they have been really strict about that. [The spring ride, which also normally uses the same weekend yearly, wanted to shift weekends one year to avoid Easter weekend and they were told it wasn't possible because other events were already scheduled..] While we will never know for sure.. it def seems suspicious to me.

Very sad situation on so many levels. With public trails disappearing all the time, why can't people work together to preserve access for all instead of wanting everything just for themselves?


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I got Sultan out. Originally the day was forecast to be partly sunny and calm, but it was getting cloudy and the wind was picking up by 9 am. Looking at the radar, the storm system that was supposed to stay south of us seemed to be heading this way. Normally I try not to ride during hunting season until the middle of the day, but I figured the wind would have had any archers out giving up and going home.

When I left the barn about 10am, it was in the upper 40s with a decent breeze. Sultan and I headed up the Sugarloaf. The plan was to walk about 2/3 of the way up, then come home via the route I had taken with Nicole, as she had lost a bag off her saddle somewhere along the way there.










I was really surprised to see how many leaves were off the trees in just a couple days!










As the ride went on, the temperature started dropping and the wind got stronger. It even started smelling like snow! 










I didn't find Nicole's bag, but I was quite chilled by the time we got home.. and no wonder seeing as the temp had dropped to 36F with a real feel of 30!! Guess it's time to get my winter gear out.. :-|

6.10 miles, 827 feet of climb, 3.8 mpg average pace, 30F real feel 

I had just finished grooming Sultan and turned him out when it started sleeting. By the time I got into the house, it was snowing!! :eek_color:

A while later, we had this:










:hide:  :hide:


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## AnitaAnne

Something very special about the first snow though! Odd how those leaves just all fell off. It is happening here too; yesterday there were leaves, today I get covered with them dropping so fast. The trees sort of instantly looked naked. Where did fall go???


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## Celeste

It seems like we had snow once.................


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## PoptartShop

Wow, already snow! :O Crazy! 
Beautiful though. The leaves are really pretty too.  Aw, sorry about the bag!


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I got Phin out. I wanted to do a normal training ride, to see what we both thought of the Pandora.

I am still trying to find where the girth wants to sit in the center fire position, as it is so different compared to what I am used to seeing that my mind wants to call it wrong and move it forward. I am also still not convinced the back-to-front balance is quite right, as the front still seems a bit higher than it should be.










But I figure Phin will tell me better than obsessing over pictures.. so out we went. Because the ground was still somewhat wet from yesterday's melted snow, I stuck to what I knew would be good footing. I took a chance and went over to the Tomhicken, hoping I wouldn't disturb any hunters.










Happy to say I didn't see a soul, so was able to w/t/c as I was planning.










On the way home, I decided to take a short detour and go see DH at work. Phin was a bit perplexed as that took us away from the normal routes home, but went without fuss.



















9.74 miles, 1286 feet of climb, 4.5 mph average pace, 36F real feel

Phin moved out well and I found the saddle to be quite comfortable when not just walking. The stirrup bar is a bit further back than I am used to with the Rubicon, so I am having to relearn my balance point, especially in two point. I know I alternate between chair seat and hunter perch normally, so perhaps this saddle will help to conquer that.

Overall I liked the sweat patterns, though the right panel seemed to be closer to his spine at the back than the left, so I may tweak that a bit. I am also going to try a slightly thicker pad. While Phin hasn't shown any back sensitivity so far, I can't help but worry about concussion, since I went from a saddle with big flocked wool panels to one with thin foam ones.


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## SwissMiss

Yay for a successful "figuring it out" ride! :smile:
And I am sure Phin will let you know if he doesn't like the fit of the saddle.

How are the stirrups? Similar to the nylon ones, or do they have a different feel? The rubber pads for sure look more grippy!


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## phantomhorse13

SwissMiss said:


> How are the stirrups? Similar to the nylon ones, or do they have a different feel? The rubber pads for sure look more grippy!


So far, they don't really feel any different than the others, including not seeming to be any grippier despite the nubs on the pads. I do wonder if those will help with wet shoes though..

The only difference I have found is the plastic clanking noise the toe guards make when they contact the girth buckles or bushes, etc. I normally take my feet out of the stirrups the last half mile or so walking home to stretch my legs, but the noise of the stirrups moving around loose and hitting the buckles with every stride made me so crazy after a minute, I put my feet back in!


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I got Phin out again, this time with the equipedic pad under the pandora.










My plan was to wander through the fields and then go around the Sugarloaf and come home via the farm. However, the sun never came out and the heavy frost melted but didn't dry, so the fields were too wet to ride in safely. Instead, I headed for the Sugarloaf. On the way, we passed a good sized buck in one of the wheat fields.










As we jogged up the Sugarloaf, it started to rain. So much for the 20% chance of a passing shower in the late afternoon! For whatever reason, I was having a lot of trouble finding my balance in the saddle - I kept wanting to pivot on my knee and tip forward. Very annoying.










We saw the big buck that lives near the top of the Sugarloaf again!










By the time we had made the second climb, it was obvious the weather was not going to improve. Riding when its 40F is one thing.. 40 and raining is another. We turned for home.










5.21 mile, 1098 feet of climb, 3.8 mph average pace, 40F real feel

I got home to find the equipedic had been a fail on several levels. First, it had shifted backwards by 4-5 inches:










There were also big dry spots under the back of the saddle panels. By the time I was done cooling Phin out, he was flinching when I touched that part of his back. Shiitake.

So much for that idea. I tweaked the panels a bit and will try it again on the thin pad and see what I think. Apparently a thicker pad is not necessarily better!


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## evilamc

If you have a spare thinline pad anywhere or can find one cheap you could make different shims for the equipedic? That's what I did with mine for Orianna. I found the thick foam shims that came with it to be TOO thick! So I cut up a thinline pad in the shape of them and stuffed those in instead. Shes never had a swore back and the saddle seems to sit better on the pad without that thick foam.


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## phantomhorse13

evilamc said:


> If you have a spare thinline pad anywhere or can find one cheap you could make different shims for the equipedic? That's what I did with mine for Orianna. I found the thick foam shims that came with it to be TOO thick!


I had taken the inserts out altogether, as having them in made the saddle perch like crazy in the front.

I do have a thinline pad, but its not quite the same shape as the pandora. I rode with it over the thin pad the very first ride (which is how we normally ride with the Rubicons). But the thinline doesn't cover all of the panels.

I had given thought to going to buy a cheap yoga mat and making my own "thinline" in the right shape..


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## evilamc

phantomhorse13 said:


> I had taken the inserts out altogether, as having them in made the saddle perch like crazy in the front.
> 
> I do have a thinline pad, but its not quite the same shape as the pandora. I rode with it over the thin pad the very first ride (which is how we normally ride with the Rubicons). But the thinline doesn't cover all of the panels.
> 
> I had given thought to going to buy a cheap yoga mat and making my own "thinline" in the right shape..


Which thinline do you have? 

Oh wow without the inserts the equipedic isn't that thick! Crazy! Ha! You could totally try the yoga mat, would be an inexpensive experiement!


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## phantomhorse13

I have an ultra:










I will have to sit the pandora on it again to remind myself what I didn't like.. some part of the panel hung over.

Phin is wide.. heading for extra wide, which is why I knew the inserts would make the panels much too narrow for him.


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## frlsgirl

I'm a huge fan of Thinline; I got the one with the sheepskin roll around it.


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## evilamc

phantomhorse13 said:


> I have an ultra:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I will have to sit the pandora on it again to remind myself what I didn't like.. some part of the panel hung over.
> 
> Phin is wide.. heading for extra wide, which is why I knew the inserts would make the panels much too narrow for him.


Crazy I'll have to try and find which I have. The shims I made for it are the same length as the equipedic pad. I'd think that would be long enough for the panels on the pandora? Its just long enough for the panels on my EZ-Fits. I messed up and accidently ordered medium sized panels for Ori's used saddle, I should of ordered small  So they stick out a little past the saddle. It doesn't bother her but it annoys me. 

I'll be interested to see what pad combo works best with the Pandora! I've always thought they look so uncomfortable to ride in but I've never seen one in person.


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I was finally able to get Phin out again. Momma nature has been less than helpful in terms of giving us decent weather. Today, while chilly and damp, it was at least not raining or snowing.. so out we went.

I used the thin quilted pad and put the thinline on too. That showed me what I didn't like:









The thinline is long enough, but it doesn't have quite enough drop in the back to be under the entire panel. Its only short by maybe an inch.. so I figured I would ride with it and assuming all goes well, look for that yoga mat to cut.

I noticed today that Phin pinned his ears when I put the girth on. This is something new. I always start with it super loose and gradually tighten it. He fussed when I attached the back billet.. so not sure if maybe he isn't used to the sensation of a strap being there? He has not shown _any_ girth sensitivity after any of the rides, so I am not sure what to think about his objection. And I sure hope I can figure it out, since the whole point of this saddle was the rigging!

My riding plan was to go across some of the fields so I could get in some good trot and canter, then to head up the Sugarloaf to get some climb. The sky was threatening and there was a cool, damp wind.. but nothing actually fell from the sky. Phin was very spooky, which was not much of a surprise considering the temps and the wind.



















The always-scary burn pile was even more challenging, as a tree had come down right there, too. Luckily the owner wasn't actively burning today, so we were able to sneak through without too much excitement.










On the way home, I stopped to let Gina's dogs out as she was out of town until dinnertime. I figured it was a great object lesson for Phin.










Happy to say he stood there having a snooze even with Gina's horses helping for the 5 minutes it took (he was tied so they couldn't actually make contact).

6.68 miles, 1055 feet of climb, 4.4 mph average pace, 35F real feel

I was overall pleased with the sweat patterns, though there was one random dry spot about the size of a quarter in the oddest place.. in the top of the middle of the left panel. I can't for the life of me figure out what would be causing it.. so I figured I would use the same set up next ride and see if it happens again before worrying about it any more. Phin showed no signs of back soreness after the ride or a couple hours later at dinner. 

I am pleased with the saddle, though I am still having some learning curve at the canter, as I cannot _sit_ to save my life. I even tried to help myself by holding the cantle of the saddle, but it didn't really help. Not sure what to make of it.


Once I got done with Phin, it was Sultan's turn. I have been trying to work him in the round pen a couple times a week to encourage him to use his back and rebuild that topline.




















Fingers crossed for riding weather tomorrow!


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## phantomhorse13

Today, the sun came out! It's the first we have seen the sun in about a week, so it was very welcome. Momma nature was still having some say though, with a pretty strong, cold wind. Once the frost had dried up, I decided to get Phin out. I hoped since we had been out yesterday, the wind wouldn't be an issue.

Mia took advantage of the sunshine while she supervised my tacking up.










My plan had been to go out in the same setup as yesterday (thin pad and thinline), to see if the weird dry spot was repeated. However, when I went to put on the girth, not only did Phin pin his ears, he actually snapped his teeth!! He has never reacted that way before - not even when I re-tacked him knowing he was sore at a ride. I was horrified. :confused_color:

I took the saddle off and changed the back billet to the center position. I put the saddle back on, and attached the girth. No reaction - not even an ear flick. I continued with my normal routine, watching very closely every time I tightened the girth. No reaction. :think:

Since the girth was still back enough to not be on that problem ridge of muscle, I figured his reactions made his feelings pretty darn clear. I have no idea why the strap in the back slot was bothering him, but it obviously was.










For a bit of variety, I decided to go over to the Big Square. We hadn't been over there in a long while due to the wet state of the ground - I don't like leaving hoofprints even in the farm roads around people's fields (and of course the whole issue of it being potentially slippery).

From the start, Phin was like a keg of dynamite. I spent a lot of time singing, hoping it would both be soothing to him and to keep me from holding my breath and tensing up. Maybe I need to teach him to sing, as he was a ball of tension.

Even in places he was walking, he was on constant watch for monsters. And there were lots of them _everywhere_.



















By the time we got over into the fields, I was starting to doubt my location choice. Once we got into the open, Phin went from spooky and hesitant to FORWARD.

I really wasn't looking for a fast workout; well Phin sure had other ideas. We had quite the discussion about just what speed we would go.. and in one place, I had a moment where I thought he was going to fling his head in the air and tell me to go to h#ll. :eek_color: :gallop:










Luckily that was only a brief moment, but it didn't stop him from continuing to argue with me about speed almost every stride. We went forward. We halted. We went backwards. We did lateral movements. I did everything I could think of to try to find his brain. I felt like I was back on the racetrack trying to jog a horse who was race fit..

I headed for the other decent climb in that section of trails, but quickly changed course when I realized the pack of problem dogs was out. Phin is still nervous about dogs on a good day and I knew from my experience with George that 2 of the 3 dogs in that pack _would_ make contact and were smart enough to go in from different sides. A disaster waiting to happen.

So, we went around some other field to get to the climb another way (can't use that way when the crops are still in the field as the farmer plants all the way to the treeline). That at least gave Phin monsters to think about, which fixed the overly forward problem. Says a lot about his bad behavior that I actually preferred to have a spooky horse. :icon_rolleyes:

After a while, Phin sort of settled down so we turned for home. And managed to stay at walk no less! Then, we came upon the *gasp* Green Man.. and he had a _flag_. I wish someone had been videoing us, as I think it would have been hysterical to see. Phin knew that way was home, so really wanted to go.. but he was so so so suspicious of that man that he was walking on eggshells. 

Phin decided the draw of home was stronger than his suspicions, so eeked past it on the far side of the road. Since he kept to a walk, I just let him move to where he was comfortable and was pleased he didn't use it as an excuse to run for home. Once we got past it, I guess he realized it wasn't dangerous after all.. and wanted to turn around and go investigate! 

For the first time all ride, he was much more interested than he was tense. I let him turn around and go back to see it.










I wish I could have known what was going through his head. He marched right back to it with all the confidence in the world. He reached down and gave it a sniff, then whacked it over with his nose. I was pretty surprised (I had been expecting a spook when he touched it and the flag wiggled) and it took me a moment to stop laughing and get down and stand it back up again.

Horses!!

8.31 miles, 763 feet of climb, 5.1 mph average pace, 38F real feel


On a good note, the sweat marks were lovely. No sign of the mystery odd spot. With all the bracing I was doing most of the ride, I wouldn't have been surprised to have dry marks along the back of the panels.. but it was all even. And no soreness at all. I even felt less all over the place at the canter. Hopefully that doesn't mean I need to always ride with a braced leg! :-?


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## knightrider

Hope this works--I thought maybe other people might enjoy the article too.


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## knightrider

OK--that didn't work. Sorry. Maybe my daughter can help me get this in right.


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## phantomhorse13

@knightrider : I hope your daughter can get the article scanned in. Lots of emotion around Tevis this year, with Tennessee and Far winning. Just goes to show Kevin was watching over them..


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## phantomhorse13

Today was supposed to be rainy and windy with temps falling all day. I kicked myself for not having cleaned the water tank and put the tank heater in yesterday, before the rain/snow started. Wasn't I surprised to wake up to a clear sky. By the time I was done my morning routine, the sun was even out. 

It was even relatively warm with only a light wind when I went out to deal with the tank. When I checked radar, the front was still a ways to the west. I hurried to get the heater in so that I could sneak in a ride on Sultan. Luckily, my work passed inspection first try! :lol:











I grabbed Sultan, who amazingly was not filthy, and tacked up in no time. It was 48F with a light breeze when we left the barn. In a nod to "no stirrup November, " I had taken the stirrups off the saddle. I figured that I would be able to deal with the small bits of trotting I planned to do, as Sultan is fairly smooth.

The plan was to walk up the Sugarloaf and then go around the backside through the fields home. The sun felt amazing, but the wall of clouds coming was ominous.










Before long, the clouds moved in and the wind picked up. The temperature started falling..










Sultan was very good, though obviously disgusted with the pace. Even when we got to places I let him trot, I asked him to keep his pace reasonable because posting without stirrups was a lot of effort for me. I didn't figure trying to do sitting trot would help him relax and use his back. :wink:










We were within sight of home when the rain started, so that was good timing as it was quite chilly by that point (it was a real feel of 33 when I went into the house after untacking). 

7.73 miles, 1252 feet of climb, 4.4 mph average pace, 33F real feel

I did a bit more trotting than I had originally planned to stay ahead of the weather, so I wonder if I will be able to walk tomorrow! :hide:


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## phantomhorse13

Today, it was a balmy 40 with 18-20 mph sustained winds and chance of snow showers all day. DH wanted to hike up the Sugarloaf to clear around his treestand. We took the dogs. It wasn't nearly as miserable as I expected it to be and DH showed me a piece of abandoned trail I had never seen before. We did quite a bit of trimming and still need to get out with a chainsaw to clear a couple downed trees before its usable for the horses, but it will be a nice alternative route.










When we got home, I was floored when DH suggested taking the horses out for a ride. While the wind wasn't terrible on the Sugarloaf itself, it was raging in the open on the way there! But DH was indeed serious - he hadn't ridden in a month and even then, that was someone else's horse. He hasn't ridden Sultan since Maine (which was the beginning of August). Shoes are being pulled on Tuesday for winter vacation, so I understood why DH wanted to get out.

Phin looked quite surprised when I appeared with a halter in the pasture. He was none too impressed with being in the barn, even with Sultan's company, as he finds the noise of the wind very worrisome. He was quite antsy in the crossties and I couldn't help but wonder if I was setting myself up for another adventure of a ride.

We left the barn and he was like sitting on a keg of dynamite. As we got into the field and he got blasted with a big gust, I actually thought his eyeballs might pop out of his head. He couldn't figure out which way to look and his ears were going like mad. We got onto the upper woods path, with all the creaking trees.. and he suddenly heaved a big sigh.. and relaxed.

Maybe he realized Sultan was with him? Maybe he remembered all the other times we had ridden in the wind and not died? Maybe he decided I really _was_ crazy and resigned himself to his fate? I don't know, but I was thrilled for it, whatever the reason.

We jogged over to the Sugarloaf and then moseyed up and around it.










Phin's opinion of posing for pics:




























5.02 miles, 1038 feet of climb, 3.1 mph average pace, 28F real feel

While it was never exactly warm, I am very glad to have gotten this relaxed ride in before their winter vacation (versus the lunatic ride last time). Phin has had a very good year IMO, so this was a nice end to the season. He started 8 rides and finished 7, for a total of 460 miles. Three of those were Top 10 and the one we didn't finish was a rider option. I can only hope for as much success next season!


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## SwissMiss

Awesome end-of season for you and Phin! Wouldn't it be nice if they could talk? Wonder which of your ideas were true and actually made him relax


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## carshon

I love Phinn's face! I think Tillie and he could have a contest for the most "unimpressed" horse out there! So glad you got a relaxing ride in!


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## PoptartShop

Aw I'm glad you got a relaxing ride in!  So lovely!


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## phantomhorse13

Today, the farrier came to pull shoes for the boys' winter vacation (how can it be that time already?!). He was supposed to come last week but had to go to a funeral instead. Today, he brought his son as an assistant! He hasn't been interested in horses until a couple months ago, so everything is new to him. George was so patient with him and dutifully stood like a rock the whole time.











Tomorrow, Patti is coming into town for work and spending the night. She offered to give me a lesson while she was here! Fingers and toes crossed that the weather and the ground cooperate, as I look forward to some eyes on the ground to hopefully help with my stability in the Pandora.


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## egrogan

Have fun and hi to Patti! :wave:


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## phantomhorse13

Change said:


> How many miles did _you _ride?


In terms of AERC, I have 610 endurance miles and 130 LD miles for the 2017 season.

According to my excel spreadsheet, I have sat in a saddle for 1753.88 miles so far in 2017 (that is calendar year though; AERC seasons run Dec 1-Nov 30).


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## Change

Wow! I am really impressed! I'm still struggling to hit 100 miles this year! LOL.


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## phantomhorse13

Last week, Patti came to visit and was kind enough to give me a lesson. [For those who don't recognize her name, Patti is a dressage rider who also got bitten by the endurance bug years ago. She has been not only a fantastic mentor but I am so honored to call her a friend. She writes a great blog called Endurance Introspection.]

The weather was warm but the wind was raging. Patti was willing to stand in the gale and work with us though! She showed me some simple exercises to work on suppleness and encourage Phin to step under and start using his back. 



















I was pleased with how willing Phin was in general but fairly horrified with my riding. I was able to get the first sitting trot I have ever managed with Phin though:







Patti said she liked both how the pandora sat on Phin and the position it put me in. I am just going to need some time to adjust to my new balance point. Hopefully the exercises that will help supple the boys will also help supple me!

0.67 miles (19 minutes), 0 feet of climb, 2.7 mph average pace, 47F real feel


Yesterday, I finally got a chance to get back on Phin and practice some of what Patti showed me. While the sun was out, the wind was roaring and Phin was a firecracker. I spent a lot of the ride just trying to find his happy place, which was apparently not out riding in the paddock! We did a lot of bending and circles and then more bending and circles.. I am amazed we both weren't dizzy. When Phin finally settled down, I called it a day. 

1.93 miles (29 minutes), 0 feet of climb, 4.0 mph average pace, 44F real feel


After I was done with Phin, I decided to try the Pessoa Longeing System that Patti had brought to loan me. She said it had helped Iggy a lot and thought I mind find it useful for the boys. I am not one for gadgets, so I did a bit of research online. It seems to be a love it or hate it scenario, so I figured I would give it a try.

I would say this pic sums up Sultan's opinion of it:










While he didn't object to any of the parts specifically, it seemed like no matter where he put his head, he was being bumped in the mouth as he traveled (and its adjusted as loosely as it can be.. so not sure what someone with a big TB or WB would do!). :-|

Eventually he settled into this posture.. which sure looked like it was creeping BTV to me. I am not looking to force him into a frame, simply discourage him from being a giraffe. 











Next it was George's turn. Before I put the full setup on him, I figured I better see if he even knew how to longe as I had never done it with him before. I put just the headstall and the surcingle on and then asked him to move off around the pen. Maybe nobody has ever worked him in a round pen before or maybe he is just feeling way too good after his time off, but boy did I have a rodeo for the first few minutes!

George took off at a dead run and dashed around the pen. He bucked. He farted. He squealed. I was having a hard time not collapsing into laughter as he made his feelings on his vacation ending perfectly clear. But he has gained a bit of weight during his time off, so it wasn't long before he decided listening was much less work than what he was doing.

After a few minutes of calm work, I attached the rest of the system. I was half expecting a rodeo again, but didn't get one. Instead, I got this amazing sight:










George's neck disappeared! 

After a few minutes, he did settle into a less compacted posture, but he never really looked relaxed as the straps bumped his mouth with every step. :-|

The Pessoa System is now on a shelf in the tack room, waiting to be returned. I would say the horses were pretty clear in their dislike of it and I was certainly underwhelmed. I will go back to my simple loosely adjusted sidereins for future sessions.


Today, it was supposed to rain all day, but when I woke up and it was dry, I decided to get on Phin. Knowing we are supposed to get a lot of rain, I have no way of knowing when I can school in the paddock next and I hated how the ride yesterday went. It was windy but fairly warm, so I figured I would give it a shot.

This time, I took my helmetcam and stuck it on a fencepost. I wanted to see what I was or wasn't doing to hopefully correct some issues next ride.

I am thrilled to report Phin was a whole different horse today. While he was a bit tense to begin with, he settled down pretty quickly. We did some basic circles and spirals at the walk, then I moved on to the trot. While he is still fussy with the contact (which I am sure is not very steady as I am so out of practice too), he was quiet and willing.




























Watching the video was enlightening. I have a lot of things I need to work on in terms of my position and effectiveness. First and foremost is that I am still perching forward, even when I felt like I was doing a decent job of sitting up. That issue gets worse the more I concentrate (which was fairly funny to watch in the spirals particularly). However, I did not have any issues with feeling like I was out of balance, so that is a plus.

1.72 miles (25 minutes), 0 feet of climb, 4.5 mph average pace, 45F real feel

This is sure a lot more work than going down the trail!


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## Tazzie

Great job! I think you're a bit too hard on yourself personally. That sitting trot looked rather nice!!

And I do LOVE your position in that saddle. It puts you in very nice balance over his center of gravity. As for the perching, keep reminding yourself as you ride. I chant it during training rides. But I still struggle with it at shows. I definitely think you should record when you do it to gauge yourself! I have Nick, but I know you don't have the luxury of eyes on the ground. You'll get there! And Phin looks GREAT! What a good boy!


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## phantomhorse13

Hopefully, the forum gremlins are done eating posts and moving us back in time.. I apologize if I missed responding to any posts along the way!

Today I did not intend to ride. The forecast was for another nuisance snow overnight and then more raging winds and below-normal temperatures during the day (yesterday it never got out of the low single digits real feel). And indeed, we did get a couple inches of snow overnight. However, when I went out to get the trailer packed first thing this morning, the wind hadn't picked up too much and the sun was even trying to peek out.

When George made the mistake of wandering into the catch paddock to beg for cookies, I decided I was going to sneak in a ride. I went out and grabbed him, knocked off the icicles (he is the boss yet insists on standing out in the snow :icon_rolleyes and headed out with Mia.

I was in a hurry, so didn't change into riding clothes and just tossed on the bareback pad. George hasn't been ridden since early September.. what could go wrong?! :think: :lol:

@*egrogan* I got almost all lovely, unmarked trail (well, except for Mia leading the way)!










Happy to report that my trust in George was well founded. He did get silly very briefly, when he hopped into a canter instead of the trot I was expecting and then crow hopped (complete with silly squeal :icon_rolleyes in glee. I was able to shut him down the next stride without argument and got the nice jog I had intended. And in his defense, it _was_ a place where we normally would canter.










Unfortunately, it wasn't long before the peeks of sun were soon gone and the predicted wind sprang up in full force. It hadn't been all that warm to start with, so with the wind it was awful. Home we went.



















It was _so_ nice to be riding even with the less-than-ideal weather. I think George had fun too, as his tongue was flapping just about non-stop.

2.33 miles, 195 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 13F real feel eek_color

We are taking all 3 boys to see an osteopath and a dentist in Virginia tomorrow. I will be very interested to hear what the doctors have to say (and we are so lucky they both work in the same practice).


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## egrogan

Beautiful @phantomhorse13!! We got 9 fluffy inches the day I left for Nashville so I missed my chance this time around.


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## phantomhorse13

egrogan said:


> We got 9 fluffy inches the day I left for Nashville so I missed my chance this time around.


Well at the rate the cold is sticking around, I suspect it will be there when you get home. May not be unmarked by that time though.

And please, keep it all up there!! Though I do have to admit the snow is nicer than the mud..


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## egrogan

Yes, I’m on my way home right now and DH says it’s on it’s way to 0*F tonight. Brrrrr.

I should have a lesson tomorrow night, but after dark so it will be Saturday before we get out in the woods to check it out.


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## phantomhorse13

On Friday, DH and I headed south to VA with all 3 boys. It was spa day - they were all seeing an osteopath and the dentist.

It was the coldest morning we have had so far and it was somewhat surreal to be loading horses into the big trailer with snow on the ground. It was sunny and clear when we left.. and the farther south we drove, the uglier it got. It was actually snowing by the time we hit the WV border and it snowed the rest of the way to the clinic! Everyone there joked we needed to go home and take our northern weather back with us. I am so spoiled to have DH as a chauffeur, as I about had an ulcer over trailering in the snow and I wasn't even the one driving. At least the dogs enjoyed the journey.










The horses unloaded quietly and got to hang out in lovely big stalls while taking turns seeing the vets.

Sultan started off with osteo. We were pleased that nothing was screamingly out of whack. We also discussed some herbal options to help with the epm and immune system response.










Phin started off with the dentist. He does tend to dribble food at times, which always seemed to be more related to how distracted he was versus a dental issue, but it was nice to see a specialist to confirm it. And indeed, other than a couple points that needed attention, his mouth looked good.










Next, George got to see the osteopath. He did have a couple pretty serious issues - in his poll and in his pelvis. The dr felt either of those issues could have contributed to the right hind lameness we were seeing. She gave us some stretches to continue doing at home to hopefully keep things moving appropriately. The difference in his flexibility before vs after adjustment was quite remarkable.










Sultan was up for teeth next. We know he has a wave mouth, but were pleased it didn't need any more than some minor work.










Next it was Phin's turn for the osteo. He was not real sure what to make of the cats scooting all over the barn aisle, but it was good patience training for him.










Phin was also quite stuck in his poll, which the dr said may have been contributing to how one-sided he was. I will be interested to see if I notice any difference in how he moves next time I ride him. [He has always been super flexible on the ground, so didn't see any real difference there.]










George got his teeth done and only needed some minor work.










It continued to snow just about the entire time we were there, but luckily it was very small flakes so it didn't accumulate much. Still seems crazy to be talking about snow in central Virginia in December!










That night, we stayed with an endurance friend who lives in the area. It was so nice to get the horses settled into the guest paddocks and let them relax instead of hauling the 4 hours home right away. We were invited back down to ride, so sure hope we can take her up on that offer come spring.

Once we got home on Saturday, the horses were happy to run around like nuts. DH and I worked on getting the trailer emptied and cleaned so we could get it into the garage for winter. There is just something bizarre about pressure washing stuff in the snow!



















Guess it's officially winter now. :|


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## Spanish Rider

*phantom,*
I found this quite interesting. Here, we have simple vets, no equine osteopaths, chiropractors or dentists. Basically, no attention is given to prevention. As a teen, I used to go to equine health symposiums at Tufts University with 4H, something which I would like to start doing again. How often do your horses have these check-ups?


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## AnitaAnne

Such good ponies! Once again though, Phin looks brighter white than the snow and model-horse beautiful! 

They got the star treatment, including an overnight stay at the horsey hotel  Those poor dogs though; suffering through a long trip on thick beds :smile: 

Your garage is drool-worthy, don't believe I have ever seen one so clean and so large. The trailer looks happy there. 

What in the world is a wave mouth??? Have never heard that term before.


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## phantomhorse13

Spanish Rider said:


> How often do your horses have these check-ups?


The horses get their teeth checked and the points knocked off by our regular vet every spring. They are seen by a regular equine chiro/acupuncturist (who is also a vet) on a roughly monthly basis during our competition season. We do the special spa day with the specialists in VA every other year, unless we are having something going on that our normal vets need backup for.




AnitaAnne said:


> What in the world is a wave mouth??? Have never heard that term before.


 This website gives a good illustration - viewed from the side, where the molars meet is curved like a wave, versus being a relatively flat line like it should be. I have heard it can come from lack of care but also that some horses seem to be predisposed to it because of the shape of their jaw.


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## phantomhorse13

On Thursday, I headed over to Nicole's in the hopes of riding. When I arrived and was getting my stuff out of the car, I suddenly had my shirt grabbed. Turned around to find this:










Apparently little Sultan has figured out the bottom strand of the fence isn't hot and has been going on walkabouts! :lol:

Ironically, the lovely sunshine did in our hopes of riding, as the top inch or so of the ground had melted while underneath remained frozen, making things super slimy. As much as we wanted to ride, it wasn't worth risking one of the horses being hurt.


Friday morning, I made a point to go out early so the ground was still frozen. I have been working on Phin with ground tying, so decided to see how he would do while I tacked up. Amazingly, he did not fidget _at all_. I was surprised and very pleased, as often he is rather wiggly in the cross ties. I am not really sure why ground tying would make him calmer than cross tying, but I will definitely be trying it again next time to see if it was a fluke..










While it wasn't actually raining, it was damp and chilly (rain/sleet was due by lunchtime). I expected Phin to be silly because he hasn't been worked in a while, but other than one spook when Mia ran past in the scary corner, he was really good.










I am still working mostly at a walk, doing bending and spirals and leg yields. I am also trying to work on my own position, as any time I stop thinking about it, I am perched again (and suspect I am perched some of the time I am thinking about it!). :icon_rolleyes:










I have worked my way up to roughly a full circle of sitting trot before I start flopping all over (and therefore transition back to walk). I apparently cannot think about relaxing my back/pelvis to sit while also maintaining flexible elbows (and therefore the contact). @Tazzie or @frlsgirl (or anybody else), any suggestions? I suspect the answer is just going to be practice..
























1.38 miles (22 minutes), 0 feet of climb, 3.9 mph average pace, 22F real feel

Next up was longeing Sultan. I went back to the plain side reins and he seemed much happier. He is tracking up on his own to the left and needs only mild encouragement on the right now. [Excuse the filth - I should have taken a pic of what he looked like before grooming. :icon_rolleyes: ]











Then I went out to get George.. and I was horrified to find him head bobbing lame at a walk! :frown_color: Needless to say, we did not head for the round pen but instead into the barn. I got his lame leg cleaned up and couldn't find any reason for the issue. No heat or swelling or sensitivity anywhere. I did, however, find a digital pulse in the bad leg and that hoof was warmer. I went and got some vice grips and tested that hoof. I found a place where he obviously flinched with pressure. Shiitake - abscess.

I am not sure that George thought standing with his foot in a bucket was better than the roundpen work..










I wrapped him with poultice and slapped on an easyboot. I wasn't feeling very optimistic about getting it to burst on its own, as the sensitive place was back towards the heel bulb. And indeed, when George was still lame that evening and I could find no signs of a tract opening, I called the farrier (and soaked and wrapped the foot again).

Bless our farrier that he was willing and able to come out first thing Saturday morning!










He too found sensitivity where I had, and started digging. He found a tract which drained a bit of fluid.. but the tract went down and back under the frog, so he didn't want to chase it too aggressively. And George was still lame. Shiitake. :frown_color:

George is still lame. I have been soaking the foot multiple times a day, hoping to get that pocket opened. As of lunchtime, he was also showing sensitivity in the central sulcus his frog, so I am hoping it's working on bursting there..

Luckily, Gina had a soaker boot I could borrow, so that is much less hassle than the bucket.










Fingers and toes crossed we get a open tract for Christmas so George can start feeling better!!


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## egrogan

Hoping Santa brings George a pain free Christmas!!


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## SwissMiss

Hoping that George is feeling better soon!
And so proud of Phin. Knowing how to ground tie seems pretty handy to me!

One thing that always helped me to relax/stop bracing is doing some complicated Math in my head. Not hard enough that I can't solve it, but challenging enough to occupy my mind so I can't thinking about relaxing my pelvis - works like a charm for me. Probably just proves that I suck at multitasking


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## phantomhorse13

SwissMiss said:


> One thing that always helped me to relax/stop bracing is doing some complicated Math in my head. Not hard enough that I can't solve it, but challenging enough to occupy my mind so I can't thinking about relaxing my pelvis - works like a charm for me.


Ooo, I like that idea. I can see how my constant thinking "relax your pelvis, relax your pelvis" probably has the opposite effect. I will try the math. Who said algebra has no application in the real world?!


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## lsdrider

Nice work on the ground tying!

Another idea for when Fancy starts ground work next month.


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## AnitaAnne

Sultan looks MUCH happier in the side reins! Very dirty pony though; did you say that was_ after _grooming him? You poor girl; trying to keep 4 greys clean is a full time job!!! 

Praying George feels better soon poor boy. 

Phin is looking spiffy in his new saddle with that red pad! Was looking to see if he had some red bows in his mane for Christmas 

You are sitting great at the walk! The trot, yes leaning forward a bit still. Some ideas to remain flexible:

Pretend you are glued to the seat
Tuck your hinny under you
Let all your weight sink/drop _forward and down_ into your thighs (not your heels)
Rest your hands on the pommel (don't grip though)
Cross your stirrups in front of the saddle
Act like a noodle, let your back flow with the motion

It is better to lean too far back than forward. 

If you focus on feeling the motion instead of focusing on your position, you will flow with it. 

Keep Riding!


----------



## AnitaAnne

Little Sultan is adorable! Little guard donkey frisking visitors


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> Very dirty pony though; did you say that was_ after _grooming him?


It was.

This was before:




















I will try to keep your tips in mind.. though I am not brave enough to cross my stirrups because I know how bouncy his trot can be (and how well he teleports when Mia appears in the scary corner :wink.


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## AnitaAnne

But that will be ok, cause remember...you are glued to the saddle :cheers:


----------



## AnitaAnne

So, watch this video, it really is more on the changes, but take note of this very loose-bodied rider sitting a very big trot. Note the stillness of the hands yet her whole body is rising up and down with the saddle. 

Note also how she is leaning back (near the end) and is learning how to sit a bit straighter. Leaning back is the precursor to sitting up. 

I picked this one because one can clearly see the elasticity needed through the body. Like a wet noodle, yes?


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## gottatrot

What are your legs doing at the sitting trot? I find it helpful to think about how your leg on the side where the horse's leg is on the ground is closer to the ground. So that leg drops a little and then the alternate leg drops a little, following the horse's stride. 
The horse's back also moves forward with each stride, so we follow that with our seat as well.
If you don't let your hip/thigh bone follow that motion, it can create tenseness that pushes you up out of the saddle. Sitting deeply at the trot is not even on both sides of your body, because the horse is not even at the trot.


----------



## Celeste

I sit the trot all the time. I doubt I do it all that right. I am comfortable anyway. I am not too picky. If I don't fall off, I am happy.

I took dressage lessons for a while. My teacher basically listed each body part I had and said what I was doing wrong with each and then added, "If it weren't for those issues, you would be a great rider."

i sort of wondered what I did right. Maybe my hair looked nice..... 

@phantomhorse13. You are a great rider. If you weren't, you could never holdup to the rides you do.


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## Hondo

Hello. I think it's time I subscribed to this journal. I'll be listening and learning.


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## Spanish Rider

*phantom,*
So, I understand that you do not like crossing your stirrups because of teleporting and bounciness. Agreed. But, do you do stirrupless work as part of your routine? I find that is what helps me the most. On more "active" horses, I fit it in towards the end of our work, even if it's just posting with no stirrups at an active walk while cooling down. Plus, lots of stirrupless lateral work is normally part of my routine. 

Oh! Another thing that seems to loosen me up is shoulder-in at the sitting trot. Perhaps it is because I am concentrating more on flexion and maintaining my line instead of sitting the trot, which is along the lines of what *SwissMiss* said about doing mental math. 

Ah, and one last thing: some people have more luck with repeated walk to sitting trot transitions in short series (5 paces at walk, 5 sitting trot, repeat). The theory is that your body does not have enough time to get tense. I do not care for it, though.

But, what do I know? Nowadays I couldn't sit a bouncy trot to save my life.

*Celeste,*
You crack me up! If I don't fall off, I, too, am happy. I am too early on in my dressage journey for my instructor to start correcting body parts. I am afraid that when he starts, he will never stop! And, if your hair looked nice, then you've got one up on me!


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## phantomhorse13

Appreciate all the suggestions and look forward to implementing some of them.

Happy to report George is doing better. While he isn't yet sound at a trot, he is sound at a walk so I will take it.

I also heard from Lani a couple days ago about Florida.. and I will be heading down to her place momentarily! If my phone is agreeable, I will update during the drive.


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## CaliforniaDreaming

I gotta remember to start subbing here. 

I registered for AERC with some of my Christmas money, and plan to do LD this coming year. I’ve only been saying it for years, but this time I think I’m serious. I was hoping to do one LD this year, but had to have emergency surgery 2weeks before, so that wasn’t in the cards. It a friend of mine went with her Fjord and got the bug, so I’m hoping to have someone to do this with next year. Be my inspiration!


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## egrogan

CaliforniaDreaming said:


> I gotta remember to start subbing here.
> 
> I registered for AERC with some of my Christmas money, and plan to do LD this coming year. I’ve only been saying it for years, but this time I think I’m serious. I was hoping to do one LD this year, but had to have emergency surgery 2weeks before, so that wasn’t in the cards. It a friend of mine went with her Fjord and got the bug, so I’m hoping to have someone to do this with next year. Be my inspiration!


I did the same @CaliforniaDreaming ^^

I am determined to make it to at least one LD this year! Wish you were closer, would love someone else to ride with!


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## AnitaAnne

I would also love to do an LD this year, but my horse is not up to it :frown_color: would have to get another horse, and I really can only afford two, which is what I have. 

So I vicariously enjoy reading @phantomhorse13 journal instead


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## CaliforniaDreaming

egrogan said:


> I did the same @CaliforniaDreaming ^^
> 
> I am determined to make it to at least one LD this year! Wish you were closer, would love someone else to ride with!


I’ve wanted to do NATRC and endurance for years, but stuff kept happening. The lack of trailer really put a damper, but now I have one and my school life (which was crazy hectic in the early part of 2017 because I was graduating junior college) got in the way. Upper division at a 4 year is a lot easier (more reading, less “homework”) so I think 2018 is our year!

We’ll probably turtle. I’ve got a Haflinger, but who cares! We’re there for the fun. 

It is too bad you’re clear on the other coast. It would be fun to ride together.


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## egrogan

CaliforniaDreaming said:


> I’ve wanted to do NATRC and endurance for years, but stuff kept happening. The lack of trailer really put a damper, but now I have one and my school life (which was crazy hectic in the early part of 2017 because I was graduating junior college) got in the way. Upper division at a 4 year is a lot easier (more reading, less “homework”) so I think 2018 is our year!


No trailer for me either, and it is definitely a limitation. Fortunately, I've gotten connected with a mentor who lives the next town over and does a lot of rides about an hour north of us in Vermont. She's amenable to having me tag along, and the venue hosts everything from introductory rides through a 100-miler during the summer and fall, so I am confident we will be able to experience at least one ride this year (NOT a 100-miler!!).



CaliforniaDreaming said:


> We’ll probably turtle. I’ve got a Haflinger, but who cares! We’re there for the fun.


We'll probably turtle, but that's because I've got a rushy Morgan and a case of nerves :wink: So I think turtling is how it will be fun and manageable for me.



> It is too bad you’re clear on the other coast. It would be fun to ride together.


Ditto! Fortunately there are plenty of journals and threads here on HF that make it easy to follow along with what other folks are up to.



AnitaAnne said:


> I would also love to do an LD this year, but my horse is not up to it :frown_color: would have to get another horse, and I really can only afford two, which is what I have.
> 
> So I vicariously enjoy reading @*phantomhorse13* journal instead


 @AnitaAnne, if you do the Facebook thing, the AERC page seems to be a place where people who would like to catch ride offer themselves up and find matches pretty frequently. I'm certainly no expert, but just sort of stalk that page and see posts like that from time to time...


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## Hondo

AnitaAnne said:


> I would also love to do an LD this year, but my horse is not up to it :frown_color: would have to get another horse, and I really can only afford two, which is what I have.


With a little training, I think my horse would be up to it. But unfortunately, I doubt any amount of training would render my own body up to it.


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## phantomhorse13

Welcome @CaliforniaDreaming - I look forward to hearing about you adventures prepping for and finally attending your first LD. Hopefully you get a break with school and health issues!

Lani and I are all settled in to ridecamp. Duroc and Flo are vetted and good to go for the 25 tomorrow. 

Hopefully there is a pic attached..


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## phantomhorse13

My worries that I had perhaps trained myself out of going to Florida this year proved to be false, though not due to training issues. Because almost everyone is coming back from some sort of injury, Lani and Kathy plan to use the Florida rides as rehab Duroc, Flo, Fuji, Cowbboy and Teabiscuit all landed in Florida just after Thanksgiving. They got a couple weeks to acclimate, then this past weekend was to be the first competition.

The original plan was to ride Duroc and Flo one day and Fuji and Cowbboy the other in the LD. As soon as the ladies made that decision, Fuji promptly tweaked something in the field and was off early last week. While he is sound now, they weren't going to rush him. Cowbboy was then scheduled to go back to his owner (which was unexpected, but good as the owner was able to find and buy her dream horse property finally!) sometime this week. We weren't about to take him to the ride because that seemed like it would be daring the universe to have something bad happen to him! [Teabiscuit is retired from competition and only went down so they had a horse to pony from during training rides.] That left just Duroc and Flo for the ride, but seeing as Cowbboy's sire needed to travel down to Florida (he's been standing at Lani and Kathy's farm), we figured it was worth the trip.

I left home late Tuesday night and Lani and I left her place before light on Wednesday. Traffic wasn't too bad until we got to South Carolina, at which point it was bumper to bumper. I guess it was people traveling home after Christmas? It wasn't accidents either, just random stop and go. It was annoying as h#ll and lasted _the entire state_ and added about 3 hours to an already very long drive. Thankfully AFlame is a great traveler, so he looked much better than we did when we finally arrived just after 1 am Thursday.

We napped a few hours, then were up to get stuff ready for the ride. Luckily there were no other issues, so we were on the road by lunchtime for the hour drive to camp. We found a great parking spot very close to the vetting, so didn't even need to haul stuff to a crew spot (in the past, we were always camped in the far field, so that was a great surprise).

The weather was cold by Florida standards, though it felt quite nice to us compared to home. It was low 50s, but with drizzle and a breeze, the real feel was in the low 40s.

Friday morning it was still overcast, but no longer drizzling. The cloud cover had kept the temperature moderate overnight, so it was a pleasant 51 when we started. Because our theme for this season is "no more top 10s," we started dead last and about 10 minutes after the pack.


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Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18
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Duroc and Flo were less than impressed with the pace. Despite the fact neither has done much of anything since last summer (Flo due to a strained suspensory, Duroc due to bucked shins), they were both convinced we should be racing. There was lots of head tossing and snorting and rolling eyeballs. 










Not far into the first 15 mile loop, we picked up an intro rider who was having a bit of an issue with her overly-enthusiastic mare. It was an additional challenge for our horses, but the woman was so much fun to ride with. She was a retired mounted patrol officer and was starting out in distance riding after a battle with breast cancer. She had only done one other intro ride with her mare and had lots of questions about all sorts of things. 


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Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18
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It was also her birthday, and weren't Lani and I flattered when she said riding with us was the best birthday present she'd ever had! The loop was done in what seemed like no time despite our modest pace. 

Our new friend finished with all As and our guys vetted through immediately with no issues. They were both happy to chow down the entire hold.










The second 10 mile loop had footing that just begged for cantering, or at least Flo and Duroc seemed to think so. They didn't fuss too long though, as neither was actually as fit as they thought. 










































Our overall pace was about 5.5 mph, which put us into the finish about 30 minutes before cutoff time. We won the turtle award easily! In fact, we were so casual with our pace that the winner of the 50 came in only about 20 minutes after us. 

The horses got their post-ride snack and then we packed up to head back to the farm.



















Lani and I enjoyed a yummy dinner out that night, before turning in early. Saturday morning, we got some chores done (like fetching hay and reorganizing what we had used for the ride), then left for home. We hoped driving mostly overnight would help with traffic and it sure did. We arrived back at Lani's farm about 6 am Sunday morning. It was certainly a shock, as it had been about 65F and sunny when we left Florida and it was 14 in Virginia! 

Nice way to start the 2018 season. Happy New Year!


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## lsdrider

Happy New Year to you too PH13!
Sounds like you've got 2018 off to a nice rolling start.
Still way too cold to ride here.
Thanks for posting your adventures and pics, I sure like reading about them and learning from you.


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## phantomhorse13

lsdrider said:


> Still way too cold to ride here.


It's horrible here, too! Today we actually hit double digits (a whopping 10F), but the wind brought the real feel down to -8. It was all I could do to stand being outside to move hay. I was wearing so many clothes, I looked like someone in one of those sumo suits. 

We may get a bit of a break mid week - scary when a high of 23 sounds good! Then we are back down to highs in the single digits for the end of the week (normal for this time of year is low 30s). A nor'easter is coming Thursday, though right now they claim it will stay off the coast enough to not give us more than a couple inches.. but I will believe that once it's passed. The next storm rolls through next Monday, with possible "accumulating snow," but of course who can believe the forecast a week out?

I keep reminding myself its not that big a deal as our horses are on their rest period anyway. So I am hoping the weather breaks by the middle of the month when their shoes go back on..


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## Spanish Rider

*phantomhorse13,*
I love, love, love these updates on your rides, especially the videos, which give such a realistic impression of what endurance rides are like. Those little arabs are such tough cookies!

Maybe one day...


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## SwissMiss

phantomhorse13 said:


> Because our theme for this season is "no more top 10s," we started dead last and about 10 minutes after the pack.


Did I just read that right? :confused_color: But in light of recovering horses it actually makes sense, I assume! 
Glad you had a good start of 2018 and escaped the bitter cold for a moment.


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## phantomhorse13

SwissMiss said:


> phantomhorse13 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Because our theme for this season is "no more top 10s," we started dead last and about 10 minutes after the pack.
> 
> 
> 
> Did I just read that right? :confused_color: But in light of recovering horses it actually makes sense, I assume!
Click to expand...

You did read it right (and if you listen closely at the start of the video, you can hear Lani telling it to the people standing by the gate)!

As you said, the fact the horses are recovering makes all the difference. It's one thing to take a sound and fit horse out and let er rip.. but that isn't the smartest plan with not-very-fit-due-to-recovering-from-injury horses. Being able to go at a reasonable pace is also a very important skill in general, as who thinks fighting with their horse over pace for miles and miles is any fun?

So this winter season we are trying to kill 2 birds with one stone: bring the horses back into work after their assorted injuries and work on the race brain we have allowed them to develop.


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## phantomhorse13

Today I got in the first ride of 2018! Since our guys are on vaca, I was more than happy to go over and ride with Nicole. The weather seemed almost warm today, as there was very little wind and the sun was shining. Rather scary when a real feel of 17F seems pleasant!!










Neither horse has been ridden in weeks, so we were expecting some naughty behavior.. but I was pleasantly surprised that they proved us wrong.





































9.31 mile, 604 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 17F real feel


Knowing today was only a brief reprieve, last night DH and I put a space heater in with the well pump and added an insulating layer of hay where the in-floor heat lines for the tack room cross the barn aisleway. I am also turning on the water tank 3 times a day to hopefully keep that line clear. In theory the cold should end next week after breaking a couple more records..










Fingers and toes are crossed the Nor'easter doesn't change track and nail us tomorrow..


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## tim62988

curious with the LD events: was your 5.5mph pace including the hold in the middle and the final pulse down? or was that a 5.5mph of actual moving time?

every winter I say i'm going to keep my girl moving... in the past week i've seen a few feet of snow and i've seen -20 on a few occasions. she has her blanket & hay but a 5.5 mph pace isn't end of the world daunting


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## phantomhorse13

tim62988 said:


> curious with the LD events: was your 5.5mph pace including the hold in the middle and the final pulse down? or was that a 5.5mph of actual moving time?


The 5.5 mph pace was actual moving time. I turn my garmin off during the hold itself (or I do my best to.. sometimes I forget :icon_rolleyes.

We started at 8am. We finished just shy of 1:30pm. The hold was 50 minutes and it took us 3 minutes to untack and pulse at the end. Cutoff time was 2pm.


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## Hondo

phantomhorse13 said:


> The 5.5 mph pace was actual moving time. I turn my garmin off during the hold itself (or I do my best to.. sometimes I forget :icon_rolleyes.


My Garmin etrex records moving time, moving avg, total time, and overall average. Actually don't know how far one has to move for it to call itself moving, but more than just at rest.

I've used and watched the overall average at times just to see what a certain speed felt like. But I don't do 5.5.


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## phantomhorse13

Hondo said:


> I've used and watched the overall average at times just to see what a certain speed felt like. But I don't do 5.5.


If you are normally walking, then I would imagine you will never see that as an overall pace.. maybe some gaited horses can consistently walk at that speed, but most non-gaited horses don't. My arabs walk at 2.5-3.5 mph, depending on the moment and motivation. I would expect similar speeds from Hondo.

The first loop (15 miles) we did roughly half walk and half trot. The second loop (10 miles) we did more like 2/3 trot and 1/3 walk.


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## Hondo

@phantomhorse13 Yes, there is an overall pace on my eTrex at a walk. I set a goal a few times of riding back to the old ranch in two hours which is 6.5 miles away. I kept my GPS visible with the overall average showing. When I got distracted and Hondo slowed a little, the average would drop and it'd take some urging to keep him up above speed for a while to get the average back up to par.

I had considered using it to train different walking speeds as he can walk pretty fast when he wants to. But the pleasure of just riding got in the way as that's what I like most.

Just turned on my GPS and the data screen is set to show these 8 data. Elevation, Time of Day, Moving Time, Moving Avg (speed), Stopped (time), Overall Avg, Current Speed, Odometer.

Other data can be selected to show in place of these except for speed and odometer which are permanent as I recall, I'd need to check on that.

I've been using the Garmin VISTA eTrex for 10 years or more and really like it.

Speed reads out to 1/10 mile per hour. Distance reads out to 1/100 mile.


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## SwissMiss

tim62988 said:


> but a 5.5 mph pace isn't end of the world daunting


When we mainly walk we get our approx. 4 mile loop done in 1 hour (or less, depending if we _walk_ or just mosey around)... All that talk about tracking makes me think about a GPS tracker :wink:
@phantomhorse13, hope the Nor'easter is not pummeling you too hard!


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## knightrider

@SwissMiss, do most horses walk 4 miles in an hour? My Paso Finos have very fast walks, and Pasos for Pleasure measures time in the saddle, not distance. I do most of my rides at a walk, with a little corto and canter thrown in. About how fast would Paso Finos (who are walking fast) walk in an hour?

Anyone who has gadgets know? Then maybe I could post in the trail riding section. Last year I logged 517.75 hours riding. Multiplied by 4, that makes 2,071 miles, if my horses are going 4 mph.
@phantomhorse13, do fast walking Pasos walk a little faster than 4 miles an hour? I always wondered how many miles I ride in a year.


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## PunchnMe

@knightrider Not sure about Paso but I know that some horses do, as I have timed them lol (curiosity killed the cat)


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## knightrider

Forgot to mention, in Pasos for Pleasure, I can only count the hours on my registered Paso Finos. I cannot count the hours I ride on my daughter's TN Walker, nor the hours I ride on my neighbor's horses, nor the hours on other people's horses, nor the hours on our non-registered Paso.


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## SwissMiss

@knightrider, honestly I don't know. I don't have any means of measuring it except knowing that one of our "trails" is 4 miles total (again - not sure how accurate it is). And Peruvians probably gait at a similar speed as a Fino - the Fino just makes more steps :wink:


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## knightrider

Thinking back to the only endurance ride I ever did, we rode 10 miles in 3 hours, and it was half walking, half corto, so that means we were riding a little over 3 miles per hour. Does that sound right?


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## egrogan

knightrider said:


> Thinking back to the only endurance ride I ever did, we rode 10 miles in 3 hours, and it was half walking, half corto, so that means we were riding a little over 3 miles per hour. Does that sound right?


If you ride with your phone, you can download an app like Endomondo or ViewRanger (both free) which will give you the average, minimum, and maximum speed, plus overall distance and elevation changes-you don’t need an extra gadget like a Garmin to do that stuff. 

I don’t think any of these apps are perfectly accurate, but you could use it for a few days to get an estimate and then just delete it. I may be wrong, but I don’t think you need steady internet access for them to work.

Definitely join the trail ride thread!! :grin:


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## SwissMiss

egrogan said:


> If you ride with your phone, you can download an app like Endomondo or ViewRanger (both free) which will give you the average, minimum, and maximum speed, plus overall distance and elevation changes-you don’t need an extra gadget like a Garmin to do that stuff.
> 
> I don’t think any of these apps are perfectly accurate, but you could use it for a few days to get an estimate and then just delete it. I may be wrong, but I don’t think you need steady internet access for them to work.
> 
> Definitely join the trail ride thread!! :grin:


I think now is the time to admit that my phone doesn't have a data package


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## weeedlady

^^^^ I don't have data on my phone either. Endomondo works just fine without data or internet access. It uses GPS. I started using it this past summer (someone here recommended it) and it serves the purpose. It may not be terribly accurate but it gives you and good idea. 
It does use up your phone battery quickly. Very quickly.

Best thing -- it's free!


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## phantomhorse13

@knightrider : I have found trying to determine what speed a horse is going without some type of gps or measured trail can be really complicated. Despite having ridden with technology for over 10 years, how speed relates to the feel of each individual horse still makes a big difference to me. Nicole's gaited guys in particular are tough. I second the suggestion of endomondo or another app for the phone. It may not be perfect, but will give you a general idea. The other option would be to go somewhere you know the distance is marked accurately and do several miles and record the time and take the average of the times.


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## knightrider

Waaa hoo! My daughter helped me load the endomondo onto my phone and I used it for the first time today. We had it on "run" because we didn't know you could change it to "riding." On "run" it showed Acicate doing about 4 miles an hour. We mostly walked with a couple of cortos, and two short canters. We rode 8 miles and it took 2 hours, according to the endomondo.

I wondered out loud with my neighbor/riding buddy why the 10 mile endurance ride took 3 hours when I was riding Acicate that day. He reminded me that we had to stop often and ride slowly because my daughter's filly was balking from time to time. She has a slow walk, and I often have to stop and wait for her. In fact, with Acicate, I have to stop and wait for everybody, including today. As my neighbor said, if I let Acicate move out at the pace he prefers, we might even be 4.5 mph or even 5 mph. He can really walk on.

Just wanted to share my excitement at finally figuring out how far I ride, how fast I ride, average speed, top speed, and all that other fun stuff. Thank you @egrogan, for telling me about endomondo.


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## SwissMiss

weedlady said:


> ^^^^ I don't have data on my phone either. Endomondo works just fine without data or internet access. It uses GPS. I started using it this past summer (someone here recommended it) and it serves the purpose. It may not be terribly accurate but it gives you and good idea.
> It does use up your phone battery quickly. Very quickly.
> 
> Best thing -- it's free!


Well - that is fine if your phone is _capable_ for data. Somehow you have to download it :wink:


----------



## egrogan

So glad it worked @knightrider! I like the satisfaction of seeing all the stats adding up over time. Just saw your picture over in the trail thread- my pictures are basically all of trees with leaves, trees with buds, or trees with no leaves, so I don't think you can get much more boring than me :wink: It's still fun to have other people to share with!


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> Waaa hoo! My daughter helped me load the endomondo onto my phone and I used it for the first time today.
> 
> Just wanted to share my excitement at finally figuring out how far I ride, how fast I ride, average speed, top speed, and all that other fun stuff.


Woohoo!! Glad you got it working. I know I am still a total geek at heart, so I love looking at all the data those types of programs give you. With all the hours you ride on boogying gaited horses, I suspect you are going to be shocked at the actual miles you are doing.


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## phantomhorse13

Today was the first day it's been above freezing for 16 days! Even our overnight temp was so much warmer (mid 20s) that I decided to make it a barn day. :clap:

First up was Phin. Because the ground is still frozen, I knew it wouldn't be the most exciting ride ever, but I wanted to take advantage of the sunshine. In a nod to @AnitaAnne 's suggestion, I rode without stirrups:










I found that not only helped with my seat, it also made me really pay attention to my elbows, as if I got lax and let them straighten, I was whacking my hands on the stirrup cages. :lol:

Phin was very good - he didn't even look sideways at the Corner of Horrors once! He did keep looking longingly at the other horses though, as if wondering why I couldn't have ridden one of them instead. 










We did all walk, with lots of lateral work. I decided to try some exercises I saw when watching a recent GM Horsemastership flat class: rail work broken up by turns on the forehand and on the haunches different directions (they did them at trot and canter - we just walked!). Those really got him listening to me and waiting for cues before moving.

0.93 miles (24 minutes), 0 feet climb, 2.7 mph average pace, 23F real feel


After riding, I decided to clip. Everyone's shoes go back on in a week, meaning real work will begin and winter coats need modification. Normally, I am clipping horses in the worst weather possible (snow, raging winds, etc), but this year momma nature was planning a hot flash for the end of the week, with temps near 50. I thought that would be a good opportunity to let them adjust to their naked state before the next round of cold came in. It also meant I was clipping before the ground thawed and everyone became mudballs again!

Santa brought me some new, wider clipper blades for Christmas, so I was excited to try them out. I got a _hugely_ helpful education from @evilamc about how to keep my clippers running properly a few weeks ago and what a difference it made!! I didn't have _any_ issues with the blades heating up and was able to use the same set to clip the entire horse without having to stop. The boys are profoundly grateful as clipping took literally half the time is used to!

As always, there is a reason I am not a groomer for a living, and yes they are done freehand (as if that wasn't painfully obvious). :lol:























































When I was done clipping - did I mention it took half the time?! - I couldn't resist the lure of the sunshine and pleasant temps.. so I decided to take Mia for a walk, using George. I just hopped on bareback.



















The creek really brought home just how cold it's been. I have never seen it frozen solid before:



















George was a very good boy, walking along sedately and giving me a couple nice easy jogs on the grass. 

3.05 miles, 318 feet of climb, 3.3 mph average pace, 26F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I took advantage of the relatively nice weather and got all 3 boys out.

The sun was shining but there was a damp wind blowing when I started with Phin. I decided to move into the hay field partly because the footing would be nicer with the grass to cushion the frozen ground, but also because I suspected out of the pasture would be a whole different world as far as Phin was concerned.

Phin didn't disappoint. :icon_rolleyes: The Very Scary Corner was that much worse from the other side of the fence.










We spent the first 10 minutes or so of our ride jumping all over, spooking at things only he saw.










Hayfield of Hidden Horrors:









Eventually, he decided perhaps he wasn't in mortal danger.. and started paying more attention to me than the invisible things around us.










We did a lot of bending and lateral work, trying to keep his focus on me. We did some work with turns on the forehand, where he really shows his sidedness as he is very awkward to the right. Initially he acted like he'd never been given a leg cue before and just used it as an excuse to leap forward, but eventually he settled down enough for me to even brave some trotting. 















2.22 miles (45 minutes), 13 feet of climb (likely from all the leaping), 3.2 mph average pace, 28F real feel


Next up was Sultan. Since he'd not been ridden in a while and the wind was only getting stronger, I decided to put the saddle on him. Mia accompanied us around Alimar.










I was pleasantly surprised that Sultan behaved very well. We did mostly walk with a touch of trot and he never got fussy or tried to rush for home. The temp was dropping and it felt like it might snow at any moment as we moseyed around. Mia vanished when we started the second loop of the figure 8.










Got home to find her curled up in the barn! Guess the last mile of trail wasn't worth the nasty wind.










3.07 miles, 339 feet of climb, 3.8 mph average pace, 26F real feel


Last up was George. A quick check of the weather said that while it might feel like snow, the radar was clear.. so I put on another layer and out we went. We wandered around Alimar and also added in one set of Spaulding's fields.










No surprise that the pond was still frozen solid.










I needed to mail something, so I decided to ride George down the road to the local post office. We used to ride that way frequently, but lost access to some land when it was sold so haven't been that way in years. 










George remembered though and went along with only mild protest of having gotten back to the barn and then having to continue past it. Our arrival at the PO caused some commotion, and the postmistress came out personally to take my mail!











The corner is fairly busy however, and when someone almost got rear ended because they slowed down to look at us, I decided that hanging around any longer to let people pose for pictures wasn't the best idea. George would have stood there quietly all day as people were feeding him treats as they posed - he ignored the crazy traffic completely.

5.04 miles, 505 feet of climb, 4.0 mph average pace, 24F real feel


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## AnitaAnne

What a day you had! That corner is VERY SCARY! Did you see the TREES? Something could be in that hayfield too; very suspicious looking place without trees...

Nice turns on the forehand! Looking very professional  

:rofl::rofl: over Phin's 13 feet of elevation change all from leaping :dance-smiley05:

How cool you were able to take George to town! He enjoyed all the attention, especially treats, lol! 

Their trims all look very lovely too. Beautiful day! 

Turned out to be a beautiful day here; so I got Chivas all dolled up and off we went...but not far. Chivas was being a total pill and was not happy about heading out for a ride instead of eating! 

There were more horse-eating monsters than I have ever seen out today! Ok, I didn't actually see any, but Chivas did...

He had no brain for the first 10-15 minutes but things got better quickly and we too worked on change of direction, lateral work and even backing but I insisted he WALK. Made sure to tell him he is the best pony in the WORLD :loveshower: Anything to get him moving!


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## carshon

the Hayfield of Hidden Horrors just cracked me up! My daughter and I were going to ride last week before it got too warm and the ground slippery. I got out Tillie who had convinced herself that she had earned retirement - daughter hopped on her horse bareback and headed for the hayfield and Gracie promptly tried to dump her! and continued to try the more my daughter tried to get her to the hay field! By now Tillie was just spazzing standing tied waiting to be saddled. I am still have hip problems so my legs are weak at the moment so I did not bother to saddle up but rescued DH instead and led her and Gracie to the hayfield (of horrors) and went back and got Tillie and hand walked her to the field where she promptly lost her head calling and carrying on for her BFF who was in her pen also calling and running the fence line. They could see each other for Gosh sake! Could be an interesting spring!

Glad your boys all eventually remembered they were gentlemen.


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## Spanish Rider

Wow, getting four horses out is a lot of work. Good for you! That photo of Phin with his head up and back makes me nervous. My brain still has a hard time with those sorts of reactions.

Loved your visit to town. When I was at school, I worked summers at a local bank, and we would have horses and riders come up through the drive-thru to do their banking. Always made for lots of fun.

I, too, had a laugh about Phin's elevation change.:rofl: But, come to think of it, Ialso had an unexpected elevation change yesterday... could have been those flying lead changes Presumido got so upset over?


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> There were more horse-eating monsters than I have ever seen out today! Ok, I didn't actually see any, but Chivas did...





carshon said:


> daughter hopped on her horse bareback and headed for the hayfield and Gracie promptly tried to dump her!
> 
> got Tillie and hand walked her to the field where she promptly lost her head calling and carrying on for her BFF who was in her pen also calling and running the fence line. They could see each other for Gosh sake!


While I hate to hear of others having 'interesting' rides, it is nice to know it's not just me! Phin also could see the rest of the herd as they were standing around in the paddocks, which are the other side of the fence from the hayfield (the camera the pics came from was sitting on a fencepost). None of them were doing anything but eat (and perhaps going nah-nah), so no idea why Phin was so cranked.

Maybe its just something in the air. I went out to clean the sheds yesterday before the big rain came in today and even Dream was running around with her tail in the air. Over the _wheelbarrow_! :gallop:


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I got on Phin first thing in the morning. I didn't want to end the week on yesterday's ride. I wasn't sure what to expect, though hoped Phin would be less animated after having actually survived yesterday..










While the hayfield looked pretty similar to me, there were apparently no more hidden monsters. Phin had one small spook when a truck honked going by, but was a very good boy otherwise. I got some nice walk and trot work and he even started to understand the concept of turn on the haunches!




























I noticed I was perching quite a bit in the trot, but seeing as my seatbones had a lot to say (did I mention the Pandora is _not_ comfortable for seated work?!), I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

1.82 miles (38 minutes), 0 feet of climb, 3.8 mph average pace, 33F real feel


After that, I went over to Nicole's. This time I got to ride Polo.




























The warm temps soon had the snow mushy and the footing sketchy, but we had anticipated that and were able to take some quiet back roads back to the barn.










10.11 miles, 566 feet of climb, 4.3 mph average pace, 41F real feel

The next expected storm moved in over night, with record high temps (it's currently 62F!!) and a lot of rain. Overnight, the temp will drop and the rain will turn to ice and/or snow. Just how much of either is anybody's guess..


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## phantomhorse13

This past weekend was another ride in Florida. I was supposed to head down to Lani's Wednesday morning, but when the 'minor' storm on Tuesday had already dropped several inches of snow on our place by lunchtime, I headed to Virginia early. My view as I left:










The forecast had been for a coating to an inch - we wound up with 8 inches! It snowed until I hit the Maryland border, but thankfully Virginia only got a dusting overnight. We flew out of Dulles without incident Wednesday morning.

Everyone was feeling good and we got a couple minor errands run Thursday morning before loading up Jefferson and heading to ridecamp. This was a new ride for us, so we weren't sure what to expect from camp or the trails. Camp was a lovely field beside a very active river. We were able to get a spot close to the vetting area, so could crew right from the truck. 

@knightrider came too and was able to camp beside us!










It was super cold Thursday night - down to 26F! @LoriF stopped in on her way home from work and @knightrider and I huddled around the campfire to chat with her without freezing. I wish the weather had been a bit more amicable for socializing as they were great fun to talk to.

Friday morning stayed very chilly. Flo and Duroc were unconcerned and we got ready without incident. The ride provided an amazing hot breakfast of pancakes!










Lani and I left camp dead last in a continuation of our turtle theme for the season. Flo and Duroc settled into the walk warm up with much less fussing this time. The first loop was 15 miles and gave us a variety of deep sand, boggy places, and lovely footing.




























We were soon back to camp for the hold. The sun was warming things nicely and the horses dove into their food. Management yet again provided hot food in the form of a wonderful soup (homemade new england clam chowder!) and grilled cheese sandwiches. I think I ate more than the horses did..










@knightrider had finished the intro ride and came over to see what she could do to help. I remembered to get Lani to take a picture as she needed to go home before we expected to finish.










The second loop was 10 miles and had the same variety of footing. It had warmed up quite nicely to the low 60Fs, which felt wonderful. However, the warmth brought out armadillos.. which pretty much terrified the horses with their rattling the bushes and popping out on the side of the trail unexpectedly. :shock:




























I have never been so glad to finish a ride in my life. The last 3 miles or so, I don't think we went more than a minute between _huge_ spooks - like leap sideways into the bushes spooks. Both horses were feeding off each other, which was a miserable experience for everyone as Duroc leapt one way and Flo the other. At least Lani and I managed to stay on.. after returning to camp, we heard about multiple people having falls and 2 horses being missing for a while all due to the wildlife.















Because of the low number of entries, we wound up being both Top 10 and turtle!

After finishing, I took Fugi out with Flo to see how they would do ponying. Flo was less than impressed with leaving camp again and was convinced that armadillos were lurking behind every palmetto.. but she didn't mind ponying Fugi at all.










to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

It was not nearly as chilly overnight Friday and a lot more people showed up to ride. We had another tasty breakfast of freshly made pancakes. The original plan had been for me to pony Fugi from Flo for the start of the ride, but he was totally calm all morning. I got a brief pony ride before Lani turned me loose to warm him up. He was perfectly behaved, so we decided we would try going out without him on a line to start with.










We yet again waited to be the last people to leave camp at the start. Beth decided to ride with us, too.










The sun was shining as we moseyed out of the camp to repeat the loops we had done yesterday. Flo was a rockstar, leading the majority of the time. She was a bit nervous about monsters in the bushes, but when none put in an appearance, settled down.





































We were back to camp for the hold in no time. All the horses vetted through without incident. Fugi took advantage of Lani having to hold both him and Flo as I trotted Spirit for Beth and rolled. Lani swept him off before we retacked and let them chill out.



















Management again provided a hot lunch, which I was happy to eat. Duroc also hoped for some of my lunch and begged shamelessly.



















The second loop was the same as the previous day and the weather was quite warm. We knew that would mean the armadillos would be out, but luckily neither Fugi nor Spirit were bothered by them, which was a huge confidence boost for Flo. By the end of the ride, she was only giving them a side eye as we passed!

































We again made our goal of being turtle! Our pace was very similar to the previous day's (which was the goal). Fugi was a bit tired but Flo felt great.

All the loot Flo won us:










I got asked to drive Beth & Bob's giant rig home, as Bob wasn't sure how late he would be vetting. It was the first time I have driven anything quite that large (4 horse with 11' LQ), but I knew the route didn't involve anything too scary, so agreed. Happy to say the drive went without incident!

Sunday we spent doing chores around the farm and then enjoyed a nice dinner out with Beth. We were at the airport early in the morning Monday and got out of Orlando without any delay. I am not sure I have ever had _both_ flights go so flawlessly before! I was able to make it home before rush hour too, which is always a plus.

Great weekend!


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## egrogan

Video 1, minute 2:50ish: that is some serious, possibly crocodile and snake infested, water to travel through... Good job ponies...

Back to reading the rest of the story...


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## phantomhorse13

No idea why the tags for @knightrider and @LoriF are refusing to work.. so trying again!


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## phantomhorse13

egrogan said:


> Video 1, minute 2:50ish: that is some serious, possibly crocodile and snake infested, water to travel through... Good job ponies...


We had no issues in any puddles.. it was the dry parts of the trail that held the horse-eating monsters! Check out the second video at 2:41 for the only one I managed to catch with the helmetcam..


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## Hondo

@phantomhorse13 Wondering, is there weekend living quarters in the truck or is that just for the horses? And about how long is the box?

You're just having way too much fun!


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## knightrider

@phantomhorse13, I had such a great time meeting you and your friends and doing that ride. When I got home, I put glitter puffy paint on all the snowflakes on the horse on the long sleeved tee shirt that they gave us. I was so excited with the shirt, and had to laugh at myself as I imagine you have a whole drawer full of shirts from rides . . . no, probably a whole dresser full of drawers full of shirts.

I saw armadillos too, but Acicate is a Florida horse and did not care about them at all. Actually he almost never spooks anyway. He could be a very fine endurance horse . . . if only he had a very fine endurance rider. Oh well.

It was fun watching those videos and remembering the ride. Your pictures, as always, are great.


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## phantomhorse13

Hondo said:


> is there weekend living quarters in the truck or is that just for the horses? And about how long is the box?


There are some homemade living quarters in the front of the truck. There are 2 bunks and some shelves which include a small fridge (which works when the truck is plugged into electric). I will take some pictures of it next time I am down there. 

I don't have the slightest idea how long Jefferson is.. I will check that out next visit, too!



knightrider said:


> I was so excited with the shirt
> 
> I saw armadillos too, but Acicate is a Florida horse and did not care about them at all. Actually he almost never spooks anyway. He could be a very fine endurance horse . . . if only he had a very fine endurance rider.


I think that shirt may be the nicest one I have gotten from a ride. I had to laugh that Florida rides give out long sleeved shirts and northern ones give out short sleeved ones!

Aci is very brave to not mind the armadillos! I managed 2 seasons in Florida without seeing any and I hope I never see another!! Aci has a lovely rider currently - I cannot imagine him wishing for anything else.


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## gottatrot

phantomhorse13 said:


> Check out the second video at 2:41 for the only one I managed to catch with the helmetcam..


Wow, I had no idea they moved fast like that! I've never seen one even though I've visited Florida and the south. I always imagined them creeping along slowly.


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## Spanish Rider

So Much *Fun*!!! And the photos are really fabulous.




> Wow, I had no idea they moved fast like that! I've never seen one even though I've visited Florida and the south. I always imagined them creeping along slowly.


Me, too! Sort of like an armored sloth.


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## SwissMiss

gottatrot said:


> Wow, I had no idea they moved fast like that! I've never seen one even though I've visited Florida and the south. I always imagined them creeping along slowly.


Wow, I've only seen them here as road kill and sort-of imagined them to be slow... 
So even worse, they are _quick_ horse eating monsters!

And I had a chuckle seeing the picture of @knightrider with @phantomhorse13. One in a sweatshirt and one in a T shirt... Can you guess who is from the North and who is from Florida? :wink:

But the trails look amazing. When watching the videos I was thinking Raya and I would enjoy trails like that too (ok, sans the alligator ponds :wink


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## AnitaAnne

What an irony; a Top ten finish and Turtle award for the same ride :rofl::rofl:

Hope all the horses were found and riders ok though. Good to hear you and Lani stuck the big spooks. I thought that was a rabbit hoping across, never knew armadillos moved like that!! Never saw a live one on all my riding trips in Florida...Chivas would have lost his head...

What fun meeting HF friends at rides! So looking forward to the Yellowhammer this year :smile:

Food sounds fabulous too. Long sleeve shirts are beautiful! (and very appropriate for a winter ride)


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## Change

When I lived down in Palm Bay, FL and worked at Cape Canaveral, there was a young armadillo that would beg for food in the outdoor picnic area. You had to be careful opening the door when entering or exiting the building, because if he smelled food inside, he'd race over and try to hook the door with those LONG claws to get inside. Yes, they can move when they feel the need! He was kind of cute and fun when he was little, but those 4" claws got to be a little scary when he grew up! Animal Control finally had to catch and relocate him. 

The ride looked like a lot of fun - even camping in cold weather. You do realize TSC sells indoor-safe portable propane heaters, don't you? ;-)


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## Oreos Girl

I will send my dogs to anyone that wants to desensitize their horses to armadillos. My dogs typically will find one on each trail ride and chase it out to the horses. My horses don't even blink an eye anymore.


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## phantomhorse13

gottatrot said:


> Wow, I had no idea they moved fast like that! I always imagined them creeping along slowly.


I had heard they could move quickly, but seeing it was still a surprise. And they don't just run, they leap into the air and emit a weird squeaking sound first!




Change said:


> You do realize TSC sells indoor-safe portable propane heaters, don't you?


Oh yes, we have a wonderful buddy heater hooked up in Jefferson!


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## phantomhorse13

Today I was able to get all the boys out. The ground was still a muddy mess, so I stuck to gravel roads as much as possible. The weather wouldn't have been bad except for the nasty cold wind.. and I did my best to ignore the white flakes falling from the sky..

I started with George as I wanted to see how the ground was before I was out there with two horses. While the Sugarloaf looked clear of snow from home, it was possible there was still ice on the north side. George was a bit unenthused to start with, but recovered rapidly whenever we were pointed for home. :icon_rolleyes: We walked the Sugarloaf climbs and jogged the flat roads. there were a handful of places with a bit of ice, but they were easily avoided.




























5.81 miles, 1249 feet of climb, 3.7 mph average pace, 20F real feel


After seeing the state of the ground, I got Sultan and Phin out. I didn't have time to ride both of them, so I rode Sultan and ponied Phin. Both boys behaved very well. We did the same basic route as George, only adding in a bit of trotting up and down an additional stretch of gravel driveway.



















6.73 miles, 1451 feet of climb, 4.2 mph average pace, 20F real feel


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## elsie412

Crocodiles, armadillos and what not in FL-your biggest threat in FL is probably wild pigs. You’re not going to see crocs unless you’re in very SE Florida, salt water. Alligators everywhere, but no worries until summer with mating/nesting. A ‘dilla won’t hurt you, and they are actually quite sweet natured. Water mocassins and any variety of rattlesnake is where most bites come from (I was bit by a rattler, and a friend by water mocassin as kids).Rattlesnakes don’t rattle if they’re scales are wet. You really don’t have to worry too much about reptiles this time of year. If you see a panther, let me know, haven’t seen one in over 30 years, and population is dwindling. Same for bobcats.
Florida has a dangerous rep, but there are two things you will run into for sure, even in winter, that will make you miserable. Fire ants and mosquitoes.


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## phantomhorse13

elsie412 said:


> your biggest threat in FL is probably wild pigs
> 
> there are two things you will run into for sure, even in winter, that will make you miserable. Fire ants and mosquitoes.


I have seen lots of ants and mosquitoes for sure, but generally those don't make the _horses_ crazy. 

I have encountered pigs a handful of times and would be fine with never seeing another of those either! 

I don't think the armadillos are really any worse than the turkeys we have up here.. it's just a matter of what the horses are used to. Really, I am quite happy seeing no wildlife of any kind while riding. :wink:


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## knightrider

The one animal that I am really scared of, for no good reason, is bears. I have a real fear of meeting bears on the trail. They are just so big and fearsome looking. I've never had a bear bother me, but, man, I hate coming across them.

In N. Central Florida, we do have bobcats. My next door neighbor used to catch them regularly in his live traps (and turn them loose). It's rare to see a bobcat on a ride; they are shy, but I have seen them twice in eleven years on rides.

I saw a panther once on a ride near Live Oak.

We have a lot of coyotes here, and at times, they run alongside the horses as if they were dogs. Weird.

Plenty of wild pigs, and I've heard they are dangerous.

Also tons and tons of wild turkeys.


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## LoriF

It was really nice to meet you and had a really nice time chatting and meeting your horses. I'm really glad that I stopped by. Maybe the next time you come down this way, you @knightrider and myself can get together for a ride.


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I took advantage of the sunshine and got everyone out!

I started with Phin, seeing as he got ponied last time instead of ridden. I wasn't sure what to expect since he hasn't been ridden in a while and hasn't been out on trail in a couple months. It was still quite chilly when we left the barn, but with only a light breeze and bright sunshine it felt lovely.

Phin was a rockstar. I started out heading up the Sugarloaf just in case he needed the edge taken off, but he was a total gentleman. The ground was still frozen, so we were able to get some nice trots in the fields heading over. I guess all the ringwork has been paying off for me, as I felt totally comfortable in the Pandora!










We went across the farm and up the Tomhicken to the yellow gate trail. The frozen puddles didn't extend across the entire road, so I was able to do the loop I had planned without concern.










Heading home, Phin was forward and happy but not rushy. He did well with listening to weight cues to maintain his pace, which is a huge improvement over last time I had him out.










10.92 miles, 1635 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 22F real feel


Next up was Sultan and George. We did the same route, as I knew the ground would be workable for not only the horse I was riding but the one being ponied, too.



















George did have a moment where he started hanging back on the line hard after we turned towards the Tomhicken (versus turning for home), but luckily one tap with the end of the lead was enough to convince him behaving himself was a good idea. Sultan had one yeehaw moment when we turned for home and he thought perhaps he would make a run for it, but he decided that shoulder in at the canter was entirely too much work and trotting slowly and straight was a much better idea. :wink:










10.87 miles, 1630 feet of climb, 4.3 mph average pace, 26F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I got more saddle time! 

Momma nature was smiling, with sunny skies and only a light breeze. It was still quite chilly when Phin and I left the barn first thing. Between the heavy frost and knowing the sun would be melting things, I planned to stay on gravel roads as much as I could. We did the Space Needle loop for the first time this year.

Getting over to the Tomhicken was uneventful, despite some obnoxious drivers who felt the need to lay on their horns as we quietly stood in the farm driveway waiting to cross. I was really pleased at the lack of reaction from Phin.

Once we got up to the housing development, I was again pleasantly surprised when all the horse-eating objects barely got him to twitch an ear.










Anywhere there was water was ice, but the puddles were small and easy to get around. We saw lots and lots of deer, but Phin didn't seem to notice them.










Phin did eyeball the Blue Hose of Death a bit, but he didn't even need to get as far away from it as the road allowed!



















On the way home, he did have a moment over the oddest thing.. a man walking on the development road that runs beside the farm! He didn't mind the crane hoisting things onto the roof of the house under construction 100 yards away, but a man in a yellow coat walking 300+ yards away was _extremely_ worrisome. He kept a rolling eyeball on that man the entire time he was within sight, snorting like mad.. as if the man might leap over and attack at any moment. :dance-smiley05: :think: 

13.02 miles, 1531 feet of climb, 5.1 mph average pace, 24F real feel


DH was feeling better and able to sneak out of work for a bit this afternoon (sometimes being the boss is a good thing), so we got George and Sultan out together. We stayed on the Sugarloaf, as things were quite slimy in the relatively warm temps. A haze of clouds had moved in, but it was still a lovely day to be riding.




























Along the way, I noticed a lovely shed antler and stopped to pick it up. It was 4 points and very curved and was in the right area for that big buck I looked at all fall, who had a very curving rack. Hope that means he survived hunting season!

I can only imagine what anybody seeing it in the saddlebag as we moseyed home thought. :lol:










7.01 miles, 1397 feet of climb, 3.7 mph average pace, 36F real feel


Tomorrow we are supposed to get "off and on snow showers" which "aren't supposed to amount to much, maybe a coating to an inch." Pretty much exactly the forecast we had before the last storm dumped 8" on us..


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## EmberScarlet

phantomhorse13 said:


> Tomorrow we are supposed to get "off and on snow showers" which "aren't supposed to amount to much, maybe a coating to an inch." Pretty much exactly the forecast we had before the last storm dumped 8" on us..


Yikes, lets hope its nothing.


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## knightrider

Today I went riding with my neighbor and riding buddy. When I told him I was doing the 15 mile intro ride at the Gator Run in Goethe, I asked him if there would be much water there. He said, "Oh, that's the place where Sandy [his wife] and I came across a huge gator in the water on the trail. We tried to get it to move, and it opened its huge mouth and came at us. We got out of there quick!" I sure hope that there are no gators across the trail when the endurance riders come along. No one will want to turn around and go back.

Was there much water on the trails when you did them last year? This happened to him about 12 years ago and things might have changed.


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> He said, "Oh, that's the place where Sandy [his wife] and I came across a huge gator in the water on the trail. We tried to get it to move, and it opened its huge mouth and came at us. We got out of there quick!"
> 
> Was there much water on the trails when you did them last year?


OMG!!! :eek_color: :eek_color: :eek_color:

I am very happy to report I have only seen gators twice in all my trips to Florida and both times were when kayaking!

Gator Run had a bit of natural water on trail one loop, but most of the water stops are muck buckets put out by management. I am sure like all places down there, just how wet or dry the trails are depends a lot on the recent rainfall. I ride in the Goethe when I do conditioning rides down there and where the puddles are and how big can vary dramatically .. but I don't recall wading through swamps at Gator Run.


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## phantomhorse13

It's been a busy week for me! On Wednesday I got everyone out. The weather was hardly ideal, but even worse weather was on the way. It was only 9 when I left the barn with George, but there was no wind so it didn't feel too bad.

I wasn't sure what to expect of the footing after Tuesday's light snow (we got about 3 inches), but planned to climb the Sugarloaf and the Tomhicken before returning home. The private road/driveway I use to get over to the Sugarloaf was a bit worrisome where the cars had packed down the snow to ice, but the trails themselves weren't too bad. 




























I had intended to take the hand trimmers along to get rid of a couple ugly patches of stickerbushes on the Tomhicken, but I forgot to actually put them into the saddlebag - they weren't very helpful sitting in the tack room!

On the way home, I went back via Spaulding's fields and found the footing to be much nicer. George was a very good boy, with only a few attempts to eyeball invisible monsters because he thinks walking up hills is boring.

9.24 miles, 1859 feet of climb, 4.1 mph average pace, 12F real feel


On an amusing note, when I got home and finished with George, I stopped in the house to check on dinner and use the bathroom. Wasn't I surprised to find not one but two stripes of dried/frozen blood on my face!! :eek_color: Apparently those stickerbushes got me and my face was so numb I didn't notice and the blood ran until it froze. Thank goodness I hadn't seen anybody during my ride cause what would they have thought?! :dance-smiley05: :lol:


Next up was Sultan. Since I knew I wouldn't have time to ride two horses, I decided to pony Phin. I went out via Spaulding's but did the same route I did with George otherwise. The boys were really good!



















The only place we had a bobble was climbing the Tomhicken by those [email protected] stickerbushes. They have overgrown the trail to the point you can't avoid them, so I wasn't surprised when Phin slowed up to duck behind Sultan suddenly. He came right back up beside us without incident and I focused on avoiding the rest as best I could the remainder of the short climb. When we got to the top, I thought Phin was moving a bit oddly on his right front. I noticed a bit of blood on the knee, so got off to investigate.

There was a small scratch on the front/inside of his knee, of course just over where his splint boots cover. It was superficial and just enough to have drawn blood, so I washed it off with some snow and handwalked him for a bit. He moved just fine. The next bit of 'trail' was the pavement in the housing development, so I was able to trot him out on a flat, solid surface. While it's hard to run and watch movement at the same time, it was easy to listen. He moved without issue and seemed unconcerned. I got back on Sultan and we continued the ride without any other excitement.










10.05 miles, 1988 feet of climb, 4.5 mph average pace, 19F real feel


to be continued..


----------



## phantomhorse13

Yesterday morning, I went out with the intention of doing some ring work with Phin before I went over to meet Nicole. However, when I got Phin in and started grooming him, I noticed some fill in the inside of his right front cannon. That was the problem leg from Wednesday - shiitake. :frown_color:

The swelling was soft and warm but Phin didn't seem concerned with my palpating it. It was fairly subtle - I wouldn't have noticed it just looking; it was only when I was touching the leg that I noticed. I jogged him in the aisle and he looked and sounded just fine. However, I sure wasn't going to ride a horse with any sort of swelling! Instead, I called Nancy to see if she could give me any insight into what was going on. She said Phin mentioned something hitting his knee on an uphill where things were "close in around him" and that he twisted funny as a result. He was totally unconcerned about it. That confirmed my suspicions that our stickerbush adventure was the culprit. I gave him a dose of arnica, rubbed on some topical dmso, and turned him back out (if it wasn't so cold, I would have hosed that leg, but that didn't seem reasonable with temps below freezing).

Always something!!

I headed over to Nicole's, hoping the "chance of rain or snow showers" would hold off until we were done. It did, though the temps had warmed just enough to make the footing a touch slimy. We decided to do a brain-training ride of walk only.. something her hot horses have probably never done before!

Polo was fairly disgusted but gave in very quickly, which led to a lovely ride. The sun was in more than it was out and there was a nasty, damp wind.. but it didn't actually rain or snow. We meandered around the tree farm, as that was the only place we knew we didn't have to worry about ice. It was also great to be pointing to the barn and then turning away so often (though I doubt Polo or Hombre thought so! :wink 



















5.41 miles, 235 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 33F real feel


When I got home and checked the radar and it was still clear, I decided to grab George and go trim that section of trail on the Tomhicken. I took the most direct route over to it that I could, which involved some trail blazing in the woods to keep from slithering down the muddy farm road.










George was thoroughly disgusted by the trimming. I did what I could on board to start with, reminding George he really did know that leg can mean sideways and not just forward. 










I did quite a bit from the ground though, as I wanted to get to the base of the bushes were I could. At one point something tapped me on the back and I looked over to find this:










Not sure if George was trying to help with the trimmings or if he was convinced he was going to stand there waiting until he starved to death! :lol:

5.23 miles, 698 feet of climb, 4.1 mph average pace, 34F real feel


DH brought the thermal camera home with him that evening at my request. While Phin's swollen leg of course showed a bit of heat compared to the other, there was nothing that stood out anywhere specific, which helped ease my fear over it being a tendon or ligament issue. (Horses are so good at making us imagine the worst!)


Today, the swelling in Phin's leg is down by at least half, which I was very pleased to see. Phin is still totally unconcerned about it all, thank goodness. Hopefully by tomorrow it will be gone totally.


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## knightrider

I am so impressed! You ride when it is 9 degrees! Or even 19 degrees!! I have ridden when it was that cold, but I didn't ride very long and I certainly didn't/couldn't have ponied a horse. I have to wear mittens and keep making fists and use hand warmers when it is that cold. You are one very tough rider and I salute you. You deserve all your wins and best condition awards!

I hope Phin heals up very quickly.


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> I am so impressed! You ride when it is 9 degrees! Or even 19 degrees!!


Yes, but you ride when its 99 degrees and 75% humidity daily.. I would be in a migraine-ridden heap on the ground if I tried that!


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## AnitaAnne

I'm impressed too; all that riding in 9F weather PLUS trimming trail. The coldest I've ridden in was 19F on an all day memorial ride and when i got off I thought someone hit me in the back with a 2x4. Seriously almost dropped to my knees. Plus I was about 30 yrs old; wouldn't try that now, lol. 

Hope your scratches and Phin's from those shiitake sticker bushes heal up without incident. I hate those things; got a huge one in my pasture been attacking for years with minimal results.


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## phantomhorse13

I am going stir crazy not being able to ride!! After the last two storms brought snow that ended in a large amount of rain before the temperature plummeted, the ground has been a disaster.

Today I was hopeful, and I wandered around the farm with Mia checking things out. Anything that had been plowed or driven on was a skating rink, but the lawn and the paddock wasn't too bad. 











The snow had mushed down to a couple inches with a crust, but that crust was below coronary band level. Here is the herd watching me suspiciously as I knocked icicles off things with a shovel.. because you never know when I might go nuts and attack them with the shovel. :icon_rolleyes:










After the brief walk with Mia, it seemed like the footing would be reasonable in the hayfields at the top part of the farm. I snagged George and tacked up, thrilled at the idea of a ride.

We didn't make it much out of the yard before I gave up. While there was no ice under the grass, the taller grass had apparently kept the snow from blowing away.. so it was deep enough that the crust was over George's hoof as we walked along. I even tried coming up out of the field onto the lawn, but it didn't help. Shiitake.










As much as I wanted to ride, I wasn't about to take the chance that George might cut up his legs. Our entire ride was 1/4 mile!

After untacking and putting George back out, I brought everyone in one at a time for some grooming. Nobody was very impressed, though they did appreciate the carrot stretching. Then I went and puttered around in the tack room. I rehung the saddlebag on Phin's saddle, hoping to keep the bottle holders from hitting me in the legs all the time.










DH will run the skid loader around the farm for me this evening. That will certainly break up the crust, but I am worried that the roads will have a solid layer of ice under the snow that even the skid tracks won't crush. We shall see..


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## Hondo

You are making me feel so guilty! I got back after a very pleasant 5 hour ride. Looked and the indoor/outdoor thermometer above the computer. 75 indoor, 78 outdoor. It's down to a cool 68F outside now.

Wear a Camelbak! No water bottle to hit your legs. Plus it becomes a live load for the horse. And you can drink at will.

I have a nice pommel bag and small saddle bags but I decided if the horse had to carry it, I would too.

Sorry, I'm still jazzed up from my ride


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## phantomhorse13

Hondo said:


> You are making me feel so guilty! I got back after a very pleasant 5 hour ride. Looked and the indoor/outdoor thermometer above the computer. 75 indoor, 78 outdoor. It's down to a cool 68F outside now.
> 
> Wear a Camelbak! No water bottle to hit your legs. Plus it becomes a live load for the horse. And you can drink at will.
> 
> I have a nice pommel bag and small saddle bags but I decided if the horse had to carry it, I would too.


I am glad you are getting to ride - please take every advantage of your nice weather! While I normally love where I live, I loathe ice and this is apparently going to be one of those winters..

My DH rides with a camelback (well, its a Nathan brand but the same concept). I have tried it, but with my back issues it was not something I could deal in a riding situation (I had 2 lumbar vertebrae "altered" in a horse-related accident many years ago, leaving me with some instability). I figured the horse was probably better off having to deal with 2 water bottles on the saddle than having a rider who suddenly was unable to move due to nerve pain (not to mention the logistics of how does one get a now crippled rider off said horse and back to home or camp safely).

Thought about load and weight distribution is why I do my best to use pommel bags versus cantle bags. I figured it would be easier for the horse to carry a static load more over its natural center of gravity (aka towards the pommel) than anywhere else. The fact that also makes the bags easier for me to access while on board is the icing on the cake. :wink:

What do you carry with you on your rides? Do you use your bags at all or carry everything on yourself?


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## Hondo

phantomhorse13 said:


> What do you carry with you on your rides? Do you use your bags at all or carry everything on yourself?


I have used the saddle bags only a few times. Because of the weight towards the loin as you mention, I just don't use them.

I have used a Stowaway pommel bag for almost all of my rides since I began 4 years ago. They have held up very well and again as you say, they are very handy for retrieving stuff on the trail without removing a backpack which really requires a dismount. Except for a slurp of water which I find handy with the Camelbak.

I've only began using the Camelbak with Hondo recently. I've used one for many many years both hiking and on a motorcycle.

And my main reason was/is just for putting what I carry into a live load for the horse. Hondo is a strong stocky horse but he is only 14hh and I want to help him as much as possible, sans (altered vertebra) that you deal with.

I've also noted that I'm much more conscious about the weight of the backpack than I was of the pommel bag which tends to cause me to reduce the weight to only essential items.

What I carry: 

A large tube of Chapstick.
A small bottle of Zerobite and OFF repellant.
A nose bag with 1-2 pounds of oats.
1/2 liter of water and drinking utensil for Roman (dog).
Water for myself of course.
Extra Apple/Oat treats to replenish my left shirt pocket when it runs dry.
A spare cell phone to activate should my Smart phone in my right shirt pocket become damaged.
A S.P.O.T
A GPS
Spare straps and O-rings for Hondo's boots.
A wire cutting tool.
A folding saw.

I'll probably think of something else I missed right after posting. I have the expandable Camelbak, I think they called it a BlowFish back then. It has a zipper that allows the expansion. I'll use that for t-shirt or wind breaker storage when needed. A heavier jacket goes on the back of the saddle. But I avoid the cold so is not usually needed.

I used to carry a snake kit until it became recommended not to treat.

Oh yeah, and a fire starting kit for an over night emergency that I hope I never need as with the SPOT.


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## PoptartShop

I have to say, you have some of the most beautiful rides!  I love it!
Even the snow looks so pretty! Ugh about the footing. Can't wait until winter is over! So much ice!!


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I was able to get George and Sultan out for a ride. We had to stay in the tracks that DH broke with the skid loader, as that got ride of the nasty crust. He added in another loop compared to the last winter I was stuck riding this way and avoided the worst of the icy places. 

I am not sure I was ever even a mile from the house! :lol:










Hardly exciting, but sure better than nothing.

George was a complete nutcase. I don't know if it was the snow or the wind or if aliens were peeking out of the bushes at us, but he was like sitting on a powder keg. Every time the wind would gust, he would leap forward like something bit him on the butt - or maybe he was spooking at his own tail. His tongue was flapping all the while, so at least one of us was having a good time. :icon_rolleyes:




























11.38 miles, 1106 feet of climb, 5.5 mph average pace, 21F real feel


Next up was Sultan. I was expecting him to be bonkers also, but I was actually pleasantly surprised. While he was also very excited about being out, he was very rateable and was just as enthused about going away from home as he was towards.




























8.0 miles, 704 feet of climb, 6.0 mph average pace, 21F real feel

I am hoping that DH and I can get some saddle time in the morning before the rain comes in and makes everything a disaster again..


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## Spanish Rider

Hardly exciting, you say? Looks pretty cool to me.

What app do you use? With the Endomondo, I can't export the satellite images. Frustrating.

Googling "skid loader" now...


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## phantomhorse13

@Spanish Rider : I use a garmin 310xt when I train. 



Yesterday, DH and I were up early to get Sultan and Phin out before the rain started. It was already a heatwave at 9am when we left the barn, as the temp was above freezing!

We stayed on the farm, using the tracks. I expected Phin to be a bit of a handful as he's not been out in a while, but he was actually very good! He seemed somewhat confused by all the circling, but he quickly caught onto the idea of staying in the tracks. While I wouldn't label him barn sour, he is always aware of which way is home, so it was interesting to see the changes in his enthusiasm. Phin led the entire time and seemed to be having as much fun as I was.





































After a couple laps, Sultan was fairly sweaty, so we decided to throw the bareback pads on and walk around with the dogs to cool out.










Phin did great! Even though he is still concerned about dogs (he has been ever since a dog attacked him over a year ago), he handled himself well with no spooking as Mia and Katie ran all around. He was so mellow that I actually got brave and tried a bareback trot for the first time:






He got a bit quick at the end so I had to post for fear of being launched. It's amazing how he doesn't look too bad in the video, but to sit on him he is like a pogo stick!

9.12 miles, 746 feet of climb, 4.7 mpg average pace, 34F real feel



Despite how great everything seemed yesterday, today reality came crashing down. Phin's leg has blown up again. Shiitake. My regular vet does not have a portable ultrasound, so I have calls in to a couple other vets, hoping I can get one out to see him. Meanwhile, he and George are shut into the catch paddock in the hopes of limiting acrobatics (he would not tolerate being locked in a stall). Fingers and toes are crossed that what I am worrying about (check ligament or high suspensory) is not actually the issue..


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## knightrider

Oh no, I hope he heals quickly and it is not something really bad.


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## AnitaAnne

knightrider said:


> Oh no, I hope he heals quickly and it is not something really bad.


Ditto this! 

Loved the trotting video though, and he did not look off in it either. That nice big floaty trot would look fabulous in a Dressage ring


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> Loved the trotting video though, and he did not look off in it either.


Thank you for that. Needless to say I have been staring at it obsessively looking for some sign of lameness that I missed.. :frown_color:


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## SwissMiss

Hope Phin's leg is healing quickly and isn't something serious. Is that still from the incident with the [email protected]#%^ sticker bushes?

And I agree with @AnitaAnne, I like the trotting video! And you def don't look like at the verge of being launched :wink:


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## Tazzie

That trotting video is GREAT! Good for you for taking the chance! You definitely don't look like you were about to be launched.

But ugh about Phin. Please keep us posted :sad: I also just went back to rewatch the video and I didn't see anything either. Hopefully you get to the bottom of it :sad:


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## QueenofFrance08

Argh! Poor Phin! Hope you can figure out what it is and that it is something minor!


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## carshon

I too looked at the video and did not see any lameness issues. Just my own legs hurting trying to ride the trot with you! Yikes!


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## phantomhorse13

Thank you for all the kind words. I am trying to stay positive but this has really been upsetting.

The vet will be out Thursday to ultrasound that leg. The swelling is a bit improved today and he is still sound. He was less than impressed with the cold hosing, though it is a heatwave with a real feel of 43F. I got a water tank into the corner of the catch paddock we plan to turn into his jail and was able to get an extension cord to it for the tank heater. Gina kindly offered us the use of some spare panels, so those will be coming home this evening when DH gets home from work with the truck (as there are just some things that aren't gonna fit in my subaru! :wink.

On the plus side, the ice is slowly disappearing. While temps are supposed to drop into the upper teens overnight, it is forecast to be above freezing the rest of the week. The sun is trying to peek out today and there is even a bit of a breeze to dry things, so that is certainly helping. Fingers and toes crossed the ice is gone by the weekend, as temps are supposed to drop again and the s-word is back in the forecast.


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## phantomhorse13

Phin luckily seems to be accepting jail. Thank god the ice is melting..











After some discussion with Lani, a splint is added to the list of possibilities. I will cross my fingers that is the answer, as that is generally a lot shorter and smoother recovery than any soft tissue insult!


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I was able to get Sultan out for a ride first thing in the morning. While a lot of the ice has melted off, there is still enough on anything resembling a road to make a lot of places impassable. Grassy places are mostly clear, but of course those are only rideable when the temp is below freezing..

I wasn't sure how far Sultan and I would be able to get before the footing sent us home, even though the temp wasn't supposed to get above freezing all day. I had driven around to look at a couple of the driveways I use to get to trails and found the majority of them clear, but was suspicious that the north sides of all the climbs would still be ugly. We started out going across Alimar and over to Spaulding's fields. Any low places had some icy puddles, but we were able to pick our way around them without too much concern. We worked our way across the fields to the Sugarloaf. As I suspected, the logging roads on the north side looked ugly, so I decided to continue around in the fields towards the south side.










On the way, we came across a _huge_ flock of turkeys.










We were able to work our way to the south side, which was clear. We moseyed up the climb and it was amazing to see the transition zone between the south side and the north side!

Here is the crest of one tier of the south side. You can just make out the start of the drop to the north at the end of the road..










This is standing at the start of the drop to the north. Amazing what a difference direction can make! I did not continue that way, as the ground was not safe.










Sultan was a very good boy, despite lots of wildlife encounters. I think he was worried we would spend all day climbing the south side of the Sugarloaf if he was too enthused. 

7.86 miles, 1220 feet of climb, 4.2 mph average pace, 27F real feel


I had hoped to get George out too, but the bright sunshine had melted the surface of everything, leaving the grassy places slimy. I hope to get him out first thing tomorrow morning before temps rise.


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## phantomhorse13

Despite momma nature surprising us overnight with some freezing rain, I was able to get George out this morning. 

I stuck to the fields everywhere I could, since any exposed road had a glaze of ice on it (the shine on the dirt is not melt!).










The sun came out briefly, which was good in terms of melting the ice on the roads, but it was bad in that it started making the fields slimy too. Because I wasn't sure what the pavement would be like, we stuck to the fields and just took it very easy.










We eventually slogged our way around the Sugarloaf to the decent footing on the south side (which also had enough tree cover to keep it from icing). Then up we went!










On the way back down, we paused to put up some pink ribbons on a newer ATV trail that the fallen leaves had hidden. It has a couple switch backs in it on the way down, so was less slippery than the direct route.










George was overall very good and we both enjoyed a good gallop up one section of the Sugarloaf. I wasn't sure if that would tip him over the edge in terms of excitement afterwards, but he settled right back down.

9.47 miles, 1565 feet of climb, 4.1 mph average pace, 32F real feel


Phin's leg has improved some, but is still not back to normal. The swelling has actually settled down towards the ankle, though still more on the inside than evenly all the way around. He is no longer sensitive to the spot up near his knee. I am perplexed as to what is going on at this point. I asked DH to bring the thermal camera home tonight; maybe that will better show the trouble spot. Meanwhile, Phin is hanging out in his pen and getting that leg iced twice daily.










The vet comes tomorrow. So hoping for a diagnosis, as at least then I know what I am dealing with..


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## Tazzie

Keep us posted with what the vet says! Poor Phin :sad:

Glad George was good though!


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## phantomhorse13

The vet came this morning. 










IT'S JUST A SPLINT!!! WOOHOO!!!


The suspensory where it runs over the splint is a bit irritated, but no lesions. Tendons are all normal.

Plan is a month off work in the jail paddock. I can do some handwalking daily, amount increasing with time. Ease him back into riding work with increasing workload over the following month and see what happens. The vet didn't expect any complications (but of course they are horses so you just never know!).

As a fun aside, all of my cold hosing has given him scratches on that pastern. Duh! :icon_rolleyes:


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## Tazzie

THANK GOODNESS!

Sorry he has scratches now, but yay that it's just a splint!! The relief you must be feeling!!


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## gottatrot

Great news! So glad to hear it is just a splint.


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## Woodhaven

Glad to hear it is a splint, if it had to be something that would be the best choice. I'm sure he will be up and going soon.:runninghorse2:
'


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## Chevaux

Great news.

Was Phin sedated for the exam? He just looks so chill as the vet is working.


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## phantomhorse13

Chevaux said:


> Was Phin sedated for the exam? He just looks so chill as the vet is working.


Oh yes - better living through chemicals!

Hoping the nature of the injury was subtle, we figured it was easier to have him sedated from the start. It turns out he has the type of skin that makes ultrasounding that much harder, so I am glad she didn't have to deal with wiggling, too.


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## phantomhorse13

Today, DH and I got Sultan and George out. This morning was the calm before the storm, so we took advantage of the sunshine while we could. As hoped, the crazy weather earlier in the week took care of the last of the ice (it was 65F and raining on Thursday!!), so we didn't have to avoid the north sides of the hills any longer. We did the space needle loop.





























When we got back, we took the boys and the dogs on a bareback mosey to cool down. You could smell the snow on the breeze, though the sun was still shining.










14.26 miles, 1539 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 24F real feel

It's currently snowing like mad. They claim only 2-3 inches but I will not believe it until it stops. Fingers and toes crossed it stays snow and doesn't change over to freezing rain..


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## phantomhorse13

We got about 3 inches of snow Saturday, which was enough to be a PITA in terms of needing to plow and shovel Sunday, but there was no freezing rain to leave an icy mess!

Today, I wanted to get George and Sultan out. I wasn't totally sure what the footing would be like, with the leftover snow and temps rising above freezing. It was also forecast to rain by the afternoon.

I figured I would hedge my bets by trying the fields at Spauldings before heading for the Sugarloaf. The sun was out and the wind was calm when George and I left the barn before 9 am. There was not much snow left out in the open, but the north sides of the hills were still covered. But without the icy bottom layer, the snow was actually pretty nice footing.





































George was very good, even when it started to drizzle on us for the last mile and the wind picked up.. of course blowing the rain into our faces all the way home!

8.12 miles, 1583 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 33F real feel


Despite the clear radar, the sky looked like this when I left the barn with Sultan:










I wasn't sure how far we were going to get, because I was not about to ride in the rain in those temps! However, momma nature gave us a break and that rain moved mostly to the west, only dripping on us for a few minutes (not long or seriously enough to make me turn for home). 




























We did get drizzled on the last mile or so, which was not very pleasant as the wind was still in our faces. 

Maybe momma nature felt it had been too long since I cleaned and conditioned the boys' saddles.. :icon_rolleyes: 

8.17 miles, 1584 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 36F real feel


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## walkinthewalk

Great news for Phin!!! 

I know you have his current leg wrapping covered but I wanted to share this link on these "ankle/tendon wraps.

Equilibrium Stretch and Flex Flatwork Wraps

Joker, my IR horse technically only has one good leg. Both front tendons suffered serious damage from the rehab farrier taking too much heel in one strike, when Joker first foundered in 2012.

His left hind leg got caught in something, several years back, and he hyperextended the tendon. It is this leg that I bought the flat work wraps for as 22 year old Joker gets to feeling too good and can often sore up old injuries. Wrapping him in vet wrap works very well but I always worry if I tensioned him correctly, if I'm in a hurry and I go thru a roll every three days ----- he generally needs about ten days of wrapping for his ankle swelling to go down.

This last go-round, I had these flat work wraps and was able to stop using it after three days --- until the next time he slips and slides

Their premise appealed to me because those little bubbles have pin holes in them that allows the heat to dissipate, thus take the swelling down. 

They work better than I expected. In Joker's case, I only wrap the bad ankle, and I leave it on all day for turnout, then take it off when he comes in at night.

They are pricey but I feel like reducing swelling time from 7-10 days down to three days is value received.

I wash the flat work wrap after every use by hand in warm water and Dawn Dish soap, in the kitchen sink, then lay them across something to dry over night. If it is t dey by morning, I can always use the other one, lol

Anyway, thought these might interest you for your arsenal, if you don't a,ready know about them


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## phantomhorse13

On Tuesday, I finally got over to Nicole's to ride. She is on vacation (for 2 weeks lucky woman!) and had asked me if I could ride the boys if I had a chance. The weather had not cooperated, as her trails were covered in ice for a long time.

I wasn't totally sure how far I would get, as it was possible I was wrong about the ice being gone and it was also super wet, so I needed to avoid fields. I stuck to roads as much as possible and did have to resort to pavement in places. It was also fairly warm and neither horse is clipped.

I started with Hombre.




























7.83 miles, 491 feet of climb, 5.4 mph average pace, 52F real feel

Next up was Polo.




























7.86 miles, 491 feet of climb, 5.4 mph average pace, 60F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday was forecast to break heat records. I would normally not have been very enthused about riding horses in winter coats in such weather, but rain was forecast to move in and not stop for days.. so out we went. 

I made sure to use the heart rate monitor, so I could know exactly how the boys were tolerating the heat and adjust my riding plan if necessary. It was already 62F when I left the barn before 9am with Sultan, on it's way to a forecast high of 65F (our normal temp is 39 this time of year). The sun was shining and there was not a breath of wind.

I wanted to do a longer ride with some climbing, but was prepared to abort if the heat seemed to be a issue. Hombre and Polo had done ok the day before and they weren't clipped at all, so I didn't expect any issues, but better safe than sorry. 

We climbed up and down the Sugarloaf without incident.










Then, we went across the farm and up the tomhicken to the yellow gate trail and down across the road. I haven't been that way in a while. They have apparently been using one place as a dumping ground (interesting as it's for sale.. just what a new owner wants!!).










We came back via the gas line and Sultan was still very enthusiastic. I, however, was not nearly so pleased as I was _hot_. I had gone out in just a t-shirt, but by halfway around I debated if riding in just my sports bra would be indecent. I wished I had brought a second water bottle as I had finished the one I had and could have used a sponge. I was worried I might be getting a migraine, since I felt so much hotter than the forecast temperature would have explained.










On the way back across the farm, I suddenly heard a dirt bike coming towards us. I had been seeing tracks in places (where they shouldn't be), but was still surprised to see one pop around a corner and come straight at us! I was even more shocked when the rider not only didn't turn around at the sight of us, but kept right on coming as if we weren't even there!!

I knew nobody had permission to be on the farm with a dirt bike and the kid had to have ridden around a closed gate which was _clearly_ marked no trespassing and no motor vehicles. I turned Sultan across the trail and for a brief moment thought the kid wasn't going to stop! He did though, and after mumbling some total bs story about thinking the land belonged to someone else when I asked him what he was doing there, he turned around and went back to the road.

I can only hope he stays away, as he (or someone) has been doing quite a bit of damage to the trails by riding on them even when sopping wet. 










14.54 miles, 2183 feet of climb, 5.2 mph average pace, 78F real feel


After I got Sultan settled in a stall to dry (with water and hay of course), I went inside to look at the weather station. It said it was 74F with a real feel of *78*!! :eek_color: No _wonder_ I felt like I was having a heatstroke. I changed into a sleeveless shirt, drank about 7 gallons of water, and made sure to grab a sponge when I went out with George (and I took a two water bottles for me).

I planned to do the same route with George as with Sultan.



















George got lucky on his trip across the farm - instead of finding a trespasser, he found that Bruce had dumped some reject apples! He was happy to munch on them.










As we headed for home, clouds rolled in and the wind picked up - I would never have thought I would be happy about those things in February!










14.78 miles, 2184 feet of climb, 5.2 mph average pace, 78F real feel


The predicted rain came in overnight and the temps have dropped to below normal. I did my best to ignore the wet snow mixed in with the rain when I ran errands this morning. It's supposed to rain for days, which will have everything an even sloppier mess. At least its not ice..


----------



## egrogan

I love that you took a picture of the trespasser- what a total ***hole! The last time I came upon trespassers was at the beginning of bow hunting season, and we rode up on two guys with massive high tech bows. Unlike your guy, they were extremely sheepish and certainly knew they were in the wrong. I just hate people who do stuff like that!

PS- props to Sultan for taking that all in stride!


----------



## phantomhorse13

egrogan said:


> I love that you took a picture of the trespasser- what a total ***hole!


I think the camera is actually what changed his attitude.. of course the dirt bike didn't have a license plate, but I got pics of the front, side and back.. so suspect with a bit of sleuthing locally, someone could ID him. Hopefully, he knows it and will stay away.

Didn't even ask why he wasn't in school.. :icon_rolleyes:


----------



## Spanish Rider

Cameras definitely do come in handy in these cases. I have photos of the village mayor hunting illegally on conservation land and too close to my neighbor's house. I'm saving those for a rainy day...


----------



## phantomhorse13

Spanish Rider said:


> Cameras definitely do come in handy in these cases. I have photos of the village mayor hunting illegally on conservation land and too close to my neighbor's house. I'm saving those for a rainy day...


Love it! :twisted:


----------



## phantomhorse13

Last night, DH and I went to the annual ECTRA awards banquet. Always fun to see people dressed in normal clothing. A good thing they give out nametags!

Phin earned a silver medallion in endurance distance. I got my 3000 lifetime mileage patch and a certificate because I rode over 500 miles in the year. I also won that fun sign as a door prize. 










My favorite part of the banquet is the used tack sale and this year did not disappoint. We came home with a don't-shoot-me orange biothane breastcollar and headstall, with an s-hack, for less than just the hack should have cost! It will be perfect for hunting season. Now I just need to be on the lookout for cheap orange reins..











This morning, Phin's pen had turned into a pond after 3 inches of rain in the last 36 hour on already saturated ground. :|










As a result, jail had to shrink.. poor guy.




















So far he is handling it well, though he does keep dropping his head to peer under the panel as if wishing he was even shorter..


----------



## Spanish Rider

Whoo-hoo! Go Phantom and Phin!!! 3,000 miles in how many years? And more great tack!


> Always fun to see people dressed in normal clothing.


Yeah, my DH was not too happy when we ere out on the town and ran into a fellow male barnie, who said to me "Wow, you look great! I've never seen you dressed before." :icon_rolleyes:


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## phantomhorse13

Spanish Rider said:


> Yeah, my DH was not too happy when we ere out on the town and ran into a fellow male barnie, who said to me "Wow, you look great! I've never seen you dressed before." :icon_rolleyes:


:rofl:


Amazing how not thinking before speaking can get someone in trouble!

I spent many years as a lifeguard. At one point, I worked at the local rec pool guarding and at a hotel doing bookkeeping. As I was standing in line at the (quite busy) bank one day, an elderly couple who were regulars in the water aerobics classes came in. The wife recognized me right away and smiled and waved. Of course, I smiled and waved back. The gentlemen did a double take, then burst out with, "Dawn, I almost didn't recognize you with your hair down and clothes on!" The entire bank fell silent.. until the wife started laughing hysterically as the husband turned scarlet and started stammering. I cannot even imagine what the other bank patrons thought!


----------



## egrogan

Love the orange gear!


----------



## Tazzie

Spanish Rider said:


> Whoo-hoo! Go Phantom and Phin!!! 3,000 miles in how many years? And more great tack!
> 
> Yeah, my DH was not too happy when we ere out on the town and ran into a fellow male barnie, who said to me "Wow, you look great! I've never seen you dressed before." :icon_rolleyes:





phantomhorse13 said:


> :rofl:
> 
> 
> Amazing how not thinking before speaking can get someone in trouble!
> 
> I spent many years as a lifeguard. At one point, I worked at the local rec pool guarding and at a hotel doing bookkeeping. As I was standing in line at the (quite busy) bank one day, an elderly couple who were regulars in the water aerobics classes came in. The wife recognized me right away and smiled and waved. Of course, I smiled and waved back. The gentlemen did a double take, then burst out with, "Dawn, I almost didn't recognize you with your hair down and clothes on!" The entire bank fell silent.. until the wife started laughing hysterically as the husband turned scarlet and started stammering. I cannot even imagine what the other bank patrons thought!


OMG you guys! Thank you for the laugh this morning LOL!


----------



## SwissMiss

Spanish Rider said:


> Yeah, my DH was not too happy when we ere out on the town and ran into a fellow male barnie, who said to me "Wow, you look great! I've never seen you dressed before." :icon_rolleyes:


:rofl: I knew in Europe this trend of "completely natural riding" is still a thing, but didn't think it was popular in Spain :rofl:




phantomhorse13 said:


> :rofl:The wife recognized me right away and smiled and waved. Of course, I smiled and waved back. The gentlemen did a double take, then burst out with, "Dawn, I almost didn't recognize you with your hair down and clothes on!" The entire bank fell silent.. until the wife started laughing hysterically as the husband turned scarlet and started stammering. I cannot even imagine what the other bank patrons thought!


:rofl: :rofl:


----------



## phantomhorse13

Today, I got Sultan out for a long ride. Even though we plan to do the LD at the first ride of the season, I am conditioning as if it will be a 50. After all the issues we had at the end of last season, I figure its better to err on the side of caution. I also figure if someone is going to have an issue, better I find out during a training ride than at the competition itself.

After all the rain last week, I knew I would have to stick to the roads as the fields would be mudholes. There was even water in places I had never seen before on some of the roads, but at least I knew the bottom was solid. The forecast was for sun, but it was still cloudy and quite windy when we left the barn.

I started going up the Sugarloaf, down it, and then up the backside. Then we headed over to the Tomhicken and started doing some small loops within my big loop. I think Sultan thought I had lost my mind, but he settled down after the first time we turned for home and then turned away and kept going.










While there was certainly no lack of water on trail, I was actually pleased with how the footing was overall. 










I hadn't been down to those trails in a long while. The last time I was there, the ATVs had been leaving their mark, making moguls on the straights and deep ruts on turns. I was thrilled to see all the wet had apparently helped even things out.










I did the space needle climb twice and was very pleased when Sultan wanted to canter the second time (after having already done 16 miles). I let him, keeping a close eye on his heartrate. He was working well within himself and his pulse dropped easily anywhere we were forced to walk.










22.26 mile, 2644 feet of climb, 5.5 mph average pace, 38F real feel

I made a point to trot him out on the driveway when we first got home, after I had untacked, and then again after he had cooled out. I was thrilled that he was moving freely all three times and had not tightened up once the work had stopped (which is what kept happening at the end of rides last year). I also had no issues during the ride with him stumbling or forging. Fingers and toes crossed the EPM is in remission and stays that way!


----------



## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, DH was able to come home from work a bit early so we could address the pond that developed in Phin's jail paddock. The depth of the mud was really quite amazing - I have never seen the skid sink so low before - and have to admit that I was expecting to need to get the tractor to pull it out..

First DH scraped up as much of the mud as possible.










Then the potato stone (the big rocks) went down. Then the modified went down over that.










Then the skid loader went back and forth about 300 times to pack it all down as much as possible. We put the panels back up in a different way, hoping to give Phin less space for acrobatics.










The leg seems to be doing ok. The splint is non-reactive. The scratches are subsiding. However, rain and snow is coming for the end of the week, so we shall see.. :|


----------



## phantomhorse13

Today I got George out for his long ride. The sun was shining and it was already almost warm when we left the barn first thing. I planned to ride the same route I took with Sultan.

From the start, George was a giant spook. While he is never exactly a boring ride, he has been getting worse and worse. I had thought that was because he was bored with walking the same trails.. but after today, I am worried there is more to it.

We started out going up and down the Sugarloaf. That got George puffing but I was pleased to see his heart rate stayed where I expected it.










The climbing, however, didn't do a thing to put a damper on George's spooking. The trails on the Tomhicken side were dry, but I couldn't take advantage because George was spooking every 2-4 strides. I felt like I was riding a drunken pogo stick and a few of the leaps took him right off the trail! He was happy to go forward, but he was constantly seeing monsters.










Because we wanted to make sure George's weird issues last season weren't somehow related to food, I brought our normal ride food (beet pulp and oats) and we had a mini hold about halfway. After he snorted suspiciously at the creek for a few minutes, he settled down to eat.










As we turned towards home, I expected the spooking to improve. It didn't. He was so bad I was afraid to let him canter for fear I wouldn't be able to stay on.










22.23 miles, 2701 feet of climb, 5.4 mph average pace, 51F real feel

Unfortunately, George was NQR at the trot after he cooled out, but I couldn't pinpoint exactly what leg I thought was the issue. When DH got home and looked he agreed. I took some video and sent it to a variety of people I trust (Kathy and Lani, my farrier, Patti, Nancy) and there was no consensus on what leg was the issue either (in fact, each leg got at least one vote).

Tomorrow we plan to trot him out again and also longe on a circle to see if that brings anything to light. Meanwhile, I am not sure if that has to do with whatever underlying issue he has or if its a result of his spooking and slamming himself around.

The vet is coming Friday for spring shots and Coggins, so we will have her draw blood to retest for Lyme and EPM.. *sigh*


After finishing with George, I went out to groom on Phin.










At least I won't have to worry about a full winter coat when I do get back to riding him!


----------



## AnitaAnne

Well it is a good news-bad news week for you. Wonderful that Sultan is back to his fabulous self, but then issues with George :frown_color:

I could use some education to understand if you don't mind. 

I had always understood EPM to be highly contagious and horses had to be quarantined at least 1 mile from other horses; true or not true? 

Also that once they have EPM that they will be carriers and will not be able to go off property because the stress will cause a flare up; true or not true? 

Other question is about George; is increased spookiness a sign of possible neurological conditions? Because my Chivas has gotten much spookier lately too.


----------



## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> I had always understood EPM to be highly contagious and horses had to be quarantined at least 1 mile from other horses; true or not true?
> 
> Also that once they have EPM that they will be carriers and will not be able to go off property because the stress will cause a flare up; true or not true?
> 
> Other question is about George; is increased spookiness a sign of possible neurological conditions? Because my Chivas has gotten much spookier lately too.


I think maybe you are confusing EPM (equine protozoal myeloencephalitis) with EIA (equine infectious anaemia). EPM is caused by a protozoa that can be found in animal feces (generally opossums) and which affects the nervous system. EIA is a virus which is transmitted by mosquitoes and affects blood cells. A horse, once infected with EIA, is a carrier for life (assuming it doesn't die), thus quarantine is required. EIA is what a Coggin's tests for.

Spookiness most certainly can be a sign of a neuro issue. I have known horses with both Lyme (which can affect the nervous system) and EPM to act abnormally in that way.

There are differing opinions on if stress can cause Lyme or EPM to flare, much as there is debate as to whether either infection can be truly cleared from the body or not. Personally, my experience has shown its not cleared so stress certainly can bring on a flare.


----------



## AnitaAnne

Thanks for the info; yes I do believe I was mixing up the two and getting myself all confused. I have a bit of trouble with getting abbreviations confused sometimes, and panic myself for no reason


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## Celeste

AnitaAnne said:


> Thanks for the info; yes I do believe I was mixing up the two and getting myself all confused. I have a bit of trouble with getting abbreviations confused sometimes, and panic myself for no reason


That is why I am not big on abbreviations for medical terms. For example, I become confused when people abbreviate that a patient is "short of breath". The abbreviation puts an entirely different picture in my brain.........


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## knightrider

@Celeste, took me a second, then I laughed out loud. Love it.

Equus magazine did a study, or reported on a study, not sure which, where 40 horses with EIA were pastured right next to 40 horses without EIA in the Philippines. And guess what??? Not one of the 40 horses without EIA ever got it in the two years of the study. There is so much we do not know about medicine; all we can do is guess and try our best. Since there is no cure for EIA, I can understand why people are so cautious about possible transmission. (Sorta like leprosy, which is actually not very contagious, but in the bad old days, when there was no cure, who wanted to take the chance?)


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## carshon

Fingers crossed George shows no signs of EPM or other issues. Do you think his sight could be compromised?


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## SwissMiss

Celeste said:


> That is why I am not big on abbreviations for medical terms. For example, I become confused when people abbreviate that a patient is "short of breath". The abbreviation puts an entirely different picture in my brain.........


:rofl::rofl::rofl:


----------



## phantomhorse13

Celeste said:


> I become confused when people abbreviate that a patient is "short of breath". The abbreviation puts an entirely different picture in my brain.........


I always thought that was a good one! 

I wish I could remember now what DH meant when he used "HBC" in a text conversation with me once, but it quickly became apparent that what it meant to him was _not_ what it meant to me. [HBC in the vet world = hit by car.]




knightrider said:


> There is so much we do not know about medicine; all we can do is guess and try our best.


This! So much changes so quickly. There have been rumors that Lyme may be carried by mosquitos now, as it seems to be spreading much faster than could be explained by ticks, and I guess maybe into places that generally don't have a big tick problem. Yet there are still people who claim Lyme doesn't exist!!




carshon said:


> Fingers crossed George shows no signs of EPM or other issues. Do you think his sight could be compromised?


I had considered this, but he can still see things at a pretty good distance. Example, on our crazy ride the other day, as we came across the farm George suddenly raised his head to stare - Bruce was coming down the orchard road on the far side in a small tractor. It was probably 1/4-1/2 mile away. If he could see well enough to notice a car-sized vehicle moving very slowly from that distance, how bad could his vision be? I will certainly have the vet take a good look when she is out tomorrow though, just in case.


Today we jogged George again and unfortunately he is still off. It was hard to determine on the straight, but when on a circle it became apparent it was the left hock. It does not seem to worsen with flexion, but I will talk to our vet about that tomorrow, too.

Lani suggested not only repeating the Lyme and EPM testing, but also to have our chiro look at him. I guess certain cervical misalignments can impact how visual stimulus are processed or cause spots or blinking lights in the visual field. I hadn't really thought about that, but I have had issues with weird blurry places in my vision if my neck is really screwed up. So we made an appt with our chiro as maybe that is the root of the spooking.


----------



## egrogan

The thought of mosquito-borne Lyme is terrifying.

Sorry George is still off


----------



## phantomhorse13

Sorry for my absence, but momma nature was not very nice to the power lines in the area with that Nor'Easter than came through Friday. Finally got things back in working order today.


The vet was out Friday morning despite the weather. She rolled in as the first flakes started falling from the sky and the ground was covered by the time she left. Everyone got spring shots and the boys got blood drawn for Coggins.

George got a very through going over and extra blood drawn for Lyme and EPM testing. The vet did a bunch of flexions and his issue seems to be his left hock. While his reaction to the flexion wasn't huge (from a 0.5 to a 1 lameness), it at least gave me something to peer at suspiciously. The vet also looked at his eyes.. and he now has cataracts. :|

While they aren't massive currently, they were definitely not there when the vet was out in the fall. From researching people with cataracts, they say it makes the vision field blurry and can make it hard to focus. All of George's vision isn't obstructed, which would explain why he can still see things far away but might be looking funny at things beside us that are possibly blurry. Not ideal, but at least it's a reason. 

We are now waiting for the results of the testing to see what the game plan is, as at this point it seems like the slight lameness and the spookiness are not necessarily related..


----------



## AnitaAnne

Poor George! The hock swelling is worrisome; how in the world did he injure his hock?? Hope the cataracts don't affect him too much, but not seeing clearly must be worrisome to a horse.


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> Poor George! The hock swelling is worrisome; how in the world did he injure his hock??


It's not swollen. It's not hot or even warm externally - DH brought the thermal camera home and there is no outward difference from one to the other. It could easily be "just" minor arthritis, as he is a month shy of 19. But we wanted to rule out other things before assuming that.


----------



## Tazzie

Oh man :sad: I couldn't like your post. Hopefully it's just arthritis in his hock. That can at least have a comfort plan with it.

Sorry about the cataracts too. Ugh! Does explain the spookiness though :sad:


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## phantomhorse13

Today I got Sultan out. I wasn't sure what to expect from the ground, as there are still some places holding the snow from last week's storm and of course what isn't snow is mud unless its frozen. But with another storm coming tomorrow, out we went.

I went out early in the morning in the hopes the ground would stay frozen for the majority of the ride. I stuck to open fields where I could since the snow was mostly off them. 










As expected, the north sides of the hills still had some snow on them, so we went up the south side instead.










I was very pleased to not find any major trees down, however the north side is what took the brunt of the wind, so I may just not have seen the mess.

On the way home, I went down the creek trail at the bottom of Alimar. There was a tree down at the start of the trail, but we were able to get around it without issue. Amazingly, the place the trees normally fall was clear!










Sultan was phenomenally behaved. He was forward but never rushy and didn't even spook at the giant flock of turkeys we came across in one field. Even heading for home he was soft and quiet. We trotted right back to our property and stopped in the hayfield. By the time I hopped off and loosened his girth, his pulse was down.

Oh, and maybe I should show you where I stopped him to pulse:












That equipment arrived yesterday and he'd not seen it until just then. He had his game face on today for sure! 

10.06 miles, 1109 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 28F real feel


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## egrogan

LOVE that picture. Get that horse broke, would you?? :wink:


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## phantomhorse13

egrogan said:


> LOVE that picture. Get that horse broke, would you?? :wink:


That is why I want to kill him when he acts like a [email protected] during some training rides (eg spooking at purple flowers) - because he IS that brave. 

Horses are the best things ever to keep us humble!


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## Tazzie

Haha! I love that picture too! It's pretty amazing! Man, you really need to control your crazy A-rab!


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## Spanish Rider

A couple of years ago, I was working an older horse at the barn whose owner was going through chemo. I suspected he had cataracts, too, and I also found that his spooks had a lot to do with the angle of the sun. The winter morning sun, which is obviously at a lower angle, seemed to affect him more, and I am sure that any reflection of the sun off the snow would worsen the effect.


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## QueenofFrance08

I know Sultan and George are half brothers but are they the same age? 

So jealous of how calm Sultan looks in that picture! Everyone is in Spring funk at my house and the horse eating mail boxes were too much last weekend!


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> I know Sultan and George are half brothers but are they the same age?


George is 13 days older than Sultan! 


I am glad to see you post, as I wondered if you were buried after the news reported on all the snow!


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## SwissMiss

Oh my, what a spooky horse :rofl: His expression is pretty funny too. Completely relaxed!


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## Mewlie

Whew, just worked my way through all 98 pages over the last couple days! What an absolute adventure with many dramatic highs and lows!
One of my favorite parts of reading was seeing the seasons change in the photos. I'm now subscribed and will stay up-to-date on your horse journey.
Thank you so much for sharing with all of us!


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## Spanish Rider

*Mewlie,*
For those of us who don't get out much, *phantom's* journal is the best!


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## QueenofFrance08

Pretty close! They sent us home from work at 1:00 on Monday (unheard of for a CPA office during tax season) and I even got the Subaru stuck in the driveway yesterday morning (hint: If I go fast enough I can get through it doesn't always work!). 

Is Phin feeling any better? Stinks that you have 2 down right now! I really hope Sultan and your DH can get their decade team award this year! When is the first ride in your area? Ours is the first weekend in May but I'm guessing other places that warm up slightly faster than us have earlier starts!


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## phantomhorse13

welcome @Mewlie ! please feel free to chime in anytime.




QueenofFrance08 said:


> Is Phin feeling any better?
> 
> When is the first ride in your area? Ours is the first weekend in May but I'm guessing other places that warm up slightly faster than us have earlier starts!


Phin is still sound and that leg is showing the telltale lumps of ossification. It doesn't seem to be unreasonable and he is non-reactive to it. Two more weeks until I can start working him again (but who's counting?! :icon_rolleyes.

Our first ride of the season is just under 3 weeks! You wouldn't know it from looking around outside today, however. We got super lucky the storm changed track at the last minute and the foot or more of snow they were originally threatening us with turned out to be 4 inches. Still too much IMO, but way better than a foot!


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## Spanish Rider

Just a question about training for Yellowhammer. Someplace, I remember you saying that you would be doing 3 LDs that weekend, correct? How do you usually prepare for such a feat? and how far off the mark has the weather put you?


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## phantomhorse13

Spanish Rider said:


> Just a question about training for Yellowhammer. Someplace, I remember you saying that you would be doing 3 LDs that weekend, correct? How do you usually prepare for such a feat? and how far off the mark has the weather put you?


The horses going to Yellowhammer are not ours, but instead those that belong to Lani and Kathy - the ones currently in Florida. They have been working up in distance all winter. Flo and I did a slow 25 New Years weekend, then slow back to back 25s at the end of January. She did moderate-paced back to back 25s a couple weeks ago with Kathy. Lani and I will be doing slow rides, so don't expect issues, but of course will listen to the horse.


----------



## findinghappy

Mewlie said:


> Whew, just worked my way through all 98 pages over the last couple days! What an absolute adventure with many dramatic highs and lows!
> One of my favorite parts of reading was seeing the seasons change in the photos. I'm now subscribed and will stay up-to-date on your horse journey.
> Thank you so much for sharing with all of us!


This is exactly what I did last night! I binged this entire 98 pages. And yes, thank you SO much for sharing all of your adventures with us!!! Now I'm inspired to get out and go ride!


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## phantomhorse13

findinghappy said:


> Now I'm inspired to get out and go ride!


Glad to hear it! Welcome and feel free to chime in any time.


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## Change

I'll see you this week at Yellowhammer. I've done it. Coggins on stat so should have it by Tuesday. Trailer cleaned up and prepped. I even bought a helmet! Registered for the 10 mile intro rides on Thurs and Friday. All that's left to do is load up my camping gear, scrape mud off my horse, and head south on Wed.

BTW, I'm just on the border of Terrified! ;-)


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## phantomhorse13

Change said:


> I'll see you this week at Yellowhammer. I've done it. Registered for the 10 mile intro rides on Thurs and Friday.


:happydance::happydance::happydance:


It's going to be so much fun!!

Hoping @*AnitaAnne* and @*Celeste* put in an appearance, too (no meetings on Friday or Saturday, right?!). @*SwissMiss* had also mentioned it in the past..


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, Nicole hauled over and we rode Polo and Hombre with DH and Sultan. I rode Hombre for the first time in a while.

The forecast was for sunny, 45F and a light breeze. Instead, it was cloudy, windy, and started spitting snow as we mounted up. :icon_rolleyes:

The plan was to do the direct out and back to the space needle, as Polo and Hombre haven't done a lot of hillwork and I knew the footing there would be decent. There was enough snow on the ground that I was worried about frozen puddles being hidden. We stuck to the roads as much as possible.










I was surprised when we got to the Tomhicken and found unbroken snow, as that is a popular place for the kids from the local housing development to ride their ATVs.



















Hombre showing that all our 'whoa' practice is starting to pay off!










Just after the photo op, we popped out into the housing development pavement. Once there, I heard the telltale clop, clop, clop, thud of someone missing a shoe.. shiitake. Indeed, Polo was missing one. Luckily, his foot wasn't torn up, but of course it meant the end of the ride, as Nicole doesn't carry a boot and the last thing we needed to do was keep going until that foot was torn up!

Nicole and I traded horses as I was wearing better boots for hiking. On the way home we intentionally stayed off the roads to spare the bare foot. It was still cold enough that the edges of the fields weren't too slimy, so we went home the most direct way possible. I wasn't sure how I would do hiking up the one hill, but I managed to stay on my feet and not collapse in a panting heap.  Polo would probably have tailed me up the hill, as he was super focused on heading back as fast as I would let him, but trying that for the first time in the slippery snow didn't seem like a smart idea! 

When we got back, Polo's foot still wasn't chipped up and he was sound. Nicole had offered him to me for the first ride of the season, since George and Phin won't be going. Her farrier is coming out Wednesday to tack a shoe back on, so fingers and toes crossed he didn't bruise his sole.

6.73 miles, 1078 feet of climb, 3.7 mph average pace, 30F real feel


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## Change

It was SO awesome meeting you and Lani this weekend, and I had so much fun. Other than freezing my backside off that first night (28F!), I can't think of a single thing I didn't enjoy. You've definitely infected me with the concept of endurance riding. I am absolutely going to do this again!!


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## SwissMiss

@Change, there is a ride (with intro) in Meridien, MS in May :wink:


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## QueenofFrance08

Anyone want to come to a ride in Minnesota?!?! So jealous I can't meet you all at one!


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## Change

@SwissMiss - are you thinking about riding at the one in Meridian? I'm thinking 4 hours maybe isn't too far. ;-) Is there a website where I can learn more about it?

Fred - the gent on the Arab Tango learned to follow (helped a lot that she was a mare and he was in love!) - told me about one just north of Chattanooga. I'm going to have to do some research as that would only be about 2.5 hours away. Yeah. I've been bit by the bug! So much fun! And I'm going to have to see if I can get him in condition for 25 milers!


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## SwissMiss

@Change, I have heard good things about the trails at Bonita Lakes... And I was hoping by May I may have a saddle that fits both of us and my 7-day workweeks may be over (one can hope, right?)... And it's only about 2 hrs away. A hauling distance I feel comfortable with :wink:

Here's the flyer: https://aerc.org/static/rideFlyers/2018BonitaLakes.pdf
@phantomhorse13, see what you are doing? Getting a whole lot of people infected by the "bug" :rofl:


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## Spanish Rider

> @phantomhorse13 , see what you are doing? Getting a whole lot of people infected by the "bug"


And we would be more if we were closer! Oh, yeah, and actually had a horse...


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## AnitaAnne

SwissMiss said:


> @Change, I have heard good things about the trails at Bonita Lakes... And I was hoping by May I may have a saddle that fits both of us and my 7-day workweeks may be over (one can hope, right?)... And it's only about 2 hrs away. A hauling distance I feel comfortable with :wink:
> 
> Here's the flyer: https://aerc.org/static/rideFlyers/2018BonitaLakes.pdf
> @phantomhorse13, see what you are doing? Getting a whole lot of people infected by the "bug" :rofl:


Its about 3.5 hours drive for me...doable! 

Read the flyer; they have SHOWERS and WATER!! WOOT!


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## Change

@AnitaAnne and @SwissMiss - there's another in Hodges, AL in April.... (hint, hint).

Heh. Phantom stays away a few days and we take over her journal as the Endurance thread! LOL!


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## SwissMiss

Change said:


> @AnitaAnne and @SwissMiss - there's another in Hodges, AL in April.... (hint, hint).
> 
> Heh. Phantom stays away a few days and we take over her journal as the Endurance thread! LOL!


Lol. Keeping it active for her :biggrin:
I am starting 7-day workweeks, so riding in it is pretty much out of the question.. But it may be close enough for me to come for a visit :wink:


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## Spanish Rider

> Keeping it active for her


:smile: I keep checking back because I am dying to hear how things went and see the photos/videos.


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## QueenofFrance08

SwissMiss said:


> @phantomhorse13, see what you are doing? Getting a whole lot of people infected by the "bug" :rofl:


I think I'm infected too! Getting ready for the 12 mile novice on the first weekend of May here which is MN's first ride of the season. So far we can do 4 miles walking so we have a ways to go!


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## phantomhorse13

I finally got home late last night after a fantastic time at Yellowhammer; especially fun was meeting @AnitaAnne and @Change & Chivas and Tango. I have a lot to catch up on, and of course pics and video to edit. However, I suspect that is going to take longer than expected..

I put Dream down this morning. To say I am devastated and heartbroken doesn't even begin to describe it.


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## knightrider

How heartbreaking. I am so sorry. ((((hugs))))


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## egrogan

:frown: :frown: :frown: :frown: :frown:


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## QueenofFrance08

egrogan said:


> :frown: :frown: :frown: :frown: :frown:


Agreed


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## gottatrot

So sorry to hear about Dream. :frown_color:


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## carshon

So very sorry to hear about Dream. My thoughts are with you.


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## Tazzie

I'm so sorry Dawn :sad: hugs and thoughts are with you during this time


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## tinyliny

I only pop in here from time to time, but I saw on FB that you had to put your mare down. So sorry. I have missed or forgotten the story; was she ill? injured, or just 'that time'? When you are ready, Dawn, please write a little eulogy to her, here, for us.


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## Celeste

I'm so sorry about Dream.


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## weeedlady

So sorry for your loss.


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## EstrellaandJericho

I am so sorry for your loss but I am jealous you got to meet a bunch of cool people from this website.


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## AnitaAnne

phantomhorse13 said:


> I finally got home late last night after a fantastic time at Yellowhammer; especially fun was meeting @AnitaAnne and @Change & Chivas and Tango. I have a lot to catch up on, and of course pics and video to edit. However, I suspect that is going to take longer than expected..
> 
> I put Dream down this morning. To say I am devastated and heartbroken doesn't even begin to describe it.


OMG not Dream...oh jeez that is so...oh my so sorry to hear this 

:hug: Dear Lady :hug:


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## Mewlie

My deepest condolences to you, PH. 
Take all the time you need; we'll be here when you're ready.


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## phantomhorse13

Thank you for all the kind words. Dream was my heart horse and one in a million, without doubt.




tinyliny said:


> I have missed or forgotten the story; was she ill? injured, or just 'that time'? When you are ready, Dawn, please write a little eulogy to her, here, for us.


I first saw Dream through a microscope - she was the first embryo transfer done at Cre-Run, the arab breeding farm I worked at back then. She was hatched in a recip mare that had come from a local auction and was one step away from feral and not very nice. I was always the one assigned the crazies, so dealing with the mare became my problem. Eventually, I got to the point she would let me handle her without trying to kill me, but that tolerance didn't extend to anybody else. 

I have to admit to not being all that enamored of Dream when she was born. Her surrogate mother was hard to deal with and her biological mother was also a tough customer, so it was no surprise that the filly was strong willed. Luckily, she was also super smart so the battles were fierce but short-lived (assuming I came out on top). 



















I left the farm when she was a yearling. She came back into my life 6 years later, in a funny twist of fate (or by divine intention, depending on your viewpoint).

There is a big email list for endurance riders called Ridecamp that used to be very busy (facebook has since taken over). I had been bitten by the endurance bug, but a divorce had put that on hold as I tried to get my life together. I stayed on the e-list as an outlet for my interest. When a random person wrote in asking about experiences with horses recovering from lightning strikes, I wrote back as the farm I had just left had 2 horses who had been struck and lived.

Wasn't I floored to find out the horse the man was writing about was one of 'my' kids from the breeding farm! If the chances of a random person on a huge mailing list having a horse I knew wasn't crazy enough, he also didn't live all that far from me.. and was looking for a rider for another Cre-Run horse he had. That horse was Dream.

I can still remember our first training ride - we rode 6 miles along with the other lady who was riding for Tim at the time. I thought I might never walk again. I hadn't ridden in months and certainly never gone that far before even when I was riding. Tim had warned me she had a habit of spooking, dropping a shoulder, and dumping her previous rider. Luckily for me, she broadcast her bad thoughts and I was able to shut her down before she so much as hesitated. I never had her even think such a thing again. We clicked.

I had no idea how lucky I was with Dream. There were none of the normal learning curve things as we got started in endurance. Looking back, the "mentor" I had in the form of Tim's other rider was actually anything but, so the fact Dream not only survived but thrived is another testament to her ability. She never had issues with saddle fit or what electrolytes we used or camping or crazy horses around her. She did her job and went down the trail. She finished our first 100 like it was a walk in the park. She won rides and babysat friends on young horses. She never finished out of the top 10 during a competition unless she was babysitting. I don't think I ever saw her peak ability, as I just enjoyed every moment and never pushed her.

Dream contracted Lyme in 2008 and unfortunately it took a long while to figure out the actual issue, as Tim's vet "didn't believe in" Lyme. Things came to a head after she crossed the finish line of the 2009 OD 100 and cramped in a hind leg, costing us the completion. When the vet looked at her after, her response was that I _needed to ride the mare more_.. because apparently 100 miles wasn't enough?! After that, I started drawing blood myself and sending out tests via work. Eventually she was diagnosed and treated, but the infection had long since gone chronic. We would battle it periodically from then on. But we had more good days than bad and we rode many, many miles together both in competition and just for the fun of it.

Dream became mine in late 2011 - my first horse. I was able to find her a boarding place with trail access only 45 minutes from my house and had mostly figured out her Lyme flares and how to keep them under control. 





































My yearbook from the college where I got my vet tech degree:











In May of 2012, I was dating my now-husband and he had come down to visit for the weekend. He and I and my BO decided to trailer out to ride one Saturday morning. We loaded the horses without a thought and headed out. Not even 1/2 mile from the farm, the unbelievable happened.

While making the turn onto the main road, a kid speeding while texting (he was late for work) crashed into the trailer. I can still close my eyes and see the whole thing play in agonizing slow motion - it was like a bad action movie. The SUV came flying around the distant corner and didn't even try to stop until about 30 feet from the trailer. By then of course it was much too late. The SUV impacted the trailer at the back of the living quarters right ahead of the first stall - where Dream was. The impact lifted the SUV completely off the ground and tossed it about 10 feet sideways.










You can see where the skid marks begin on the dashed line at the bottom of the picture - about 33 feet. That's it. The police figured the driver was going in excess of 65 mph (speed limit on that road is 45).










The driver had to crawl out of a back door of the mangled Lexus SUV - and his phone was in his hand as he did so. He was amazingly uninjured.

We were able to get Sultan and my BO's mare unloaded out the back, but the stud partition had been ripped off its hinges by the impact, which bent the trailer's frame - trapping Dream inside. Because the SUV was partially blocking the escape door, I could get in to her but couldn't get her out. I climbed into the trailer expecting to see her gravely injured, but other than bar marks from the window across her jaw and the side of her head, she seemed amazingly unaffected.

Dream stood calmly as DH and I worked on the door from either side.. finally using a sledgehammer to dislodge it. She and the others stood grazing beside the wreck as the police arrived.










After what felt like an eternity, the vet arrived to check over the horses. He found no apparent injuries and we walked them the 1/2 mile back to the barn while DH limped the trailer behind us.

It was months later than I first noticed the slight hard lump under the skin on the right side of Dream where her skull met her neck. It didn't seem to bother her and I didn't put it together with the accident, thinking it was a tick bite or maybe a developing melonoma. As more time passed, Dream started having some subtle issues, which I initially attributed to a Lyme flare. She started traveling up hills differently, and as that had always been the first sign of a Lyme flare, we treated her and gave her time off. When I started her back, she still wasn't right behind. She also was tripping, which was not normal for her. Perplexed, we ran a multiplex and were stunned when her numbers all came back as non-reactive. It wasn't Lyme, so what the heck was going on?!

At that point, I started putting things together as the lump on her neck had been slowly growing. While we never went for the MRI that would have been the definitive diagnosis, the radiographs and physical signs were clear enough: that lump was causing spinal impingement. The vertebrae in her neck that got smashed sideways in the accident likely had a hairline fracture(s), resulting in her body laying down new bone. That new bone growth was lumpy, causing irritation and more bone growth as the body tried to heal. Eventually, that growth started putting pressure on her spinal cord, resulting in the weird things I was feeling when I rode.

Dream was retired from riding in early 2014, when it became clear that my additional weight was causing her to stumble to the point of falling. She graced our pasture as a semi-feral potato ever since, getting fat and bossing around the boys. We knew it was only a matter of time, as that lump continued to slowly grow.

Just before I left for Alabama, I noticed Dream was a bit tentative on her front feet. She had just been trimmed and the ground was back to being a frozen mess of hoofprints, so we assumed she was just a bit sensitive from that. No heat in her feet or anywhere else and she was eating and drinking normally. DH said she was better the following day, when the ground thawed. That seemed like the end of it.

Monday, DH noticed she was tentative on her front end when he fed in the morning, but the ground was frozen again so he didn't think any more of it as she happily dug into her breakfast. DH called me in a panic when he got home that evening, as Dream was barely able to walk despite the thawed ground. He had already called the vet - it was that bad. I raced the rest of the way home and got there before the vet. Dream was every bit as awful as DH had said.. she took small mincing steps with her front legs and weird stabby ones with her hinds. While her legs and feet were cool to the touch, her muscles were on fire and tense from her shoulders to her head. The stabby way of moving was a clear indication of a neurologic issue, so I gave her a massive overdose of banamine and waited for the vet. Amazingly, she was content to munch hay and carrots while waiting.

By the time the vet arrived, the banamine had taken affect. While Dream was able to walk somewhat more comfortably, she was still far from normal and the weird stabbing action of her unsteady hind legs was even more apparent. The vet agreed with me it was neurologic and likely the result of that lump pressing on her spine. 

I knew it was time.. and we let her go. She is buried in the yard beside Gamer.

Godspeed, Big Girl. :gallop:


----------



## QueenofFrance08

It's hard to like your post with the ending but I'm liking it for the amazing girl she was. I have to admit I'm a little teary eyed at work reading her story! I can only hope to one day have a horse as great as she was. 

Hugs!


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## Tazzie

I also had a hard time liking your post. I had to do it for the wonderful memories of her. But I'm sitting here teary eyed at work reading through it. She was one heck of a mare, and I'm so sorry you had to lose her like this 

I do have to admit I laughed at your yearbook photo. Totally classic


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## Mewlie

What a special girl; thank you for sharing her with us!


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## cbar

I am so sorry to hear about your mare. It was probably difficult to type her story out, but you have some wonderful memories and I'm glad you shared with us.


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## egrogan

Yes, tears falling on the keyboard. Run fast beautiful Dream!


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## whisperbaby22

Condolences for the loss of your beautiful mare.


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## EmberScarlet

phantomhorse13 said:


> Thank you for all the kind words. Dream was my heart horse and one in a million, without doubt.
> 
> I knew it was time.. and we let her go. She is buried in the yard beside Gamer.
> 
> Godspeed, Big Girl. :gallop:


I'm sorry for your loss. That was an amazing story, thanks for sharing.


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## Spanish Rider

Wow. So beautiful that you were with Dream from the beginning and right up until the end.


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## Twalker

*Dream*

PH - Your story about you and Dream was awesome and at the same time so sad. I am glad that you shared it with us. Continued hugs go out to you for your extreme loss. She was a beautiful spirit.


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## carshon

I know it does not take away the pain but Dream was well loved and had an owner that loved her so much that ending her suffering was first on your mind. Godspeed Dream - I am sure you will be reunited with her.


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## walkinthewalk

I am so sorry for your loss.


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## AnitaAnne

Thank you so much for sharing Dream with us. Her story is a testament of your love and devotion for a very special horse, and her love and devotion to you in return. 

Horses are a special gift. So sorry you had such a short time with your dear girl. I can never understand how such bad things happen to such wonderful souls. She is pain free now...

I can't stop crying as I write this; your pain must be 1000x's worse. :hug:


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## weeedlady

thank you for sharing Dream's story.


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## PoptartShop

I am so very sorry for your loss of Dream. Thank you for sharing the story with us. She was well loved.  *hugs*


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## knightrider

My heart is aching and I am fighting tears. Your story was so moving. I am so sorry for your loss.


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## Blue

As I'm teary eyed and weepy, I know that Dream had a magical life and you only brought out the best in her and for her. She can now do the 100's with the angels. ((hugs))


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## gottatrot

Thank you for sharing about Dream with us. What a beautiful story of true love. The yearbook photo is what started the tears for me. I'm glad you have other loves in your life to help you through this.


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## LoriF

Oh PH, I'm so sorry about Dream. I know that she was such a special horse to you.


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## SwissMiss

Thank you for sharing your story of Dream. The yearbook photo says it all...
And yes, my keyboard got a rinse today as well... :hug::hug::hug:


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## Change

Crap, crap, crap!!! No! I am so, so sorry that you had to say good-bye to such as special girl. _Dream _is right! For her to do all that she did for you and with you - to suffer such an terrible accident and still stand quietly, trusting in you to see her through. I hate to cry. I really, really hate it. Yet, here I sit, tears dripping on my hands for you and for her. {{HUGS}} 

As much as I enjoyed meeting you, this puts such a damper on things. I can't comfortably express feelings like fun right now. Maybe later. 

May the light of her spirit shine always through the gloom, and the memories of her brighten your Dreams.


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## Rod

Sounds like she was one of the good ones. Sorry.


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## Avna

A happy sad story. I'm so sorry. The special ones don't come around often.


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## phantomhorse13

Last week, I got to experience the Alabama Yellowhammer rides for the first time. I had heard lots of fun things about it for years and even Kathy gave it a glowing review last year. Add in knowing I would get to meet @AnitaAnne and @Change and you can imaging how excited I was! 

Lani and I were to fly out of DC Tuesday morning, so without fail momma nature sent us snow for Monday.. so there I was driving out of a snowstorm to Virginia yet again. The flight left without delay, despite the strong winds remaining from the storm. I am prone to air sickness, but made sure I was medicated and had my lucky barf bag (which I have taken every trip since the very first time I flew to Florida and thought I would need it due to the terrible flight). Happy to report I did not need the bag!

We arrived on time and Beth picked us up from the airport. We stopped to pick up hay on the way back to the farm. We took it out into the field upon our arrival and the horses promptly attacked it like they had never seen hay before. Everyone looked great and trotted out sound, so we grabbed a quick dinner before bed, knowing it would be an early morning.










Wednesday morning we were up before the sun so we could get on the road as soon as possible. It was a 7-8 hour drive but we also needed to stop at the grocery store for provisions on the way (the ride only provides meals for volunteers, so we needed more than our normal sandwiches and junk food). We were able to find some just-add-water things that sounded good (like mashed potatoes and rice) and about ten bags of carrots - I can only imagine what the lady at the check out thought of our choices.

We snuck around Atlanta just before rush hour really got going and made it to ride camp about 4. Unlike most places we are used to, camp is not a big open field, but instead a parklike setting with lots and lots of trees. People come in a week early to get the best spots! We wandered around the various loops before finding a likely spot. As always, Lani's driving ability impressed me as she easily got Jefferson tucked in between trees. We had just got everyone unloaded when @AnitaAnne (and Lily) came over. I hope she didn't think I was rude that I only paused to chat for a few minutes, but we needed to get the horses settled and ourselves registered.

Despite the huge turnout, the atmosphere was calm and relaxed. The southerners thought the chilly weather was unpleasant but I was thrilled to see the sun knowing it was snowing at home. We got registered for the 30 without issue and Flo and Duroc vetted in. Duroc was a bit of a jerk for the vetting, dancing all over and acting like it was his first ride. @Change arrived a bit later, after having an adventure finding the ride location. She wanted to camp beside us, but a nasty "gentleman" camped a couple spots over complained her rig was blocking his access (total bs), so she went to the spot AnitaAnne had saved for her.

Later, Lani and I got a surprise when we went up for the ride meeting to find nobody else was there. When I asked someone official-looking why nobody was at the meeting, she looked confused, looked at her watch and said "but it's only 6 - the meeting is at 7." Wait, it's only 6?! Who would have thought that Alabama is in the central time zone, and without cell reception the last 30 minutes of the trip or in camp, we had no idea the time had changed!! :lol:

Funny, the ride meeting took place right on time once we got on the same time as those around us. The meeting was entertaining, as the manager had a great sense of humor and was free with the jokes. We got the details we needed and when the meeting was over, socialized a bit. Next up was dinner and we were pleased the soup we made out of just-add-water rice and canned chicken was actually pretty yummy.

Thursday morning was very cold by southern standards - I broke ice on all the buckets. It felt not too bad to me, but many people were wandering around in parkas and hats and big gloves. We got Duroc and Flo ready without incident. Duroc has been a bit silly about saddling lately, for reasons only known to him, but my stuffing him full of carrots while Lani saddled did the trick.










Since Duroc had been so enthusiastic since arrival, Lani decided it was prudent to not only start the ride last, but to have me pony Duroc to start with. Flo had never really ponied before (I had practiced with Fuji for 5 minutes the last ride), but she handled herself beautifully.










Duroc spent the first hour on the line, until he had calmed enough that Lani felt comfortable releasing him. She rode carrying the rope the entire loop however, just in case he got wild and I needed to be able to grab him quickly.










The trails were amazing!! They were mostly what I would call atv trail, but with lots of hills and twists and turns. There was plenty of water, some very pretty views, and lovely footing. The 18 mile loop flew by and soon we were back in camp. 










Flo pulsed down without issue but Duroc was cranked up. He was again dancing around and being silly, so his pulse was jumping all over the place. Eventually he settled down and vetted without too much drama. Of course eating is always their first priority, and he wasn't too busy looking around to chow down all hold.










The second loop was 10 miles and started the opposite direction out of camp. That took us right past where Jefferson was parked and Duroc suddenly lost all his enthusiasm, letting Flo take the lead. Once we were out of camp, he decided he really could go after all and returned to the front. Silly boy!










The second loop was equally lovely and included some "new" trail (which I think means it wasn't technically park trail, but I won't tell). Duroc and Flo took turns leading and there was no spooking craziness like last ride (also no armadillos or any other wildlife).










One section of the park was having some controlled burns, so it was rather creepy to ride in the smokey woods, as it made the sunlight very orange. We never got close enough to see the actual fires though and the brisk breeze didn't make the smoke too overwhelming.










The 10 mile rode beautifully and we were soon back to camp. Duroc again was a bit of a pill at the vetting so we obviously hadn't tired him out enough! Flo did a god job of ignoring his antics. They were both pleased to dig into their post ride mash.

































After getting them settled, Lani took Teabiscuit and Fuji out for a leg stretch while I got us registered for the 25 the next day. I was surprised to find I would be riding Fuji as Lani wanted to stay on Duroc! To be trusted with Fuji was a very big deal to me and I have to admit some part of me was nervous about it just because. Fuji vetted in without issue. I puttered around getting things ready for the next day and got to chat with @AnitaAnne and @Change . I was so happy to hear the details of their ride and knew from their beaming faces they were hooked! 

I also remembered to get Lani to take our picture.










By late afternoon, my head was bothering me quite a lot, which I was surprised over since it didn't seem warm enough to trigger a migraine. Lani made us dinner early in hopes that maybe I was just hungry.. but that didn't help either. I went to lay down before it was even dark and missed the ride meeting altogether. That also meant I missed socializing more with AnitaAnne and Change, though I assume Lani told them what had happened.


to be continued..


----------



## phantomhorse13

part 2:

Luckily, I was feeling fine by the next morning. It was much warmer and was forecast to be a perfect spring day to start, though there were rumors of rain on the way. We again got Duroc tacked using the carrot bribery method and it worked well. Fuji is just fine to tack - in fact, I am not sure he ever lifted his head from his pan.










We again tried to be the last people out of camp, but this time Duroc was more reasonable so didn't need to be ponied. Fuji led for the first bit, just to make sure, but Duroc soon moved to the lead. The first loop was 16 miles and used a lot of trails we hadn't seen the day before.


__
Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18
Show Content










Fuji did occasionally get a chance to lead and he always seemed to be asking me if he was allowed to speed up, but he didn't argue when I let him know it wasn't race day.. though I think he was rolling his eyes at me. 










We spent a lot of the day leap frogging with the Ride and Tiers, who of course all know Lani. [Really, I think just about everybody knows Lani!] A couple of the people were brand new, so it was fun to see them figuring things out and having a great time.










We came into the hold past Jefferson, which immediately caused Duroc to scream like an idiot for Biscuit. Apparently Fuji is chopped liver, as after a few minutes with just them in the vetting area, Duroc made it clear he would never pulse down. I ran to get Biscuit and like magic, Duroc was ready to vet. There was much eating and basking in the sun during the hold.










The second loop was 10 miles of mostly new trail. Fuji started out in the lead, as yet again Duroc thought staying in camp would be more fun. Fuji can be a bit spooky, especially at a moderate pace, so I wasn't surprised to feel him looking for monsters behind every tree.










There were lots of places prime for spooking, but I soon figured out Fuji's tells and was able to distract him before he got too focused. After a bit, Duroc decided life wasn't so bad and took some turns at the lead, too.










Ironically, our only incident the entire day happened with Duroc in the lead. He hadn't spooked at a single thing all day, so we weren't expecting any excitement as we walked up a hill and noticed two men (I think day riders) pull their horses slightly off the trail to let us pass. They were not hidden behind trees or in any way not totally obvious, but apparently Duroc hadn't noticed them until one horse dropped his head to scratch. Duroc spooked hard and spun to the right. Lani either was already holding her grab strap or managed to get hold of it, as she went up his neck a bit but stayed on. The next thing I knew, Duroc was continuing to spin towards us and Fuji was _rearing_. :eek_color:

Fuji went straight up - and I mean UP. Duroc and Lani actually went _under his flailing front legs_. It seemed to last forever and I had enough time to think "shiitake, how am I going to explain to Kathy that I killed Lani and Fuji in a single instant?!" Instinctively, I had kicked my feet out of both stirrups and had my left arm out and rein open in an attempt to pull his head around while holding into his neck with my right arm. I was debating throwing myself off him as I wasn't sure if he was going over sideways/backwards down the hill.. but by the grace of the universe (and as a testament to Fuji's athletic ability), he seemingly defied gravity and went down onto his feet. He took one leap upon touchdown which I managed to stay on for and gasp out his name, at which point he stood still. Duroc had stopped a horse length away.

In that moment of stillness, I thought perhaps it had felt worse than it actually had been.. until I saw the expressions on the faces of the two ladies who had been riding just behind us. Their eyeballs were popping from their heads and their jaws were on their chests. One was in the process of dismounting. After asking if we were both ok, she told me she had been expecting I would need medical attention. [Finding out she was an ER nurse, at least I would have been in capable hands had things ended differently.]

We continued up the trail and both men made comments about velcro butts as we went by. Luckily, nobody took my heartrate for the next few minutes, as it took a bit to return to normal. The adrenaline made my stomach quite unhappy for a while, but I managed to not throw up.










We continued on and the last few miles went without incident. We got into camp and just got Biscuit immediately, so there was no drama for the final vetting. On our way out of the vetting area, the ladies who had been riding behind us during the spook came in. The nurse gave me a huge hug and said she was never so impressed with someone's riding in her life. I didn't know what to say, as what happened was instinct and a whole lot of luck. I just mumbled something about being glad she didn't have to go into work mode while on trail and scurried away. 

The boys happily dug into their post-ride mash as Lani and I got ourselves taken care of.

































Lani and I talked a bit about what had gone on, trying to piece together what happened. Our best guess is that Fuji, who is the bottom of the pecking order and often bullied by Duroc, was doing his best to get out of the charging Duroc's way and that he felt it was rear or get run over. And that may have been very true, considering she agreed she had gone literally under Fuji's front legs and we found a sneaker print on Lani's sleeve that had to have come from my foot.. Sure makes you stop and think and count your blessings.

We had heard all sorts of rumors about rain (from sprinkles to monsoons) coming, so I went to ask the radio guys if they had heard the latest forecast. I got lucky to catch Mr Weather himself, who not only told me the forecast in hourly detail, but showed me all sorts of radar maps, too! A front was coming through in the next few hours and then another was due mid-morning the next day. Neither looked severe and not much rain was predicted, so Lani decided we would stay and ride the last day. If for whatever reason it rained a lot during the night, we could always not start. We got registered for the 25 and got Flo and Fuji vetted in without excitement.

to be continued..


----------



## phantomhorse13

part 3:

Saturday morning was warm but very humid and my head said weather was coming. We got the horses ready without incident and were having our breakfast when a harried lady came over to ask if we would sponsor her junior daughter, as she had planned to go again with her but her own horse was lame. Even though extra company wasn't really in our game plan, we weren't about to refuse. Then the lady said something about "both horses" being fit for whatever pace we wanted. Wait, what? Oh, did she not mention it was TWO juniors - her daughter and her daughter's friend? Oh boy.

Things got a bit hectic after that and I didn't think to take my normal before ride picture. We got ourselves on our horses and met up with the girls and their mounts. Both girls, 12 & 13, had lots of riding experience but not much distance experience. That was fine as you can't get a better mentor than Lani.

It was dry when we left camp on the 16 mile loop, but the air was super heavy. We went out past Jefferson, but with two strange horses in the lead, Flo was having race flashbacks and was determined to catch them. Fuji moseyed along behind without a care in the world.

The girls led for the first couple miles and Flo fussed. While she was hardly happy, it really brought home just how far she's come in a year.  I was riding her with one hand on a fairly loose rein, only giving her reminders about our pace every so often. She fussed, tossing her head and even lashing her tail.. but she listened and maintained the speed I asked. A year ago, that would not have happened!

It wasn't long before I moved Flo to the lead, in an attempt to teach the girls about maintaining a consistent pace. Flo initially wanted to show off her big trot, but grudgingly agreed that 8 mph was much more reasonable for the junior on her chunky (and gorgeous) Morgan, who Lani was riding behind to keep a very sharp eye on. It was so warm and humid, I was wishing I had worn a sleeveless shirt, so understandably the horses were sweating and puffing. 

Flo was able to outwalk all the other horses up the hills, so it was great practice for her to stop at the top and wait for them to catch up.










It wasn't long before momma nature started providing the water for cooling. I wasn't thrilled with the thunder and lightning, but Flo kept her head and dealt with it better than I would have expected. 










While it never rained exactly hard, it rained for quite a while. I was soon going squish in a lot of places. The juniors started muttering about it, but Lani was super clever in diverting their whining. She asked them if they knew about what had happened with the hurricane in Puerto Rico and how many people still didn't have power or water even 6 months later. She then pointed out how lucky we all were to be out riding and couldn't they think of other things that made us lucky?

The girls came up with lots of good things, many quite funny (like one was glad she hadn't bothered to clean her saddle before the ride, as the dirt was helping to protect the leather from the rain). As most know, I loathe being wet, so it gave me something else to focus on too. And even being soaked, it was warm enough I wasn't chilled.










It stopped raining just before we got into the hold. We delivered the girls to their respective people and everyone vetted without concern. Flo and Fuji chowed down during the hold and the sun even came out to help start the drying process.










The last loop that day was the same loop we did the first day, so the trail was somewhat familiar. While some places were still a bit slimy, a lot of it had dried out amazingly well. There were some off and on clouds for a bit, but then the sun came out full force.










Flo led the entire last loop and I was thrilled with how she handled herself. She settled into a steady pace and didn't even look at much along the trail.










By the time we hit the halfway point, it was actually hot. I was happy my clothing had dried out and almost wished to be wet again. Flo was completely ignoring the other horses by that point, focused on moving down the trail with purpose.










We got back into camp and I still had a lot of horse left. Flo was actually insulted when the Morgan passed us at the end, and thought about pulling me down the road. I thought was pretty funny, though of course did correct her. She was pulsed down by the time her tack was off and vetted through perfectly. Our entire group finished, making us 8 for 8 for the week!
























We packed up camp that afternoon and got on the road for home. Traffic was relatively light and the weather was hot. A couple pop up storms gave us a light show, but always from a distance. We got back to the farm in Florida about midnight. The horses all ran several laps around the pasture after we unloaded and turned them out, so we obviously had exhausted them.

Sunday was spent cleaning and airing everything out. The day was another hot one, so I wandered around in shorts and a tank and worked on my tan. I was also able to sit in a chair and supervise the drying process for about an hour, which felt wonderful (especially knowing DH was home in the snow).










We grabbed dinner at the Japanese place (yum!) and Beth dropped us at the train station. Because it was spring break, the price of flights was insane, so Lani decided to show me about the train (which she had taken once before when she came down for a class).

The train station was not actually open and in a not-very-nice part of town.. we sat on a bench and waited for over an hour before any other passengers showed up. We watched the police cars drive in and out of the station across the street and decided not to comment on the gunshots we heard at one point. [Since the police didn't respond and we never heard sirens indicating EMS, we decided they were just target shooting.. in the dark.. sure!]

Eventually a couple other people arrived, so I had someone take our picture.










And yes, that IS a saddle I am carrying. Kathy had bought it at an auction but couldn't take it on the plane with her home, so asked that we bring it. I am not sure if it was the saddle itself that had people staring.. or the blue baling twine the stirrups were tied up with.. or maybe it was the dog leash as a carrying strap.










:mrgreen: :rofl:

The train ride was fun, as the seats were actually recliners, so very comfy. I napped and read my book and stared out the window and played cards with the lady sitting across the aisle. While it took about the same amount of time as driving, it was a LOT less stressful. Every time a conductor went by, I wondered if @LoriF knew them. 

Overall, an amazing experience. Yellowhammer is a Bucket Ride list for sure!


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## QueenofFrance08

Looks like so much fun! Flo and Duroc are Arab/Draft crosses right? What is Fuji?

Is Phin done with his jail time?


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> Looks like so much fun! Flo and Duroc are Arab/Draft crosses right? What is Fuji?
> 
> Is Phin done with his jail time?


Duroc is actually 3/4 TB and 1/4 Welsh. Flo is a National Show Horse (Saddlebred X arab). Fuji is full arab. He and Flo's sire and the sires of Brim and Fluffy (the perch/arabs) all are Asgard Arabians. The owner of Asgard is very involved in endurance and up until now, we have joked that I am only a half-As'd part of the family, as I had only ridden the half-As's. Now that I have competed Fuji, I am a full As. :smile:


Phin is indeed done with jail. I turned him out after the vet left Tuesday, opening the gate that separated him and George from Sultan. I had hoped that with Dream gone, Sultan wouldn't be so studdy and wouldn't bully Phin.. and seeing as everyone was upset already, might as well get all the drama done at once. Phin took a couple laps around the paddock at a canter and then a big trot, then settled down to eat hay while Sultan checked out the catch paddock (which he hasn't had access to for a couple years now). I spent all day going out to check on them and was pleased that while Sultan wasn't exactly friendly, he wasn't being a bully either.

The Nor'easter yesterday actually worked to my advantage, as nobody felt much like running around in the wind-driven snow. They all shared the overhang or the sheds and I even caught Sultan allowing Phin to stand beside him on a couple occasions. Phin's leg has not reacted to being turned out at all, so I am hoping that is a sign everything is healed.

I had hoped to get on Phin today, but had a chiropractor appointment first thing. The chiro found a big mess in my neck and upper back and suggested I take it easy today. I was going to pretend I hadn't heard that.. but with 8 inches of melting snow in the paddocks making the footing a slippery mess, I decided it probably was smarter to wait. I hope to get on him for some "ringwork" first thing in the morning tomorrow while everything is still frozen.


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## horseluvr2524

Something I've always wondered about: how do endurance riders get their camp set up on multi day rides? Because obviously you'll be camping in different places. Do you have to have someone along who isn't riding that can drive to the camp spot and set up? Do you have to drive it up yourself before you start the day's ride and catch a ride back?

I hope my question made sense. I've just always wondered how endurance riders can manage to roll into a nice, set up camp, and at least some of them with their comfy LQ right there.


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## phantomhorse13

horseluvr2524 said:


> Something I've always wondered about: how do endurance riders get their camp set up on multi day rides? Because obviously you'll be camping in different places. Do you have to have someone along who isn't riding that can drive to the camp spot and set up? Do you have to drive it up yourself before you start the day's ride and catch a ride back?


Most multi day rides are based out of the same place, so you only have to set up camp once and return to it each day. This ride was that way, so we came back to the same camp every night. Some rides do the same trails day after day and some rides have multiple loops so try to make each day a little different. 

There is at least one ride left - the Michigan Shore to Shore - that does change camps every night. In that case, you either beg a spouse or a friend to come too and do all the packing and driving and unpacking every day.. or you pay a rig jumper to do the driving. However, that means you break everything down and pack it before you start riding and then have to unpack and set everything up again when you get done riding! That sounds beyond exhausting to me after riding 50 miles, so while the Shore to Shore ride is in theory on my Bucket List, I am not sure we will ever actually do it. There used to be a ride called the Outlaw XP that moved in the same way, but that ride is no longer held. There may have been others that I don't know about as they were lost before I started endurance.

The only other remaining ride I can think of that involves moving camp is Tevis. That is a point-to-point 100, meaning you start in one place and end 100 miles away in another. So you either have two rigs and set up one at the start and one at the finish, or you again begs friends or pay a rig jumper. The other option I have heard of takes advantage of the finish. That ride ends at a fairground, so you can rent a stall to put your horse when you are done and then have someone drive you back to the start for your rig. It's a 3 hour drive back to the start though!

There was a year or two of a point-to-point 100 held in Missouri a few years back and I assume rigs were handled the same way there as things are at Tevis. People keep saying the Missouri ride will be resurrected, but so far it hasn't been.


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## SwissMiss

Wow, sounds like you had plenty of excitement at Yellowhammer! The description of the rearing incident made my heart race by just reading it :shock: Velcro butt, indeed!


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## phantomhorse13

SwissMiss said:


> The description of the rearing incident made my heart race by just reading it :shock: Velcro butt, indeed!


Let me tell you, I thanked every deity I could think of afterwards..


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## AnitaAnne

We met up with those same two riders earlier I do believe. Was one on a palomino? Chivas and Tango fortunately did not react like Duroc and Fugi thankfully! 

Astounding that your footprint was on Lani's sleeve!!! Duroc must have been right under you!! 

Velcro Butts indeed! What an ad for silicone seats that would have been...you didn't get any of that stuff on video by any change did you?


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> We met up with those same two riders earlier I do believe. Was one on a palomino? you didn't get any of that stuff on video by any change did you?


Yes! It was the palomino scratching its head that startled Duroc so badly.

The helmetcam was not on, as silly me didn't see anything all that exciting about walking up yet another hill. :icon_rolleyes:


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I went out first thing while the ground was still frozen to hop on Phin. Having been off for so long, I expected him to be silly and hoped some ring work would remind him he wasn't feral before I headed out on trail over the weekend. I went out into the middle paddock, figuring that would maybe be less exciting than the *gasp* Hay Field of Horrors. 

As always, I set my helmetcam on a fencepost to record the session. This was about 15 seconds after I got on:






Nothing like help! Luckily George decided the camera was boring after that and left it alone. 

Phin was much better than I expected, settling down very quickly and not fussing nearly as much with his head. We did the normal bending and circle work, then went on to some lateral work. He felt pretty good to the right and improved to the left (that is def his sticky side). I was thrilled when I looked at the video to see he is starting to actually cross over!










Phin was so good I actually did some canter work for the first time on purpose. Normally cantering is where he tends to get super revved up, so I had been focusing on walk and trot (and some days, just walk!). I still can't seem to actually SIT in the silly saddle, though it doesn't look as bad as it feels. You can certainly see my hunter perch though. :icon_rolleyes:















When I checked in with DH after the ride (I always do since I am riding alone so often), he mentioned he had the afternoon free and would like to ride. I am never going to refuse company! Phin was a bit perplexed when I pulled him out of the field for the second time the same day, but he wasn't too fidgety with George in the barn, too.

Since momma nature surprised us with a sunny day, the snow was melting, resulting in a soggy mess. We hoped to be able to walk up the Sugarloaf, knowing there was solid ground under the snow.










Phin led the whole time and was fairly well behaved. He would have liked to go faster, but didn't argue too much when held to a walk. His heartrates and recoveries were better than I would have expected after not just time off, but jail.



















When we got home, I couldn't resist torturing him with the equipment. He was a bit suspicious to start, but soon seemed more disgusted that we were standing around instead of returning to the barn. 










5.51 miles, 1085 feet of climb, 3.1 mph average pace, 36F real feel


Today, I was happy to find that Phin's leg did not blow up like it did in the past. I thought I felt a slight amount of fill around the splint, but DH said I am just paranoid. Phin was totally non-reactive to any of my prodding, so DH is likely right as in the past he has not liked my poking the swelling. We hope to get him and Sultan out for a ride tomorrow. Fingers and toes still crossed that it's all healed..


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## egrogan

I can’t stop laughing at the George lips :rofl:


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## Mewlie

George is such a hoot!
I could just picture him thinking:
"Wait! You're out of focus, let me help."


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## AnitaAnne

George selfie!!! :rofl::rofl::rofl:

Phin is looking fabulous! He must be as happy to be out of jail as you are


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## phantomhorse13

It wasn't paranoia.. Phin's leg is swollen this morning. While it's not nearly as bad as before, it certainly indicates something is still going on.

Shiitake. 

He is sound and unconcerned, so I guess the plan is to give him 6 months and hope whatever is going on heals. :sad:


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## egrogan

Sigh. Can't like that post. Really sorry to hear it @phantomhorse13.


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## Mewlie

Poor Phin and poor you! Such a frustration but hopefully six months of rest will get him right as rain.


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## phantomhorse13

Today, DH and I got Sultan and George out. I was interested to see how George would behave, since DH had him out last weekend and said the crazy spooking issue seemed to have been fixed by the chiro (his neck and poll were horribly out). I was thrilled beyond words that George was back to his normal self!

DH and I moseyed up the snowy Sugarloaf and it was still cool enough the snow wasn't even all that slick. We then crossed the farm to mosey up the snowy Tomhicken.











Not wanting to risk icy puddles under the snow, we decided to take the direct route to the space needle. As hoped, some of that road had melted and there weren't too many puddles.



















Seeing what did and didn't melt was a bit perplexing, as some places that were out in the open still had snow and others were almost dry!










George did really well - not even being too silly when leading (including a lovely canter up the space needle road). He was sound when we got home, which seems like a good sign. We still plan to get his hocks injected before he's competed, but I am sure not jumping around like a pogo stick has got to be easier on his body.

12.94 miles, 1838 feet of climb, 4.5 mph average pace, 33F real feel


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## AnitaAnne

Disappointing news about Phin. Six months is such a long time but definitely better not to rush things. 

Maybe George had a pinched nerve making him jumpy? Chiropractors are so great; how did we ever get along without them??? 

It looks very cold there...I had to put my sweat jacket on tonight with the hood...it is 60F and windy tonight brrr :hide:


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## Tazzie

I got all excited with the riding video and was going to jump for joy since you guys looked AMAZING!

And then I get to the post where his leg was swollen :lol: UGH! I'm so sorry! I do hope the time off helps him out a lot :sad:

I'm glad George is doing so well! And I don't know how we did without chiropractors either :lol: you're just reminding me I need to call Izzie's today to book her haha


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## QueenofFrance08

Sorry about Phin! That stinks! Glad George is doing better though!


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## phantomhorse13

Tuesday, I got Sultan out for his last leg stretch before what will hopefully be the first competition of the season (assuming momma nature doesn't have another mean trick up her sleeve).

I had originally planned to go over to the Big Square as it was finally fairly dry, but plans changed when Gina called me as we were heading over there to tell me the farrier was coming early (her farrier was nice enough to agree to pull Phin's shoes). We didn't have time to do the Big Square, so instead, we rode around Alimar. Not exactly exciting, but effective.




























Sultan was very good, staying relaxed despite the proximity of home.

7.21 miles, 653 feet of climb, 6.9 mph average pace, 34F real feel


Today, I got George out. He and I moseyed up the Sugarloaf and then down across the farm.










We went up the Tomhicken, made the loop through the housing development, and came back down. I was pleased to see how much snow had melted, despite the hardly-warm weather.










On the way home, we did a quick out and back down a of the driveway and a couple new signs made me realize I wasn't the only one who had been seeing vehicle tracks where they didn't belong!










George was very good and didn't spook a single time.

9.61 miles, 1816 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 41F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Momma nature played a cruel late April's Fool joke on us today:



















SIX INCHES of new snow!! 

Once I was done shoveling, I got George out. I wasn't sure what to expect of the footing, since the ground wasn't really frozen under the wet snow. So I decided to take George out bareback just around Alimar.










George was really good and the footing was better than I expected, so I was able to do some trot and canter. We shall see if I can walk tomorrow. :smile:



















5.39 miles 556 feet of climb 3.8 mph average pave 32F real feel


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## BarbandBadgerandPedro

Love your journal. Photos & vids are awesome. Inspiring me to start riding again after dx w/ RA. Over, under, through or around...if you love something you will find a way! Thank you so much for sharing your experiences!! Barb


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## phantomhorse13

BarbandBadgerandPedro said:


> Inspiring me to start riding again after dx w/ RA. Over, under, through or around...if you love something you will find a way!


So sorry to hear about your RA - I can't imagine how that must impact your daily life. I do hope you will start riding again as I suspect it would be good physical therapy as well as the best mental therapy there is! 

Thanks for reading and feel free to jump in and comment any time.


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## Spanish Rider

@BarbandBadgerandPedro , you'll find quite a few of us on HF are a bit broken but keep coming back to horses... and to *phantom's * videos for inspiration!


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## Change

Phantom - did you get hit again with the 4/3-4 storms? We had some nasty winds in the area and a great deal of thunder (I was in bed so can't speak to whether there was lightning) but morning showed no damage worth noting. I did worry about you when I saw what was supposed to hit up north.


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## phantomhorse13

Change said:


> Phantom - did you get hit again with the 4/3-4 storms?


We got very lucky! 

We got rain and snow showers off and on all day, but not even a rumble of thunder when the actual front came through. The winds after the front were quite impressive and heading for scary. Our wind gauge got our peak gust at 48 mph, but the next town over reported some over 60 mph. We had some tree limbs and branches down, but nothing too bad. One set of shingles on the new shed flipped up, but they stayed attached so that was an easy fix.

The next storm is coming for Saturday.. so yet again momma nature has ruined what should have been a competition weekend. The ride site (Fair Hill, MD) is currently forecast for about 3" of snow plus sleet all day, but just how much is snow vs sleet remains in limbo (some forecasts have said over 7"!). The venue is about 50/50 gravel roads vs fields and single track, so the non-road footing gets ugly with any sort of wet. It's not worth risking someone being hurt, so we aren't going. 

I am so disappointed. :frown_color:


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## SwissMiss

So sorry to hear that winter truly is messing up your riding plans :sad:


But yes, not worth risking anybody getting hurt... :hug:


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## frlsgirl

Glad to see you back in the saddle, I was concerned that you might be too upset from your horse's untimely death. Now if the weather could just cooperate...


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## Change

*Phantom *- I liked your post above because the truly bad weather missed you. I am disappointed that this Spring's weather is more like an extended winter and messing with your rides - I know you're itching to get Sultan and George back into competition. Too bad Hodges is too far to haul (or is it?). The trails there are supposed to be really pretty - sort of a mini-grand canyon right at the BamaSippi border.

We're supposed to get rain tomorrow evening, so riding around here will be a mess this weekend. Par for the course.


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## phantomhorse13

That big nor'easter that was supposed to happen today? Since we canceled our plans to attend the competition, momma nature laughed and changed her mind: no storm! Of course, it was too late for us to go down after all as DH had planned work things yesterday and today. So frustrating!!

Instead, Nicole and I went for a ride with a couple other ladies today. We went to some new-to-me trails, so that was super fun. While we didn't get the snow originally predicted, it certainly wasn't warm. The truck said 26F when we arrived at the trailhead and there was a brisk, cold wind blowing and only an occasional peek of sun.

One of the ladies brought her dogs. I have to say I was a bit unsure about that idea at first, but the dogs were fantastic and listened to the owner 100%.










These trails were all road with some rockier places and some grassier places. There were lots of hills, which got Polo and Hombre puffing.










Polo was a little cranked up at first, but he soon settled down and did great. 





































14.55 miles, 2373 feet of climb, 5.3 mph average pace, 32F real feel


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## frlsgirl

What good dogs! Border Collies? Aussies? Certainly not dachshunds; because they don't listen.

Glad you were able to salvage the day with a casual trail ride.


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## phantomhorse13

frlsgirl said:


> What good dogs! Border Collies? Aussies? Certainly not dachshunds; because they don't listen.


The dogs are aussies. Got a laugh over your comment, as it's totally true - cannot imagine trying to trail ride even at a walk with a doxie!


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## frlsgirl

Aussies are the best dogs. I had several of them in my previous life and absolutely loved them. They say that Aussies are extremely smart because they are so trainable; they just want to do the right thing. 

Dachshunds on the other hand, are not very trainable, and totally shady. Does that make them any less smart than an Aussie? I would think it would take way more smarts to be shady like a doxie


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## phantomhorse13

Today, DH and I got Sultan and George out. While the sun was out when we started, there was a wicked cold wind which had me muttering bad things at momma nature. I never expected to still be in full winter gear in April!!

Because the ground was frozen, we decided to go over and try out the Big Square. I hadn't been over that way in a long while due to that nasty dog, but it was supposed to have been re-homed. 










The ground was pretty nice in most places, though all the winter springs were still running. The fields are trying to green up in some places! I was not happy to find the problem dog was still there, though he was only barking and lunging today, not actually making contact with the horses..










On the way home, we were floored to find people paddling on the creek! I can't even imagine how cold that water is.










After the workout, we decided to take the boys out bareback with the dogs to cool down. Note the ice on the puddle. :evil:










George reluctantly posing, waiting for his whoa cookie: 












10.11 miles of real workout, 1119 feet of climb, 5.3 mph average pace
1.9 miles bareback, 185 feet of climb, 2.8 mph average pace, 21F real feel :eek_color:


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## frlsgirl

Oh my goodness his facial expression is priceless "um, I was told there would be cookies!"


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## phantomhorse13

frlsgirl said:


> Aussies are the best dogs. I had several of them in my previous life and absolutely loved them. They say that Aussies are extremely smart because they are so trainable; they just want to do the right thing.
> 
> Dachshunds on the other hand, are not very trainable, and totally shady. Does that make them any less smart than an Aussie? I would think it would take way more smarts to be shady like a doxie


I never thought of of doxies as dumb dogs, but they are certainly independent and stubborn! I prefer a 'crazy' breed over a stubborn one (which likely isn't a surprise since I am a ayrab person). I have always said I wanted an aussie or border collie, but until now never lived a lifestyle that would accommodate such a dog.

Ironically, my mixed-breed rescues have herding breed in them. Shelby was half BC and half husky, though I wasn't aware of that when she first came into my life as a foster-that-never-left. My mom got Mia one of those breed DNA tests for Christmas and she tested as 1/4 border collie and 1/8 aussie (plus 1/8 husky, 1/8 german shepherd, 1/8 rottie, 1/8 chow, and 1/8 terrier :tongue. I do view those tests with some skepticism, but it was fun all the same. [And now when she ignores me, I blame the chow genes. :wink: ]


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## Celeste

I think that I will have to recommend border collies. I have always had labs in the past, and they are great dogs. They are more destructive than the border collie, and I think that Prissy is going to make a good trail dog.


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## weeedlady

I had a border collie when I was a kid. Best Dog Ever.


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## Mewlie

I can relate to saying bad things to momma nature! I was told that the weather in NY can be finicky but I was floored yesterday (and it continued today, too!) when we went from sunshine and trying-to-green grass, to white-out blizzard conditions that put an inch or two of snow on the ground, to rain, to sunshine and melting snow, then back to white-out conditions, then sunshine and grass again...all in the span of 12 hours!!! Not to mention the windstorm that ripped through and made the power go out for a day and a half. Momma nature needs to get her act together!

You and George are looking great! He looks mighty dapper in his pose.


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## SwissMiss

phantomhorse13 said:


> George reluctantly posing, waiting for his whoa cookie:
> 
> 10.11 miles of real workout, 1119 feet of climb, 5.3 mph average pace
> 1.9 miles bareback, 185 feet of climb, 2.8 mph average pace, 21F real feel :eek_color:


Brr, those temps make me shiver! And paddling on the creek???? :eek_color: But then, I used to go ice diving (in another life :rofl

George is a hoot! But the cookie for standing still works wonders with Raya too! The only problem is now that she tries to reach back to my hip and nudge me as a reminder if I forget them, lol. 

And during your casual ride with Polo and Co: is it just the perspective, or is Polo the tallest in the bunch?


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## Spanish Rider

LOVE that pic of you and George. Now I need to ask: what is a whoa cookie?


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## SwissMiss

Exactly what it says :wink: the horse stands still and gets a cookie as a reward. At least that is my definition :wink:
Worked like a charm to teach Raya to NOT MOVE after I get on until I tell her so :biggrin:


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## phantomhorse13

Mewlie said:


> I can relate to saying bad things to momma nature! I was told that the weather in NY can be finicky but I was floored yesterday.. Momma nature needs to get her act together!


Yes, the all-4-seasons-in-a-day seems to be a specialty of the northeast.. I wish it could just settle on spring..




SwissMiss said:


> And during your casual ride with Polo and Co: is it just the perspective, or is Polo the tallest in the bunch?


Polo was second tallest - there was a lady on an appendix QH who was 16.1 (that is the white hind leg you can just see in the one pic). The lady in purple was on an arab and Nicole was riding Hombre.




Spanish Rider said:


> Now I need to ask: what is a whoa cookie?


A whoa cookie is the cookie a well behaved horse receives as a reward for standing still.  

My wonderful DH is a self taught rider and apparently the people he learned from didn't see the point in having a horse that would stand for mounting or stand quietly on trail. While neither boy would run, they would be stepping away as soon as foot hit the stirrup and fussed about standing for more than maybe a moment on trail. I made a point to correct that as I find it unacceptable. I have found that for a food motivated horse, offering a treat as a motivation to be still works wonderfully. You just need good timing to make sure they are rewarded for being _still_.


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## SwissMiss

phantomhorse13 said:


> Polo was second tallest - there was a lady on an appendix QH who was 16.1 (that is the white hind leg you can just see in the one pic). The lady in purple was on an arab and Nicole was riding Hombre.


I recognized Hombre :biggrin: Don't tell Raya that I find him handsome :rofl:

And you mentioned something about Polo and Hombre puffing up the hills - is that because they are not in shape yet, or is it the fact that gaiting uphill is harder for the horse than trotting?


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## Spanish Rider

I understand the function of whoa cookies. But, my question is, you give your horses cookies? That is something new on me. Of course, this summer riding in MA, I was surprised that the horses were being given peppermints. I guess I had better step up my treat game!


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## QueenofFrance08

I feel your frustration with the weather! We keep getting hit with snow here, snowed all day yesterday so no riding for me. 

Love George's face! Mine do the same when cookies are involved. 

How's Phin feeling?


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## AnitaAnne

Spanish Rider said:


> I understand the function of whoa cookies. But, my question is, you give your horses cookies? That is something new on me. Of course, this summer riding in MA, I was surprised that the horses were being given peppermints. I guess I had better step up my treat game!


I think she means a horse treat, but it is common to just call them all "cookies".


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## AnitaAnne

SwissMiss said:


> Exactly what it says :wink: the horse stands still and gets a cookie as a reward. At least that is my definition :wink:
> Worked like a charm to teach Raya to NOT MOVE after I get on until I tell her so :biggrin:


Kahlua is horrible to mount; bites, kicks, and moves off before you are on. She is learning all about whoa cookies...


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## AnitaAnne

George is such a character! I just love how expressive his face is :biggrin: He has always brought a big smile to my face just seeing his pictures, he must be a really fun ride.


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## phantomhorse13

SwissMiss said:


> And you mentioned something about Polo and Hombre puffing up the hills - is that because they are not in shape yet, or is it the fact that gaiting uphill is harder for the horse than trotting?


I suspect it's some of both, though both horses will trot when they get tired (so trotting uphill is pretty common). Nicole is still pretty new to distance riding, so she is learning to keep a steady pace. Before, she would basically let the horses do what they wanted up hills, so they generally either ran or walked. We are now teaching them it is actually possible to gait/trot up a hill.. lot harder work!!




Spanish Rider said:


> you give your horses cookies?


What I normally carry are actually peppermint flavored lumps that are about 1/2 long by 1/4 wide, but I got in the habit of calling any treats "cookies" because someone I rode with a million years ago used to actually bake her own treats, which were basically small oatmeal cookies. She called them Carrie's cookies and somehow that just stuck with me. There are actually some brands of treat that call themselves cookies, so I guess I never thought about how weird it may sound. Nicole currently has a big container of candy canes we are using as treats (leftover from christmas).

[I used to feed apple flavored small lumps, but when the compounded doxycycline (the med used to treat Lyme) started coming in peppermint flavor, I decided it would be a good idea to make all the horses think peppermint was the best stuff ever. The boys didn't care about the switch, but Dream did take some convincing to start with!]




QueenofFrance08 said:


> How's Phin feeling?


Phin seems to feel fine, though I think maybe he is confused why I keep riding the other two and not him. He was never one to run away, but he never came over if he saw me coming with a halter. Now he comes over, as he has learned he gets a cookie without actually being caught! So far his leg seems to be doing ok, with only one time I noticed some slight swelling. I am doing my best to just not look and make myself crazy with worry..




AnitaAnne said:


> George is such a character! he must be a really fun ride.


George is always having a grand old time.. now whether the _rider_ is also have a grand old time can depend on the moment. I do think he is great fun to ride 99% of the time though, as you never have to wonder what he is thinking!


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I went over and rode with Nicole. We hacked over to the power line to get some climbing in.










We went along the power line for a while, then Nicole turned off onto a trail she thought would loop around and go back to where we climbed up.










It was a fun trail with nice footing, so the horses were happy to gait along.










However, when we arrived at the intersection with the trail we wanted to take home, we were at the top of the embankment looking down at the trail - 20 feet below! Needless to say, we turned around and backtracked. The horses were less enthused about that (nor we were honestly). Eventually we got back to the trail that took us down (without any cliff jumping being involved).










On the way down the hill, a deer shed caught my eye. Hombre was a very patient boy as I climbed off and realized BOTH antlers were actually there.. which made cramming them into a saddlebag entertaining. 

Here is Sonnet inspecting them once I got home:










Super fun ride, even if momma nature is still stuck in winter mode.

16.07 miles, 1596 feet of climb, 4.5 mph average pace, 28F real feel


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## Spanish Rider

Yes, I was wondering about the hill-puff factor, too. I actually enjoy trotting up hills to use other muscle groups, but, again, I've never ridden a gaited horse.

OK, now I don't feel so bad about the whole cookie thing. Here I thought that everyone was making their horses homemade cookies, while all I give them are apples, carrots and sugar cubes, watermelon rinds in the summer. How mean am I not to give them cookies?! But, geez, with all the cooking I do to feed my kids, do I really want to spend more time in the kitchen? About 36 hours ago, I baked a batch of hermits, and there are only 2 left.

Love the name Sonnet. Somehow, I never some up with intelligent-sounding animals names.


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## phantomhorse13

Spanish Rider said:


> Love the name Sonnet. Somehow, I never some up with intelligent-sounding animals names.


All of the animals which I have named followed a theme set by my first cat, Legend (who I did not name). Myth, a cat, passed a few years ago and Fable and Story, both dogs, went with my ex when we divorced.


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## weeedlady

love the name Sonnet. I may have to steal that someday. 
I like theme names for my pets also. (but my themes change, lol)

Three of my cats are Sybil, Omen and Oracle.

when I had chickens, they were named after my aunts and cousins. My goats are Ezra (Pound) and Waldo (as in Ralph Waldo Emerson).


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## Mewlie

Shoot, everyone seems so together on their animal names! I've just gone along calling new pets by a series of random names every day until one sticks.


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## Tazzie

Haha, love the names! Our lab mix came with the name Honey, which I call Nick often. So we changed it to Penny. We had to put our baby Elliot to sleep (who got his name because my roommate of the time adopted a Lab cross named Capone, and thus Elliot was Elliot Ness), and then got a puppy. Who we named Sheldon for Sheldon and Penny from the Big Bang Theory. We figured he'd annoy Penny for the rest of her life, and he certainly does :lol:

Izzie's name had been Shahara, and we HATED it. Nick came up with Izzie lol


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## frlsgirl

I had wanted a red female dachshund so I could name her Lucy from "I love Lucy" but as the breeder was digging around in the cage trying to find a female she had me hold this male who kept getting in the way. By the time she had dug out the female the male and I had bonded so I decided to keep him; we named him Loui; except when he's in trouble we call him by his formal name "Louis" 

Ana came to me with that barn name and it seemed to fit so I've always called her that.


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## AnitaAnne

I love the name Sonnet too; sounds so pretty and sweet. 

My last few horses have had alcohol as the theme; it just happened starting with my RMHA gelding Chivas. Then there was Drambuie and now Kahlua 'n Cream :redface: 

My chickens are named after TV characters; the golden buffs are Dorothy, Blanche and Rose. The redheaded bantam cochins are Lucy, Reba and Ginger 

Before that I had a hard time naming my critters anything that didn't start with an "S"...Sassy, Sugar, Sweetie, Sunday, Skippy, Sammy, Squiggy...


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## Oreos Girl

I had friends when I was in school that had a dog named McGyver and a cat named Murdock.


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## Caledonian

I like the names Sonnet, George and Drambuie. 

Sonnet’s a beautiful name, George fits horses with loads of character and I knew a Drambuie ‘Buie’ for short. 

I stayed with the names my horses and rescue cats came with. It’s probably a blessing for them as I’m likely to change my mind with the weather.

I did name a stray cat who decided to stay with the family. He was called Squeak after the sound he made when he was picked-up. I think it stuck because he announced it himself every time he was picked up for a cuddle and a scritch.


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## phantomhorse13

I love hearing all the creative names people have found for their pets!
@Caledonian I really got a chuckle out of Squeak, as I could perfectly imagine the sound. Sonnet will make a chirping sound sometimes when you first touch her.


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## SwissMiss

Caledonian said:


> I did name a stray cat who decided to stay with the family. He was called Squeak after the sound he made when he was picked-up. I think it stuck because he announced it himself every time he was picked up for a cuddle and a scritch.


Lol, I can relate with that as well. Our shelter cat is called "Schmauer", which is a Swissgerman word creation of purring and meowing. The day we brought him home he kept us awake all night with constant purring and meowing and rubbing his head on us. Someone was apparently happy to be with us :wink:


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## phantomhorse13

Today, my plan was to get both Sultan and George out, since I didn't get anybody out yesterday due to the miserable weather (snow all day along with a nasty wind). We got lucky that the sun came out briefly yesterday evening, so the inch of snow that managed to remain on the grass vanished.

Sultan was feeling too good when I went out to catch him and had to put on a bit of display. Of course when he went boinging away, George and Phin had to join him. :icon_rolleyes: I feel such a mix of emotions standing and watching the horses run around me.. part of me can't help but say ooo, pretty and watch how they are moving.. while another part of me is muttering curses at their behavior. Phin in particular let loose with some impressive bucks and was in full animated trot mode, with his tail flagged, eyes bugging, and constant snorting. 

After a few minutes, everyone settled down and Sultan couldn't resist the pull of the cookie he knew was waiting for him after he got haltered. Into the barn we went. He is shedding like a maniac, so I spent quite a bit of time with the shedding blade. When I moved on to the brush, I got to his front leg and was horrified to find this:










It's like someone cut a golf ball in half and stuck it under his skin!! :eek_color:

And then the other front leg had this:










That lump isn't as big (it's about the size of a quarter) and slightly higher on the leg. Both lumps are hard, cold, and immobile. There is no heat or swelling around them or anywhere on his legs period. He couldn't care less about me poking and prodding them. Even though he was sound in the pasture, I took him out and jogged him on the driveway and he is indeed totally sound.

I have never seen a new splint that wasn't sensitive to palpation, even if the horse was still sound. Both those lumps are brand new, not suddenly blown up old blemishes. I find it very hard to believe that a 19 year old in-regular-work horse would suddenly blow splints on both legs over a misstep in the pasture, and it seems even less likely to be soft tissue injury since there is no heat or swelling. I wondered could he have laid down on an ant nest or something, but we generally don't have biting ants and why would they have only bit in those spots? Maybe it's aliens..

I am completely at a loss as to what on earth they could be. Any ideas - please share!!

Not knowing what those lumps were, I wasn't going to ride Sultan. He probably thought I had lost my mind when I just finished grooming him and then put him back out.

I was almost afraid to catch George, but thank goodness his legs (and everywhere else) were just fine. The wind was picking up as we left the barn, so I figured it would be a good day for some hill work.

We started out in Spauling's fields so we got a nice warm up before starting the climbs. We went up the Sugarloaf at a trot or canter the whole way.










We came down and back across the fields, heading for the backside of the Sugarloaf. The ground was still frozen, so solid enough for some canter.










We then went up the Sugarloaf again. George was super enthusiastic and I gave him his head and enjoyed the ride.










As I expected, he was quite sweaty by the end of the workout. I untacked him, threw on the bareback pad, and let Mia out to accompany us around Alimar as we cooled out.










Momma nature is still stuck in winter mode:






9.61 miles of workout, 1718 feet of climb, 5.4 mph average pace
1.93 miles bareback, 150 feet of climb, 3.1 mph average pace, 30F real feel


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## SwissMiss

I know you are still in winter mode - but could a tick or two have caused those bumps?


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## egrogan

I am the opposite of an expert on lameness and leg swelling, but even before I read the "slept on an ant nest" comment I did wonder if maybe ticks could be out? I know the weather is still dipping below freezing, but with the warm/cold swings our vet was saying she's already seeing some! And they do like to hang on to those long shedding leg hairs. I guess maybe you'd expect to see the hard yellow crust. So that's probably not it, but Izzy in particular gets big lumps like that on all parts of her body when the ticks get going.

Regardless of what it is, hope it resolves itself.


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## egrogan

Hahaha @SwissMiss- great minds think alike :wink:


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## phantomhorse13

SwissMiss said:


> I know you are still in winter mode - but could a tick or two have caused those bumps?


It is certainly something I considered and I did hunt around but didn't find any embedded. As @egrogan mentioned, normally you see that yellow crusty stuff on a bite, but maybe it didn't react that way this time since it's cold.

As much as I hate ticks, that would not be a bad answer..


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## SwissMiss

Maybe we have strange ticks or horses here then. Because more often than seeing the yellow crust there is nothing (except if it is embedded or left a big hole)... And the two older horses here at the barn blow up HUGE around a bite...

@egrogan, ticks are pretty much on my mind with all horse-related things, as we are pulling ticks off our horses (or check for them) on a daily basis all year long, yuck!


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## Caledonian

Everyone has vicious sounding ticks!

As for leg problems, I’m no expert as I’ve only had to deal with everyday problems, including the symptoms of a splint.

I’ve heard about ‘quiet’ splints that appear suddenly, the horse isn’t lame and there’s no heat or inflammation. I assume that they may not be sore to touch either without the latter symptoms. 

I hope they clear up soon, whatever they are. 


@*SwissMiss* - Schmauer’s a nice name especially with its meaning. Luckily, Squeak lived outside, otherwise I may not have found his loud purr and meow as cute.


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## Celeste

My horse will get a random welt on her on her back or belly or leg on occasion. I only worry if it doesn't go away. I assume it is some kind of insect bite. Actually, so far, they always go away in a week or so.


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## phantomhorse13

Celeste said:


> My horse will get a random welt on her on her back or belly or leg on occasion.


My paranoia is that it does not seem to be dermal.. the skin moves across it like it's fixed. I just can't fathom how such lumps could just appear so suddenly and be bony.. and on two different legs!

I swear I just need to take up knitting..


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## Celeste

He could have fallen and dinged his legs. If he is not lame, and there is no pain, I don't see how it could be that bad. I hope he is all better soon.


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## phantomhorse13

Celeste said:


> If he is not lame, and there is no pain, I don't see how it could be that bad.


From your keyboard to <deity of your choice>'s ears!!


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## cbar

Oddly enough, my riding horse (then 19 as well) presented with the same thing. Just came out of nowhere - hard bony mass on the inside of his front leg. No heat or soreness. I am familiar with splints since a lot of our racehorses popped them when they were training, but thought how odd that Tiger would get one. We trail ride for goodness' sake!!! But a year later it is still there and does not seem to bother him at all. Weird animals. 

Hopefully it doesn't cause any problems!!


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## frlsgirl

A friend of mine's horse got bit by a mystery insect last week and ended up with swelling and a fever. I don't know if they ever figured out what it was but the horse is feeling better. Her horse is also lighter colored. Is it just me or does it seem like lighter colored horses have more skin issues? Or maybe they have the same skin issues as darker horses but you can't see it as easily on darker fur.

Hope you get it figured out.


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## Rob55

In 1988 I got a bullseye rash after a hike in the mountains of NC. I’d read about Lymes in NJ in some medical journal. Went to my PMC physician and he thought I was crazy. Showed him the article and told him I was going to call the CDC and ask for direction if he didn’t. Treat me. Left with a big bottle of tetracycline. Seems it worked. I’ve had titers that indicated I had Lymes, but no active infection. I know others much less fortunate. If you get a rash around a tick bite. Go to the DR. Lymes is no joke.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## phantomhorse13

Last week, DH and I were lucky enough to vacation in Jamaica! Every year, we go on a trip with a group affiliated with DH's work, and this year the group was bigger than ever. Sometimes the dates they pick make things interesting with our ride schedule, but we were certainly looking forward to some sun and warm temperatures!

We stayed at the Iberostar Grand in Montego Bay.










While I wouldn't complain about a pool, when given the choice, I am all about the BEACH!











I was able to find a stable that would take out private rides, so of course that was the first thing we arranged.

This is Whisper, a homebred TB that I had the pleasure of riding. DH rode an OTTB named Domino. The guide rode an "island mutt" called Yaman (who had been injured somehow before they got him, resulting in a floppy ear). 










We rode around a local estate property, then cross country to a stretch of private beach.




























At the private beach, we got to take the horses for a swim!



















The guide was very chatty and told us all about the area - including some fun stories about the local air strip (which started as a military base, then was sold privately and used to smuggle pot before the government caught on, and which is apparently being used for that again in a more subtle manner..). We saw lots of fruit trees, flowering plants, and lots of people fishing.

5.13 miles, 3 feet of climb, 3.1 mph average pace, 85F real feel

I can't think of a better way to start vacation!

to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

Every evening, we had dinner with people from our group. The hotel had a dozen restaurants and I was pleased to be able to eat at the sushi place and the steakhouse, as the other two dinners were catered for the whole group on the beach. I tried to be good about not overeating all day so I could gorge myself at dinner! 










The second day, we went to climb Dunn's River Falls. I had been told to expect 700 feet of climb and that we would be very wet, but I hadn't been expecting to do so with 500 random people!




























We spent any free time relaxing on the beach.










The third day, we took the group catamaran tour. We got to do some sight seeing, then stopped at a reef to snorkel.




























On the way back, we stopped at Margaritaville, which had a bunch of fun water toys. I did overcome my fear of heights to climb to the top of the rock wall, but DH unfortunately didn't get any pictures (and I sure wasn't doing it a second time so he could!).










Like all vacations, time flew and before we knew it we were boarding a plane for home. The timing of this trip was a bit crazy, as we would be returning late Thursday and then leaving first thing Friday morning for an endurance ride!

Words cannot describe my disgust as we drove home INTO SNOW.










Talk about a reality check!!


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## phantomhorse13

We got home about 11pm Thursday evening and I was up at 2am Friday to finish packing the trailer. We were on the road just before 5, heading for Virginia. We arrived about 8:30, so were able to see Nicole and Polo and Lani and Kathy off on their rides. It was cold and windy, so I wasn't all that sorry to not be riding!

We got camp set up and I took Sultan out to graze. I thought he had moved a bit funny coming off the trailer, and indeed he was slightly sore on one side of his back. Oh oh.. did some stretching and lots more walking, but he still wasn't right by afternoon. We took him up for the vets to look at and they agreed he wasn't moving evenly. He wasn't banned from starting the ride, but we certainly weren't going to start him that way!

I was so bummed for DH, but I soon found him a ride on a really nice horse for the LD. We made ourselves useful at the final vetting waiting for Nicole and Kathy and Lani to come in. Nicole came in top 10 and Polo looked great. Lani and Kathy finished mid-pack as expected and I was happy to hear the ride went well for them.

I got a surprise when Lani asked me if I minded a plan change for the following day. I had been meant to ride Fluffy, as this would be her first ride back after hunting and we expected her to be a bit silly. However, Duroc's awful behavior at the last Florida ride had resulted in an unplanned dismount for Lani.. so they asked me if I was interested in riding him instead.. and not just riding him to turtle, but let him go his own pace of choice!

Any guesses as to my answer?! 

Lani was tired from riding that day, so didn't want to pre-ride. Instead, we took everyone around with the 4 wheeler (which is how they normally get exercised at home). It caused a bit of stir in camp (with the people, none of the horses) and we were laughing that next year there would be a 'no 4 wheelers in camp rule' because of us!










The weather calmed considerably by the end of the day, with the sun coming out and the wind dying. It was cold enough to give the buckets a layer of ice overnight, but we didn't start until 9 so it had warmed up some by then.










Duroc was on his toes and I was very happy to be riding him again. DH had agreed to ride with me, as I hoped the horse he was riding would not only be unflappable, but also pace well with the hyper red pony. Getcha had won the 55 with his owner the day before, so had the edge taken off his normal competitiveness.










It was like I had never stopped riding Duroc - he was his normal self right from the start. I had no issues with keeping his enthusiasm reined in when necessary and he happily led all day with no spooking.



















The first 9 mile loop flew by. I had forgotten just how capable Duroc was over technical terrain and was happy to just enjoy the ride. Our first stop at the away check was just a straight 10 minute hold with a trot, and I was pleased that Duroc was content with Getcha's company and wasn't fretting for any of his herdmates.

The second loop was a very technical 15 miles and Duroc ate it up.



















We passed Lani and Kathy on the way back into the check (that second loop is a big lollipop), but Duroc didn't even hesitate. He got into the hold and pulsed down with no issues. I was thrilled, as we weren't sure how he would handle a hold 'alone' as we had never tried it with him before.

We had great help at the hold, as Patti (and multiple other volunteers) were there to make sure we had anything we needed. The horses chowed down and it was soon time for the final loop. 










The final 10 miles back to camp was a lot of gravel road with some real trail towards the end. Duroc had started being reactive to traffic, so I wasn't sure how he would do with the vehicles passing us.. but as you can see from the video below, he was a rockstar!

We left the hold in the lead, but as I expected several people came flying after us. Duroc was still full of himself, but I didn't want to encourage his reactive behavior as he wanted to charge off as soon as horses came up behind him. Placing wasn't important to me - I wanted him to learn he needed to keep control of himself and that the answer to over horses appearing was not to run like h#ll.

Duroc was a bit cranked up a lot of the loop, as he still isn't a big fan of strange horses traveling with him - especially at speed. But he dealt with it and I was super pleased with him.

































When we got back into camp, I was surprised that the people ahead of us were still sponging horses and hadn't pulsed. [In LDs, you are placed by pulse time, not when you cross the finish line.] We got untacked and went to present to the vets at the same time everyone else did. I wasn't sure what Duroc would think of having company in close quarters, but he showed how much he has matured by ignoring them completely.

Duroc and another bay pulsed at exactly the same time, meaning we tied for first!! Getcha and another horse pulsed next, tying for 3rd. I decided to stand for BC, as the experience would be good for Duroc. I didn't want to take him back to Jefferson and the other horses, so we hung out at Getcha's camp while waiting. He was a bit perplexed, and did a bit of hollering between bites of grass.










Duroc was much better for his BC exam than I expected. He was a bit up and calling, so his pulse was higher than ideal at 52, but he got great scores for soundless and movement. Unfortunately I didn't get pictures of the vet card, as I was too preoccupied with Mr ants-in-his-pants! 

Duroc was very happy to get back to Jefferson and tear into his food. DH and I went back up to the vetting area to help and wait. Lani and Kathy finished their ride successfully, being beaten for turtle by about 10 minutes.

I was floored when Duroc was announced as BC winner at awards, but a math error was found later that actually put him second. While BC would have been icing on the cake, not having it didn't put a damper on my weekend. I wouldn't have changed a thing about our ride and couldn't be more proud of Duroc. 


Over dinner, which Patti always cooks for everyone like the amazing Polish woman she is, I was given another offer that floored me: Patti asked if I was interested in taking her horse Iggy home with us! She was going to be very busy with work the next couple months so wouldn't have time to keep him conditioned. She also knew about what was going on with Phin, so thought I would have time to ride another horse. It was a great idea and I was happy to jump at the chance when DH agreed. 

We left VA Sunday morning with two horses on the trailer!


----------



## egrogan

I love everything about this update :grin:


----------



## Oreos Girl

What a great crazy weeks. So do you or your husband compete with George anymore? I have never been to Jamaica.


----------



## QueenofFrance08

Is Sultan doing better now? 

Duroc looks amazing! Congratulations on your 1st place! 

Do many people condition their horses by not riding? I didn't know 4 wheeler conditioning was a thing!


----------



## Oreos Girl

I have seen people use 4 wheeler's and golf karts to exercise the horses.


----------



## carshon

Congrats to you and Duroc. He is just stunning! And the chance to bring another horse home. Exciting. I just love your videos - that trail was gorgeous.


----------



## BarbandBadgerandPedro

My mom & stepdad used to run their field trial **** dogs after slow pickups & UTVS...


----------



## SwissMiss

Duroc was such a good boy! Congrats on a great ride - for sure sweetens the reality of having to come back to snow from a beach vacay :wink:
Love the video! But in some parts I was thinking "I would probably walk here" 


Do you goys have a full assortment of T-shirt colors in your trailer, so you can match any horse you ride? Your DH is normally in blue and not lime green, correct?
And Getcha is exactly the color I was looking for when horse shopping :wink: Bright red with high stockings and a big blaze... Maybe I need to dye Raya's coat :rofl:


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## AnitaAnne

WOOT! What a whirlwind you had had, from the beach to the cold and mountains!! You are living the dream :smile:

So exciting you and your DH both had good rides! 

FIRST PLACE!! :loveshower: Runner up for BC is really great, Duroc is _fit_. 

The video was superior as always, but I must admit my stomach lurched a bit as you crawled over those rocks with a very steep drop on the side...

4 wheeling the horses!! Would fit right in here in 'Bama 

Hope Sultan is ok, he has been through so much this past year.


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## phantomhorse13

Oreos Girl said:


> do you or your husband compete with George anymore?


After George was NQR after the long training ride, DH had some thinking to do in terms of what the plan was. He debated retiring him from competition vs getting his hocks injected and finally decided on trying the injections. That was just done yesterday, so we shall see what kind of difference that makes in his training. We sure hope to get him competing again.




QueenofFrance08 said:


> Is Sultan doing better now?
> 
> Do many people condition their horses by not riding? I didn't know 4 wheeler conditioning was a thing!


Sultan was fine when we trotted him after we finished the ride Saturday and was still fine upon returning home. However, that issue decided my DH on having his stifles injected vs not, so he was also done yesterday. Hopefully that will help!

The only people I know who condition with vehicles versus riding are all people with a lot of horses and not enough time. Lani and Kathy have 8-10 horses in work between endurance and hunting and both work full time as vets! So its much more time effective to tie a few of them to the 4 wheeler. I have also seen that done with racehorses, where grooms sitting on the tailgate of a truck would handle a couple horses each.




SwissMiss said:


> Love the video! But in some parts I was thinking "I would probably walk here"
> 
> Do you guys have a full assortment of T-shirt colors in your trailer, so you can match any horse you ride? Your DH is normally in blue and not lime green, correct?
> 
> And Getcha is exactly the color I was looking for when horse shopping :wink: Bright red with high stockings and a big blaze...


If you were to compare the speed I did the same trail with Phin, you would find I did a LOT more walking. Some horses are just monsters over technical terrain - Duroc is one of them. I actually didn't even turn the camera on for the worst of the downhills, as I was too busy riding and praying!!

We do have a variety of shirts in the trailer (and DH and I conveniently wear the same size,) so it was nice to be able to come up with a matching color for Getcha.

Getcha is exactly what color my dream horse was growing up too, especially if you added a flaxen mane and tail!


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## QueenofFrance08

Darn I guess I better go shopping since our first novice ride is a week and a half away! I have my boy in lime green but I don't think I own any shirts in that color and I forgot I need to match!


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> Darn I guess I better go shopping since our first novice ride is a week and a half away! I have my boy in lime green but I don't think I own any shirts in that color and I forgot I need to match!


Salvation Army or Goodwill stores are my favorites!! Though lime green can likely be found in the male athletic department of any big box store.


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## phantomhorse13

To continue my whirlwind of posting, meet Iggy:










Yes, of course he is grey!! And he goes in black and red tack. :rofl:

His integration into the herd went more smoothly than I could have ever imagined. Patti said he would fret if alone, so to start with we turned him out with Sultan. Because they had traveled home together, they were already fast friends. After a brief meet and greet over the fence with George and Phin, he settled in to graze. We kept an eye on them for a while, then opened the gate allowing everyone to be together.

This was the result:









I have never seen anything like it. We were doing things outside to be able to keep watch and I never saw so much as a pinned ear. 


Monday, I got George out for a ride. We went up the Sugarloaf, then went over to the Tomhicken to go down the yellow gate trail to the power lines and then home across the farm and Spauldings. George was forward but controllable and handled the hill work well.



















I was surprised to find one of the hayfields plowed. They seemed to leave the edge alone, so hopefully we will still be able to get across!










12.7 miles, 2000 feet of climb, 5.6 mph, 61F real feel


Next up was Iggy! I had gotten a bit of background on his habits from Patti. He is a pretty chill guy, to the point of being lazy - especially when working up hills. He also objected to getting his feet wet, so would balk at creek crossings or mud. I worked him a bit in on the ground, working on his attention and reactions (he tends to want to walk in your space and barge ahead at times). Then I tossed on his tack and took him around Alimar.










I didn't have any issues with willingness to go forward, but he was hardly setting land speed records (and Alimar has no big hills). I did make a point to take him down to the drainage creek beside the outdoor, where he did indeed try to convince me that he was incapable of crossing it to start. After a few moments of encouragement, he went in, but launched himself out at a trot. So we did a bit of schooling in the outdoor to work on body control and then went back to the creek. After a couple crossings, he was stopping to stand with *gasp* all 4 legs in the water. And nobody died. :icon_rolleyes:










5.24 miles, 339 feet of climb, 5.1 mph average pace, 63F real feel


Yesterday, I got Iggy out again first thing in the morning. I decided to up the pressure a bit by taking him up the Sugarloaf. I made sure to ride with the heart rate monitor, so if he did get balky I would be able to know if he was truly struggling or just being stubborn. He left the farm willingly, but did shy hard at a downed tree beside the road on the way to the Sugarloaf (which was a surprise as Patti said he normally wasn't spooky).

I put him up the full Sugarloaf climb for the first time. I asked him to trot but he decided to canter for some of the sections. I didn't correct him, just watched his heart rate. He seems to have only a small range of speed in his trot before he shifts up to canter. His heart rate was fairly high (around 200) when we got to the top, but he hadn't needed any more encouragement than our horses would have to get up there.



















We went down the other side and took a lap around a couple of the fields. He was willing to trot and canter, but again didn't really have much variety in the speed of his trot.

When I asked him to climb the back side of the Sugarloaf, his quarter ran out about halfway up. His heart rate was again high, so he was at least working hard, but I def had to push him to keep him moving. He was more than happy to walk out going down though.










We went home via the fields at Spauldings, where he was happy to trot and canter in a very mellow way. There was no increase in enthusiasm going towards home, though I know he knew we were going that way as he picked the direction of the farm at any intersection!

When I got back, I made a point to do some trot and lateral work in the yard, as I don't need him being barn sour. I was quite surprised when he refused to pass the brick outdoor fireplace, and then flung his head up and tried to spin away when I put my leg on to ask him to move forward. That earned him a couple smacks with the crop, as the reaction was totally unacceptable. He settled down after that and I made sure to dismount right beside the offending fireplace as a reward for schooling around it.

Iggy is going to be an interesting project!

9.6 miles, 1407 feet of climb, 5.4 mph average pace, 57F real feel


In the afternoon, Nicole and I hauled Polo, George, and Sultan up to the vet to get various bits injected. Fingers and toes crossed that helps everyone feel better!


----------



## SwissMiss

phantomhorse13 said:


> If you were to compare the speed I did the same trail with Phin, you would find I did a LOT more walking. Some horses are just monsters over technical terrain - Duroc is one of them. I actually didn't even turn the camera on for the worst of the downhills, as I was too busy riding and praying!!
> 
> We do have a variety of shirts in the trailer (and DH and I conveniently wear the same size,) so it was nice to be able to come up with a matching color for Getcha.
> 
> Getcha is exactly what color my dream horse was growing up too, especially if you added a flaxen mane and tail!


Lol, I was already thinking how you fared with the drop offs beside the trail :wink:
Must be fun to ride a horse like that on that terrain! I would have walked most of it and some of it on my own 2 legs...


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## phantomhorse13

SwissMiss said:


> Must be fun to ride a horse like that on that terrain! I would have walked most of it and some of it on my own 2 legs...


It's an amazing feeling! And that talent I think is born into a horse, not trained. 

The ride results from this year were published earlier today, so now I have actual numbers to use in comparison.

The year I did this same course with Phin, we did it in 5:17, which was 8th place. The winner did it in 4:28. A few years before that, I rode a friend's horse as a babysitter. We did it that year in 4:43, which was 3rd place. The winner did it in 4:18.

Duroc did it in 3:43!

:gallop:


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## gottatrot

That Duroc is gorgeous! Quite the athlete and seems like he has a great work ethic too. 

For Iggy it must have seemed like he found out where he came from. 
"So these are my people." How could he not fit in when they're all the same style and color? LOL.


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## BarbandBadgerandPedro

Gotta love that little red head!


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I got Izzy out for a longer ride. I wanted to see how he did with both climbing and with terrain more inviting to move out on. Patti had told me he was nervous (and therefore slower) over uneven footing, so I wanted to see how different he would be on the variety of surfaces.

We started out going up the Sugarloaf, where again he was steady without being particularly enthused. We made it about 2/3 of the way up (the level I intended to stop at) at a steady trot with the occasional change to canter on particularly steep parts. His heart rate showed me he was indeed working as hard as he made it seem.

I find it amusing that Iggy already knows exactly which way is home and would have turned down any and all paths that led that way without my prompting - even ones we haven't actually used before!

We went down across the farm and he was very careful on the uneven footing on the way. Iggy would have rather gone towards home, but he didn't object to any of the equipment that was all over around the farm (including one running tractor).

We had our first balky event at the creek in the middle of the farm. Iggy acts like he's never seen water before! After a bit of wiggling around and some strong leg, he eventually crossed it. I was too busy steering to check his heart rate, which I need to try to do, as it might tell me if he is truly worried about the water or just using it as an excuse.

We headed up the Tomhicken and he was very careful about choosing his footing. Crossing through the housing development, he eyed a couple of the decorative flags on the mailboxes (which were snapping in the wind), but didn't shy. I was able to get a nice forward trot out of him there and on the red road heading up to the space needle.










I alternated between trot and canter up to the space needle, which is a big lollipop loop. Even when we made the turn to start heading for home, I could not get any sort of enthusiasm out of him. He is never disobedient - if I put my leg on to cue a canter he would step right off - but he needs steady leg contact and all I have to do is THINK about walking and he is happy to down shift.

His heart rate stayed in reasonable ranges (110-130) during the trot and canter, considering we were traveling uphill. 










I basically gave him his head on the way home, hoping for some enthusiasm, but he was all business and moved along at a steady trot or canter, depending on what gait I had asked him for. Again, if I so much as thought about slowing down, he was walking.










On the way back home, he only hesitated at the creek before stepping in it - so apparently the draw of home does affect some things! Coming back across Alimar, I made him walk IN all the puddles, which took a bit of circling to start with.

14.09 miles, 1784 feet of climb, 5.7 mph average pace, 52F real feel


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## Celeste

I like Izzy. A lazy horse sounds pretty good to me.


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## weeedlady

Celeste said:


> I like Izzy. A lazy horse sounds pretty good to me.


I was just thinking the same thing.


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## phantomhorse13

Celeste said:


> A lazy horse sounds pretty good to me.


It's very different work than what I am used to! 


And I now see I am calling him Izzy instead of Iggy on here now too, as well as irl .. not sure what is going on with that! He's not mine so I need to call him by his real name.


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## AnitaAnne

Celeste said:


> I like Izzy. A lazy horse sounds pretty good to me.


Exactly what i was thinking!! I think I am in love with him...he is adorable too!!

But isn't his name Iggy??


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## AnitaAnne

I guess he is not for sale...oh wait, I already have three horses...:frown_color:


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## egrogan

Hahaha...Izzy is a catchy name :wink:

But I think Iggy does really suit him.


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## phantomhorse13

I had hoped to ride yesterday, but Mia has been under the weather so instead I spent the day getting her an ultrasound and then driving home from Philly. [Mia has a history of pancreatitis, which seems to flare up every 3 years for some reason. Luckily, this flare is not nearly so bad as the one in 2015 and did not involve hospitalization. Instead, I am treating the resulting cholangiohepatitis at home. Fingers and toes crossed she continues to improve.]

This afternoon, I was able to get Iggy out. Momma nature has decided to go from winter (it was 40 with a real feel of 30 on Sunday, with snow showers) to summer, as it hit 80F today, which is our normal temperature in July!!

Iggy was hardly enthusiastic when we left the farm. The sun was blazing but the wind was blowing, which kept the real feel less miserable than it would have been otherwise. I made sure to have the heart rate monitor on, as I wanted to make sure he wasn't struggling with the heat as an added factor. We went up and around the Sugarloaf.

On the first climb, we got just short of the top and came across this:










Luckily we were able to pick our way around it, but it was a bit sketchy. Iggy was definitely affected by the heat, so I made sure not to push him too hard up the hills. We went down the other side and around the farm. He was slightly more forward heading towards home, but he was still puffing in the climbs. Then, we looped behind the Sugarloaf across the fields. I was not happy to find that a field which has always been hay was now plowed - and plowed all the way to the edge of the swale!










We plodded our way across that to get to the rest of the fields, which thankfully still had the normal grassy roads around the edges. Iggy was quite lazy as we were going away from home, but he was totally unconcerned over all the deer jumping out of the bushes everywhere.

We climbed up the backside of the Sugarloaf and Iggy made it about halfway before I asked him to walk. I was happy he waited for me to ask him versus putting the brakes on himself. He starts getting sluggish when his heart rate hits about 160, so trying to push that last bit to 190-200 takes some encouragement. 










We went home via the fields at Spauldings, which I knew would still have some mucky places. Iggy still fusses over water, so I am happy to use the draw of home to help encourage him to move through them with less complaint.

When we got home, I let Mia out to supervise. Her favorite sunning spot is just to the left of where Iggy is standing, but notice how far away she went once the hose came out. :lol:










10.21 miles, 1746 feel of climb, 5.1 mph average pace, 74F real feel


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## gottatrot

Have you still been riding in the Pandora saddle? What do you think of it by now?


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## Woodhaven

Phantom, I'm just curious, did you buy your property knowing that you would have all these miles of trails available to you for conditioning or was it just good luck to find them after the purchase? It's great to have all those trails and fields there for you to ride on without having to trailer to them.


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## phantomhorse13

gottatrot said:


> Have you still been riding in the Pandora saddle? What do you think of it by now?


I have not. That saddle is Phin's, so since he is sidelined it is now just sitting in the tack room looking abandoned. :frown_color:




Woodhaven said:


> did you buy your property knowing that you would have all these miles of trails available to you for conditioning or was it just good luck to find them after the purchase?


DH owned this property before I met him, so I can take no credit for it or any of the buildings! DH is from this area and knows everyone, so he was already riding the trails when the opportunity to get this place happened.

All of the trails we ride are private land, so we are very lucky to have gracious neighbors that allow us to use them!


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I wanted to get Sultan and George out for their first rides back since the injections. Because of spring turkey, I couldn't take advantage of the cooler morning temps, but I figured to just keep a sharp eye on the heart rate monitor to see how the boys handled the work.

First up was Sultan. He was kind enough to show me he was sound by trotting a few laps around the pasture as soon as he saw me coming with the halter. :icon_rolleyes: It made me mutter under my breath, but it did save me from having to jog him out before I tacked him up!

I wanted to do a bit of everything to see if I felt any difference post-injections. I started out in Spaulding's so I was able to go out a bit before noon, knowing nobody would be hunting in those fields. [Though I did find where someone had trespassed and dumped yard waste in the middle of the hayfield. Wtf people!!] Sultan was happy and forward.

From there we headed for the Sugarloaf.










Sultan handled the climb without issues and actually would have cantered it all had I let him. We dropped down the other side and then went out to circle the farm. The leaves are just starting to come out on the bushes and trees.










I looped around the Sugarloaf again, taking the uphill route that parallels where that field was plowed. Unfortunately, I found some obstacles on that route too:










Thank goodness for short horses!!

The rest of the ride went smoothly, with Sultan remaining very forward but without being obnoxious. Honestly I didn't really feel any difference riding him, but he was more willing to stretch his hind legs backwards when picking his feet, so hopefully the injections did help.

10.26 miles, 1969 feet of climb, 5.8 mph average pace, 83F real feel


Next up was George. I did the same route as I did with Sultan. It was pretty warm so I was expecting George to be on the lazy side but I was wrong! I figured I was just being a weenie since I felt so hot yet George wanted to canter everywhere.










I do think I felt a difference in George's comfort level when trotting up the steeper sections. In the past, he wanted to transition to canter when things got steep but today he was content to dig in and trot when I wouldn't let him go faster.










On the way home, we got to observe the excavators sifting some top soil. George was more interested in going home, as you can see from his ears. And as hot as I was, I didn't feel the need to stick around and watch for long either.










I couldn't figure out why I felt so hot .. well here is why:










That is higher than our normal temperatures in August!! Found out later, we set the record for high temperature. Crazy weather.

10.24 miles, 1968 feet of climb, 5.8 mph average pace, 86F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Another day, another heat record broken.. and if that wasn't enough, it was humid too. :dance-smiley05:

I have to say _I_ was pretty unenthused by the time I could go out and tack Iggy up yesterday. It was quite humid with very little breeze.. but out we went all the same. I planned to do the Big Square, as that would not be quite as much climbing and would take advantage of what little wind there was. Normally, I would say it was shady too, but most of the trees still don't have many leaves!

Iggy was unsure about the concrete bridge we had to cross to get there, which I was rather surprised about. Luckily there was no traffic, as it took a moment to convince him he could step onto the lighter colored road. After that trauma, he probably thought the climb up to the fields was cake!










While Iggy was hardly setting speed records, I was pleased that he wasn't any more lazy due to the heat. I tried to take it easy, knowing the humidity couldn't be any fun for him either. He balked pretty hard at the first creek crossing, which was frustrating. We did eventually get across it one step at a time (versus the flying leap he would prefer).










On the way back, I decided to check out the Beagle trail for the first time since last summer. I knew would be quite wet as it has several springs and runs beside the creek, but there was also the chance of trees down blocking the way. Just seeing water beside us makes Iggy suspicious, and you could see him keeping an eye on that water.










As expected, the trail was quite wet in places. It's also a trail that has a lot of tight spaces, so no way to try to avoid the mud by going off trail. Iggy didn't like it much to start with, but eventually the call of home was enough to keep him moving pretty steadily. 






10.33 miles, 1037 feet of climb, 5.6 mph average pace, 90F real feel


Once I got done with Iggy, I wanted to hop on Sultan just to remind him that walking was an acceptable speed. I tossed the bareback pad on and we moseyed around Alimar.

I assume this random mailbox on a straw bale is for communication with the fertilizer people, but I got a good laugh over it all the same (and since I was looking at it so hard, Sultan had to eye it like it might kill him). 










I decided it was finally safe to pull the reflectors I use to mark holes in the winter (can't always see the holes under the snow). I didn't expect Sultan to be worried about my carrying them, but he was certainly paying attention and walked much faster than I have ever experienced.










While he was certainly paying attention to my holding them as we walked along, he carried some for almost all of the ride without incident. So wasn't I surprised when I dismounted and had just taken the reins over his head when he looked down, saw the reflectors in my hand, and had a meltdown.

Sultan _galloped_ around me, snorting and blowing at those reflectors like nothing I have ever seen. The reins are only 8' long and they were still attached on both sides of the hack, so he was channeling his inner barrel racer as he tore around me in a super small circle. It took what seemed like forever for him to decide he wasn't going to die and stop. I was horrified.

I did a bit of work with him, doing some advance and retreat with the reflectors around until he was no longer panicking at any movement (though he was the picture of tenseness and worry). At that point, I was just trying to find a stopping point that didn't involve his complete overreaction. And I was thanking every deity I could think of that he hadn't reacted that way when I was riding him!!

3.42 miles, 305 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 93F real feel


I spoke to DH about what had happened later and he told me an interesting story. His ex, who was around when he first got both boys, used to do "natural horsemanship" stuff with a flag in the round pen to "get their excess energy out" before riding! :evil: I have never needed to use a whip or anything similar when on the ground as they both are so responsive to body language alone, so hadn't realized a whip-like object would get such a reaction. Poor guys!!


----------



## tim62988

the dirty pictures of George make me smile.

my wife's pony she had when we met was a POA about the same color as all of your crew. one of her coworkers commented about "how cute her little brown pony was" 100% not realizing Sassy wasn't brown!


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## Spanish Rider

> "And we are NOT going towards home."


 :rofl:

Holy schnitzel, George! 26 mph?


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## QueenofFrance08

Oh man Iggy is SASSY!

When is the next ride for Sultan and George? Are they doing better enough to be ready for one?


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## phantomhorse13

Spanish Rider said:


> Holy schnitzel, George! 26 mph?


George is the fastest one we have and not afraid to show it off when allowed. Dream, who was regally racing-bred, used to blow his doors off though - I clocked her once a bit over 32 mph!




QueenofFrance08 said:


> When is the next ride for Sultan and George? Are they doing better enough to be ready for one?


They both seem to be doing well, but of course I am still so paranoid that I worry over every hesitation or stumble. Some days I think they are fine, others the voices in my head mutter. 

Sultan and DH are entered for the New York Adventure 50 memorial weekend. Fingers and toes crossed everything works out. Right now, DH is looking at George for OD in June, pending how he is after another long ride at home (which I plan to be doing at the end of the month).


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## phantomhorse13

Today the weatherman was actually right in forecasting storms in the morning, so I figured the round scheduled for afternoon were likely as well. Since the first round didn't stop until noon, I knew I wouldn't have time to ride both Sultan and George the longish workout I wanted, so I decided to pony so they could both at once.

Sultan was much better behaved today, thank goodness. He was a bit looky to start which was entertaining as George is often a bit sluggish to start, but everyone soon got their act together. I tried to avoid singletrack trail as much as possible, so we went over to the Tomhicken via the power lines and down the yellowgate trail. From there we crossed over into the railroad bed trail. I did take the little side loop that adds an extra climb resulting in a lovely view.










We then continued on the old railroad bed to one of the many atv trails. The sun had come out but there was a nice breeze helping to blow away the humidity.










We went up the s-turn to the space needle and the boys cantered the entire climb. They probably would have cantered back down to the development too had I let them. George's tongue flapping showed his opinion of the day.










Both boys kept their heads and didn't try to rush for home.










16.61 miles, 1722 feet of climb, 6.5 mph average pace, 80F real feel

When I got done hosing everyone down, I was happy to see the sky still wasn't looking threatening. After a quick check of radar (which showed the storms an hour or so distant), I went out to grab Iggy. It may be anthropomorphising, but if the only time someone came near me was to make me work hard, I would quickly lose my enthusiasm, too. So I planned to hop on Iggy bareback and mosey around Alimar as a break from the riding = hard work routine.

I wasn't sure if Iggy had ever been ridden bareback before, but figured he was pretty steady-minded so likely wouldn't object. He didn't!










Iggy was a bit confused at first, but quickly got the idea we were grazing our way around Alimar. I never had to take up any contact, with him easily responding to seat and leg aids.










I was super pleased with how he behaved, never getting fussy about walking on between mouthfuls and not fussing with the bit after the first couple minutes. Good way to leave things while I am away for the weekend.

1.26 miles, 76 feet of climb, 2.9 mph average pace, 80F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

We have safely arrived at camp. Service is pretty hit or miss so not sure if this will even post. 

Everyone cross fingers and toes that we don’t get much rain/storms tomorrow. Ride isn’t until Sunday but spending the day vetting and riding in the rain (and having the horses standing in it) is no fun for anybody. 

Hopefully a picture of camp is attached. Wanna guess which horse I am riding?! 😉


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## AnitaAnne

Picture posted splendidly! Look at all that lovely GRASS. 

Of course you are riding the grey, however do you keep them straight in your head when they all look so similar from above??? I mean when reacting to shenanigans that are unique to each horse! 

Have a great time!! 

I will be spending the weekend slaving at work wishing I was out camping and riding horses.


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## gottatrot

AnitaAnne said:


> Of course you are riding the grey, however do you keep them straight in your head when they all look so similar from above??? I mean when reacting to shenanigans that are unique to each horse!


Yes! If I always had gray ears in front of me I'd be confused about which one I was riding. Of course I use words like "ding dong" that work universally. "Stop it you ding dong."


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## Spanish Rider

Have fun! Fingers crossed for the weather.

P.S. The set-ups you travel with are _amazing_.


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## egrogan

Glad you made it, sorry that we’re giving you cold, rainy weather tomorrow. Sunday is supposed to be better. 

And yes, another vote on the grey


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## AnitaAnne

gottatrot said:


> Yes! If I always had gray ears in front of me I'd be confused about which one I was riding. Of course I use words like "ding dong" that work universally. "Stop it you ding dong."


Maybe that's why George wags his tongue...he is trying to be different! It's ME GEORGE not ding dong or Sultan or dammit :mrgreen:


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## Caledonian

I watched the the entire video on the ponying thread as i loved watching George and his tongue. That and i was enjoying getting taken on a ride around the country.:smile:


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## phantomhorse13

Can’t figure out how to reply to specific posts from the phone, but I had to laugh over the “ding dong” comment as I almost always refer to George and Sultan at rides as ding and dong!!

Got on Promise for a pre ride this morning. Yes of course she is the grey. So far we have been lucky and only had spitting rain off and on a few times. 

Currently standing around watching Patti (not the same Patti who owns Iggy) getting everything ready for the holds and feeling useless as nothing I can really do to help. I did pick the pens earlier cause of course scooping poop is scooping poop!


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## QueenofFrance08

Another grey vote! 

Does everyone where you are set up portable pens? All of our rides are at state parks and for some of them you're required to use the high ties that are provided. The last ride only 2 people had pens like that.... Everyone else was on the high ties....


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## phantomhorse13

Ride updates and videos are going to be delayed. 

The storm line that came through this afternoon did a number on some of our trees, which came down on the power lines in several places. The lines will need to be replaced. No idea how long that may take, but we are on generator power until it’s fixed. 

One tree also took out a section of fence but luckily the horses were not in that paddock at the time. 

We have the bulk of the trees cleaned up (Keith came over with the big tractor), but lots of mess still to deal with. 

Will update as I can. Fingers crossed the power company gets to us soon!


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> Does everyone where you are set up portable pens?


Pens are pretty popular in our region. You also see portable panels of varying sizes (generally made of metal or pvc) and Hi-Ties. Some people do tie right to the trailer, but that isn't as common. We are spoiled in this region to generally have fields or other open spaces to camp in, which makes pens feasible.


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## phantomhorse13

Over the weekend, I went up to New Hampshire for the Bare Bones ride. We went up on Friday, along with a couple other friends, and got camp set up. It was a gorgeous day and we had camp all to ourselves.










On Saturday, the bulk of the rain stayed south. While it was never sunny, it only spit rain a couple of times. Knowing home was getting a monsoon, we felt very lucky. We got the horses out for a pre-ride fairly early in the day, not wanting to tempt fate to rain on us!










I had never ridden Promise before, but have seen her at rides frequently (her normal rider couldn't make it because she was at home with a new foal!). She was very grumpy to tack up, with ears pinned and teeth snapping. Patti said that was normal for her, so I did my best to ignore it (while not putting myself in a position to be bitten). We didn't go out very far, just enough to make sure my stirrups were adjusted correctly (and they were, first try even). Promise was fairly agitated on the ride, seeming to react to another gelding specifically, even if he was not very close to her. Patti was surprised, as Promise had ridden with that gelding before with no issue. 

Later on, we vetted in and Patti got everything together for the hold. It was very odd for me to stand around and not be able to help, but Patti had her system down and it would have taken longer for her to explain it to me than to just do it herself.

It got quite cold overnight and the heat in the trailer was not working (surprise!). Luckily, I had brought a warm sleeping bag so I was comfy all night despite the issue. The horses were on their toes as we tacked up and Promise was again nippy about being saddled, which was rather annoying.










The first loop was 25 miles, with a 10 minute stop-and-go at the midpoint. It was cold enough at the start that many people were still wearing winter coats! The trails were a combination of dirt road, pavement, and wooded trails. I am not a big fan of pavement and traffic, but luckily all the drivers we encountered were very polite. 










Promise was very agitated, tossing her head all over the place repeatedly. It didn't matter if she was in the lead or behind Vallen, so we thought she was perhaps reacting to that gelding (who had wound up with us despite our efforts to find our own space). Sometimes she was flipping her head up and sometimes she was grabbing the bit and jerking her head down violently, which was very unpleasant for me. Patti kept apologizing, saying she had never seen her behave that way. Eventually the other rider went on ahead and we hoped Promise would settle. Her antics improved a bit, but did not stop.










I was very happy to get to the stop and go to give my body a break. But even in the hold, all she did was pace in circles. Even when Patti took her and I held Vallen (who was standing quietly grazing, she just wouldn't settle. Patti kept apologizing and saying she never acted like that.

We went back out to finish the rest of the loop and quickly caught up with a couple other riders. Promise didn't seem as reactive to them, but she was still flipping her head all over. It felt like a very long loop, even with the gorgeous scenery.










We got back into camp for the hold and were surprised when Vallen was pulsed down and Promise was not. It didn't take long to get her down after I took the tack off, but yet again something unusual with her. We had to wait in line to vet a long time, which was unfortunate as we watched our hold time tick away. Both horses vetted through without a problem when it was finally their turn. We went back to the trailer for our hold with barely enough time to get the tack back on Promise while they snacked. 

Promise was raring to go as we left for the 15 mile second loop. We had finally found some space without any other horses, so hoped she would settle down. While she was quite forward, she was still flipping her head around a lot. We let her lead hoping that would make her happy.










While she never slowed down, I started noticing some occasional uneven steps, always on level ground. Patti agreed she was moving oddly at times. I got off to check for stones in her shoes or any other issues. She had a fresh interference mark behind, which had never been an issue for her before. Since the wonky steps were rare and intermittent, Patti said to keep going.










We trucked around the loop, with Promise always wanting to go faster. The wonky steps were only on the flats and there weren't many flat sections. As we came around a corner, we were greeted with a sight you never want to see - an ambulance attending to a fallen rider.










[We found out later the horse had tripped over a lose hoof boot and fallen with the rider. The rider was knocked out for a bit, but came away with only a couple fractures in her hand and a broken cheekbone. Not fun, but the rider had a history of a broken neck, so it could have been a lot worse.]

Promise never did settle down even though we were by ourselves almost the whole loop. My body was really feeling all the jerking and Patti kept apologizing. The trails were lovely though.










When we got back into camp for the second hold and I pulled the saddle, we found a couple suspicious red marks on Promise's back. She was pretty displeased about us poking them, which finally made it clear what was going on! Apparently the saddle that works just fine for some training rides was not going to work for longer distances. Promise did pass the vetting (though with Bs on back and gait), so we decided she was done for the day and I Rider Optioned.

Part of me feels really bad that it took us so long to figure out the problem, since the mare was doing so many things that were not normal for her. However, I had no way of knowing that saddle was not the one her normal rider rode her in, so hadn't been thinking saddle or pad issues. I give Promise a lot of credit for only tossing her head around and not tossing my butt on the ground!

Part of me was not sorry though, as I was feeling pretty bad myself. All the jerking and resulting bracing on my part had resulted in a pulled muscle in my leg. The vet had made a comment after the trot out about my being grade 4 lame! I was glad to take some Vitamin I (that being ibuprofen) and slop some Sore No More on the area and sit down.

Promise was content to stand in her pen (with the company of the neighbors on both sides, who had unfortunately been pulled), as Patti and Vallen went out for the last loop. They finished without complication.






While the weekend didn't turn out as planned, I was lucky to get to see some new-to-me trails. Patti hopes I will ride Promise again in the future - in the saddle her normal rider uses!


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## gottatrot

Too bad about Promise getting sore, and you too! 
Isn't that the joke, that if endurance riders rather than the horses had to trot out soundly and without medications, most would fail? 

Enlightening about the hoof boot accident. I've had them flopping around before for a minute and never thought about the horse tripping over them, just worried about destroying the boot.


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## phantomhorse13

Because I didn't get home until late Monday from Bare Bones, I missed a lovely riding day. Instead, I hoped to be able to ride two horses before the storms came in on Tuesday. Turkey hunting is all day now, so I put on my orange shirt and helmet cover in case any hunters were out. My leg was still bothering me quite a bit, but I hoped that riding and using those muscles would get things to loosen up.

First up was George. It was very humid and already too warm by the time I left the barn at 9:30. We went up the Sugarloaf and then headed across the farm to the Tomhicken.










I was happy that riding didn't hurt my leg any more than anything else did, but it also didn't loosen up any with work. Luckily, George was on his best behavior, so I didn't have to deal with much spooking.










We did part of the yellow gate trail and then came up the power line, as I was trying to avoid where people might be hunting. The previous powerline picture was taken from the break in the trees above the fields in the distance.










Here is why I always teach my "just trail horses" how to handle small jumps, as you never know when something new will be blocking the trail:






It was quite hot by the time we headed for home. I was not pleased to find this guy sunning himself, though we were able to avoid traveling over him.










11.07 miles, 1959 feet of climb, 5.3 mph average pace, 93F real feel


Iggy was up next. I didn't want a huge workout as he has a competition coming up, so I planned on just walking the Sugarloaf. However, when I brought him into the barn, I suspected the plan might need some modification. He was antsy being tacked, unable to stand still if I moved away from him. He was calling for the other horses for the first time ever. I wasn't sure if I was finally seeing some herdbound behavior or if he was reacting to the approaching storm front. Whatever the reason, it wasn't getting him out of being ridden.

For the first time ever, forward was not an issue! However, Iggy was also looky and repeatedly trying to turn for home. He was chomping the bit almost constantly. We went up the Sugarloaf looking for his brain. Unlike some other horses I know, it didn't even take to the top of the climb to find it. 










After that, we worked a bit on not falling down while walking across rocky footing. I still haven't figured out why he can be so good with his feet in some cases and so clumsy in others.










We worked our way down the Sugarloaf and down the farm. Iggy was pointing for home so badly he was almost sidepassing, so I made a point to turn the other way at the bottom of the farm. I decided to cross the street and go into his nemesis, the creek. I was pleased when he went into the creek without a single complaint first try, even though it was heading the wrong way. He got rewarded for his good behavior:










I am hoping to replace whatever his current negative associations are with the idea that water = stand and graze. It seems to be working!

From there, we turned around and went home across the farm. Iggy finally settled down and stopped looking at everything suspiciously, though he did show me we had some company at one point:










8.19 miles, 1289 feet of climb, 5.5 mph average pace, 93F real feel


After getting Iggy hosed off, I checked radar and saw I still had a bit of time before the front and the storms arrived. I opened up the bottom paddock for the first time this season. The horses were thrilled and neither Iggy nor George was too tired to kick up their heels! Of course, it didn't take them long to decide eating was better than bucking and snorting. 

Phin says hi:










I was pleased that his bad leg did not seem to fill after the yeehawing around. I am trying not to read anything good or bad into that, but it sure made me happy..


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## egrogan

phantomhorse13 said:


> He was antsy being tacked, unable to stand still if I moved away from him.I wasn't sure if I was finally seeing some herdbound behavior or if he was reacting to the approaching storm front.
> Iggy was also looky and repeatedly trying to turn for home. He was chomping the bit almost constantly.
> After that, we worked a bit on not falling down while walking across rocky footing. I still haven't figured out why he can be so good with his feet in some cases and so clumsy in others.
> I decided to cross the street and go into his nemesis, the creek.




 This makes me think Iggy has been reading about Fizz's recent rides :wink: Sadly I have not been able to ride all week with work and moving craziness, but I bet next time I get on I'm going to have some of these fun moments myself!

Glad Phin got to go romping around with the others. Hope that leg continues looking good!


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## phantomhorse13

Tuesday, part two:

After watching the horses to make sure nobody did anything too stupid in the bottom paddock, the rising wind made it clear the storm front was coming. I had a routine chiropractor appointment at 3:30, so I got everything cleaned up before getting myself cleaned up for that.

About 3:15, the skies got dark and the wind really picked up. I was heading out into the garage to get in the car to go to my appointment when Mia came slinking up behind me, whining. She is getting more and more storm phobic as she ages, so I decided she would be fine to go with me as the sun was no longer out. I quickly put the back seat in the car down and loaded up her dog bed. She happily hopped in and I was just shutting the door behind her when the wind suddenly started roaring and smashed against the building.

I generally enjoy a good thunderstorm, but this wind was _loud_ and shook the whole building. I was actually looking at the garage doors and wondering if they were going to burst inwards when there were a couple loud crashes and the power went out. The roaring sound subsided after a few moments and the generator kicked in. I hopped in the car and opened the garage door.. and was looking out at power lines flapping in the driveway. :eek_color: Shiitake. 

It was monsooning rain, but the wind actually blew the lines away from the garage so I was able to get the car out of the garage and onto the lawn safely. I could see multiple trees down along the driveway, so made my way off the property via the farm road. I called DH to have him call the power company to report the downed lines. The ends were not smoking or snapping, so I suspected they were dead, but I sure wasn't going near them to find out!

I expected the chiropractor appointment to be a non-issue after all the excitement, but I got a rude awakening. What I thought was a minor pulled muscle in my leg was actually my piriformis acting up. I had only heard that term in a vague way before, but was pretty horrified when the doctor explained it. Basically, its a little muscle going from the pelvis to the top of the thigh that lays over the sciatic nerve.. and aggravate the piriformis enough, it can become piriformis syndrome, which can then trigger sciatica (more info here if interested). Shiitake.

So here is the doctor telling me I basically need to sit still and let things heal, knowing we have all the mess at home to deal with!! But while I am bad about listening to medical advice a lot of times, I don't need anybody to tell me that avoiding piriformis syndrome and sciatica needed to be high priority. :frown_color:

By the time I left the chiropractor, the storm had passed and DH had come home. We got a good look at the mess.














































Cleanup began as soon as the rain stopped. Once we heard from the power company that the line was safe, Keith brought over the tractor and Eddie (DH's niece's husband) came over with his chainsaw. Between the three of them, they had the bulk of the trees cleaned up in fairly short order.

There was only a single limb down where the horses actually were and I had to laugh at Iggy supervising the chain sawing progress:










Thank goodness for big tractors and people who can operate them!!



















We have one section of fence that needs to be repaired, so the horses are currently shut out of that paddock. There are lots of smaller branches that need to be cleaned up, but that can wait for the ground to not be so wet. 

The power lines were broken in several places, but amazingly the power company had 2 trucks here all day yesterday and they got the power back on by dinnertime! Some national weather service people came by to survey the damage as well and I happened to be outside when they stopped. Talking to them was pretty eye opening, as they said they suspected a small _tornado_ had caused the damage, but there wasn't quite enough evidence to say for sure!! Apparently trees snapped off partway up are a sign of a tornado versus downbursts or straight line winds. That would certainly explain the very loud noise I heard and why the damage was in a fairly small area..

We are SO lucky it wasn't any worse and I am so thankful Mia wanted to come with me, or I may have been driving down the driveway when all that stuff came crashing down. :|

@ChasingDreams : hopefully down your way weathered the storms ok? I know you aren't all that far from me..


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## gottatrot

phantomhorse13 said:


> So here is the doctor telling me I basically need to sit still and let things heal, knowing we have all the mess at home to deal with!! But while I am bad about listening to medical advice a lot of times, I don't need anybody to tell me that avoiding piriformis syndrome and sciatica needed to be high priority. :frown_color:


Wow, that was quite a storm.

Hopefully the chiropractor has also mentioned stretching after a day or two of rest. The problem is that a healing muscle will often get bigger/shorter, which tends to make it tighten more over the sciatic nerve. I've dealt with Piriformis after getting kicked by a horse in the butt, which made the healed muscle tighten over the nerve. There are all kinds of Piriformis stretches online. These help keep the muscle longer/looser so it doesn't rub on and aggravate the nerve. Especially if the pain continues after a few days, then stretching will become more important than rest IMHO.
I mention this because mine plagued me for a couple of years before I found out about stretching that muscle, and then the symptoms went away in a few days!


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## phantomhorse13

gottatrot said:


> Hopefully the chiropractor has also mentioned stretching after a day or two of rest.
> I mention this because mine plagued me for a couple of years before I found out about stretching that muscle, and then the symptoms went away in a few days!


He did, thank you! I had a followup appointment today and he was pleased to see so much improvement. I am allowed to start stretching tomorrow and have been upgraded from [email protected] status to light duty.

It's supposed to rain part of tomorrow and all weekend, so I am hoping if I behave myself I will be able to get back to riding next week..


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## carshon

I have been dealing with Piriformis Syndrome for months now (almost 5) mine is mostly from sitting at a desk job and not getting up enough. The pain is not like anything I have ever had and is very slowly getting better. The biggest issue I deal with now is that the piriformis gets so tight I cannot spread my legs wide enough to sit a horse comfortably and that mounting has become quite the issue. I have been doing Yoga and stretches with limited results - mostly because once the muscle gets really loose and feeling good if I lay down or sit down for too long it tightens worse than before. Glad you have a good Chiro - I have found deep tissue massage helpful as well.


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## Spanish Rider

After reading the first part...

What is all that jingling? Do you wear bells because it is turkey season? Or to scare off certain animals? It reminds me of how we stomp through the fields here during snake season. No one wants to startle our snakes - they are called _bast*rdas_ for a reason!

Love, love, love that photo of Phin! The angle, the light, the composition of grass to hills to sky, and the sweet look on his face. :loveshower:


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## Caledonian

That storm looks frightening. Everyone was very lucky. LOL at Iggy making sure that everything’s cleared away correctly.

I’ve never heard of that syndrome before. Good to hear that things are improving. Like @*carshon* I sit at my desk for too long but my main problems are in my neck and upper back. When it’s not completely seized up and I’m able to ride, I’m told that I slouch in the saddle, almost collapsing, which isn’t something I used to do. Yoga helps me to some extent but unless I stop working at a desk, the problem isn’t going away. 


@Spanish Rider - The thought of standing on a snake in the fields is scary. I think I've got more chances of winning the lottery than seeing a snake here!


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## Spanish Rider

And the second part...

Isn't Mia the best? Clever little dog. I was surprised at the top being snapped off an otherwise healthy-looking tree... until you mentioned tornado. Makes sense, but very scary.

Piriformis stretches, definitely. Mine had caused numbness from the knee down, on my good side! I was overcompensating. As for deep tissue massages, I have my DH dig his thumbs in there until I can't take it anymore. He's become quite an expert at making me suffer, but it really does help.


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## phantomhorse13

Spanish Rider said:


> What is all that jingling? Do you wear bells because it is turkey season? Or to scare off certain animals?


Years ago, I started riding with bells during hunting season, but then I found people pay more attention to the sound of Santa coming than they do hoofbeats. While I don't encounter many random people on trail now like I did back when I trained in public parks, I do think it keeps the wildlife from jumping up right under the horse's feet (or maybe I am just deluding myself thinking that).

Phin is certainly very photogenic, so that helps a lot. Unfortunately, it seems I was celebrating a bit too soon, as there is fill in that leg tonight. :frown_color:


I am shocked to hear how common piriformis issues are!! I will certainly be picking your brains @Spanish Rider , @*gottatrot* and @*carshon* if this episode doesn't pass in a reasonable time frame. I really don't sit still very well..


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## ChasingDreams

Oh man! We didn’t get hit too badly where I am, but my husband does construction and was working a little over an hour away and swore a tornado must have passed close by his job site after they left. Large equipment was displaced, and parts of the building were missing. Crazy stuff.

At home, there was some nice lighting and thunder... but not much damage thankfully. 

It looks like you got it worse... hopefully you were able to get all that cleaned up without straining yourself too much 


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## AnitaAnne

WOW! That does look like tornado damage. We have bad ones come through here and they take off the tops of the trees just like yours. Plus that loud roaring sound. 

TG for Mia!! Those few minutes may have saved you and your car. Rather surprised you went on to your appointment after that! 

I have issues with my piriformis muscle too, mainly because my spine is messed up there. PT does help, but the chiropractor makes it possible to walk...I find that trotting helps too, if there is no jerking or spooking! 

Phin looks like a horse statue, every picture of him is worthy of hanging up. Tough news on the swelling though :frown_color:


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## Spanish Rider

> then I found people pay more attention to the sound of Santa coming than they do hoofbeats


Sort of like when they tell you that, if attacked, you should not scream "help" and instead scream "fire". Everybody comes a-runnin' when they think there's a fire, while not so much when someone needs help.

My piriformis did not become chronic because the numbness in my leg was a major wake-up call. At that time I was riding 4 days in a row each week to get into shape, which is a lot different than someone like you who is already fit riding 4 times a week. My body just did not have time to work through the inflammation between rides. So, my case got much better by simply taking methamizole (illegal in the US; like ibuprofen, but better than ibuprofen if you have HTN) and riding every other day to let my body recover, together with DH massages and stretching/pilates. As a rule, if I am sitting in front of the TV, I am either chatting with you all or on the floor on my pilates mat doing some sort of stretching/strengthening exercise, and that is how I keep things in check without much extra effort.


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## phantomhorse13

ChasingDreams said:


> my husband does construction and was working a little over an hour away and swore a tornado must have passed close by his job site after they left. Large equipment was displaced, and parts of the building were missing.
> 
> It looks like you got it worse... hopefully you were able to get all that cleaned up without straining yourself too much


Very glad your husband (and his coworkers) weren't there - something displacing large equipment isn't anything to mess around with!!

The cleanup is about 75% done - and I "helped" mostly by driving the tractor as DH picked stuff up. Talk about feeling useless. We would have finished last night, but the ground is so wet we can't get down to the fire pile, so instead filled the dump trailer and put the rest in piles. With the rain coming in this weekend, who knows when we might be able to get it where it needs to go..




AnitaAnne said:


> WOW! That does look like tornado damage. We have bad ones come through here and they take off the tops of the trees just like yours. Plus that loud roaring sound.


I cannot imagine living where a tornado is a common thing. Too scary for me!




Spanish Rider said:


> My piriformis did not become chronic because the numbness in my leg was a major wake-up call. At that time I was riding 4 days in a row each week to get into shape. My body just did not have time to work through the inflammation between rides.


I do wonder if this is also a factor for me. While I am lucky enough to ride all winter, the last few weeks I have been riding almost daily, so that may have just been too much. I will have to start paying more attention to MY recoveries.


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## ChasingDreams

> Very glad your husband (and his coworkers) weren't there - something displacing large equipment isn't anything to mess around with!!
> 
> The cleanup is about 75% done - and I "helped" mostly by driving the tractor as DH picked stuff up. Talk about feeling useless.



Yes, very scary to think about! I try not to let my mind go there... I’m a worrier by nature.

I know all about feeling useless. We moved when I was 8 months pregnant, and I wasn’t allowed to pick up anything heavier than the pizza slices and beer cans I was handing out LOL. Ok...maybe I secretly enjoyed not having to do all that heavy lifting. Don’t tell my husband 🤫



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## Change

Wow! Scary about the storm! I hope Mia got some extra loving and treats for her delaying tactics! And yuck re Phin's recurrent swelling.


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## Tazzie

I'm so glad you're ok! Goodness!! Thank goodness for Mia!

And ugh about Phin :sad: I'm so sorry


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## phantomhorse13

Change said:


> I hope Mia got some extra loving and treats for her delaying tactics!


Extra loving always. Unfortunately, because of her pancreatitis history, she isn't allowed any treats. She does sometimes enjoy ice cubes though, so she may be the only dog around who sits and stares at the ice cube dispenser on the fridge door! 




Tazzie said:


> And ugh about Phin


I try hard not to make myself crazy with worry thinking about it.. but it's been four months since the initial injury. Somehow that just doesn't bode well for time fixing things.. :frown_color:


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## Celeste

@phantomhorse13 I was thinking about your back issues. Some of the behavior you described that the horse that you rode at the Bare Bones ride reminds me of the Psycho Princess at her worse. That ill mood causes my horse to put a lot more shock to my back and is the perfect prescription for severe back pain. 

I always assume it is that I broke my tailbone at the age of 12.

:gallop::falloff:

It really seems to have a lot to do with whether the horse rides smoothly. All her anxiety translate into a back jarring mess. My guess is that you will get over it. Since she has been doing better, my back has done better as well. 

I hate to hear that Phin is still not doing great. Hopefully time will heal him. If he doesn't totally recover, he may still make a great trail horse even if he can't go the 100.


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## bsms

I'm SOOOO far behind on journal reading. I find the journals fascinating. The long term progress, people chiming in with "Me too!" and a wonderful honesty. Reading the last few pages, this caught my eye:

"We went up the Sugarloaf looking for his brain."​ 
Not an issue for Trooper or Cowboy. But it describes a huge number of rides on Mia! Fortunately, Bandit is growing steadily more sensible. Bandit rarely loses it, but I'd swear you can sometimes see his mind buzzing around his head like a bewildered bee looking for a place to rest!

At times like that, I find myself saying, "_Just hang with me boy, just hang on and let me think for you for just a few seconds...then things will fall into place! Give me a few more seconds and we'll get on track!_"

Mia? I'd swear we sometimes needed to put out an Amber Alert: "_Arabian mare's mind, last seen fleeing the area south of Tucson. Do NOT allow it to cross the border...._"

I sometimes tell people that if you ride the mind, staying on the body is easy. But sometimes you need to ride the body until you can find the mind...!


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## AnitaAnne

I do a lot of riding the body until I can find the mind; give him a long enough rest, and there the mind goes again! Other times he is fine :icon_rolleyes:


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## bsms

Also, I'll share these pictures from my rancher friend:








​ 







​ 







​ 







​ 
Because of the distances they ride, he prefers Appy/Arabian mixes. But I wonder if he didn't sell us Trooper because "One horse is not like the others...":


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## phantomhorse13

bsms said:


> he prefers Appy/Arabian mixes


I always said this cross would result in either a fantastic horse or the most awful horse imaginable.. and so far my personal experiences with them has proven that very true!


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## bsms

He recently gave up breeding horses for the ranch. He is older than I am and his sons prefer to buy horses on the local market. I talked with him about safety on his ranch a couple of years ago. He hires people with no experience riding, has them riding without instruction for 12 hour days, in rough country, and no one has ever been hurt bad enough to need a night in the hospital. Only one person in 30 years has needed to be seen.

He's raised his own horses, basing them on breeds who are not famous as beginner's horses. He lets the foal tag along with momma for the first few years, following her across all sorts of terrain. By the time they are broken to ride, they already have a pretty good idea of what needs to be done and how to do it. The herders need to concentrate on the sheep. The horses take care of getting the rider from A to B in one piece.

It will be interesting to see what happens as the older horses are replaced by adult horses bought from other ranches or sales.

I've had very, VERY limited experience with Arabians. *The little experience I had was that one might need to go riding in search of their minds, but never their hearts!* The ones I owned, and the mixes I still own...Mia had the potential to kill me, but I never had to doubt her heart, her honesty or her good intentions. 

If I could waive a magic wand, I'd turn Bandit into an Arabian mare. He's kind of what you would expect from a stereotypical Arabian crossed with a stereotypical mustang. Not bad, but not an Arabian mare either! The 1.5 mustangs I own are less affectionate. Maybe it is the mustang, or maybe being geldings, or maybe because both had some hard riding before coming here. I find it harder to earn their good will. But once found, they have a lot of try. Not really any '_ill will_', but they do plan to stay alive regardless of their rider. 

I can't imagine going in search of Cowboy's mind. It doesn't buzz around his head, either. I've seen Cowboy decide it was time to scoot at high speed for 30-50 yards, but I haven't seen him bolt or spook. I've sometimes wished I could lasso Bandit's mind, but I've never thought it was more than a rope's length away.

Maybe what I'm writing is true of most horses. Still, it will be interesting to see if the ranch has the same safety record 10 years from now.

I know when I think of his ranch, I'll remember this...the mountains, the sheep and the grey Appy/Arabians. It will seem a lesser place if the grey horses are replaced by standard stock horses:








​ 









I haven't asked, but I wonder if the sons will continue moving herds of sheep on foot for 3-4 days at a time. Moving 3,000 sheep on foot 100+ miles using horses and dogs - those days may be dying. A lot of folks prefer to load them into trucks. Simpler. But not the same.​


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## frlsgirl

Oh wow I didn’t realize you guys get Oklahoma like storms in PA! That’s crazy. Glad everyone is ok. 

Here in Oklahoma we are almost numb to it; it’s just part of normal life. 

About sciatica type pain; I got it pretty bad; I’ve been gimping around the house all day. It’s actually pretty common in riders especially if you ride wide horses, saddles with wide twists and such. There is a FB group for riders with back/hip pain that I joined for tips and encouragement “Riding without Back Pain” if you’re interested.


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## AnitaAnne

@bsms that is a sad change, no more lovely sane Arab/Appaloosas. The last one looks like my old Dreamer, he was an Arab/paint but went grey. 

What does your friend do with the older horses?


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## phantomhorse13

frlsgirl said:


> Oh wow I didn’t realize you guys get Oklahoma like storms in PA!
> 
> There is a FB group for riders with back/hip pain that I joined for tips and encouragement “Riding without Back Pain” if you’re interested.


We generally don't get storms like that - tornadoes are very, very rare here!! I can't imagine living where that would be normal. Do you just not have any trees for fear of them crashing through buildings? Then again, I guess the tornado may not leave the building for the tree to hit. What a terrible thought!!

I will def look up that FB group, thank you! Always good to hear stories from people who ride and are dealing with it.


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, Nicole asked me over to ride. I haven't ridden with her in ages and thought one of her gaited boys might be an easy way to see how my butt would react to riding. That sounded good in theory, right?!

I knew Diana was coming up to ride with us, but I had mistakenly thought she was bringing her own horse (a lovely Rocky Mountain gelding). However, she didn't have access to her trailer, so was going to ride another of Nicole's horses. Sounds good.. until you know that other horse was barefoot and not fit.. oh boy.

I hoped that perhaps Polo would be content to mosey along and enjoy the day, as Drakkar (an arab) does not have a giant walk. Polo was anything but content, even in the lead.










Once Polo figured out we weren't going to be racing around, he started looking for things to spook at. Here I am caught mid-expression of "really?!" a moment after he spooked at nothing.










We did climb one hill, but it didn't even make Polo breathe hard.










Polo spent the entire ride fussing; either gaiting in place or else spooking and trying to spin. Even when we did move out a bit, he was always chomping at the bit in frustration.










Some of the trails were almost dry, which was a nice surprise considering all the rain we have had in the past week.










11.01 miles, 850 feet of climb, 4.4 mph average pace, 75F real feel


Super frustrating ride, but on a good note, it did not seem to trigger my piriformis. I am feeling pretty good and the chiro was pleased with how things moved at my appointment this morning.


----------



## SwissMiss

So even a frustrating, aggravating ride on Polo didn't trigger your piriformis... Maybe it's time to switch to gaited horses :wink:

:rofl: the "really?" pic :rofl:


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## AnitaAnne

Maybe Polo was doing his version of gaited-trail-dressage :rofl: a little piaffe, canter pirouette, half pass :rofl: This describes many of my rides on my dear Chivas

Love the Really?! picture; Polo looks so innocent 

Your bottom survived all the shenanigans; go gaited!


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## Spanish Rider

OK, wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute...

Why did I think that you rode gaited horses?:shrug: So, when you do these 50 and 100 mile endurance tests, what percentage of the time are you walking, trotting or cantering? Sitting or posting? I am getting exhausted just asking the question. 

I feel so stupid right now. Total forehead slap moment.


----------



## phantomhorse13

Spanish Rider said:


> Why did I think that you rode gaited horses?:shrug: So, when you do these 50 and 100 mile endurance tests, what percentage of the time are you walking, trotting or cantering? Sitting or posting?


I have ridden Polo in a 2-day 50 mile CTR.. beyond that I have never done any competition miles on a gaited horse. However, even he is sort of cheating, as he will trot also.

In most competitions, I am doing probably 10% walk, 75% trot, and 15% canter. This will vary a bit depending on the specific ride due to differences in terrain. I _never_ sit the trot, though I do stand versus post sometimes (mostly downhill), but most of the trotting is posting. I also rarely sit the canter, so almost all of that is two-point.


----------



## Spanish Rider

75% trot, mostly posting? OMG, you have quads of steel. Yeah, my piriformis would be screaming.

On another note, yesterday was my boys' last day of school together, and look what they decided to wear. Thought you would appreciate it.


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## Zexious

^Love the outfits, @Spanish Rider !


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## phantomhorse13

I love that your boys not only get along well enough to want to dress similarly, but are confident enough to wear that!!


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## Spanish Rider

*phantom,* when you're that tall, you're confident enough to wear pretty much anything you want!
@Zexious , the first post I read from *phantom's* journal had the following photo (page 78). THAT was when I knew she was a cool lady!


----------



## phantomhorse13

It's been a frustrating week. After my less than stellar ride on Monday, I was stuck inside Tuesday due to rain. And not just the "off and on showers" the weatherman predicted - we got nearly 3" of rain!!

Wednesday I had hoped to get Iggy and George out, but the ground was just too wet for me to trust Iggy's shoes. While the easycare shoes are great when its dry (especially on pavement or rocks, where they stick like glue), when things get wet its a whole different story. The sky was also very threatening, despite clear radar and no rain predicted. But this is what it looked like when I went out to get George:










I hoped the weather would figure itself out while I was tacking up. Those clouds were apparently the final push, as the sun was out and I could see blue sky in multiple places once I was done. I knew the ground was going to be a hot mess, so figured the space needle loop was my best bet as that's all gravel road.

We started out going up the Sugarloaf and I was pleased to only find a couple small trees down, which were easy to get over. As expected, there was a lot of water all over the place. The field road across the farm was actually running water, so that made for slow going. Then we got to the small creek on the far side of the farm. It wasn't small any more!






We went up the Tomhicken and out towards the space needle. There was no lack of water! George got a lot of practice leg yielding as he weaved around the puddles. 










Lots of runoff, which was not unexpected, but still doesn't make me happy seeing good trail cut up.










There was water running in places I have never even seen puddles before!










George was very conflicted during the ride. He went from unenthused to spooky and jumpy and back again, which was not very easy on my leg. He seemed even, but of course his lack of enthusiasm even going home made the paranoid voice in my head have a lot to say. I trotted him out on the pavement went I got home and he was sound. Maybe he just didn't appreciate the super high humidity (I know I sure didn't).

13.55 miles, 1804 feet of climb, 5.7 mph average pace, 85F real feel


Yesterday, Patti's farrier came out to shoe Iggy. He is the same guy who used to shoe Dream for me and also an endurance rider, so it was great to catch up. Iggy did very well for his shoes, which got lots of compliments from the farrier (I guess normally he is very wiggly and leans a lot). I had hoped to get Iggy out for a brief ride after I finished mowing, but instead I wound up with an ugly headache.

I woke up with the same headache, which has not made today much fun so far. I had planned to get the trailer packed and then get George out, but have decided I just don't feel up to that (I did get the trailer packed of course). We have a ride this weekend in central NY, but between all the rain we had already and the miserable forecast for Sunday, I am not sure we will be riding at all. The plan had been Sultan & DH in the 50 and Iggy and me in the 30, but we shall see..


----------



## Zexious

@Spanish Rider - I missed those!
If I didn't know she was cool before, I definitely know now!

Sorry to hear the weather hasn't yet improved, @phantomhorse13 . 
You certainly have no shortage of puddles! Will they absorb/evaporate pretty quickly, or will the standing water create a mosquito issue? Will the trails require maintenance? (I know this is no consolation, but all that greenery is just beautiful <3)

Sending you good vibes, in hopes that your weekend is a little brighter!


----------



## phantomhorse13

Zexious said:


> You certainly have no shortage of puddles! Will they absorb/evaporate pretty quickly, or will the standing water create a mosquito issue? Will the trails require maintenance?


Normally, things would dry up fairly quickly. However, we have been so inundated with rain lately that the ground is beyond saturated. If we got more days like today (warm, sunny and breezy) things might get a chance to dry out, but more rain is supposed to come again this weekend.

We are certainly not lacking for bugs with all the wet either. The gnats in particular seem to be crazy this season already.

Some of the trails will need some maintenance, but depending on what and where, I may not be the one doing it. DH and I need to get on the Sugarloaf with a chainsaw and a machete, and maybe even the skid loader to deal with that giant tree that came down at the very top. Can't say I am looking forward to that, though having the cleared trails to use will be worth the work.


----------



## phantomhorse13

DH and I headed up to central NY State with Sultan and Iggy for a competition this past weekend. We went up early Saturday morning and were pleased to not have any traffic issues, though I still had the same headache so was glad to not be driving. We set up camp and didn't have to wait long for Patti and Rich to arrive and set up next door. Iggy was very happy to see Sarge again.










DH wasn't interested in pre-riding, so instead I took Iggy for a long walk. Patti took Sarge and came with us. That gave us plenty of time to chat and catch up. The sun also came out briefly and it got quite hot (and had already been super humid). 

Then it was time to register and get the horses vetted.










Iggy was a good boy (no barging over the vet or dancing around) and vetted well. 










I was too busy with Iggy to watch DH and Sultan, but when Patti and I walked out and realized DH was waiting, we knew something wasn't right. And indeed, when DH jogged Sultan for all the vets to watch, he was again NQR. It was subtle enough the vets weren't even sure which leg was the problem. Shiitake. :frown_color:

As the afternoon wore on, my clogged ear suddenly cleared up and stopped ringing, but the headache got worse and worse. I eventually had to go and lay down, which was super frustrating. After a couple hours of laying with the fan blowing on me (and a bunch of meds), my ear clogged up and started ringing again, but the headache backed off. I was able to make it to dinner and the ride meeting, but was very happy to go to bed.

The next morning was much cooler, but still humid and threatening rain. My headache was still there, but wasn't too bad (my ear was still clogged and ringing). We got Sarge and Rich out on trail for the 50, then got Iggy ready. As I was tacking up, the rain started.










Iggy was on his toes during our warmup, but he kept his head. Trail was soon open and we went out in the middle of the pack (44 started).



















The first loop was an 18 mile lollipop. Iggy was very forward, which I was pleased to feel. However, I tried to keep his enthusiasm somewhat under wraps, as I didn't want him to tire himself out on the first loop and have nothing left for the second.










Because of the record-setting rain, all the trail had been rerouted to exclusively roads, so the footing didn't get too scary. Iggy soon settled in with a couple other riders who were going a similar pace. He showed some anxiety as his ears were in constant motion and he did some chewing on the bit, but it wasn't extreme.










The loop rode nicely. There was a lot of up and down, but nothing too steep or too long. Iggy never quit on any of the hills and was happy to take the lead or to ride beside or behind the other horses. The only issue we had was as we approached camp for the hold. The ladies I was riding with hurried into camp (one actually cantered away!), but I wanted Iggy to walk into camp if possible. There was some fussing and jigging as the other riders disappeared into the distance, but I insisted he walk. After a short while, he decided that flat walking was much easier than leg yielding or sidepassing while on the bit. 










to be continued..


----------



## phantomhorse13

part 2:

We got into the hold and Iggy was pretty cranked up after all his friends had vanished. Luckily Sarge happened to be in the hold, so Iggy decided life was not going to end after all. Sarge came along to babysit and Iggy vetted through without issue. They then spent the hold chowing down.










Sarge and Rich left about halfway through our hold, which caused a bit of upset in Iggy's world. However, Patti kept him occupied with hand feeding and short walks. He made sure to eat between neighs, so even upset he took good care of himself.

I had hoped for some company heading out on the next loop, but there was nobody around when it was our turn to go out. I figured the other riders weren't too far in front of us, so kept telling Iggy to expect to see them around every corner.

The second loop had the same 3 miles out as the first loop, so was familiar. We had multiple horses pass us head on, heading back to camp. Iggy certainly wouldn't have objected to turning around to follow them, however he didn't balk when I kept his nose pointed down the trail away from camp.










Iggy was doing a lot of back and forth with his ears, expressing his opinion of striking out on our own, but he kept a steady pace with only minimal encouragement. I kept expecting to see other riders around every turn (or have some catch up to us), but all we saw was the photographer!










The rain started coming down a bit more seriously. I was worried at first that things were going to get sloppy and slick, but the road stayed solid underfoot in most places.










Overall, Iggy did a great job keeping his motivation, considering we never did see anybody going our way. I wasn't thrilled by the rain (I hate being wet!), but Iggy kept on trucking when I asked him to.










Before I knew it, we were around the loop and back on the road to camp. We still hadn't seen a single horse going our way, but once on that common trail we passed a lot of them going the opposite way. It was interesting to see Iggy trying to figure out his conflict: better to keep going to camp alone or to turn around and follow the herd?! 

Iggy was happy to walk the last half mile into camp. As we approached the timer, I was startled when she exclaimed, "Dawn, you are back already?!" I said I was. "You did the pink loop?" I said I did. Now the trailmaster also came to join the discussion. Growing more confused with every passing moment, I mentioned I saw both spotters. "Did you have any trouble with the markings?" I said I did not and showed them my Garmin, which showed the mileage was right on target.

Next thing I know, the timer is grinning and shouts "well congratulations then - you are the first to finish. We didn't expect anybody so soon."

"Wait, say WHAT?!" 

"You're first!" 

:eek_color:

I walked Iggy to our crew spot and found Patti and DH attending to Sarge. They asked how my loop went and I told them Iggy did great.. oh, and apparently we were first across the line (though in an LD you aren't technically done until the horse meets pulse criteria). I got two dumbfounded stares in response. I got Iggy untacked and we borrowed Sarge for company during the final vetting. Iggy had super recoveries, but he was a touch tight in one hind leg (his dominant side). It wasn't enough to lose his completion.










Iggy WON the ride!! 






We got Iggy cleaned up, put his sheet on, and fed him a snack. He was content to stand and munch back at the trailers with Sultan in the pen beside him. We then went back to the crew area and waited for Sarge and Rich to finish.










Sarge and Rich finished about when expected, though Sarge had lost a shoe and was a bit footsore. Luckily a hoof boot made him comfortable enough to pass the final vetting.

At awards, Iggy was awarded a great cooler as First to Finish. He also got a fun medallion for top 10 and a glass for completion. What a lot of loot!










I could not be more pleased with how things went with Iggy all weekend. He went home with Patti the next day, who reported there was no sign of muscle soreness or any gait abnormality by the time they got home.


----------



## phantomhorse13

After we got everyone finished, a vet friend of ours at the ride was gracious enough to look at Sultan for us. DH and Patti had gotten him out once they got us out on trail in the morning and he had seemed fine. The vet did a full lameness exam, watching him trot in hand and longe circles. After much jogging and flexing and poking, he was _slightly_ reactive in one knee.

Best thought right now is that being in the slant load has that leg (his right fore) taking the most force in stops, so it could be stressing it just enough to cause the NQR issues we are seeing immediately after he trailers. She suggested some follow up diagnostics, which will be be pursing with our vet (hopefully sometime this week).


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## carshon

Wow a first for Iggy how exciting. But how sad that he headed home. In another kind of good news it seems that maybe the soreness has a reason and at least it is a starting point.


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## QueenofFrance08

Sorry about Sultan! Hopefully you get a good answer soon and can get him healed up! 

Congrats to you and Iggy on 1st! That's so exciting!


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## Celeste

I wonder if you took Sultan to the ride site several days ahead of time if he would do better.


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## knightrider

Congratulations on your first place win! I love the way you have that big smile on your face, in spite of a headache, ringing in the ears, Sultan's not getting to go, and all the worries behind you at home. A great attitude!


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## Spanish Rider

You are Wonder Woman.


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## QueenofFrance08

I just saw on the book of faces someone was installing those interlocking foam mats (I think people use them for playrooms or workout areas) on top of their trailer floor to make their horses more comfortable. I wonder if that might help....


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## AnitaAnne

WOOT! You rode Iggy to a first place completion!!! 

:loveshower::loveshower::loveshower:

He can never claim to be a slow horse again 

BTW, that looks very much like a Barefoot Dressage saddle on Iggy, is that what he usually ride in? How do you like it? I have on one I use on Kahlua because it is a little smaller than my Tahoe. Seems just as comfortable to me, but I use the sheepskin seat on mine. 


Poor Sultan and your DH. But maybe you have an answer to his issues finally. Never thought of the front knee taking so much concussion in the slant load, but it does make sense. Have you ever thought of loading them in backwards, so their rears are in the head position? I saw a lady loading her horses that way at the vet. She said they seem to ride better.


----------



## Caledonian

Big congratulations on your and Iggy’s win. Especially with everything working against you; many would’ve given up before they started. Well done! :smile::loveshower:


I love your reaction to the Timer and the look on your face. Iggy was funny eating between neighs; at least he has his priorities right!

I hope you and Sultan feel better soon.


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## phantomhorse13

Celeste said:


> I wonder if you took Sultan to the ride site several days ahead of time if he would do better.


This is definitely one of the things we are considering, even with the partition being out of the trailer. The next ride that might have his name on it is the closest one too, so even less time on the trailer seems like a good idea.




Spanish Rider said:


> You are Wonder Woman.


In that I am a female often left wondering, yes. :wink:




QueenofFrance08 said:


> I just saw on the book of faces someone was installing those interlocking foam mats (I think people use them for playrooms or workout areas) on top of their trailer floor to make their horses more comfortable.


I saw someone advertising them in a couple horsey groups I am in. I wonder how they would hold up to a shod horse. I certainly like the concept.




AnitaAnne said:


> that looks very much like a Barefoot Dressage saddle on Iggy, is that what he usually ride in? How do you like it?


It is! That saddle is Patti's and since Iggy hasn't really finished muscling up, she hasn't had any of the treed saddles fitted to him yet. Patti generally has a treed saddle fit to each horse, then uses the Barefoot, too. Best of both worlds. I found my hips talked a bit after riding in it, as Iggy is quite broad and it doesn't have much twist.


A friend got more pictures of the ride posted. This is (left to right) Bobby, Sarge, Iggy and Sultan in camp:










vetting in:










And my favorite, at the start:


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I got George out for the long ride I have been wanting to do for over a week. I thought momma nature was going to change my plans as it was actually spitting rain when we first left, but the clouds soon departed and the blazing sun appeared. Thank goodness for the breeze, as the humidity was oppressive.

I started out in Spauling's fields and was surprised that the grass was level with the saddle! Glad something liked all the wet weather. It was almost sad though, because the grass has gone to seed, so it's already a bit late to cut for hay (and with it raining so frequently, no idea when anybody is going to get any cutting done, us included :|).










Next we went up the Sugarloaf and around to the back side and up again. George was nice and forward despite the heat. Then we headed across the farm and up the Tomhicken. As expected, the record-setting rainfall did not do the trails any favors.










George trucked along in a very businesslike manor. He was not silly or overly spooky, which I was very thankful for. A couple time I heard turkey calls, so I knew hunters were out and about. We heard shots once, though luckily not too close.










On the way home, one of the neighbors was out doing some plowing. Unfortunately for him, the tractor was stuck in the mud in another 5 feet or so.










George got a visit from his fan club. He is so good about kids, despite their screaming and flapping.










24.63 miles, 2888 feet of climb, 6.1 mph average pace, 88F real feel

Overall, I could not have been more pleased with how the ride went. However, I was a bit surprised when I turned him out and he didn't roll immediately.. but he was happily munching hay with Sultan and Phin, so I tried to tell myself I was just being silly. However, when I fed a few hours later I made sure to check him over. He was incredibly sore along his back and down along his sides where the girth had been. Shiitake. Seems like maybe we don't have whatever was bothering him last season fixed after all.. :frown_color:


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## AnitaAnne

Can try one of these on the saddle, it has made my hips much happier 

https://www.barefootsaddlesusa.com/Barefoot_Treeless_Saddle_Seat_Cushion_Hip_Savers_p/hip-saver.htm


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> Can try one of these on the saddle, it has made my hips much happier
> 
> https://www.barefootsaddlesusa.com/Barefoot_Treeless_Saddle_Seat_Cushion_Hip_Savers_p/hip-saver.htm


I have something like that in my Torsion. Since Iggy and his saddle went home, my hips are now safe. :wink:


----------



## Spanish Rider

Ay, poor Georgie.



> In that I am a female often left wondering, yes.


Now that is not what I mean and you know it!


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## phantomhorse13

Spanish Rider said:


> In that I am a female often left wondering, yes
> 
> 
> 
> Now that is not what I mean and you know it!
Click to expand...


:think: :biglaugh: :rofl:


----------



## AnitaAnne

I liked all of your post about George except the last paragraph :frown_color: 

You and George made those kids very happy


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I went over to ride with Nicole. After a brief delay (when the farrier showed up a day early - oops), we got Hombre and Polo out. It was quite hot and humid, so they were on their best behavior.





































8.18 miles, 540 feet of climb, 5.4 mph average pace, 94F real feel


In the evening, I went to test ride a mare for a friend (who didn't want to drive up from Virginia). The mare belongs to another mutual friend, so I didn't expect anything but the very fun ride we had. It was still very hot, so we only went enough for me to get a feel of the mare and check on the things the buyer wanted to know.




























3.94 miles, 217 feet of climb, 4.5 mph average pace, 96F real feel

My friend is buying the mare!


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## Spanish Rider

Look at you, all matchy-matchy with the tack! Love the mane on that mare - would be interested to see the rest of her.


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## phantomhorse13

Spanish Rider said:


> Love the mane on that mare - would be interested to see the rest of her.



Mara is your typical frosted buckskin - very pretty! Had to stalk her (old) owner's fb page for a couple whole body pics:


----------



## SwissMiss

phantomhorse13 said:


> Mara is your typical frosted buckskin - very pretty! Had to stalk her (old) owner's fb page for a couple whole body pics:


 Very pretty indeed!
But that leads to a question: I always thought buckskins don't have leg barring :wonder: 



And re the pic with Hombre - I just can't stop drooling over that horse


----------



## gottatrot

SwissMiss said:


> Very pretty indeed!
> But that leads to a question: I always thought buckskins don't have leg barring


Hmm, perhaps she is a dun. Kind of looks like a dorsal stripe up by her withers. 
Is she going to be used for endurance?


----------



## phantomhorse13

SwissMiss said:


> I always thought buckskins don't have leg barring





gottatrot said:


> Hmm, perhaps she is a dun. Kind of looks like a dorsal stripe up by her withers.
> Is she going to be used for endurance?


 While leg barring is associated with dun ("D"), primitive markings can also be caused by non-dun1 ("nd1"). They can be hard to tell apart in some cases, but Mara lacks the right coat dilution and a distinct dorsal that continues into the tail. Nor does she have any shoulder or ear barring or a facial mask,which are other dun traits.

This is a dunskin (buckskin dun):









Do you see how the coat is much lighter (as both dun and cream are dilution genes) and the dorsal is VERY clear and goes right down the tail?

This is a bay dun:









Notice the darker face mask and the almost washed out tone to the body, as well as the dorsal that continues into the tail and the leg barring.

This is a bay with countershading (so likely nd1): 










There is still a dorsal, but its much less sharp and does not continue down the tail. The body is also not diluted.



Mara's new owner has some health issues related to a TBI she suffered a few years ago in a riding accident. She is not able to deal with riding longer distances currently, so Mara will be her pleasure riding horse with the hopes of maybe more if things improve in the future.


----------



## SwissMiss

See, I always learn something here :biggrin:


----------



## QueenofFrance08

Sorry about George! 

That horse is beautiful! What kind is she?

Any chance of trying out another horse for you in the near future?!?!?!


----------



## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> That horse is beautiful! What kind is she?
> 
> Any chance of trying out another horse for you in the near future?!



Mara came out of a killpen, so don't have any background or registration. The previous owner did a DNA test that said she was Foxtrotter/Walker. Her gaits seem to be those of a Foxtrotter (or so say people who know these things, which is not me!).


DH has told me that I should be shopping for another horse, but I just don't know that I am ready to do so yet. Some days the idea seems somewhat interesting but most days the thought makes me cry. Not exactly the right mindset to look for your next partner in.. :|


----------



## phantomhorse13

Today has already been a disaster and I would like to call a do-over for this week.

The vet was due out at 9 for Sultan's lameness exam. Because its been so subtle, we wanted to see if he would show anything or if I needed to ride him to maybe help it show. We jogged him when they came in for breakfast and he didn't show a darn thing, even with flexing that knee. So I planned to ride him before the vet came. DH finished feeding and turned everyone out while I went inside to deal with Mia (who is a newly-diagnosed diabetic, so gets fed on a very specific schedule now). Got Mia situated, then went out to grab Sultan.

Who was choking. Shiitake. I couldn't get it to pass and he was coughing up profuse amounts of fluid, so I called the vet (who doesn't live far). Luckily, with the right sedation and tubing, the blockage passed pretty easily. But of course the lameness exam is postponed, as the antibiotic injection in his neck will likely make him sore (because of the large volume he was coughing up, I was afraid to just do oral antibiotics.. with the luck we have been having, he would have developed aspiration pneumonia).


While she was here, the vet drew blood on George for a multiplex, just as a rule out. Pretty scary when you hope a horse has Lyme..


----------



## egrogan

Ugh, what a Monday!

Izzy choked once a few years ago, and it was such a scary, helpless-feeling experience. Hope it all resolves! Sending good vibes.


----------



## tim62988

is george the one you bought the pandora for? or is that one of your others?


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## Tazzie

Ugh, what an awful morning! I'm so sorry you've had to go through this :sad:

And I would wait to shop for a new horse until you're mentally prepared for it. I'd hate to see you wind up in something that will be trouble too :/


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## newtrailriders

Good grief! I hope the next few days go much better for you!


----------



## phantomhorse13

tim62988 said:


> is george the one you bought the pandora for? or is that one of your others?


The Pandora is for Phin. I can only hope that I will be using it again come fall!!

Will you guys be around the weekend of the 23 & 24th? Looks like I will be heading to the Brookfield CTR (riding for someone else).




Tazzie said:


> And I would wait to shop for a new horse until you're mentally prepared for it. I'd hate to see you wind up in something that will be trouble too


Well, its entirely possible a new horse may be in the works, so just goes to show some part of me must be ready for another. 

There was an absolutely stunning, endurance-bred Arab in a livestock yard being advertised on FB. I liked him enough to call DH at work about it. By the time I got a hold of him, the horse was marked saved. The breeder had found out he was there and pulled him. In speaking with the breeder to congratulate her on being a wonderful human being, it came out she really wasn't looking to keep the horse. She has a friend who is interested in taking him.. but if that falls through for some reason, we are next on the list.

I am not sure if karma would bite me in the *** over wishing ill on this other person or not. :wink: But really, the logistics of trying to fetch this horse (who is in Colorado, I believe) would be pretty daunting, so likely better the friend takes him. Up to the universe now..


----------



## knightrider

If it isn't one thing, it's another! How awful to have this constant string of bad events. I hope things go much better this coming week!


----------



## tim62988

phantomhorse13 said:


> The Pandora is for Phin. I can only hope that I will be using it again come fall!!
> 
> Will you guys be around the weekend of the 23 & 24th? Looks like I will be heading to the Brookfield CTR (riding for someone else).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Well, its entirely possible a new horse may be in the works, so just goes to show some part of me must be ready for another.
> 
> There was an absolutely stunning, endurance-bred Arab in a livestock yard being advertised on FB. I liked him enough to call DH at work about it. By the time I got a hold of him, the horse was marked saved. The breeder had found out he was there and pulled him. In speaking with the breeder to congratulate her on being a wonderful human being, it came out she really wasn't looking to keep the horse. She has a friend who is interested in taking him.. but if that falls through for some reason, we are next on the list.
> 
> I am not sure if karma would bite me in the *** over wishing ill on this other person or not. :wink: But really, the logistics of trying to fetch this horse (who is in Colorado, I believe) would be pretty daunting, so likely better the friend takes him. Up to the universe now..



last i heard we are to be camping at Otter Creek that weekend. was hoping to have my mare in shape for the 15 but not gonna happen for this year, NY winters really screw up my plans of keeping my horse in a decent shape coming into spring.


good luck on the horse search. I would think it should be fairly easy to weed out 90% of the horses on the market "is it gray?"


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## phantomhorse13

tim62988 said:


> lgood luck on the horse search. I would think it should be fairly easy to weed out 90% of the horses on the market "is it gray?"



I would actually prefer it to be not grey, however I am not going to refuse a horse that fits everything else I want because of the color. And as you said, so many Arabs are grey. So we shall see..


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## SwissMiss

If it rains, it pours! So sorry to hear that your string of bad luck is still hanging around! Hopefully the choking was the last one and you have smooth sailing ahead!


And re another horse: if it's meant to be it will happen :biggrin:


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## QueenofFrance08

Wait, this Colorado horse.... Is it gray? :lol:


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> Wait, this Colorado horse.... Is it gray?


Nope. Nice bay, no white.


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## AnitaAnne

A bay??? Hmm. Have you talked to the boys about it yet? Will red accessories look good on a Bay or will you have to pick yet another color? 

The buckskin and dun thing confuses me. I tend to just call them all buckskin and leave it at that. Of course if I actually owned one, I would have to get it right! 

Home Sultan and George are ok.


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I got Sultan out. I wasn't looking for a conditioning ride, more just getting him moving a bit to try to work the lump out of his neck that resulted from the antibiotic injection. Because he won't longe without acting like something dangerous is chasing him icon_rolleyes, I figured he would behave better under saddle.

And happy to report he was a good boy. We moseyed across Alimar and down to the outdoor ring. The grass is so high, you can't see the jumps any more!










Then we moseyed over and around the Big Square. 










The nasty dog was tied up (yay!), but there were some new friends in a pen.



















6.44 miles, 735 feet of climb, 4.9 mph average pace, 70F real feel


Today, I wanted to get Sultan out again for another mosey. This time, I added a bit of climb by going up the Sugarloaf.










Sultan was a bit fussier today, as he thought the mellow pace was insulting.










The saw grass is literally as high as his head!










6.35 miles, 1075 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 65F real feel


I hadn't planned to get George out, but DH was insistent. I argued that I didn't think he was fully recovered from whatever went on last week, but DH said I was just being paranoid as he couldn't get him to react to palpation anywhere. Against my gut, I agree to take him out.

From the start, George was totally unenthused. I needed to push him for every stride. He was also spooking constantly, with his head straight up and eyes bugged out. Not liking how he felt, I quickly changed my plan from climbing the Sugarloaf to riding the fields around it. I wanted to see if his attitude improved any once we were heading for home.










While George didn't feel off exactly, he was moving in a weird way. He didn't want to extend his stride at all, instead almost trotting in place. And forget canter - I couldn't get him to do more than a stride at a time. NOT like him at all.

When we made the turn for home and he still was needing to be pushed every stride, I knew something wasn't right. We went home by the shortest route possible. He was happy to stop and graze by the pond, versus being in a hurry to go home.










At no point going home did he ever want to move out. In fact, if I took my leg off, he would promptly walk at a snail's pace. He didn't seem sore anywhere I could palpate, but he didn't stride out with either front leg even as I hand walked him. Once we got home and I untacked, I couldn't find any tight muscles or places he would flinch at my touch, but he just didn't want to stride out.

6.45 miles, 723 feet of climb, 4.9 mph average pace, 68F real feel


I don't know what to think, but I sure don't like it. Even DH had to admit he was moving differently when he got home this evening. Ugh. :|


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## phantomhorse13

Tomorrow, I head down to Lani's and then to the Old Dominion. DH will be staying home as we have hay down. The plan is for me to ride Flo in the 50 on Friday and then crew for Lani and Kathy (riding Duroc and Fugi) in the 100 on Saturday.


I normally don't have reception down there, so I likely won't be able to update until I am home. Everyone cross their fingers the weather gives us a break!


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## QueenofFrance08

AnitaAnne said:


> A bay??? Hmm. Have you talked to the boys about it yet? Will red accessories look good on a Bay or will you have to pick yet another color?
> 
> The buckskin and dun thing confuses me. I tend to just call them all buckskin and leave it at that. Of course if I actually owned one, I would have to get it right!
> 
> Home Sultan and George are ok.


Well blue might look good.... If Sultan has enough extra gear to share!

I don't know if we're like totally weird here or what but I would guess only 5% of the endurance horses out here are gray. Mostly bay, black, chestnut..... Off the top of my head I can only think of 2 gray Arabians and one gray Standardbred that does 50s....


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## AnitaAnne

QueenofFrance08 said:


> Well blue might look good.... If Sultan has enough extra gear to share!
> 
> I don't know if we're like totally weird here or what but I would guess only 5% of the endurance horses out here are gray. Mostly bay, black, chestnut..... Off the top of my head I can only think of 2 gray Arabians and one gray Standardbred that does 50s....


Might be regional differences. I have had a couple of greys and they stay a lot cooler than the darker horses and seem to tolerate the high temperatures here much better. 

Color is never my first consideration looking for a horse, but it is still a factor to consider. 

My grey Percheron/Arab was much better riding when it was above 80F. He hated the cold. Now I have a black/white paint and she is miserable in the heat. Seems like the flies attack her more than they do the other horses too :frown_color:


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## AnitaAnne

@phantomhorse13 safe journey to you. Can't wait to see the video when you return!


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## QueenofFrance08

AnitaAnne said:


> Might be regional differences. I have had a couple of greys and they stay a lot cooler than the darker horses and seem to tolerate the high temperatures here much better.
> 
> Color is never my first consideration looking for a horse, but it is still a factor to consider.
> 
> My grey Percheron/Arab was much better riding when it was above 80F. He hated the cold. Now I have a black/white paint and she is miserable in the heat. Seems like the flies attack her more than they do the other horses too :frown_color:


You're probably right. We have more cold and less heat (although some of the rides are usually in the 90s from what I hear) so worrying about colors that have heat problems is less of a worry here. 

@phantomhorse13 Can't wait to see your pictures and videos! I love seeing how different your trails are!


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## knightrider

Best of luck in the Old Dominion!!! It was my dream for many years to complete the 50 in the OD, but I never got the chance to do it, mainly because I got seduced away by doing the joust shows. I was making money with horses rather than spending money on horses, and that was heady stuff. Still, I'll always have a fond spot in my heart for that OD ride. Wish I couldda done it.


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## AnitaAnne

knightrider said:


> Best of luck in the Old Dominion!!! It was my dream for many years to complete the 50 in the OD, but I never got the chance to do it, mainly because I got seduced away by doing the joust shows. I was making money with horses rather than spending money on horses, and that was heady stuff. Still, I'll always have a fond spot in my heart for that OD ride. Wish I couldda done it.


There is still time! Start training for next year  You ride so much, 50 should be doable.


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## frlsgirl

Safe travels. I hope you get the lameness issues figured out. This time of year in Oklahoma, we see a lot of abscesses.


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## newtrailriders

I hope you return with stories and videos!


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## phantomhorse13

What a weekend!!

I drove down to Lani and Kathy's very early Thursday morning and traded my car for their dually truck. I was informed that the truck's aggressive mud tires made it have a mind of its own when it came to steering and to be careful because it liked to try to fling itself into the ditch or into oncoming traffic. Umm - great!! Luckily, it wasn't too different than driving the crazy mudder jeep my ex had, but it certainly increased the paranoia factor.

We got to camp just after lunch and got set up and registered. We only had Flo, as Kathy would be bringing Duroc and Fuji the following day. I got all the stuff I would need for my holds loaded into the truck and then took a drive out and set up spots. It was quite hot by the time I returned to camp and got Flo out for a pre-ride and then vetted in. The ride meeting was quite long and I was very happy to fall into bed when it was over.

Friday morning was cool but very humid. I got Flo ready and hoped for a breeze to help move the air. I made sure the few last minute things we needed were in the truck for Lani to bring out to the hold.










A friend asked if we minded some company and I told her that would be up to Flo. Luckily, Flo didn't mind Epyc and there was no drama as we warmed up.



















The first loop was 16 miles with one pretty substantial climb. Virginia has had a lot of rain in the past couple weeks, so all the creeks were flowing and there was water in places I had never seen it before. The mountain laurel was in full bloom, which was just spectacular.


__
Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18
Show Content










Flo was a bit cranked up to start with, wanting to catch and pass any horse she could see in front of her. Eventually we found our own space and she settled down.

[I have purchased the following pics, but the prints have not arrived to be able to scan yet.]



























The first loop is a nice combination of single track and road. With it being as wet as it was, the road was actually somewhat of a relief.










Before we knew it, we were approaching the first hold.










Flo was pulsed down by the time I had pulled her tack and passed the vetting easily. She was quite content to stand and eat the whole time.










Next up was the second loop, also 16 miles.










This loop starts out not too badly, but has the worst climb of the day. It was still very humid and the temperature was rising as we made our way.










Did I mention that the OD is famous for it's rocks? This loop had plenty..










Yes, that really IS the trail! Flo was great though, keeping her head even when we caught up to several sets of horses. 










That loop is always somewhat demoralizing, as the climb seems to last forever. I was very happy to get to the top, where there is a wonderful water tank before the descent starts. I was surprised that the trail down was actually a running creek in places, but the gravel road into the hold made for easy travel.

to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

The second hold is staffed by all volunteers, with no crews allowed. Because we had a bit of a pocket around us, we had plenty of help. Flo needed a bit of sponging as it was hot and very humid, but she and Epyc vetted through without concern.










The hold felt very short, but thunder was rumbling as we got ready to leave. Not two minutes after we left, the skies opened in a soaking rain. While it didn't feel too bad moving, it would have been miserable to stand in so I was glad we left when we did.

That loop was 13 miles of mostly road.










I am not a big fan of being wet, but the rain only lasted about 15 minutes. While it was enough to make me go squish (ugh!), I did dry out by the time I got to the next hold.

Lani had gone back to camp to meet Kathy and the horses, but Dana (Flo's original owner) was there to help us. Flo was pulsed down by the time her tack was off and looked great in the vetting.










The sun was back out by the time we left for the final loop. The horses were happy to be pointed for home. 



















The humidity was oppressive as everything was wet and steaming from the sun, so I was glad it was only 7 miles back to camp. The ground had not improved any after the rain and being crossed by all the 50s and the LDs, so we took it easy. We got back to camp without incident and the horses vetted through without concern. Completion!

Flo was happy to dig into her dinner.














 


















We were told at the finish line we tied for 13th, but at awards they announced us as 11th. I was surprised we finished so high up out of the 50-some starters as we certainly rode a casual pace. I am so happy with how Flo handled herself!














Kathy had arrived in camp with Duroc and Fugi while I was out on trail. She also had packed the truck so everything was ready for me to crew the next day. Lani kept joking with people that she was only _starting_ the 100, not planning to finish it. I told her she better be careful, as Duroc would hear her and do the whole ride just to prove her wrong. Dinner was on time, but the ride meeting and awards were very delayed. I was half asleep by the time they were over and very happy to crawl into bed.

We were up at 3:30 Saturday morning. Everyone had behaved overnight and was happy to eat their breakfast. We got the boys tacked up without incident and Kathy and Lani on board to warm up. Kathy started out ponying Duroc.

Trail opened at 5:30am and they were one of the last people out of camp.










Once they were on trail, I got Flo attended to, then headed out to the first hold. I had plenty of time to get parked and take the handful of things I needed from the truck to our crew spot. I knew Kathy and Lani were planning a conservative pace, so I was able to help several friends who were running in the front before they arrived.










After getting them back out on trail, I was asked to stay to help pulse the LDs. Knowing I couldn't go to the second hold and it would be many hours before they reached the 3rd, I agreed. It was fun to see various friends and make some new ones.

After the LDs were all through, I swung by camp to check on Flo and grab myself some lunch and load my cooler onto the truck. I took Flo for a walk and was pleased to see she didn't seem stiff at all. Flo was happy as she had neighbors to keep her company, so I stuffed her hay net as full as I could and filled another water bucket for her.

Then it was off to the third hold. The driving directions warned the road had some curves and drop offs.. and omg it was horrifying. There were many places the dually took up almost the entire road, so I spent a lot of time praying no vehicles would come the other way, especially in the multiple blind turns. Thank goodness I only saw a handful of other cars and all were on straight places that had a bit of an edge to allow for passing.

I got to the hold and got lucky to get a good spot as another truck pulled out. I got what I needed set up, then settled in to wait. All the crews huddled around the timing tent, waiting for radio news of riders that had been pulled in the previous hold. It wasn't long before we heard thunder and the sky got dark, so I went back to the truck to wait out the rain.

Lani and Kathy arrived about when I expected them. The trail conditions hadn't improved any since I had ridden, so the going was very slow. Duroc took a bit of cooling to get his pulse down, but he and Fuji vetted through just fine.

The drive out of that hold was back the way I had come and the road was no less terrifying the second time. Again, I got very lucky to not have much traffic and the few I did pass were in safe places. However, the sky was again threatening as I turned off onto the forest service road to the next hold. While it only rained on me a bit, the road gave evidence I had missed an ugly storm as there was a lot of running water and a lot of leaf and branch debris everywhere. When I hit a spot with cell reception, my phone promptly screeched in the horrible weather alert tone and warned me of flash flooding. Wonderful.

I got to the hold and found a lot of repair work going on. The storm I had just missed had brought not only ugly wind, but quarter-sized HAIL! The pop up tents had not fared well, as the ones that were tied down well had the tops blown off and ones not tied down well had gone flying! I helped fix what I could, but it wasn't long before more thunder started rumbling. Back to the truck I went.

While that storm didn't drop any hail, it did drop about 2 inches of rain!!










The worst of the rain lasted about an hour, but then it rained off and on for a couple more hours after that. Riders came in with horror stories of being pelted by hail and riding in knee deep rushing water as the trail turned into a creek. Lani and Kathy came in very close to cut off time, both looking rather shell-shocked. While they had missed the hail, they had not missed wading in all the water, or the thunder and lightning. Both horses were unenthused, but vetted through without issues.










You could tell their fun meter was running low, but they mounted up and headed out anyway. The next loop was gravel road which normally meant being able to move along, but there were so many wash outs that the going was still pretty slow. I was shocked to see the difference between when I drove in and drove out!

The last two holds were brief and the horses seemed to be doing better than the riders. I had expected Lani to be hurting bad, but Kathy got very spacey which is something I have never seen before. Luckily she didn't give me too much trouble as I insisted she keep eating and drinking. As they headed out for the final 7 miles, they had 2 hours to make it before cutoff.

When I got back to camp, I checked on Flo and then headed to the finish line to wait. Unlike most years, over half the ride finished in the last hour of time allowed, so there was activity to keep me awake while waiting. About 10 minutes before cutoff, they appeared out of the fog.










The horses looked much better than the riders, but it wasn't over until the horses were vetted. I got the boys untacked and tossed some water on the front end and coolers on the back end. 

Kathy and I took them to the final vetting and were thrilled they both got completions. They did it!!


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## knightrider

Oh! My! Gosh! What a lot of adventures and adversity! You are certainly hardy . . . and so are Lani and Kathy. That is far more adversity than I would enjoy. Now I remember why I gave up endurance riding for theatrical jousting!


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## Zexious

How long do the vet checks normally take?
Man oh man, the weather really wasn't on your side this time around! Do you notice a difference in the horses in the rain? I also hate being wet--are rain coats of any use? Did it take you long to dry off? Will they ever call the event?

Flo is so cute 
Congratulations on a really successful ride! Do you typically aim for the top, or is completion more the goal?

5:30am and one of the last people out?! When do most people get started? xD
Are these types of rides (races? what's the proper name?) pretty hectic? How many people generally compete?

So glad your friends completed!

Sorry for all the questions! I so enjoy keeping up with your thread, @phantomhorse13  It's fun to live vicariously through your rides!


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## QueenofFrance08

Congratulations on your 50 and Lani and Kathy's 100! Maybe someday I'll have to head out that direction to see one of the big famous rides! 

Ok more questions from me:

Is Flo short or is Epyc really super tall? P.S. Love Flo she looks like my Jake!

What do the horses have on for shoes/pads? We mostly have grass/dirt trails (in fact this weekend's ride is the only one in MN we have that is recommended boots/shoes due to limestone trails) so those rocky paths look very intimidating to me! I just have plain steel shoes all around on Stitch to keep her from wearing down but I imagine you need a lot more for those trails!

What kind of saddle does Flo have? It looks comfortable, secure, but light.... (Basically everything I'm dreaming of)

Ooh and any updates on Colorado horse?


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## phantomhorse13

Zexious said:


> How long do the vet checks normally take?
> Do you notice a difference in the horses in the rain?
> 
> I also hate being wet--are rain coats of any use? Did it take you long to dry off? Will they ever call the event?
> Do you typically aim for the top, or is completion more the goal?
> 
> 5:30am and one of the last people out?! When do most people get started?
> Are these types of rides (races? what's the proper name?) pretty hectic? How many people generally compete?



The actual vet exam normally only takes about 5 minutes, depending on the vet. 






Sometimes there is a line too, so that can use up some time. The hold happens once the horse makes pulse. Hold times vary by ride, but are normally 20-60 minutes, with the average in our region being 45. That gives the horse (and rider) time to eat and drink before heading back out again.

How horses handle the rain varies just like it does with people. In general, the temperature has a lot to do with whether it's welcome and how you react (90F? rain is wonderful. 40F? rain is horrible). Some horses don't like rain pelting their faces (and who can blame them) and certainly no horse appreciates hail!

Raingear is a frustrating subject. I have yet to find anything that is truly waterproof for 10+ miles on the trail without some part leaking or rubbing or making you feel like you are riding in an oven because it doesn't breathe. I get very hot when I ride, so knowing the temps were supposed to be high I didn't bother to bring a coat, as wearing it would have made me sweat so I would have been all wet anyway! How long it takes you to dry depends on what you are wearing and the weather. Most people use synthetic fabrics, which tend to dry fairly quickly. However, this is one area where sheepskin (like on saddle covers) is not your friend, as it absorbs water like a sponge and seems to stay wet for a long time.

It is _very_ rare for a ride to be called due to weather once the ride is already going on. I know of one that was called mid-ride due to tornadoes in the area; another which was stopped mid-ride due to fire evacuations. Sometimes rides are canceled ahead of time due to pending weather (an incoming hurricane canceled one I was supposed to attend in Rhode Island one year) or as the result of bad weather (Hurricane Sandy canceled a ride a few years ago and just recently a foot of snow canceled what should have been our first ride of the season). Out west, fires are a constant danger and its not uncommon for rides to be canceled because of them.

My goal for every ride is to finish with a happy, health horse who gets a completion. Beyond that, it depends on the horse, the day and the trail. Things like terrain and weather make a big difference, especially if you are talking about the half drafts! I tend to go out with a rough plan in mind and make adjustments accordingly. If that plan gets us top 10, great. If that plan gets us last, that is fine by me. The horses I ride for Lani and Kathy are generally green and/or young, so winning is never the plan.

While most people here refer to the events as "rides" they are technically "races" as the fastest across the line wins. Calling the events rides vs races seems to be regional.

Start times vary by distance and time of year. Because 100s are can last up to 24 hours, they generally start as early as possible. In the past, the OD has started at 5 am, but it is still pretty dark then, so this year they moved the start time to 5:30. You have 15 minutes from the time trail opens to get started.

Any ride can be hectic, but in general the chaos decreases as the distance increases as normally greener horses are doing the shorter distances and more experienced horses the longer ones. Obviously there are always exceptions! In this region, most rides have 30-50 entries per distance. This does vary pretty wildly by region at times; it's not uncommon to have 100+ entries in rides in the West, while rides in the Mid West may have 10-15.




QueenofFrance08 said:


> Is Flo short or is Epyc really super tall?
> What do the horses have on for shoes/pads?
> What kind of saddle does Flo have?
> Ooh and any updates on Colorado horse?


Epyc is really tall for an arab, as Flo is 16 hands.

Flo was wearing steel shoes (generally eventers, as Kathy likes those type and she is who does the shoeing) with pour in pads and borium splats for traction. This ride can be tough on shoes, so Kathy generally puts some acrylic on the heels to hopefully stop something from catching the edge and removing the shoe.

I was riding in a Stonewall. It's very light and seems to fit a variety of horses. The downside is it sucks to sit and walk in, as it feels something like a 2x4. It's great at a trot or canter though. [It's the design the Pandora (and a couple others) was based on. I got a Pandora vs a Stonewall because the Pandora is all synthetic, so no leather to clean.]

I have not heard anything more about the Colorado horse, so assume that means the other person took him.


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## carshon

Wow! Just WOW! as always I love your posts and my heart was in my throat about the storm. Glad everyone is OK and that horses all vetted through well.


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## frlsgirl

Wow it sounds like you have to be prepared for anything, and lots of thoughts and planning with shoeing. Us Dressage queens only ride when the conditions are perfect and all the stars are aligned just right, which is probably why your horses could run circles around most Dressage horses.


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## phantomhorse13

frlsgirl said:


> Us Dressage queens only ride when the conditions are perfect and all the stars are aligned just right



Yeah, but I can ride 50 miles and not be nearly as tired (or sore) as I am from a 30 minute dressage lesson!!


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## Change

Congrats to you and Flo on finishing the 50, and props to Lani and Kathy for completing the 100! You must be pretty proud of Duroc, since you put so many green miles on him before he graduated to the Big Leagues. ;-) Those rocky trails are, oddly enough, the type of trails where Tango seemed the most relaxed and at home. There were a couple places at the Hodges Hootenany where I was worried about his bare feet, but he flipped his ears forward, watched his step, and chugged right on through! He isn't a fan of gravel roads, though. Go figure. 

I do think that if I ever get to ride the OD, my boyo would get shoes.


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## phantomhorse13

First thing Tuesday morning, I had Sultan out. The vet had suggested riding him two days in a row to see if we could bring whatever was bothering him out more clearly. DH had ridden him Monday on and he went along just fine.

The sun had barely risen when we left the barn and we were chasing ourselves out to the Sugarloaf.










We went up and down and then around the backside to come up again. By that time, I thought I was feeling an occasional short step going downhill.










Sultan was very good and actually seemed fairly confused when we turned for home so early. 










6.35 miles, 809 feet of climb, 5.8 mph average pace, 72F real feel


The vet was unable to see any lameness on a straight line, but Sultan did show some intermittent lameness on a circle to the right on pavement. It didn't react to flexion, so the vet started blocking. On the second block (which did his whole foot), he showed improvement. That gave us a place to focus on for radiographs.

Sultan was a very good boy for all the trotting and circling and then standing for rads. Our vet doesn't have digital, so I went about my day trying not to worry while waiting to hear from her after she developed them. Just before dinner, she called to say he has some high ringbone in that leg. Shiitake. :frown_color:

The next step will be to get it injected and to tweak his shoeing, but our vet wasn't optimistic that would get him comfortable enough to compete again. I know a couple people (Patti being one of them) with horses with this issue who were not able to return to competition, though they are sound for light riding. Definitely not the diagnosis I had been hoping for, but it does fit all the things we were seeing..


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## phantomhorse13

Tuesday afternoon, Gina asked if I was interested in riding Amish as company for her and Giselle. Giselle has been behaving odd for months and my SIL has not been having any luck in figuring it out. The mare has been in heat for months without end, yet ultrasounds and hormone tests come back as normal. The mare had been very reactive under saddle, actually dumping Gina a couple times (which is not like her at all). We hoped company might keep the mare settled (and if nothing else, I was there to drag Gina out of a ditch if things went wrong).

Amish hasn't been ridden in months, so we figured heading for the Sugarloaf would keep them grounded. It was a perfect day for riding, with the sun shining, a decent breeze and temps in the mid 70s without much humidity.










We went partway up the Sugarloaf and then down around the farm. The potatoes are coming along nicely.










We finished by moseying around Spaulding's fields. The horses were a bit excited heading for home, but nothing unreasonable. Giselle, who ironically wasn't in heat for the first time in months, acted normally which was a huge relief.










5.63 miles, 947 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average pace, 76F real feel


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## SwissMiss

Oh no, not the news about Sultan I was hoping to hear! :hug:


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## AnitaAnne

Congratulation to you and pretty Flo on the completion! I do love a red horse. Those trails look and sound tough. Rain changing trails into streams? OMG. 

Congratulations to Lani & Kathy too! 100 miles in that mess is quite the achievement. True grit :clap:

Very interesting to read about those shoes Kathy puts on the horses. I used to use borium on my driving horses but haven't had any for years. Not sure if there are farriers around here that even do that anymore. The shoes would last nearly forever on the bottom, but the nail hole enlargement prevented using them more than twice. 

Poor Sultan has ringbone? Dangit :frown_color: Is fusing an option?


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## gottatrot

So sorry to hear about Sultan's ringbone. Of course it's always better to know what is going on. Still, not good news. How old is he?


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## phantomhorse13

Thursday, Gina and I got Amish and Giselle out again. She was still out of heat, so we hoped maybe whatever was wrong had finally corrected itself.

We moseyed around the Big Square.



















On the way home, we passed our place. Not sure if the boys were jealous or saying 'nah nah' to Amish!










6.46 miles, 658 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 85F real feel


Friday, I went over to meet and ride a horse who belongs to Christine (who used to board with my SIL). I was asked to ride him in a CTR next weekend. Christine wants to get into distance riding, but was concerned her draft cross mare wasn't really going to be suitable. She had been shopping for an experienced trail horse, but decided on Mateo, a mustang gelding who hasn't even been under saddle a year.

We started out in the indoor with a bit of groundwork. He is very willing but you could tell he was not real happy to be in the indoor. He didn't do anything naughty though, so after a few minutes I was happy to head outside to the trails.

Christine started out in the lead, but her mare walks incredibly slowly.










When Mateo asked to go first, I let him. He was much happier outside. While he was quite alert, he didn't react to much.










Mateo was a bit funny about water crossings (he wants to jump versus walk in if it was muddy), but he didn't mind the wildlife crashing around us or the many branches I had to push aside or duck, many of which snapped off when I touched them.










I think he is going to be a very nice horse, I am just not so sure he was the right pick for his not-very-confident owner. She does have him in training at the barn though (which includes lessons for her), so we shall see how that progresses!

4.6 miles, 682 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 84F real feel


Yesterday, I got Amish out with Gina and Giselle again. The mare was back in heat (ugh!), so we weren't sure what to expect of her behavior. Happy to report things went great! We moseyed over across the farm to the Tomhicken and did a loop over there before returning home.




























9.13 miles, 1218 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average pace, 88F real feel


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## AnitaAnne

Has Gina taken Giselle to the vet to see why her heat is so prolonged and frequent? 

My friend's mare was in heat this past week and was a real witch! I was very careful around her!! 

Mateo looks adorable (his ears anyway) and sounds like he is on his way to being a good trail horse.


----------



## Celeste

AnitaAnne said:


> Has Gina taken Giselle to the vet to see why her heat is so prolonged and frequent?
> 
> My friend's mare was in heat this past week and was a real witch! I was very careful around her!!
> 
> .


My mare used to be a total witch when she came in heat. I think I probably was easy on her, thinking that she felt bad. Then I got to thinking. Nobody ever let me get out of work when my hormones go psycho. Why should she get better treatment than I do? Especially when she rarely works 3 hours to my 50 hours. As I just ignored her shenanigans and made her work anyway, she stopped being such a pill. All the miles I have put on her didn't hurt either.


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## QueenofFrance08

So sorry about Sultan! Poor guy!

I love Mateo, those ears are cute! Can't wait to hear about your ride with him!


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> Poor Sultan has ringbone? Is fusing an option?


I have not yet seen the rads myself, but the vet said there was very little fusion so far.




gottatrot said:


> So sorry to hear about Sultan's ringbone. How old is he?


Sultan and George are both 19.




AnitaAnne said:


> Has Gina taken Giselle to the vet to see why her heat is so prolonged and frequent?


Gina has had the vet out multiple times, for ultrasounds and various blood tests (checking various hormone levels as well as testing for PPID and thyroid dysfunction). Nothing has been abnormal, so everyone is left scratching their heads. I think the next step is trying her on Regumate, just to see if that helps as even with normal tests, it is not normal for a mare to be in heat all winter!! 





Celeste said:


> My mare used to be a total witch when she came in heat. I think I probably was easy on her, thinking that she felt bad. Then I got to thinking. Nobody ever let me get out of work when my hormones go psycho. Why should she get better treatment than I do? Especially when she rarely works 3 hours to my 50 hours. As I just ignored her shenanigans and made her work anyway, she stopped being such a pill. All the miles I have put on her didn't hurt either.


Before, Giselle might have been a little bit cranky when in heat, but she would do things like pin her ears during grooming and would not be as forward under saddle. However, over the past maybe 6 months, she started getting worse and worse. Now she is squealing and striking out when being groomed (not saddled or girthed, literally when you were brushing her, especially her flanks) and when ridden alone, getting balky under saddle to the point of exploding and bucking Gina off. The mare is 12 or 13 and Gina has had her since she was a yearling, which is why Gina won't believe this is just a random change in behavior - the mare has never been coddled in terms of not working when in heat, has been expected to behave herself, and has always been better alone than with company.


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## carshon

I would suspect ulcers and not a heat cycle issue. Just MO - but my hubbies Navicular mare got like that - even to the point of urinating a lot. We treated for ulcers and have her on Redmond Rock Daily Gold and it has helped.


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## phantomhorse13

carshon said:


> I would suspect ulcers and not a heat cycle issue. Just MO - but my hubbies Navicular mare got like that - even to the point of urinating a lot. We treated for ulcers and have her on Redmond Rock Daily Gold and it has helped.



I will certainly suggest it. The mare is out 24/7 with grass and/or hay available at all times.. but who knows why horses get ulcers sometimes. Did your mare have a swollen vulva and do a lot of posturing and winking, too?


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## gottatrot

I've read here on the forum that sometimes the diet can cause hormonal issues. I believe clover, alfalfa and soy contain Phyto-estrogens and these can make some horses show reproductive signs that seem like heat cycle issues or cysts, even though the vet doesn't find problems. Perhaps the owner can look over the pasture for clover or look for soy in other feed ingredients. It could help to cut those out of the diet.


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## carshon

@phantomhorse13 our mare did posture when riding near strange horses and we always assumed her vulva was irritated from excessive urinating. She also was on pasture with hay and grain 2 x per day. She exhibited other ulcer-like signs like cranky when being saddles, did not like her flanks or sides palpated and she became an irritable tail swisher - none of these were things she had ever done before. The Redmond Rock Daily Gold keeps her better on a daily basis and we certainly know if we run out and she has not had it for a few days


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## Oreos Girl

I was going to suggest a chiropractor to see if she was out of alignment somewhere. She sounds like she is in pain.


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## phantomhorse13

Oreos Girl said:


> I was going to suggest a chiropractor to see if she was out of alignment somewhere. She sounds like she is in pain.



Gina's horses see one regularly. Nothing any more out of whack each visit than normal, and through the winter she actually maintained pretty well between adjustments as she wasn't ridden much due to weather.


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## Celeste

I think Regumate is a good next step.


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I went over to ride with Gina. Giselle is out of heat, so acted like her old self. While Gina was thrilled, I think she is also tearing out her hair as she still doesn't have an explanation for what has been going on. I believe she did order the Regumate, but it hasn't arrived to have started..

It was still fairly humid, but didn't feel nearly as hot as there was a bit of a breeze. The bugs were crazy though. We moseyed around the s-turn loop.




























11.69 miles, 1234 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 85F real feel


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## frlsgirl

@phantomhorse13 I don't know if you saw my post a while back, but Ana went completely insane one day, started attacking the other horses and when she finally settled down she went straight into a colic episode. We took her to the vet and he determined that it was gas colic brought on by a strong heat cycle. One of her ovaries was a little big too. I've since added a magnesium and probiotic supplement and knock on wood, she's been pretty solid since then. Now she does still do a lot of peeing when she's in heat but seems really settled otherwise.


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## QueenofFrance08

Did you ever figure out what was going on with George? Is he better yet? How's Phin?


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> Did you ever figure out what was going on with George? Is he better yet?


Hmm.. I guess that depends on who you ask.

I don't think we have figured out what is going on with George, though he is back to his normal self in terms of how he behaves in the pasture, etc. DH took him to see the chiro while I was away at OD and came home with the impression all the issues were due to him wrenching when he pulled that shoe. I am not sure if the chiro actually told him that or if that is how he chose to interpret what she told him. From the paperwork she sent home, she didn't really find anything majorly out of whack chiropractically, just that he was very very muscle sore along his back (which she treated with acupuncture).

DH took him out for a ride last weekend and said he felt just fine. However, that ride was a whole 7 miles.. and he palpated as lower back sore when I did it, but DH said he didn't react at all to him.

DH plans to take him to an LD next weekend as he feels he is fine. I disagree about the fine part, but he is DH's horse. I hope and pray I am wrong - I will be _thrilled_ to hear 'I told you so' when George finishes without issue..




QueenofFrance08 said:


> How's Phin?


Phin is fat and seemingly happy out in the pasture. He is sound. There is some thickness to that area all the time now, but no sensitivity that I can find. I hope that means that tissue is remodeling, but I have to say my gut still turns over when I look at him. I am trying not to be pessimistic, but I have been trying to figure out what else he can/wants to do if he can't be a distance horse any more.. so I can find him a new home. :frown_color:


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## phantomhorse13

I got a call today from Mateo's owner, saying she scratched from the CTR. As disappointed as I am to miss out on riding, I think that was the best decision. Christine had not ordered the hoof boots she thought the previous owner had used until this week, so went out _yesterday_ to try them. She found they were not as simple as she expected, and was only able to get 2 of the 4 onto his feet. After chatting with her about it a bit, I discovered the previous owner had been _gluing_ on boots (not sure if full boots or flip flops) and Christine didn't realize that made a big difference.

This CTR is at the same location as where I rode Iggy, so I would not consider those roads all that barefoot friendly. Add in that we are supposed to get rain off and on all weekend, meaning mud on the non-road portions.. a disaster in the making.


----------



## Spanish Rider

Oh, my. You mean the ride where you were rock climbing? With no boots? No, no, no, no, no.

But, wait, was that with Iggy? Agh, I get so confused! We need to get you a thread design with an index in order to locate and refer back to rides/photos/videos, cross-referenced by horse and geographical location (place-standings optional).:rofl:


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## AnitaAnne

phantomhorse13 said:


> Phin is fat and seemingly happy out in the pasture. He is sound. There is some thickness to that area all the time now, but no sensitivity that I can find. I hope that means that tissue is remodeling, but I have to say my gut still turns over when I look at him. I am trying not to be pessimistic, but I have been trying to figure out what else he can/wants to do if he can't be a distance horse any more.. so I can find him a new home. :frown_color:


This is really sad...you couldn't keep him? :hug:


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## Spanish Rider

> This is really sad...you couldn't keep him?


You said what I didn't want to.:frown_color:


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## QueenofFrance08

Ugh sorry I asked about Phin! That's terrible. Hopefully it's just a temporary issue and he'll be raring to go next season (or maybe the end of this year?). 

That stinks about Mateo! Boots definitely are a science. It seems a lot of people out here lean towards barefoot/boots and everyone thinks their type is better. At the ride last weekend (the only one with recommended hoof protection) everyone was debating their brand of boot. I have Renegades on Chico (he lived the first 15 years of his life without hoof or vet care so his feet are still not right and get horrible cracks so I worry about putting shoes on him) and they stayed on perfectly all 25 miles but a friend was riding with a lady in Renegades and one of hers came off and floated down the river at the water crossing. She swore by her Scoot boots but her horse was lame at the end of the ride and when she took the boots off there was a huge rock in it. 

I will admit I'm lazy with Stitch and I prefer to play it safe so she always has steel shoes on. A friend tries to do the rides barefoot (she even did the last ride barefoot until she pulled at 18 miles for girth galls) but I knew Stitch was getting ouchy just walking on our gravel driveway last year and I don't want her to wear her feet down too much with all these miles even if they're on grass. I plan on steel shoeing Jake if he does well at his novice ride in July. 

There's currently a big debate going on on the book of faces about a friend of mine whose horse has mysterious unexplained lameness (by a vet and farrier) after 8 miles of the last ride. She was using composite shoes and everyone is pointing the finger at those....


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## phantomhorse13

Spanish Rider said:


> Oh, my. You mean the ride where you were rock climbing?
> 
> But, wait, was that with Iggy?


The rock climbing is the Old Dominion (which was Flo). Iggy was the ride that got changed to all gravel roads because of mud issues.









AnitaAnne said:


> This is really sad...you couldn't keep him?


I want to ride distance. I don't want to show, etc. While Phin probably doesn't care if he does nothing but stand around in the pasture, he is only 10 so there is no reason he shouldn't find a person and a job he can do if he can't do distance with me. We only have a limited amount of space here and I want a horse I can use.




QueenofFrance08 said:


> Boots definitely are a science. It seems a lot of people out here lean towards barefoot/boots and everyone thinks their type is better.


Oh yes, shoes vs barefoot/boots is always a hot topic! I will always prefer shoes, as I find boots to be a giant PITA. I know some people have great success with them and the shape of the foot seems to be the biggest factor in which boot is "best." I suspect the climate makes a difference too, as dry places don't have the changes in foot shape and/or softness that wetter places can.

I hope your friend can get to the bottom of her horse's lameness. That is plenty frustrating enough without everyone jumping on the bandwagon (be that the shoes are bad or shoes or good wagon).


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## gottatrot

phantomhorse13 said:


> I want to ride distance. I don't want to show, etc. While Phin probably doesn't care if he does nothing but stand around in the pasture, he is only 10 so there is no reason he shouldn't find a person and a job he can do if he can't do distance with me. We only have a limited amount of space here and I want a horse I can use.


At his age, Phin could be a great horse for someone who could give him a different job he was good at. Overall, I think it's better physically and mentally for a horse to be used, if possible. 



phantomhorse13 said:


> Oh yes, shoes vs barefoot/boots is always a hot topic! I will always prefer shoes, as I find boots to be a giant PITA. I know some people have great success with them and the shape of the foot seems to be the biggest factor in which boot is "best." I suspect the climate makes a difference too, as dry places don't have the changes in foot shape and/or softness that wetter places can.


I also don't think there's a right answer. It's what's easiest for the horse and rider. I've known a horse that pounded the nails out of shoes so they kept falling off, so booting just for rides was much less trouble. There are also some horses that have difficulty keeping pretty much any boot on. In our region, some of the rides have stretches of road like this:








For that type of rock, you either need pads and shoes or boots. My Arabs kept Renegades on very well. My friend's Appendix QH could never get a good fit in Renegades so he was better in shoes.


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## frlsgirl

Can Phin just be your plus 1 horse? The one you pull out of the pasture occasionally when friends come over and want to ride a few circles?


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## phantomhorse13

frlsgirl said:


> Can Phin just be your plus 1 horse? The one you pull out of the pasture occasionally when friends come over and want to ride a few circles?


I guess I am a mean person, because my friends have never asked about riding our horses. I don't ask to drive their sports cars..

I have put my mother on George in the treeless (so she had the pommel to hold onto), who I then ponied from Dream or Sultan. Our horses are just not meant for beginners, though perhaps they wouldn't be quite as enthused if not fit.


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## Spanish Rider

> I guess I am a mean person, because my friends have never asked about riding our horses.


No way, not mean! I myself have never asked to ride anyone else's horse. It can be a very tough situation to put someone into if they don't know how you ride, and at my age I would never get on a horse without first seeing how he works.

In the specific case of Phin, with his arab temperament and quick reactions, I would not want to be responsable for someone else riding him. Plus, he is a horse who has been used to lots of work and enjoys it. He still has a lot left to give, although his new limitations do not meet your needs for endurance. I know that whatever decision you make will be the best for him, even if it is hard for you.:hug:


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, Gina asked if I wanted to ride. Of course the answer was yes! Giselle is still out of heat, so the ride went without incident.

We went over across the farm and up the Tomhicken towards the Space Needle. We stopped for the horses to be admired by some of the kids in the development we pass through, and they brought carrots! With school being out, we weren't sure if there would be atvs around, but we had the trails to ourselves.










We decided to try the Rattlesnake trail. I haven't been there in a long while and we were pleased the trail was still pretty open with only a couple small downed trees. The bugs, however, were horrendous.



















On the way back across the farm, raking and baling had begun (this is the rake close to us and the baler on the hillside in the distance): 










13.18 miles, 1590 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 82F real feel


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## Zexious

I commented in the trail riding thread, but figured I'd comment here, as well <3

Glad you got to enjoy a nice, quiet trail--and I bet you brightened those kids' day! There's nothing like the outside of a horse for the inside of a person, after all~
Here's hoping the bugs diminish here soon! (I'm getting eaten alive here in Texas, as well!)


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## phantomhorse13

We are here at ridecamp, sweating sitting still in the shade. George is all vetted in for the LD tomorrow. 

Everyone cross your fingers and toes and pray to the deity of your choice that he completes without incident!


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## egrogan

Sending good thoughts and cool breezes!


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## frlsgirl

Fingers, paws and hooves crossed!


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## SwissMiss

Fingers and toes crossed!


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## AnitaAnne

GO George GO! Wag that tongue and run, run, RUN!! 

(OK, I know that run is not really correct for describing the gaits one uses on an endurance ride, but I had fun writing it )

Praying George stays sound and has a completion.


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## knightrider

Waiting, waiting, waiting . . . to see how George did. Hope it was super.


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## Zexious

Can't wait to hear all about your ride! George is such a hunk <3


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## knightrider

Where are you? You OK? I check every day. Hope things are OK.


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## phantomhorse13

Sorry for the long delay! Life happened and this the first chance I have had to sit down and update here.

We were at ridecamp bright and early Saturday morning and were happy to see not too many people had arrived Friday. We had a particular spot in mind for parking and it was still available. We were about as far away from the vetting as you could get and remain in camp, but we knew that spot would provide George with the maximum amount of shade possible.










DH and I had discussed some changes we wanted to make to try to set George up to the best of our ability to complete the ride. The partition is out of the trailer with hay bags front and rear, giving the horse 2 slots worth of space to find the most comfortable way to ride. We had decided we were going to be very generous with the electrolytes, hoping that would improve his muscle recovery. We also doubled the amount of BCAA he was given each dose. DH also took him out on a pre-ride to make sure he was loosened up and worked up a bit of a sweat. 

I got our crew spot set up while DH was riding, then I helped with parking while DH napped (he's been routinely working 14 hour days at least 5 days a week, so I was happy to see him rest). Before long it was time to vet in.










George vetted in without issue, despite the vetting area feeling like a sauna. Just walking across camp, we were soaked in sweat. I was so glad we had gotten the spot we did, as the sun was blazing.










It never cooled off overnight and fog settled in, so we were very glad they moved up the start times. It was already 78F when DH started at 7am (normal high temp is 82F) and I am glad we didn't have anything telling us the real feel as it was very, very humid.










DH and George left towards the back of the pack on the first loop (20 miles). [For those with sharp eyes, the lady on the left in the pink is who I rode with at OD.] While he was gone, I helped with various 50 mile riders who were already in for their hold. The time passed quickly and DH came in when he was expecting to. He said George had been a bit race-brained, but nothing out of the ordinary. We dumped some water on George for a minute and went to vet. He made pulse without issue and trotted sound on the straights, but he took a couple weird steps with his left him in the turn, which worried me.










Ironically, those wonky steps didn't worry the vet at all. However, he wanted George to come back for a gut sound recheck. George doesn't eat on the first loop because of his race brain, so I expected his normal Bs and Cs on gut sounds. However, I was surprised to see the vet had given him three As and a B, yet still requested a recheck! [Came to find out almost everyone who saw that vet had to come back for a recheck, regardless of what the scores were.]

During the hold, George was his normal self. He is such a busy body that you need to keep the pan of food right under his nose, otherwise he is too busy looking around to remember to eat. Its very frustrating but totally normal for him (and why we generally try to crew at the trailer versus in the crew area with everyone else). I made a point to poke around that left hind but couldn't find anything tight or sensitive.

When I went to tack him back up, George pinned his ears and stepped away, which is not like him. I put the saddle down and palpated all over, but couldn't find any heat or sensitivity. Nor did he react to my touching him. I picked up the saddle and again he sidestepped away, but this time got corrected for it. We went back for his gut sound recheck, which he passed without issue. We soaked him down thoroughly before DH was on and out for the last 10 miles.










I was again busy helping 50s while DH was out on trail, which was good as it kept me from worrying myself into a frenzy. The sun was out and blazing and the temperature was skyrocketing. I have to admit I was considering taking a swim in one of the tanks when DH arrived. He came in right when expected.










DH said George had been fantastic on that loop, moving right along without issue. They were both understandably hot, but it didn't take as long as I would have expected to get George down to pulse parameter. He seemed a bit tense as the vet went over him, including pinning his ears when she touched his sides, but he didn't show flinch or react otherwise and trotted sound. [DH made a point to turn him slowly, so no wonky steps at all that time.]










We were thrilled when the vet said he had completed!!










We took George back to the trailer to relax for a bit before packing up to go home. The heat was oppressive and it took me several slow trips to get the crew area cleaned up. I actually turned the hose (which was filling a tank) over my head and was very tempted to dowse my entire self. I alternated between helping others in the hold and checking on George and DH. I was pleased George was not showing any signs of muscle soreness. DH was showing some signs of dehydration, so he got bullied into drinking a lot of water and eating repeatedly.

A few hours after they finished, we packed up and headed for home. The truck - which had been parked in the shade - said it was 102F! When we got home, our weather station was showing a real feel of 116F. :eek_color:

George strutted around the pasture like he hadn't done a thing when DH turned him out, which was great to see. Later that evening, I gave him a very thorough going over at dinner and found no sensitivity at all. He inhaled his dinner and begged for more and was not impressed with the dose of elytes he got instead. 

The next morning, he was totally normal and he's remained that way. WOOHOO! :loveshower:


----------



## AnitaAnne

YIPPEE!!! GO GEORGE GO! 

I have thought of jumping in a water trough many times!! Cold shower must have felt great to everyone. 


You may already be aware of this, but I have found coconut water to be a great drink to rehydrate. I have to buy the kind with pineapple juice in it though, the plain is just rather blah.


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## knightrider

Oh, hooray!!! I've been wondering . . . What good news! I am so glad it went so well, in spite of the terrible heat.


----------



## SueC

phantomhorse13 said:


> Before long it was time to vet in.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> George vetted in without issue, despite the vetting area feeling like a sauna.


I've often wondered what would happen if the _riders_ had to run in a circle at vet checks to prove fitness to continue. What proportion do you think would get through? ;-)

Congratulations on a successful ride!


----------



## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> I have found coconut water to be a great drink to rehydrate. I have to buy the kind with pineapple juice in it though, the plain is just rather blah.



I don't care for coconut, so don't think I would be able to gag down coconut water. I also suspect trying to get DH to drink it would be a challenge. I know lots of people who love it though. I am not too bad about drinking plain water as long as its cold.




SueC said:


> I've often wondered what would happen if the _riders_ had to run in a circle at vet checks to prove fitness to continue. What proportion do you think would get through?



Oh it would be very entertaining - even more so if the no-drugs rule was applied to the riders! I have known the vets to ask for a random person to jog a horse because the rider's gimpiness was making the horse seem lame..


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## frlsgirl

Glad it went so well and that he's acting totally normal now.

How do you deal with the heat? Do you wear special summer cooling gear? When you cool down your horses mid ride, do you just completely cover them in water including the saddle area? Or is there a certain area on the horses body that helps them cool down faster?


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## QueenofFrance08

YAY!!! So happy for George! Is that the first completion for one of your horses this year? I saw your name on someone's post on the book of Faces in a Gaited Endurance Group thanking you for helping them get through their 50 at that ride so I was hoping George made it too! The heat sounds horrible! We have a ride next weekend and I think it's going to be about that bad. The ride is called Mosquito Run so that name strikes fear in me too although I don't think I have any skin left for mosquitoes to bite!


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## SwissMiss

QueenofFrance08 said:


> The ride is called Mosquito Run so that name strikes fear in me too although I don't think I have any skin left for mosquitoes to bite!


Mosquitoes have no problem biting on older mosquito bites(or the welts they -or horse flies - leave) :evil: Unfortunately I am the living proof of that...


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## phantomhorse13

I have had a few rides since I last updated. Amazing how the nice weather seems to make the days crazy busy!

Last week, I went over to ride with Nicole. The day wasn't supposed to be that hot but the weatherman lied. It was the first ride for Nicole since she came off Drakkar and was injured at the CTR a couple weeks ago, so I rode Polo and took the lead. It was a very uneventful ride, thank goodness.




























9.1 miles, 637 feet of climb, 4.0 mph average pace, 90F real feel


Saturday, Gina finally decided it was cool enough her horses wouldn't die if they got ridden. Giselle is still out of heat, so we planned to ride a bit together, then she would take her out alone after assuming all went well.

The weather was more pleasant but the bugs were horrible. Amish is a huge weenie about bugs, shaking his head and kicking at his belly if one is even in sight. We moseyed around the Sugarloaf.




























5.36 miles, 755 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 76F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I got George out. It was already hotter than it was supposed to be by the time we left the barn just before lunch. We hadn't gone far at all before our first wildlife encounter:










We headed up the Sugarloaf and then up the backside, then went down around the farm. Pretty amazing that only a couple weeks ago I was having to look for the driest places possible, as now things are actually too dry.

I was thrilled that George trucked right up all the hills in a nice easy trot, none of the trying to change to canter like before.










I went over to the Tomhicken and did a loop on the roads there, hoping to avoid places snakes might be (it's rattlesnake breeding season, which can make them very grumpy).










Happy to report we didn't see a single snake. George was very well behaved, which was good cause it was hot enough I didn't really want to be out any more either.

10.74 miles, 1883 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 94F real feel


After I finished with George, I went out to look for Sultan's fly mask. Normally he likes to itch it off in the shed, but I didn't find it there. I walked all over all the paddocks and couldn't find it anywhere. The grass is fairly short from the lack of rain, so I was very perplexed as to where it could have gone.

I finally gave up looking after walking the paddocks a second time and went to fill the water tank:









At least it was clean!! :lol:


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## Spanish Rider

:rofl: Love how Sultan helps with the laundry!

So glad to hear that everything went so well with George. As always, love seeing your pics, especially since there are so many pics I can no longer see.


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## QueenofFrance08

If you're looking for your dream chestnut with flaxen mane horse I know of one for sale out here! He's a Quarab though, registered as half Arabian who has done 2 50's and a bunch of LD's.... He's in Wisconsin but you could stop out here for one of our rides and you know try him out  or I have a horse you could ride in an LD with me.... (Can you tell I'm jealous of all of you guys on here who have gotten to meet in person)


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> If you're looking for your dream chestnut with flaxen mane horse I know of one for sale out here! He's a Quarab though, registered as half Arabian who has done 2 50's and a bunch of LD's.... He's in Wisconsin but you could stop out here for one of our rides and you know try him out  or I have a horse you could ride in an LD with me.... (Can you tell I'm jealous of all of you guys on here who have gotten to meet in person)


I have actually been talking to Deb about him and wondered if you knew them! However, DH isn't really a problem-horse rider, so taking on a horse with a bucking issue is not in the cards.. I hope she is able to find the perfect home for him. 

And I most certainly thought about how fun it would be to go try him at a ride and meet you too.  A shame we are all so far away.


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I went over to ride Hombre and Polo as Nicole is away. Knowing there was a chance of storms this afternoon, I went over first thing.

I started out with Hombre. He was overall very good, only being a bit of a pill the first time we came to a place we could have turned back to the barn. 










The bugs were terrible, especially anywhere shaded. I have yet to find anything that repels deer flies, so we were both under attack.










At one point, we came around a corner when Hombre suddenly spun. I managed to stay on (though it was a close one) and got him circled all the way around.. and realized there had been a BEAR in the middle of the trail. Luckily, it was just as frightened of us and it went crashing off through the woods (which didn't help calm Hombre). He was a jumpy mess the rest of the ride.










8.91 miles, 516 feet of climb, 6.9 mph average pace, 93F real feel


Next up was Polo. I planned on the same route (and hoped the bear was long gone!).










Polo was on his best behavior, which was a nice surprise. He was forward without being obnoxious and tolerated the bugs much better than I expected.










We did not see any bears (whew!), but Polo was on high alert for the Carnivorous Trash Cans that are sometimes spotted along one stretch of road. 










8.91 miles, 516 feet of climb, 6.9 mph average pace, 93F real feel


So far, no signs of storms.. and we could sure use the rain!


----------



## QueenofFrance08

I was wondering if you saw the ad! She led my first novice group and has taught me a ton! I hope he finds a good home too, he's a really sweet boy.


----------



## phantomhorse13

Today, I got George out. The humidity had finally dropped, so even though the temperature wasn't that much lower, it felt SO much nicer.

Expecting some silly, I took George over to the Big Square so he could have some good canters. He was indeed silly, but after the first time he spooked and then fell on his nose over a rock, he decided perhaps he should pay better attention (luckily that happened at a walk!). 










There was a lovely breeze, which helped a lot with the bugs. There were still some, but it wasn't swarms.










Unfortunately, the biting dog was _not_ tied up, which made for a miserable 100 yards for George (who is too polite to kick, though I was sure wishing he would). The owner was even outside, but her yelling commands at the dog was useless and totally ignored. I won't be going that way again.










10.46 miles, 1116 feet of climb, 5.8 mph average pace, 86F real feel


----------



## Change

Congrats on the completion with George; obviously the tweaks worked! YAY!


----------



## SwissMiss

A BEAR???? No wonder Hombre wanted to get outta there asap :shock:


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I went over to ride Hombre and Polo again. Nicole is having a get together this weekend that involves people hauling in to ride, so I wanted to do some final mileage checking of the loops we planned to do.

Hombre was not enthused about leaving the barn and we spent the first mile discussing speed and direction choices. Eventually he realized it was easier to just go the direction and speed I was asking versus lateral work, etc. :icon_rolleyes:










After some canter, Hombre finally decided that maybe life wasn't so bad after all.










thinking of you @*Spanish Rider* (well, your DS really):






I was very happy to see someone had done some mowing, as these fields had been chest high grass!










10.10 miles, 925 feet of climb, 6.1 mph average pace, 85F real feel


Next up was Polo. Hombre must have warned him, as he was on his best behavior.










Even the dreaded Trash Cans of Death only got suspicious glances (versus the normal try to scoot to the far side of the road).










A lot of the trails need trimming, but I wasn't dealing with that today.. so I got very good at ducking.










10.34 miles, 927 feet of climb, 6.7 mph average pace, 91F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

This weekend was Nicole's riding party weekend. She wanted some outside opinions on that property which had been designed for motocross but could potentially be a horse camping and trail riding location. We went out Friday to mark the trails.










Saturday morning, I got all 5 of Nicole's horses tacked up and ready for their various riders. Several people at the barn were also riding, so it was amazing to see the bustle of activity considering I have only seen another rider there once!

Nicole got word that a handful of people were not coming, due to the chance of storms in the forecast. Then, there was a big accident on the turnpike that had several sets of people stuck in traffic. That actually worked out well, as we were able to get the non-gaited group on board and on their way just as the gaited group riders arrived.

It was later than planned, but the gaited group I was leading got under way without issue. I was riding Polo and also had Hombre and T with distance riders on board, plus a rider from the barn on her gaited horse.










I am sure Hombre was thrilled that someone else was riding him, though I do wonder if he was disgusted by riding the same trails we had been doing all week! Overall, all the horses were very good, though the palomino took a bit to settle in (his rider tends to be all or nothing in terms of speed, so the young walker was fairly confused over maintaining a steady pace).










There was a lovely breeze which kept the day from being unbearably hot. It also helped keep at least some of the bugs away. While we had some big clouds roll by at times, the storms held off.










We did encounter the other groups in the motocross property, as the trails crisscross all over. Here I am explaining what to expect of the marked trails, so that group (which had a couple non-distance riders) could figure out which they wanted to try.










Polo was super all day, including having to be patient when moseying up the big hill as T (a paso fino) just didn't pace quite as fast on hills.










The rides went really well, with nobody getting lost or parting ways with their horse. It will be interesting to hear the feedback about the trails.!

12.62 miles, 1036 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 92F real feel


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## QueenofFrance08

Those trails look awesome! Is there enough mileage that she could hold a ride there?


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> Is there enough mileage that she could hold a ride there?


 Yes, but no.

The property itself only has about 5 miles of trails, but it backs up to state gamelands, where there are many, many more. However, the gamelands do not allow anything considered a "competition" or "for profit" to happen on their trails.. so even though we probably have the mileage, it wouldn't be allowed.

That is actually a big reason many of the rides that used to be held in PA years ago are no more. Someone, somewhere decided to make the no competition, no profit rule apply to every gameland - and even if the ride donated what little profit they made to a charity (or offered it to the game commission itself!), it was no longer allowed. :|


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## PoptartShop

That looks amazing.  & you have to love a nice breeze!!!


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## QueenofFrance08

Grrr I can't like that post! We're lucky that we have 9 rides in Minnesota alone so the farthest I've had to drive was about 4 hours. All of ours are at State Parks except for this weekend which was at a County Park and one that just got moved to a Motocross park. I'm thinking about doing a few of the Wisconsin rides next year which are between 5-6 hours away.... I can't believe they have some many rules. Half of our rides are club rides sponsored by the MN Distance Riding Association which is a non profit but the other half our sponsored and presumably for profit and it doesn't seem like there's any issue with the state parks from that. I think they're just happy to have the camping fee/trail pass/park pass revenue. I know there's been concern with the MNDRA about rider numbers going down but the ride this weekend had 108 riders! It's the closet to Minneapolis/suburbs (less than an hour for most) so I think that helped. I know there was over 30 novices both days so they were really happy about the turnout.


----------



## Spanish Rider

> thinking of you @Spanish Rider (well, your DS really)


:loveshower:
I don't know if you had read my message in the other thread, but DS was somewhere between tickled pink that you made a video for him and completely mortified that I talk about him here.

So, does Nicole do these riding parties regularly? Sounds like so much fun!


----------



## QueenofFrance08

How many horses does Nicole have?


----------



## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> it doesn't seem like there's any issue with the state parks from that.


The PA game commission is not the same as the PA park service.. why not is beyond my comprehension, but that's how it is. The fact the game commission wouldn't even accept the profits was a surprise, as normally money seems to be the biggest factor in all things government..




Spanish Rider said:


> DS was somewhere between tickled pink that you made a video for him and completely mortified that I talk about him here.
> 
> So, does Nicole do these riding parties regularly?


I hope the tickled pink part won over the mortified part. 

Nicole has done a scavenger hunt in the fall in the past, but decided this year to try a combo riding and pool party (after the riding, everyone went to her house for pool time and a cookout). Trying to find a weekend where there isn't some kind of scheduled ride yet still good weather is hard though..




QueenofFrance08 said:


> How many horses does Nicole have?


She has 5 horses: Polo (MFT/Morgan), Hombre (Peruvian Paso), Drakkar (Arab), Travesio (aka T, Paso Fino), Teagan (Gypsy/Haffie) and 2 mini donkeys: Sultan and Sarabi.


----------



## QueenofFrance08

Ok another one of my million questions... When you got Phin had he done any rides or did he start with you? I'm just wondering about your opinion on getting a horse ready for 50's and how long to ride them before their first. I asked on the Greenbean Page yesterday and I got some people saying it takes years to build up their tendons/muscles/etc before you should do a 50 (I'm asking for Jake who is 8 will be 9 in February if that makes any difference) but then someone sent me to Patti's blog with her post about ultimate goals and she said if your ultimate goal is to do more than 25 then after 3 or so assuming they're doing okay and still have the energy then you should switch to longer rides. What have you done/seen done/think?


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## AnitaAnne

Riding Party with a pool party and cookout; what fun! The area is really beautiful! Nice the weather was cooperative, especially after all the preparation you put into it. 

Odd that you can't have any competitions there, maybe something that can be changed over time.


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> When you got Phin had he done any rides or did he start with you? I'm just wondering about your opinion on getting a horse ready for 50's and how long to ride them before their first. I asked on the Greenbean Page yesterday and I got some people saying it takes years to build up their tendons/muscles/etc before you should do a 50 (I'm asking for Jake who is 8 will be 9 in February if that makes any difference) but then someone sent me to Patti's blog with her post about ultimate goals and she said if your ultimate goal is to do more than 25 then after 3 or so assuming they're doing okay and still have the energy then you should switch to longer rides. What have you done/seen done/think?


Phin, who was 7 when I got him, had not done any rides. Because he hadn't really had any consistent work, I started basically from the beginning with him, though I did cheat on the walk-the-first-100-trail-miles part because he was physically mature and had always lived out in a herd situation.

I have been taught cardio takes 3 months to develop, soft tissue 6 months, and bone a year+. This can vary of course depending on things like the age of the horse (younger will take more time since not physically mature yet) and living situation (horse stalled vs pasture). 

With Phin, I started riding him in July and took him to his first competition the following March, a flat 50. Because he was very reactive and I was busy competing George and Fluffy, I thought I was accomplishing more at home than by doing 25s. Had I not had other horses to ride, I suspect he would have attended at least a couple LDs.

How soon your horse "should" move up depends on a lot of things. If your horse is finishing mid-pack or better in LDs with ease and starting to become race brained, it's time to move up in distance. If, however, you have a horse who is still figuring things out and improving with each ride, or a young horse, or a horse who is finishing but tending to be turtle, then I would be in no rush to up the distance. [And this is NOT busting on finishing turtle in any way. That is much smarter than pushing a horse too hard. But that said, I would want to have a horse finishing comfortably before cutoff time and happy before upping the distance.]


----------



## Spanish Rider

OK, so if I organize a trail ride/cookout/lake party at our cottage in Maine, would you all come and ride on my ROW easements? Oh, my neighbor would just LOOOOVE that! We could all canter up and down, back and forth over & over. Maybe some relay races?

I have always wanted to swim with horses at our house - sandy bottom with no rocks for a good 300 feet out. Mussels might be a problem, though.


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I got George out. Momma nature was still having a hot flash, so I went out first thing in the morning.. and it was already hot and extremely humid.

As we were leaving the yard, there was a sudden snap crackle and crash as a big limb came down out of a nearby tree:


















That sure got George on his toes!! :eek_color:

I have to admit to pondering just getting off, wondering if the universe was trying to tell me something.. but I knew it wasn't going to get any cooler, so off we went.

Because of the extreme humidity, I decided it would be a slow paced day with a lot of climbing. George chugged up the Sugarloaf a couple times and would have gone faster if I had let him.










While the view is always amazing, somehow looking out at the haze made it feel that much worse!










Then we moseyed over to the Tomhicken and climbed that. You would never know we got an inch of rain the day before, as there was not a puddle to be seen. There was barely enough water in the creek to get my sponge wet, but I sponged both George and myself both times we crossed it.










George was very good, but then it was so darn hot I am not sure he had the energy to act up. By the time we were finished, I was happy to hose myself when I finished with him.

10.07 miles, 2126 feet of climb, 4.1 mph average pace, 107F real feel


----------



## QueenofFrance08

Thank you! I think I'm going to move him up to 25's (actually I think the next ride is a 30 but close enough for the rest of the season and maybe do a few at the start of next year (mostly because I don't have much time to ride before the season starts) and if he's doing well then we will try one next season! Stitch is usually the turtle so I think 25's is going to be all she has in her but Jake had no problem with the faster CTR pace this weekend which I think evened out to be the pace the middle was finishing in the LD's (obviously it was only a 10 mile ride but he was pulling and I was holding him back the whole time) so I'm thinking his pace shouldn't be an issue. 

@Spanish Rider Have someone Facetime me during your pool/canter/etc party and I'll "be there" with you guys LOL!


----------



## phantomhorse13

Spanish Rider said:


> OK, so if I organize a trail ride/cookout/lake party at our cottage in Maine, would you all come and ride on my ROW easements? Oh, my neighbor would just LOOOOVE that! We could all canter up and down, back and forth over & over. Maybe some relay races?


:gallop: :rofl: 

I am sorry your neighbor is still being a jerk.. it really isn't funny.


You should think about coming to the Pine Tree ride, which is Fryeburg at the fairgrounds, if Nicole and I actually make her. The river isn't far away and Hombre loves to swim! That ride is August 7-11 (not what specific days we would be attending yet..).

We also hope to be doing the Northeast Challenge, which is in Buckfield on August 25th.

We will also be in Vermont (Woodstock area) this weekend.. and @egrogan will be helping crew!!


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## weeedlady

Way to hot here in Ohio also! We got a break yesterday and this morning is beautiful. Hope the cooler temps head your way.


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I went over to ride with Nicole. The weather was glorious as the humidity had dropped and temps were back to normal. 

I rode Hombre. We moseyed across the farms to that motorcross property to unmark the trails. 




























We did both climbs and the boys handled it well. The bugs were out, however.










Hombre was really good about standing for me to get the markers. We need to work on his lateral movement though, as he seemed to have no idea what I was asking for.










9.80 miles, 1180 feet of climb, 5.8 mph average pace, 84F real feel


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## SwissMiss

Lol. Hombre seems to ask: what are you trying to do??? Stretch your arm, woman! At least he learned to stand, right?

When you were posting pics from the riding party I was thinking those trails look amazing - and I still do :biggrin:


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## QueenofFrance08

I'm so jealous of those trails! And seriously, their tack is so cute!


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## phantomhorse13

SwissMiss said:


> Lol. Hombre seems to ask: what are you trying to do??? Stretch your arm, woman! At least he learned to stand, right?



Actually if you look close, you can see his nose is pooched out, as he was a moment away from swinging his head all the way around to nibble on the ribbon.. surely it would turn into a whoa-cookie! :rofl:




QueenofFrance08 said:


> And seriously, their tack is so cute!


Well when you are ready for another set, I am sure Nicole will make you whatever color(s) you want!!


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I got George out. The temperature was seasonal with normal humidity and a breeze, so it felt wonderful. Unfortunately, George thought so too and was a complete twit. :icon_rolleyes:

There wasn't even a tree crashing down as an excuse this time, but that didn't stop him from finding all sorts of random things and the lack of things to spook at. Keith had gotten some mowing done on the neighbor's place (neighbor's tractor is broken), so for the first time since winter, we didn't have to work our way through head-high (literally) grass.

Who would have thought low grass was so scary?!










My plan had been to go right across the farm and over to the space needle loop, but it was obvious George needed to look for his brain. We went up the Sugarloaf hoping to find it. Unfortunately, we didn't.

We went across the farm and George was highly suspicious of the 8 inch high soybeans, but didn't mind the running tractor and mower at all. Go figure!

I decided on the longer space needle loop hoping the extra climbing would help settle him down. 










It didn't. Even cantering all the way up the climb didn't phase him at all.

Anybody see anything scary here?










Me neither, but George sure did. I have to admit, I was very glad when the ride was over..

13.57 miles, 1734 feet of climb, 6.0 mph average pace, 84F real feel


Tomorrow, we head for Vermont!


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## SwissMiss

> Actually if you look close, you can see his nose is pooched out, as he was a moment away from swinging his head all the way around to nibble on the ribbon.. surely it would turn into a whoa-cookie!


Yeah, I thought that he looked like he will ask for a cookie any second :rofl: But it for sure teaches them that standing still is a good thing!
My BO's horses have a tendency to move out the second your butt hits the saddle (not acceptable, but seems a hard habit to break) Raya on the other hand stands there liker her legs are glued to the ground, craning her neck back smacking her lips :rofl:





> There wasn't even a tree crashing down as an excuse this time, but that didn't stop him from finding all sorts of random things and the lack of things to spook at


Clearly a case of spooking at the lack of heat and humidity! Something very prominent was missing!!!
Sorry to hear that you couldn't really enjoy the nice riding weather due to the inability to locate George's brain :gallop:


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## Spanish Rider

:rofl::rofl::rofl: Ah, yes, the interminable search for George's brain. Reminds me of that children's song (changing "my little dog" lyrics):

"Where, oh where has your little brain gone?
Oh where, oh where can it beeeeeeee?"


----------



## phantomhorse13

Very early Friday morning, DH and I headed north to Vermont for the Moonlight in Vermont ride. It was very odd to be hauling the LQ trailer with no horses, but with the sketchy weather forecast, we didn't want to deal with the dogs in a tent in the rain!

We arrived just before lunch after an uneventful drive. Patti and Rich had arrived Wednesday and were in charge of parking, so we had a good spot near their trailer and Jefferson. We spent a lot of time getting stuff organized and packed as efficiently as possible, as we needed to get 3 riders worth of stuff onto the truck, plus leave space for the crew and the dogs ( @egrogan had generously offered to crew with my DH so he wasn't totally overwhelmed).

I got a nice mid-afternoon break when Patti asked me if I would pre-ride Sarge for her and Rich. Twist my arm to ride such a nice horse!



















We went down to vet everyone in after the pre-ride. We weren't sure how Fluffy would behave with all the commotion, but she was great for me. She and Flo both got lots of compliments. We had the ride meeting and dinner and got a few last minute things together, then it was time for bed.

The temperature was pleasant though there was some fog around at 5am when Rich and Kathy (who were doing the 100) started. I went back to bed and napped a bit, as our start time wasn't until 9:15. [Unlike other rides, this one is timed so that everyone is on trail together and finishes in the dark.]

The fog had burned off but it was still pleasant by the time we tacked up. I was not going to miss getting a picture of me with @egrogan this year!!










Our team: DH, egrogan, Patti, me, and Lani (and our truck full of stuff!)










Because of the late start time, we had lots of time for last minute adjustments.










I started out ponying Lani on Fluffy, as that made Lani feel better. We moseyed around the vicinity of the trailers until trail was open, then walked down to the start after everyone else was on trail.










As always, the trails in this area are fantastic. While there is a lot of up and down hills, the scenery is like an ongoing postcard or calendar.










The elevation change is one element to deal with, but there are also the dirt roads to contend with. While they seem like ideal footing, this time of year they are very hard _and_ are sprayed with calcium chloride to keep down the dust. That chemical can be very irritating to skin, so many people use desitin on all 4 pasterns and do a lot of rinsing of legs and bellies.










The part of the first loop was 12 miles and then went across camp.










We took advantage to stop for a few minutes to let the horses eat and hose them off. Then it was time for the 8 miles into the first hold.

The first hold was a bit chaotic, as it took _a lot_ of water and ice to get Fluffy's pulse down. Then Kathy and Rich arrived literally as we finished vetting, causing some hysteria among the horses. Instead of being able to go to our respective trucks where things were set up, we needed to do a bit of rearranging to get the buddies accommodated. The trucks were not parked anywhere near one another, so it made it a challenge.

While I think my DH's head was close to popping off, everything was fine in the end. Horses and riders got to eat and drink and, in some cases, relax. Egrogan got this lovely shot of Iggy watching the excitement between mouthfuls of grass.










Before long, we were out for the next 17 mile loop. It was mostly roads, which meant the bugs were only bad, not horrific.










We tried to encourage the horses to stop for snack breaks as we came to grassy places, but then the bugs really attacked! The horses got good at grabbing a mouthful or two and then moving on before they became anemic.










I knew egrogan lived near the next hold, but I had no idea that we literally went right past her house! Her DH got this shot of us passing by.










This pic, taken by egrogan as we came into the third hold, made me laugh so hard! Not only is it a great example of herd mentality, it also explains why you often see teeth marks on vet cards.










Unfortunately, this hold was the end for Fluffy. Despite all our efforts and many, many gallons of water, we could not get her to pulse down within the necessary time. She was not distressed in any way and was happily eating everything in sight, but her ride was over. Flo and Iggy vetted through with no issues, though of course delayed because of waiting on Fluffy.










to be continued..


----------



## phantomhorse13

part 2:

Heading out on the next 11 mile loop without Lani was sad for us, but I don't think Lani minded! We were into the warmest part of the day, which luckily was balanced by a nice breeze.










There was plenty of water on trail, as many private landowners either set out tanks (often with hoses!) or else have tanks build in, like this trough in a stone wall.










On this loop, we found a friend who used to be an endurance rider but has taken up ultra marathons and was _running_ the race! She is one of only a handful of people who have both ridden and run this event. I had hoped to see her on trail and was so pleased to see her multiple times during this loop and the next.










We got into the third hold in what seemed like no time as Iggy and Flo paced well together, but we were still running pretty close to the cut off time. Flo vetted without issue but Iggy's card was held for gut sounds. As you can see, he was happy to eat what egrogan offered him, so he passed his recheck without issue.










We were back out for the next 15 miles as the sun started getting low in the sky.










Flo had never been on trail in the dark before, so it was nice for Iggy to be there to boost her confidence with the new experience. [While horses are used to being outside in the dark and can see much better than we can, they are not used to people wearing glow sticks and headlamps, or having them appearing and disappearing unexpectedly.]










We got into the last hold only 30 minutes before cutoff. While the horses vetted through just fine, Patti was "reverse eating" (aka vomiting) as soon as she dismounted. When she wasn't feeling any better by the end of the 30 minute hold, she understandably Rider Optioned.










That left Flo and I going out solo for the final 12 miles to camp, and pushing the cutoff time already.

I have to admit to not being sure if we could maintain the pace needed to complete in time as we headed out, but Flo was a rockstar. Despite her initial unease, she listened to everything I asked and went on down the trail without complaint. Before long, she was moving out with enthusiasm.










I was almost in tears as we approached the finish line, as Flo had tried her heart out for me all loop. We had even made up time, coming in over an hour before cutoff!










The final vetting was inside a tent with loudly buzzing lights and misc things all around the edges, but Flo handled it like a champ.










COMPLETION!















I was shocked at awards the next morning to find out we were _not_ turtle. And somewhat disappointed to be honest, as the turtle prize was a lovely ceramic turtle candle holder that matched our completion award mug:










Twenty people started the 75 and 14 finished - we were 13th. I could not be more proud of Flo.

:loveshower:


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## knightrider

Wow! How impressive is that!


----------



## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> Wow! How impressive is that!


I love that mare probably more than I should, seeing as she isn't mine..


----------



## QueenofFrance08

SOOOO COOL! That is definitely one of my dream rides (unlike most people I meet I never really want to do Tevis since I'm terrified of heights and those cliff pictures make me sick)!


----------



## Tazzie

You make me REALLY want to try doing distance rides with our two now... it looks like so much fun!! I'm glad @egrogan was able to come crew for you! One day I'll get to meet you both too!


----------



## carshon

I love Flo too and I have never met her! I hope Patti was feeling better and Fluffy has no ill effects. As always I love your videos.


----------



## phantomhorse13

carshon said:


> I hope Patti was feeling better and Fluffy has no ill effects.



Patti was better the following morning, and repeatedly apologizing for "abandoning" me - as if she had wanted to be vomiting!! Patti has been doing keto, so got some suggestions from other endurance friends about what she may want to tweak for next time (guess is lack of potassium and that she was eating the right things, just not enough of them).



Fluffy was back to normal within an hour - just not her day. Lani said she went thundering across the pasture bucking and squealing when they got home (how is that for a mental picture, large as she is!).


----------



## QueenofFrance08

phantomhorse13 said:


> I love that mare probably more than I should, seeing as she isn't mine..


I mean maybe you could just accidentally put her on your trailer and bring her home.... :mrgreen::charge:


----------



## Spanish Rider

Oh, Oh, Oh, so much FUN!

Is that Fluffy looking so huge next to egrogan? Is it the angle, or is she really that large-boned and especially large-headed? A cross?

Love that photo of Iggy eating grass!

Flo is amazing - and so are you! Off to see the video...


----------



## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> I mean maybe you could just accidentally put her on your trailer and bring her home.... :mrgreen:


Oh don't think I haven't considered it!!





Spanish Rider said:


> Is that Fluffy looking so huge next to egrogan? Is it the angle, or is she really that large-boned and especially large-headed? A cross?


Fluffy is half percheron/half arab.. so yes she really is that big.. 










This is Fluffy beside 15.2h Arab Clunk (yes that is really his name - his breeder must have a fun story to go with it..):










Once Fluffy got taller than her 16.2 brother Brimstone, Lani stopped measuring her.. I suspect she is an honest 17h!


----------



## SwissMiss

> Once Fluffy got taller than her 16.2 brother Brimstone, Lani stopped measuring her.. I suspect she is an honest 17h!


Is that your desensitization for your dislike of heights? :rofl:


Congrats to you and Flo!!!! Very well done! The trails look amazing!

Yeah, just toss a bucket of white paint over her and "accidentally" load her on your trailer  :wink:


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## gottatrot

Congrats!! What a beautiful ride!


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## phantomhorse13

SwissMiss said:


> Is that your desensitization for your dislike of heights?


 It's certainly a workout for the leg.. even with a mounting block, she is a stretch! She is also super athletic and has a lot of boing in her gait when she gets animated.. I imagine it's what riding an upper level dressage horse doing high school movements must be like (and a great reason I don't want to ride that level!!).





gottatrot said:


> What a beautiful ride!


I think Vermont is one of the most beautiful places ever. And the 75 doesn't do the "sound of music" area - which is simply breathtaking (both due to the views and due to the killer climb to get there!).


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## Spanish Rider

Percheron x Arab? Quite a mix. So funny, because when standing, she's got that half-asleep percheron droop to her eye, but in that photo in motion she looks so much more arab in her movement and head carriage. Seems she would be very interesting to see in person.

And I so loved watching Flo come down her catwalk with all the spectators clapping! 

DS caught me watching the end of your video and said, "Ah, so today she's using a black screen?"


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## SueC

Your DS, Spanish! :rofl: How far did the apple fall from the tree?

Love the Percheron x Arab, Phantom. _Drool_...


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## Tazzie

Ohhhh, an Arab/Percheron!! I had to show my best friend since he has an Arab/Percheron in utero right now!


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## AnitaAnne

That is such a beautiful area, @egrogan is fortunate to have those trails right out her back door! 
@SwissMiss idea to dump a can of white paint on her and load her up :faceshot: WOOT


Was this Flo's first 75? That is such a long way to ride, can't imagine how y'all see the way in the dark. Then ending in a tent? Flo earned all that cheering of the crowd!! You both are Rockstars :loveshower::loveshower: 


Poor Patti getting sick :frown_color: Iggy looked super cute though. 

I was staring most at Fluffy though, WOW she has really blossomed and reminded me so much of my Baby who was a grey Percheron/Arab cross too. So sad she couldn't pulse down in time :frown_color:


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## phantomhorse13

Spanish Rider said:


> DS caught me watching the end of your video and said, "Ah, so today she's using a black screen?"


It was certainly dark!! :rofl:




AnitaAnne said:


> Was this Flo's first 75?


It was. Also would have been Iggy's. While it sucked that Patti got sick, we have no doubt that Iggy would have finished with flying colors. Patti was so pleased with him all day - he's found his work ethic!




Tazzie said:


> Ohhhh, an Arab/Percheron!! I had to show my best friend since he has an Arab/Percheron in utero right now!


Fluffy has a brother, Brimstone, who is also a perch/arab. He is Lani's heart horse and was why their dam got bred back.


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## Tazzie

I wish I could love that post!! I need to show him those pictures! They are both so gorgeous!


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## Spanish Rider

> he's found his work ethic!


Yes, well we all know that a certain little someone had a lot to do with that!


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## Change

Congrats on finishing the 75 with Flo, and so sad the Patti and Iggy, Lani and Fluffy had to drop out. It would have been stellar to see all 3 of you complete.


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday momma nature took a break from the rain (we had over 7 inches of rain in the last 3 days, and got lucky as some places got over 15!). Knowing we were only getting a 24 hour reprieve, I knew I needed to get George out.

While it wasn't actually raining, it was so humid it may have been more pleasant if it had been! Knowing everything would be super wet, I decided to do the tomhicken road trail to the s turn and up to the space needle. All of that is either gravel or atv road, so even if it was under water, the footing would be solid.

George behaved well, likely because it was fairly miserable in terms of temperature, even if the sun was out. The trails up down the farm were running with water, though there wasn't too much damage. A couple spots in the potato field had washed pretty badly though. :frown_color:

That was not the case on the far side of the Tomhicken, where the softer soil washed away more easily:









As expected, a lot of the trail was running water.










The creek was still very angry and you could see the flattened grass showing at one point, the water had been touching the underside of that bridge! [This creek is normally shallow and clear - it's the one I use to teach horses about water crossings for the first time.]










The creek had been out of its bank and across the trail in a couple places. Luckily the debris was fairly mild and not blocking the trail.










We weren't the only ones enjoying the brief break in the rain!










On my way home, the owner of some of the trails I ride asked if I would check out any damage. That meant we came home via the Sugarloaf, walking down the part we normally would go up. I took the opportunity to walk on foot so I could clear a few down limbs. I was pleased there were no ugly marks from run off on any of the trails (and so was the landowner). I was not pleased that George managed to pull a front shoe on the way down, and fling it off the edge where I had no chance of finding it. [Farrier is due Tuesday so guess he didn't want to be ridden any more until then! :icon_rolleyes:]

This pond, which collects runoff from one side of the Sugarloaf, was full to the point of running over!










14.59 miles, 1924 feet of climb, 4.9 mph average pace, 93F real feel


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## AnitaAnne

Wow, that is a serious amount of water! Good for the hay though :wink:

The trail that is now a stream looks super slippery, and the snake in the trail  Your rides always have some adventure!


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## frlsgirl

I love the trot pic through the water; look at that hind end engagement; I bet they would do well in Dressage! How cool is it that you got to meet up and ride with @egrogan again?!? Without this forum you would have never known about each other. So cool!


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## egrogan

frlsgirl said:


> I love the trot pic through the water; look at that hind end engagement; I bet they would do well in Dressage! How cool is it that you got to meet up and ride with @egrogan again?!? Without this forum you would have never known about each other. So cool!


It is really neat that this forum is full of real, nice people :smile:

At the ride, someone asked me how I knew phantom, and I paused for a minute before I said, "we met online." Then I instantly felt a little weird. I guess I'm old enough that online "friend making" still seems a little strange to me! . But I am grateful that I have met a few great people from HF in real life.


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## QueenofFrance08

Stitch threw a shoe this weekend too! GRRR! I thought you would appreciate this: We found out this weekend Chico is afraid of purple flowers.... Silly Arabs!


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## phantomhorse13

frlsgirl said:


> I love the trot pic through the water; look at that hind end engagement; I bet they would do well in Dressage!


Fluffy has dabbled in eventing. She is certainly eye catching in the dressage ring. She also has quite a jump (though I have never experienced it but over small logs etc). She spent the winter foxhunting, which I bet was amazing to see (I am way too chicken for that!!).




egrogan said:


> At the ride, someone asked me how I knew phantom, and I paused for a minute before I said, "we met online." Then I instantly felt a little weird. I guess I'm old enough that online "friend making" still seems a little strange to me! .


Any time I have an interaction like that, all I can hear is my Mother's voice telling me "you be careful around those internet people!" :rofl:


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I dragged DH over to ride at Nicole's with me. Nicole is still healing and my back has been talking some lately too, so I figured better to go out one longer ride than two shorter ones. DH was a bit skeptical, but even he admitted it was fun after we were done.

I rode Polo and put DH on Hombre. I figured it was easier since Polo likes to lead and I knew where I was going.










We did what I think of as the medium loop. It was amazing to see all the water running random places still!




























We rode right past Nicole's house on the way back to the barn, so of course stopped to say hi.










13.92 miles, 1267 feet of climb, 6.1 mph average pace, 91F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Got the professional pics from Vermont, and a friend sent a couple she took:






































The farrier was supposed to be out this morning, but we got stood up. This the second time (in a row) he's been a no call/no show.. which is super disappointing after 10 years as DH's farrier. The last time, he had some excuse about having spilled something on his appointment book, yet was dumb enough to post on facebook that he had taken an impulse vacation. Because he is an excellent farrier, we decided to give him another try..

But I can take a hint, so called the guy who used to do Dream for me, and he is coming Saturday.


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## QueenofFrance08

Flo looks AMAZING in those pictures! You too of course! She looks so much like Jake except a little bigger!

Stitch threw a shoe on Sunday too and our farrier is out of town for 2 weeks right now. I put a boot on her and turned her out so she looks kind of silly with one orange Renegade on.... Thankfully our farrier contacted a friend and he's coming to meet us at a barn down the road this afternoon. Sorry yours was such a flake! Hope Dream's prior guy works out!


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> Thankfully our farrier contacted a friend and he's coming to meet us at a barn down the road this afternoon. Sorry yours was such a flake! Hope Dream's prior guy works out!


Glad your guy was smart enough to have a fill in, so your flat tire can be fixed!

The prior farrier is also an endurance rider (at FEI level, no less) as well as being a fabulous farrier, so I am actually pretty excited about him coming up. Just wish the reason for the transition wasn't so frustrating.


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## phantomhorse13

Since I couldn't get George out sans shoe yesterday, when Gina called in the afternoon to ask if I was up for a ride, I said sure. It's the first time she's been riding since a slip on the stairs left her battered (and very lucky not to have broken multiple things), so I knew it wouldn't be a long one.

We went up and around the Sugarloaf.










The corn has been doing really well despite the weather. Hopefully the ground has dried out enough that the potatoes and beans won't drown with this next set of rain.










The weeds are certainly doing well! The downside to riding on private land is not all the owners are very good about mowing.










Today, I was supposed to be over helping Nicole pack for Pine Tree, but she is still not doing well after her fall. So I am beginning to doubt that ride is going to happen, as we are supposed to leave Sunday.. :frown_color:


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## phantomhorse13

The farrier was out on Saturday morning. It was so nice to catch up with him and I was thrilled with how the boys' feet looked when he was done.











Today, I got George out. Knowing it was supposed to be brutally hot, I went out first thing in the morning hoping to keep things as cool as possible. It was already a real feel in the mid-80s when I left the barn at 8am. :shock:

I decided to head over to the tomhicken and do the long railroad bed. That would keep us as shaded as possible, but still be open enough trail to keep an eye out for rattlesnakes. 

Passing through one section, I saw even more stuff has been dumped. This property is for sale, so I don't understand how the owner thinks this mess is increasing its appeal!










The railroad bed was lovely and shaded.. but of course that meant the bugs were awful. Luckily they can't keep up at a canter!










On the way home, we came across one of the farm workers filling up the water truck. As wet as everything still is, its crazy to think somewhere needed watering!










13.3 miles, 1328 feet of climb, 5.7 mph average pace, 101F real feel


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## QueenofFrance08

Yay so glad your farrier made it out! Is George the only one with shoes now? When's his next ride?


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> Is George the only one with shoes now? When's his next ride?


George is the only one with shoes now, which is somewhat (or very) depressing.

Next ride for DH and George will be the end of the month. Waiting to hear from Lani and Kathy about it, as there are 2 rides that weekend (one in Maine, one in southern VA). We are going to Maine (which is actually closer, so figure) but the ladies normally go to the VA one..


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## phantomhorse13

Tuesday, I went over to ride with Nicole. She is still pretty sore from her fall, so we planned to take it easy. I thought it would be a good time to mark some trail in an attempt to make a big loop that connects the power lines.

I rode Polo. He was not exactly thrilled about having to stand for me to put ribbons on branches, but it was a good lesson for him.










A lot of places were still very swampy - no surprise after the record-setting rainfall. Luckily, we were able to get around any sketchy places.










Some of the trail was lovely, and not a snake to be seen!










We managed to find our way to the first set of power lines without getting lost! Polo was very enthused when instead of continuing on, we turned around and went home.










6.59 miles, 629 feet of climb, 3.8 mph average pace, 91F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Thursday, I got George out. Despite a forecast that predicted lower temps and humidity, when I got up, it was already 80F with 95% humidity! So, I knew I needed to go out asap. 

We hadn't even got off our place before having our first wildlife encounter. But George was all business, and who could blame him as the conditions were already miserable. I was happy to see the fox though, as he had been scarce and we were worried something happened to him.










I was so thankful for Keith having mowed as we worked our way to the Sugarloaf. George was happy to bypass the Sugarloaf climb and instead mosey across the farm.










Going up the Tomhicken was so much nicer, as I had cleared the horrible section of stickerbushes. [It took me an hour Wednesday to clear that 100 feet of trail!] When we got to the road crossing, I had to laugh at being delayed by line painting. George couldn't understand why I backed him so far off the road, but I figured with my luck a gust of wind would blow up paint if we were too close.










We looped around to go back up the pole line, which was not actually running with water this time.










I suspect this is George's favorite part of the whole thing:










12.05 miles, 1883 feet of climb, 5.2 mph average pace, 94F real feel




I tried to get George out yesterday, but despite clear radar, we started getting wet not 5 minutes from the house. Since I couldn't see any of the mountains in the distance, we turned around. It rained for the next 3 hours, so that was it for riding for the day. I suspect that 1/4 mile was the Best Ride Ever in George's opinion.


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## SwissMiss

No turquoise (or pink :wink shirt while riding Polo????? :shock:
I am sure George loved that _very_ short ride :biggrin:


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## phantomhorse13

SwissMiss said:


> No turquoise (or pink :wink shirt while riding Polo?????


We were going to be out in the sun, so it was just too blasted hot for turquoise.


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## PoptartShop

It was so hot & humid, I don't blame you for wearing white!
Glad you got them out. Stickerbushes are horrible! LOL about the line paint, the last thing you need is paint all over you guys! :lol:

Beautiful trails though.  I know they both enjoyed it!!


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## QueenofFrance08

What exactly happened to Nicole? It must have been bad because it sounds like she's been hurting for awhile! :frown_color:


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## phantomhorse13

PoptartShop said:


> LOL about the line paint, the last thing you need is paint all over you guys!


Yeah, all I could imagine was going home painted!! Bad enough to get that on George or me, but how would I get it off the tack?!




QueenofFrance08 said:


> What exactly happened to Nicole?


Nicole was at an obstacle clinic with Teagan (who is only 5 and still green), who did fine.. until he didn't. He took offense to something and spun away, started bucking and dumped her. As if hitting the plain ground isn't enough fun, she landed on some poles which added an extra punch to her ribs. She was very lucky not to break anything, but springing ribs hurts just about as bad as breaking them (been there, done that.. ). :frown_color:


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, we got an unexpected break in the weather, so I took the opportunity to get George out. Because we had gotten rain all morning and more was due any time, I didn't want to get too far from home. While I don't care for being rained on as I hate being wet, I sure don't want to be riding in a thunderstorm if I don't have to be! So that meant sticking to the roads on the Sugarloaf. 

On the way, one of the local kids was out, so of course I had to stop to let her admire George.










Knowing George had to be as bored with seeing the same trails as I was, I decided to let him go at whatever speed he wanted uphill. Despite the hot and humid conditions, George was very happy to yahoo up all the hills with great glee!










We went up and down the Sugarloaf twice and he was happy to canter all of the hills every time.










I was shocked to get to a landowner's driveway and find it basically dry! That is about 2 miles as the crow flies from our place, so a great example of just how hit or miss our storms have been.











8.72 miles, 1977 feet of climb, 5.2 mph average pace, 96F real feel


Today has been another wet one. We've had over 2 inches of rain, but got very lucky as the bulk of the storm went just west of us. The next town over had as much as 6 inches of rain in places! We have had flood warnings since 8am. If only we could sent all this wet to the places on fire out West..


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## QueenofFrance08

My only thought was if George got painted you wouldn't have to worry about him rolling in the dirt as much!!!!!

Ow about Nicole! That has to hurt! I just found out today our acquaintance who broke some ribs after her horse dumped her in a bog at the last ride is out for the rest of the year because it turns out those broken ribs punctured her lung.... Sure am thankful my vest has saved my ribs a few times.


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> I just found out today our acquaintance who broke some ribs after her horse dumped her in a bog at the last ride is out for the rest of the year because it turns out those broken ribs punctured her lung.... Sure am thankful my vest has saved my ribs a few times.


Ugh, that is terrible for your friend. And I would imagine very painful.

I know Nicole is looking into getting one of those air vests, but she is very chesty so isn't sure how well any will fit.


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## QueenofFrance08

phantomhorse13 said:


> Ugh, that is terrible for your friend. And I would imagine very painful.
> 
> I know Nicole is looking into getting one of those air vests, but she is very chesty so isn't sure how well any will fit.


I love mine! I have a Hit Air and they make buckle extenders for people who are larger in the chest (which is not me, although if I don't keep away from the bag of peanut M&M's in the lunch room I might need a waist extender). I think Point Two has them too and they have a 25% off code for AERC members....


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> I love mine! I have a Hit Air and they make buckle extenders for people who are larger in the chest (which is not me, although if I don't keep away from the bag of peanut M&M's in the lunch room I might need a waist extender). I think Point Two has them too and they have a 25% off code for AERC members....


That is good to know and I will def be passing that info along!

and peanut M&Ms are the best.. the bag in the lunchroom would already have been gone.


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## phantomhorse13

Today was a busy day for me! The rain finally stopped last night (we've gotten 6 inches of rain in the last 2 days, and were lucky as about 15 minutes west of here had TWELVE :eek_color, so today I got double saddle time.

First thing, I went over with Christine to ride Mateo. I hadn't heard from her in a while, so had hoped no news was good news.. but unfortunately, it wasn't. She came off of him a couple weeks ago and it had shattered what little confidence she had. She has decided to sell him, as she realizes now that they are not a good match. But in hopes of getting what she paid for him, she wants to keep him in work and maybe even get him to some competitions.

Because of all the rain, the ground was not very good. That limited our speed, but even a slow ride was a good opportunity for Mateo and I to start getting to know one another. We started out behind, as Christine was worried he might be reactive.










Mateo made it clear he thought having to go at Gracelyn's crawl was not for him and happily took the lead. He eyeballed a few things along the way, all of them man made (gotta love a mustang!).










Christine took us to some fields she had just found out they had permission to ride around. They will be excellent places to ride when things aren't so wet.










When we got back to the barn, we had hoped to ride in the outdoor ring a bit, but it was literally a huge puddle. So we moseyed around the barn instead. There was a large trailer parked in part of the driveway that Mateo took great offense to. I am not sure if he didn't like the shiny chrome or what, but it took quite a while and one meltdown before he would get within 10 feet of it. In the end, he did approach it close enough to touch it with his nose and realize he wasn't going to die.

4.17 miles, 576 feet of climb, 2.7 mph average pace, 86F real feel


When I got home, I got George out. Knowing everything was going to be flooded, I did the space needle loop. And indeed, there was a LOT of water. Even places that had been dry the last time I went out in the flooding had water on them this time.










The big open was one of the few places we weren't riding in a creek, but only because there were multiple new lakes instead!










George was on his best behavior though and never put a foot wrong.






I had an interesting realization today.. When I first started riding him, George had a lovely collected canter that he preferred to long trotting. Over the last year or so, he has been less inclined to do that little canter, which I attributed to his aging (we know he has some hock arthritis, etc). Well, apparently it was something related to his feet.. because today he gave me some absolutely lovely canter and the only thing that was different was the change in farriers!










I could not be more pleased with how he went today. This will be his last workout before the competition next weekend. I am so excited to see how he and DH do!

12.23 miles, 1434 feet of climb, average pace, 94F real feel


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## QueenofFrance08

What distance are George and your DH doing next weekend? He looks great (at least his ears do)!!! Is he enjoying being the center of riding attention? I wish we were closer so he could teach Jake water doesn't have sharks in it!

That's too bad that Christine has to sell Mateo! Hopefully she can get a different horse that is a better fit for her instead.


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## Caledonian

It's amazing how a new farrier can change a horse like George. Fewer farriers nowadays and even harder to find a good one and they are so important. Definitely no foot no horse!


Sorry to read about your friend Christine and Mateo but he does sound like a handful.


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> What distance are George and your DH doing next weekend?


They will be stepping up to the 50. Fingers and toes crossed all goes well!




Caledonian said:


> Sorry to read about your friend Christine and Mateo but he does sound like a handful.


Mateo is just a green horse who needs a confident handler. Christine is not a bad rider, but she tends to be nervous.. so not the right combination at all. She was shopping for a bomb-proof, experienced distance horse, so everyone was shocked when this horse was what she bought. I actually think Mateo has a lot of potential, but they are not a match.


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I went over to ride with Nicole. Two local ladies also came along. That proved a bit complicated as one horse didn't have shoes, which meant we were limited on trail choices. So instead of going up the mountain for the hill work we had originally planned, we did the short loop.














































7.26 miles, 448 feet of climb, 4.1 mph average pace, 91F real feel


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## SueC

Is that a hand-knitted DIY bonnet, @*phantomhorse13* ? 

Interesting bit on that horse too!


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## phantomhorse13

SueC said:


> Is that a hand-knitted DIY bonnet? Interesting bit on that horse too!


Yes, both of them were hand made. The maker is very talented as I really like the _design_, (the ear parts are a lovely light mesh that keeps the bugs out but still lets air in), but I prefer a nice solid black for my bonnets. I guess I would even take one in red or blue, but I could def live without the glitter! :wink:

Polo goes in some crazy "paso bit" that he came with. We keep talking about wanting to try him in a hack of some kind, but he can get a bit hot and barn sour so I am not sure about the practicality of that at home. I figure I may try it on the second loop of a competition after he has settled down (and would pick a ride with good climbs so if I was wrong, I could at least aim him uphill!!).


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## SueC

It _is_ a little like a tea-cosy! 

If he's comfortable in the bit, why change it anyway if you're trail riding. Reliable brakes are good! ;-) Especially when there are no steep hills to aim them up!


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## phantomhorse13

SueC said:


> It _is_ a little like a tea-cosy!


You're right!!! That is what I am going to refer to them as from now on!! :rofl:


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## AnitaAnne

I was calling them Easter Bonnets...had to check to make sure I didn't sleep through the winter


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## QueenofFrance08

Yay for George doing a 50! I'll cross my fingers for him! 

Oh man those are some fly bonnets. I don't usually use one but I have a lovely black one with a hot pink piping stripe which I think I'll stick with!!!!!!!


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## phantomhorse13

Flo is vetted in for the 100!!

Good vibes and happy thoughts are much appreciated. Pre-ride today was uneventful (the best kind).


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## knightrider

Good vibes and happy thoughts coming your way!


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## egrogan

Good vibes sent to you and lovely Flo :grin:


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## SwissMiss

Good vibes coming your and Flo's way!


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## AnitaAnne

Good Vibes and Very Happy Thoughts!!! 

Can't wait to hear all about your weekend


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## SueC

_Bsssssssssss bssssssssssssssssssss!!!_ Good vibes being beamed from the Southern Hemisphere! 

:charge:


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## frlsgirl

All hooves, paws, and fingers crossed for you from Oklahoma!


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## Spanish Rider

Ack! Can't believe I missed Flo's 100! Oh when, oh when will those planets ever align?!


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## phantomhorse13

Flo did it- she’s a 100 mile horse!!

George also completed with flying colors. 

Will probably be mid to late week before I get time to write the whole story, as we will finally be cutting hay (and first we have to GET home, as traffic is horrendous). 

Hopefully attached are a preview pic from the professional photog .. and my birthday present from DH.


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## Caledonian

Many congratulations to you, Flo and George as well, of course. 

Lovely photos and such a cute pup


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## knightrider

Wonderful news and congratulations!!! Quite an accomplishment!!!!


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## carshon

Woo Hoo! George finished fine, Flo is a 100-miler and you got a puppy!


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## SwissMiss

What a weekend! Congrats to you and Flo! So glad George came through with flying colors, too! And a cuddly puppy


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## PoptartShop

That is amazing news!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO proud of you guys, congratulations. And I love the picture with the pup!!! Awww, so cute!!


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## Change

Congrats to you and Flo for the 100 and to hubby and George for the 50! And Happy Birthday - love that picture. Border collie pup? I'd be jealous if I didn't have a little 12 week old German Shepherd pup lying on my feet! LOL!


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## phantomhorse13

Last Thursday, DH and I trekked up to Maine for the Northeast Challenge. The traffic on the way up was not too bad (our route takes us around NYC and Boston, so there is always some traffic) and we got there about dinnertime. 










Kathy and Lani arrived with Fuju, Flo, and Brimstone just after dark. We got everyone settled and had some dinner, then fell into bed.

Friday morning, the fog was incredible. After breakfast (which Patti provided using eggs from Lani), DH wanted to pre-ride George first thing. While he was out and Kathy was prepping stuff, I got all 3 horses out to graze. I found out my previously waterproof shoes no longer were, which did not make me real happy as the heavy dew soon had them soaked through. 










Kathy, Lani, and I went on our pre-ride just before lunch. We were pleased the markings seemed improved over previous years, though the amount of ducking branches did not. The joys of riding on snowmobile trails!

We spent the afternoon getting stuff prepped and poor DH had to do some work.










It was decided I would ride with Kathy and Rich to start with, who would keep their experienced horses under wraps (Rich and Sarge have won that ride the past 2 years!). If Flo seemed unable to maintain their pace, we would split up. Flo had been beaten up in the pasture a few days earlier, so was sporting some impressive scrapes (which were coated with alu-spray, leading to an interesting look). Everyone vetted in without issue that afternoon, with all of Flo's marks noted on her card so nobody thought I was trying to kill her during the ride!










This ride does the rider briefing before dinner, which I think is wonderful. As always, they have the information area beside the timer's tent, which lists just about anything you would want to know. I love this system!



















After the meeting, we had dinner (pig roast!) and grazed the horses before turning in fairly early.

The next morning, the 50s and the 100s were starting at the same time, so DH and I ate our oatmeal together and then went our separate ways to prepare. Flo had cleaned up her breakfast and was a bit wiggly to tack up.










Our ride started heading out of camp the long way, which was a walk-only zone. There were only 8 in the 100 and we made sure to start after all the others were out of sight. Everyone marched out of camp with purpose, Flo only a bit silly (nice to see her race-brain improving every ride).










The first loop was 20 miles. The loop had a variety of terrain and some places were still heavy with fog. This ride allows pit crews to go out to a couple spots, which is a wonderful thing. Patti was crewing, and she is the best ever. We saw her and the photog at the pit crew stop, about 8 miles in.




























I was pleasantly surprised that the horses paced well together. Sarge would have liked to go faster, but he didn't give Rich any trouble. Fugi is used to babysitting, so he trucks along at whatever pace is asked. Flo was not thrilled when she had to follow, but she tolerated it.










The first loop passed fairly quickly. We vetted through without pulling tack as the horses pulsed down without issue. DH was leaving with George as we came in and he said everything was going well. It was still very humid and I changed to my sleeveless shirt while Flo chowed down on anything she could. 










to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

The next loop was 18 miles. DH had said some parts were nice and some were sketchy, and that was a good description. 










This loop had some climbs that ended up in open fields, which gave us great views. The fog had burned off, but the humidity was still high and the sun was broiling.










There were lots of wildflowers all around, which amazingly did not contain too many biting insects (always a nice surprise).










We pulled tack at the next hold, as by then it was hot. The horses pulsed without issue and we continued to sponge them even during the hold as they ate.










The next loop seemed much longer than 15 miles, as a lot of it was slow, rocky climbing. 


__
Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18
Show Content










But just when you thought you couldn't stand it another moment, the climb would level out and open up into someplace amazing. Here you can see one of the pit crew stops at the bottom.










We passed a set of riders on this loop and unfortunately picked up one of them. That rider is someone I know well, but she was not acting right at all, letting her horse barge into people at tanks and crowd horses on trail. We wound up putting Flo first because we were afraid she was going to start kicking.




























But there was always some nice trail to make up for the miserable places. While that loop seemed very long because of the rocks and the heat, the mileage was right on.










I was very happy to get back into camp, as having that extra person really messed with the horse's mojo. Our group vetted through much faster than that horse and rider, so I was thankful I wouldn't have to be that person who said 'no you cannot ride with us' (which I wouldn't have liked to do, but would have as it would have been the best thing for Flo). However, it didn't come to that as the rider chose to Rider Option due to heat exhaustion (which explained her bizarre behavior). 

I was thrilled to hear that both DH and Lani had finished their rides with happy horses and even top 10 placings (George tied for 4th and Brim was 9th)! I don't think Flo or Fuji picked up their heads the entire hold.










We were happy for some clouds as we headed out on our next 20 mile loop. Unfortunately, this loop used some of the same trail as the last loop, so we had more slow going in places. We were very thankful for the shaded places, as it was still very hot.











This ride is challenging as you never know what you are going to find around a corner, though by this point the horses cared much less!











to be continued..


----------



## phantomhorse13

part 3:

While the mileage was right on, that 20 miles took what seemed like forever. The markings were good though, so we never worried we weren't on trail (unlike previous years).










Coming into the next hold, the sun was starting to drop, which was wonderful as the temperature started easing down. The horses were happy for a bite of grass on the way into the check.










Heck, they were happy to eat anything and everything anywhere near the check!



















The horses pulsed down without issue and vetted through with no surprises. 



















The sun was setting as we headed out for the next loop. The temperature had dropped but the humidity was still very high.










That white loop was 13 miles and mostly roads, though there was one tricky, muddy river crossing which was a bit scary in the dark. Flo was doing fine, but I was having a lot of issue with Kathy's headlamp making me sick. Even my motion sickness medication didn't help, but I did manage to not actually vomit (thank goodness).

The last hold was short and easy. Because of my issues with the light making me motion sick, when I am not riding I get even more dizzy and nauseated, so Lani held Flo to let her eat while I literally walked circles around where they were grazing until it was time to get back on. People kept trying to offer me a chair and various things to eat and drink, and I am sure they wondered if I was quite right in the head. But I had still not been sick by the time we left on the final loop. I got to lead a bit for that loop, meaning Kathy left her lamp off, which helped tremendously.

The horses would have cantered back to camp when the hit the last few miles (that loop was a big lollipop, so they knew exactly where they were). Everyone was pulsed down by the time we had pulled tack and vetted without issue.

Completion - Flo is a 100 miler!!








We came in 3rd, 4th, and 5th (Kathy doesn't tie) and weren't even turtle as one rider did come in behind us. BC judging is done in the morning and I was really pleased with how Flo looked.




























While Flo had a nice presentation, Fuji looked like he had never even gone out. With his fantastic recoveries all day, we knew he was a shoo-in for BC. And indeed, Fuji got High Vet Score and Best Conditioned (and he and Kathy were one of only three to complete the Northeast 100 Triple Crown).

Fantastic weekend!!


----------



## QueenofFrance08

So jealous! We only have one 100 miler in MN but hopefully someday that will be me! 

It's cool that you have ties, for some reason in MN none of the rides allow ties. There were some at the ride in WI though so I'm not sure if it's a MNDRA rule or what. 

Flo looks amazing in all of the pictures! Surprised you didn't sneak her in your trailer and "accidentally" bring her home!

So glad George is doing amazing! 4th place is awesome! 

I NEED that rug for outside my trailer, everyone has the same one and I feel left out! Plus I'm sick of having to sweep the darn LQ floor 10000 times a weekend! You guys look so much more organized than we do (experience pays off).... It generally looks like a bomb went off outside our trailer with buckets and hay bags and gear all over!


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## egrogan

Just love all this :happydance::happydance:

So thrilled for you and Flo and your lovely DH and George. Congrats!


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## AnitaAnne

What a wonderful experience!! All winners! 

That puppy though...oh my! Puppy-dog eyes turn me into mush 

Have you ever thought of bringing Flo home with you? She won't really match the grey boys, but change is good, right? 

Congratulations to all of you! George is in fine form and your DH finally gets a completion and Miss Flo! 

100 miles!! :loveshower: :loveshower:


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## SueC

Loooook!












You're _both_ sound! :clap:


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## gottatrot

Congratulations! Loved the video, and the part with the geese was funny.

I can sympathize with how you feel about the light motion. I don't get sick but everyone_ loves_ going in the ocean and between the horse moving and the water moving, it makes me feel dizzy and weird.


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## SueC

@gottatrot, we were watching a concert video this week with some post-production swirling in one song, and I seriously had to look away or I would have needed a bucket! *insert imaginary projectile vomiting emoji*


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## QueenofFrance08

@gottatrot That's what it is! Water moving and horse moving! At our last ride we crossed a really wide river and I started getting dizzy and feeling sick. I didn't put it together but that's for sure what it was!


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> I NEED that rug for outside my trailer, everyone has the same one and I feel left out! Plus I'm sick of having to sweep the darn LQ floor 10000 times a weekend! You guys look so much more organized than we do (experience pays off).... It generally looks like a bomb went off outside our trailer with buckets and hay bags and gear all over!


We got that mat from a local vendor.. I will have to see if I can find a tag on it so you can look for it on amazon.

I lay big bath towels down on the floor in the LQ, as those are much easier to pick up and shake out (I never seem to get around to actually sweeping, so that was a good work around).

And have no fear, the trailer inside and out looked like a bomb went off after this weekend - and I didn't even have Flo's stuff there adding to the mess! I swear we got stuff we didn't even use dirty..



AnitaAnne said:


> Have you ever thought of bringing Flo home with you?


Kathy and Lani are well aware I would take her home in a heartbeat. However, she is not for sale at this point and unless they buy something else, she is soon to be Kathy's main horse.



SueC said:


> You're _both_ sound!


I feel really good after this ride, which was a nice surprise. I always have some issues with my toes/feet by the end of 100s, but this time it wasn't too bad (and I don't think I am going to lose any toenails). Even after the insanely long drive home (sunday traffic is always horrendous), I did not have any truck rigor mortis. Flo being so comfortable is sure nice on my body!


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## AnitaAnne

The part with the geese, looked like you were going thru someone's backyard! Very odd...


Poor Flo with all her cuts and scrapes...so good they were not in saddle areas. Too bad she is not for sale, your boys would cherish her and protect her from harm...


I still am astounded by night riding, is not something I've ever done and it just is all so DARK...can't understand how y'all do that without being able to see anything. 


loosing feeling in toes must make dismounts challenging...:frown_color:


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## QueenofFrance08

I got it.... If you cover Flo in shaving cream she will look like one of your horses and you can just sneak her home! Maybe instead of looking for horses for you we should be looking for Kathy!


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## knightrider

I am totally in awe of you guys that do those terrifically long rides! My hat is off to you! So impressive.


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## SwissMiss

QueenofFrance08 said:


> Maybe instead of looking for horses for you we should be looking for Kathy!


I was just thinking the same!


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## Spanish Rider

Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations!

Losing toenails, motion sickness, heat exhaustion... sounds more like Navy SEAL training than horse riding!

Did you go up 495? If you did, you drove right through my town (Marlborough) and about a mile away from my sister's house (Littleton). I also drove up on Thursday, and I kept my eyes out for trailers, but no luck. I must have been just a couple of hours behind you! And, yes 495 to 95, MA thru NH and ME, can be hell on Fridays and Sundays. The highways were built before I was born and have not been expanded since, and the population has grown in MA by 2 million in my lifetime. Don't know when the politicians are gonna do the math!

Has your new border collie got a name? And, I hate to ask, but did I miss some news about Mia?


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## QueenofFrance08

@SwissMiss I will admit I'm having fun horse shopping for phantomhorse! I found a chestnut with a flaxen mane even! Plus I figure if I find someone out here by me she'll have to come visit! I'll even let her take Jake out!
@Spanish Rider I think Mia is in the picture of the trailer passed out on the rug so I don't think you need to worry!


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## Spanish Rider

Phew! :thumbsup:


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> The part with the geese, looked like you were going thru someone's backyard! Very odd...
> 
> loosing feeling in toes must make dismounts challenging..


That WAS going through someone's back yard.. 100% of the ride was on private property. A lot was snowmobile trail and some was private roads, but some of the connecting parts took us literally into and across yards. Amazing how kind people are to open their land in such a way!

Luckily, its just the outside two toes that go to sleep, so have enough feeling to dismount without falling down. I toe out badly, so as I get more tired my feet tend to slide against the outside branch of the stirrup, which cuts off the circulation. I try to pay attention and keep moving my feet but it doesn't always work.



Spanish Rider said:


> Did you go up 495?
> 
> Has your new border collie got a name? And, I hate to ask, but did I miss some news about Mia?


We did go up 495 and then back down it again to go home! A shame to be so close and not get to meet you.

Mia is just fine - she is teaching Kestrel all kinds of good things (like how ice cubes are fun treats):










I wasn't looking for a puppy right now, but am sure glad Mia will be around to help teach her how to be a good dog. I will tell the whole story when I finally get the journal post up (maybe later this afternoon but probably not till sometimes this weekend)..


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## phantomhorse13

Raining again, so I figured that was the universe telling me it was ok to spend some more time on HF today. So time for Kestrel's story!

A little over 2 months ago, I sat down in the evening and popped onto the book of faces. I just happened to do so as an acquaintance posted a picture of a red and white border collie laying in a child's turtle sandbox in the middle of her living room. I love border collies (reds being my favorites), so I of course had to click on the post to find out more. Turns out this person had gotten that lovely dog (Vegas) about a month before while traveling out west.. and surprise, the dog was pregnant and had just started whelping. The owner was understandably frazzled and at the end of the post made a statement about now having to find homes for puppies on top of everything else on her do-to list for the summer.

Border collies have always been my favorite breed of dog, with the reds (livers) being my color of choice. However, until getting together with DH, I never had a lifestyle that would accommodate such a dog, as they don't deal well with 10+ hour work shifts. But in staring at that picture of Vegas and her pups in that silly turtle, I couldn't help but notice there was _one_ red puppy.. and I messaged the owner asking if by any chance the red was a female. I felt like maybe I had lost my mind, knowing I had an elderly dog and a blind cat at home.. but when I showed DH the post, he just said "so is that what you want for your birthday?" :eek_color:

The owner messaged me back and said indeed that pup was a female.. and she was all mine if I wanted her. I did!!

We arranged to pick up the puppy at the Maine ride, as the owner lives in New Hampshire and it saved us driving all that way again. All the pups went to endurance homes, so the ride was the perfect place for not just us, but everyone who took a puppy.

To say it was a bit of a whirlwind weekend was an understatement. The owner arrived just before dark, so the first time I was able to meet Kestrel was during the short hold where I was so motion sick I had to keep moving - not exactly the best time for introductions. I had hoped to have more time with her after we finished the ride, but Sarge colicked not long after we finished and I was involved with helping with that. By the time that scenario was resolved (they shipped him to a referral hospital and thank god the trailer ride fixed whatever had been causing his issue), it was morning and time to pack up before BC showing. After BC, I literally picked Kestrel out of the back of the owner's trailer (where she was with all the other pups) and got into our truck to head for home!

I expected her to be terrified, but she handled it like a champ. She did shake a bit for about 5 minutes, then was wanting to hop off my lap and explore the truck!










Knowing I would be wanting to sleep myself after being up all night, I did have a travel carrier along for her. She was a bit whiny at first, but soon settled down. As expected, Mia was intrigued and Katie was insulted.










The ride home was very long, but the pup did great. We stopped about every 2 hours to let her get out and stretch her legs and potty and there were no accidents in the carrier. When we got home, she got to meet George before he went out.










I wanted to pick a photo spot to track how she grows over the weeks, and this was the best my tired brain could come up with:










Kestrel ate dinner like a champ, but was somewhat insulted about the crate at night. She fussed for a bit, but eventually tired won out. I did get up in the middle of the night to let her out but was happy no accidents!

This whole week has been fairly non-productive for me, I would much rather play with her than just about anything else! She is so brave about almost everything. It took me all day Monday to get the stuff from the trailer cleaned up, but what fun!



















Her genetics show through when she first meets something new:






Since we did hay this week, it was a great opportunity to get Kestrel exposed to the noisy equipment. She took everything in stride.










Of course, the whole world is a toy as far as she is concerned!










Yesterday, I finally got around to vacuuming in the LQ and she was a bit uncertain about the noise. So I knew I had a bit of work ahead of me today, as I planned to clean in the house. When I first turned the vacuum on, she fled all the way across the house. However, with a bit work over about 5 minutes, she figured out the vacuum actually = treats, so it wasn't a monster after all!






In fact, when I left the vacuum briefly unattended to go change over a load of laundry, I came back to find this!!










Guess she was trying to butter it up in hopes of more treats!!

Nicole came over earlier to meet Kestrel and they played a lot. Nicole was amazed at how bold she was with a stranger. After Nicole left and a brief run around outside, Kestrel was interested in what I was doing in the chair, so I brought her up. Apparently she doesn't think HF is as exciting as I do:










I am smitten!!


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## Change

I haven't introduced Sinna to the vacuum cleaner yet; love the idea of putting treats on the noisy thing to get her comfortable. Right now I'm just thrilled that she knows her name and always stays within eye-sight unless she has a fit of the zoomies where she suddenly needs to run at top speed from one end of the house to the other. Two of three laps then she flops at my feet and gives me those "aren't I just the cutest...?" eyes.


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## AnitaAnne

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: 

I think Kestrel (adorable name btw) will soon need her very own thread! My mouth hurts from smiling at her pictures and my tummy hurts from laughing at her antics with the bottle! 


That sleeping with the vacuum though; oh my that is PRICELESS!


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## AnitaAnne

Change said:


> I haven't introduced Sinna to the vacuum cleaner yet; love the idea of putting treats on the noisy thing to get her comfortable. Right now I'm just thrilled that she knows her name and always stays within eye-sight unless she has a fit of the zoomies where she suddenly needs to run at top speed from one end of the house to the other. Two of three laps then she flops at my feet and gives me those "aren't I just the cutest...?" eyes.


:rofl: You need to take some video of sweet Sinna! I love that name too! y'all are great at coming up with cool names. 


Miss Sinna needs her own thread too :wink:


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## SueC

Oh man, those puppy photos / clips... that one has real personality! :rofl:


  


It was lovely to read her story - your husband's reaction - and your multi-tasking when collecting...


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## phantomhorse13

Thursday, I got a bit of saddle time with Gina. I rode Amish. We moseyed around the Big Square. Despite the forecast being for cooler temps, it was still hot and humid..





























6.07 miles, 629 feet of climb, 3.3 mph average pace, 93F real feel


This weekend has not been a holiday for us so far, as we have been doing a lot of stuff around the place. Saturday morning, we started the day putting the 300 bales of second cutting hay away. The loft at our place is full, so we had to take all the hay over to the main farm, where luckily we can use the end of the loft that the big bales Keith makes don't fit into. Thank goodness it was at least overcast, as it was still crazy humid and hardly cold.

Then the real fun began. DH wants to run electric out to the new building, so we figured the sooner the better so maybe grass would grow a bit before winter. The trencher hasn't been used in years, but DH takes good care of his equipment so we had no issues with it running. As always, I am so thankful for the skid loader! Kestrel is getting great exposure to all sorts of crazy things and she is amazingly unconcerned.










We had to dig out right beside the buildings by hand, which was more than enough for me.. it would have taken me a week to dig all 200 feet! We also finished leveling out around the back of the building, as the excavator finally came to remove his topsoil shaker - though of course even that couldn't be easy. It had sunk into the ground and the landing gear wouldn't come down enough to get it hitched to the truck. Keith had to come over with the big tractor and bucket to lift it up, as it was too heavy for our skid.

Saturday evening, we had an guest. A member of the Canadian endurance team for WEG and her lovely mare stayed the night on their way down to North Carolina. It was great to have an excuse to quit work before dark! While we had never met this woman (she had gotten our name from a mutual friend who stayed here in the past), I have found just about all endurance people to be easy to talk to, so we enjoyed some good conversation. She got on the road Sunday morning for the next leg of her journey. 

Then it was back to the trench. While DH bored a hole through the concrete, I laid conduit, fished the rope through it, and then buried it. That doesn't sound too bad, but after 5 hours my hands were blistered (and yes, I was wearing work gloves) and I think I had sweat off 10 pounds. Kestrel was always happy to help though!















I was so tired I could have laid down beside her and gone to sleep!

And her weekly pose:










Today we have done some odds and ends projects and I have started to get my stuff together for next weekend (I am going to the Big South Fork ride with Lani!). The family is having a picnic a bit later this afternoon, so it will be nice to relax.


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## Caledonian

Kestrel’s a sweetheart. The red with blue eyes is very striking. I can’t stop smiling at her photos especially the one with her tugging on the pipe and snoozing with the vacuum. 

Her reaction to the water bottle and the skid :rofl::rofl:. 

She's going to have you wrapped around her little paw with all of that cuteness!


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## egrogan

She sure is cute- little puppy taking on the big world!


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## AnitaAnne

All this puppy cuteness!!! I can't stop grinning  

The weekly pictures, such an inspired idea, so cool to watch her grow  

But all that work for the electricity :frown_color: will be worth it in the end...but hard work for sure. 

The scenery is just lovely right now, fall is in the air and the leaves are turning. My favorite time of year


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## phantomhorse13

Caledonian said:


> She's going to have you wrapped around her little paw with all of that cuteness!


Oh yes, you can see it's going to be a matter of who is training who..




AnitaAnne said:


> fall is in the air and the leaves are turning. My favorite time of year


My favorite time of year also, though today with our high of 94 it sure felt more like July!




egrogan said:


> She sure is cute- little puppy taking on the big world!


She is pretty much fearless. She may startle at an unexpected loud noise, but then she is right there checking it out. Keeping us all on our toes for sure!


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## PoptartShop

Eeek!! What a cutiepie! Giving me puppy fever over here. :lol: I am glad you got to ride, despite the dang humidity. Beautiful ride!


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I got in a ride with Nicole. Despite the calendar saying it's September, it feels more like July. So we went out early and kept the ride short and flat by doing the small loop. Even so, everyone was soaked in sweat by the time we got back to the barn.




























8.1 miles, 451 feet of climb, 6.2 mph average pace, 93F real feel (at 10 am!!)


When I got home, I alternated packing for Big South Fork with playing with Kestrel. She is starting to learn about the leash.










I head down to Lani's tonight and we head for Tennessee first thing in the morning!


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## QueenofFrance08

She's sooooooooo cute! How are you going to make it through the weekend without seeing that face?????

I see Nicole's boys have returned to their usual fly bonnets?


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## AnitaAnne

Have a safe trip and an awesome ride this weekend!!! 

I can't wait to see pictures of Big South Fork! 

That leash is bigger that Kestrel is :rofl:


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## PoptartShop

Have a safe trip.  Love the pictures.
I know you will miss your pup, what a cutie!!

She is just adorable.


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## Caledonian

Have a good ride and safe journey. 

A red and blue lead to match the pup's red coat and blue eyes?:smile:


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## phantomhorse13

Last weekend, Lani and I trekked 11 hours to Big South Fork, Tennessee. Its a ride that has always been on my bucket list, so I was super excited to see new trails. I left my place Tuesday evening and we left her farm first thing Wednesday morning in Jefferson. 

It's amazing how well the horses travel in the van. Its also nice to be able to go back and interact with them during the trip. I was able to offer them sloppy alfalfa cubes every hour, meaning everyone arrived with happy bellies despite the long trip. Fluffy, Brimstone, and Musubi:










Musubi is a 4 year old gelding bred by Asgard Arabians. Musubi has the same sire as Fluffy and Brimstone. This was his first adventure at a distance ride. 

We arrived and got set up just as it got dark. Even at 8 at night, it was hot and humid. It was so miserable, we slept in gravity chairs in the horse part of Jefferson (where the big doors allowed for the most breeze possible).

Thursday, we got stuff organized first thing in the morning, as the temperature shot up as soon as the sun came up. The humidity was relentless and you sweat just standing still in the shade. The horses handled it better than we did, relaxing and munching on their hay.










We got on to pre-ride before 9 am. We were very thankful most of the trails were in the shade. Musubi was a very good boy, only mildly excited about being in a new place. Lani kept him on the line just in case however (she calls it the 'emergency brake'). He is your typical greenie - very wiggly and interested, but he is a thinker so he took everything in stride.










When we got back, the ride photographer had arrived and came over to chat. Hearing that it was Musubi's first ride, she offered to take some pics for us.










We watched people roll into camp all day, though the overall attendance was down as the WEG and the National Championships pulled entries away (the reason that BSF didn't offer the 100 this year). Vetting was a bit entertaining, as Musubi got a bit worried when I trotted Brimstone away. Luckily we were the only people in the vetting area and the vets knew he was a baby, so everyone just laughed and watched him twirl around Lani a couple times. He was excellent for everything else though.

It didn't cool off too much overnight, so Friday morning was sticky and gross from the start. We didn't start until 8, so the sun was up but didn't do much to burn off the fog. Musubi was a good boy to be tacked up and had no issues eating his breakfast (he is a fantastic eater!) even with the 50s getting ready and warming up around him.



















We made sure to be the last people to leave camp for the first 16 mile loop. There was some good-natured teasing about my being on the line (my favorite being someone who called me Lani's baggage!) as we moseyed past the vets and management. Musubi was forward but soon realized I wasn't letting him pass Brim and settled into his second place position.










The trail was an interesting variety of footing. There were sandy tracks, some dirt road, some rocky places, some big slabs of stone, and lots of natural water. 










Musubi was a bit unnerved the first time we came upon other horses, as he wasn't sure if he should be trying to run away from them or run after them! But the ladies were very kind about working in front of and behind us to show him that other horses were no big deal. I am not sure Musubi had ever seen a gaited horse, as he seemed fascinated and a bit worried by its legs going every which way. Eventually, they even traveled beside us without reaction.










Being so hot, the water was not an issue at all. Not only did Musubi drink well, he even learned some basic sponging (using Lani's sponge, which was attached to Brim). He was totally unphased by it flopping around in the water or being handed over him. [I actually think the pony rope helped with this a lot, as he was used to something wagging beside and under his head.]










Musubi must be part mountain goat, as the rocks didn't bother him at all right from the start.










to be continued..


----------



## phantomhorse13

part 2:

The loop was supposed to be 16 miles, but it was actually closer to 17.5.. so we got into the hold a bit later than we had expected, despite moving along at the pace we had wanted. It was very humid and quite hot, but we had ice water ready for Brim. Mu was pulsed down by the time I got his tack off, so I was able to help Lani douse Brim. Within a few minutes, he was also down. They both vetted through with no issues (and Mu was much less excited when Brim trotted away that time).

During the hold, Mu chowed down on everything in sight. I tacked him back up right away just to see how he would react - he never picked his head out of his bowl! 










The hold flew by, but Lani and I had time to take care of ourselves thank goodness. It was so hot I actually had stuck my head in the ice water left over from Brim! 

The second loop was also 16 miles, but we had been told there was a bit more climbing this loop. Mu went out of camp like an old pro, so Lani handed me the line and we were on our own! To start with, we stayed behind Brim.










However, when Mu showed some interest in taking the lead, Lani said to go ahead. He was like riding a wet noodle as he wiggled his was down the trail, but he was super brave to go first! I was so pleased with his willingness.



















We kept to the pace we had intended, but soon realized that loop was also long. Despite moving out everywhere we could, we were worried we weren't even going to make it back go camp before cutoff, forget pulsing down! We even started trotting the uphills, knowing it would likely make Brim not make pulse, but Mu would at least get a finish..

We got into camp at 3:06 - meaning we had 9 minutes until cutoff - nine minutes in insanely hot and humid weather to pulse down a half draft!! :eek_color: We had their tack off instantly and were throwing ice water on Brimstone in what probably looked like an attempt to drown him. We didn't even bother with the stethoscope, just poured water for every moment we had. When we walked over to the vet area, the vet who came over to pulse Brim asked Lani what she had gotten him at before we came over.. and laughed when we said we hadn't even looked, just kept throwing water.

Mu was really interested in some 50s who had just arrived and was having trouble standing still, so I was happy when the vet announced his pulse was 60. A moment later, the vet checking Brim announced he was also at 60!!! Both boys vetted through without issue - completions!! 








We went back to the trailer for their post-ride meal still in shock. We had been the turtles of course, officially in 29th & 30th places (out of 37 starters). The horses had no idea what all the fuss was about and ate heartily.



















to be continued..


----------



## phantomhorse13

part 3:

After celebrating our unexpected finish by dousing ourselves with the last of the ice water, I went over to look at the atomic clock - 94F and 72% humidity (which translated to a real feel of 121!! ). At least we had a reason to feel so hot. 

I wondered if I was crazy as I put the tack on Fluffy and got on her for a brief pre-ride. She was feeling mighty fine despite the heat and it didn't take long to get her puffing and sweating. 










Upon return, I again doused myself with ice water in an attempt to prevent the migraine I could feel starting. Fluffy vetted in without issue and I was happy to hide in the shade and relax the rest of the day. 

It cooled off a bit overnight, so it was only unpleasant when I tacked up in the morning. There was some patchy clouds, so there were lots of people hoping the cloud cover would increase as the day went on. Storms were forecast for the afternoon, and as little as I like to be wet, rain would have been a welcome compared to the horrendous heat of the day before.

Fluffy was fine to tack up and ate her breakfast without issue. The trail was different than the day before and there was an away check. Jefferson isn't exactly the vehicle to take to holds, so Lani bummed a ride out with crew for a 50 miler.. but that meant she wasn't around for our start.










Fluffy and I were the last out of camp at the start (out of 38 starters). The first loop was 13.5 miles and I had been told to expect a lot more climbs. Fluffy was steady for the first mile or so.. until she caught sight of horses in front of her. Then, the race was on!

I think the word 'maniac' might be a good description of her as we sped down the trail, arguing every stride about pace. Fluffy is a big mover when she is excited, so it was all I could do to stay on, especially downhill. I wound up bridging my reins and sliding them down her neck (like you would a galloping racehorse), holding that with one hand and holding the back of the saddle with the other!

I did my best to get her to walk the uphills, knowing she was going much faster than I wanted considering the humidity and temperature. That worked as long as no other horses were in sight.










Thank goodness that loop had a lot of wooded trails, so the twists and turns often hid the horses in front of us.










That loop crossed multiple creeks and the Big South Fork itself, which was a relief to me as I finally had plenty of time to sponge her thoroughly (she was spinning around like a fool at the smaller creek crossings, only giving me a chance for a sponge or two before I gave up and let her move out thinking that was less stressful than all the spinning!).










I thought I had _finally_ found a bubble of space as we didn't see anybody the whole time at the river, but unfortunately we caught up to the ride and tie horses (which had started with the 50s) not long after. 










The back and forth with the R&Ters had her all riled up again and it was all I could to do keep her at a jiggy walk the last 1/2 mile into the hold. My heart rate monitor had stopped working, so I expected she had cooked herself and would never make pulse..

Lani started the ice water flowing as I got her tack off. Fluffy still didn't want to stand still and was dancing all around acting the fool. When Lani checked her the first time, I was shocked to hear her pulse was only 70. Amazingly, it didn't even take 10 minutes to get her pulse down to parameter! I still couldn't believe it as we presented her for the vetting and she passed without issue. Lani said even the arabs were having a hard time pulsing due to the weather, and several horses had taken much longer than Fluffy had. Go figure.










Fluffy was a bit of a pill during the hold, as she wolfed down a pan of feed with glee, then decided it should be time to go again NOW, hold time be [email protected] She wasn't interested in more food - she just wanted to get the show on the road. Lani took her around the check and she grazed off and on, but mostly marched around being impatient. _I_ was very happy to sit down and eat and drink and stick my head in one of the water tubs. I slapped some duct tape over my blistered fingers and tacked back up.










Off we went for the next 16.5 mile loop. Fluffy was calm leaving camp and I thought perhaps she had finally found her brain.. however, as soon as horses came up behind her as we walked up a hill, she was off to the races again.










I was so thankful for the building clouds as Fluffy continued to argue about pace. Despite all my efforts to find my own space, we kept either having other riders catch up to us (at one point we shared trail with the 50s) or else catching up to the people ahead of us on the climbs. Fluffy has a 5 mph walk, which easily beats any arab walk I have ever seen!










The last mile into camp, we finally found some space and stopped catching glimpses of the horses ahead of us. Fluffy marched down the trail and I nervously watched my heart rate monitor.










We marched right into camp and up to where the others were waiting at Jefferson. Tack came off and water started flying. Before long, her pulse was down and we went to vet. She finished with all As.. and in 8th place!!















The skies looked threatening, so we started packing up. A couple hours later, we were just loading the horses as the sky opened. We drove in hours of rain, so were very glad to not be stuck in camp. We stayed the night at a friend's a few hours from camp, so the horses had a nice dry place and we got showers and real beds.

Great weekend!


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## QueenofFrance08

Oh man what an exciting weekend! Is Musabi full Arab? He's adorable! Love that fuzzy face!

I do not envy your ride on Fluffy. I am not that brave! I can't believe you stayed on through all of those hills! Congratulations on top 10! I would love a horse with a 5mph walk! Stitch and Jake are both around 2.5 mph!


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## knightrider

Great rides! Great story! I sure enjoy reading your adventures.


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## Change

Mu is adorable but I have to admit Fluffy has my heart. If Lani ever needs a rider for her, just let me know! ;-) I'm sort of in love with Brim, too. He looks to have a lovely floaty trot.


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> Is Musabi full Arab?


He is! He is bred by Asgard Arabians, which is a very popular sporthorse arab breeder in West Virginia.




Change said:


> Mu is adorable but I have to admit Fluffy has my heart. I'm sort of in love with Brim, too. He looks to have a lovely floaty trot.


Brim is also very athletic, but he is a much smoother ride than his sister. They both apparently have amazing jumps (which I have not experienced for myself, thank goodness).


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## knightrider

I would be interested in your opinion about the WEG endurance cancellation. I have been reading many many different opinions about how and why it was done. Just wondered how you felt about it. If you don't want to put your ideas out on the public forum, you can pm me . . . or not, if you don't want to talk about it at all.


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## 4horses

I don't know how you do it! I would get heat stroke so quickly! It doesn't matter how much I'm exposed to high temperatures, i never seem to adapt (or tolerate it any better). Maybe it is Florida. Maybe it is me. I can tell you i would be swimming in each creek. In fact i plan on going swimming the next time i ride...in the creek. I'm tired of this heat. 

You must be more dedicated than me. That much riding sounds miserable in these temperatures.


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## SueC

:rofl: That Fluffy sounds like she shares a lot of DNA with my late Arabian mare! Well done, you and her, for that ride. And a pox be on migraines. So not what you need!


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## SwissMiss

What a weekend! And Musabi is simply adorable and did well for his first time. 

"Lani's baggage" :rofl: I can only imagine the good natured teasing you got for being ponied :wink:


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## Caledonian

I’m exhausted just reading about it, I don’t know how you coped with the conditions and arguing with Fluffy.

Musubi’s a character; especially when you describe him as wiggling down the track. I’ve never heard that used to describe a horse before but suddenly I can think of so many that fit it.

Brimstone looks like my type; I think we could have hours of fun.


They’re beautiful horses, with some of the best names I’ve heard in a long time.


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## Oreos Girl

I have never been to Southfork but I have been nearby at East Fork. Actually my father almost died at Southfork in an equestrian accident but he has completely recovered now. I just have to say if you find an oil well, don't try to get the horse to stand beside it.


You probably drove within 7 miles of my house if you came up I75. If you are coming thru middle Georgia and need anything, let me know.


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## phantomhorse13

Oreos Girl said:


> Actually my father almost died at Southfork in an equestrian accident but he has completely recovered now. I just have to say if you find an oil well, don't try to get the horse to stand beside it.


This sounds very very scary. :eek_color: I would be interested in hearing the story if you are up to telling it. Very glad he recovered.!!




knightrider said:


> I would be interested in your opinion about the WEG endurance cancellation. I have been reading many many different opinions about how and why it was done.


Talk about a hot topic!

First off, let it be known that I am _not_ a fan of FEI endurance. While I think that a lot (probably most) riders involved are good people with the best interests of their horses in mind, I think that FEI had sold out to the money in Region 7 (Dubai, etc). The atrocities people in that region have _repeatedly_ gotten away with is infuriating and horrifying to me. That behavior is nothing new and all of the threats and "education" and "leading by example" of other countries is nothing but pointless lip service. The ongoing cheating and injuries/deaths of horses shows their true colors perfectly IMO. They don't give a rat's @ss about the horse, only the win.

That said, I expected WEG to be a cluster*@$ from the start. Even more so after it was suddenly "Meydan endurance".. but I have to say, never in my wildest dreams did I think it would be as bad as the reality.

I suspect the individual directing some riders the wrong way on that first loop will never be identified (despite supposedly having video footage of the person). I am not sure if I think that was even an accident or not, as how did it happen that only some riders were directed incorrectly? You would think a volunteer truly confused about their job would have been directing _everyone_ improperly.. 

To restart a race mid-event is unheard of and I can't even imagine how I would handle someone telling me my "hold" was now going to be hours..

My personal opinion is that when Sheik Mo was pulled, he decided to take his toys and go home. Had he and the other idiots racing like maniacs bothered to pay attention to the weather and terrain and *their horses*, maybe they wouldn't have had 50+ horses needing treatment* (see below for a bit more info on this). Common sense (ha!) tells me that if its hot and humid, I probably shouldn't be riding my horse at an average pace of 15mph.. and if the ground is wonky from rain, then I should slow down that much more!! There were plenty of horses out there that day that were ridden intelligently and were handling the course without issue. 

I can say I have never heard of the wet bulb method, or whatever it was they used to determine "unsafe" weather. I would love to know what that bulb says about the average OD 100 or Tevis..

But to stop the race _and then not award placings_ is where I really start yelling bullsh!t.

There is even precedence in FEI competition, as the 2012 World Endurance Championships were stopped mid-race and placings were given according to where the horses were at the time of suspension (assuming they passed the final vet inspection).

Did you know Sheik Mo so _graciously_ offered to host (aka pay for) a replacement event .. an offer given before the WEG race was even stopped? :evil:


As always, I feel badly for the horses and all the honest people who spent countless hours prepping for the event (and spent I can't even imagine how much money), only to have it wiped from the record as if nothing had even happened.


I don't, however, think the events excuse the actions of some people after the announcement of the race being canceled either tho. While I can understand all the vulgar gestures, physical violence is never the answer.


*interesting info about FEI and treatment. To hear the fact that "over 50 horses needed treatment" sounds horrible and certainly shouldn't be taken lightly. however, FEI has some very specific guidelines about recovery parameters and what happens if they aren't met. If a horse has not recovered to a pulse of 64 in the required time (normally 20 minutes, sometimes 15), that horse is then required to have treatment fluids administered. That horse might have a pulse of 68 or might have a pulse of 100, etc. The horse may be eating and drinking and acting normally otherwise, or it may not. So while I do think there was a lot of treatment happening, I don't think that in this case "needing treatment" means quite what it does in the contest of an average AERC ride.


----------



## Oreos Girl

My father and a friend were riding in Big South Fork on the day that they had arrived. They came across an oil well pumping. Well my Dad's horse wasn't happy but was approaching it until the other horse turned away. Instead of also turning, my dad decided to keep urging her forward. She threatened a couple of times by rearing and when my dad didn't give up, she went all the way over and then rolled on top of him before getting up (she was ****ed). 911 was a fiasco because the park runs through 2 counties and neither one would respond until it could be determined which county he was actually in. It took over 2 hours to get him out. They took him to a local hospital which was little more than a clinic. It was determined that he had a clot in his femoral artery and he was life-flighted to UT in Knoxville. He arrived there with a 23 out of 25 score (25 being dead). The pummel of the saddle had pulverized his artery in his hip region, he had 5 broken ribs, and this liver had a grade 4 laceration from the saddle horn. He was in an ICU (they have 3 levels of ICU) for 3 weeks (a 1 nurse to 2 patient for 2 weeks and a 1 nurse to 4 patients for one week) before he was release to a floor unit. I spent a month in Knoxville in a hotel because I am the only child. He kept his leg, has fully recovered. He even rode for a few years after that but has since given it up.


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## QueenofFrance08

I was hoping to hear your opinion on this. I don't know what to think because I don't know the FEI world like you do (seems the middle part of the country doesn't have any FEI rides and we tend to think people from here who go to the FEI rides are a little crazy). I did think it was kind of funny the ride was cancelled after the Sheik offered to pay for a replacement event. 

What's up next for DH and George? Any rides coming up?

How's Phin doing? Any chance he might be better for next season?


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## knightrider

@Oreo's Girl, what a story! That is chilling.
@phantomhorse13, thanks for the detailed opinion. I've been reading lots of opinions (they are all over the place!), but value more the opinion of someone I know and respect.


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## phantomhorse13

Oreos Girl said:


> He kept his leg, has fully recovered. He even rode for a few years after that but has since given it up.


What a horrifying experience. Bad enough to have the accident, but then to have 911 arguing over who was supposed to go help?!




QueenofFrance08 said:


> I was hoping to hear your opinion on this. I don't know what to think because I don't know the FEI world like you do (seems the middle part of the country doesn't have any FEI rides and we tend to think people from here who go to the FEI rides are a little crazy). I did think it was kind of funny the ride was cancelled after the Sheik offered to pay for a replacement event.
> 
> What's up next for DH and George? Any rides coming up?
> 
> How's Phin doing? Any chance he might be better for next season?


I think the people who go to FEI rides are crazy, so maybe I need to move to the midwest! I know multiple people who compete FEI and most of them are wonderful people, so it always amazes me they stick with it..

DH and George are pointed for Mustang, which is the first weekend in October! I hope to be riding too, though not sure what horse yet (friend who asked has several).

Phin is fat and seems bored. Another couple weeks and assuming momma nature ever calms down, I plan to get back on him! I sure hope he will be back in action for next season..


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## phantomhorse13

Last week, momma nature had finally rained herself out by Wednesday lunchtime, so despite the humid, soggy conditions, I got George out while I could. Knowing the ground would be a disaster, I headed over to the space needle.

While the rain had stopped, the clouds had stuck around!










By the time we went across the farm and up the Tomhicken, we were actually in the clouds. No pretty view from the space needle that day!










I was sopping wet by the time we got back into the valley and dropped below the clouds. 










13.39 miles, 1653 feet of climb, 6.1 mph average pace, 84F real feel


The next day, the sun was actually peeking out at times, so out we went again. We just moseyed up the Sugarloaf. I think George was disgusted at all the walking!



















6.37 miles, 1308 feet of climb, 3.8 mph average pace, 85F real feel


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## 4horses

What state are you in phantom horse? That is quite a climb! Of course I'm in Florida so any hill seems like a climb!


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## phantomhorse13

4horses said:


> What state are you in phantom horse? That is quite a climb!


I am in NE Pennsylvania. While our hills don't compare to something in Colorado, they are certainly more impressive than Florida's!


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## QueenofFrance08

Ahem.... Where are our puppy pictures? :lol:


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## PoptartShop

Wow, George is one lucky horse! Yay for being able to get him out twice in a row!  The trails are absolutely beautiful. & I love him in red!

I know the humidity must've been icky though, LOL I'm sure he needed a good hose off that day. :lol: YAY!


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## Spanish Rider

Fluffy! I would love to see that horse move in person. Just from the video, you can see the difference in movement, and there even seems to be more jolting in the helmet cam. Do you have neck pain after riding him any period of time?


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## phantomhorse13

Spanish Rider said:


> Fluffy! I would love to see that horse move in person. Just from the video, you can see the difference in movement, and there even seems to be more jolting in the helmet cam. Do you have neck pain after riding him any period of time?


Hmm, can't say I have noticed my neck specifically hurting, but let me tell you my shoulders and arms sure hurt after all the tug of war! Fluffy is generally harder on my lower half than any other horse but Phin, as her boing takes a lot to absorb. I was _much_ more sore after riding Fluffy 30 miles than I was Flo 100!!




PoptartShop said:


> I know the humidity must've been icky though


Humidity seems to be standard any more. I never thought I would look forward to winter..




QueenofFrance08 said:


> Ahem.... Where are our puppy pictures?


I know I am super behind on puppy pics and even updating about some rides.. but now that potatoes have started, I don't have much free time. The weather has been so nuts that Keith is understandably picking sunup to sundown when we can, meaning I come home and basically fall over.


Next week is supposed to be rainy, so maybe I will get a day to get caught up!


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## phantomhorse13

I know I am very behind in my journaling, but we are about 1/3 done with potatoes. I have gotten a bit of saddle time when momma nature has monsooned rain again, leaving the fields too wet to get the equipment into.

Last week, I got George out for what was supposed to be a routine ride. Because of the wet, I went over to do the yellow gate trail. The weather was still sketchy, but it only spit rain off and on luckily. 










George was doing well overall, a bit silly from the gusty wind, but moving well. Until we got here. 










I was literally putting my phone back into my pocket after taking that pic when George was down on his head. I am not sure if he spooked at something and stopped looking where he was going or simply stumbled, but he scrabbled for what seemed like an eternity before regaining his feet (I was actually considering stepping off when he finally got himself upright). Once up, he kept walking like nothing had even happened!

I hopped off and expected a horror show. While the result was not pretty, it wasn't as bad as I feared either.



















Of course at that point, I turned for home the most direct way possible. We went across a creek, so I was able to get the wounds rinsed off and take a better look. While he was missing some skin, nothing was more than a surface wound.










10.39 miles, 1541 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 81F real feel

When I got home, he was cold hosed and poulticed. I did that for a couple days (mostly to make myself feel better I suspect). George was never off and seemed bemused by my repeated checking on him (though perhaps the thermometer was not his favorite part). Things have healed up just fine. He still has some scabs, but they are far from his heart (thank goodness!). The vet who does our chiro and acupuncture saw him today and laughed at my worrying.


The next day, since I of course wasn't taking George out again, Gina invited me to ride Amish. We went over to ride the old rail road bed, knowing water would still be everywhere.




























9.71 miles, 1002 feet of climb, 4.0 mph average pace, 79F real feel


Yesterday, I went over to ride with Nicole. I rode Hombre. We went out to continue marking the other power line loop.




























We finally found the trails that took us back around. They were pretty soggy, but should be lovely when things finally dry up.










6.88 miles, 613 feet of climb, 4.3 mph average pace, 85F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

And of course, Kestrel pics!


























































:loveshower:


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## SueC

:happydance: :happydance: :happydance:

That dog...

Lovely horse photos too. I see you met a bear. ;-)

Wishing you well for your potato work. It's a higher calling - I mean, who doesn't love potatoes?


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## knightrider

This is weird--my daughter doesn't like potatoes . . . but my son loves them.

Phantom, I am so sorry about George. How are his legs today? Good luck with the potatoes. How are the other horses?


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## Caledonian

Any cut and graze turns me into a worried mum as well and you can never be too careful with joints. Hope he's still on the mend.

Potatoes! Yummy, better as crisps and chips though. :smile:

I love the photos, especially the one of Kestrel in the bucket.


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## SwissMiss

Caledonian said:


> Potatoes! Yummy, better as crisps and chips though. :smile:



Ha, ha, I was just thinking "how many of the non-UK peeps will scratch their head about that sentence. :think:
chips = french fries and crisps = potato chips :wink: Did I get it right?


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## Caledonian

SwissMiss said:


> Ha, ha, I was just thinking "how many of the non-UK peeps will scratch their head about that sentence. :think:
> chips = french fries and crisps = potato chips :wink: Did I get it right?



Ha, ha! Yes. I never thought about the difference.


----------



## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> I am so sorry about George. How are his legs today? Good luck with the potatoes. How are the other horses?


George rolls his eyes as I poke his legs every meal. The scabs are starting to come off (and let me tell you, it's all I can do to keep from picking them off myself! :icon_rolleyes. 

The others are the same: Sultan is mostly ok, though I do see him take an odd step on that bad leg now and again. Phin is sound and needs to start doing something as he is obviously bored.. hopefully I will start with some walking this week (assuming momma nature and potatoes allow). I plan to do a full soft tissue rehab protocol with him to return him to work. I know some people would say since he's been turned out that is pointless, but I want to give that leg every chance to return to work without issue.




Caledonian said:


> Potatoes! Yummy, better as crisps and chips though.


I agree - especially chips with vinegar! Though I have come to realize I have never met a form of potato I wouldn't eat..


----------



## SwissMiss

phantomhorse13 said:


> I agree - especially chips with vinegar!


Fries with vinegar??? Never heard of that, but sounds interesting


----------



## Change

Okay - I know it isn't the place, but @SwissMiss … "Peeps"? I begin to think you've become too Americanized! LOL! Or maybe you're spending too much time with students. 

I like my chips with chocolate milk shakes, or mayo or chili or … come to think of it, chips and crisps can be dunked in anything and still taste good!! And, @phantomhorse13 - I'm right there with you: I've never met a potato dish I didn't like!

Seeing all that blood on a white horse would have had me bee-lining for home, too. Glad to hear it's just surface scrapes - that rocky patch looked ugly. Kestrel is beginning to look like a little BC instead of an adorable ball of fur! Has she started herding anything yet?


----------



## SwissMiss

Change said:


> Okay - I know it isn't the place, but @SwissMiss … "Peeps"? I begin to think you've become too Americanized! LOL! Or maybe you're spending too much time with students.


Guilty as charged  :hide:


----------



## phantomhorse13

SwissMiss said:


> Fries with vinegar??? Never heard of that, but sounds interesting


Its something very common in England (where I lived for a few years), as to properly eat fish n chips one must drown them in malt vinegar. And seeing as I love all things vinegar, I was all about that!!




Change said:


> Kestrel is beginning to look like a little BC instead of an adorable ball of fur! Has she started herding anything yet?


Oh Kestrel is interested in anything that moves - especially feet (and if those feet happen to be wearing _flip flops_, she is almost beside herself :rofl! She wants to circle around and approach things from behind (except for feet, she would happily charge at those from any direction if not corrected). She is starting to show some interest in the horses when they run around like idiots, but only if they are moving away from her (if they head towards her, she runs and hides behind me!). She also keeps what we jokingly refer to as the toy herd hoard, as she will methodically pick up her toys and take them all to a certain spot, then lay beside them.

A week ago, she suddenly started with The Eye when playing with the ball.. and she will now do the BC creep when playing with toys. 


How is your Sinna doing? Tracking down criminals yet?


----------



## SueC

phantomhorse13 said:


> Oh Kestrel is interested in anything that moves - especially feet (and if those feet happen to be wearing _flip flops_, she is almost beside herself :rofl!


:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

And re potato chips/fries with salt and vinegar - yes, we do that! And also the potato chips/crisps come like that. Here in Australia, only ex-UK people say "crisps" for the packet ones. Australians generally use "hot chips" for one and "potato chips" for the other. I suppose you could also have "hot chips gone cold" and "hot chips gone cold and reheated"! ;-)

Ah, potatoes. Mashed, baked whole, fried as fries/chips/crisps, baked as wedges, grated as hash browns, etc etc etc, or DH's favourite - Potato Croquettes - which is mashed potatoes shaped into croquettes and then fried... very labour intensive but yummy...

Leek and potato soup, potato salad, potato casseroles, Portuguese fish bake with thinly sliced potatoes on top, jacket potatoes with sour cream...

Please add to the list of delicious potato recipes.

Potato work is God's own work, @*phantomhorse13* .


----------



## Spanish Rider

About those boo-boos: when I saw those rocks, I expected the worst! But, to be honest, I've had horses do far worse on the sand in the arena. Must hurt like a son of a gun, though.

Kestrel! So adorable. Love the red with blue eyes.

Potatoes: phantom, I think of you often with your potato harvest ever since my husband started buying a new brand of spuds at the supermarket. Believe it or not, the brand is Seductora (The Seductress), and the package boasts potatoes with "firm flesh". I mean, sex to sell potatoes? The next thing you know, they'll be selling them in black lace bags instead of yellow mesh!

In Boston, we still eat fish 'n' chips, and as kids we sang a song "Fish 'n' chips 'n' vinegar! Vinegar, vinegar! Fish 'n' chips 'n' vinegar! Pepper, pepper, pepper, salt!"


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## Caledonian

It’s interesting how much the herding instinct is already showing in Kestrel. It’s going to take a lot of work to keep her out of mischief. :smile:

As for potatoes, I’ve always looked forward to their harvest as it meant access to huge fields and shortcuts, as they surrounded my fields. 
We also do fries/chips with salt and vinegar – yum, yum. It was a rare treat to visit a fish ‘n’ chip shop on the way home from events or, if I’d been allowed to stay up late, we’d go after collecting my dad at work.

@*SueC* 
Potato scones (tattie scones) for breakfast. Scone = biscuit, in the US?
Thick potato and fish soup (Cullen Skink) made with smoked haddock, potatoes and onions.
Potato cakes, made with bacon, oatmeal, leeks and mushrooms
Potato and leek soup
Stew (stovies) with potatoes, onions, turnips, carrots and lamb/beef
Potato and cabbage pie (Rumbledethumps). 
Potatoes, turnips, onions, milk mixed together (Clapshot).


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## Celeste

You know they say that you can't herd cats? My border collie has a hard time with that concept.


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## Spanish Rider

> You know they say that you can't herd cats? My border collie has a hard time with that concept.


Oh, the imagery!!! @Celeste , this is priceless. :rofl::rofl::rofl:


----------



## phantomhorse13

SueC said:


> Australians generally use "hot chips" for one and "potato chips" for the other.
> 
> Potato Croquettes - which is mashed potatoes shaped into croquettes and then fried... very labour intensive but yummy...


Your use of chips makes a lot of sense. I have no idea where "fries" originated (guess I have something to google on the next rainy day), but it certainly seems random as one fries a lot of things..

Potato croquettes sounds amazing, but I am likely too lazy for it, as mashed potatoes is often too much work imo. 




Spanish Rider said:


> my husband started buying a new brand of spuds at the supermarket. Believe it or not, the brand is Seductora (The Seductress), and the package boasts potatoes with "firm flesh". I mean, sex to sell potatoes? The next thing you know, they'll be selling them in black lace bags instead of yellow mesh!


:rofl: Perhaps you could label yourself an advertising exec and suggest that to them! Make yourself rich! 




Caledonian said:


> Thick potato and fish soup (Cullen Skink)


This struck me as hysterical, as this is a skink:










and I sure wouldn't want to eat it, even with yummy potatoes!! :lol:


oh and @*Celeste* , Kestrel does try to herd my cat.. who is fully armed and quickly convinces her of the stupidity of that idea. :wink:


----------



## SueC

phantomhorse13 said:


> Your use of chips makes a lot of sense. I have no idea where "fries" originated (guess I have something to google on the next rainy day), but it certainly seems random as one fries a lot of things..
> 
> Potato croquettes sounds amazing, but I am likely too lazy for it, *as mashed potatoes is often too much work imo*.


*Drum roll*... my life was revolutionised by one Sharon Whitbourn of Sydney back in 2002, who introduced me to an idea that was _complete_ genius.

@*phantomhorse13* , are you _peeling_ your spuds?

Undoubtedly the most inane, tedious, wrist-slashing aspect of preparing traditional mashed potatoes.

And we do it because we are lemmings.

Just wash them really well and slice them up, then boil, then mash (with milk or butter or cream or all of the above, and maybe a little parmesan or other nice cheese, and obviously salt and pepper; and you can also drop a peeled garlic clove or two in with your potatoes at the cooking stage if you need to ward off a cold, vampires or an unwanted would-be romantic object).

Wonderful... and if you use red or blue potatoes, the little colourful strips in the reuslting mash are pretty and decorative. With pale potatoes you don't really see them and who cares anyway? Tastes great, more nutrients (as many are in and just under the skin), more fibre, and so much less work.

I have never peeled a potato since then...


PS German makes an easier distinction: _Pommes frites_ for the fries/hot chips, _chips_ for the packaged snack. Both words of course are language imports to German...




Caledonian said:


> @*SueC*
> Potato scones (tattie scones) for breakfast. Scone = biscuit, in the US?
> Thick potato and fish soup (Cullen Skink) made with smoked haddock, potatoes and onions.
> Potato cakes, made with bacon, oatmeal, leeks and mushrooms
> Potato and leek soup
> Stew (stovies) with potatoes, onions, turnips, carrots and lamb/beef
> Potato and cabbage pie (Rumbledethumps).
> Potatoes, turnips, onions, milk mixed together (Clapshot).


Mmmmm, yummy! Going to try the Cullen Skink this week (found a recipe), with leeks though because I need to used up some from the garden!

Those potato cakes too sound great - and I need to use leeks anyway... We're usually making ours with grated potatoes and zucchini from the garden, spring onions, egg and flour to bind, but we're having a little cold snap here and that idea seems like a great cold weather idea. Got a trusty recipe for that one?

No prizes for guessing why the potato/cabbage number is called _Rumbledethumps_. :rofl:

There's a German recipe for a shaped cheese with an onion sauce accompaniment, which translates to the rather euphemistic _Handy Cheese With Music_. :rofl:


----------



## Spanish Rider

> Perhaps you could label yourself an advertising exec and suggest that to them! Make yourself rich!


What I really need to do is ask DH why he is so drawn to buying these potatoes. I mean, are they somehow fulfilling some sort of need that I am not aware of? :confused_color:


Oh, and to make life more exciting, do you know what they call fries in Spain? _Patatas fritas_
And, do you know what they call potato chips in Spain? _Patatas fritas_ :think:

We are a very simple-minded folk.


----------



## SueC

Spanish Rider said:


> What I really need to do is ask DH why he is so drawn to buying these potatoes *(Seductora)*. I mean, are they somehow fulfilling some sort of need that I am not aware of? :confused_color:.



If what you suspect is a more population-wide trait, here is another handy business suggestion. You could market carrots, cucumbers or bananas with a suitably suggestive moniker that might appeal to women - maybe *El Pequeño Diablo*, but I'm not well acquainted with the Spanish language and culture, so I expect you will come up with better suggestions. Probably slightly different monikers for the same-sex attracted portion of the population. Now what sorts of bags will these come in?


----------



## QueenofFrance08

So sorry about George but so glad it's not more serious!

That little puppy.... ADORABLE!

Can't wait to hear how it goes with getting Phin back to work! Fingers crossed it goes well!


----------



## SueC

My DH sends his regards and an idea on packaging and presentation. He thinks that an *El Pequeño Diablo* or similar line ought to be individually shrink-wrapped.


----------



## Caledonian

@*phantomhorse13* – I know ‘skink’ sounds horrible but it’s just another word for soup – without Googling, I think it’s Dutch/German in origin. :smile:

@*SueC* – He, he! I never thought about why it’s called Rumbledethumps. Now I get it:rofl:! How can I get to my age and that not click?!:icon_rolleyes:


----------



## Celeste

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skink


----------



## phantomhorse13

Luckily, while I have been working late with potatoes, DH has been working on his Honey Do List.. which included my request for a real light in the barn aisle.

Before:









After:









Amazing!! 

And it came in very handy when I got home the other night after an 11 hour day and needed to clip George:











Tomorrow, DH and I head to Jersey for a ride. DH and George are in the 50. I was supposed to ride for a friend in the 75, but there were some last minute horse issues so now I am doing the LD on a different horse. That will let me ride with my friend Nancy on her horse's first ride though, so I am actually really excited about it.

It's hard to believe it's October when it's still 80F..


----------



## Spanish Rider

And, of course, your barn aisle is utterly spotless!

Have fun in Jersey.


----------



## QueenofFrance08

Have fun! Rooting for George! (Can't believe how fuzzy he is/was before his shave!) It's 50 degrees here so I would take that 80!


----------



## bsms

Celeste said:


> You know they say that you can't herd cats? My border collie has a hard time with that concept.


When we lived in England, we got a Border Collie from a nearby farm. On one memorable occasion, she tried to herd some butterflies. It didn't work. Guess her Border Collie eye failed her that time! If impatient with butterflies, she was always a sweetheart with our youngest. Guess I'm getting old - the baby in this picture expects to head to boot camp in December:









​We took her once to my friend's place with all the sheep. He surprised me by asking me to bring her along and see if she could work sheep. For the next couple of hours, she moved sheep between fields, thru gates, etc as if she had been doing it all her life. My friend said she'd be welcome to stay but the family voted to keep her herding small children, kids playing soccer, staring at dripping faucets, etc. She died about 3 years after the picture was taken.​


----------



## phantomhorse13

Potatoes are still ruling my life. Had hoped to be done last week, but momma nature had other ideas..


Last week, DH and I went over to Jersey for the Mustang Memorial ride. We got all set up near the people whose horse I was riding and my friend with her new horse. Kestrel did really well in camp and I had people offering me their horses, and in one case, their husband in trade for her!!










I rode Dee, who vetted in like the old pro she is.



















The weather was supposed to clear overnight, so weren't we surprised to wake up to a heavy drizzle soaking everything. I hoped the prolonged drizzle meant the temperatures wouldn't climb as high as predicted. I helped get DH and George off on the 50, then got Dee ready.










As expected, my friend's horse Willy was a bit excited about the other horses leaving on their rides, but he kept his head and stayed in his pen. Once he was tacked up, he was actually a lot more calm. We waited until literally everyone else had left camp before we even mounted up. We then moseyed right out of camp like it was just another training ride.



















The first loop was 18 miles of Jersey is sand and pine trees. There isn't much color yet this year with the abundance of rain and overly warm temperatures. The rain, however, did mean a lot of the sand was well packed.










Dee led most of the first loop, which Willy was not all that pleased about (he is used to being in the lead and going at his own pace on training rides). Dee was very tolerant of him bumping into her or trying to dart around her, just maintaining her pace and not even pinning an ear.










There was no lack of water on trail, but management had been sure to spread sand over the slippery bridges. The puddles that are generally all over on trail never stretched _all_ the way across, which was a big relief as the bottoms are sketchy due to the off road vehicles that pass through them (leaving horrible holes and ruts that you don't know about until the horse falls in them).










We got into the first hold and were able to just drop tack and go vet. Willy was a bit looky, but he made pulse without issue. His trot outs leave something to be desired (bad on his owner for never having practiced at home!), but both horses passed the vetting without concern.










Dee was happy to eat her food and would have eaten Dart's too if the pan had been close enough! The weather remained overcast with off and on drizzle, with temps in the upper 60s. If felt cool to me after the recent crazy high temps, but it was wonderful for the horses!


to be continued..


----------



## phantomhorse13

part 2:

The second loop was 12 miles. We again walked out of camp as if it was just another day. Willy was a bit hesitant about leaving camp, but he didn't fuss too much.










Dee was happy to truck along in the lead the first couple miles.










Eventually Willy decided Dee's pace was too slow and moved into the lead. He was certainly not tired!










We moseyed around that loop, with Willy leading most of the way. It was really fun to see him figuring things out (and his rider relaxing!).










We got back into camp and went back to the trailer to pull tack and sponge a bit. Willy's rider was worried he wouldn't make pulse because he was looking around, but he was just fine. Dee was the perfect babysitter, happy to graze as I took pictures and texted several friends about Willy's successful finish.










When it was her turn to vet, she did so without issue. What a nice mare!
























Well deserved post-ride snack. 










We had enough time to finish and get the horses settled when DH and George came in for their finish.










DH said George was great all day, forward but controllable. They finished tied for 5th out of 31 starters. Places 2-8 all came in together, but DH was smart enough to NOT race for 2nd. 

Willy and Dee tied for 14th out of 28 starters.


another great weekend!


----------



## phantomhorse13

And of course, a Kestrel update! She is growing like a weed and every day her ears are doing something different..











Some friends who do freelance photography came to Mustang and got some amazing pics!



















While playing.. and if only you could hear the roars that go along with the face:











We are walking multiple times a day (often in the dark before potatoes in the morning and in the dark after) and Kestrel is always amusing.






:rofl: :loveshower:


----------



## QueenofFrance08

How was a full ride in the Pandora? 

Love that you got a horse that goes in red! I'm sure you had plenty of options of attire!


----------



## PoptartShop

Ugh, that looks like an amazing ride.  & I second @QueenofFrance08, red is definitely her color.

Your friend must have loved that ride! Willy is very handsome too! Sounds like a great day. 
Kestrel is so adorable, she is growing so fast. :O I love the video of her running, she is fast LOL! So cute.

Happy to hear you had a great time!!


----------



## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> How was a full ride in the Pandora?
> 
> Love that you got a horse that goes in red! I'm sure you had plenty of options of attire!


I liked the Pandora as long as we weren't walking! Then its rather like sitting on a 2x4, even with a fuzzy cover. And Dee's owner has tack in lots of colors, so she suggested the red and I sure wasn't going to complain!




PoptartShop said:


> she is fast LOL!


Kestrel is now as fast as Katie is, despite her legs being literally half the length. She can't quite keep up with Mia when Mia goes all out.. but at her age, all-out doesn't last very long any more.

Today Kestrel made it onto the couch unassisted.. no more peaceful place to rest for Mia!


----------



## waresbear

Spanish Rider said:


> What I really need to do is ask DH why he is so drawn to buying these potatoes. I mean, are they somehow fulfilling some sort of need that I am not aware of? :confused_color:
> 
> 
> Oh, and to make life more exciting, do you know what they call fries in Spain? _Patatas fritas_
> And, do you know what they call potato chips in Spain? _Patatas fritas_ :think:
> 
> We are a very simple-minded folk.


In Mexico it's called papas fritas. Rolls off the tongue so nicely, lol.


----------



## waresbear

Kestrel & Razor should get together, he would love her! He has now appointed himself the Herd Watcher of horses. He watches over them and follows them everywhere and breaks up any kerfuffles. He takes his job very seriously. Otis barely has any bite marks on his butt from Indy, Herd Watcher is on duty, lol.


----------



## Spanish Rider

I will watch vids later, but I just wanted to tell you that in that pic with Kestrel you look like you're 15!


----------



## phantomhorse13

waresbear said:


> Otis barely has any bite marks on his butt from Indy, Herd Watcher is on duty



I am sure Otis is thrilled about that.. but what does Indy think? Guess the dog is quicker than the horse?! :smile:


----------



## waresbear

My horses don't kick at dogs really, probably cuz they're trained not to be aggressive in any way towards humans, guess they figure the dog is with me so not allowed to be aggressive towards him either, lol. I used to have a Minpin who when I first adopted her, the little witch chased horses and swung off Indy's tail. I was really hoping he would kick her, but he just gave her a cuff, enough that she could feel it but not nearly enough to hurt her, she was tiny, 10 lbs. That pretty much cured the tail swinging. Razor is incredibly agile and even if they went to kick at him, I doubt they would even get a shot at him, he's in and out in a blink of an eye. He's also aerodynamically designed to be missed by hooves or so I was told by the breeder.


----------



## phantomhorse13

Spanish Rider said:


> I just wanted to tell you that in that pic with Kestrel you look like you're 15!


You are so sweet. I didn't realize mental age showed so clearly in photos. :wink:




waresbear said:


> He's also aerodynamically designed to be missed by hooves or so I was told by the breeder.


I was always taught heelers and corgis were lower to the ground to avoid kicks.. Not sure that I believe the height makes as much difference as the agility!


----------



## waresbear

The agility part astounds me, he's corrected the heel of the offending horse and he's back by my side before I can even say anything!


----------



## SueC

waresbear said:


> In Mexico it's called papas fritas. Rolls off the tongue so nicely, lol.


Germans might mistake that one for "fried daddies"! :rofl:

@*phantomhorse13* , Kestrel is so gorgeous... and that is a magnificent mare you rode... potato blessings to you! :wave:


----------



## Spanish Rider

> You are so sweet. I didn't realize mental age showed so clearly in photos.


:rofl::rofl::rofl:





> In Mexico it's called papas fritas. Rolls off the tongue so nicely, lol.
> Germans might mistake that one for "fried daddies"!


Yes, well, in Spanish it also means "fried Popes". :shock:


----------



## AnitaAnne

Dee is so pretty! Chivas seems to really love bay Arabian mares and I seem to agree! Except for the rain, sounds like you had a very pleasant ride :smile: 

Congratulations to George and your DH on their placing (and not fighting for 2nd place :wink: ) 


But that little Kestrel wins the cuteness award! I watched her running video several times! Those ears! That speed! Those ears! :rofl:


----------



## SueC

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: @Spanish Rider!


----------



## AnitaAnne

Spanish Rider said:


> :rofl::rofl::rofl:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, well, in Spanish it also means "fried Popes". :shock:


:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:


----------



## phantomhorse13

Spanish Rider said:


> in Spanish it also means "fried Popes". :shock:


I wonder how many rosary recitations would be required after insulting the pope in such a way?!

:rofl:


----------



## AnitaAnne

phantomhorse13 said:


> I wonder how many rosary recitations would be required after insulting the pope in such a way?!
> 
> :rofl:


thousands at least...


----------



## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> phantomhorse13 said:
> 
> 
> 
> I wonder how many rosary recitations would be required after insulting the pope in such a way?!
> 
> 
> 
> thousands at least...
Click to expand...

Or maybe the problem food item would need to be confiscated and ingested by said pope.. :wink:


----------



## SueC

Spanish Rider said:


> :rofl::rofl::rofl:
> 
> Yes, well, in Spanish it also means "fried Popes". :shock:


Is it the herbs or spices... or is it the way it's cooked? :rofl:










I am not sure if non-Australians will be familiar with this, but this was the tagline for many years for Kentucky Fried Chicken advertisements here...


----------



## SueC

phantomhorse13 said:


> Or maybe the problem food item would need to be confiscated and ingested by said pope.. :wink:


And then we could have this food chain:

SUN ---> potato ---> Pope ---> Kentucky Fried Pope customers (---> etc)


----------



## Change

@PhantomHorse - Kestrel is so cute and congrats on her making it on to the couch (sorry, Mia)! Sinna had a couch first, too. She made it onto the couch by jumping over from the BACK! ACK! Yep. German Shepherds are made for jumping!


----------



## phantomhorse13

Last week, I drove down to Virginia to meet Lani for the Fort Valley rides. DH was home preparing for his hunting trip, so the dogs stayed with him. I got to camp about noon, just as Lani was arriving. Typical of any event with Lani in attendance, she had a constant stream of visitors which kept her very busy.

I was able to drag Lani away to get registered and vet the horses, but we didn't even make it out of the vet area before someone else had found her. Thank goodness I know the routine by now, so was able to get everything set up for the next day.

The sun was starting to go down when we finally got out for our pre-ride!










It was quite chilly overnight, though not cold enough to actually freeze. We got the tack on Brim and MU first thing, then helped get some friends off on the 50. We didn't even get on our horses until trail was open for the LD, as we wanted everyone out of sight (26 started).

Mu started out on the line as we moseyed out of camp for the 17 mile loop. He was very enthusiastic, wanting to take the lead and get the show on the road! That loop starts out with a two mile climb. By the time we reached the top, Lani handed me the rope and we were set loose.










Mu was content to follow Brim for the climb, as Brim has a huge walk which Mu hasn't quite figured out how to match yet.










Once we got over Milford Gap, it wasn't long before Mu was in the lead. I still can't believe how brave he is! 










When we caught up to a couple riders ahead, Mu barely reacted. When they fell in behind us, he was a bit worried for a few minutes, but soon decided they were no big deal after all. Those ladies were wonderful, being very respectful of Mu's space.










This ride is the last leg of the Old Dominion triple crown, so rocks and climbs are a given. But Mu handled it all like a champ.










We got into the hold and both horses pulsed and vetted through without issue. Mu was much less worried when I jogged Brim away this time.










During the hold, nobody needs to encourage Mu to eat! Brim ate and then napped, but I don't think Mu ever picked his head out of his pan.










The second loop was 14 miles. The weather had warmed into the low-60s and there was a bit of a breeze to help break up the humidity. We went out with the same two ladies from the first loop.










Mu spent some time in the lead this loop, but he also learned to pass and be passed by his new friends. Those ladies and their wonderful horses were the best teachers. Mu learned so quickly that we were quietly cantering in company several times!










Water is one of Mu's challenges - he would get to a creek, drink from it, then leap the rest of the way across from a standstill! Eventually, he figured out that leaping was not what I wanted and just calmly went in.










Not much color this year due to the crazy weather, but the views were pretty all the same.










We moseyed into the finish and casually pulled tack and did some sponging. We were the only people in sight as we went in to pulse, which wasn't a surprise as we expected to be turtle. Well weren't we shocked to be told we were actually 7th & 8th!! A bunch of people had gotten lost, which explained our crazy placings. Just goes to show you never know what will happen!







I didn't get a picture of his vet card, but he had negative CRIs and all As all day. He and Brim looked great after the finish.










to be continued..


----------



## phantomhorse13

part 2:

Saturday was all Fluffy. It wasn't nearly as chilly overnight but I got on well ahead of time to make sure she was warmed up before we left.










A friend riding a young horse had asked if she could leave with us and I had told her I was willing to try, but had no idea how Fluffy might react. We went to the back of the field to warm up and let all the other riders leave camp (28 started). Surprisingly, Fluffy was quite chill and was happy to walk out of camp with her new friend in tow.










After we had gone part of the way up the big climb, I parted ways with my friend as her horse had trouble keeping up with Fluffy's huge walk. Fluffy never looked back!










Fluffy did really well in terms of not being race brained, even after we caught up to a large group. We passed the group, but one man tagged along with us. Fluffy totally ignored him and his horse, which I was pleased about. 










However, bad timing soon ended my pleasant ride. The single track trail down the mountain popped us out onto the fire road _just_ as the front runners in the 50 galloped by. For Fluffy, the race was on!

Even though the 50s turned off onto another trail at a checkpoint not far from where they passed us, Fluffy was convinced they were just ahead of her. The fact we kept catching and passing people just added to her determination. For the next 10 miles, I had a fire breathing dragon on my hands.

Fluffy had finally settled down when we got back onto the fire road, which my arms were profoundly thankful. She had been asking to canter, but I didn't want to feed into her race brain and had held her to a working trot. Now that she was calm, I let her canter and finally let go of the saddle. She was loping along on a loose rein when suddenly she shot out from under me to the left. I luckily didn't have too far to the ground, as the saddle rolled slightly and she slid off the side of the trail. :eek_color:

I kept hold of the reins, though she didn't move so much as a foot once I came off. I was somewhat stunned, as I had no idea what had happened. I then realized a ride and tie horse was standing about 15 feet ahead of us, tied off the right side of the trail. He must have been standing in the trees as I never saw him as we approached. [I found out later from Lani that horse is notorious for standing in brush and then darting out as riders come by - ouch.]

I couldn't really blame Fluffy for being startled, though I have to admit to not thinking very nice things about that R&Ter choosing to tie their horse there. I put the saddle back where it belonged and climbed aboard. Fluffy was really nervous the next little while, looking for more monsters in the trees. Despite the unplanned dismount, we kept our bubble of space and didn't find anybody else until partway up the big climb.










Fluffy easily outdistanced that horse on the climb and then went trucking down the hill towards camp.










We walked the last mile into camp, but when Brim wasn't in the hold area waiting, Fluffy got herself all worked up screaming for him. Her pulse was jumping all over, so eventually someone ran back to the truck to get Brim. Once he was there, Fluffy pulsed and vetted without issue.










During the hold, Fluffy was still full of it. Thank goodness for Dana and Rachel, who kept Fluffy eating so I could take care of myself. [Dana, in orange, is who originally owned Flo.]










When I got back on for the second loop, Fluffy was not impressed. She was like a slug oozing away from the truck and back onto trail. It was all I could do to get her to jog!










Not even a mile out, I got fed up and broke off a stick. And used it. Fluffy wasn't tired, she just had no horse to chase so would have rather stayed in camp.










We never saw another horse the entire loop. If we were pointing towards camp, she was forward and enthusiastic. If we turned away from camp, I had to show her the stick.










The loop seemed to take forever. I kept expecting someone to catch up with us at any moment, but nobody ever appeared.










I think I was just as happy to get back to camp as Fluffy was, as my legs were worn out from all the encouraging! This time, Brim was in the hold waiting for us. It took a bit of sponging to get her cooled down, but nobody had even come into camp behind us. 










Fluffy was 5th with all As and was only 20 minutes behind the winner (an international level 100 miler everyone was surprised to see in an LD)!







We stood for BC even though we didn't expect to get it, knowing the horse who had finished first would have been amazing all day (and indeed, that horse did get high vet score and BC). Just after the BC judging, I jumped in my car and drove home.


Excellent weekend!


----------



## AnitaAnne

Ouch. That fall sounds quite painful, even though you didn't really act like it was. I remember all the times my 16H Percheron/Arab gelding tossed me. It hurt and hurt bad :frown_color: 

So thrilled you were able to complete your ride! But bad girl Fluffy! She was a real pill the second loop 

Mu is so cute, but WIDE! He is getting better and better and seems to have such a nice, willing nature. What a pleasure he must be.


----------



## gottatrot

Ouch, hope you weren't too sore after. That rim trail in the video with Mu looked a bit scary. Fluffy's trot stride is amazing - I guess as long as she is willing to do it!


----------



## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> He is getting better and better and seems to have such a nice, willing nature. What a pleasure he must be.


Mu has ruined me for horse shopping, as he is everything I am looking for.. and he certainly isn't for sale (and even if he was, he would probably be 3 times my budget at least!). He is amazing.




gottatrot said:


> Ouch, hope you weren't too sore after. That rim trail in the video with Mu looked a bit scary. Fluffy's trot stride is amazing - I guess as long as she is willing to do it!


It's funny that that trail doesn't worry me all that much, especially not compared to Tevis trails.. I guess because at least here you would have a tree to grab if you feel over the edge?! Pretty silly really, but somehow that is comforting! 

Fluffy has a massive stride when she wants to. Her trot cruise speed is 9 mph and she can hit 13 when she really gets going. She can also compress to about 5 mph when she would rather not..

I was about the same amount of sore after this ride as after the last one on Fluffy.. though this time it was more balanced, as she tired out my holding-back muscles _and_ my needs-encouragement muscles. :icon_rolleyes:


----------



## SwissMiss

phantomhorse13 said:


> I was about the same amount of sore after this ride as after the last one on Fluffy.. though this time it was more balanced, as she tired out my holding-back muscles _and_ my needs-encouragement muscles. :icon_rolleyes:


She gave you a full-body workout, including a deep tissue massage :wink:
I can only imagine how much work it must be to keep her going if she doesn't want to!

Mu is just adorable. But such a tank for a pure Arab! And I love his ears. Always listening back to you.


----------



## Change

I'm still partial to Brim, but both Mu and Fluffy are favorites, too.


----------



## Caledonian

Ouch; when they happen that fast you’ve less chance to prepare for hitting the ground. I’m glad that you and Fluffy are okay. 
If the R&T horse is known for hiding, you’d think that the team member would put it where it can’t cause problems for other riders. I suppose they're concentrating on their own race though.

Fluffy’s a powerful looking horse in the photos and I love the face Mu’s pulling in one of them – tongue out and eyes wide. Brim’s still my favourite though!:smile:


----------



## AnitaAnne

All this talk of Brim! I have met that horse and already put in a request for him. Lani laughed at me! Don't believe that horse will ever be for sale, he is one very special gelding. 


I will admit to liking the variety of trails on this ride, but really not sure I could do the steep rock incline...I could hardly look at the edge even in the video...found myself leaning away from the drop off (while sitting at my desk)  :rofl:


----------



## carshon

I am so sorry to hear about the unexpected discount. Glad you are OK. Mu is seriously cute! And I love your videos!


----------



## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> All this talk of Brim! I have met that horse and already put in a request for him. Lani laughed at me! Don't believe that horse will ever be for sale, he is one very special gelding.



Brim is Lani's heart horse, so there is no way he would ever be sold! I think Lani would get rid of Kathy before she would let go of Brim.


----------



## QueenofFrance08

What a fun ride! How many horses do they have total?


----------



## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> How many horses do they have total?


Hmm, something like 19 last I asked. They have the distance horses and their hunt horses, plus some youngsters and some retirees.


----------



## phantomhorse13

Kestrel pics!


12 weeks:


















13 weeks:



























14 weeks:


















15 weeks:



















:loveshower:


----------



## gottatrot

Those ears crack me up.


----------



## phantomhorse13

gottatrot said:


> Those ears crack me up.


A good friend used to say of her arab/trakehner gelding that if his ears were touching, look out..


I find myself saying that a lot about Kestrel. :rofl:


----------



## AnitaAnne

She grew some legs!! Every picture she looks READY, even helping with the potatoes...then the bath picture :rofl: Baths are NOT FUN and little Kestrel is NOT HAPPY :rofl: 

She is hanging with the big dogs too :Angel:


Cuteness overload!


----------



## phantomhorse13

I did get some saddle time last week, between finishing potatoes and working on chores around here. Momma nature is still pretty angry, with ongoing rain and an abrupt change from summer temperatures to winter ones.

Last Monday, we got done with potatoes before it got dark, so I decided to hop on George bareback and walk the dogs. It was Kestrel's first time going out with a horse and I was thrilled when she ignored George totally.



















2.23 miles, 208 feet of climb, 3.3 mph, 40F real feel


Wednesday, we finished potatoes (woohoo!!). I had a bit of time before it got dark, so I jumped on George for another dog walk.



















2.89 miles, 343 feet of climb, 4.4 mph, 36F real feel


The following day, I got George out for a real ride. Because it's archery season, George and I were both in blaze orange.










We went up the Sugarloaf. We are _just_ starting to have some color!










The late apples are looking fantastic (those are Pink Ladies, my favorite kind).










Once we got home, we took the dogs out for their walk while I hacked George around bareback to cool out.










11.11 miles, 1955 feet of climb, 5.1 mph, 34F real feel


The next day, I decided it was dry enough to get Phin out. I was not thrilled with the strong wind that had already arrived ahead of the oncoming Nor'Easter, but I knew the ground was as dry as it was going to get. Phin wasn't too bad to get tacked up, but once we left the barn he was on his toes. I did some groundwork in the yard, trying to bring his focus back to me.

As I feared, Phin was just about beside himself once I got on. We made it across the back yard and into the hay field, but I was having flashbacks to the race track as he felt like he might explode at any instant. I decided it was not a good day to die and got off.

I walked him in hand for a while and even with me on the ground he was bug-eyed and snorting at everything, but especially the crinkling corn. As we walked, he eventually settled down enough to graze, though every gust of wind had his head straight up again.

Kestrel kept a good distance from him as his dancing and snorting scared her. When he would graze, however, she would approach to try to figure out what he was eating! It was pretty funny to watch them grazing together.










When we got back around to the hay field, I felt he had calmed enough for me to try getting back on. I didn't want to push my luck, so we just grazed our way around the hay field and then went back to the barn.










I have to say I was disappointed, as I had hoped maybe I wouldn't have to start all over with him.. 

2.05 miles, 181 feet of climb, 2.2 mph, 42F real feel


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## QueenofFrance08

Aww it looks like Kestrel and Mia are friends now?!?!?! 

George is looking amazing, he doesn't look a day over 10! I like the orange on him actually! I need a grey horse then I can put all sorts of fun colors on them....

Sorry Phin is being a pain, maybe it's just an initial shock of having to work again and he'll find a brain quickly.


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## PoptartShop

Kestrel gets bigger each time you post! She is sooo cute, omg! So cute with the other dogs.

George looks great. & I really like the orange on him.
Must be fun riding with the dogs! Aw!

Sorry to hear about Phin, sounds like he just wasn't having a good day. He is probably a bit rusty & apprehensive about being back to 'work'. But it'll get better, I'm glad you did some groundwork with him too, he may need more of that before you get on for a little. It could have been the strong winds, too...I know most horses cannot stand it! It was probably that plus him being out of work for a little. Not a fun mix but he will be back to normal before you know it.


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## Caledonian

Kestrel’s such a sweetheart and her face is so expressive. That wet pup picture is hilarious! The misery of having to take a bath when there’s so much out there that desperately needs chasing and digging up and rolling in…


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## Spanish Rider

Please forgive me, but I must have missed something. Where are we at now with Phin? Diagnosis/prognosis/future plans?


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## Change

That after bath picture of Kestrel is priceless. Misery! And it's great that she's going out with the horses with no problems. That's always fun. Sinna got her first run with a horse last Sunday. She did great, although Cally gave her the mare glare a few times when she got a little too close.


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## phantomhorse13

Spanish Rider said:


> Please forgive me, but I must have missed something. Where are we at now with Phin? Diagnosis/prognosis/future plans?


Back in January, Phin gave himself a high splint and got 6 weeks off. As that splint calcified, it created an exostosis (aka, a lump). That lump was in a place where the check ligament was coming in contact with it.. and ligaments don't like rough surfaces. While Phin was never lame, that leg would swell with much activity. After some research and talking with various vet friends, we decided to give him 6 months off and see what happened. [In a perfect world, he would have been on stall then small paddock rest, but he showed during his time with the splint that that was not an option. So benign neglect (out with the others) it was.]

I had originally planned to get Phin back to work at the beginning of October, as end of September was 6 months. But between potatoes and the weather, that didn't happen - so you haven't missed anything. Last week, I was finally done with potatoes and the ground was not actively under water, so I figured the time was right. Only problem was his brain was gone. :|


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## phantomhorse13

Got some photos from Tom from Fort Valley!

Mu's final vetting trot out:









Coming into the hold with Fluffy (note the pad in disarray after the unexpected dismount :icon_rolleyes:









heading for the out timer:









Leaving on the last loop - note my active leg attempting to keep her moving. :lol:









:cowboy:


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## phantomhorse13

I have had some horse time this week, despite momma nature's antics.

Tuesday, I got George out. Having gotten rain Monday, I decided on the space needle loop because I knew that footing would be good even if wet. The trees have decided it really is fall and are finally starting to show some color.










There were some puddles and washed out places, but a lot of the footing was dryer than I would have expected.










We came around a corner and found ourselves in the middle of a construction zone! Gas wells (and all the resulting lines) are going in. The workers were super nice, even offering to move the equipment if George wasn't comfortable going by so close to it.










George didn't mind the workers, the trucks, the running bulldozer or the running excavator.. but the _lunchbox_ that was on the ground about 15 feet behind it all, THAT was a terrifying monster. :icon_rolleyes: After barely escaping from that with our lives, George was a perfect gentleman the rest of the ride.










13.32 miles, 1532 feet of climb, 5.7 mph, 58F real feel


After finishing with George, I took Phin and the dogs for a walk. I didn't even bother to tack him up this time, just groomed him until his eyes weren't totally bugged out, then headed outside. He was on his toes to start with, looking like a crazed giraffe. The corn was particularly terrifying (and we won't mention all the corn that is right beside their pasture)..










After the first mile, Phin started to settled down. Eventually the lure of the alfalfa was enough to get him to drop his head and eat. Kestrel kept coming over to see what he was eating, then would sample it for herself.











The next day, I got George out again for a mosey up the Sugarloaf. The temperature was much warmer than predicted, which was a nice surprise.










We jogged the flat parts to and from, but walked all the climbs.










5.46 miles, 1126 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 64F real feel


After the ride, George and Phin both got baths, as I figured we wouldn't see such warm temperatures again until the spring.










I took George, Phin, and the dogs for a walk while everyone was drying. Then it was clipping time!




















The next day was supposed to be rainy, so I was surprised to wake up to partly sunny skies and no rain. I decided to see how Phin would do. I brought him into the barn and tacked up him, which he took calmly (or calmly for him anyway - I am not sure he ever stands still for long in the barn). We did a bit of groundwork, but he was attentive from the start.

So, I got on.

We moseyed around Alamar on the dog walking route (though without the dogs to help). I have never been so happy to ride at few miles before! Phin was a bit looky, but kept his head. We did 90% walking, but did jog a short stretch of the airport strip. Phin felt great!



















4.08 miles, 288 feet of climb, 3.1 mph average pace, 65F real feel


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## AnitaAnne

Stunning views! Nothing prettier than fall colors  

I so enjoy reading of your adventures! Silly George terrified by a lunchbox but not caring a bit with all that equipment around him :rofl: His haircut looks really good! 

You were able to get a good ride on Phin too! Maybe he is remembering all you good rides in the past. 

May he continue to keep his brain! 

Mu looks fabulous! Fluffy on the other hand does not look like she even feels your leg! No surprise you needed a stick for her. She is a giant though...those feet! OMG


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> Fluffy on the other hand does not look like she even feels your leg! No surprise you needed a stick for her. She is a giant though...those feet! OMG


You def would not want her to step on you!! I believe she wears a size 4 easyboot - which BARELY fits in my saddle bag.


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## QueenofFrance08

Oh man.... I just bought Jake size 0 easy boots! Chico wears 2 Renegades and I thought his feet are huge!

Million dollar question..... How's Phin's leg holding up????

Love their clip jobs, I'm proud that I can tell who is who now! Phin looks..... thrilled.... HAHAHAHA!


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## PoptartShop

Gosh I love the scenery! Great job on clipping, too! Super neat. My clip job would look horrible if I even tried. :rofl: LOL his facial expression in the first pic, he's like...really mom? :lol:

So glad you had a nice ride on Phin, too!  Yay.

The picture with Kestrel is adorable, she's so cute. Love it!


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I cajoled DH into riding George as a babysitter for Phin. Since momma nature is stuck in this wet pattern with no break in sight, trying to get "real" rides just around Alamar is simply not possible. While the walking is better than nothing, it's also not really stressing that leg. The farrier is coming next in a couple weeks and I had hoped to have some idea of Phin's recovery status by then, as I don't want to put shoes on him if he's just going back on R&R.

Around here, places that are generally rideable when wet are not exactly barefoot friendly as they are gravel and/or rocky. So I wanted to try Phin in a pair of boots and see how that went.. but in case it went poorly, I figured having George around would be a calming influence.

The boots still fit (all the horse's feet have changed some since starting with the new farrier, so it hadn't occurred to me to check boots because of it!) and stayed put at a walk, though they were a bit slippery on the damp grass. We headed for the Sugarloaf via Spauldings, as I wanted a flat space to try trotting before we crossed the road.

Luckily, it went without an issue.






So we continued on our way, trotting where we could on the flatter, dry places and walking the rest.










Phin was up but controllable. He would much rather have been trotting the whole time!










We went around the back side of the Sugarloaf and then up, as the climb is much more gradual. Then we went down and back to Alamar. On the way home, we came across Keith getting ready to cut corn:










Overall Phin was very good - he led the entire way and only got a little fussy at a spot beside the Horrible Pond of Death where debris was left from it overflowing it banks.

5.78 miles, 824 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 50F real feel


As of this morning, that leg still looks totally normal!! :clap::happydance: :cheers: It's raining again (go figure), so hoping to ride Wednesday if/when it stops..


Kestrel is getting bigger every day it seems. A couple fun pics from this past week:


















:loveshower:


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## QueenofFrance08

Is Kestrel getting bigger or just her ears?????!!!! :mrgreen:


----------



## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> Is Kestrel getting bigger or just her ears?????!!!! :mrgreen:



She is getting bigger.. but not enough to catch up to her ears!!


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## AnitaAnne

Kestrel is precious! And TALL! But may never catch up with those ears! 

Fingers crossed Phin stays sound for you


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## Change

Congrats on a sane, healthy ride on Phin! Here's hoping he continues to keep his brain and his leg! 

Kestrel is beginning to look like a dog, instead of a fur-fluff, finally! I'd love to have her and Sinna meet for a play date.


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## Spanish Rider

Ooooh, so good, but I don't want to say anything to jinx it.

I don't believe I ever told you that I had a Kestrel, too… She lived on our porch for more than two years, then disappeared one summer during an especially bad drought. I prefer to think that she went further up into the mountains where she found more food.


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## phantomhorse13

Change said:


> I'd love to have her and Sinna meet for a play date.


I would love that too! I don't know too many people with dogs locally, so she has def been limited on her canine socialization. We do have a PetSmart nearby, but with so many idiots in the world owning animals, I figure having limited dog exposure is better than having a bad experience!




Spanish Rider said:


> I don't believe I ever told you that I had a Kestrel, too… She lived on our porch for more than two years


How cool!!

Until that fledgling wound up in our barn, I had never given much thought to the occasional small hawk I would see sitting on a fencepost every so often - I just mistakenly assumed they were young redtails (which are common around here). Now when I see them, or hear them as their call is distinctive now that I know what it is, they make me smile!

We have been pretty lucky with birds of prey - there is now a bald eagle who has apparently taken up residence on Alamar!


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## Celeste

Kestrel and Sinna will grow into their ears (and feet). My border collie Prissy was nothing but a mass of ears and feet and happiness while she was a puppy. Bounce, bounce, bounce. Like Winnie the Poo's Tigger. Actually, she is still pretty bouncy.


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## PoptartShop

Glad the boots worked out, I have to do the same for Promise on trails, on rocky areas since she's barefoot & a bit ouchy on the rocks.
What kind of boots are they? I've been using a friend's old pair of Easyboots and I like them but I heard some other brands are good too.

So happy you had a pleasant ride.  Nice to see some sunshine. Raining here today! Ugh!
& Kestrel...those darn ears! So cute!!!!!!!


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## QueenofFrance08

How's Phin liking his new saddle now that he finally gets to use it?


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## phantomhorse13

PoptartShop said:


> Glad the boots worked out, I have to do the same for Promise on trails, on rocky areas since she's barefoot & a bit ouchy on the rocks.
> What kind of boots are they? I've been using a friend's old pair of Easyboots and I like them but I heard some other brands are good too.


Those are easyboot gloves, which is our normal spare tire. What boot works best seems to depend a lot on the foot shape. What size does Promise wear? I got a pair of brand new Easyboot Backcountry boots at the local warehouse store for a good price - if they are her size and you are interested, it will save me listing them on facebook!




QueenofFrance08 said:


> How's Phin liking his new saddle now that he finally gets to use it?


It seems to be doing ok for him, though we are hardly burning up the trails. My hindquarters, however, pretty much hates all the walking we are doing! I think I am going to look into a gel seat for it while I am doing so much walking..


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## AnitaAnne

I have a gel seat pad that never seemed to work for my Barefoot saddles. Be happy to ship it to you


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## PoptartShop

She's a size 3! What size are they?


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## QueenofFrance08

I have a gel seat on my Abetta. My behind would not like me much if I didn't!


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## phantomhorse13

PoptartShop said:


> She's a size 3! What size are they?


Pretty sure they are 2.5s.. but not sure if back countries are sized the same as the others. Next time you are at the barn, trace her foot and measure it. Maybe we will get lucky and these will fit her!


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## Change

I measured Tango's feet to see what size boots he'd need and his feet are 4.5" wide by 4.25" long! He doesn't have feet, he has platters!


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## QueenofFrance08

@Change those are tiny! That's what size Jake is and he's a size 0 in Easy Boots! Chico on the other hand is 5 3/8" by 5 and he wears size 2 wide!


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## SwissMiss

Lol, at our barn 2 horses have boots. Princess Raya (110 x 115 vipers) and Lady the mustang, who wears a 3W in the Backcountry boots :rofl: I can basically put Raya's boots inside the Easy boots :rofl:


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## PoptartShop

I will, I'll be back on Saturday & I can measure then!  Yeah that's true, I know some of them size differently.


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## phantomhorse13

Tuesday night, it finally stopped raining. So I was able to get some saddle time on Wednesday. I had replaced the memory card in my helmetcam and wanted to make sure it was working properly, so I took it out when I got George out. Pleased to say it worked just fine, so you get a ride-along as well as the normal pictures!

Knowing things would be really wet, I planned on the yellow gate trail and back via the tomhicken trail and the pole line.

Leaving home, it was pretty squishy on the grass:





While the temp wasn't too bad, the wind was pretty strong as evidenced by the waves on the neigbor's pond:





Checking out the always-changing stuff on the main farm





The bottom of the tomhicken log road climb - notice most of the leaves are down now.









the top part of the climb:





some of the yellowgate trail:





certainly no lack of places to drink:









some of the tomhicken road trail:





the top of the pole line climb:





dreaded decorations:





having a bit of fun (this is about 1/2 mile which climbs about 240 feet - my garmin said George hit 25.8 mph as max speed):





enjoying the view:





George was a bit up from the wind, but overall was a very good boy. 

10.14 miles, 1458 feet of climb, 5.1 mph average pace, 55F real feel


After George, it was Phin's turn! He was a bit cranked up when I brought him in, which was not a surprise as wind tends to make him reactive. I tried to carry on like normal, but his anxiety made me wonder just how exciting our ride was going to be. I decided I was going to put not only his hoof boots on, but all his leg protection as well.

A friend who had gotten out of horses sent me a saddle pad, which I was trying out. I was pleased it did well (and while hard to see because they are small, the designs are skulls with red eyes :smile.










Knowing it would be wet anywhere low, we headed to the sugarloaf. I handwalked him the first bit off of Alamar and down the paved road. Part of me felt like a weenie, but that soon changed as in the short stretch of road, we had a tri-axle dump truck _and_ a tractor trailer with a load covered by tarps go by!! Phin's eyes bugged out, his head went straight up, and he cantered beside me, but he never even tightened the reins - not so sure that would have had the same result if I had been on board..

Once we got to the neighbor's driveway, I climbed on and off we went. Phin was feeling mighty fine and didn't see why we couldn't trot down the driveway (which we normally would have), but with him being totally bare behind, I didn't want him trotting over the gravel. We wiggled our way out to the field road, where he got to do a bit of trotting.










Once we got to the climbing, I insisted he remain at a walk. While I was pleased he was enthusiastic enough to want to trot, I didn't want to stress the bad leg that much and I didn't want him trotting over the rocks.










We went to the 4th tier (which is one short of the very top) and then down the other side. When going away from home, he was able to walk.. but when we got to the bottom and made the turn for home, he was all hyped up again. We did a lot of lateral work. It was a very tiring and frustrating ride for me.

Just as we were coming back across Alamar, Keith arrived with the combine. I had been planning to untack Phin and take him for a walk with the dogs anyway, so that presented an even better training opportunity.

To begin with, you would have thought Phin had never seen farm equipment before.. but after some time he eventually relaxed enough to do some grazing beside the tractor and grain cart (helps when you are standing in 8 inches of alfalfa!).










The combine caused more angst, but eventually he decided that wasn't going to eat him either. We did a short walk around that set of fields just so he could see the combine going back and forth repeatedly (Kestrel, meanwhile, couldn't have cared less about any of the equipment!).










6.27 miles, 1079 feet of climb, 2.7 mph average pace, 56F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Thursday was not raining, so I again got horses out, knowing the rain was coming that evening and over the weekend (ugh).

George was first. We just went up the Sugarloaf.




























George was just as bored as I was having to cover the same ground again, but he was well behaved.

7.37 miles, 1425 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 50F real feel


Next up was Phin. His leg was looking normal, so I felt comfortable getting him out again. He was a lot calmer from the start, which certainly made me happy. I didn't want to make him climb the Sugarloaf again, so I just took him around the driest fields I could find.










We did some trotting on the flat places. We did have one brief canter when someone driving by thought it would be a good idea to lay on the horn, but all things considered he kept it together pretty well.










And then we got to the tree farm, which normally isn't a problem.. but today they were *gasp* _moving trees_. With a skid loader. We won't mention the fact he sees a skid loader at our place all the time - surely the fact the tree farm skid was _white_ (ours is yellow) makes ALL the difference.. and it was not only white, it was _carrying trees_. Surely if it can rip trees from the ground, it must be scary!! :eek_color:

While Phin did a fantastic imitation of a bug-eyed giraffe and felt like he was going to go sky high at any second, he didn't actually do anything - he just stood staring. I was pleased he didn't try to escape to the next county. When the skid disappeared down the road, he was still worried, but agreed to walk towards home. Here are some of the trees it left behind, which were also _highly_ suspicious. :icon_rolleyes:










Overall it was a good ride, as some pretty tense situations were involved and nothing explosive happened. If only the weather would cooperate, I could ride him more consistently..

4.93 miles, 412 feet of climb, 3.8 mph average pace, 50F real feel


We got 1.25 inches of rain again yesterday and today the temps have plummeted into the 30s with raging winds putting real feels into the single digits. We even had our first snow of the year this morning (thankfully brief but insulting all the same). Who knows when I will get more saddle time..


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## PoptartShop

Well, I totally got sidetracked this weekend & forgot to measure Promise's feet. *facepalm* Ugh! I will try to put a reminder.

Aw! That's good Phin stayed calm & just looked around, whew! He's a good boy! Beautiful rides! Happy to hear George was well-behaved also. Have to take advantage of the sunshine when you can, that's for sure.

If only the weather would stay consistent! :lol:


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## CaliforniaDreaming

All that orange tack makes me want to change colors for Mitch's dressage saddle setup, even though he looks positively fetching in turquoise. Either that or I need another rideable horse to let my color tendencies out. :lol: How I envy ya.


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## phantomhorse13

On Monday, it rained.. what a surprise. But a package from @AnitaAnne came in the mail.. and look at the result:










That is a gel seat under the sheepskin!! :happydance:


On Tuesday, it rained again (ugh). But the farrier still came.. and with a bit of help, he was able to not only shoe George, but Phin too.










I also finished up my make-your-own-reins project.. omg what a PITA. Next time, I am just ordering whatever tack I need from Nicole! :icon_rolleyes:




















Today, it finally wasn't raining! It was, however, miserably cold and _windy_. However, knowing the nor'easter and SNOW eek_color is on the way, I rode anyway.

George was up first. He just needed a leg stretch and to make sure there were no issues with his shoes as his next competition is next week. So we moseyed over to the Sugarloaf and up.



















You can tell hunting season is done for this week, as there were deer all over the place. George was disgusted by the casual pace, but very well behaved.

4.47 miles, 914 feet of climb, 3.8 mph average pace, 23F real feel


Next up was Phin. As expected due to the crazy weather, he was really cranked up. We did some groundwork to try to find his focus. Then, I handwalked him the first half mile, until we got down the paved road and onto the neighbor's driveway. [I have two friends who just had serious accidents involving horses and pavement.. I do not want to be the 3rd!]

When I climbed aboard and sat down.. omg that gel seat was FANTASTIC. While the saddle would hardly compete with my recliner, it was no longer like sitting on a sharp 2x4. @AnitaAnne I cannot thank you enough!!!! :clap: :loveshower:

Phin was still pretty worked up and a herd of deer jumping up out of the eye-high weeds didn't help matters much. But he only cantered a couple steps before coming back to a walk, even if it was a bug-eyed giraffe walk. Up the Sugarloaf we went, looking for his brain.










Happy to report that we found it by the time we got to the top! And a good thing, as we encountered lots of deer and even a flock of turkeys.

On the way home, he was tense walking in the deer-hiding weeds, but he kept his head and didn't even jig.










Coming across Alamar, Gina was out with their new puppy, Heidi. She came boinging over to Phin with great glee and we were both floored when Phin didn't bat an eye at her - not even when she ran under his belly!










I chatted with Gina a bit, then turned for home. On the way, Phin decided the 4 remaining stalks of corn that got missed by the combine two fields away were going to run over and eat him. He did manage to keep himself under control, but he was a bug-eyed twitching mess until we were out of sight of that corn. :icon_rolleyes: Horses!!

5.13 miles, 999 feet of climb, 3.1 mph average pace, 22F real feel


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## AnitaAnne

Glad to know that gel seat cover is getting some use! I bought it and never did use it...

Those saddles do look rather hard 


The pup is adorable! 


But the real star is those reins! OMG that must have taken a long time! And the braids are so even too. Did you have a pattern or something? The little rein extender in the middle is so clever!! How long are they?


I recently bought some 10' reins with Beta grip. It is a little thinner than I prefer, but I think they will work well...if it ever stops raining...


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## CaliforniaDreaming

Send that rain here!!

Well, gradually. There was a horrible mudslide last year because of a lot of rain over fire damaged terrain, so after the fires that California has just experienced (and are still experiencing) _too_ much rain would be another disaster. 

I like my biothane reins with the pebbly grip.


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## gottatrot

I too am very impressed with the reins!


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## SwissMiss

The reins are impressive! For some reason I have a hard time imagining you sitting quietly for hours working on reins :Angel: 

And I love the extender. My reins have that too and I wouldn't want to be without anymore!


Kestrel is helping with shoeing too? Poor dog has to do _so much!_ :rofl:


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## QueenofFrance08

Love your farrier puppy! What kind of dog did Gina get?


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## knightrider

Those reins are AWESOME! I love them. I make reins and bridles too, but mine are not nearly as impressive!


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## PoptartShop

Those reins are so cool!!! Love it and I love the color.  Super impressive.
That's so awesome!! Makes me wanna make my own!

Aw, I'm sure Kestrel was happy to help with the farrier. :lol: So cute.
Oh, silly Phin with the cornstalks. :lol: Awesome rides!!


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> the real star is those reins! OMG that must have taken a long time! And the braids are so even too. Did you have a pattern or something? How long are they?


I didn't have a pattern, though I did watch a YouTube video on how to do a flat, 6 strand braid as I didn't know how to start with. The reins are about 9 feet long, which is how long most of our reins are (and also why that extender piece is necessary for when the horses put their heads down.


Thanks to all for the compliments on the reins. I am just happy they will be functional. Sitting still for the time it took to braid them was tiresome!




CaliforniaDreaming said:


> There was a horrible mudslide last year because of a lot of rain over fire damaged terrain, so after the fires that California has just experienced (and are still experiencing) _too_ much rain would be another disaster.


Talk about insult to injury! Cali has had enough trauma already.



QueenofFrance08 said:


> What kind of dog did Gina get?


Heidi is a Wheaten terrier.


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## phantomhorse13

The end of this week has been interesting.. like the Chinese curse interesting.

Yesterday, I got Phin out as soon as I could in the morning. It was cold and the wind was raging, but I dragged myself out of the warm house to the barn all the same, knowing the nor'easter was coming. Phin was beside himself, so we went right to walk up the Sugarloaf.










That helped settle him a bit, so we moseyed across a couple fields before heading home. We even got a bit of trot work in, though the sketchy ground and his being overly excited any time we were pointed towards home meant we didn't do much at a time. 










6.13 miles, 880 feet of climb, 3.9 mph average pace, 17F real feel

I was just putting Phin back out when the snow started falling. And falling.. this is what it looked like when I took the dogs out for their afternoon walk:









and at feeding time, it was still falling:









Woke up this morning and couldn't believe outside - over a FOOT of snow!! :eek_color: Fed horses and then started shoveling what DH wasn't able to get with the tractor. Kestrel thinks shoveling is the second Best Thing Ever (the very best thing ever is still the ball), as she leapt into the tossed snow with the greatest of glee. I had to be careful not to hit her in the head with the shovel as she went after the flying snow.
















Once we had our place done, we went over to the elderly neighbor's place and got them taken care of. By then, I was thinking a nap sounded pretty good.. but instead I went out and grabbed Phin.

Phin was quiet in the barn to be tacked up, but was on his toes once we left as snow is different.. and different is highly suspicious. I got on him right away, figuring the deep snow would have him thinking twice about jigging, etc. 










And indeed, snow to his knees was too much effort to be silly in, at least to start with.










When we got over to the neighbor's driveway, I asked him for a bit of trot (DH had been there to plow, so it was clear). Phin, however, was _horrified_ by the snow piles left by the plow on either side of the lane. He actually gave me the least hurried trot work we have had to date, as he was pretty certain he was going to be eaten at any moment and did not want to go forward. He looked like a halter horse as we boinged up the lane, his eyes bugged out and his neck arched to look down at the piles with horror - and he was snorting literally every stride.

The piles were bad enough when they were just snow and/or dirt.. but when we got down towards the turn, there was something colored in the top of one pile. From Phin's reaction, he thought that was a mangled body part left for a later snack! When we got a bit closer and I realized what the offending object was, I started laughing like a fool. I can only imagine what the neighbor - who was out shoveling his front walk about 50 feet away - must have thought. 

I gave DH many kudos for his plowing ability when I got home:









That newspaper had been pushed a good 500 yards from where the lane met the pavement to that point!! :rofl:

Once past the killer paper, the rest of the ride was quite peaceful. Phin trudged his way up the Sugarloaf and didn't mind the deer or turkeys that were frolicking around us.










On the way home across Alamar, the sun even peeked out briefly!










4.49 miles, 804 feet of climb, 2.3 mph average pace, 25F real feel


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## AnitaAnne

OMG the snow is beautiful!! So much snow too! Kestrel looks to be having a blast in (her first?) big snowfall. Good thing she is a redhead, might loose her if she was all white...


Phin, well he is not only on his toes but keeping you on your toes too! There might be other (paper) body parts in the snowbanks! :rofl: 


Horses; never boring are they?


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## SueC

SwissMiss said:


> The reins are impressive! For some reason I have a hard time imagining you sitting quietly for hours working on reins :Angel:


My thoughts exactly too! :rofl:

Loved that clip of Kestrel in the snow, @phantomhorse13! No more potatoes for a while! :rofl:


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## PoptartShop

Oh wow, you got a LOT of snow! We only got like 2in or so, wow! Phin is quite the character, LOL! :lol: Oh no, the huge piles of snow are gonna get you!!! LOL. 
Kestrel was probably having so much fun playing in the snow.  As much as I HATE the snow...it is beautiful!


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## phantomhorse13

Last week was interesting for another reason, too..

I got a phone call mid-week from an endurance friend, asking if I was interested in taking a horse that was in a problem situation and needed to be moved asap. She sent me a pedigree and the following pics:




























His back story was a bit odd, as he had belonged to my friend's barn farrier for many years. The farrier had intended to get into distance riding, but never had the time. So the horse was trail ridden once in a blue moon and spent most of his time standing in a pasture with a bunch of sheep. He was briefly leased out to a lady who wanted to start a riding lesson program, but was never actually used for lessons as she found there was no market for it. Back to the sheep he went. My friend had a lady come to try out a horse she has for sale, but it was not the right match. She suggested this horse (who had since been up for sale on Craigslist) and the lady wound up buying him. The new owner sent the horse right to her trainer for a tune up. The trainer, riding in the pics above, had the horse for a bit over a week, then he went to the new owner's place.. and started chewing the fences. The very expensive, brand-new, fences. Panic ensued, as the new owner demanded the horse go back asap. Not wanting to see the horse wind up abandoned to the sheep, my friend called me to see if we were interested after hearing from the farrier that the horse was coming back.

I had been asking the universe to drop the right horse in my lap.. I had no idea it would be almost literally! On Sunday, we drove down to Virginia to pick him up. He will be a project, as he has almost no muscle, a huge grass belly, and feet that need attention.. but he seems to have an amazing brain. We are calling him Raven (partly for his color and partly as a play on words about my being ravin' mad to buy a horse this way!).










He hauled quiet as could be, despite limited trailer experience. When we got home, I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of unloading. This is what I got:






Like he was an old pro! He walked right into the barn without flicking so much as an ear in concern.



















I took him out to the front paddock and walked the perimeter. The other horses were galloping circles bucking and farting in the next paddock over, and this was his reaction:






Once I turned him loose, he went over to the fence to greet everyone. Not a sound was made; no stomping; no kicking.










He was so chill, his next stop was the water tank, where he got a nice long drink!!










This morning, he left his hay to come over to the fence to greet me as I was walking the dogs.



















How odd to look out and see something not-grey in the paddock!


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## AnitaAnne

OMG!! You got another horse! You must be super thrilled! Merry Christmas to you!!!

He is adorable and such a dark grey he appears black :rofl: I know he is a grey because you only have grey horses :wink:

He looks sane & sensible  


But we need more details please; how old and how tall?


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## gottatrot

Yes, yes, how old? He is very cute and sensible!


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## egrogan

AnitaAnne said:


> He is adorable and such a dark grey he appears black :rofl:


What an exciting update!!! And totally agree with @AnitaAnne.


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> But we need more details please; how old and how tall?





gottatrot said:


> Yes, yes, how old? He is very cute and sensible!


He is 8, which is a bit older than I was ideally looking for, but since he's not done a whole lot in his life, we shouldn't have to worry about him having been overworked.

I am guessing he is 14.3, though have not put a stick to him. That is plenty big enough for us! Right now he seems a bit narrow, but hopefully that will change a bit as his muscle develops.

Sensible was def very high on the list of must-haves, so hopefully that mindset continues..


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## knightrider

He seems like a dream come true! I'm so excited for you! Can't wait to read about his progress.

I've long wondered about the many horses that graze in pastures that never get ridden. How many of those horses are potential amazing athletes? I remember reading in Equus magazine years ago about an endurance horse that was just a back-up guest horse until the owner's endurance horse went lame. He went on to win everything in sight in endurance. I hope Raven is just like him!


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## carshon

Congratulations! What a handsome boy!!!! He has such a kind and inquisitive face. Can't wait to see him in Red, Or Green or Blue or Pink or whatever color you choose for him.

Sometimes the best things come when we aren't really looking!


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## SwissMiss

Congratulations on the new addition to the herd!
@carshon is right, now you need a whole new tack collection in a different color for him :biggrin:
And guessing who you are riding from the between ear shots got a tad easier :wink:


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## QueenofFrance08

YAY! Love him! And he's the same age as Jake with basically the same lack of use background so we can get them started in their new careers at the same time!

Is Nicole already working on some gear for him? That blue halter is lovely!

Who's giraffe-ing at him over the fence? Phin? How's the grey trio handling him?


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## Spanish Rider

I took one look at him greeting the greys over the fence and instantly read his mind: "Wow, those are some really big sheep!"


Kestrel, Raven... we seem to be on a bird theme, true? I took a look at the pedigree - hadn't seen 1930's on a pedigree in a while! Pretty cool.


Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! And please keep sharing those photos and videos.


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## phantomhorse13

carshon said:


> Can't wait to see him in Red, Or Green or Blue or Pink or whatever color you choose for him.


Right now, he will be going in a mishmash of tack: Dream's headstall, the biothane breastcollar that was Dream's original tack (which is normally in the trailer as the backup set).. he will need to earn tack of his own. DH actually suggested the color teal, which made me smile as that is what all my stuff was until I started riding Dream (who was already going in red, so I changed over for her).




QueenofFrance08 said:


> Who's giraffe-ing at him over the fence? Phin? How's the grey trio handling him?


That is George with his head stretched out. Phin is standing in front of George (high-necked blanket) and Sultan (who is naked) was behind. So far they have all done the meet and greet over the fence without issue. I have even seen some mutual grooming between Raven and Sultan!

We won't put them out together until after the final competition this weekend, as there is too much risk of someone being hurt even by accident.




Spanish Rider said:


> I took one look at him greeting the greys over the fence and instantly read his mind: "Wow, those are some really big sheep!"
> 
> Kestrel, Raven... we seem to be on a bird theme, true? I took a look at the pedigree - hadn't seen 1930's on a pedigree in a while! Pretty cool.


DH and I said the same thing about him feeling right at home cause our greys reminded him of the sheep!!

His pedigree was an added bonus, as George and Sultan are both Aladdin-bred and DH really wanted another. I had not been able to find anything with Aladdin anywhere in it.. so to see it in Raven's was a nice surprise.


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I got some saddle time. Momma nature is still stuck in winter mode, with actual temps just above freezing and a nasty cold breeze. The sun was supposed to be out, but it wasn't.

Phin was up first. He was actually a very good boy to be tacked up, but I handwalked him until I got to the neighbor's lane because the ground was so bad I had trouble walking myself. We went up the Sugarloaf as I knew the ground under the snow would be solid.










There was a lot less snow than the last time, but it was sloppy and pretty miserable.










By the time we got to the top, we were actually in the clouds, which was damp and very chilly.










We got a bit of trot work in on the neighbor's driveway. Phin was still somewhat subdued due to the suspicious plow piles - works for me!

5.54 miles, 1206 feet of climb, 2.9 mph average pace, 26F real feel


Next, I worked with Raven. Gina came over to supervise, just in case something unexpected happened. Raven met me at the gate to be caught and followed me into the barn without hesitation. He was a bit worried once we were inside though, calling to the others and not wanting to stand still. Not being sure how he tied, I tied him in a stall. He didn't stand still much, but he was very respectful of the rope, never pulling back at all.

Raven was fine to be groomed in that he didn't mind my touching him anywhere, but he has no respect for my space and would push into me as he paced back and forth. At no point did he do anything naughty, though, and he was more aware of where I was by the end. He picked up all four feet without issue. He didn't object to being saddled, but he sure didn't stop pacing either. I started out with the treeless, knowing his muscling will (hopefully) be changing - he has basically no muscle on his topline at all.

I went out to the roundpen, figuring better to be in a contained space the first time just in case. Once he was back out where he could see the others, he calmed down immediately. It took me a minute to figure out he was trained with the point with one hand and cue forward with the other longe method, as until I did the point too, he was just politely yielding his hindquarters around me when I asked him to move forward. :lol: Interestingly, he worked in the round pen with no draw to the direction the others were in at all. 

We did a few minutes of ground work, including introducing him to rein cues from the s-hack on the ground. His original owner rode him in a cross-under bridle and the trainer had ridden him in a rope halter, so it didn't take him long to figure out the hack. He lined up to the mounting block nicely and didn't move a muscle until I cued him to walk once I was on board.










Because of the horrendous state of the ground, all we did was walk around a couple laps while practicing turns and halts. He was very attentive and didn't try to go in the direction of the other horses or the gate.



















0.32 miles, 0 feet of climb, 1.8 mph average pace, 26F real feel


It didn't take him long to figure out what pocket the cookies are in! He tends to be pushy, so the treats will be limited to extra-special behaviors.










I didn't like how close the pommel of the treeless was to his withers once I got on, so I am going to pull out the Rubicon that was Phin's and see if that will give better clearance. I suspect its going to be too wide as it is currently, but hoping the skito with the inserts might make it work until I can get the fitter out.


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## SueC

Congratulations! Now you too have a dark horse! Really nice pedigree. Will be interesting to see how he looks after a year with you!


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## PoptartShop

Congratulations on the new boy, he is super handsome.  Wow, he got off the trailer so calmly. That is amazing! What a good boy. He has soft eyes, I love that. He looks like such a sweetheart. 
Sometimes, the best things can fall into our lap, out of nowhere! He does look good in red, but I think teal would look really nice too.  Looks like he could pull off any color!

LOVE the last picture, you look so happy. LOL yeah, once they know where the treats are they will assume you have them all the time. :lol: That's great he stayed focused on you in the roundpen. What a good horse!! & I love his name. It fits him perfectly.

Awesome ride on Phin, the snow is really pretty.  Ugh about the ground though, I know it's a PITA! Hopefully Phin's old saddle will fit him better too! This way you have something until the fitter comes out.

Such a happy post! Excited to see where you and Raven go!


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I got Phin out first thing, knowing the weather was only going to get worse as the day went on. It was hardly nice I left the barn at 9am, but I knew it was the last chance I would have to get him out in over a week.

Because the ground was frozen, I went over to Spaulding's and was able to get a bit of trot work in as the higher fields were frozen. Phin was feeling mighty fine, which was no surprise with the weather. :icon_rolleyes:










There was still plenty of snow around, but since it was frozen it wasn't too slippery. The wind was horrible out in the open though and I was very glad to get on the Sugarloaf.










We trudged up one side, down and then up the other, then headed for home. We saw lots and lots of deer tracks, so the hunters should be happy next week.










7.9 miles, 1500 feet of climb, 3.6 mph average pace, 20F real feel


I didn't have much time to work with Raven, and honestly it was so windy and miserable I wouldn't have wanted to ride anyway. I did brush him and put a blanket on him, as we are going to have record-setting low temps the next few days. I don't know if he's ever worn one before, but he was totally unconcerned.










I spent the rest of the day packing the trailer, which was somewhat surreal as it snowed off and on all afternoon. Tomorrow we head down to South Carolina for the last ride of the season.


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## Caledonian

Congratulations! It looks like the partnership was meant to be.
The name ‘Raven’ suits him and he looks amazing. It sounds like he’s sensible given his attitude after been moved so many times. I like red on him as it suits his colour. I used red and white on my brown mare but the white was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made!


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## frlsgirl

Wow snow for you guys too ey? 

Congratulations on the new addition.


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## phantomhorse13

Last week, DH and I trekked down to South Carolina for the last ride of the season. It was 10F with a real feel of 2F when we pulled out at 4am - needless to say, George did not get a bath first!

We arrived late afternoon and got settled. There was some hazy sunshine which we greatly appreciated, as we haven't seen the sun in a long time. It was also in the low 50s, which felt like a heatwave.










Everyone brought various dishes, so together we had a wonderful full Friendsgiving meal. We ate until we were stuffed and there was plenty for later!

Friday morning was cool but the sun was out, which felt wonderful. We got everyone out for a pre-ride first thing.










The rest of the morning was prep time. Our group had two in the 100 (Flo & Kathy and Sarge & Rich), one in the 75 (George & DH), two in the 55 (Beryl & Dana and Fluffy & me) and one in the 30 (Brim & Lani). Other rigs started rolling in and camp got busy. Before we knew it, it was time to vet in.










Since I know there are many Brimstone fans, here we are trotting for his vet in:







Kestrel got some good quality time with her ball, not only with Katie but also with Cossie, a friend's adult border collie. Kestrel was so insulted that Cossie could outrun her! 










Unfortunately, the predicted rain moved in overnight. It rained off and on from about midnight on. As everyone is well aware, I loathe being wet. I helped DH, Rich and Kathy get ready and off on trail all the while muttering about the weather, as the rain had turned steady and it was quite chilly. Next up was Lani (the LD started before the 55 due to hold flow), who also muttered about the wet as the rain never slackened.

Dana brought Beryl over to hang out with Fluffy while we waited for our start time. The rain was falling steadily as we got on and made our way to the start. There was a lot of asking "why do we do this again?!" as we warmed up.










By the time we started, I was soaked from the waist down. [I do own rain pants, but they are slick and I was afraid that I might boing right off Fluffy if she was riled up..]

The first loop was 30 miles and it was mighty wet to start with. The area has sandy footing, which luckily doesn't get slick when it's wet, but they had flooding earlier in the week so there were some places with washouts, etc.



















The rain ended a bit after 9, for which we were profoundly thankful. While a lot of the trail dried out amazingly fast, the same could not be said of me!










Fluffy was feeling mighty fine, but with Beryl there as a good role model, she never got super fussy and my arms didn't get any longer. Because of the rolling terrain, we did have some nice places to canter (which I think helps a lot both from a muscle standpoint and a mental one).










We got into the first hold and I was thrilled to not see Flo or Brim there. That meant Fluffy hollered a couple times, then was content to hang out with Beryl. They both pulsed down by the time we had pulled tack and vetted through without incident. It was bliss to change into dry clothing, though thank goodness we had a long hold as it took me forever to get my damp feet into my compression socks. :lol:

I had just tacked Fluffy and given her electrolytes when she started screaming - Brim was coming in to finish! Of course I had to take her over to where Lani was pulling Brim's tack, as both were beside themselves. We got Lani completed just in time to get back out on trail on time.

The second loop was 15 miles and went out the same way as the first loop. Amazing the difference a few hours of not-rain makes to the ground there!










Both horses were a bit unenthused to begin with, but once we turned off from the morning trail they perked back up (we, too, were happy to not be doing that 30 mile loop again). We had found a nice space bubble and didn't see other horses the entire loop.










to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

We got into the second hold and Lani was there waiting for us. We got the horses untacked and vetted without concern. Beryl came over to Jefferson, as Brim was already there and it saved a lot of angst. Fluffy was happy to eat basically non-stop.










The last loop was 12 miles. The mares felt no reason to leave their feed dishes, but once Fluffy got a glimpse of a horse in front of her, she decided she could go on after all. This loop was all public road, so the scenery varied.










We got to see some impressive flood remains in several places - I can't even imagine what the raging water must have looked like to have uprooted giant trees and cut deep swaths into the ground.










We got back into camp to finish as the sun set. The girls vetted through without concern and we actually weren't turtle like we expected!
























Just after getting Fluffy settled, Flo and Sarge came in. Unfortunately, Flo was off, so her ride was over. Rich and Sarge continued on alone.

Not long after they were back on trail, DH and George came in for their finish. George looked great though DH was a bit gimpy (no surprise as he doesn't do much, if any riding between events). They had tied for first with the two ladies they rode with most of the day. 










At the end of the day, our group was 5 for 6 in terms of finishes. It felt so nice to fall into a warm bed once everyone was done! We didn't stay there nearly long enough though, as we were on the road for home by 6 am. Traffic wasn't too bad the first half of the 11 hour drive, but was fairly miserable the second half.

Kestrel helped with the navigating:









:cowboy:


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## QueenofFrance08

YAY!!! Soooo happy for all of you!

George, what a year! I had my fingers crossed for you all weekend for him! His ride pictures just looked fabulous, I actually had to look twice because I thought he was Phin! No way he looks 19!

Seems like a fairly uneventful ride with Fluffy (in a good way!) She too looked amazing!

Love the Kestrel pictures! Anyone off you a husband or a horse for her?


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> Love the Kestrel pictures! Anyone off you a husband or a horse for her?


Lol, not this ride.


I did, though, get lectured by some random person that Kestrel needed sheep and since we didn't have sheep we better go buy some otherwise we were not providing her with a proper environment. I had to bite my tongue very hard..


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## phantomhorse13

On Tuesday, I turned Raven out with the rest of the herd. Despite everyone hanging out together calmly across the fence, Sultan promptly turned into a [email protected]@ss and charged, chasing Raven to the far end of the pasture. Not what I wanted to see, but I know a horse joining an established herd is traumatizing for everyone.

I spend the day outside clearing out the trailer so I could keep an eye on things. While Sultan being a jerk didn't surprise me, I WAS surprised to see Phin acting the same way!! Poor Raven didn't even try to stand up for himself, just fled. Luckily, they have been taking turns chasing him and are not ganging up on him together (where I would be afraid they could get him pinned in a corner, etc).

I have hay spread out all over creation now, as I want to make sure Raven has something to eat since our grass is hardly lush. Nobody has a mark on them so far.

I keep telling myself they are just being horses and will work things out, but sure is frustrating..


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## Change

Congrats on the successful ride. Sorry to hear Flo didn't complete, tho.

Is Kestrel a smooth coat? She's getting so big! She sure is pretty though.

And I'm sure Raven will find his place in the herd in time. The new kid always gets picked on as everyone wants to ensure they don't lose ground in the pecking order.


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## carshon

I love your ride videos! the one where you can see the horse in the raindrop is awesome. 

Herd dynamics are always scary. Hope everything has settled down and YEAH for George (and hubby)


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## PoptartShop

The ride videos are great as always. I always enjoy watching them. Looks amazing!  Yay for a great ride. Even though it was wet! 

Such a great year for you guys. What a way to finish it off! Kestrel is getting so big, & wow...there's always that ONE person that has something to say. People need to mind their business. :icon_rolleyes: It would've been hard for me to bite my tongue at that one. 

Love all the pictures, everyone looks so happy! As for Raven & the herd, it'll get better in time.  I know it sucks being the 'new kid' on the block! :lol:


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## phantomhorse13

Change said:


> Is Kestrel a smooth coat?


Both her parents were normal long coats, so I assume she will be too. She is starting to get fluffy around her head, down her spine, and her tail so I think its just a matter of time. She is also getting her big girl teeth - I have actually found two (a molar and a canine) randomly around the house! Does the tooth fairy come for dogs?! :tongue:




carshon said:


> Herd dynamics are always scary. Hope everything has settled down


Unfortunately, Sultan was getting worse and worse instead of better, so he got put into a paddock by himself last night. That seems to have helped, as Phin only does a boingy, tail-flagged trot at Raven now, versus charging full out, ears back etc. Raven still flees if Phin so much as looks at him, but that distance is getting shorter. [George ignores all the fuss altogether, so I am hoping Phin starts modeling him!]

And now that Sultan is on the other side of a fence, he is back to hanging out very close to Raven without issue. Go figure!


----------



## Spanish Rider

> DH was a bit gimpy (no surprise as he doesn't do much, if any riding between events).


This is something I was curious about, but did not want to ask, because it seems that he does not train as often as you. I mean, I don't know if I could ever get my body into a shape where it could withstand endurance riding, especially at this age. Riding 2-3 times a week is my max, because I need recovery in between, but not riding much at all in between endurance rides? And then 11 hours in a car? Yeah, I'd be more than just a bit gimpy.


Sounds like Sultan is perhaps repentant?


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## phantomhorse13

Today, it finally wasn't raining or snowing sideways and there was only a 15mph wind, so I took a bit of time to work with Raven. It took me a moment to catch him, because Phin (mr run away at the sight of a halter) kept getting between us and chasing Raven away! :icon_rolleyes:

Once I was able to shoo Phin away and get Raven, he came into the barn with only a brief hesitation as I sent him through the stall door ahead of me (a huge improvement over last time, when he wouldn't send at all). Instead of tying him in the stall, I single tied him in the barn aisle. I was pleased that he only wiggled around a bit (again a big improvement over last time).

I had gotten out the spare Rubicon and as I feared, it is too wide. Even with a skito pad with full inserts, the pommel was quite close to his withers. I was going to try it though, since the treeless actually _did_ contact his withers once I sat in it!

I had shut Sultan into the round pen so had that front paddock to work in. I did a bit of groundwork, which Raven was thoroughly unimpressed with. His default speed is stop, so next time I will have to bring out a dressage whip so I can reinforce my flapping arm (which he would respond to for about 3 steps, then ooze to a halt).

The footing was not great, but I figured it wasn't going to get any better since more rain is in the forecast starting tomorrow. Raven has apparently always had the mounting block brought to him (versus his lining up to a person standing on the block), as he circled several times before figuring out what I was asking him. Getting on, he immediately flexes back to the knee without being asked.. so I guess I don't have to worry about him scooting off!

I had taken my helmetcam out and put it on a fencepost, as I was curious to see what he looked like moving under saddle. He moved out with some enthusiasm at the walk for one circle, then wanted to stand - sure a big change from perpetual-motion Phin!

I didn't ask too much of him, but found he does understand basic rein and leg cues. He tends to toss his head when he is frustrated (something I see him doing loose in the pasture too), but he didn't do anything naughty.



















When I first asked for the trot, I was delighted to find he is _super_ smooth! He was very hesitant though, which at first I thought was due to the footing, but then I realized he just wasn't all that interested in going forward. With some leg, he decided he could actually trot a full circle, but as soon as the leg came off, he would transition down.

























I only rode for about 15 minutes, as the saddle fit was less than ideal (though it wasn't actually touching him, I could only get 1 finger in the gullet once I was in the saddle). On the way back in to the barn, I stopped to grab one of the haybags that needed to be filled. Raven was totally unconcerned about my removing the bag, or then waving it all around, including over my head. I then tossed it over him and all he did was turn to try to eat from it after it hit the ground! I then threw it across his rump and then his neck and then his head, none of which he reacted to at all. He carried it back into the barn without complaint, though it did slither down from his head to the saddle as he walked.










0.81 miles, 0 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 28F real feel


Tomorrow, I am going with Nicole to meet her Paso show horse. She has a couple saddles she is willing to lend me until our fitter can come in the hopes they will work better short term. Fingers crossed!


----------



## Tazzie

Goodness I like him! I bet with more consistent work, and a saddle that fits a bit better, he'll be a happy camper moving out! He is just so dang cute!! Sorry the herd wouldn't settle down though :sad:


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## QueenofFrance08

Did you tell the person that you have grey horses which look like sheep so Kestrel is fine? I don't have a dog sled so perhaps I need to find Emma a better home too... People are CRAZY!

Wait who is Nicole's Paso show horse? Is it new?


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## carshon

Raven looks great! What a level headed boy. Can't wait to hear more Raven stories.


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## PoptartShop

Awww, I like him!!  What a good boy. I agree, once he has a saddle that fits better, you will have even better rides on him. That's awesome he responds well to leg cues, as it can be a PITA if they don't know them! :lol: He's so cute. Happy to hear everything is going well with the new boy!


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## frlsgirl

Oh I like Raven! And you are such a soft rider; you fit really well together. The look on his face with the hay bag, lol "do I look like a freakin pack mule to you?!?"


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> Wait who is Nicole's Paso show horse? Is it new?


Meet Repique:









He is a 7 year old performance Paso Fino stallion. Nicole leased him last year and had such a blast showing she decided to take the plunge and buy him! I have been trying to get down to see him for weeks, but we just couldn't get our schedules to mesh until now.

Of course as soon as we got there and had him tacked up, it started to rain. They have what was a shavings shed to use as an indoor.. and the crazy small strides work perfectly in there. Nicole had a mini-lesson and then I got to get on. Her trainer was kind enough to stick around to give me some pointers (or maybe he was hoping for an entertaining show).















Such a different feeling, but a lot of fun. Next time I will shorten my stirrups, as they were crazy long and I felt like a bronc rider with my legs on his shoulders!


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## phantomhorse13

Have you ever heard the expression "be careful what you wish for?" Well I would say I should have listened.. but I am delighted with how things worked out.

After deciding we would take Raven, DH and I decided instead of looking for a four year old ready to start, we would go down to Asgard Arabians and look at the two and three year olds in the spring.. find something that looked promising but didn't need a lot of work immediately as I would be busy with George, Phin, and Raven. That young horse would be coming up as George headed for retirement.

Two days later (and before Raven had even arrived), I get a message from an endurance friend asking if we are still looking for a horse.. because she had come to the decision that she needed to re-home one of hers. [She works full time and is also in grad school full time, so has a lot on her plate.] This horse - an Asgard - was one I have been drooling over since she brought him home as a yearling. 



















I expected DH to be the voice of reason.. but he said if I liked the horse that much, we needed to go meet him and see what happened. We went today..

Meet Link:


















Link is a two and a half year old gelding. He has the same sire as Fluffy and Mu. His maternal grandsire is Flo's sire. Pedigree.

We took Sultan down with us, hoping their trailer ride would help convince Sultan the new horse was a friend.. but that only lasted a short time after we got home. Phin was also being ugly, even across the fence! So, we put Sultan and Phin into a paddock together and turned Link out with George and Raven.

You could just about hear angels sing, as peace descended over our place.










There was not so much as a squeal or a pinned ear as Link met first George and then Raven. I have 5 hay bags spread out all over the place, but they chose to stand and eat together. 

We have been checking on them frequently just from paranoia, but peace still reigns. My last check a short while ago showed this:









All three sharing the same bag!! [Sultan and Phin are also content sharing hay in their paddock, so all good there too.]

:loveshower:


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## Celeste

Link is beautiful!!

Also, your DH is a keeper. Never let that one get away!!


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## phantomhorse13

Celeste said:


> Also, your DH is a keeper. Never let that one get away!!


He is!!! I still can't believe I got so lucky..


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## SueC

Congratulations again! I'm really impressed with the working Arabian pedigrees you've been posting. Great bloodlines, no inbreeding. Excellent!


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## AnitaAnne

WOW. Two new horses in two weeks and neither one grey!! They are both very handsome! You will be busy this winter with so many to work with. Who's horse is whos though or are you sharing? 

I was amazed to read about your DH riding (and winning!) in a 75 mile ride with his limited riding between competitions. How does he do it??? He must be super fit, but still hard to recreate riding muscles without riding...

George is coming into his own...the voice of reason with the new boys, and a super competitor! Go George!!


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## JCnGrace

Congrats! He's my favorite color so I'll look forward to eye candy pictures you'll be posting.


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## gottatrot

What a great way to finish the year! Two new horses!

Edit: And puppy, can't forget the puppy.


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## knightrider

Link is beautiful. I am so excited about your two new horses! I'm really looking forward to reading about their training!


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## Tazzie

OHHHH!! I love logging onto journals and seeing such great news!!! AH!! I love him so much! I can't wait to follow the journeys with everyone! And yes, who will get to ride which horse?? :lol:


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## egrogan

What a wonderful update! Let the fun begin :grin:


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## carshon

He is just stunning - and looks so very tall in his pics! Wow! you have upped your prospects now. When does DH get to claim one as his own?


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## PoptartShop

OMGosh!! Congrats on the (second) new horse!!!   He is gorgeous, & wow I love the picture of him as a baby! So cute. He is gorgeous. Love his face.
Your DH is definitely a keeper, I second that! Link is a cute name too.

Looking forward to hearing all about them both now! Will you both be sharing him??? :lol: Congratulations!! & wow, that other horse - what a ride! So different!


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## QueenofFrance08

YAYAYAYAYAYAY!!!! Love Link! 

Oh man that video of Nicole's paso is hillarious! Definately not the movement you're used to! He's beautiful but I can't help but laugh at those tiny steps! 

Did Nicole get you some more saddles to try on Raven? You'll have to let me know if you find something that works because I think Jake is going to have the same issues!


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## QueenofFrance08

Forgot to mention I try to rely on my DH as the voice of reason too. Never works....:runninghorse2::gallop:


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## knightrider

Quote from Queen of France:


> Oh man that video of Nicole's paso is hillarious! Definately not the movement you're used to! He's beautiful but I can't help but laugh at those tiny steps!


That reminds me of a joke that Paso people tell. A group of riders decided to go on a trail ride together. They rode 7 miles and met the Paso Fino just coming out of the gate.

Actually there are two kinds of Pasos, which I am certain that Phantom knows, since she rides the latter kind. There are show Pasos and trail Pasos. The trail Pasos corto, but it is about the speed of a trot, and they do not fino, which is that very quick gait that does not go anywhere. If you have ever ridden it, it is super fun to ride. I had a show Paso from a rescue operation, and I could switch him from trail corto to fino when I wanted to.

One time I went on a long trail ride with a Paso club. My daughter and I got quite a kick out of the show Pasos, who, when they got to a log in the trail, tried to step on it rather than step over it. That is because in shows, Pasos have to ride on a "sounding board" to prove how even their gait is, so those show Pasos are trained to step up on wooden things, not step over them.


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## QueenofFrance08

@knightrider I was curious about the difference. We have a lady in MN who rides Pasos (actually our ride photographer's wife) in LD's and 50's and he usually is top 5 so I knew he couldn't be doing that gait!


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## Change

@phantomhorse13 - Link is adorable and those pictures of him with Raven and George all sharing a feedbag are proof that you are living a dream! It'll be interesting to see how much more riding you accrue as you try to keep 5 boyos exercised! Just remember: Link is supposed to be DH's eventual replacement for George. ;-)


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## phantomhorse13

@*SueC* : not having any inbreeding in Raven was pretty lucky really - being a show horse I almost take it for granted there will be some inbreeding (or "line breeding" if you think that sounds better somehow). I love Link's pedigree - he's got a lot of relatives who are doing really well in endurance.

@*AnitaAnne* : my DH does work out religiously, so that helps with overall fitness.. but as you said, nothing really replicates riding quite like riding. He was pretty darn sore after that 75 (and hadn't listened to me about raingear, so had some pretty wicked rubs on his legs, too :eek_color.

@*carshon* : Link is already as tall as George and Sultan.. I am hoping he won't hit 16h, but many Asgards do. He will have to get very good at standing next to things so we can get on!

@*QueenofFrance08* : maybe because our DH's ride, they no longer have any reason to voice either! :smile:

@*knightrider* : I certainly was thinking of you as I rode Repique. I would think asking a Paso to use show gaits while on trail would be as silly as asking an upper level dressage horse to passage the whole time!


Who will be riding which horse really hasn't been determined yet, as there are just too many variables currently. First thing will be to get Raven going, as Link is still too young to do any under saddle work any time soon. Hopefully I can get George to take over Sultan's role as pony horse, so Link can get some trail experience all the same.

The weather has continued to be nutty, though it's been cold enough to be snow versus rain some of the time. I had hoped to ride on Sunday, but of course that day it had to be warm enough to rain. I may have braved 34 and snowing, but I was not going out in 34 and raining. So I keep telling myself giving everyone time to settle in isn't really a bad thing.

Raven and Link have become fast friends, which wasn't much of a surprise. I came home from running errands the other day and saw them both laying down taking a nap. I went out intending to snap some sneaky pics and wasn't I surprised that they let me approach!










While Raven and Link are settling in well, the same can't be said for some of the others. George continues to be grumpier than is normal for him (which actually started before Raven even arrived). Phin continues to be ugly, charging at the fence if Link is even in the vacinity - and charging hard enough that he looks like a reiner practicing slides. I had hoped he would be getting over it, but he's not. And I can't even blame Sultan's influence, as Sultan is happy again now that there is a fence between him and the invaders.

It's concerned me enough that we had the vet out yesterday to pull blood for Lyme testing on George and Phin. With Phin especially, I sure hope that is the explanation for his crazy behavior..


Today, the weather finally cooperated for me to work with Raven. He came right to me when I went out with the halter and came into the barn willingly. He fussed some with his head as I groomed him and I did my best to ignore his antics unless he actually touched me with his mouth. I had two saddles from Nicole to try - a wintec aussie and an abetta endurance.

I started with the wintec as it seemed to have the narrowest tree. And indeed, it did clear his withers, but the bar angle did not match his back angle at all. Even on the skito pad with the inserts, I just didn't like how it sat. Next was the abetta. It didn't seem too bad sitting on the skito, but the cinch was too long and it was the only one I had (everything we have takes english girths). Next attempt was the treeless with a gel shim pad from Nicole on top of the skito. That seemed to get the pommel of the saddle up, so it is what I decided to try.

The ground had been frozen, so I thought riding in the hayfield with its cover of grass would be more comfortable for his feet than the fairly bare ground of the paddocks. However, he soon made it clear that being out in the open was a whole new world. I did some groundwork to get his focus on me, but you could tell he was still very unsure. When I got on, he felt totally different than the other times I had ridden. He was tense and his head was going just about constantly. I had trouble getting a steady pace for more than 3 steps at a time, as he either wanted to speed up or screech to a halt depending on what direction we were going. The ground had also thawed on the top, so I could feel him slipping as he flung his head around.

Not wanting to have a wreck, I tried to get him to focus on me by flexing. That worked a bit - enough for me to have something positive to stop on. I got off and worked him on the ground more there, then went back around the property. He was def on his toes and I discovered that he is reactive to tree branches touching the saddle and his butt. That gave us something specific to work on as we weaved around the trees. He was also quite worried about the garden's tractor wind catcher (the tires all spin), so we spent some time working beside that until he was no longer worried about it.

After about 30 minutes of groundwork, I got back on in the far end of the yard. He was super tense, but we did some bending work around some trees for a minute or two so we could end on a good note.










1.71 miles, 10 feet of climb, 2.4 mph average pace, 30F real feel

Hoping to get on again tomorrow, this time in the paddock first, and see if that changes things.


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## egrogan

So much exciting stuff going on for you! I love that pic of the boys hanging out so nonchalantly with you. It will be fun to live vicariously through your journal watching them learn how to be endurance horses.


Really hope the Lyme tests come back negative. Fizz's bloodwork came back still positive for chronic Lyme last month, though her OspF is still coming down- just slowly. A couple of my friends here have had really good experiences with using TicX on uncharacteristically spooky Lyme-positive horses. I'm planning on starting Fizz with it when we're riding more regularly so I can see if it's making any difference for her. But, I hope you won't have to worry about that!


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## phantomhorse13

@egrogan : I will have to look into that TicX .. while I hate to wish Lyme on my horses, at least it would be an explanation for their unusual behavior. Though it would figure that rifle season is ending and I would be able to ride out again, instead I will be starting horses on meds.. so frustrating.


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## PoptartShop

Aw, I hope the Lyme comes back negative, but I know you wanna know what is causing that behavior. :sad: Ugh, I know it's frustrating.
Hopefully the two boys simmer down! I am so happy that Link & Raven became good buddies so fast. The picture of them laying down is so cute, I love how they let you approach them! Too adorable.

You are doing great with Raven so far. Taking the time to get him used to things & doing groundwork is great. He seems like such a good boy and he tries!

I hope you get to ride today!


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## Caledonian

Fingers crossed that the test comes back negative and they all settle. It must be a big change for them to have two new horses in the fields.

Link's a handsome guy and I love his markings and colour. It's good that Link and Raven have each other for support and it's a great photo. 

Sounds like Raven’s had an off day; he’s done well given his experience. 

You must be really excited to have so much potential in your yard!


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## Spanish Rider

A question about the paso: do they become unbalanced in the corners? In other words, do you need to provide support on the inside so they can lift their inside shoulder but still reach with their outside? Or is there a natural shortening of strides? Am I asking dumb questions?

So, with 5 horses now, I'm sure you'll be starting up your trail riding business soon. Sign me up!


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## phantomhorse13

Spanish Rider said:


> A question about the paso: do they become unbalanced in the corners? In other words, do you need to provide support on the inside so they can lift their inside shoulder but still reach with their outside? Or is there a natural shortening of strides? Am I asking dumb questions?


I am probably the wrong person to ask, as the stride already felt so short to me that I couldn't imagine how it could shorten any more and still be going forward! I did need a supportive inside leg to encourage the correct left bend, but I am not sure if that is standard or if I was needing to correct his response to my own crookedness (my pelvis tips slightly right, so I know I ride heavy on that side) - and I only rode that direction and probably not even for 5 minutes total. If I get to ride him again, I will try to pay more attention (and go to the right!).




Caledonian said:


> Fingers crossed that the test comes back negative and they all settle. It must be a big change for them to have two new horses in the fields.


And indeed, apparently it's just the change making everyone grumpy, as neither horse has a current Lyme infection. In fact, George's OspF (chronic) number has even come down since his last text in the spring!


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## phantomhorse13

Friday, I got to play with Raven again. I put him in the cross ties for the first time and he stood there like he's been doing it every day of his life.










I went out to ride in the paddock, seeing as he was so worried about being out in the open last time. He did very well lining up to the mounting block right away. He was back to being more whoa than go and definitely wanted to head for the fenceline where the others were standing.










His quarter ran out after the first couple walking circles and he started slinging his head. But we did some trot work anyway, which wound up being interesting.










Sometimes he trotted nicely, sometimes he got sticky, and sometimes he would sling his head and pop into canter for a few strides. The head slinging feels very unbalancing from the saddle, and after catching it on video, I can understand why!

He certainly is flexible. :icon_rolleyes:










I did serpentines and circles and figure 8s at the trot, trying to keep his attention on me versus where the other horses were. I was only somewhat successful in controlling the head flinging, which got worse as the ride went on. 

On a good note, I did get a couple steps of lateral movement in response to leg pressure each direction.






After the ring work, I took him back out into the yard. We did a bit of groundwork, then I hopped on. He was much better, though still fairly tense.










2.34 miles, 5 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average pace, 21F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Today, DH took George out as a babysitter for Raven's first trail ride! I did a few minutes of groundwork in the yard before hopping on, just to get his attention at least partly on me (he was very interested in anything George was doing).

We did some bending around the trees in the yard to start with. Then we reassured Link that we would be back and off we went around Alimar.










Raven was sometimes tense, but much more confident with George around. He naturally walks faster than George, so it was interesting to feel him stride out when he was feeling secure and then start easing back to let George get eaten first when something made him nervous. :razz:










DH wanted to go down the bottom despite my protests the ground would be bad - he was convinced the ground would be frozen. Unfortunately, I was correct. Raven was not impressed with the mud and launched himself after feeling it grab his foot for the first time. When we got to the far end of that field, I was able to get him to take one hesitant step at a time through the mud to get back to the top of the swale. I was very pleased at how hard he tried, even when it was clear he was unsure.

Raven eyeballed the fire pile very hard as we approached it, but seeing George march past it unconcerned convinced him he could do it, too. He also kept an eye on all the woods, just in case something came charging out.

Here he is showing off how any halt results in his putting his head on my leg, despite the fact I had not asked him to flex at all.










Raven was also not impressed with the old schoolhouse and its outbuildings, but after walking around them a couple times he soon decided nothing was too bad after all. We came back via the front hayfield, so I took the opportunity to jog a couple circles out there as George sampled the grass. Raven did eyeball a noisy truck and trailer that went by, but was much, much better than the last time we were out there!

2.26 miles, 165 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 28F real feel


Raven was still doing some head flinging even out on trail, so I think next ride I am going to try him in a french link and see if that makes any difference.


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## carshon

I hate the head flinging! You look great on Raven, I am sure he will come along well with George to babysit and with work. Great pics


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## QueenofFrance08

Yay! Pretty good first trail ride (I mean the first time Jake went out he shoved DH into a puddle and the second time he dumped me because a branch touched his leg)! So glad George is being a good babysitter! 

Wonder what's with the head flinging? Stitch was tossing her head all day at sorting really bad (she was bored of standing) but thankfully her martingale was in the trailer and that helped a ton. Aren't new horses fun?!?!?!


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## PoptartShop

Ugh, I know the head flinging can be super annoying. My old lease horse Redz used to do that, especially at the canter. :icon_rolleyes: He'd stop after a few times, but gosh it was annoying. Not sure what caused it though.

Happy to hear George was giving Raven some confidence.  Sounds like a good first trail ride. He will get more accustomed to everything the more he is out.
Hopefully trying a different bit will help with the head flinging, I know that's annoying!

Sounds like a great weekend!!


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## frlsgirl

Oh Raven lol. I hate it when the quarter runs out. The head flinging thing is no fun. Ana sometimes shakes her head when we Canter but I think it’s just discomfort in her hind end.


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I rode Hombre as chaperone for Nicole's first outing on Repique. He did well over all, though was not a fan of moving water!




















I had hoped to get Phin out for a ride in the afternoon, but dealing with Repique and the water crossings took a while. So instead of a ride, Phin got to come along when I walked the dogs. I don't think he was real impressed. :wink:











Hoping for saddle time tomorrow.. cross your fingers we don't have horrendous winds..


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## Celeste

Raven is absolutely gorgeous! I can 100% explain the head tossing stuff. He is bred to show. Like my Psycho Princess. He will get over it several thousand miles from now. Meanwhile, he is entirely too beautiful!!


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## SwissMiss

Hombre as a chaperone? Did he mellow out enough for that? :happydance:


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## phantomhorse13

Celeste said:


> I can 100% explain the head tossing stuff. He is bred to show. Like my Psycho Princess. He will get over it several thousand miles from now.


Ugh - I sure hope it doesn't take that long!!




SwissMiss said:


> Hombre as a chaperone? Did he mellow out enough for that?


Mellow is relative.. he is better behaved than Polo. And seeing as those were my choices - Hombre it was! :wink:


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday was a busy day for me. It started with Phin. I suspected he was going to be a bit of a pill since he's not been worked in a couple weeks. He actually started out really nicely, being calm in the barn and heading out. But when I asked for a jog the first time and got a sideways canter instead, I knew I was right after all.










So we went up the Sugarloaf looking for his brain. Unfortunately, we did not find it the first time up.










I hoped heading around the Sugarloaf the long way (and away from home) might help with locating his brain.. but it didn't. So we did a lot of lateral work in the fields and had a lot of discussions about speed.










Trying to get calm movement towards home took a lot of going and turning back and going again, so the ride wound up being longer than I intended. :icon_rolleyes: But we did eventually walk home on a loose rein. 

7.28 miles, 1187 feet of climb, 4.1 mph average pace, 19F real feel

Next up was Raven. I decided to try him in a bit, hoping to curb the head flinging before it gets any worse. While he opened his mouth and took the bit nicely, once the bridle was on it was very clear he'd never worn a bit before, as he was doing all the chewing and spitting you would expect from a greenie. Nicole called saying she happened to be in the area just as I was finished tacking, so I was happy for the eyes on the ground for my ride.


Raven was totally perplexed by the weird thing he couldn't spit out. I did some groundwork with him and you could tell he was struggling to pay attention to me and his mouth at the same time. I did a bit of work with the reins on the bit from the ground before getting on.










Raven did all the things you expect with a horse new to the bit, but nothing was ever worrisome. We worked mostly at a walk, but I did a bit of trot work before calling it a day (I didn't want to push him past where his quarter ran out for this first ride).















0.96 miles, 0 feet of climb, 2.2 mph average pace, 21F real feel

After I was done with Raven, Nicole stayed a bit to visit with Link (her first time meeting him).




















Later that afternoon, I decided to take Link along when I walked Kestrel. He was very interested in everything, including the dog!











Today, I am feeling a bit under the weather, so didn't think saddle time was the best idea. Instead, I took Raven for a walk (wearing his bridle) with Kestrel when I was done with morning errands. I knew he'd been worked by dogs in the past as the sheep he lived with were specifically for training working dogs. As I suspected, Raven was _very_ worried about Kestrel whenever she was in sight, but especially if she was behind him. So we def have more things to work on!


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## QueenofFrance08

Love the hugs pictures! Link and Kestrel are adorable! 

You've inspired me to try a bit with Jake. I'll have to order something in his tiny halter horse head size!

Tell Phin he can't be acting up now otherwise he will be a monster when he's in shape!


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> Tell Phin he can't be acting up now otherwise he will be a monster when he's in shape!


I was already threatening him that I would take off the current hack-a-less (padded noseband s-hack) and put on the hack-a-more (aka the rope nose s-hack) if he didn't start behaving himself..


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## knightrider

Ha ha! I love the hack-a-less and hack-a-more. I also have those two kinds of hacks. All my horses have now graduated to hack-a-lesses. I just love those terms!


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## QueenofFrance08

I have a weirdo (guess who) who prefers the Hack-A-More to the Hack-A-Less....


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## gottatrot

I like how Raven was able to keep moving with a good cadence even when he was fussy about the bit. Very nice riding.


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## AnitaAnne

gottatrot said:


> I like how Raven was able to keep moving with a good cadence even when he was fussy about the bit. Very nice riding.


Exactly my thoughts!! Raven is a cutie pie and such nice even, cadenced trot! He can do double duty in the Dressage ring :wink: 

My Chivas prefers a bit as sort of a pacifier and maybe Raven is the same...


It is so fun to be able to watch his progression


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## PoptartShop

Oh, Phin! Where oh where did his brain go?! :lol: Glad you ended up with a steady pace near the end though, although I'm sure that was a bit annoying! Silly boy! They definitely make it known when they haven't been worked in a little lol.

Raven looks great, even when he's fussing with the bit. Still, he looks great! He will get used to it, it's good you are trying things with him, I am loving the progress!! Always something to work on, and it will all benefit him!

Such cute pictures, Link is so adorable with Kestrel! I hope you feel better, and I'm sure Raven enjoyed a nice walk. Getting him used to the bridle is a good idea, making it a routine. Aw! So happy for you!


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I got more saddle time. I started out with Phin. He was fairly cranked up from the start, as windy days always set him off. I debated putting the rope nose hack on, but wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt - silly me.

I started out heading for Spaulding's fields, which takes us past the Evil Pond of Death. I was surprised and pleased to see someone had mowed off all the saddle-high weeds and stickers (sometimes rifle season can be handy in terms of other people clearing trail!). Phin, however, was _horrified_ over the change and it was all I could do to convince him he could walk across the now-open ground without something killing him. :icon_rolleyes: Even after we got back to non-mowed ground, he was on high alert in case whatever had eaten all those weeds was still around.

When we got to the open fields, I didn't even ask for a change in gait knowing how cranked up he was, but he flung his head in the air and took off anyway. Thank goodness the ground was the best it's been in a long time - frozen but without any frost to make it slippery - as we spent a couple minutes fighting about speed and direction, careening around in circles. 

I finally got him back under something like control, but it was tenuous at best. I went as directly to the Sugarloaf as I could, hoping he might regain his composure after some climbing. The first trip up didn't make much difference, as he was constantly wanting to turn for home in a hurry. Up we went a second time, which also seemed to make little difference.

I decided to head over to the Tomhicken, as that would give me a place I could do some trotting that was away from home and then a nice climb (or two if needed). Ironically, coming across this new blind right beside the trail barely caused the twitch of an ear:










Phin was less than impressed about turning away from home as we went across the bottom of the farm and I actually got some reasonable trot work on the other side of the farm. By the time we got up the first Tomhicken climb, he had regained control of himself and no longer felt like he would explode at any moment.










Phin was more enthused when we turned for home, but no longer acting like an idiot. I was pretty over it though, as it should not take 6 miles and a lot of climbing for him to have a brain!










8.38 miles, 1499 feet of climb, 4.5 mph average pace, 20F real feel


Next up was Raven. He took the bit nicely but was chomping on it the entire time I was grooming and tacking him. We started out working in the middle paddock and he settled into the work nicely. After a while, we went down in to the bottom paddock. Even though he lives there, being there under saddle versus with the other horses makes a difference in his opinion. I was pleased that he was tense about it to start with, but was willing to trust me. After the first hesitant lap, he settled down and worked without issue. 










To finish off the ride, I took him out into the yard. He was quiet right from the start, so I only did a bit of groundwork before hopping on. We walked all the way around the yard with only minor tension, which was a huge improvement. While he still does a lot of bit chomping, he did not fling his head once the whole time!










1.93 miles, 9 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average pace, 24F real feel


Today, the saddle fitter came out. Not only is Gary a fantastic fitter, he also does body work, which we have found tremendously helpful. Phin was up first and had a horribly stuck TMJ. You could see the difference in his face once Gary got it fixed. Its such a weird thing to watch, but whatever works!










George was up next. He also needed his TMJ adjusted, though it wasn't nearly as stuck as Phin's. The saddle fit was still good, so no work needed there either.

Raven was last. His body was in good shape, so I guess living with sheep in NC isn't a hard life. I was pleased that Gary was able to do the changes necessary to the saddle with only additional flocking (versus having to adjust the actual tree). Raven was very well behaved for the whole process.










That saddle had been Sultan's, so it was definitely a bittersweet moment. Not sure when I will get to try it out, as we are supposed to get 2 inches of rain in the next couple days, which is the last thing the ground needs.


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## QueenofFrance08

Oh Phin..... Didn't you miss him this summer?!?!?!

Sorry about Sultan's saddle. Maybe it'll inspire Raven to have such "big shoes" to fill? He's looking great!


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## PoptartShop

Gosh, Phin! I'm glad you ended the ride on a good note though. Sheesh! Those 6mi probably felt like 10 dealing with all that lol. :lol: 

Raven sounds like he really is starting to trust you.  What a good boy. Definitely a ton of improvement already. & YAY for no head-flinging!!! Making so much progress!
I'm happy the saddle fitter came out. That will make things so much better for you guys.
And yay for more rain...not. :icon_rolleyes: So sick of it, it rained all weekend here.


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## phantomhorse13

We got a bit over 2 inches of rain this weekend, so saddle time was not happening. It also got warm enough that the ground thawed, leaving mud almost beyond description..

Yesterday, the temp started dropping and the wind started raging. Since it wasn't actually raining (and we shall not mention the random flakes sometimes coming down sideways), I got Phin out. 

We went up the Sugarloaf and I was not pleased to find a tree down right in the middle of the main part of the climb. I tried breaking branches off, but the tree wasn't dead enough for the bigger limbs to break. I wound up leading Phin up the bank on the left, which was quite the leap. Things were quite slimy as we slithered around the tree and then down onto the road on the other side. While Phin was able to navigate it without incident that time, I certainly wasn't pushing my luck by doing it again.



















We went down the other side and trotted out and back down the gravel driveway. Phin was reasonable going away from home, but when we turned around to come back, he started to get silly.. until I took the slack out of the reins and he felt the rope nose. While he was not happy about it, he was respectful of the hack enough to not want to play tug of war. Works for me!

We moseyed back up the backside of the Sugarloaf and he was able to walk without fussing at all, even though we were pointed for home.










Phin marched in a determined fashion all the way home, but with no jigging or yanking. I was very pleased!!

6.05 miles, 1162 feet of climb, 3.3 mph average pace, 20F real feel


Because the ground slop, I did not feel riding Raven would be productive. Instead, I took him for a walk in hand with Kestrel. The wind was still raging and I underestimated how concerned Raven would be without the herd for reassurance. He was bug-eyed and on his toes at the waving tree branches and the leaves blowing around. He seemed less worried about Kestrel than about the monsters in the woods, so that was a plus at least.

I had to laugh at Kestrel trying to get Raven to play with her stick!










By the time we got back to the house (we just went out the upper woods path to Alimar and then back home via the airport strip, so about a mile), he was at least flat walking, though was still bug-eyed at every gust. More things to work on!


Today, I had hoped to ride Raven before lunch, but life got in the way. The wind even worse than yesterday though, so maybe it wasn't such a bad thing. 

This afternoon, I went down to some new-to-me trails to meet my friend Dodie. She had asked me a couple months ago if I would be interested in riding her mare Penny in a 100 next season, as she felt the mare was capable of the distance but she herself was not (she has back and knee problems). I went down for my first ride on Penny as a babysitter for Dodie on her just-started 4 year old mare B. Another friend (Diana, who I have ridden with before) also came with her experienced gelding Rocky.

I thought Penny was a lot of fun, though I am not sure she felt the same way about me as she was less than impressed with only walking!










The trails were in amazingly good shape considering how wet everything is in general - I bet the footing must be perfection during normal weather. There were a couple fun things too, like a bridge over part of the lake. The 4 year old went around like an old campaigner.



















4.94 miles, 457 feet of climb, 3.3 mph average pace, 31F real feel


Hoping for more saddle time tomorrow, and maybe less wind!


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## tinyliny

what app do you use to gauge your distance and speed?


I am so afraid to ride when the wind is blowing. We have some huge trees that come down in a windstorm, or just throw off large branches that can kill you should they hit you. Not to mention how spooky horses get when the wind howls. I wish I had your courage!


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## PoptartShop

Glad you got Phin to listen. Sometimes they just need to feel a little pressure. Sounds like a pleasant ride, despite the mud!

The wind can be a pain, LOL I bet Raven would've acted silly too. :lol:
Aw that's good you got to ride Penny, I like the green on her. Haha, I'm sure she was like 'why are we just walking...?' :rofl: Awesome that the trails were in good shape. Footing is everything! Penny sounds like a good girl, going over the bridge. Good job!!


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## QueenofFrance08

Ooh Penny looks cute! We're going to need a better picture 

So glad Phin is behaving better!

The picture with Kestrel and the stick is the best! We need more puppy pictures!


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## phantomhorse13

tinyliny said:


> what app do you use to gauge your distance and speed?
> 
> I am so afraid to ride when the wind is blowing.


I ride with a Garmin wrist GPS unit (current one is a 310xt).

I would rather not ride in raging winds, but unfortunately they are not unusual for this area this time of year. Of course everything being so wet is _not_ normal.. so far I have been lucky to not be in the vicinity of trees when they have come down!




QueenofFrance08 said:


> Ooh Penny looks cute! We're going to need a better picture


LOL. This is Penny with her mom at the OD last year:









Penny is a show-bred Saddlebred who didn't want any parts of the ring. She is also broke to drive, so I hope one of these days to get out with her owner in the buggy, because how fun would that be?!


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I got Phin out first thing. He was pretty mellow right from the start, which was a nice change. I decided to go over to the Tomhicken, since I knew that tree was still down on the Sugarloaf.










We actually got to see the SUN, which was fantastic. Its amazing how much warmer it seems when it's sunny versus cloudy (because it wasn't warm, but the sun still made me happy).










Phin was on his best behavior the whole ride. I even got this at the end:






7.92 miles, 1140 feet of climb, 4.3 mph average pace, 16F real feel


Next up was Raven. While the sun felt wonderful, it meant the ground had thawed into a slimy mess. I started out in the paddock, but the ground was so bad all we did was walk. Raven was very chill, quietly walking all around both paddocks. I decided to go out into the yard and he worked quietly around all the trees.

When he asked to leave the yard.. I figured what the h#ll..










Raven was fantastic!! He walked with interest but no tension, even when he couldn't see the other horses. It was all I could to do keep my own energy low (versus yelling WOOHOO like I wanted to). We went all the way around the outside of the paddocks and he even wanted to head down the airport strip to Alimar, but I didn't want to push my luck, so ended the ride with him willing to do more.










1.53 miles, 11 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 29F real feel


Today, Nicole came over to ride with me. We started out with Phin and George. We repeated the ride I had done with Phin yesterday.




























Both boys were on their best behavior, even when we came across some unusual things (like a guy on an ATV and one of the farm workers clearing a ditch with an excavator). Nicole did really well with posting, though I think was happy we walked all the hills to give her legs a break.

7.93 miles, 1141 feet of climb, 3.7 mph average pace, 26F real feel


I had hoped to get Raven out with George when we got back, however momma nature had other ideas. Despite the rain not being forecast to move in until after dinner, it started just as we got back to the barn. A quick look at radar made it obvious it wasn't going to stop.. figures!


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## AnitaAnne

Yay rope halter! Or maybe Phin is just now getting back into a _work brain_ instead of a_ leave of absence brain_ LOL 


That Penny is very pretty! Saddlebreds should be pretty good distance horses, and comfortable gaits too. But maybe there are a lot out riding the trails


Yay Raven wanting to explore! He must be enjoying the scenery


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## PoptartShop

YAY for them being on their best behavior. It seems like Phin is starting to get back to his normal self.  I love when the sun is finally out, even if it doesn't really warm things up, it's nice to see.
But ugh about the ground. It's like we can't win lol. Phin looks great in the red, and I have to agree, YAY for rope halters! I swear by them lol.

SO happy Raven was a good boy too. It's nice to be able to take little risks like that (like taking him out somewhere new). What a great ride! He sounds pretty bold!

Of course the rain didn't stop, ugh. Raining here today, I'm so over it...at least the weekend will be clear though lol.


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## QueenofFrance08

Oooh I like Penny! (And I love seeing other non Arabs!)

So glad Raven and Phin are doing better! Yay Nicole for posting 7 miles! That's awesome! I saw some of the pictures she took of George, just beautiful!

Are you going to Florida for that ride over new years? I just realized it's less than an hour from my parents house, I'll have to go down there some year and stop over at the ride, I'm sure they'd let me volunteer!


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## Caledonian

Penny’s very good looking and I love how active she is in the photo. She looks like she could keep that going and be totally relaxed about it. 

I can imagine you trying not to cheer at Raven’s behaviour.:clap::happydance:

Combined with Phin’s good mood and a (little bit) of sunshine, it sounds like you’ve had a great time over the last few days.


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## frlsgirl

Wishing you a merry Christmas filled with agreeable equines!


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## phantomhorse13

Only have a second to pop on as the family is doing other things for a moment, but wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!


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## phantomhorse13

I got quite a bit of saddle time yesterday, as I got all 3 boys ridden. The official post will be delayed, however, as I a currently en route to Florida!


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## PoptartShop

Aw, have fun in FL!  Enjoy the sun! Raining over here LOL.

Glad you got to ride all 3 before you left, yay!  And Merry belated Christmas (I was sick unfortunately so I haven't been on here) to you as well.
Safe travels!


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## phantomhorse13

Last Wednesday, I got some saddle time at home before heading down to Lani's.

First up, George and I went over to the Sugarloaf so I could hack at that downed tree.









After getting that cleared, we made sure the rest of the climb was clear, then headed home via Spauldings. Unfortunately, the ground was thawing, so it was slimy going. George was also very suspicious of the mowed Pond of Death on the way home. :icon_rolleyes:










5.42 miles, 829 feet of climb, mph average pace, 21F real feel




Next up was Raven, as the ground was getting worse every moment. He was pretty worried tacking up because the wind was blowing, so I wasn't sure what to expect riding. 









Raven was not in the mood to work - he was quite balky and even gave a half-hearted buck once when I put my leg on (which got a sharp correction). After slithering around in the paddock for a bit, we went out into the yard.

That got him energized, as the wind blowing the tree branches and leaves had him quite worried. I did a lot of groundwork, then got on. I only rode in the places he was least worried about, as I did not want trouble.










1.82 miles, 6 feet of climb, 2.5 mph average pace, 23F real feel


Last up was Phin. I headed for the Sugarloaf since the ground everywhere else was a mess. He eyeballed the freshly trimmed tree, but got over it without issue.









But wasn't I horrified to find another down tree not 100 feet from the one I had trimmed that morning! And this one was a mess that a saw wasn't going to make passable. :evil:










At least the bank there wasn't as high, so we were able to scramble up and around it. We climbed the north side and dropped down the other side and then climbed back up. 










Phin was on his best behavior, including walking home without fuss.

5.82 miles, 1121 feet of climb, 4.3 mph average pace, 26F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Wednesday evening, I drove down to Virginia. I grabbed a few hours of sleep, then Lani and I left for Florida about 4am. We drove this trip, as we took hay and all my stuff down in Baby Kitty (the F650). The trip wasn't too bad overall, though we did hit a bunch of traffic for no reason in South Carolina. We got to the farm in time to go to bed.

The next morning, we started on the various chores we needed to do. First up was moving the hay off Baby Kitty and into the pasture. Baby Kitty won't fit through the newly-installed gate, so we used the farm Tundra to move one roundbale at a time. However, a couple tree limbs were low enough to scrape the truck, so I wanted to cut them. The step ladder had been lent to a neighbor, so I improvised:










Unlike previous years, the horses were in a couple paddocks behind the house. Why? Because their normal front paddock is now a lake due to all the rain. We spent the day getting a lot of random things done and taking frequent breaks, as it was _hot_ (temps in the mid-80s) and humid. When I had a bit of free time before going to dinner, I hopped in a kayak for a paddle.

The water in the foreground is where Jefferson normally parked and I am out in what used to be the horse's paddock.. and the fences are 5' high!










We went to the local Japanese restaurant for dinner and I ate way too much, but I sure slept well! The next morning, we got things ready for the ride, then loaded up Brim and Mu for the hour trip to the Gallop on the Greenway.

This ride was at the Florida Horse Park, a facility I had heard nice things about but never seen for myself. Camp was a huge field, so there was plenty of room. Lani and I looked like someone had turned a hose over us by the time we were done setting up, as it was yet again very hot and humid. We had just gotten the horses settled when a friend came over to chat. As he talked, he mentioned there being an evening LD, which had not been advertised. Already worrying about riding in the heat the next day, we decided to change our ride, knowing it would be a lot cooler riding at night.

While that decision was very exciting.. it also meant we had about 2 hours to be ready to start!! I went to find the secretary and change our entries/register as Lani started searching for all the night gear we would need. We hurriedly got registered and vetted in, then got the horses tacked up. 










Lani was able to find glowsticks and headlamps, but I was worried because I had not brought any motion sickness medication. We hoped if nobody used their headlamp, maybe I would be ok. We frantically got stuff together to make a crew spot, and as I was about to head towards the vet area to set stuff up, our friend Jenaya appeared and offered to stay to crew for us. Talk about a godsend!!

Jenaya took over the cart, letting me finish prepping myself. I was in Jefferson getting the last couple things together when we heard a commotion outside, ending in the distinct sproing noise the high ties make when the vecro detaches from them. I got to the door just in time to see Mu jump sideways and the rope wrap around his back leg. That caused him to panic and take off. Brim - who had broken his neck collar - had just been standing around looking embarrassed, but when Mu disappeared, he went after him. Shiitake!! 

Poor Jenaya hadn't even made it out of sight of Jefferson with the wagon full of crew stuff, when our shouting brought her and several others running over to help. Mu made a few large circles around Jefferson, but every time he thought about slowing, the rope would pop him again. After the second circle, he abruptly changed direction and headed right for the vet area!









All we could do was run after him yelling "loose horse" to try to warn people. Thank goodness, there was only one horse in the crew area, but a lot of people. Brimstone thought all the running in the heat was silly, so he was happy to be caught by the first person who held a hand out to him. Once he was still, Mu circled around a couple times and then was also caught - but not before stepping on himself and flinging off a shoe.

After giving him a moment to quiet down, we took Mu over to the farrier to tack the shoe back on. Mu has only been shod twice before and always by Kathy, so we weren't sure how he would take to a stranger, especially after his fright. The farrier was wonderful though, staying quiet and taking the time Mu needed to be comfortable. He finished the shoe just as it was officially our start time!

We walked back to Jefferson to let everyone have another moment to calm down and to sponge some water on them both. We had planned to start without Mu on a line, but after all that drama we decided having it was a good idea just in case. We only started 15 minutes late, which was pretty impressive all things considered!

We got out on trail and it was like nothing had happened. The first loop was 15 miles and Lani handed me the rope before we even did the first one. I sadly don't have any helmetcam footage as I completely forgot about putting it on after the excitement of the escape. The trails were sandy roads, with some areas of deeper sand.










Mu wasn't content to stay behind Brim for long, so we were happy to let him take the lead. He eyeballed some of the different plants (like the giant palmettos), but in general he was very brave.










The first 8 miles of this loop would be repeated the second loop, which was nice as we would have seen most of what we would do in the dark. The temperature started dropping with the sun, which was wonderful.










It was full dark by the time we got into the vet check. Mu was a bit looky at all the lights and the people and horses wandering around, but he and Brim were both pulsed down by the time we pulled tack.

During the hold, we decided against putting Mu back on the high tie, but instead took turns holding him. He didn't mind the glowsticks and had gotten used to people wandering around with headlamps. Unfortunately, I had started to get some motion sickness riding the last of that loop and I struggled to get my protein shakes down during the hold.










The second loop was 10 miles, 8 of which we had ridden in the light. Of course things look totally different in the dark, so doing the same trail again wasn't bad at all. Mu was very brave and followed along behind Brim, which was a good thing as I was fully motion sick. While I managed not to actually vomit, it was a close thing. The final vetting was the worst part, as we knew the vets so they wanted to be chatty. But we got it done, finishing with 30 minutes to spare at 9:30pm in 5th and 6th (out of 12 starters).










Lani and I figured neither of us would sleep worrying about another escape, so after resting for a bit, we loaded everything up and headed back to the farm. We arrived just before 1am. The boys were thrilled to be back and I was thrilled to crawl into bed. What a crazy 12 hours!!

to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

Lani and I slept in a bit Sunday morning, which was a nice luxury. After eating some breakfast, we got Fluffy and Duroc tacked up and went out for a mosey on the local trails.










In many places, the ground was high and dry. However, in the area immediately around the farm, it was a swamp.










Duroc would have preferred a faster pace, but he behaved himself well.

2.79 miles, 3 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average pace, 76F real feel


We spent the afternoon doing laundry and cleaning up all the stuff from the ride, then took a nap. We got up in time for dinner, packed up Baby Kitty, then tried to sleep again before we left. We left the farm just before midnight, hoping for less traffic driving at night (we had gone during the day last year and traffic had added many hours to the trip).

It was foggy but traffic was relatively light. We made good time out of Florida. We crossed into Georgia. We were cruising along in the middle lane when suddenly a dark shape loomed out of the fog ahead of us - it was a lightless, black pickup truck parked broadside across the middle and right lanes!! mg: I had just enough time to yell "car" and we were on top of it. Lani tried to brake and swerve to the left, but Baby Kitty caught the pickup just behind the rear passenger tire. The impact sent the other truck spinning, but didn't change Baby Kitty's course (she has a huge aftermarket brush guard and bumper). I had just enough time to think "omg are we really ok" when Baby Kitty lurched hard to the left.

After a couple hard jolts, Baby Kitty went flying into the median and impacted the guardrail with the driver side front bumper at roughly a 45 degree angle, sending the truck into a spin. She turned a full circle and we went another few yards before she came to rest facing the direction we started. Her engine was still running and I assumed we had been hit by another car from the rear.

However, turning to look back at the scene showed the black truck had been pushed around by the impact and was now facing oncoming traffic, and there was a large motorcycle laying on the left shoulder. Horrified that the motorcycle had somehow been involved in whatever caused the pickup to be sideways across the road, I called 911 and jumped out to see if anybody was hurt.

Another driver had pulled over on the right shoulder and was smart enough to turn his car around to face traffic, so the headlight alerted drivers to the unusual situation. Thank goodness there was no chain reaction accident, as traffic was light. The first state cop was on scene within 3 minutes and more police and several rescue squad vehicles arrived soon after.



















We spent several hours on scene, filling out paperwork and waiting for a wrecker. By dumb luck, we were not far from the farm of a well known endurance rider, so we did a bit of scrambling to get his contact information. After waking multiple people up, we finally got the right number and got permission to have Baby Kitty towed there instead of the wrecker's lot.

As we waited, the original driver who stopped came over to fill us in on what he had seen. He happened to be following the black pickup, which had been carrying the big motorcycle in the bed. That truck had veered off the side of the road (we assume the driver feel asleep), then was overcorrected, sending the truck rolling. The motorcycle landed on the left shoulder and the pickup rolled over twice then happened to land on its tires in the middle of the interstate. The people were just climbing out as our headlights came into view, so they ran for the shoulder.

Looking at the damage to Baby Kitty, we realized we had not only hit the pickup, but also run over the motorcycle! Doing so had not only sent us into the spin, it had also severely damaged the back end - including severing the brake lines. That explained why we hadn't lost much speed before hitting the guardrail, despite Lani standing on the brake. The police and the wrecker guys were amazed how much impact Baby Kitty had taken, yet we walked away without a scratch.

Baby Kitty was towed to the Rojek's Georgia farm. We got there about 6:30am and it seemed like a year had passed since we left Florida - I had called 911 at 2:37am. We were offered the barn apartment to rest in, but I wasn't able to sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was that pickup looming out of the fog..

In the daylight, we could clearly access the damage. Ironically, the front bumper on the passenger side - the part that hit the pickup - _didn't have a scratch on it_. 










The driver's side did show some damage, but considering we likely hit the guardrail in excess of 55 mph, it really took the impact well. 










The back end did not fair so well. Baby Kitty was designed to haul, not run over large objects. 










The red arrows show just how much the frame had bent, as those parts were originally welded together:










I have no doubt that had we been in any other vehicle short of a tractor trailer, we would not have walked away from that accident.. we may not have even lived. Baby Kitty was big enough and squat enough to not only take two frontal impacts, but to run over the motorcycle and not become airborne or roll.

We wound up catching a ride home with one of the ride vets who was driving home to Canada - yet another example of the endurance tribe coming through. We spent NYE driving and were just crossing in to Virginia when the New Year started. While it was not how I expected to spend NYE, I was sure thankful to be there..


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## Tazzie

OMG! I can't like your post. Just HOLY CRAP!! I'm so freaking glad you guys are ok and are ALIVE! I'm so glad you have such a good support system with your endurance group that you weren't left stranded. But good lord!


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## carshon

OMG! I am so THANKFUL that you and Lani are OK (as well as those in the black pick up) and even more thankful that you were not hauling the horses in that terrible wreck. What a horrible nightmare. 

Poor Baby Kitty - I wonder if she will ever be the same? Thank goodness for large vehicles.


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## QueenofFrance08

OMG! That is so terrifying! I'm so glad you guys are okay and that you didn't have horses with you! 

On an earlier note.... Mu seems to be turning into quite the endurance horse! That's awesome that he did a night ride already! Sorry you weren't feeling well. 

How many horses do Lani and Kathy have in Florida? Just the 4 or is there more? What's the next ride for you guys?

Oh yeah and YAY PHIN FOR BEING A GOOD BOY! Hopefully he wont have forgotten his good behavior while you were gone!


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## SwissMiss

OMG how scary! No wonder you were (or still are?) shell-shocked! Very thankful that you and Lani are ok (and the passengers of the other truck as well, I hope) and that you didn't haul any horses!

Baby Kitty did an awesome job keeping you safe.


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## Celeste

I am so glad that you guys are safe! What a nightmare. Is "Baby Kitty" totaled or do you know yet?


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## QueenofFrance08

Also.... How did a truck get the name "Baby Kitty"?????!!!!!


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## PoptartShop

I posted but the forum had an error...3x now. Hopefully this posts.

I can't like your post either. Omg! :sad: Holy crap. :O That is terrible, what a nightmare. I am so glad you guys were OK and were not hurt. Wow. Also glad no horses were being hauled. Gosh! What a way to end the year, but I am glad the rest of the trip went OK. Minus the sickness, I know that wasn't fun. Such good horses!

I hope Baby Kitty can be repaired! She was a blessing! Ugh. I hope the frame didn't get bent, but that does look pretty bad. 

P.S. I am also curious, why the name Baby Kitty? :lol: It's cute!


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## AnitaAnne

WOW. I liked your post because most of it was truly good.

But the accident! Holy Crap! TG for Baby Kitty's front guard and bulk! Truly amazing that y'all weren't injured, although the mental images must be horrific. 


The folks in the truck were ok too? You mentioned they were able to get out before the crash. Could have ended so much differently...scary. Really scary. :hug:


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> How did a truck get the name "Baby Kitty"?????!!!!!


This truck was one the handful of F650s made with small Caterpillar engines.. so small cat = baby kitty. :smile:



Celeste said:


> Is "Baby Kitty" totaled or do you know yet?


 I can't imagine she won't be totaled by the insurance company. However, Kathy fully intends to have their mechanics look at her before letting the insurance company take her, buying her back if they think she can be repaired. If nothing else, her engine is worth quite a bit and they might look at putting that in a new chassis, as she didn't even have 140K on her yet..



AnitaAnne said:


> The folks in the truck were ok too? You mentioned they were able to get out before the crash.


 The woman in the passenger seat had a couple minor cuts on her arm from the window shattering as the truck rolled.. but again, all things considered, they were super lucky too.



SwissMiss said:


> No wonder you were (or still are?) shell-shocked!


I have to say I am a bit hyper-reactive when driving and have been having some less than pleasant dreams. I am all too aware what the outcome could have been..



QueenofFrance08 said:


> How many horses do Lani and Kathy have in Florida? Just the 4 or is there more? What's the next ride for you guys?


 There are 5 horses in Florida: Brimstone, Fluffy, Duroc, Musubi, and Teabiscuit. Biscuit is there as a companion for when we ride Brim and Mu one day and Fluffy the next (because as we know, Duroc is hardly a calming influence on anybody!!).


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## greentree

Lordy....thank goodness you didn’t have the horses! That is horribly scary!


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## lsdrider

Wow, glad you are ok after that. could have been much worse. Hope all goes well with the insurance co.

Had a similar experience last summer at a race 300 miles from home and can testify that yes, the endurance community does come through! Good people.


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## egrogan

Holy sh*t, just read your post and so so happy you all are ok! Another horse friend from MI was in a terrible wreck right after Christmas when a car hit ice on the other side of the highway, jumped the median, and rolled over the car he was driving. He is finally out of a coma and seems to be improving. So very happy you and Lani are ok!!!!!


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## knightrider

What an awful and scary story! So glad you are OK. And glad there were no horses with you. And glad your rides went well. I hope the dreams and flashbacks fade. Such a terrible experience. I hope all your nice horses at home help you feel more secure.

I was reading your posts and had to leave to take my son to Gainesville. I discovered when I saw the news that there was a horrendous accident on the road we were on just a few minutes after we had passed there. Just reading about your accident and the one close to where we were driving shakes me up.


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## gottatrot

So glad you are OK!!!


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## LoriF

Phantomhorse, I'm so, so glad you guys are ok and sorry about your truck. You might be surprised it might not be totaled. Glad that she protected you like she did.

When someone slammed into the side of my truck, I was a bit hyper sensitive when driving as well, especially when I was driving the little loaner car. It faded in about a month or so. Hoping for a speedy recovery from your accident. 

They totaled my truck because it got my suspension at the front wheel, got into the side of the body and the airbags went off. Apparently the airbags are pretty costly to replace.


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## KigerQueen

holy cow! SO glad you are alright! Definitely Keep the engine! old cats like that are worth their weight in gold (and they weigh alot lol). Good thing you where in a BIG truck or that could have been a mess. Someone was looking out for you.


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## ChasingDreams

I’m so glad you are all ok! What a scary ordeal.... I hope the insurance isn’t too much of a pain, and the mental trauma subsides quickly.

Going back to the beginning of the post, that is one big puddle! I’m certain Chase would lose his mind if I tried to ride him through a trail that flooded. I would end up soaked and cold for sure [emoji23]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## phantomhorse13

Thanks to all for the kind words. It was one h#ll of a way to end the year, but sure puts a lot of things in perspective. I look forward to a much less exciting 2019!!




ChasingDreams said:


> that is one big puddle! I’m certain Chase would lose his mind if I tried to ride him through a trail that flooded.


Duroc was very skeptical on the way out.. especially since there were some gator-like logs around. However, he has lots of water experience so he did manage it without acrobatics. On the way home, however, nothing was going to stop him!

Want to guess what direction we were traveling when I took that pic?! :wink:


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## Captain Evil

Holy smokes, I have the shivers from reading this. Just the thought of what might have been... glad everyone is okay and Baby Kitty will live to haul another day.


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## phantomhorse13

Since getting home, I have gotten quite a bit of saddle time. My first ride of 2019 was Wednesday, and I went over to ride with Nicole.

I started out on Polo. Because it's hunting season (though just archery and muzzle loader), we tried to stick to trails near roads and/or houses where hunters wouldn't be.









Both boys, however, were feeling mighty fine and really needed a mountain to climb!










Hombre especially was being a real pill, trying to spin and bolt in the direction of the barn at every cross trail we came to.










Nicole got so fed up, she asked me to change horses to see if the problem was her or Hombre. The problem was definitely Hombre, as he tried the same [email protected] with me at the next junction. So we decided to head for the climb up to the power line.










By the time we got to the top, both horses had decided life was not nearly so exciting after all!










Polo - 6.09 miles, 390 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 34F real feel
Hombre - 3.32 miles, 540 feet of climb, 4.1 mph average pace, 34F real feel


Nicole and I exchanged our christmas gifts and boy did I clean up!! DH got me/us the teal tack set for Raven. In addition, Nicole made me a gorgeous reflective orange set for hunting season, a reflective collar for Kestrel, and a black bit hanger ("because everyone needs one of those just in case").



















Yesterday, Nicole came over and we got George and Phin out. Of course I couldn't wait to try out the new orange tack!









We went up the Sugarloaf to start.










Then we moseyed over to the Tomhicken and climbed up and down that.










The boys were overall very well behaved, even managing to pose on the way home with no tantrums.










9.99 miles, 1921 feet of climb, 3.6 mph, 28F real feel


This morning, I took Raven for a walk with Kestrel. The ground is still miserable, so I figured that was better than nothing. He got to model his new headstall, which I love. He is still chomping on the bit constantly, so tomorrow I plan to dig through my bit collection and see what else I can find. I would love to try a french link with a roller, but not sure that I own one.











After moving hay with DH, I tried ponying from George for the first time. Since Sultan is unlikely to come out of retirement, I was hoping George could fill his role of pony horse for me. However, knowing George can be spooky and hot, I wasn't sure how it would go.. so I figured the day after a tough ride seemed like the best time to try!










George and Phin behaved wonderfully, if unenthusiastically.










5.34 miles, 847 feet of climb, 4.4 mph average pace, 38F real feel


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## SwissMiss

Love the teal (surprise :rofl


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## Chevaux

Good, we’re Back to business-as-usual posts — I like those!


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## phantomhorse13

Chevaux said:


> Good, we’re Back to business-as-usual posts — I like those!


You and me both!! :cowboy:


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## QueenofFrance08

LOVE LOVE LOVE Raven's new gear! Phin's too! I think I'm going to have to have her make me that teal one for Lilo when she starts getting ridden. 

We probably need a picture of Kestrel in her new collar too :clap:


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## Change

And while she's at it - Tango could use a nice set up in royal blue. (yes, I'm adding color)!


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## SwissMiss

Change said:


> And while she's at it - Tango could use a nice set up in royal blue. (yes, I'm adding color)!


* faint * :rofl:


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## carshon

the teal on Raven is simply gorgeous! and that orange! I love it too!


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## PoptartShop

Wow, the teal looks really good on Raven!! I love it!!!  You always choose the best colors for your horses.
So glad you got to ride a lot when you came back. Beautiful rides!

I'm glad Phin was a good boy!

Much, much better & back to normal now thank goodness!


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I got all 3 boys ridden. Nicole was supposed to come over and ride George, but life got in the way. So, he was stuck with me!

We headed over to the Tomhicken, as I was itching to see some different trail, but with it still being hunting season, my choices are limited. Ice would also be a factor, as temps had fallen well below freezing.










Luckily, we didn't come across any places that we couldn't either go around the puddle or break through the ice. George was very good about placing one foot at a time when I was unsure of the footing - just a trail horse indeed!










9.84 miles, 1423 feet of climb, 5.1 mph average pace, 16F real feel


The ground was still frozen when I was done with George, so I was finally able to get on Raven. [I have been walking him with Kestrel, so he was getting at least some work in hand.] Because the paddock is nothing but frozen hoofprints, I decided to work in the yard to start and see how things went.

Raven was much calmer in the barn tacking up, so hopefully he is over whatever upset him. He was trying to be mouthy as I adjusted his tack, but I made sure to stand in places he couldn't actually reach me. He has yet to bite, but I don't want to encourage the lipping and nudging regardless. I didn't think to take a pic of him in the crossties, so here is a pic I pulled off the video showing his new tack:










I tried a single-jointed snaffle this ride. He's worn it for a couple walks and seemed to chomp on it less, but we did have some episodes of head flinging at the start of the ride. However, I don't know if that was in reaction to the bit or was him fussing about having to work.. He was more erratic being outside, but he did settle down and give me some nice work at times.










Raven still gives me some canter when I haven't asked for it, generally in the direction of where Link was in the paddock watching. He is so comfortable that I sometimes have trouble knowing just what gait he is doing!















After working in the yard for about 20 minutes, Raven was clearly looking beyond the trees.. so we went for a walk. I went down the field I have been walking him in hand and he did really well. He wanted to keep going, but I figured small steps were the smart way to go, so turned around after going down just the one side.










2.55 miles, 19 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 20F real feel


Last up was Phin. The weather was looking threatening and there was a damp breeze as we left the barn. Rain wasn't forecast until overnight, but I sure didn't like the look of the sky.










My original plan had been to repeat the ride I did with George, but with the threatening skies, I decided to stick closer to home. We headed for Spauldings and the Sugarloaf.

Phin was a raving lunatic. :evil: We went around the field 3 times before he wasn't doing airs above the ground or cantering in place - and while that behavior was not ideal, it was an improvement over outright bolting (yay rope nose hack-a-more!). 

Then we headed to the Sugarloaf and I let him trot up some of the climbs for the first time (as I figured that would be less stress on his leg than cantering sideways :icon_rolleyes. Of course I found a new tree down, but it was easy enough to get over.










After the climb, he really wasn't any calmer, so we went back and forth along Nahay's driveway and the fields along it a couple times. That is when the weather finally broke:






It started as snow, but soon turned to sleet. Phin was not happy about being out in it, but I was not happy with his behavior, so out we stayed. Eventually he behaved himself enough to get home, but he was not impressed to be left tied wearing a cooler for a couple hours after our return. [Because he is still so ugly at Raven and Link, I am afraid to leave him loose in the stall, as everything is so water-logged that I can't get the top half of the door to shut any more.. so he gets tied with access to hay and water.] 

10.23 miles, 1313 feet of climb, 5.7 mph average pace, 22F real feel


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## carshon

Raven's trot looks so floaty and nice. And Phin - well he seems like a teenager. But I love teenagers!


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## AnitaAnne

Raven has such lovely cadence! He is striking in the teal tack! If you want to try it, I have a D-ring single snaffle with alternating copper and ss rollers that I used to use on a very nervous TB cross mare. That bit kept her much calmer and we were able to transition to a regular snaffle after about a year. Let me know if you would like to try it. 

Phin was not happy about going out with bad weather coming! Wasn't too happy about staying out in it either onkey:

George is an experienced trail horse :Angel: He is really coming into his own lately

Always been a handsome boy with a quirky personality!


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> If you want to try it, I have a D-ring single snaffle with alternating copper and ss rollers that I used to use on a very nervous TB cross mare. That bit kept her much calmer and we were able to transition to a regular snaffle after about a year. Let me know if you would like to try it.


I may take you up on that if Raven continues to fuss in this one. I am back and forth about thinking a roller would encourage the fussing vs helping him accept the bit. Why can nothing be easy??


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## AnitaAnne

phantomhorse13 said:


> I may take you up on that if Raven continues to fuss in this one. I am back and forth about thinking a roller would encourage the fussing vs helping him accept the bit. Why can nothing be easy??


Anything worthwhile isn't easy :Angel:


It helped my nervous mare. I hesitated because it was not show legal, but got desperate to stop the fighting. Taught her to soften and accept the bit


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## egrogan

Fizz was very fussy with lots of head tossing when I first got her. I tried a bunch of Myler mouthpieces after confirming she hated everything Izzy has always been happy in (simple single joints, French links, rollers). She really does the best in the Myler with a low port and slightly forward tilt. I can’t remember the number offhand but want to say it’s M33 or M36. If you explore the Myler options would be happy to send it to you for a test run while our ride time is still limited and I can’t really use it until spring.


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## Tazzie

If you see anything here you'd want to try, I'd be happy to send it your way too. We ARE going to try Diego in our Myler (second from the right) since it was my expensive bit Izzie hated :lol: this is the wall of Izzie reject bits :rofl:










But I love all the updates! Raven is super handsome! I do hope he settles into his new job well


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## phantomhorse13

You ladies are amazing! I may take some or all of you up on your generous offers to let me try things before I buy them. 


@Tazzie : I like the idea of the french link with the roller as the center piece which Izzie so conveniently didn't like. 


@egrogan : I did some reading on Myler bits last night and have to admit I was intrigued. The triple barrel mullen caught my eye for some reason, but honestly have no idea if that would be any better than the normal snaffle mouthpieces.


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## egrogan

@evilamc let me borrow that Mullen style and Fizz really liked it. I couldn’t find it used or even new locally, and I was impatient so went with Fizz’s second favorite :wink: But if you have a chance to try that one it’s orobably worth it!


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## phantomhorse13

Today was farrier day! 

I am thrilled to report that Phin was _much_ better behaved this time. His front feet are really coming along nicely.









George of course was his normal well-behaved self. Sultan was a bit of a jerk in the stall, but was good for his trim.

Raven was the big unknown, as who knows what has been done with his feet before. You would think being owned by a farrier, he would have been at least trimmed, but his feet were so awful it was hard to believe someone made them that way on purpose! I have been practicing both picking his feet up and also stretching them forward onto a bucket, and my work paid off. Raven was wonderful - he didn't even mind the power sander! The farrier really liked his feet and felt they would come around with proper trimming and time. Whew.










Link was a bit of a nudge, as all he wanted to do was Chew On Everything. He's used to having his feet handled and he also didn't mind the power sander at all.










Once the farrier was done, it was change blanket day. The temperature was dropping as the day progressed, so Phin got to model his new middleweight (look quick, it will never be that clean again):










Link inherited Phin's previous middleweight, as it's now too small for Phin (Link's original blanket had the behind chewed to shreds). This blanket is 1680 denier, so I am hoping maybe it will hold up to the abuse George and Raven are dishing out!










I leave first thing tomorrow morning to drive down to Lani's, then we are flying out of Dulles to Orlando for the next ride!


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## Tazzie

phantomhorse13 said:


> You ladies are amazing! I may take some or all of you up on your generous offers to let me try things before I buy them.
> 
> 
> @Tazzie : I like the idea of the french link with the roller as the center piece which Izzie so conveniently didn't like.
> 
> 
> @egrogan : I did some reading on Myler bits last night and have to admit I was intrigued. The triple barrel mullen caught my eye for some reason, but honestly have no idea if that would be any better than the normal snaffle mouthpieces.


The third in from the right or the one smack dab in the middle? I'd be happy to send it to you to try! Diego is considerably less picky, but the one he currently is wearing was mismarked and is too big for him, of course. Nick wants to try out the Myler, so hoping that will be our weekend project :lol: it took forever to find one Izzie was happy in. Hers is the same as the baucher all the way to the right, only the next size up. That one was a smidge too small for her mouth. For mouthy horses, they seem to like the copper (least that's been true for Izzie). She liked the middle bit, but it sadly was not legal for Dressage. So there it hangs :lol:


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## phantomhorse13

Tazzie said:


> The third in from the right or the one smack dab in the middle?/QUOTE]
> The one smack dab in the middle was the one that first caught my eye, though the baucher on the far right looks promising too. I hope Diego likes the myler, so you don't have an expensive wall decoration (or at least something on the wall so you don't have to buy more).
> 
> 
> I will let you know when/if I want to enroll in your (and @*AnitaAnne* 's and @*egrogan* 's) bit trial program.


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## evilamc

Ha my triple barrel myler is just sitting in my trailer if you want to give it a try  I have quite an assortment of mylers, they're only bits I buy! A friend has had a few of them for over a year now, I really need to get them back. Jax and Ori both like it, I use it primarly with Ori now though, Jax goes better in the bit with a higher port.


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## phantomhorse13

I drove down to Virginia first thing this morning, just in case I had any traffic issues. I got to the vicinity of Lani’s with plenty of time to spare.. so went to their local consignment tack store. 

While they didn’t have the triple barrel Myler (wouldn’t that have been perfect!), they did have a couple bits that seemed promising and a shimable half pad. All were on consignment at super reasonable prices. Score!

Heading to the airport now. It’s super windy so hopefully the flight won’t be horribly bumpy..


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## Tazzie

phantomhorse13 said:


> I will let you know when/if I want to enroll in your (and @*AnitaAnne* 's and @*egrogan* 's) bit trial program.


Definitely just let me know! Izzie really liked that bit, and we used that until we found a dressage legal one she liked. I had another friend recommend it to me since they had a horse that was iffy with certain bits!

Edited: ohhh, good luck with those ones! They do look promising!


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## PoptartShop

I LOVE Myler bits. 

The bits you got look good though. And you can't beat good prices!!!!

I use the Dee Comfort Mouth Wide Barrel Snaffle for Promise. I love it! It's comfortable for her and she responds really well in it.
https://marystack.com/myler-wide-barrel-comfort-snaffle-dee-with-hooks-mb-02-level-1/

Got mine off Ebay for like $15. :lol: It was a steal.

So glad the boys were good for the farrier!!


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## lsdrider

When I started Fancy she tossed her pretty little head with every bit I had, the ones I was loaned, and the ones I bought.

Finally... they're not high tech or expensive, but an egg-butt nylon mullen mouth sure was a problem solver. 

It's been 2 1/2 years and no reason to change.


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## frlsgirl

Ana also loves her Myler. My only complaint is that the rings look huge on her little face.


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## Celeste

@Isdrider I looked up nylon bits. I ordered one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002HOG1TQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If it doesn't work out, at least it will look pretty hanging up. All they had was the blue in the size I wanted.


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## AnitaAnne

phantomhorse13 said:


> I drove down to Virginia first thing this morning, just in case I had any traffic issues. I got to the vicinity of Lani’s with plenty of time to spare.. so went to their local consignment tack store.
> 
> While they didn’t have the triple barrel Myler (wouldn’t that have been perfect!), they did have a couple bits that seemed promising and a shimable half pad. All were on consignment at super reasonable prices. Score!
> 
> Heading to the airport now. It’s super windy so hopefully the flight won’t be horribly bumpy..


Smooth flying! 

The bit on the left with the alternating rollers is exactly the same bit I have and was going to send to you! I do believe it will help. 

The one on the right I also have a similar one, bought it accidentally and did not realize until it arrived that it was a gag bit...got no use for a gag, but it is pretty :rofl: 
@Celeste those bits are certainly pretty! Will look very nice on the wall if they don't work out...if it is for Kahlua I rode her in a rope side-pull; she didn't seem to like bits too much. The are $20 from Jeffers


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## AnitaAnne

PS - I'm happy to know I am not the only one that decorates with bits (and bridles...and saddles...) :rofl:


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## PoptartShop

frlsgirl said:


> Ana also loves her Myler. My only complaint is that the rings look huge on her little face.


I feel the same way with Promise, the D rings are huge. :lol:


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## QueenofFrance08

I almost bought Stitch a Myler this weekend at the tack store but I figured she would hate it just to spite me for spending $80 on a bit :falloff:


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## CaliforniaDreaming

QueenofFrance08 said:


> I almost bought Stitch a Myler this weekend at the tack store but I figured she would hate it just to spite me for spending $80 on a bit :falloff:





I got sticker shock the first time I bought myself a Myler bit at Equine Affair when it was still in California, I couldn't believe that I was spending so much on this one bit because I had just been to a presentation by a clinician who was talking about Mylers, and I had been riding in an ugly lil curb at the time.


Luckily, Mitch took to Myler and now we have oh ... 5 of them, and it's the only bit I use for him these days with the exception to his Little S hackamore. I still have the western dee I bought at EA, it's for when we're riding around the ranch (usually alone) and he's calm and quiet. His short shank curb is used with his running martingale if we're riding in company (like a really big group of people). Got a loose ring Myler on his dressage bridle, and his English Zilco bridle has a kimberwick, and there's a 5th one in my tack box that isn't getting used at all. I only paid full price for 2 of them, one was given to me, and I found the kimberwick and short shank curb at our annual used tack sale (I think I paid $50 for the both of them, and the curb was on a headstall with reins)


I guess I'm a Myler junkie. :lol:


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## greentree

Y’all seriously need to let me know what you want before you buy something,, I have all of those in my tack room....


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> The one on the right I also have a similar one, bought it accidentally and did not realize until it arrived that it was a gag bit...got no use for a gag, but it is pretty


I just attached it with the headstall in one set of rings and will clip my reins in the big middle part, so it will act like a normal snaffle without any gag action.




QueenofFrance08 said:


> I almost bought Stitch a Myler this weekend at the tack store but I figured she would hate it just to spite me for spending $80 on a bit :falloff:


This was EXACTLY my worry when I started liking the idea of Mylers!




greentree said:


> Y’all seriously need to let me know what you want before you buy something,, I have all of those in my tack room....


Nice!! So glad to know I have a vast selection to be able to borrow from if nothing I have works!


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## phantomhorse13

I got back from Florida yesterday afternoon. That ride write-up is going to have to wait a few days as I have not had time to edit pics or video. Ugly weather is coming starting tomorrow evening and then again over the weekend, so I needed to get saddle time while I could.


Today, I got all 3 boys worked.

I started with Phin as the wind was not too bad to start with. It has been cold the whole time I was gone, so the ground is frozen solid. I wanted to get some good trot work in, so headed over to the Tomhicken.









Phin was on his best behavior, which was a huge relief. He was his normal looky self, but nothing stupid and he wasn't arguing about pace the whole time.










I was pleased that the route was mainly ice-free, with only a few puddles we were able to eek our way around.










10.39 miles, 1502 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 20F real feel


George was next. We did the same route.



















I had hoped to ride Raven, but the wind was raging by the time I got done with George. So instead of riding, I taught Raven how to be ponied and took him for a walk around Alimar.










After finishing with Raven, Kestrel was still raring to go, so I tossed the bareback pad on George. We wandered around Alimar letting the dog run and him cool out.









12.54 miles, 1634 feet of climb, 5.1 mph average pace, 16F real feel


I hope to get more saddle time tomorrow before the first storm moves in..


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## phantomhorse13

Today I got everyone worked because the weather held off!

I started the day taking Kestrel for her morning walk and took Link along too. He was quite happy to be out and tried really hard to behave himself. Several times he hopped around, but was careful to leave slack in the lead rope at all times.











Next up was George. I decided since the ground was frozen solid, I would go over to Bellheimer's for the first time in ages. [I hoped the cold meant the biting dog would be inside the house with the door closed!]










George was an idiot. He couldn't figure out what to spook at, so he just spooked at everything. :evil:

The section of trail along the creek leading to the main climb was a mess of downed trees and icy creeks, so I wasn't able to use climbing to settle George down.










Instead we circled the fields and practiced lateral work and I tried to predict what would cause the next spooking tantrum. Traffic wasn't an issue, but the corn stubble was Very Bad. :icon_rolleyes:










9.11 miles, 802 feet of climb, 5.9 mph average pace, 18F real feel


Then it was Phin's turn. I took him on the same basic route.. and he was just as much of a lunatic as George was. Here is a picture of the Horse-Eating tree the 7th time we went past it (when he finally was able to walk - the first time he leapt all the way off the swale and into the field!).










I was really wishing for a big climb as we weaved around the fields, monsters egging him into a sideways canter frequently. Here is another Evil Downed Branch (look carefully on the left of the road), just waiting to grab him as we went by..










Phin was a nut all the way home, so there was no way I was going to reward that behavior by ending the ride. First we did lateral work around the trees in the yard, then I tied him to a tree out of sight of the pasture while I went in to get Kestrel. I planned to circle Alimar until we found his brain.

Thank goodness the patience tree did the trick, as he was quiet as could be leaving the yard the second time. Phin is not fond of dogs, so I was pleased that he did his best to ignore Kestrel totally.






We did a nice 2 mile loop around Alimar and came back to the barn on a loose rein. 

10.53 miles, 853 feet of climb, 5.8 mph average pace, 20F real feel


Last up was Raven. The wind had been picking up all day, so I wasn't sure how he would be to start with. He was a bit nervous working in the yard to start with, but soon settled down.










Yet again, after about 15 minutes of "ringwork," Raven was looking to the outside of the trees.. so we headed out of the yard. When he marched down the field road on the side of the driveway and started to head on the dog walking route, I let him keep going. We did the whole mile circuit - which put him out of sight of the barn totally! 















I could not have been more pleased with how Raven behaved. We even jogged in a couple spots!

1.94 miles, 69 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 19F real feel

:happydance:


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## AnitaAnne

I can't imagine riding two horses a total of 4+ hours, much of it with spooking. You must have nerves of steel...or thighs of steel...probably both! 

Cool to see red ears and black ears as I can't tell George and Phin apart by the ears anymore...would you like an Orange bridle for one of them? Or pink? How about a nice neon pink set? I have both for sale :smile:

But inquiring minds wonder which bit Raven had in his mouth? And did he like it?


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## QueenofFrance08

I agree with @AnitaAnne. 5 minutes of spooking and sideways cantering and I would be on the ground walking them 4 hours before I ever thought about getting on again! Can you bottle your nerves of steel and sell them? 

I just LOVE the picture of Link and Kestrel.... She's so adorable with everything she does. I kind of hope you have bad weather so we can hear about Florida!!!! Not real bad, just bad enough to have to stay inside at the computer for a day!!!


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## PoptartShop

That is awesome you got to work everyone!  Kestrel is so cute! Love seeing pictures of her.
You definitely have thighs of steel...no doubt! :O I'd be like dead lol.

Omg George & Phin! They sure took you for a ride! Sheesh, I know you are exhausted! What a way to welcome you back right? :lol:

I'm glad Raven did well on his first trail out by himself. That is AMAZING! So good, even with the wind.  Such a good boy!!


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> Cool to see red ears and black ears as I can't tell George and Phin apart by the ears anymore...
> 
> But inquiring minds wonder which bit Raven had in his mouth? And did he like it?


Depending on the angle of the pic, Phin goes in a rope halter and George does not.. so you may be able to tell them apart by the number of straps going across their polls! :wink:

In terms of Raven and bits, I decided to try the french link lozenge gag, though I am not using it in a way that creates any gag action. So far he has been doing some light chomping, but no more head flinging..



QueenofFrance08 said:


> 5 minutes of spooking and sideways cantering and I would be on the ground walking them 4 hours before I ever thought about getting on again! Can you bottle your nerves of steel and sell them?
> 
> I kind of hope you have bad weather so we can hear about Florida!!!! Not real bad, just bad enough to have to stay inside at the computer for a day!!!


I guess I am too frustrated and aggravated at their behavior to give much thought to riding it out being a nerves-of-steel thing. I tend to get off if I even _think_ I may end up on the ground..

You are in luck with the weather - today has been a disaster! As as a result, I finally sat down and got videos and pictures edited. Hopefully this evening will be uneventful and I will get the story posted.



PoptartShop said:


> Kestrel is so cute! Love seeing pictures of her.


I know I am super behind in posting pictures of her as she's growing. I suspect I am going to have a lot of inside time this week, so hopefully I can get caught up on that, too.


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## Celeste

Is George the one that likes to stick his tongue out?


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## phantomhorse13

I got to go down to Florida for the Winter Gallop last weekend. This time, we flew.. and both trips were blissfully uneventful! We got to the farm late Thursday evening, so were up early Friday morning to load horses and head to the ride camp. It was a new venue to us, but it was easy to get to and camp was only about half full when we arrived, so we found a spot that suited us easily.

After getting the horses settled at Jefferson and our crew spot set up, we took Brim and Mu out for a pre-ride. Mu was quite up, so we kept him on the line to prevent any excitement.










Mu wasn't bad out on trail, but he was very jumpy in camp. After the escape at the last ride, we decided to change his position at Jefferson. Our best guess was he got the rope caught under the bumper in the back, so we moved him beside the door so there was nothing to get caught on. It also meant he had to deal with all the movement of us in Jefferson and bags rustling, etc. To start with, he was startling at every movement, so I really wondered what I was in for during the ride!!

Overnight all was quiet, and while nothing keeps Mu from his food, he was still quite jumpy about anything that moved. Lani held him while I tacked him up as he wouldn't stand still. 










We started out on the line, and Mu was on his toes leaving camp for the 15 mile loop. Once we got on trail, it took a bit to get him to settle down as we kept hitting sections of deep sand we walked through. After a couple miles, we finally got some good trot in, so Mu settled and went into business mode. It's really amazing to feel the difference! At that point, we were set loose and I got the line.

The trails were very well marked and were a mix of sandy roads, some atv-type road, and a bit of limestone road tossed in for variety. 











There was one fairly large section of forest being actively burned. We were happy that Mu didn't mind that at all.










Mu was happy to do a lot of leading, though he was still figuring out the Florida flora - the first big palmetto he went past got a big sideways eyeball! But most of the trails were road-wide, so he had lots of wiggle room.










During the ride meeting, we were warned about a hazard we would find on the first loop - a wooden bridge. The manager was very kind to make sure there were mounting blocks on both sides, though we did not have to dismount. People seemed very worried, so we weren't sure what to expect.

Mu said, I got this!










While there were some areas of deep sand, there were other places we were able to move out. Mu found the fun in cantering!



















We got into the first hold and Mu was pulsed down by the time I had his tack off. Brim, however, was busy screaming to Biscuit (who was back at Jefferson with Fluffy) and it took him a bit to get over it and calm down. When we got back to the truck, there was a joyous reunion - silly horses!










The second loop was 10 miles and went out of camp the opposite direction. After crossing over the road we came in on, we got into a swampy section. Mu wasn't so sure about the murky water, but followed Brimstone after some encouragement.










Once back on dry ground, he went right to the lead. We were happy for what shade there was, as the sun was out and with little wind, it felt quite warm. 










The boys drank well at any tank they came to and Mu even got brave enough to drink from a murky puddle. He also got more practice with sponging.










About 4 miles from the finish, Mu started moving a bit unevenly behind. After making sure nothing was caught in a shoe, I tried handwalking him for a bit to see if it made any difference. It didn't, so I kept on handwalking - including through a freshly turned over mile long section of trail that was like wading through a sand dune! About 2 miles from camp, I told Lani that she and Brim needed to go ahead, as we would likely be overtime. Lani didn't want to leave us but I insisted, as Brim has a fantastic record (only one non-finish in 58 starts!) and didn't need to take the overtime when nothing was wrong with him.

Mu was not a happy camper that Brim had abandoned him, but it was a great object lesson. He did a lot of yelling and some jigging, but never got stupid. We got back to camp at literally the last minute possible to not be overtime, but he was still off at the final trot so did not get a completion. That was super disappointing, though hopefully he learned that he can separate from Brim and the world doesn't end though!















After getting the boys settled, I took Fluffy out for a pre-ride while Lani got things ready for the next day. Then it was time for dinner, ride meeting, and bed!


to be continued..


----------



## phantomhorse13

part 2:

The next morning, Fluffy was on her best behavior. I swear she was thankful to not be riding the 50 and even grabbed a nap before we started! 










We started with the same 15 mile loop as the previous day, so I was familiar with the trail. We started out last in the hopes she wouldn't be race-brained.










Fluffy was forward without being obnoxious, but her cruise pace soon had us catching people despite having started last.










When we got to the infamous bridge, we gave a couple people with nervous horses a lead. I think Fluffy thought she was the head of a parade and she marched boldly across!










There was more deep sand after so many horses had stirred the ground up the day before, so we did quite a bit of walking.










When we got into the hold, Lani was ready with Biscuit to avoid tantrums. Even though Fluffy should know better, we figured it was easier that way. She was pulsed down by the time I had her tack off and vetted without incident. Eating is never a problem for the half-drafts, so she was thrilled with the buffet Lani provided her!










Because of the horrible section of deep sand in the second loop the day before, management had offered to let us do a different 10 mile loop. While it was all trail we did on the first loop, I didn't care because it meant we didn't have that mile of sand dune to deal with!










We took advantage of all the water to cool, as the day was quite warm and the sun was blazing.










Because of more deep sand meaning more walking, I made a point to let Fluffy move out whenever we could.










We got lucky that about halfway around the loop, it started to cloud up, so we weren't left baking in the sun the whole time.










It was actually spitting rain as I came back into camp. That was very helpful in getting Fluffy pulsed down and vetted through.
























While I was out on trail, Lani had trotted Mu and was thrilled that he was totally sound. We Fluffy rest for a bit, then packed up and headed back to the farm. I actually drove the Marshall's 4H with LQ trailer home for them, as Bob was vetting and would be late. When we got back, we got the horses settled then went out for a celebratory dinner.

Monday, Lani had some acupuncture clients to see, so I stayed busy cleaning up all the mess we had made. I also got Duroc out for a 5 mile ride. The water level locally was actually even higher, which made for a soggy ride in places. Duroc was very good considering he hasn't been out alone in over a year! 











Mu was still sound and running around like nothing had happened. I ran some bloodwork confirming nothing out of the ordinary, so he was likely just "sand sore" versus something scary like a minor tie-up or soft tissue injury. Whew!


:cowboy:


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## CaliforniaDreaming

Mu! I saw those pictures on Becky Pearman’s SmugMug because I like to oogle people’s horses and tack and thought “Hey isn’t that…”


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## Celeste

I'm glad you had a great ride weekend!


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## phantomhorse13

Celeste said:


> Is George the one that likes to stick his tongue out?


He is!



CaliforniaDreaming said:


> Mu! I saw those pictures on Becky Pearman’s SmugMug because I like to oogle people’s horses and tack and thought “Hey isn’t that…”


Becky takes such amazing pictures - we are so lucky to have her at our rides!!


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## QueenofFrance08

So glad Mu wasn't seriously hurt! We have so few sand rides that whenever we are at one horses drop left and right just from over exerting themselves and tweaking something. 

I can't believe you drove a 4H LQ trailer in a place you don't know very well! I'm such a wimp (mostly because I can't back up trailers to save my life) so I only drive our 4H if I know exactly where I'm going and that I wont have to back up.


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> I can't believe you drove a 4H LQ trailer in a place you don't know very well! I'm such a wimp (mostly because I can't back up trailers to save my life) so I only drive our 4H if I know exactly where I'm going and that I wont have to back up.


Oh, I wasn't about to be backing it up!! And I only drove it _home_, so had already been over the route while in the passenger seat of Jefferson so knew nothing too terribly scary was along the way. And I followed Lani, so if there had been some sort of issue, she was there. Turning into the farm driveway is actually the worst part, but by then I knew if I had trouble Lani could just get out of Jefferson and save me. :wink:


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## PoptartShop

Looks like you had a fantastic fun weekend!!!  
Great pictures too!


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## phantomhorse13

I did get a bit more saddle time at the end of last week. The clipper storm that came through Thursday night was much milder than expected, only giving us an inch or two of snow. So Friday I went over to ride with Nicole.

I rode Hombre. Because of the cold, we decided to mosey up the mountain as that was the least likely to be icy. 










We kept to a walk, much to the boys horror, as the footing was sketchy in some places (and it was hard to tell those places until you were on top of them).










Hombre was very well behaved, which I have to say was a surprise, especially with the slow pace. 










6.14 miles, 937 feet of climb, 3.6 mph average pace, 25F real feel


On Saturday, I cajoled DH into riding in the morning, knowing the storm was coming in the afternoon. We were surprised at home much snow had melted (or maybe blown away).










It was hill day, so we climbed the Sugarloaf and then went down across the farm to climb the Tomhicken.










Phin led the entire time and was mostly good. He had one giant spook and leap at a pile of stuff on the farm, which was super frustrating as I don't understand why he seems to be regressing. Could be he is just too sensitive to the changing weather.










8.17 miles, 1733 feet of climb, 4.2 mph average pace, 21F real feel


Next up was Raven! I had hoped for a calm mosey in a big figure 8 around Alimar with DH and George as babysitters. The wind had picked up, so Raven was fairly nervous. [He is wearing a tack set of Polo's as Nicole is tweaking his teal set for me.]










As we moseyed along the upper woods path, I realized Keith was out in Gina's paddocks with a tractor.. and no matter which way we went (short of outright turning around), we were going to encounter him. Deciding it would be less scary for Raven to be out in the open to see the tractor (versus seeing glimpses of it through the trees), we circled up off the woods path.

We got there just as Gina was opening the gate for Keith to come out of the paddock - with a giant hay feeder on the tractor forks! Raven was a bit bug-eyed, but since George didn't react at all, he stood to watch the tractor go by. That hay feeder was for us, so DH wanted to go home to let Keith into our pasture. Since Raven seemed to be handling things ok, I felt we could try following the tractor down the airport strip towards home (always better to chase the scary thing than have it chase you!).

Raven was certainly aware of the tractor (and feeder) bouncing along, but he followed George's example and followed. We even did a bit of trot to catch up when the tractor pulled ahead! Raven started out behind George, but they were going along side by side by the time we got to our hayfield.

Keith paused for a minute in the hay field so I coaxed Raven past George towards the tractor. I couldn't get him very close under saddle, but did get off and lead him right up to it. Heidi (the puppy) was very excited about our being there, so was doing a lot of jumping around and barking. Certainly a lot of commotion for Raven to deal with!










That ended our ride sooner than planned, but it was certainly good exposure (and can't complain when someone delivers a hay feeder right before a huge storm!).

1.17 miles, 15 feet of climb, 3.3 mph average pace, 21F real feel


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## Celeste

A short ride where Raven learns that new things don't kill him is probably worth more than a long, uneventful ride.


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## PoptartShop

Glad most of the snow melted for you, whew. I'm glad Hombre and Phin were both good boys. It could be the changing weather (regarding Phin). A pile of stuff? You mean monsters? :lol:

What a good boy Raven is for approaching the tractor! George is definitely helping give him confidence. It's definitely good to expose him to stuff like that, and with Heidi barking too, even better. He will be well desensitized lol!


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## phantomhorse13

This is what our place has looked like since Sunday:










Needless to say, I haven't been riding. It's been all I can do to exercise Kestrel without either of us landing in a heap - we have been playing a lot of garage ball. Thank goodness for the skid loader, as we have used it several times to break up the scary ice sheets in various parts of the horse paddocks.

Things are not improving any time soon either, as heavy rain is moving in as I type this (1.5-2 inches of rain forecast for the next 24 hours!), and then temperatures are dropping again (as if 36 was stunning warm :icon_rolleyes, meaning the ice will only get thicker. :evil: Guess this is what I get for whining about mud..

But the terrible weather means we have been focusing on inside projects. Sunday, DH and I installed the cabinets in the horse laundry. That is the future location of all the horse blankets, which made me just about dance with joy.










As a result, one of my Monday projects was to reorganize the tack room, since I was able to remove the two large bins that I normally crammed all the blankets in (and with the addition of Raven and Link, was never going to be able to get all the currently in-use blankets back into!). I was able to shuffle stuff downwards, so I won't need to use the step stool nearly so often now.




















My main project yesterday was to get George and Phin re-clipped. I did wonder why I was bothering considering the state of the ground, but frozen solid meant the boys were as clean as they were likely to get. As it was, I was amazed the clippers were able to tackle some of the filth deep in the hair - many thanks to @evilamc for having taught me how to use my clippers properly (though I am sure she would be horrified at my clipping dirty horses :wink.




















Today, I was supposed to go with Nicole to haul Tegan to the trainer, but there was an issue with the trailer lights and we wound up not going. Instead, I ran a bunch of errands, which seemed to take 5 times longer than it should have. Tomorrow I look forward to not having to leave the farm!


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## CaliforniaDreaming

I’m jealous! You have a huge tackroom! Mine is about as big as a standard closet, but I’ve managed to get 6 saddles and a ton of other stuff (apparently I’m a tackaholic packrat) in there somehow, and it manages to stay fairly organized.


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## QueenofFrance08

I'm so jealous of your perfectly organized tack room! We have a tack room off the barn, some saddles in the spare bedroom, one in the living room, 3 in the trailer..... There's a wither strap on my dining room table and Jake's new boots on a shelf in a bedroom.... Love the cabinets in the horse laundry room!


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## Woodhaven

Yes Phantom your tack room looks like you could actually find what you what every time.
I hear you on the ice, we had rain yesterday and it melted a lot of snow and has now frozen to great patches of ice and the snow has a tough crust on it now.
I am hoping for a better year weatherwise this but so far not looking like it


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## Celeste

I am jealous of your organized tack-room, but not so much so as to go try to get mine organized. Mine is actually a rather small old pigeon house that was converted to a tack room. DH fixed it for me years ago because his parents could not get over the fact that I kept my saddles in the living room..........


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## PoptartShop

The tackroom looks awesome, so neat and organized!  Not to mention colorful!
I guess crappy weather is good for something, right? :lol:

The boys look great with their new clips!


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## phantomhorse13

CaliforniaDreaming said:


> Mine is about as big as a standard closet, but I’ve managed to get 6 saddles and a ton of other stuff (apparently I’m a tackaholic packrat) in there somehow, and it manages to stay fairly organized.


Amazing how we can find ways to utilize every inch if necessary! And I think tackaholic packrat is synonymous with horse owner..




Woodhaven said:


> your tack room looks like you could actually find what you what every time.


Heh.. that depends on if DH has been out there unattended. 




Celeste said:


> DH fixed it for me years ago because his parents could not get over the fact that I kept my saddles in the living room..........


:rofl: Well where else would you keep them if you didn't have a tack room?? Before I moved up with DH, my tack lived in the guest bedroom (which my mother once commented made it the unwanted guest room), only because one of the cats showed too much interest when it was in the living room.


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## AnitaAnne

Wait; tack especially saddles are not décor for the house? 

No wonder I don't see walls of saddles in those magazines laying around medical offices 


My spare bedroom has two saddle racks and totes with blankets and camping gear. Of course I have a tack/feed room at the barn, but everything can't live there...it would get dirty :rofl: 


Add me to the group jealous of your efficient and organized tack room :Angel:


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday we got an inch and a half of rain.. but it was also 10 degrees _warmer _than expected! That meant most of the original snow/ice mess melted, but of course when temps dropped overnight, all the ponding water froze again. BUT, that still left enough bare ground that I wanted to go for a ride and scope out the trails. 

I decided to take Phin. It was forecast to be partly sunny, but it started snowing sideways as soon as I brought Phin in. From the moment I got on, Phin could barely keep himself under control enough to walk though the snow had ended (because the wind hadn't abated at all). He was bug eyed and looking all around for monsters, which was not ideal for riding in areas with questionable footing. I rode to Alimar, then hand walked him down the pavement. The neighbor's driveway was passable, though there was ice down one half of the road which Phin eyeballed like it would jump up and eat him.

Of course my normal course of action when he's acting this way is to climb.. however there was enough ice on the north side of the Sugarloaf that his jumping around worried me.. so I got off and hand walked him. I would up leading him up _the entire climb_. 










Phin was looky even in hand, though he did manage to avoid the icy patches and make it up in one piece. Once we got to the top, the south side was clear so I was able to get back on.










We went down the south side and checked out the driveway on that side - no good due to ice. So we moseyed around one of the hayfields and then went back to climb the south side of the Sugarloaf.










Phin still hadn't found his brain, so we went back down came up a second time. In the middle of that climb, he stumbled over a 6 inch high log because he was too busy looking for monsters to pay attention to his feet. He managed to stay upright, but when I got to the top and got off, I found this:










Shiitake. :eek_color: It seemed superficial, but I wanted to get home and get it cleaned up to make sure. I handwalked him home, jogging on the road so I could listen to his gait (and was happy to hear he was still sound).

6.10 miles (about 3 of that was in hand!), 1350 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 18F real feel


Thankfully, once I got Phin's leg cleaned up, it was just superficial. The upper wound was actually under his splint boot, go figure! (And imagine what that leg may have looked like without a boot on at all!!).










I swabbed it with some betadine and then sprayed it with aluspray and turned him out. There was no swelling at dinnertime and he was totally unconcerned about my poking at it, so hopefully it will heal without issue. Never a dull moment!!


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## Celeste

On the bright side, at least Phin seems to be feeling really, really good. He forgot about his former lameness.

The pictures from your post just now came up. The wounds do look very superficial. I think you did a good job to clean it up and keep an eye on it. He should be fine. 

Maybe he'll even think to watch where he puts his feet next time. 

Poor Phin. It must be nice to have that much energy!


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## phantomhorse13

Celeste said:


> On the bright side, at least Phin seems to be feeling really, really good. He forgot about his former lameness.


Phin was never actually lame from his check ligament issue, his leg just kept blowing up. And I figured better to give him time to rest and heal before he was lame. He doesn't seem to be very stoic, so at least I don't have to worry he's not showing me a potential problem..


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## Celeste

phantomhorse13 said:


> Phin was never actually lame from his check ligament issue, his leg just kept blowing up. And I figured better to give him time to rest and heal before he was lame. He doesn't seem to be very stoic, so at least I don't have to worry he's not showing me a potential problem..


I remembered it wrong. I'm glad he was never lame. He does seem to feel very good though!


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## phantomhorse13

Celeste said:


> He does seem to feel very good though!


Yes, entirely too good!! :icon_rolleyes:


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## AnitaAnne

Well at least you certainly got your exercise! Phin was being a pill! So annoying when a horse won't pay any attention to what they are or their rider is doing :frown_color:

Maybe Phin just prefers warmer weather???


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## Caledonian

Ouch! Lucky you had the boots on him or the punctures/scrapes could've been a lot worse. 

How difficult is it to maintain their fitness if the bad weather and ground lasts? 

I'm another one for the 'jealous of your tack room' group. Mine is a large shed with everything along one wall. It was built to take my stuff, yet gardening equipment has gradually appeared on the other wall. 

I've a bundle containing and unused bridal, stirrup leathers, nosebands and two bits in the spare bedroom, and a set of horseshoes under the bed as well. :smile:


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## knightrider

So sorry you had a difficult ride and hope Phin is better really soon! I did get a kick out of your saying your visibility wasn't so good. No, it wasn't. Hope the next ride is terrific.


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> Maybe Phin just prefers warmer weather???


While I am sure the heat makes him less likely to be an idiot for long, I suspect the biggest issues this time of year are the wind and the pressure changes. We have just about constant wind here in the winter, but in the summer when you'd love air to be moving, we often don't have even a breeze. This winter the weather has also been very dramatic with changes, something I don't recall happening as much in the summer (unless you count a random thunderstorm.. but I am not riding during those anyway!).




Caledonian said:


> How difficult is it to maintain their fitness if the bad weather and ground lasts?


Luckily horses maintain their fitness much better than humans do. George would be just fine with even an extended vacation as he's fit from last season. Phin would worry me a bit more, as he's coming back after 7 months off, so doesn't have the base George does yet.




knightrider said:


> I did get a kick out of your saying your visibility wasn't so good.


I absolutely loved your use of that term (for those of you who missed it, check here for the explanation). It sounds much better than some other things I could say.


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I got some more saddle time and the visibility was great! 

First up was George. I wanted to explore more of the trails to see the state of the ground. So we started out going across Spaulding's fields. The fields themselves were not bad, but the road crossing was rather horrifying as there was a large patch of thick ice all the way across one lane of the pavement, at the bottom of a sharp curving hill! George and I had no issues traveling in the other lane for the 100 yards we needed to get to the next field road, but it worried me enough I actually called the township as I could see it turning into a giant pile of cars.

We worked our way across the crop fields on the north side of the Sugarloaf. Because they get full exposure to the sun, there were only occasional icy spots that were easy to avoid.










We worked our way around to the south side of the Sugarloaf and I was happy that most of the ground was clear. You can't really make them out well, but there are about a million turkeys in the other end of this field. I should have taken a video as the sound was amazing!










After climbing the south side of the Sugarloaf, we went down and around the farm and over to the Tomhicken. As expected, the logging roads on the north side still had ice. The upper road wasn't great, but was passable.










The lower road wasn't so good, but I was able to handwalk George carefully down it until we got to the turnoff to the farm fields. There the ground was fine. We had a nice run up part the farm road climb, which I think George enjoyed just as much as I did. 

9.69 miles, 1534 feet of climb, 4.3 mph average pace, 18F real feel


By the time I was done with George, it was quite windy (despite the forecast for a calm, sunny day :icon_rolleyes. I debated working with Raven, as I know the wind makes him nervous. However, with the next round of potential storm and polar vortex coming Tuesday, I knew I wouldn't have many chances this week. I decided I would see how he was in the barn and with some groundwork and go from there.

Raven came into the barn and stood in the cross ties calmly. He was quiet tacking up, so I was feeling pretty good by the time we went out into the yard. We did a few minutes of groundwork, to which he responded unenthusiastically (which is much better than jumping around because the leaves in the trees are moving). When he didn't even spook at several strong gusts rattling leaves, I figured I was ok to get on.

We did a bit of work in the yard, but Raven was just as bored about going around in circles as I was. After about 10 minutes, he started bowing towards the back hayfield.. so I figured why not? Because of the wind direction, I wound up doing the field loop we did last time backwards. 










One part of the snake boot road has had water running across it, so of course that was ugly with ice. Raven wasn't so sure when I asked to step off the road and up into the field, but he did it. He was even less impressed when we got to where the water was still running, but he was brave enough to pick his way across when I assured him it was ok. [Yet another moment where I wanted to cheer, but did my best to keep my energy level neutral as I rubbed his neck and told him he was a good boy.]

We continued around the fields, able to stay on the road the rest of the time. We did trot a couple places. One time that resulted in a huge head fling and a weird sideways kickout/buck - which got corrected sharply. I suspect they are all a bit stir crazy with the footing in the paddocks being so bad, but sure don't need to be encouraging under saddle acrobatics!

We finished our mosey in the front hayfield and then had a nice jog along the paddock fence.










2.1 miles, 69 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 16F real feel


After untacking, I decided since Raven was so mellow it would be a good time for the second session with the clippers. [Not sure if I mentioned the first one, where he made it clear he'd never been exposed to clippers before.] Last time I had managed to rub them on his neck on both sides running, but he had been wide-eyed and super tense, with his head straight up in the air. While he kept a good eye on what I was doing today, he did not resemble a giraffe. After a few minutes, he even let me actually clip him a bridle path!

Here he is showing off his new big boy halter and bridlepath. 










Hoping for more saddle time tomorrow if I can talk DH into it again..


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## AnitaAnne

Nice to have some good visibility with riding :rofl: 

George has been quite the good boy lately and Raven is so attractive and progressing nicely! He appears to enjoy the attention. 

Can't wait to see how he does on an Intro or LD ride. 

How is Phin's leg today?


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> How is Phin's leg today?


Phin's leg has no heat or swelling, woohoo! And not only that, he actually neighed and came to the gate when he saw me today - a first. Maybe he was just smart enough to know it was George's bridle I was carrying so he came to gloat, but it was a nice change from his normal walking away.


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## SwissMiss

Raven looks so handsome in teal


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## phantomhorse13

Today, DH went riding with me. We headed over to try the space needle loop, hoping it would be passable. We were able to get up the powerline climb without issue, but the climb up the Tomhicken was still sketchy. Phin was still very worried about the wind and snow showers (and the resulting monsters everywhere), so I led him up the climb.

As we came across the development road, Phin was very worried about the residual plow piles.. but since they were on both sides of the road, he kept a pretty straight path, just did a lot of passage at times. :icon_rolleyes: When two teenagers - one on a skateboard and one on a scooter - came around the corner, I thought his eyes might pop right out of his head (and boy does he have a nice piaffe







). However, the kids saw us and stopped moving (which I thanked them profusely for)!

I hoped Phin would settle down after he survived that, but it just gave him more reason to worry. Having to do lateral work around the ice helped a bit, but he was still looking for monsters.










Even when we paused a moment for DH to take a potty break, Phin wouldn't stop looking all around him (though he did at least keep his feet still after one initial discussion). DH thought it was funny - I didn't. And funny, DH wasn't interested in switching horses..










We eventually worked our way all the way up to the space needle itself - even got a couple canters in. But it was never enough to get Phin to relax.










On the way home, I hand walked him down the sketchy logging road.










We made it home without incident - at least he wasn't bleeding at the end of this ride!

12.65 miles, 1447 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 28F real feel


I had hoped DH would take George around while I rode Raven, but he wanted to handwalk Sultan instead. Raven wasn't real sure what to think of that, as of course Sultan was very ugly to him when they were turned out together. 










We moseyed a big figure 8 around Alimar. It was quite windy, so Raven was not real impressed to start with. He wants to move his feet when he's nervous, which made staying behind Sultan and DH difficult. Sultan apparently likes his retirement as he was walking at sloth speed. Raven decided it was better to face the scary things walking at the speed he wanted, versus having to dawdle behind Sultan!










When we came down the airport strip, Raven was happy to trot away from Sultan, which was a nice surprise. He did have one small freakout at the first ice puddles we came to. He was eyeing them pretty hard to start, but when a leaf blew across them, that was it. He not only stopped, he started backing up and trying to turn around. After a moment of encouragement, he did get himself together and we walked into the field to go around the puddles to start with. Once he realized he was still in one piece, I turned him around and walked him back the other way past them. The final time, we walked between the puddles.










The rest of the ride was uneventful. Raven was not worried at all about stepping into the field to avoid the icy spots on the snake boot road and he went around the schoolhouse and outbuildings without flicking an ear.

2.34 miles, 134 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 28F real feel


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## AnitaAnne

Wow it looks cold! 28 real feel? That is hot chocolate weather :Angel: 

So Phin wants to be a Dressage horse? Too bad your DH didn't get some video of the fancy footwork :wink: 

Sir Raven is trying so hard to be a good boy! Can't blame a horse for thinking tiny frozen puddles will attach him...after all they are shape-shifters 

So overall how was the visibility?


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> Wow it looks cold! 28 real feel?
> 
> So overall how was the visibility?


The weather yesterday was nuts. It was sort of sunny when we left the barn, but we could see dark clouds coming. Soon enough, it was snowing and windy (and cold!). That squall cleared and the sun came out and the wind died down and suddenly it felt warm. Never fear, because the next squall was on the way and it was soon snowing and cold again. Rinse and repeat about 4 times. As @SwissMiss commented, momma nature needs more wine!

I think the visibility was normal for the first ride and good for the second.. hopefully that will prove to be normal!


I am trying to psych myself into riding now, but with a current real feel of 10F, I am having a hard time motivating. The air was painful on my face just walking Kestrel, so I would imagine it wouldn't feel very good at a trot..


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## QueenofFrance08

HAHA I saw Real Feel of 28 and thought man that must feel good! Right now ours is -19 and it's going to get progressively worse.

Sorry Phin was a turd again! 

Raven is looking AMAZING! He's going to be so much fun! Do you have a first ride planned for him this year?

My DH thinks it's funny when my horses act up too.... They're mean!


----------



## Celeste

phantomhorse13 said:


> I am trying to psych myself into riding now, but with a current real feel of 10F, I am having a hard time motivating. The air was painful on my face just walking Kestrel, so I would imagine it wouldn't feel very good at a trot..


It is too cold. Please, just go inside and take a nap. Your lungs will freeze at 10F. We need you not to freeze.


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## PoptartShop

Whew, I am glad Phin's leg is okay and it's just superficial. Thank goodness, I know that was a sight to see! :sad:
Silly boy needs to find his brain! Always looking for monsters. At least you hand-walked him up though, hopefully that gave him some reassurance that nothing was going to eat him! :lol: Glad the kids stopped moving when they saw you guys. Whew. That would've been all you needed!
Raven looks sooo good in that turquoise. My oh my! He is gonna be a ton of fun!!

My boyfriend is the same way when Promise acts up...like it is NOT funny! Ugh. :icon_rolleyes: 

I agree with @Celeste, stay inside!!!!!!! LOL, that is way too cold! But, you are a brave soul...so who knows! :lol:


----------



## Change

As you post about recurrent rides with real feels of 28ish, I keep thinking back to last New Year's Eve when @Celeste came out to meet HWNN and ride him for the first time. We rode for in 26ish weather, chickened out when we climbed out of the "bowl" of cotton field and felt the wind on our faces, and called it quits after 30 minutes.

And then I think about Cally on that ride, and how she didn't walk a single step! Jogging and side-stepping most of the way while HWNN was the perfect gentleman for *Celeste*. And I thought it was a pretty good ride! Cally will walk, but she doesn't do slow very well - odd for a QH, but she has no trouble keeping up with the gaited horses since her preferred gait is a jog. Thankfully, she has a very comfortable and easy to ride jog.


----------



## Celeste

Change said:


> As you post about recurrent rides with real feels of 28ish, I keep thinking back to last New Year's Eve when @Celeste came out to meet HWNN and ride him for the first time. We rode for in 26ish weather, chickened out when we climbed out of the "bowl" of cotton field and felt the wind on our faces, and called it quits after 30 minutes.
> 
> And then I think about Cally on that ride, and how she didn't walk a single step! Jogging and side-stepping most of the way while HWNN was the perfect gentleman for *Celeste*. And I thought it was a pretty good ride! Cally will walk, but she doesn't do slow very well - odd for a QH, but she has no trouble keeping up with the gaited horses since her preferred gait is a jog. Thankfully, she has a very comfortable and easy to ride jog.


It was crazy cold, but I had fun!


----------



## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> HAHA I saw Real Feel of 28 and thought man that must feel good! Right now ours is -19 and it's going to get progressively worse.


And that is why I could never live in Minnesota!! I know the whole point of the real feel number is it's supposed to take all the factors into account, but somehow a damp vs dry wind also seems to make such a huge difference imo..




Celeste said:


> It is too cold. Please, just go inside and take a nap.


I have to say, that thought had crossed my mind!! But snow is coming tomorrow, then record-setting cold for the rest of the week..




Change said:


> We rode in 26ish weather, chickened out when we climbed out of the "bowl" of cotton field and felt the wind on our faces, and called it quits after 30 minutes.


Yes but you ladies ride when it's a real feel of 100+ (aka all summer for you), and I do my best not to. so its all relative!


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## phantomhorse13

I did finally motivate to get out to ride. I started with Phin. I was pleased he was pretty mellow in the barn to tack up and moseyed out of the yard like he didn't have a care in the world. I planned to head over to the south side of the Sugarloaf via the top of the farm.

The climb up the back field wasn't too bad.









From there, we jogged up the Sugarloaf and then walked down the other side. I let Phin canter up the second time and he seemed to enjoy the leg-stretch. I was happy that he never tried to get racy and then settled back to a walk at the top with no fuss!










I was silly enough to think we might make it through an entire ride without any spooking (he is always looky, but that is very different than actual spooks imo) as he was doing so well.. until we got back to Alimar. For whatever reason, Phin took great offense that Keith had the audacity to park his truck beside their house - the same truck that was there when we went out!! I have no idea what was so terrible, but he jumped around like a complete idiot. :evil:

Not wanting to reward that behavior, I rode him towards home, then tied him to a tree on the far side of the yard while I went to get Kestrel. We then went back out for another 2 mile loop with the dog. Phin was pretty good, though he did have one upset moment in the outdoor. Kestrel got the zoomies after crossing the creek and Phin was not impressed with her tearing around like a lunatic (I bet she ran 8 boinging circles around various parts of the outdoor before snapping out of it!). Knowing Phin's history with dogs, I didn't fuss at him, but _did_ insist that running away was not the right answer. He did eventually decide Kestrel wasn''t a demon after all.






8.61 miles, 1439 feet of climb, 4.1 mph average pace, 13F real feel


Next up was Raven. He was pretty good in the crossties. He was very mellow for the groundwork, so I got on after only a few minutes. He was less than enthused about being in the yard, so I only worked him about 5 minutes before heading for the farm roads.

My plan had been to do the same figure 8 around Alimar that we had done with DH and Sultan yesterday. Raven was a bit nervous to start with, but he did really well on the upper woods path and coming up past the farm buildings (even when Gina's horses came over to the fence to watch us go past).

We headed back down the airport strip and I felt confident enough to snap a picture while walking:









We passed the iced puddles without incident and had a couple nice trots. When we got back to our place and I turned to make the second loop, he was a little less enthused, but he went. We dropped down to the snake boot road without him trying to charge down the hill (I don't think he knows how to balance going downhill, so going faster is his answer to being unsure).

Raven was moseying along without a care in the world and I felt comfortable enough to take another picture while moving:









After putting the camera away, I asked him for a trot. He took two steps, then flung his head, humped his back, and kicked out. I was caught by surprise, but just my raised voice had him back down to the walk. I looked around but could not find any reason for his reaction. We trotted a bit more without issue, then came back to a walk to get around the icy spots (which he did without hesitation). 

We went up and around the corner and when I asked for trot again, I got another head fling and hump and kick out. That one earned him a growl and a solid kick. He was tense for a moment and I had enough time to wonder if he was about to really lose it, but instead he settled down and trotted without issue. We worked our way around the fields and then past the schoolhouse and along our pasture fence. When we got to the end of the fence, he wanted to make a hard right back towards the house. Guess his quarter had run out!

When I put my leg on to ask him to stay straight, I felt him tense up. This time I was able to catch the head fling right as it started, so shut it down immediately. We headed back up the airport strip, as I wasn't going to reward such bratty behavior. We trotted almost the entire length of it, including between the ice puddles, without incident. We then moseyed home via the upper woods path.

3.48 miles, 211 feet of climb, 3.7 mph average pace, 15F real feel

When we got back to the barn, Raven went in quietly and was fine in the crossties for a few minutes. I was just taking the saddle off when his head suddenly shot up and his whole body tensed and he gave an alarm snort. :eek_color: I didn't see anything and George and Link were both calmly eating hay under the overhang (which is right on the other side of the stalls from where we were standing). I took the saddle into the tack room and Raven continued to alarm snort and was dancing all over (and squirting pooping while he did it).

I still couldn't see any reason for him to be so upset. Sultan and Phin - who would have had a clear view of anything out the end of the barn - where both standing dozing in the sun.. and certainly Phin doesn't need but the slightest excuse to act silly. I put a lead line on Raven and took him off the crossties as he was slithering around in the poop and I was afraid he would loose his footing. (He is very respectful of being tied, so there was no fighting the ties, thank goodness). He was beside himself, dancing and snorting and pooping. He then peed, all the while looking like a giraffe and alarm snorting and staring. I have never seen anything quite like it! 

I took him back out of the barn and headed in the direction he was staring so hard. We went across the yard and out into the back hayfield and I _still_ had no idea what had upset him so much. He was staring off towards the Fire Department building on the far side of Keith's fields (which you can just barely see the roof of from our place). I couldn't see or smell anything. We stood there for probably 5 minutes before he finally stopped snorting. I let him stand and eat for a few minutes before going back into the barn, hoping he was over his fright. While he wasn't exactly still in the crossties, he was his normal wiggly self versus being frantic. However, when I turned him out, he went over to the fence and stood staring off in that direction.

I let Kestrel and Mia out, then spent the next bit cleaning up the mess he'd made, periodically looking out. Raven stood staring while everyone else was eating hay like any other day. Neither dog so much as glanced in that direction. Raven was so convinced something bad was there he wouldn't even come in to eat his dinner!

I went out later after feeding the dogs to check on him, and he was with George and Link eating hay.. but still facing that direction. I wish I knew what was going on in his head!!


----------



## knightrider

Ghosts??? Pokemons????


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> Ghosts??? Pokemons????


Could be all of the above..


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## Celeste

It's no wonder you didn't mind going out riding in the cold. Those horses are hot enough to keep you warm.


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## Celeste

*Arabian theme...... Got to love 'em!*


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## gottatrot

Hero kept stopping or spooking near this one spot recently, and I could never hear or see anything. It didn't make sense to me that a bird would be in that bush every time, or that he wouldn't get used to the sight of it, but a couple days ago a branch fell off of a tree and all of a sudden I could see that someone had dumped a dead elk carcass back in that brush and there was a big white rib cage peeking out. I never smelled anything rotting, but Hero certainly knew there was something dead in there.


----------



## Change

One or both of mine will suddenly startle in the field for no reason and stand staring out into the woods for the next 30 minutes or so sometimes and I've never been able to figure out why. If they both do it, Cally is always the first to relax and go back to nibbling or dozing, but Tango will continue to stare off. He might start to nibble on the grass, but between bites, his head is up, his eyes are wide, and all of his attention will be "out there."


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## Caledonian

Poor Raven, he sounds really upset. 

One of mine was over vigilante. He'd startle and go over to the others to see why they weren't worried. When they continued eating, he'd go out on his own and stay in a panic for ages, even when he relaxed enough to eat, he'd keep watching a particular direction with wide eyes and a giraffe neck. He was like that whether he was in a herd or on his own, in a field surrounded by rustling woods or one of the open ones on the side of a hill with nothing for miles. They're a mystery at times.

Beautiful blue sky in your photos.


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## phantomhorse13

gottatrot said:


> I never smelled anything rotting, but Hero certainly knew there was something dead in there.


I have no doubt that _something_ was different and Raven knew it.. seems a smell is more likely since it seemed to be coming from a distance and that was the way the wind was coming from. 




Change said:


> One or both of mine will suddenly startle in the field for no reason and stand staring out into the woods for the next 30 minutes or so sometimes and I've never been able to figure out why.


Jeez I hope this isn't something that is going to keep happening!!




Caledonian said:


> One of mine was over vigilante. He'd startle and go over to the others to see why they weren't worried. When they continued eating, he'd go out on his own and stay in a panic for ages, even when he relaxed enough to eat, he'd keep watching a particular direction with wide eyes and a giraffe neck.


That is exactly what Raven was doing. He's never been that way before that I have seen, so I sure hope it was a one-time deal!!


This morning, all is back to normal. Raven came in to eat and acted just fine. We are getting some snow, but so far its not as bad as predicted (fingers and toes crossed). If the wind stays calm I may bring him in to barn later just for a grooming session and see how he does.


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## PoptartShop

At least most of the ride with Phin was good, but of course he had to spook at the truck that was already there...:icon_rolleyes: LOL! Glad you ended up taking Kestrel out with you guys and you continued back on the trail, and glad he was ok with Kestrel after she went bonkers. :lol: Those pups and those zoomies! Looks like a beautiful ride. Finally some sunshine.

Awww, Raven! I guess he was having one of those days. He may have seen or heard something that we can't. Promise has done that before. I'm like...I don't see anything?????????? Maybe they see Pokemon after all... :lol: Hmm.
They sure are unpredictable sometimes.

Glad you were able to calm him down though and didn't end on that note. Happy top hear he was back to normal this morning.


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## phantomhorse13

The weather has certainly put a hold on my riding. We got about 4 inches of snow Tuesday, and while I wasn't riding, I was outside figuring out how to best use the new hay nets in the new-to-us hay feeder. This will save me carting hay out to the delinquent field twice daily, as I figured out a way to hang 4 bales at a time!











The snow wasn't the issue, but temperatures have been below zero (which is crazy for here and why I would never live somewhere it's normal in winter!). It means I have been catching up with inside things and boy is our house clean now.

On a fun note, I finally got caught up on my Kestrel pics! Enjoy the cuteness overload.



























































































to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:



















































































:loveshower:


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## AnitaAnne

Cuteness overload!!! That little Kestrel has such an expressive face! 


Sonnet in the helmet box was priceless! 

I wish the cold here had caused my house to get clean...must be something wrong with the cleaning fairies :frown_color:


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> I wish the cold here had caused my house to get clean...must be something wrong with the cleaning fairies


:rofl: :rofl: 

I would be happy to send you today's coldness and see if that makes any difference!


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## QueenofFrance08

I just LOVE her!


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## carshon

Those pics are cute! I am jealous of the new to you hay feeder! I need to get my hubby busy!


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## PoptartShop

OMG drooling over the cuteness!!!!!   Kestrel is just precious!


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## phantomhorse13

Despite the forecast for warmer temps today, this is how the day started:










:eek_color: :dance-smiley05:

After spending hours doing countless random and increasingly silly things (like patching the dog bed Kestrel chewed a hole in and using the dust mop to dust the ceilings), I decided I couldn't stand being inside any longer. The temp never got as high as forecast, but there was very little wind and the sun was trying to peek out between snow showers. Out to the barn I went.

I decided to grab Phin and try a bareback ride around Alimar. I am not sure than Phin was thrilled about the idea, but Kestrel and I were!










We moseyed the big same figure 8, as I knew were all the icy puddles were despite the snow cover. Phin was as good as he could be I think, with only one minor startle and once section along the woods where he was high-headed and jiggy.










2.05 miles, 139 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 8F real feel.

I bet Kestrel did twice the mileage, as she was running all around with great glee. When we got back to the barn, she tried so hard to get Phin interested in playing with her stick. He was fairly horrified.










:rofl:  :rofl:


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## SwissMiss

Poor Kestrel - Phin doesn't want to play with her :rofl: :rofl:


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## Celeste

Kestral is so cute! She looked like she was having a blast, and offering her stick to Phin was darling!


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## phantomhorse13

SwissMiss said:


> Poor Kestrel - Phin doesn't want to play with her





Celeste said:


> offering her stick to Phin was darling!


I should have recorded the interaction: Kestrel would come running up with her stick. Phin's head would go up and his eyes get big. She would toss the stick onto the floor and he would snort at the noise and then arch his neck down to stare in horror. They would stare at one another for a moment, then she would pick the stick up, back up, and repeat the process.

All things considered, Phin tolerates her really well. One of these days I need to put the heart rate monitor back on him. His heart rate used to be through the roof when Mia was just moseying along beside him - bet he's getting quite the workout just standing there with Kestrel and her stick!!


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## SwissMiss

Cardio without moving :rofl:


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## SueC

SwissMiss said:


> Cardio without moving :rofl:


Excellent! Terror is the new cardio! :rofl: Quick, let's make an invention! 

Just finished watching Davis Cup and because it was on commercial TV, they advertise all sorts of hare-brained stuff in the breaks. One was a machine that wobbles you, and that's apparently as good as jogging! (not!) :rofl: Have to say, in Australia they can apparently say anything in the name of advertising, even if it's not factual. In Germany, in the 1980s anyway, there were lawyers who were watching the ads just to see if any of them breached the strict advertising codes of that country at the time (facts only, backed by scientific study). If yes, they advised the advertiser, and got a sum not to dob them in and to help fix it so it was legal. Happy days! :rofl:
@phantomhorse13, wonderful photos all around - especially those of your irresistible dog!


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## phantomhorse13

SwissMiss said:


> Cardio without moving





SueC said:


> a machine that wobbles you, and that's apparently as good as jogging!



Oh here we go! We can combine that wobbling machine with, hmm.. a tank of spiders and snakes that drops over the head maybe? Instant workout!! :rofl: :cheers:


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## SueC

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

:clap: :clap: :clap:

I like it! Can we put some electric eels in there too for some extra pizzaz? In case extra stimulation is required?

BTW, I noticed with interest that you seem to have potato-themed home fabrics!


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## phantomhorse13

SueC said:


> BTW, I noticed with interest that you seem to have potato-themed home fabrics!


That is a pillowcase. It was made by my MIL out of a bit of material left over after she made Keith and Gina bedsheets. The potatoes even look like the Norwich variety that is one of the farm's main crops!


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## knightrider

[quote
BTW, I noticed with interest that you seem to have potato-themed home fabrics! ][/quote]

Oh ho ho! When I saw that photo, I thought Kestrel was lying on rocks! I didn't realize they were potatoes.


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I wanted to ride but DH said it was too cold for him and he had a list of projects he wanted to get done. Luckily for me, a couple of those involved the horse laundry.

First task was to get the pulls on the cabinets. While that should of been simple, of course nothing ever is. One of the pulls was cracked in half. Annoying, but that is fine as we planned to make a Lowe's run anyway. Did a couple other things, then headed to the store. Annnnd.. no more of that pull. Asked when they would be getting more and was told that specific one was discontinued - of course! :evil: No other round one was comparable, so picked a long one instead (all the while muttering curses).

Then we went to look at cabinets, having decided we wanted one for beside the dryer. The few they had were not even close to the right size, which didn't surprise me as it's an odd space. However, as we wandered to the back of the store looking for doors, we happened upon another cabinet that seemed perfect. By that point, Kestrel was thoroughly sick of shopping and I had to laugh when she flopped down at my feet with a huge sigh!










Once we got home, we got the last pull put on. It tweaks my OCD, but I kept telling myself it was artistic and made a statement..










Next up was the new cabinet. It went together very easily, despite sketchy directions. We also got a shelf up over the sink and washer. Now the horse laundry is done!










Today, the promised weather warm up finally happened (though the sun didn't actually come out until well into the afternoon). DH had a couple work-related things that needed to happen first thing, so we didn't get out to the barn until lunchtime. By then, the ground was getting messy.

We took Phin and George with the intention of moseying over to the farm and up the south side of the Sugarloaf (where I knew there was no ice hiding under the snow).










Getting over to the farm was pretty sketchy and things didn't improve even on the gravel road. 










At that point, we called it quits and turned for home. Not wanting to take the chance of a fall, we hand walked all the downhills.










4.0 miles, 526 feet of climb, 2.8 mph average pace, 42F real feel

It's supposed to be sunny and 45 tomorrow, so hopefully all the snow will melt!


----------



## phantomhorse13

Yesterday it was 55 and sunny.. and I was stuck putzing around the house because the snow wasn't gone yet. Today, however, I was thrilled to see most of the snow gone by morning, as it never got below freezing!

I started with Phin. It was so warm that I left the barn wearing only a t-shirt and a windbreaker.. and by the time we got to the top of the Sugarloaf, I was more than ready to lose the jacket!










After climbing both sides of the Sugarloaf, we headed up the Tomhicken and down the pole line. The water everywhere was incredible. Even places that looked dry at first glance were wet - this spot is normally great for trotting, but it was almost like quicksand today due to the saturated ground!










We came back up the yellow gate trail, which did have some residual ice. Luckily, Phin was on his best behavior and we were able to safely negotiate all the puddles.










Today was the nicest ride I have had on him in as long as I can remember. Amazing what a 40 degree temperature rise can do!

13.03 miles, 2093 feet of climb, mph average pace, 52F real feel


Next up was George. He was feeling mighty fine, so I decided to let him have some fun yeehawing up the Sugarloaf.










We went up and down it once, then did an out and back along the driveway, before climbing up a final time.










7.15 miles, 1637 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 54F real feel

Because of the yeehawing, George was quite wet when we returned, so I decided to grab Kestrel and go for a mosey around Alimar to cool down. 









1.96 miles, 177 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average pace, 54F real feel


I hope to get more saddle time tomorrow, but its supposed to freeze overnight, which means back to ice everywhere. And rain is coming in, with much debate over when its will start..


----------



## SwissMiss

Yay, Phin! So he just needs roller-coaster weather to be on his best behavior :wink:
And I am not sure if Kestrel knows the meaning of "mosey" :rofl: She looks more like having the zoomies :rofl:


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## carshon

I cannot wait for a warm day and no ice! So glad you got a good YeeHaw in - it really wakes up the soul!


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## PoptartShop

Ugh that sucks about the cabinet pulls. Of COURSE they would be discontinued. :icon_rolleyes: Ugh. I'm glad you ended up finding a cabinet to fit that space though. Kestrel must have been exhausted from all that shopping! :lol:

The space looks great! I love the blue. So nice and organized.
FINALLY some sunshine right?! Looks like most of the snow is gone!!
So glad to hear Phin was on his best behavior.  Maybe he IS getting his brain back? LOL. You deserve a nice ride on him, I'm so happy he was a good boy and you didn't have any mishaps, and he didn't stumble upon any Pokemon! :lol:


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## phantomhorse13

SwissMiss said:


> I am not sure if Kestrel knows the meaning of "mosey." She looks more like having the zoomies


The picture moment wasn't too bad. In general she isn't too bad though of course she is very busy. She DID have one true zoomie moment though. I let George pause to have a bit of grass, so Kestrel came over to see what he was eating (she's never met food she doesn't like). When she got within a foot of his nose, George let out a soft snort in her direction. Kestrel was electrified! She jumped back and landed in a play bow and then went running all over boinging.. just trying her hardest to get George to play!! George didn't even pause in his eating but boy did I laugh at her antics.




carshon said:


> So glad you got a good YeeHaw in - it really wakes up the soul!


It does!! I think I enjoyed it just as much as George did.


----------



## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I got Phin out. I wanted to get in a long ride, partly as a test for that leg and partly knowing I would be going to Florida so he would be getting time off. I wasn't sure how the trails would be though, as temps dropped overnight, likely bringing back the ice.

Phin was a total jerk when I went out to catch him, actually running away and then around in circles for about 5 minutes. While it was nice to see he wasn't lacking energy, I certainly was muttering not-so-nice things under my breath. But his antics cemented my plan for a long ride!! He behaved himself in the barn though, so that made me hopeful I wasn't in for a miserable ride.

When I left the barn, it was just above freezing, cloudy, and damp. It wasn't supposed to rain until mid-afternoon, but I was out in my raincoat all the same. I started out going across Spauling's fields. Phin was very reasonable from the start, which was good considering the footing in the fields wasn't ideal. He was content to quietly jog around, even when looping the fields had us pointing toward home. We then went around the Sugarloaf as I was worried the north side climb would be icy. That meant we had to go through the flowerpot graveyard, which is a Very Bad Place normally. However, even though Phin was much more concerned with the new tree down than he was the flowerpots, he just snorted under his breath as he jogged past!










At one point, we came into into a field and found about 3 dozen turkeys milling around. The turkeys promptly panicked and flew, but Phin didn't even hesitate!










We went down across the farm and then up the Tomhicken. We did some of the loop we did yesterday, but avoided where the worst of the ice had been. I was not pleased when momma nature thought it would be funny to send a passing shower, but after a quick check of radar showing it was not going to last long, we headed across the development out to the space needle loop. I had hoped to do the middle loop, but the ice was terrible so we turned back and did the bigger loop. That was clear, though the washes are getting deeper with every storm.










Phin was a rockstar the whole time. We saw probably two dozen deer in groups of twos and threes throughout the ride and he never did more than startle. We got to canter several places and he never got rammy, even when pointing for home. The serious rain started about two miles from home, which wasn't pleasant but we both survived (though I did have some choice words, seeing as it was 2 hours earlier than predicted). Overall, I couldn't have been happier with the ride!

19.82 miles, 2020 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 42F real feel


I am sitting in the airport currently heading back to Florida!


----------



## PoptartShop

Wow, Phin is doing so well lately, I'm so glad your last few rides have been much better!  What a good boy!!! He is finally back in the game! :lol:

Looks like such a nice ride. When you get back, hopefully he will be just as good! What a pleasant ride before you go to FL!


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## phantomhorse13

I got double saddle time today!


First, I trekked a bit north this morning to finally meet with @*knightrider* (and her daughter) and @*4horses* for a ride!! I got to ride knightrider's lovely Paso gelding Chorro. We rode at O'leno state park, which had a great camping area (complete with bath house) and well marked trails. [How ironic that I found endurance people from New York and Vermont that I knew camping there!!]

We started with the 4 of us and moseyed around some very pretty trails.










@*AnitaAnne* : I rode in your saddle!










We briefly rode beside the river, which was very high due to all the rain. The trails themselves were blissfully dry though.










We swung back into camp to shed some layers and to pick up knightrider's neighbor for the next loop.










I got to do a bit of corto and canter - Chorro has amazingly smooth gaits!










After the ride, the club had pizza and I got to sit and chat with some locals and hear all about the various trails around. Sounds like they have tons of nice riding.

9.83 miles, 96 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 61F real feel


Once I got home, I decided I still had enough time to get Duroc out before dark. The water level has dropped a bit, though there was still no lack of water in places that had always been dry previous years.










We just did an out and back, so I was pleased the Duroc was not all cranked up to head home.










5.57 miles, 24 feet of climb, 5.2 mph average pace, 63F real feel


----------



## AnitaAnne

Lovely trails! Enjoyed the pictures very much. I did wonder if @knightrider kept that saddle; how did you like it? I rode in that saddle for over a year until I bought the Tahoe. So cool to see it being used!! 

Weather must have been quite chilly if you were wearing a coat in Florida!


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## Greymark

Subbing!


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> how did you like it? I rode in that saddle for over a year until I bought the Tahoe.
> 
> Weather must have been quite chilly if you were wearing a coat in Florida!


I found it very similar to my Torsion, so thought it was very comfy. knightrider had added a cushion and a sheepskin, so I can't see how anybody could have complained!


Temps were in the low 60s, but it quickly became overcast with a damp wind. Hardly terrible by any means, but a far cry from the 86 (EIGHTY SIX :dance-smiley05 it had been that day before!




Greymark said:


> Subbing!


Welcome! Please feel free to chime in any time. Do you ride distance?


----------



## phantomhorse13

Today, I got Fluffy out. The weather was a bit sketchy, as it was cool (by Florida standards), cloudy, quite breezy and very damp. It wasn't forecast to rain, so out we went.

Fluffy was a spooky lunatic from the start. I have actually never seen her act that way. She was puffing and snorting at puddles and leaves and thing I couldn't even see. We hadn't even gone 1/2 a mile when she spooked and spun because a small weed was laying on the side of the trail 20 feet ahead. Thank goodness we were only walking or I likely would have gone flying. Then it took me at least 3 minutes to get her to pass the offending weed!!

The rest of the ride really wasn't any better, though at least there were no more spinning episodes. Fluffy was boingy and didn't go in a straight line for more than two strides at a time.










A shame she was so silly, as we had a lot of places we could have cantered, but I just wasn't brave enough. It also started raining while we were out, so that added to my thrill. :icon_rolleyes: 










7.07 miles, 14 feet of climb, 5.7 mph average pace, 68F real feel


----------



## Spanish Rider

So cool that you got to meet @knightrider! But, seems to me that I've heard you make that same comment before about Fluffy not going "in a straight line for more than two strides at a time". Are you riding her in the test?


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## Spanish Rider

So cool that you got to meet @knightrider! But, seems to me that I've heard you make that same comment before about Fluffy not going "in a straight line for more than two strides at a time". Are you riding her in the test?


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## phantomhorse13

Spanish Rider said:


> seems to me that I've heard you make that same comment before about Fluffy not going "in a straight line for more than two strides at a time". Are you riding her in the test?


Fluffy was that way during part of the last competition, which was unusual for her. I do plan to ride her this weekend (not sure about 50 vs 25 yet), so sure hope that behavior isn't her new normal!!


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## Celeste

Don't forget your sea-sickness meds. Drifting this way and that way can get old as well as making you dizzy. 

I suspect she will get tired of it after 25 or 50 miles.


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## phantomhorse13

Celeste said:


> I suspect she will get tired of it after 25 or 50 miles.


I sure hope!!


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I got to go riding with @*knightrider* and @*LoriF* ! I rode knightrider's Paso gelding Aci while @*4horses* babysat camp (she would have been on Aci had I not been there, so how nice is she!!). The ladies were staying at the Shangri-La campground, which is as nice as the name implies.

While the trails of course were a sand base, there was actually some terrain at this park. I have not seen so many hills anywhere else in Florida.










This tunnel connected to more trails on the other side of the highway. It seems like Florida has endless riding trails!










While we spent most of the ride contentedly following LoriF on Laela with knightrider and Isabeau bringing up the rear, Aci and I did briefly take a jaunt in the front.




























I had a blast during our ride, with fun trails and great conversation.


7.0 miles, 227 feet of climb, 3.3 mph average pace, 80F real feel










This time, I remembered to have someone take our picture before we untacked!! knightrider was even gracious enough to feed me lunch (which of course included more great horsey conversation) before I went on my way. Thanks ladies!!


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## QueenofFrance08

So jealous! Another 5 inches of snow last night..... I'm living vicariously through you for pony time now!


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## Greymark

phantomhorse13 said:


> Welcome! Please feel free to chime in any time. Do you ride distance?


Thanks! I don't but have some neighbours that are big time. He ships to the states every winter to ride and spends summers up here. 

It's always something that has interested me, but I never got into it.


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## phantomhorse13

Greymark said:


> Thanks! I don't but have some neighbours that are big time. He ships to the states every winter to ride and spends summers up here.


Guessing you are Canadian then? Don't suppose you are on the east coast and happen to be neighbors with Bob Gielen? He is the only male I am familiar with who winters in Florida routinely, but wouldn't surprise me to have other Canadian snowbirds in other parts of the country!


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## Greymark

phantomhorse13 said:


> Guessing you are Canadian then? Don't suppose you are on the east coast and happen to be neighbors with Bob Gielen? He is the only male I am familiar with who winters in Florida routinely, but wouldn't surprise me to have other Canadian snowbirds in other parts of the country!


Yes that is exactly who I'm talking about!

That's neat that you know him. Although I expect the endurance community is fairly close knit? I guess Bob's pretty well known too.


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## phantomhorse13

Greymark said:


> Yes that is exactly who I'm talking about!
> 
> That's neat that you know him. Although I expect the endurance community is fairly close knit? I guess Bob's pretty well known too.


Canada Bob (as he is known to most endurance people) winters about 2 miles from where I am currently sitting - I passed him on his bicycle earlier when I went to the grocery store!

Endurance is a pretty small sport, so most times riders in the same region will know of one another.. especially people who have been around a long time like Bob. He is a super nice guy (which I am sure you already know).


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## Caledonian

Beautiful horses, long trails, good company and heat; you couldn't ask for anything else! 

Canada Bob on a bicycle! He sounds like a great character.:smile:


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## PoptartShop

I'm super jealous as well!! That looks like so much fun.  I am glad you enjoyed yourselves!!! Great pictures!!


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## phantomhorse13

On Wednesday, I went to pick Lani up from the train station first thing in the morning. When we got back to the farm, I noticed this when I opened the driveway gate:










:eek_color: Yes, that is a small gator swimming in what should be the horse's paddock (that is a 5' fence it's in front of)!! Not really something I needed to see relatively up close and personal.

Thursday morning, we loaded up Duroc and Brimstone and headed to ridecamp, which was only a 20 minute drive away. We got settled in camp and went out on a quick pre-ride. I was thrilled that Duroc - who hasn't been to a ride since June - was totally calm.. even when another rider on a strange horse came trotting up behind us!

Friday morning, we tacked up before the 50s left camp just in case Duroc was going to get upset, but he was content to stand and eat his hay even as riders trotted by on their way out of camp.










We didn't even mount up until 5 minutes after every other LDer had left camp. Duroc was interested but walked out of camp without argument. The photog was about 1/4 mile out of camp and got this pic, which is probably the calmest Duroc has _ever_ looked on trail!










We moseyed around the 15 mile loop, a lot of which had been recently burned. While it looked a bit ugly, it was actually wonderful as that meant no small creatures rattling around in the underbrush to worry the horses!










As expected, there was a lot of water on trail but management did a good job of mixing things up so you weren't stuck wading all the time.










Some of the trails were just perfect and it was still amazing to see how green everything was.










We walked into the hold, dropped tack, and went right to the vetting. Both horses passed with flying colors and happily chowed down during the hold. 










The second loop was 10 miles, and we started out crossing the same swamp as the first loop.










We then popped out on the side of the highway. In years past we didn't stay there long, but this year we did because there it was dry. Duroc started having issues with traffic last year (that is how Lani got hurt), so we weren't sure what to expect. I was very pleased that he didn't overreact, though we made sure to keep Brim on the outside just in case!










The rest of the loop was tons of fun. The footing varied but there were lots of places you could move along. We started catching and passing some people, which Duroc took in stride.










In no time, we got back to camp. We walked in, dropped tack and both horses were already pulsed down. They vetted through with no issues.
























I could not have been happier with how the day went! We wound up 22nd out of 30 starters, but the ride went exactly how we hoped.

to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

After letting Duroc and Brim rest an hour or so, we loaded them onto the little trailer and took them back to the farm. It was lovely to shower before loading up Fluffy and Teabiscuit and heading back to camp.

Saturday morning, Fluffy was on her toes. She would have gone out with the 50s!










I got on about 15 minutes before the start to make sure Fluffy was warmed up well before the start. I waited for the front runner and most of the main pack to leave, then popped into what I thought was a decent space. However, we still ran into horses piled up at the first swamp about 1/4 mile out of camp.

I asked Fluffy to walk and the next thing I knew, she threw her head down and bucked. I was taken by surprise as she's never even thought about bucking with me before, but I tried to yank her head up. Instead, I managed to get her to take a step sideways before her head was back between her knees. However, that step probably saved me, as it put her just off the trail in a pretty thick grove of trees and palmettos. She bucked 6 or 7 times, but wasn't able to go anywhere due to the trees. I managed to stay on and when she quit bucking, we continued down the trail. The man behind me (who had thankfully stopped) said her performance rivaled the best broncs in the NFR and that was a 90 point ride if he'd ever seen one. 

[Fluffy had a history of bucking years ago when a trainer tried to force her to fit into his training program, versus working with her at her pace. She was sent home after dumping him multiple times. The next trainer was also dumped a couple times before she realized he was trying to work with her.. so I am not kidding when I said I got super lucky to stay on board.]

The next few miles I kept a death grip on her face, partly because she was hyped up and partly because I knew if she got to bucking in the open, I would be toast. We rode with a couple groups of people before finally settling in with two ladies (one I knew, one was a new friend). I was so relieved when Fluffy decided to settle down with her new friends versus wanting to race ahead looking for the next set of horses.










The loop was the same I had ridden the day before, so at least I knew what to expect. There was still lots of water, but that meant there was plenty of opportunity to sponge.










I was very thankful for the burned brush keeping the creatures elsewhere, as Fluffy was hyped up but still spooky. 










Note the bit chomping even on a loose rein!










Our new friends were riding lighter horses, so they planned to trot right into the hold. Knowing that wasn't a good option with Fluffy, I got off and handwalked her the last bit into camp. She was not happy when her friends left, but she soon figured out flat walking was much easier than sidepassing!

I was relieved she was pulsed down by the time I pulled tack, as all her fussing sometimes keeps her heart rate elevated. She vetted through without issue and ate everything in sight at the start of the hold. Then she took a nap!










We started the second loop with our new friend, but I knew we would soon part ways as that horse was local (so sand acclimated). Fluffy was back to her normal self, so I was brave enough to let her canter the nicer parts of the trail.










As I suspected, we parted ways with our friend when we got to the sandy section, as she kept cantering while we walked. Fluffy only fussed for a few moments, then realized the deep sand was a lot of work and walking really was better.










I looked forward to the riding the rest of the loop solo, as Fluffy was finally back to her old self and I was enjoying the ride. 










However, we caught up to our new friend about 2 miles out of camp, as she had taken a wrong turn. That was miserable timing as it meant another separation before camp, but Fluffy did eventually settle down to walk the last section.










We came in and yet again Fluffy was pulsed down by the time I had her untacked. She vetted through without issue. We wound up 11th out of 40.
























Lani wasn't sure what to make of Fluffy's bucking. She drew blood to test for Lyme and Kathy will bring down the test for ulcers next trip. However, forefront was suspecting the alfalfa was the culprit. Not sure what I hope the answer is, as having her off the alfalfa mix hay won't happen until they leave Florida..
:gallop:


----------



## Celeste

Way to ride!!! If you get tired of endurance, you can change over to saddle bronc riding. You'd put those boys to shame!


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## gottatrot

Good job staying on! I think Fluffy looks like she's built to be a grand bucker!


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## Change

It isn't the head down that's the problem, it's the elevation and the kick-out that make the buck. And a big horse like fluffy can get LOTS of elevation! Good job staying on. 

If alfalfa is the issue, TSC sells compressed bales of Timothy hay. Might be something to consider.

The rides both days sound like a lot of fun. Duroc was a good boy, and you know how I feel about Brim. Was Teabiscuit just along for the camp experience?

My ex's folks have lived on property that backs up on a lake/swamp in Tallahassee. They've had a "pet" gator for as long as I've been visiting there - over 40 years now. She (the gator) was about 5' way back then. She's over 12' now. Pawpaw will take leftover scraps out to the little dock, call her with an odd grunt-like roar, and she'll come to about 4' away and just drift there, waiting for him to toss food.


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## knightrider

My grandparents also had a pet alligator on their farm in Melbourne (FL). They got him fish heads regularly. We'd stand on the back porch and call, "Here Allie," and he would come up on the bank and eat the fish heads we would throw at him. He was there a long time also. One night poachers came and stole him. That was back in the 60's when it was illegal to take alligators.


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## Change

We thought we'd lost Gatorgal when they dredged the lake. The water level dropped significantly and there were rumors they caught most of the alligators and relocated them. But when the water level got back to normal, she came home.


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## BarbandBadgerandPedro

Fluffy looks really tall in the pix of hand walking. How big is she? Still want to thank you for posting your vids so I can enjoy the rides too!


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## phantomhorse13

Celeste said:


> If you get tired of endurance, you can change over to saddle bronc riding. You'd put those boys to shame!


I don't have the nerves to be a bronc rider!! I am way too old to hit the ground and bounce any more..



gottatrot said:


> I think Fluffy looks like she's built to be a grand bucker!


She certainly felt spectacular - I think I got a nosebleed from the elevation change! :wink:



Change said:


> If alfalfa is the issue, TSC sells compressed bales of Timothy hay. Might be something to consider.
> 
> Was Teabiscuit just along for the camp experience?
> 
> 
> They've had a "pet" gator for as long as I've been visiting there - over 40 years now.


The problem is the TSC bales aren't big enough to be practical to leave out while the farm owners are the only ones there to feed. One of the biggest differences between home and Florida is the hay situation! Here at home, we can get timothy or orchard grass roundbales easily. Down there, the only roundbales available are coastal, which caused a problem with the piggy horses the first year getting impaction colics from the short, fine pieces they wolfed down. Since the ladies don't want the farm owners having to go into the field with hay daily, the compromise was several 500 lb compressed bales (which are netted to make them last as long as possible). But those bales only come in straight alfalfa or O&A (which is mostly alfalfa and only some orchard grass).

If all the various tests come back normal, meaning the alfalfa is the likely culprit, I am not sure what the ladies plan to do. Right now, they are talking about Kathy going down this next trip with grass roundbales from home, but with the loss of Baby Kitty, they don't have another flatbed truck. While Katy can borrow a flatbed trailer to take the hay, parking is pretty tight at the farm now that half the place is under water. First world problems for sure, but doesn't make it less frustrating. 

Biscuit just went along to camp and keep Fluffy company. He is retired from competition as he's got a pretty impressive heart arrhythmia even at rest.

I love hearing about pet gators! Such a thing is so out of the realm of my personal experience, as we only hear about gators up here when they eat someone's dog, etc. I would love to see pics next time you visit.



knightrider said:


> We'd stand on the back porch and call, "Here Allie," and he would come up on the bank and eat the fish heads we would throw at him.


Wow - so they are smart enough to know to come when called! How awful that poachers took advantage of that. :evil:



BarbandBadgerandPedro said:


> Fluffy looks really tall in the pix of hand walking. How big is she? Still want to thank you for posting your vids so I can enjoy the rides too!


Lani stopped sticking Fluffy once she got taller than Brim (who is 16.2h). So I don't know for sure, but I would guess she's an honest 17h. And at the end of a ride, that feels more like 28h!! :smile:

I am glad you enjoy the videos, as I certainly enjoy making them! I am so blessed to have the opportunities that I do, so I love sharing my experiences.


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## QueenofFrance08

Oh man that sounds like quite the ride! I'm glad Duroc was on his best behavior so at least you had one fun ride! I'm very impressed that you stayed on! 

Did they end up totaling Baby Kitty? 

Love seeing how different the trails are down there! I sure am thankful we don't have any Gators around here!


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> Did they end up totaling Baby Kitty?
> 
> Love seeing how different the trails are down there! I sure am thankful we don't have any Gators around here!


The insurance company did total Baby Kitty and after much back and forth, finally offered a reasonable settlement price. Kathy is now shopping for another used truck, though not of the same type she was. 

It is amazing how different everything is down there. While I whine about stickerbushes up here, at least they are generally the only pokey thing - whereas _everything_ in Florida is pokey. And the wildlife up here can certainly startle a horse, but at least if you fall off on top of it as the horse launches you during the spin, it's not likely to kill you. I sure wouldn't want to land on a gator or a pig!!


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## QueenofFrance08

We have a few rides with bears (black bears which people say are harmless but I'm still not excited to meet... Somehow just thinking about meeting a bear and knowing Stitch can outrun me freaks me out) but I will take 100 deer any day over a gator!


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## Celeste

QueenofFrance08 said:


> We have a few rides with bears (black bears which people say are harmless but I'm still not excited to meet... Somehow just thinking about meeting a bear and knowing Stitch can outrun me freaks me out) but I will take 100 deer any day over a gator!


Just try not to fall of as he does that western rollback and does a derby run from the bear.........


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## Oreos Girl

I saw the picture of the gator and thought it was at the ride. Then I saw video of you riding thru water and was like nope, there are gators there. My horse would be fine as he would dump me as he ran away and I would get eaten by the gator.


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## phantomhorse13

The weather and resulting ground have been making riding very difficult lately. Last week, I thought the ice was off the fields enough to be able to mosey around Alimar. I tried some of Phin's new loot from the consignment tack store. I was thrilled to find red boots - those will be saved for competitions from now on - and I couldn't resist the cute saddle pad. Since both were only $10, I didn't have to! 










But the day wound up being a case of all dressed up but nowhere to go.. as the airport strip was clear of ice, but even the upper woods path was impassable. So we just went back home.










1.21 miles, 17 feet of climb, 2.8 mph average pace, 20F real feel


Today, I finally felt the ground was good enough to try again. The sun was actually out, but it was quite windy, which made me worried that Phin would act like an idiot, but I figured the south side of the Sugarloaf would be passable if he needed some climbing to find his brain.

Well I needn't have worried, because I went out to get him and found this:










:eek_color: :dance-smiley05: :confused_color: :frown: 

I wasn't sure if I should curse or cry. Instead, I brought him into the barn and cleaned it up. While he didn't mind my touching it with gloved fingers, he was _highly_ offended by the water I used to scrub it! I was none too thrilled either, with the real feel not even in the teens.

This is what it looked like cleaned up:










No heat, no swelling, not sensitive to palpation around it, temperature normal. While it looks like a huge gaping hole, it's only about 1/8 of an inch deep, with what looks like normal granulation tissue everywhere in it. I can only assume there was some sort of foreign body left over from when he scraped that spot on the tree a fews weeks ago, which was brewing under the surface despite it looking healed. I sprayed it with Vetricyn and put him back outside.

So that meant it was George's turn. Thankfully he had not found a way to hurt himself, so out we went. I planned to ride as much of the open fields as I could, knowing anywhere with tree cover - especially on the north side - was still going to have ice.

And luckily I was right. The ground was frozen but passable in the open, but anywhere I needed to sneak through the trees got a bit sketchy. We were able to sneak around any ice we found.










The giant turkey flock was out in the normal spot. This time they just marched away, versus panic flying.










We worked our way around to the south side of the Sugarloaf, which was clear. So we climbed. We went up to the viewpoint the back way (which involves a bit of trail blazing), then out the normal trail. The ground quickly got ugly as the path approached the north side.










But we went down the south side and came up and around. I knew logging had started, so wasn't surprised to hear chainsaws at the top of the farm.










I had hoped the wind would calm during the ride, but it only got worse. I had wanted to work with Raven, but I knew the raging wind would have him very worried. So instead of riding him, I ponied him a lap around Alimar.










Raven was very nervous on the upper woods path as the trees were whipping, but George was a good influence as he trudged along calmly.

9.7 miles (1 with Raven), 1514 feet of climb, 4.2 mph average pace, 11F real feel


Once I got back into the house, I looked at my training log and realized Phin's initial injury was actually a month ago! And when it first happened, that wound didn't look like much:










I can only hope there was a splinter poked under the skin that I didn't ever see and now it's burst and can finish healing. But I never saw _any_ swelling, nor did he ever react to my poking it (which I did several times a day when it first happened).

Always something!! :frown_color:


----------



## Celeste

It looks like a pretty shallow injury. Hopefully it will be fine. 

I found a product online that might help Phin.

Bubble Wrap


----------



## Chevaux

Celeste said:


> It looks like a pretty shallow injury. Hopefully it will nbe fine.
> 
> I found a product online that might help Phin.
> 
> Bubble Wrap


:rofl:


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## phantomhorse13

Celeste said:


> I found a product online that might help Phin.
> 
> Bubble Wrap


Don't think I haven't considered it!!

However.. I suspect he would only find a way to suffocate himself with it.


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## PoptartShop

Aw, poor Phin! I agree, it looks pretty small & hopefully it heals quickly! Always something indeed.

Glad you got to ride still, and George definitely seems to be helping Raven with his confidence.  I've said it a million times, but gosh, I LOVE that halter on him! He looks so good! I love the saddlepad too, what a good find!


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## QueenofFrance08

One day last week I went out and Lilo and Comet had cuts that looked exactly like Phin's in about the same spot. I cleaned them up and they seem fine now but I have no idea how they both hurt themselves in the same spot on the same day!


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> I have no idea how they both hurt themselves in the same spot on the same day!


Many days, I wonder how on earth _any_ horses survive in the wild..


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## frlsgirl

Oh man Phin! Everything always looks worse on lighter colored horses. Could be a blessing in disguise; I wonder how many dark colored horses are running around with untreated wounds simply because they are not as visible.


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## tim62988

for the florida hay situation: have your friends considered having another type trucked in in the large 3x3 or 4x4 square bales? not sure how far north or west one would have to go to get a straight grass bale but knew farmers in PA bought alfalfa bales like that from out west so might be able to find non-alfalfa bales trucked in 

although might not be practical price wise or have the equipment to move the bales and net them before feeding...


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## phantomhorse13

tim62988 said:


> for the florida hay situation: have your friends considered having another type trucked in in the large 3x3 or 4x4 square bales?


The issue is nowhere to park the trailer! The farm has little free space normally, so this year having half under water makes things super tight. 

And as you said, not having equipment to handle them also adds to the complication. A person or two can roll a roundbale where it needs to go.. I am not sure if we could flip a 4X4 bale or not. However, we may be trying that next year, as Keith (who they get their hay from anyway) has offered to make some smaller bales for us to try.


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## phantomhorse13

Today, DH and I wanted to ride before the next storm rolled in after lunch. We were surprised to see the sun peeking out from the clouds as we finished breakfast and went out to the barn. I grabbed Phin and was less than thrilled to find _that [email protected] scab has broken open_ _again_!! :evil: I brought him in and cleaned it up. About 80% of the wound (which is maybe the size of a nickle) still has a scab, which didn't come off even with the light scrubbing. He still has no heat or swelling, doesn't care about me poking it, his temperature is normal, and he is sound. So I rode him anyway, knowing we were not going to be going far or fast.

Phin was a bit silly leaving our place, wanting to jig and toss his head. The sun being out was actually unhelpful, as it was melting the surface of the ground. I was happy when Phin settled down after a few minutes, as he needed to focus on already-slippery footing. We headed out across Alimar to Spaulding's fields, planning to go around to the south side of the Sugarloaf. However, anywhere the sun was reaching made the ground treacherous, so we decided to go the other way and keep to the treeline.










However, that didn't really help as anywhere the ground was sloped was super slippery from the snow. We wound up getting off and hiking. When we got to the top of the farm and realized there was still snow even on the south side of the Sugarloaf, we decided to slither down to the gravel farm road.










We got back on at the bottom of the farm, as the bottom field was still frozen. We moseyed across the farm and then up the gravel orchard road. While they were not actively logging, the equipment was still there. Phin was suspicious to start with, but soon decided he could go past it since it was on the way home. :wink:



















4.81 miles, 617 feet of climb, 2.9 mph average pace, 26F real feel


There was no change in that spot after the ride. Knowing the storm was coming, I didn't see any point in trying to bandage it. Keeping Phin in a stall is not an option as he'd only hurt himself worse spinning and pacing. I didn't want to leave it unprotected, but I didn't want something sealing it closed either. I looked for the ichthammol, but couldn't find any (grr).. so decided poultice would have to do. I can only hope it helps or at least doesn't hurt!


It's snowing currently. Nobody has any idea what to expect, as we are on the northern edge so have seen forecasts from 2-8 inches of snow for us. Just praying for no ice..


----------



## Avna

Celeste said:


> It looks like a pretty shallow injury. Hopefully it will be fine.
> 
> I found a product online that might help Phin.
> 
> Bubble Wrap


Snert.


----------



## QueenofFrance08

Good boy Phin! 

Lol to endurance horses behavior in stalls! So true! Our farrier's dad runs a big boarding barn down the road (cattle sorting horses) where everyone is inside 24/7 and he's always telling us to put horses in stalls. THEY HATE IT!!!! They always have access to the barn and a shed and can go in and out as they please so it's not like they're suffering. Even thought it's been -20 the last 2 days I keep finding them outside!


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## PoptartShop

Lucky you guys got a ride in before the storm! Ugh about the footing though. Sigh, I can't wait until everything dries up! If it ever does. :icon_rolleyes:

Bahaha, of course Phin was OK with the equipment, because he knew he was going home. LOL! Silly boy, he sure is something else! You guys look great!

Sucks about his cut though, it is a pain. Promise has a cut on her leg, and while I didn't wanna leave it uncovered yesterday because of the wetness/storm, I couldn't continue to wrap it because it needs air! :lol: It was starting to get some proud flesh so I had to use Wonder Dust. Blah! 

I hope it scabs up & doesn't open again, like just heal already! :lol:


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I tortured Phin by making him walk with Kestrel. We got about 6" of snow, which did not make me very happy as the last thing we need is more wet, but at least it wasn't ice. Kestrel, however, was thrilled as she thinks snow is the Best Stuff Ever. Phin was not impressed with the wind or with Kestrel's antics. He was pretty riled up to start with, but I was pleased he did settle down as we circled around Alimar (tho he never stopped eyeing Kestrel with great suspicion).




























3.51 miles, 261 feet of climb, 3.8 mph average pace, 15F real feel


When we got back to the barn, I gave him a through brushing as he is shedding like crazy!










The mark on his ankle looks about the same today, though there was no additional discharge. The vet is coming tomorrow for spring shots and coggins, so I just sprayed it with Vetericyn so she can see what it looks like. Maybe she will have a suggestion for me..


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## PoptartShop

Yuck to more snow, but exactly, at least it wasn't icy. Still, so much snow! Ugh!
Phin was probably like 'really Kestrel...' :lol: With all her running around haha. At least she was having fun! She's so cute.
Wow, he is shedding a ton!! The Vetericyn should help. It will probably take some more time to fully heal.


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## frlsgirl

Snow is the best stuff ever  Don't you just love how young dogs are so enthusiastic about life? My elderly dachshunds take one look at the snow outside and then go potty in the house.


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## phantomhorse13

frlsgirl said:


> My elderly dachshunds take one look at the snow outside and then go potty in the house.


That is so doxie!! :rofl: :rofl:


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## QueenofFrance08

When's the first NE ride? Don't you guys usually have one in March?


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> When's the first NE ride? Don't you guys usually have one in March?


It was supposed to be next weekend, in southeast Virginia. However, it has been canceled as half the trail system is under water. :frown_color:

The next one is the 23rd, in New Jersey. It was canceled last year after we got a crazy snowstorm three days before it. Sure hoping that doesn't happen again this year!!


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## QueenofFrance08

Our first ride is 2 months from today and yesterday.... At this rate we're going to be camping in igloos with horses that haven't done anymore training than trudging through the pasture to eat!


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## AnitaAnne

I have to agree with Kestrel; that snow is really pretty! But what a pain to have 6" of fresh snow :frown_color: 

Hoping the old saying is true about March "In like a lion, out like a lamb"


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## Avna

AnitaAnne said:


> I have to agree with Kestrel; that snow is really pretty! But what a pain to have 6" of fresh snow :frown_color:
> 
> Hoping the old saying is true about March "In like a lion, out like a lamb"


Sooo much better to have 8 inches of snow (that's what we got) than two inches of ice. Snow can be fun. Ice never is, unless you're a hockey player or something.


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## AnitaAnne

Avna said:


> Sooo much better to have 8 inches of snow (that's what we got) than two inches of ice. Snow can be fun. Ice never is, unless you're a hockey player or something.


We've had 40 days of rain...and tornados. I think I'd rather have the snow. Sure looks a lot prettier than mud and floods...


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## phantomhorse13

Avna said:


> Sooo much better to have 8 inches of snow (that's what we got) than two inches of ice. Snow can be fun. Ice never is, unless you're a hockey player or something.





AnitaAnne said:


> We've had 40 days of rain...and tornados. I think I'd rather have the snow. Sure looks a lot prettier than mud and floods...


I would certainly rather have snow than ice and anything is better than a tornado!!

But we are going to have plenty of flooding when all this melts, as the ground is beyond saturated. We are lucky to be uphill so don't flood, but the runoff is still making a big mess of the trails. And more rain coming this weekend! I am trying to tell myself maybe the rain and the warm up (assuming you consider 40 warm) will melt the snow and especially ice that is still most places I want to ride..


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## egrogan

AnitaAnne said:


> I think I'd rather have the snow. Sure looks a lot prettier than mud and floods...



Don't worry, that comes in April, aka "mud season"


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## phantomhorse13

I had really hoped to have some riding posts to share, but momma nature just isn't getting with the program. Last week, I did get Raven out in-hand when we walked the dogs a couple times. 

We got 6 inches of snow in the storm last week, which wouldn't have been too bad had there not still been ice on the ground under it. It also got insanely windy. Not having done anything with Raven in weeks, I decided to try hand walking him with the dogs. He was very worried about the blowing snow to start with, but eventually decided if it wasn't killing us or the dogs, it must be ok. 










I did the same thing the next night and was pleased he was totally chill about it. Good thing he was, as Kestrel was full of herself.






The "warm up" that was supposed to happen before the next storm rolled in Saturday night didn't happen, resulting in _more_ ice - I could have cried when I went out to feed Sunday morning and needed a hammer to be able to open gates. Temps have been slowly climbing since then, but there is a lot of melting that needs to happen before I have usable trails! :frown_color:


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## PoptartShop

Mother Nature is not doing a very good job this year!  Ugh! It needs to melt ASAP so you can get back to the trails! So sick of all the ice!

Glad you got Raven out though even though you didn't ride. He's so cute! And Kestrel is so adorable and full of energy. Raven is so cute, haha he turned his head like 'Mom..Kestrel is at it again' :lol: Love how relaxed he looks just plodding along!


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I FINALLY GOT TO RIDE!! :happydance:

The warm weather yesterday was enough to have melted the snow and ice off anywhere open and the drop in temperature overnight froze the ground enough I could ride in the fields without too much damage. I was not happy about the raging wind, but knowing it was going to warm up tomorrow, I had to ride while I could.

I started with Phin. I expected him to be a nut as he hasn't been ridden in over a week and the wind was blowing hard. He was better in the barn than I expected, so I got on him right in the yard. He managed to keep it together long enough to get out of the yard, but once he was in the open and the wind was blasting him, he started hopping around. Having no desire to die, I did a bit of lateral work until he walked 3 steps, then halted and got off. We handwalked the rest of the way across Alimar and across the pavement.

I got back on in the neighbors driveway, where we were able to trot. He was very animated for the first 10 strides, then realized we were going away from home and his enthusiasm waned. I was fine with that, as not long after we had to turn off the drive and I wasn't totally sure how the footing would be. I was pleasantly surprised that the ground was fairly frozen, but of course that meant ice where any standing water had been.

As I suspected, the north sides were still snow-covered (with ice lurking underneath), so I headed to the farm with the intention of going across that to the south side of the Sugarloaf.










As we got to the top of the farm, I realized the logger was there and in the process of hauling trees out of the woods - right where I wanted to go. Phin was eyeballing the equipment even from that distance, so I had no desire to get any closer. I decided to go down the farm and across the road to the base of the Tomhicken, hoping by the time we did that and came back the logging equipment would be done loading the trailer and back into the woods.

Phin was not enthused to be going away from home, so I took advantage of that and we had a lovely trot. Eventually, we ran out of clear trail though, at which point we turned around and went back.










Turning for home, Phin suddenly found his forward. :icon_rolleyes: We had a small discussion about speed after which he decided walking was much easier than leg yielding. As I had hoped, by the time we got back to the other side of the farm, the logging equipment had finished and was back in the woods. Phin was suspicious of the chain saw noise he could hear even from the bottom of the hill and he was on his toes as we worked our way up the hill past the trailer full of logs. Thank goodness we had just passed it when a tree came crashing down in the distance. Even though it was nowhere near us, Phin was _not_ impressed and he was actually happy to turn away from home (and the direction of crashing trees) to climb the Sugarloaf.

We went up the south side and then dropped down onto NayHay's and did a quick out and back in their driveway. Phin settled down enough that I let him have a brief canter. We went up the south of the Sugarloaf again, then headed out towards the powerline.










The powerline is where they were actively cutting trees, so I just got off and hand walked him. The ground was getting a bit soft where the sun was hitting it and the road was very torn up from the equipment, so I likely would have been hiking even without the logger. Phin wasn't sure what to snort at first, as there were so many different things to be worried about. Ironically, he wasn't too bad about approaching the chainsaw while it was running, but when the man saw us, turned it off, and stepped out of the woods, Phin acted like he had never seen a person before. The poor man was profusely apologizing but all I could do was shake my head and laugh.

Phin was all over the place until we got far enough away the man turned the saw back on, at which point he finally settled down. I guess a noisy monster in the woods is better than a silent one looking at him?! We made the rest of the trip home without incident. Overall, I think he was as good as he could be.

7.89 miles, 892 feet of climb, 4.1 mph average pace, 18F real feel


After turning Phin out, the ground was getting slimy in places, so I didn't want to repeat the route I took with Phin with George. Instead, I decided to stay on Alimar. We took Kestrel along as I figured it would be good to practice with her.

George was none too keen on heading out into the wind, but he was a good boy and did it anyway. Kestrel, however, thought it was fantastic and gleefully ran all around.










We did a brief lap around the upper woods path and the airport strip, then headed down towards the outdoor. I decided to try going over to Spauling's, but even with the wind, the sun had been strong enough to melt the top layer of the fields, so we just made a circle and came back. Kestrel didn't mind the Evil Pond at all.










We made a big loop around Alimar and finished with a lovely canter down the airport strip.






George and Kestrel were both excellent! She is doing better and better about sticking close and not getting distracted.


4.87 miles, 399 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 23F real feel


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## PoptartShop

I just typed an entire reply & the forum crashed...ugh! :icon_rolleyes:

But YAY for finally riding!!   
Phin is definitely a riot, especially since approaching the chainsaw was no big deal...but a human? A HUMAN?! You mean, a MONSTER?! :lol: Sheesh about the tree! Lots going on! How does his canter feel?

Glad you had a good ride though! I'm also glad Kestrel & George were good, it looks so fun! Love the video, and sunshine, FINALLY!!! Awesome day!


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## Avna

Wow, look at all the snow that isn't there. It is thawing quickly here but so far it is slush with ice under it.


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## phantomhorse13

PoptartShop said:


> How does his canter feel?


His canter feels normal.. bouncy enough that I generally have issue sitting it. Riding Phin is a whole body workout!!


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I got a bit more saddle time. The ground was still frozen when I got up, so I hacked Phin to walk Kestrel. He was a very good boy!



















4.57 miles, 362 feet of climb, 4.9 mph average pace, 28F real feel


Temperatures are going up over the next few days, so I decided to swap out Phin's middleweight blanket for a sheet. His old sheet was rubbing his shoulders (no surprise, as that was sheet #4 or 5 in an attempt to find one that doesn't rub), so he got a brand new one to try. Fingers and toes crossed this one works..










DH had the lift picked up for service work today, so I took advantage of the tractor trailer in the driveway as a schooling opportunity for Raven. He was not impressed to start with, but soon was brave enough to approach since it didn't eat me.















When the truck left, we jogged down the driveway after it. I am sure the trucker thought I was insane, but hopefully it was a good confidence boost for Raven. He then got his blanket changed out as well, and Phin's old sheet seems to fit him well.. we shall see. Link got to be naked, so he was feeling full of himself!


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## PoptartShop

Yay for Phin being a good boy!  So nice you got to ride again. It's nice to see that the snow is melting!
Fingers crossed the new sheet works. He looks so cute in it! Aww, look at Raven being brave! He is adorable. Definitely will give him confidence. They are so cute, bahaha Link is probably going to get so muddy. :lol:


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## QueenofFrance08

Love Phin's new rain sheet! 

Bitey face!!!!! Link and Raven are adorable!


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## phantomhorse13

Spring is trying to arrive! The snow and ice are mostly gone.. leaving mud in their place. Saturday, we put some modified down to hopefully help with the mud around the hay feeder in the delinquent paddock.




















The big trailer also came out of the garage, as our first competition of the season is next weekend!!










Sunday, I went with Gina to check out a horse she was interested in. The teenage gelding was supposed to be a been there, done that kind of guy and indeed he was. Windsor will be coming home sometime this week. I am actually pretty excited, as he will hopefully be a wonderful babysitter for Raven and Link!











Today, I took Phin and Kestrel out for a hack. It looked like the ice was finally off all of the Sugarloaf, so we headed that way to check it out. I did put Kestrel on leash (the sponge leash, in fact :wink for the little bit we went down the pavement, just in case.

We moseyed across one of the lower fields. It was a bit soggy in places, but nothing terrible. Kestrel needed a couple reminders about how far away she got as she was so excited to be seeing new places.










We climbed up the Sugarloaf and I was happy to see most of the ice was gone (and the few remaining patches didn't stretch across the entire road, so we could pick our way around them). The climb curbed Kestrel's wild enthusiasm and she did a much better job of staying close.










As we moseyed down the far side, I was amused to see Kestrel tended to point at the deer! She was suspicious enough of them that she didn't want to give chase, which I was very pleased about.










We walked across the farm's hay field and Phin got a good look at the logging equipment. He was much less worried than last time. By the time we got back down to the gravel drive, Kestrel was happy to fall in beside us as Phin jogged along.










I put Kestrel back on leash to cross the road again, then turned her loose when we got back on Alimar. I was thrilled with how she and Phin behaved!

4.11 miles, 672 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average pace, 30F real feel




I got Raven out for a bit of in hand work today, as I went around and pulled the reflectors I used to mark holes. He was also very good.










Tomorrow, I hope to get a bit more saddle time, then it will be time to focus on getting the trailer ready.


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## frlsgirl

What’s is “modified”? We got terrible mud in Oklahoma right now as well. 

Way to multi task and utilize training opportunities!


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## phantomhorse13

frlsgirl said:


> What’s is “modified”?


It's small stones (size 2B if you know about stone) and some specific kind of dirt that will pack down very firmly. DH has found that works the best to make solid ground that doesn't disappear into the mud yet bother the horses' feet.


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## QueenofFrance08

Maybe Windsor will want to do some endurance? Tell him you know of another Paint who likes it! He sure is cute!!!

I'm going to have to look into purchasing "modified" since our whole world is a muddy slop right now. I would love to put more dirt/gravel/better footing down on the top of the pasture where everyone hangs out!

Jealous to see your trailer out. DH was able to dig down to ours to see what replacement piece we need for the awning (since we've been using the ******* bungee cord method of keeping the leg attached since the bracket flew off while driving down the freeway last year) so there is hope!


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> Maybe Windsor will want to do some endurance? Tell him you know of another Paint who likes it! He sure is cute!!!
> 
> I'm going to have to look into purchasing "modified" since our whole world is a muddy slop right now. I would love to put more dirt/gravel/better footing down on the top of the pasture where everyone hangs out!


While Windsor might not mind some distance, my SIL has no interest at all. I don't mind as she does do up to 10ish mile rides, which will be more than enough to get Raven and Link going!


DH says any quarry should know what modified is, so if you have one around you can always call and ask. It's made a huge difference in our hang-out areas!


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## Spanish Rider

@phantom , with all that machinery around, you need to start running desensitization clinics! And then Kestrel could start running circles around the horses, and Sultan, George and Phin running and braying up and down the fence, and KABLAMO! Bomb-proof horses.

Wish your DH were here to be able to help us decide on what to do with a certain area of our back yard. We've been debating between gravel and decomposed granite for years. As a result, of course, nothing has been done!


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## PoptartShop

Windsor is very handsome! Glad that worked out well, Raven and Link will definitely gain confidence with him. And YAY, how exciting!  So happy to see the snow has melted. Sounds like you had a great ride, and Raven is doing well also! Love it! Kestrel probably loves all the exploring! <3


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## phantomhorse13

Spanish Rider said:


> with all that machinery around, you need to start running desensitization clinics! And then Kestrel could start running circles around the horses, and Sultan, George and Phin running and braying up and down the fence, and KABLAMO! Bomb-proof horses.


Yeah that is a thought! However when people ask me why hasn't it worked for MY horses, not sure what I would tell them. :rofl:


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## QueenofFrance08

Whatever do you mean? Your horses are fine as long as there aren't any purple flowers!!!!!!!

DH and his buddies often target practice with their guns in the field in front of the house (not in any direction of my babies!) so my horses are all really desensitized to guns (plus the neighbors constantly shoot guns and even blow up tannerite). Really comes in handy for our fall rides when they forget to tell us it is hunting season, only problem is I'm not desensitized to guns so when they go off I get jumpy and then make the horses jumpy...... I guess I need to send myself to a desensitization clinic!


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## phantomhorse13

Last week, DH and I went to New Jersey for our first ride of the season. The weekend was.. interesting - like the chinese curse interesting.

A big Nor'easter had moved in Thursday, dumping a lot of rain and bringing strong winds. It was forecast to move out overnight, yet we left early Friday morning with wet snow falling. By the time we got 20 minutes down the interstate, the road looked like this:










Before long it was sticking to the road, and DH asked one another if this ride was really worth it, or should we turn around and go home. Knowing (hoping?) things would improve the further south we went, we pressed on. After about an hour, the snow turned to rain, which was miserable but less scary.

We got to ride camp and were the first people there, as always. We got our normal parking spot, which was even nicer this year as it meant the trailer would block a lot of the wind, giving the horses some protection. The rain was still falling (well, blowing sideways) and a check of radar showed the storm track must have shifted, as the rain was nowhere near ending. On went the raingear and we got the electric pens set up. I was not pleased to find that despite the charger working just fine, it was not making the fence tape actually hot. We assumed the water running down the poles was shorting everything out, so nothing we could do about it until the weather cleared. Luckily (?), the wind blowing the tape had the attention of both horses, so neither one attempted to test the fence, let alone push through it!

As we were setting up outside stuff, we could hear the LQ heat going off and on repeatedly - something it shouldn't have been doing. After getting the horses settled, we turned our attention to inside stuff and realized the heat was not working - the blower was cycling over and over again, but the heat was never actually firing. DH had checked it two days earlier and it had been just fine, so he had some choice words to say!

Of course the access to the heater is outside, and of course it was on the side of the trailer getting the full force of the wind and rain. I can't imagine how silly we looked, huddled against the side of the trailer in all our raingear, my trying to hold a tarp up to cover DH while he pulled things out of the very small access space and feeling like I might be airborne at any moment. For an hour DH (who owns a HVAC business) went over the system and couldn't find any obvious issue. At least in that time it finally stopped raining, so I was able to put the somewhat shredded tarp away. The winds didn't abate though, staying steady at 25-30mph with gusts as high as 50.


















I have never heard DH use so much bad language. I think he took apart the entire system. Meanwhile, I was keeping a close eye on the horses, as with every gust of wind I was expecting Phin to panic and go through the fence. Apparently the fence is scarier than the wind though, as he certainly did some starling and pacing, but he never got anywhere near the fence. George was much less worried and once I brought out the good ride hay, he was happy to ignore the weather and eat. Phin did settle down some as well with the good hay in front of him.

After the second hour of heater deconstruction, DH found a small valve that had a bit of crusty yuck on it. He cleaned it out and reinstalled everything.. no change. Shiitake. We knew the forecast was to get down near freezing outright, with the insane winds taking the real feels into the teens. We again discussed going home, as we worried about the trailer freezing up overnight and causing even more problems. I also wondered what the h#ll I had been thinking, bringing Phin to a ride when I knew the wind was forecast to be terrible..

Other people started rolling in and setting up their camps. While the wind didn't abate, the sun did start peeking out. I got a call from Nicole saying she was not going to make it, as her dog was not doing well (he has a heart condition). The next person into camp took the spot I had been saving for her, and her horse being there and unconcerned helped Phin settle. At that point, DH started putting the heat back together for the third time. As he was putting the screw that held the control board in, the heat suddenly fired. When DH tightened the screw all the way, it turned off. When he loosened it again, the heat fired. No wonder DH wasn't able to find any obvious problem, as a bad control board doesn't necessarily look broken visually. But we were thrilled to find a temporary fix and to have heat!!

We got registered - George in the 50 and Phin in the 30 - and took the boys up to vet. Luckily, the trees blocked the worst of the blowing sand in the vet area. Both boys vetted in without issue. Phin was very animated in his trot out, which got some comments from the people standing around. We tacked up and went out for a pre-ride at that point. Phin was still on high alert, but he behaved much better under saddle than I expected. When we got done and put them back in the pens, Phin seemed much less worried about everything, which was a big relief to me.










We spent the rest of the afternoon getting things ready for the following day. The dogs were in and out briefly, but mostly did this:










I didn't get much sleep Friday night, as the wind gusts actually got worse. You could hear the roar approaching from the distance, then the trailer would rock hard. I kept the window shade open so I could look out and assure myself Phin was still in the pen (we put glow bracelets on their halters overnight, so they are easy to locate even in the dark).

In the morning, I decided I was going to tack Phin up with George even though we didn't start for another hour, as I had no idea how Phin would be when George left camp. It was still insanely windy, with real feels in the teens.










DH and George went on their way and I decided to handwalk Phin around camp until all the 50s had left the area.










I was pleased (and surprised, to be honest) that Phin was not really any more excited at George being gone than he was when George was around! By the time we made a loop of camp, he was still looking around but was no longer calling. I got back to our camp and put him back in the pen. He did some pacing, but nothing frantic, and he even grabbed bites of food as he went around.










Since Nicole wasn't going to make it, I asked another friend if we could start together and see how our boys did. Kate and her mustang Fez are seasoned CTR competitors, so I knew Fez would be a good influence. Kate wasn't interested in racing as Fez was also coming back off an injury that had him out all last year. We walked a couple laps around camp to let the front runners get out of sight, then moseyed out of camp. I was thrilled that Phin went out on a loose rein!










Jersey rides are in the Pine Barrens, which means sand and pine trees. This particular ride also takes us around and across cranberry bogs. The wind was incredible, but the bogs were beautiful as always.










Phin was up but controllable for the first 15 mile loop. Fez didn't mind him going first and I think his being there helped Phin's confidence and certainly helped keep his pace reasonable.










After the first couple miles, we were able to find a space where we couldn't see horses in front or behind. The boys settled into a nice pace and the miles flew by. Fez was an excellent influence in terms of eating and drinking, and as always Phin was monkey see, monkey do. There is a lovely watering hole in one of the cranberry bogs, which we took advantage. Phin drank well despite the wind.










to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

We came back into camp and walked right into the vet area, where both horses were pulsed down. Both vetted through without issue. I decided to take Phin back to the trailer for the hold, hoping to teach him continued independence (Fez stayed in the hold area). I wasn't sure what to expect from taking Phin away, but I figured if he was that bad I would just pick up his pan and go over with Fez. Happy to report Phin found his Big Boy pants and was able to stay at the trailer all by himself! He did call and pace a bit, but he ate as well.










Because I was so busy watching Phin to make sure he stayed in the pen and was eating, I didn't have much time to take care of me. Normally, I drink a protein shake right away and then slowly nibble on solid food and drink small amounts of water throughout the rest of the hold. I knew I wasn't going to have time to do that, so instead I drank two protein drinks.. it seemed like a good idea at the time.

All too soon, our hold time was up and I was back on Phin. He was very happy to see Fez, but was content to again mosey out of camp even though he could see horses in front of him.










The second loop was also 15 miles, but it was not the same as the first loop. This loop had a lot more open road. We could occasionally see the riders in front of us, but Phin didn't get race brained. I could have shouted for joy when the horses in front of us balked at a sluice crossing and Phin went around them and into the water with only the briefest hesitation (see 3:34 in the video below)!! And then he didn't care at all when they passed us a moment or two later and disappeared into the distance.










This loop had some moguls, which are never much fun to ride IMO. However, Phin was paying attention and he got through them without a single stumble. I, however, realized that my stomach was not happy with me and I was feeling quite nauseous by the end of all that up and down. Goes to show that if one shake is good, two is not necessarily better! :frown_color:










I was glad the horses felt great and I managed to not vomit despite my roiling stomach. We took advantage of the good footing and got some nice canters.










When we got back to camp, we untacked the horses and walked right to the vetting. Both horses were pulsed down. Phin and Fez both passed the vet check with flying colors. Completion!!! 

Phin yet again displayed his Big Boy Pants, as I took him back to the trailer, blanketed him, and tossed him back into the pen. He called and paced a bit, but decided the food was pretty interesting too and made sure to pause and eat frequently.

























George came in to finish about an hour after we did. I had been puttering around outside cleaning things up and keeping an eye on Phin and thank goodness my stomach finally settled. George looked great and vetted through easily - even with DH taking him while I stayed back at the trailer with Phin. Big Boy pants for everyone!! DH rode with a couple friends all day and they finished 3, 4, 5 with DH being his normal self and letting them finish ahead of him. I suggested he stand for BC, but DH was feeling pretty sore and didn't want to be bothered.

After getting George settled, DH and I went up for a late lunch and awards. I decided to bring Kestrel, though wasn't sure how crazy she would be after being in the crate a good portion of the day. She was a rockstar, behaving herself even when someone else's dog came over and tried to pick a fight (which I put an end to very quickly - who brings a dog aggressive dog to a meeting and sits right by the door?!)










NJTRA always has amazing food and super nice completion awards and this year was no different. That chair was DH's top 10 award and it's even embroidered!










After awards, the same friend who took pictures of Kestrel at the last Jersey ride asked if I would be willing to model for him, as he had a new lens he was testing out. Twist my arm!!




















We gave the boys a bit of time to rest, then packed up and headed for home. About an hour into the trip, suddenly a bad smell filled the truck. I hadn't seen or heard any movement from the dogs, but turned around to look for the source of the smell.. Katie had vomited all over - including literally all over Kestrel!!  As I was squawking in horror, DH made a comment about having seeing Katie eating some of the dropped horse feed, which he knows makes her sick.. ugh!!

So we pulled into the next rest stop and hooked the hose up to the water tank and gave the poor dog a bath. It was still windy and not even close to warm, but I just couldn't leave her that way. We changed out the messy dog beds (making sure to put the stinky ones back with all the yucky horse stuff) and got back on the road. Kestrel was so worried she crawled up front and into my lap and rode the rest of the way home there.

Somehow, that was a fitting end to a can't-make-this-shiitake-up weekend!


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## QueenofFrance08

Oh man you're right I can't believe the whole story!!!!

Poor pukey puppy! Last time DH brought Emma to work she had a stinky accident in the back of the truck on the way home so he had to stop at his parents and clean her and the truck up so I understand your pain! 

I need to remember the glowstick on the halter at night thing! I'm always trying to look out the window and make sure they're still there. We don't have shades on our windows in the trailer so I can always look out. 

Soooo glad Phin was such a good boy on his first ride back, fingers crossed Stitch remembers her manners next month just the same! I'm sure we're going to have to have another lesson on how not to wiggle for the vets GRR!

What's the next ride on the calendar?


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## knightrider

What an adventure! And you always have a smile on your face! I am so impressed with your tenacity. Yay for Phin handling everything so well! Yay for George making top 10!


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> What's the next ride on the calendar?


I should be in Florida right now, for the last ride of the season down there.. but we are going on vacation instead. We leave early Sunday and get back late Thursday. The next ride up here is Saturday.. so it's just too tight to even think about going. Seems silly to whine about missing rides because of vacation, but part of me wishes the dates had worked out better (the trip is a work-related thing for DH and we are not in charge of picking dates). So next ride for us will be the third weekend in April - No Frills, the first leg of the OD triple crown series.




knightrider said:


> What an adventure! And you always have a smile on your face!


Smile, grimace.. I am always making some kind of face. :wink:


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## Spanish Rider

Wow, the screeching wind crossing that causeway just about said it all. I don't consider myself a wuss, but that might have been a bit too much for me.

Hooray for PHIN! Look at him taking the lead through the water! But, wait… where are we at now? Obviously recovered, but will you be doing over-30 distances with him?

And that photo with Kestrel is just perfect. Would not want to see the "after" pic, though. Poor baby.


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## PoptartShop

Geeze, that does look pretty scary, the road. :O Good for you guys for braving it! Glad the horses didn't test the fence, whew! Sounds like an adventure for sure!! I agree, you always have a smile on your face!!! Love it! Phin looks great! What a good boy. What a beautiful ride...look at that water! Just beautiful! Love the video. Ugh it looks so fun!! Wahoooo for big boy pants! :lol: Kestrel is so adorable. Great pictures!


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## phantomhorse13

I have gotten some saddle time this week, between trying to clean up after the weekend and getting ready for our trip this weekend.

Monday, I finally got to ride with Nicole! We took Polo and Hombre out and did the big loop.









All of the ice was finally gone, though of course that meant mud had taken it's place.










Polo was very good for me, but Hombre was a bit of a jerk for Nicole. 










10.22 miles, 603 feet of climb, 6.2 mph average pace, 32F real feel


Yesterday, I got out with Gina. That was the first she's ridden since October!! I rode Amish, who was full of himself after so much time off. 









We moseyed up the Tomhicken as the ice has finally cleared. I was thrilled there were no new trees down so the trails were open.










7.24 miles, 1221 feet of climb, 3.7 mph average pace, 38F real feel


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## SueC

I found this so apt that I thought you might like it for Dream. I think it works very well for horses.





 
_I remember a meadow one morning in May
With a sky full of dreams that sailed in that day
I was dancing through green waves of grass like the sea
For a moment in time I could feel I was free

There are waves of forgiveness and waves of regret
And the first waves of true love I'll never forget
In the meadow that morning as I wandered alone
There were green waves of yearning for life
Still unknown

Take me home to the meadow that cradles my heart
Where the waves reach as far as you can see
Take me home to the meadow we've been too long apart
I can still hear you calling for me

Take me home to the meadow that cradles my heart
Where the waves reach as far as you can see
Take me home to the meadow we've been too long apart
I can still hear you calling for me

What I'd give to remember that heavenly state
Just a moment in time all mine to create
As I'm taking my last breath, I know what I'll see
There'll be green waves forever out there waiting for me

Take me home to the meadow that cradles my heart
Where the waves reach as far as you can see
Take me home to the meadow we've been too long apart
I can still hear you calling for me_


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## phantomhorse13

@SueC : that is lovely and brought tears to my eyes. thank you for thinking of Dream. 





Its been a crazy 10 days. DH and I had a blast on vacation. I got asked to catch ride at Foxcatcher (you know, that ride too close to returning from vaca for us to reasonably make).. and as I expected, it was _not_ very reasonable but it _was_ a ton of fun. We found out yesterday the fencing we expected to go in next month is now being started Friday, so that caused additional panic as we haven't done all the necessary prep yet! 



I will hopefully have a real update some time this week..


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## phantomhorse13

We got home from vacation about 11am on Friday. I literally unpacked my suitcase and then repacked with ride stuff (as well as tossing sleeping bags etc into my car). I was on the road to Maryland by 1pm! The farther south I got, the cloudier the sky got. By the time I arrived at camp, a soft rain was falling. I met Jaime, her DH Dan, and the horses we would be riding. We went on a brief (drippy) pre-ride so Lucerno and I could get acquainted and make sure my stirrups were adjusted properly. [Lucerno was bred by the Arab farm I worked at a million years ago, so I knew both his parents.] We got done just in time for dinner and the ride meeting. After eating, we got the last few things organized, put heavy blankets on the horses, and then I crawled into my car to sleep (using two sleeping bags).

The rain continued off and on all night, but luckily it was never heavy. It stopped about 3am, but was still threatening as we tacked up and got ready. It was also fairly chilly, with temps in the 40s but feeling much worse due to a damp breeze.










Foxcatcher takes place in the Fair Hill equestrian center, so the trails are very well maintained. I was thrilled to find the rain had not been enough to disturb the footing in most places. We started behind the main pack, as there is a lot of open space to encourage race brain.










Jaime had expected Lucerno to just tuck behind Errow, but he really wanted to be in the lead. After a small discussion about speed, he settled down and was forward without being silly. I was pleased how brave he was - trusting me even when faced with some pretty crazy things on trail:










The first loop is 25 miles, but there is a 10 minute stop-and-go in the middle. The first 13 miles flew by as the horses felt great. We found a nice gap where we didn't see horses in front or behind us, so we were even able to stop and play tourist in a couple places (Jaime is from southern North Carolina, so she and the horses had never been to Fair Hill before).










We got into the stop-and-go where Dan met us with snacks for the horses. After eating the grain off the stop of the mash, they decided the grass was delicious. Jaime and I each shed a layer, trotted the horses out for the vets, and were soon back out on trail.










Fair Hill's trail system has a variety of novel elements. Lucerno was not very impressed with the bridges that took us over a busy road, as he was convinced the cars were going to hit us. So I did my best to time our crossing for when cars weren't going under us.










There are also fun single track trails, which are my favorite.










Trout season had just started, so there were lots of people out fishing - that made crossing some of the bridges interesting, as the horses were looking for trolls.










We got into the first hold, dropped tack, and vetted the horses right through. They both pulsed without issue, though Errow was showing a bit of back soreness. They were happy to chow down and Dan was excellent crew.










Jaime and I swapped saddles for the next loop, as she was hoping the enduro-seat Freeform would help with Errow's back. That meant I got the dressage Freeform. The seat was fine, but for some reason one of the stirrup leathers kept bunching up and I could feel it against my right shin. I figured I could suck it up and deal with it for the next 13 mile loop.










Lucerno was less enthusiastic this loop, as he has mostly done LDs. But he was a good boy and went on when I asked, even when faced with scary obstacles.










By the middle of that loop, the sun was out full force and it was getting quite warm. There were also lots of other facility users (bikers, hikers, lots of barking dogs - even a wedding!), so being alone on the single track trails was a nice break.










to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

We got into the second hold and again went right to the vetting after dropping tack. Both horses vetted without issue and Errow's back showed no reactivity. There was much sponging and eating during the hold. Knowing I was going to keep using the dressage saddle since Errow's back was better with the other, I changed my half chaps hoping that would make a difference.










We went out on the last 11 mile loop. Unfortunately, changing my half chaps made no difference. Lucerno was less enthused about leaving camp, so Errow got to take the lead some.










We did have some issues with the gravel roads, as the horses were only shod up front. Rides down south are mostly sand, so Jaime hadn't thought about them maybe being ouchy from the roads. We got off to the side as much as we could, but some places that just wasn't possible.










Lucerno spent the whole loop telling me I was an idiot every time we turned away from the direction of camp, which I thought was pretty funny. I don't think he shared my amusement though.










The last loop seemed long, between my shin being aggravated and having to walk all the roads. It did have some fun distractions though.










Lucerno never did like the bridge crossing the busy road, but he did go across it the last time without any scooting, even when a car passed under.










We got back into camp about an hour before cutoff, but taking our time on the gravel resulted in two completions!
























:cowboy:


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## Spanish Rider

Wow, that course had it all! If the bridges, traffic and culverts weren't enough, that scaffolding would have put many a horse over the edge. Definite air-vest ride. Lucerno did such an awesome job - I am sure he was quite confident in his rider.

Dumb question: don't you have any trouble seeing those flags?


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## phantomhorse13

Spanish Rider said:


> Dumb question: don't you have any trouble seeing those flags?


A lot depends on the color choice and the angle of the sun. First thing in the morning, riding into the sun, just about anything can be hard to see. The color green would not be ideal for this setting, but the orange, yellow, and pink tends to stand out most places. In general, this course is always marked well because some people fly - and the faster you expect people to be going, the more frequent your markers need to be. With us riding towards the back, you can generally find hoofprints to follow if you get confused (just have to hope everyone else chose correctly!).


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## phantomhorse13

I have gotten some horsey time that hasn't made it to my journal yet.

Before vacation, I kept hoping the ground would improve enough to get on Raven but momma nature had other ideas. I did get him out for some walks with Kestrel, which was better than nothing. He was generally on his toes due to the raging wind, but seemed happy to be out. 










I also took advantage of the truck and trailer being hooked up while I cleaned up post-ride to work with loading. He was very suspicious to start with, but I used his stomach to my advantage and he soon learned that cookies were waiting for him in the manger! I had him following me into the trailer after the first session, which lasted about 10 minutes. This was the result of the next 10 minute session the next day:






Next, I need to start working with him and the two horse trailer (and wouldn't be bad to give Phin a refresher course either)..


Monday, the dentist came out to do Raven. I have no idea if he's ever had dental care in the past, so was worried about what he would find. I was thrilled that Raven did not need sedation, though he looked very perplexed about what was happening.










No surprise he had some nasty sharp points, but overall the dentist said his mouth was really nice. I will be interested to see if this changes Raven's mouthing of the bit. The dentist suggested giving him a bit of time to heal the cheek lesions, so I haven't bridled him post-dental yet.


After the dentist left, it was saddle time! I was expecting Phin to be silly, as he'd been off for two weeks and it was breezy, but the warm snap was in my favor. So was climbing the Sugarloaf. :wink:










When we got to the top however, Phin was on high alert as _something had eaten the trees_. And who was I to say that something wasn't still around?!










Phin did a lot of snorting and eye-rolling, but he did manage to continue down the trail without being eaten. When we got down to the bottom field, we could hear the chainsaw in the distance. How funny that going out, he had been walking that section his normal 3 mph, but with the help of the chainsaw and heading towards home, he managed 4.3 mph! :lol:

He was walking though, not jigging, so I let him march on. Once home, we did the normal yard tour and found the first flowers of the season!










5.01 miles, 994 feet of climb, 4.3 mph average pace, 70F real feel


The weather was warm enough, I dragged the house out of the garage to spray him off. Then, he got to stand at the patience tree for a bit. What is worse than the patience tree? The patience tree _and_ a border collie trying to entice you to play!! :rofl:










Somehow, Phin survived while I got George tacked up. Phin went bucking and squealing around the paddock after I turned him out, so his opinion was very clear!


I took Kestrel out with George, who was totally unenthused to be working in the warmth. Kestrel was not subdued at all though!










It was quite warm, so we did all the climbing at a walk and didn't go all the way to the top. George did his best to ignore the dog, but he should have been thanking her for the modified workout.










5.04 miles, 911 feet of climb, 4.1 mph average pace, 72F real feel

George also got hosed off, much to his displeasure. Instead of bucking and running, he fell to the ground the instant the halter was off in an attempt to return all the filth I had removed. :icon_rolleyes:


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## phantomhorse13

Wednesday, I got the boys out again. The temperature had dropped 20 degrees and it was quite windy, so I expected Phin to be on his toes. He was, but in a controllable way. We went around the fields and then around to the backside of the Sugarloaf.










Phin wanted to yeehaw, so I let him move out a bit up the climb. We jumped tons of deer, but he didn't react to them beyond a mild startle.










I did have to laugh when we got over near where the logging had happened, as he was watching very hard for the Tree Eating monster..










8.03 miles, 929 feet of climb, 6.0 mph average pace, 45F real feel


Next up was George. He was also feeling mighty fine, so we did a lot of cantering.










George was super looky and I never could figure out what he was seeing. Here there was apparently a pokemon in the bushes..










We left out a loop on the farm and instead came home to grab Kestrel and do a loop around Alimar. I expected George to use the dog as an excuse to spook, but he was on his best behavior.










9.01 miles, 1007 feet of climb, 6.5 mph average pace, 48F real feel


Yesterday, I got Phin out to walk Kestrel. Winter was back with cloudy skies and raging cold wind. Phin disapproved of the tree farm balling trees.










We returned home to find the fence work had started!










3.69 miles, 293 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 31F real feel


After the ride, I went out to shut off the paddock closet to the work. Kestrel came along and took an interest in the jolly ball. Link came over to play, too. I wasn't sure what to expect to start, but after a moment it was clear they were both having a blast.


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## PoptartShop

HEY! You were in my neck of the woods! LOL, I love FH!!!   It looks like you had an amazing time. So nice! Those tunnels are fun. The gravel areas can be a pain, I usually have to put trail boots on Promise (she's barefoot), I try to avoid those trails though lol. Exactly, you can't avoid it on some parts!

Glad you got the boys out & Phin was pretty chill despite the wind! :lol: LOL he didn't see any Pokemon this time I guess! Bahaha, is Kestrel in mid-air in that picture?! :rofl: That is just adorable!


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## QueenofFrance08

Love the Link and Kestrel photo! We need more Link pictures!

Funny flag story: they use ribbons at our rides instead of flags so things get creative. Last year on our most ill fated ride we had several "half candy cane ribbon/half pink polka dot" loops!


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## phantomhorse13

PoptartShop said:


> HEY! You were in my neck of the woods! LOL, I love FH!!! Bahaha, is Kestrel in mid-air in that picture?!


Part of me wished I had tried to contact you, but everything was so rushed I wouldn't have had any time to visit anyway. And yes, Kestrel is airborne in that pic. 




QueenofFrance08 said:


> Last year on our most ill fated ride we had several "half candy cane ribbon/half pink polka dot" loops!


My most amusing ribbon story was a ride manager using cut up chunks of "CAUTION" tape after part of the trail was sabotaged and she didn't have any more normal ribbon!


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## phantomhorse13

The end of this week has been a fun one at our place!

Tuesday:










Wednesday:



















Thursday:



























:happydance:

Friday, I did a major overhaul of the tack room, as I will soon need 4 active sets of tack:










Saturday, I went for a ride with Gina. I took the new horse, Windsor (a teenage paint gelding that Gina and Nik co-own). He is supposed to be a been there, done that horse, but we wanted to make sure before Nik (an intermediate rider who has been away from horses for 10 years) took him out. Windsor was fussy about the mounting block (would back up as soon as you stepped on it). After 5 minutes of work and a handful of cookies, he decided the mounting block wasn't so bad after all. He was a bit unenthused leaving the barn (I made him go first), but nothing terrible. 










I am just as interested in his behavior as his new owners, as I hope he will be the babysitter for Raven and Link once they get going!










We went and did the Big Square, which was uneventful as the biting dog was tied up (thank goodness). Windsor did very well.










5.79 miles, 533 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 70F real feel


When I got home, DH and I did some yard work. Kestrel helped for a bit.. then found her own entertainment:






Needless to say, a bath got added to the list of chores!! :rofl:


Today, I took Phin out with Gina, Giselle, Nik and Windsor. We did the same route as yesterday so there would be no surprises!










We saw some kayakers on the creek (you can just make out a blue boat at about 11 o'clock):










Windsor was a bit fussy a couple times, but I think he was just testing Nik. She didn't let him get away with refusing or turning for home, so it was overall a pleasant ride.










6.74 miles, 570 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 60F real feel


Tomorrow the farrier and the chiropractor are coming (as well as a bunch of rain), so going to be a busy and soggy day.


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## SueC

:rofl: Your dog! Does she like to roll in runny manure and roadkill as well? Ours does... :shock: ...although she does it less since I've been following that stuff up with the hose and shampoo! Hee hee!

That looks like a busy time! This week, I'm hoping to get a lot of the drainage done that we were supposed to put in last year (but I broke my foot). This is so we don't have to wear Wellington boots to get into our shed after rain. :Angel: The gravel has just arrived, and I'm about to go out and start digging. Thank goodness for iPods!  And after seeing your tack room, I am actually inspired to clean mine - it's due...

Have a great week! :charge:


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## Celeste

@phantomhorse13 You don't have a tack room. You have a tack castle! I love it!
My tack shed is big enough to hold a couple of saddles and bridles. I have considerably more in there...........


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## PoptartShop

Ooooh! Looks like everything is coming together!  It's amazing what you can get done when we have decent weather! :lol:
Beautiful rides! It's great you get to ride all these different horses! Kestrel is so silly, LOL, is she trying to be like the horses?!
Love the tack room!!


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## Spanish Rider

Ooooh… "tack castle" sounds so cool!


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## SueC

It may sound even more grand in French: Château du Tacque? ...I'm sorry, clearly I don't speak French and have no idea how to translate "tack"...


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## phantomhorse13

Last Thursday, DH and I headed down to Virginia for the No Frills, the first leg of the Old Dominion Triple Crown. While the weather was fine when we left, the forecast for Friday was bad storms and heavy rain, so we yet again wondered what we were thinking as we loaded horses and got on the road.

We got set up and had plenty of time for socializing before registration and vetting. Both boys were enjoying the grass in their pens. We went on a brief pre-ride and both boys were on their best behavior.










Overnight, it clouded up but we were thrilled when the predicted rain was pushed back from starting around 7am to noon! Tacking up in the rain is depressing, so I was happy to avoid that. Phin was pretty chill tied to the trailer, which was nice to see. DH and I went our separate ways when we got on to warm up, as we planned to be going very different speeds.










I think Phin remembered Epic as they both were content together from they got together to warm up. Cathy and I let the main pack head out, then moseyed out of camp.










The first loop was 18 miles. It started on some nice gravel road. We had a bit of company when someone caught up to us, but they soon kept on going so we had a nice bubble. 










We soon turned off the road to start climbing. The horses settled in and Phin did a great job of paying attention to his feet. I was thrilled with the huge difference from the last time we'd done this ride (two years ago). As with any OD ride, rocks are a given!










Phin trucked along in the lead, setting a good pace without arguing about speed.










He was even able to maintain a trot down hill, navigating the rocks in stride!










We got into the first hold and walked right to the vetting. Both horses were pulsed down and vetted with all As. We then went up the hill to where the crew bags had been placed. They are arranged by number, so as expected, Phin was not near Epic (#379 is not near #356!). I was thrilled when he just dropped his head and started chowing down - he didn't care he was the only horse in that part of the field at all!










The next loop was 26 miles, though there was a hospitality checkpoint about halfway around. The sun was actually trying to peek out at times and it was getting quite warm. I changed to a sleeveless shirt fearing I would be overheated when it was time for the raincoat. 










The first half of this loop always seems very long, as there are some tough rocky climbs. But having Cathy to chat with helped the miles pass. Soon we were on some of the fun singletrack trail (and we were very happy to get here before the rain started).










to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

We made it to the hospitality spot and stopped for a few minutes to let the horses eat and relax. Just as we mounted back up, the rain started. On went the raincoat as the rain meant business.










While riding in the rain is never something that makes me happy, it was warm enough that I didn't mind all that much. While it rained steadily, we got lucky that most of the trail we were on was solid.










We couldn't believe it when the rain backed off to barely a drizzle as we came back into the hold area for the second time. We again walked right to the vetting and passed the check with no issues. Fearing the rain would start again any moment, I covered Phin with a sheet, but was thrilled that it was not necessary. Again, Phin was all business in the hold, eating everything in sight.










The last loop was just under 10 miles and luckily the majority of it was on gravel road. It rained for a few minutes just after we left camp, then stopped.










The roads were still great footing despite the rain and it was still fairly warm (warm enough I was happy to take my raincoat back off, despite my lower half being soaked).










The boys knew they were heading back to camp and would have gone faster if we let them. We got back to camp, pulled tack, and went right to the vetting. Phin and Epic both looked great. Completions!!!










































DH and George had finished about an hour ahead of us, tying for 4th place. George looked great and DH looked tired. :wink: Cathy and I tied for 12th, which was much better than I had expected (22 started).

We had just enough time to settle the horses and get stuff cleaned up when the skies opened - and this time they meant it. It _poured_ rain, but we got super lucky that the storms went north of us (tornadoes included!). We didn't have a single bolt of lightning or clap of thunder, thank goodness. The rain ended about 9 pm after dropping about 3 inches of rain. Not good, but just north of us got double that amount!


Saturday morning was clear, though very humid. Duroc was surprisingly good to tack up and munched happily until it was time to mount up.










As always, we left camp at the very back of the pack. Duroc was on his toes but controllable for the first long climb up the gravel road, even with horses in front of him. We had a bit of a space bubble when we turned off into the woods, which was helpful in trying to get him to settle.










Unlike last year when I was able to let him go at his own pace, this year we had Brim along so needed to regulate the speed, especially on the uphills. That wasn't too bad when we were out of sight of any other horses.










to be continued:


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## phantomhorse13

part 3:

I knew our space bubble wouldn't last for long, and unfortunately we caught a big group on the ridge trail. We managed to find places to squeeze past until I had Duroc in the lead, which helped.










However, for whatever reason the first two riders in line let me pass but didn't let Lani by.. and Duroc was not pleased to not be able to see Brim. And the trail quickly turned ugly, so I had my hands full trying to keep Duroc focused on the trail.










Most of that 10 mile loop was a blur, as I was having a hard time keeping Duroc under control when he was apart from Brim. We finally got to some decent trail just before the hold, so having Brim there again helped.. but only so much.

The first time into the hold was just a 10 minute hold with a trot out, which both boys did no problem. We paused an extra few minutes to let the group we came in with go out ahead of us. Duroc was much happier leaving camp for the second 13 mile loop as it was just him and Brim.










Unfortunately, that didn't last long as someone on a green, just-gelded horse soon caught up. Lani, being the wonderful person she is, didn't mind when they hooked on behind Brim (who is of course used to being a babysitter). Duroc, however, HATED that horse's very existence. He was about to explode at any moment, and the middle section of that loop has a really nasty downhill section which all the rain had not made any nicer.

As if our new friend wasn't enough, two riders kept appearing in front of us, then hurrying to get away after they would look back and see us coming. That was pretty much the last straw for Duroc, who was such a handful that I couldn't even turn the camera on (so I have no footage or pictures of any of that section). This section was at the bottom of that long descent, when I didn't have to give all my attention to keeping Duroc at a walk so we stayed upright.










That trail dropped back out onto the fire road, which went back to camp. Yet again, we kept catching up to those riders, who would then gallop away at the sight of us. I think Duroc cantered sideways for a good 4 miles and I tried to keep him from outright bolting all the while worrying that the pace was cooking Brim (as it was much faster than we intended and very warm and humid).

We got into the hold and it took a bit of cooling to get Brimstone to make pulse. Duroc was still beside himself, but was fit enough that his fussing didn't affect his recovery. During the hold, I was happy to hand him over to a friend who was volunteering so I could take care of myself.










The final loop into camp was the gravel road and it started out well as the green horse had out-pulsed Brim, so went out ahead of us. We had a fairly peaceful couple miles until we caught up to that horse.










I was very happy to get back to camp, as Duroc wasn't a bit tired and was _not_ happy to have that horse back with us for the remaining miles. Yet again, he was just fine pulsing despite all his fussing but Brim took some cooling to make pulse.










Duroc was still feeling mighty fine during the final vetting, which he passed with all As.
















We managed to finish 10th, which was much faster than intended but the best I could manage considering the circumstances. Duroc didn't look like he had done a thing but I needed a nap!




























While I wish Duroc had been a bit less of a nut, honestly he's come a long way. Had the same thing happened two years ago or even last year, I am not sure that I would have been able to keep him under control for the group on the ridge, forget having that other horse with him most of the day.

I couldn't be more pleased with how Phin and George did. Overall, it was a fantastic weekend!!


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## QueenofFrance08

Sooooooo happy for you and Phin! Obviously George and your DH too, George is having a rockstar year! Is he (George) going to do a 100 this year?

You must have nerves of steel, I'm shaky just reading your story about Duroc! 

I can't believe your rocks! Those are insane! I'll have to take more videos of our trails this year but our rocky rides aren't anything compared to that and we have lameness pulls right and left.

1.5 more weeks till our first ride! Sooooo excited!


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> George is having a rockstar year! Is he (George) going to do a 100 this year?
> 
> You must have nerves of steel, I'm shaky just reading your story about Duroc!


As of right now, DH feels George has done all the 100s he needs to - he is 20 after all! Right now he plans to keep going with 50s and 75s as long as George is doing well. I think that is a good idea, especially as DH really doesn't ride between competitions.. which he can sort of get away with for 50s but is sure a different story for longer distances.


I really can't explain why Duroc's behavior doesn't bother me, as I can't imagine willingly dealing with it from any other horse. It sounds so cheesy-horse-movie to say we just click and I trust him despite his antics, but that really is how I feel. I guess we don't necessarily get wiser as we get older!! :dance-smiley05:



I look forward to hearing about your ride season and can't wait to get to meet you in August!!


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## carshon

I loved the videos - and the rocky trail looks fun (as in I would do it on a leisurely trail ride fun) I like those type of trails. And Phin in that photo of him trotting just looks spectacular. And his leg did not swell up after? 

I admire your stick to it with Duroc. He is getting better - and to be honest reading your honest posts about his bevaviour makes me feel better about my own horse and how she acts when others speed up around her and away from her.


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## Spanish Rider

The rocks I don't think I'd mind, because we have fairy rocky terrain here. But the edge of that hilltop, with the wind, steep slopes on either side, and then cables to dodge? Oh so many triggers!

I cannot believe that your body can handle not only a 55-mile ride on one day, but then another 30 miles the day after. INSANE!!!

Glad to see Phin doing so well.


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## phantomhorse13

carshon said:


> And his leg did not swell up after?
> 
> I admire your stick to it with Duroc. He is getting better - and to be honest reading your honest posts about his bevaviour makes me feel better about my own horse and how she acts


So far, Phin's leg has not changed an iota. Of course I am checking it every time I feed and any other time I happen to be in that paddock (or am near the paddock, or am thinking about his leg), as I will be paranoid for a while. I had my friend the communicator check in with him yesterday and his first comment was "tell her to stop looking at me!" :rofl: She confirmed he was doing just fine, his leg was just fine, he had no complaints about the saddle, and had only some minor muscle soreness (no surprise there as that was a tough ride). George also had no complaints beyond some muscle soreness. Phin and George both got baths yesterday as we hit 80 and the sun was out. They were clean for about 15 seconds upon being turned out, but at least now they are covered with fresh dirt.


I am glad people get something out of reading both the good and the bad in my journal. I hate people who try to gloss over the less than ideal stuff (which is so easy to do on social media), as nobody's horse (or life) is perfect.




Spanish Rider said:


> The rocks I don't think I'd mind, because we have fairy rocky terrain here. But the edge of that hilltop, with the wind, steep slopes on either side, and then cables to dodge? Oh so many triggers!
> 
> I cannot believe that your body can handle not only a 55-mile ride on one day, but then another 30 miles the day after.


I don't mind the OD trails as in general, you have a lot of things to potentially grab onto if for some reason you would slip off the edge (unlike many trails out west!). That is probably a silly thing to take comfort in, but whatever works!


I expected to feel worse after the rides, especially since Duroc was such a whole body workout. But I guess I must be doing something right as I felt pretty good in terms of muscle soreness. A big stupid on my part though involved sunscreen (or lack thereof).. I put some 30 on first thing in the morning like always, but not expecting to be sweating profusely due to bad behavior, I didn't send any out to the hold.. meaning I did not have any to reapply.. so I wound up fried - probably the worst sunburn I have ever had. THAT took several days to calm down. [email protected] :hide:


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## PoptartShop

Looks like you guys ROCKED it!!!  Sooo happy for you!!! Fantastic job. Love the videos & pictures. I agree about the rocks, wow! So many! So proud of Phin! I'd be dead after the first ride, you are amazing! Seriously, are you sore at all?! :lol: Sorry to hear about Durac, good for you for getting through it though. He is handsome!!


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## SueC

I loved the view from that big hill, @phantomhorse13!  Is Duroc less bouncy to ride at the trot than Phin? Just got that impression from the riding footage. Both horses are looking _fabulous_...


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## SueC

phantomhorse13 said:


> I am glad people get something out of reading both the good and the bad in my journal. I hate people who try to gloss over the less than ideal stuff (which is so easy to do on social media), as nobody's horse (or life) is perfect.


Yeah, exactly! I love that there are so many "real" people here on HF, who tell it like it is, instead of presenting heavily edited and airbrushed accounts of their experiences, and lives. This makes for real and valuable interactions from which we can all benefit, instead of the superficial pretence that's so much of social media which has little if any value for a reader. HF is the only social media I do; the atmosphere here is such a breath of fresh air.

Thanks for taking us all on your journey! :cowboy:


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## phantomhorse13

SueC said:


> Is Duroc less bouncy to ride at the trot than Phin?


Duroc is very comfortable! He is probably the least bouncy horse I ride. Phin is generally the bounciest, though when she is feeling animated, Fluffy may be worse because she's so much more powerful than Phin..


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## SueC

Yeah, when you were riding Duroc, the footage was super smooth, almost as if you two were skating!  I don't mind a bit of bounce though, as long as I'm wearing a suitable bra of course.  How did women ever ride before bras were invented? Or jog? Can't do either in corsets, I should think... would be asphyxia-inducing, not to mention sweaty... no wonder all those women of yore fainted...


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## phantomhorse13

SueC said:


> I love that there are so many "real" people here on HF, who tell it like it is, instead of presenting heavily edited and airbrushed accounts of their experiences, and lives. This makes for real and valuable interactions from which we can all benefit, instead of the superficial pretence that's so much of social media which has little if any value for a reader.


How ironic that we were speaking of this.. as the universe then presented me with a perfect opportunity to just happen to not mention a ride versus post about it. Hoping others will have some feedback..


Tuesday it wasn't raining, but it was insanely windy, so I got Raven out for a walk with Kestrel. Raven was quite jumpy, which was no surprise with the wind.










He was pretty good in the barn though, and the fact he's shedding like mad and therefore itchy I am sure helped.


Wednesday I had planned to get on him, but wound up needing to run for parts for DH instead. When the expected rain on Thursday was delayed until afternoon, I took the opportunity and grabbed Raven. Nicole had brought me his remodeled tack last week, so I finally got to try it on him (along with the pad I got at the used tack store):










I did a bit of groundwork in the yard, then got on. I was pleased that he was pretty relaxed, though he still does a lot of mouthing of the bit. As usual, I ignored the mouthing and tried to keep a soft contact (and was happy there was no head flinging).










We worked in the part of the yard closest to the other horses to start with, doing lots of bending around trees at the walk before moving on to the trot. He was quiet and willing, so I worked my way to the far side of the yard. He was more tense over there to start with, but soon settled down. I was actually just thinking about leaving the yard when he suddenly scooted around a bit - the fertilizer truck was coming up the edge of the driveway. I got him turned back around and let him look at it.










After it moved off into the field, we went back to circling around the trees until he settled down. When I heard it coming back again, we halted and watched it turn around and then drive away. Since I had been planning to leave the yard anyway, I used that as an opportunity to show him that chasing things made them go away.

We popped out of the trees at the edge of the yard and walked a short distance before the truck disappeared over the hill in the distance (I assumed heading towards the bottom fields). At that point, I had planned to walk down the upper woods path towards Alamar. Every step we took away from the yard, the more nervous he got. He wanted to jog, but when I asked for a walk he would halt instead. We eventually got about 100 yards in this jerky fashion when I realized the fertilizer truck was coming back. We stopped and turned to look.










When it continued to come towards us, I got off. I took the reins over his head and attached them to the halter. Brad (driving the truck) saw us and stopped, getting out of the truck to come over and chat. I figured that was a great opportunity for Raven to get closer to the truck without fear of it making any weird moves (it does fling stuff out the back after all). We walked over to about 3 feet from the truck, which was still running. Raven was nervous, but was willing to stretch out his nose to sniff at the truck as I stood there (between him and it).

After maybe a minute of standing and chatting, I was suddenly almost flung off my feet as Raven suddenly shot backwards and spun. I was not able to keep a hold of the reins (Brad said I was actually airborne) - Raven _galloped_ away. He headed back for the paddocks, but he wound up on the outside, so made a complete lap around the property, eventually stopping between the driveway and the catch paddock (where George and Link were shut in).

Raven let me walk up and catch him without incident, though he was in a full body sweat and breathing hard. We walked back in the direction of the truck and the closer we got, the more agitated he became. When Brad saw me with him, he went back to working in the fields. When the truck disappeared from sight, Raven finally dropped his head to eat. But as soon as the truck came back into sight, he was snorting and upset. I had intentionally gone about 50 feet from where I knew the truck would stop to turn around, but as the truck approached and Raven's eye were bugging out and he was jumping around, I feared I hadn't given him enough space. I turned him away from the truck and while he went, he was hopping sideways so he could keep an eye on the truck. When the truck turned and went back down the field, I turned and jogged him after it until it went out of sight. Once it was gone, he went back to eating. When it came back again, he was still near panic at its approach. So again a bit of groundwork, then chasing it as it went away. At that point, I wanted to end on what good note I could, so we turned and continued around the property in the opposite direction I expected the truck to go.

By the time we got around the paddocks and back to the barn, he was calmer. I untacked him in the barn, then took him back outside for a bit more groundwork. He was calm until the truck went down to do the fields below our paddocks, then he was back on high alert again. We worked in hand until the truck was done and went away, then I took him into the barn and groomed him and turned him out. He followed me after I took the halter off, asking for his face to be rubbed like always.

2.94 miles, 13 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 59F real feel


After finishing with him, I went out to mow the lawn. Raven hasn't seen the mower before, but he quickly made it clear he thought it was equally horrifying and galloped from one side of the catch paddock to the other as I mowed in that area (despite George quietly standing and eating hay beside the barn). After a few minutes, he finally stood in the middle of the paddock and stared, head up, eyes wide, and breathing hard. 

I have been thinking about what happened over and over again, knowing I had to have missed _something_ before he panicked. I have no idea what set him off, as nothing changed that I was aware of. I am so thankful I got off, but at the same time my being on the ground (and between him and the monster) apparently didn't bring him any comfort at all. I am totally frustrated and downhearted - if he is truly terrified being out of an enclosed space, how is he going to be an endurance horse? :frown_color:


I wasn't able to work him since, as Friday it stormed all day, Saturday we had things that needed to be done (and 30 mph winds anyway), and today it rained. We may get a break in the rain tomorrow..


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## knightrider

I'll bet you'll figure out the solution. Raven is such a nice horse and is coming along so well. Maybe it was just that one time? Hope so!


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## SwissMiss

Maybe his worry-cup simply ran over? Everything else before started to fill it up and the time standing close to the fertilizer truck gave it the rest?
I know, no helpful advice from my side. I hope you figure out the solution!


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## AnitaAnne

The good news is Raven looks absolutely gorgeous in his new tack! Plus neither of you were injured, a blessing. 

You must be feeling discouraged :hug: 

Maybe you are moving just a little too fast for him? He sounds like such a sweet boy, but maybe not very confident. He might need baby steps for a bit. Once he learns he could be really good.


Just a couple of ideas...


Could you Pony him off of George? Or even that new horse, Winston? 


Teach him to chase scary things, starting very small. Even chasing a ball or something. 


I don't know if it would work or not, but worth a try


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## gottatrot

I've had some "lose the person gallop home" events with all three of my horses, and think they can be overcome. For one thing, at an event there are other horses around to gain confidence from. It's more difficult to go out alone, in my opinion. Amore has always been spooky out alone, and did not have major spooking issues at rides. Also it seems Phin is spooky when out alone, right? I think with more exposure, Raven will learn that vehicles are not a big deal.


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## Celeste

Any horse that is interesting at age 12 is going to be quite the handful when younger. He is young. He is an Arab. 

Even if you put him up for a few weeks and start over, I think that he will be ok. 

I think that the idea of ponying him off of another (preferably sane) horse is a good idea. I also think that taking him on rides with another person riding a sane horse is a good idea.

I had a horse that was terrified of all traffic. I finally pastured her close to a highway and the problem worked itself out. Maybe you can get him used to seeing scary vehicles while he is happily eating. The mower might not scare him next time. I would get it out and drive it by the paddocks over and over. 

You can do this. Be careful though. I'm glad that you were not hurt.


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> Maybe you are moving just a little too fast for him? He sounds like such a sweet boy, but maybe not very confident. He might need baby steps for a bit. Could you Pony him off of George? Teach him to chase scary things, starting very small. Even chasing a ball or something.


This is what I did after the first time I tried to ride him in the hay field, when he first came.. went back to baby steps. 

I have been handwalking him with Kestrel frequently all winter (at least 3 times a week, sometimes daily depending on the weather), and over the same two loops (of about a mile each) close by our place. I was hoping being familiar with the route would help make him more comfortable. It hasn't. I did some ponying with George, again over the same route. While that seemed to help a bit on good days, on bad days Raven's worrying actually would get George upset..

I also started doing things like obstacles and have always played the chase the <whatever> game (much to the dismay of the local wildlife and the amusement of keith, bill and brad). I thought I saw improvement (like loading in the trailer or backing through doorways or passing under trees with blowing branches in the yard), but looking back I am wondering if I was getting actual improvement or if the food rewards I was using was masking the nervousness/distracting him.



gottatrot said:


> It's more difficult to go out alone, in my opinion. Amore has always been spooky out alone, and did not have major spooking issues at rides. Also it seems Phin is spooky when out alone, right?


I agree 100% that alone is harder. Phin and George are both spookier when out by themselves. But while both can be reactive, they aren't on high alert the entire time. The more I work with Raven out of the yard (and therefore out of sight of the others), the more I realize he is. And of course I do most of my training alone..



Celeste said:


> if you put him up for a few weeks and start over, I think that he will be ok.


This happened over the winter thanks to momma nature. He was having some issues when I was riding him back in the fall, which I wanted to make sure weren't physical. While I was still doing groundwork with him, he got a break of about 6 weeks from riding. After having the saddle fitter, the dentist, and the chiro/acupuncturist vet out for him during that time, I am pretty confident that this round of work he does not have anything physical causing problems (and none of those exams found any big issues, so I don't think they were the problem before either).



SwissMiss said:


> Maybe his worry-cup simply ran over? Everything else before started to fill it up and the time standing close to the fertilizer truck gave it the rest?


I think this is exactly what is happening. As I start looking back on things (and yes, I know hindsight is 20/20), I am seeing that where I thought he was accepting/learning that instead he was just internalizing.


I am going to post this before HF eats it, but will be posting about my last two rides next...


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, the ground was too wet to ride in the yard, so I decided to take Raven down to Gina's ring-in-progress. The footing is down and posts are in, but no fencing is up yet. The ring is right beside her barn, so on the normal route we take hand walking.

I went out to get Raven and found him enjoying a nap. I spent some time scratching on him, and had to laugh at Kestrel. She had found the jolly ball and was desperately trying to get someone, anyone to play:










It made me smile that Raven totally ignored her and the ball, as did George and Link (who were grazing nearby).

I brought Raven into the barn and he was antsy from the moment I snapped on the cross ties. He's been getting worse and worse with that, as now the others would rather be out eating grass versus following us up to the barn to supervise. While he never tests the ropes, he doesn't stand still for more than a moment either. 

I started out hand walking him down the upper woods path. The weather was sunny with only a light breeze, which was a nice change. Raven was alert as always, peering suspiciously at the trees and bushes . We worked on leading beside me and paying attention to me. I headed for the Terrible Pond (where he has not been before), as I wanted to try an experiment.

When we got to the edge of the trail, he was very worried about the water rushing under the bridge. I let him stand and look, but not turn around and face home. Every time he looked at the water, I praised him and scratched him and encouraged him to drop his head to eat. After a minute, he finally dropped his head. We then progressed a step at a time, from one bite of grass to the next, across the bridge. He got lots of praise for being so brave.

After letting him have a couple mouthfuls on the far side, I asked him to turn back towards home and walk. He went a couple steps then wanted to drop his head to eat. I asked him to keep his head up and keep walking. At that point, he noticed the Terrible Pond and leapt sideways. We went back a few steps and tried again. I had the same thing happen every time - unless I let him drop his head and eat his way past the scary thing.

So as I suspected, I haven't been teaching him to have more confidence and rewarding the learning - I have been distracting him with food or the anticipation of it! 










We continued on our walk, going back to the usual route. If he was thinking about all the yummy grass we were walking on, he was ok. If he wasn't, he was anxious. We completed that loop and went up to Alamar's ring. He was very interested in Giselle and Windsor, but also kept staring in the direction of home. I did a bit groundwork in the ring, then got on.

While he never did anything bad, I could never get him really focused on me for very long enough. Raven was chomping the bit and looking all around. When some vehicle-type noise started up in the distance, he kept looking in that direction. I did my best to ignore the chomping and try to get his focus back on me. We did lots of circles and figure 8s at the walk. 










I couldn't get a consistent pace and it was very hard to keep a soft contact as his head was all over the place (though he didn't do any flinging, so that was excellent). I moved on to trot hoping it might help him settle down. While he didn't get any worse, he didn't get any better either.















After about 20 minutes, I decided he was as relaxed as he was going to get. I pointed him out of the ring and down the airport strip. 










While he was happy to be going home, his ears were often going every which way and he was chomping at the bit. A couple times he wanted to break into a trot, but I insisted he walk. He passed the first couple puddles without issue, then started being more and more reactive to them.. by the time we got to our place (a 1/2 mile), he refused to stay on the road at all, instead wanting to go into the field to avoid being anywhere near the puddles. I rode him to the place we had the encounter with the fertilizer truck, praised him mightily for his bravery, then got off and let him graze for a bit.

When I got back into the yard, I again tried an experiment. Instead of going into the barn to untack, I stopped in the corner of the yard - where he couldn't see the other horses, but he was enclosed by fencing on two sides. He happily grazed while I took the tack off, then we went to the clothesline where again dropped his head to eat and didn't react at all to my pulling the line out and hanging the pad and girth (despite a lot of intentional flapping on my part).

3.2 miles, 156 feet of climb, 2.9 mph average pace, 51F real feel


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## egrogan

I am so interested to follow how you continue to approach the anxiety monsters with Raven. These are the moments when I wish we could just be granted the power to talk directly to our horses...


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## phantomhorse13

This morning, I worked with Raven again. Unlike yesterday, today I did not take him for a long handwalk to start - instead we went right to Alamar down the airport strip. He didn't react to a single puddle. I did a bit of groundwork in the ring before getting on. [I forgot to charge the helmetcam battery, so no video footage from today.]

Raven was slightly better in terms of concentration, but he was still hard to keep focused in the "ring" (and that despite a surprise sunny day with no wind, and no constant vehicle noise either). He even called out to Gina's horses a couple times, which he's never done before. We worked for about 20 minutes, then headed home down the airport strip. It was like Groundhog Day, as our journey through the Very Bad Puddles was almost exactly the same as yesterday's ride.

[I took pictures of the airport strip puddles last night when I walked Kestrel, hoping for some insight. So I am using those to illustrate today's narrative.] 

We left the ring and passed the first puddle almost immediately. Raven didn't react at all.









Next puddles were maybe 20 feet away. The one on the right got a sudden look down and startle as we passed it.









Next puddles were just past the trees in the above pic. They both earned a hairy eyeball and a body squirm each way.









The next ones were only a couple strides farther, and I needed strong leg and rein cues to keep him straight and walking (vs scooting forward).









A probably 1/4 mile break before the next ones. I did my best to get his focus back on me. I thought it had worked until the next puddle came into view and he immediately stopped dead, then backed up a couple steps, even though we were still probably 20 feet from them! A bit of encouragement got him squirming around, but he would not go down the middle of the road, instead he kept sitting back when I put my leg on and I was afraid he was going to go up. We detoured into the field on the right instead.









Next puddle got another dead halt, even though I was already squeezing with my legs and talking to him about it coming. Again forward down the middle was not happening, so we went around to the right.









This time he started eyeballing the tire tracks, so I just detoured into the field to the right in the hopes that keeping him moving would help calm him. He went, but needed probably 10 feet to do so.









This puddle was also horrifying, and even more so when I didn't let him go to the right. We had a discussion about left vs dancing in place or trying to scoot backwards, which thankfully resulted in finally going left.









Last set of puddles we detoured to the left around, though Raven would have preferred to go right. He at least kept moving forward, though we had to avoid the puddles by probably 15 feet.









That set of puddles was particularly frustrating, as just days before he was happily playing in them!






This time, I didn't get off in the field, but instead went into the yard. As soon as he got within the trees, he relaxed. I rode around in the far side of the yard (where you can't see the other horses) for about 5 minutes and had a calm, willing horse. I dismounted on the far side of the yard, but instead of going right back to the barn or untacking, we wandered around the yard - without eating - for a bit.











I just got off the phone with Nancy, my friend who is the animal communicator. I wanted to see what Raven had to say. I had not talked to Nancy at all this week, so she wasn't aware of all that had gone on with Raven. His first statement was "I don't think I can do what you want me to." Well doesn't that just sum it all up. :frown_color: We chatted a bit more, but all it did was confirm my fear - he is doing his best, but he feels totally overwhelmed when he is out in the open. It's not as bad with George there or me on the ground, but still scary.

I am super discouraged. I want a horse who is a willing partner, not one who feels overwhelmed by what I am asking him to do..


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## phantomhorse13

egrogan said:


> These are the moments when I wish we could just be granted the power to talk directly to our horses...


I wish that a lot of times, which is why Nancy is so often my go-to person. But I know not everyone goes for the woo woo stuff, and I never did before meeting her either.


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## egrogan

> I am super discouraged. I want a horse who is a willing partner, not one who feels overwhelmed by what I am asking him to do...



I just feel this with you so much. I think this about Fizz all the time. My solution-finding has to start with looking at me first, as my own riding issues are not helping her feel less overwhelmed. But let's assume I can get through my issues- will she still have issues she can't get through? We'll see.


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## AnitaAnne

This is so very interesting! I thank you for sharing your experience with us. 

If you want to hear my thoughts, here they are...

While watching the video of him trotting in circles, I saw him suck back a bit and thought "more leg!" He is not paying attention...

Make it harder for him, more trot, smaller circles, more forward. He is just prancing along. Lateral work, shoulder in or transitions within the gait. Anything to get him thinking. 

Those puddles are nothing, maybe an excuse to get out of the open. So let him go backwards or forwards, or sideways...but keep him on the path. 

Something you said really jumped out at me; You keep mentioning how well he does in the trees, and not out in the open. 

Could he be a horse that like the trails and not the flat??? My Chivas is a bit like that. He quiets down when we are on a trail, but on the flat he gets faster and faster. 

My percheron/Arab cross Baby was the opposite; horrible around trees! He would bolt from just one tree along a fence line. 

Could you take Raven (hopefully with another horse & rider) out on the trails? I think some hill work in the wooded areas might help his brain. 

He sounds like a worrier...You can fix this!


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## Tazzie

Ok, so this may be a way out there thing... but have you had his eyes checked? I find it incredibly odd that he wants to go to the right of everything, but not to the left. Which makes me wonder if his eyesight is better in his left eye as opposed to his right eye (put scary thing on his left, he can see it).

As for the riding, I'd be adding in transitions like there was no tomorrow. Walk, trot, walk, halt, etc. Get him thinking and listening to you as opposed to whatever else was going on. Maybe he only feels like he CAN'T do this right now because he hasn't calmed down enough to put his trust in you as his leader yet.

Just thoughts I was throwing out there. I do so badly want this to work out for you :sad:


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> He is not paying attention...
> 
> Make it harder for him, more trot, smaller circles, more forward. He is just prancing along. Lateral work, shoulder in or transitions within the gait. Anything to get him thinking.
> 
> Something you said really jumped out at me; You keep mentioning how well he does in the trees, and not out in the open.
> 
> He sounds like a worrier...


Raven is def a worrier, which is why he isn't paying attention to me. I have been trying to find things to help him focus, but he's not educated enough to the leg to have lateral work as an option at this point. Thus my trying to stick with basic figures and transitions. If he's worrying hard enough, just basic steering can be affected.

He does well in the trees _at home_, assuming it's not windy. I think he now sees them as part of the fencing to to speak. He is very suspicious of trees out on trail, as they may contain birds or moving leaves.




Tazzie said:


> have you had his eyes checked? I find it incredibly odd that he wants to go to the right of everything, but not to the left. Which makes me wonder if his eyesight is better in his left eye as opposed to his right eye


Oh I should have mentioned he wanted to go right at the turn because that way is the normal way home on the walks (also happens to be the direction away from where the truck encounter was). Out in the open, I think he prefers that way because birds are often in the cornfield on the left, versus nothing being in the field on the right.

I actually did have the vet check both his eyes when she was out for spring shots, just because I wanted to rule out vision issues for his reactivity about things moving out on trail. Both normal.


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## Tazzie

I figured you had checked, but wanted to double check! Maybe going back to a lot of ground work with obstacles (tarps, puddles, etc) and then graduate to actually trying to ride through it? That's what we've been doing with Diego on water crossings and the like. He rears if he doesn't want to do something, so we take it slow on the ground first. Though I know you've done a lot of it already.


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## Oreos Girl

Have you tested Raven for ulcers? Especially if he is a worrier. That may make him more reactive when riding too.


I like the idea of more ground work. Make him lunge thru those puddles. Let him start at what ever distance is comfortable and work your way closer.


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## PoptartShop

First off, don't feel too discouraged. You are pushing through this. You got this. I know it's frustrating though, especially when he won't really pay attention to you and he's a constant worrier. 

I agree though, he may need more groundwork than the others. He may naturally just be a more anxious kind of horse, and it may just take him longer to get accustomed to things (like...scary puddles!). Definitely do some groundstuff with him, obstacles, etc. like @Tazzie suggested. It sounds like to me he just needs to learn how to stay focused. Maybe taking him out with a confident horse (like George?) would help also.


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## carshon

@phantomhorse13 Raven is exactly like my husbands horse Belle. here is my theory- we purchased Belle in 2016 she had sat for over 8 years in the same pasture - same herd mates minimal human contact. We brought her home and she was extremely reactive- to absolutely everything! and I mean everything! It took her months to settle down here at home where she did not freak out if you walked around a corner or things like that. Then we started hauling her to a barn for lessons - they all had to be in the indoor - the outside was too much stimulation for her and she just could not handle it. After a lot of heart felt conversations with my husbands trainer on whether we should keep her or not it was just decided the even though she was 12yrs old that her mind was not that mature due to lack of stimulation while she was in field at her previous owners. We needed to take things really slow with her just like we would with a foal - small training sessions, baby steps. To be honest her first trail ride was a nail biter. She did better in the woods but the open areas of the park we were in were a lot and my husband walked many miles next to his horse trying to get her to calm down. We had to always remember that the world was a strange new place and that she was looking at it not with the curiosity of a foal but the skeptical prey side of an adult horse. Learning to trust my husband was a HUGE part of the process. His wonderful trainer did a lot of obstacle work in the arena with them where she had to look to him for cues on how to back (in hand at first) the L - how to walk the cowboy curtain- anything and everything was a trust building exercise. And I am happy to say that it paid off in spades. Belle still gets nervous or jumpy when things are out of place but she looks to her person to be the leader. She will never be a beginner safe horse - she will spin away from something unless her person gives her the confidence to get by it. 

I am sorry for the book - but I think Raven is exactly like Belle - being in a pasture for so long deprived him of any outside stimulus. He became Sheldon Cooper where everything has to be the same day in and day out - and anything out of place becomes overwhelming. You can fix that. You have the patience and skill to bring this horse along. He just needs to be told her is good enough and that he can do all of those things. and not just Raven but you can do this. Repeat everything a thousand times. Get him to where he looks to you first.

You can do this!!!!


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## egrogan

I thought of you and Raven this morning. While I was doing chores, the town guys were out with the road graders and various other equipment working out the mud ruts (for which I am extraordinarily grateful!). It didn't take too long for them to smooth out the road in front of our house. About an hour after that, I just had this sneaking suspicion that as soon as I started bringing the horses up to the barn, the guys were going to be coming back past the house on their way back to the town garage.

Sure enough, as soon as Maggie and I stepped foot on the road, I heard the grader coming back towards us, with all its lights flashing through the trees...something like this:









I thought Maggie might be hyperventilating next to me given all the snorts-snuffle-fluffle-blow sounds coming from her. To her credit though, she kept walking along and we took a slight detour through the front yard to avoid an encounter on the road. We survived with no issues, but I was definitely glad I had not been out riding and met that somewhere along the way!


----------



## gottatrot

carshon said:


> You have the patience and skill to bring this horse along.


You don't need my advice, but I've learned from the forum that there are more of these horses out there than people think, the ones that will stay "predictably unpredictable" even with experienced trainers and loads of experience. 

Of course you can help Raven a ton, but I wonder if you want to put in all the time and effort and special considerations he may need. 

I'm skeptical if I see a horse that does not seem to become braver with exposure, since the ones I've worked with that adapt to things show signs of this early on. Such as, if I walk them by something and they spook hugely, the next time they don't. Versus Amore who might spook even worse the next time.

For me personally, I'm optimistic about hot and reactive, but less so about horses that don't seem to adapt to scary things in the environment, and stay spooky in environments they know. Meaning, I'm fine with having a horse like this, but believe the horse is always going to have to have concessions made, such as going out with other horses if I want an enjoyable ride, or being prepared for multiple spooks every ride. And perhaps taking months or years for the spooking to turn into something that is less extreme most of the time.

Something I wonder is what would happen if you took Raven out with Phin on a windy day. Ha ha, I have done that with two spooky horses and no one spooked because they were just watching each other so closely to see when the other one would react. Then they forgot to watch the spooky stuff.


----------



## SueC

Just out of left field... sometimes, feeding magnesium to a horse / person is indicated when they're persistently nervous. Also B12, etc. Romeo went through a phase of being over-wrought as a young horse, and this really helped him. Of course, you may already have tried all this!

Hilarious, @gottatrot! :rofl:


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## phantomhorse13

SueC said:


> Just out of left field... sometimes, feeding magnesium to a horse / person is indicated when they're persistently nervous.


Raven is already on a magnesium supplement (it also has selenium and vitamin E). He has been, along with a ration balancer, since he came here. They also have access to free choice loose minerals.



Tazzie said:


> Maybe going back to a lot of ground work with obstacles (tarps, puddles, etc) and then graduate to actually trying to ride through it?


I have been doing groundwork for months. It does not seem to be translating to under saddle out of the yard..



Oreos Girl said:


> Have you tested Raven for ulcers? Especially if he is a worrier. That may make him more reactive when riding too.
> 
> I like the idea of more ground work. Make him lunge thru those puddles. Let him start at what ever distance is comfortable and work your way closer.


I have not tested for ulcers. He is fine to brush/touch anywhere, doesn't react to saddling or the girth, and he eats _voraciously_. He's calm riding around in the paddock, which I would not expect to be the case if ulcers were an underlying issue - riding anywhere would slosh that stomach acid around and cause pain.

Puddles are just a symptom of the problem - I hand walked him right past and even through the puddles on the way out to the ring the second day. The problem is instead of being able to be worried, then see the problem thing is ok and let the stress go, he holds on to it. So before long he's just overwhelmed because nothing I have found truly relaxes him once he's starting that spiral besides putting him back with the other horses.



carshon said:


> We had to always remember that the world was a strange new place and that Belle was looking at it not with the curiosity of a foal but the skeptical prey side of an adult horse.


I think this is exactly what is going on. Raven has little curiosity at all, only suspicion. I have been doing my best to encourage him to be inquisitive about scary things, but he can only stand that sort of stimulation in very small doses.



gottatrot said:


> I've learned from the forum that there are more of these horses out there than people think, the ones that will stay "predictably unpredictable" even with experienced trainers and loads of experience.
> 
> I'm skeptical if I see a horse that does not seem to become braver with exposure, since the ones I've worked with that adapt to things show signs of this early on. For me personally, I'm optimistic about hot and reactive, but less so about horses that don't seem to adapt to scary things in the environment, and stay spooky in environments they know.
> 
> Of course you can help Raven a ton, but I wonder if you want to put in all the time and effort and special considerations he may need.


This is definitely where I am at. Raven has been here for almost 6 months and I really don't feel we are any further along than when he arrived. In fact, some days I feel like things are actually worse because he now knows that leaving the yard means he's going to have to face scary things. Is that fair to him?



gottatrot said:


> what would happen if you took Raven out with Phin on a windy day. Ha ha, I have done that with two spooky horses and no one spooked because they were just watching each other so closely to see when the other one would react. Then they forgot to watch the spooky stuff.


 Phin still hates Raven - like lunges across the fence to try to savage him if he's close enough. So their being out together might help Phin keep from spooking because he's focusing on his hatred, but it's sure not going to help Raven relax!

When taking Raven out with George, George has either ignored Raven completely or else has also gotten super alert because he was trying to figure out what Raven was so concerned about. One time I tried ponying was a breezy day - they both got so silly that after about 5 minutes I gave up and went home because I was afraid I was going to have a loose horse, be on the ground, or both.


----------



## AnitaAnne

I have been thinking and thinking on this, and came to the conclusion that you are doing exactly the right thing with Raven! 

You are a very experienced rider. You have trained and ridden numerous horses with tons of problems. 

Phin took a long time to get to competition stage, and I do believe you had some doubts with him too. But here he is now, fit and competing. 

Raven has not done anything really bad has he? No bucking fits? He just may not be progressing as fast as you would like, but you have made progress with him. He is now calm in the treed area, and tolerated vetting and farrier like a champ. You have ridden him successfully down the lane to the arena and back without a major catastrophe.

Look at how quickly he learned to self load! You really are making progress, just it is uneven progress. 

I think you should keep doing exactly what you are doing.

Maybe as you are riding, and he starts to be afraid of the puddles, dismount, walk past calmly, remount and carry on. This is what I did with Chivas, as he too was terrified of puddles! The first one he saw on the trail I had to get off because he was acting such a fool. It took 15 minutes for me to LEAD him past the puddle! 

Three trail rides later, he finally would walk past the puddle without me having to dismount. Now, years later, he is impatient to jump in any water we come across! Chivas will push past any horses that are bulking at water and go right in. Are there still things that he spooks from? Yes, but they are becoming less and less, and so long as I don't push him too quickly, he trusts me to try. 


I also taught him the command "touch" (same as I used in dog training) and his brain now switches over from "snorting panic" to "if I approach and touch that scary thing I will get a treat". 

So there is hope for him. I really do believe by next year this time he will be that trusted partner you are looking for. You two do have a connection, and with time it will become very strong. 

Keep the faith, you can do this!!


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## greentree

well, If Phin is going to hate Raven, then we can trade!


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## AnitaAnne

greentree said:


> well, If Phin is going to hate Raven, then we can trade!


I think Phin hates Raven because he KNOWS Raven is competition for D's heart...horses can be very possessive of their human :angel2:


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## QueenofFrance08

I don't have any advice other then to say *hugs* and I understand what you're going through because I often wonder the same thing about Jake.


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## PoptartShop

After reading your most recent post responding to everyone, I second @AnitaAnne. Just keep doing what you're doing.

You really are making good progress with him. More than you think. I mean, look back from like a month ago! Or even longer than that. That helps me to really see my progress. He may need more time with things than others, but that's OKAY! Trust me. He has made so much progress. Remember he used to toss his head like crazy? Not so much anymore, if at all. 
Little wins, is what I like to call them. They are a big deal, even though they may not seem like it. 

I got my horse almost a year ago now, & I never thought I'd even be able to ride her at a trot without her tossing her head or not wanting to stop. Still lots to work on of course, but at the time it felt like we'd never get anywhere. Took a lot of time...lots of tears too. 

You got this! You're a confident rider. You are doing so well with him. Keep it up, & stay positive.


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> Phin took a long time to get to competition stage, and I do believe you had some doubts with him too. But here he is now, fit and competing.


I was curious about Phin's training time, so I looked back at my training notes. I started working with him in mid-October of 2015. He was at his first competition at the end of March of 2016. That is 5 months. Raven came mid-November. It's now May. That's 5 months and I can't even ride him around the mile loop I walk the dog on.



greentree said:


> well, If Phin is going to hate Raven, then we can trade!


I wish. But unfortunately DH is still dead set against mares. Silly man.



PoptartShop said:


> He has made so much progress. Remember he used to toss his head like crazy? Not so much anymore, if at all.


Now he tosses his entire self instead.. :rofl:


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## SueC

I'm just thinking back to the year I re-educated Sunsmart to saddle post-harness. He's not naturally a chicken, he's actually a really courageous horse, but he'd been so sheltered from the real world, other than stables, yards and harness tracks, before I adopted him, that he was basically institutionalised. He was great with anything he already knew, like harness tracks, traffic, trucks, but completely bonkers about things in the real world, on trails etc. He threw ridiculous fits over cattle, sheep, goats, alpacas, even Appaloosas, for a good year. I just kept on keeping on, would hand walk him past things if necessary (inserting myself between him and the Scary Monsters), keep on exercising him, maintain my sense of humour and optimism and just persist. 

I actually think it's easier to deal with a horse like this if you're letting them trot and canter and work off their nervous energy. Horses are less spooky when they are already running, in my experience - they probably think they have a better chance of getting away / not being ambushed, than when going slowly. I didn't make my horse walk long periods in that first year, we did fitness training. A year later you _could_ walk him, and he'd stay relaxed. He's been such a wonderful, reliable horse for me for ten years now, that I often laugh to think how bad it could be in that first year. Just keep on doing what you are doing, @phantomhorse13 - these things can just take time. It does take at least year or so for brains to reset themselves from significant anxiety patterns - they're evolutionary survival patterns and go deep. It's got everything to do with biology and survival, and nothing to do with obedience, respect, etc., and you can't discipline a horse out of it, you can only desensitise, which takes time.

For a human parallel, it took me about a year in my 20s to get over my fear of public speaking too, it was such a visceral thing and not under rational control. All I could do is keep exposing myself to the thing I was irrationally afraid of - and eventually the fear just dropped away from me, but it took so long, even with having a rational brain that was deliberately working on doing this. My reasoning couldn't talk to my primal fears - it could only take them for a walk, again and again and again, until after a long time, they went away and never returned.

Hang in there! He's a gorgeous horse, and worth it. :blueunicorn:


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday I had planned to ride Raven again, but with the wind blowing I knew it wasn't worth tacking him up. I brushed him and then took him out in hand when I walked Kestrel. If I let him graze his way along, he jumped around less, but if I tried to keep him walking he was very agitated. Even in the yard he was upset by the moving leaves (and of course now that its finally spring, there are a lot more leaves). At least Kestrel enjoyed the walk!


Then I went over to ride with Nicole. I rode Hombre. We went up the back mountain. Hombre was a bit of a pill to start with, wanting to turn around and go back, but once we got to the climb he was resigned to his fate.










We did a bit of exploring on new-to-me trails, though Nicole had been there a few times with another rider who was familiar with them. [I was very excited to get the route mapped online, as we now have some options for loops versus making an out and back.]










It was nice to have relatively dry places to ride. The last time we'd been this way, this section of trail was ankle deep mud.










9.38 miles, 667 feet of climb, 5.3 mph average pace, 48F real feel


----------



## SueC

greentree said:


> well, If Phin is going to hate Raven, then we can trade!


:rofl:

You're so _practical_, @greentree, and always willing to help! :Angel:


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## Celeste

You can handle Raven. You are much more athletic than I am, and I have brought the Psycho Princess from where Raven is now to being my go to horse. Unfortunately, it took years. 

The issue that you have to consider is whether you want to keep arguing with him. He is extremely beautiful and might be better suited as a show horse. 

I have often come close to trading a horse and then waited and realized that I almost gave up a few weeks too soon.

That is really no advice at all; just a collection of thoughts. 

Some horses are hard to train.


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## AnitaAnne

Bells! I forgot about the bells! They seem to help calm nervous horses. 

I use them on Chivas too.

Oh yes, and singing...or my sorry version of singing anyway...


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## SueC

Yes! Yes! :loveshower: May I recommend, from much use in such situations, the classic tune _99 Bottles Of Beer_? ;-)


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## SwissMiss

My go-to is currently "baby shark"  Works like a charm. I think Raya would do _anything_ to make it stop :rofl:


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## AnitaAnne

I sing this, or some form of it anyway!


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## PoptartShop

Glad you still decided to at least handwalk Raven, despite the wind which I'm sure didn't help at all.

Aww, looks like you had a good ride!  Gosh I love the tack colors. Definitely a change having a dry place to ride finally, yay! It's fun exploring new trails too!


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## Oreos Girl

@anitaAnn, I need that for a bunch of songs. I realized when I started singing in the saddle, I don't know lyrics of hardly anything. So "She's coming around a mountain" only the first two versus over and over again and 99 bottles are my go to's right now.


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## Woodhaven

I do Coming round the Mountain, and also 99 Bottles of Beer and I love the Kingston Trio and sing (badly off key) many of their songs.

Phantom I hope you keep working with your guy, it sounds like a lot of time and work ahead of you. Some horses just have spookiness right in their DNA and not much you can do to change it but hopefully with a lot of work it can be managed.

I have had horses like that and in time I managed to do a lot with them but their original problems never really went away. Now if I had that problem at my age I'm afraid I would just look for another horse.


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> Bells! I forgot about the bells! They seem to help calm nervous horses. and singing...





SueC said:


> May I recommend, from much use in such situations, the classic tune _99 Bottles Of Beer_?


I have used bells - both on Raven and on the dog(s) if they are along while hand walking. The bells being on Raven hadn't seemed to matter. I also do a lot of singing, though "row row row your boat" is my song of choice. I think having to keep track of bottles/counting is too much for my OCD brain, so not relaxing or mindless! :wink:





SwissMiss said:


> My go-to is currently "baby shark." I think Raya would do _anything_ to make it stop


I had to look this up.. and you are lucky Raya doesn't buck you off!!




Woodhaven said:


> it sounds like a lot of time and work ahead of you. Some horses just have spookiness right in their DNA and not much you can do to change it but hopefully with a lot of work it can be managed.
> 
> I have had horses like that and in time I managed to do a lot with them but their original problems never really went away.


This is what I am worried about..





Celeste said:


> I have brought the Psycho Princess from where Raven is now to being my go to horse. Unfortunately, it took years.
> 
> The issue that you have to consider is whether you want to keep arguing with him. He is extremely beautiful and might be better suited as a show horse.


I have been doing a lot of thinking about this. Is it fair for me to ask him to do something he's so uncomfortable about? It's not like its a once in a while deal, its going to be his all the time deal. I do wonder if he would be happier being a show horse..


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday evening, DH and I took Sultan and Link out to walk with the dogs.











Today, I went over and rode with Nicole. This time I rode Polo. The clouds were very low, so we did the low loop to avoid having to ride in the damp.










Polo was on his best behavior, so we had a really fun ride.



















10.47 miles, 623 feet of climb, 5.6 mph average pace, 50F real feel


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## SwissMiss

phantomhorse13 said:


> I had to look this up.. and you are lucky Raya doesn't buck you off!!



Isn't she a nice horse? :biggrin: 

The kiddos were singing it for a while and the problem with the song is: once you think about it, it is stuck in your brain - at least in mine :shock:


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## Celeste

My rendition of "Old Susanna" once made a horse I was riding turn and bolt for home..........


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## Spanish Rider

(Intentionally not wanting to add to your Raven dilemma...) 



> Yesterday evening, DH and I took Sultan and Link out to walk with the dogs.


Has a more perfect sentence ever been uttered? Oh, the envy. Enjoy!


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## AnitaAnne

These walks with the horses are obviously part of your training, but I am curious of the specifics...

Do you only walk, then later ride the route? Or do you begin by walking the full way, then begin to ride part of the way, then eventually ride the whole way. 

@Celeste I can't imagine a horse bolting from the sound of your voice, but now my singing makes horses close their ears trying to block the sound! :rofl:


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## Spanish Rider

@Celeste ,

Horses usually ignore my singing, but my dearly departed little Luna the cat used to close my mouth with her paws.


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## Woodhaven

Phantom one thing you should consider when working with/riding your boy. You know he is very reactive and this may just be part of who he is and you are working a lot on your own and you go out for long rides solo so should keep this in mind and be very honest with your self about how good an idea riding a spooky horse miles out.

One horse I had was the spookiest horse that I ever came across He was an Arab Appaloosa cross. I got him for nothing as he had lost so many riders and he was a real challenge. I lived alone at the time and I began taking I.D. with me and hospitalization info when I went out Also left a note on the table saying which direction I was riding, Just in case. He never unseated me enough that I came off but I can't say it was an enjoyable ride as you always had to be aware that he might jump at any second. He was lightening fast when he spooked, he never bolted far but that first jump was ground covering like 10 0r 15 feet so you had to be on guard.

He was a great horse to show tho' I won a room full of ribbons and trophies with him, many year end championships. I would enter him in nine classes at a show and come home with nine ribbons. At the end, in the arena I could ride him with just a string around his neck and do a course of jumps or a reining pattern he was so good.

I did sell him as I really do enjoy going out for a ride and he never got over spooking when alone, he was ok with one other or even 100 other horses but bad when alone so he went to a home where he would never have to go out alone and this was good for both of us.


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## PoptartShop

Looks like fun!  Glad Polo was a good boy!


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## QueenofFrance08

I think we need more Link pictures! 

How's Phin recovering from his 55?


----------



## Knave

I don’t know how I keep accidentally unsubscribing from your journal! Hopefully this time it won’t happen. 

I put the music on my phone, and all my horses seem to like it. There is this one song that comes on though that starts with a scream, and that makes us all on edge! Lol. I really should take it off my song list; I don’t even care for it to be honest.

I heard this theory once about keeping around horses that aren’t suited to the work. I can’t remember exactly what was said to me, but the idea was “who are you riding the horse for?” I had to really sit down and think about my answer, and I decided to move on. Granted, Keno was a real and true jerk, but the theory is the same.

If you are not going to enjoy what you are doing, aren’t you taking away the point entirely? Both the horse and yourself might be a lot happier taking different roads. 

I don’t know though exactly what has been going on because of my accidental unsubscription again!


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## phantomhorse13

Spanish Rider said:


> my dearly departed little Luna the cat used to close my mouth with her paws.


:rofl:



QueenofFrance08 said:


> I think we need more Link pictures!
> 
> How's Phin recovering from his 55?


 Hopefully you will be getting more Link pictures as the weather cooperates and I start being able to do more with him! 

Phin is doing well. That leg hasn't changed an iota. I had hoped to ride him today but our overnight guest came in 3 hours earlier than planned so I lost my riding window.



AnitaAnne said:


> These walks with the horses are obviously part of your training, but I am curious of the specifics...
> 
> Do you only walk, then later ride the route? Or do you begin by walking the full way, then begin to ride part of the way, then eventually ride the whole way.


The walking as training started with me hand walking Phin in certain places I knew he was super reactive, in an attempt not to die. The intention is always to work up to riding the route (which happens some days but not others with Phin).

Since overall that worked well, I decided to do the same thing with Raven to try help with his reactivity. Unfortunately, it hasn't really made much difference with him.

I started doing it with Link partly as a way to get him exposed to things and partly to teach him to start looking to me for guidance when he is worried (versus just ponying him and him looking to George). Sultan came along this last time cause DH misses riding his horse, so walking was better than nothing. I suspect next time he may hop on bareback and see how that goes.



Woodhaven said:


> one thing you should consider when working with/riding your boy. You know he is very reactive and this may just be part of who he is and you are working a lot on your own and you go out for long rides solo so should keep this in mind and be very honest with your self about how good an idea riding a spooky horse miles out.





Knave said:


> I heard this theory once about keeping around horses that aren’t suited to the work. I can’t remember exactly what was said to me, but the idea was “who are you riding the horse for?” I had to really sit down and think about my answer, and I decided to move on.


 I have been doing a lot of thinking about both of these things. After also discussing them with DH, we have decided that we are going to look for a different situation for Raven. I think he will be much happier with a different job and I can then focus on a horse who wants to do endurance.

Anybody looking for their next dressage or show horse?


----------



## gottatrot

Raven is so cute, someone will love to have him. 

I think he will be happier doing something he is well suited for with his personality - something he can excel at - rather than always struggling to do something he's not well equipped to do.


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## Knave

I know how hard of a decision that is. I think it is impressive to be able to make that kind of call. It is always hard though, and I get it.


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## AnitaAnne

I am saddened by this news...I was hoping for just one more month with Raven :frown_color:


----------



## Spanish Rider

I am glad that you came to a decision. I did not want to chime in because I am perhaps more biased by my own personal experience with one horse in particular, and not such a wide range of horses like yourself. But, in reading your descriptions, my brain started to tally: reactivity + insecurity + riding alone + trying to keep his brain occupied + athletic horse who can jump 15 feet sideways/backwards in a split second = my accident. However, if anybody could have made a difference and is in the physical shape to do so, it was you. At our age, though, I think that the decision to make our physical safety a priority is the right one.



> Anybody looking for their next dressage or show horse?


So, how shall we arrange shipping?


----------



## Tazzie

I do support your decision to find Raven a new situation. Make sure you look up Arabian Sport Horse Alliance Commerce to post him since he really is a gorgeous guy. I think people would snap him up in a heartbeat. If we weren't in a somewhat similar situation to you, I'd talk to Nick. But I fear he'd fail here too, and that wouldn't be fair to him. I do wish you a lot of luck finding the right home for him <3

And I do agree with wanting more Link pictures


----------



## egrogan

I know for Morgans, there's a really active "Morgans in Dressage" FB page where there are lots of ISO and for sale ads. Anything similar for Arabs? You have such an awesome horsey network, I'm sure he'll be heading to his next place shortly.


----------



## PoptartShop

I totally support your decision with Raven. I know it wasn't an easy one, and you will definitely make sure he goes to a good, happy home. Maybe he is just not fit for endurance, which is OK. I am glad you came to a decision. We are all here to support you!  He's a good boy, and you have done well with him. And I agree...PLEASE POST MORE LINK PICTURES!


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> I was hoping for just one more month with Raven


His original owner gets the right of first refusal.. but if he doesn't go back there, you are welcome to him. Then you can have all the months with him you want.


----------



## phantomhorse13

I want to thank everyone for their support - I am still struggling somewhat with the decision, as I feel like a failure. Silly I know, but I guess the need for perfection was too well-drilled into me as a child (sound familiar @SueC ?). My brain knows that is the right choice, but my heart doesn't like it much.. :frown_color:


Yesterday, I had planned to ride both boys, as their post-ride rest period is over. I couldn't get a super early start, as it's spring turkey season and I wasn't sure if anybody would be out hunting. I impatiently waited until 9:30, then headed out to get George.

And found this:


















:eek_color: :dance-smiley05: :rofl:

Luckily George is still shedding like mad, so he actually cleaned up fairly easily.

Because the ground is a mess again (we got an inch of rain Sunday that we sure didn't need), I planned to stick to roads. We started out going up and down the Sugarloaf. Then, we did the out and back on the neighbor's driveway.










Next was across the farm and up the Tomhicken. I was not happy to find a couple new trees down. While they were all crossable, they were a PITA as they kept interrupting the rhythm of our climbing. The washouts weren't any worse at least, though no lack of rocks.










We just went up to the top and then around through the development and back down. As we started for home, the sun came out and the temp shot up.










9.67 miles, 1760 feet of climb, 5.2 mph average pace, 76F real feel


I finished with George and turned him out into the third paddock, which we have had closed off to let the grass grow. He was so excited by the tall grass, he didn't even roll. 

I went out to get Phin and was pleased when he actually stood and let me come right up to him. He was not any cleaner than George was, but is also shedding so cleaned up ok. I was just about to start tacking him when I got a message from our overnight guest: she was coming 3 hours earlier than expected! That meant I didn't have time to ride Phin. Ugh.

Instead, I turned him out with George to eat the grass. Probably the best thing that could have happened in Phin's opinion. 











Today, I got our overnight guest on the road and then went out to grab Phin. I expected him to not want to be caught, but I was pleasantly surprised that he only walked 2 steps before giving up. It was already quite warm when we headed out to cover the same route I did with George.

I was very pleased that Phin was much more relaxed than I expected him to be after 2 weeks off. I even rode him down the short piece of public road as it was clear of traffic when we arrived. He got a little silly when the neighbor's dog started barking as we passed, but climbing up the Sugarloaf soon leveled him out. Heading down the backside, we must have jumped 2 dozen deer total and he just flicked an ear and kept on trotting.










When we got to the neighbor's driveway, he got a bit cranked up. So instead of turning around in the normal place, we kept going a bit to the next driveway, where he settled. We then turned around to head back. We passed the fish pond and he barely spared it a glance.










We went up the back side of the Sugarloaf and then down across the farm, where we found Bruce mowing. 






Our climb up the Tomhicken was uneventful, but it was trash day so that made going around the housing development a bit wiggly. Overall, Phin did really well, especially as at one spot an excavator was digging on the opposite sides of Always Suspicious Trash Bags. By the time we got back to the farm, the remains of the logging operation barely got a glance.










10.11 miles, 1862 feet of climb, 5.3 mph average pace, 81F real feel


----------



## Knave

What a pretty ride, well rides!! I am jealous of your temperatures too.

I so completely understand your feelings about Raven. Truly, to the marrow of my bones do I get it. The day I decided I was done with Keno I sat and cried for two hours before riding him. Then I cried while I was on him too.

It still gets to me now. Am I going to fail again with Cash? It feels like such a blow to my pride. I put everything I had for six months into making myself get through so much on that horse. It wasn’t fun almost ever. 

A huge part of me even realized that if I could get through his issues I would have an extremely competitive animal, and so it was even a bigger knock down. However it was dangerous. It was like my pride made me step back on in an almost suicidal need to prove myself. 

Six months of going through the scariest crap I had on a horse, and winning most battles, and still it only brought me lower. I wasn’t finding whatever it was I was looking for keeping going. I cannot explain how big my need was to be successful with him, without laying myself out there completely. 

The day my friend asked me that question I realized I needed to let go. It didn’t make it easier. It was however the right move. I wish I’d never met the horse, but at the same time he was a lesson I needed to learn. I didn’t want to learn it, and I still don’t want to, but I think maybe I needed to.


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## AnitaAnne

phantomhorse13 said:


> His original owner gets the right of first refusal.. but if he doesn't go back there, you are welcome to him. Then you can have all the months with him you want.


Much as I would love to own such a gorgeous horse, I would have to hire someone to ride him for me...are you available? :redface:

I also support your decision, but it does make me sad. Raven just seemed like such a sweet horse in the pictures. I hope he can find a home where he is able to do whatever suits him best. 

You have to do what is right for you, even when it is hard :hug:


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## Tazzie

phantomhorse13 said:


> I want to thank everyone for their support - I am still struggling somewhat with the decision, as I feel like a failure. Silly I know, but I guess the need for perfection was too well-drilled into me as a child (sound familiar @SueC ?). My brain knows that is the right choice, but my heart doesn't like it much.. :frown_color:


You. Are. Not. A. Failure. Think of it this way instead. You helped Raven find a discipline he ISN'T ok with, and that's ok. Not every horse can make an endurance horse just like not every horse is ok being in an arena in showing. Remember, @evilamc has a horse that HATES arenas but is FANTASTIC on trails. She just doesn't make him do arena work. Continuing to try with Raven to mold him into an endurance would end with you both frustrated and feeling low. I wanted with all my heart for him to work for you, but at the same time you shouldn't be coming home frustrated after trying to just do a short ride with him. The more I thought about it, the more I feel this is the right choice. He's miserable going past things you've regularly led him past. What happens at a ride? When he won't have seen the trail? It could end in one or both of you getting seriously injured, and I would never want that for you.

So again. You are NOT a failure. You just helped Raven find himself a little more on the path of discovering what he's meant for.


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## gottatrot

I don't know how you do it with those gray horses! But they sure clean up pretty.

I like what @Knave wrote...I have a good friend who is an excellent rider. She was trying to stick it out with a very difficult horse, and during that time told me she was having feelings about maybe not being as interested in horses and riding anymore. I remember telling her that it was wrong to feel like she had to succeed with a horse that was meanwhile taking away all the joy she had and her passion for horses. When my friend gave the horse to her mother, it was like those two were meant for each other. So it turned out she was actually depriving herself, the horse, and her mother all from having a great time!

To me it is one of the most unselfish things you can do, to let a horse have a situation they enjoy rather than forcing them to continue with something neither of you are enjoying because your ego says you can't fail. How can a horse learn to enjoy his job if both horse and rider are not having fun? It's fine short term, while everyone is starting out, but after six months things should be starting to really click. I agree with @Tazzie, you've spent some time helping Raven along his journey.


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## carshon

I want to add my support here. I too am sad that Raven will need to find another owner - BUT not every horse is meant to do endurance, and maybe if arena work would give him comfort that would be a plus. I think you tried, looked at saddle and bitting options and really worked hard to make sure no outside influences were making him reactive. Some horses just are more reactive. We lucked out with Belle - she can still be a little reactive but she really has learned to trust her rider.

You are a great owner and rider and there is no need to feel bad


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## phantomhorse13

Thank you all for your kind words - they mean a lot.


I had intended to ride both boys today, but Mia was not right when I got up. She was very spacey and barely able to walk. Her blood glucose was a touch high but not crazy (not a surprise since she was due to eat and get her insulin), but she had a significant fever. Knowing we just had a overnight guest, I immediately worried she was having a pancreatitis flare after having eaten something she shouldn't have (not that the guest would have fed her intentionally, but silly things like a dropped piece of snack or not-quite finished feed pan turned upside down just aren't things normal people think about).

I spent the hours between horse feeding (4 am) and the vet opening (9 am) trying to contain my raging imagination with little success. By the time the vet opened I was just about beside myself, expecting the worst. Mia was no better when we went in, but her bloodwork showed no issues with any internal organs (well, no new issues.. her liver values are always slightly elevated now) - just an elevated white cell count. So fingers and toes crossed its just a random infection and that she can recover. She started on baytril (antibiotic) and got a shot of cerenia (anti-nausea med) and I gave her some SQ fluids when we got home. She's resting now and I am trying not to go in and pester her every 5 minutes..


I keep telling myself I should be riding, but I am just not in the right mental place to do it. Maybe later when I don't feel like I am about to vibrate out of my own skin. All jingles, vibes and/or prayers for Mia are much appreciated!!


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## SwissMiss

Jingles for Mia coming your way!


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## AnitaAnne

Prayers for Mia quick and complete recovery. 

I always worry about her when I don't see pictures of her often.


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## egrogan

Feel better Mia!

Our older pup, Delia, has also had a rough week. Last Thursday night, she had explosive diarrhea all over, which continued every 3 hours through Monday. Took her to the vet Monday, working through diagnostics now. Started on antibiotics, which seemed to make her feel tired but a little more comfortable in her stomach initially. But last night she threw up all her dinner and is back to diarrhea this morning :sad: She's nearly 13, so we are sort of braced for not great news, but want her to be comfortable regardless of the outcome.

All that to say, I can sympathize with the distraction of a sick dog and the hope that things go in the right direction!!


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## AnitaAnne

egrogan said:


> Feel better Mia!
> 
> Our older pup, Delia, has also had a rough week. Last Thursday night, she had explosive diarrhea all over, which continued every 3 hours through Monday. Took her to the vet Monday, working through diagnostics now. Started on antibiotics, which seemed to make her feel tired but a little more comfortable in her stomach initially. But last night she threw up all her dinner and is back to diarrhea this morning :sad: She's nearly 13, so we are sort of braced for not great news, but want her to be comfortable regardless of the outcome.
> 
> All that to say, I can sympathize with the distraction of a sick dog and the hope that things go in the right direction!!


Praying Delia feels better soon too...


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> Prayers for Mia quick and complete recovery.
> 
> I always worry about her when I don't see pictures of her often.


Mia has been doing really well until this morning. She's weak in the hind end and sometimes off on her bad shoulder up front, but that hasn't stopped her from wanting to walk with me when I am working in the yard or even briefly playing with Kestrel. She's been eating great, even without wet food in the kibble as bribery. I just made her an appointment with the vet in a couple weeks for a routine appointment (it will be a year since she was diagnosed as diabetic).

I used to joke she had to give me a really big scare once a year.. sure hope this is just that!!




egrogan said:


> Our older pup, Delia, has also had a rough week. She's nearly 13, so we are sort of braced for not great news, but want her to be comfortable regardless of the outcome.


Oh no, poor girl! I hope you are able to get to the bottom of the issue and get her feeling better.


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## egrogan

Thanks @AnitaAnne!


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## Tazzie

Prayers and jingles for miss Mia <3 please keep us posted.

And honestly, to me, that is cause enough not to ride. Your mind won't be able to focus like it'd need to. At least that is how it is with me. You may welcome the distraction though. But I wouldn't think less of you for passing up riding today in favor of keeping an eye on a beloved!
@egrogan, I hope your pup feels better soon too!


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## knightrider

Prayers for Mia and Delia.


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## QueenofFrance08

Prayers for Mia and Delia as well!


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## egrogan

You all are very sweet, thank you.


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I got both boys out despite the insane weather. Overnight, the temperature dropped 30 degrees and the wind started raging - 20 mph sustained and gusts to 35. I was not looking forward to the silliness I knew would come with the weather.

I started with George. Even he was full of it, looking all around and crow hopping with a squeal when I asked him to trot for the first time! We went across the farm and over to the Tomhicken to do the pole line loop.










No surprise we didn't see any hunters, even though I was out well before noon. I would imagine the turkeys were hunkered down trying not to blow away! Can you see the white caps on the pond in the distance?










George somewhat settled down after the first climb, but he got very animated again once we circled around and were headed towards home.










By the time we got back to the farm, George really wanted to yeehaw for home. The wind at his butt didn't help matters.






10.52 miles, 1536 feet of climb, 5.3 mph average pace, 46F real feel


Next it was Phin's turn. I decided to take Kestrel with him, figuring we would either have a nice mosey up the Sugarloaf or I would just wind up walking them both on foot. I did start out handwalking him until we got across the road, as there was no way I was going to try him with traffic in that state of mind.

I was pleasantly surprised that Phin wasn't nearly as cranked as I expected once I got on. He was certainly on his toes, but he kept himself under control. We jogged up the neighbor's driveway and then he was able to chill enough to walk up the Sugarloaf.










There were deer at every turn it seemed and Kestrel had a blast running all around. I was pleased that Phin wasn't particularly upset by her antics (or the deer).










On the way home, we explored some new roads left by the loggers. The ground needs to pack down a bit still, but it gives me a couple new options which is always nice.










Gina was outside when we came through Alamar, so I stopped to chat with her. Phin was not impressed with the flapping awning nearby, so it was a great object lesson for him to have to stand and deal with it (which he did with the help of several cookies). When we finally turned for home, I wasn't sure how he would be, but he kept himself together.






5.28 miles, 898 feet of climb, 3.8 mph average pace, 48F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Today, Dean and I let Mia go.. I don't even have words.


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## knightrider

Oh no, I am so very sorry. It is so hard. What a lousy day. ((((Hugs)))))


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## Woodhaven

Sorry to hear about Mia but you have done your best and always a good thing to know when that sad time comes, never good but sometimes it has to be done.

Glad you got out for a couple of good rides, even in the wind. 
With our two new horses we have had to go out in severe winds as well and as we don't know these horses we were cautious but they both did well in spite of the wind and today it wasn't windy first thing so I thought good a calmer ride but guess what by the time we were mounting strong winds again, never seem to get away from it but I guess it's good practice for the horses.


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## gottatrot

So very sorry to hear about Mia.


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## AnitaAnne

phantomhorse13 said:


> Today, Dean and I let Mia go.. I don't even have words.


Oh no! This is very sad, no words can describe the sorrow of losing one's best friend :hug: her pain is over, and yours has begun. Mia was a very special dog. She went everywhere with you. I just feel so bad for you :frown_color: Dogs just don't stay with us long enough. damit. `


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## Chevaux

My condolences to you and your husband, Phantomhorse. I am afraid I cannot see a time during my life when these events will ever become less painful - I do not wish for them, nor do I wish for them on others, but I will reluctantly accept them as they are attached to the great joy and contentment of companionship and adventures that we share with our furry loved ones. Take care.


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## Spanish Rider

I am so sorry. I think the hardest part of losing a family pet is not being able to have that last "conversation". Do they understand how much I love them, how much I'll miss them, that I'm trying to do the best for them? Somehow, I think they do know.


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## SwissMiss

@phantomhorse13, I am soo sorry :hug:



Spanish Rider said:


> I am so sorry. I think the hardest part of losing a family pet is not being able to have that last "conversation". Do they understand how much I love them, how much I'll miss them, that I'm trying to do the best for them? Somehow, I think they do know.


I agree, I think they do!


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## Celeste

I am so sorry.


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## Tazzie

I am so sorry :sad: I know how special she was to you. *hugs* since I know words only help a little during something like this.


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## QueenofFrance08

Hugs! I'm so sorry for your loss...


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## carshon

My heart aches for you! I am so sorry to hear that you had to let Mia go.


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## PoptartShop

I am so, so sorry for your loss. :sad: *hugs* It is never the 'right' time and it is never an easy decision to make. I understand how hard it can be. :sad: Mia was very special and will always be in your hearts. <3


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## phantomhorse13

Spanish Rider said:


> I am so sorry. I think the hardest part of losing a family pet is not being able to have that last "conversation". Do they understand how much I love them, how much I'll miss them, that I'm trying to do the best for them? Somehow, I think they do know.


They do know. I always believed this before, but having met Nancy now I know for sure. She confirmed for me that Mia was ready, and that Shelby and Legend were waiting for her. Both of those things gave me as much comfort as possible.


Nancy knew the vet was coming Saturday, but she didn't know when. I was happy that Mia was feeling good enough to take a last walk outside in the sun and eat hamburger, bacon, and cheese - food she hasn't been allowed to have in over 5 years due to the strict diet necessary after the first bout with pancreatitis - for breakfast. She took her last breaths chowing down on peanut butter, which was always her favorite. The vet hadn't even left yet when I got this text from Nancy:

From Mia: "Tell her I love her and I will be running ahead of her, Kestrel, and the horses smoothing the path."

I cried reading it then and I am crying typing it now.. 

I miss her terribly and am still looking for her then remembering she's gone. I haven't started seeing her out of the corner of my eye yet, but I know I will be soon.


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## Woodhaven

It takes time @phantom I remember when I lost a much loved dog, every time I went through a door I would hold it waiting for him to come through and when I stepped outside I looked for him as he was a constant companion and with me everywhere I went.

One night I dreamed I was walking along a road and I looked up ahead and there he was, he ran to me and we had a tearful reunion. Then I turned to go back and he didn't follow so I stopped and called to him to come and he just stood there looking at me and would not follow me. Quite a dream.

You will remember Mia for a long time but don't let it make you too sad, just remember the good times;


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## egrogan

Oh geez, that post has me tearing up. So sorry but glad to know Mia has her buddies waiting for her :hug:


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## phantomhorse13

On Friday, I got Phin out briefly with Kestrel. I was too lazy to tack him up, so started out in hand to make sure his brain was in his head before hopping on bareback. 










We moseyed around Alamar in a couple big circles. Overall it was uneventful, which was lovely.

2.78 miles, 284 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average pace, 60F real feel


Saturday afternoon, DH and I got Phin and George out. DH had commented the other day that I never let him ride Phin, so I figured having worked him so much this week, it was a good time for him to try him. We did the space needle loop.

We hadn't even left Alamar when DH asked me, "Is he always this bouncy!?" which I barely kept a straight face answering ("generally, yes.").  We went up the powerline and down across the farm and I could see DH trying to find a way to deal with Phin's trot (he doesn't exactly post and doesn't exactly two point as he's self taught, so it was something to see!).










Phin did lead for some of the ride, so DH got to experience for himself some of his alertness and random spooking (though Phin really was as well-behaved as I have ever seen him). 










We got lucky to not see any of the neighborhood kids out as we came across the neighborhood and all the lawn mowers were safely mowing backyards.










After one particularly good spook at a horse-eating rock, DH decided he'd had enough going first so George and I led the rest of the ride. :Angel:










When we got home, DH made a comment about not knowing how I could ride that horse 50 miles. I suspect he won't be asking to ride Phin again any time soon. :rofl:

12.35 miles, 1452 feet of climb, 5.4 mph average pace, 58F real feel


It started raining Sunday morning and hasn't stopped.. we are approaching 3 inches of rain, so everything is under water again. :evil:


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## Spanish Rider

> From Mia: "Tell her I love her and I will be running ahead of her, Kestrel, and the horses smoothing the path."


Wow. I find Nancy absolutely fascinating, although I imagine that it would be difficult to have a conversation with her without a Kleenex at hand.

Does she do house-calls? Speak Spanish?



> DH made a comment about not knowing how I could ride that horse 50 miles.


That's what most of us are thinking! I know I am. That horse or _any_ horse!


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## Tazzie

That text from Mia had me tearing up, though I knew she would make sure your future was smoother. I'm glad her buddies were there to get her when she crossed the bridge, though again I'd expect nothing less.


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## QueenofFrance08

Oh man now I'm crying at work!


LOL at DH riding Phin! I have the opposite when I let DH ride Stitch, he wants to steal her!


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## carshon

I know it made you sad but I am glad that Nancy was able to send you one last message from Mia. I know so many that poo poo animal communicators. But I also have had the joy of meeting a good one and when I lost my gelding Steve in 2016 my dear friend purchased a reading for me and it gave me so much comfort and eased the pain just a little.

You had me laughing about DH riding Phin. We tease each other about stealing one another's horses. But it seems that no one in my family ever wants to steal the horse I am riding! Whether it was my spicy paint mare Senorita, my naughty gelding Steve or my current horse Tillie. it would seem I tend to attract the hard to ride horses - or as my daughter tells me "Mom really likes the "Special" ones"

So Phin is yours and no need to worry about DH stealing him away. Link may be another story!


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## SwissMiss

carshon said:


> So Phin is yours and no need to worry about DH stealing him away. Link may be another story!


 
Soooo, if @*phantomhorse13* wants to keep Link for herself, she only needs to train him to be bouncy :biggrin: :think:


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## SwissMiss

phantomhorse13 said:


> ... he doesn't exactly post and doesn't exactly two point ...


How is he surviving riding 50 milers (or more) without posting or two-point????? :shock:
Teflon?


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## QueenofFrance08

SwissMiss said:


> How is he surviving riding 50 milers (or more) without posting or two-point????? :shock:
> Teflon?


You would be surprised at how many people in Endurance do it..... One of the usual winners in MN (in 25's and 50's) was riding a new horse this weekend and rode by us for awhile last weekend and I found out he sort of stands in his stirrups the whole ride..... I know a few others who do too.... I would be in tears after 10 steps!


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## phantomhorse13

Spanish Rider said:


> Wow. I find Nancy absolutely fascinating, although I imagine that it would be difficult to have a conversation with her without a Kleenex at hand.
> 
> Does she do house-calls? Speak Spanish?


Nancy does her consultations over the phone. I don't believe she speaks Spanish, but animals don't communicate with her using spoken language (they speak in pictures, as far as I understand how she does what she does). So Nancy could certainly 'talk' to a foreign animal as long as the owner could understand her explanation in English!




carshon said:


> So Phin is yours and no need to worry about DH stealing him away. Link may be another story!





SwissMiss said:


> Soooo, if *phantomhorse13* wants to keep Link for herself, she only needs to train him to be bouncy



I haven't figured out if I think Link is going to be bouncy or not. While he doesn't have an upright shoulder, it's not super sloping either. His pasterns are average length, so no extra shock absorption there. When he is moving faster than a walk at liberty, he is generally not traveling steadily enough for me to judge how much his back is moving (cause it certainly moves a lot as he is bucking and playing). Hopefully I will be pleasantly surprised at his gaits and just won't mention it to DH. :Angel:


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## phantomhorse13

Hopefully this will post, as HF seems to have been taken over by aliens..


Today, I got both boys out. After 3 inches of rain over the past 2 days, I knew I would be sticking to the roads. The forecast was "a slight chance of showers in the morning" then clearing to partly cloudy, with a high of 60. It was grey, cold, and threatening rain when I tacked up Phin and headed out. I planned on the pole line loop that I did with George earlier in the week.

As expected, there was no lack of water! Phin was on his toes, but considering the wind and all the changes (puddles *gasp*), he did pretty well.










We got to the farthest part of the loop and it started to rain. I had some choice words for the weather man!










Thankfully, we were in the woods for most of the time it was raining. By the time we got back to the farm, the rain had stopped.










11.48 miles, 1558 feet of climb, 5.5 mph average pace, 40F real feel


George only needed a leg stretch, so I took him out with Kestrel. There was a brief shower while I was tacking up, but a quick check of the radar showed all clear so out we went. My plan was to mosey up the Sugarloaf.

George was feeling good (I am sure the cold wind helped). We had a lovely canter up the neighbor's driveway, with Kestrel sticking right with us.










We got to the base of the Sugarloaf and it started lightly raining. I checked the radar again and it still didn't show rain anywhere near us, so I stupidly started climbing figuring it would stop. By the time we reached the top, it was raining hard.










At that point, I turned for home the most direct way possible, but we were all soaked so it didn't really matter. George seemed as annoyed as I was, pinning his ears and shaking his head as the rain pelted his face. Kestrel, however, ran around gleefully.










By the time we got home, I was totally soaked and shaking from the cold. 60 and partly sunny my @ss!!

4.27 miles, 590 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 41F real feel


Tomorrow, I head down to Virginia and then head to Indiana with Lani and Kathy!


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## PoptartShop

Glad Phin did well despite the rain/puddles, and you got some shelter from the woods.  I am so over all the rain. Ugh. The weather man is rarely ever right!
Kestrel is so cute, of course she didn't mind the rain haha. :lol: So nice that you always take her with you. Love her little vest. 

Oooh that will be a fun time, have a BLAST! Can't wait to hear all about it!!!


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## QueenofFrance08

Can't wait to hear about Indiana! Hope it rains less then it's supposed to in Wisconsin!


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## knightrider

This happens to us too. The radar shows perfectly clear and we get rain. How can that be?

Have a super time. Can't wait to read about your adventures. I will be camping at Doe Lake with the horses for a week, but I'll check in when I get back.


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## Spanish Rider

Just got off a video chat with my eldest in MA. He was wearing a shirt, sweatshirt and polar fleece IN the house. I can't believe what cold weather you all are having. This week, we've been in the upper 80's, and tody we hit 90.



> but animals don't communicate with her using spoken language (they speak in pictures, as far as I understand how she does what she does). So Nancy could certainly 'talk' to a foreign animal as long as the owner could understand her explanation in English!


Yes, I was joking. I figured it would be more of a visual/sensory communication instead of actual words. Right now, I have 2 depressed dogs, but I know it's because my in-laws just left after staying with us for a week. They always take them for 2-3 walks a day and feed them scraps under the table, which DH and I do not.

I do think a conversation with Presu would be quite interesting after the couple of weeks I've had with him. It would probably be full of expletives!


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## phantomhorse13

I am back from a successful, though interesting, weekend. However, I have apparently picked up the flu or some other viral plague and currently am having a hard time being upright, so the ride report will be delayed..


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## AnitaAnne

phantomhorse13 said:


> I am back from a successful, though interesting, weekend. However, I have apparently picked up the flu or some other viral plague and currently am having a hard time being upright, so the ride report will be delayed..


Rest up and take care of yourself, drink lots of fluids :hug: 

Very Glad you made it home safely.


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## PoptartShop

I hope you feel better! :sad: Ugh! Take care of yourself. Lots of rest and stay hydrated. Glad you are safe.


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## Celeste

I hope you get better soon. Get some rest. (I know that is the hardest thing to do.)


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## phantomhorse13

Two weeks ago, I drove down to Virginia to meet Kathy and Lani. Then, we headed out to a ride in Indiana - a 14 hour drive! Kathy and Lani switched out between driving and napping while I navigated and kept whoever was driving awake. We arrived at day break Thursday (the first ones there!), got the horses settled in their stalls, and then took a nap.

By mid-morning, other people were rolling in. We decided to get the horses out for pre-rides before it got any busier or hotter. We took Flo and Mu first, but I was too occupied with excited baby to get any pics. You can tell Mu has had 5 months off as he was looking at everything despite Flo's presence. Next up was Teabiscuit and Auburn, who I had not ridden before.









Auburn, also 4, has only been to two rides, so everything is still very new to her. She did well with figuring stuff out though and was fun to ride.

We spent the afternoon getting our crew spot set up and preparing for the ride the next day. When it was time to vet, we did all 4 horses. Mu was a bit wiggly and overly animated for the trot out. Auburn was fantastic, standing quietly for all the vetting. She trotted out for me without needing any encouragement - a first.

We had some ugly storms roll through during dinner, which dropped quite a bit of rain. It was nice that the horses had stalls to shelter them. The area was already pretty saturated, so we worried about how the trails would be the following day.

I didn't sleep very well that night as a horse a few stalls down spent ALL NIGHT pounding on the walls. I don;t know how he wasn't lame in the morning. The day was clear and already warm when we tacked up.










We didn't even put bridles on the horses and mount up until the trail was open, then we wandered around a few minutes to warm up and make sure we were the last people to leave camp. Kathy was in rare form!










Mu started out on the line as we weren't sure what to expect. He was very enthused and really wanted to go, but eventually settled down beside Flo. As we expected, the trails had a lot of muddy sections.










Once Mu settled, I got to hold my own rope. That went ok until we jumped a bunch of deer, which really worried him. We got a bit farther down the trail and could hear things crashing in the woods again. Mu wanted to turn and flee, so Kathy took the rope back to help me keep him beside Flo. We came around the next bend to find the photog, with two loose dogs playing in the woods beside her. That certainly got the horses' attention!!










After leaving the photog and her dogs behind, I got to hold my own rope again. We had no further wildlife encounters, which was good as Mu needed to focus on the less-than-ideal footing.










Mu was even allowed to lead a couple times where the trail was driest.










We got into camp and pulled tack as it was getting hot. Both horses pulsed without issue, but the vet thought he saw "something in the hind end" of both horses. Lani and Kathy didn't see anything, but certainly made the worry factor go up. 










Both horses ate like fiends during the hold and it was so nice to have Lani there taking care of them so Kathy and I could take care of ourselves. Being so hot, I was very worried about winding up with a migraine, so was sure to take some preemptive drugs and to drink as much as I could stand. Soon we were back on trail.

The second loop was a repeat of the first, so we knew what to expect. The mud wasn't any better after all those feet went over it.










There was no lack of places to drink on trail!










Mu was on his best behavior for the second loop. We seemingly had the forest to ourselves, as we never saw another rider.










We got back into camp after a lovely time on the loop, though it was _hot_. The horses were pulsed down by the time we pulled tack so we went right to the vetting. We happened to get a different vet this time and he saw nothing of concern with either horse. Completions!















(I thought I had taken pics of their cards, but couldn't find any when I got home - oops).

to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

With the temperature approaching 90 and a real feel of 98, we didn't want to delay getting Biscuit and Auburn out for a brief ride for fear it would get even worse. We had changed my saddle pad to a thicker one and wanted to make sure it didn't shift around. With all the commotion in camp, Kathy kept her on the line for the brief ride.










We spent the rest of the afternoon hiding in the shade and sweating. We got lucky that some storms rolled by to the south, as the last thing we needed was any more rain. I slept somewhat better as the banging horse must have gone home, but I woke up with a sore throat. It went away after a while, so I assumed I had been snoring and irritated it.

It was warm and muggy as we tacked up. The ground in camp seemed a bit dryer, so we hoped the trails had improved. The thicker pad had been fine on the pre-ride, so that is what I tacked up using. It seemed huge on her.










Again we didn't get on until trail was open, but we had to circle for longer to let everyone leave camp ahead of us. Auburn started out on the line, though she was all business right from the start. We were riding the same loop as yesterday, so we knew to make time when we could.










We hadn't even gone a couple miles when I got to hold my own rope. While some parts of the trail had improved, some places had gotten very treacherous.










Being Saturday, we started coming across a lot of day riders. While some were very pleasant, many seemed to have little control over their horses. Auburn got very good at passing horses in all manner of ways, including have to leave the trail entirely! We appreciated our solitary moments on trail very much.










The photog had left her dogs back at camp, so going past her was only mildly interesting. As you can see, the ground in a lot of places was still less than ideal.










We got around the first loop without any major incidents. It was already hot by the time we got into the hold, but both horses were pulsed down by the time we pulled tack. They vetted through without incident.










Both horses ate and drank well during the hold. Again, Lani took care of the horses so Kathy and I could take care of ourselves. My head was grumbling vaguely, so I was doing my best to drink as much as possible. It was soon time to head out on the second loop.

Places in the second loop almost defied description, as the mud had been churned up into a cannon-deep sucking quagmire. It was amazing the horses didn't lose any shoes!










There was no lack of places to drink on trail, though the remains of previous flooding was amazing to see.










Auburn was never interested in going first, but she did move out beside Biscuit when she could. I was really impressed with how she handled the footing.










We kept having encounters with day riders, one in particular standing out as a you-can't-make-this-shiitake-up moment (see 2:09 in the video below for a brief clip): 










The couple were coming downhill when they encountered a rider in front of us. The lady in the lead not only couldn't get her horse to get off the trail, she told us the horse would kick if we tried to pass! The woman could not remove the horse from the trail and then the horse swung around and started backing at the horse in front of Biscuit. At that point, Kathy turned Biscuit into the woods and we went crashing through branches to get away. Despite squealing and crashing not far from her, Auburn just calmly followed Biscuit like that kind of thing happened every day!!

Another fun one was about a mile before camp. We came upon a man on a Clydesdale and a lady on an appy who had stopped on the only dry section of trail in the middle of about 1/4 mile of mud. The appy apparently refused to move and its rider was just sitting there. We heard stories from people finishing both before and after us about them being there - wonder how long it took them to get that appy moving?!

When we got back to camp, both horses pulsed down once we had the tack off despite the heat. They vetted through with no issues. Completions! I could not be more proud of how Auburn handled herself.















We let the horses rest for a few hours as we got camp organized and packed up. Bad weather was coming, so we figured better to be on the road and hopefully stay ahead of it. We left camp about 3pm, stopped to grab some dinner before we got on the interstate, and then started the long trek back to Virginia. We went a slightly different route, hoping to avoid some construction. Again, my job was to keep whomever was driving awake, as Lani and Kathy switched off.

We got back to the farm about 4am. The horses unloaded without issue and then galloped all around the pastures when they were turned out. Guess nobody was that tired!! I certainly was though, so slept for a couple hours before starting the 3 hour drive home. I got home about noon and felt like a zombie. I had hoped to get Phin out, but I was not feeling up to it. Instead, I helped DH with various chores around the place and tried not to injure myself.

I woke up Monday morning to feed and knew I was in trouble. I still felt like a zombie, my head was aching, my throat was on fire and I was alternating between hot and cold flashes. When I got back inside, I took my temperature and wasn't surprised to see I had a fever. No rest for the wicked though, as the farrier was coming. I managed to stay upright until he was done, then had to give up all my plans for the day and go lay down.

Tuesday was no better and I also started coughing - a nasty wheezing, rattling cough. I gave up and went to the doctor Wednesday morning, winning antibiotics, a cough suppressant, a bronchodilator and strict orders to stay in bed before I wound up with pneumonia. Surely not how I had planned to spend my week!!


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## AndyTheCornbread

Would the Clydesdale not pull from the horn? I always wonder in situations like that why the person on the big horse doesn't dally the other one to the horn and simply drag it along like an ornery colt until it figures out that going is less painful than refusing to move. 

I haven't run into any mean horses at competitions like the one in the video that goes to try and kick that other horse. I have heard of it but never seen it in person. It boggles my mind why people would bring a horse like that on a busy public trail and allow it to misbehave like that?!?

Couple of questions. What shoes are you using for your horses? Have you ever dealt with any Quarabs and what did you think of them? Best of both breeds, worst of both breeds, meh lot of hype (all hat no cattle)?

I hope you feel better soon.


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## phantomhorse13

AndyTheCornbread said:


> Would the Clydesdale not pull from the horn? I always wonder in situations like that why the person on the big horse doesn't dally the other one to the horn and simply drag it along like an ornery colt until it figures out that going is less painful than refusing to move.


This is exactly what I was thinking.. but no idea if they had appropriate equipment to try that (would a leather rein just break?). Heck, using the bigger horse to shove the other one would have been an option too. Kathy's comment was she would have untacked the appy and climbed on the clyde double holding it and just left the appy there!



AndyTheCornbread said:


> I haven't run into any mean horses at competitions like the one in the video that goes to try and kick that other horse. I have heard of it but never seen it in person. It boggles my mind why people would bring a horse like that on a busy public trail and allow it to misbehave like that?!?


I agree. Bad enough the horse is a kicker, but then to have no control of it what so ever. And she wasn't even _trying_ to stop or correct it, which is why Kathy decided we needed to be out of there. While nobody was hurt in this case, sure could have ended differently. And made me wonder how that horse behaved around hikers and bikers, etc. Certainly would give horse people a bad name. :evil:



AndyTheCornbread said:


> What shoes are you using for your horses?


 Kathy does the farrier work for their horses. Most of them are in steel shoes - eventer type as the longer crease helps with traction. Small blobs of borium or small studs are added depending on the event. Our horses are done in a similar fashion. One horse of Lani's (Duroc, the mostly TB) goes in easycare plastic shoes, as his feet are typical TB poor. The extra shock absorption seems to help keep the nails from wallowing out and losing shoes. Those types of shoes are slicker than snot on wet grass, so have to be very aware of what you are riding on. They are amazing on pavement though!



AndyTheCornbread said:


> Have you ever dealt with any Quarabs and what did you think of them? Best of both breeds, worst of both breeds, meh lot of hype (all hat no cattle)?


I have known a handful of Quarabs, most of which I liked. I have found them to be less reactive than the arab but not as dull as some QHs can be. I would not be opposed to taking the right one home with me. I did know one which was a train wreck, but whoever bred him was an idiot - who breeds a modern halter QH with a modern halter arab and thinks something good will result?! The poor horse had a massive body on twig legs and tiny feet, two of which were clubbed. I cannot imagine he stayed sound for long (he was 5 when I knew him, but was sold as he kept spooking out from under his rider and then running back to the barn).


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## egrogan

> Kathy's comment was she would have untacked the appy and climbed on the clyde double holding it and just left the appy there!


:rofl:


In all seriousness, having dealt with a horse who "stalls out" and foot-plants, I totally get how annoying and frustrating it is. But I would be MORTIFIED if Fizz was standing in the middle of a trail endangering other people. For starters, why not just GET OFF THE HORSE and at least get movement in some direction and get the heck out of the way. Deal with your own problem when you can, but deal with the problem you're creating for other people first!


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## AndyTheCornbread

phantomhorse13 said:


> Kathy does the farrier work for their horses. Most of them are in steel shoes - eventer type as the longer crease helps with traction. Small blobs of borium or small studs are added depending on the event. Our horses are done in a similar fashion.


That makes sense, you use the eventer style to get the traction of a rimmed shoe but it still has a space at the back where you can weld studs or borium etc. for extra extra traction. I always wondered what kind of shoes endurance horses wear, but I don't know anyone who does it so I have not had anyone to be able to ask. 

I use a full rimmed steel shoe on my working horses for traction up here in the mountains but I don't need borium until it starts to freeze up and surfaces get icy. Endurance horses are moving faster over longer distances than a ranch/working horse so I was always curious if they needed extra traction and what they are doing to get it.

I don't shoe my own, I have an amazing farrier, I am just always curious as to what horse foot ware goes for what types of use. So, thank you for all the detailed answers.


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## phantomhorse13

egrogan said:


> having dealt with a horse who "stalls out" and foot-plants, I totally get how annoying and frustrating it is. But I would be MORTIFIED if Fizz was standing in the middle of a trail endangering other people. For starters, why not just GET OFF THE HORSE and at least get movement in some direction and get the heck out of the way. Deal with your own problem when you can, but deal with the problem you're creating for other people first!


But you are a thinking person who is aware and concerned about those around you.. I can only assume many of the day riders we encountered were neither.


It's ironic that many riders think endurance people are yahoos with no manners, when I have had way more issues with "normal" riders having no common sense or trail etiquette. Maybe being that way and adding speed naturally culls out at least some of those people before they get to an event?


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## phantomhorse13

I finally felt up to riding Monday. I wasn't sure what to expect from Phin as he'd had some time off, but for a change momma nature was on my side, as not only was it not raining, it was hot and humid. I started out going out through the fields at Spaulding's as there was some stuff going on at Alamar, not thinking about the fact they hay would be insane. And indeed, it was up to my knees!










We worked our way over to the Sugarloaf. Phin was on his best behavior, which was a relief as I was still doing some coughing.










We went up and down, out and back the neighbor's driveway, and then up the backside of the Sugarloaf. Phin was enthused but not silly so I figured there was no need to go up and down again. We headed home via the neighbor's driveway, where Phin was horrified to find a Carnivorous Rowboat. And, maybe worse, there was a shiny Paddle of Pain laying on top of it! :eek_color: :icon_rolleyes:










It was hard not to laugh at his pop-eyed, giraffe-necked tiptoe.. but he stayed on the road so it was fine by me. 

7.24 miles, 1064 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 92F real feel


On Thursday, it stopped raining so I was able to go for a mosey with Phin and Kestrel. Brad and Bill were over mowing at the neighbor's, as that farm is going back into production. It was amazing to see the difference, though Phin was suspicious.










We meandered up part of the Sugarloaf. We saw _lots_ of deer, which was no surprise since they didn't have all those acres of grass to hide in any more.










Phin was amazingly well-behaved, considering the changes to the scenery, the constant deer activity, and the various tractors moving around.










4.20 miles, 639 feet of climb, 4.2 mph average pace, 81F real feel


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## AnitaAnne

You are back in the saddle! YAY! Phin is being so brave lately, he must really enjoy your rides together :smile:


That little mare you rode in Indiana...think her name was Auburn, was a real cutie! Such a good girl for only her second ride too. What is she? Breed wise I mean...she looks a lot smaller than Kathy and Lani's other horses.


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## phantomhorse13

I have gotten saddle time twice this week, but have been too busy to be able to journal about it.

Tomorrow morning, we head down to Virginia for the Old Dominion. Hopefully, I will have a chance to get caught up here next week!


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## Rob55

@PhantomHorse. Take and share Old Dominion pictures please
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## PoptartShop

Yay for saddle time!  It sucks being sick & not being able to do much. Even a few days without any saddle time or horse time is torture for us! :lol: Glad you are starting to feel better. 

Phin is such a good boy, really glad he was good for you despite having some time off, and seeing deer & other things. That is a relief. Beautiful rides! So nice to see how things have changed & how green everything is starting to get.


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## AndyTheCornbread

Just watched your Old Dominion video you put up 4 hours ago or so. Will you be doing a journal post with pictures and description of how it all went and who you rode with? Those rocks around 4:10 in the video were no joke, how much of that kind of icky riding was there on the course? I hate riding in rock like that, the potential for injury is just way higher than I would like.


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## phantomhorse13

Yet again, I am behind on posting. Will try to get caught up this week..


Last week, I got some saddle time.

On Monday, I went over to ride with Nicole. We did a bit more exploring in the same area we went last time and were able to find some good interconnecting trails. I rode Hombre, who was very well behaved.





































10.77 miles, 748 feet of climb, 5.6 mph average pace, 67F real feel


Wednesday, I went out with Gina. I rode Amish and she rode Windsor. Windsor was being a bit o a jerk, so we went the Sugarloaf looking for his brain.










No surprise, he found it before we were even halfway up.







The rest of the ride was uneventful. 










We did a loop around Alamar on the way home and I think George and Phin were saying nah-nah to Amish!










5.18 miles, 621 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 76F real feel


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## Spanish Rider

Such a cute pic of Phin and George, and awesome fencing!


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## phantomhorse13

AndyTheCornbread said:


> Just watched your Old Dominion video you put up 4 hours ago or so. Will you be doing a journal post with pictures and description of how it all went and who you rode with? Those rocks around 4:10 in the video were no joke, how much of that kind of icky riding was there on the course? I hate riding in rock like that, the potential for injury is just way higher than I would like.


I will be posting here all about the ride, just trying to get caught up on life first. Today the sun is shining so I will be riding the mower and the tractor brush hogging, but tomorrow is calling for rain so hopefully that will give me an excuse to get my journal updated..


Glad people look forward to my ride reports!


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> That little mare you rode in Indiana...think her name was Auburn, was a real cutie! Such a good girl for only her second ride too. What is she? Breed wise I mean...she looks a lot smaller than Kathy and Lani's other horses.


Auburn is a full Arab, bred by Lapco Arabians out of Kentucky. We suspect she is going to stay on the petite side - not bad at all for Kathy, who she is meant for.


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## PoptartShop

Is that Sassafras? If so, I love that place! 

Either way, looks like such a beautiful ride!!!  Phin and George are so cute too!


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## carshon

I hate to dampen the mood and ask - but did Raven move down the road? I thought of him this weekend when riding and my daughter was fighting with her 8yr old that sat in a pasture since she was 2. She kept asking her why she was acting like that when she had seen it before. 

Glad you are getting some riding in - hopefully the weather will calm down soon!


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## phantomhorse13

PoptartShop said:


> Is that Sassafras? If so, I love that place!


I was riding local to Nicole's barn with her, which is outside of Beaver Meadows, PA.. so don't think its where you are talking about. Will have to google as I always love to know about more good trails.



carshon said:


> I hate to dampen the mood and ask - but did Raven move down the road?


Raven's original owner had asked to be contacted if things didn't work out, so of course that was the first person I called. He wanted him back, so Raven is down in North Carolina with his old sheep friends and a new horse buddy.


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## PoptartShop

Ah, no, Sassafras is in MD. It looks really pretty though!!! :smile:


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## phantomhorse13

Last Thursday, DH and I were up bright and early to head for Virginia. The drive down to the Old Dominion ride site should have taken about 4 hours.. instead we got into West Virginia to find an accident had closed the entire interstate. We were put onto tiny back roads, along with every other vehicle from the interstate, plus all the locals. In the end, we got to ride camp just under 6 hours after we left the house. We were all more than ready to get out of the rig!!

We soon had camp set up, with Cathy and Epyc beside us.










The day passed quickly as we got things prepared for the following day. DH took things out to set up the away crew while I got Phin vetted and braided. In what seemed like no time, it was ride meeting and dinner time, which was closely followed by bedtime.

The next morning was cool though humid - cool is very unusual for OD so I was thrilled. The predicted clouds had moved in overnight, promising relief from the sun. The new pad I had ordered a month ago hadn't arrived by the time we left (grr), so Phin was in the old setup. He was pretty chill to tack up.










We wandered around camp warming up and let the majority of the 44 starters get out on trail before we headed out. I knew what pace I wanted and chasing the front runners was not it!










Phin was forward but not too silly leaving camp for the 16 mile first loop. We ran into traffic fairly quickly though, which had him fussing. I was glad to have the hack-a-more on (I had fleetingly debated changing to the hack-a-less but figured better to have too many brakes than not enough!).










It wasn't long before the first climb started, and that tends to get people spread out. This year was no different and we soon had a small bubble of space to ourselves. Phin and Epyc settled into the task of climbing.












The view from the top makes all the climbing worthwhile. While you can't see that far due to the humidity, some years its so bad you can't see anything at all. We were so lucky in terms of weather!










While the OD trail is infamous for rocks and climbs, there is some decent footing, too. Just when you think you can't stand another rock or the climb will never end, you pop out onto road and can finally move along.










We got into the first hold and the boys were pulsed down by the time we pulled tack. Both vetted without incident and were happy to chow down during the hold. We were blessed with great crew in the form of DH, the girl I was crewing the 100 for the next day (Geneva, in yellow), plus two other friends!










As always, the hold time flew by and we were soon back on board and ready for the second 16 mile loop. We knew it would be the worst terrain we encountered all day and were again thankful for the clouds and reasonable temperature.










to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

The first 5 miles of the loop aren't too bad, so you try to move out as much as possible knowing the big climb is coming. Phin was in work mode and motored up and down hill over the tricky footing without incident.










The second 5 miles is a whole different story. The climb means business and some sections are more rock than they are trail. 










Thankfully the really rocky sections only last 100 yards to so at a time. The mountain laurel was in bloom, so that was a pretty sight between the super rocky sections.










Phin did really well over all, especially as we started hearing yelping and barking off to the left of the trail partway up (assuming coyotes but not really sure what we were hearing as normally coyotes aren't that active during the day). With the breeze it was hard to tell just how far away the sounds were, so both horses definitely had their attention divided.










We finally got to the top of the climb and turned away from the strange noises, which was a relief to everyone. We got partway down to the road leading to the second hold and realized Epyc had lost a shoe. Shiitake. Cathy put his easyboot on with minimal issue and we were thrilled he was sound. I watched that boot just about every stride the rest of the way to the hold, but it stayed put.

The second hold doesn't allow outside crews, so we knew it was going to be frantic trying to get the horses vetted, the horses cared for, ourselves cared for, and have the farrier to fix the shoe. As walked past the in-timer, Epyc took a bad step and pulled off a second shoe!! :eek_color: Thank goodness it happened there as Cathy didn't have any more boots and that ground is not barefoot friendly.

We pulled tack and took the horses to vet right away, hoping that would give us the hold time to see the farrier. Epyc trotted sound so we went right from the vetting to the farrier. We got super lucky that there was no line. The farrier was able to get both shoes back on, but I spent the hold carrying stuff up and down the hill to the horses while Cathy held them. Both horses were unenthused (the previous loop is always soul-sucking), but both ate and drank and nobody bit or kicked me when I tacked them back up.









The next loop was 13 miles and had quite a bit of road, so we were able to get moving. The horses knew we were heading back and perked up. This loop is generally miserable as you are broiling in the sun, but the clouds saved us from that fate and we did quite a bit of cantering. 










Of course no loop is without some climbs, but compared to the previous loops these were no problem.










A section of the singletrack on this loop is my favorite of the whole ride, as the footing is pretty decent and the trail winds slightly up and down as it goes around the mountain, so it's like riding on a roller coaster. Phin knew he was heading back so would have gone faster if I let him.










We got into the third hold, which was the same location as the first. That meant DH and the others were waiting for us. We pulled tack and vetted without issue. The boys ate and drank well. DH was in rare form, but I was glad he was having such a good time!










The last 6.5 miles back to camp flew by. Phin knew exactly where camp was and was on a mission to get there!










to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 3:

We got back to camp with no issues and walked back to the trailers to pull tack. We vetted with no surprises - completions!!

We let the boys graze their way back from the vet area. Phin took the opportunity to roll and of course had to find the most disgusting spot possible. 

































I got Phin settled then went to meet with Geneva. We got some stuff organized then it was time for the 100 mile ride meeting, dinner, and awards. I was shocked to learn Phin and Epyc tied for 16th! I had expected to be much farther back in the pack (35 of 44 completed). After that, we packed the truck and it was dark by the time I got back to our trailer and fell into bed. 

Not nearly enough hours later, my alarm went off. I met Geneva and helped her with last minute things to go into the truck and tacking up. Soon enough trail was open and she and Tango were off on their first 100, along with 17 other starters!

I crewed with Mary Coleman, who is an icon in our sport with many, many miles and almost all of them on Morgans. She was in a walking boot after a soft tissue injury, but even if I was doing most of the heavy lifting she was great company. It was also nice to have one person to focus on the rider and one to focus on the horse.














































The day went really well overall. Tango wound up being a bit girthy at the second hold, but a liberal application of cowboy magic to the area every time we tacked solved that issue. At the third hold, a friend's crew got lost on the way so we wound up crewing for her and her horse (that combo went on to not only win the ride, but also took BC, high vet score, and the OD trophy!). Geneva and Tango crossed the finish line just before 3:30 am still looking strong. The mare vetted out with all As to triumphantly finish their first 100 tied for 8th place!


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## QueenofFrance08

Yay!!! So glad Phin did so well! He looks fabulous! 

What pad did you order? I forgot to tell you this weekend I noticed Jake has a huge vein where all of your problems started with Phin and saddles so I might be having the same troubles as you did! Never can be easy can it?


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## carshon

I love your posts. Phin looks amazing!


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## Spanish Rider

Phin looks absolutely gorgeous in that photo!

I am interested in Cathy in her Tipperary. That looks like the non-certified model. Any opinions? Does she normally wear one, or just on these especially rocky trails? I did a lot or research after my accident, but have not made a purchase since I am usually in a sandy arena.

Speaking of which… holy bejeezus! Those rocks & boulders! They just look like an accident waiting to happen. So glad that only shoes were pulled and nothing else.


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> What pad did you order? I forgot to tell you this weekend I noticed Jake has a huge vein where all of your problems started with Phin and saddles so I might be having the same troubles as you did! Never can be easy can it?


I ordered the endurance shaped version of what we had been using (Toklat Matrix pads). I am hoping the back is a touch wider so the panels will sit on the inside not on the edges of the sheepskin. It also doesn't have the flap, so I am hoping less pad will mean less heat/sweat..

I sure hope Jake gives you a break on saddle fit. Tell him water is enough issue and he isn't allowed any more!



carshon said:


> Phin looks amazing!


Thank you. I am actually concerned that he and George are thinner than normal. Despite being on grass and about doubling their hard feed, I still doesn't like what I see. Of course it's making me crazy and I am about to make some changes in hopes it will help..



Spanish Rider said:


> I am interested in Cathy in her Tipperary. That looks like the non-certified model. Any opinions? Does she normally wear one, or just on these especially rocky trails? I did a lot or research after my accident, but have not made a purchase since I am usually in a sandy arena.


Cathy wears the vest whenever she rides because Epyc has a history of dumping her. It's been several years since she came off and was injured, but understandably she doesn't want a repeat. She found the air vests to be too hot, so went with that non-certified one as a sort of compromise. Nancy rides in an air vest and it took her a while to find one that was comfortable (she is a small woman but well endowed). She agrees it's hot, but can't afford any more broken ribs!


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## PoptartShop

Ugh I love the updates!!  Looks like a fantastic time. Sucks about the 6hrs versus 4, but of course traffic is rarely ever in our favor. :lol: Wow, such amazing views, especially from all the way at the top. :O Looks like an amazing, breathtaking experience. Phin does look good, although you do see him every day so you'd notice if he was thinner than usual. Hopefully whatever changes you make help, he looks good to me though!!  Handsome boy!


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## knightrider

Wow, great story and pictures. It was my dream for a long time to complete the OD 50, but I never made it. I got hooked on doing Renaissance Festivals and never had time to train after that. I am so pleased for you that it went so well.


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## AnitaAnne

So nice Raven was able to go back to his former home. I had wondered about him too...


Phin is so attractive! The ride looks very challenging, but really beautiful too. Nice of the weather to cooperate  

Your ride videos are so much fun to watch, feels like we are there with you. Those rocks! Jeez what a trail! Can't imagine doing that for 100 miles, in the dark of night! Would have wanted a bright full moon then! 


I always check teeth when a horse seems to not be holding their weight, plus the Purina senior really seems to help as they age, but Phin isn't that old. One year when the grass was especially rich from regular rain I had to worm them an extra time. Don't know the connection to lots of grass and more worms, but it helped.


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> I always check teeth when a horse seems to not be holding their weight, plus the Purina senior really seems to help as they age, but Phin isn't that old. One year when the grass was especially rich from regular rain I had to worm them an extra time. Don't know the connection to lots of grass and more worms, but it helped.


Their teeth were done by an equine dentist in April and nobody besides Raven had anything but minor hooks. Nobody drops feed and nobody reacts to my rubbing along their faces (a cheater way I was once shown to maybe find sensitive places).

Everyone got their routine ivermectin deworming in March (they are historically low shedders), but I just dewormed them all again 2 weeks ago with a double dose of pyrantel to get tapes (which seem to be what can really go crazy in wet weather according to my research).

Everyone is already on Legends Senior (and have been for years), and I actually called to verify the formula hadn't changed (it hasn't). So I am now in the process of changing to Triple Crown Senior as it has a higher fat content (it is what we had previously used as our special-for-rides food). I would rather keep them on a beet pulp based feed (versus an oat-based one) because of the hot factor, but if the TC Senior doesn't do the trick I will be looking at the Training formula (which is what I will be using as the ride food meanwhile). Everyone also gets a cup of fresh ground flax seed once daily, as well as FasTrack (pre- and probiotic), MyoGard (vit E, selenium, vit C and magnesium supp), and garlic (for bugs).

In talking to people at the ride last weekend, just about everyone said they were having weight issues this year. Horses who normally need muzzles haven't needed them and everyone on hard feeding is needing a lot more than previous years. Not sure if the excess rain is making the grass grow so fast that it doesn't have the same nutrient profile as other years? While ours have access to hay 24/7, they don't eat much once the grass comes in..

Any other suggestions would be welcome! I have looked into rice bran-based fat supplements and figure that will be another possible addition if needed (probably before changing to the oat-based feed).


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## AndyTheCornbread

Lots of rain knocks down protein in wheat if it happens while it is still green, I imagine it does similar things to grass for hay, especially headed grasses.

That said the best weight gainer, according to my equine vet who also does my nutrition programs for my horses, is soaked beet pulp. Horses apparently get more carbs from the fiber in that than just about anything else. Second best according to him is flax meal. Flax meal has the added benefit of making for really nice coats and hooves so I use that mixed with minerals and some other stuff like alfalfa pellets etc. for weight gainer on my older horses right now but I will switch to soaking beet pulp if I ever get any that can't put weight on with the flax meal alone.

I am not sure how many horses you have but I have found separating them physically is sometimes necessary at feeding time to ensure that the harder keepers don't get pushed off their weight gainer by younger more aggressive horses. I pen mine separately when I feed them their weight gainer so they can eat it at their own pace and not get pushed off it and this seems to help the older ones quite a bit.

Sorry it posted before I was ready so this is an edit. I found what really put the weight on mine fast was pure flax oil. I worked them up to the amount they are at right now so they don't get the squirts but it is pure fat and if your horse will eat a cup or so dumped over their regular feed you will probably notice they put on weight really fast. My one old guy had to be cut back because he got fat. First time in 22 years he was ever anything but a hard keeper.


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## QueenofFrance08

One of my greenbean team members went to Purina for a week in May for some special VIP event they had going on and based on her time there she thinks the Ultium Gastric Care is the way to go for endurance horses. It has their Amplify suppliment for weight gain and the Outlast for Ulcer prevention. It is also beet pulp based. I finally found some in the last month and switched Jake and Chico to it and am loving the results. Chico got a 4 on body score this weekend for the first time and one of our friends said she thinks he's put on at least 100 lbs in the last month. Worth a try maybe?


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## phantomhorse13

AndyTheCornbread said:


> the best weight gainer, according to my equine vet who also does my nutrition programs for my horses, is soaked beet pulp. Horses apparently get more carbs from the fiber in that than just about anything else. Second best according to him is flax meal. I found what really put the weight on mine fast was pure flax oil.


Unfortunately, George won't eat beet pulp. Phin will for a meal or two, then also turns up his nose. I haven't heard of flax in oil form, but am doing a cup of ground flax now. That is something I may start doing twice daily if the switch in brands doesn't do enough.



AndyTheCornbread said:


> I am not sure how many horses you have but I have found separating them physically is sometimes necessary at feeding time


We have 4 horses and all eat in their own space, where nobody else can get to them (two in stalls, one in a round pen, the remaining one loose in the paddock).



QueenofFrance08 said:


> One of my greenbean team members went to Purina for a week in May for some special VIP event they had going on and based on her time there she thinks the Ultium Gastric Care is the way to go for endurance horses. It has their Amplify suppliment for weight gain and the Outlast for Ulcer prevention. It is also beet pulp based.


I have heard good things about Amplify and upon doing some asking around, found good reviews about Ultium putting on weight but a few comments about making the horses hot/high. Goodness knows Phin doesn't need any help being silly, but both these things are on the what-next list if the Triple Crown doesn't do the trick.


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## AndyTheCornbread

phantomhorse13 said:


> Unfortunately, George won't eat beet pulp. Phin will for a meal or two, then also turns up his nose. I haven't heard of flax in oil form, but am doing a cup of ground flax now. That is something I may start doing twice daily if the switch in brands doesn't do enough.


Yeah that is the other down side to beet pulp. It's gross to horses too and many won't eat it. Flax oil has a lot more calories than even ground flax meal does so it does put on weight quick especially if you mix it with flax meal or oats or alfalfa pellets etc. something that will soak it up. Anyway you can get pure flax oil here: https://bigskymineral.com/hilands-flax-oil-1-gal/

Stay away from mixes and other oils as they can cause inflammation. E.g corn or canola oil are bother bad for inflammation.


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## phantomhorse13

Early last week, I took George to get his hocks injected. It's been a year since they were last done, so we are hoping it lasts just as long this time. He was a very good patient and as always, came out of his sedation as soon as I asked him to walk off.










While George was stalled after his injections (due to the mud), I rearranged who was living in what pasture. I put Link and Sultan together, hoping that would give me one set of actively competing horses and one set of pasture puffs. I was thrilled with how things went!










Now Link is totally enamored with Sultan, who is very tolerate of his silly antics and is the very model of benevolent ruler.











Today, I got George out for a mosey with Kestrel. The weather was threatening rain at any moment, so we just stuck around the Sugarloaf.

On the way out, I should have brought the marshmallows!










The bugs were enough to carry us away when climbing the mountain. I was wishing for my own ear net!!










The previously wild fields have now been planted, which has taken away some of my options. But I think the minor hassle will be worth not having deer leaping out constantly or worrying as much about ticks..










5.55 miles, 901 feet of climb, 4.3 mph average pace, 75F real feel


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## QueenofFrance08

Wait... First picture... Did you get a new trailer?

Love Link and Sultan, so cute! 

The gnats were so bad at the park we were at last weekend I was ready to put on a bee keeper suit to ride. I know one of the ladies who rides here has a big fly hat/suit thing and at first I thought it was a little silly but I'm starting to want one!


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## AndyTheCornbread

I used to wear something like this in the military when out on patrol and the bugs were really bad. Especially when we were sleeping on longer ops out in the bush I would put this on to keep bugs off my face while I was racked out. I have one now days for hunting and fishing too. They work fairly well: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Coghlan-s-No-See-Um-Head-Net/27410470


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> Did you get a new trailer?


That is Nicole's trailer. She got Polo done, too. 



AndyTheCornbread said:


> I used to wear something like this in the military when out on patrol and the bugs were really bad. They work fairly well: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Coghlan-s-No-See-Um-Head-Net/27410470


I actually have a couple of those.. but I put them in a safe place.. :dance-smiley05: Perhaps I shall spend some time looking for them, as today's forecast was right on in terms of rain, which makes me fear the rest of the week will be accurate as well..


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## AndyTheCornbread

phantomhorse13 said:


> I actually have a couple of those.. but I put them in a safe place.. :dance-smiley05: Perhaps I shall spend some time looking for them


I did the same thing with my can of WD-40 and now I can't find it for blood or money and I need to use it on some car door hinges so they quit squeaking when the door is opened. So, if you find my can of WD-40 when you are looking for bug netting can you let me know where it is? :smile:


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## PoptartShop

Link and Sultan are so adorable!  Perfect timing to re-arrange the pasture-mates while George was being stalled. Glad he was a good boy for the injections, I hope they help! LOL the other day I was thinking the same thing...like I need a fly bonnet for myself! Why do horses get all the good stuff?! :rofl: Can't stand the humidity & the bugs. That's awesome you beat the rain though, and it looks like Kestrel had a good time tagging along!


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## Knave

We have been having a huge mosquito problem too! They come in before dark, and the horses can’t handle it. We run out and fly spray them, and it helps a bit, but Cash loses his mind. All night he lopes and trots circles. I guess it is a free hotwalker, but it makes me feel bad. It also flabbergasts me that of all the horses, it’s the mustang who cannot tolerate a bug.


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## phantomhorse13

AndyTheCornbread said:


> I did the same thing with my can of WD-40 and now I can't find it for blood or money and I need to use it on some car door hinges so they quit squeaking when the door is opened. So, if you find my can of WD-40 when you are looking for bug netting can you let me know where it is? :smile:


How funny that I know exactly where our WD-40 is.. think that would keep the bugs away?! :rofl:


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## phantomhorse13

Knave said:


> It also flabbergasts me that of all the horses, it’s the mustang who cannot tolerate a bug.


How funny! Was he wild-caught? Maybe he did so well because he kept fit. :smile:

Gina's horse Amish is called that because he spent the first 10 years of his life as an Amish buggy horse. He also is hysterical if a bug so much as buzzes near him! We can't understand how he survived..


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## Knave

That is funny! It is just so unexpected. Yes,
Cash was a gathered horse. I can’t imagine he never faced bugs. He says he didn’t. Like Amish, a single bug is life threatening. Lol


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## QueenofFrance08

My horses don't mind bugs.... It's the fly spray that is life threatening to them!


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## SwissMiss

Knave said:


> That is funny! It is just so unexpected. Yes,
> Cash was a gathered horse. I can’t imagine he never faced bugs. He says he didn’t. Like Amish, a single bug is life threatening. Lol



:rofl: Are you talking about the mustang mare in our barn???? I am sure she never, ever, had a bug on her in the wild :rofl:


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## AndyTheCornbread

QueenofFrance08 said:


> My horses don't mind bugs.... It's the fly spray that is life threatening to them!


I taught mine to accept it via a spray bottle of water. I thought I had come up with the idea on my own until I saw that Warwick Schiller was doing it this way long before I was. While this video was made long after I started doing it this way, he has been doing it like this for over 20 years. So, while my idea may not be very original it does work well:


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## Knave

Lol @SwissMiss! I figured he was an oddity. I know there are bugs where the horses roam! I ride for work in those places. There are bugs! They are lying!!!


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## tim62988

phantomhorse13 said:


> Unfortunately, George won't eat beet pulp. Phin will for a meal or two, then also turns up his nose. I haven't heard of flax in oil form, but am doing a cup of ground flax now. That is something I may start doing twice daily if the switch in brands doesn't do enough.
> 
> 
> We have 4 horses and all eat in their own space, where nobody else can get to them (two in stalls, one in a round pen, the remaining one loose in the paddock).
> 
> 
> I have heard good things about Amplify and upon doing some asking around, found good reviews about Ultium putting on weight but a few comments about making the horses hot/high. Goodness knows Phin doesn't need any help being silly, but both these things are on the what-next list if the Triple Crown doesn't do the trick.


could also check out the Purina Strategy Healthy Edge, might be that stepping stone between their ration balancer Enrich and something like the Ultium. Has the Amplify & Outlast in it for fat & gut care and a fairly decent range of amounts you can feed to get the results you need as long as you stay at/above their minimum. It's still oat based but if it's less oats/pound vs another then that could potentially still make that difference


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, we got a brief break in the rain in the morning, so I grabbed George and out we went! I figured George was probably as sick of the Sugarloaf as I was, so instead we went out across the farm to the Tomhicken. I haven't been that way since we did all the trail maintenance. It was so nice not to be scrambling over downed trees or scratched by stickers!










Once we turned back towards home, I think George wanted to be silly.. but it was just too blasted humid to be worth it. Even with the casual pace, we were both soaked in sweat. It felt like the skies would open at any moment, but they didn't. Water was running everywhere (no surprise after 5" of rain over the last 3 days).










Tried a path around the edge of a new field, which was surprisingly solid even with the water running everywhere.










6.02 miles, 857 feet of climb, 4.4 mph average pace, 86F real feel


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## PoptartShop

Even though it was humid (yuck) I'm glad you got George out.  I hope the puddles clear up soon & things get dry. All this rain has been horrible this week. :icon_rolleyes: I haven't been able to ride all week. Hoping to tonight finally! :lol: I bet Kestrel had fun too!!!


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## phantomhorse13

We had a busy but good weekend. DH and I went to the shore Thursday evening to spend the weekend with my parents. A couple days of this sure makes you feel better (and DH especially needed the break from work):










When we got home on Sunday, I was surprised to find some of the day lilies were already blooming! It seems early this year compared to previous years.










Monday morning, the farrier came. Everyone was on their best behavior. I decided to try the teal halter on Link.. and I really like it!










Keith had cut some hay while we were gone and he was baling that afternoon. The hay fairy dropped off a couple big bales of timothy/alfalfa mix for us. Woohoo!











Today, I got Phin out for a mosey with Kestrel. The new saddle pad I had ordered finally arrived, so I wanted to try it out. The flaps are much shorter, which is good, but the whole pad is MUCH longer than the online measurements claimed (like 4" longer!). 










Even first thing in the morning, it was so humid that you felt like you were moving through sludge, and when the sun came out I felt like I might broil. We just stuck to the Sugarloaf.










Phin wanted to be silly, but he soon figured out just walking was much less work than the lateral work that resulted every time he tried to hop into trot.










The corn is loving the weather and you can just about watch it grow.










4.34 miles, 649 feet of climb, 4.1 mph average pace, 90F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Today, the ground was finally dry enough to be able to ride around Alimar! I went out with the tractor and brush hog yesterday afternoon to mow the paths, as the grass was out of control. I took George out with Kestrel for a leg stretch to start.










We jumped 3 buck down in the lower hay field.. their antlers were already taller than their ears so there was no mistaking their gender. Kestrel thought they were great exercise partners.










George was forward without being too silly.










2.61 miles, 242 feet of climb, 5.6 mph average pace, 91F real feel

After returning to the barn, I put Kestrel in the house and grabbed Link! We did a bit of work on the ground, starting with leading him beside George with me in the middle, then leading him with the rope over George's neck. When there were no issues, I hopped on and we moseyed around the yard a bit. That went fine, so off we went around Alimar!

We went down into the bottom fields and looped back up and around to the top of the property. We even trotted several of the flatter spots without issue.










Link did really well overall, though he was repeatedly trying to chomp on George, he was was so proud of himself. Silly boy! George was a rockstar, totally ignoring everything Link did and just going down the trail like I asked.

We looped past Gina's and did a couple laps of the ring, including weaving around the buckets and barrels (out of the picture to the left) and going over all the ground poles.










Other than the biting, I could not have been more pleased with how things went.

2.82 miles, 243 feet of climb, 3.9 mph average pace, 91F real feel


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## gottatrot

I think that color looks great on Link.


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## PoptartShop

Glad the ground is dry finally.  I agree, I love that color on Link.  Teal is definitely perfect for him.
I'm glad he is doing well!! The new pad on George looks nice too. I guess it being longer isn't too bad, right?! It looks good.

Love how you always bring Kestrel along on your adventures! She's so cute!


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## carshon

that color is gorgeous on Link - and so glad George is unphased by a bratty kid!


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## AndyTheCornbread

I found my WD-40. It was on a bathroom shelf behind some of my oldest daughter's foo foo stuff. Now I can finally get the car doors to stop squeaking!

Looks like you had a really nice ride Wednesday.


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## Knave

I had to laugh thinking of our prior conversation. We went fishing last Sunday, and as we drove home we passed this little herd of mustangs on the side of the road. A couple mares and a colts were fighting flies. This four month old colt or so was throwing a massive fit over the bugs. He was jumping all over his mother trying to get away from them, while the others stood there swatting their tails.

He wasn’t trying to play, just upset about the bugs. Lol. I guess some are just that way.


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## AnitaAnne

Suffocating in the hot and humid south, so that beach looks very inviting! Nice break for both of you

Link is looking not so much like a baby anymore! How old is he now? Such a gorgeous boy, fancy. He seems to be enjoying his (first?) trail ride. What a good boy he was! 


Love the teal on him too


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## phantomhorse13

AndyTheCornbread said:


> I found my WD-40. It was on a bathroom shelf behind some of my oldest daughter's foo foo stuff


wouldn't she have been surprised if she didn't look before she reached!! :rofl: :rofl: 



Knave said:


> This four month old colt or so was throwing a massive fit over the bugs. He was jumping all over his mother trying to get away from them, while the others stood there swatting their tails.


Hard life, being such a sensitive soul! Guess he will get fit fast. :rofl:



AnitaAnne said:


> Link is looking not so much like a baby anymore! How old is he now?


He turned 3 in May, so still plenty of ugly growth spurts to go! He's already taller than everyone else here..


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## phantomhorse13

On Thursday, I got some saddle time. An endurance friend from California (and her family) who lost everything in the Camp fire last year has been staying at our place for the past week, as they are RVing around the country after being gifted one to live in. We had hoped to get some riding in before, but the weather hadn't cooperated with her free time. We finally got to ride the morning they left!

I rode Phin and she took George. We went up the Sugarloaf to the viewpoint first.










Then we went down across the farm and up the Tomhicken to the powerline view point. Both boys were on their best behavior.










On the way back home, we happened to catch Gina leaving the farm so she grabbed a quick picture.










9.54 miles, 1460 feet of climb, mph average pace, 90F real feel


Gina called me that afternoon and asked if I was interested in a quick ride. She wanted to get on Giselle for the first time since her surgery (she was spayed) and wanted someone around just in case. She asked me to ride Windsor. Of course I agreed!

We started out working in the ring. Gina longed Giselle while I did a bit of groundwork with Windsor. After a few minutes of longeing, Gina hopped on and was thrilled that Giselle was back to her normal self! I got on Windsor and we walked around, weaving around the barrels and walking over the ground poles. We did a few minutes of trot work, then paused to talk to Keith as he drove up. The horses stood quietly for the couple minutes we chatted, then Keith drove away. Gina suggested another few minutes of ring work before we would head out for a mosey around Alimar.

Gina and Giselle went one way and Windsor and I went the other. After walking a circle and then turning to go the other way, I put my leg on to ask for trot and he jerked his head down and started bucking. I managed to sit the first couple, until he dropped his shoulder and spun. I didn't stand a chance and went flying. I hit in a sort of right-sided dive roll that ended with me sitting on the ground. Luckily, Windsor finished his spin so did not run over the top of me. He took off towards the gate but Gina got there first with Giselle. As soon as he saw he couldn't get out, he stopped and stood waiting in the middle of the arena.

Windsor's behavior once Gina blocked the gate sealed the deal: all that had been 100% intentional - a big old middle hoof salute. Apparently all the work Gina and Nik have been doing with him since that ride where Nik landed on the ground has not changed his attitude. I caught him, turned him away from the gate, and got back on. With a solid hold on the reins, I again asked him to move off.. which he did without the slightest fuss. We walked and trotted some circles and figure 8s and while he was certainly unenthused, he didn't try bucking again.

However, I certainly was not going to trust him to hack out. I told Gina I would be happy to ride Amish out with her, but I was done with Windsor. She was horrified over what had happened and didn't even want me getting back on him in the arena. I took his bridle off but left him tied to the hitching post in the ring then went to get Amish. Because I didn't want to reward Windsor by untacking him, I just hopped on Amish bareback. He and Giselle moseyed around Alimar without incident, Gina apologizing the whole time.

I am not sure what the outcome is going to be for Windsor, as this seems to be a behavior issue versus a physical one. He's been checked by the vet and chiropractor, his feet are being done by a competent farrier, and I was riding in my treeless saddle and skito pad, so unlikely that the saddle was an issue. Gina told me he had been occasionally jerking free from Nik while she was longeing him, but he'd been ok since using a chain. That issue was news to me and wish I had known it beforehand as maybe I wouldn't have gotten on. Windsor was supposedly a been-there, done-that babysitter suitable for beginners.. which he sure isn't IMO. :frown_color:


I got very lucky to escape the incident with only a sprained wrist/arm and a bruised tailbone (and an assortment of bruises and road rash). It was bad timing though, as I had a ride with Lani and Kathy this weekend!

The ride report for that will hopefully happen in the next day or so..


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## gottatrot

Sorry about your fall! Too bad you were injured just before a ride.


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## Knave

I am sorry! That is no fun.


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## AnitaAnne

OMG! I was not expecting that ending to your post! Windsor threw you, hard, on purpose?!?!?! :evil: 

I guess he is a good beginner horse for people one never wants to come back...you might be better off sticking to those "crazy" Arabs instead :wink: Hope you feel better soon. 

Sorry to hear about your friend loosing everything in the Camp fires. That was a bad one. Good you two got some ride time in.


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## carshon

Unfortunately- I think a lot of horses that have been used by beginners end up with habits like this. I am glad you are OK -


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## QueenofFrance08

What a naughty brat! I'm so sorry you got hurt! I can't believe you went to the ride like that!


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## PoptartShop

Oh gosh, Windsor! Naughty boy! I'm glad you were okay though. :sad: I know you just wanted a nice relaxing ride. I don't blame you for not wanting to take him out hacking again. No thanks! Especially right before another ride, I hope you aren't hurting too much. False advertising for sure...no way in heck is that a beginner-safe horse. Ugh.  I hope whatever is wrong gets figured out. But, not your problem - definitely don't ride him anymore!


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## Oreos Girl

I had a horse like Windsor for a while. Got her, she was great quiet beginner horse until the day she learned that if she bucked I came off. Then anytime I asked for something she didn't like, she would throw me. I sold her after that.


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## phantomhorse13

After all the excitement riding Thursday, I drove down to Virginia that evening. I got to Lani and Kathy's place about 10 pm - just as they got home from a week-long eventing camp! We hurriedly unpacked the small trailer and packed Jefferson, then grabbed a few hours of sleep before the early morning departure for North Carolina. [We were originally planning on a ride in PA, but it was canceled early last week due to weather. The only other ride that weekend was in NC, but that ride has limited entries. Lani emailed as soon as we found out about the PA ride being canceled, never expecting to get in. Amazingly, management had just gotten a call with a cancellation so we were in. Only catch? The NC ride only offered a 50 - so Mu was gonna need his big boy pants! :eek_color:]

The trip down took 10 hours, so we arrived in the late afternoon with a million things to do. All horses were required to be in stalls in the barn, which had parking around it. But of course the electric spots, which were closest to the barn, were taken by people who had signed up early. We wound up parked in the day rider lot, which was a 5 minute walk from the barn. We got the horses unloaded, stuff for the hold unpacked and set up, horses vetted, Jefferson parked, and the horses out for a leg stretch all in about 2 hours. By dinner and ride meeting time, I was ready to drop and starting to get a migraine from the heat.

Because the ride is small, the ride meeting went quickly and was very straightforward. Due to the heat, they moved the start time to 6am. After the meeting, we got the horses settled for the night then went back to Jefferson to prepare ourselves. Eventually it was time for bed, but it was so hot still that I couldn't stand being in the bunk even with my small fan running. Instead, I dozed in one of the gravity chairs in the back of Jefferson (where both big doors were open allowing for as much air movement as possible). 

We got up at 4 am. The horses had eaten well overnight and were chill to be tacked up. It was barely light when we started longing to warm up. We had decided we weren't going to get on until everyone else had left.










Mu started out on the line just to be safe, but he marched out of camp without issue. The first loop was 20 miles and all the loops started with a 3 mile climb. We alternated walking and trotting and I was holding Mu's rope by the second mile. It was already warm and very humid as we watched the sun rise.










The trails were mainly jeep road, with some rock and some sand here and there. The trail was always either going up or going down.










There was a hospitality stop about 3/4 of the way around, and a good thing as there was very little natural water on trail. It was already hot enough I sponged myself as well as Mu.










The horses felt good and were happy to move along despite all the climbing. We were surprised to pass a few groups, as we had expected to be turtle and never see another horse the whole day! One of the groups stuck with us for a bit, which was good training for Mu. He wasn't thrilled with them being side by side to start, but soon got over it.










We got back down into camp, pulled tack, and tossed some water on the horses. Both pulsed and vetted without issue. The bugs were very bad in camp, so we spent the hold trying to keep the horses comfortable while also taking care of ourselves. [I didn't manage to take any pictures as I was just too busy.]

The second loop was 19 miles. We went up a switchback trail that had civil war fencing still standing in places!










This loop also had lots of climbing, but that led to some fantastic views. 










We started seeing more and more hikers, many of which were carrying huge backpacks or walking with poles. I gave them tons of credit, as those were serious trails and the weather was brutal. Mu was concerned to start with, but people listened when I asked them to speak as we went by and he soon realized they were people not monsters.










Some of this loop was the same trail as the first loop, but backwards. The views were amazing and I would have never known it was the same trail.










The trail markings were some of the best I have ever ridden, so we were soon back to camp for the next hold. We crossed a creek on the way back into camp and it was really tempting to throw myself into it!

to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

We pulled tack and put some water on the horses before going to pulse and vet. The second hold was similar to the first but much hotter (someone said the real feel was 106F!). We did our best to keep the bugs at bay while the horses chowed down. I was pleased to be feeling pretty good despite the heat as I had been making a point to drink a lot while on trail.

Mu was very perplexed when I put the tack on for a third time. When I mounted up and asked him to follow Flo out of camp, he was unenthusiastic but willing. Once we were out on trail, he trucked along like always. The last loop was an 11 mile lollipop that was similar to the first loop. That meant plenty of climbing.










While the views were still amazing, it also felt like the sun might broil us alive. There was a bit of breeze which was about the only saving feature. At every place water was available, we were sponging the horses as well as ourselves.










As we worked our way around the loop, we knew the instant we were headed back to camp as the horses perked up. Mu actually got a bit of attitude the last couple miles; looking for something to spook at in an attempt to scoot forward. Guess he thought we should hurry up and get it over with?! 










We got back into camp with me still on board. Camp was like an oven. We got the horses untacked and cooled off (and if water just happened to land on me too, I was not sorry). Flo and Mu passed the vetting with no issues, making Mu an official endurance horse!















Both horses were happy to get back into their stalls for a much-deserved snack and rest.










I used the remaining sponge water on myself before getting things cleaned up. It was so hot that I was happy to slog around wet (something I normally loathe). After resting a couple hours, we had a wonderful dinner and awards. The completion awards were lovely embroidered rump rugs:










After dinner, we got Jefferson as packed as possible, then I grabbed a cold shower and tried to sleep (another evening in the chair as the bunk was just too hot). We left as soon as they had the gate unlocked Sunday morning for the long trek home. Jefferson doesn't have AC, so it was another hot day. We got back to the farm without issue and both horses ran around like fools when turned out. I was so happy to get in my subie and blast the AC on my way home!!

:cowboy:


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## AnitaAnne

WOHOO! What a beautiful ride! Congratulations to You and Mu! 

How you managed in that kind of heat and with your wrist injured too, amazing stamina and fortitude. 

Wow. Just Wow.

:clap::clap::clap:


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## QueenofFrance08

Yay Mu!!!! I can't believe how hot it was! Jealous of those completion prizes!

I'm religiously checking the weather for next weekend.... So far 79 and sunny...... Guess I don't have an excuse to back down to an LD then....


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> How you managed in that kind of heat and with your wrist injured too, amazing stamina and fortitude.


I was really militant about drinking all day - I drank a water bottle with elytes and two without on the first two loops, plus some in each hold, and a bottle of each on the last loop. Not sure I have ever drank that much before, but it worked!

Interestingly, things weren't hurting me riding, but I find doing some things off the horse problematic. I have trouble gripping things between the fingertips of my right hand and lifting using that arm hurts (the pain goes from my wrist down the inside of my arm towards the elbow, so assume I sprained some sort of soft tissue). I can post and walk without problem but trying to squat or bend over forward otherwise is painful though my lower back/hips. I am not sure what precisely I aggravated, but it's been a great excuse to avoid weeding the flowerbeds this week! 




QueenofFrance08 said:


> I'm religiously checking the weather for next weekend.... So far 79 and sunny...... Guess I don't have an excuse to back down to an LD then....


You will both be fine and do great!!


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## AnitaAnne

Might want to take it real easy with that wrist. Might be a break in there, lots of little bones in wrists. Could be pinching a nerve. Possibly wear a wrist brace for a week or so and see how it is? I don't think you should lift anything with it either. Or you could see a real doctor :wink:

Hydration is important!


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## SwissMiss

Congrats to Mu and you on a successful completion!
I was sweating and feeling miserable just reading about the heat and humidity :shock:

Maybe this is too much TMI (and you don't need to answer :wink, but if you drink that much: do you need to include breaks during the loops or do you sweat most of it off?


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## AnitaAnne

SwissMiss said:


> Maybe this is too much TMI (and you don't need to answer :wink, but if you drink that much: do you need to include breaks during the loops or do you sweat most of it off?


This is a question I've always wondered about too! On a regular trail ride, no big deal to stop and go :wink: but on endurance rides seems like it would be hard to manage (time and privacy issues!) 


I have always tried to limit my water intake, while also trying to drink enough (frequent sips) to stay hydrated, and haven't quite figured out a good balance yet. 


Maybe a general question; Do any endurance riders (females esp) ever have to take potty breaks on the trail, and if so how do they manage?


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## AnitaAnne

BTW, is Mu huge or does he just appear that way? He is full Arab isn't he?


One more Q re the endurance camp Kathy and Lani went to, that sounds interesting. Is that something for newbie riders too? I used to go to Adult Dressage camps in my early dressage riding days, and really enjoyed it. Was wondering if the Endurance camps have teaching or practice rides or something. Or is it more for young horses?


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## knightrider

Wow, you did so great for that crushing heat and being in pain. You are amazing.



> That issue was news to me and wish I had known it beforehand as maybe I wouldn't have gotten on. Windsor was supposedly a been-there, done-that babysitter suitable for beginners.. which he sure isn't IMO.


That incident reminds me so much of my effort to ride my neighbor's horse Danny, who we thought was so quiet and gentle. He bolted with me for no reason at all and ran through thick underbrush and scrub for a whole mile before I could get him stopped. I just couldn't believe it.

I was wondering the same thing about potty breaks on endurance rides. I had a good friend who was taken hostage and held at knife point for 9 hours, and I asked her how in the world she went to the bathroom. She said that she was on her way to the bathroom when the man grabbed her! She said that when your body is under that much stress, everything kind of shuts down and she never did go to the bathroom the whole 9 hours.

I hope now that you are home, you are getting the chance to take it easy and rest. Such a good job with Mu!!!


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> is Mu huge or does he just appear that way? He is full Arab isn't he?
> 
> One more Q re the endurance camp Kathy and Lani went to, that sounds interesting. Is that something for newbie riders too? I used to go to Adult Dressage camps in my early dressage riding days, and really enjoyed it. Was wondering if the Endurance camps have teaching or practice rides or something. Or is it more for young horses?


Mu is a full arab, bred by Asgard Arabians (who breed specifically for endurance and race horses). His pedigree is here. He was supposed to be small, but I guess "small" is relative. Mu is almost as tall as Flo, who supposedly sticks at 16h. I try hard not to think about it..

Kathy and Lani were at _eventing_ camp. They go every year with some of their hunt horses, to work on both the horses and themselves. The instructor is a Big Name Trainer (Sharon White of Last Frontier Farm), but she is apparently very good with all level riders and horses. Lani suggested I go with them next year (they would lend me one of their hunt horses), but I am pretty weenie about jumping..



knightrider said:


> That incident reminds me so much of my effort to ride my neighbor's horse Danny, who we thought was so quiet and gentle. He bolted with me for no reason at all and ran through thick underbrush and scrub for a whole mile before I could get him stopped. I just couldn't believe it.


This is horrifying.. I think I would rather be bucked off than bolted with. I am glad you were ok!!



SwissMiss said:


> but if you drink that much: do you need to include breaks during the loops or do you sweat most of it off?





AnitaAnne said:


> Do any endurance riders (females esp) ever have to take potty breaks on the trail, and if so how do they manage?


 While I try hard to time my liquid intake to mean potty breaks during the holds.. sometimes it doesn't work out that way. True die-hard racers just hold it (we joke "there is no pee in 'winning'"), but most normal people will just pull over on trail.

Depending on the circumstance, you may try to get off trail but often that isn't an option, so generally you turn the horse sideways across the trail and squat on the up-trail side of the horse's front legs. Since I had Kathy with me, I was able to hand Mu's rope to her and step off the trail. 

The potty break is actually something I make a point to practice during training rides, even if I don't actually have to go, just so the horse is used to the concept. Just be careful about offering cookies when you are done or the horse may reach down and try to mug you for treats while you are still squatting! :lol:


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## phantomhorse13

On Monday, I hopped on Phin to walk Kestrel. We just moseyed around Alimar, as I only wanted to remind Phin that he wasn't feral. He was a very good boy.










1.89 miles, 177 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average pace, 86F real feel


After finishing with Phin, I went out to play with Link. The ground was finally dry enough I felt like the round pen would be ok in case of silly behavior. I took out a brush, a pad, the surcingle, his bridle, and some fly boots. As I walked out past Phin, his eyes bugged out in horror and he trotted away with his tail over his back, snorting all the way. Link, however, followed me right into the round pen on his own. It was hard for me to get the halter on him because he was so interested in all the new toys I brought!










I knew Link had worn tack at least once as I had pictures of him wearing a saddle in a round pen when he was at the trainer's as a young two year old, but I had no idea how much was done or if he would remember any of it. I figured starting from the beginning was the best thing. I knew he was fine with being groomed so began with that (which he loved as he's super itchy - the bugs are awful no matter what we do it seems). I then asked him to move off around the pen, which he did with only minor encouragement. I was able to get walk, trot, and turns with only minor cues, which I was thrilled over. His whoa is actually much better in the pen than when being led (something I need to work on).

After a few minutes of free longe work, I caught him and brought him back to the center. Again, Link thought everything on the ground was a toy. I picked up the pad, rubbed it all over him, and he wanted to chew on it. I put it on his back and he wanted to bend around, grab it with his teeth and toss it around! Same reaction with the surcingle. I was laughing so hard it was amazing I got anything done at all. Putting on the bridle finally stopped him from trying to grab everything else. Nothing I did phased him.

I walked him around as I slowly tightened the girth on the surcingle and he never so much as flicked an ear (or course by then he had the bit to chomp on). The first time I asked him to move away in the pen, he just went like nothing had changed. Walk and trot and turns without so much as a hop.
























I was absolutely thrilled with how Link behaved. He was actually much more worried about the fly boots than anything else (I put the boots on after taking everything else off). I wish I had a video of him goose-stepping around after me because of the weird things on his legs.. but he never tried to do anything silly (I put them on one leg at a time and walked him around the pen in between, just in case). Fly boots may be a great way to teach Spanish walk!! :rofl:

When I was finished, I walked Link out of the pen and into the middle of the paddock to let him go. He followed me back into the pen while I picked all the stuff up, then followed me to the gate trying to pull things out of my hands! He stood at the gate watching me go as if I had taken away all his fun. Sure a different attitude than Phin, who yet again saw me coming with all the stuff and high-tailed it out of the catch paddock snorting with his tail over his back. 

I had hoped to get another chance to work with Link this week, but momma nature had other ideas as it stormed off and on all day Tuesday and yesterday. I got this pic yesterday afternoon:










This place is surely my pot of gold!! :loveshower:


Tomorrow we are off to the next ride with Phin and George, so fingers and toes crossed the heat breaks as predicted..


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## QueenofFrance08

At our last ride my friend stopped to take a potty break on trail. We were a little ahead of her and her horse managed to knock her over, pull the reins out of her hand and go sprinting down the trail. I had to catch him (thankfully he ran smack into me) and pony him back to her!

There's a well known story in our group of a lady who stopped to take a potty break and her horse pulled away from her. The horse flew down the trail (staying on trail), got his picture taken by the photographer, and went back to his trailer!


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## AndyTheCornbread

I think the bathroom break issue is probably one of the biggest differences in "_things that are difficult on the trail_" for men and women. As a guy you can just get off the horse and go. You could probably even do it while walking the horse if you were careful about it. I'm pretty sure at least one of my sons has just stood up on their horse and gone off the side of the trail without ever getting off the horse. Girls have a much harder time of it. Up here it isn't a big deal, they are so few people around that your chances of seeing a bear are WAY higher than seeing another person while out riding but back east where public land for riding is more sparse it concentrates more riders into smaller areas and I am guessing that makes things difficult at times for the logistics of being able to take a restroom break in the woods. Even as a guy you would have to worry more about it so you weren't an unwelcome trail surprise for somebody riding by.


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## PoptartShop

So happy Link is doing so well! LOL, he reminds me of Promise on how he thinks everything is a toy. :lol: So adorable. What a good boy!!! Haha he was probably like ummm what are these on my legs?!!! Hellllllp! :lol: I love the rainbow too! 

Leading him when not in the roundpen is a good idea, just lots of walking & woah-ing will do the trick. He will get used to it!


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## phantomhorse13

On Friday afternoon, we headed a couple hours south to the Muckleratz ride with George and Phin. The weather had been hot and humid all week, but forecasters promised a break for the weekend. We got to camp right as it opened and got our normal spot:










That spot is about as far from the vet/hold area as you can get and still be IN camp, but it's shady and quiet and nobody can park us in! The heat and humidity were awful, so I was thankful the horses were in the shade. Only a handful of other rigs came in that evening and they all parked in the main part of camp. We had a potluck supper with some friends, then went to bed early. The temperature never really dropped overnight so I was sweating more than sleeping.

We were up and out for our pre-ride first thing Saturday morning, before the temperature got any worse. Phin and George were both very good for their leg stretch.










We spent the rest of the day getting things ready and sweating profusely. The predicted cool down did not happen! The horses vetted in without issue and seemed very happy to be back in the shade. 










Just before dinner and meeting time, the sky got black. We had been lucky to miss the storms the day before.. and our luck rain out. We got over an inch of rain in about an hour, though luckily there wasn't much lightning.






Everyone hoped the storm meant the predicted cold front had come through, but yet again the weatherman lied. The humidity was still horrible and the temperature only dropped a few degrees. Things didn't cool off much overnight.

In the morning, the boys were very chill to tack - probably because the air was just about solid. It was so foggy you couldn't even see the far side of camp!










I was riding with Cathy and Epyc again. We let the front runners (George & DH included) leave camp and then moseyed out to start the first 20 mile loop.










By the time we climbed to the top of the mountain, we were actually in the clouds. It was so humid that just riding along was causing everything to be wet.










This ride has fantastic footing. Phin was happy to lead the way, though we kept winding up with more company than we had hoped. One lady in particular kept playing yoyo games with us that upset Epyc, who does not like having horses pass him.










Just as we were finishing the loop, the fog started lifting a bit. However, that meant the sun came out, sending the temperature soaring. It made the dew on the flowers really stand out (this picture doesn't do it justice).










By the time we got back down into camp, we were back in fog world. We came into camp, pulled tack, and threw a bit of water on the horses. Both vetted through without concerns, though the humidity was just oppressive. 










George and DH were also in the hold. George was being fussy about eating and a friend took him to graze while DH took care of himself. Phin was happy to stand with Epyc and chow down.










The hold flew by, as it generally does when you are trying to deal with the horse and yourself. Phin did fairly well dealing with the electrolytes, only being briefly insulted afterwards.










to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

We left camp for the second 20 mile loop without any extra people, though a pair of riders we had been leap frogging with were only a couple minutes behind. We expected them to catch and pass us early in the loop, but we actually never saw them again!










The fog was gone from the top of the mountain, but the sun was out. It didn't feel too bad in the shade, but being out in the open was quite unpleasant.










The loop rode very nicely even the second time. Management had water tanks out every 3 miles or so, which was wonderful. It was great to be able to sponge (and I was sponging both Phin and myself every time!) and the horses drank well.










It was starting to cloud up as we worked our way back down in to camp. We were happy to see the sun disappear, but were not pleased to find camp was still a solid mass of humidity. We pulled tack and took a few moments to throw water, though both horses pulsed without issue. It was nice to be wet with water versus soaked in sweat!










We had some help this hold, which was wonderful. The boys ate and drank well. Phin was more insulted after his electrolytes this time, even with the applesauce chaser. His girth area was also showing some sensitivity, which I worried might happen as I suspected I need to adjust his saddle.










The last loop was 10 miles. We went up the same climb and found the sun was out once we got to the top.










The boys were a bit unenthused to start with, but really picked up once we turned off the trail we had done twice previously. This loop was my favorite.










By the time we got halfway around the loop, the clouds had returned and the rain started to fall. As much as I hate being wet, the rain actually felt good as it was cooler than sweating (and I was soaked from sweat already anyway).










We got back to camp and the rain continued. We actually went from the finish line back to the trailers to untack, so the saddles didn't have to sit out in the rain while we vetted. Momma nature provided all the cooling we needed and we went right to the vetting. Trying to keep the ride card dry was a bit entertaining, but Phin vetted through without issue.
























Epyc and Phin tied for 10th. George and DH also finished without issue, tying with a friend for 7th. 










We let the boys hang out for a couple hours and then packed up to go home. Normally, we prefer to stay and let the horses rest, but DH had to work Monday and it wasn't too long a drive. The "chance of showers" predicted for overnight Sunday wound up being over _two inches_ of rain, so I am very glad the boys were home and not stuck standing in those pens!

:cowboy:


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## AnitaAnne

Lovely ride! Scenery is very nice and the footing looks really good. 

Congratulations to you both! Top ten for George and Phin! YAY


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## carshon

I love your videos. It is amazing to me that the horses look so fresh after a 50!


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## PoptartShop

Beautiful ride. Congratulations!!!  So proud of you & the boys!
I'm sure they enjoyed cooling off with the rain, too. So awesome!!! 50mi, I know you slept good after that weekend! :lol:


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## phantomhorse13

Just found out that Beth, the owner of the farm the horses go to in Florida, was badly injured in a riding accident. (She is on the pinto in the picture below). 

Beth is currently in the icu with 5 broken ribs (3 of which are broken front and back), a broken scapula, and a grade 4 lacerated liver. While she is currently stable, those are some very serious injuries - and she is 70. 

All prayers, vibes, and good thoughts are much appreciated.


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## SwissMiss

Oh no :shock: Jingles and healing vibes going out to Beth!!!


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## Celeste

Oh no! I am so sorry to hear about Beth. I hope that she makes a total recovery and is able to get back in the saddle. My prayers are for her.


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## PoptartShop

Oh no. :sad: So sorry to hear. Sending jingles your way! I hope she feels better and makes a smooth recovery.


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## egrogan

Adding good thoughts for healing :sad:


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## carshon

adding my prayers for a speedy recovery for Beth.


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## QueenofFrance08

Hope she feels better soon!


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## knightrider

Prayers being sent for Beth


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## Oreos Girl

Good thoughts for Beth, I hope she does well. My father had very similar injuries when he was in his 60's with an additional groin injuries. It is a long road back. He is fully back now.


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## phantomhorse13

Beth is improving every day. She is still in the ICU, but she is allowed to get up for short periods to walk (very glad as she can now go to the bathroom, so no more urinary catheter). She was still getting a bit of fluid off the chest tube, but its less every day so hoping that will come out tomorrow (she had a pneumothorax on the right, under all the broken ribs). She is eating solid food. So things are going as well as they can be.


In other news, Kathy and Lani had a terrible weekend with Flo. She colicked Friday and needed surgery. They were able to get things right but it took her digestive system a few days to get itself going again, which was very scary. She is on her way home as I type this. Never a dull minute!!


Things here have been pretty boring, as I have intentionally not been riding to try to let myself heal. DH and I did some trail work over the weekend, which will be nice when I am back in the saddle. When I asked for help with trimming, I never imagined this would be the result:










DH didn't care that he wasn't going to make it all the way down that trail to the next field.. he drove as far as he could until the trees got in the way. Not what I expected but it sure made for less trimming by hand. :dance-smiley05: :rofl:

On the way home, we paused to let the dogs cool off in the creek. Water makes Kestrel bonkers:







Sultan and Link got rotated into a different paddock last week and have been happily sharing the same shed (even though there are two). They especially like looking out the back window. I finally was able to get a picture of the cuteness:










I head to St Louis for the AERC Board of Directors mid-year meeting at the end of the week. That should be interesting!


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## egrogan

So scary to read about Flo. I do hope she’s on the road to recovery!

And love that last adorable picture-it looks like something out of a kids’ book about horses


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## QueenofFrance08

DH's sure take any opportunity to use their toys! 

So glad Flo is going home and Beth is starting to get better!

Can't wait to hear about St. Louis!


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## Spanish Rider

> Beth is improving every day.


Thank goodness. I was afraid to ask since you had not connected for a couple of days. That must have been a doozie of an accident. I always have visions of coming down on a rock on that side when on trail. Anyway, just wanted to say that, when you had mentioned that Beth is 70, please know that there is increasing research that age itself is not necessarily a risk factor for complications. What affects survival are age-related comorbidities, but not age alone (our population is the second longest-living after Japan, so there is currently a lot of studies being done on this point).

That is quite a weed-whacker your DH has there. And that photo of Link and Sultan is another one to be framed!


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## carshon

What devastating news about Flo! So glad that she is on the mend. As well as Beth - a good friend of mine also spent time in the hospital last year for broken ribs and a punctured lung. She said the tube was horrendous. She was 62 at the time of her accident - riding again now. So glad Beth is on the mend 

I envy those trails! Heat wave hear but morning are cool(ish) the one thing I hate about not having trails near home is that I cannot just hop on and go when the weather is hot and humid. Trailering for all my riding puts a damper on how much saddle time I get. 

Hope you are healing as well.


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## Oreos Girl

I am so glad that Beth is on the mind. Sorry about Flo, glad she is also on her way home.


Kestrel is the video (instead of picture) of pure puppy happiness in the water. I love it when they get the zoomies.


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## knightrider

So glad everyone is on the mend, and I hope they continue to. I loved that video of Kestral racing around . . . and the two buddies looking out the back window.

Something happened to me this morning, and I need your opinion, @phantomhorse13, because you ride other people's horses. And anyone else who has an opinion.

I love sharing my horses with others and having nice people to ride with. This morning, the young adult who encourages my daughter to ride (my daughter won't ride if this friend doesn't go) broke my stirrup leather while mounting. This is the second stirrup leather she has broken, as well as a rein, letting the horse she was riding graze without realizing he was stepping on his rein.

I have been letting folks ride horses with me since I was in high school, and this is the 6th time that folks have broken stirrup leathers. Every single time this happens, the people NEVER offer to help pay for the broken tack. I used to take one high school girl riding every week and she broke the stirrup leathers on every single saddle I owned, but she never once offered to pay for any of them, including a Western saddle (can you imagine tearing the fender on a Western saddle?)

Two times people were rude to me, saying I shouldn't be using such worn leathers. One person told me I had risked his life. To be fair, I have been taking many many people riding for 50 some years, so 6 stirrup leathers is not all that great of a number, but still . . . 

When my neighbor fell off my horse, his helmet was dirty on the left side. He said he didn't land on his head and he thought there was no need to replace his helmet . . . so I got him a new one, since he was riding my horse, which I think is the right thing to do. Also, he shares a lot of tack with me and is a generous person.

I was thinking: if you borrow someone's car and it breaks down, do you leave it in the Wal Mart parking lot and call their cell phone, saying, "Your crappy car broke down. Go get it."

If you take it a step further, if someone is hurt on my horse, should I pay for their hospital bills? Hmmm, should I even be letting others ride my horses? But I have gotten so much pleasure and joy from sharing my horses and helped so many young people who would never have learned to ride (including the young lady who broke my stirrup this morning).

Am I in the wrong to mind? Is it just part of the game of life and I should just suck it up? I wish I just wouldn't mind, but I do. I give these people hundreds of dollars of free lessons and riding and I think the least they can do is reimburse me for the things they break. Or just offer, so I can say, "No thanks, but I appreciate the thought."
@phantomhorse13, when you ride other people's horses, would you offer to help pay for something you broke? Am I out of line in my thinking?


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## PoptartShop

Very happy to hear Beth is on the mend, using the bathroom on her own and eating solid foods is a good start. I know that must be so stressful for her, going through all that. Sorry to hear that about Flo also! :sad: Gosh, that is scary! Colic is very scary & it can do a lot of damage quickly. I am glad she is on the way home; I hope everyone continues to recover smoothly. 

Kestrel is so darn cute with the zoomies! :rofl: Making me dizzy LOL! So energetic, so cute! Looks like you guys did a good job with the trimming. It'll be nice when you get back in the saddle. I'm glad you are taking some time off to heal.


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## Knave

@knightrider do you think that they just don’t know? It is rude, but they might not know that it is. If they don’t ride much maybe they think it is just something that happens occasionally, and that it wouldn’t be much of an expense.

I don’t know what I’d think of it. When I was a girl trick riding at Riata, one summer something similar happened to me. I was probably 11. 

They asked me to use my saddle and horse (personal) for another girl to trick ride in this big event. It was kind of a sad thing, because it meant I had been chosen to be on the ground. Anyways, trained to always be polite I simply said that of course the girl could use my saddle and horse.

My strap broke during her intro carrying the American flag. She fell onto the horses neck and managed to pull it off beautifully simply riding on the neck of the horse. 

When the show was over I got reamed up and down for the strap breaking. I should have had my tack in better repair. I was 11, and I really had no idea the strap was ready to break, but I took the butt chewing and I since it was one of my last days there before heading home my parents had the saddle fixed when I returned.

I don’t say that because it felt right by any means, but simply to show that apparently some people do think it’s your responsibility no matter the circumstances.


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> when you ride other people's horses, would you offer to help pay for something you broke? Am I out of line in my thinking?


Hmm, what an interesting thing to ponder! I guess for me the answer would depend on the situation. In the case you detail, I most definitely would offer to pay for the replacement as that girl is doing a lot of riding with you. And a stirrup leather is a heck of a lot cheaper than the hours of lessons and "rental" of horses you have given her for free!

The closest personal example I have involved the stonewall saddle that I ride Lani & Kathy's horses in. The saddle belongs to them, but currently I am the only one who actually rides in it. I noticed both stirrup leathers were showing some wear while we were in Florida. Lani and I had planned to go to the tack store during that trip, so it was good timing. I wasn't really surprised when Lani yanked them out of my basket in the check out line, but I really did have every intention of paying for them had she not.

Had something broken on a saddle that was routinely used by someone else and I was riding that horse for the first time, what broke and how would determine if I felt I should pay for it. If I did something stupid and that resulted in the break, then I would certainly feel responsible for paying. If it was something that routinely reaches the end of it's lifespan and I just happened to be using it that moment, maybe not.. though honestly I would probably still blame myself and offer to pay for it.


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## knightrider

Yes, thinking about it, I realize I wouldn't really mind if people OFFERED to pay and I politely declined. All I really want is the OFFER. I'd say tactfully that the leathers were probably old and might have broken anyway, but thank you for offering.

I believe I put very little pressure on stirrups so they don't break when I am riding. But when other people ride, they do.


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> Yes, thinking about it, I realize I wouldn't really mind if people OFFERED to pay and I politely declined. All I really want is the OFFER.


I think its a great example of the shift of accountability between older generations and current ones. Even if the girl couldn't offer up cash, asking how she could work it off would be some acknowledgement of responsibility.

I guess I must be officially old now, since I feel society is going somewhere hot in a handbasket..


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## Spanish Rider

> I guess I must be officially old now, since I feel society is going somewhere hot in a handbasket.


Amen, sister.


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## gottatrot

That's tricky but I think if you're using something and it breaks, you should offer to pay for it. 
But that can get grey too, like what if the other person's horse bucks you off and runs, and then breaks their reins?

I've had some tricky ones like that. Recently when my horse kicked another horse I wondered if I should offer to pay for the vet. However, I didn't, because I felt like it was a no fault incident. Meaning, both of us should have known it was a risk, I should have reminded her to not ride up close, she should have kept her horse back off my horse's butt. So in this case my opinion was everyone took equal share of responsibility, so whoever ended up with the problem had accepted the risk. Maybe that wasn't correct.

If someone gets hurt on my horse, I don't think I should pay for their hospital bills. However, when my friend was hurt on my horse I did try to buy her a new helmet but she would not let me. So when she sold me a couple of bridles I overpaid her. If I'm hurt on someone else's horse I think I should pay for my own hospital bills. If I'm on someone else's horse and they get hurt, I think it should be the horse owner's issue unless I was doing something really crazy like running them through a holey field or through brambles. 

I don't understand how the one girl could keep breaking stirrup leathers though. I mean, it shouldn't even come down to putting pressure on them, because I have very old leathers and I don't necessarily condition them more than once a year, and they're out on the beach and such. Yet I can stand my whole weight on them and gallop in two point and not break them. I can't even imagine what she must have been doing to break them. I would have asked to be reimbursed, but then also would have bought synthetics or something quite unbreakable for her. 
My friend broke a western fender, but the saddle was 50 years old plus she weighed 230 lbs and was galloping. 

So good to hear Beth and Flo are both starting to heal.


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## Knave

That was blowing my mind too Gotta! @knightrider, I don’t know much about English riding, but how in the world is she breaking the leathers? The one English saddle little girl uses is super cheap, and I wouldn’t be shocked if they broke because I don’t even think the leather is real, but they’ve held up thus far.

Bones’s English saddle is much nicer, but I think it’s older too. The stirrup leathers on it seem nice and supple. I don’t think my mother’s English saddle has been repaired... now we don’t ride them enough maybe, but you said a western fender was broken?! I have seen one tear a single piece of leather that was repaired with a minor incorrect angle, but even that didn’t actually break the leather. I know ours are ridden as much as any saddle ever has and I have never seen that happen.


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## AndyTheCornbread

I'd offer to pay no matter what. Paying for something is cheaper than having hard feelings between friends. I borrowed a truck hauling trailer last year to haul my truck up to Kalispell to get the transmission rebuilt. On the way one of the trailer tires blew because they were really old and in very poor condition. I used the trailer spare to get it to the tire shop but paid to have a new tire put on the trailer. The tire was going to blow very soon, I just happened to be using it. I paid for the tire because I was using it when it happened even though my buddy knew the tire probably wouldn't make it to Kalispell, he hadn't replaced it before because money was tight for his family at that time. If you operate under the assumption of "_you break it, you buy it_" when you borrow something from a friend then you won't have hard feelings ever between you over some dumb material object. It is after all just money, you can always make more, and if you can't afford to replace it, you probably shouldn't borrow it.


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## phantomhorse13

Amazing how long two weeks can be! Since the boys were having their rest period post-ride, I told myself I was also going to take those two weeks to try to heal. I spent a lot of time on tedious things like cleaning out my closet, but I am happy to report that behaving myself (and several visits to the chiropractor) have resulted in my feeling much better.

As a reward, the universe sent me a lead on a potential horse. A distance acquaintance had a horse from her past looking for a home over the winter. I was intrigued by the pics she sent, but at the time we were full. It never occurred to me to follow up months later, but she happened to contact me last week. The horse was returned to her but she was stepping back from distance riding (and riding in general) due to craziness in her life. The horse did not fit very well into what I thought I was looking for, but I was really drawn to his pics all the same. He's an 8 year old 3/4 arab, 1/4 saddlebred (pedigree here). He's 16.1. He's narrow. He's light boned. He's got a fussy belly. He's a project. 

We went to see him last night.

The seller was very honest about him being a physical and mental project. He had done a few LDs with her in the past, then her life changed and he was sold to a dressage rider. That rider apparently drank the kool aid of a local trainer and the horse paid the price. His feet are a mess. His body is a mess as he was apparently crammed into a frame, etc. He is ring sour. He came back very underweight and is currently being treated for ulcers.

She got on him in her ring, but she told me beforehand that she didn't ride him there much as he was sour and fussy. As she is a nervous rider, she didn't want to provoke issues. She got on him in the ring and when she asked him to turn away from the side that shared a fenceline with the pasture, he tossed his head and jigged a bit. You could see her get tense and hang on his mouth, which caused more head tossing. She asked for us to open the gate and took him out to ride him in the yard.

Out there, they were both much more relaxed. She rode a couple big circles then headed out the driveway. Just as they turned onto the shoulder of the road, the neighbor across the street started shooting. I am not sure what was being shot (DH said a shot gun, but it sounded like giant fireworks or maybe a cannon to me), but it was LOUD and the boom was followed by weird metal clanging noises. The horse didn't even flick an ear. Come to find out her DH does cavalry reenactment and the horse had been started on training when she had him before! The noises continued off and on the entire time we were there and never once did the horse react. He also ignored the traffic that went whizzing past on the road.

DH got on him next. He also rode in the yard and up and down the driveway without incident. The horse was very tolerant of DH's unique posting/standing riding style. After a few minutes, it was my turn.

I decided to ride him in the ring, as I wanted to see what his reaction to things he didn't like was. He stood great for mounting. He wanted to head for the gate, but only wiggled a little when I asked him to turn away. He needed seat and leg to reinforce the turn cue (you can tell he wants to be rubbernecked), but he didn't fuss hard. I went to the far end of the ring, where I realized another neighbor was in a garage right on the other side of the fence, banging and moving past the window irregularly. The horse couldn't have cared less about the noise or movement. He did want to rush towards the gate, but was easily shut down and never did anything I considered worrisome. We worked on circles and figure 8s on that side of the arena for about 10 minutes. He seemed willing to do what I asked once he realized his head tossing wasn't going to get him excused from anything. He was quite comfy.

After my ride, we pulled his tack and I asked to see him stood up and then worked in hand and on the longe.










































I have no idea why I like him as much as I do.

We will be going back in a couple weeks to take him out on trail and see how that goes (that was the soonest we could get our schedules to mesh). Meanwhile, I have sent the pictures and videos to various people for their opinions. I am still waiting for someone to talk some sense into me..


Thoughts?


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## Celeste

You have come to the wrong place if you want to be talked out of getting a new horse! Especially if the horse is ok with shotguns going off. 

Go for it!


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## egrogan

I would never presume to tell you what to think about a horse...but holy legs!! Sooo tall, that seems a bit of a disadvantage.


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## RidingWithRuby

Like @egrogan said, yikes! So much leg. Wow. Pretty boy!


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## Knave

I think he looks fancy.


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## ClearDonkey

Just started following your journey - that horse would already be headed home with me if I were the one looking at him! I used to be a stablehand at a show barn that had many Arabs and 3/4 Arabs, which were most often part Saddlebred to add a bit of height. I always loved being around those horses, and wished I could afford the price tag when my favorite 3/4 Arab was put up for sale. He was 16.2 and built BIG, and had those to-die-for lofty gaits, but was a hunter horse. 

Those strides on him look like he would take you places, and be comfy while doing it!


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## Spanish Rider

Wow. I just keep thinking that he would have the same extension in the trot as Fluffy, without all the mass to pop you out of the saddle and in a much more manageable package. A narrow 16.1 without much of a barrel so that your legs are long is really like a 15.2, am I right? (Tee-hee, is that what you wanted to hear?)

A possible drawback would be having to ride more on your own if other horses can't keep up with his trot. But you already know that.

Of course, we really need to see YOU on him to give a proper verdict, so hurry up and heal!


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## gottatrot

I think you like him because he has a nice build and looks like he could_ be_ something with the right care. He moves nice and my main consideration would be to get hoof xrays just in case there was something unfixable that might affect him with harder use. I can imagine him filled out a bit more and with some good muscle, a bit wider chest, and that would only improve his movement. Add good hooves and he could be amazing.


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## gottatrot

I watched the video again and I really like his movement. He seems to anticipate being thwacked under the chin with the lead rope, which is too bad. I think he is too sensitive for that kind of treatment.


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## carshon

I don't see anything glaringly wrong with him at all. I do not ride endurance so I am not sure how his height would effect him long distance. I would think that his length of stride would be an advantage as long as he carries himself in an efficient way. I did not see a high strung or reactive horse in the video and liked how he seemed focused on his handler. 

All in all I don't see a "project" in as much as Raven was a project. 

Would this be for DH or for you? I am not much of a fan of Chestnuts with Flaxen mane and tail but I think he would look very charming in teal tack!


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## QueenofFrance08

Oh man 2 super tall chestnut boys?!?!?!? 

He reminds me of Flo.... If he's anything like her he'd be fabulous.

Plus he'd look great in blue....


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## SwissMiss

carshon said:


> ... but I think he would look very charming in teal tack!


I can't think of ANY horse that won't look good in teal! :wink:

I still can't get over those loooong legs! If he can move efficiently, his stride will eat up the miles. And will look good doing so :biggrin:


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## AndyTheCornbread

Shooting followed by metal clanging is generally somebody shooting steel targets. You paint the face of them with spray paint every few times you use them so you can see where your impacts are. It is a cheaper way to shoot than paper targets and you don't have to walk down range to patch up holes between groups.


The horse is too tall for me but in the video the person working him is getting WAY too big for such a sensitive horse, she nags him by leading under the chin and she doesn't release her queues even when she gets what she wants, both of which are leading to frustration on the horse's part and thus the head tossing and semi-jerky behavior. Even though she is working him like a jerk and not listening to what the horse is telling her he still mostly stays with her mentally. Watch when she sends him off or around, his ear keeps flicking toward her, he wants to please and he wants to know what she wants next. There are a few times when he is not straight on the circle and his head goes out but it is because she isn't releasing her queue even after he gives what she is asking for. If she does this often to this horse it is no wonder he is ring sour and it is a wonder he doesn't have more bad habits than he does. I think if you picked him up now and trained him the way he is telling her he wants to be trained you might very quickly end up with a really nice horse. I don't personally like riding tall horses because of what I mostly do with mine, smaller more compact horses seem to do better in the mountains than tall ones but for what you guys are doing with the long distance thing once you got weight on him, he might be a pretty amazing horse for you. If you buy him, don't continue treating him the way that person is during his training sessions and you could end up with a hidden gem of a horse. I mean the worst that could happen is you have him for a while and he doesn't pan out, with actual good training you can always resell him for more than you got him for. I can't imagine they want very much for him with the things going on with him now. Plus he is a grade cross horse so that should knock his price down as well. 

I would get your husband to dicker with them if he is the better bargainer in your house, if it's you then you do it of course but point out everything that is wrong with the horse and what needs to be fixed and then make an offer that reflects all that needs to be put into him to see if he will come up to snuff and see if they take it. If they don't tell them the offer is open until winter starts and then make sure you put up enough hay to also accommodate another horse by end of hay season. I do this fairly often with horse deals when the person wants too much for a horse, they generally almost never sell if the person wants too much and come winter when they realize they are going to have to feed it out through another winter they sell for the original price you offered, sometimes lower. If they don't and you don't end up with another horse be it this one or another one you can sell off the extra hay during winter. There is literally always somebody who wants hay during winter. I swear some people have the WORST planning skills for having livestock and come winter they are like "_oh wait you mean hay doesn't grow in winter and my horse still eats during winter? I need to find some hay to buy_". Some years I have completely paid for all the hay my horses eat by selling off the extra hay I buy for nearly double the price it cost me to put it up in summer.


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## Tazzie

You already know I really like him :wink: I think he'd be fantastic in your incredibly capable hands. I honestly like him even more now seeing these new pictures and video. I'm sure with some TLC and good, consistent training, you'll have one heck of an endurance horse!



AndyTheCornbread said:


> Plus he is a grade cross horse so that should knock his price down as well.


Ummm, no. He's a half Arabian, and there is in fact a registry for this. A nice one can sell for A LOT of money. He is not a grade considering the parentage is known, and I'm guessing he has papers (since there is a pedigree on him). Sorry, kind of rubs me the wrong way since I actively show a half Arabian on the breed circuit, and I'd not be very happy with someone calling her a grade when I hold papers that would be worth a pretty penny if I chose to sell.


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## AndyTheCornbread

Tazzie said:


> He's a half Arabian, and there is in fact a registry for this. A nice one can sell for A LOT of money. He is not a grade considering the parentage is known, and I'm guessing he has papers (since there is a pedigree on him). Sorry, kind of rubs me the wrong way since I actively show a half Arabian on the breed circuit, and I'd not be very happy with someone calling her a grade when I hold papers that would be worth a pretty penny if I chose to sell.



Is he currently papered? Because if not then you can knock the price down some for him having to sell as grade. I see lots of "_could be_" registered horses bought and sold every year but they have to sell as grade if they don't have current papers in the name of the seller or an open transfer on their current registration. High seller at the Salmon Sale this year was a horse that "_could be_" registered but had to be sold as grade because he wasn't currently registered. He went for $20K, had he not been sold as grade he probably would have gone closer to $30K, possibly more. 

I work hundreds if not thousands of horse sales every year. What I see across all these sales is that selling as grade generally knocks the price down, even if it is spendy horse. 

The only caveat to that is specific cross types that have large market demand like Draft/QH. 

Arab/anything are extremely poor sellers out here, even Appendix QHs go for more. 

Horse prices are very location dependent as well, so hopefully for @phantomhorse13 she is in an area like here where Arab crosses go for very little and she can pick up a nice horse for cheap.


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## Tazzie

AndyTheCornbread said:


> Is he currently papered? Because if not then you can knock the price down some for him having to sell as grade. I see lots of "_could be_" registered horses bought and sold every year but they have to sell as grade if they don't have current papers in the name of the seller or an open transfer on their current registration. High seller at the Salmon Sale this year was a horse that "_could be_" registered but had to be sold as grade because he wasn't currently registered. He went for $20K, had he not been sold as grade he probably would have gone closer to $30K, possibly more.
> 
> I work hundreds if not thousands of horse sales every year. What I see across all these sales is that selling as grade generally knocks the price down, even if it is spendy horse.
> 
> The only caveat to that is specific cross types that have large market demand like Draft/QH.
> 
> Arab/anything are extremely poor sellers out here, even Appendix QHs go for more.
> 
> Horse prices are very location dependent as well, so hopefully for @phantomhorse13 she is in an area like here where Arab crosses go for very little and she can pick up a nice horse for cheap.


It does depend on area a lot. And it depends on what you're doing with your horse too.

Here, we have a lot of breed shows. A lot of active Arabian/Half Arabian breeders. I know of one that isn't my personal taste (nor training if I'm being honest since I dislike how they are training him), he's a half Arabian, and sold for $12,500 as a barely broke almost 5 year old. 

I just dislike the quick to say he's grade when clearly parentage is known. I realize it's not stated, but as it stands, he's a Half Arabian (well, 3/4 Arabian, but the breed will only recognize Arabian and Half Arabian for registration purposes).


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## AndyTheCornbread

I agree, it is extremely location dependent. I have a friend here that moved out here from Kentucky and he loves tall gaited breeds like TWH and Standardbred etc. He couldn't afford one when he lived back east but out here if you can find them they generally go for less than $2.5K so he can have as many as he can afford feed and bills for because the purchase price is so cheap.

Two years ago I did inspections on one for a sale that was an absolute magnificent TWH gelding in his prime. Super nice horse and stunning to look at. He went for around $1,200 - $1,500. If that sale fell through I would have purchased him on the spot. For a lot of sales they call me to be there while the buyer is evaluating and that was one time I was crossing my fingers and hoping the buyer would find a reason they didn't want him. Unfortunately for me the buyer knew a great deal when he saw one and the horse is his daughter's trail riding horse and lives right outside Frenchtown. The horse gets treated like a prince so it ended well even if he didn't end up in my pasture.


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## Knave

I live in the same general part of the US as Andy. A half Arabian is considered grade here, parentage known or not.

Several of my father’s horses are 1/4 Arabian. He had a very fancy show mare who was 1/2. Her parents were known and the cross was well thought out by a (good) cutting horse trainer/breeder. Dad saw the filly and loved her, and my mother surprised him with her when she was weaning age.

She was shown and then parented his best group of horses before her passing. She was a talented horse and not to be at all looked down on. However, if selling her one would call her grade where I live, and her colts held the same title. Not an insult, just the way it is here.


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## phantomhorse13

Celeste said:


> You have come to the wrong place if you want to be talked out of getting a new horse! Especially if the horse is ok with shotguns going off.


And this is why I love all of you.. enablers, but with good reasons! :Angel:



egrogan said:


> holy legs!! Sooo tall, that seems a bit of a disadvantage.


Certainly I will see it at a disadvantage if I have to ever mount from the ground! I also wonder how tall he will feel at the end of a ride when I am tired and have to throw a saddle up that high. However, if you look at most of the international-caliber horses, they are all this tall, so apparently it's not a bad thing..



Spanish Rider said:


> I just keep thinking that he would have the same extension in the trot as Fluffy, without all the mass to pop you out of the saddle and in a much more manageable package. A narrow 16.1 without much of a barrel so that your legs are long is really like a 15.2, am I right? (Tee-hee, is that what you wanted to hear?)


Yes, I like that thinking very much! While I didn't ask for any extended trot during the brief time I rode, you certainly can see he has one on the longe line. It will be interesting to see how he is on trail.



gottatrot said:


> my main consideration would be to get hoof xrays just in case there was something unfixable that might affect him with harder use.


This is certainly something we are considering. My farrier has already told me he's not worried and can fix the feet, but I would feel better seeing just what is in there..



gottatrot said:


> I watched the video again and I really like his movement. He seems to anticipate being thwacked under the chin with the lead rope, which is too bad. I think he is too sensitive for that kind of treatment.


Agree that he is being way overcued. He started his life as a halter horse, so you could certainly see that training kick in with the high energy.



carshon said:


> Would this be for DH or for you? I am not much of a fan of Chestnuts with Flaxen mane and tail


He would likely be for DH once George retires, but I would get to do the initial work as DH would rather go fast. That is fine by me, because I would want to make sure the horse was reliable before setting DH loose on him!

Flaxen chestnut is actually my favorite color, with grey being my least favorite.. go figure!



QueenofFrance08 said:


> He reminds me of Flo.... If he's anything like her he'd be fabulous.
> 
> Plus he'd look great in blue....


He also reminds me of Flo, and I certainly love her. If he comes home with us, he would indeed be going in blue as he would inherit Sultan's tack. But no pressure!



AndyTheCornbread said:


> Shooting followed by metal clanging is generally somebody shooting steel targets.
> 
> in the video the person working him is getting WAY too big for such a sensitive horse.. I think if you picked him up now and trained him the way he is telling her he wants to be trained you might very quickly end up with a really nice horse.
> 
> I would get your husband to dicker with them if he is the better bargainer in your house


Metal targets makes sense with the sounds I was hearing. Can you tell I don't do much target shooting?!

I agree that I did not like the way he was being longed at all. The seller can be a nervous person, so I think having someone watch her was causing her to ramp up, as that is nothing like how I have seen her handle horses in the past. Or maybe the other horses have learned to ignore it.. He seemed like a horse with a lot of try to me, and even with his energy up he never got stupid.

I love my DH, but he couldn't dicker his way out of a wet paper bag. He is way nicer than me and would never dream of debating a price.



AndyTheCornbread said:


> Is he currently papered? Because if not then you can knock the price down some for him having to sell as grade.


 He is registered and the seller has papers in hand.

Arabs aren't super expensive in this area, but they aren't dirt cheap either as there are a handful of show barns around. The seller is actually interested in a saddle I have, so there is some talk of a trade. I know what I paid for the saddle (versus what it should have cost me, because I got it at a yard sale where someone obviously didn't know what they had), so if indeed I trade it for this horse, it will be the deal of the century!


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## AndyTheCornbread

Given all that you have said, if his feet check out with the vet and you can do a saddle trade I really see no down side to this for you guys. If all that pans out feet and saddle wise I am at a loss for a reason why not to buy him but there are many reasons why buying him would be a good idea.


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## phantomhorse13

I was finally able to get some saddle time on Wednesday! I had hoped to ride earlier, but momma nature dumped 3.25 inches of rain on us Monday, so things were yet again floating. At least the crazy rain brought an end to the insane heat, dropping temperatures much closer to normal.

I started with Phin, as I expected him to be a nut after the time off. I headed straight to the Sugarloaf, expecting to need the climbs to find his brain. I was pleasantly surprised that he was very good. He got a bit worried about the corn as we came across the farm, as it had grown enough to be over his head. He eyeballed it hard - especially as it waved in the wind - but he kept himself together.










I was pleased that the Tomhicken wasn't any more washed out that it had been. Phin was happy we just did a quick lap around the neighborhood and then turned for home.










It's still strange to see corn where hay normally is, but very thankful a gap was left around the edges so we can still ride.










8.19 miles, 1324 feet of climb, 5.2 mph average pace, 84F real feel


Next up was George and Kestrel. George was feeling mighty fine and felt our casual pace was for the birds. He spent a lot of time looking for something, anything to spook at. :icon_rolleyes:










We went up the Sugarloaf looking for his brain. Luckily, it didn't take too long to find it. 










When we got home, I put Kestrel in the house and grabbed Link. I wanted to take advantage of all the flooding to do some water training. We did a quick lap around the top field and then headed down to the creek beside the outdoor arena.










As I expected, Link was a bit hesitant about the water. Due to the rainfall, the creek was wide enough he couldn't just jump it so he stood on the edge and dithered. I wish I had brought the helmetcam, as it was hysterical to see him stretching his nose out to try to reach the grass George was eating in the middle of the creek. Eventually, his stomach won over his hesitation and he waded in to snack. We went back and forth several times until he walked in without hesitation.

After our splash, we did the loop to Alimar. We came upon Gina on the tractor mowing, which was a great learning opportunity. George was on his best behavior, so he casually walked along behind the mower without a care in the world. Link also was unconcerned. We followed her for a bit, then she continued down the edge of the driveway while we turned down the airport strip.










We finished by taking a lap around our place, which of course got Phin and Sultan running around. Link only hopped once, then settled down to walk beside George despite all the antics. I was super pleased with his behavior!

7.34 miles (2.93 with Link), 929 feet of climb, 4.2 mph average pace, 86F real feel


Yesterday, I got George out. I wanted to give him some yeehaw time, so we started in the fields. Wasn't I surprised to find corn where grass had been!










We worked our way across the fields and around the Sugarloaf. George was forward and happy.










I was surprised to be able to clearly see the goldfish in the pond as we went by. I guess the recent heavy rain flushed the algae-filled water out, replacing it with fresh water? I had no idea there were that many fish in there.










9.73 miles, 1330 feet of climb, 5.5 mph average pace, 89F real feel


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## Knave

Those fish are so cool!


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## phantomhorse13

On Friday, I got Phin out with Gina and Nik. Windsor is being treated for EPM, so Nik rode Amish and Gina rode Giselle. Things started out ok as we moseyed around the Sugarloaf and then down across the farm. Both those horses outwalk Phin normally, but Giselle was having a spooky day.. kind of funny when Phin is the brave one!










It was supposed to be a 'short ride,' but when it was suggested we also go over to do the yellow gate trail, I knew it was going to be an all-day affair. We moseyed across the other side of the farm and up the Tomhicken. Giselle continued to be fussy so any attempts to trot were abandoned.

The farther we went, the more Giselle was acting up. Phin was amazing, ignoring all of her antics and plodding along on a loose rein!






When we got to the yellow gate and turned around, neither Giselle nor Amish would flat walk any longer. I was really proud that Phin ignored both of them and didn't jig a single step, only trotting to catch up when I asked. He also didn't object to being asked to stand while Giselle spun or balked. When we got back down to the farm, Phin got to go first through the scary corn as Giselle was balking more and more and Nik didn't trust her control over Amish to let him go first.










I was more than ready to be done riding by the time we got back, but I was thrilled with how well Phin had behaved. 

10.8 miles, 1397 feet of climb, 2.8 mph average pace, 91F real feel


On Sunday, DH and I got George and Phin out. I was concerned it was going to be an exciting ride as Phin was on his toes from the start. 










I was pleasantly surprised that he settled right down once in the barn. We went over to do the Tomhicken road trail, where I haven't been in months. The trail needed some trimming!










Phin led the whole ride and did very well with keeping his spooks to a minimum. A good thing, as I found myself repeatedly covered in spider webs - some of which still contained spiders! Here, DH was just a moment too late to catch me removing an alarmingly large spider from my visor.










Even with the spider webs and the need to do a lot of ducking, we had a really nice ride. The boys were happy to canter from the bottom of the s-turn all the way to the space needle.










The corn is in full tassel, so hopefully this crazy heat subsides so Keith can actually get a crop this year..










13.38 miles, 1588 feet of climb, 5.6 mph average pace, 95F real feel


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## QueenofFrance08

Oh man I bet you were hurting after all of that walking on Friday, especially in Phin's saddle! Yay for Phin being a good boy both days!


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## PoptartShop

Oooh, I really like the prospect.  Look at those legs! I think he could be a good match for you & a great addition to the herd. Also, 8 is a great age. You can really do a lot with him. You are a sensitive rider & he looks like he's a sensitive horse. I think you would mesh well together. 

Excited to hear how the trail goes.  I say go for it.

So glad you finally got some good 'ole saddle time. So nice to see the sun shining & clear skies finally right?! I'm glad Phin was a good boy! Looks like Kestrel had fun being the leadline with George too. Was he looking for Pokemon again?!

I am so proud of Link too, with the water. What a good boy, and with the tractor too!! Fantastic! Love the fish too. So cool!! I love the video of Phin just hanging out on the loose rein...nice that he was the relaxed one for once haha. So awesome. I think it was good that Phin behaved himself while the others were being apprehensive/worked up a bit.

Sounds like you have had some great rides the past few days!  Lovely!


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> Oh man I bet you were hurting after all of that walking on Friday, especially in Phin's saddle!


Oh yes, I was quite sore and that was even with getting down to walk on my own feet a couple times! While the thinline saddle cushion that @AnitaAnne gifted me helps a lot, I would need something like a down pillow to make it actually comfortable. :wink:


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## phantomhorse13

Monday, the boys got to rest while I rode the tractor. I got the paddocks mowed and then moved on to the field roads. Kestrel of course supervised!










Yesterday, I wanted to get out early to beat the heat. Unfortunately for us, the heat never really went away overnight so it was gross even at 9 am. We did some loops around Alimar to take advantage of what I had mowed, then we headed down the creek trail.










We went across the field behind the township building, where I haven't been in a while. The weeds were crazy!










4.7 miles, 402 feet of climb, 5.1 mph average pace, 99F real feel


Next up with George and Link. We did the same route to limit any surprises. It was super hot, so Link settled down pretty quickly.









Link did really well navigating the creek and the trickier footing of the creek trail. He didn't mind wading through the head-high weeds and didn't look at any of the stuff dumped at the back of the property. We came back across Alimar and happened upon Gina on the way home, so she got this pic:










4.71 miles, 402 feet of climb, 4.0 mph average pace, 103F real feel


Being hot, I figured it was a good time to refresh Link on bathing. He danced a little bit when the water first touched his hind end, but didn't take long for him to just stand and enjoy it!


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## AndyTheCornbread

So, what is the story on the prospect horse? Getting him or no or still contemplating? Inquiring minds want to know :smile:


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## phantomhorse13

AndyTheCornbread said:


> So, what is the story on the prospect horse? Getting him or no or still contemplating? Inquiring minds want to know :smile:


I had Nancy speak with him last week and have been getting feedback from trusted friends (all positive). Nancy's talk with him was interesting in a Chinese curse kind of way and gave me lots to ponder. However, I am still entirely too excited about him, so hopefully my gut knows what it is doing. We go Saturday to meet with the owner for a trail ride. Unless something unexpected happens, he will then be coming home with us!

Getting him better physically is going to be the first priority. Plan right now will be to pull his shoes and trim him so that he can break over where/how he wants (luckily the farrier is coming next week). I think (hope?) a lot of the flare can be addressed, but of course will leave that to the expert. Also want to work on his diet to hopefully treat the ulcers and start putting weight on. Won't plan on riding him until we can get him more comfortable, as to do so seems counter productive in the long run. Instead, I will focus on groundwork and getting to know one another - a start on the mental rehab. Because Phin and George are both competing, we have no reason to be in a hurry with this guy.


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## Woodhaven

Phantom, I smiled to myself about the spiders, the first rider always gets the spider webs and clears the way for those who follow. For some reason I usually end up first.
We have one trail here that if you go early and the sun is just coming up and shining on the dew wet spider webs, they look so beautiful then, almost like diamonds.
I call it "spider web alley"

Glad to see you are getting out for some great rides and hope the new guy works out.


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## PoptartShop

It can be so annoying when you get up early to go ride...& bam, it's SO hot already! :sad: Like I'll get to the barn & already start sweating when I'm tacking up! :lol:
Glad you got some good rides in though, & some shade. Link is such a good boy! I bet he loved cooling off with the hose.

So excited to hear how Saturday goes with the prospect.  If you do get him, I think it's great you will be taking things slow. You are going about this the right way! So exciting, I hope it works out.


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## phantomhorse13

On Thursday, I got Phin out with Kestrel. It was still hot and humid, so we just moseyed up the Sugarloaf. I hadn't been up to the viewpoint in a while and suspected the trail would be very overgrown. I was not surprised by the stickers, but I was shocked at how much the trees had grown up! Going to need some major work to get the view back again.










As we were moseying across the woods, I heard a funny metallic clink and looked down to see a shoe rolling away! Hopped down to find Phin minus his RF shoe, but he still had all 4 nails in an unbroken hoof wall. I picked up the shoe and realized all the nail heads must have worn clean off, as the shoe was perfect. 










I knew we were pushing things by delaying the farrier for a week longer than normal, but I needed to do it that way because of the timing of the next two competitions. So on went the boot, the shoe went into the saddle bag, and I had a nice 2 mile stroll home. :icon_rolleyes:

4.38 miles, 774 feet of climb, 3.8 mph average pace, 93F real feel


On Friday, I went over to ride with Nicole. However, she asked me if I would take her houseguest out instead, as she had some work that needed to be done. I didn't mind playing tour guide. I rode Polo and the guest rode Hombre.










We did the big loop, so got to see all the crop fields. People were out harvesting (by hand!) the squash, which looked like a lot of hard work. We went past Nicole's house so we stopped to chat briefly.










Overall the boys were very well behaved, so it was a nice ride.










11.08 miles, 653 feet of climb, 5.5 mph average pace, 94F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

On Saturday, Dh and I were up early to hit the road with George for the chestnut's trial trail ride. It was a 2.5 hour trip for us, but we found the park without issue. We were fairly surprised to see several trailers already there at 8:30 in the morning, with more arriving every moment. Come to find out a local trail riding club was having an event that day.

George didn't care and stood sleeping tied to the trailer as we got him tacked up. The seller arrived with the chestnut and two other of her horses just as we finished with George. Everyone unloaded without issue and tied to the trailer. The chestnut was very interested in everything going on around him. He was antsy as I tacked up, but never tested the rope. He was a bit fussy over the fly spray, which was a surprise as he hadn't reacted to it at all the last time. His owner wanted to put him in the (very tight) standing martingale she had used at home, but I did not feel comfortable riding a horse on trail that way. She found a running martingale and we used that instead.

The first set of club riders set out as a slow mosey. Their disappearance caused some angst for the chestnut. When all the horses in our group were tacked up, we went over to the permanent wooden mounting platform, which the chestnut eyeballed hard but did walk up beside with only a small amount of coaxing. He stood still for a split second as I got on, but couldn't keep still longer than that. We walked in circles and he tossed his head while everyone else got on. We headed the opposite direction than the other riders went. DH and George were in the lead, then me with the owner beside us on her walker, then the other horse she'd brought (ridden by a friend).

The chestnut was pretty tense, not wanting to walk but instead jig. There was head tossing just about any time I made contact with the bit. We went a short ways and had to cross a busy paved road. He didn't mind the traffic at all, but he sure didn't like the standing still. A short distance after the road, we came to an odd pipe standing upright in the bushes that George took a hard look at, which resulted in the chestnut also looking and leaping sideways off the trail. He was really jigging after that, so I asked if I could go first to see if that would help him settle.

We had only been out front maybe a minute when we turned a corner and came upon an odd creek crossing. There was a small flow of water (maybe a foot across and only inches deep), then a partially exposed drain pipe. The chestnut hesitated, looking down hard. I was encouraging him forward when DH came around us with George - passing so close he actually pulled the stirrup off my foot. As I fished to get my stirrup back, George crossed the creek and the chestnut suddenly sat back, lifted his front end and launched. He felt like he went 10 feet in the air and I was horrified to realize he was going to come down on top of George and DH, who wasn't even looking back. Thank god George was paying attention and he sidestepped as we came crashing down just beside him. The chestnut hit the ground and immediately launched forward again.

He hit the ground and did a weird canter in place stride before leaping straight up in the air and kicking out with a hind leg (thank god not the one nearest to George and DH). I have to give him credit that his antics were not unseating, but they certainly were worrisome! I urged him forward and he launched into a power trot, but that was sure better than airs above the ground.

After a couple strides I asked him to slow and he was back to head tossing and jumping around. He was going forward, but he was looking at everything and nothing and felt like he would explode at any moment. He took a hard look at a rock on the ground and leapt sideways right off the trail without hesitation (into thick bushes). When I asked him to go back onto the trail, he shot into a canter. At that point I asked him to halt and turned him sideways across the narrow trail, hoping like heck he wouldn't leap into the bushes again. He didn't, tho he did dance around, but it let the others catch up. I told the seller that he was more project than I was looking for. The seller apologized profusely, saying she had never seen him "so flamboyant" in his behavior and offering to trade horses with me for the ride back to the trailer. I declined, but kept him up against her walker for the ride back.

I had asked the universe to make the right choice clear to me - it sure did!!

DH, however, was angry with me, saying I didn't "give the horse enough of a chance" as we were "only out for two miles." I love my DH, but no way is he a good enough rider to deal with a horse like that. I was SO thankful I insisted on riding the horse first!! It was a very quiet ride home, however, as he didn't speak to me the entire time. :icon_rolleyes:


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## knightrider

Wow, what a story. Better than the book I am reading! Sorry it was such a challenging ride, but glad you managed it with "rider on top, horse on the bottom."


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## Knave

As I was reading I was thinking that I hoped you said “nope.” I am sorry your husband didn’t understand. He must have gotten rather attached to the idea. 

I understand that for sure! I asked to try out this horse I called giraffe a friend owned and was trying to turn. He was a gentle arena horse, but when they bought him and brought him home he was barn sour and lonely. 

It was one of those things where I should have taken her word for it. Giraffe was an interesting looking animal, which I could have easily gotten past, and I felt oddly attached to the idea of owning him. I also felt rather embarrassed to be like, “I really wasn’t expecting him to be this bad. I don’t want to jump into a horse like this right now. I’m sorry.”


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## egrogan

Eek. That sounds like a profoundly un-fun ride. Wondering what DH found redeeming about that experience though!? :think:


I'm also very curious now to know what the animal communicator learned- I think you sort of alluded to something "interesting" but didn't elaborate earlier, if I'm remembering correctly...


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## carshon

Oh No- your post just made me sad. It sounds like he needs a good home and an understanding rider and I had hoped it would work out. But the ride sounds more dangerous than fun so I don't blame you for passing.


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## PoptartShop

Gosh, what a ride...glad you are okay, that definitely sounds like way more than just a project. Agreed. Sheesh. Yeah, definitely wouldn't have been a good idea...no thanks! Glad you stuck with it though and didn't give up, but you definitely made the right choice by not taking him home with you. I think you gave him enough of a chance, you know in your gut that it just wasn't the horse for you. DH will get over it! :lol: Honestly, it's amazing that you stayed on! Could've gotten hurt! I hope he finds a good home though. :sad: Sounds like he needs a lot of work and patience. 

Love the ride with Nicole, Polo's fly bonnet is just the cutest!


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## phantomhorse13

egrogan said:


> I'm also very curious now to know what the animal communicator learned- I think you sort of alluded to something "interesting" but didn't elaborate earlier, if I'm remembering correctly...


Nancy had said the horse was very distant emotionally.. which is sometimes "fixable" and sometimes not. Distant in this context can also mean a variety of things, from the horse's spirit shrinks to the point its gone (think robot) to the horse doesn't see people as partners/leaders/whatever and will rely on itself in times of stress.

I think this horse may have been a mix of the two. That tight tie-down certainly made a huge difference in his behavior, so perhaps he had learned to just give up and be a robot when it was present, but otherwise was going to rely on himself. And really, if he'd never been taught any different, why wouldn't he?



carshon said:


> your post just made me sad. It sounds like he needs a good home and an understanding rider and I had hoped it would work out.


I agree wholeheartedly! Despite his behavior, I still really _liked_ the horse - had this been 10 years ago and the horse been solely for me, I probably would have taken him and tried. I always liked a 'crazy.'

With a bit of reflection, I realized he reminds me of Duroc. Duroc was equally shut down and scary to start with and it's taken me how many years to get to the point we can trust one another.. and I still wouldn't put DH on him, and he's hurt Lani badly a couple times (and even unintentional, hurt is hurt).



PoptartShop said:


> Honestly, it's amazing that you stayed on! Could've gotten hurt!


Indeed, I got very lucky. While he wasn't trying to hurt me, shiitake still happens. I found out on the drive home a friend got launched by her young horse while they were warming up at the start of what was supposed to be his first LD. Her injuries are an echo of Beth's: 7 broken ribs, collapsed lung, and fluid in the abdomen. She is still in the ICU. But for the grace of the universe, that could have been me.



Knave said:


> As I was reading I was thinking that I hoped you said “nope.” I am sorry your husband didn’t understand. He must have gotten rather attached to the idea.


I think you have it exactly right: he was attached to the _idea_ and couldn't see the actual horse in front of him.


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## AndyTheCornbread

I think you made the right choice, a horse that reactive is a HUGE project to get to where they can trust people again if they ever fully do. 

I have one in that was a lot like that, he is a large 16.1hh Appendix that didn't trust people at all when I got him in. He didn't buck, in fact he never has from the day he was born to now and that is part of the reason I took him in but he was extremely reactive to everything around him and would not trust a person to make decisions for him once he spooked. I worked with him nearly every evening for 10 months to get him to where he is now which is ready for sale and back to trusting people and responding to the bit, not freaking out about ropes etc. In fact you can swing a rope off him now and touch him anywhere with it and he will just relax and cock a foot and rest until you ask him to do something. If I had known he was going to take 10 months to get to where he was good for people again I probably wouldn't have taken him in. He goes on the 11th of this month to be sold.

Given that you already have your hands full with the horses you have competing now with training and maintenance etc. I was hoping this horse would be a straight forward project for you that would maybe take a week or two to get settled down and on the right path but from what you describe he seems more like a "_close to a year to possibly never_" type project that needs to be taken back to square one and worked very slowly back up to trusting people. That sounds like WAY more of a project than you guys have time for, and honestly, who wants to invest that kind of time and effort into a "maybe will work out" type of horse. There are too many good ones that need homes than to spend oodles of time and energy on the marginal and or bad ones.


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## gottatrot

That is so disconcerting when horses decide to jump over a very wide body of water from a standstill. I'm guessing you would have had quite the time teaching him to accept water crossings without a fuss. Maybe if it was just that one thing, rather than also having issues with horses leaving, spooking, tossing his head, etc., I would have agreed with your husband. But I'm agreeing with you that this horse would have been a very time-consuming project. You're making a wise decision.


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## Celeste

I'm glad that you chose to decline to take that horse on. He makes Raven look like a finished horse. 

The horse ignored traffic and gunfire. 

That shows that a horse can be "bomb proof" and still not be ride-able. (Well, gun proof which is the same type thing.)


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## cbar

That is disappointing that the ride didn't go better. But I agree with the others that this horse just sounds like too much of a project - and may never come around to where you would trust him. I often wonder how horses get to be like that - is it due to our treatment of them, their personality or a combination of both.

It's too bad it didn't work out better, but I think you made the absolute right decision. Hopefully your DH will realize you have his best interests (and health!) in mind and will get over it. Men!


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## phantomhorse13

gottatrot said:


> Maybe if it was just that one thing, rather than also having issues with horses leaving, spooking, tossing his head, etc., I would have agreed with your husband. But I'm agreeing with you that this horse would have been a very time-consuming project.





AndyTheCornbread said:


> from what you describe he seems more like a "_close to a year to possibly never_" type project that needs to be taken back to square one and worked very slowly back up to trusting people. That sounds like WAY more of a project than you guys have time for, and honestly, who wants to invest that kind of time and effort into a "maybe will work out" type of horse. There are too many good ones that need homes than to spend oodles of time and energy on the marginal and or bad ones.


These sum up my thoughts and feelings exactly.




Celeste said:


> The horse ignored traffic and gunfire.
> 
> That shows that a horse can be "bomb proof" and still not be ride-able.


Crazy right?




cbar said:


> Hopefully your DH will realize you have his best interests (and health!) in mind and will get over it. Men!


:rofl:


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## phantomhorse13

I got some good saddle time this week!

On Tuesday, Nicole was supposed to come over with her horses and houseguest Anna (same woman I rode with last week), but she wasn't feeling well so rescheduled to the next day. George and I went out to test ride the route I had planned to take them. I went out across the farm and up the Tomhicken to the yellow gate trail.










I went all the way out that trail and then back up the gas line. We then moseyed across the top and back down the Tomhicken. 










We dropped down onto the farm by the singletrack trail. We were just out trimming not even a month ago and in some places you would never have known!










12.36 miles, 1674 feet of climb, 5.4 mph average pace, 96F real feel


On Wednesday, Nicole did come over to ride, but neither Nicole's truck nor Anna were available, so Nicole came over and rode George. Since she had already seen the trail I had planned for Anna, Phin and I took her on the space needle loop instead.

Nicole loves George, but she quickly remembers she is not a fan of posting. :rofl: I was pleased that Phin was on his best behavior, with only one big spook at a log (because it wasn't there last time







).










We went through the development and got to do a meet and greet with some neighborhood kids (they had carrots so Phin thought they weren't so bad after all). Then we went around the big open.










Nicole's legs weren't up for cantering the whole way up to the space needle, but we did alternate trot and canter. The boys were very good about not getting rushed.










On the way back down, Nicole got a mini-lesson in two point as it gave some different muscles a chance to complain.










Despite the forecast, the humidity was horrible - the only saving grace was the passing clouds giving us a break from the sun at times.










We got back home just as dark clouds were gathering in the distance. The boys got hosed off and turned out just as the thunder started to rumble. The storms actually broke up and went around us, but we wouldn't have been that lucky had we still been riding.

12.3 miles, 1404 feet of climb, 5.2 mph average pace, 94F real feel


Yesterday, I got Phin out again to take Kestrel for a walk. We went over to the farm to mosey around, as it was still too humid to want to do much.



















5.24 miles, 632 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 93F real feel


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## PoptartShop

Such gorgeous rides!  So glad the boys were so well-behaved! :lol: I bet Phin loved those carrots!


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## phantomhorse13

DH and I went to the beach for the weekend! The weather was perfect and it was so nice for DH to be able to relax.











Yesterday, I got Phin out with Kestrel. We went over to the Tomhicken and did the gas line loop.









Phin tried really hard to behave himself, but he was quite spooky. I am not sure if Kestrel being there was worried him or the fact it was quite windy. 










Phin may not have liked the wind but I sure did as it kept it from feeling like an oven. 










Kestrel did really well. We went home via Spauldings and she sat waiting at the road crossing until given the release command (the first time I have tried that from on Phin; I had been dismounting at all the road crossings to work with Kestrel, just in case).

9.06 miles, 1189 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 90F real feel


Next up was George and Link. We did a loop around Alimar and then headed out to do the entire creek trail.









To make this trail a loop, there is a very brief section (maybe 100 yards?) that goes along the road we live on. Normally the road is pretty quiet.. but apparently Link is going to have excitement on training rides in the same way Phin does. In that short stretch of road, we got passed by two tri-axle dump trucks, a pickup pulling a rattling trailer full of junk, and a FedEx truck! :eek_color:

Thankfully, George doesn't care about traffic and I made sure to have Link along the edge of the road, so he didn't react at all to the vehicles going by. I was so thankful to get off the road and back into the woods.

After the road excitement, the occasional mud and puddles of the creek trail was nothing. Link moseyed along without issue (though none of us liked the swarms of deer flies).










5.32 miles, 453 feet of climb, 4.1 mph average pace, 93F real feel


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## PoptartShop

Wow, the beach looks amazing. So jealous! :lol: Kestrel is such a good girl!  I'm sure the wind definitely contributed to Phin's spookiness. Promise gets like that too when it's windy. But it feels good for us! LOL, the humidity & no breeze can be irritating!

Thank goodness all went well when all those vehicles were passing by. Sheesh! He is doing so well! I love how George helps give him the confidence he needs. Love the blue on Link, too!


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## phantomhorse13

Not really distance-related, but I think everyone appreciates a good deal (and horses keep us poor, so cheap is good!). While we were at the beach, we went to some yard sales one morning. We got a couple amazing deals that just needed a bit of cleaning. I got that done on Tuesday, since the weather kept me out of the saddle. 

Our new-to-us $5 chair:









and our new-to-us $10 patio set:










On Wednesday, Nicole and Anna finally made it over to ride. I took Phin. We headed across the farm to the Tomhicken.









Phin thought being a tour guide was pretty fun, as that meant we walked all the climbs as Nicole was concerned Polo and Hombre weren't that fit.










We went to all the good viewpoints. The weather even mostly cooperated, as the sun came out despite the forecast for cloudy with a chance of storms.










Phin was quite spooky, which I was surprised about since he normally is better with company. However, it was breezy and storms did some in later that afternoon, so he may have been reacting to the weather.










Typical of Polo, once we turned for home he was a raging maniac. Phin was not thrilled to have Polo disappearing ahead of him (especially pointed for home!), but he kept it together when I asked with only minimal protesting. Hopefully he will remember that at the next ride, as there are lots of open fields..

11.05 miles, 1515 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 93F real feel


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## PoptartShop

I love that picture of you on Phin!  Such a gorgeous background too. Love the new furniture too, what steals!  Definitely a hot day, it's been so humid here lately too! I'm glad Phin held it together, the spookiness was probably because of the weather (hopefully!).


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## SwissMiss

Polo had apparently some energy left :wink: Hopefully Phin remembers his agreeable behavior at the next ride...


And the view is lovely - for sure makes the climb worth it!


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## phantomhorse13

Over the weekend, DH and I got out and did some much needed trail maintenance on the Sugarloaf. The wet spring and summer means a banner growing season for all things weed, but especially sticker bushes.










We spent 6 hours mowing and hacking and being attacked by bugs. Between the sticker scratches and the bug bites, I felt like I should be anemic! But it will be so much nicer riding now.


That evening, we were invited over to Alimar for dinner. A huge storm rolled though and this was just after:











Yesterday, Gina asked me if I would ride Amish as a babysitter for Aztec's first trail ride. Aztec is supposed to have tons of trail experience, but after the mess with Windsor, I didn't blame her for being hesitant. Happy to report he was a very good boy (as was Amish). We moseyed around the Sugarloaf, including some of the freshly trimmed trails.



















6.29 miles, 1070 feet of climb, 3.3 mph average pace, 92F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Last week, DH and I went down to southwest Virginia for the Iron Mountain ride. We left at lunchtime on Wednesday for the 8 hour drive, so got to camp jst before dark. Luckily, some friends had already arrived and saved us a wonderful spot. We got set up and then sat down to a lovely potluck dinner with the group.

The weather didn't cool off much overnight, so DH and I did as much prep as we could first thing, knowing it was going to be pretty uncomfortable until the promised front came through. My head was bothering me from the start, which didn't bode well for the weather (I joke I have an alien in my head that beats any meteorologist around..). We registered as soon as we could and I did a bit of shopping at the used tack sale. :Angel:

The ride photographer arrived and I talked to her about taking a picture of Kestrel and me, as that weekend was the year anniversary of us bringing her home. This was a year ago:









And a year later:









Amazing the difference a year can make!

As we went down to vet in, you could see some dark clouds gathering in the distance. Phin and George (and Epyc) vetted in without issue.










However, the clouds were rapidly approaching and the wind picked up as we were leaving the vet area. The pop-up tents people had put up in the crewing area started flying around, which upset Epyc badly. Phin was not happy either, but he kept it together with just a hand on his shoulder and we made it back to our trailer.

The pop-up Cathy had set up between our trailers was tied down with buckets of water, but the wind was threatening to shred it anyway. We realized with horror that our trailer awning had delaminated and torn - half was flapping in the wind and threatening to tear off the rest of the way at any moment. I held Phin and George with one hand and held into the corner of the pop-up as DH went to cut the flapping piece off the awning. He got it cut as Cathy got Epyc into his pen and came back to help with the pop-up. The wind almost enough to take you off your feet as we put the horses back in their pens. The skies opened and it was raining sideways as we desperately tried to keep things from taking off. Dean and Cathy each held a side of the pop-up while I held onto the remains of the trailer awning. I swear a couple gusts actually lifted the pop-up and Cathy right off her feet!! 

This video was taken by the people camping across from us during the first part of the storm. Not long after, they went to hide in their trailer as the porta potties started blowing over and their own awning was damaged.






I watched the edge of our trailer awning tearing more and more with each passing moment despite my holding it, but thankfully the storm passed before it gave way completely. If the quantity of water in the feed pans was any indicator, we got about 3 inches of rain in that 20 minute storm. Here I am holding what was the top layer of the awning:










The crew area was a shambles. Not a single pop-up made it. The ones that had been tied down were just mangled frames and the ones that weren't had been blown against various things and destroyed. Amazingly, not a single horse got loose and nobody was injured.










An hour or so later, Lani and Kathy arrived. They had been driving during the horrible storm, but Jefferson is heavy enough that high winds don't really impact it. We got the horses unloaded, vetted in, and settled as the sun came back out.










Before long, it was time for dinner and ride meeting. The meeting was very detailed.. so detailed in fact that I had to stop listening because it was only confusing me. We had a map and the trails are normally well-marked, so I had my fingers crossed we would be able to figure it out. It was well past dark by the time the meeting was finished, so we took the horses out for a brief graze and then went to bed.

Despite the forecast, the drop in temperature and humidity did not arrive by morning. Both boys ate their breakfast, though George left as bit (which is normal for him on ride morning). I was yet again trying something different in terms of the electrolytes. This time, I started with a syringe of aloe juice, then the syringe of elytes, a syringe of water, then a syringe of date syrup. To my delight, Phin was happy to clean up the remains in George's pan that I put in with him as a reward! That was the first time he had ever eaten directly after being dosed, so I was cautiously optimistic.

It was warm and very humid as we tacked up. DH and George went off to do their thing while I planned to ride with Cathy and Epyc.










The first loop was 17 miles. Cathy and I let just about everyone leave camp ahead of us before heading out (39 started). There is a road crossing near the start and we didn't want our horses being silly on the pavement. They both left like gentlemen despite a horse in front of us acting up a bit. We had a nice couple miles on gravel road to get the ya-yas out before hitting the real trails.










This loop was technical, with some rocks and a lot of roots. Epyc settled down behind Phin, who was on a mission. He wanted to go faster than I planned, but he wasn't too unreasonable about being rated. I was surprised that we passed a handful of people, as I felt our 7 mph was quite conservative. The markings were lovely and we never had a moment of doubt.

The end of that loop goes through the rangeland, meaning cattle could be anywhere. I was trying not to think about some of the horror stories I have heard about cow interactions there as we traveled through it. Happy to report we only saw cattle from a distance, so just got to enjoy the views without incident.



















to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

We got into the first hold, untacked the horses, and vetted right through. My head was bothering me quite badly, so I was relieved to find a couple friends who weren't riding until the next day there to help. They both took over Phin and told me to take care of myself. It was heavenly to be able to go into the trailer and out of the sun. I did my best to eat and drink, but my stomach made it known it was not happy either.

I didn't even take any pictures during the hold, but I did manage to get Phin's elytes done in the same way I had that morning. He was less thrilled and needed to be coaxed with hand-feeding, but he did eat some afterwards! I got his tack back on and gagged down a few more bites of food before heading out on the next loop. Cathy was concerned as this loop was 22 miles, but I actually felt better riding than I did standing around in camp.










That loop was fantastic - probably one of my favorite loops of any ride, anywhere. While the trail was almost always going up or down, in general the footing was decent and there was shade and a nice breeze. We went about 14 miles to a courtesy stop that had food and water for the horses and food and water for us. Watermelon is one of my favorite ride foods ever and even my fussy stomach didn't object to that.










The rest of the loop flew by as the boys knew they were heading back to camp. We got into the hold and again the boys were pulsed down as soon as we had the tack off. Both vetted without concerns.

Clouds started rolling in during the hold, which I was so thankful for. The same friends were still around to help, so it was great to be able to focus on me (and DH) knowing Phin (and George) were in good hands. I again repeated the same elyte protocol. Phin didn't want to eat anything afterwards, but he didn't stand around with his head down drooling, so I still considered it a success.










The last loop was 13 miles and shared some trail with the first loop, so we knew what to expect. It had some nice places to let the horses move out on. Clouds continued to build as the miles rolled by.










It was actually raining by the time we made the final turn for camp, but the rain felt wonderful. The boys would have cantered all the way back to camp if we had let them.










We got into camp and were shocked to hear we were in the top 10! We pulled tack, then went to the vetting. The rain stopped as we got in line to pulse, but the sun stayed mainly hidden. Both boys vetted through without concerns.










I decided to stand Phin for Best Conditioned, thinking we had a shot at High Vet Score. [We were told the winners had come in an hour ahead of us, so that is a lot of time to make up and one of the riders was male, meaning he would likely outweigh me as well, making winning BC unlikely]. Phin was a bit perplexed when I took him back out of his pen and brushed him off again, but he was happy enough to go back to the vetting area and trot around. However, I think he was happiest when he was returned to his pen along with all the leftover food pans from the hold!
























I laid down to try to nap, but that didn't help my head any. We went down for dinner and awards later that evening. George and Dean were 4th. Phin and Epyc tied for 9th (there was some confusion with ties at the finish, so we weren't totally sure what place we had come in). And Phin did win High Vet Score!!










to be continued..


----------



## phantomhorse13

part 3:

The ride meeting went very late again, so we threw the boys some more hay and then went to bed. I didn't sleep well, so was awake to hear it rain - hard - several times overnight. When it started raining again about 6, I felt very bad for the people riding the 50 as I hate tacking up and starting in the rain. Well I should have saved the pity for myself, as it was still raining when we needed to tack up for the LD a couple hours later!!










My head was finally feeling better - temps has dropped overnight and it was almost chilly with the rain. Lani and I didn't even mount up until everyone else had left camp. We moseyed out with me holding my own pony rope from the very start.










As expected with all the rain, the footing had turned slick and muddy. We took it very easy as we didn't want either horse taking a bad step and being injured. The first loop was 11 miles and we took it very easy.










We were surprised to pass several horses on trail - a couple of which people were down on foot leading. Mu was not sure what to think of people in ponchos, but he stuck close to Brim and survived. We ended going through the rangelands, but all the cattle must have been hunkered down in the trees as we never saw a single one.



















We moseyed back into camp and were met by DH and Kathy. I pulled Mu's tack while everyone else concentrated on Brim. You could tell he hadn't been at a ride in a while, as he was looking around at everything and hollering (for whom, we weren't sure). After a few minutes, we headed in to vet. The boys passed without incident.










While it wasn't actually raining any more, it felt like it might start again at any moment. Despite being wet, I was feeling good as my head had finally stopped talking. I ate everything I hadn't eaten the day before with great glee. Mu chowed down with equal enthusiasm.










The second loop was 14 miles and it was basically the opposite of the last loop I had done the day before. I was glad we were going that direction, as it meant we were climbing on the slippery single track and going down on gravel roads. 

Mu had a small incident when we stopped at a creek. He put his head down to drink, so of course I fed him the reins and some slack on the pony rope (which I was still carrying, just in case). Something caught his attention to the right and he took a step to the left.. stepping over the pony rope as he raised his head. When he felt the rope tighten under his leg, he panicked and leaped into the air, looking for a place to run (he's had issues with ropes around his legs since the hi tie incident over the winter). Luckily we were in a relatively small space, so I was able to keep him turning while trying to get him stopped. He jumped a couple more times and turned had a bit more than 180 from where we started, but he did eventually stop and stand shaking. He let me lean over to drop the end of the rope I had and pick up the end from his halter - he shook head to tail in fear but he didn't move a foot.

After that, we decided the universe was telling us it was time to shed the rope! So Lani unclipped it and took it off altogether. Mu was a bit jumpy at the next couple creeks, but eventually he decided water was ok.










The boys trucked along without complaint. When we got to the beginning of the final descent and started down, I noticed Mu was doing a lot of weird contortions with his neck and yawning. We had some concerns about saddle fit after the 50 showed him back sore, so I was suspicious that was the problem here. Lani was alternating jogging and walking down the hill anyway, so I hopped off. Once I was out of the saddle, the weird actions stopped. I led him in hand for the rest of the decent, then hopped on for the last bit of flat back into camp.










As always, Lani had the timing perfect - we got into camp with about 7 minutes to spare! Mu was pulsed down by the time I had pulled tack, but Brim needed some cooling before he was ready. 










The vetting was uneventful and both boys got their completions.










I am not sure how many finished, but 38 started and we were turtle!















We decided to pack up and head out, as the boys had all day to rest and the traffic would be better on a Saturday afternoon then it likely would be Sunday. We pulled out about 3 and got home just before midnight. 

The next morning, I emailed ride management to get a copy of the BC scoresheets (the ride is as paper-conscious as they can be, so print out as little as possible). When I got my copy, I realized that my weight had been entered incorrectly.. and when I did the math with the correct answer, it moved Phin from second to winning BC!!

I emailed ride management and pointed out the error (my weight can clearly be read at the top of the card). It wasn't long before I heard back - the error was confirmed and corrected. PHIN HAD WON BC!!

I can not think of a better end to a great weekend.
:loveshower:


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## Oreos Girl

I love Kathy's helpful comment to Phin at 4:17 in the video "It is horse eating." I always say with friends like that, who needs enemies. LOL


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## egrogan

Oreos Girl said:


> I love Kathy's helpful comment to Phin at 4:17 in the video "It is horse eating." I always say with friends like that, who needs enemies. LOL



Haha- and phantomhorse's response is always "you're fine" :wink: My go-to these days to my horse is: "I promise, you're not scared of that" which generally works!


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## phantomhorse13

Oreos Girl said:


> I love Kathy's helpful comment to Phin at 4:17 in the video "It is horse eating." I always say with friends like that, who needs enemies. LOL


You notice that Epyc doesn't go first much.. well he is also mr spook so anything Cathy says is always in sympathy. Luckily, so far the things that bother Phin don't bother Epyc and vice versa!!




egrogan said:


> My go-to these days to my horse is: "I promise, you're not scared of that" which generally works!


If only that were true of Phin! But unlike your brave mare, Phin generally IS afraid of things. I have no idea how "you're fine" became such a catch phrase of mine.. but whatever works, right?! Fake it till you make it. 


I happened to have the camera running when I came off of Fluffy a couple years ago. The soundtrack is actually pretty amusing, as first you hear cantering hoofbeats and then you hear a break in the rhythm and something like "it's ok" as she startles.. then I go crashing to the ground and I get up saying "that was NOT ok!!" :rofl:


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## QueenofFrance08

I always say "you're fine" too!


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## phantomhorse13

Last week, Gina asked if I would babysit her for another ride with Aztec. This time I rode her Saddlebred mare, Giselle. We had planned to repeat the same route as last time, but Aztec was a bit up so we decided to climb the Sugarloaf.










No surprise that the climb made a big difference. Aztec settled down and the rest of the ride was uneventful.










Our weather has finally returned to normal. It was a wonderful day to be in the saddle (though my body didn't really appreciate all the walking).










7.65 miles, 862 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 80F real feel


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## SwissMiss

phantomhorse13 said:


> 80F real feel


Oh my, that sounds so lovely! Perfect riding weather :cowboy:


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## PoptartShop

What a fantastic weekend!  & perfect riding weather too, especially if there was a breeze...can't beat it! I love how you get to ride all these different horses. Really makes you a better rider.
I also always say 'you're fine' or, 'it's ok, really, you'll survive'. :lol:


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## phantomhorse13

Last week, DH and I headed north to Lake Seneca, NY for the Hector Half Hundred ride. We went up Thursday evening so we would be there to help first thing in the morning. It was strange to pull out and not take any horses, but boy was setting up when we got there quick!

In the morning, we were up early. DH and another volunteer were in charge of parking. I got to go out with the ride manager to check the markings across the cow range sections - cows are notorious for eating plates and ribbons! Kestrel was allowed to come along and she had a blast. She got to meet cattle for the first time.










Kestrel wasn't sure what to think at first, and she was pretty funny to see with her hair all puffed up and her under-her-breath alarm woofs. The herd moved away at our approach, so she soon went back to playing with sticks.










On the way back to the car, we did have an interesting encounter with a lone cow with a very fresh calf. Momma came up out of the hedgerow towards us and made it clear she was not impressed with our being there. We tried to just choose a different path, but the cow continued to advance. I have seen the damage charging cows have done to trucks and did not want to be on the receiving end. As the cow got ever closer despite our posturing, I finally decided to see if she would have more respect for a dog than for silly people. I told Kestrel to "get it!" and pointed. Kestrel jumped forward, which brought the cow to a halt. Kestrel looked between me and the cow and I repeated the command (which normally we use when referring to her herding her jolly ball - never used it on a live animal before). She jumped forward again, this time adding a small bark. That did the trick and the cow turned back. You could see the delight in every line of Kestrel's body as she jumped forward and barked again. That got the cow jogging away and Kestrel gleefully pursued her for a few yards until I called her back. She listened but was very pleased with herself. She spent the rest of the walk looking around hopefully for more cows. Instinct is amazing!

We got back to camp just after lunch, which gave me enough time to grab a bite before Kathy and Lani arrived. Getting 4 horses unloaded and settled took a bit, then it was time to register and vet in. Everyone vetted without issue, though Mu was initially a bit concerned about the chalk lines on the ground (the vetting area was part of a soccer field). We got things ready for the next day, had dinner and went to the ride meeting, then it was time for bed.

The LD didn't start until 8:30, so it was a luxury to sleep in until 6:30. We got everyone ready without any drama. Mu was so funny, begging DH for some of his coffee!










There were what seemed like a million entries in the LD. Lani and I were riding together, while Kathy and Kelsie were going on their own with Oakum and Auburn. They had a bit of excitement when Oakum saw a mule and was not impressed, but the filly didn't care at all.

Lani and I waited until everyone else had left camp (or so we thought) before we even got on. However, we were not the only people hoping to leave last, so we had other horses in view from the start.










The first loop was a bit over 17 miles. It had a combination of gravel road and trail. We tried to find a nice buffered space but kept either passing people or being passed by others. Mu did a lot of leading.










About 7 miles in, we came upon a group which included a horse doing a lot of jumping and spinning. It took a bit of convincing to get Mu to pass the horse and I was very glad we were on the road and not on one of the single tracks. The rider fell in behind Brim, asking what pace we intended to do. I had a sinking feeling that we had just acquired unwanted new friends - so many people see Brim and just assume Lani wants to be their babysitter (and she is generally too nice to tell them no).

Unfortunately, my worry was right - that rider attached herself to us like a leech. And even though that horse was behind us, Mu was extremely worried about it. I tried to keep him focused on the trail ahead of him, but any time it opened up, the woman would have her horse up beside Mu, totally oblivious to the fact Mu kept skittering away. Even when I bluntly told the rider her horse was scaring my horse and she needed to keep her distance, it went in one ear and right out the other.










Lani did her best to keep Brim between Mu and that horse, but poor Mu was totally frazzled by the time we got to the hold. I actually got off and hand walked him the last 1/2 mile or so, as the horses coming at him head on out of the hold plus that loony horse behind were just too much for his baby brain to deal with. He was more confident with me on the ground, though still kept a very watchful eye on everything.

Thank goodness our crew spots were not very close. DH had brought the cart and a muck tub of water right near the pulse area, so were we able to drop tack right there while our new 'friend' went to the main crewing area. Once the horse was gone, Mu heaved a huge sigh and visibly relaxed. He and Brim both vetted through without issues.










The hour-long hold was very generous. Kathy and Kelsie were still there when we arrived, so there was a joyous reunion between Brim and Oakum. Mu was happy to eat everything put in front of him. Once Kathy and Kelsie went back out on trail, Brim was not a happy camper and refused to do anything but pace and scream. Thank goodness DH was there to deal with his antics so Lani and I could deal with ourselves and Mu (who just kept on eating despite Brim's calling).


to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

We had out-pulsed our unwanted new friend, so left camp alone. However, Mu was still looking for that new horse under every rock and behind every tree. There was a long section of gravel road in that loop; I stuck Mu behind Brim in an attempt to get him to relax. It worked for a bit - until the first set of horses came up behind us. Even though they passed us politely, it got Mu worried all over again.










The 14 mile loop felt much longer than that to me. When we found a pocket, Mu would relax a bit.. but those pockets never lasted long. I got down and led him for the section of pavement with the cones, as I didn't want him spooking into traffic over the cones (which he was none to fond of even before he got so frazzled).

I was so happy to see the common trail that led us back to camp!










The final view coming down the vineyard into camp is always breathtaking. I was also so thankful to be done as I was just as mentally burned out as Mu was by that point.










We got caught up in yet another pack of riders as we came into the finish. Knowing a couple of them had nutty horses, I just got off and led Mu from that point. I was glad I did, as one horse suddenly started bucking and almost dumped the rider and another had a huge freak out moment at some caution tape beside the trail.

I was so relieved to pull tack, pulse, and vet through. 










That was Mu's most challenging ride to date and he certainly deserved his dinner!
























:cowboy:


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## AndyTheCornbread

What breed of horse is Lani riding? and how tall is he or she?


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## phantomhorse13

AndyTheCornbread said:


> What breed of horse is Lani riding? and how tall is he or she?


Brimstone is a half percheron, half arabian gelding who was bred by Lani. Fluffy - the big grey I sometimes ride - is his half sister. 

Per Lani, Brim is "no-more-than-16-hands-and-you-keep-that-measuring-stick-away-dammit" tall. :rofl:

I would guess Brim is 16.1 or 2. Lani is fairly short. I am 5'6" and this is what I look like sitting on Brim:


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## SwissMiss

phantomhorse13 said:


> Per Lani, Brim is "no-more-than-16-hands-and-you-keep-that-measuring-stick-away-dammit" tall. :rofl:


:rofl::rofl::rofl:

Sounds like you had an _interesting_ ride! 
The trails look awesome - Ok the slippery, muddy hill reminds me too much of Witchdance (and Raya going down twice), but the rest is simply beautiful. And Mu is just growing up so fast! He looks really good. So sad that the other rider completely ignored the distress her horse was causing! Hopefully the next ride will be less mentally exhausting! I think it is quite telling when you mention you were glad that the ride was over :shock:


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## AndyTheCornbread

Thanks. I figured he was something bigger than just Arab because he looks huge in the videos.


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## phantomhorse13

Things have gotten a bit nuts around here as potato harvest has started. That means from sun up to sun down, I am a slave to potatoes.


I did get a bit of saddle time last week, however. On Tuesday, I got Phin out with Kestrel for a nice leg stretch. It was miserably hot and humid, so we just moseyed up the Sugarloaf.



















When I got done, Phin got to be my ******* weed eater as a reward for his good behavior:










6.18 miles, 974 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 96F real feel


Next up was George and Link. We moseyed around Alimar and did the creek trail.



















5.2 miles, 486 feet of climb, 4.2 mph average pace, 98F real feel


On Friday, I got Phin and Kestrel out again. The weather took a crazy turn, going from summee to late fall! I expected Phin to be bonkers, but was pleasantly surprised. This time we moseyed around the Sugarloaf.



















5.48 miles, 722 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 63F real feel


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## AnitaAnne

Hello! Are you still having to harvest potatoes? 

Have never seen you go this long without posting...is everything ok?


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> Hello! Are you still having to harvest potatoes?
> 
> Have never seen you go this long without posting...is everything ok?


 I am Still. Harvesting. Potatoes. :eek_color:



Keith planted twice as many this year and boy am I feeling it.. potatoes are kicking my @ss. :dance-smiley05:


Rather like hay making, one harvests potatoes while the weather allows, so I have been working 6-7 days a week and when I do have a day off I am so behind on things like laundry and house cleaning (omg the hairballs!!) and grocery shopping that I haven't had much time or energy for anything else.

I am hoping we finish this week..


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## Caledonian

It sounds like awfully hard work! Seeing other things that need doing around the house only adds to the stress. Do you manage to ride during the harvest?

I hope you finish soon and get some time off! 


The fields around us were planted with potatoes for many years. I used to love watching the machinery trundling up and down as they were harvested. Only because, they sooner they were gone, the sooner i was allowed access to acres and acres of fields and shortcuts to woods and trails, which, usually, I couldn't reach without doing miles on busy roads :smile:. They used to laugh when i asked if they had long to go, as they knew it wasn't about their workload. :Angel:


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## AndyTheCornbread

I love potatoes! Have ever since I was a kid. I hope your harvest gets done soon for your sake though. What kind of potatoes did you guys have this year?


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## PoptartShop

So many potatoes! :O I'll take some, LOL! I love them. My favorite thing (& easiest) to make with them is homemade fries.  Sooo good.
I hope you get some time off so you can relax, & get some horse time in!


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## AndyTheCornbread

PoptartShop said:


> So many potatoes! :O I'll take some, LOL! I love them. My favorite thing (& easiest) to make with them is homemade fries.  Sooo good.
> I hope you get some time off so you can relax, & get some horse time in!


At my church there is a guy who brings tons of potatoes every fall for anyone who wants them. My kids have been begging me to make homemade fries so I am thinking I will probably get a couple of big bags of them from him next weekend and make the kids some homemade fries.


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## phantomhorse13

I am finally DONE WITH POTATOES!!!!!

:happydance::happydance::happydance:

Now I have a whole lot of catching up to do..




AndyTheCornbread said:


> What kind of potatoes did you guys have this year?


Keith had Norwiss and Goldrush (a type of russet) this year. We also had some rouge red and rouge blue ones that got mixed in from the seed people (those got graded out and are now in my basement for storage). Yummy but I am so glad it's over!


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## phantomhorse13

A few weeks ago, DH and I trekked over 9 hours to southern Ohio for a ride. DH and I had only been here once before and it had not gone according to plan (DH rider optioned with Sultan due to overly-long loops and slick trail conditions and I didn't ride at all as the horse I was supposed to ride got hurt at home, which wound up being a blessing after seeing the mess the ride was). We were told there had been major improvements to camp, the trails had been improved and in some cases outright changed, and the mileage corrected, so we decided to give it another try.

We got to camp a day early and were surprised to be told we were camping in "the back field" as all the other spots were already spoken for, despite there only being maybe 4 other rigs there. And by back field, they were not kidding - we were probably 1/2 mile from the vetting area! We got set up, the boys settled, and tossed some buckets out in the crewing area, then hid under the awning as it was unseasonably warm with temps in the low 90s and real feel approaching triple digits. I was so glad I had clipped the boys' necks.










It never really cooled off overnight and I didn't sleep well. It was uncomfortably warm by 9am when we hiked to the vetting area to finish setting up our crew spot. We found out there was an away check, so that changed our set up a bit. We also found out we would be _starting_ in the dark, which meant attaching glow sticks and lights to tack and helmets.

We got registered and then then took the horses up to be vetted. Look what we found in the water tank! (I was pleasantly surprised that Phin was willing to drink after a couple suspicious snorts).










The vetting in went without incident. We got everything ready for the away check and loaded into Cathy's truck. Her mom (an experienced endurance rider) came up from Florida just to crew for us, which was fantastic. Then we hid in the shade under the awning, as the real feel hit triple digits. Dinner was supposed to be at 6:30 and meeting at 7, but everything ran insanely late. We didn't finish the ride meeting until past 9pm!

It was still not cool the next morning when we got ready, despite the darkness. I was not sure how Phin was going to take starting in the dark as he had never done so before. And it wasn't just not-quite-daylight, it was pitch black at 6am.










We let the front runners go and then started at the back of the main pack (33 started between the 75 and the 100). Phin handled all the lights and shadows with minimal fuss which I was thrilled about. After the first mile climb, we broke free from the big group and Phin bravely led the way in the dark.










Thankfully, the trail was very well marked so there was no question of being on trail. The first loop was 15 miles and a mix of trail and gravel road. 










I was happy when the sun came up as I could see the trail, but of course that had the temperature rising rapidly. 










The trail was either going up or going down and I was very thankful the footing was dry.










Before we knew it, we were heading back down into camp for the first hold.

to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

We got into camp and the boys were very happy to have a good drink as there wasn't a lot of water on trail. 










DH and George were already in the hold, so he helped get Epyc cooled down. Phin's pulse was down even before I pulled tack, but it was hot enough I wanted it off anyway.










Vetting went without incident (Phin had a CRI of 44/40!!) and the boys were happy to chow down during their hold time. I removed the night gear while trying to take care of myself, but my head was already talking and my stomach unsettled.

The 40 minute hold flew by and we were soon on trail for the second loop, which was 21 miles. I had heard that loop would be quite technical and pass some amazing cave formations.










Yet again, Phin led the way and I was so proud as he bravely approached a variety of rock formations he's never seen anything like before. The footing was very technical and I cannot imagine tackling it wet, as it was pretty sketchy in places dry!










As we went along, we picked up a group of riders, so Phin and Epyc had strange horses to deal with. Luckily, these were horses Epyc does training rides with, so he didn't mind them being back there.










We were so thankful for the water stops, as there was not much natural water on trail. Sadly, we met DH and George at the second water stop. I knew that couldn't mean anything good and I was right - he was slightly off behind so DH had called for a trailer. Their day was over at only about 25 miles.










Phin and our group kept on trekking towards the away check. The trail was well marked and luckily had some nice spots mixed in with the challenging terrain. We caught up to another rider who then stuck with us, so were quite the sight marching down the trail.










While the wooded trail was often technical, at least it was shaded.. a huge plus as the day continued to heat up. 










As we approached the away hold, the trail gave way to gravel road. While that gave the horses a break from the technical trails, it really ramped up the heat as the sun beat down on us. Normally Epyc likes to take the lead on roads, but he was reluctant to even travel beside Phin.. which was worrisome. We kept the pace moderate, hoping he was just reacting to the heat.

However, when we arrived at the hold it was clear Epyc was not right. We got in and pulled tack and Phin was already at pulse criteria. He was happily munching as we sponged Epyc. Epyc, however, was standing with his head hanging and showing no interest in food. We took both horses up to the vets, wanting Epyc looked at right away. Phin vetted through without problem, however Epyc's day was over. 










Phin was content to stand and munch at our crew spot while Epyc stayed up with the vets. Another friend asked if she could ride with us, as she had let her mare go out with the front runners and she had gotten too hot and needed to slow down. I warned her that Phin would be going considerably slower than her mare normally did and she said that was exactly what she wanted. 

That hold was only 30 minutes and it was over in the blink of an eye. Phin and I headed out on the next 10 mile loop with a new friend just as the trailer arrived to take Epyc back to camp.

to be continued...


----------



## AndyTheCornbread

phantomhorse13 said:


> Keith had Norwiss and Goldrush this year.


Is Keith your husband or just somebody you do field work for? Anyway Gold Rush and Yukon Gold are my two favorites for making into home made fries. I haven't tried Norwis yet that I know of.

I did get my oldest daughter to make a bunch of the church potatoes into fries the other day while I was working on butchering a deer. I made the leftover burger into hamburgers and we had burgers and fries for dinner. It was delicious! The other kids said next time we need to make more fries though because we burned through five batches of fries really fast and they all said they could have eaten more. I just really love potatoes. No two ways about it.


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## phantomhorse13

part 3:

That next loop may be one of the most miserable loops I have ever done in my life. We left the hold on gravel road, baking in the sun. We soon turned off onto newly-made trail which was a huge challenge. Imagine someone driving a bulldozer into the woods and you riding on the resulting path! That included going up and down several steep hills which had the horses scrambling. Partway through the second of these climbs, Phin actually refused to go forward for a moment, trying very hard to turn around and go back. While I didn't allow that and insisted he keep going, I really couldn't blame him as the trail was terrible.

The tops of the hills weren't too bad, though of course what goes up must go down. I didn't even think to turn the camera on for the climbs and descents as I was too busy trying to help Phin navigate the tricky footing.










We finally got on some established trails, for which I was profoundly grateful. While the shade was lovely, there was almost no water as most of the creek crossings were dry.










The last couple miles were gravel road, which at least was solid footing. The sun was relentless though. The one water tank we came to was almost empty (I found out later the fire department who was supposed to be monitoring them all day never showed up!).










We caught a group of 4 riders just as we got back into the away hold, which made me groan internally as I was expecting that to mean a crowd in the pulse and vetting area. Phin dove into the water and drained almost a whole bucket! Phin was pulsed down by the time I pulled his tack, but he was touchy about his girth area and both his shoulders were unusually warm - shiitake. I was the only person in the pulse and vetting area when we went up and Phin passed the check (with a negative CRI!), though the vet did point out his girth and shoulder sensitivity.

I spent that 45 minute hold trying to figure out what to do. Our second friend had been pulled as the mare did not pulse down in time, so we would be going out alone. That didn't bother me nearly as much as the girth and shoulder sensitivity. I debated if riding 18 miles back to camp was a good idea or if I should just rider option there. As I agonized, Phin quietly munched on anything I put in front of him while it was all I could do to gag down my protein shake and some tylenol.

Eventually, I decided I was going to see how the next loop went before quitting. While I didn't like the girth sensitivity, I also didn't like the idea of putting Phin into a trailer driven by a stranger on windy, skinny, rough back roads with a horse who may or may not be in distress for a 30+ minute ride back to camp.










We headed out of the hold all by ourselves for the 18 mile loop. It started on some of the new trails, which Phin navigated carefully but with little enthusiasm (and I couldn't blame him). 

Eventually, we got back on the gravel road that I knew would take us back up the big climb. Phin thought we were heading back to the check, so was happy to move along. We got to the top of the climb to find the two water tubs almost totally empty - they only had about an inch of water in the bottom. Phin dove in greedily and drained one completely. When he started for the other, I pulled him away. Much as I hated to do that, I knew there were other horses behind us on trail and they would need the water.

When I asked Phin to turn away from the direction of the hold, he was convinced I was wrong. While he didn't refuse, he would have put a WP horse to shame with his barely-moving jog. I cajoled him up the trail, telling him how there was a water tank coming and he could drink his fill there. As we came around a corner, Phin screeched to a halt with a start - there was a large, black thing about 100 feet away standing in the middle of the road.

My first thought was bear, so when it didn't move at our appearance, I started shouting. Then it picked its head up and I realized with horror that it wasn't a bear, but instead _a dark horse with the saddle rolled under it's belly_.







No rider in sight. Shiitake. A bear would have been better!!

Phin was still not sure he wanted any parts of the situation, so I got down slowly while keeping an eye on the riderless horse. I started slowly forward, telling the horse I was a friend and to just stay still and let me help, etc. The closer I got, the higher the horse's head went and the more white I could see around its eyes, but it was also literally gasping for breath. After what seemed like an eternity I got close enough to reach out and take the reins, which were still over its head. As I took the reins over the head, I realized I knew the horse; it was Ace, a temperamental show-ring reject who had been rescued by Lani and now belonged to Kelsie.

My stomach really dropped into my feet then, as I knew Kelsie and her mom had left the hold about 15 minutes before me. I was worried that Kelsie must be hurt, otherwise Jen would have been chasing Ace down. But at that moment there was nothing I could do to help Kelsie, so I focused on Ace. I knew he had stranger issues, saddle issues, and his response to anything scary was to bolt, so trying to get his saddle off could prove interesting. Phin was still not happy with the whole thing, staying as far back as the reins would let him.

I couldn't leave the saddle how it was, so I told Ace he needed to trust me and let me take it off. I put my arm through both sets of reins as I needed two hands for the billets. I took a deep breath and pulled up. Ace tensed his whole body but he stayed still as I managed to wrench the buckles loose and drop the saddle. It weighed way more than I expected, so I wasn't able to hold it with one hand and it went thudding to the ground. Both Ace and Phin flinched, but neither moved even a foot.

I pulled the saddle out from under Ace and heaved a huge sigh of relief. I checked him over and couldn't find any obvious injuries. I shouted a couple times for Kelsie, but didn't get any answer. I pulled out my phone and was horrified to see I only had 1% battery and only 1 bar of service. I texted the ride manager (who was back at the hold where there was some service) where I was and that I had found a riderless horse. I hit send and the phone died. Shiitake.

Not having any way to know if my text got through, I decided that going back to the hold (which was only about 3 miles away via the road) was the best plan. However, I really didn't want to leave the saddle laying there for fear someone would drive by and take it. But I also knew Ace had saddling issues under the best of circumstances. I told him I needed him to let me put the saddle back on. I positioned him sideways against the trees on the side of the road with Phin by his head. I picked up the saddle and Ace's eye rolled, his head went up, and he tensed.. but he stayed still to let me heave it on and then girth it up. Whew!!

I wasn't about to try ponying with Phin for the first time in that circumstance, so I started handwalking them both back towards the hold. I had been walking for a bit when I heard the sound of a vehicle rapidly approaching. I was thrilled to see a fire department gator come flying around the corner (and stop before getting too close to us!). Help had arrived!

The passenger in the gator offered to take Ace, as her uncle lived right there and had a barn they could wait in. Meanwhile the gator was going to pick up the uninjured riders farther up the trail. I was so happy to hear Kelsie and Jen were ok, but horrified to learn that Jen's horse had also run off and was still missing.

[I found out later that Jen had also had girth issues, so had moved her girth to a center fire position. All seemed well until the saddle slide a bit on a very steep hill - she doesn't ride with a breastcollar - and turned into a bucking strap. Jen came off and Prince bolted, which freaked out Ace who also bolted. Kelsie stayed on for a moment, until Ace swerved around a tree and Kelsie didn't. Prince was missing for almost 18 hours, but was thankfully found the next morning with only mild scrapes).]

At that point, I was really temped to go back to the hold and rider option there, but instead turned back around and started walking until I found something I could mount from. Phin and I continued down the road at a snail's pace, but were both so thankful to get to the water tank, which had water in it. After a good drink for him and a good sponging for both of us, we set off with determination towards camp.

We went another mile or so when the trail markings suddenly vanished. I knew something was wrong right away as the markings had been amazing all day. I couldn't check the map app because my phone was dead, so after going down the trail I thought we had come from and finding no markings, I continued down the road thinking maybe I had the wrong turn off.

Phin made it totally clear that going down that road was the wrong choice. I insisted however, and continued down the hill and around the corner. No markers. Went back up the hill and turned down the side trail again and went a bit further, this time recognizing some rocks so knowing it was the trail we had come out on. No markers. Went back to the road, as I wasn't totally sure we followed the same trail back as we had come out. We down the hill and a bit farther. No markers. Turned around to go back up the hill, deciding I was taking the trail I knew we had come on regardless of if it was right or not, as at least it would get us back to camp. I was hot and aggravated and my fun meter had run out.

As I got to the turnoff, I could hear other riders coming. The group I had gone into the hold with but had out-pulsed had finally caught up! Thankfully, they had a working phone so we were able to verify with the map app that the trail was correct. We found markers again about a mile later.

Phin was happy to have company but I was not happy with the yoyo pace they rode, going from canter to walk randomly with no regards to terrain. I held Phin to a steady trot, meaning they would go flying past and then we would catch up and pass them, then moments later the process would repeat. After a mile or so, Phin was getting more and more fussy about listening, so I pulled Phin to the side, said I needed to electrolyte, and let them vanish down the trail.










We moseyed the next 10 miles solo. Once Phin realized I was not going to let him chase after his new friends, he settled down.. but also let me know his girth was bothering him. I had shifted the girth as far back as I could, slathered him with desitin, and was trying to keep my legs off him, but he was moving oddly, especially on the downhills.










A couple miles out of camp, I got off to hand walk him the rest of the way in as it was mostly downhill. We got into the hold to find DH and Cathy's mom waiting for us. I told them what was going on as I pulled tack. We went into the vetting and I told the vet what was going on. While Phin did pass the vetting, I took a rider option and ended our day. While part of me hated quitting with "only" 12 miles to go, I couldn't ask any more of Phin.
















Certainly not the weekend we had been hoping for..


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## phantomhorse13

AndyTheCornbread said:


> Is Keith your husband or just somebody you do field work for?


Keith is DH's brother, who runs the family farm.


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## knightrider

@phantomhorse13, sounds like "the ride from hell." So sorry everything went bad. Also sorry it was such a long drive for a bad ride. Hope everybody is healthy and sound now that they are back home. Did any riders have fun or was it universally bad for everyone?


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> Did any riders have fun or was it universally bad for everyone?


The ride had about 50% completion rate over all the distances. Even among my friends that finished, many said they would never return.


I am convinced the place just has bad juju..


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## lsdrider

Thanks for posting your adventures!
Although unable to log into HF for quite a while I have followed your journal and have been inspired through a rough time.
I was able visit Elkins Creek HC last year while in Ironton for work. Rick and Jill are awesome! Planned on doing Ironhorse this year, then family responsibilities came up (think potatoes since May 1, arrrggghhh!!!) and we only got one LD in this year. Sorry to hear the ride turned out the way it did for so many, but we must persevere. Would have been cool to run into you guys!
Good luck with the rest of your fall and upcoming winter, and keep the journal rolling!


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## weeedlady

Thanks for sharing. I love reading about your rides and seeing your pictures. Sorry your trip to Ohio was not a good one.


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## cbar

Oh wow, that does sound like a nightmare. Glad to hear the riders who fell from their horses were OK and the missing horse was found. That would be hell-a stressful! 

That is too bad you didn't finish but probably the best decision under the circumstances. I am guessing it isn't normally that hot this time of year?? 

I am going out on a limb and guessing you won't be going back next year??


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## QueenofFrance08

Wow seeing it with pictures makes it sound even worse! I looked up the results and my friend who moved from WI to KY last year was there as well and was pulled in the LD. The completion rates were terrible!


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## egrogan

I was so engrossed reading your story on my phone that my husband came over to make sure I was ok and nothing bad happened :hide:
That sounds positively horrible, from start to finish. Really glad the loose horses were collected safely- those riders are certainly lucky you're the one who find the more nervous guy and were able to handle him!


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## carshon

Uggghhh. I thought you had beaten the girth issues with Phin. I am sure the steep terrain had something to do with it. The picks almost look like Hocking Hills in OH. Our local state park did the bull dozer to the trails a couple of years ago and it was a nightmare trying to ride the mess they left - add a little moisture and clay soil and the hills became slides. This year we had torrential rains for weeks on end and it washed all of the bulldozed areas. 

Glad you are all OK and the potatoes are done


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## Knave

I am sorry! That sounds terrible.


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## Caledonian

What a nightmare! At least the riders and horses returned safely.

It's a shame that it had some organisational problems though and I've no doubt that those who rode may think twice about returning; plus word will travel about the conditions. 

Sorry that you had to pull-out, but it sounds like it was for the best given the circumstances.


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## PoptartShop

Gosh, so sorry to hear the ride in Ohio didn't go so well. :sad: I don't blame you if you don't wanna go back there. That sounds terrible. Glad the riders & horses came back safely, but still...that's a nightmare for sure. You handled it quite well though, given the circumstances. I'm sure you didn't expect all that to happen though! Sorry to hear about the girth issues with Phin. Ugh!  Those steep hills were probably no joke. I'm sure he was dying for that water too. Man oh man!


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## AnitaAnne

WOW. What a challenge that ride was. The lack of water is concerning, how did management not notice this obvious problem? 

Plus you had to camp a half mile from the vet check? Dang. 

TG you were able to catch and reassure the loose horse and TG their riders were ok. That is the one blessing in all this. 

Phin was a star though! Leading much of the way and in the dark too! I would think heading out in the dark is harder than finishing in the dark, but really wouldn't enjoy either one! 



50% completion rate probably means 50+% not returning. 

Any ideas for the girth issue? I remember one time you rode 18 miles without a girth. 

Is George ok?


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## phantomhorse13

Sorry to have fallen off the internet again, but I have been madly trying to catch up on things around home before the weather turns. Amazing how silly things like cutting back the flower beds takes days.. 

Good news is I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and will hopefully have an update or two up soon!


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## phantomhorse13

After Ohio, the boys got 3 weeks off to rest and recuperate. And honestly, I was so busy with potatoes I am not sure I would have been able to ride them regardless. But I got lucky to get a half day off one Sunday morning, so DH and I took the boys and Kestrel out.

It was actually a perfect fall day - sunny, light breeze, cool temps. We headed over to the Tomhicken to do the yellow gate loop. No surprise the boys were feeling pretty fresh, but we kept things under wraps for the first few miles, insisting on walking the hills and an easy trot for the flats.










I was really pleased with how well Kestrel listened, as she hadn't been out riding in quite a while. She had also never been out with multiple horses before.










The leaves were finally starting to show some color and it was amazing to see the beauty all around us.










It was all good until just after we climbed the gas line - the first place we let the boys trot up. They climbed with no issues then we stopped to play tourist:










However, when we went to continue on our way, George was off. Shiitake. Got off and checked shoes for rocks, etc.. but no such luck. It wasn't terrible, but he was def not tracking up evenly with that right hind. Apparently the muscle pull from Ohio hadn't finished healing. Ugh. 

So of course we immediately turned for home. DH joked that he needed a good hike anyway, but I could tell he was upset. Phin was disgusted about the slow pace, but I told him he better behave or I would have DH ride double and pony George home (omg can you imagine!! :eek_color::dance-smiley05










8.96 miles, 1335 feet of climb, 4.0 mph average pace, 70F real feel


And if that wasn't enough misery, later than evening Kestrel was back to being 3-legged lame after laying down to rest. Shiitake. While she did mostly walk it off after moving a bit, I did not like the way she was toe-touching initially as it looked like classic CCL (stifle) injury presentation. When it rains, it pours!! :frown_color:


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## knightrider

What a bummer. So sorry about the injuries and hope they both heal quickly.


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## PoptartShop

Oh man, I’m sorry to hear that about George AND Kestrel!  I hope your luck changes soon! Keep your head up, I’m still happy to see you got to enjoy some nice weather though, even though it didn’t end as well as you’d hoped. Fingers crossed they feel better soon!


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## AnitaAnne

The pictures are beautiful! Nice you found some free time to ride, but quite sorry about George and Kestrel :frown_color: 

Wouldn't it be wonderful if critters could tell us when they are NQR? Before one is miles from home???


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## phantomhorse13

A couple weeks ago, DH and I trekked south to Virginia for the last ride in the OD Triple Crown. With still not being sure what caused Phin's girth issues the last ride, I decided to extend his clip farther back, in case the extra winter coat caused the problem.










A few weeks ago, the normal ride manager had backed out, leaving just about everything undone. When duties got divided up, I was voluntold about being placed on the food committee (thank you Lani - who was the head of that committee). It was decided each of us would be responsible for food for one night. Because the last thing I had time for during potato harvest was cooking, we wound up having a local restaurant make food for us to take for our night. However, keeping it cold for transport and while at camp was a dilemma. DH wound up buying a chest freezer and rigged up a thermostat for it so the exact temperature could be controlled. But of course a freezer requires electricity - something this ride camp doesn't have - so that meant a generator also needed to go along. Even with just one horse in the trailer, there was no way to get all the stuff into one rig.. so I wound up driving separately in the smaller truck.

Between the interstate and the valley the ride is in, the road is very narrow and winding through a pass in the mountain . This road is worrisome enough with just the trailer as a couple blind turns involve taking up both lanes and hoping like heck nobody is coming the other way. Well this year, we caught up to someone hauling a WIDE LOAD on that road. I don't know if the person driving that rig was super brave or under the influence of something, but I still can't believe nobody died (several oncoming vehicles had to back up to find a place to get out of the way). 










We arrived at camp and found the spot saved for us near where the food tent would be. Patti (also voluntold onto the food committee) was directly beside us with Lani just past her. We got Phin settled and then went over to set up the food tent and all its trappings. Once that was done, it was time to register and vet in.










Phin vetted in with no issues. However, Cathy decided to drop to the LD as she was still concerned over what had happened with Epyc in Ohio. I have to say, I gave serious consideration to also dropping down, as I love riding with her. It would also have given me several more hours to help with food prep, etc.. but I decided to stick with the 50. Later while I was working the dinner line, another rider asked if she could start with me - I was not pleased but it was a complicated situation and I didn't feel I could refuse without potential longterm repercussions.

Have you ever heard the saying "ride your own ride?" That is an oft-repeated phrase in distance riding for a reason.. 

Dinner went very well and the committee got a lot of kudos for stepping up at the last minute. It was after 9 when we finished the clean up and finally got to bed. I didn't sleep well that night and had to gag down my breakfast in the morning. Luckily, Phin had none of those issues and not only ate his breakfast, but even ate some alfalfa after I gave him electrolytes! Maybe the aloe juice and date syrup will be the key. It was cold enough overnight to have left a glaze of ice over the water and Phin was on his toes to be tacked.










The person I was riding with was a nervous wreck and insisted on going to the very back of camp to warm up and starting last. Phin was happy to strike out in the lead as we started the first 18 mile loop.










Due to the sale of some private land and a disagreeable new owner, the ride was not able to use its normal first loop. Instead, they expanded what was normally the last loop and we would be doing it twice. It was strange to be leaving camp in the "wrong" direction in the morning.










It was soon apparent that my riding partner had only limited control over her horse. He was bouncing off Phin's hind end on the single tracks, then would barge past when we got into the open. The rider - only riding in what I call a hack-a-less - was hanging from his face, but beyond some head shaking it didn't make any difference. Certainly her yelling at him to slow down didn't phase him at all, but Phin sure didn't like it. The horse would pass close enough to scrape my foot out of the stirrup, get a half body length in front, then spook at something/anything/nothing and jump sideways. Sometimes Phin was able to screech to a halt in time, sometimes he got slammed.

I should have said right then that we needed to separate.. but the complicated situation had me biting my tongue. When we got partway around the field with the photographer in it, we were able to see the next rider in front of us. No surprise when my riding partner's horse went charging ahead after it. 










I cannot be more proud of how Phin handled himself. Even on trails where he normally would have been looky, he was more focused on what that other horse might do than he was possible monsters on the trail.










We had caught that rider ahead of us just after passing the photographer and she fell in line with us. Her mare was beautifully behaved and I hoped having a horse in front and behind the other would help settle him down. It didn't.










The added mileage in the loop was some lovely gravel road. Most people would have been happy for a break in the technical footing (I know I was), but instead the rider was repeatedly saying the horse wasn't fit enough to go "that fast" and that various bits of herself were hurting going downhill. 










I spent more time walking downhill than I think I ever have in a ride before..










Phin just went along with only a mild complaint now and again, which was amazing to me but for which I was profoundly thankful. I would not have expected him to be so patient.










to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

We got into the first hold and DH was waiting for me. I had hoped for a bit of piece but surprise, the rider had moved her stuff into my crew spot (the downside of having all your buckets have your name on them.. your crew location is not a secret). Phin was pulsed down before we even got there, but it took her a minute to search for her stethoscope and then determine she couldn't find it. DH stepped in with his, though for a brief moment I didn't think she was going to believe him.

Phin vetted through without issues. When we got back to the crew spot, instead of holding onto her horse, the rider put the reins back over his head and claimed "he would be fine." I am sure you can imagine how that went. After he shoved Phin away from his food for the second time (despite having two pans of his own in front of him), DH picked Phin's pan up and held it for him while I just about bit my tongue in half trying to keep quiet while taking care of myself.

Thank goodness for DH.










We headed out on the second loop and I hoped the horse would have settled down. The proximity of the rider's right leg to my left in this picture of us leaving camp, however, tells you everything you need to know.










This 15 mile loop went up and over Milford gap. As always, the views are amazing.










While the climb up and down is rocky and steep, the trails along the bottom are lovely - that has always been my favorite loop of any OD ride. However, the loop rides very differently when you are either going someone else's pace or else having to listen to them complain about your pace. I finally started ignoring her pacing comments and let Phin move out some. I was hoping she and the mare's rider would drop back together, letting us go on alone. No such luck.










The climb back over the mountain is normally not something I look forward to, but I was thrilled to be climbing as it meant we were that much closer to camp and the loop being over!










We got into the hold where DH was waiting. Even though Phin was pulsed down, it had warmed enough I wanted to pull tack and see how his girth area was doing. The rider also wanted to untack as her horse was not clipped and was quite sweaty (and she couldn't sponge on trail because he horse wouldn't tolerate a sponge), but the horse would not stand still to let her. DH wound up having to hold her horse.

Phin vetted through without incident and I was pleased that his girth didn't seem any more sensitive than the rest of him. He was quite jumpy, as he was always waiting for the other horse's next move. When we got back to our hold spot, she again turned the horse loose and he promptly spun around to go for Phin's pan and sent my tack crashing to the ground in the process.

My reaction was to holler "eh eh eh" (that being my don't-do-that noise), which had poor Phin jumping to attention but didn't get even an ear twitch from the other horse. I jumped against him and whacked his shoulder before he could step on my saddle, which earned me an ugly look from his rider. DH then moved between us, handing me Phin's reins as he grabbed the other horse.

I took Phin as far as space allowed and held his pan for him to eat, but my fury was palpable and he was very on edge. I suggested to the rider that perhaps she wanted to go out with the mare, but unfortunately she did not pulse with us and the rider felt that she wouldn't be able to keep her horse from following Phin at this point.

I didn't even take a picture during the hold as I was too busy counting to 10,000 to try to calm myself. 

Before long it was time to head out on the last loop. It was a repeat of the first, so I knew what to expect. As we left camp, I let Phin pick the pace. 










Whatever pace Phin chose, the other rider wanted to do something differently. In particular, she did not want to go faster than a walk downhill, but I let Phin jog hoping we would leave her behind. Instead, the horse would just come careening up behind us (and often past us) a few moments later.










Several sections of the loop were around the edges of hayfields. Those fields often had roundbales in them. We had passed all of that on the first loop, but the rider apparently wasn't paying attention or else didn't remember as she was always unprepared for the spooking as her horse spotted the next set of bales.










At one point, her horse spooked hard into the side of Phin and the recoil almost sent her flying off. She decided the issue was that one stirrup was longer than the other and she needed to stop to fix it. I asked wasn't the saddle new and she said yes. I asked what the leathers were made of and she said nylon. When I questioned how new nylon would have stretched over the course of one ride, she didn't have an answer.. but she insisted on stopping to fix the stirrup. 

Of course, then she couldn't get back on. After meandering around, she finally found a rock she deemed tall enough, but no surprise the horse wouldn't stand still for her to mount. After several attempts, I walked Phin over and stood him broadside across the trail, blocking the other horse. As the rider heaved herself up, the horse lurched forward and stepped all over Phin. That was one bump too many, as Phin was off when we continued. Shiitake.

I got down and checked all his feet, hoping for a rock or some other thing wedged in a shoe. Nope. Checked under his leg boots. Nothing visible. Felt over his muscles feeling for a cramp. Nothing abnormal. At that point I was pretty certain my ride was over, but we were only 3 miles from camp so I was going to walk him in.

The rider said she would stay with us but the last thing I wanted was any more of her company. I told her there was no reason she couldn't go ahead. After a couple times of my insisting, she attempted to go ahead. Of course her horse didn't want to go far enough to let Phin all the way out of his sight, but eventually they did disappear into the distance.

Phin and I trudged back to camp. I was so upset with myself that it was all I could do not to cry. We had passed the finish line for the 50s (which is about 1/4 mile from camp) when DH came hurrying up with Phin's wool cooler, some electrolytes, and the calcium. I could see the steam coming out of his ears.

When the rider arrived at camp, DH and Patti were waiting. They were concerned that I wasn't with her. When DH asked where I was, the rider told him "oh she's coming." When asked why we weren't together, she dodged the question twice, just repeating "she's coming." Patti said she thought DH was about to become violent when she got into the rider's space and asked what had happened. That got an answer of "well it's a story. she's coming" to which Patti leaned closer and said "tell us the story. NOW." [Those who know Patti joke about her second personality, 'Mean Patti,' who is only allowed out now and again.. but is a Very Scary Person. I have no doubt it was Mean Patti who asked for the story.] The rider then muttered something about how Phin was off after having stood around and maybe had cramped up, thus DH bringing what he did to meet us.

I got back into camp and DH filled Patti in on what actually happened while I got Phin untacked. The farrier, who was right beside our spot, overhead the story and came over with hoof testers. He found sensitivity in the heel of the LF. I decided trying to ice his leg would give me the best shot at getting a completion. Phin was a rockstar as he let me pick up his leg and put it in an empty bucket, something I have never done before. He then stood while I added ice and then water. You could see he was not sure about it, but he did it anyway.










After 10 minutes of ice, I knew there was nothing more we could do. We went up to the vet and I explained what had happened and what I had tried (as if a horse standing in a bucket only yards away hadn't been noticed). While Phin's gait was improved, he was still off. No completion.

Rider fail.
























to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 3:

That evening was our night to provide the food, so I didn't have time to be miserable. I got Phin back to his pen, poulticed his legs, groomed him, and fed him his well-deserved supper - crying the whole time. DH had asked if there was anything he could do, but I sent him over to supervise supper prep so I didn't have to deal with people right then. After getting Phin settled, I made sure things were good with Mu, who I hadn't even seen as he arrived while I was riding. Kathy had vetted him in so all was a go for the next day.

I had pulled myself together by the time the food was served, so I was able to do my part.










After dinner was awards and the rider meeting for the following day. Wasn't I surprised when I was called up and given a special prize (a really nice, personalized insulated mug) for being the high seller of raffle horse tickets!










[For those who aren't on facebook, I was in charge of the online ticket sales for the raffle horse. I sold just under 800 tickets, which is about twice as many as sold in the past. This is what 800 tickets look like:









I wrote on Every Single One of those tickets. My hand still hurts.]

Awards was bittersweet, as I was able to celebrate with friends (including Cathy, who finished the LD with flying colors and earned Epyc's 9th Triple Crown) but knew I had let my horse down. I went back to the trailer to check on Phin and feed the dogs during the ride meeting, as I knew things would be the same the following day.

I didn't sleep well again, which really was no surprise. At least I had better luck keeping my oatmeal down in the morning. It was again quite cold and clouds had moved in overnight, threatening rain. Phin looked no worse for the wear, devouring his breakfast and happily grazing when I took him for a walk. 

Mu was a good boy to tack up and only hollered a couple times when the 50s started.










This was to be the youngster's first outing without an experienced buddy horse, so we didn't even mount up until every other rider had left camp. We then got on and moseyed out of camp in as casual way as possible. We started with the 15 mile loop that went over the mountain. 










Mu was a bit unsure, but moved out when I asked. The filly was happy to follow behind. She is so used to only following that we actually had a hard time getting her up beside Mu for the picture!










The kids tackled the climb and rocks with ease and I was happy to have no other horses in sight so they could focus on themselves. It spit rain on us a few times, but it was never hard enough to really make things wet.










We did eventually catch and pass some horses, but it was uneventful. I was reminded why that loop is my favorite.










We got back into camp and both horses pulsed and vetted without incident.










Nothing wrong with their appetites, and even the insult of a blanket over his tack didn't put a damper on his munching.

to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part four:

Heading out on the second loop, which was a slightly shortened version of yesterday's first and last loop, was a whole different story. Neither horse felt there was _any_ reason to leave the truck and go back out on trail. I was clucking and squeezing and cajoling, but the best I could get was a jog that would have looked at home in a WP class!










Trying to get the filly to lead resulted in a full stop. Even after Kelsie broke a branch off, the filly refused to lead. That meant Mu and I went back to the front. 










After a mile or so, I broke off a nice leafy branch. I knew Mu wasn't tired so his ignoring my leg was not acceptable. I wasn't sure what would happen the first time I flapped the branch, so I had a good hold on the oh sh!t strap, just in case. However, it wasn't needed as Mu simply heaved a sigh and moved forward.










We continued around the loop at a slightly more reasonable pace. When we were pointing towards camp, no encouragement was needed, but any other direction resulted in a lack of enthusiasm. However, a flap of the branch was an easy fix (as captured below).










I was really pleased that Mu didn't fuss any more than that. In fact, when we caught up to some of the Ride and Tiers, he thought chasing them was really fun!










As the loop went on, the filly started lagging farther and farther behind. By the time we got to the final couple miles, it was all Kelsie could do to keep her moving in any direction but towards camp. Gotta love a redhead!










I was really proud of Mu as he kept going with minimal branch flapping the multiple times we turned away from camp. We even got several nice canters for the first time in the ride.










We got back to camp, pulled tack, and went right up to pulse. Both passed the vetting with flying colors.



















When we got back to the trailer, Kathy had already departed with Jefferson, for fear the predicted steady rain was coming early and the truck would be stuck. Mu didn't mind hanging out at the smaller trailer, as he was interested in hay and napping.










[Due to technical difficulties, I got no video from the first loop - such a disappointment as they really rocked the challenging terrain.]







After getting the kids settled, we went over to do pre-dinner quality control on that evening's meal. It was delicious!










After our snack, I got Phin out for a leg stretch. He was feeling mighty fine, dancing around with his tail up over his back. DH had taken him out a couple times during the day and said he never put a foot wrong. Lani offered to take a look at him and I was thrilled that he trotted out totally sound and didn't react to any of her poking. 

Dinner went well that night and we were able to get things cleaned up, broken down, and packed away before the rain started. Lani headed home with the kids and I got Phin tucked into his blanket for the night. It rained off and on all night, but paused long enough for us to break down camp in the morning and get on the road. When we got home, Phin tore all around the paddock at a huge trot, tail flagging and snorting with every stride. He was 100% sound.

At least the weekend ended well..


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## cbar

that weekend sounded like a mixed bag....super happy to hear Phin is sound again, but really sucks as he shouldn't have been 'off' in the first place. i can imagine that riding 50 miles with unwanted company takes bucket loads of patience. 

The part about using the tree branch as extra encouragement made me laugh as i have had to resort to that from time to time. 

Do you have more rides this year or is there a break during winter? i'm sure in some places where the weather is mild the rides run year long, yes? 

as you didn't really mention the girth, i'm guessing there were no issues with it? How is George doing?


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## phantomhorse13

cbar said:


> Do you have more rides this year or is there a break during winter? i'm sure in some places where the weather is mild the rides run year long, yes?
> 
> as you didn't really mention the girth, i'm guessing there were no issues with it? How is George doing?


George is out in the pasture barefoot, filthy and getting fat. Most days he looks just fine, but every so often when they run around like idiots I can see he still isn't striding up quite right on that leg. Soft tissue takes a long time to heal, so the plan is to just let him be a horse for a couple months.

I am still undecided with Phin if the girth was starting to be an issue or not. Really, I don't feel the ride was a fair test as so much other stuff was going on. Was he touchy off and on because of the girth or because he was getting bumped into all day? 

The season ended with that ride for our horses. We had originally debated going down to South Carolina for JDs ride at Thanksgiving, but with George resting and not being sure about Phin it just seems smarter to give everyone the time off and start fresh later. I will probably be changing the rigging on my saddle to center fire and I had gotten different saddle bags as the current ones are falling apart. So I will reconfigure things and see what happens when I start conditioning again.

There was the last CTR of the season last weekend, which I went to with Lani (ride report coming soon). That finishes up the season here in the Northeast. The Southeast season goes all winter, but I don't believe Florida is in the cards for this year as Lani is finally getting her knee replacements; first one is the 12th and if that goes well we hope they will do the other in a few weeks.


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## Knave

That just sounds awful. I can picture myself in the exact same situation. I would have handled it just as you did, and been fuming inside as you were. I’m sorry that happened.


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## phantomhorse13

Knave said:


> I'm sorry that happened.


I am still kicking myself, but thank goodness Phin shouldn't have any lasting issues from it. And it will _never_ happen again, complicated situation be [email protected]

I am really proud of how he stepped up and handled things. I wouldn't have blamed him for dumping me and leaving.


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## knightrider

Quoted from Knave


> That just sounds awful. I can picture myself in the exact same situation. I would have handled it just as you did, and been fuming inside as you were. I’m sorry that happened.


This is me also--trying to be nice for whatever reason and then just steaming.

My question is how you would have handled it differently? Is there any way for that lady to know that she did a VERY BAD THING? How will you tell her you won't ride with her again? Does she know that she caused Phin not to complete?

I am SO disappointed you might not be coming to Florida this year. If anything changes, I hope you would let me know. It makes me GLAD that the time I came on the ride with you, I rode my ride and you rode your ride and we had a great time.


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## Knave

I think I am going to try and remember what you both said. “Ride your own ride.” I think that is excellent advice and I had never heard it before. Of course it creates some responsibility, like when you are on a colt and a bit overwhelmed with a new situation, but at the same time it gives you only your own responsibility.


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## weeedlady

Thank you for sharing your pic and video. That looks like a really beautiful place to ride!
Sorry you had to put up with an unwanted "friend". My rides are nothing compared to yours (2 or 3 hours tops maybe 10 miles if I'm lucky) but I am fast learning that there are only 2 or 3 people in my horse circle that I REALLY enjoy riding with. 
And I too would have done the same as you, try to be nice and fuming inside.

Love these pics!


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> My question is how you would have handled it differently? Is there any way for that lady to know that she did a VERY BAD THING? How will you tell her you won't ride with her again? Does she know that she caused Phin not to complete?


She knows Phin didn't complete - now whether she put that together with how her horse behaved all day I am not sure. Some people get so self-absorbed that they literally can't see anything else.

She did make a comment in the last loop about "how well the horses were doing together." At that point I had used up just about all my patience and tact, so I couldn't stop from replying "no, they are NOT." She seemed truly startled and asked what I meant. I said that her horse always wanted to go faster or slower than Phin did, which was not pacing well together. She digested that for a moment and then answered "well nobody is kicking or anything!" to which I answered that Phin knew better than to misbehave that way.

However, later repeating that comment to another friend, I learned an interesting fact. Apparently this woman's horse DID get kicked at a ride earlier in the season!! Guess some people don't learn, even the hard way. :evil:




Knave said:


> I think I am going to try and remember what you both said. “Ride your own ride.” I think that is excellent advice and I had never heard it before. Of course it creates some responsibility, like when you are on a colt and a bit overwhelmed with a new situation, but at the same time it gives you only your own responsibility.


I think its an excellent statement overall, but it doesn't necessarily apply to every situation - the one you mention being a great example. If I know I am taking a young/green/whatever horse out and need/want a babysitter, I would approach someone_ well ahead of time_ about babysitting me. That way that person knows exactly what they are getting into and can accept or decline without pressure.

For example, I have already talked to Lani about her and Brim escorting Link around when he finally makes it to his first ride, as I know both are great babysitters. I would never just show up a ride and expect to attach myself to her though, as left to his own devices Brim goes at a clip well above what a baby should be doing. So I think the setup matters a lot.


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## QueenofFrance08

I learned my "ride your own ride" lesson this year on our 60. I rode with a good friend the first 48 miles (who we had ridden with before) but we did a bit more cantering then Chico was used to since we don't have much area to canter train at home unless it's while going up a hill. That combined with coming off from a few weeks off from his stick/foot issue I didn't think he was going to make it until the end and he barely got through the 2nd hold vet check. The vet told me I could go back out but had to take it easy, my friend was trying to stay ahead of another rider for a better placing. I made her go ahead because I knew if I tried to get Chico to go her pace we wouldn't make it. We let everyone else pass us and walked most of the loop (he was even less motivated without a buddy but we had 4 hours so I knew even at a snail pace we could finish). Friend ended up getting BC, we finished first place heavyweight (only one who finished) and turtle, and the vet said Chico looked better at the end then he did at the 2nd hold. 

I totally get the babysitter thing needing to be arranged first, I lent out Stitch to a friend to escort us on Lilo's first ride and I'll likely do the same or have DH ride Stitch or Chico with us on her first LD. I rode with DH on Chico for Comet's first LD, and will take a buddy horse on Daisy's first ride next year all with the plan to be a slow buddy ride!


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## carshon

This just makes me sad. I kind of gather from your post that this person has a bit of a reputation or is prominent in a club or organization so you felt you could not turn her down. She also reminds me of my new riding "friend" whom we call the "crazy woman" because something always happens on our rides (and we are no where near completing the mileage you are) and she seems oblivious to how her actions affect those around her.

I am sorry this happened to Phin (and you) but am so glad that Phin surpassed your expectations of him and behaved so well.


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## Knave

I have been asking husband to keep an eye on me this year and I will have to have another year. I asked if he would babysit me, and he does unless everything falls apart and then I am on my own. Cash is coming along quickly enough, and this fall I have been able to handle most things on him. He’s still only three though, so I don’t feel confident being truly on my own to accomplish something. We’ve done it, but I have been on pins and needles to do so. Now, with baby Zeus just starting working, I still feel like I need babysat a bit.


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## knightrider

One thing nobody has addressed that I have thought about a lot, and that is the expense. Endurance rides are quite expensive, add in camping fees, gas, wear and tear on the trailer and tow vehicle. Phantomhorse had to drive many hours from PA to VA. It was a very costly trip to not get to complete because of someone else's selfishness.

One reason why I decided not to do endurance anymore, after 3 rides, was the fact that I would always be just completing. I knew I just was never going to be competitive. Not that I have to win, but for a lot less expense, I could just go there, camp out, and ride the same trails.


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## ClearDonkey

It seems like you've had an unlucky season as far as who you've gotten stuck with on these rides, yikes. At horse shows, you get stuck with crappy horse and rider pairs in the ring with you for usually less than 10 minutes, I can only imagine being stuck on a trail for hours with the people you've described!

Have none of these people had basic trail etiquette ever explained to them? Leave room behind the horse in front of you, pass when there is enough room to actually go around the other horse and rider pair, if your horse is going to negatively impact others peoples ride don't bring them... Geez-o-wheez. Maybe you should start taking applications for people to ride with you at these competitions :lol:


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## phantomhorse13

I got a bit of saddle time a couple weeks ago as I couldn't resist the nice weather despite being so behind on life after potatoes.

I went over to Nicole's and we did a shortened version of the normal loop (tried to avoid spots we suspected hunters would be). I rode Hombre.




























8.16 miles, 489 feet of climb, 3.7 mph average pace, 50F real feel


I also got out once with Gina. I rode Amish.




























11.71 miles, 1453 feet of climb, 3.7 mph average pace, 48F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Two weekends ago, I trekked over to Jersey for a CTR with Lani. She is trying to get one of her hunt horses to find his inner chill, so is hoping doing some CDRs will help him to relax. He does better with company and Kathy would rather be hunting, so twist my arm to go ride!


We decide that Auburn was more chill than Musubi, so she came as company for Rebar. We got camp set up and the horses registered and vetted without incident. Because neither of us have any interest in what I call the dog-and-pony-show aspect of CTR, we were riding pass/fail.










We debated putting blankets vs sheets on the horses for overnight and decided on the medium weight blankets. Glad we did as it got _much_ colder overnight than predicted - cold enough I had to break ice on all the buckets. Lani and I were happy that the small mr buddy heater in the LQ fired up with no argument as that meant needing less blankets for sleeping (though we had plenty just in case).

I was sound asleep when Jefferson rocked hard about 1am. That is only something that happens when the horses pull hard on their hi-ties so it had me on high alert immediately. After the rocking there were a few odd bangs and then silence - no tell-tale twanging sound that means the hi-tie safety released. No sound of hoofbeats leaving and no upset hollering of a horse left behind.. but you know how you just know when something isn't right? I couldn't make sense of what I heard and I didn't like it.

I asked Lani if she could check (she sleeps in a gravity chair in the cab, so just has to lean forward to pop a door open and peek out) as I was climbing down from the bunk. She did so and I heard her make a confused sound and then climb out of the cab. I was frantically tying my shoes as Lani opened the big door on the side of Jefferson and called me to come.

Looking out the door, I could see the faint outline of Rebar standing beside the door.. but you couldn't see Auburn. Yet Rebar wasn't upset at all (and he is very herdbound, so no way would he have stood quietly had the filly left). I was just asking "where is she?" when something drew my eye downwards and I realized _the filly was under the truck_.  Shiitake!!!

The best we can figure is Auburn had been laying down and went to roll before she got up. She rolled towards the truck and somehow managed to tuck enough to land underneath. She was still attached to her hi-tie and you could see about 6 inches of her neck and back sticking out from under Jefferson, with her legs pointing under the truck and her rump against the back tires. She was laying so still that I have to admit I thought she was dead.

As we approached, she flicked an ear. That was wonderful as it meant she was alive.. but it didn't change the fact she was still in what seemed like an impossible place. Lani clipped a lead on her halter and removed the hi-tie rope as I shined a light over as much of her as we could see. No obvious injuries, but she was wearing a blanket. After a moment of discussion we decided Lani would need to move the truck, so I hurriedly moved my car (which was parked in front of Jefferson) and drove around so the headlights illuminated the scene.

I left the car running and came back to take the lead from Lani. I was just asking if she thought I should sit on her head to keep her down, and I guess Auburn didn't like the sounds of that as she started struggling. All we could do was stand back and try to stay out of her way as she managed to squirm around into a dog-sitting position. After a brief pause she pulled forward and somehow squirmed to her feet.

From the time I left the truck to the time Auburn got up probably didn't take 5 minutes but it felt like an eternity. Beyond her blanket being a bit askew, you would never have known anything happened. We pulled her blanket off and found only a minor scrape by one hip and she moved soundly.. nothing short of miraculous. Blanket went back on and we got both horses a small snack, as we wanted to see if the filly was willing to eat. She was and chowed down on the mush like she hadn't eaten in days. After licking the bowl clean, she went right back to munching her hay net like nothing had happened. Horses are amazing!!

We went back to bed but I didn't sleep very well, as the slightest noise or wiggle had me awake (and when the hay nets hang against the truck, there is a lot of noise!). When it was daylight, we took another look at Auburn. She still had the scrape on her hip, but she seemed totally unaffected otherwise. She jogged sound so Lani wanted her to go out despite her night adventures.

We got both horses tacked up and then began the waiting process. CTRs have a staggered start as you are riding in an ideal window of time, so they send riders out one every minute (or two every two minutes, etc). Since we were riding the shortest distance, we didn't start until after 10am! We had plenty of time for breakfast and to walk the horses before it was time to mount up.










Lani had asked to be the first of the shorter distance people to go out, as there is generally a 15-20 minute break between the distances and she knew Rebar would behave better if he didn't see horses ahead of him. We moseyed around camp warming up and then walked out into trail like it was any other ride.










The loop was 15 miles. Jersey is known for sand, pine trees, and being flat. This is the only hill you will find!










Rebar is so much bigger than Auburn that even when he was in a medium trot, she had to canter to keep up. I can't think of the last time I did so much cantering.

We got to a water stop about 5 miles in and the judges were there to do the on trail observation. Of course everyone exclaimed over the size of Rebar, who is hard to miss! Auburn was smart enough to take a good drink and even nibbled some hay. 










As we continued on, we hit a patch of slightly deeper sand. While the filly was still happily going forward without any encouragement, she felt uneven. I yelled to Lani and took her out in front for a moment. Lani agreed the filly was off. Ugh.

Since we were still pretty close to the water stop and people, it was decided I would go back and she would continue on. I wasn't sure what would happen when I turned Auburn around and asked her to walk away from Rebar. Rebar was equally unimpressed to split. I was very pleased when the filly walked on with only a moment of hesitation. She did neigh a couple times to answer Rebar, but she kept going away from him. 

After he was out of sight, I had her walk another few steps then halted and got off. We walked back to the water stop, explained what had happened at the truck last night and what I was feeling then. All agreed that ending our day was the best plan, so called the ambulance trailer to come for us.










What a learning experience for Auburn! She separated from her buddy for the first time. She stood and watched several sets of horses come and go into the water stop, and while she did neigh a bit, she never got super fussy or did anything naughty. When the trailer came, she loaded right up without even a pause!










We got back to camp and I took her back to Jefferson. I figured I would try to untack her there and if that didn't go well, would go up to the vetting area to find someone to help. She neighed a couple times, then settled down and started munching on her hay! That gave me the confidence to attach her to the hi-tie, get her untacked and brushed up. The original scrape didn't look any different, but I found an additional mark which would have been under the back of the saddle (no hair loss with that one which is likely why we hadn't noticed it before). She didn't care if I moved with the direction of the hair, but she was sensitive if I rubbed it any other way.

We then went up to the vetting for our exit exam. Auburn patiently waited for those in the competition to finish their exams (probably 20 minutes of waiting). No surprise she was off on the leg with the scrapes, but nothing else of interest was found. We went back to Jefferson to wait for Lani's return.

There was much screaming upon Rebar's arrival and he had behaved on trail how Lani had expected: he was so-so by himself but really got cranked up when he caught sight of horses in front of him. He vetted through without issues and looked like he hadn't gone out at all. 

After getting the horses settled, we went in and had a lovely lunch. One thing about CTRs is they feed you really well - I probably gain weight going to these events! Since Auburn wouldn't be going the next day, Lani wanted me to take Rebar out. Again, twist my arm. :smile:

Before long, it was time for dinner and awards. It was good to hear that most riders had a good day, though it was interesting to hear some comments about bias from a first-time rider sitting beside me (and I agree with her; the dog-and-pony-show part reminds me too much of the show ring as there is def bias and favoritism involved imo). Got the horses their dinner and pajamas on, then it was time for the Halloween party. Many people get very into the costume contest, so Lani and I figured we better put in an appearance even though bed already looked pretty good.

I think I have mentioned how going anywhere with Lani can be tough as someone is always wanting to talk to her? And how often those are people she doesn't necessarily want to be talking to but does because she is a civil, polite human? Well this event was no different and I had to laugh at this candid picture randomly posted on facebook.










:Angel:

to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

It was very cold again overnight, but thankfully there were no antics and everyone slept soundly. It was another hurry up and wait morning. I took Rebar up for his safety check trot and no surprise he didn't look like he'd done a thing the day before. And I swear he got taller overnight.










Got him tacked up and had breakfast, then did more waiting around. I think Auburn was saying nah-nah when Rebar got tacked and she didn't.










Again Lani had asked for Rebar to be the first of the CDR horses out. That gave me a 15 minute window to play with. He was feeling mighty fine as I got the last things ready to go.

Lani captioned this photo "you must be this tall to ride this ride:"










I had never ridden Rebar before, so I took some time during the warm up to see what kind of buttons I could find. I knew he had been with their eventing trainer when he was first started, so reminded him about things like leg yielding when she started getting anxious. 

Rebar was tense but forward as we started out. He did a lot of calling and I did a lot of singing to try to get him to settle.










We got to know one another as the miles passed by. Rebar reminds me of a cross between insecure Duroc and overly-enthused Fluffy, so it made for some interesting discussions on trail. 










I was eventually able to find a compromise speed of about 8.5 mph at the trot, which for a horse the size of Rebar really is a pretty mellow pace. However, the ideal pace of a CTR is 6.5-7 mph, so I knew we were still gaining on the riders in front of us.










I did get Rebar to walk in places, albeit rapidly and often with much head tossing. But I figured any amount of walking was better than none. We soon arrived at the water stop where the judges were waiting. They again made a huge fuss over Rebar. I didn't mind as that gave him a good excuse to stand still for a few moments.










This time I was able to keep going and finish the loop! While Jersey isn't as interesting as some places, this ride picks the best variety of trails they can so it's fun.










I was more than halfway around when we finally caught sight of the riders in front of us. Rebar had already gotten a bit stronger just turning for camp, so no surprise that Rebar really wanted to kick it into high gear to catch other horses. The first set of people I came up on looked visibly frightened by us, so I let him keep going as to not upset their ride. Luckily for me, the next set of riders were people I knew with unflappable horses so our appearance was not worrisome.

I may be the first rider ever to use a reverse-draft during a ride. Its not uncommon for some (rude) people to let their horse draft off another horse by following several strides behind all ride, then try to rush by and pass at the end. I, however, did the opposite as Rebar wanted to be in the front but didn't want to let his new friends get totally out of sight. So we bounced around in front of the group, using them to get him to stay at their pace but 10 yards or so ahead. 










It worked! Rebar was much more willing to settle down with friends behind him even though he knew we were heading to camp. And when several people on dirt bikes came flying around a corner, I knew he wouldn't care, so he kept the monsters from getting to the people in the group behind us.






As we walked the last mile into camp, Rebar drew ahead because of his huge walk, but he he kept to the walk so I was thrilled. There was much neighing as we arrived back in camp. Lani reported that the filly had called once after we left camp and then stood and ate her hay without a concern in the world! I got Rebar untacked and cleaned up, then we went up for our final vetting. Rebar passed with ease.










For perspective, Auburn is the same size as Phin and the horses are standing on level ground. Rebar really IS that big!!

We let the horses have a snack and a rest and we got some lunch, then got things packed up to head home. On the way, I stopped for gas as Jersey's prices are much better than PA's. The attendant (Jersey pumps fuel for you) drew this on my back of my receipt! 










What a fun end to an overall nice weekend!

:cowboy:


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## egrogan

I am laughing my way through your posts (knowing Auburn was ok, of course ). And good god, that is a MASSIVE horse- you look so tiny on him! 

:rofl:


> The first set of people I came up on looked visibly frightened by us, so I let him keep going as to not upset their ride.


 :rofl:

In the first post...is that Spencer...dressed like a Pilgrim (???) in the picture at the table??? So many questions....


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## phantomhorse13

egrogan said:


> In the first post...is that Spencer...dressed like a Pilgrim (???) in the picture at the table???


That IS Spencer, tho his costume was some creepy person from a movie I hadn't seen.. judging from the reaction of many others, it was spot-on. To see him standing up, to me he looked like a cross between a circus ringmaster and something from the Nightmare before Xmas. Steve was sitting just to the left of Russ (who is beside me), wearing a santa hat, no less! Quite the party. :rofl:


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## egrogan

phantomhorse13 said:


> That IS Spencer, tho his costume was some creepy person from a movie I hadn't seen.. judging from the reaction of many others, it was spot-on. To see him standing up, to me he looked like a cross between a circus ringmaster and something from the Nightmare before Xmas. Steve was sitting just to the left of Russ (who is beside me), wearing a santa hat, no less! Quite the party. :rofl:



Duh! Didn't even occur to me the timing of the ride would have been at Halloween. That makes sooooooo much more sense. I could not figure out what he was wearing, and it was so out of place because you all looked totally normal :rofl: I'd like to pass Steve riding down the road in a Santa hat some day though- that would be hilarious.


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## carshon

I know this has been asked before but how many horses do Lani and Kathy have? And they event as well as do endurance? WOW!


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## phantomhorse13

egrogan said:


> I'd like to pass Steve riding down the road in a Santa hat some day though- that would be hilarious.


I teased him that all he needed for a costume was to go out and roll in the dirt. [Steve is a Hall Of Fame rider who lives near @egrogan during the summer and winters in Georgia. He is known for riding in a button up shirt and being impossibly clean All The Time, even in the middle of 100!] When someone left a santa hat on the table, we all had a good laugh when he put it on and announced he was in costume.



carshon said:


> I know this has been asked before but how many horses do Lani and Kathy have? And they event as well as do endurance? WOW!


They had 19 horses the last time I counted: some endurance horses, some hunt horses, and a few retirees. They don't event themselves any more, but they send all their horses to an event trainer to get a basic education and for the occasional tune-up, which is very helpful for both trail and fox hunting! They also go to what they call adult pony club camp every summer, which is a week long clinic held by an local eventer, so they can work on their own skills.


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## QueenofFrance08

How did I not notice Rebar's feet before?????? I think I would need 2 Chico sized shoes to fit him (and Chico has big feet for my kids!)! Boy I wouldn't want to fall off of him! Do your ears pop getting on and off?!?! I'll stick to my 14-15 hand crowd!


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## gottatrot

I can't believe the predicaments horses get themselves into!! I have never before heard of a case like what happened to Auburn. What a relief that she was OK. 
Rebar is so huge! What an amazing horse. Must have been fun to ride him.


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## Celeste

How tall is Rebar?


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## PoptartShop

Wow...props to you AND Phin for not wanting to hurt that rider! My gosh...you have way more patience than I do, that's for sure. I'm so sorry Phin wasn't able to complete the ride, but I'm glad he will be okay. :sad: He did good despite that other horse/rider's issues. Ugh. What a PITA. If you can't control your horse, don't take them on a ride like that! Seriously, never again. Not sure why she thought just turning her horse loose was okay, what is wrong with people?! Like let my horse eat in peace, please. :icon_rolleyes: Sigh. You are a trooper though, honestly. I probably would've cried the entire time out of frustration alone!  Cute drawing, too! I can't even draw that well. So sweet of the attendant!

Beautiful photos & I love the videos. Soooo jealous!

In positive news, I'm glad you had a great ride recently & Rebar is HUGE! :O Whew! That sounds like a fun ride!!


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## AnitaAnne

WOW! I am appalled by that riders thoughtlessness! How could she allow her horse to keep ramming Phin??? 

You have a ton of control to ride 50 miles with that person and not take action. Like loose them. Paul Simon had a song called *50 ways to leave your lover*...you need a song for *50 miles to loose a rider*...just slip out the back, Phin :biglaugh: 

What a good boy Mu! He looked huge to me until I saw the picture of Rebar...the screaming giant horse!! 

They were all good boys for you though. Really hate that you didn't get your completion on Phin. So unfair to you both :evil:

PS I plan to use your new verbiage _Voluntold_ :rofl:


----------



## phantomhorse13

Celeste said:


> How tall is Rebar?


Lani says she doesn't know for sure because she can't see the stick when it's that high in the air. :rofl:


----------



## phantomhorse13

I have gotten some saddle time since the CTR. 

The first ride was on Repique, Nicole's Paso Fino show stallion. It was pretty funny to go from a huge horse to a petite one!










Nicole was riding Pirata, her Trocha show stallion.. who was very, very, _very_ excited about being out of the ring. His antics were fairly frightening and he got Repique riled up, so we did just a short out and back as things were only getting worse instead of better. I still cannot believe an animal can move its legs as rapidly as those horses do!

I think Repique might be able to walk under Rebar!










1.61 miles, 92 feet of climb, 4.4 mph average pace, 45F real feel


We got our first snow the next day, so I didn't get any more saddle time for a week. Last Monday, I went over to ride with Nicole and got to ride Polo.

Because it's hunting season, we tried to stay out of the woods.










We had to pause for a photo op by the farm stand's Halloween decorations. Rumor has it these may become turkeys for thanksgiving.










Amazing how different the fields look with all the crops finally down.










9.45 miles, 604 feet of climb, 5.4 mph average pace, 52F real feel


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## AnitaAnne

phantomhorse13 said:


> Lani says she doesn't know for sure because she can't see the stick when it's that high in the air. :rofl:


Is he taller than the stick??? 

:rofl:


----------



## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> Is he taller than the stick???


That is a very real possibility!! It was a stretch to get on him from the 3 step mounting block; guess next would just be jumping on from Jefferson..


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## PoptartShop

Repique is just gorgeous! He probably could stand under Rebar with no problems. :lol: So awesome that you get to ride all these different horses!!! Love the pictures!

The Halloween decorations are just so cute, love the roundbales.


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## phantomhorse13

I have gotten a bit of saddle time this week too.

On Tuesday, I went over to ride with Nicole. I started on Polo.










We did the tree farm loop. It sure looked and felt like winter, with the gloomy sky and the bitter wind.










It actually spit a few flakes of wet snow on us as we rode.. I am so not ready for winter!










Hombre was being a real jerk for Nicole, popping a shoulder and spinning for home at every intersection (and sometimes randomly too). After he almost got her off, she asked if I would trade horses with her.

I made sure to pick up a nice, solid stick before I got on. As expected, the next intersection we came to, he popped his shoulder and tried to spin that way. Boy was he surprised when he got cracked on the shoulder with the stick!










We had three discussions of lessening severity before he decided I wasn't going to put up with his nonsense. After that, just showing him the stick was enough.










Polo: 6.18 miles, 486 feet of climb, 6.0 mph average pace, 36F real feel
Hombre: 3.75 miles, 256 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 36F real feel


On Thursday, Nicole had the vet out to geld Repique. That went very well and it was a lovely day, so we decided to sneak in a quick ride. I took Hombre. I made sure to carry a crop with me and only needed to use it once in the driveway.










We did the short mountain loop, as there was no hunting so we could safely ride in the woods.










I was really pleased with Hombre's behavior. I made sure to be paying attention, but at each intersection I only needed to keep my leg on and show the crop and he behaved himself.










5.79 miles, 597 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 45F real feel


----------



## gottatrot

Sometimes some horses do need a crop. I am a believer in that.


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## SwissMiss

Oh Hombre! Like a toddler trying to test out how far he can go.
Since I only admire him on pictures, I still think he is lovely :wink:


But the question remains - what will be his next trick to try?


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## AnitaAnne

So Hombre was being a brat and got the stick! Bet he thinks twice before trying that little trick again! 

Repique is no longer a stud muffin...he is a little cutie though! 

How are George and Kestrel? I think I missed how Kestrel was injured...


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## egrogan

It makes me feel a little better that there are other horses that try that “pop the shoulder and push for home” maneuver! With Fizz I found that a quick series of hard pokes with my finger where her neck and shoulder meet gets my point across. Sounds weird but seems to work!


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## PoptartShop

Good for you for getting Hombre back on track. It didn't take much huh! That stick was enough! :lol: They sure do like to test though. He's a good boy! It's definitely starting to look more & more like winter...totally dreading it! :icon_rolleyes:


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> How are George and Kestrel? I think I missed how Kestrel was injured...


George is standing around eating and seeing how much mud he can coat himself in. He is sound at a walk and the couple times I have seen him trot he's looked ok, but I know that injury hasn't finished healing yet..

Kestrel was originally injured back in the summer: Heidi smashed into her hind end full-tilt while playing and sent her flying - she rolled a couple times and came up on 3 legs. Some carprofen and rest had her improved but any hard playing had her lame again (you see it when she gets up from sleeping, then walks off the stiffness). She went on restricted exercise for several weeks and that seemed to do the trick. Slowly returned her to full exercise and all seemed fine.. until she went on that ride with us.

That evening, she was toe-touching on that hind leg in what is normally a classic CCL injury presentation after getting up from a nap. Back on carprofen and rest, which helped but didn't resolve it totally. We took her in to see an ortho specialist who said it wasn't her CCL and wasn't any sort of bone issue, so keep her restricted and see how things went. So no walks, no ball, no chasing stuff. Talk about misery for a border collie!!

Kestrel is now very creative in her approach to life. Since most of her toys have been put away, she tries to find things she hopes will get my attention:









She is also very good at putting herself into positions where I can't help but notice her:









And of course she still supervises everything I do:










In other news, I started 'operation separation' a couple weeks ago. In an attempt to have Phin get along with Link so everyone can live together, I moved George and Sultan to the far paddock and shut them in there. 









That left Phin in one paddock and Link in another. They can only see the other boys from a distance, as I shut off the paddock in the middle (all the paddocks make a big U shape around the house). I hoped that Phin would decide any friend is better than none..









:thumbsup:


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## phantomhorse13

I have also been doing some work with Link. Since he was so unconcerned with the surcingle, I moved on to the saddle. That was also a non-event, so next came the flopping saddle bags and then the stirrups. No concern at all!










Link still isn't a big fan of the bit, but I have been working on the concept of giving to pressure as a precursor to steering. I have also been climbing up on the mounting block to get him used to me being above him. He was used to that from ponying, so it also didn't get much of a reaction.

Guess I did a good job with making him comfortable with weird stuff over him:






:rofl: 


On Saturday, I took advantage of DH being home, so this happened:














:happydance: :clap: :happydance:

Link was a bit unsure the first step, but settled down really nicely. I couldn't be more pleased with him!!


After finishing, I decided it was time to open the gate between Link and Phin. They had been peacefully hanging out across the fence for a week and the ground wasn't going to get any better. I was thrilled when Phin ran a couple yeehaw laps and Link just followed along. Watching, I was holding my breath as they ran around, hoping like heck nobody got hurt, but also appreciating how good they both felt. Soon the mad galloping became a springy canter which became a showy trot.










And then the best part.. settling down to eat. And from the same hay net no less!!










:loveshower:


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## SwissMiss

Yay for Link and Phin :happydance:


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## egrogan

Love, love, love all the videos. So fun to see him learning and figuring it all out. The ladder clip was so funny :rofl:


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## carshon

Link is such a handsome fella - and is so well put together! I am so happy he is coming along so well.


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## PoptartShop

What a good boy Link is!!!!!   Love how you praised him up, I bet he was loving it! Yay!!! I love his temperament. He is so cute with the ladder too. :lol: Phin & Link are just so adorable together! Happy horses!


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## Caledonian

It's great to see Link playing and investigating new things. Poor Kestrel! She's really working those puppy dog eyes in the photo!


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## QueenofFrance08

You're going to need a 3 step mounting block for Link!


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> You're going to need a 3 step mounting block for Link!


I am.. he's already taller than everyone else. I like my short ayrabs darn it all!


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## SwissMiss

phantomhorse13 said:


> I am.. he's already taller than everyone else. I like my short ayrabs darn it all!


Lol. Just ride Rebar more often and Link will feel small again :biggrin:


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## QueenofFrance08

phantomhorse13 said:


> I am.. he's already taller than everyone else. I like my short ayrabs darn it all!


After riding Stitch and Lilo (both 14-14.1 on a good hair day) for sorting on Saturday Chico (15.1) and Comet (15.3) seemed like giants! Love my short horses!


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## phantomhorse13

Today I opened all the paddocks and let the herd back together. So happy to report all went well!







I have so much in my life to be grateful for. Happy Thanksgiving!


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## Knave

What a perfect picture! Happy Thanksgiving to you.


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## knightrider

I loved watching the video when you swung your leg over Link. I suddenly got that feeling vicariously--that wonderful amazing feeling when you have watched and watched as your horse grew up . . . and waited and WAITED and finally . . . finally, for the first time ever you are up on your horse! It's a feeling like nothing else. It was fun to see it on video.


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## gottatrot

Great job with Link!! It was funny seeing him take the first steps, like he wasn't sure if he was going to be able to walk or stand. 
You are extremely brave to actually get all the way on from the off side on a green horse. I don't have the courage to do that until they're a bit farther along. My body and brain are so awkward on that side, I know if anything happened like the horse taking off, I would be all confused. 
Glad your horses can all be turned out in a herd together.


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## AnitaAnne

Thank you so much for sharing your first ride on Link with us! I teared up watching; it's like seeing a kid take their first steps! 

So wonderful to actually sit on a young horse and feel them for the first time! It is just such a wonderful feeling, it was so nice to share this with you  

Fabulous that the herd is integrated!!! 

The ladder clip was so cute! Link is a sweetheart, loves his momma

Kestrel is adorable, who could resist those eyes!!!


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## phantomhorse13

For Thanksgiving, DH and I traveled to Michigan.. to pick up this:
























































:happydance: :clap: :happydance:


We got very lucky with the weather as we made it out there, spent the night, and drove back between storms. Today, we have had freezing rain all day and its expected to change to snow overnight (currently in the 6-12" range - ugh).. least I will have plenty to do while its too miserable to go outside!

:loveshower:


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## AnitaAnne

WOW!! That is a beast! Everyone will be so comfortable in there :smile: 

Is that a hay carrier on top? WOW 

So good you missed the storms


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## Knave

Gorgeous!!!


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## Caledonian

That is some trailer! Forget the horses: can I move in?:rofl:


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## QueenofFrance08

LOVE the trailer!!!!


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## PoptartShop

Wow, congrats!!  That is BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!


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## carshon

congratulations! That trailer is gorgeous.


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## Woodhaven

Well Happy Thanksgiving to you Phantom, that is some gorgeous trailer, both for you folks and the horses. You do a lot of travelling and long distance riding so it's great to have a place like that to relax and get some sleep for the next day.


I hope you are not expecting a Christmas present as well. I think Santa has already been to your place.


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## Chevaux

Jimminy, you could live in that trailer permanently! Good for you and your dh.


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> that wonderful amazing feeling when you have watched and watched as your horse grew up . . . and waited and WAITED and finally . . . finally, for the first time ever you are up on your horse! It's a feeling like nothing else.





AnitaAnne said:


> So wonderful to actually sit on a young horse and feel them for the first time! It is just such a wonderful feeling


It was hard to keep my energy level reasonable, as all I wanted to do was yell WOOHOO!! A very brief ride, but one I will always remember. 



gottatrot said:


> You are extremely brave to actually get all the way on from the off side on a green horse. I don't have the courage to do that until they're a bit farther along. My body and brain are so awkward on that side, I know if anything happened like the horse taking off, I would be all confused.


Saw this and thought of you:









I do a lot of mounting from the off side while training, simply so if I _have_ to do so on trail the horses and I are used to it. It still doesn't feel as natural as from the left, but I figure if I keep at it, maybe some day it will..



AnitaAnne said:


> Is that a hay carrier on top?


It is and its huge! That was a must-have so we would have space to put stuff that was in the third stall previously.



Woodhaven said:


> I hope you are not expecting a Christmas present as well. I think Santa has already been to your place.


I think the trailer counts for Christmas and anniversary and birthday gifts for years to come!!


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## phantomhorse13

We got very lucky with the last storm, as instead of the heavy ice and then foot of snow we were forecast, the storm shifted to the northeast, meaning the temp crept up just enough to give us outright rain which finished off as a couple inches of snow. The ground is a hot mess though.

I have lost track of how many hours I have spent in the new trailer. Of course, all the cabinets in the new one are not quite the same size as the previous one, so I have had to find new containers and places for literally everything. Luckily for me, I have a huge supply of random containers (yay hoarding tendencies), so I am having a blast getting everything just right.











Last night, then temp dropped and we got another inch of snow, so I went out to work Link while the ground was still frozen.









The ground was still a bit slick in places, so I decided getting on was not a good idea. Instead, I tried ground driving with Link for the first time. He was a bit confused at first, as he wants to turn and face up when he stops, but after a bit he got the idea:





:loveshower:

I was super pleased with today as a first effort. Link is pretty interesting to work with, as he generally wants to please but also has a stubborn streak at times. He picked up that horrible head-flipping thing Raven did, so I suspect that is going to be tough to extinguish, though so far it only happens while standing.. 


The weather is supposed to warm up, which means the ground will be a total mess, so no idea when the next work will be.


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## jgnmoose

Very cool stuff.


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## phantomhorse13

jgnmoose said:


> Very cool stuff.


Thank you!


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## JCnGrace

Congrats on the new trailer, it's beautiful!


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## AnitaAnne

Kestrel had no problem figuring out where she fit in the trailer :rofl: 

Link is such a cutie! Such a kid too, he is very interested in the snow, lol. 

Longlining/ground driving looked really good. Such a nice way to teach so much. I thought it funny that could hear your boots crunching in the snow, but couldn't hear Link footsteps. 

How big is the round pen? It looks nice and large, so much more usable than the tiny ones I see frequently.


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## QueenofFrance08

Someday I'm going to have to see how you organize your trailer.... Ours is usually a disaster, partially because I am a stuff hoarder in the trailers. We'll probably never need two cloth hoses but we have them! Just in case of course! I did finally take everything out after this season unless it had absolutely no where else to live other than the trailer (like rump rugs) but I'm sure it'll be a mess when I put it all back in, most everything is in tubs in the spare bedroom of the house waiting for spring. Found a few headlamps we'd lost for 2 years.... I'm also double hoarding since I now have 2 trailers to outfit, most of my Black Friday shopping was sheets/towels/blankets for the "new" trailer. 

Yay Link! Can't believe how big he is!


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## PoptartShop

Looks like Kestrel made herself at home, huh?! :rofl: So cute!

Link is coming along so nicely. What a good boy! I am glad you ended up doing some groundwork, despite the snowy ground. He looks great!!


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## Celeste

I love your new trailer! Did I ever mention that your DH is a keeper?

Link rocks!

Is Kestrel going to be able to return to full exercise? Poor thing. A border collie forced to rest. It is not natural.


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> How big is the round pen? It looks nice and large


It's about 50 feet, so pretty decent size for the arabs.




QueenofFrance08 said:


> Someday I'm going to have to see how you organize your trailer..


I will take some pics for you once I get things set up how I want them, though I wouldn't be surprised if there is some modification once we get it to a ride..




Celeste said:


> Is Kestrel going to be able to return to full exercise? Poor thing. A border collie forced to rest. It is not natural.


Kestrel had been doing well, until she wasn't. We still aren't sure what happened, but DH and I were out working in the back of the trailer Thursday and the dogs were both hanging out in the garage. We suddenly heard Kestrel cry out, so of course dropped what we were doing and went to find her. By that point she was totally fine, standing in front of my car tail wagging. We brought her in to the LQ with us and she laid down. When she got up, she was on 3 legs again. :confused_color:

Kestrel initially moves like a dog with a torn cruciate or maybe even a locking patella, but nothing is displaced and the laxity in her stifle hasn't changed from when the orthopedist looked at her. I can't find anything that seems tight or swollen externally, so I assume its some soft tissue deep in her pelvis. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated as it seems we are right back where we started again. I guess the next step is to tether her to me all the time so I can see what she is doing, but that idea hurts my heart as she will be miserable. But at the same time, this cycle can't continue.. :-(


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## phantomhorse13

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! 



My family came into town last Friday, so I spent the week trying to get everything done before they arrived. While I had finished my gift shopping long ago, I had procrastinated wrapping as it is not something I enjoy. So instead of doing it a bit at a time, I wound up spending a good part of two days wrapping. Kestrel of course did her best to distract me by bringing me a variety of toys and dropping them at my feet. I apparently got too involved to throw the toy fast enough at one point, as suddenly this happened:










:shock: :dance-smiley05: :shock: 

I was so shocked, yet it was hard to not laugh.. but of course a dog on the table is really not funny. Tough to sound stern with your face being licked, but she was told that good dogs don't jump on the counters and was returned to the floor. Guess whatever is wrong with her hip doesn't effect her jumping ability!!

I did get everything done before my family's arrival, including the 300 office Christmas cards. Momma nature thought she would be funny by sending us amazing weather since I wasn't able to ride - we had a couple days that hit 50 and the sun was out. On several occasions I intentionally dawdled during the horse chores just because feeling the sun shining was so nice.

Christmas day was another good one and it was nice to spend it with friends and family. DH and my parents surprised me with a new phone, which I was not expecting. The phone takes amazing pictures and has a ton of features that I will need to figure out. Sonnet was in her glory with all the boxes to sit in!










My family headed home yesterday morning, so I was thrilled when Nicole called to ask if I wanted to ride! The weather had cooled a bit, but overall was still fantastic. I rode Drakkar, who hasn't been ridden in a couple months. We just did the short loop but I enjoyed every second!



















5.88 miles, 562 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average pace, 32F real feel


----------



## PoptartShop

Sounds like you had a great Christmas! Omg the cat in the box is just adorable. LOL @ Kestrel’s face! :lol: Too funny! She is a riot. 

Drakker is really cute. I’m sure he was happy to get out too, I’m glad you had a good ride!  


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## phantomhorse13

Saturday, Gina asked me if I wanted to come on a babysitting ride and of course I jumped at the chance. I rode Amish, Nik rode Windsor, and Gina was on Giselle. We planned on the Sugarloaf loop.

We started off going across Ziesloft's - boy does it look different with the crops down (and it's unrecognizable from last year, when everything was still wild).










As we worked our way around, I noticed some fresh tire tracks coming from a path which had been blocked with multiple down trees. We followed the tracks and were thrilled to find that all the trees were cleared and the road was open again! We moseyed partway up the Sugarloaf, and then down and around the back side. 










It was so nice to be in the saddle!

5.77 miles, 958 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 34F real feel


----------



## PoptartShop

Everything looks so spacious & open!  I love it! Sounds like you had a great ride. It looks beautiful.


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## Caledonian

What a beautiful blue sky and perfect riding country.


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## AnitaAnne

Kestrel looks slightly offended! She was maybe expecting you to be proud of her, not laugh and shoo her off! What a fun dog she is. Makes me smile 


Sonnet makes me :rofl: that face! :rofl: My BOX!!! 


Nice to hear the trail is opened back up!


----------



## phantomhorse13

Caledonian said:


> What a beautiful blue sky


Its getting to be the time of year where any blue sky is greeted with great glee!



AnitaAnne said:


> Kestrel looks slightly offended! She was maybe expecting you to be proud of her, not laugh and shoo her off!


I think she was taken aback I wasn't happy to see her.. but the last thing I needed was for her to think that was a trick she should repeat!!



PoptartShop said:


> It looks beautiful.


It looks great from pictures, but in reality its a muddy mess - bet you are having the same issue down your way. Thank goodness we do have roads to ride, but I have to admit I am hoping things cool down and freeze so I have more riding options once the boys are going again.


----------



## PoptartShop

Ugh, yes. :sad: 
So much mud, since it hasn't been super cold this week. The pasture is a mucky mess, so it was hard to find a decent spot to ride in without too much slippage. :icon_rolleyes: I hope so too, I'm just over it. It's like either the ground is too hard, or it's too soft! No in-between!


----------



## phantomhorse13

I have been having entirely too much fun playing with the camera in my new phone. Helps when I have such photogenic critters around me!



















Kestrel has been doing better the past couple weeks, though she is fairly disgusted with my inability to play correctly. At this point, anything I may have shown the slightest interest in will become a toy, as seen above with the scrap of nylon strap that I pulled off one of the haybags and set aside.. she was on top of it instantly and kept bringing it to me hoping I would "throw" it again! 


I got my last ride of 2019 in yesterday. Gina asked if I was interested in taking her "new" horse out with her and Nik. Gina got Aztec months ago but has only been on him twice. He came from an english lesson barn and was supposedly a field hunter, and he behaved ok the one time Gina had him out on trail, so I figured what the heck.

The weather was supposed to be partly sunny, but instead we got mostly cloudy with passing rain/sleet/snow showers. That didn't deter us from heading out to do the Space Needle loop.










Aztec was a bit unsure of steering to start with, which was not a surprise when I found out he'd only gone in the s-hack once before! He tried hard to figure out what I was asking him. 

We spent the first half of the ride in the lead as Gina thought he would do better in the front. However, that meant Amish and Giselle got quite cranked up as each of them prefer to lead also. Once we got to the road to the space needle, I suggested someone else should go first. Nik put Amish in the lead and we were soon trotting down the trail. I was pleasantly surprised to be trotting!

After maybe 1/4 mile, Nik slowed to a walk and suggested Giselle get a turn going first. That went ok at the walk, but when we started trotting again Amish decided the race was on. Having been a buggy horse, he has quite the road trot, so he was quickly out in front and chugging down the trail.

I wasn't sure at first if Nik wanted him to go that speed, but it soon became clear Amish was making his own decisions. When Gina tried to slow Giselle, she started cantering sideways. Aztec had kept pace without issue and would have been happy to go faster, but I was pleased he slowed without an argument despite the other horse's antics. When he slowed so did Giselle (who was beside him) and in another moment Nik was able to get Amish back to a walk.

After that, it was decided Aztec would go first for the rest of the ride!










We paused to see Keith and the guys on the way back across the main farm, so actually got a picture of everyone!










In the last mile between the farm and Alimar, Giselle kept getting more and more cranked up, jigging and dancing around, then balking. Amish was doing his weird half walk, half trot gait in his excitement. Gina finally got off to hand walk and Nik decided to do the same. 

Pretty ironic that I was on the questionable horse and was the only one to stay aboard the entire ride! Aztec did get a bit strong in the hack at one point when I circled too far behind Giselle and he felt the herd was leaving, but he never did anything stupid. I liked riding him very much.

11.45 miles, 1490 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average pace, 34F real feel.


I had hoped to ride today, but momma nature had other ideas with 20 mph winds and sleet/snow showers off and on all day.

Happy New Year!


----------



## phantomhorse13

I got my first rides of the new year today! :happydance:

I started off with George. The farrier is coming in a couple weeks and I thought it smart to make sure George is healed and ready to go before bothering to put shoes back on him. The weather got cold enough to freeze the ground overnight, so I got him out early. We moseyed circles around Alimar.










While George was a little tender footed on some of the frozen ground, he was forward and the tongue was flapping! 










While not a huge workout, we did some work in all 3 gaits and jogged some of the hills. George trotted sound before we started and after we finished! Fingers and toes crossed the muscle strain is healed.

5.46 miles, 617 feet of climb, 5.2 mph average pace, 28F real feel


After finishing with George, I went over to ride with Nicole. She asked me if I would start working with Tegan, her 6 year old Gypsy/Haffie gelding. She has had some issues with him in the past which resulted in her being thrown, so she is understandably hesitant about riding him now. Tegs isn't malicious, but he is pushy and opinionated (no surprise considering his pedigree).










We did the small loop as we knew that wouldn't have a lot of ice. Tegs was a bit looky to start but soon settled down.
























That is the most sitting trot I have done in as long as I can remember! :rofl:










Overall, Tegs was really good. It will be interesting to see how things go if we can get him into consistent work.

4.71 miles, 335 feet of climb, 4.2 mph average pace, 36F real feel


----------



## AnitaAnne

YAY George! 

Tegan is a tank! Cute as can be, but wide.


----------



## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> Tegan is a tank! Cute as can be, but wide.


He is! While he is a bit chubby right now, even trim he is still super wide. I felt like my legs were sticking out to the sides like this:


----------



## cbar

That's great news about George!! 

Tegan is beautiful!! he is built very similar to my mare (she is a Canadian though)....super wide. 

Curious, what saddle are you riding him in?? Is it your saddle?


----------



## carshon

I love Tegs! That is my kind of horse - low to the ground and wide!!!! So happy George is feeling good!


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## Caledonian

I like Tegan. I'm also a fan of the heavier, wider, solid types. You wouldn't think there's any Haffie in him though, as he looks all Vanner. I laughed when i read 'opinionated', both breeds produce strong characters :smile:


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## gottatrot

Tegs is cute!! Looks like a fun ride.


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## PoptartShop

YAY for George!!   Tegan is soo cute too! So stocky. He looks extra comfy, I bet the sitting trot felt amazing haha. It looks sooo nice!!


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## phantomhorse13

cbar said:


> Curious, what saddle are you riding him in?? Is it your saddle?


That is a Specialized saddle and it belongs to Nicole. She has one for each of her horses. They are super comfy.



Caledonian said:


> I laughed when i read 'opinionated', both breeds produce strong characters :smile:


"Strong character" is a very nice way to put it!


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I had planned to work both George and Link, but woke up to find the overnight "chance of a passing snow shower" had actually resulted in 2-3 inches of snow! The ground underneath was not frozen, so I knew I had limited time before the sun came out and started melting the snow (resulting in an even worse slimy mess). As much as I want to be getting on Link, I knew George was the higher priority.

The last of the clouds were clearing as we left the barn to mosey around Alimar. The snow was a nice cushion for George's bare feet and he was almost too enthusiastic for the ground conditions. I was glad he was feeling that good though, and it was funny to see the shadow of his tongue flapping the whole ride!



















We did several big laps around Alimar and he never put a foot wrong. I am cautiously optimistic that his strain has healed, but am well aware that moseying around the farm is not the same as working hard up climbs..

5.5 miles, 584 feet of climb, 5.5 mph average pace, 31F real feel


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## PoptartShop

Supposed to get snow here tonight too. Ugh! :sad: What a good boy George is!! I am so happy he's feeling better.  You will be back to those climbs soon enough! I think it's good you're getting him out as much as you can.


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## phantomhorse13

I have gotten saddle time both yesterday and today!

Yesterday, I went over to ride with Nicole. I rode Tegan and we did basically the same loop as last time.









As I expected, the real Tegan started to come out during this ride. We got about 1/3 of the way around the loop and his quarter ran out. He tried to turn for home and when that didn't work, he decided he no longer understood leg cues and refused to move forward. Knowing that was his normal pattern, I was carrying a whip. At the first tap, he tried to sling his head down but I was ready and was able to shut that down. We continued on.










Tegan had a couple more minor tantrums, but nothing too serious. I figure that will come next ride or maybe the one after that. 










5.35 miles, 390 feet of climb, 4.2 mph average pace, 33F real feel


Overnight, we got another nuisance storm that dropped 2-3 inches of snow. I decided to take Link out with George. It seemed like a good idea, but I was soon really sorry as Link was constantly trying to bite - I was having track flashbacks, only those pony horses at least get bite guards!!

It took Link several miles before he settled down even a bit..










Eventually, I got a few minutes at a time of good behavior, but it wasn't long before he was back at it. I am not sure if having given him the bit to play with would have helped, but I will def be trying that next time.










5.07 miles, 574 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 28F real feel


The wind was starting to really pick up as I finished with George and Link, so I was surprised when Gina called and asked if I wanted to ride. But she figured if we stayed in the woods or on the leeward side of the tree lines, it wouldn't be too bad.

I rode Amish and we went over to do the Big Square.









I haven't been that way in a while because of the biting dog, but we figured he would be inside because of the weather. Amish and Giselle both behaved very well.










6.92 miles, 801 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 18F real feel


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## Knave

I am looking forward to Tegan’s progress very much.


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## PoptartShop

Good job on riding out Tegan's little tantrums!  I think he will get better the more he goes out. He's so cute! Yay for getting Link out too. What good boys! Silly Link though! 

The snow can be annoying, but it really does look beautiful. You got a little more snow than we did! I'm dying to hit the trails before it gets all mushy. :lol: So happy you got so many rides in!!


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## Woodhaven

Phantom it looks like you got lots of saddle time over the last few days. Your trails look good too, not too much snow to make travelling difficult.
Sis and I got out for some nice rides over the weekend. Crops are finally off the fields so we can ride across to the woods where we spent some time clearing the trails and it was so nice, sunny, calm just enough snow to cushion the feet and the ground just firm enough not to sink in, no flies, what could be better.

We might get rain tomorrow so back to mud and slop again.

Of course we don't do the miles you do but still great to be out.


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## knightrider

> 18F real feel


Oh! My! Gosh!!! If I did even ONE ride with those temperatures, I'd be done for the day. And especially ponying a horse so you can't make balls of your fists to get your fingers warm! And a rambunctious colt so you can't take your feet out of the stirrups and roll them around to warm your toes. I am so impressed that you rode again a second time in those temperatures. I'd be frozen stiff after the first ride!


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## AndyTheCornbread

phantomhorse13 said:


> 18F real feel


Horse riding is something I do for fun at 18F it's not happening, not ever again. When I was a little kid in North Dakota we used to go get the cows on horseback and sometimes it was easily -20F. Even as a little tyke I swore when I got older I was never, ever going to ride horse in the cold if I could help it. I'm glad you are enjoying riding in that weather but you will find me reading a book until it is significantly warmer than that :smile:


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## Knave

Lol @AndyTheCornbread ! My oldest has the same feelings about riding in the cold.


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## knightrider

> Even as a little tyke I swore when I got older I was never, ever going to ride horse in the cold if I could help it.


I will gladly ride when it is 18 degrees, but not ponying a horse. When my feet get cold, I take them out of the stirrups. In fact, I think they should change it to "no stirrup January" because that's when I usually ride no stirrups.

BUT-----after that 18 degree ride, I'm done. It was great. It was fun. I got cold. Now I don't want to be cold any more. And I would never pony a horse when it is that cold. I have been known to ride a few fractious horses when it is that cold, but I wished I didn't have to.

My record is -6 below 0 F with a wind chill of -12 below. That was one day after church. I thought, "I can do this. It won't be so bad." I started riding, and stopped on top of a ridge with the wind searing right through me. "Why am I doing this? This is NO FUN." I went home.
@phantomhorse13, what is the coldest you have ridden and how did you feel about it?


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## AnitaAnne

knightrider said:


> Oh! My! Gosh!!! If I did even ONE ride with those temperatures, I'd be done for the day. And especially ponying a horse so you can't make balls of your fists to get your fingers warm! And a rambunctious colt so you can't take your feet out of the stirrups and roll them around to warm your toes. I am so impressed that you rode again a second time in those temperatures. I'd be frozen stiff after the first ride!





AndyTheCornbread said:


> Horse riding is something I do for fun at 18F it's not happening, not ever again. When I was a little kid in North Dakota we used to go get the cows on horseback and sometimes it was easily -20F. Even as a little tyke I swore when I got older I was never, ever going to ride horse in the cold if I could help it. I'm glad you are enjoying riding in that weather but you will find me reading a book until it is significantly warmer than that :smile:


Agree with both of you!! 

Went on a 6 hour trail ride when it was 19F (this was a good 20 years ago) and when I got off I nearly fell to the ground. My back was stiff as a board. I went home, took a very hot shower, and had a cup of hot chocolate in front of the fireplace. 

I didn't feel warm until the next day! 

@phantomhorse13 you are the superman of equestrians!! 


Link is so adorable! He seems to be taking to this trail riding like a duck to water. But George with his tongue wagging might be teaching him some bad habits! He may prefer the bit to play with.


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## Knave

We have one cattle drive every year that is usually very cold. Sometimes it has been as cold as -30. You are on a horse for several hours, and if the wind is blowing it is miserable. However, I now have heated clothes. They are a game changer. I have dreaded that ride for years, and now I look forward to it.

If you don’t already Phantom, you might want to invest in some of those items.


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## phantomhorse13

Woodhaven said:


> it was so nice, sunny, calm just enough snow to cushion the feet and the ground just firm enough not to sink in, no flies, what could be better.


This sounds lovely! I hope momma nature will continue to give you those conditions (and I wouldn't mind her sending them my way either).



knightrider said:


> And especially ponying a horse so you can't make balls of your fists to get your fingers warm! And a rambunctious colt so you can't take your feet out of the stirrups and roll them around to warm your toes.


I make sure to have the right gloves and finally found the right winter boots, so generally cold hands and feet isn't an issue. My tried and true boots finally fell apart last season, and of course they don't make that exact kind any more. I got another type which so far seems to be almost as good, but def fingers crossed as frozen feet are miserable.



AndyTheCornbread said:


> When I was a little kid in North Dakota we used to go get the cows on horseback and sometimes it was easily -20F.


Those temperatures are insane, though I know it's a different deal when it's work. I cannot imagine riding in those conditions!! I don't blame you for riding when its fun, as its just a hobby now (and those are supposed to be fun, or at least mostly fun).



knightrider said:


> what is the coldest you have ridden and how did you feel about it?


I went back through my yearly spreadsheets and found I have been keeping track of temperatures since 2016. The lowest I have recorded is 6F (and the highest is 121F).

I am not a fan of cold in general, but I do tend to get pretty warm when I ride (the joys of posting). I am most sensitive in terms of breathing hurting my lungs, so on many cold days I will jog a quick lap around the yard. If just that effort hurts, I figure its too cold to train and stay inside!



Knave said:


> We have one cattle drive every year that is usually very cold. Sometimes it has been as cold as -30. You are on a horse for several hours, and if the wind is blowing it is miserable. However, I now have heated clothes.


I can't imagine how you weren't frostbitten!! Being on a cattle drive is very different than what I am doing I would think, because don't you want to keep the cattle moving slow and steady, so would think its mostly walking? I would be an ice cube being at a walk that much!!


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## cbar

I think that translates to around -8 celsius. That is around where I draw the line for riding outside, but depends on the conditions. If it is sunny & no wind, no problem. If there is a breeze, I'm out. I've turned into such a baby when it come to the cold - my hands & toes just freeze. 

I'm glad to see you have gotten so much saddle time. I'm interested to see how Tegan is on your next ride - if tries to push the boundaries or behaves himself. 

Silly Link for being so mouthy. I often worry about that when ponying my mare, and keep a close eye on her as she is mouthy at the best of times. Hopefully next time the bit will keep him pre-occupied. What a turd.


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## Knave

I haven’t been frostbit, but it is slow and it felt terrible back before better clothes. When I was little we had a good dog who knew the trails, and at a certain point my father would build a fire and we let the dog go with the cows for a while.  My grandfather got frostbite when he felt sorry for a man working with him and lent him his overshoes one day. He regretted it forever and blamed it on his youth, and so we were always scolded to have good clothes.

Now, I find more shocking your high! I would just die!! I cannot even fathom that hot. I think my hottest day in my life has been 102, and I don’t think I rode.


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## phantomhorse13

Thursday, I went over to ride with Nicole. The snow had melted some but then frozen overnight, leaving places an icy mess. Knowing that Tegan would likely push the boundaries more with each ride, I was not thrilled with the idea of him having a tantrum where we may wind up on ice. We debated doing the same loop the other direction, but when there was a road crew working where we would need to pass in the first mile, I said no way.

Instead, I said we should climb the mountain. Tegan has really good feet and so far had not shown any sensitivity on the rocks and the snow would soften the footing a bit. And of course walking up such a hill would hopefully prevent tantrums!

Heading out, Tegan was very enthused, wanting to jog and needing reminding we start all rides at a walk to warm up. Polo, on the other hand, turned into a slug as soon as we turned in the direction of the mountain! But that meant the horses were able to travel side by side comfortably.










We got to the climb before Tegan's quarter ran out and I was pleased when he stayed in the lead for over half the climb! And he never balked, he just walked slowly enough Polo didn't want to stay behind him any more.










We got up the climb and managed about a half mile on the level before running into impassable ice (which is about what we expected). So we turned around and headed back.










Polo got a bit rammy heading home but Tegan was perfect! Very pleased with the ride.

4.44 miles, 640 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 23F real feel




Yesterday, I rode with Nicole and someone she invited up for a ride. Nicole had originally owned the woman's horse and they used to ride together at times, so when the rider reached out for some advice on trail etiquette and pacing, Nicole felt obligated to help.

Since my boys aren't shod yet and I didn't want to put Tegan in a situation that might encourage him to misbehave, I asked Gina if I could borrow Amish. She agreed! So everyone hauled over to ride here. 

The weather was more than 10 degrees above normal and the sun was shining as we headed out. I decided the space needle loop would have the best footing, as there was still snow and ice. From the start, I realized the ride was not going to be the relaxing one hoped for, as the first words out of the other rider's mouth (as her horse shot away from the mounting block and charged around in circles) was "he likes to go first." I have learned that term actually means 'I have no control over my horse at all.'

As I feared, the rider had very little control and even though she had come asking for help with pacing, she didn't even attempt to listen to anything suggested. The only time another horse was in the lead was if her horse balked at something (such as stalling climbing the hills, as the horse would start at a run and then fade to a standstill).










I did my best to offer suggestions but they didn't result in even the slightest change. Amish was not impressed by the horse repeated barging ahead and he spent the entire ride jigging and fussing to the point I have blisters on 4 fingers! I kept repeating to the rider that Amish wasn't fit and needed to be doing a flat walk as a breather, but her horse wouldn't walk more than a couple strides before he was charging off again and Amish was back to jigging.










If she had known the trails, I would have just told her to go off on her own - I was that frustrated. After her horse balked at going past a burn barrel on the way home, I insisted she get behind Amish, which I had hoped meant Amish would have a chance to relax and flat walk down the hill.. 










Instead, it just meant that horse was literally bouncing off Amish's hind end, which was hardly calming!! And I worried the other horse might step on him and do damage, so I gave up and sent her back to the front. I was so happy to get home and be finished with the ride.

After getting their horses loaded, I was floored when the rider thanked me for all the good advice and help! It was all I could do to squeak out a shocked goodbye. I found out later from Nicole that the rider thought the ride was a great success. Nicole - who hadn't had any fun either - asked her why she didn't listen to anything I had told her about pacing and waiting for the group etc and the woman looked perplexed and just she just figured we would eventually catch up!! :confused_color:

And people wonder why I prefer to ride alone.. :dance-smiley05:

12.07 miles, 1581 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 43F real feel


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## Knave

Oh that is terrible! I don’t know how you put up with those sorts of rides.


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## AnitaAnne

It seems as if someone had a "good ride", but can't imagine what her "bad rides" are! 

You are a saint to put up with all this stress. 

Amish, however, looks really good! Haven't seen a side picture in a while, but sure looking good in this one.


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## Celeste

@phantomhorse13 I used to have a grade mare what would get jiggy and practically rattle your teeth out when other horses insisted on leading the way a bit too fast. I rode with one woman. (It was our first ride together and our last ride together.) She tended to do the same thing -- pay no attention to anybody else and their comfort. She wouldn't walk. Her horse was gaited, so she just gaited. And I jigged. For 10 miles. I asked her to slow down and give me a breather. She just laughed. 

What she didn't know was that grade mare could run like the proverbial bat escaped from the lair of Hades. So I let her go. It was breathtaking how fast she went. And she had no intention of slowing down. 

At that point, I looked back. Ms. Know-it-all was back there kicking and yelling and getting smaller and smaller. When we got to my road, I turned right and left her to her own devices. 

I heard that she talked about me being rude. Lol.


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## PoptartShop

Ugh, I posted a response & then got an error. Grrr!

Yay for Tegan keeping up with the climb though!  What a good boy. Love the last picture of you & him, so cute! He looks so comfy.

Wow, she thought that ride was a 'success'?! :icon_rolleyes: Is she delirious?! I can't stand people like that. You just wanted a nice, relaxing ride on Amish & then bam...

More power to you for putting up with her! I always ride alone anymore, but I have ridden with some people like that - it's almost not worth bringing them! I would've been floored!


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## AndyTheCornbread

My main riding horse has a really fast walk, he goes 4.5 - 5mph at a walk and he really steps it out. Non-gaited horses usually have to trot to keep up with him and no he isn't gaited, he just really reaches deep into his walk. For this reason I often hate riding with other people because you play the slinky game, e.g. let him go at his walk speed, stop and let him graze until the other horses catch up and then let him walk again, stop and wait for everybody to catch up, wash rise repeat. He doesn't care if there are horses in front of him so long as they keep a good pace and he doesn't mind if horses follow him so long as they don't ride up his rear. He even rides OK side by side on dirt roads with some of my other horses but he has a ground covering walk speed where he just relaxes and covers ground and he doesn't like to alter it. He will if I ask him but it isn't his favorite. 

So I feel your pain, riding with people with slow horses gets on my nerves and people who have horses that can't control themselves is a huge pet peeve of mine. Control over a horse is an illusion, what really happens is the horse can control itself and wants to do what the rider asks. It looks like the rider is controlling the horse but really the rider just makes suggestions and a well behaved horse follows those suggestions happily and immediately. A well trained horse is completely in control of itself at all times, a poorly trained horse, not so much and I prefer to not ride with people with poorly trained horses if I can help it.


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## phantomhorse13

Knave said:


> I don’t know how you put up with those sorts of rides.


Thank goodness I don't have to very often. I don't mind teaching people who want to learn, but my saying the same thing over and over and still not seeing even the slightest change is hugely frustrating.



AnitaAnne said:


> Amish, however, looks really good! Haven't seen a side picture in a while, but sure looking good in this one.


I agree he looks great. Unfortunately, Gina thinks he is too skinny; she likes her horses to be a 7-8 BCS and has already increased his feed. :|



Celeste said:


> I asked her to slow down and give me a breather. She just laughed ... What she didn't know was that grade mare could run like the proverbial bat escaped from the lair of Hades. So I let her go ... When we got to my road, I turned right and left her to her own devices. I heard that she talked about me being rude.


OMG I love this story!! Rude indeed. Idiot.



AndyTheCornbread said:


> It looks like the rider is controlling the horse but really the rider just makes suggestions and a well behaved horse follows those suggestions happily and immediately. A well trained horse is completely in control of itself at all times, a poorly trained horse, not so much and I prefer to not ride with people with poorly trained horses if I can help it.


Yes! So many people don't seem to understand that. I never want to make a horse into a robot, but I also don't want to ride with someone who it literally a passenger.


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## phantomhorse13

This weekend, momma nature gave us a spring preview with temperatures literally double or normal highs. I took advantage of the weather to clip both George and Phin, which was a nice change from doing so in freezing temperatures. Sunday morning, the farrier came and got shoes back on the boys - so it was time to ride!

Sunday afternoon, DH and I got George and Phin out. I changed some things on the Pandora since the last ride - center fire rigging and from a double pommel bag to a cantle bag and smaller pommel bags (hopefully reducing the bouncing). Phin didn't react to the girth being in a slightly different spot, and the girth seems to sit just behind that troublesome ridge of muscle.

The sun was shining but the wind was roaring. Temperatures had been slowly dropping all day, but it was still 15 degrees above normal real feel when we left the barn. I was thrilled to have company for Phin's first outing. We moseyed around the Sugarloaf.










Phin was really well behaved despite the wind. While he was happy to take the lead, he wasn't silly.










I was thrilled that the saddlebags did not seem to move at all - hopefully this configuration will work better long-term.










On the way home, we stopped at Alimar to pick up some stuff Gina had for us. Since Phin had been so good, I decided to try carrying the rattling plastic bag on the saddle with me for the trip home. He was suspicious and kept an ear on the potential monster, but he didn't react beyond that. And after a bit, he was much more interested in eating the greenery along the way! 










6.35 miles, 1158 feet of climb, 3.8 mph average pace, 45F real feel


Today, I went over to ride with Nicole. I rode Tegan. We decided on the back mountain loop as the ice would be melted so we could do the whole loop (and it wasn't likely to be that way again when temperatures return to normal later this week).










Tegan was a little bit on his toes to start, but was totally chill by the time we got to the top of the climb.  Once onto the flat, we remembered that puddles do not actually contain sharks and walking through them was ok.










We went down the switchbacks in the lead and Tegan continued in the front into the woods despite the puddles. There was some nice trail between the wet spots and I was really pleased with how confident he was.










So pleased, that I decided it was time for Nicole to get on him. She was a bit taken aback, but I didn't give her the chance to say no. So we trekked home with me in the lead on Polo (who was not happy to be made to flat walk). Tegan and Nicole did great! We even trotted in a few places with no drama.










3.37 miles, 541 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 34F real feel (Tegan)
2.39 miles, 79 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 34F real feel (Polo)


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## phantomhorse13

Tuesday, I got George out. It was supposed to be sunny and pleasant but instead was cloudy, damp and chilly. We went over to the Tomhicken to do the yellow gate loop.










We walked all the climbs and jogged the flats. There were lots of puddles to bend around as everything is still hopelessly wet.










On the way back, I paused to clear a new piece of trail connecting the top and bottom logging roads, as the previous trail is now dangerous. Apparently someone bought the lot and are building a house, as not only have trees been cleared but what I assume are post holes have been dug around the perimeter (marked by those pink flags).










George was a bit silly at times as he didn't like having to walk, so was spooking at blowing leaves or nothing at all. But overall did very well and was happy to be out, as evidenced by the flapping tongue.

9.86 miles, 1440 feet of climb, 5.2 mph average pace, 30F real feel


Yesterday, Nicole picked up Phin and we went down to ride at Blue Marsh. This was the first Phin has hauled for a conditioning ride, so I wasn't sure how he would react. I am not sure he'd ever been on a step up trailer before, but he loaded and unloaded calmly. When we first arrived, I think he expected to be at ride camp, so the empty parking lot was a big surprise!

Phin stood at the trailer pretty quietly, only keeping an ear on the passing traffic behind him. Tacking up was uneventful and the day was warming quickly.










The woman leasing Hombre met us there and all of us headed out. She has trail riding experience but wants to get into distance riding, so had lots of questions. Because the gaited horses outwalk Phin, we brought up the rear. The trail system circles a big lake, so there is lots of pretty scenery.










Phin was a little bit up to start with, but soon figured out this wasn't the oddest endurance ride ever. He heaved a big sigh and relaxed.










We trotted on the flats where the ground allowed and walked the hills. That meant Polo and Hombre were far ahead by the end of the climbs.










I had to laugh at this picture, as Phin has started to pick up George's tongue flapping at times! Guess this is his opinion of posing for a picture.










Phin was fantastic all day. He even had a show-off moment when we came around a corner to find several huge white ducks sitting on the edges of a bridge. Polo and Hombre both spooked hard and really wanted to turn and flee. Phin went right past them with my urging and marched right up to the ducks. I expected them to move when we approached, but instead they hissed and flapped their wings! Phin's head went up and he was whistling with every breath (the sound he makes when he's nervous because of his previous head injury), but he kept going when I asked him and led the other horses past the monsters!!

After that, fallen logs weren't so scary. :wink:










While some places were muddy, a lot of the footing was lovely. It was very hard to resist the urge to do some yahooing. The sun was shining and it was so warm that I soon shed my jacket.










Once back at the trailer, Phin stood quietly despite the tractor trailers roaring by. He ate his snack with vigor and then loaded without issue. I could not be more pleased with how the ride went. [The woman leasing Hombre did great with him, so Nicole has agreed to lease him to her for the season. I think that will be fantastic for them both and hope to ride more with them in the future.]










12.38 miles, 1512 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 50F real feel


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## PoptartShop

Good boy Tegan!!  He really is starting to gain more confidence. I think you riding him & getting him through these things is very helpful. & yay for Nicole getting on him! She looks happy! :loveshower: Silly George spooking at blowing leaves. :lol: It's nice he got out though.
I am thrilled that Phin is doing better too, between all the wind & the scary plastic bag (that wasn't so scary after all!), he handled that like a champ! Look at him leading the others through things too. What a good boy. Such fantastic rides, and beautiful ones at that!


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## AnitaAnne

WOOT! Finally a ride with a newbie without drama and trauma!! You must have been thrilled! Phin is looking so mature, how old is he now? 


But tongue wagging? :rofl: You absolutely must get a video of George and Phin doing the tongue wag 

So nice to hear you had a good ride with good weather, and Phin faced down some ducks! Would have loved to see that too :wink:


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## SwissMiss

Sounds like a fantastic ride! With beautiful scenery to boot.
Poor confused Phin :rofl: I guess you don't haul him for "just" riding... And I love his tongue!


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## QueenofFrance08

So glad you finally got to ride with a new person who wasn't just pure trouble! 

Good boy Phin! 

Apparently the tongue thing must be an endurance horse habit as my most recent pictures of Comet and Chico being ridden both have their tongues sticking out!


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## AndyTheCornbread

What is the line/two different colors on your horse from?


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## phantomhorse13

PoptartShop said:


> yay for Nicole getting on him!


Nicole getting on him was a huge deal - I was really proud of her. But its almost a catch-22, as I think she needs to sell him.. so her riding him successfully probably makes that decision that much harder for her.



AnitaAnne said:


> Phin is looking so mature, how old is he now?


Phin will be 12 in April. Time flies!



SwissMiss said:


> Poor confused Phin :rofl: I guess you don't haul him for "just" riding


Because I can ride right off the property, I do that because its easier. But I really need to start hauling him out to train now and again to get him more comfortable on the trailer. While he loads readily and doesn't kick or fuss in trailer, he doesn't eat much during travel so I know he's not totally relaxed about it. And how is he going to get better about it if we only haul him for competitions?



AndyTheCornbread said:


> What is the line/two different colors on your horse from?


Phin is trace clipped (as that makes cooling him after conditioning rides so much easier). The shorter hair doesn't hold the dirt and stain like the longer hair, so makes him two-toned. :hide:



AnitaAnne said:


> But tongue wagging?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> You absolutely must get a video of George and Phin doing the tongue wag


Don't have any video of Phin, but you can see George doing it repeatedly in this video (first happening at 0:26 seconds in):


----------



## phantomhorse13

Momma nature has not been very happy lately. Our temps went back down to normal and Thursday we had insane winds: 25+ mph sustained with gusts as high as 60! Friday was supposed to have been better and I planned to ride, but 20 mph wind with real feels in the single digits was really not better IMO. The mystery storm was due yesterday morning, but the wind dropped before its arrival and I cajoled DH into riding right after breakfast.

When we left the barn it was cold but calm with ominous clouds in the distance. I had wanted a ride with less climbing and more places we could maintain the trot, so we started in Spaulings with the plan to go around the Sugarloaf and then down across the farm. 

Phin was cranked to start with, which wasn't a surprise knowing the storm was coming. Normally he's calmer with company, so I can't imagine what he would have been like alone! We hadn't even gone a mile when the wind picked up and the snow started falling. Ironically, that helped Phin to settle, though he made it very clear he wanted to head for home.










DH also wanted to head home, but I said since we were already out we might as well keep on. DH was not happy about being out in the open, so we compromised by heading for the Sugarloaf to stay out of the wind as much as possible.

@*AnitaAnne* you had asked about George's tongue flapping.. I wasn't kidding when I said it happens a lot of the time he's being ridden:









Notice DH doesn't appear to be having the fun George is! :rofl:

The snow was really falling as we moseyed up the Sugarloaf and then down the other side.






There was probably a good inch on the ground by the time we headed for home. The wind was pretty unpleasant in the open.










I had expected Phin to get rammy on the way home but he behaved himself remarkably well. The wind coming across the airport strip was horrible, so I wasn't sorry to be finishing.










7.05 miles, 1165 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 14F real feel


When I pulled Phin's saddle, I was horrified to find a patch of blood on his back!! Upon closer inspection, this is what I found:









 

I inspected the underside of the pad expecting to find something had worked under. I found nothing other than a corresponding blood mark. Looking at the saddle, I realized the mark was under the center of where the new rear pack sits. Shiitake!!

I got out the clippers so I could get a better look at the area and confirmed my suspicion. It is a huge friction burn:









I was horrified beyond words - it was all I could do to not burst into tears. At no point had Phin fussed even the slightest bit and that had to hurt like h#ll!!

 

Needless to say, that pack has been removed from the saddle. I am not sure yet if I am going to try a different pack or just go back to the kind I had originally. Thinking about makes my stomach roll over, as I sure don't want to torture him with more experimentation!


----------



## egrogan

Phin!!!!! Poor guy. Glad you figured it out so fast though. Quick healing


----------



## Knave

I’m sorry that happened!


----------



## AnitaAnne

OMG! Poor Phin...I can't imagine how that must have hurt :frown_color: Do you think his agitation at the beginning was him fussing about the rub? 

That looks so big :frown_color: you must be just sick about it :frown_color: 

Phin gets two carrots, and apple and a thick coating of Corona ointment. 

Hope he heals fast. 

The pictures of George are great, he does look so happy :smile: Sounds like a bitter cold ride though, your DH doesn't look too unhappy


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## QueenofFrance08

Poor Phin! It's almost more frustrating when they don't tell you that something is wrong because you can't make it stop. 

Your DH feels about the same way about winter riding as mine. I think his face looked identical to the pictures you posted when I made him ride around the yard last weekend!


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## PoptartShop

George is so cute with his tongue flapping! :lol: You can definitely tell Phin was alert! It has been super windy lately, your DH definitely doesn't look too thrilled! :rofl: 

Oh my, poor Phin!  Maybe that's a contributing factor as to why he was a bit more apprehensive? But regardless, glad you figured out what it was, that darn pack! I hope he heals quickly. :sad: I would've been freaking out!! Of all the things, I'm sure you didn't expect to see that!


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> Do you think his agitation at the beginning was him fussing about the rub?


While of course I can never be sure, I tend to think not. He's normally pretty hyped before storms or even just on windy days. Now had he gotten worse and worse as the ride went on I would have believed that was why. :|


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I got both boys out. Of course I can't put a saddle on Phin, so he got ponied instead. I wasn't sure how the footing would be, so we just trekked around the Sugarloaf.










The footing was really nice where no vehicles had been. The boys were very good.










6.61 miles, 948 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 14F real feel


Once I finished with the boys, I was finally able to work Link! He did very well coming into the barn to be tacked. While he takes the bit nicely, he still tends to chomp on it a lot. While this keeps him from wanting to chew on the rope, my coat, etc, I am hoping the bit @*Tazzie* is sending will make him happier. We went out to the round pen and I was thrilled he remembered all his lessons.



















I was really impressed how much he retained from the previous ground driving lesson! He was much less fussy about steering and moved forward much more confidently.


----------



## Tazzie

I'm really hoping he likes this bit too! Everyone who has tried it before said how much their horse loved it! And Izzie did too. I'm sure Diego would have, but I didn't want to go through the hassle of finding another bit since that one won't work for us! It's going out tomorrow (one more 12 hour day, and then a normal day of work lol)


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## phantomhorse13

Tazzie said:


> It's going out tomorrow


No worries! Momma nature is sending the next storm this weekend and then temps are forecast to be above normal. If that is true, the ground will be back to a muddy mess and I won't be able to work Link anyway. I am so over mud!!


----------



## PoptartShop

How's Phin healing up? It's good you still got him out even though you couldn't ride. Footing looks nice too! Look at Link go!  Super impressive! I hope the bit works out too. He looks great.


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## AnitaAnne

Link is such a cutie! I love a red gelding  Seems so level headed too, so interesting to watch you start a young horse.


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## phantomhorse13

PoptartShop said:


> How's Phin healing up?


Today the spot isn't sensitive to the touch any more, so that made me happy. Its still pretty bald though..



AnitaAnne said:


> Seems so level headed too


Link definitely wants to please, though he can be a bit reactive sometimes. His worst habit is the [email protected] head flipping that he learned from Raven. He does it if he's anxious or bored, even loose in the paddock. I am amazed he doesn't have shaken baby syndrome, watching him doing it over and over sometimes. :???:


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## tim62988

saddle bag: is that the normal pad that you use? looks like the rear bag was pretty well over the pad just seems odd to rub through the pad.

do you get used to the front bag being against your knees?

i love my rear one but also have lots of space on the back of the coolback pad so the bag is on the pad I believe and did you adjust the straps tighter when you switched to center fire? could that have added more slack so more space to slide

just some thoughts, wishing you the best of luck but on the bright side it happened in january not in the spring/summer or at a ride


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## phantomhorse13

tim62988 said:


> saddle bag: is that the normal pad that you use? looks like the rear bag was pretty well over the pad just seems odd to rub through the pad.
> 
> do you get used to the front bag being against your knees?
> 
> did you adjust the straps tighter when you switched to center fire?


That is the pad I normally use for training rides. I use a matrix pad for competitions. I agree its so strange to get a rub through a pad, but leave it to Mr Sensitive to do the unusual!

I learned to tolerate the pommel bag against my knees, but I always wondered how annoying they were for Phin's shoulder, since they do move around. Guess I should be happy they didn't rub his shoulders!!

I have never used a rear pack on Phin before - that got added a couple weeks ago when I went to the center fire rigging. I snugged the pack down as hard as I could, but its too wide to be able to keep totally off his back. The first two rides it seemed ok, but I suspect damage was being done and I just didn't poke exactly the right spot when checking for soreness. :frown_color:


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I went out to work with Link first thing while the ground was still frozen. He came into the barn quietly and stood just ground tied in the stall to be saddles. I decided to clip his bridle path. The clippers have never been his favorite thing, but I was thrilled that he didn't toss his head at all today! Guess he has decided the tickling is worth it for the cookie it gets him (the only time mr mouthy is ever fed a treat by hand).

We went out to the round pen and did a bit of free longeing. Link was pretty lazy from the start, which was a surprise - he normally needs a few minutes to work through some high spirits and get down to business. Nicole had loaned me some real driving lines, so I tried them out for the first time. They are leather, so much heavier than the rope I had been using. Don't know if it was the weight or just a general lack of enthusiasm, but Link did a lot of head tossing. [Just because it's hard to tell from the pictures, I want to clarify that I am not attaching anything to the bit at this point. The reins go through the bit Ds and clip to sidepull rings in his halter.] The new reins were apparently heavy enough to act like an anchor, as getting forward movement took a lot of coaxing! :icon_rolleyes:






After ground driving, Link got unhooked and given a moment to snack and relax. I then did a bit of free longeing to try to find forward. While he went when I asked, he stopped as soon as I took the pressure off. I decided to take advantage of Link's chill attitude and climbed on.















Certainly we have lots of things to work on, but overall I am super pleased with how his first solo ride went. I just wish I could somehow erase that blasted head flipping!!


Next up were George and Phin. I decided to take advantage of the frozen ground and go over to ride the Big Square.










As we jogged along a treeline dividing some of the fields, I was surprised when a bald eagle flew across our path! The bird flew down a bit and landed again, watching us approach. I was able to get this (blurry) picture before he flew off again:









That sure put a smile on my face!!

The boys were on their best behavior and we continued around the fields and back home without incident.










6.56 miles, 741 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 30F real feel


----------



## AnitaAnne

YAY Link! HE is doing so well! Such a kid but he will be ready to go out on the trails soon, I think he likes it out and about much better than the ring...


Real feel of 30F is just so cold! I guess lots of posting warms you up.


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## carshon

Yeah Link! The head flipping will subside I am sure -as his confidence grows he won't need to do it. He is such a handsome fella!


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## PoptartShop

YAYY!! Look at Link go!  So proud of you guys. He really is coming along nicely, I think the head flinging will stop eventually too as he gets used to everything. Promise used to do it a lot when I first got her (I used to call her a giraffe!). You are such a relaxed rider & he will soon realize there's no need to throw his head up every two seconds. :lol: It'll get better. I think you guys are making great progress. He seems relaxed & calm, which is awesome. He's doing good with the ground driving too! So fun!! He's a good boy. I'm glad Phin is healing up nicely too, and still gets to enjoy all the scenery! Love the bald eagles!!


----------



## Aprilswissmiss

I used to exercise a driving pony who was _always_ head flipping. Apparently it was something he had done all of his life, and it never stopped with training or age. Before they got too far into his training, they had him seen by multiple specialist vets and even sent him half way across the country to stay at a vet school (!!) so they could rule out a neurological condition or pain/discomfort. No answers came of it. He was still head-flipping everywhere for no reason; in his stall, in the pasture, while being worked. As a last-ditch effort, they threw a nose net on his bridle (surprised they didn't try this before the thousands of dollars spent on sending him to a vet school) and he has not head-flipped a single time while being exercised since. He still flings his head around in all other situations, but as long as he has his nose net on, he's perfect! Might be worth a shot.


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## Celeste

You have had some amazing rides. The eagle is something that you don't see every day!

I think that Link did great! You got on him and rode him. He was confused and had no idea what to do. So he expressed his nervousness with a little bit of head flipping. That is so much better than bucking, rearing, or bolting off. I used to start horses many years ago. Any that I had that were that good on the first real ride ended up being great horses.


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> Real feel of 30F is just so cold! I guess lots of posting warms you up.


Temperature is all relative. That 30 felt pretty warm compared to the previous few days and it was dry - damp really chills me the older I get.



Aprilswissmiss said:


> I used to exercise a driving pony who was _always_ head flipping. As a last-ditch effort, they threw a nose net on his bridle


Huh, I never thought about him potentially being a Head Shaker, as in the syndrome. I will have to do some research about age it starts etc and starting praying that isn't the issue!!



Celeste said:


> He was confused and had no idea what to do. So he expressed his nervousness with a little bit of head flipping. That is so much better than bucking, rearing, or bolting off.


I couldn't agree more! The head flipping is annoying but it's not dangerous. Hopefully its just a phase..


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I went riding with Gina. I rode Amish and she rode Giselle. We started out planning to do the space needle loop, but due to some ice, we tried a different way - a way I had only been once before. It was fun to rediscover some new trails.










The newer piece connected two well known sections, so should give me more loop options. Once we got down onto the Tomhicken trail, we were pleased to find we could get around the icy places without too much issue.










We were surprised to find bear tracks! Guess the warmer than normal weather has them out and about when you would normally expect them to be hibernating.










Amish was a good boy, moseying along and only having a couple spooks. Giselle, however, is still not herself. Very frustrating for Gina..

10.72 miles, 1309 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 31F real feel


----------



## egrogan

phantomhorse13 said:


> We were surprised to find bear tracks! Guess the warmer than normal weather has them out and about when you would normally expect them to be hibernating.


 Ugh, I have been hoping that doesn't happen here! Can't have the electric fence up around my barn to protect the chickens with snow sliding off the roof, but I don't want bears coming looking for corn or grain while it's down. 

I was laughing about the temperature conversation too. It was almost 30*F this morning and it felt GREAT to go out to do chores without a coat or gloves on :rofl: It truly is all relative.


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## PoptartShop

Looks like a fun snowy trail!  It's fun to explore new ones. Crazy about the bear tracks though, not something you see all the time! Sorry to hear Giselle still isn't feeling like herself! :sad:


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## Saigold

@phantomhorse13 how are you able to write txt between photos, instead of all the pics being tacked on at the bottom? teach me lol


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## AndyTheCornbread

Saigold said:


> @phantomhorse13 how are you able to write txt between photos, instead of all the pics being tacked on at the bottom? teach me lol


She is using embed codes to embed Flickr hosted photos rather than using this site's photo upload.


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## phantomhorse13

AndyTheCornbread said:


> Saigold said:
> 
> 
> 
> how are you able to write txt between photos, instead of all the pics being tacked on at the bottom? teach me lol
> 
> 
> 
> She is using embed codes to embed Flickr hosted photos rather than using this site's photo upload.
Click to expand...

This exactly. I am currently using Flickr but there are a few other free photo hosting sites online. Just find the imbed code for the picture and then click on the yellow postcard/picture icon over the HF text box and put that imbed code into the box that pops up. The will also work for any image you find randomly on the internet.

For example, I have an pic of my cat on my old webpage that is located at : https://www.bookwyrm.org/phantom/pics/misc/pets/legend.gif

If instead of pasting the url into the body of this message, I instead click on that yellow picture icon and put the url into the pop up window, you get this:










and then can simply type around it!


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## phantomhorse13

egrogan said:


> Ugh, I have been hoping that doesn't happen here! Can't have the electric fence up around my barn to protect the chickens with snow sliding off the roof, but I don't want bears coming looking for corn or grain while it's down.
> 
> I was laughing about the temperature conversation too. It was almost 30*F this morning and it felt GREAT to go out to do chores without a coat or gloves on :rofl: It truly is all relative.


Oh jeez, having bears come visit with your chickens would be terrible!! Hopefully it's cold enough up there that they stay asleep.

Crazy when 30F feels wonderful. What is this storm doing up your way this weekend? Are you getting rain or snow? Hopefully not ice.


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## egrogan

phantomhorse13 said:


> Oh What is this storm doing up your way this weekend? Are you getting rain or snow? Hopefully not ice.


Freezing rain —> Rain —> Wintery mix

Boo


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## Saigold

Tha is for explaining! I don’t have an online hosting server. So I guess I’ll stick to the regular way of uploading the pics!


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## knightrider

> His worst habit is the [email protected] head flipping that he learned from Raven. He does it if he's anxious or bored, even loose in the paddock. I am amazed he doesn't have shaken baby syndrome, watching him doing it over and over sometimes.


I had a white appaloosa that used to do that. I bought her as a yearling and kept her all her life. She got a lot better as she got older. She mostly did it in her paddock when things annoyed her. I hope Link quits doing it. My horse's head flipping never got in the way of anything I wanted to do with her. She could do just about anything. She won me a versatility belt buckle one year for getting the most points in English Pleasure, Western Pleasure, Hunter Over Fences and Speed. She was also a fantastic fox hunting horse. And we did competitive trail and one time won 2nd place out of 63 riders. And jousted (but not the best at jousting).


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## cbar

Link looks great!! How old is he - I can't recall! 

Wow, that is crazy that Phin got a rub like that - he is uber sensitive skinned!!! I can now understand why you were having so many issues with the girth! 

Is there a time frame for when you hope to be competing with Link? I know horses don't always adhere to our schedules, but just curious if you have some tentative goals for him?


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> She mostly did it in her paddock when things annoyed her. I hope Link quits doing it. My horse's head flipping never got in the way of anything I wanted to do with her.


I certainly see it as a sign of frustration and/or boredom. I guess at least he is wearing his heart on his sleeve as opposed to internalizing and then 'suddenly' exploding..



cbar said:


> Link looks great!! How old is he - I can't recall! Is there a time frame for when you hope to be competing with Link? I know horses don't always adhere to our schedules, but just curious if you have some tentative goals for him?


Link will be 4 the beginning of May. In a perfect world, I would love to get him to an LD at the end of this season, but considering I can't currently even get him to walk around the round pen once, that seems like quite a lofty goal at this moment! :lol:


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I got out to work with Link early before the ground got any messier. He was a bit fussy in the stall, doing a lot of head flipping. I was expecting some silliness when we got out into the round pen, but I was pleasantly surprised that he settled right into work. He wasn't quite as lazy as the last time, but was still more whoa than go. I didn't do much free longeing before moving to ground driving.






I cannot get over how ridiculous I look!! :rofl: Even knowing what I am doing and why, its pretty silly to see - some parts make me think of that prancercise woman.. But I guess whatever works right?! :dance-smiley05:

After a brief break, I hopped on. While Link still lacks much enthusiasm, I think I see some improvement.






A close up of how I am currently working him in terms of line/rein attachment:









Overall I think the lesson went ok. I will take a lack of enthusiasm over a rodeo any time!


Next up was George and Phin. The ground was rapidly getting messy, so I went over to the Tomhicken to do a modified space needle loop, as I hoped that would give me the best footing.










The boys were very well behaved and I am happy to say it was a totally uneventful ride.










The weather warmed up tremendously, which was pretty crazy considering the snow on the ground:






12.43 miles, 1585 feet of climb, 5.2 mph average pace, 43F real feel


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## gottatrot

phantomhorse13 said:


> Even knowing what I am doing and why, its pretty silly to see - some parts make me think of that prancercise woman.. But I guess whatever works right?!


Ha ha, I know, when I'm stomping my feet because it's helping both my horse and I get into a good rhythm on the long lines, I am thinking "I sure hope no one is watching..." Oh great, now I'm going to always think of prancercise...


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## PoptartShop

Link is definitely improving!  That's definitely what you want, no rodeo please! :lol:He also doesn't seem frustrated, I think he's just adjusting to it still, feeling it all out. I hope the new bit helps too. He looks really calm & relaxed, which is great. He's a good boy. OMG I love the ground driving video. LOL cracked me up! :rofl: It is definitely funny to see ourselves sometimes...but it works! 

Phin looks so cute alongside you & George. What a nice ride!


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## phantomhorse13

gottatrot said:


> Oh great, now I'm going to always think of prancercise...


Happy to share the horrible mental image!


----------



## AndyTheCornbread

https://youtu.be/o-50GjySwew?t=143


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## AndyTheCornbread

or even better yet, LOL! :smile:

https://youtu.be/cIXIZ_8aGM8?t=100


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## egrogan

Ohhhhh male prancercize! Glad to share the humiliation equitably!

And I love the expressions on the faces of those saintly horses-“what in the world is wrong with you fools?!”


----------



## Dragoon

Never heard of Prancercise before....OMG!
Those people were serious, eh?

For a moment I thought we would see the horses trample them in their flight away from the drone! No prancing then, time to run!

Funnily, this is how I often walked to school, riding my imaginary horse named Dragoon. In like, Grade 2...
Too much information? Yeah, I'll stop there...


----------



## Knave

Oh my! I had no idea what that really was! Wow


----------



## Knave

Oh @Dragoon , that is exactly where my head went! Being little and playing horse. Even the ownership of actual horses did not keep us from playing “horse” too. In the arenas we played team roper and we played bucking horse and everything else you could imagine. Lol.


----------



## phantomhorse13

egrogan said:


> And I love the expressions on the faces of those saintly horses-“what in the world is wrong with you fools?!”


Sometimes there is no doubt at all what the horses are thinking!! :grin:



Dragoon said:


> Never heard of Prancercise before....OMG!
> Funnily, this is how I often walked to school, riding my imaginary horse named Dragoon. In like, Grade 2...


I used to play that way as a child too! I had a whole herd of imaginary horses of various breeds.. and I won't mention the random household objects that became jumps or cows to herd, etc.


----------



## phantomhorse13

On Sunday, the rain finally quit (just shy of 2 inches - ugh). I asked DH if he would bring Sultan over to Gina's arena with Link and me as I thought having a buddy along might help him settle better. Its been a long while since I have taken him anywhere in hand, so I expected some silly. 

The bit @*Tazzie* was kind enough to send (a french link with a copper roller vs a lozenge in the center) had arrived on Saturday, so of course I wouldn't wait to try it out. Watching the expression on Link's face as he realized it was something new was pretty funny. He quickly figured out the roller and had a blast playing (at least I assume that is what he was doing, as it was a different motion and sound than the previous chomping). I was thrilled there was no head flipping at all while I groomed him and got the pad and surcingle on!

The walk over to Gina's was a bit animated but nothing too bad. It was quite windy, so there was lots to look at suspiciously. Link did a bit of head flipping when I wouldn't let him jig around. When we got to the arena, I did a bit of ground work on the line with Sultan nearby to get Link into work mode. Next up was a bit of longe work, as I wanted to make sure any silliness was over before ground driving. Link is one who wants to climb in your pocket when he is worried, so he didn't want to make a very big circle, but he did his best to listen and didn't do anything too silly even when random banging started up inside the barn.

Ground driving was a bit of a mess, as Link really wanted to climb on top of Sultan once I was behind him instead of beside him. But he eventually got things figured out.






On the way home, we played obstacle course as I asked him to walk in all the puddles and to weave between the corn stubble, etc. We even played king of the (small) hill!










DH and I both felt there was less head flipping overall, so hopefully being able to play with the bit roller is helping!


Monday, I got George and Phin out. The weather seemed to be clearing as I left the barn, but it was just a tease as clouds soon filled back in and started spitting snow. It was still quite windy, so the snow was especially unpleasant hitting our faces.










I decided to mosey up the Sugarloaf instead of the original plan (which would have had us out in the open more). That protected us from some of the miserable wind.










The boys were fairly unenthusiastic, which I couldn't blame them for. But it made for an uneventful ride, which is always my favorite!

6.62 miles, 1276 feet of climb, 4.2 mph average pace, 21F real feel


Yesterday was another damp, windy day with off and on snow showers. I had to really psych myself into riding as I knew it would be unpleasant. George and Phin were very focused on home.










We went across the farm and over to climb the Tomhicken. We haven't been on this trail in a while so I was pleased to find the trees that had come down were passable. I was also happy to be in the woods for one particularly heavy snow shower.










The boys were a bit cranked when we turned for home, so we detoured to climb the Sugarloaf. That changed their mind about being silly the rest of the way home!

8.07 miles, 1667 feet of climb, 4.4 mph average pace, 23F real feel


----------



## Tazzie

I'd agree, it does look like he's flinging his head less!! I hope he continues liking the bit! It is funny the first time they are met with a roller haha!


----------



## AnitaAnne

Dragoon said:


> Never heard of Prancercise before....OMG!
> Those people were serious, eh?
> 
> For a moment I thought we would see the horses trample them in their flight away from the drone! No prancing then, time to run!
> 
> Funnily, this is how I often walked to school, riding my imaginary horse named Dragoon. In like, Grade 2...
> Too much information? Yeah, I'll stop there...


Ditto!! Mine were called Blackie and Brownie :rofl: 



Knave said:


> Oh my! I had no idea what that really was! Wow


Me either



Knave said:


> Oh @Dragoon , that is exactly where my head went! Being little and playing horse. Even the ownership of actual horses did not keep us from playing “horse” too. In the arenas we played team roper and we played bucking horse and everything else you could imagine. Lol.


How does one un-see that lady?? It looks more like geese than gallop...


She is obviously pure southern lady, has the 50's sweater and big jewelry while um...exercising?? 


But, if one ever wants to move horses quickly, no need for a herding dog! Just prancercize!


----------



## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> But, if one ever wants to move horses quickly, no need for a herding dog! Just prancercize!


OMG Phin would be in orbit!! :rofl:


----------



## AnitaAnne

Roller bit looks to be a success! Link is looking so good and coming along nicely! You both must be thrilled with him. 

Sultan looked a bit confused; why are we standing in the arena watching the kid??? 

January is such a lovely month to condition horses...23F real feel? :shock:
@phantomhorse13 you are very brave and hardy...would never think to try all those new things with a young horse on such a windy, cold day. Nothing ventured, nothing gained Yes?


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## PoptartShop

He's definitely flinging that head around way less with the new bit. I think it's a winner. The head flinging will definitely continue to subside the more he adjusts to it. Good boy Link!  Ugh, windy days are always annoying, especially when it hits you right in the face! Glad they both behaved though. Haha, I love that picture of you & Link on the little hill, so cute! :loveshower:


----------



## Woodhaven

As far as the Prancerciser goes she looks to be in good shape and I know if I did that I would be puffing and huffing before long. I notice that she does not change leads during the exercise so will be very one sided and for showing she would have trouble getting the other lead.

If I went up the road like that all the neighbours' dogs would be running out barking at this crazy old lady.


----------



## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> you are very brave and hardy...would never think to try all those new things with a young horse on such a windy, cold day.


Hardy.. as in foolhardy?!  

Unfortunately, cold and windy is pretty standard for winter here, so everyone just has to learn to deal. But it's also the reason you didn't see me climb on!



PoptartShop said:


> I love that picture of you & Link on the little hill, so cute!


Link is def cute beyond words.. a good thing, some days.



Woodhaven said:


> If I went up the road like that all the neighbours' dogs would be running out barking at this crazy old lady.


If I went down the road doing that, I wonder what the local police would do - their headquarters is just beyond Alimar. Can you imagine the Chief of Police calling my DH (they are friends) and telling him what his wife was doing?! :rofl:


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## knightrider

> I notice that she does not change leads during the exercise so will be very one sided and for showing she would have trouble getting the other lead.


I also noticed that she did not change leads. I was going to comment on it, but the conversation moved on, so I didn't. But now we back to prancercizing. I was going to say something about how one-sided the lady was. My knee would start hurting if I did all that on the same lead. I did notice that in the second video, she was cantering on the opposite lead, so she can do it.


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## AnitaAnne

knightrider said:


> I also noticed that she did not change leads. I was going to comment on it, but the conversation moved on, so I didn't. But now we back to prancercizing. I was going to say something about how one-sided the lady was. My knee would start hurting if I did all that on the same lead. I did notice that in the second video, she was cantering on the opposite lead, so she can do it.


I noticed the lead change too! But the man looked to be jumping rope...didn't quite have that wing flap right...


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## gottatrot

Woodhaven said:


> I notice that she does not change leads during the exercise so will be very one sided and for showing she would have trouble getting the other lead.


Oh you guys are killing me! As kids we used to hold the ends of a jump rope that was going around another kid's waist...then we would drive the "horse" in front of us. It was my first intro to ground driving, LOL. 
But we kept getting in trouble because the rope would slide down and trip the "horse," causing head injuries and bloody noses. So this type of horseplay was outlawed.

I like how Link did with the new bit. Hopefully that will be the mouthpiece that works for him.


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## Woodhaven

gottatrot said:


> Oh you guys are killing me! As kids we used to hold the ends of a jump rope that was going around another kid's waist...then we would drive the "horse" in front of us. It was my first intro to ground driving, LOL.
> But we kept getting in trouble because the rope would slide down and trip the "horse," causing head injuries and bloody noses. So this type of horseplay was outlawed.
> 
> I like how Link did with the new bit. Hopefully that will be the mouthpiece that works for him.


gottatrot I did the same thing with the skipping rope and anybody I could "rope"into cooperating but I put the rope around the neck from the back and then under the arms back to me. That way the rope stayed in place and I could direct the direction better, I guess even then I was safety conscious about a drive line slipping out of place.

Many, many years later I met up with a school chum and he reminded me of all the days he spent trotting and cantering about for me. Nice guy and we laughed about it.


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## knightrider

This weekend I was camping with two mule riders who do endurance. One of them said that the latest research shows that walking gets the horse just as fit as trotting or cantering.

I was taught (100 years ago when I was doing CTR) that you do the gait you plan to ride, at about the percentage you plan to ride it. So if you plan to trot 75%, walk 5%, canter 20%, you should train at those percentages. When I was training back then, I did interval training. I did right well at CTR back when I was doing it, so it seemed like my method was fairly good.

I know people have learned a lot since those old days, and I know you are up on the latest knowledge and research. I was wondering what your opinion is on how much training on what gait is the smartest way to get your horse fit.


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## Aprilswissmiss

I'm with @knightrider, I'd like to know your opinion too. Also, I think it needs to be specified whether or not that research is based off of distance or time - For example, when they say walking does the same as trotting/cantering, do they mean walking the same amount of time or walking the same distance as another gait? And when you give percentages, whether those percentages are given in terms of distance or time as well. I would assume distance would be most accurate. And at that rate, if it is based on distance, some people might as well just trot instead of walk so they can get their conditioning done in a lesser amount of time per ride (assuming the horse's fitness allows).


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## Knave

Ya, I’m having a hard time with this theory. I’ve always been taught that trotting is the best for building fitness. Of course I feel better about myself getting a lot of loping done, but I feel that trotting is best. Hmm...


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## Woodhaven

For distance riding I always favoured the trot, especially if I had a good forward moving horse and (s)he would step out at the trot. For some reason, no scientific data to back this up, I felt that the horse is landing on two feet at the trot so less concussion than landing on one foot.
I felt the trot was easier on their body and took less energy than an equal distance at the canter,

Even now in my dotage I will do long distances at the trot if I am riding alone. When with others probably more walking and visiting, The same ride distance wise takes a lot less time if I ride alone.

I would be interested to hear from others whether the trot takes less energy and effort on the horses's part than the canter.

I know that when I did the prancercise's canter myself it took more energe to lift off than it did to do a nice trot, but then I only have two legs not four.


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## cbar

I would like to know as well...someone on one of my endurance FB pages shared an article which mentioned how good cantering work can be at conditioning. But before attempting more cantering, the horse has to already be conditioned for it......

I have been reading a lot about long & slow - so I'm taking that to mean a lot of walking for longer distances. Which can be time consuming - but especially if you have a horse that is not conditioned at all, I would assume the long distance at a slower pace is good for building the muscle/ strengthen bones and ligaments which would be needed for incorporating more trotting work?? 

I dunno.....I am new to this.


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## AndyTheCornbread

I too am curious to know what the best gait is for exercising a horse.


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## SwissMiss

Woodhaven said:


> I would be interested to hear from others whether the trot takes less energy and effort on the horses's part than the canter.


I don't know re trot and canter, but I know that a trot uses less energy and effort than gait (as in lateral 4 beat). There were some studies where they measured heart rate, breaths per minute and I think looked at muscle fatigue in horses either trotting or gaiting the same distance in the same time...
But I would think it just takes a gaited horse longer to get to the same fitness level than a trotting horse...

And as far as I know condition (as in fitness) is a much faster process than getting ligaments and bones strong enough to work long and hard. This is where I think long and slow rides come into play.

As a caveat: I don't have any practical experience with this, except my days of getting ready to run a mountain marathon :Angel:


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## Knave

Here’s what I have heard. My grandfather’s best friend was a well known cutting trainer. He told my father that trotting was best for conditioning, and my father told me the same. He said you are unlikely to hurt a horse at the trot, and it brings their mind to focus quickly. I tend towards loping circles to warm up, and another old trainer saw Bones acting a mess (he has a town issue) and he scolded me back to the trot. It didn’t work for Bones because he is special, but around my area the old men say trot young horses.


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## knightrider

The saying I was taught was, "Trotting builds them up. Cantering tears them down." But that's for CTR and endurance, not showing or racing.


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## phantomhorse13

I am sorry to have fallen off the planet; DH and I were away for vacation. I need to get stuff here at home settled and then can't wait to delve into the fitness topic - it's a can of worms for sure!


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## AnitaAnne

phantomhorse13 said:


> I am sorry to have fallen off the planet; DH and I were away for vacation. I need to get stuff here at home settled and then can't wait to delve into the fitness topic - it's a can of worms for sure!


Hope you had a fabulous time!! Always good to get away for a while, but did wonder if everything was ok.


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## Woodhaven

Phantom, I will be interested to hear your views, ideas, thoughts on the fitness subject.

I hope your holiday was a good one, nice to get away at this time of year.


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## gottatrot

My opinion is that you can get a horse fit by walking them, but you have to do a certain amount of the gait you plan to have them do in order to achieve that level of fitness.

For example, could a horse be fit enough to canter most of the way for a 100 mile ride if they only walked beforehand (they spend so much time cantering at FEI rides)? It's not likely they would have the stamina at the canter. Something to consider is the mental fitness also. It requires a different kind of mental focus to go at faster speeds for a long period of time. Some horses struggle with that and need to be worked up to it.

For myself, I could not run a half marathon if I spent all my training miles walking. If I wanted to train by only walking, I would probably need to walk double the miles that I would train if I were to run them. I also know my heart rate would go up too high for me to sustain a fast running pace if I only trained at a walk.

But I do believe that walking does strengthen tendons, ligaments, bones and hooves so horses will hold up better for long miles.

Regarding whether trotting or cantering is more efficient, my personal experience with horses is that it depends on the horse. My mare Amore is less efficient at the canter - she uses more energy and sweats more. The trot she can maintain forever. My other mare Halla was less efficient at the trot. She seemed to utilize that system where the movement of the intestines pushes against the diaphragm for effortless exhalation and inhalation very well, and she would get tired at the trot which was a rougher gait for her. For Halla cantering seemed like falling forward effortlessly, and trotting was pushing against friction and gravity.


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## Woodhaven

The reason why I think trotting is easier for the horse is that it is a diagonal gait and they push off with two feet and land on two feet but that is just my own thoughts and I suppose different horses have different preferences.

My horses would probably favour the trot as that is what they do most so are conditioned for it and it comes easy to them as they do it so much. If I cantered a lot more then they would develop a good canter I would think.

I know, over rough ground I would trot before cantering as I feel they land on two feet which would be safer. Really rough ground should be done at the walk of course.


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## phantomhorse13

Well the universe got a good laugh at my expense. I came home from vaca full of mental lists of things I intended to do this week.. funny that getting the flu was not on that list!! 

I had a dry cough by Sunday evening but had gotten a lot done and just figured it was a reaction to the dry plane air. However, by Monday morning, I was basically flat out between the fever and the cough. Got my sorry self to the doctor to be officially diagnosed with flu. Went home with an anti-viral and cough medicine and started them both right away.. only to find I am apparently sensitive to the anti-viral. The most common side effects? Nausea and vomiting. Shiitake. I spent more hours than I care to think about laying on the bathroom floor because I was sick every 30 minutes like clockwork. Spoke with a nurse who recommended taking the medication with a sugary drink.. because isn't that just what you want in your upset stomach?! But luckily Sprite counted as sugary enough so taking that with the med resulted in just ugly nausea but no more actual vomiting..


I took the last dose of the medication last night. It's been a h#ll of a week.. mg:


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## Caledonian

I hope you feel better soon!


I know how you feel. It's day six for me. I've had a thumping headache and felt nauseous, sore and shivery. I'm hoping that my fever has finally broken as I'm exhausted. My sinuses are extremely painful and I've a slight cough but the swelling and pain in my neck has reduced.


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## phantomhorse13

Before getting into the fun discussion of conditioning, I figured I would catch up.

Before I left, I took advantage of the cooler overnight temperatures to work with Link while the ground was still frozen in the morning. He was very quiet to tack up and free longe, so I decided to skip the ground driving and just get on:






I think he's starting to understand a bit better what I am asking. And I keep repeating that mellow is better than rodeo!!


After finishing with Link, I got George and Phin out. I wanted to do a slightly longer ride as they would have the next week off. Knowing the ground was still icy in places, I planned to do the Space Needle loop.

The boys were not very enthusiastic leaving the farm and by the time we got up the first climb they would both have been happy to turn around for home.










We continued on however. George was a bit spooky, which was extra aggravating as of course his spooking made Phin spook. At least they both jumped the same direction. :icon_rolleyes:

We worked our way up the Tomhicken and up to the space needle. We walked all the big climbs but did the gradual climb to the needle at a trot. At the bottom of the rattlesnake trail, I turned opposite the normal way to do the out and back down the gravel road.










George was not impressed with turning the 'wrong' way and was quite sluggish. As we continued on, he started moving oddly off and on. At first I was worried that hind leg was acting up, but the odd movement seemed to be more in the front, though I couldn't even pick which leg I thought was the issue. I got off and checked all his shoes for rocks, worrying that something had gotten wedged in to the rim pads. I found nothing and he jogged totally sound. 

I was pretty paranoid for the rest of the ride, but as soon as we turned for home, George's enthusiasm returned. However, he still moved oddly at times. Often it was on the rockier footing, so I started wondering if the rim snowball pads weren't enough protection for his feet. I tried to keep him off the edges of the roads as much as possible after that.

Notice the flapping tongue:









And not to be outdone, Phin also was flapping!










When we got back, I gave George a thorough going over but couldn't find anything amiss. I jogged him out on the driveway and he was sound. After turning him out, he did his normal roll and jump up to jog away and looked fine.. but I couldn't get rid of the niggling paranoia. I called Nancy, hoping for some insight but George was pretty unconcerned about the whole thing. :confused_color:

After talking with DH later that evening, I called the chiro and made an appointment for both boys. I was hoping if George was out in his poll, that might explain the extra spookiness and maybe even some of the weirdness I was feeling..


We went to Grand Cayman for our vacation. Unlike other trips, this one was not with the group so we didn't have any agenda! DH did a great job finding a great place to stay. It was amazing!










We had heard Stingray City was a must-see attraction and we had a blast there:









We walked to a different place for dinner every evening:









We also got to enjoy a snorkeling trip:









The trip was a great blend of mostly relaxation and couple activities. Good thing I got so much rest.. I was better prepared for this week's excitement.


The chiro came on Friday and worked on both boys. George's poll and withers were out and he was very sore along basically his entire topline. Not sure yet if that was from his chiropractic issues, if his feet are sensitive in the partial pads or if something else is going on. Of course I am now worrying about a Lyme flare, even if Nancy's didn't feel anything like that. After talking with DH, the plan is to get him out for a ride and see. If he's back to normal, great. If not, I will likely have the vet out..


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> the latest research shows that walking gets the horse just as fit as trotting or cantering.
> 
> I was taught (100 years ago when I was doing CTR) that you do the gait you plan to ride, at about the percentage you plan to ride it. So if you plan to trot 75%, walk 5%, canter 20%, you should train at those percentages.





Woodhaven said:


> I felt that the horse is landing on two feet at the trot so less concussion than landing on one foot. I felt the trot was easier on their body and took less energy than an equal distance at the canter





cbar said:


> I have been reading a lot about long & slow - so I'm taking that to mean a lot of walking for longer distances. I would assume the long distance at a slower pace is good for building the muscle/ strengthen bones and ligaments which would be needed for incorporating more trotting work??





SwissMiss said:


> And as far as I know condition (as in fitness) is a much faster process than getting ligaments and bones strong enough to work long and hard. This is where I think long and slow rides come into play.





gottatrot said:


> could a horse be fit enough to canter most of the way for a 100 mile ride if they only walked beforehand? It's not likely they would have the stamina at the canter. Something to consider is the mental fitness also. It requires a different kind of mental focus to go at faster speeds for a long period of time. Some horses struggle with that and need to be worked up to it.
> 
> Regarding whether trotting or cantering is more efficient, my personal experience with horses is that it depends on the horse.


I picked some bits of pieces out of all the previous fitness/conditioning convo that resonated with me.

I, too, was taught the benefits of long, slow distance to build the foundation. Cardio fitness comes first, followed by soft tissue, followed by bone (and I was always told 3 months, 6 months, 12 months respectively for time it takes for those to fully develop). I was also taught that you needed to train how you you planned to compete, both in terms of amount of time in each gait and in terms of speed. I was taught some horses were trotters and some preferred the canter; the smartest thing to do was use the favored gait the most but try to develop the other so they weren't always using the same muscles.

All those things made sense to me from what I knew of physiology and what I had experienced with my own body. So to start with, that was how I trained. Dream was a trotter, so we did walking, trotting, and a bit of cantering. We went from mostly walking to mostly trotting over time. I was a bit concerned with Dream as she was lazy to train, not wanting to go particularly fast even with much urging. I worried heading into my first competition that we would barely make the time, as we rarely made even a 6 mph average pace when training.

Well wasn't I shocked when Dream was a whole different animal at a competition!! Instead of her normal 7 mph training trot, she wanted to rocket down the trail at 10-12 mph! I spent the whole first ride arguing with her about pace, as I was convinced she was going to have massive problems since we were going so much faster than we trained. And not just for the first few miles - she was that way the whole LD! But as the ride went on and she only got more disgusted with my trying to hold her to training pace, I kept watching my heart rate monitor, just sure she would start to show distress. But she didn't! Despite what I had been taught, she was just fine going that pace for the entire ride.

That was my first hint at there being more to this conditioning thing than I had been taught. Dream always trained like a plug with the exception of an occasional yeehaw moment. Yet she consistently went to rides and was able to maintain a _much_ faster overall pace for the entire ride - even on a 100! I stopped paying attention to what I was told about "proper" conditioning pacing versus competition pacing and started paying more attention to her working heart rates and her recoveries.

Since then, I have tended to pay more attention to heart rate and recovery than overall pace in general. I still believe in starting slowly and increasing speed or distance or terrain challenge one element at a time, but I am less worried about is my horse trotting at 6 mph or 8 mph versus trotting for whatever distance. I try to make a general plan for the conditioning ride in terms of is my goal a speed work or a hill work or brain work, but we all know those plans must be flexible because of the very nature of horses!

More recently, I have had another major change in thinking because of Lani and Kathy. I have mentioned that their endurance horses are only ridden at rides. And I mean that literally - the rest of their training is now done exclusively by the euroxciser:










While some models do go fast enough to allow the horses to trot, my understanding is Kathy puts everyone on it at the walk daily for 1-3 hours (changing direction every 30 min or so). The timing when we were in Florida last year was 2 hours day 1, 1 hour day 2, 3 hours day 3, day off, then repeat.

To start with, I was very skeptical.. how could walking around - even for hours - allow the horses to be able to trot and canter for miles? I expected the hotness Duroc and Fluffy showed at the initial rides to be short lived, but the horses showed me just how fit they really were. Even Flo, who was normally pretty mellow, was roaring to go. I still don't understand why it works.. but it sure seems to. 

The handful of big name riders I know - the Reynolds, Meg Sleeper, Val Kanavy - are all using a euroxciser as the foundation of their training program. How much (or if) they actually ride the horses on conditioning rides has more to do with the horse's mental status than anything.


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## cbar

That is very interesting about the equicizer. We used to use one of those for the race horses on the days the weather was bad and they couldn't get out onto the track to 'jog'. 

I think it is a great tool to start a horse to build up their cardio, etc, but I would be concerned that the horse has no exposure to hill training or un-even terrain. I was always told that hills were a great way to help build muscle as well as cardio. 

Obviously her horses do quite well since they ARE fit and have done immeasurably well at the rides. 

Very interesting. That would solve the time dilemma of how to exercise multiple horses at once!!


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## knightrider

Wow. So my mule riding endurance friend was right? You can get your horses just as fit by walking? Hmmm. Thanks for the interesting thoughtful reply. Does that mean when I was training for CTR, and doing all that trotting, that I was actually tearing my horse down instead of getting her fit? I would ride 10 miles every other day at 6 miles per hour, which was trotting.


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## phantomhorse13

cbar said:


> I think it is a great tool to start a horse to build up their cardio, etc, but I would be concerned that the horse has no exposure to hill training or un-even terrain. I was always told that hills were a great way to help build muscle as well as cardio.


I agree, and I think some of this may be the difference between an experienced horse being kept in shape vs a new to the sport (or newly under saddle) horse needing to learn how to actually navigate trail conditions. Also consider that most international courses are now more like long flat tracks then they are complicated terrain.. a flat, sandy course is very different than the OD or Tevis!


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> Does that mean when I was training for CTR, and doing all that trotting, that I was actually tearing my horse down instead of getting her fit? I would ride 10 miles every other day at 6 miles per hour, which was trotting.


I really think a lot of this depends on the horse. Some people I know would consider that over training, others would say it was fine. I would ask how your horse was about it.. easy to catch? Going down the trail without much fuss? Eating well and coat glossy etc? Horses who become hard to catch or sulky in their work or go off their feed may be showing signs of over training.


I think we need to find the middle ground. Just because horses walking for 3 hours in a big circle is a way to fitness doesn't mean other ways aren't possible or equally useful!


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## Woodhaven

Phantom, I'm glad you had such a good holiday, always nice to get away. Stingray city is really something, Hubby and I went there several years ago and it was the highlight of that holiday.
I hope George is coming along ok, no more problems.

That Eurociser is interesting. Sis and I were out for a few nice rides this past week and she was commenting on how walking was great conditioning as we had to do a lot of walking because of ground conditions, so maybe we were on the right track, especially as the horses haven't been worked as hard lately due to weather conditions. I hope to get out and start doing more but with the freeze, thaw ect. it's hard to get much accomplished.

When I was conditioning for some CTR I had two horses and needed to spend more time with the horse I would compete on so I would ride him one night, usually a lot of trotting and some cantering, then the next night I would ride the other horse who needed a slower less strenuous ride so I would pony the other gelding with him so he got a good workout one night and a much slower workout the next night. This seemed to work well for him and he did well at the rides, a real trooper and he seemed to love it. He was the oldest horse on the rides, 18, and he handled it well.

when I was volunteering on some 50m rides I remember one rider was very confident that her horse would excel on the rides as he was a lead pony at the track and was fit and could go 50m no trouble. We had to pull the horse before the finish, he just couldn't handle the hills and heavier going at times, so I guess that proves they have to have some work on the terrain they will be competing on.

I hope you are all recovered now, spring is just around the corner.


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## Knave

I wonder if some horses fit up easily. I took Bones into a very hard condition for a couple years. That horse was never phased by working hard in the mountains or flat, and he was actually quite difficult if he was anxious because no amount of work or required thought brought him down. Honestly this is probably why I had him in too good of shape too, because he needed constant work to keep from self-mutilating. 

However, now the other horses don’t really allow self-mutilation in the corral and Zeus fights with him consistently in any case. I don’t use him as often as I am focusing on Cash and he is being ridden by the girls and as needed. Still though, he fits up uber fast. He seems like the energizer bunny. Other horses I have don’t seem anywhere near his endurance level even when I think they are fit. So, this just makes me wonder a bit about natural tendencies.


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## Aprilswissmiss

I loved seeing your photos from your trip! I'm sorry to hear about your flu, seems bad things always happen when coming home from vacation, at least for me.

Another question just crossed my mind.

My mare is a very forward mover. She would trot all day if I let her, and definitely mix in some cantering and galloping of her own accord too just for fun. She always comes home a tiny bit more mellowed out than when we left, but still very bright-eyed, alert, willing to move, and not at all winded. My trails are limited, but she will gladly trot 95% of 5 or 6 miles (the 5% being when I make her walk over slippery terrain or bridges) and still come back like this. She has never made any indication at all of "Okay, I'm starting to get tired, let's just walk." 

I know you mentioned you could tell a horse is being over-trained when there's observable changes in their behavior and appearance. But what about a horse that doesn't know her own limits (or perhaps she does know her own limits, which just happen to be more than I expect)? Could there be silent damage being done by letting her move at her own pace? Could I be letting her do too much too early in conditioning before her bones/ligaments/joints are actually ready for it? Where do you separate mentality and cardio fitness from bone/ligament fitness?


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## gottatrot

Very interesting about the euroxcizer. I walk my horses a lot since Amore is old but I want her to get out and relieve boredom, plus help keep her arthritis in check. But I've thought if I only walked Hero for some of his workouts, that I would need to fit him up more before going on longer or faster rides. I know horses have different physiology than we do, having the ability to exercise at 220 heart beats per minute and then go down into the 30s and 40s at rest. That is a far great range than we have. Personally if I get up to the 180 range with my HR, I will tire pretty soon. I have also heard that horses will retain cardiovascular fitness longer than humans. 
@Knave, I also think some horses get fit much easier than others. Amore was always a super athlete and could get in shape very easily. She has big bones and hooves for her size. She didn't care to exercise to her fullest capacity, but she could work very hard without ever breathing hard when motivated.


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## Celeste

The euroxcisor reminded me of this video.


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## Aprilswissmiss

@Celeste, that's always what I would imagine my horse doing if I put her on a free-walking hot walker. That horse is either very stubbornly one-sided, or doesn't get the point of the moving arms :rofl: There's another video somewhere of a person putting their dressage horse in a hot walker for the first time ever, and he did the same thing, though not with so much level-headed determination.


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## PoptartShop

George may just need an adjustment, that is strange though!
Walking is really good for them. My trainer swears by the walk - it really is the most important, & horses can definitely get fit, just by walking. Her horse Hercules can only be worked at the walk, & he has a bigger booty than most! :lol: Very interesting. A lot of the work I do with my horse is at the walk too. Grand Caymen is amazing. I love that place & I've only been once. You & hubby are just adorable. So jeallllous you got to swim with the stingrays. Looks so fun!

I hope you feel better! :sad: :hug:


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, the sun was shining and there was very little wind. I was feeling mostly better so decided it was time to get back in the saddle. I decided to do Spaulings and just mosey around on the Sugarloaf, as that would keep us close if something wasn't right (with me or George).

The boys were somewhat unenthused leaving home, but perked right up when we got into Spaulding's fields. George felt good and wanted to move out on the grass. He also was much less spooky. I paid very close attention to the footing as we went around the fields towards the Sugarloaf.










We walked up the climbs and George made a point to pick his way around the rocks as best he could. We went down along the driveway and back around through the fields. Then we climbed the backside of the Sugarloaf again. 










The ground was still frozen enough that we could pick our way across the bottom of Ziesloft's. The boys knew we were heading home and would have gone faster if I let them.










8.64 miles, 1480 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 38F real feel


It was so nice to be out in the sun! I was sorry to get home and have the ride be over. I had been debating if Phin's back was healed up enough to start riding him, so I decided to throw the bareback pad on and take a lap around Alimar as a test. I decided to take Kestrel along, too.

[Kestrel has been doing well overall with her limited exercise, so we have been slooooowly increasing her play and walk time over the last couple weeks. She had been walking around the perimeter of our property daily with me, so I hoped the top loop to Alimar and back would be an easy transition to a slightly longer distance.]

We started out on the upper woods path. Phin was very well behaved, walking along on a loose rein with his head down.










We stopped to chat with Gina as we came across Alimar. Kestrel did really well with staying close and listening.










We moseyed home down the airport strip.






1.15 miles, 105 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 40F real feel


I can't get over how much Phin is shedding already! Maybe it will be an early spring..









Happy to report the mark didn't seem any worse for wear after a mile of the bareback pad. There is one small spot that still feels a bit crunchy and I think may peel, but overall it looks good.










I am cautiously optimistic and plan to ride him next outing..


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## phantomhorse13

Woodhaven said:


> We had to pull the horse before the finish, he just couldn't handle the hills and heavier going at times, so I guess that proves they have to have some work on the terrain they will be competing on.


I agree that terrain would be a huge factor for how effective a walker would be. You could maybe make the walker footing super deep to compensate for heavy going, but I don't see how walking on the flat is ever going to be the equivalent of going up and down hills.



Knave said:


> I wonder if some horses fit up easily. Other horses I have don’t seem anywhere near his endurance level even when I think they are fit. So, this just makes me wonder a bit about natural tendencies.


I def think there are natural tendencies! We all know people who seem to stay fit with minimal effort and those who work super hard and barely seem to make any progress.

In distance, you often hear people talk about their horse's resting heart rate; there is a general belief that lower means better athletic potential. However, I have read studies that claim there is no correlation. I have read studies that show heart _size_ can make a difference, but not sure how practical ultrasounding a heart is while horse shopping!



Aprilswissmiss said:


> I know you mentioned you could tell a horse is being over-trained when there's observable changes in their behavior and appearance. But what about a horse that doesn't know her own limits (or perhaps she does know her own limits, which just happen to be more than I expect)? Could there be silent damage being done by letting her move at her own pace? Could I be letting her do too much too early in conditioning before her bones/ligaments/joints are actually ready for it? Where do you separate mentality and cardio fitness from bone/ligament fitness?


A horse that fits up fast I think can be harder to manage, especially if they are a forward type of horse because its really tempting to let them do too much, too soon. These are the kind of horses that you just need to be aware of their personality and try to make reasonable decisions about. If you keep the big picture in mind, I think you will be fine. 

If you are regularly going out and going 5 miles and she is happy in her work, find ways to increase one stress (speed, distance, or terrain) at a time. So next ride, do your normal 5 miles at a slightly slower pace and instead of going home at the end, turn around and ride another half mile out and back (so 6 miles total). Do that a few times and then either go out farther to make the total 7 or else let her trot more of the 6. or add a bit of canter during the 6, etc. What you wouldn't want to do was canter the whole 5 AND add on more distance, as that is too many changes at a time.



gottatrot said:


> I've thought if I only walked Hero for some of his workouts, that I would need to fit him up more before going on longer or faster rides.


I also think Hero is a different story because you are not just trying to get him fitter, you are trying to rehab specific physical issues. While I don't think putting him on a walker would hurt his stifles (assuming he behaved and walked along like he should!), I think your targeted exercise program using different gaits in different footing is a lot more beneficial.




Celeste said:


> The euroxcisor reminded me of this video.


Ha - the eurocisors have the ability to electrify the panels that hang between the horses for this very reason. Or for horses like Brim who would just stop and drop their head and let the panel whack them in the butt and then drag over them!!


----------



## knightrider

This journal is so much fun to read. I am so glad you are on this forum and I have the pleasure of keeping abreast of your adventures. I am lucky to know you.


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> I am so glad you are on this forum and I have the pleasure of keeping abreast of your adventures.


You are so sweet - thank you! The book of faces showed me pictures of riding with you this time last year.. sure am sorry we didn't get to repeat it. Hopefully next year!!


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## phantomhorse13

Today the sun was shining, so it was saddle time. The wind was gusty but as bad as I expected when Phin and I headed out this morning. I obsessively checked the rear pack before we left, hoping to keep it totally off his back.

We started off heading for Spauldings and I was pleasantly surprised that Phin was forward without being silly. We even made it past the Pond of Death without incident. 










We circled a few of the fields and then headed for the Sugarloaf. We walked the steepest parts of the climb and jogs the flatter parts.










We went down and did the out and back down the driveway, then headed back up the back side of the Sugarloaf. Along the way, we found some friends!










I was thrilled with how well behaved Phin was considering he's not been really ridden in weeks. I was pleased the rear pack hadn't seemed to move during the ride. I looked very closely for any disturbed or broken hairs and didn't find any, so fingers and toes crossed this one works.

7.15 miles, 1342 feet of climb, 4.9 mph average pace, 25F real feel


Next up was George! I think he was happy to be out without the hassle of another horse being ponied (I know I was). We headed out Spaudlings and then moseyed around the Sugarloaf.










Next, we went down across the farm and up the logging road on the Tomhicken. There is one section that trees fall down all the time and there was a new one down today, but luckily it was passable!










After we got done, instead of leaving George standing in a stall wearing a cooler, I decided to hop on him bareback and mosey around with Kestrel.










11.06 miles, 1785 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 28F real feel


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## SwissMiss

phantomhorse13 said:


> ... 28F real feel


Wohoo for saddle time! You must have been in withdrawal! 
Great pictures as usual and the sunshine made it look _much_ warmer. A real feel of 28?????? Brr!!!! Phin better holds on to his winter coat a little longer!


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## PoptartShop

Such a good boy Phin!  Knew he'd bounce right back. I am also crossing my fingers that the new pack works out. Yay!! Kestrel is so lucky to go out with you guys, I know she must love it. Holy moly about the shedding. I am dying for Promise to start shedding! :lol: It's so much easier to groom them when they don't have all the fluffiness! So glad you got saddle time & SUNSHINE! Finally!!


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## Woodhaven

We are not so very far from you Phantom and yesterday was a sunny day, a cold wind but as I was walking back to the house I thought of you and was sure you would be making use of this day and putting the miles on. 

I didn't ride as the ground is frozen and rough and lumpy and the horses are not shod right now and I don't want any bruises on their feet so thought I would wait a few days til it gets a little milder. Right now the snow has gone so no cushioning going through the fields.

Happy riding to you.


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## phantomhorse13

Today was supposed to be another sunny and breezy day and the weatherman got it half right. It was much colder, however, with a damp bite to the wind. I took advantage of the frozen ground to go over and ride the Big Square.

Phin was a spooky nut from the start. We hadn't even gone a mile and I was thinking I should have headed for the Sugarloaf to climb! 










After we went around all the fields the first time, Phin showed no signs of settling down and kept trying to turn for home. I decided to go down to the creek and try the power line climb. I hadn't been that way in a long while so wasn't sure if it was even passable.










I was pleasantly surprised to find most of the trails in decent shape. The actual climb was a bit of a mess, but that was actually a good thing as it made Phin have to pay attention to his feet versus wanting to charge around or turn for home constantly.










Happy to report I didn't find any disturbed or broken hairs under the rear of the saddle and I did a lot of poking and very careful looking!

7.82 miles, 1014 feet of climb, 5.6 mph average pace, 18F real feel


Once I finished with Phin, I decided that I should work with Link since the round pen was usable. I wasn't sure how he would be in the barn since they all find the wind to be worrisome inside. I hung some hay bags just outside the stalls hoping that would keep the others nearby. My plan worked and Link was relaxed for grooming and tacking even with the wind blowing, since everyone else was standing quietly outside munching.

I did a bit of free longeing just to get him paying attention and moving forward, then I got on:






I was thrilled with how he did!! While there was more fussing with his head, he was so much more forward that I barely noticed.


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## carshon

I think Link is moving much better. He looks great!


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## AnitaAnne

Link is really coming along well! Can't wait to see the next step in the training!! 

YAY for Phin not being sore anymore! 

I am amazed that you are able to ride at 18F without a snow suit on...hope there was not much wind.


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## Celeste

I bought some riding pants that are made like ski pants. Several years ago I put them on over long underwear to ride on a horribly cold day. (Probably 45 degrees) They were so thick that I was barely able to mount the horse. Worse than that, I had a really hard time getting off. It was something like that little boy in the movie "A Christmas Story" trying to walk when his mom dressed him to walk to school.


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## PoptartShop

I am glad Phin is no longer sore & there is no more rubbing!  Good boy! That's good he was distracted by watching his feet, instead of trying to get home!

Link is definitely making progress, too. He is so cute!!


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## Spanish Rider

I can't believe that Link is so cool under saddle! And he stands at the block so quietly. Isn't he just 3?

So nice to see Phin under saddle again, too.


----------



## Dragoon

Why does Link look so chubby? Is this just a growing phase? Is it an Araby thing, lol? I've read they have a lightbulb shape...I have an Arab Breyer model, and yep, she's a lightbulb!

He looks to have a sweet personality, like he doesn't mind being ridden, because he really likes people. I knew a 3 year old like this...still miss him everyday...
May all your rides be this calm!


----------



## phantomhorse13

Celeste said:


> I bought some riding pants that are made like ski pants. Several years ago I put them on over long underwear to ride on a horribly cold day. (Probably 45 degrees) They were so thick that I was barely able to mount the horse. Worse than that, I had a really hard time getting off.


Somewhere I have a pair of pants that sound similar to this.. and the first time I wore them I thought it would be a good idea to ride bareback. I had no issues mounting.. but I forgot the slide factor and wound up falling right off the other side! :rofl:



Spanish Rider said:


> I can't believe that Link is so cool under saddle! And he stands at the block so quietly. Isn't he just 3?


Yes, 3. He will be 4 in May.



Dragoon said:


> Why does Link look so chubby? Is this just a growing phase?


I sure hope it's a growing phase!! Link is like one of those books I had as a kid where the front is one animal, the middle another, and the back a third. He barely has any cover to his spine or hips, but he's got a massive hay belly. I was sure he must be wormy but his fecals come back fine. So now I just try not to look too much because he's just so awkward. I think the saddle makes him look that much worse.. :hide:


----------



## phantomhorse13

Saturday, I couldn't resist the beautiful weather and decided to work Link even though the ground wasn't ideal. I was interrupting nap time when I went out to get him:










As I expected, the ground was somewhat slimy from the sun, so I kept the longeing to a walk before getting on. I decided it would be a good day to work on steering.






There was a lot of fussing with his head, but I wasn't surprised as I was making him think. Overall, I was pleased.


DH got home not long after (he had been away for a board meeting) and we got some outside stuff done in the beautiful weather. At one point as we were in the driveway, Link came over to the fence to watch. I had been throwing the stick for Kestrel, so decided to exercise the dog and de-spook the horse.






I swear Link would have tried for the stick himself by the end had the fence not been in the way!
:loveshower:


Sunday, DH and I got George and Phin out in the morning. The ground was still frozen so we we went out via Spaulings and then worked our way around the Sugarloaf.










We then headed across the farm to the Tomhicken. It was warming up nicely out in the open, but it was probably 10 degrees colder on the north sides of the climbs! We continued on to do the space needle loop. I was pleased that things had dried enough that the puddles (and resulting ice) didn't stretch all the way across the trail.










Phin was feeling mighty fine and even the climbing wasn't making much of an impact. By the time we turned for home, he was spooking at nothing in protest of having to stay at a trot. :icon_rolleyes:










Sure appreciate being able to ride in a t-shirt in February!!










We got home without incident. I again checked Phin's back carefully for any sign of soreness or broken hairs. All looked good. DH said George did take some weird steps off and on during the ride, but it was never enough for him to even figure out which leg was the issue. I am still hoping he is just getting poked with a rock every so often..

15.65 miles, 2031 feet of climb, 5.8 mph average pace, 45F real feel

We threw coolers on the boys and took the dogs out for a cool down mosey around Alimar:









1.22 miles, 105 feet of climb, 2.8 mph average pace, 45F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I went out to work with Link first thing while the ground was still frozen. He was very unenthusiastic.






That ride was a good reminder that working with greenies is never straightforward! As frustrating as having lost forward was, I kept repeating in my head that it was much better than a rodeo..


The vet came for spring shots and Coggins, so everyone was briefly jailed awaiting her arrival:










Today, I got lucky that the rain held off, giving me a bit of time first thing to go play with Link. While he was quiet in the barn, he was slightly more enthusiastic in the round pen.






I was much more pleased with this ride! However, I need to either modify those reins or else find a longer pair, as I did not have enough length with him carrying his head so low. He sure didn't seem short-necked today. :wink:

:cowboy:


----------



## Knave

I think I see a glimpse of beauty in him. Maybe he will be a beautiful horse when he grows up... I kind of think so.


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## phantomhorse13

Knave said:


> I think I see a glimpse of beauty in him. Maybe he will be a beautiful horse when he grows up... I kind of think so.


Link's odd shape seems not uncommon for horses from his breeder.. and most of them mature into amazing, gorgeous athletes. Every so often as Link moves around in the pasture, I see a glimpse of what I hope he matures into.

This filly, the 2020 OD raffle horse, is closely related to Link:









These horses are born and grow up on the side of a mountain in West Virginia. This seems to be their basic shape they are until 5-6. 


Lani says Link reminds her of Fuji when he was younger. I think Fuji is gorgeous now, so would be thrilled if Link matured so well.


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## Celeste

I think Link is a beautiful baby.


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## Knave

I can see that in him. He has the most beautiful face, and I see how that awkwardness turns into the look shown in the older horses. My father told me something once. I was looking at horses when Bones was younger, because a vet misdiagnosed Bones in a way that was supposed to end his career. Luckily this was not the case, but at the time I was kind of browsing young sale horses.

There was a beautiful three year old filly. To me she was one of the most stunning horses I had ever seen. I showed her to my parents and my dad said to me that she was too pretty too young. He said a horse that was a beauty at three would mature into an unattractive animal, where the awkward looking youngsters would come into their looks. When I thought about the horses I had known I realized he was correct. The most beautiful horses had been odd looking youngsters.

Beamer for example was a very ugly young horse. At three we often called him the donkey. His ears were too long and his neck too thin. His body was just an unattractive jumble. His butt was too small and dropped off, and he was really just unappealing. It was funny later, when he was about eight or so, I looked into the corral and it struck me that he was a beautiful animal. I had never noticed before because I carried that original view of him. Lol


----------



## Spanish Rider

I am quite intrigued by Link. In just the last three videos, there are so many differences! In the 5th video, it's all about the head/neck movement, and I am shocked that, in a 3 yo, the movement doesn't go down into the rest of his body. Yes, he is annoyed, but he doesn't lose it. Amazing.

In the 6th, I would have needed a nap after all that encouragement with the legs and seat. I commend your patience. In the 7th, that long-and-low carriage will build up his topline in no time, and bravo for all that forward movement. But, you're right: every day with him is completely different.

Of course, I know nothing about Arabian horses, but I had just assumed that a 3 yo would have been a difficult-to-control, spooky spitfire. Is he typical? At that age, we longe the PRE before riding, and they are never ridden at a walk so as not to give them much chance to think or be distracted.


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## carshon

I think Link is going to be gorgeous! I see a little less playing with the bit and think this will resolve eventually. I also commend your patience (and leg and seat strength) for urging him on.


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## PoptartShop

Link is so cute, & he is definitely going to continue to get cuter!  I love the selfie! 

Each ride he looks better too. So relaxed, such a good baby. He doesn't seem anxious or uptight. Plus, you are a very good rider & you probably put him at ease. Such a good 3yr old! The weather this weekend was beautiful! So glad you got to enjoy it!


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## Tazzie

Link really is doing incredibly well! And I think he'll mature into a really nice horse. Neither of mine were really anything to look at as youngsters, and now Izzie cleans up in hand at shows, and Diego is what I'd want in a Dressage horse.


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## AnitaAnne

I love Link's color and he reminds me a lot of Mu in his build. He is just a kid and learning, so fun to watch the journey! He learns quickly, as one day working on steering, the next his steering improved, but was more bendy neck and he forgot he could walk forward AND turn :rofl: 

But phantom never let up her encouragement, and by ride 7 he realized he can turn and walk! :cowboy:

But maybe someone needs to tell him he is a hot-blooded Ayrab and not a WP horse  

I so love watching the progress, it reminds me so much of riding the young horses that just are not sure what exactly they are supposed to do, but so trusting and really he is trying to understand. 

Admire those energetic dismounts too! Could almost vault over the other side without touching his back! 

Hope George is ok. Sultan looks a bit sad just standing out in the sun by himself...


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## Spanish Rider

> Admire those energetic dismounts too! Could almost vault over the other side without touching his back!


Yeah, my dismounts don't look like that anymore. Can't remember the last time I could swing my leg up high enough to clear a croup! :rofl: Our @phantom is quite the athlete.:bowwdown:


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## AnitaAnne

Spanish Rider said:


> Yeah, my dismounts don't look like that anymore. Can't remember the last time I could swing my leg up high enough to clear a croup! :rofl: Our @phantom is quite the athlete.:bowwdown:


She is! Love to watch her ride


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## phantomhorse13

Knave said:


> my dad said to me that she was too pretty too young. He said a horse that was a beauty at three would mature into an unattractive animal, where the awkward looking youngsters would come into their looks.


I have heard this too and found it to be true the majority of the time (I can think of only once exception in all the young horses I have been able to see grow). Tho 'beauty' in the traditional sense isn't that big a factor for me. My mare was not very attractive by most standards (and for an arab, she would probably have been considered outright ugly), but her heart and spirit were everything I could have asked for and more. My heart already turns over when I look at Link's face, so if that is the best it gets, I can live with that. Going down the trail, all I am going to see is ears anyway!



Spanish Rider said:


> I know nothing about Arabian horses, but I had just assumed that a 3 yo would have been a difficult-to-control, spooky spitfire. Is he typical? At that age, we longe the PRE before riding, and they are never ridden at a walk so as not to give them much chance to think or be distracted.


Hmm.. in my experience, he is on the quieter side, though I have saddle trained other Arabs I would have called quiet. I have found many are fairly chill until they hit about 6, and then suddenly they have figured themselves out and you better hold on!



carshon said:


> I also commend your patience (and leg and seat strength) for urging him on.


My legs were begging for mercy after that ride!!



AnitaAnne said:


> maybe someone needs to tell him he is a hot-blooded Ayrab and not a WP horse
> 
> Sultan looks a bit sad just standing out in the sun by himself...


A famous endurance rider (Matthew Mackay-Smith) said something along the lines of he'd never met an Arab he couldn't speed up, but sure met a lot that wouldn't slow down! I keep repeating that to myself as well as my happy its not a rodeo comment..

Don't feel too badly for Sultan. He makes a point of stopping what he is doing to come near the round pen, as if Link is the only company he has (even if he wasn't anywhere near Link when I went out to catch him). If I shut the gate to the paddock the round pen is in, Sultan will stand at the gate screaming like I have taken away his only friend in the world! :icon_rolleyes:


I went over to see Nicole's new mare today; she just brought her home after a big show in Miami. Here is Siri ridden by Nicole's trainer:






A Trocha is a subset of Paso Fino, yet its gait is actually the same as a normal, non-gaited horse, just done at mach speed! I can't wait to ride her and feel it for myself.


While I was there, I snagged some scrap beta and made myself the world's weirdest slobber straps for Link's reins. Hopefully that gives me the length I need!


----------



## phantomhorse13

Friday, I worked with Link. If you want to skip to the exiting part, check out 7:45.






Sudden noises are scary, but we worked through it.


Then I got George and Phin out. I didn't have time to ride them both so I ponied Phin.









We went out via Spauldings and then moseyed up the Sugarloaf. It was chilly and the wind was raging. George was still NQR at times, but you would have never known it to see his tongue flapping.










8.37 miles, 1391 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 20F real feel


Saturday, I worked with Link after helping with the local Kiwanis breakfast. It was again cold and very windy, but the sun was out at least. However, that didn't last long.






I was able to see serious snow coming, so decided to end the ride before it arrived. I am glad I cut it short, as I had just enough time to get back into the barn before a mini-blizzard hit! Link was pretty nervous in the barn to start with, but he had settled down by the time I untacked and groomed him.


Later that evening, we got his stall sign hung (I had to track down an ex-employee of DH's who had made the others, so it would match).


----------



## phantomhorse13

Sunday, I had a plan for Link since DH was around to help. I did everything normally to start with, but asked DH to bring Sultan into the pen to help with enthusiasm part way though (that starts at 5:30). It worked a little too well (check out 6:40) - I think @*Spanish Rider* jinxed me!














I had shut George and Phin in the catch paddock (with a full hay bag) figuring they would be content. Silly me thinking that with the wind.







After the round pen work, I took Link out of the pen for the first time and we followed Sultan across the paddock. 










That was mostly ok at first, but as we walked away George and Phin started screaming and running back and forth along the fence. Link was quite worried about that. As we got to the end of the paddock and turned along the back, it was clear Link was starting to lose his focus and was thinking around running back to the barn. I had DH stand with Sultan and we walked/jigged a couple circles around him until I got some flat walk, then I got off.

Maybe not the calm experience I had hoped for, but nothing really bad happened.


After finishing with Link, DH and I got George and Phin out. We started off going over to the Big Square. Phin was a hot, spooky mess from the start.










DH agreed that George was NQR, so didn't want to push things with a long ride. We turned for home. 










As we went back towards home, Phin refused to settle down so we kept going across Alimar and headed for the Sugarloaf while George and DH turned for home. We went all the way up the Sugarloaf at a solid trot.










However, it soon because clear that once was not enough. We went down the other side, did the out and back around the neighbors and then went up the Sugarloaf a second time at a trot. That helped a bit, but he was still pulling for home. So we went down to the bottom of the farm and came up again. That finally did the trick.










16.05 miles, 2815 feet of climb, 5.2 mph average pace, 24F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I went over to ride with Nicole. We took out Tegan and Hombre. They were both feeling mighty fine to start.










For a change, the weather worked to my advantage as Tegs soon decided it was too warm to be silly after the first couple miles.










4.91 miles, 328 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 45F real feel


I also got to ride Siri, Nicole's new show mare. She is a Trocha y Galope, which is a subset of Paso Fino. She doesn't gait the way a normal Paso does tho:






Siri was very sweet and forgiving as I had no idea what I was doing.


Today, I worked with Link before the rain moved in. I decided it was time to introduce him to the dressage whip under saddle (he is well acquainted with it on the ground). While I want to give him time to learn what leg means, I also don't want to teach him it can be ignored. 

If you want to skip to the fun part, check out 9:00:















I would say the introduction went very well! I am feeling a lot more positive about this being the last ride before he gets a week off since I will be away.


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## PoptartShop

Look at Link go! He has such a cute trot!  Aww! He looks really good. Great job with him!! :loveshower: Good for you for working through everything with Link, I agree that it was a great note to end on before he's off. You guys are making great progress.

Silly Phin, he should know better! :lol: That darn wind probably didn't help. It's good you ended on a positive note though, it sure is nice to see sunshine & no snow!  

Wow, so cool seeing Siri move! You looked great on her too! Looks like fun.


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## carshon

I just have to say I love how you praise your horses. It is something I always take away from your videos. Your calm assurance is so nice to see. I think Link looks wonderful and have noticed a marked improvement in the mouth - he is trying so hard. I had to laugh in one of your comments about how arab's seem quiet until about 6. We had the same issue with my sisters $250 3/4 Arab. She got him as an ugly 3 yr old and he was so quiet and willing. The best 4-H horse around. Then he got fit and got older and he was FULL of energy. My sisters and I loved it! You could ride Chico all day and he had more to give - but he would (and could) jump out of the pasture at any time to eat the neighbors corn or hay or lawn. And he jumped right back in when he was tired of being alone. He could untie - unlatch Un anything - so we were always going outside to find chickens out, steers out, Chico in with the pigs. gosh he was so much fun!!

But alas - he was an ugly 2 yr old and an even uglier 15yr old.


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## Spanish Rider

I am so sorry if I have jinxed you! All of those mini-spooks at the walk are more of what I expected, but I am still amazed that they don't turn into a full-throttle meltdown. He just sort of moves away to look. Great job, though! Lots of progress in these videos.

Of course, we have no gaited horses here, so it's all new to me, but I have a very hard time watching those trocha movements. Siri's canter, though, is very interesting. Looks like the legs are coming up high for a lead change, yet they go right back down. Curious.

Love Tegs! A cob?


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## knightrider

Love your videos and reports!

How is Loni recovering from her surgeries? I have been thinking of her and wishing her well.


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## phantomhorse13

carshon said:


> You could ride Chico all day and he had more to give - but he would (and could) jump out of the pasture at any time to eat the neighbors corn or hay or lawn. And he jumped right back in when he was tired of being alone. He could untie - unlatch Un anything - so we were always going outside to find chickens out, steers out, Chico in with the pigs. gosh he was so much fun!!


Did your neighbors think he was fun too?! :rofl: Chico sounds like a horse with an excess of personality for sure! In with the pigs must have been a sight..


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## phantomhorse13

Spanish Rider said:


> I have a very hard time watching those trocha movements. Siri's canter, though, is very interesting. Looks like the legs are coming up high for a lead change, yet they go right back down. Curious.
> 
> Love Tegs! A cob?


I find the Trocha movement to be oddly fascinating. It's still a two beat diagonal gait, so technically a trot, but there is so little forward movement yet so much up and down! I wonder if being used to riding lead changes would make the canter more comfortable? I found it very hard to not bounce.

Tegs is half Gypsy, half Halflinger.. so would def be considered a cob IMO. Has the pony attitude for sure..




knightrider said:


> How is Lani recovering from her surgeries?


Lani is doing great in terms of her mobility, but unfortunately she currently is dealing with a fever of unknown origin, so I will not be seeing her or Kathy at the AERC convention this weekend. Lani thinks she is reacting to a medication she is taking but of course the surgeon won't hear of it and keeps sending her back to her GP saying she must have the flu..


----------



## knightrider

> Lani thinks she is reacting to a medication she is taking but of course the surgeon won't hear of it and keeps sending her back to her GP saying she must have the flu..


The "flu"? Oh no! Nowdays when I hear of people having "the flu", you know what I am worrying about. 3 cases here in Florida now, but none near Loni or us.


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## Spanish Rider

Half Haflinger! (a Quarterflinger?) OK, now that makes more sense. Doesn't have the feathering like lots of Vanners, and the size is more Haflinger. Suuuuuuper cute! Since I was always so tall as a kid, I missed out on the pony phase, so I have a 'thing' for ponies.

How long ago did Lani have surgery? After a fairly simple procedure, 5 days later I developed a low-grade fever and one-sided headache. They did every test under the sun on me (even beet virus and some sheep viruses bc there are sheep in the village, also tested for a Lyme re-occurrence), but nada. The suspected diagnosis was an OR/hospital virus, but it wasn't any of the most typical pathogens. It lasted for 5 weeks, then disappeared.


----------



## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> The "flu"? Oh no! Nowdays when I hear of people having "the flu", you know what I am worrying about.


But Lani doesn't have any flu symptoms - no cough, no runny nose, no unhappy belly. In fact, she doesn't have _any_ symptoms but the fever.




Spanish Rider said:


> How long ago did Lani have surgery?


Lani had the second knee done Feb 11, so seems too long for a normal hospital infection and the scans show the knee appears clear. She stopped taking the suspect medication yesterday, so hoping to see improvement by the weekend..


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## egrogan

"Quarterflinger!!!!" :rofl:


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## gottatrot

The Trocha movement is very interesting. I think I'd two point that canter - it doesn't look like it would be smooth even if you rode it every day. 

Link is doing great! Nice trotting! Even "cantering" under saddle without taking off in a bucking run, LOL. That first time getting into the canter whether by spooking or falling into it can be iffy sometimes. Even if they've lunged with a saddle on at the canter it seems to feel different to some horses once there is a rider on.


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## cbar

Looks like some great progress with Link and such a nice trot he gave you!! 

I had to laugh about the audio comments in the video with Sultan....I think you had mentioned something along the lines of "it doesn't help when the other horses are a%%holes". They always seem to pick the most inopportune times to act silly don't they? 

When is your first ride of the season? I imagine with the conditioning rides picking up with Phin you have an event in mind? 

Our season starts the first weekend of May but I doubt my horses will be conditioned by then. Still too much ice/snow to ride regularly. I am planning on sending Amber to 'boot camp' in April, but need to sort out those details soon. 

Great work with Link!!!


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## phantomhorse13

gottatrot said:


> The Trocha movement is very interesting. I think I'd two point that canter - it doesn't look like it would be smooth even if you rode it every day.
> 
> Link is doing great! Nice trotting! Even "cantering" under saddle without taking off in a bucking run, LOL. That first time getting into the canter whether by spooking or falling into it can be iffy sometimes. Even if they've lunged with a saddle on at the canter it seems to feel different to some horses once there is a rider on.


 I agree that two-pointing the canter would be a lot more comfortable, but in the show ring sitting it is required. And honestly if you saw the crazy chaps Nicole has to wear for the class, I am not sure you COULD two-point, they are so bulky and _heavy_. They are hide-on cow leather with the bottoms being about 2 feet in diameter!! Most people don't put them on until after they have mounted the horse. Maybe that is what keeps the riders on - the chaps are an anchor.


I agree that cantering a young horse under saddle the first few times can be exciting and I am hoping that if spooking into the canter didn't cause a rodeo, a normal canter request won't either..


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## AnitaAnne

WOO HOO!! Loved those videos!! Link just had to prove that he is indeed, an Ayrab  that WP QH behavior was all an act... :rofl: 

The trotting work is splendid!! He likes the going faster stuff, and your grin!! What fun!! 


Hope Lani's fever resolves and George is ok.


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## Spanish Rider

> Maybe that is what keeps the riders on - the chaps are an anchor.


This is hysterical! Ballast! I got such a visual - we could sell special trocha chaps with pockets along the legs so you could fill them with different grades of gravel to keep you from flying out of the saddle!



> I agree that cantering a young horse under saddle the first few times can be exciting and I am hoping that if spooking into the canter didn't cause a rodeo, a normal canter request won't either..


Please don't rush it for our sake, but I am sure that there are several of us anxiously waiting to see _that_ video.


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> Hope Lani's fever resolves.


Lani was better within 48 hours of stopping the medication, so thank goodness for that. I was sorry to not see her or Kathy at convention, but I think they made the smartest choice. 



Spanish Rider said:


> Please don't rush it for our sake, but I am sure that there are several of us anxiously waiting to see _that_ video.


Def got some other things to work on before I worry about cantering under saddle. Link is pretty unbalanced at the canter _without_ a rider, so I have been trying to work on that slowly. He can now make it about halfway around the pen before getting discombobulated and falling back to a trot. With how sketchy the ground normally is, I haven't been pushing it.


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## phantomhorse13

The AERC convention was pretty busy for me, but overall productive and fun. I spent the majority of my time in various meetings, but did get to see a couple educational seminars and walk around the trade show and tack sale. Happy to report I sold a few items and did not buy a thing - I did win a couple free shirts, which just happened to be teal. Perfect!

We got home at 1am Sunday night/Monday morning, so it was hard to drag myself out of bed. But the weather was glorious - more like May than March - so of course I wanted to ride.

I started with Phin. I expected him to be full of it, so we went up the powerline climb at a canter. It was already over double the temp of last ride when I left the barn, so that worked to my advantage. We headed across the farm and up the Tomhicken, keeping a steady trot. Once we dropped down the pole line to the Tomhicken trail, Phin had worked out most of his silly.










It was nice to see water versus ice! I was also happy that the couple trees which had come down had already been cleared.










I heard shooting coming from the base of the s-turn trail, so I went up the alternative trail Gina had shown me. It was very nice (and stayed away from the shooting).










Went up to the space needle and then home without incident. It was so nice to tie Phin to the patience tree to dry in the sun versus having to stand in the barn with a cooler on!

13.28 miles, 1759 feet of climb, 6.3 mph average pace, 62F real feel


Next up was George. I decided to use the thermal camera to do some before and after pictures of his front feet and legs, so I didn't want a workout but that would give me a mix of everything. I started off going around Spaulding's and then heading up the bottom tier of the Sugarloaf.










Then we went down and around through the fields. It was simply glorious to be outside.










We finished going across the farm and home via Ziesloft's. George felt about the same - mostly ok but NQR in some places.

6.01 miles, 945 feet of climb, 5.4 mph average pace, 65F real feel


The before and after pictures (which are pictures of the thermal camera screen as I couldn't be bothered to upload the actual images):




























Don't see anything in the feet that seems unusual. Cannons (and hocks) are warmer after, but not sure if that is a potential issue or just the fact it was so warm outside (and I didn't even untack before taking the pics). I plan to take more before and after the next ride, too.


Next it was Link's turn. He was super quiet to tack and downright unenthused for the longe work. I couldn't blame him because it was so much warmer than it had been.






Link is making progress every ride, so I am very pleased!


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## Spanish Rider

> Link is making progress every ride, so I am very pleased!


Yes, he is! Great stuff there.


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## AnitaAnne

YAY Link!! He is such a good boy! Learning so quickly :smile: Having a blank slate to work with can be so rewarding. 

LOVE the matchy-matchy  

Are you using the Torsion right now?


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## PoptartShop

Aw, glad you had a good time at the convention. That's self-control right there, not buying anything! :lol: Yay for the free shirts!!

Good boy Phin! Glad you found another pathway, away from the shooting too. Definitely made the ride go much more smoothly. Looks beautiful. It's so nice having 'spring' weather for a change, right?! 

Link is really coming along, each video! I love it! He looks so pleasant to ride. 

I hope George feels better! The warmth could definitely just be from the heat outside, but I've found that if Promise gets a little warm (once in awhile on her fetlock that has the screws in it), putting some clay poultice on it seems to really help.


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> LOVE the matchy-matchy
> 
> Are you using the Torsion right now?


That shirt is one of the free ones - perfect, right?

I am using the Torsion currently, as I expect Link to change as he matures and starts working. We also lost our saddle fitter - he died from a brain tumor a few months ago. :frown_color: To say he is not replaceable is not an exaggeration, as he was not only experienced enough to have worked with multiple Olympic teams throughout the years, he didn't sell any saddles so had no sales agenda, he did body work, and he lived less than 30 minutes away. Since he was semi-retired, he barely charged enough to cover his costs, as he just retained the clients who were relatively local and who he enjoyed.



PoptartShop said:


> The warmth could definitely just be from the heat outside, but I've found that if Promise gets a little warm (once in awhile on her fetlock that has the screws in it), putting some clay poultice on it seems to really help.


I love poultice! I have tried that (open and wrapped) and liniment (both open and wrapped).. didn't make a bit of difference.


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## AnitaAnne

phantomhorse13 said:


> That shirt is one of the free ones - perfect, right?
> 
> I am using the Torsion currently, as I expect Link to change as he matures and starts working. We also lost our saddle fitter - he died from a brain tumor a few months ago. :frown_color: To say he is not replaceable is not an exaggeration, as he was not only experienced enough to have worked with multiple Olympic teams throughout the years, he didn't sell any saddles so had no sales agenda, he did body work, and he lived less than 30 minutes away. Since he was semi-retired, he barely charged enough to cover his costs, as he just retained the clients who were relatively local and who he enjoyed..


Very sad news, hope he didn't suffer. Sounds like he was a real gem. Just don't make them like that anymore.

(free matchy-matchy shirt is awesome!!!)


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday I got more saddle time. Momma nature was mostly smiling, as at least the sun was out. Temps have returned to normal and there is still a wind, but at least nothing was falling from the sky.

I took George out first as I wanted to keep him in the fields as much as possible, so didn't want them getting too slimy as the sun warmed them. I used the thermal camera to take before and after pics again. We went over to do the Big Square (and I avoided going near the house with the dogs, just in case).










George was the same - mostly ok with some weird steps up front every so often. George was happy enough the whole time, even asking for a gallop along one part of the fields. The NQR seemed more noticeable downhill, but that was also the place with the worst footing. 

On the way home, I decided to try the Beagle Trail for the first time in a long while.










The trail was a hot mess. There were a couple places I had to get off and hold branches up to let George walk under where the rhododendrons had grown across the trail. Then along the climb back to the road, there were 6 _big_ trees down. George was able to carefully pick his way around them, but a couple times we went so off track it was a good thing the trail was marked or I may not have known which direction to head! I won't go that way again until we get out there and do some major work.










7.69 miles, 899 feet of climb, 4.9 mph average pace, 37F real feel

The thermal images.. again, nothing that really jumps out:





































Next up was Phin. I was expecting some silliness, so we straight to the Sugarloaf and climbed!






That took the edge off, but climbing the Tomhicken helped, too. We had several wildlife encounters that kept Phin looking for the next monster.










We went down the yellow gate trail and then up the gas line and back across the ridge.










On the way home, I had gotten off to jog the Tomhicken downhill (which is normal). On the shortcut trail between the logging road and the hay field, I paused to deal with a downed tree. Phin was fine for the first few branches I broke off, but when I bent over to grab the next, he suddenly shot backwards. I had my arm through the reins (which were attached to his halter) and he pulled me over the tree while yanking my arm to the side. I went down face first onto a big rock. :eek_color:

Luckily, Phin froze when I hit the ground or I likely would have lost the reins and then really been in trouble. As is was, I was lucky to have landed in a way that didn't break any teeth or a cheekbone, but I could feel my lip swelling and the thigh that landed on the tree was not very happy either (thankfully the encounter didn't tear my new tights). My right arm felt about a foot longer than the left, but was working just fine. As I climbed to my feet, Phin was still standing with his head straight up and his eyes bugged out, looking out into the field.

After a moment, I realized he was staring at Bruce's tractor, which was up in the orchard moving around - over a quarter mile away!!! I had some choice words for him as I got back on and we continued home. He was snorting and fussing the whole way, including up the climb.. to the point I was debating getting back off for fear he would try to spin and take off down the hill. Luckily, Bruce saw us and shut the brush hog down, so I was able to cajole Phin by. Once he went past, he was totally back to normal.

Horses. :icon_rolleyes:

10.4 miles, 1713 feet of climb, 5.3 mph average pace, 42F real feel


Once I finished with Phin, I debated going inside to ice my face, but I couldn't resist the weather and decided to work with Link. Because the round pen was too slick to use safely, I decided to take him over to Gina's arena. It was his first time going there alone, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Gina came out to watch and was kind enough to handle the helmetcam.






:happydance::happydance::happydance:

While Link briefly forgot about steering while pointed towards home, he didn't do anything dumb. He also seems to have found forward, as at no point did I ask for trot under saddle but got some anyway. I was super pleased with how he handled the stressful situation, though of course the head flipping returned because of it.


Today I had hoped to get Phin out for a walk, but momma nature had other ideas and sent off and on rain (despite the forecast for partly sunny). I am feeling a bit crunchy after my encounter with that rock and have some impressive bruises on my leg from the tree. My lip and cheek are hard to miss, which made running errands interesting (though the ladies at the bank know I ride and luckily assumed it was horse-related and not from DH or a bar fight)!!


----------



## PoptartShop

Gosh, what a day for you and Phin! So glad you are okay & didn't break any teeth! :sad: Whew. That really could've been bad. Hopefully your lip & cheek feel better, props to you for even getting back on him, AND working Link after all that! I would've been such a baby. :lol: You really are a trooper! But we do have to take advantage of nice weather while we can with these guys!

Wow, Link looks so relaxed in the arena. SO awesome!! He really is such a good boy. He just seems so unbothered. I love it. I think working with him on the ground first was a great idea too. So cute watching him check everything out. I love seeing his updates! I can't believe it's been 13 rides already!  :loveshower: Go Link!!!

Darn, that sucks the poultice didn't make a difference. :sad: I swear by it too! Glad you had a good ride on George though, despite that messy trail. Ugh! So many trees down!


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## AnitaAnne

OMG that was quite a knock you got. Phin needs to be nicer! So spooky even after going up that huge hill. It looks quite steeper when no leaves on the trees! 

The townspeople know its the horses and not a bar fight or your DH :rofl: put some ice on that face. So fortunate you have all your teeth still! 

You have nerves of steel to get on Link after Phin's shenanigans! But wow was Link a GOOD BOY!!! He seemed really chill over there too, not in the least bit nervous, just thinking about his buddies back home :smile: You have a really nice horse in Link (but I'm sure you already know that) 

That arena is so nice too, not sure you have ever showed it before. Miss Gina has a lovely place!


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## Woodhaven

Sorry you got such a thumping while out riding and glad that you kept hold of Phin, a long walk home otherwise.
Riding all three you must be in great shape. Happy riding and I hope the weather is good for the weekend, supposed to be here.


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## Knave

That is terrible! I am sorry. I do understand the joy of the weather though.


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, DH and I took a drive.. and came home with another horse! Our friend Patti has been back and forth about Iggy being a match for her for a while now (you may remember he came here for boot camp in the past because of that). She is currently in the middle of an ugly divorce, so reached out to us to see if we were interested in him. He is here on a free lease to see how things go with DH (when he was here last time, I was the only one to ride him).

We put Iggy out with Link to start with. Of course Link loves everyone, so that was drama free.










This morning, we put everyone out together. We didn't expect a problem as Iggy had been out with everyone else before. Well apparently Sultan has amnesia, as he was a complete shiitake-head - he even was charging Phin and Link!! So he got separated (with George as company) for now. After that, everyone settled.

We then spent several hours with skid loader and Keith's manure spreader cleaning up the paddocks and removing the manure pile. We spread some of the bottom of the pile on the lump (what I call the circular flower bed in the driveway), which has some flowers already poking up after last week's crazy warm days.

After that, I took advantage of the small trailer still being hooked to the truck to work on loading. Phin was first and remembered his self-loading lessons after just a brief reminder. 

Then it was Link's turn. It's been a long while since we worked on loading, but he followed me in the first time with no hesitation! The next time, I stood to the side and asked him to go in by himself. He went about halfway in before he paused to look back at me - I had to laugh as he didn't seem worried about being in the trailer so much as not sure why I hadn't come along, too! He went all the way in with only minor encouragement. He was a bit less sure about backing out with me cuing from behind him, but soon had it figured out. The next time, he went 3/4 of the way in before hesitating.

This was the third attempt:








We are expecting a hard freeze tonight, so I decided I better cover the silly flowers that had come up too soon. Used the materials I had at hand:









:rofl:


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## egrogan

Awww, nice to see my buddy settling in! Give him a big kiss and lots of carrots from me :grin: I had been seeing Patti posting rides on another horse so was wondering...but had been hoping she (and YOU!) were planning on Vermont this year!


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## phantomhorse13

egrogan said:


> Awww, nice to see my buddy settling in! Give him a big kiss and lots of carrots from me :grin: I had been seeing Patti posting rides on another horse so was wondering...but had been hoping she (and YOU!) were planning on Vermont this year!


We aren't talking about Iggy coming here on the book of faces yet, as don't want to stir up trouble with the soon-to-be-ex. I will make sure to tell Iggy his breakfast carrot is from you!

I _did_ want to ask if you had been recruited by anyone for Vermont yet.. cause I sure hope DH and I will be there this year!! :Angel:


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## egrogan

accidental double post


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## egrogan

Of course, will not mention it :wink: And I can’t believe she’s not rid of soon-to-be-ex yet  She is a strong, strong person. 

As for Vermont, I would love to crew you and DH. Keep me posted!


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## phantomhorse13

egrogan said:


> As for Vermont, I would love to crew you and DH. Keep me posted!


We would love that - just don't tell Phin!!


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## PoptartShop

Ooooh, how exciting!   I hope the lease goes well!! Glad she is settling in nicely. 

Yay for Link with the trailer training. What a good boy!!!   Aww! I love how calm & willing he is. I'm sure he ate up all that praise. So good! :loveshower:


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, the farrier came. He did find quite a bit of bruising in George's front feet, so we are hoping that was the majority of the issue. Obviously, those types of pads will not be an option for him in the future!

Once the farrier was done, I had a bit of time so decided to get Iggy out. He will go in the blue tack that was Sultan's, and amazingly that saddle seems to fit as well:









Iggy was not so sure he wanted to leave the farm, but Patti had reminded me of his tricks so I was prepared. We just moseyed around Alimar.










Iggy had a couple small fusses at places we turned away from the direction he wanted to go, but nothing too bad (his full tantrums involve leaping in the air and kicking out.. channeling his inner PRE I guess). I even made him cross the muddy creek, which he did without complaint (he can be fussy about mud and water at times).










Overall, I think it was a great start.

2.77 miles, 377 feet of climb, 3.8 mph average pace, 38F real feel


Today, I got tons of saddle time. Started with George. We went out around Spaulding's to start. George felt better, but still not normal. He was fairly silly though, spooking at nothing.










We worked our way around the Sugarloaf and he got much more enthusiastic when we turned in the direction of home. He still was NQR at times though. Not sure if he needs more time to let his feet recover or if something else is going on.










6.26 miles, 869 feet of climb, 5.2 mph average pace, 36F real feel


Next was Iggy. I did a similar route around the Sugarloaf. We jogged the flats and walked the hills.









Iggy was pretty good, only having a couple fussy moments and one random spook. Amazing how fast they learn the direction home is!










5.51 miles, 784 feet of climb, 4.0 mph average pace, 38F real feel


Next up was Phin. I was expecting him to be silly, so planned to go out via Spaulding's and then up the Sugarloaf. But we found some excitement even before getting to Spaulding's:






While I did get off and lead him past the truck, I was amazed how well he handled himself. That set the tone for the whole ride. He was very chill, so I was happy to abort the big climb and just mosey up one of the smaller hills, then circle around to home.










3.6 miles, 449 feet of climb, 4.4 mph average pace, 38F real feel


Last up was Link. The weather was supposed to improve all day, but as usual the forecast was wrong. The wind was blowing and it was threatening rain as we went out to the round pen. I did a bit of free longe work, then headed out of the pen.






Link eyeballed some stuff blowing around at times and you can tell when he's nervous because the head starts tossing, but overall I am super pleased with how he did.


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## AnitaAnne

WOW. Four horses in one day! Social distancing never looked so good! :smile: 

Did you put pads back on George? I have had really good luck with leather pads and Magic Cushion for Chivas. 

Iggy wants to be a Dressage horse! If your DH rides George and Iggy, does that mean you get Phin and Link  

I really enjoy watching you work Link. It is such a pleasure to watch a youngster be brought along so carefully. He really seems to enjoy the work. He is going to be a great one!


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## PoptartShop

So sorry, I meant HE**** in reference to Iggy, not she!!! Was in the middle of a call when I responded yesterday. I am terrible. :lol:

I am so glad the ride on Iggy went well! He is so cute too, love the blue!
As for Link, I am so proud of you two. Such a good boy. Well done!!! And I agree, thank goodness for horses, it makes social distancing so much better! :lol:


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> Did you put pads back on George? I have had really good luck with leather pads and Magic Cushion for Chivas.


Yes and this is exactly what he's got on now. You could see the bruising after the trim, so it could be that he just needs time to grow some sole that isn't ****ed off.. fingers and toes crossed.


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I got more saddle time. I started first thing with Iggy. Since the ground was still dry, I headed over to the Big Square (planning to stay well away from where the dogs might be). I suspected I would see some naughty behavior, between the cooler temps and having made him sweat the day before. I was right!

Before we even got out of sight of the barn he had his first tantrum. Hadn't gone another 1/2 mile and had another. When the head shaking and balking didn't work, he tried head shaking and cantering (whereas I had asked for trot), but soon found that cantering was more work than he really wanted. He settled a bit as we got back onto the creek trail.










Iggy was unenthusiastic but not naughty until we got to the base of the hill, which happened to have a small puddle in it. Well that puddle contained alligators and aliens and any number of things and he balked hard. I asked again, he threw it in reverse. He got a tap with the stick, which brought him to a halt. Another ask for forward that resulted in a head shake got him a solid smack. At that, he gave up and went across the puddle and up the hill. Such drama!

The rest of the ride was uneventful. I got some lovely trot and even a couple nice canters. Iggy is very comfortable.










On the way home, I went down along the second part of the creek trail, where it's almost always muddy. Funny how going home the mud wasn't an issue at all. Iggy even stopped to drink.










5.64 miles, 623 feet of climb, 4.4 mph average pace, 36F real feel


Next, I worked with Link. Did a bit of free longeing in the round pen and then it was time to ride (fun part starts about 6:00):





Trotting and steering is hard.










Then, I went over to ride with Nicole. I rode Polo.









We did what I think of as the medium loop, which was a nice change from the small loop we had been doing because of ice.










Polo was pretty well behaved, but Hombre was a jerk about being barn sour by the end of the ride. :icon_rolleyes:










9.42 miles, 669 feet of climb, 5.8 mph average pace, 44F real feel


Tomorrow, we are heading down to camp in Virginia and train on trails there, since the first ride of the season was canceled (as was the second, in two weeks).


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## PoptartShop

Good job on working with Iggy through his little tantrums! See, puddles aren't so scary after all! :lol: Glad you had a good ride on him and he's comfortable, even better! I know I said it before, but I love that blue on him.

Link looks so good!! So lovely seeing you two make progress together. Glad Polo was good for you, but Hombre definitely wasn't having a good day huh! Barn sourness is not fun!

I hope you have a blast in VA & enjoy the rides!! Sorry the rides got cancelled, it really feels like everything is being cancelled lately. :sad: Such a bummer for us, but I am glad you get to still do some trails, that will be fun.


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## AnitaAnne

Will be good to get away and ride some different trails! Good for the horses brains and lower stress for people. 

Camping out with good buddies sounds like a lot of fun :smile:

Can't wait to hear all about it

BTW, Link is doing fabulous! Really good progress, you will have him out on the trails in no time!


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## Spanish Rider

Wow, can't believe Link's progress. I didn't realize that you had transitioned out of the smaller pen to the paddock. Really great stuff.

I wrote a post the other day that I don't see. Just wanted you to know that if I am allowed to leave my gilded cage this summer, our plan is also to be in VT in July.


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## carshon

I agree - Link looks fantastic the mouthing and head shaking has calmed down so much! So jealous of your riding time!


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## egrogan

Spanish Rider said:


> I wrote a post the other day that I don't see. Just wanted you to know that if I am allowed to leave my gilded cage this summer, our plan is also to be in VT in July.



Yay!! Something to look forward to :grin: :cheers:


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## tim62988

so what kind of trees were they harvesting? looks like quite the operation


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## phantomhorse13

PoptartShop said:


> Sorry the rides got cancelled, it really feels like everything is being cancelled lately.


It does.. and I think its going to get worse before it gets better. What would have been the 4th ride has been canceled and we are expecting to hear the same about the 3rd one any time now. But as frustrating as losing events is, community health IS more important. While endurance rides are relatively low risk compared to some others, there is still risk.



AnitaAnne said:


> Camping out with good buddies sounds like a lot of fun


It was a lot of fun, but I have to say it was weird to not share meals (normally we do a planned potluck type of thing) and to be sitting many feet apart while eating the food we had each brought. But Lani and Kathy are medical professionals so know the risks are real (DH is still not so sure, but I think hearing things from the ladies has done wonders to convince him I am not just falling for media hype, etc).



Spanish Rider said:


> Just wanted you to know that if I am allowed to leave my gilded cage this summer, our plan is also to be in VT in July.


That would be FANTASTIC!!



tim62988 said:


> so what kind of trees were they harvesting? looks like quite the operation


 I am honestly not sure what kind. Its a very large tree farm that sells ornamental and fruit trees, various shrubs, and of course christmas trees. I can tell you the things being loaded weren't christmas trees or shrubs but have no idea beyond that! :wink:


Had a really nice couple days in Virginia. Probably won't have time to edit video clips and journal about it until Monday though. Hope everyone enjoys the rest of their weekend!


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## phantomhorse13

On Friday, DH and I left early Friday to head down to VA. I was surprised to see the normal amount of traffic both on the roads and in the one gas station we stopped at. DH rolled his eyes and fussed when I gave him a bleach wipe to use on the pump, pointing out that nobody else was acting any differently. While I agreed nobody else was, that didn't mean I was going to follow their example.. and if he wouldn't use the wipe, then I would get out and fuel the truck myself. That earned another eye roll, but apparently having your wife pump fuel is more embarrassing than using a bleach wipe, so out he went (and yes, he used it). We used the bathroom in the trailer and refilled our drinks with things we brought, versus going inside the building.

We got to the hay field where we were camping first. We had just enough time to set up camp before a light rain started and we went into the trailer to wait it out. Boy what a difference the new trailer's slide out makes!!



















The rain stopped just as Lani, Kathy and Kelsie arrived. It was odd to park the rigs so far apart. Lani's legs look fantastic - I joked she was a couple inches taller now. After they were set up, we pulled out Phin and George and got them tacked up. Before long, we headed out on trail with Kathy on Fuji (first time he's been out since an injury 18 months ago) and Kelsie on Musubi (who she has been begging Lani to ride and she finally agreed since it was just a training ride).

Phin and I led the way for the first half of the loop, which was most of the OD LD backwards.










We went along a paved for for about a half mile, cutting out a section of trail on private land that is only allowed to be used during the ride itself. We passed this neat old building along the way - Kathy said it was an abandoned kiln.










The climb was just as long as I remembered, but the view from the ridge was fantastic as always. The weather had cleared and gotten quite warm, so the very strong wind was actually quite welcome.










We made good use of the sponges at all the water stops. It was odd to have so much water on this trail, especially along the top of the ridge. Before long, it was time to head down and back to camp.










The horses all did well and there was no drama. Each horse took a turn at leading and all returned to camp happy.

19.95 miles, 3064 feet of climb, 4.9 mph average pace, 74F real feel


After we got the first horses settled, we got the second set out. Kelsie really wanted to ride Fluffy, so that gave me Lapco, and Kathy was riding Flo (first outing since her terrible colic and surgery last year). We just did a quick out and back to try to get the edge off.


__
Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18
Show Content










While nobody misbehaved, I don't think it took much of the edge off! Fluffy in particular was super hot and Kelsie basically let her pick the pace, so she often disappeared into the distance ahead.

7.19 miles, 791 feet of climb, 5.6 mph average pace, 75F real feel


When we got back to camp we got the horses settled and then went to our respective trailers to eat the food we had brought for dinner. So odd to not share food and sit around together, but we were trying to be as responsible as possible.

The next morning, we got the second set of horses out again and Dean rode Phin. I had warned him that this ride would be Kathy's agenda, meaning the pace would be fast and Phin would likely not keep up. I don't think he believed me to start with..










Fluffy was in the lead most of the day and I was surprised and pleased that Lapco was able to keep up. She's come a long way since I rode her in November! Flo was full of beans as well, which was good to see after all her issues.










Lapco got to lead for a few miles and I think she did really well. She lacks some confidence when out in front but that should improve with more experience.










As expected, Phin was often trailing behind, but didn't look worried and DH was still on top. Later he said they just did the trail at their own pace. DH also commented Phin wasn't even super spooky (amazing what 20 miles the day before and other horses going first helps with!).










11.24 miles, 1644 feet of climb, 6.4 mph average pace, 48F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Sunday, DH had a meeting with his office and service managers, so I went out to work with Link in the morning.

I started with the normal bit of free longeing to get him paying attention, which didnt take long. He was fairly unenthused as everyone else was in the next paddock over, taking a nap! At one point I looked over and everyone was laying flat out while poor Link had to work. 

I decided it was time to start working on steering using the bit. I started with ground driving and went from there:






I was so bummed when I realized the camera battery had died!! After the footage you saw, I did move on to a bit of trot each direction. He was quite fussy with his head, but never did anything naughty. When I got a bit of softness each way, I called it good and quit. 


Later when DH got home, we got Iggy and George out. DH rode Iggy for the first time.










Overall the ride went really well. Iggy had a couple fussy moments, but I had warned DH about what to expect so he wasn't taken by surprise.










We went up the Sugarloaf, did the out and back at the neighbors, went across the farm, and then home.










6.78 miles, 1198 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 38F real feel


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## PoptartShop

Wow, the trailer looks amazing!  Looks so cozy!

I am thrilled the trip went well in VA! Yay!! Such good horses, and I'm so happy Phin wasn't really spooky! :loveshower: Looks like so much fun. Love the video too, so cool to see all the nice scenery. I bet you are exhausted (and the horses)!

It's nice to see Link trying to figure out the bit. At first he was like WOAH, what is this! But then he relaxed & he looks really good! Good boy Link! Ending on a good note is great too - little wins!  Sounds like a really nice weekend!


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## AnitaAnne

Nice experience for all of you! Wonderful to hear Lani knees are good and straight, recovered nicely! I had wondered if she was riding again yet. 

YAY for making your DH wipe the pump!! Better safe than sorry, and just because "others" aren't doing it doesn't mean a thing. 

That new trailer is...BIG and Beautiful! The dogs must have been thrilled to have all that space too :smile:

Two days of riding with friends, and that scenic view!!  Horses enjoyed the change of scenery too


Bummer about the camera battery, but watching you work Link is always a pleasure! I was not aware you haven't been using the bit to "steer" him before this! Just the halter? 


Can't wait to see those pretty ears out on the trail. Link has such a handsome head and lovely, kind eyes.


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> Wonderful to hear Lani knees are good and straight, recovered nicely! I had wondered if she was riding again yet.


Lani has been behaving herself, which includes doing all her assigned PT and not riding. She is hoping to be back in the saddle in May. Meanwhile Brim has gone feral, but that is another story. [I had hoped he and Duroc would have come to VA for me to ride. If we get another training weekend (looking unlikely any time soon with all the shelter in place mandates), hopefully they will be included.] Tho Brim always behaves better for Lani than anybody else, not sure she needs to be the first rider on his back after a 6 month break..



AnitaAnne said:


> I was not aware you haven't been using the bit to "steer" him before this! Just the halter?


After seeing all the head flinging happening even while free longeing back when he was first started, I made Link a halter that included side pull rings. I didn't want him potentially scaring himself and/or damaging his mouth with the frustration flinging, so figured teaching him the basics of bending and steering with the sidepull was a good first step. After those initial lessons, I started putting the bridle on him during work, but was still using the sidepull for the ground driving and riding.

Not the best pic, but if you look closely you can see the rein is through the bit D and attached to the small stainless sidepull ring (which is in the knot of the halter):










Since the head flinging had diminished greatly, I decided it was time to start using the bit. But I expected some reverting as he learned something new, which is why we went back into the round pen to do it. Hopefully it won't take him long to figure out steering with the bit isn't the end of the world either.

I wish momma nature would be more cooperative, as we have rain in the forecast every day or every other day for the next 10 days, so not sure when the round pen will be useable again..


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, it wasn't actually raining so I cajoled myself out to the barn. It was damp and chilly when I started tacking up, but by the time I was done the sun was peeking out occasionally. 

Iggy and I headed out to do the yellow gate loop. He was not real enthused leaving but didn't do anything naughty. Even climbing the power line, he trucked along without too much encouragement. I dismounted to jog down the orchard road at the farm. I tend to do this normally as I was taught they only have so many downhill miles in their legs, but Iggy is also pretty uncoordinated down hill - he almost paces at times! I am hoping that will change as he gets stronger and I figured having my weight adding to the strain isn't helpful to start with.

We crossed the farm creek without incident (a location of a giant tantrum once when he came to boot camp the first time) and went up the Tomhicken. As we went out the yellow gate trail, I was pleased he didn't fuss about crossing the puddles at all.










We went down and around, maintaining a slow trot most of the way. We did have one nice canter as well. Climbed up the gas line, then had a nice walk break going down the blood trail (so called because two different horses have managed to hurt themselves in this short section).










On the way back down the Tomhicken, I decided to stay straight and do a bit of exploring. I had always assumed that trail ended in the nearby housing development, but Gina said it went behind it and continued all the way down to the highway (a couple miles). Iggy surprisingly didn't fuss when we didn't turn towards home.

We worked our way behind the housing development, but the farther we went, the worse the trail got. We were able to cross a couple down trees, but the trail itself was barely there and got increasingly slanted as we left the development area. I worried about the mud and slope causing a fall, so we turned back after only about a half mile. [When I got home and looked at the tracks on a map, we weren't too far from where the gas line crossed when we turned around. It seemed to open up a bit there, so I may try exploring again when it's not as wet.]










Iggy had one brief fussy moment when we got to the bottom of the orchard road on the way home. I wanted to trot and he thought canter was better. However, when we turned around and cantered the other way instead, he soon decided that just trotting home was much better than cantering after all!

10.89 miles, 1598 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 40F real feel


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## AnitaAnne

That is so clever to put the reins on the halter, but also run them through the bit rings! I might try that on Chivas, and maybe Lacy too. I am hoping to be able to ride Lacy bitless, and that might be a good transition. If I can even ever ride her, back is still horrible! 

Iggy's personality just cracks me up! You have his number, that's for sure!! 

Rain is when I clean house, or work extra. Weather rules our lives...


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## AnitaAnne

You make your own halters? Cool! No wonder they all seem to fit so well :smile:

What kind of rope do you use? Most of the halters I see are soo stiff and thick. I prefer a thinner and softer one but I am certainly no expert!!


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## phantomhorse13

AnitaAnne said:


> What kind of rope do you use? Most of the halters I see are soo stiff and thick. I prefer a thinner and softer one


I also like a softer rope. The rope for Link's and Iggy's halters came from amazon - 1/4" nylon double braid rope from Miami Cordage.


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## phantomhorse13

Thursday, I had a couple free hours in the morning, so got Iggy out. It was supposed to be sunny, but I had to be happy with it not actually raining. I decided to go over and do the Big Open loop.

Iggy was asking me why I didn't have a job by the time we got to the second climb..










By the third climb, he was offering to re-write my resume for me! :lol:










But while he may not have been exactly enthusiastic, he didn't fuss at all either!










Iggy didn't bat an eye going past all the trash cans and trash bags, the running excavator, or the horse-eating pool that has been sitting on a trailer on the edge of the road in the housing development for months. I was thrilled with how the ride went.

11.46 miles, 1447 feet of climb, 5.2 mph average pace, 48 F real feel


Yesterday, I got Phin out first thing. Yet another day that was supposed to be sunny, but sure looked threatening as we left the barn. Phin was full of it, so after a brisk canter up the power line climb, I decided to do the yellow gate loop backwards. We also went out via Spud Hollow (Gina's old boarding barn), which is looking mighty abandoned after not having animals on it for a year.










Phin found _lots_ of visible and invisible things to worry about in here. Did you know empty hose reels are potentially dangerous? :icon_rolleyes:

Trails backwards are also highly suspicious. But hey, I wasn't bored..










We explored a new trail on the ridge, but it only took us to where someone had put a new hunting stand. Pretty view though.










Phin was as good as he could be, but he is just too fit for his (or my) own good now..

10.42 miles, 1453 feet of climb, 5.3 mph average pace, 36F real feel


After I finished with Phin, the sun came out and I decided the ground was dry enough to be able to use the round pen. I worked with Link a bit in hand, then got on for his second ride using the bit.






Link was much more relaxed this time. While he did still fuss with his head at times, I felt it was a big improvement over last ride. I am glad when I can review video and verify that what I think I am feeling is actually happening.











Next up was George. Gina had asked if I was interested in riding with her, so I met her and Amish and Nik on Windsor. We did the yellow gate loop the normal way.










We found some wildlife along the way!










We also found some neighborhood kids who were def not social distancing. Luckily George didn't care (and I was very thankful they hadn't been out when I was riding Phin earlier).










8.55 miles, 1230 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 52 F real feel


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## PoptartShop

What a good boy Iggy!  He seems really level-headed & not spooky, that is great! 

Phin must have superpowers to see things we can't! :lol: Scary monsters! Glad you had such a good ride though, yay! It's fun to explore!

Omg the snake! :O And those kids are definitely not 6ft apart. Sheesh! Link is doing so well though - he definitely seems more relaxed.  Good boy!!


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## phantomhorse13

Wow where has the week gone!

On Monday, I got a lot of saddle time. I started with Iggy. We did the yellow gate loop.









Iggy was not real enthused but behaved well heading out and making the big lollipop. He didn't fuss about any of the puddles.










However, as we were crossing the farm on the way home, he had a tantrum when we didn't go the most direct way. The tantrum resulted in our cantering some 20 meter circles in both directions until he decided maybe just trotting like I asked was easier. We continued on our way, but then had another tantrum at the next trail junction. That resulted in heading up the Sugarloaf instead of just going home.










I thought he had settled down after the climb, but when we got back onto Alimar, he again wanted to go faster than I wanted. When I asked him to maintain the trot (versus the canter he wanted), another tantrum resulted. That meant instead of just going home, we did a couple laps around Alimar until he quit rushing for home. I hadn't planned on such a long ride, but I certainly wasn't going to reward that behavior!

When we finally got home, Iggy did his best to try to charm everyone into forgiving him, including Kestrel.










14 miles, 1670 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 50 F real feel


Next up was Phin. We headed out via Spauldings and the Very Scary Pond, which had water going over the spillway..









I was very pleased that Phin kept his head. He didn't even worry too much about the workers being in the tree farm and I was able to ride him past the skid carrying trees. We then moseyed over and around the Sugarloaf. Phin was very mellow and I took advantage to re-mark a bit of trail.










And then we wandered down a newly made quad trail to see where it went. It popped out in the field beside the farm, so will be a nice alternative to the normal trail.










Once we were home, Phin was staring intently at the lump as we returned, so we went over to check it out. I have no idea what he was so interested in, unless he somehow knows the flowers are early! 










12.4 miles, 1945 feet of climb, 4.9 mph average pace, 52 F real feel


The next morning, I was horrified when Iggy came in for breakfast _lame_. And I don't mean maybe kinda off, I mean lame at the walk. I felt his leg all over and couldn't find anything - no marks, no heat, no swelling. However, I thought that left front hoof was perhaps a bit warmer than the right, though there was not a strong digital pulse like you would expect with an abscess. 

So after he finished eating, I pulled him out into the aisle and used the thermal camera to check it out. I couldn't find anything worrisome in his legs or body, but the heels of the LF were warmer than the RF. So that left me pondering stone bruise or abscess - I wondered if he stomped on a rock during one of the tantrums. I found an easyboot that would fit over his shoe, so packed the foot with clay poultice and booted him.

A while later, I went out to get George for a ride. I was pleased to see Iggy was still wearing the boot, but he was still off at the walk. Grr.

George and I moseyed around Spauldings and then around the Sugarloaf.









While he felt about the same to me in terms of weird steps, he was super spooky for no apparent reason. That had me on my toes the whole ride, which was not much fun.










As we turned for home, George's enthusiasm bumped up about 17 notches. In fact, as we trotted across the farm, he flung his head into the air and tried to take off! That resulted in a quick change of direction to take us the other way. I was pretty shocked but George's tongue was flapping, so glad to know someone was having a good time! 










10.1 miles, 1382 feet of climb, 5.2 mph average pace, 39 F real feel

When I got home and talked to DH about George's behavior, he decided we should check him for Lyme just to make sure all the weirdness wasn't actually medical. I agreed and called the vet. She just happened to be heading home at that moment and would be going right past, so she stopped in to draw blood. Never a dull minute!


Wednesday morning, Iggy was about 75% better. I pulled the boot off and used an oddly shaped pair of vice grips as makeshift hoof testers. He was sensitive on the inside heel of that LF. After texting with the farrier about what I had found, he agreed it sounded like a bruise. Shiitake. I am still kicking myself for not insisting on pads, but the farrier wanted to try without. Hopefully the bruise won't abscess..


I got Phin out a bit later that morning. I decided to go over to do the out and back on the rail road bed. Phin was on his best behavior from the start, which was nice as we could do quite a bit of canter.










It was nice to be on some trail we hadn't used in a while. We even explored down a newly-logged path, but it didn't go very far before dead ending at a steep drop into the creek.















Phin got a little bit silly when we turned for home, so we took a brief detour. That got him settled down and we finished the ride without incident.










15.7 miles, 1817 feet of climb, 5.7 mph average pace, 38 F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Thursday I had planned to ride again, but temperatures had dropped and the wind was raging. With real feel in the mid-30s, I knew the horses would be nutty and I had no desire to push my luck. Instead, I put on several layers (including my snow suit!) to go out and do some yard work.

While weeding the various flower beds, I got a good view of several rounds of lunacy from the horses, reinforcing my decision not to ride.

George & Phin:









George, Sultan, Iggy, Phin, Link (notice the head mid-fling):









Kestrel was thrilled that I gave her the sheep back to keep her occupied. But nothing in life is free, so she had to practice 'wait' some also.






Friday was equally windy and also spitting sleet and snow, so I wound up going over to DH's office and organizing what seemed like a million pages of paperwork. Saturday was cloudy and damp, but calm, so it was a good day for more yardwork. We started out mulching all the flower beds. It always looks so nice when it's done, but all the shoveling is not my favorite.










As a nice change from shoveling, the next project was taking down some trees. Thank goodness that went without incident. DH was even able to move the bulk of the trees with the skid loader, meaning much less to have to cut into pieces and remove by hand!

I heard from the vet Saturday afternoon - George's Lyme multiplex came back positive only for vaccination. So Lyme is not on the table.


Sunday, DH and I got George and Phin out. I wanted him to see what he thought of George. We went over to do the Big Square.










Phin was forward without being too silly. The weather actually improved as the ride went on, which was a nice surprise.










DH said George felt good overall to him, with only an occasional funny step. He didn't have any issues with him spooking (but of course Phin always went first).










When we got back, we untacked and took the dogs for a cool out mosey around Alimar.










11.8 miles, 1030 feet of climb, 5.1 mph average pace, 60F real feel


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## Aprilswissmiss

I guess I didn't realize it until they were all in one photo together - but wow, how you keep track of four different gray Arabian geldings is beyond me!


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## phantomhorse13

Aprilswissmiss said:


> I guess I didn't realize it until they were all in one photo together - but wow, how you keep track of four different gray Arabian geldings is beyond me!


 Up close, its not that hard as they have different head shapes and markings. From a distance can be a challenge though.

And if nothing else, they all respond fairly well to god [email protected] :rofl:


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## SwissMiss

phantomhorse13 said:


> And if nothing else, they all respond fairly well to god [email protected] :rofl:


:rofl::rofl::rofl:


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## Celeste

It's funny. I had a grey Arab gelding years ago that thought that that particular command meant to go into an extended trot.


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## phantomhorse13

Celeste said:


> It's funny. I had a grey Arab gelding years ago that thought that that particular command meant to go into an extended trot.


:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:


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## phantomhorse13

Monday, I got Phin out. We moseyed around Spaulding's and then headed around the Sugarloaf. Phin was on his best behavior (yay for riding two days in a row).










We took advantage of that new piece of trail. It goes past this hunting blind and Phin was fairly certainly it was a serial killer's camp.. I think he grew a foot taller as he tip-toed past. 










When I got back, I pulled his saddle off, grabbed Kestrel, and headed out for a bareback cool down around Alimar. Phin was not so sure he wanted to go at first, but when he found out it was a walkabout buffet, he decided it was a really good thing.










10.7 miles, 1246 feet of climb, 5.1 mph average pace, 56F real feel


After finishing with Phin, I debated if I wanted to work with Link as the across the road neighbor was cutting up a huge tree. That work included chainsaws, a small excavator, and a dump truck, all of which were just visible over the front field. But when Link left the herd to come over to watch me and even wanted to play with Kestrel, I figured the noise and movement wasn't bothering him. 










Link was pretty chill tacking up. He was working quietly in the pen when DH randomly came home with a giant load of stuff in the dump trailer - surprise! If you look closely just past Link's nose, you can see him on the tractor:









Ironically, Link was not all that concerned as the tractor went past on the driveway, but Sultan was standing at the hay feeder and took great offense. He went zooming away, which of course had Phin bolting off, too. Link was not happy that the herd left and went galloping around the pen. I just stood and watched, hoping he wouldn't hurt himself. Link did three laps - and maintained the correct lead - and then decided that was way more work than it was worth and focused on me again.

We did more free longeing and ground work until DH went back out again with the trailer empty. That passing didn't get any reaction, as the rest of the herd was already in the middle paddock so didn't feel the need to run away like idiots. Once the tractor was out of sight, I hopped on.

All the honking and beeping and other noise is coming from across the road.






Link was pretty tired, but I thought he did pretty well. He is fussing less with his head and starting to get the idea of turning most of the time.


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## egrogan

It turned green overnight for you! Send that our way please :grin:


Glad Link did so well despite the commotion.


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## phantomhorse13

egrogan said:


> It turned green overnight for you! Send that our way please


 Have you had any of these crazy warm snaps yet? We have had 2 days of temps in the 60s and spring has sprung.. for now.

Last night we had some crazy thunderstorms. More forecast for this evening. Then the temp drops and possible snow showers Friday! Momma nature isn't done with winter yet..


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## SwissMiss

phantomhorse13 said:


> Have you had any of these crazy warm snaps yet? We have had 2 days of temps in the 60s and spring has sprung.. for now.
> 
> Last night we had some crazy thunderstorms. More forecast for this evening. Then the temp drops and possible snow showers Friday! Momma nature isn't done with winter yet..


Yikes! Here 90ies are already knocking on the door!


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## egrogan

@SwissMiss, you can keep that craziness down there with you! I never want those temps, give me a foot of snow instead...


It's been right around 50*F the past three days. I saw the first crocus outside my bedroom door this morning. Supposed to be rain & sleet tomorrow and snow Friday. "Spring" for sure...


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## QueenofFrance08

It was 70 here yesterday (hence my t shirt picture!) and going down the the 40's until Saturday. Sunday it's supposed to snow..... BOOO!


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## phantomhorse13

Tuesday, I got George out first thing. I did the same route as with Phin the day before.










George was feeling mighty fine.. as his flapping tongue evidenced.










I still felt the occasional funny step, but he sure didn't let it damped his enthusiasm. He was even still forward when I took him out bareback with Kestrel to cool down.










10.5 miles, 1324 feet of climb, 5.2 mph average pace, 48F real feel


Next up was Link. They were not working across the road, so I decided to go out into the paddock. Overall he did pretty well, though trotting _and_ steering (especially away from the herd) is hard. There was some momentary excitement at 14:30.






It was interesting to review the video to see what happened - seems like he spooked at poop?!










I turned my gps on while riding him for the first time. OMG does a mile of circles and figure 8s look funny on a map! :lol:

1.0 mile, 20 feet of climb, 4.0 mph average pace, 55F real feel

As a reward for being so good, Link got to wear my raincoat to be untacked. I wish I had the phone out when he grabbed hold of it and was waving it in circles!




















Next, I went over to ride with Gina. She wanted me to babysit her ride on Aztec, who hasn't been out on trail since I rode him in December! I rode Amish.










We went over to do the Big Square. Both horses were a bit nervous having to pass a broken down atv on a narrow part of the trail, but behaved very well otherwise.










12.1 miles, 726 feet of climb, 3.6 mph average pace, 57F real feel


Since then, the weather has been miserable. I had hoped to ride yesterday morning between rounds of rain, but I had a horrible weather-related headache and just couldn't find the motivation. Today, the front finally came through with several storms and now its insanely windy. Tomorrow is supposed to stay crazy windy and add some sleet and/or snow to the mix. Yuck!


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## PoptartShop

Beautiful rides as always! Gorgeous photos. 

And yay Link! Such a good boy despite all of that going on! He looks so cute in the raincoat LOL. :lol: Good job! 

The wind has been crazy here also the past few days. Just so miserable. Why can’t the nice weather just stay put?! :icon_rolleyes:


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## phantomhorse13

Momma nature had def been crazy lately. Thursday, we had a lot of wind and off and on rain all day. The horses didn't seem to mind though. @*Aprilswissmiss* and anybody else, care to take a shot at naming who is who? (click on the pic and it will get bigger)










Friday brought a sharp drop in temperature, a lot of wind, and snow squalls! During a break in the precipitation, I took Kestrel down to the creek trail to do some trail maintenance.


















Just before one squall, I happened to catch Phin either feeling mighty fine or having a tantrum over the snow. He went galloping out of one paddock (where everyone else was grazing), turned the corner, and went long trotting all the way across the other. The rest of the herd just stared in amazement.










By Saturday, Momma nature finally sort of calmed down. Rather scary when 15-20mph winds seem not too bad!

DH and I got George and Phin out. I wanted to go over towards the Space Needle and explore. While I do always let DH know where I am going and use Life360 (what we jokingly refer to as the stalker app) so he can keep track of me.. somehow it's just nice to have someone else along when exploring!

It was mighty chilly working our way across to the Tomhicken and getting into the woods provided some welcome cover. We made it across the development without seeing the horde of kids - one benefit to the unpleasant weather. Soon we were making our way down the road I wanted to explore.

Phin was not impressed with finding another camp likely inhabited by serial killers..










But the trail beyond it was quite nice. We went about 2 miles and I was excited to see the trail was potentially heading towards another section of trail. We had other things we needed to do, so we didn't want to keep going in case we didn't come out where expected, so just turned around and headed back. About then the clouds broke up.










While it was still crazy windy, it was amazing how much the sun coming out made the day improve. Phin and George both did really well. DH thought George felt really good, with only an occasional funny step.










18.2 miles, 2055 feet of climb, 6.0 mph average pace, 36F real feel


On Sunday, we got Iggy and Phin out. We went over to do the Big Square. Iggy led for the first half of the ride and only had one minor tantrum over a ditch with water in it.










We looped around the fields and then dropped down to go along the creek. We got to a good place to drink, then turned around to head back.










Iggy was much more enthused about going home, or perhaps he was just happy to settle in behind Phin. On the way home, we saw some other people out social distancing.










10.0 miles, 1070 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 54F real feel


----------



## Spanish Rider

Adorable pic of Kestrel!


----------



## QueenofFrance08

L to R George, Iggy, Sultan, Link Phin?

I'm only not sure between Iggy and Sultan...


----------



## egrogan

phantomhorse13 said:


> Phin was not impressed with finding another camp likely inhabited by serial killers..



I mean, he's not wrong...


----------



## Aprilswissmiss

phantomhorse13 said:


> @*Aprilswissmiss* and anybody else, care to take a shot at naming who is who?


I can tell you which one Link is! :rofl:

Left to right: George, Iggy, Sultan, Link, Phin? (I promise I didn't cheat using @QueenofFrance08's post :mrgreen I'm going off of some very wishy-washy things like the way Phin stands and how I've noticed Iggy raises his tail more frequently than others, then process of elimination for the other two who do/do not have visible fleabites from a distance...


----------



## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> L to R George, Iggy, Sultan, Link Phin?





Aprilswissmiss said:


> I can tell you which one Link is! :rofl:
> 
> Left to right: George, Iggy, Sultan, Link, Phin?


You are both right!


For that particular pic, seeing George is trace clipped is a big hint. He's also less flea bitten and has a pink nose (not easy to see in that pic).

Iggy has a shorter mane as it has been pulled until now. He's also got a super typey face and tiny ears (not easy to see in this pic). He's also tallest.

Sultan is fleabitten and also has a big blood mark across his hind end. Its hard to tell the difference between that and the dirt in this pic tho. :icon_rolleyes:

Link. yeah ;-)

Phin is the lightest and not flea bitten.. he generally is also the least relaxed looking. I waited probably 5 minutes hoping he would drop his head to graze but he just wasn't going to because he knew I was looking at him!


----------



## phantomhorse13

egrogan said:


> I mean, he's not wrong...


He's not.. especially if you are a deer or turkey!


----------



## QueenofFrance08

I did get George from the clip... I knew Phin right away too because he's the lightest. Sultan's back looks a little more like Chico's (older horse) so I guessed based on that!


----------



## Celeste

I got Link right.


----------



## PoptartShop

Such nice rides!  And Kestrel is SO photogenic, I can't take it! So cute! <3

All that wind/rain was crazy right?! Insane!


----------



## phantomhorse13

Monday it rained, so I got all my inside stuff done. Winter also returned, much to my displeasure. Tuesday morning was partly sunny but chilly when I headed out with George. It was climbing day, so we moseyed up the Sugarloaf.










We found some friends the second time up.










We looped down and around the farm on the way home. George was feeling mighty fine and had very few weird steps.










11.8 miles, 2053 feet of climb, 4.9 mph average pace, 42F real feel 


Next up was Iggy. I rode with Gina on Amish and Nik on Windsor. We started out going up the Sugarloaf as the horses were quite fresh.










Then we headed across the farm and up the Tomhicken to the yellow gate trail.










Going out with Gina and Nik was a good learning experience for Iggy. He is not able to walk as fast as Amish, setting up a situation where he wants to have a tantrum. Add in Nik and Windsor jogging to catch up behind us (as Windsor walks even slower than Iggy) and it was a double whammy. But after a while (and with no major tantrums), Iggy got over himself and settled down!










16.4 miles, 1819 feet of climb, 3.7 mph average pace, 44F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

On Wednesday, I rode with Nicole and Diana at Hawk Mountain. It was a beautiful sunny day, but again the wind was strong and quite cold. I rode Hombre, who had a massive blow up when I first got on. First he went charging away from the mounting block, then when I got him stopped he refused to move. When I put my leg on again, he started running backwards and sideways. At one point he even started getting light in front!

Nicole and I were both floored. While he can be a bit barn sour at home, he's never behaved anything like that before home or out. Once we got going, he didn't have any other balking issues.










As we traveled around, I noticed that Hombre did a lot more collected cantering than normal. He was going on a soft rein, but normally he will trot as well as gait. He didn't trot the entire ride, which I found very odd.










It was nice to see some different trails and the horses paced well. Those trails are pretty remote so we only saw two other people (both on foot) the whole time.










After the ride, we checked Hombre very carefully for signs of pain and didn't find anything. Upon discussing Hombre's weird behavior, Nicole decided she was going to test him for Lyme. Something is obviously going on for him to act that way!

14.7 miles, 2074 feet of climb, 5.1 mph average pace, 42F real feel 


Yesterday, winter really returned with a vengeance. I have to admit I considered not riding, but with snow and rain in the forecast I didn't want to put it off. I was wearing a lot of layers when George and I left the barn.

No surprise the cold weather and nasty wind had George feeling entirely too good. I went out via Spaulding's and then around the Sugarloaf. 










Anywhere we could move out, George was wanting to run. When we dropped down to go around the farm, I let him yahoo a bit up the orchard road as he had been doing well listening. He came back without much discussion and we continued home without incident. He again felt very good with very few odd steps.










10.8 miles, 1059 feet of climb, 6.1 mph average pace, 28F real feel 


Next up was Iggy, who was also feeling mighty fine. I had planned the same route as George, but by the time we made it around Spaulding's it was obvious Iggy needed to find his brain. So of course we went up the Sugarloaf to look for it!










That climb helped a lot, so we dropped back down to continue going around. When we got to the farm, Iggy briefly thought about fussing, but quickly decided behaving was better than climbing.










Iggy got a bit strong and fussy once we got back onto Alimar, so I rode him home, tied him to a tree while I went to get Kestrel, then got back on and went out again. Iggy was highly offended then, but it didn't take much to shut down the fussing. We went across Alimar at at trot, then looped around and came home at a walk. He stayed on a loose rein the whole way back!










11.5 miles, 1580 feet of climb, 5.8 mph average pace, 34F real feel 


Once I was done with Iggy, I decided it was time to open the gates to the other two paddocks. I knew there would be much excitement normally and the cold weather only added fuel to the fire. I got lucky the herd was grazing as far away from the gates I opened as possible, so I had a chance to get a quick video just after I opened the second gate. 






Notice who was in the lead!! George has been the fastest since Dream died.. you could see his displeasure at being passed by the upstart.










It was fun to watch them play, though it didn't last all that long as the call of the grass was just too strong.


----------



## Celeste

Unfortunately, my barefoot idea did not work. I rode Dylan (now my husband and son say I must change the spelling to Dillon due to somebody they don't like that spells it the other way) Anyway, I rode him on two short rides without shoes. I will post pictures of the disaster that happened. 

So I had the farrier back out and had shoes put back on both the horses. After consulting with several experts including our own @phantomhorse13, I decided to go with shoes and over-reach boots. I will post a picture of what I ordered. They came, but it has been storming so I haven't tried them yet. 

But I have ridden Dillon (formerly Dylan, formerly horse with not name or HWNN, formerly Rapper, formerly Emmenem, formerly M and M, formerly what ever is on his papers) twice since the shoeing which was Thursday. He did great and I had loads of fun. Hopefully all this storming will go away and I'll get out and ride some more. 

I have seen deer on almost every ride. They never just stand there and let me take pictures.

I have no idea when I posted miles, so I'll just post my total. Most of my rides are about 3 miles. This is a trail on private property. I don't see people and I don't get chased by bad dogs. 

*2020 Total 89.88* (I should have ridden around the yard a time or two.)


----------



## Celeste

Sorry. I posted that on the wrong thread. I asked the administrator to delete it.


----------



## phantomhorse13

Celeste said:


> Sorry. I posted that on the wrong thread. I asked the administrator to delete it.


Doesn't hurt my feelings that you posted here! Ouch on that chunk of wall out of Dillon's foot. Hopefully the bell boots are the answer to the shoe grabbing issues.


----------



## phantomhorse13

Saturday, DH and I took George and Phin out to continue exploring. I had looked at some satellite images of the area and saw what I hoped could be a connecting trail. DH was not impressed with the weather and it took quite a bit of cajoling to get him to go outside!

We went as directly to the exploration area as possible, but it was still 7 miles to get to there.










The road became an atv path and when that split, the path going the direction we wanted looked much less traveled. The farther we went, the less used the path became..










After about a mile, it petered out to nothing. Looking at our location on the gps, we were close to a clearing that I hoped might be the connection. We did a bit of trail blazing and got down into the open.










We found another faint trail going in the correct direction and followed it.. but it only went to a hunting stand. Trying to continue the correct direction would have involved either a lot of trail blazing and/or jumping off a cliff, so we decided to call it a day and turned around and went back. The horses were thrilled we were finally going the right way!










Ironically, the sun started peeking out just as we were crossing Ziesloft's on the way home. The wind was still brutal though and I was very happy for a mug of hot chocolate when we finished!

23.2 miles, 2292 feet of climb, 5.8 mph average pace, 36F real feel


Yesterday, it wasn't actually raining so I decided to get horses out. It was, however, cloudy and damp and windy and I admit I really considered just staying inside.. But knowing the forecast for the rest of the week was awful, I found the motivation and rode.

George was first. We went over to do the Big Square. The property owner has been adding to his *ahem* collection.










George was feeling mighty fine and I was happy to let him move out.






Despite the crazy weather, the local farmers are trying to get their fields ready for planting. A good day for a tractor with a cab!










10.2 miles, 1078 feet of climb, 6.0 mph average pace, 34F real feel


Next up was Iggy. We also went over to the Big Square, but needed to modify the route a bit as they had plowed up one of the fields I had been riding around.









Iggy was on his best behavior. While he was lacking enthusiasm when going away from home, he didn't have any tantrums.










The clouds were starting to break up when we collected Kestrel and went out to mosey around Alimar to cool down.










10.2 miles, 1132 feet of climb, 5.9 mph average pace, 38F real feel


----------



## egrogan

> would have involved either a lot of trail blazing *and/or jumping off a cliff*,


Oh come on, when have you ever shied away from an adventure?!? :rofl:


----------



## phantomhorse13

egrogan said:


> Oh come on, when have you ever shied away from an adventure?!? :rofl:


I don't do heights!!! :Angel:


----------



## phantomhorse13

Wednesday, the sun was shining but the wind was _raging_. It was not only miserable in terms of the real feel, but I was concerned that trees might be coming down. But with rain and/or snow forecast for the next 4 days I figured I better ride.

I started with Iggy. As miserable as being out in the open was, I figured better to be cold than squished by a tree. We went out and looped around the fields at Spaulding's and then headed over to the Sugarloaf. Iggy was feeling quite up so I decided climbing a bit on the leeward side seemed like a good idea.










The climb settled Iggy into his work, so we then continued around the Sugarloaf. It's amazing how much things have greened up despite the chilly temperatures.










Overall Iggy was very well behaved. He got a bit excited as we came back across the fields towards home, but it was pretty mild considering the conditions.

10.7 miles, 1546 feet of climb, 5.2 mph average pace, 24F real feel :eek_color:


Next up was George. I was originally supposed to ride with Gina, but no surprise she wasn't riding in the gale. So we were on our own and did the same route as Iggy.










George was feeling mighty fine and I had to laugh at his offense at this hunting blind.










When we got back, we grabbed Kestrel and headed out for a bareback mosey around Alimar. How crazy to need a wool cooler in April!!










12.0 miles, 1581 feet of climb, 5.9 mph average pace, 30F real feel


Yesterday was supposed to be rainy all day, but I was pleasantly surprised to wake up and find no rain. It was also not windy!! After a quick look at radar showed we were in the clear, I decided to get horses out. George was first. We went out Spaulding's and then up the Sugarloaf.










We saw this cutie frolicking along the trail, before he scooted into the trees at our approach.










George was much less enthused without a cold wind egging him on. I was feeling more weird steps to start with, but once we turned for home he evened out. We again had a bareback mosey around Alimar with Kestrel to cool out.










10.3 miles, 1486 feet of climb, 5.5 mph average pace, 35F real feel


Then it was Phin's turn. I expected him to be up and while he felt good, he was not very silly. We went out around Spaulding's and other than one spook at a wayward plastic bag, he did really well. So instead of all the climbing I expected to need, we went around the Sugarloaf instead.










We went up the backside of the Sugarloaf, with Phin maintaining a nice canter the whole way.










Once we got back, Kestrel got another walk for the cooling out process.






12.1 miles, 1430 feet of climb, 6.5 mph average pace, 40F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

Last Saturday, DH and I got Iggy and Phin out. It was another gloomy, windy day but at least no rain was falling. On our way across the farm, a random delivery truck was there. Knowing Keith was away, we stopped and DH wound up unloading stuff for a half hour. The horses loved the snack break.










Then we continued across the farm to the Tomhicken and up. We went out the yellow gate trail and across the road.










Iggy led the first half. He needs a bit of encouragement, which DH is not used to having to do. Once Phin took the lead DH didn't have to nag as much.










We went back up via the power lines for the first time in a long while and I was pleased the trail hadn't washed out too badly.










We have been using the short cut trail I made last week to avoid encounters with the neighborhood kids:






Who would think a minute of trail could make my day? 

11.8 miles, 1621 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 46F real feel


Sunday and Monday it rained. Tuesday was beautiful but the farrier came in the morning. The horses were quite the mess:









Once the farrier was finished, I took George out right away. He was not impressed to be going riding versus out to the pasture with everyone else and was quite sluggish. The farrier used a different type of pad (a plastic composite to help with shock absorption) and packed under it with dental impression for support. There had still been some bruising, so I am cautiously optimistic that the NQR is still coming from his feet.










I had hoped the ride would give me an indication if the changes helped any but George was so spooky that I don't think he took more than two strides normally before jumping around. Even climbing the Sugarloaf didn't help find his brain.










11.5 miles, 1643 feet of climb, 5.6 mph average pace, 48F real feel


DH was home from work by the time I finished with George, so we got Iggy and Phin out next. The clouds were rolling in and the wind was really picking up but we went anyway. 










We did the Sugarloaf loop and both boys did really well. Of course once we were about done the ride, the clouds started breaking up (though no change in the wind).










Afterwards, we took the dogs out for the cool out hack. Once nice thing about the wind is they dry quickly.










10.6 miles, 1274 feet of climb, 5.4 mph average pace, 54F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

Wednesday was supposed to be rainy, so I was very surprised to wake up and see some blue sky! A quick check of the weather showed the rain was slower coming than expected. The wind was still unpleasant, but that seems to be normal any more.

I started with Iggy. We went out Spaulding's and then over to climb the Sugarloaf.










Then we went down the other side, did the out and back, and then climbed again. Iggy was not very enthused and fussed now and again, but no tantrums.










Then we went back to collect Kestrel. We went across Alimar and then over to do part of the creek trail. Iggy was not impressed about leaving again, but I was able to shut down the fussing before it became a tantrum.










12.6 miles, 1583 feet of climb, 5.2 mph average pace, 50F real feel


I was just tacking George up when Gina called and asked if I wanted to go out with her and Nik. Apparently Windsor had a tantrum at the end of their ride the day before and dumped Nik. So they were going out again before the rain to hopefully make the last ride before the rain a good one.










It was crazy windy out in the fields, but not too bad climbing the Sugarloaf. We did a lot of moseying and then some standing still pointing towards home, but Windsor was on his best behavior.










Luckily, the ride went without incident and we got back just before the rain started.

10.6 miles, 1309 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 55F real feel


----------



## PoptartShop

So glad you got some lovely rides in.  I'm glad Windsor behaved himself this time, whew! Never know how they are gonna be some days.

Sounds like Iggy is doing well!


----------



## phantomhorse13

Saturday, DH and I got Iggy and Phin out. After getting almost 3 inches of rain Thursday and Friday, it was so nice to see the sun we almost didn't mind the wind. Knowing we would be riding in water world, we stuck to places with solid footing.










We went over to the Tomhicken and did the creek loop. The quantity of water running places was impressive. Iggy had to deal with getting his feet wet a lot.










I was surprised that we didn't encounter any kids on quads, but I sure wasn't complaining. Phin was on his best behavior.










Iggy did have a tantrum on the way home when he wanted to canter up the orchard road and DH wanted him to trot. It was the first full tantrum DH has experienced and it was hard to keep a straight face when he expressed his surprise afterwards. I guess I had been making it up when it happened to me?!









After we got back, we grabbed the dogs and took a walk around Alimar with them to cool out the horses. The dogs had a blast, especially splashing in the puddles. The wind helped everyone dry out though.










14.9 miles, 1804 feet of climb, 5.2 mph average pace, 60F real feel


Sunday, DH and I got George and Phin out. The weather was glorious as we left the barn and only got warmer. We went over to that set of trails we had been exploring. This time, we took the right fork in the trail..










And reality matched the satellite pictures I had looked at, as the trail stayed a trail and worked its way around the way I had hoped.










The biggest question was how steep the decent was going to be and we were pleased to find it was gradual for the most part and the footing was pretty good.










And it DID connect to trails I knew - woohoo!! That gives me a nice longer loop as an option, which is nicer than having to repeat a lot of trail to get the longer distance.










On the way home, we used the new trail I made last week on the Sugarloaf. One place was a bit narrow (at the very start), but it rode ok. There is one place I need to go back and clear some branches though.






When we got home, it was so warm I was able to hose off the horses for the first time since fall. At least now they will be covered in fresh dirt!

23.5 miles, 2204 feet of climb, 6.1 mph average pace, *72F* real feel










Yesterday, I was finally able to work Link. It's been almost a month since the ground was dry enough to use the paddock and/or there wasn't insane winds.

The weather wasn't exactly calm, but some wind seems to be normal here now. The temperature had dropped dramatically overnight and the wind had a bite to it. I decided to go back to the round pen. Link was pretty enthusiastic during the longe work, giving me some nice canter on both leads almost all the way around the pen. Once he settled a bit, I got on.

We needed a bit of review about steering and there was some head flipping, but there were some nice moments too. And nothing naughty.















0.7 miles, 36 feet of climb, 3.7 mph average pace, 52F real feel


----------



## Knave

Lol. I think sometimes husbands only believe it once it’s happened to them...


----------



## phantomhorse13

Tuesday, I intended to work with Link in the morning as its spring turkey season so I am trying not to ride until noon (when the hunters have to be done for now). However, Keith and Brad were in the fields with various equipment getting the ground ready for planting, so I decided to wait until later. Instead, I got on the tractor and brush hogged the field roads - its amazing how much the grass has been growing despite the cool temperatures.

I got Iggy ready and left the barn a bit before noon, knowing nobody was hunting on Alimar or Spaulding's. It was back to cooler weather and of course wind is constant, which at least helps dry things out. We went out across the fields and then up the Sugarloaf.










Iggy was pretty good in terms of his work ethic, chugging along as requested. He didn't bat an eye when we came around a corner and found some friends:










There were several more just off trail and they didn't run, just moseyed a few steps sideways and watched us go by. Sometimes I swear they are making faces at the horses.

We went down and did the out and back, which was dry enough to ride one of my fav pieces of trail:






We headed for home to collect Kestrel. Iggy got slightly fussy heading for home and then was less than enthusiastic leaving home, but never progressed beyond chomping on the bit. We went around Alimar and along part of the creek trail. Kestrel had a blast.










12.6 miles, 1640 feet of climb, 5.4 mph average pace, 53F real feel


After dinner, I mistakenly assumed Keith would be done for the day. I was just finishing tacking up Link when I could hear the tractor returning. At that point I figured I would just work him in the pen and see how things went.

I was pleasantly surprised that he didn't care about the tractor at all. It was the big one, so the engine is always loud and the potato planter makes lots of random clanks and bangs. It was also coming into sight and then disappearing behind hills, but Link didn't care.










Link did so well working in the pen I decided to hop on. He is still fussy about his face, but I suspect that is going to take a long time to subside. But we do get some nice moments at times:















0.95 miles, 10 feet of climb, 3.6 mph average pace, 55F real feel


Wednesday, I worked with Link first as rain was on the way. The temperature had dropped overnight and it was fairly breezy, so no surprise he was a bit antsy in the barn tacking up. I did a bit of extra canter work in the pen to help get him focused. He is now able to maintain the canter for a whole lap of the pen! I took him into the middle paddock, which was a bit more protected from the wind, and hopped on. It was so cold the battery in the camera died despite showing half a charge to start with. :icon_rolleyes:






We continued to work in the paddock calmly. He still fussed about his head at times, but overall he was calm to the point of lethargic. 










We then walked down to the next paddock. That seemed to be going fine until he suddenly locked on to something in the far side of the yard. 










I didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but he got increasingly upset, trying to spin away. I could feel his heart hammering against my leg, so he was sincerely frightened. I got Link to take a couple steps closer, him shaking head to toe. I praised him mightily, then got off before things really went sideways.

Even on the ground, Link was worked up like I have never seen him before. I spent the next 15 minutes doing groundwork and while he was trying really hard to behave, he was obviously upset and laser focused on one specific spot. If I asked him to move, it was all he could do to restrain from bolting away. If I asked him to stand, he stood with his eyes bugging out and his sides heaving. After 5 minutes with no change in his demeanor, I began to suspect one of the spirits that haunts the old house had come out to 'help.'

To test the theory I took Link away from the house.. which was also away from the herd. Once a certain distance away, Link calmed down completely. I went out of the paddock to do some work in the yard, and again as soon as he got within a certain distance of that specific spot, he was back on high alert. I didn't want to get him ramped up again, so we went back away from the house and came back to the barn from the opposite side. Link was fine with that and moseyed along calmly, then stood quietly in the barn to be untacked.

0.62 miles, 26 feet of climb, 2.6 mph average pace, 38F real feel 


After a quick check of the radar showed me the rain wasn't far off, I decided to just hop on George bareback and take Kestrel for a walk around Alimar. We moseyed around the perimeter of the property. George snacked while the dog played and we made use of the places I had mowed.










We surprised this guy in a patch of woods and he took off across the field. That is the first coyote I have seen nearby in a couple years at least.










2.0 miles, 229 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 38F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

Knave said:


> I think sometimes husbands only believe it once it’s happened to them...


This seems to be a very common male trait. :icon_rolleyes:


----------



## egrogan

That deer picture is so cool. I've never had them stand around to check me out, they always go crashing away.


----------



## phantomhorse13

egrogan said:


> That deer picture is so cool. I've never had them stand around to check me out, they always go crashing away.


This one group I come into contact with a lot. They have slowly figured out that I am not a threat, so we can get pretty close now. That is great for pictures (as long as I am not riding Phin!).


----------



## phantomhorse13

Thursday, I got George out first as I wanted to give the grass a chance to dry at home. The sun was out but it was still quite breezy. I didn't think George needed a big workout so we just went around Spauldings and then over to the bottom of the Sugarloaf.










George was a spooky nut. He was either lagging behind my leg (going away from home) or trying to spook and bolt heading towards home. He is lucky Kestrel was along or we would have been doing a LOT of climbing. [I am trying to work Kestrel's exercise level back up gradually as to not aggravate her old injury.]










5.33 miles, 715 feet of climb, 5.1 mph average pace, 45F real feel


Next up was Link. Before I brought him into the barn to tack up, I walked him around the places he had been so worried about yesterday. He was totally unconcerned. He stood quietly in the barn to be tacked and was his normal self for the initial longeing and ground work.

I hopped on in the paddock. Link was very fussy about his face and was very stiff to the right, so we worked on that. 






Since Link was pretty chill overall, I decided to see if he would let me take the helmetcam off the round pen and put it on before we went to walk around in the other paddock. He didn't care about me leaning over or jiggling the pen, even when it made noise. He was a bit more concerned about my making noise above him, but after a few taps on my helmet he decided life was good and I got the camera on.

Initially, I had just planned to walk around a bit in the other paddock and then get off, as I knew his quarter would be running out. But when he eyeballed a patch of waving grass, I couldn't just quit:






1.53 miles, 52 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 50F real feel

Even though Link shouldn't have been concerned about the grass to begin with, how he handled himself being worried really pleased me. After I got off, I pulled all his tack with him still standing on that spot. I then pulled the halter, gathered everything up, and headed towards the barn. I was surprised and pleased that instead of heading for the fence where the other horses were, Link followed me instead!



















Next it was Iggy's turn. We went around Spaulding's, up the second tier of the Sugarloaf, and then around it.










I realized I forgot to take the helmetcam off after riding Link, so here is some video of parts of the ride:






Overall Iggy was very good, with only that small tantrum. I was really pleased.










11.2 miles, 1424 feet of climb, 5.7 mph average pace, 52F real feel


Yesterday, I got Phin out first thing to try to beat the weather. It was damp, cold and windy. We went out around Spaulding's and then did the normal loop around the Sugarloaf as I could make the best time that way.










It did spit rain on us several times, but luckily nothing serious. Phin was full of beans, but he did try to behave himself as best he could.










We got back to the barn _just_ in time to beat the serious rain. 

10.0 miles, 1443 feet of climb, 5.7 mph average pace, 40 F real feel


I put blankets back on all the horses, as temperatures plummeted all day yesterday. Overnight we even got some snow! It was 27F with a real feel of 18F when I fed this morning. The sun was out until lunchtime, so the snow melted quickly, but the winds picked up and are now raging with gusts over 40 mph. 

Tomorrow it's supposed to be 55 and only "breezy" so I hope to get some saddle time with DH.


----------



## gottatrot

I was trying to remember if you'd said what mouthpiece you were using on Link. You have very soft hands and he is so fussy about the bit. You are thinking work in progress, but I am wondering if he will get over it. Even really green horses "usually" get quiet and accepting fairly quick. 

He reminds me of Amore who never did get over her dislike of bits. I am guessing you want the initial training to be in a snaffle, but Amore never really learned to not be fussy in most bits. I remember I had her in a pleasure class and the judge told me a pleasure horse should not be chomping on the bit. I was wondering if you might get further ahead by assuming there is something he really doesn't like there, and trying to find something he can tolerate better. I've just had such opinionated horses, with Hero only liking a low port mullen mouthpiece, and Amore doing best in a sidepull. The only bit she did OK in was a not too thick double-jointed lozenge snaffle. It had to be D ring too. 

You don't need my advice, but just throwing it out there anyway. For Hero it was finding the parts of his mouth to avoid - especially the tongue. Amore had many more issues - weight (light was better), thin vs thick (thin was better, she has a fat tongue and small mouth), sloppy movement vs fixed (she liked the mouthpiece to move but the rings to stay stable). The difference in finding the bit that worked well enough for her was having her accept some rein pressure versus always chomping, tossing, or nose-thrusting when it was applied. In a sidepull all of that was way better even. She'd accept nose pressure very well.


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## phantomhorse13

gottatrot said:


> I was trying to remember if you'd said what mouthpiece you were using on Link. You have very soft hands and he is so fussy about the bit. You are thinking work in progress, but I am wondering if he will get over it. Even really green horses "usually" get quiet and accepting fairly quick.
> 
> He reminds me of Amore who never did get over her dislike of bits. I am guessing you want the initial training to be in a snaffle, but Amore never really learned to not be fussy in most bits.


 Its ironic you mention this, as I actually just changed the bit after a fairly miserable ride yesterday (video is uploading one pixel at a time.. may be done by this afternoon). While I am not sure the bit is the root issue, it seems silly not to explore that as an option.

The bit I had been riding in is a D ring french link with a copper roller. I first started with a loose ring french link with a dogbone. Link was constantly chomping on that, even just for grooming. I thought maybe there was too much play with the rings, so then tried a D ring french link with a lozenge. That was a bit better. Link is insanely mouthy.. he's constantly biting the other horses and chewing on anything he can get his teeth on, but of course everything changes when the object won't leave your mouth! I then changed to the one with the roller and the chomping improved more, though its never gone totally away. All of them I would consider average thickness mouthpieces.

An additional component to the problem is how he expresses his frustration - the [email protected] head flipping. He does that any time he is not happy, including out in the pasture. That is why I started him in the sidepull, only expecting him to carry the bit to begin with. I didn't notice any difference in the head flipping from the sidepull to the bit, as it happens any time he is not a happy camper.

While I do hope to eventually have him in something bitless, I feel it's a vital part of any horse's education to understand and tolerate bits as they are standard equipment for most riders. While I sure don't plan to sell Link, I know that sometimes the unexpected happens despite our intentions and I want him to be set up as best I can for success in the future.

I went up and dug through my bit collection, bringing down a couple single jointed snaffles (one with copper rollers, one without), a low port kimberwick that I removed the curb chain from, a waterford, and D ring myler with a pretty large port. I hung the D ring with the single joint and rollers on the bridle.. if momma natures chills out with the rain, maybe I will get to try it out this week.


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## phantomhorse13

And just as general comment.. I ALWAYS welcome advice and suggestions!!

I am lazy at heart, so if someone has a way to make things easier for me, I am all ears. :wink: And I am all about learning new things or being able to see things from a different angle, so please, speak up!


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## ClearDonkey

phantomhorse13 said:


> And just as general comment.. I ALWAYS welcome advice and suggestions!!
> 
> I am lazy at heart, so if someone has a way to make things easier for me, I am all ears. :wink: And I am all about learning new things or being able to see things from a different angle, so please, speak up!


Have you considered latex bit wrap? It's my go-to with any bitting problems. I didn't get a chance to try it with my chronic head-flipper before she passed away, but I wish I could have. I've used it on bits with a lozenge to give a bit more stability to the breaks of the bit so that they don't break over as much as they do without the wrap.

I know some horses that are sensitive and mouthy when there is a lot of play in the mouth and cheek pieces do well with a baucher. I've heard that the increased stability in the cheek pieces can make a difference. I bet you could even just try a full-cheek if you have one lying around. I would try different cheekpieces and see if there is a certain one that gives him the stability he wants.

I'm interested to see how he does with the low port kimberwick… Maybe he just prefers a solid mouthed bit, too. The joys of finding the perfect bit!


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## phantomhorse13

ClearDonkey said:


> Have you considered latex bit wrap?
> 
> I've heard that the increased stability in the cheek pieces can make a difference. I bet you could even just try a full-cheek if you have one lying around. I would try different cheekpieces and see if there is a certain one that gives him the stability he wants.
> 
> I'm interested to see how he does with the low port kimberwick… Maybe he just prefers a solid mouthed bit, too.


I am pretty sure I have a full cheek single joint, so maybe I will trade out the D ring without the rollers for that one and see if the cheek pieces make a difference. I was planning to try the kimberwick after the single joints.. though its interesting how programmed I am to think jointed = better. I was taught a joint makes for clearer side to side communication, but I suspect nothing is very clear when the head is going up and down like mad.

I hadn't thought about wrapping the bit - well, I admit to thinking maybe if I wrapped it in fruit roll ups he might enjoy that for the 10 minutes I am riding! Something to try if I can't find a mouthpiece he likes on its own (the latex, not the bribery).


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## gottatrot

Halla liked single jointed bits much better than double for some reason. It sounds like to some extent Link is going to have to learn to tolerate some fussing with his head, regardless.


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## Aprilswissmiss

phantomhorse13 said:


> And just as general comment.. I ALWAYS welcome advice and suggestions!!
> 
> I am lazy at heart, so if someone has a way to make things easier for me, I am all ears. :wink: And I am all about learning new things or being able to see things from a different angle, so please, speak up!


I think I might have already mentioned this somewhere on this thread, but a nose net made an incredible improvement on a horse I used to exercise that LOVED to head-flip during rides. Like night and day. Of course, it doesn't address the bit-chomping, but everyone else has already made great suggestions on that!


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## knightrider

> Even on the ground, Link was worked up like I have never seen him before. I spent the next 15 minutes doing groundwork and while he was trying really hard to behave, he was obviously upset and laser focused on one specific spot. If I asked him to move, it was all he could do to restrain from bolting away. If I asked him to stand, he stood with his eyes bugging out and his sides heaving. After 5 minutes with no change in his demeanor, I began to suspect one of the spirits that haunts the old house had come out to 'help.'


I have had this experience with horses about 4 or 5 times, more times in PA than anywhere else. Once there were two of us, and the horses followed whatever invisible thing with their heads until it was "gone." I think there are spirits in PA that horses sense.

I had a head roller that also did the thing in the pasture, stall, or any place where she was annoyed. She got a whole lot better with age. I bought her as a yearling and kept her until she died. She hardly ever did it in her 20's--but that's a long time to wait.

About bits, I had a horse that just fretted over bits. Someone suggested to me to try using a sock. I twisted the sock and sewed the twists and then attached it to the bridle. She was much happier with the sock. I used the sock with her for about two years. Each sock lasted about 6 to 8 months. I also bought her as a baby and kept her until she died (I almost always do that). She tolerated other bits as she matured and when I was jousting on her, I used a kimberwicke, which she accepted nicely (when she was much older). I often rode her in a bosal or a hackamore when trail riding.


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## phantomhorse13

Friday, momma nature thought she would be funny and truly sent us back to winter.. nothing like putting blankets on everyone in _May_ (and yes, two of those are mid-weights!). 










And indeed, the rain and sleet on Friday changed to snow overnight. :dance-smiley05: Not nearly as much as @*egrogan* got, but offensive just on general principle when our average high this time of year is 70F! Saturday was sunny, but it was cold and the wind was crazy, with gusts over 40 mph.










Sunday morning was still chilly, but the wind has subsided to a breeze so DH and I got Iggy and Phin out. We went up the Sugarloaf, then across the farm to the Tomhicken.










We went out to the yellow gate trail and down across the road to the out and back. Phin was pretty chilly behind Iggy, which was nice for me. We went down the short side trail that goes through the remains of the coal face.










We went home via the gas line. The leaves are finally starting to come out there.










Overall, both boys were really good. Iggy had one small tantrum on the way home, but DH either didn't notice or chose to ignore the warning signs it was coming. [DH has told me he wants to figure out Iggy on his own.. so I just bite my tongue while riding now..







]

19.1 miles, 2447 feet of climb, 5.2 mph average pace, 52 F real feel


Next I went out to work with Link. The wind had been building back up all day so it was quite gusty by the time we got outside. While Link was quiet to tack and work on the ground, he was very distracted by the movements of the herd in the other paddock. The across the road neighbor also decided it was a good time to mow her lawn, so she was popping in and out of view periodically.






0.78 miles, 20 feet of climb, 3.7 mph average pace, 55F real feel

Super frustrating ride, as he never would settle down and was fussing a lot of the time. Things only seemed to be getting worse the longer I rode, so I took the first chance to end on a good note and got off. Link was antsy in the barn, so I didn't want to reward that by going right back to the herd. Instead, we went for a walk in hand.










Link finally settled down about halfway around the loop and decided that eating grass was better than frantically looking for the herd. When we got back, I took him into the barn and let him chill out while I groomed him before turning him back out. 

I had been debating sticking it out with that bit or trying something else.. well today showed that I had nothing to lose by trying something else. I brought out a couple different options and put a D ring single jointed snaffle with rollers on his bridle. Fingers crossed that helps!


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## Celeste

Any horse that is perfect at Link's age and stage of training will probably bore you to tears at the age of 10. I think that you are doing great with him.


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## phantomhorse13

Where has the week gone! Momma nature was fairly pleasant this week, so that has allowed me to be outdoors a lot - meaning I have some catching up to do here.

Tuesday, the sun came out but it was brisk and _windy_. I started with Iggy. We went out around Spaulding's and he was feeling mighy fine, so off to the Sugarloaf we went. And we climbed..










And we went down the other side, then back up again..










And down and back up again.. that finally got him settled. We then dropped down and went around the farm and home. While Iggy was feeling quite fresh, he was really quite well behaved in terms of fussing, which was a nice surprise.

12.1 miles, 2135 feet of climb, 5.2 mph average pace, 38F real feel


Next up was George, who was also feeling very good. We went out around Spaulding's and appreciated the newly-planted potatoes.










Then we went over and climbed the Sugarloaf. While George was happy and forward, he is still not moving right to me.










When we got back, we took a bareback mosey around Alimar with Kestrel to cool down.










10.5 miles, 1570 feet of climb, 5.8 mph average pace, 44F real feel


The wind was still roaring when I got done with George, so I decided to ground drive Link using the next bit to start. This time we tried a D ring, single jointed snaffle with copper rollers and a medium thickness mouthpiece. He was pretty quiet with his mouth as I was grooming and tacking him up (I always put the bridle on first), so I was hoping that was a good sign.










While Link was silly multiple times due to the wind stirring up monsters, he wasn't doing much head flipping even when spooking and jumping around. I made a point to work him all over the paddock, including in the scary corner beside the graveyard (the location for all the spooking). I thought the bit was worth trying under saddle next time.


Wednesday was cold to start and since the sun was shining, of course it had to be windy. I started with Phin. I expected him to be full of it with the weather and I wasn't wrong. We went out around Spaulding's and then climbed the Sugarloaf.










On the second climb, we found some friends.










Then we dropped down to go around the farm. And found some excitement:






On the way home, we had to go past the Winged Terrors who now inhabit the Pond of Death:









10.7 miles, 1745 feet of climb, 5.7 mph average pace, 39F real feel


Next I worked with Link. I did a bit of ground work before I even brought him in, as it was still windy and he was not impressed with leaving the herd. I tried the 'single pole challenge' that I saw posted on a Book of Faces group. It proved quite challenging as he wanted to stand ON the pole, instead of walking with a foot on either side, but was just what I needed to get Link thinking:









We went into the barn in a much better frame of mind. Link was quiet to tack and didn't fuss much with the bit while we were getting ready.

In the pen, however, was a different story. While there wasn't a ton of head flipping, I don't think he stopped playing with the rollers for more than an instant:






I was not real pleased with that ride, though it wasn't terrible. That bit got put into the 'maybe try again' category.

0.56 miles, 22 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 50F real feel


Next, I hopped on Iggy just to take Kestrel for a walk. I wanted to reward him with a chill ride after all the climbing the day before. Iggy was not real enthused to leave, but didn't really fuss. And he was certainly happy to only loop around Alimar and head home!










2.5 miles, 219 feet of climb, 3.8 mph average pace, 52F real feel


The wind calmed down by evening, so after dinner I went back out to try the next bit with Link. This one was a full cheek single jointed snaffle with a medium to thick mouthpiece. From the start, there was a lot of chomping and head flipping. Even while I groomed his belly (his favorite place to be scratched), the chomping never stopped.

We headed out to the paddock and he was flipping his head and chomping even as I led him. I was not feeling very confident but wanted to give it a try ground driving just to see. While he was slightly better when moving if the lines were slack, the slightest touch of the reins had his head flipping all over. I don't think we worked more than 5 minutes and I said enough. That bit is a solid no!










Just after we finished, Ed arrived with the nephews to visit the horses. Link is their favorite!


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## gottatrot

I think the fact that you're seeing differences in Link's behavior with different bits is a good sign that you may be able to find what he likes eventually. Phin looking at the equipment was so funny.


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## phantomhorse13

gottatrot said:


> I think the fact that you're seeing differences in Link's behavior with different bits is a good sign that you may be able to find what he likes eventually.


The "eventually" is what I am worried about!! :dance-smiley05:


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## phantomhorse13

Thursday, I went over to ride with Nicole. I rode Polo, who was on his best behavior.




























11.2 miles, 781 feet of climb, 5.7 mph average pace, 60F real feel


Friday, I took George out for a ride with Gina on Amish and Nik on Windsor. We went over to do the Big Square and it was totally uneventful.









It was also downright HOT as momma nature sent us summer for the day.










11.0 miles, 680 feet of climb, 4.0 mph average pace, 80F real feel


I had intended to work with Link after I was done, but the heat gave me a migraine and I wound up in bed instead.










Saturday, Gina asked if I would ride Amish as a babysitter for her to ride Aztec. This is only the third time she's ridden that horse since getting him over a year ago and her last ride on him was last August! Amish was very chill and set a great example. We went over to the Tomhicken to do a bit of exploring.










We found this fun trail that went past those beaver dams and hoped it might connect to another set of trails, but unfortunately it just ended at the edge of one of the lakes.










12.7 miles, 1639 feet of climb, 3.6 mph average pace, 62F real feel


That afternoon, I tried Link in a D ring, single jointed snaffle with a medium mouthpiece that was slightly more curved. He was not impressed.










But on a good note, Link is doing really well with ground driving now!


Sunday, DH and I got Iggy and Phin out. We went over to do the Tomhicken loop. Things were still fairly wet from the surprise overnight rain.









Both boys were very well behaved. The slightly warmer weather helps with that!










It got more and more humid as the ride went on, so I was happy for the strong breeze.










On the way home, we went around Spaulding's and realized that Keith had planted all the way to the very edges of the field, leaving us no space to ride around them any more! That was super frustrating, as I use that area a lot.









We took the dogs for a walk while cooling out the horses. 









19.2 miles, 1916 feet of climb, 5.4 mph average pace, 63F real feel


Later that afternoon, DH went over to Spaulding's with the brush hog to mow the swale that goes across part of the fields, hoping that we can still at least go in and out that way (it avoids having to go down the paved road as much).


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## phantomhorse13

Monday, momma nature was a bit bipolar, as it started out drizzly and then suddenly after lunch it was sunny, humid, and WARM. I hopped on George bareback and went over to Spaulding's to check out where DH had mowed. Luckily, George was feeling pretty mellow and ignored the chaos on the tree farm.










I was able to figure out a path through the fields. It's not nearly as nice as being able to go around the outside, but sure better than nothing. I would hate to lose that way totally because it keeps me off the pavement as much as possible.










2.56 miles, 276 feet of climb, 3.3 mph average pace, 70F real feel


After dinner, I went out and tried Link in a loose ring, medium thickness french link with a sweet iron mouth and a copper lozenge. He was not impressed:









:frown_color:


Tuesday, I got George out for a real ride. Temperatures had dropped overnight and the wind was brutal. George was a complete fool, spooking at nothing and acting like he'd never been on trail before. Things we have passed probably hundreds of times were suddenly monsters.










And he still travels wrong on the front, though today it was hard to tell just how many steps were NQR as I don't think he went in a straight line for more than two strides at a time. :icon_rolleyes:










George was so bad that I took him out for his cool down walk with the saddle still on, as I was afraid he would spook right out from under me bareback.










10.1 miles, 1291 feet of climb, 5.9 mph average pace, 58F real feel

After discussing his behavior with DH, we decided it was time for some additional testing - this time for PPID and EPM. He's been very late to shed this year and does have some muscle wasting along his topline, so I figured ruling out PPID/IR was worth it. George was treated for EPM a couple years ago and didn't present in a traditional way with it then, so it seemed like a good thing to rule out now, esp with the spooking to go along with the weirdness up front. I contacted the vet and she stopped to draw blood on her way home.


When I went to work with Link, I started out with the low port solid mouth kimberwick with the curb chain removed and the reins attached as a normal snaffle. Link was chomping and fussing over it even in the stall to groom and tack up, so wasn't a surprise that he hated it ground driving:









I didn't see the need to torture him, so we went back into the barn after about 5 minutes and I swapped the bit out for a D ring single jointed snaffle with a fairly thin, curved mouthpiece. That one wasn't an instant no, though he wasn't exactly thrilled with it. I still find it fascinating that he drops his head when he is trying to process something new that he is unsure of - a self-soothing behavior maybe?











Wednesday morning, I went out to work Link first thing. This time I tried a D ring waterford. I have to say I expected an instant no, but Link didn't initially hate it.









However, Link had a really hard time steering using that bit, and as we continued around, he started getting more and more head flippy over it. Another fail. :frown_color: 


Then, I went over to ride with Nicole. I rode Polo. I took the treeless saddle for her to try on Hombre and we were thrilled when he was back to his old self!










The wind was RAGING and the horses were high as kites. I actually thought Polo was going to bolt with me at one point, so instead of doing the big loop we cut the last couple fields out to get into the shelter of the trees.










10.8 miles, 759 feet of climb, 5.3 mph average pace, 56F real feel


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## Woodhaven

Hi Phantom I'm sure you have had Link's teeth checked but I thought I would share this with you.
I once had a gelding that just hated bits, I started him on a bosel but when it came time to bit him up he hated it and I couldn't find a bit that he liked so I rode with the bosed but since he was young and green and I was riding out alone on him I worried that if something happened I wouldn't be able to deal with it with the bosel so I got a mechanical hackamore.
Now I absolutely hate them but thought I would try it and surprise of surprises he thought it was great and went so well on it.
You do have to have a very light hand with these things but he went out all over without a problem and I always rode alone in those days, he was a horse that I rode out on trails after just being on him about three times, he loved trails so much and the hackamore wasn't a problem as I didn't do much schooling with him but if I did I used the bosel
Just thought I would share this with you as something that just might work.


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## phantomhorse13

Woodhaven said:


> I once had a gelding that just hated bits, I started him on a bosel but when it came time to bit him up he hated it and I couldn't find a bit that he liked so I rode with the bosed but since he was young and green and I was riding out alone on him I worried that if something happened I wouldn't be able to deal with it with the bosel so I got a mechanical hackamore.


I would actually prefer to keep him bitless because I think its easier on trail (assuming they behave of course), but I feel like being able to be ridden in a bit is a skill every horse should have, as most people ride with bits. While I don't ever plan to sell Link, I know that sometimes things happen we would never expect and I want him to be as prepared as possible in case of the unexpected.

So I will keep trying. I have a few more bits coming, so maybe one of those will be the answer. Otherwise, I will pick the one he is least fussy about and go from there, at least for a while.


One nice thing with all the ground driving in the wind, Link is learning how to control his impulse to spook and bolt. And if he can do that even using a bit he hates, I hold hope he can do it with one he tolerates (and, in time, a nice sidepull or hackamore).


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## Knave

I’m sorry your rides all seemed tinged with something negative. I’ve heard some just prefer a bosal from my grandfather. Our Lucy is a hackamore horse (just the pencil bosal), and she thinks royalty should never carry a bit. Since we don’t intend to show her as of now we just plan on leaving her in the hack.

I don’t use them myself unless I’m on her. I just don’t have the right hands for it. I feel confused about keeping them soft, but it seems they need to be more out and down and I just don’t quite have the knack for it. My husband says I would if I taught myself, and I’m sure he’s right, but I haven’t had one that gave me the need.


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## phantomhorse13

Knave said:


> Our Lucy is a hackamore horse (just the pencil bosal), and she thinks royalty should never carry a bit.


Oh maybe _that_ is Link's issue.. my fussy little prince!!


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## gottatrot

Here is my princess Amore's "I don't like bits" face:

















In a so-called "Happy Mouth" bit:









Her happy face when she is bitless:


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## phantomhorse13

gottatrot said:


> Here is my princess Amore's "I don't like bits" face:


I am very familiar with this face!! 

I have 4 more bits coming early next week: two single joint bauchers, a copper wrapped single joint D, and a basic myler. Several of them were sent by @*Tazzie* , with the myler specifically rejected by both Izzie and Diego.. so I am hoping that Link will want to be different and love it! Fingers and toes crossed..


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## Woodhaven

I agree that horses should know how to work with a bit as you never know when it becomes necessary. The gelding I mentioned went so well in the hackamore but after a year or so I thought the same as you, he should be familiar with a bit and I started him in one again and he was much easier to go with a bit and I did ride him in a snaffle bit often after that, mainly for schooling and the hackamore for trail rides.
He seemed to accept the bit then and I thought it might have been as it was just one new thing instead of the whole procedure of starting under saddle, perhaps too many new things all at once when he was first started.


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## phantomhorse13

Woodhaven said:


> He seemed to accept the bit then and I thought it might have been as it was just one new thing instead of the whole procedure of starting under saddle, perhaps too many new things all at once when he was first started.


 This is a very interesting thought.. and something I will def keep in mind! 

Horses sure keep us humble, right?


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## phantomhorse13

Thursday, I started with Iggy. Since it was only breezy, I wasn't sure if turkey hunters would be out, so I stayed on Spaulding's and the Sugarloaf. Iggy was unenthusiastic about the climbing, but only fussed mildly a couple times.










Keith was out planting on Ziesloft's (you can just see the tractor and planter in the distance by the power tower on the left), which is always fun to see. Luckily, he left us space to ride around the fields here!










When I got home, I decided to try Iggy bareback for the cool down for the first time. No idea if he's ever been ridden that way before - Patti didn't, and the woman she got him from barely rode him with tack, and the busy endurance stable he came from originally likely doesn't bother with such things. Iggy couldn't have cared less I was without a saddle.










10.5 miles, 1338 feet of climb, 6.0 mph average pace, 55F real feel


Then, I went over to ride with Gina. She asked me to ride Amish as she was going to take Aztec out. Nik also came on Windsor. We went across the farm over to the Tomhicken.










Amish was his normal well-behaved self. Aztec overall was pretty good, just needing some work on standing (he will do so for about 10 seconds, then wants to get going again). Windsor also behaved himself. The day felt amazing as the sun was shining and it had warmed up a lot!










13.6 miles, 1342 feet of climb, 3.6 mph average pace, 70F real feel


Friday, I got Phin out early to try to beat the rain. Again not knowing where hunters might be, I stuck to places they generally don't go. Phin was feeling mighty fine as we headed out around Spaulding's. This picture gives you an idea of just how close to the edges Keith planted, as that farthest left brown strip (the last row of corn) is right where the edge starts falling into the ditch!










We went up the Sugarloaf at a canter, which helped Phin to find his brain a bit. And a good thing he did, as when we went down the other side and then out the driveway for the out and back, we spooked a momma deer.. and a super fresh fawn. Poor thing could barely keep upright and only went a couple hops before turning off and freezing.










So young, it's belly was still wet and legs hadn't even unfolded all the way!










Phin was very good about the deer, but got a bit rushy as we headed for home. Instead of cooling him out bareback with Kestrel, I kept the tack on and went over to do a small loop around the township building. Kestrel loved it and Phin decided he better settle or he would never be finished.










13.6 miles, 1909 feet of climb, 5.6 mph average pace, 62F real feel


We heard back from the vet about George in the evening. His PPID and IR numbers were negative/normal.. but the EPM test came back as 76% chance of infection. Shiitake. :| But EPM could certainly explain what has been going on. We had the vet order the medication (marquis) and it should arrive next week.


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## weeedlady

Sorry about the EPM but at least perhaps you have an answer. That fawn is adorable. I've never seen one that new!

I want to thank you for mentioning about the corn being planted right to the edge of the field. My new stomping ground involves riding the edge of a cornfield and I had not even thought about him planting that close. So your post prompted me to contact the farmer (he rents the field from my brother) and ask him to leave me room to ride. He is happy to do so!
anyway, thanks!


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## Celeste

phantomhorse13 said:


> It was also downright *HOT* as momma nature sent us summer for the day.
> 
> 11.0 miles, 680 feet of climb, 4.0 mph average pace, *80F real feel
> *


I fear that you contradict yourself. You used the words hot and 80F in the same discussion? I'm confused.


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## Celeste

By the way, that little fawn is adorable!


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## SwissMiss

Celeste said:


> I fear that you contradict yourself. You used the words hot and 80F in the same discussion? I'm confused.


I was just thinking the same :rofl:


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## Celeste

I like to wait until it gets up to about 80 because the flies don't seem as bad.

95 is hot.


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## SwissMiss

Celeste said:


> I like to wait until it gets up to about 80 because the flies don't seem as bad.
> 
> 95 is hot.


When we started riding yesterday at 5:30 pm it was still 91 and humid... Flies are not too bad, but the big horse flies are already back in droves


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## Celeste

SwissMiss said:


> When we started riding yesterday at 5:30 pm it was still 91 and humid... Flies are not too bad, but the big horse flies are already back in droves


I hate horse flies. I make a game out of seeing how many I can crunch during a ride.


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## SwissMiss

Celeste said:


> I hate horse flies. I make a game out of seeing how many I can crunch during a ride.


Unfortunately I am not the best at squashing them... To help Raya out, I got her a glute guard... Looks funny, but works like a charm... Even if they are sitting on it, they don't seem to be able to bite through...


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## Celeste

Oh. Wow. Where did you find it?


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## SwissMiss

Celeste said:


> Oh. Wow. Where did you find it?


I ordered here https://www.horsehoodies.org
Wanted to support a small company - and they have a whole rainbow of colors :wink:


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## egrogan

You two are cracking me up. It touched 70* here yesterday and I was a sweaty mess cleaning the paddock. And sunburned.


----------



## Aprilswissmiss

egrogan said:


> You two are cracking me up. It touched 70* here yesterday and I was a sweaty mess cleaning the paddock. And sunburned.


I thought I was the only one struggling in 70 degree weather! I need to move back to Maine. It's not so much that the temperature is significantly cooler, there's just a lot more tree cover for shade.


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## phantomhorse13

Celeste said:


> I fear that you contradict yourself. You used the words hot and 80F in the same discussion? I'm confused.


Remember, 10 days ago it was SNOWING here. _Snowing_. 80 is hot compared to snow!!



egrogan said:


> You two are cracking me up. It touched 70* here yesterday and I was a sweaty mess cleaning the paddock. And sunburned.





Aprilswissmiss said:


> I thought I was the only one struggling in 70 degree weather! I need to move back to Maine. It's not so much that the temperature is significantly cooler, there's just a lot more tree cover for shade.


 This describes me as well. Tho I do think the trees are behind this year because of the cold.. c'mon shade!


As for bugs, its already a banner season for gnats here. I had hoped the cold would have killed them off but no such luck. They make going outside miserable. That fly cover on Raya's rear looks like it would wrap around my head and upper body really nicely..


----------



## SwissMiss

phantomhorse13 said:


> As for bugs, its already a banner season for gnats here. I had hoped the cold would have killed them off but no such luck. They make going outside miserable. That fly cover on Raya's rear looks like it would wrap around my head and upper body really nicely..


They make one for the rider too :wink: Although I have a cheap (non-matchy) hiking/fishing one. Goes under (or even better over) the helmet and covers your face and neck. No more gnats in your ears and eyes! Also helps against accidental spider ingestion in case you are laughing while riding through an orb weaver net :rofl:

In a pinch a quiet ride mask for the horses works on humans too :wink:

Edited to add: I think we look quite scary at the moment being out and about. But it beats getting eaten alive!!!


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## Woodhaven

Sis and I were out for a good ride this am, it was hot and humid and I thought the flies might be really bad. There were face flies when we started but going throught the fields at a good trot, with a brisk breeze we seemed to leave them behind. When we got to the woods we decided to go in and see how the flies/bugs were but surprise of surprises no deer flies and it was a lovely ride with the trees just coming out in leaf. Very pleasant.

do you think because of the pandemic the deer flies are self isolating???


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## phantomhorse13

SwissMiss said:


> I think we look quite scary at the moment being out and about. But it beats getting eaten alive!!!


I am long past caring what I look like, if something is effective. You have seen my hunting season attire! ;-)



Woodhaven said:


> do you think because of the pandemic the deer flies are self isolating???


If only!! Gnats must be rebels, because they most certainly are not social distancing. We helped some elderly neighbors with yard work today and I was actually bleeding from places they had bitten. Why can't the pandemic kill off the bugs?!


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## Celeste

I have the schedule for Georgia about figured out. Stable flies start in March. They never leave no matter how much poo you scoop.

Gnats make their debut at or slightly before April 1. They leave by the middle of may.

That makes way for the deer flies and the horse flies that come in by the droves in June. They hang out through July. If it is a dry year, they seem to go away by August. 

The stable flies are still here. I have seen them in January. In February. At Christmas. There is no hope for them. 

Ticks are the same. They may be worse in the summer, but they get on you all year. By now, you can get ticks without dismounting your horse. They jump out of trees. 

And then there are fleas on the dogs and cats. I love Bravecto. I wish they made something that worked that well for horses. 

Mosquitoes. Palmetto water bugs (people from up north or in the cities faint at the sight of those). But the most hated is the chigger mite. It causes a poison ivy like rash that lasts for weeks. By the time you know you have them, they are gone. They eat and run.


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## QueenofFrance08

It was 80 degrees here while we rode for the first time this year. We thought we were going to melt!


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## phantomhorse13

Wow where has the week gone! It's been a busy one here. And momma nature is insane.

Sunday, DH and I had planned to ride but he wound up cutting hay instead! So while he was doing that, I got horses ridden. I started with Phin. Since I didn't have time for the long ride I had been planning, I decided climbing would be a decent substitute. We went out around Spaulding's, then headed up the Sugarloaf, then dropped down to do the out and back. Next was climbing up the backside.










I was expecting Phin to be silly with the wind, but he surprised me by being on his best behavior. I let him pick his pace up all the hills and he was happy to quietly canter. As we headed for home, the front came through bringing some very oddly shaped cloud formations with it.










11.2 miles, 1669 feet of climb, 5.8 mph average pace, 60F real feel


Next up was Iggy. I did the same route as Phin, though we took the hills as a steady trot.










Iggy was not very impressed with the final climb up the power line, but he trudged on.










Iggy was overall very good, though he did get a bit fussy about regulating his speed on the way home. So that meant we got home, got Kestrel, and went right back out. We did a small loop around Alimar and came home beside the field DH had cut.










12.6 miles, 1950 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 64F real feel


Monday, Gina asked me to babysit her on Aztec. I rode Amish. Because it was a holiday, we assumed there could be hunters out. So we went over to the Tomhicken to do the powerline loop as that property owner doesn't turkey hunt.










Amish and Aztec were both very well behaved (and we won't mention the increase in temperature probably having something to do with that!).










13.6 miles, 1545 feet of climb, 3.6 mph average pace, 72F real feel



I had hoped to work with Link that afternoon, but DH's family decided to have an impromptu picnic for Memorial Day. It was fairly odd to be sitting so far away from anybody but DH, but it was nice to get to see everyone.



Tuesday, I got Iggy out first thing. I went out via Spaulding's but planned to do a similar ride to the one I had done the day before. Iggy was thrilled to turn away from the same old Sugarloaf loop..










But was not so impressed when we turned away from home and kept going. He was pretty sulky going out.










Going home was a different story though, as he really wanted to rush. We had several discussions about pace which ended with him chomping madly on the bit but not having any actual tantrums. I couldn't figure out why I felt so overheated until I went in to grab more water and noticed the weather station.. it was 10 degrees warmer than forecast!!

11.6 miles, 1595 feet of climb, 5.9 mph average pace, 89F real feel


Next was Phin and I did the same route. I took the sponge along and made good use of it on both Phin and myself as it was _hot_. Phin was equally unimpressed about turning away from home, but instead of being sulky he just got spooky instead. :icon_rolleyes:










I got a call from DH as I was at the farthest point from home, saying he was going to start baling hay 2 hours before he had told me he planned to - meaning to start right about the time I would arrive home. Yikes!! While it pained me to do so, I let Phin go home much faster than I would have ordinarily.










Luckily, he wasn't too bad about it and we arrived home without incident. It was so incredibly hot, I hosed him and myself.

11.9 miles, 1616 feet of climb, 6.0 mph average pace, 95F real feel :eek_color:


DH arrived home just as I turned Phin out. The first rumble of thunder I mistook for a piece of equipment, until the weather app on my phone sent an alert about a storm heading our way. Shiitake. The insanely hot weather triggered pop-up storms and they were literally all around us. The rest of the afternoon went by a haze of panic. As DH was raking the hay, I was madly moving things around and hooking them up to make sure everything was ready so DH could start baling immediately. 

[The equipment in the storage building was put in like a game of tetris by both of us - with me spotting and DH driving - so my getting it out on my own was very stressful as I am not nearly as comfortable with the big tractors as DH is. Often I could only see one side or the other but not both and some of the things only had a couple inches of clearance! I was hugely relieved when I got everything moved around without so much as a scratch or jostle.]

Despite black clouds all around us and thunder rumbling the whole time, we got super lucky that it only rained very lightly for about 2 minutes. We got all the hay in.










What a day!!


----------



## Woodhaven

You are one dedicated rider:smile::clap:


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## Woodhaven

Sis and I had a great ride today. First I did some schooling and he was great then back to the barn and Pick up Sis with the pony and out for a ride. The weather is fantastic today clear, crisp, and no flies,

Just for contrast I will post our ride statistics 

!.37259 miles 3.433333 feet of climb (but we came back down again so maybe double that climb)

Tomorrow will be good again so are planning a longer ride then, leave the pony home.


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## phantomhorse13

@Woodhaven : that pony is super cute and OMG so clean!!! love the banded mane. hope you got a good ride in today too.


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## phantomhorse13

Wednesday, I got Iggy out. We went out via Spaulding's and then went around the Sugarloaf. It was still fairly warm and quite humid, so I just let Iggy jog around. The bugs seem to bother him a lot, so we donned a fly bonnet (which he seemed to appreciate).










When we got to the backside of the Sugarloaf, we went up and then over to the new trail I had made. As leaves started coming out, it was getting harder to find the correct path, so I wanted to get it marked. Iggy was not real pleased about having to stand still for more than about 5 seconds, so it was an excellent learning experience.










Then we moseyed back home to grab Kestrel, and headed out to do the loop behind the township building. Kestrel is doing really well with paying attention on our outings (here she is waiting for permission to cross the pavement):










12.9 miles, 1467 feet of climb, 5.9 mph average pace, 82F real feel


Then I went out to try a few more bits with Link. @*Tazzie* sent 4 for me to try! I started with the D ring myler, which had a french link-type mouthpiece with the center link a barrel . From the start, there was a lot of chewing and chomping even in the stall, but he did have some froth on the corners of his lips. However, it was pretty clear after only a few minutes of ground driving that he did not like it at all.










Next, I tried the french link baucher with a copper lozenge. It was rejected pretty swiftly, also. After that I tried a single jointed D ring with the mouthpiece wrapped in copper wire. I actually expected it to be a hard and fast no as the mouthpiece didn't seem very nice to me, but it took him a few minutes to start chomping and wagging his head. 










The last one I tried was a single jointed baucher. This one was the best of the bunch, though there was still some chomping. I give him credit for listening well even when he doesn't seem all that pleased with the bit. We ground drove in all 3 paddocks with only minor startles.










While nothing bad happened, the whole thing left me frustrated and somewhat depressed.







I have run out of bits to try and I am not going to start randomly buying things in the hopes I stumble upon perfection. My plan now is to put him back in the single jointed D with the copper rollers, as he seemed to tolerate that one best (playing with the rollers with his tongue seems better than chomping). 


Friday, Gina asked me if I was interested in riding with her. I mistakenly assumed I would be riding Amish to babysit her on Aztec. But when I got over to her place, she told me Amish hadn't been himself on their last ride (a couple days earlier) and she was giving him time off until the chiro could see him. Gina asked if I minded riding Aztec and she would see how things went with Gisele.

I have to admit I was hesitant; while I actually enjoyed Aztec when I rode him last, Gisele has become something of a loose cannon. [Gisele, who Gina has had for 12 years, is either her (wonderful) old self, or she suddenly becomes a raging lunatic. Gina had several rides last year that ended with her leading Gisele home because her behavior became dangerous, and even on the ground it was still scary. She had the mare spayed, as her heat cycle seemed to be at the root of the issue despite normal bloodwork and hormone levels, but unfortunately the problem behavior has continued.] 

I told Gina I was willing to try, but at the slightest hint of Gisele having a bad day, I was going to insist on coming straight home (Aztec seems to be very sensitive, so I was not sure how he would react if Gisele lost her mind). For added insurance, we headed right for the Sugarloaf. Aztec was a bit cranked up when we first started and did not want to follow Giselle (when Gina rides him, he is always happy to tuck behind Amish). So we let him go first.










To my surprise, Gina wanted to trot and even canter up the Sugarloaf, saying that would hopefully settle both horses down. And indeed, by the time we got to the top, the horses were puffing. Gisele hasn't been ridden much, so she was puffing and quite sweaty from the effort. We moseyed down the other side. Instead of heading to the Tomhicken, I suggested heading back to Alimar and doing a loop over there, as it was much flatter so would be easier on the mare. So we went across the top of the farm and back home.










The horses moseyed home without a care in the world. We did a loop around Alimar and both behaved perfectly.

5.9 miles, 728 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 85F real feel


After riding, I grabbed Kestrel and went out to do some work on the upper woods path. A lot of branches were hanging low since the leaves had come out. I spent 3 hours hacking away before I thought I would fall over. I had intended to play with Link, but a thunderstorm popped up and I have to admit I was happy to go fall over inside. This weather isn't even normal for August!


Yesterday, DH cut the rest of the hay first thing in the morning while I got busy in the flower beds. The crazy weather had made the weeds go crazy. I despise weeding but knew the longer I put it off, the worse it would be. I was actually happy when DH suggested we move last year's hay out of the loft when he returned from cutting. There is only about 100 bales left, but having to pick them up and move them to the loft over the tack room was time consuming. Thank goodness for the skid loader, as the hay elevator will not fit in the barn and I cannot imagine trying to climb the ladder holding a bale of hay!! After moving the old hay out, we unloaded this year's first cutting that was still in the wagon. Just as we finished, DH got a call from Keith asking for help, so we went over to help him for a while (he was trying to finish planting and of course stuff has to break!). By the time we got home, I barely bad energy to make dinner, so Link got ignored yet again.


Today, DH and I got Iggy and Phin out for a nice long ride. We went over to do what I now call the camper loop (which was the new connection trail out towards the Space Needle). Temperatures had dropped overnight as did the humidity. The boys were feeling mighty fine!










Iggy led going out, which was a nice break for me not having to worry as much about Phin seeing monsters. He was still not impressed by this sign, so I made DH pause while Phin figured out it was not actually going to eat him.










That trail rides so nicely! The wind was quite strong but nobody acted too silly even after we were heading back towards home.










Phin led the last 1/3 of the ride as Iggy lost his enthusiasm. Phin felt great but stayed on his best behavior. We did have one worried moment when we passed Keith doing some mowing on Alimar, but amazing how the call of home is stronger even than the fear of the monster hiding under/behind/on the tractor.









24.9 miles, 2553 feet of climb, 6.5 mph average pace, 62F real feel


----------



## gottatrot

I made a list of all the bits you've tried on Link that you shared on here, trying to figure out what his predominant dislikes are.
I also watched video of him doing his head tossing to see what he seemed to be reacting to.

My guess is his first sensitive area is his tongue. From what I can tell, he does better more often in single jointed bits than double jointed. That makes me think that his tongue is a problem. The double jointed bits work primarily on the tongue, giving it a full squashing before also working on the lips and bars. 

I also think his lips might be very sensitive. He also seems to dislike bits with curved mouthpieces, and those tend to pull on the lips more (thinking of the D ring Myler with the center barrel - the Mylers usually have a curve back which makes them act on the lips sooner, and also the low port solid mouth Kimberwicke, which also would pull back against the lips).

Hero also has tongue and lips issues. I think the reason he does best in a Kimberwicke is because when I have the chain on snugly, and use the lower slot, it prevents the bit from pulling back on his lips as much. He does not care for it as much if I use it like a snaffle without the chain because it pulls straight back on his lips.









If the horse carries his head lower, I think a Baucher can reduce the amount of pulling on the lips, and put the pressure more on the bars, but not if he raises the head.









All of this to say, I wonder if it would help him if you tried using soft bit guards? I've used the neoprene ones which are super cheap so it might be worth a shot.









If I were you and going to try one more bit, I'd try this extra light eggbutt single jointed snaffle with bit guards on the sides. Not sure what size mouth Link has, but if a 4.75" fit exactly I'd use a 5" with bit guards. If he still fussed, I'd next try wrapping it with something like Sealtex to see if that made it comfortable enough for him. 
https://www.amazon.com/Korsteel-Stainless-Featherweight-Jointed-Eggbutt/dp/B07K15QK1V
The reasoning I'm using is that the eggbutt might be stable like the D ring, but the rounded surface might be more comfortable against the sides of the face and lips, especially with bit guards on too. 

Or, LOL, I'd give up and go bitless. :smile:


----------



## Knave

I think I’d move on to the hack myself.


----------



## knightrider

Do you have any interest in riding him in a sock? It worked wonders with my super sensitive mare. I took an old man's dress sock, twisted it tightly, and sewed the twists in place with a leather stitcher, making sure there was a loop on each end of the sock. Each sock lasted 6 to 8 months, and I rode the mare almost every day. She was quite happy with her sock. In about 2 years of riding with a sock, she accepted pretty much any bit.

By then, she was my main trail horse, and I rode her in a hack, a bosal, or any bit . . . but I've always liked hacks, so she went often in that.


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## phantomhorse13

gottatrot said:


> My guess is his first sensitive area is his tongue. From what I can tell, he does better more often in single jointed bits than double jointed. That makes me think that his tongue is a problem. The double jointed bits work primarily on the tongue, giving it a full squashing before also working on the lips and bars.
> 
> I also think his lips might be very sensitive. He also seems to dislike bits with curved mouthpieces, and those tend to pull on the lips more (thinking of the D ring Myler with the center barrel - the Mylers usually have a curve back which makes them act on the lips sooner, and also the low port solid mouth Kimberwicke, which also would pull back against the lips).
> 
> Or, LOL, I'd give up and go bitless.


I agree with you that he seems to dislike tongue pressure - I loved the mental imagine of "a full squashing!!" :rofl: I suspect he would agree with that term completely.



knightrider said:


> Do you have any interest in riding him in a sock?


 I think your sock was a vastly creative idea from conception to implementation! However, with Link's apparently dislike of things working on his tongue, I don't think he would appreciate it (and I also doubt I would be crafty enough to create such a thing).





I had intended to work with Link today, but momma nature had the last laugh by sending off and on rain all day. It hasn't amounted to much, but made me not want to go outside in the cool and damp. In theory most of tomorrow will be dry, as the storms aren't expected until afternoon..



Knave said:


> I think I’d move on to the hack myself.


My rough plan right now is to try that roller D ring for a half dozen or so rides and see how things go. Perhaps I will be pleasantly surprised and he will adapt.. otherwise, I have a small assortment of bitless options to try.


----------



## Woodhaven

I have used the Mylar D ring comfort bit with a couple of fussy horses and it did work well for them.
I have also used the Happy Mouth straight bar bit and it worked with another horse but the down side of those bits is that they can chew them and put rough edges on and you do so many miles that might be a poor choice.

Also I wonder if you just put him in a stall with the bridle on (no reins) and let him learn to deal with it and give him time on his own to do this.
I'm not sure you might have already posted that you have done this, I find it helpful for a horse to get used to a bit on his own. I usually start young horses this way in the beginning.

Good luck with your fussy boy.


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## phantomhorse13

Woodhaven said:


> I wonder if you just put him in a stall with the bridle on (no reins) and let him learn to deal with it and give him time on his own to do this.


I have done this - extensively to start with and still on a limited basis. When I bring him in, the first thing that happens is the bridle goes on. Then he gets groomed and tacked up. Most of the bits (exceptions being the solid kimberwick and the myler, the ones he very strongly disliked) he might fuss with for a moment, then he ignores unless something worries him. I was making him wear the bridle for all my hand walking and even the initial rides where I just attached the reins to the sidepull rings in his halter. A lot of the time he ignored the bit, unless something worried him and then the chomping would begin. That is why I was hoping with time he would behave the same way actually using it..


One thing with all the ground driving, its shown me that even while he's chomping and head flinging, he would not do anything truly dangerous like rearing or trying to grab the bit and bolt. A handful of times, he had strong spooks that resulted in jumping from a walk to a canter, but he always listened to the bit and came around me in a circle and slowed (versus dragging me across the paddock, etc).


----------



## Celeste

My mare will shake her head. It turns out that it is not so much the bit. She doesn't like her forelock touching her ears. She thinks it is a fly. If I remember to braid and roll up the forelock, she is so much better. I wonder how much money I spent on bits figuring that out. She is best in a fat, eggbutt snaffle. 

I had an Arab whose mouth was to small for any broken bit. His tiny little head didn't have much bit room. If the bit was broken, it would hit both his canines and incisors. Even with the wolf teeth gone. DH ended up reshaping a bit so that it would work for him. He was a nice horse. When my daughter became a teenager, she took him over.


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## knightrider

When I got our Tico for my daughter, he was quite unhappy with bits. Since he was an older been there/done that horse, I assumed he had always ridden in a bit and just needed to get used to it. When I bought him, he was riding in a western curb bit which he clearly hated. I put him in a little snaffle, which he also clearly hated. I tried about 6 bits and 2 hackamores and he hated them all.

After two years of owning and riding him, a riding buddy asked me why I still had him in a bit since he was so clearly unhappy. I said I was trying to get him used to a snaffle. She said, "If he's not used to it in two years, he's not going to get used to it." Hmmm. She had a point.

About that time I discovered the Paso Fino bitless bridle with the reins attached to a sidepull. So I tried that and he went fine. Like my "sock" mare, after about 2 years, I could put just about any bit or hackamore on him. He went fine in all of them. I think he had been unhappy with being ridden (he was the one who reared all the time) for a long long time, and finally he figured out he was living with people who loved him and wanted him to be happy and comfortable, so he trusted us.

This is clearly not Link, who has barely been ridden, but I had forgotten that years ago, Tico was miserable in a bit. Tico hated hacks equally in those days. It was the sidepull that finally was our breakthrough.


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## phantomhorse13

Wow am I behind!! All is good - life has just gotten very busy. Updates should be coming very soon..


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## phantomhorse13

Catch up time.. from two weeks ago, yikes! Good thing I keep a training log because otherwise I can barely remember what I had for breakfast. 


Thursday the 4th, I started with Iggy. It was climb day. We went up and down the Sugarloaf and then over to the Tomhicken. Iggy was unenthused as it was pretty warm, but he had no tantrums.



















After all the climbing, I figured it was a good time to try him bareback for the first time. No idea if he's ever been ridden that way, but he couldn't have cared less. Kestrel, of course, had a blast.










13.8 miles, 2174 feet of climb, 5.4 mph average pace, 87F real feel


Next, I worked with Link. I put him back in the D-ring single-jointed snaffle. I did a bit of free longeing before getting on him in the pen. Overall it was uneventful, though he did have one supremely graceful moment about 4:50:









:eek_color:

Link had some very nice moments too:















And I have started the process of having Link associate a fallen rider with a treat dispenser:





0.81 miles, 79 feet of climb, 3.9 mph average pace, 90F real feel


Sunday (the 7th), DH and I got Iggy and Phin out. We headed out through Spauldings towards the Sugarloaf to start with, but the power company was out working on the high voltage lines. So we turned around and wet back across Alimar and over to the Big Square.










However, Iggy had other plans and stepped off a front shoe neat as could be eyeballing some trash on the road. So the ended the ride sooner than expected.. 










7.2 miles, 664 feet of climb, 5.1 mph average pace, 70F real feel


Monday (the 8th), I got Phin out. The weather was still fairly cool and quite breezy, so it was no surprise he was full of himself. So it was climb day! We went up and down the Sugarloaf, then down around the farm and back up again.



















Once we got home, we took Kestrel down the creek trail and around the township building and back.










13.1 miles, 1829 feet of climb, 5.4 mph average pace, 72F real feel


Then, I worked with Link. Unfortunately the camera battery died so I have no video of the ride. We worked mostly in the middle paddock and Link did well despite the wind.










1.4 miles, 59 feet of climb, 3.6 mph average pace, 74F real feel


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## Aprilswissmiss

Fall down cookies! I love it! I need to steal that idea.


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## gottatrot

I have never heard of fall down cookies...I can't believe it, what a great idea!

Looked like Link tried to stand on top of his knuckled over pastern. I knew a TB that would do that all the time, he'd trip because of trying to stand on the front of his hooves. I think in his case he had grown fast and not yet coordinated the neurons on the end of his limbs with his brain. He became more graceful as he got older.:smile:


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## phantomhorse13

Aprilswissmiss said:


> Fall down cookies! I love it! I need to steal that idea.


Please feel free! I can't promise it will work in a stressful situation (aka a real fall), but sure seems better than nothing.



gottatrot said:


> I have never heard of fall down cookies...I can't believe it, what a great idea!
> 
> Looked like Link tried to stand on top of his knuckled over pastern. I knew a TB that would do that all the time, he'd trip because of trying to stand on the front of his hooves. I think in his case he had grown fast and not yet coordinated the neurons on the end of his limbs with his brain. He became more graceful as he got older.:smile:


 I started fall down cookies with Dream, after watching chaos at the start of a ride with riders landing on the ground everywhere and some horses leaving and some staying. I decided I needed a way to stack the deck in my favor in terms of the horse staying. I have since done it with all our horses (and now that I think about it, Iggy needs to be taught!), hoping I never put it to the test.

And I agree Link seemed to forget where his foot was. I have not measured him in months, but suspect he has grown. He can stop that any time (the not knowing where his feet are and the growing)!!


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## QueenofFrance08

I was just thinking I need to practice falling with Lilo after her last incident. Fall down cookies lesson added to the list!


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## carshon

I do also love that idea. I hope to not have to use it but I have initiated human treat dispenser to my mare Tillie due to various training issues. We started a couple of years ago with the mounting treat (at your suggestion) and it worked absolute wonders! and have since moved to the Fly mask treat and the Mom can walk up to me with a halter without me bolting treat. That one is still iffy at times but the fly mask no longer causes her to run helter skelter around the dry lot as I try and chase her down.


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## phantomhorse13

still playing catch up..

Tuesday (the 9th), the farrier came. That was a good thing as it got Iggy's shoe fixed. The farrier also discovered the place an abscess had popped in his heel, giving solid evidence his "random lameness" a few weeks ago really _was_ an abscess and not a soft tissue strain etc. Whew! We pulled George's shoes as he won't be worked while being treated. Momma nature decided to send summer, so I wasn't too upset about having to go help DH at the office and hide inside out of the heat and humidity

That evening, I worked with Link. It was still very hot and humid, so he was very mellow to tack and slothlike for the round pen work. We went into the paddock to ride.






I decided to use the weather to my advantage to introduce Link to the outside world when it would (hopefully) he hot enough he wouldn't much care about anything.






I was super pleased with how he did - especially being brave enough to go first!!

1.26 miles, 61 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 93F real feel


Wednesday (the 10th), Nicole had asked if I wanted to ride, so I got Iggy out early. I didn't plan on a big workout so Kestrel went along from the start. We went out Spaulding's and made a loop around the bottom tier of the Sugarloaf. It's fawn season and new babies were everywhere! This doe never did move and Kestrel did not chase her when I asked her not to (mean Mom spoils all the fun):










We moseyed on down the hill and back across the road. Both Iggy and Kestrel were excellent.










6.0 miles, 654 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 85F real feel


Then, I went over to meet Nicole. I rode Polo. We did the short mountain loop.









We were so thankful for the clouds as the sun beating down made your skin feel like it was melting. I don't know how people in the South survive.










Polo did really well, but it was hot enough I don't think he really wanted to go any faster. Hombre seems to be back to normal since the saddle fitter adjusted his saddle!










8.2 miles, 668 feet of climb, 5.2 mph average pace, 95F real feel


On Friday (the 12th), I drove two hours south to meet with Lani and Kathy! Michaux State Forest is as close to in the middle as we could find, so we decided to meet up and see how things went. Lani has been doing a bit of riding, on her steady hunt horse Oakum. She asked me if I would take Brimstone out and I was thrilled to ride him. Nobody was sure how he would be since it had been months since he was ridden, but he was perfect. Kathy rode Flo and her tech was riding Lapco. 

Not being familiar with the trail system, we had to go by the map.. and we quickly figured out what they considered a "multi-use trail" (meant for hikers, mountain bikers and horses) was a lot more challenging than we expected. The narrow, single track trails were beautiful with the mountain laurel blooming everywhere, but it was very, very rocky in a lot of places.










I got the job as navigator, so I was glad that Brim was on auto-pilot as I tried to figure out our route (there were many unmarked trails as well as the ones on the map, so it made the day exciting). Eventually we made it to some better footing and were able to move out.










We discovered the 'jeep roads' were the best, but those were few and far between. We wound up on some gravel roads which were better than the rocks, but all the traffic going by pulling boat trailers etc was exciting.










20.2 miles, 1652 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 85F real feel


Saturday, I drove back down to Michaux to meet up with the ladies again. This time they had brought Fugi, Coral, Musubi, and Lapco. From the start, it was a much crazier day as people were setting up an ATV course in the parking lot!










Mu was quite excited and we actually started out on the line as he was jumping around looking bug-eyed at everything (and really who could blame him with ATVs everwhere). We went a different way than the previous day to avoid the rocky trails. We decided to try an unmarked jeep road that went along the power lines. It started out lovely..










But unfortunately, it soon twisted off the power lines into the woods and turned into yet another rocky single track.. only this one had steep climbs and was not maintained. Twice, I didn't think Lani was going to fit under leaning trees, but she managed to lay flat enough. I hoped the climbing would settle Mu down but it didn't seem to do much.










We found some more jeep roads and did some out and backs (I was not in charge of the navigation as it was all I could to do handle Mu). Lani found a fairly nice multi use trail that we followed a long way. We were just about at the end (where it met a gravel road), when we came upon hikers coming up the trail at us. The two men were wearing large backpacks and had a dog with them. Mu was not very happy with the backpacks, but when the dog started growling and lunging, he was convinced we should not be going that way.

Because of the heavy brush, the hikers couldn't get more than a couple feet off the narrow trail. They were doing their best to contain the dog, but the dog sincerely wanted to eat the horses. Kathy got Fugi to go by and Coral followed. Lapco hesitated then followed (Coral is her bff), but as she got beside the hikers, the dog LAUNCHED, letting out a terrible roar and pulling one of the men off his feet. Lapco lept forward and Mu lept sideways off the trail and down the hill into the bushes in an attempt to flee. I have to admit I was waiting to feel the dog impact us as I tried to get Mu turned around. :eek_color:

Thank goodness, the hikers were somehow able to keep control of the dog, despite one being on the ground (and thank goodness for the solid harness the dog was wearing that he couldn't slip out of). The noises coming from that dog would have put an angry lion to shame - there was no bluff about it, that dog wanted to _kill_ us. I got Mu turned back up the hill and he flailed out of the bushes and back on the trail, then took off away from the dog.

It only took two strides for me to convince Mu that leaving wasn't really the right answer (I suspect the hill and the fact the other horses were behind him helped, too). He skittered to a halt with his head straight up and his eyes rolling. I got off and got the reins over his head. Even leading him, he was obviously terrified of the dog and was shaking visibly. At that point, the men had the dog completely off the ground and one had the leash wrapped around his muzzle and neck. We managed to scoot past to join the other horses. The dog never stopped trying to break free the whole time we were in sight..

I handwalked Mu for a while after that, trying to get him calmed down. I couldn't really blame him for being terrified as I had plenty of adrenaline rushing around in my bloodstream, too. The gravel road went uphill, so I got back on from the high edge and hoped trotting up would help settle him. While Mu didn't bolt again, he was really really worried, spooking at butterflies and shadows on the ground and peering all around him constantly.

We got off the gravel and on to another jeep road to head back to the trailer and we walked for a while, all thinking mellow thoughts. That helped a bit, but was still very worried.










The gravel road leading back to the parking lot was quite busy, so I wound up getting off and handwalking again because that seemed a better choice than him launching us into the bushes with every passing vehicle. I felt so badly for him as his brain was obviously fried. After about 10 minutes of hand walking, he finally heaved a big sigh and settled down. I was so happy the ATV training was done when we got back to the trailer, so he was able to relax there. What a ride!

15.4 miles, 1916 feet of climb, 4.2 mph average pace, 71F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

still catching up..

Sunday (the 14th), DH and I got Iggy and Phin out. We went over to the Big Square. Temperatures had dropped dramatically, as had the humidity. The boys were feeling mighty fine.










We did a lot of cantering and everyone behaved themselves.










Phin was very suspicious of the masked green man to start, but after 3 passes he was brave enough to take a nibble!










9.6 miles, 841 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 65F real feel


Later that afternoon, I worked with Link. He was very chill to tack up and mellow in the round pen. Went into the paddock for the ride and was pleased with how he behaved.






DH tossed a halter on George and we all went out for Link's first trail ride!






:happydance:
1.43 miles, 79 feet of climb, 3.3 mph average pace, 68 F real feel


On Tuesday (the 16th), I got Iggy out first thing in the morning. The weather was still cool and wonderful, so Kestrel got to come along, too. We headed out of Spaulding's and over to the Sugarloaf.










Iggy was happy to walk or jog along as requested. Kestrel had a blast and probably did twice as many miles as Iggy.










When we got home, we found a could half-grown fawns running around in the yard. Kestrel was very sad when her new playmates ran away, but the horses were not sorry to see the monsters go. 










8.7 miles, 1266 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 55F real feel


Then, I went over to ride with Nicole. I rode Hombre. Another friend had hauled her horse in, so we all went out to do the longer mountain loop.










Hombre was feeling very good and he and Polo took turns leading. 










The weather could not have been more perfect, though the bugs were still bad.










11.3 miles, 868 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 70F real feel


That evening, I worked with Link. He was a bit more energized with the cooler temperature, but he listened well in the round pen. I hopped on in the paddock to warm him up.






And then we headed out on trail again!






:loveshower:
2.07 miles, 197 feet of climb, 3.3 mph average pace, 70F real feel


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## cbar

Congrats on getting Link out for his first ever trail rides!!! That's a big step and so glad he handled himself so well! 

The ride on Mu sounded very stressful - Run-ins with dogs like that are never good. 

Do you have any plans to go to any scheduled rides? I was hearing that events in the States have been given the green light? We still aren't allowed to host any rides up here


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## phantomhorse13

still catching up..

On Wednesday (the 17th), I got Phin out. It was just a leg stretch workout and the weather was still pleasant, so Kestrel came along. We went out Spaulding's and over to mosey up part of the Sugarloaf.










We stopped at the duck pond on the way home to let Kestrel get a drink. She was intrigued by the fish that kept coming over to peer at her (and I was surprised to see fish in a land locked pond!).










When we got home, Phin was chill enough to practice ground tying while I prepared his post-ride snack.










8.3 miles, 1079 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 72F real feel


I worked with Link again in the evening. I decided to not do any round pen work, instead going right into the paddock and getting on (my first time doing that). [Despite a seemingly fully charged battery, the camera didn't record at all, ugh.] I was pleased that Link was pretty good from the start, only wanting to edge towards the other horses a bit. 

After a bit of time of us riding in the paddock, DH grabbed George and we headed out for trail ride #3. We went out the upper woods path and down around the bottom on Alimar. This time we went a bit more west before looping back up towards the fire pile.










We also climbed a different hill before heading up the swale to home. Link was great and led the whole time.










2.13 miles, 190 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 75F real feel


On Thursday (the 18th), I got Iggy out first thing as storms were expected by lunchtime. Momma nature had sent us back to summer with high humidity and warmer temps. It was climb day, so we headed out Spaulding's to the Sugarloaf. We climbed up, went down and did the out and back, then climbed up again.










Towards the top, this big buck stood up and I was shocked to see antlers already! He is going to be a monster come the fall.










We then went down across the farm and over to the Tomhicken. Iggy was fussy after turning for home and tried a tantrum at one of the turns. That earned him a second trip up the climbs. He was much more settled the next time we turned for home. After cantering up the farm climb, he was happy to chill out at the top. 










Iggy was still fussy as we turned down the airport strip for home, so we got home, grabbed Kestrel and headed down to the creek trail to do another loop. Kestrel was excited to start with, but the humidity soon had her in follow mode.










Thankfully, Iggy was on his best behavior for the final loop, as we got home _just_ before the storms hit. There was a lot of lightning and we got almost 3/4 of an inch of rain in about 30 minutes.

16.1 miles, 2771 feet of climb, 5.4 mph average pace, 84F real feel


On Friday (the 19th), it was Phin's turn for climb day. We did a similar route, but he was on his best behavior so didn't earn himself any extra climbing.










It's amazing how things are growing and I really need to get out and do some trail maintenance. This switch grass is taller than Phin!










We took Kestrel out for a bareback mosey to cool down.










It was yet another day where I got done just before the storms rolled in. We got lucky that the worse of them went around us, but we still got another half inch of rain.

14.5 miles, 2461 feet of climb, 5.3 mph average pace, 86F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

cbar said:


> Do you have any plans to go to any scheduled rides? I was hearing that events in the States have been given the green light? We still aren't allowed to host any rides up here


 The first ride in this area is July 4th, but we will no be able to attend due to previously made plans. The next event is July 23, so we are hoping to make that one!

Each state is different as to what is allowed, so who is doing what and how depends on the state. AERC itself is allowing rides that meet certain criteria and are requiring COVID plans from the ride managers. I am cautiously optimistic than distance people will act like adults and use common sense to keep themselves and those around them safe.


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## phantomhorse13

Saturday evening, it had dried up enough I was able to work with Link. Everyone was out in the far paddock, which is out of sight of the barn. Link was a bit unsure about leaving everyone, but settled quickly being tacked. The herd was still out of sight as we went out in to the paddock. I debated taking him in to the round pen to start with, but wanted to see how he would do with me just getting on in terms of his focus while being worried. Link was def a bit more animated, but overall did really well.






Then it was time to head out for trail ride #4. We went out the upper woods path and around to the bottom of Alimar. This time we dropped all the way down and had to cross the drainage ditch/creek on the way to the outdoor. We then went out the creek trail: 










The creek trail comes out behind the township building and we have to go past the junk pile to get back to the farm:















2.65 miles, 230 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 88F real feel


Sunday, DH and I got Iggy and Phin out first thing. We went out Spaulding's and across the farm to the Tomhicken. We dropped down to go along the Tomhicken trail, where we haven't been in a while. There were a lot of tree branches to duck, which made life interesting. Phin was on his best behavior.










This wildlife encounter was pretty funny, as that sassy turtle waved his head and snapped his jaws at us as we approached. It didn't look like a regular snapping turtle to me, but it sure had the bad attitude of one.










We crossed the pavement and went on to do the camper loop backwards.










Iggy led for the second half of the ride and did very well for DH. It was lovely to be in the shade, as the humidity was awful and the sun was broiling.










20.8 miles, 2389 feet of climb, 6.1 mph average pace, 90F real feel


Sunday evening, I got Link out. It was still very humid and certainly not cold, so I just tacked Link and got right on him in the yard without any warm up riding in the paddock. As I hoped, the weather took any edge he may have had right off. We went out the upper woods path and this time kept going past the Pond of Death. Link was more concerned about a random rock in the path than he was the dam and spillway! 


__
Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18
Show Content










We turned around and went back past the pond again, then continued around the bottom of Alimar. Link was _very_ worried about a patch of weeds that had been knocked down since our last ride, so he is going to be like Phin and notice the slightest change in his surroundings. We went down the creek trail and this time continued past the township building to do a small loop. 















2.83 miles, 282 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 91F real feel
:loveshower:


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## Celeste

QueenofFrance08 said:


> I was just thinking I need to practice falling with Lilo after her last incident. Fall down cookies lesson added to the list!


I have had enough practice lately falling off. I don't want any more. 
The cookie training is brilliant. Think how much walking that can save you!


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## carshon

Link is doing really well. When does DH get to ride for these trail excursions? He is a great sport doing all of the walking.


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## phantomhorse13

carshon said:


> Link is doing really well. When does DH get to ride for these trail excursions? He is a great sport doing all of the walking.


 It has been his choice to walk since the initial mosey around the yard. I have gone so far as to offer to tack George up for him, but he says he is fine walking. 

The last outing, the boots he wore blistered both his heels (and of course he didn't say anything!), so I am hoping next time he will ride..


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## QueenofFrance08

How's George feeling?


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## Spanish Rider

My fave pic has to be Phin peeking through the door. :loveshower:


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> How's George feeling?


George _acts_ just fine, but watching him move around in the pasture he still isn't quite how he used to be.. BUT seems improved compared to before treatment and he's currently barefoot (and he's always been tender-footed that way). So we will be evaluating him once he's done treatment and put back to work to see if he will return to competition or be retired to babysitter.


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## PoptartShop

So happy to see your updates & so awesome about Link.  So exciting!!!


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## phantomhorse13

On Wednesday, I got Iggy out to start with. Momma nature blessed us with perfect riding weather: mild temps, low humidity, sunshine and a light breeze. We headed over to the Tomhicken to do the yellow gate loop. While this pic didn't capture just how stunning this scene really was, you can imagine what it looked like in real life:










Iggy was workmanlike for the whole ride and behaved very well. We moved out in all the places we could and I hope he had half as much fun as I did.










We stopped back to get Kestrel and then did a bareback loop around Alimar.










13.5 miles, 1691 feet of climb, 5.9 mph average pace, 72F real feel


That evening, DH and I got George and Link out. After tacking Link up, I just practiced trotting in hand out and back in the yard before getting on. We headed out across Alimar and this time continued past the Pond of Death and into Spaulding's.



















When Link took all of that in stride, I decided to continue across the road and loop the fields on the other side. Link was thrilled with the smorgasbord all around him!















3.8 miles, 374 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 75F real feel


On Thursday, I got Phin out first thing. The weather was again perfect, so we took Kestrel along, too. We went out Spaulding's and moseyed over to do a loop at Ziesloft's.










Kestrel is doing better and better about heeling to the horse and getting into travel mode.










5.0 miles, 588 feet of climb, 4.4 mph average pace, 80F real feel


DH had to work late and wouldn't be available to babysit, so I decided to work Link in the yard:






He did so well, I decided to see how it would go heading out on our own. I planned on doing the mile loop around the top fields closest to the house.















1.52 miles, 93 feet of climb, 3.3 mph average pace, 82F real feel


:happydance:


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## Celeste

Link did fantastic on his first solo ride! He looks like he is really interested in finding out what is over the next hill. That's the best kind of horse for sure.


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## cbar

Yay for solo trail ride on Link!!! I know how big those steps are and was so thrilled when I did that on my mare. I'm so excited for you guys and he seems to take everything all in stride.


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## Dragoon

Amazing video! Link is the coolest!

I had anxiety seeing how long the grass was on your 'trail'. It was two lengths, long and super-long! Our outdoor arena borders a farm field, and when the beans get high, all the ponies give it the side-eye when riding beside it. The anxious mare is sure to spook when the wind rustles it, so I ride away from the rail. 
The training to ride trails must be never-ending...

Link needs his own bug- mask!


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## phantomhorse13

Celeste said:


> He looks like he is really interested in finding out what is over the next hill. That's the best kind of horse for sure.


Link certainly seems to enjoy being out. And I agree with him that is way better circles in the yard! :wink:




cbar said:


> I'm so excited for you guys and he seems to take everything all in stride.


 Overall, I am super pleased with how he is doing. He of course has his baby moments and can be reactive (wiggly foliage is scary!), but he tries really hard to please.




Dragoon said:


> Our outdoor arena borders a farm field, and when the beans get high, all the ponies give it the side-eye when riding beside it. The anxious mare is sure to spook when the wind rustles it, so I ride away from the rail.
> 
> Link needs his own bug- mask!


Tall anything certainly makes riding a lot more exciting, as you never know what may be lurking in there that may jump out (or make noise as you go by). Watching the crops grow every year is both amazing and anxiety-raising..

I have been hesitant to try a full fly mask for Link, as I have found them to make Phin and even George more spooky, as I am sure they change their vision to some extent. Link is aware enough of the moving things around him so I haven't wanted to make anything worse. The bonnet certainly has helped compared to a naked head.


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## phantomhorse13

Last Friday (the 26th), I drove down to meet Lani, Kathy, and Steph to ride. We got Fugi, Flo, Lapco, and Mu out. We went to the same park but to a different set of trails that a friend recommended. It was SO MUCH better!! We had the parking lot to ourselves when we arrived and only saw two other riders all day (the friends who had recommended that spot).

The footing was lovely and the trails were marked and actually agreed with the map. We had a nice climb to start so by the time we trotted that Mu had settled well. It was warm but there was a bit of a breeze, so with the shade it didn't feel too bad.










These trails had lovely footing for the most part so we were able to trot most of the way. We had a couple encounters with wildlife, but nothing too exciting. Such an improvement over the last time!










12.2 miles, 1803 feet of climb, 4.5 mph average pace, 85F real feel


When DH got home that evening, we got George and Link out. We went out Spaulding's and across the road, but this time continued past where we turned last time to do a loop in Ziesloft's. Much to Link's dismay, the guys had gotten more mowing done, so he was not able to snack.



















Most of the ride went well, but Link was a bit fussy a couple time about wanting to move off the trail to try to eat. We also had some excitement when a deer popped up (2:59 in the video) and then he decided a set of weeds held a monster on the way home (3:33 in the video). But I felt he kept control of himself as well as he could, considering his experience level.






5.5 miles, 593 feet of climb, 3.1 mph average pace, 83F real feel


Sunday, DH and I got Iggy and Phin out. We had gotten some storms off and on all day Saturday but the dry ground soaked up the rain amazingly well (and I think the corn grew a foot taller). We weren't planning a long ride, so we took Kestrel along, too. We went out via Spaulding's, across to Ziesloft's, and stopped at the pond to let Kestrel have a drink.










We then went down across the farm and across to the Tomhicken. It was the first time Kestrel has been out with more than one horse and for the most part she stuck in the middle of the two horses (which was perfect).










We did the gas line loop, then headed back down, went across the farm, and back over to Ziesloft's. Kestrel did great at all the road crossings, ignoring DH and Iggy and following her normal procedure of sitting beside Phin to wait until released to cross ahead of us.

We had to laugh at this photo op, as the weeds were as tall as Kestrel:









9.5 miles, 1260 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 90F real feel


Then, we got George and Link out. I wanted to take advantage of the wetter ground to work with Link in water and mud crossings, so we went out to do the creek trail. We went across the drainage creek by the outdoor ring on Alimar with no hesitation beside George, then had some fun with the newly mowed field behind the township building (objects are much more scary when the grass doesn't hide them, 1:00 in the video :wink. 










We got over to a neighbor's lane where we planned to make a small loop, but when thunder rumbled in the distance, a quick check of radar made us turn around to head for home. We went back via the creek trail. Link even led going over the bridge (3:00 in the video)!










Link was a bit unsure about the muddy crossings to start with (4:00 in the video), but soon gained confidence.






Of course, because we turned around and went home, the storm just missed us (fine by me!).

4.2 miles, 364 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 93F real feel

:cowboy:


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## phantomhorse13

On Monday, I went over to ride with Nicole. I rode Hombre and she took Siri, who has only been out on trail a couple times before. We did the short mountain loop.










Hombre led to start with and did a very good job moseying along so Siri could keep up. We were pleased that Siri didn't seem to mind water and was careful over the terrain.










On the way home, we put Siri out into the lead. She did great!










When we got back to the barn, I got to take Siri for a spin. Her gaits are so fun. 










6.8 miles, 645 feet of climb, 3.9 mph average pace, 88F real feel


I had hoped to work with Link in the afternoon, but momma nature had other ideas and sent storms instead.


Tuesday, I started with Iggy and Kestrel came along. We went out via Spaulding's and stopped at Ziesloft's pond before moseying up the Sugarloaf.










We went down across the farm and over to mosey up the Tomhicken. Iggy was on his best behavior.










On the way home, we kept leap frogging with Keith, who was spraying the potatoes.










10.1 miles, 1767 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 82F real feel


Next was Link. We worked a bit in the yard to start with. He was a bit looky about the trees and bushes blowing around, but was basically reasonable. So I decided to head out to do a loop around the fields. We went slightly farther than the last ride, going down the snake boot path to loop back around to home.










The ride went well until we got home, when the other horses had to "help" (3:30 in the video). After that, it took a bit of working in the yard to get Link to settle down again.






1.94 miles, 85 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 82F real feel

After untacking, we went back out into the yard out of sight of the other horses to have a snack and reinforce that alone is good:









I am happy that Link is a good eater, as that will be super helpful at rides.


Wednesday, I got Phin out for a climb day. The weather was humid and hot from the start, but that didn't slow him down any climbing the Sugarloaf. We went up at a strong trot and then cantered up the backside. Then we ropped back down to do the out and back around the neighbor's driveway. Someone had the audacity to put trash cans in a place they had never been before:









I was pleased that Phin only eyed them suspiciously as we approached and went past without drama. We then went across the farm and over to climb the Tomhicken at a strong trot. We came back across the farm and cantered all the way to the top of the Sugarloaf again.

At that point, we turned for home. We came across Keith and the guys working on clearing some trees on the way. We stopped to watch until there was a break in the action, then attempted to walk by.










I am still not sure exactly what set Phin off, but as we walked past the tractor then paused to speak to Keith, he suddenly exploded. While everything happened too fast for me to really know what was going on, I heard more than I wanted to about the incident from both Keith and Bill (who was in the tractor). Phin apparently shot backwards, reared, and spun to bolt. I turned him in a circle which resulted in more rearing and leaping off the ground from his hind legs. Both said they expected him to flip over several times and couldn't believe I stayed on.

I guess luckily for me it looked worse than it felt, as I didn't really know what was happening other than we were jumping around in a circle. Bill turned the tractor off as soon as he realized what was happening, so after two leaping circles Phin stopped and stood, staring at the tractor and snorting. Still not sure what had happened, I looked down and realized there was blood splattered across Phin's mane and neck. As I stared in confusion, Keith said _I_ was bleeding! I reached up to touch my cheek and came away with a bloody hand. I was mortified, but still on board so turned for home. It was like nothing had happened - Phin went home the rest of the way his normal self.

When I got home, I left Phin tied to the patience tree and went inside to access the damage. I think I must have gone forward into his neck, which mashed my (safety) sunglasses into my eyebrow, splitting it open. Typical of head wounds, it bled like mad. I washed up and superglued the wound closed when it wouldn't stop bleeding with just pressure.










I collected Kestrel and headed back outside to take Phin on another loop. Had I not been bleeding, I would never have rewarded that behavior by continuing home and instead would have gone back up the mountain again. Instead of more climbing, we went and did the creek loop, passing all the scary things I could find. Phin was totally back to normal.










14.24 miles, 2713 feet of climb, 5.5 mph average pace, 87F real feel

I still am not sure what set Phin off. The last time I had him react so explosively was when the dog attacked him. I checked him over carefully when untacking, looking for bee stings or anything else to explain his behavior and didn't find anything amiss. Is he just too fit for his own good? I just don't know.. :confused_color:


I had intended to work with Link too, but my head was hurting and I initially wasn't sure if the nausea was the adrenaline wearing off or the warning of a concussion. Luckily, it was only the adrenaline and I felt pretty good later on as long as I didn't touch my eyebrow.


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## gottatrot

Yikes!! Glad you are somewhat OK!!


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## PoptartShop

Ouch!! Glad you're OK, I would've been freaking out seeing blood (even my own) like that! :sad:


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## QueenofFrance08

Oh man! I can't believe you stayed on! Bad boy Phin!


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## carshon

So happy that the explosion caused nothing major. How scary. Horses can be so confusing. I have really enjoyed the videos and am amazed at Link's progress.


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## knightrider

That looks nasty. So glad you are OK. And you stayed on!!! It's so humiliating to fall off in front of people you don't know very well . . . or in front of people you do know very well. Link is doing fabulous. I think I missed how you found a bit Link likes?


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## phantomhorse13

carshon said:


> Horses can be so confusing.


They sure keep us humble. Even going over what happened again and again, I am no closer to understanding what set him off. That is frustrating on many levels, as I sure would prefer to keep it from happening again!



knightrider said:


> And you stayed on!!! It's so humiliating to fall off in front of people you don't know very well . . . or in front of people you do know very well.


Falling off is indeed humiliating and I was embarrassed enough at his behavior.. but the worst part was we were still across the paved road from home and I cannot imagine him sticking around in such a panicked state. The thought of him running across the road and maybe being hit or killing someone in a vehicle was enough to give me nightmares for several nights after the incident. :frown_color:



knightrider said:


> Link is doing fabulous. I think I missed how you found a bit Link likes?


I don't think I did find a bit Link _likes_.. I just picked the one he seemed to dislike the least and went with it (that being the single jointed D ring with the copper rollers). Most of the time he is fine, but he does some playing with the rollers when he gets nervous. However, I decided that was better than the horrible head tossing as a nervous reaction. While the tossing isn't constant, it's enthusiastic enough a rein winds up over an ear for a moment. While Link doesn't care, I sure do!


I am pondering putting a running martingale on him just to keep the reins from being able literally go over his head. I hate having to resort to gadgets, but I am starting to see it as a safety issue now that we are out of an enclosed area. What might happen if he head flips and I wind up with both reins on the same side?!


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## Celeste

Has the cut closed up ok? Wouldn't you love to have some pictures of your wild ride? I'm glad that you weren't badly hurt.


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## gottatrot

phantomhorse13 said:


> I am pondering putting a running martingale on him just to keep the reins from being able literally go over his head. I hate having to resort to gadgets, but I am starting to see it as a safety issue now that we are out of an enclosed area. What might happen if he head flips and I wind up with both reins on the same side?!


I had that happen a couple of times with Halla. You just flip one rein back _really_ quick! A martingale is not a bad idea.


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## phantomhorse13

Celeste said:


> Has the cut closed up ok? Wouldn't you love to have some pictures of your wild ride?


 The glue held until Sunday, so that kept things together pretty well. I suspect there will be a scar when its done healing, but its hardly going to ruin my modeling career. :wink:

I am not sure if I would want to see ride pics or not.. part of me is really curious and part of me would rather not know. Hopefully it was a one and done type of event!!


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## Spanish Rider

Wow, @phantom! You say you went forward, but I'm sure your instinct and seat had you balancing over your stirrups as he came up, which means he came up fast and high, your head going to the left of his neck. I'm certain you maintained your verticle. Great ab work!!!

I will say, though, that the best part of doing a 'sit & spin' on a horse in front of men is the instant respect, followed by comments of how big your testicles are. 

You, my dear, are one tough cookie!


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## phantomhorse13

Last Thursday, I started with Iggy first thing to beat the heat as much as possible. We did the Sugarloaf loop.










There are parts that need maintenance so badly now, you can barely tell where the trail is any more..










Iggy was very good despite the horrendous swarms of biting bugs. I wish I could find something that repelled them for more than 5 seconds. I look like a fiend with the fly swish going madly but we were both bloody in multiple places by the end of the ride.










9.52 miles, 1781 feet of climb, 5.7 mph average pace, 89F real feel


Next was George. Kestrel came, too. We went over to Ziesloft's where the footing was best for his bare feet.










I think George feels better than he did, but is still not back to his old normal. I think some of that may be his feet, but I am not sure I think that is the whole of the problem.










George seemed to feel good though and was happy to move out at a trot and even a canter when I would let him. And the tongue was flapping constantly!










5.25 miles, 748 feet of climb, 5.2 mph average pace, 93F real feel


Then it was Link's turn. This time everyone else got locked in the catch pen, even though I didn't intend to ride past the paddock. We warmed up in the yard a bit, then headed out to do a bigger loop around Alimar.

We went down the snake boot path and into the bottom fields.










Then came up via the woods path. Link was a bit looky in places but overall did really well.










Link was a bit nervous about the wiggling bushes on the way home, but he worked through it well.






2.1 miles, 243 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 95F real feel


Friday, DH and I went to visit my parents for the holiday weekend as it was mom's birthday. My parents spend their summers at the shore, so it was a win-win trip. The house is a duplex, so we were even able to maintain social distancing by staying upstairs while my parents were downstairs. We ate all our meals outside at the giant table under the deck. It was certainly different than previous visits, but sure better than nothing. And who can complain about the beach!!


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## phantomhorse13

Spanish Rider said:


> I will say, though, that the best part of doing a 'sit & spin' on a horse in front of men is the instant respect, followed by comments of how big your testicles are.


Probably a good thing I don't have testicles, as I suspect all that jumping around would have mashed them pretty badly against the pommel as that saddle seat is not very spacious. 

They would have been big for sure then from all the swelling!! :rofl: :rofl:


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## phantomhorse13

We got back from our trip Monday lunchtime to a real feel of 105F. I just couldn't bring myself to tack up a horse, so got on the tractor and did some mowing instead. I had just enough time to finish Alimar when a storm rolled in, so I am glad I didn't try to ride.


On Tuesday, I got Iggy out first. We went over to the Tomhicken, out the yellow gate trail, and over to the creek.










I was pleasantly surprised that the bugs weren't awful and the shade was wonderful. We looped around to the power lines and followed them back and up.










Iggy was very workmanlike and I think enjoyed the relative cool as much as I did.

11.52 miles, 1572 feet of climb, 6.0 mph average pace, 83F real feel


Next up was Phin. I was just planning to scope out the route I wanted to take Link on later, so Kestrel came along. We went out Spaulding's and it was so nice to have the path mowed!










We did a loop around Ziesloft's and I was happy to find a new way around the pond that had decent footing now that it had been mowed and wasn't wet. We passed the Pond of Death on the way home without incident.










4.99 miles, 656 feet of climb, 5.1 mph average pace, 85F real feel


Once DH got home, we got George and Link out. From the start, I wasn't feeling quite right but just assumed the humidity was the issue. We headed out across Alimar and got to Spaulding's, where my head really started to pound. After a few minutes with no improvement, I decided the long ride I had hoped for wasn't going to happen.










We turned around and went back towards Alimar. I was pleased that Link walked past the couple scary spots along the fence without issue. We went down to the crossing by the outdoor and Link went across without George leading him for the first time! Then we headed back for home. The closer we got, the worse I felt. I wound up getting off before we arrived home as I was getting dizzy. 






I managed to get Link untacked, hosed off and back outside before the migraine crashed down and sent me to bed. Not the ride I had been hoping for, but better than nothing.

2.64 miles, 276 feet of climb, 3.1 mph average pace, 87F real feel


Wednesday, I had planned to run some errands first thing in the morning and then ride, but momma nature changed my plans. Just as I was driving home, we got a crazy storm that just sat on top of us and _dumped_ rain - we got 2.25 inches of rain in about 2 hours! While we did need the rain, that kind of deluge is never helpful. The vet who does our chiropractic work came in the afternoon, so I was thankful the storm had finished by then. She worked on Phin, Iggy and George and I have to say I was jealous she couldn't work on me!


Thursday, I was surprised to see the ground in much better shape than expected. Gina called and asked if I was interested in riding and of course I was! We got Amish and Giselle out. Amish has been NQR and Gina hasn't been able to figure out the source of the issue yet. And of course Giselle is still questionable as you never know if she is going to have a good or a bad day until it's happening.

We did the Sugarloaf loop. Giselle was having a good day, so things were uneventful for her. Amish is quieter than normal, so he moseyed along without complaint. 


__
Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18
Show Content



















5.95 miles, 850 feet of climb, 3.6 mph average pace, 93F real feel

Amish has lost some muscle tone and just seems mopey, but basic bloodwork was normal and his Lyme was negative. Unfortunately, he was even more mopey the day after our ride, so the vet is coming early next week to draw blood for more testing (Cushing's and EPM). Hopefully there will be a diagnosis.


I had planned to get Link out with George in the afternoon, but radar started blowing up with storms all around when DH was planning to come home. So we called off the ride and he stayed at work.. and of course all the storms went elsewhere. But with a real feel of 100F, it probably wasn't a bad thing to not ride (or so I kept telling myself).


Yesterday, I started with Iggy. Kestrel came, too. We did the Sugarloaf loop.










I had to laugh that we saw not one, but two vehicles on the short stretch of pavement we travel along this route. The road only goes to about a half dozen homes and I can't even think of the last time I had a vehicle go by while riding. But it was good practice for Kestrel, who came to the shoulder of the road and sat down obediently to wait for the trucks to pass. One driver actually paused to compliment her good behavior!










8.12 miles, 1214 feet of climb, 5.6 mph average pace, 84F real feel


The rain from tropical storm Faye hadn't arrived when I was finished with Iggy, so next I worked with Link. It was round pen day, as the wind was gusty and it was threatening rain at any moment. I had planned to put all his hoof boots on to remind him what traveling in them was like before using them to ride, but he has outgrown them!! I only bought them in September, so that was pretty frustrating but I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

We went to the pen anyway, as I wanted to work him in side reins. I am not interested in teaching him contact or 'headset,' but instead wanted to make sure he didn't react poorly to that kind of pressure before using the running martingale for riding.

I think Link was actually insulted to be back in the pen, as first he was reluctant to move away and then when I insisted he had a bucking and farting tantrum. After working him a bit, I brought him in and attached the side reins very loosely. When I asked him to move away, he was again insulted and had a tantrum:










But notice he was smart enough not to pull on the side reins while doing it! Silly boy settled down after a minute and gave me some nice work. He didn't mind the side reins at all, so I tightened them a couple holes so they would engage when he head flipped.










Link didn't react at all that I could see with the head flipping, so hopefully the running martingale won't be an issue either.


Today, Gina asked me if I would babysit her for her first ride on the new mare. Honey was a hack string horse, so we didn't expect any issues.. but Windsor was supposedly a hack horse for a while too and you know how that turned out. I rode Aztec since Amish is on R&R until his issue is figured out.










Aztec was his normal jiggy self to start with, and had one small tantrum when he wanted to turn back and I didn't, but he settled down after a few miles. Honey was fantastic the whole time.










5.4 miles, 889 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 95F real feel


This afternoon, we got yet more storms and over a half inch of rain.. the ground is standing water so no working with Link today. Ugh.


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## Knave

Everything was so eventful as I caught up on your journal! Wow! I’m sorry about your eye, and boy it seems Link is coming along good. 

I had a mare in hs called Runt. She was awesome. She ended up in a tie down because she was such a terrible head flinger, and she knocked me hard in the saddle with her head! Anyways, the tie down is obviously not a solution, it just was for her. She ran gymkhana events too, so it fit in.

The whole thing I’m getting to is that she learned how to flip the reins over her neck on purpose. Lol. She was smart and super athletic, and after it had happened a couple times (with a tie down mind you) she knew how to do it.
If she was bored it was a fun game for her.

She was as hot as horses come. Often a run away, always rearing up and being dramatic, and the whole rein trick was never an issue. I just fixed it. It was a joke with her, and so she didn’t do it when she was hot or worried. Really not a big deal though. I’ve had a couple others do it accidentally, fighting a fly just right or something like that, and never did it amount to a problem.


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## phantomhorse13

Knave said:


> she learned how to flip the reins over her neck on purpose. If she was bored it was a fun game for her.


I do not doubt for a moment a horse could learn to do it on purpose and find it amusing (esp a mare.. Runt wasn't red, was she? :wink. At this point I don't believe Link is head flipping with that intention, but I sure would like to stop it before he finds it amusing and is doing it intentionally!!


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## Knave

Runt was red without a spot of white on her. No color change at all actually. Her mane and tail were exactly the color of her body... just a dark red. Boy I loved that mare. She was notorious for being bad, but she was also very talented and as hard working as a horse comes.

ETA- the rein trick was only learned because she was such a head flipper. It was constant with her. She ridged her nose on that tie down over the years. It was a nervous thing for her, not a dislike of a bit type of thing. She flung her head when she was nervous in the corral too, and like black beauty she weaved in the corral as well.


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## phantomhorse13

Last, Saturday, we got yet more storms and more rain. Sunday, the ground was still somewhat messy and the temperature was actually seasonal, so DH and I decided it would be trail maintenance day. We headed over to the Sugarloaf.










Lots of mowing to be done as well as a trimming. We also needed the chainsaw for multiple down trees.










Over 5 hours later, we were just starting on the last section that needed trimming when the sky got dark. Looking at radar, we decided we better head for home. Of course since we did, the storm broke up and went around us.. but honestly that was plenty of manual labor for one day!


Monday, I rode with Gina in the morning. The vet wanted her to give Amish some banamine and see how he did with riding, so I got to ride him while Nik rode Honey and Gina rode Aztec. We did the Sugarloaf loop, so were able to appreciate the freshly mowed and trimmed trails. It took a bit for Aztec to settle down, but he didn't do anything dumb. The weather was still very pleasant, especially in the shade.










Amish actually felt much improved with the banamine on board, probably 75% better. Nik had a hard time with Honey jerking the reins out of her hands, so Gina plans to try a different bit next time. I had a lovely ride though.










The vet came later to see Amish and drew blood for Cushings and EPM testing. Will be interesting to see the results.

6.05 miles, 912 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 83F real feel


That evening, DH and I got George and Link out. Not sure if it was the cooler weather or the breeze moving things (or both), but Link was on his toes from the start. We encountered the stick monster (1:20), water where it wasn't before (5:02), a feathered dragon (6:12), and a demon tree (7:11). However, we got it worked out in the end and he even went first across the drainage creek (9:08).
























3.88 miles, 413 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 85F real feel


Tuesday, I got Iggy out first thing, as storms were forecast for the afternoon. It was already humid and quite warm when we left the barn at 8am. It was supposed to just be an easy leg stretch ride, so I took Kestrel, too. We went over to mosey around Ziesloft's.

Iggy seemed quite chill as we headed out across Spauling's and was workmanlike as we went across the road and over to the pond to let Kestrel drink. However, as we left the pond area to climb the first tier of the Sugarloaf, we came around a corner to find two buck standing in the trail about 100 yards ahead. I had enough time to tell Kestrel to wait before the deer jumped into the woods. Luckily for me, Kestrel listened because in that moment Iggy flung his head in the air, spun, and _bolted_. :eek_color:

It was so unexpected that I wasn't even sure what happened at first, but galloping down a hill I normally won't even trot was a nasty reality check. Iggy showed no interest in stopping with normal seat and rein cues. With his head straight up, I didn't have much leverage to even try to turn him, so wound up reaching as far up one rein as I could and just yanking for all I was worth towards the uphill side of the trail. After what seemed like an eternity, his head came around and he stopped before crashing into the trees and brush.

Once he was stopped, it was like nothing had happened (other than all of our panting). [Kestrel had come along with us - good girl!] I turned him the rest of the way around and we went right back to where the deer had been - he couldn't have cared less. At that point, I decided we would be climbing the Sugarloaf as I certainly wasn't going to reward that behavior by turning for home (which had been my original plan).










We went up the Sugarloaf and then down the other side. When another deer jumped out of some brush much closer this time, Iggy barely startled. The rest of the ride was uneventful.










6.02 miles, 1089 feet of climb, 4.3 mph average pace, 80F real feel

When I got done, I called Nancy and she briefly spoke with Iggy. He said the deer were 'chasing him' and that is certainly how he acted. But the deer definitely went the opposite way, so I asked did he mean Kestrel was chasing him? No, the deer were. I am still not sure what to make of the whole thing..










Next up was George. Because I wasn't planning on a long ride, Kestrel came along, too. From the start, George was a spooky ding dong. I don't know if the comet was affecting his brain, but it sure made for an unpleasant ride.

I wasn't sure I was going to get him past this _parked_ skid loader at the tree farm:









And from there he was spooking at weeds, and wildflowers, and nothing I could see. But his tongue was flapping, so he was apparently having a good time. At one point, he spooked at some weeds and tripped onto his nose (luckily in a soft place so he didn't hurt himself). He was silly enough that Kestrel wouldn't get any closer than this when she was following:










I was very glad to get home, as the constant spooking was like a chiropractic adjustment I didn't want. I couldn't really say how I thought George felt in terms of gaits, as I don't think he ever maintained a consistent pace (or direction in some cases!). 

4.82 miles, 561 feet of climb, 4.9 mph average pace, 82F real feel


At that point, I wasn't sure if I wanted to work with Link at all, especially knowing how reactive he was last ride. Was Link going to be third time's the charm or three strikes and you're out?! After a check of radar showed no storms anywhere around, I decided to start out working in the yard and see how things went.

Despite a bit of breeze making things wiggle, Link was very chill. We worked on bending around the trees and did some trot work. He was calm enough I decided to head out. We did the short creek loop backwards, a direction he's not gone before. That meant Link had to not only deal with lots of wiggling corn and crazy small wildlife, but also go downhill at the pipes (0:30), cross the drainage creek (3:38), and then come home to realize things were Different (5:23): 
























2.32 miles, 200 feet of climb, 3.1 mph average pace, 84F real feel

I could not be more pleased with how Link handled himself! What does it say when the baby is the best horse of the day..


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## Celeste

Link is really brave! He went right past that terrifying stick and tree. He escaped the winged dragon. And then he kept on going! What a good boy!


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## knightrider

What a lot of adventures! Isn't it weird how horses wildly spook at something they don't normally spook at? I've decided they dream something the night before and it makes them jumpy about that thing. It's a stupid rationale, but I can't come up with anything else.


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## phantomhorse13

Celeste said:


> Link is really brave!


Link tries very hard to be a good boy. His dam line is know for their reactiveness - to the point a friend who has 2 of that breeding asked me the other day how many times I have been ejected so far! She was amazed when I said none yet (and I was going to blame her for jinxing me when it did).




knightrider said:


> Isn't it weird how horses wildly spook at something they don't normally spook at? I've decided they dream something the night before and it makes them jumpy about that thing. It's a stupid rationale, but I can't come up with anything else.


Sounds like as good a reason as any! Link, like Phin, is aware of the slightest change from the last time, but why some of those changes only get a sideways eyeball and some cause massive worry is beyond my understanding.


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## Spanish Rider

I am sorry, but I must admit that I haven't had much time lately to keep up with everything in your journal (more research work bc of pandemic). I somehow missed that you were working on bend around the trees in your yard with Link. How is that working out?

I am always mesmerized with every mention of Nancy. This is a real question: has she written a book? I just find it fascinating.


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## QueenofFrance08

Naughty Iggy!!!! Sounds like George must be feeling better! Glad Link is doing so well! Wish I could send Lilo to you for bootcamp, thankfully since we might have some rides coming up I might have time to ride other horses since Chico and Stitch will get their time off!


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## carshon

I love how you talk to him! And the head shaking with the bit looks like it has mostly resolved when he is looking around. What a good boy he was!


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## PoptartShop

What a brave boy Link!   And talking to them really helps!


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## phantomhorse13

Spanish Rider said:


> II somehow missed that you were working on bend around the trees in your yard with Link. How is that working out?


It seems to help to give us both something to work around, though of course bending back towards the barn (regardless of whether we are turning left or right) is often easier. :wink: 




QueenofFrance08 said:


> Wish I could send Lilo to you for bootcamp, thankfully since we might have some rides coming up I might have time to ride other horses since Chico and Stitch will get their time off!


You are going to have a blast working with Lilo, as she seems to have such a good work ethic. So exciting that rides are finally starting back up!!




carshon said:


> the head shaking with the bit looks like it has mostly resolved when he is looking around.


The head flipping is much improved with the martingale. There is still some shaking, but it's almost always due to the [email protected] bugs. I do my best to smack what I can, but they seem to know they are safe landing on the jaw or the front of the face. I need to get Link acclimated to the fly swish..


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## phantomhorse13

Last Wednesday, I got Phin out for a leg stretch ride. Kestrel came, too. We moseyed up and around the Sugarloaf.










Happy to say, Phin was on his best behavior. The bugs were awful, but the ride was otherwise uneventful.










6.06 miles, 981 feet of climb, 4.4 mph average pace, 80F real feel


I had planned to work Link next, but DH needed me to Uber some parts. What should have been a 45 minute round trip turned into a 3+ hour ordeal when I got stuck on the interstate due to an accident (luckily on the way home from delivering the necessary parts). The police eventually turned us around and had us drive back to the previous exit.. then it was an adventure of back roads with many people who apparently didn't have GPS so were doing things like stopping in the middle of intersections trying to figure out which way to go. By the time I got home, I was in no mood to ride and instead took out my frustration on the weeds in the flower beds.


That evening, Gina called to see if I was interested in an evening ride. DH was stuck working late, so I got to ride Honey for the first time. Gina rode Giselle. We decided on the Big Square.

Honey came from a hack string, but the place only had well-maintained, flat trails with few obstacles (which makes sense when you are taking out non-riders). When we got down across Alimar to the drainage creek crossing, Honey put one foot in the mud and promptly yanked it out and stepped back in horror. She kept dropping her head and snorting at alarm at the water and mud, which would have been comical if I hadn't been trying to get her across it. I spent probably a good 10 minutes trying to encourage her into the water, both following Giselle and with Giselle waiting on the far side, and she just refused. [It was interesting to be on a non-reactive horse, as even though Honey was very worried, she never did anything more than stick a foot in and then in almost slow motion yank it out and take a step back.]

We eventually decided it was going to be dark before we got her across there, so went a bit farther up the crossing to where there was more rock and weeds so the water wasn't as obvious. Honey was still unenthused but did eventually walk in one foot at a time. However, the opposite side has a small bank to get out (maybe a foot high) and you could tell to start with she had no idea what to do!! She went right up to the edge and when her front foot bonked against the bank, instead of picking it up higher, she just looked down, and then tried to eat the grass growing there. :lol: After a bit of encouragement, she figured out how to step up and we were finally across!

The first part of the creek trail is all dry, though walking across rocks was new. Honey only stumbled once and then figured out she needed to pay attention to her feet. The second part of the trail is that muddy area where I had been taking Link, so that caused a bit of angst to start with. The first puddle was small enough Honey could step across it, so that seemed to give her confidence. The second puddle was bigger, but she went across after Giselle with only mild encouragement. I then stopped to give her a cookie. The third puddle was similar, only after that cookie you could see the lightbulb go off. After that she was walking right through the middle of the puddles, then looking back for her cookie. Worked for me!!

When we got to the pavement and the bridge crossing, Giselle decided she wanted to go home instead. When Gina didn't seem inclined to push Giselle forward, I let Honey take the lead. She stayed there the rest of the ride.










You could tell from Honey's often sideways ears that she was perplexed and/or worried, but she was a good girl and did her best. She kept trying to get to the dirt edge of the crop fields, as I guess that looked the most like the trails she was used to. She did stay on the grass field roads when I asked, but if I lost concentration for a moment she was right back to the edge again. 

It was quite dark when we got back to Alimar and the lighting bugs were out, which is one of my favorite things about summer. This was the best I could to do get a picture, but it didn't really do the scene justice (and I am amazed how light the camera made it look).










6.44 miles, 659 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average pace, 85F real feel


Thursday, I had an appointment in the morning. I got home to find Keith harvesting the wheat on Alimar. It was great to see him getting the crop in, but of course I wasn't going to ask Link to ride out alone with that commotion going on. I did take him out in hand and stand grazing with the equipment a couple fields over, as I thought that would be a good experience. Link was very happy to stuff his face with the knee-high clover and alfalfa and ignore the combine.


Friday, the farrier came. He was almost an hour later than expected because of traffic issues (he travels 3 hours one way!). The weather was almost pleasant as the sky was overcast to start with. Keeping the fans running in the barn kept the worst of the flies away, so everyone was well-behaved. George got shoes put back on and soft pads to help with any sole tenderness. 

DH and I were supposed to ride when he got home, but he was on call for the weekend.. so of course got the first call as he was literally driving home! He thought it would be a quick thing, so just said we would go out a bit later, but unfortunately that wasn't the case and he didn't get home till just before dark.


Saturday morning, we went over to help Keith with some hay. We planned to ride when that was done, but instead DH got another work call. While he went to deal with that, I took the dogs down to the creek trail to do some trimming.










The dogs had a lot more fun than I did! By the time DH called to tell me he was coming home, several hours had passed and I was hot, bug bitten, and grumpy. DH wasn't in the best frame of mind either, so we decided riding wasn't the best idea. Instead, we went and had ice cream for dinner.. that helped my mood considerably! 


Sunday, we finally got George and Link out. Unfortunately, the temperature hadn't dropped much overnight and the humidity had increased. It was already miserable when we left the barn. By the time we got to the Very Scary Pond, I had changed my plan. I had wanted to over to Ziesloft's and do a loop over there, but that would have been out in the sun almost the whole time. 










Instead, we went down to the creek trail again. This time we went out along the creek to the turn around. Link went first and plodded through all the mud with only a little hesitation at the drainage ditch (jumping frogs are still worrisome).










On the way back, we went up the hill into the field where all the barrels are in the trees. Link hadn't been past them that way, but he only eyeballed them slightly before passing (being hot and going home always helps!). Going home, the drainage ditch and the frogs was not nearly as concerning. That crossing really is miserable:






Of course, a deer had to jump out of the corn in the short section of road where its on both sides, but Link only startled slightly. Overall, I was really happy with the ride.

3.85 miles, 394 feet of climb, 2.8 mph average pace, 99F real feel


Monday, I got George out. As I was just planning to do the Sugarloaf loop, Kestrel came along, too. Unfortunately, George felt no different with the shoes on that he had without them.. he's still not right. Since he was happy to go, I figured I would do the whole loop and see if he worked out of it.










While the tongue was flapping the whole time and George was happy to canter whenever I asked him (and a couple times I didn't).. he's still moving weirdly - he doesn't extend his front legs like he used to.










7.47 miles, 1647 feet of climb, 5.2 mph average pace, 86F real feel

When I got home, I jogged George out on the driveway. He sounds and looks fine, as his cadence is normal and there is no head bob. If you didn't know him, you probably wouldn't notice anything. I have to say his changed movement makes me think of how Dream's movement changed when her neck arthritis advanced.. so wondering if something neuro is the root of the issue. We may not have caught the EPM soon enough to be able to reverse the damage. :frown_color:


I had planned to get Link out next, but momma nature had other ideas. The dark clouds were gathering as I put George out and a quick check of radar showed storms popping up all around. Of course since I didn't ride, we only got a couple small showers, but the wind and the thunder and lightning in the distance had me happy to be inside.


Yesterday, I spent 6 hours mowing. DH and I had planned to ride when he got home from work, but he wound up having to work late. It was crazy hot and humid, so it was easy to decide to start packing the trailer versus taking Link out by myself. I figured it would be cooler in the morning and less windy. And it _was_ cooler this morning and the air was totally still, but Keith called to tell me the spray helicopter would be doing Alimar and then using the airport strip as a refueling point for most of the morning. That certainly ended the idea of riding!!

Instead, I packed the trailer. By the time I was done, the helicopter was also done.. but the sun had come out and the temps skyrocketed. The idea of tacking up a horse had no appeal at all, so I came inside to clean the house (with a real feel of 101, cleaning seemed like a much better idea).


Tomorrow, we head to Virginia for our first competition of the season!! Everyone please think cool thoughts..


----------



## egrogan

Have a great ride!!


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## knightrider

I hope it is lots of fun!


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## QueenofFrance08

Thinking cool thoughts for you! (Do the same for us!!! Forecast went from 90 to 89 so at least it's the right direction!)


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## phantomhorse13

Last Thursday, DH and I trekked south to Virginia for our first ride of the season!! No Frills is the first leg of the Old Dominion Triple Crown and normally takes place in April. However, due to COVID, it was rescheduled. It was pretty surreal to be packing the trailer and up to the moment we left, we kept waiting to be notified it was canceled..

We got to camp and found our spot (we got one assigned as DH was volunteering Saturday). We got set up.. and then sat around. So odd to not be off visiting others, but everyone did their best to shout from a distance and minimize socializing. Cathy with Epyc arrived about lunchtime and got set up on one side of us. That afternoon, Lani and Kathy arrived and set up on the other. Vet in times were assigned to minimize lines. The vets also kept our ride cards, which was weird but kind of nice because it one less thing to lose (or get wet, etc). Phin and Iggy were the first to vet, as we had arrived very early. They vetted with no surprises. Then it was time to get the hold stuff packed, as the holds were all out of camp. It was odd to pack a cooler full of ice for the hold, since that isn't a concern in April!










We got a thunderstorm during the vetting time we were assigned for Lani and Kathy's horses, so that made for a squishy experience. It was hot enough that being wet didn't initially bother me, but I was certainly happy to change when we were done! We got about an inch of rain, which got the ground softened up and jacked up the humidity.

There was no group dinner. The ride meeting was replaced with a brief question and answer period, as the info normally gone over at the meeting had been emailed to us before the ride. This ride has a portable PA system, so everyone could maintain their distance.










Overnight, we got several more rounds of rain. I don't ever sleep well before a ride, but the rain sure didn't help as I knew the footing was getting worse with every drop. Some serious rain moved in about 2 am and continued until just before 5! Someone said we got almost 2 inches of rain, and from the state of the ground I believe it. At least we didn't have to tack up in the rain..

Only 8 people started the 55, so there was plenty of space to warm up without encountering anybody. Iggy fussed briefly when I first took Phin away, but then settled down (having Flo and Lapco still beside him helped). Phin and Epyc warmed up quietly and when trail opened, we walked out of camp when the 4 front runners got out of sight. Two others moseyed out behind us, but stayed well back.

The first couple miles are gravel road and there was a surprising amount of traffic on it! However, most of the drivers were polite and at least moved over. Once we got on trail, we realized just how much rain we had gotten and what a difference summer vs early spring makes, as the trail was muddy between the rocks. 










We got into the rolling grassy section which is normally great for cantering, but between the wet ground and the overgrown bushes, we stuck to a trot (and ducked sticker bushes as best we could). We passed the photog for the first time there, too.



















Phin was feeling good but wasn't race brained. With so few horses warming up, I am not sure he even realized we were in a race (which was fine by me!). He was a bit looky, but nothing too bad. I was glad he had his brain as the trail quickly becomes a rocky mess. And with grass grown up, it made the rocks even harder to see in many places.










This piece of trail was a great example of how deceptive the footing was.. looks like lovely grass, but lots of rocks were hiding in there! We did a lot of walking because you couldn't see the ground.










The first loop was 18 miles and we were happy to pop out onto the road leading into the hold. Along the way, we passed the photog again.










We got into the hold and headed up the hill to look for our gear bags. It wasn't as muddy as we were expecting.










We found our stuff, got the horses untacked, and threw some water on Epyc. We then went back down the hill and vetted without complication. It was weird to not have to worry about a vet card! Masks were required during the vetting process (that is what is in my hand in the pic), but were not needed for the rest of the hold as long as you kept your distance from others.










We got lucky to get done vetting just before a large group of LDers arrived (that was the big group you could see in the background of the above picture). One of those who arrived was DH with Iggy.. and I was amused that neither he nor Iggy noticed we were there!! They only had a 10 minute gate and go, so I just let him do his thing and watched (you can see him in the blue in the background):










to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

The hold passed quickly, but both horses ate well. I was able to drink my protein shake and even gag down a bit of sandwich. I refilled my water bottles and made sure to bring electrolytes for Phin and myself, as the next loop was 24.5 miles. Because of the heat, the horses got their pulses taken before leaving as a safety check.










The second loop is a bear when its cold.. so we knew in the heat it would be even more miserable. The slick footing didn't help much either. The sun started peeking out now and again, which had the temperature climbing. We trotted where we could and walked where we had to.










A section of this loop, called the mail trail, is particularly miserable. It's a long, gradual climb and the footing varies from very rocky to muddy and rocky. It always seems to go on forever.










Getting to the jeep road at the top is one of my favorite places! Normally a great spot for cantering, it was a bit too slick for that this year, but at least we could maintain a steady trot.










That road doesn't last long and I was shocked when we caught up to the group in front of us on some of the singletrack. After following for a bit I realized why - they were walking the downhills. ALL the downhills, regardless of the footing. After a while, Phin and Epyc started getting antsy. We eventually passed and were able to get trucking along again. Epyc was not impressed with so much company, but luckily the others stayed a bit longer at a puddle and we were able to get out of sight.

We got to the hospitality stop and the boys were happy to have a break and a snack. The group came in not long after us and we made a point to wait around until they left. I didn't care about placings and knew with the better footing, they would be going faster than we wanted to. It was nice to get back on trail in our bubble of space where the horses went along quietly.










The rest of the loop passed uneventfully and we were soon back in the hold. We pulled tack and threw water on Epyc. It took him a few minutes to cool down as it was quite warm and very humid by then. To help with his pulse, we gave him a dose of potassium. I gave Phin some as well, just because it made me feel better. Both horses vetted through without incident.

However, when we got back up to our area, Phin would not eat as he was insulted over the electrolytes - he just stood around drooling. I was kicking myself for dosing him, but at that point all I could do was try to find something to tempt him with and hope he would get over it. The day was saved when two of the girls volunteering came over to help and he was willing to be hand fed by them.. as long as I stayed away. So I went a short distance away to eat and drink while the girls fussed over him.










The hold passed quickly. Both horses passed their exit pulse checks and we were soon waiting for the timer to release us. Phin was fairly certain the timer (and her whiteboard) was a monster - good thing his pulse wasn't checked there!










The last loop is mostly gravel road, which is heavenly after having dealt with so many rocks. The horses knew they were heading home and went with enthusiasm despite the sun coming out and warming things up. We passed a volunteer in a vehicle heading out to the hold and they snapped this pic of our passing them.










The sun was covered by clouds and it even spit a bit of rain for the very last bit of the ride. It was nice to get the final vetting done and not feel like you were going to melt. Overall, we got so lucky with the weather!
























to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 3:

I got Phin settled back in his pen and was thrilled to hear that DH had a great day with Iggy - they finished 4th! Both boys dug into their dinners and so did we. It was odd to not have a group dinner or awards. I touched base with Kathy to make sure everything was ready for the next day, then went to bed.

Saturday was clear and sunny. It was already quite warm when we got on to warm up for the 7:30am start. Lapco was all business and we moseyed around camp without incident. When trail opened, we let the bulk of the pack go and then walked calmly out of camp.










The first loop was 10 miles, almost all of which was trail I had done the day before. I was pleased that things had dried out fairly well and that a lot of the grass had been trampled down. That made the rocks much easier to see!










We had a nice bubble of space for the first couple miles, which let Lapco settle in. It still amazes me she is only 5 - she is an old soul for sure!










It wasn't long before we caught up to other riders. We were stuck in traffic for most of the ridge trail, as there just isn't anywhere safe to pass. Lapco was a bit worried about having strange horses behind her to start with, but a friend (who has started lots of youngsters) wound up behind us so was very respectful. Soon, Lapco was totally unconcerned with having so many new friends.










Having leaves on the trees made getting glimpses of the valley view a lot more complicated, but the shade was blissful! There was only the slightest bit of breeze even on the ridge tops, so the sun beating down made your skin feel like it was going to melt off.










Soon enough, we had dropped down onto the road leading into the hold. We had to laugh when the group we had passed on the ridge came flying past us on the road.










The first stop was a 10 minute gate and go, where the vets just watched the horses trot to make sure they were sound. Flo and Lapco jogged without issue, then were happy to stand and snack. Ten minutes flies by, so in no time at all we doses the horses with electrolytes and then were heading out on the second loop.

That loop was 14 miles and started out the same way I had gone the day before. While the fire road was fairly pleasant, the mail trail was still muddy and rocky. Kathy showed me a hidden water hole that I had never noticed before - a fantastic piece of knowledge for the future!!










The trail where the 30s split from the 50s is always tricky, as you are basically navigating down an active creek. With all the rain, it was no surprise there was a lot of water. Flo walks faster than Lapco, so I asked Kathy if we could go first so the filly didn't feel rushed trying to keep up. I was glad to have her paying 100% attention to the very tricky footing.










Lapco was a rock star. She was steady and careful and we soon were back down to the fire road and turning back to the hold. We were able to maintain a nice trot there, but Kathy dropped down to a walk now and again to encourage the horses to grab some grass. Lapco caught on really quickly and was soon walking and grabbing grass like an experienced 100 miler!

We got back into the hold, pulled tack, and did some sponging to get everyone cooled off. I admit I was sponging my own head as well as it was HOT! Both horses vetted through without incident, though Lapco was starting to be sensitive in her girth area.










The horses did a great job of eating everything in sight during the hold. There was plenty of help so Kathy and I were able to take care of ourselves, too.










Before long, we were out on the last loop heading for camp. I had left the girth a bit loose to keep Lapco as comfortable as possible. She was tired, but trucked along without complaint behind Flo. The sun seemed to get closer and closer the farther down the road we went, so I was not sorry to see camp and the finish! 










The horses pulsed down with a bit of sponging and had no issues vetting. We wound up tied for 6th!















We got things packed up and headed home that evening. The trip was uneventful and we got home just before dark. Phin and Iggy went tearing around the paddock for several laps when we got home, so it was good to see they weren't tired.

Great weekend!!


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## Celeste

It looks like you had a great weekend! Congratulations on the two completions. 

You have some great photos. Phin has never looked as good. He is beautiful!


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## phantomhorse13

Last Sunday, DH and I got George and Link out. We went out Spaulding's and over to make a loop at Ziesloft's. 










We did a bit of hill climbing, which Link took well. He is a lot more balanced downhill than I was expecting, which was a nice surprise. It was quite hot, but there was a bit of a breeze.










We went home via the neighbor's driveway that leads to the paved road, so I got off and led Link to let him see everything for first time. He was a bit concerned over the flapping real estate sign, but he didn't care at all about the passing vehicles.

4.05 miles, 554 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 95F real feel

DH took George out alone afterwards and rode a few miles around the fields. He felt George is much improved, so wants to keep him in full training. I am still unconvinced.. :|


Last Monday, I went over to ride with Nicole. They were forecasting a record high daily temperature, so we went out early. We did the short mountain loop as that kept us in the shade as much as possible. I rode Polo.










Nicole bought horse hoodies for the boys and wow did they work well - I know what I am asking Santa for! The boys were on their best behavior.










7.33 miles, 633 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 96F real feel

We got back to the barn and decided it was a perfect day to go swimming! There is a pond at the back of the property, so I took Polo's saddle off and hopped on bareback. The water felt amazing.
























After finishing with the boys, Nicole invited me back to her house to use the pool. Twist my arm!! Winston came out to hang out on the deck with us (he has a shaded perch) and I got brave enough to hold him for the first time.











Tuesday, I got George out. I was planning on the Sugarloaf loop, so Kestrel came along, too.










The ominous clouds were a big tease, as we didn't get a drop of rain (which we desperately need). George was quite spooky and as a result was stumbling quite a bit. I was not real pleased with that, though George was apparently having a great time as his tongue was non-stop flapping.










7.9 miles, 1319 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 98F real feel


Wednesday, I had planned to ride with DH but he wound up being stuck late at work so we didn't get out. Thursday, I got George out first thing. Kestrel came, too. We went out Spaulding's and down across the farm.










Then we went over to do a quick loop on the Tomhicken. George was looky but not actually spooking, so that was a big improvement from last ride. He was still stumbling, often in places where there was nothing to really stumble over, but his tongue never stopped flapping. He would have cantered the whole time if I had let him.










7.54 miles, 965 feet of climb, 5.4 mph average pace, 92F real feel


Then I worked with Link. A friend sent me some hoof boots to try and these seemed to fit! Link looked a bit odd with vipers on the front and gloves on the back, but I don't care if it looks silly if it works (and buying used is going to be much kinder on my wallet). I had never used Renegades before and was somewhat skeptical they would stay on, though the fit was appropriate according to the website. [The boot can twist a bit on the foot, which seems wrong to me but apparently they are designed that way? I guess it means as he gets closer to needing a trim, I will have more wiggle room in terms of getting them on..]

Since I was planning to work him in the pen to test the boots, I decided it was also a good time to introduce him to noisy water bottles and to try him with the fly swish. He didn't care about the rattling bottles (which were full of ice) in the stall as I was tacking up. Nor did he care about the fly swish. I carried the bottles in my hands as we walked out to the pen and randomly rattled them as we walked, which got no reaction beyond an ear flick. 

Link was not very happy to be in the pen, and of course the heat and humidity didn't help his enthusiasm either. The boots were a non-event, so after a bit I added the bottles. They also didn't get a reaction at all. At that point, I decided to take him out into the paddock and ride him a bit. Link did great!





 
0.42 miles, 23 feet of climb, 3.3 mph average pace, 95F real feel


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## QueenofFrance08

I don't think I've ever seen an endurance horse with breeching before? Does it rub? I guess we don't have the hills like you guys do so maybe that's why I've never seen it here?

Yay again for Phin, Iggy, and your LD finishes!


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> I don't think I've ever seen an endurance horse with breeching before? Does it rub? I guess we don't have the hills like you guys do so maybe that's why I've never seen it here?


 It's not common here either - if you see something to keep a saddle from going forward, it would be a crupper. In fact, I have only ever seen one person use it before and that is who gave Kathy the idea. That rider - Steve Rojeck, who is in the Hall of Fame - said he tried it with a horse who just would not tolerate the girth going forward and touching the elbows. Because the breeching attaches to the girth and not just the saddle, it prevents the girth from moving, too.

Lapco and Fugi both tend to get very girthy and have been known to buck to show their displeasure. As of yet, I have not seen any issues with it rubbing (cross fingers). This ride we didn't have it adjusted tightly enough for the first loop and the poor filly was def touchy by the hold. That didn't happen at Fort Valley, which has similar terrain, so have to assume it really is helping.


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## phantomhorse13

Friday, I decided to use pasture rotation as a good way to introduce Link to electric fencing. Like a nut, I was out in the crazy heat and humidity pounding fenceposts into the concrete-like ground. I actually wasn't sure if the charger would ground with everything so dry, but it did work (and yes, I did walk along grabbing it periodically to make sure!).

The horses were funny when I let them back in. Iggy ignored it, Phin had to walk over and test to make sure it was on (zap!), George and Sultan took a sniff each and stayed away. Link was concerned when Phin got zapped, but I knew he wouldn't be able to control himself..










And indeed, moments after that picture, Link got brave enough to touch the fence and earned himself a zap. He jumped back, but didn't overreact. It was pretty funny to see him looking around, as if trying to find someone else to blame! He then walked the entire length of the fence, sniffing suspiciously but not willing to actually touch it again. Whew.

DH and I were supposed to ride that evening, but he wound up having a work call. Honestly, it was so hot (real feel 101F) that I really wasn't that sorry.


Saturday, we got George and Link out first thing. We did the whole Sugarloaf loop, so new places for Link to see!










While Link was suspicious about the crops, he moved out willingly. Several deer jumped out a couple different places, but he just startled in place.










The loop has a short stretch (maybe 1/4 mile?) on a paved road. It's rare to see traffic there.. but of course what had to go by while we were walking along? A motorcycle! I did move Link off the road into the edge of a field, but he didn't care at all. Good boy!!










On the way home, I rode Link along the neighbor's driveway and the paved road. Link eyeballed the for sale sign a bit, but didn't hesitate to pass it. He also didn't care about the car that passed us or the scary flags and pinwheels at the bottom of Alimar's driveway. I was so pleased with how he behaved!!

6.26 miles, 981 feet of climb, 2.9 mph average pace, 88F real feel


That evening, Gina called to see if I was interested in a ride. DH was again stuck doing work things, so I was happy for more saddle time. Nik rode Honey and Gina rode Giselle. I rode Amish. He had just finished a course of doxycycline and seemed more like his normal self on the ground. We were all thrilled that he was back to normal under saddle, too!

We went across the farm and over to the Tomhicken.










It was still fairly warm and the bugs were horrible, but the horses behaved themselves (including Giselle, who often feels two's company and three's a crowd when it comes to number of horses on a ride).










7.71 miles, 1247 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 83F real feel


Yesterday, I got Iggy out first thing. I wasn't planning on more than a casual leg stretch around the farm, so Kestrel came, too.










Unfortunately, Iggy had other ideas. I guess he had enjoyed his time off enough that he didn't feel the need to go back to work, as he was looky and sluggish from the start. We got around the farm and had actually turned for home when he decided some straw bales sitting at the edge of the road were a monster and tried the spin and bolt trick. Luckily this time I was prepared and had his head to my knee at the first jump. After a couple tight circles he decided maybe it hadn't been the best idea.










We got most of the way home before his next tantrum when instead of going the most direct route home, I wanted to go around another field. That tantrum didn't take much to shut down, but I was pretty disappointed that he was having any at all!

7.02 miles, 909 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 83F real feel


Nicole was supposed to come over and ride with me at lunchtime, but she had something come up so I was on my own. I got Link out for another solo ride after doing a bit of riding in the yard.










We did a loop around Alimar and he did really well, even with the wiggly corn. We even went past Gina's and down the airport strip.










Link did so well I decided to push the envelope a bit and had him go past home to go out on another loop. He was not sure that was such a good idea to start with. When we got to the top of the hill by the woods, he decided he was in a hurry to go and wanted to jig instead of trot. It didn't take much to convince him walking was better, which he did until we got beside the wiggly corn. He wanted to use that as an excuse to scoot, but he wears his heart on his sleeve so he just got corrected and resumed walking.










We even went all the way around the paddocks before going back into the yard (I had the rest of the herd locked into the catch pen so they couldn't help!). Link did really well overall.

3.25 miles, 299 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 85F real feel


Today, we finally got some rain!! We got super lucky as the tropical storm just sideswiped us, giving us a lovely 2" of rain but not much wind. The rain stopped about 4 and the ground is barely even squishy now. The crops already look less withered.


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## phantomhorse13

Wednesday, I started with Iggy. Unfortunately, we didn't even make it out of the yard before he spooked and tried to spin. I think he spooked at one of the wind spinners in the flowerbed, but honestly I am not really sure as nothing was any different than any other time. I corrected him, but it really got me worried that something beyond just being too fit for his own good is going on. We went a bit farther and he had another big spook at birds flying out of the trees. At that point I said I had had enough and decided it was time to rule out medical things.

I just walked a lap around Alimar and then called it a day with him.










2.04 miles, 197 feet of climb, 3.3 mph average pace, 85F real feel


Next up was George. We went over to do a lap around the farm. Kestrel came, too.









George was not very enthusiastic but was only his normal amount of spooky. He is still stumbling more than before, but the tongue never stops flapping.










6.24 miles, 902 feet of climb, 5.1 mph average pace, 88F real feel

Our vet was able to swing by on her way home and draw blood for the Lyme multiplex. I may just be paranoid, but I would rather rule out medical causes before assuming Iggy's issue is purely behavioral.


Yesterday, I was supposed to ride with Gina, but she wasn't able to even after a couple hours of delay. That meant Link and I were on our own. So after a bit of work in the yard, we headed out solo.

Since there was a breeze, I knew Link would be worried about the corn, so decided to head over to Ziesloft's and see if we could do a loop over there. There was a truck and a couple people in the tree farm as we went past which Link eyed suspiciously, but he only had a small startle at the door slamming.










As we approached the road crossing, I could hear equipment coming. And indeed, I could see a tractor coming with a long line of traffic behind it. Even though Link hasn't reacted to traffic so far, sometimes standing still is not the easiest for him so I decided to hop off. He didn't care about the tractor and equipment going by, nor about all the vehicles following. When they cleared, we walked across the road and into the field, where I mounted from the ground without issue and we continued on.

Link was not very enthused about heading away from home, so there was a bit of head tossing in complaint. But he didn't do anything naughty, so we continued moseying around. He was suspicious of the corn, but didn't overreact to it wiggling. He was a bit more forward as we came around the loop and headed for home.










Crossing the road the second time was totally uneventful, as we just waited for a gap in the traffic and moseyed across. Link did try a spook and scoot move when we got into field between the fields of corn, but it was easily shut down and he walked without attempts to jig after. When we got back into Alimar, he really wanted to go straight home versus around the edge and out the creek trail, but he resigned himself when I insisted.















4.36 miles, 413 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 82F real feel

Instead of just putting him back out in the paddock when we are finished, I have been walking him to the tank so that he is comfortable with the idea of drinking with a halter on. It took a few times before he got the idea, but he is now drinking readily. Next step will be doing it with the bridle still on, so he gets used to drinking with the bit in his mouth.











Next, I hopped on George bareback to get Kestrel some exercise. We just moseyed around Alimar.









1.52 miles, 164 feet of climb, 3.1 mph average pace, 82F real feel


Since we were supposed to be at an endurance ride this weekend, we decided to go to the shore and see my parents instead. Momma nature flexed her muscles today though, as its been raining here and home got the edge of a nasty storm (luckily just the edge, as the worst of it had hail and 60+ mph wind gusts). While we could use the rain, hail and wind damage is never good!


I heard back from the vet today - Iggy does not have Lyme. And the results are solidly negative, not even in the grey zone. So I guess that answers that question.. hopefully I can get the behavior under control. :|


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## knightrider

@phantomhorse13, you know 10 times more about horses and riding than I do, so I am hesitant to suggest anything for Iggy. 

One thing I loved about Acicate was that he almost never spooked. Then he started spooking over things he never would normally spook at, like a mound of different colored dirt, and a truck coming out of a driveway. @4horses suggested it might be ulcers, that ulcers could cause a horse to spook. This was news to me, but I had nothing to lose, so I treated Aci for ulcers and he stopped spooking. Could be a coincidence? I am just glad he is back to his normal sassy self.


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> that ulcers could cause a horse to spook. This was news to me, but I had nothing to lose, so I treated Aci for ulcers and he stopped spooking.


 This is exactly what we plan to try! 

Iggy does have a history of a fussy belly at rides. Even though he is eating great (licking the bowl clean) and doesn't have the 'heave line' I associate with ulcers (nor does he fuss about girthing, etc).. I figure there is nothing to lose for trying.


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## phantomhorse13

Another crazy week! Trying to catch up.

DH and I had a lovely visit with my parents last weekend. Friday was rainy, so we had plenty of time to chat and even helped Dad with a couple projects around the house. Kestrel, however, was not impressed:









Saturday and Sunday were lovely and we spent as much time on the beach as possible:









We got home Sunday evening in time to feed, so I started Iggy on Nexium. I also increased the amount of alfalfa pellets he gets each meal by a cup. Fingers and toes crossed that makes a difference!


Last Monday, I started with Phin. I expected him to be a bit silly since he hadn't been ridden in two weeks. We went out via Spaulding's and they were harvesting trees, so Phin had the skid and several trucks to gawk at as we went past.. but he behaved really well. We got across the fields with no deer jumping out of the corn, but there was almost an accident on the road in front of us as we waited to cross! A pickup crossed the center line and almost hit a man on a motorcycle head on. The resulting skidding and engine roaring got Phin a bit upset, but honestly it got _me_ a bit upset as well - I still can't believe the motorcycle didn't land in the ditch in front of us.

Phin settled back down by the time we got to the base of the Sugarloaf, so I decided to go around rather than up.










I think Kestrel was disappointed about the lack of wildlife, but I was very happy to not see any deer! Instead, we met a tri-axle dump truck coming up the driveway of the only house we pass on the loop. Unreal. But Phin survived, even if he wasn't thrilled when it was close. He was happy to graze while Kestrel cooled off in the pond, though. 










8.35 miles, 1224 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 96F real feel


Then I worked with Link. We warmed up in the yard, then headed out. Link was not very enthused about life, and as hot as it was, I couldn't really blame him. Put we persevered and tried to stay in the shade as much as possible. We started with the creek trail loop.










When we got home, I decided to do another small loop. Link was actually better about leaving the second time than he had been the first time! We just went up the upper woods path to Alimar and then came home the airport strip.










3.37 miles, 407 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 98F real feel










When we got back, we went into the paddock to collect the hay bags so I could fill them. Link was kind enough to carry them for me.










Link is also working on how to drink with a bit. It's hard not to giggle as water squirts out the side of his mouth, but he seems to be getting better with each try..











Tuesday morning, it was already insanely hot by 9am. Nicole was supposed to come over to ride, but had something come up and couldn't make it. Honestly, I wasn't all that upset as it was just miserable. I tossed the bareback pad on George and we took Kestrel down to the creek for a walk.










3.02 miles, 285 feet of climb, 3.1 mph average pace, 99F real feel


I debated getting Link out next, but had just decided it was just too hot when DH called and asked me to uber some parts. At least the car had air conditioning!


----------



## QueenofFrance08

Lilo put her entire face up to her eyes in every water bucket on the trail at the ride this weekend..... I don't know what to do with that horse!


----------



## egrogan

QueenofFrance08 said:


> Lilo put her entire face up to her eyes in every water bucket on the trail at the ride this weekend..... I don't know what to do with that horse!



Fizz did this too when we were out on the GMHA ride a couple of weeks ago. I don't know if it's because the water on trail was in the giant tubs like phantomhorse pictured, and at home I just use muck bucket type water tubs. But it was so funny to see her go for a full dunk!


----------



## QueenofFrance08

egrogan said:


> Fizz did this too when we were out on the GMHA ride a couple of weeks ago. I don't know if it's because the water on trail was in the giant tubs like phantomhorse pictured, and at home I just use muck bucket type water tubs. But it was so funny to see her go for a full dunk!


Ours is the opposite? We have troughs at home like pictured but it was big buckets at the ride. Everyone got a good laugh at her though!


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> Lilo put her entire face up to her eyes in every water bucket on the trail at the ride this weekend





egrogan said:


> Fizz did this too when we were out on the GMHA ride a couple of weeks ago ... it was so funny to see her go for a full dunk!


Be happy your ponies are smart and are drinking.. and maybe even doing some self-cooling if they are dunking their whole heads. Smart girls. :grin:


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## phantomhorse13

Still in catch-up mode!

Last Wednesday, I started with Phin. Kestrel came, too. We moseyed up the Sugarloaf.









I went all the way out to the viewpoint for the first time in quite a while. I didn't bother to try to get a view picture, as the spot has now grown closed with sticker bushes and scrub trees.










The we headed across the farm to the Tomhicken. Phin is never a fan of going through Gina's old barn, but I wanted to see how grown up things were. I was pleasantly surprised to find a lot of it had been mowed.










9.25 miles, 1644 feet of climb, 4.2 mph average pace, 92F real feel


Next, I got Link out solo. We went out around Alimar and heading for the creek path to do a loop behind the township building.









As we got over behind the township building and headed up toward the field, I could hear the landowner out on his lawnmower. I hopped off, not being sure how Link would react to the mower. We got into the field to find first the riding lawn mower, and then Bill arriving with the tractor and mower to mow off the field. Link watched with interest but I was glad to be on the ground to give him confidence.

We made it out to the pavement and went down the hill. Before going into the woods to follow the creek path home, I decided to hand walk him over the bridge and show him the snow plow sitting on the corner. Link eyed the guardrail end suspiciously, as George had a big spook at that when we had gone by before. He also wanted a moment to check out the drains, as George acts like they are portals to h#ll. The snowplow was a non-event (he actually would have been chewing on it if I had let him!).

We turned around and started walking back across the bridge. We were literally in the middle when I heard a vehicle approaching and a truck came FLYING down the hill at us. The speed limit is 25 but I bet that truck was doing double that speed - and in the middle of the road. It came careening onto the bridge with us and hadn't slowed down at all. I started waving my arms and moved us as far to the right as I could. The truck slowed a bit just before it was on top of us, but passed close enough to brush my arm with the mirror!!

Thank goodness Link was totally unaffected, because the encounter scared the shiitake out of me. I don't think he so much as broke stride. We got to the other side of the bridge and left the road, at which point I got my phone out and called our local police chief. Unfortunately I hadn't gotten a license plate, but I had been able to ID the truck as belonging to the water authority from the next town over. I was so angry that I almost wasn't touching the ground. The police chief (who is a friend of DH) was not happy and promised to make a call to the head of the water department.

After that, I walked on foot for a little bit, as I needed to get myself under control before getting back on Link. Being on foot wasn't such a bad thing, as I was able to watch how the hoof boots did going through the first few muddy places - good news is they stayed put. I found a rock and climbed back on and we continued home.










I had to laugh that Brad was out in the hayfield near home with the tractor and tedder, but Link didn't care about that either. He moseyed home on a loose rein. What a good boy!!










3.34 miles, 358 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 96F real feel


Thursday wound up being hay day. While I was not happy with the crazy hot and humid weather, I was thrilled to finally have second cutting done. I doubt we will get a third.


Friday, Gina invited me to ride with her and Nik. I rode George and Kestrel came too. We went over to do the space needle loop.










George was the only horse who wasn't trying to rush for home once we turned back, so we wound up taking the lead the majority of the way home. George did really well ignoring the antics of Aztec and Windsor behind him. Kestrel also did really well with staying close yet not so close as to wind up under someone's feet.










11.05 miles, 1352 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 90F real feel


Saturday, DH and I got Iggy and Phin out. We went over to do the yellow gate loop. Iggy was still a bit spooky, but he did not attempt to bolt. Phin was pretty chill, which was very nice.









Phin was not pleased to see changes in one location, though ironically he was much more worried about some squished weeds beside the road than he was this piece of equipment or several others that had appeared.










10.26 miles, 1532 feet of climb, 5.2 mph average pace, 85F real feel


Sunday it was supposed to rain, but yet again the forecast was wrong and we didn't get a drop. That is very bad for the plants, but meant we could ride. We got George and Link out. We went over to the farm to some trail Link hadn't seen before.










Link did very well walking down the upper orchard road, even in the steeper sections. We went down and across the road to Gina's old barn to cross the wooden bridge for the first time. Link was fairly suspicious and took a few minutes of cautious steps one at a time before he would follow George across. But he never did anything silly and soon decided it was no big deal after all.










We looped around the field and then went down the field road to get back to the creek. Link wasn't brave enough to go through it first, but he followed George readily.. then he wanted to stop in the middle and splash! I wasn't sure I was going to get him moving again as he was having way too much fun. 






From that point, we moseyed home. We went down the neighbor's lane to the pavement and Link did startle when someone driving up behind him honked, but he only hopped a step. Overall, I was super pleased with the day.

6.11 miles, 764 feet of climb, 2.9 mph average pace, 84F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

Got some good saddle time this week!

Tuesday, our weather took a dramatic turn, giving us seasonal temps and reasonable humidity - it was wonderful! I started with Iggy. I gave him a snack of soaked alfalfa pellets and outlast before I tacked up, so that he definitely had something in his belly (they have hay 24/7 plus what little grass hasn't died from the drought, but I have no way to know when the last time he may have eaten was). I tacked up and we headed out to do the Big Square.

I had to remind myself frequently to relax, as my anticipating him reacting to things was not helpful. I wound up singing to keep myself breathing. Iggy had a small startle when we came around a corner to find a deer carcass and a couple buzzards, which promptly took off. But it was only a startle - no attempt to spin or bolt. That seemed promising.










Iggy was pretty forward initially, but as soon as we left Alimar his enthusiasm waned. We went out the creek trail and started around the lollipop that is the Big Square without incident. He had one small spook/tantrum when I turned a way he did not agree with, but he just hopped forward once and then gave up. Whew!










When we headed towards home, Iggy was more forward again but I was pleased that we were able to discuss speed (versus argue about it). Overall, I am hoping we are on the right track to fixing the bolting behavior..

6.4 miles, 689 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 80F real feel


Next up was Link. I added the bells to his tack for the first time, so we worked in the yard for a few minutes. He didn't care (he's heard them on George plenty of times), so we headed out solo. 

We went around Alimar and then out the creek trail. Wasn't I surprised to find these (which were NOT there when I had gone by with Iggy not even an hour earlier):









That was one big bear!! In the hopes of not coming across him as we continued down the trail, I was back to singing.. only this time as loudly as possible. Happy to say, we never did see the bear itself.

We went all the way out the whole creek trail and then turned up the pavement. I was pleased no traffic came, giving Link time to eye the scary house and get comfortable enough to want to go eat the flowers around their mailbox! Then we turned and went into the fields that run above a very busy local road. Not only did Link not care about all the traffic noise, he didn't mind the bridge construction pounding either.










After that set of fields, we cross the pavement and go through part of the township buidling parking lot to get back to our trails. When I went through with Iggy, it was empty. As I approached the road crossing, I realized there were several tankers parked and a big truck filling from one! As I was looking at that, a huge tri-axle dump truck came around the corner and down the hill. Link watched it pass without even flicking an ear. I decided I had used up all my traffic luck for the day, so got off to go past the tankers.

I was pleasantly surprised that the driver of the filling truck was horse-friendly! He had grown up on a farm and his daughter always had horses. Link was in heaven as the man scratched his head as we stood and chatted.










After a few minutes, the truck was full so we walked on to let the nice man get back to his job. I hopped on from the side of the hill and we moseyed home without any other excitement.










3.75 miles, 358 feet of climb, 2.9 mph average pace, 82F real feel


Wednesday, I got Phin out. Phin tried out a new path I had made that goes around the messy part of drainage ditch. It worked well.









I did the Big Square loop again. Happy to report no bears or trucks anywhere! Phin was on his best behavior.










6.72 miles, 709 feet of climb, 5.6 mph average pace, 82F real feel


Thursday, Nicole came over. She and I got George and Link out. We went over to do the whole Big Square loop. Heading out was uneventful, though Link was somewhat unenthusiastic. 









Instead of going all the way around the crop fields, we cut across closer to the landowner's house to a section he uses as an equipment graveyard. Link did great, marching right past all the scary things with only some minor eyeballing.










We continued on around the fields, chatting and enjoying the day. I had to laugh when a giant truck started up the private lane a short distance away. The truck was a big dump trailer, and we moseyed closer as it backed slightly off the road and started raising the trailer to dump it's load. Expecting the dump to be noisy, we stopped to watch:









Link watched the truck briefly but soon lost interest and wanted to chew on my foot or put his head down to nibble. He didn't care about the noise of the load so we continued on. Of course, we were walking down the lane when the empty truck came along behind us. I hopped off because the lane is barely two lanes, but Link didn't react to the truck passing. We then trotted (in hand) down the lane after it for a bit. When we got to the bottom of the lane, I hopped back on from the guardrail.










The rest of the ride went without issue. Very pleased with how Link handled himself.

6.0 miles, 620 feet of climb, 2.8 mph average pace, 80F real feel


Yesterday, DH got home from work a bit early so we got Iggy and Phin out. The weather turned hot and humid again, so the long ride we had planned got shortened to the Sugarloaf loop. Kestrel was the smart one, taking advantage of the ponds!









Iggy led for a bit, but he does not go up the hills as fast as Phin, so before long we were in the lead.










Phin was on his toes, eyeballing the waving corn and spooking at weeds, etc. While I am glad he felt that good despite the heat, riding him was like sitting on a drunk pogo stick. I was not sorry to get back home and be done! Iggy had one tantrum, but it did not involve bolting or spinning so I am still cautiously optimistic we are on the right track with him.










8.52 miles, 1348 feet of climb, 5.2 mph average pace, 90F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

Jeez I need to do better with keeping this updated, but lately I have been busy with Board stuff in the evenings. But hopefully since mid-year meeting is over, that should be settling down now. Means more catching-up is necessary..

Last Sunday (the 23rd), DH was on call for work again and got called in the morning. He expected it to not be an easy one, so I decided to not wait and work Link alone. I should have waited, as Link was not right from the start. For the first time in ages, he was worried about leaving the herd and coming into the barn. He shuffled around the whole time I was tacking and grooming him. The weather was a bit unsettled, but nothing I would have expected to be so worrisome. 

Link was so agitated that I took him out into the paddock to ride, as I wanted to be in a contained space. I did a bit of groundwork trying to get him focused on me, but as soon as given a moment, he was focused off in the distance in the direction of the herd (who were around the corner in the far end of the far paddock out of sight). I got on, but he felt like a powder keg. He was startling at nothing (at least nothing I could see) and seemed ready to jump out of his own skin. We tried walking circles and figures 8s, but he just would not settle down. When a SUV full of boy scouts arrived to do some work on the church next door, I decided to call it a day as I couldn't imagine what Link would do with hammering and power tools in that state of mind. I asked for one more sort of round, sort of calm circle and got off.

I had taken the reins over Link's head when suddenly a noise I thought was thunder at first started, but then the rumbling got louder and louder.. and suddenly two fighter jets came screaming over. I have never seen military jets fly over here high before, forget about that low. They came back twice more, so I was very thankful to have gotten off before their appearance! 

0.73 miles, 3 feet of climb, 2.9 mph average pace, 90F real feel


DH got home about lunchtime and wanted to get George out. I went along with Phin and Kestrel came, too. We did the Sugarloaf loop. I insisted that George lead so DH could feel for himself what George was like without another horse as motivation.










By the time we got to the second climb, DH had to admit that George was not the same. He agreed George didn't feel off, but didn't move the same way he did. It was especially noticeable downhill. George will be retired from competitions, but still be Link's babysitter and hack around with Kestrel (until he tells us he doesn't want to go out at all any more, then he will just hang with Sultan in the pasture all the time).










The pad test was a success - the keepers I had hand sewn onto the woolback pad stayed attached and kept the pad in place. Hopefully, this pad (which will be used for competitions) will help keep the billets from irritating Phin's sides, which I think may be the actual issue (versus the actual girth being the problem). Cross your fingers and toes!

6.9 miles, 1129 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 92F real feel


Monday (24th), I started with Iggy. It was climb day, so we started out heading for the Sugarloaf.









We climbed up one side and then did the out and back and then climbed again. Then we crossed over to climb the Tomhicken and did a short loop over there. Iggy only startled slightly when a couple deer burst out of some bushes, so he seems to be returning to his original behavior - yay!! 










Iggy wanted to have a tantrum after we crossed the road and went across the field (versus the old way which is blocked with corn), but I started asking him for leg yields as soon as he started chomping on he bit and he soon decided it was much less work to just trot and behave himself.

10.36 miles, 1476 feet of climb, 5.5 mph average pace, 95F real feel


Then it was Link's turn. He was back to his normal self - no issues leaving the herd and standing quietly to groom and tack up. What a relief! We headed out solo. Link was a bit sluggish leaving the property, but he didn't do anything bad. And as hot as it was, I couldn't really blame him. We wandered across Spaulding's and then did a small loop onto part of the Sugarloaf for the first time.















We went home via the lane to the paved road. I got off to handwalk, as the people at the start of the lane were burning and I had no idea what Link would think of that. He was a bit suspicious of the burn barrel, and then startled when a motorcycle revved the engine as it went past while we walked down the side of the road (why do some drivers have to be shiitake-heads?!). But the real fun came in Alimar's driveway, when a small child on a bicycle shot out of a gap in the bushes unexpectedly! Link spooked, but I couldn't really fault him as it scared me, too. The woman babysitting the child called him back into their yard and apologized, but I made a mental note that might happen again in the future! I walked a bit farther up the driveway, got back on and we returned home without any more excitement.










5.18 miles, 686 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 97F real feel


Last Tuesday (the 25th), I got Phin out first thing to try to beat the heat. He was a very good boy tacking up, tolerating Kestrel's attempts to get him to play:









Think that is a hint?!









It was climb day for Phin, too, so we headed to the Sugarloaf. The climb (and the heat) got him and Kestrel settled down nicely.










We went down the other side then looped around to come back up. We came across a group of turkeys at the top, which Kestrel was happy to remove, though Phin kept a suspicious eye out for more the rest of the ride. It was pretty funny to hear him trotting along snorting under his breath.










6.05 miles, 971 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 93F real feel


Wednesday, I went over to ride with Gina. I rode Honey. We did the Sugarloaf loop.









Honey did really well. She is still somewhat confused when she doesn't have a distinct trail to follow and kind of wanders from side to side. She led for most of the ride, until we got to a place where after a trot, after Giselle was all worked up and needed to go to the lead to keep from cantering in place.










I really like Honey's chill personality. Even when she is perplexed (which she was almost the whole time Giselle was bouncing around, as she couldn't figure out what the excitement was), you would never know except to see her ears - she walks along just as nice as could be.

6.59 miles, 860 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 80F real feel


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## gottatrot

Very fun to read the updates. Link seems to be coming along so well.


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## egrogan

The end of an era for your DH and George... Hope retired life suits him well. And that my buddy Iggy steps up! :grin:


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## phantomhorse13

gottatrot said:


> Link seems to be coming along so well.


I am really, really pleased with how Link is doing. I hope he is having even half as much fun as I am!



egrogan said:


> The end of an era for your DH and George... Hope retired life suits him well. And that my buddy Iggy steps up!


I think Iggy will do well with DH, but anybody who has had to transition from an old friend to a new one knows the transition can be a tough one mentally. You know that feeling as you went through it with Izzy, and I know I still think about Dream almost every time I am in a saddle.

Time marches on, right?


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## waresbear

I envy your areas to ride! I have road and a lot of bush, the mosquitoes wait for us.


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## Celeste

I always enjoy reading about your rides. I really think that Link is coming along great!


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## phantomhorse13

Still catching up..

Last Thursday, I started with Iggy. The weather was back to being hot and humid, so we moseyed up the Sugarloaf.










We did a brief bit of exploring as a road previously blocked by downed trees had been opened, but it didn't really go anywhere. There is the possibility I can connect it to the viewpoint trail, but it would need a lot of work.










Iggy was very chill, even pausing and standing without complaint for me to talk to one of the people who live along the lane on the backside (normally Iggy doesn't want to stand still for more than 5 seconds before getting antsy). He wasn't even reactive to the wind, which was occasionally gusting by the time we got home.

8.44 miles, 1529 feet of climb, 5.4 mph average pace, 90F real feel


Next up was Link. The weather felt quite unsettled, but the radar was clear and the hourly forecast said the wind was supposed to be decreasing from that point. Link wasn't too bad to groom and tack despite the wind, so we headed out to do the Sugarloaf loop.

Link was on his toes, as the wind had _everything_ wiggling. I kept telling him as soon as we got around the next corner it wouldn't be as windy, or as soon as we got into the woods, it wouldn't be as windy.. but I was wrong.










The farther we went, the worse the wind got. I couldn't believe that as we worked our way around the Sugarloaf, the wind was _worse_ on the backside! I felt horrible as Link was so worried, but at that point it was the same distance to keep going as it was to turn around. There wasn't scary thrashing corn on the Sugarloaf, but the ominous creaking of the trees had me trying not to think about limbs falling and Link eyeballed the madly blowing leaves with suspicion. I resorted to singing to try to keep us both calm.










When we got down off the Sugarloaf and back into the fields, I couldn't believe how ugly the wind was. Link was trying his best to keep it together, but when two buck jumped out of the corn right beside us - one going in front of him and one behind - I really thought he was going to come unglued. I got off and was thankful my being on the ground helped. I hand walked him until we were beside the tree farm (and away from the corn), then got back on to finish the trip home.






That video really doesn't give you the full effect, as the wind was solidly at our backs (but I wasn't about to turn around just to video). Link handled himself so well considering and I felt bad having taken him out at all. That ride was the last of our 100 miles of walking and it sure finished in a memorable way!










7.72 miles, 1388 feet of climb, 2.9 mph average pace, 95F real feel


Friday, I drove down to Gettysburg to meet Lani, Kathy, and Steph. Being right on the battlefields was a sobering experience (none of us had ever ridden there before).










The trail was designated for horses and pedestrians only, so we did not have to deal with bikes or vehicles. We went early and it was hot, so we only saw a handful of pedestrians. We passed 3 different horseback guided tours (which would be a really amazing way to see the place - we said we wished we had a guide to tell us about what we were seeing).










We did a big out and back and really enjoyed the trails. I think we got very lucky to not have a crowd.










12.42 miles, 1181 feet of climb, 5.1 mph average pace, 93F real feel


Saturday, IT FINALLY RAINED!!! The remains of Hurricane Laura made it up to us, though we only got 0.76" (not the 2+ they had forecast). It was a nice gentle rain, so the concrete-like ground was able to soften and absorb it. It stopped raining mid-afternoon and by the time I fed in the evening, you would never have known it rained. But some is better than nothing..


Sunday, DH and I got Iggy and Phin out first thing. Kestrel came, too. The boys didn't need a big workout, so we wandered around Spaulding's and then over to Ziesloft's. The weather was glorious - a taste of fall!







'

We saw this giant guy watching us from about 20 feet off the trail. 










On the way home, we mixed it up a bit by going up and down the swales in each field. The boys were more enthused when we were pointing for home, but both behaved very well.










8.91 miles, 1362 feet of climb, 5.8 mph average pace, 70F real feel


Next, we got George and Link out. We went over to do the Big Square. 









Link got to trot on trail for the first time! He was unsure to start with, but listened well.















I could not be more pleased with how the ride went. Trotting was just a natural progression which Link took in stride.

5.68 miles, 666 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 75F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

waresbear said:


> I envy your areas to ride! I have road and a lot of bush, the mosquitoes wait for us.


Its been a banner year for bugs here, too! I am not sure I ever can recall such a year: gnats, mosquitoes, black flies, greenheads, bomber flies, and a new one this year that looked like a cross between a greenhead and a bomber. Ticks were terrible in the spring and normally get bad again in the fall, so that means any time now..



Celeste said:


> I always enjoy reading about your rides. I really think that Link is coming along great!


I am glad you enjoy reading.. sometimes I wonder if I am just fooling myself that anybody cares if I post about my rides or not. I am thrilled with Link and just don't want to mess him up!!


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## Celeste

I read every word you ever write. I can't ride as much as you do so I live vicariously through your adventures! I have really enjoyed watching Link's progress.


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## knightrider

> I am glad you enjoy reading.. sometimes I wonder if I am just fooling myself that anybody cares if I post about my rides or not.


Love reading about your rides! And love your photos! I got to ride at Gettysburg once also. That was the weekend my friend took me up the mountain with all the horrendous flies, and then down the same trail . . . no flies at all. That was the first time I ever experienced that. She said it was normal. And she was right. For me, it happens a lot, since I stopped making loops when flies were terrible.

I love your journal and your photos!


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## Woodhaven

Same here I enjoy your rides, I maybe don't get to read them all but really enjoy hearing about how you are doing, AND doing so well with Link, that is a story I like to keep up with.

Sis and I went out and back to the woods today, the deer flies seemed to have lessened quite a bit, the gelding is really bothered with the flies so we haven't been in the woods for quite a while. We checked some of the trails that we worked on earlier in the spring and I was pleased to see that they were still good and hadn't grown in much.

Happy riding Phantom


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> That was the weekend my friend took me up the mountain with all the horrendous flies, and then down the same trail . . . no flies at all. That was the first time I ever experienced that. She said it was normal. And she was right. For me, it happens a lot, since I stopped making loops when flies were terrible.


I wish I had the same experience, as when the bugs are bad they seem to be bad constantly. Some days, I am hitting spider webs both directions, too. Maybe I don't kill enough as I go through the first time to notice a difference going back?! (Though after your story about banana spiders on the trail thread, I will never look at our tiny arachnids and complain too much again!!).




Woodhaven said:


> Sis and I went out and back to the woods today, the deer flies seemed to have lessened quite a bit, the gelding is really bothered with the flies so we haven't been in the woods for quite a while. We checked some of the trails that we worked on earlier in the spring and I was pleased to see that they were still good and hadn't grown in much.


The bugs are improving some here too (finally!), but the trails are overgrowing terribly. There are many places that need maintenance, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it when it was so blasted hot. Now that we are back to more seasonal temps, I won't have as good an excuse not to do it..


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## phantomhorse13

Tuesday, I started with Phin. The cooler weather had him on his toes, looking for monsters. We did the Sugarloaf loop.










Things like this downed tree were evidence the monsters were out there.. :icon_rolleyes:










8.16 miles, 1247 feet of climb, 5.5 mph average pace, 71F real feel


Next was Link, solo. We also did the Sugarloaf loop.

__
Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18
Show Content










We did more trotting, which he was a bit concerned with at first. I think he thought we were running away from something, as he was looking all around for monsters. As the ride went on, he seemed to figure out we were trotting just to trot, not because something bad was coming (or he was getting tired.. hey, whatever works!).



















8.06 miles, 1234 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 74F real feel


Wednesday, it actually rained!! Not as much rain as hoped (not even a half inch), but we will take any we can get. The farrier also came and everyone was well-behaved. Phin and Iggy got pour in pads in preparation for the next competition.


Yesterday, I started with Iggy. It was just a leg stretch ride to make sure all was well after the shoeing, so we just did some loops around Alimar. Iggy was feeling mighty fine, but in a good way. No spooking, no tantrums.









4.08 miles, 423 feet of climb, 6.0 mph average pace, 80F real feel


Next was Phin. He was also feeling mighty fine. We did similar loops around Alimar. Kestrel came too, but was warm enough after the first ride that she was shade-seeking as much as possible (can you find her in this pic?).









4.62 miles, 476 feet of climb, 5.8 mph average pace, 83F real feel


Last was Link, who went out solo (I don't think he is quite ready to deal with Kestrel going along yet). We did similar loops around Alimar, doing a lot of trotting. He was a bit suspicious of the newly-arrived potato trucks, but managed to trot (in slow motion) past them.









Link did well with trotting towards home without rushing, though he was somewhat less enthused turning away. But he didn't truly fuss, just showed he has multiple trot speeds. :wink:










5.06 miles, 518 feet of climb, 3.9 mph average pace, 85F real feel


Today, I hopped on George bareback to mosey around Alimar with Kestrel. We did about half at the trot, so I probably won't be able to walk tomorrow after all that posting with out stirrups! :grin:









2.38 miles, 217 feet of climb, 3.8 mph average pace, 78F real feel


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## weeedlady

Celeste said:


> I read every word you ever write. I can't ride as much as you do so I live vicariously through your adventures! I have really enjoyed watching Link's progress.



Me too!


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## Woodhaven

You are doing so well with Link you will have a mighty fine horse there for the future, doing things so well now


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## Dragoon

Your journal is fantastic! I watch all the vids!

As a rider near the city, with only a small arena to ever ride in, your videos and pics are glimpses into a glorious slice of what is out there!
Thank you with all my heart for sharing.


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## Caledonian

I always enjoy your journal. Life has prevented me from riding for the last year and I can ride and see wonderful trails through your videos and photos (as well as everyone else's on HF).
​ Low flying jets used to make a regular appearance in my area; they'd skim along the base of the hills through the Glens. 

It was one of their transport planes that passed extremely low over us when we were out on a hack. I was lucky, Toby wasn't concerned but I've seen others react very badly.


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## phantomhorse13

Caledonian said:


> Low flying jets used to make a regular appearance in my area; they'd skim along the base of the hills through the Glens.
> 
> It was one of their transport planes that passed extremely low over us when we were out on a hack. I was lucky, Toby wasn't concerned but I've seen others react very badly.


We sometimes get single engine airplanes as there is a small airport not too far or every so often the life-flight helicopter may be around as we are near two interstates. The horses see the spray helicopter up close and personal when it's spraying the fields and how much they react seems to depend upon how bored they are.. I would not attempt to ride when I knew they were spraying!

The military jets were the talk of the town, so I wasn't the only one to think they were unusual. Hopefully just on their way to somewhere else and won't happen again - or else will happen frequently enough to no longer be a big deal.

The riding stable that I took lessons at when I lived outside of London was in the flight path of the Concorde (shows how old I am!). It always amazed me that other than the instructor having to pause in speaking, it flying over didn't effect the lesson at all. Along the same lines, there is an endurance ride in Texas that uses trails around a major airport - as in, right on the other side of the perimeter fences so the huge jets are _right there_ as they take off and land. I always wondered if they warned people who entered or if they just assumed everyone was local and knew. If I ever find myself traveling to Texas to do any rides, I will be sure to ask! :smile:


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## phantomhorse13

Another week that has flown by!! I hope everyone had a great weekend.

Friday, I went over to ride with Gina and Nik. I rode Honey. We did the Big Square.









As usual, Honey led until we trotted for the first time, at which point Giselle started fussing and needed to go first. Poor Honey still isn't sure what to make of Giselle's jigging.










As we came around a field, Windsor started bucking without warning. Luckily, he was in a place he couldn't do his normal drop a shoulder and spin move, so Nik was able to stay on and get him stopped. However, that meant Gina didn't want them going last. After about a minute, Giselle made it very clear she was not going to tolerate being in the back, so Giselle went back into the lead and Honey and I dropped behind Windsor. Windsor walks much slower than Honey, so it was quite frustrating to have to hold her back the rest of the ride (she would have quite happily run right into Windsor and shoved him up the trail!). We got back to the barn without any more bucking episodes.

6.55 miles, 712 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 75F real feel


I had planned to get Link out that afternoon, but the nutcase two farms over decided he was going to play with his dynamite (yes, literal dynamite) and guns. Once he gets going, there is no way to know how long the explosions will last and I certainly didn't want to be riding while it was happening. I guess he must have been celebrating the holiday weekend, as that noise went on for hours. [Unfortunately, the nutcase has a permit for the explosives, so there is nothing the police can do about it unless he starts blowing up things off his own property. I would love to know what idiot gave him a permit!!]

After dinner, the nutcase had finally had enough fun and all was quiet. I decided to see what Link remembered about self-loading. He only needed one brief reminder with me going all the way in the other stall before we got back to this:







Saturday, DH and I took George and Link for a mini-adventure. We loaded them up and drove over to Gina's old barn, which is about a 10 minute drive. We parked in what used to be the arena. Link was a little looky when he first got off the trailer, but quickly settled down and was thrilled to munch on the tall grass beside George. Tacking him up was almost comical, as he just wanted to chew on _everything_ - what a goof!










We headed out over the wooden bridge - which Link went across with no hesitation - and then went up the Tomhicken. It was the first time he's ever been on those trails and they were an interesting experience. He trotted nicely in the places that we could and then trudged up the big climb. When we got onto the yellow gate trail, I was pretty surprised that Link was worried about the various rocks all around. He was also convinced the puddles contained alligators and needed to be avoided at all costs!

The ride I had planned went out the window, as we spent a lot of time remembering that puddles were not acid pits and that rocks were not hiding monsters. Link improved with each puddle, though he was still very concerned about all the rocks lurking. We went down the gas line and across the road to do a small loop on that side - trails which contained rocks but no puddles as I wanted to give him a brain break.










We came back across the road and up the neighbor's driveway, which was more rocks but no puddles. Link was brave enough to trot past some places were rocks were on both side of the road (though the speed would have put a WP horse to shame :wink. When we got back to the puddles, he was more confident and marched through them without hesitation. We went down the Tomhicken and over to the creek crossing, which was not an issue after all the puddle practice. We looped across the bottom of the farm and Link didn't care at all about the excavator and bulldozer working on the other side of the field - go figure!

When we got back to the trailer, untacking was a repeat of tacking, with Link wanting to chew on anything he could get his mouth on. Good thing the trailer is solidly built! Link loaded easily and we were soon home. There was much excitement in the herd upon our arrival, but Link unloaded without being silly and stood to be hosed without complaint. I was super pleased with how the day went!

7.15 miles, 909 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average pace, 85F real feel


That is the last saddle time I have gotten, as potato harvest has begun. That will now rule my life for the foreseeable future.









Tradition says we wear the ugliest dresses we could find at Goodwill on first day of harvest, so this was the ensemble this year:










We head up to New York state tomorrow morning for a ride.. cross your fingers the weather cooperates!


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## Celeste

I think that the shoes are so lovely with the dress! Looks like fun!


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## knightrider

> I think that the shoes are so lovely with the dress! Looks like fun!



Ha Ha Ha Ha!!!! I was thinking the same thing, but I couldn't think of anything clever to say. Good comment, @Celeste


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## phantomhorse13

Behind again.. time to start playing catch up. 

On Friday (the 11th), DH and I loaded up Iggy and Phin and headed to the Finger Lakes of New York for a competition. We got super lucky to get out names drawn, as the ride was only allowing 40 riders due to COVID regulations and they had almost double that in entries! Parking was very generous, to allow for plenty of social distancing.










Kestrel did not feel that distancing was necessary with the neighbor's puppy however. The two of them had a blast playing.










The weather was chilly, with temperatures only in the low 60s and a strong, damp wind. It was glorious to need a sweatshirt! The boys vetted in without issue (at their assigned vetting times), and with no ride dinner or meeting, we had plenty of time to get thing ready. It felt strange to put blankets on the boys for overnight, seeing as two days before it had been in the 90s.

Overnight, the wind calmed a bit which was good because the temperature felt quite chilly - 41F! We got the boys tacked up, then went out separate ways. DH had told me he wanted to ride alone. When I asked if he was going to be racing and going out in the front, he said no he was not racing. So I said ok, I would take Phin out in the front so the boys stayed apart.










That seemed like a good plan. I was about the 5th person back when trail was open to start. Phin was trotting along fairly quietly, when DH and Iggy suddenly appeared from the row between the trailers and trotted out right ahead of us! I tried to get Phin's attention but it was too late - he had seen Iggy and we were riding into the wind, so I am sure he could smell him.

In hindsight, what I should have done was circle back around and take another lap around camp, but it all happened so fast that I was out of camp before I knew it. Phin was really up, wanting to hurry to catch Iggy. We did a lot of discussing speed the first few miles, as Iggy was always just in sight despite my trying to contain the pace. When a rider who couldn't control her horse went galloping past, Phin thought that looked like a lovely idea and the battle was on.

The next 8-10 miles was basically one large argument - Phin wanted to run, I wanted a trot. The compromise was a sometimes canter, sometimes jackhammer trot with a lot of head flinging. I would almost have him back when we would pass the problem horse, who the rider was periodically pulling into a tight circle that almost resembled a reining spin. We would pass the whirling dervish, then moments later the horse would go galloping past and Phin would just about come unglued.

When we got into the first cow pasture, I was horrified to see the cows were RIGHT there.. and the young ones were _chasing the horses directly ahead of us_. One of those horses was the out-of-control one. When the rider tried to spin, the calves were there and suddenly the horse was shooting backwards and sideways right at us. I am still not sure how the horse didn't smash right into us - maybe because I am not sure Phin's feet were even touching the ground at that point as he was totally panicked. I decided to h#ll with the marked trail in the middle of the pasture and swung hard to the right to follow another path that was much farther from the cows (by the grace of the universe, this was the section I had helped mark last year, so I knew that farther away path would go all the way across as we came back to the car after marking using it).

Phin went back to his previous level of high excitement once we got some distance from the cows, which suddenly didn't seem so bad after all compared to the complete panic. We cantered across the pasture as I sure didn't want the cows to have a chance to get close again. I had to dismount to open the gate to get out and Phin was so cranked up I had to handwalk him to the nearby water stop and have someone hold his head so I could fling myself back on (so embarrassing!!







). I did briefly wonder why on earth I wanted to get back on him at all..

However, that delay finally gave Iggy a chance to get totally out of sight. Two riders who had been behind me had caught up, so Phin had some company. One of those horses was pretty cranked up, but at least the rider was able to maintain control (@*egrogan* - that rider is your vet!)










The vet and I took turns leading. Phin never really settled, but he at least started paying more attention to his feet and wasn't trying to rip my arms off. One section of common trail had been paved since the previous year and it was slick as snot going downhill. We did our best to jog along the edge (and even in the ditch at times). I was so thankful Iggy was out of sight, as that part would have been dangerous had Phin been fighting me.










The last bit back to camp goes through a vineyard and has peekaboo views of Lake Seneca. Phin was still pretty forward, but not so bad that I couldn't take a moment to enjoy the beauty around me.










I got into camp and found DH and Iggy just getting to the trailer after vetting. I kept Phin on the far side of the vet's horse all the way to the crewing area, where I pulled his tack and went to vet. Despite Phin's excitement, he pulsed down without issue. I went back to the trailer and DH was surprised to find me so close behind him. When I told him what had happened at the start, he apologized and said he had never even noticed us (which I do believe, as DH is very competitive so would have only seen the people ahead of him). 

Phin ate well during the hold but Iggy was a bit fussier. DH said he wouldn't eat anything until Phin was there, but he did eat some after. I asked DH about his plan for the next loop and he said he would wait the few minutes and we could ride out together. Whew. Over the course of the hour hold, the wind really picked up. We were glad the sun was out or it would have been quite chilly.










We headed out for the next 18 mile loop with nobody else in sight. Phin was still pretty up and was eyeballing everything around like an idiot. Iggy was unimpressed with leaving camp and DH was not pleased with having to push him. I should have plugged my helmetcam in during the hold, as the cold had really zapped the battery. Of course I didn't realize that until it died just shy of halfway into the second loop! Not long after the camera died, DH decided Iggy should go first. I was fine with that as it meant Phin was a lot less spooky.










DH spent the rest of the loop nagging at Iggy to go faster. Iggy would not really be pushed more than a stride or two and kept returning to the roughly 7 mph pace he prefers. He also was doing a lot of dog trotting, which worried me he was going to wind up sore in his hind end. I reminded DH that he was not riding George and suggested he pay attention to the way Iggy was traveling, but my input was obviously not welcome.







I was sorry to not be able to have the helmetcam footage to show DH I really wasn't kidding when I said Iggy was traveling crookedly.










The last couple miles of that loop are quite technical. I was very happy Phin had settled down and was paying attention. I was happy to see the away hold, as the antics of the first loop had given me shin splints and I was ready to get off.










to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

The away hold is a lovely private farm - one with both horses and cattle. Phin pulsed down without issue, but was less than impressed at the cows standing by the end of the trotting area. When one of the owners started hanging laundry on the line right beside us - which started flapping merrily in the wind - Phin was not sure why he should stick around. Luckily the vet thought he was funny and excused his second pulse in the CRI being higher without worrying he was having a metabolic issue.

Phin and Iggy both ate really well in the hold, then had a nice nap. I was pleased, as the wind was really whipping and there were many things around flapping.










We headed out for the 14 miles back to camp. The loop started in some of the unoccupied farm pastures.










Iggy was not very enthused, so Phin took the lead for the majority of the loop. He was still feeling good enough to be eyeballing things along the edge of the road.










I was thrilled there were no cows in sight when we crossed one of those fields for the last time.










Phin still felt really good as we came back into the final couple miles. The wind was roaring but he trucked along in a businesslike fashion. I was very happy the ride ended on a good note after how miserable the beginning had been.










We got back to camp, pulled tack and went right to the vet. Phin was not pleased by the flapping banner beside the vet area, but he pulsed down enough to pass the vetting even while keeping a close eye on it. Iggy, however, had to trot a second time for both vets to watch. He was not totally even behind, but did get his completion. I hope DH will take that as a hint I wasn't kidding about the crookedness..
























We wound up tied for 5th, which was because a lot of the normal front runners hadn't been at the ride.










Fun top 10 prizes, so I am not complaining about the lack of competition!










We stayed the night and went home early in the morning. Phin ran multiple laps around the paddock when we got home, so he obviously wasn't all that tired! Iggy contented himself with trotting to the hay feeder - smart boy.


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## egrogan

Glad you got to go! And nice to hear my vet was there too-I think she’s had a hard time being able to get a lot of riding in this summer she’s been so busy. She’ll actually be here at 9am for fall shots so I’ll get to hear all about the ride :wink:


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## carshon

I am glad you finished well and your arms were still in the socket. I have to admit that with the amount of riding you do it makes me feel good that at times your horses are not picture perfect. My mare, Tillie, loves a good race - when I tell everyone that we need to be careful because Tillie has never lost a race they all laugh. Not funny when you are the one riding the rocket!


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## QueenofFrance08

Ugh sounds like most of my rides with Chico this year. I've begun dreading the first loop because he behaves so terribly. The last ride I sandwiched him in behind two horses and the trail wasn't wide enough for him to pass. He wasn't happy but was much more manageable. I'll have to do that again if he can continue doing rides because I hate arguing/pulling the whole first loop.


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## phantomhorse13

egrogan said:


> nice to hear my vet was there too-I think she’s had a hard time being able to get a lot of riding in this summer she’s been so busy.


I think so too, as she kept telling the mare that she wasn't as fit as she thought she was. :smile:



carshon said:


> it makes me feel good that at times your horses are not picture perfect.


Def no perfection here! I was quite embarrassed at Phin's behavior the first loop, though at least he isn't that way all the time (and I can name some horses that are.. I never understood how someone could stand 50 miles of that!!).



QueenofFrance08 said:


> The last ride I sandwiched him in behind two horses and the trail wasn't wide enough for him to pass. He wasn't happy but was much more manageable.


Too bad if he wasn't happy - yanking out your arms is not ok. Maybe its time to look for his first 100..


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## phantomhorse13

Still playing catch up..

We got home from the ride Sunday (the 13th) morning and got the trailer cleaned up, expecting the forecast rain to arrive at any moment. When the sun came out, we realized yet again the promised rain went south and we weren't going to see a drop. Not good for the crops and grass, but good for riding. I cajoled DH into getting George and Link out.

We just did the loop down the creek trail.









Link was very good - you would never have known he hadn't been ridden in a week. George, however, was a spooky idiot.










4.0 miles, 453 feet of climb, 3.8 mph average pace, 75F real feel


Monday (the 14th), I had an unexpected day off after the processor called to cancel the load of potatoes first thing in the morning. Of course, I went home and right out to the barn. I started with George. We did the Sugarloaf loop.









George was still feeling mighty fine, so we moved along at a good clip. He was still very looky, which was pretty frustrating as a lot was for no apparent reason. The one place that was dramatically different (from a weed-covered hillside to nothing but dirt), he didn't bat an eye!










7.28 miles, 1165 feet of climb, 5.3 mph average pace, 74F real feel


Next was supposed to be Link. However, I had just finished grooming when I got the call that they did want a load of potatoes after all.. so Link went back out and I went to ride the harvester.


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## phantomhorse13

Still playing catch up!

Thursday (the 17th), I headed down to Maryland to meet Lani and Kathy for a 3-day CTR. It takes place at Fair Hill, which not only had amazing multi-use trails, but a barn so all the horses go into stalls. The horses were not real impressed with jail to start with, but most settled down before too long. Lito, Lani's new young Dutch Harness horse, was not impressed however. We wondered if it was the first time he was ever in a stall! Everyone vetted in without issue and we got things ready for the following day. 

No dinner or ride meeting, so we made our own dinner at the trailer. Afterwards, we got the horses out for soe grazing time and then went to bed at a reasonable hour. It was chilly overnight but the sun was shining brightly by the time we had everyone ready. Kathy was riding Flo, Lani was riding Lito, and I was riding Lapco for the first day's 25 miler.










Lani asked me to hop on Lito to warm him up, as he was pretty excited. Riding in her saddle is always interesting, as her legs are shorter than mine so I feel like I am back on the racetrack. Lito was a bit up but it didn't take him long to figure out nothing exciting was actually happening. Riding him was odd though, as he is very crooked. He has a head tilt from a previous injury (we assume a driving accident with the Amish, but don't know any details) and is currently very asymmetric. 

We headed out for the first 15 mile loop with great enthusiasm. The trails used were a bit different this year due to one of the normally used underpasses being under construction. The weather has been dry, so the footing was perfect in most places.










All the horses were feeling fine and wanted to move out in the fields. Lapco had to canter to keep with the big trots of the other horses.










Fair Hill has many interesting features, including bridges and tunnels. Lito wasn't sure what to make of them, so Lani kept him very close to Flo. That meant Lapco had to deal with seeing horses appear and disappear behind her as we yoyo'd with a rider who couldn't control her horse. 










The photog was in a great spot and I can't wait to replace the proofs with the actual pictures (they have been ordered but snail mail always takes forever it seems).










We got back to camp for the hold about when expected (CTR has an ideal time window, versus being the fastest wins, so its all about pacing). I find CTR holds to be very hectic, as you have to present for pulse at a specific time (in this case, 10 minutes) and then have the rest of your hold (in this case, 20 minutes). Due to COVID, all tack needed to be removed, so instead of allowing the horses to chill and eat until pulse time, we were busy pulling tack. By the time we stood in line, vetted, and put the tack back on, it was time to leave! Lapco needed no encouragement to eat and I almost felt bad pulling her away to get going again.










The second loop was 10 miles and may be my favorite loop ever at this facility. The trail used a lot more single track than in years past and I loved the change.










The facility is very well maintained, so we weren't surprised to see a brand new bridge along the way.










This section of trail could have come right out of a horror movie, with the trees twisted across the trail. You certainly needed to watch your knees and your head moving along the winding trail.










The wind was roaring but it wasn't too bad in the trees. Out in the fields was another story, though. Lapco startled at something blowing across the trail in a field and caught a front shoe, yanking it off. We were able to get an easyboot on with some struggle and eased in to the finish.











After we finished vetting and got the horses settled, I tacked up Brimstone and took him and Fugi out for a leg stretch ride while Kathy got a shoe back on Lapco (she does the feet of all their horses). Brim and Fugi were both were snorting, pulling dragons, so I didn't have enough hands to handle them and take any pictures! We went out for a few miles - just enough to make them sweat - and then came back, staying mostly under control. Kathy had been able to get a shoe back on Lapco, but it took some acrylic to make up for the wall she had torn off. She trotted sound and we crossed our fingers.

We drove to a local seafood place and ate entirely too much for dinner. We got back to camp and grazed the horses for about an hour, then got things prepped for the next day. Belong long, the temperature was dropping sharply and it was bedtime.

to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

The next morning was cold - frost on the ground cold! Lapco was full of herself when we trotted out for the vet's safety check and she was cleared to start day two. Kathy was riding Fugi, Lani was riding Brim, and Lapco was stuck with me again. We got the horses tacked up very early as we expected cold-related silliness. Lapco had apparently gotten her yayas out during the trot out, but Fugi had a huge hump in his back that took about 10 minutes of longeing to remove.

We got on and got to the starter just as they were calling for us, so moseyed right out. The trail was the same as the day before, so we knew what to expect in terms of terrain. Lapco was much more comfortable with the interesting parts of the trail system.










The photog was in a field again and got this lovely picture, which will look great on my wall when it finally arrives:










While the trail was the same, the company on it was not! The cool weather had not deterred other users and we passed a lot of people walking and a lot of people on bikes. I was really impressed at how considerate the bikers were, always stopping and getting off trail as soon as they saw the horses.










The Maryland National Guard was there doing an orienteering exercise. They were actually a lot more concerning for the horses, as not only were they in camo and wearing large packs, they were all carrying flapping papers. And in some cases, we found them laying along the side of the trail in ditches!! All answered me when I asked for them to speak to help Lapco understand they were human, but you could tell they were much more focused on their task than on us.










I was not sorry to move to the other side of the park, as sometimes trying to figure out where they were before the horses saw them was tough. 










We got in for the hold with a pretty large group, which made things chaotic. We actually took the horses' food to the vet check line with us, as we knew they wouldn't have any time to eat otherwise. We put the tack on right after vetting and still were a few minutes late on our out time.

The second loop was just as fun the second day. Lapco was feeling very brave and led a lot of the way.










I was really pleased with how well she behaved. Kathy wasn't sure if I would have issues with her getting tired and balking, but she never even thought about it. She even figured out that she needed to still canter to maintain the overall pace and would canter several strides and then trot several strides all on her own.










The best moment was coming across a field about 3 miles from the finish. Lapco wanted to maintain her forward pace across the field and then up the hill at the same pace, so I let her. I knew Brim would need to walk the hill and that Kathy would keep Fugi back with Lani. I wanted to see how the filly would react when she was alone. She motored up the hill without any encouragement and then trotted on. I wish I had thought to turn the camera on as I was turning around looking over my shoulder and neither horse was in sight. I let Lapco keep going, expecting her to ooze back to a walk at any point when she realized she was alone. She never did! In fact, she wanted to keep cantering and maintain the pace, but I kept her at a trot to allow the other horses to catch up. I think she was insulted. :wink:










We got back to camp at literally the last moment of our window, but the horses pulsed and vetted without issue.






Lapco looked great after her 2-day 50!










to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 3:

We grazed the horses for a while and then went back to the seafood place for dinner and again ate way too much. I think I gained weight over the weekend! We got back to camp and took the horses out to graze again. Lani had decided she wasn't up for riding the next day, so it was decided I would ride Lito instead. The temperature was again dropping as we got things ready and then went to bed.

The morning was another cold one, though the sun was shining and the sky was clear and blue (the smoke from the fires out west had finally cleared). Kathy was riding Flo again, but she was all business as we tacked and warmed up. Lito's size was the talk of camp - and to think he still may grow more!










We headed out on the 15 mile loop and I soon realized I was going to get very good at ducking! Things I hadn't even noticed on Lapco (who may be 14h with her shoes) was at shoulder level on Lito. He is also very green and very crooked from a previous injury. Riding him was rather like driving a dump truck, especially compared to Lapco. It wasn't that he was unresponsive, it just took him several strides to get himself organized.










Lito trucked along behind Flo, trying to figure out the concept of a steady pace. It was obvious nobody had ever asked him for that before, so he was somewhat perplexed to begin with. But he was very willing, so tried very hard to figure out what I wanted. [Here we are passing the construction - that underpass used to be a main route from one side of the park to the other.]










There was much less activity in the park and we were able to maintain a solid trot most of the loop. Lito started getting the idea of a 'medium' trot (which would be a fast trot for Lapco or Phin!).










We got back into camp and vetted without a crowd, which was a relief. But soon enough we were heading back out for the last loop.










I had so much fun that loop, it should have been criminal. We did a lot of side by side riding and practicing changing speeds within the trot.










Lito did really well in the lead, learning to maintain the steady pace without rushing (especially when seeing horses in front of him).










And we found canter! Sadly, I didn't push the button on the helmetcam hard enough to turn it on for the first canter, which was entirely too much fun as we streaked across the cross country field. As crooked as his trot is, his canter was smooth as glass and effortless. His stride was of course huge, but we did work on finding an easy canter with some success.










We actually had to dawdle a bit at the end to not come in too early, but it was a good lesson from Flo on how to walk and munch grass as you went. 






The horses vetted without issue. 










Overall, I was thrilled with the day. Great weekend!


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## QueenofFrance08

phantomhorse13 said:


> Too bad if he wasn't happy - yanking out your arms is not ok. Maybe its time to look for his first 100..


If he gets a good report from the vet that he just pulled something/minor injury that'll be better for next year the plan was 75 in August and 100 in September (hoping no COVID)


HOW TALL IS LITO???!!!???!!! Sure wouldn't want to fall off of him! Might need to get a parachute to get down! 

Is Lapco an Asgard?


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## gottatrot

I love those big horses. They are gorgeous. I agree that a quick response on a big horse is so much slower than on a little Arab. I was wondering if horses would be better than us at seeing through camo but I guess not.


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> HOW TALL IS LITO???!!!???!!! Sure wouldn't want to fall off of him! Might need to get a parachute to get down!
> 
> Is Lapco an Asgard?


Lani claims Lito is 17h. But she has been known to underestimate things in the past. He sure seems giant to me! Luckily he was very good about standing still and letting me grab around his neck and sort of slither down his shoulder when I dismounted.

Lapco is bred by Lapco Arabians in Kentucky (her registered name is Lapco's Cinnamon Bush.. which is of course the most asinine name in the world for a horse owned by lesbians :wink. The filly was donated to an auction to support the Young Rider's trip to Australia a few years ago. Dana - a heavyweight - actually won her but didn't want her, so gave her to Kathy.



gottatrot said:


> I was wondering if horses would be better than us at seeing through camo but I guess not.


I am not sure how people wearing camo without papers and staying still would do.. but wiggling packs and flapping white papers were very visible!


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## QueenofFrance08

I'm almost crying with laughter at that registered name over here!


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## egrogan

QueenofFrance08 said:


> I'm almost crying with laughter at that registered name over here!



Ditto- I'm sure they had great fun with that! :rofl:


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## Caledonian

QueenofFrance08 said:


> I'm almost crying with laughter at that registered name over here!



:rofl::rofl:

Same - The name caused a completely unlady-like snort and laugh! 


@*phantomhorse13* - I love Lito and his size; it's a long way up and down!


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## phantomhorse13

Oh yes, the name is laugh worthy! I wondered for a while if it was some big joke until her registration papers showed it was true.. guess her breeders have a good sense of humor.


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## SwissMiss

phantomhorse13 said:


> Oh yes, the name is laugh worthy! I wondered for a while if it was some big joke until her registration papers showed it was true.. guess her breeders have a good sense of humor.


As a non-native English speaker it took me a moment - first I was "now way" :rofl: Apparently, yes! :rofl:


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## phantomhorse13

Last Monday (the 21st), I got a surprise break from potatoes because of a breakdown at the processing facility. Of course, riding was much higher priority than cleaning the house, so out to the barn I went. I started with George.

We did the Sugarloaf loop. George was feeling mighty fine in the cool weather. Kestrel also was full of it, zooming all over the place.


















7.19 miles, 988 feet of climb, 5.5 mph average pace, 45F real feel


Next up was Link. We also did the Sugarloaf loop. Link was very good despite the wind and not having been ridden in a week. We did a lot of trotting where the footing allowed.









We climbed the back side of the Sugarloaf as we went around - a first for Link.










7.55 miles, 1240 feet of climb, 4.2 mph average pace, 53F real feel


Tuesday (the 22nd), we got done with potatoes just after lunch, so I rushed home and went right out to the barn. It was a gorgeous day without much wind, so I decided to head over to the yellow gate trail and see how Link would do with the puddles and rocks that were so worrisome last time. We went out across the farm and through Gina's old barn - including the wooden bridge - without hesitation. He trucked right up the big climb:









We got onto the yellow gate trail and approached the first puddle. Link twisted his head to look at it hard, but walked in with only the briefest hesitation! Before long, we had worked up to this:






:clap:

We went to the gas line and then looped around and back. I was so pleased with how Link handled everything.










We went back across the farm, this time going through all the buildings. He took a good look at everything, as of course things were in different places, but never broke stride. After going across Ziesloft's, I did get off to hand walk him at the end of the lane before the paved road, and I am glad I did as a whole herd of people came pouring out of a newly-sold house at the sight of us. Link did very well standing still to let everyone pet him and take selfies. We had a couple vehicles pass us as we went down the shoulder of the road and he reacted a lot less than last time (he doesn't like them coming up behind him).










9.15 miles, 1385 feet of climb, 4.1 mph average pace, 55F real feel

That ride put me over 2000 miles for the year! This is only the second time I have hit that milestone.


Friday, we got done potatoes at lunchtime. It was a glorious day and Gina wanted to ride, but had some errands to run first. I got George and Kestrel out while she was doing those. We just went over to do a quick loop around Ziesloft's.










On the way home, we came back around Alimar and passed where the equipment was parked. George wanted to know what dummy left a truck blocking the canter path. 










5.83 miles, 791 feet of climb, 5.8 mph average pace, 70F real feel


Next was Link. We went over to meet Gina and Giselle. On the way, Link also got to deal with equipment where it hadn't been before. He was a bit hesitant but I think it was more to do with leaving home then actually being worried about the tractor.










When we got to Alimar, Link wasn't sure what to make of Giselle to start with. It was pretty funny to see his ears going every which way. We took turns leading as we worked our way over to do Small Square. Giselle walks faster than Link, so it was great to encourage him to really use himself and stretch out. When we got to the road and started across the bridge, a car came down the hill. We stopped as it was coming fast, but it did stop before actually coming onto the bridge with us. Link didn't mind but Giselle got very snorty. We were almost to the car when a truck came down the hill behind us. I stopped and turned sideways so Link could see that vehicle, too. It came about halfway across the bridge before stopping. I am not sure I have ever been on the bridge with TWO vehicles before!! The people in the car complimented the horses as we continued walking by and the truck at least waited until we were past the car before coming up behind us.

Once we got onto the lane, we trotted for the first time. Even though Giselle was first, she was still snorting and tossing her head. Link wasn't sure what to make of that and kept looking around trying to figure out what was upsetting her. We came around a corner and could see a UTV parked in a yard by the edge of the lane. We came back to a walk and suddenly a chainsaw fired up. Giselle jumped and Link startled at her jumping. We walked up and the chainsaw operator came into view behind a pile of logs. He never stopped cutting - I am not even sure if he saw us. The horses continued past and turned onto the field road.










Giselle walks faster than Link, so I had been hoping that would encourage him to extend his walk. And I do think it helped, but Giselle did more jigging than walking after that first trot. Link found that worrisome, so wanted to look around for monsters when walking and then trot to catch up. When we tried a second trot and Giselle started trotting sideways ahead of him, Link stayed at a trot but felt like he was going to explode. I asked to go back in the lead to get him to focus on the trail and me, not sure what Giselle would do behind him. Thankfully, she was somewhat better behind so we continued around and looped back towards home that way.

Going back across the bridge, we did not encounter any traffic but Giselle had a huge spook at the place the dark pavement turned to light concrete. Luckily, Link couldn't figure out what she was afraid of, so just startled then kept walking. I had originally planned to go home in the fields along the main road, but I didn't think that was the best idea with how jumpy everyone was. We went back down the creek trail.

Going along there, Link finally settled down. Giselle was still jigging at times, but I guess he figured out it wasn't a reason to worry. We were moseying along on a loose rein when suddenly there was a gunshot from what seemed like RIGHT beside us. Both horses startled (shiitake, so did I) and then the shooting REALLY started - more than a dozen shots in rapid succession. :eek_color: :eek_color: I turned Link to face where the sound was coming from just as Giselle leapt forward into the back of him. Gina turned sideways too, but Giselle jumped right against us. Gina and I were both yelling at the top of our lungs to stop firing, we were there, but there was only a very brief pause before the next volley of shots began. I really wanted to get off because Link was terrified, but Giselle kept pushing sideways against Link, pinning my leg.

There was a slightly longer pause after the second round of shots and we both were still yelling. This time, we heard a voice answer. I turned Link to continue towards home and honestly expected him to take off. But he controlled himself and stayed at a walk - a super fast walk, but a walk. We came out into the clearing and didn't see the shooter where we expected; we didn't see anybody. But the shooting started again! Thankfully it was not as loud, so we had at least gotten past wherever it was originating from. We continued towards home and I don't think Link has ever walked so fast. Giselle wouldn't walk at all and was jigging and tossing her head and snorting behind Link the entire way back. I was so pleased (and frankly, amazed) at how well Link kept his head.

We left Gina and Giselle at Alimar and continued home down the airport strip. Link got calmer every step he took alone. By the time we had cleared the trees (maybe 100 yards down the strip), he was relaxed enough I asked him to trot. Link trotted as if nothing had ever happened. He got lots and lots of praise.

After we got home, and I got him untacked and hosed off, he got a lot of grazing time as a reward. I still can't believe the whole thing. 










6.59 miles, 722 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average pace, 75F real feel


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## carshon

I am sitting here reading your post about Link with my jaw on the ground. I honestly don't think my 17yr old seasoned trail horse would have done as well as Link did. Cars on bridges, chainsaws, gun fire? AND a jigging trail partner. What a wonderful guy he is turning out to be!


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## phantomhorse13

carshon said:


> I am sitting here reading your post about Link with my jaw on the ground. I honestly don't think my 17yr old seasoned trail horse would have done as well as Link did. Cars on bridges, chainsaws, gun fire? AND a jigging trail partner. What a wonderful guy he is turning out to be!


I know Phin wouldn't have done as well. He finds Giselle's jigging upsetting.. gunshots that close would have likely ended with us going home rapidly at best or me on the ground and him going home alone at worst..


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## gottatrot

Wow, Link is already amazingly level-headed.


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## knightrider

That Link is worth his weight in gold. My good steady Isabeau flipped out with gunshots next to us and I came off at the 4th shot. I am so happy that Link is turning out so amazing.


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## phantomhorse13

Finally done with potatoes and catching up with life!! I have a lot of catching up to do here..


What feels like a million years ago now, but was actually Sept 30th, I got some saddle time when a piece of equipment broke and I got an unexpected day off from potatoes. 

First, I trace clipped Phin, as I didn't want his growing coat to potentially be a problem for the upcoming competition. I also wanted to try out some billet covers (actually seat belt covers). I am still trying to find the right answer to his side sensitivity at competitions..










We went out to do the Sugarloaf loop. Phin was cranked up, which was no surprise as he hadn't been ridden in weeks and it was cool and windy. We passed the potato equipment and I was so happy to be riding him and not the harvester!










Phin did the best he could to keep it together, but the wind was blowing and things were appearing from out of the corn all around (both deer, squirrels, and a crazy variety of birds)! He did several moves that would have put upper level dressage horses to shame. 

On our way around the backside, I decided to climb the Sugarloaf and let him blow of some steam. At the base of the climb, I gave him his head and let him pick the pace.. he galloped up the whole thing!










Luckily, that took off enough of the edge that we were able to continue home without any more acrobatics. When we got home, he got his normal post-ride snack of outlast and alfalfa pellets and Kestrel was happy to clean up his dribbles.










7.52 miles, 1368 feet of climb, 5.1 mph average pace, 48F real feel


Next was Iggy. Kestrel showed no signs of being tired after going out with Phin, so she came along again. And indeed, she was bouncing around like a crazy thing, including these leaps over a puddle beside the Very Bad Pond (one going out, one going home).










I had planned to do the Sugarloaf loop again, but Iggy was very full of himself and not trying to contain it. Of course, the answer to that was to climb the Sugarloaf versus go around it! We went up the front, then down the back and out to do some loops around the cornfields. Iggy kept wanting to rush towards home, so we did multiple loops until he gave up that idea. Then, we went up the backside climb to head for home.










9.02 miles, 1690 feet of climb, 5.5 mph average pace, 52F real feel


Sunday, October 4th, I had an unexpected day off potatoes. I planned to do a lot of riding, but I got a surprise when I went out to the barn to feed in the morning. I opened the door and let the dogs out first (like always), but instead of running down the aisle and out of the barn, they both swung hard left into the wash stall to chase something small that had been at the water bowl. Fearing a skunk, I went running after them, already envisioning my day being filled with stink and multiple dog baths. Instead, I found this:










I was amazed that Katie hadn't killed him immediately, as normally she considers a cat to be vermin in the same way as a groundhog or squirrel. Instead, she was nosing him with interest, as was Kestrel. I ordered both dogs back out into the aisle with me, expecting the cat to run out the door and be gone (typical feral). The kitten didn't go.

I put the dogs back in the house then fed the horses, expecting the cat to be gone once I was no longer close by. I made a point to stay away from the end of the barn until I was done feeding (roughly 30 minutes). When I went down and peeked, the cat hadn't moved. I went into the house and grabbed a handful of Sonnet's dry food and brought it back out, tossing a few kibble down near the kitten. I half expected my approach and resulting throwing to scare it into fleeing, but instead of running away, it attacked the food crazily.

I sat down and started tossing kibble a few at a time. The kitten came closer and closer and started meowing between tosses. At one point, I meowed back and it froze mid-bite to look up at me. I did a churp-purr and it literally flung itself onto my lap!!










Once in my lap, it didn't mind being handled.. and I quickly realized it was literally a skeleton with skin. I am not sure I have ever handled a cat that skinny that was still standing. It was also badly matted with prickly weed seeds, etc. I put the rest of the kibble down in a pile and put it on the floor beside the pile, then went in the house to get more food. I left it with both wet and dry food, then went back inside to feed the dogs (and myself and DH) breakfast, too.

DH, who is not a cat person, came out to see what was I was going on about after breakfast. I half expected the cat to be gone after having eaten, but it was still in the wash stall. It let us pick stuff off and was fearless with the dogs:



















We couldn't believe Katie.. she treated it like her own pup (and no she has never had a litter and was spayed before her first heat even). The kitten went between eating and following the dogs around the barn the whole time I was tacking Iggy up. DH had a work project meeting, so headed off to that while I went out to ride.

Iggy was still feeling mighty fine, so I decided to head over to the Tomhicken. By the time we got to the second climb, he had mellowed a bit. The color was starting to come out in some places.










Once up the Tomhicken, we went down the pole line and back to loop around to the powerline. More bits of color were popping out. Iggy behaved himself to head home, so we were able to go back the way I planned without any extra climbs.










12.17 miles, 2457 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 65F real feel


When I got back to the barn, the kitten was still there. I got Iggy untacked and back out in the field, then went and got more cat food. As he ate, I turned my attention to picking more stuff out of his tangled coat. He never flinched (or even stopped purring), even when things were really stuck and I had to pull. I was horrified about how skinny he was, but DH was adamant that cats don't belong in the house and he could be a barn cat or nothing. He had put together a shelter for him in the wash stall (a double box filled with straw), but I was still concerned because he was SO skinny.

DH returned home as I was finishing up evening feeding. The kitten had been following the dogs around while I fed, so when DH called the dogs to come inside, the kitten followed right along.. and was in the garage before DH even realized it. He sent Katie back out the door to the barn and the kitten followed, then he scooted Katie back in quickly and shut the door before the kitten could follow. I bit my tongue and we went inside and fed the dogs and ourselves.

After dinner, I took some stuff out to the trailer. Of course I went out via the barn so I could visit the kitten. Only he wasn't there. I went to the wash stall and he wasn't there either. I called out the door and he didn't respond. Went back to the other end of the barn and opened that slider and called.. no response. My stomach fell into my feet, but as I went out to the trailer, I tried to tell myself at least he moved on with a full stomach.

I was out in the trailer for a bit, then went back in the house. I called repeatedly on my way back through the barn, but still no kitten. When I got inside, DH asked if I was out working on pulling more stuff off the kitten. I answered no, the kitten was gone. DH stopped what he was doing and said what did I mean. I repeated all my searching and that the kitten was gone. Without another word, DH went outside.

DH came back in about 15 minutes later, the mulch-covered kitten in his arms. DH said he'd found him huddled up in one of the flower beds, shivering. This is how he spent the rest of the evening:










The kitten, now named Lore, has been inside ever since.. :loveshower:


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## knightrider

What a wonderful story! I LOVE kitties, and thoroughly enjoyed the happy ending to Lore's story! I think you got a treasure.


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## gottatrot

That is the best kitty story! Our barn cat has been in the house 4 years now.


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## carshon

Oh My Gosh! How handsome! I could just hug your DH for having a soft spot. So glad you helped him out. I have been to many a barn and seen starving kittens and dead kittens that barn owners left to their own devices. We have a cat (named Blue) that came to live here in much the same way. My daughter used to feed and clean pens and stalls for a lady and one day we got a call that she heard a noise from inside the stacks of hay - she was 14 at the time and thought it was a **** so wanted her Dad to come and help get it out of the hay. When they got in there there was a skinny dead kitten and a tiny matted ball of skin and bones. My daughter asked the barn owner and she said - we found a dead momma cat a week ago - those must be her kittens just leave it. Well she fed it and left it and cried all night because she knew it would die like its litter mate. So when she went to work the next day this tiny kitten came home in her sweatshirt pocket and lived upstairs in her room until she could not hide it from her Dad anymore (we had 3 other cats at the time) Blue is still here and is my hubbies favorite cat.


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## weeedlady

What a handsome new kitty. Thrilled to see your hubby relented, lol. I'm lucky in that my DH likes cats as much as I do. We have 5 indoor cats and one outdoor cat right now. Sometimes you just can't resist, ya know?


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## QueenofFrance08

We found a skeleton kitty on our sidewalk a year and a half ago. She's been inside since that day and never tries to even venture out the door like the other cats, she's perfectly happy with her indoor life!


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## Caledonian

He has a gorgeous face! What a wonderful story. We were adopted by Squeak, although he was older. He remained very independent and preferred the barn, no matter how much I tried to 'encourage' him inside.


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## PoptartShop

Awww, how sweet. He is just adorable!  Lore is a cute name for him too! :loveshower:


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## phantomhorse13

The transformation in Lore in the first 24 hours showed just how close to death he really had been. Because I had no idea of his health, he spent the night shut in the spare room with plenty of food, water, toys, and several places to sleep. He was only a pound when DH brought him in, and by morning he had gained half a pound!! Most of that was belly, so I knew he was likely loaded with worms. However, he didn't show any signs of fleas or ear mites or respiratory/eye issues (which is pretty miraculous). He felt good enough to groom himself again and the difference in his coat was astounding. 

Lore was shut in the spare room when I was out doing potatoes and at night, but we put Sonnet in our bedroom and let him out to roam when we were home in the evenings. He got stronger every day and was soon acting more like a normal kitten. I dewormed him and was pleased to see his belly look less like he swallowed a baseball and his spine start to have some cover to it. And he made himself right at home! 











On Thursday, October 8th, DH and I loaded up Phin and headed down to Fair Hill, MD for a ride. And not just any ride - Phin's first 100! 

This ride is normally in April, but was canceled due to COVID. The manager normally also has a ride in NJ in October, which had to be canceled due to the park service not allowing any group events for the rest of the year. So the manager was able to work things out with Fair Hill to host a ride, which included not just the normal 25 and 50, but also a 65, 75, and 100. It was co-sanctioned FEI, which was a bit of a moral dilemma for me.. I stopped supporting anything FEI years ago due to welfare concerns overseas and bias against AERC riding/rules here, but as a Board member, we are trying to promote inclusion.. I decided enough time had passed since my last one, perhaps I needed to give it another try and see what had or hadn't changed. I had been back and forth about the 75 or the 100, but decided to take the big jump once I found out the manager would honor the free entry I won at convention despite the increase in distance compared to the normal ride. 

We were the first people to arrive at camp, so got a good spot right near the vetting and beside the crew area (meaning we could crew right from the trailer). We got things set up and then had plenty of time to play with the dogs and get Phin out to graze. I was so happy to not be doing potatoes! DH spent a lot of time on the phone as things were crazy with work, but I was thrilled he managed in a nap in the afternoon. Phin was interested in things around him (like people going through camp on bikes, as the facility is a giant multi-use park), but didn't seem stressed even though it was quite breezy and the only other trailer in camp was not nearby. He loved all the grass!










Watching the sun set as we ate dinner:









Temperatures were forecast to drip into the upper 30s overnight, so Phin got his necked blanket.










Friday morning was chilly but the sky was blue and the sun shining! We helped management by putting together all the top 10 awards. Have you ever seen 60 manure forks in one place before?! It's quite a sight!










Next, I hopped on Phin for a quick pre-ride. I wanted to remind him that he had seen Fair Hill's scary things before. We moseyed out and headed for the closest bridge.










And then headed back to camp via one of the tunnels. Phin was forward but not too silly.










After lunch, it was time to vet in. Masks and social distancing were required, so the entry to the vet area was a maze to keep everyone organized.










Lani and Kathy had brought Flo and Lito for the LD, so I helped by vetting Lito in for Lani.










I got things as set up as possible for the next day, but was very glad DH would be there to crew for me. I had brought multiple pads and girths and planned to change things each hold to try to keep his sides happy. Phin just munched away happily in his pen and was even smart enough to take several naps.










Ride meeting was a bit disorganized, but the necessary info was eventually given. There were 3 colors: the orange loop was 25 miles (with a 10 minute stop and go in the middle), the yellow loop was 15, and the pink loop was 10. We were to do orange, have a 45 minute hold, then yellow, have a 45 minute hold, then orange again, have a 45 minute hold, then yellow again, have a 50 minute hold, then pink, have a 45 minute hold, and finish with another pink. I was surprised to hear that they only planned to glowstick the pink loop - that meant we had to do 80 miles before dark. We only have about 12 hours of daylight this time of year, so 12 hours (really 9 hours and 25 minutes when you consider hold time) for 80 miles seemed crazy! Several people expressed concerns over this timing and management said they would consider glow sticking the yellow loop also.

After the meeting, the FEI people had a meet and greet for a new USEF official. The meeting was open to AERC riders and I had been asked to attend specifically. While it was the last thing I wanted to do, I felt my position as Director meant I needed to suck it up and attend. No surprise, I was the only non-FEI rider there, but I didn't even have to paste on a fake smile as everyone was wearing masks. I made my escape as soon as possible, ate dinner, and went to bed.

It wasn't nearly so chilly overnight. Phin happily ate all his breakfast and enjoyed some alfalfa as I tacked up. I was pleased to see him eating after his electrolytes, but knew it wouldn't last as the day went on. I started with the short pad and the billet covers, as that pad seemed to work best.










The sun wasn't quite up when it was time to get on and warm up. This ride is always chaotic in the beginning as different distances are starting at the same time, but in different places, so there is _a lot_ of activity in camp. The LDers (all 64 of them!) were starting across the road, while the 100s, 75s, and 65s (about 25 of us) were starting on this side of the road. The 50s (about 55 riders) were starting only 30 minutes after us, so many of them were already on and warming up in camp, too.










I didn't want to be anywhere near the start when trail opened as I knew the FEI people - especially those riding the shorter distances - would be going much faster than I wanted to. I went out into the field to check in, then went back into the woods to warm up. When trail was open, I waited another couple minutes just to make sure the front runners would be out of sight across the field before moseying to the start.










Phin was excellent! He knew we were at a ride, but was easily contained. We walked a bit, then headed off at a solid trot. Before long, we caught sight of a friend and her mare (who happened to have camped beside us) and soon fell in with them. Andi was trying to teach Wren that every competition wasn't about racing, so she was happy to fall in behind Phin and let him set the pace.










We trucked our way around the first half of the 25 mile loop and had a blast. Wren and Phin did well together, despite both of them feeling very good (and Wren being very confused about not being allowed to run). The only place Phin got a bit fussy was after being passed by 3 riders who had gotten off trail and wound up behind us, as he would have preferred going with them. But I knew they would be the likely winners, so wasn't getting sucked into that pace.










to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

We got into the stop and go not long after the riders had passed us and they were leaving just as we arrived, so that had Phin more interested in where they went then eating or drinking. DH did his best to tempt Phin, but it didn't do any good. I wasn't thrilled about giving him electrolytes on an empty stomach, but did so as I knew he was going to need them before the day ended.

We got back out on trail and quickly came upon the photographer for the first time. Unfortunately, Phin was still convinced he could catch those other horses, so was not very relaxed for the picture (which has been ordered, but the prints have not arrived yet so I borrowed the proofs meanwhile).










We continued on the second half of the loop with Phin generally in the lead. He bravely faced all the fun trail obstacles, though did have a couple spooks at various people fishing under bridges (how dare they wave fishing poles around?!).










Like the previous ride here, that critical underpass was still out of commission, so there was a lot more technical trail than in normal years. Thank goodness the ground was basically dry.










We came back into camp and masked up immediately.










Phin and Wren were pulsed down by the time we got to the trailers, so we pulled tack and went to the vetting. Both horses passed with no issues. I decided to use a different pad but the same girth for the next loop. I got the tack back on Phin and left him with DH holding his pan to encourage him to eat while I went into the trailer. I plugged in my garmin watch and the helmetcam, then got myself some food. In no time, it was time to electrolyte and mount up (so quick I forgot to take any pics that hold!). Phin was mildly insulted after this round of elytes, only eating a cookie when I basically forced it into his mouth.

Off we went on the second loop. There were no other horses in sight, so Phin and Wren settled nicely. We alternated trot and canter, having entirely too much fun. 










Phin continued to lead most of the time and Wren decided the steady pace wasn't so bad after all.










In the daylight, the trail markings were excellent and we passed people taking numbers at several critical junctions, making sure everyone stayed on trail.










I enjoyed the increased amount of singletrack, but it also added to the climb factor as few of the wooded trails were flat.










We came across the photog again and I think my smile says it all! Andi stopped to put some distance between us so the photog could make sure to get plenty of pics of both horses.










After passing the photog, we stopped to wait for Andi. It's funny to see Phin watching for Wren to catch up!










The rest of the loop flew by and we were soon back to camp. Yet again, the horses were pulsed down by the time we got to the trailers, so we pulled tack and went through the vetting without concerns. I thought Phin was a bit reactive on his sides, so decided to switch back to the shorter pad. The wind had really picked up, so the cooler went on to keep his hind end muscles warm. Phin was chowing down when I went into the trailer to plug things in and take care of myself. When I came back out, Phin had finished the whole dish and moved on to hay. However, once I gave him his electrolytes, he refused food and stood drooling. Ugh.










I wasn't sure what to expect leaving camp for the next loop, as Andi and Wren were riding a different distance, so were going out across the street on a different loop. Phin watched them go by without a sound and he left camp alone without hesitation!










I was so pleased with Phin on that second orange loop! There wasn't another horse in sight, but he happily went along anyway.










While he wasn't quite as forward as at the start, he settled into a good steady trot for the wooded sections and was happy to canter in the fields.










We trucked our way around the first half of the loop. The only other horses we saw were day riders, and they were always going the opposite direction, but Phin never faltered. 










to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 3:

Before long, we were at the midway stop and go. Phin had kept a faster pace than I had expected, so we actually beat DH there! Phin was happy to see another horse, so was actually grazing when DH arrived with our stuff. That was also when the other horse left, so of course that was the end of Phin being interested in food. I gave him his electrolytes and off we went.










We hadn't gone far when we caught up to the rider ahead of us (you can just see the grey dot in the distance in the picture). Her horse wanted to stop and graze, which was a good lesson for Phin. However, instead of just pausing for a moment to grab a quick bite and then continuing on, that rider would let her horse stand for a while, then canter away. I really wanted to keep a steadier pace, so they would disappear behind us, only to canter to catch up a few minutes later. I found it very annoying but luckily it didn't seem to bother Phin.










One of the more challenging places we passed multiple times was an area some boy scouts were camping in. The boys were in the woods playing (which involved a lot of yelling and throwing things), which Phin found very suspicious. Then, add in tents flapping in the wind and people popping out of parked cars..










Clouds kept rolling in as the sun was dropping, so we didn't get a pretty sunset. But we kept on trucking.










I got into the next hold just as it started to get seriously dark. Pulled tack and vetted without issue. Was told that management had "put out some glowsticks" on the yellow loop. Phin's sides were still somewhat reactive, though I didn't think they were any worse. Tacked Phin with the same pad, but changed to a longer, fleece girth to see if that helped. Also added the lights to his breastcollar. My helmetcam had died towards the end of the last loop and wouldn't take a charge when I plugged it in.. shiitake. But that left plenty of room on my helmet for a headlamp..

Phin wasn't very interested in his grain but was wolfing down alfalfa and grass hay. I tried not to worry about his lack of interest in the grain, hoping that didn't mean his belly was bothering him. No surprise that he was offended by his electrolytes and wouldn't eat anything after (which is why I always give them just before getting on to leave).










Phin had out-pulsed the other horse we came in with, so we headed out alone (which was fine by me). The yellow loop started across the road from camp and I knew which way to go since we had done it once already. Well it was a good thing, as there were glowsticks marking the pink loop BUT NOTHING ON THE YELLOW. It was pitch black, as the clouds covered the moon and the facility is not normally open after dusk, so has no lighting. Phin was happy to trot along, following the mowed path in the grass. I was able to see the flags on the ground every so often, but when we got into the big field, the mowing stopped so the path was no longer obvious. Shiitake. Even turning my headlamp from the red light to the white didn't help much, as fog was forming and the light didn't shine very far, instead catching the swirling mist. 

Thank goodness my garmin has a breadcrumb map feature, so I was able to use that to flail my way around. Every time I hit a place where trails crossed (and that happened frequently, because the facility really isn't that big), I had to stop and turn on the white light and try to find the plates showing one trail from the other. I cannot even begin to express my frustration and _fury_, as we continued on and the trail continued to not have glowsticks. It was impossible to achieve a steady pace, as I was either stopping to look at plates or else weaving around trying to find the flags on the ground in the fields. I honestly don't know what I would have done without my garmin - in several places I wouldn't have even known which direction to start going in as the fog prevented anything farther than about 15 feet away from being seen.

I had texted DH to tell him what was going on and that I had no idea when to expect me in, as 15 miles at the pace I was managing was going to be an eternity. I was so angry that management had knowingly put us in that position!! [I found out later DH had gone to management to complain and been blown off..]

We continued around that loop, sometimes joining with the pink loop briefly, which gave some glowsticks, but all too quickly the yellow would go off. Good thing I had the garmin to tell me about trail crossings and turns or I would likely have missed them. About 3/4 of the way around that loop, we came to a hospitality stop.










While it was lovely that volunteers were willing to come out and sit up all night with us, what I didn't find a picture of was the fence and water tank opposite this, which was covered with glowsticks!! Phin found them wiggling in the wind to be terrifying, so he wouldn't go close to the tank. The people sitting there thought that was really funny and it was all I could do to bite my tongue to keep from saying the ugly things in my head. No glow sticks on trail, but plenty where I wanted my horse to calm down and drink. :evil: We continued across the covered bridge and back into the darkness.










By the time I got back into camp, I was just about levitating I was so angry. The last 2 miles did have an occasional glowstick, but they were so hit or miss that it almost made things worse as you weren't sure if they were marking the yellow trail or the pink.

Despite my rage, Phin was able to pulse down and vet without issues. The vet was the other NE Director, so someone I know well. He got an earful about the trail markings, and no surprise I wasn't the first person to complain! Apparently some of the 75s had gotten caught out in the dark as well.










Phin ate everything that wasn't nailed down during that hold. I kept the tack the same for the next loop as the side sensitivity hadn't seemed to get worse. I tried to bring my energy back to a neutral place so I could take care of myself and not be sick. Most of camp had gone to bed by that point, but a handful of people came over to ask if we needed help and to commiserate about the lack of trail markings. 

Soon enough we were heading out for the pink loop. Phin willingly trotted out of camp - passing our trailer - and I was almost in tears over his willingness. Despite being alone, despite the stopping and starting and my rage the previous loop, despite it all he just kept on going.

This loop at least had glowsticks. Some places were still a bit tricky, as not all the turns were marked right at the turn and sometimes you could see a glowstick in the distance which seemed right there, bit the trail didn't go straight to it. I was watching my garmin so had an idea what was coming.










About 2 miles out, the trail had looped around in a big circle and came within about a half mile of the back of camp. Phin was well aware camp was right there, but only heaved a big sigh and obediently turned left when the trail went back away from camp. We kept on trucking, making it to the same hospitality stop which was the halfway point on this loop. I didn't even bother to slow down, as I felt Phin eyeballing the waving lights by the tank.

We were maybe a mile out of camp crossing one of the big fields when he took a bad step with his right hind and despite trying to catch himself, wound up almost sitting down on trail. He popped right back up and kept going.. but when we got to the next downhill, he dropped from a trot to a walk on his own. Oh oh. After going down the hill, I asked him to trot on and he did, but he wasn't moving symmetrically. We went up a small hill and hit a relatively flat place and I asked him to canter. He jumped into it willingly, but within two strides I knew he wasn't right. Shiitake. He halted politely and I climbed off. I handwalked him the rest of the way in.

This loop crossed the finish line, which I had expected to see well-marked. What I couldn't figure out as we approached was what on earth was lit up like a christmas tree past it on the left. Once we got closer, I realized there was a temporary fence there and someone had marked every post and multiple places between the posts with lots of glowsticks. [I found out later that someone with the front runners had walked into that fence on the way to camp.. and when management heard that, they went out and marked the fence. SO THEY HAD GLOWSTICKS and just couldn't be bothered to mark THE TRAIL with them. Instead, a fence that wasn't even ON TRAIL was lit enough you could probably have seen it from space. ]

I untacked Phin and headed into the vetting. He pulsed fine, but no surprise he was off in the hind. Because his metabolics were great (a negative CRI even being lame!), I was given the hold time to see if I could work the issue out. We dosed him with calcium and double electrolytes, hoping that might help. I had no intention of going back on trail, but would have preferred a rider option ending versus a lameness pull. DH massaged his hind end. Unfortunately, while his movement did improve, it wasn't enough. 















We went back to the trailer where I gave Phin a good grooming, poulticed his legs, and put liniment on his hind end, all the while telling him what an amazing boy he was and choking back tears. His blanket went on and he went out into the pen. When he didn't think I was looking, he dove into his food. We got stuff cleaned up and then went in to bed. I set the alarm for a couple hours as I wanted to check on him, but I didn't need it as I never got to sleep. I would doze off and the spinning made me think I was falling off, so I would jerk awake (even with medication, I get motion sickness riding in the dark). When I poked my head out to check on Phin, he had finished his mash and about a third of his hay and was sleeping. The second time, he had cleaned up over half the remaining hay and was head down munching.

Once it was daylight, we got up and started packing to head for home. Phin was still tight behind, but it wasn't any worse. I put more liniment on him and then took him out to hand graze while DH broke down the pen.










It was interesting to hear how the rest of the ride turned out. The two riders behind me both rider optioned - one after the miserable yellow loop and the other after the first pink, as he was running very tight on time and didn't want to push his horse. One of the FEI people (who had been ahead of me) had gotten so lost on the yellow loop, _they had to send a trailer out to get her_. By the time they got her back on trail, she had lost so much time that she finished with only 13 minutes before cutoff. That rider was a super experienced 100 miler riding her super experienced FEI horse. I also found out that the glowsticks only on the pink loop had been mentioned during the zoom meeting (which I had missed because I was doing potatoes). When someone had commented about the time concerns, management had told them they needed to _just ride faster_. It was thought to be a joke at the time, but apparently it was no joke!!! The only 100 milers who made it through the yellow loop were the winners (FEI riders, of course), and they barely made it into camp. Insanity.

Not exactly the way I hoped the weekend would turn out, but overall I could not be more proud of Phin. He did everything I asked and never hesitated. I have no doubt he is a 100 miler. He was still not right when we got home, but he was trotting sound out in the paddock 2 days later. He will get several weeks off and I promised myself I was not going to obsess and just leave him be a horse unless he was bleeding. I have seen him yeehawing around the paddock many times since and he looks great.


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## knightrider

What an interesting (but somewhat disappointing) story. I am so glad that Phin handled everything so well. That's what counts. I really appreciate your stories and adventures.


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## gottatrot

I'm so impressed with Phin. It was frustrating to read about how you were set up to fail, and then that bad step was just too much. It definitely sounds like Phin is going to handle 100s though.


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## carshon

I read your post on the edge of my seat and nearly cried when you and Phin almost went down and was also near tears when he did not come out of it. What a travesty to have a much anticipated ride end like that! I cannot believe more horses and riders were not hurt. I so enjoy your videos and ride posts. I am hoping Phin recovers with no issues and that there are many more 100's in your future


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## phantomhorse13

Still playing catch up..

On Sunday Oct 11, we got home from the ride and got the majority of the mess cleaned out of the trailer. Then I got Iggy out. We did the Sugarloaf loop.










Iggy was a bit fussy turning for home, so we did some extra loops around the cornfields until he settled.










10.11 miles, 1568 feet of climb, 5.6 mph average pace, 52F real feel


Phin was back to tearing around the paddock like a ding dong within 2 days. He will get several weeks off riding, but he looks totally sound out in the paddock.. fingers and toes crossed all is well now.


On Thursday, October 15th, I celebrated finally being done with potatoes by riding! I started with taking Iggy out for a leg stretch. I hadn't intended to do much, but Iggy was a bit full of himself, so we went and moseyed up the Sugarloaf.










That took enough of the edge off that he was able to keep control of himself even heading for home (though he did plenty of bit chomping to make his feelings known).










6.81 miles, 1322 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 55F real feel


Next up was Link. It was the first I had been on him since the crazy shooting experience, so I wasn't sure what to expect. It was also breezy, which of course meant wiggling crops. We started out going around Alimar.










And then we headed over to the second part of the creek trail. Link was a bit tense but worked out of it pretty quickly. Once we got into the field and turned away from home, he heaved a big sigh but kept on.










Not far into the trees is where the shooting happened, and this was what I had in that area:






We went out to the road, turned around, and moseyed back. No worry in the shooting area on the way back either! We went up past the pipes to the farm, then turned away from home to loop back down to the bottom of Alimar before turning for home. Link was suspicious of the corn, but behaved himself very well.

4.36 miles, 502 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average pace, 68F real feel


Last, I got George out. We went over to do some loops around Ziesloft's. Kestrel came, too. They both had the zoomies!










It was an absolutely perfect fall day for riding!!










6.05 miles, 778 feet of climb, 6.1 mph average pace, 70F real feel


When I got done with the horses, I took the opportunity to get some pics of Kestrel with the fall colors as they were just about at peak.




















In what can only be described as the greatest of ironies, the next day we had off and on rain, so I spent the day doing inside things like laundry and cleaning. I sat down to do some work on the computer, and when I went to get up, I twisted just right (or just wrong), and _threw my back out_.







Shiitake!!! [I was stomped on back in 2000 and have two lumbar vertebra that were damaged as a result, so a disc can herniate if I move wrong.] It's been years since I managed to p!ss off that disc that way, but the horrible electric shock and instant muscle spasms are impossible to mistake.

The week was insanely frustrating as the weather was wonderful, but it didn't matter as I was unable to ride (or even stay upright for long). After multiple visits to the chiropractor, my doctor (for muscle relaxers and pain meds), and countless hours laying on the floor stretching (and/or cursing), that disc finally went back where it belonged.

At least I had the Kitten Show to keep me entertained while I waited for the muscle spasms to clear and things to return to function.










Lore is making up for lost time in terms of eating - DH and I joke you can actually watch him grow! He was pretty cuddly before, but once the massage/heating pad appeared on my chair, he decided it was THE good place to be. Kestrel was very tolerant of the limited activity and went with DH to work (as she did when I was doing potatoes). It killed me to look out the window and see beautiful weather - I should have been on a horse!!


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## Aprilswissmiss

Those are some beautiful photos of Kestrel. I hope you can get back to riding soon!


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## knightrider

That's so frustrating about your back. I hope it heals quickly and never goes out again. I am a HUGE Lore fan and appreciate all the pictures of that adorable kitty that you care to post.


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## Celeste

The pictures of Kestrel and Lore are fantastic!


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## weeedlady

Lore is such an adorable kitten! Makes me want yet another one. Six is enough though, right?

Hope you get your back straightened out soon. I can only guess how uncomfortable that must be.


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## phantomhorse13

weeedlady said:


> Lore is such an adorable kitten! Makes me want yet another one. Six is enough though, right?


Is there such a thing as too much cute?? Though I guess how many cats is too many depends on your living situation.. I can't believe I have 2 inside, so I am not sure I would still be married if I tried for 6. :wink:



knightrider said:


> I am a HUGE Lore fan and appreciate all the pictures of that adorable kitty that you care to post.


how about some video?






:loveshower:  :loveshower:


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## carshon

I loved the video! Kestrel needed another youngster to play with!


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## phantomhorse13

While there is never a good time to hurt one's back.. when I did was particularly awful timing as the last ride of the season (Fort Valley) was approaching. DH was taking Iggy for the 50 and I was supposed to be riding Lapco in the 30 for Kathy.. but it just wasn't going to be possible. It killed me to tell Kathy I wasn't going to be able to ride, but while my back was improving, I was only about 75% by the time we left for Virginia that Thursday (October 22).

We got down to camp, got set up, and were able to save the spot beside us for Lani and Kathy. My back didn't tighten up too bad during the 4 hour drive, but I was def stiff upon arrival. I was very careful about what I did and did not do in terms of setting up camp and our crew area. It was unseasonably warm but felt wonderful to be out in a sleeveless shirt in the sun! I started with what seemed to be a weather headache just before lunch, but took migraine meds, made sure to drink a lot of water with electrolytes, and did my best to ignore it. Unfortunately, that did not work. About noon, I went in to the trailer to lay down, hoping a quick nap would fix things. I knew I was in trouble when I wasn't able to go to sleep..

The vomiting started about 1pm and I was sick every 10 minutes like clockwork. I heard Jefferson arrive with Lani and Kathy, but was unable to leave the trailer to help them. DH vetted Iggy and got the rest of his stuff organized while I stayed in the trailer, trying to retch as quietly as possible. Wonderful DH did his best to stay outside and quiet, going so far as to sit in the horse compartment until it was time for bed. The vomiting finally stopped about 10pm and I was able to sleep (not to mention poor DH - and the people in the trailers around us - could also sleep). I haven't had a migraine that bad in ages. What awful timing!

Amazingly, my back felt pretty good the next morning.. as Lani later commented, "retching is stretching!" My head was still a bit wonky (I often have what I call a migraine hangover the day after), but I was able to get breakfast down and it stayed there. We got Iggy tacked up and I was not real happy that DH wanted to try him in the hackamore for the first time..










DH had decided he was going to ride with the friend parked beside us. Pam is a super person and very experienced rider (and vet), but she is a racer.. and she was riding the horse that just won the Hector 50. They warmed up without incident and soon enough were out on trail for the first 19 mile loop.










Once DH was on trail, I went to help Kathy and Lani tack up. I won't lie - tacking up Lapco for Kelsie to ride made me super disappointed, but I knew the filly deserved a rider who would be 100% for that not-easy course. I did get a minor ego-stroking when Kathy asked Lani if she wanted Kelsie to get on Lito first and Lani declined, instead asking me to walk around with him for the first few minutes she was on board. Kathy got on Flo with only minor excitement (the mare is cold-backed now, so often tries to lay down when the girth is tightened and then when Kathy first gets on).

When Kelsie got on, Lapco started crow hopping after the first three steps! Kathy was not pleased but I was not all that surprised - Kelsie had made it clear she didn't like the filly and the redheaded mare was just expressing her opinion back! Kelsie hopped off and I longed Lapco for a few circles each direction without any more misbehavior, then put a lead rope on her. When Kelsie got back on, you could see the filly tense up, but a sharp word had her back to good behavior. I walked around with them for a few minutes, then trotted the filly still on the line to make sure she was over her tantrum. Lapco was fine, so I unsnapped the lead and they headed out on trail (last, as always).










I went back to the trailer to gather things I would need for the hold. I was not pleased to see Iggy hadn't eaten much of his breakfast, but there was plenty of poop in the pen to clean out. I took a load of stuff down to our crew area, then went back to the trailer and took the dogs for a quick walk (and to throw the ball for Kestrel). 

I went back down to the crew area in what I expected to be plenty of time, but arrived just before the first 50 came in. While I had heard parts of that loop were different than previous years, I knew it was still 19 miles that including going up and over Milford Gap twice - which is rocky and steep on both sides. DH and Pam came in not too long after the first couple horses.

I was not surprised to see Pam in that soon but was surprised to see DH was still with her. Iggy had interference marks on 3 legs and had a nasty rub on the side of his face. DH said Iggy had been really strong, fighting him for most of the loop. We untacked and put a bit of water on him and his pulse was down. DH took him up to vet (only one person allowed per horse because of COVID rules). From our crew area, he looked ok trotting out and DH was soon back saying all was well. Iggy put his nose into his dish (which had beet pulp and sweet feed mush in it), shoved it around a bit, then turned away. I offered him grass hay and alfalfa, but he just wanted to graze. DH went back to the trailer to take care of himself and I wandered around to let Iggy eat what he wanted. While he was grazing, he peed and the urine looked normal.

When DH returned, I insisted he go back to the bit as the hack was going to keep rubbing the spot on his face. I reminded DH about keeping him straight, as the locations of the various marks made it pretty obvious he was going crooked. DH just said the trail was really rocky and Iggy didn't always pay attention. I got Iggy tacked back up, slathered his various marks in desitin, and off they went. DH went out with Pam again for the second 17 mile loop (which again went up and over Milford Gap).










A short while later, Kathy, Lani and Kelsie arrived. Flo and Lapco looked great but Lito was definitely warm. We drowned him with water and got everyone untacked. As I pulled off Lito's hind boots, there were several places that were open - it was hard to tell if the boots themselves had rubbed or if he hit himself on the edge, but he was flinchy about being touched. Lani asked me if I would vet him. When we went up, his pulse was jumping around a bit but it calmed when Flo came closer. When I went to trot him out, he didn't want to follow me. Oh oh. The vet shooed him on a bit and Lito lumbered into a trot.. and even running beside him, I could see his head bob. Shiitake. Because his metabolics were ok, we were given the hold time to see if we could work out the lameness, but his skin wasn't going to magically regrow, so his day was over.

I got Kathy and Kelsie back out on trail and Lani held Lito as we weren't sure what he would do when his friends left. The poor guy was so tired that he didn't even flick an ear when they left, just kept right on napping!

In what seemed like no time, DH and Pam were back in for their second hold. It was quite warm (I was in a sleeveless shirt and wishing I had brought shorts), so no surprise Iggy was quite warm. He also had more marks on his legs. DH said Iggy had been very rammy during that loop, looking off into the woods a lot and not paying attention. It was so bad that when they went to go around a forest service gate, Iggy didn't move over enough and caught his side against the latch, actually tearing a billet! We got him untacked and applied a liberal amount of water. After a bit, DH said his pulse was down (he listened with the stethoscope) and went over to vet. However, when he got to the vet, his pulse was not down. I watched the vet listen for a bit, then send DH away.

DH seemed confused, saying the vet said Iggy's pulse was 80! So on went more water, and more water, and more water. This time DH said he had a hard time hearing the pulse at all, so I got to listen. It was still a bit high the first time I checked, so on went more water. When I checked the second time, he was right at 64. I told DH to take a deep breath and mosey to the vetting. This time, he was able to do the whole exam so I knew his pulse was down. Iggy looked a bit short in the RH during the trotting to me, but of course I was really looking at that specifically. Iggy passed the vetting and came back to the crew area for his hold.

Again, DH left Iggy with me while he went to the trailer to take care of himself (and to bring back the spare billet for the saddle). Iggy didn't want any of his mush, but he was eating the grass hay. I periodically put more water on him and tried to keep him in the shade as I knew he was still warm (and I was warm just sitting there).










He munched on hay for about 20 minutes. My timer had just gone off to remind me it was time to start tacking up when Iggy picked up his head, raised his tail, and passed some manure. The next instant, he started pawing like he wanted to roll.  I found that odd so turned him to walk out of our crew spot. He didn't really want to walk, instead stopping to paw again. I insisted he walk a bit further and he reluctantly followed. The instant I gave him any slack on the lead, he stopped and pawed. I was about to turn back to our crew spot so I could take his heart rate again when he flung his head back and sideways oddly while curling his body around. He stood awkwardly, looking at his belly. :eek_color: Shiitake, shiitake, shiitake.

DH came into sight just as that happened, so he saw me head straight up to the vet area with Iggy. I was calling for the treatment vet before we even got to the tent the vets were sitting under. The treatment vet (a friend) came running and did a quick exam - Iggy's heart rate was high, he had quiet gut sounds on the left but none on the right, and he was obviously wanting to lay down. I kept Iggy moving while she went to draw up drugs. Once he had some xylazine and banamine on board, he stopped trying to go down and we got him over to the treatment trailer. A second vet (another friend who I have known since she was a kid, who graduated vet school last year) was there helping, so she was able to start prepping for the IV catheter while the primary vet did a quick rectal (nothing displaced but gassy on the right) and passed a tube (no reflux).

The vets got the IV catheter in and Iggy passed a lot of gas several times. Just that gas release seemed to help as his posture normalized. Fluids were started and I filled them in on Iggy's history of ulcers. 










Iggy was passing gas frequently and his eye got brighter and brighter. He didn't need any additional meds and was soon insistent upon grazing. DH had fed him grass until his fluids were finished, then we allowed him to graze for an hour until the vet rechecked him. The recheck was good, with his heart rate back to normal and good gut sounds in 3 quadrants and faint ones in the 4th. He peed and the urine looked normal. Iggy was released to go back to the trailer with the orders of very wet food only and recheck in the morning unless something happened I didn't like.

Because I was fairly convinced the underlying issue was ulcers, I gave him a tube of gastrogard and let him graze for another hour. Then, I dosed him with sulcralfate and put him into the pen. I liberally soaked beet pulp, alfalfa pellets, and some outlast and offered it to him. He ate without his normal enthusiasm, but he ate. I noticed both his hind pasterns seemed unusually pink underneath, but could not find any broken skin nor did he care about my handling the areas. I put some corona ointment on them to make myself feel better and assumed that scratches were developing (which has happened before when he'd been stressed with belly issues).










I was out checking Iggy every 2 hours, happy to find poop and an empty feed pan. He was either grazing or napping every time I popped out (I had wet down his hay and he found that very insulting and wouldn't touch it). I offered him more beet pulp and alfalfa mush every other check. The pan was empty by the following check and he kept leaving me fresh piles of manure to pick up. It was a long night, but I didn't need an alarm for the checks as I don't think I ever went to sleep.

We got surprise rain early in the morning, but it had faded to a drizzle by the time the first ride started. When we started to break down camp, momma nature smiled briefly.










Daylight revealed Iggy's right hind leg (the one he wants to travel crooked with) was stocked up and he was very sensitive to the pastern being handled. Even though I suspected developing scratches, I was still worried about some sort of soft tissue injury, but I couldn't find any specific sensitive spots. When the treatment vet came to check him and remove the IV catheter, she was gracious enough to look at his leg, too. She agreed she couldn't find any soft tissue structure that seemed to be bothering him - the underside of the pastern got the most reaction.

I was hoping the trailer ride might pull some of the swelling out, but it didn't look any different when we got home. Iggy was off on that leg but I knew trying to keep him in a stall so I could wrap it was not going to work. I cold hosed the leg, slathered it in poultice, and then turned him out. He wandered to the water tank and had a long drink, then went out to graze.

We emptied everything out of the horse part of the trailer in prep for it going into the garage for winter. It was threatening rain so I just stored everything in the wash stall to wait for cleaning. We pulled the mats out and power washed it inside and out. We kept an eye on Iggy, who slowly moseyed around grazing with the rest of the herd. We got the trailer into the garage (always somewhat depressing) and I fed the horses dinner. Iggy dug into his normal dinner (senior, alfalfa pellets and outlast) made into an extra-wet mush. He got nexium with his dinner and when he was done I checked that leg over. I thought the swelling seemed a bit worse, but DH didn't think so. I did another round of cold hosing and applied more poultice before turning him out for the night.

The next morning, even DH agreed that the swelling was worse. His temperature was normal and he ate his breakfast readily, but he did not want me touching his leg below the hock. He was even reactive to the cold hosing, trying to remove his leg from the stream of water. When I tried to apply the poultice, he started waving his leg around trying to get it away from me - including picking it up and forward high enough it was almost level with my shoulder!! I wound up having to twitch him to get him to stand still. I thought I could feel some roughened skin on the back of the right pastern but I wasn't going to get down and look with how fussy he had been. His left pastern had a couple dime sized scabby places on it.

At that point, I took pictures and texted our vet. While what was on his left pastern looked like normal scratches, I had never seen a leg blow up as dramatically as the right one was unless the scratches had been on-going. The vet agreed it was a strange presentation but also thought scratches maybe combined with overuse. I treated the pasterns with dermalone and poulticed the rest of the right hind. That evening, his leg wasn't any better but didn't seen any worse either. His temperature was normal and he ate his dinner. I repeated the cold hosing, dermalone, and poultice.

The next morning, I was horrified to find the swelling was worse, extending into the hock, and the back of the pastern had opened into a oozy mess!! Shiitake. It still didn't look like scratches to me, but instead looked like a hot spot on a dog. :confused_color: Iggy was very lame but his temperature was normal and he happily ate his breakfast and licked the bowl clean, then started pawing the door wanting out. I texted the vet a picture and she said she would be over once her daughter got on the bus.

The vet arrived and agreed it looked much more like a hot spot than anything else, but had never heard of a horse with a hot spot. She sedated Iggy and took a culture of the ooze before cleaning up the pastern. There were a couple scabby places and then one deep split where most of the ooze was coming from. We both wondered if this was really from scratches or if he had a super small puncture wound that closed off and triggered some localized cellulitis/lymphangitis. Iggy was started on naxcel until the culture results were back and I was to scrub the area with chlorhex solution and apply SSD cream twice daily.

You can probably imagine how that went.. heavy duty antibiotics on a horse prone to ulcers is never good. Iggy was ok the first 24 hours, but the second day he didn't clean up his breakfast so I started him on cimetidine right then. At dinner, he only ate about half before turning up his nose. I took him off the senior and added beet pulp to his alfalfa pellets and outlast. The morning of the third day, he came in and just pushed around the food in his pan, so I gave him a dose of sucralfate and tried again in an hour. That time he ate, so I started giving him sucralfate an hour before meals and kept him on the cimetidine three times daily and the nexium once daily. 

Meanwhile, the swelling in the leg improved the first day, then didn't change the second or third. The oozing pastern was dramatically improved the first day and then slowly improved each subsequent day. Iggy needed to be twitched to have the leg handled the first day, but by the second day I could pick up the other hind leg and he would stand for me to treat the bad pastern. I saw that as a good sign even if the swelling didn't change. He was still not sound, but he was moving better (and felt good enough that he would immediately walk to the far side of the paddock as soon as he saw me coming, not that I blamed him).

By the fourth day (which was last Thursday), I think _I_ was developing an ulcer worrying. Momma nature thought it would be funny to finally send rain after all those months of dry, so I agonized over Iggy being out in the wet, but I knew his stressing out in the stall was not going to help the leg or his belly. At least he had the sense to stand under the overhang or in a shed a lot of the time, but the wet still made me crazy. The culture came back with bacterial growth but nothing out of the ordinary, so the vet suggested finishing the 4 day course of naxcel and then seeing if the leg worsened. I was thrilled to be done with the antibiotics as I hoped that would help his belly, but the swelling in the leg really hadn't improved much more and he was still not sound.

Friday morning, the rain had finally stopped and I was pleased that swelling didn't look any worse. Iggy's temperature was still normal and he ate his modified meal with gusto. The pastern wasn't any crustier than it had been. Friday evening, 24 hours off antibiotics, the leg swelling was actually down a small amount and Iggy ate well. I discontinued the sucralfate. Saturday, the swelling didn't look any different to me, but Iggy was sound at a walk and licked his pan clean both meals. Yesterday, it rained again (argh), but the swelling showed some distinct improvement by the evening!! I decreased the cimitidine to twice daily. Today, there was again improvement in the swelling and I added back in a couple handfuls of senior to Iggy's dinner mush. He licked the pan clean. 

Fingers and toes cross things keep going the right way!!


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## carshon

Ugghhhh! I can commiserate. My husbands mare had terrible scratches this spring that I could never quite seem to clear up all of the way and then at the beginning of October her entire leg was swelled. A quick trip to the vet proved my thoughts of cellulitis were right 30 pills per day for 2 full weeks and it looks better - she is sound but the fetlock is still slightly larger than the other. I am not sure that it will ever go down fully. Hopefully Iggy's will


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## egrogan

Oh my poor buddy Iggy. So sorry to read of all his troubles and hope things do keep healing up!


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## QueenofFrance08

Yikes! You've had quite the health issues to deal with! Poor Iggy!


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## gottatrot

So sorry about all the problems. You are way too tough, traveling around with back pain and a terrible migraine. Then still helping everyone with their horses.

I'm glad you are willing to share even about the unfortunate health issues, because I am learning new things from your experiences.


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## phantomhorse13

carshon said:


> she is sound but the fetlock is still slightly larger than the other. I am not sure that it will ever go down fully. Hopefully Iggy's will


Well if staring obsessively would help it, his leg would be perfect! I think it's hit another plateau, which probably won't change until the deep crack in the pastern heals. Iggy seems sound trotting around (I opened a paddock that had been closed off today and they all acted like they had never seen it before :icon_rolleyes. I hope your mare eventually goes back to normal.



gottatrot said:


> I'm glad you are willing to share even about the unfortunate health issues, because I am learning new things from your experiences.


One of the things I hate about social media is that so many people only post the good things, not in an attempt to focus on the positive (because I can't fault that attitude), but because they want to portray having some perfect life.

Well anybody with horses knows they are only looking for creative ways to hurt themselves! I decided when I started my journal I was going to post everything - good, bad and ugly. I think being able to learn from others saves us a lot of strife. I am always happy when people give suggestions or voice their experiences here, especially if it saves me from learned the hard way.


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## phantomhorse13

And as if all the stuff with Iggy wasn't enough.. today we had to say goodbye to DH's dog, Katie.


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## lb27312

Oh no.... I'm so sorry to hear about your DH's dog.... it's never easy.... I hope your pain eases.... RIP Katie....


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## gottatrot

phantomhorse13 said:


> I decided when I started my journal I was going to post everything - good, bad and ugly. I think being able to learn from others saves us a lot of strife. I am always happy when people give suggestions or voice their experiences here, especially if it saves me from learned the hard way.


I appreciate this very much.

So very sorry about Katie. What a beautiful dog.


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## carshon

I am so sorry for your loss. She was such a beautiful dog.


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## bsms

Not sure "like" is the right name for a button. Wish they also had buttons for "That sucks", "I'm sorry", "I understand". Our Border Collie is past 12. He's surprisingly healthy as far as we can tell. Still active and alert. But a couple of years ago, Rusty went from fine to "inoperable, in pain" in 48 hours. Jack has been "my" dog, or perhaps more accurately, I've been his "special project" - the one who in his opinion needs his support most - for a lot of years. I don't want to think about how it will feel when his time is up.

My sister has battled migraines for years. She finally had to stop work because the migraines were hitting 3-4 times a week. Last summer she found a drug that has helped a lot, down to maybe 3/month. It is quite expensive and her insurance won't cover it, but happily the company put her on a low income exception and is providing it for a fraction of the price.

I agree it is important to share the tough times as well as the good. My horses have had a pretty easy time for health, but will face more issues as they age. I don't trailer them - yet - but problems other have experienced help me to decide how to proceed with trailers. (Probably need to get a bigger truck first...my F-150 is one of the few F-150s with a max trailer weight of 3600 lbs)

Best wishes for the future. The highs always are followed by lows, but the lows are generally followed by another high. One fellow says his favorite verse in the Bible is the one saying, "It came to pass...." - because no matter what comes our way, good or ill, it tends to pass. But it isn't easy. No one lives a "Christmas Letter" life - the ones where everyone is doing great, all the kids are great, and everything couldn't be better. I used to write a Christmas letter until my wife said MY Christmas letters were too depressing....


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## ClearDonkey

I'd like to think that someone, somewhere, sent you your new little kitty Lore to help ease this awful transition to life without Katie. I'm sorry for the passing of Katie. Virtual hugs are coming your way from Michigan.


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## PoptartShop

I am so sorry for your loss. :sad: Hugs to you and your family.


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## phantomhorse13

bsms said:


> No one lives a "Christmas Letter" life - the ones where everyone is doing great, all the kids are great, and everything couldn't be better.


I think this is a really good comparison. Though I do wonder if it ages us. Do younger generations still send actual cards at Christmas, and if they do, do they write one of those letters to put in it?!




ClearDonkey said:


> I'd like to think that someone, somewhere, sent you your new little kitty Lore to help ease this awful transition to life without Katie.


I think you are right. DH is understandably taking the loss very hard, but the kitten's antics have made him smile this evening.


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## Celeste

I never know whether to "like" bad news or not. None of us like it, but I think all of u want to offer our support. Katie was beautiful. 

You and your DH have had too many problems with animals. First Iggy getting messed up. Then Katie. 

*The timing on Lore is very interesting. He is an absolutely adorable little kitten!*

I am glad that you post the entire story. I am terrible about not posting at all. It is because I am so dang busy with my teleworking job. I thought it wouldn't be like work.

I am very glad that you share all that you do.


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## knightrider

I can only imagine how difficult everything was with your back on fire and post migraine. I am so sorry about Katie. I hope Iggy heals quickly. What a lot of challenges. So sorry.

This is waaaay out in left field, but in Florida, we riders constantly battle something that some people call "swamp itch". Usually white horses or white legged horses seem to react the most to it. The legs ooze and swell, and at times, the horses are lame. Some people say it comes from chiggers, some say it is seed ticks. Others say it is a reaction to some kind of grass or weed. Some folks combat it by scrubbing the legs after a ride, and there are many opinions as to the best chemical to scrub with. Some folks soak the legs with permethrin before the ride. @4horses puts boots on her horses which seems to help, then she scrubs.

And the real kicker is that about half the horses never react at all. I am so fortunate because I have 4 horses, one of them white, and none of them seem to get it. I had a white horse (rip, my beloved Mar Sereno) that got it miserably, so I know all about the various treatments (that didn't work).


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> This is waaaay out in left field, but in Florida, we riders constantly battle something that some people call "swamp itch".


That sounds horrible! I am glad your current horses don't have issues as it sounds incredibly frustrating. We are having a great crop of ticks this year, so that certainly could be an issue if I am missing very small ones (I do soak everyone in spray before going out, but nothing is perfect).


I think Iggy's biggest problem is he internalizes his stress. I was always taught the biggest cause for scratches and rain rot was immune compromise (versus just being wet, etc). I have definitely seen a correlation between the scratches and stress, as the first time they happened was about a week after he arrived and was still trying to find his place in the herd (and Sultan and Phin were both being ugly). The next time was when I bumped him from casual rides to actual conditioning. The next was a couple days after the LD Dean rode him in. In hindsight, I think his belly was acting up first but I just didn't recognize the subtle signs to start with.


Horses sure keep us humble.


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## phantomhorse13

Got some more catching up to do.

The day after we got home from the last competition (October 25th), I cajoled DH into riding with me. We got George and Link out. As I feared, the weekend I was sidelined with my back was the best weekend for color here, but it there is still some. We started out going across Spaulding's.










The day was quite brisk and Link was feeling a bit fresh, so I decided it was a great day to climb the powerline on the way to the farm. By the time we got to the top, he had found his brain!










We went down across the farm and over to the Tomhicken.










We climbed the Tomhicken and went out the yellow gate trail. Link did really well dealing with the rocks and the puddles. He was even trotting through them by the time we turned around to head back! We went back across the other side of the farm on the way home.










Link was not impressed with being asked to pose as he would rather have been grazing. Hard life. :icon_rolleyes:










We went out the neighbor's lane and down the side of the paved road. Coming back across Alimar, we passed the combine, as Keith had started picking corn.










9.82 miles, 1490 feet of climb, 3.9 mph average pace, 38F real feel


We got some much-needed rain that week, which gave me time to catch up on a bunch of stuff inside. It also meant I had lots of time to play with Lore.



















When I got down on the floor to take pictures, Sonnet did not want to be left out! :lol:










The temperature dropped as the storm pulled away and we got some snow! It melted as it hit the ground thank goodness.











The following weekend, DH and I rode on Saturday (the 31st) as the weather was supposed to be awful for Sunday. We waited until the middle of the day before heading out and hoped not to run into any hunters. We went out across Alimar and beside the road for the first time that direction. There was a lot of traffic, so I handwalked Link until we got to the lane. We headed up across Ziesloft's.










We crossed the farm and went up the Tomhicken, going all the way out the yellow gate trail and across the road. We came back on the trail that parallels that road and came up the pole line - all new trail for Link. Link did really well despite the crisp temperature and breeze. 










Once we got back onto Alimar, we moseyed up the airport strip to let the horses cool out. I took my feet out of the stirrups and Link promptly halted. I realized he was expecting me to get off! He continued walking with a bit of encouragement, but his ears were flicking for quite a while as he got things figured out. 










9.51 miles, 1450 feet of climb, 4.2 mph average pace, 34F real feel


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## gottatrot

Link is very good at posing. So photogenic.


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## phantomhorse13

Still more catch up.. also will be interesting to see how this works (or doesn't) with the new forum changes.

[Apparently we are limited to 10 images per post now.. some "upgrade" when it used to be 15! It also won't let me open more than one reply window at a time, so that will make ride reports tedious as I would work on all of them at once - a window each - then just post them one at a time so they were all together. Not being able to do that means there will be long delays between sections - what a PITA.]


Last Wednesday, I got some saddle time. I started with Link, who was napping when I went out.










We headed out across Alimar. Link was suspicious about the missing corn, but I was thrilled to have less places to worry about things jumping out from.










We went down the creek trail and found several obstacles. The first set of trees were not passable, so i was pleased Link was willing to leave the trail and scramble around them. This next mess only got a sideways glance and then he marched right through.










We went all the way down the creek trail, then looped around and came back up into the Field of Horrors. [This is where multiple creatures have jumped out and where the homeowner burst out of the shed with the lawnmower, scaring Link into the biggest spook we have had so far.] I thought perhaps today would be the day things were peaceful, as we made it almost to the road crossing.. when the homeowner burst out of the front door, carrying several full trash bags and yelling back into the house. Amazingly, Link only startled. I turned him to face the scary thing and he stood, but I could feel his heart hammering against my leg. The man disappered around the back of the house - I don't think he ever saw us. We stood for a minute (I wanted to make sure he didn't appear behind us suddenly!), then went across the road.

Compared to the trash bag monster, the highway with traffic down below was no concern at all! We went the rest of the way home without incident.










5.09 miles, 499 feet of climb, 4.1 mph average pace, 48F real feel


Then I got George out. I started out with Gina and Nik on Amish and Honey. We planned to go over and do the yellow gate trail on the Tomhicken.









However, Honey soon made it clear than she wanted to kill Kestrel. I wasn't sure that Nik was going to be able to control her, so George, Kestrel, and I split off at the bottom of the farm. We went back around Ziesloft's and over to Spaulding's.










We went across Alimar and out the creek trail. I got off and cleared the trail obstacles I had encountered with Link earlier. 










7.09 miles, 853 feet of climb, 4.3 mph average pace, 58F real feel


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## Spanish Rider

Love that pic of Kestrel looking up with the leaves!🥰


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## phantomhorse13

OMG I am really hating this new format as posting is taking on a whole new level of aggravation. If I see the "oops" pop up one more time.. 😡


Friday, I got Phin out for the first time since our attempt at the 100. I expected him to be a bit nuts after all the time off and with all the changes since he had been out last. We did the Sugarloaf loop.

Phin was actually a lot more relaxed than I expected. He did eyeball a lot of things (like the killer vine piles and the missing corn), but never got too acrobatic.










Look how relaxed:






The rain really greened things up!










Phin felt fantastic the whole ride. He would have cantered the whole thing if I had let him.

6.18 miles, 761 feet of climb, 5.6 mph average pace, 62F real feel


Next, it was Link's turn. We also did the Sugarloaf loop, but added in a couple of the climbs. The weather is unseasonably warm, but I loved being out in just a t-shirt!










As we worked our way around the Sugarloaf, one of the people along the lane was burning leaves. As if that wasn't exciting enough, they were dragging the leaves to the fire pile using a huge tarp. I stopped Link a short distance away and let him watch, then when the tarp flapping was done, we slowly approached. He was actually more concerned with the tarp then he was the fire, but he was thrilled when the neighbors paused to scratch his face and feed him cookies (the lady rode when she was a child).

On the way home, we went past the lightning tree, which the horses are still suspicious of. Could it really smell different so many months later?!










We went home via the edge of the paved road, and I stayed on for the first time ever. Got lucky that no traffic passed, though Link did eyeball a political sign that was wiggling slightly. He didn't do anything silly or even step sideways, so hopefully is a good foundation for that section being no big deal.






7.02 miles, 1191 feet of climb, 4.4 mph average pace, 71F real feel

After we got home, Link got hosed off and turned out. After rolling, he got up and took off across the paddock. Guess he wasn't tired!










🐎


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## Celeste

You have such fantastic pictures! I'm glad that Phin is doing well.


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## Piccadilly

I love your member journal! 🤩

I try to get an overview. I´ve skimmed a few pages so that I´m up to date.

The cat is so cute! Almost 10 years ago our cat was in the garden and never went away. No one missed her. She was house trained and she is still a free range cat.

And I love Kestrel. It´s a very beautiful dog!

I hope to read more from you!


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## phantomhorse13

Piccadilly said:


> I try to get an overview. I´ve skimmed a few pages so that I´m up to date.


Welcome! You don't need to worry too much about being up to date as I am still a bit behind, so we can catch up together.


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## phantomhorse13

Last Sunday, George and Link went on an adventure! Ok, George probably didn't think there was much exciting about it, but Link sure did. Instead of tacking up and heading out, DH and I loaded the boys up and drove about an hour south to Hawk Mountain.

The parking lot wasn't too crowded when we arrived about 9am, with only one other horse trailer there. They were just mounting up as we unloaded. Link was a bit sweaty coming off the trailer, so he was obviously nervous about the experience. He was a bit antsy tacking up but didn't do anything silly.










I did my normal routine in terms of tacking and then jogging in hand before mounting. Link's ears were going back and forth like crazy, but he listened to what I asked him. Just as I was getting on, several vehicles pulled in but he didn't care about them at all. We headed out of the parking lot and started the 2 mile climb. Link was pretty jumpy, eyeballing rocks and puddles, but funny.. those things were much less worrisome by the time we got to the top. 










This park is multi-use and it was a beautiful day, so it was no surprise to come upon other trail users. The first two sets were people hiking, so they were pretty uneventful. The next was a lady with several small dogs, who all went crazy at the sight of us. Link eyed them but went past without hesitation (I think he was more worried about the lady, who was yelling loudly at the dogs to be quiet and looked almost like she was conducting an orchestra because of the way the dogs were pulling on the leashes).

We started around one of the loops and a rider popped out of a side trail not too far in front of us. Link must have been able to smell the horse before I saw it, as he didn't even startle. The rider stopped when she saw us and turned around, trotting away. Link watched them disappear without seeming to care. Link did care, however, about the big metal drainpipes edged by rocks that were on each side of the trail periodically. He was less worried about each one he passed, though he never did quit watching them with suspicion.










The trail is also a snowmobile trail, so it was always wide but the footing did vary. Link didn't mind as it wasn't unlike what he is used to on our home trails. We did a lot of trotting where it wasn't too steep. Link did well with pausing to snack on grass, which I was happy to see as it meant he was mostly relaxed.










Link led the majority of the time, but we did practice following a couple times. That actually worries Link more than leading, as he is always wanting to look behind him for the monsters that might be sneaking up. So definitely something we need to keep practicing. Link was in the lead for the two more exciting encounters we had with other trail users.

The first was a man walking a gorgeous German Shepherd dog. We could see them coming and the man pulled the dog to the side of the trail to wait for us to pass. I chatted with the man as we approached, but I could see the dog was totally locked on. I took Link as far to the other side of the trail as possible, but the dog still launched as we drew even with them. Link startled, but only took one sideways step before walking on. For a brief moment, I thought the man was going to be taken right off his feet but he managed to stay upright and keep hold of the leash. 

That trail was an out and back, so I hoped the man and dog would have reached the crossroad and gone a different way by the time we returned. I thought I had gotten my wish as we got almost all the way back without seeing them.. but then rounded the last curve and there they were, in the middle of the intersection. The man looked up and immediately moved off the trail we were on to the one that went to the right, but he left his backpack laying on the ground in the middle. I was keeping an eye on the dog, but Link was eyeballing the pack like it was a ticking bomb. We were about 20 feet away when suddenly a man on a mountain bike appeared from the right. I asked Link to halt (which he was very happy to do) and watched the biker, hoping he would pick a different direction. Of course he didn't, and turned to head straight for us. At that moment, the dog started barking and lunging.

Link backed up a couple steps and tried to turn around, wanting to leave. I was hollering at the biker to stop as I worked on keeping Link facing him. I don't think the biker even saw us to start with, as he had been looking down at the backpack when he made the turn. As soon as I yelled, he looked up and stopped immediately. When the biker stopped, the dog also stopped barking, thank goodness!

I let Link stand for a moment as I explained to the biker this was a young horse and we would need a minute to come by, and could he please talk to me so the horse would know he was a person and not a monster. The biker graciously chatted with me as Link cautiously approached him. Link oozed his way closer and got a great reward when the biker slowly put out his hand (like people greet dogs). I do that at home to invite head scratching, so Link thought that an offer a scratch to his sweaty, itchy head was _wonderful_. Luckily, the biker thought it was very funny! Not only did he let Link scratch on his hand, he took a couple cookies from me and fed them to Link, too.

I walked Link a couple strides past the bike, then turned him around to watch the biker move away. I wasn't sure what the dog was going to do with us being so close, but it remained silent. After the biker had disappeared around the corner, we turned and worked our way past the backpack. The dog remained quiet beside the man and Link didn't spare them so much as a glance as he was not about to take his eyes off that pack! 

After that, we headed back down to the parking lot. The drains were a lot less scary that way.










We got down to the parking lot and got the horses untacked. Link was happy to stand still and munch on his hay. He wasn't all that interested in the water though, only taking a couple mouthfuls.










There is a saying about water in distancing riding: drink it or wear it! Since it was super warm (we set a record high), Link wound up wearing it!










Link loaded up without issues and was totally dry by the time we got home. He came off the trailer quietly and then was happy to hand graze in the yard for a bit before going back out. I could not be more pleased with how the day went!!

10.57 miles, 2090 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 72F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

On Tuesday, we set another record for high temperature! I was just going out to grab Link when Gina called. Nik was not able to make it, so she wanted to know if I was interested in riding. I figured it would be a good learning experience, so I agree. Since things didn't go so well with Giselle last time, Gina rode Amish this time.

Link was a bit excited about having a strange horse around, but it was quite warm so I think that helped keep his enthusiasm in check. Amish walks very fast, so I kept trying to encourage Link to stretch out his walk (versus trotting to catch up). We went out the creek trail and over to the Big Square.










Yet again, we had traffic when we had to cross the bridge, but we just continued on and Link didn't flick an ear. He was, however, worried about the package leaning up against the mailboxes at the end of the lane! 🤪

We did the normal loop then decided to brave passing the scary dog house as we knew Amish wouldn't care and Gina said the biting dog had been rehomed. That house also has goats, so there would be lots of things for Link to see. I handwalked him as I wasn't sure how he would react, nor did I know how far the dogs might follow us and I didn't think dogs AND goats was a good idea!

The two barking dogs were indeed still there, but the biting one was not. I am not a big fan of barking, but Link didn't seem worried. We continued on past the house and the dogs didn't follow, so we were able to focus on the goats. The goats always come over to the fence, so Link got a good close look at them. He seemed more interested than scared.










I walked a short way past the goat pen and hopped on from a bank. We continued on towards the fields. We hadn't gone far when two people walking appeared from the trees. They were staying at the air b'n'b house (which is just past the goats) and were thrilled to see horses. We stopped to chat and they pet the horses and one woman even took a couple selfies with Link!

We moseyed around those fields, which was new trail for Link. He had settled down pretty well behind Amish (despite Amish's jigging) and was actually walking faster than normal! We did some leap frogging so Link got to be in the front, too.










We were heading back down the lane when suddenly there was shooting! It was close enough to be unmistakable but not so close that we worried about being in the line of fire. Link only startled at the first shot, then kept on trucking (he was in the lead at the time). People should not be shooting during archery, but apparently if I ride with Gina, we just need to expect gunfire!

8.08 miles, 830 feet of climb, 3.7 mph average pace, 75F real feel


Yesterday, I got Link out. The temperature had dropped dramatically since our last ride and it was breezy, so Link was jumpy from the start. Because it's the last weekend of archery, I wanted to avoid places people might be hunting, so I had no big climbs to help with brain-finding. I went out across Spaulding's with the intention of going around the Sugarloaf, but they were harvesting corn that way, so I wound up going across the farm instead.










Link was _very_ silly, spooking at bushes and blowing leaves. He kept giving me canter when I asked for trot. He almost came unglued as we came upon the first shooting backstop at the bottom of the farm (which he has seen before!), but I was able to convince him he could pass it without dying. We went across the road and through Gina's old barn, up and across those fields, and then headed back towards home. Link was very reactive and I was sure wishing we could have gone up the Tomhicken!










We went back across the farm and trotted all the way up the bigger orchard climb. That finally took a bit of the edge off and we continued home with slightly less enthusiasm. Once we got back onto Alimar, we practiced transitions to keep his brain engaged. While this wasn't the best ride we have had, he never did anything naughty.

7.31 miles, 1037 feet of climb, 4.4 mph average pace, 40F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Last Monday, I got Phin out for a bareback mosey. I had to laugh at my mismash of tack actually matching the bareback pad! 










We just looped around Alimar, so Kestrel came too of course!










Phin was surprisingly good considering the brisk temperature and the strong wind.






We were heading back when a bunch of deer exploded out of the bushes just about under Phin's nose! I got lucky that deer went so many ways he didn't know which way to spook, so instead just jumped straight up. He managed to keep from any more leaping, but was pretty jiggy for a bit afterwards. His trot is not very comfortable with a saddle and stirrups, so it was an interesting core workout bareback!










3.06 miles, 338 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average page, 31F real feel


Tuesday's forecast was clearing as the day went on, so I grabbed George and headed out for a ride. My plan was the Sugarloaf loop.










But when it started with this, I decided going home was a better idea:






It snowed and sleeted on us the majority of the way home, which was pretty miserable. But I guess even a shorter ride is better than none!










3.67 miles, 446 feet of climb, 5.1 mph average page, 21 F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Behind again.. where does the time go??

Thursday (the 19th), the weather cooperated enough for me to get Link out. It was still quite chilly, but at least the sun was out. We did the Sugarloaf loop.

Link was very good considering the brisk temperature - yes that is ice on the pond!









I was sorry to see the cold had gotten the last of the apples before they could be picked, but they made for a pretty picture.










Link was really good the whole time, including riding down the side of the road on the way back to Alimar. Since it was a good brain day, we stopped at home to grab Kestrel and then did a small loop around the farm with her. Link was much more insulted about going out again than he was worried about the dog!










7.76 miles, 1188 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 41F real feel


Friday (the 20th) was the last day before rifle started, so I was thrilled the weather cooperated for riding! I started with Link and went over to do the Big Square.









Link behaved beautifully, moving along nicely but not being too worried about anything.






At one point, we came around a corner to hear engine noise. I realized a side by side was coming towards us and several dogs were following. Luckily, the biting dog really IS gone, though the remaining dogs did a lot of barking (and they totally ignore their owner). Link seemed more interested than worried and the dogs finally decided to follow the owner away when she started shaking a bag of biscuits - I think Link would have followed her too if I had let him!!










When we got home, I again went and got Kestrel. We did a bigger loop around the farm and again Link didn't care. When we got back into the yard, we practiced stepping on things (that is a tree stump he is standing on).










6.74 miles, 741 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 48F real feel


And then it was George's turn. I was supposed to ride with Gina and Nik, but Gina had something come up and asked if I would babysit Nik. I agreed, suggesting to Nik she ride Amish so I could show her what my normal rides were like.

We did the Sugarloaf loop. We didn't maintain quite the pace I normally would have as it was unusually warm and the boys both have decent winter coats already. But it was glorious to be out cantering along on the flatter places!










George did really well with ignoring Amish's antics (he kept wanting to charge ahead so Nik was often using George's rear as a brake). I think the horses had just as much fun as we did.










Once I got home, I untacked George and then took him out bareback for a mosey to cool down.










8.02 miles, 991 feet of climb, 4.4 mph average pace, 55F real feel


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## fireandicehorse

What are your favorite things about endurance riding? I am trying to explain the appeal to some friends. I love your blog!


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## phantomhorse13

fireandicehorse said:


> What are your favorite things about endurance riding? I am trying to explain the appeal to some friends.


I love seeing new places from the back of a horse. Many rides in this region are held on private land that wouldn't be accessible to the average trail rider.

I love that the sport can be both a personal challenge (you and your horse working to improve your previous effort) and/or a group challenge (if you want to aim for top 10 or win, etc).

I love that I am the one responsible for myself and my horse. I have to determine what is the best pace, best cooling practice, best elyte protocol, etc to get us through the ride successfully.

I love that I am always learning something (and yes, this is directly related to the previous statement!).

I love the sense of community among distance riders. It is the only sport I have ever experienced where people willingly help their competition during the event.


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## phantomhorse13

Last week, I went down to South Carolina with Lani and Kathy for the last ride of the 2020 season. It was time for Lapco to step up her game - she and Flo were entered in the 55! We left Virginia Thanksgiving morning and were happy to have decent driving weather and little traffic. We were suprised to see so many people already in camp when we arrived in the late afternoon, but we found ourselves a good spot and got the horses settled.

Kathy had brought the generator, so we were able to re-heat the amazing meal the ladies at their store had prepared and packed for us: honey roasted turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes. We even had cranbury sauce after I managed to cajole the ancient can opener into working! It was a tad strange to not have a big potluck meal as previous years, but with COVID numbers rising, everyone was being as smart as possible and brought their own food. We were lucky to have the ride manager and another long-time volunteer come over to eat with us, and if the circle we were sitting in was 20 feet or so across, nobody seemed to mind as I got to hear many stories of past rides and shared memories.

The next day, we got the horses out for a pre-ride first thing. The weather was glorious and the horses behaved well. Lapco did a bit of head tossing, but never even thought about putting a hump in her back or bucking. Kathy was riding Flo, Lani was on Lito, and April (who hadn't arrived yet) would be riding Fugi, so he got ponied for the pre-ride.










After the ride, we got things ready for the next day and got the horses vetted in. The other rider arrived and we got her saddle (also a treeless Bob Marshall) configured for Fugi and I walked around on foot with her for a brief ride. Before long, it was time for dinner (more turkey and fixings, which was just as amazing as the previous night) and then bed.

I was not pleased to hear rain start about 5 am - so much for only a 20% chance of a morning shower! The rain wasn't heavy, but it continued as we went through our morning routine and got tacked up. I tried not to whine, but as you all know, I really loathe being wet! The weather was chilly enough I needed a coat, but warm enough I was worried i would be too warm riding in the coat.. but a check of the radar showed the rain would continue for a while, so coat it was.










The start of the ride is about a 1/4 mile from camp, so after we got on, we walked out that way to check in. Walking out, Lapco was a bit jiggy but nothing too bad (and she can't walk as fast as Flo, so normally has to do some jogging to keep up). However, when we got to the start, gave our numbers, and then turned away she tried to balk. I almost had to laugh, as she shook her head and sulked as I asked her to keep walking back towards camp as she was so sure I was doing it wrong!! We realized we had never gone to the line and turned back before, so it was a new experience for her. 

We kept walking and she eventually quit heading shaking, but she would have turned around if I had let her - she made it very clear she knew where trail was and she did not want to go back to the trailer! We kept making circles around camp until trail was open, then headed back to the start. As we hoped, that let the bulk of the riders (39 started) go and be out of sight by the time we got there. 










The first loop was 23 miles. The terrain there is sandy, varying from hard packed to deep. There are also some gravel roads with varying size stone. It's not totally flat, but it's sure not the mountains of Virginia either. We tried to keep a solid trot pace and appreciate momma nature sponging the horses for us as the light rain continued.

We came across the photog at about mile 5 and she caught Lapco with all her feet off the ground! I really like how soft her expression is in the picture, despite having other horses around us on trail.










The rain dropped to off and on showers by the time we hit the halfway point. I was happy to not be any more wet than I was, but I was not looking forward to the sun coming out. 










The horses knew when we turned back towards home and were happy to move out. We got lucky that it waited until we were just about back to camp to appear and at the same time, a light breeze picked up. I was just starting to shed my jacket when we came upon the photog again:










Not the best picture ever, but would have been even worse had the photog been a 1/4 mile further on, as I would have had my coat half on and half off!

We got into camp to find Lani and April had gotten there just moments ahead of us. That made for a bit of traffic at the water we had put out, but we got all 4 horses untacked and cooled and vetted without incident. By midway through the hold, the sky had totally cleared. All the horses ate happily.










We got Lito and Fugi back out on trail, then left camp for the second 16 mile loop ourselves. We caught up to Lani and April about a half mile out of camp. Lapco wasn't too sure she thought continuing on with Flo was the better than walking along with Lito and Fugi, but she listened to my leg and we soon left Lito and Fugi behind us. Before long, we caught up to some other riders, so Lapco got more practice dealing with company. The lady on the grey either didn't have much control of her horse or was not very good at paying attention as they bumped Lapco several times. I was pleased that Lapco didn't kick out (though she did pull some ugly faces), but it made for a frustrating ride.










We got a bit of a break when the other two riders moved out and the grey went with them, but she apparently could not maintain that pace and we soon caught her again. Lapco did her best to focus on her job, but she always had an ear on that grey..










to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 2:

We got into camp and got both horses untacked. A couple sponges and we were off to the vetting. Both girls passed their checks with no issues.










Flo and Lapco chowed down like fiends during the hold and both drank well. The temperature had climbed enough that I was happy to change into a sleeveless shirt and made sure to keep myself hydrated. I washed both horses sides and girth area well to remove the sand-crusted sweat.










When it was time to tack back up, Lapco was standing snoozing. She gave me quite the stink eye when I approached with the saddle and I had to laugh - she had never gone more than two loops before, so she thought she was done! We had just finished tacking when Lani and April got back to camp to finish their ride. They had taken it very easy due to the heat, so both Lito and Fugi completed - tied for turtle - without issues.

I expected Lapco to be a bit sulky about leaving the trailer, especially as Lito and Fugi were there, but she walked over to the out timer without fuss. The photog got this pic as we were waiting to be released:










The last loop was 14 miles and it a lot of trail we had done in previous loops. We must have outpulsed the grey horse, as we never saw them again. The horses still had plenty of energy, so we did more cantering this loop.










We watched the sun set as we were about 5 miles from camp. There was a super bright, almost-full moon to light our way, so we didn't need the lights we had brought along just in case. Lapco got stronger as the loop went on and overall wasn't phased by the dark. She was a bit suspicious of things rustling in the woods now and again (and I have to admit, I was really hoping feral pigs weren't going to be an issue), but whatever was making the sounds stayed out of sight.










We got back into camp, pulled tack, and both horses vetted through with all As. Lapco is an endurance horse!!
























The next morning, we packed up camp and headed for home. All the horses looked really good. We stopped about midway to give the horses a chance to rest and ordered a pizza. The horses got a nice sloppy mash of alfalfa and outlast as we ate our pizza sitting on a retaining wall. We enjoyed being outside while we could as we knew winter was coming..










When we got back to Lani and Kathy's farm, the horses went tearing off bucking and farting once they were turned out. So nice to see and a great end to the season!

🐎


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## egrogan

Congrats on such a great season, with all the wonderful horses you piloted. As usual, you and your adventures are an inspiration. Hopefully next season I actually get to see you in person again! 🤞


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## phantomhorse13

egrogan said:


> Hopefully next season I actually get to see you in person again! 🤞


I sure hope so! 

Please pencil me in for Moonlight in VT (July 17th) as Phin would love to have you as crew! Maybe I can sweet talk @Avna into coming up as well..


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## Avna

Oh, I would love to.The two things which slow me down in my horse adventures are my chronic fatigue, which is hard to deal with, and the fact that my horse hates to trailer alone and pretty much makes both our lives miserable if I subject her to it. What I need is a trailering buddy ... which is possible. My local horse friends pool is slowly expanding.


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## egrogan

phantomhorse13 said:


> I sure hope so!
> 
> Please pencil me in for Moonlight in VT (July 17th) as Phin would love to have you as crew! Maybe I can sweet talk @Avna into coming up as well..


It's a date! @Avna, it's quite an event, you should definitely come for it!


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## QueenofFrance08

Hey that's not Jefferson! Did they get a new trailer?!


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## PoptartShop

That looks amazing. I am always blown away by your journal!


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> Hey that's not Jefferson! Did they get a new trailer?!


Hmm.. that trailer and the truck that pulls is have been around about a year, but only been going to rides fairly recently. It's a 6 horse head to head 4star, which is pulled by Guido, the toter home truck they bought after Baby Kitty was totaled.

I apparently have not taken pics of Guido, but he looks something like this:


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## carshon

Toterhome - that just cracked me up!


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## SwissMiss

phantomhorse13 said:


> part 2:
> When it was time to tack back up, Lapco was standing snoozing. She gave me quite the stink eye when I approached with the saddle and I had to laugh - she had never gone more than two loops before, so she thought she was done!


This is too funny! Reminded me of Raya at Bigfoot, where she looked at me as I had lost my mind when I started tacking up again at the end of the hold 🤣
But in every single picture you shared, Lapco looks like she had a blast! Same for you, despite the rain.😁


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## phantomhorse13

carshon said:


> Toterhome - that just cracked me up!


When Kathy first mentioned it, I thought she was kidding.. or using some made-up phrase of her own. But that is really what it's called! And some of them are nicer than my real house.. if you are bored, look at some google images!


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## phantomhorse13

SwissMiss said:


> But in every single picture you shared, Lapco looks like she had a blast! Same for you, despite the rain.😁


Lapco did really well. She was maybe not as enthused leaving the second and third time as the first, but at no point did she fuss or even need a second leg cue. Of course having Flo along as a behavior model helps a lot, but we really weren't sure how things would go. At a couple rides in the past, Lapco balked with Kelsie even with Flo as an example (and once at an away hold when the last loop was going back to camp!). But she has either matured or else become resigned to her life of toil.


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## phantomhorse13

I have been grounded due to rifle season. That means plenty of time spent with Kestrel and Lore and getting stuff done around the place.

Lore at 12 weeks:


















13 weeks:









14 weeks:





15 weeks:














And best of all, SONNET is playing now!!






Kestrel has been doing plenty of helping, too. The last of the leaves came down, which meant raking. Raking is probably the second best thing in the world according to Kestrel. It's cause for great excitement, as first there is chasing the rake, then there is playing in the leaf piles!










And off course, the very best thing in the world is round:









Kestrel even plays with Link when nobody else will:





Kestrel helped decorate the gate:









And she loved the first real snow we got:









So did Link!


















I am thrilled that the temps have warmed up slightly, so by Sunday (when rifle is over) it should be all gone!!


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## carshon

I love Kestrel and Lore - so glad he settled right in. Link and Kestrel is cute!


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## gottatrot

Wonderful pics!!


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## phantomhorse13

On Saturday, DH and I went to visit some acquaintances with a lovely lab who just had puppies! DH, who has always been a lab person, thought he wanted a border collie as Kestrel has totally won him over.. but when we saw a picture of the litter, I knew the universe was trying to tell us something.

the parents:










Stella had a huge litter of 12! There were 9 pups who hadn't been claimed for us to pick from. I knew DH wanted a black female, so I occupied myself with one of the chocolates while he interacted with the 4 black females that were available. Something about this pup called to him, so she will be ours!









She is pretty middle of the pack in terms of size, though her head is a bit more broad then some so I wonder if she will take after the sire. She was really happy to be held, with a tail that didn't stop wagging and a tongue that just wanted to clean your face. 






She was not as adventurous as a couple (the one with the red collar in particular is going to be a handful), but she held her own in the playing.
























😍


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## egrogan

Oh goodness, those big squishy puppy bellies! They are adorable. Glad DH found one he connected with.

After Hugh's litter was born, we didn't know which pup we were going to get as the breeder decided based on their personalities and the intended "job" the new owners had in store for their pup. Seems like she's made great matches as all of Hugh's littermates are thriving in their new worlds. But it worked out that Hugh is the one we hoped we'd get after meeting the litter the first time, and even though we never said that to the breeder, lo and behold, he became ours. 

Can't wait to watch all the adventures once your new pup comes home with you.


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## phantomhorse13

The owners are making sure all the dogs are going to active homes, so they didn't seem as concerned about matching the personality types. DH couldn't express what exactly drew him to that pup, so I can only hope that Katie was guiding him in his choice!

I just edited the post to add a couple videos (don't know why they didn't show up the first time). I had to laugh watching the puppy waving around her front legs - she will fit right in with Kestrel and Lore!!


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## phantomhorse13

On Friday, momma nature finally settled down, giving us above normal temperature and no wind! I decided to take Link over to Gina's ring since it was still rifle season.

I expected Link to be nutty since he's not been ridden in 3 weeks, but I didn't expect this sight when I went to get him:









I have no idea what he did or where, other then he tried to stick his head somewhere it didn't belong! I got the wound clipped up and cleaned. After a text convo with the vet, we decided gluing it would be fine. Link was amazingly tolerant of the whole process.










Seeing as the wound was far from his heart, that didn't get him out of working. I took the browband off the bridle and tacked him up. He was antsy in the stall, shifting around and pooping multiple times - apparently he had reverted to being feral. 

I debated getting on and riding to Gina's versus handwalking him over, but decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and got on. We had a couple big spooks leaving the yard, but it didn't work and we kept on going. Unfortunately, Gina was just getting home as we arrived at the ring, so there was a lot more chatting than actual riding. But that maybe wasn't such a bad thing, as Link walked around with his head in the air and his eyes bugged out, looking at everything and nothing. Eventually, he settled down and we did a bit of trot work and walked over the previously horse-eating poles.










Heading home, he was finally walking along calmly and without looking for monsters at every step.

2.07 miles, 66 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 46F real feel

When we got back, I got out the body clippers for what I expected to be the first of several (or many) sessions I would need to be able to clip him. When I got him, he reacted wildly to even my quiet cordless clippers (his previous owner had given up trying to clip him and resorted to using scissors for his bridlepath). I had worked with him to get him to accept his bridle path being clipped, though it was still far from his favorite activity.

As I expected, the sight and sound of the (very loud) body clippers had his eyes bugging and his whole body tense with me just standing in the stall door. I just stood for a moment and his curiosity got the best of him. He wanted to chew on them, but the strong vibration had him jerking his nose away. After a couple repeats of that, I walked further into the stall. He tensed up and looked away initially, but another moment of standing and he was back wanting to chew on them. A few rounds of that and then I was standing beside him repeating the process.

When I first laid the clippers against his neck, his head shot back up and he leaned back, thinking about leaving. That is when the cookie came out. Suddenly, there was a reason to tolerate the clippers! (I found this technique worked well for clipping his bridle path as he is a cookie fiend - he is so mouthy that he never gets treats otherwise). As he finished the cookie, I took the clippers off his neck. It didn't take many repetitions and you could see the light bulb go off - this big, horrible noisy thing touching him = cookie!

I hadn't expected to progress to actually clipping him in just one session, but he was so enthused about earning his cookies that I progressed to turning the clippers over and actually using them. He twitched his skin a little to start, but soon forgot all about it because it earned him a cookie. Before long, his neck and chest were done!










I was so so so pleased with him! It never ceases to amaze me how hard he tries (and never underestimate the power of a well-timed cookie!). 💃 💃 💃 (that being my happy dance)


Saturday was the last day of rifle season, so of course I couldn't wait to get back out on trail on Sunday. When I fed first thing in the morning, it was still unseasonably warm and clear with only a light breeze. Unfortunately, momma nature thought she would be funny: while we were eating breakfast, the wind suddenly arrived with a vengeance. DH wasn't real excited to be riding, but I figured I was better off with company and wind after such a long break than hoping the weather would improve a different day and going out alone, so browbeat him into it.

The ground was a soggy mess, so we went out across Alimar Link eyeballed the trees and the weeds and the puddles and things I couldn't even see. George was also feeling mighty fine and spooking, so that sure didn't help. I got off to handwalk down the paved street, as Link was like sitting on a powder keg. As I went to get back on once we got to the lane, someone came out of the house unexpectedly and Link shot sideways as George shot the other direction. I managed to stay on, but it cemented the idea that we needed some climbing. For the first time, Link went up the north side of the Sugarloaf - the steep side.

By the time we hit the top, he had settled down tremendously - a miracle! 










We went down the backside and then came back up the south side. Link was a bit more enthused as that was pointing towards home, but was easily convinced that an easy trot then a walk up the steep parts was the best idea.

We went back down across Ziesloft's without incident. When we got back to the pavement, there was a lot of traffic so I just jogged him in hand to prevent any excitement. We saw Gina and Nik leaving as we got to the top of Alimar's driveway, but Link didn't care. We moseyed home on a loose rein.

When we got home, I changed out the saddle for a bareback pad. We grabbed Kestrel and then headed out around the top of Alimar for a cool down loop.

Link was totally unphased by the lack of saddle.










As we turned to cross the field, someone started shooting. It was hard to know exactly where they were, but with the wind they sounded very, very close. Link's ears flicked a few times, but he never changed his stride. We continued around the loop and back to the barn.

6.21 miles, 1178 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average pace, 38F real feel


With the weather changing, I put Link's new sheet on. I figured I better take a picture fast, as it would never be that clean again. This is what I got:









This is why we can't have nice things!!  🙈

It's also the reason I bought a 1690 denier sheet with a lifetime warranty..


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## phantomhorse13

Momma nature was in a pretty bad mood last week, sending rain Monday then crazy winds Tuesday along with plummeting temperatures. Wednesday afternoon, we were expecting the arrival of a Nor'easter, with snow predictions of 18-24 inches. While I was fervently hoping the forecasts were wrong, I really wanted to get out on trail to see the state of the puddles/ice before they were covered with snow. 

Wednesday morning, I headed out with Link. I decided to bring Kestrel along for the first time. We headed over to the yellow gate trail. Link was a bit hyper to start with, wanting to chase Kestrel and play, but he soon settled down after the second climb. No surprise there were lots of puddles, many of which were impassible. We did some back tracking but eventually were able to work our way around.










We did a small loop off the driveway which Link had never done. Kestrel was thrilled because there were a ton of squirrels to chase. The first few, she would turn around after treeing them and come cavorting back, almost like she was trying to get Link to join her in the chase!















The longer we were out, the more damp and heavy the air became. We had _just_ gotten home when the skies opened and the snow began - two hours earlier than predicted.

11.65 miles, 1890 feet of climb, 4.3 mph average pace, 16F real feel


This was my view Wednesday afternoon when I fed:









And this was my view Thursday morning:









Pretty scary when a foot of snow is a relief! We got lucky the bullseye of the storm tracked north; only an hour from here wound up with 41" of snow. Those crazy snow amounts continued all the way into New England - poor @egrogan to have to deal with it! 

Kestrel was thrilled.. though she kept losing her sticks (and yes, she is standing here). 🙃









I spent all day Thursday digging out and helping the elderly neighbors do the same. Thank goodness for equipment, as shoveling the porches and around the buildings where the plow couldn't get was exhausting enough. Kestrel LOVES shoveling and you have to be careful not to accidentally hit her with the shovel..
















Friday, it was saddle time! I started with Link and Kestrel came too. We went around Alimar and then down the creek trail before looping back to Alimar. It was so fun to see all the animal tracks in the snow.









Link was not very impressed with how everything looked different, so he was on his toes and snorting a lot of the ride. Luckily, moving in so much snow is hard work, so that balanced out the silly.














4.15 miles, 486 feet of climb, 3.7 mph average pace, 23F real feel

Next was George. I was supposed to meet Gina and Nik, but Gina had something come up and didn't ride. So Nik rode Amish and met us to try the Sugarloaf loop.









George was feeling mighty fine, as was Amish. But snow is hard work so they weren't too silly for long.















5.93 miles, 899 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 21F real feel


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## gottatrot

So neat to see your trails in the snow!


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## phantomhorse13

gottatrot said:


> So neat to see your trails in the snow!


Its a good thing I know them well, as in some places you would never have known they were there! Amazing how well the farm roads blend into the fields when everything is white.


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## phantomhorse13

On Saturday, I cajoled DH into riding. We went over to the Space Needle, which was a first for Link. He was a bit suspicious of the changes in the trail, eyeballing drifts and places the deer scraped away the snow as we went along. The creek was a challenge, but he did decide it was too cold for sharks and manage to cross it. The housing development caused some angst, between the random snow plastered on the road and the Horrible Trash Cans lurking along the edges (why does it always seem to be trash day?!).

I took advantage of George being there to practice passing and being passed, going side by side (which makes mr mouthy want to reach over and nip  ), and even slowing down while George went on ahead. I was surprised and pleased that the kids hadn't been out on their ATVs, so the trails were untouched other than animal tracks.










Instead of the normal loop I prefer, we did an out and back to avoid icy puddles. I was pleased when Link didn't try to increase the pace just because we had turned for home. I even asked for canter a couple times and he was soft and relaxed.















11.36 miles, 1486 feet climb, 4.3 mph average pace, 18F real feel


Monday, I got Link out. Nicole was supposed to come over and ride George, but she couldn't make it. So we headed out with Kestrel to do the Sugarloaf loop on our own.










Link was very well behaved and seemed to be enjoying himself in the snow. Kestrel, of course, was having a great time.










As we worked our way around the Sugarloaf, it was soon evident that someone had been out in a side by side.. and they had really been having a lot of fun with no regards to the conditions. The melting snow had softened the top of the ground, so there were lots of places (especially around corners) that had deep ruts gouged into the trail. Ugh. 🤬

6.74 miles, 1037 feet climb, 4.2 mph average pace, 33F real feel


Yesterday, I got Link out. From the start, he was a bit agitated, not wanting to stand quietly to be tacked and wanting to jog before being asked. I decided it would be a good day to climb! We went out across Spaulding's and then headed up the climb.

I was happy to see nobody had been up that portion in any vehicles, so the footing was lovely.









Unfortunately, that didn't last long as by the time we hit the next tier of the climb, the tracks were back. Link wanted to travel in the tire marks, but that was very slippery. I am sure our tracks look like he was drunk as he weaved back and forth trying to get into a track as I tried to keep him in the center. Eventually, we made it to the top.










The way down was equally unpleasant. Some of the trail was so torn up, I was afraid to ride down it so got off to lead Link. My winter boots are real riding boots, so don't have much tread at all. I guess that is a 'safety feature' so you don't get hung up in a stirrup, but it sure made for miserable hiking as I slithered all over the place trying not to fall.

Link was thoroughly fed up by the time we got down and I got back on. When he argued about which direction we were going, we went back up the Sugarloaf again. This time, I tried a different way down but it was just as awful. Link was very fussy as we headed back towards Alimar, wanting to jig and fussing with the bit. So we did a lot of transitions and practiced different speeds within gaits. He was unimpressed.










I was equally unimpressed and was not about to let him behave that way and go home as a reward. Every time he popped into a trot without being asked, we turned around and went the opposite way (at a trot) for a bit. Then, I would ask him to stop and stand. If he did, we turned around and walked back towards home (and if he didn't, we kept trotting away). Eventually, Link figured out I really meant it and he was better off just walking home. Silly boy!

8.44 miles, 1709 feet climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 34F real feel


Today, the predicted storm arrived and is making a mess of things. We have only had about an half inch of rain so far, but that is enough to cause massive ponding and runoff as the snow melts. We are forecast to have another 2 inches of rain overnight, and then temperatures will drop tomorrow. I have all my fingers and toes crossed that the rain stops before the freeze, so maybe the world won't be a skating rink.


Wishing everyone who celebrates it a very Merry Christmas and a great long weekend to those who don't!


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## carshon

Are the trails with the side by side public trails? That would make me so angry to see everything torn up.


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## phantomhorse13

carshon said:


> Are the trails with the side by side public trails?


No, it's all private land. The one doing the tearing up is the owner's teenage son. He's had the side by side taken away in the past for similar reasons, so I wonder if that will be happening again. I am worried those places will have washed badly from the horrible storm we had (we got 3 INCHES of rain in about 12 hours), as places that don't normally wash did. But unfortunately, nothing I can do but make the owner aware and hope something happens..


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## phantomhorse13

The Christmas storm dumped 3 inches of rain on us in about 12 hours, which along with the melting snow, caused some impressive flooding. We are on high ground, but many in the area were not so lucky. The local creek was higher than I have ever seen it. The small tree in the center of the picture (just behind the one leaning so badly) is normally the water's edge. In fact, it has a water level measuring stick attached to it (used by the local kayakers and rafters so they know if they can make it to the get-out spot without having to carry their boats). 

When I took this picture, we weren't sure if the measuring stick was submerged or had washed downstream! The water level has since gone down, revealing the stick was indeed still there. The top of the stick is 6' over the normal water level..










Closer to home, the fields had developed creeks where creeks don't belong:


















Friday, the temperature started dropping. The original forecast was for a flash freeze very early in the morning, but we got lucky that the temperature just dropped steadily throughout the day, giving some of the water a chance to drain before turning to ice. Not all of it though..

DH and I got George and Link (and Kestrel) out on Sunday. We knew ice would be a problem, so decided to go over to the Big Square as that was high ground. We made it down to the creek trail going through the higher fields but was surprised to find ice in places along that trail - a first! Luckily, we were able to bushwhack our way around it.

We went behind the township building and up in to the neighbor's field that has been such a trouble spot for Link in the past. The one house we pass closely was quiet, as those people head south for the winter. Link eyed it suspiciously as we went by, but for a change nothing exciting happened at all!

We crossed the bridge over the creek; the water level had dropped, but it was still impressive. Then we went down the private lane and up into the fields.










Link got more and more agitated as the ride went on. Kestrel was zipping around like a fool and that was really setting Link off. At first I thought he wanted to play with her, but when he actually took a shot at her when she flashed by (luckily out of range), I wasn't so sure (and made sure to correct him soundly). From that point on, he felt like a bomb waiting to go off.

Several times, he suddenly exploded into the air, kicking out and/or striking. I don't think he was trying to remove me (luckily), but such antics were not appreciated. We did a lot of work on transitions. DH made several comments about his impressive athletic displays.. 










We eventually made it home walking on a loose rein, but it took a lot of backtracking and transitions and there was a lot of angst. I have to say it was quite a frustrating ride, though it ended better than I expected, all things considered.

Wonderful DH got me a new helmetcam for christmas, so I took it out on our ride to start getting acquainted with it. There will be a bit of a learning curve with the buttons and I need to buy more batteries as it died after about an hour in the cold. If you look closely from 2:17-2:21, you can see the measuring stick is visible on the tree again:






7.74 miles, 9.32 feet of climb, 3.6 mph average pace, 27F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Last week, I trekked down to Florida with Kathy and Lani. April was supposed to drive with another friend, but plans changed at the last moment and she wound up coming with us. It was mighty cozy in Guido with 4 people and 2 dogs! Because of the state of the world, I didn't pack until the last moment as I was half expecting things to be canceled due to COVID. I had plenty of supervision packing though!










I left at 6am Tuesday morning to drive to Virginia. Once there, we finished packing the trailer and then organized the horses. Fugi was unexpectedly lame (we always trot horses before loading them for that very reason), so Brimstone got to go instead in a last moment shuffle. We were on the road by noon and drove straight through. Because Guido has massive fuel tanks, we didn't even have to stop for fuel on the way. We did stop every 4 hours or so to let the horses rest and have a snack (and let the people and dogs have a potty break). We got to ride camp in Florida just after 6am Wednesday - I was up the whole time as my road job is to keep the driver awake. We got the horses settled and then everyone took a much-needed nap.









Even after napping until almost noon, we were still just about the only people in camp! 









Eventually management rolled in. We got registered and vetted the horses, then tacked up for a pre-ride. Everyone was riding the 25 miler the following day, but Kathy and I would be riding together and Lani and April would be riding together as we knew the horses would pace differently.









After the ride, everyone got a nice bath. That of course meant all the horses fell down one by one afterwards:









We spent the afternoon getting things organized and enjoying the amazing weather:









Before long, it was time for dinner (at our trailer) and then bed. It cooled off just enough overnight to make sleeping comfortable, though Lito is a very vigorous eater so his haybag banging off the trailer had me awake multiple times. Morning was crystal clear and we had a lovely full moon to provide light until the sun was up. 









We got everyone ready and mounted, then separated to warm up. We were shocked that Lapco had a hissy fit being separated from Brimstone! They do not live together at home so no clue why she became attached overnight. It made for an interesting warm up, as she alternated between calling for him and flinging her head in disgust.

We headed out of camp on the first 15 mile loop. Once we got moving, Lapco settled down but she was still a bit full of herself.









The trails are all sandy, with some places being harder packed than others. We got stuck with some unwanted company for a portion of the loop, as the lady's horse wouldn't keep going if she went in front, yet she couldn't (or wouldn't) keep it back off of us. Lapco was not happy with it running up behind her and actually did better with that horse between her and Flo!









Eventually our unwanted company departed when we caught some other riders at a road crossing, leaving us to enjoy the wonderful day and fun trails. 









to be continued..


----------



## phantomhorse13

part 2:

We got the horses untacked and cooled and passed the vetting with no issues. The horses snacked while we took care of ourselves, but before long it was time to tack up and get going again.









The second loop was 10 miles and wound up being my favorite of all the trails we did.









Lapco felt great and was very forward despite the heat. She and Flo rocked along all day.









I thought this section of the trail was straight out of a postcard!









We finished the ride in what seemed like no time. The girls looked great so we decided to stand for BC. Here they shared a snack while we waited for the exam.


















I had time to get the tack hosed down and set out to dry and eat some lunch before Lani and April came in (turtle, of course).









Both horses completed, but Brimstone did not want to eat once he got back to the trailer. Brim is normally all about eating, so we knew his belly was acting up. He has a history of ulcers and hadn't been pre-treated earlier in the week since his inclusion was last minute. After giving him some gastrogard and trying to hand feed him to no avail, Lani had the treatment vet (Bob, the vet who owns the farm we stayed at in normal years) give him some banamine and run some fluids. That perked him right up!










As Brim finished with his treatment, the girls got a spa treatment in the form of mineral mud poultices. They were also happy to finish the snacks Brim had refused.









to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 3:

We had another yummy dinner at the trailer and then wandered over to the arena to watch a friend compete in a cutting competition that happened to be taking place all that week. [It was interesting to see how some people wore masks and kept their distance while others acted like nothing out of the ordinary was going on around them. I got to use my mare glare when a couple strangers acted like they were going to sit down on the bleachers beside me, but the point was taken and they sat elsewhere.] We got to see the friend's go and then went back to the trailer and went to bed.

No surprise that the sounds of fireworks woke me up about 10:30 and continued until a bit after midnight. I was pleased the noise didn't disturb the horses but wished I could have been sleeping! Morning came all too soon, and while the sky was clear, it was foggy and warm. We did the safety check trot with Lapco and Flo and were cleared to go (Brim and Lito were not going out).









Lapco was again not thrilled to leave Brimstone, but was much less animated about it. We left camp mid-pack and she did a great job mostly ignoring the horses around her.









That loop was supposed to be 15 miles total, consisting of two different color smaller loops. We had no issues on the first color.









However, when we changed over to the second, we wound up back at camp much sooner than we should have. And we weren't the only ones - the entire ride was milling around in the field trying to figure out what they had done wrong! Management sent us out to repeat the second color to make up the mileage. It was a bit confusing, but Lapco did great having to leave camp (and the screaming Brimstone) yet again. She did well with having many horses in close quarters (unfortunately the camera battery died, so I didn't get any footage of that repeat loop with all the company).









When we got back to camp for the second time, we actually had done the needed mileage. The fog had burned off but it was still very humid, so there was some sponging after we untacked to get the horses comfortable. Both mares vetted through without issue and chowed down the entire hold. In no time, we were tacking back up and heading back out.









The second loop was the same as the day before, so we knew we were in for a treat. A nice breeze had picked up, which was wonderful as it was very warm.









We had the trail mostly to ourselves, so enjoyed every minute.









We let Lapco take the lead on several occasions and she did really well. I think she knew where she was, as she would have cantered the second half of the loop if I had let her.









We got back to camp and completed the ride without issue. The girls got baths then settled in to snacks.


















to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 4:

Lani had decided to enter Lito in the evening LD, which started at 4:30. We all enjoyed a late lunch and then started getting things prepared. Lani and I had so much fun doing that ride two years ago, so I was really pleased she was willing to try it on the new horse. I was just starting to tape glowsticks on Lito's breastcollar when Bob came over to ask me if I could haul a horse to the emergency clinic for him.

Kathy said she was fine to get Lani ready on her own, so next thing I knew, I was behind the wheel of Bob's rig (the 29' stock trailer is his "small" trailer!!). The mare looked pretty bad when we loaded her, so I spent the 30 minute trip hoping she would stay on her feet and trying to make the ride as smooth as possible. She actually looked a bit brighter when we arrived at the clinic, so that was a huge relief (she was treated with fluids and meds overnight and was released the next day - whew). 

Kathy asked us to stop for ice and some supplies on the way home.. and the only place that seemed like it would have everything we needed was Walgreens. It was somewhat surreal to be driving a horse trailer there, but I guess Ocala is used to horse people doing weird things as nobody really gave it a second glance and i was able to get everything we needed before returning to camp.









I got back to camp in plenty of time to see Lani during her hold. Lito was somewhat worried about the lights of camp, but had done great in the woods. Lani was smiling from ear to ear! Lito passed the vetting without issue and chowed down during the hold. I walked them out of camp to help keep Lito calm until the got to the woods. Before long, Lani was texting to let us know she was coming in. I went out to meet her at the edge of the woods. Lito was a bit tense, but Lani was again beaming.

Lito vetted through without concerns and they did the BC exam right then. Lito dragged April around like she was barely even there! No surprise that Lani won BC with a score of 790 (800 being perfect)!! We all ate a late dinner and then fell into bed.

The next morning was cloudy, humid, and very still. The girls cleaned up their breakfasts and then passed their safety trot outs. We got tacked up and ready to go.










Lapco was less vocal about leaving camp but was pulling some impressive faces. When trail opened, we headed out .. and I think she made her feelings clear as we passed the photog!









Gotta love a red mare!!   🙈 

We went out on the same 15 mile loop as the first day. It was like riding in a swamp and we kept hoping for any sort of breeze. Lapco was unenthusiastic but not disobedient.. though she would have happily turned for camp and left Flo without hesitation.









The footing was deeper in many places as so many hooves had been over it in the past couple days. We did a lot more walking as a result. After one of the walk breaks, Lapco took some occasional off steps when we returned to trotting. I put her in the front so Kathy could watch her and she agreed - where the sand was anything but solid, she was not even. Shiitake.









I got off and hand walked her the rest of the way to the hold. She pulsed down without issue, but took a handful of funny steps during the trot out. Day over. Kathy rider optioned with Flo, as packing up to go home was higher priority than going back out in the sand again. We started cleaning things up while Lani got babysitting duty:














We spent the next several hours getting everything together and then loaded up to head home. We left camp about 1pm for the long trek home. Sarah and Pepper were thrilled to be back in Guido and heading home (they were also hoping April was going to share her lunch):









We got back to the farm in Virginia about 8am Sunday morning - I was a zombie after having been awake that whole time. It had started raining in Georgia and hadn't let up. We got horses unloaded and April on her way, then crashed for a nap. When I went to sleep, I had planned to be there until the next morning, as the storm was snow up my way. However, when I woke up a couple hours later and checked radar, there was an unexpected break in the weather. DH confirmed there was only an inch or so on the ground, so I tossed my stuff into the car and headed out. I got home about 4:30pm, just as the storm was starting back up again.

While the week had been a whirlwind and overall a lot of fun, it was SO nice to sleep in my own bed.

Happy New Year all!!


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## bsms

I'm pooped just from READING about it! ;>)


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## phantomhorse13

bsms said:


> I'm pooped just from READING about it! ;>)


It's def a lot.. sometimes I wonder what the heck I am thinking (esp about 4 am on interstate 95), but somehow getting in the saddle always makes it worth it.


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## phantomhorse13

I have gotten some saddle time since I got home. 

Momma nature sent us a few inches of snow last Sunday evening, so last Monday was a winter wonderland when I got Link out. Since he'd been getting more and more cranked up on rides with Kestrel, I had decided she was too much stimulation for him and would no longer go out with him. After a week off, I didn't know what to expect. He was pretty relaxed tacking up, but fairly reactive leaving home. Hoping some hill work would find his brain, we headed to the Sugarloaf:









And climbed. It was very pretty, but damp with just enough breeze to put a bite in the air. The ground was also somewhat messy, with the snow covering mud. I stuck to the roads in the hopes of finding the best footing possible. 









Link was very reactive - spooking at snow falling from trees and birds and nothing that I could even see. Twice he attempted to spin around and flee, which he hasn't done in months. Then, he wanted to get rammy heading home, so we did a lot of turning around and trotting away when he couldn't contain himself to the walking pace I asked. He reacted to traffic along the road going home, which was a first. I am not sure if he was truly worried or just using it as an excuse to try to rush for home. We stopped at Alimar and took a couple laps around the ring because I didn't want to reward his rushing (yet messing around on pavement with traffic was not a good option). While he did walk home on a loose rein after the laps around the ring, he was still eyeballing everything and nothing. Not the ride I had hoped for. 😕

6.08 miles, 978 feet climb, 3.7 mph average pace, 33F real feel


Tuesday, I suspected the ground was going to be a mess, so started with George. Kestrel came, too. The Pond of Death was still quite full after all the rain, so a lot of water was going over the spillway (and all the algae finally washed away):









George was feeling mighty fine, but the ground was not good for any sort of fast pace. I had wanted to try going around the Sugarloaf, but the state of the ground made that unsafe. We stuck to the roads to cross the farm and then went across to the Tomhicken. We moseyed up the climb there before turning back for home:









6.78 miles, 1043 feet climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 33F real feel


Since the ground was a mess, I took Link over to Gina's ring. We haven't done ring work in a long time, so focused on tempo and circles that were shaped like circles (being able to see the tracks in the snow helped with that).









Link was unenthused, but honestly after how explosive he'd been the last few rides, the sluggishness was welcome. I was pleased he didn't do much fussing with the bit and started bending through his body softly at times:









I also asked for canter in the ring for the first time. We only did so on the straights, as I don't feel he is balanced enough to be trying to canter around corners yet.









I also asked for lateral movement for the first time under saddle. He caught on pretty quickly (though we have practiced that from the ground before).





3.86 miles, 141 feet climb, 4.1 mph average pace, 34F real feel


Thursday, the snow was mostly gone and the ground started to freeze. I took George out bareback partly to check on the footing and mostly to give Kestrel a good run.














2.18 miles, 240 feet climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 24F real feel


Gina called to ask if I was interested in riding while I was out with George. Since the ground was getting slimy as the sun melted the surface, I hadn't planned to ride Link so agreed. I rode Amish while Gina rode Giselle and Nik rode Honey. We went out to do the Small Square as that kept us mostly on roads once we left Alimar.









Amish was very forward when we first started, but had mellowed by the end of the first mile. He hadn't been ridden in weeks so expected him to be nutty, so we all worried he was back to being sore (and indeed, the next day he was partly off his feed and depressed. Gina had changed his medication protocol and I think will now be changing it back).









6.06 miles, 650 feet climb, 3.8 mph average pace, 22F real feel


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## egrogan

There is something deeply satisfying about seeing "real" circly circles in the snow


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## phantomhorse13

egrogan said:


> There is something deeply satisfying about seeing "real" circly circles in the snow


There is. I need to find a way to draw marks in the ring all the time, as I am apparently geometrically challenged (and certainly a wiggly green horse doesn't help). Maybe I will offer to drag the ring before every ride, so the tracks are always fresh.


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## egrogan

When I was a kid, I was a fairly competitive figure skater. In figure skating as you improve you have to do compulsory figures tests, so you get a tool called a “scribe” to mark out perfect circles in the ice to do your figures on. Maybe always having the circle marked ruined me, but I am definitely geometry-challenged!

When I started taking dressage lessons with Fizz, my instructor used to ask me if I was making ovals instead of circles on purpose 🤣 She always had to give me cones...


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## phantomhorse13

egrogan said:


> When I was a kid, I was a fairly competitive figure skater. In figure skating as you improve you have to do compulsory figures tests, so you get a tool called a “scribe” to mark out perfect circles in the ice to do your figures on. Maybe always having the circle marked ruined me, but I am definitely geometry-challenged!


How smart to have a tool like that! I figure at best I could try to put a cone in the center and tie some baling twine to something stuck inside it and then walk a circle dragging my toe..

Other thing I have been pondering is starting some pole work. If I make a cross with 4 poles that are roughly the same length (a challenge since my ******* poles are just random tree branches), riding around the outside would be a circle.


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## knightrider

@egrogan, this is the wrong journal, but I got a kick out of reading about your figure skating. I also used to figure skate, a little bit competitively. When I was growing up in 4-H, my nickname was "The Third Place Kid" because when I would show, I'd usually be in the ribbons, but never first or second. Often it was third place.

So I competed twice in figure skating. Guess what I won? Two bronze medals. Ha ha ha ha. Still the third place kid.


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> Still the third place kid.


Better than I could do. I can ice skate poorly as long as nobody else is near me and a wind isn't blowing! I would be the last place kid (or the comic relief).


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## QueenofFrance08

No worries @phantomhorse13 I can be at the back of the pack with you. I failed the 2nd level of ice skating lessons so many times I finally had to give up! I do not belong in this state where everyone played hockey since before they could walk!


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## phantomhorse13

Last Friday, it was so nice to finally see the sun! I started with Link first thing and we went over to do the Medium Square.









Link was still quite tense and looky, so I just did my best to act unconcerned and stay relaxed. We trotted where we could and he didn't feel like he was going to explode. What did or didn't bother him was interesting, as he would spook and try to spin when birds flew out of the bushes, but faced all of this without even an ear flick:









Heading for home, he def wanted to get rammy, so I did a lot of walk/trot/walk transitions to keep his mind active.

6.13 miles, 764 feet of climb, 3.9 mph average pace, 21F real feel


Next, I hopped on George bareback to walk Kestrel. George was feeling _mighty_ fine and a couple of the canters turns into hand gallops (which was entirely too much fun, though someone worrisome to be bareback at that speed!).









2.66 miles, 272 feet of climb, 4.9 mph average pace, 24F real feel


On Saturday, DH and I went to pick up our newest family member. Meet Kali:


















We spent the day doing small projects but mostly playing. Lore was not impressed and would only approach when she was asleep:









Crate training was NOT popular, so nobody got much sleep Saturday night. Nothing wrong with Kali's lungs and the variety of sounds she made would have been amazing had it not been when I was trying to sleep.




















Lore has been gaining confidence every day. He still isn't really thrilled, but he has learned from Sonnet that if he stands his ground and hisses, Kali will back off.


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## lb27312

Love it! The hoof video is too cute!! Love your new addition, the second to the last picture is funny with the paw on the leg... Thanks for sharing!!


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## Caledonian

She's great and so cute! I love the chuckling in the video and the looks on Lore and Kali's faces is priceless. I wonder who'll win the staring contests


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## phantomhorse13

lb27312 said:


> the second to the last picture is funny with the paw on the leg...


Kali REALLY wants to play with Lore (notice her tail is blurry in the pic.. that is because it was wagging madly), but being new Lore finds her scary. The fact she sits looking up at him perched on the back of the chair or the cat condo and then barks and jumps does not endear herself to him, but its SO funny and cute to watch.

Kestrel is also having to learn restraint, because of course she is much faster and stronger than the puppy - for now. Kestrel wants to just grab the toy and shake hard, sending the pup flying.. then looks perplexed and a bit put out when I insist she plays gently (learning the command 'easy'). I find her facial expression in the tug video hysterical - sisters are tough!


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## weeedlady

ohhhh she is soooo cute. Almost makes me want a puppy.


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## lb27312

Honestly that picture(second to the last) looks like she(the dog) is saying this is our human right, can't we get along for their sake?? She has such a pretty and expressive face! Looks like she's going to be a joy!

@weeedlady - they all grow up to be dogs!! lol


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## phantomhorse13

Last Sunday, DH and I got George and Link out. I had planned to do the space needle loop. Link was on his toes from the start, with several big spooks at things like birds in the bushes and many things I couldn't even see.  I did my best to ignore his antics, but even DH commented on his reactivity.

We made our way across the farm, up the Tomhicken, and out across the housing development. Link was looking for monsters at every step but luckily the first time through proved quiet. We started out towards the Space Needle, but the footing soon became questionable as the places vehicles had driven over the remaining snow resulted in ice. When shooting started not far ahead of us, that was the final hint we needed to turn around.

As as approached the road crossing that would take us into the housing development, I was shocked to see a tractor trailer coming up the very small road - and it was heading right for some hairpin turns. I had backed Link up to give him plenty of room to see the truck, as he is now reactive to traffic and was horrified when the driver stopped and started shouting out the window at us. Of course, DH had to go over and speak to him.









Link held it together pretty well, but as the conversation dragged on, he started getting antsy. Then, DH suddenly got off and headed back to me, saying he was going to help the guy get the truck turned around. Realizing he was intending to back him into the spot we were standing, I also got down and led the horses a distance down the road to wait. 

George was just as jumpy over the releasing air brakes as Link, and that happened several times as the truck took multiple tries to get turned around. After what seemed like forever, it was finally gone. We got back on and continued our ride.









Instead of going right home, we went past the turn down the Tomhicken and down the yellow gate trail for a bit. We couldn't follow the main trail because of the iced-over puddles, but the smaller side trails were open.









I had wanted to do the short loop in the driveway, but about halfway there, we started hearing chainsaws. That noise was enough to get Link worried, but when the first tree came crashing down and he tried to turn and bolt, I decided that was more than enough for one day. We went forward another minute (and thankfully no more trees fell), then turned around.

The trip home was very frustrating, as Link was quite worked up and wanted to go faster than I did, resulting in repeated discussions. DH complained about having to walk so much, which was not helpful. DH insisted we go back the shortest way since I was doing so much walking, which put us along the side of the pavement after leaving Ziesloft's. When Link did airs above the ground at the first car passing us, I got off and hand walked him until we got onto Alimar. We met Gina and Nik in the driveway handwalking their horses, so I was glad to be on the ground as Link found that extremely upsetting also. We passed them with much jigging and head tossing and continued up the driveway. I got back on near the ring and from there Link was finally able to walk home on a loose rein.

10.5 miles, 1480 feet of climb, 3.9 mph average pace, 21F real feel


Tuesday, the farrier came and Link got his first set of shoes. He is not badly behaved for trims but does tend to get antsy, so I wasn't sure how he would deal with the shoes. I took advantage of his interest in all things edible by offering him some soaked beet pulp as the farrier burned his feet and then again when he nailed the shoes. Link did look up once per foot for the burning, but then promptly went back to munching. He never even picked up his head for the nailing.










Wednesday, I had planned to ride first thing.. then in the next segment of you-can't-make-this-shiitake-up, I was putting on my boots when a lot of loud vehicle noise came up the driveway and stopped right outside. Surprise - the power company was there to trim trees! At least I didn't already have Phin in the barn as that would have been super exciting for his first ride in months. 

A couple hours later, they had gotten down the driveway far enough I felt coming into the barn shouldn't be a problem, so went out to grab Phin.









Phin handled the noise outside better than I expected and we soon were leaving the barn and going the opposite direction from the trucks. I had planned to go around the Sugarloaf, but the ground out in the fields was much worse than I expected, so we moseyed up the climb instead. Phin was forward but not nearly as silly as I expected.









Going home he was a bit more enthused, but overall he behaved himself really well. I was glad as I didn't want to prolong his time out on the bad ground any longer than necessary.









5.26 miles, 974 feet of climb, 4.1 mph average pace, 26F real feel


Next was Link. I had planned to ride in the ring as I wanted him to have good footing for his first time dealing with shoes and a rider. He did stumble a few times as we walked around warming up, which is unusual for him, so reinforced that ring work had been a good idea. I worked him over ground poles for the first time, hoping to engage his brain and help him think about his feet.









We did a bit of canter work and lateral work mixed in the pole work. I am going to have to really make sure to mix up the routine, as he expected to be cantering after his first walk break, as that is what we did last time!






















4.42 miles, 194 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 31F real feel


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## gottatrot

Link has been progressing so quickly I wondered if you were sprinkling fairy dust in his feed. I read about him getting worked up and thought, OK, he's normal, no magic. But then you reported his shoes were hot set and he was fine with it. So what is this supplement anyway? 

Seriously though, it sounds to me like your thoughts of riding trigger people to bring out their guns, chainsaws and big equipment. That's what happens to me too, and the elk or giant flocks of birds have this ESP with me also.


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## phantomhorse13

gottatrot said:


> Link has been progressing so quickly I wondered if you were sprinkling fairy dust in his feed. I read about him getting worked up and thought, OK, he's normal, no magic. But then you reported his shoes were hot set and he was fine with it. So what is this supplement anyway?
> 
> Seriously though, it sounds to me like your thoughts of riding trigger people to bring out their guns, chainsaws and big equipment. That's what happens to me too, and the elk or giant flocks of birds have this ESP with me also.


I do seem to attract chaos.. wish I could figure out the cause and fix it!!

I also wish I had a supply of fairy dust, as I would be giving it to myself as well as all the animals. I keep telling myself that Link was doing entirely too well, so some steps backwards is not unexpected. Doesn't make it less frustrating though, or make me wonder any less what I was thinking taking on a baby..


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## Woodhaven

I would like some fairy dust as well. Phantom your sand riding area looks pretty good, I guess it s not frozen. I tried to ride this am but our sand is frozen and icy so that didn't work but I did do a bit in the front paddock on dirt and snow. a little slippery but did about 20 min.
do you have pads on with the shoes and are your horses sharpe shod for the winter? Your trails look pretty good right now and that\s a real plus. I think you handled Link pretty well considering the conditions and obstacles. Bound to have a day like that with a young horse. He is doing really well but it was just "one of those days"
Happy riding.


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## phantomhorse13

Last Thursday, I had hoped to ride but momma nature had other ideas, sending crazy winds with off and on snow squalls. Instead of riding, I clipped Phin. He was not impressed to be in the barn but we got it done:

















Friday, the wind had calmed back to breezy and the ground seemed frozen, so I started with Link. We did the Sugarloaf loop. While he left the farm without needing encouragement, he was spooking and head tossing and bit chomping from the moment I got on. I tried my best to ignore it, but after the third attempt to spin and bolt at nothing I could see, I started correcting him for it. I figured that was going to either help or cause a total breakdown, but ignoring it was only making it worse.

Thank goodness it seemed to help, at least with the spinning attempts. It certainly didn't keep him from looking for monsters with every step. Even after some sustained trot (heading away from home), he still felt like sitting on a bomb. As we got into the farthest set of fields, the wind suddenly returned with a vengeance - shiitake.









Luckily, there was a decent climb just around that corner which helped to take a bit of the edge off. Link was still puffing a bit as we went down the pavement and into the next set of fields. He did ok when we were jogging away from home, but as soon as we turned the corner towards home, he was beside himself.

We circled that set of fields multiple times, looking for his brain. He decided a random pile of sticks contained a horse-eating monster and we had quite the discussion about spinning (conveniently towards home) _not_ being the appropriate response. We did so many circles near that pile of sticks, I was actually nauseated. But eventually, Link decided he really could walk past without dying.









We walked the rest of the way home, as I knew allowing any more speed was just asking for a disaster. The wind continued to rage and we headed for home the most direct way possible. That meant going down Ziesloft's driveway, but I got down to hand walk before we got beside the road. I am glad I did, as even in hand he was jumping around every time a car went by. We wound up standing across from Alimar's driveway for almost 10 minutes, just waiting for him to not react to the passing traffic. Once we got up towards the ring, I felt like I might not die getting back on, so mounted back up to walk the rest of the way home. Link was super tense, but did manage to keep it together so the ride could end when we got home. Super, super frustrating. 

8.54 miles, 1312 feet of climb, 4.4 mph average pace, 26F real feel


Next up was Phin and Kestrel. The sun had come out just enough to make the ground a bit sketchy, and with the horrible wind I knew Phin would be nutty, so we just moseyed around Alimar and then back along the creek trail.









Phin was jumpy but behaved the best he could considering the weather. He was alway looking for a monster but never actually found one. Kestrel had a blast.









5.04 miles, 617 feet of climb, 4.3 mph average pace, 27F real feel


Monday, I started with Link. I had planned to do the Sugarloaf loop again, hoping he would be more confident having been there last ride. While it wasn't as windy as last time, it was still breezy and Link felt like sitting on a bomb. I decided to just walk all the way around Spaulding's fields (a way Link had never been) and then home, hoping to avoid any antics.









Part of those fields go close beside the road, so I stopped Link and turned him sideways to deal with every vehicle that passed. He flinched hard for the first one, but kept all his feet on the ground. We kept walking until another approached, then again turned to watch before continuing on. By the time the third one passed, he didn't react at all. Progress!

Link kept a sharp eye out for monsters, but he didn't try any spin moves and never did more than startle at things like birds flying out of the bushes. He was on a loose rein 90% of the time, which was a huge improvement.









3.05 miles, 312 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 26F real feel


The wind continued to get stronger, so I decided it wasn't even worth trying to get Phin out. Instead, I hopped on George bareback to walk Kestrel. We went out and around Spaulding's before going back onto Alimar.









George was feeling mighty fine and kept wanting to go faster than I wanted to. I can deal with his easy trot bareback, but he's pretty animated when he gets going so I got quite the leg and core workout trying to post and not boing off. I made the mistake of letting him canter at one point, but did manage to stay on through his silliness (and then asked for a second canter in a difference place just to reinforce calm is good):






4.23 miles, 486 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 28F real feel


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## knightrider

Wow, I am so pleased you stayed on through the shananigans with Link. Just about every young horse I have ever started went through a phase of being stupid and worrisome. My neighbor has started many more colts than I have, and he says he has had a bunch that never gave him a moment's problem. I think I never did get that lucky. They start out so easy and good and then, around about the teen-age years if they were a human, they have to see what you do if they start playing up. You have done a fine job and I think that if you stick with it, you'll come out on the other side just fine. That "teen age" mess is surely no fun.


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## Woodhaven

I agree with Knightrider very young horses just starting under saddle don't have much confidence and rely on their rider for most things and tend to do what they are asked without too much argument, But then they get a little older, I compare it to the snotty teenage years where they get a little smart and decide they don't have to listen to their rider at all. 
The big secret is to get through this stage, there will be challenges but try to pick your battles when the odds are with you to win and things even out; Nothing wrong with getting off and diffusing a tough situation, much better than loosing. Even the best natured horse will at some point make a bid for superiority and this has to be faced and dealt with, hopefully the handler on the winning side.


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> Just about every young horse I have ever started went through a phase of being stupid and worrisome. My neighbor has started many more colts than I have, and he says he has had a bunch that never gave him a moment's problem. I think I never did get that lucky. They start out so easy and good and then, around about the teen-age years if they were a human, they have to see what you do if they start playing up.


The few I have started who never were any trouble were not the brightest bulbs.. so my bad for choosing to have arabs.  

My brain knows this is just a phase and it needs to be ridden out (literally and metaphorically), but it's a different experience when you don't bounce like you used to! I keep reminding myself there is no agenda, so however long it takes to get it done safely, it takes.


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## phantomhorse13

Tuesday, I started with Phin. Kestrel came, too. We did the Sugarloaf loop. No surprise that Phin was full of himself, so we added a bit of extra climb to help take the edge off.









Kestrel didn't have much sniffing time as we moved out a lot! 









8.78 miles, 1394 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 24F real feel


The wind had increased the whole time I was out with Phin, so I decided to take Link to the ring. We had just started when the snow started falling!! Link was very up and was convinced there was a monster hiding in the trees at the end of the ring - his initial spin came dangerously close to getting me on the ground. We kept it to a walk down that end as I didn't feel his brain could handle anything else. We did trot work over and around the poles at the other end hoping to give him something else to focus on.






















While I got some nice work at moments, a lot of the time he was squirreling all over the place - especially at the far end of the ring. When we finished and went to walk home down the airport strip, he was so freaked out (still) over those trees that we had to go off the road and into the field to get past them! He was super tense the whole walk home, peering around constantly and wanting to scoot forward with every gust of wind. When we turned the last corner and he had to face into the blowing snow, he had a mini-tantrum that resulted in a discussion - but he figured out he could walk into the blowing snow after all. Another ride where I wondered if I would have been better not to get on him at all.. _sigh_

2.5 miles, 125 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 26F real feel


Thursday, the gale backed of to a strong breeze so I got Link out. He was pretty up leaving the farm, needing so encouragement and eyeballing everything. But while he did startle at some things, he made no attempt to spin and bolt. Since I planned to only walk, we went up the Sugarloaf.









Link had settled well by the time we got to the top. We went down the backside and made a small loop before turning for home.









I was super pleased that Link did not get silly once we were heading for home. I went via Ziesloft's driveway as I wanted him to work on dealing with traffic without worry. I got down to handwalk well before the road and had to laugh when not a single vehicle passed us! I got back on at the bottom of Alimar's driveway and we went home via the airport strip. While he did eye the trees which had been so horrifying the last ride, he did not need to leave the road to pass them and went home the rest of the way on a loose rein.

4.74 miles, 837 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 25F real feel


Next, it was Phin's turn to climb the Sugarloaf. Phin was feeling pretty up to start with, but walking all the way to the top soon took the edge off.









It was so nice to see the sun, but of course that meant the wind picked up. 









Phin thought about being silly as we turned for home, but a quick reminder that we could easily change course and start climbing again had him rethinking his behavior.

8.03 miles, 1444 feet of climb, 4.1 mph average pace, 28F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Friday, momma nature was again in a bad mood, with chilly temperatures and a gusty wind. I decided it was a good day for ring work. I started with Link.

Link was not impressed with the piece of equipment that was in our yard waiting to be picked up, but he didn't try to spin away, just eyeballed it very hard and wanted to give it some extra space as we went past. After that, the wiggling trees and bushes on the way to the ring didn't seem so bad.

Once we got to the ring, Link was horrified by the addition of two small cross rails - he does not like change. We spent a few moments looking at them and then walking around them (far away to start with and gradually getting closer). I also had moved some of the ground poles, so once he had settled down, we started walking over them.









Link was pretty unenthused after he got over the jumps' existence. I was not sorry to have him seem bored versus frantic. We did some work on bending and tried to keep a consistent pace. He even worked up to walking over the cross rails.














2.54 miles, 92 feet of climb, 3.3 mph average pace, 24F real feel


Next was Phin. He was cranked from the moment we left home and was not impressed with going into the ring. We started with some walk work and then moved to trot. I hoped being able to move his feet would help him settle down, but he was super animated and constantly arguing about pace. I had to resort to riding two handed as he was doing his best to ignore the hack and certainly forgot what neck reining was.  Next time, I will put him in a bit when I intend to ride in the ring.

I tried doing some pole and lateral work to get his brain engaged. The poles didn't slow him down at all, though he didn't step on them despite the wild pace - no wonder because he wasn't actually touching the ground!









The far end of the ring really set him off; while he didn't seem bothered at the walk, he objected to the mailbox that was falling off the post big time once we got to trot (see video). So we did some circles and asking for inside bend to get his brain working (which worked somewhat.. the video actually looks a lot better than he felt).

After what seemed like an eternity, Phin finally settled somewhat - enough the tug of war and trying to run back to the gate mostly stopped. He was never exactly happy about passing the mailbox on the post, but at least he stopped jumping around beside it.














4.07 miles, 122 feet of climb, 4.2 mph average pace, 26F real feel


After finishing with Phin, I hopped on George bareback to take Kestrel for a walk around Alimar. The wind was really gusty by then, so we stuck to the trees as much as possible. We did some trot and a bit of canter, but I kept George on a tight rein as I could feel he wanted to be silly. 









2.8 miles, 305 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 26F real feel


Yesterday, we got the calm before the storm - I can't even think of the last day that we had barely any wind. And the sun was even sort of out, though shining through some high clouds! I started with Link. My intention was to wander over towards the Sugarloaf and see how he was feeling. A good brain day and we would go around and a nervous brain day meant we would go up.

Link was forward leaving the farm so I initially expected him to be a spooky mess. However, I was pleasantly surprised when he had a couple startles, but nothing that extreme. By the time we got to Spaulding's, I knew we were going to be able to go around the Sugarloaf. I even asked for a bit of trot (heading away from home) and got a lovely relaxed jog!









Once we got around and into some of the closer fields, I expected Link to start getting hurried but was thrilled when he walked along without any attempts to jig! He did seem more nervous, so we kept to a walk anywhere he wasn't going along with a level head and quiet ears. We did have a couple more short jogs, though I made sure to go back to the walk before we went too far.









We went home via Ziesloft's driveway. I got down to handwalk him the last part of the driveway as the one house has different things outside it constantly now that its been sold and he finds all the change very worrisome. Walking down the side of the road, he was unconcerned about the traffic until we got into Alimar's driveway and the next vehicle that passed laid on the horn as it went by. 🤬 I let him stand for a few moments before getting back on, but he was very tense and eyeballed all kinds of things going up the driveway. But he didn't attempt to spin and really didn't even spook (just walked like a drunk as he weaved side to side trying to avoid going close to monsters). He ignored the jumps in the ring as we went past and only gave the scary spot at the side of the ring a side-eye. Once past that, he heaved a big sigh and dropped his head to walk along quietly. He was relaxed enough that I asked for a few steps of trot off and on as we went down the airport strip. HUGE improvement this ride!!

5.42 miles, 830 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average pace, 21F real feel


Next was Phin (and Kestrel). My plan was for a lot of climbing if he was still feeling like tug of war was a good idea, but I was pleased he was pretty mellow from the start. We went out across Spaulding's and I was able to keep him on a loose rein WTC, so we went up the newer logging road to get across the farm instead of going up the Sugarloaf. That meant we had to go past the Demon Blind.. and he did so without any theatrics!









We went down across the farm and then out via Gina's old barn. I hadn't been that way in a while as the bridge can be slippery when wet. Frozen it's fine and the cold had killed back most of the weeds so it was much less scary in Phin's opinion. He eyed a place a tree had come down and been cut, but didn't do anything silly. We moseyed up the first climb on the Tomhicken and he did so well I was happy to turn around and head for home instead of continuing up the second climb.









Phin thought about being a little hurried as we came back across the farm, thinking about spooking at the truck corn was being loaded into. But allowing him to trot the first part of the climb had him settled down in no time and we continued home without incident (even walking past the always-horrible Fire Pile from Hell).

8.22 miles, 1434 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 25F real feel


Today, instead of the 2-3" of PITA snow predicted, we got ice pellets and sleet instead! The ground is a mess and the storm isn't over yet..


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## egrogan

I 'liked' your post until getting to the last line. Nothing worse than sleet and ice. Supposed to start snowing in the next hour here, but only a couple of inches (theoretically). Glad you ended up with productive rides on all the boys though!

The picture with the Demon Blind made me laugh. Clearly the horses see/notice it, so surely the deer do too!


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## phantomhorse13

egrogan said:


> I 'liked' your post until getting to the last line. Nothing worse than sleet and ice. Supposed to start snowing in the next hour here, but only a couple of inches (theoretically). Glad you ended up with productive rides on all the boys though!
> 
> The picture with the Demon Blind made me laugh. Clearly the horses see/notice it, so surely the deer do too!


I guess the idea is if the blind sits there for weeks (or months) the deer eventually start ignoring it. Maybe that works with deer but it sure doesn't work for reactive arabs!!

I hope the weather gave you a break and you only got snow. We wound up with about an inch of ice pellets (never did see a flake of snow) and then some sleet, so that did a great job of solidifying the ice into a solid mass. I could literally ice skate on our driveway. The grassy areas aren't as bad, but the wind is back today so I have no desire to go outside.


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## phantomhorse13

I probably won't be getting saddle time for the rest of the week, unless the forecast changes dramatically (I can hope though!). Good thing we have the puppy to keep us busy!

Kali has been doing great, though she def keeps us on our toes. I thought I would share some of the cuteness!
































































Did you notice Lore peeking in the last picture?! He is doing much better with Kali as he's discovered even silly puppies understand growling and swatting. There have even been a few attempts to play, though Kali still gets a bit too enthusiastic for him. Lore is still growing like a weed (up to 7 lbs!) and today he is having brain surgery (aka being neutered).


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## QueenofFrance08

OMG I love the second to last picture with Lore peeking up from Kestrel and Kestrel's eyes!


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## Oreos Girl

I snorted at the picture of Kali under Kestrel in the truck. You make having a puppy seem so easy (I know better).


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## lb27312

Ack!! Too many cute pics! Cute pic overload! lol Really love them all... tooo cute!! Nice looking gang...


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## carshon

I am going to chime in and say the pics are great! They all made me smile!


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## Celeste

Kestrel and Kali in the truck almost ties with Lore looking at Kali under the chair. You have such cute babies!


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## phantomhorse13

As I feared, momma nature put a hard stop on my riding last week. The first storm was ice pellets ending in sleet, which wound up freezing down into an inch of ice on the ground. We got lucky that trees and power lines didn't ice, so power stayed on etc, but any flat surface was scary. As if that wasn't enough, the wind picked up so any desire I had to be outside for more than 5 minutes was gone. Even Kestrel wanted to go back in the house!

Saturday, the wind went back to breezy and the sun was actually out. I knew the next storm was coming so decided to get horses out even though I was quite chilly. 

I started with Link, who was jumpy from the very start. I decided to head for the creek trail, where he is normally calm. Sadly, that did not make any difference as he spooked at nothing I could see and went down the trail with his head up and eyes bugged out, feeling like a bomb about to go off.









I did a lot of walk/halt transitions to try to keep his brain focused on me. While he was very reactive, I was happy that he did not try to spin at all. By the time we got to the turn around and started back towards home, he was slightly less worried. He never really settled, but he did control himself and maintain a walk even when things scared him. Not the ride I was hoping for, but at least it was some saddle time I guess.










4.03 miles, 390 feet of climb, 3.1 mph average pace, 12F real feel

Next was Phin and Kestrel. Phin was full of it, so our calm walking ride was not particularly calm. 









Since he seemed to be extra reactive to the woods, I went home via the fields along the highway. Go figure that traffic going by below us was less scary than random bushes. Horses!










4.28 miles, 525 feet of climb, 4.0 mph average pace, 15F real feel


I suspect everyone heard all the hype about the Nor'easter that hit the East Coast on the news - it was certainly interesting here. It started snowing Sunday morning and finally stopped yesterday (Tuesday) morning. When all was said and done, we got about 2' of snow (but we got lucky, as not too far NE of here got 3')!  While it looked somewhat pretty from inside the house, it was not fun to be shoveling multiple times (but I figured better to shovel 3 times then to try to tackle it all at once at the end). The wind also made things interesting as of course the drifts tended to be in places that needed to be shoveled by hand!

The dogs had a blast! They loved the snow and Kali was a trooper, just bulldozing her way around. Luckily, they are both light enough that they didn't sink all the way down to the ground most times.















I have never been so profoundly grateful for big equipment! The tractor (with plow) and the skid loader (with bucket) got a lot of use.






























Yesterday, after spending hours digging out, I wanted to grab a quick ride while I could as the wind was forecast to get very ugly again. It was chilly and the wind was brisk, so I just stuck to the trees around Alimar as best I could. Link was surprisingly calm, for which I was very grateful.









1.97 miles, 226 feet of climb, 2.9 mph average pace, 19F real feel

Phin, however, was not calm. I had debated taking him out bareback as I was only planning to walk - I was very glad I decided to use the saddle! 🤦‍♀️ Next time, there will be climbing!









2.24 miles, 256 feet of climb, 3.7 mph average pace, 16F real feel


Today, the wind is roaring again and we are getting more snow showers. I am so over winter!! 🤬


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## knightrider

phantomhorse13 said:


> make me wonder any less what I was thinking taking on a baby..


I have thought this myself SO MANY TIMES!!!! I think part of Link's antsiness is the cold and wind. I think when spring comes, he will go back to his fairy dust. I hope so.

I had a bad ride on Windy this week and thought of you @phantomhorse13 the whole ride. Windy didn't do anything bad, but it was like riding a coiled spring ready to explode. The temperature was cold (for us) with a sharp wind, and Windy wanted to leap around. It was not much fun, and I was glad when we made it safely back home. I reminded myself that I have had many many good rides on Windy in the past. And I expect many good rides in the future. But there will be some bad rides inbetween, I fear.


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## Celeste

knightrider said:


> but it was *like riding a coiled spring ready to explode. *


I know exactly what you are talking about. They don't really do anything wrong, but you feel like they will kill you any second.


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## Celeste

@phantomhorse13 I just caught up reading your journal. (Some of the posts wouldn't let me click the like, but I do like them all.) Reading about all your adventures out in the cold made me tired. I feel like I could use a nap.


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## ClearDonkey

Celeste said:


> I know exactly what you are talking about. They don't really do anything wrong, but you feel like they will kill you any second.


Same here, I empathize with you @phantomhorse13. 

Ever since my senior gelding has been on medication for his Cushing's, he has been explosive. I've had parents watching me ride comment on how good he looks despite what I've said, and I always describe him as a ticking time bomb. He's slowly gotten better, but all of our rides are full of snorting and jumping in place...at least the huge spooks and bucking has stopped...

We love them, we love them, we love them...


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## Celeste

That overly successful Cushings treatment reminds me of when I was working full time as a veterinarian. (I'm semi-retired and teach now.) There was a dog that had heartworms. I treated him and he got well and felt extremely good. His owner stopped by the clinic and wanted a word with me. He said that I had ruined his dog. I wasn't sure what he meant. He said that the dog had been obedient and quiet and calm. Now he was hyper and obnoxious. I assumed he was kidding, but he was actually mad at me.


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## Woodhaven

I know the feeling, "riding a stick of dynamite" it can be discouraging. I haven't ridden much in Dec but decided to get back at it as we got some snow to cover up the mud and hard ground. My guy was perfectly well behaved in the paddock and I decided after a couple of days to go out into the field, I just wanted to walk around it as he is not in as good a shape but he had different thoughts on the subject and we ended up having a workout with him fussing and looking for something to spook at. He tried to bolt once which is not really like him. I know it was cold and windy but he can handle standing out in this on his own so what's the difference. Anyway we ended up on a somewhat good spot so i stopped there and wonder what the heck am i doing, was that really a nice ride?? No it wasn't. This horse should know better as he has lots of experience and I didn't ask anything difficult or unusual. 
Anyway happy riding to all you brave folks


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## knightrider

Woodhaven said:


> wonder what the heck am i doing, was that really a nice ride?? No it wasn't. This horse should know better as he has lots of experience and I didn't ask anything difficult or unusual.


Yes, indeed, that is exactly what I was feeling with our Windy, who is 8 years old, rides like a dream, and should know better.


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> I reminded myself that I have had many many good rides on Windy in the past. And I expect many good rides in the future.


I do try to remind myself of this too. And that if I wanted a totally consistent ride, I would get on my bicycle..



Celeste said:


> They don't really do anything wrong, but you feel like they will kill you any second.


I am becoming all too familiar with that feeling, and its not much fun. And aren't we doing this because its supposed to be fun?!



ClearDonkey said:


> I've had parents watching me ride comment on how good he looks despite what I've said, and I always describe him as a ticking time bomb.


Those kind of comments are so hard to take. On one hand, it's a compliment that you appear unphased to a casual observer, but on the other hand, you also have to wonder if they think you are exaggerating how tense the horse feels. 

I have found myself looking at video of my riding (esp that ride in the ring with Phin!) and wondering why I thought the ride was so bad when he looked just fine.. 



Woodhaven said:


> I know it was cold and windy but he can handle standing out in this on his own so what's the difference.


I say this to my horses all the time! Somehow, I have yet to convince any of them..


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## phantomhorse13

Thursday, the winds backed off to a strong breeze and the SUN was actually out, so of course that meant saddle time.

I started with Phin. As promised, I intended to climb. We went out across Spaulding's and headed to the Sugarloaf.









Phin was up but a couple miles trudging in the deep snow took some of the edge off; our first canter was lovely:





By the time we got to the top of the Sugarloaf, Phin was on a loose rein and happy to walk as slowly as I would allow. 😇









We turned for home and Phin continued to behave himself. When we got back, I took off the saddle and tossed on the bareback pad, then we took Kestrel around Alimar for a bareback mosey cool down. Kestrel was very boingy but Phin didn't so much as startle. 🙃










8.14 miles, 1555 feet of climb, 3.6 mph average pace, 22F real feel


Then was Link. I was pleased that he was chill from the start and did not need the snow to take the edge off. He did eyeball some things as the snow made everything look different, but he didn't even have anything I would consider a spook, never losing his track or cadence of gait. We started out going around Spaulding's. I got a nice relaxed jog in a couple places and he didn't react more than ear flicks to traffic passing as we walked the side of the field by the road.









Then we went back towards home:





We did a loop around Alimar and had a brief, relaxed canter in the outdoor. We jogged a couple times on the way home with no attempt to rush or be silly!









4.05 miles, 423 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 24F real feel


And last, it was George's turn. Nik asked me if I would babysit her for Copper's second trail experience (the first attempt did not go well), so I actually put the saddle on George. We headed over to Alimar and enjoyed the drifts along the airport strip.









We walked around the ring a bit while Copper got warmed up, then headed out for a loop around Alimar. Copper was very worked up to be out of the ring, but didn't do anything stupid (a big improvement over the first attempt). Nik did a lot of trotting circles around us to help Copper find his brain and be able to walk instead of jig. The deep snow helped, too!









4.01 miles, 344 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 26F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Friday was another day with only a strong breeze, so I got more saddle time. It was supposed to be cloudy, but I was thrilled when the clouds started breaking up as I was tacking Phin. By the time we left the barn, the sun was shining and the temp was climbing!

We went across Alimar and down the creek trail, hoping to make it over to the Big Square.









The lane wasn't too bad in terms of ice, so we were able to get into to the fields to do our normal loop. Phin was a bit up but the heavy going kept him reasonable:














When we got back home, I again swapped the saddle for the bareback pad and took Kestrel out for a loop around Alimar. Phin was super chill, so I got brave enough to try this for the first time:





And I didn't bounce off! I can barely sit his trot with stirrups, so was thrilled to be able to do some bareback. Phin was a very good boy and we had a lovely mosey while the dog ran around like a fool.

7.91 miles, 955 feet of climb, 3.9 mph average pace, 30F real feel


Next was Link. He was very chill from the start, so we went around Spaulding's and then over to Ziesloft's. We crossed one big field and then turned up the Sugarloaf to climb a bit. Link was actually puffing a bit by the time we got up the first tier, which was my hope as it kept him nice and mellow as we headed for home.









We went out across Ziesloft's towards the driveway and home. We even jogged in one spot and he didn't get silly.









We went out the driveway and Link stayed nice and relaxed. I decided to ride him past the Very Scary House and along the side of the road. He was a bit tense as we passed the house, but kept his head. No traffic passed us along the road (fine by me!) and we got to Alimar's driveway with no excitement. We stopped to chat with Gina for a few minutes and Link was happy to stand quietly without fidgeting. Then as we started for home again, he was content to walk quietly without rushing. Fantastic ride!!

4.04 miles, 531 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 32F real feel


Last was George. This time we met Nik and Amish for a fun ride. We did a loop around Ziesloft's and I was surprised to see a huge flock of geese had arrived since I was there with Link:









We went home via Spaulding's and did a loop around Alimar. The horses were feeling great and enjoyed moving out in the snow. When we got back to Gina's, we found her grandson had been busy:









5.02 miles, 577 feet of climb, 3.8 mph average pace, 34F real feel


----------



## gottatrot

It looks so fun to trot and canter in the snow.


----------



## weeedlady

I love how you talk to them. "that'll do". 💗


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## phantomhorse13

gottatrot said:


> It looks so fun to trot and canter in the snow.


I think snow is very similar to sand - some snow is lovely footing and some is a disaster. When it's right, it IS a lot of fun.. but somehow that perfect snow doesn't seem to last long.



weeedlady said:


> I love how you talk to them. "that'll do".


And sometimes they even listen.


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## knightrider

What makes those deep holes in the snow? It almost looked like some predator caught something there.


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> What makes those deep holes in the snow? It almost looked like some predator caught something there.


Those are places the deer have dug down looking for something to eat.


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## phantomhorse13

The weather has been all over the place. Last weekend, we got a PITA storm. It snowed all day Saturday, but luckily the flakes were very small so we only got about 3" total. Not good riding weather, though we did take the dogs for a brief walk.









Link came over to see what we were doing.









Link seemed to want to get into the game.










Sunday, the sun came out and the wind returned. The temp crept up to 32 which meant there was some melting!









Sadly, the temperature dropped overnight, freezing everything solid and making a nasty crust on the snow. 
We got another PITA storm early in the week which gave us another 3" of snow. 🤬

Wednesday, the sun came out again so the crust on the snow had softened by lunchtime. I started with Phin and did a quick loop out around Spaulding's to check out the ground.









Then we headed back to Alimar and did a loop before heading home. Phin was a bit up but nothing terrible.









5.07 miles, 581 feet of climb, 4.5 mph average pace, 24F real feel


Then it was Link's turn. He was a bit looky to start, so I decided to just do a loop around Alimar. Link did not appreciate all the new snow making things looks different.









I was pleased he settled fairly well and we had a couple trots without drama.





By the time we turned for home, he was chill enough to deal with the snow-covered pipes without too much worry:





2.39 miles, 243 feet of climb, 3.1 mph average pace, 24F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

Thursday, was supposed to be partly sunny, but it wasn't. At least it wasn't terribly windy, though the air had a nasty damp chill to it. It was supposed to get windier as the day went on, so I started with Link. From the start he was a bit fussy, not really wanting to walk but instead browse on the bushes. We went out around Spaulding's and he was mellow to the point of laziness as we went away from home. That worked well as lots of vehicles passed and he only flicked an ear.









However, when we got turned for home, Link wanted to jig and toss his head (the first he's done that in a long time). Every time he started trotting, I turned him around to trot the opposite way. The first couple times he was quite animated and we soon ran out of ground ideal to trot on. After flailing in the deep snow a bit, he decided perhaps walking was a better idea and slowed himself down. Then, we would turn around and head back towards home. After several repeats, he finally decided just walking towards home was a better idea.

When we got back to Alimar, I was not about to let him head for home so we dropped down towards the bottom. While his walk was very enthusiastic, he controled himself and stuck to a walk, so did not have to keep turning around.









I was pleased that by the time we made it out into the fields, he had dropped his head and relaxed, so we were able to mosey home without any more incidents.

3.37 miles, 358 feet of climb, 3.7 mph average pace, 19F real feel


Next it was Phin's turn. I wasn't planning a tough ride so brought Kestrel along, too. We went out aong Spaulding's and Phin was being really good despite the brisk wind and the snow flurries. When we got across the road to the canter place, he asked to be allowed to move out a bit. I let him canter strongly along the road and around the corner, then tossed him the reins after we crossed the first drainage area. Phin took a couple gallop strides and then suddenly there were elk bugling in the bushes right beside us.  It was a like a flashback from my days at the racetrack - Phin dropped down (as horses do when they hit that top speed gear) and truly took off.

My garmin said Phin hit 22.5 mph and honestly it felt more like 50 as we went roaring up the field. I couldn't blame him for being startled as it had scared me too, but we were rapidly running out of field before the next drainage area. Thank goodness Phin responded when I asked him to slow, though it was clear he was not happy about it. I got him back to a trot just before the ditch so we didn't fall down (or take a flying leap). We trotted out of the field and around the corner to the next field to spot the cause of the excitement:









Those are the remains of a disbanded breeding program, but are normally not turned out in that paddock during the winter months - surprise!!

Phin was a bit cranked up after that, so I decided to go across the field and up the first part of the Siugarloaf to try to take the edge off. I had to roll my eyes when we came upon a dozen or so turkeys in the field, but Kestrel was happy to scare them away before Phin got too close. We got to the end of the field and started the climb.. and every 2 minutes, turkeys would randomly explode from the trees around us.










So many turkeys went crashing around us for the climb that Phin soon stopped jumping and just twitched as they carreened around us. Turkeys seem to be truly brainless creaures as at times, they were flying _towards_ us in their panic!

We dropped down off the Sugarloaf and I was surprised that Phin wasn't trying to rush towards home.. until about a dozen deer came crashing out of the corn all around us. After that he really couldn't settle down, so we turned up the power line and climbed. By the time we got to the top, he had found his brain again, so we turned back and went down and towards. 

I was not pleased to get to the last bit of the descent and hear crazy noise coming from the field we needed to cross: canadian geese - lots of them. Phin's head raised and his eyes bugged out more and more as we got closer, so I decided to send Kestrel down ahead of us to clear them. I figured that would either fix the problem or send Phin running in terror the opposite direction..









Kestrel thought that was the Best Game Ever and went tearing down the last of the hill, barking like a maniac. The geese took off in a rush and she turned right and ran along the woods, making sure every single bird was leaving.









Amazingly, Phin didn't even flinch as the birds scattered into several flocks and went several different directions. They circled randomly overhead cackling the whole time we crossed the field, but Phin walked along with a singular purpose - home!

I was really pleased that Phin kept his head for the rest of the ride home, giving me w/t/c without speed arguements. I know I was happy to get home without any more wildlife encounters!!

5.55 miles, 922 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 17F real feel


----------



## knightrider

Oh! My! Gosh! In just 5 miles, you encountered all those wild animals, did all those gaits, and had a bunch of excitement! I sure do enjoy your journal.


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## egrogan

What a good boy Phin! And a great help from Kestrel. 

I'm a little worried about my wild turkey flock. I haven't seen any signs of them since the deep snow settled in. For the first couple of days after the first deep snow, they were sort of moored in the trees, but then they must have gone somewhere else. Even the deer seem to have gone somewhere else, there are hardly any tracks around. The snow is definitely making it hard for everyone.


----------



## weeedlady

egrogan said:


> I'm a little worried about my wild turkey flock. I haven't seen any signs of them since the deep snow settled in. For the first couple of days after the first deep snow, they were sort of moored in the trees, but then they must have gone somewhere else. Even the deer seem to have gone somewhere else, there are hardly any tracks around. The snow is definitely making it hard for everyone.


Our resident deer and turkey have moved on also. We've been told they head a bit to the south (10 or 12 miles) where the snows are not likely to be quite so deep. I expect to see them back in the spring.


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## tim62988

i'm just envious that you have decent enough base under the snow to ride and it took so long to get so much snow. NY has great trails but terrible for horses this time of year


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## PoptartShop

So much snow...so jealous (even though I can't stand snow, LOL). It's been sleeting/snowing here but the ground is just not riding-friendly (too icy) lately or it melts & it's too slipper!  Yuck!
What fun adventures you guys had! Good boy Phin too!!


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## phantomhorse13

Got a bit behind again.. time to play catch up. Momma nature continues to be stuck in winter mode, but I am riding as I can.

Last Sunday, I started with Phin. Kestrel came, too. We went out around Spaulding's and then over and did a small loop around Ziesloft's. Phin was feeling mighty fine.









We got back to Alimar and Phin was still feeling very fine, so we went out the creek trail to do another loop. That got him settled enough we were able to go home without incident (sometimes snow is good!).









7.36 miles, 814 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 24F real feel


Then it was Link's turn. I started with the same route I took Phin. Link was somewhat worried, eyeballing the bushes and startling at birds, etc.









As we went back across Spaulding's, Link kept wanting to rush. Every time he went above the gait I asked for, we turned around and went the opposite way until he wanted to slow down on his own, at which point I would insist he go a bit farther before asking for a downward transition. It took multiple turn backs (I lost count after 5) before he finally got the idea and kept himself under control.

We went back across Alimar and only had one discussion about speed. By the time we got to the creek trail, Link had settled down.









When he did much better than I expected crossing the creek, I was happy to let him turn for home:





5.38 miles, 653 feet of climb, 3.9 mph average pace, 26F real feel


That week, we got multiple storms giving us yet more snow and then some ice. That left a nasty crust on the snow, but my wonderful DH took the skid over to Gina's ring on Thursday evening once the last storm was done and broke up the crust:










Friday, I started with Link. I intended to go over to the ring and work there. It was hard to see the skid track after it had blown closed with snow overnight:









When I got to the ring, Link was _very_ worried about things looking different - the snowman in the corner beside the gate (which was not there last time we worked in the ring) was particularly awful. I could feel his heart hammering against my leg as he stood staring in horror; he was considering a spin and bolt. At that moment, Gina's barn door slide open as she came out with Giselle. At the noise behind him, Link shot through the gate into the ring (which got us past the snowman, but not exactly the way I had been hoping!). I knew Gina would longe Giselle before riding and the mare was sure to do a lot of bucking and squealing. I didn't think that would be a good idea with Link as cranked up as he already was. I asked Gina if she could hold on a moment to let me get Link over his snowman terror. She waited while I worked with Link until I could get him to walk around the monster, then we headed for home.

Coming back into the yard, the soccer ball Kestrel plays with was laying in our path:





1.29 miles, 30 feet of climb, 2.8 mph average pace, 24F real feel


Next was Phin. Since I couldn't use the ring as planned, I decided to try hacking around Alimar. I was surprised the footing wasn't as bad as I expected. We did stick to places where we had previously broken trail.









We kept to a walk, so Phin was bored but behaved himself.









2.47 miles, 246 feet of climb, 2.9 mph average pace, 26F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Sunday, the sun came out so DH would ride with me; we took Link and George. We went out Spaulding's and then climbed the first part of the Sugarloaf.









Link led the whole time and overall did really well. We did quite a bit of trotting.










Heading back across Spaulding's, Link was again a bit overly enthusiastic. However, it only took 3 turnbacks before he decided he could control himself. DH thought I was crazy at first, but had to admit it worked well (and was certainly more pleasant than playing tug o war).

We got home and then took the boys out for a loop bareback to cool down. Link did great!

















6.54 miles, 866 feet of climb, 3.6 mph average pace, 18F real feel


DH had a meeting with a client, so I got Phin out that afternoon. I did the same route as we had done earlier.














Despite the climb and the snow, Phin was totally full of himself. We did as much cantering as possible but it didn't even take the edge off. When Gina texted to see if I was interested in riding as I was heading back to Alimar, I decided that would be perfect. We went home to drop Kestrel off, then turned around and went over to meet Gina.

Phin was happy to canter away from home, but thoroughly disgusted when we did nothing but walk once we met up with Gina and Nik. But it was exactly what he needed as he settled down to plod along. 🙃










10.23 miles, 1316 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 24F real feel


Today, it wasn't snowing when I got up so I started with Link. We went out Spaulding's and I intentionally went all the way around, including the part which seems to trigger Link into rushing. I was really pleased that we didn't need to turn around at all! And when we didn't turn for home, but instead went the other way to go around again, he found a trot that would rival a western pleasure horse's jog. 

We then went over to do a loop around Ziesloft's. As we trotted along the hedgerow, a turkey bomb exploded and the dumb thing actually flew under Link!!  He leapt into the air and came down cantering sideways, but I got him stopped after only a few strides. I couldn't really fault him for that spook, as it scared me, too. As we worked our way around the fields, several more turkey bombs went off, but they were ahead of us so only resulted in a startle. I was really pleased he didn't even think about a spin move. 










We went all the way around Ziesloft's and then out along the lane to the road. 










We stayed off the actual driveway, riding the edge of the field on the far side. Link eyed the Always Changing House as we went past, but nothing was moving or making noise for a change. We went along the road and he was fine with the car that passed. Alimar's driveway was pretty slick, but he picked his way carefully along.

We stopped at the ring and I was thrilled when he went right through the gate and up to the snowman without hesitation! In fact, he thought it looked tasty and nibbled a layer off the top!










Then we turned for home:





4.76 miles, 561 feet of climb, 4.0 mph average pace, 24F real feel


Phin was next. However, he got lucky because it started snowing hard as I was grooming him, so instead of a conditioning ride, I took him out bareback to walk Kestrel. I was pleased to get this today:





We went out to do a loop around Alimar. We stuck to the trees as much as we could to block the snow and wind. Phin was really good.









So good in fact, I got brave:





2.25 miles, 249 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 26F real feel


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## gottatrot

Phin looks very snazzy in all the bareback gear. 

Link seems very curious. That was cute how he picked up the soccer ball. I think the creek looked really scary, so that was very brave how he crossed it. If a turkey did that to me on a horse, I would die!! Especially on a green horse.


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## phantomhorse13

gottatrot said:


> If a turkey did that to me on a horse, I would die!! Especially on a green horse.


Luckily, all those random, crazy things happen without my having a clue they are about to happen. Otherwise, I am not sure I would be brave enough to ride at all!

Phin's bareback gear came from a 4H used tack sale a few years ago. DH was horrified when I picked it up, but with a price tag of $10, my cheapskate side easily won out over my fashion-conscious side.


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## phantomhorse13

Ugh, i just spent 2 hours writing a couple posts to get caught up and HF ate them! Super frustrated, so need to log off and go do something fun. 

May will try again tomorrow..


----------



## Oreos Girl

Fiddler would be the one to pickup the soccer ball and then proceed to spook himself with it. He is so funny. I love that Link is so curious.


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## phantomhorse13

Trying again to get things updated as I am now very behind. It's super frustrating when I get things done and then somehow it vanishes! Maybe today will be better..

On Wednesday the 24th, Momma nature smiled and sent some sun!

I started with Phin. We went out around Spaulding's and then over to climb the Sugarloaf. There was still plenty of snow so it was heavy going. Phin was pretty cranked up at the start but had settled nicely by the time we got to the top.









We dropped down the backside and went out the driveway a bit and then around the fields. There was still snow, but it apparently wasn't deep enough to deter Phin once we turned for home. So we went back to the Sugarloaf and climbed more, and this time not at a walk!





We got to the top and he was a bit calmer, but when we went down and turned for home, he got fussy. So we turned to climb the power line.









Trudging up that finally convinced Phin I was going to make him climb until he behaved.. so we returned home without further pace discussion.

9.34 miles, 1768 feet of climb, 4.2 mph average pace, 26F real feel


Then it was Link's turn. I met Gina and Giselle. We started out following and Link did really well not wanting to rush to catch up. At one point a helicopter flew over very low and then circled around, which had him a bit concerned (and us as well as we couldn't figure out why the state police would be circling!). Luckily, it moved off before either horse got too jumpy and we continued on like nothing happened.









We went out the creek trail and then looped behind the township building. Giselle decided she did not like the barrels and misc junk at the top of the hill, so Link took the lead. He kept it for the rest of the way home and did a great job ignoring Giselle jigging around behind him. Super pleased!!









4.02 miles, 476 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average pace, 36F real feel


And last was George. We went over to babysit Nik, but she wasn't ready when she said she would be, so I took George out for a quick loop on our own. He had a blast and wanted to canter the whole thing!









Then we went back around and met up with Giselle and Copper. We did a couple loops around Alimar. Copper was good on the way out but did a lot of jigging on the way home. George just moseyed along without a care in the world.








6.5 miles, 830 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 40F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

On Friday the 26th, I got more saddle time.

I started with Phin. We went around Spaulding's and then across Ziesloft's to climb the first tier of the Sugarloaf. That took a bit of the edge off, so we went down across the farm and out across Gina's old barn.









Phin was still a bit up, so instead of going back towards home, we went up onto the Tomhicken where I knew the snow would still be deep:





That trudging wasn't quite enough to settle him down, so we did the first part of the logging road climb, too. That was also still knee deep, which finally changed his attitude!








9.05 miles, 1617 feet of climb, 4.2 mph average pace, 21F real feel


Next was Link. We went out across Spaulding's and headed to the Sugarloaf. Link was steady, though kept an eye out for any wayward wildlife:





I had hoped to loop around the Sugarloaf, but the crust on the snow was ugly out in the open. So, we moseyed up instead:





We got to the top and then headed towards the farm. Nice of the deer to help keep the trail open.









Link was not very impressed about turning away from home to loop the farm, but he did so without too much fuss. He eyeballed the shooting backstops but did not spook or try to spin. He did get a bit silly when we got to the bottom of the farm and turned for home, but that was easy enough to fix as it meant we went up the Sugarloaf again!









That was plenty to convince Link that going in that direction was not actually exciting. We went home via the lane and past the Scary House, which for a change was quiet. We had to stand and wait for several vehicles to pass before we could cross the road, which got him a Link worried. However, he kept control of himself and maintained a walk up Alimar's driveway. There was a small trailer parked just past the already scary bushes which caused some anxiety as it hasn't been there before, but he was able to pass without scooting after a moment to look and ponder. I was very pleased.

5.87 miles, 984 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 32F real feel


Then it was George's turn. We did a quick solo loop when Nik was late again. So exciting to see some bare ground!!









We went over to meet Nik and Gina. This time Gina rode Amish, who was feeling mighty fine - I don't think he flat walked at any point! That did not help keep Copper calm, so he was also jigging. George behaved very well, just moseying along without a care in the world.








6.11 miles, 617 feet of climb, 3.8 mph average pace, 36F real feel


----------



## Celeste

You gotta love George!
Link is coming along great!


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## phantomhorse13

Wednedsay the 3rd, I got more saddle time. 

I started with Link. The temp had dropped enough overnight to freeze the ground solid, so I hoped the Big Square would be rideable. Places that had been in the sun had finally melted off, but of course that meant you had to be looking for ice.









Link was more enthusiastic when point towards home than when pointing away, but overall he behaved really well. I was happy we had no wildlife encounters! We also had no issues with traffic on the bridge or the short stretch of pavement this loop travels on.










On the way home, we turned off the pavement and went around the set of fields that goes along and above the main road. There was a lot of traffic but Link did really well with noticing it without reacting. Good ride!

6.64 miles, 768 feet of climb, 4.3 mph average pace, 30F real feel


Then was Phin's turn. Things were melting so I headed over to the Tomhicken to see if any of those trails had opened up yet. Phin was very forward, so I made sure to add in some deep snow to try to take the edge off:





Once we got up the Tomhicken, we headed out the yellow gate trail. I was pleased that the snow and ice had softened enough we could get through!









Maybe Phin was happy to see some different trails too, as he was very well behaved. We had no discussions about pace (even heading for home) and he was very responsive to lateral cues to weave around potential problem footing (as opposed to pretending any and all leg clues means run).









On the way back across Ziesloft's, momma nature left us a present right in the middle of the trail:








10.52 miles, 1857 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 40F real feel


Last Sunday, DH and I got George and Link out. The temperatures were back to below freezing, so we weren't able to do a repeat of what I had done with Phin. Instead, we went over to the Tomhicken hoping we could get down the yellow gate far enough to get to the power lines. There was still plenty of snow to get through on the way.









We were able to carefully navigate our way along the yellow gate trail to the power line, which dropped us down across the road. That is a south-facing slope so a lot of the snow was gone. Link had a momentary fuss at crossing the shoulder/ditch beside the road, as it was lower than it had been previously and contained running water. But after a moment to look and think, he got brave and stepped in. When it didn't dissolve the first foot, the rest followed without incident.

After Link's hesitation at the shoulder, I expected him to be unsure about all the new puddles and little streams crossing the trail on the far side of the road. However, he didn't mind those at all! We trekked along to the pole line, and then crossed back and started climbing.


















As we got down to the farm, the kids were out playing in the yard. Link is still not so sure about loud, fast-moving humanoids, so he kept an eye on them while DH talked to their dad.









We passed the place I found the shed while riding with Phin, and added 3 more to the collection!








8.88 miles, 1644 feet of climb, 3.6 mph average pace, 32F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

Last Monday, I started with Link. The weather was chilly again so I hoped the ground would be good enough to do the loop around the Sugarloaf. Link was very mellow going out so we were able to do a lot of trotting.









We were able to make our way all the way around and found very little snow left on the south side. I wasn't sure if he would be more excited heading home, but was super pleased that this was what I got:





We went home via the lane, passing the Scary House without incident and riding through the yard beside the paved road. We had to wait for several vehicles to pass before we could cross the road and Link got a bit impatient but didn't do anything silly. Link trotted up Alimar's driveway, passing the small trailer parked in the bushes with only a suspicious glance. Great ride!

5.76 miles, 853 feet of climb, 4.5 mph average pace, 21F real feel


Then it was Phin's turn. We also did the Sugarloaf loop, though I added in a loop around Spaulding's and a shorter loop of climbing to start with as he was feeling mighty fine.









We looped around one set of fields a couple times, until there was less discussion about pace, then climbed the backside of the Sugarloaf. That barely took the edge off. We dropped down to make a loop around the farm and then Ziesloft's.









The migrating geese are gathering at Ziesloft's in amazing numbers. Kestrel thinks clearing them from the trail is a lot of fun:





9.3 miles, 1532 feet of climb, 5.5 mph average pace, 32F real feel


Tuesday, I got Phin out. This time Kestrel stayed home, as I hoped the improving weather would allow for better footing and a longer ride. We went out and around Spaulding's then across to the Tomhicken. We climbed that and went down the yellow gate trail and dropped down the power line to cross the road. We went along the Tomhicken trail, passed the pole line, and went out to the place it crosses pavement again. As expected, the section of trail on the far side of the road was still icy, so we turned around and came back.










Phin felt really good, wanting to canter whenever I would let him. On the way back, we did a small loop around the lake before heading back up the pole line.









We then headed out across the housing development to do the space needle loop. It was trash day, so there was an assortment of monsters for Phin to deal with. We got back to the trails to find there was still snow in some places, but it wasn't icy with the mild weather. Phin felt great and behaved well even with deer jumping around in the woods all around us multiple times:





@bsms , I was thinking of Bandit as we came back cross the housing development on the way home:





Phin had a big startle at a couple random things on the ground by Ziesloft's barn, so I shouldn't have been surprised when we got to the lane and Phin's hooves went clink clink clink thud. Shiitake - he was missing a shoe! I didn't have time to go back and look for it, so I hopped down and led him the rest of the way home. Overall, it was a fantastic ride even if it did end with me having to call the farrier.

17.1 miles, 2126 feet of climb, 5.7 mph average pace, 49F real feel


Wednesday, I started with Link. The purpose of my ride was to backtrack my last ride, looking for Phin's missing shoe. Link had never been out via Alimar's driveway before and he was not very inclined to explore a place he doesn't like anyway. He was very worried about the birds in the bushes and everything waving in the wind. It didn't seem any breezier to me than it had been previous days, but a front was coming so I suspect Link is going to be weather sensitive like Phin is. Of course. 

We inched our way out of Alimar and I got off to handwalk him down the side of the paved road, as it was too wet to ride in the yards and there is only about a foot of shoulder. One car passed, which resulted in a raised head and a rolling eye, but his feet didn't change their course. We made it to the lane and I got back on using a tree stump beside the Scary House, which he handled better than I expected considering his worry. 

Once past the Scary House, I asked for a trot and got a jog that would have put a western pleasure horse to shame. 🙃 I reminded myself that unenthusiastic was better than explosive. We made our way up the lane and around the barn. And there was the shoe, laying close beside the monster that caused its loss:









Mission complete, I decided to just mosey up the Sugarloaf and then head for home, since Link was having an anxious day.










The climb was slow and steady as there was still snow on the north side. Link was puffing by the time we got to the highest point I planned to go and seemed to be somewhat less worried. It was amazing to see how the snow changed from one side to the other:





Link went home with slightly less worry but not too much more enthusiasm. He didn't want to go home so much as try to avoid going too near any trees or bushes that not only were wiggling in the wind, but also might contain birds. I got off to handwalk the paved road and got back on at the bottom of Alimar's driveway. Link eyeballed the trailer very hard as we passed but didn't actually startle. The rest of our journey home concluded without incident. Not the best ride ever, but considering how anxious he was, it could have been a lot worse.

5.69 miles, 1001 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 40F real feel


Then, it was George's turn. Nik wanted to try the Sugarloaf loop with Copper. As usual, going away from home Copper was pretty good, but he got anxious once we turned for home. It was quite warm, but a strong breeze kept it from feeling too bad. We kept the pace pretty mellow as both horses still have winter coats .









Copper was jiggy on the way home, but he didn't get any more cranked up than he has previous rides. Nik tried the turn around and go the other way when the fussing got bad technique and it worked better than trying to contain him with the reins did. As usual, George just moseyed along without a care in the world, going whatever speed I asked of him.









6.11 miles, 7.41 feet of climb, 3.6 mph average pace, 55F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

Last Thursday, I started with Link. We went over to the Tomhicken and out the yellow gate trail. While a lot of the snow had melted, there was still some ice and snow to navigate even at the top. 









Link did a good job listening to my leg and rein cues when navigating around the puddles. He was forward without being silly, even when we turned and headed back towards home.














We went back across the farm and Ziesloft's to the lane. As we approached the Scary House, I could see someone dragging trash out. When the first mattress appeared, I stopped and got off, knowing Link would be much happier to face the monster with me beside him (and I had no idea if more stuff might be coming out). Link was wide eyed once he noticed it and took a moment to approach, but eventually he decided it was one more potential toy.









I handwalked him until we crossed to Alimar's driveway, then rode the rest of the way home without issue. Good ride!

9.02 miles, 1457 feet of climb, 4.0 mph average pace, 42F real feel


Next, the farrier came to put Phin's shoe back on. After he left, I hopped on Phin bareback to take Kestrel for a walk. The weather was an amazing preview of spring, with lots of sun and temperature warm enough I was riding in just a t-shirt! I found a new sign that Gina had put up (a gift from her brother):









2.25 miles, 246 feet of climb, 3.1 mph average pace, 60F real feel


Last, George got to babysit Copper again. This time Gina and Giselle came along too. We just did a quick loop over to the farm and back.









On the way back, Copper actually did better than Giselle did in terms of amount of time flat walking versus jigging. George, as always, moseyed along like a good boy.









5.25 miles, 630 feet of climb, 4.1 mph average pace, 65F real feel


Saturday, DH and I got George and Link out. We went over to do the Space Needle loop. Link was very balky about wanting to leave, even with George along, which was a surprise as the weather had turned cold again. At one point, George got far enough ahead to disappear from sight, and instead of wanting to catch up, Link would have turned around and gone home! His fussiness improved once we got down across the farm. He led going up the Tomicken and then across the housing development. Link was a bit suspicious of someone washing their truck in a driveway, but he didn't try to spin or even stop.

Once we got out onto the access road, we practiced following. That still makes Link worry that things are going to jump out from stuff behind him, but he did settle down after a bit.










We took a way out that Link had not been on before, so he got to see some new trail and novel things. None of them worried him too much, which I was happy about.










We trotted all the way to the space needle, then paused for a brief rest and photo op. I wished I had packed a bit of feed to simulate a hold, so will try to remember to do that next time.










On the way back down, we practicing passing and being passed. Link didn't mind being passed but he was initially hesitant to pass George while both were trotting. With a bit of practice, that hesitation disappeared. I was very happy there was no rushing towards home.

Coming back across the farm, we caught the kids on their way out so paused to say hi. While we were standing there, several cars passed on the road and one even honked, but Link never moved!









We went home via Ziesloft's lane. We passed the scary house without incident and Link was feeling calm enough I decided to try riding down the side of the road. Of course, that meant that not only did a vehicle come, but it turned into the driveway right beside us! Link did a couple tap dancing steps when the SUV was coming right towards him - and really I couldn't blame him for being worried - but he didn't spin or try to bolt. Once the car stopped in the driveway, he was ok to walk past it. After that, jogging up Alimar's driveway past the trailer was no sweat. Overall, quite pleased with that ride; his longest so far.

13.17 miles, 1736 feet of climb, 4.5 mph average pace, 34F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

I got some more saddle time Tuesday. It was supposed to be crisp but calm, with increasing clouds as the day went on and rain showers possible around dinner. It was totally cloudy, somewhat breezy, and chilly even first thing, so I figured I better start with Link as I expected the weather to only get worse. I suspected he would be worried with the weather changing, but he needs to learn that won't actually kill him.

I decided to go over to do the Big Square, since that is more open and the wiggling trees etc seem to worry him more than the actual wind hitting him. From the start, he was antsy though ironically that made him fairly forward leaving home. He was very looky and felt quite tense, but he kept his head even while trotting. We went around Alimar and then along the creek trail, across the bridge (no traffic!) and then up the first climb.








I hoped that would take the edge off, but it didn't seem to make any difference. Link was still puffing from the climb when he had his first big spook that tried to be a spin, and I don't even know what it was that he saw. I did my best to just quietly correct him and continue on, but as we worked our way around the fields, I could see a tarp stuck in the bushes close to where we would pass.. shiitake.

I have to admit I pondered just turning around and going a different way.. but decided better to deal with the monsters I at least knew were coming and use it as a good lesson. So we trotted until about 20 feet from it, then walked. Because it was in a gap in the treeline, Link didn't see it until we were just about on top of it, and of course at that moment the wind gusted so parts of it flapped. I am happy to say I stayed on, but his teleportation move was one of the best I have seen - I am not even sure you could call it a spin and bolt so much as a massive sideways launch. 

But after said launch, he stopped and stood; granted, he was high-headed and bug eyed and snorting at the monster. So we stood for a moment, then I asked for a step. And then we stood, and then another step. Eventually, we got close enough he could have touched it, but I wasn't going to encourage that as I didn't want to experience another teleport. Instead, we turned back the way we came and walked a bit, then turned around and walked past. Link really wanted to scoot forward into a trot, but he didn't. So we walked a few more steps, halted, then turned to walk back the other way. We did that a few times and then continued on.

We looped around that field at a trot and came back to the tarp. Dropped to a walk just before the monster and Link managed to walk past without jumping or picking up the pace and I was happy to ignore his raised head and staring eyeball. Trotted around the field and came back for a third try, this time at a trot. While Link did move as far off the path as possible, he did not go into the field, nor did he scoot forward - I was thrilled, so we trotted on and left that area altogether.

We trottied around some more fields and Link did pretty well with keeping himself under control. He was very anxious, eyeballing every leaf wiggling with worry and feeling like he might come unglued at any moment.. but he didn't. When the skies suddenly opened and snow/ice started falling, he did some head tossing and wanted to turn so we weren't going face into it.. but he dealt with it like a big boy - no tantrums!








Some goats and chickens were the next obstacle, and with how tense Link already was, I wasn't about to try to ride him past them. I dismounted when they were barely in sight and handwalked him. The goats were not as worrisome as the chickens, even though the goats followed along with us while the chickens ignored us. I guess clucking and pecking is a foreign enough activity to be suspicous to a horse..








I got back on a short distance after the final chicken pen, which Link kept a close eye on. We went around the fields at a tense but controlled trot, then dropped down and crossed the bridge (again with no traffic - whew). We got back onto the creek trail and Link was still worried, but seemed to take some comfort in at least heading towards home. Crossing the open fields to go across Alimar, he finally settled down and dropped his head despite the wind gusting. Not the best ride ever, but nobody died.

9.78 miles, 1040 feet of climb, 5.1 mph average pace, 16F real feel

It was still snowing sideways when I finished with Link, so Phin got the day off. While the snow didn't amount to more than a dusting, the wind was miserable and I suspected Phin would be a nut. It just wasn't worth it.


Wednesday was supposed to be partly cloudy and calm. Instead, it was cloudy and super foggy, to the point it was almost drizzling! However, there wasn't much wind and the radar didn't show any actual rain, so I started with Link. I decided to go back to the Big Square again. Link was much calmer from the start, which was good in terms of his not being anxious, but meant he was stuck in creeper gear in terms of forward motion. I kept repeating sluggish was better than explosive as we moseyed along. We went out across Alimar, the creek trail, and the bridge without incident, so I decided to take advantage of his mellow attitude when dealing with the tarp:








Do you see it? No? Well it was indeed still there - look closely for a hint of silver just beyond the 5th tree trunk from the right, not far past where the corn field ended. But you can understand from this view why Link didn't know it was there until we were right beside it. Happy to say this ride he just startled a little, with no attempt to teleport or flee. Much better!

We then continued on to the next set of fields. That has the always-worrisome Demon Blind in it:




Next, we worked our way around to the goats. Link was being very good, so this time we rode past our friends:








We did pause to look at them, but Link was more interested in the chickens that were in the yard to the right of this picture. But he kept his worry in check and we continued on without incident. We dropped down to check out a trail I hadn't been down in a while because of downed trees. As I hoped, hunters had wanted access so actually cleared the trail and we were able to make it around! 

There is a weird creek crossing on that trail and I expected Link to not be a fan. Adding to the fun was a stickerbush that had grown up a lot and was blocking some of the area. It took a few moments of one step forward, one sideways and one back before Link got brave enough to cross all the way, but he did so and without any huge leaps! Of course if he had known this climb was waiting for us, maybe he would have put up more of a fuss. 








That climb put us back to beside the house, so I thought this time we would go by the goats and chickens without stopping. Wasn't I surprised when this time a dog came out from behind the garage. Shiitake. We paused, and I was hugely relieved it was only the half-grown puppy (looks to be a pit/hound mix). He woofed a couple times halfheartedly until I spoke to him, then he came gallumphing over, looking to play. Link watched him, but didn't seem concerned as the dog bounced around him.

Since Link didn't seem worried about the pup and there was no sign of the (unpleasant) adult dogs, I decided to just keep going. The pup bounced along beside and behind us, but in an interested versus aggressive way. Link was again more worried about what the chickens were doing than anything, but he kept marching steadily on even when the roosters started crowing and flapping (luckily they were not very near the road). I was relieved when the pup stayed by the house and we were able to continue on our way.

We went out around the last set of fields, then dropped down to the road, crossed the bridge (no traffic!), and went home without further incident. Super ride!
10.52 miles, 1247 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 28F real feel

Then it was Phin's turn. I planned on a long one as he had been so full of himself. We went out and headed to the Tomhicken. We dropped down to the far side, did the loop around the lake, then continued on the Tomhicken trail. As I hoped, most of the snow and ice was gone so we were able to keep going. We went over to the soap creek trail and I was not surprised to see remains of the previous flooding:








Phin was suspicious since things were different (that tree had been undercut and came down and there was a lot of debris in general), but we were able to make our way around and keep going. We went along the length of that trail, then back to the Tomhicken trail, then across and up the s-turn. Once up there, we did a big loop around the big open and headed around to drop back down:








Phin pulled any time we were pointing towards home, always wanting to go faster, even after all those miles!  He was so opinionated during the descent from the space needle that I decided we were not going home, but instead continued down the yellow gate trail and did a loop to the gas line. That backed him off a bit and we went the rest of the way home without any major discussions.

However, when we got there, I swapped his saddle for a cooler and then went out bareback to walk Kestrel. Phin was not impressed to be leaving home a second time but I had little sympathy. We walked the 2 mile loop around the edges of Alimar. Phin had a much better attitude about going home that time:





24.1 miles, 2615 feet of climb, 6.5 mph average pace, 36F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

Sunday, I got Link out.. but first I had to find him under all the filth! 🙈 








We went over to climb the Sugarloaf. Link was eyeballing the bushes as woodland creatures are back out everywhere, but he didn't do anything silly. For the first time, I asked for some trot on the steeper climbs.








We dropped down the other side and went to do the loops around the fields. We found a couple places where they had dug out big rocks and were starting to fill the holes. Link was totally unconcerned about those, go figure.








On the way home, Link got very cranked up in a section of field. We had to turn back several times before he could contain himself, but he still felt like a bomb. Instead of continuing the normal way around the outside of the fields, I turned him up a swale. The swale was wet, so I hoped crossing the strange water would get him refocused (vs causing a total meltdown). It worked!




8.71 miles, 1545 feet of climb, 4.5 mph average pace, 43F real feel

Monday, I went to ride with Nicole for the first time since July! The boys hadn't been ridden since January, so we were expecting some silliness. So we headed to climb the mountain first. I rode Polo:








The boys were a bit silly to start, wanting to turn back, but once we got up the mountain they settled down. We did a short out and back before heading back down.








Polo briefly thought about getting rushy for home, but it didn't turn into an issue. Amazing how the threat of climbing the mountain again works (and people think horses don't speak english 🙃)!








9.72 miles, 814 feet of climb, 5.5 mph average pace, 53F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Tuesday, I started with Link. I wanted to repeat the last ride, hoping Link would be more settled. From the start, he was much less worried about life. We again alternated walk and trot up the Sugarloaf.








We dropped down to do the out and back along the driveway. The lower fields were still wet, so we did some extra loops around the top field. One of those loops went a way he hadn't been before. Link had a moment over a limb on the ground. I am not sure why that limb was so terrifying, but I was pleased that he didn't try to spin and bolt as he was truly worried. After a few minutes of looking and taking a step and looking and taking a step, he got up to the limb and then decided it was tasty. Goofy horse!

We up the backside of the sugarloaf, trotting two of the three tiers. Link trucked along in a workmanlike manner.








Link was much less explosive feeling crossing that field towards home, but I went up the swale anyway. This time I upped the ante, asking him to walk along the water in the swale. He was more interested in stopping to eat the grass than he was worried about the water. After one pass walking, this was the next:




9.01 miles, 1611 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 48F real feel

Then it was Phin's turn. I did a similar route, just at a faster speed.








Phin was a bit of a ding dong, but considering the numbers of turkey and deer we jumped, he actually did pretty darn well.








9.01 miles, 1877 feet of climb, 5.3 mph average pace, 61F real feel

Yesterday, I started with Link. We went over to the Tomhicken. For the first time, I asked him to trot the entire climb - which he did like a champ! We went out the yellow gate trail, which I knew would be full of puddles. What I hadn't thought about was the warmer weather bringing out the frogs! Link was initially not impressed with the bubbles and the jumping.








But when basically every puddle contained new friends, he started to realize nothing was going to eat him. We dropped down the gas line and crossed to the Tomhicken trail. We continued past the power and pole lines to a section he had never been on before. I wasn't sure how he would handle the railroad ties left from when that trail used to be a railroad, but I was thrilled to get this:




We turned off on the lake loop. Link jogged along, only eyeballing the occasional down tree or stump (but no big spooks).








There are a couple creek crossings on that loop and a camp spot with some odd metal buildings, a dock, etc. Link didn't put a foot wrong. We went across the first creek and into the camp without hesitation. We circled the fire pit and then continued on like he sees that stuff daily. The second crossing is rocky and in places the plastic erosion barriers can be seen. Link not only walked in without hesitation, he dropped his head to drink!!

We looped around to go up the pole line towards home. We had to pause to let several vehicles pass, and they go by at highway speeds. Link got a touch fussy having to wait, but didn't care about any of the vehicles whizzing past. Link was so proud of being allowed to trot the climbs, that he was asking to trot even in places I would have let him walk:




Fantastic ride!!
12.04 miles, 1781 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 57F real feel

Then was Phin's turn. From the start he was wanting to go, so we started climbing. We went up the Sugarloaf, down the other side, then up the backside. Then we headed out across the farm towards the Tomhicken.








We did the Tomhicken climb, then went back across the farm. Despite the heat, Phin was still full of it, so we went up the Sugarloaf again. Dropped down to the powerline, then climbed that and continued to the top of the Sugarloaf for the 3rd time. Dropped down, and came up the backside and that finally got him settled!








Crazy to be out in a sleeveless shirt in March!
11.01 miles, 2500 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 68F real feel


----------



## Woodhaven

Phantom I have watched some of the videos of you riding Link, you can be pretty proud of yourself at how well he is doing now. He has come a LONG way since last fall. A lot of work on your part. I get a kick out of watching his busy ears, this way and that, taking in everything that's going on around him. He is alert and paying attention but still a good boy.


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## phantomhorse13

Woodhaven said:


> Phantom I have watched some of the videos of you riding Link, you can be pretty proud of yourself at how well he is doing now. He has come a LONG way since last fall.


Thank you.

Some days I wonder what on earth I was thinking, wanting to train a baby. Other days it makes me over the moon happy to see him progress.


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## knightrider

phantomhorse13 said:


> Some days I wonder what on earth I was thinking, wanting to train a baby. Other days it makes me over the moon happy to see him progress.


This was me 16 years ago when I was training Chorro. I told myself many times, "What were you THINKING, training a fractious colt at your age." Chorro will be 17 on April 11 and a fantastic horse. Everybody loves riding him. You are doing great with Link, and I am certain you will be grinning as you swing on his back when he is 17.


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> This was me 16 years ago when I was training Chorro.


I can only hope Link becomes as nice as Chorro is!! I know I loved riding him. Hopefully, I get back down your way at some point to do it again.


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## knightrider

Oh, I hope so too! @4horses and I are planning a camping trip to Shangri La and I was thinking about the time you rode with us there and how fun it was. And wondering if it would ever happen again.


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## phantomhorse13

Saturday, I started with Phin. We were going to meet Gina and Nik, but I wanted to make sure Phin would behave, so I took him out solo first. I wasn't sure how many times I might need to climb the Sugarloaf before finding his brain, so wasn't I pleased when he was reasonable from the start.

We went out around Spaulding's and I got this:




So we only climbed the Sugarloaf once:








And then headed home. Phin was relaxed even going home. We got there and found the first flowers are up!








5.4 miles, 958 feet of climb, 5.1 mph average pace, 48F real feel

Phin got a quick snack and then we headed over to meet Gina & Giselle and Nik & Copper. We went over to the Tomhicken to do the yellow gate loop. Giselle was not having a good day, so Phin took the lead during anything worrisome. Phin was a great example to Copper (who wasn't so sure about water to start with):








Then, we would drop to the back as Phin was happy to flat walk while Giselle and Copper did a lot of jigging.








10.4 miles, 1532 feet of climb, 3.6 mph average pace, 52F real feel

Then it was Link's turn. It was a walk day, so we just moseyed a lap around Alimar, stopping for snacks along the way.








Link was relaxed enough even beside the scary pipes to snack!








1.91 miles, 223 feet of climb, 2.9 mph average pace, 55F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I started with Phin. He again was quite mellow from the start. We went out across Spaulding's and then started the trek up the Sugarloaf. I was pleased that this was the only down tree we found (the wind has been ugly the past few days).









Phin went up and down the Sugarloaf as pleasantly as could be, despite the return of the raging wind as we climbed (wasn't supposed to be windy, but surprise!). I was thrilled with his behavior, so we turned for home. On the way back, we came across a skid loader after some of the potato stone. What timing! 








6.07 miles, 1276 feet of climb, 4.5 mph average pace, 41F real feel

Then it was Link's turn. Because the wind was ugly, I decided to head for the ring. Honestly, I was expecting Link to be really cranked up, but he kept it together really well hacking over to Gina's, despite everything wiggling and branches flapping, etc. When we got to the ring, he had one big startle when Gina's horses went running and bucking away from the fence, but he only hopped a couple steps.

Once in the ring, he calmed to the point of laziness after our first lap showed him no monsters were lurking. 








We paused several times as various trucks and equipment came up the driveway and passed, but Link was totally unconcerned about all of them.




After about 15 minutes of work, I was happy with his lack of worry, so we headed home as a reward.








2.08 miles, 256 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 52F real feel

Today, I got Link out. We started early as I wanted to get in a long ride and rain was coming by lunchtime. I brought my raincoat along just in case the forecast was wrong, but happily I didn't need it! We headed out Spaulding's, across the farm, up the Tomhicken and out the yellow gate trail. We dropped down the gas line and then followed the Tomhicken trail. We went past the power line, the pole line, and the turn off for the lake loop. Link was a bit more aware of his surroundings once we got on unfamiliar trail, but overall he was relaxed.

We crossed over the Weston Rd and I was pleased when Link tackled some big, mucky puddles without worry. He was a bit concerned with the small waterfall in the copper creek, but it only took him a moment to be brave enough to walk past.








We turned off onto the soap creek trail:




Then continued down the Tomhicken trail to cross over the paved road and climb the s-turn. Link did great dealing with the (sometimes noisy) traffic whizzing past not far from the trail and also waited patiently to cross the road.








We did a loop around the big open, then headed up to the space needle. Link knew exactly when he got on trail he had done before, which is amazing as he'd only been that way once before! We headed back for home and he kept the same steady pace. He was a bit nervous crossing the housing development, but only his flicking ears showed it.

We went home via the lane, and I tried to scope out the Scary House as we approached.. but weren't we both surprised when someone came around the corner of _the roof _as we came by (they were finally taking down their Christmas lights). Link startled but I couldn't really blame him as it scared me, too. The house at the end had multiple trash cans out, which Link eyed suspiciously but did pass without scooting. We turned into Alimar's driveway and came face to face with the quarter truck, but Link only eyeballed it hard as we passed. How ironic that all the excitement happened in the last 3/4 of a mile!!

We got home and I got Link untacked and groomed, gave him a syringe of applesauce (practice for electrolytes), then came his favorite part:








18.06 miles, 2021 feet of climb, 5.5 mph average pace, 55F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

hey @egrogan .. on another thread you mentioned having your eye on an intro ride in May. Would that be Brown Bag or Bare Bones by any chance? Cause just so happens, I mailed my entry for that today!!


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## egrogan

@phantomhorse13 - VERDA’s rides in Cornish, NH? Brown Bag is my hope...assuming we get in some practice with M’s trailer. Otherwise will be starting with the GMHA pleasure ride over Memorial Day and their June ride.

Whether we ride or not, will definitely plan to see you there. If I don’t ride I’ll volunteer and happy to help you out however you need! Yay!


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## phantomhorse13

Yes, the VERDA ride. It will be great to see you!!


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## phantomhorse13

Monday, I intended to get Phin out for a jaunt with Kestrel.. however, someone else had other ideas, as I found a fresh bite mark on his back! Shiitake!!








  🙈

So, George got to step up and go out with Kestrel. We did the Sugarloaf loop.








George was feeling pretty good, so I was glad I had put the saddle on him! It didn't help that the wind started picking up and was pretty strong by the time we got back home. Spring has sprung on the farm so the guys were out plowing and getting the ground ready for planting.








7.01 miles, 997 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 50F real feel

I had an appointment just after lunch, so didn't have time to ride another. Instead, I took Link out in hand to show him the new monster and to watch the equipment. It didn't take him long to decide the grass was a lot more interesting than the tarp-covered monster or any of the equipment, despite the wind.









Tuesday, I got Link out. We went over to do Big Square, planning to go the opposite way around the loops we normally do. Link was fairly unenthused, but he chugged along without too much complaint. We went all the way up the lane, passing the goats and chickens - that only drew some ear flicks and no break in movement. We then dropped down to the creek.








That trail is badly in need of maintenance, but it was good practice on lateral movement and paying attention to feet as we headed to head for the powerline climb. When the trail opened up, Link was a bit more forward.








Link went across the funny creek crossing that worried him last time without any hesitation. He chugged up the climb and then we went around the fields the opposite way. Link did eye the blind with suspicion (its different when its on the right side!), but he passed it without issue.
7.52 miles, 958 feet of climb, 4.4 mph average pace, 52F real feel

Wednesday, I got Link out. I was using the heartrate monitor on him for the first time, so was looking forward to seeing his reaction to things. We headed out on the Sugarloaf loop without issue and trucked around, enjoying the views and the wonderful day. I was happy to see his heartrate was in the upper 90s and low 100s as he jogged around on the flats and increased to the 150s and 160s on the climbs.








Wasn't I surprised when we came around the last field and found we weren't alone:




And as if that wasn't enough fun, while we were waiting for the skid loader to work past the driveway (which was just on our left out of the picture), the owner of the driveway came down it in a bobcat with a bucket, scraping up sticks and mud as he went. Link barely flicked an ear, but watched with interest as it came down, stopped for the owner to get the mail, then turned around and went back up the hill. His low heartrate agreed with his outward lack of concern about the equipment, which was nice to see. We squeezed past the parked truck, which Link was worried about, and onto the paved road. 

Once we got onto the road, the next obstacle came into view: a 'work zone' sign a short distance away. Link was not impressed as of course its never been there before, plus it was wiggling in the breeze making the sun glint off it. We walked slowly towards it but instead of keeping his whole attention forward on the monster, Link was flicking an ear backwards, too. I realized there was a vehicle on the road behind us, too!

Luckily the driver was very patient, so waited for us to get to a break in the trees where we could hop off the road into a field. The vehicle passed (taking pictures with their phone as they went) and then we could focus on the sign not being a monster. Link stayed as far away from it as he could, but he did pass it. We went down the road and found another sign directly across from the driveway we needed to go up. Link was a bit hesitant initially, but the sign was right beside the yummy grass we always stop to snack on.. so that was much better than the sign was scary. Good boy!

We climbed the backside of the Sugarloaf at a trot (with a few strides of canter in one flat place) as I was curious to see what his heartrate would do. It maxed out at 190 as we got to the top. We dropped back to a walk and I was surprised to see his heartrate drop to under 100 in about 15 seconds.









We walked about a minute to the place I normally dismount and I hopped off. I glanced at the monitor again and was shocked to see his heart rate was 62!

[I was taught to use a monitor to gauge fitness by using speed and/or climbing to push the horse to anaerobic levels (generally 190+ bpm in horses) and then see how long it took the heartrate to drop under 100 bpm when returning to a walk. Recovery in under a minute was the goal.]

6.01 miles, 925 feet of climb, 4.4 mph average pace, 63F real feel

Link got his first bath of the season when we got home. He also got a ribbon tied into his tail, so that when I put one there during his first ride it won't be a surprise. As I expected, he didn't care what I did as long as there was food in his bowl!


----------



## phantomhorse13

Thursday, I got Phin out for a bareback mosey as the weather was just too nice not to ride. We walked a lap around Alimar while Kestrel ran amuck.








The spot on Phin's back has solid skin over it now and it is no longer sensitive, but the hair hasn't started growing back yet. Only a week until our first competition of the season, so of course I am watching it obsessively!

2.02 miles, 197 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 72F real feel

Phin also got a bath, though it didn't come close to removing all the dirt stains. I had to laugh when Link came over to watch - wonder if he was saying ha-ha?









Yesterday, Link got some camping practice. He had experience with the electric fence last year when I used it to rotate paddocks, but that wasn't quite the same as being IN a pen. So I took advantage of the unusually warm weather and set up a couple pens in the catch paddock.








I wasn't expecting issues, but you just never know what a horse may do! They went in after dinner and I did some outdoor stuff for the next few hours so I could keep an eye on them. No excitement, just eating. Before bed, I went out - with the headlamp - and looked them over and gave them their evening hay. The next morning, everyone was where they belonged! They both cleaned up their breakfast.








I turned out Phin first, wanting to see how Link would react when his buddy was taken away. Link wasn't real happy but he didn't challenge the pen. Once I turned him out too, there was some silliness (let by George!!), while Sultan never picked his head out of the hay feeder.








yeehaw!


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I got Link out for a mosey around Alimar. He was a bit looky at some new things on our place; a hay wagon came out of storage and a propane tank was delivered. The tank in particular was Very Suspicious for whatever reason. When we got down to the ditch crossing, I was surprised that Link was not worried about the rock I had added.








We moseyed down around the outdoor and chased several dozen turkeys into the trees. Link wasn't so sure they weren't coming back, but he kept his head.








2.01 miles, 226 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 60F real feel

Today, we went over to do some ringwork. Link was very unenthused, which I kept reminding myself was better than explosive. The first couple times we went through the poles (at a walk), I thought he was going to land on his nose as he couldn't be bothered to pick his feet up! He also sent the crossrail tumbling to the ground. 

But Link did not worry about anything in the ring, including the Killer Mailbox and the misc stuff outside on the ground that he normally has to eyeball a few times before deciding no monsters are lurking. He did give me some nice bending at times.












2.54 miles, 85 feet of climb, 3.7 mph average pace, 58 F real feel

Tomorrow, DH and I head to Virginia for the first competition of the season. Everyone think calm horse and dry weather thoughts!


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## egrogan

Have a great ride! We’re getting a foot of snow here tonight, no riding for me


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## weeedlady

Snowing here also, but no accumulation. Safe travels and a good ride @phantomhorse13


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## phantomhorse13

Omg to the foot of snow. I hope the forecast was wrong @egrogan and that @weeedlady didn't get any either !!

If it makes you feel any better, we had some snow briefly fall from the sky Thursday, but I just went into the trailer singing la-la-la and it was done when I came back out. 

Had a busy but fantastic weekend. Trying to get things cleaned up today while feeling a bit like a zombie.. hope to get videos edited and my journal updated this week!


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## phantomhorse13

And as a big tease.. I leave this:








💃💃💃


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## egrogan

@phantomhorse13, unfortunately the snow came as expected 😖








I didn’t get to ride this weekend, so I am all the more excited to hear about your ride and how Link did!!


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## gottatrot

Wow, you two look great!!!


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## weeedlady

great photo @phantomhorse13 ! re: snow. We got no accumulation. 60's on Saturday and Sunday. Can't wait to hear all about your weekend.


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## phantomhorse13

Last Thursday, DH and I loaded up Phin and Link headed down to Virginia for our first ride of the season. This ride is the first leg of the Old Dominion Triple Crown - it's a tough trail with climbs and rocks and away checks. It wasn't my first choice for a place for Link to make his debut, but COVID-related cancellations changed my game plan three times. I was back and forth a lot about was I over-facing him on his first ride, but I knew the ride was actually broken in to 3 loops versus the more-normal 2, so that gave me plenty of opportunity to stop if I felt things were not going well.

We were one of the first to arrive in camp, so that gave us time to get set up before there was too much excitement. Link initially did a lot of staring like a giraffe as I hand walked him around (and he had one impressive sideways teleport at a water tank), but he settled into his pen to chow on the grass once turned loose. The ride manager had intentionally parked us beside someone with an experienced horse who would also be in camp Saturday and she didn't even pick up her head from the grass as we arrived and set up. We got our ride packets at check in, so I was able to braid and put on numbers right away.








Our assigned vetting time wasn't until early afternoon, so I decided to get Link out for his pre-ride just before lunch. He was a little wiggly to be tacked up, but he didn't do anything silly.








After a brief walk around the field, we headed out across camp towards the trail. Link was not impressed with all the wiggling things under the vendor's canopy (which was located right beside the gate on the way out of the field), but we took a few moments to look and approach slowly, so he eventually walked past with much rolling of eyes.

We went up the gravel road, alternating walking and trotting. Link was an interesting combination of energized yet hesitant. We got to the top after about a mile, made the turn onto the 30 mile trail, and went a short way up that before turning around to head back to camp.








I suspected Link was going to be more enthused going back and I was right. He let out a couple loud neighs and thought about zigging, but was easily dissuaded. When the first car approached us on the road, I wasn't sure if he would use it as an excuse to spook towards camp, but he did really well, standing quietly as it passed, then continuing at a walk down the road. Three more vehicles passed us (more traffic than I have ever seen there) and Link did fine. When we got down to where we turned off to go into the vet area (versus back down the road the way we had come), he had one brief fussy moment, but I was able to shut that down quickly. We went down through the finish, across the vet area, and walked back to the field where we were camped. Link hollered a few times, but overall I thought he handled himself really well.

I was able to vet in both horses at the same time, so I took Link and DH took Phin up. Link was a bit wide-eyed, but having appointments meant there wasn't a huge group of horses milling around the vetting area, which I think helped a lot. Link didn't mind the vet exam, which was a relief (we have done a lot of practice at home, but of course at home is at home!). Phin vetted for DH without issue.

People really started rolling in as the afternoon went on, which got Link a bit excited. The weather was all over the place, with the sun out one moment, then rain and even snow showers the next! It was also very windy, which is never Link's favorite thing. He did some pacing in his pen, and a lot of head flinging, but never challenged the fence (even when a nearby horse DID go through his pen and had a brief run around). I got things ready for the next day outside, so I was always nearby in case things really went sideways.

Link had decided life was not that exciting after all by dinner time and licked his bowl clean. Phin was the best example possible all day, being totally unconcerned with everything going on around him and doing nothing but eat or nap. I put on their blankets and tossed some hay before going to bed. It was chilly overnight and the wind didn't really drop as predicted. The 55s getting ready and warming up around us had Link back on his toes, but he again never challenged the pen. Once they were out on trail, I offered breakfast and he was happy to eat it between taking a lap.








DH was ambulance driver for the day, so he left camp just after the 55s started. That left me on my own to get Link tacked up. I did that on my normal timeframe (starting about 45 minutes before ride start, so I didn't need to rush). But instead of getting on to warm up, I took him out in hand to walk around. He was wide-eyed and on his toes, but he didn't do anything silly. We walked back and forth past the vendor's canopy several times as now there were people in chairs (and change is scary). Then we went back to the trailer to munch grass and wait for everyone to leave.








Once the majority of the 30 milers left camp, I got on Link and headed out. I had a 15 minute window before the Ride and Tiers started and I knew a couple teams were very competitive, which meant they would be fast. I was hoping to get at least a few miles down the trail (conviently mostly uphill) before Link had to deal with the challenge of other horses around him. We got lucky to have someone leading a horse out of the field as we came past the vendor canopy and through the gate, so Link hardly looked at it!

We marched out of camp and onto the road without incident. Phin hollered a couple times, but Link only answered once and then was focused on what was ahead of him. We alternated walking and jogging up the first big climb, then turned onto the trail. I was susprised (and a little dismayed) to see 3 riders ahead, as I had really hoped not to see anybody so soon! But Link did really well with approaching them slowly, and then maintaining his space behind them until we got to a place we could pass. He went around them with no drama and then continued up the trail alone. Before long, we were in a lovely pocket of space all our own.








I asked Link to walk the majority of the uphills, knowing it was going to be a long day for him. We trotted the flater spots and the gentler downhills. While he did eyeball some things that were wiggling in the wind, overall he was quite brave and went down the trail without drama. I wasn't sure what he would think of the photog lurking in the woods, but he didn't blink an eye at her sign or her with her camera (of course she is also good about talking to us as we approach, so that helps a lot).








We climbed to the ridge and moseyed along it, trotting where we could and walking where we had to. Link did well with navigating the tricky footing. He was happy to stop and grab bites of grass along the way and drank from several puddles. I was terribly disappointed when the helmetcam battery died, meaning I missed getting footage of the most interesting parts of the trail!








We dropped down off the ridge and Link motored downhill like a champ. We got to the gravel road that went into the hold and he would have cantered if I had let him, despite being away from the direction of camp. Link was a bit unsure about the vehicles parked on the side of the road as we approached the check, but by dumb luck DH was standing beside the ambulance trailer as we approached, so the friendly voice was reassuring. We walked into the check together.








Link dove right into the water tank, despite the flapping timer tent being close (notice he is keeping an eye on it though, just in case!).








to be continued..


----------



## phantomhorse13

part 2:
Our first time through the check area was just a 10 minute hold with a trot out. We trotted out without issue and then walked up the hill to the hold area for a quick drink and a snack. Link was somewhat distracted, looking around at the other horses, but he did have a few bites of food between the staring. Before long, it was time to go back out on trail.

Link would have preferred to leave the hold in the opposite direction (which was back towards camp), but he didn't fuss when I insisted on going away from camp onto the second loop. I didn't realize we had gotten so close to the people in front of us until we came around a corner not far from the hold and they were stopped by a creek. Link didn't seem worried, but I did slow to let them continue on ahead. We again passed the photog without any worry.








That loop includes a lovely wide logging road, which is normally a great place to move out as many other places in the trail are miserable. But the fairly open road meant we could see the people ahead of us. Link did not seem inclined to catch up, which was a nice surprise. In fact, we caught up to the two ladies a couple times, once even passing them, and Link was not concerned at all. The ladies fell in behind us for a bit, but they wanted to go faster than I did, so they soon passed us and continued on ahead. I was happy when they disappeared from sight, but was not surprised when we caught them on the next uphill section.








We followed for a bit, then went past and continued on our own again. That loop has a lot of climbing.








As we got to the top of the climb, we had caught up with the next woman. She said her horse was thrilled to have company, so we fell in behind her for a while. The trail drops back down what is basically a creek, so I was glad that Link was settled and paying attention (and super sad not to have a working helmetcam, as I was too busy riding to be able to video with my phone). As we got towards the bottom of the creek, Link started doing a lot of looking behind him. I realized one of the Ride and Tiers was coming, and coming fast - and there was nowhere for us to go to get out of his way.

I yelled to the rider than I was on a young horse and needed a lot of space, but that rider is not known for his trail etiquette. He did manage to keep his horse from crashing literally into the back of Link, but he was within a horse length and Link was not impressed. Link wasn't sure if he should run or jump off trail, but luckily he held it together long enough for us to get to a spot where I could circle him off to the side and let the other rider past. He soon vanished into the distance, but Link was still rattled, now trying to watch the horse in front of him and keep an eye out for monsters behind him.

I decided he needed some alone time as the trail opened up to be able to trot again. I thanked the rider for letting me tag along but said I needed to drop back and let him settle. Just as she disappeared up the hill, the two riders I had passed earlier appeared behind us. Link hopped around a few times, but they saw what was happening and dropped to a walk. I turned Link all the way around and passed them head-on. They were kind enough to offer to stay with me, but I thought he would be better on his own. So they continued and we kept going the wrong way until they were out of sight.

When we turned back around, Link wanted to hi-tail it and had a small tantrum when I wouldn't let him. He did a lot of head shaking and felt like he was going to explode, but he did not actually do so. We alternated walking with some brief jogging until he got himself together. By that point, we were back onto the lovely logging road, which had some grassy places which were tempting enough that Link would pause for a moment to eat. That got him settled down the rest of the way and we continued back to the hold without further drama.








We got into the hold and his pulse was down, so we went right to the vetting. DH had gotten back just a few minutes before, so the timing was great. Link vetted through without incident and even trotted towards the scary timer tent without complaint.




It was very nice to have DH there during the 45 minute hold, as Link was a bit distracted by all the horses and things going on around him. But even being distracted, Link was happy to eat. Even after I dosed him with the electrolytes, he went right back to eating!! When our hold time was up, I made sure the riders ahead of us were out of sight before getting on.








Link was a bit worried about the wiggling tape fence between the trail out and the trotting area, but since we were finally heading back in the direction of camp he was willing to risk it. 








Link gave the timer tent a hard look as we went by, but again he decided since we were finally going in the right direction, he better keep on! I was happy DH had brought out another battery, so I was able to get footage of the final loop back to camp.








Link maintained a nice trot going down the gravel road, but he was happy to stop for a snack when he could. He also did great drinking from various puddles.








Once we got off the gravel road and across the highway, there was one spot he was a bit worried about goats making noise off in the distance, but again we were so close to camp that I don't think he was going to let anything stop him!








Link did holler for Phin a couple times as we popped out close to camp, but he did listen when I asked him to continue on to the vet area. He was pulsed down by the time I pulled his tack and vetted out without issues. Completion!!













to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 3:
We got back to camp and there was much joyous neighing. I tied Link to the trailer to give him a good brushing and then applied poultice. It was pretty comical to see him walk the few steps from the trailer to the pen, as the clay drying on his legs obviously felt weird. Link stood and took a nap for about 30 minutes, then ravenously ate his mash, drank a ton of water, and dove into his hay.








Later than evening, I took them out for a leg stretch and some hand grazing. We went over to visit Danny the mule. Link was totally unconcerned.








Both horses licked their pans clean after dinner. All was quiet overnight and I even got some sleep (I generally sleep poorly at rides). In the morning, both boys ate all their breakfast. Link did a little pacing when I pulled Phin out and started tacking him up, but nothing too bad.








I hopped on about 20 minutes ahead of the start as it was still quite cool and I wanted Phin to have a good warm up. I was surprised that he was the one who started yelling as we walked away from the trailer! He was a bit fussy about walking away, so I went down to the bottom of the hill and did our warm up there. [DH said Link neighed a couple times and paced a bit, but overall was pretty unconcerned about our departure.]








I waited for most of the 55 milers to leave camp before heading out myself on the first 18 mile loop. Phin gave one last neigh and then focused on the task at hand. Despite trying to find our own space, we wound up with company the first loop. 
















While that horse was very pleasant and steady, he was going just a hair faster than Phin normally would have, so I did my best to ride our own ride and drop back. However, just as that rider would finally get out of sight, the terrain would change and we would be back to walking or there would be slower riders on trail ahead of us.








This trail has tricky footing in lots of places, so I wanted Phin paying attention to his feet and not horses around him. He was plenty forward though!








We got into the check and I was thrilled he finally drank. His pulse was down, so we vetted right away. I had been somewhat worried that the pace was too much, but his CRI of 56/40 had the vet questioning if I had ridden him at all! 








Phin had his own personal attendant for the entire hold. She did a great job of keeping him focused on eating, so I was able to focus on me. My normal go-to protein shake had given me terrible digestive upset the day before, so I was afraid to have that again. Instead, I managed to choke down a pb&j (which, thankfully, did not cause any digestive issues).









to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 4:
The 45 minute hold flew by and soon we were heading out on the next 24 mile loop. I waited an extra minute to let the other rider go ahead and get out of sight.








The loop is split into two parts, as there is a hospitality stop after about 13 miles. Some of the first part of the loop is lovely, but a lot is not. Phin settled down being on his own, so we trucked along steadily, making time where we could.








We passed a lot of people hiking, as there was some kind of weekend event going on. Phin was supicious at first, as the people had big packs and hiking poles, but when one set of people offered him part of their sandwich, I think he started looking for more people on trail!








The last part of that loop always seems to take forever, and I was not impressed when the camera battery died mid-loop again. I was carrying spares with me, but was not going to stop and dismount so I could take my helmet off and change it. So yet again, I didn't get footage of the trickier parts of the trail! We got into the hospitality stop and a volunteer was kind enough to hold Phin while I messed with the camera. Then we were back at it, heading out on the 11 miles back to the hold.








They were logging in one section, which had really torn up the normally-nice dirt road. I was so thankful nothing was running, as Phin was suspicious enough about it just being parked!








This bridge is at the base of the long climb back up towards the hold, but somehow crossing it always makes me smile as I know the worst of the loop is behind us.








We got into the hold and Phin pulsed down by the time we walked across to the vet area. Again he had a fantastic CRI (48/48) which earned me some teasing from the vets about needing to ride the horse. Phin's personal attendant had seen us come in and was at our spot waiting for his arrival! I managed to eat another pb&j while she hand-fed Phin.








Before long, it was time to head back to camp. This time we didn't have to wait to make space, so we were down at the out timer a minute early.









to be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

part 5:
Phin would have cantered the whole of the gravel road if I had let him, but instead we alternated trot and canter. When we got across the road to the last bit of the trail, I was suprised how much the trees had bloomed since the day before!








DH met us at the finish. Phin pulsed down without issue and passed the final vetting with flying colors.

















There was another joyous reunion as we got back into camp. I got Phin brushed off and poulticed and back into his pen to relax. He napped for a bit, then was happy to eat his dinner (and of course Link licked his pan clean, too). I could not be more pleased with how they both did!!








When we got home, I opened up two of the paddocks which have been closed off since the fall. As you can see, Link led the way at a run. Glad to see they weren't tired!








what a weekend!!


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## lb27312

OMG! That was such a good read! Loved how good Link did on his first(?) time out on a big ride! What an adventure! Thanks for taking the time to share!!


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## newtrailriders

I love reading about your adventures! So awesome!


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## gottatrot

Link did so great!! That was amazing how well he took everything from the tents to the traffic. Eating and drinking too. What a good boy. I've been looking forward to reading about this ride. Phin also was super, you should be very proud of your boys.


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## knightrider

Yay for Link! He looks so beautiful in all his pictures. I am so happy he did so well. I love reading your adventures on the rides. It is super interesting to me to read how much folks mind . . . or don't mind . . . when others meet up and tag along on rides. It seems people are pretty honest with no hurt feelings, "My horse works better alone" or "We'd love to have some company." Is that the case? It seems like meeting up with other horses is often a concern.


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## egrogan

I couldn't stop smiling reading through each of these posts. Link is such a cool horse, kudos to you for all the slow, steady, and kind work that's gone into getting him to such a rousing success on his first ride.

Is NH still in your plans? Unfortunately M's truck is nearly dead, meaning we have no way to trailer over there to ride. But if you're coming and want any help, definitely message me and we can coordinate!


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## carshon

I too read the posts with much anticipation and was cheering you on every step of the way! Just so happy that Link did such a good job and the Phin too was happy and healthy and did not seem to suffer girth rubs. What a great weekend you had!


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## phantomhorse13

lb27312 said:


> Loved how good Link did on his first(?) time out on a big ride!


This was his frst time camping away from home and his first time at a competition. Super pleased with how he did!



gottatrot said:


> you should be very proud of your boys.


I am so proud my feet are still not touching the ground!



knightrider said:


> It is super interesting to me to read how much folks mind . . . or don't mind . . . when others meet up and tag along on rides. It seems people are pretty honest with no hurt feelings, "My horse works better alone" or "We'd love to have some company." Is that the case? It seems like meeting up with other horses is often a concern.


I do think meeting with others can be a concern for a variety of reasons. Pacing is so important during the longer rides. So is having a horse paying attention to the trail (and hopefully the rider) versus other horses. Having your horse go slower to accommodate another horse may be ok, or it may cause the horse and/or rider stress if they are fighting about speed all the time. Certainly going too fast can cause a variety of issues if it goes on for a long time. Some horses (and riders!) do well with ignoring others and some get too caught up and/or distracted. 

I think most people do a good job with being honest and not taking things personally, though you do sometimes get someone who either can't control their horse enough to do what is asked (such as keep your distance) or doesn't take a subtle/nice request because they don't like what they are hearing (such as that person I had to loudly tell to get the f away from lapco at a ride last year after first explaining it was a baby so she needed extra space and then asking again for space because the filly was upset and going to kick). 

Personally, I feel like if a rider knows a horse needs company/cannot go alone, then they should find an amicable person to agree to ride with them _before the event_, not just rely on the kindness of a stranger that happens to be on the same trail they are on at that moment. Certainly if there is a safety issue I am not going to let someone get hurt, but expecting me to change my ride because you could not plan ahead is not fair to my horse or me.



egrogan said:


> Is NH still in your plans? Unfortunately M's truck is nearly dead, meaning we have no way to trailer over there to ride. But if you're coming and want any help, definitely message me and we can coordinate!


Sorry to hear about truck trouble, as I was really looking forward to meeting Fizz! As of now, Link is registered for the 25 mile CTR on Saturday and Phin is in the 50 endurance ride on Sunday. We plan to arrive Thursday afternoon and leave early Monday morning. I would love to see you!



carshon said:


> Phin too was happy and healthy and did not seem to suffer girth rubs.


Fingers and toes crossed that maybe I have the girth thing figured out - finally!!


Thank you everyone for reading and all the kind words. Being able to share my adventures here is so much fun for me, too!


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## phantomhorse13

Last Tuesday, I got George out with Kestrel. I was too lazy to put his boots on, so we stuck to the fields.








I had debated going out bareback, but figured I would be better with a saddle since George hadn't been out in a while. That was a smart choice. 








4.11 miles, 466 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 64F real feel

Friday, I got George out to walk Kestrel again. The temperature had taken a dramatic yoyo downwards and there was a brisk wind, so bareback was never a thought! The boots went on so we could do the Sugarloaf loop.








As expected, George was feeling good again, but the first climb got him settled nicely.








7.01 miles, 977 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 40F real feel

Tuesday, I started with Link. He was a bit anxious from the start, not wanting to eat his hay while I tacked up and peering around constantly. I planned on the Sugarloaf loop, but wondered if that plan was going to work with his eyeballing everything and startling at birds in the bushes, etc. We went across Spaulding's and he settled down enough I didn't think he needed to climb and look for his brain. Amusingly, he was totally unconcerned about the deer we kept flushing, but he was very suspicious of the freshly turned dirt in the fields and the wiggling grass. 








When we came into one of the fields and I noticed a new turkey blind, I wasn't sure what to expect. As we trotted up to it the first time, Link looked hard and needed to move into the field to pass, but didn't slam on the brakes or try to turn. This was what I got on the second pass:




On the way home, Link forgot he could cross water (or maybe he saw an alligator I missed). So we went up and down the swale until he remembered he could get his feet wet and not die. So ironic that he was upset over some water but totally ignored the giant, loud tractor turning over the dirt nearby!








Once we got home, it was time to practice with the sponge. I had been working with him from the ground with it and he was unconcerned, but you never know how that might change when tried from the saddle. Not only was he pretty much unphased..








By the second toss, he decided this was a fun new game and started grabbing the sponge! 🤣








9.19 miles, 1312 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 60F real feel

Then it was Phin's turn. Normally, I give horses a week off for every 25 miles in competition, which would have given him another week off. However, our next competition is next weekend and I normally give him the week before the ride off, too. So the compromise was he got to mosey around Alimar with me bareback to let Kestrel run, as it wasn't really a workout but let me see the state of his brain. He was pretty chill and behaved nicely.








2.03 miles, 207 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 64F real feel

DH had a bunch of afternoon appointments, so he dropped Kali off on his way out. The weather was so nice, I decided it was time for her to go on her first ride! George, of course, was the horse of choice. I hopped on him bareback to mosey around Alimar.












1.26 miles, 102 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average pace, 65F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I started with Link. I hauled him alone for the first time. We just went over to Gina's old barn (about a 10 minute drive), as I figured starting small was smart. Link self-loaded after only a single reminder lesson of my going in first and asking him to back out. He hollered a couple times as we were pulling out of the driveway, but he rode quietly and unloaded without drama. He was a bit antsy to be tacked up, but didn't do anything silly.








We headed out across the creek bridge and up the Tomhicken. Link was pretty tense and looky. We jogged up the Tomhicken and I had hoped that would take the edge off, but he was still fairly nervous as we went out the yellow gate trail.

We got to a place where some rocks had fallen down onto the trail and Link came to a screeching halt with his eyes bugged out and his heart hammering against my leg. I am not sure why those rocks were so upsetting (beyond that they were different), but it took a few moments to convince him he could approach and they wouldn't eat him. We finally made it to the power line and dropped down to the Tomhicken road trail.








We went out the Tomhicken road trail until we got to where the lake trail turns off. We followed that briefly and then turned the opposite way at a fork. I hadn't been that way in a long time, but I was hoping to reach a place where we could drop down into the big creek. We had to do a bit of bushwhacking to get around some downed trees, but that didn't worry Link at all. He was initially concerned about crossing the copper creek (so called because the water stains everything a crazy orange color) and thought about turning around. But when I insisted, he crept forward a bit at a time until we were across.

After the horror of the copper creek, the big creek itself caused only minor worry!




We went back to the lake trail and continued our way around. When we got to a smaller creek crossing, Link paused to drink and nibble some grass growing on the edge. He was pretty relaxed, so I decided it was a good place to try out the sponge. He didn't seem to mind it going into the water, but did give it the hairy eyeball as it came dripping up out of the water. But his feet didn't move as I slowly brought it up his leg and against his shoulder. I did that twice from each side, praising him mightily, before we continued on our way. So pleased!!

We got back to the pole line and crossed the pavement, just in time for a big tanker to come barreling down the hill. I turned Link to watch it approach and he only flinched as it went past. Good boy! We continued up the pole line and then down the other side back to Gina's barn without incident.








When we got back to the trailer, Link stood with a back leg cocked as I untacked him. I got his mush readily and he happily dove in. He didn't even lift his head when trucks and other traffic went whizzing past!








Link self-loaded without issue and traveled home quietly. He was a bit insulted that he had to get hosed off before being turned out, but he managed to survive somehow.  Super pleased with that adventure!

6.67 miles, 951 feet of climb, 4.3 mph average pace, 74F real feel

Then, George walked the dogs again! We moseyed around Alimar bareback. There was some distraction as we headed out and came across Keith and Brad with some equipment, but Kali listened and stayed with me instead of going off to visit.








We went down to the outdoor to the drainage ditch crossing for the first time. Kali had a blast!!




2.01 miles, 223 feet of climb, 3.1 mph average pace, 81F real feel


----------



## knightrider

phantomhorse13 said:


> Super pleased with that adventure!


Oh yes, indeed! Link is progressing beautifully! So great to read these stories!


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## gottatrot

I was cracking up to see Link with the sponge.


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## weeedlady

Those dogs are having too much fun!


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## carshon

I love Link's progress! It sounds like he is doing well. I am so happy George is sound enough for some small rides. I miss his magnificent photos.


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## tim62988

always fun to ride with the dogs and fun to experience a new dog figuring out the ropes


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## phantomhorse13

gottatrot said:


> I was cracking up to see Link with the sponge.


I have to say I was holding my breath initially as he flopped it all around, hitting himself in the face, etc and having the leash part flapping madly. But when it became apparent he wasn't going to scare himself, I too had a good laugh over it!


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## Celeste

I have really enjoyed reading about all your adventures! This was the perfect time too. You took my mind off of me as I rode along with you. Link and Phin are both awesome. The dogs are awesome. And George is worth his weight in gold the way he goes along quietly putting up with all the dog shenanigans.


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## knightrider

Here is a question I would like to know, if you can. I know you've had a lot of horses. I am super impressed with Link and how you've trained him. Do you have a favorite horse? One that can never be equaled? Do you have several favorites, such as one is best at "something" *, *but another one is best at* "*something else"? Can you rank them for favorites? My horses are all my favorites for certain things, but I have to say that Chorro is my most beloved favorite. My other horses all are favorites about something, but Chorro is just so loved, even if he isn't THE BEST. All this came to mind because I was thinking that in a few years, Link might be the best horse you have ever owned. And I wondered what your feelings were about it.


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> Here is a question I would like to know, if you can. I know you've had a lot of horses. I am super impressed with Link and how you've trained him. Do you have a favorite horse? One that can never be equaled? Do you have several favorites, such as one is best at "something" *, *but another one is best at* "*something else"? Can you rank them for favorites?


Actually, I have only owned 3 horses: Dream, Phin, and Link (tho Phin and Link are registered in DH's and my name). I have been lucky enough to _ride_ many others, but they were not _mine_.

Dream was a rockstar. I had no idea just how spoiled I was by her until I started riding other horses. She tolerated all my newbie mistakes and just kept on trucking down the trail. Things like saddle fit and electrolyte choices and ride behavior were non-issues with her. While she was never a cuddly horse, she was my partner in all things and riding her was like magic. She left very big shoes to fill.

I could certainly pick out which horse I would have thought was best for whatever activity. There was a reason I took Sultan to Tevis. There is a reason I ride George with the puppy, etc.

As for picking favorites.. I think doing so is just human nature. And sometimes that favorite makes sense and sometimes it doesn't. After Dream, my favorite would be Duroc - yeah, a horse that isn't even mine! But as nutty as that horse can be with others, somehow, he and I just click. I love riding him, even if that defies rationality (he's the one who hurt Lani so badly, yet I have never for a moment worried about my safety on him, even in the beginning when he was still a rearer, etc).

Phin and I have been through a lot in the years we have been together. He has progressed so much, he's almost unrecognizable from the horse I brought home. But somehow, I don't feel that I have that deep connection with him that I did with Dream. Some days that makes me feel almost guilty. 

I already feel much more connected to Link than I do Phin. Maybe that comes from starting him myself, but I don't think that is the only explanation as I have started lots of horses in my life. Maybe it's because Link is so much more personable than Phin. I really don't have a good answer as to why, but I can't deny that of the two, Link is my favorite.


----------



## phantomhorse13

Momma nature has been a bit all over the place, with summer-like temps, then cold and rain, and then crazy wind. But I made good use of my inside time and made Link a rope halter specifically for competitions:









Monday, it was breezy with some gusts, but the sun was out so I figured I better take advantage. I started with Link. From the start, he was not himself. For the first time ever, he walked away when I went to catch him. He didn't go far and we were soon in the barn. In the stall, he was somewhat tense tacking up but with the wind blowing and the barn swallows chattering, it wasn't exactly a calm environment. I wasn't planning on a big ride (just a mosey around Alimar), so I decided to see how the girth did a hole looser than what had been normal, as I had been having to pull a bit more than I wanted lately to get it into the normal spot.

I hopped on and Link was super tense from the start. He eyeballed the plants in the flowerbeds wiggling and looked at the wind spinner on the deck like he'd never seen it before. We had cut a tree down over the weekend and he screeched to a halt to stare at the stump (25+ feet away) in horror. We eeked past that after a few moments and then he thought about spinning when he came across the trunk of the tree in the woods a short distance later. Stood and looked and moved forward a bit at a time and got past that without dying.

We worked along the upper woods path and Link jumped at birds flying out of bushes and stopped to stare at the place DH had pushed a small downed tree back into the woods. We eventually made it down across the dam beside the Pond of Death, where he finally settled down enough to eat some grass. I had been debating just turning around and going back since he was so anxious, but I thought his eating grass seemed like a good sign. We turned back across the dam and continued around Alimar.

We went down the lower woods path and out across the fields. He stopped to graze a couple more times and while he was still eyeing the bushes and the tall, wiggling grass with suspicion, he only startled in place when some birds flew out. I took that as a good sign, so continued around the perimeter of the farm, dropping down into the outdoor area.

The grass there is super tall so Link eagerly dropped his head to eat. About 5 seconds later, all h#ll broke loose. I am not totally sure what happened, but something (I think a turkey or a grouse) flew out of the bushes about 10 feet from where we were standing). Link spun around and leaped away from the monster. I was madly trying to gather my reins as he jumped into a canter up the small hill (of course heading towards home), I found myself sliding backwards and sideways. His next stride had me even farther off center and I knew I was done. Down I went, landing on my rear/lower back and doing a backwards roll down the hill. Shiitake.

Link was out of sight when I got up, so I started hiking up the hill towards home. Link was grazing in the hayfield on the outside of the paddock fence when I got there, with the reins still over his head and saddle hanging off his side. No wonder I had felt so out of position - the right stirrup was almost at the level of his knee! Guess the girth needs to be up that last hole. 🤦‍♀️

I caught him, fixed the saddle, and got back on. We went right back out and he was like sitting on a bomb. I wasn't totally sure we were going to get past where the base of the tree was in the woods, but we did eventually make it past. We worked our way around Alimar and he was jumping at everything and nothing. Got back down to the outdoor and gradually worked our way past the bush that the monster had come out of. Then we headed out down the creek trail.

Link went from beside himself, to high alert, then down to just worried as we went along that trail.








We came out into the field on the other side and he was able to drop his head to have a couple bites of grass. Then we continued past the pile of pipes and debris, which he did not so much as glance at. But as we climbed the hill back to the farm, he kept a close eye on the wiggling trees and bushes. We went out across the swale, and while he was eyeballing the tall grass waving, he finally dropped his head and heaved a big sigh. Rode about halfway across and then dismounted to hand walk him the rest of the way. As I suspected, as we got close to the trees again, he was back on high alert.

Link startled a few times as we walked back to the barn, never at anything I could see beyond the wind moving branches or grass. We got back into the barn and he finally settled a bit. I untacked him, stood while he ate his snack, then took him back out to the paddock. What a ride. 😖

3.73 miles, 427 feet of climb, 3.1 mph average pace, 58F real feel

Then it was George's turn. I figured riding would be easier on my complaining body than walking Kestrel would have been. I did use the saddle and we just went out around Spaulding's and then around Alimar. Happy to say it was totally uneventful.








3.35 miles, 331 feet of climb, 4.3 mph average pace, 62F real feel

Yesterday, I started with Link. From the start, things were better as he behaved normally for catching and tacking. When I got on, he did not feel like a ticking bomb. We walked and jogged a lap around Alimar. He did eyeball some things moving (because of course it was windy, as usual), but never did more than startle. Then we looped around and headed over to the ring.

Link eyeballed some of the wheat waving around in the wind initially, then settled into his normal this-is-boring plodding. I added going over the jumps to try to keep his interest.













When we went home, we went past the new log in the woods and he wanted to stop and graze next to it. Then this was in the yard, on the freshly-cut stump:








Much better!!
4.04 miles, 344 feet of climb, 4.0 mph average pace, 70F real feel

DH dropped Kali off as he had some late appointments, so George got to walk the dogs:












2.04 miles, 197 feet of climb, 4.0 mph average pace, 75F real feel

We leave tomorrow morning and head north for our next competition. Everyone think dry and calm thoughts!


----------



## knightrider

Sure hope this next competition goes well for you. I really like Link and think he might be great.

Not long ago a similar fall happened for me on Windy. I keep wondering: did the saddle go over and cause me to come off? Or did I come off and pull the saddle over as I came off? Do you know which it was for you?


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> Not long ago a similar fall happened for me on Windy. I keep wondering: did the saddle go over and cause me to come off? Or did I come off and pull the saddle over as I came off? Do you know which it was for you?


I suspect it was mostly the former, as my right groin was pretty sore - I assume from stepping so hard into the right stirrup trying to stay in the middle. But I will never know if having the girth that hole tighter would have kept the saddle in place enough for me to recover or if I was going to be on the ground regardless..


----------



## bsms

When my saddle slipped on Mia, I was left still sitting - with my left foot level with her back and my right foot out of the stirrups. The saddle horn was pointing parallel to the ground. But she spun in a tight circle - well, 1.5 circles - then stopped and tried to figure out what had happened. Which made a good time to bail because she wasn't going to stay still much longer. If she had taken off, it would have been another ejection seat moment for me....


----------



## phantomhorse13

Thursday the 6th, DH and I loaded up Phin and Link and headed north to New Hampshire for the Brown Bag CTR and the Bare Bones endurance ride. I had been to Bare Bones once before, about 5 years ago, and didn't remember much beyond a lot of dirt roads and a cool covered bridge crossing. The trail for the CTR was the first 25 mile loop of the 50. I was told it was mostly hard packed dirt road, some trail, and a bit of pavement, but you could easily get off the side. There was a lot of up and down but no super steep hills. The extra mileage of the 50 was partly a repeat of some of the 25 mile loop, but also another loop that went in the opposite direction from camp. I looked forward to seeing some new trails - and ones without rocks!

We went up a day early, as I wanted to give Link time to settle (the rides were Saturday and Sunday). I had been back and forth about taking him at all after that horrible ride, but since he seemed more normal the next time I figured I was worrying over nothing. It took Link a moment to walk on the trailer, but it was in a different spot than the previous time so that didn't surprise me. On the way up, there was a brief shower and then we got this:








I figured it was a good sign! The trip was about 7 hours. Link was a bit snorty when we first unloaded, but soon settled down after a bit of walking. Having a lot of grass to eat helped, too! He had some very soft poop, but since his appetite was good I didn't let it worry me. Camp was a fairgrounds and the primitive camping was in a ball field. Parts where somewhat squishy after the big storms that had gone through several days earlier, so we camped right on the edge of the diamond. They were putting up a new barn on the fairgrounds, so we had entertainment! Luckily, neither horse cared.








Friday, I expected to see other trailers coming in but we didn't see a soul until mid-morning (except the construction guys), and that was the ride manager and several volunteers who had come to set some things up. We took advantage of being the only ones around and turned the horses loose in one of the riding rings. I expected there to be some yeehawing, but both were more interested in eating than anything!








I had hoped they would move around at least a little, so I went in to try to encourage that without causing chaos:





After giving them about 90 minutes of grazing time, we went back over to our trailer. I planned to get Link out for a brief pre-ride. I had to laugh when as soon as I changed my clothes and went to get him, a grader appeared and started working on the road right by the gate!








After a while, the grader left and a giant roller came in its place. When that was done, I got Link tacked up and hopped on. Because we were still the only ones in camp, I didn't want to go too far away and leave Phin as the only horse around. So we worked a bit in the ball field, then went across the road to check out the ring (which caused a bit of complaining from Phin). While we were there, some ride information was posted:








Link seemed pretty relaxed, despite the things going on around him and Phin hollering at times. When we got back across the road, it was recess at the school (which was right above us on a hill), but Link didn't seem to mind the kids screaming and moving around on the other side of the bushes. The kids were very sad the teachers wouldn't let them come down the hill to visit, but I was sure relieved. 

After getting Link untacked and back in his pen, I had to laugh when I found this:








The vet arrived in the afternoon and we found out we were the only one planning to vet that afternoon! Link vetted in without issue (all CTRs are pass/fail this year, so that makes the process basically the same as endurance). I spent the afternoon getting things ready for both rides and throwing the ball. Funny, the ball kept winding up wherever I was, and then I would look up to see this:








It was dinnertime before another trailer _finally_ arrived - I was SO happy to see someone else, as I had started worrying Phin was going to be the only horse in camp the following morning. Before long it was bedtime.

The next morning was much busier, as all the other entrants in the CTR hauled in. Link and Phin both ate their breakfast despite the distractions. Link was a bit antsy to tack, but I couldn't really blame him with more rigs appearing at every moment and much neighing and commotion. I had requested to go out last, so I was happy to let everyone else get out of sight and then head out of camp. @egrogan had come to volunteer, so I got to see a friendly face as we headed out of camp (DH was back at the pens making sure Phin behaved himself):








The first loop was about 13 miles to an away hold. Link was pretty tense and looky from the start. I tried to keep him in the middle of the road, as he was eyeballing things on both sides very hard. I figured he just needed some time to settle down, but I was glad to have so much wiggle space.








Unfortunately, that wiggle room didn't last. After about 2 miles, trail turned onto the side of a paved road. I had asked what to expect, and was told there was "not much pavement, and what there is you can easily get off the side of." Well, that is a great example of perspective, because IMO this was not easy to get off the side of:








Because of the "not much pavement" description, I did not have traction on Link's shoes as I was expecting dirt road. Link was still very tense and jumpy, meaning I did not want to be on the pavement at all for fear he would slip and fall. However, trying to keep him on the edge was an ongoing struggle, as things worried him and he wanted to give them space. We trotted where we could and walked when he couldn't stay on the edge. I kept telling him it wouldn't be long until we turned off.. but I lied. We were on the side of that paved road for _three miles_. It felt like forever.

And as if all that wasn't enough fun, the helmet cam battery died after taking 3 minute-long clips, which had me cursing. I know people use GoPros for skiing, etc, so I did not expect the cool temperature to be such an issue.

to be continued..


----------



## phantomhorse13

part 2:
I have never been so thankful to see turn markers in my life. I didn't even care that the dirt road started climbing and kept climbing, I was just SO thankful it wasn't paved. Link was still very worried, but at least he had plenty of wiggle room again.








We hit several more sections of paved road, but thankfully none were as long as that first stretch. Link never did settle, and I spent a lot of time singing to him, hoping he would relax. At one point, we caught up to the people in front of us and I thought maybe other horses would make him more comfortable. The riders were so gracious, asking where he would be most comfortable and how they could help, but company actually made him worse! I finally went on ahead. We did get a couple places with actual trail, which was muddy in places, but I was so happy to see anything besides pavement that even the mud was welcome. 

We eventually got to the hold (where @egrogan was there helping!). I wasn't sure how Link would do with pulsing, as I had been watching his heart rate shoot up as he spooked at things the whole ride. He seemed agitated by the horses around him at the check, but his pulse did come down. He passed the vetting without issue.








Link actually seemed more settled with @egrogan than he had all day - I was happy to see him eating as I came back from the porta potty.








The hold is only 20 minutes, so that goes by in a flash. Link did eat and drink, which made me happy. I changed the battery in the helmet cam and then we headed back out on trail.








I think we were both relieved to have some real trail, though Link was still very looky. Often, I couldn't figure out what it was he was looking at. So there was more singing, which really didn't seem to make any difference..








This time, the battery in the helmet came lasted a bit longer, but still not nearly like I would have expected. I wasn't about to try to change the battery while riding, as Link was actually getting more spooky as we went on. Ironically, things like this didn't bother him, but in some other places he actually came to a halt with his heart hammering against my leg, staring at nothing with his eyes bugged out.








The whole ride was a big lollipop, meaning the 3 miles of pavement we had gone out on, we needed to come back on. CTR does not allow you to make forward progress while unmounted, or else I would have gotten off and tried to jog as much as possible. Instead, we trotted where we could and walked when Link couldn't deal with faster. There was a lot more traffic that second time, including several people that honked as they went by. 🤬 Yet again, those 3 miles felt like 30.

We eventually made our way back to camp. CTR is an optimal time event (versus a race), so you need to come in during a certain time window. I was pleased that we were right where I wanted to be for time, even with the yoyo pace along the side of the pavement. Link was looky right to the end, here not sure if he wanted to approach the timers.








I decided to pull tack beside the vetting area, as opposed to going back to the trailer. Phin and Link hollered back and forth a couple times, but his pulse came right down (I am looking at my heart rate monitor watch here, but I loved this picture of his ride halter and bridle).








We had to wait a while for our final vetting, as a big group of intro riders shoved past us as we walked up to the vetting. As frustrating as that was, I figured it was better for Link to not be surrounded by a group of strange horses with handlers who were perhaps not the most aware. Eventually it was our turn and Link vetted without issue (he actually got complimented on his good behavior by the vet). @egrogan was scribing for the vet:

























to be continued..


----------



## phantomhorse13

part 3:
Camp had filled up a lot while we were out and our neighbors had set up a tent and an easy up with sides, which were flapping in the breeze. Link wasn't so sure about that to start with, but when the sloppy mash came out, he forgot everything else and dived into his food. He got his legs poulticed and had a good brushing while he was eating. He took a brief nap while I got Phin brushed off and then went over to get my registration packet. Before long, it was time to vet in:








It's still odd to not have ride meetings or meals, but it does give you a lot more time to get stuff organized without feeling rushed. DH and I ate dinner and then took the boys out for some grazing time. We got them settled and then took the dogs up to the school (so we could throw the ball without causing chaos in camp). Then it was bedtime.

The start of the 50 was earlier than the CTR had been, so it was still quite chilly as I tacked up. I was pleased that Phin was willing to have the snack offered by DH even after I poisoned him with his electrolytes!








Phin was pretty relaxed from the start. He hollered for Link a couple times, so I went across the road to warm up.








We headed out last (of 11), as I did not want to have the front runners - or anybody else running - in sight. I wanted to ride my own pace and not get caught up in someone else's when Phin got race-brained. A friend who camped beside us asked if I wanted company, and I have to admit I expected him to go ahead, but he stayed back with us. I think Phin was glad for the company and I know I was.

The first loop was 25 miles and it was the same thing I had done with Link, so I knew what to expect. The stretch of pavement was just as unpleasant with Phin, though I had to do less walking as he was much less looky than Link had been. I had the same issue with the camera, however, which led to much cursing. At least with Phin, I was able to get my phone out to get some pictures of the pretty scenery I was missing on video.








At a water stop, this fun piece of art/memorabilia was displayed. I wonder if that owner had lived in every state to get the license plates or if they had requested some from others. I found it amusing that the PA plate stood out so much both for its colors and the fact it was personalized:








We had a 10 minute gate and go at the same place we had the hold the day before, so I was able to change the helmet cam battery. The trail part of the loop was a bit more torn up after so many feet had been through it, but even the mud was a welcome relief from the pavement.








The weather was a bit all over - it was warm when the sun was out, but the stiff breeze was chilly when it was hidden, so I was doing the coat on, coat off game all day. The views were spectacular though!








We got into the first hold just when I wanted to in terms of pace. I was surprised to see the front runners still in, as I expected them to be much farther ahead by that point. I had asked DH to bring crewing things across the road, so we didn't have to harass Link every time we returned to camp. I was surprised Phin did not holler for Link and we vetted through without concerns.




The holds were only 30 minutes, which goes by in no time. Phin ate really well, which was a nice surprise as normally the first hold he is pretty fussy. I managed to get down a pb&j sandwich, too, which is good for me. Because of the terrain being so much up and down, I decided to dose Phin with some additional CMPK (a calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium supplement) to help with potential muscle cramping.








We headed out the opposite direction from camp for the next 15 mile loop. This loop was by far my favorite! It had some edge of the pavement riding, but the longest stretch was only about a mile and the shoulder was almost a foot wide instead of 6".. scary when that seems like such an improvement! But we also got to go on real trail which was lovely most places:








We went across this iconic covered bridge, which was really fun until I realized the road on the other side was a fairly busy one and it had not only no shoulder, but guard rails and grated drains! Phin was not impressed but thankfully it didn't last very long before we were off the pavement and back on dirt (and vehicles only came head on, so passed as far from us as they could).








to be continued..


----------



## phantomhorse13

part 4:
We got into the second hold and went right in to vet. Phin couldn't even be bothered to holler for Link at all this time. 












This hold was also 30 minutes, but Phin did great eating and I got down another pb&j. I decided to give the CMPK as well as the normal electrolytes again, and here you can see how unimpressed Phin was. He wasn't taking the carrot DH was offering that time! 🙃








It was soon time to head out on the last 10 mile loop, which was a modified form of the first loop.








That, of course, meant we were riding along that [email protected] pavement again, though this time we got to turn off after about 2 miles. Then we started climbing, and climbing, and climbing. I was very pleased than Phin just kept a steady trot the whole way.








There was a small stretch of real trail on that loop, but then we were back on the dirt roads we had ridden earlier, which of course lead back to that blasted pavement again. Yet again, I happy to see the turn marker for the road that would take us back to camp.








We got back to camp, pulled tack, and went in for the final vetting. Phin passed with flying colors and made his opinion of our day known:





















We wound up being tied for 5th. Stood for BC, but the front runners had us by about an hour so I was not surprised Phin didn't win. I could not have been more pleased with how he did all day though.












We packed up to head for home several hours later, as DH needed to be at work Monday. We got home about 2am and the boys went galloping out of the barnyard in delight. The next day, I caught them napping as I was staggering around in a zombie-like state cleaning up the trailer. I think we were all very glad to be home!








🐎


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## gottatrot

I was laughing about how Phin's experienced ears pointed ahead in the video, but Link's were twirling in every direction.


----------



## carshon

Has DH given up riding in the long distance rides? Link has come along way though. I think he will be a good one!


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## knightrider

I was really looking forward to reading your post about the ride! I'm glad Link completed and sorry it wasn't more fun for Link. This week-end, we were camping for 4 days and rode about 48 miles in 4 days. We were talking about you and how tough you are to do these rides! I was tired after 10 miles. You are just amazing and I am lucky to know you!


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## phantomhorse13

carshon said:


> Has DH given up riding in the long distance rides?


DH says he is not interested in another horse currently. The complete retirement of Sultan and then having to retire George from competitions has been tough for him - they were his first horses, so he's not dealt with the big transition of having to find a new equine partner. The saga with Iggy really brought home how lucky he was with Sultan & George - I don't think he realized that before. Iggy made him recognize he DOES care about placings and that training really isn't something he is interested in and being able to get on only at competitions and go top 10 is not going to be an easy-to-repeat thing (and certainly not going to be kind on the pocket book to be shopping for a made distance mount). So, for now he claims he is happy being my chauffeur and crew..



gottatrot said:


> I was laughing about how Phin's experienced ears pointed ahead in the video, but Link's were twirling in every direction.





knightrider said:


> I was really looking forward to reading your post about the ride! I'm glad Link completed and sorry it wasn't more fun for Link.


I think Link's ears in the video were a pretty good indication of how he was feeling - all over the place.

The vet came to draw blood early last week to test for Lyme and EPM, but both were negative (and solidly negative, not even close to borderline). I started him on Nexium, figuring the next explanation for his behavior could be ulcers. He's been on it about 2 weeks now and I have seen some improvement, but he's not back to normal. He's also about a foot taller (yes that is an exaggeration, but even the farrier exclaimed over how much bigger he was than last shoeing). So is he having growing pains and that is stressing him out, so life is just worrisome right now? 

Link seems to have a particular aversion to the barn now. Often he won't come in to eat at all, and when he does, he often won't eat his whole meal, instead going to stand and stare out the stall door. At first I thought that was a sign of ulcers, but if I put the bucket down outside of the stall, he is happy to wolf it all down. The barn swallows are back in force and he seems to worry about their chatter and dive bombing. I realized in previous years, he ate in the outside stall, which meant no birds. So would nutty birds be that big a deal? Neither Phin nor George seem to pay them any attention.

Even out in the field, he is jumpier than he used to be. A good example was at the water tank yesterday. When I clean and refill it, I have to stand out there and supervise, otherwise Link would - without fail - come over and grab the hose and spray everything except the tank. So it wasn't a surprise when he crept over when he didn't think I was paying attention and grabbed the hose. But when the sound of the water hitting the tank changed and the stream of water moved, he dropped the hose and spun away. He only went a stride or so, but then turned around with eyes bugged out and stood there snorting at the tank. He didn't approach it again. 🤷‍♀️

If the 30 days of ulcer treatment doesn't resolve the nervousness, I may look at getting vitamin E levels drawn and starting him on a magnesium supplement. He is already on a ration balancer and a supp with magnesium and vit E, but maybe he needs more - @gottatrot had a mare who needed the extra supplementation and some of what I am seeing with Link makes me think of her stories about her mare. 

The whole thing makes me sad and frustrated and worried.


----------



## phantomhorse13

I have gotten some saddle time in the last couple weeks. 

On the 14th, I hopped on George to take Kestrel out. We went out around Spaulding's and did a loop around Ziesloft's. These two sets of geese are always around now, so assume they have nested somewhere nearby.








4.72 miles, 518 feet of climb, 4.4 mph average pace, 76F real feel

Last Tuesday, George got to supervise Kestrel and Kali. We went out around Spaulding's for the first time with Kali:








2.57 miles, 249 feet of climb, 4.5 mph average pace, 80F real feel

Last Thursday, George got to walk the dogs again. It was hot, so we went down to the bottom of Alimar let them play in the creek, before moseying home via the shady creek trail:








2.25 miles, 220 feet of climb, 3.3 mph average pace, 82F real feel

Last Friday, I got George out bareback to walk Kestrel. We went around Alimar and then all the way out the creek trail before turning back for home.








3.09 miles, 331 feet of climb, 3,5 mph average pace, 85F real feel

The farrier came Monday and DH decided he wanted shoes back on George. I wondered what that might change, as I believe a lot of his issue is proprioception-related after the EPM. He of course behaved just fine, but it will be interesting to see how he is under saddle now. Link was somewhat anxious having his feet done, but the weather was unsettled and windy and even Phin was agitated. 

I was pleased to have enough time to sneak in a ride on Phin before the weather turned stormy. With his earlier nervous behavior I wasn't sure if we would be going around the Sugarloaf or up it, but the heat I think was enough to convince him that silly was not such a good idea.








The hay that didn't get cut last week is very tall now!








Phin behaved much better than I expected, which was a nice surprise. He got a little silly heading home, but a good canter up the backside of the Sugarloaf had him back on track.

6.88 miles, 1010 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 87F real feel

Tuesday, I started with Link. It was only mildly breezy when I went out to get him, but the temperature had dropped dramatically so I wasn't sure what to expect. Link was pretty settled in the stall for tacking. However, when I got on, he was pretty tense. We didn't even make it out of the yard without several big startles, but there was no attempt to spin or bolt. We moseyed around Alimar and then out the creek trail.








While Link never exactly relaxed, he also didn't get any worse. The wind picked up as we rode, so that certainly didn't help. When we got back, I took his food out into the yard where he had been so worried about the wind spinnner. But it wasn't scary enough to keep him from eating!








2.11 miles, 213 feet of climb, 3.1 mph average pace, 60F real feel

Next up was Phin. We headed out Spaulding's, went across Ziesloft's and onto the farm. The hay there was quite impressive too!








We headed across the road and through Spud, then up the Tomhicken.








Phin was a bit rammy, which wasn't much of a surprise with the cooler temp and strong breeze. The climbing really didn't make any difference to his attitude, so we did a lot of transitions and lateral work to keep focused. He gave me some really nice walk/canter/walk transitions.

8.51 miles, 1358 feet of climb, 5.6 mph average pace, 63F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Thursday, I started with Phin. I took him out alone, as I was anticipating a lot of climbing might be needed. But I was pleasantly surprised that he was reasonable from the start. We went out across Spaulding's and then moseyed up the Sugarloaf.








We went down the other side and around, then walked up the powerline climb. Phin was on a loose rein, which was wonderful. His reward was not needing to climb any more, so instead we jogged home.








5.66 miles, 1135 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 75F real feel

Next was George and Kestrel. I debated going out bareback, but I figured for his first ride with shoes I would be better off with the saddle. I am so glad I did, as he was a nut from the start, spooking at everything and nothing. We did a loop around Alimar, then headed out the creek trail. I was disappointed (but not all that surprised) to find he was quite stumbly.








George never did settle. No matter what speed we went, he was spooking and shying and most times I didn't even know at what. Add in the stumbling and I was SO glad I had a saddle! We went out the creek trail and then looped around some fields to go home.








5.07 miles, 545 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 82F real feel

Friday, I started with Link. When I went out to catch him, the weather was calm. As I was grooming him, clouds rolled in and the wind started picking up. I wanted to try a different saddle, so tacking up took longer than normal as I was figuring out pads, etc. I finally got things mostly figured out and by then the wind was roaring.. and Link made it clear he was not a happy camper.

I had planned to hack over to Gina's ring and ride there, but decided that wasn't going to start well, let alone end well. Instead, I took Link out into the paddock. And even with the rest of the herd standing at the fence watching, Link was a jumpy mess.




I rode for about 10 minutes, mostly walking with a bit of trot. When I got a handful of calm trot circles, i called it a day.








I didn't think that was a fair test of the saddle fitting or not, but it did stay put at least.
0.64 miles, 20 feet of climb, 3.7 mph average pace, 50F real feel

Next, I got George out to walk Kestrel. We did the Sugarloaf loop.








Happy to say he was much less spooky, but he was still stumbly. His tongue was flapping though, so I knew he was having a good time.








7.41 miles, 997 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 52F real feel


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## weeedlady

I always enjoy reading your posts. Now that I'm riding Raven and Tucker out and about more, I sometimes find myself thinking of you and how you would handle some sticky situations. What would @phantomhorse13 do? Thank you for sharing your rides. Always inspirational.


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## tim62988

question going back to the ride in NH: those hard packed dirt roads, are they harder on the joints? i'm sure to some extent but how do you judge how much is too much? 

we rode down at brookfield last weekend and everything there is either mud or gravel road, always curious how you keep horses so sound and make time when it is either muddy conditions like your one picture of the endurance ride after the CTR the day before or hard packed roads

love your posts as always some days envious of the time you put in the saddle some days glad it's not me haha


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## knightrider

weeedlady said:


> I sometimes find myself thinking of you and how you would handle some sticky situations. What would @phantomhorse13 do? Thank you for sharing your rides. Always inspirational.


Me toooo!!!!!


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## QueenofFrance08

Sometimes I think if I took a video of myself it would sound very similar to yours!


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## phantomhorse13

tim62988 said:


> question going back to the ride in NH: those hard packed dirt roads, are they harder on the joints? i'm sure to some extent but how do you judge how much is too much?
> 
> we rode down at brookfield last weekend and everything there is either mud or gravel road, always curious how you keep horses so sound and make time when it is either muddy conditions like your one picture of the endurance ride after the CTR the day before or hard packed roads


I do think hard pack - be that dirt road, dry ground that can resemble concrete, and of course actual pavement - IS hard on joints. I am not sure I can give an exact answer in terms of how much is too much, as I think that depends on multiple factors.

What type of ground is normal for your horse? For example, do they live in a matted stall with deep bedding or out in a paddock where the ground changes with the weather conditions? What type of ground are you training on? If you have a variety of ground types, how much time and/or distance are you spending on each type?

If your horse lives in a matted, deeply bedded stall and you train exclusively on trails that are sandy, going somewhere with hard pack is going to be very different. Therefore, I would take things very easy, keeping either the distance or the speed in check as the terrain would be IMO 'difficult' compared to normal. However, if my horses live out in a pasture that has dried up because its summer and the ground is like concrete, and I am training on similar ground, I don't worry as much (always assuming you did your conditioning homework!).

In terms of conditioning, I make a point to condition my horses on some pavement (walk and jog trot), because I know some rides have stretches along roads and I don't want it to be a totally foreign thing. I do the same with mud (though I keep that to a walk) because I want that mild stress at home to give the horses' bones and soft tissue time to modify to handle the stress so they are strong for the competition. I feel pretty comfortable with my horses on hard surfaces because that is what most of my training trails are, but since we have no sand, I am very cautious when doing sand rides.

There are also some things you can do with their feet to help with shock absorption. If the horse is normally barefoot, you can use boots. Even if they don't need the protection from wear, the boot itself will help absorb the shock of each footfall. If you shoe, you can ponder different materials (plastic shoes vs steel?), and different padding options. We stick with the steel shoes because I have found the plastic shoes to be slippery on grass, but do pour-in pads under standard plastic pads to help with concussion.

The other thing I think is important for longterm soundness is giving the horse time off. Their bodies need the time to repair all the (hopefully) minor damage that has happened during the stress of a competition. Horses maintain their fitness much better than we do, so they are better off resting and rejuvenating versus going until something major happens.




weeedlady said:


> I always enjoy reading your posts. Now that I'm riding Raven and Tucker out and about more, I sometimes find myself thinking of you and how you would handle some sticky situations. What would @phantomhorse13 do? Thank you for sharing your rides. Always inspirational.


Thank you (and @knightrider !) for your kind words - they mean a lot to me, especially right now. I am glad to share my experiences so we can all learn together.


I need to update as there is a lot going on and not all of it is good. Link is still not himself and that situation is really worrying me. He continues to be overly reactive, randomly touchy, and very tense (even out in the pasture with the herd, he is nervous and jumpy). He is 20 days into the nexium treatment (in case of ulcers) and while I have seen a bit of improvement, the issue is not resolved. Our next competition is this weekend, but he will not be going. Instead, I have an appt with the vet to come out next week and run a bunch of tests to rule things out, as I am now desperate enough to try the 'toss everything at the wall and see what sticks' approach.

I plan to repeat the Lyme test, plus test for EPM and get levels for magnesium, vitamin E/selenium, B vitamins, and I may look into testing for the PSSM variants. If anybody else has any suggestions on things they have treated that cause similar behavior, I am all ears. I should have some/most of those results before the end of the nexium course, so may do a course of omeprazole if nothing else has shed light on the situation. Meanwhile, I am going to just let him be a horse and not work him in any way.


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## egrogan

Bummer to read that Link is still not feeling great. To add to your "throw everything at the wall" list- maybe an in-depth vision check? 

Have you ever used TicX (Hilton Herbs) with your guys? A couple of friends here swear by it when their horses are showing any Lyme-type symptoms, even if they don't test positive. The "AfterCare" version leveled Fizz out a little bit when she was finishing up her doxy treatment a couple of years ago. I don't really believe in any magic fixes, but since you're trying several things, might be worth it?


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## ClearDonkey

phantomhorse13 said:


> I plan to repeat the Lyme test, plus test for EPM and get levels for magnesium, vitamin E/selenium, B vitamins, and I may look into testing for the PSSM variants. If anybody else has any suggestions on things they have treated that cause similar behavior, I am all ears. I should have some/most of those results before the end of the nexium course, so may do a course of omeprazole if nothing else has shed light on the situation. Meanwhile, I am going to just let him be a horse and not work him in any way.


I'm sure this offer is likely premature, but if you find a magnesium deficiency or even would just like to try SmartPak's Magnesium 5,000 product, I have a lot sitting in hoard that is no longer being used. I would be more than happy to send it to you to try out and see if it helps. I had Minnie on it right after I got her because she was horribly on edge all of the time once she was brought to a new barn. All of her body was always tense when I was just around her, and shaking when I got too close. After 2 weeks on it, it was like she was a totally different horse.

She wasn't like that before when I would visit her at her old property, it was just a sudden, harsh change. I know not everyone believes in the magnesium usage, but I saw a night and day difference in her. As soon as she was on magnesium, I was able to halter break her and very quickly we were under-saddle and riding on trails. She just needed something to help take the edge off.

In my old area, many horses (and dogs) had experiences with Lyme just because of how tick-heavy of any area it was. I don't remember any of them having a big disposition change, but I know that can happen. Most of their symptoms were related to stiffness and soundness, not so much demeanor.

I hope you find something that will help your Link.


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## phantomhorse13

ClearDonkey said:


> I'm sure this offer is likely premature, but if you find a magnesium deficiency or even would just like to try SmartPak's Magnesium 5,000 product, I have a lot sitting in hoard that is no longer being used. I would be more than happy to send it to you
> 
> In my old area, many horses (and dogs) had experiences with Lyme just because of how tick-heavy of any area it was. I don't remember any of them having a big disposition change, but I know that can happen. Most of their symptoms were related to stiffness and soundness, not so much demeanor.


If the mag level is at all questionable, I will be happy to buy your stash!

Lyme is such a b!tch because it doesn't read the rules. Of our personal horses, only Sultan showed a shifting lameness. Dream lost her topline and started moving differently downhill, but she wasn't lame (she finished a 100 mile ride with a raging case before we knew what was going on). George started being much more spooky, then was peeing dark at a couple competitions. The dark pee made us assume a tie up, but he never had any tight muscles and bloodwork was normal. Phin got spooky/reactive to the point I was afraid he was going to hurt both of us because he was freaking out over "nothing" - leaping off the trail, suddenly rearing despite a loose rein and open trail ahead, etc.

The two dogs I have had with it both had shifting limb lameness and transient fevers. 

F'ing ticks.. 🤬


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## carshon

I have no words of advice but am sending hopeful and healing vibes for Link. We do not have the amount of ticks here that other areas have but I dread Lyme disease


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## weeedlady

Ticks are getting worse. I lived at my house in Ohio for more than 20 years and never saw a tick. Now my son (who is living in the house) has found them on himself many times. A girl he works with has tested positive for Lyme from a bite she got in Cleveland. 

Here in the UP we have lots and lots of ticks of course. I am vigilant about checking the animals and myself (and my husband, lol). I worry about my dog. How am I going to find a tick on a German Shepherd?

@phantomhorse13 I am sending healing thoughts for Link. I sure hope you can figure out what is going on.


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## knightrider

I add my healing prayers for Link. I have a special feeling for Link and hope you can figure out what is going on.


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## ClearDonkey

I hope things are going alright and are just quiet, @phantomhorse13 

Thinking of you and all of your animals, sending continued healing thoughts for Link if an answer has not yet been found.


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## phantomhorse13

ClearDonkey said:


> I hope things are going alright and are just quiet, @phantomhorse13
> 
> Thinking of you and all of your animals, sending continued healing thoughts for Link if an answer has not yet been found.


Things are going..  not in the direction I would prefer. Been a rough month. 

I am working on getting stuff from the last couple rides together and then will update. Thanks for thinking of us!


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## phantomhorse13

Lots of catching up to do.. won't remember all the details, but my training log will remind me of the basics.


May 31st, I took Link over to the ring to give the treed saddle a bit more of a test. Link was somewhat agitated to tack up and jumpy on the way over to the ring (no surprise really as it was windy), but settled down some once we got to work. I had to laugh that every emergency vehicle in the county apparently went by at some point. We started with circles and figure 8s, then moved onto the trot poles. We even worked in the scary corner!












I felt a bit tipped forward while riding, but wasn't sure how much of that was my own nerves (and resulting tendancy to perch) versus the saddle actually being tipped. Looking at it on his back, it seems fairly balanced.
2.68 miles, 210 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average pace, 60F real feel

Then I took Phin out for a mosey with Gina and Nik on Amish and Honey. We did the Sugarloaf loop.








Amish did a lot of jigging and Honey was lame on anything but the grass, so it was a pretty frustrating ride. Phin behaved well though, ignoring everything the other horses were doing.








6.39 miles, 810 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average pace, 64F real feel


June 1, I started with Link. I had intended to do the Sugarloaf loop, but he was pretty anxious so I decided to climb the Sugarloaf instead. We trucked up the climb and while he was moving ok, I still felt like the saddle had me tipped forward.








We went down the backside and did a short loop around the fields. Link was very looky, with multiple startles (though no attempts to spin). We climbed up the backside again, but that really didn't settle him any.








By the time we got home, I knew I wanted to do a bit of tweaking with the saddle pad to lift the front of the saddle a bit more. Link wasn't sore, but I was!
6.51 miles, 1283 feet of climb, 3.6 mph average pace, 74F real feel


Next was George with Kestrel. We went out Spaulding's and then around Ziesloft's the opposite way.








We came across Brad mowing. George was feeling mighty fine, moving out with tongue flapping.








5.19 miles, 594 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 78F real feel


June 3rd, the weather was threatening storms so I hopped on George to walk Kestrel. We went over to do a loop around Ziesloft's while keeping an eye on the sky. The temperature and humidity had increased sharply - the start of another heat wave.
















5.11 miles, 564 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 85F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Instead of just continuing to add random pads under Link's saddle, I decided to make my own inserts with shims for the matrix pad. I was not interested in paying several hundred dollars for real ones, so instead got creative. I started with this:








and after much tracing and measuring and cutting and velcro, ended up with these:








That gave me lots of options to find what would be just right for Link.

The universe apparently agreed, as when I went out to the barn to put the pad away, I found this:











June 5th, I got Link out. From the start, he was very agitated, pacing around in the stall and not eating his hay. I had thought perhaps the heat and humidity would have taken the edge off his anxiety, but I was wrong. The saddle went off and on several times as I played with the inserts and shims, and while he didn't seem any more worried about that than anything else, he never settled. Things did not improve once I got on. I had planned to go over to the Tomhicken for a longer ride, but when we couldn't even get out of the yard without several massive spooks, that plan went right out the window. Instead, we walked a lap around Alimar.








The potatoes are just starting to poke up, and Link eyed them and basically everything else with great suspicion. At no point did he settle down at all. _sigh_ But on a good note, the saddle felt much better to me and seemed well-placed even after the ride:








2.05 miles, 207 feet of climb, 4.1 mph average pace, 88F real feel

June 7th, I got Link out. I had been hoping the previous ride was going to be the exception, but he was again agitated right from the start. He was ansty to tack up and spooky desite the heat and humidity. Again I had planned to go over to the Tomhicken, but by the time we got to Spaulding's I knew that wasn't happening and turned back to loop around Alimar.








Even heading towards home, Link was jumpy and anxious. Even when we got back and he could see the other horses, he didn't relax - he had a huge spook at the water coming out of the hose when I rinsed him off after the ride! I had been back and forth about if I was going to take him to the next competition.. well that decided that - entry withdrawn. 
2.55 miles, 253 feet of climb, 3.8 mph average pace, 92F real feel

June 8th, the vet who does our chiropractic and acupuncture work came out. She started with Phin, who was out in the normal places and handled the adjustment and needles without incident. Link was quiet in the stall while Phin was being worked on, but was very obviously unhappy about us working on him. He became more and more agitated as the vet found more and more sensitive places. When she tried to work on his lower back, he actually picked up a leg and _kicked at her_!! While it was a fairly half-hearted attempt and didn't even come close to hitting her, the fact he tried at all was a huge red flag to me as he's never behaved that way about anything. _ Ever_. The vet finished with some basic needles and adjusted him, just so he didn't think that was an acceptable way to behave and he was able to suck it up and deal with it.. but it shouldn't be such an ordeal.

Once that vet left, I called our regular vet to make an appointment for the following week for more testing..


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## knightrider

Can't "like" this. Link is one of my favorites, and I am feeling quite sad and worried for you.


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## PoptartShop

I'm sorry to hear this about Link. I was going to say Lyme, but it looks like you already had the test done. Did you get the actual levels of the test, or did they just say negative? Because even if it comes out 'negative', it is still possible it can be early Lyme. Lyme is a pain, I've dealt with it twice now with Promise.  I would do a CBC panel though, if you haven't already. 

I hope he gets figured out soon, I know what it's like not having answers. Fingers crossed Link feels better!! Definitely sounds like pain somewhere, or that he is out somewhere. It may be a good idea to get an Osteopath out too!


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## carshon

It just makes me sad for you and for Link - he was coming along so nicely. Fingers crossed that a resolution is found


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## ClearDonkey

My fingers, toes, everything are crossed for Link... I think it's fair to say that he is one of the 'forum favorites'.


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## phantomhorse13

Time to start playing catch up..

Back in mid-June, DH and I headed south to Virginia for the Old Dominion. Since Link would be staying home, that meant the focus would be on Phin. We left early Thursday morning and got to camp before the many scattered thunderstorms started. We got over 3” of rain Thursday! We were able to save spots for April, Kathy & Lani beside us. April was riding for Lani, so that meant I was able to put up a second pen in some of her parking area as she didn’t have a horse at her trailer. That wound up being hugely helpful as the original pen Phin was in was churned into mud and it was wonderful to be able to put him onto fresh ground.

This is what it looked like Friday morning:








Who would expect to need a sheet at OD!!

DH and I spent the day Friday at the Bird Haven hold, helping with the 55s and 25s. The weather was overcast with 1000% humidity, with temps in the 70s so it was almost chilly. Unheard of weather for OD (which is normally hot as blazes). DH did pulses while I was in charge of crewless riders. There were many people in the LD who were doing their first ride, so it was great fun to help people and see their enthusiasm. I got to hear lots of comments on the state of the trail – comments involved a lot of bad words as the mud was bad and the wet made the rocks that much more challenging. During the afternoon, we got things ready for the ride the following day. Phin vetted in with no concerns.

Saturday morning, trail opened at 5:30am.. and I was still wondering wth I was thinking heading out on a trail that was tough normally and sure didn’t need mud on top of it.








The first loop was 16 miles and included a big climb. Basecamp had been quite foggy, but the climb took us literally into the clouds! I had started last in the hope of finding our own space, but we had quickly overtaken some other riders and one tagged along. I knew her horse was going to go much faster than I wanted Phin going, but it worked ok to start with. 








The trail was as awful as people had said – many of the places you could normally have moved out at least a bit were muddy so you had to be very careful. The rocks being wet added another element of difficulty. We got into the hold without incident, though I was soaked from the waist down which did not make me very happy.








Phin was pulsed down by the time I had his tack off and he vetted without incident. DH and April were there waiting for us and did a great job taking care of Phin. He was a bit distracted and needed to have the pan held under his face, but overall I was pleased with his eating. I had decided he was going to get a dose of calcium as well as his normal elytes after each hold and the additional syringe did not make him very happy. 








If you look closely at this pic of our leaving the hold, you can see the drool waving in the breeze:








The second loop was 17 miles and has the most notorious climb of the entire ride. As expected, our company from the first loop had gone ahead of us for the second, but we soon caught up to another couple riders who were going a pace that better matched Phin’s. We chatted as we covered the miles – neither rider had done the OD before so it was fun to talk to them about the trail and what to expect. We were still riding in the clouds:








We stayed in the clouds for the entire length of the ride. It looked almost magical, but I was whining in my head because of course it meant everything was wet (including me). Nothing like going squish with every stride!








The second hold did not allow crews in, but our wonderful friend from the No Frills ride was there volunteering and cheerfully came over to help me with Phin. He vetted through without issue, but was a bit less enthused about eating. He did better when I left him with his groom, so I spent the hold standing a short distance away eating my sandwich and peeking over my shoulder at them. I did insult him with calcium and elyte doses before we left the hold.









To be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

Part 2:

The third loop is 15 miles. Phin was perplexed when we headed out of that hold and turned away from camp – this is where the 100 mile trail continues on where the 50 mile trail would have turned back. One of the ladies I was riding with the previous loop was pulled at the hold, so we headed out as a mighty duo:








The first part of this loop is a 3 mile climb up a gravel road that seems to take forever. I was so thankful for the partial cloud cover, as at least we weren’t roasting in the sun the entire time. We played the heart rate monitor game: jogging until the rates hit 160, then walking until they dropped under 120, then jogging again. As we got to the top and back into the woods, the clouds were gone:








The horses alternated leading. That worked well as the mare preferred to go first on the flats and downhills, while Phin was stronger on the uphills. The footing was thankfully not as muddy overall as I feared and we were able to truck along well enough to not have to worry about cut off times. 








However, where it was muddy, it was MUDDY:








We got into the third hold and went to meet our respective crews. Phin was pulsed down by the time I had untacked him and vetted through without issue. Phin was very fussy about eating this hold, so I spent all my time trying to cajole him into eating and didn’t take any pictures. He turned up his nose at the various hard feeds I had but did eventually decide he wanted alfalfa pellets and outlast. That made me suspect his belly was a bit sour. I debated what to do about his elytes, but knowing the next loop was 24 miles and the sun was out and looked to stay that way, I didn’t want to take a chance by not giving them. He got calcium, the elytes, a syringe of just buffer and a syringe of applesauce. He was very insulted.

Heading out of the hold, there was a bit of a climb. We again played the heart rate monitor game and Phin led without hesitation. The mare wasn’t quite as happy about the climbing and her rider decided to drop back to let her go the pace she preferred. We went on alone. The trail at the top was lovely and Phin moved out well.








There was a single Ride and Tie team doing the course with us and we started doing some leapfrogging with them. The sun was out and the temps were rising, but Phin just found his pace and maintained it despite the terrain. I watched his heart rates and insisted on some walk breaks up hills, but he felt strong. Being alone, he was a bit more looky but nothing too extreme. He seemed perplexed at the runner the first few times we came across her, then started mugging her for cookies every time we went by.








We got to the gate and go after about 8 miles. It was at the top of a decent climb that was out in the sun, but it only took a few moments of sponging for Phin to meet pulse (tack left on). He snacked on some wet mush, which made me very happy. He was a bit insulted when the riders ahead of us left without us (there was a 10 minute hold after you made pulse), but soon enough we were back out on trail, too.

The next section of the trail is some of the same trail we ride at No Frills. When we passed the turn off to that hold, Phin was really confused! But he heaved a big sigh and continued trucking along. The mail trail is another infamous section and it had not improved any since the spring.








We were still leapfrogging with the RaT team, so that gave us some company and entertainment. I took advantage of one of their transitions to hop off and give Phin a dose of calcium and elytes.









To be continued…


----------



## phantomhorse13

Part 3:

The wonderful thing is after you survive the mail trail, you pop out on some wonderful grassy tracks. Phin was forward and happy, even asking to canter in several spots. 








But I was the most thrilled when this started happening:








However, the nice trail didn’t last long and we were soon back onto technical trail. Phin had settled into his steady pace and we had actually passed a couple riders while climbing. As we went along through the woods, he kept looking around at times so I also kept turning back to look, expecting to see those riders had caught up.








At one point, Phin picked the wrong moment to take his eye off the trail. He looked to the side, caught a foot, and fell. SHIITAKE. His head disappeared from my view and he scrabbled long enough I actually had time to think about jumping off for fear he was going to roll all the way over. After what seemed like an eternity, Phin heaved himself to his feet and then continued trotting down the trail like nothing had happened! 😳

Of course, I pulled him up and leapt off, knowing there was no way he wasn’t injured. His face and both knees had some road rash. I used one of my water bottles to wash the scrapes and was glad to see they seemed superficial, but I was fairly certain our ride was over. One doesn’t crawl on one’s knees along rocky trail at the OD without consequences. 😖

I got back on and we continued down the trail. Phin seemed ok, but I knew the adrenaline was still flowing. Because of the delay, the riders we had passed caught us right as we dropped out of the singletrack onto some gravel road. They took off up and road and Phin was happy to follow them. We had some discussion for the next mile about pace, but at the end of that road was a hospitality stop where everyone paused.

Phin drank well from the tank and munched some of the mush the volunteer offered him. She pointed out the marks on his face and I explained what had happened. The other riders had hopped off to electrolyte, so I took the opportunity to walk away on our own. Phin walked off without issue, but I knew from the first dozen trot step that something wasn’t right. We stopped, I hopped off and walked him back to the stop. I asked for a trailer to come get us – 70 miles; ride over. 

We waited a bit for the trailer to arrive and Phin was NOT happy that other horses were leaving and he was not. I was happy to see that he was so game, but I was somewhat embarrassed by his neighing every time horses disappeared down the trail. Eventually the trailer arrived. It had come from the next hold, so April had hopped in and brought a cooler for Phin, a coat for me, and some snacks. Phin hopped right in the trailer and off we went to camp.

The trailer ride was actually the worst part of the whole day. The gentleman driving the trailer – someone I know well – drove like a NUT. I asked him several times to slow down and take it easier, but his definition of easy and mine were not even close. I was SO happy to get back to camp and was happy to see Phin wasn’t in a full body sweat (I think I was).

Any pulled horse goes back to the treatment vet. The treatment vet at this ride is someone I know well as we went to undergrad together many years ago. I explained to her what happened as she looked Phin over. She wasn’t too concerned with his knees, but she was very concerned with his total lack of gut sounds. Shiitake.

Ironically, he jogged sound for his trot out; I suspect he was so full of adrenaline from the trailer ride than he didn’t even notice his knees. I also assumed that was the cause of the lack of gut sounds – panic mode. The vet agreed, especially since he dropped his head to graze as soon as he was given slack in the rope. The vet wanted to clip and clean and then probe the marks on his knees, just to make us all feel better. While she was doing that, I put a pan of wet slop she provided under his nose and he sucked it right up. That made everyone feel a lot better, as did her finding that the marks were indeed superficial.

The vet said to go back to the trailer for the next hour, then come back for a recheck. She wanted him eating and drinking and said to return sooner if anything worried me. We tossed his tack back on and walked back to the trailer. Phin wanted to graze constantly as we walked along the grass, so of course I stopped to let him. We got back to the trailer and I fixed him a pan of wet alfalfa pellets which he ate with enthusiasm. Then he heaved a big sigh, cocked a back leg, and took a nap.

I slathered his legs with poultice and left him snoozing in the pen. I grabbed my stethoscope and was happy to hear a heartrate of 36 and guts sounds in all 4 quadrants. We unloaded the truck and waited for it to be time for the recheck. I woke Phin up to take him back to the vet, where he passed his exam without concern and yet again trotted out sound. We went back to the trailer where I put his sheet back on and left him with fresh hay, full water, and another pan of mush. Then, I went inside and tried to sleep (it did happen, eventually).

The next morning, we casually packed up and got on the road for home. Phin looked fine, with no swelling in his knees or anywhere else. I handwalked him letting him graze while DH took down the pen and packed the last few things. Phin hopped on the trailer without hesitation. There was quite a bit of traffic, which is never much fun to haul in.

We were about an hour from home when some shiitake-head passed us on the left, then decided he wanted off and swerved into the right lane in front of us, slamming on the brakes when he realized there was traffic in the exit lane. DH stood on the truck brakes and you could feel them and the trailer brakes lock up. We were thrown forward as the seat belts locked and I can still close my eyes and see the bumper of that grey car getting closer and closer and then disappear from view. I don’t know just how close we came to rear-ending the car but it had to have been by mere inches. Before we even could register the whole event, the grey car shot off onto the lefthand shoulder of the exit ramp and disappeared. 😱

DH moved off onto the shoulder as soon as he could so we could go back and check Phin. I have to say I was expecting the worst, but when I looked through the window he was on his feet. We dropped the ramp so I could go in (he was in the middle stall) and he just looked at me like nothing out of the ordinary had happened. But I could see two sets of poultice marks on the stud divider in front of him, so he had been against it without a doubt. I couldn’t feel anything out of sorts in all the places I could reach. Phin calmly munched the cookies I offered him as I reached around, over, and under him.

The rest of the ride was uneventful. I was never so happy to get home. Phin unloaded without drama, but he didn’t drop his head to graze right away like he normally wanted to. I led him up and down the yard briefly, both DH and I watching him closely for any signs of lameness. He seemed fine. I turned him out, and he went right to the water tank and had a huge drink. The rest of the herd ran around like fools, but he ignored them and went into one of the loafing sheds. That was not his usual routine (normally he would have led them in their antics), so I followed him and found him madly licking the salt block. He did that for a few minutes, then went back to the water tank and drank again. He seemed agitated, as he would graze for a moment, then march to the shed and lick more, then go back out and graze for a moment. Hrm.

I went and grabbed my stethoscope. His heartrate was normal and there were sounds in all 4 gut quadrants. I decided to give him some sucralfate to see if that soothed his belly (honestly, by that point I should have given some to myself, too). Phin was NOT pleased to see yet another syringe, but he let me dose him without complaint. I then walked down to the paddock I had been resting and opened it up for them. Phin made one more trip to the salt block and the water tank, then marched to the paddock and dropped his head to eat with gusto.








I sat down in the paddock and cried with relief.





What a weekend.. 🤯


----------



## knightrider

I read your whole story with my heart in my mouth. It seemed really awful. I hope Phin continues to be OK, and that you are OK too. Since I lived in Maryland for much of my life, my dream was to complete the OD 50 miles. I never did it --got seduced by Renaissance Festivals--but I love reading about it. I really appreciate your posts on the forum.


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## lb27312

Wow what a great read! Very on the edge of the seat... sorry to hear about not making the 100 but 75 is great! Sorry for asking as I've read but have forgotten is this yours and Phin's first attempt at the 100? If so, still very impressive. And I know about the mud and rocks whew.... can make for a not fun ride even if you're not doing it for time! 

I was worried about the little posting that maybe Link wasn't doing good but hopefully he's just on a break and sounds like you've been busy. 

My neighbor was probably up there as she does the ride and ties and she's pretty up there in rank... or used to be.


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## carshon

My foot was pressing into the floor reading about the car. OMG! how terrible. People are so thoughtless. So glad Phin did alright and no permanent damage


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## QueenofFrance08

Those rocks are so crazy! I don't know what our poor little spoiled Minnesota horses would do on a trail like that!


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> got seduced by Renaissance Festivals


While not too many people have done an OD in the grand scheme of horse people.. I bet even fewer can say they have JOUSTED! That is a really cool activity to have been swept up by.



lb27312 said:


> is this yours and Phin's first attempt at the 100?
> 
> My neighbor was probably up there as she does the ride and ties


This was Phin's second attempt. We tried our first back in October and made it 90 miles (which was an accomplishment after loops not being marked, etc).

If you don't mind my being nosy, who is your neighbor? RaTers are amazing (and crazy) people. Imaging doing all that on your own feet!



carshon said:


> My foot was pressing into the floor reading about the car. OMG!


Yes, I was also trying to put my foot through the floorboards on the passenger side.. the worst feeling ever. I can only hope karma catches up to that driver.


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## knightrider

phantomhorse13 said:


> While not too many people have done an OD in the grand scheme of horse people.. I bet even fewer can say they have JOUSTED! That is a really cool activity to have been swept up by.


Part of my seduction was that I was doing CTR on a shoestring and it was expensive to register and pay the gas to drive long distances to get to the places. I discovered I was getting paid fairly well to perform theatrical jousting. Instead of paying out a lot of money to have fun and have great experiences with horses, I was getting paid to do the same thing. Some performances paid $300 to do a show. During the years that I was theatrically jousting, the money completely paid all my horse expenses and I earned enough to buy a new-to-me trailer. Shadow alone earned me $21,000 in her career. It was so nice to come home feeling rich after spending the day with horses rather than coming home feeling broke.


----------



## phantomhorse13

The day after we got home from OD, the vet came to see Link. I had had some time to talk with Kathy and Lani, so my plan for testing covered everything we could think of. The vet pulled blood for another Lyme test, an EPM test, a CBC/chem, a vitamin E level, a selenium level, a calcium level, and a test that looked at a couple B vitamin levels. I also talked to her about doing a bute trial, a steroid trial, and a course of misoprostal as rule outs. Luckily for me, my vet is used to my strange requests and was happy to do whatever testing I asked for. She took a thorough look at his eyes, which appeared totally normal. The plan was to start a bute trial while waiting for the bloodwork results.

Tuesday (June 15th), I got George out with Kestrel. It was a lovely cool day so we went out Spaulding's, across Ziesloft's, did a loop around the farm, and then went home via the creek trail.
















8.01 miles, 958 feet climb, 5.1 mph average pace, 72F real feel

That afternoon, I got some of Link's bloodwork results back. The CBC/chem was totally normal, as was the calcium, vitamin E, and vitamin B levels.

Wednesday, I got George out with Kestrel again. We did a loop over on the Tomhicken.
















10.03 miles,1486 feet climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 75F real feel

Thursday was Link's 3rd day on the bute trial, so that was test ride day. He was pretty agitated when I took him away from the herd. He was anxious in the barn, not wanting to eat his hay and dancing around while being tacked up. I did a bit of groundwork to try to get his focus on me before I got on.

From the start, he felt like a bomb. He startled at the horse trailer, the flowers in the flower bed, the trees moving, etc. We made it out of the yard and I turned him down the swale to make the shortest loop possible, as I knew nothing had changed and didn't see the point of pushing my luck.








0.96 miles, 59 feet climb, 3.1 mph average pace, 80F real feel

Later that afternoon, I went out into the paddocks to mow, and this is what I got:








Go figure.. 🤷‍♀️

Thursday, I went out to get Link for the second try at seeing if the bute was making any difference. He was upset leaving the herd and antsy in the barn, so I didn't even bother to tack him up. I just groomed him and then let him hand graze in the yard a bit (where he would jump every time the wind blew), then picked a calm moment to turn him back out. Spoke to the vet and she agreed the bute trial was a failure.

Friday, I got the results of the Lyme and EPM tests back - both negative. Also got normal results on the selenium level. Next up was the steroid trial, which I planned to start the following Monday (so we knew the bute had totally cleared his system).

Monday (June 21), I got George out to walk Kestrel. I decided to pony Link, to see if having George along made any difference in his behavior. We did the creek loop.








Link was still pretty spooky, though I do think having George around helped. It was also hot as h#ll without much wind, so that may have helped, too.

3.53 miles, 358 feet climb, 4.3 mph average pace, 99 F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Wednesday (June 23), I started with George. We moseyed around Spaulding's and Ziesloft's and then went home via the creek trail (where I got to enjoy the mowing I did earlier in the week).
























6.54 miles, 807 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 80F real feel

Next was Link. I had decided I was going to ride in the paddock, just to try to set us up for success. The weather was cooperative as it was warm but not too windy. When I went out to get Link, everyone else followed us up to the barn, too. Link was very chill in the stall, munching on his hay and asking for the itchy spots to be scratched. I got him tacked up without incident and headed out to the paddock. 

When I got out to the paddock I intended to ride in, I realized I had not brought the mounting block. I didn't feel like going back to get it, so thought I would push the envelope by climbing up the round pen to mount. Despite never having done that before, Link was totally unphased, standing quietly beside the clanking, wiggling pen as I climbed up and got on. Once I was one, I knew immediately that the ride was going to be very different - he was chill to the point of laziness!

We did some walk and trot circles and figure 8s. We started in one part of the paddock but then moved to the other side when Phin thought knocking the camera off the fence post was funny. At one point, Kali came gallumphing around the building, and Link only raised his head slightly and flicked an ear - no spinning around to stare or attempting to bolt away.




1.10 miles, 36 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 84F real feel

The following day, I started with Link. The weather was breezy heading for windy, so I wasn't sure what to expect when I went out to get him. He was a bit more looky, but he settled down in the barn and munched on his hay while I groomed and tacked him up. I did a brief bit of groundwork in the yard before climbing on. While he wasn't as lazy as he had been in the paddock, he was not like sitting on a bomb. We wandered around the yard and while he did look at a couple things (like the dreaded wind spinner in the flowerbed and the relocated hay equipment), he did so with much less anxiety and no feeling of explosiveness. I didn't feel the need to take him out of the yard as I felt that ride confirmed the first one was not a fluke - the steroid seemed to be helping.








0.28 miles, 43 feet of climb, 2.9 mph average pace, 82F real feel

The steroid trial being successful was, IMO, a mixed blessing. It was nice to have something help, as it at least gave us a direction to look toward. However, the steroid was to rule out nerve pain.. so the idea that nerve pain was the root of the issue sure wasn't what I was hoping to hear. 

I spoke with my vet and then with Kathy and we developed a working hypothesis and a plan. The current thinking is that something happened in his last growth spurt that is causing nerve pain (think kissing spine or some other bony issue). While I can't know that for sure without further diagnostics, since the treatment suggestion is give him time and see if he grows out of it, I didn't see the need to spend the extra money right now. I had his shoes pulled and he will be a cute pasture potato until late fall. If he still doesn't seem right then, he will be turned out until next spring. If things still aren't right then (when he will be 6, so likely done growing), then I will go forward with additional diagnostics. Fingers, toes, and eyes crossed that he just needs some time and he will grow out of it.


Next, I got George out to ride with NIk and Copper. Kestrel came, too. We did the Sugarloaf loop.
















6.52 miles, 843 feet of climb, 4.0 mph average pace, 88F real feel

Friday, I got Phin out for a leg stretch. Kestrel came, too. We went out around Spaulding's and across Ziesloft's to climb the Sugarloaf. Phin was forward and felt great.








6.00 miles, 1148 feet of climb, 4.4 mph average pace, 85F real feel

The following Wednesday, I got George out to walk Kestrel. I was too lazy to tack up so went out bareback. We went around Spaulding's, did a loop around Ziesloft's, then went home via the creek trail. 
















4.04 miles, 443 feet of climb, 4.4 mph average pace, 92F real feel


----------



## carshon

Your post just makes me sad. Poor Link - he was doing so well. Poor you - Link was doing so well. I have my fingers crossed that things straighten out


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## phantomhorse13

carshon said:


> Your post just makes me sad. Poor Link - he was doing so well. Poor you - Link was doing so well. I have my fingers crossed that things straighten out


Thank you. I have shed many tears over the situation. I am trying to not obsess over it, as I really can't do a darn thing to change it.. but of course that is much easier said than done. 😖


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## egrogan

I am still holding out hope that he will grow out of it and into those long legs. I know how hard it's been for you though and hope this fall brings happy new trails together...


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## QueenofFrance08

Virtual hugs as usual from the other founding member of the "Sad about our Broken Baby Horse Club"


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## gottatrot

I'm sorry about Link. But very hopeful that he will outgrow his problems and that some rest will just do him some good.


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## phantomhorse13

Still playing catch up..

In early July, DH and I headed a bit south to Muckleratz, the only endurance ride in PA. We always get permission to get there early in exchange for helping set up. We were the second people to arrive (the first being the ride manager), so we got set up in our normal spot. The dogs had a great time playing as we set up first our camp, and then the vet check and pulse areas. 








I kept an eye on the sky and a radar app as I got things prepared for the ride the next day. Scattered storms were predicted starting around lunch. I had just enough time to get registered when the skies opened for the first time. The weather was unusually cool (high only in the mid 70s), so adding wet to the equation meant I was putting a sheet on Phin as I knew he would be chilled. We got two storms in quick succession and they dumped an impressive amount of rain. Phin seemed somewhat agitated, preferring to stand in the far end of the pen woods (opposite the direction of the rest of camp and other horses) and stare out into the woods. I eventually dragged his water and hay over there, and he would drop his head to take a bite, then stand chewing looking off into the distance.








I kept an eye on radar and snuck over to vet between lines of storms. Phin vetted in without issue. It was interesting to hear from several other riders that their horses were doing similar things in their pens – looking off into woods in the opposite direction from camp. The trail master said there had been multiple bear sightings lately, so wondered if perhaps they were traveling nearby or even had a den in the area. I sure hoped not! We got back to the trailer in time for more storms.








Yet another line of storms came through just after the ride meeting finished, so everything was back to standing water. Phin was still staring off into the woods, but he was eating his food so I did my best to not obsess over his strange behavior. DH pointed out that was also the direction the storms were coming in from, so perhaps that was the issue (and we know Phin is very weather sensitive).

The next morning was thankfully dry, as I loathe tacking up in the rain. Phin was a bit fussy to tack up, as I had the audacity to take him to the other side of the trailer from his staring obsession. We wandered around camp warming up, trying to avoid the worst of the mud. I wanted to let the front runners get out of camp and out of sight, so we started towards the back. Unfortunately, I ran into some unwanted company fairly fast in the form of a rider with little control over her horse who was using those around her as brakes. I tried to keep Phin back, but her yo-yo pace made that impossible.








The first loop was 20 miles and starts with the biggest climb in the ride. At the top of the climb is the hang glider launch. Phin was pretty intent on the horses in front of us as we passed the photographers:
















At the end of that field, I talked Phin into coming back to a walk, knowing there was a water tank out on the gravel road. I wanted the yoyo rider to have latched onto someone else before we got there. I was not pleased to find her still at the tank as we came out of the woods, trying to get her horse to drink. Phin marched right up to the tank and had a big drink, despite her horse dancing around beside him.








I tried to get Phin to stay at the tank hoping the other rider would leave, but no such luck. As expected, she used us to get her horse pointed in the right direction at the crossroad, then went cantering off until she was almost out of sight. But the horse wouldn’t go out of sight, so soon slowed until we were within 50 feet, then went blasting off again. Phin was NOT impressed and we started having some serious discussion about our pace.








No matter what I did, I just could not get that rider to go ahead and stay ahead. Phin got more and more rank, wanting to run after the other horses. Some of the trail was singletrack and he wasn’t paying much attention to his feet, stumbling many times, and coming very close to trees with my knees.








About 2/3 of the way around the loop, I came upon April on her horse. Romeo was also being a handful, so we tried to get the boys to buddy up and slow their pace together. Neither took that bait as there were always horses in the distance to see and want to chase.








To be continued..


----------



## phantomhorse13

Part 2:

I was so happy to hit the final downhill and know we were coming back into camp for the hold. It had been a very long 20 miles!








I wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of Phin’s pulse, since he had been fighting me the whole loop. But his pulse was down by the time I pulled his tack. We vetted through with a negative CRI, but the vet felt his gut sounds could be better. That really didn’t surprise me knowing how fast and ornery he had been during the loop, as the last thing he had been thinking about was grazing along the way!








We spent the hold trying to keep Phin’s attention on his food. He kept wanting to look around at the other horses coming and going or else stare into the woods. It wasn’t so much that he wouldn’t eat, but he just couldn’t stay focused on anything for more than a minute at a time. My fun meter had run out long before, so I debated if I really wanted to go back out again at all. But somehow not going seemed like it would be rewarding his horrible on-trail behavior. I decided to go back out, hoping that the first loop and the hold would have spread out the riders and I would be able to find my own space.

The second loop was a repeat of the first. We went out of camp on our own and Phin was not pulling! We went down the camp access road and turned onto the trails.. and there was the yoyo rider walking down the trail ahead of us. I could have cried. I tried to just pretend it was no big deal as we trotted up and went around her, but of course her horse picked right up and came along with us. 🤬 Phin was not pleased and started with the head tossing and pulling.. ugh.








In a desperate attempt to get away from her, I claimed I needed to stop for a pee break and _insisted_ she go on ahead. I turned the wrong way at an intersection and went around a corner, then stood there for 5 minutes praying she would be gone when we got back on trail. That seemed to be working, but right as I got back to the real trail, another group came cantering up. However, they are riders who I knew set a nice pace and Phin went along with them fairly happily. But within a half a mile, we came upon the yoyo rider walking along the trail. Of course we couldn’t pass her without her horse joining right along. Shiitake. She still had no control and crowded the other horses repeatedly. Even after her horse was kicked at, she did nothing to change her behavior (or her horse’s).








Phin wound up taking the lead for a while and he almost settled down. But that is when I started feeling the occasional funny step. It wasn’t consistent, but I have found that if you question your horse’s gait, there is a reason.








We got to the midway point where there were water tanks and someone with snacks. Phin was too race-brained to want to drink, as the yoyo rider’s horse was still all over the place (and doing anything but drink). I walked him a short distance away and got off to electrolyte. I checked all his feet (shoes on, no stones or other reason for odd steps), then jogged him in hand for a moment. He only took one funny step, but that was enough for me. I called for a trailer to take us back to camp.

As we waited for the trailer, April and Romeo came along. April did not look happy and said she thought he wasn’t right. Romeo took a good drink and had a bite of grass. April asked me to watch as she started to trot off, but she didn’t need me to tell her that Romeo was lame behind. She climbed down and waited for the trailer with me.

We got back to camp and went in to the vet. I explained what I had been feeling, but the vet didn’t see many funny steps on the grass. She went over his leg carefully but couldn’t find any issues. When I took him back to the trailer, he was not pleased.. he trotted around the pen with his tail over his back every time a horse left camp, screaming and tossing his head like a fool. He eventually settled down just in time for a storm to roll into camp. That brought the rain total for the weekend up to 3”!













Lani and Kathy had arrived while I was out on trail, but because of the rain and the tight parking quarters, they had decided to park Jefferson (who does not have 4wd) in an overflow gravel lot a bit down the road from main camp. We played the do-things-between-the-storms game again all afternoon. Lapco, Lito, and Fugi vetted in with no surprises and we got the crew area all set up. Ride meeting was the same info as the previous one. Soon enough it was time for bed.

Thankfully, the rain stopped overnight and the skies cleared. Phin was still staring off into the woods, but had eaten and drank well overnight. I thought there might have been the slighest bit of fill in the back of his right front fetlock, but couldn't find any place that he reacted to palpation. Jogging in out, I still saw a couple weird steps but nothing consistent. 🤔 I put him back in his pen with a big pile of hay and tried not to think about it any more. I had some breakfast, then walked over to where Jefferson was parked to get Lapco ready.

By the time the LD started, there was a bit if a breeze that helped to break up the humidity. Lapco was a good girl to get tacked and warm up. We waited for the majority of the pack to be gone before heading out on trail, but still caught up to people on the first climb. Lito was cranked up, but Lapco behaved herself really well (a big change from her previous outing with Kelsie, thank goodness).

I was really pleased that Lapco kept her head when we got to the hang glider launch and the group ahead of us took off at a canter, taking Lito with them. She would have gone faster had I let her, but she listened when I asked her to stay at a trot.








The first loop was the same 20 mile loop I had ridden the day before, so I knew what to expect. Lito went out ahead as he was in power trot mode, which we tried to keep Lapco and Fugi to a more reasonable pace. The footing was still nice despite the additional rain.








Lito trucked down the trail and we kept picking off riders as we went. Lapco was a bit tense about passing to start with (there had apparently been some issues with that at the last ride), but she soon settled down. I sure wish Lito had!








Kathy and I started taking turns going first so that Lito got blocked by our horses and slowed down somewhat. Lapco did really well up front, even with the sun casting strange shadows.








to be continued..


----------



## phantomhorse13

Part 3:

Once we got to the singletrack, Lito was kept to a walk so Lani kept her knees intact! He also started to settle down in general, which was a relief from a pacing standpoint.








In no time, we were back down into the overflow parking lot, then into camp for the hold. There was much water tossing on Lito, but he didn’t take too long to pulse down. Everyone vetted without incident. They vacuumed up every particle of food offered to them as if they had never eaten before!








The last loop was 10 miles and shared some common trail with the first loop, including the climb up to the launch in the start. Lapco was all business as she trucked along after Lito and Fugi.








In an attempt to keep Lito’s pace reasonable, we put Lapco and Fugi side by side to block Lito in behind us. Lapco, who can want to kick at times, tolerated that amazingly well (thank goodness).








The shorter loop seemed to be the nicer parts of the first loop, so before long we were into the midway hospitality spot. 








The horses paused to have a good drink and snacked on some grass, so we gave them electrolytes and continued on our way. The horses made great time on the fun trails and soon we were making the final decent back to camp.








We got into the hold, pulled tack, and tossed a bunch of water on the horses. They pulsed down quickly and we went in to vet.








Lapco is doing really well with standing for the vet exam without fidgeting or needing her buddy to be right beside her. I jogged her and Fugi out together, which caused a bit of a stir as everyone expected excitement (but they were disappointed as both horses behaved perfectly).








We tossed the tack back on the horses to ride them down the road to Jefferson. 








Everyone dug into their mush reward with great enthusiasm once back on their high ties. 













A 50/50 weekend.. could have been better, but could have been worse..


----------



## egrogan

Filing away the story of yo-yo rider from part 1 under “things not to do during an endurance ride.” What a dope! Sorry to hear it wasn’t Phin’s day…


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## phantomhorse13

egrogan said:


> Filing away the story of yo-yo rider from part 1 under “things not to do during an endurance ride.” What a dope!


That kind of rider is super frustrating, but also can be dangerous. The horse she bumped into enough to finally result in kicking was being ridden by an 8 year old JUNIOR! Granted, that girl probably rides better than any of the adults who were around, but somehow putting a kid in danger seems that much worse to me.


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## ClearDonkey

I understand that these events are largely volunteer run, but is there nobody with the authority penalize these dangerous riders? 

Other equine sports give out penalties and flags for dangerous riding, I know eventing does specifically. You'd think that an event that requires many horses to share the same trail for hours would have some guiding principles for people that are endangering the group...


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## QueenofFrance08

Ugh that sounds terrible.

Sometimes I think endurance people are too nice and give people too many chances when they are a threat to others/their behavior is totally unacceptable. 

At our last ride we had a guy who made inappropriate comments to volunteers, flew through camp (even though everyone was specifically instructed to walk when in the camping area (trail started at the back of camp and went out the other side) and then talked back to a ride manager when they tried to correct that issue, would slow down and wait for people to catch up to him on trail and then speed off repeatedly, and was reportedly seen beating his horse. Then he went and posted on social media about how his TWH kicked all of the Minnesota Arabians butts and they were no match for him etc which he finally deleted after all of the replies were anger at his lack of sportsmanship. Some people wanted him disqualified but in the end I think the hope was that maybe he will realize people don't like him and stop coming or learn to behave better. Sigh.....

I feel guilty that we were a little yo yo on our first rides (especially the first rocky/hilly one) but at least I didn't try to use anyone as brakes or try to cling to other groups and we were usually near the end so I don't think we bothered too many people.


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## knightrider

What do you bet that yo yo rider doesn't even know she ruined your ride? Is there some way you can let these hard headed people know how to act?


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## gottatrot

I'm very sorry the ride did not go well with Phin. So unnecessary!



QueenofFrance08 said:


> I feel guilty that we were a little yo yo on our first rides (especially the first rocky/hilly one) but at least I didn't try to use anyone as brakes or try to cling to other groups and we were usually near the end so I don't think we bothered too many people.


I know, I feel a little guilty too because I know that I made mistakes on my second LD and annoyed some people. But I know it wasn't that bad because we brought our own group so the suffering was mostly among ourselves. The part we didn't plan because of lack of experience was at the very beginning, because we didn't realize the trail would get super narrow only a mile out, and we got stuck in a line of about twelve horses in a deep track above our horses' knees, with no way to turn off or get out. Halla was kind of panicking, but we had one of our horses in front of and behind her and all that happened was that I fell off once and got back on. 
It was like this, but only a horse width and with trees on both sides. Worn in by horse and foot traffic.








After that, we stayed away from others as much as we could. I did get yelled at though, because someone came cantering past me and said he was passing.  I tried to get Halla to move over, but she quickly swung her butt toward the horse and made a bad face, and he pulled his horse off the road and yelled at me about controlling my horse. I just didn't know she would try to block a strange horse like that. 

I guess it wasn't so bad since I was only annoying my friends. Halla was desperate to be in front, but if anything scared her she'd slow down and hold us all up. She really wasn't experienced enough to do an LD at that point, but I didn't realize that until we tried it. 

The thing is, I sympathize with someone having a horse that is being a lot more difficult than they imagined. But I don't sympathize with involving other people in that. If it's your best friends, that's one thing. They'll help you through it. But it's extremely rude to put that on other people who don't know you. It's not their responsibility, but also they don't know you and your horse, what your abilities are, or how to help you. That was where I was very lucky, because my friends did help me get Halla through it by switching positions a lot, depending on what would help. We also were experienced enough to keep the horses from getting hurt, frustrated or kicked. 
I'm glad you wrote about this, because it's a learning opportunity for some of us.


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## knightrider

I did three LD's with Aci after I got him because he had such a fast walk and a smooth corto. My very first one, I was given two green ribbons to braid into the mane and tail and a green bandana to put on wherever I thought appropriate so that people would know I was a novice at this.

Aci was actually quite good and never acted up when people passed him or he passed other riders. At times I couldn't get him to cross water, and we would wait until someone came along and cross with them. Then I left them alone unless they invited me to keep riding with them. Most of the time other riders made it clear in their posture and looks that they were riding their own race and wanted me to ride mine. I could see their hints. I think "Yo yo" is one of those people who just don't get it. I know a rider like that. Most people don't want to ride with her, and she has no clue. I ride with her because I feel sorry for her, and there are many good things about her, and my horses don't care what other horses do, so it's no skin off my nose.

I do think putting green stuff on your horse is a clue to others that you might do something stupid and not mean to.


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## gottatrot

@knightrider, next time I do a ride I'll go like this:


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## egrogan

I did put a green ribbon in Fizz’s tail when we did our intro ride last month, and gave one to M for Coalie. We were at the very back so didn’t have any opportunity to bother anyone else 🙃


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> Sometimes I think endurance people are too nice and give people too many chances when they are a threat to others/their behavior is totally unacceptable.





ClearDonkey said:


> I understand that these events are largely volunteer run, but is there nobody with the authority penalize these dangerous riders?


I think since endurance people are fairly chill and are proud of a sport with minimal rules, when it comes down to policing others, people can certainly err on the side of being too lenient. Ride managers and control judges (aka the vets) have a lot of authority, up to and including DQing someone. But in my experience, the behavior has to be pretty darn extreme for any of those people to exercise their powers.



knightrider said:


> What do you bet that yo yo rider doesn't even know she ruined your ride? Is there some way you can let these hard headed people know how to act?


Sadly, this rider is NOT new and she is one who doesn't seem to care about her impact on those around her. She smiles and apogizes while not doing a blasted thing to change her horse's behavior - THAT is what I find unacceptable. But there is no rule against stupid, so the best I can do is try to avoid her (I have found in the past being rude - such as telling her outright to go away - doesn't help either as her horse does what it wants and she just goes along for the ride.)



gottatrot said:


> I know that I made mistakes on my second LD and annoyed some people. But I know it wasn't that bad because we brought our own group so the suffering was mostly among ourselves.


For me, this is a _vastly_ different situation than the yoyo rider I spoke of (as is the person on the horse who is unexpectedly acting up but trying their best to correct it or at least minimize the chaos around them). I think everyone can (and should) sympathize with someone new or riding a green horse needing a bit of leeway. Esp if you did your best to cover all your bases by having friends along to babysit, etc. I think most new people really WANT to learn and are open to correction/suggestion (and hopefully that is done nicely by the experienced people).

But when a rider is _repeatedly_ doing the same rude things and laughing off (or blowing off) any attempts at education or constructive criticism, I have issue with that. And I will do my best to avoid them.


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## tim62988

phantomhorse13 said:


> Sadly, this rider is NOT new and she is one who doesn't seem to care about her impact on those around her. She smiles and apogizes while not doing a blasted thing to change her horse's behavior - THAT is what I find unacceptable. But there is no rule against stupid, so the best I can do is try to avoid her (I have found in the past being rude - such as telling her outright to go away - doesn't help either as her horse does what it wants and she just goes along for the ride.)


curious does the lady live to your east somewhere? i'm sure there is more than one but sounds like the endurance rider we met a few months ago and only dealt with in camp and drove us nuts haha


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## phantomhorse13

tim62988 said:


> curious does the lady live to your east somewhere? i'm sure there is more than one but sounds like the endurance rider we met a few months ago and only dealt with in camp and drove us nuts haha


I believe this rider is from West Virginia or maybe very western VA.


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## tim62988

different person, same mentality


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## phantomhorse13

tim62988 said:


> different person, same mentality


I think because most people in distance riding are so pleasant, the ones who are not really stick out.


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## phantomhorse13

When we got home from Muckleratz, I kept a close eye on Phin. While he ran around the paddocks without a care in the world, I kept thinking I saw some fill high in the back of that RF fetlock. Phin didn't care if I palpated it or flexed him.. but it bothered me. I treated him with poultice for a couple more days then a few days of twice daily witch hazel. Then I said I was going to give him a month off and stop obsessing over it.

So that meant George got a lot of Kestrel walking duty!

The 6th, we got out for a bareback mosey around Spaulding's and Alimar:








4.10 miles, 430 feet of climb, 5.1 mph average pace, 93F real feel

The 7th, we got out again bareback. This time, we had some excitement to start with!




After that, going around Spaulding's and then down to the creek trail was uneventful.
















5.09 miles, 597 feet of climb, 4.9 mph average pace, 95F real feel

The 9th was really hot, so we took a bareback mosey down to play in the drainage creek to let the dogs play:












1.63 miles, 197 feet of climb, 3.7 mph average pace, 98F real feel

We went to visit my parents the weekend of the Daylight in Vermont ride. While part of me was grumpy over plans for the season not going how I had hoped, it was kind of hard to complain looking at several days of this:








And we did fun, not-very-adult things like have ice cream for dinner:








It's too soon for the dogs to be allowed on the beach (that is only October to May), but they got lots of fun walks:









On the 19th, I got George out with Gina on Amish and Nik on Copper. We went over to the Tomhicken to see what Copper thought of the Black Creek. Kestrel got to go along, too.





















9.14 miles, 1312 feet of climb, 3.8 mph average pace, 91F real feel


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## egrogan

We certainly missed you in Vermont! But ice cream for dinner seems like a worthy substitution 🍦


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## phantomhorse13

The 22nd, I took George out for a bareback mosey to walk Kestrel. We did a quick loop around Spaulding's and Alimar. Keith had second cutting hay down.








2.53 miles, 249 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 73F real feel

The 23rd, we went over to do the Big Square. The weather was glorious - a preview of fall! Even the bugs were not as terrible.
















6.55 miles, 741 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 75F real feel

The 26th, it was another bareback mosey around Spaulding's and Alimar.








3.09 miles, 299 feet of climb, 4.1 mph average pace, 92F real feel

The 27th, I went out with Gina and Nik. I rode Amish. We did the Sugarloaf loop.








The bugs are having a banner year, but so are the monarch butterflies!








5.91 miles, 745 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average pace, 88F real feel

The 28th, I got George out with Kestrel. We went over and did the Yellow Gate Loop. It has been so dry that even the perpetual puddles (from springs) are disappearing. 
















10.38 miles, 1427 feet of climb, 4.9 mph average pace, 80F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

The 30th, I started with a quick jaunt up the Sugarloaf on George to walk Kestrel. I hoped to finally do some trail maintenance if the weather cooperated that weekend, so wanted to see what trees were down as I hadn't been that way in weeks.
















4.54 miles, 846 feet of climb, 4.5 mph average pace, 72F real feel

Then, I went over to meet Gina and Nik. Gina's knee was bothering her, so she didn't ride. Nik and I took Copper and Amish out. We did the Big Square.
















5.58 miles, 610 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 78 F real feel

Sunday the 1st, DH and I went over to the Sugarloaf and did some desperately needed trail maintenance. I had been hearing from a couple people for weeks that they were going to mow the trails, but I knew they wouldn't actually do anything until hunting season. 








To say things were overgrown was an understatement, as the weeds were 4' high in many places! We also cleared several down trees and started on reclaiming the viewpoint (so the chainsaws got a workout along with the mower). The dogs along came to supervise:









August 2nd, I got Phin out. He'd had his month off and had looked just fine periodically running around in the paddocks like a fool. While I was grooming, I found a small knot on the soft tissue a bit above his right fetlock.  It felt like it was between the cannon bone and the DDF and moved with the soft tissue. Shiitake. There was no heat and Phin didn't care about my palpating it.. but it was not in a place that I liked at all. I jogged him out on the driveway so I could listen to his footfalls and he sounded just fine, so I decided to tack him up and ride. I figured that would tell me for sure if something was going on with that spot or if it was a new blemish.

My plan had been to do the Sugarloaf loop, but I decided to climb the Sugarloaf instead as that gave him a more varied workout. We headed out across Alimar and into Spaulding's. Phin felt great, with not a hint of unevenness and plenty of enthusiasm. We trotted and cantered across the fields, then walked up the climb to the top.








Phin got a bit rammy going home, so we did some lateral work and a lot of walk/trot transitions.








5.92 miles, 1119 feet of climb, 4.0 mph average pace, 76F real feel

When I got back and pulled his splint boots off, I could see some fill around that knot. Shiitake. It didn't feel warm, but there was squishy fill around the knot. He was still not sensitive at all to palpation. I jogged him on the driveway and he sounded just fine.








When I fed dinner a couple hours later, I took another look at the leg. There was slightly more fill (which I was expecting might happen with the compressing splint boot removed), but still no heat or sensitivity. Shiitake. 








I put in a call to my vet and she agreed it needed to be checked out. However, she does not have an ultrasound machine so I would need to use another vet for that. I put in a call to the vet clinic Nicole uses (which specializes in sport horses), who looked at Phin a few years ago. Phin has an appointment Tuesday morning.. fingers and toes crossed this just ends our season, not his career. 🤞 😖 🤞


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## gottatrot

Your photos are so beautiful!
Sending best wishes for Phin and hoping he just has a knot from an injury that will heal up fine.


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## phantomhorse13

The 3rd, I went down to Nicole's show barn and met her 4 year old Trote Y Galope stallion, Egipto De Maria Isabela (aka Hippie). I got to get on for a quick spin, even though I had no clue what I was doing. Luckily her trainer was very kind!













The 5th, I rode Amish as Gina was away and wanted him to get some exercise. We did the Sugarloaf loop. Kestrel came, too.
















5.53 miles, 843 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 85F real feel

The 6th, I got George out to walk Kestrel. I started out intending to go over to the Tomhicken, but DH called when I was crossing Spaulding's. He needed me to run some parts to a job, so we did the Sugarloaf loop instead.
















7.52 miles, 1106 feet of climb, 5.1 mph average pace, 90F real feel

We were supposed to leave for the Maine multi-day ride last weekend, but of course that didn't happen. Instead, we came back down the shore to visit my parents. The weather turned ugly hot and humid again, but that is much easier to take sitting on a beach!


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## gottatrot

That little stallion is so stocky and cute. He sure moves his legs a lot to not go very fast. The ride looks very smooth, though, and pretty to see.


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## bsms

OK. I'm totally clueless about Hippie. What is he? I started panting just watching the video. I had a vision of Bandit & Cowboy watching the video, then looking at each other in bewilderment. "_So Amigo, why didn't he just chill and eat something?_"


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## Kalraii

I have to ask because I've NEVER seen anything like that before. I remember being mind blown watching a walker horse for the first time. Does Hippie actually move naturally when turned out lol?


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## ClearDonkey

I absolutely adore Hippie! I think I remember reading that his breed is a variation of a Paso Fino? My first lesson barn bred Paso Finos, and one of their lessons horses was a lovely little gelding. It's a blast doing the corto and largo down a set of boards to hear the "tippie-tippie-tappie-tappie" of their foot falls!


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## knightrider

What was your impression of Hippie? I have never ridden a Trote y Galope Paso and always wanted to know how they are different from one like mine. I have seen Pasos in the past (including my Isabeau) who move like that in the pasture . . . but they don't always. I think it kind of depends on how they feel and what is going on at the time.


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## phantomhorse13

gottatrot said:


> That little stallion is so stocky and cute. He sure moves his legs a lot to not go very fast. The ride looks very smooth, though, and pretty to see.


The ride is very smooth as there is no suspension at the trote and not much at the galope. Def a whole lot of work for not much forward movement though.



ClearDonkey said:


> I absolutely adore Hippie! I think I remember reading that his breed is a variation of a Paso Fino?





bsms said:


> OK. I'm totally clueless about Hippie. What is he?


Hippe is a Trote Y Galope, which is a breed fairly recently developed in Columbia from the Paso Fino and Lusitano.



knightrider said:


> I have never ridden a Trote y Galope Paso and always wanted to know how they are different from one like mine.


Hippie is a "diagonal" meaning their gaits are actually a highly modified trot, versus the lateral corto and largo that Paso Finos or Peruvian Pasos do. It does feel different, though both are still much smoother than non-gaited horses. Personally, I much prefer the way Polo (foxtrotter) or Hombre (Peruvian) move, but I think that is because those horses are also covering ground as they travel. It was fun riding Hippie in the ring, but I can't imagine how long it would take him to cover a mile and how exhausted he would be when we got there! I am sure he would stretch out his gaits if allowed, but of course that is the opposite of what you want with a show horse.



Kalraii said:


> Does Hippie actually move naturally when turned out lol?


Amazingly, he does! Tho he does also move out in a somewhat more extended trot and canter, too. Where my arabs would do the boingy trot with their tail flagged, he does a trote or galope and looks all proud of himself! Nicole's show mare of the same breed just had a foal, and it's hysterical to see the colt tap dancing around in the paddock showing off.


Here is a video showing people who know how to ride them and their gaits:


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## phantomhorse13

DH and I (and Kestrel and Kali) had a lovely visit with my parents.
















But while going away is nice, somehow coming home is the best feeling of all!

Sunday, I went riding with Gina and Nik. I rode Amish. We did the Sugarloaf loop. We met Gina's grandkids (my nephew-in-laws) as we were leaving Alimar. The older boy isn't too sure about horses, but the younger loves them (and has no fear of horses or anything else ).








We actually did some trotting and cantering! I think the horses enjoyed it as much as we did. Amish was really well behaved.








4.98 miles, 722 feet of climb, 3.9 mph average pace, 82F real feel

Monday, I got George out bareback to walk Kestrel. We did a loop around Alimar as it was threatening to storm (though never did, and we could've really used the rain):








2.07 miles, 220 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 81F real feel

Tuesday, the vet came to ultrasound Phin:








The answer was the best news possible: only a mild strain of the DDF. Woohoo!








For those not familiar with soft tissue on ultrasound, do you see how the pattern of the light vs dark changes from above the words to what it looks like just below the words, then how it changes back as you keep going down? That more mottled section just under the words is the disturbed tissue. [If things were really bad, like a tear, there would be big black hole(s) instead of just a change in the pattern.]

The plan is to do 10-15 minutes of walking exercise twice a week for the next couple months. This will help the fibers to heal as normally as possible. Then, it will be 20-30 minutes three times a week for another two months. Assuming no surprises (and that he doesn't do something else to hurt himself), I can bring him back into full work in January. 🤞

Yesterday, I was able to ride despite the forecast. They had called for rain all day, but after a brief shower in the morning, we actually started getting peeks of sun! It was really windy though, so I decided I better not push my luck and put the saddle on George. We did a loop around Ziesloft's. George was a bit up, but overall very good.
















4.06 miles, 446 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 88F real feel

The remains of the tropical storm came through yesterday evening, finally bringing some much-needed rain. I swear you could hear the crops slurping from in the house! Today, we were supposed to get off and on showers, but as usual, it's been raining on the mountains in the distance but nothing here. But there is a visible difference in the crops and the leaves of the trees are no longer curled up.


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## gottatrot

Glad to hear you found out what was wrong with Phin, and that it sounds like it will heal up well with a little time.


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## phantomhorse13

Yet again, I am very behind. Potato harvest has started, so that is taking up a lot of my life right now.

We got very lucky with the recent Ida storm.. we got 6.47" of rain, but were so behind on moisture that the ground did an amazing job of absorbing most of it. We also live on the top of a hill, so did not have to worry about anything flooding from local streams or rivers. The tornadoes (7 of them!!  ) luckily were not anywhere near here.

I am hoping to have some time to get my act together this week and update..


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## Woodhaven

Good I like reading your post, with envy I must admit, I do love all the wonderful trails you have access to.


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## phantomhorse13

OK, time for more catch up..

August 20, I got Phin out for his first rehab ride. I wanted to be clear to him that this was not going to be any sort of normal ride, so I went out totally bareback - not even using the bareback pad. I figured walking to Gina's and back would be about 20 minutes, so we headed out that way. Phin was very forward to start with, but not silly. Once we turned down the airport strip, he decided I must be ill to have turned back so soon, so he better take good care of me:




1.01 miles, 62 feet of climb, 2.9 mph average page, 87F real feel

August 23rd, Phin went out for a rehab ride. We got a brief storm early that morning, so had some obstacles we hadn't seen in weeks:








1.01 miles, 63 feet of climb, 3.1 mph average page, 90F real feel

The 24th, I got George out with Kestrel. We did a loop around Ziesloft's, then went around Alimar. There had been storms north of us the night before, so the creek was fairly high.
















4.07 miles, 446 feet of climb, 5.1 mph average page, 91F real feel

The 25th, I got Phin out for his rehab walk. We did a loop around the other fields for some variiety:








1.03 miles, 72 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average page, 92F real feel


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## TrainedByMares

I really like that last picture! Its like a cave drawing brought to life


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## phantomhorse13

TrainedByMares said:


> I really like that last picture! Its like a cave drawing brought to life


Thank you! I have always found shadows to be fun things to try to photograph.. and seeing as I am riding in a lot of the same places all the time now, trying to get creative with what I am posting!


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## phantomhorse13

On Thursday, August 26th, I headed down to southwest Virginia with Lani and Kathy for the Iron Mountain ride. It was a long drive (7 hours) and it was quite hot by the time we arrived. A storm rolled through just as we parked, so we were able to wait it out inside Jefferson and not be soaked.

We got camp set up quickly, then went to register. The original plan had been for Kathy to ride Flo in the 55 one day, while Lani and I rode Fuji and Lapco in the LD both days. However, the heat and humidity were supposed to be brutal, so the plan changed. I was going to ride the 55 with Kathy while Lani did one LD with Fuji, then we would trek home. We got the horses vetted in without incident, then went out for a brief ride to make sure all was good.








We had dinner, listened to the ride meeting, and then went back to Jefferson. I got my tent set up (Jefferson is like an oven in the sun, so no way was I sleeping in the bunk in there!) and then crawled into bed. I did not sleep well as several horses got loose and went thundering past and twice a car came in and sat idling while someone talked to the people in the trailer parked beside us (what the h#ll they were talking about at midnight and then 2 am, I have no idea).

Morning was solid fog and not all that cool, but we got all the horses tacked up without incident (Fuji got tacked, too, in case he had a meltdown after we left, though thankfully he was just fine). Kathy and I got on a few minutes before the start and headed to the line to check in.








Then we went to the back side of the field to warm up, intending to let everyone else leave before we headed out on trail.








Lapco was being a bit of a pill, as she had decided Fuji (who we had left at Jefferson) was her BFF - she didn’t care about Flo at all. As we made circles around the back of the field waiting for trail to open, she wanted to jig towards Jefferson and then thought about getting sticky as we turned away. The second time around, she got hollered at and whapped on the head when I felt her front feet _just_ start to leave the ground during a sticky moment – totally unacceptable thought!! Thankfully, she didn’t try that again.

Soon enough, trail was open and the majority of the pack left. We moseyed across the start line and I was pleased that Lapco seemed more settled, but I also knew we were heading towards Jefferson.
















Lapco was quite surprised when we got to Jefferson and Fuji was nowhere to be seen! She neighed several times, but Lani had gone far enough away that there was no answer.








We moseyed down the big hill without incident and then picked up a trot as we got to the grass at the bottom. I was very pleased that Lapco put her game face on and wanted to go first!








to be continued..


----------



## phantomhorse13

part 2:

The first loop was a bit over 17 miles. The course is a fun combination of technical singletrack and jeep roads, with a bit of gravel roads thrown in to help make time. The first part of the loop used to be a muddy mess, but the local BCHA group had gotten a big grant and had done some major trail improvements!








Despite starting in the back, we soon caught up to a decent size group and started the always-frustrating yoyo game. They would walk down the hills and we would pass them as Kathy maintained her steady pace, then they would come cantering up and pass us when we got to more open trail. Lapco was not thrilled with the passing games to start with, but she actually settled down and got over it by the third round (thank goodness). She was still out of sorts in general though, not wanting to pause at tanks to drink or grab bites of grass along the trail. She was laser focused on going back to camp.

The last couple miles of that loop are in the rangelands. Lapco knew we were heading back to camp and must have still been looking for Fuji, as she kept wanting to pass Flo! We had one brief argument when she didn’t want to stand to let Flo drink from a tank, but it didn’t escalate. As long as her feet were moving, she was ok, even with the horses always in front of us.








When the sign warning of the photog appeared along the trail, the group ahead of us jumped into a canter and went charging up the hill. Kathy held Flo back to give them some space before also transitioning to canter. I asked Lapco to hang back at the trot for a few strides, honestly not sure if that was going to cause a problem. I was really pleased that while she would have preferred to stay with Flo, she did remain at a trot until I cued her to canter, and then moved along pleasantly:








It wasn’t far after that to camp, and as soon as we got into the field, Lapco started neighing like crazy. Fuji was not in camp, though several other horses answered her. We got tack off and the horses cooled with some minor sponging (I think I put just as much water on myself). They both vetted without issue despite the heat and humidity.

Lapco was surprised when we did not leave the vet area in the direction of Jefferson – her neighs for Fuji started again, but he was not in camp so couldn’t answer. She was a bit distracted in the hold, taking a bite of mush then pausing to neigh before taking another. She was antsy enough that I was having trouble dealing with her while also taking care of myself, which I worried was going to be a problem as heat is a trigger for my migraines. The universe smiled upon us when two ladies Kathy knew from vet work appeared, offering to help. One took over Flo and the other took over Lapco, leaving us to be able to take care of ourselves. Bliss!








We were about halfway through out hold when Lani and Fuji appeared. Our impromptu crew flew into action, getting Fuji untacked and cooled and vetted. We got Flo and Lapco tacked back up as Fuji dug into his mush, then headed out for the second (22 mile) loop.

I wasn’t sure how Lapco would be leaving the hold since Fuji was there, but luckily she locked onto the group that left just ahead of us, so went out of camp without any complaint. Most of the group drew ahead when we got to the gravel road, but one rider dropped back to ride with us for a bit. I was really pleased that Lapco ignored her gelding totally, a first for her riding with a strange horse!








Of course, it didn’t take us long to catch up to the group and get back to the yoyo game. When we got to a particularly long uphill, the group wound up hanging with us as we trotted some and then walked some. We caught another set of people on that hill, so looked like a small army trudging along. Lapco was not thrilled with having so many horses around her, especially as the second set of people we had come upon didn’t pay much attention and actually let their horses bump her several times before I pointed out the red ribbon in her tail and said it WAS there for a reason! We tried to stay to the back of the group as we could, but I was very pleased with how Lapco didn’t kick despite having a reason to.








We wound up breaking off from the group about halfway up that endless climb, as Flo and Lapco were happy to trot on while the rest kept walking. I think the horses were happy to finally have their own space and I know I was thrilled to be away from everyone. We continued on, trotting where we could and walking were we had to. Lapco finally started taking care of herself, drinking well at every opportunity and happy to graze along the way. The humidity was awful and the air felt solid - I was so happy most of the trails were in the shade. We were thrilled to come into the hospitality spot that was a bit over halfway. We were able to thoroughly cool the horses and ourselves, as well as have a snack.








We were re-energized after the stop and the rest of the loop seemed to go much faster. The horses knew we had turned to go back to camp so were happy to keep the pace solid. There were several rocky sections that we had to walk, but they were thankfully shaded.








We got into camp for the second hold and I was thrilled to see Lani, Fuji, and the ladies there waiting for us! Lani and Fuji had finished the LD and were hanging out knowing we would be in shortly. We got the horses untacked and applied a liberal amount of water to get them cooled down. I was not sorry that a lot of the water got on me as well! They vetted through without incident, though there was a bit of a line. During the wait, I made the mistake of looking at the atomic clock under the vet tent – it said it was 93 with a real feel of 108. No wonder I was hot!!

The hold flew by. Lapco ate and drank like a fiend and I don’t think Flo picked her head up at any point. I ate my sandwich and then started snacking on ice, trying to keep myself as cool as possible. I had drunk both of my bottles the last loop and refilled them at the hospitality stop and drank a third, as I did not want to be dehydrated. I had also taken elyte capsules with me on trail and had one every hour, along with a mini granola bar. I packed refills of all of that in my saddle bag, knowing the last loop was going to be the hottest of all.









to be continued..


----------



## phantomhorse13

part 3:

We had watched dark clouds in the distance the whole hold, not being sure what difrection they were heading. By the time we got on to start the last 13 mile loop, it was obvious they were coming right for us. At that point, I welcomed the idea of the sun being blocked, though hoped the rain wouldn’t make the trail mucky (and lightning is always bad).








I was thrilled that Lapco left camp FIRST, despite it only being her second 50 and Fuji was behind her at the crew spot. We got out on trail and she and Flo were happy to canter along the gravel road with enthusiasm! When we turned off the road onto the single track, Lapco wanted to go first so we let her. She led the majority of the loop.








We got so lucky with the weather. We heard a couple rumbles of thunder, but didn’t see any lightning and it only drizzled rain. But the storm kicked up a bit of a breeze and the sun being covered was wonderful. There was just as much climb that last loop as the others, but the horses trucked along in a businesslike fashion.








When we got back to the gravel road, the horses knew they were going home and would have galloped in if we let them. I was so pleased that Lapco still felt so strong, despite the weather and a tough course. We got to the last number taker and were shocked to hear we were in 10th and 11th! Kathy is not point chasing this year, so we came into the finish together to tie. Once we got back up into camp, we were thrilled to see a crowd waiting to help us get the horses finished.








The horses were untacked and cooled off in no time with so much help. Flo and Lapco vetted through with no surprises. Completions!












Lani took the girls to graze while we got the crew spot cleaned up and the stuff carted back to Jefferson.








After grazing time, we got the horses settled back at Jefferson with full hay bags and pans of mush. Then we went down and had dinner ourselves. I think I ate enough for 3 people. Before long it was bedtime and I was able to get some sleep as nobody came to visit the neighbors and horses stayed where they belonged.

In the morning, we got things packed up and watched the 50s start, then loaded the horses and got on the road for home.








It was another crazy hot day, so riding in Jefferson (who does not have air conditioning) gives you a lot of sympathy for how the horses feel while traveling! We got back to Lani and Kathy’s mid-afternoon. It was fun to watch Flo and Lapco go running and bucking across the field once they were turned out – glad to see they were happy to be home and feeling good. I was so thankful to get into my car and crank up the air conditioning for my 3 hour drive home.

What a weekend!


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## knightrider

I always love reading about your adventures! Especially when they have happy endings!


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## egrogan

Sounds like a great ride, and really pretty trail! You have my sympathy on the weather though-YUCK! I love the group pic at the finish


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## phantomhorse13

@knightrider - I much prefer being able to write about happy endings!!

@egrogan - I am quite over summer. It started too early and seems to be staying too late. Of course, when it's snowing in a month, I will be sorry I was whining!


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## phantomhorse13

August 30, I got Phin out bareback for his rehab walk. We did the loop to Alimar.








1.01 miles, 82feet of climb, 3.1 mph average pace, 90F real feel

August 31st, we started what I am calling "Suck it up September" which is riding bareback and working on core, seat and balance. I have cajoled Nik into doing it with me. I took George over to Gina's ring and we worked a bit there to make sure Nik was ok on Honey (she had never ridden bareback before).








Then we headed out to do a short loop around Alimar. Nik did great, even trotting out on trail several times!








3.14 miles, 249 feet of climb, 3.7 mph average pace, 92F real feel

Sept 2, I got George out with Kestrel. I wanted to go check out potential flooding/flood damage after the remains of Ida dumped 6.5" of rain on us. We went out across the farm and across to the Tomhicken. Then we went out along the Tomhicken trail to look at the Black Creek. No surprise, there was lots of water around!












12.38 miles, 1726 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 73F real feel

Friday the 3rd, I was supposed to ride with Gina and Nik, but Gina decided not to ride. Nik and I went out on Honey and Amish. We did the Yellow Gate loop. There was still plenty of water around.








We trotted where we could - Nik said she hadn't done that much trotting in as long as she could remember!








8.38 miles, 1270 feet of climb, 4.2 mph average pace, 71F real feel

Later that afternoon, I got Phin out bareback for rehab walk.








1.02 miles, 72 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 72F real feel

The 4th, I was supposed to meet Gina and Nik to ride, but again Gina decided not to ride. This time I took George and Nik rode Amish, so Kestrel could go along, too. We did the Sugarloaf loop.
















When we got back, we found Gina out mowing. As we stopped to chat, Kestrel thought it should be playtime. Look what she brought:








Yes, that is a potato! 🤣
6.15 miles, 830 feet of climb, 4.3 mph average pace, 74F real feel


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## egrogan

Love Kestrel’s potato. Hugh’s version is playing with apples. He can find them in places I wouldn’t think apples should be. He likes to play fetch with them, but we only get one throw because he likes to eat them more than chase them! He’s probably eaten a bushel of them this month already 🙄🍎


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## phantomhorse13

egrogan said:


> He likes to play fetch with them, but we only get one throw because he likes to eat them more than chase them!


That is so funny! Of course, if I tried to play fetch with something like a hersey kiss, it wouldn't last more than one throw either. 🤣


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## QueenofFrance08

My dogs like to play with chicken eggs. They get eaten pretty fast too!


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## TrainedByMares

I love the pictures with Kestrel and Hugh! Those dogs seem like they have alot of fun on the trail and it would be fun to be around them!


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## phantomhorse13

QueenofFrance08 said:


> My dogs like to play with chicken eggs. They get eaten pretty fast too!


Hmm.. not so sure I would be amused at that game as I really like fresh eggs!



TrainedByMares said:


> I love the pictures with Kestrel and Hugh! Those dogs seem like they have alot of fun on the trail and it would be fun to be around them!


Kestrel is a ton of fun to be around, but often I find myself asking who is training who (whom?).. and suspecting the answer doesn't go in my favor. 🤣 🙃


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## phantomhorse13

Got a day off from potatoes so playing some catch up!

Sept 6, I got Phin out for his rehab walk in the evening after potatoes. DH and the dogs came, too.
















1.08 miles, 52 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 82F real feel

Sept 7, I took George out bareback to walk the dogs. We moseyed around Alimar and out the creek trail.








2.04 miles, 217 feet of climb, 3.8 mph average pace, 93F real feel

Sept 8, I got George out to walk Kestrel. We did the Sugarloaf loop.
















6.63 miles, 879 feet of climb, 5.3 mph average pace, 94F real feel

Sept 9, I went out for a ride with Nik on Honey. I rode Amish. We did the Sugarloaf loop. A family member is building on part of the route, so we checked out the progress.
















4.73 miles, 607 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 83F real feel

Sept 10, I got Phin out for his rehab walk with Kestrel. We got photobombed by a butterfly!








1.01 miles, 82 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 66F real feel

Then, got George out for a bareback ride with Nik on Honey.








3.06 miles, 269 feet of climb, 4.1 mph average pace, 78F real feel

Sept 14, I got Phin out for his rehab walk with Kestrel. It was insanely hot, so I decided to see how he would do without the hack. I simply attached the reins to his rope halter and off we went..




[Kestrel IS wearing the cone of shame.. she had a brief round of conjunctivitis which thankfully cleared quickly.]








Phin did really well, dealing with the appearance of the quarter truck with only a startle.
1.03 miles, 59 feet of climb, 2.9 mph average pace, 99F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

still catching up..

Sept 17th, I started out with Phin for his rehab walk. Again, didn't use the hack and attached the reins to his rope halter. He was great!








1.0 miles, 59 feet of climb, 2.9 mph average pace, 75F real feel

Next up was George. We did the Sugarloaf loop. 








Along the way, we found someone we knew from the local roads dept broken down. He said he had been waiting over an hour for someone to come get him!








Funny, he was not interested in riding double back to the township building.. 🤣
5.82 miles, 699 feet of climb, 5.3 mph average pace, 79F real feel

Last, I went out for a ride with Gina on Honey. I rode Amish. We went over to the Tomhicken and did the yellow gate trail down and around to the power lines.
















9.54 miles, 1375 feet of climb, 3.9 mph average pace, 81F real feel

Sept 18, I got George got double duty. We started out doing the Sugarloaf loop with Gina on Honey:








Then took a bareback mosey around Alimar to cool out and walk the dogs:








7.43 miles, 925 feet of climb, 4.2 mph average pace, 73F real feel

The evening of Sept 19, Phin did his rehab walk with Kestrel when I finished with potatoes. Since he had been doing well with just the halter, I made him a riding halter with rings in the side knots to attach the reins.








1.01 miles, 52 feet of climb, 3.1 mph average pace, 70F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

After months of password issues, it seems Santa brought me a functional HF account again - woohoo!

Got LOTS of catching up to do now..


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## knightrider

Oh wow, we have missed you SO MUCH!!! I was riding today and thinking about you, worried that you had gotten injured on Link. Glad you are OK! Can't wait to read your adventures.


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## phantomhorse13

Time to start catching up.. can't believe its been 3 months since I could post!

Back in the end of September, we went to a ride. We left Virginia Wednesday afternoon with Lapco, Flo, Lito and Fuji to head for the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina for a ride. We knew it was going to be a very long day of driving, but momma nature added to the fun with off and on rain the majority of the trip. Thankfully, the rain had stopped and the sun even was out by the time we arrived at camp about 5pm. There was some discussion with the parking attendant about where to put 2wd Guido so we didn’t get stuck, which resulted in us parking quite close to the vetting and crewing area. We got the horses unloaded and settled, then got ourselves fed and settled in for the evening.

Thursday morning, we fed the horses and ourselves and then started the fun of picking a crew spot. Kathy is very particular about where she likes the spot to be in relation to the in timer and the vet area. That isn’t a big deal when we are at rides where we know the lay out, but this ride was not one we were familiar with. We marked out two potential spots, hoping someone from management would arrive who could tell us the layout. Little did we know that management was actually back at our trailer because they didn’t like where we had been parked - we had to pick up everything and move!

Kathy was not happy when we got back to the trailer and learned of our ousting. The parking attendant was very apologetic but it was out of her hands. I spent the next 30 minutes or so trailing around after Kathy as she looked to find another spot she didn’t think the rig would get stuck in. When we wandered back to the trailer from the very back of camp, we found the parking attendant had talked to the ride manager and gotten permission to put us around the corner from where we started. It was still less than ideal to have to move at all, but around the corner meant we could cart all the stuff that was out versus have to reload it. And it kept us close to the vetting and crew area.








By the time we got moved, the flow of the crew and vet area had been figured out so we were able to decide on one spot. I carted a couple loads of stuff over to mark our final place (as well as moving the buckets from the second spot we no longer wanted). By then it was heading for lunchtime and Kathy suddenly wanted to get the pre-ride done, so Lani and I dropped what we ere doing to get horses tacked up. Lani rode Lito, I was on Lapco, and Kathy rode Flo and ponied Fuji.

Lapco was agitated from the moment I got on. She was tossing her head and didn’t want to stand still. The atmosphere around the trailer had been somewhat tense all morning after the move, so I wasn’t sure if she was reacting to that or was just too fit and feeling silly. Flo was also pretty agitated and that did not improve Kathy’s mood. She started in the lead but Fuji was doing a lot of spooking which got Flo looking at things (which did not go over well with Kathy). Next we tried Lito in the lead but he did not want to listen to Lani and kept trotting away, which lead to Fuji dancing on the line and then Lapco having fits because he was canter so she felt she needed to be, too.

We put Lapco out in the front as apparently that has been what the lesson kids who ride her do if she fusses about being behind. That helped a bit, but she still felt very squirrely and not herself. The first bit we rode was flat with a lot of things to look at, but we soon turned to an uphill section. That seemed to settle Lapco a bit and we got our first look at the famous estate house: 








The trail continued on into the woods but we didn’t want to do the entire loop so at a place where another trail crossed, Kathy called for me to stop. I tried, though Lapco wouldn’t stand still for more than a second. As we walked around the other horses, I was surprised to see Flo in a full lather. While the day wasn’t cold, it wasn’t hot either and we had only gone about 4 miles. As Lani and I consulted our maps to make sure the intersecting trail would take us back to camp, Kathy started cursing – Flo was starting to tie up!

Kathy always carries some vet supplies with her, so she had banamine to give Flo. Then, she took the tack off Flo and put it on Fugi. I got off to hold Fugi, giving Lapco to Lani to pony as Lapco still refused to stand and her pacing with Lito was not helping Fugi to be still. We finally got the tack moved over and Kathy up on Fugi. I got back on Lapco and we started the trudge back to the trailer. Thankfully, the banamine helped a lot and Flo did not require further treatment.

That, however, changed the whole plan for the weekend. Originally, Flo and Lito were going to do the 50 on Friday and Lapco and Fugi the 50 on Saturday. Since Flo wasn’t going to compete, Kathy decided we would all ride Friday. I went to register and got things changed around (and the secretary didn’t even say any bad words), then we got the horses vetted in. By the time we got the crew area set up, it was time for dinner and then bed. What a day!

Friday morning was cool and a bit foggy. The horses were on their toes and even tacking up with a bit of a challenge as all the horses needed to be held while someone else put on the saddle! Lani had decided to wait to get on until the main pack had left camp (much to Kathy’s displeasure) and I was glad as Lapco certainly felt wound up when I got on. I was nice to be able to just walk out of camp without having to do endless circles or have too many other excited horses around us.








The first loop was 18 miles. was in the lead the vast majority of it, as any time another horse passed her she started doing acrobatics. I was very glad the first 5 miles or so was in the wood as that made it harder for Lito to pass when Lani didn’t want him to. The trail system is permanently marked, so that made it pretty easy for us to find our way around.








The footing was a lot drier than I expected considering all the rain, but there were some parts that were wet or technical. The sun eventually burned off the fog and the dew which made the conditions even better. Lapco was manageable if she was in front with nobody else in sight, but she never did settle down. The loop went across camp and we had our timing exactly wrong as we arrived just as the LD started! 😖 Lapco was very agitated but she didn’t actually do anything bad beyond a lot of head tossing and tail wringing. I was very thankful when the LD trail turned one way and we went the other, on the trail we had pre-ridden so it was somewhat familiar. 








We got into an open field as we headed back to camp, so Lito went charging past and Kathy followed with Fugi. No surprise that Lapco set off, though with fairly minor acrobatics by that point. We passed the photog and it says a lot that this was the best picture she got:








We got back into camp for the first hold. We untacked, Lito needed a bit of sponging, then we went in to vet. Lapco was a bit squirmy for the exam, not even wanting to focus on the carrots I was offering her, but she passed and then was happy to dig into her food. We had a friend who wasn’t riding that day offer to help and it was so nice to have an extra hand with the horses so we could all take turns taking care of ourselves, too. I had done a terrible job drinking on that loop as I was always worried about what might happen next, so I made sure to drink a lot during the hold as well as eat my tuna crackers and choke down half of a pb&j sandwich.








In no time, it was time to tack up and head out on the second loop. It was 17 miles and went out and across a different part of the estate. We came upon some goats, which Lapco was a bit suspicious of to start, but when they moved away from the fence at our approach, she was brave enough to go past. We eventually crossed the river and got to some trail that opened up. Of course, that meant Lito went flying by.








The majority of that loop was gravel road, which made for some very pretty views. However, Lapco was always tense as the other horses moved around her. Lito was either loitering behind or else rushing out ahead so it was very hard to get into a rhythm.








I was not sorry to get back to the river crossing, knowing that meant we only had a few miles left until we got back to camp for the next hold. Lapco was brave enough to go first after having only been across it once before – I think she knew we were heading back to camp, too!








To be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

Part 2:

Thankfully, Lito had tired enough that he was content to stay behind for the last stretch back to camp. Lapco didn’t mind the other park users as she led the way, bravely going by people on bikes or walking pushing strollers without a concern. She was still a bit unsettled in her movement, but at least she stopped trying to do acrobatics. We saw the photog for the last time that day:








We got into the hold and untacked. The day had warmed up so all the horses got a bit of sponging and then we headed into the vet. Lapco had pulsed and trotted without issue, but when the vet went to run her hand down her hind leg, the filly leapt into the air and kicked out with both hind legs!!  It was hard to know who was more startled as the vet jumped back and I jumped forward to shank Lapco and yell. I expected trouble when she hit the ground, but she just stood there looking calmly back at me. Lani, who was finishing vetting in the lane beside us, exclaimed, “what the h#ll?!” which was my exact thought. I apologized profusely to the vet, saying she had never done anything like that before. The vet stepped beside her and ran her hand down her back without issue, but her tail lashed as she started down the rump so she smartly stepped away as I growled at Lapco. By that point, Lani had come over and she took Lapco’s head so I could investigate further.

As I ran my hand down Lapco’s rump, her head shot into the air and she tensed up. I stopped moving with my hand just below the level of her tail. After a moment, she took a breath so I dropped my hand a bit lower and she got super tense again, lashing her tail as her skin twitched frantically under my hand. The skin felt hot, though there was no apparent wound. By now, Kathy had also finished vetting and come over to see what was going on. Seeing where the filly was reactive, she casually said, “oh I guess the breeching is bothering her. All her hair fell out after the last ride so I wanted to see what happened at this one.” I was simply horrified.  

Thank goodness the vet was fine about passing Lapco with the understanding that we would not be using the breeching for the final loop. I felt horrible for the filly and was pretty darn mad at Kathy for not even mentioning the breeching might be an issue! It certainly explained why the filly had been so tense and her gaits didn’t feel quite right – I would move oddly too if something was rubbing my legs with every step. I am lucky the filly didn’t just buck me off!!

We were lucky to have help again at the hold, so I was able to take care of myself while Lapco chowed down. I ate some tuna on crackers and a half a pb&j sandwich and drank some elyte water since yet again I hadn’t done a very good job drinking during the loop. I was very aware of anywhere tack touched as I got Lapco ready, but she was totally unconcerned about the pad, saddle and breastcollar. Whew.








We headed out for the last 16 mile loop. The loop headed out to the far side of the park the same way the previous loop had, but it was a totally different experience for us. Lapco was relaxed and happy and never even thought about acrobatics. We opened up into a lovely hand gallop in one of the fields and Lito coming up beside her didn’t phase her in the slightest. Even when another group of horses passed us at a canter on a gravel road by the previously-worrisome corn, Lapco barely flicked an ear.








We stopped at the water tank just before the bridge crossing and the horses tanked up. Lapco left the tank first and moved happily towards the bridge instead of wanting to head back to camp.
















The last loop was mostly gravel or dirt road and I was thrilled when Lapco wanted to move out in a calm way. We led some, we followed some, we went side by side some and she just went down the trail without issue. Lapco only looked with interest when we got to a small bridge crossing with some kayaks and canoes going by.








Lapco was, however, concerned the first time she came across pigs in pens beside the road. Lito was fairly certain we could not go past such creatures. However, Fuji has seen such monsters before so calmly led the way, showing the others that they would survive.








Before long, we were back at the main bridge crossing. The horses enjoyed a drink at the tank, then headed down the last couple miles of trail with purpose. Lito had found his second wind and as we came into the field where the finish line was, he broke into a canter. Guess he wanted to show everyone he was going to finish his first 50 asking for more! The burst of speed didn’t last long though as we easily caught him before the line. I was expecting to tie, but I guess Kathy was sick of us cramping her style, as she let Fuji move out to take the lead as we approached the line. 

We had a ½ mile between the finish line and camp, so we let the horses walk in and relax. We dropped tack as soon as we were back and went right to vet. Lapco pulsed down without issue and trotted out strong. I explained to the vet about the breeching soreness and she was fine with only palpating her back since her trot out had been fine. I then vetted Lito for Lani. Completions all around!












We let the horses graze for a few minutes after the vetting and they were happy to chow down. Lapco looked great:








Then, it was time to get things cleaned up. Lani took the horses off to graze while I got the crew spot cleaned up and Kathy started getting the trailer organized. We took a brief break from packing for some food and I went to pick up our completion awards. We placed 11, 12 & 13 and I won the middle of the pack award! A nice ending to what had been a pretty stressful experience for me.

We finished packing up, loaded the horses, and got on the road for home as the sun was starting to set:








It was a long drive home, but the weather was much more agreeable and traffic was light. Lani and Kathy took turns driving and napping while I held down the passenger seat and kept whoever was driving awake. We got back to their farm in Virginia as the horizon started to lighten. The horses went running and bucking away as we turned them out, looking none the worse for wear (including Flo). I took a brief nap and then drove the rest of the way home.


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## gottatrot

I was really wondering what was wrong with Lapco when you finally solved the mystery. Poor girl, no wonder she was so upset. 
It's crazy you had to pass so close to those pigs. For a lot of horses I think the ride might have ended right there. Even the cows would be a challenge for some horses. 
The scenery on the ride looks so beautiful!


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## phantomhorse13

I think it was a huge testament to Lapco's temperament that she was willing to put up with that when I was so oblivious to her attempts to communicate that something was wrong. I still feel terrible when I think about it.

I was very surprised about the pigs too and wondered how many people wound up having to get off and hand walk their horses past them. The farm was nice and put signs warning well ahead of their pens (imagine trotting or cantering along and them just suddenly being there?!).


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## QueenofFrance08

Uh yeah I would have been walking past the pigs for sure. Or crawling..... Or flying through the air past them.

Our vets don't touch the horses legs or anything (except for CTR or if they think there's an issue) so if that was the case I wouldn't have even have known something was wrong there! Poor girl!


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## phantomhorse13

Sept 26, I got Phin out for his rehab walk with both dogs. It was a little windy.. 🤣












1.01 miles, 59 feet of climb, 3.1 mph average pace, 68F real feel

Oct 1, I got Phin out for his rehab walk:








1.02 miles, 56 feet of climb, 2.9 mph average pace, 67F real feel

Oct 3, I rode George with Nik on Amish. We went over and did Big Square:
















6.63 miles, 682 feet of climb, 4.9 mph average pace, 76F real feel

Then, I got Phin out for his rehab walk:








1.0 miles, 59 feet of climb, 3.1 mph average pace, 72F real feel

Oct 5, I got Phin out for his rehab walk:








1.01 miles, 52 feet of climb, 2.9 mph average pace, 65F real feel

Oct 6, I got George out. We went over to the Tomhicken and did the yellow gate loop.
















10.04 miles, 1522 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 74F real feel

Oct 7, I got Phin out for his rehab walk:








1.01 miles, 56 feet of climb, 3.1 mph average pace, 72F real feel

Oct 8, I got George out bareback to walk the dogs:








2.8 miles, 269 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 73F real feel


----------



## carshon

Poor Lapco - She is such a stunning filly! I am so glad you got back in. I had missed your posts


----------



## phantomhorse13

Oct 10, I rode with Gina. She rode Giselle and I rode Amish. We did the Sugarloaf loop.
















6.91 miles, 1042 feet of climb, 4.2 mph average pace, 68F real feel

Oct 11, I got Phin out for his rehab walk:








1.01 miles, 56 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 70F real feel

Oct 13th, I got George out and ponied Link. Link was introduced to the muzzle, as I knew he would be biting George once he got bored. Link was not a fan to start, but he was resigned to his fate by the time I was done grooming him.








Link seemed to do well, moving along nicely and showing no back soreness when we were done.
3.03 miles, 322 feet of climb, 4.3 mph average pace, 72F real feel

Oct 14, I started with Phin for his rehab walk:








We stopped to chat with Gina as we came around Alimar:








1.05 miles, 62 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 68F real feel


Then, I went over to ride with Gina and Nik. We did the Space Needle loop. I rode Amish:
















10.25 miles, 1250 feet of climb, 4.4 mph average pace, 81F real feel


Oct 15, I got George out and ponied Link again. We did a loop around Ziesloft's.












Again, Link did well, with no soreness after working.
4.58 miles, 469 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 88F real feel

Oct 16, I got George out to take the dogs for a walk:












2.78 miles, 299 feet of climb, 4.4 mph average pace, 80F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

Oct 17, I got Honey out with Gina on Giselle. We did the Sugarloaf loop.
















5.0 miles, 722 feet of climb, 3.6 mph average pace, 46F real feel

Oct 18, I got Phin out for his rehab walk. It was a bit windy. 🤣








1.01 miles, 59 feet of climb, 3.1 mph average pace, 40F real feel

Oct 19, I got George out. We did the Tomhicken lake loop.
















9.10 miles, 1490 feet of climb, 4.9 mph average pace, 60F real feel

Oct 20, I worked with Link. He was pretty chill to tack up, but he was a bit worried when we went out to the round pen and the herd had wandered to the far paddock (out of sight). Link was a bit silly to start:








  
But he soon decided that was a lot of work and settled down:








Link was calm enough after a bit of groundwork that I decided to climb on. I did so from the side of the pen and was pleased that the clanking and shaking didn't phase him at all. 








He felt a bit tense to start with, and there was much bit chomping. After a few circles and turns, he calmed to the point he was barely creeping around at a walk. I got off at that point, thrilled he worked out of his nerves instead of getting more and more worked up.
0.37 miles, 12 feet of climb, 2.7 mph average pace, 52F real feel

Next, I got George out. We did Big Square.
















6.03 miles, 689 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 70F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

Oct 21, I got Phin out for his rehab walk:








1.02 miles, 59 feet of climb, 3.1 mph average pace, 46F real feel

Oct 23, I got George out with both dogs. We did a loop around Spaulding's:












3.04 miles, 276 feet of climb, 5.6 mph average pace, 54F real feel

Oct 24, I met a friend to ride her horse Bee, a lovely Arab/Appy cross mare. We were planning for me to ride the mare in an upcoming ride as Dodie was having some knee issues and didn't think she would be able to ride 50 miles.








I met Dodie and another friend at some new-to-me trails, so I got to ride a new horse and see new sights!








Bee was a rockstar, happily going down the trail first, in the middle, or in the rear. She was a lot of fun to ride.
















10.59 miles, 548 feet of climb, 5.7 mph average pace, 52F real feel

Oct 25, I got Phin out for his rehab walk:








1.02 miles, 56 feet of climb, 2.8 mph average pace, 64F real feel

Then, I got George out to walk Kestrel. We did a loop around Ziesloft's:
















4.07 miles, 459 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 75F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

Oct 28, I started with George. We did the yellow gate loop.
















9.20 miles, 1302 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 64F real feel

Then, I got Phin out with both dogs for his rehab walk:
















1.07 miles, 59 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average pace, 52F real feel

On Halloween, I met with Dodie again and rode Bee while she drove her mare Willow. The 50 we had hoped to get Bee to wound up happening during a horrible coastal storm, so we didn't go. Instead, we set our sights on accompanying Willow on her first competitive driving event! We went to another new-to-me place to train. 








Bee led the way while Willow and Dodie trucked along behind us.





















8.76 miles, 1362 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 53F real feel

Nov 1, I got Phin out for his rehab walk. We added an additional 10 minutes (which is about 1/2 mile):








1.51 miles, 98 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 38F real feel

Nov 2, I got George out. We climbed the Sugarloaf to look at the leaves.
















5.02 miles, 978 feet of climb, 3.9 mph average pace, 41F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

Nov 3, I got Phin out for his rehab walk:








1.58 miles, 121 feet of climb, 3.1 mph average pace, 36F real feel

Nov 4, I got George out. We did the Tomhicken lake loop.
























9.08 miles, 1549 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 50F real feel

Nov 5, I started with Phin's rehab walk:








1.58 miles, 135 feet of climb, 2.8 mph average pace, 33F real feel

Then, I worked with Link. He was quiet in the barn to tack up, so I took him out to one of the paddocks and hopped on.








Link was a bit tense to start with, but did settle down after a bit of work. We stayed at a walk, doing circles and figure 8s around various parts of the paddock. He wanted to drift towards the other paddock where the rest of the herd was, but he stayed reasonable with his reactions to unexpected noises, etc.
1.08 miles, 43 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 45F real feel

Later that evening, I was finishing some yard work and realized I had an audience:


----------



## phantomhorse13

Nov 7, Dodie and I went over to New Jersey for the Jersey Devil competitive trail ride. We were entered in the 15 mile CDR as it would be Willow's first competitive event. Willow is a 7 year old Hackey pony who had been a broodmare before Dodie bought and started her driving and under saddle last year. Bee, Dodie's endurance mare, was going to be Willow's babysitter. 

We left Dodie's barn before the sun was up to be at ridecamp by 6:30. We found out we would be going out first instead of last as we had expected, so that made for a bit of excitement as we needed to get vetted in, listen to the ride briefing, and tack up in half the time we had planned!








We managed to be ready when we needed to be to allow enough time to warm the horses up.








Bee was raring to go and didn't understand why we needed to plod around at the sedate pace her sister needed to go.








It was quickly time to head out on trail and Bee enthusiastically led the way.








Jersey is all sand and pine trees, but the footing was great for the cart.








Willow did well the first time someone came up from behind to pass, though we did pull over and stop to make sure it was as uneventful as possible.








Willow also got to learn about water stops. She wasn't sure at first but Bee was a good example by drinking at every opportunity.








Bee got a bit rammy as the loop went on and she knew we were heading back to camp, but I insisted she maintain the steady pace that Willow needed.








Soon enough we were done and back at camp. We got the horses untacked and went over for the final vetting.








Bee sweet-talked the lay judge, so no surprise she passed the exam with flying colors. Willow did as well. 




We hung out in camp for a couple hours to let the horses eat and drink, then packed up and headed for home. Both girls ran around their paddock with great glee upon their release. Successful day!


----------



## phantomhorse13

Nov 8, I started with Link. He was well behaved to tack up, so I went out into the yard and did a bit of groundwork. He was calm, so I hopped on and we moseyed around the yard a bit. Link looked around a bit as it was a touch breezy, but he didn't feel explosive or over react. And he remembered that standing on stumps earns him cookies!








0.42 miles, 13 feet of climb, 2.2 mph average pace, 54F real feel

Then, I got Phin out for his rehab walk.








1.63 miles, 92 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 64F real feel

Nov 9, I started with Link. He was quiet to tack up and fine with the groundwork in the yard despite the breeze. I hopped on and we worked a bit in the yard. He was quiet, so we headed out of the yard. He was a bit more alert but didn't feel explosive, so we continued a bit away from the house down the swale and around the fields.








When we got to the turn down by the trees, Link got worried. I wasn't sure exactly what he was concerned about, but his head came up and he was chomping the bit nervously. His demeanor improved a bit as we continued on and then turned to head for home, but he still felt tense even back in the yard.
1.03 miles, 59 feet of climb, 2.9 mph average pace, 51F real feel

Next, I got George out to walk Kestrel. We went out to Shuman's and then did a small loop around the fields and headed back.
















5.26 miles, 614 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 61F real feel

Nov 10th, I started with Link. There wasn't too much wind, but he was a bit agitated for grooming and tacking. We did some groundwork in the yard, which seemed to settle him down. The first time I lined him up to the mounting block, he walked a couple steps as I put my foot in the stirrup. I asked him to line up again and that time he stood just fine. I got on and did some walk work in the yard and his focus seemed to be on me. We wandered to the edge of the fields to appreciate the view:








Link seemed settled and was more interested in eating than anything else, so I decided to do the same field loop we had the day before. I should have known when he left the yard without needing encouragement that it was because he was nervous, but I mistakenly thought he was just enthused about going out. We hadn't even made it halfway down the swale before his head came up and I could feel his tension rising. I stopped to let him graze several times, but that didn't help to relax him. When we got to the corner down by the trees, he leapt like someone had bitten him on the rump and wanted to rush forward. When I held him to a walk, he was tossing his head and jigging sideways.

We made our way around the next corner and again he wanted to leap around the turn. I worked him in the field a bit, doing circles and figure 8s to try to get his brain focused on me. It would work for a few moments, then he was back to head tossing and jigging. We got about halfway down the field road by the church when he started fixating on the shed beside the road. I tried more circles but nothing really distracted him for long. I got him to stand for a moment and got off. Even in hand, he was jigging and nervously looking all around.

Eventually we made it to the shed and past it without a total breakdown, but Link was never exactly calm, even with the rest of the herd grazing in sight. But as upset as he was, he never put any pressure on the reins or tried to barge past me or away. We got back into the yard and I did a bit more groundwork before taking him into the barn to untack.

1.64 miles, 92 feet of climb, 2.9 mph average pace, 44F real feel

A couple hours later, I went out to get Phin for his rehab walk. Link came right over to me and then tagged along behind me as I caught Phin and walked him to the barn. Link seemed insulted when I took Phin in and left him outside looking in.








1.59 miles, 90 feet of climb, 2.9 mph average pace, 46F real feel


The next day, I went out to work with Link first thing. I hadn't planned to ride him, just to tack him up and then walk him out to the mounting block to practice standing, as I hadn't liked how the day before had gone at all. My the time I was done tacking him, it was very windy so that cemented that I would not be riding. Link was antsy in the stall, but I was hard to know if that was from the saddle or from the wind. We walked out to the yard and went over to the mounting block. As soon as we were within about 5 feet of it, Link got very tense. I lined him up and gave him a cookie, then just stood there waiting for him to relax. Instead of relaxing, he suddenly leapt into the air and jumped sideways, pulling me off the block and yanking the reins out of my hands. I expected him to go running towards the other horses (who were grazing in sight in the paddock), but he stood where he had landed, shaking nose to tail. 

I was able to get a hand on the reins and stood stroking and talking to him. His shaking didn't change, so I asked him to walk forward, intending to take him back to the barn. He willingly came along beside me, but after the first step he suddenly jumped straight up in the air and kicked out with both back feet. I was shocked and looked to see what had caused such a reaction, but I didn't see a thing. He did that 3 more times as we walked along, never putting even a bit of tension on the reins or trying to rush forward or away - he acted like a horse being stung by bees, but there was nothing I could see touching him.

Link stopped the weird leaping and kicking as we got into the barn, where I quickly untacked him. We went out into the paddock and while he was still looking around some, the crazy panic feeling was gone. I walked him a bit away from the barn where he could see the other horses and then turned him loose. Instead of rushing to join the others, he walked with me back to the gate and then seemed insulted when I went out of it and he wasn't allowed.

Obviously, Link has not yet outgrown his problem.. I went into the house and cried.


Nov 14th, I rode Honey as company for Nik on Copper. We did a loop around Spaulding's.
















1.75 miles, 203 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average pace, 41F real feel

Nov 15, I got Phin out for his rehab walk:








1.57 miles, 98 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 29F real feel


----------



## weeedlady

@phantomhorse13 you are my heroine. I'm sure I've mentioned before that I often think "what would phantomhorse do?" when my horses start acting up or I get in an uncomfortable situation.

So please don't take this the wrong way, but when you write that you "went into the house and cried" it made me both sad and happy at the same time. Sad for you, but happy to know that I am not alone when I sometimes cry after a ride that does not go well. 

Hoping your next session with Link is better 🤗


----------



## gottatrot

You have my sympathies about Link. 

The video with Willow being driven was great! I loved to see her trotting along. She's so cute.


----------



## knightrider

weeedlady said:


> @phantomhorse13 you are my heroine. I'm sure I've mentioned before that I often think "what would phantomhorse do?" when my horses start acting up or I get in an uncomfortable situation.
> 
> Hoping your next session with Link is better 🤗


Today as I was grooming Windy, I was thinking the same thing, "What would Phantomhorse do?" Windy is so lovely and fun to ride, so healthy and strong, great feet. I want to be able to take her out solo. She does this bouncing leaping thing and I don't know how to train her out of it.

When I heard you went in the house and cried, I started crying too. It's hard to read these daily updates and not know the end result. I want to turn to the back of the book and see how it is going to turn out. I think you have us all in suspense. I want so much for everything to work out for you. At one time, it seemed like Link was going to be the best horse you ever did endurance with. Now, shattered dreams. My heart aches for you.


----------



## Kalraii

Aww  As other members said you're an inspiration. Like many others on here, from professionals to hobbyists and beginners trying to find their way, the stories and challenges you share give me courage. I didn't grow up with horses (just some lessons as a teen) its quite terrifying as an adult to attempt all this without facilities and safe spaces to practice. You know how many times while tentatively going out solo, heck even just MOUNT alone on the lane, I've taken a deep breath and thought about people on here, including you, "they've done it so I can do it, just take baby steps". Your thread is huge and I do try to go through the backlog but I don't know Link's story and I feel bad even asking about it considering how unfortunate things are obviously right now. Even reading your journal about Windy recently @knightrider helps in knowing that you can do everything right and have all the experience and sometimes it's just out of our hands. I feel a little less bad when I or my horses don't meet my expectations that session.

You're not alone and I am so grateful for the experiences shared on here. Your pictures are very motivating as well and serious brain food! 

@gottatrot I don't really have a great eye but for a moment I had to do a double take on which thread I was on when I saw Willow kitted up  So adorable!


----------



## phantomhorse13

@weeedlady : thank you for your extremely kind words. I try to share the good and the bad in my journal in the hopes that we all can learn from one another.



Kalraii said:


> Your thread is huge and I do try to go through the backlog but I don't know Link's story and I feel bad even asking about it considering how unfortunate things are obviously right now.


The cliff notes version of Link: I got him as a 2 year old. I waited patiently to start him until he was 4 and he progressed steadily. He was coming along nicely - even getting to his first LD - and then he had a big growth spurt. He became reactive to the point of being dangerous in the late spring, and after much testing and trial and error (and angst), the working theory is nerve pain in his back and/or neck. I gave him time off to see (hope/pray) if he would grow out of it. The attempts at riding in last month show he has not yet grown out of it. 😖



knightrider said:


> It's hard to read these daily updates and not know the end result. I want to turn to the back of the book and see how it is going to turn out.


I, too, would like to turn to the end of the book and see what will happen with Link. Sadly, right now that is still anybody's guess. My plan is to give him more time off and try putting him back in work again in the spring. He will be 6 in May, so basically done growing. If he still isn't right, it will be time for x-rays and ultrasounds to see what is going on in his neck and back. I am hoping for the best, but trying to prepare myself for the reality he may never be rideable again..


----------



## phantomhorse13

Nov 16, I got George out. We did a loop around Shuman's.
















7.03 miles, 883 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 36F real feel

Nov 17, I got Phin out for his rehab walk:
















1.58 miles, 112 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 40F real feel

The 18th, I got George out. We did Big Square. Notice the shadow tongue:








🤣 🤣








6.19 miles, 758 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 62F real feel

Nov 19, I got Phin out for his rehab walk:




1.59 miles, 118 feet of climb, 3.1 mph average pace, 27F real feel

Nov 20, I went out with Gina on Amish and Nik on Copper. I rode Honey. We rode around Alimar.
















5.03 miles, 594 feet of climb, 3.9 mph average pace, 44F real feel

Nov 22, I got Phin out for his rehab walk.








1.58 miles, 121 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 34F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

Nov 24, I got Phin out for his rehab walk:








1.58 miles, 115 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 24F real feel

Then, I got George out. We did the Tomhicken lake loop.
















9.66 miles, 1519 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 35F real feel

Nov 25, I went out with Gina on Amish. I rode Honey. We did the Sugarloaf loop.
















6.46 miles, 991 feet of climb, 3.8 mph average pace, 34F real feel

Nov 26, I got Phin out for his rehab walk:








1.61 miles, 113 feet of climb, 3.1 mph average pace, 28F real feel

Nov 30, I got Phin out for his rehab walk. There was a "chance of flurries:"








1.58 miles, 118 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 30F real feel

Dec 1, I got George out with Gina and Nik. We wandered around Alimar:








4.39 miles, 276 feet of climb, 3.9 mph average pace, 36F real feel

Dec 2, I got Phin out for his rehab walk. We worked in the ring because the ground was a mess:








1.64 miles, 103 feet of climb, 3.1 mph average pace, 32F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

Dec 5, I started with Phin's rehab walk:








1.77 miles, 119 feet of climb, 34mph average pace, 34F real feel

Then, I met with Nik. She rode Copper and I rode Honey. We did the Sugarloaf loop.
















6.16 miles, 928 feet of climb, 3.8 mph average pace, 40F real feel

Dec 6, I got George out for a quick bareback hack to walk Kestrel before the rain:








2.67 miles, 200 feet of climb, 5.5 mph average pace, 45F real feel

Dec 7, I got Phin out for his rehab walk:








1.59 miles, 108 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 36F real feel

Dec 9, I got Phin out for his rehab walk:








1.6 miles, 118 feet of climb, 3.1 mph average pace, 38F real feel

Dec 10, I rode Copper! Nik was ill so asked me if I could work him a bit. It was fun to get on him, though he was pretty darn tense. He tends to be very high-headed so I wanted to see if I could encourage him to relax and drop his head. It was far from consistent, but I did get some moments of relaxation.
















1.66 miles, 82 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 40F real feel

Dec 12, I went out with Nik on Copper. I rode Honey. We did the yellow gate loop.
















7.88 miles, 1296 feet of climb, 3.7 mph average pace, 34F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

Dec 13, I started with Phin's rehab walk:








1.57 miles, 121feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 32F real feel

Next was George. We did a loop around Shuman's.
















5.01 miles, 630 feet of climb, 4.2 mph average pace, 35F real feel

Then, I went over to meet Nik and Copper. I rode Amish. We did the Sugarloaf loop.
















4.94 miles, 735 feet of climb, 4.3 mph average pace, 35F real feel

Dec 14, I got Phin out for his rehab walk:








1.58 miles, 131 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 40F real feel

Dec 15, I got George out. We did a loop around the farm.
















6.37 miles, 965 feet of climb, 4.5 mph average pace, 37F real feel

Dec 16, I started with Phin's rehab walk:








1.57 miles, 112 feet of climb, 2.9 mph average pace, 55F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

Then I took George to ride with Gina on Amish and Nik on Copper. We did the Tomhicken lake loop.
















10.24 miles, 1460 feet of climb, 3.6 mph average pace, 63F real feel

Dec 17, I started with Phin's rehab walk. Kestrel really wanted him to throw her stick:








1.89 miles, 131 feet of climb, 2.9 mph average pace, 45F real feel

Then, I took George over to do Big Square. 








We went down along the creek and to the power line climb for the first time in months and I was thrilled to see the trail was still open.








6.36 miles, 889 feet of climb, 4.3 mph average pace, 55F real feel

Then, I went over to meet Nik and Copper. I rode Amish. We did Big Square.
















5.45 miles, 594 feet of climb, 4.5 mph average pace, 52 F real feel

Dec 20, I started with Phin's rehab walk:








1.91 miles, 164 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 28F real feel

Then, I met Nik and Copper. I rode Honey. We did the Sugarloaf loop.
















5.37 miles, 837 feet of climb, 4.0 mph average pace, 40F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

Dec 21, I started with Phin's rehab walk:








1.94 miles, 125 feet of climb, 2.9 mph average pace, 17F real feel

Then, I took George over to the Tomhicken to do the far railroad bed loop.
















12.76 miles, 1588 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 30F real feel

Then, I met Nik and Copper. I rode Amish. We did Big Square.
















5.83 miles, 778 feet of climb, 4.2 mph average pace, 36F real feel

Dec 23, I got Phin out for his rehab walk. There was traffic:








1.98 miles, 141 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 19F real feel

Dec 24, we got a white christmas eve. I still got Phin out for his walk:








1.94 miles, 118 feet of climb, 2.9 mph average pace, 21F real feel

Dec 28, I started with Phin's rehab walk:








1.97 miles, 154 feet of climb, 2.9 mph average pace, 34F real feel

Then, I went over to meet Gina and Nik. I rode Honey. We did the yellow gate loop.
















8.33 miles, 1243 feet of climb, 3.7 mph average pace, 38F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

Wednesday, I started with Phin's rehab walk. We went over to mosey around the ring because the ground is a mess. It was apparently exhausting as he tried to mug Gina for her coffee:








2.08 miles, 112 feet of climb, 2.9 mph average pace, 38F real feel

Then, I got George out to ride with Nik and Copper. We did a loop over on the Tomhicken, sticking to the solid footing.
















10.0 miles, 1453 feet of climb, 4.0 mph average pace, 42F real feel

Today, I went over to meet Nik and Copper first thing. I rode Honey. We did the yellow gate loop.
























8.07 miles, 1227 feet of climb, 3.9 mph average pace, 44F real feel

Then I finished the day doing Phin's rehab in the ring:








2.01 miles, 115 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 48F real feel


Happy New Year!!


----------



## knightrider

You ride a lot of other people's horses. I would be interested to know which horses that belong to other people do you enjoy the most and why. Which horses do you ride that you'd really rather not all that much? Which are your favorites and why? You ride George a lot. Where does he figure in your preferences? Which horses do you really look forward to riding? Can you include Loni's horses too? Like Lapco?


----------



## egrogan

Looks like you’ve had a gorgeous December, weather-wise. Happy New Year!


----------



## phantomhorse13

Started 2022 off right - I was able to sneak in Phin's rehab ride before the rain started! We went over to the ring as the footing is still terrible. Today was time to bump up from walk to trot for the first time in many months. Phin was wonderful!




On the way home, DH sent the dogs out to meet us. Amazingly, Phin watched their approach with only mild interest and kept up his steady walking.








Even when Kali ran under him and then circled around to make a playful jump at his nose (for which she was sternly corrected), he just kept moseying for home!

2.06 miles, 102 feet of climb, 3.3 mph average pace, 50F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> You ride a lot of other people's horses. I would be interested to know which horses that belong to other people do you enjoy the most and why. Which horses do you ride that you'd really rather not all that much?


I have to say, it's rare for me to not enjoy the horse I am riding, as I am pretty good at saying 'no' when someone offers me a horse that doesn't look like fun to me! 🙃 

Of the rides I have accepted that didn't turn out exactly how I had expected, the horse Possum probably tops the list. Years ago, I had been asked to ride him in 2 rides as his owner was recently diagnosed with cancer and had started chemo. He was in the end of year points standings for our local CTR organization and needed a couple more rides to keep his placing. I rode him in a 2-day 50 mile CTR and he was a rude freight train a good majority of the time. Any time he could see another horse, he wanted to race and I had a lot of discussions about appropriate pace, especially as the footing was less than ideal.








His owner assured me that his rank behavior was because he hadn't been worked in a month, but she had found some local kid to keep him exercised a couple times a week until the next ride (which would be his last for the season). That seemed reasonable enough, so I agreed to ride him the second time.

Yeah, dumb me. The next ride was a 50 mile endurance ride. He was just as awful about being race brained, only that event had double the entries which meant a LOT more horses to race! He wanted to be first but I knew the pace of the front runners would kill him, as he was fatter than he needed to be and used to going CTR pace. He figured out about 5 miles in, if he put his head against his chest than the bit became useless as I could no longer rate his speed at all OR steer!! If it wasn't for the kindness of some ladies riding big gaited horses offering to use them as a physical barricade he couldn't run over, he may well have killed himself that first loop.

I still can't believe he pulsed down at the hold, but somehow he did. I made sure to leave on the second loop when no other horses were in sight. That loop was slightly better as I was able to keep the gap so he had nothing to race. The last loop heading back to camp, he finally decided we were all alone in the world, so settled down. 








That was, until we got a couple miles from camp and could see other horses ahead of us. Then the battle was back on. We came into the finish a frothy, jigging mess but somehow managed to get his pulse down in time to get his completion.

Ironically, I did ride him again the following year in a 25 mile CTR, but with a very specific condition: we were to go out first and alone so that he had no horses to chase! I knew that ride had a big climb pretty early in the first loop and I made sure he went up it at a solid trot.. which was enough to get him settled. Never seeing another horse, he was not too bad at all to ride!









Not sure if Raven really counts as a horse I wouldn't want to ride, as it was not really his fault that he couldn't be a solo trail horse, but I certainly am not sorry we found him a different home.

The only other horses I am a bit hesitant about riding are Nicole's show horses because I don't know how to ride them properly. I feel like I am messing them up when I sit on them!

As for who is my favorite of the horses belonging to others than I have ridden? That would be Duroc, no contest. 








Despite him being the one who hurt Lani so badly, he and I have always clicked and I love him. I think Lani not riding him any more was the right decision as they were not a good match, but that means I don't get to ride him any more either. I wish he wasn't such a medical disaster or he would have come home with me long, long ago..

As for the rest, my order of preference is: George, Flo, Lapco, Phin, Polo, Fluffy, Bee, Honey, Mu, Hombre, Iggy, Brim, Amish, Giselle. For horses who are no longer rideable, Dream has been my favorite to date hands down. Sultan would fit in between Lapco and Phin. Czar would be between Honey and Mu. Link would be between George and Flo.. and hopefully will be rideable again at some point.


----------



## phantomhorse13

Today, I got a sort-of break in the weather to get Phin's rehab ride in. We got a half inch of rain overnight, which we sure didn't need but was better than the inch that had been predicted. Today was supposed to be partly sunny, but instead it was foggy and drizzly. 








The ground is a disaster, so we slogged over to the ring. 








Gina was out trying to clean her paddock with the tractor, which of course just resulted in a lot of skidding around and then being stuck, meaning Keith had to get a bigger tractor to pull her out. Phin was not exactly impressed with all the noise and commotion, but he behaved himself well considering. His trot was pretty boingy, but I did stay on. I think next time I may put the saddle on..
2.06 miles, 115 feet of climb, 3.3 mph average pace, 42F real feel

The temperature has been dropping all day and will fall into the 20s overnight. While I am looking forward to the mud freezing, I am not looking forward to all the ice. 😖


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## gottatrot

I think it's pretty special you were able to own the horse that was your favorite to ride. For quite a while, my favorite horses to ride were not my own. Then came Halla. She was the best horse I've ever ridden, and the one I would have always picked if I had a choice. Here's hoping we will each own another horse someday who matches riding Dream or Halla. 
It's pretty great when someone lets you ride their horse, and you've been looking forward to it, but when you compare them to your own horse, yours is still more fun to ride.


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## phantomhorse13

Overnight, winter has arrived. We went from temps 20 degrees above normal to temps 10 degrees below it. And as if that isn't enough fun, the wind has kicked back up. But the frigid temps mean a lot of the mud has frozen, which has greatly improved the footing.

I started with Phin. Because of the wind and my plan to trot outside of the ring, I figured putting the saddle on was a good idea. First time he's been saddled in 5 months!








I didn't put his bridle on though, and as we walked down the upper woods path towards Gina's with his head straight up, eyes bugged out, and snorting every stride, I wondered if I had made a mistake riding him in just the halter. I had planned to do his normal trail rehab loops and add trot in places it was flat, but he was so keyed up that I altered the plan. We started our trotting in the ring. Phin was very animated to start with so I was very glad I was using the saddle!

After a few laps, Phin decided life was maybe not that exciting after all, so we headed back out on trail. We trotted back home on the airport strip and he was pretty relaxed despite the cold wind up his butt.




Instead of doing the normal loop around the top fields, I stuck closer to home in the hopes he would be calmer. While he was still pretty animated, all things considered he did really well.








2.16 miles, 138 feet of climb, 4.1 mph average pace, 11F real feel 🥶

Kestrel was also really animated, so I decided to get George out so she could have more of a run. I chose to saddle him, too, as I expected some silliness. While he wasn't all that silly, he was def happy to move out without prompting. We did a loop around Alimar, trying to stay in the trees as much as possible to avoid the worst of the wind. Then, we went down along the creek trail.








The wind felt better there, but it was still cold enough to freeze my water bottle:








We did a little loop behind the township building, which was a weird mix of frozen ground and running water from the winter springs (which meant mud). I won't go that way again until things dry up.








3.04 miles, 354 feet of climb, 4.4 mph average pace, 14F real feel ⛄


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I started with Phin. We did the normal rehab loops but added trot in places. He was a little up to start with, but soon settled.
















2.2 miles, 171 feet of climb, 3.9 mph average pace, 19F real feel

Next, it was George's turn. We did the Sugarloaf loop.
















6.29 miles, 876 feet of climb, 4.5 mph average pace, 25F real feel

Then, I went over to work with Copper as Nik has been busy with school and family things. We wanted to see what he thought of his new don't-shoot-me rump rug.








Copper didn't seem phased as I flapped it all around him tacking up, but I started with some groundwork in the ring just to make sure. He's figuring out how to trot in hand, though he still hangs back as if he's expecting to be punished for it (yet he isn't pulling on the lead.. just wants to keep a lot of distance as I jog).

I hopped on and we did a lot of walk circles and figure 8s in the ring, working on bend and relaxation. Copper is the QH version of Phin - super, super anxious and shut down. He's come a long way with Nik, but there is stranger danger happening for him when it comes to me riding him.








But Copper is getting more relaxed with me with each ride. He only got jiggy once in the ring, which was a huge improvement over the last time I rode him. I decided to venture out of the ring. His head went up and he immediately wanted to jig as the change made him anxious, but I just kept reminding him I wanted a walk. We went about halfway down the airport strip, which was as far as I felt he could manage to keep his growing anxiety under any control.








I was pleasantly surprised that Copper wasn't any more jiggy turning to go back then he had been going out. We did some circles around puddles beside the ring, then went back out the strip partway, getting a flat walk the whole way. Turned around to come back and he got a little jiggy, but better than the first try. Went out a third time and this time he got a little bit balky, wanting to stop and throw his head down. That got a correction and while he began marching along again, I got a couple tail lashes in complaint. We went another few moments when he heaved a big sigh and dropped his head a bit, so we turned around and went back (at a hurried, but flat, walk).
1.74 miles, 33 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average pace, 28F real feel


----------



## knightrider

Thanks for your answer about your preferences in horses. It was so interesting to me that I wrote it down in my notebook. I was surprised that George is first on your list. Can George compete again or is he retired? Any chance you could buy Flo or Lapco?

One reason I was so interested is because I have 4 horses and I also have preferences. I love Chorro the best, my heart horse 4eva, but Acicate is the most fun to ride. When I ride Isabeau, I think I like riding her best . . . until I get back on Aci. Windy is my daughter's horse, whom she rarely rides. Windy is such a good willing nice moving horse, that it seems a shame to leave her grazing in the pasture when she has so much potential, so I keep riding her. She just doesn't feel quite like "my" horse, though. My daughter adores her and I cannot be cruel enough to sell her and break my daughter's heart. As I continue to ride her, she is steadily improving and increasing in value in case my daughter does decide one day she could manage to part with her.


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## phantomhorse13

@knightrider : I think you are doing the right thing to work with Windy. Just letting her sit wouldn't do her any favors and your daughter doesn't ride nearly as often as you do. By your riding her, you are setting Windy up to be a horse lots of people would want to buy.. or one that has worked her way into your heart!

George will never compete again. While he is happy enough to be ridden, his movement is not the same since that last round of EPM. He isn't unsound exactly, but especially downhill is not able to travel like he used to. If he would be able to go to rides and just relax, he probably could do LDs, but he is race-brained so would not be happy going slowly (and who wants to fight about pace for 25 miles?!).

As much as I would welcome Flo or Lapco here without hesitation, the only way I see that happening would be for me to inherit them if (god forbid) Kathy dies. There is no way on earth she would sell ether one (and I don't blame her).


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## phantomhorse13

Wednesday, I started with Phin. It was brisk but Phin behaved well, even when Kestrel wanted him to play with her stick:








It is so funny to see Kestrel put it down ahead of us, look up expectantly as we approach, then look disgusted as Phin walks over the stick. She then jumps in behind him to pick it up, runs ahead of us with it, and tries again.. and again.. and again..








2.26 miles, 167 feet of climb, 4.2 mph average pace, 21F real feel

After finishing the ride, I took hay out to the feeder. As I was filling the haynets, the horses suddenly started looking off across the fields, snorting and prancing around, then going to the fence to stand and snort again. To start with, I had no idea what on earth they were so upset about.. then the monster came closer:








(that would be the always-horrifying Killer Cougar * cough * umm, cat 🤣 )

That afternoon, I went over to meet Nik to ride. I had planned to ride Honey, but found she had a fresh bite mark on her side. Of course it was in a place the saddle would rub, so I tossed her back out and rode Amish instead. We did the Sugarloaf loop backwards from the normal direction.








The boys were forward but behaved themselves. The sun came out partway through the ride, but that brought the wind, too.








Because of the sun, we went down the bigger hill on the road as we were afraid the top of the grass had melted enough to be slimy. Made for a pretty view we don't often see.








5.26 miles, 771 feet of climb, 4.3 mph average pace, 34F real feel

Yesterday, I started with Phin. For those wondering how Link is doing, this is how my ventures into the paddock to catch other horses turn out:








Link will follow us all the way to the barn, then stand outside the stall looking in. Makes me a combination of happy that he's interested but sad that looking is all he can do right now.

Phin was feeling a bit up because of the chilly temperatures. There wasn't supposed to be much wind, but the longer we were out, the windier it got. Phin was fairly full of himself which led to a lot of discussion about pace. I was pleased he did eventually listen to my requests but he certainly wasn't super responsive to the halter.








On the way home, we stopped to visit the neighbors:








2.18 miles, feet of climb, mph average pace, 19 F real feel

The wind was so bad by the time I was done with Phin, I decided I didn't want to ride George and hide in the house instead.


----------



## phantomhorse13

Overnight, the inevitable happened - we got 2-3 inches of snow. I had really been enjoying the lack of white stuff, but knew it wouldn't last forever.

I started with Phin. He was riled up right from the start, fussing in the stall as I groomed and tacked instead of eating his hay. I didn't think going out in just the halter was a smart idea, so on went the hackamore.








I am glad I put it on, as Phin and Kestrel were both having entirely too much fun. Phin felt if Kestrel got to leap about in the snow, he should get to as well!








In the end, we got it done.. but it was certainly not a jog trot!
2.18 miles, 161 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 18F real feel

Next, it was George's turn. I had intended to go over to the Big Square, but when it started snowing and the wind started roaring, I decided we were just going to go around Alimar again and then home. George was feeling great!





















4.51 miles, 502 feet of climb, 5.1 mph average pace, 9F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I got a lot of saddle time!

I started with Phin. The wind yesterday had caused a lot of drifting which Phin eyed with great suspicion.. along with shadows and weeds poking out and pokemon who were apparently hiding all over. 








Phin also felt my choice of pace was lacking and instead wanted to run the whole thing. He wouldn't even stand to eat (normally his favorite part of the rides).








2.41 miles, 144 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 14F real feel

Next up was George. He got to deal with Kestrel and Kali, who was just bonkers, bombing around at full speed regardless of what was around or under her. We did a loop around Spauling's and then wandered around Alimar in an attempt to tire out the dogs.








George was feeling great and was happy to move out. Notice the tongue:








I think George had as much fun as the dogs (and I sure had a blast).








4.02 miles, 463 feet of climb, 5.1 mph average pace, 21F real feel

Then, I went over to meet Gina and Nik. Just as we had finished tacking up, Gina announced that she wanted a walk ride, with no trotting or cantering. I groaned internally but was happy to be riding Honey as she is comfortable and won't fuss about just walking along. I wasn't so sure how things would go with Amish and Copper, however.








As I expected, Gina didn't bother to keep Amish to a flat walk, so his jigging pace was not something the other horses could keep up with while walking. Honey didn't care about the other horses leaving and was happy enough to mosey along, but Copper was getting more and more anxious as he couldn't settle into a pace.

We got down the creek trail and looped back onto Alimar to find some unusual tracks; it looked like some people pulling a sled had gone by! The tracks hadn't been there when I was out earlier, so Gina wanted to find out where the tracks went. We worked our way around and soon found the culprits:








Some neighbors had come to enjoy their snow with their son. Instead of just waving hello and continuing on, Gina marched right up to them and started a conversation. Honey didn't seem real sure about the sled, so I let her halt a comfortable distance away. Copper isn't a big fan of standing at the best of times, so no surprise he was not particularly interested at being near the sled or standing for more than a moment. When another neighbor appeared in the distance going for a walk, Copper was quite convinced monsters were invading (notice he was watching the opposite direction from the people Gina was talking to in the above picture).

Copper got more and more agitated as the walking person's head bobbed in and out of view. Having Phin react the same way to the same thing, I knew the fun Nik was not having. When Gina still didn't get the hint that it was time to move on (despite turning to look at Copper fussing a couple times), I finally announced I was cold and needed to get going and asked Honey to walk on. Copper was more than happy to come along, but was not very happy when Gina came trotting past on Amish a moment later. When Copper shied sideways, she made a big show of stopping Amish and letting Copper past to go first.

We continued around the fields with Gina letting Amish jig right on the tail of Copper - honestly I was amazed he didn't kick out. Nik finally asked Gina to go first again, mumbling something about maybe Copper would be less spooky then. By that point, my fun meter had totally run out and all I wanted to do was go back. I suggested going the shortest way back to the barn, claiming I was still cold, but Gina wanted to go all the way around the church fields.








As we came around those fields, I reminded Gina that my horses were out and that DH was working on the porch, so we should go through the middle of the field and not all the way to my driveway. I am not known for a quiet speaking voice, so I can only assume she intentionally ignored me as a moment later she started trotting - right past where we normally would turn across the field and at my driveway.

Ironically, Amish took a big spook at the shed behind the church, which would have amused me except it scared the [email protected] out of Copper and got my horses galloping around. Copper spun around and I think may have tried leaving if Honey hadn't been there to distract him. We got Copper turned back around and I put Honey between him and my crazy herd, who were running and bucking and farting all over in the paddock beside the driveway. About then, DH started using the nail gun and Copper started levitating at the sound.

I am not sure how Nik managed to stay on, but she did. Copper jumped all around several times and then finally stopped dead, at which point I took Honey right up to his head and quietly suggested Nik step off. She did and none too soon, as DH started the next round of nailing and Copper was airborne again. I called DH and thank goodness he felt his phone ring and answered, so stopped making any more noise until we had passed.

Nik hand walked Copper, who was bug eyed and panting he was so upset, until she got to the far side of our place. With the removal of the running horses and the noise, Copper finally looked less likely to explode. Nik got back on from the potato stone pile and headed for the airport strip. Gina made a comment wondering what had gotten into Copper - as she was again letting Amish jig right on his butt - and it was all I could do to bite my tongue. I was never so happy for a ride to be over, though Honey handled all of the craziness really well. 

3.02 miles, 312 feet of climb, 2.7 mph average pace, 30F real feel


Today, we got nailed by the next Nor'easter, only instead of snow we got ice. We got something like a 1/4 inch of ice and were lucky to not have trees come down and our power has stayed on. However, the ground is a disaster. The next few days we are expecting high temps well below freezing, so I have no idea when I will be able to ride again. _sigh_


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## carshon

As much as I hate to hear of bad rides and I totally feel for Nik. I am always relieved to see that sometimes I am not the only one that gets frustrated at my riding friends. I hope that maybe a side conversation can be had with Gina as this sounds really out of character for her to be so blind to what is going on around her.


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## phantomhorse13

While we got lucky the ice wasn't as heavy as predicted, it was still ice and made the ground a big mess:









Wednesday, I was able to take the RVT out and break some trail around Alimar. I took George out first to make sure the footing was reasonable before trying to navigate it with Phin.








George quickly figured out the new game was staying in the tire tracks.








2.9 miles, 351 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 21F real feel

Next, it was Phin's turn. He was a bit cranked up because apparently he has forgotten that being an endurance horse means doing something other than the same 2 mile loops. 








We had multiple discussions about pace, as he seems to feel returning to full work means cantering everywhere when my goal is walk with some jog trot. 🙃








4.65 miles, 472 feet of climb, 4.3 mph average pace, 24F real feel

Yesterday, I started with Phin. He was just about beside himself. So we did a lot of walking with short bursts of trot in an attempt to keep his brain in his head. I was really wishing for the Sugarload to climb.. instead tried to make use of what hills there are on Alimar. We also did some repeat laps around the outdoor.








We were coming along one of the field roads when I started hearing the sound of chainsaws! I thought maybe someone was harvesting some of the downed trees behind the township building for firewood. Phin didn't need any more excuses to jump around, so we headed to the other side of the farm. Sure glad we did as a few minutes later, I could hear trees coming down!








4.34 miles, 489 feet of climb, 4.1 mph average pace, 21F real feel

Then, I hopped on George for a quick ride to test out a new saddle I found for Nik:








I took George over towards the township building to see if I could find the source of the chainsawing. Surprise - they are logging that land!! That area was quite wet, so no idea how the equipment wasn't stuck fast. I fear what it will look like once they are finished. 😖








2.19 miles, 164 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 30F real feel

Then, I went over to meet Nik for her to try the saddle. I rode Honey. We stayed in the ring as the ground had melted enough to be a slimy, soggy mess.








1.06 miles, 69 feet of climb, 2.8 mph average pace, 40F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Friday, a couple ladies came up to look at Honey. Gina had decided she was for sale earlier in the week, so I contacted a friend of a friend who was looking for a quiet horse for her nervous daughter in law. While they had been looking for a gelding, Honey's pictures and my description of her behavior had them interested enough to make the 2 hour drive to check her out for themselves.

Because I wasn't sure if they would want to see Honey out on trail as well as in the ring, I got George tacked up and took him over to Gina's so I would have something calm to ride out on. The weather was not very cooperative, with overcast skies and strong, gusty winds.








Once I got over there, I got George settled in to a stall with a haybag to wait. I think he thought it was the best trail ride ever:









The people were right on time. Honey was her normal lovely self to catch, groom, and tack up. We went out to the ring and I put her through her paces. She was her usual calm self despite the raging wind and audience. When the ladies didn't want to see any more, I hopped off and stood answering a couple questions. Honey stood quietly, though was very interested in a certain pocket:








The more experienced of the ladies got on next and Honey seemed a bit confused about why she was still in the ring, but she behaved well. Last, the DIL climbed on. You could tell she was nervous to start, but after the first few steps, her face lit up in this HUGE smile. Honey made a lap of the ring at a walk, then she asked her to trot. Honey obediantly did so, even though it was away from the gate. The other lady - who had been standing beside me watching - let out a small gasp and said that her DIL hadn't been brave enough to trot on her own since her previous horse died!

I knew right then Honey had found her person. While she is technically on a two week trial, I have no doubt she will be staying. Gina was nervous about how Honey would do loading as she had only been on a stock trailer once before. However, Honey followed me up the ramp into the two horse trailer with only a brief pause after putting her two front feet on the ramp. A quiet word and she came the rest of the way in after me, earning several carrots. The trailer was closed up around her and she didn't move a step; she dug into the waiting hay bag like she hauled daily.








After seeing the trailer disappear down the driveway, I got back on George and rode home.
George: 1.12 miles, 53 feet of climb, 3.9 mph average pace, 26F real feel
Honey: 0.42 miles, 34 feet of climb, 3.8 mph average pace, 24F real feel

Then, I got Phin out. The weather had not improved, with terrible wind and falling temperatures. But I knew the following day would be even worse, so out we went.








We stayed at a walk, as I knew he was hanging on to his self control by a thread.








2.03 miles, 194 feet of climb, 3.1 mph average pace, 14F real feel

Yesterday, I went over to meet Nik to ride. The weather was cold, so we weren't surprised that Gina didn't want to ride so I planned to take Amish. However, when Copper came in bleeding from both pasterns, I knew I would be going home to get George. Luckily, Copper's wounds were minor (just scraped skin off) but still wasn't worth taking him out. So Nik rode Amish in the ring and I went home to get George ready, then came back over.

We knew the footing would be questionable, so we did the loop around Shuman's. 








George was well behaved but Amish was feeling mighty fine and gave Nik a hard time about pace.








4.92 miles, 614 feet of climb, 3.8 mph average pace, 21F real feel

Next, it was Phin's turn. I wanted to get him over to see the downed trees blocking the access to Spaulding's before also having to deal with snow and plow piles etc. So we headed out that way and Phin was surprisingly calm. With the big storm coming, I had expected him to be pretty agitated.












On the way home, we went out the creek trail where they had been doing the logging. It sure looks different..








4.72 miles, 525 feet of climb, 3.9 mph average pace, 15F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

The big Nor'Easter rolled through last night, and unfortunately the weather forecast was right on. It started snowing about dinner time and we got about 4 inches of snow before it changed over to rain. We got .71 inches of rain on top of the snow, leaving an incredible slushy mess as the ground is frozen so the water has nowhere to go. As if that wasn't enough fun, the wind got ugly - the worst I have experienced since moving here. I still can't believe the power stayed on. This video was taken on the protected side of the building:




Yet again, I was so thankful for equipment. The tractor was throwing up a wake as DH plowed. The shoveling I did have to do was like handling wet cement.








The temperature slowly dropped all day, meaning the slushy mess is turning into an icy disaster. We took the skid loader out in the to paddock to try to at least texture the ground to help the horses with traction. We had lots of help.









Momma nature is still not smiling. It is spitting snow again now, though it's not supposed to amount to much. We aren't supposed to see temps above freezing for the next week. We may have a PITA storm Wednesday with more snow/ice, and then the next coastal storm is coming for the weekend. The last thing we need is snow over this mess to insulate it..

I have my yak trax on my boots, ready for morning chores. I fear I will not be taking them off any time soon. 😖


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## phantomhorse13

We had an unexpected warm day Wednesday, with temps climbing high enough to soften the mess on the ground. I took Kestrel out for a quick walk to check out the footing on my own feet, then grabbed Phin and tacked up when we got home. I figured we would be doing mostly walk, so I just took him out in his halter. We started out with a loop around Spaulding's:








Then went down along the creek trail and back:




Then we did a loop around Alimar. We did get a couple short trots in and Phin was pretty well-behaved.








4.05 miles, 492 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average pace, 36F real feel

I am hoping maybe to get out this afternoon if the ground softens (supposed to be 28 and sunny) - fingers and toes crossed!


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## phantomhorse13

I have gotten a bit more saddle time as the weather allows. 

Saturday, I started with Phin. I wanted to try the Sugarloaf loop and check out the footing. 








I had hoped staying out in the fields would mean less snow, but there was a lot of drifting. If there wasn't an icy crust on the top of the snow it wouldn't have been a problem as none of it was that deep, but I didn't want the ice cutting his legs if the crust came above his hoof. We went as far as Shuman's, then gave up and turned back.








5.81 miles, 840 feet of climb, 3.7 mph average pace, 21F real feel

Next, I got George out to walk the dogs. We did the short loop around Spaulding's and then out across Alimar to the creek trail.








The logging behind the township building has certainly changed the trail, but we were able to pick our way through. I fear when the ground thaws, it is going to be an impassible mudhole, however.








3.43 miles, 390 feet of climb, 4.3 mph average pace, 20F real feel

Sunday, I knew the footing with be less than ideal but wanted to get Phin out. He was very chill to get ready, so I went out bareback in just the halter. We moseyed around Alimar.





















2.13 miles, 276 feet of climb, 3.1 mph average pace, 21F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I got George out to do a bit of trail investigation. Kestrel came, too. I wanted to go over towards the Big Square to see if the dirt lane was clear of ice and then to see how the fields across the road were. We moseyed across Alimar and out the creek trail. The field behind the township building was frozen, so we continued along the next part of the creek trail.








Went up into the hayfield as I knew the rest of the creek trail would be in icy mess as it was so wet to start with. I couldn't see enough of the lane from where the hayfield crosses the road, so decided to go down and get a closer look. Made it all the way to the lane without seeing any traffic. As expected, the lane is still very icy. I can make it to the big climb up to a set of fields, but would need to come back down the same way (which is not my preferred way to go back). So that set of trails is out for now.

Heading back, we got to the middle of the bridge when someone in a pickup came flying down the hill. I got George to the side and asked Kestrel to sit beside us, then gritted my teeth as the truck never slowed. I am not sure the driver saw us until he was right beside us so thank goodness he stayed in his own lane (and he certainly wasn't obeying the 25 mph speed limit). Kestrel flinched but remained sitting and George didn't even flick an ear. Good kids!

We continued on our way and got halfway up the hill when the next vehicle came into view. Again, we went to the side of the road. This car did slow, then _honked_ as it got up beside us. WTF! Again, Kestrel flinched but stayed sitting and George just looked at the car with mild interest. Some bad words may have passed my lips at the driver.. 🤬

Again, we continued on our way. We were 100 feet from our turn into the fields when I heard loud engine noise coming behind us. I turned around to see a firetruck coming across the bridge! For the third time, we went to the side to stand, Kestrel sat, and we all watched the vehicle pass. The firetruck driver was very polite (good thing as I knew him!), slowing down and moving to the other lane as he crept by.

All of that in not even 1/8 of a mile!! 

I was very happy to finally get in to the fields.








Unfortunately, the tiny connecting trail that we normally take to go behind the buildings was blocked by a downed tree. So we went around the fields until they hit the pavement across from the township building. Just as we started down the road for the 100 feet to get to the field, I heard an loud vehicle.. and there was the fire engine backing out from behind the building! You just can't make this sh!t up. 🙃

The driver saw us, so he delayed leaving the parking lot until we got off the road. We went a short distance up the hill, then turned around to get a picture. I had to laugh because whoever was in the passenger seat of the firetruck was taking a picture of us, too!








3.71 miles, 417 feet of climb, 3.9 mph average pace, 24F real feel

That afternoon, I went over to meet Nik. Gina had decided not to ride, so I took Amish. Nic was nervous about the footing to start with so asked me to go first. We did the loop around Spaulding's to start. The mostly-frozen creek on the way back to Alimar was really pretty.








Then, we did some loops around Alimar. Nik relaxed about the footing and let Copper take the lead (which makes him much happier). We were able to do some trotting and had a blast.








3.64 miles, 3.07 feet of climb, 3.8 mph average pace, 19F real feel

Today, I got Phin out. The forecast was chance of flurries in the morning, then clearing to partly sunny by early afternoon, when temps would start dropping and the wind would pick up as the cold front arrived. I waited until 10am and when it still hadn't cleared, went out anyway.




I wanted to try the Sugarloaf but wasn't sure how the footing would be on the north side of the slopes. We went out across the fields instead of up the most direct way, as that would give us a bit of climb and then a plateau. If the climb's footing was too bad, we could just come down and be done without having to climb any more.

I was pleased to find the footing was decent, with enough snow to provide some traction but not so much it was over Phin's hooves and maybe rubbing skin raw. Phin dutifully marched to the top:








We went down the other side (I got off to walk the downhill on foot as usual) and the footing remained decent. I was shocked that no big trees were down anywhere, as we had several impressive storms since I was there last.




I didn't go all the way up the backside as that was Phin's first climbing in months. So we popped out along the orchard road on the main farm to make our way home. We had seen several hawks during the ride and I managed to get a pic of this one:








5.91 miles, 1165 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 18F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

This last week was better for saddle time than I was expecting!

Last Wednesday, the raging wind calmed in the late afternoon, so I got George out to walk the crazy dogs. We did some loops around Alimar.
















3.6 miles, 433 feet of climb, 4.1 mph average pace, 12F real feel

Last Thursday, Phin got dog-walking duty. We did the loop around Spaulding's and a couple loops around Alimar.








Phin is not a big fan of Kali, so it was a good lesson on tolerance for him.








4.47 miles, 568 feet of climb, 4.3 mph average pace, 18F real feel

Last Friday, the forecast was for a quick moving clipper system to give us some brief snow showers in the morning. When it was still snowing at noon, I went out with Phin anyway. We went out Spaulding's and then over to do a loop around the farm.




Phin was a bit up, but considering the weather he behaved well.
















7.07 miles, 1332 feet of climb, 4.0 mph average pace, 21F real feel

We wound up with 3" of snow! Ironically, the big nor'easter came that evening and the following couple days were very windy, but we got nothing from that but flurries. Gotta love momma nature!

Monday, the wind was no longer a gale, so I got Phin out. We climbed the Sugarloaf.








Phin was feeling mighty fine, and the constant explosion of deer did not help him relax.








By the time we went up the second time, Phin settled down. Amazing how a good climb can help the brain. 🙃








We went home via the outdoor ring at Alimar, where I asked for a canter for the first time in his rehab. And not just any canter, but a walk/canter transition in the hopes of keeping his brain engaged. I was really pleased that he loped along on a soft rein (and I am sure pointing away from home while we did it helped, too):








6.08 miles, 1312 feet of climb, 3.6 mph average pace, 27F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

Monday afternoon, I took George over to ride with Nik. We did the big loop around Spaulding's and then some loops around Alimar.








Copper was a little keyed up to start with, but Nik worked him through it and we had a good ride.








5.33 miles, 620 feet of climb, 3.6 mph average pace, 22F real feel

Tuesday, I started with Phin. It was a light workout day, so we moseyed around Spaulding's. Phin eyeballs the dam with great suspicion every time, because the ice looks different with each passing:








We then moseyed around Alimar. Phin was very well-behaved.








3.17 miles, 384 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average pace, 24F real feel

When I turned Phin out, I found this:




That hose normally lives on a couple hooks between the sheds, behind the water tank. Someone is obviously very bored!!

Later that afternoon, I grabbed George and went over to meet Nik again. We went over to do a loop around Shuman's.








Copper was on his best behavior despite being out farther than he's been in a long while. We had a great ride.








4.85 miles, 590 feet of climb, 3.8 mph average pace, 21F real feel

Wednesday, I got Phin out for the longest ride yet. I knew it may be the last one we get for a while as an ugly nor'easter was forecast for the next couple days. We headed over to try the Tomhicken lake loop. Phin was feeling mighty fine to start with, but the first climb up the Tomhicken helped with that a bit.








I was pleased to find the footing decent, despite some vehicles having been over it. The lake was gone under a layer of snow and the ice is apparently thick enough to hold deer. Phin was a bit silly heading for home initially, but the second climb up the Tomhicken fixed that right up!








10.04 miles, 1683 feet of climb, 3.9 mph average pace, 36F real feel

Unfortunately, this next nor'easter has been exactly what they predicted. We started off with 2" of rain yesterday and last night (not a typo - two INCHES), then it changed over to freezing rain about 7am this morning. Since then, we got a few hours of freezing rain followed by sleet, some snow, and more freezing rain. It was supposed to have ended at lunchtime, but [email protected] is still falling from the sky:
















There is water ponding in places I have never seen water before, as of course the frozen ground can't absorb anything. The temperature (currently at 27F) will continue to drop to an overnight low of 7F. The expected high for tomorrow is just 18F, with a raging wind so no doubt all the world will be ice. 

I am so over winter!! 😖 🙈


----------



## phantomhorse13

The ice had me stuck in the house for a while. Amazing how all those projects you put off till you have "spare time" still don't get done even when you find yourself with spare time.. 🙃 

Feb 10, the ice thawed enough in some places that I could get from my place over to Gina's ring by going across an unplanted field.

Phin was a bit rammy, which I wasn't all that surprised about as he hadn't been out in a while and it was windy. So I tried to keep him focused with lots of transitions, bending, and having to pay attention to his feet.
















It wasn't going too badly, so I decided to do a bit of canter. Not wanting Phin to be nuts about it, I tried some walk/canter transitions. Not real pretty overall, but had a nice moment here and there:








After the cantering - brief as it was - Phin was doing a lot of arguing about pace, throwing his head in the air or leaning. I did eventually get him sort of settled, but I was not impressed with playing so much tug of war.




3.59 miles, 148 feet of climb, 4.0 mph average pace, 34F real feel

The 11th, we went back to the ring. This time, I put him in a snaffle bit intending to give him a refresher lesson on yielding. It was yet again quite windy though fairly warm, so we started with the yield work at the walk. That actually went fairy well, but things came apart as soon as we moved to trot. So, back to the circles and poles to try to get him settled:








After what seemed like a million circles, he finally settled down and gave me some moments of relaxation:












3.51 miles, 144 feet of climb, 3.7 mph average pace, 45F real feel

The 12th, we were back in the ring again. It was cooler and again very windy, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised when things went a lot better than they had the day before! We even started out on the scary end of the ring:








It took Phin a lot less time to stop fussing once we started trotting. We worked on trying to keep the connection - amazing how many habits that are fine on trail are not so fine when trying to maintain contact. I find myself perching forward as always, with straight elbows and loose fingers. That is fine when on a loose rein, but doesn't work when trying to maintain a light contact. I spent just as much time (maybe more!) correcting my own position as I did asking Phin to change his.








But we took breaks from the hard work to move out and think about feet.








We tried some sidepassing over poles at the end, which was a first. It was interesting to find that Phin would move his shoulder or his hip laterally when I asked, but had trouble moving both at once.




3.15 miles, 120 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 30F real feel

I was supposed to meet Nik that afternoon, but unfortunately her son injured his ankle at his wrestling tournament, so she went to the hospital with him instead. She asked me if I could work with Copper and of course I agreed. When I went over to tack up, Gina was in the barn but said she didn't want to ride too because it might upset Copper. I told her not to change her plans on my account, but seeing as she wasn't even wearing riding clothing, I knew she hadn't intended to ride.

It was still ragingly windy, so I started with groundwork to help get Copper past some of his stranger danger. Gina stood to watch for a bit, but soon wandered away. Once I got on, we worked on bending and trying to relax. Sitting on Copper reminds me of galloping racehorses - roiling energy that seems to be barely contained.








Copper was actually starting to soften a bit and go with his head not stargazing when a truck came around the building and pulled up right beside the ring. As Copper and I stood there, Keith and Gina cimbed out of the truck (a flatbed with a pile of panels on it). Gina hollered that she hoped they weren't bothering us while Keith looked confused. She didn't wait for an answer and started releasing the straps holding the panels down, which made a variety of loud sounds and resulted in the straps flapping in the wind, etc. I was super impressed with Copper; he got tense but didn't move his feet. After a moment, he started breathing again so I asked him to walk away. We went down to the other end of the ring and did some more bending work until I got a bit less tension, then called it a day.

I went into the barn to untack him and not a minute later Gina was in there too, saying she was so sorry they ruined my ride. I said I had no idea what she was talking about, as Copper had done great and we had worked about 30 minutes (which is generally about all the ring work I can take). Gina gave me a funny look, then wandered back out of the barn. When I finished with Copper (about 15 minutes later), I went out of the barn to find the truck parked over by the building and nobody in sight. Uh huh. 
1.08 miles, 115 feet of climb, 3.3 mph average pace, 28F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

The next nor'easter was supposed to have missed us, but surprise - we wound up with 2-3 inches of snow overnight Saturday! I had hoped to get out into the fields to ride since the temp had dropped, but the snow insulated the ground enough it wasn't totally frozen yet. So back to the ring it was.

I got Phin out early, hoping the wind would be less crazy. It wasn't. I realized as we walked across the field that Gina had gotten some panels up around the ring. Phin was NOT impressed as the snow making things look different was already worrisome. The panels had snow dripping off them AND were rattling in the wind - Very Bad things in Phin's opinion. I tried to just put him to work, but it wasn't what I had in mind at times:




But we survived. And after a bit, Phin did settle down to give me some nice work, even in that corner where the Panel Monster lurked.
















3.04 miles, 115 feet of climb, 3.7 mph average pace, 18F real feel

That afternoon, I took George over to meet Nik. Surprisingly, Gina decided to ride, also.








Giselle was her normal jigging, fussy self and was obviously getting more and more worked up as the other horses moved around. After about 10 minutes, my fun meter had run out. I claimed I was cold and headed for home. Once, I got there, I grabbed both dogs and went out to see how the ground was.








The ground wasn't too bad as it had finally frozen again - I just had to stay where I knew the ice had melted off before the snow came.
3.64 miles, 125 feet of climb, 3.7 mph average pace, 17F real feel

Tuesday, I started with George as I wanted to see if I was right about some places on Alimar being rideable. Since he is barefoot, he does the best with potentially slippery terrain. I think George was just as happy as I was to be out, as the tongue was flapping!








We did some loops around Alimar and I did well with avoiding the many icy places. The sun was shining and even with the cool temps, the snow was softening.








3.02 miles, 325 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 18F real feel

Next up was Phin. I took him on the same route I took George, but repeated it twice.








Phin was very happy to be out of the ring, but not very impressed with the sedate pace. So that meant he started looking for things - here there was a monster in the bushes. 








5.79 miles, 617 feet of climb, 5.3 mph average pace, 21F real feel

Then, I went over to meet Nik. I rode Amish. We did a bit of work in the ring, then went out to do the same loop around Alimar. I led in some place and Nik led in others. The horses were very well behaved.
















3.39 miles, 308 feet of climb, 4.0 mph average pace, 19F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

Wednesday, I got Phin out first thing while the ground was still frozen. We did the loops around Alimar three times. He was quite jazzed up to begin with, but by the second time around things were a lot less exciting..








By the third time around, he was on a loose rein!








9.5 miles, 938 feet of climb, 5.6 mph average pace, 31F real feel

That afternoon, I went over to meet Nik. The ground was a slimy mess so we stayed in the ring. I rode Amish as Gina planned to be riding Giselle, but Gina wound up not riding. Since nobody had been using the jumps as jumps, I rearranged their parts to make some new challenges for the horses.








2.08 miles, 148 feet of climb, 4.5 mph average pace, 40F real feel

Thursday, I took Phin over to the ring as the ground was a mess even first thing in the morning. The wind wasn't too bad as I was tacking up, but it got worse and worse as the ride went on. Phin was a touch fussy at times, but all things considered I was really pleased with his workmanlike attitude.








Phin wasn't even all that snortly over the different things in the ring and was only mildly concerned with the roaring trees or leaving blowing across the ring. We worked a bit on walk/canter transitions and he didn't totally lose his mind.












2.53 miles, 187 feet of climb, 3.7 mph average pace, 45F real feel

That afternoon, I took Kestrel for a walk as I wanted to see what places were still icy before the next storm came in. Kestrel had a blast and I figured it was good exercise for me. As I expected, there was still ice in some critical places.

















The next storm rolled in that night and ended Friday, but it turned out better than expected. We got 0.64 of rain, but the temperature stayed warm enough that it didn't change to freezing rain at the end! In fact, the temperature stayed above freezing for most of the day Friday and the sun even came out. The wind was blowing so badly that things actually dried up a lot more than I expected (maybe the only good thing about 25mph winds).

Today, we started with cold temps and strong winds, then had some squalls roll through which dropped a couple inches of snow. 🤬




Ironically, those squalls were a warm front coming across, resulting in the sun coming out afterwards. The winds continue to rage so things are melting and maybe drying up. So far, the power has stayed on and we haven't had anything bigger than decent sized branches come down. The wind is supposed to ease up tomorrow, so I am hoping to get to ride.


----------



## phantomhorse13

Everyone, please hug your critters and give them a treat for me. Tell those in your life you love them.

Kathy and Lani were traveling home from Florida after a successful ride weekend. Kathy feel asleep behind the wheel and the rig went off I-95 into the tree-filled median. By the grace of the universe, the people walked away.. but Lapco and Lito did not.

Please pray to whatever deity you believe in for peace and healing for my friends.

RIP Lapco and Lito.. so very sorry we won't be sharing any more trail in this lifetime 💔 😭


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## ClearDonkey

phantomhorse13 said:


> Everyone, please hug your critters and give them a treat for me. Tell those in your life you love them.
> 
> Kathy and Lani were traveling home from Florida after a successful ride weekend. Kathy feel asleep behind the wheel and the rig went off I-95 into the tree-filled median. By the grace of the universe, the people walked away.. but Lapco and Lito did not.
> 
> Please pray to whatever deity you believe in for peace and healing for my friends.
> 
> RIP Lapco and Lito.. so very sorry we won't be sharing any more trail in this lifetime 💔 😭


I am so incredibly sorry for the loss of those wonderful equines, and am so thankful Kathy and Lani were able to walk away from the accident.

This serves as an important reminder to those doing long stretches behind the wheel, pulling a horse trailer or not. Always find a place to pull over even if you feel just 'kinda' tired - we all have been behind the wheel when it feels impossible to keep our eyes open. I used to regularly do a 10 hour drive to and from college, sometimes through the night. Stopping and even just taking a walk around a rest stop can help so much, and can be the difference between life and death.

I always worry for those who go on long hauls without stopping often (or at all). My parents regularly drive 24 hours straight through for their vacations, and I always worry I'm going to get the call that my stepdad fell asleep at the wheel and that my siblings are now without parents. Driving is dangerous enough, it isn't worth driving exhausted at the wheel to get someplace quicker.

I hope Kathy can find peace with what happened, and that both Kathy and Lani are able to heal the holes in their hearts that were previously filled with Lapco and Lito.

I will be thinking of you all...

I am so sorry.


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## carshon

What devastating news! I am so sorry for their loss but thankful that they survived


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## phantomhorse13

ClearDonkey said:


> Driving is dangerous enough, it isn't worth driving exhausted at the wheel to get someplace quicker.


I can't agree with this more!

The greatest of ironies in this specific situation.. they had stayed the overnight at the ride and were traveling during the day to try to avoid this very thing. Just shows there is no "catching up" on sleep when you run your body on the edge.

It's a particular kick in the gut to me, as you all know my job when traveling was to talk to the driver so this very thing didn't happen.. so many if onlys.. 😭


----------



## lb27312

I'm sooo sorry to hear about this as I know Lapco was a favorite of yours so I'm sure it's hard on you too.... My thoughts are with Kathy and Lani.... so glad they are okay!

There's always so many what ifs, I know I've pushed the driving while tired limit too many times... this will definitely make me rethink that!


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## phantomhorse13

lb27312 said:


> I know I've pushed the driving while tired limit too many times... this will definitely make me rethink that!


PLEASE. This can't happen to anybody else.

And in case just my words aren't convincing enough, there are some photos from the scene. That is Lapco that Lani is over in the second picture.. 😭


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## ClearDonkey

phantomhorse13 said:


> PLEASE. This can't happen to anybody else.
> 
> And in case just my words aren't convincing enough, there are some photos from the scene. That is Lapco that Lani is over in the second picture.. 😭


This is so incredibly tragic.

It was a blessing and a terrible curse that one of them was a veterinarian... I cannot imagine making that decision and being the one to euthanize... My heart hurts for them all.

This whole situation is having me think about my emergency box that comes everywhere with me. How quickly could I have a vet on the scene of a terrible accident? Is it time for me to add a gun capable of euthanizing a horse in it (was considering it previously when I lived hours from a vet)? What is the 'ideal' situation with handling an accident like this??


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## egrogan

Oh @phantomhorse13 , I hadn't even registered a horse in that photo at first.  I am just so sick with hurt for them both. Putting a horse down unexpectedly is hard enough without such tragic circumstances. I am so, so sorry for all involved. I know they are strong people with a huge family looking out for them, but it's just such a heartwrenching circumstance.


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## Txshecat0423

I am so sorry  I travel every weekend 2.5 hours one way, stay at practice 2-2.5 hours and at first was driving home 2.5 hours as well the same day. After a couple of times, I just told my sister I would have to stay over with her every time…I don’t like to pull a fully loaded trailer after dark and I won’t drive very fast so I ended up with 18-wheelers and vehicles wanting to go faster on my rear the whole time. I have an place to stay overnight so there is no reason for me to risk that anymore. I realize things can happen in the daytime too though.

I’m sorry for the loss of these beautiful animals 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## knightrider

Oh, what devastating news. I am so sorry to read this. I am aching for Loni, Kathy, and you. I hope all of you can find some peace and comfort. I especially pray for Kathy and hope that she can manage.


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## phantomhorse13

@Txshecat0423 what you do sounds very reasonable to me, as that is a very long day for everyone.. hauling is stressful enough, you don't need to add extra elements to up the ante.


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## weeedlady

I am so so very sorry. This is devastating. I have no words. So very sad.


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## gottatrot

phantomhorse13 said:


> Everyone, please hug your critters and give them a treat for me. Tell those in your life you love them.
> 
> Kathy and Lani were traveling home from Florida after a successful ride weekend. Kathy feel asleep behind the wheel and the rig went off I-95 into the tree-filled median. By the grace of the universe, the people walked away.. but Lapco and Lito did not.
> 
> Please pray to whatever deity you believe in for peace and healing for my friends.
> 
> RIP Lapco and Lito.. so very sorry we won't be sharing any more trail in this lifetime 💔 😭


Oh no, that is terrible news. My thoughts and prayers are with them. What a tragedy to lose those wonderful horses. I can't imagine the trauma it would be to go through that.


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## Celeste

I am so sorry. I can't imagine the pain that they feel.


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## phantomhorse13

I have gotten a bit of saddle time this week, but between finding out about the accident and momma nature, it was pretty hit or miss.

Sunday, I got Phin out first thing. We had gotten a PITA snow the day before, but a lot had disappeared. I hoped the Sugarloaf loop would be doable. There were places that were still sketchy, but we were able to make our way around.








The south side of the mountain was actually almost nice, with only the remains of the PITA snow from the previous day on it (no ice). Phin was fairly chill for most of the ride, which was a nice change. I think he was as happy as I was to not be going around in circles.








7.5 miles, 1217 feet of climb, 4.3 mph average pace, 22F real feel

Next, I went over to meet Nik. I rode Amish. Gina decided not to ride, so Nik and I went out on our own. We did a loop around the farm, checking out the state of the ground.








Out in the open, the ice was gone. But there was still snow and ice in shady places (especially on the north sides of the climbs). The boys were very well behaved.








5.72 miles, 392 feet of climb, 3.9 mph average pace, 35F real feel

Monday, Nik had off from school for the holiday, so we were able to get out before lunch. The temperature had warmed dramatically, so we had to stick to the fields for the least slimy footing. I took Phin, as Amish had been out the day before.








I wasn't sure how Phin and Copper would do together, but overal they did fine. Copper got a bit rushy at one point going home (going up the hill into the orchard, of all places!), which got Phin a bit riled.. but he did listen when I insisted that cantering was _not_ on the agenda. Once past that hill, both settled down again to mosey home.








6.86 miles, 961 feet of climb, 3.7 mph average pace, 50F real feel

That afternoon, I called Lani as I hadn't heard from her about how the ride went that weekend. I had heard she had come off Lito, so I assumed she hadn't contacted me yet as she wanted enough time to pass to be able to assure me she wasn't injured, only bruised. I wasn't all that surprised she didn't answer her phone, as I knew it wouldn't be a holiday for her veterinary clinic.. but I was surprised when the clinic number showed on my phone a few minutes later. I answered the phone, recognized the voice of their part time office help and full time eventing trainer.. and time stood still. 😭

Thursday, I started early with Phin as I wanted to be done by the time DH got home around noon. All seemed well as I brought him in and he stood munching hay while I groomed him.. but when I ran the brush down his left front leg, he picked it up. Surprised, I took off my glove and ran it down the leg. As I got to mid cannon, I could feel some swelling through his winter hair and he again picked his leg up and moved it away. Shiitake.

I could find no break in the skin. The mild swelling starting a couple inches above his ankle on the inside of his cannon, extending down to the side of the ankle - on the "good" leg! The swelling was mildly warm, but soft. I led him up and down the aisleway and he was sound. Having no idea what he did, I gave him some arnica and liberally applied some sore no more before turning him back out.

I went out after DH left to check him again. The swelling had advanced upwards to just below his knee. Shiitake. Though he seemed less worried about my touching it, I was not happy to see it had increased. I gave him more arnica and applied more sore no more.

Then, I grabbed George to take the dogs for a run. We went out around Spaulding's to start. The dogs were bonkers:








George was feeling good, but in a controlable way. I think he was happy to be out and able to stretch his legs, as the footing in the paddocks has been terrible for so long. We went down the creek trail at the end and I was sad to see the ground was just as chewed up as I had feared. In fact, in one place that had looked solid, George sunk into a pit up to his knees and hocks. He was able to get himself out, but it scared me badly. We won't be going that way again until we have done some major trail maintenance.








3.36 miles, 374 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 35F real feel

Yesterday, ice storm #4 finished up.. making the ground a disaster yet again.

















At least its only 1-2" thick this time? 😖

Today, the swelling in Phin's leg has decreased some - the swelling is now only a couple inches over his ankle. It still feels slightly warm to me, but he is totally unconcerned with my poking it. His temperature is normal and he is eating and acting fine. I am hoping he just twisted wrong in a frozen hoofprint.. but knowing his ability to hurt himself in bizarre ways, I am not holding my breath. I find it highly ironic that the morning after I have written out my rough ride plan for the season, he has hurt himself. Needless to say, I held off on sending in the entry for that first ride.


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## gottatrot

Arrgh, Phin needs to stay healthy!


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## phantomhorse13

After a couple days with only minor improvement in the swelling, I contacted my vet and discussed starting him on antibiotics. While I am not big on just throwing antibiotics at something for the h#ll of it, knowing his history of doing weird things and the fact I am going out of town tonight had me worried. The vet agreed that a course of SMZ would be reasonable.

Started that Monday evening and his leg was 75% normal the next morning. By Tuesday evening feeding, his leg was 98% normal, with only that new lump being different than before. Woohoo! 

Hopefully, Phin will behave himself for the dosing while I am gone (DH assures me I am worrying over nothing). I am heading to Reno for the AERC convention. Everyone cross your fingers that my flights are uneventful. I only have a 38 minute layover going out, so I will be wearing running shoes.. @bsms, how close to phoenix airport are you if I get stuck?!


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## Celeste

I am so glad that Phin is doing better. I am sure that your husband will be able to get the medicine down him. Even mine did all that kind of stuff, and he is not nearly as experienced with horses as yours is. 

Have a fantastic trip!


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## bsms

phantomhorse13 said:


> . @bsms, how close to phoenix airport are you if I get stuck?!


About 2.5 hours. Have Crew Cab Tundra, could travel....😁


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## knightrider

How was the trip? How is Phin? How is Loni? How are you? How is Link? How is George?


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## carshon

@phantomhorse13 I just wanted to let you know that I miss seeing your posts and think of you often. I hope that whatever has kept you away is not too serious.


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## phantomhorse13

carshon said:


> I just wanted to let you know that I miss seeing your posts and think of you often. I hope that whatever has kept you away is not too serious.


Thank you. 💙

DH, the inside critters, and I are all fine.. but things are not going so well with the horses. I will try to get my act together and give those interested the run down shortly.


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## egrogan

^^We need a "care" emoji option. Nice to see your name pop up here!


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## weeedlady

So good to hear from you @phantomhorse13. Yes please give us an update when you can.


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## knightrider

We have missed you so much and so glad to hear from you


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## phantomhorse13

Catch up time.. let me start with the fun stuff: ride stories!


Back in April, I was asked to ride a young gelding at No Frills in his first ever distance ride. His owner Jaime and her DH Dan would be riding in the 55, as a prep for the national championship at OD in June. I had ridden for her a couple times before, so happily agreed.

DH and I went down early to help with the last minute things. On the way down, momma nature smiled:








We had a fun evening of making sandwiches and catching up with friend we hadn’t seen since fall. It was unusually warm, which was odd tho welcomed. DH and I helped with parking and check in. I took a break to meet Baby Crown, who was bred by the same farm that Dream came from, who was just as lovely as I expected. He was a good boy to be tacked up and he bravely led the way when we went out to pre-ride. I also got to meet Jaime’s mentee Trish, who would be riding with me in the LD.
















After the ride, everyone vetted in without concern. I then went back to helping with check ins until it was time for dinner and ride meeting. That night was cooler than the previous night, but well above the normal break-ice-on-buckets temperature you expect during this ride. 

In the morning, I went over to help Jaime and Dan get ready and on their way. Trish and I kept a close eye on Baby Crown, but after a couple neighs, went right back to eating. I am sure having Trish’s gelding Kash – who never stopped eating even when the 55s were warming up and then leaving camp – helped keep him relaxed.








Soon enough, it was time to tack up. Baby Crown behaved just as nicely as he had the previous day. Trish and I had decided we wouldn’t even mount up until the main group of riders had left camp, so we let the boys graze as everyone else warmed up. When trail was open, we watched the riders leave, then casually got on and strolled out of camp onto the 10 mile loop, with Baby Crown leading the way and Kash following contentedly along behind. 

Of course, you are never the only person who wants to go last, so you try to time it so there is a gap between you and the horses ahead and behind. We seemed to have done ok with that as we left camp, but it wasn’t long before we heard someone behind us. Trish said to be aware the horse was cantering sideways and looked barely under control. As the rider approached, she tried to tuck in behind Kash, getting very close to the back of him. After giving her a moment, I informed her I was riding a young horse in his first ride and that the new horse was upsetting him, so could she please ride on.

There was a pause and the rider said she was hoping she could ride with us. While Baby Crown really wasn’t _that_ upset yet (he was on the track, so used to horses in close quarters), I had no intention of subjecting him to that horse until he was really upset. I repeated that he was a young horse and that she needed to give us space. As she cantered sideways past us, I realized the horse had a 500 number on its butt (which would normally mean a horse in the 55) and I didn’t recognize the rider. Wondering what the deal was, I asked if she had made a mistake with the number. She told me oh no, she was riding the 55 the next day, but her horse was terrible at the start so she wanted to give him some practice!!

I managed to bite my tongue, as I knew that wasn’t the time or the place for rider education.. but wow I was mad. All well and good for someone to want to train their horse, but don’t do it at the expense of my horse, who actually is entered in the ride!! Baby Crown got a lot more antsy as that horse continued up the hill at a sideways canter, but he did listen to me when I told him he wasn’t allowed to follow.

Thankfully, that horse did not turn off onto the 30 mile trail so we had our space bubble back. Baby Crown was pretty up by that point, but luckily that part of the trail isn’t too technical right away, so I had time to let him blow off some steam before the trickier parts began.








Baby Crown is from coastal North Carolina, so he knows flat and sand. There isn’t much flat in the mountains of Virginia and there certainly isn’t any sand! Poor guy was not sure what to make of the rocks. We had several discussions about slowing down and paying attention to feet versus just throwing yourself at the terrain and figuring it out as you scrabbled along. After a bit, Baby Crown decided maybe I did know what I was asking and started paying better attention – I suspect the climbs helped take the edge off, too. By the time we saw the photog for the first time, he had settled nicely.








We passed a couple horses, but for the most part we kept our space bubble to ourselves. Trish was just as surprised over the terrain as the horses, but Kash figured his footing out much faster than Baby Crown did so Trish soon was enjoying herself. To start, she kept asking me if it was really ok to trot over some of the sections.. then wasn’t sure what to say when I told her we had to trot those places or we wouldn’t make the time, as upcoming places were much worse.








We passed the photog again and I had to laugh when I saw that picture – think Baby Crown learned it was important to pick up his feet?!








We continued along the ridge and made the last climb. The views were fantastic as the light breeze kept the humidity from settling into a haze. I couldn’t believe how lucky we were with the weather, as the forecast rain never happened and the day was lovely.








As you start coming down off the ridge, the footing gets a lot more technical. When we got to the top of a place where you have to carefully step/slide down, he dithered on the edge, as the direction I was asking him to go (towards the outside edge of the narrow trail, where there was dirt) was not where he wanted to go (towards the inside, but where it was nothing but rocks on rocks). I pointed him the way I wanted him to go, but instead he flung his head in the air and leapt the way he wanted to go.. landing with jolt as his front legs jammed into the rocks, and then tumbling onto his nose when he couldn’t pick his legs up again to stop our forward momentum.

Luckily, Baby Crown wound up laying down versus doing a forward roll [later, Trish said one hind leg stayed up at the top of the slide, so he did a split with his hind end - as awful as that was, it is probably what saved us from rolling]. I had just enough time to process we were stopped when he heaved himself to his feet and started to walk off like nothing had happened! I stopped him and jumped off, honestly expecting to find a broken leg. I was pleasantly surprised to find no carnage, all shoes where they belonged, and only minor scrapes. 

Baby Crown stood quietly while I poked and prodded, convinced he could not have escaped that without major injury. Poor Trish was still at the top of the slide and I explained to her what I had been trying to do. I walked Baby Crown a few steps to give Kash room, and he quietly went exactly where Trish pointed him and got down without issues. I hand walked Baby Crown for a bit and he seemed fine, so I got back on and off we went.

Baby Crown was a lot more willing to listen to my suggestions after that and we had no more incidents on the technical footing. We got down off the mountain and onto the gravel road into the hold. Both horses were happy to move out, but I could feel a funny step every so often. I suspected our day was over.

We got into the vet check area, where we only needed to do a trot by before going out on the second 13 mile loop. We were the only riders there when we presented, so when I told the vet what had happened and what I was feeling, he asked the other vet to watch the trot, too. While Baby Crown technically passed the exam, they agreed they saw the occasional bad step. Baby Crown was happy to trot along and seemed perky enough, but I didn’t feel it was smart to keep going until he was truly lame, especially not knowing exactly what he may have tweaked doing the split. I had told Jaime I would treat him like he was mine, so I rider optioned and our day ended.

To be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

Part two:

Trish understood my reason for the RO, but she did not want to go on by herself and also planned to RO. I was able to find someone I knew to buddy her up with, so after a few minutes to let Kash eat and give him his elytes, they headed out for the second loop. That meant Baby Crown was all alone in the hold! I wasn’t sure how that was going to go, but after one neigh that didn’t get a response, he dropped his head and started chowing down!








I knew we would be waiting for our ride back to camp until either someone else needed to go too or all the riders were through (3 riders were behind us). We got lucky that the next person in to camp also RO’d, so that gave us company for the ride back. Baby Crown hopped right into the strange trailer for me and rode back to camp without issue.








We saw the treatment vet for a safety check and I was pleased that he didn’t see any outright bad steps, but he could feel some muscle tightness on the inside of one hind leg. That reinforced that I made the right choice. I took Baby Crown back to the trailer and was again pleasantly surprised that he didn’t mind not having other horses close by. He could see one horse off in the distance and apparently that was plenty of company. I poulticed and wrapped his legs, then waited for Trish, Jaime and Dan to finish their rides.








Happy to say everyone else finished! Trish was really amazed at how well her horse did as it was by far the hardest trail they had ever faced together. Jaime and Dan felt the ride was a great prep for the upcoming 100. Jaime had heard I had rider optioned and that we were both ok, but thankfully nobody had told her about the fall or I am sure she would have been worried sick while out on trail. When I told her the whole story, she agreed I made the right choice.





The next morning, DH and I were up early to volunteer. We started at a road crossing:








Then went out to the hold, where I took pulses and DH drove the ambulance trailer. Kestrel was great at consoling the riders on the way back to camp.








Jaime and Dan left before we returned to camp, but said that Baby Crown trotted out totally sound before they left camp, then ran around like a proud fool once they got home. Whew!!


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## gottatrot

Too bad about the fall, but it sounds like Baby Crown was going to be OK. That high stepping trot picture is hilarious!


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## knightrider

Glad everything turned out OK. I am so excited that you are back on the forum. We have missed you so much.


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## SueC

knightrider said:


> Glad everything turned out OK. I am so excited that you are back on the forum. We have missed you so much.


You know, you really are doing so much to hold this community together, @knightrider. Thank you for being who you are. 💖💞

Hullo, @phantomhorse13 - it's good to hear from you. I was shocked for days when I read the entries before this with that horrific accident, with my brain imagining the scenario over and over. The last time that happened was when I lost an ex-colleague on that Malaysian Airlines passenger plane the Russians blew up over Ukraine on this day in 2014.

It's good to see you smile in the photos and I'm a bit apprehensive about the not-so-good stuff I sense is coming. Life...

Hope you're OK and sending love.🌻


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## phantomhorse13

gottatrot said:


> Too bad about the fall, but it sounds like Baby Crown was going to be OK. That high stepping trot picture is hilarious!


Yes, he just made a baby mistake. I am so glad it didn't turn out any worse. Baby Crown has been fine since and Jaime wants me to ride him again in October at Fort Valley. She also joked if she ever decided to show saddle seat, she knew how to encourage their movement naturally.


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## phantomhorse13

In May, I went up to New York with Dodie to ride her mare Bee in the New York Adventure. Dodie is the ride manager, so didn’t think she would have time to manage and ride – lucky me! We went up a couple days early to get things prepared. I got deluxe accommodations:








The day before the ride, Melissa and I went out first thing for our pre-ride. Bee and Emu both felt great. 








When we got back, Dodie gave me the run-down of what Bee ate during rides and where the electrolytes were. I got everything I needed for the first loop into my saddle bags and prepped as much as I could for the next day. The rest of the day, I helped with registration. That can be a problematic job, but everyone had done super with filling out their paperwork appropriately so we had no issues.








I slept well that night and was pleased the temps dipped a bit lower than expected overnight. Bee had eaten all her hay overnight and inhaled her breakfast. I got her tacked up and let her hand graze while waiting for Melissa to finish getting Emu ready.








We let the majority of the pack go before moseying out of camp. The first loop was 20 miles and we wanted to take about 3 hours to do it. Well Bee had other ideas, as she was all about trying to catch the horses ahead of her! Normally she is pretty mellow, so that was a side I wasn’t expecting. We did a lot of discussing as I tried to keep her to a steady pace that kept the riders ahead of us out of sight.








While most of the footing was lovely, there were some mucky places that required careful navigation. Thankfully, Bee was reasonable through these places!








There was a lovely common crossing area that had water tanks and hay for the horses. It was a great place to stop and let the horses drink and eat.








And then, of course, comes the elytes!








While the temperature wasn’t too bad yet, the sun was very warm. We were glad to have so much lovely wooded trail. Bee finally settled down about mile 15, silly girl.









To be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

Part 2:

We got into the hold and pulled tack, then splashed a bit of water on the horses. Despite her freight train attitude, Bee (who is half appaloosa) pulsed down without delay. Off to the vetting we went.
















The exam was uneventful, so we took the horses back to their pens. We offered them a variety of wet food, which they slurped up happily. I ran to change my pants, as they were giving me terrible rubs on both knees! I also changed to a sleeveless shirt as the temperature was climbing. Dodie had a bit of free time, so she came over to check in with us. All too soon, it was time to give elytes and tack up as the hold was over.








The second loop was 18 miles. Bee went out much more reasonably, which I was very thankful for. The clouds had disappeared and the sun was toasty. It felt more like July than May!








The trails in the woods provided welcome shade and lovely footing. Emu and Bee took turns leading.








There was a lovely lake water stop, where we sponged the horses and ourselves.








We saw the photog again as we made our way back to camp. The horses knew we were heading back so were forward but not silly (though Emu was suspicious the photog was going to jump on him as we went by).








We got into the hold, pulled tack, and splashed more water. The horses pulsed down quickly, so off to the vetting we went.
















Both horses vetted without issue, though I did need to trot Emu as Melissa’s ankle was bothering her (she badly broke her leg a few years ago and still has some nerve issues as a result).








The horses chowed down when back in their pens, then Bee took a nap. Melissa and I also ate and drank, then dosed the horses and tacked back up. Her ankle was still bothering her, but she was determined to finish the ride. Out we went for the final 12 mile loop.

To be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

Part 3:









From the start, Bee was mellow.. but after a mile or so, her mellow turned to sluggish. I commented to Melissa that her quarter seemed to be running out and Melissa joked that so was hers as her ankle was getting worse instead of better. However, we continued and Bee didn't perk up even with Emu leading. I started to be concerned that Bee wasn’t right, as she became less and less enthused about trotting and no longer wanted to snack while walking.








I pointed out the odd behavior to Melissa and debated calling Dodie. The lack of enthusiasm was maybe explainable by the fasted than intended pace the first loop, but the mare always ate. For her to not be interested in snacking was abnormal. As I was pulling out my phone to call Dodie, it started ringing - Dodie was calling me! Before I could say anything more than hello, she asked me if Bee was acting weird. I said indeed she was and I had been about to call her - how did she know?? Well, Dodie had gone back to the trailer hoping to catch us before we left, and noticed the syringe of elytes I had given Bee. They were not the right one!! Dodie didn’t realize she had packed some of the brand she used with her other horse.. a brand that caused some minor colic signs when she had tried them with Bee. Shiitake!!

At that point we were about halfway around the loop, so it wasn’t any quicker to turn around. Dodie said when it happened the last time, she just kept her moving and the mare worked out of it. I felt horrible having given the mare something that made her sick, but of course I had no way of knowing as I was just told to use what was in the bag. We kept on keeping on, but the next couple miles dragged as I worried every step of the way.








I give Bee so much credit that she never refused to go, even with an unhappy belly. I found she was most comfortable walking up the hills and trotting down, so that is what we did until she perked back up. I was never so happy to have a horse start nibbling grass! She was totally back to normal by the last few miles and trucked back towards camp with great enthusiasm.

We got back to camp and the horses were pulsed down before we had the tack off. We soaked them thoroughly to get all the sweat and dirt off, then went to vet.
















Both horses passed with flying colors, though Melissa was still lame so I trotted Emu, too. I was so relieved that Bee was back to normal, including getting all +s on her gut sounds. Whew!!


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## knightrider

Thank you, @SueC.

@phantomhorse13 , you have more varied and interesting adventures! Never a dull moment, is there? Or, as my mom would say, "If it isn't one thing, it's another." Sure is interesting to read about. Thanks for sharing.


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## weeedlady

@phantomhorse13 so glad to hear from you again. I know we've all been worried about you. Thank you for taking the time to share your adventures! I always look forward to reading your journal.


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## phantomhorse13

In June, the Old Dominion hosted AERC’s National Championships. Needless to say, that was a Really Big Deal for those of us involved! DH and I went down to Virginia on Tuesday to volunteer the rest of the week. I spent Wednesday helping with check in, so it was great to see old friends and put names to faces for people from other regions who I may have interacted with on the book of faces but never met previously. We had a brief pop up thunderstorm, which made us realize the tent rental company didn’t tie down the tent properly! There was some scrabbling for a solution as nobody had brought an extension ladder.. but DH to the rescue:








Yes, that is a ladder in the back of a gold cart. 🙃 Because he was able to get the tent secured, we didn’t have any other storms that day.

Thursday was the National Championship 55 mile ride. I was assigned to help at the Bird Haven hold (which is the first and third hold for the riders). I floated between taking pulses and helping the crewless riders. It was a lovely day with quite mild temps (only in the upper 70s!) and even the bugs weren’t too bad. Kathy was riding Fugi, so I got to briefly see her as well and Lani and Patti who were crewing for her. They wound up placing 10th (out 46 starters).









Friday was an open 55 and an open 25. Patti had asked me if I was interested in riding Dunkin and of course I was! Originally she had been aiming for the 55, but after Iggy popped a summer sore on his pastern the week before, we decided the LD was a smarter choice. The boys had traveling well and camped without issue. They both vetted in with all As and watched the 55s leave with interest. We got tacked up and moseyed around camp to warm up, then headed out on trail towards the end of the group.








The first loop is 16 miles. Dodie on Bee joined us for the start and we moseyed out. Dunkin went out in the lead of our group of 3 (and could not understand why we were going so slowly). We soon caught up to the rider in front of us (Amelia), who was happy to join our party. The horses took turns leading, with Amelia’s horse Zack doing particularly well over the rocks. Dunkin felt great, very forward but controllable.








The first time we saw the photog, Dunkin happened to be in the lead. He sure takes a lovely picture – can you tell we were having fun?!








Before long, we got to the start of the big climb. While walking up the hills, Bee with her massive walk soon left us in her dust. Dunkin trudged along, still fairly fed up with the too-slow pace (his previous owner did a lot of racing). 








Partway up the long climb, Iggy did not want to walk as fast as Dunkin or Zack but got fussy about falling behind, so we let him go first to prevent any issues. I swear Dunkin heaved a big sigh as Iggy went around him, but he slowed his pace to follow without argument.








When we got to the top, we were treated to some fabulous views. The weather was perfect – mid 70s, fairly low humidity, and a lovely breeze. I am not sure I have seen so far into the distance before because normally the humidity covers everything in haze.








After the climb, you drop down on some gravel road and make your way into the hold. The horses felt great and wanted to canter on the road, so we let them stretch their legs. We got into the hold, pulled tack, and splashed the horses with a bit of water. By dumb luck, Amelia had set up her crew spot just behind ours, so we were able to keep all the horses together. All three horses vetted through without incident, then chowed down during the hold. Kathy, Lani and Kelsie had beaten us to the hold, so were also beside us with Flo, Honey, and Dino.









To be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

Part 2:

The second loop is 9 miles and the horses knew they were heading back to camp. The horses felt great and we happily cantered past the photog as we went!








The trail back was a nice combo of atv road and singletrack, with only minor climbs (minor being relative to the first loop!). We all took turns leading, though kept the pace reasonable as Iggy isn’t a speed demon.








Dunkin was a bit disgusted at all the walking, but he was a good boy and behaved himself. We got so lucky with the amazing weather!








We moseyed back into camp without issues. We pulled tack and cooled the horses a bit, then went to pulse. I was surprised we had caught some riders who had apparently come in ahead of us, as we never saw anybody on trail the whole loop. But walking so much certainly makes pulsing faster! All 3 horses vetted without issue – completions!








We took Dunkin and Iggy back to Patti’s trailer and got them settled. Dunkin dove right into his lunch but Iggy was a bit skeptical. While he did eventually start eating, seeing his hesitation made us even more glad we hadn’t tried the 50.













Saturday was the National Championship 100 mile ride as well as an open 100. There were 40 entries between the two, which was super exciting considering the price of fuel, etc. Some rain had moved in overnight, so the 5:30 am start was a big soggy, but the rider and horses trotted out of camp with big smiles. DH was ambulance driving all day and I was a floating volunteer (to fill in where needed). We both were sent out to Bird Haven hold to start with. 

When we got to the P&R tent, we realized the rain overnight had caused a roof failure of the pop up canopy. Wanting to have somewhere to hide from the rain, we quickly improvised a solution:








I spent several hours pulsing horses. While the riders were a bit soggy, everyone agreed the cool and wet weather was wonderful for the horses. There were several lost shoes however, so the farrier was busy. The rain tapered off by 9 am, leaving a nice partly sunny and mild day. That may have been the least-hot OD I have ever attended! There was one lameness pull, so DH took that horse back to camp then headed to the Laurel Run check while I was off with the ride manager for my next task.

For the next several hours, I got to help organize the lights and generators that would be needed for the night checks. We got things sorted and loaded into the truck. Next step was the dinner for the vets and volunteers, which was also organized and loaded in to the truck. We drove around dropping stuff off, then landed at Bird Haven again to set things up. After the lights were set up, we split up to walk some of the trails on foot and hang the LED lights that would mark the trail after dark.








It was nice to walk after doing so much standing! The next stop was the Big 92 hold, where I met up with DH again. The dogs were chilling out waiting for pulled riders to comfort, so of course I stopped to visit them since there was a lull in the riders coming in. 








I spent a bit of time pulsing there, then it was time to go to Laurel Run to be ready for the front runners to arrive there. I had enough time to get things set up and then dig into dinner (yummy burritos) before the front runners arrived. I stayed at that hold until it closed at 2am, taking pulses and helping riders as needed. DH arrived with the ambulance trailer about 10pm, so he and the dogs helped, too.








When the last rider was safely on their way to the final hold, we got Laurel Run totally broken down and packed up into the OD trailer. Many hands made light work and it was amazing how fast things got done. We got back to camp about 3 and were very happy to fall into bed.

Amazing weekend!


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## phantomhorse13

Now to play catch up on the mundane things.. 

The AERC convention back in March was a bit of a whirlwind but overall fun and successful. Patti also went out to convention, so it was great to see her and catch up. Because we were both still on Eastern time, we would meet at 5 am local time and walk laps around the casino before my meetings started. I got to see some amazing speakers in between meetings. I got super lucky flying home as my flights were neither delayed nor canceled (I was one of only 3 board members who didn’t have flights majorly disrupted!)

Once I got home, I was pleased to see the overall swelling on Phin’s LF leg had disappeared. However, there was a hard lump on the inside of his cannon – he gave himself a splint! He didn’t react to my pushing on it, so I decided to ride in the ring to see how he felt. Momma nature thought she was funny by sending snow..




While Phin was forward and willing, I was feeling weird steps every so often. The perplexing thing was the weird steps seemed to happen with either front leg! But the fact I was feeling anything made it clear that _something_ was going on, so I gave him a month off.

So that meant George exclusively was back to carting my butt around. He was very good natured about taking both Kestrel and Kali for walks when possible. I also rode Amish off and on as the weather cooperated. I rode with Nik and Copper when possible, and we always had a blast.

































I got out a couple times with Dodie, both on the lovely Bee and on her green mare Safiah.

































After a month off, I tried Phin again. While he was seemingly happy, he was still taking weird steps.. and those weird steps were on his RF – not the leg with the splint. Shiitake.








So more time off it was..



To be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

Part 2 of catch-up:

At the end of April, Patti invited me for a mid-week riding getaway. I flew down to South Carolina and then we hauled Iggy and her new horse Dunkin to the Leatherwood mountains of North Carolina. [Dunkin came from another mutual friend and had been her adult daughter’s endurance horse. So he is experienced, but new to Patti.] I had heard lots of things about the Leatherwood trails being tough but beautiful (there is an endurance ride there in the fall). We rented a “cabin” with a small barn and paddock. The place was amazing, with a 4 stall barn and a paddock for the horses, and the cabin had a full kitchen, living room with satellite tv, and two bedroom suites so Patti and I each had our own king bed and bathroom!








We got the horses settled and our stuff into the house and unpacked (we brought food knowing nothing was really in reasonable driving distance and the facility’s restaurant had not reopened after COVID). We decided we had enough time for a quick ride, so got the horses tacked up and I consulted the map to pick our route. 

I rode Iggy and Patti rode Dunkin. This was the first either of the boys had seen hills in a long time, so we took our time. The trails were technical in many places and we were glad they were dry!
















We got back just as the sun was setting, so great timing and lovely photo op.








The next morning we were both up early, wanting to get a ride in before Patti had some work meetings. I mapped a route I hoped would give us about a two hour ride. 








I rode Iggy again and Patti rode Dunkin. The trail map had a difficulty rating for each segment, so I tried to pick easy and medium trails, as one we had done the previous night and been marked difficult and actually was! There was also a phone app that gave our location on the trail system map in real time, so that was reassuring as we had no cell service.
















We rode about 6 miles, which took us the couple hours we had wanted as we did a lot of walking the hills.
















We got back to the house in plenty of time to get the boys a snack and settled before Patti had her work meetings.








To be continued..


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## lb27312

@phantomhorse13 - Wow you were close! Leatherwood can be difficult but once you get up there it can be a really nice ride! They use to have well marked trails and say which ones were difficult vs easier..... but keep in mind some people thinking easy no worries!!?? Would be very wrong! lol Great pics!!


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## phantomhorse13

Part 3 of catch-up:

While Patti was working, I went out onto the deck to sit in the hot tub and watch the predicted rain move in.








The rain seemed to end by mid-afternoon, so we tacked up the horses and headed out. Momma nature sent one last shower after we were out, so we were pleased we had picked raingear jackets just to be safe! The ground wasn’t terrible, but I was glad I had picked a route that was not super technical. Patti asked me if I was interested in riding Dunkin and I had said yes!
















We took turns leading, but kept the pace casual and did a lot of chatting. Dunkin is not as comfortable as Iggy but not nearly as bouncy as Phin. He is also more looky than Iggy, but again, nothing compared to Phin. I had a good time riding him and the area was beautiful!
















The ride took about how long I expected. While the trail markings weren’t quite as clear as the previous ride’s, I had been able to figure it out with only a couple quick checks of the app. After getting the boys settled for the evening, we made dinner and took it out onto the back deck. Momma nature treated us to a lovely sunset:








The next morning we were up early again, as we wanted to get in a ride before check out time. I had planned a route on trails we hadn’t used before, as we wanted to see as much as possible. We from the start, things didn’t go according to plan, as the second trail we were supposed to use was closed! That left me scrabbling for an alternative route. We did find one, but it was marked difficult and they weren’t kidding – and it hadn’t been maintained! We scrambled over downed trees and slithered down steep grades. We eventually got back to a medium trail and were so thankful!








When we got to the next intersection, the signs did not match the map – at all. We couldn’t just backtrack as no way were we going up the unmaintained mess of a trail, so we had to just pick the trail that seemed to be in the direction we wanted to go and hope it was open..








Thank goodness for the app, as that showed where we actually were in relation to the map trails. I was getting fairly anxious about not being back to the house on time to make check out, but we were doing the best we could.








When we got to another intersection and the trail that would have gone most directly back to the cabin was closed, I knew we were going to use up all the time cushion we had built into the morning. The terrain wasn’t terrible, but it was all climb back to the cabin so we didn’t want to push the horses.








We got back to the house about 30 minutes later than expected, having ridden at least a couple more miles than anticipated. Patti thought it was funny and called down to the registration people to explain what happened while I finished loading the rig. The boys had slurped down their wet snacks while we ran around making sure nothing was forgotten. We got the boys loaded down to the main building only 15 minutes late – pretty remarkable as far as I was concerned.

The haul back to Patti's was uneventful, as was my flight home the next day.

To be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

lb27312 said:


> They use to have well marked trails and say which ones were difficult vs easier..... but keep in mind some people thinking easy no worries!!?? Would be very wrong!


Yes! I have to say we were skeptical at first about the trail ratings, but they sincerely meant difficult!! And I know many people who would have been complaining about 'easy' not being accurate either. 🙃


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## phantomhorse13

Part 5 of catch-up:

May gradually brought better weather so I tried to ride as much as my schedule allowed. I was mostly riding George but also got a couple rides with Dodie. George started becoming more and more spooky, and over things like different heights of grass or weeds that were brown in the middle of the green grass. His eyes appeared normal to me, but he sure acted like he couldn’t see well. The melonomas on the sides of his neck were continuing to grow, so I worried they were pushing on his spine.









































As June arrived, the spookiness continued and George started stumbling. At first the two things went together, but as time went on, he was stumbling for no apparent reason, too. I talked to the farrier about it, but he wasn’t showing any unusual wear on his shoes and his toes are always kept as short as possible. Even with another horse as company, his behaviors didn’t improve.








































To be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

Part 6 of catch-up:

Link had turned 6 in the beginning of May, so was likely done growing. With the more consistent weather, I decided it was time to try working him again. Dr Kathy had suggested trying him in a longeing system and that corresponded with research I had done. A wonderful friend had one she wasn't using, so she offered it to me to use as long as I needed it. Dr Kathy suggested using that for a couple weeks before trying anything under saddle.

To start with, I just brought him up and planned to work him in the pen naked. Link was his normal amicable self about everything.. he came in without fuss. Stood and ate his hay while I groomed him, then went out to the pen and worked without complaint. The second day I introduced the contraption and Link didn’t bat an eye (I had it adjusted very loosely of course). The third and fourth days I set it so it had just a bit of contact on his mouth. Every day I carefully checked his back for any sign of soreness before we started. One day I saw some muscle fasciculations when he came over to help me clean the water tank, but he never reacted to my palpations or brushing

Link soon progressed to a bit more contact and then what I considered the full amount of contact needed. He did all the normal things a horse does when trying to figure something out (head too high, head too low, etc) but he eventually found the sweet spot. I kept the sessions to no more than 20 minutes total (including warm up without the contraption hooked to his mouth).








After a week of daily longeing, I decided it was time to try with the saddle. I went back to the treeless, wanting to start from the beginning. Link was fine to tack up, not so much as twitching when the girth was put on and then tightened. We went out to the round pen and I asked him to move off. He immediately jumped into a disjointed canter, put his head down, and started crow hopping.  Shiitake – he’d never done that before. Ever. I corrected the behavior and worked him a bit more. He didn’t offer to buck again, but I decided not to get on.

The next day, I brought Link in and it was the same old, same old. He stood and ate his hay while I groomed him and didn’t move when I put the saddle on. Went out into the round pen and he moved around perfectly. Time to get on:




As you can see, it was totally uneventful. But notice the overly low head and neck posture..

The next day, Link willingly came in and stood quietly while I groomed him.. until I got to his legs. Then he shifted around a bit. Hmm. His back didn’t react to my palpating it, so on went the saddle. He stood for the placement, but he moved a couple steps when I tightened the girth. Hmm. Went out to the paddock, intending to climb up the outside of the round pen and get on. But before I even got the reins over his head, Link was staring off I to the corner, head up and eyes staring. As I looked for what he was looking at (and didn’t see anything), he started snorting in alarm.








I certainly wasn’t getting on with him in that state, so we started walking in the direction he was staring. Got about halfway across the paddock and I suddenly saw what he had seen:








And yes, that is on the _inside_ of the fence!! I spent the next 10 minutes attempting to coax the fawn to leave through the gate I opened, but it kept running past the open space and flinging itself against the fence. Link was not impressed every time the fence rattled, but he did finally calm when it eventually found the open space and then disappeared out into the corn. I took Link back to the round pen and climbed up and then aboard.








Link wasn’t nearly as tense as I expected him to be. We walked a small circle and I was just asking him to walk towards where the deer had been when a thudding sound started and rapidly got closer – a [email protected] helicopter flew over moments later.  Talk about you can’t make this sh!t up!! Link got very tense, but he didn’t move his feet as it flew over and then disappeared into the distance. At that point _my_ nerves were pretty shot, so we rode a whole 7 minutes (doing a bit of walk and trot) and I called it good.

The following day, I worked Link again. While he was fine to catch, he didn’t want to eat his hay in the stall. While he didn’t react to his back being touched or brushed, he did dance a bit for brushing his legs. He stood for the saddle to be placed on, but moved around before I even had the girth touching him. _sigh_ 

Took him out into the yard and hand walked him around. While he stayed at my side without issue, he was tense and looking at everything. He had a couple big spooks at the wiggling leaves on the bushes. When I brought him up to the mounting block, he stepped his hind end away. Shiitake. I asked him to step back and he did, which earned him a cookie.. which he took, but promptly dropped without eating. I swung a leg over and he felt like sitting on a bomb. We walked a small lap of the yard and he was spooking at everything and nothing.








Shiitake. 😖

I contacted Dr Kathy to schedule an appointment for her to see both Link and Phin for full lameness workups. Phin’s lameness had not only not resolved with the time off, it seemed to be worsening. It was time for diagnostics and hopefully some answers..

To be continued..


----------



## phantomhorse13

Part 7 of catch-up:

On a totally different note, on June 22 I became a godmother when Christine’s mare Gracelyn released her hostage! Christine has never foaled out a mare before nor handled a foal (Gracelyn is a maiden mare), so I was happy to offer my assistance when she asked (I spent several years working on a breeding farm so am very familiar with the process). Gracelyn was kind enough to start foaling about 8:30 at night, which was very civilized of her.








Gracelyn’s foaling went by the book initially, but not long after that picture was taken, she got to her feet and would not lay down again. She pushed a bit more – enough to clear the foal’s head - but once she got to the shoulders she gave up, and just stood there. Christine was an anxious mess when things were going appropriately, so when things came to a standstill she was in tears. I tried to make light of it to start with, comparing Gracelyn (who has a fairly upright neck carriage) to a giraffe.. but when 10 minutes passed with no more progress and only light contractions, I knew it was time to assist.

I explained to Christine that I was going to help things along, as there hadn’t been any progress at all. I wasn’t sure how Gracelyn would take to that assistance, as being tolerant of people during normal circumstances does not always translate when they are in pain and upset. Thankfully, Gracelyn seemed to understand I was trying to help. She didn’t object to my approaching or crouching behind her. I kept a steady tension on the foal’s legs until I felt even the slightest bit on contraction and then pulled harder. The shoulders cleared, but the hips hung for a moment. That gave me enough time to warn Christine (who was standing nearby) that the next contraction would have the foal free.. meaning it would go plopping to the ground with a thud and that there would be some bleeding as the umbilical cord broke.

I give Christine a ton of credit that after an initial horrified face, she was able to pull herself together enough to get in beside me and help with lowering the foal to the ground (so there was no thud). Of course, what seems to be a massive amount of blood comes from the severed umbilical cord, but I was more interested in getting the sac off the foal and making sure it was breathing. I was super pleased the foal was very feisty, with head up and legs moving immediately. I wiped his nose with a towel but had little concern about inhaled fluids (maybe the only plus to a standing birth).

Gracelyn stood without moving while we attended to the foal. After a few minutes, when she still hadn’t shown any interest in what she produced, I went up and rubbed my wet hands on her nose (Christine was toweling off the foal). Instinct is such an amazing thing, as you could see Gracelyn suddenly wake up and realize that my hands smelled fascinating! After she licked them a couple times, I asked her to turn around and notice the foal. After a first initial startle, she went right to cleaning up the foal herself. Whew!








The sire of the foal (an Arabian) is also black, so Christine was expecting a black foal and was hoping for a filly. Surprise! She got a red colt. But while he might not have got mom’s color, he did inherit her tobiano and has some chrome.








We got them both cleaned up, the stall cleaned, and then waited for the placenta to pass. Gracelyn took her sweet time with that too, but did eventually produce it whole. The foal did all the things he was supposed to do (stand, nurse, pass hist first poop, etc) and then finally gave up to nap.








Since that night, I have tried to go over at least a couple times a week to see him. I have been showing Christine how to do things like practice picking up his feet.








Puck learned to wear a halter, which caused quite a tantrum the very first time it stayed on.








But with a bit of time and practice, he figured out he would survive. 








We have also started with the basics of leading.




Puck met the farrier for the first time and was very good about his feet being handled.








Of course, he wants to try to nibble (or outright chomp) on anything and everything around him, so we have lots of amusing pics of his nose!








Puck loves his afternoon naps, but it took him a bit to let us approach him while he was laying down. After a couple sessions, Mr Independent figured out he would get scratches even when laying down.








To be continued..


----------



## phantomhorse13

Part 8 of catch-up:

As June turned to July, George kept getting progressively worse with the spooking and the stumbling. I started shortening the rides and letting him pick the pace.
















Things came to a head one afternoon when we were walking back down the airport strip from Alimar. The ride had been with Gina, so hardly taxing in terms of speed or distance.








George stumbled and couldn’t catch himself. He went down on his face and his knees, then scrambled for a moment. I jumped off and he was able to pop back up. He somehow wasn’t hurt, but I suspected our riding days were drawing to an end.

The next day, we went for a ride with Nik and Copper.








While walking along the edges of a flat field on the way home, George tripped and fell again. I called Nancy when I got home, but I already knew the answer in my gut. And indeed, Nancy confirmed that George was doing the best he could, but he had very limited vision in one eye and felt wobbly all the time. George had more than earned his retirement - no more riding for him. 😭

I was lucky to still get some riding in with various friends. Nicole was back from Florida and wanted to see how riding would do with her back (she is still having disc issues), so I have ridden both Polo and Hombre.
















Nik had family come into town for a two-week visit, so offered me Copper to ride.
















I also went over to NJ to ride with my friend Dom. I had the pleasure of taking her mare Booger out on trail (the first time she had ever been ridden out by anybody but her owner).
















To be continued..


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## ClearDonkey

@phantomhorse13 so sorry to hear about George's official retirement.

Puck is a PERFECT little dude!!! What a cutie!


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## knightrider

The story of Puck's birth was wonderful . . . the rest . . . not so good. I am so sorry.


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## phantomhorse13

ClearDonkey said:


> Puck is a PERFECT little due!!! What a cutie!


I think so, too! _So_ pleased for Christine to get something that will hopefully suit her needs perfectly. Tho maybe I should hope she doesn't like how he develops, so he can come home with me!


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> The story of Puck's birth was wonderful . . . the rest . . . not so good. I am so sorry.


Yeah, having to retire George was a tough one. So many good miles..


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## phantomhorse13

Part 9 of catch-up:

On July 19th, DH and I loaded up Phin and Link and traveled down to Virginia for the appointment with Dr Kathy. Their eventing coach is gracious enough to let Kathy use her facility for her lameness evaluations, so I got to see Fluffy, Teabiscuit, and Oakum while we were there, as well as meet Fluffy’s teenage rider Addison. We arrived a bit early so the horses had a few minutes to relax before our appointment.








Once everyone arrived (Dr Lani too!), Dr Kathy wanted to do Phin’s workup first. That meant Link got to chill out in a small paddock. He was so happy to see fresh grass that he didn’t care when Phin went the other direction! [We have been in a severe drought, so all the grass at home is crispy.]








Addison and Steph assisted Dr Kathy with Phin’s assessment so I was able to just be a hysterical owner. I did take him on a quick walk back and forth beside the jumps where he would be trotting, knowing he would be worried about the fences. Then I did the initial jog, just to make sure he would be reasonable for Addison passing the monsters (which he was). 

Steph put on the three sensors for the Lameness Locator system – one on his poll, one in the center of his pelvis and one on a front leg. He was a bit perplexed, but he stood quietly for the application.








Addison was the trotting handler, so she jogged him both in straight lines and in circles as Dr Kathy requested. After the initial reading (which showed lameness of his RF), Dr Kathy tried hoof testers








and various flexions of that RF.








When neither of those things made any difference, it was time to start blocking. She started at the bottom, blocking the foot. That showed about a 75% improvement in his lameness. Shiitake. Dr Kathy did the next block up, which covers the suspensories. That showed Phin was 100% improved.. double shiitake.








Dr Kathy ultrasounded his suspensory branches but did not find any lesions, just inflammation. She strongly suspects Phin has a tear in his DDFT where it attaches in his foot. The suspensory sensitivity appears to be compensatory. Because you can’t ultrasound inside the hoof, the only way to verify would be with MRI.. but Dr Kathy felt strongly that was the only answer that fit the diagnostic results.

Prognosis poor. 😖 In time, the tear may heal, but it’s highly unlikely he will ever compete again. At this point, I plan to give him a year off and hope he will be serviceably sound enough for normal trail riding.

Then we moved on to Link. He was pretty worried about the jumps as he’d never seen anything like that before, so I walked him up and down and then jogged him up and down. He was a bit high headed but behaved perfectly. I showed the doctors his inability to bend his neck to the right in the same way he could to the left. Steph applied the Lameness Locator sensors without issue and then I handed him over to Addison for the evaluation.








Link looked sound to us and the magic machine agreed. Dr Kathy asked me to saddle him up and repeated the tests. Still sound.








Dr Kathy then moved on to spinal x-rays. They started just ahead of his withers and worked their way back. 








I knew from Dr Lani’s intense focus on the screen and the repeating of a couple views that they found something. Shiitake.

Sadly, they didn’t just find something – they found two somethings. Link has a malformation of the T17&T18 vertebra which results in a massive issue with the facet joints. As if that wasn’t enough, he also had a malformation of C6&C7 or ECVM (equine cervical vertebral malformation). The fact he was ever riding sound was pretty miraculous, but he would certainly never be riding sound again. In fact, both conditions were likely causing him some level of constant pain.. and they would progress. Prognosis grave. 💔

We loaded up to go home and made a stop at Sheetz to fuel up, then for DH to run inside for some lunch. The boys were very relaxed and seemed to enjoy watching the traffic go by as we waited.








We got home without incident and the boys were happy to go into the paddock and roll off the cooties.

Since then, my heart has had a bit of a chance to catch up to what my head suspected. I scheduled an appointment to have Nancy talk with the entire herd and DH was there to hear it, too. Hearing more of my suspicions confirmed was tough (Sultan is also failing), but it was even harder on DH who doesn’t deal with the horses directly much so was able to ignore what he didn’t want to see. The plan right now is to let Link and Sultan go together. Buddies to the end. 😭

To be continued..


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## knightrider

Oh, such tragic news. I was worried that something like that might be the case. My heart is just sick for you. ((((Hugs))))


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## gottatrot

Oh wow, such terrible news. I'm so very sad to hear about your horses. Part of me also imagines what horses go through when their owners don't pay attention to the signs of physical problems and just push and ignore and punish horses along. So that small part is glad that your horses have such a wonderful owner. My heart goes out to you.


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## ClearDonkey

I am so sorry and sad to hear this terrible, tragic news. Thinking of you and the herd.


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## weeedlady

Keeping you in my thoughts. I can't imagine how you must be hurting.


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## phantomhorse13

Thanks for all the kind words. The hardest part of having animals is the fact they don't live long enough. Or in the case of horses, are constantly trying to find ways to kill themselves..


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## phantomhorse13

Part 10 of catch-up:

I think we have all heard the phrase “it’s the bad times that show us who our true friends are.” That has certainly been the case for me. I have been so blessed with friends who are willing to share their horses with me!

On the 17th, Dodie brought Bee and her hackney pony Willow up to our place for a ride. Willow rides and drives and I was surprised how comfortable she was even with all her knee and hock action! We did the yellow gate loop. 








Willow is super brave, so was a ton of fun to ride. She didn’t even blink an eye when someone on a riding lawnmower and a motorcycle passed at the same time while we were riding down the (short!) section of road to get to Alimar’s driveway.








8.61 miles, 1339 feet of climb, 3.6 mph average pace, 89F

On the 19th, I got Copper out as Nik was still busy with her company. I planned on the Sugarloaf loop as I was taking Kali along for the first time (we had ridden the loop without incident last time with just Kestrel). I had to laugh when the first thing we camp upon was the water tanker filling up! But Copper was a good boy and went right past it.








After that, the rest of the ride was cake. We had some deer hop up in a couple spots, but the dogs flushed them before we got close so Copper barely startled. He is a lot like Phin in terms of his personality, so I find riding him to be challenging yet fun.








5.84 miles, 875 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 92F


On the 20th, I went over to ride with Nicole and Meghan, who had hauled up for an overnight. I rode Hombre. The weather was much hotter than forecast, so we turned the planned medium mountain loop into the small mountain loop.








After the ride, we took the horses to cool off in the pond. Hombre loves to swim!








7-20-22 Hombre & me swimming







www.youtube.com




6.26 miles, 688 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 95F

On the 22nd, I went back to NJ to ride with Dom. I again rode Booger. We went out super early to beat the heat and tried to stick as close to water as possible. That area is having a severe drought too, so places that should have been knee deep or more looked like this:








That trail system weaves around farms:








and various other private land:








Booger was lovely to ride, forward and happy. She is a bit reactive, but nothing compared to Phin so I found her antics amusing more than anything.








9.84 miles, 695 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 90F

To be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

Last Saturday, Nik asked me to get Copper out. Unfortunately, he was minus a hind shoe, so that limited our riding to the fields. I decided it would be a great day for a walk-only ride, which would be a good test for how well Copper could deal with his anxiety. While he did jig a handful of times, he settled back to a flat walk without too much issue. I was super pleased!

If you look closely over his right ear, you can see a buck in the fog!








2.49 miles, 292 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 82F

Tuesday, I was supposed to ride with Nicole but life happened and she wasn’t able to. However, she asked me if I had time to ride both the horses and I did. The weather was lovely with relatively low humidity. I started with Polo. We did what I think of as the medium flat loop, which goes out around the fields and then back across the tree farm.








Polo was his normal super forward self, so I had to keep reminding him he wasn’t as fit as he thought he was! I always think Polo is super fun to ride, though he is spooky enough to keep me on my toes. At least he is comfortable while being silly!








9.48 miles, 610 feet of climb, 5.5 mph average pace, 76F

Next up was Hombre. I used my treeless saddle as he seemed very unhappy in the Specialized last time (and had a big dry spot after the ride). He still gets very tense for tacking up, especially the fly spraying part, but he stands still like a good boy. Today, he stood like a rock beside the mounting block, let me get on without moving, and then turned around to ask for his cookie. Huge improvement! We did the same basic loop as Polo.








On the way back, I wound up having to take a slightly different route as some workers were out doing something in a field and had vehicles parked on the path. Hombre was probably the best behaved he’s ever been for me – maybe he was just as happy to be out as I was. I had forgotten how nice it is to ride a horse who isn’t spooky!








9.27 miles, 699 feet of climb, 5.4 mph average pace, 80F

Wednesday, I went over to help Gina with her new project. Biscuit is a draft cross gelding that came from the same hack stable as Honey. Gina’s friend Deb took him when the stable closed down, but she doesn’t really ride any more so he’s been standing in her paddock getting fat for the past few years. Another friend of Gina’s (Suz) wants to start riding again, so Gina hoped Biscuit will suit her. But she wanted to be the first to get on Biscuit just to make sure there were no surprises.

Biscuit acted like no time had passed. He was fine to tack up and didn’t object to Gina climbing on. I led him around the ring a couple times without issue. Then I took off the lead rope and climbed on Amish. We walked around the ring a few more times.








Then we headed out to do a short loop around Alimar. It was uneventful.
1.97 miles, 210 feet of climb, 3.6 mph average pace, 88F

Then, I met up with Nik and Copper for a ride. We did the Sugarloaf loop. Of course - because it’s me - there had to be traffic (that is the electric company working on replacing the lines):








It was quite warm, but we took it easy on the climbs. Amish felt great and Copper behaved well.








5.43 miles, 886 feet of climb, 4.1 mph average pace, 93F


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## QueenofFrance08

I was really hoping to win the lottery so we could buy a special horse airplane to drop different horses off to hang out at your house every week. Guess we're going to have to wait until the next big jackpot!


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## lb27312

Wow @phantomhorse13 - what devastating news.... and wow on Link! I know you had such big plans for him..... so sorry for what you are going through.... You're in my thoughts


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## carshon

@phantomhorse13 I am sure that writing about Link, Sultan and Phin have only made the pain resurface. I must admit I had tears flowing when I read the diagnosis for both those boys. I just want you to know that I appreciate you sharing and that my thoughts are with you.


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## phantomhorse13

I have gotten some saddle time this week!

Monday, Gina asked me if I would ride Biscuit. Nik agreed to babysit on Copper. We started briefly in the ring, where Biscuit proved to be unenthused about leading but that seemed to be more insecurity/confusion than unwillingness. He willingly follows along (no surprise seeing as he was a hack string horse). We went out across Spaulding's and over to the top pond on Ziesloft's. Biscuit wasn't so sure about Kestrel being around to start with (he tried to stomp her once, which got a strong reprimand). I kept a very close eye on that afterwards, but by about the third time Kestrel went by, he stopped caring at all. We did mostly walk with a bit of trot and I had a great time being a tourist.








We did a short loop around Alimar on the way back. In the outdoor, I asked for canter and got several strides of choppy, pony-strided canter which had me giggling as he seemed so confused! While I did ask him to go first a couple times, we spent most of the time following as I didn't want to push things too much on our first outing.








4.16 miles, 535 feet of climb, 3.5 average pace, 86F

Next, I got Amish out. We did the Sugarloaf loop. The skies were heavy with clouds, but not a drop of rain fell.








Amish was feeling good and wanted to go much faster than I would let him, but since he was by himself he begrudgingly agreed to walk the hills.








The geese have started their migration (it seems very early?), so Kestrel gleefully removes them from the trail when needed:








8-1-22 Kestrel clearing geese







www.youtube.com




7.52 miles, 1089 feet of climb, 4.8 average pace, 88F

Tuesday, I went over to ride Nicole's horses as she is still stuck out of town. Twist my arm! I started with Hombre. We did the medium mountain loop.








Hombre was on his best behavior. He was forward and seemed happy, not even having issues turning down trails away from home.








8.28 miles, 586 feet of climb, 5.4 average pace, 87F

Next was Polo and we did the same route. Polo, however, was not have a good day. He had a complete tantrum at the intersection where I asked him to turn a way he didn't want to go - to the point of throwing himself off the trail and into the bushes! But I just kept his head turned the way I wanted to go until he finally decided I wasn't giving up. Guess ya can't blame him for trying?! But makes me wonder what the other woman who has been riding him some is letting him do..








Thankfully the tantrum was not repeated at any additional intersections and the rest of the ride was quite pleasant.








8.26 miles, 585 feet of climb, 5.4 average pace, 90F


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## weeedlady

Glad you are getting chances to ride. I'd been missing your posts. I still often ask myself, "what would @phantomhorse13 do" and I tell Tucker we have to ride until he finds his brain. Your skills have been so valuable to me.


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## phantomhorse13

On Thursday, I went over to ride Nicole's horses again. Knowing it was going to be crazy hot, I went very early. I started with Polo. We did the medium flat loop.








While the loop doesn't have much climb, but it is much worse for bugs! Polo was not very happy about the bugs, but behaved well otherwise. I got a good chuckle out of these newly-posted signs:








7.72 miles, 505 feet of climb, 5.3 average pace, 80F

Next was Hombre. We did the same loop.








The temp was rising fast so I was very glad I had started so early.








After we finished the loop, I pulled his tack and we went back over to the pond. Hombre loves to swim so I figured it was more fun than hosing him off and I think he agreed!
7.21 miles on trail, 0.51 miles in the pond, 513 feet of climb, 5.3 average pace, 87F

Yesterday, I got Copper out. Both Kestrel and Kali were able to come too! We did the Sugarloaf loop as that lets the dogs get into several ponds to cool off and drink. We also got to inspect the most recent work on the pole power line (which is being replaced):








Copper was a little on edge because of all the wildlife jumping out of everywhere, but overall he was very good. He may also have been a little out of sorts as we were expecting storms later (that would certainly have made Phin on edge and Copper seems to have a very similar personality).








545 miles, 866 feet of climb, 4.8 average pace, 90F


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## phantomhorse13

weeedlady said:


> I'd been missing your posts. I still often ask myself, "what would @phantomhorse13 do" and I tell Tucker we have to ride until he finds his brain. Your skills have been so valuable to me.


I appreciate knowing that you are reading and actually getting something useful out of my journal. I think it's so much better when we can learn from one another (especially if it keeps us from repeating mistakes). That is why I try to post the bad as well as the good things.


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## Celeste

I always enjoy your posts. I love all the pictures that you post too! Great job.


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## phantomhorse13

I had planned to ride Nicole's horses last Monday, but the crazy weather had me change my plans (with a real feel of 93F at 6 am, riding didn't sounds like any fun at all). Instead, I went over for a brief visit with Puck. He is growing like a weed!

















Tuesday, DH and I went down to the shore to visit my parents. We stayed the entire week - the best place to be when the temperatures are insane. The ocean has been unusually cold, so the cool breeze coming off the ocean was wonderful.









Yesterday, I went over to Nicole's to ride. I started with Polo and did the short, flat loop.








Polo was very well-behaved, even braving the crazy road construction without issue!








7.18 miles, 499 feet of climb, 5.9 mph average pace, 85F real feel

Next was Hombre. We did the same loop. I had to laugh when a new abandoned wheelchair had appeared in the pile since Polo had passed! Thankfully, the wheelchair graveyard doesn't bother Hombre at all (not even when crazy squirrels jump out of it).








The forecast had been for a high of 80, but it felt a lot hotter than that by the time we finished. I was sorry I hadn't brought along my swimming clothes, as going in the pond would have felt great.








7.17 miles, 481 feet of climb, 5.2 mph average pace, 92F real feel

And then the best part.. when I was done riding, I loaded up Hombre and took him home!








Nicole was gracious enough to offer me a care lease for as long as I wanted to ride him.

















Hombre has his own paddock, as I knew Phin would be a jerk and I didn't want anybody hurt. Luckily, Hombre ignored Phin's posturing totally and kept back from the fence so teeth couldn't be used.


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## weeedlady

Yay for Hombre! 
We have all kinds of graveyards around here- mostly cars, appliances and furniture. It's even rumored that we have a Bob's Big Boy Graveyard somewhere in the vicinity, but the location is a secret and I haven't found it yet. 
Are you familiar with Bob's Big Boy Restaurants? They started in Michigan I guess, and they all had a huge statue of a plump kid holding a hamburger and grinning. Someone gathered several abandoned Big Boys and plopped them down in the middle of the woods somewhere. That would definitely be spook worthy!

Glad Hombre has come to stay with you!


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## phantomhorse13

weeedlady said:


> Someone gathered several abandoned Big Boys and plopped them down in the middle of the woods somewhere. That would definitely be spook worthy!


That sounds like a great Halloween prank.. but I cannot imagine trotting around a corner in the woods and coming upon a bunch of those!!

There is a weird house on the way to Nicole's that used to have metal sculptures/art hiding in the bushes etc.. imagine robots with giant eyes, etc. It creeped me out just driving past it, so I can't imagine finding stuff like that out on trail.


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, we let Link and Sultan go..








































💔 😭 💔


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## weeedlady

I am so sorry.


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## egrogan

I am so very sorry for the huge hole left in their absence. Thinking of you ❤


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## ClearDonkey

Thinking of you, your family, and your herd. I am so sorry for your loss of these two.


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## boatagor

I am so very sorry for your losses.


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## knightrider

I am so sorry. My heart is just aching for you. Tonight is such a sad and empty time. Prayers and (((((hugs))))) to you.


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## Txshecat0423

I’m so sorry for your loss. Hugs to you and your herd.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Chevaux

I am sorry. I did not want to hear that but it was the right thing to do.


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## TrainedByMares

I am sorry for your loss.


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## carshon

Sorry does not begin to cover it, I am at a loss for words. My heart aches for you and DH!


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## Celeste

I am so sorry.


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## gottatrot

Feeling for you very much...so sorry you have to go through this.


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## phantomhorse13

Thank you for all the kinds words. I think only horsey people can truly understand what DH and I have been feeling..

I did get some more saddle time this week.

Wednesday, I got Hombre out for his first ride since coming home with me. I rode with Nik and Copper, as Gina canceled. We did the Sugarloaf loop. Copper has been a bit overly reactive lately, so Nik asked if we would go first.








Hombre marched along without a concern in the world, including ignoring Kestrel. He only flicked an ear the couple times deer jumped out of the corn - I can get used to riding a non-reactive horse!!








6.83 miles, 958 feet of climb, 4.2 mph average pace, 84F real feel

Thursday, I went over to ride with Nicole. I rode Polo and Nicole rode Siri. A woman who came to try out a saddle Nicole was selling also rode with us on her lovely gelding Sinatra. We did the medium, flat loop.








Polo was very well behaved, but Siri was a bit of a grump about the new horse. Apparently her pregnancy hormones are flowing as she normally doesn't care about other horses.








The lady did buy the saddle, so the ride was a success!
8.14 miles, 416 feet of climb, 4.2 mph average pace, 87F real feel

Friday, I rode with Nik and Copper again. Gina apparently won't be riding with Hombre, as she told Nik it wouldn't be fair to Amish to make him try to keep up with a gaited horse. That is particularly funny, as the woman who owned Amish before Gina is a friend of Nicole's, so Amish and Hombre have shared a lot of trail!! 

Both dogs were also along, so we decided on the medium yellow gate loop as that would give them the most access to water (and the weather was yet again similar to what you would expect for a Texas morning!).








Hombre was a bit of a pill about standing to be sponged in the creek (he doesn't much like water being put upon him or standing still in general), so we worked on that a bit. By the second place I sponged, Hombre was less squirrely (though still not very happy - but being unhappy while standing still was an improvement!).








That is the first picture I have of Hombre posed somewhere where his ears are actually forward!! Maybe he was happy we were heading home. 🤪
9.21 miles, 1667 feet of climb, 4.3 mph average pace, 90F real feel

A close up of the headgear Hombre is wearing:








The halter and the browband were Link's. I hope he is watching over us and cleaning our path..


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## phantomhorse13

Today, DH and I (and Kestrel and Kali) went out to do some trail maintenance, as a couple sections on the yellow gate loop were basically grown closed. We started out where the main farm hits the base of the Tomhicken.








Then we drove around to the top of that logging road and cleared to the power lines. One section of that trail was just about impassable!
Before:








After:








Before: 








After:








Where that darker dirt is used to be a perpetual puddle fed by a spring.. we are in such a severe drought that it's dry for the first time ever. 😖

The dogs had a blast supervising our work..








but Kali was exhausted by the time we got back to the truck!

__
Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18
Show Content










Six hours of manual labor and countless scratches.. but that trail is going to be SOOOO nice to ride now!


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## knightrider

Can you tell us a little bit about Hombre? I know you have, in the past, but I get mixed up about all the many horses you ride. Is he a Paso? What is his temperament like? His gait? What things do you enjoy about him? What things are not your favorite?


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## Chevaux

Love the pic of the dogs on the rock😁


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> Can you tell us a little bit about Hombre? I know you have, in the past, but I get mixed up about all the many horses you ride. Is he a Paso? What is his temperament like? His gait? What things do you enjoy about him? What things are not your favorite?


Hombre is a 16 or 17yo Peruvian Paso gelding (so the same breed of horse as @SwissMiss' Raya). He has a big personality in that he has a lot of brio and a lot of opinions! His strong personality would be both my favorite and my not-so-favorite part of him, depending on the moment.  He is generally very brave and he is fairly well trained when he chooses to listen.

Hombre was the boss of the horses at Nicole's and honestly was often the boss of Nicole too, as he can be very insistent/persistent and she often found it was easier to give him his way than to try to out-persist him. He and I are figuring one another out a bit more thoroughly now that he's here all the time. He used to be very difficult to catch, but that has improved greatly. However, he is also turned out alone and even I may be better than no friends.. so may be when he is incorporated into the group he will revert back to his old ways. He also tended to walk ahead when being led (or, more aptly, he was leading me), but he is starting to figure out to look to me for direction and to stay behind my shoulder as we walk.

I am still trying to figure out his gaits, as I was not familiar with what Peruvians could/should be doing until I brought him home and started doing some research. I found this video helpful:





As best I can tell by feel, Hombre has a flat walk, a paso llano, something trot like, some rougher fast gait, and canter. I will get him into the ring and use the Go Pro to record him at some point, to see if the trot-like gait is really a trot or if it's the pasi-trote (both of which are apparently not ideal to happen under saddle, oops) and to see if the fast gait is actually some type of sobreandando (which I sort of hope it's not, as otherwise I am going to have to learn how to say that word!! 🤪).


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## phantomhorse13

Monday, the farrier came. Hombre's feet were a hot mess as Nicole's good farrier retired last year and she hasn't been able to find anybody even decent to replace him. The before and after pics are pretty darn dramatic, and more work needs to be done.. but it's a great start!

































After the farrier was done here, I went over to hold Christine's horses as she is on vacation. Puck got his first trim, after helping the farrier trim Gracelyn. Puck was a little squirrely for the trim, but didn't do anything horrible (like flip over or throw himself down or start double barreling). The farrier is used to dealing with babies so we took it nice and slow and Puck survived.








Puck is 2 months old now!


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## Chevaux

Is Puck going to be for sale? He’s going to be a sharp looking fella.


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## knightrider

phantomhorse13 said:


> if the fast gait is actually some type of sobreandando (which I sort of hope it's not, as otherwise I am going to have to learn how to say that word!! 🤪).


Not that hard to say if you break it into two parts sobre (so bray) andando (ahn dahn doe) it means something like "over amble" literally. Andar in Spanish means "to walk" or in certain contexts, "to stroll." Since horses don't really stroll, I said amble.

Thanks for helping us get to know Hombre. I hope he is fun for you. Nice to see the farrier's work!


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## phantomhorse13

Chevaux said:


> Is Puck going to be for sale? He’s going to be a sharp looking fella.


Christine intends to keep him. And if for some reason that was to change, he would be coming home with me pronto!! 



knightrider said:


> Not that hard to say if you break it into two parts sobre (so bray) andando (ahn dahn doe) it means something like "over amble" literally. Andar in Spanish means "to walk" or in certain contexts, "to stroll." Since horses don't really stroll, I said amble.


Thank you for the background on the word.. fun that someone named something so literally! I will have to make a post-it note of your phonetic pronunciation to put in the tack room and practice.


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## phantomhorse13

I have gotten a bit of riding time this week.

Monday, I hopped on Hombre bareback to take the dogs for a quick walk around Alimar. He wasn't too sure what he thought of the bareback pad initially and scooted off when I first asked him to move (he is very particular about pads and saddle fit and is not shy about sharing his opinion!). But after a minute he decided that while it was different from the normal pad, it really wasn't terrible. We moseyed around Alimar.
















8-22-22 Hombre bareback







www.youtube.com












3.01 miles, feet of climb, mph average pace, 80F real feel

Yesterday, I thought I was going over to meet just Nik, but surprise Gina decided to join us (Amish had a miraculous recovery from the lameness that kept her from riding with me all last week 🙃). Knowing that the ride was going to be nothing but Gina attempting to get Hombre to misbehave and/or blame him for the next lameness because of the gaited horse speed, I let Gina pick where we went and insisted she or Nik lead.

Leaving Alimar, Gina made a big show of getting off Amish to walk him down one of the hills (I didn't ask why we had gone that way if she was worried about hills - we could have gone all the way down the creek trail and it would have been flat 🤷‍♀️). She insisted on walking first down the hill and made Amish stop every other step (or tried.. by the middle of the hill he was refusing to halt and just dragging her along). Hombre was very confused about stopping every other step, but he did so without complaint.

As we worked our way over to tiny square, Gina alternated between letting Amish jig and then slamming to a halt and turning sideways to block the trail without warning. Poor Copper couldn't walk quite fast enough to keep up with the jigging, but couldn't trot slow enough to maintain the pace. Hombre, however, just marched along in a lovely paso llano without a care in the world and halted nice as could be. Standing still is not usually a strong suit for him, but you would never have known that day!








We made our way around the fields and then headed back towards home. Amish made it clear he was feeling mighty fine (and looked as sound as he ever does) but Gina insisted on only doing what she calls "fast walking" (which anybody else would call "jigging"). Copper had to keep yoyo'ing between a walk and a jog and it seemed every time he would start to jog to catch up, Gina would promptly halt. Coincidence? 








When we got to the final hill (the same one Gina has insisted on leading Amish down), she let him run up it! Copper was happy to follow, but I insisted that Hombre just maintain his gait and I am thrilled to say that he did so with no fussing. I think he was just as disgusted by the whole ride as I was! 
6.60 miles, 997 feet of climb, 4.0 mph average pace, 85F real feel

Today, I got Hombre out. We did the Tomhicken lake loop.








Hombre was a bit fussy as we kept turning away from home, but we didn't have any major arguments. [His acting out over direction choices is a well-established habit so it was not a surprise. He will pop the shoulder and barge in the direction he wants to go, but keeping leg on and his head turned the way I want to go does eventually work.]








We also had some discussion about sponging, which he is not a fan of. His normal acting out behavior is to either not stand or to swing his head around to bite your toe. Well my caged stirrups have made the latter technique useless, so he did more moving around today. But I am pretty good at sponging a horse who is turning in a circle, so eventually he decided just standing was a lot less effort. Silly boy!




10.71 miles, 1984 feet of climb, mph average pace, 92 F real feel

Tomorrow, DH and I are heading down to Virginia for the Iron Mountain ride. I am catch riding the LD both days. Cross your fingers the weather stays dry!


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## weeedlady

I enjoyed your description of your ride with Gina even though it was evident you found it frustrating. I'm glad to know other people have this sort of issue. I've met some people I thoroughly enjoy riding with and some people I would just as soon not be bothered with.


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## carshon

I am with @weedlady on this. I ride with a group of friends and at times it is a great joy and at other it is not. I have a friend like Gina - and at times my patience wears as thin as her horses does.


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## weeedlady

I should probably add that I am sure there are people who do not enjoy riding with me! Tucker can be a handful and is not always a good horse for riding in groups. Raven is usually very good with others. I talk too much, lol.


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## Celeste

I had a friend bring her horse over to ride with me today. I am afraid that I talk too much sometimes too. She talks to me a lot too.


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## knightrider

I like people who talk a lot. I really enjoy it. When we were adopting our first child, I hoped he would be a chatterbox . . . and he was. I enjoyed every minute of it. Don't think because you talk a lot, that people don't like it. Many folks do.


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## phantomhorse13

Talking a lot is def something I am accused of all the time!! I am sure there are people who don't like to ride with me because of it. I have also had people complain about the bells.

Heck, I talk to the horse I am riding and the dogs even when I am alone. DH says I would talk to a fencepost. I hope he means that lovingly.


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## phantomhorse13

Those of you on the book of faces will have already seen it, but I will leave this here as teaser about how my ride weekend went:








It will probably be a couple days before I get the videos and pics edited.. but full story to come!


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## Chevaux

You are exhibiting very good positioning there, phantomhorse😀


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## egrogan

@phantomhorse13 -very random question. What kind of saddle pad is that?


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## LoriF

knightrider said:


> I like people who talk a lot. I really enjoy it. When we were adopting our first child, I hoped he would be a chatterbox . . . and he was. I enjoyed every minute of it. Don't think because you talk a lot, that people don't like it. Many folks do.


I don't really talk a lot when riding but there is a reason. It's hard for me to hear conversation from twenty feet away over a squeaky saddle as you know knightrider. I don't mind others talking. I know that I get frustrating to others because I'm constantly saying WHAAAAT? Too many years around the loud railroad.


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## phantomhorse13

Chevaux said:


> You are exhibiting very good positioning there, phantomhorse😀


Thank you. The canter makes my hunter perch look good. 



egrogan said:


> What kind of saddle pad is that?


The black fuzzy is a Mattes half pad. The white one Patti needs to go look for a tag. I hadn't seen anything like it before, as it seems to fit both dressage and AP saddles and has some air-flow stuff along the spine, right under where the flocking sits. Brilliant! (Though Patti said get a black one as the white one wouldn't come clean after the first use.)



LoriF said:


> I don't really talk a lot when riding but there is a reason. It's hard for me to hear conversation from twenty feet away over a squeaky saddle as you know knightrider. I don't mind others talking. I know that I get frustrating to others because I'm constantly saying WHAAAAT? Too many years around the loud railroad.


I guess this is where my having a good outdoor voice helps, as I don't recall that being a problem at all when we rode together!!


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## bsms

Too many years around jete engines means I have no hearing in a certain frequency range. I can make out maybe 75% of what is said and then my mind has to fill in the gaps - which can make for some strange conclusions! But while riding? My wife would need a megaphone, and even that might not cut it!


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## phantomhorse13

bsms said:


> But while riding? My wife would need a megaphone, and even that might not cut it!


And is that a bad thing in your opinion?

I think my DH's hearing ability decreases while we are on trail.. and pretty sure it's not accidental.  🤷‍♀️ 🙃


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## bsms

It is a bit like my dogs' hearing: They can hear an egg breaking from across the house, but can't hear a shouted, "No!" from 3 feet... 🤣


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## phantomhorse13

Last Thursday, DH and I (and the dogs) headed out before sunrise to head to southwest Virginia for the Iron Mountain ride. We arrived at camp about lunchtime and found a spot to park with space beside us for Patti. Jaime arrived about an hour after us and I helped her get Lucerno and Crown unloaded and settled in their pen. We got registered and were some of the first to get vetted. Then, we got everything ready for the following morning. [Crown is the 4 year old I rode back in April at No Frills, so I was thrilled to have a second try at getting him his first completion.]








DH and I had dinner with Jaime and the friends she had parked beside, then Jaime and I went down for the ride meeting. During the meeting, I saw Patti finally arrive. There had been some terrible accident that shut down 77 in two different places, leaving them (and all the other travelers) on two lane back roads. The pens were set up and Iggy and Dunkin settled by the time I got done with ride meeting, so after a quick hug it was time for bed.

The next morning, I got up just in time to see the 55s start. We got word there had been some trail vandalism in the first couple miles and DH went with someone to help replace the markings. By the time we needed to tack up, DH had still not returned. Luckily, Crown was again a very good boy and Jaime and I didn’t need any extra assistance getting ready.








We waited to get on until after the main pack had left camp. We hand walked towards the start line to make sure everyone was gone, then used a conveniently placed mounting block to hop on and head for the start. We had to pass through a open gate with a line of dirt across it to get there and you would have thought that was a ditch full of alligators from the way Crown acted. He was snorting and dancing and finally went over it was a MASSIVE leap that got the attention of everyone at the start. 🤷‍♀️ 🤦‍♀️

Thankfully, that was the last of the silly behavior. We marched out of camp behind Jaime on Lucerno and Crown quickly settled down. We happened upon DH at the first major turn out on trail, who took our picture as we moseyed past.








The first loop was 11.5 miles. It is a combination of single track and atv road, then ends coming across the open fields of the rangelands. Despite all the rain the area has had, the trails were surprisingly dry!








Crown took turns leading and I was pleased that he was pretty brave about it. Lucerno is 100 mile fit (his last ride was the OD 100), so we figured he was about asleep as he went down the trail at such a casual pace. But he was a good role model for Crown.








As we approached the rangelands, we suddenly caught up to the group ahead of us. A couple of the horses were not very well-behaved, but Crown did a great job ignoring their antics (he is off-track so I guess got used to that kind of thing there). As we got into the open fields of the rangelands, I asked Jaime to make a couple big circles so the group could get ahead of us. Very happy that we did, as we could see both those horses acting up in the distance!








We got into the hold and DH was nowhere to be found, but Patti and Tom (her SO, who is not a horsey person) were waiting! They helped us untack and throw some water on the horses before going to vet. The boys passed with ease and we went back to the trailer so they could enjoy their rest time in the pen.








Before long, it was time for the second 13.5 mile loop. This one started out on the same trail for a couple miles, then split off onto more lovely singletrack. The boys trotted along happily, not another horse in sight.








The middle part of that loop is a gravel road that feels like it climbs forever – I think it’s about 3.5 miles but it feels more like 10! What little breeze there had been stopped by that point, so the climb was a sweaty trudge. But the good thing is what goes up must come down.. so the downhill section of that was super fun at least. At the bottom, you got back on the road to camp, which followed a lovely creek.








Crown finally decided he was thirsty enough to drink on trail (something Jaime says he is very bad about doing on training rides)!








To be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

Part 2:

We passed this abandoned mill going out so I wanted to make sure I got a picture of it going back in. The horses knew they were headed back to camp so moved along in a strong trot. Amazingly, the creek has shifted so much that it doesn’t go within 500 yards of that spot now!








We got back to camp and found Tom waiting for us. We got the horses untacked and cooled off, then went in to vet. We found out we were turtle (no surprise), but the horses finished with all As. [I expected to get the cards back at awards, so didn’t take a picture.. then we didn’t get them – darn it.] We went back to the trailer and I helped Jaime wrap legs, then the boys got a well-deserved snack.













After finishing with Crown, Patti and I went to register and then vet Iggy and Dunkin. That was uneventful, so we let them hand graze for a bit before going back to the trailer to get things prepped for the next day. Patti wanted to crew at the trailer, so we could just use the cart and buckets we had used today for down at the vet check. It wasn’t long before everything was done and we got to sit down and just chat.








DH still wasn’t at back the trailer when we got done, so I took the dogs to the back end of the field and threw the ball for them for a bit. It always amazes me how well they do camping, considering they are never tied up at home! DH finally got back about 5, just in time for a pop up storm to arrive, dropping more rain that I have seen in a long time (we so wished we could sent it home!). After the rain finished, we ate the amazing dinner Patti had made for us. Then, I went down for awards. Got back to the trailer in time to appreciate an amazing sight:









The next morning we got up in time to see the 50s start, then puttered around waiting for it to be time to tack up. I am happy to say my stomach is doing better with the hurry up and wait routine and I wasn’t nauseous at all! About 30 minutes before the ride started, we tacked up and then took the boys out to graze.








Dunkin thought the hurry up and wait was ridiculous, but Iggy was happy to stuff his mouth. I was glad to see him eating, hoping that meant his belly was ok. I expected to get on a few minutes ahead, but Patti said she wanted to wait until everyone else left camp before mounting. Once other horses started appearing to warm up, Iggy stopped eating and started dragging Patti around, so we headed down towards the start line still on the ground.

When we got there, Patti couldn’t find anything she wanted to try to mount from, so we started out on foot and walked back to the trailer to use her mounting block. Along the way, we found another friend who was leading her horse. Lara had a bad wreck on Yoshi a few years ago (as in, she could remember putting her foot in the stirrup to mount, then woke up in ICU bad wreck), so she and her trainer were walking along trying to get her in the right place to get on. Lara asked if she could join us and Patti said of course, Dunkin was a great babysitter. I got on, then Lara got on, then Patti got on. 

Yoshi was ready to go and I think trying to keep an anxious horse from moving is how blow ups happen, so I put Dunkin at his shoulder and started asking Lara a bunch of silly questions (she is an extension agent who focuses on nutrition, so I was asking her things like “why can’t I just feed my horse a big pile of corn?” and “I heard beet pulp is full of mercury and is poison”) as we walked along. Lara knew I was just asking those things to get her to talk (and therefore breathe), but it worked! We got out of camp without incident. After the first mile, Yoshi and Lara both settled down and were great leaders. Iggy soon started fussing about being in the back, so we put him in the middle and he settled down, too.








Lara had also ridden the trail the day before on a different horse, so we were able to cruise along enjoying the scenery and chatting as we didn’t have to worry about looking for trail markings. 








The day was much less humid that expected and the horses were forward without being silly. Dunkin and I putzed around in the back, which made him a little irked about the slow speed but meant he wasn’t spooky at all.








We didn’t see any other riders at all the first loop, which was lovely IMO. We even had the rangelands to ourselves! I couldn’t resist holding Dunkin back to have enough distance between him and Iggy for a canter when we got to the photog.. and he was so disgusted when I asked him to slow down. 🙃








Unfortunately, we had to slow down to a walk for a lot of it, as the rain the evening before had made the top of the ground a bit wet and Iggy was sliding a lot on his composite shoes (though not Dunkin, who was wearing the same type of shoes).








To be continued..


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## phantomhorse13

Part 3:

We got into the hold and were met by Tom.. DH was again nowhere to be found. Both boys were pulsed down by the time we pulled tack, so we went over to the vetting. There we found DH, helping with pulses. No concerns with either horse, so we went back to the trailer for the hold. We were pleased to see Iggy digging into his beet pulp and alfalfa mush with great gusto (and no surprise Dunkin was, too).








We met up with Lara at the end of the hold and headed out onto the second loop. This time the photog was on the road on the way out, so got an additional picture.








The first part of the loop was singletrack so Yoshi or Iggy led then. When we got to the endlessly climbing road, we put Dunkin out in the front. He was thrilled to finally be allowed to lead and happily pulled the other two horses up the climb.








When we got to the top and started back down, Iggy got a bit fussy so was put in the lead, but then wasn’t sure he really wanted to be there so Yoshi took over. Poor Dunkin, relegated to the rear again! 








But that actually didn’t last and before long Dunkin got to go to the lead again and he pulled the horses the rest of the way back to camp. Good boy! We got back to camp, pulled tack and pulsed down with no issues. This time I made sure to take a picture of the vet card:








We got the boys settled back at the trailer and were very happy to see Iggy eating. Dunkin seemed to think this was just a hold, so inhaled his food and then stood around watching us clean stuff up.. it was pretty funny. Guess he wasn’t tired!













We were up early Sunday morning to start the 8 hour journey home. We beat most of the traffic so the early start was worth it. Great weekend!


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## phantomhorse13

Sunday, I couldn't resist sneaking Hombre out for a quick ride, as I knew the dogs would really appreciate a run after being tied up or stuck inside somewhere at the ride. I headed out bareback and we just moseyed around Alimar.








1.87 miles, 262 feet of climb, 4.4 mph average pace, 89F real feel

Tuesday, Hombre and I took the dogs for a pond tour as it was yet again hot.
















5.14 miles, 774 feet of climb, 4.2 mph average pace, 88F real feel

And figured out a quirk:








8-30-22 Hombre being hosed







youtube.com





Wednesday, we met with Nik and did a loop across the farm and up the steeper part of the tomhicken logging road. We found lots of these:








Was pleased not to find any downed trees on that section of trail as I haven't ridden there in many, many months. The boys got a bit silly when we headed back across the farm, but soon settled.








7.77 miles, 1171 feet of climb, 4.5 mph average pace, 80F real feel

Thursday, I took Hombre out bareback to gives the dogs a run. We went around Alimar and then down the creek trail and back.
















9-1-22 gaiting bareback







youtube.com




3.35 miles, 433 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 80F real feel

Friday, I met Nik and we went over to the far side of the Tomhicken, all the way back to the Black Creek. Haven't been over that way in ages!








We did a bit of exploring down some atv trails and found a nice figure 8 that adds about half a mile of shady trail and an alternative route to a gravel road that had become very washed. Super pleased to have found it.








12.84 miles, 1821 feet of climb, 4.4 mph average pace, 82F real feel

Today, went over to visit Puck. He is growing like a weed.













Finished up the day doing some trail mowing. They are forecasting measurable rain Monday and Tuesday (🤞🤞🤞), so I wanted to get the weeds knocked down to encourage the grass to grow.


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## weeedlady

oh that baby!


----------



## phantomhorse13

Sunday, I went over to supervise Puck in the morning, as Christine wanted to get back on Gracelyn for the first time since she foaled. She has longed the mare a couple times without too much issue but wanted someone on the ground just in case for the first ride. It went great! 








Puck was very interested to start with, but when Gracelyn ignored him and Christine sent him away if he got too interested, he gave up and came to stand with me. When I just stood there, he went back to the hay and ate. Perfect!

When I got home, I took Hombre out for a quick ride to walk the dogs. He has a small mark on his left side (guessing a bug bite) that the hair was missing from, and of course it was right where the girth would sit. So I tried him truly bareback for the first time.








Hombre did really well. He got a bit impatient standing to talk to a neighbor when the convo started getting drawn out (and honestly, I was not sorry to use his restlessness as an excuse to go!), but was excellent otherwise)








9-4-22 Hombre bareback







youtube.com




2.06 miles, 223 feet of climb, 4.3 mph average pace, 85F real feel

The predicted rain moved in Sunday night and continued Monday.. and Tuesday.. and Wednesday - surprise!! 








As DH has been predicting, we went from no rain to all the rain. We got *4.91 inches* of rain!! That was literally more than the entire summer put together. At least it was a fairly gentle, steady rain so it was able to soak into the ground. The lawn is green again and the leaves on the trees and the crops have uncurled.

Yesterday, DH and I came to visit my parents at the shore. The water had finally warmed up to near normal temps (mid 70s), so we took the dogs over to the bay dog beach. Neither had ever been there before, so it was fun to see Kali figure out the waves. 








Kestrel, of course, would not go in deep enough to swim, but she was happy to snag a ball thrown into the shallows.


----------



## phantomhorse13

I have gotten some saddle time since we came home from the shore as the weather has allowed (so exciting to finally have some regular rain!!).

Last Monday, I got Hombre out bareback. We just moseyed around Spaulding's and Alimar. 
















The ride was fairly uneventful until we got down in to the outdoor. As we circled around, one of the young coyotes was standing watching us. S/he darted into the woods once we turned that way. As we moseyed along the creek trail, the pack suddenly started singing. I was thankful that Kestrel and Kali both listened when I told them to stay close. Hombre was not very impressed, but did agree not to bolt. It took me a minute to get my phone out since I was dealing with other things initially, but I did catch the tail end of it:








9-12-22 coyotes singing on the creek trail







www.youtube.com




4.02 miles, 479 feet of climb, 4.9 mph average pace, 82F real feel

Last Tuesday, I again took Hombre out for a bareback ride. We did slightly different loops around Alimar and Spaulding's and this time had no extra friends along.
















4.12 miles, 456 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 80F real feel

Last Wednesday, I took Hombre and Kestrel over to the far side of the Tomhicken, wanting to see how far the new pole line road went. I wasn't expecting an exciting ride, though it was somewhat breezy, but the universe had other plans! As we came across the main farm, I could hear a terrible racket coming from the equipment shed.. but Hombre couldn't have cared less and marched right up to find someone sawz-all'ing a wooden beam while standing on rattling scaffolding. So nice to ride a not-spooky horse!!

We moseyed across the rest of the farm and up the Tomhicken. We went over the rock baricade and then got to enjoy the pole line road. That gave me plenty of time to notice the equipment in the distance (which Hombre also didn't care about at all):








Since the pole-removing truck was on the trail I had intended to go down, I decided to go around the lake instead.








When we got to the far side of the lake, we came around a corner to find a couple massive rocks in the middle of the atv path! Luckily, there was _just_ enough space for us to be able to squeeze between them. We continued on to the hunting trailer and got the next surprise: a new gate, some metal railing and a bunch of big rocks were blocking the road! And for added fun, an excavator and a backhoe were parked right alongside the new barricade. I was able to find a place for Hombre to cross the rocks and was again thankful for a non-spooky horse.

We continued around the lake and got a good look at the pole-removing equipment from the other side, then went on to follow where the new pole line road went. Sadly, it ended at the top of a steep drop to the creek, so did not connect to any other trails as I had hoped. We backtracked, then headed to the road crossing at the power line. Came out of the brush right beside the road and surprise, another obstacle:








Guess we know how that pole-removing equipment got there!  Hombre was happy to crash through the weeds along side of the dump truck and trailer so we could cross the road and continue home.

The guy repairing the equipment shed was still there as we crossed the main farm again, but Hombre didn't care that direction either (I was horrified at how much the scaffolding was shaking though!). We crossed Ziesloft's and Spaulding's and Alimar without issue.. until we were literally about to cross for home and had the last delay as Bill came by with some haying equipment. Hombre was not impressed with having to stand still so close to home, but it was a good lesson for him.




10.53 miles, 1795 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 84F real feel


----------



## knightrider

What a ride! One obstacle after another. You used to write, "I swear I'm not making these things up." I was impressed with how Hombre mounted the big rock.


----------



## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> What a ride! One obstacle after another. You used to write, "I swear I'm not making these things up." I was impressed with how Hombre mounted the big rock.


Hombre impresses me more and more every ride. While he does still have his moments because he will always have opinions, he doesn't express those opinions when it really matters. I would have spent as much time walking on my own feet as riding had I been on Phin for that adventure..


----------



## phantomhorse13

Last Thursday, I went over to ride Polo for Nicole. She got a new Ghost treeless saddle and it needs to be broken in, so she asked me if I would ride it (she is down in Florida for the next few weeks). In another episode of you can't make this shiitake up, I arrived at the barn to find Nicole's new boarder (whom I had never met before) dealing with a choking horse - something she had no experience with. 

Thankfully, the gelding - a teenage off-track Standardbred - was pretty calm and didn't object to my checking him out. He had a hard lump in the middle of his neck that didn't change at all with gentle palpation. After hearing he was bad about being syringed by mouth, we decided to give him some banamine instead of trying to flush with water first. He didn't object to the banamine injection at all (which I gave as it was obvious the owner wasn't even happy handling the syringe, let alone using it). After a few moments, he dropped his head, relaxing his neck and passing the obstruction. Whew!! I gave him a few syringes of water just to be sure it had fully passed and wasn't just stuck further down where we couldn't see it, which took a bit of cajoling as he was NOT happy about the syringe getting near his mouth even sedated. But after a few minutes of work to get the initial water in, he realized I wasn't trying to deworm him, so he let me do the next couple with much less fussing.

As if that wasn't enough fun, there were people setting up for a wedding in the field right beside the barn, and the huge tent was blocking trail access that direction. So that made the decision on where I was taking Polo pretty easy. 🙃 We headed out for the short mountain loop.








Polo was a bit of a pill, wanting to argue about direction choices at the turns and then wanting to rush for home (not really a surprise as he'd not been ridden in a month). He was also fairly stumbly, as his feet are due to be done. It did not make for a very fun ride, but the saddle stayed put (always a plus).








5.7 miles, 633 feet of climb, 5.5 mph average pace, 80F real feel

Later that afternoon, I met Nik & Copper for a ride. We did the Sugarloaf loop. I went out bareback to continue the Suck It Up September rides.








Doing that ride on Hombre after riding Polo really made it evident how much Hombre and I have come to be on the same page in the month he's been home with me.








6.29 miles, 925 feet of climb, 4.5 mph average pace, 85F real feel

Sunday, I met with Dodie so Bee could babysit her new mare Mabel on their first trail outing. Mabel came from a kill pen so Dodie has no idea what her background is. The mare is gaited and her teeth put her somewhere in her early 20s. The mare's legs have some scars that point to action devices being used in the past and she had a bag, so assume she just weaned a foal. Her belly is also fairly large while the rest of her is on the thin side, so Dodie has the vet coming out next week to do a preg check. Dodie had ridden Mabel around at the barn several times and the mare was nicely trained at some point. She and Bee loaded right up and off we went.

Unloaded and tacked up without issue. Mabel was happy to go first, which was a nice surprise.








Mabel does a broken diagonal gait, so Dodie guesses she is a Fox Trotter or Saddle Horse. Whatever she is, she didn't put a foot wrong the whole ride. She was just as happy to follow as to lead, including slowing her walk to Bee's pace without objection.








The trail winds its way all the way around the lake, including crossing the waterway at the base of the dam. Mabel made it seem like old hat.




The trail also popped into the woods at times so we got a variety of terrain. Mabel was a bit tender footed on the rocks, so boots have been ordered.








Being a weekend, it meant we saw a lot of other park users. Bee and Mabel took all the hikers, dog walkers, fishermen and even boaters in stride.








7.94 miles, 692 feet of climb, 3.5 mph average pace, 87F real feel

Monday, I put the Ghost saddle on Hombre for the first time. Knowing how picky he is about saddles, I held my breath as I mounted up and asked him to walk off.. but he went calmly! I wanted to give it a good test, so we went to climb the Sugarloaf.








While the saddle had seemed level when I looked at it in the barn, I felt tipped forward when riding. It was also set up for center fire rigging, which did not seem to suit Hombre's build. But despite all that, it stayed put. The tipping forward made for an interesting ride for me when we started down, however!








Hombre was very good - gaiting without issue - so the saddle seems to have passed his test. I just need to tweak it a bit so I am more comfortable.
6.69 miles, 1102 feet of climb, 4.4 mph average pace, 83F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Tuesday, I met Nik & Copper. Gina was supposed to ride with us on Amish, but canceled at the last minute. We went over and did Big Square. I had tweaked the panels on the Ghost, so was interested in how it would feel riding.








I didn't feel as tipped forward, but it still wasn't quite right. The girth was also still shifting around, so I decided center fire rigging was just not right for Hombre. But he went along just fine, so luckily it was bothering me and not him! We went down to the creek and up the powerline climb, a way I hadn't been in a long time. The previous week's heavy rain had washed out the crossing pretty badly, so we were glad it was dry.








8.57 miles, 1033 feet of climb, 4.9 mph average pace, 82F real feel

Yesterday, I got Hombre out bareback for a Suck It Up September ride. We went over to the pond to let Kali swim as it was probably the last really warm day of the year.
















4.62 miles, 469 feet of climb, 5.1 mph average pace, 84F real feel

Then I went over to meet Christine. She wanted to get Gracelyn and Asad out - which meant Puck got to have his first trail adventure! I rode Gracelyn for the first time. We started in the paddock so that Puck got used to both horses being ridden at once.








And then we opened the gate and out we went!












































 1.44 miles, 154 feet of climb, 3.0 mph average pace, 82F real feel

Puck is now 3 months old - time flies! We did the string test on him and it said he would mature to 15.1. That was exactly what Christine was hoping for, so 🤞 that he gets that memo.


----------



## knightrider

Bee wears different interesting headgear. I am guessing she was a unicorn on that ride? Could you tell us some about her different head pieces and why and when she wears them?


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## Celeste

Puck is already learning the trails! That is fantastic. I wish that I had done that when babies I have raised were little. I imagine that it will be a huge help. Why would he be spooky? He's already seen it all by the time he is ready to be ridden.


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## egrogan

I absolutely adore the foal adventure pics!! ❤


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> Bee wears different interesting headgear. I am guessing she was a unicorn on that ride? Could you tell us some about her different head pieces and why and when she wears them?


Bee wears things that Dodie finds cute or amusing.. I know some of the headbands have come from the dollar store. So far, I have seen the bee antenna, hearts, multi color flowers, and now the unicorn horn. The headbands are just taped to the crownpiece of the bridle, so easily changed to suit Dodie's mood.


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## phantomhorse13

Last Friday, I got Hombre out for our first feels-like-fall ride. Temperatures had dropped dramatically and the brisk wind had the real feel in the low 40s when we left the barn! We went over across the farm and did the logging road loop.








Hombre was a bit tense due to the wind, but overall he behaved very well. 








The dogs, however, had the fall zoomies! I bet they did twice as many miles as Hombre, running all around like nuts. 🤪




7.82 miles, 1289 feet of climb, 5.1 mph average pace, 50F real feel

Saturday, I went to ride with Dom. I rode Booger and Dom rode Lucy.








Someone else came too!! 








First time DH has been on a horse in 18 months - he rode Lily, who is Booger's mother.








The weather was lovely and the horses well behaved. DH said he had a great time and I know I did.








10.67 miles, 1129 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 65F real feel

Monday, Hombre and I went over to the Tomhicken to do the yellow gate loop.








Hombre is still not a big fan of the wind, so actually had a couple small startles. But overall he was very good.








11.29 miles, 1916 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 68F real feel

Yesterday, I got Hombre out for a Suck It Up September ride with the dogs. We went around Spaulding's:








and then did some loops around Alimar:








Hombre was a bit rushy going home, so we did a bit of schooling with that (meaning when he rushed, we turned around and went the opposite way for a bit, before turning back towards home and trying again). After several repetitions, he was able to contain himself to a flat walk and make it all the way home.
4.03 miles, 384 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 62F real feel


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## carshon

@phantomhorse13 I know it may be too soon to ask ....but are you going to eventually purchase another endurance prospect? 

I'm glad you got DH to go out! 

How are Lani and Kathy doing? I miss seeing you ride with them ,but understand they had a terrible life changing event with that accident.


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## phantomhorse13

I do think I want another endurance horse.. but some days that seems more appealing than others, so I take that as hint I am not quite ready yet. Considering the crazy prices of horses right now, that really isn't a bad thing. I wouldn't be able to afford the type of horse I wanted if i was seriously shopping currently!

Kathy and Lani are going to rides with their new horses, plus Flo and Fugi are still competing. Kelsey is riding the one remaining young horse going. I miss riding with them a lot, but I believe that chapter is over. Sucks, but nothing I can do about it as the split wasn't my choice.. 😥


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## phantomhorse13

Wow, yet again crazy behind. DH wound up with COVID and then of course I got it, then had to catch up on everything we should have been doing when we were sick. Time flies when you're having fun, right? 🤪 

So let the catching up begin..

Sept 28, I got Hombre out for a bareback ride around Alimar:








2.41 miles, 381 feet of climb, 3.6 mph average pace, 60F real feel

Sept 29, I met up with Nik and we did the Sugarloaf loop. 








We met Christine at her place and did a couple loops of her fields with her and Asad. 








Hombre was NOT impressed with having to go to slowly, so it was a good lesson for Mr Impatient.
8.21 miles, 1148 feet of climb, 4.2 mph average pace, 56F real feel

Then COVID happened. Thankfully, neither DH nor I were terribly sick. DH had headcold symptoms and slept for about 3 days (very unusual for him to be still for 5 minutes, forget sleep for days!). I had a couple days of mild fever, but the real issue was the unrelenting headache.. which turned into a migraine on the second day. Then came days of regular vomiting, which gave me 8 pack abs but was otherwise miserable. I had a headache for over a week and spent a lot of that time either in bed or in the bathroom. 😖

Thankfully, DH and I had both recovered in time for our final shore trip of the season. Momma nature smiled with a day of unseasonably warm weather so I was able to get the dogs down to the beach and even join them playing in the water!
















The ocean was quite rough, so we only frolicked in the shallows. Kali was initially unsure about the waves and Kestrel was actually much braver - go figure!!
















10-7-22 Kestrel avoiding waves







www.youtube.com












But Kali soon figured it out:
















10-7-22 Kali fetching in the ocean







www.youtube.com




The second day was much cooler, but the water was calmer. Kali got to show off her swimming skills.





















Great way to end the season!


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## phantomhorse13

More catch up:

On the 10th, I had planned to ride with Dodie and Bee. When I went out to grab Hombre, I found him napping in the sun. And for the first time, he let me join him!








Dodie and Bee arrived without issue and out we went. We went up the Tomhicken and did the pole to power line loop.








Hombre was very good considering how long it had been since I last rode (and of course being warm and climbs help, too!).
















9.89 miles, 1699 feet of climb, 4.5 mph average pace, 74F real feel

On the 12th, I went over and rode with Christine. Gracelyn was her normal wonderful self. 








Asad continues to improve with every ride, much to Christine's (and my) delight. 








Puck got to figure out some challenging terrain, which was fun to watch.
















10-12-22 Puck learns about rocks







www.youtube.com












1.86 miles, 295 feet of climb, 2.7 mph average pace, 76F real feel

On the 16th, it finally stopped being drizzly and miserable, so I got Hombre out for a bareback mosey around Alimar to let the dogs run. Hombre has apparently been talking to George (note the flapping tongue):








We randomly found a brand new (with tags!) dog toy laying along one of the fields! The dogs thought that was the Best Ride Ever. 








3.01 miles, 335 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 60F real feel


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## Chevaux

Whatever you need to do, phantom, you’ve got to get that Puck boy — such a team you’d make😀


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## phantomhorse13

more catch-up:

On the 17th, I got Hombre out for another bareback ride. We went down along the creek trail, then over to the fields above the main road to home.
















3.27 miles, 374 feet of climb, 4.5 mph average pace, 64F real feel

On the 18th, I got Hombre out with the dogs. We did the Sugarloaf loop. The temperature had cooled dramatically and Hombre was feeling very good, so I let him move out a bit.








10-18-22 Hombre yahoos a bit







www.youtube.com




















6.46 miles, 1122 feet of climb, 5.1 mph average pace, 50F real feel

Then, I went over to meet Christine. Had another fantastic ride on Gracelyn. Puck remembered what he learned last ride and the rocks were no big deal:








A cut log was a bit more suspicious:








He is getting brave enough to want to go first at times!
















10-18-22 Puck & Asad trotting







www.youtube.com




2.26 miles, 331 feet of climb, 2.8 mph average pace, 58F real feel

Last Friday, I went over to help Nicole with her new saddle for Polo. We briefly went out for a spin to see how the adjustment worked. I rode Beauty, a Percheron belonging to a boarder.
























1.43 miles, 112 feet of climb, 3.3 mph average pace, 60F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Chevaux said:


> Whatever you need to do, phantom, you’ve got to get that Puck boy — such a team you’d make😀


Unfortunately, currently that would involve Christine dying.. which seems a bit extreme! 

Tho, I will admit to hoping he turns out to be too much for her (an admittedly timid rider) when he's ready to start under saddle.. 😇


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## phantomhorse13

Last Saturday, I went over to meet Christine so we could get everyone out. Because it is hunting season, I wanted Puck to have something orange on so that hunters didn't mistake him for a deer. I made this out of two dog harnesses:








Ugly but effective! Puck was initially a bit insulted about the fact it wouldn't come off, but he got over that fairly quickly once we were out of the pasture.








We did some loops around the fields and Puck was feeling very full of himself (or maybe he was mad over his new wardrobe 🤪):








10-22-22 Puck the shark







www.youtube.com




Gracelyn was her normal amazing self and just ignored all Puck's antics.








Asad is doing really well and Christine was even confident enough to go first a couple times:








When the ride was over and we got back to the paddock, Puck did not want to follow the big horses in. In fact, he scooted past the gate several times until I finally went out and herded him in with Gracelyn:








2.21 miles, 279 feet of climb, 3.3 mph average pace, 72F real feel

Last Sunday, I met with Nik and Copper and we went to do the Space Needle loop. We hadn't been out that way in over a year!








Weren't we surprised when we got up to the goverment weather station that gives the loop its name.. and it was GONE!! Nothing left but an empty gravel lot. Guess the tech was old enough it wasn't even worth updating. But the viewpoint was still there:
















The boys were both feeling good, so we let them have a good canter in a couple places.








10-23-22 canter in the colorful leaves







www.youtube.com




13.10 miles, 1604 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 60F real feel

Wednesday, I got Hombre out to walk the dogs. We did a loop around Shuman's. It was chilly and Hombre was feeling fine!








Despite the temperature, Kali still wanted to swim!








4.11 miles, 492 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 48F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Thursday, I got Hombre out to walk the dogs. We did the yellow gate loop. I was not pleased to see the power company had been out working on the lines despite the wet!!








The fall color is past prime and the leaves are coming down, but its still beautiful.








9.82 miles, 1680 feet of climb, 5.2 mph average pace, 55F real feel

That afternoon, I went over to meet Christine. We took everyone partway around the Sugarloaf.








Puck was feeling very good, so it was funny to see him scamper around until something he hadn't faced before appeared.
















10-27-22 Puck trotting with attitude







www.youtube.com












When we got done, Puck really didn't want to go back in and made a big show of cantering past the gate several times. Finally, I resorted to this:




When Christine also walked away on Asad, Puck finally gave in. Bold boy! 
2.48 miles, 394 feet of climb, 2.9 mph average pace, 65F real feel

On Friday, I met with Nik and Copper. We went over to do medium square.








Copper was really full of himself, so he spent a lot of time leading in the hopes it would calm him down. What he really needed was a couple good climbs, but sadly we didn't have the time for that. [Nik is a teacher, so we only have a couple hours after school to ride before it's dark.]








6.62 miles, 738 feet of climb, 4.4 mph average pace, 67F real feel


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## knightrider

This is a stunning picture. You look so happy and comfortable on him. And what a view! Thanks for sharing. Love the dogs there too!


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## gottatrot

I also was going to say you look great on Hombre!
Puck on the videos is so funny and adorable.


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## Chevaux

You’re so lucky to live amongst those colours, phantom — they’re breathtaking!


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## phantomhorse13

Saturday October 29th, I hauled Hombre over to Nicole's for her fall riding weekend. I had been working on loading with Hombre and he wasn’t too bad loading to go. [For those that don't recall, Hombre has been a problem loader since I have known him. He was bad enough that a potential buyer sent him back when Nicole tried to sell him a few years ago! He will balk about going in the trailer, then when he does get on, will come rocketing back out at full speed.] We got there and he unloaded with a bit of angst, but he didn’t fly backwards off the trailer like his head was on fire. And once he was out, he settled down quickly. In fact, he snoozed while I got him ready!








The ride was a bit of a cluser from the start, as Nicole was supposed to be riding Polo but he was not acting right (very lethargic and seemed to be off behind). Instead, she decided to ride a boarder's standardbred gelding - a horse she'd never been on before and that not even the owner had ridden since they moved there! As if that wasn't potentially exciting enough, Olga (a woman who lives down the road) also came to ride. I had ridden with Olga exactly twice before and both rides were terrible, so I was hoping things had changed in the years since I had seen her..

Hombre got to lead the way as we headed out (Barb on her lovely gaited mare, Olga on her mare, Sue on her husband's gelding and Nicole on the standy):








We did the shortest version of the flat loop. The standy was a little cranked up to start with but did settle down after a few minutes. Olga's mare kept wanting to go faster every time we got into any kind of open space, so she was doing a lot of jigging and circling around. Luckily Hombre did his best to ignore her antics.








We got out to the far side of the loop and Nicole announced she was going to go down the paved road to home because her back was really bothering her. I said we would all go then, but Nicole didn't want to spoil everyone else's ride. Barb's mare was already in a heavy sweat, so she decided to go back with Nicole while the 3 of us went on.








I should have back to the barn with them (and you all know how I feel about riding on pavement)..

As soon as we got into the next field, Olga let her mare charge away. She had been at the back, so that meant she went galloping past Sue's gelding and Hombre. Sue's gelding didn't so much as flick an ear, but Hombre did hop around a bit as he wanted to follow. When Olga did the same thing in the next open field we got to, Hombre again jumped a bit but did stay at a gait like I asked him with some tense discussion. Olga ran a big lap around the field and then circled around behind us to _gallop by again_. Hombre was no less excited but I was prepared so he only skittered a couple steps. 

When we got to the end of the field where Olga was waiting, I asked her if she was trying to get us hurt by riding that way. She looked at me like I had 3 heads and said she didn't know what I was talking about, she was only having fun. I told her well she needed to look around her and have some common courtesy - didn't she see she was upsetting the horses by running off? She laughed and circled around behind Sue. We continued on towards Nicole's on the atv trail (which didn't allow for galloping) and I bit my tongue, very sorry I had put Hombre in such a situation.

As we got back to Nicole's, we had to cross the small bridge that goes across the creek right behind the barn. Olga rides all over the place all the time, so it never occured to me that she hadn't taken her mare over that bridge before. The bridge is about 6' wide and 2 horse lengths long, so we normally only go over it one at a time as we aren't sure how much weight it will hold (it's meant for people to cross). Hombre started across and we were in the middle when I realized Olga was moving behind us. In the same second, her mare suddenly LEAPT into the air - straight at us.

I didn't even have time to do anything more than cringe as the mare landed on Hombre, who half sat down from the impact but somehow managed to stay on his feet. (Sue said later she was sure the mare had jumped squarely on me and I had to have been gravely injured.) Hombre scrambled off the end of the bridge and then skittered sideways as the mare came off his hind end with a thud. Hombre halted when I asked and I was dismounting to check him for injuries when Olga galloped across the small field, up the hill, and out of sight.

By the grace of the universe, I managed to grab Hombre's neck as he jumped and I landed on my feet as Hombre ran in a circle around me. I couldn't blame him for being so upset. It's probably a good thing Olga ran away or I may have assaulted her.. 🤬 🤬 🤬

Sue and I took the horses up the hill to the trailers and untacked them. Hombre was still somewhat keyed up, tho he stood beside the trailer and respected being tied while I got him untacked. He was a bit calmer by the time I was done grooming and putting things away. Nicole came up to say goodbye right as another trailer arrived and started unloading, the horses milling around and neighing. That got Hombre agitated again and I tried to let him graze with Sue's gelding for a bit, but it didn't really help as the new horses were still agitated. I decided I need to try to load him and go home as it was starting to get dark.

No surprise loading didn't go very well. Hombre would rush partway into the trailer and rocket back out. I just stood on the ramp and let him go back and forth as he needed to, directing his energy as best I could. After a few minutes, I started hearing suggestions like "just hit him on the @ss with that whip" and "why don't you just slam the ramp as he starts going in." The only one doing anything helpful was Sue, who stood about 10 feet behind and to the side of the ramp with her grazing gelding (who never picked up his head or stopped chewing). After about 10 minutes of back and forth, Hombre finally got on and stood so I could put the butt bar up. I said my goodbyes and off we went.

About a mile before my exit on the interstate, I came upon a tractor trailer traveling slowly with its hazard lights on. I moved into the left lane to pass as we approached a bridge. I got totally even with the tractor trailer, which suddenly swerved into my lane for no apparent reason. I swerved as far as I could to the left, but the bridge didn't have much shoulder and thought for a moment the tractor trailer was going to keep coming over and literally push us off the bridge. I could hear the lefthand trailer tires squealing against the base of the concrete side of the bridge and the tractor trailer filled my entire right side mirror.. but somehow it didn't make contact and went back to its own lane. 😱 

To his credit, Hombre unloaded quickly but without any hysteria when we got back. He stopped at the bottom of the ramp without a discussion. I was never so happy to be home..

7.48 miles, 525 feet of climb, 4.2 mph average pace, 63F real feel

Sunday the 30th, I met with Nik and Copper and we went over to do the s-turn loop. I hadn't been out that way in over a year! The trail was just as much fun as I remembered.








While a lot of the leaves were down, there were still a few colorful trees left. Hombre and Copper behaved beautifully and we had a ton of fun.








14.0 miles, 1776 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 61F real feel

Nov 2, I got Hombre out. We moseyed to the top of the Sugarloaf to enjoy the view.








Hombre took the climb well, though it was warm enough he did work up a sweat. The color was mostly on the ground, but it was still very pretty.








6.57 miles, 1414 feet of climb, 4.5 mph average pace, 65F real feel


----------



## knightrider

What an awful ride! We should start a thread for people to write about their own rides from he l. I've got one too, though it was long ago (thank goodness). Did Nicole actually invite Olga? If so, why????


----------



## phantomhorse13

That afternoon, I went over to ride with Christine. I rode Gracelyn. We did a quick mosey up the back of the Sugarloaf and then a loop around one of Ziesloft's fields.








Puck was feeling very full of himself and had a grand time galloping around. Even climbing the hills didn't put a damper on his excitement. He bravely faced all the terrain challenges.








Asad did really well, even going downhill with confidence.








2.73 miles, 512 feet of climb, 2.8 mph average pace, 67F real feel

Nov 3, I got to ride with Dodie. We went down to Green Lane (somewhere I haven't ridden in many years) to take down her mounted orienteering course. I rode Bee and she rode Mabel.








Finding the clues was fun!








As always, Bee was a blast to ride. She was happy to lead or follow.








7.99 miles, 919 feet of climb, 3.9 mph average pace, 72F real feel

Nov 6, I met up with Nik and Copper. We did the Sugarloaf loop backwards.








Hombre and Copper were both on their best behavior, probably due to the unseasonably warm temperature.








I was impressed that DH got a shot with Hombre's ears sort of forward when we got home, as he was much more interested in grazing than in posing. The dogs were very sad to be told to sit still (as you can tell from their expressions - just waiting for me to give the release command!):








6.91 miles, 991 feet of climb, 4.1 mph average pace, 73F real feel


----------



## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> Did Nicole actually invite Olga? If so, why????


She did, as Olga does some barn work for her. However, Nicole hasn't ridden with her in many years (the last ride was with me), so not sure if she had forgotten or also had hoped maybe Olga had changed.

But rude people who don't care about others don't change - silly me for thinking otherwise. I won't ride with Olga again.


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## weeedlady

All I could think as I read about your ride with Olga was WTH? I cannot believe someone is that clueless. Glad you made it home safe and you've had some good rides since then!


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## phantomhorse13

weeedlady said:


> All I could think as I read about your ride with Olga was WTH? I cannot believe someone is that clueless.


Clueless or malicious? I honestly don't know.. but sure won't be doing any further research!!


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## gottatrot

weeedlady said:


> All I could think as I read about your ride with Olga was WTH? I cannot believe someone is that clueless. Glad you made it home safe and you've had some good rides since then!


Ditto!!


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## Celeste

I would not ride with Olga because I would be likely to try my best to whack her with something. What a horrible person. She is going to get someone hurt if she has not already done so. She is going to get herself hurt too. 

I have ridden with somebody like that before. It was horrible. Never again. 

All your pictures are beautiful. It looks like you are having some lovely rides. (Except the Olga thing)

Puck is the cutest!


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## phantomhorse13

Last Monday, I rode with Nik and Gina. It was the first I had ridden with Gina in a long while and I wanted her to go first so she could pick the pace with Amish, but she claimed having a "new horse" behind him made him upset (and the fact that Amish's previous owner used to ride with Nicole all the time was meaningless.. cause it had been years so Amish would have forgotten Hombre ). We did a loop around Shuman's.








Hombre was on his best behavior, walking along quietly on a loose rein. Copper was a bit fussy because Amish kept jigging behind him, but overall he was as good as he could be.








On the way home, I got a great view of the full moon rising:








5.0 miles, 571 feet of climb, 3.9 mph average pace, 70F real feel

The next morning leaving for the Y, I got to enjoy the full eclipse just before sunrise.









Last Tuesday, DH and I went to try out a horse for sale about an hour away. DH was going to be able to ride it on trail, so we took Hombre along for me to ride. Hombre was _terrible_ to load - he wouldn't even go halfway in before throwing it in reverse. And he didn't stop at the bottom of the ramp either. _sigh_ I had started 30 minutes before we needed to leave thinking that would be plenty of time, but it took almost 45 to get him loaded!! I hate being late and felt terrible, but luckily the seller (Krissi, who does a lot of horse rescue) thought it was funny.

We found the parking lot without issue and Hombre was decent about unloading. He stood tied to the trailer calmy while I got tacked up and DH met Krizee (a 10 year old arab gelding). Another woman named Anne had also come to ride with us (she is a longtime friend of Krissi's so I think was there to give her opinion of us afterwards). Before long everyone was mounted up and off we went. 

Krissi's gelding Shadi was used to leading, so she went first, then DH on Krizee, then Anne on her gelding, then Hombre in the back. But Anne's gelding was worried about Hombre being behind him, so I moved ahead of her. That gave me a good view of what DH and Krizee were doing, but unfortunately seemed very upsetting to Krizee, who kept slowing down while looking back and pinning his ears, then jogging to catch up with Shadi. After a few minutes of that, Krissi suggested I take Hombre to the front. Hombre was thrilled to be in the front and able to walk freely and everyone settled down. 








After a few minutes, Krissi was surprised when Shadi willingly walked up beside Hombre, as normally he is very fussy about being that close to strange horses. The two of them marched down the road side by side, so it was easy to talk to Krissi.








Krissi was happy to tell me all about Krizee and Shadi. Krizee had been born on her farm, sold as a yearling, then come back as a 3 year old. She had done all his saddle training. He had done a lot of things (obstacle courses, parades, lots of trail riding), but her stories all involved a group. I had asked her before setting up the meeting if he went out alone and she said yes, so I asked what kinds of things she had done with him alone. She paused and said, "oh, he didn't like being alone at all. I don't think I rode for 15 minutes each time before giving up."

Well, shiitake. 

Krissi had been so chatty about other things as we set up the meeting, it hadn't occurred to me to ask how his being alone went!! I asked for more details and she said while he was never naughty, he was on high alert the entire time and very tense. She had to really encourage him to move forward, which is why she gave up after about 15 minutes as she wasn't having any fun. She tried twice at home and once hauling out. Oh boy!

About then, we decided it was time to turn around. Krissi needed to adjust her stirrups, so I tried to cajole Hombre into standing patiently while she did so. You see how impressed he was:








Even his nose was crinkled up in disgust!!   

We turned around and went back the way we came. We did a bit of trotting a couple times and Hombre and Shadi left everyone else in their dust as they knew they were headed back. I was surprised that Krizee didn't want to say up with his buddy, but he was happy to jog along with Anne's mellow gelding. I suggested Dean take Krizee to the lead for the next round of trotting, as I wanted to see what he would do. Krizee was willing enough to trot, but he did not want to go more than a horse length ahead of Hombre and started slowing down and looking back when I dropped any farther behind. However, if I tried to let Hombre come up beside him, he was pinning his ears and snaking his head (which DH corrected and Hombre ignored). It wasn't long before DH let him drop back to a walk and went back to his previous position in the line. Hmm..








The rest of the ride was uneventful. Hombre looked hard at a motorcycle parked by the road crossing as the setting sun was shining on it - I don't think he's been out much in the evening light - but he did continue on when I asked. He loaded on the trailer with only 1 false start, which he got lavishly praised (and an alfalfa snack) for. On the way to the interstate, this passed us:








Doesn't that look like fun!!

On the way home, DH and I talked about his impressions of Krizee and I filled him in on what Krissi had said about going alone. DH said the horse had been very comfortable and responsive to aids, but did startle several times for no apparent reason (and several times for reasons like birds flying out of the bushes). DH said he really had to push the horse to go out front at all. We both agreed that a horse being able to go alone was a requirement for a horse of ours. This one didn't seem real interested in learning that skill, so we were going to pass. [When I got home and looked at the pictures I took while riding, I noticed that even IN the group, Krizee was always looking into the woods.. I didn't have a single picture of him facing straight ahead. If he was that alert in a herd, I can only imagine what he would have been like alone!]

6.67 miles, 466 feet of climb, 3.8 mph average pace, 58F real feel

Amazingly, when I messaged Krissi about our impressions and declined interest in buying the horse, she expressed relief! She and Anne had been so intrigued by my telling them about distance riding that they wanted to try it. They knew Anne's gelding wasn't really suitable (he's in his late 20s with known arthritis issues), so she was going to ride Krizee while Krissi rode Shadi. They were hoping I would mentor them with the idea of getting to some intro rides in the spring, and maybe moving up to LDs if they enjoyed it. Anne bought the property where an endurance event was held years ago, so I would love to get her hooked and maybe get that ride back.. Crazy how the universe works sometimes!!


----------



## phantomhorse13

Wednesday, I decided I wanted to see if one of the treed saddles would work for Hombre, as my hips are so much happier that way. I measured Hombre with the flexi-curve and then measured the saddles. One looked very promising:
























It looked good enough to give it a test ride, so I tacked up and took Hombre for a quick spin around Spaulding's and Alimar. The dogs were bonkers!








Hombre did not act out in any of his normal ways of objecting to saddles (running backwards from the mounting block, running sideways when asked to go forward, etc), so I was cautiously optimistic. We did a bit of all gaits, plus a little up and down hill.








When we got back, I realized I had not accounted for his big shoulder movement, so the saddle had been pushed back farther than I expected. That made the front a bit too wide.








4.01 miles, 630 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 52F real feel

Thursday, I added a gel front riser pad to the saddle and tried again.








I took Hombre on the Sugarloaf loop. He was mellow, but moved out willingly when asked.
















11-10-22 Hombre canters







www.youtube.com












When we got home, the saddle looked like this:








It had slipped back a bit, but the riser was definitely an improvement and my hips were singing the praises of a tree!
6.09 miles, 925 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 65F real feel


----------



## knightrider

LOVE your journal. Thanks so much for posting it.



phantomhorse13 said:


> I asked for more details and she said while he was never naughty, he was on high alert the entire time and very tense. She had to really encourage him to move forward, which is why she gave up after about 15 minutes as she wasn't having any fun. She tried twice at home and once hauling out. Oh boy!


I have a burning question about a horse that doesn't ride well alone. I always thought that all my Windy needed was just more solo rides. She rides out beautifully, but coming home, she is a mess, anxious to go faster and get back to her buddies. She leaps around, jumping on her hind legs from left to right, bonks me on the nose with her leaps, and crushes my hands on the saddle horn as she bounds first to the left and then to the right. I've been working with her for 3 years, whenever I have to ride solo and am in the mood to deal with her antics (sometimes I just am not willing to deal with it). I do see improvement, in fact quite a lot, especially in summer when she is on pasture 24/7. Not much in winter in the sacrifice pen. After reading about your experience, I wonder if I am wasting my time trying to train her to ride nicely solo. As your friend said, it isn't any fun. On the other hand, I've trained a bunch of difficult horses that weren't any fun while I was training them, but now are wonderful and amazing. I just assumed that Windy would be wonderful and amazing solo with just enough work and time. She is wonderful and amazing already when she is riding with other horses. She willingly leads and ponies other horses. Do you think there is hope?


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## egrogan

@phantomhorse13, I have more saddle pad envy! What is this awesome orange one? Is it very thick?


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## gottatrot

@knightrider, @Knave calls them "lonely" horses. I think you can improve a horse, but if they're lonely they're always going to be that way to some extent. Amore never was good at going out alone, and Hero was terrible. Halla was great at it.


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> I have a burning question about a horse that doesn't ride well alone. I always thought that all my Windy needed was just more solo rides.


I think some horse are just not mentally built to go alone. I don't think this is something a rider can fully change, though they certainly can improve or worsen it depending on how the horse is handled. If you have been riding Windy for 3 years and have seen improvement, then that tells me you are handling her the right way. The fact the problem continues tells me that sometimes, the amount of improvement possible is not enough to fully overcome the problem.

I see Phin's reactivity the same way. Phin has greatly improved since I first got him.. but you would hardly say he's cured/fixed. And reality tells me he won't be, if it hasn't happened by now. I think your Windy is the same way about being alone.


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## phantomhorse13

@egrogan : I just went out and looked all over that pad and unfortunately couldn't find any sort of tag or label. I was really expecting it to be a Toklat, as it looks and feels like a woolback. I got the pad from a friend who got out of horses and she couldn't recall where she got it because it was so long ago.


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## weeedlady

I think you are right @phantomhorse13 My Tucker absolutely hates to be alone. He will go out alone for me now, but he is not happy and always worried. He just wants to go home. When we ride with another horse he is fearless.
Raven is not a brave horse for the most part, but she is happy to take me for a ride, just the two of us. She is spooky whether we are alone or with others.


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## phantomhorse13

weeedlady said:


> Raven is not a brave horse for the most part, but she is happy to take me for a ride, just the two of us. She is spooky whether we are alone or with others.


That is Phin, too! It seems seems so counterintuitive that a reactive horse would be the same alone or with a group.. but yet that is him. Just goes to show horses like to keep us guessing.


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## egrogan

phantomhorse13 said:


> @egrogan : I just went out and looked all over that pad and unfortunately couldn't find any sort of tag or label. I was really expecting it to be a Toklat, as it looks and feels like a woolback. I got the pad from a friend who got out of horses and she couldn't recall where she got it because it was so long ago.


Well thank you for checking! I haven't ever seen one like that in orange. I'm liking the other one that you investigated for me


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## phantomhorse13

More catch up.. this last week was the last before rifle hunting started, so i was trying to maximize my riding time and ignore everything else. 🤪 

Last Thursday, I went over to ride with Christine in the afternoon. She asked me if I was willing to ride Asad and I happily agreed. I had Christine tack him up using his normal saddle and she did her usual longe routine with him first (so we changed as little as possible beside the rider). He looked good on the longe line, so I hopped on. I had brought my own stirrups, which were a bit too long but I figrued if we were only walking they would be fine..

Asad wanted to go first, which is how he used to be before all the weird neuro things started happening, so Christine was happy for me to let him lead. 








Asad marched along happily and even asked to trot a couple places. When I let him the first time, I started slithering all over because my smooth tights and the smooth leather saddle, along with too long stirrups, were not a good combination. He flicked an ear back and smoothly dropped down to a walk like "what the h#ll is going on up there?!" The next change in gears I was a bit more prepared so we were able to maintain the trot. 








Puck was feeling very full of himself and kept wanting to lead. Even deer in the woods didn't worry him too much! For the last bit of the ride, we put Asad in the back. He pouted a bit, but did finally heave a big sigh and stop trying to pass Gracelyn. Christine was really pleased to see him acting so much like his old self.








2.64 miles, 351 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 58F real feel

Last Saturday, I got Hombre out. I added the half pad with shims in just the front pockets:








Went over and did the Tomhicken log road loop, as that gave me places to do all gaits and a bit of climbing and a bit of downhill.








It was a glorious day - the last day for the wonderful above average temps. We enjoyed every minute!!








Got done and was very pleased to see the saddle looking like this:








6.32 miles, 1033 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 62F real feel

The next day, it was winter. The temperature dropped dramatically and it was even spitting sleet at times! I went over to meet Christine for a ride in the late morning. I rode Gracelyn. We did the same route as last ride as we wanted to see how Asad did with her. She led with Asad.
















11-13-22 Puck traveling uphill







www.youtube.com




Puck is becoming a bit of a punk and kept running up behind Asad and biting him on the legs! Poor Christine was a bit flustered trying to deal with her own nerves and the rotten baby helping did not lower her stress level.








But eventually Christine got a solid whack in with her crop and Puck kept his distance. Overall it was a realy good ride, with only one spook when some deer jumped up. And Asad led the whole time!








Puck was again a punk when it came to going back into the paddock. He ran back and forth and all around, happily dodging all attempts at herding him in. Eventually we got him between the two horses and were able to shove him through the gate.. but sheesh!
2.66 miles, 371 feet of climb, 3.1 mph average pace, 38F real feel


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## knightrider

phantomhorse13 said:


> I think some horse are just not mentally built to go alone. I don't think this is something a rider can fully change, though they certainly can improve or worsen it depending on how the horse is handled. If you have been riding Windy for 3 years and have seen improvement, then that tells me you are handling her the right way. The fact the problem continues tells me that sometimes, the amount of improvement possible is not enough to fully overcome the problem.
> 
> I see Phin's reactivity the same way. Phin has greatly improved since I first got him.. but you would hardly say he's cured/fixed. And reality tells me he won't be, if it hasn't happened by now. I think your Windy is the same way about being alone.


Thank you for your thoughtful reply. I also have been thinking about it a whole lot. I decided not to give up trying to train Windy to ride solo. Well, she currently rides solo just fine . . . if you don't mind the leaping, bouncing, and silliness, which I mind very much. My daughter loves Windy and is quite attached, but almost never rides her anymore. Windy is such a lovely horse in so many ways, it seems a shame to let her rot. Since Windy is still relatively young, I am thinking Windy might end up my horse later on. She continues to improve with almost every ride. As the Craig's List ads say, "She's too good to leave in the pasture."

If Windy is going to be my horse one day, she will have to ride solo. I took her out this morning by herself, even though it was raw ad cold (for Florida) and she is currently living in the sacrifice pen. I wasn't in a good mood and wondered if this whole idea was a recipe for disaster, but Windy was lovely--it was her best winter pen-bound solo ride, ever. So, I am not giving up yet.


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## phantomhorse13

Last Sunday afternoon, Nik and I did the Sugarloaf loop despite the less than ideal conditions as we knew rifle season was fast approaching. The sun was out at times, but ugly clouds kept rolling over, pushed by the strong wind. We hadn't been out long when it started spitting sleet!!








Copper was so insulted about the sleet hitting him in the face that he stopped dead and refused to go forward at all until it stopped! So funny from a horse normally so forward. Hombre didn't seem phased and was happy to stay in the lead.








6.46 miles, 919 feet of climb, 4.4 mph average pace, 34F real feel

Monday, I got Hombre and the dogs out for a good ride. We did medium square. 








11-14-22 windy day







www.youtube.com




Momma nature was still not very happy, but it was the last week before rifle season, so out we went.








I was pleased that Hombre felt good - forward but not obnoxious. I was still using the rubicon with the shimmed half pad, so I think I found the right combination to make us both happy.








When we got home, I decided to try a bit of lateral work for the first time (being an ex-show horse, i did not expect that to be a new skill, just something I had never specifically asked for before). After asking Hombre to halt in his normal spot by the patience tree, I slid a leg back and asked him to step sideways. Instead of the sideways step I was expecting, he flung his head down and went charging backwards!! The unexpected movement caught me so off guard that I was laying on his neck and minus a stirrup by the time he stopped halfway across the yard. There he stood with his head straight up, eyes bugged out, heart pounding against my leg! I was so shocked I actually checked by boot and leg, sure I must have stabbed him with a sticker or something to create such a violent reaction. But nothing was there. When I did the same thing again, I got an equally explosive reaction (though I was more prepared and stayed upright and got him stopped after only a few backwards strides that time).

I cannot imagine what happened in the past to trigger such a crazy response, but it showed me something I surely needed to work on!!
5.5 miles, 722 feet of climb, 5.3 mph average pace, 27F real feel

Tuesday, I hopped on Hombre for a bareback mosey around Spaulding's and Alimar.








It has been a while since I hopped on bareback, and not having the sweat to help with the stick factor sure made a difference! But I managed to stay on.








When we got home, I asked Hombre to halt by the end of the barn. I then moved my legs back and forth without touching his sides, one at a time. Just that simple movement had his head up and body locked.. so I gently kept on until he took a breath and looked back at me. That earned him a cookie and my dismounting.
4.08 miles, 600 feet of climb, 5.3 mph average pace, 34F real feel

That afternoon, I went over to ride with Christine. The wind was strong and snow was forecast for dinnertime, so Christine asked me to ride Asad. We decided that since the horses might be feeling a little silly, it was a good day to climb the Sugarloaf. And indeed, Puck was being a punk - as soon as we got out on trail, he ran up behind Asad and started biting him on the hind legs. I had brought my driving whip along, so was easily able to reach back and whack him on the chest. Boy that surprised him!!








We went up two tiers of the Sugarloaf - the most climbing Asad has done. He felt really good, marching along happily even uphill. And even better, he felt solid on the downhills!








Momma nature thought she would be funny by having the snow start a couple hours earlier than forecast. It was the first time Puck had experienced snow, but he didn't seem very phased.








11-15-22 first snow







www.youtube.com




When we got back, Puck again was a punk and did not want to go back into the paddock. But this time instead of trying to herd him, I just handed Asad to Christine and grabbed Puck instead (who as you can see was too busy trying to eat to bother running away). After that it was a short lesson in giving to pressure from the harness and he was soon back in jail. 🤪








2.12 miles, 495 feet of climb, 3.3 mph average pace, 30F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> So, I am not giving up yet.


I def don't think you should give up!! Windy may never be 100% happy solo, but that doesn't mean you should just not ride solo at all if you are comfortable dealing with her antics. Maybe in time she will progress to only hopping around a few times or for less amount of time. I sure didn't stop riding Phin just because I knew his reactivity would never go away totally.


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## gottatrot

Puck cracks me up!
That was an interesting response by Hombre to the sideways request. I wonder why? I've seen a couple of people who punished horses by making them back rapidly for a long time. It seems there must be some negative association there.


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## phantomhorse13

gottatrot said:


> That was an interesting response by Hombre to the sideways request. I wonder why? I've seen a couple of people who punished horses by making them back rapidly for a long time. It seems there must be some negative association there.


Yes, I have seen a handful of those types and never understood the reasoning behind it. The last thing I want is a horse to run backwards, not paying any attention to where it's going! Imagine if I had tried that for the first time out on trail? Could have had a very bad ending!!


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## phantomhorse13

Behind again, so time for more catch-up.

Thursday the 17th, I got Hombre and the dogs out in the morning. We did medium square.








I was happy that being in the woods broke up the wind a bit, as it was raging and quite cold.








When we got home, I stopped Hombre at the edge of the barn. I slowly ran my leg from the girth back to his flank. He got very tense, so I just kept my leg there until he took a breath and relaxed a bit, which earned him a cookie and my leg going back to the girth. I did the same thing on the other side before giving another cookie and getting off. [Hombre is just fine about moving over without drama when I ask from the ground, so whatever the issue is seems to only be when riding.]
9.67 miles, 1437 feet of climb, 5.2 mph average pace, 24F real feel

Thursday afternoon, I went over to ride with Christine. I rode Asad. We stuck to the woods on the Sugarloaf as much as possible to stay out of the wind.








Asad felt really good and happily marched along in the lead. Puck tried once to go after his hind legs, but I had brought my driving whip along so was easily able to whack him across the chest without Asad having to turn around or even break stride. The startled look on Puck's face was priceless! But he is a smart boy and didn't try it again the entire ride.
















11-17-22 Puck on trail







www.youtube.com












When we got back, I handed Asad to Christine and picked up the halter and lead we had left for Puck by the gate. Again, he is no dummy as he saw me coming with the halter and ran into the field as nice as you please!
2.72 miles, 482 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average pace, 24F real feel


Friday the 18th, I got Hombre and the dogs out. We went across the Tomhicken to follow the trail out towards the s-turn.








I stayed on the trail closest to the paved road and was not happy to see how much it had washed, leaving giant puddles all over. That will be a mess when things freeze solid, so I hope it dries before then. Once we crossed the pavement to get back to the s-turn, the road was lovely again.








I was really pleased that Hombre felt good enough to ask to canter on the road back towards the housing development:








11-18-22 Hombre cantering







www.youtube.com




When we got home, I stopped Hombre at the end of the barn, took both my feet out of the stirrups and scissored my legs back and forth - not touching his sides, but moving both at once. While he initially tensed, it didn't take long for him to resume breathing and actually turn his head around to look back at my feet. He got a cookie for looking each direction, then I stopped swinging and got off.
14.22 miles, 1991 feet of climb, 5.5 mph average pace, 26F real feel

Bear rifle started last Saturday and went through Tuesday. Wednesday morning, I got Hombre and the dogs out. We went the yellow gate trail to the gas line.








Then we went down the gas line and across the road, looping back on the new trail to pop out on the power line. With the leaves off the trees, you could just see the lake in the distance.








Hombre was feeling good without being silly, so I was happy to let him canter on:








11-23-22 cantering







www.youtube.com




When we got home, I again did the scissor kicking, only this time with my legs against Hombre's sides. He tensed for a minute, then turned around to ask for his cookie. When he had turned both ways, I kicked another couple times and then got off.
10.52 miles, 1913 feet of climb, 5.3 mph average pace, 30F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Wednesday afternoon, I went over to ride with Christine. I rode Gracelyn. We did a loop up the Sugarloaf, then a few laps in the fields. We passed a neighbor burning leaves and Puck was super brave!








Asad did his share of leading. Christine felt he was a bit tentative, but his enthusiasm improved as the ride went on.








Puck, however, was not tentative at all! He was happy to blast to the front when the desire struck:








11-23-22 Puck passes







www.youtube.com




Christine had the driving whip and she only had to show it to Puck once and he didn't try to gnaw on Asad at all!








When we got back, Puck got his first lesson in ponying:












Overall he did really well, only trying to charge past a couple times, but yielding to the pressure of the halter when he got to the end of the slack. He was a bit less enthusiastic about trotting, but with a little encouragement from Christine, he soon figured it out.
2.61 miles, 371 feet of climb, 3.3 mph average pace, 34F real feel

Thanksgiving day, I snuck in a ride first thing in the morning. We went over and did big square. Hombre was feeling mighty fine and we did a lot of moving out.








Since the weather was so nice, I decided to go around all the fields to get down to the creek.








The crossing at the bottom of the climb is still very tricky, but Hombre navigated it calmly before marching up the climb.








When we got home, we met DH in the driveway and he was nice enough to take our picture. Can you tell where Hombre wants to go?! 








When we got to the barn, I kept my feet in the stirrups and ran my legs back one at a time. Hombre was initially tense, but soon turned around to ask for his cookies.
8.01 miles, 1004 feet of climb, 5.6 mph average pace, 40F real feel

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! We had the family gathering at Keith & Gina's and a good time was had by all. When we got home, we added a bit of turkey to the dogs' evening kibble. Kali eats much faster than Kestrel, so this is always the result:




  

I had hoped to ride Friday, but momma nature had other plans and sent a rainy day. Saturday started deer rifle, so since I couldn't ride, I started on the holiday decorations.


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## knightrider

Puck is going to be an awesome trail horse!!! How do you like Hombre? How is his gait?


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## gottatrot

Kali and Kestrel eating was a crack up!


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> How do you like Hombre? How is his gait?


I am really enjoying working with Hombre. I am still putting together how to ask for which gait and some days that works better than others. He is always happy to move, but some days I can get gaits which are smooth as glass and other days I get more lateral-feeling things. I keep meaning to get over to the ring with the GoPro so I can see what his legs are doing compared to what it feels like. Maybe Thursday if the weather ever cooperates..


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## ClearDonkey

Puck is such a little cutie!!! It's too bad not more foals get the start that Puck is getting. What a wonderful way to build the strength of his body and develop his mind through the amazing terrain you have local. He's going to be a seasoned trail pro by his first ride!


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## phantomhorse13

Momma nature has not been very cooperative with even ring riding the past couple weeks. I have gotten a bit of saddle time, though.

Last Friday, I rode with Dodie to help her set up a mounted orienteering course in a park that only allows archery hunting. I rode Bee.








We did a loop on both sides of the lake, pausing to set up the objectives and the clues as we went. As we came around a corner, Dodie and I got a good laugh at my ability to attract traffic in the most unlikely places:








Yes, that truck was just driving randomly around in the weeds (putting up bird houses). The rest of the ride was uneventful. Bee and Mabel behaved well, even when they had to stand around while Dodie was on the ground setting stuff up.








10.48 miles, 1001 feet of climb, 3.9 mph average pace, 38F real feel


Last Sunday was not a hunting day, so I got Hombre out. It's hard to know who was happier to be out: Hombre, me or Kestrel & Kali! We went over to the Tomhicken and out the yellow gate, then went across the road to the far side. We did a loop out where all the hunters have their blinds.








And then continued along the old railroad bed beside the creek.








Hombre felt really good and was happy to move out. 








12-4-22 Hombre gaiting







www.youtube.com




11.16 miles, 1657 feet of climb, 5.5 mph average pace, 30F real feel

At lunchtime, I went over to ride with Christine. I rode Asad. We climbed the Sugarloaf as the whole idea of the ride was to tire out Puck before his big adventure.








All the horses moved out nicely, though Asad was a bit less enthusiastic than the previous times I had ridden him.








When we got back to the barn, Christine tried ponying for the first time:








12-4-22 Christine ponies Puck







www.youtube.com




2.34 miles, 531 feet of climb, 3.2 mph average pace, 32F real feel

After the ride, we got the horses untacked and then loaded Gracelyn and Puck into the trailer - it was weaning day!









We drove to the other side of town to a boarding barn owned by a friend who also had a single foal this year. The trip was uneventful and the horses unloaded without issue. I took Puck into a small catch paddock where he got to meet his new friend Cinco:








Meanwhile, Christine turned Gracelyn around and put her right back on the trailer. She loaded without a sound and we drove back to Christine's while the BO kept an eye on Puck and Cinco.

Gracelyn neighed once to Asad upon her arrival and then they both dove into their hay like nothing had changed:








Perfect!


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## Animalia

Oh that ride looks gorgeous! We are at the start of Winter here in Wisconsin and I'm missing the trails already! So fascinated with Distance and Endurance riding!


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## Chevaux

Hey phantom — do you think Puck is stallion material?


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## phantomhorse13

@Animalia: so far, winter has just sideswiped us a couple times so far.. really hoping we don't have a repeat of last year where December wasn't too bad and then the ice storms started in January and didn't quit until March!

@Chevaux: while I really love Puck, I don't think he is stallion material. Half his pedigree is unknown (Gracelyn is grade) and it's possible he inherited LFS from his Arab sire (who has since been gelded because of that finding). It would be years before he can prove himself as a distance horse and if he did, most people who would want to breed to him would have arabs (which could be an issue if he carried LFS). Also, I cannot imagine any circumstance where Christine would want to deal with a stallion!!


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## phantomhorse13

Saturday, I hauled down to Swatara park to meet Dodie. It took me about 35 minutes to get Hombre loaded, which was an improvement over the 45 it took the last time we hauled out.. but sure is frustrating. As usual, he will go partway in, and then blast out backwards. I never realized how spoiled I was with the other horses who load without issue. But he did eventually get on and away we went.








Hombre was good about unloading and stood quietly tied to the trailer even when he was alone (we beat Dodie there by about 10 minutes). Tacking up went quickly and soon we were on the rail trail.








Had a chuckle over the speed limit, which we did break with a 12 mph canter.. good thing we didn't see any cops!  But most of the time we stuck to gaiting/trotting.








The footing was fantastic and it was cold enough we didn't see many other trail users.




One spot with a bit of a hazard, but the horses were not deterred. [Notice Bee sporting the elf hat I bought for her!]








When we got back, Hombre was happy to dig into his mash of outlast and alfalfa pellets.








Hombre only took about 5 miles to load to go home, which was very promising. However, once we got home he got quite agitated and first tried to turn around (its amazing how flexible he is!!) and when I corrected that, tried to fly off backwards before I had the butt bar down. He hit it hard enough to partially take his hind legs out from under himself, so for an agonizing moment he was sort of stuck in a half-sitting position partly under the butt bar. Thankfully he came forward without hurting himself or the trailer, but it certainly wasn't the calm experience I had been hoping for! 

We stood for a moment and got our wits about us, then I dropped the butt bar and asked him to back out. He went quickly, though did stop before dragging me off the ramp. But then he was jumping around all agitated, wanting to turn and run towards the barn. Instead, I stood on the ramp and waited for him to calm down enough to come stand with me. He boinged back and forth on the end of the rope several times, but did eventually calm down enough to walk onto the ramp before darting away. After a few more off and ons, I got him to stand quietly with his head inside the trailer and all his feet on the ramp - so I called it a day and took him in the barn for a good grooming before he got turned out. 🤷‍♀️
10.98 miles, 374 feet of climb, 5.8 mph average pace, 34F real feel

Today, I went over to ride with Christine. We had off and on snow showers all day but rode anyway. Because it was breezy, Christine asked me to ride Asad. She had dropped his vitamin E supplement over the last month and had blood drawn a couple weeks ago. The result came back last week showing a sharp drop in his vitamin E level, so she had put him back on the higher amount of supplement. I was very interested to see if he was going to feel different than he had last ride..








We did a loop around the whole Sugarloaf. From the start, Asad was back to being forward and interested. While he still felt a little paddly at the trot, it was much improved from the last ride. I think he's one who needs massive vitamin E supplementation (like @gottatrot's mare did)!








While parts of the ride were a bit breezy, overall it was lovely. We walked, we did some trot, and we even cantered across one field. It will be interesting to see if Asad stays this way or if it was just a fluke.. 🤞
4.6 miles, 883 feet of climb, 3.6 mph average pace, 34F real feel

I have been over to visit Puck a couple times. He and Cinco are doing great.


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## gottatrot

Very interesting about Asad and the vitamin e.

Too bad Hombre is so hard to load. I was laughing about a misspell that Hombre only took about 5 "miles" to load on the way home. I assumed you meant minutes but that was funny. 

It reminded me of someone I saw once ponying her horse out of the truck window, driving very slowly the 5 miles home when the horse wouldn't load.


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## Chevaux

..I was laughing about a misspell that Hombre only took about 5 "miles" to load on the way home…

I envisioned a full gallop start from that distance in order to gain enough momentum to catapult him in the trailer😆


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## Chevaux

Phantom — I had thought Puck was a registerable paint and (and without trying to alienating paint lovers here) that he looked better than a lot of paint foals of the same age I had seen. I still really like him even if he is now a commoner😁


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## phantomhorse13

Chevaux said:


> ..I was laughing about a misspell that Hombre only took about 5 "miles" to load on the way home…
> 
> I envisioned a full gallop start from that distance in order to gain enough momentum to catapult him in the trailer😆


Maybe I need to try that next time!! 



Chevaux said:


> Phantom — I had thought Puck was a registerable paint and (and without trying to alienating paint lovers here) that he looked better than a lot of paint foals of the same age I had seen. I still really like him even if he is now a commoner😁


Gracelyn was sold to Christine as a Paint/Friesian cross.. but she came from a horse dealer without papers who "couldn't remember" any background info other than she was green broke to ride (and supposedly drive).. so while she certainly got her tobiano from somewhere, exactly what she is is anybody's guess. Puck's sire is a registered Arab so I believe Christine has/will be registering Puck as a Half Arabian.



gottatrot said:


> It reminded me of someone I saw once ponying her horse out of the truck window, driving very slowly the 5 miles home when the horse wouldn't load.


I have wondered what exactly I would do if he ever decides he just won't load when we are away from home.. hopefully I won't ever have to find out!!


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## knightrider

@Knave has a fun story about a horse that normally loaded and wouldn't load one time. The "5 miles" brought that story to my mind. I could just see Hombre trotting along for 5 miles tied to the trailer.


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## phantomhorse13

I hope @Knave will share that story with us here, as I surely could use fun things to think about while waiting for Hombre to load!


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## phantomhorse13

I have gotten a bit of saddle time this week.

Monday, Dodie came up to ride. We had planned to ride together Friday, but with the Nor'easter forecast that didn't look likely. So she was able to move her Monday clients to Friday! We went over to the Tomhicken and all the way out the yellow gate trail.








And then down across to the soap creek. The dogs were SO happy to be out!!








Hombre and Bee trucked along where they could and walked where they needed to because of the footing.








11.11 miles, 1631 feet of climb, 4.6 mph average pace, 34F real feel

Tuesday, I started some training for DH's new office software via zoom. It's a massive software package so they are trying to break it down into not-overwhelming chunks. But after 2 hours of it, I was very happy to get to the Y and swim! Then I went to ride with Christine. I rode Asad again. We went down across the farm and over to the Tomhicken log road. Asad had never been that way before, but other than one startle at some equipment on the farm, he was really good.








Once we turned for home, Asad actually slowed down! However, Gracelyn was thrilled we were finally going the correct way so was happy to take the lead the rest of the way.








Asad felt pretty good and only stumbled a couple times when he was too busy looking other places to pay attention to his feet.








4.81 miles, 1220 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average pace, 22F real feel

After we were done, I went home and got Hombre out, seeing as it was National Day of the Horse. Since it was getting dark, I just planned to ride a quick circuit of Alimar. I went out bareback and decided to try him in just a halter.








Hombre seemed a bit confused about the pressure on his nose to start with, but soon figured it out.




2.03 miles, 230 feet of climb, 4.5 mph average pace, 30F real feel

Yesterday, I got Hombre out. We went over to do Big Square. 








I found out the people with the biting dog moved, so was able to go past that house for the first time in a long while!








7.02 miles, 902 feet of climb, 6.2 mph average pace, 33F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Just had a very exciting long weekend. Spoiler alert, this is only a teaser as I am frantically preparing for my family's arrival (2 days early because of the coming storm). Hope to post the whole story Thursday or Friday..

DH and I made a whirlwind trip down to southwest Kentucky over 3 days. We got to experience the generous hospitality of both @greentree and @Tazzie .. and we came home with 2 horses!!



























💃  💃  💃


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## gottatrot

Yay! Can't wait to hear the details!


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## weeedlady

So exciting. What a great way to celebrate your Christmas Holiday!


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## Knave

I’m sorry I didn’t see any of that! I even looked through my alerts and couldn’t find it! I’ll have to catch up with everything that led up to the request! Lol

My mother had a horse who was top of the line in cowhorse. He actually won a lot of other things too, mostly reinings, but he was a superstar. To know him… boy was he a horse who loved showing. He was so successful because of that love and pride he had in himself. You could watch him puff up and strut around in town, like he knew he was really something, and he really was too!

Anyways, he got it into his head that he wouldn’t leave shows for a time. He would refuse to load into the trailer and make this big scene, and all these cowboys and trainers would come and bully him into the trailer. He would only do it leaving shows.

So, one day my dad was there. He wasn’t going to play that game with Lucky. So, he tied him to the side of the trailer at the back, and he got in the truck and started driving away. Boy did Lucky think he messed up. He drove all the way out of the fairgrounds yard with Lucky trotting behind looking pretty freaked out, and then he stopped before hitting the main road and stepped out and offered him into the trailer.

Lucky sure did jump into that trailer. He thought he almost died you know! Lol. It was so funny. He never did it again either. He wasn’t going to call my father’s bluff.


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## phantomhorse13

@Knave that is a fantastic story! How funny that Lucky wanted to stay at shows to keep showing off. And what a brilliant idea on the part of your dad to change Lucky's thinking.


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## Knave

Lucky was probably the most successful horse I’ll ever meet. He was a cool dude. He was a gentle horse, and my father was against gentle styles of horses. He threw this fit when my mother bought the horse, then at this big show when he won yet again, this big time trainer looked at my dad and started to laugh. He said, “Did you ever apologize to your wife, about that horse?” Dad had to laugh along with him. The colt he said would never amount to anything turned out to be the horse everyone knew.

I was little when Lucky went through his refusing to load at shows phase. I remember being disgusted watching everyone try and help my mother. I hated watching this gentle and kindhearted horse be bullied. I knew my father wouldn’t do that to him, and I was enthralled to see what he did do.


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## knightrider

When do we get to learn about the new horses?


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## phantomhorse13

I am not sure how people can think horse shopping is fun. I saw a couple ads for things somewhat local, but I wasn't interested when I asked more questions (like the "kid safe, love trails" arabX gelding who had foundered in all 4 feet or the "ready to finish your way" young horse that had bucked off the rider all 5 times she had attempted to ride him!). Most of the horses that drew my eye when looking at ads were either far away or priced way above budget.

There was a 4 year old mustang/arab gelding locally that seemed promising at first, but in the week it took us to try to arrange a visit due to weather, the horse suddenly started not wanting to be caught and was then bucking under saddle. So that saved us a trip, as I don't mind a greenie but I don't need a _project_.

But all the while, I kept coming back to an ad for a young horse I actually first saw over a year ago. There is a well-known horse broker in Kentucky, Aubree Becker, who not only gets lots of nice riding horses through her place, she is also the one who handles young horse sales for Lapco Arabians (the breeder of Kathy's filly that I liked so much). I kept saying that if that young horse was meant for me, it would be there when I was ready. Well a year later, it was the only young horse that hadn't been sold..




































pedigree here
After the mustang didn't work out, DH noticed I was looking at the same pictures and asked me what the deal was. I told him I just couldn't get the horse out of my head. And his answer was "well then buy it."

I contacted Aubree to ask about the horse. The first thing I asked was why was he still there, when all the rest were sold. I was supper happy to find while the gelding was bred by Lapco, she was actually the owner as she had bought his dam from them while pregnant, so she was being very picky about where he went. I found out he had the best of both worlds.. he was foaled out and halter trained, etc by Aubree (whereas the Lapcos are basically feral). When he was weaned he went back to the Lapco farm, where he had the run of 200 acres for the next two years. Then Aubree brought him back to her place last year, which is when she posted his pictures along with the other 2 years olds still at Lapco for sale.

Aubree didn't tell me anything that changed my mind about wanting to meet him, so I put down a deposit. Because of DH's work schedule, it was going to be a couple weeks before we could get down to Kentucky. I told Aubree we were also looking for something for him and gave her a description of what we were looking for, joking we may as well fill the trailer if we were going all that way.

Two days later, Aubree called me and said he had a horse coming in that seemed perfect for DH - a 10 yo Arab gelding with a lot of trail experience. He hadn't competed but had been trained with that intention, including going out alone and being forward-thinking without being insane. As she told me about him, I realized it was a horse she had sold back in March but life had dramatically changed for the current owner and she made the hard decision to sell him. I had actually really liked the looks of the horse back when he was for sale the first time, but DH wasn't really ready yet and the horse sold within 24 hours of the ad being posted. Sale pics from the first time he was at Aubree's:
























I was able to track down the current owner and the owner before that on facebook, to ask about the horse's personality etc. The more I asked, the more perfect he sounded - thank you universe!! Some pics from previous owner:
















We made arrangements to hold him too, then waited for time to pass so we could get down to Kentucky and meet them!


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## Knave

Wow, I certainly arrived back at this journal at the best time! (I don’t know why, my phone constantly unsubscribed me to it. I eventually thought maybe you could kick off subscribers…)

I’m so excited to see the new horses!


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## egrogan

Lam sure has a lovely "boing" to him! I am so excited to see this next chapter unfold for you and just thrilled it all worked out the way it did.


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## Txshecat0423

I am so thrilled for you! Sometimes the planets align and good things happen. Looking forward to seeing your new adventures! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## phantomhorse13

We left here at 5am Saturday morning headed across PA and across Ohio on our way to Kentucky. The weather was cold with passing snow showers, so we were very glad the traffic was relatively light. We got down to Kentucky with no issues, but the interstate south of Louisville was_ horrible_ in terms of road quality. It was so bad that the bouncing broke the welds holding the tailgate on the flatbed, sending it crashing down to land on the hitch, held on by just the pin on one side!! Amazingly that pin held until DH could pull over. We removed the tailgate and put it in the empty trailer, so thankful it hadn't punched through the trailer or hit another vehicle. When we next stopped for fuel, I was able to rig up some bungees to keep it in place.








Thankfully, the rest of the 12.5 hour trip was uneventful. We met @greentree and her lovely family for dinner at their favorite Mexican place, before going back to her place for the night. I got to meet all her horses as she did her evening chores, including the stallion and the (giant) baby. DH got to speak to greentree's husband about solar panels, which we have been discussing getting for our place at home! I had no idea that was what her husband did for a living, so it was another moment to thank the universe. Soon it was time to fall into bed.

We were at Aubree's by 7:30 am. It was very cold (17F!) and Aubree had been delayed when returning from her vacation - she was supposed to have been home 11pm the night before, but instead had only gotten home about an hour before our arrival! She brought both horses in (they were caught easily) and we had a minute to visit with them as they ate their breakfast. We had planned to take Flash out on a trail ride, but the ground conditions made that unsafe. Instead, Aubree offered the round pen and the paddock around the barn.

DH tacked up Flash, who was a bit squirmy but tolerant (you could tell it had been a while since DH tacked up a horse). I had to laugh when the chickens started invading the barn, looking for whatever the horses had dropped. Neither horse cared at all!








DH asked Aubree for a hackamore, even after being told that Flash had never been ridden in one before. I just bit my tongue and didn't say anything as this was to be DH's horse so it was his show. The bridle wasn't adjusted for Flash's head and DH couldn't figure out how to fix it, so eventually asked me for help (but kudos to Flash for tolerating his nose and ears being squished by the too-small bridle). I got it sort of sized correctly (the noseband on the hack didn't adjust long enough to allow it go up as high as it should have) and then DH headed out to the round pen.

Aubree said Flash hadn't been ridden in 2 weeks and it was cold, so she suggested moving him around the pen before getting on. DH was in the pen by himself and has no idea how to longe a horse, which quickly became apparent as Flash just stood looking at him while he made shooing motions. After a minute DH gave up and took Flash to the mounting block.

Flash stood like a good boy as DH climbed on. He walked around the pen and wasn't sure what DH was asking with the hack at first, but soon figured out the turning cues. DH did a couple laps at a walk and then bumped up to the trot. Flash jogged around willingly despite the frozen footing (and he is barefoot):








Another couple laps and DH asked to go out into the field. He trotted around and then went down along the back fenceline, which Aubree said had a lot of scary things in it. Flash did shy at the corner when some birds flew out, but it was mild and when DH circled him around, he went back without any issue. After about 5 minutes, DH trotted by and exclaimed, "I love this horse!"

I could have cried.

When DH asked him to halt, Flash wasn't quite sure what that meant with just the pressure on his nose, but after a moment he did figure it out. DH hopped off and asked if I wanted to ride. I got on Flash in the round pen as that was where the mounting block was and rode around briefly. I was happy to see he wanted to understand what I was asking him when I cued for turns with the hack. He is right-sided, so will fit right in with everyone else. 🤪 And my first request to halt resulted in this:





We signed all the necessary paperwork and then it was time to get loaded. Aubree had said Flash was giving his owner a hard time about loading on her straight load, and indeed he did not want to go on at first. He was a little bullish about swinging sideways on the ramp, using his head or shoulder as a weapon. A couple corrections and he started going straighter and it wasn't long until he was in the trailer. Once on, he stood quietly and I had no issue putting up the butt bar.

Lam had only been on a trailer twice before, and both times that was a step up stock. He was a bit snorty about the ramp initially, but after a moment of consideration was willing to put a foot on it. A bit more encouragement and he had both feet on. He was unsure when he got close enough to put his head into the trailer itself, but after a moment of reflection he stepped into the trailer itself. After that he walked the rest of the way on like he had been loading every day of his life. He wasn't worried about the butt bar or the ramp and top doors being loaded. He eyed the fly mask suspiciously but let me put it on without any fuss. The haybag was the Best Thing Ever as far as he was concerned!

Off we went on the 4.5 hour trip to @Tazzie's. There was no scrambling or noise from the trailer as we pulled away. We stopped for fuel about an hour into the trip and the horses were both standing calmly munching hay.








I offered them some mush (very wet alfalfa pellets and beet pulp) and they both ate happily! I was really pleased. 

Before long we arrived at Tazzie's place. Lam was not sure about backing out of the trailer to start with, but did so one step at a time with some encouragement. Even though he was unsure, you could see him thinking before he acted. Flash unloaded without issue. To get to the barn, the path went across a creek. Flash was a bits snorty but Lam didn't mind and waded right in! Flash did cross a moment later and both behaves well as the resident horses showed off in the field. Lam was not so sure about the stall at first (no idea if he'd ever been in one before), but followed me in with minimal coaxing. He investigated his water and hay and did call to Flash a few times. Flash acted like he had lived there his whole life, taking a big drink and then going right to the hay. We opened up the barn to allow the resident horses in (the only water source was in the barn, so they had to be able to coexist peacefully).

There was minimal fussing as the horses met over the gates. After watching the interactions for a few minutes, I offered Lam and Flash some supper. I was thrilled to see them dig into their very wet beet pulp, alfalfa pellets, outlast and ration balancer.








Flash was even willing to share with Toffee!








After getting the horses settled, we went into town and had a wonderful meal at the local Chinese food place (which was initially suggested by Tazzie's daughter and seconded by me - it's amazing I didn't gain weight from the trip with all the good food!). We checked on the horses on the way home and all was quiet. DH and I feel into bed.

Way too soon Monday morning (4 am!), the alarm went off. We got to the barn by 4:30 and had the horses down to the trailer to start loading by 4:40. I was really pleased that Lam walked out into the dark without hesitation and came across the creek with only a brief snort. We stood and watched while DH loaded Flash.

Only Flash said no thank you. He turned away from the ramp and went to nibble some grass. DH let him eat for a minute, then tried again. This time Flash turned away and walked off - dragging DH after him! It took a moment for DH to get him turned back around and next attempt he was back to turning sideways and barging all over. After a few minutes DH gave up and asked me to try.

I went and got the dressage whip out of the trailer and then took Flash. The first time he tried to swing his hip sideways into me, he got a tap on the hip and he kicked out as its touch. That earned him a sharp shank and a loud verbal reprimand as kicking is never acceptable! You could see Flash's surprise at the correction. We tried again and he didn't swing the hip at me at all, but he did try to turn away and drag me, I was prepared for that and he didn't even leave the ramp. When that didn't work, he backed up a couple steps, but a touch with the whip had him moving forward and into the trailer. Yet again, once he was in he stood quietly.

Lam hesitated briefly at the base of the ramp, but with a bit of encouragement put a foot on he ramp. He backed up once, then came forward again to stand on the ramp. He then stepped on steadily one foot at a time until he was all the way on. He took less time to load than Flash! Once the butt bars was latched, DH picked up their breakfast and they both chowed down as I closed up the rest of the trailer.








We were on the road a little after 5 am for the final push home. The boys traveled well and ate hay steadily. They were not as impressed with the mush at the stops, but seeing as it was super cold I couldn't really blame them. Lam ate the outlast with enthusiasm but Flash was unimpressed with too that by the second stop. But he was always willing to eat the straight alfalfa hay, so he got some of that instead. I have to say, I had a chuckle over who was training who.. is Flash only going to eat the straight alfalfa in the trailer at stops now, knowing if he holds out that is what I will offer?! 

We got home a little after 3 pm, giving us a bit of daylight to get the boys settled. They unloaded with minimal fuss (Lam needed a bit of encouragement, but stepped back slowly and steadily with prompting). We walked them around the paddock, showing them the water tank and I walked Lam into the run in sheds as he didn't seem real sure about them. When we took the halter off, we expected some yahooing as they had been cooped up for so long. They walked a lap around the paddock, then went right to the water tank and had a big drink:








Phin did not try to lunge across the fence and bite either one, which was something of a surprise (a very nice one!). The boys trotted a lap around the paddock and then went up to the barn to sample the hay.


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## knightrider

What a marvelous story. How exciting that you got to meet 2 Horse Forum friends! Are you going to change the names? Do you like the names?


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## gottatrot

It sounds like you have two new amazing horses! They both look beautiful and sound great! It must be exciting to think of the new adventures ahead after the sadness you've been through recently.


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## Chevaux

Yep, darn good story — keep ‘me coming😀


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## carshon

I am so excited for you both!


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> Are you going to change the names? Do you like the names?


I love the name Flash as does DH. Lamborghini is a fun name but a lot to say. Aubree called him Lambo, which I am eh about. So going to try Lam and see how that works..


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## phantomhorse13

My New Years resolution is to do better with keeping this updated.. meanwhile, time for catch up (yes, again).

Last Wednesday, I went over and did Big Square, kind of. I learned that the people with the biting dogs moved, so I was able to do Medium Figure Eight! 🤪








Kali was so disappointed the pond was frozen!








7.06 miles, 942 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 30F real feel

Then Momma Nature sent a crazy storm and a crazier deep freeze. We got 4" of snow and an inch of rain.. and then temperatures fell dramatically. It was 54F when I left for the Y at 6:30 am Friday morning and 21F (with a real feel of -2) when I got home at 11! Temps kept falling to an overnight low of 4F (real feel in the -20s) and the next couple days highs barely got into the double digits. We were very lucky not to have any issues with frozen pipes and the horses all enjoyed the warm beet pulp I mixed with their feed.

Tuesday morning, the farrier came. He put shoes on Flash, which was totally uneventful. Lam was a bit unsure about Dave's shoeing box initially (it got a big snort and a comical side-eye as we walked past), but was pretty unconcerned about everything else, including the power sander:








12-27-22 Lam and the sander







www.youtube.com




I tried riding that afternoon, not sure where I would be able to go without ice blocking my way. I started with a loop around Alimar on Hombre. As expected, the dam on the way to Spaulding's was too icy to cross safely. So we headed to the bottom of Alimar and found this dead tree had finally fallen:








We went out the creek trail as far as we could, before having to turn up the hill and work our way around the field below the township building. We looped around the fields by the main road, then came back onto Alimar and home. Hombre was a bit rammy, but overall not too bad.
5.18 miles, 617 feet of climb, 5.1 mph average pace, 20F real feel

Next, it was Flash's turn. He was a bit distracted in the tack stall, wanting to turn to look out the door and in general not really paying any attention to my presence (which is exactly how he was when DH tacked him up at Aubree's). I gave him a couple minor reminders about personal space, but he didn't care about being saddled. He did walk off when I first got on, but stopped after a moment and stood. We headed out of the yard towards the upper woods path.








Flash was pretty anxious from the start, wanting to balk and trying to turn around. When we got to Gina's and went to do a few laps of the ring. He did some snorting and eyeballing of the various things in the ring, but managed to maintain a walk. When we left the ring and turned down the airport strip, he suddenly wanted to rush. We spent the trip home discussing speed (I asked for walk, he wanted to jig). He felt very tense but didn't do anything naughty, though the head tossing and neighing were annoying.
1.26 miles, 85 feet of climb, 3.3 mph average pace, 21F real feel

Wednesday I got saddle time in 3 different saddles! I started with Hombre. We did a similar route to the day before as there wasn't much choice due to the ice.




















5.22 miles, 794 feet of climb, 4.9 mph average pace, 28F real feel

Next was Flash. He was again quite anxious in the stall and needed a few reminders that I was there. He didn't want to stand at the mounting block at all, which resulted in a short groundwork session. Once I got on, he felt like he was going to explode at any moment. As we walked across the yard, he had a massive spook at the wind spinner. The ground was getting a bit soft so I changed my plan and we worked in the yard instead, bending around trees and doing figures until he sort of settled down. 








Then I rode him out of the yard to the edge of our property and got off.
1.29 miles, 56 feet of climb, 2.9 mph average pace, 34F real feel

Last, I went over to ride with Christine. I rode Asad and we did the Sugarloaf loop.








Asad was feeling really good, almost to the point of being sassy! So the vitamin E really seems to be key for him, as that is all that has changed.








Can't take me anywhere without my talking with my hands.. 








4.54 miles, 919 feet of climb, 3.6 mph average pace, 40F real feel

That evening, I messaged Flash's previous owner on FB, asking when she had ridden him out if she did so from home or had trailered (I was trying to figure out if what I was asking him was new or not). Found out that she rode from home and that he was a pushy, rude, barn-sour mess for the first week or so she had him! But she quietly persisted and he finally decided she meant it and was just fine after the first couple weeks. That was super useful information!


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## phantomhorse13

Thursday, I started with Flash as I wanted the ground as good as possible when I rode him. He upped the ante from the start, initially refusing to go into the tack stall at all! Instead, he put his head down and thought he would turn and drag me away (much as he did when loading on the trailer). That was discussion #1. Got in to the stall and had discussion #2 about respecting my space during grooming and tacking. Had discussion #3 at the mounting block. Had discussion #4 at the edge of the yard.  🤬

As we walked down the upper woods path, I was pleasantly surprised he went along without too much balking, tho he did want to neigh (which he was corrected for). I learned that I couldn't give him the slightest bit of leeway or he saw that as an invitation to do whatever he pleased the next moment. We got over to Gina's and went into the ring. When he wanted to trot because we were pointing towards home, I allowed him but expected him to do circles and changes of direction. He was a bit surprised at first (and our circles were not very round), but he improved with each round.

However, he also started coughing. A deep, from the chest, whole body kind of cough. Shiitake. Flash had some eye goop when he picked him up, but it had seemed to be improving so I had assumed it was a reaction to whatever hay Aubree had been feeding (previous owner said no history of eye issues with her). I decided that was a hint to be done with ring work, as I suspected the trip home was going to be a time consuming one.

And I wasn't wrong. Flash was able to walk maybe 4 steps before starting to jig, at which point we turned around and trotted away from home. I lost count of how many times we turned around, but each turn back resulted in more walk steps before he couldn't control himself any longer. 








We did eventually make it home. 
2.29 miles, 105 feet of climb, 4.0 mph average pace, 26F real feel

Interestingly, when Flash went back into the tack stall after our ride, he stood quietly and ate his hay while I untacked and groomed him - a first! He was a good boy for me to take his temperature (which was high normal) and listen to his lungs (which sounded clear to me). A close inspection of his eyes made me suspect some swelling and he was very itchy. I texted my vet, concerned that he was brewing something even with the normal temperature. She agreed with the holiday weekend coming it would be good to check him out and happened to have a cancellation before lunch. Thank you universe!

The ground was still frozen and I had a couple hours before the vet was coming, so I decided it would be a good time to play with Lam and start ponying training. Hombre has a pretty good neck rein now and I hoped he would be ok to pony from. I got him tacked up, then brought Lam in. Lam thinks with his stomach, so he stood happily chowing down hay while I groomed him. He is already much better about my touching the places that initially made him nervous (like under his belly and his hind end in general).

I took him out of the stall and collected Hombre from the crossties. Hombre has made it very clear he is not a fan of the new horses, so I wasn't sure how leading them close together might go. Hombre started to make one face and I growled at him - happy to say that was the last of that! Led them around the yard a couple times, then tossed Lam's rope across the saddle and led him from Hombre's left. That worked without incident.. so to the mounting block we went.

I stood on the block and pet Lam's face and head. He didn't seem worried about my being above him at all. Asked him to step back so that I could get on, which he did quietly. He didn't flick an ear over my mounting and Hombre turned around to ask for his cookie like a good boy. After he got a cookie and Lam got more pets and a cookie, I asked Hombre to walk off.

You would have thought Lam had been ponied before, he did so well!! (I actually messaged Aubree to ask later, and no he had not.) Hombre was a bit impatient about circling in the yard, but he did settle down eventually, too. It went so well that I felt secure in leaving the yard. We did the swale loop.








Lam does not walk as fast as Hombre, but quietly jogged a few steps to catch up when he started lagging behind. He was so responsive that I let Hombre slow gait a bit and Lam trotted along without a care in the world!
💃  💃
1.04 miles, 56 feet of climb, 3.4 mph average pace, 30F real feel

Flash's appointment with the vet was uneventful. He was very good about coming back into the barn and stood quietly for his exam. His temp was still on the high end of normal and the vet agreed his lungs sounded clear. She took blood for a CBC and he didn't move a muscle. She prescribed some antibiotic ointment for his eyes and said we would wait on the CBC results for any other meds, as she suspected something viral (apparently horsey colds have been going around - we joked maybe they were getting COVID now, too!).

I decided I was going to put Flash in a paddock by himself, to keep the herd dynamics from stressing him out any more. That meant Phin and Hombre were going to have to go with George and Lam. Phin is historically a bully, so I had a muzzle for him. Hombre, however, had also been a jerk so I did not want to turn him out unadorned either. I was able to borrow another muzzle from the woman who owns the farm Puck is boarding at. Of course, I stopped to visit when I went to pick up the muzzle. Puck was fascinated by the chapstick in my tights pocket while Cinco apparently was a hair dresser in a former life:








Happy to report the muzzles were a big success. Phin and Hombre are terribly insulted, but they will survive. Lam is still keeping his distance but there is no charging/chasing. Flash seems content to have his own private paddock, but I did go out and spend some time with him just to be sure. I took a chair and a book, not sure what to expect when I sat down. Flash left his shed (where the hay is) to come over and check me out, then stood over me to nap!


















Yesterday, I was able to ride with Nik for the first time in weeks. The warmer temps and sunshine the day before had melted some of the ice in open places, so we were able to leave Alimar by the driveway and head across the farm to try the yellow gate loop.








There was still some snow on the north sides, but it was slushy and not icy.








Some of the puddles were still frozen solid, but we actually found a new trail that cut off the icy puddles we couldn't get around, and then brought us back to a trail we knew.








9.47 miles, 1493 feet of climb, 4.2 mph average pace, 43F real feel

I heard back about Flash's CBC - all normal. So the plan right now is to continue with the eye meds (which he is really good about) and monitor his temp (which has remained normal). George started with watery eyes today, so that makes us suspect something viral (which is frustrating, but actually better than an immune-driven crazy allergic issue).

Today, I got Hombre out for a bareback ride to say goodbye to 2022. We moseyed around Spaulding's as the dam had thawed, then around part of Alimar.
















2.54 miles, 314 feet of climb, 4.2 mph average pace, 50F real feel

Happy New Year to all - here is to 2023!


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## phantomhorse13

Fun stats from my spreadsheet: I rode 242 times in 2022, resulting in 1386.0 miles. My highest mileage month was August with 172.94 miles and lowest mileage was February with 85.82 miles. Longest single ride was on Bee for 50.79 miles. Top 3 horse mileage was Hombre for 437.29 miles (63 times), George for 370.61 miles (71 times), and Phin for 157.74 miles (37 times).


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## phantomhorse13

Started the New Year out right with double saddle time on Monday! I started with Hombre. We went over to do the Tomhicken log road loop. Hombre was forward without being silly and wanted to go faster, but the mucky conditions kept us at a walk anywhere that wasn't a gravel road.








The dogs apparently did not feel 4 miles at a slow pace was tiring enough, so they did multiple laps around us in the fields. I need to get out my old garmin and see if the battery will charge, then put it on Kali as I bet she does several more miles than Hombre does!








6.20 miles, 1040 feet of climb, 4.7 mph average pace, 45F real feel

That afternoon, I went over to ride with Christine. She had another friend haul in to ride with her young horse. We planned to do the yellow gate loop, but the young horse was feeling mighty fine to start with, so we started with a jaunt up the Sugarloaf to look for his brain.








Only took that first climb to find it, so then we headed out across the farm to the Tomhicken. The conditions hadn't improved since I had been there that morning, so we trotted were we could and walked where we had to. The young horse can be funny about mud and water, so the yellow gate trail was great training for him. He started out very worried but did work out of it.








Asad initially was insulted about not being first, doing a lot of head tossing, but he did eventually get over it. Gracelyn was her normal well-behaved self.








Once we turned for home, Gracelyn decided it was her turn to lead.








1-1-23 trotting along







www.youtube.com




On the way back across the farm, Gracelyn wanted to hurry so Christine let her trot up the big hill. After about 6 strides Gracelyn had second thoughts, but Christine insisted and off they went. Asad wanted to go too, but didn't fuss when I asked him to just walk along. The young horse was initially worried about Gracelyn going ahead, but after a few moments of head shaking and sideways trotting, decided he would survive with only one friend.








That was the longest ride Asad has done since being back into work and he felt just as steady on his feet at the end as he did at the start.
8.36 miles, 1503 feet of climb, 3.6 mph average pace, 42F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, Hombre and I hauled down to Leaser Lake to meet up with Dodie and Bee. I started the loading process an hour before I needed to leave. Hombre went halfway into the trailer twice, and then _went all the way on the third try_ - to say I was thrilled was an understatement!! Hombre got copious praise and a generous snack of carrots and alfalfa hay to reward his good behavior. Poor Dodie was still in her pajamas when I messaged her Hombre was on the trailer. 

The haul down was uneventful and Hombre unloaded with no drama. He took a look around, then stood happily munching his hay. I suspect wearing the muzzle the last few days made the hay bag that much more appealing, as he did not need to do acrobatics with his face to be able to eat. I don't think he stopped chewing the whole time I tacked up.








Dodie arrived about 15 minutes after I did and I helped her get Bee unloaded and the cart down out of the truck. When I brought Hombre over in hand, he didn't bat an eye at the cart. Led him around it and he was much more interested in looking for grass. Mounted up and started out behind the cart. Dodie walked along with Bee for the first minute, as she hadn't been driven away from home in years. But Bee was the good girl we expected and had no issues.








Hombre could not have cared less about the cart - in front of him, behind him, even beside him didn't cause so much as an ear flick. It made me wonder if somehow he had been around driving horses before, perhaps at shows? But his lack of concern made for a lovely ride, as Hombre rode point for Bee or else they jogged down the road side by side.








The day was overcast but it was so warm we were actually glad for the clouds. I was overdressed in a long sleeved shirt and light coat! The horses enjoyed themselves, moving right along enthusiastically.




I had to laugh at the amount of vehicles that passed us, as the roads are pretty remote. But attracting traffic is my superpower, so it didn't fail me. 🤪 One of them was a lady who recently moved to the area and was looking for fellow trail riders. So maybe we found a new friend.








Hombre actually worked up a sweat, but he never got lazy. I could tell he was getting tired though as his flat walk was matching Bee's walk by the end.








When we got back to the trailer, Hombre was thrilled to dig into his wet mash of beet pulp, alfalfa pellets and outlast. I was very generous with the water, but he still licked the pan clean.








The trip home was also uneventful. 
8.58 miles, 1260 feet of climb, 4.8 mph average pace, 48F real feel

Upon our return, I decided to put Hombre out without the muzzle. I stayed close to watch the interactions and was very happy to not see any bad behavior. Phin is still posturing, so his muzzle remained on, but Lam is starting to make faces back and stand his ground, so hopefully they will have that sorted out soon. Flash is still in a private paddock and seems content enough. His eyes are doing much better and he continues to let me put the ointment in without having to halter him (amazing what a carrot reward can do!). I haven't heard any coughing today, so hopefully he is on the mend!


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## phantomhorse13

We got rain Tuesday and Wednesday, which we surely did not need. It's crazy to be having mud season in January, but I keep repeating its better than ice..

Yesterday, the sun came out! I got Hombre and the dogs out. We did the Tomhicken lake loop. I am starting to add more climb as Hombre gets fitter.








Hombre was feeling good and I let him move out where he could:








1-5-23 Hombre







www.youtube.com




Kali was thrilled the weather was nice enough for swimming:








The trip home was uneventful until we got onto Ziesloff's. Someone was cutting trees and apparently had really good hearing protection on, as no matter how loudly I called, he never looked up. I decided the best i could do was ride by while he was cutting up the tree he had just felled. Thankfully, Hombre couldn't have cared less!




9.01 miles, 1886 feet of climb, 5.0 mph average pace, 52F real feel

When I got home, I took a chair out into the paddock and sat with Flash. Yet again, he left his hay to come over and hang out with me.
















On the way back to the barn, Lam saw me walking with the chair and came over to check it out.








Lam meets the chair







www.youtube.com




 

Today, it wasn't supposed to rain but momma nature sent a surprise.  When the showers stopped just after lunch, I hurried out to get tacked up as I needed to help DH with something in the late afternoon. Since I didn't have a lot of time and the ground was still very wet, we moseyed up the Sugarloaf.








We looped around behind Christine's place and down the neighbor's driveway before heading down the lane and home.








Hombre was forward without being silly in the cooler temps. He even gave me a lovely canter to flat walk transition on the way home from my seat alone!
5.40 miles, 1079 feet of climb, 5.3 mph average pace, 30F real feel


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I met up with Nic and Copper. We did the Tomhicken logging road loop, then I showed her the loop behind Christine's.








The boys were forward without being too silly, though Copper did fuss when it started snowing a bit and the flakes were hitting him in the face.  Luckily, that didn't last long.








We were lucky to only get a bit of snow, as the "partly cloudy" forecast wound up being off and on snow and sleet showers all day.








8.69 miles, 1444 feet of climb, 4.4 mph average pace, 30F real feel

Today, I hauled out to Jacobsburg to meet Dodie and Jen. _Hombre got right on the trailer_, first try!! 💃💃💃 We did have a bit of excitement unloading, however. Just as I was starting to pull the pin on the butt bar, another trailer pulled in with a horse banging and screaming. Hombre shot backwards and squished my hand between his rump and the bar, hitting the butt bar hard enough to bend it! I said some choice words, but he did scoot forward again and stand so I could drop the bar. He came out quicker than I would have liked, but honestly the noise from that trailer was pretty worrisome to me, too, so I couldn't blame him. Once out, he took a look around and then settled right down.








I had a second exciting moment of progress today. Not sure if I had mentioned working with Hombre to mount from the trailer fender, but to start with it was something he simply refused to do. He has been slowly improving each time we hauled. Well today, he came right over and stood for me to mount!








I had only been to that park once before in 2017 with Nicole, so was very glad to have Jen as tour guide. Killian was a little silly now and again, but overall behaved himself well for a show-bred, 6 year old redhead.








The park had a lovely variety of trails, from gravel paths to grassy roads to technical singletrack.








It also had lots of other trail users (bikers, hikers, and a lot of people with dogs) and a crazy variety of bridges. One thing we didn't have much of was mud (which was sure a nice change from home).








Killian led a lot of the time, but anything he was unsure about, Hombre went to the lead and didn't put a foot wrong.




When we got back, Hombre was happy to dig into his mush. And then he loaded right onto the trailer first try!








When we got home, he was much quieter than previous times. He stood quietly for me to put the butt bar down without any tap dancing to start with. Then, he waited until I asked him before he backed off!!
12.06 miles, 1339 feet of climb, 3.9 mph average pace, 34F real feel
My finger is already turning colors. Can't wait to see what it looks like tomorrow.. 🤪😖 But honestly, today was worth a bruise.


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## egrogan

Ouch! Hope you have a bag of peas on your hand tonight. But glad he’s had such great trailer progress.


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## gottatrot

Too bad about your hand.
Hooray for Hombre!


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## knightrider

gottatrot said:


> Too bad about your hand.
> Hooray for Hombre!


Same here!


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## Celeste

I'm sure that just like all of us here would do, you are going to get that x-rayed today. 
Or in a few weeks if it still hurts.

Ouch. That has got to hurt!


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## phantomhorse13

egrogan said:


> Ouch! Hope you have a bag of peas on your hand tonight.


I did indeed sit with a bag of peas on my hand last night! About the only use I have for peas. 🤪 



Celeste said:


> I'm sure that just like all of us here would do, you are going to get that x-rayed today.
> Or in a few weeks if it still hurts.


  

Happy to report that my knuckle is greatly improved today - there is a touch of swelling and it's still slightly discolored. I only notice a bit of soreness if I make a fist as hard as I can, so think I have escaped needing x-rays this time..


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