# 2019 rides! Happy trails



## SwissMiss

For the first time I actually rode on January 1st! What a great start to the year :biggrin:

It was pouring rain all day yesterday, which did nothing to improve the footing on the property. Wet, muddy and slick all around; but since I had to work, hauling to drier trails was not an option. My pony was apparently still riled up from all the fireworks last night and expected a monster behind every bush and in each puddle, making the ride interesting :Angel: And she was definitively not amused, when our perceived "shortcut" to avoid lots of standing water resulted in a water crossing that went far over Raya's knees :rofl:


Poor princess got wet and dirty and was only allowed to walk :cowboy:









Edit: no idea why the picture is suddenly sideways :|


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## csimkunas6

I also got to ride today! Was just checking fencelines, but was still riding! No mud what so ever here! 20 F with 15mph winds! Was a bit chilly but sooo worth it! Was the first time Ive actually ridden since we moved to MT, and was nice not having my horse fight with me about having other horses around, he seems to enjoy Mr. Squishy tagging along!


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## AnitaAnne

WOOT it is 2019 and time to start another year of riding adventures!! 

Congrats to @SwissMiss and @csimkunas6 for their New Year's Day rides!! (Miss Raya still looks cute btw) 

I had to work so not riding today, and car repairs scheduled for tomorrow. I certainly hope I have a dollar or two left in my bank account after the mechanic gets done...:frown_color:

If it is not raining, will definitely RIDE :smile:


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## egrogan

Yay @SwissMiss, thanks for starting the thread this year :grin: I am expecting it will probably be a couple of months before I can get any rides in. We have had such a bizarre winter, tons of snow in November and early December, then strange warming that melted a lot of it but flash froze into lakes of ice everywhere. I am not comfortable with icy footing, so the girls are winter vacationing and I'll have to ride along with all of you until a bit later this year! Keep those pictures coming!! 
:cowboy:


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## PoptartShop

No trails (yet! hoping to do some in the next few weeks as it's rained a lot lately) - but I did ride yesterday, first ride of the year! 

Rode in my comfy Barefoot treeless saddle.

Promise is so fluffy lol :lol:


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## greentree

I got to ride...in the car! LOL! I will probably get Spirit out for the first ride of the year today!
@SwissMiss you are very intrepid to ride in the rain! 
@csimkunas6 that Squishy is adorable talking to Rodeo!!


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## Celeste

Subbing. If it will quit raining, I'll start riding.


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## gunslinger

We had 16 riders on New Years day, and rode 15 miles up and down the mountains, into and out of the Gee Creek Wilderness area in Polk County TN.


While it was a gray day, the weather was pleasant at aroun 55 degrees....the good thing about the mountains, is if you stay on the mountain, it's not to muddy.


So, I've got 15 miles for 2019!


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## lsdrider

Fancy and I got the year started right with about an hour bareback ride.
Here we are heading out, then in the woods where something got her attention.
Riding was limited due to conditions.

2019 Miles: 2


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## α CMa

Happy (belated) New Year!

I didn't ride on the first, but I did today. Yay! Finally, a day without rain! I rode on the little trail behind the neighborhood houses where she is boarded. I'm not quite sure how long it is, but it took a little over an hour walking.


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## AGibson

I was able to get two rides in totaling 26 miles! Of course everything will come to a screeching halt once I go back to work. Then it’s weekends only until the days get longer. Yesterday I rode out with a group of local cowgirls that I was able to connect with through FB’s Old Cowgirls group. I got the heads up from here. Thank you! We met yesterday for a 14 mile loop around one of the Lakes. It was a beautiful day. 17 women total. Big step for me as I have never ridden in a group that large. And it was my first time on my rescue horse trailering out and riding in a large group. Everyone was so positive and supportive. Such a great group of women.


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## ChasingDreams

I got to ride on Jan 1st as well  But, my ride was not very glamorous, approx 2.5 miles  It had POURED the entire day before so it was a swamp, and cold with 30mph+ wind gusts. We rode the lane and along the edge of the long field before the quarry, then turned and headed back towards home. I kept having visions of tree-limbs coming down on my head.

I’m riding tonight, but since it will be dark I’ll be confined to the arena. Tomorrow is not looking good weather-wise... so really hoping to get something decent Sunday so I can actually go into the woods once this year already


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## AtokaGhosthorse

Subbing as well.

I have the app - but it keeps making my phone ding. Still haven't dug into it to see what the problem is.


Also have sweatcoin app now, which at least tracks my 'steps'. My last ride of 2018 was almost 6000 steps and for comparison an entire day spent shopping in the DFW area, with a LOT of walking yielded 1500ish. I have no idea what that translates into for riding, but take it for what's it's worth. LOL


IF things will dry out... and if we get a good weekend... I have a four day weekend coming up at MLK day in two weeks. I have... plans.... Yes I do.


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## Celeste

The sun has come out. Unfortunately, the road has turned into a river. Very slick, unsafe footing. Dang it.


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## phantomhorse13

My first ride of 2019 was Wednesday, and I went over to ride with Nicole. The whole story is in my journal.

I started out on Polo.









We changed horses partway through, so I got to ride Hombre, too.










Yesterday, Nicole came over and we got George and Phin out.



















Today, I tried ponying with George for the first time. 



















2019 mileage
1/3 polo 6.09 miles 390 ft climb 5.0 mph 34F 6.09 total miles
1/3 hombre 3.32 miles 540 ft climb 4.1 mph 34F 9.41 total miles
1/4 phin 9.99 miles 1921 ft climb 3.6 mph 28F 19.40 total miles
1/5 george w/phin 5.34 miles 847 ft climb 4.4 mph 38F *24.74 total miles*


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## charrorider

First ride of 2019. Going down a well rutted trail. Nice day for a ride.


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## SwissMiss

Canoeing would probably be more appropriate in the current conditions :wink:
But maybe my pony is turning into a seahorse :rofl:


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## charrorider

Yes, it is muddy and slick. How did you guys turned your photos portrait fashion? The photo in my post was taken in portrait fashion, but the default for this site seems to turn them to landscape fashion.


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## ChasingDreams

Did get out today, but unfortunately still couldn’t ride the actual trails due to high winds. I had to get down and pull a large branch from the lane, and saw a huge part of a tree right across the entrance into the woods... so decided it wasn’t worth the risk of having something come down on top of us.

Just curious, all you endurance and all-weather riders... do you ride in the woods in high-winds? I’m just so paranoid of branches coming down on top of us. Maybe I’m just chicken lol. My bm doesn’t ride in high winds because her horse loses his mind when it’s windy. So, I’m usually on my own if I’m riding on a windy day.

Anyway, looped around the field and came back, a little over 2.5 miles again.


























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## egrogan

Hmm...I guess I've never thought about branches coming down in the wind and I have ridden in the woods in really high winds. In a pine forest, it almost feels like the trees are sheltering you from the wind. But I can see your point too. My general rule is that if I know the weather conditions are going to make me nervous (for me, that's icy footing) then I'm going to make my horse nervous, so I don't do it! :wink:


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## Change

I rode on the 1st. Not a long ride as Tango was being an idiot and the footing was slick mud. .71 miles.


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## Celeste

@Change I'm glad that you got to ride a little bit. This weather has been terrible! It has stopped raining for the moment, but the dirt roads are really muddy. Deep puddle hope you don't drown muddy.

Yesterday my neighbor came over and she was very excited about seeing Kahlua. She has met all of my other horses, but this was her first time to meet Kahlua. My daughter also came over.
Since I had to take off her rain sheet to show her off, I decided to throw on the saddle and ride Kahlua for a few minutes. 

She was much easier to mount this time, but it was probably because my friend had given her some treats and she was watching and hoping for more. She didn't much want to leave her new friend with the treats, but she did. We mostly walked because even here at the house, there are few spots that aren't slick with mud.

I did ask for a trot a couple of times. Going towards treat lady, she was a very happy girl. When asked to trot away from her new treat bearing friend, she bucked a little bit. Compared to my Arab, it was pretty minor. It did earn her a bit more work. She did not seem lame at all. The ground was extremely soft, so it may not be the full picture.

I offered to let my neighbor and my daughter have a turn to ride, but they both declined for some reason. :smile:

Today I decided to ride the Psycho Princess. I did not go down to the scary road with the demon possessed garbage bags. It seemed easier just to fight the mud on our regular ride. The mud was thick and sticky until we got well into the ride. Things were drier in the woods, but it was still to wet to move out. I did one tiny little trot. My girl wanted to canter sooooo badly, but it was just too wet.

Yesterday: (I think I can count arena miles if I get bucked.) 0.3 miles
Today: 2.9 miles

Total for 2019: 3.2 miles


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## ChasingDreams

@egrogan that’s a pretty good rule of thumb. It probably doesn’t help that my bm told me a story about that exact scenario. When her guy was a greenie like Chase, she was riding in the woods and a huge branch fell and smacked him right across the rump, initiating a crazy, demon-sped bolt through the woods and near wreck....

Now, when it’s really windy I can’t help but side-eye those branches swaying and rattling against each other overhead [emoji849]


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## SwissMiss

@ChasingDreams, at one of the places I haul out to, there is a really thick broken off branch caught in some other ones... Directly where we _have_ to ride underneath... Yeah, I normally keep an eye up there, ready to yell "timber" and get out of there :rofl:

Had another quiet mosey around the property, avoiding the seriously flooded areas. No swimming today :wink: Raya was awesome, walking quietly on a loose rein, doing serpentines with just turning my shoulders :happydance: Suddenly some [email protected]#$ hunter started shooting, getting my pony all upset, but with some scratching of her neck she calmed right back down... Good girl


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## knightrider

Just got home from camping with Alycia Burton at The Oaks in Lake City, FL. It was fantastic. Alycia Burton is so personable. She spent time talking with each group before we rode out, and during the ride, she rode with each group and talked to them about things they cared about. The Oaks is a posh place created by David and Karen O'Connor. They wanted to create a top-of-the-line stable where people could own land, keep horses on their own places, or board in their super elegant barn. I reserved two stalls in the fancy schmantzy barn so we could camp out there.

When the ride started, Alycia came out riding Gold Rush with no saddle and no bridle. After a bit, she put reins on his halter. Quite impressive. The terrain for the ride was pretty ordinary--groomed trails, rather like riding on a golf course, but it was so exciting to be riding with someone so famous and skilled. 

Alycia ended the ride at a huge field where she invited the folks who wanted to trot or canter to go for it. I was riding Aci, who is normally quite calm, but he was super excited on the ride, and when I tried to canter him, he got crazy and bouncy, threatening to rear, so I didn't get to canter all that much. Then Alycia stayed around talking to everyone who wanted to. It was great.

Then we were treated to pizza, while the riders brought side dishes, so we ate together, and again, Alycia made sure to sit and chat with each group while we ate. And after the meal, she lingered for an hour, just talking about life--taxes, New Zealand, America, horses, goals and dreams. It was like a dream come true.

My horses did not care at all for their fancy stalls. They do not think the high life is for them. Each stall floor is made of mats with thick fresh shavings and automatic waterers. The empty stalls were so clean, you could eat off them. My horses said I was putting them in jail, and they let me know they were not happy.

After a bit of a break, my friend and I took our horses out for a trail ride on our own. Our first stop was the cross country course where we jumped all the low jumps. I was so pleased that Aci jumped so readily. At first he was reluctant to jump things out in the middle of a field. All he's ever jumped was logs across the trail. But he soon got into it and was really jumping nicely. My friend wanted to take Chorro into the pond, and I wasn't too keen on that, as Aci requires me leading him through water the first couple of times. It was jacket weather for riding--quite nice, but not nice to get my boots all wet. But, to my surprise, Aci went right into the pond. Both horses were thirsty and drank happily. I could tell they did not think much of automatic waterers.

In the evening, Alycia hung out with us for a bit. I was so pleased that she was so personable, down to earth, and made such an effort to make everyone welcome. The weather turned much colder than predicted. Because it was a fancy schmantzy barn, there was no place for a campfire. My friend and I were hanging out in the observation room trying to stay warm when a barn hand found us and said Aci was going crazy. I was quite surprised as I have taken Aci camping quite a few times, and a couple of times, camping solo, and he always was fine. But the champagne life did not suit my Acicate. He was rearing and slamming his front feet down on the stall wall.

The only thing I could think of to try was to move him into the stall next to Chorro. Now, Aci and Chorro hate each other. I was even worried about trailering them together (they trailered fine, whew). But it was either try that or take them home, because I wasn't about to let Aci get injured. The barn hand said he would put fresh shavings in the empty stall next to Chorro, but I felt bad about having him do that. I know that shavings are $5 a bale, and there were at least 3 bales of shavings in Aci's stall. So I offered to shovel the shavings into the empty stall. Now I wasn't cold AND I had something to do. 

When we moved Aci into the stall next to Chorro, he settled down. I checked on him every 20 minutes, and he was fine. Later, I learned the barn manager was also checking on him, even in the middle of the night, as I was. They don't stint on anything at The Oaks.

During the night, when I got up several times to check on Aci, I looked at my thermometer in the trailer, and it was 33 degrees F. Not my favorite camping weather, but I had plenty of warm things, so I made the best of it.

The next day we packed a picnic and rode a long way. We explored all the trails we hadn't done the day before, and did the cross country jumps again. Years ago, when I was young, I would have jumped everything out there, but I don't school over fences any more, and don't care for jumping big stuff. My Pasos aren't ready for 3' 6" and neither am I, not any more. But it was super fun to sail over the little stuff. One of the cool jumps was a canoe on the bank of the pond. The rider would have to either jump the canoe into the pond or jump out of the pond over the canoe. There were a lot of challenging jumps on the course that I would have loved to try 30 years ago.

Alycia again spent some time chatting with us about life, New Zealand, and stuff. It was a camping trip I'll always remember.
The first picture is me posing with Alycia Burton. The second picture is when Alycia started the trail ride with no bridle or saddle. Alycia is in the red jacket in the trail pictures. The last picture is me jumping Acicate over an easy log jump.


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## whisperbaby22

Last week was warm and pleasant. We are in a rainy pattern for now, but I can still ride in between showers.


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## lsdrider

Fancy and I did another bareback ride around here today. Roads and trails stayed icy even with the warm weather and don't look to improve soon

3.2 miles, 2019 total miles 5.2

ETA: Getting pretty jealous of you guys with all your nice riding weather and conditions! :cowboy:


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## gunslinger

God blessed us this weekend as the rain stopped and this bright yellow orb appeared in the sky...blue sky's, no wind, and mid 50's to low 60's.

Needless to say, I rode both days. Saturday we rode Hogback ridge out of Willis Springs in the Cherokee National Forest.

Sunday after church, we rode Enterprise South in Chattanooga.

10 miles both rides puts me at a whopping 35 miles!

Temps are supposed to remain mild for the next couple of days, but next weekend is calling for a rain snow mix. No telling when we'll get another weekend like we had this weekend.

Happy Trails!


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## QueenofFrance08

Got in our first ride of 2019 on Saturday when it was 40 degrees! Made it a whopping .78 miles due to the snow and ice. We were following tire tracks around our neighbors field because the gravel was too icy (ask me how I know, slid the car right off the road) and we got to a point where clearly the truck had gotten stuck and had to be pulled out and figured that was a good start. I rode Chico because I was a little nervous after Stitch bucked me off during our last ride and DH rode Jake. They're so funny for both being Arabians Chico has a super fast power walk and Jake just dawdles along. Yesterday it was warm again but with 30 mph winds so I stayed inside all day other than to feed.


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## ChasingDreams

@knightrider I’m so jealous! Sounds like a memorable experience...minus the 33 degree camping. We have heat and AC in our camper, and I still like to wait until late spring to start scheduling those trips lol 

Gold rush is an amazing horse, I’d love to meet them someday!


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## carshon

@ChasingDreams I have a rule that I do not ride in the woods in really high winds. it never used to bother me until a very large limb fell while I and my family was riding with a group of friends about 5 years ago. My friends horse bolted into the horse my young daughter was riding and through the rest of us in front of them. My friend fell off breaking a couple of ribs and her Mom fell off as well (she was 70 at the time) Thank God my daughter stayed on and her horse stayed upright, but the rest of the horses were fire breathing monsters the rest of the ride and many of the riders opted to walk them the remaining 4 miles to the trailer. My friend walked with busted ribs (she thought she just had the wind knocked out of her) and her Mom was ponied by me. We ride in well wooded state parks and there are a lot of hanging limbs and widow maker trees and the potential for an accident really goes up in high winds.

No riding for me - it was gorgeous this past weekend with temps in the 50's but the trails at the one park that is open were so slick we could not even walk on them without sliding. And raining today!


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## ChasingDreams

@carshon See, I think even if we didn’t have the unfortunate luck of something falling ON us... my guy is still young and slightly jumpy on windy days anyway, I’m not sure that he wouldn’t have a fit if something came crashing down close by and take off. Bolting through the woods is not my idea of a good time. At least if a tree comes down nearby while we are riding in the field I have a nice open space to fall off [emoji23]



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## knightrider

@ChasingDreams, like you, I thought that Alycia had found a terrific horse in Gold Rush for riding tackless, but several times, she said he is actually not a good horse for that type of riding. He is very hot and can be quite difficult. He was given to Alycia a while back because no one could manage him. So, it just shows what a talented rider and trainer she is. She spends a lot of time showing folks how to ride without a bridle, and the reason why Gold Rush being unsuitable came up a couple of times was that she wanted the kids to know that it is much easier if you have a horse that is suited to riding tackless. But she had to go with what she had, and that was Gold Rush, and she succeeded through hard work and perseverance. She wanted the kids to realize that not all horses are suitable, and if you have one that is not, it is going to be a LOT harder.

Here is my branch falling story: My daughter was 6 years old and had graduated to riding her pony on a leadline while I rode my horse. She wasn't confident enough to ride out on her own. So I ponied her regularly. One day we were just coming back from a trail ride with friends and quite near the barn when a huge branch crashed down right in front of my horse and her pony. My horse spooked one way and her pony spooked the other way. I had a split second to decide: let go of her pony and ride out the spook, or come off my horse and keep a hold on the pony. The lady behind me yelled, "Make a wish!" because I was being split in half like a wishbone. I decided to keep holding the leadline so my daughter wouldn't be scared if the pony made a mad dash for the barn. I came flying off my horse and landed on my stomach with a tight hold on the leadline. The pony stopped. My horse stopped and it was all good.


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## phantomhorse13

When it comes to high wind days and riding, my best answer is it depends. It depends on which horse I had been planning to ride (George doesn't care; Phin and Raven do) and what the footing is like. If I can ride in mainly fields that makes me a lot happier than in the woods.. and if woods are my only choice, I try to stay on the leeward side of the hills.


Yesterday, I got all 3 boys ridden. The whole story is in my journal.

George was first:


















Next was Raven:









Last up was Phin:



















2019 mileage
...
1/7 george 9.84 miles 1423 ft climb 5.1 mph 16F 34.58 total miles
1/7 raven 2.55 miles 19 ft climb 3.5 mph 20F 37.13 total miles
1/7 phin 10.23 miles 1313 ft climb 5.7 mph 22F *47.36 total miles*


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## egrogan

I really, really wanted to ride today. We have fresh snow but underneath there’s lots of ice, so my options were limited. I toodeled around the yard a little but the road was too slippery to ride-so I hand walked instead. All told, we went 2 miles but I walked most of that on my own two legs :wink: Still, it felt good to at least sit on a horse for a bit!


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## Celeste

If a horse is terrified of trash bags, then this is what she gets to go through.

Today: 2.9 miles
Total: 6.1 miles


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## AGibson

I snuck out of work early yesterday to get a ride in before the rain. I ran into a friend of mine on the trail who had the same idea and left her work early. We had a nice 5.5 mile ride on our local trails. But that meant I was trying to beat the sun setting the last stretch of the ride home.


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## AnitaAnne

It actually quit raining for a few days so I was able to ride Thursday. Was cold but I was determined. Cleaning feet Chivas right front looked odd, heels a bit narrower than normal. Got on and he was really not a happy camper. He was ok at walk, but gaiting definitely off. So only got to ride a mile :frown_color: 

But just sitting on my horse felt so good! Did a little ground stuff, playing with flags and things. 

Was supposed to be on a group ride today, but waiting until I can get him to the vet before riding again.


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## greentree

@AnitaAnne be sure and tell the vet this horse MUST be fixed in about 8 weeks! I hope it is nothing serious!


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## AnitaAnne

greentree said:


> @AnitaAnne be sure and tell the vet this horse MUST be fixed in about 8 weeks! I hope it is nothing serious!


Yes ma'am :Angel:


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## knightrider

Seems like I only write about Windy trail rides because the other rides are all just lovely. I rode with my pre-teen this morning with me on Chorro and her on Isabeau. Both horses were super. We did a bunch of corto and cantering. My pre-teen is turning into such a fine rider. I took her over a jump that was higher than she had ever done before (only about 1 1/2 feet, but high for her) and she was thrilled. 

We stopped to ride through her grandma's place, where we have permission to ride, and decided which logs and poles we could drag to make a jump trail. I think the little girl is quite excited to make some "real" jumps through the woods.

Then, in the afternoon, I felt brave, and took Windy out with my elderly neighbor. The last time I rode Windy last week, she bucked really big and jumped around in a disconcerting way. I had my other pre-teen with me on Isabeau, and it caused Isabeau to squirrel around and scare the child a bit. I really prefer to take Windy with the young girls because they love to corto and canter so much, and Windy is so much fun to do running walk and her amazing bounding smooth canter, that I forgive her when she acts stupid. But after Windy caused the little girl to get nervous, I decided to only ride dependable horses with the girls.

On the ride over to my neighbor's house, Windy was all over the place, and I wondered why I was doing this. And when I rode into his yard, my neighbor wondered also why I was riding Windy when I have 3 other super fun easy delightful horses to ride. Especially as I was pretty scared . . . and he could tell. Windy is beautiful and has super gaits, when I can get her to do them. She's only 6, and seems to need more maturing than Aci, who is also 6. I want Windy to be safe when my daughter rides her . . . although my daughter doesn't get nearly as nervous on her as I do. I kept telling myself that Windy would settle down and give me a fine ride. My neighbor, being almost 75, only likes to walk, but on the other hand, when Windy jumps and bounces around, it doesn't bother him a bit. Well, I was scared of Windy a bit, but in 20 minutes she did settle down. On the way home, I did get her to do her running walk while my neighbor walked sedately behind us, but Windy didn't feel like giving me her best, and since she had given me a nice ride, I let it go at that. She can't be brilliant all the time. At least she was mostly good. I should ride her 3 or 4 times a week, but, at my age, I don't always feel like it when I have those other perfect fun horses to ride. Windy would probably be perfect and fun if I rode her 4 times a week. Maybe I could clone myself? Anyway, today I rode 3.75 hours and 13.13 miles.


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## AGibson

@AnitaAnne I am battling heel thrush with my gelding. With the rain and wet paddocks its been hard. Do you think he might have a bit of that going on? It will make them ouchie if it really gets in deep. Hope its nothing serious.


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## Celeste

My friend came over to ride today. She usually rides Abby when Abby is feeling well. She was doing great today. I decided that I would ride HWNN. I wish it had not have been so muddy. It is a pain to have to walk most of the way. They were not sure what the most solid part of the mud puddles were and were hesitant to believe us. They did well overall. Right as we got back to the barn, it was dry enough to do a little running walk. His gaits are really nice.

Again, his mane was so perfect when @Change introduced him to me. It makes me almost hesitate to post pictures. Lol. 

Today 2.9 miles
Total: 9 miles

And deer season ended at dark today!!!!!


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## ChasingDreams

Really wanted to ride in the fresh snow today, but had a busy morning and then the daylight just about escaped me by the time I made it to the barn. Plus, the footing was much more slick than I anticipated.

So, we went for a walk instead










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## CaliforniaDreaming

We’ve got a week of rainy wet SoCal weather ahead, but I did ride around the ranch today on the graveled roads because I haaaaaate handwalking (the pony tries to snatch grass and I’m not much of a walker anyway) and would rather be in the saddle. Did mostly walking, and a teeny bit of trot.

I ended up buying him a set of royal blue Zilco tack, because as much as I love how great turquoise looks on him, I wanted another tack set too. So the Zilco will be his English tack (dressage and AP) while I use the turquoise with his Abetta endurance saddle. 

Our AP saddle arrived and I put my sheepskin seat saver on it. So comfy! I have one for the dressage saddle too. I’m a sheepskin seatsaver addict. :lol:


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## AGibson

@CaliforniaDreaming my daughter kept her horse down south with me until the end of winter quarter. Too much going on. She did go to the ranch and trail ride the ponies. Hope the rain isn't too bad for you guys. Its supposed to be a whopper all week.


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## phantomhorse13

I got back from Florida yesterday afternoon, but have not had a chance to get those rides written about. Today, I got all 3 boys worked. The whole story is in my journal.

I started with Phin:



















Next was George on his own:










Then Raven got taught how to be ponied:









2019 mileage
...
1/16 phin 10.39 miles 1502 ft climb 4.8 mph 20F 118.56 total miles
1/16 george 12.54 miles 1634 ft climb 5.1 mph 16F *131.10 total miles*


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## CaliforniaDreaming

Green with envy!

It’s been raining pretty much non-stop all week here. Thankfully the 5-7 inches of rain (much as we need it) and the mega storm they were predicting split north and south so we haven’t been inundated. But it’s wet wet wet. 

Supposed to clear up Friday into next week, with plenty of sunshine predicted through the rest of the month. Watch, this last week might have ended up being the biggest storm SoCal’s gonna get, and we’re probably gonna be dry the rest of the year.


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## phantomhorse13

Today I got everyone worked because the weather held off! The whole story is in my journal.


George:



















Phin:



















Raven went on his first solo trail ride!










2019 mileage
...
1/17 george 9.11 miles 802 ft climb 5.9 mph 18F 140.21 total miles
1/17 phin 10.53 miles 853 ft climb 5.8 mph 20F 150.74 total miles
1/17 raven 1.94 miles 69 ft climb 3.0 mph 19F *152.68 total miles*


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## PoptartShop

I'm also jealous...every single weekend that I wanna go on a trail, it rains or snows. :icon_rolleyes: The ground is horrible, UGH! I need springtime!

Love the pictures everyone!!


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## egrogan

We are supposed to get TWO FEET OF SNOW here this weekend. My horses will probably just be able to step right over the fence in their pasture; maybe they will take themselves on their own trail ride as I'm guessing I won't be riding anyone for awhile


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## knightrider

Awwww, you guys need to come to Florida. I rode Isabeau for 3 hours this morning. It is sunny and 72 degrees. Let's do a meet 'n greet at Princess Place near St. Augustine like @4horses suggested!


----------



## CaliforniaDreaming

It stopped raining yesterday about mid-morning and by the afternoon, dry enough on the gravel roads around the ranch to walk the ponyface under saddle. I thought after a few days of standing around doing nothing, Mitch might have been strong and rarin’ to go, but he was absolutely perfect (pranced a bit at first, but settled quickly). Took him out again this afternoon and we did quite a bit of walking. 

And I think I have to sign up for Tackaholics Anonymous. I just got another saddle tonight. It’s a Wintec Pro dressage. And it cost me all of $60. I think I’m going to take the sheepskin off the Bates Isabell since that’s on indefinite loan from a friend and put it on the Pro. At this rate, Mitch is going to have a saddle for every day of the week. :lol:


----------



## mmshiro

Having only a sane horse available to me for riding, stories have dried up a little bit. Today was a bit different as we started the ride with a bolt out of the driveway, and ended the ride with a bolt into the driveway. For some reason, there was hardly a spook in between! In any case, I'm further experimenting with my new approach towards bolts: doing nothing and seeing what happens, provided he's not running towards anything dangerous (trees, traffic, lakes, etc.) Turns out that a bolt lasts about 2-3 seconds after which he either slows down to a walk again (on the way out) or transitions into a "regular" canter as though I had asked him to, at which point it is a straightforward downward transition form there. You can really feel it in the canter when the spook is over, so that was kind of cool to experience. 

Just one more thing: On the way home, there was an iffy, icy spot on a driveway/dirt road. I directed him towards the edge where the dirt showed continuously along the ice patch, but for some reason, he still caught ice with both hind feet, and both hind feet slid out from under him. (From what it felt like, I think both feet were slipping forwards and his butt went down. The front feet were on dirt.) Well, not only did we not fall, I never lost my balance either, helping him to regain his, and I did it all on a loose rein! 

So yes, the little knucklehead can still surprise me now and then!


----------



## knightrider

> Having only a sane horse available to me for riding, stories have dried up a little bit.


Yes, I had noticed and missed the stories. Good to see one on here.


----------



## Celeste

@mmshiro I actually like all riding stories. You can share your uneventful rides too. It's just nice to see that our forum friends are out riding.


----------



## egrogan

^^Especially for those of us that _aren't _out and about - we can still get a dose of "between the ears" adventures!


----------



## phantomhorse13

I got to go down to Florida for the Winter Gallop last weekend. The whole story is in my journal.

The first day I rode Mu:

































The second day I rode Fluffy:

































I also got Duroc out for a ride off the farm:









2019 mileage
...
1/11 mu 2.33 miles 46 ft climb 3.8 mph 61F 49.69 total miles
1/12 mu 25.20 miles 521 ft climb 5.2 mph 72F 74.89 total miles
1/12 fluffy 1.79 miles 36 ft climb 5.6 mph 72F 76.68 total miles
1/13 fluffy 25.59 miles 523 ft climb 7.1 mph 68F 102.27 total miles
1/14 duroc 5.90 miles 19 ft climb 6.0 mph 75F *108.17 total miles*


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## AGibson

We got 8.5 inches of rain during the week. The first day of sunlight we went on a long ride. It would have been shorter but some of the trails were washed out, so there was a lot of turning around and retracing our steps. We attempted to end our ride at the new In N Out hamburger place, but we couldn’t get around the constriction femce. We were within a 100 yards of our goal. 18 miles that day. I came home and ordered a fleece butt saver after that ride! LOL


----------



## knightrider

From Celeste


> I actually like all riding stories. You can share your uneventful rides too.


Just about all my rides are uneventful, but I will take you at your word. I got 3 young girls out to ride yesterday, so all 4 of my horses got to ride together. It was mild, about 59 F, but supposed to get steadily colder. I reminded the girls that it was going to be colder when we got in from the ride, but they all said they were too warm and would be glad if it got colder.

Because we had rain the night before, we had lots of puddles on the sides of the dirt road, and I like to use those to water train the horses that don't like to cross water. We rarely have any water on our trails, so it is hard to get them water broken. Windy doesn't mind water a bit, and Chorro is older and has done lots of water, so they went right in to eat the lovely green grass on the other side of the puddle. Acicate is getting better, so after a brief hesitation, he went in, and when Isabeau saw the others chowing down on yummy green grass, she finally gave in. We let them eat for a bit as a reward for crossing the puddle, then it was time to ride on. The others crossed the puddle readily enough and headed out, but Windy said, "Nuh-uh, naw, no. Not me. I like eating this grass. Not goin'." My daughter booted Windy, and she rose high up on her hind legs and just hung there for what seemed like forever. Then she did a Lipizzaner leap on her hind legs and launched herself over the puddle, catching up with the rest of her group. Happily, my daughter was not scared. She thought it was funny and laughed. Well, Windy is very funny, all the time.

About a quarter of the way home from the ride, the wind stiffened, the temperature dropped dramatically, and everyone got pretty cold. I was the only one dressed for that temperature drop. The girls got VERY cold!


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## AGibson

@knightrider my daughter never wears enough clothes for temp changes! LOL. I guess as we get older we learn to layer. My mom still tells me to bring a jacket. LOL


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## phantomhorse13

I did get a bit more saddle time at the end of last week. The whole story is in my journal.


Friday, I rode Hombre. 



















On Saturday, I cajoled DH into riding in the morning. First up was Phin.



















Next up was Raven.









2019 mileage
...
1/18 hombre 6.41 miles 937 ft climb 3.6 mph 25F 159.09 total miles
1/19 phin 8.17 miles 1733 ft climb 4.2 mph 21F 167.26 total miles
1/19 raven 1.17 miles 15 ft climb 3.3 mph 21F *168.43 total miles*


----------



## Change

Momma Nature doesn't want me riding, I guess. Nice and dry through the week, then rain and frigid temps on the weekend. By Thursday it'll be in the 50s, but of course it's supposed to rain, too.


----------



## PoptartShop

Change said:


> Momma Nature doesn't want me riding, I guess. Nice and dry through the week, then rain and frigid temps on the weekend. By Thursday it'll be in the 50s, but of course it's supposed to rain, too.


SAME. :icon_rolleyes: Gonna rain tomorrow & Thursday. This weekend will be in the 30's & sunny, so I MAY try to go on a trail...but we will see. So sick of the crappy footing lately!


----------



## knightrider

*Bad Isabeau Ride*

It's very rare for me to have a bad ride. I was riding Isabeau solo this morning. One of the things I love about Isabeau is that she doesn't spook. She'll startle in place, and then ride on. Last week I had her out solo, and she did a monster spin bolt. We were in the woods, and came upon a small herd of deer. I didn't get too upset because we don't normally see deer there. But it was her first spin bolt ever, and it was bad because it knocked my helmet over my eyes, and we were tearing through the pines and underbrush when I couldn't see. But Isabeau is easy to stop, and she did, without much trouble.

But today was really bad. I have to ride a mile on the road to get to the trails. She did a terrible spin bolt on the road when an ordinary motorcycle went by, almost unseating me. Only because she stops so readily was I able to stay on. And after that, she reacted violently to every car and truck that went by. At the dirt road into the trails, there was a sign displaying a marble and rock contractor who must have been putting something nice in my neighbor's new house. Isabeau acted terrified of it, and when I rode her up to it so she could sniff it, she pushed it down and stepped on it! So embarrassing and completely unlike her. There is a big hoof print on the bent over sign.

As I headed into the woods, my neighbor and his son were driving down the dirt road from the new house they are building in the woods. Isabeau flipped out, spinning and jumping around. Completely out of character for her. Terribly embarrassing for me, as they are friends from church.

And more and more of the same on the ride. I was so disappointed in my girl.

I think it is a case of "horsepen-itis". I think my horses are sick of living in the sacrifice pen and want to get back in their pasture. I only have 10 acres, so in the winter, they live in a large sacrifice pen. I give them hay 4 times a day, and this year, I got really good quality hay. Perhaps the nutritious hay is contributing to horses' being so "up." Windy was bucking and carrying on yesterday.

Hey, one good thing! Isabeau's former modus operandi was to rear. Rear when she was upset, rear when she didn't want to do something, rear when she was angry, rear when she was scared. But today she never got the slightest bit light in the front. Guess she has decided since she wasn't allowed to rear, she'll spin bolt instead. Never a dull moment with that girl.


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## Celeste

I'm glad that you didn't get hurt.

I keep a round bale out and I do not block them off from the main pasture. They just eat hay, drink water, and stand around. They still can get crazy in the cold weather. I guess. I didn't ride this weekend because of the rain and the cold.


----------



## gunslinger

Celeste said:


> I'm glad that you didn't get hurt.
> 
> I keep a round bale out and I do not block them off from the main pasture. They just eat hay, drink water, and stand around. They still can get crazy in the cold weather. I guess. I didn't ride this weekend because of the rain and the cold.



Same here....mine are on 4 acres.


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## SwissMiss

Had a longer lunch break at work Monday and managed to squeeze in a nice ride with a work colleague on her lovely Peruvian :wink:
Temps overnight were in the mid-20ies, which is _really_ cold for MS, but despite a breezy wind the temps rose nicely during the day thanks to sunshine... 

I fully expected my pony to be silly (not worked, cold and windy) but she was behaving perfectly. Forward and eager to go, but always manageable on a loose rein.


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## egrogan

^^Look at that liquid water- rather than frozen ice block- off in the distance :wink: Beautiful!


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## ChasingDreams

We’ve had awful weather here as well... snow/ice over the weekend followed by a bitter cold snap with 20-30 mph gusts and a real feel of -20. The horses were stabled from Saturday evening until mid-day Tuesday. 

Today is finally a bit warmer, mid 30s... so I thought I might go to the barn this evening and give Chase some light exercise in the ring....and notice that it’s supposed to start raining as soon as I can leave to go, aaaand all day tomorrow 

This weekend I might be able to get some saddle time (I hope), but it will be a mess and he will probably be crawling out of his hide after being inside the majority of the week...so wish me luck 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## egrogan

As a longtime resident of New Hampshire, I was more than surprised to see this proposal in the paper today, since it's such a "don't tell me what to do" kind of state: "Manure bill would require 'pick up or pay' on NH trails"
This part was the funniest:


> My theory is, someone’s riding, the horse poops, you get off and get your shovel out, scoop it up and throw it in the woods. You don’t have to carry it with you,” Harrington said. “That takes less time than it does for me to clean the horse poop off my boots once I’ve stepped in it.”


All you entrepreneurs out there, better get working on a shovel scabbard so riders everywhere can bring their shovels with them while out on trail :rofl:


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## weeedlady

No trails for us so far this year and I've only ridden indoors 2 or 3 times. Our weather just stinks. It either too cold or too warm and therefore muddy outside.
Saturday and Sunday we got about 18" of snow, yesterday it was 40 degrees and it is a slushy mess. My truck and trailer are parked for the winter 
I love snow but not slush. Once again riding vicariously through all of you.


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## AGibson

@egrogan we had a similar thing happen in our area. A non-horse person started raising a stink about horse poop on the trail and streets. Wanted us all to pick it up or have those bags under their tails like carriage horses do. None of the neighbors would back him up, so he took it to our local politician. He found out that horse poop is considered a fertilizer and does not need to be picked up by horse owner when the horse poops in the street or trail. We all had a good laugh about that one. At least the guy has stopped posting pictures of horse poop on FB.


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## knightrider

*The Visibility is Gettin' Better All the Time*

When I was scuba diving a lot, my friends and I discovered that the more things that went wrong preparing for the dive, the better the visibility was on the actual dive. So whenever things started to go wrong with whatever we were preparing to do, we'd say, "At least the visibility is getting better."

Last ride I had on Isabeau was a real disappointment. She was spooking all over the place, covered in sweat, and dancing anxiously the whole ride. I was eager to get her out again and prove it was an aberration. So, today was her turn. I led her up to the tack room, holding her bridle, and put the saddle pad on her. She reached down to eat some hay that had fallen, and I thought, "That's good and will keep her occupied as I put on her saddle. But when I let loose of the reins to pick up the saddle, instead of continuing to eat, she bolted wildly, bucking, kicking out, and racing around. This is totally out of character for Isabeau. She thinks she's a queen. She never does anything giddy or silly. After a bunch of crazy running around, she came right up to me. So I put a largish rope halter on over her bridle and tied her. When I put the saddle on, I discovered the cinch had torn halfway through, I'm sure due to the wild spin bolting she did last ride. I had a new cinch in the horse trailer, so I went to get the cinch. As I came back, I saw her start to pull back wildly on her halter. Isabeau has never EVER pulled back. That's so gauche, she would say. She pulled the hitching post right out of the ground and started to drag it. I was quite concerned that she was going to get badly hurt. 

Of course, it was a rope halter with the leadrope attached so I couldn't unclip her. Of course the safety release knot was pulled so tight it wouldn't release. Of course the leadrope was over her head, and after I untied the rope halter, I could not free her. But happily Isabeau IS queen and usually quite dignified, so she stood calmly while I worked at the safety release and finally got her freed.

Got the saddle on, and the new cinch was too small. I'd have to change around all the fittings to make it work. Of course, the temp was 35 degrees F, and gloves had to be off. I had a larger cinch also in the horse trailer, so this time I put her in her stall to grab the other cinch. All the time I'm thinking, "I probably should ride another horse. This is NOT going well. Nah, it's going to be great once I get on her. The visibility is getting better all the time."

The second (third) cinch was too big, so I did have to adjust the other fittings. Because Isabeau loves a saddle that doesn't fit her well, I have to have a fat-man strap on either side of the cinch. Both of those needed to be adjusted and were rusty and stiff. And my hands completely numb with cold.

And all the time, Isabeau was dancing around frantically, and I wondered if I was really crazy for climbing on this horse.

I did decide to do one smart thing and that was to ride her in the fields and woods right by my house instead of heading down the road to the nicer trails. That way, she wouldn't have any cars to spook at, and I could easily walk home if she got me off. But just as I hoped, once I got on her, she rode off beautifully. We rode 2 hours and didn't have a bit of problems. She was wonderful. The visibility was just great!


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## PoptartShop

I am HOPING to go on a trail on Sunday...fingers crossed. 
Haven't been on one since Black Friday. LOL, the weather has sucked lately, every single weekend it's either snowing or raining, or the footing sucks. Ugh!


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I got Phin out. Unfortunately for me, the visibility was _not_ great.. the whole story is in my journal.



















2019 mileage
...
1/25 phin 6.10 miles 1350 ft climb 3.5 mph 18F *174.53 total miles*


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## egrogan

@phantomhorse13, you have now ridden more miles in January than I rode all of last year. Sigh.


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## phantomhorse13

egrogan said:


> @*phantomhorse13* , you have now ridden more miles in January than I rode all of last year. Sigh.


But this year is a new year and you will shatter your old mileage - Fizz says!!


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## phantomhorse13

Today I got some saddle time and visibility was great!

First up was George: 



















Next was Raven:



















2019 mileage
...
1/26 george 9.69 miles 1534 ft climb 4.3 mph 18F 184.22 total miles
1/26 raven 2.10 miles 69 ft climb 3.2 mph 16F *186.32 total miles*


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## AnitaAnne

AGibson said:


> @AnitaAnne I am battling heel thrush with my gelding. With the rain and wet paddocks its been hard. Do you think he might have a bit of that going on? It will make them ouchie if it really gets in deep. Hope its nothing serious.


Not thrush. Had the full work up. Soles are thin so he had to get from shoes. Also ordered him a biotin supplement. Waiting for his other medicine to arrive Monday, then will see how he does in another week or so :frown_color: meanwhile, I haven't been riding.


----------



## ChasingDreams

Chase and I got out for a somewhat eventful ride today. We had scary stone patches, cows, ice, and deer - oh my! Lol The whole play by play is in my journal.

But... considering how we haven’t been out in a few weeks, it went well enough and ended on a good note so I’ll call it a win.


























2019 miles to date: a whopping 9 [emoji849]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## SwissMiss

Went for a ride today with someone I only met briefly at a Christmas party of a friend. Both of us wanted to ride, as the weather was simply gorgeous! So we met at the trailhead, hoping our horses and riding styles would mesh :wink: 

Raya led on the way out - her happy, eager self. Just going over the slippery wooden bridges needed some extra encouragement and in the end she balked at the rickety bridge high up. Probably my fault, as that bridge makes me nervous  On the way back the other horse led, but wanted to tank right off - so we spent some time turning back out when he got silly...


Just a wonderful day in the sunshine - it was even warm enough that I considered just riding in my T-shirt... 

And I think we will ride together again.


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## CaliforniaDreaming

Mitch and I went up to the tippy top of the big hill yesterday. We saw a hawk stoop from a tree onto the ground; I’ve seen hawks come down from the sky but that was the first time I saw one “pounce” off a tree branch. We hung back as to not interfere, but the hawk came up empty and flew off. Better luck next time. 

I still have no hours, although I ride (almost) every day. I just don’t know if the 2 or 3 miles of the roads and tracks on the 54 acre ranch I board on counts for trail mil3s though since we never leave the property. Hoping we can soon though! It’s just a matter of arranging a trip in our trusty trailer.


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## JoBlueQuarter

@ChasingDreams - I've been meaning to ask, what's that app called? The one you're using to track your mileage.


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## ChasingDreams

@JoBlueQuarter It’s called “Horse Riding Tracker” on the App store. It’s pretty basic, which is ok with me. If you subscribe to the Pro version there’s more capabilities I think, but for me the free version is good enough.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## JoBlueQuarter

Great, thanks. Looks pretty handy.


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## Celeste

I have ridden three times since posting. It has been a busy weekend. 

The first ride reminds me of an important truth. *Check the weather before you ride..* The temperature was ok. I should have noticed that wind advisory. I took my dog along and my mare and I went down our regular trail. It was pretty breezy, but nothing too alarming. When we got to the end of the trail, there was a gust of wind that was no doubt 35 mph. At the same time, some deer were panicked near us in the woods. My horse couldn't decide whether to bolt, spin, buck or what. I didn't put any pressure on her to do anything, and she just stood there looking panicked. I pointed to the dog and told her to get the deer. She ran them off and things were a bit better. Then we went on, but I felt like I was on a fire breathing dragon. She didn't do anything bad. She was just a nervous basket case. 

For the second ride, one of my friends came over. She rode Abby and I rode HWNN. I didn't bring the dog because I wasn't sure what HWNN would think about her, and my friend is a beginning rider. That was an uneventful ride. I did almost get made a fool of while dismounting. I was holding my reins and his mane in my left hand. I had my right hand on the saddle. My right leg was just starting to swing over for the dismount. The old rascal chose that moment to put his head down to graze. He jerked the reins and I got off balance. Rather than going over his head, I somehow ended up sitting back in the saddle. Did anyone say awkward? The second try was good.

The third ride (today) was back on the Princess. She was calm and polite. She only got worried when the dog got out of sight. It seemed as if she was thinking, "Where's the dog? I think we lost the dog."

The dog is Prissy, my border collie. She had a blast!

It is so muddy that most of my riding has been at a walk. I did find one spot that was dry enough for a brief canter.

2.9 + 2.9 + 2.9 for this weekend.
Total for 2019: *17.7*


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## phantomhorse13

CaliforniaDreaming said:


> I just don’t know if the 2 or 3 miles of the roads and tracks on the 54 acre ranch I board on counts for trail mil3s though since we never leave the property.


Of course they count!


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I got double saddle time. The whole story is in my journal.

Phin:



















Raven:


















2019 mileage
...
1/27 phin 12.65 miles 1447 ft climb 4.7 mph 28F 198.97 total miles
1/27 raven 2.34 miles 134 ft climb 3.2 mph 28F *201.31 total miles*


----------



## AnitaAnne

CaliforniaDreaming said:


> Mitch and I went up to the tippy top of the big hill yesterday. We saw a hawk stoop from a tree onto the ground; I’ve seen hawks come down from the sky but that was the first time I saw one “pounce” off a tree branch. We hung back as to not interfere, but the hawk came up empty and flew off. Better luck next time.
> 
> I still have no hours, although I ride (almost) every day. I just don’t know if the 2 or 3 miles of the roads and tracks on the 54 acre ranch I board on counts for trail mil3s though since we never leave the property. Hoping we can soon though! It’s just a matter of arranging a trip in our trusty trailer.


It all counts! That is such a pretty picture! If I had 54 acres of land with that spectacular view, I might never leave...


----------



## CaliforniaDreaming

AnitaAnne said:


> It all counts! That is such a pretty picture! If I had 54 acres of land with that spectacular view, I might never leave...



Hurrrah!! I'll start counting my jaunts around the ranch then. I usually do a couple of loops and get about 4 miles or so in. The ponyface makes it possible for Pokemon Go's Adventure Sync to really help me out when I need it.


We had another gorgeous day, so I brought my new camera out for some vid. It's not a GoPro (but its similar, without the pricetag). I can use the helmet mount, but I kinda like the chest mount better.








So that's floofy mane, headed up to the big hill where we get our great scenic views.


Everything's just about dried up, but they're predicting more rain next week. :music019:


----------



## PoptartShop

Alright guys. I FINALLY WENT ON A TRAIL! LOL. 
First trail of 2019!! 

It was muddy in some areas (of course...ugh) but we still had a great ride. The place I went has like 8 trails total. We did 1 and a half, since some parts were too muddy and sloped...didn't wanna risk that!
It'll be nice come spring though.

Went really well. Also on Saturday I took her around the property, which was fun!  Anything to get outta the arena for a change, LOL!

Worked up a nice sweat too!  I shouldn't have worn so many layers, oh well. LOL. It was like 40 degrees.

We went about 4mi. Next time we will go longer. And the mud will dry!


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## Celeste

@CaliforniaDreaming That looks like a trail to me. What a beautiful place to ride!

What kind of camera do you have? I have been wanting to get a camera that I don't have to hold by hand, but I haven't been able to make myself pay the price of a GoPro.


----------



## knightrider

Good news! Today was Isabeau's turn again and she was perfect--both being tacked up quietly in her sacrifice pen (no halter, not tied, just standing quietly) and riding on the trail. She was back to her regular self. You might think it had to do with her being in season except that she has never been spooky or jumpy before and I've had her 5 years. And you never know when she is in season--she never shows it, neither her behavior under saddle or any physical manifestations. She thinks she's a queen and winking, squirting, and lifting her tail are beneath her dignity. She's the most dignified horse you've ever met.


----------



## CaliforniaDreaming

Celeste said:


> @CaliforniaDreaming That looks like a trail to me. What a beautiful place to ride!
> 
> What kind of camera do you have? I have been wanting to get a camera that I don't have to hold by hand, but I haven't been able to make myself pay the price of a GoPro.


I got a Crosstour 4K 16MP camera that looks a lot like a GoPro off Amazon. It was something like $57, but I got an additional 10% off so paid about $49.


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## Celeste

@CaliforniaDreaming The video looks good!


----------



## Change

Saturday I got my 2nd ride for 2019 in. It wasn't much of a ride, though, because of Mud Mud Everywhere (to include 5 or so pounds I had to scrape off the horse before riding!). We managed a whopping 1.12 miles in 18 minutes. Short ride because you can only do so many ambles up and down the same 1/4 mile track beside the cotton field before both you and the horse are bored.

2019 miles to date are now all of 1.83 miles.


----------



## phantomhorse13

I got out again today, knowing bad weather is coming for the rest of the week. The whole story is in my journal.

Phin:



















Raven: 



















2019 mileage
...
1/28 phin 8.61 miles 1439 ft climb 4.1 mph 13F 209.92 total miles
1/28 raven 3.48 miles 211 ft climb 3.7 mph 15F *213.40 total miles*


----------



## AGibson

@CaliforniaDreaming. try an Apple Watch or a tracker that uses GPS. I know cell is spotty if non-existent at your ranch. I got a Garmin watch that records regardless the cell service. That way I can get an accurate record of my ride. Sounds like you guys are going to get hit pretty hard this week with rain. Praying for Montecito. Stay safe!


----------



## mmshiro

Serious rider error today. I didn't have anything going on at work in the afternoon, so the opportunity for a ride before the polar vortex's arrival. Last night we had a few inches of snow, after noon it was still sunny, and we were the first ones out. Naturally, I did not think of sticking a camera to my helmet...  I know, usually I blame my horse when things go wrong, but this is a tough one to make stick.

Hamlet was in a good mood today, which means he was ready to burn some rubber. The snowy layer was much more gentle on his feet than the frozen mud, and on top of that, it looked smooth too. (Un)fortunately, he doesn't have the foresight to predict the state of the trail underneath, and that the icy patches and frozen puddles are probably still there, but he got so excited when he saw his favorite little hills that I didn't have the heart to stop him from a little run. (Hills are relatively safe because they don't accumulate standing water.) Yes, we stepped into a few drifts, and yes, some slippage occurred here and there, but I got a horse with both traction and stability control, so we made it through in one piece. BOY, THAT WAS SO MUCH FUN!!! 

When we did come to the tricky spots with the frozen puddles underneath, it was fun to watch him choose his way across. That means that I had to intervene on behalf of my knees a few time, and I got a few twigs in my face, but he chose pretty well! We didn't crash through ice a single time!

Anyway, we'll be having two somewhat chilly days (not as bad as Minnesota), but the weekend will be back to thirties, so the timing is perfect!

I just wish I had some "dashing through the unspoiled snow" video... *sigh*


----------



## AnitaAnne

PoptartShop said:


> Alright guys. I FINALLY WENT ON A TRAIL! LOL.
> First trail of 2019!!
> 
> It was muddy in some areas (of course...ugh) but we still had a great ride. The place I went has like 8 trails total. We did 1 and a half, since some parts were too muddy and sloped...didn't wanna risk that!
> It'll be nice come spring though.
> 
> Went really well. Also on Saturday I took her around the property, which was fun!  Anything to get outta the arena for a change, LOL!
> 
> Worked up a nice sweat too!  I shouldn't have worn so many layers, oh well. LOL. It was like 40 degrees.
> 
> We went about 4mi. Next time we will go longer. And the mud will dry!


YAY!! I love your saddle! I have it's twin but my Tahoe has a sheepskin seat on it...so comfy :smile:


----------



## PoptartShop

AnitaAnne said:


> YAY!! I love your saddle! I have it's twin but my Tahoe has a sheepskin seat on it...so comfy :smile:



I wanna get a sheepskin cover for it! They are super comfy.  Yay, saddle twins!!! LOL. It is sooo comfy for trails!!


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## Celeste

@mmshiro It sounds like you had a great horse. I would much rather ride Hamlet than most of the other horses that you have talked about in the past. He really sounds great. You should post pictures of him.


----------



## mmshiro

Celeste said:


> @mmshiro It sounds like you had a great horse. I would much rather ride Hamlet than most of the other horses that you have talked about in the past. He really sounds great. You should post pictures of him.


Well, he's been featuring in this thread since July 2017: 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7nX9wTYNtw
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdjKPMpSPuc

Here he's with my wife (before the shoulder incident):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HPo-n4r_xI

He's also in my avatar.


----------



## Celeste

Very nice horse! I did remember you talking about Hamlet. You also talked about others. He looks like a very fun ride.


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## knightrider

Last day of the month. Time for trail statistics. I do feel sad that so many people can't ride due to ice, rain, and cold. In Florida, the winter is the time when people ride the most--no bugs, no spiderwebs across your face, no heat.

For me it's 65.25 hours and 215.325 miles for January.


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## knightrider

This morning I took my daughter's young mare, Windy, for an adventure. I rode with @4horses (hope she puts up the pictures). Windy did great. She never played up at all. She crossed lots of water, went through lots of mud, jumped a log, and did a lot of running walk and a couple of nice canters. Windy needs to practice her running walk. When she does it, she has a lovely gait, but it takes a bit of work to get her to gait rather than pace or trot. 

4horses brought her Missouri Fox Trotter, Paris, so we could practice gaiting. We rode for 3 hours and had a wonderful time.


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I decided I couldn't stand being inside any longer. I grabbed Phin and took a bareback ride around Alimar. The whole story is in my journal.



















January: 213.40 miles
Phin: 76.67
Raven: 13.58
George: 46.52
Polo: 6.09
Hombre: 9.73
Mu: 27.53
Fluffy: 27.38
Duroc: 5.90

2019 mileage
...
2/1 phin 2.05 miles 139 ft climb 3.2 mph 8F *215.45 total miles*


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## Celeste

I had a nice, quiet, non-adventurous ride today. It was a peaceful winter day. Sorry to say this to all of you guys up north, but it was 60 degrees. The pictures include a nice little creek that we have been passing by. 
@phantomhorse13 I do miss riding in the snow. I used to enjoy that when I lived in North Georgia. We would have snow 3 or 4 times a year. If my horses down here ever see snow, they think the apocalypse has descended on them.

Today: 3.2
Total: 20.9 (I can't even keep within a decimal place of you ladies.)


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## knightrider

> 2019 mileage
> ...
> 2/1 phin 2.05 miles 139 ft climb 3.2 mph 8F 215.45 total miles


Say, I have the same mileage as @phantomhorse13!!!! The month of January will be the only time we have the same mileage, haha--when my weather is ideal for riding and hers is horrible. Yay for you phantomhorse, to get so many miles in when it is soooo bitter cold, icy, and snowy. Wish you were here riding in 60 degree weather, as @Celeste and I are.


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## phantomhorse13

knightrider said:


> The month of January will be the only time we have the same mileage


No way! We were pretty even last year. I better make sure I ride a few 100s this season to be able to keep up with the fact you ride every day! :cowboy:


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## AGibson

I ended the month with 95 miles. We are in for several days of rain so February will not match up to what I rode in January. Unless I get out on my 4 day Presidents holiday. But the prediction is more rain for that weekend too. I try not to whine about it because we need the rain, but sometimes I would rather ride. LOL. Of course I shouldn't whine because so many are dealing with the Polar Vortex. I can't even imagine. Stay safe everyone!


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## knightrider

From Phantomhorse13


> I better make sure I ride a few 100s this season to be able to keep up with the fact you ride every day!


Better yet, come to Florida and ride 100 miles WITH me!!!


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## Celeste

I rode HWNN today. By the time the ride was over, he had acquired a few names. Usually he is great. Today, he was unwilling to leave his buddies. We argued and discussed and finally he agreed that we would go for a ride. Then he didn't want to go through the mud. Then the pair of vultures that always nests near here in the spring flew down. Honestly, he may have heard of smelled the vultures and that caused the whole problem. 

He was nervous for the whole ride. He didn't buck, rear, bolt, or really do anything but not want to go several times, but he was a nervous wreck. DH has not been able to ride due to illness, and poor old HWNN hasn't been ridden enough. I did ride him last week, but there was another horse along.

Anyway, we survived the evil, muddy, vulture filled trail. He was soaking wet when we got back even though we only went 3 miles and mostly walked. Poor HWNN. Who would think that vultures are so scary?

The most amazing thing was that when we got back, I asked DH to run in the house and get one of our white bath towels so that I could dry him off, and he actually did. That is new. He used to get ill about using nice towels on horses. Lol.


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## egrogan

It was 25*F/-4*C...way too warm not to ride!!







Or, at least try to ride. The road was very icy so I only rode 0.5 of a mile before I had to admit it wasn't actually a very good idea. Luckily we were only passed by one car, and we were able to duck into our driveway. Still, it felt nice to at least sit in the saddle and remind my mare that she knows how to stand to be tacked up. I have to say, the polar vortex did not do her any harm - I had to let her girth down a hole on each side!




























*Total 2019 miles: 0.5 miles :hide:*


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## Celeste

egrogan said:


> *Total 2019 miles: 0.5 miles :hide:*


That is half of a mile further than I would have if I lived in all that snow and ice.


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## Celeste

A good friend of mine hauled her horse out and we went on a ride down the dirt road. We passed by the same evil sandbags (trash bags were gone) that caused my horse to go insane. Funny how much less scary things are to a horse when she has a friend along. This may be the last time for several weeks that her horse will be able to visit, because she is off to Texas for a roping championship. She is a great mare. 

Both of the girls were good and we talked about everything there is for two old gals to talk about. 

Today: 5.45 miles
*Total for 2019: 29.34 miles*


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## phantomhorse13

Today, DH and I got George and Phin out. The whole story is in my journal.



















2019 mileage
...
2/3 phin 4.0 miles 526 ft climb 2.8 mph 42F *219.45 total miles*


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## ChasingDreams

@egrogan I was sort of in the same boat today. It was definitely nice and warm, hit a high of 40F (gasp!) But, because of the cold and snow all week long it was still covered in snow and some ice. 

I got to the barn and checked out the lane, which was a little sketchy. So I decided to tack up and walk to the trails to see how they looked. Everything was covered in snow. I knew there was ice at the one trail entrance, so I walked over it first myself to see if it had softened up. And it had. So I walked him across, hopped on, and we were off 

Still didn’t go to the quarry, didn’t want to chance the ridiculous amounts of ice that were there last time... now hidden in snow. So, it was a short ride, but any ride is better than none!


















Total 2019 miles: 11

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## phantomhorse13

Since the snow melted, I was able to get saddle time - in only a t-shirt no less! The whole story is in my journal. 

First up was Phin:



















Next up was George:


















2019 mileage
...
2/5 phin 13.03 miles 2093 ft climb 4.1 mph 52F 232.48 total miles
2/5 george 9.11 miles 1814 ft climb 4.3 mph 54F *241.59 total miles*


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I got Phin out for a long ride. The whole story is in my journal.



















2019 mileage
...
2/6 phin 19.82 miles 2020 ft climb 4.6 mph 42F *261.41 total miles*


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## knightrider

Since I've been riding my daughter's young mare Windy more often, I foolishly decided that I would once again try riding her solo, even though I PROMISED myself, NEVER AGAIN. But, she's been doing so well! What could go wrong?!

We started out with her going along perfectly, and I thought she is finally growing up and this is going to be a great ride. I was smart and kept to the neighbor's planted pines and fields, not going on the road where the noisy vehicles are heading out to work. Then Chorro got a glimpse of her through the trees and whinnied loudly. Windy whinnied back and went frantic, jumping and leaping around. After that, she was pretty much a mess, and no fun at all. Chorro kept screaming for her, and each time, she would scream back. I thought of @egrogan. I think I know how you feel. It was a no fun ride.

Finally it was time to head back, and Windy was leaping around so much, she fell to one knee, was so upset with herself that she popped up in a small rear. I didn't get mad at her for that, because young horses often do lose their balance. Just wish she would think about what she was doing rather than being so upset at being away from her herd.

We have to ride about 100 yards on the road to get back to our driveway. There were lots of vehicles passing us, and I kept telling myself that Windy would be fine. Then a little pick-up pulling a quiet trailer passed us, and Windy flipped out, bucking, bouncing sideways, and doing little rears. These shenanigans shouldn't bother me--they don't bother me when Aci or Isabeau do them. I probably should ride Windy more and we would start trusting each other. In the meantime, I *will*not*ride*Windy*solo!!! Why do I keep doing that!!??


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## knightrider

This morning was Isabeau's turn to ride solo. She has been doing so good in company, I thought I'd try her going along the road to the trails. She was perfectly LOVELY, didn't do one thing wrong. I am so happy she is back to being the delightful mare that I expected her to be. Boy, is that a relief! I rode her 2 hours, 6.74 miles.


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## egrogan

Glad to hear Isabeau came through with a good ride. The frantic calling back and forth is no fun, sorry the ride with Windy went that way.


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## knightrider

I am taking Windy to ride with @phantomhorse13 tomorrow. Windy needs to have more adventures. I'm sure she'll be great in the company of other horses and especially with her frenemy Chorro along.


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## Celeste

@knightrider I am a bit jealous........... :icon_rolleyes:

I almost feel stupid posting my little pitiful miles, but maybe at least it will encourage some of the others that can't ride as much to post their miles as well. Another thing; I am only competing against myself. Considering all things, I think I do ok. 

I took my Princess today. She was as good as gold. She was eager, not an idiot, not insane, etc. I should have used my phone or GPS to see how long we held that perfect gallop, but I didn't. I already knew exactly what trail I was taking because I took the dog again. She really has a blast going with us. My little dog just can't understand why I don't let her go and she howls while we ride off. (She had rickets before we rescued her, she has bad knees, she won't stay with us, and she would attack a polar bear......)

It was 60 degrees F and the sun was shining. 

Today 2.9 miles (probably 8 for the dog as she went back and forth and back and forth.....)
*Total: 32.25*


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## AnitaAnne

I rode yesterday for not quite a mile. Not even worth keeping track of mileage right now. Chivas is still a bit sore in the right front, even with the shoes on. Ground is just so rocky :frown_color:

I am now wondering if I should have tried him in boots. He will need a pad or something on that foot. The left fore is fine, so expecting the right with improve too. But I am impatient. 
@knightrider Windy is not being nice cutting up like that along a road! I would have got off, roads with fast traffic make me nervous
@Celeste your frequent riding adds up. I used to ride about 3 miles a few times a week, and then try to trailer away for a longer ride. It all adds up...


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## CaliforniaDreaming

I managed to do about a mile of the ranch roads today. It’s been so rainy (unusual for SoCal) that I haven’t ridden in nearly 2 weeks. It’s dried up some, so I tossed my trail dressage saddle on Mitch and we went out for a walk. He didn’t cut shapes or act spicy at all, I think he was just glad to be out.


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## AGibson

No riding so far this month. When its nice out, I'm working. When it's miserable and raining, I'm home. sigh....


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## knightrider

Today was Santa Fe Riding Club's pizza ride, a celebration to honor all the hard working club members who have passed on. I was fortunate enough to have forum members @4horses and @phantomhorse13 riding with me, as well as my neighbor and my daughter. We rode for 3 hours. Phantomhorse rode Chorro, my daughter rode her own mare Windy, and I borrowed 4horses' Florian. We did some fun cortoes and canters. Phantomhorse got some pictures, which I imagine she will post when she has the time. She is farm sitting in Florida, so is quite busy. It was a beautiful day for riding, and we had such a great time! 

Tomorrow @LoriF will join us as we go camping together at Shangri La for a couple of days.


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## LoriF

knightrider said:


> Today was Santa Fe Riding Club's pizza ride, a celebration to honor all the hard working club members who have passed on. I was fortunate enough to have forum members @4horses and @phantomhorse13 riding with me, as well as my neighbor and my daughter. We rode for 3 hours. Phantomhorse rode Chorro, my daughter rode her own mare Windy, and I borrowed 4horses' Florian. We did some fun cortoes and canters. Phantomhorse got some pictures, which I imagine she will post when she has the time. She is farm sitting in Florida, so is quite busy. It was a beautiful day for riding, and we had such a great time!
> 
> Tomorrow @LoriF will join us as we go camping together at Shangri La for a couple of days.



Woot!! Can't wait. It will be fun to get out and do something besides work, work, work.


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## AnitaAnne

knightrider said:


> Today was Santa Fe Riding Club's pizza ride, a celebration to honor all the hard working club members who have passed on. I was fortunate enough to have forum members @4horses and @phantomhorse13 riding with me, as well as my neighbor and my daughter. We rode for 3 hours. Phantomhorse rode Chorro, my daughter rode her own mare Windy, and I borrowed 4horses' Florian. We did some fun cortoes and canters. Phantomhorse got some pictures, which I imagine she will post when she has the time. She is farm sitting in Florida, so is quite busy. It was a beautiful day for riding, and we had such a great time!
> 
> Tomorrow @LoriF will join us as we go camping together at Shangri La for a couple of days.


What a lovely idea for a ride! Sounds like fun and then camping too this weekend! 

You are living the dream :smile:


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## AnitaAnne

I tried a product on Chivas right fore hoping to relieve some of the tenderness. Called Hooflex Magic Cushion and it is packing for the hoof. 

So I put some on Chivas and wrapped with vetwrap (even though it said not needed for shod hooves). Directions say to wait for an hour, but I tried riding after 30 minutes or so. He was better, pretty much sound at walk, but still ouchy gaiting. We rode about a mile again, before he started having attitude. 

I hate to push him when I know he's sore, but not sure if its ok to ride him or not :frown_color:


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## Celeste

@AnitaAnne You need to count those little 1 mile rides. Eventually, you might decide that you need them to top off your mileage. 

I hope Chivas gets better soon. Is he improving any? I think that pads under those shoes might be a good idea. You need to ask @phantomhorse13 about pour in pads.


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## phantomhorse13

I finally met with @knightrider and @4horses for a ride!! I got to ride knightrider's lovely Paso gelding Chorro. The whole story is in my journal.






































I also got Duroc out:


















2019 mileage
...
2/9 chorro 9.83 miles 96 ft climb 3.5 mph 61F 271.24 total miles
2/9 duroc 5.57 miles 24 ft climb 5.2 mph 63F *276.81 total miles*


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## gunslinger

It was cold here in Dixie yesterday but I put on a bunch of cloths and rode anyway. 
We rode Gee Creek in Polk County TN for the second time this year,15 miles.
That puts me at 60 miles and change so far this year.


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## Oreos Girl

I finally got a trail ride in. It is my first for the year. Met a friend at Mingo and we rode for about 5 miles before horses, dogs, and humans were really tired. I didn't get any pictures. We did a couple of backtracking. The first time they had added a gate because of hunting season. They were in the process of opening it up and we could have followed but chose not to. The second time we heard other riders. We had been told there was a group out with someone that had a new horse that wasn't used to dogs and I had my two with us. They are pretty good with listening especially since I remembered the treats but just to be safe we decided to reverse direction so as not to run into them.


Below is the track.


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I got Fluffy out. The whole story is in my journal. 



















2019 mileage
...
2/10 fluffy 7.07 miles 14 ft climb 5.7 mph 68F *283.88 total miles*


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## lsdrider

Way too slippery around here to ride, arrrggghhh!!!

So much ice that even just walking around isn't fun. Went for a hike and fell several times and had a several more close calls in less than 2 miles.

Gonna have to ride this out and get things done. Hopefully no pasture injuries!


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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.










This time, I remembered to have someone take our picture before we untacked!! Left to right is: Laela, @LoriF, me on Aci, @4horses, and @knightrider on Isabeau. 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!!


2019 mileage
...
2/11 aci 7.00 miles 227 ft climb 3.3 mph 80F *290.88 total miles*


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## ChasingDreams

I’m so jealous of all that sunshine and beautiful trails! Looks like you ladies are having a blast down there in Fl.

My current situation is snow topped off with freezing rain so probably not much riding happening for me anytime soon.

@Celeste I don’t have a trailer so unless someone comes to pick me up, my rides are pretty much limited to an hour or so and maybe 3-4 miles on our property. I do feel very fortunate to have the trails that I do, right there at my barn. I know people who have to trailer to ride any trails at all. I couldn’t imagine being stuck in an arena, my horse is NOT a ring horse... he gets fed up after maybe 20-30 minutes.

But, I still post my rides. I know I’m not anywhere near some on here, but I enjoy sharing what I do have and following along on all of the other adventures 


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## knightrider

Just got home from a super fun camping trip with @4horses, @LoriF, and @phantomhorse13 joined us for one ride. I didn't take any pictures, but Phantomhorse posted some nice ones.

Rain was predicted to end at 3:00, so we met at a new trailhead that 4horses recommended. Sure enough, the rain was over, and no sign of more rain on the radar, so we tacked up and headed out. The new trail was everything people raved about and more. It was beautiful. We rode along a high ridge overlooking steep ravines on either side, and lots of water. These high hills in Florida are man-made, created in the 1930's when there was a big plan to build a cross-Florida canal. Politicians got the money up to dig the canals, dump dirt everywhere, cheat hard working depression-era family men out of their money, but not enough money to finish the job. Because there are so many haphazard dirt piles, the trails are like riding through foothills, ridges, and valleys.

It wasn't long before it started misting, which didn't bother us much because it was warm, but mist soon turned into real rain, and then into hard rain. It was still a super fun ride.

Just when we pulled into Shangri La to camp, the rain ended, and we were able to set up camp, fix our supper (happily under a dandy pavilion), and we talked into the night.

The next day @phantomhorse13 arrived for a morning ride, and we headed out into the up-and-down trails for a couple of hours. All the horses were well-behaved and super fun. We had such a grand time.

After lunch, phantom had to go back to do her jobs on the farm, and @4horses rode Acicate. She had told me she remembered the way to another horse campground, Ross Prairie, and she certainly did. We had piles of adventures, went through a long long stretch of water, jumped some logs, and rode until it was quite dark. After we fixed our supper, 4horses got up a fabulous campfire, which was so cozy and pleasant, we hated to head off to bed.

In the morning, I expected to do a slow, not super long ride, but I forgot about 4horses enthusiasm. We ended up riding 3 and a quarter hours, did lots of trotting and cantering, and had a fabulous time.

I feel so fortunate to have these grand friends to share adventures with!!!


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## charrorider

ChasingDreams. I was able to ride on the first of the year for 10 miles. That is the total amount of miles I've done in 2019. One ride! Weather and busy life have conspired to keep me off the saddle. As far as having to trailer to go anywhere riding, I'm on the opposite situation. There're over 30 miles of little use National Forest trails right across my mailbox. So I feel very fortunate. On the other hand, even tough I have a stock trailer, I rarely go anywhere. Every year, I say, "This is the year I'm going to go..." Then I think about the ratio of actual riding versus driving and all the other preparations one has to get done in order to travel with horses and I end up not going.


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## LoriF

I had such a good time riding with @knightrider , @4horses and @phantomhorse13 (so glad that you could make the ride with us). I don't really have a chance to ride much so riding with these ladies is something else. They can go, go, go and wear me out. I had a blast! The camping is always fun with them and really cool and interesting conversation.

I got to ride Aci briefly and he was a joy. The gaited horses are so different. My mare is an easy ride for me but it was a pleasant change for a sore butt. 

I'll have to say that Laela and I have to get out more often. At one point she wanted to become quite obnoxious (for lack of better words) She didn't want to get left behind and got quite attached to the ponies that she was hanging with for a couple of days. 

The weather was glorious and perfect for out rides. The camp fire was awesome. I think that we all fell asleep in out chairs at one point, lol. We did break camp and leave in the nick of time. I was the last one to pull out and just as I was taking off, it started to rain. Thanks @4horses for helping me get Laela loaded. I'm sure she would have went in with a butt rope but you made it so much easier. Laela is kind of hit and miss with the trailer loading. 80% of the time, she will just walk right in and the other 20% she wants to give me a hard time.

Thanks for the invite and looking forward to the next adventure as it always is with these animals that we love and their people who love them so much.


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## The Equestrian vagabond

I actually got about 2 weeks of starting the Standardbred endurance horse Hillbillie Willie back into training, for our first ride of the season on April 6 - you know, while it was SPRING in mid-January. Then it got frigid again, then snow finally came (!!!!), and the footing and weather is looking bad for the next week... but we snuck out today in the snow. Willie being a California boy, it was his first ride in snow. He seemed to really like it!
https://theequestrianvagabond.blogspot.com/2019/02/hillbillie-willie-snow-rider.html


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## Cordillera Cowboy

Took our first ride of 2019 today. Short, only about 45 minutes. we've been traveling, and the little horse languishing in the pasture since before the holidays. 


The little horse did great. We used a crupper for the first time, with no problems at all. Going anywhere from our place, means going down steep hills. My bareback pad has been sliding up on her neck each time I've tried. It stayed right where it's supposed to today. 


We rode along our south fence and turned into the neighbors place. Rode past his betelnut trees and into the woods. The trail through the woods was steep and overgrown, so no pics from there. Came out to a grassy hilltop. The horse instinctively followed the little footpath through the grass. I've ridden horses that had to be guided through such places. She gave out a little nicker when we created the hill going back, and the farmstead came in view.


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## knightrider

Further adventures of Windy: On Thursday it was Windy's turn to be ridden and nobody to ride with me. I promised myself no more solo Windy rides, so I thought I would be smart and ride Windy in our grassy paddock and sacrifice pen. Both are fairly large, so I thought she could get some discipline and exercise without being away from her buddies.

It didn't work out well at all. Her buddies were eating bits of hay and dead tasteless grass, and she was furious that she was not eating alongside them. She bounced around all over the place, popped up in a small rear and luckily hit her neck on my helmet instead of my nose. It was 27 degrees, I was dressed up warmly, and it was completely NOT fun. After a half hour of dealing with her jumping around, I decided she'd had enough exercise. But I was quite disappointed.

When my neighbor called at lunchtime and said his wife was doing OK and he could ride, I decided to take Windy again with my neighbor. I was already in the foulest of moods because I drove a long way that morning to see my grandkids, it was the oldest one's birthday, and I didn't get to see them. My daughter-in-law's mom was with me, and she cried and cried because we didn't get to see them. The people at DCF were incredibly rude and nasty, and it broke my heart, partly to see her so upset. I hate to see other people hurting. 

I figured if Windy gave me another horrible ride, it couldn't get any worse, and if she gave me a good ride, it would cheer me up immensely. She gave me a perfect ride that afternoon. I couldn't have asked for a sweeter, calmer horse. I put her into running walk and she did fabulously. So smooth, so lively, so fun.

Today was Windy's turn again. I had stopped taking her with the little pre-teen who comes to ride on Saturday because the child doesn't have a ton of confidence, and when Windy starts jumping and bouncing around, it makes Isabeau bounce around too and scares the little girl. But I had a hunch that it would be good. Chorro and Aci had both long loooong rides yesterday and Windy needs to be ridden more. Again, this morning, Windy was perfect. I was so proud of her. As I thought, she just needs more regular riding. It won't be long, I hope, before I feel more confident on her. This morning, as we were riding past the place where she really acts up, I kept telling myself, "I can stay on her no matter what she does. I'm not going to come off, so it will all be fine." She doesn't spin bolt, she just jumps to the left and then to the right or does little popping rears and jumps forward. It's not like I can't stay on her, but she makes me nervous. We are going to beat this!

Oh, and the child on Isabeau did great. Isabeau is such an angel.


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## ChasingDreams

Got out for a nice ride today. It was near 40F, not too windy, albeit a bit soggy. Chase was very good considering he hasn’t been out in a couple of weeks. 









On the map, you can see where I tried to figure out this other trail that my BM told me about this summer... except it came out by someone’s property and I wasn’t sure how they would feel about me riding there or how to get back on the trail... so I decided to turn around and go back. I’ll have to get her to show me the entire trail another time. At least I got a nice long ride out of it 









Curious deer checking us out...









Total 2019 miles: 15


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## gunslinger

It was back to the rodeo on Mr. Jack this weekend......two evil looking dirt bikes came flying towards us.....and it was on......I was darn near off....but managed to pull myself back up in the saddle.......


Anyway....the second part of the ride he was fine.....danged horse.....and just when I bragged on him for how good he was two weeks ago....


Got 10 miles in.....70 total for the year....


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## mmshiro

Well, you know it's slippery out there when you'd rather accept getting hit in the face by low branches than duck and risk upsetting the horse's balance. Yes, wet snow, frozen over and with ice-covered puddles beneath are a hoot. But no, we didn't wash out - barely even slipped noticeably. Of course that came at the price of a walk-only ride through the woods.

Hamlet wasn't happy with that at all, but the two times he did attempt a trot and a canter, respectively, he quickly gave up. So I took him home along the dirt road. I'm not a big fan of riding along the road - not because there's traffic, but usually it's mind-numbingly boring. But the road was clear of slippery stuff, and the water made the surface just a little bit soft and yielding, so when I invited him to canter, he said, "Don't mind if I do!", and after almost a half mile on loose reins he said, "Yup, I sure needed that. Let's stroll home!" And so we did.

Made me think of all the posters here who ask, "How long did it take you to learn how to canter?" Well, half a year until my first canter, then another two years to canter a few minutes in two-point while the horse is swerving left and right watching for scary stuff in the bushes on either side. I have yet to understand how he can be so relaxed on forest trails, but so apprehensive on a slightly wider road lined by...forest. Well, burning thighs notwithstanding, I'm glad he got it out of his system.


----------



## SueC

Hello all, and hello @SwissMiss!

Have you got any Aussie riders on this thread yet? I've got an Aussie trail for you today. I don't do this kind of trail documentation very often, but I got some lovely photos this morning and thought some people not on my journalling or social groups might enjoy seeing this.

So sit back, and have a vicarious ride in Australia, complete with some natural history.




*AUSSIE TRAIL OUTING WITH CAMERA*

I wanted to take the camera (iPod) out on the horse this morning to photograph the valley floor with the Christmas trees in full bloom, and to take photographs of a follow-on trail not hitherto photographed for my journal.

As it's quite a production to do a ride photoessay, I won't be taking my camera more than once a week, and probably far less. Still, in 2019, I do want to document all the rest of the trails we regularly ride, and also explore a few new ones.

This is on the sand track behind the house. It's late summer here, and you can directly compare this with photos taken midwinter in the same location, in this post:
https://www.horseforum.com/member-jo...post1970680523

Notice there are _two_ dogs in this photograph. Our Jess is in the background, and Max is in the foreground. He is our neighbours' stock dog, and occasionally turns up to play with Jess. This morning, I was woken by the two dogs thundering around the house and growling playfully, as Kelpies will. Their games include lots of speed racing and egging each other on.










The next couple of photos are looking left and right into the bushland. We burnt this section of valley floor nine months ago, for fuel reduction and to maintain a mosaic landscape for biodiversity conservation. It's coming back nicely, and is very green considering it's midsummer, which in our Mediterranean climate means drought.

You can still see the charring on the eucalyptus trunks, and tea-trees with dead tops re-sprouting from their bases. The bush grass always regenerates from its tough subsurface structures, and thrives with the extra nutrients provided by the ash. You can also see eucalytpus seedlings here, bright green and barely nine months old. Fire causes a lot of sclerophyll seed to germinate, as it signals the availability of nutrients, space and light post-burn.



















_Sclerophyll_ literally means _hard-leaved_, as adaptation for drought tolerance typically results in comparatively hard leaves with waxy coatings. These coatings are flammable, as are the volatile oils many sclerophyll species (eucalyptus trees, tea-trees etc) produce in their leaves to deter grazing, which can easily stress plants in a harsh environment. In environments where water and minerals are more abundant, plants can more easily re-grow leaves, and aren't forced to protect them chemically.

When vegetation is flammable, it is prone to wildfires through lightning strike. As fire is inevitable in such plant communities, much of southern Australia's current natural vegetation has become gradually fire-adapted.

Aboriginal Australians have been on this continent for over 60,000 years – nearly twice as long as people have been in Europe. They began “firestick farming” – using small, frequent low-intensity fires, both to prevent devastating wildfires, and to promote high populations of animals they could eat. The Australian sclerophyll has been co-evolving with Aboriginal fire regimes for at least 35,000 years. The Aboriginal people continually burnt small patches of land to create vegetation mosaics that included old, dense, unburnt vegetation for shelter, freshly burnt ground with new shoots to attract grazing mammals, and everything in-between. We try to do the same.

Tim Flannery and various other Australian ecologists think that the post-colonial exit of Aboriginal Australians and their fire management from the countryside is a major factor in the wave of Australian mammal extinctions, and in a resurgence of devastating large-scale wildfires.










In the photo above, you can see what happens if a fire develops hot patches. (Ours did, because the tea-tree flat on the left hadn't been burnt in over 20 years and was long overdue. Generally, we try to do cool burns, like the Aboriginal people did - but since only a relatively small area of our property burnt hot, it wasn't a huge problem for the local ecology.) The eucalypts on this section of the track experienced a crown fire, which cooked their smaller branches and branchlets. When this happens, eucalypts sprout new branches, called epicormic shoots, through the bark, from dormant buds kept in reserve for such occasions.

If anyone is interested in the burn we did last autumn, there's photos and a story here:
https://www.horseforum.com/member-jo...post1970620989

So, back to the trail: This is the south gate into an adjoining property, where I have permission to ride.










This is the same neighbours who own that block also own Max. I was hoping he'd come with us on the ride so I could drop him back, but he went back to our house instead. He appears to have made his own way home today.

Next we're through the gate, heading east. I'm not back on the horse yet, because I've just done up the 8kV hot wire that protects the gate from stock - not something you should do off a horse's back.










The next set of photos are of the valley floor at the neighbour's place. Summer-green bush grasses predominate that area, and it's really pretty to ride in, on the well-formed animal trails. The introduced pasture is mostly brown this time of year. We met about a dozen kangaroos on our meander through today, in three batches, but the iPod was in my pocket each time, and they were gone by the time I had it out.



















Here's the Christmas trees (_Nuytsia floribunda_). These are hemiparasitic trees that draw sap from surrounding grass roots etc, and they also cut telephone cables. Aboriginal people used to make a mildly alcoholic drink from the blooms steeped in water. These trees are completely spectacular this time of year.




























It's party time for nectar-feeding insects when these trees are in bloom. You can spot some bees in this close-up.










If you'd like to know more about these trees, there's a wonderful short article on them here:

https://www.australiangeographic.com...hristmas-tree/

Next, we came out of the bushland, onto a narrow strip of pasture by the side of Verne Road (to the right, behind a strip of bush). This time we turned left.










Yesterday, we'd turned right, so I took a shot facing backwards as well, to show the alternative route!










It's so hot I've sweated onto the saddle! I'll have to give it some more leather dressing to prevent trouble. In this weather, I'm not going to stop sweating anytime soon, especially when I have to wear a winter trail vest with pockets for carrying the iPod safely.

If you're fascinated with maps, you can work out where we are on this map of yesterday's ride - I've not put this route on the map, but it's easy to figure out.


----------



## SueC

We're now headed back north on the eastern edge of the same bushland remnant we came through the middle of.



















The next photo is heading east, with a view of the surrounding countryside. If you click to enlarge this one, you should be able to see one of the neighbours' Angus herds where Sunsmart's ears are pointing, against the edge of the woods. You can also see how effective the introduced African dung beetles are at breaking up large herbivore dung! There haven't been large native herbivores in Australia since the extinction of the Australian megafauna around 50,000 years ago, so special dung beetles were needed.










In the next shot, you can see the neighbours' homestead and farm buildings through the gap in the trees. This is where Max and his family lives. Neighbour Noel used to ride as well, and admits to hurting himself when doing something stupid on a horse in his twenties after watching _The Man From Snowy River_. These days, he flies an aeroplane he built himself. Much safer!










A few photos of heading up the raceway by the roadside. Note the Australia strainer assembly in the fence, and also, once again, the magic the African dung beetles wreak on the cow manure. At the moment, in the heat of the day, it takes these beetles less than 10 minutes to spread a pile of cow manure or horse droppings far and wide, and this is important, because it stops the Australian bushflies from breeding. We always have a plague of these flies in spring, because the African dung beetles can't produce large enough numbers of themselves until the weather gets really hot. Right now, we're 99% bushfly free, which is great, because these critters sit on the eyes, in the nose, on your lips and anywhere else they can sip moisture off a body, unless you shoo them constantly, and of course, the livestock can't do this.



















This is at the exit gate, from which point we take a roadside firebreak trail home:










And this is the Hound of the Baskervilles! It's worth enlarging this shot. Complete fluke!










Jess always gets excited when I get back on the horse after going through a gate, and barks a lot to encourage us to hurry up. 










Here she's being encouraging again...










The roadside trail home:



















This is the neighbours' bull paddock, for bulls not currently running with herds:










I thought I'd get a nice shot of them for @*Knave* especially, as she appreciates good cattle. These are Angus pedigree bulls. The neighbours just had a bull sale, of two-year-old pedigree bulls bred up especially. It's a sideline they are hoping to develop. The sale went well, so they're encouraged to continue the venture.

The freeze branding on these indicates that they are pedigree stock.










Here's a machinery shed in the bull paddock, and another Australian strainer assembly, built from local bush poles. The ceramic insulators running inside the fence carry a 9kV line, to keep the stock off the fences.


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## SueC

I made a feeble attempt to be arty with this photograph!










Today. we had a lot of practice riding at a walk with completely loose reins, whenever I was taking photographs! It was a leg-steering practice drill.

This is an Australian "cocky gate" - our north-eastern entrance gate:










A cocky gate is a loose section of fence between two strainer posts, that you drag around. The loose end has a narrow post attached via wire loops to the strainer post. We've dropped a big log in front of our cocky gate so people can't use it to drive vehicles onto our property. There's just enough room for a horse, or pedestrians. The log is hollowed out from past bushfires, which is typical for Australian eucalypts, and also one of the main ways in which wildlife shelters are created in the sclerophyll bushland. Many mammal and bird species use tree hollows for shelter and nesting, both in standing trees and in fallen old logs.










We're now on the section of our property we call "The Common" - 8ha of undivided pasture, and 50ha of bushland conservation remnant to the south of the pasture. This is where the cattle hang out most of the time, although they do come in to crash graze the two western paddocks of 2ha each as well.

This area gets winter waterlogging, as you can tell from the paperbark trees and the reeds in this section of the land. Don Quixote and Mary Lou sheltering sensibly in the shade of a paperbark tree:










Four Simmental crosses under one year old, and four Friesian steers around two years old:



















Sparkle is in the background, in the last photo. Sunsmart and I are headed for the equine group, where Nelly and Benjamin come to greet us.










The bay with the blaze is Julian, the chestnut to the left is Chasseur, and Romeo is having breakfast in the garden at this time. Aren't these paperbark trees amazing? They can fall in a storm and then keep growing anyway, with a horizontal section of what used to be the upright trunk.










My horse is asking, with his ears, "Are you getting off?" When he's not very sweaty and we return from a ride via the Common, I often just leave him with his buddies, and walk the few hundred metres back to the house.

And aren't his buddies enchanting!



















We've untacked, and Sunsmart gets straight down to morning tea.



















And I really couldn't help myself, I just had to take lots of photos of this lovely bunch of animals resting in the shade:




























Much nicer than standing on your own in a sand yard for 15 years, isn't it, Julian!


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## SueC

A few more group photos to finish. Benjamin knows he's extra cute:










He's a true dun, which is the typical colouration of wild donkeys. You can see how well he blends into the vegetation with his colour.










The paperbark trees are named this way for a reason. The bark sheds off in sheets like thick paper. I used to write little letters to my penpals back in Europe on this bark, when I first came to Australia as a kid.

A snoozy Nelly:










Chasseur and the two "new" donkeys:










Chasseur turned 25 late last year, and is looking great. He's also the horse that most resembles his French grandmother, who was my first horse.










That's this mare:



















You can really see the resemblance, and I hope Chasseur gets to be as old as Romeo! In which case, we'd have at least another nine years with him.

And a group shot to finish for today - with the tack lying in the foreground!


















Phew! Next time I'm riding without the camera, or this will start costing me sleep!









Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this vicarious horseback tour of a little bit of Australia.


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## JoBlueQuarter

Wow @SueC, I'm completely blown away. Beautiful country, and so interesting, plus your herd is exquisite! Thanks for sharing that marvelous ride


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## phantomhorse13

Last weekend was the Gator Run ride in Florida. The whole story is in my journal.

Friday, I rode Duroc:

































Saturday, I rode Fluffy:
































2019 mileage
...
2/14 duroc 2.71 miles 3 ft climb 3.6 mph 70F 293.59 total miles
2/15 duroc 25.11 miles 48 ft climb 6.1 mph 74F 318.70 total miles
2/16 fluffy 25.98 miles 56 ft climb 8.3 mph 76F *344.68 total miles*


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## SueC

I'm catching up on this thread, reading about people struggling with the weather, with work commitments and to-do lists, snow, ice, mud and energy levels, in their quest to get some trail time with their horses. Hello! :wave: Here it's heat and humidity just now, not snow and ice, but I can totally empathise.

It's so nice for me to see that Person A from the forum whose posts I've read for years now rides with Person B and C, whose posts I've also read for years.  I hope everyone that's able to meet up has lots of shared fun on those occasions this year. Like some of you, I'm a fairly isolated solo rider, but I do have the company of my horse and dog, and sometimes, if I stay on our property, some of the other equines tag along for the ride. When they all do, it looks like this:

:cowboy: :runningborwnhorse: :runningborwnhorse: onkey: onkey: onkey: onkey: onkey:

There's one more, who's ancient and hangs out in our garden nearly fulltime now. :apple:

It's nice for isolated people to check in with other trail riders and see their trails! And it's so international, it's like getting a window into other countries at the same time.

@knightrider, I  your Alycia Burton write-up and photos, and that story of voluntarily falling off so you could hang on to the ponying line. Excellent!

And this:



Celeste said:


> If a horse is terrified of trash bags, then this is what she gets to go through.
> 
> Today: 2.9 miles
> Total: 6.1 miles


:rofl::rofl::rofl:

And all the photos from everywhere!


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## knightrider

Yesterday @4horses and I had a grand ride around her neighborhood on her dirt roads. I rode Windy, my daughter's young mare. Windy got to see a lot of things she wasn't used to . . . or at least she got to see them in a different place--donkeys, cows, big trucks, a horse being lunged (that was super scary to her), rocks, and fallen trees. Windy gave me some super running walk. Harmony was terrific also . . . but then, Harmony is always terrific.

Today I rode Chorro by myself for 2 hours and 15 minutes. We explored a new trail that was really pretty. Then we went home on a way that is off the road. I don't ride there very often because the land belongs to a paper milling company. They lease the land out to deer hunters. The paper company doesn't care at all if I ride there. The deer hunters give me a hard time when they see me. I never ride there in deer season, and the land doesn't belong to them . . . and how could I affect their deer hunting anyway? I think they are city folk with the mindset "My land, you can't be here, get off." But I didn't get caught this time. The deer hunters rarely come on the leased land when it isn't deer season, but every once in a while they do.

Here is a lovely photo of my daughter on Windy in the pines.


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## ChasingDreams

@knightrider the photo is lovely [emoji4] 
@SueC amazing, so happy you’re sharing! I’m in awe that you see kangaroo like I see deer. Feel free to share as many photos you’d like haha

I had Chase out for a feeble attempt at a ride today. It was already extremely soggy, and then started misting 20mins in. At that point I was like, “I’m already out here, might as well keep going”.

I wasn’t planning to go to the quarry, then figured... “meh, I’ll just skip the big hill.” 

The trails have a few slushy patches of snow left. Most of it just wet. I got to a big patch of snow and noticed at a set of deer tracks curiously veered off to the side and looked a bit closer at the snow. A full 2” sheet of ice a hoof beat ahead of us. 

Chase to his credit, stopped on a dime. But, If he would have went a few steps forward or sideways we’d be on it. He backed perfectly, and found the deer tracks to follow. I was so proud of him, such a good trail buddy!

I’m just happy we were out, can’t all be perfect rides haha

















Saying “Hi” to pasture mates.
















Total 2019 miles: 18.28


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Celeste

I rode The Princess yesterday. It had been two weeks, so she was a bit high strung. She did pretty well overall. I asked for a canter and she went into it with a little buck, but I pushed her and she went along fine. I enjoy taking the dog along. She always has a blast.

Today, my friend Bonnie came out and we rode. She rode Abby and I rode HWNN. She says I should name him "Tom Petty", especially since he likes grass so much. I don't think it has a good flow to it.

Yesterday: 2.9
Today: 3.2
Total: 39.35


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## SueC

Celeste said:


> ...I rode HWNN. She says I should name him "Tom Petty", especially since he likes grass so much. I don't think it has a good flow to it.


:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

What are the berries, @Celeste?

I've got to say I feel for anyone here, like @ChasingDreams, who has to contend with possible ice patches. That's not fun... Stay safe, everyone.


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## Celeste

@SueC 

The berries are Nandina berries. They usually produce during the winter. They are not edible. Just pretty. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nandina


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## ChasingDreams

Interesting, I think I’ve seen some of those berries on my trails recently as well... if they are the same. I’ll have to try to get a better look next time (but not too close, because apparently they are toxic... and also an antidote to ecstasy?)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Celeste

I just read that part about the ecstasy. Weird. I don't expect to know anyone that overdoses on ecstasy, but if one comes along, I'll be ready!


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## SueC

:rofl: You might need a funnel for such a patient, @Celeste! ...or a stomach tube...


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## phantomhorse13

The weather and resulting ground have been making riding very difficult lately. Last week, I got a very short ride on Phin:











Today, I got George out. The whole story is in my journal.



















2019 mileage
...
2/20 phin 1.21 miles 17 ft climb 2.8 mph 20F 345.89 total miles
2/26 george 9.70 miles 1514 ft climb 4.2 mph 11F *355.59 total miles*


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## knightrider

Today was a Windy ride. I was supposed to take a pre-teen, but her daddy didn't want to risk getting caught in the rain. My neighbor also agreed to ride with me, but a little later. He's not so keen any more about dawn rides like I am.

So, after my guys had eaten their hay, I went out to the sacrifice pen to saddle Windy. I had to smile at the herd dynamics, when the horses saw me with a saddle and bridle, opening up the gate to their pen.

Chorro immediately rushed me, saying, "You're going riding! I see that saddle! Take me! I wanna go! No, don't go over to her. Take me!"

Aci looked at me with interest, "You're not getting me? OK, that's fine. I don't wanna go anyway." He ambled away.

Windy pushed past Chorro, "You're taking me, aren't you? I don't really want to ride . . . but I want that carrot in your hand. If you give me that carrot, I'll take you riding."

Isabeau ran away. "We've eaten our hay, and now you're here. You're going to put me in that trailer, aren't you? Not goin'. Not me. Go away. No trailer, Mom." She was so relieved when I bridled Windy. Then she got friendly.

Great Windy ride, by the way, just lovely.


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## knightrider

Monthly totals:
65.75 hours
216.975 miles for February

Since Jan. 1
131 hours
432.3 miles

Before you get too impressed, remember that our very best riding is in the winter. That's when we can really stack on the miles. The weather is lovely, pleasant and cool, no flies or spider webs, and I'm retired and can work around the rain. Also, in Florida, we get rain STORMS, which come and then are done, so we ride before the rain or after the rain.


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## gunslinger

The news reported the Chattanooga Airport recorded 11.31 inches of rain for February. It rained yesterday, and it's forecast to rain tomorrow....


The good news is, I managed to take Sunny Boy out for a short 10 mile ride today.....


That puts me at 80 and change for the year so far......


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## phantomhorse13

Today, DH and I got George and Phin out before the next storm. The whole story is in my journal.



















February: 142.19 miles
phin - 40.11
george - 18.81
fluffy - 33.05
duroc- 33.39
chorro - 9.83
aci- 7.0


2019 mileage
...
3/3 phin 4.81 miles 617 ft climb 2.9 mph 26F *360.40 total miles*


----------



## phantomhorse13

Today, I tortured Phin by making him help exercise Kestrel. The whole story is in my journal.



















2019 mileage
...
3/4 phin 3.51 miles 261 ft climb 3.8 mph 15F* 363.91 total miles*


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## SueC

knightrider said:


> Today was a Windy ride. I was supposed to take a pre-teen, but her daddy didn't want to risk getting caught in the rain. My neighbor also agreed to ride with me, but a little later. He's not so keen any more about dawn rides like I am.
> 
> So, after my guys had eaten their hay, I went out to the sacrifice pen to saddle Windy. I had to smile at the herd dynamics, when the horses saw me with a saddle and bridle, opening up the gate to their pen.
> 
> Chorro immediately rushed me, saying, "You're going riding! I see that saddle! Take me! I wanna go! No, don't go over to her. Take me!"
> 
> Aci looked at me with interest, "You're not getting me? OK, that's fine. I don't wanna go anyway." He ambled away.
> 
> Windy pushed past Chorro, "You're taking me, aren't you? I don't really want to ride . . . but I want that carrot in your hand. If you give me that carrot, I'll take you riding."
> 
> Isabeau ran away. "We've eaten our hay, and now you're here. You're going to put me in that trailer, aren't you? Not goin'. Not me. Go away. No trailer, Mom." She was so relieved when I bridled Windy. Then she got friendly.
> 
> Great Windy ride, by the way, just lovely.


 this, @knightrider. I can just imagine it!


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## knightrider

Yesterday was Isabeau's turn to ride, and I was lucky enough to ride with my neighbor. We had a super 2 hour ride, and when it was time to go in, my neighbor said he was going to shoot some blanks before he put his mare away. She's been terrified of people shooting, and he has been trying to get her used to it.

I asked him to wait until I got Isabeau back in her pen before he started shooting, " . . . else I'm going to have a jet propelled ride home," I said.

I was halfway between his house and my house when super loud BANGS went off, very close to us. I knew it couldn't have been my neighbor. He wouldn't have had time to even get his saddle off. It was the new neighbor between us shooting his gun. Just about this time last year, I had an unpleasant fall off Isabeau when someone was shooting behind trees while I was riding on the road. She's not my best horse for guns going off.

But happily, this time, she only skittered sideways briefly. More bangs, but only skittering. I called for them to hold up, and finally they heard me and I was able to get through my gate and get Isabeau unsaddled.

I called my neighbor and we joked about my rocket propelled journey back to my gate. He was in more difficulty than I was because he was trying to unsaddle his mare and she went crazy with fear.

I think Isabeau was so much calmer than last year because she is used to my husband, son, and other neighbors target shooting. Guns going off by our house is "OK", just not guns going off on a road she has traveled hundreds of times with no shooting.


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## gunslinger

sigh.....more rain this weekend......82 inches in 2018, almost 30 inches over normal......11.3 inches in February, and 3 inches forecast for this weekend.


We're already 8 inches above normal for 2019......


That said, I guess I should be thankful for the abundance of rain, but this is one of the times it's hard to understand Gods plan.


Needless to say, no riding this weekend.


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## SueC

*RIDE IN A RAINCLOUD (WITH RECONSTITUTED PHOTOS)*

The weather here is presently very unusual - it's being sucked down from the tropics via a trough again. This means we've had nonstop drizzle grading to soft rain for two days, with more weather like this forecast for the next couple of days. The current satellite image shows why:


















We're located in the southwest corner of Western Australia, which is currently sitting _in_ a cloud. As it's been one of the driest summers on record - so dry we've not harvested any honey for the first summer in eight years of bee-keeping - we're not complaining about rain, no matter where it's coming from.

Because of the rain, the first thing I did this morning is trim hooves while they are nice and soft: Don Quixote all around, and Romeo's front while he was finishing his usual big breakfast. Then I did a few different things to get my back stretched out again, before getting Sunsmart in for a pre-ride feed. When he goes for a moderate to strenuous trail riding session over an hour long (lots of fast trotting and cantering - i.e. endurance pace), he gets one litre of oats per hour I'm going to work him, which this morning meant 1.5L of feed. (The maximum oats I feed before riding is 2L, and if I ride longer than two hours, it will be at a less intense pace to compensate.) It makes a big difference to the way horses perform in their workout, in my experience with various horses doing fitness work. It's like me going bike riding after eating a muesli bar, versus just hopping on my bike.

"Normal" trail riders generally don't do this, but also go at a more leisurely pace than endurance horse pace. I grew up riding endurance training and competitions, so the speed at which we go is considered "too fast" for leisurely trail riders. I've ridden with "normal" trail groups, and they spent most of their time walking their horses. Horses like endurance line Arabians and racing breeds mostly like to move, and prefer to spend most of their time trotting or faster. Sunsmart is one of these types of horses, and three weeks into resuming fitness training, he's ready to do moderate to strenuous work - provided he's getting fed properly to perform like this.

Today we explored Sleeman Creek Nature Reserve on the other side of the creek that floods from about May to about October each year. There are lots of steep hills beyond the creek, so it was nice to have a cool day to do this on. It was too wet to take a camera, plus I don't want to fiddle with things like that when I introduce a horse to trail sections that are unfamiliar to it. When it's "old hat" I'll take my camera, on a nice day.

I'm going to reconstitute the ride from pre-existing photographs, and the deal is that you have to superimpose a low, misty raincloud and drizzle on it in your imagination!









We started on our sand track, walking and doing some slow trotting to warm up.










At the south boundary, we turned east and raced the dog up the hill; and then turned north at the eastern boundary. I have no photographs of this section of our trail yet, but will get some when I take the camera on this route sometime this southern autumn.

We exited at the "cocky gate" on the northeastern corner of our property:










This is a drag-around section of fence between two strainer posts, and thank goodness Sunsmart is sensible and doesn't go leaping about randomly when we have to go through something like this. The cocky gate has lots of barbed wire, and were a horse to get its feet caught in it, bad injuries could result.

We crossed the bitumen and immediately turned left into Halls Road.










Then we rode through Sleeman Creek Nature Reserve to Sleeman Creek:



















That photo was taken last time we tried this, before summer, when the creek was in flood, and it's not safe to cross by horse when it is in that condition. This time, the floodway was dry, and Sunsmart picked his way carefully across the big boulders. Then we made our way up the big hill, cantering, trotting and walking in turn.

Here's a photo we took of that hill series from a dog walk in springtime a couple of years back:



You actually can't see most of it, because there is lots more beyond the crest in the distance.

And this is looking back towards our place, at the start of that hill:



Beyond that, I don't have photos, but it goes on over about four sections of hill and involves another minor creek crossing. There were cattle following us along in the paddocks to our left, with very young calves. At the minor creek crossing, I had to negotiate with Sunsmart as this was a new one for him. I got off and walked through ahead of him, and in doing so, got my hiking boots covered in anaerobic mud, but thankfully they are waterproof. Sunsmart took some convincing, as usual for new crossings - he's a total hydrophobe, but with age and practice, at least it's not a long process anymore to get him across a new yucky water crossing.

We rode up to the northern end of the track, and turned home again at the corner - as he gets fitter, we'll explore further. This time, instead of going back through the creek crossing, we took the alternative route through the bush, which you can see on the map at the end of the post. Then, down the long, long hill again, and back via the approach track and Halls Road. The horse was all lovely again as I was dragging our cocky gate around, not moving till I told he he could walk safely now, and then we returned along the top of our Common. This is a picture from about a week back, so this is what the colours are actually like this time of year. However: Imagine it in a misty raincloud, in drizzle.










At the "equine rest area" under the Paperbark trees, we found our three original donkeys, and Sunsmart told me he'd like to join them. Since he didn't need washing - the drizzle had kept him cool, so he'd not had to sweat much - I was happy to remove all his gear, including his boots, and carry that the last few hundred metres back home, so he could graze with some friends. As I was leaving, Nelly and Benjamin came running at a fast trot to say hello, and joined Sunsmart and the three original donkeys under the Paperbarks. Julian and Chasseur were off in the forest somewhere, and Romeo was grazing in the garden, and happy to have me back.

The horse pulled up really well and looked fabulous at tagasaste feeding time this evening. I didn't have to rug him, as the drizzle stopped and it wasn't windy. He was practically dry. I don't shampoo him, so he doesn't lose his natural waterproofing under the top of his coat. You can part his hair, and in this kind of light rain, the skin and most of the hair under the surface will be dry.

I'm definitely tired though, and so is the dog! :ZZZ:


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## Change

February mileage was zilch thanks to all the rain.

Headed down to MS for the Shockaloe Endurance (Intro for us) Ride and managed to coup a whopping 13.38 miles on Tango on 3/2. It should have been 14 miles, but thanks to a gear malfunction you can read about on the Over 40s page, I ended up walking for a bit.

That puts me at 15.21 miles for the year.


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## egrogan

Finally, the sun was strong enough to melt the ice on the roads and it was safe to go out- if muddy. We didn't go far, and we didn't go fast, but we went!!









Turkeys are on the move too, as you can see from their tracks in the road:









Sugaring season is here:









*Total 2019 miles: 1.57 *(yes, you read that correctly, that's one and one half miles :rofl


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## Celeste

egrogan said:


> *Total 2019 miles: 1.57 *(yes, you read that correctly, that's one and one half miles :rofl


That is a long way to go in that cold!


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## Celeste

It finally stopped raining and storming for a few minutes here. The town closest to us was torn all to pieces by a tornado. We were so fortunate to have gotten off with little damage.

I rode twice this weekend.

Yesterday, a friend of mine came out. She rode Abby and I rode HWNN. My friend still insists that I need to name him Tom Petty since he loves grass so much. When Abby goes out, it has to be a slow ride.

Today, I took my "Princess" out for a ride. The weather was perfect. Mostly we had to walk because of the mud. I did get in a brief canter and a little trotting. She hurt my feelings. I started singing loudly just because I wanted to, and she pinned her ears. She usually doesn't mind it; I guess she didn't like the song. Lol.

I tried to get a picture of some of the redbud trees blooming. It is hard on a wiggle worm. 

Yesterday: 3.2 miles
Today: 3.2 miles

Total for 2019: 45.75 miles


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## AnitaAnne

Chivas and I went to the Shockaloe Endurance ride in Mississippi last weekend. Rain, mud, slop, rain, deep water crossings. 

Of course we had a blast 

I rider optioned after the away vet check, as the conditions were so bad. He did pass the vet check with all A+ and 36/40 pulse. 

So only 7 miles completed...added to my maybe 3 miles I have done in between the horrendous rains we have had. 

So 10 miles for the year :redface:


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## ChasingDreams

I had a shorter ride Saturday. Still sloppy muddy/snowy here and can’t risk the big hills over by the quarry.










We slipped and slides around the top trails for a little before I decided it was probably best to stick to the lane. 










Had a bunch of curious young cows come to meet us at the gate which was cool. 

Chase was a little jumpy, but his curiousness outweighed his flight instinct in the end. They spooked each other when they touched noses, Chase jumped... the cows jumped... and I’m just sitting there laughing at them both.










My phone died at the cows, so that’s where my ride mileage ended but the total ride was probably a little over 2 miles. 

We were caught up for a bit at the power unit near the cow barn. It’s not new... I don’t know what was bothering him about it. Maybe the snow around it made it more noticeable? Who knows lol

It was bad enough that even after passing it a few times... he was listening, but was still very bothered. So, after bringing him back I decided to hand walk him back to that spot and just let him investigate a bit more. Finally, he decided it wasn’t so scary [emoji23]

Total 2019 miles: 20.28
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## egrogan

Celeste said:


> That is a long way to go in that cold!



Cold?! That was a heat wave- 35*F/2*C :grin:


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## SueC

It's really nice to see that the north seems to be defrosting enough for some of you to start trail riding again!  Have lots of fun, and be safe! :charge:


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I FINALLY GOT TO RIDE!!







The whole story is in my journal.

Started with Phin:



















Next was George (with Kestrel):


















2019 mileage
...
3/12 phin 7.89 miles 892 ft climb 4.1 mph 18F 371.80 total miles
3/12 george 4.87 miles 399 ft climb 5.0 mph 23F *376.67 total miles*


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## knightrider

Four day camping trip with @4horses. We started out at Watermelon Pond. I brought Isabeau and Acicate. @4horses rode Acicate so he wouldn't spend a couple of hours screaming tied to the trailer. I hadn't ridden Watermelon Pond for about 5 years. 4horses likes to go fast and we did a lot of gaiting and some cantering.

Then I trailered to Oleno State Park River Rise where I had stalls and a campsite. I got a really nice site and had a lot of fun hanging out with the folks from Triple B Riding Club. I have been camping with Triple B for many years, but this was the first time I spent much time with them. Most people just do their own thing on these camping trips, and I usually have a pile of kids and/or teens. 

But this time, we had a tragedy. My daughter's friend, who was to join me, found her two dogs had killed her beloved cat. These animals had always gotten along in the past, and this tragedy was completely unexpected. The dogs were returned to the original no-kill shelter where she had gotten them. Not only did she lose her much loved cat, but her much loved two dogs (because she had one more cat at home).

On Saturday, we celebrated my neighbor's 75th birthday with a fun ride, beef stew, and German chocolate cake. In the evening I took Isabeau and Acicate home and returned with Windy and Chorro. Also did an evening ride on Chorro with 4horses.

My teen friend was devastated and not up to being around people. I did convince her to come ride with me and 4horses. I hoped a long trail ride through beautiful woods would soothe her wounded spirit.

On Sunday, my daughter brought her beginner boyfriend for a lovely ride through the forest. Sunday night, 4horses and I took Windy and Chorro for a night ride. I can't say "moonlight ride" because the moon was just a sliver. It was quite dark . . . but Windy led the ride and everybody did fine. It was a little hairy for me because Windy can be difficult on rare occasions and I don't trust her as much as my daughter does. That made the ride spicy and exciting, and I was so so proud of Windy who handled the pitch black ride with aplomb. One time Chorro surged ahead and I literally could not see him or 4horses at all.

Monday morning 4horses and I rode her two horses. I got to ride my favorite Florian, who was plenty exercised by then, and plenty fun.

On Monday my daughter returned to ride with her heartbroken friend, and my DD showed us how much she trusts Windy by riding backwards and filming Windy's swinging butt. 4horses rode her foxtrotter Paris bareback and we did a lot of gaiting with me on Florian. Then the girls helped me pack up and we headed home. 

in the 4 days, we rode 13 hours and 42.9 miles.


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## ChasingDreams

That’s so sad about your friend’s pets @knightrider  I can’t imagine. I’m glad you had a nice camping trip though!

I got a little ride in last night, but it wasn’t one of our best lol All of the annoying details are in my journal, but the short story is that Chase was just spooky and full of it! Lots of circling and arguments about which way we were going.

Total 2019 miles~ 22.53


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I got a bit more saddle time. The whole story is in my journal.



















2019 mileage
...
3/13 phin 4.57 miles 362 ft climb 4.9 mph 28F *381.24 total miles*


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## mmshiro

I broke my horse, then I fixed him.

Well, no...I didn't really "break" him. It's more along the lines of: Hamlet not dealing terribly well with novel situations, and reverting to a 4 year-old greenie when we switched barns down the road (basically the other side of the land conservancy we rode in before). I started my (re)training with hand-walking him around the outdoor arena and returning him to his pasture - while making sure that he wouldn't accidentally jump into my lap because he was so freaked out by being taken 70 yards away from his pasture.

A little later, ground work in the arena went fine, as did my first ride in there.

Outside was a completely different matter. While not leaving the farm, staying literally within its bounds (it's only a little over 10 acres), I had some major nervousness, tightness, and a handful of tremendous spooks. Mind you, I took great care in taking him past his own pasture periodically, so he would be less concerned about being taken away. 

I kept working with him, riding, desensitizing from the ground, playing at liberty, and last weekend we left the confines of the farm for the first time. Yes, we had a little bolt in the beginning, and yes, I had to turn him away from the farm as he was trying to make a beeline for it coming out of that little spook, but then he settled and we went a couple hundred meters up and down the road without a lot of incidents.

Today then we went about a mile down the road, a U-turn when he was still a good boy, and back. No spooks (just a wide berth around some scary dead tree stumps), a canter (I invited him to trot up a hill towards home; I didn't have the heart to correct him for doing his little canter instead), and after I pulled him off the road and a dump truck who came from behind passed us, he trotted right after it. 

So I fixed the horsey, again, and I got my trail horse back. As soon as it's not so soggy anymore, we can do some exploring in the surrounding fields and logging roads. I think he just heard I was looking for a challenge...

The neat thing is that I did it all by myself - no lessons, nobody rode out with me, nothing. I had to decide what to do, what is safe to do, and how to do it. I think today's the first time I actually feel like a horse owner, worthy of that responsibility, in the sense that if my handling him unsupervised brought him back from, and through, a (for him) stressful event like this, I'm quite unlikely to inadvertently do anything to screw him up.

In as far as trail rides are concerned, today was one of the shortest, most boring and uneventful rides I ever took, but a success in my books regardless.


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## ChasingDreams

Ride tonight went much better than our last one, but still a bit more work to do to get him back to where he was at the end of summer. It’s amazing what light riding over the winter does to a young horse’s mind [emoji849] Details in my journal, though I didn’t take pictures again this ride since I was really focused on Chase.

At least I had the tracker running.










Total 2019 miles ~ 26.05





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## mmshiro

Oh my god - what a mess today!

While cleaning up the flower bed in front of my porch, it appeared as though the announced afternoon rain was canceled, so I mozied to the barn to get one more ride in during mid-60s temperature before the weekend cools down again. Hamlet and I went down the same road again, only a bit farther, where you can turn into a dirt road that goes through a field for about a mile. Nothing at that point indicated an extraordinary ride: lots of walking, a bit of trotting, and two little canters. The footing on that road was just perfect: soft, really fine gravel that doesn't keep the water, but poses no problems for hooves either. Nothing gave me any hint on what would happen *after* I turned him around to go home (there is no good way to make it a loop yet as the soggy fields are still off-limits to riding).

The jigging in the beginning was just annoying, but more disconcerting was the amount of rein pressure I needed to apply to get any response at all. Yes, I always gave him the chance to respond to a lighter cue, and yes, he does know what the lighter cue means as I had zero problems slowing and halting him on the first half of the ride. I lost it (my patience) when he engaged in a little spook, started to canter, and completely ignored any rein signals at all. I had to see-saw his head left and right with my arms (!!!), which is unheard of, to get his attention and him to a speed where I could take him into a circle. At that point, I was literally ready to hurt him, I kid you not!

To settle somewhat, I had him stand for about a minute, facing away from the home stretch, and then it was transitions-palooza. When he wouldn't respond to moderately strong rein pressure, I went Clinton Anderson on him: one round left, one round right, going straight to see if he keeps speed...no? One round left, one round right, repeat, go straight and test...no? You still need speed? Okay, we'll canter 100 yards _away from home_ then, and try again!

I think I finally got through to him, or he just felt that we got closer to home...in any case, to throw in some positive reinforcement, after walking without jigging, he got to speed up to a trot for a while - for as long as he was able to keep that speed. Speed up, and we'll stop. Start jigging again, and we'll do serpentines again. Lather, rinse, repeat. He finally earned himself two canters, no my cue, towards home by not speeding up without being asked to do so.

For good measure, I took him 100-200 yards past the barn, just to reinforce that "going home" doesn't mean "end of the ride", then I took him to the outdoor arena to verify that, yes - he does know how to walk on the buckle without speeding up and how to stop on whisper-light rein pressure! 

You know that if he'd given me any indication about being nervous on the way out, I'd have asked for a few more steps, then turned him around, and maybe take him back and forth a few times, like last time. He also knows from experiences that he does get to go fast towards home - as soon as he shows that he's listening to me and will take No! for an answer. We can make, and have made this, a win-win situation: He wants to go home fast, I want a horse that is patient when I need him to be.

Anyways, thus are the trials and tribulations with a horse who does not do well with novel and unfamiliar situations. I worked through the same nonsense at the previous barn, and it wasn't fun there either. When I think about why he came to the barn for rehoming, I have to say I'm pretty sure that this is it. People who need to do a job (ranchers, race track people) don't have time for BS like this. People who go to shows don't have time for BS like this. There you go: *This* then is the price for this "free" horse.


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## ChasingDreams

I’m convinced the changing seasons causes horses to loose their minds [emoji23] I’m sure changing barns does it too, though. Hamlet sounds a lot like how Chase has been acting lately... except he jigs the whole first mile and a half of any ride until he’s a little tired and chills out...


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## SueC

Here's a happy trail with a horse and humans just walking. Julian, whom we adopted 18 months ago post harness career retirement, says he wants to work - he's always sniffing around when I'm working with Sunsmart, and tagging along with us frequently when I'm riding around the farm tracks. Like Sunsmart, I've known him since birth, and helped with his harness education, training, etc. I saddle educated Sunsmart back in 2009 when I adopted him; seems Julian wants a go too, so I'm doing a lot of work on the ground around here with him as part of saddle training preparation. Sunsmart and Julian are both by the same stallion, so they look similar. This is from my journal a couple of weeks back.


*JULIAN'S WORLD EXPANDS AGAIN*

This morning, we resumed taking Julian for walks with the dog again, as part of his preparation for saddle training. It's always a great idea to get horses familiar with the trails they will be starting on before you try it under saddle, when your horse is going to be just starting out under saddle for the first time. Exactly the same thing was done with all the horses on our place when they were initially harness trained in their past life, where I was their "babysitter" - the person leading them the first time they went around a track with a cart and driver.

Julian is familiar with all the tracks around our farm from our walks before I broke my foot last year, so today we decided to show him more of the world, and take him into the neighbour's block where we have permission to walk and ride.

Jess, Brett, Julian and invisible me on the sand track going out:










Julian after crossing the gate into the neighbour's place:










Playing on the sand heap next to the dam, which is also a good lookout point:



















Approaching another dam:










Familiarising Julian with the dam wall and the water's edge - very sticky mud:














































As you can see, this horse is walking comfortably on a long lead and calmly exploring the "new world". Julian has always enjoyed looking at new things and going new places, and today was no exception. He was already over the moon to be free ranging with a herd of three other horses, and five donkeys, at our place after spending 15 years mostly alone in a sand yard on day turnout, and locked in a stable at night. You can see every day how much that horse enjoys his life and surroundings. And today, we showed him a bit more of this world - including taking him to the biggest open paddock he's ever seen in his life!

When I take horses anywhere new on the lead, I encourage them to look around and to put their noses on the ground - to do what they would do if they came there in their herd; other than, of course, I can't run as fast as them! Keeping them on a short lead and insisting on them having their heads up would not help them get properly familiar with the place. But, as you can see, the horse has good manners and doesn't try to drag me around - which I also make sure all my horses learn to do properly. Julian is very much walking _with me_.










The biggest open paddock he's ever seen:





































Just going to split the post...


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## SueC

I think you can't expect a horse to be calm unless you're calm yourself, so I have to be Ms Buddha around horses, and that transfers really well to them. This is a lovely horse, and I'm really looking forward to riding him. He'll see so much more of this world again when we can go under saddle - and then he will find out that middle age is actually the best time of your life, as we did! 










Finishing the walk on our swamp track: After this photo, I took off his halter and just kept walking with him. A couple of minutes later, I'd stopped to talk to Brett and was walking behind him, but because he's harness trained, he thinks that's still "in contact"! He's used to having the person he's working with behind him, and paying attention.



















Sunsmart and Julian, after Julian returned to his herd. You can tell these are by the same stallion (The Sunbird Hanover):



















Some cute donkey photos, because they always want to say hello when you're out there with them:


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## phantomhorse13

ChasingDreams said:


> I’m convinced the changing seasons causes horses to loose their minds. I’m sure changing barns does it too, though.


For Phin, a change in _anything_ may make him lose his mind.. growing up basically feral, I am noticing each and every change was a good life skill. Now, it really makes me notice how unobservant I am!


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## Celeste

@mmshiro It seems that I remember something about you saying that you didn't like boring horses. Well, Hamlet may have overheard you..........


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## mmshiro

Celeste said:


> @mmshiro It seems that I remember something about you saying that you didn't like boring horses. Well, Hamlet may have overheard you..........


I think I'm somewhat resentful because I like to brag about being a soft-hands, soft-reins kind of rider, even if the horse spooks or engages in a little "bolt." (I tend to let him go for 2-3 seconds, then start to do a normal down transition.) The fact that he made me pull his lips back to his ears and still not showing any response, when immediately before and after he DID respond to the usual cues as expected, is somewhat disconcerting. 

I so don't want to "bit up," but this is clearly not a training issue: he knows his cues, as I demonstrated to myself by the end of the ride, or even as soon as turning him away from home... 

So he gets one more chance: next ride, we'll go the same route again and engage in a "transitions extravaganza," outwards and homewards. He'll also get some Mare Magic (a.k.a raspberry tea) in his diet. If he ever blows through me again like this, I will be resorting to a more persuasive "metal-pain-bit," as an infamous YouTuber calls them.

If I didn't find them so incredibly annoying and cumbersome, I'd try a Pelham with double reins...but as I said: If it doesn't happen again with some additional transition training and mellowing agents, we'll forget about this little episode.


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## Celeste

@mmshiro I make it my policy not to be angry at an animal acting on its instincts. This is something that you just have to work through. I feel certain that you can do it. You have ridden those OTTBs and you can do this. It may only take two or three rides to get him sorted out. 

I found with my mare, going to a harsher bit did not solve the issue. It just made her *buck*. Other horses may respond differently. I have a friend that thinks that I am insane because I ride a "crazy arab" with a snaffle. It works better for me.

Hamlet is a good boy. He was probably just overstimulated by all the sights and sounds. I think that you will get him settled down soon.

I should have added: horses can be jerks. Don't blame yourself.


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## Celeste

@mmshiro The judgement has been sent upon me for seeming to making light of your issues. 

It was not my Arab. I rode her yesterday, and she was perfect.

I have mostly ridden HWNN when I have someone else riding along with me. He was angelic (with my friend riding Abby) last week. He did get a bit spooked by some vultures a few weeks ago.

Well here's where karma got me. I saddled up, mounted up, and turned to go. He left the barn fine, but not terribly long afterwards, he planted his feet. I kicked, begged, pleaded, whacked, and then circled and circled and circled. Ten minutes of circling would get me one inch closer to the vulture roost.

I finally just didn't have the energy to keep fighting. I turned him around, went past the barn, and headed another way. He did fine for a while, but he got looky at a parked log truck. I asked him for a little more, and then turned toward home. He made that blowing sound like a deer does when it sees a predator. He did that three times. He really, really wanted to bolt towards home, but he agreed to walk. When we got back to the barn, I was going to unsaddle, but I thought better of it. I led him to the vulture roost. He did not want to go. He did go though. I made him stand and stare at it for quite a while. Then I led him back and forth and back and forth. I remembered the very scary mud puddles that he hated going through, so we kept leading. We went back and forth and back and forth and he even got his pretty little feet wet. 

The scary mud puddles can be seen in my avatar picture. Princess goes right through them. She can't stand to be still, so if her head is turned the right direction, she (usually) will go.

I was too tired to find a place to remount, so I walked him on home. I don't think that I did anything positive today, but maybe the going a different way and leading him though the scary stuff made it not be so negative. 

I was getting dizzy with all those circles. Dang vultures. Dang horse. Dang karma.

Yesterday 2.9
Today 1.4 (some of which was in dizzying circles)

*Total for year: 50 miles*

P.S. I am not angry at the horse or the vultures. Maybe a bit ticked at myself for being too dang tired to keep circling forever. I *DGO *(done got old)


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## ChasingDreams

See, this is where I think a big part of this is seasonal. Every horse done lost their minds! [emoji13] 

Chase and I went on a nice long ride today. 









Still had some issues at the stupid gate, but I got him through and I feel like each time is a little less of a fight than the last. 

We went to the quarry first, made two big loops then came back to the top trails.

I tried figuring out that other trail again, the one I’d started and bailed on a few rides ago. This time I didn’t bail, but I didn’t quite follow the trail either, I don’t think. Ended up sneaking between two properties and back up the drive, but I at least made it into a “loop”. I’m dying to know the right way to take that route [emoji23]

Besides the one hangup, Chase was really good... it was a nice ride!

Total 2019 miles- 31.03































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## SueC

mmshiro said:


> So he gets one more chance: next ride, we'll go the same route again and engage in a "transitions extravaganza," outwards and homewards. He'll also get some Mare Magic (a.k.a raspberry tea) in his diet. If he ever blows through me again like this, I will be resorting to a more persuasive "metal-pain-bit," as an infamous YouTuber calls them.


It's interesting that the perceived pain of bits is actually more about people's funny ideas than horses' actual experience. You can tell when a horse is uncomfortable though. We've always tried a range of different bits with young horses (and older horses) to find one they like. As in, that they are more positive about when bridling, and that they work better in. With some horses that's been a snaffle, with some a curb, and with some bitless - if given input. Thicknesses preferred etc also vary with the horse - jointed, unjointed, double jointed, with or without play attachments etc etc etc. And the bit that the horse works best in is the bit that suits them best, at least for their current rider and that person's idiosyncrasies, and that allows the communication to be the smoothest. NOT the bit they are afraid of most or that will hurt them most. I think that's such a misconception, but such a common one in horse circles - particularly in horse circles that don't actually harness or saddle train their own horses, but simply ride pre-packaged goods...



> If I didn't find them so incredibly annoying and cumbersome, I'd try a Pelham with double reins...but as I said: If it doesn't happen again with some additional transition training and mellowing agents, we'll forget about this little episode.


Pelhams are used a lot in polo, and are a kind option for that sort of stop-start sport, because the curb gives so much warning and allows a horse to respond when the bit simply starts to turn in their mouth, and way before any leverage is applied to the chin chain - and horses will. The force applied is very gradual; with a non-leverage bit, the force is one to one. If people jolt their reins accidentally / are beginners that haven't learnt to go with the movement of the horse's neck, a bit with a lever will to a significant extent act as a buffer to that kind of jolting / socking in the jaw. It's much more forgiving on horse and rider. Unfortunately, many people are brainwashed by dogma and have an insufficient grasp of physics to understand this, and will argue till they are blue in the face that curbs are high-pain options. What makes a horse go well is being comfortable and good communication, not fear of pain.

I've ridden in pelhams for mounted games etc and also with a goey Arabian mare. A port-mouthed Spanish Snaffle has a chin chain and D-ring with two slots and you can try one with the reins in the bottom slot, to give you a single-rein bit with mild curb action, and the warning advantages of curb bits. When a horse has an argument with a rider in a snaffle, in my experience they can hurt themselves a hell of a lot more than in a curb bit, and this can exacerbate a situation like that. Be empirical with this one and try different bits yourself!  Make your own inferences, and make up your own mind. Happy riding!

PS: Setting up a curb chain correctly is an art and often done wrong. Also, make sure you have a nice, flat chain and that nothing gets trapped, especially near the lips of the horse. There are tricks to make things go smoothly and I'm happy to go into that if anyone would like it.


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## mmshiro

@SueC : I don't think it's so much about pain compliance on a day-to-day basis to overcome gaps in training, but more about raising the signal-to-noise ratio. As I said, during the same ride heading away from home and closer to home, and after the ride in the outdoor arena, he responded to my rein cues in the accustomed way. I'm thinking he was like someone late to a meeting and rushing through busy downtown sidewalks, without any attention how many people, and how hard, he was bumping into. If he gets like this, I need to be able to shout through the noise and let him know that I'm there, calling the shots. Otherwise I imagine it could get pretty unsafe for me in a hurry.

I'll always heed the warning signs when it seems as though he's getting frazzled, and I'll never push the envelope on purpose, but sitting on a running horse when neither reins nor seat nor voice have any impact is something else entirely. Mind you, he was not in a blind run - that would have been a lot faster. He was simply giving me a big ol' "eff you". That's not going to happen again.


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## SueC

Yeah, @mmshiro, but horses are far more likely to tell you to eff off if the gear they are wearing is hurting them - and this will happen if you have a fight with a horse in a snaffle that involves being heavy on the reins...

Our very first horse, back in 1981, was a greenie who was known to bolt on trails because he was such a giant :chicken:, and also to just run off because he liked running. He was sold to us cheap because of issues like that. I was ten and found that it was actually so much easier to ride him in an English hackamore, than any kind of bit - it was far easier to get agreement to slow down. The hackamore didn't hurt the horse when we had little scenes about the speed, and things settled much more quickly. That was a solution for that particular horse - and every horse/rider combination is different.

This is the hackamore we used, and it had a chin strap, not a chain, since the strap of a hackamore sits higher on a horse's jaw than the chin groove with its nice flat bones. I also used it learning to jump so I'd not hurt my horse in the mouth with my lack of jumping experience.










Side view next. This mare was a total sweetie and she just preferred bitless, so we had her bitless for trails.










/end dusty shelves of ancient history :rofl:

Just experiment, and good luck! 

PS: I was only a littlie, and there was no way I was going to be able to ride this black horse according to the conventional wisdom, since the experts with their conventional wisdoms and years of experience had given up on this horse. I'd been riding just over a year in the first photo, and to handle this horse at all I needed to think outside the square, and do things that worked in reality, not in theory. ;-)


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## gunslinger

Finally a break from the rain......Rode Miss Lacy 10 miles at Sumac Creek just west of the Cohutta Wilderness area Saturday.....the wind blew 10 to 15 mph out of the north the whole afternoon.......a cold March day in Dixie.....


90 and change for the year....


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## Celeste

@mmshiro I see your point. If you couldn't stop him, you were in a dangerous situation. A runaway horse can take you into oncoming traffic, off a cliff, or misstep and fall. You did a great job of hanging on. 

I know people who jumped off the horse and gotten injured. My last spill was in 2011 I think. I was only bruised. I was on a bolting horse and lost my balance. Splat.


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## AtokaGhosthorse

Took Oops on her first BIG trail ride yesterday... big for her. Had an 11 year old cowboy with us - he's the perfect size for her and ready to adventure. Took Trigger, Superman - this was his first outing since his teeth got jacked up and he dropped a dangerous amount of weight. Vet has given him the all clear to go back to work) Took Gina - she's always golden and takes care of her rider.

Had an 11 year old (Above mentioned) a 13 year old and his red mare (he also spends every day in the saddle, works at the sale barn in the summer, ropes, rodeos, does drill team), a 20 year old young man who has NO idea what do with a horse, but has a seat like velcro; and a 21 year old young woman who used to barrel race and do pole bending, but moved off, her horse was sold, her heart was broken, she's taken knee damage in a car wreck, and was slowly dying inside from a lack of horsing. She's also gained a lot of weight and nervous about saddle size, mounting, etc.

PURE JOY yesterday for everyone. Trigger taught me to jump creeks and felled trees, they ALL wanted to trot and play - so trot we did. For a total of about 2 hours. We waded in Lake Texoma, we got soaked when they wanted to thrash and stomp the water. We galloped along the lake shore. We stopped to rest and have schnausages and water at Rooster's Roost, a point jutting out into the lake with a spectacular view. The horses got their girths loosened and got to take a nap.

We made a day of it, though the ride itself was only about 3 and a half hours, but we were on the road or doing something with the horses from 10 am until 6 last night.

Gina was a bit confused about squaring up to picnic tables for her rider to mount from the right due to her rider's one shattered knee, but she caught on quickly, and her rider got to experience the joy of horses again. She was beaming when we got home.

Oops went everywhere, anywhere, the 11 year old wanted to go, and she was a willing partner, just as I thought she would be. She might as well been interviewing for a job, because when we got home, Hubs had a bremer heifer down. She needed to be loaded in the trailer (Sadly, we lost her during the night, no idea what was wrong with her). Boy on Oops dallied off, started backing her up to pull the heifer into the trailer - she did her job with all she had yesterday, from trail riding to trying to help load a sick cow. She had a rope thrown off her a LOT - this kid always has a rope in one hand, reins in the other.... she went to work with him at the sale barn this morning. She's going to learn to push steers today. It's time for the second stage of her education and she needs a younger, lighter, skilled rider for it. He's been texting me off and on all morning, high as a kite in love with her. He's demanded first dibs if we ever have to sell her.

Superman struggled a little at first - but it's hard to tell with him how much of it is faking it so he gets to go back to the trailer and we think he's too old or too poor to make it or Just Doesn't Wanna. We called his bluff yesterday. Remarkable how going BACK he acted like he's 10, not 22. But he also had a good time, I think. He did a lot of trotting and loping, seemed very willing and forward once he got it in his head he couldn't turn back to return to the trailer. He had that short little tail flagging, ears forward, chugging right along, and did some loping with us. The young man on him was over the moon with exhilaration. He adores the Old Man.

Trigger... was full of himself. He wanted to MUST GO NOW.... ON THE ENTIRE TRAIL... I had to keep him shut down a trot most of the ride. He jumped trees and creeks, he grabbed 5th gear on what should have been a casual lope, but I let him make that choice because it was all just fine with me. We went brush popping to get his brain reset and off running in a straight line - that was MY idea and he went where I pointed him.

Also. I fell off him at a stand still with my boot stuck in the opposite stirrup, my toes pointed at the sky... First thing I was asked by hubs... and another HF member... was: Were you DRUNK!?/Have too much Guinness? Sadly, no. I was stone cold sober.

He didn't move though. And to add insult to injury, Oops snuffled me to make sure I was okay. She also didn't budge, just looked down at me like _Whaddya doin' down der?_ I was flat on my back, toes in the air on my left foot, laughing myself sick while the 11 year old, who failed at being a pick up man, pried my foot out the stirrup. Trigger never moved... just looked around at the other horses like: _She does this sometimes, guys. Whaddya gonna do?_ 

See, in my defense, he'd been moving around every. single. time I went to mount this weekend, so I expected him to move this time and LAUNCHED myself to get in the saddle. THIS TIME he didn't move, so I overshot the saddle, he was soaked from the lake and sweat, so the saddle slowly starts to roll the wrong way... and over I went. WHUMPH... landed on the ground between him and Oops.

The 13 year old kid with us was literally LAYING on his mare's back, laughing and rolling around. We all had the hardest gut laugh over that, and a few other silly things that happened... I laughed so hard riding in, at something I can't even remember now, that I started to loosen up in the saddle.

I never got the ride tracker to work with my S7, but! My S10e! Has an excellent health tracker. I will be learning to use it for trail riding as my phone always goes with me on our rides.

Pictures below - Trigger and I were in NONE of them, thankfully! Last picture... Oops can barely been seen on the far left. She took a good nap while we were there.


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## QueenofFrance08

Finally got a ride down the whole driveway (1 mile round trip) for the out of shape pasture puffs formerly known as distance horses!!! The roads are still too icy to do much but hopefully soon we will be back in business! Got to ride at the local indoor on Sunday too for a little more exercise! Bring on ride season!

DH is a pony thief who distracted me and ran out and saddled Stitch in his saddle so I took Chico down the driveway.... Glad I did too because Stitch was being a brat and jumping 6 feet sideways anytime the dog walked past her!


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## Celeste

I think that not only their bodies get fluffy, their brains get fluffy as well. 

This explains a lot. Like my horse becoming terrified of vultures. Stitch jumping away from the dog. Hamlet acting insane. Their brains are fluffy from the winter.


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## SueC

@Celeste, I have some visuals for what you are describing here:










I also thought this photo was really relevant:


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## QueenofFrance08

@Celeste I didn't even mention that Chico was being a nut and refused to walk past a scary mud patch. The horse who has no problem marching straight into rivers (see below) lost his mind over a little dirt..... I agree with your theory!


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I got Phin out with Kestrel for her first ride off the property. The whole story is in my journal. I am thrilled to say that Phin has not been reading HF and actually behaved perfectly!!




























2019 mileage
...
3/18 phin 4.11 miles 672 ft climb 3.4 mph 30F *385.35 total miles*


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## Celeste

@SueC Can we find those marshmallow ghosts in brain shapes?


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## SueC

I think there are recipes for DIY marshmallows, so you could make your own, perhaps making a mould using a walnut...


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## ChasingDreams

Here we go... little marshmallow-filled horse heads 










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## mmshiro

Another ride with Hamlet to the same location as before...today with no expectations for actually having a "trail ride", but being fully prepared to play it by ear.

We went again to that dirt road, because as a scientist, I don't like changing too many variables at a time. Strong winds weren't helpful, and neither was the fact that, next to the barn along the main road, there were about 50+ little flags (the kind you put into the ground before digging) fluttering in the wind. So he was sufficiently on edge before we even turned. That's actually not entirely a bad thing because I like that better than making me believe that everything is okay until we get to the far end!

So I used the general area around the barn for transitions, circles, moving out, returning, just observing if repetition would lead to a change of his mental state. When I went beyond that T-intersection on the bottom of the picture and turned around, he became a little too agitated, so I used that area for some "Clinton Anderson 'Light':" I didn't make him hustle, but I _let_ him hustle as much as he wanted...in a figure-8, in that intersection. He could go fast, but he wasn't going anywhere.

Once he started walking, I directed him back to the barn (homewards), and observed on a loose rein. He did not jig, so that's when he earned himself the trip home. Just like last time, being sane (keeping the gait) earned him a faster trip home, being impudent earned him a few "Halt!" transitions. There was no more need for Clinton-Andersoning him.

I want another horse - not instead of Hamlet, in addition to. After a few routine rides, I really do like the challenge and the training aspect of having a green (or green-like) horse, which is why I go to the Arabian farm for lessons, but _now and then_ it would be nice to have a horse on stand-by where I don't mount up thinking, "All right, here we go again! Keep those legs on the saddle...and let's see what today brings!" 

All right, let me add a picture of where all this took place, so you have a better mental image.


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## mmshiro

Celeste said:


> @mmshiro I see your point. If you couldn't stop him, you were in a dangerous situation. A runaway horse can take you into oncoming traffic, off a cliff, or misstep and fall. You did a great job of hanging on.
> 
> I know people who jumped off the horse and gotten injured. My last spill was in 2011 I think. I was only bruised. I was on a bolting horse and lost my balance. Splat.


As you can see from the picture above, as long as the steering works somewhat, I wasn't really in a dangerous spot, so bailing was the farthest thing from my mind. My more immediate thoughts were, "Oh FFS, you have GOT to be kidding me right now!" 

If those fields hadn't been so soft and/or I wasn't concerned about being a bad neighbor by tearing up that farmer's fields (say if it had been grass and not tended to), I'd have had enough room to force him into a circle of arbitrarily large radius. For a true emergency (risking running blindly into traffic), that would still have been a viable option by the time I did get him to stop. And he's not fast enough to intimidate me with speed...


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## phantomhorse13

mmshiro said:


> _now and then_ it would be nice to have a horse on stand-by where I don't mount up thinking, "All right, here we go again! Keep those legs on the saddle...and let's see what today brings!"


That is what I said while looking for a new horse.. and I wound up with a green-at-best craigslist project who lived his whole life with sheep and a 2 year old. I suspect the same will happen with you. :rofl:


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## SueC

*CYCLONES NOW IN STEREO*

I'd like to show everyone the interesting satellite map of Australia's weather as we speak. We have two cyclones sitting in our tropics - Veronica on our side in the west, and Trevor over in Queensland.










So anyway, this is yet another example of us in the south-western corner of the state getting moist tropical air fed down to us via troughs. It's happened much of this just-past summer, resulting in horrible and unusual humidity. I _loathe_ humidity! And now that we've got Veronica sitting off the northwest, things have gotten extra interesting. Veronica is currently Category 4 and has not yet made landfall - it's got sustained winds of 165km/h (103mph) with gusts up 230km/h (143mph). It's expected to make a mess as it crosses the northwest coast this weekend.

It's unlikely to come down here - only one tropical cyclone did that, Alby in 1978: Tropical Cyclone Alby


*THUNDERSTORMS WORTHY OF THOR*

However, conditions in the south have been rather spectacular with the cyclone building off the northwest. On Tuesday, we had crashing thunderstorms _all day long_ - a very rare thing. It was mostly electrical storms and very little precipitation. The sky was dark and moody, and the crashing sounds were deafening even indoors. Guess who didn't get to go riding and had to do indoors stuff. But, I actually enjoy thunderstorms - unlike my maternal grandmother, who used to hide everyone under the staircase when thunder and lightning were about...

Wednesday was without thunder, but the humidity was such that the air felt like treacle. This morning, we were woken at 6am by a peal of thunder that shook the whole house. It's Brett's day off, and he was complaining, "I turned off my alarm clock, and look what happens anyway!" He muttered that he should have been asleep until 8am and then had a mug of tea or two to ease into his day off in a civilised manner. I explained to him that thunderstorms were romantic, and he was sounding like an octogenarian already.

We've had downpours of rain and hail already this morning, which will be nice for our water tank, and for the garden, and the bushland - the eucalypts didn't flower this summer because it was too dry, and we're wondering if they're going to bloom now... although it will be a bit late for honey... no honey harvest this summer, for the first time in eight years...

We've had a cool change at last, and with any luck, I can get a ride in later, when Thor ceases hammering up there.


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## egrogan

Despite spring being briefly interrupted by 8 more inches of snow late last week, today the sun was strong and the roads were merely muddy, not icy. Off we went! My wooly mammoth and I are both quite out of shape and easily get overheated in temps above freezing, but we walked and trotted a couple of miles, and both enjoyed it thoroughly.

















It was a little blustery!









*Total 2019 miles: 3.57*


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## ChasingDreams

I rode with BM today, didn’t get pictures but we had a short ride down the lane and through the top woods where it was most-dry. Thursday-Friday were quite soggy, and not all the footing was great otherwise.

So, while we were worrying about mud... we had to step over a couple fallen trees in the middle of the trail. Chase didn’t have a problem but when BM tried to step over, her fresian tipped his hind toe into the log and WENT DOWN. He has sticky stifles, so catching the toe like that caused the entire leg to give-out. 

I was sitting there, not sure if I should jump off and try to grab him. Horse and rider were both remarkably calm... he sat back onto the log and tried to get his front feet back under himself...but ended up sliding in the mud and laying down with BM still sitting on his back. Laying down seemed to give him better leverage, and he was eventually able to push back up with rider still in tact. 

Horse and rider were both unscathed. Tiny little tuft of hair scraped off his hind leg... didn’t even break skin. But it was one of those heart-pounding moments where in a second it could go very, very wrong if the horse panicked. I’m thinking it was probably better that I didn’t jump down and make a fuss because he was very level headed through the whole ordeal.

BM was cursing herself for not going around the tree instead... 









Total 2019 miles- 33.7

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## mmshiro

Okay, that's it...I give up. You (may) know that I'm not an unqualified fan of applying Clinton Anderson as my tool of training, but Hamlet is really asking for it. It could be that I notice this just now because I never went on "out and back again" rides before (I always try to go for loops), but the trying to do 180ºs all the time now gets really, really annoying.

It's not so much that he's scared - there were but a few spooks - but as soon as he gets a loose rein on the way out, he tries to make a U-turn. To discourage that, I let him do that...which got him as far as a T-intersection with a big dirt triangle, where I hustled his feet. I let him walk out on a loose rein, let him do a U-turn...let him go as fast as he wanted...but he got stuck at the intersection. Finally, he was almost ready to blow, so we went at a crisp pace - away from the barn, towards that dirt road.

Since he sped away from the barn (trot), I thought a nice long canter might hit the spot, so we did that. On the way back, he was okay with keeping the speed until I pulled a surprise left (instead of right) turn on him, and the (attempted) U-turns started again. 

"Clinton Anderson 2" was when we came home and I took him to the outdoor arena for some more trotting, along the fence, big circles, big figure-8s - nothing punitive, just something to make it not entirely comfortable to come home. Then I took him back out again, on loose rein, turned him it he opposite direction from where we usually go, and observed. He whipped around right away, so back to the arena, hustling him with switchbacks and serpentines - lots of changes of direction to make what he originally wanted really uncomfortable. And back out...lather, rinse, repeat.

Finally, I didn't even bother going to the arena anymore when he whipped around...I just worked him in front of the barn entrance. I don't need a lot of space for what I was doing. Half a minute of hustle, then point him outwards and drop the reins. Until he turns around. And repeat. And repeat. And repeat.

Eventually he did go some way with minimal interference from me, I turned him from a loose rein, then walked a bit past the barn to double check, and when he did that without fussing, I hopped off and took him in.

"CA3:" Took off the bridle and left him with the saddle (not loosened) in a stall for 10 minutes. Then he got cleaned up for turn-out.

So, contrary to my earlier proclamation, I'm back to Square One to turn him into a trail horse I can ride without wanting to punch him. The plan for the near future is to let him ride out on a loose rein from the start - no corrections, no keeping him straight - and when he commits to turning around, we'll do this routine right away. Also, some light "exit work" after a trail ride will be standard from now on, as is standing with the saddle on. "Misery" is relative. On the flip side, of course, he'll get maximum autonomy out on the trail (other than turning around). We'll see where that leads, eh?


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## weeedlady

looks like I will be living vicariously through this thread again this year. 

I was supposed to ride out for the first ride of the season on Saturday. Got the trailer ready, checked tires, etc. all good.

Got the truck fired up (it's been sitting all winter) oil, air, etc. Went for a warm up drive and I need brakes!!!!!!!
Can't haul my horses without good brakes, so I'm grounded until DH gets around to fixing it. And DH works on DH time, lol. So who knows when that will be.

I'll be riding with you all in spirit


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## knightrider

Awww, @weedlady, that's such a shame. No way you can ride out from your place?


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## weeedlady

knightrider said:


> Awww, @weedlady, that's such a shame. No way you can ride out from your place?


We have a short trail behind our barn that we'll be allowed to ride on after May 1! and an indoor and outdoor arena. So I can ride, I just can't RIDE. ya know?


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## QueenofFrance08

We got out on our first trail rides for the year! Most of the trails are still closed until May 1 but there is a small county park about 35 minutes away that doesn't have any real supervision so (as far as I know) doesn't close. There is still belly deep snow in places and belly deep pond sized puddles in others. 

We brought Stitch and Chico on Saturday and they were both very happy to be out. I gave Stitch's new boots their first test and sadly we lost the fronts somewhere. We back tracked out steps with no luck. We rode about 3 miles in 50 degree weather!

Sunday we took Comet for his first trail ride ever with Stitch as a babysitter. We attempted to find the boots again (including bringing waders and going into the puddle with a rake) but sadly no luck again. We will try again next weekend when hopefully a little more snow has melted. Comet did wonderful, even following Stitch into the pond sized puddle without any encouragement! We are going to have quite the trail horse on our hands!


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## carshon

Ouch! sorry about the lost boots! I sure hope you find them. Comet is quite the looker. Remind me again please, is the the gaited horse you have?


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## ChasingDreams

Oh no! What kind of boots are you using? I have cavallo boots and and amazed at how well they stay on. We have sand/gravel areas and shoe-sucking mud, and I haven’t lost one yet (knocks on wood).




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## ChasingDreams

Chase and I got out last night for a nice little ride. For the most part, it was pretty uneventful... but we are still having trouble in the same spot... he even threw a couple half-hearted bucks in protest this time 

Usually, I’m pretty tolerant of his antics but I didn’t want to let the bucks go unchecked so that earned him some “hustle” in the field before we tried again. He didn’t buck again, and eventually decided it wasn’t worth fighting me anymore and went through. 

Other than that though, he was pretty well behaved. So good actually, that I dropped the reins for a little and practiced guiding him with legs only... he’s pretty dull on his sides and rely’s heavily on rein contact so it was really good practice for him. I haven’t been able to drop contact without him trying to jump right into a trot/canter for weeks... so I was pretty happy about it.










We had to trail blaze a bit in the pines... a tree came down across the trail and it was not one we could step over or even get around easily, but we picked our way through. All and all, it was a nice ride!










A little green starting to show around here, finally  

Total 2019 miles~ 38.15


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## QueenofFrance08

@carshon Yes Comet is our Rocky Mountain horse. We also have a Missouri Fox Trotter mare named Daisy.
@ChasingDreams They were Scoot Boots. She had the correct size on her back feet and they had no issues I just was sent the wrong size for her fronts!


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## JoBlueQuarter

I remember a while back a couple of y'all were griping 'bout having your first rides a couple weeks into the year, well guess what. I rode for the first time this year, yesterday. The 27th of March :lol: The ride itself was a little under half an hour, didn't go very far, but I was very proud of my girl under the circumstances. She's been out of work most of winter (hasn't been ridden since fall), and though she was spooky and excited to be going out but at the same time trying to take the ride into her own hooves lol, she behaved admirably out on the trail (ish) after a while of easy work in the pen to ease her back into it. I wish I'd been able to get some pictures - there is an amazing amount of water here, with all the snow melting. Gardens are lakes that the geese and ducks frequent, there's huge bodies of water all over the yard, and most of the fields (including pastures) are over 50% under water. Eeek.
I rode bareback, and surprised myself with my ability to stay on :lol: There was a lot of water to trek through, at points getting close to reaching her knees and I was very proud of how she handled that. I guess she's had to get used to it with it being water season but she used to make a huge fuss about going through water. There were a couple instances where she spun and jumped out of a body of water we were trying to cross, but for the most part with stable footing under the water she did good. There was a bit of higher ground we were walking and trotting along and she started getting all looky and jumpy, attempting to go her own way instead of where I was pointing her. She tried going into a broncy fit but I got her head around before she could buck high enough to get rid of me.
So yeah it went pretty good (you shoulda seen my jeans afterwards though, she sheds enough for three horses :lol, I'm really proud of her, and excited to ride more


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## phantomhorse13

Last weekend, we had our first NE competition of the season. The whole story is in my journal.










































2019 mileage
...
3/22 phin 2.68 miles 9 ft climb 4.9 mph 40F 388.03 total miles
3/23 phin 30.88 miles 232 ft climb 7.1 mph 36F *418.91 total miles*


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## phantomhorse13

Monday, I finally got to ride with Nicole! I rode Polo.




























Yesterday, I got out with my SIL - the first she's ridden since October!! I rode Amish.



















March: 80.78 miles (momma nature was not kind!)
Phin - 58.45
George - 4.87
Polo - 10.22
Amish - 7.24


2019 mileage
...
3/25 polo 10.22 miles 603 ft climb 6.2 mph 32F 429.13 total miles
3/28 amish 7.24 miles 1221 ft climb 3.7 mph 38F *436.37 total miles*


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## ChasingDreams

I was able to squeeze a ride in this weekend. Saturday was BEAUTIFUL, 70+ degrees and just perfect. But, that also meant I had to get my kids and dogs outside, too... so couldn’t devote the whole day to riding but was able to get out later that afternoon for a nice romp around the woods.










Chase was overall pretty good, except that darn gate again. He bucked again, with even a bit more “oomph” than last time. I was able to ride it out, and each time he threw a buck I made him work a little before trying again... eventually he went through, but I can’t figure out how to break this habit of tantrums in this particular area every single ride. On the way back, we rode back and forth a couple times, and he was fine. I just don’t get it.

When he was having this problem before, I ended up just getting down and walking through that spot for a few rides rather than fight him, and it resolved itself after a couple of walk-throughs... so might just do that next couple of times rather than give him the opportunity to refuse again. I feel like each time he refuses he is escalating a bit more before he finally gives in and walks on. 

I don’t know what goes through his head sometimes.... lol. Besides that one spot, we had a nice ride. Even tackled the huge hill by the power-lines and he really dug in, and barely seemed winded after. He’s definitely getting more fit! 

Total 2019 miles~ 42.41


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## Celeste

I have some time off this week, and I intend to make the most of it. I have ridden at least 3 times since posting. I think. All of the rides were around 3 miles or a little more. 

Spring is here! Everything is so green and beautiful and things are blooming.

Saturday I rode "The Princess". It was just me and her. I think she rides better when she is by herself. 

Sunday my friend came over and rode Abby. I rode "HWNN" and he was very good. Due to Abby's age, we always keep it short and slow when she is along.

Today I rode my girl again. We both had fun. She was quiet but willing to go when I asked. I am so glad I didn't give up on her just for being insane. 

Saturday: 3.2 miles
Sunday: 3 miles
Monday: 3 miles

Total for year: *62 miles*


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## gunslinger

I've had a water leak in the kitchen......the insurance company is covering it.....but the hassle has left me with little time for trails....


Hopefully, I can get back out this weekend.....


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## SueC

My riding has been somewhat inhibited by having to put down a dear old horse last week. But, his life story is a good one, and you can read it here: https://www.horseforum.com/horse-talk/heartwarming-horse-stories-802657/

Anyway, on my birthday last Monday I managed to do the same trail that I photographed as my first trail photoessay for this thread - the one that went over several posts because a lot of photos turned out. And I've also done the "Fireground Loop" again, last weekend. Since then, tiredness, having to catch up on tasks and crazy weather have kept me from riding - but I hope to be back on the horse tomorrow. I won't have a camera with me, but when I get a decent day, I'll explore the northern boundary of the Sleeman Creek Reserve, that I did the "reconstituted" post on here: https://www.horseforum.com/trail-riding/2019-rides-happy-trails-799655/page5/#post1970688827

...and I'll do it with a camera, promise. Until then, we'll keep doing familiar short rides to keep fit and practised.

 all the photos. Keep on keeping on, @ChasingDreams; one day your young challenging horse will be older and wiser, and riding the horse is exactly how you do it. @mmshiro, don't give up, this is just a speed bump in the road of life. Love the flowers, @Celeste! @phantomhorse13, you and Phin look great in red. @gunslinger, better luck soon. @JoBlueQuarter, special award for bareback riding a horse after a long spell, and through water too! :clap: @knightrider, you are extremely naughty to be riding with cracked ribs!  Heal well. :hug: @QueenofFrance08, I see the DH has facial hair again! ;-) Nice that you're finally able to get back on the trails. @weeedlady, hope your DH fixes your brakes soon.

Anyone I've not mentioned, I've got cold feet and need to get off this computer!  Happy riding, all! :cowboy:


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## SueC

Oh, and before I forget: How many politicians does it take to milk a cow? 24! Four to hold on to the teats, twenty to lift the cow up and down. ;-)


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## charrorider

First time out on the trail since the first day of 2019. Rode 7 miles to make it a total of 17 for the year. To think that at this time in 2018, I already had 50 miles.


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## knightrider

My niece and her fellow are visiting me from CA. My niece always likes to do a trail ride while she is visiting. My niece is a real beginner, riding out with me once a year. Her fellow said he knew how to ride.

I've been having a bit of a problem with Chorro getting ouchy with heavy riders. Yesterday he was a little off and I was concerned about putting the fairly large man on Chorro even though he was sound today. We think it is certain saddles that bother him. I have the lovely saddle I got from @AnitaAnn that seems to fit him well and does not aggravate whatever it is that makes him a little sore, but it is a treeless saddle and not all that secure for a novice.

As soon as I had the two of them mounted, I could see that I had two complete beginners along on this ride. The man didn't even know how to hold the reins and had 0 control. I put my niece on my dependable gentle calm Isabeau, who will do great if all the other horses do great. But Chorro spooks really big when he feels like it, and also has been known to bolt. He's really easy to stop, but not for a beginner.

The ride was going beautifully, all horses behaving perfectly. I was going to take them to ride in the farmer's trees and fields since they were so inexperienced, but my niece asked me so sweetly if they couldn't please ride in the "redwoods", a gorgeous trail through tall planted pines. I was so taken by her cute request for "redwoods" (she's from CA, remember), that I couldn't refuse. Hope for the best.

We had a marvelous ride and not a thing went wrong. We were on our way home on the scary highway when I turned around and saw the fellow had dropped his reins on Chorro's neck and had both hands wrapped around the pommel of the saddle. I almost had a heart attack! "You have to keep ahold of the reins!" Chorro doesn't like big rattly rigs zooming alongside him and often will dance and jump forward a couple of steps. But this time he never even did a startle spook.

The phlox are in bloom along the roads and the ride couldn't have been nicer. Everyone had a great time. I have a few more gray hairs.


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## csimkunas6

Took 2 of my kids for a trail ride today while I rode Rodeo. He was awesome! Super well behaved and the kids had a blast going around on their little battery powered 4-wheeler! Hoping to do move over the weekend!


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## Celeste

I rode three more times since posting. 

Tuesday I rode HWNN with my friend that rides Abby. It was a slow, lazy, no big deal ride. 3 miles.

Wednesday, I rode my mare on the same 3 mile ride. She was very good. We worked on stop to canter transitions. Sometimes they are more like stop to leap transitions. Boingy boingy rough rough. Halfhalt. Boingy boingy. Stop. Then finally a real canter. We are a work in progress. I really can't sit nicely on all that "upward mobility". 

Thursday, my friend D brought out her mare. We rode 5.26 miles. In the past, when I have ridden that direction with my friend, my mare is nervous. She was chilled out. Good as gold. Mostly. She did almost nip the other horse on the rear just for meaness, but I caught her before she did. We mostly walked because the girls were riding side by side and we had a lot of talking to catch up on. 

Total for year: *73.41 miles*

Then there was Friday. I was trying to do a few things around the house. I looked out the window and admired how nice it was to be able to see the horses from the kitchen window. Not two hours later, the neighbor called. The horses were in his field. When we got there, no horses. DH thought of a place that they might be. Sure enough, they were grazing on the nice, luxuriously green field that hunters planted for deer. Fortunately, they weren't there. I caught HWNN and led him back to the barn beside the 4-wheeler. The others followed. 

DH and DS are out looking for the hole in the fence and fixing it. It must have been a mess because they have been gone a while. 

They were way over a mile from home. Those same horses try to tell me that they are afraid to leave the barn.......

It is raining. Vacation is over Monday.


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## SueC

Celeste said:


> Wednesday, I rode my mare on the same 3 mile ride. She was very good. We worked on stop to canter transitions. Sometimes they are more like stop to leap transitions. Boingy boingy rough rough. Halfhalt. Boingy boingy. Stop. Then finally a real canter.


:rofl: I want to give you an award for amusing writing! inkunicorn:

Great you've been getting riding time. Hope you have a wonderful loooooong Sunday!

:cowboy:

Own ride report is that I rode the multi-post photographed loop in the opposite direction on Friday! ...And on Saturday I rode my bicycle. Today was Sunday lunch: Home-made flatbread with tabbouleh from our garden ingredients, and lamb and feta, drizzled with sweet chilli sauce. Cherry clafoutis for afters, own cherries. Officially too torpid after that to ride! :Angel:


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## tinyliny

I'm popping in here, (Because I don't know where to go), to say that I had such a great trail ride with my best riding buddy . Lots of trots and canters (nothing crazy), and lovely spring greenery, and fresh, fresh air, and now at home, me hungry , cooking dinner.


God, or Fate, or ? , it's wonderful to be alive, and to ride a good horse.!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!


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## SueC

You're in completely the right place, @tinyliny! 

Glad you had a great ride. So did we this morning, but on our bicycles... at a time of morning when Brett and I are normally still comatose... but it was such a nice morning, and it actually felt great to do the miles!  I didn't feel like I needed to call an ambulance at the halfway point, which is a nice improvement from when we started again this year! :Angel:


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## QueenofFrance08

Good weekend for riding finally. Of course we're scheduled for a blizzard this week so I'm sure that's payback for 2 nice days.

Saturday I worked 6 hours and then DH and I took Stitch and Comet down the road. Stitch did surprisingly well for being at home so I was pretty happy. I didn't put her boots on because she was caked in mud up to her belly and I wish I would have. We did 2 miles and then went home because we wanted to get Lilo out some. DH took Lilo out and I gave her a good grooming because she's shedding like crazy. I put Stitch's new bridle on to give it a test and we headed down to the arena. DH lunged Lilo while I let Stitch test out her snacking abilities in the new bit (she was quite successful!) then DH practiced ponying Lilo from Stitch. It was good for a first try!

Sunday DH and I took Chico and Stitch to the only open trail we know of right now and road 8 miles. Chico was being a giant turd and spooking at everything (big spooks like screeching halts and huge jumps) but Stitch was pretty well behaved except for a little buck when they were racing up a hill and I tried to slow her down. We had to do a lot of walking since there's big pavement stretches on the trail which did a number on our knees! We are going to be SORE at the first ride next month!


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## ChasingDreams

Saturday was beautiful here, but I was busy with family all day. Luckily, Sunday wasn’t too bad so I snuck in a ride in the afternoon/ early evening. 

4 miles around the trails, and though we had “resistance” at the dreaded gate... it was much better than the last few times so I just decided to push on and remain mounted rather than walk him through. Lots of petting and “good boys” when he went through with very little reinforcement needed.  

This tree has been perched like this for at least a year, can’t believe it didn’t fall this winter with all of the wind we had....


















A little pop of color in the brown woods:









This is the hill that I mentioned climbing in one of my other recent rides. It doesn’t look like much, but it’s quite steep:


















Big hawk/eagle type bird nest, he was out flying around:


















Edit. Forgot the map:









Total 2019 miles ~ 46.75

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## Painted Horse

In staying with my every other weekend trips. We ventured down to Moab Utah last Thursday. Had a great Friday and Saturday ride.

Fridays ride was down Kane Creek ATV trail and then cutting back up the next canyon over to make a loop. The return leg was definitely not for novice riders or young horses. I guess I shouldn't say that. I was riding a coming 5 year old gelding that has gotten 20- maybe 30 rides last year. So he is still pretty young at trails.

Saturday's ride was on the Hook and Ladder ATV trail. We didn't actually ride the trail much. But wandering in the same general direction of the trail just a few hundred yards to a 1/2 miles off to the side.

Lots of red sand that is pretty easy on barefoot horses. Also deep enough to give them a work out.


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## ChasingDreams

Rode yesterday evening, it was a gorgeous 75 degrees but SO windy. I decided to stay away from the top woods for fear of falling limbs, and stuck to the wider path around the quarry.

Didn’t have any trouble at the gates this time, but right at the start of the lane... the property owners had some plastic up for painting and it was really whipping around in that wind. The way out I had managed to talk him through it, but on the way back it really got him worked up. Luckily, BM was there to check on the horses for the night and Chase “followed” her past it so I didn’t have to get down and walk him. 

I’ve been trying to manage these situations as much as possible from his back... but had she not been there I would have for this. He was good all things considered but REALLY upset, it took a good 20-30 minutes for him to completely calm down...

Not many pictures this time, but I thought our shadow looked cool  


















Total 2019 miles ~ 49.86


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## phantomhorse13

Last weekend, I went down to Maryland for an endurance ride. The whole story is in my journal.



















































2019 mileage
...
4/5 lucerno 3.72 miles 191 ft climb 3.6 mph 42F 440.09 total miles
4/6 lucerno 50.76 miles 4423 ft climb 5.9 mph 70F *490.85 total miles*


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## phantomhorse13

Monday, I got the boys out. The whole story is in my journal.

Phin was first:



















George and Kestrel were next:



















Wednesday, I got the boys out again. Phin was first:



















Then George:



















Yesterday, I got Phin out with Kestrel.









2019 mileage
...
4/8 phin 5.01 miles 994 ft climb 4.3 mph 70F 495.86 total miles
4/8 george 5.04 miles 911 ft climb 4.1 mph 72F 500.90 total miles
4/10 phin 8.03 miles 929 ft climb 6.0 mph 45F 508.93 total miles
4/10 george 9.01 miles 1007 ft climb 6.5 mph 48F 517.94 total miles
4/11 phin 3.69 miles 293 ft climb 4.6 mph 31F *521.63 total miles*


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## phantomhorse13

Saturday, I went for a ride with my SIL. I took the new horse, Windsor. The whole story is in my journal.




















Today, I took Phin out.



















2019 mileage
...
4/13 windsor 5.79 miles 533 ft climb 3.2 mph 70F 527.42 total miles
4/14 phin 6.74 miles 570 ft climb 3.0 mph 60F *534.16 total miles*


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## Celeste

The only riding I got done this weekend was 3 miles. My friend rode Abby. She was not enthused at all. She is ok today, but we talked yesterday, and as much fun as Abby is to ride, it is time for her to retire. Again. She is 31 years old. 

Saturday 3 miles.
Total: 76.41


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## carshon

Happy Retirement Abby!


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## tinyliny

I don’t post here much since my rides aren’t very exciting to show. I ride in heavy forest and we have a lot of those “ widow maker” leaning trees over the trail. Here’s me n my buddies out for spring ride. 


https://youtu.be/DKYOOMFBMPU


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## Celeste

@tinyliny I think that you should post all your rides. That video was beautiful. You do lots of cool rides.


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## ChasingDreams

Celeste said:


> @tinyliny I think that you should post all your rides. That video was beautiful. You do lots of cool rides.



I agree, post away!


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## tinyliny

Well, I went out today and rode a friend's Freisian horse. She has two, so sometimes invites someone to ride one. It felt so odd. such a tall horse, and so . . well. . so dull. She was really a sweet mare , but I'm not used to my 'requests' being so slow to being answered. Makes my Andalusian horse feel like a sports car!


I am always grateful to have the experience of riding a different horse. and This Mare was as sweet as they come.


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## carshon

@tinyliny I think you should post your rides simply because the terrain is gorgeous!


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## ChasingDreams

tinyliny said:


> Well, I went out today and rode a friend's Freisian horse. She has two, so sometimes invites someone to ride one. It felt so odd. such a tall horse, and so . . well. . so dull. She was really a sweet mare , but I'm not used to my 'requests' being so slow to being answered. Makes my Andalusian horse feel like a sports car!
> 
> 
> I am always grateful to have the experience of riding a different horse. and This Mare was as sweet as they come.




This sounds pretty spot-on to my BM’s freisian. He’s “reactive” in that he notices even small changes in his environment and can see something moving a mile away...

But, she says her legs hurt after each ride from him ignoring her lol 


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## ChasingDreams

So, we hadn’t ridden since last Monday... finally was able to get out last night, and Chase was an absolute basket case. All of the work I’d put in to get him to stop balking at his scary spot, and he was probably the worst he’s ever been there last night. I started a thread in the training forum for advice, I just don’t know how else to get him over it... 

The rest of the ride was very nice, he was refreshed after the little break and nice and energetic/walking out on the trail... had some fun canters and tackled the big hill again for a good workout.

But this balking nonsense on the lane kind of puts a damper on it... and I know it can’t be fun for him either.

Anyway, here’s the map. The stats are going to be a little off, I ended up doing some ground training in the two trouble spots we encountered last night. But I guess hand-walking back and forth past something a dozen times counts towards mileage too, right? Lol










Total 2019 miles~ 53.71


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## Oreos Girl

I got a ride in this last weekend. My rides this year are sorely lacking. Went up to 1099 which I hadn't been to in a long while.











As you can see all the trees are out.












The upper part of the picture is a river that the trail follows.










Doesn't poor Fiddler look tired. He was enjoying his time being a field pony with nothing to do. This area is called the General's Grave. Off the trail is a grave of Major General David Allan. They added a mounting block so I can now get off up here.










Roo the trail dog. I got these vest for hunting season but they wear them year round. It makes the dogs easy to see and if you get it wet, it is a cooling vest.










My riding partner Aimee with her horse Buddy. You can see he was also very enthused about trail riding that day.










The trailhead is at the bottom of the screen and the top of the screenshot is the General's Grave. It is about a 4 mile ride.


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## SueC

Hello @Oreos Girl! I've not "met" you before. Great photos!  Love your trail dog - and it's in such great shape too! Not many dogs these days are. I've got a kelpie, Jess, on the trails with me - she's a streamlined dog too.
@ChasingDreams, hang in there! :hug: These things are sent to try us. This is a nut you will crack. You've just got to find the right angle! ;-)
@phantomhorse13, your photos are always wonderful and you're a big inspiration, and occasionally I have to repeat this thought out loud. :Angel:
@tinyliny, always nice to hear about your trails and to see your pictures! 


I actually rode today. :shock: How can it be that just when you've got back into a pattern of riding four times a week, you miss an entire week? (and your Pilates :hide. But as the old adage goes, when you fall off the horse, don't worry about it, just get back on and ride. So first thing this morning I trimmed Sunsmart's feet (why do hooves have to grow so fast? Or maybe it's my own fault for not doing more miles...), and then it got too hot to do what I really wanted to do: Take a camera and explore the northern boundary of Sleeman Creek. In the evening it cooled down, and I put the boots on my horse's nicely trimmed hooves and rode the ridge lap around our external boundary with him. It was getting too dark to do more - the full moon which I hoped to do a second lap with had hidden behind a big cloud bank. So we went home, but it was fun anyway! :cowboy:

For @Oreos Girl, here's my horse and trail hound, meandering along on an evening very much like we had today:






Blink and you'll miss the dog! :rofl:


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## ChasingDreams

@SueC the dog is like “hurry up guys, come on let’s go!” Lol

I wish I could bring my dogs out riding with me but the only one that has a reliable recall I don’t trust not to do something silly like jump up on the horse and get himself kicked  The other two I only walk on leads, but it would be nice to be able to exercise all of my animals together lol


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## SueC

...she's always like that, @ChasingDreams! :rofl: Indeed, that's half the reason I carry a riding crop: So I can wave it in her face when she starts to bay in my horse's face... 










My husband calls it "the dog whacking stick"! :rofl: I don't actually whack her with it, but it's funny anyway...

She and the horse like to race each other at least once per ride. Usually up a hill! :runpony:


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## knightrider

Super fun trail ride today. My next door neighbor has had many health problems and gave up horses and riding about 3 years ago. When he started feeling better, he started riding other people's horses and this winter he bought himself a nice buckskin TN Walking Horse. It was a real high to see someone who was so unwell be well enough to go back to riding.

He hasn't gotten around to getting himself another trailer yet, so I picked him and his horse up, along with our other neighbor, and we rode with a new friend that I met on a camping trip. This new riding friend has been encouraging me to come ride at her place. She kept saying, "You won't regret it." She wasn't kidding! It was so much fun. We rode along the dirt roads all through her community beside the Santa Fe River and then beside the Itchetucknee River. The morning was pleasant and shady. It was really fun looking at people's river cottages. Everybody got along famously. All horses were lovely. I can't wait to go again.

We rode 2 1/2 hours and went 7.5 miles.

This is fun: our new riding friend has a donkey that she drives everywhere in a cart, a Hafflinger who rides and drives, and today she rode her mule. I was hoping she'd drive her donkey in the cart, but I can look forward to that another time.


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## tinyliny

@SueC YOu have such a lovely, following seat. You really move naturally with your horse, both upper and lower body. 


@knightrider That sounds so nice. I REALLY want to come to Florida! but not in the heat. I am unable to do anything in heat or humidity. It's my thick Northern Blood. But, maybe I can somehow weasel my way into the second annual meet up and ride next fall? the HF ride. 



I almost never get to ride anywhere but the same confined park. It's about 500 acres, almost all heavily wooded. Only horses and walkers allowed, so that is nice. the trails are mostly quite manicured, with some smaller ones, but there is NOTHING challengeing . Yesterday we did an evening ride, in the saddle at 5pm and rode for 2 hours. X has been on a dry paddock, so is desperate for fresh forage. I gave him 20 minute hand grazing, then we tacked up and left. 



We did some canters that turned into all out gallops. X was really cranked. I don't think it's joi d'vivre, rather it's irritation at being confined from the herd and the grass ( because he is too fat to handle all day on the spring grass)


Everything is greening up. The tulips in my front yard are at their peak. the Kwanzan cherry tree in my backyard is imperial level gorgeous! Rain and sun. Just Spring, Glorious Spring!!!!


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## SueC

Thank you very much, @tinyliny. I've had to really work on it in my life, because I'm tall and have mild scoliosis and a tendency to be a hunchback. Long limbs and back really accentuate seat imbalances. Pilates is incredibly helpful; I can always tell the difference between when I'm doing Pilates and when I've slacked off, when Brett takes a clip of me riding. I'd been doing my Pilates. ;-) Usually my lower limbs are more still, but I had to push him past his two friends, when he wanted to stop.

Your garden sounds lovely. Photos are always good! @Celeste does a lot of spring flowers on this thread. 

I planned to ride today, but it's actually hailing!!! And the forecast maximum is 8 deg C. Yesterday was 25 deg C and humid. I have to go rug the two good doers before they catch a chill... the other one was rugged last night... if I'd looked at the forecast, I'd have rugged the lot, but it was so warm last night I rode in a singlet...


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## tinyliny

Spring bounty


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## SueC

I love those tulips, @tinyliny! Gorgeous colours...  Have you ever been to a tulip farm? We went to one in Tasmania. It was unbelievable! :happydance:




























Is that an ornamental or eating cherry? Wonderful blossom...


With any luck, the front will pass by mid-afternoon... I really want to go riding... :cowboy:

Happy Easter, everyone! Hope you all get lots of ride time! :charge: :charge: :charge:


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## tinyliny

Yes. We have a valley near here, famous for tulip production. it is in full bloom now! Voila the Skagit Valley!


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## SueC

Wow, that's so beautiful! It glows so brightly you almost need sunglasses! And in real life, of course, it's even more "big" and glowy... :loveshower:


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## SueC

I didn't get to go riding. It's _still_ hailing! Unbelievable. But I'll post a clip of my horse and me after a trail ride, from before I joined this thread. This horse has a little back history and was very "bitey" once, this is how I fixed it: https://www.horseforum.com/horse-training/horse-turns-back-me-when-he-788919/#post1970522651

But he is allowed to express his opinions to me. And, the number of times he's actually bitten me, in the 22 years since I've known him, is zero. When I first adopted him post harness racing, it wasn't for his lack of trying! :rofl:

And this was him and me 22 years ago...










These days:






Anyone got clips of themselves with their horses on the ground to post? It helps get to know each other. I was really shy about doing this, but have now got over it... because like everyone else, I hate the sound of my recorded voice. My husband Brett hates the sound of his recorded voice too, which is unbelievable (but completely normal), because he has such a fabulous voice, he should be doing audio books. That voice on the telephone was a large part of my falling in love with him...

The reason we tend to hate our own voices on recordings is that we sound far flatter in real life than we sound to ourselves. This is because we hear our own voices in the private bathrooms of our heads - with sinuses making everything reverberate, but much of that only to us. So we hear ourselves like we're singing in the shower, instead of singing in a normal room...


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## Oreos Girl

@SueC I have another dog and I think this is the first time I have just taken the one. The other one just turned 7 and has started having trouble with her hips. She is a tank and eats everything in sight that she can get to. It is very hard to keep the weight off her. Roo, he just walks away from food in the bowl (which Freddy waits until I am not in the room then eats if I don't pick it up.)


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## knightrider

@tinyliny, by all means, you are so welcome!


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## ChasingDreams

I rode this morning... I put an update in my training post... the the abbreviated version is that I thought I outsmarted Chase at his “scary” place by putting a little work in. And realized he was playing games with me lol

So, we had a “discussion” and I outlasted him... but it was enlightening.

Besides that, it was a nice ride 










I circled the little blurb in the corner where Chase and I were working through our difference lol

Here’s the “scary gate”









Some other pictures. It was 75 today, so I let him play in the water a bit. That was fun! And he was very well behaved when he wasn’t being a turd. LOL

























2019 miles ~ 57.09 
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## tinyliny

@ChasingDreams
that's plenty of room! you can do all kinds of work toward getting Chase to go past this scary place. Where I ride, a wide trail is about 10 maximum.


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## SueC

That's a great motto on your signature, @tinyliny!


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## tinyliny

SueC said:


> That's a great motto on your signature, @*tinyliny* !





It's not mine, Sis. but, thank you. I think It's Ray Hunt's. Have you ever heard of him?


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## ChasingDreams

tinyliny said:


> @ChasingDreams
> that's plenty of room! you can do all kinds of work toward getting Chase to go past this scary place. Where I ride, a wide trail is about 10 maximum.




Except,I’m not “supposed” to go in the grass  so to avoid getting scolded I need to try to keep it on the lane lol


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## SueC

tinyliny said:


> It's not mine, Sis. but, thank you. I think It's Ray Hunt's. Have you ever heard of him?


I hadn't, so I consulted Wikipedia. I think I would have liked riding with that man. :cowboy: :cowboy:

And this research yielded another great quote, by someone who was influenced by him: "We may respect a leader, but the ones we love are servant-leaders."

Of course, you can also read about that sort of leadership in the gospels, and it's inspirational even if you're reading it like you're reading _Hamlet_ (which Richard Dawkins never learnt to do, as he threw out the baby with the bathwater)... ;-)

By the way, it was really nice to have your seat feedback, because riding feedback has been so rare for me in my life. I had half a year of lessons as a kid in riding school, then I was on my own (besides the judges' feedback from the odd horse show etc). I took one lesson with a medium-level dressage rider the year I started saddle educating Sunsmart, ten years ago, because both of us happened to be in town and use the same public arena to practice dressage riding, and so I set up a formal feedback lesson, and she critiqued me, which was really valuable. I nearly fell off my horse laughing when she said to me, "Headlights on high beam!" and winked - her advice for women to sit up straight. :falloff: :rofl:

I've relied on the odd clip Brett takes of me riding to furnish me with feedback since moving to our farm, and I'm not nearly as kind in the feedback I give myself as you are!


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## tinyliny

Well, Sue, the thing I see is that your whole thigh is in full contact with the saddle, and stays that way, moving forward and back with the horses movement, AND, your upper body is also being moved. This is something a lot of people don't do. They hold their upper body rigid, or even COUNTER twist it to the natural twist of the lower body.


As the horse steps off his right right rear leg, the thrust will lift your right hip up and forward, making a sort of twist to your left. Some people resist this force with their upper body, holding it rock still, or, they actuall turn the upper body to the right, like a barber pole that goes one direction in the lower half, and the other direction in the upper half. 



This sort of cancels out the twist, I suppose. BUT, it also dampens the horse's foreward motion. If you allow each shoulder to advance and move EVER SO SLIGHTLY side to side so that it stays stacked up over it's own hip, you will move more unified, instead of blocking or counter twisting, and this allows your horse's full thrust to move forward, without any resistance from your body. You can actually 'amplify' the walk this way, and the canter. At the trot, there is none of this swinging.


I learned this from a Charles De Kumpfy clinic. Try it, it's true! You can feel the difference. Start by finding your right hip's advancement, . . count it out, "Right, right, right, . . . etc", and then sync your right shoulder with it. you will feel a real smoothness , as if you are gliding along. the movement is minute, mind you, but it's unifying of upper and lower body that makes you move more WITH the horse.


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## SueC

Thank you, @tinyliny, that's so interesting!  I guess the way I always approached it, without having people to give me feedback, was to think, "Head reaching for sky but without tension, legs long and relaxed, and you're made of elastic - don't resist the horse's movement, unless you're trying to cue increased step length/tempo/etc - then you push a tiny bit like you're on a swing (which you can see me do going past the other horses, where he wanted to stop) - or you're trying to slow down/reduce step length/etc - then you resist the movement by the amount you want to reduce the horse's movement." And when I do my best riding, it feels really in sync with the horse - I'm not impeding its motion (other than that it has to carry me and all that), and things get really _easy_.

Sunsmart is an extremely comfortable horse to ride... no jarring...and you may find this out if you come West later this year! 

There is less flattering footage of me riding here:

https://www.horseforum.com/driving/80yo-trainers-8yo-stallions-first-race-803211/#post1970708851

Historically, my biggest battle was always to be soft out of the arms without hunching...

I shall be re-reading and ruminating on what you have written before my next ride - which I hope will be today!

Happy Easter! (and did you know the Easter bunny is Australian? Has to be! It's a monotreme, isn't it? ;-) )


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## weeedlady

I had to "google" monotreme. lol Happy Easter.


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## SueC

Happy Easter to you and Raven and your chestnut whose name escapes me just now, @weeedlady!


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## mmshiro

Very, very disappointing performance by Hamlet today.

We started to explore a new set of trails, through woods and along connecting fields. We already went near a certain house twice, but I turned him towards home each time - for acclimatization. Today I was ready to take him beyond.

The house is situated on a hill, so you can't see the entire front yard unless you get close. Thus I did not know that they have...wait for it...a sculpture of a cow sitting a little offside. Hamlet spotted it about 100m away and started to fuss.

That's not terribly strange - after all, it is a surprising new shape, and he is a horse, after all. Worrying comes with the territory. So I figure we do what we usually do -- hang out, show him there is nothing about to attack him, and continue as soon as he's ready to leave it be. There was no reason for me to actually go near it - I just needed to figure out in peace and quiet how to get to the other side of the property, find a hole in the wind barrier shrubbery on the far side of the house or something.

Instead, he worked himself into a frenzy! I kept his head towards the statue (still about 100m away), but he became so agitated that - for the first time in my riding career - I found it prudent to tackle this problem from the ground. I was concerned that he'd short-circuit, so I dismounted.

I couldn't really do any desensitization where we were because it looked more like lawn than field. I really needed to go to the driveway if we was about to dig in. So we ended up 20m away from the statue, on the gravel driveway. Again, the idea was: He'll be worried for a bit - like he was about the haylage bale in white shrink wrap - and after he calms down, I lead him to the opposite side and get back on. Long story short: we spend about a half hour there. First he ran in a circle like a mad man, then for the second 15 mins, I led him back and forth along the driveway until he finally stopped acting like he had a mountain lion attached to his backside.

That *half hour* was the disappointing part. He had a half hour to realize, from about 20m away, that this **** statue (a) doesn't smell, (b) doesn't move, (c) doesn't make a noise. Let me put this in comparison: Once I pulled off the road to let a big dump truck pass us, and as soon as it had passed, he trotted after it. That truck was three out of three for the above fear stimuli, plus about eight times bigger! So no, the "being temporarily afraid" or "spooking" I can deal with - it's just what a horse does. (Yes, he does sometimes spook at a big white rock that suddenly appears between the grass alongside the trail.) But a *half hour* of freaking over a piece of plastic in the shape of a cow? That kind of learning curve, after having been on trails and off the farm so often for such a long time, is disappointing.

I'll be looking for some "chilling" supplement for the boy. He is way too high-strung about everything.

Did I mention that my wife bought a little $2 hula-hoop containing some sand I've been using for desensitization? The minis were indifferent to it long before I could even approach him with it, and even when I pick it up from the ground now, he still gets out of Dodge. After three weeks. (The two minis are my placebo control group for "How much freaking-out is reasonable for "a horse", and beyond what point is it just a "Hamlet" issue? So if I can walk casually by a mini and gently rest the hoop on his butt while he continues grazing, whilst Hamlet still engages in snorting, running, and worrying, I know that we are way past the time frame that'd be expected from a "normal" horse.)


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## AtokaGhosthorse

Camped Friday, Saturday, and half of today at Coffee Mill Lake. Rode a total of 10 hours between Friday and Saturday, didn't ride this morning, gave Trigger a break since he took care of me so well the other two days. Didn't track the miles - we were moving slow, spent about half the time in mud up past the horse's fetlocks. It was hard going, and they had to work. Crossed a lot of fast running creeks, had to talk Trigger around his Worry Tree - there was a tree down that wasn't down the last time we rode there, and it had him terribly concerned. In fairness to him, at the angle we approached on the trail, and the angle of the sun getting low, part of it was a bear shaped black shadow. So y'know. Just mindful of bears, he was.

He took us across the horse bridge, twice. Usually he spazzes out there, someone else has to lead, but not this weekend. He dropped his head, sniffed his way across like a boss.

At one point, Saturday morning, we had about 40 wild hogs run across the trail about 20 yards ahead of us... that was bad enough, but then one BIG boar peeled off from the group and got lost, and circled behind us, about 10 yards away, annnnddd then I heard dogs baying... and someone blowing a trainer's whistle... some moron... had his bird dogs, and they were high dollar bird dogs, on the equestrian side of the park, and while I'm sure he intended to work on their training - they ended up getting on the hogs and running them right to us... and then here come the dogs, and they had the types of trackers that beeepppp!!!! And then they wanted to bark at us. 

:x mg:

M'boi was a rock. A shaking rock, but a rock. You hear of fight or flight horses? He is a freeze horse. We casually dismounted, decided to take a break, give the horses a little slack in the girths, and wait it out. Took about 15 minutes for all the hogs and dogs to get cleared out of the area and the horses to settle down.

Wasn't too happy with Mr. Bird Dogs, and I'd bet he wasn't too happy with his dogs either, because you do NOT want two fancy bird dogs getting on hogs. 

The hogs were interesting - they were all moving at the same brisk trot, all tight together, in this lonnnnggg line of a group - all I could think of is they reminded me of a porcine freight train. Glad the stray went along his way, glad none of the sows with piglets on them decided to come our way. No thank you!

Lessee... rode past an unhappy cotton mouth... Trigger just kept chugging along. Glad everyone stayed in their area on that one.

He fell in a hole, almost lost me out of the saddle... he insisted on NOT going off roading in a place were the trail was pretty deep in muddy water, and there was a tree down over the water... he decided, nope. I got this... steps over the log... right foot goes in a hole about two feet deeper than it should have been. The flopping around commenced. He fell right, I fell left, panic grabbed the saddle horn, recovered, and we went trucking right along.

Saw a pretty little green grass snake working his way up a pin oak sapling. He was quite lovely. Saw some geese, a bunny, and sooo many cardinals. It was a very good trip.


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## carshon

@mmshiro it seems your gelding has a little "mare" in him. I hate to chuckle but I ride a mare who is scared silly by random tree stumps. Some often resulting in huge snorts and hard stomps showing her displeasure at the gaul of the tree stump to jump out at her on the trail. Sounds like Hamlet is just a bit more looky than the horses you are used to riding- it may just be normal for him to act this way. You can try a magnesium supplement to see if it helps calm him but it could just be him.

As for the hula hoop - I am not sure any of my horses would ever get used to that - but they can handle the crackle of a plastic water bottle OK


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## QueenofFrance08

Went out Friday for our first solo trail ride of the year! We went to the only open park right now which is a little county park about half an hour away from home. I was excited to find a new trail that we've never been on before so we ended up doing roughly 4 miles. Stitch was a little nervous to be on her own and preferred to walk (or trot at walk speed) but it was a good exercise in being out alone. It was quite windy and there were a lot of turkeys out so I was pretty proud of her. She didn't scream for her buddies until we were almost back to the trailer (and gave up as soon as she realized she wasn't in hearing reach of any other horses) so it was a good experience. 

I'm sad I didn't get any other rides in this weekend as it was beautiful but I helped at the Distance Riding Clinic on Saturday and spent yesterday with family for Easter which were both fun as well! I think there will be some good nights this week so hopefully we can get out again!


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## PoptartShop

Friday we finally got out to Fair Hill & did the Good Friday Paper-chase!  6mi total. Fun day!!


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## knightrider

@PoptartShop, were you the "fox" or the "hunter"? Did you get away free or catch the "fox"?


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## charrorider

Beautiful day Saturday. Went out for a 10.5 mile solo ride. Since Amal crossed the Rainbow Bridge, Ibn is my main trail partner. Considering his abused background, Ibn is pretty good once he gets down to business. It is just that "getting down to business" can take as long as 4 miles. Half the riders out there are probably done with their rides after 4 miles! LOL!


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## phantomhorse13

Last Thursday, DH and I headed down to Virginia for an endurance ride. The whole story is in my journal.

Friday, I rode Phin:

































Saturday, I rode Duroc:
































2019 mileage
...
4/19 phin 1.80 miles 361 ft climb 3.2 mph 63F 535.96 total miles
4/20 phin 53.17 miles 6958 ft climb 6.0 mph 65F 589.13 total miles
4/21 duroc 31.87 miles 4046 ft climb 5.8 mph 68F *621.00 total miles*


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## SueC

*TRAIL REPORT*

I wrote one, not a picture-heavy one because a regular haunt, but didn't want to post it here as it contains some stuff that might distress some people who didn't grow up rural, and are generally isolated from mortality. In summary, we rode the valley floor extension yesterday afternoon and had a great time in gorgeous autumn weather, but there was also serious stuff to reflect on. More here, if you're game: https://www.horseforum.com/member-j...ys-other-people-479466/page44/#post1970711165

Next ride I'll take the camera to do that overdue further exploration of Sleeman Creek reserve, and make a "real" post. Happy riding, everyone! :cowboy:


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## tinyliny

I just keep saying this . . but . you guys just blow me away. Totally.


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## SueC

*EXPLORING SLEEMAN CREEK NATURE RESERVE*

Today was a public holiday in Australia, and I was able to catch up on a ride I had originally planned to do over Easter. However, on Good Friday we had apocalyptic weather! After a warm, humid Thursday which reached 25 deg C (77 deg F), Friday's cold, rain and hailstorms broke a number of local records, including coldest April day in over 40 years. Officially our maximum was 8 deg C (46 deg F), but the wind chill made the temperature go below freezing for much of the day (down to -2 deg C / 28 deg F), which is why the sheep weather warning (livestock hypothermia alert) was current. And when I say wind chill, most people can't imagine the ferocity of the wind in even a typical cold front down here on the South Coast. On Friday, it was really blowing, and pelting down at the same time. We had 60mm of rain, a fair bit of it as fierce hailstorms. We were sitting in the house just listening to deafening noise each time a wave of hail hit.

Some footage here:






Today was lovely weather again, so I finally got to do the Sleeman Creek Reserve ride. We did it late afternoon, so the light was amazing, and I have lots of lovely photos, so please excuse that I will have to break the posts to fit it all in. I don't do new trail sections very often, and when I do, I really document it - and last time I did that (https://www.horseforum.com/trail-riding/2019-rides-happy-trails-799655/page4/#post1970681301), in my first post to this thread, people enjoyed seeing a bit of Australia. So here's another lot of photos, and I hope you enjoy. 


I'll start with the trail map:


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## SueC

The white dot in the pasture (near the red hairpin bend loop on the left of the map) is our starting point - it's where our house is. I warmed the horse up on a loop of our own farm tracks. Ignore the white tracks - everything we did today is marked red. We headed out east across our pasture, swung south along our swamp track, then headed around our southern and eastern boundaries before leaving through our NE exit gate.

This is heading out across the place we call the common. Jess the kelpie is along for the ride.










I managed to get a good shot of our shadow as well here:










This is turning south into our middle meadow:



















This is our swamp track:










Another shadow shot - the plant over the top of my head there is a Blackboy (_Xanthorroea preissii_), as sort of grass tree whose stem grows really slowly. It takes 10 years for a trunk to even form. The specimen in the photo has a stem as tall as me and is approximately 200 years old.










This is the tea tree flat we burnt last May (https://www.horseforum.com/member-j...ys-other-people-479466/page28/#post1970620989), and it has regenerated beautifully, with lush growth that attracts a lot of wildlife. If anyone is interested in Australian bushfire management, I've written a recent magazine article on that here: https://www.horseforum.com/member-j...ys-other-people-479466/page42/#post1970701461










These are Paperbark trees, with shrubby Tea-Trees in-between:










This is the southern end of our swamp track:










Turning the corner and heading east, we are at the base of the hill up which the dog and horse like to race each other - you can see Jess is waiting for it! A couple of seconds after this shot, we were pelting up the hill.










Turning left at the top of the hill, we rode along our eastern boundary. Our neighbour has a gravel pit bordering on our fence line:










A little further along is a machinery shed:










We rode to the end of the boundary and out our "cocky gate" to cross the Redmond-Hay Rive Road, and ride the unsealed Halls Road to the Sleeman Creek Nature Reserve:



















This is an internal trail traversing the southern end of this reserve:


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## ChasingDreams

I rode with BM last night. It was “short” because her guy is still easing back into riding after not doing much this winter. He was recently diagnosed with DSLD, so his future riding soundness is unclear at this point  Right now, he is light riding at a walk mostly with very little trot and no canter. 

I was telling her about all of our troubles at the gate, so she told me to go ahead and make him go first... not just follow Thunder through. This ended in a 20-25 minute battle and me eventually backing him through with her laughing her butt off... but we did it.

The rest of the ride was mostly uneventful, though we did have a little “spook” when a deer popped out of the woods at the top of a big hill at the quarry. I had the reins loose to give him his head to climb the hill, well then when he spooked I quickly realized I had no steering and we ended up a few paces into the woods before I could gather the reins back up. But, we were no worse for the wear, and BM got to laugh at me even more [emoji23]










I forgot to turn the tracker off at the barn so it’s a little off... I’m just going to go with 3 miles.

Total 2019 miles~ 60.9


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## SueC

This is in the southern end of the Sleeman Creek Nature Reserve:










Sleeman Creek just started running again, after our Good Friday weather dumped 60mm (2.5 inches) of rain and hail in 24 hours. Over the summer it is usually reduced to a few stagnant pools. There is a narrow rock causeway here, which was only ankle-deep in water - the rest of the creek is running nearly 1m deep at the moment. 










For those who don't know it, Sunsmart is a hydrophobe and has been that way since birth - he's never liked puddles. So, it's nice that he's learnt to cross things like this with me. This was a new one to him - we've not crossed this in flood before - so he took some persuading, but finally he gave himself a push and crossed the causeway. After that, we headed up the big hill.










There's an emu in the photo above. If you click to enlarge it, you can just see it in the distance between the straight and the crooked fence post. It's an emu-shaped black shape. And for @egrogan, there actually is a kangaroo in the next two photos:



















It's really hard to spot. There's a sandy patch ahead on the track, before it gets grassy again, and the kangaroo is squatting at the boundary of the sand and grass, near a horizontal log that shows up bright white in the photo. It was doing a "freeze". I saw about half a dozen kangaroos with this one before I could get the camera out. One day, I'll get lucky and snap one that's not a dot in the landscape. They came quite close to the horse several times today, but always on the move, and by the time the camera is out, they are usually gone.

If you look at the ride map before all these photos, you will notice a little side diversion from the straight track up the hill in the reserve. This is a lovely little diversion which also means you don't have to ride through a bog. We've just turned into it, and you can see the dog haring off after a kangaroo here:










At the end of this little detour, we met the boundary track again heading north, and came up to the NW corner of the reserve:



















The days are getting shorter here now, and the sun was starting to drop low:










And now - drum roll - the corner beyond which we've never previously explored, as we used to ride mostly in the extensive forests to the west of our farm (which I will have to go out and take photos of for the trail group on this thread):





































This is really gorgeous scenery. You can see on the ride map that it's theoretically possible to ride all the way around the reserve (barring deep creeks and bogs), and I definitely want to do that this year. But today, I had to head back, as the sun was setting!

I turned Sunsmart around, and took a photo. 










After that, he had a good long canter all the way back to the corner. From there to the detour, we mostly trotted. This is the start of the detour track:










It's a downhill - uphill section. Once we got to the uphill, Sunsmart had a flat-out gallop, in which he passed a very surprised Jess, who is not used to being overtaken!


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## SueC

At the top of the hill we met some cattle that had strayed into the reserve:










Then we headed back along the reserve's western boundary:



















Sleeman Creek, which Sunsmart crossed really well on the way home, so I told him how clever he was etc:










Back through the southern end of the reserve:










Returning along Halls Road:










This is back on our Common - you can see the house amongst the trees:










Don Quixote to the left of the Paperbark tree, and Benjamin to the right:










And this is a new feature I am adding: *TailCam!!!* Our donkeys like to tag along when I go riding...



















Hmmm. I must learn to keep my horizons straight when doing a contortionist trick to implement TailCam... :Angel:

Don Quixote, with Chasseur behind him, Julian off camera, and more donkeys and cattle to the right:










And the concluding photograph, a whole lot of beasties.










Apart from the three horses, five donkeys and Jess, there's currently four 2-year-old Friesian steers, and four nearly yearling Simmental cross steers. Also, many kangaroos, emus, possums, snakes, lizards, frogs, etc; and countless birds, insects etc, living in our on-farm bushland reserve and shelter belts.

It was getting cold quickly, and Brett brought us two buckets of hot water from the house, which I used to make warm water to wash my horse, who'd gotten a bit sweaty. Sunsmart tells me he always wants warm water from now on - didn't move a step while I was actually washing him, unlike the situation you saw in the recent clip on this thread, with cold water. He was actually enjoying being washed today, and especially the towel drying after using the squeegee...and tucking into his feed afterwards! Later on, he was nearly dry, and I rugged him and the other horses, as there's a cold night ahead.

Brett asked me to rate this ride. I give it 10/10 - it was hugely enjoyable. Perfect weather, beautiful scenery, gorgeous golden afternoon light, a super horse, wildlife, exploration, and donkey antics - what more could I possibly want? :happydance: :runpony:


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## egrogan

Woohoo! @SueC, your little speck of kangaroo is still enough to be exciting :grin: Keep the pictures coming!


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## SueC

Did you have a telescope handy, @egrogan? :rofl:

It's like playing _Where's Wally_. Have you got that in the States?










PS: I have thought of something else I'd like. A TARDIS so we could all share our trails in person/horse!


:cowboy: :cowboy: :cowboy: :cowboy: :cowboy: :cowboy: :tardis:


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## egrogan

@SueC, we call him "Waldo" here but yes, that was excellent entertainment when I was young.


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## QueenofFrance08

The state park 20 minutes away where we do most of our riding opened for the season this week so we went last night for our first ride of the year! It was after 7 by the time we got there so we just went halfway through the long loop and turned back for probably 4-5 miles but it felt so good to be back on the trails! I rode Stitch and DH rode Jake. A friend needs to borrow Chico for her son at the first ride so DH is going to bring Jake now and he hasn't been out much this year so it was a good first outing for him of the year!


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## Cordillera Cowboy

Took a ride on the newly cut road up the mountain from our place. Rode about an hour and didn't get to the top. Horse did great. Didn't pay a bit of mind to the heavy machinery. She was a bit concerned when we met a fellow riding his carabao. The farmer saw the horse was nervous, and he stopped his great, steady beast to let us pass. 


My dog tagged along. I realized it's the first time I've ever had a dog that would stick with me for an entire ride. I like that. 


Photos are of a hardscrabble cornfield in a limestone outcropping. A break in the shade before we turned to go back home, and coming out of the forest by the plastic water pipe that feeds our gravity fed water system. Also the machine crew on the newly cut portion of the road, and Mount Palali, seen through a pair of horse ears.


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## SueC

That's a nice-looking dog, @Cordillera Cowboy. Is it any particular sort of dog? I'm always amazed how many dogs from the Phillippines, PNG and other islands north of Australia seem to have some sort of common ancestry with the dingo...


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## Cordillera Cowboy

@SueC he is an Askal, short for aso (Filipino for dog) and calle (Spanish for street). There is a movement afoot to delete the Spanish from the name and to call them aso Pinoy. They are apparently a land race breed that shares DNA with dingoes, the pariah dogs of Egypt, and the Carolina cur dogs of North America. 


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Askal


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## ChasingDreams

Rode this evening, got up to the barn around 5pm and it was quite windy... so I decided it would be a good day to really work the lane and get Chase going through all of his “sticky” spots.

So, we took our time working our way down the lane. The gate was the biggest challenge, like usual. Once we were through, the neighbors came out to visit us on the other side. We hung out and chatted for a little, and Chase some attention 

By the time we reached the end of the lane, I realized the wind was all but gone. So we kept going and did the loop around the lake/quarry.

I didn’t bother with the map, since we were taking our good ole time and doing lots of back and forth, but I did track our distance as 3.5 miles total. Made it back just as the sun was setting.

















Total 2019 miles~ 64.4


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## Celeste

I have been away from the internet for the most part lately due to work, family, and just being busy in general. I think that I have ridden three times since posting. Last Sunday, Friday, and today. It is hot enough now that the choices are pretty much ride early or late. The middle of the day is getting on up into the middle 80's. 

I only took the dog on Friday. She is so bad! She runs this way and that way and when we got home, she chased DH's cat up a tree and she won't come to me. The more exercise she gets, the more horrible she acts. Look up "hyperactive dog breeds" on google and the first one you come to is Border Collie. As long as I walk her on the leash and put her in the pen during the day and bring her in at night, she is good. She just gets more and more hyper when she runs.

With those three rides, about 3 miles each, my total for the year is 85.41.


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## egrogan

Finally back in the saddle! Ice is gone, mud is less bad, and horses are feisty getting worked again. Short and slow for us today in between rain, but we got out there.



















*Total 2019 miles: *8.28


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## gunslinger

It's been awhile for me too......between the weather and the kitchen repair/remodel, just haven't had the opportunity.

That said, GF and I got out and rode 16.1 miles along the Conasagua river out of Willis Springs. Perfect weather, low humidity, blue sky's, and temperatures near 70. Miss Lacy was wonderful.....what a great animal.

Unfortunately, I lost a Renegade hoof boot.....I've ridden them for many years but yesterday I lost one.....

107 miles so far this year.


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## mmshiro

The "Calm & Cool" valerian root supplement came, and Hamlet has been on it for about half a week. The recommended dose is 1 scoop twice a day, so we started with half a scoop once a day. I had already gauged its efficacy with some desensitizing in the outdoor arena: I tied a 20-foot long, thin piece of white plastic wrapper around the fence post and strung it across, like a trot pole, but fluttering a bit in the wind. (I also fixed the other end.) There was the initial snort and hesitation, but it took him only about three to five minutes to step across it, both directions, at the walk, without trying to go around it. 

Yesterday, I took him out on a new trail to test drive the supplement in the wild. New trail...he was cautious, but not so anxious that he tried to turn back home all the time. The ground was muddy and slippery, but he didn't try to go at a speed that would have been inadvisable - on the way out or towards home. A short canter up a field along the edge felt composed and purposeful, as opposed to last time when he took of (on a different field) like a grizzly got on his butt. 

So far, so good. He's still sensitive and apprehensive, but this stuff seems to shorten the time between the initial, "OMG!!!" and the desired, "Hold on...wait a minute...let me look at this!" If this is where it'll be, I can definitely live with it. Dead-broke horses are boring, but I need a chance to work through stuff with a horse that's prepared to think. If he just needs a Scotch to take the edge off, that's perfectly fine.


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## Oreos Girl

@mmshiro,
You might want to have Hamlet tested for Magnesium levels. If the supplement is working, he might be low. It is a urine test that they can do.


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## Oreos Girl

Aimee and I went down to Mingo to ride yesterday. I forgot to get pictures. I did get one short video. Ignore the camera moving at the beginning when Fiddler realized I wasn't paying attention and decided to trot.















It was 6.4 miles.


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## ChasingDreams

Had short ride with BM yesterday. Had a little resistance from Chase at the gate when we asked him to go first, but he got over it a little quicker than the last few times so I’ll take it 

The rest of the ride was great and he ended so relaxed that he walked right past his other “scary” (place where the plastic was on the porch), leading, and seemed to forget that he was supposed to be afraid of it 


















Total 2019 miles ~ 66.9


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## knightrider

Another great camping trip with @LoriF and @4horses. We rode at Oleno State Park for 2 days. I brought Chorro. I've been having some problems with my daughter's friend riding him and him going "off." I wanted to give him some long rides in different saddles to try to figure out if the problem is him, the saddle, or the rider. My horse chiropractor came out last Monday and said it was the rider, not the saddles or him. I wanted to experiment and see what I could learn. I rode him 4 hours on Tuesday and an hour and a half on Wednesday using two different saddles with him staying completely sound. More information to use and think about.

I also had a blast riding 4horses' Paso Fino Florian for 1.75 hours. He is so much fun to ride. I really like him.

The weather was super for camping and riding, and we had a marvelous time. All horses were good, camping was great, lots of fun around the campfire. LoriF got some pictures.

Monthly total for April: 59 hours, 194.7 miles
Yearly total: 245 hours, 808.5 miles


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## LoriF

knightrider said:


> Another great camping trip with @LoriF and @4horses. We rode at Oleno State Park for 2 days. I brought Chorro. I've been having some problems with my daughter's friend riding him and him going "off." I wanted to give him some long rides in different saddles to try to figure out if the problem is him, the saddle, or the rider. My horse chiropractor came out last Monday and said it was the rider, not the saddles or him. I wanted to experiment and see what I could learn. I rode him 4 hours on Tuesday and an hour and a half on Wednesday using two different saddles with him staying completely sound. More information to use and think about.
> 
> I also had a blast riding 4horses' Paso Fino Florian for 1.75 hours. He is so much fun to ride. I really like him.
> 
> The weather was super for camping and riding, and we had a marvelous time. All horses were good, camping was great, lots of fun around the campfire. LoriF got some pictures.
> 
> Monthly total for April: 59 hours, 194.7 miles
> Yearly total: 245 hours, 808.5 miles



I really enjoyed this trip. I'll share the pics when I get home from work tonight.


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I went over to ride with Nicole. I rode Hombre. The whole story is in my journal.



















2019 mileage
...
5/1 hombre 9.38 miles 667 ft climb 5.3 mph 48F *642.13 total miles*


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## ChasingDreams

Had a bit of a wild ride last night. 

Chase hasn’t seen bikes yet, since we ride on private property we rarely encounter anyone else out on the trail. My H rides bikes, and we’ve been talking about bringing his bike over to introduce Chase and see how he does. Last night H came with me to the barn with the bike.

Unfortunately, soon after we got there... my step-son called and said he needed to be picked up sooner than we expected, so besides walking him over and letting him sniff the bike on the rack, there was no introduction. H left, and Chase and I got ready to go out for a ride.

Coincidentally, there is an apartment above the barn that is being rented by a younger guy. As we were messing around in the barn, he was putting air in his bike tires. I was in the ring with Chase when he went out, but H said he looked like he went towards the trails.

So, I knew he was out there... but was hoping we would come up on him either behind or in front of us on the trail. What I was not hoping for, was exactly what happened.

We were coming up to an intersection of two trails and here comes the bike shooting out of the trees at full speed... and Chase LOST it. He turned and tried to bolt first, but I was able to bring him into a circle at the edge of the trail. But, he was still in “flight” mode so the circle turned into several tight and fast circles and for a split second I thought I might lose it and come off.

Luckily I stayed in the saddle, and kept turning him one way and the other back to face the man on the bike who had stopped and was watching the scene unfold.

After he realized I wasn’t going to let him turn around and run, Chase decided to try backing down the trail. Again, I did a series of turns to keep him from backing away.

At this point, the brain was starting to come back and Chase realized the bike wasn’t chasing him. And eventually, curiosity won over and I was able to get him moving forward towards the bike.

I yelled out to the rider and asked him to stay put so that we could come to him. And he did, he walked right up to the bike and rider and sniffed around and the rider talked to him and pet his nose. Then, I told the rider to go ahead and thanked him for waiting, and we followed him for a bit before turning down another route.

Chase was very interested in the bike rider by then, and even wanted to trot after him when the bike started to pick up speed and get ahead of us 

The rest of the ride was not as exciting, although I will say the cow gate was barely an issue at all after all of that. I’d like to think he felt empowered by facing the demon bike and realized the gate was for wimps 

We played in the water for a while again, it was 80F and after his ordeal he was pretty sweaty...and very much enjoyed splashing and drinking and carrying on.

At least we got our bike “introduction” but I’ve got some achy muscles today for sure! Now I definitely want to bring H and his bike and do some serious desensitizing.










Total 2019 miles~ 70.5


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I went over and rode with Nicole. This time I rode Polo. The whole story is in my journal.


















2019 mileage
...
5/3 polo 10.47 miles 623 ft climb 5.6 mph 50F *652.60 total miles*


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## LoriF

Finally, I have a change to breath. It's been a hectic two days at work and I got to sleep in today before my road trip. 

We had a really nice time riding and the weather was perfect. I can't say the same for the ticks. Ack, I hate ticks!!! I picked a few off of me and a couple off of each horse. I had saturated their legs and tails with Pyranha spray and wipe. Believe it or not, neither of my dogs had one tick on them. I use Comfortis on them for the fleas and it works perfectly. I didn't think that it worked for ticks but apparently it does.

Here are the pics [email protected]; @4horses and myself riding at River Rise in O'leno state park.


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## AndyTheCornbread

One of these days I will have to post pics from a ride on here. It's just I get sooooo bored trail riding that a lot of times I just let my horses trot for long stretches where I know we aren't going to run into issues. I just got back actually from a nice ride that was between 5 and 6 miles and I trotted at least three of those miles, loped for a good stretch as well. It's up on a federal graze lease in the mountains and the cattle aren't up there yet for the year. Really pretty country but after the first mile or two I am usually like "OK now what do I do? because the trees and brush aren't exactly super stimulating to look at, but I guess it beats grass lands". Some times I think I should bring a book, I know my horse gets bored too so like we did today sometimes we just stop by a river that has good grass and I let him graze while I doze off and relax. He worked up a good sweat on the way back because we trotted all but the last 1/4 mile and then I made him walk that. He doesn't want to be back in the trailer anyway so he doesn't rush back, I just don't want to ever start that habit of rushing back in him, so I make him walk it.


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## phantomhorse13

AndyTheCornbread said:


> One of these days I will have to post pics from a ride on here. It's just I get sooooo bored trail riding that a lot of times I just let my horses trot for long stretches


Who said trail riding was only at a walk? For most of my rides, I am trotting as much as I can be safely. If you are bored walking, you have no excuse to not be taking pictures for us!


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## AndyTheCornbread

phantomhorse13 said:


> Who said trail riding was only at a walk? For most of my rides, I am trotting as much as I can be safely. If you are bored walking, you have no excuse to not be taking pictures for us!


Oh I'm bored at the trot too, it just gets over with faster if I trot them. I was actually wondering how you keep from getting bored out of your mind on your long rides?

I have the same problem with hiking. If there isn't some reason for it like hiking to point X to fish or something like that I get bored out of my mind. I did enough hiking in the Marine Corps.

I'll bring a camera next time and take some pictures. Most days my rides feel like this:


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## Celeste

I can't understand how you can be bored while riding? Maybe you need an Arab or a young Thoroughbred. If all I had to ride was a little donkey, I still couldn't be bored.


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## ChasingDreams

I ride the same 3-4 miles of trails each time, even though I might change up the routes slightly lol I’m definitely not bored, although I’m riding a youngster who likes to keep me on my toes, with two hands on the reins... more often than not [emoji23]


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## LoriF

I can't even remember the last time I was bored, 25 maybe??? I think I just changed the wording (and the mind) from "I'm bored" to "I'm relaxing". Mostly when I'm by myself, I like to stop and watch what is going on with the other inhabitants of the forests, mostly not having a destination in mind. I like the way the forests smell too.


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## phantomhorse13

AndyTheCornbread said:


> I was actually wondering how you keep from getting bored out of your mind on your long rides?


Bored while riding.. can't say that is an issue for me. And while Phin and his reactivity do keep me on my toes now, Dream was not spooky at all and I wasn't bored with her either. I appreciate the scenery, the feeling of my horse, etc.

When you are bored, what are you thinking about? Are you already on to the next task mentally? Are you able to sit in a chair and just watch the world go by sometimes (and sleeping in the chair doesn't count) or do you always have to be doing something?


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## AndyTheCornbread

phantomhorse13 said:


> When you are bored, what are you thinking about? Are you already on to the next task mentally? Are you able to sit in a chair and just watch the world go by sometimes (and sleeping in the chair doesn't count) or do you always have to be doing something?


Usually I am thinking about horse related stuff. What my horse is thinking, what he is feeling etc. I am usually very present when I am riding.

Yes, I can sit in a chair and day dream and watch the word go by but I prefer to have something to do mentally like read or physically like work. I can sit still for really long periods of time when I am hunting or fishing. As I mentioned before I have the same issue hiking, if we aren't hiking to point X to do some task Y, I'll take a pass on hiking just to hike. I do it anyway to exercise my dogs but it isn't my favorite thing by any means. I get the same reaction from people with hiking "_how can you be bored hiking?_"...um because there is literally nothing to do but walk for no real purpose. Other than when I was in the Marine Corps I have spent nearly all my life in the woods either working or recreating and I live in the middle of nowhere in the mountains. I have seen it in every season and every type of weather and I would not live anywhere else but just walking to walk or just riding to ride with no other purpose to me gets really boring. Now working cattle or doing an event or working on teaching a horse something specific or hiking to a lake to fish etc. I don't get bored doing that stuff because there is a purpose to it for me. 

FWIW I am the same way with driving long distances, when my kids were younger and lived with their mom I used to drive 1,000 miles every other weekend to see them. I did that every other weekend for around 8 years. I got really good at it but I was nearly always bored on the drive at some point or another.


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## charrorider

Bored while riding? Come ride where I ride. Steep downhills with fist size rocks rolling under your horse's feet. lol.


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## AndyTheCornbread

I'm riding in the northern Rocky Mountains of Montana, trust me it is plenty technical, for hiking or for riding. If you do it day in and day out for years on end it becomes common place, especially if you work in it daily as well.


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## phantomhorse13

AndyTheCornbread said:


> I prefer to have something to do mentally like read or physically like work.


Perhaps next time you go out, take the fenders and stirrups off you saddle first. That will give you something to focus on and sure will be a lot of work! :Angel: :grin:


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I got George out. The whole story is in my journal.




















Today, I got Phin out.



















2019 mileage
...
5/6 george 9.67 miles 1760 ft climb 5.2 mph 76F 662.27 total miles
5/7 phin 10.11 miles 1862 ft climb 5.3 mph 81F *672.38 total miles*


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## ChasingDreams

Got chase out today, and decided what better way to get him used to bikes than to trail ride with one!










So, my husband brought his bike, and my daughter got to tag along too 

We did mostly follow, mainly because the bike is a bit faster than the horse lol But, we also made sure to switch things up and have him pass the bike, and the bike follow and pass us, etc. and it went pretty well.

I didn’t have my map going, but H had his watch and we went about 3.7 miles. Another nice perk to having him along, extra pictures and a video of Chase playing in the water 


















https://vimeo.com/334813625

2019 miles~ 74.2


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## carshon

@Chase your husband is a keeper!


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I got both boys out. The whole story is in my journal.

I started with George.



















Next it was Phin's turn, along with Kestrel.


















2019 mileage
...
5/9 george 10.52 miles 1536 ft climb 5.3 mph 46F 682.90 total miles
5/9 phin 5.28 miles 898 ft climb 3.8 mph 48F *688.18 total miles*


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## gunslinger

Looks like more rain again this weekend.....I'm starting to suffer withdrawals.....2+ inches expected over the weekend....


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## SueC

Just reporting that I had a nice long trail ride this afternoon through the valley floor including at the neighbour's place. Very pretty ride, here's some of the scenery (composite from past shots):














































This is the actual ride map:










The "pathfinding" along the animal tracks through the bush is great fun for both of us - Sunsmart really loves that kind of terrain, and choosing routes through it. He's good at it, so I let him. The best part today was coming out of the end of that bushland section, near the property boundary, where you turn right and go up the hill. The horse said, "May I?" and I said, "Of course! _Wheeeeee_!" and off he galloped up the hill, and I had the wind whistling past my ears - it was great! :racing: 

...especially since I am speed limited on my own two feet at the moment due to a stress fracture https://www.horseforum.com/member-j...ys-other-people-479466/page45/#post1970716561. So it was lovely to be going fast. I'm also allowed on the bicycle, and my husband and I are going for a training ride in the morning where I plan on going fast to make up for all the slowcoaching I have to do on foot at the moment...

After our merry gallop, it was walking alternating with fast trotting, all the way home. Happy horse and happy rider.  :blueunicorn:


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## ChasingDreams

Great pictures @SueC ... the one with grass as far as the eye can see [emoji15]


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## SueC

It's a bit of a visual illusion, @ChasingDreams, it's a hilltop and therefore you can't see the forests all around, but you can on the ride map! 

I thought your horse/bicycle ride was very cool, and especially that cute little bicycle passenger!  Awwwww! Years ago, when we first moved to our farm, Brett came out with me once on the mountainbike. I ride a Trotter, however, and so we had the opposite problem- horse too fast for cyclist! So we had to do a lot of walking / jogging, instead of kicking loose at the trot, or cantering etc. I should dig out the pictures sometime.

Re that bored when riding / hiking discussion, can't relate at all... when I'm in nature and moving, I can't be bored because it's such a magnificent experience. I might get bored fishing though, so I don't. I only get bored if I can't move / read a good book / do constructive work etc. I've not been bored since childhood - it's very boring when you have to sit still at the table while adults drone on and noone thinks to include you in the conversation!


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## SueC

...I found it. It's only one photo though. I thought we took more... this is back in 2013... you can just see Brett and his mountain bike up ahead... (these are the Western Forests I've not documented on ride photoessays yet...)


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## ChasingDreams

SueC said:


> ...I found it. It's only one photo though. I thought we took more... this is back in 2013... you can just see Brett and his mountain bike up ahead... (these are the Western Forests I've not documented on ride photoessays yet...)



Nice! My trails are really hilly, and since H was pedaling (with a passenger) and I was riding, I tried to choose routes that would be more downhill than up. That’s probably why he was so much faster, your trail looks pretty level in that photo.

Please do, document away  those trees look so cool. What kind are they?


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## SueC

This is a mere plantation of _Eucalyptus globulus_ (Tasmanian *******) for woodchips - not a native forest. On what used to be a dairy farm. It's pretty good riding though - if I can fandangle my way in. Strictly speaking, to ride on non-government tree plantations is trespass in Australia... no right of way like in Europe. My habits are quite European though...

That particular place looks quite flat, but there are reasonable hills around, including on our property. Of course, all this depends on your definition of "flat" and "hilly" and "mountains" etc, and I live in Australia... 

Here's some nice Karri (_Eucalyptus diversicolor_) trees though! Natural ones, by the roadside:










These are Paperbarks:










These are eucalypts I've not identified, near Wineglass Bay in Tasmania - gorgeous old-growth trees, existing on quite an arid coastline:



















The bark is so beautiful; the squiggly patterns are made by moth larvae...










These are Blackboys (_Xanthorrhoea preissii_), a type of grass tree. They take 10 years to start a stem, and then 10 years for every 4 inches or so of stem length... This is at Mt Hassell, in the Stirling Ranges... all these are hiking photos...



















Those three are nearly as tall as me, so 150-200 years old... and they grow back no problems after hot fires, they just lose their "hair" ;-)

Heath and woodland approaching the Nullarbor Plain:










Eucalypts growing in paddocks near the Flinders Ranges in South Australia:



















Woodland near Cradle Mountain, Tasmania:










Ancient pencil pines, Tasmanian highlands:



















I was looking for a rainforest photo but couldn't find one this morning. Maybe next time. Anyway, you can see why we're so attached to the outdoors here... magnificent scenery...

Anyway, you can't ride in these places, they're protected, which is one reason we do a lot of hiking. The other is that it's something we do together as a couple, and because we need exercise...


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## SueC

Erratum: The grass trees above are probably Kingias - but much the same applies as for the other species, which we have on our farm.


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## weeedlady

Thank you @SueC for sharing. Breathtaking scenery.


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## knightrider

Today my regular teens couldn't come and I was lucky enough to get my sweet young teen from next door to accompany me. I put her on Isabeau, and since my daughter wasn't riding, I knew that Windy needed some exercise.

Windy has been doing better and better recently--no shenanigans from her at all, and none today.

My next door neighbor 13 year old loves to go fast, and today was a good day for that, since nobody accompanying us wanted to go slow. In fact, there was nobody else accompanying us.

I was really looking forward to some long canters on Windy. She has this super fun big, but smooth, boundy canter. Recently my daughter has been saying that Windy's canter is not smooth and not very fun. Today Windy showed me the not smooth not fun side of her canter. I will stop chiding my daughter. And Windy kept veering off the road as we tried to canter. Or veering into the road. Not straight.

Oh well, she can do the most lovely canters. Maybe next ride. We've got the running walk down now. She'll do running walk as long as I ask her to. And it's nice. We had a fun ride. These photos are not from today, I'm not much on photo taking. But from a similar ride.


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## ChasingDreams

I rode Chase today, decided to ride a bit longer and loop through a bunch of different routes up top... so the map is a little chaotic  I think 5 miles is probably the maximum I can really stretch riding on our property without too much doubling back. 










Chase was obviously enthusiastic about going for a ride:









Though, I can’t say I blame him because not long after reaching the quarry... it started to drizzle. And continued for most of the ride. Ah, good old wet, PA. All of the rain has really brought back the greenery, though. 

























The cows were out along the lane, and there were some really cute babies:

























Was a pretty nice ride, even with the clouds and rain. Chase was very well behaved today, no balking whatsoever!

Total 2019 miles~ 79.2



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## AndyTheCornbread

I rode 4 or more miles yesterday on my roan gelding up through the mountains behind my house. No pictures, sorry, I didn't have a horn bag or anything with me to put a camera in. It was 80+ degrees out so the horse was soaked in sweat by the time we got home but he seemed to have a pretty good time. He did lay down and sleep for 20 minutes or so a bit after we got back. Oldest daughter saw him laying down and decided to brush out his mane which he loves. So, he laid there for that too but he wasn't sleeping then, just enjoying being brushed. He is the only horse I have that really loves to lay down and rest, even if he isn't sleeping he will often sun bathe laying down and he likes to be brushed while he relaxes. He is kind of a goof ball of a horse. He is also the only horse I have that wants to play with everything he can reach from my helmet to brushes and combs etc.


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## QueenofFrance08

Saturday we led a mock novice ride as part of our endurance clinic. We did a 10 mile loop and then tried to go unmark trail later and did another 2 or so miles before I realized Stitch's boots had been rubbing her and she was sore so we took them back to camp and used the 4 wheeler instead. Chico came as well and was ridden by a friend. Our ride photographer was at the park because his wife was camping with her Paso Fino club so we got some pictures!

I love this horse....


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## phantomhorse13

Saturday afternoon, DH and I got Phin and George out. The whole story is in my journal.



















2019 mileage
...
5/10 phin 2.78 miles 284 ft climb 3.4 mph 60F 690.96 total miles
5/11 george 12.35 miles 1452 ft climb 5.4 mph 58F *703.31 total miles*


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## mmshiro

Half hour trail lesson today at the Arabian farm, and boy did it check all the boxes:

- Arabian
- mare
- chestnut
- third time on the trail
- (extra) sensitive to legs
- mud and hills

Let's just say I came back home with the mare beneath me, and - apart from the sliding saddle due to the double pads - I didn't have any pucker moments. But boy, I can't remember the last time I was this focused on a trail ride! At some point it was difficult to distinguish whether the horse slipped or spooked - except for when she refused to go past a pile of tarps next to a shelter in the woods. (I let her get off the trail for that one so she could make a berth, but instructor still had to go first.) Oh, and she hates stepping in mud, and she can see where it's muddy. 

Not a bad half hour of entertainment for a (ostensibly) "walk-only" ride. 

Oh, let's focus on what I *didn't* have: mare drama (tail swishing, head shaking, kicking out, and other forms of protest), bolts, spins, or worse. I think she's got a good head on her shoulders, and if I could take her for a few minutes every day, she'd be cool(-ish) in no time. 

Good times!


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## AndyTheCornbread

I wanted to work on teaching something to one of my geldings today that needs to be taught from the saddle, so I trailered him down to the fairgrounds arena and worked on it there. Came back a few hours later and my oldest daughter told me that the other two gelding in that pasture got out while I was away and were happily eating away on the grass by the garden until she let my dogs out and they chased the horses out of the yard. I have an invisible fence so the dogs couldn't go any further but the horses went to the neighbors and went visiting. My other neighbor caught the dominant one with his belt and brought them both back up and put them in the pen. Going to have to get that neighbor some beer, no horses got hurt and the one dominant one is a bear to catch if he doesn't know you. Once he is caught he is nice but he will do everything under the sun to keep from being caught by someone he doesn't know well. I imagine it wasn't a fun time, I haven't talked to him yet but thank goodness for good neighbors.


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## knightrider

I did it! Anybody else tried and succeeded to change Western stirrups with those horrible metal slide gadgets while riding?

Over the years, I have tried but never been able to change Western stirrups without dismounting. English stirrups? Piece of cake--do it all the time.

I have a hard time with some Western saddles to change them on the ground. I often manage to pinch my hand while trying to slide that stupid metal piece over the two knobs. This saddle is a new (to me) Big Horn bear trap barrel saddle, and I noticed that it is fairly easy to move the metal pieces. I let someone else ride in it the other day, thought I remembered where I ride in it, but when I started off on the trail, the stirrups were uncomfortably too long.

I thought, "I wonder if I can possibly change these stirrups without dismounting?" Undoing the stiff stirrup hobbles, then moving the metal parts, then doing them back up. First time ever I was able to manage it, partly because the Big Horn stirrups were easier to adjust than many Western saddles. Stupid accomplishment, but it was kinda cool for me, so I am posting.


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## AndyTheCornbread

Half the time I have to take the saddle off the horse to change stirrups with those stupid metal things. Whoever came up with that system needs to be taken out and flogged, along with the guy who invented the old lace up system.


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## ChasingDreams

@AndyTheCornbread I’m glad everyone is rounded up and unharmed! Beer for the neighbor for sure!
@knightrider omg preaching to the choir there. Occasionally, I get lucky but usually I either have to enlist help from the ground or I fiddle with it for a few minutes before muttering “oh, for goodness sakes” and getting down to fix it from the ground [emoji23]


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## ChasingDreams

I was able to ride yesterday. I only had about an hour or so before dark by the time I was saddled up and ready to go (BM was there and we ended up chatting for a bit longer than anticipated).

I almost just decided to ride in the ring, but when I got on and looked at my watch I though “ehhhh.... I have time” I’m glad I did, I ended up getting 4 miles in!










Looped around the top first. I ended up trying a different trail that I’d noticed but never ventured down with BM. It has a pretty steep hill, which is likely why she doesn’t use it... but it was pretty neat to “explore” a new route... even a small one.

Here’s Chase taking in the view at the top of the hill:









We rode at the quarry next. 









I’ve noticed that he has been getting a little “resistant” going towards the big hill there... assuming because he is anticipating the hill as being an unpleasant area of hard work.

So instead of going up the hill this time, after we crossed the creek and got a drink, I turned him right back around and crossed it again and headed back the way we came.

I could feel how excited he was to NOT be going up that hill, so I decided to let him have a little yee-haw moment and get a gallop in. It’s been a while.

Started out fun, then the head went up and I got the feeling he was getting ready to kick up his heels- so we had to rein in and canter for a bit, and then let back out for one last stretch before he decided he’d had enough and dropped back to a trot. It was a rush, and he walked along happily the rest of the ride home. 

Total 2019 miles~ 83.2


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## ChasingDreams

Rode again last night, again right at sunset. It was a BEAUTIFUL evening to ride, perfect weather, sunset backdrop on the way back to the barn. One of those rides that just makes you forget about the rest of the world for a little while.

Chase was a little on the lazy side, riding two nights in a row, but otherwise pretty well behaved.



















My handsome guy looking at some deer nearby:









And of course had to turn back for a view of the sunset coming back









Total 2019 miles~ 87.13


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## Celeste

It has been forever since I posted here. I have done a series of small rides that I haven't posted about. 3 miles or so each. That brings my total for 2019 to *100.11 miles.* If the horseflies don't carry me off and eat me and my horse, we'll keep on riding.


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## AndyTheCornbread

Rode 10.5-ish miles yesterday through some rugged country. Beautiful country but I was paying too much attention to my horse and the terrain to take any pictures. Plus I took no camera with me, so that contributed to the no pics thing too :smile: Saw some folks that traveled all the way from Elko, Nevada just to ride this trail I was on. I didn't catch their names, unfortunately. The trail is behind my house so I was surprised somebody would travel that far just to ride it, but it crosses a lot of private mountain ranch and timber property and this is the one time a year it is open to people who register to ride it. I get to ride it whenever I want but for the general public this is their one chance a year. I think the organizer told me they had 145 people register to ride and only 75 showed up and actually rode. Weather was cold and rainy so I think that kept a lot of folks from doing the ride. I am not affiliated with the organization that organized the ride, I just live right by it and the graze leases it goes through are on ranches and timber lands that I work on and have permission to ride and hunt on so I am up there a lot riding and hunting.


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## Celeste

My friend came over to ride yesterday afternoon. I thought about cancelling on her because it was 89 degrees when she got here at 6:00 p.m. 

We got the horses out, dragging them out from in front of their fans, and fly sprayed and saddled. They did not look happy. Right before we started to ride, it started pouring rain. My mare initially looked totally mortified that she would have her sheet removed while it rained. Within a few minutes, she noticed just how good it felt. 

The rain lowered the temperature by at least 10 degrees. Maybe more. Being soaking wet felt great!

I didn't take pictures for fear of damaging my camera.

2.9 miles

*Total: 103 miles.*


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## Celeste

@AndyTheCornbread Cold and rainy sounds nice right now..........

And it's still May.........


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## mmshiro

Two trail rides with Hamlet; one on Thursday, one today. We have now started to work on the trails that I ultimately want to take him on: through fields and woods, where the ground has become less treacherous. I'm not yet ready to relinquish control of the reins to operate a camera (even though they remain loose for most of the ride), but these trails take us up to a ridge line with a view you wouldn't believe. Stay tuned! 

To get up there, we have to work our way up a rather steep dirt road, which is excellent strength training for us: Hamlet's butt and my core (I'm in two-point all the way up so he can step under himself more comfortably with his hind legs). Once the hay fields we walk alongside get mowed and the surface conditions become more apparent, there will be some nice canter/gallop opportunities as well. It's just a matter of ensuring that the ground is safe and free from traps to step into.

Between Thursday and today, there was already a marked improvement in his frame of mind. Both times he listened to me, but on Thursday, on the leg home along the road, he told me that he was uncomfortable with the stretch that was still unfamiliar to him. I let him trot that part, occasionally holding him to a constant speed. Today, he still trotted for a bit, but he started later, he went back to the walk sooner, and he kept his trot speed constant by himself. I really like how the Valerian supplement keeps him alert, but prevents his short-circuiting and panicking; plus, we are still at below half the recommended dose. No problem if the little boy gets a bit flustered in unfamiliar environs, but he has to be willing to accept a compromise that keeps us both safe. My letting him trot instead of walk, and his not fighting me to go faster even, is exactly what I have in mind there.

It's a bit muggy here, too, but only low-80s and only for a few days. No real problems with insects yet either. Really, the only thing wrong with the weather so far has been the excess rain which kept the ground soggy and slippery, and me on the road. I guess I'll enjoy my two weeks "after mud" and "before bugs"...


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## Celeste

The gnats seem to be gone. They have been replaced by horseflies and deer flies. They are evil.


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## ChasingDreams

Chase and I rode yesterday with BM on Thunder and a girl that is leasing Magnum again this summer. Magnum is a handy trail horse, I actually leased him myself for a couple of months before I decided to bring Chase home on trial. The girl that is riding him leased him for a month or two last year. She’s a decent rider and pretty good company, so it’s nice to have her back this year.

I leased him at the old barn. He followed me after I moved; his owner called me up and mentioned he was thinking about moving and asked what I thought about my current boarding farm.

Here’s magnum:









We had a nice ride. They encouraged Chase and I to lead for almost the entire ride. It put me a little out of my comfort zone, because while I’m used to working through Chase’s “issues” by myself... I get a little stage-fright when I am holding up a ride by having a “discussion” with him.

But, Chase is the one who needs the experience most. He needs to learn to trust me and himself without relying on the other horses for confidence... so even though I was a little embarrassed when they got to sit and watch Chase refuse to go somewhere, we worked through it each time and I do think Chase is starting to realize it’s easier to just follow my lead than debate.










Unfortunately, it was a more hands-on ride so no pictures this time [emoji23]

Total 2019 miles~ 90.82


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## carshon

I finally get to post!!! First "off the property" ride of 2019. It makes me sad that our weather the last 2 years pushes my riding further and further into what would normally be prime riding time. We have had so much rain that no parks have been open for any real length of time this year. Some parks have not opened at all! Saturday was supposed to be clear and sunny until late afternoon. Daughter has been anxious to get new horse Sawyer out on a "real" trail ride and an old friend of mine has a gaited horse on trial before she buys and was looking for riding companions. So we happily met up and drove to a local prairie restoration area that we like to ride in the spring. We are at the park by 9:30 Am and plan to ride the entire park (about 11 miles) and be home before the storms come in the late afternoon.

You guessed it - skies were clouding up as we tacked up - we decided to ride and see what happens. Tillie is her usual extremely forward self but really really on edge - very stiff - very looky. We knew we were in for an interesting ride when the road you ride to the trail head was under water. Tillie led and the other two happily followed. Water past the fetlocks for a 1/4 mile or so - daughter impressed her greenie was so good about the splashing and friend ecstatic that trial horse was good as gold. We hit the grass lands and the wind is picking up but the skies seem to have cleared. Trail is squishy and water squirts out at almost every step. Trails have not been mowed (obviously) so some areas you cannot see standing water. Tillie is on high alert but forging on. We get a couple miles in and the sky lights up - lightning out of a seemingly clear sky. I will ride in the rain but I will not ride in the open in a grassy lake when it is lightning. We decide to take the first loop back to the trailer. it is now rumbling thunder in the distance and the winds are pretty strong. Tillie sees a round bale out in the meadow and it is moving (must be floating) and she darn near lost her marbles! Wanting to spin and bolt - Got her stopped and she is shaking like a leaf. Daughters greenie is staring at Tillie wondering what she should do and friends trial horse is rock steady but will not lead. I get Tillie to gait quickly around floating bale of terror but am having a hard time bringing her back to a walk. Now it is really thundering and we are all anxious to get back to the trailer. The couple miles back was done at lightning speed by all 3 horses. We get to the trailer and untack as quickly as possible and - BAM no more wind and the sun comes out! What! so we let the horses have some grass and chat for about 15 minutes and winds gust up again and thunder and lightning - we load up and head home. Where it rained the remainder of the day. No pictures as I left my phone in the truck. Friend has decided she likes trial horse (me too!) and will probably keep her and daughter was very happy with Sawyer. We have a week filled with rain in the forecast with 4-5 inches expected. We do not need anymore rain! Temps were in the 30's this morning- looks like no riding for me for awhile.


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## QueenofFrance08

Got a bit of riding (and unfortunately walking) in this weekend.

Headed out to help mark trail for our ride on Wednesday last week. The first night we were there Stitch hung herself up on her high tie and scraped herself up pretty badly. We took her out to mark trail Thursday and she did alright until we tied them up at the bar so we could eat lunch and she stiffened up. We walked the last 5 miles back to camp.

Did a short preride (3 miles) with my friend on Friday to get a little more used to Chico at faster speeds since I usually only ride him at home walking. 

DH was nice enough to let me ride his horse in the LD on Saturday. There were only 8 entries because the weather was freezing with pouring rain. We placed 5th (came in with 3rd and 4th) just took a little while to pulse down because he was trying to holler for Stitch at the trailer). I was pretty proud of him and had a lot of fun!

We wanted to ride in the novice Sunday but all rides were cancelled due to weather. It started snowing shortly after we left at 9 am.


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## QueenofFrance08

Ok I'm not sure why all my pictures are crooked... They're saved straight on my computer....


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## weeedlady

QueenofFrance08 said:


> Ok I'm not sure why all my pictures are crooked... They're saved straight on my computer....


Mine are almost always crooked when I post here. I don't know why either.


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## weeedlady

I finally have some trail miles! The trails behind our barn finally opened up. Rode with one of the other barn ladies. Her horse was good as gold, if a bit hesitant. I rode Tucker. He was good enough. No spooks, but he was a worried boy the entire time and got himself all sweated up. We had a few discussions about which way we should go and he was in a hurry to get home. A good ride for the most part.

2 whole miles !!!! and that is my YTD total. pitiful, but at least I'm no longer at 0!!!


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## ChasingDreams

@carshon it was hard to like your post, I thought we had it bad here with rain...

Glad you got out, but hoping you get some better weather here soon :/


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## weeedlady

Does it count as trail miles if my horse and I parted ways and she went home without me? 
I'm counting it!

2 more miles today. YTD total 4 pitiful miles, lol.


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## egrogan

Well you can’t just post THAT ^^ with no explanation!!! :wink:


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## weeedlady

egrogan said:


> Well you can’t just post THAT ^^ with no explanation!!! :wink:


lol. She spooked, I came off, she ran back to the barn. I walked. She stopped for a snack and to visit the neighbors on the way.
She showed no remorse.
not much of a story and nothing hurt but my pride.


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## ChasingDreams

I rode with Magnum and his Leasee again last night. We had a pretty good time, minus Chase balking like mad when we tried to leave the barn to start.

Once we got going, he was fine. We took turns leading, had a couple nice canters, laughed at the boys when they got competitive, tossing heads and kicking up their heels racing up a hill. Splashed in the lake for a few minutes, which is always fun. Rode most of the routes in the top woods to stretch the ride a bit longer. 

I was having such a nice time, I didn’t even think to take pictures. But, I do have the map:









Total 2019 miles~ 96.01




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## whisperbaby22

I was able to get out in a break from the drizzle.


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## weeedlady

Got another 2 miles today. 
Sure wish my truck was fixed. Both of my horses need more miles and wet blankets! At least I stayed on today!

YTD 6 miles


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## ChasingDreams

weeedlady said:


> Got another 2 miles today.
> 
> Sure wish my truck was fixed. Both of my horses need more miles and wet blankets! At least I stayed on today!
> 
> 
> 
> YTD 6 miles




Staying on is a good thing! 


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## AndyTheCornbread

Took out a horse I haven't ever ridden by himself outside of an arena or cattle working corrals for a 3.2 mile ride today. I trailer-ed him up the mountain and then rode him home through the woods on some dirt track logging roads. He didn't hardly sweat, but I sure did. What a pain in the rear, he kept wanting to return to the trailer so we did a lot of circling, re-pointing and riding out in the correct direction. I think he spooked at every single dark object on the ground and some things that weren't there at all in an attempt to spook & turn back, some of the spooks got a bit exciting and took some effort to ride out. He is really herd bound too, he kept whinnying for his buddy off and on through the ride, either that or to let me know he was peeved at me for making him work. Since he had no anxiety sweat going I think the spooks were just looking for ways to try and turn and run back. I probably need to ride him alone more as the last time he was ridden alone by me was never and he is 22 years old. That's a lot of years to build up some serious buddy/destination addiction but he needs the exercise so he has a lot more of this in his future.


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## SueC

*RIDES & TREE PLANTING*

I can log two rides for the last three days - a simple loop track of our valley floor for Tuesday evening, and then this morning, out through our south gate to do an extended tour of the neighbour's bushland reserve and pastures, before returning along the roadside reserve to our north boundary. This exact ride was documented here:

https://www.horseforum.com/member-jo...post1970681183

I was going to ride Wednesday afternoon after tree planting and actually had the time for it, but had regrettably turned into rubber and was unable to muster any energy for further activities. I was horizontal with a book and a cup of tea for the rest of the afternoon before getting enough energy back to feed horses, make dinner etc.

Brett said to me, "No wonder you were exhausted, tree planting is actually a very physical job!" - and this morning, he went out early to take some photos of the new trees, and the older ones, while the sun was still rising. He also got two very cute ones of Mary Lou, which I will post along with the others.

At the moment I'm planting the northwest road verge. You can see it on our farm map, along with the main shelter belts we've been planting in our pastures since 2010 - all by hand. 










The photos show the new seedlings in their protective bubbles, as well as bushes and trees that are two and three years old. I missed tree planting last winter because of my foot fractures, but that's the only winter we've not continued planting shelterbelts or rehabilitating the road verge. You can also see older trees in the background.

Photos 1-2: Mary Lou

Photos 3-: Habitat rehabilitation, western road verge      

     



More here: https://www.horseforum.com/member-j...ys-other-people-479466/page47/#post1970723027

Happy riding everyone! :cowboy:


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## SueC

I'm just catching up now on everyone's trails lately. :cowboy: :cowboy:
@Celeste, congratulations on your tecnnical achievement. :clap: You had me at "bear trap"  - who names these things??? ...great horseback and flower photos again. It's nice when people notice flowers. 
@ChasingDreams, lovely photos - the red roofing is really standing out with all the green grass in that gorgeous hilltop view. Love the bridle and had noticed that before!  I was going to ask you whether those cattle are on your own property and that is a service track in it? If so - you appear to have Hereford / Angus crosses - and Herefords are so hard to find where we are lately. In the past 20 years, we've lost so many beef breeds in Western Australia to a monoculture of wall-to-wall Angus... Is there any Arab in Magnum, or is he just exceptionally pretty?
@mmshiro, how good that things are improving with Hamlet. You could always tell him to _get thee hence_! Although not necessarily to a nunnery... ;-)
@carshon, it's great you _finally_ got to ride... :charge: Although it does seem you could use some of these:










I hope the weather dries out a bit for you.
@QueenofFrance08, _unfortunately_ walking? :rofl: Walking improves riding, and empathy with your horse if you do it with a backpack full of bricks! ;-) I'm sorry about your horse getting scraped though. Good weather wishes to you too, I know the rain has been plaguing you in your neck of the woods as well.



weeedlady said:


> Mine are almost always crooked when I post here. I don't know why either.


This is because of the way picture orientations are saved by some photo software people use at home, versus the forum. The HF software doesn't recognise the little bits of code that tell your photo software how to turn a photo. You actually have to physically turn and then re-save your photo in an image manipulation programme, like Photoshop or the (free online) GNU Image Manipulation Programme. Other people do this with less software - speak up anyone for a simpler process if you have it! 

Good to hear you're riding, @weeedlady - and _mostly_ staying on. ;-) I'm not sure if you were around when I broke three bones in my foot last year from coming off in a little crow-hop _at the walk_.... :rofl: Here's the full story, it's quite entertaining - had a lot of people laughing, even though they actually didn't enjoy that I broke bones :Angel: : https://www.horseforum.com/member-j...ys-other-people-479466/page17/#post1970577815
@whisperbaby22, nice picture! Have you shown us your horse? I'm curious. Even just the ears! ;-)
@AndyTheCornbread - got a camera yet so you can share your scenery? I'm sure we'd all love to see a virtual trail from your part of the world!


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## AndyTheCornbread

@SueC I can make some Google images of where I was riding today but with as rotten as the horse today was being, pictures were pretty much out of the question. Later this month I am going to drive several hundred head of cattle 20-ish miles over 2 days up into their summer graze lease. I will see if I can get some pictures of that as the route is fairly scenic and pushing cows gets old quick so the camera would provide some distraction and Saturday I plan to ride a canyon west of me with a much more solid horse than I was on today so I can see about getting some pictures then too. Today I would have had a broken camera if I took one along with how much jumping around the horse was doing. I may take that horse on the cattle drive as a back up if they ride drag with a truck and large enough stock trailer to hold spare horses. Let me grab some Google imagery shots so you can at least see where I was today.


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## weeedlady

@SueC I do remember when you broke your foot. I felt bad for you- but you are right, you told the story with grace and humor:smile:


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## ChasingDreams

SueC said:


> @ChasingDreams, lovely photos - the red roofing is really standing out with all the green grass in that gorgeous hilltop view. Love the bridle and had noticed that before!  I was going to ask you whether those cattle are on your own property and that is a service track in it? If so - you appear to have Hereford / Angus crosses - and Herefords are so hard to find where we are lately. In the past 20 years, we've lost so many beef breeds in Western Australia to a monoculture of wall-to-wall Angus... Is there any Arab in Magnum, or is he just exceptionally pretty?
> 
> 
> )



The cattle belong to the property owners, as does all of the land we ride on. I can’t remember the exact number, but I know they have well over 200 acres total. I don’t really know anything about cattle, so I’ll defer to your judgement on the breed lol

And I’m pretty sure Magnum is mostly if not all quarter horse, but he is definitely a looker. His mom was pretty too, I’m not sure about the sire though since I’ve never seen him. 

Here was his momma, Gracie. Sadly, the owner sold her when he left the last place... he was having health issues and couldn’t afford to keep them both anymore. She was super sweet and great for beginners 

*helmets for all, we usually have them on....I can’t remember exactly what was going on here but I think the little one only came up for a quick picture* I didn’t always wear a helmet in the ring with Gracie, but I certainly do for every ride with Chase lol











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## AndyTheCornbread

Sorry I got distracted. Last night my oldest daughter came back from the forest behind the house and said mushrooms were out so I went out mushroom picking for morels. Here are the terrain and aerial images from my route yesterday.


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## charrorider

SueC. It is the same here in the USA, all black cattle. Even continental breeds that aren't naturally black, are now black in the USA, like black Limousins and Simmenthals. I expect to see black Red Angus and black Charolais one of these days! lol.


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## AndyTheCornbread

The Angus thing is the same here in Montana. Black cows sell better so everybody wants black cows. I inspected 8 cow/calf pair of Hereford and 2 cow/calf pair of Red Angus yesterday and those are the first cattle I have done inspections for in the last year and a half that weren't black. I prefer Hereford beef myself to all others so I am thinking I might buy a calf off the guy I did inspections for later this spring if he has a Hereford bull. I think he might have a Simmental bull though so I will have to talk to him and see what he has for calves.


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## SwissMiss

charrorider said:


> SueC. It is the same here in the USA, all black cattle. Even continental breeds that aren't naturally black, are now black in the USA, like black Limousins and Simmenthals. I expect to see black Red Angus and black Charolais one of these days! lol.


I still have a hard time wrapping my head around black Simmentals :shock:


This is how I remember them growing up:


While I did not grow up in the Simmental (Valley of the river Simme), I did so in the neighboring valley. :Angel:


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## egrogan

I have been having some frustrating confidence issues, so that, combined with our miserable weather, means I've hardly ridden at all for the past month. Yesterday I did finally get out for a short ride down the road.

The black flies are miserable, and I forgot how funny a badly fitting fly bonnet looks :rofl: At least the world is finally green again!


















*Total 2019 miles: 9.4*


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## AndyTheCornbread

I trailered my roan gelding down to the A Heart J and then rode him up a Weyerhauser gated maintenance road onto their timber lands. From there I took off from that road on an old dirt track that runs up the canyon to the Lazy S 7. It is between 5 and 6 miles depending on where you start riding from. I saw a few deer, and of course cattle. 

I remembered to take a camera but unfortunately some of the shots are fuzzy from the lens being foggy from being in my inside coat pocket. I didn't realize until after I got home that I had a foggy lens for some of the pictures as I just held up the camera and snapped a few shots while riding. 

I asked the Lazy S 7 owners if I could leave a vehicle up there last night as they are my closest neighbor and then if I could leave my horse in one of their corrals while I used the car to go get a second driver down at my house and go back and get the truck and come get the horse later. They said no problem, they don't mind if I leave horses in their corrals when I am doing stuff so I am back now from picking the horse back up. 

I am trying to make sure he learns that when trailered the rest and relaxation is not always back to the trailer. I don't think he cares much but I don't want him ever starting the habit of trying to turn and go back to the trailer because when I am hunting or working cattle I don't ever want a horse that is constantly trying to find an excuse to turn back. This one doesn't do it but the one I rode the other day does and I will break him of that but I don't want it to get started with any of my other horses ever. 

I will try to get some Google images of the route here shortly and then I need to head back out again because I want to do a short 2 mile hike and take a look at something and I need to run garbage to the dump :smile:


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## AndyTheCornbread

The last two pics are of my sweaty guy up in the corral at the Lazy S 7.


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## AndyTheCornbread

I marked up the same two images as before with the route as they are in the same area so you can see both days routes. I guess today's was 6.06 miles. The longer route to the south was today's ride.


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## mmshiro

All right - Hamlet was full of himself today ("Scared? Me? Of WHAT??") and he basically went through the hay field we traversed like a chipmunk picking up a trail of seeds, vacuuming up all the blades and stalks he could get his little mouth on while on the move. So he got to try the entire trail today, and sure enough, as soon as we hit unfamiliar territory, I turned my trusty, rock-solid trail horse into a greenie again. Hence only a few pictures from the first half of the ride. Also, Hamlet's face before the ride and after. You wouldn't believe the range of emotions he goes through in between!!


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## mmshiro

Can only attach three at a time:


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## Celeste

I have a new riding buddy. I don't know how often she will ride, but she is a lot of fun to ride with. We rode Friday and Saturday. I'm not sure where I am in the posting my miles department, but my total is up to 109 miles for the year.


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## egrogan

Lucky you @*Celeste* ! I'm really wishing for someone fun to ride with these days. Still, can't complain, as I had a simply gorgeous day to get out and ride today.



















*Total 2019 miles: 11.9*


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## Celeste

I got to ride my friend's horse today. She was having a little issue with bit response. I rode her and she did very well. I think that she is going to be a great horse for her. 

Today: 1 mile (My turn got over with.... )
*Total: 110 miles*


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## weeedlady

Rode Tucker behind the barn today (still waiting for my truck to be fixed!!). Same trail, same 2 miles, but today was a bit special. 

We took a barn friend with us for her first trail ride ever! Tucker was an excellent lead horse and we kept everyone calm and well behaved. I really enjoy being the "trail boss" and helping new riders have an enjoyable experience. 

I sure hope my truck gets fixed soon!!! Can't wait to go somewhere different.
I'm up to a whopping 12.6 miles for the year. The same trail 6 times.


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## knightrider

@LoriF and I went camping at Doe Lake for 5 days. We had a lot of things go wrong and a lot of things go right. It was certainly an interesting 5 days.

The worst thing for me was the heat. The temperature was in the 90's every day. The nights were cool and pleasant. We even needed blankets and jackets in the early mornings, so the morning rides were lovely. In fact, the rides were lovely.

The afternoons were brutal, and we don't have air conditioning. Normally at Doe Lake, I spend the afternoons in the water, so I don't mind the heat that much. This year, something kicked in an allergy, and I had problems with my eyes itching, burning, tearing, swelling. I thought maybe it was something in the lake, so I didn't swim that much. No where to go to get out of the heat in the afternoons.

What went right was LoriF started riding Novia, her 3 year old filly, for the first time. Novia has had hours and tons of ground work and she was ready. I rode Novia's mother, Laela, so that she would feel secure. We rode around the lake in the beginning rides. Novia did great.

Another big thrill was that I finally got both Isabeau and Acicate to accept going into the lake. I worked with them a bunch last year with limited success. This year was unqualified success. They both learned to go on into the water without having to be coaxed.

Because we each brought 2 horses, our plan was to put the horses not being ridden together and that worked very well. We had some super fun rides.

What wasn't so great was trying to figure out how to rig up LoriF's new system for her electric fence. Lori got the idea of trying to use jumper cables from my truck and that finally worked--not without Lori getting some dreadful electric shocks.

And then, Laela and Novia were not used to electric wire and ran through the fence, pulling everything out and having to be re-done several times. Also, the ground was rock hard, and it was hard to get the posts and ground pole in.

On Friday, my daughter drove to Doe Lake with her friend to meet us. They love swimming with the horses so they eagerly volunteered to take Aci and Isabeau in the lake. They were quite disappointed to realize that Aci and Isabeau are not Chorro and Windy. When horses first get used to deep water (and don't like it), they usually spin around the handler, and if ridden, bolt out of the water at the slightest hint that they might be able to get out. They did both, and the girls soon decided it wasn't any fun. Holding a 900 pound animal frantically spinning around you in chest high water is fairly difficult, especially if you are barefoot and can hardly keep on your feet while being pulled.

Laela and Novia, on the other hand, love the water. They loved going in and being in and getting cool.

We thought it would be grand to be able to ride all 4 horses, so the next morning we took off with me on Laela, Lori on Novia, and my daughter and friend on Aci and Isabeau. My daughter wasn't feeling well, so she rode the easy horse Isabeau. Everything was going great, and we were having such a good time that we planned to ride a whole hour instead of the 45 minutes ride around the lake. 

After 50 minutes of riding, suddenly Novia decided that she was too hot, too many flies were bothering her, this riding business wasn't as thrilling as she thought it would be, and she wanted to gallop back to her pen. When Lori said she had to walk, Novia lost it, and began jumping around and flinging her head. Lori and I both had the same idea--the smart thing to do was to dismount and lead her home. She'd done fabulously, and like a toddler, she was having a meltdown. She was tired, hot, and upset with the flies. Dismounting a leaping bounding young horse is easier said than done, and while Lori was looking for that split second to leap off, Novia lashed out with both hind feet--something she has never done before, ever. But she caught Isabeau in the chest with one hind foot and my daughter's stirrup with the other hind foot. The stirrup drove into my daughter's ankle, and we thought it might be broken.

We were almost back at camp, so we put the horses away, and got some emergency first aid until I could take my daughter and friend to the emergency room. Fortunately, the ankle is just bruised, not broken, but she has to be on crutches for 3 days, stay off of it, and rest. She arrived not feeling well, but didn't want to let her friend down by canceling the camping trip. That "not feeling well" has turned into a full blown sinus infection, so resting her ankle has been easy. She has been super ill.

Meanwhile, I was back home settling my daughter with her crutches and tissues while my horses, truck, and trailer were 2 1/2 hours away. Lori looked after the horses, and I got my son to drive me back to Doe Lake in time for a delightful evening trail ride.

Although it was short, only about an hour, it was breathtakingly beautiful. The heat was gone, and as we came back to the lake, the sky and lake were brilliant orange, and the trees around the lake were black. I believe I will always remember that lovely ride, perhaps because we had so many difficulties, and that part was perfect.

Lori has some pictures. I was running my endomondo so didn't try to get pictures. These pictures are from other years. I hope Lori has some time to tell her parts of this story. She was a super fun riding companion and we certainly had a memorable camping trip. We rode 18 hours and about 54 miles.


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## ChasingDreams

@knightrider that sounds like it was quite the trip! I’m glad you’re daughter’s foot was not broken, and you had some nice rides throughout the crazy. 

I don’t have water deep enough to actually swim where we are now, but I have done it with my aunts horses and it can be fun sometimes and sometimes less so lol 


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## ChasingDreams

I was camping with my family this weekend... so my first chance to ride was last night, right around dusk. 

Here’s a picture of Chase grazing when I went to get him... I was amazed how clean he still looks from his bath last weekend:









Chase was pretty good, and we didn’t have any real monumental happenings. Ever since I used backing up as a trick to get him out of his balking, he’s been resisting when I ask him to back-up. So we made sure to stop every so often and back up a few steps, just to keep working on it.










Some photos from the ride: 











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## LoriF

Well, @knightrider Beat me to it. 

This camping trip certainly had it's up and downs for sure. Personally, I learned so much on this trip and honestly there were times when I was thinking "This is so much fun" and other times "Maybe I should take up snow boarding" lol. Knightrider reminded me how much I love my horses and I agree, I probably couldn't live without them again. 

I can't even tell you how frustrated I was with the fence and myself when realizing that I was missing one very small component to the that corral that actually made it work (first time fence building). Knightrider came to the rescue with jumper cables and it worked. When I was organizing my truck for the trip, I took mine out and don't even know why.

The mornings were a bit chilly and beautiful, the evenings were balmy, and the days were hotter than hades. 
Florida has lots of water for sure but Doe Lake has got to be one of the prettiest spring fed lakes there is. In the surrounding area, you can just ride and ride until you get lost.

The first night that we were there, not too many people had arrived yet. I sat at my trailer enjoying the evening, hanging out with my dogs and watching the horses. The horses started pacing around their corral and intently watching something. My eye followed to where they were looking and I saw movement on the road. For a split second I thought it was someone walking but wait, too short and too silent. As I watched, I realized it was a bear taking a stroll through the campground. He just meandered down the road minding his own business and then disappeared over a grassy knoll and headed towards the lake. Once he went by, the horses settled down. Knightrider had told me that she has seen bear there many times. Usually in the beginning of the week or at the end. Always when the majority of the people were gone.

Novia did great on her first two short rides, but yes, she did have a meltdown and got quite fractious for a moment. Knightriders poor daughter, how that must have hurt. Novia kicked and hit square on her stirrup which in turn hit her ankle. That's such a tender spot to get hit. OUCH!!! I felt so bad and I'm so glad that it turned out to be bruised and nothing else. Still painful none the less. I think Novia's brain was going "bye bye" and when she backed up and bumped into Isabeau, it scared her and she just kicked out. This pony doesn't have a mean bone in her body. Issabeau seemed to be ok. Poor girl, she didn't even do anything to get that.

We did have a few more great rides that were so much fun and the lake is just so beautiful. I met a lot of nice people from the riding club. One really nice lady had a cool molly mule that she does endurance riding on and their was another person who always camps with several cats. She just lets them out. They go out exploring and they come back when she calls them. I thought that was pretty interesting.

I didn't get a chance to take many photos but here are the few that I have.


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## ChasingDreams

Well, I can’t edit my post but I forgot to update my miles, just broke 100 miles 

100.04 exactly lol


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## egrogan

@weedlady, I agree, it's so fun to be able to help someone get out of an arena and onto the trails for the first time!
@knightrider and @LoriF- what a weekend! Glad everyone, horse and human, was ok but sorry to hear about the dicey moments.

Nothing nearly as exciting here! We enjoyed three straight days of sunshine and spring-like temperatures, which was glorious. The apple trees are finally blossoming!


















The summer tourists have shown up too, so back into the hi vis gear as people aren't always paying attention driving on these back roads!









I even hopped on one of the retirees for a few minutes; she really needs more exercise, so we started with just a little spin around the yard.









*Total 2019 miles: 13.1*


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## ChasingDreams

Is that Novia in the first picture? I’m not sure if I’ve seen her yet... Beautiful horses!


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## LoriF

@ChasingDreams Yes, Novia is the buckskin filly. She turned three this year and these were her first two rides with an actual rider on her. The black horse that knightrider is on is Novia's dam.


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## carshon

Finally have a "real" ride in. we have had 5 inches of rain in the last 4 days and more expected in the next 2 days. Most places are closed but there were 2 open. We opted for the easier of the 2 since daughters new horse has never really been on a trail. It rained in the morning but cleared up by noon so off we went! Got to the park and we were the only trailer there. So we unloaded and mounted up. Daughters horse Sawyer was "up" and led down the trail. This was new for Tillie who is usually 30 feet ahead of every other horse when we ride. Sawyer was chicken walking and slipping and sliding but we decided to let her move out to ease her nerves. We encountered a very nice man at a trail crossing - he kindly stepped off the trail to let us pass only to be accosted by Sawyer who had (it seems) never seen a human walking while being ridden. What a kind hearted person to stand there and let her sniff and blow all over him - I think he kind of liked it and we chatted about how she is young and green and so many things are new to her. Once she had her fill of sniffing we moved off down the trail. She calmed down and fell behind Tillie and took too walking while rubbing her nose on the ground. This trail is in a pine forest and the trail is pine needles mostly with some fine gravel underneath. Since Sawyer was born and raised in lower MO I am not sure she had ever seen or smelled that much pine before. We rode upon a family and their dog - they moved off of the trail but the dog was growling and lunging at us and their little girl started to cry and the Mom was anxious and the Dad was trying to control the dog - Tillie passed them OK but Sawyer moved past and then froze when they were just behind her. She was too scared to have her back to them. Thank God the dog was in a harness because he was really fighting to get to us. Maddi had to get off of Sawyer to lead her away. Once down the trail a bit Maddi mounted off again but Sawyer kept trying to turn to look behind her. Had to get a stick to keep her moving forward. A couple miles further down we encounter another family of hikers (sans Dog) but the Dad had a child on his shoulders - poor Sawyer - she had never seen a 2 headed human much less one that waves tiny arms and yells "horsie" Tillie moved past snorting but Sawyer was rooted to the spot. Maddi got off again and I asked the Dad if he could take child off his shoulders. Sawyer was happier and let the 2 small kids per her nose - Maddi walked her down the trail a bit and remounted. Again Sawyer had to be reminded with a stick that forward was the way to go. We get down by the river which is rushing by and a large BOOM went off - followed by another. Campers on the other side of the river were lighting off bombs of some sort. Both horses did very well with the noise - Poor Sawyer is sweating pretty good but keeping it together. We ride peacefully along the river for a mile or so and encounter a man and a woman with a cocker spaniel. They stopped and moved to the side so we could pass - but the dog was barking and lunging against the collar and the owner asked us to stop before we got to them because he thought the dog was going to slip the collar. he took off his long sleeved shirt and swaddled the dog and held it on the ground so we could pass. Too much for miss Sawyer - Maddi had to get off and walk her past. She remounts and we both agree that this has been pretty eventful for a first real trail ride. Happy to say the last 3 miles or so were perfect. Tillie knew we were headed toward the trailer and picked up speed and wanted to gait. Daughter has never gaited any real distance on Sawyer so we gaited on an old logging road for quite a stretch. it was glorious, smooth and gliding. The 2 horses gaits were well matched and we were able to gait side by side. We hit the final stretch and had to go around a downed tree - Tillie is a bull dozer and will go through anything you point her at - but we hit hock deep mud when going down the ravine to go around the tree. Tillie made it out but poor Sawyer struggled and tried to turn around. So there sit with a horse on either side of a tree that is chest high across the trail. Maddi asks if I think Sawyer would jump it if asked and I thought too risky. This is one time I wish we had ridden with a halter and lead so I could have ponied her. I took Tillie back across and we rode side by side and then I got behind Maddi and we pushed Sawyer through the mud. We are a mile from the trailer and the trail is waterlogged with a few inches of standing water on the trail and it squishes and we sink a bit with every step. Get back to the trailer and untack. There were 3 other trailers there at that time so we chat with the riders as we let the horses graze a bit and cool down. Sawyer lays down in the grass rolls once and then just lays there - poor baby was all tuckered out - she rolled once more and stood up and grazed some more. The other riders left and we loaded up and came home. All in all very happy with Sawyer - she never lost her cool and she saw a lot of new things. We have a Poker Run this Sunday so we hope to get her out 1 more time before that. I have pics but cannot seem to get them to upload.


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## mmshiro

I was a tourist on Sunday! My wife and I went out of town (to Williamstown, MA) to go on a guided ride - just so my wife, who doesn't have a chance to take lessons, gets some horsey time; plus, you know that I'm a sucker for riding new horses. 

My wife got a Morgan mare, I got a ginormous whatever horse - I don't even know. It's been a while since I stood in front of the horse and thought, "Wow! That's massive!" Probably something warm-bloody, because he didn't have feet like manhole covers and no drafty feathers on his legs. He was a character: The horse belonged to BO's niece who was in Spain on a school trip, and "needed the exercise". So there went my plan to cruise along on the horse, reins in one hand, camera in the other. I actually had to ride the horse! 

Second thing: When we went around a XC field for warm-up, to make sure that us tourists are okay with our mounts, we picked up a 2-year old who started to follow us. When we left the field, he snuck through the gate and came with us for the ride. He was so adorable, and he had so much fun! He'd be running circles around us, sprinting ahead, coming back to check what kept us - and, of course, my horse took off after him each time he forged ahead. 

Here's the three of us, TC (the baby) behind me, showing us his best side. I think he liked us (my horse and me), because I remember petting him repeatedly from my horse.


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## ChasingDreams

LoriF said:


> @ChasingDreams Yes, Novia is the buckskin filly. She turned three this year and these were her first two rides with an actual rider on her. The black horse that knightrider is on is Novia's dam.




They are both gorgeous, you must be so happy with that baby [emoji7] Even if she still has temper-tantrums sometimes, my boy is coming 5 and still has his moments [emoji2360]


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## LoriF

Thank you @ChasingDreams Yes, I am very happy with her. Even with her baby tantrums she still has the most wonderful temperament. She's really sweet and curious.


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## LoriF

@carshon What an eventful ride, sounds like it was fun in spite of the few glitches.

@mmshiro Nice to see that you and your wife can get out together. Sounds like it was a great ride.


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## QueenofFrance08

Got some good rides in this weekend. DH was out of town so I got Chico out Saturday and Stitch out Sunday. It was my first attempt at getting serious miles on either of them by myself so I was really proud of us! We didn't go very fast but Chico and I did 6 miles and Stitch and I did 9! I'm happy to report Stitch is back to 100% after her high tie injury/incident.

Again this year I'm being terrible about counting my miles but my rough calculation is:

Pre ride season: 40 miles
2 LD's: 50 miles
Marking trail: 11 miles
Mock Ride: 10 miles
This weekend: 15 miles
-----------------------------
126 total miles! Hope to add 50 this weekend!


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## phantomhorse13

I am quite behind with posting, as I developed an ugly sinus infection that went into my chest and had me flat on my back for a week. So I am trying to get caught up between attempts at hacking up a lung..

The whole story is in my journal.

Phin:




























George & Kestrel:



























2019 mileage
...
5/14 phin 11.48 miles 1558 ft climb 5.5 mph 40F 714.79 total miles
5/14 george 4.27 miles 590 ft climb 4.6 mph 41F *719.06 total miles*


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## LoriF

@phantomhorse13 I'm glad that you are at least feeling better enough to go out for a ride. It's the pits being sick, don't push yourself too hard. 

Your neck of the woods is as beautiful as ever.


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## AndyTheCornbread

I just got back from pushing some cattle to water. I'll figure out how far it was and then post an update.


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## AndyTheCornbread

I needed to move some cattle around today and I didn't feel like monkeying with trailering the horses up, saddling them there and then doing what I needed to do and then coming home. So, I just rode from here to there, did what I needed to do and then rode home. Round trip was 6.12 miles.


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## mmshiro

Wednesday - lesson day at the Arabian farm, and we took the mare I rode last week on the trails again. What a difference a week made - apart from one refusal at a particularly soggy spot, and even then only on the way out, it was very much a routine ride. Her neck was flat, she looked around, sometimes she showed concern about a dangerous tree stump etc. by walking wide around it, but otherwise she was thoroughly lovely and mostly unexciting. (We are doing walk-only rides with those horses, otherwise I could make even a well-behaved horse exciting... 

I learned more about her: She, and the mare my instructor rode, belong to a woman who never comes to ride either of them. She rode the other one (my instructor's mount today) in the past, but never even sat on "my" girl. My instructor said that he's trying to persuade her to sell her... Like I said in my last report about her: She's got a great little head on her shoulders, and someone would probably enjoy her very much. So here I am again, riding the chestnut mare that's too feisty for others to ride (#dita). 

The funny thing is that this farm is neighbor to my school, and we are actually using trails in a wooded part of school property. In theory, I could easily bring her home for a sleepover even without a trailer! 

The neat thing is that my instructor would probably have to ride her anyway as part of his job, keeping her under saddle so she stays rideable (and thus sellable), so the two of us riding those two horses together is probably a win-win. I like win-win situations...

After the ride I took her to graze for a half-hour, so that's yet another win-win.


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## charrorider

Rode the Big Piney trail of the Paddy Creek Wilderness last Friday and again Tuesday. Twenty-one miles over all. Rode a ridge that was in places no wider than 10' (3.2 meters). Many water crossings, with water so clear one can't even tell in the photos. The Arabians did just fine, as expected. The only bad thing were the ticks. But, this is Missouri. The Big Piney is only 50 minutes from my house. But because, I have 30 miles of trails at Cole Creek right across my mailbox, I had never been there. The other piece of news was that a tornado passed just three miles north of my house and made a mess out of the Red Loop at Cole Creek. Chainsaw time. Oh, and none more piece of news. Cole Creek is going to host a AERC ride next weekend. The first endurance ride at Cole Creek in over a decade.


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## mmshiro

Half day of school today because it's the last day of classes! So guess where I was by 1 p.m.? Normal ride, but I finally sorted out the entire round trip and modeled it on Google Earth:


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## phantomhorse13

Two weeks ago, I went to a ride in Indiana. The whole story is in my journal.

Mu:

































Auburn:

































2019 mileage
...
5/16 mu 3.5 miles 345 ft climb 3.3 mph 72F 722.56 total miles
5/16 auburn 3.28 miles 358 ft climb 3.3 mph 77F 725.84 total miles
5/17 mu 25.88 miles 1919 ft climb 5.4 mph 95F 751.72 total miles
5/17 auburn 1.30 miles 115 ft climb 2.9 mph 95F 753.02 total miles
5/18 auburn 25.83 miles 1917 ft climb 5.4 mph 94F *778.85 total miles*


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## ChasingDreams

@phantomhorse13 that looks really awesome! I’ll stop by your journal, I love reading about your rides.

I have a much less spectacular ride to report. Regular solo romp around the property. My rides are pretty consistent lol










The bugs were sort of awful at the Quarry. I might have to limit my evening rides to the top woods, and save the quarry rides for mid-day/weekends. 










2019 miles ~ 104.36




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## Celeste

A friend came over this morning and we went on a trail ride. Thank goodness for "Swat" The horseflies were brutal. We were surrounded, but they would land and not actually bite through the poison. I hope all the ones that touched it died. I taught my friend how to make a game out of catching and squishing the horseflies. She did better than I did. She got 4. I got 2.

For the most part, we had a lazy ride. There is one place that is really nice to canter, so we did. HWNN quit on her half way up the hill, so we went back and tried it again. This time, the horses got into a race (accidentally). They were neck and neck and in a photo finish..... they tied. Lol. 

Picture 1 is us moseying along the trail.
Picture 2 is me hosing off my head after finishing hosing the horses.

3.1 today
*113 total for year
*


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## knightrider

Time for those monthly totals. Today I rode Aci. I thought about contacting my young neighbor since she was out of school now. But she only likes to ride an hour and she likes to corto and canter a lot. I felt like a quiet solo ride. 

I chose some trails that I am officially not allowed to ride on. I've been warned off that area in the past, so I go there very rarely. Such a pretty area and such nice trails, shady and pleasant and very few bugs. When I was young, people used to wave and smile at me as I rode through their farms, a happy child on a pretty pinto. Now days people are so anal retentive about their land. They may have 1000 acres of woods, but it's theirs, so "get off MY land."

May totals: 61.5 hours
202.95 miles


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## charrorider

Getting read to haul Ibn home after celebrating National Trails Day. Took a pic of the stats. 8.58 miles, 3.3 avg speed, 13.4 top speed. 72 total miles for 2019. At this time in 2018, I had 128. I'm a little behind. Hope you all got a chance to celebrate NTD.


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## knightrider

I've had some really good trail rides recently. This morning I rode my heart horse Chorro with my neighbor. What a lovely ride. Chorro is everything I could ever want in a trail horse (except he spooks, but he is not so bad anymore). What a gait.

My neighbors are telling me that my farrier is trimming my horses wrong. I am too ignorant. Chorro couldn't have gaited better this morning--glass smooth. I've been told that gaited horses need to have a shorter toe and higher heel. I wish I was more skilled at feet.

I was not able to post yearly totals on May 31 because my daughter had her heart broken by her steady guy. It's been like a funeral around here, she is so upset. Lotsa tears and angst.

Here are my yearly totals so far:
306.5 hours
1011.45 miles


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## phantomhorse13

I finally felt up to riding some last week. The whole story is in my journal.

Phin:



















Phin & Kestrel:



















May: 157.54 miles
Phin - 41.09
George - 36.81
Polo - 10.47
Hombre - 9.38
Mu - 29.38
Auburn - 30.41


2019 mileage
...
5/27 phin 7.24 miles 1064 ft climb 5.0 mph 92F 786.09 total miles
5/30 phin 4.20 miles 639 ft climb 4.2 mph 81F *790.29 total miles*


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## LoriF

knightrider said:


> I've had some really good trail rides recently. This morning I rode my heart horse Chorro with my neighbor. What a lovely ride. Chorro is everything I could ever want in a trail horse (except he spooks, but he is not so bad anymore). What a gait.
> 
> My neighbors are telling me that my farrier is trimming my horses wrong. I am too ignorant. Chorro couldn't have gaited better this morning--glass smooth. I've been told that gaited horses need to have a shorter toe and higher heel. I wish I was more skilled at feet.
> 
> I was not able to post yearly totals on May 31 because my daughter had her heart broken by her steady guy. It's been like a funeral around here, she is so upset. Lotsa tears and angst.
> 
> Here are my yearly totals so far:
> 306.5 hours
> 1011.45 miles



Awe, I wish I could fly her two years ahead so she could see that everything is ok


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## AndyTheCornbread

So 11 of us drove 220 - 250 head of cattle the last 11 - 12 miles up to their mountain graze lease today. It was a good time, but most of it I was busy working cows so I didn't get much time for pictures but I did snap a few on our way up into the mountains and a few at the end when we were waiting for the trucks with lunch and the stock trailers to take our horses and ourselves back to the ranch we started at. It was five hours straight of working to keep the cattle on the trail and not diving off into the bushes to hide etc. Most of the hands were young folks but three of us including the owner of the cattle were older, as in they were the Dads and Grandfathers of the kids in the pictures. I have included aerial and terrain views of the route. It kinds of counts as a trail ride because we driving cattle down the trail on horses :smile:

I need to find out if the kids are OK with me posting their pictures on social media, and if they are I will post the other pictures I took.


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## Celeste

@AndyTheCornbread Wow. That is definitely a trail ride! It sounds like a lot of fun.

I did my regular trail tonight. I thought that maybe riding close to dark time would decrease the horseflies. Wrong. I did manage to squish 3, which is good. The horses weren't that bothered by them due to all the swat that I had on them.

I was too busy talking to my friend and swatting at flies to remember to take pictures.

I hate horseflies. 

We saw a big doe on the trail. We also saw thousands of fireflies!

Did I mention that I hate horseflies?

Today: 2.9 miles
*Total for year: 115.9*


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## ChasingDreams

I rode with BM and her new horse, Chief yesterday morning, for the first time. It went really well, in that Chief seems to be an awesome trail pony- and he really moves out! He’s gaited, a spotted saddle horse, and I can tell he is going to be lots of fun to ride with.

The only drawback with his quicker pace, is Chase and I had to do a lot of trotting to keep up. Which I don’t mind usually, but the trails were so slick yesterday and there were places where Chase wanted to catch-up and I wanted us to take our time and navigate a sketchy stretch of trail. He would get a little anxious about being told to “wait” and let Chief go. So we will definitely be working on this.

















Total 2019 miles-107.57

May stats:










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## carshon

The rain finally stopped enough for another ride. This time we trailered 2 hours (plus) to Governor Dodge State Park in WI. They were having a Poker Run as a fund raiser for trail improvement. We encountered a large number of Amish families on the road (we assume going to Church since it was a Sunday morning) and got a lot of big smiles from the kids in the back of the carriages. Got to the ride and was pleased to see a lot of trailers and horses. Unloaded -registered for the ride and tacked up and off we went. I am still having a lot of back and hip issues - my muscles are like stone and mounting is quite painful so I got on and we headed off only to encounter a road block at the trail head as horses refused to cross the mucky quagmire. Hubbies horse went through with ease causing my Tillie to get agitated as other horses got between her and her buddy. We ended up in the middle of the ditch in muck and with her rearing slightly as I tried to steer her on the trail. Once on the trail we turned to make sure daughter was OK on her new horse and was pleased to see Sawyer crossed with not so much as a blink of an eye. We are now in a pack of riders and doing OK but a little girl on a little mule was having some issues as her mule did not like the pack of riders around it and was backing up and wild eyed. Her Mom got off and was holding the mule and trying to stop the tears and asking the rest of us to pass - Tillie was a afraid of the little mule who had her hiney firmly planted in the middle of the trail with a crying child on it. So we snorted our way past. By now I am thinking I may not enjoy this ride - 5 minutes in and nothing but drama! But we passed a few riders and made our way up the trail. The trails were in great shape with just a few squichy spots. Daughters new horse decided she wanted to lead and off she went. Wow that mare can glide - Tillie who is usually far in front of everyone was working to keep up and hubbies poor horse had to gait to keep up. We had a lovely ride - passed quite a few other riders and got all of our poker chips. Ride was about 5 or 6 miles on fairly easy trails. As we exited the trail there is a stretch of paved road to ride to get to the trailer parking. Lots of vehicles were passing horses but most were very respectful and slowed way down. We exit the trail head with a group of 4 or 5 other riders one of the ladies horses was having issues with all of the vehicles so we stayed behind them. A truck hauling a boat come up the road and hubby is waving his arm in the universal slow down signal and the idiot driving the truck slams on his brakes in the middle of the road boat clanking as he did so. Lady in front of us had to do emergency discount as that was enough for her horse and driver starts yelling at hubby that he has as much of a right in the park as we do and that his taxes pay for it too. Hubby says we are just asking you to slow down for the horses on the road and the guy says I was only going 10 mph (which I find hard to believe) and starts slapping his hand on the door of his truck. Because he saw that the horses were nervous. So now there are like 8 of us just telling him to move along - and he did with a big rev of his engine. I hope his lady friend was impressed! We tied to the trailer and looked at horses and chatted with some of the other riders. All in all a great day.


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## lb27312

Had a great ride yesterday! Captain turned 2 so thought I would pony him on a ride.... thing was there was going to be a pony pulling a cart. My friend had my horses for a month and the old guy hadn’t gotten used to the cart always snorting when they would drive by the paddock he was in and the young guy has never seen a cart. So after I got to the trail I thought maybe this wasn’t the best idea to bring the baby while dealing with my old guy worrying about the cart, but it was fine.... baby was spooked by it at first... couple of a little bucks/kicks(with corrections), then finally settle down. The pony pulling the cart was sooo awesome and cute... Only her second time on a trail!

This is about the 5th time my young guy has been out ponied on the trail, but this is the first time where we led(which I think is why he bucked/kicked), we were always in the back so i think when he was in the middle he had to think. My thoughts are my second horse I always ponied when he was young, I got him at 8 mos..... we were always in the back and now that horse can’t stand another horse to ride up on him. Just a thought.

Next pony session he’s going to have a bareback pad on him...... should be interesting lol

I don't have my total year to date... this one was only 4 miles and it was a slow go....


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## knightrider

Interesting solo ride with Isabeau today. She is not my best solo horse, but she can get the job done. Today I wanted to see how bad the flies were on one of the dirt roads we ride. The flies make the road unrideable in summer. Is it summer yet? Feels like it!

The flies weren't very bad at all, and I had some time, so I let Isabeau go on. We have several obstacles on this dirt road, a narrow one lane bridge with two curves so vehicles cannot see horses and dogs as they come around the bend. I hate that part and usually corto through it. Isabeau thought corto was a bad idea with the ravine on either side and scary overgrown woods hanging over the bridge.

Next was a zoo farm full of howler monkeys that make that screaming hoo hoo sound. And stink to high heaven. Isabeau had been past them several times with her crew, but never solo. She wasn't thrilled, but did it.

On the way home, we had seven power company trucks towing rattly trailers and cherry pickers bangitty bangng past her only a few feet away. She had plenty to make her sweat, but she did very well for a horse that wouldn't go longer than 15 minutes without rearing up and coming over on her rider 6 years ago.

I also learned this morning that I won First Place again for Pasos for Pleasure. The old rule was that you could only win first place once in the program, but that was back in the days when the first place winner got a beautiful Kuda Paso saddle. Now, all you get is a plaque which is the same for 1st through 10th. But I got to win first place again for the second year in a row. Love those Pasos!!!!


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## QueenofFrance08

Last weekend we headed 2 hours Northwest to the Maplewood West ride! We brought Stitch, Chico and Comet. Unfortunately Stitch has a sore back (likely from her escape/bucking antics when I was trying to load her) so I rode Chico with DH and Comet in Comet’s first LD on Saturday. They did fabulous and we finished in our best time ever (4 hours)! Sunday Chico and I led a novice group with 2 of our friends in it and did another 12.5 miles. It was his first time going out the second day and he did fabulous!


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## mmshiro

Wednesday, lesson day. We are upping the challenge for me, and today I rode Everest for his very first time on the trail. Since I rode him in winter and he spooked at a bit of snow that had blown through a crack in the arena door, I expected an adventure - to say the least. Boy, did he prove me wrong. We had one (in-place) spook, and a bunch of hesitations and refusals, which mostly had to do with soft ground, exposed tree roots, and big rocks. Especially with the tree roots he impressed me: At the first tree, he said, "Are you crazy? Those are snakes! I'm not stepping in there!" Instructor had to go ahead and do some "monkey see-monkey do" with his horse. At the second tree like that, we were leading and he did not give those roots a second glance! Same with muddy spots: The first one was a challenge, the second he didn't even slow or swerve. My proudest moment came when, 3/4 through the ride, he started to stretch his neck down several times. I know he didn't look for snacks because none were growing there, so he had to have been relaxed! Not bad for little red riding hood for his first time in the forest!

After the ride, instructor asked me if I had some time to work the chestnut mare, so I played with her for half an hour in the indoor and outdoor arena. I was supposed to walk and trot in the outdoor, but she clearly wanted to go fast at least for a little bit, so we got in some canters in both directions. I think she appreciated the compromise, because we had a nice cool down walk at loose reins, after which I hopped off and took her grazing for a bit. 

Next week I'll be getting a lesson with Everest's half brother - who has never been ridden before. So we'll do the whole spiel about putting weight on the saddle, wiggling fingers over his head, sitting in the saddle... I'm slightly apprehensive, but I think I have a good track record by now for having calm rides with horses that everyone told me that they'll be a handful. (Asst. trainer: "All the horses are amped up because of the breeze today!", Instructor: "He's a lot more horse than the others, so be careful!", me: "I won't micromanage your every step, and you won't go nuts on me - deal?"

No between-the-ear photos for obvious reasons. Today was not a day to be distracted.


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## ChasingDreams

Rode yesterday evening, just me and Chase. He did great, didn’t really have any complaints. Even at the quarry swarmed with flies, he didn’t fuss.










Didn’t take many photos, one on the lane and of the sunset:

















Total 2019 miles~ 111.11 (Maybe I should play the lottery?)




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## Celeste

A neighbor of mine that has ridden with me a few times decided that she really wanted to ride with me today. It seemed like a great idea. The sun was shining and it was less than 90 degrees out. 

She had never ridden any of my horses except Abby who is totally reliable, but now retired. So I put her on HWNN. I showed her how to work his gears, etc. and we were off.

We were a mile down the trail, when her phone beeped. "Severe thunderstorm warning". It had gotten a bit darker and was starting to sprinkle, so we turned around. Then thunder started clapping, it was raining, and the biggest thing was that the wind was so bad that trees were bending over.

All I could think about was that these horses were going to spook and bolt off and this woman (not a youngster like I usually ride with, she is 63 and has almost no riding experience) would fall off and break.

I asked her if she was ok if we went a little faster. She was so I trotted and HWNN did a perfect little running walk. My guest loved the gait!

It was too muddy to do more than walk a lot of the way. On our return trip, we saw quite a few branches on the ground that were not there on our way out.

We got home, unsaddled, got the horses groomed and put away, and then the rain stopped. The wind stopped. The thunder stopped. Bummer.

I was really worried about my guest, but she hung on like a champ. She was also oblivious to the dangers of falling limbs and how horses could react to them, so she was happy. The horses were both angelic. And it was very cool with the rain.

That was a lot for a *2 mile* ride.

*Total for year: 117.91*


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## ChasingDreams

I rode this morning with BM and the new guy. The start of the ride was amazing, perfect temp... easy horses, nice breeze- just great.

We got up to the top of the hill after doing the loop by the quarry, and decided to stand for a little and just talk and enjoy the scenery and weather. Took a picture or two, chatted for a min... then woke up the horses to keep going.










We made it a few paces down the trail... Chase stopped to itch or poop, I can’t remember. So BM stopped to wait for us. After that it was all over.

Her horse would NOT MOVE

I mean, the most defiant balk I have ever seen. Wouldn’t walk in any direction, towards or away from home. Backing over trees and brush when urged on. She was on him with the crop, nothing. I walked Chase away from him, didn’t budge. 

She ended up having to lead him for a little, walked a bit, then found a place to get back on. Again, won’t budge. Circles, changing direction, backing, nothing got more that a couple steps before the feet planted again.

We spent an hour trying everything we could think of to make him move without her having to get down again. I even switch ed reins with her so she could try my split reins on him. Nothing. 

So finally she gave in and walked him out of the woods. When we got back, I untacked Chase and offered to take him to the ring so he doesn’t think he got out of anything. She was worn out by that point, and was happy for the offer- so I took him out while she hosed Chase down.

He was 100% fine in the ring, it was like nothing ever happened. 

At first I felt a little relief at not being on the “bad horse” for once  (Chase was a saint through the whole ordeal)... but once he started to make Chase’s tantrums look like child’s play, I really felt terrible for her. I’ve never seen a horse so determined not to move.

I ended up riding around 4 miles, my tracker was still running when I was in the arena and of course my stats are all skewed from standing around for so long, so I didn’t bother with the map.

Total 2019 miles~115.11



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## carshon

Got a nice little ride in. It seems when the weather is nice we are playing catch up with our mowing business so just a short ride on Sunday. it was glorious! Because of the record breaking rains we have had there is now only1 park open for riders. And even this park had a portion of the trail closed. I have reconnected with a friend from over 25 years ago - she had normally ridden by herself and is thrilled to have someone to ride with. And that will give me someone to ride with when DD goes back to school in Aug. Just a short 5.5 miles in the glorious sunny weather! The mosquitoes and gnats are out in force. No pictures - but DD horse Sawyer led most of the way for her 4th ride out she is doing great. Bitless may not be the way to go for her - stopping and even steering is not very good. We are exploring other options. She is 8yrs old but sat in a pasture most of her life and never been on trails. She is curious and forward but has no stop and steer (or rating of speed for the most part) and will randomly stop and refuse to move forward. I usually circle around and give her a slap on the butt and that gets her going. Oh the joys of a green horse!


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## phantomhorse13

Last week, I got some saddle time. The whole story is in my journal.

On Monday, I went over to ride with Nicole. I rode Hombre:



















Wednesday, I went out with Gina. I rode Amish:


















2019 mileage
...
6/3 hombre 10.77 miles 748 ft climb 5.6 mph 67F 801.06 total miles
6/5 amish 5.18 miles 621 ft climb 3.0 mph 76F *806.24 total miles*


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## weeedlady

I'm supposed to get my truck back tomorrow. Of course I was supposed to get it back 3 weeks ago, then 2 weeks ago, then yesterday, then today.

This time I think maybe it's true. I might get to actually take my horse somewhere soon! Fingers crossed.

In the meantime, I've been riding the same 2 miles behind our barn over and over. I'm up to a whopping 22 miles for the year.


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## ChasingDreams

A bit shorter ride last night, it’s getting to the time of year where the bugs are nearly intolerable at the quarry, especially at sunset when I like to ride  I decided to avoid the woods over there, and stick to the big field to get in a little lope or two.

Chase though, was SO good. Whatever “seasonal insanity” he was going through in the beginning of spring seems to have completely resolved. No balking, no rushing, nice and relaxed... even rode in the woods on a loose rein for a good bit. He was rating himself correctly, just perfect - I couldn’t have been more pleased with him. 









The deer are so tame around here, which is both neat and exasperating... because they wait until you are so close, to suddenly bound away which almost always causes a small jump startle lol 
























And of course, have to spend some time with the cows








Total 2019 miles ~ 118.9


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## QueenofFrance08

I'm a little behind due to being gone for classes for work but I spent the weekend camping with 3 of my riding friends and another joined us Saturday and rode Jake for me. We did 3 miles Friday evening (riding Chico and ponying Jake), 3 miles Saturday morning (me riding Jake), and 13 miles Saturday afternoon/evening (me riding Chico). The gnats were horrible but we had a ton of fun and my friend got Jake to cross 3 rivers!


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## mmshiro

It's Wednesday again, and time for my lesson, "How dedicated are you, really?" on Everest. It was his second-ever trail ride today, and to shake things up a little, we first went around the farm along the fence line next to the field. Ha, what a difference environment makes! We had a bird spook us flying out from a hedge (side jump, not "in-place"), we had a little bucking session when I asked him to trot (already had one of those in the arena during warm-up), and yet - once we hit the woods again, it was basically a repeat of last week's ride. He's still a klutz with roots and rocks, and at one point we were sliding down an exposed rock face as though he was on skates...  On the way home, he once tripped so badly that he actually went down onto his knees. His masterful rider kept him in balance at all times, though, and post-ride inspection revealed no blemishes or bruises. 

That same masterful rider, then, attempted to dismount while he was dipping his head for an itch. As I swung my right leg over to the left, my torso came forward, but there was no horse there to stop the forward momentum - down the left shoulder I went, knocked my head in the ground, which knocked my helmet forward and that, in turn, scraped the bridge of my glasses across the bridge of my nose. Bloody nose on the dismount after not even having a close call on one of the most challenging rides I've been on. On the way out to go home, I was asked whether I should sign another liability waiver. Harr-dee, harr-harr! 

His half brother, the one I was told I'd hop on today, is not ready to be mounted yet. I know, because I helped with a desensitizing session after my ride. He's okay with the weight (I could lie flat on the saddle if I wanted), but he's not okay with the visuals of someone above him, so we did a bit of "trainer holding him, me getting on and off the mounting block and doing stuff with my arms".


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## carshon

ouch! sorry about your nose @mmshiro. Glad you are OK


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## phantomhorse13

Last weekend, I went down to Virginia for the Old Dominion. The whole story is in my journal.
































 

2019 mileage
...
6/7 phin 49.68 miles 7097 ft climb 5.4 mph 78F *855.92 total miles*


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## Celeste

@mmshiro Every time I go to the eye doctor, he asks if I am the one that always is breaking glasses due to horse riding accidents. I almost took that same exact type of spill a few weeks ago when HWNN reached down to graze as I was dismounting.

Just as a matter of interest, I thought that I would mention something else about my eye doctor. He does the contact lenses for "The Walking Dead". There is another scary show that he does, but I forgot what it is.


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## weeedlady

Finally! My truck is fixed and I got to haul Raven out for a trail ride yesterday. It was short because the mud was really bad, but so sweet to finally take my horse somewhere new!
We rode for an hour and only got 2.74 miles. Raven wasted a lot of time because she likes to lead until she realizes she is leading. Then she stops and refuses to move forward. We need to work on that. Next time will be better I hope.
All in all a good day! Yay me. I now have a total of 24.5 miles. Pitiful, but it is what it is.


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## AndyTheCornbread

I haven't updated with any of my rides lately because they haven't been very interesting and mostly work related so I am sparing you the "yep saw a lot of trees and cows" rides :smile:

Today I wanted to scout an area for hunting in that is in the area behind the mountain the Lazy S 7 backs up against and then down around behind my place. I rode up in there until the canyon gets too brush choked and steep for me to want to go any further and then turned around and rode back. It was a nice ride, saw a bunch of deer, some moose scat, some bear scat, some wolf scat and a ton of snow shoe hares. I didn't bring anything to take pictures with but it is a very brushy and lush canyon so there really wasn't much for scenery anyway as you can't see very far at any given time. I did make an aerial and terrain image of the route though. It was 8.5-ish miles, maybe closer to 9 if you count all the looking around we did. It was a nice ride I wanted to scout and work on this horse not getting jiggy and up on longer rides and he did really well after he started to understand better what I wanted. Mostly it was just working on keeping his mind with me and not letting him get too far out around us in his head, while still remaining alert for potential problems. So got some good training in as well.


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## ChasingDreams

I rode last night, kind of short... well, because bugs are brutal and I just feel bad asking for more, with a cloud of deer flies and triangle flies and horse flies hovering overhead the minute we set hoof in the woods. 










Chase was very well behaved again. A little balking at the very start of the ride, but once we got moving he was fine.










Since the ride was short, I decided to try riding bareback in the arena. It’s been a while, since the last time I’d tried he tried to roll 

I left his bit/headstall on this time and that made a difference. He was much more agreeable and we even trotted bareback for the first time after some encouragement! After that, decided to end on a good note and let him go back to his pals in the field.

Total 2019 miles~ 122.52


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## Celeste

I had new shoes put on the horses Friday morning. It was extremely lot during the day, so I took a nap. I got out for a short ride in the evening. The horseflies were brutal. They hovered constantly around my horse. They really didn't bite because of all the swat and spray I put on her. It was dark when we got home.

Saturday morning it was beautiful. My friend came out at 9:30. It was a bit before 10:30 when we got on the trail. There were hardly any flies at that time. It seems kind of crazy what a difference the time of day made.

We had hoped to ride tonight, but the heat was unreal. I really wanted to ride, but it was heat stroke level heat. :sad:

Friday 2.9 miles
Saturday 3.4 miles

*Total for year 124.21 miles*


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## nohiogal

I went on my first major trail ride this weekend.

I have only had her out one other time on Christmas Day last year. It was a two mile, mostly flat, open road. She did well then and I was looking forward to getting her out again. I have been going on some small trails behind the barn and she seems to enjoy it but she also needs confidence, not only for her but myself as well.

I had mentioned to another boarder that goes out a lot on the trials if she needed a trail buddy some Saturday or Sunday that I would really like to go and she invited me to go Saturday.

She has a very seasoned older gelding (PB - Pretty Boy) who just recently decided my mare is his new girlfriend.

I have never been trail riding like this. All of previous times I have gone on trials they were fairly open and flat with some small hills here and there on a seasoned trail horse. The ones behind the barn a very small and mostly muddy at this point (please stop raining!).


I was in for a major trail ride shock. 

Several water crossings, steep rooted hills up and down, wooden bridges, logs, dismounting to walk around fallen trees that we could not ride over or under, steps up and down, mud and some small fairly decent flat areas. All deep in the woods. 4 mile loop! WOW.

I am so proud of myself and my little mare. Other than a balk at the very beginning crossing water, which we worked through fairly quickly, she carried me over and through it all. At the water crossing at the end she walked right in and splashed in it. 

Defiantly a challenge. On the way home she said “this is one of the easier of the trails”. I can’t wait to go again but wow what a ride. Holy Moly! 

I wanted to take pictures but we were on the go the entire time. Next time I will ask her to take some breaks so I can get some pictures.

This is my trusted steed Stella. She may be small (14.3) but she is my half-bred Arabian that I believe can take me anywhere!:biggrin:


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## weeedlady

@nohiogal Hi, I'm guessing from your name that you are here in Northern Ohio? So am I. All this rain has really put a damper (hahaha) on our trails so far this year.
Where did you ride? I'm always looking for new places to go.
We rode at Quail Hollow on Friday. It would have been a very nice ride - except for the mud.


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## kaylaV2019

I got to ride my gaited horse through a trail! he did great! a little hot but totally worth it! :runninghorse2: :cowboy:


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## PoptartShop

FINALLLLLLLLLLY went on a trail. To Fair Hill.  Did the yellow trail, it's my favorite. Also did some extra exploring.  About 4mi total.


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## nohiogal

weeedlady said:


> @*nohiogal* Hi, I'm guessing from your name that you are here in Northern Ohio? So am I. All this rain has really put a damper (hahaha) on our trails so far this year.
> Where did you ride? I'm always looking for new places to go.
> We rode at Quail Hollow on Friday. It would have been a very nice ride - except for the mud.


Wow, Yes I am in Northern Ohio. Quail Hollow is fairly close to us, I live in Springfield Township. Hubby and I went to Quail Hollow last fall, we are always looking for good fishing spots. 

We rode at the Wetmore Trail in Peninsula.

I went to West Branch on Christmas day but the trails are closed in the winter so we just walked the road to the horse camp and back. It was a nice open graveled fairly flat ride. I am not sure about the actual trails at West Branch. Hoping to get there this year. The person I went riding with Saturday goes there and camps a lot. She also helps maintain the trails. I meant to ask her how those trails are but forgot to ask. 

I know there are trails at Walborn too. We actually were going to go there Christmas Day but the gate was closed so we went to West Branch.


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## charrorider

Had the rare opportunity to ride twice this past week. Rode a little over 17 miles. Here's from Friday's ride. Hopefully, I'll go over the century mark in miles before this month is over. But is raining, again. 9 miles, avg speed 3.6, max speed 13 mph.


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## QueenofFrance08

Another 25 mile LD this weekend. Was hoping to do 2 days but the cables on Chico's front Renegades snapped during the first loop so he had to go 5 miles barefoot on the rockiest trails we ride and then do the 2nd loop with too small boots on which resulted in some rubs. Pretty ride and not 96 degrees like last year so it was fun!

Rough Estimate of Mileage 207.5

AERC LD Miles for 2019 Season: 100

UMECRA Miles for 2019 Season: 112.5 (includes novice/competitive trail)


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## csimkunas6

Finally got to ride and explore the road a bit! Cattle guards are at quite a few places along our road, but after going and looking, there are gates at each of them! We went to the end of the road and back! Rodeo hasnt been on a solo trail ride in probably 2years! He was great! 

Colstrip Montana.....got about 3mi in!


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## phantomhorse13

Today, I got George out. Kestrel came, too. The whole story is in my journal.



















2019 mileage
...
6/17 george 5.55 miles 901 ft climb 4.3 mph 75F *861.47 total miles*


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## gunslinger

No rides here for the last couple of weeks. Glad everyone's able to get out and enjoy the great outdoors.


Kitchen remodel is almost done, just need the countertop on the island which should be installed end of this week or first of next week.....and then the new lighting will go in.....this has went slow.....and I'll sure be glad when it's done.


Ticks have been bad here this year.....spray down with deet!


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## egrogan

@gunslinger, love to hear about a kitchen remodel wrapping up- we are about to launch into one and I know it's going to take twice as long as they expect. They have promised us it will be done "before the snow flies."

It was the opposite of a snowy day here yesterday, and Fizz's scratches are nearly gone (one small scruffy patch left, but not big enough not to ride). We headed out for a couple of miles on the road. Having not been ridden the past couple of weeks, the hills were a good workout right off the bat, but she did great! 









We had one small spook...at this flat rock in the middle of the road, aka _obvious horse eating portal to the netherworld_. We rode an "out and back" route, so she shied at it on the way out, and this was passing it on the way home. You can tell from her body language that she was giving it the side eye the second time around :rofl:









Look closely in the top left corner, in the blue sky above her ear- that's just one of the swarm of deer flies that harassed us the whole way. Hate those things!









Rain forecast is iffy for later today, but there's a chance we can get out again this afternoon.

*Total 2019 miles: 16.92*


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## AndyTheCornbread

csimkunas6 said:


> Finally got to ride and explore the road a bit! Cattle guards are at quite a few places along our road, but after going and looking, there are gates at each of them! We went to the end of the road and back! Rodeo hasnt been on a solo trail ride in probably 2years! He was great!
> 
> Colstrip Montana.....got about 3mi in!



There should always be a gate at every cattle guard otherwise you could never move cattle anywhere in the state without a trailer. If you live anywhere near an Amish community they are often better to roadside ride in because they tear out all the cattle guards so they can get from place to place without having to work gates all the time.


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## ChasingDreams

Rode last night, though Chase was in one of his “moods” right off the bat. Was refusing to back or even STOP, and very persistently balked at the gate closest to the barn where he doesn’t usually have that much of an issue.

So, instead of focusing on the trails we spent some time on the lane really working his yield, woah, and back at intervals. And walking back and forth through each gate several times. Once he started to give and respond quickly when I asked, I turned into the top woods for a little respite. After that, did one last loop around the front field and back through the initial “trouble” gate for good measure, and when he didn’t blink at it that time.. decided to call it a good lesson day, hose him off, and turn him out. 

Ended up going 3.5 miles, but much of it was circles and back and forth on the lane.










Total 2019 miles~126.09



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## csimkunas6

AndyTheCornbread said:


> There should always be a gate at every cattle guard otherwise you could never move cattle anywhere in the state without a trailer. If you live anywhere near an Amish community they are often better to roadside ride in because they tear out all the cattle guards so they can get from place to place without having to work gates all the time.


That makes sense! The only cattle guard I had seen prior to theses had a cattle guard with the gate underneath it, no other way into the pasture...guess they only used trailers to get their livestock in/out.


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## mmshiro

Exciting ride again on my pal Everest - third time on the trail. At my request, we took him around the field again, and this time I let him trot along a slight uphill portion of the path. If there is anything I have learned to do cold with Hamlet, it's trotting a nervous horse, balancing his desire to move forward with my desire to keep the adrenaline limited, while absorbing plenty of lateral evasive maneuvers. The issue today: flecks of little, ground-covering, purple flowers. Yup, best to avoid those, because the are known to dissolve hooves and eat the fallen horse! Oh, and he tripped again (as in "down to his knees") - not over roots, but on flat ground, in the field. Other than that, perfectly fine ride: most times we led, sometimes we followed. Muddy patches are still scary as well - unless you encounter them (the same) on the way home - then they're not noteworthy. Grazed him again after the ride, and he rolled in the grass next to me...I'd like to think that implies a certain amount of trust on his part.

I helped once more with desensitizing Everest's half-brother. His issue: Someone suddenly getting taller by either stepping on the mounting block or - you better not at this point - mounting him _and_ sitting up. Trainer held him, I did the "work." Since he has no issue either with ground-level (i.e. "short") people, nor with putting the mounting block next to him, I ended up stepping on the mounting block while keeping my head at the same height, thus slightly squatting. I then put a foot in the stirrup (which he tolerates nicely as long as you're "short") and, while rubbing him, use my other leg to slowly get to full height. I got him to stand quiet on both sides with me fully upright and a foot in the stirrup, when I called the lesson quits, and trainer asked if I could come back tomorrow to do another session. That's quite exciting and educational to be a (useful) part of the training process.


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## weeedlady

^^^^Oh yes, purple flowers are scary^^^We have encountered them also.


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## ChasingDreams

I didn’t “trail” ride yesterday, but my butt was in the saddle so I’ll share...

So, forcast said 40% chance of rain at 8pm. So around 5pm I’m on my way to the barn... and by the time I get there, it’s raining.

I decided to brush him and see, and after brushing and tacking the rain stopped but the clouds were still ominous. Since I wasn’t sure if it was going to start again, I decided we would just go mosey around the pasture and see if we could find the grazing muzzle he’d lost this week.

Walking up to the pasture, Chase is snorting and jumpy and side-eyeing all over the place... and I am so confused. Umm... don’t you live in this pasture, crazy horse? Then it starts to rain again, and he completely loses his marbles. Whole body shaking, tossing his head, and repeatedly trying to turn and bolt from the pasture.

At that point his anxiety was a bit more than I’m comfortable dealing with in the saddle, so I hop down and lead him out of the pasture... spinning him around me occasionally as he tries to jump and run forward. 

Thinking the rain was maybe the issue, we walked to the arena and I got back on and worked in the ring in the rain for a little. He’s rock solid, no spooking... no bolting. And now it’s raining steadily, and I’m even more confused.

After a little, the rain stopped and he was still perfectly fine... so, we went back up to the pasture to try again. This time, he’s still a little nervous and looky/ spooking in place, but not near as bad as the first try. We make a full loop around the perimeter for good measure, and then head back to the barn.

As I was walking into the barn, BM arrived for evening chores. I told her what happened, and she tells me there was a huge flock of noisy birds up there earlier in the day, that had all of the horses completely worked up and nearly pushing down the fence when she brought them in out of the heat earlier. She said she’s never seen them so wound up.

So now, everything makes sense. The birds were gone by the time we got up there... but he was still looking for them [emoji23]


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## phantomhorse13

didn't you know.. purple flowers can hide carnivorous birds..


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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! The whole story is in my journal.



















2019 mileage
...
6/19 george 6.02 miles 857 ft climb 4.4 mph 86F *867.49 total miles*


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## knightrider

Just got back from an unusual camping trip. We had planned it to be @LoriF, @4horses, and me, but LoriF had other things she had to do and 4horses got sick. So I decided to camp at Oleno by myself, close to home.

There were several reasons why I wasn't sure whether to go. Some thunderstorms were predicted, I would be camping by myself, and the day before, Isabeau was acting like she didn't feel well. Isabeau never gets sick or lame, so I was checking on her every hour.

But, the weather report improved--there was to be only one thunderstorm at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday and cloudy and cool on Thursday, but no storms, Isabeau started moving around better and eating, and I've done a bunch of solo camping, and it is fun in its own way, so at the last minute, I went.

Oleno has this ridiculous system where you have to drive 20 minutes the wrong way to another camping place (that doesn't allow horses) to pay, and then drive 20 minutes back to the horse area. When I arrived to pay, I discovered the one thing I had forgotten was my purse! So poor Chorro had to ride around in the trailer for an extra hour while I drove back home and got my money.

But finally I arrived and set up camp. 4horses had gotten some rest, was feeling better, and decided to join me for a ride. By the time we were ready to ride, the skies opened up. Instead of getting one ordinary thunderstorm at 1:00 p.m., as predicted, we got one downpour every hour. We did manage two delightful 20 minute rides between the storms, getting soaking wet each time.

Then the radar showed big globs of storms for the entire afternoon, and 4horses went home . . . but was kind enough to leave her horse Paris so that my Chorro wouldn't feel so anxious alone in the barn. There was not another living soul in the campground or 20 horse barn, so it was a bit creepy.

I was so restless, having looked forward to hours and piles of riding. There was nothing I could do with rain pouring down, so I climbed into my comfortable gooseneck and had a nice sleep.

At 6:00 p.m., the radar showed the storms would be over, and 4horses planned to drive out and ride again. I saddled Chorro and enjoyed solo another one of those 20 minute jaunts until the skies opened up in torrents.

At 8:00 p.m., it really did look like the rain was done (for now) so 4horses did come. I really do salute her for being such a hardy soul to brave the many rainstorms and then drive out at dusk when she was not feeling well.

And we got the most wonderful amazing ride. The stars came out, it got dark, and we rode on and on, having such a grand time.

Because of the rain, the air was cool and lovely for sleeping.

In the morning, the sky was fresh washed clear blue, and I could hardly wait to do one of those long LOOOONG trail rides that 4horses loves to do (if you suggest going in, she says, "Let's go on this trail here. It will take us back, but just a bit longer." Ha ha, quite a bit longer, but so much fun, we all love it)

No campfire, no cooking, nothing to do but scoop up poop the moment that horses made any. I was so eager to ride, and I knew 4horses was still sick and probably would not be bouncing out of bed at 7:00 a.m. since we got back so late the night before. So I saddled up Chorro and headed out on my own.

We came across a mama sow and her numerous piglets. I've been told by several people that sow mommies with babies are the only truly dangerous wild pigs on the trail. Usually pigs run from the horses, but this mama was not budging as we inched closer and closer. Finally I decided it was better to be wise than brave, and we turned back and headed down a different trail.

4horses arrived around 9:30 and by then, it was clouding up and looking like yet another storm was brewing. But we headed out, determined to enjoy the trails. And we certainly did. We had such a grand ride, so much fun. We got rained on once and thoroughly wet, but that just kept us from getting too hot. Chorro and Paris were in lovely form and we just rode on and on. I had the Endomondo running, and we rode close to 9 miles.

Finally we decided we were in for a really big storm, so we reluctantly headed back, got all packed up (easy, already mostly done while waiting out the other storms), and got hit with the deluge driving home. 

Was I glad I went? Absolutely. Great camping trip. Even standing in the barn watching the wall of water coming down was pretty dramatic and interesting. 4horses is just the best riding companion you could ask for, likewise, LoriF, when we are lucky enough to get her. LoriF, 4horses, and I are already looking forward to the next one!


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## PoptartShop

I did enjoy my trail ride last weekend...but haven't been riding since, because...MOTHER NATURE. :sad: It has rained all week. Supposed to be nice tonight & all weekend though, so hoping to ride tonight. Trails are a no-no this weekend, as we've had so much rain, they will take a bit to dry but hey, at least I'll be able to ride!

Love the pictures, everyone!


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## whisperbaby22

With a new phone and grey skies, my photo is not to good, but I do plan to take more photos this summer, when the sun hits I can usually get a few good ones in.


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## lb27312

Went for a nice quick ride today only about 6 miles.. 2 hours... it was a nice relaxing ride, just rode my old guy with halter, my friend asked if I had forgot my bridle, I said nope just wanted to do something different... Next few weekends are going to be camping and riding.


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## SueC

Hello everyone! :wave: It's nice to see people getting their summer riding in. I've not posted here a while because I have just been doing the usual local trails you've already seen photos of, and didn't want to do "repeats". When I do trails I've not documented here before, I'll take my camera. That was supposed to happen earlier, but 6 weeks ago I had a stress fracture - I was able to ride with it fine, but didn't want to go too far afield because coming off with a stress fracture may get you a real fracture, which is painful and disabling and you really don't want to be having one of those far from home, do you, @knightrider? (I don't know how you got home that time, but when there is no alternative, I guess we just do what we have to do. :shock

And then 2 weeks ago, my husband and I both got influenza - despite DH's flu shot - a strain that wasn't covered. We've not had flu for about a decade; last time we had it, we had that swine flu, which wasn't as bad as this one, but was really long-lasting - every time you thought you were over it, it came back, and this went on for months. Any of you ever had that strain? Anyway, with this current flu, my husband was home for two weeks because he ended up with viral bronchitis (as have I). So, no exposure to cold air for the last two weeks, as it's winter here... so outdoors curtailed, to warmest days and hours only.

I've managed to ride about three times a week regardless, on our own place and our south neighbour's. This afternoon, the sun was out and I had a nice ride down through our valley floor, through the neighbour's gate and through his valley floor, the one I took the photo of the Christmas tree in blossom for this thread in summer:



At the end of the bushland, there's a road; we turn right on the grassy track and zoom up a big hill there. Today, Sunsmart zoomed at race gallop and was highly exuberant.  Then we were in open pasture, with about 40 cows with calves, who were intrigued to see us. We walked and trotted amongst those, and then eventually up the bush track that led back to our gate. At our place, we went up the ridge as I had boots on the horse, and then the long way home, through all sorts of little tracks. Great fun - and he got a handful of sultanas for a special treat after. :apple:

I regret I don't have any new photos of the horse, and will substitute one of Ben being cute, and one of a nice summer flan I made a while back. You're in summer now, so berry season is nigh... this is what we did with our spare boysenberries. It's a classic fruit flan with a special oatmeal-nut crust I make, and a custard filling, and then fruit piled on. Aaaaand you eat it with extra cream! 





@Celeste, have you seen _Pride & Prejudice & Zombies_? Just thinking, with the contact lenses your specialist makes!  There are some lovely horses in that film too. But best of all is Darcy's first proposal scene! :rofl:

@knightrider, your camping stories always make me wish I had a :tardis:...

@AndyTheCornbread, moose scats, bear scats, wolf scats...  I've only got kangaroos and emus to report on here! 

@ChasingDreams, how nice that your horse is getting more settled on average! Imagine where you'll be in a year.

@mmshiro, I expect to see a photo with Icelandic ears here sometime! Maybe years hence, but still... ;-)

Hoping everyone had a great weekend! :cowboy:


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## SueC

...I  this photo, @ChasingDreams - the light, the framing, the landscape, it's wonderful, and sort of encapsulates why I love trail riding:










And this is super, @knightrider:










Also, beautiful horses, @knightrider and @LoriF!










- and @LoriF, I loooove your big poodles. I had one like that black one for two years as a kid, before we moved to Australia. They're such wonderful dogs - super intelligent and adventurous, love water, and don't shed hair everywhere! 

And this one, @phantomhorse13:










...like you arrived in this world on horseback! ;-)

And this one, @Celeste:










...stopping the brain from boiling is an excellent thing... 

And this one, @csimkunas6:










The horse, and those clouds...

And this one, @PoptartShop:










...so summery... nice to have trail photos from you...

And this one, @egrogan:










...soooo relaxed! 

...just a selection of photos that really popped out at me. You're all way cool.  What a great group.


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## knightrider

Quote from @SueC
[quote a stress fracture may get you a real fracture, which is painful and disabling and you really don't want to be having one of those far from home, do you, @knightrider ? (I don't know how you got home that time, but when there is no alternative, I guess we just do what we have to do. )][/quote]

Ah yes, I came off Chorro a long ways from home. I made the mistake of holding on to the reins when I came off because I did not want to walk home. Chorro was young back then, and when he hit the end of the reins, he began to drag me on my stomach a few feet. Seeing his monkey dragging towards him after being badly spooked was just too much for him. He spun around and bolted for home. On spinning around, he caught me in the ribs with the hind feet, cracking 4 of them. I had to walk home 3 miles with 4 cracked ribs. . . in riding boots. It was almost impossible, but I had to do it. One foot in front of the other, just keep putting one foot in front of the other. It was so so hard.


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## egrogan

I nearly always ride solo, but this weekend I had buddies both Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday was a happy coincidence, I was getting ready to head out alone when two neighbors came strolling down the road and asked if I wanted to join them. So off we went into the beautiful Vermont summer:


















Today I had a planned meet-up with another woman who lives down the road. Another glorious day:


















This was the first time my horse has been out with any of these horses, and she did great! I was joking that after this weekend, every time I tack her up now, she's going to think that hunky geldings just appear on the road to meet her :rofl:

*Total 2019 miles: 26.6*


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## Celeste

It has been forever since I have opened my computer. I just caught up reading this thread.

@SueC Thanks for compiling those pictures. They are a great collection!

@mmshiro I have found that when a horse survives a fall to nose and knees, he tends to pay more attention to where he is going and less to demon possessed purple flowers. I hope that is the case with the horse that you are riding.

I rode Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (today)

I have a new best friend riding buddy. She is a blast to ride with. She rode with me Friday and Saturday and we had so much fun! We had to keep the rides slow a lot of the way due to the mud, but we were able to canter a bit.

A different friend that hasn't ridden in years came out today. We also had fun. It was dangerously wet as far as fast gaits go and she is a beginner, so we just walked along. It made me nervous when she handed me her epipen in case she got stung by bees. But there were no bees. 

We also have a new resident pet (wild) bunny that lives in the yard. It is amazing how close he lets us get to him.

June 21 * 3.4 miles*
June 22 *4.6 miles*
June 23 *2.9 miles
*

*Total: 135.11 miles*


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## weeedlady

we've finally had 4 days of decent weather-enough to dry up some of the flooding and mud. I took a friend and her horse to Cleveland MetroParks Brecksville Reservation. We rode 5 1/2 miles. Not much, but enough for the horses' first time out this year.
That puts me at 30 ytd. still pitiful, but it is what it is. :|


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## carshon

I too was able to ride this weekend. Even thought the forecast called for scattered thunderstorms my daughter and I rode on Saturday. I had a guilty twinge as the old friend I had reconnected with had let me know she had the weekend off and was available to ride every day - and I did not tell her we were riding. Daughter was reluctant to ask her along as she wanted to gait quite a bit and new friend has a gaited horse but does not like her to gait. So we opted not to call new friend and rode just the 2 of us. Started off rocky as DD's mare was too forward and the first time we gaited she would not stop- just kept gaiting faster and faster taking DD under low branches etc. Finally get her stopped and DD is miffed and talking of selling this horse (we warned her green horses are a lot of work - and this summer has not been riding friendly) and she rides bitless which I think is a mistake. But we forged ahead and gaited quite a bit more - Sawyer remembered how to stop and how to gait nicely. It was a good ride. I was scheduled to ride with new friend yesterday but it was misting when I left church and she said the forecast called for rain on and off all day and she opted not to ride. So I worked on things around here in preparation for our hay to be cut and baled this week. And of course it did not rain the rest of the day! But we did have our first really humid day and it is supposed to be hot and humid all week.


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## egrogan

@*Celeste* , at our previous house, we had a lovely wild rabbit who lived under my neighbor's wood pile (and raised a little family there). S/he loved to come hang out with my chickens. We affectionately referred to it as "bunnykins" :grin:









@*weedlady* , I'm right where you are mileage wise so understand your frustration! At least the miles are heading up for both of us now, finally. Happy trails!

@*carshon* , must be a relief to be able to get hay in. Glad you got some riding time, even though training rides can be "interesting."


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## QueenofFrance08

Two good rides for me this weekend!

Saturday I took Chico to the park by our house alone (DH was out of town) and we did all of the trails for a total of 8.63 miles. We didn't push our speed too much since he is currently barefoot until I figure out how to replace the cables on his Renegades or get the farrier out for shoes but we had a lot of fun.

Sunday when DH got home I convinced him to go with me to the park (something about "You haven't ridden your horse in a month" guilt) and we did the one longer trail for 6.01 miles. I rode Chico again and he brought Comet who was fairly well behaved for an in shape horse that has just had a month off. We ran into the trainer who trained Stitch for us when we first got her and he said they could fit Lilo into their training schedule!

14.64 miles brings my estimate to 222 for the year!


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## Celeste

weeedlady said:


> That puts me at 30 ytd. still pitiful, but it is what it is. :|


At least you are riding. We are not competing against each other. I am just trying to better my last year's numbers.

Nobody here can compete with @phantomhorse13 and @knightrider. 

It is just fun to post miles so that you know that you are riding.


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## knightrider

I am certainly not competing. I get so many miles because I live in Florida and am retired and my health is good. Typically, Florida rains last an hour or two, and I can ride when it isn't raining because I am retired. Also, I do Pasos for Pleasure for fun and keep track of my riding hours to submit to that. Even that isn't a competition because you don't win anything--it's just for fun.

I am also lucky because I have 4 fine trail horses and friends to ride with sometimes and fun places to trailer off to ride and camp. For a long time I didn't have those things, and I do appreciate getting to have them.


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## weeedlady

Oh I know it's not a competition, lol. I also track my miles for Ohio Horseman's Council and my own personal satisfaction. Just wish I was able to do more! 
I did ride again today for another 5 miles. 35 ytd.
Tucker was pretty laid back today, so I was able to get the camera out


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## egrogan

I think this is the first time all year I've ridden three days in a row! Summer here is so fleeting, you have to take advantage of every nice day. So, I squeezed in a lunchtime ride yesterday.



















Picking up something interesting on the breeze- she was sniffing the air like a dog and very intrigued by whatever it was!









*Total 2019 miles: 28.9*


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I got Phin out for a mosey with Kestrel. The whole story is in my journal. 



















Today, the ground was finally dry enough to be able to ride around Alimar! I took George out with Kestrel for a leg stretch to start.










Then I ponied Link for the first time!










2019 mileage
...
6/25 phin 4.34 miles 649 ft climb 4.1 mph 90F 871.83 total miles
6/26 george 5.43 miles 485 ft climb 4.6 mph 92F *877.26 total miles*


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## knightrider

*A Misadventure*

This morning I had waaaay more adventure than I ever wanted.

My neighbor goes through horses like toilet paper. He decided his current horse, Danny, makes his back ache, so he was thinking about trading Danny for another Paso Fino that he learned about.

I suggested that before he trade away his quiet, safe, kind gelding, who doesn't mind living alone in a pen, he ride one of my horses that doesn't make my back ache. If his back aches riding my horse, then he would know it wasn't Danny causing his back ache, but just getting old.

So we headed off with me riding Danny and L riding my safe sane Acicate. Acicate used to belong to L, but he didn't like the way Aci reared and bucked when asked to do things he didn't want to do. I got that misbehavior out of Aci a long time ago, and now he is decently behaved for anyone, just a little opinionated.

So, L was really enjoying Aci. Danny didn't ring my chimes, but he was good enough. Didn't make my back ache.

We got to a hill, and I asked L if he wanted to canter up the hill. He did. I asked Danny for a canter and he swung right into the canter. Halfway up the hill, Danny started galloping strongly, but it didn't worry me. At the top of the hill, I asked Danny to slow down, and he was having none of it. He galloped faster and harder. We were in a fairly open area, so I brought him around in a circle (or tried to). And yes, a horse can gallop flat out with his nose in your knee. Danny didn't slow down in the slightest, just ran with his head cranked. I was shocked. Danny is so gentle and quiet normally. He stands like a rock to be mounted and dismounted. Stops and stands quietly.

His blood was up and he was running for all he was worth. Bucking and rearing don't bother me all that much, but the one thing that makes my blood run cold is being run away with. I get really scared . . . and I was! Danny was galloping through brush and tangled underbrush, gopher tortoise holes and pine scrub. When I pulled on the reins, I got nothing--wood, iron, no response. I could turn him ever so slightly, but he was running for all he was worth. I hoped my neighbor L was managing OK with Aci somewhere back on the trail. I was headed for Georgia.

I was so scared, but I kept reminding myself that I am perfectly capable of staying on a galloping horse. The area where we were riding was miles and miles of trails and pine scrub. Sooner or later the dad blamed horse would tire . . . if only he didn't catch a hoof on a fallen branch or go into a gopher tortoise hole. After about a mile, Danny did tire and I was able to stop him. The minute I eased up on the reins, he took off again, but he was tired enough that I could circle him into tighter and tighter circles until finally I could get him to walk.

Now, to find L and Aci. I had no idea where I was. I just headed Danny back to where I thought Aci might be. Sooner or later we were bound to come across a trail and from that trail hopefully I could find my friend. And I did. L was on the ground and Aci was gone. 

When Danny bolted, Aci tried to bolt too, and when L turned him, he began spinning crazily, which caused the saddle to turn and L fell off.

So, here we are, 3 miles from home. I wished L could ride Danny home while I looked for Aci, but we had switched saddles, and I knew from previous rides that L could not ride in my saddle. We tried that already and it really hurt his back. So he started walking and I rode Danny alongside him.

After a while, he thought I should head home on Danny because Aci had probably run home and I should get him before he got tangled in the reins or perhaps the saddle was underneath his belly.

I hated leaving L, who is somewhat frail, but he was on the trail and knew the way home, so I let Danny move out at his fast paced walk and headed home. Ironically, Danny was calm, cool, and poised in a quiet fast walk all the way home, the Danny I know. I put Danny away and hurried to my house to hopefully collect and untangle Aci. 

But when I got home, no Aci wasn't there. I kept thinking to myself, "Aci is a survivor. He'll be fine." But he wasn't.

I went inside and got my cell phone. I called L to see how he was managing. He suggested I get his golf cart and come pick him up. I had never driven a golf cart, but he talked me through it. I drove it the two miles back to where he was walking and picked him up. Then we headed out to where Danny had galloped to look for Aci. We couldn't find him anywhere. I was worried that he had gotten tangled up in his reins and had fallen somewhere in the scrub where we couldn't see him.

We searched a good sized area for about an hour. Then I called my daughter, hoping Aci might have made it home by then. She went out to look by the gate. No Aci.

Happily she looked on the other side, which is fenced off with barbed wire on the other side, and he had gotten into my other neighbor's yard. He either ran about a half mile the wrong way and jumped a barbed wire fence or else he jumped two barbed wire fences to get where he was. He does like to jump and is not afraid of jumping. It never occurred to me he would/could get through those fences to get on that side. But he did.

My daughter went through the people gate and got him, led him down the neighbor's yard and driveway, out to the road, and up our long driveway.

Super no fun adventure, but nobody got hurt and all horses and tack were unscathed except for some scratches on the tack. My riding fly mask wasn't even torn.


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## egrogan

@knightrider!!!  No fun indeed. SO glad to hear you, your friend, and horses were ok. That is really scary. I'm very grateful it all ended ok. Just yesterday I ordered an ID tag to attach to Fizz so she can be identified in the event we get separated- there are so many houses with horses where we ride, I could see her ending up in someone's yard and it would be nice to have a way for them to find me if needed. I'm just so glad no one was hurt on your ride. Does this mean Danny is definitely going now!?

I had a highly _uneventful _ride before work this morning. Went about 5 miles in the nice summer weather, mostly on the roads with a little cooling out through the fields. Deer flies are quite bad right now.


















*Total 2019 miles: 33.5*


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## ChasingDreams

@knightrider I wasn’t sure if I wanted to “like” your story, but since everyone turned out OK in the end, I figured it was appropriate. How scary though! 

Chase and I rode briefly last night, but my lord the flies were AWFUL. It’s to the point where it’s uncomfortable to be in the woods at all. If anyone has some magic bug-repellent ideas (for deer flies, horse flies, and those triangle flies) I’m all ears! I’m trying to figure out a way we can ride without being eaten alive...

Rode only about 2 miles, I messed up my tracker (never ended the session so it was still running when I got home ) so you’ll have to take my word for it 

Total 2019 miles ~ 128.09


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## rambo99

ChasingDreams said:


> @knightrider I wasn’t sure if I wanted to “like” your story, but since everyone turned out OK in the end, I figured it was appropriate. How scary though!
> 
> Chase and I rode briefly last night, but my lord the flies were AWFUL. It’s to the point where it’s uncomfortable to be in the woods at all. If anyone has some magic bug-repellent ideas (for deer flies, horse flies, and those triangle flies) I’m all ears! I’m trying to figure out a way we can ride without being eaten alive...
> 
> Rode only about 2 miles, I messed up my tracker (never ended the session so it was still running when I got home ) so you’ll have to take my word for it
> 
> Total 2019 miles ~ 128.09
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


We have the same issue horse flies and deer flies are literally swarming. Got headlamps that can be put on riding helmet. We head out just as sun is going down..horse's do just fine. There is no repellent to keep the horse flies and deer flies away. 

Need to be real familiar with trails and footing though. But its way nicer at night no deer flies or horse flies. Just mosquitoes but easy to repel them.


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## charrorider

First chance to ride in 13 days. The heat index was 109 F (42.8 C). So considering, it was the first ride in temps that high, we went for only a 7 mile ride (4.3 kilometers?), at 3.4 average mph and 13.4 mph top speed. Ibn is a tough little horse. Even at 19, he could've handled a lot more.


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## charrorider

We, too have deer and horse flies. Plus ticks. And the trails are about to get loaded with spider webs. As far as keeping those critters off the horses. I don't like to use anything oily because my horses are outside 24/7 and it gets dry and dusty in the summer. The best I've found is a home remedy containing apple cider vinegar. But that will last no more than 2 hours, if it has some dishwashing soap. If it doesn't have dishwashing soap, it won't even last an hour.


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## charrorider

It appears my brain was temporarily roasted by the heat, as 7 miles is more like 11 kilometers. And my average speed was 5.5 km and 21.7 km for top speed. Sorry.


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## Celeste

@knightrider I only liked your post because everyone is ok. It is really cool that you rode that awful ride out. You are an inspiration to me. 

I think that old Danny Boy needs to go to someone who has flexible bones and nerves of steel. 

I got in a 2.9 mile ride this morning before the heat hit too badly. It was under 85 by the time we got back. A deer bounded out in front of us and the horses spooked in place. My friend looked like she was going to come unseated, but she stayed on. I tried getting a picture of the deer because it stopped and stared at us. My mare wiggled so badly that all I got was pictures of where the deer was not plus a lot of blur. 

2.9 today
*138 miles for the year so far. *


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## Cordillera Cowboy

The other day I took the little horse out for our longest ride yet. We were out for about 3 hours at an easy walk. I started out planning to only explore the newly cut road uphill from our place. But we'd had an all day, all night rain and the morning was nice and cool. We turned downhill where the new road meets the older one, and headed towards the barangay of Bintawan in Villa Verde, the municipality adjacent to ours. 


Most of the ride was through farmland. We stopped for a look at a neighbor's charcoal pit. From the dragon fruit farm, we could look back at our place and see the roofs of our garage and barn. At the next farm, we stopped to admire the view of their lake. At the bottom of the mountain there is a large commercial poultry operation. After that, we began to encounter more people and traffic. 


Mothers brought their babes out to see the _kabalyo. _Some folks try their English out on me. Phrases I think folks have memorized from school. I most often hear "Where are you going?''


We turned onto the main thoroughfare in the barangay proper. The horse has remained calm around cars, motorcycles, tricycles, yapping dogs, and curious kids. But this was our first foray into heavy traffic. She didn't like it. I could feel she was tense, and rather than spook, she simply tried to speed up. Not the best thing to do when there is a big truck passing on your left, and a parked SUV on the right. But she remained obedient and tolerated the noise and commotion. A young lady took our photo with her cell phone. I suspect it's making the rounds on Facebook by now. 


We turned off of the main road onto the one that leads back to Solano, and our barangay of San Juan. The population and the traffic thinned out again. But we did get to play tag with a beer truck making deliveries to all the little _sari-sari_ stores along the way. 


By the time we got to the big hill leading up to our ranch, she was tired. I dismounted and we walked up the hill together. I remounted for the last, mostly level, kilometer back to the corral. She got a good long rubdown before being turned back out into the pasture.


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## AndyTheCornbread

I took one of my newer horses out today for a just under 6 mile ride today. We ran into two fairly large bears on the ride so I now I know how this guy will react to bears. He acts just the way I want a horse to act around bears, alert, watchful but not spooky. He let me know there was a bear both times before I was aware of it, which is also what I want from a horse. My hearing is [email protected] from heavy machine gun fire in the Marine Corps so I want the horse to let me know when there is something around, but not spook on me. The bears were feeding about 500 yards apart in heavy timber. Pretty sure they weren't aware of each other, that is just a fairly bear heavy area behind my house this time of year because it is dark and wet and grows berries of various types. Other than that the ride was uneventful, just the usual deer, gophers, and birds. Here are an aerial and terrain view of where I went. I didn't feel like trailering him anywhere so I just rode out from the house.


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## Celeste

@AndyTheCornbread What tracking program are you using? Your maps look nice.


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## AndyTheCornbread

I just upload the tracks from my GPS to my computer and then put them into OnX maps: https://www.onxmaps.com/ I use them because it gives me land ownership as well as topo and aerial.


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## AndyTheCornbread

I should probably mention that because my regular job as a computer engineer is in a field that does a lot of GIS based engineering I also have all of the ESRI ArcDesktop stuff on my laptop to be able to manipulate imagery and data from GPS and such as well so for instance I pull all the numbered points out of my GPS tracks etc. before I stick them in OnX so they don't clutter up the image etc. and I can insert points to smooth curves etc. if my GPS wasn't pinging often enough to produce smooth curves in places along my route where I went faster and so on. I maintain an online map of all my regular routes so I can give it to folks who want to ride in this area so they don't get lost and so they stay off private property. That ride I did yesterday does cross the very edge of two pieces of bordering private land but I have permission to cross both places for recreation purposes. And both places have given me permission to hunt on them as well but in my online map I mark out the private property so people using it know not to take any of those routes that do cross private ranch land unless they get permission from the owners.


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## charrorider

Last day in June and I was able to get my fifth ride for this month. Five rides in the month of June is 4 more rides than I got in the first 3 months of 2019. It has finally stop raining. Although, it is surprising how many low spots in the woods are still wet. But it has gotten hot. Today was similar to Thursday, temps around 94-95, humidity in the high 50% to low 60%. It all added up to a heat index of 109 F (43 C), just like Thursday. We (Ibn and I) went 8.6 miles (14 km). We took a trail that is less rocky so our average speed was slightly higher, 4 mph (6.5 km). Top speed, 12.7 mph (20.5 km). No pics; my cell phone is kaput.


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## knightrider

Today I rode with my neighbor trying out a new horse because his Paso Fino Danny appears to hurt his rider's back. The new mare was fairly hot, but had a nice nature. I wish he didn't keep getting new horses but stick with the problems of the ones he has . . . on the other hand, there are some horses that make my back sore and others that never do, so I can understand why he'd like a different horse.

Before he tried out the new horse, we rode 2 hours with me on my beloved Chorro and him on Danny with a stronger hackamore. Danny was calm and quiet as he normally is. I really have no clue why he took off with me and refused to stop last Thursday.

June totals: 58 hours, 191.4 miles
Year total to date: 364.5 hours, 1202.85 miles


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## egrogan

@charrorider, I too am finally getting into a good riding routine now that the weather is cooperative. In the past two weeks, I've nearly doubled the miles I'd done all year (not saying much, but still makes me happy).

Did a short, "quicker" ride on Saturday (2.56 miles, average speed 4.4mph), and our longest ride to date today (6.53 miles). I have a new riding friend who knows all the trails in the area, so today she showed me a lovely loop to ride through a large private cattle farm that has given local riders permission to use their farm roads and trails. My horse is so used to going out and back the same route, I think we sort of blew her mind by riding a loop. It was so funny to watch it "click" for her that we were nearing home, though coming from a different direction than usual. The weather today wasn't very nice, but we timed our ride almost perfectly, riding for a couple of hours but missing the thunderstorms that rolled through before and after. Even though the skies looked sinister, we didn't get wet at all.




























*Total 2019 miles: 42.56*


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## lb27312

Went camping this weekend.... The first pic shows a house that I pretend is mine and I'm riding up to it... the husband built bridle trails throughout their property. The first day it was just 2 of us, we rode 7.92 miles the weather was beautiful... saw a snake(second pic). Second day a group came up for a day ride and we rode up to this fire tower that's there... 8.34 miles, stopped for lunch up there. Third pic, I climbed the fire tower to get some mountain pics and this is looking down. The last day was a quick ride 6.43 miles. The nice thing is horse got a bath 2 days in a row! Next is over the holiday weekend in TN.


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## lb27312

A few more pics... weather was awesome all 3 days...


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## carshon

Alas, I have no pics. We rode a poker run at a local state park on Saturday. We have not ridden at the park this year (trails have been closed most of the year) we get there expecting it to be packed and were surprised to hardly anyone there. We got our map and off we went, Hubby, Daughter and riding friend. The park is large and the club put card stops all over so the riders would ride 2-3 hours. They also placed plastic horses on the trails and if you found one you won a prize. We were confronted with hock deep sucking mud right away. We shrugged it off thinking low spot. Unfortunately that was not the case. We picked up another rider as her group decided to head back because the trails were over grown and buggy. Thank goodness she came along! We got into the deep woods and were riding consistently in sucking clay well over the horses pasterns. My Daughter rides a fairly green horse who was struggling with all of the up and down ravines in deep mud. I have to be honest and say that I was not happy either as Tillie was getting rushy and we were sliding everywhere. Finally DD's horse had had enough and refused a steep mud and water filled trail. We told our tag along rider were needed off of these trails as Sawyer was at her wits end. We turned around to head back out and had to struggle through the mile or so of muck we just had rode through. Sawyer ended up on her knees as she was trying to walk the high side of the trails and kept slding down into the muck (which was probably 6-8 inches down) then daughter gets her ankle turned as Sawyer lunged to get out of the mud and knocked Maddi into a tree. It broke my heart to see my daughter cry - and by then I was mad! I asked tag along rider why the club would even think of putting card stops on those trails as they are obviously dangerous and her reply was that most of the riders in the club enjoy the "extreme" trails. So we headed off to the higher side of the park. DD calmed down and was game to continue riding. We rode through some great trails and encountered just small areas of mud. The trails were sadly overgrown since we have had so much rain and the rangers have not maintained the trails. Weeds so high in spots that they got caught under your arms. We finished the ride with no more drama and turned our cards in - and waited for the other riders to come in as well. Daughters ankle was sore and red -Sawyer was covered in mud all over her chest and tired. As we waited for the other riders our hay guy called and said he wanted to bale that afternoon as it was calling for rain in the evening. We had to leave before our cards were tallied - my friend opted to stay. We left and came home and baled hay. We did end up winning second place for one of our hands ($10 pay out) and won a couple of door prizes. I don't have any pics of the trails - it was a both hands on the reins kind of ride. Getting on my soap box now - but it is clubs and riders like that the ruin the trails for others. Those ravine trails will never dry out because those people keep riding in the muck and making it a quagmire. They are making those trails just deep ruts of clay that are unsafe for green horses (like Sawyer) or even green riders. It is riders like this that give equestrians a bad name. (end rant) According to endomondo we rode 7.8 miles in about 2 1/2 hourse. it was in the mid 90's when we got back to the trailer - and about that when we baled our hay. But first cut is in the barn with no rain- so all in all a good weekend.


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## egrogan

@*carshon* , that ride doesn't sound fun at all- glad everyone was ok by the end. And, totally agree with your rant on not protecting the trails- that's really too bad. On the other hand, glad to hear you got your hay in!


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## knightrider

@egrogan, yay! for riding buddies! I know you were hoping to find some and I am delighted you have.
@lb27312, that camping trip looks like it was SO much fun! Thanks for sharing the pictures.
@carshon, your ride sounded no fun at all. I am so sorry you had to go through that. Did you find any plastic toy horses? Our club paints cute horsey things on rocks and "hides" them on novice trails. Riders take photos of the rocks and whoever has the most photos wins a prize. At the end of the camping trip, people are allowed to take the rocks. They are encouraged to put e-mail addresses on the rocks and then put them on other trails. It's fun to see how far the rocks will "travel."


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## SueC

Hello all! :wave:

I finally got out on a more exciting and demanding trail today, after three weeks of flu, and took my camera... I only do this when I have a trail I've not photographed before, and then I really go to town on it...

******** PLANTATION RIDE 1 JULY 2019*

Today, Sunsmart and I did a longish trail through the ******* plantation to the west of our property. This is a place where we rode a lot at the beginning of having the horses in Redmond, from 2010 to around 2012 - at the time, there was basically nowhere else decent to go outside of our own property. This trail was open, and provided so much variety and possible extension that for a few years, we rarely went anywhere else for a ride "away". Sunsmart got very fit on those trails - they involve many hills and he's particularly keen to run on the nice wide tracks of the plantation. Possibly they remind him of the harness tracks he trained on as a young horse.

After 2012, the plantation gate was locked, and I could not access its trails for several years. This was followed by getting permission from our south neighbour to ride in his block, and to access opening to Sleeman Creek Reserve, and some experiments with going along the bitumen road to get to Creek Road and its lovely trails. The former two, along with the trails on our own farm, I have already documented for this thread this year. The plantation has been accessible again on and off, and today, I took the camera along - and it's good timing, because they are getting ready to harvest it, which means that by Christmas, all the trees will be gone and my horse will be very perplexed. ******** coppice and will eventually grow back, but it's nice to have photos of how we've known it since we moved here.

Ride map: Orange track is today's ride - the faint red lines are alternative tracks to ride - the stippled faint red lines are tracks on our own farm. Start point in the NE, clockwise around the loop to ******** Lake at the NW, then back to the loop and continuing clockwise home.










Photos 1-2: After turning right off our main central sand track, we rode up the hill to the western exit gate on our place - first through sand, then up on the rocky ridge.



















Photo 3: Our western exit gate. The neighbour on that side kindly gave us permission many years ago to use the section of his track that leads to the plantation - it's a short stroll down the hill. The reason for the gate is that these two blocks were part of a larger farm that was split into its four original titles when it was sold in 2010. We bought the north-eastern block.










Photo 4: The plantation gate is the swing gate on the left. There is a "cocky gate" this side of it which leads to what used to be the south block of the large farm, which is now owned separately. If you look through the trees, you will see a pastured hillside in the distance that gives some idea of the gradients to be found on trails out this way.










Photo 5: A somewhat blurry (call it impressionistic







) close-up of a track leading down to a stream, and the hillside in the distance.










Photo 6: We are turning south through the plantation gate - you can see that ~90 degree turn on the ride map. You are looking at the reason I bought hoof boots in 2010 - the exposed rocks on this ridge are sharp and irregular. The technical term for this geology is ferruginous duricrust - Australia has ancient, highly leached soil profiles. The duricrust formed in a sedimentary layer in the past; it is rich in iron, and in places, aluminium as well (bauxite ore). When this stuff breaks up at the surface, it's about as horse-friendly as limestone. Especially in the winter, when the horn is soft from the wet ground, horses bruise easily clambering across these rocks, even more so with riders on board. And even with boots on, you walk the worst sections because they are ankle-twisting even for humans. This is the reason a lot of endurance riders pre-boot era were putting plastic soles under the horseshoes of their steeds for competitions in these types of areas.










Photo 7: Continuing along the firebreak heading south.










Photo 8: A little bit of "bush bashing" - following a kangaroo trail through the teatree scrub, to get to a creek crossing. Smartie actually really enjoys this kind of experience - he's often trying to persuade me to go down random animal tracks that veer off the firebreaks and service tracks we use for trails.










Photo 9: At the creek crossing, we had a surprise - four Scottish Highland cattle were grazing there. These belong to our western neighbour, and appear to have done a dash to get to the feed on the other side of the fence. Between this and the fact that I'd brought a riding crop, my hydrophobic horse crossed the creekline in record time... two little _thwacks_ when he started thinking too much about whether he wanted to get his feet wet, and he crossed like a dream. After that, he was really pleased with himself, especially when I told him how clever he was for crossing!










Photo 10: And off they all went! Between the dark horse and the barking hound, the Highland Cattle decided to run for it - although they were all kicking up their heels as they went!







The line of trees in the background is the edge of the ******* plantation.


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## SueC

Continuing...

Photo 11: Now entering the loop on the ride map, heading south. This is a stand of approx. 10-year old Tasmanian ******** (_Eucalyptus globulus_) grown for pulp and ready to harvest. The red gravel service roads have only lately been put in to get ready for harvest and the needs of the associated heavy machinery. After cutting, the trees will coppice and can be cut again in another decade or so.










Photo 12: Plantation on the right, native woodland on the left. You're looking at one tree species monoculture on the right, and at a dozen tree species plus several hundred understorey species on the left. Forests ain't forests! The plantation used to be a dairy farm before the tree corporation bought it.










Photo 13: In the plantation itself.










Photo 14: This long straight trail is the southern part of our loop - with plantation to the right, and bushland reserve on our left.










Photo 15: The gravel pit they made to get the material to make the red service roads for the upcoming harvest. We'd not ridden here since all that happened.










Photo 16: Heading north through the plantation. ******* bark peels in long strips and sheds, making a lot of ground litter and giving the trunks lovely colours and textures.










Photo 17: We took a left turn at the end of the last trail to ride out to the long farm dam I christened "******* Lake" in the summer of 2010/11. Normally the dog likes to swim here, but she knew we were coming back and was waiting on the trail, having rather overdone it today - chasing kangaroos and all that, instead of just following us along... I don't know any farmer with a kelpie that doesn't go deaf when it wants to run with a kangaroo - it's like it's a race to these dogs, a test of their speed. They don't attack the animals, but try (unsuccessfully) to round them up.


















Photo 18: This is the start of the northern edge of our loop - we now have plantation to our right, and the Pirelli's cattle farm (Angus) on the left.










Photo 19: The Pirellis have large pasture areas surrounded by sheltering bushland - and this is the pattern for most of the beef farms in our local area. The clouds are typical for our winter - this is what a mostly fine winter day looks like. The weekend was unsuited to riding - it was bucketing down out of a completely overcast sky for two days straight. It was lovely to get the nice weather today.










Photo 20: Continuing east, on the northern stretch of our loop.


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## SueC

Photo 21: The Pirelli's homestead under some dramatic clouds. If you look really closely, you can see the Porongurup Range in the distance over the roofline of the shed, in the tree gap.










Photo 22: A reedy seasonal wetland, which you can see on the map - it's the "hole" in the plantation. It should be filling with water soon, as winter continues.










Photo 23: Still heading east...

https://www.horseforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=991483&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1561992806

Photo 24: Up the hill here - the horse ran for it after this photo. We stayed on the left-hand edge, as the main track is quite eroded by water.










Photo 25: Views of the Porongurup Range, where Brett and I like to hike - gorgeous walking trails there, in one of the most ancient mountain ranges in the world!










Photo 26: I missed a fair bit of varied scenery to photograph here, because from the time the trail got twisty-turny on that map, my horse wanted to run, and did some race-speed trotting and extended cantering until we got to this little dam, where the dog was swimming until about a second before I took the photo...










Photo 27: Back to the creek crossing, with the dog charging ahead.










Photo 28: Back on the neighbour's block, my horse decided he wanted a snack. I always walk the section between the plantation gate and our western gate. Usually we play "the stick game" and we did today (horse carries stick in his mouth and invites me to pull on it for a tug of war), until he decided to sample the vegetation.










Photo 29: In winter he's a grizzly bear! He gets quite sweaty on serious trails in his winter coat, so when we do long rides with lots of hills and faster speeds, we start before noon so the horse can have a bath and get dry before evening and going back in his paddock rug. Smartie doesn't need to be led when I get off him here, he just comes along like this.










Photo 30: When we got back to our pasture, the horse was yawning conspicuously, and I yawned back at him. In this way, we kept each other yawning and I got some photographs. This is the best one! Julian is in the background on the left, and Nelly the donkey a little above his noseband. The black cube above his nostrils is a (non-urea) mineral lick for the cattle, and whoever else fancies it. The equines sometimes give it a lick, but get mineral mix in their daily bucket feeds as well.










After the photo, I took all the tack off the horse and got two big buckets of hot water from the house, with which to make four big buckets of warm water for his bath. He really appreciates not being washed with cold water in the winter, and I am happy to do this for him. After squeegeeing and towelling dry, he got a bucket of food and some salt replacer - all part of the happy routine.

Next time I go out that way, I will try to photograph the trail sections I didn't do today. Meanwhile, we'll be back on our local tracks and in the south block, for the rest of the week.

Hope everyone has a great week!


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## mmshiro

Little update on Hamlet, as we had a not-so-great ride today. Thus far, part of our regular ride led us through hay fields (or I should say "along hayfields", as I try to stick to the tree line). It is now time to mow those fields - which is good news, because the terrain becomes more apparent and I don't have do raise the reins above my head to escape the stinging nettles, BUT my horse does not deal well with new situations. And that includes the sudden appearance of bales in the fields. I was already happy he started to deal with the white, 5ft-diameter haylage marshmallows that started to dot the first field, but today we had a new threat in the second field we traverse: square bales. I know, right? It's food!! 

He kind of got used to those after an intense spook, so I was quite proud of him, but then he lost it when one of those evil farmers left a tractor parked right in the _middle_ of the field. There was no need to get even close to it because we stick to the tree line, BUT - remember the issue with the plastic cow? Yup, that was that all over again. He can spook at and bolt from objects at arbitrary distance. Glasses he does not need.

I did manage to walk a circle around the tractor without feeling any sense of panic (he chose the distance), but for some reason he had short-circuited by then, and even as we left the area, he resumed his horrible jigging that I complained about earlier in the year. I spent some time at that location, and you know what boggles the mind? He jigs in one direction, but not the opposite one. So I can "explain" to him the difference between "no jig = loose rein, jig = uncomfortable rein position". Makes no difference (which tells you that I have a mild bit, I guess). Turn around again, and the jigging commences immediately. Stop him, give him the gentlest of squeeze, jig. Turn him 180º - no jig, loos rein. Turn him back...his front feet turn into a little sewing machine. 

Anyway, I finally managed to get him to do what I'd call a decent compromise and we left for home along the street. I did a bunch of walk-trot-walk transitions to drive the point home "If you behave, I will let you go faster!", and even though I don't like to do it as a matter of principle, I did let him canter for a couple hundred yards on the road - because ultimately, first he gave me a walk without complaint, then he trotted on light contact without complaint, even though I felt he was still nervous. 

By the time we got close to the farm, he was okay again. By the time we were on the farm, he was on the buckle. I then stopped him with a whisper of ring finger to get off.

Anyway, it's something I think I figured out earlier: mentally, he is very weak when being put in unfamiliar situations. Too much new stuff at a time, and he's hopeless. It can be a move to a new farm, it can be that the environment I rode him in changed drastically. He's not barn sour, as behavior like this never occurs when he's in familiar surroundings on the trail (as he was until recently). He's not buddy sour, because he couldn't care less about his mini buddies when he gets to go out grazing by himself. It's one of those things. The only thing that helps with this is never to move barns again. Unless the seasons change. 

On Wednesday, I'll be on Everest again, who'll fell like a dude string horse by comparison. Calm seas don't make good sailors, I guess.


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## charrorider

carshon. I'm surprised the state had that trail open, considering how wet the ground was. 

SueC. I'm not going to show your pictures to any of my horses. They will refuse to go out on our primitive trails.


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## SueC

@charrorider, every time I see photos of your horse here:










...I go ooh-aah, and get all nostalgic too, because I had a Polish/Crabbet Arabian mare with very similar conformation and colour for 31 of her 32 years:




























We took her to a beach for a treat ten years ago... all these photos were when she was 27, and still in light work. These are amazing little horses, so tough and with wonderful personalities...










...this is also the last time I rode on an ocean beach. I don't have a trailer, but the trails out here near our farm compensate for that, I think - that plus not having to agist horses anymore...

I wish you happy riding adventures with your lovely grey horse! I'd love to hear more of his story and know about his personality and quirks! 


And that last bit goes for all of you on this thread - I'm always super interested in your horse antics and stories...


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## charrorider

SueC. Beautiful girl! I didn't grow up with horses. My first Arabian was a gray mare. Oasis, I called her. She taught me to ride and she got me hooked on the breed. That was more than 30 years ago and I've ridden nothing but Arabians, since. I have one who is 32 years old, also gray. He's retired. Back in April, I lost Amal to cancer. He was a perfect trail companion and only 15 years old. He was a rescued. A chestnut. It is difficult enough to lose one to old age. It is heart wrenching when cancer takes them at a young age. Ibn was my back up mount, but he has stepped up in Amal's absence. I've had Ibn for 5 years. He comes from a troubled background and can be a little obstinate, at times when he hasn't been working much. But he's a completely different horse than when I brought him home 5 years ago and I trust him with my life.


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## SueC

I'm sorry you lost your Amal so young, @charrorider. I've always hated making those decisions but only had to make them in horses 27 and over so far, and that's bad enough. Because I have a habit of retiring my old friends, I've had to put down three horses over the past five years due to cancer, geriatric problems etc, but it's good to know they had a super retirement. The ones I have now are 18, 22 and 25 - the oldest is retired due to track injury. I've had Sunsmart for ten years, but known him since birth - and I re-educated him from harness to saddle the year before my mare retired. It's nice that Ibn has stepped into the gap left by Amal for you, and I look forward to hearing more of your adventures together.


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## ChasingDreams

@mmshiro I had a very similar scenario with the hay bales at our farm the first time they "appeared". Luckily, we had a babysitter with us who walked up to the nearest bale and happily sampled a quick bite... which of course led Chase to investigate and nibble himself. After that, he never spooked at hay bales again. I have the opposite problem of trying to keep him from wanting to haul over for a snack every time we see them now...

I've ridden twice since my last update, once Saturday and again last night. Saturday I tried to go a little later in the morning, last night tried to go closer to sunset... both times still swarmed with bugs. So, unfortunately my distances per ride will be likely be reduced until the "peak" season is over. It's just not enjoyable with them, a shame.

Unfortunately, I had a phone incident shortly after my ride Saturday. If I recall correctly, believe it was 3.67 miles, but the data may have been lost... unless the app carries over between devices. Last night, I'm going to guess-timate around 4 miles. We didn't hit many of the trails, but did do a couple loops up in the top woods and played around in the big pasture, and around the front field and tree lines by the grass and sand rings. We also meandered down to the end of the lane; and when he spooked pretty big at a truck pulling a noisy, rattling trailer, we hung out for a little and listened to traffic until he was basically sleeping to it. Had another little balk when the sunlight shining through a pool fence made a scary design on the driveway... but worked through that too, until he would walk over it both directions.

It's funny... Chase just turned 5 this month, and although we still have a lot to learn, I'm pretty happy with how far he's come along. I think some things are just starting to "click". It feels like we were communicating pretty well. 

Total 2019 miles -135.76


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## CopperLove

I've been eyeballing this thread longingly for a while. This past Friday I finally got the opportunity to go on my first trail ride in a state park! It was a gorgeous place not far from where I live, I'd like to go back camping some time with or without horses.

My instructors invited me to meet them/their family on Friday or Saturday to ride so I met up with them Friday after work. We didn't take my mare this time; my instructor says she does well enough for him on trails and he thinks we'll grow to be fine together, but she needs a bit more work and I need some lessons on her before we head off into the wild together. :lol: I rode one of their mustangs instead who is very experienced on trails, neck-reins and is perfectly happy to pick her way over a trail on a loose rein. We rode for around 4 hours, although I'm not sure how many miles we went. I was thrilled. My riding is still so far from pretty, but 4 hours on a nice calm horse is an excellent opportunity to practice.

I'm not comfortable enough yet to take my phone out for photos while on horseback but I got some while I was exploring other parts of the park waiting for my instructors to arrive. I probably would have been OK on Winchester with my phone in my hand for a few moments, but I also don't have my own saddle bag yet for carrying small items and I absolutely didn't want an incident of my phone falling out of my pocket. For the life of me I can't figure out why the photo of the trees is sideways... but I love it. Everything is still so lush and green right now despite the days of heat we had. Things have clouded back over today ad I hear thunder, so I imagine the scenery will stay nice and green.


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## weeedlady

congratulations on your first trail ride @CopperLove You'll be hooked now, of course. Lovely photos (my end up sideways on here about 1/2 the time also).


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## tinyliny

@SueC. Would you be able to share the recipe for that berry flan? It’s gorgeous!


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## charrorider

CopperLove. Congratulations on your first ride. I thought your pics looked familiar. You're right next door in KY. Woods around MO look exactly the same. 

It seems some websites show all photos in landscape (horizontal) fashion, even if the photo was taken in portrait (vertical) fashion.


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## ChasingDreams

Was able to squeeze one more ride in before we leave to go camping with the family for the weekend.

A thunderstorm rolled in just as I got to the barn, but by the time I’d finished brushing him it had already passed.

I was hoping the rain would have cut back on the flies, but I think they were actually worse. Being in the woods at all is nearly intolerable. It’s so bad, that now when Chase gets a cluster of 3-4 biting near his poll (never mind the cloud of them buzzing around his head) he’s learned to crane his neck back so that I can reach forward and swipe them off. Like “Mom, do you think you can get those for me, too?” Terrible. The night riding with headlamps is sounding more and more appealing. 

So, I didn’t even finish a full loop before doubling back and leaving the woods. To add insult to injury, I realized we’d lost a boot trying to outrun flies so now I need to go back and hunt for it on foot tonight. Anyone have a bee suit I can borrow?

After leaving the woods, I decided to wander to the end of the lane near the quarry and up the road a bit to add a little time to the ride. I don’t usually like riding on the roads around our barn... people speed and the shoulder is not very wide in most places. But, we only saw a few cars and the ones that did pass were courteous enough to slow down this time, so it was good.










Ps. I lost all of my riding data from January on... I guess that’s when my phone was last backed up (doh!) But luckily, most if not all are in this thread if I want to go back and look for them.

Total 2019 miles~ 139.44


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## SueC

Re the *photo orientation problem* - I'm married to a technical wizard who fixed this problem for me. He says the reason some photos don't come out aligned the way you want them to is because some cameras, when they take photos, always take them in landscape format but have a little code which tells the viewing software to rotate it if necessary - but the HF software here does not recognise that code. Other cameras, when you take portrait shots, actually store the pixels in the rotated aspect, and these will display fine anywhere.

We've got this problem with one of our cameras, and to fix it when putting its photos on the forum we open them in a graphics programme unrotated, then rotate - which will store the pixels in the rotated aspects, and "save as" to make a new file which can then be used on HF.

We use the Gnu Image Manipulation Programme (GIMP), freeware similar to the commercial software Adobe Photoshop, which is available online for download (same principle as Ubuntu etc - from the open sharing community and not for profit). Probably there's also apps for this - but we're "mainframe" type people! 
@CopperLove, congratulations on your first trail ride! :cowboy: The landscape looks gorgeous - even caves! It's great they put you on an experienced horse for this one - it gives you a gentle start. Green horses on trails are generally a bit of work, and may still be at the spooking at objects stage. The same thing can happen again when the horse is then taken to another area. It can take a while to get a horse trail steady in various environments.
@tinyliny, traditionally people make fruit flans with shortcrust pastry, but I can't stand the stuff plus it's not great nutrition. If you like shortcrust, you can substitute it, but I'll give you the recipe as I made it. Likewise, you may have a way of making your own custard that you prefer to general recipes or the artificial bought stuff, so anyone this applies to should substitute their own custard recipe for this flan. You really just need a pastry shell, custard and fruit...


*SUMMER FRUIT FLAN WITH OAT AND ALMOND CRUST*










*Crust:*
1.5 (metric) cups oats (about 6 oz)
1 cup almonds (about 4 oz)
80g butter (about 3oz; equivalent olive oils works OK too; will need less water)
3-5 tbsp water

Soften butter on low in microwave, in your glass mixing bowl. Use either rolled or quick oats to make 1.5 cups coarse oatmeal by whizzing in your food processor, then whiz the almonds until quite fine. Add oatmeal and ground almonds to very soft butter, mix with a wooden spoon, gradually add 3-5 tbsp water until the dough becomes pliable. You can hand knead it for a bit until it sticks together OK.

Line a 22cm (~ 9 inch) diameter tart tin with baking paper. If yours has a detachable rim, you only need to line the base and lightly grease the sides. Transfer dough to centre of tin and work outwards with hands and knuckles. Shape the pastry up the sides of the tin using your thumbs (fingers hold outside edge of tin), thick enough not to burn easily at the top. Put into middle shelf of oven at 180°C (~360F) for 20-25 minutes to bake (use the fan if you have one). Note: You do not need to use rice or beans to weight the pastry as in blind baking; this pastry does not deform. Do put an air hole or two into the baking paper though, to stop that from trapping air and buckling up.


*Custard:*
4 egg yolks
4 tbsp cornflour (this is what Australians call the ultra-fine flour used for thickening custards and sauces, and ours is made from wheat...)
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp natural vanilla essence (or equivalent vanilla beans if you have them)
2 cups milk (this is about 16 fl oz)

Whisk yolks, sugar and cornflour in a glass bowl until pale. Add a little milk if too thick. Heat the main part of the milk until nearly boiling, then add to egg mixture gradually, beating constantly. Microwave the custard on medium for about 5 minutes, or until it boils and thickens - keep whisking at intervals. When you're happy with the thickness, add the vanilla and let the custard cool to nearly room temperature. Cover the bowl to prevent a skin from forming.

*The genius bit:*
By now, your pastry case will be cool. So here's a trick from the award-winning Denmark Bakery (yes, we have a town called Denmark here!) who deserve the Nobel Prize for elegantly solving the soggy-pastry problem with fruit tarts: They coat the pastry case with a thin layer of dark chocolate, which is impervious to water and therefore stops moisture from the custard and fruit bleeding into the pastry. Pure genius! So just melt enough good dark chocolate to spread over your base - use more if you are chocoholic. Let it cool completely until it is solid. You can stick it in the freezer to hurry this along.

Then spread your custard over the top and leave the whole thing to set for a bit. Just before you are ready to serve, pile on the fruit of your choice.

*Fruit: *
Whatever is in season, just pile it on - I used fresh boysenberries and a ring of strawberry halves


Someone else who deserves an award is @lostastirrup - I'm now learning to make strawberries look like this:










This is a photo I borrowed from her journal. Maybe she will post the recipe for that particular pie of hers?


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## CopperLove

@charrorider It would be somewhat of a long trek depending on what distances you prefer to travel since it's out on the eastern side of the state, but if you were ever wanting to travel/camp I'd highly recommend Carter Caves State Park. I obviously have't been anywhere else but my instructors who've lived and ridden other places seemed impressed with it. They have 6 campsites specifically for horse trailers that are set up a little bit away from everything else, but just down the road from the regular camper-trailer spots. It was a surprisingly newer area, there was a restroom building nearby with a few shower areas included. The only thing that we didn't really like was that the provided posts and lines to tie your horses at were not in shade until afternoon, it seemed like they could have put them a little closer to the tree-line but maybe they didn't do that out of some other safety concern.

There seemed to be a good length of trails through the woods. There might have been a couple of places we'd have crossed shallow running water if it had rained more recently, but nothing too dramatic. There are smaller more primitive campsites available for tent camping, and trails for hiking on foot as well as biking and ATVs, with clear signs at trail heads for what is and is not allowed on each trail. They also have a tourist-y kind of trail ride available with their own horses on-site, I didn't check out the stables there. But it seems like they have an invested interest in keeping the trails safe for their horses and riders.
@SueC Absolutely. They told me they thought about bringing Dreama, "but these horses are already so good with the kids." Which I think was a gentle way of saying it would likely not have been fun for anyone involved. Besides this was a family trip for them, I would not have expected them to be out training my horse when they were really just trying to have fun with their kids. I don't know if they realize I am perfectly willing to admit I'm not ready for her on a trail yet. I was actually quite relieved :rofl: And I love their mare Winchester... she rides in a bosal, and while I understand that still applies pressure to the face and to be gentle with my hands, I don't think it's quite as easy to irritate or make her uncomfortable because I'm not attached directly to the inside of her mouth. I'm sure she thinks that I'm the biggest, most awkward child they've ever put on her back.


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## knightrider

Yesterday was a super fun trail ride. I don't mean to make anyone jealous, but we didn't encounter a single insect the whole 2 and 3/4 hours we rode.

We know someone who lives in a community called Three Rivers where the Itchetucknee, the Santa Fe, and the Suwannee Rivers all meet. It's all little traveled dirt roads, summer cottages, and we sometimes ride alongside one or other of the rivers. It's shady, quiet, and fun to look at the cottages that people have designed and built along the rivers. I couldn't believe there were NO flies!

And when we got back, our friend who lives there, made us egg salad sandwiches, and then showed us how to trim our horses' feet and her method of treating white line disease. It seems every farrier has a different method and they all think theirs is the best. She trimmed my horse's feet for me and my neighbor's new horse. And wouldn't take any money!

My neighbor brought his new mare. She was super good and he was quite happy with her. I wasn't sure this mare was going to work out because she is quite hot. My neighbor likes hot horses . . . until he doesn't. He gets bored with quiet horses, but hot horses sometimes worry him because he is elderly and his balance isn't what it used to be. The horse he used to have made his back hurt so he swapped for this new one. We were so happy because his back didn't hurt a bit after a 2 and 3/4 hour ride.

I brought my daughter's mare Windy and was thrilled that she did so perfectly. She took everything in stride, and when we cortoed, running walked, and trotted, her running walk was lovely. She is the filly who didn't gait and we worried that she wasn't going to. I kept telling my daughter that Windy's dam didn't gait until she was 6, and not to worry until Windy was older than 6. Windy is 6 this year and really coming into her gait, just like her dam.


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## phantomhorse13

On Thursday, I got out for a ride with a visiting friend. The whole story is in my journal.



















Last weekend, I went down to North Carolina for an endurance ride. The whole story is also in my journal.


































June numbers - 151.0 miles
phin: 63.56 miles
george: 17.0 miles
hombre: 10.77 miles
mu: 51.46 miles
amish: 8.21 miles

2019 mileage:
6/27 phin 9.54 miles 1460 ft climb 4.3 mph 90F 886.80 total miles
6/27 amish 3.03 miles 112 ft climb 3.1 mph 91F 889.83 total miles
6/28 mu 1.16 miles 131 ft climb 2.6 mph 96F 890.99 total miles
6/29 mu 50.30 miles 8952 ft climb 6.1 mph 98F 941.29 total miles


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## charrorider

CopperLove. Thanks. I'm in south central MO. We have a lot of good places to ride in MO, even close to St. Louis. I do most of my riding on the Cole Creek Trail of the Mark Twain National Forest, which is a series of four interconnected loops making up 30+ miles. One of the loops just happens to be about 100' across the road from my mailbox. They are primitive trails, though. There are three other places to ride less than an hour drive and a few more less than 3 hours away. But I'll keep Carter Caves SP in mind. Thanks.


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## phantomhorse13

charrorider said:


> We have a lot of good places to ride in MO, even close to St. Louis.


Don't suppose you have an extra horse and want to come rescue me on a Friday in a couple weeks? I will be in St Louis for a conference..


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## charrorider

phantomhorse13. I would love play the hero and go riding with a fellow Arabian horse rider. But since Amal's passing, I only have one riding horse. Recently, I have rescued two other Arabians, Santiago and Chance. Santiago is 12 years old and unbroke to ride. He has a lot of trust issues. So he's a work in progress. Chance is broke to ride, but right now is tender footed. His hoofs were very long when I got him and they broke off so that he doesn't have a continuous wall around the hoof. I hope that's all it is, but it'll take time for the hoof to grow. But if you should happen to get a chance to ride, Conservation Area #44 and the Casttlewood State Park are right in St. Louis County. A little further west, there's Greensfelder Park (beautiful in the fall), right behind Six Flags.


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## charrorider

Got a chance to get a little ride in before the storms. The grass in the low hallows has grown so thick with all the rains sometimes one can't see the trail. Horse love that grass.


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## AndyTheCornbread

I rode today with the rancher who owns the Lazy S7 and a mutual friend of ours who owns the antique store in town. We trailer-ed up to a gate that cuts out about 3 miles of riding along a dirt road and rode in from there up and over the face of some of the mountains that his ranch backs up to. He is 79 years old(_the rancher_) he will be 80 this fall and he wanted to do this ride at least one more time in his life so I told him I would go with him. Our other friend came along to help put miles on one of their horses. It was between 11.8 and 12 miles of riding and it took us 3 hours and 10 minutes so we were riding fairly slow. I wish I had taken a camera as you can just about see forever from up on top. I hope when I am almost 80 I can still ride as well as he does. Anyway here are the aerial and terrain images of where we went.


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## charrorider

I got an opportunity to ride again, today. Wow, 4 rides in the last 11 days for 29 miles! It was hot, of course, with the heat index at over 100 F, once again. But I'm not complaining. The spot on the photo gets a lot of gravel and trees when it rains too much and water comes rushing down the hill.


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## carshon

I got to ride twice this weekend! The weather has been bi-polar again - it has been extremely humid here with heat index's in the lower 100's and you can cut the air with a knife. The horses have suffered just standing in the pasture dripping sweat. Saturday was forecast to be 90 with lowish(er) humidity so DD and I decided to ride early - we had a lovely ride and gaited a ton. DD's horse Sawyer tired out (a first for her) but we have never asked her to gait that much before and it was in the high 80's when we finished our ride at around noon. Then we rode again on Sunday - one of the other parks opened up so we headed there with a friend. DD's horse is still pretty green on the trails (less than 10 trail rides) and this park was new to her with a fast moving creek to cross. It did not help that friends horse plays in the water and friend lets her horse splash and make a mess - Sawyer was afraid to enter the creek - but with some gently encouragement she got one foot in and hurried through- the bugs were at a minimum and the humidity was really low. What a gorgeous day! Lots of riders out so Sawyer got to experience a lot of horses passing her on the trail - we had one group of 11 riders pass us! We ended the ride with some gaiting and laughing. It was perfect!

Humidity moving in again this week as well as more rain chances - The park closest to my home has suffered significant damage to its equestrian trails due to our sever winter and even worse spring. Trees down and trails completely wiped out. The head ranger said he is not sure if the park will open at all to riders this year as they wait for the state capital to send in someone to assess the damage and allocate money to fix the trails. Bummer -


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## QueenofFrance08

Got a lot of riding in this weekend!

Last Tuesday night I took Chico to the park for a 6 mile loop. We managed to lose one of our Renegades which I'm sad about. Thankfully he's getting shoes put on Wednesday so I will hopefully only need boots as spare tires.

Thursday morning DH and I took Jake and Stitch out to look for the boot. We did the 6 mile loop again and it started pouring rain halfway through so we got soaked. 

Saturday my friend Becca and I took Jake and Chico to the park where our ride will be next weekend. We rode 8 miles. It was pretty hot and buggy but both boys did really well. Jake had a few spooks but his brakes were working great! I think he's ready for his first ride next weekend.

Yesterday DH and I took Chico and Daisy out for Daisy's first ride of the year. We did about 3 miles and we were very pleased with how she behaved. She was forward without being spooky or uncontrollable and was happy to lead or follow. I can't wait to get her out more!


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## Celeste

I don't have any idea how long it has been since I posted on this thread. I have been reading everyone's posts though.

It is hot enough that I have actually been getting my lazy self out of bed on my days off so that I can ride before the temperature is 86 and the humidity is 90%. It has been sunny in the mornings and stormy in the evenings.

I had a 4 day weekend last weekend and rode all 4 days. I really didn't want to go to work this morning! 

My rides have varied between 2.9 miles and 5.4 miles. Sometimes I have a friend riding with me and sometimes I am solo.

My year's total is up to *160.81 miles*.


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## egrogan

So many beautiful pictures and great stories on this thread. Glad everyone is finally able to get some good rides in. The 4th of July weekend was beautiful for riding here too, and I rode three out of four days. Thursday, I went out with my neighbor and her sister who was visiting. 










Saturday I was on my own, and had a bit of a panic that I killed my horse  It was an extremely humid day, and we did some pretty extreme hill work, even for us (basically everywhere we ride is hilly, but this is the hilliest place we go). She got really hot and tired, so we needed a recharge mid-way through our ride and stopped for some grazing on the beautiful summer grass, and she did perk up. 


















Sunday we went on a new woods loop with our neighbor and had a ton of fun following the snowmobile trails for about 5 miles. We beat the bugs, fortunately. 



























With so many people out enjoying the beautiful weekend, there were tons of good challenges: lots of mountain bikers coming towards us and up behind us; ATVs; dog walkers; farm tractors; other horses; bridges on the trail. I was so proud of my horse, she handled it all with nothing but confidence, and she is getting stronger by the day with more riding. 

We're aiming for an 8 mile pleasure ride the first weekend of August, and a 25 mile competitive trail ride the last weekend in August. There's a 25 mile CTR option that first weekend of August as well, but realistically, though we've greatly increased the frequency and distance of our riding since early June, we're still just too slow to have a good chance of completing the 25 mile on time. Our average pace is still 3-4mph, and we need to be traveling 5-6mph to complete. I think we can get there by the end of August, but the beginning of August feels like a stretch.

*Total 2019 miles: 56.6*


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## knightrider

Yesterday, @4horses and I went to try out a new place, Saarinen Preserve. We knew it was a small riding area, only 2 1/2 miles, but it has loops you can ride as well as the perimeter. After we rode it a couple of times and did the loops, we went out on the road to a shady pleasant dirt road. We rode about 10 miles. All the trails were shady and there were NO bugs! We sprayed heavily, put on fly masks, and carried fly swishes, but we didn't need them. It was such a pleasant and fun ride!


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## phantomhorse13

Last weekend, we took George and Phin to an endurance ride. The whole story is in my journal.










































2019 mileage
...
7/6 phin 1.72 miles 235 ft climb 3.3 mph 85F 944.90 total miles
7/7 phin 50.89 miles 5030 ft climb 6.9 mph 94F *995.79 total miles*


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## egrogan

Rode yesterday after work but we were swarmed by deerflies from the get-go. It was not the most exciting ride since every other step Fizz was either throwing her head around wildly or diving to scratch her poor nose on her front legs. I thought sticking to the road would be the best option, but surprisingly when we looped through a big open field on the way home, there were almost no bugs there. I guess they were all in the road waiting for innocent victims to pass through! 










We only made it a couple of miles before calling it quits.





*Total 2019 miles: 59.1*


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## lb27312

Went camping over the July 4th weekend and had some great rides! There was one pretty tough ride as we aren't used to step climbs and declines... went to Big South Fork, in TN stayed at Honey Creek Horse Camp, VERY cool place and the hosts were awesome! I didn't take many pictures on the trails as like I said they were a little tough a few areas were a little scary for me. They weren't super long because they were tough and my guy and another guy were 18, not too old but they weren't used to the trails so were breathing pretty hard in some areas.

About 7 miles each day for 3 days.

I'll post some more pictures after I fix them!


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## whisperbaby22

It finally cleared up here and it is also finally getting hot. It's been such a nice cool spring and start of summer, but the photos aren't to good unless it's sunny.


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## gunslinger

Ib27312.....you horse looks so much like Miss Lacy.....except Miss Lacy has blue eyes.....beautiful....


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## weeedlady

I can't catch a break! I was supposed to ride in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park yesterday morning with OHC. It was finally a beautiful, sunny, COOL morning and would have been a perfect day to ride. Raven got shoes put on last week so we would be ready.
Walked out to my truck to find that the glass has fallen out of my side mirror and is on the ground broken!!!!!! It's not going to be easy to find replacement mirror glass for a 93 Chevy. I can't possibly pull my trailer when I'm missing a mirror so once again I am grounded!!!!! I can't believe it.

So 2.5 miles last night on the same old trail behind the barn. again. The bright spot is that I rode Tucker and he was perfect.

Miles YTD 44


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## AndyTheCornbread

I rode a 6.6 mile loop that goes up a dirt road, cuts across to a gated road on about a mile or two of old forest service numbered trail, then goes back down the gated road to where I parked my trailer. I rode my usual horse but I put my very bulk, super old digital camera in my shirt pocket and managed to get a few pics. I will also include my usual aerial and terrain route images.


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## ChasingDreams

I had a short ride, probably 2-2.5 miles, on Tuesday evening this week. Too many bugs, so we sort of rushed the woods and just ambled around the lane instead.

Today, I got up early and was at the barn by 6 and on the trail before 7. It was sooo much better, cooler and less flies. So, I looped around the top and the path down along the edge of the other pasture on the other side of the ridge. They had just baled hay down there, and Chase was fine, but a little looky. I figured I should snap a couple pictures for @mmshiro 


















We walked down the lane to the Quarry, but by that time the flies were starting to swarm again so we just went along the edge of the field and turned back. I did see a couple eagles or hawks coming back, they were too far off to get a good look but definitely pretty big.









Ran into the neighbor and was chatting for a bit, then found BM at the top of the hill with Thunder and chatted a little more before turning back. It was a nice, leisurely ride.










Total 2019 miles~145.66


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## SueC

@weeedlady, that's such bad luck... I only "liked" the post for the bright spot. Hope things get fixed soon. :hug:

@egrogan, great to see you have the opportunity to ride with other people! 

@Celeste, I feel like that some days, especially if I have a laptop with HF when I should be getting up! :rofl:

...so I will have to cut this shorter than normal, and just say that I'm loving all the photos and horses and adventures all y'all have been having! It's a sunny day for the first day since Thursday and I'm getting up and going riding now the air is no longer freezing. I've not ridden since Wednesday because of miserable weather, so got to go while the sun shines, now! :cowboy:

I've not posted any photos of recent rides because since the last photo post I did, I've been staying on local shorter trails that are my fallback options, and you've already seen photos of that! So until I have something new, no photos.

However: On Thursday we did a _human_ walk trail; our first serious post-flu hike (we had everyday shorter walks before that, the longest 2h on the town beach) and a prep for the mountain DH wants to do for his birthday coming week. And the photos are gorgeous, because the coast and flora here are so spectacular...

A taster:























































...but because I don't want to clog this riding thread up with walking posts, you can see all the photos here instead if you'd like to see more:

https://www.horseforum.com/member-j...ys-other-people-479466/page53/#post1970742881

The beach hike is over the page from that, but wonderful...










We really can't get over the scenery in this part of the world, which is why we ended up living here.  And of course, should any of you fly to Australia, you know you can stop by here! 

Any of you here hike for fitness? ...I'm a far better rider if I hike as much as my horse does...

Happy riding! :gallop:


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## Celeste

I rode Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. All of the rides were the same old little 3 mile trail. Even though (gasp) I have been getting up early, the horses really seem more willing if we keep the rides short. 

*Friday* was uneventful. I rode with my new best riding buddy A. She is really fun and she is willing to walk along slowly or haul out like a bat from places that will not make it through the anti-cursing software on this thread. 

*Saturday* I rode with my friend C. She is a beginner so we kept it slow. She is coming along though. We did one short canter and a little trot for me, running walk for her. 

*Today* was extra fun. A large deer walked out in front of us. She stopped and stared at us. The horses stared at her. My mare was intently staring at the deer. Then HWNN walked into her butt and startled her. She kicked out and got both him and the rider. Fortunately, nobody was really hurt.

Then we decided to do a little gallop. She was doing great, but she let out one great big “hurray for life” buck. Fortunately again, I wasn’t unseated. 

In spite of the buck, I was really proud because she did a perfect stop to canter transition and she held the canter without wanting to go into a horrendous fast trot. (The buck was much smoother.)

Friday 3 miles
Saturday 2.9 miles
Sunday 3 miles

Total for year so far *169.71* miles


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## egrogan

Wonderful weekend of riding here- managed to get in ~15 miles by riding Saturday and Sunday. Saturday, my husband and I went out together; he was running while I was riding. He's going to be a pace runner in the VT100 ultramarathon (he'll meet up with one of the runners who's trying to complete 100 miles around mile 70 and run with him for 10-15 miles). So we did ~7 miles on the road and through some snowmobile trails. Fizz thought it was great fun running side-by-side, but sometimes he got out ahead of us when we took walking breaks.


















Sunday I went out with my riding buddy and we went ~8 miles on the snowmobile trails. 









We had some excitement about 5 miles in when we rode past a herd of cows, which my horse doesn't have any experience with. She was not thrilled with them, and got even less thrilled when we realized one mama cow was quite distressed because her tiny calf had slipped out under the fence and was separated from her on the other side, which happened to be along a pretty busy paved road. The two of them were frantically pacing the fenceline trying to get back together. When the cow saw us coming by, she came running over to us bawling; I guess she thought we could help her?! My horse was not super interested in that invitation  I had dismounted by now and she needed to do a couple of circles but then managed to calm down. Meanwhile, my riding buddy, whose horse thinks cows were put on this planet to be his friends, tried to approach the calf, but that just scared the calf and pushed him out into the road. A big group of motorcyclists came by right about that time, and we tried to flag them down to help, but they just kept riding and didn't stop. Unfortunately we seemed to be making the situation worse instead of better, so we decided to continue on and see if we could get the farmer that lived down the road to help (though not their cows). We rode to their house but no one seemed to be there. We really didn't know what else to do at that point, so rode home. This was all complicated by having basically no reliable cell signal by the cow's field. When we got home, we were able to make a call to the guy who owns the cows. After a couple of messages back and forth, we learned that the calf had just been born Friday morning, and Friday night some kind of predator had gone through the herd scattering a bunch of cows. That mama cow and the calf had been missing all weekend, so the farmer was relieved they'd been spotted together, even though they were still not quite home safe. He was heading over the there yesterday afternoon hoping to get them all rounded up, though I didn't hear back from him to know if he got the baby back with the herd. Fingers crossed! Anyway, that made for a bit of an exciting ride. My horse was definitely a bit amped up and spooky after that whole incident (oh, and a pig- which she has also never seen- that jumped out of the bushes at her when we went to the farmhouse looking for some help!), but all in all I was proud of how she dealt with all that!

_First spotting of the cows...after this, it was "both hands on the wheel" :wink:
_









*Total 2019 miles: 74.0*


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## QueenofFrance08

Had our closest ride this weekend, only an hour away from home.

Friday my friend Emily and I went out for a short 4 mile preride to see how bad the bugs were. The flies thankfully weren't terrible but the mosquitoes were everywhere! I rode Chico and she took her gelding Major who were both pretty good.

Saturday Chico and I finished our first 50! It was a very hot ride but he was ready to go all day. My shoulders are killing me for trying to hold him back until mile 35. (Most of the pictures are from mile 48, he still looked fantastic!)

Sunday DH and I tried to ride an LD with Jake and Comet but Comet was pulled after mile 15 and Jake had bad rubs from his boots making him a little off so I rider optioned him. Hopefully they can both be back feeling better in 2 weeks and finish the next ride!


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## carshon

Got to ride on Saturday. We are in the beginnings of a heat wave and the temps have been in the low 90's with very high humidity. My daughter and I decided on an early morning ride on Saturday. Keep in mind my daughter is 19 so "early" is a fairly relative term. We left our house at 8:30 or so and it was already 80 degrees. We trailered to the only state park that is open in our area (about an hour away) and tacked up and headed out. Horses already were clammy getting out of the trailer. We headed out at a brisk pace - and were immediately swarmed by deer flied. The fly bonnets help but both horses were shaking their heads and madly swishing tails. We gaited where we could to get away from them. Got to a water crossing and Miss Tillie needed a drink - and Sawyer crossed with little fuss (water has been a bit scary for her) The trails were freshly groomed and gorgeous. Sawyer and DD met their first deer on the trail and Sawyer was a rock star and at the second water crossing she even led the way through it! My DD is so happy with how she is coming along. 

We get back to the trailer and a couple had moved to a spot near us. They had 3 dogs tied out around their camp site. These dogs barked and lunged at the ends of their tethers when we got near our trailer and owner just sat in a chair and watched them. The dogs were making a huge racket and both our horses were quite anxious. We get untacked and a trailer pulls in and parks next to barking dogs - this person must know them as now the dogs are howling and just going crazy. Now other campers are standing at the front of their sites looking at these people in annoyance. We decide then and there to just load up and get out of there. I could tell that the ranger was going to be called soon as there were a lot of angry faces as we pulled out.


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## rambo99

Short video of a night ride we did. Way more pleasant without the deer flies swarming and horse flies. We head out after dark ,with reflective vest on and headlamps on our helmets. 

My horse does the leading he crosses water and pretty much goes where I point him. 

We have a lot of fun doing night rides. Have trail all to ourselves no 4wheelers, no dirt bikes just peace and quiet.


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## rambo99

Here a link that hopefully works. Ran out of time to edit first post.


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## carshon

@rambo99 the video is really cool. We used to ride at night in the fall when it got dark really early.


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## mmshiro

Short update on my two trail horses:

I keep on running scientific experiments with Hamlet, and it becomes more and more confirmed that he's pretty steady in a familiar environment, but easily gets flustered when things get unfamiliar. Consider this: Instead of going in a big loop (which, for reasons of terrain I always walk in the same direction), I circumscribed the field at the farthest point of the trail and came back the same way I came out - kind of like a lollipop-shaped ride. The difference in attitude, at exactly the same spots, couldn't be more striking: On the way out: pee break, snack on tall grass, stroll on a loose rein; on the way out, seeing the same scenery in the opposite direction: Oh, I don't know where you are taking me! Why aren't we going home? What's that - ahhh, a ghost is following me (our shadow)!! It is extremely hilarious to watch him suddenly realizing where he is (almost home) and instantaneously turn off the worry: head down, measured strides. That's what my wife sees: Bombproof relaxed horse going out, bombproof relaxed horse coming home. Missing out on all the fun in between!

My trainer at the Arabian farm committed two crucial mistakes today: He didn't wear a helmet, and he didn't have a bonnet on his horse. I don't know if he sprayed his mare with fly spray, but I (a) always wear a helmet, (b) bought another riding fly mask ("Quiet Ride") at the Tractor Supply to use with Everest, and (c) not only sprayed him with fly spray, but actually brushed him with it. So who had the better ride? 

In any case, every crisis is an opportunity: The original plan was: first the woods, then the fields. He took out the green TB-Arabian mare I rode earlier, so we had two bulletproof horses on the trail today. But, after the woods he was so aggravated by the flies attacking him and his mares that he called it quits, and he let me go with Everest to the fields by myself. And, if I may say so, we did well together! We did a little trot behind a lawn-mower tractor, he was looky but not overly concerned about things, zero spooks, zero refusals. Now I just want to run him once across the field - that would be the ultimate cap stone to working with him this summer, but today I was expressly forbidden to "let him go". I wouldn't have anyway - he's pretty close to the next farrier appointment, and those toes do not exactly promote sure-footedness. The last thing I need is him face-planting with me at speed.... However, by now I would trust him to go on a gallop and come back to me.


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## ChasingDreams

@SueC I also enjoy hiking with my dogs. Probably not quite as often as I should, but we take the kids camping frequently over weekends during the summer... and my favorite breaks include disappearing into the trails with my pups while dad is “on duty”. 

Wears out the dogs so they stay on their best behavior for the trip, and I get some needed “me” time walking through the woods.

















@rambo99 Very cool, I have been riding in the ring after dark. I’ll admit, I’m not brave enough to go in the woods after dark by myself [emoji23] If I had other folks to ride with, I probably would.

The ring is lit though, I brought my kids up the other night and did some night-time riding with Chase under nearly a full-moon. We had a lot of fun and Chase was very well behaved with the little ones, like usual. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## rambo99

A video from last nights ride on the dirt road. Been so hot humid bugs are ridiculously bad so can't ride out till after dark which is around 10pm. So late nights and i wake up early no matter how little sleep i get,right now average is about 4 hours of sleep a night. My horse was a bit spooky last night so short video of canter on the road, i do have to hold phone to do videos don't own a Gopro. We did ride part of trail with headlamps turned off was kinda creepy but also cool, just enough moonlite we could just barely see the trail. Picture was taken when our headlamps weren't on. Puddles on trails are huge and lots of them after sunday afternoons down pours over 2 inches in a short period of time..

Horse got his confidence a bit shook here last week when he fell while going fast. I was kinda leery of going much faster than a trot. Wasn't his fault ground gave out from under him,lots of rain and footing by swaps is well real soft and gives out so we found out. I never ride without a helmet on and my daughter wears a helmet every ride. After my coming off it's a given to wear helmets every single ride.


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## egrogan

Managed a rare before-work ride today. Unfortunately the deerflies were worse than ever, and we were swarmed the whole way. Still, we had a good ride.

Our ride took us through a major intersection :rofl:









And along wonderful snowmobile trails


















We didn't pass another soul for the 7+ miles we rode. It's the point in the summer when I'm starting to daydream about how much more I'll enjoy my rides when fall weather gets here and all these nasty bugs are gone. Won't be _too _long now...

*Total 2019 miles: 81.2*


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## gunslinger

To hot for me right now......rode the Chickamauga Battle Field a couple of weeks ago......come on fall!


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## Celeste

I have managed to do 4 early morning rides since I last posted. I have decided to limit my rides to the shady three mile trail until things cool off. It is so hot and humid here that it is not fair to the horses to do much. It was too hot to do much today but walk along. I have gotten my girl so that she is doing much nicer canter transitions!

So I tried a new bit that I bought ages ago. It is supposed to be extremely mild and stop head shaking and annoying bit issues. It is a snaffle, but the metal has a very thick coating of plastic. It is also apple flavored. I thought I'd try it on my horse and see if she liked it.

She liked it all right. She did her very best to eat it. She thought that it had an apple in it, and all she could think about was apples. I took it off and put my regular snaffle back on. I didn't even get 10 minutes out of that investment.

It was on 84 degrees this morning, but the humidity was 75%. The air was so thick you could cut it with a knife. (Well, it seemed like you should be able to.)

The flower picture is there because I thought it was pretty.

Total miles for year so far: *181.71*

This is the most miles I have had at this point in several years. It is because I finally figured out that it won't kill me to get out of bed early on my day off.


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## carshon

Here I am the poster of books. An interesting ride yesterday. My daughter and I have ridden quite a bit with an old friend of mine this year. Unfortunately old friend is kind of a hot mess. She is super nice but "scatter brained" every single ride we have done together this year she has had some type of issue. Rein fell off (this has happened twice now) foot caught in stirrup while mounting, horse steps on lead rope and pulls back, door of trailer flies open and she must pull over (she has not ridden at the parks much so she follows us - so we must both pull over) and a few other things. So DD dreads riding with her because of all of the issues.

So yesterday was our first day post hot humid heat wave. The day before had heat indexes in the 110-115 range - just brutal. Yesterday was much cooler and lowish humidity. We meet friend and head to the park. DD and I get tacked up and are waiting on friend who has decided that she needs to switch bridles and is trying to put a bridle on her horse with a hackamore with no chin strap. Horse is anxious because our horses are walking out of her sight (we were trying to get in the shade) so her mare is throwing her head and stepping all over friend. Friend is trying to punch holes with a pair of scissors. I get the "really" look from DD (she is 19 so she has this look mastered) and we sit and wait. Horse flies are gathering and our horses are now dancing around impatiently as we swat HUGE Black Horse flies. Finally friend mounts up and off we go. Almost immediately we are bombarded with a horse of deer flies. In all honesty I have never ridden with so many deer flies attacking my horse. Tillie was getting super anxious and I was swatting and killing them by the dozens. I carry fly spray with me and we doused horses again and friend is trying to spray her horse and drops her split reins and her horse is trying to turn around - I get the "really" look again. And friend is just chatting up a storm the whole time. We continue on through the misery - my hands are bloody from swatting so many flies and Tillie is walking like a drunk sailor because she is shaking her head so much. We finally seem to ride out of the worst of them - it was truly a miserable hour of riding. DD's young horse is just doing wonderfully and we are working on her gait. So we ask friend if she is up for some gaiting and she said sure. Now she has a nice mare that she just purchased this spring - but friend seems to bring out the worst of her- because friend is super active in the saddle and always playing with the reins and adjusting them and pulling on them etc. I have told friend that the key to getting the most of the gait is to roll her hips slightly back, remove weight from the stirrups and keep hands calm and soft. So off we go. Tillie and Sawyer are gaiting beautifully and friend is bouncing all over. So we stop. DD is now glaring the "really" look at me all of the time. So we talk through gaiting again and off we go. Better but not quite there. So we finish the last couple of miles in relative peace with a moderate amt of bugs and a lot of talking from friend. We get back to the trailers untack and let the horses graze to cool off. 2 other trailers are there and we are chatting with the riders and warning them of the bugs. In this time friend has let her horse approach the horse tied to the trailer (a huge no no) friend has let her horse step on lead rope and jerk back. DD has had enough of Mom's friend and says well its time to go. We load up our 2 horses and friend is trying to load hers. Horse steps on trailer and flies off backward. So new person there goes over to help. They get horse in again and horse flies off after the butt chain is in place. Chain breaks - so we are all there trying to get horse in trailer. Friend tells new people who are tacked up and ready to go - to go ahead and leave- we've got this. so off they go. We attempt to load mare again and she rears and is having a fit because she cannot see other horses. Friend has horrible stretched rope halter on horse that is nearly falling off - DD gets our spare halter out of trailer and goes to put it on and friend is taking off rope halter and horse nearly gets away! DD is now taking charge as friend has no clue you cannot rehalter a horse unless you control said horse with a rope around its neck. They get nylon halter on and we try to load again. Horse walks right in but shoots off backward and runs off down the trail in search of the horses who left earlier. DD takes off after horse. Friend and I jump into truck and go down the road (trail runs along road) and see DD about 3/4 mile down road leading horse. Seems horse got onto road and then tried to go through the fence to get to the other 2 riders. DD caught her then and started leading her back to us. And DD is after this horse - demanding she stop and listen to her and asking her to move feet and give her attention to DD. We pull trailer over on side of road and decide to try and load her there (my horses are still standing in our trailer at the parking area) Horse loads up and tries to shoot off again but the three of us are pushing the door closed - horse stays on. Friend gets in truck and DD and I walk back to our horses and trailer. Friend comes back down the road to follow us home. DD is not happy with friend and makes me promise that no more rides with friend in the next 2 weeks that she is home. I make that promise. 

Our horses were great. Friend has some issues to work through. Worried to see what other shenanigans I will have with friend after DD leaves for school in a couple of weeks.


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## egrogan

At least you could tell the story in an entertaining way @carshon :wink: But yeah, I'm with DD on that one. Of all personality types, I think I might have the most difficult time getting along with "scatterbrained." I can manage a$$hole, I can manage "smarter than everyone else," I can manage "shy and timid," etc. But people who have no earthly idea what is happening around them and no self-awareness to understand that make me nuts!


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## knightrider

Oh! My! Gosh!!!! @carshon, what a story! I don't think I would EVER ride with that friend again. That sounds perfectly dreadful. I believe I would call that "The Trail Ride from H*11".


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## egrogan

Our weather this weekend felt more like Louisiana than Vermont. The Vermont 100 endurance race went through our town on Saturday, and we spent the day watching riders persevere through the heat. The completion rate for the 100 mile ride was ~50%; the 50 milers did a bit better than that. It was a tough day to be out there riding for hours.








All our usual riding routes were in use by the race- and let's be honest, *I *was not interesting in riding in 85*F temps with 85% humidity!- so I rode Sunday and today. I realized that we were riding through quintessential Vermont summer landscape so tried to snap a couple of pictures that weren't just green tree branches hanging over the road :wink:

1800s family cemetery:









And the old farmhouse that goes with it:









Old stone church (which is now our town's food bank)









*Total 2019 miles: 88.9*


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## mmshiro

Hamlet: I rode him on Monday, just before the rains moved in, and it was the type of ride as it should be. He's now familiar with the path, and apart from a short stretch of road between houses, he didn't show any sign of skittishness. We had some really nice runs along two fields, and other than that we were taking it easy. I think the nervousness on that stretch of road is consistent with my theory about "unfamiliar terrain": there are a lot more details to memorize where there are settlements: houses, cars, all kinds of useful and useless junk around the houses - he just doesn't feel comfortable there because he hasn't memorized it yet - not convinced that one of those won't jump out to get him. I usually let him trot through there - he wants to get it over with, and I want to show him that I acknowledge his concerns. 

This morning I rode Everest. He had spent the night in the stall, and it was before breakfast (to beat the heat and the bugs), so when I picked him up, I found a real little Arabian there, just like you know them from the movies. He tricked me, too: I lunged him before tacking up (waiting for trainer to arrive), and he was smooth as butter: walk, trot, canter, trot, walk - both directions. With the tack on, heading to the mounting block, he got all crazy - wouldn't lead, got all jumpy, wouldn't stand - I had to clip on the longe rope one more time to make sure we have proper communication going. When I said (directed more at the horse than him), "Other direction one more time?", trainer said, "I don't know - you'll be sitting on him, not me!" Proper guidance from your instructor is so important! 

So I brought him up to canter and back to walk (It's never more than 2-3 circles in each gait; as I said, it's just to assess communication. He does not understand the concept of "tired", so I need his mind first and foremost, and I don't need endless lunging for that.) I got on, he scooted off, I got seated, I stopped him and got my right foot into the stirrup. Then some walk and trot in the arena, and when I was satisfied that he was "with me" (albeit in an Energizer Bunny kind of way), we headed out. 

Trainer was on the TB x Arabian mare again. He felt like speeding things up a little, so we started out with a trot through the woods to a field, then along the edge of the field. Ultimately, I just couldn't deny him a little canter - I didn't "let him go," but I let him go as fast as I could so it still felt canter-ish -- not galloppy, seated -- not two-point, and then I brought him back down at the end of the field. That was the turning point of the ride, both literally and metaphorically.

From here on out, he was as easy-going and chilled (both of which terms you have to take in the context of a green Arabian who spooks when he takes me under a low branch and it starts moving as I brush through it) as last time. On the last half mile or so, he was truly chilling by any standard. (By that I mean I would have felt comfortable holding his reins in one hand and a camera in the other.) Tired? No. That horse doesn't even sweat. He perspires like a lady - just a little under the saddle pad, and less than his rider, usually.

The coolest thing is that he never had another rider on the trail - that's all me, and I like what I got.


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## charrorider

Wife and I hauled a couple of our Arabians 1 hr 20 mins to the Lead Mines Conservation Area. Much different than the deer path Cole Creek trails in the Mark Twain National Forest to which I'm accustomed. Many of the trails were a pickup truck wide and with safe footing (no rocks), like many of the pics I see here. Those trails were perfect for letting Arabians do what Nature made them to do --RUN! Another advantage of wider trails is that they were free of spider webs, which our trails are loaded with at this time of the year. There were a lot of deer flies, but this is Missouri. We rode 12 miles (19.5 kms).


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## ChasingDreams

I’m a little behind on the updates. I’ve had three rides since my last post. All short-ish because the quarry is still impassable due to swarms of flies.


















A few highlights, one morning we encountered a parachute with a motor. Maybe someone can enlighten me as to what that is actually called, because I have no idea, but I was very pleased when Chase didn’t react in the least because it flew directly over us and was quite loud. 

It continued to circle around the property as we rode, and we got a closer look back on the lane before it disappeared back the direction it came from.


































That same morning, I had one of those serene moments on the lane. The pastures hadn’t been mowed in a while, and there were wildflowers and butterflies for as far as you could see. The pictures didn’t really pick up the butterflies on the move, but it was something to behold in person.










Our last ride was the first evening trail ride we have been able to do in a while, since the humidity finally broke. Still quite buggy, but a lovely ride. The leaning tree of doom finally fell (thankfully not while I was riding under it), and the farmer promptly cut it up and hauled it away. 










And a few random photos:

























Total 2019 miles ~ 155.35


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## phantomhorse13

I was finally got some saddle time this week! The whole story is in my journal.

Phin:



















George & Kestrel:










George & Link:










George:










2019 mileage
...
7/24 phin 8.19 miles 1324 ft climb 5.2 mph 84F 1003.98 total miles
7/24 george 7.34 miles 929 ft climb 4.2 mph 86F 1011.32 total miles
7/25 george 9.73 miles 1330 ft climb 5.5 mph 89F *1021.05 total miles*


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## AndyTheCornbread

Trailered my primary riding horse up into the mountains north of me today and did a 6.3 mile loop that I really like up on a graze lease in the national forest. I like this ride because it is fairly flat up in that basin and open to where you can see quite a ways through the trees at many points and it has big open meadow areas that you ride through that are quite pretty. I also like it because it has four river crossings, three of which you can ride on a bridge over or ford them and the fourth you must ford as there is no other way across. If you want to work on river crossings with your horse that go through moving water, this is a great place to do it. My horse has no issues with crossing water but I like the scenery and the chance for him to cool down when he crosses and there is really good, lush, grass along the river so if I want to stop and rest for a while the horses love munching there and taking a rest. We only stopped for a short munch today because I was trying to be done before the air started to heat up for the day so we trotted a lot of the route except the places I like to take time to admire the scenery in. No camera but here are aerial and terrain images of today's route.


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## lb27312

Went for a quick ride yesterday, a little over 6 miles, not sure on the exact distance as I had left my phone so no pics either... ponied the young one while riding my oldest, I put a bareback pad on the young guy, first time anything has been cinched up on him so I was prepared for the worst, didn't even flick an ear, I just hope that doesn't mean a big explosion is coming. My oldest is only 21 but he seems to be slowing down, but it could be because I haven't been riding him as much this year, he's my heart horse and he needs to out live me so may just ride him close to home on shorter rides... 

I messed up during the ponying, I forgot the young one hasn't crossed much water so when I got to a water crossing he stopped, planted his feet like no way uh uh, so I go to dally him to my horn but some how got my thumb in between the rope and horn and at that same time Captain(young one) pulled back... grrrr! Thought I broke it and it's still hurting a little and stiff but it should be fine. He finally got walking and got to the other side... turned around and went back through. Paid more attention next time I got to the crossing and kept him close and he crossed no problems. I'm mad at myself for not paying more attention...


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## charrorider

Back riding in the primitive trails of the Mark Twain. Not more than a mile into the ride encountered a big tree across the trail. Took a photo of it, but it didn't come out very good. I'm sure the log will still be there the next time I hit that trail. Ended up riding 11.4 miles (18.4 kms). Average moving speed of 3.9 mph (6.3 km) may not sound too fast, but around these hilly and rocky trials, that's not a terrible speed over 11 miles. The trailhead was empty, so I turned Ibn loose and let him graze for a while.


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## carshon

Another great ride on Sunday - did not take "old friend" this time as DD has requested no old friend rides before she goes back to school. It has been hot and humid here so we opted for an early ride. DD's mare Sawyer continues to impress us and is proving to be level headed - she did let her hind end slip off the trail on a rather steep hill side - but righted herself and moved on like an old pro. DD got a jolt from that but praised Sawyer for not panicking. We do not ride a lot of steep trails but there are a few - Sawyer has been on this trail before but something caught her eye on the uphill side and she turned her neck and body to look and her back feet went off the trail and dropped down a bit (not much just enough to make your heart thump) I heard some rocks go down the hill but but the time I stopped to look they were on the trail again and moving on. No other incidents and we did a lot of gaiting which I really enjoyed. We are experiencing really dry weather - hot and humid but no rain the trails are dusty and bug infested. Riding has been a mixture of swatting bugs and sweating. DD leaves this coming weekend for school - I am going to miss her!


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## knightrider

From @ChasingDreams


> one morning we encountered a parachute with a motor. Maybe someone can enlighten me as to what that is actually called,


Those things are called paraplanes. I have been fortunate enough to ride them twice, once in Maryland and once in Florida. They are fairly safe, and you get 1 1/2 hours instruction before you go up. So somebody like me without a pilot's license actually gets to fly a plane. It's very fun and exciting. There might be a place nearby you where you can go try it. It's quite a thrill to be flying your own plane.


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## egrogan

We went over the 100 mile mark this weekend, which I'm feeling proud of because we didn't really get to start riding until the last week of May this year due to the weather. 

Muggy and buggy sums up everything here these days. Not much relief in sight. I'm planning to go to a pleasure ride with my neighbor this weekend as long as the weather cooperates, so that will be fun!









*Total 2019 miles: 106.9*


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## QueenofFrance08

New ride this weekend. Got to ride 25 miles on Chico Saturday with my friend riding Jake for his first 25 mile completion! Sunday I rode the 10 mile intro on Stitch for her first ride back since she got hurt. She almost pulled me over during our final trot out so I think it's safe to say she's back! She took off bucking and flying across the pasture when we got home so I guess she was just getting started! We also got to take the horses swimming bareback in the river Saturday afternoon!


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## AndyTheCornbread

@QueenofFrance08 is it an optical illusion in the pictures or is your friend really like the size of a grade schooler? I bet horses love her, they can probably barely feel the weight at all if she is really that small. My horse would probably be like "_can we trade riders?_" if I ever rode with somebody that size. Where at in MN are you ladies riding?


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## phantomhorse13

On Friday, I got Phin out with Gina and Nik. The whole story is in my journal.




















On Sunday, DH and I got George & Phin out:


















2019 mileage
...
7/26 phin 10.80 miles 1397 ft climb 2.8 mph 91F 1031.85 total miles
7/28 phin 13.38 miles 1588 ft climb 5.6 mph 95F 1045.23 total miles


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## QueenofFrance08

@AndyTheCornbread she actually is that size. She's in the featherweight class for AERC which means under 160 lbs with tack. We were in Twin Valley MN on the Agassiz Recreational Trail which is the upper west portion of the state. It was a new ride this year and was very well attended by people from the Dakotas as they don't have many rides in their states and we only have a few on this side of the state.


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## AndyTheCornbread

QueenofFrance08 said:


> @AndyTheCornbread she actually is that size. She's in the featherweight class for AERC which means under 160 lbs with tack. We were in Twin Valley MN on the Agassiz Recreational Trail which is the upper west portion of the state. It was a new ride this year and was very well attended by people from the Dakotas as they don't have many rides in their states and we only have a few on this side of the state.



I have a bunch of relatives over on the Dakota side so I know the area a little but not well. I had to look up the trail online. It has won a bunch of awards so it must really nice. The re-built bridges actually look super nice.

My horses would probably love your friend, usually when I have a guest it is somebody like my brother or Dad who are 6'5" - 6'6" and weigh close to 300lbs. I bet your friend could use one leg of my brother's jeans for a sleeping bag. The horse I put big people like my brother on probably wouldn't even know she was there :smile:


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I got some saddle time. The whole story is in my journal.

Phin & Kestrel:



















George and Link:


















July: 113.35 miles
phin - 91.57 miles
george - 21.78 miles


2019 mileage
...
7/30 phin 4.70 miles 402 ft climb 5.1 mph 99F 1049.93 total miles
7/30 george 4.71 miles 402 ft climb 4.0 mph 103F *1054.64 total miles*


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## charrorider

Rode for 8.5 miles (14.7 km) today. Makes my 2019 total to 155 miles (251 km). At the end of July last year I had 225 miles (364.5 km). I'm hoping to close that gap some in August. See the photo where the trail is swallowed by a green wall? That's all poison ivy, or poison oak. Later, back at the trailhead, I saw a couple of young ladies that were getting ready to ride. They were wearing shorts. I hope they changed before mounting. Whenever I've tired to take a photo of the trail either going uphill or downhill, the land always looks level. So this time I tried shooting from around my thigh (gunslinger style) instead of bringing the camera up to my eyes.


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## mmshiro

Everest continues to be the most challenging horse I have ridden so far, even though I never had an actual "Oh *****!" moment on him. Today, I went out with the assistant trainer because head trainer was away on show business. He did really well in a local show, so he travelled to a regional one this morning.

First thing that made me smile was Everest giving me a big whinny (not simply a nicker), and his head was in the stall door before I could even pick up the halter. It's nice to be appreciated by your student.

We traced the ride I took last week with head trainer, which leads us across a small field past BO's house. Again, I let him canter for a little bit (simply by giving him his head), and apparently that was watched by BO. As we backtracked along the opposite side of the field and passed BO's house, she gave us a big "thumbs up" on that canter, which she reiterated when I saw her later in the office.

On the way home, asst. trainer had to take a short cut to attend to her lesson, so I got to take Everest solo around the farm again, taking the long way home. Apart from one point where he was really concerned about stepping over a fallen tree trunk, he was (more or less) fine. When we showed up at one pasture, the inmates started running away from us in a big gallop, but Everest did not let himself get sucked into the drama. 

I'm saying he's the most challenging because he's still the most unpredictable. One moment we're cruising along (he doesn't even bother catching up to the leader anymore when we're following), the next second we got a "snorty moment" to work through. He's pretty chilled when following, but he does not like much to be first down the trail. In second place, he strolls through mud and over exposed tree roots; when leading, those things appear to be much more dangerous suddenly. Still, he seems to blossom when he's out of his box and out exploring, so it's all worth it. Well, that and the greeting I get when I show up.

Hamlet is getting more relaxed each time we "practice" the trail. I found out that a good way to take him through scary sections of the road is a sequence of walk-trot-walk transitions. It seems to take his mind off the monsters. Otherwise, hardly any spooks, some great runs along the fields, and he's working his little butt on those hills. Once, he tried to take one of the hills cantering, and I swear I was cantering with my sternum on the pommel and my face in his mane, just to keep the balance in two-point. He clearly is not a horse to explore the country with, but he seems to have a blast when he's in areas that are familiar to him.


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## AtokaGhosthorse

Just putting feelers out.

October 11 is the Friday of Columbus Day. A lot of folks I ride with have a very long weekend that weekend. I myself have a four day weekend and will be taking Thursday off as well since that's fall break for our school.

We're planning a big get together and trailride at the Caddo National Grasslands, but the Bois d'Arc Trailhead area, which is near Telephone and Ivanhoe Texas. You can get there from the DFW area by taking 121 north to Bonham. It's about 15 minutes from Bonham. 

There is no electric out there, but there is water at every site, and there are pull throughs and back-in sites. Vault toilets. A wash rack for horses, and a very well made handicap ramp for mounting. Trails are mostly sandy loam, with some red clay areas and a few tree root stair steppy areas. Its situated on Coffee Mill Lake and some of the trails take you right next to the water. Steel pipe and cable hi-lines are there for the horses - they are well maintained as well. Each site has steel picnic tables and fire rings.

There's 4 trails - five if you consider 4A and 4B separate trails. The longest is trail 1 at 11 miles. Trails 2 and 3 have several loops and one is designated as a 'wet' trail. The shortest trail is 4a (I think 4b was the longer version) at about an hour and 50 minutes. Trail 2 is about a two hour ride, 3 is a three hour, but if you take the loops and connectors of 2 and 3, you can be gone about as long as you like. I'd say the skill level is beginner to low intermediate skill. If you take trails 1 or either of 4, you have to cross a paved road and there are gates to get, but they are also well maintained and the chains are high on the gate so you don't have get out of the saddle if you don't want to. Trail 3 has a lovely newish horse bridge, which is great if you don't want to go brush popping to get across the creek and if you want to work on your horse crossing an 'unknown' (ours had never seen a horse bridge before and boogered at it the first few times, but cross it like champs now).


There are wild hogs in that area, so be mindful of that - I've found my horses hold their ground well when confronted with a sounder of hogs running across the trail ahead of us, and like bears, just make a lot of noise while you ride so you don't jump the hogs up - they'll move off calmly if they hear you coming long before they see you.


If anyone here would like to meet us out there, the more the merrier. PM me on FB if you know me there, or even here and I'll get you the details on food plans, location, etc. I will have my husband with me, my son will be meeting us there to camp and fish (with hubs/his dad), my dad MAY go, and so far I think we have 10 going, 10 saying maybe, with another 25 who haven't been on FB yet to respond. I may end up with a crew of young people not related to me going with us/following us down as well.


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## knightrider

Wish I could go, @AtokaGhosthorse. That sounds like SO much fun. Texas is too far away, I'm afraid.

End of the month totals for me. 

For July: 60 hours, 198 miles

For year: 424.5 hours, 1400.85 miles

Something fun I've been working on is fixing up our waterbox to sell. My neighbor helped me make it about 4 years ago so my daughter could practice for trail challenges. She did 3 competitions and decided it wasn't really her thing. We used the waterbox to train all our horses, . . . and then it sat. This summer, I decided one of my summer projects would be to re-caulk it, re-waterproof it, paint it, and sell it. I hope I can find someone else who wants to train their horse to go through a waterbox. It doesn't really waterbreak a horse, but it does teach them to go through stuff they'd really rather not.


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## knightrider

Oops, I got so excited about my waterbox, I forgot to add a photo someone took of me and my neighbor on a ride.


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## Celeste

I have ridden several times since posting, again. I totally forgot to take pictures. Since I have been riding the same trail every day, they would not have been anything new anyway.

The horses were great for the most part. When we got to the place where we usually have a nice canter, my horse was pinning her ears and trying to wait on the other horse. I think she was wanting to play race horse games. From my perspective, it was a stop cantering and go into a pounding trot game. I kept pushing and finally got her into a lovely canter. Normally all I have to do is let her go and she is gone. I guess we all have our days. I went an extra half mile just to work on gaits. She actually did a very pleasant jog and a well mannered canter at that point. 

I think the misbehavior is all @phantomhorse13 s fault. She said that I needed to start calling my horse Pretty Princess instead of Psycho Princess. 

@mmshiro Of course Everest likes to be second in line. He is smart. He knows that the trolls eat the horse in front of the ride. 

Today: 3.4 miles
*2019 total: 190.19 miles*

I am pretty happy with that number. I was told several years ago by a doctor that I am disabled and that I shouldn't ride any more. Sooooo, I changed doctors. 

I am not slowing down. Ever.


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## knightrider

> I am not slowing down. Ever.


 @Celeste, you go girl!!!!!


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## phantomhorse13

@AtokaGhosthorse : that sounds like a great place to ride - wish it wasn't so far!

@*Celeste* : your PP _is_ very pretty, so only fair you call her so!


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## carshon

Took a couple of days off mid week. I had a job interview for a job I don't really want - but a friend REALLY wanted me to interview for. And hubby, daughter and I had to go to Sam's and stock up for her move back to school. We move her this Sunday. So we decided to go for one last ride together while the weather is nice. We are in desperate need of rain here - we haven't had rain in over 3 weeks- its been hot and humid but all of the pop up storms have been north of us. The park we rode at must have had a few showers as their was mud on the trails as well as some puddles. It was a fantastic ride- only one "moment" when a fawn literally jumped up out of the brush on the side of the trail and ran under Tillie's nose. She shied pretty good (and I don't blame her) and I felt my bottom leave the saddle. But I stayed on and even got a round of applause from hubby and daughter for that! We gaited a lot and just really enjoyed our time together. I am going to miss DD when she is at school, she is my main riding buddy and we have a lot of fun together.


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## cbar

I just started following this thread and love hearing about everyone's rides. 

This spring/summer I have gotten interested in trying ctr/endurance riding. So have been logging lots of trail and road miles training for it - tomorrow is our first ever 25 mile ride! I'm really excited but also a little nervous. It is a ctr sanctioned ride, so the rules are much stricter at the vet checks. The horse I'm using is a 21 year old Standardbred.

I have been venturing out solo to get some of my miles in - a few pics from last weekends training ride. I believe we did just over 10 miles this day. I should really keep start keeping track of my miles like folks here do!! I've started using an app on my phone when I ride (mostly for the GPS map as I'm famous for getting lost). 

I've attached a pic of Tiger after our first 'fun-ride' this spring, as well as a couple from our training ride last weekend.


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## charrorider

This is my 10.6 mile (17 km) ride today. Came across 6 other riders on the trail today! That's a record. That's what's wrong with riding in the weekends --too crowded. LOL! Don't know why the top of the photo is darker. I tried adjusting the angle of the monitor, but it didn't make any difference I could see. If I'm lucky I'll be able to ride enough this month to top 200 miles for 2019.


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## phantomhorse13

On Thursday, I got Phin out with Kestrel. The whole story is in my journal. 




















On Friday, I went over to ride at Nicole's. I rode Polo.


















2019 mileage
...
8/1 phin 4.38 miles 774 ft climb 3.8 mph 93F 1059.02 total miles
8/2 polo 11.08 miles 653 ft cimb 5.5 mph 94F *1070.10 total miles*


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## egrogan

Super fun weekend here. I volunteered at a CTR on Saturday before taking a nice ride on my own, and then did a pleasure ride on Sunday with my neighbor. 

_Saturday_




























_Sunday_



























*Total 2019 miles: 120.3*


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## QueenofFrance08

Took Lilo and Chico out for Lilo's first trail ride Saturday. Did the 6 mile loop at our usual park. She walked/trotted/cantered like a pro, passed and was passed, led most of the way, saw deer and turkeys and behaved better than Chico! So excited for her.

Sunday DH and I took Comet and Jake through the same loop. At about the halfway point Comet spooked at some purple flowers and DH tried to make him go past them. At that point Comet decided he had enough and spun around which caused Jake to bolt blindly down the hill we were at the top of. I thought I could stop him at first but he kept racing so I fell/bailed off the side and nailed my hip pretty good. Jake ran off and DH tried to go catch him but didn't have any luck. I started walking back and DH headed back to the trailer to look for him. After walking 2 miles (one mile left to the trailer) I saw some color coming towards me and DH had found Jake and ponied him back to me. I hopped back on and we mostly walked (because trotting hurt like heck) back to the trailer.

So.... 12 miles although 2 were walking on foot....


Side note.... Saturday was Chico's 18th birthday!!!


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## ChasingDreams

I forgot to post my ride from Saturday. I rode last night as well, but only in the ring since my daughter had gymnastics, and besides that it’s still pretty hot and humid around here so more pleasant in the ring after sunset. By end of week, humidity is supposed to be much more tolerable, so hopefully, I’ll get more actual trail miles.










Saturday, I was at the barn pretty early to beat the heat, and we ended up doing the main loop at the quarry for the first time in weeks. The deer flies were still a little rough closer to the lake, but not as bad as they have been otherwise.

Chase has been a SAINT lately, always more to work on of course, but I just have been so happy with him the last few rides. I just made my last payment on him Friday, so he’s officially MINE... and I think he knows it, because he’s just been so willing and affectionate towards me. I’m so grateful to have him 

Total 2019 miles~ 158.95


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## cbar

@QueenofFrance08, hopefully you are not too sore from your fall?? Yikes, sounds like quite the adventure you had! 

This past weekend Tiger & I were entered in our first ever 25 mile CTR ride. The weather was perfect - not too hot (around 20celsius) and the bugs were not bad either. I was a little worried that he would run out of steam as he was very, very forward - I did my best to keep him at a reasonable pace. 

I was pleasantly surprised to find out at awards that we had finished 3rd!!! 

I do need to figure out some solution for my tack though - my saddle is leaving a dry spot and I'm afraid it will eventually cause him some pain. I'm putting some feelers out there for a different saddle - so far have found a couple Barefoot saddles and a DP Endurance Saddle - the DP looks lovely, but unfortunately a little out of my price range. My friend has lent me her Freeform Treeless to try out to see if I even want to go the treeless route. Tiger has had a few days off, but tonight I'm hoping to hop on for a short ride to try out the saddle. I also want to get a different breast collar as I'm not happy with the way mine fits when we are trotting so much. Guess that's part of it - working out all the kinks to figure out what works. I'm thinking of getting a biothane one - just need to decide on colors!!!


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## AndyTheCornbread

@cbar where is the dry spot and how big is it?


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## egrogan

Congrats @cbar! Tell us all about it- what kind of speed did you maintain, how'd he do with the vetting, the other horses, all the excitement? I am pointing to a 15-mile conditioning ride (CDR) the last weekend of August and trying to get more intentional with our training rides. We went out for ~7 miles today at our best pace yet.








*Total 2019 miles: 126.97*


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## QueenofFrance08

@cbar Congratulations! So happy for you guys! Definitely recommend biothane, I don't think I can ever go back to leather!


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## cbar

AndyTheCornbread said:


> @cbar where is the dry spot and how big is it?


You can kind of see it in the picture I posted of him - it is just behind his shoulder, kind of in the dip from his wither. And on both sides. So his saddle must be pinching him there?? In the pic, you can also kind of see the dry spot on his saddle pad too. He wasn't showing any back pain at the vet checks which is good, but definitely want to address this sooner rather than later. My friend mentioned putting a riser pad in there, but I think I'd prefer to just find a saddle that fits him properly....but perhaps might be a quick fix in the interim. I just kind of thought if it is pinching that adding more padding would just make things worse?? 

I tell ya, saddle fit issues has me so frustrated. And I've been seeing a few saddles that I'm interested in online, but very hesitant to purchase as they'd need to be shipped - just in case they don't fit either!!


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## cbar

egrogan said:


> Congrats @cbar! Tell us all about it- what kind of speed did you maintain, how'd he do with the vetting, the other horses, all the excitement? I am pointing to a 15-mile conditioning ride (CDR) the last weekend of August and trying to get more intentional with our training rides. We went out for ~7 miles today at our best pace yet.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Total 2019 miles: 126.97*


Good for you!!! I have found that getting out for enough conditioning rides was a challenge for me and was really worried he wasn't in good enough shape. But he proved me wrong!! 

He did really great with the vetting and everything. I've taken him to a few fun rides earlier this year so I think he is getting used to the whole vetting procedure. He was also off the track originally, so pretty used to all the hands-on stuff. 

Our pace was right on track - at the CTR's you can't finish too quickly and if it had been an actual endurance event I'm sure we would have finished about 30 minutes sooner. We ended up having to wait at the 2mile marker to pass some time as we were going to be coming in too early and would have had points deducted. I also rode with a couple experienced girls so that helped a lot.


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## egrogan

That's so great, sounds like it all went really well. I was a timer for a CTR last weekend- due to some confusion with trail markers, everyone (even the usual front runners) came in at the very end of their windows, which was pretty unusual. Nice you had some experienced company to help you out. Can't wait to continue to follow along with the rest of your rides. Congrats again!


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## AndyTheCornbread

@cbar that is what I thought. That spot is circular and looks like it could be 4 - 5 (101mm - 127mm)inches in diameter and it is on both sides. That sounds like a saddle bar pad dry spot from a well fitting saddle. But it is hard to know from just a picture. Be careful though that you aren't mistaking a well fitting saddle dry spot for one that is from an ill fitting pinching saddle. The saddle is designed to distribute weight and if you have a large dry spot on both sides right in that area it often means a well fitting saddle not an ill fitting one. Also the fact that the horse isn't sore there might be a good indicator that it isn't pinching. Small dry spots, like a diameter of 37mm or smaller like Loonie sized are the ones you really need to worry about, those mean a pinch often times.


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## cbar

@AndyTheCornbread - I didn't realize there would be dry spots like that from a well fitting saddle?? Hopefully that is the case! I am going to try his saddle on again tonight and check the fit - I did it when I first bought it, but we have been logging a lot of miles since then so I'm sure his muscling has changed. I still would like a more endurance-type saddle (I am currently riding in a western saddle), but would be great if this saddle still fits him. The dry spots are definitely on both sides in approximately the same place - and they can be quite large. Those are the only dry spots I have found on his back after a long ride.


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## Celeste

I took my girl out for a solo ride. She always seems to do better alone. She was ready to go! It was a fun ride with no real issues. I did several nice canters and some not too bad trots. She also walked quietly most of the way.

Congratulations to @cbar on your 3rd place win!

Today 3.2 miles
*Total: 194.11 miles*


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## PoptartShop

Took Promise out outside of the property (trails are in walking distance, no hauling yay!) & she was a bit anxious because it was her first time 'leaving' her buddies behind and not being hauled, so while we were walking further & further away from the barn she got anxious. We worked through it though. Only good picture I could get, didn't wanna drop my phone in case she got nervous! :lol:


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## knightrider

@AndyTheCornbread, could you explain a little more about saddle fit? I am so confused about saddle fit. This is the first I've heard that dry spots are OK. I've been through probably 30 saddles trying to find ones that fit my horses. It doesn't help that saddles that seem to fit make my horses antsy and saddles that clearly don't fit are ones they prefer. Could you please put up some pictures of horses and then draw on them the places where dry spots are OK and not OK?

This morning I rode my daughter's young mare Windy solo. I haven't ridden her solo since this winter when we had some ragged solo rides and I decided I wasn't going to ride her solo "until she was older."

Today seemed like a really good day because it was hot and humid, so she wouldn't be too excited, she'd been ridden 2 1/2 hours the day before so she was a little tired, and she's been on pasture 24/7 for the last couple of months, so she wasn't feeling fresh.

She did quite well on the solo ride, especially for only having been taken out by herself about 7 times in her life. I imagine if I rode her solo 3 times a week like I do my other horses, she'd be as good as they are.

I got a new phone, so I decided to take a photo and see how it did. Yesterday my teen girls came over to ride along with my nice sweet neighbor.

About 3 years ago, my daughter wanted to compete in trail challenges, and we built her a waterbox for practicing. We taught all the horses to go through the waterbox, and after 3 trail challenge competitions, my daughter concluded it wasn't really something she loved to do.

This summer I decided one of my projects would be to fix up that waterbox and sell it, so I re-caulked it and re-painted it and put it up for sale for $50, which is a pretty good price since it cost $80 just for the materials. I hope somebody buys it, as we don't use it anymore.


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## QueenofFrance08

@cbar I had dry spots like those with Stitch last year that quickly turned into white patches which was bad. I tried to get a Toklat Matrix pad that I could shim but that only helped a little. Got a different saddle, no dry spots, no white hairs!


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## cbar

I was googling the dry spots a bit and watched a youtube video that explained it - but I'm still confused? It would be great if this saddle actually fit (wouldn't it???) but I would still look for something else anyway; maybe not in as much of a rush if I knew the one he has wasn't causing problems. The videos and articles I found did say that not all dry spots mean poor saddle fit....But how do you know unless your horse is showing pain? 

If it is pinching then I think I will just sell it - I'm not going to try to pad it up as I don't think that really solves the problem. And it's not like we are just going on one trail ride every couple weeks. 
@knightrider - I am with you 100%. This saddle fitting thing confuses me too. I also want to know how people buy saddles online and think they will fit? Or do you just buy them with the hopes they fit, then re-sell if they don't? I am looking at a couple options, but all of them are far away and would be shipped -so not something I can even trial.


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## AndyTheCornbread

There has been so much misinformation published about dry spots, people are like "_I found a dry spot, my saddle doesn't fit, I have to buy a new one!_". Good for the saddle industry, not so much for your pocket book and or your horse.

Dry spots are actually a fairly bad way to judge saddle fit but when you do find them if they are small like silver dollar sized then you need to take a further look at that. If they are bigger like 4 - 5 inches right up by the withers and round then 99% of the time that is just the pads on your front bars doing their job and distributing the riders weight. Especially if the spots are in the same place on both sides around the withers and round it usually means your saddle is doing its job. 

Now if you want a new saddle just because or in your case you want something more comfy and or better suited for your chosen discipline then by all means go for it. I am the last person to tell you not to buy a saddle for personal reasons, one look at my saddle racks in my basement will tell you I have more saddles than I could ever use and I will surely buy more in the years to come. To my non-equestrian ex-wife it probably seemed like a waste of money but in the end...I still have the saddles :smile:

What I don't like to see is people buying saddles when they don't need to, thinking that they do need to but in reality their money could be better spent elsewhere or saved for another day. We all want to do the very best thing for our horses of course and people who want to sell saddles want to push this button where they can't sell us saddles for other reasons. So sometimes that leads to over zealous blanket statements in publications and such along the lines of "_all dry spots are the devil's tool shop and you horse will hate you forever if it has any_". In reality there are better ways to check saddle fit and dry spots of a certain kind are only indicators that your saddle might not fit, in other cases they can mean your saddle does fit.

There are members on here far better at fitting saddles than I am, in fact I often get second and third opinions on saddle fit for new horses of mine from an old horseman who lives near me and a custom saddle maker who lives down near town.

It is just that when I saw those dry spots I thought the OP was maybe talking about some other spots because those to me look like a saddle doing the right thing. If the horse isn't sore though in those spots even a couple of days later after the event (_don't poke him so much looking for sore that you make him sore of course_) then I would call it good as 
25 miles should definitely make a horse sore enough to let you know if it is a rub or bind or pinch. 

If you buy a new saddle because you want a better one for your events shoot for one that fits the horse like the one you have now. And post pictures of it because honestly who doesn't like to see somebody get a new saddle that they wanted.


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## mmshiro

So I'm dealing with two effects here: Yes, Hamlet is starting to memorize the places we tend to frequent and is getting comfortable with all the ways we can set up a ride, but on the other hand, Everest shows me every Wednesday just how interesting rides *can* be. Just so I'm not getting spoiled. The trainer at the Arabian farm is still riding out with me, but he, too, is taking out a green horse, so he's dealing with his own issues and I'm getting almost all my lesson taught by Everest. Today's lesson: How to sit a buck. Or two. Now, I'm not talking about a bronc buck, which would have me off the horse in about a split second - they are happy bucks, and they are a known issue for him. He's just a happy boy, and today was a bit windy. Still, this is not something you figure out with regular lesson horses, so this required me to apply my skills from other forms of riding that makes the horse's back move in an irregular fashion -- like, uhm, _trail riding_ across rough terrain. 

Taking out two green horses are an extra challenge because each rider is responsible for dealing with their own horsey-related issues _and_ shielding their own horse from the other's shenanigans. We rode along a field, there was some cracking in the bushes, and trainer's mare had a bit of a spook. Trainer couldn't figure out what it was that spooked her, and he asked me, "Did you see what that was?" - "I heard it, but I'm trying not to look," I responded! And sure enough, Everest went past the spot just fine. A little bit later, his mare started snorting and backing up. I saw exactly why: a big horse-eating blood sucker was flying directly towards her face! Everest, however, does not make those connections - he just sees his buddy becoming concerned, so I have to be extra relaxed and nonchalant, even if I would be warranted in expecting a secondary reaction out of him. Trying to brace for it may actually cause it, so you just gotta deal with it, if it happens, as it happens. It didn't.

It was a really great ride. Trainer wants to take the mare to a hunter pace soon, so we are starting to pick up the pace a little. Everest's canter (when he doesn't buck) is smooth as butter, so I cannot resist letting him have at it when he falls behind a little bit at a trot section and wants to catch up, or if he just wants to be lazy on the uphill. I don't have a problem bringing him back when we're leading, and I certainly don't worry about stopping him when we're in second place behind another horse. Oh, and he almost stopped tripping, too! He's getting used to that "roots and rocks" spiel and picks up his feet more reliably. 

The best part is always coming home into the vicinity of the barn. He is in no hurry whatsoever to get back, and there is no more catching-up, regardless of how far we're falling behind. That last quarter to half mile is so rewarding, because he's now acclimatized to his environment, he's just enjoying being out there and looking around, and he just feels comfortable with me. Not even the fact that he can expect a half hour of hand-grazing after untacking makes him speed back to the barn.


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## phantomhorse13

I got some good saddle time this week! The whole story is in my journal.

On Tuesday, I got George out:



















On Wednesday, I rode Phin:



















Yesterday, I got Phin out again to take Kestrel for a walk:









2019 mileage
...
8/6 george 12.36 miles 1674 ft climb 5.4 mph 96F 1083.71 total miles
8/7 phin 12.30 miles 1404 ft climb 5.2 mph 94F 1096.01 total miles
8/8 phin 5.24 miles 632 ft climb 4.8 mph 93F *1101.25 total miles*


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## charrorider

I'm with AndyTheCornbread on saddle fit. Ibn gets those big dry saddle spots up by his wither/shoulders. We have done a thousand miles and he goes uphill, downhill, trots, canters, can keep a pace of 3.9 mph (6.3 km) on primitive trails, and has never once given any indication he's sore, or even uncomfortable. He's not a big horse, just 14 hands. Coincidentally, I was at an endurance race back in June and saw the vet checks. To check if the horse was sore on his back, I was surprised at how little pressure was applied. I applied much more than they do when checking Ibn.


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## texasgal

Hey you crazy hot weather riding fools! My horses basically have the summer off unless someone talks me into an evening ride around the neighborhood. I'll live vicariously through y'all until fall!


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## charrorider

Took my 6 year old rescued Arabian, Chance, for his first trail ride today. It was only a 4.33 mile (7 km), but I'm very pleased with his performance. He did everything I asked him to do. In the interest of full disclosure, he also did a couple of things I didn't ask him to do. But hey, what 6 year old isn't going to test his limits?


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## cbar

I trailered Amber out to the mountains for a one night stay with some friends this weekend. She had some issues wanting to go into the tie stalls, but using food as bribery (I know, bad of me) and promising her she'd stay much drier in there, she finally decided to go. I was a little disappointed we didn't do any riding on Friday when we got there, but we did head out Saturday morning for approximately 5 mile ride. 

Saw a HUGE herd of Elk which was very cool. The weather was not great - it was cool and damp, but glad I went and got the miles on her. She was a bit of a pill during some of the ride, but overall I was fairly pleased. No pics ATM but might be able to post some later.


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## Celeste

It may not seem that big to a lot of you, but I passed the 200 mile mark for the year today.


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## carshon

@Celeste with the weather we have had this year - I think 200 is a lot!!!

I rode on Saturday with my old friend (FWIW here at home we call her the crazy lady) and like all other rides with her this one had equipment issues as well as another trailer loading issue. This was Tillie's first solo ride in the trailer this summer - and for once she was not hard to catch and she loaded right up (she always loads well) we left in plenty of time to me Old Friend and she was there when we got there 20 min before our agreed upon time. Tillie tacked up with no issues. She got hives really bad after our ride last Thurs so I had washed and oiled all of my tack since I assume some of the back high weeds we went through caused the hives. I get on (which as I have mentioned in the past due to arthritis in both of my hips) is a sight to behold. As as I get myself adjusted I see Old Friend hanging off the side of her horse. I beg her to use a mounting block but she refuses so when her horse walks off she is left trying to monkey herself into the saddle. She will be 60 this month and is quite fit but that poor horse. We leave the parking area with no issues and get about half way into the ride when equipment issue - honestly I have never ridden with a person that has had more issues with equipment than her. She insists on riding with a halter under her bridle even though she rides with a menchanical hackamore. Her mare tosses her head a lot on got the hack caught up into the halter and Old Friend had to get it untangled because she had no whoa as the hack would not engage. I finally told her please just get the mares teeth checked to see why she tosses her head or have a chiro look at her. We finish the ride (about 6 miles or so) with no issues. get untacked and let the horses cool down. All other trailers have left when we decide to leave. I leave Tillie tied to my trailer where her horse can see her (due to trailer loading issues last ride) and wait for her to load. Horse won't go in. Tries for a few minutes and I untie Tillie and bring her to friends trailer so friends horse can see her. Horse finally loads and then whips off back ward and flips her self over backward. Tillie stood like a champ watching all of these gymnastics - so friend walks her around and we try again. After about 20 min I go to my trailer get a pan of feed (I keep some in for rewards when I mount) and I shake feed pan for horse and she walks right in - I dump the feed in the manger and we shut the door. Friend looks at feed and says that is more than I give her and I said you have to give her enough to keep her busy while you shut the door! I tell friend to leave and I load up Tillie and we come home. I have to say I love my horse. very little drama.


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## egrogan

@Celeste, I'm still working my way towards 200 so it sounds pretty darn good to me! @carshon, "crazy friend" is lucky to have you. Hope she can get some hands on help with her horse, though sounds like she's probably one who doesn't think it's necessary...

Got some good rides in over the weekend- Friday afternoon we had a short, fast ride (~4 miles) and got caught in a torrential downpour the last mile and then Sunday morning we had cool, sunny weather (and almost no bugs!) and explored a new set of trails with our riding buddy (~8 miles). 



















I'm really feeling a physical transformation in my horse- she's getting a lot stronger and is starting to be able to carry a nice trot over a bit of distance. Steep downhills are still challenging for her and we are still walking-only downhill, but uphill we're really moving out at all gaits and while she might need a moment to catch her breath at the top of a long hill, she recovers quickly. It's exciting to be able to feel the difference in fitness!

*Total 2019 miles: 138.2*


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I got Phin out with Kestrel. The whole story is in my journal.



















Next up was George and Link. 









2019 mileage
...
8/12 phin 9.06 miles 1189 ft climb 4.6 mph 90F 1110.31 total miles
8/12 george 5.32 miles 453 ft climb 4.1 mph 93F 1115.63 total miles


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## PoptartShop

Took Promise out again on the trails near the barn, in walking distance, sooo much more to explore but we had fun!


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## cbar

@PoptartShop, those look like nice trails - luck you to have them so close to your barn!! I need to trailer anywhere to find decent trails. 

No riding since the weekend as I have been busy. Tonight I'm exchanging some crappy square bales that were sold to me for (hopefully) better ones. I am leaving on Friday for a camping trip with the horses - taking both Amber & Tiger so it will be good for both of them to get miles. 

I did ride Sunday evening at home - I decided to try to pony Amber and it did not go well. She just....dawdles so much!! 

Congrats @Celeste on 200 miles!!! That is quite the milestone! @carshon, that story made me giggle. Your friend certainly sounds like she's earned her moniker. 

Here are a couple photos from our mountain ride last weekend. The horses are all watching as a bunch of elk walked through the bushes in front of us - very cool!


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## ChasingDreams

I’ve had two rides since the weekend. Saturday, I rode with BM and her new horse, Scout, for the first time. He is very level-headed, until he’s separated from his buddy on the trail. It’s funny though, she rides him away from the barn and out alone with no issues whatsoever. Only when he starts with a friend and then separates while out, is there an issue. But, other than that, he’s an awesome little trail horse.










Yesterday evening, I rode out alone. It was well on it’s way to being completely dark by the time I got back to the barn. The girl that leases Magnum was there in the ring when I got there. She said she noticed Chase was out and was starting to worry about us. I told her it was just so nice an cool after the sun went down, I didn’t want to rush back [emoji23]


















Total 2019 miles~ 165.4



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## AndyTheCornbread

cbar said:


> [MENTION=229361]
> Here are a couple photos from our mountain ride last weekend. The horses are all watching as a bunch of elk walked through the bushes in front of us - very cool!


If you click on the picture and open it up full size you can see two of the elk just off the left elbow of the lady in the blue windbreaker. Very cool picture.


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## Celeste

@cbar

What can you tell me about this cool looking horse tent thing? Did you make it? Buy it? If you bought it, where?


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## cbar

@Celeste, those are actually permanently installed tie stalls at a park we camp at in the mountains. We were lucky enough to secure a site that had them - which was great as the weather was super rainy and it kept the horses dry. The folks who maintain this park just put new tarps over the tie stalls this year I believe.


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## mmshiro

Everest tricked me again. A perfect pony when I put him on the lunge line for 3-4 mins (to check his canter transitions and make sure he listens to me on the down transitions), a few smooth transitions riding in the arena with another horse and lots of people....but as soon as we hit the field and started a trot, he showed me just how he felt about the cooler weather today. Yup, started the ride with another "kick up your heels" session. My saving grace is that he's relatively long-backed, so since I sit near his shoulders, his kicking his butt up so many inches affects me much less than if I sat closer "to the action." Today, I didn't even react to it much, other than pulling his head up and telling him, "Oh, behave!"

Trainer was on his mare again, and gave me instructions to take it easy...so I had to do my best to keep him at the trot without being overly harsh on him. I felt that he wanted to go...just for a little while...but I couldn't let him. Trainer probably has his reasons not to get into a race with his mare... 

The "woods" section of the ride was unremarkable apart from one point, when neither of our horses wanted to go past a canoe stored at the lake shore. Trainer dismounted and led his mare past, Everest followed without issue. Then we went past one more time, both mounted, and Everest led us through without fuss. You really have to explain things to the boy only once! (I should be so lucky in my math classes.)

There was one more incident...good that I was warmed up for that one. We went along the edge of another field, on the way home, and a branch from a bush brushed his belly/legs. Apparently, that's what it feels like when you're attacked by a mountain lion... You know when your horse gets excited, running, kicking, and farting? Yeah, we had that. His farting, by the way, in turn spooked the mare. Was he insufficiently desensitized? No! Two weeks ago, I rode him solo along a bamby trail with high weeds that were tickling his belly all the time, and he didn't even speed up to get out of it! Maybe the branch poked him, or something...I don't know. But again, 10 seconds later, right after I stop him, he's all chilled - slow walk, head comfortable, not a worry in the world. He really does not dwell on experiences, he just takes the next moment as it comes. That's what I learned from him today.

Anyway, I know you'll laugh at what I'm going to say next, but trainer told me that asst. trainer rode Everest the other day, and he is always much "calmer" with me. I know what that sounds like, given what I just wrote, but you have to keep in mind that I'm not giving you a play-by-play of all the lolligagging we do in between "those moments" during a one-hour ride. But it was pretty neat to hear that he seems to enjoy our rides...it confirms the nicker I get from him when I show up to pick him up.

So, anyway, Hamlet moves to second place in my posts because he hasn't been in unfamiliar territory for a while, so he's pretty comfy and there's not much going on that makes for riveting reading. We walk, we run, we stop to graze, I enjoy the scenery...pretty much the stuff why people get a trail horse. 

He tells me when he wants to run, and he recognizes his favorite stretches of field. Because the terrain is so hilly, all the fields are on a slope, so I let him burn rubber along the flat part, and if he's not done by the time the end of the field arrives, I gently turn him into the hill and let him have at it. There is no hill there that he can take more than 50% of at a full run, so I don't need any reins to stop him. On the contrary, now that he's getting more confident, we're getting a bit more reckless - there is one spot where it's a bit downhill before flattening out for quite a stretch and going back uphill, and I started giving him the last 20-30 meters of the downhill for a running start. He takes advantage of it, too! 

So the good ridin' continues...for another week. Then it's time for opening faculty meetings and the new academic year starts. Oh, Everest's BO (and owner) asked me if I wanted to buy him, but that's exactly the reason why I can't. With a horse and a fulltime job, I can't possibly give him the attention he deserves all by myself. Where he's now, he's got at least two fulltime staff that can work with him if I can't. If it's just me and my puny afternoons - and a horse to tend to already - I can't be the best owner for him at this time. I'll be, however, the best "big brother" I can be for as long as I can.


----------



## phantomhorse13

On Wedneday, Nicole and Anna finally made it over to ride. I took Phin. The whole story is in my journal.


















2019 mileage
...
8/14 phin 11.05 miles 1515 ft climb 4.6mph 93F *1126.68 total miles*


----------



## knightrider

Super fun trail ride today. There was a biggish group scheduled to ride and I invited my 15 year old neighbor. She has never trailered to any nice place to trail ride, and except for the couple of rides where she joined my other teens, all she gets to do is ride alongside roads. She's one of those kids like many of us were--just a handful of lessons, bought an Arabian mare, here's a horse: go ride. She is such a natural and handles her horse with such grace and skill.

The mare doesn't get trailered, so it was pretty interesting to get her in the trailer with two inexperienced horse handlers to help me, but with time and patience, we got her in.

It looked like it might rain, but my forecast said only 35% chance until 11:00, so I thought it was worth the chance, especially as this teen was so looking forward to the ride.

All my friends were looking at different forecasts, and they decided to give it up since they thought hard rain was coming and soon.

Only @4horses was intrepid enough to brave the chance of heavy rain and headed towards the park. But, on her side, both roads into the park were closed due to heavy flooding. I was coming from the other side, and we sailed right into the park.

We got tacked up and rode around, waiting for @4horses, not knowing her roads were closed. Then it started to rain in earnest, and I wondered why I had to be so stubborn and try to ride when everyone else was sensible and canceled.

We waited in the barn while the rain poured down. I've done quite a bit of waiting in that barn while rain poured down.

Then it began to slack off, and I told my teen neighbor, "Let's just go for a ride in the rain. We're here now." So we headed out. As we rode along, the rain got lighter and lighter. We were having a super time--no bugs, no heat, great trails, good horses.

The rain quit completely and we just rode on and on, getting a little bit lost, but enjoying ourselves tremendously. We came across several large logs that we got to jump. My teen neighbor just loves to jump, and she and her horse are quite good at it too.

We saw piles and piles of deer, many wild pigs and babies, and we heard two bobcats screaming to one another. My teen friend was just enthralled. She loved every second of it.

As we were heading back to the trailer, the rain started up again. We rode 3 hours. It was such a grand ride. I am just sad that 4horses could not get past the flooded roads to join us.

When it was time to load the Arabian mare to go home, she wasn't having any of it. I was so proud of my "natural ability" teen friend, who did what I told her to do without fuss, and got the mare right in.


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## knightrider

My interesting rides usually have to do with Windy, my daughter's mare. We bought Windy at 4 months, weaned off her mother, for my daughter to train. Windy seems to be more of a character than her herdmate, who is also 6. Do you think it has to do with her having a cushy life, and our other 6 year old did not have a good time growing up?

This morning I ponied my tried-and-true Chorro so my neighbor could ride him, and I rode Windy. I figured she needed the exercise more than the others, who have gotten plenty of riding time.

I put @anitaAnn's Barefoot treeless saddle on her because I was feeling too lazy to put the beartrap barrel saddle on her. And it looked like rain, so a light faux leather saddle would be nicer . . . and maybe nicer for Windy too.

Windy likes to look all around while we are riding, seeing if there is anything worth spooking at. I stopped to let her push a fly off her ear, and she took her hind leg and pushed her whole "hack-a-less" (thanks for the perfect term, @phantomhorse13) off her head!
She's a good girl, and waited nicely while I dismounted and put it back on. And then a little further down the trail, she flushed out a covey of quail and she spun around wildly, almost unseating me. Windy almost always gives me interesting rides.


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## ChasingDreams

I rode with Magnum’s leasee on Thursday. She wasn’t sure if she would be able to ride, because Magnum had some swelling around his eye the night before. She had text his owner multiple times asking for an update with no response, then decided to come to the barn and just see how it looked. The swelling was mostly gone, and besides being a little weepy it seemed ok... so she tacked up and on we went. 

Rode around the top woods, taking a nice easy pace for Mag just in case. She was just gushing about how relaxed and awesome he was being. Chase was pretty well behaved as well. So, we decided to head over to the quarry. A little along the field, the owner finally calls back and says he has a scratch on his eye, and shouldn’t be rode until at least Monday.

Of course, she feels awful and we head back. At the barn, BM was there and was livid. She had had the vet out (volunteered to be there since owner couldn’t get away from work, supposedly) and the scratch was quite bad. An ulcer had already started to form, and he was on two different eye medications and bute for the swelling which was why the eye appeared so much better.

The owner had one job, and that was to notify his leasee about his horse’s condition, and he completely dropped the ball. Of course, then leasee felt even worse, and BM also felt bad because the poor girl honestly didn’t know, and just assumed it must have been a bug bite or something less serious because it looked so much better than it had. She also felt bad, because his “good” behavior was probably because he was feeling off and on bute... not because he was actually relaxed. Soo... needless to say, it was kind of a poor ending to a decent ride.

This morning I rode with BM and Scout and had a pretty nice ride. Most of the time, Scout lead and Chase followed. Towards the end, we decided to switch it up and have Chase lead... which meant Chase had no idea how to keep a steady pace and Scout was chomping at the bit to try to regain his rightful place as leader. But, neither did anything too mischievous... and it was a good learning experience for them.

Chase also had a mini-bolt (more like a big, forward leap, into a one rein stop) after a giant horsefly bit him on the rump. It was really not bad, except I was not expecting it, and had my reins a bit too long for the recovery to look anything close to graceful. But, BM got a nice laugh out of it. 

Total 2019 miles~ 172.26


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## waresbear

Didn't go anywhere special, just down the road to a short loop trail. Dogs enjoyed it, saw a deer, unusual not to encounter one, they chased it a bit and then came back to me. Nice evening ride.


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## cbar

I took both my horses to the mountains this past weekend for a riding/camping trip with some girls. 

The first night I ponied Amber off Tiger and she did alright - I think we did about 3-4 miles as it was getting dark.

The 2nd day the lady arrived that was going to ride Tiger. I rode Amber and although she was a bit rushy at the beginning we had a very nice ride. She even led most of the way back to camp! That day we rode almost 9 miles

The 3rd day didn't go so great. I swear Amber was trying to kill me. We had a rearing episode where I thought she was going to go over backwards on me. When we stopped for a rest break she then spooked at a rock and landed on my foot - then progressed to try to bite me. On the way back she was very ****y and kept trying to kick one of the other horses. We did get back with no one getting hurt thank goodness. We did manage over 11miles on this ride.

The 4th day I had to pony Amber from Tiger as Tiger's rider had left. She did awesome that day, but as I had the horses tied to the trailer while I was packing up the panels, etc, I come around the trailer to find them both trying to kick the $hit out of eachother. They are pasture mates and NEVER have I seen them like this. So time-outs for both horses!! 

It was a great weekend overall, but I was honestly looking forward to going home and just letting them loose in the paddock. They seemed happy to be back home too.


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## phantomhorse13

Yesterday, I rode with my SIL.


















2019 mileage
...
 8/20 amish 6.29 miles 1070 ft climb 3.3 mph 92F *1132.97 total miles*


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## dustywyatt

I love this thread! I'm getting such a kick out of seeing everyone's photos and hearing about their rides. Still working through all the pages. Haven't gotten to ride much myself this year - between weather, my injury, my horse's injury, and other life stuff going on, we've only been out a handful of times. :'( Hopefully this fall will be better now that we're both back in good health.






knightrider said:


> And more and more of the same on the ride. I was so disappointed in my girl.
> 
> Hey, one good thing! Isabeau's former modus operandi was to rear. Rear when she was upset, rear when she didn't want to do something, rear when she was angry, rear when she was scared. But today she never got the slightest bit light in the front.



I'm sorry you had a bad ride. Sometimes they just get a bee in their bonnet and things just don't go right. I've had plenty of those rides. (Once during a Pro Rodeo Grand Entry in front of about 2500 people )


At least the no rearing is a plus!


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## mmshiro

Wednesday is Arabian day! I took Everest, trainer took mare. Everest gave me some silky smooth canter departures at the lunge line before I got on, and there was no bucking on the trail today! Yay! He did, however, have some trouble staying at the trot in the beginning. I am firmly of the opinion that this is not the horse's fault, but due to how he's being kept: in a comfortable, but still boring box. I let him canter for a little bit, but if I overdo it I might get my riding privileges revoked...so I can only let him get away with that much cantering while saying, "Trot! Troooot!" 

No spooking today either, but a lot of refusals, especially by the mare. Everest does not like to lead (so he had some sticky spots too), but twice we had to show the mare how it's done. He did, however, try to BS me by veering into the bushes a lot. I had to work to keep him on the trail. That may have been due to the fact that we had a few strong thunder showers overnight, so he was trying to avoid the soft spots on the path, but - Come on! - we're not talking swamp on quicksand here!

We finished the ride with a nice trot along the perimeter of the farm - on loose rein this time. See? He's not a crazy horse, and if he had a chance to get his yahoos out on pasture all day, he'd be an angel to ride from the beginning. 

Hamlet (on Tuesday) was Hamlet. He did so well on that stretch of road that makes him nervous, and then a chipmunk jumped out from the grass, saw us, squeaked, and disappeared within a half second. That was enough to fill Hamlet's "cup of worry" and he spooked. From then, he was on high alert so I did a few transitions with him to take his mind of the life-threatening encounter he just had. As soon as we left the last house, his head dropped, and he strolled peacefully to the field we always take. He really doesn't like civilization!

I now have a great way to measure his mental state:

- Panic: I have to work the reins hard for him to even stop
- Nervous: I can stop him gently, but he's not bending down to grab a snack and he's itching to move on
- Alert: I stop him with ease, he bends down to grab a mouthful of grass, then walks on as soon as he's reached capacity
- Relaxed: "If you don't make me go, I'll graze here all day."

Most of our rides are now 80% at the "Alert" level, 20% at the "Relaxed" level. If you remember the "cow statue" episode, that was "Panic."


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## knightrider

Since I rarely get around to taking pictures on rides, today I remembered to bring my phone and take some pictures. Also I figured out why I don't take many pictures. My photos are pretty lousy. I'd love to get those "ear shots" like @phantomhorse13 and @egrogan do. Mine were just sloppy blurs, so I deleted them.
@4horses and I took our chestnut Paso Finos to Sarinen Preserve this morning for a super fun ride. Sarinen is a small area but really pretty and fun to ride. Both our project horses were lovely. Here are Isabeau and Florian.


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## egrogan

Haha @knightrider, I sure delete a whole lot of pictures of my horse's ear tip, the ground, and the inside of my vest pocket before I find a few that are good enough to post :wink: 

Traveled most of last week for work so I hardly rode at all. Friday I went out for a short solo ride, and I decided that even though it wasn't going to be the most fun, my horse needed a little bit of schooling on standing nicely for mounting. She _knows how_ to stand quietly for me to get on from a ditch, stone wall, whatever, but over the last couple of weeks has been getting progressively fidgety about it. So we went on a route where I knew there would be ample opportunities to get on from something along the trail, and I hopped on and off 3-4 times over a couple of miles. She was irritated with all the stopping and starting but we both got through it and I think it was a useful refresher.

Yesterday I went out on a beautiful 9 mile ride with my riding buddy, riding out from my house into the next town on a bunch of back roads I'd never ridden on before. It was only 55*F with no humidity and no bugs when we left the house, and that made everything very pleasant the whole ride. We passed a beautiful farm I didn't even know existed, with a huge outdoor arena, large wooden round pens, and a gorgeous barn- amazing what you find when you'd least expect it! My riding buddy's horse gets anxious when he sees other horses running around, and there were a couple of girls loping big quarter horses in a pen near the road, so she got off and walked him past that- no sooner did we pass the horses, than a curious herd of mamma cows and their calves came trotting up to the fence on the roadside to check us out, so I hopped off then as my horse is a bit anxious over running cows. We walked a little down the road until I found an old set of granite steps in front of a quaint old cemetery to mount from (yay for mounting training the day before!). As we were hand-walking, we were passed by 4 beautifully polished Model Ts out motoring around, enjoying the day. The horses didn't care at all about those! It really was a picture-perfect ride.

Look what's on the ground to the right of my mare- the first leaf I've seen fall from a tree! Fall is coming :happydance:


























*Total 2019 miles: 165.7*


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## CaliforniaDreaming

We (finally!) got the chance to haul off the ranch for a trail ride on Friday. A bit spontaneous, but I had the time, and jumped at the chance.


We did our old stomping grounds of Ellwood Mesa which is a stone's throw from my house, with some friends who brought along their little 16 month old Arab colt. Small horse is going to be fantastic, I'm sure. Mitch was an absolute superstar. I guess he was getting bored of the ranch trails too, because he enjoyed himself, but was well-behaved unlike some of the shenanigans he can get up to in the past.


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## whisperbaby22

I've been riding a lot, but not getting to many photos because I'm riding in the same area and the photos all kind of look the same. But it's been a cool summer here, the weather has been great.


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## lb27312

Great rides and Beautiful pics everyone!

FINALLY got out yesterday for a nice ride, weather had cooled off to reasonable. Rode Chal and it was a fairly big group just hacking along and chatting but it was nice to get out. Next 2 weekends are camping weekends! Yay! First one is a big organized group ride one of our group just loves them, I'm okay with them but sometimes you get yahoos who want to impress someone how he can take control of a horse.... whatev. Anyhoo it should still be fun! Taking Captain to get him used to all the activity and usually there's carts/wagons on this ride so the exposure should be good. The following weekend is up in the mountains, that will be fun. 

Yesterdays ride was 7.4 miles...


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## carshon

Alas, no pics from me either. But I did ride yesterday. The weather was picture perfect and the state park closest to my home (about 11 miles away) has finally opened. Crazy lady friend and I rode the park. Tillie was not her usual self - she had her shots on Friday and I think that made her feel not so great. We had a lovely ride and Crazy friend only let her horse loose once!


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## dustywyatt

egrogan said:


> I sure delete a whole lot of pictures of my horse’s ear tip, the ground, and the inside of my vest pocket before I find a few that are good enough to post


SAME.  *shrug* I think for every 35485168 photos I have five that are worthy of sharing.

Squeezed in a quick ride this weekend. I can’t believe summer is almost over! Though fall here is beautiful so there’s still plenty of good riding time.

(Ignore hubby’s hand lol. I’d fire him as photographer but he’s the only one I got)


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## cbar

Sounds like a lot of people have been hitting the trails!!! That's so awesome and good to see! Fall feels like it is here already - our trees are changing color and some leaves are already falling. They even have frost forecast for tonight!! What the....?? 

I have gotten out for a few rides in the last week. After Amber's crazy shenanigans when we were camping I took her out last week to hack through the neighbor's field. She did awesome. This was followed up by one of the best riding lessons we have ever had! So the black devil-mare has somewhat redeemed herself. 

Yesterday I met a friend out West and took Tiger. He was very lazy but so was I so it was a pretty relaxed ride. Lots of mud though from all the rain and some super slick spots to navigate. We managed to get 6 miles in so not too bad. 

i'm hoping to ride the roads around here tomorrow as I'm trialing a Specialized Saddle to see how i like it. 

Happy Trails everyone!


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## Celeste

I haven't been on the forum at all in ages. I just caught up on reading this thread. I have been majorly swamped with work. 

I have done a lot of riding every weekend. I get up early and ride while it is still under 85 degrees. My rides have been about 3 miles each because the little trail that we ride feels so nice and cool compared to the more open trails.

I have ridden some rides solo. Some with a friend. 

I saw a rattlesnake on the trail. The horses walked quietly around it. 
I found a giant hornet's nest that I have been riding under all summer. 
Turtles, frogs, butterflies, and deer. An occasional armadillo. 

I am please to say that my mare didn't spook at any of these things!

Total for 2019 so far is *218 miles*.


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## NightFell

My mare and I have been having a very good year on the trails so far. Our home terrain is super rocky with intense hill climbs but while it feels slow going at times, it is a thorough butt-muscle and cardio workout!


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## carshon

@NightFell looking forward to more trail shots from you! I love that our riders are from so many diverse places and I get to vicariously ride those places through their photos


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## ssgatch

Beautiful!


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## phantomhorse13

Last week, DH and I went down to southwest Virginia for the Iron Mountain ride. The whole story is in my journal.

Friday, I rode Phin.

































On Saturday, I rode Mu.
































2019 mileage
...
8/23 phin 55.07 miles 6661 ft climb 6.4 mph 85F 1188.04 total miles
8/24 mu 25.71 miles 3201 ft climb 4.8 mph 72F *1213.75 total miles*


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## knightrider

Monthly totals for August:

56.75 hours
187.28 miles

Year to date:
481.25 hours
1588.13 miles

I participate in a program called Pasos for Pleasure where we keep track of the hours we ride. We can only count the hours on registered Paso Finos, so the hours in which I ride Windy cannot be counted, as she is a TN Walker. The Pasos for Pleasure program goes from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31, so today is the day I turn in my Pasos for Pleasure hours. 

Last year and the year before, I won first place in Pasos for Pleasure. In the old days, when my kids were little and I wasn't able to ride that much, the first place award was a lovely Kudo Paso Fino saddle. Then they gave out certificates and nice write-ups in their Paso Fino magazine. And then it was plaques. This year, only a short blurb which they edited into almost nothing--too bad because my story was good--oh well, no certificate, no plaque. Oh well. I don't participate to win; I just like to ride.

In the old days, retired folks who trailered their horses around the country to ride in super cool places like Arizona and Wyoming always won. Those people seemed to have dropped out, and that leaves me. I don't have those super high hours, like 750, but for the past two years, they've been high enough. This year I turn in 711.25 hours for the fiscal year and 2,346.96 miles. I can't count the hours I ride on Windy as she is not a registered Paso Fino.


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## Celeste

@knightrider I think that you should print yourself out a certificate. You certainly deserve one!


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## Celeste

I rode yesterday and today. I had different friends riding HWNN each day. 

Yesterday, the friend that rode her was, well, not on the top of her game. She pretty much didn't ride, but just sat up there. She kept letting him choose what gaits to go. I told her it was a bad idea. Then he was (without being told) cantering down a hill and she jerked his reins. That didn't work out well. He kicked up his heels a bit and off she went. Right on her butt.

I asked her if her butt was broken. She said, "No, but it has a crack in it". 

I insisted that she get back on and start paying attention. After that, we actually had a good ride.

Today, the old boy was an angel. The person who rode him today has more talent. 

My girl rode off the trail just a bit to let me get a picture of a HUGE hornet's nest. It is bigger than an American football. You could get a golf ball in the hole that they enter and exit. 

Friday 3 miles
Saturday 3 miles

Total for year so far: *224.11*

The pictures are:

1. An eager girl ready to go
2. The hornet's nest
3. Approaching the spider's nest that I have run into over and over
4. A blurry picture of the spider (my girl didn't want to hold still)


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## charrorider

Took my other rescued Arabian, Chance, out yesterday for our second ride, only 6 miles. The horse and deer flies were horrendous. So we cut our ride short. But Chance did really well. It is amazing the difference in attitude and willingness as his feet have gotten better. He's a keeper.


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## carshon

Hubby took Sunday off because DD was home from college. We rode at our local state park. Just as we unloaded a friend pulled in right next to us. What timing! Headed out onto some muddy slick trails. DD led on greenie Sawyer who was a rock star. Tucking her but and bracing her front legs down the steepest slippery hills. This park has a new ranger this year and he leaves the trails open when the other ranger shut them down with just a sprinkle. A couple of times we questioned riding there but the horses were great. Tillie was third in line and not happy at all. She was trying to rush down the hills to be with her buddies and stay ahead of the 2 new horses. This led to some arguments and one small buck on Tillies part when I asked her to slowly walk down a slippery hill and she got frustrated and bucked a little. That got her a slap on the neck and a scolding. She was embarrassed and behaved beautifully after that. One of the friends riding with us will be 75 this month. This is the first chance I have had to ride with her this year - she is my role model - I hope to ride as long as her once I get these pesky hips replaced. DH and DD and I left after the ride (approx. 8 miles) and the 2 friends stayed to eat lunch and maybe go out for a short ride. Unfortunately, hips are more painful than ever and a couple of hours in the saddle is about all I can take. But we had a good time and the greenie Sawyer did not forget a thing - even with having a month off.


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## cbar

I went to the mountains again and took the black devil-mare to see how she'd do with another weekend of trails. We camped for 3 nights and rode Friday, Saturday, Sunday. She did amazing - especially considering the trail conditions. The trails were super muddy & slick - from all the rain and made worse by the folks on quads going through. We had to bush wack to by-pass a lot of big holes made by the quads and got stuck in a couple boggy areas. She kept her brain the entire weekend - especially impressed with how cool she was when encountered with large groups of tourists and traffic as well. 

I don't log the miles I do with Amber (although I probably should), but this weekend overall I believe we rode 23-25miles. In the hilly, muddy conditions with multiple river crossings, I'm fairly happy with that! She might be a keeper after all.


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## AndyTheCornbread

@cbar Is the black devil mare a Canadian horse or is she something else?


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## cbar

@AndyTheCornbread, yes she is a Canadian - good eye!! She just turned 6 and is still pretty green; I've been trying to get her out as much as I can this year. This would have been our 3rd camping trip in the mountains for her this year though -so she is improving leaps & bounds.


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## phantomhorse13

Last week, I went riding with my SIL. I rode her Saddlebred mare, Giselle. 




























August stats: 166.67 miles
Phin - 97.10 
George - 17.68 
Mu - 25.71
Polo - 11.08
Giselle - 7.65
Amish - 6.29
Nick - 1.25


2019 mileage
...
8/29 giselle 7.65 miles 862 ft climb 3.2 mph 80F *1221.40 total miles*


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## tinyliny

this is such a lovely picture. I just had to repost it:


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## Painted Horse

Lots of riding the last couple of weeks. Spent a week in the tetons riding. Got 70 miles in 3 days. Then a day off and another. Came home and rode Monday and wednesday eveings and then out saturday for good ride
'

Had a branch knock my hat off Saturday. Surprised myself that I could still reach a hat on the ground while sitting in the saddle of 16H horse


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## QueenofFrance08

Went camping this weekend at a state park about an hour away with 3 friends. DH joined us on Saturday. He planned to bring Daisy but couldn't get her in the trailer by herself so he rode Chico since I had brought him and Lilo. 

Friday-5 miles Lilo
Saturday- 12 miles Chico, 12 miles Lilo (DH rode Chico for the second 12 miles so he did 24 Saturday)
Sunday-10 miles Lilo

Lilo was a saint all weekend and was braver than most of the experienced horses we were with. She led the group (of TWH's!) most of the day Sunday since she was the only horse who wasn't really tired. Chico saved us from an attacking ground hog by stomping him (thank goodness DH was riding at this point as it looked hard to stay on during the pounce!). 

Great riding weekend. Monday night a tree fell on our garage and more fell on all of the pasture fencing during a storm so no riding this week because all of our spare time is being spent on clean up.


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## lb27312

Howdy all! Again great pictures and looks like awesome rides. I went to a organized group ride for camping. Went down Thursday afternoon and stayed to Sunday. Met up with a friend that was coming up from Florida to stay with me for a few weeks. So when the Hurricane was announced she had to get a lot of coordinating done to get her house boarded up. She had all her animals with her so it was just batten down the hatches which was a pain but she did it! Now it's coming this way.... but won't get much where I am. Just rain.

It was pretty warm and buggy so not the best riding but better than nothing! Captains first go at hot wire so had an escape the first night, he knew it was hot after that so no other attempt. Had a quick ride when everyone got there just to get Captain comfortable with all the goings on. Saturday was a long ride..... too long to pony so I felt like a total heel when he was getting really tired and wanted to stop. Oh well he was a trooper, though he did do a little bucking. 

Friday Miles 3 - 1 hour.
Saturday Miles 12.6 - 4 hours.

This coming weekend will be up in the mountains so will be much cooler and just one horse! Looking forward to it.

Organized ride so went and got a pic... probably the only one I'll get of me! lol


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## egrogan

Did a lot of riding last week. My friend and I rode a 10 mile pleasure ride during "Distance Days" at GMHA in Central Vermont, which features a 100-mile competitive trail ride as well as several other competitive distances. We weren't quite ready to give the 15 mile competitive ride a try as we knew we wouldn't complete in the time allowed, but we got to ride the same route as the competitive riders and enjoyed the beautiful scenery.



























Also did some hacking around home Friday, Saturday, and yesterday, so all told rode 20 miles+ over the past five days. Fall colors are _juuuustttt _starting to pop up in Vermont and I am hoping we have a much prettier season this year than we did last year, when it was abnormally hot at the beginning of the fall, then rained endlessly before switching over to lasting snow in November.


















*Total 2019 miles: 190.2*


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## knightrider

@Painted Horse, getting your hat off the ground is SO impressive. When I was young, I could do it on a short horse, but no way could I snag a hat off the ground now. Your trails are gorgeous.

Kudos to everyone doing those fun trail rides and camping trips. It's fun seeing the photos!

I rode Windy, my daughter's young TN Walker, for 2 hours this morning. She was good as gold, but I still get twinges of anxiety when she starts dancing and bobbing around. The worst ride I ever had in my life was on her. And I had some pretty bad ones on her later, too. But that was 3 years ago. You'd think by now, with so many good rides on her, I'd be over my worry. It reminds me of how long and pervasive fear can last for riders. I feel for everyone who has those twinges.

We are so lucky here in N. Central Florida. First of all, to have missed the hurricane completely!!!! And this morning, our weather was unbelievable with blue skies, nice breezes, low temps and low humidity . . . because all the bad weather got sucked into the hurricane. I sprayed and masked but we had no flies.


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## tinyliny

@Painted Horse


Don't you wear a bear bell or something when you are riding out there? I mean, they got Grizzly bears in them thar hills!


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## Painted Horse

If we wore bells the bears would hear us coming and we wouldn't get to see them.

Had a few cows on the trail Saturday. So it slowed us down until we could get past them


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## Painted Horse

This is climbing out of Sugar Pine as we head up White Pine Hollow


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## tinyliny

funny how your horse swings his head from side to side while he's trotting along, looking back and over his shoulder a bit.


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## AndyTheCornbread

We put bells on the high line so we can hear if a horse starts getting in trouble but they get silenced and packed away while riding.


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## Avna

Haven't posted on this thread for a loooong time. But since I am finally regularly getting out there, and even taking a pic or two, I thought I'd just add my little bits ....

My Brooke and my trail dog Hope, waiting for my friend to show up at the meeting spot at the reservoir dam.

And some of my typical daily rides ... I am almost always solo so they are just through the ears shots. 

Hoping to finally do a few group trail rides this month.


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## Celeste

I haven't posted on the forum in quite a while. I spend so much time on the computer for work that it is hard to make myself take it back out in the evenings unless it is to do more work....

I have been riding every weekend. 2 or 3 days per week. Usually the same old 3 mile trail. It is the only place we can ride that is nice and shady. 

Total miles so far for 2019 -- *236* I believe this exceeds my total miles from last year. It is because I have been able to make myself get out of bed early enough to ride during the summer.

By the way, I am 62 years young today. Still riding. Working 1 1/2 jobs. Taking care of horses. I did have to give up something since I am older. I chose dusting.


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## Oreos Girl

Celeste makes me ashamed. I live just down the road from her and I don't ride during the summer. This summer I am doing a different amount of riding. It is a kayak, I have to use different apps for tracking distance, my backcountrynavigator doesn't handle water. I got the distance but no track. I used google fit this time.


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## ChasingDreams

I’m kind of ashamed at how far behind I’ve let myself get on tracking my miles... I know I’ve had at least 3-4 rides since my last post. Between 3-4.75 miles each. Unfortunately, I only have exact miles for two after a couple tracker mishaps... but I’ll guesstimate for my totals.

Some highlights, I rode with BM and Scout again... and they go lovely together. I joked when we were riding side by side that they would make a fine pair of carriage horses if they were either both gaited or both not  









I crossed the lake twice, since we’ve actually had a “dry season” this year... it’s finally shallow enough to cross. Last year it rained so much, we never had the chance.










Some random photos:









And hubby borrowed a go-pro from his friend. I wanted to get video crossing the lake but it didn’t work and I’m not so great at troubleshooting the thing yet to get it going again from the saddle. But, I did get a little clip to share coming up along the end of the field, crossing the “stream” (which is just a dried up mud spot now... and Chase still jumped it) and climbing the big hill by the quarry.






Total 2019 miles~ 187.55

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## carshon

@ChasingDreams I really enjoyed your video! I am envious of the gorgeous trails you have. That is the one thing I do not have is trails that I can ride to from home. Most of the farmers don't like horses in their fields even after harvest and I live on a busy country road with a lot of semi traffic to the Mississippi barges so its not really ideal to ride along the roads where I live. Too many farmers with semis hauling to the river - even on the back country roads.

Thanks for sharing!


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## ChasingDreams

@carshon since I don’t have my own trailer, or really anyone to ride with most of the time anyway, having riding on or from the property was essential for me when I was looking for a boarding facility. I do feel lucky to have found our current place though, the trails are kept clean and clear, and the barn manager is an excellent care-taker. And compared to other similar places in my area, the fee is very reasonable.


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## NightFell

Had some lovely weather the past few weekends for the trails in our area! My husband (just celebrated 2 months newly married together) came out with us for trail running and he was kind enough to take photos  

https://i.postimg.cc/8CxjSzm4/IMG-1794.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/1z8f2qw4/IMG-1804.jpg


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## lb27312

@AndyTheCornbread - that's a good idea on tying bells to the highline to know if there's trouble or not.

@Celeste - Awesome job... had to laugh on giving up dusting, I've done that too. lol

@ChasingDreams - Cool video, thanks for sharing.

Howdy all! Sorry long story! I had plans to go camping in the mountains this weekend but karma or whatever had other plans, putting up too many blocks so I decided not to go. I felt bad for backing out on friends but just got a feeling that with all the things happening it was telling me not to go. First my friend visiting had trouble with her truck so we were just going to use my rig. She has two horses that meant she could only bring one, we tried to put her one horse with mine and my GO TO calmest horse went after her horse kicking and just being a way I have never seen this horse be and never thought I would see. That spooked us so separated them again and took a breather. I had noticed earlier that one of my trailer tires was really low so filled it. Went to check it again and it had dropped 2 lbs…. now my friend wasn’t wanting to leave her horse alone so we decided to go the next day, she would pick up her truck that afternoon I would take the tire in to get it repaired. So long story short my rim had a crack in a weld and tire store couldn’t fix it and recommended not driving. My spare wasn’t the same load rating or # of plys(I know I just didn’t think when I got new tires to get the spare changed I just had them put the best tire on it). Anyhoo problems with getting the spare tire changed and weird stuff happening I just opted out. After all the stuff happening and changing the tire several times I was wiped but did get a nice ride in on Sunday. Found a new place to go! Yoohoo!

Miles: 6.9


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## charrorider

Stepped out from my home turf and rode at Lake of the Ozarks State Park. My first time there. It was nice. We did a little over 9 miles (15 km) on a trail that went partially around the lake. There was a look-out point, but horses weren't allowed there. So the only pics I could take of the lake were through the trees.


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## carshon

Took a day off yesterday so Hubby and I could ride together. We chose a smallish park to ride (about 6 miles) because my hips really hurt after a couple of hours. This park is old logging roads so a lot of side by side riding. We gaited quite a bit and hubby and I really enjoyed having the park to ourselves. It was 85 degrees F and pretty humid -


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## phantomhorse13

Last week, DH and I headed north to Lake Seneca, NY for the Hector Half Hundred ride. I rode Mu. The whole story is in my journal.


































2019 mileage
...
9/7 mu 31.14 miles 2933 ft climb 5.4 mph 76F *1252.80 total miles*


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## AndyTheCornbread

I rode yesterday after work because it was finally nice after many days of not being so and I have been trying to figure out how to work my helmet cam properly while riding. Yesterday I think I got it mostly figured out. Rode a little over six miles and turned the videos into a single youtube playlist. Here are the terrain and aerial images of the route with the video locations marked out on the aerial one. I haven't made custom icons up as high as how many videos I took so the last markers are just grey dots but the videos in the playlist are ordered so it's pretty easy to figure out the un-numbered ones. The longer videos in the middle where I am off trail going up the mountain I didn't realize the camera was still going but it worked out OK.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRUUvcVc2unWwCFPaxF00SnUsL2TMj2Yx


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## carshon

Love seeing videos of where everyone rides!


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## egrogan

Last week I went on a wonderful vacation with my lovely husband to NM and AZ. I've never spent time in the southwest, but it was as beautiful as everyone told us to expect. I really wanted to be able to experience the desert on horseback. My husband hadn't been on a horse in close to 15 years, so I sought out a touristy spot that promised to have horses suitable for beginners. Being New Englanders, we were worried about the heat, but our two-hour ride left at 9am so we hoped for the best and lathered up in sunscreen beforehand to avoid frying ourselves. I was so pleased that when we arrived, it was clear the horses were happy and fit (I suppose you never really know with the tourist trail places; you can only tell so much from websites and online reviews). When they brought the first horse out, it was a little QH gelding that I can't imagine was more than 14 hands- and handed him to my 6' tall husband! Last time he rode with me, he was put on a 17+ hand Irish Draught gelding :grin: But this little gelding- creatively named "Bay"- took up plenty of leg and they were very comfortable and balanced together.



















I was put on a similar bay QH gelding, who had a mysterious "split" in his left ear...and subsequently, was named...wait for it..."Split." :wink:









Being from VT, this landscape was like nothing I had ever ridden before. Our horses were able to be “ridden” rather than following nose-to-tail like robots. Our guide was friendly, but mostly left us to enjoy the scenery without a lot of small talk, which was much appreciated. 










There was water in the saddle bag and a nice breeze, making it very pleasant. Our ride was primarily walking with some short stretches of trotting; with all the beautiful photo opps and scenery to take in, covering the 4 miles at a nice walk was perfect. Trails took us up and downhill, through deep, sandy dry streambeds, and over flat grassy sections.






















































If anyone is looking for a "good for a family/non-riders" type of experience about 30 minutes in between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, I'd highly recommend The Stables at Tamaya (which you book through the Hayatt Regency Tamaya)! :cowboy:





*Total 2019 miles: 194.3*


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## Jolien

Oh waw! Loving all those horse pictures!  I want to do trail rides too!  My goal is to do trail rides and racing one day... If I am a better equestrian.  But we do some practice on public terrain and out in the open too.  (Oops) Our philosophy is you can only learn to ride by doing it out in the open and in real situations. I hope me falling off will not get real. haha.


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## Celeste

Jolien said:


> Oh waw! Loving all those horse pictures!  I want to do trail rides too!  My goal is to do trail rides and racing one day... If I am a better equestrian.  But we do some practice on public terrain and out in the open too.  (Oops) Our philosophy is you can only learn to ride by doing it out in the open and in real situations. I hope me falling off will not get real. haha.


If you ride enough, especially out in the real world (trails), you probably will fall off once in a while. You just get back on and keep riding. Just so you wear your helmet, you should be ok.


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## ChasingDreams

@egrogan I can imagine the trail horses would be fit, providing they are well-fed, walking through all that deep sand every day! I kept thinking how Chase would probably have a heart attack if I brought him in that sort of terrain instead of dirt and grass [emoji28][emoji1787]

Beautiful pictures and video, sounds like a cool experience! Thanks for sharing 


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## AndyTheCornbread

Went for a short ride yesterday. I had the helmet cam tipped too far forward so I cut the videos down to short segments where you can see the area a little bit better. These videos ended up being very short so it is easiest to just watch them as a playlist in sequence. I have included the terrain and aerial views of the route and the aerial view is marked up with where I started each video. This ride is 4 miles on the nose.

Playlist link:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRUUvcVc2unWSQnUECr8zmmPpmIh1cQGU


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## Jolien

Celeste said:


> If you ride enough, especially out in the real world (trails), you probably will fall off once in a while. You just get back on and keep riding. Just so you wear your helmet, you should be ok.


I am only a rider since august. It's difficult... The horse really tests me a lot and I am a very kind, gentle and patient person, so... I dunno. Until now I stayed in the saddle (even with the caprioles of the horse testing me).  I instinctively grab the pommel whenever mister horse decides to do something crazy without me asking. But I assume I will fall off eventually. one day...


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## Celeste

Jolien said:


> I am only a rider since august. It's difficult... The horse really tests me a lot and I am a very kind, gentle and patient person, so... I dunno. Until now I stayed in the saddle (even with the caprioles of the horse testing me).  I instinctively grab the pommel whenever mister horse decides to do something crazy without me asking. But I assume I will fall off eventually. one day...


Are you riding under an instructor? That helps a lot. I could have prevented a lot of spills as a kid if I had known what I was doing.

You have to be gentle, but you also have to be persistent and firm in your insistence that the horse does what you ask. Otherwise, they will just do whatever they want to do.

I have been riding for over 50 years, and I am in no way to proud to grab the saddle or the mane if I feel like I am in trouble. I think it is an excellent plan. There is no need to fall off if you don't have to. 

I have been riding for over 50 years. Would it make me see younger if I pretended that I started several years before I was born?


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## Celeste

I have not posted much, but I have been riding. I finally seem to have my Border Collie, Prissy, trained well enough that I don't worry so badly about taking her riding with me just so it is on our own place. The whole reason that I have the dog is because she was too hyper for my daughter to handle and she gave her to me. Prissy is really enjoying getting to go along.

I was amazed that she has the instinct to know that rattlesnakes are dangerous. She went over and smelled of something and them jumped away from it and looked up at me and ran on down the trail. I looked over and there was a huge rattlesnake just enjoying the sun. Things could have turned out completely different if she had not left it alone. 

My horse acted downright civilized all weekend. I think that she gave me the nicest canter she has ever done for me today. (That may not be saying much, but hey, you take what you get.) 

I have been looking for a good orange vest for Prissy. Deer hunting (bow season) is already starting. Every one I buy seems to fall off. I was looking around in the tackroom and found an old small sized human vest with a nice zipper. That is what she is sporting today. It stayed on well.

Three rides this weekend at 2.9 miles each.

Total for year: *244.71*


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## Jolien

Celeste said:


> Are you riding under an instructor? That helps a lot. I could have prevented a lot of spills as a kid if I had known what I was doing.
> 
> You have to be gentle, but you also have to be persistent and firm in your insistence that the horse does what you ask. Otherwise, they will just do whatever they want to do.
> 
> I have been riding for over 50 years, and I am in no way to proud to grab the saddle or the mane if I feel like I am in trouble. I think it is an excellent plan. There is no need to fall off if you don't have to.
> 
> I have been riding for over 50 years. Would it make me see younger if I pretended that I started several years before I was born?



I have an instructor, but the horse I ride is in no way a manege horse. It is her privately owned horse. He is trained and has a nice character. I am insistent (my trainer and more experienced riders also noticed that I am extremely patient and not angry or annoyed. They even told me this). I keep on asking the same thing and every time the horse does even the slightest I want I let go. I can see he clearly gets it and he also clearly knows what I want since I rode him before and he did everything perfectly. Now he purposely overreacts (like starting to spin around when I just ask for a gentle turn, refusing to go forward, starting to run really fast when I just ask to transition from standing still to walking...) I dunno... This was really discouraging... I stayed calm though and I also stayed in the saddle even though I am a total beginner and haven't learned to do certain things. I also just took normal care (brushing dirt of, acting normal and kind) of him after riding (I was not angry, just wondering... why in the name of god )


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## Jolien

Oops but I'm off topic  Nice pics of those trail rides! I hope I can do a horseback riding vacation for beginners next year!  After that I will have been riding for a year and I want to do a trail riding vacation really badly! I am in Europe so I can easily drive to any country in Europe.  



@Celeste You can also buy reflecting dog collars (I used to have one of those for my dog) or a harness in reflecting materials (or maybe a doggy backpack? Friends of mine had a very energetic dog and they packed him a doggy backpack with some water bottles so he had to 'carry' stuff)


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## cbar

I love seeing all the different places everyone rides. My goal is one day to ride in the desert and also along the coast....too bad the horses cost me so much money (that is where all my potential travel money goes). 

I have gotten out for a few rides, but sadly haven't taken any photos. We have our last 25mile CTR on Oct 5 so I have been logging training miles to prep for that. I've been trialing saddles, but haven't found one that I love and that is in my price range. 

I did head out West - not quite into the mountains, on the weekend. I forgot my phone so I don't have pics of that nor do I know how far we went as I wasn't tracking the ride (Duh). But, it was a lovely ride along the river, then we ended up finding an old/abandoned railroad to follow. It was a beautiful trail with only evidence of it being a track with the occasional railroad tie being seen once in a while. LOTS of fresh bear poo, but we did not see any wildlife on this ride. 

I was supposed to attend a dressage show this coming weekend, but opted to forgo registering and will hit the trails instead


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## Celeste

Jolien said:


> I have an instructor, but the horse I ride is in no way a manege horse. It is her privately owned horse. He is trained and has a nice character. I am insistent (my trainer and more experienced riders also noticed that I am extremely patient and not angry or annoyed. They even told me this). I keep on asking the same thing and every time the horse does even the slightest I want I let go. I can see he clearly gets it and he also clearly knows what I want since I rode him before and he did everything perfectly. Now he purposely overreacts (like starting to spin around when I just ask for a gentle turn, refusing to go forward, starting to run really fast when I just ask to transition from standing still to walking...) I dunno... This was really discouraging... I stayed calm though and I also stayed in the saddle even though I am a total beginner and haven't learned to do certain things. I also just took normal care (brushing dirt of, acting normal and kind) of him after riding (I was not angry, just wondering... why in the name of god )


This horse does not sound like he is suited for a beginner. He should not be acting like such a pain. 

Maybe you could pay to go on some trail rides on rental horses. That would give you a fresh perspective. There is nothing so much fun as getting out on the trails on a good horse.


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## Celeste

cbar said:


> I was supposed to attend a dressage show this coming weekend, but opted to forgo registering and will hit the trails instead


Good choice!


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## lb27312

@egrogan - Sounds like a GREAT vacation!!

Rode last weekend but not many miles... a nice ride though. 

Enjoying the pictures! Thanks for posting them everyone!


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## knightrider

Super fun ride yesterday with "my" teen girls. They are both far superior photographers than I am. (Could it be because they always have their phones in their hands, day and night???) They took beautiful photographs of our Florida sunrise. We have such a good time.


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## waresbear

I did a mountain trail horse clinic on the weekend, that was fun! Otis will pretty much go anywhere I point him with ease. For trail riding I actually take the horse that likes to work in the arena, Indy. I took him yesterday in the pouring rain, going to the old power line trail, he's great. We even had a few grouse fly out at us because the dogs flushed them out of the bush, didn't faze the horse a bit. After we do the five miles I have to loop around and come back, that's when he starts dancing and sweating, lol. I just relax, keep the reins loose half halt him if he starts to get a little jolty, then about a half a mile from home he finally relaxes. Weird horse. My goal for him is to keep him relaxed coming home as he is heading out. Some pictures of the mountain trail clinic and me on the trail in the rain with the dogs and the horse.


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## Jolien

Celeste said:


> This horse does not sound like he is suited for a beginner. He should not be acting like such a pain.
> 
> Maybe you could pay to go on some trail rides on rental horses. That would give you a fresh perspective. There is nothing so much fun as getting out on the trails on a good horse.



More experienced riders told me he is acting up on purpose  I also got the feedback that I am too kind. Trying to be more firm now. So the horse knows it ain't gonna go like he wants.  It's difficult for me to learn when also having to correct and constantltly be aware of whatever might come next (I try to correct before the actual event of me going into unwanted galopping or weird figures), but on the other hand I am learning alot... 



I don't know if I can do trail riders where I live as a total beginner. I will check it out! Maybe I can go with a group!  I will keep you guys posted!  It would be great to go out into the woods with a horse!  I am also trying to find a manege where I can ride too so I can learn to ride different kinds of horses.


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## phantomhorse13

I got a bit of saddle time last week, however. The whole story is in my journal.

On Tuesday, I got Phin out with Kestrel:









Next up was George and Link:









On Friday, I got Phin and Kestrel out again:









2019 mileage
...
9/10 phin 6.18 miles 974 ft climb 4.7 mph 96F 1258.98 total miles
9/10 george 5.20 miles 486 ft climb 4.2 mph 98F 1264.18 total miles
9/13 phin 5.48 miles 722 ft climb 4.7 mph 63F *1269.66 total miles*


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## Finalcanter

I rallied the barn 'family' and we're planning to hit the trails perhaps next weekend. I would love to do more trails honestly. There's not a lot of them here and the closest one is at a barn I left.. That said, the one we're planning to go to feels more like a trail than just a manicured part of the park. I'm excited! Haven't gone on this particular trail since last year.


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## whisperbaby22

The weather continues great, it has cooled off a bit.


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## ChasingDreams

I rode Saturday, Sunday, and Monday...

Saturday, I rode by myself. We had a nice ride, just over 4 miles.









__
Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18
Show Content










Sunday we rode with BM and Scout. I took the go pro again, but had issues galore. I’ll probably not use it again just for the hassle lol.

I put together the little bit of decent footage I did get, with cheesy music. It’s pretty long, and crummy quality after uploading it to YouTube, but you can see the trails and the lake. The water level is so low now, it’s barely more than a giant puddle.






Unfortunately, during all my technology struggles I messed up my tracker as well, but I’d guess it was around 3.75 miles.

Monday, I rode in the evening and only had a very limited window of time to ride. I planned to just ride in the ring, and last minute decided to only put his bridle on and ride around bareback in the ring.

The first time I rode Chase bareback was about a year or so ago, and he was NOT a fan. Ears pinned, kicking and biting at my feet and threatening to buck. At one point I thought he might roll to get rid of me. After that, I’d considered he just might not be a horse that you rode bareback... though sometimes after a nice ride I would hop up in the ring while he was eating grass and tired... and not ask for anything, just sit there and scratch and talk to him. He seemed ok with that.

Eventually, I did ask for some walking and turns during those sessions, and then trotting. So, we did the same Monday... and he seemed a little peeved at first having been fresh from the field instead of his normal post-ride stupor.... but after a bit he settled and was doing everything I asked just like he would under saddle.

So, I thought... what the heck? Let’s go up the lane and see how far we get. We ended up doing the entire lane and part of the long edge of the field by the quarry. It was only maybe 2 miles.... but, I was SO happy because it was such a far cry from our early bareback experiences- and he really seemed to enjoy it  I definitely had to take a picture to commemorate it.










Total 2019 miles ~ 197.36


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## egrogan

It's beginning to look like fall here!












*Total 2019 miles: 197.8*


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## AndyTheCornbread

egrogan said:


> It's beginning to look like fall here!
> *Total 2019 miles: 197.8*


It is starting to get fairly cold here. I will probably be wrapping up my trail riding for the year here in the next week or two. It is supposed to start freezing at night and snowing off and on next week at the altitude my place is at. My rides are usually up from my house so other than packing out game I won't be riding much here pretty soon until spring.


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## egrogan

@Andy, we had a heavy frost yesterday morning when it got down to ~39*F, but hopefully snow is more than a month away here. Last year it snowed 2 feet the week before Thanksgiving and we didn't see the ground again until late March. Prior to that, we had a miserable wet fall, and the foliage was terrible (very bad for our local economy). Fingers crossed, this fall is shaping up to be much prettier.


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## charrorider

Took Chance out on his third and longest ride, 11 miles (17+ km). He did great, even if he wasn't a 6 year old, green broke Arabian. I'm eager to see how he's going to be doing once we have 70, or so, miles together. It has been a pleasure to see how his disposition and willingness to work has improved as his feet feel better. The only thing I can guess is that his less than agreeable disposition toward work was due to sore feet, but interpreted as unruliness, and he then ended up at a sale barn. His discomfort on soft ground turned into outright pain in the rocky ground around there. Oh, and as you can see in the photo, Chance also reads. lol.


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## Jolien

Today was my first trailride ever. :cowboy:Like some of you suggested I went out on a trailride and told the owners of the barn I am a new rider. They let me join a beginners group and gave me a calm horse (a draft breed cross) and it went very well! Although the horse had a bit and was used to direct reining (I only learned neck reining and bitless) we understood eachother with leg help and a slight gentle pull on the reins every time.) We rode for three hours. :biggrin:In the morning it was still really chilly but after a couple of hours the sun was shining. It was an amazing experience (but I do have a headache from concentrating ). The other riders also helped me do some light riding by giving me advice. :smile:


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## Jolien

This is us after a dismount on the trail ride.  He looks like an average sized horse, but I am 5 feet 10 tall. (1m80cm).  So don't be fooled, he was a big horse!


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## Jolien

charrorider said:


> Took Chance out on his third and longest ride, 11 miles (17+ km). He did great, even if he wasn't a 6 year old, green broke Arabian. I'm eager to see how he's going to be doing once we have 70, or so, miles together. It has been a pleasure to see how his disposition and willingness to work has improved as his feet feel better. The only thing I can guess is that his less than agreeable disposition toward work was due to sore feet, but interpreted as unruliness, and he then ended up at a sale barn. His discomfort on soft ground turned into outright pain in the rocky ground around there. Oh, and as you can see in the photo, Chance also reads. lol.



ooooh he is beautiful!!! Such a pretty horsey! :smile: I love arabians!  one of my friends has a rescued one.


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## charrorider

Jolien. I bought Chance from a young woman who saw him for sale at an auction and was hoping to find him a home. I have a few other Arabians, all rescued in one way or another. One was rescued from an abusive situation. One from a girl who didn't want him anymore and was heading for auction. And Amal, who was a dear trail companion, gone way too soon at 15 years of age (cancer), was adopted from a rescue shelter. Enjoy your trail rides. It looks like you're on the right path.


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## Jolien

charrorider said:


> Jolien. I bought Chance from a young woman who saw him for sale at an auction and was hoping to find him a home. I have a few other Arabians, all rescued in one way or another. One was rescued from an abusive situation. One from a girl who didn't want him anymore and was heading for auction. And Amal, who was a dear trail companion, gone way too soon at 15 years of age (cancer), was adopted from a rescue shelter. Enjoy your trail rides. It looks like you're on the right path.



That's so cool of you, to rehome animals that would have been in a bad place otherwise...  I always try to adopt pets.  

Yes yes, my goal is to become a better rider after one year of lessons and other riding practices with horses.  I would like to try to ride an Arabian one day, but for now I am gonna restrict myself to horses the instructors pick for me so I am sure I am getting a horse for beginners.  I am going to try to do trail rides every other weekend or every weekend if possible.


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## egrogan

Feeling happy that on this last weekend of summer, Fizz and I went over the 200 mile mark for the year! All but 13 miles of that has come between June and now, since the winter lasted so long last year and mud season was extreme. I'm feeling really proud of how far she's come this summer and what a brave trail horse she's turned out to be (e.g., today we were in the middle of a narrow dirt road, with a snarling German shepherd on our right, and two ATVs zooming past us on the left, and our riding buddy snorting behind us- and she just kept cool and walked right along through the chaos). While we didn't register any competitive trail/endurance miles, we did complete the pleasure ride option at two recognized events, with one more to come in October. I'm feeling confident we'll get to compete next year with all this great experience we've built up. Just couldn't be happier with her!

Here are some pics from riding every day this weekend- days this beautiful make the 6 months of VT winter worth it :wink:



























*Total 2019 miles: 209.9*


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## lb27312

Hi All!! Again nice pics! Love seeing everyone's location where they ride.... This year has FLOWN by.... can't believe it's already fall. BUT the temps just aren't going down, this past week we had great weather, of course that was during the week so didn't get a chance to ride. Going to be in the 90's this coming week, crazy! I hope it doesn't go from high temps to low temps without getting a nice fall break.

Rode my older guy today without him having to care for/pony the young one, decided to give him a break. It was nice but then warmed up quickly.

Miles - 6.3


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## Painted Horse

Here is some of my saturday ride.


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## ChasingDreams

Painted Horse said:


> Here is some of my saturday ride.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQPnGqmtT2M




I’m in love with the black tips on those ears 

We rode yesterday morning, just under 4 miles with BM and Scout. We left the barn around 10, but it was already getting pretty warm... and by the time we got back it was over 80 degrees. So everyone got a good hose-down after.

It was starting to feel like fall for a week or two, but I guess we are having a momentary summer relapse lol

Didn’t get any photos, but pretty excited to hit the 200 mile mark this year! Last year, we had so much awful, muddy weather, I didn’t even get close to as much trail riding in... so, I’m pretty happy about it.










Total 2019 miles ~ 201.33


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## QueenofFrance08

Had our 2nd to last ride of the year this weekend. Went much better than our ride 2 weeks ago (I think I forgot to post about that but Chico got a stick impaled in his foot and had to have a vet dig it out). Since Chico hadn't taken a bad step since the day after his last injury I decided to enter the 60 and see how far we got, if his foot started hurting we would quit. We ended up making it the whole ride and got 1st place heavyweight and turtle award (first and last place since we were the only team in the heavyweight division to finish!). DH and Comet finished the 30 in great shape and a friend rode Jake in the 30 as well to finish his 2nd LD!


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## charrorider

Went back to the Paddy Creek Wilderness, today. Did 11.26 miles (18+ km). Those trails are challenging, even by this area's standards. Some parts are better suited for mules than horses. But I finally went over the 200 miles for the year.


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## egrogan

Had an afternoon meeting cancelled yesterday so was able to get in an unexpected late afternoon ride. We're not at peak foliage quite yet, but heading that way. Really happy I was able to sneak out!










Hills, hills, always going up or down hills!



























*Total 2019 miles: 210.1*


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## rambo99

Been doing some riding on ice my palomino gelding. Got soaked on yesterday's ride as a rain storm blew in. 

Really wet muddy trails in places but nice an cool out. More rain coming for later today so will be heading out here...for. a ride. Just a few pictures from a few rides.


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## egrogan

I don't envy you that cold rain rambo- we're getting some of it here today but fortunately it's just passing through with a cold front and we'll have sunshine back tomorrow. I am in the process of getting my run-in sheds raised by a foot and new footing in my dry lot. Last year at this time, we had rain like you're getting and it didn't stop until it turned to snow in November. Then it rained in January over the foot of snow on the ground and the sheds were flooded nearly knee high. Hoping the weather is better this year, but in the event it's not then the footing/grading should be a little better able to handle it. Fingers crossed!


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## Celeste

We are in a drought and a heat wave. It gets close to 100 every day and it hasn't rained all month.


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## rambo99

Got in a nice ride today was cloudy but didn't rain. Our upper trail isn't as muddy just lots of puddles. No drought here it's ridiculous how much rain we are getting. 

To bad can't send this rain to places that are in need of rain. 
Ice was a little nervous riding out alone. But did really well I just had to talk to him. Lots of praise and telling him you can do this. 
Almost dropped my phone in a puddle. Ice spooked at a deer that jump out in front of us. 

Some pictures from our ride.


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## rambo99

One more picture ran out of time to edit.


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## cbar

Well, I made it out Wednesday night for a training ride - we have our last CTR next weekend so trying to get some miles in when I can. And it is supposed to......SNOW (GAH!) this weekend, so not sure how much I will get to ride in the next couple days. 

I trailered about 35 minutes away to some local trails that go down into the river valley. It was very quiet out there, but time management skills not being my strong suit, we almost got stuck out there in the dark. We did make it back out to the main gravel road before it was completely dark thank goodness. 

Managed just over 9 miles that evening. Stupid shorter days playing havoc with riding plans....


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## Finalcanter

'The horses were well behaved together for the most part. It has been my want forever now to be able to go out into the wilderness a bit and just feel free on top of a horse. I'm the type that goes 'arena crazy' after a while so this is an experience I want to repeat several times over. I'm over the moon with happiness from it.'

A bit more of a blurb (and a few more pictures) about my day in my journal here:https://www.horseforum.com/member-j...s-riding-journal-781994/page7/#post1970774369


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## AtokaGhosthorse

Our weekend on Lake Texoma. All third parties have given permission to post pictures here.


Saturday we had 9 or 10 of us that rode out. Sunday it was just my friend and her Unit of a Horse, Whiz; my husband and his mare Gina; and me and Trigger.


I WISH we could have gotten my daughter to walk down to the lake with us between rides Saturday. We took Supes, Gina, Oops, and Trigger swimming. Possibly the best fun I've had just doing nothing and expecting NOTHING of our horses. Trigger even took me 'skiing' behind him.


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## AtokaGhosthorse

PS. I am so, so stiff and sore, from the tops of my shoulders to my knees. ALL the horses felt sassy and fresh Saturday, despite the oppressive humidity and sweat. I'd wager we trotted or loped at least 60% of the entire time. And trotting on Trigger is rough, so I worked on posting the trot the entire time. My laigs and core are screaming today!


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## cbar

It makes me laugh - while @AtokaGhosthorse spent the weekend swimming with her horses, I rode mine down the road through the snow! I didn't take any pictures - figured the phone would be a hassle to handle whilst wearing gloves with cold fingers. 

I spent Saturday out flagging the course for our last CTR. We decided to do it via side by side instead of riding due to the cold weather. Sure glad we did it that way as I was frozen by the end of it! Fingers crossed for better weather this week - it is currently still snowing. Sigh.....


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## AtokaGhosthorse

cbar said:


> It makes me laugh - while @*AtokaGhosthorse* spent the weekend swimming with her horses, I rode mine down the road through the snow! I didn't take any pictures - figured the phone would be a hassle to handle whilst wearing gloves with cold fingers.
> 
> I spent Saturday out flagging the course for our last CTR. We decided to do it via side by side instead of riding due to the cold weather. Sure glad we did it that way as I was frozen by the end of it! Fingers crossed for better weather this week - it is currently still snowing. Sigh.....



We're ready for a cool down, honestly. Oklahoma has two seasons: Freakin' Cold and Humid, and Freakin' Hot and Humid. There is no spring or autumn really.


It was low to mid 90s here with something like an 80% humidity. You couldn't sweat enough to cool off because the moisture wouldn't evaporate, so just got soaked in sweat. It sucked, but the lake felt great... just the perfect 'cool but not cold' temp. I was worried it would be bath water warm, which is unpleasant and can also be dangerous if there's an algae bloom. Was pleasantly surprised.


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## knightrider

All these rides and photos look like so much fun! I wish we could ride together. We need that tardis! How I wish those of you who don't have a horse could come ride one of mine.

Month of September totals: 56.25 hours
185.625 miles

Yearly totals: 537.5 hours
1773.755 miles

I actually have a little more than that, because I only count the hours and miles where I ride my Paso Finos. I don't write down the Windy hours and miles . . . but I don't ride Windy all that much.


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## egrogan

@Atoka- who is the beautiful buckskin (or grey?) in that picture in profile, tied at the hitching post? Really gorgeous horse with a beautiful head.


It's starting to be the time of year where you want to take advantage of riding every nice day, since they are numbered! :wink: I've been riding quite a bit, though dealing with my horse being in a bit of a funk recently. But, we had a really nice ride this morning. It was really chilly today, only in the 40*s, so felt like fall.









*Total 2019 miles: 226.4*


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## NightFell

With the start of fall, our weekday evening trail rides have been racing the sun for a few miles here and there before nightfall. Last night it was quickly getting dark by the time we left the barn (sadness) so the reflective leg bands are now back.


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## Jolien

Being a very responsible adult and dodging my responsibilities once more...  Although I have a lot of work... I was to be found in the woods & on the road


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## AGibson

@NightFell Where did you pick up your reflective leg bands? I need that now that I have a Wednesday evening trail riding group that goes out regularly.


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## cbar

Went out last night to get our last training ride in before the CTR this weekend. I thought I would haul out and ride a portion of the actual course - to check out footing but to also ensure our ribbons were still in place. 

Ribbons were all good - only thing is that the trail is terribly wet. We rode 6 miles and we were not able to trot hardly any of it. It was so slow going as Tiger was slipping so badly in the mud. I'm feeling a little discouraged - we do have sunshine in the forecast so really hoping the trails dry up some before Saturday. 

It was a nice evening, but holy does the temp ever drop once the sun disappears behind the trees. I think it was +14 (celsius) when I got there and only +5 or 6 when I left. My hands were froze!!


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## rambo99

@NightFell , get a headlight solves having to race the sunlight quickly going down. That is what I have put it on my helmet and I'm good to go. Its led lights so it bright works great.

I end up riding after dark many days this headlight has been a great purchase. Once sun sets its dark can't see anything kinda of creepy.


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## rambo99

Rode today after work did 13 miles. Having to ride dirt road ,trails are a mud an water hole. 

The raining really needs to stop it's getting ridiculous.

Tomorrow will be the nicest day with sunshine for a change. The trees are really beautiful with all the colors. Will get pictures on tomorrows ride. A picture from our ride today was getting dark.


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## charrorider

Went riding in Kaintuck Hollow of the Mark Twain NF today. About half the trails are the usual narrow, rocky, wooded paths so common around here. But at some point in the past, this area was well logged, so there are some nice old logging roads trails.


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## knightrider

Successful and interesting ride today. I have some next door neighbor girls who expressed a lot of interest in learning to ride horses when they first moved here. I taught them both to ride in the hopes of having riding buddies. Since they knew absolutely nothing, it was kind of a long commitment to turn them into reliable riding friends for the trail, but we got it done.

About this time last year, the younger sister decided riding wasn't for her. Although our trail rides were all good, she said it was too scary, and she wasn't going to ride with me any more. When her sister comes to ride, I remind her that I miss the littler one and wished she would give riding another try, that I liked having her along.

I was so surprised when the younger one requested a ride for Saturday morning. This ten year old has a lot of emotional problems and doesn't interact well with people. I always hoped the horses would be a good outlet for her, and disappointed when she gave it up. One time when we were riding, I said, "You can tell your friends that you can now do corto on a Paso Fino." Her reply: "I don't have any friends."

I had to cancel a standing invitation for another young rider so that my next door neighbor could give it another try. My "regular" young rider is sweet as pie and would have wanted to share her bounty with a less fortunate "sister horse lover."

So this morning I had my daughter, her friend, and my little neighbor, who hadn't ridden in over a year. Of course, I put my novice on Isabeau, who takes such good care of timid riders. My teen girls were so good with the youngster, encouraging her and keeping her safe.

We had such a good and fun ride. Everything went great. When the ride was over, and the neighbor had headed home, I thanked the teens so much for being so helpful to the young needy girl. It reminded me of the scene from Anne of Green Gables when Marilla says, "She is of no use to us." And her brother Matthew replies sadly, "No, but I thought we could be of some use to her."

This photo is from last year, the last time this child wanted to ride.


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## Celeste

I have been riding, but I have not made it to the forum much. I am spending so many hours teaching these online classes that I am starting to hate the thought of a computer. But today, I am somewhat caught up. 

I have ridden about three miles a ride. Generally three times a week. It has been hotter than jumping blue blazes most of the time. But today was heavenly. It stayed in the low 70's! It is up to 83 now, but I am long since through riding. 

September 35.4 miles
2019 total so far *268.51* miles.

I hope to reach 300 before December because I may not be able to ride during December.


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## AnitaAnne

I finally got out on the trails! Have had so much problem just breathing this year, and with Chivas condition neither of us could do much. 

I visited a pulmonologist and had a medication change, so can breath a little better now. 

Picked up another horse needing some TLC; meet Herbie the Love Bug! He is turning out to be such a sweet horse. 


Grand opening of the Horse Trails at McClellan was on Saturday, and I took Herbie out for our first trail ride. He did super, but got a little winded on the hills. The place is beautiful, and once all the improvements are finished will have 50 trailer campsites!! 


Rode just under two miles


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## rambo99

Rode yesterday even though weather was rainy and very windy. Our start to our ride wasn't good. Having issues with ice not standing still for me to mount. 

I use a big rock to stand on to make getting on ice easier. As soon as I have my foot in stirrup he either goes forward like he did yesterday. I corrected him and tryed again he then went flying backwards and I got my foot stuck in stirrup. So I ended up on the ground needless to say I was a bit mad at mr ice.

So I got after him and tryed again to mount it was a challenge needless to say. But I managed to get on, he didn't totally stand still but was better. 

Our ride wasn't great because he decided to be spooky. He leaped , lurched & jumped at anything that moved. Or looked different. So only rode 3 miles because he just wasn't going to settle he was in one of his moods.

Hopefully Mondays ride will be better. Only one picture of our ride. The not standing still has been an on going issue.


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## AnitaAnne

Glad you didn't get hurt Or horse run off when he had you on the ground. 

Maybe he doesn't like rain? Hope the next ride goes better. 

I'm still having an issue with Herbie walking off too. I have needed a friend to hold him :frown_color:


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## rambo99

AnitaAnne said:


> Glad you didn't get hurt Or horse run off when he had you on the ground.
> 
> Maybe he doesn't like rain? Hope the next ride goes better.
> 
> I'm still having an issue with Herbie walking off too. I have needed a friend to hold him :frown_color:



Thinking the wind didn't help he was a bit more antsy then normal. Hes ok with the rain ridden in the rain before no issue. 

He normally goes forward walking off when I go to get on. Been working on him standing still when mounting some days are better than others. Yeah I'm fine my foot came out of stirrup once I fell.

He's very energetic always needing to move. Not the typical quarter horse with the laidback disposition. 

Glad you were able to get out and ride herbie is a nice looking boy. Thats good you got new medication so you are able to breath easier. 

Should be a better ride tomorrow will be nicer weather, if I can believe the weather forecast.


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## Painted Horse

We spent Saturday on the mountain gathering cows. Love the fall colors and it is a new job for my horses.
They get to work on something they rarely deal with. Chasing Cows. The weather has still been warm, Temps were in the 60's so the cows were scattered all over the high country. The main objective is to get them up out of their comfort zone and start them moving down the mountain. Most of the older moma cows know the drill and once you get them moving they will keep migrating down the mountain. You just need some snow or pressure to get them going. Mostly we wandered around and would find 2-6 animals in small groups and would push them over to the gravel road and start them down the road or push them into the bottom of the canyon and push them down the canyon. It will take the ranchers 5-6 days to get the bulk of the cows off the mountain. But some stubborn ones might take two weeks. Usually, by then the weather is starting to turn and the cows stubborn one coming off on their own.

It wasn't a lot of miles maybe 13-15 miles. But it had a lot of elevation change as we push down and climb back up and look for more. Lots of rough country as the cows are not laying on trails, So you have to kick them out of the deadfall and heavy timber. Horses were wore out by the end of the day.

Photobucket and other servers all started charging for photo sharing, So I've put my videos onto Youtube in order to share. Enjoy this 7 minutes of riding the high country in Utah


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## ChasingDreams

@Painted Horse I’m so jealous! That is something I’m dying to try with Chase. We have cows on our property, and the owner does sometimes ask BM to help move cows... but it’s always during the week / day and I’m rarely available to ride. I really think Chase would enjoy it, he is extremely interested in the cows and definitely looks for them while we out riding and “locks” in on them. I really think he would be great!

Rode trails twice since my last post. I don’t have enough sunlight to ride out in the evenings now, so my weeknight rides have been in the ring with lights.

Last Sunday, BM had a friend trailer in her mare... a beautiful liver chestnut foundation-bred quarter horse. Absolutely gorgeous... I loved her. She got along well with the boys for the most part and was well-behaved... but you could tell she had a bit of *sass* to her  We had a lot of fun though, and friend said she would definitely come riding with us again.










This Sunday I rode again, with BM only. There was a bit of light rain heading out, but we were ok once we got in the cover of the woods and it didn’t last too long. Chase had a few little “moments” where he was trying to rush... so I have a bit more work to do with him, but overall I’m pretty happy with his progress this summer.










Total 2019 miles~ 209.4


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## egrogan

I think we likely hit peak foliage this weekend. I heard the local meteorologist this morning say "Saturday was as spectacular as Sunday was dull," and he summed it up perfectly. Rode ~7 miles each day, but Saturday was definitely the nicer day to be out. Saturday we went out solo and Sunday with our riding buddy. We're mostly sticking to the roads at this point because of hunting season, but Sunday we did loop through a horse-only trail in the woods for a few miles. We saw one guy out on an ATV with a gun and a chainsaw, but otherwise seemed to have the woods to ourselves.





































*Total 2019 miles: 240.2*

*PS- *@AnitaAnne, your new horse is a looker! Glad you're feeling better and getting in some rides.


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## cbar

We had our last CTR meet this weekend. I was signed up for the Novice 25 miler. I hauled in before noon on Friday so I could help set up camp; thankfully the weather was awesome this weekend. 

About 2-3 miles into the ride I took a branch to the face when we were trotting down a fairly narrow path. Normally not a big deal - made it to the first vet check and they say I have ripped my cornea and I should leave and go get it looked at. Tiger vetted through really well so I decided to carry on until the next vet check and re-assess at that point. Tiger was still doing great so I opted to just finish the ride. 

Got back to camp and decided to head out after we did our final vet check. I only live about 35 minutes from ride site, so it worked out OK. My b/f drove me to urgent care - not much I can do about my eye, but it is extremely painful and very annoying. 

I missed awards and apparently we came in 6th. I'm pretty pleased with that - I didn't necessarily agree with the vet's assessment of a few things, but it doesn't matter. A good friend of mine came in 2nd and it was her first 25 mile ride, so I'm super happy for her and her horse. 

The horses get their shoes pulled in a couple days, so trail riding will be very limited now. This time of year you never know what the weather will do. It is supposed to be in the teens (celsius) today and then tomorrow a high of -3 with snow. 

I will live vicariously through all the folks who live in warmer climates from now until May. Haha.


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## rambo99

@egrogan beautiful pictures trees are so pretty. Your mare is very pretty love her color. 

The sun is shining today haven't had much of that recently. Plan on doing some serious trail riding today. Have a loop we don't ride in summer, due to bugs. Its a 4 plus hour ride so ice is going to get a workout today. 

Hopefully he's not in one of his moods, still going to do the loop I plan on doing. We shall see where mr ices mind is soon enough. 

Here's a picture from this morning trees are starting to drop there leaves. Probably somewhat do to all the rain and wind we've had.


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## egrogan

@*cbar* - OUCH! That sounds very painful, but congrats on the ride!
@*rambo99* , thanks, I'm lucky she's pretty and nice to be around :wink: Glad you have some sunshine today, I know you have been waiting for it! I think you sent us your rain, it's very dreary here today. No riding until middle of the week.


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## knightrider

@cbar, be really really careful with the torn cornea. Years ago, I was riding with a neighbor friend. She turned around to say something to me, and caught a branch to the face. Her cornea was also cut. She had many many problems with the healing and it took months and loads of problems and worry. I hope yours heals with no trouble at all and you are back to two eyes in no time.


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## cbar

@knightrider - thank you for the concern. I do hope it heals quickly as this is most annoying. I've been putting an ointment in the eye 4x a day to help avoid infection. So far it hasn't gotten any worse, but also hasn't gotten much better either. 

Lesson learned - next time I'm moving through the bush at speed I will bring some glasses. B/f Has found me some safety goggles to wear.


----------



## AndyTheCornbread

Painted Horse said:


> We spent Saturday on the mountain gathering cows. Love the fall colors and it is a new job for my horses.
> They get to work on something they rarely deal with. Chasing Cows. The weather has still been warm, Temps were in the 60's so the cows were scattered all over the high country. The main objective is to get them up out of their comfort zone and start them moving down the mountain. Most of the older moma cows know the drill and once you get them moving they will keep migrating down the mountain. You just need some snow or pressure to get them going. Mostly we wandered around and would find 2-6 animals in small groups and would push them over to the gravel road and start them down the road or push them into the bottom of the canyon and push them down the canyon. It will take the ranchers 5-6 days to get the bulk of the cows off the mountain. But some stubborn ones might take two weeks. Usually, by then the weather is starting to turn and the cows stubborn one coming off on their own.
> 
> It wasn't a lot of miles maybe 13-15 miles. But it had a lot of elevation change as we push down and climb back up and look for more. Lots of rough country as the cows are not laying on trails, So you have to kick them out of the deadfall and heavy timber. Horses were wore out by the end of the day.
> 
> Photobucket and other servers all started charging for photo sharing, So I've put my videos onto Youtube in order to share. Enjoy this 7 minutes of riding the high country in Utah


We do the same thing here. Getting them back down the mountain is usually a lot easier than pushing them up there was in the spring. We don't have as much elevation change though as the graze leases are up on top of the mountain in a relative flat area up top so once you get them out to the gravel road they just head down on their own for the most part and in a couple of days to a couple of weeks 90% or better of them will be back down in their winter pasture. Drive up is 20+ miles over two days because we do it in the evening the first day and the morning the next day so the cattle stay cooler and we don't get calves over heating etc. The drive down is just a series of short gathering runs through the brush that probably equal 10+ miles over one day. It takes 12 or so hands to make the drive up and 2 - 3 hands for the drive down.

I too have moved to youtube with my stuff as I don't want to pay to put it elsewhere.


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## NightFell

AGibson said:


> @NightFell Where did you pick up your reflective leg bands? I need that now that I have a Wednesday evening trail riding group that goes out regularly.


They were actually a lucky find at a tack sale I went to a couple years ago. Got them for $1 after rooting in the random stuff bin and though they were like new, they didn't come with any original packaging. I'll look up the brand name though the next time I'm at the barn and tbh would love to find another set for Quest's hinds as well- they are durable, easy to put on, and no complaints from the mare. 



rambo99 said:


> @NightFell , get a headlight solves having to race the sunlight quickly going down. That is what I have put it on my helmet and I'm good to go. Its led lights so it bright works great.
> 
> I end up riding after dark many days this headlight has been a great purchase. Once sun sets its dark can't see anything kinda of creepy.


I do have a headlamp as well and it has the red lights option. It is SO handy during the autumn and winter since the pasture is completely without any lights. Also anything that leaves your hands free is great esp around horses lol


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## egrogan

Here are some reflective leg bands, plus other options that could hook on your tack (e.g., nose band, chest plate): https://www.saferidersgear.com/store. I also have the rider vest from this same company that I wear all summer and I know it helps drivers notice us. I think you can buy their gear on Amazon too. 

My browband and breastcollar (different company than the first one posted- Distance Depot) have a reflective strip on them and I do think they help.


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## knightrider

Here is a funny story about those light-up headbands. Our Tico got an eye infection and needed to be treated every 2 hours round the clock. Putting medicine in a horse's eye that doesn't want medicine in his eye at 10, 12, 2, and 4 in the night takes two hands for sure.

So I wore my light-up headband, which sure helped a lot. But I discovered (never had noticed before) there were thousands and millions of spiders in the grass at night, and with the l.e.d. light on them, their eyes glowed. It was like walking through a field of little stars. Some of the spiders were pretty big and their eyes were kinda big, and other spiders were really small. Since I had to treat the horse for 3 days and 3 nights, those little sparkly eyes rather did feel like little friends.


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## rambo99

Did a nice long ride yesterday it was absolutely beautiful out. Ice was a good boy stood still when I got on. Will write more later have to leave here for work. Some pictures of the ride. A picture of a lake we ride by. 

This particular trail isn't well marked and fairly wild and woolly. First part is full of raspberry bushes so lots of thorns.


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## waresbear

It has turned so cold here. Below freezing all day and night, little flurries of snow that don't stick. Today the wind stopped and the sun came out but it never got above freezing but I did get out for a ride.

I took the dogs out and did some hill climbing, made sure I dressed up really warm!


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## ChasingDreams

Chase got sprayed by a skunk last night  So, instead of riding today, I get to go give him a bath or three


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Celeste

@knightrider I walk my dogs right before bedtime. Two dogs means two leashes and two hands. The headlamp is my friend. I have noticed those little sparkly eyed spiders. They do look like tiny stars. They are pretty awesome for sure.
@cbar I highly recommend that you go ASAP to an ophthalmologist about your cornea. You could lose your vision if it is worse than the after hours clinic thinks.


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## waresbear

ChasingDreams said:


> Chase got sprayed by a skunk last night  So, instead of riding today, I get to go give him a bath or three
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Ewww!!! What did you use to get out the smell? I heard peroxide works mixed with something else I forget now. My husband seen a skunk down the road so I make sure I always keep my dogs in at night!


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## whisperbaby22

The weather here has been great, I've been able to ride a lot. Winds are blowing today and tomorrow, but I hope to get out this weekend.


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## cbar

@cbar I highly recommend that you go ASAP to an ophthalmologist about your cornea. You could lose your vision if it is worse than the after hours clinic thinks.[/QUOTE]

@Celeste I actually ended up going to an optometrist yesterday afternoon as the eye has been driving me nuts. She gave me a contact to wear that is supposed to help with the discomfort and is also going to get me an appointment at a cornea specialist just to be safe. 

Thank you for your concern; I'm really hoping this thing sorts itself out. 

As for riding - it has been cold and snowy here. The other morning it was -19 (celsius!!) so I have not been out riding at all. I hope to maybe get a short ride in tonight after work. I have the equine dentist coming tomorrow to do all the horse's teeth so no riding tomorrow either. I fear that I am already in winter mode - this snow needs to melt!!!


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## Jolien

Today: 1 hour of riding in the woods together with a very experienced rider and her own horse.  



I rode an appaloosa gelding which I have been riding to practice galopping and trotting some more. It was warm weather and the sun was shining although it is autumn here... We passed several dogs, kids and cyclists without any problems.  I still have to work a lot on my light riding (my ankle cramps and hurts really bad and then I start to double bounce. Poor horse.) I am already dreaming of galopping out in the open! I am practicing on a quarter horse with a really nice trot and a soft gallop that is easy to follow, so I am positive about the future. Of course my seat needs to be better and my light riding too... Also when galopping I (sometimes) grab the pommel with one hand and the reins with the other (I ride western with loose reins) because I am concentrating so hard on my lower body movements, balance and steady hands... I want to learn to ride without grabbing the pommel!  sorry for the long explanation.  I am passionate about my new hobby and want to improve my riding skills so bad!


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## Jolien

Oh no... That's horrible... Poor doggie!  And to know they smell much better than us. The smell must be really really bad for him to be on his fur... 





ChasingDreams said:


> Chase got sprayed by a skunk last night  So, instead of riding today, I get to go give him a bath or three
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## lb27312

Finally got to ride!! Woot Woot!! Been a while and been even longer since I had Challenger out... The weather was awesome, great day for a ride. It was soooo nice to be out and chatting with my friend totally needed it. 

@kewpalace - you inspired me into digging out my old hackamore and riding with that for a nice change of pace. Used to ride in it all the time.... 

Miles - 6.75

Pics!


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## ChasingDreams

waresbear said:


> Ewww!!! What did you use to get out the smell? I heard peroxide works mixed with something else I forget now. My husband seen a skunk down the road so I make sure I always keep my dogs in at night!




1 QT Peroxide + 1/4 cup baking soda + 2 tbsp blue dawn dish soap

Not diluted at all with water for the first application... just mix in bucket, work into fur with gloves or rubber curry... let sit for 10 mins. Rinse and repeat as many times as needed. I only did it twice and took care of it pretty well.

If anyone needs to know for future reference.


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## ChasingDreams

Rode with BM and Scout today, it was nice and cool, around 64F, and the horses were a little frisky, so we took some detours to stretch it out a bit longer.



















Just starting to notice the leaves changing, finally starting to feel like fall!

Total 2019 miles~ 214.18


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## rambo99

Went riding Wednesday was beautiful out an sun was actually out. Leaves are falling off trees so trail is colorful. 

Haven't ridden much since only 15 minute rides just to exercise ice. Plus it's been lousy weather ,raining snowing super windy. 

I haven't felt good either and got very sick last night. Have Lyme disease an have for close to 3 months. On doxycycline now, kinda feel somewhat better. 

Hopefully by Monday I'll be much better..this isn't fun I hurt/ache so bad I could cry. 

Thought I post some pictures from last decent ride. Love all the beautiful pictures everyone post from their rides.


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## egrogan

We are having the best foliage season I can remember- the whole world looks like it's glowing around you. We rode ~20 miles this weekend; a long 13 mile ride exploring new-to-us trails Saturday, bookended by shorter rides Friday and today. That pushed us over the 250 mile mark for the year!










Here's one of the trails we did Saturday, which is a class 4 Jeep road but feels like being deep in the woods when no one is around and the leaves are falling.





Other woods trails from the weekend


















And just along the roads




































The horses literally sidle up to the apple trees at the end of our rides and ask nicely to grab one that looks tasty.









I love this time of year!! Of course it can't last, but we enjoy every minute of it while it's here!

*Total 2019 miles: 253.5*


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## lb27312

Wow @egrogan - Such beautiful pictures!!! I love that kind of riding! When everything is picture perfect!!


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## charrorider

Although I'm not going to log as many miles as I have in the past few years (only 225, so far), I have ridden in more different places than ever before. We went back to Kaintuck Hollow today and the picture is the horses getting a little snack break by an old abandoned silo. Among all the graffiti were the words by some unknown Ozark philosopher, "All you see, or seen...is nothing but a dream within a dream."


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## charrorider

Jolien. That soft gallop that Quarter Horses have is called, a lope, by Quarter Horse people. Just thought you may be interested in the jargon. lol.


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## egrogan

lb27312 said:


> Wow @*egrogan* - Such beautiful pictures!!! I love that kind of riding! When everything is picture perfect!!



Yes, mother nature makes it almost impossible to be a bad photographer right now- unless, like me, you are apt to take random pictures of the inside of your pocket when you put your phone away :hide:


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## knightrider

Fun ride this morning. My two next door neighbor girls, ages 13 and 10, came riding with me since there is no school. When the girls moved next door to me, I taught them to ride--it was fairly tedious--but now I am reaping the benefits.

All last year they didn't ride, and I figured, "Oh well, I had some good rides with them." I lose about half the kids I teach to ride after they've ridden a bit. They lose interest, get a boyfriend, join a band, take up gymnastics. It's all part of life.

This year, suddenly the 10 year old got back into riding, after mostly not riding with me for 2 years. One reason why I think she lost interest was because her sister was riding with me faithfully back then and progressing by leaps and bounds--literally--she had started galloping and jumping and loved it. The little one wanted to be as good as her sister but wasn't willing to put in the time and effort. She just magically wanted to gallop and jump without riding much.

So, now they are both back riding with me, and I am loving it. The little one watched her sister jumping the fallen logs this morning and began to think that she could do it. She's ready for practice now, and making good progress. The older one and I had big plans to build a jump trail through her woods, but my dream fell apart when she stopped riding. Now I have high hopes for that fun jump trail.

On Saturday I got notification that I won first place again in Pasos for Pleasure. They also gave me a nice award for completing 5000 hours of riding registered Paso Finos. The nice award was a beautiful book about Cappuchino, a famous foundation stallion, and $100 gift certificate to Kuda Tack. In the old days, the first place winner for Pasos for Pleasure used to get a Kuda saddle, but sadly, those days are over. (I wouldn't mind a Kuda saddle. They are $1,300 new). Now days, the first place winner gets their picture in the Paso Fino magazine and a short blurb. Oh well. I don't do it for the glory. I just love to ride.


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## rambo99

Went riding today our trees are past there peak and leaves are falling off. Good percentage are on the ground now. Done nothing but rain/snow for last 4 days.

Got in a pretty nice ride did the 8 mile loop ice was a good boy. Here are some pictures.


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## ChasingDreams

@egrogan beautiful photos!!! Those are the rides I wish I was there with you to see in person 


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## Celeste

Jolien said:


> Today: 1 hour of riding in the woods together with a very experienced rider and her own horse.
> 
> Also when galopping I (sometimes) grab the pommel with one hand and the reins with the other (I ride western with loose reins) because I am concentrating so hard on my lower body movements, balance and steady hands... I want to learn to ride without grabbing the pommel!  sorry for the long explanation.  I am passionate about my new hobby and want to improve my riding skills so bad!


It is way better to hold on to the pommel than it is to fall off or to hang on to the poor horse's mouth. You will catch on. It takes a while. And I will grab the saddle if I am about to get ditched. No harm in that.


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## Celeste

cbar said:


> I actually ended up going to an optometrist yesterday afternoon as the eye has been driving me nuts. She gave me a contact to wear that is supposed to help with the discomfort and is also going to get me an appointment at a cornea specialist just to be safe.
> 
> Thank you for your concern; I'm really hoping this thing sorts itself out.
> 
> As for riding - it has been cold and snowy here. The other morning it was -19 (celsius!!) so I have not been out riding at all.


I am really glad that you are getting your eye taken care of. 

At -19 Celsius, I would be on the first plane back to Georgia!


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## Celeste

I used some of my leave time to take advantage of all of the beautiful weather that comes with being in the middle of a drought. I really don't know when I posted last, so I'll just mention a few things. 

I rode solo, well me, my horse, and my dog, all but one day. Most days were uneventful. I did have one day that I was glad that I can hang tight to a crazy horse. We saw a little deer on our ride in. My girl saw what he was and we went on nicely. On the way back, the same little deer was trying (again) to get a drink of water. He bolted and ran. All that my horse saw was the movement. Suddenly, in her mind, it was a bear. Or something worse. 

So, we did an old fashioned western roll back. Then we went into some high school dressage moves. Piaffe, pirouettes, side passes, repeat. (None of which I know how to request, except the rollback, and I didn't request it.) She would not turn to go home, but wanted to. So she just danced in place. I knew that I would be lucky not to be bucked off, so I just tried to make her settle down and didn't force anything. 
@Jolien I grabbed my pommel and stayed out of her mouth. And I stayed on. 

We do have a fall tree. One.

Then I thought of the dog, Prissy. I called her. She came running back, wagging her tail, and happily said (in doggy language) "Come on guys! This is fun!" My horse actually read her body language and started on home quietly.

Every day we had at least one nice gallop. There is a place in the dirt road with perfect footing and no branches in your face. 

Each ride was around 3 miles.

Total for the year: *283.71 * 

And today, the rain came in with a force. No more drought. At least for now.


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## ChasingDreams

Rode for around 4 miles today solo (I messed up my tracker again, but based on our route should be about right). It was beautiful, 65 F and sunny. Just cool enough for Chase to be a bit frisky.

At one point, we were going up a hill, and he suddenly broke into a trot... then a canter. I figured he just wanted some momentum to get up the hill, and it was a nice energetic canter... so I went with it. When we got to the top of the hill, he was still cantering. At that point.... I finally realized he had spooked 

I was able to slow him down easily and he didn’t take long to relax again. But, I found it pretty hilarious that I hadn’t even realized he was “bolting” until the very end. I just thought he was feeling himself with the cooler weather  If that’s the worst he will throw at me anymore, I’ll take it!

Besides that, it was uneventful and we had a really nice ride. Saw some deer, cows, ducks, a groundhog, and a big hawk-like bird.

Some pictures:

































Total 2019 miles ~218.18
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## AnitaAnne

egrogan said:


> Yes, mother nature makes it almost impossible to be a bad photographer right now- unless, like me, you are apt to take random pictures of the inside of your pocket when you put your phone away :hide:


I do this all the time :redface: Thought I was the only one taking video and pictures of the inside of my saddlebags :ROFL:


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## weeedlady

I've been UP North for 2 solid months without my horses. What a wasted summer as far as riding, but I did get pasture built for them UP there. Next year they are going with me!

I got back to Ohio on Tuesday and got to trailer out to a local park on Friday. Took both of my horses- a new friend wanted to give gaited a try (she loved it, by the way).

We rode 7 miles. My butt hurt! That's what happens when you don't ride for 2 months.

my YTD total is now a whopping 63.5 miles  it's ok, every one of those miles is a blessing.


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## Jolien

<3  appaloosa gelding. 



ps I was giving him the cue to go slower (with legs and reins) because we were gonna bump into the rider in front of us that was trying to take a picture


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## rambo99

Been a little bit since I posted been riding though. Finally having nice weather sun and high 50s & 60 degrees. 

Have gotten in some long rides did 3 18 mile rides Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Horse's were a bit tired yesterday. So let them stop and eat grass several times during the ride. 

Saw a porcupine on our ride the one day. It went up the tree in front of us so I took a picture of it. Not a great picture ice wasn't for standing still. 

Had three though really nice rides lovely weather. Our nice riding days are numbered being its mid October so I'll take it while it last. 

Been wanting to ride trails across the highway but its to wet. Checked it out Friday, and water in ditch is over knee deep on horse's. Trail is horrible wet sloppy black mud.
Its a hilly trail so slick wet footing isn't good. We turned around and headed for other trails we ride. Not as wet and better footing.
My horse was a totally rock star going down into a water filled ditch...never hesitated. Footing wasn't good, an ice was the fearless leader that day, cinder wasn't having it, but he followed ices lead. 

Here are some pictures from two of our rides.


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## knightrider

Just got back from 5 days of camping in Ocala National Forest. It was a fantastic trip. We had rain almost every day, but there were enough windows of "no rain" so that we got in hours and hours of riding. @LoriF, we missed you so much, and you were with us in spirit. Next year, you just have to save the leave to make it. It wasn't quite the same without you, and we thought about you often.

I got to meet another Horse Forum friend, @mslady254. We had a wonderful fun ride together, and I look forward to many more.
@4horses and I started out the first day by doing an evening ride, which turned into a night ride, which turned into a pitch dark can't-see-your-horses'-ears ride. As usual, 4horses manages everything with skill and aplomb, and it was just another fun adventure for us. If 4horses's horse Harmony hadn't known to stop, we might have plunged into a deep sinkhole. But Harmony is a savvy trail horse and 4horses is smart enough to listen to her horse.

We had lots and lots of great rides, managed OK through all the rainstorms, met friends, laughed and talked over great food, had a wonderful costume contest, and came home tired and happy. I'll get some pictures over the next few days. Maybe 4horses will post some? Hint, hint.


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## cbar

@knightrider, your camping trip sounds really amazing!! Super cool you are riding with folks from the forum! Sadly, our camping days are over - WAY too cold for that now. 

Our weather has improved a bit so I have been riding when I can. I was bound & determined to trailer out today for a ride; I took my fat mare and she did very well. Because of the shorter days I was almost driving home in the dark which I wasn't thrilled about. I hate unhooking and doing chores in the dark. 

It turns out I require eye surgery for the eye I damaged with the run-in with the tree branches. I go in on Tuesday which is why I wanted to ride this weekend. Apparently the doctor says no riding, driving, running or working for a week. Hmm....I'll see how that goes. I am registered in a 1/2 marathon next weekend - I am sad that it is likely I won't be able to run in it.


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## QueenofFrance08

Headed 3 hours south this weekend for our last ride of the season. It is always a bittersweet time, last chance to see all of our endurance family for the year but one of the most beautiful trails (and most challenging) of any ride we have. 

Friday DH and I rode Comet and Chico in the 30 mile LD in 60 degree sunny weather. It was such a nice change from last year when it was freezing and snowing at this ride! We got lost for an hour and did an extra 5 miles but still finished with plenty of time to spare (3rd and 4th to last place). 

Saturday I rode Chico with my friend C and her son A in the 30 mile LD in pouring rain (which was not expected and we were not dressed for). We went a lot slower due to the sloppy trails but had a lot of fun! It was Chico's first back to back ride! 

A friend brought cupcakes for our birthdays (next week) and we had 2 wonderful campfires with friends!


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## egrogan

So many great rides to read about on a Monday morning. I love hearing how everyone is doing. @cbar, hope the eye surgery is easy and you are back outside soon!

We had a lot of rain last week so I hadn't ridden since the prior Sunday. Fortunately the weather both Saturday and Sunday this past weekend cooperated, and I got nice rides both days. Saturday we went out with our riding buddies, and yesterday solo. Rode ~15 miles for the weekend, inching us closer to 300 miles this season. I think we're going to get there- that's my goal at this point, if the weather continues to be decent!

Saturday was one of the prettiest rides I can remember- all that rain had the little streams in the woods running fast, and we even came across some wee waterfalls surging over the rocks- the horses enjoyed stopping for a long drink and playing in the cool water.




































Don't you love it when a "mounting block" appears exactly where you need it to? :wink: I had just hand-walked my mare past some killer cows, and was happy to find such a perfect spot to get back on (yes, we were checking out the old farm cemetery behind the wall too)










Horse-eating cows:








*Total 2019 miles: 272.3*


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## carshon

I finally got to ride!!!!!! The weather was gorgeous! My daughter came home for the weekend and hubby took the day off so off we went. It was not a long ride but we all enjoyed ourselves. It is bow hunting season here and the hunters have the deer very restless so we stirred up quite a few. One jumped up and ran in front of Tillie and I - it was so close that Tillie slid in the back like a reining horse to stop in time. She is a rock star and takes good care of me with my hurting hips. We have had so much rain here and the trails are really showing the wear. One of the nicest parts of this park was closed due severe wash outs. We rode about 7 miles with lots of gaiting and laughter. Daughter spent Sunday removing bot eggs from her horse and just spending time with her. It was another gorgeous day. Today it is cold and blustery and raining. So glad we got to ride - and as a bonus we finally (a month late) got our 3rd cutting of hay in the barn and it is lovely hay too!


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## knightrider

@cbar, so sorry that you have to have eye surgery. I hope it heals quickly.

Here are some photos of our 5 day camping trip in Ocala National Forest. The name of the camping area is appropriately named Shangri La.

Every year I run a Halloween Costume Contest at the October camp out. I'll post those pictures in the Halloween section of Horse Forum. The costumes were great.

The trails around Shangri La are from the 1930's when the WPA decided it would be a good idea to create a cross-Florida canal and hired men to dig it to make work. It turned out to be vastly more difficult than originally anticipated and they gave up the idea. Then, later, they tried again with machines, but that also was much more expensive than they hoped, so the land was donated to Ocala National Forest. It gives us lots of high hills to ride and much more varied terrain than we usually get to enjoy in Florida.


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## weeedlady

I racked up another 2.5 miles on Sunday with Raven behind our barn and 5.5 with Tucker at Silvercreek Metro Park ( a local park just a short drive from our barn). I remembered to get some pictures today.


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## weeedlady

5 more miles behind the barn today. 76.2 ytd. 
I'm going to set a very modest goal of 100 miles for the year. I think we can do it.


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## Finalcanter

Here are some pictures from our trail last week. It was a very much needed ride! Not the greatest of pictures but a phone is a better alternative than me bringing out my camera but maybe next time. It's really bramble-y out here. Not the most scenic at times.


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## rambo99

Had 2 days of rain poured rain all day monday and all night. Wind whipped rain walls on north side of barn inside ,were wet from rain hitting the walls none stop.

Tuesday was another rain day an colder so no riding for two days. Finally got out to ride today trails have water standing everywhere. Swamps are over flowing there banks. 

Had a good ride ice was very energetic so really moved out. Even after 10 miles he was ready to keep going. He didn't want to come home. Kept wanting to turnaround to go back out on trails what a goofball. 

Love my ice man he's so fun to ride! Here's some pictures. Last picture is of yard that has standing water


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## knightrider

A sad thing happened on my morning ride today. I was riding Acicate, my easiest solo horse, and he was giving me a marvelous ride. We were riding down a little-used dirt road when a very loud white pick-up truck came towards us. 

It stopped and backed up into somebody's trash can holding pen and smashed it all up, as well as smashing the mailbox. Then it drove away. A few minutes later, the truck came back the other way. I wondered if they were trying to find an address and simply accidentally backed into the stuff, but as I continued to ride, that white truck came back again.

I stopped at the house to tell them what had happened and describe the truck. It really did seem deliberate, but possibly was an accident. But they drove by twice more without trying to fix anything.

The resident at the house was an elderly lady in very bad shape. She leaned on a cane with shaky arms and legs. She started crying when she saw the destruction. She said she didn't know anybody who would do that . . . and that she didn't want to know anybody. She said she knew no one in the neighborhood. I felt so sorry for her. I wanted to get my son and repair the damage for her, but when I got home, there was chaos and drama at my house and there was no way I could go back there.

I'd like to stop and visit some time and be a bit of a friend to her. Maybe some good will come of it. On the other hand, she was kind of a scary lady--she was really angry and negative. I'll pray and listen and be open.


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## weeedlady

Another 8.26 miles for Raven and I today. 86.9 ytd. And a few pictures. It was a great day.


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## ChasingDreams

Shorter ride yesterday, I had a family birthday party at noon, but wanted to squeeze one on before as there was rain forecast in the afternoon and all day today.

Chase was very quiet, and we rode the entire time on a loose rein. When I got back to the barn, BM told me that she had just combined pastures the night before, and he and her Friesian were playing like mad for hours...so he must have been tired out 

Lots of pretty colors though, peak of fall foliage getting close 


















2019 miles ~ 221.38
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Jolien

Another 3 hour ride today in the forest. It didn't rain and the weather was nice!


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## egrogan

@weedlady, I definitely think you're going to hit your 100 mile target!! @Rambo- you sent us your wet weather I think- it is pouring here today and no riding for us... @knightrider- I didn't want to "like" your post as that was an awful story. I'm glad the truck didn't decide to mess with you too for seeing what he was doing 

We went on a short ride yesterday (~4 miles), which pushed us over 275 miles total. My horse was a bit shocked to ride our familiar route with all the leaves gone- everything suddenly looked totally different! This is our second fall living here, but last fall we hardly rode at all since the weather was unusually wet, so it really was like seeing everything for the first time for her. Hoping the rest of the week is a little drier as the countdown has begun to snow arriving. It's in the longrange forecast but hopefully just as flurries, not accumulating.



























*Total 2019 miles: 276.2*


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## rambo99

@egrogan yep sent all our rain you're way. Our trees are bare now also after all the rain wind on Monday & Tuesday. Funny how horse's think trails they've been on are now new to them. 

Had a few good rides yesterday was a nice sunny warm day. If you call mid 50s warm. Didn't take pictures yesterday never really thought about it. 

Did two loops so 25 miles yesterday, was quite on trails for a Saturday. Only saw 4 four wheelers the entire ride. It took us 6 hours to do 25 miles. 

Total miles so far this year including from January through till now. 790 miles will hit the 800 plus this coming week. 

Should have nice weather this week going to be cold highs in the 30s. That makes for more energetic horse's. 

A few pictures from Friday's ride one is of swap that looks like a lake. It is fuller then I've ever seen it. 

Time to get tank heater in water trough again that time of year. Make sure it still works being it 7 years old. Better to find out now, before the sub zero temps hit. 

More then likely it will quit working on a 30 below zero night....never fails.


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## weeedlady

Another 2.71 miles behind the barn with Tucker today. No pictures today. Tucker was feeling good and my hands were full. We've been having beautiful riding weather here in NE Ohio. We had rain yesterday and this morning, but it stopped in the early afternoon. By 4pm when we rode it was 53 and the sun was trying to peek through the clouds.
Tomorrow should be good also - forecast is 61 and sunny.

I'm up to 89.6 ytd.


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## LoriF

knightrider said:


> A sad thing happened on my morning ride today. I was riding Acicate, my easiest solo horse, and he was giving me a marvelous ride. We were riding down a little-used dirt road when a very loud white pick-up truck came towards us.
> 
> It stopped and backed up into somebody's trash can holding pen and smashed it all up, as well as smashing the mailbox. Then it drove away. A few minutes later, the truck came back the other way. I wondered if they were trying to find an address and simply accidentally backed into the stuff, but as I continued to ride, that white truck came back again.
> 
> I stopped at the house to tell them what had happened and describe the truck. It really did seem deliberate, but possibly was an accident. But they drove by twice more without trying to fix anything.
> 
> The resident at the house was an elderly lady in very bad shape. She leaned on a cane with shaky arms and legs. She started crying when she saw the destruction. She said she didn't know anybody who would do that . . . and that she didn't want to know anybody. She said she knew no one in the neighborhood. I felt so sorry for her. I wanted to get my son and repair the damage for her, but when I got home, there was chaos and drama at my house and there was no way I could go back there.
> 
> I'd like to stop and visit some time and be a bit of a friend to her. Maybe some good will come of it. On the other hand, she was kind of a scary lady--she was really angry and negative. I'll pray and listen and be open.



Awe, poor thing. I would feel really bad too. 

I honestly get where she is coming from. Why would she want to know anyone if this is what people do?


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## Painted Horse

We rode into Butch Cassidy's secret corral Saturday. This was where they would hide extra horses and switch out as they ran from the posse's. The old logs are over a 120 years old and still laying there.

It's in central Utah, Just a mile or so off I-70 near Salina. Not much of a trail. So I would hesitate to send somebody on that trail with out a guide to show them the way. 

Enjoy the 6 minute video if you care to see what this part of Utah looks like


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## carshon

@Painted Horse that was awesome! Can I ask a stupid question? the guy leading (in red) switched out horses. Why? How long was the ride?


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## LoriF

I miss the west, beautiful ride Painted Horse


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## Painted Horse

carshon said:


> @Painted Horse the guy leading (in red) switched out horses. Why? How long was the ride?


The Buckskin is a 15 year gelding. He rode this horse 90% of the ride.
The Paint is a young colt and this was his 5th time under saddle. Not wanting to overwork a young horse, he rode the older horse up and down the steep parts of the trail and just rode the young colt for a short distance, Mostly across the top before we started down.

The colt did great. Calm, looked at and worked his way thru obstacles, Even lead out when he was under saddle


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## Rob55

Trying to delete as it is confusing. Sorry


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## Jolien

One of the last times I went on a trailride some youngsters decided it would be funny to spook our horses. They were waving a tarp and after we got our (scared) horses to pass there they blew up a tiny bomb... It made a lot of noise... There was one rider there on a green 3 year old horse... I instinctively shocked sharply over the whole of my body as did my horse. After that I immediately calmed down (I realised there was no danger). I am so lucky my horse didn't do a side leap or we would have tumbled in the ditch and be submerged under water... Awfull. I can't understand how irresponsible some people can be. The rider on the green horse could have been really badly injured... I guess we were lucky that most horses are old and experienced on the trail so the "pack" remained fairly unstartled. I was kinda angry and upset after this event. I noticed the horse I was riding was trying to cope by chewing some branches and leaves to ease his mind... Poor thing.


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## whisperbaby22

I have been riding when I can, we have a lot of winds coming around. I thought I'd try an artistic photo of the river.


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## rambo99

Had a nice ride yesterday did 12 miles weather has turned cold. High 32 yesterday today was colder, high of 27.

Rode today not as far kinda cold with wind blowing. Ice was rather naughty balking at going through puddles. Had several rear ups and spin arounds to go where he wanted. 

So he got a butt whipping an worked really hard. Last 3 puddles he marched through no acting up. He was in one of his moods not wanting to do as asked. Never has he been so naughty though. 

Last 4 miles he finally did really good. First 4 miles was a tough ride ,him being balky not moving forward well. Have pictures from yesterday's ride. Last picture we were losing daylight.


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## cbar

I am living vicariously through all those that are still logging good trail miles. I have not ridden a horse for almost 2 weeks. Partly b/c of our weather, but also b/c of the eye surgery. Procedure went well but have to keep stitches in until December. But I am clear to do all my normal activities. 

I am hoping to get out for a trail ride this weekend - just depends on the weather. We still have a bit of snow on the ground; it seems that if we do get a day with warmer temps the wind is atrocious. I did work on trailer loading/unloading with Amber for a bit the other day - last time I hauled her out she was being a pill to get back into the trailer.


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## gunslinger

Well Rambo, I can't say I blame the poor horse for not wanting to go through those ice water puddles.....


It's going to freeze the first time tonight and tomorrow night.....to cold for a lot of us southerners to ride.....


You're a hardy one no doubt.


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## phantomhorse13

Sorry to have been MIA, but its been potato harvest time. Trying to get caught up now. 

A few weeks ago, DH and I went to Ohio for a ride. The whole story is in my journal.

































2019 mileage
...
9/21 phin 63.45 miles 6887 ft climb 5.6 mph 99F *1333.11 total miles*


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## weeedlady

I managed to surpass my modest 100 mile goal with Tucker this morning at Cleveland Metro Parks Brecksville Reservation. 103.6 for the year so far. This is the Station Road Trailhead. The Cuyahoga Vally Scenic Railroad runs right past the parking lot. I was glad I was not mounted when the train went by. Tucker was pretty worried about it.


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## knightrider

End of October statistics:

65.75 hours
216.975 miles

Year to date:
603.25 hours
1990.73 miles

I've been fortunate with good weather, good trail horses, being retired, my children being older. I wish all of you happy trails.


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## egrogan

Another snow-free, if chilly, weekend here. We had bad storms with lots of rain and high winds at the end of the work week, so there were trees down all over, making the horses really pay attention to their feet while we were out.

This was a huge pine tree that came down across our road, but it had been cleared by the time we rode through there Saturday.


















Still trying to adjust to how quickly the sun disappears in the afternoon now! :sad:









Sunday I did a longer ride (~8.5 miles) with my riding buddy, and the trails were challenging from the mud, the downed trees, and deep water covering the trail in a lot of unusual places. The horses did great though, they worked really hard and were very careful- it seemed like the footing changed around every turn, but they handled it well. 

We saw this really fascinating tree along the way-if you look closely, the birch tree seems to actually be growing on top of an old pine tree stump, and somehow the roots have managed to reach the ground to keep it anchored. Never seen anything like that!









*Total 2019 miles: 289.6 
*I'm really, really hoping that I get those last 11 miles to reach 300 for the year. I think it should be possible- forecast right now has some accumulating snow expected for Friday, but only a couple of inches so we'll see what happens!


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## QueenofFrance08

Yikes I'm behind too.

Last weekend (last weekend of October) we went camping with 2 friends for my 30th bday/last trip of the year (campgrounds close November 1 in MN). We rode about 5 miles the first night and 22 on Saturday. It was beautiful 50 degree days with no rain! We all decided to bring our green horses which actually turned out really well! I rode Lilo and DH brought Daisy and everyone stayed on top!

This weekend DH and I did a quick 6 mile ride at the park by our house. We wont be able to do much if any riding the next 2 weeks because it's deer hunting season (gun) so we generally don't ride at all during that time. I might try to see if we can sneak out to an indoor but otherwise everyone will be getting a break. It was 40 with no wind so perfect riding. We took Chico and Stitch and had a wonderful time with our favorite horses.


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## cbar

Our weather has been all over the map....we got a snow storm (pictured), but most of that snow did end up melting. We got another dump last night, but temps are actually not too bad. 

I FINALLY got out for a short ride Friday after work. Our days are so short and now b/c of the time change they are even shorter. I only rode for about 40 or 50 minutes, but it still felt great to get out. We had to stick to the fields - hunting season started and I could hear gun shots from my neighbor's...so I prefer to stay out in the open. 

I also had a lesson on my mare this weekend which went pretty good. This time of year it is hard to be consistent due to the weather and road conditions. Really hoping for a mild winter so i can at least continue with lessons.


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## weeedlady

Raven and I had a really nice ride at Cleveland Metro Parks Bedford Reservation with a friend. We rode a trail that I had not ridden before. 7.55 miles. I'm sure my pictures will turn out sideways


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## rambo99

Went riding yesterday was fairly nice not great. Ice was a good boy did spook at a deer ,that popped out of woods.

Been kinda of on the pokey side recently not like him. Usually he's a go fast boy. The crossing icey puddles is no longer an issue. He got set straight on that deal. 

Only one picture phone I had was getting wore out. Got a new one today 😁. Didn't ride today was snowing on an off &was windy.


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## Celeste

@cbar How is your eye doing?

I just read through all the missed posts (I think) on this thread. I have not had time to get on the forum. 
I haven't posted any rides. My total is 299. I should have ridden one more mile last weekend!


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## cbar

Celeste said:


> @cbar How is your eye doing?
> 
> I just read through all the missed posts (I think) on this thread. I have not had time to get on the forum.
> I haven't posted any rides. My total is 299. I should have ridden one more mile last weekend!



Thanks for asking! It is doing much better. Sight keeps improving and soreness is almost all gone. I get the stitches removed in December, so very optimistic for a full recovery. Oddly enough, it would not have been this bad if I hadn't previously had Lasik; just have to remember to wear glasses on future endurance rides.


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## charrorider

Beautiful day for a ride yesterday. Autumn colors in Missouri this year haven't been anything to brag about, but it still looks better from the saddle. The brown growth you see is a grass that, when green, my horses absolutely love it. But when it gets brown like this, they could care less. Kaintuck Hollow is quickly becoming my favorite place in the Mark Twain NF to ride.


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## egrogan

We squeezed in a short ride at lunchtime. The wind was blowing, with a few flurries in the air. It was calmer and sunnier by the time we got home though. 


















*Total 2019 miles: 292.02*


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## carshon

I am so jealous of the places you have to ride so close to home!!


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## weeedlady

Raven and I got in a 10 mile ride today at Silvercreek. No good pictures, and they'd show up sideways if I post them.
It was a beautiful fall day in NE Ohio. 50 with sun and not a lot of wind. Tomorrow it is supposed to snow a bit, but nothing real.

I'm up to 121 miles ytd. New modest goal is now 150. Not sure I can make that, but I'm gonna give it a shot.


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## rambo99

egrogan said:


> We squeezed in a short ride at lunchtime. The wind was blowing, with a few flurries in the air. It was calmer and sunnier by the time we got home though.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Total 2019 miles: 292.02*


Our weather was very similar to yours today. Did get out an ride our high was 21 degrees. Ground is frozen now been below freezing for over a week. Officially have tank heater in water trough.

Had a good ride ice was into really moving along at a fast pace. He does get crabby when getting saddled up. Hates when blankets get taken off he's nice and warm under his blankets. He has hardly any winter coat,so gets cold. 

But he was a fun ride today and was really good no spooks no be over reactive. Did 8 miles lots of trotting. A few pictures first ones with my new phone.


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## knightrider

Kind of interesting ride today. It's deer season and the farmer from one of the places where I ride suggested another set of woods where no one hunts. I wanted to try it, but the problem is two Anatolian Shepherds that come running out barking at the horses. My horses could care less about the Anatolians, but my little dog is terrified of them. 

My little dog either runs into the woods and waits for me to come back or she runs home. The whole time she is gone, I worry. Some people randomly put out leghold traps, there are predators, and even humans have taken my dogs at times when I am out riding. And if she runs home, she has to cross two streets. I don't enjoy riding that much when my dog is missing and I don't know where she has gone.

From time to time, my dog doesn't go along, and IF I have over 2 hours to ride and IF my dog doesn't go along, then I can ride those beautiful trails. So today was one of those days and I headed out for those woods. My dog was smart, actually. Rain was predicted, but only 40% chance, and only between 7 and 8 a.m. I figured I'd take my chances. Florida weather predictions are notoriously unreliable.

At 6:50, it started to rain, just like they warned, but I kept on riding. I was so looking forward to those fun trails, I figured I wouldn't get too wet. By the time I got to the great trails, it was raining pretty good, but I didn't want to turn back. I got thoroughly soaked. I wasn't wearing rain gear. After the rain slacked off, the temperature started dropping and the wind picked up. It's kinda unpleasant when it is 67 degrees and you are soaked through and there's a brisk breeze.

But it was still a fun ride--I didn't get much cold until the end--and I got to enjoy nice trails with no deer hunters.


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## Jolien

@knightrider Can't you put your dog in the saddle in front of you untill you passed safely? You can teach most dogs to do that, especially small dogs. Personally I would pack a large whip and whack the dogs if they came off their property and chased after your dog.  



Today <3


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## knightrider

@Jolien, my dog was abandoned by somebody and was wild. She was roaming the neighborhood for two months. My sort of next door neighbor said he would shoot her if he could just get close enough. Then one day, she just came up on our porch and let us pet her and love her and she was our dog. After not letting anyone near her for two months. But, because of that, she hates being confined. She hates HATES being picked up and she'll struggle frantically if you try to pick her up and carry her. I think it has to do with her being abandoned. Otherwise, she is the best most perfect dog anyone could ever love. She guards, doesn't roam, goes on our rides, doesn't attack.

Your idea of carrying the whip is a great one. The Anatolians are not dangerous at all. They just swirl around and around the horses and have the loudest bark I have ever heard. Ear splitting. I would bet if I swung a lunge whip around a bit, they would leave us alone. Good idea.


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## Jolien

@knightrider she probably wasn't socialized in the critical stage. They will never like being picked up when not socialized properly as puppy's. So putting your dog on the saddle isn't a good idea... okay. Maybe you can indeed show your dog you are capable of protecting her. I don't know how much experience you have with dogs, bit I just literally pushover pushy dogs (with my legs, of bump into them and force them to move. When the owner isn't looking I also show them my teeth, haha. ). You can also stare them down and when they don't go away/get it: slap them with the whip. (but indeed do try first with a gentler use then wipping) If they don't respond I would slap them hard so they get the message. Probably they are afraid since they only bark and don't attack. Barking loudly is also rude and unwanted behaviour. Be carefull though they don't grap your whip and pull you out of the saddle. I would strike really fast and agressive to get the message across quickly/safely. Most of the time your self confidence and just the idea of what you will do when they don't listen will get the message across. Dogs can read body language and intent quite easily mostly.


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## rambo99

Last ride during daylight hours firearms deer hunting starts tomorrow. So will be doing night rides. 

Had a fairly decent ride wasn't as cold as it has been. Ground is rock hard frozen though. All the swaps are iced over, puddles are thick enough ice 4 wheelers aren't breaking through. 

We are going around the puddles now, to slick with horses being shod. Some snow on trail less then 1/4 inch. There's less snow in our yard.


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## Celeste

@rambo99 I think I would wear blaze orange and take my chances with the deer hunters. It looks way to cold to ride after dark where you are. You have weird spots of white stuff on the ground. I hear that that stuff is cold. I have little experience with it. Fortunately. 

Actually when I lived in north Georgia, we would get snow once in a while. We rarely ever get it in the southern half of the state. One good thing. If three flakes of snow fall in Atlanta, schools close for 100 miles away.


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## rambo99

Celeste said:


> @rambo99 I think I would wear blaze orange and take my chances with the deer hunters. It looks way to cold to ride after dark where you are. You have weird spots of white stuff on the ground. I hear that that stuff is cold. I have little experience with it. Fortunately.
> 
> Actually when I lived in north Georgia, we would get snow once in a while. We rarely ever get it in the southern half of the state. One good thing. If three flakes of snow fall in Atlanta, schools close for 100 miles away.


I will take riding in the dark can dress up warm and be good. Even in blaze orange I'd be afraid my horse would get shot. 

We had two trucks on dirt road speed limit is 20 mph. These idiots went flying by us going way faster then 20 mph. Both trucks were close enough I could of kicked them. 

Good thing our horses are traffic safe,an ice wasn't being a spook. We wear reflective vest for night rides plus have our headlamps. Just glad there isn't much snow yet. 

Crazy how in Georgia they close schools for so little snow. Good grief it has to be pretty bad for schools to close. Lot of times they just go two hours late. But mn has the snow plows and chemicals for treating slick roads.


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## phantomhorse13

Still playing catch up here: Dh and I got the boys out a few weeks ago. The whole story is in my journal.




























2019 mileage 10/13 phin 8.96 miles 1335 ft climb 4.0 mph 70F *1342.07 total miles*


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## Celeste

I met my goal for the year today! I just crossed 300 miles! That is the longest distance that I have covered in a year since I started tracking miles. When I was in my 20's I did way more than that. But I am a long way from 20.

My dog, Prissy, has really learned to stay right with me. I am so glad. She was so wild that I quit taking her for a while. I am proud that she decided to behave. 

The first picture is the exact spot where I made the 300. 

Total for year: *302*


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## whisperbaby22

Sunny and warm here, been riding a lot. Here are some trees we pass along the way.


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## egrogan

I'm not as hardy as @*rambo99* so was hoping that I'd be out riding in the "warmest" part of the day yesterday afternoon. I went out with about an hour of light left, and while the sunshine was beautiful, the wind was still whipping and made things pretty chilly. I think it might have been my last ride without wearing gloves for the year- could barely feel my hands when we got back!


















Having the sun setting almost perfectly behind us made for some funny shadows- my horse grew 10 hands on our ride I think!



























*Total 2019 miles: 294.2* 

@*Celeste* , congrats on hitting 300! I'll be out there later today (when it's a little warmer) chasing you towards that goal. If we don't go quite that far today since it's so chilly, then we'll definitely get there later in the week.


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## phantomhorse13

A couple weeks ago, DH and I trekked south to Virginia for a ride. The whole story is in my journal.

I rode Phin the first day:

































And I rode Mu the second day:

































2019 mileage
...
10/25 phin 50.78 miles 6864 ft climb 5.7 mph 64F 1392.85 total miles
10/26 mu 30.44 miles 4557 ft climb 5.2 mph 58F *1423.29 total miles*


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## Jolien

Today I had a wonderful ride in the forest! We did a lot of trotting and galloping! (approx 15 km => 9.32 miles) I rode a mare and went out with another rider and her pretty arabian horse. After that I decided I still hadn't seen enough nature and I went for a 6,5 km hike in the nature reservate.  :runninghorse2:


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## Jolien

phantomhorse13 said:


> A couple weeks ago, DH and I trekked south to Virginia for a ride. The whole story is in my journal.
> 
> 
> I like how your horse is eying the camera.


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## rambo99

@egrogan we use the hand warmers in our gloves keeps your hands warm. 

Did our after dark ride last night took a loop we can ride in an hour. Took us 2 hours last night footing wasn't ideal. 

Had huge puddles we had to take detours around,slicker than snot ice. Ices brush cutting skills in the dark were put to the test. I do have a headlamp not as good as daylight. 

He went down steep Banks to get back on main trail. My oldest Daughter was along on her horse cinder. She choose to get off and lead her horse. 

Daughter got brave so stayed on cinder for one of the last puddles. We rode the very edge of it. Well cinder got in a hurry so lost his footing and started slipping an almost fell. My heart skipped a few beats on that one.

Daughter was a bit scared so I hooked a lead rope on cinder an ponyed him. He had no choice but to go carefully. Ice was a total rock star on some very challenging footing. 

Would probably be better if horses were bare foot instead of shod. Either way think we will ride a different loop on Monday night. Supposed to be single digits so ride will be much shorter. No pictures didn't take phone, actually I forgot it. 

Love the pictures everyone post ,some really beautiful places.


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## phantomhorse13

Jolien said:


> I like how your horse is eying the camera.


Phin is very aware of his surroundings! Despite not having been eaten by a ride photographer so far, he is always waiting for when one attacks. :icon_rolleyes: :rofl:


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## charrorider

Big day for Chance, today. We went out for his first solo ride, 5.5 miles (9 km). He neighed several times during the first 3 miles. But at no time did he refuse to go forward, trot, or canter. He never put me in any danger with antics or misbehavior. Not bad for a 6 year old throw-away Arabian. I had forgotten how dry my throat can get after miles of singing lullabies and talking softly.


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## Jolien

@charrorider Aha! So I am not the only one that talks to my horse!  I noticed few other riders do this, they talk to eachother on trailrides... But I found that when someone tells me a sad story and I respond with some dissapointment or anger in my voice the horse reacts. So I decided the horse and I are going together in the nature and I should mind the horse and how he/she feels. Yesterday she was afraid of a dog, so I softly spoke to her and petted her. She did a little half side leap, but calmed down after that and kept on walking.  I am still the weirdo on the track though... I never hear anybody else talk directly to their horse. I also talk to the school horses and then my instructor gets totally confused because she thinks I am praising myself.  Hehe.


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## egrogan

rambo99 said:


> @*egrogan* we use the hand warmers in our gloves keeps your hands warm.
> ...
> 
> Well cinder got in a hurry so lost his footing and started slipping an almost fell. My heart skipped a few beats on that one.


My riding buddy had hand and foot warmers for our ride yesterday. My internal thermostat usually runs on an extra hot setting, so I don't like to be too bundled up because I'm guaranteed to get sweaty, but I need to at least stick gloves in my pocket so I have them if I need them. Yesterday I didn't use them but brought them with me.

Scary about your daughter's horse slipping on ice. I know I've told the story on here a bunch of times before, but two winters ago my horse fell on ice under snow while I was riding alone in the woods, and even though we were both totally fine, it's one of the scariest riding experiences I've ever had. Glad your daughter and Cinder were ok!

We passed the 300 mile mark on our ride yesterday! Woohoo!!:clap:It feels pretty darn good- more than double what we rode last year.



























Real snow is on its way today, so not sure how many more days of good riding we'll get, but I'm hopeful we've still got a few more decent-length rides ahead before the year is over.

*Total 2019 miles: 301.5*


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## cbar

i am sitting here in my kitchen drinking coffee and thinking of baking muffins. And so jealous of everyone getting out and riding. 

We got dumped with snow, then it melted, then it froze, got more snow and it is currently -21 (celsius) and supposed to go up to 0 today. It makes it very difficult to go riding. I had tentative plans to head out today, but the roads are still kind of icy and not only that, with all the melting & re-freezing the trails are also very slick. Our yard is an icy death trap right now. 

I may still try to head out into the field if it does warm up or at the very least just go brush the horses. 

I hate winter.


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## charrorider

Jolien. I talk to my horses all the time, more like one-way conversations. But they listen. One can tell they are listening. I'm a big believer in bonding. 

egrogan. I was hoping I could get up to 300 miles this year. But it's going to be very difficult. Firearm hunting season is about to start and when the hunting is over, the weather will be pretty cold by then. With Amal's long illness and eventual passing combined with a miserable hot, buggy summer and Chance's training, 2019 will be my lowest trail miles in a while.


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## weeedlady

I rode both Saturday and Sunday this past weekend with Tucker. I'm up to 132 miles for the year. I think we'll have a couple more days of decent weather here in Ohio and I'm still hoping to make it to 150.


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## knightrider

From @Jolien



> Yesterday she was afraid of a dog, so I softly spoke to her and petted her. She did a little half side leap, but calmed down after that and kept on walking.


Jolien, you might want to be careful about doing this too much. I regularly take young people riding on my horses. One teen was nervous about big trucks passing us on the road. She would slow my horse down, pat him nervously and say, "Whoa, whoa, easy boy, it's OK, buddy." I asked her several times not to do that because my horse was not at all nervous about vehicles passing us. She ignored me. I even joked about it, saying, "I know you are nervous, but he's not, so you don't need to do that."

In about 6 months, I discovered that my horse was flinching and spooking when big trucks passed him, sometimes bounding forward. I had to put my foot down and get firm with this young rider, telling her that she MUST stop "soothing" my horse, as she was giving him the message that there was something he needed to worry about.

It took her . . . and him . . . about a year to get over that mess. Now big trucks barrel past him and he doesn't bat an ear. Sometimes if you spend too much time soothing a horse, they get the idea there must be a reason why you must comfort them.


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## Jolien

knightrider said:


> From @*Jolien*
> 
> 
> 
> Jolien, you might want to be careful about doing this too much. I regularly take young people riding on my horses. One teen was nervous about big trucks passing us on the road. She would slow my horse down, pat him nervously and say, "Whoa, whoa, easy boy, it's OK, buddy." I asked her several times not to do that because my horse was not at all nervous about vehicles passing us. She ignored me. I even joked about it, saying, "I know you are nervous, but he's not, so you don't need to do that."
> 
> In about 6 months, I discovered that my horse was flinching and spooking when big trucks passed him, sometimes bounding forward. I had to put my foot down and get firm with this young rider, telling her that she MUST stop "soothing" my horse, as she was giving him the message that there was something he needed to worry about.
> 
> It took her . . . and him . . . about a year to get over that mess. Now big trucks barrel past him and he doesn't bat an ear. Sometimes if you spend too much time soothing a horse, they get the idea there must be a reason why you must comfort them.



aha, okay! Thanks for the tip! I did not look at it from that perspective! I will surely watch my behaviour the next time. You are probably very right! I will just act normal the next time when we are riding. I myself am not afraid of dogs personally, but come to think about it I might be afraid that my horse is afraid... So thanks for your comment!  It made me consider things.


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## egrogan

Jolien said:


> aha, okay! Thanks for the tip! I did not look at it from that perspective! I will surely watch my behaviour the next time. You are probably very right! I will just act normal the next time when we are riding. I myself am not afraid of dogs personally, but come to think about it I might be afraid that my horse is afraid... So thanks for your comment!  It made me consider things.


I am another person who talks to my horse quite a bit. I agree with @*knightrider* 's observation that you can "teach" a horse to be scared of things if you react nervously to their nerves. Easier said than done though, sometimes :wink: I find that when we get into a potential difficult situation encountering something out on the trail, I usually tell my horse- "You're fine" or "You're not scared of that"- maybe it just makes _me _braver to tell her that!

While watching the part of @*phantomhorse13* 's last video where the "trail" that took them through someone's yard and all their stuff behind their barns, I had to laugh at the old piano sitting outside. There was some weird stuff out there for horses to look at! 

@*charrorider* , gun season started here this weekend and it definitely will cause us to change up our routes, but we are fortunate we have miles and miles of low-traffic dirt roads that we ride on. I'll keep riding as long as the roads don't get icy patches and the snowbanks don't get so big that they make the road too narrow for traffic to pass safely. Once there's no shoulder left on the road, it feels irresponsible to be riding out there and interfere with drivers. Hope you have a few more good rides before the weather keeps you in the barn.


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## phantomhorse13

egrogan said:


> While watching the part of @*phantomhorse13* 's last video where the "trail" that took them through someone's yard and all their stuff behind their barns, I had to laugh at the old piano sitting outside. There was some weird stuff out there for horses to look at!


Yes, and if you listen, you can hear me telling Phin that "he's fine" as he eyeballed some of the stuff. That farm is always a challenge as you never know what you will pass.

@charrorider : congrats on the solo outing - that is huge and shows you did all the necessary homework to set Chance up to succeed!


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## Jolien

@egrogan We have special equestrian routes in the forest and the nature reservates. They are indicated with numbers (for the type of route) and signs. Traffic is forbidden there (only hikers and bikes are allowed) so it's calm and safe for the horse. Sometimes there are people with loose dogs and sometimes there is some loose lifestock, but in general people are really kind and caring when you pass them with a horse. Don't you have that kind of trails where you live? We also have equestrian tourism (where you can stall your horse and sleep/eat/drink something). It is really popular where I live and riders from all parts of the country come here to ride.  Maybe you can give that idea to the tourism office where you live! Folks love to ride and hang out at a horse bar here!


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## egrogan

Jolien said:


> @egrogan We have special equestrian routes in the forest and the nature reservates. They are indicated with numbers (for the type of route) and signs. Traffic is forbidden there (only hikers and bikes are allowed) so it's calm and safe for the horse. Sometimes there are people with loose dogs and sometimes there is some loose lifestock, but in general people are really kind and caring when you pass them with a horse. Don't you have that kind of trails where you live? We also have equestrian tourism (where you can stall your horse and sleep/eat/drink something). It is really popular where I live and riders from all parts of the country come here to ride.  Maybe you can give that idea to the tourism office where you live! Folks love to ride and hang out at a horse bar here!


Hi @Jolien! Yes, we are very lucky that we have dedicated equestrian trails in the forest down the road from us. The problem is that, where I live (Vermont, USA), we get 3-4 feet/91-122 cm of snow every year, so it's not possible to easily access the trails. Even if we could get to the trails in the woods, ice can build up in between layers of snow, and that makes the footing dangerous. There are some places where we could ride on the snowmobile trails, but that can be a little scary as those machines go fast and you can't always see that far ahead because of the dense forest. So, most people here take the winter off or do short rides around their pastures or the local roads when the footing is safe.

Now- being able to stop and have a drink at a horse bar is _not _something we have along our trails, but that sounds pretty amazing. I wish we had something like that here! :cheers:


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## rambo99

@egrogan looks like you have the same amount of snow we have,not much. No riding tonight with a wind-chill of 14 below zero. 

I brought my saddle in the house today my tack room isn't heated. We keep our bridles in the house ,so bits aren't ice cold when we bridle our horses. 
@phantomhorse13 love your videos you tell phin same thing I tell ice .. your fine nothing to be scared of. Seems to work most of time 

Hopefully tomorrow night we can ride supposed to be warmer. Just to darn cold tonight.


----------



## Painted Horse

Decided I would drive down and join some friends. They rode, Friday, Saturday and Sunday I was only able to get away for the saturday ride.

This is all in Zion National Park in Southern Utah.


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## weeedlady

@Painted Horse beautiful. Thank you for sharing.


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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.

Hombre:




























Amish:




























2019 mileage
...
10/28 hombre 8.16 miles 489 ft climb 3.7 mph 50F 1431.45 total miles
10/30 amish 11.71 miles 1453 ft climb 3.7 mph 48F *1443.16 total miles*


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## charrorider

egrogan. There is a lightly travelled, gravel road that goes for maybe 6+ miles all the way down to the river, from the trail head. So going to the river and back would be a decent ride, although rather boring. But to be honest, I'm not sure that would be safe to ride the first weekend of deer firearm season.


----------



## phantomhorse13

Two weekends ago, I trekked over to Jersey for a CTR. The whole story is in my journal.

I rode Auburn the first day:




























I rode Rebar the second day:

































2019 mileage
...
11/2 auburn 5.58 miles 73 ft climb 6.7 mph 38F 1448.74 total miles
11/3 rebar 16.0 miles 99 ft climb 7.1 mph 36F *1464.74 total miles*


----------



## Celeste

I usually ride my Arabian and let friends ride my Tennessee Walking Horse. 
I'm sure that some of you remember him. "MandMEmminRapperNotRapperHorseWithNoName". We finally agreed upon the name Dylan. He answers better to the sound a feed bucket anyway. I haven't really ridden him much because he was pretty buddy sour. I got to wondering if he would consider the dog to be a buddy, so I gave it a try. He was great!

If I keep getting old and arthritic, and I don't see myself going the other direction, I may just buy another walker when my horse gets old and I am 70 something. His gaits are as smooth as silk. His canter is sweet!

My total mileage is *304.98*. I hate those little 2/10s that keep you from going up another number. 

I bought this horse from @Change. She had worked like crazy to get his wild mane calmed down. I just don't roll that way. I rarely try to tame my own wild mane.


----------



## whisperbaby22

Weather continues warm, we need rain to get the dust cleaned up around here.


----------



## rambo99

Been riding last two nights both nights have been moon lite. So not having to use headlamps. With the snow just covering ground everything is bright with the moon shining really cool riding.

Ice is sure loving the cold weather he's been really moving out at the walk. Been letting him do some long trotting also he flys down the trail,not wanting to stop or slow down.

My friends been coming over and riding cinder. Poor cinder can't keep up, Mr ice is giving him a run for his money. So I have to stop ice and let cinder catchup.

A few pictures really not much to see being it's dark out.


----------



## charrorider

Celeste. I'll be 70 in two months and I've had arthritic knees for a while. But I just can't see giving my Arabians up. Yes, I know their trot is not the smoothest. But in the almost 40 years I've been riding, Arabians is all I've ridden. It is impossible to see myself riding another breed.


----------



## ChasingDreams

Great photos everyone! Especially @phantomhorse13, I enjoy your LD ride posts. It looks like some of us are well into winter rides... we haven’t had snow here yet other than a brief flurry. But the temps are steady dropping.

I’m planning to ride this afternoon, but realized I haven’t posted my last 2 rides so going to catch up quick.

I rode with BM and Scout on the 3rd
























We had a really nice ride, it was cool but not too cold. Horses were well behaved.

Last weekend I rode alone. Didn’t use my tracker, but it was roughly 4 miles. It was the first time we’d rode on the newly paved portion of the lane. Chase took the new footing like a champion, only stopping to snort once where a little spot was lighter than the rest.


















It was cooler, but I wore layers and felt fine while riding and had a beautiful late afternoon sun which gave opportunity for pretty fall pictures near the quarry. 

Total 2019 miles~ 229.3


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## ChasingDreams

Oops this picture was supposed to be in the place of the second map 










Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## weeedlady

8.14 miles with Tucker yesterday and 6.83 with Raven today.

I'm at 147.2 ytd and going again tomorrow morning. I will make hit my 150 mile goal. Modest, but way better than I thought I would end up with.


----------



## phantomhorse13

weeedlady said:


> going again tomorrow morning. I will make hit my 150 mile goal. Modest, but way better than I thought I would end up with.


Hitting your goal is fantastic! Doesn't matter what others do; goals are all about pushing your own limits.


----------



## rambo99

No riding here was nasty weather cold rain last night. Mr ice needed time off his front feet were sore. Farrier is coming out tomorrow to sort out what's going on.

So ice spent yesterday chilling out and doing same today. He has improved quite a bit so that's good. 
@weedlady yay for making your goal of 150 miles. I surpassed my goal of 850 miles. Probably would be over 900 but we have missed some days, do to weather and now a sore horse. I have to do right by my boy. So he will get whatever time he needs off to get better. 

Love the pictures everyone some beautiful trails.


----------



## ChasingDreams

Cold afternoon ride, about 43F with no sun. Not too breezy, though, so that helped immensely.









Rode solo, and decided to make several routes and stretch it out a bit longer. My riding season is definitely slowing down, so I want to get the miles when I can.









I rode up the big hill today, Chase was quite fresh and feeling the chill so I wanted to wear him out a bit.









Had some visitors 
























2019 miles ~ 234.5

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## gunslinger

Finally broke 200 miles this year......lowest mileage that I've had for as long as I've been tracking it starting in 2012.....


Normally I'd be 350+ by now but an extremely wet spring and a very hot summer have not made for a very good riding year for me.


Miss Lacy had her first ride since Labor day.....


----------



## AtokaGhosthorse

I've not kept up with mileage but my phone was dinging and going NUTS all day yesterday. Seems Trigger and I met my daily activity/exercise goals... about 6 or 8 times. LOL


Platter Flats. The trails were a bit more challenging than usual given the heavy wind and excessive amounts of rain we got last month. Saw many many deer yesterday and one beaver.


A good time was had by all, even if Daughter's BF was a mere passenger. Gina took good care of him and before we were 1/3 of the way in to our resting point, he was laughing and really enjoying her company. Superman acted like he was 10 again, not 26. He seems to be enjoying the outings, always in high spirits and friendly - he's excellent and wise company. Daughter was invigorated and ready to be back at it soon.


----------



## egrogan

Sadly I think I may have had my last ride for the year, since the footing is just awful due to freezing rain/ice late last week, and temps now consistently below freezing. Yesterday was a bright and sunny day, and the roads _looked _fine just driving back and forth on them, so I tacked up and headed out while there was still daylight. We hadn't walked a 1/4 mile from home when my horses' feet started slipping and sliding in 4 different directions. Looked down and it was obvious that what looked like just "road" was actually a heavy layer of sand over top of sheer ice still coating the road from last week. I was hopeful this was just because we were in a spot that is surrounded by dense woods on all sides and doesn't get a lot of sun, so I got off and handwalked down the steep, slippery hill. Got to a sunny spot and mounted back up to keep going.










We didn't go 10 strides before her hind end swung one direction and her front end the other. So I hopped off again and kept handwalking her. Got to another clear-looking spot, mounted up, and then at the crest of the hill---sigh, more ice, though the traction was a little better on the edge of the road since there was a little snowpack:









We did this dance a couple more times before we were both a nervous wreck. When she almost wiped out completely on her side, nearly taking me out with her while I was walking at her shoulder, I abandoned the plan for the loop we were going to do and just turned around and retraced our path home. Slowly. This is the look I got after that near-total wipeout, when I decided to just call it quits and go home- clearly neither of us were having fun!










I guess I'll count my miles from yesterday, though I probably walked 3/4 of the way out of the saddle with her. I actually took her bridle right off in case she fell, I didn't want her to get tangled or caught up in any reins. It took us an hour to go 3 miles :sad:










*Total 2019 miles: 304.5*


----------



## knightrider

What a bummer, @egrogan. I hope you get a nice thaw so you can keep riding. I will really miss your adventures.


----------



## lb27312

@egrogan - that third picture does look like she was NOT amused in what was going on... I love her expression, she's like WOW that wasn't fun, what are you trying to do to us?!?! lol But yikes on the almost falling several times... I would have given up the first slip! I'm a wuss...


----------



## egrogan

knightrider said:


> What a bummer, @*egrogan* . I hope you get a nice thaw so you can keep riding. I will really miss your adventures.


I am crossing my fingers and toes that things improve, but I'm not sure they will. We have more freezing rain forecast overnight tonight. I was so hoping I'd be able to keep going until at least around Christmas. Snow is fine, but ice is not. Unfortunately so far this year we've had more ice than snow and if that's the base layer we won't get much relief until spring.





lb27312 said:


> @*egrogan* - that third picture does look like she was NOT amused in what was going on... I love her expression, she's like WOW that wasn't fun, what are you trying to do to us?!?! lol But yikes on the almost falling several times... I would have given up the first slip! I'm a wuss...


Haha, she is pretty expressive and clear about her opinion. I'm a wuss about ice too, I just kept hoping it was isolated to one spot and if I just could make it to a sunnier spot, I'd be ok. Nope.


----------



## carshon

I love the "Fizz Face" our riding is done here as well - although they are saying near 60 on Wednesday I have to work and shotgun season starts this weekend. I don't dare ride anywhere then. And with a lot of our local fields still not picked yet the Yahoo's from out of town will be more than keen to shoot at ANYTHING that moves.


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## cbar

@egrogan, that sucks about the ice. I am in the same boat. We got a bunch of snow and then warm temps - so tons of melting, but not enough to get rid of the ice. I have to wear ice cleats on my boots anytime I go out as our driveway is very dangerous. 

I could still ride in the field and I might attempt that after work today. The roads are a no go. 

No riding for me over the weekend. I did do a bit of ground work with Amber in the yard on Friday. Sunday my entire day was spent at a saddle fitting clinic - I opted not to take the horses as it was quite a ways away and I didn't want to haul that far. But I learned a ton; this weekend I plan to spend some time going through the material to practice what I learned.


----------



## rambo99

@egrogan that really stinks about the ice. It makes it just not safe to ride,glad you or fizz didn't get hurt. 

Love fizz's look in the one pic it's priceless... 

Well I'm out of riding for next week maybe two. Ice got sore footed after a walk trot ride on Friday. He's improved a lot and now shod with pads. So only hand walking and of course turnout. 

So I'll just have to ride through everyone else on here,for now. So I'll be lurking here reading and looking at all the beautiful pics and videos. 

We have no snow left after this past weekend. Temps above freezing during the day. Barely freezing at night.


----------



## LoriF

@egrogan That face!! Ha Ha Ha. She's looking at you like you are crazy!!


----------



## charrorider

gunslinger. Same here. 260 miles (420 km) is my lowest in several years.

egrogan. Sorry to hear about all the ice and dangerous conditions in your part of the US. It wasn't a very pretty day, but today, I took your idea and rode down the road to avoid hunters. It was an easy ride, not very "technical," but better than getting shot. Going down to the river and back to the trailhead was 9 miles (14.5 km). Last summer a tornado went through and knocked down a bunch of trees. But it also opened some views down to the valley below. The black specks are cattle. Then looking upstream.


----------



## weeedlady

Really enjoying everyone's pictures. Sorry for those who are fighting the weather to be able to ride. I am riding as much as I possibly can- trying to make up for the time I lost this summer. We have been very lucky here in NE Ohio weather wise so far. Today was 50 and sunny. 
Raven and I got another 10.5 miles on the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath.


----------



## rambo99

@egrogan dirt road we ride is an ice skating rink. Drove down to take a look today, it's bad water on top of ice. 

Was fine Friday night when we rode. Rained Saturday night and now it's ice. So no where to ride now ,unless we get a good dumping of snow. 
@weeedlady beautiful pictures and good looking horses. 

For now my horses get to be pasture puffs ,enjoying life and eating. 😊


----------



## ChasingDreams

I’m not battling weather, but lack of daylight [emoji31]

I was able to leave a little early yesterday and thought I could squeeze a quick ride in. I made it through the top woods, but sadly was already dark by the time we got back on the lane so I had to skip the quarry.

We went up the lane and back, and then I took off his saddle and putzed around the ring bareback for a few minutes before calling it a night.

My tracker was running throughout, and we stopped to chat with the neighbors for a bit and while I was unsaddling so the pace looks pretty low, but I’m counting every mile that I can this close to the end of the season [emoji1362]









A little deer watching









2019 miles~ 237.19
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## egrogan

rambo99 said:


> @*egrogan* dirt road we ride is an ice skating rink. Drove down to take a look today, it's bad water on top of ice.


Yesterday we had snow, sleet, and freezing rain before a little sun at the very end of the day. The road turned into this:









I actually probably could have ridden on it if I had enough time, but I had to settle for handwalking up and down the road and across the slushy field before the sun set.

I am cautiously optimistic though, tomorrow and Friday are supposed to get up to around 40*F, so maybe the stuff on the road will melt off. Fingers crossed!


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## knightrider

*I Guess I am a Die Hard Rider*

Emphasis on the DIE and HARD
Yesterday, I rode my bicycle down our long hilly driveway to get the mail. There were catalogs, magazines, and 8 letters as well as a package. I thought I could manage the flat mail in one hand and the package in the other hand and let the bike go really fast down the hill because I couldn't work the hand brakes with all that stuff in my hands. Didn't work out and I ended up crashing the bike, injuring my hands, my back, my knee, and tore up my face--black eye and bloody nose.

So this morning, I decided to ride later since it was cold (for us Floridians- 35 degrees) and I didn't know how my bandaged hands would work.

I wore mittens over the bandage and riding later was a mistake because I was dressed too warmly. Yesterday when I rode, it didn't warm up much, but today it did. So I was too warm.

I rode Acicate because it was his turn, and he is my best solo horse. He does everything I want him to do and nothing I don't want him to do. But today, because my hands were so sore, he kept trying to snatch grass. Yow, hard to hold him back. I couldn't tighten the cinch properly because of my hurting hands, but I figured, no problem because I often ride with my cinch too loose, and anyway, it was just going to be a quiet slow ride.

So, we are riding along, Aci snatching at grass and hurting my hands, but still, a pretty good ride, when we come alongside a field of cows. Aci doesn't love cows like Chorro does, but he's OK with them. In the corner, right next to the road, is a little baby calf, totally absorbed in eating grass. I knew Aci might spook a little because calves move quickly and are so curious. I kept calling to the calf, trying to get his attention, so he would move a little. But he was too involved in trying out grass. Suddenly we were upon him; he leaped into the air and bounded one way. Aci leaped into the air and spin bolted the other way. My saddle began to turn slowly sideways, and oh yes, my hands REALLY hurt.

Luckily, Aci stopped even with me sideways in my saddle, and we got it righted. I was fairly certain I wasn't going to be able to get back on if I got off and tightened the cinch because of pain. So we rode on. I tried to tighten the cinch while riding, but not with sore and swollen barely functional hands.

I was overdressed because it got warm really fast, and I wasn't expecting it. I kept thinking, "I should turn around and go home, shouldn't I? This isn't working out too well."

"Nah, this is going to be great. It'll be fun. We'll be OK." I rode on and on. A fresh breeze sprang up; we got into the shade; Aci stopped trying to snatch grass. It was a great ride. We went 6 miles.


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## whisperbaby22

Good for you. I think that just forging ahead and just doing it is what keeps us young.


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## egrogan

@knightrider!! Ouch!  Heal fast.


----------



## phantomhorse13

I have gotten a bit of saddle time as momma nature allows.

Repique:










Polo:



























2019 mileage
...
11/4 repique 1.61 miles 92 ft climb 4.4 mph 45F 1466.35 total miles
11/11 polo 9.45 miles 604 ft climb 5.4 mph 52F *1475.80 total miles*


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## weeedlady

@knightrider Oh my! so sorry about your bike accident and happy for you that your ride turned out to be a good one! 

I have fallen 3 times in the last 2 months. None were horse related. All resulted in some pretty good bruises and one beautiful black eye. All were just stupid little accidents. My younger friends are starting to worry about me, lol.

Hope your hands and other parts heal quickly.


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## knightrider

Thank you everyone, for your healing thoughts. I decided if I felt good enough this morning, I'd ride Windy because my neighbor was going. For some inexplicable reason, Windy scares me. Aci and Isabeau were 10 times more challenging than Windy, who only bounces around when she's mad. She goes "sproing sproing" on all 4 legs. Maybe it is because, when I choose a horse for myself, I wait for that intense "gotta have it" feeling, and I bought Windy for my daughter to train, not for me. But she's here now, and needs to be ridden, so I ride her.

She's stuck in the sacrifice pen for the winter, and she's always more hyper when she is in the pen day and night. So far, I've done OK with her. Today, she was the best trail horse you could ever wish for. My hands were better, and she didn't even try to snatch for grass--she's normally the worst one of the four. I rode with my neighbor for 2 hours and didn't want to go in.

Then it was time to ride her home by myself. Last time I dismounted and led her home because she was so horrible and scared me. @egrogan, @phantomhorse13, thank you for teaching me there is no shame in getting off and walking.

But this ride, she was so calm and perfect, I thought, "a little bouncy stuff will be OK. We'll be OK on our own heading home." Windy started off great, but it wasn't long before she was turning herself inside out. She did two of those things I call spider jumps, where she leaps in the air and then four feet go wide out. Then she threw up her head and bonked me in my injured nose. Boy, was I disappointed in her! Like I said, no shame in leading her when she gets quirky. I'll do that next time. We'll get there, sooner or later.


----------



## rambo99

@knightrider sorry to about your accident on your bicycle. Hope you heal up fast. 

There have been plenty of times I've gotten off and lead my horse. I find no shame in it. There was one ride he just was out of his mind, nothing I did to settle him worked. 

I got off and lead him for 3 miles till he settled down. Then he was fine and I got back on and finished the ride.


----------



## whisperbaby22

I got a little rain, the trails are so nice now, the dust is gone and it's nice and cool.


----------



## PoptartShop

@knightrider hope you feel better. :sad: 

I went out on the trails about two weeks ago, then the ground just got disgusting...this weekend it says rain, so probably no trails for me lately, but I am enjoying all of the pictures here!


----------



## knightrider

My family worried a little about me going off in the trailer with my sore hands, but it was fine. I took Isabeau to ride with @4horses and another neighbor at Spirit of the Suwannee. I hadn't been back there for about 4 years because they have gotten so pricey, and there are other places to ride that are just as fun.

But this ride today was about as fun as rides get. Isabeau is so delightful to ride, and I remember how hard I worked (6 years) with her every single day to get her trailering nicely. And now she does, and so easy and calm on some really challenging trails today. 4horses brought her lovely Harmony, and as we rode past some children on a golf cart, the boy said, "I like the white and black one!" That's Harmony all right.

The Suncoast Trailblazers planned a campout there, so 4horses and I got invited. 4horses is camping with them.

I decided to wait until next week when 4horses, @LoriF and I are camping at Princess Place and riding on the beach. @tinyliny, was it you who once said you would love to join us on one of these camping trips? If so, you are more than welcome. Sorry it's always on such short notice, because we watch the weather. We don't want to camp when it is 27 degrees or raining heavily for days on end.


----------



## gunslinger

rambo99 said:


> @*knightrider* sorry to about your accident on your bicycle. Hope you heal up fast.
> 
> There have been plenty of times I've gotten off and lead my horse. I find no shame in it. There was one ride he just was out of his mind, nothing I did to settle him worked.
> 
> I got off and lead him for 3 miles till he settled down. Then he was fine and I got back on and finished the ride.





Agreed, no shame getting down....better to get off while you can rather than get hurt trying to ride through it.


"The prudent sees danger and hides himself,
but the simple go on and suffer for it."
Proverbs 22:3


----------



## Celeste

gunslinger said:


> Agreed, no shame getting down....better to get off while you can rather than get hurt trying to ride through it.
> 
> 
> *"The prudent sees danger and hides himself,
> but the simple go on and suffer for it."
> Proverbs 22:3*


I think that we need to make a shirt out of this quote, or plaster it to the wall. I will also get off and walk if I need to. I much prefer to get off than to hit the dirt. Thanks for sharing @gunslinger!


----------



## LoriF

Oh Noo @knightrider I'm so sorry that you got hurt!! I hope that the pain goes away fast and glad that it wasn't worse.


----------



## Celeste

I had a lovely ride in the woods today. It was actually fairly warm and the leaves were finally turning. My friend and I rode our usual hunter free 3 mile ride. 

*Total for the year: 313.88*

I may not get many more rides in this year due to life getting in the way. 

I hope that this is not too many pictures for one post. It was so pretty out today.


----------



## rambo99

Celeste said:


> I had a lovely ride in the woods today. It was actually fairly warm and the leaves were finally turning. My friend and I rode our usual hunter free 3 mile ride.
> 
> *Total for the year: 313.88*
> 
> I may not get many more rides in this year due to life getting in the way.
> 
> I hope that this is not too many pictures for one post. It was so pretty out today.


Never to many pictures it beautiful lovely trails you have. Afraid riding is done here until we get snow.

Rained again other night then freezing rain then a dusting of snow. Then froze so ice every where now. 
Only exercise ice gets is eating hay.:rofl:


----------



## phantomhorse13

I have gotten a bit of saddle time this week. The whole story is in my journal.

On Tuesday, I started on Polo:


















And finished on Hombre:










On Thursday, I rode Hombre:


















2019 mileage
...
11/19 polo 6.18 miles 486 ft climb 6.0 mph 36F 1481.98 total miles
11/19 hombre 3.75 miles 256 ft climb 4.7 mph 36F 1485.73 total miles
11/21 hombre 5.79 miles 597 ft climb 5.0 mph 45F *1491.52 total miles*


----------



## egrogan

Still fighting the ice here, but it was a gorgeous sunny day yesterday so I threw on the bareback pad and took a stroll through the fields. Some spots were really wet, but it wasn't slippery. We rode along the road just a little bit, and the sunny spots were muddy but the shady spots were still slick. All told, we only went about 3/4 of a mile, but we'll count it! I forgot how toasty warm it is to ride bareback- a million times better than heated car seats!




































*Total 2019 miles: 305.1*


----------



## egrogan

@Celeste, loved all your pictures. The color in the leaves is so pretty.


----------



## Jolien

3 hours of riding in the woods! <3 :runninghorse2:


----------



## knightrider

@Jolien, as much trail riding as you are doing, I am thinking it won't be long at all before you are truly "a decent rider."


----------



## lb27312

Woot woot!! I FINALLY got to ride some, not a lot but better than nothing. Captain was a tool! Grrrrr boy he needed a beat'n for sure. First it was really windy, so I sat in the barn a few minutes trying to decide who to ride/take... decided Wrangler and pony Captain so get them loaded then when I get there I thought I would pony Captain with a saddle on, so put the saddle on no big deal until I look at it and the saddle pad was WAY too far back so he didn't like that at all, I've never had a horse that I started do this but he would pull back and drop, I got to get a pic but at first it freaked me out. Like he was doing a playing puppy act, legs out front low to the ground, butt was high up. He did it last time but after lunging him he was fine this time he just wasn't having it. Oh well pull the saddle of cause I just didn't want to deal with that and the wind. 

Anyhoo pics to follow, when we were done I apologized to my friend for the issues with Captain she said he was fine, he was being a 2 year old... plus he hadn't been out in a while. She always feels bad for Wrangler and is saying poor guy having to deal with all the 2 yo crap. He's good about it.... he did kick Captain once after the THIRD time Caption bit is back legs... I told Wrangler Good Boy! Then Captain trotted up and tried to bite his neck... ARGHHH!! Like I said he was the worst he's ever been...

Ok it let me do one... lol and then another...


----------



## weeedlady

I got another 9.5 miles with Raven today. We went to Ashland, picked up my cousin and her horse Hopper, and trailered a short way to the Myers Horse Farm (home of the late Zips Chocolate Chip) where she works. We rode around there for a bit, then across the road to Byers Woods, a reclaimed landfill. They've done a really nice job establishing natural habitat for birds and other wildlife. There are nice wide mowed trails through the meadows, around ponds, through the woods. It was nothing too adventurous, but since it was Youth Gun Weekend (deer hunting) we decided it was best to stick close to civilization.


----------



## Jolien

@knightrider Thanks! But I don't learn that much on trailrides though... They always give me a beginners horse (kinda non responsive) while I ride a total non beginners horse in my spare time... (as some of you might remember from my desperation posts in the beginning, lol)  But every bit of riding helps me build muscle memory and experience new things!  I try to ride as many different horses as possible!


----------



## Jolien

@lb27312 I love that light colored horse!! omg! Such a beauty!


----------



## charrorider

Perfect day for a solo ride. I might, just might, be able to reach...no, better not jinx it.


----------



## PoptartShop

Well, looks like I'll be going on a trail sooner than I thought. Friday in Fair Hill there's a 6-9mi paperchase ride. I always go!

Totally gonna be there!  I'll take some photos, I'm so excited! So crazy, all the leaves have fallen @charrorider! & @knightrider, hope you are feeling better!


----------



## cbar

Even though I have not hit the trails in quite some time, I am still following along with everyone else. 

I am finding it far too icy and cold to ride - plus we have so little daylight left. I have done some horsey things - including a saddle fit clinic and I am still going to riding lessons. 

I joined some local girls in a challenge - walking with your horse. It is far easier to be motivated to take the horse for a hand walk when it is cold out and I can bundle up. So far I have logged 0 miles, but hopefully today I will get out and walk one of them after work. At least this way we all get exercise!


----------



## egrogan

@cbar, I would join you in the challenge! I take one of my "mostly retired" 20-somethings for about a mile handwalk nearly every day, and I will be adding some handwalking time to my regular trail horse's schedule too given the ice.


Another thing I want to work on is "lining up" or "moving sideways towards you" with Fizz to try to help her understand better what I want when I ask her to stand for mounting in a ditch or on the down side of a hill. Right now she stands great for me to get on from most any object, but if I try to climb up on a hill while she's standing lower than me, she thinks she's supposed to follow me up where I'm walking, so it gets a little confusing with us both dancing around in ditch :rofl:


----------



## egrogan

Also, I posted this in my journal but thought people on this thread might appreciate what we came across yesterday while out for our evening walk! :shock:


----------



## cbar

@egrogan, that is amazing you walk your horse every day!! I managed to get my old guy out for a short walk on my lunch break. We managed about 3km and I might take my mare for a short walk after work as well. There is no prize for most miles logged (just a sense of satisfaction), but you are more than welcome to log miles and join the challenge! I find that if I think I am 'competing' I am more likely to go out and do it. 

Very cool foot prints! What kinds of bears do you have there?? 

Oddly enough I was looking at flights to Vermont for a half marathon I was thinking of running next spring - very expensive to fly from here! But the country side looks gorgeous!


----------



## tinyliny

@knightrider


sorry to hear about the hand skinning event. I once did some equestrian dry land belly skiing when a horse that needed a chain shank to take outside , took me for a Nantucket sleighride on the lawn. Lost some real palm skin that day!


And, I am pleased as punch to be invited, even on short notice. It is not possible, though , to fly to Florida on short notice, tho.


I'm horseless now, and while I'm doing ok, just your mention of trailriding with such a nice crew had me feeling sorry for myself for a few minutes. I see now that I don't think I can just walk away from horses and be happy about that.


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## tinyliny

@egrogan . . . one set of prints looks like an elk. Is the other a grizzly or a black bear? are you in grizzly country?




I recently came back from a trip to Japan, and while there , visiting a small city in the Japanese Alps, there were 'Bear Warning' signs in the city park. Seriously? bears come into the city park???!! I am told they do. I desperately wanted to see one!


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## weeedlady

Raven and I rode 7.5 miles in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park today on some pretty challenging trails. Lots of steep hills, both up and down. It was an unbelievable 60 degrees and sunny here in NE Ohio. We had a great ride, BUT I locked my keys in the truck and we had to stand around a wait to be rescued. Raven was more patient than I was. Of course she had hay- I had a snack, but it was locked in the truck with the keys!


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## egrogan

@cbar, @tinyliny- we have black bears around here. I've seen this guy a few times since the summer, but usually just his behind as he's running away from me. Fortunately he wants to see me about as much as I want to see him. According to my neighbors, it's a "small" bear but those feet sure don't look small to me!


tinyliny, those are white-tail deer tracks coming towards you. Hunting season is nearly done but I have seen a lot of them around the horses' field since there's been enough snow to hold tracks.


cbar, Vermont is a beautiful place to visit. Great endurance riding here, although tough in the spring because of the mud! If you have a chance to visit I'd recommend it.


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## tinyliny

I see. Without something for scale, it's hard to tell how big those tracks actually are.


I would love to go to Vermont. I've never been to New England, at all.


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## knightrider

Quote from TinyLiny



> I desperately wanted to see one!


Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!:grin: I desperately NEVER want to see one. I gasped when I scrolled down to @egrogan's picture. Whenever I am riding in bear country, I start off my ride saying, "I surely do hope I don't come across a bear."

The worst time, for me, was when we were on a narrow trail surrounded by heavy brush. We came around a tight corner and there was a mother bear with her three cubs. My daughter was in the lead on her sturdy pony. The bear was about 10 feet from us. The cubs scampered up trees and the mama bear rose up on her hind legs menacingly. She looked like she was 8 feet on her hind legs. There was hardly any room to turn around and there were 5 of us. We turned around VERY QUICKLY and got out of there.


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## AnitaAnne

knightrider said:


> Quote from TinyLiny
> 
> 
> 
> Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!:grin: I desperately NEVER want to see one. I gasped when I scrolled down to @egrogan's picture. Whenever I am riding in bear country, I start off my ride saying, "I surely do hope I don't come across a bear."
> 
> .


DITTO

:gallop::gallop::gallop:


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## egrogan

We've had two days over 40*F, so we got a little relief from the ice. All around our house, which is mostly open fields, there is a lot of mud, but I'll take that over ice. Unfortunately, if you go 3/4 mile in any direction, you're back into more forested area so the ice is still there. Despite all that, we managed to go a couple of miles to the overlook and back, which was pretty nice.


















The parts of the road that were still covered were more slushy than slippery, so that made it a little easier. 









It got a little sketchy coming down the hill across the icy/slushy parts, so I got off and walk a short part of it, but all in all, it felt really good to be in the saddle. Maybe our last ride of the year? 

*Total 2019 miles: 307.25*


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## weeedlady

We will have bear and moose and wolves and maybe even cougar when we finally get moved UP North next year. I've seen tracks of all of them. I want to actually see them, but not while riding!!! Raven and Tucker are going to have a hard enough time with all the deer and the cows next door. I don't know what we'll do when we run into anything else!!! Hold on tight I guess!


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## charrorider

weeedlady. I have cows and my horses see deer all the time. When we are out on the trail, deer almost always jump out of a bush unannounced. My horses always freeze for a moment, but then is business as usual.


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## whisperbaby22

Getting some wonderful rain, but I went out Tuesday to get some Thanksgiving pictures, Happy Trails, everybody.


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## cbar

No trail riding pics, but I have been trying to log a few km when I can just hand walking the horses. I'm averaging about 3km a night - that's about as far as we can go before it gets dark. 

This was from the other night - my mare was being a little nut case. We walked again last night and she was much better - I wish I had taken my phone as the sunset was gorgeous!


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## weeedlady

Raven broke the 100 mile mark on Tuesday. Tucker has 80 miles as of today.. My new modest goal is at for Tucker to get at least 100 also. 
I just need the weather to continue to cooperate.


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## rambo99

Haven't been trail riding but rode around in drive way bareback. Was snowing and blowing like crazy. 

Ice was rather reactive and I'm not confident being bareback. At least not tonight he's like riding on a price of plywood he's so narrow. 
Even with a bareback pad he's uncomfortable with his back bone sticking up.


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## egrogan

Snow is swirling around outside now, but it didn't start until late afternoon so I was able to fit in a short ride. It was bitter cold though, around 20*F/-7*C, and at the last minute my riding buddy decided it was too cold for her so I went out solo. I've been taking the same route the last few times I've ridden, since the ice is least bad in this particular direction, but I was disappointed that the road was actually worse than the last time I was on it. There was one clear path down the middle of the road, with icy shoulders and in the tire tracks. I knew it was just a short section that was bad like this, so I held my breath and headed up the hill, hoping no cars would pass us. Fortunately, they didn't, and once we got to clear road, we were able to move out at a nice trot for the next stretch. This was an out-and-back route, and I knew I wasn't going to be able to white knuckle my way back down that same hill in the saddle, so I got off to hand walk her down it. The problem wasn't that the clear patch of road was bad, but more that if a car came, there was really no place safe to go. And sure enough, we got passed by cars driving in both directions, and tiptoed off to stand still on the icy shoulder until they went by. After we got to the bottom of the hill and back to ice-free footing, I was able to get back on and ride home. 

Going uphill- you can sort of make out some of the icy spots, but as we got farther up the hill, pretty much the whole road had filled with ice









Back to clear









Back to ice, so got off here and walked down the hill









We got home just in time to beat the snow- by the time I untacked, cleaned up the paddock, and fed, this is what it was like outside! I'm sure there are several inches out there by now.









*Total 2019 miles: 309.4*
Maybe our last ride of the year??


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## ChasingDreams

No woods for two weeks for rifle season  so my rides this weekend were arena and pasture rides- womp.

This was my last ride, went with BM and Scout. Was a nice relaxing ride, nothing eventful really. Boys did well and took turns following and leading.










Total 2019 miles~240.54



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## SueC

I've not posted on here a while, because I've not taken the camera out with me a while, because I've not been on new trails. No trail photos here, but I thought I'd re-post this anyway (from my journal). It's a word picture, at least. Also, I really enjoyed riding today because I've been stuck indoors with bronchitis for too long, and because yesterday was my horse's birthday (and I couldn't ride).


*RIDING AGAIN AT LAST*

At the tail end of hayfever season, both of us caught a bad cold, which turned into bronchitis, so no riding for a fortnight. It seems to me that the bugs are getting worse - both coughs we had this year, in June with the flu and just now with bronchitis, did not respond to cough suppressants at night, so you basically couldn't sleep, you'd be coughing to the point of retching. So we've had a lot of nights we've had only a couple of hours of sleep. Some of that time we were on semi-bed rest, only getting up for essential chores. A couple of nights ago coughing woke me up at 2.30am and from then on there was no chance to get back to sleep. That was the night before the day I hoped I would be well enough to get back on my horse, but nothing doing - not until today. I've just come back from a nice long ride through the valley floor all the way to Verne Road, and it made the horse, the dog and me very happy to be out there.

We've been spring cleaning the house - Brett is on holidays, and we're both scrubbing and organising and tidying furiously. This morning, I trimmed Julian's rear feet and then cleaned the laundry room from top to bottom, taking everything out and even defrosting the freezer, and wiping down walls and cupboards, cleaning the window and fly screen, and actually scrubbing the floor with a brush. Brett has been wiping out the kitchen cupboards and drawers, and organising the bookshelves and CD racks better. Cleaning isn't super exciting, but it's not hideous either, and you feel really good about the results...

So at 5pm on this lovely afternoon, I wasn't coughing very much and had enough energy to go riding. It was one of those golden early summer afternoons, not too hot, not too cold. The dog, when she saw me move the bridle and grooming kit out to the tie rail, virtually did backflips with excitement and barked non-stop for several minutes. When I got the horse she was even more excited, racing around in circles and barking - it's been over two weeks. The horse enjoyed the brushing and carrots, and off we went into that lovely afternoon, riding past our farm dam to see if the Friesian steers are using the new lick block (they are), encountering these same steers in the middle meadow that feeds into the valley floor, and then we were on the bush trails, and the horse was trotting to the neighbour's boundary. The usual gate routine involving a swing gate and a 10kV hot line I have to move by hand, and then we rode past two of the neighbour's dams and kept on riding down the centre of the woodland on various animal trails until we eventually hit Verne Road. The moment he saw it, the horse zoomed up the hill with extra enthusiasm and speed today; for a few moments at the start, I wondered if he was going to leap about with excitement and kick up his heels - he had that feel to him.

As we swung into the open pasture on the hilltop and had views for miles all around us, the horse was looking around him at the landscape gone golden since our last visit - it was still green two weeks ago - and at the western neighbour's cattle across the fence. Sunsmart was in great spirits, and when we encountered a group of young lambs chasing each other in circles in the next paddock adjacent to the fence, he took a lively interest, before deciding we could trot back through the woods to the boundary gate, where I got off again and both of us had a horse hug before I tended to the gate. From then on, straight along the sand track, behind the dog, who was carrying a find from next door - a kangaroo arm - occasionally kangaroos die in the bushland, and she seems to find little morsels that serve as take-away snacks when we are near a kangaroo carcass, and I won't even be aware that we are until the dog appears with a bit of it.

This is from one of our hikes with the dog:



At home, I untacked the horse and cleaned him up a bit, at which point two donkeys were hovering because they wanted brushing too, which I did - with the horse, who was now loose, also butting back in to say, "Can you do my neck again?" Then it was feedtime, for equines, dog and humans.










It was Sunsmart's birthday yesterday, so that counted as a birthday ride. This was him 23 years ago:



PS: A casual photo of us from last summer, since people might have forgotten what we look like!


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## PoptartShop

Did a 9.5mi paperchase trail ride at Fair Hill on Friday.  So much fun! Promise did fantastic! Solo!


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## egrogan

Love seeing pictures of you and your beautiful mare Poptart!! What a great day you had for your ride. I am so jealous- we're only able to go a couple of miles a day, if at all, right now- I'm already feeling stir crazy and a 10 mile ride sounds like a perfect antidote.


PS- I've never heard of a "paperchase"- are there rules or guidelines you follow? Prizes?


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## PoptartShop

egrogan said:


> Love seeing pictures of you and your beautiful mare Poptart!! What a great day you had for your ride. I am so jealous- we're only able to go a couple of miles a day, if at all, right now- I'm already feeling stir crazy and a 10 mile ride sounds like a perfect antidote.
> 
> 
> PS- I've never heard of a "paperchase"- are there rules or guidelines you follow? Prizes?


Aww, thank you!  It's hard to get pictures of me on her because I ride by myself all the time, but I made the BF take some. Haha, we had to collect some blocks (last time it was candy, not sure why they chose blocks, every time we got to a bucket (there were 5 total the whole ride) Promise kept trying to get her head in each bucket, I was like noooooo don't EAT the blocks! LOL. :rofl: 

You're supposed to beat the 'desired ride time'. Last year I got 3rd place. Not sure if we will place this year, but we will see. They said they're gonna post the results this week.  You get a ribbon mailed to you, but they also had a photographer there which was cool, halfway through the ride - I saw the proofs & I'm probably gonna buy at least 1 or 2, because they came out nice! 

It was $25, the proceeds were going to a local equine rescue ambulance service which was nice. It was a good time. Definitely our LONGEST trail yet, the last ones we did were only like 5-6 miles tops! I am ready to go again! :lol:


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## weeedlady

I got 11 more miles for Tucker on Saturday. I have no pictures because I was busy using all my riding skills for the entire ride. He was BAD. Actually, he was just all wound up and wanting to really move out. We were with 4 other horses and that's evidently too many for his brain to handle. He thought the entire ride was a race, and of course the others didn't like that too well.
Going again tomorrow to give him a chance to redeem himself. Fingers crossed we have a better ride.


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## PoptartShop

@weedlady hope you have a better ride today!!! Crossing my fingers!


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## knightrider

Saturday, Sunday, Monday, @LoriF and I camped at Princess Place near St. Augustine. I think it was the best camping trip ever. It would have been even better if @4horses could have come, but she had too much sickness at home and had to cancel.

We got so lucky with the weather. We were debating which days to go because some days were going to be fairly cold over the Thanksgiving holiday, and other days quite mild, and the forecasts were changing daily. We got two mild days and one brisk day--so lucky!!!

The first day we set up camp and went for an exploring ride. It was 80 something degrees, lovely sunshine, beautiful trails. Princess Place is unique in that the campsites are HUUUUGE, shady, secluded and quiet. Each site has its own corral, hitching post, saddle rack, picnic table, campfire ring, and water source. LoriF put her Fresian/Saddlebred mare, Laela, in the corral, and I made an electric enclosure next to it for my Paso Fino, Acicate. 

On Sunday we planned to trailer the horses to Crescent Beach in the St. Augustine area. We had to wait for low tide, so I got another farrier lesson from LoriF and we did Aci's feet. Then, a lovely nap in my cozy trailer--for once in my life, warm, but not too warm.

Then we headed out to the beach. Both horses were great and we rode on and on and on, hating to go in. I can understand why @gottatrot does so much fast cantering. It is so tempting. No holes, no wildlife (except for people and dogs), no dangers in the trees or brush. Laela rides regularly on the beach and she plunges right into the surf. Aci was more hesitant. He was thirsty and couldn't understand why he couldn't drink the salty water. He kept stopping and wanting to smell and test out the surf and waves, then getting dizzy and staggering. LoriF said to keep him moving through the water and he wouldn't get dizzy, but he wasn't confident enough to want to keep splashing through the waves as they rolled in. Still, it was an amazing ride. Every part of it.

We made it back to Princess Place just barely before they locked the gates. Both evenings, we had lovely campfires and nice things to eat from leftover Thanksgiving. Lori brought chocolate hummus and strawberries to dip in it. That was so good!

I wanted a shower and discovered I had forgotten my towel, so I dried myself with paper towels. Very interesting, trying to get my back dry with a paper towel. It was a mild evening, so I didn't mind being a little damp.

It rained in the night and turned cold by morning, so we donned sweatshirts and jackets and headed out for a ride. Lori had always wanted to find the land bridge that goes over interstate 95, so we considered looking for that trail, but we decided this time, we'd ride the perimeter trail around Princess Place, about 6 miles. The trails are poorly marked, and as usual, we lost the red trail and found ourselves riding the white trail instead. Oh well, it was all fun. Then we heard a busy road. We had found the land bridge! Something Lori had been wanting to find for 4 years.

We have responsibilities at home, so we knew we had to head back, but we sure had a great time.


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## PoptartShop

Here's the 2 photos I bought from the photographer from the paperchase Friday (had a Cyber Monday sale, yay!). The sun was in my eyes & Prom was a bit sweaty, this was towards the end of the ride, but we were just walking because she was a tad apprehensive when she saw the photographer at the top of the hill, LOL. Next year maybe we will trot or canter past for some better shots!  But they came out nice!
@knightrider that looks like so much fun!!!  Glad you had a good time! Love the beach!


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## knightrider

@PoptartShop, love your pictures. When I was a kid in 4-H, we did paper chases with bits of paper. Half the group were the foxes who galloped away dropping bits of paper. The other half were the hounds, who tried to follow the trail. If the foxes got away by a certain time period, say 2 hours, then the hounds had to buy dinner for everyone. If the hounds caught the foxes before the time period was up, then the foxes had to pay for dinner.

I can see why this would not work with people who were not all from one group, or for a large group.

In the 70's, when there were more people on the Earth and folks were ecologically aware, we changed the paper to popcorn, which got eaten by the forest animals when all was done.

There was a lot of laughing and crazy stunts from "foxes" trying to lay weird unfindable trails and "hounds" trying to follow them.


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## LoriF

I had a fantastic time with @knightrider 
camping. We had so much fun exploring on the trails. I had a mild curiosity about how to find the land bridge and did want to get there one day, and we stumbled across it. 

We had nice evening campfires, knightrider might have forgot her towel but she brought lots of firewood. I had a few chunks of wood too. We definitely did not lack in the firewood dept.

The beach ride was glorious and we were wishing that 
@4horses was with us because we knew that she would have loved it. The weather could not have been better. Sunshine and 81F with a nice strong breeze to keep it from getting too hot. 

Here's one really nice photo that knightrider forgot. This is next to a small lake on the other side of the land bridge. It was a really pretty place.

View attachment 1000205


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## knightrider

@LoriF, I got discouraged with the pictures being upside down and sideways. Thanks for posting that great picture!

Here are my totals for the month of November:

62.75 hours
201.075 miles

Year to date:

666 hours
2191.805 miles


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## lb27312

@knightrider and @LoriF - Awesome Pics!! I loved camping and riding at Princess Place, bummer I didn't know at the time there was beach riding... rode over the land bridge often because sometimes would camp at the Ag Center on the other side. Thanks for the pics and sharing your weekend fun! Glad you had such a good weekend!
@PoptartShop - Great Pics! And congrats on the deal on the pics! 

Loving all the riding pics... especially since my riding had scaled back a little. I did ride on Thanksgiving for about an hour... just around the neighborhood... can't ride too far out as they hunt around here so have to stay on the roads.


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## egrogan

@knightrider and @LoriF- boy am I jealous of your great weather and adventures! Fabulous pictures-both horses look stunning. Thank you for sharing it all with us.


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## knightrider

Trying again to get the pictures right side up.


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## LoriF

lb27312 said:


> @knightrider and @LoriF - Awesome Pics!! I loved camping and riding at Princess Place, bummer I didn't know at the time there was beach riding... rode over the land bridge often because sometimes would camp at the Ag Center on the other side. Thanks for the pics and sharing your weekend fun! Glad you had such a good weekend!


Did you used to live down here?

We have to trailer to the beach, it's about a 15 to 20 minute drive from Princess Place The entrance for horses and trailer parking used to be at Cresent beach for the south beaches, now it's at Butler Park East, just a little north of Cresent beach if you ever get down this way again.


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## lb27312

@LoriF - Yes I lived down in Pompano and then moved to the Ft. Pierce area which is where I helped out at a few ranches and did some cow work... Miss the area.. Rode the beach down at the Fredrickson park... at least I think that was the name... it's been a while! lol


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## SueC

Really enjoyed the photos and report from @PoptartShop, and the amazing adventures and photos of @knightrider and @LoriF, thanks very much for sharing! I liked the upside-down and sideways photos too. 

Haha the paper towels and the back, @knightrider. :rofl: You'd have to be a contortionist!

@LoriF, how do you make your chocolate hummus?


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## carshon

I enjoyed the phots as well @LoriF and @knightrider.


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## weeedlady

thanks @LoriF @ Knightrider and @PoptartShop for sharing your adventures. Good pictures. It all looks like great fun.

Tucker redeemed himself on our return ride thank goodness. We walked some and gaited some and returned to the trailer on a loose rein. Not much to look at in our neck of the woods at this time of year. We did have a fresh dusting of snow.
















I've now got at least 100 miles on each of my horses, so I'm reached my meager goal!


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## LoriF

@SueC I didn't make it. It's Boarshead dark chocolate dessert hummus and oh so good.


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## PoptartShop

@knightrider thank you!  Pictures are even better right-side-up! Love 'em!! Very interesting about the paperchase. That sounds like even more fun! :lol: Now I want popcorn LOL.
@weeedlady thank you!  Yay, I'm glad you had a better ride. Looks like a winter wonderland over there!!! That's a lot of miles, way to go!!

This weekend I'm gonna take Promise out on the trails right near my barn again, it's not Fair Hill, but it's in walking distance, so close enough haha. It just feels good to get out ya know!
@LoriF so glad you had a good time too!!!


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## SueC

LoriF said:


> @SueC I didn't make it. It's Boarshead dark chocolate dessert hummus and oh so good.


I'm going to have to spy their ingredients list and reverse engineer it!  

If anyone's got a chocolate craving, especially coming back from a ride in the cold outdoors, one of the quickest, most delicious chocolate fixes I know is chocolate pears. Just peel and core two pears and then either steam or microwave them until tender. Put each in a dessert bowl and sprinkle with cinnamon. Now make the quick, amazing chocolate sauce: Melt a good handful of dark cooking chocolate pieces in a mug in the microwave on low. Then add (unwhipped) cream, about equal amounts; stir and return to the microwave on low, until it's warm through and, well, a sauce. Then add a splash of vanilla essence and a splash of brandy, stir through and pour over the pears. Sprinkle on some flaked almonds and, if you want to, put a few raspberries in the sauce around the pear, although the berries aren't essential. Total chocolate heaven... :dance-smiley05:

The recipe is for two pears, so you can share if you want to. Or you can eat them both yourself. After all, fruit is good for you. :Angel:


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## egrogan

Did a quick bareback ride around the fields this afternoon. It's just a mile of walking around, but still feels good to sit on a horse. We were out in an unexpected snow squall which made it very pretty.


















*Total 2019 miles: 310.1*


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## weeedlady

10.73 more miles for Raven and I today. Solo at Cleveland Metro Parks Hinckley Reservation. I love to ride alone. I should do it more often. Raven was such a good girl. I did have to lead her across the scary creek crossing on the way out- going back it was not such a big deal.


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## PoptartShop

@egrogan so beautiful, all the snow! Fizz is so cute. So jealous you ride bareback. I plan on eventually trying it on Promise (I do want to get a bareback pad). Would be soooo much more convenient on winter nights when it's cold & you just wanna take a quick ride!
@weeedlady wow, awesome ride!!!  All I do is ride alone (I don't have anyone to ride with). It really is peaceful. Just you & your horse. Looks like fun!!

I plan on riding tomorrow morning, but no trail. I may wait until Sunday to take Promise on the trails near the barn, possibly, because the ground is STILL gross/mushy from all the rain this week. :icon_rolleyes: Footing isn't so good. But, a ride is a ride nonetheless, even if it's just in the pasture, right?!


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## egrogan

@PoptartShop, I have this bareback pad. I love how warm it is riding with it! I dislike how much hay clings to it because it's sitting in the tack room near where I also store the hay  Riding with it a few times over the past couple of weeks has also taught me how inflexible I am; I have a heck of a time getting on with no stirrups! But since my tack room is unheated, I can't leave my saddle there in below freezing temps, and this is quite a lot faster and easier than dragging my saddle back and forth from the house to the pasture where we get ready to ride.


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## Jolien

Crazy busy lately... But... 2,5 hours trail ride this weekend! YAY! On Friesians!


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## lb27312

Hi All! I hope everyone is having/had a great weekend. I got to ride today... yay! Every day that I get to ride is a great day! 

Today we rode with the pony/cart again, she's gotten sooo good and I ponied Captain, he totally redeemed himself from the last ponying journey, he was sooo laid back. Did try an English saddle this time which he as fine with(will do it a bit more before trying the western saddle again).... did try to put a bit and headstall but he wasn't having it(first time for either) so I will work on that. I'm going from a 15.3-16 hh to a 14.2 what a difference for saddling and getting on! He is but high right now but I think he will level out(I HOPE). I tried to take comparable pics but it doesn't do justice to how much the difference is in handling the two. Please excuse the dirt! Ugh it's mucky out and I THOUGHT those Haas brushes were super brushes but I think I may need something industrial strength! lol 

Didn't get the mileage... app was malfunctioning and I didn't want to ride, pony and fix app! lol But rode a little over 2 hours...


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## SueC

This is a nice little setup, @lb27312! Can you remind me who's driving in the cart and how you came to that arrangement? It's perfect for a young horse learning - not just going on trails with an older, experienced horse before you ride him, but with a pony and cart, which for many young horses amounts to and "OMG contraption." :runpony:

How old is Captain? He's so well muscled already! Nice horses. 
@Jolien, just love the mane on the horse on the right-hand side.  I bet it takes a while to brush, but totally worth it!
@weeedlady, had to laugh about Raven and the little creek - my Sunsmart doesn't like getting his feet wet, but then he is so proud of himself when he has accomplished a crossing after all (with lots of cajoling). 

We're spring cleaning the house (on my husband's annual leave) - we both felt it needed doing - and are so focused on it I'm only doing little on-farm rides not worth reporting on. But when it's all done I shall reward myself with a proper adventure ride with a camera. We've been going 10 days and still not quite done, but it does take time to clean absolutely everything in every room... dull work, but great results.


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## lb27312

@SueC - Thanks for the compliment! I really get a good feeling out of spring cleaning! Captain is 2 1/2... I've had him since he was 1... wow that's what we were talking about how time has flown since I got him. The paint is my heart horse Wrangler... and really the ages of your guys really inspire me that he will live forever. He really needs to live forever!

My friend that's riding is on a registered Sport Horse Friesian... the horse is not even 14hh... in the ad that made her go look at the horse it said she was 14.2. She said when she got out of the vehicle she was shocked but she rides and drives and the pony was perfect. She gets asked a lot about her horses breed, when she says Friesian everyone does a double take which is what I did... bred with what a mini? But not all Friesians are as tall as some. I ride with her often the person driving the pony is her hubby. It's hard for him to ride in a saddle and he loves that pony.Yeah I know it's a good deal to get them experienced with a cart. It took a while for my older guys to get used to it as they had never seen one.


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## SueC

Friesian bred with mini - why am I getting mental images of ladders? ;-) Now I need brain bleach. Jokes aside, maybe that horse only had a small placenta to feed off before birth, or some other reason to get stunted. Or, sometimes they're just small. Which doesn't mean it necessarily affects their quality - good things come in small packages etc. Very impressive muscling for a 2.5 year old - is that a Fjord / cross??? I'm sure you've said this on other threads, but my brain doesn't retain everything...

Happy riding this week to everyone! :cowboy:


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## lb27312

SueC said:


> Friesian bred with mini - why am I getting mental images of ladders? ;-) Now I need brain bleach.


I agree good things come in small packages.. as she is awesome!

Yeah I got the mental image of the ladder! lol 

Captain is a quarter horse... heritage bred... old time lines... he's just awkward at this age at this point.. I hope....


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## Jolien

@SueC Yes, as you noticed my horse didn't have a lot of mane and I lost a stirrup during cantering (fell hard!) and there was nothing to grab  haha.  Next time I am requesting a horse with mane!


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## carshon

I wonder where @mmshiro has gone?


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## whisperbaby22

I am drying off a bit here, but staying on the high ground.


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## weeedlady

This morning it was a frosty 15 degrees here in Ohio, but the sun was shining and it promised to warm up quite a bit, so my barn friend and I bundled up and took our horses to ride on the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath from Navarre to Massillon. It actually turned into a beautiful day and both Tucker and Jaz did very well. The trail took us over bridges, under roads, across roads, along railroad tracks (no train came, thank goodness) behind factories and past the water treatment plant. No it was not the most scenic ride, but it was great training and we had fun. That's all that matters.
























7.23 miles for today, 235 year to date.


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## Oreos Girl

Last post that mmshiro made anywhere on the forum was 8/28. Anyone friends with him other than this forum?


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## Celeste

Oreos Girl said:


> Last post that mmshiro made anywhere on the forum was 8/28. Anyone friends with him other than this forum?


I definitely miss his posts. 

I have not ridden in over a week. I have been on some nice rides since I posted. First off, I had an unreasonable work load. (My own fault. I got greedy.) 

A week ago, I had minor surgery. I was told to take a month off of work. We are off most of that time anyway for holidays. Whoever does our schedule takes most of the state holidays and we celebrate them all around Christmas time. It makes for some awesome time off.

I went back to the doctor yesterday. She said that I should be able to resume moderate exercise. If it quits raining, I believe that I will do some moderate exercise on my horse. She didn't specifically say not to ride. I didn't ask.

My total, which I had assumed was my yearly total, is 331.6 miles. 

This picture was a very hard earned picture of a wild holly bush and its berries. It was hard earned because my horse sees no reason to hold still for long at once. Plus, it was a bit off of the beaten trail.


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## egrogan

@Celeste, kudos for the picture of the holly berries. How festive! Also love your new avatar photo- we usually just see your mare's ears, not her pretty face!


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## weeedlady

8.81 more miles with Raven today puts me at 251.6 for the year! A great Winter Solstice ride. Blessed Be.


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## charrorider

Today, I took Chance out for his 2nd solo ride. The first time, he did well. I was satisfied. But he never felt...natural. I don't know how to explain it. Something wasn't there. But today, Chance felt like riding solo was the most natural thing in the world for him. This rescued Arabian continues to impress me. Perhaps, it is because I never expected to find another Amal. But whatever, I'm looking forward to next year.


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## weeedlady

I also had a short solo ride today- Tucker's first with me. He was not thrilled, but we did 2 miles on our own. It's a good start.







Then met up with a friend for another 6. 259.5miles YTD.


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## ChasingDreams

I’ve only been on the trails once since rifle season ended. We rode around 3.5 miles, but I forgot to turn off my tracker until I drove home from the barn so it’s a bit inaccurate 

Chase was definitely “up” from not being ridden for a few weeks, and balked at a few spots. One in particular, near the stream at the entrance to the woods past the big field at the quarry, I ended up taking a few bucks, and lots of backing and circling, before I finally just got off and walked him past.

Once he finally settled, he didn’t balk again... but was jumpy and rushy for most of the ride so it wasn’t the most relaxing ride we’d ever had. But, it was needed for sure!

I’ve ridden in the ring a few times since, and hope to squeeze another ride or two in this week before the year closes!

Total 2019 miles~ 244


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## weeedlady

Another 8.59 for me today. Perfect Spring day in December, lol. The temperature here got up to 58 F !


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## Saigold

Got in just a half an hour ride today just over 2kms. But it was still nice to get out. My ride a few days ago was 6.5km and presented a turkey and a coyote. We are re exploring some forgotten areas that I used to ride. Wish there were more trails within riding distance. YTD 30km haha. But i just started consistently riding about a month ago.


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## carshon

@Saigold I am in love with the halter on your horse!


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## whisperbaby22

That is a nice halter. I prefer a bit of bling or stitching, but understated like this one.


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## lsdrider

Got 6.7 miles in yesterday.
Total mileage this year is the lowest it's been since 2002 due to extreme family obligations. I quit keeping track in May but a guestimate puts it around 300.
Hopefully the weather cooperates for a few more miles before the new year!


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## egrogan

Merry Christmas everyone! I had a mid-afternoon break between the morning's mega-baking session and when things needed to go in for dinner (still patiently waiting :rofl so I was thrilled to be able to go for a quick ride. We've been stuck in a melt-freeze cycle all month, so it really hasn't been safe to ride except jumping on bareback and walking around the yard in spots I know are safe. But today I saddle up for a "real" ride. We went a couple of miles across the fields and down a woods trail we've never ridden on before. In the summer, it was way too overgrown, but today we ended up riding to a beautiful beaver pond I only glimpsed from the road recently with the leaves gone. My mare just loves going new places and tiptoed through some tricky fallen logs to get through a narrow space that quickly opened up into a beautiful hilly field looking over the pond. Couldn't have asked for a prettier ride!


_Following some old bear tracks across the field_









_Played around with a black and white filter on my phone_


















_Just noticed the little Charlie Brown tree off to the right :grin:_









I think today was probably really and truly my last ride of the year- we're supposed to have an ice storm tomorrow into Friday and the roads are already scary as it is. I'm guessing this will make even the fields unsafe, unfortunately. But maybe it won't be as bad as they're predicting!


Anyway, happy holidays and thanks for sharing all these awesome trails all year long.

*Total 2019 miles: 311.6*


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## Celeste

*Merry Christmas everyone!*

I finally caught up reading about everybody's rides. At least I hope I did. I have not abandoned the forum. Life has just been in the way of posting very much. 

My miles for this year add up to *337.60*. I hope to get another ride or two in. It is so wet it is hard to find a dry day.


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## lsdrider

Added 24 miles yesterday with a rare Christmas Day ride.


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## rambo99

Been doing some riding did a ride yesterday afternoon was 33 degrees. Rode 3 miles on dirt road. Our other rides were shorter,we let horses decide how far we go sometimes.

I'll ask ice where he wants to go,he sometimes turns around to head home. Or he keeps going in direction we are already going. Plan on riding today. Thought for sure we'd be not riding today rained last night. Overnight we got snow ice ball mix stuff so ground has got grit to it.

Being well winter time have to deal with snowmobiles. They are much louder then 4 wheelers. First time we ran into them we got off our horses. Guess horses aren't really fazed by them no reaction from either horse.

Some pictures of verious rides we've done over the last few weeks. 

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas.🎄


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## charrorider

Chance got his third solo ride yesterday. He's becoming an old pro at it. A nice Christmas ride. The temps were in the 60s. We rode 8.8 miles (14 km). That brought my total miles to 290 miles (470 km) for 2019. That's my lowest in a few years. Heard an atv coming up behind me at high speed. So I pulled off the trail and waited for them. As soon as they came around the turn and saw me they stopped. I told them there weren't supposed to be any motorized vehicles on Cole Creek trails. The two guys stared at me like I was speaking some strange language. So I told them they looked pretty good sitting on the atv and I was going to take a picture of them. They put those things on reverse and fled the scene of the crime. They really wouldn't have been able to get very far, as the trail narrows down to no more then a deer path.


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## ChasingDreams

Was able to ride this afternoon with BM. Did the quarry together and Chase was a saint... then, BM decided she wanted to bring scout back because they were getting pretty sweated. It was in the low 50s and the horses have their full winter coats already.


















Chase really needs the exercise, so we decided to keep on and do the top woods. After leaving scout, he was definitely more rushy and a bit on edge but nothing unmanageable. We hung out with the cows for a little and then head back around.



















Total 2019 miles~ 247.8
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## knightrider

Christmas day, I was so happy because my daughter agreed to ride with me. We had the most pleasant and fun ride together. It was great. Our weather has been mild here recently and perfect for riding.

This morning early I rode with my neighbor. He had decided to sell the horse he had bought for his wife to ride because he just couldn't feel comfortable riding him, and his wife wasn't riding yet. Her health is poor, and they are hoping she can get strong enough to go back to riding.

Unfortunately for me, I have fallen in love with the horse he bought for his wife. I have been riding him for her to keep him fit. I love him so much. If I needed another horse, he'd be in my barn yesterday.

My neighbor saddled up his wife's horse for his last ride this morning. I was hoping that the ride would go so wonderfully that he might re-consider keeping the horse for himself. But, instead, the ride went badly.

I was on my precious Acicate, who was fabulous, as he normally is. And my neighbor's horse was equally fabulous. But my neighbor began to hurt, and the saddle kept leaning to the left, and he just didn't feel good on the horse. I dismounted and put one stirrup longer and tightened the cinch, hoping that would help, but things just got worse and worse. My neighbor was miserable. When he rides his own horse, the saddle doesn't lean, and he feels fine on her.

Finally we could see the saddle was going to go over, so I quickly dismounted and held his back and arm as he safely dismounted. His horse never moved a muscle during all that. Then, we were talking about why why why this weird thing was happening, and my neighbor's legs just buckled under him and he fell under Acicate. I was trying to keep ahold of him because I could see he was quite shaky and unstable, but I couldn't hold him. I helped him get back up, but mostly he held onto his good horse's stirrup and pulled himself up. It was really worrisome. Somehow he needed to walk back to his house, and he was not able to walk comfortably. I wanted him to hold onto the saddle as I led both horses, but he didn't feel like he could, even though both horses took one step, then stood rock steady, took another step, then stood rock steady . . . and all this only 50 yards from their gate, where they knew they'd be done.

At last we crept to his barn and he got more stable and was able to walk and untack his horse. Unfortunately, that bad ride sealed the sale of this lovely sweet gentle kind horse. I hope he gets a terrific home. Too bad he suits me so perfectly. Hopefully he will suit some other elderly rider as well as he does me.


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## weeedlady

@knightrider you neighbor makes me crazy! I've got to say I'm glad I don't know him. I would have to keep buying his rejects. 

I soloed on Tucker again today. He was a relaxed and brave trail horse today. We did 9 miles, and he never got wound up or anxious. He had to stop and think about things a few times, but always went on when I asked. We ran into some friends going the other direction on the trail and stopped to chat. I was sure he was going to throw a fit when it was time to walk away from them, but no, he called out to the other horses twice and then settled back down. I am such a proud horse mom today!


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## phantomhorse13

I _finally_ got some saddle time yesterday!!



















2019 mileage
...
12/26 drakkar 5.88 miles 562 ft climb 3.4 mph 32F *1497.40 total miles*


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## PoptartShop

Lovely rides everyone!!!

On Christmas Eve we hit the trails near the barn!  It was a pretty morning. 











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## egrogan

@PoptartShop- I'm jealous you still have so much green! I think Fizz would be trying to eat all along that trail. Glad you had a good ride!


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## Saigold

@carshon thanks on the compliment for the halter. I got it at pleasant ridge saddlery for $40. They ship in case you wanted one. 

It’s very soft leather and one of my favourites!


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## Saigold

Had another great ride yesterday. Had a friend come with me, and went on a further trail. Did 9km. It started out very mild at +9 and then dropped as the day went on. With the horses in their wooly mammoths coats I thought they may get overheated, but we only walked so they barely broke sweat. This is the furthest we have ventured out in one go since starting to ride consistently. So I was keeping a close eye on both of the horses. The paint will be 27 this spring. So we take it easy on him. He enjoys getting out and hates being left alone at pasture when I take Duke out solo. 

Haven’t been on this trail in a while, I forgot how nice it is. The rain the day before made for some tricky footing at times but was pretty good in general. We didn’t risk going down to the water as it seems higher than usual and also there was a mud pit of a slide at a 45 degree angle to maneuver. 

There appeared to be more trails made then last time we were there so we’ll have to explore them next time. Only wildlife we seen were squirrels 🐿. 

YTD 41kms. It doesn’t compare to what most people post on here, but between having 2 kids and an unsound horse (~5yrs), this is a big achievement for me 🙂. Hoping we don’t get the promised buckets of rain in the next few days. Then I can add a bit more to this years mileage. 

Happy trails!


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## lb27312

Finally got a couple of rides in on Challenger... yesterday we trailered down to Southern Pines and had a nice ride. The weather has been INCREDIBLE!! Beautiful skies and warm. Then this morning went with my neighbor down to the lake, that was a GREAT ride! The person I rode with Saturday doesn't like any faster than a trot and her horse is small so my horse just jogs. Today I was finally able to get in a few lopes and some nice extended trotting. He was soooo good. Chal turns 19 in a month... had him since he was 8 months old and was there shortly after he was born. NEVER board at a breeding farm! lol Thanks for the great ride my friend!

Opps... 

Yesterday rode a little over 6 miles
Today I didn't start my app but we rode 1 1/2 hours.

We can only ride to the lake right now on Sundays as it goes through game lands...


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## Saigold

@lb27312 that is amazing scenery!! And your horse doesn’t look like he has a winter coat lol


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## knightrider

Today we solved the mystery of my neighbor's health problems and instability on horseback. He discovered that the pharmacy, which makes up his medications in plastic packs, mixed up an evening medication and put it in his morning medication pack. 

It was so strange for him to have such a problem with being dizzy and unable to stand since he has been riding with me for years. And always getting new horses.

So, today he had a fine ride on his wife's new horse, which did great, and he had no problems at all riding the new horse. I was riding my heart horse Chorro. I share him so often because he is everybody's favorite horse, it's a pleasure when I get to ride him myself.

Too bad he is selling his wife's original new horse; he is such a lovely horse. He found a buyer for him already. Easy to sell a bombproof quiet gentle friendly kind willing horse for $1000 that anyone can ride!

Here is a picture of the "new" horse, which he used to own about 4 years ago, now got it back for his wife.


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## lb27312

@knightrider - So glad your neighbor got it straightened out... it didn't sound good in your description. 
@Saigold - Yes I'm thankful for the beautiful areas I ride.... It might not look it but he's pretty fluffy, but he doesn't get that thick of a coat...


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## ChasingDreams

Rode a whopping 6 miles today... unfortunately, about a mile and a half was back and forth in front of the barn  I’m still counting it, but not the most exciting 1.5 of the ride.

Chase has been kind of balky the last few rides. It’s a bad habit he pulls out when the seasons change, all of a sudden the gates and passes that he has traveled a hundred times become “scary” again. 

So, after he fought hard about passing through a gate by the barn... we went through it, A LOT. Until he was bored silly walking through it. 

Besides that, he was decent on the trails. We had a few good lopes, a few startle-spooks, and though it was a “two hands on the reins” kind of day... it was still fun. And we had no major incidents. 









The lake is still low, but freezing already. Can’t really tell from the photo, but there was a thin crust over the entire surface.









Total 2019 miles~ 253.84


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## cbar

I am terribly jealous of all those that are logging lots of trail miles still. Aside from going around the field when the weather is decent i have not logged any trail miles the whole month of December.

I have managed to keep up with lessons when the weather isn't bad and a friend of mine came with me to an obstacle day at the arena before Christmas. Other than that, I have been trying to hand walk the horses when I have some time. 

Not trail pictures so maybe don't belong in this thread, but attached are a few from the obstacle day.


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## PoptartShop

@egrogan LOL I know, I kinda wish it looked more like a winter wonderland though...we haven't had one drop of snow! :lol:

Gorgeous rides everyone. The scenery is just beautiful!!!


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## phantomhorse13

Saturday, my SIL asked me if I wanted to ride - silly question! I rode Amish.



















2019 mileage
...
12/28 amish 5.77 miles 958 ft climb 3.2 mph 34F *1503.17 total miles*


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## egrogan

Like @cbar, I also can't help but be a little jealous of these long rides everyone is getting in! Thanks for all the great pictures this past week (and cbar, I think any winter riding pictures for the snow bound are allowed here, personally! :wink. Fizz and I did go out for 2 miles yesterday. The roads are too icy to trust, but if we ride the perimeter of all the fields that connect with each other we can fit in a couple of miles. So that's what we did! Even though it was short, it was worth it as the views are so beautiful.







We're being pummeled by an ice storm that's supposed to go through tomorrow, so I'm confident in saying that yesterday's ride was our last of 2019. That gives us a grand total of *313.41* miles for 2019. Our best year yet! 
Not sure when we'll be able to get started on our 2020 rides but I will be eagerly watching to see who gets out there and starts the new thread on Wednesday. Happy New Year to all!


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## weeedlady

Raven and I got in another 6.35 miles today. When we ride alone I usually have to lead her across this creek crossing. She hates this one for some reason. Today, after a lot of discussion, she actually carried me through it. 
Good thing, because I did not want to get my feet wet! Proud of my brave girl.























Pretty sure that it for me for 2019. 283.6 miles. So close to 300 but someone has to stay home tomorrow and clean the house and do laundry.


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## knightrider

> someone has to stay home tomorrow and clean the house and do laundry.


Awww, @weedlady, you can do that on Jan. 1 . . . or another day. Or after your ride.

My neighbor was so anxious to ride her "new" horse. She wasn't quite strong enough, but she hoped she could manage it. We got some pictures before she tried to mount. She couldn't quite manage the steps on the mounting block. She sat down on the steps and silently, the tears began to leak out of her eyes. It broke my heart to see her wanting to ride so badly and not quite be able to. Her husband and I assured her if she keeps practicing walking and doing her exercises, she'll be strong enough. The horse her husband got for her is a winner and stands like a rock for her.


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## lb27312

@knightrider - Wow great pictures.... but that's sooo sad... I'm so sorry for your neighbor... she looks great though!


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## Celeste

I have not ridden as much in December as I have wanted to. I had eyelid surgery that put me back a bit. This was not for cosmetic reasons but for improved functionality. I will say that I am very happy that I can now see much better. 

Most of my pictures look alike at this time of year. One muddy road or another muddy road. I am also going to post a picture of one of my other hobbies. I grow house plants. Most are gesneriads, which are African violets and their relatives. The plant I will post is called (I think) xAchimenantha "Heartland's Joy". 

I am up to 346.40 miles. I don't know if I will get the 350 or not.


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## Celeste

@knightrider I want to cry in sympathy for the nice lady trying to mount her horse. Can you guys help her go up the mounting block one leg at a time? Or lead the horse up to a porch? Or maybe get a group of teenage boys that will physically pick her up and put her on the horse?

Barrel Racer Amberley Snyder is paralyzed from the waste down. She still competes at high level races. I actually wrote her and asked her how she got on her horse. She says that usually people lift her up on the horse. She says that she also has a wheelchair ramp that goes up to a level that lets her climb on. (She is obviously strapped on. If the horse falls, she is going to get hurt. I'm sure it is worth the risk to her.) 

It is so hard to not be able to do what you want to do.


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## weeedlady

@knightrider your neighbor's story is so sad. Sending good thoughts that she can gain the strength she needs to be able to ride again.


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## knightrider

Last day of the year reports:
Dec. 54.5 hours
179.85 miles

End of year report

720.5 hours
2377.65 miles

When I keep track of hours for Pasos for Pleasure, I cannot use the hours when I ride other people's horses or when I ride my daughter's horse Windy. The hours on here are for all rides, not just registered Paso Finos.


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## PoptartShop

@knightrider awww, so sorry to hear that about your neighbor. :sad: She looks like a sweetheart. I hope she can get back on the horse soon. I can't imagine how frustrating that must be.


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## Celeste

*I did it!*

I completed my *350 trail miles *this year! 

Actually 350.02 miles.

Don't tell my surgeon. Actually, she said that I could resume moderate activity. So, I rode moderately. Mostly.


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## Celeste

*Happy new year 2020 !!!*

*happy new year 2020 !!!*


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## egrogan

Fizz and I wish all our trail riding friends a very happy new year! 










I made a little compilation of our favorite "trails through the seasons" for 2019: spring, summer, fall, winter, all in Vermont.









Here's to a great 2020 of trails!


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## knightrider

New Year's morning, my next door neighbor girl and friend came to ride at 7:00 a.m. The last time they came, it was a fiasco, and I felt so sorry for them. We had made plans for the little beginner friend to ride. She was so excited. But the horse I planned to borrow became suddenly unavailable, so we were just riding my horses in the paddock and pen. 

Since I normally ride trails, my two horses didn't behave for the girls in the paddock and pen. The girls got discouraged, gave up, and went home. I assured them if they came back over the Christmas break, I would take them on a trail ride, and it would be good.

So they came this morning, and it was all good. I was able to use my beginner-friendly Chorro, whom I couldn't use last time. I rode Acicate, who tests new riders and my young neighbor had failed the test. And the raw beginner got my ever steady takes-care-of-novices Isabeau.

It was very cold for us Floridians, 32 F, and of course the girls have no clue about how to dress in freezing weather. They had on little sweatshirts and no gloves. Luckily, I have been dealing with kids and cold for many years, and I had extra layers, gloves, and hand warmers for them. My new beginner got to practice corto for a long long time. She thinks now she can really ride because my Pasos corto along so smoothly, it's just a joy to experience. It was such a fun ride, a huge contrast to the debacle of a month ago, and a great start to the new year.


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## phantomhorse13

I got my last ride of 2019 in yesterday. I rode my SIL's new horse Atzec. The whole story is in my journal.



















2019 mileage
...
12/31 aztec 11.45 miles 1490 ft climb 3.4 mph 34F *1514.62 total miles*


2019 stats: 
1514.62 total miles

top 3 mileage horses: 
Phin - 681.84 miles
Mu - 195.66 miles
George - 182.72


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## weeedlady

I intended to start the year out with a New Year's day ride, but I woke up with a terrible sore throat, and stuffy head. 
The weather was colder than forecast and I just wasn't feeling it, so I stayed home, curled up in the recliner all day.
Dear Husband did the dishes!!!

Fingers crossed I feel better tomorrow. Did anyone start a 2020 thread yet?


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## egrogan

Patiently waiting on the 2020 thread to see who was out there today. As for us, we had sideways blowing snow all afternoon so no riding here.


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## lb27312

@weeedlady - I hope you feel better!! Yay on your Dear hubby!

I was kinda waiting on the 2020 thread before posting but thought I will just go ahead! I didn't get a RIDE in but I did get out on the trail! My trail riding buddy invited me to go on a drive with her driving group. Man o man was that fun! Really fun! I have always been uneasy in a cart but not this time. The pony doing the driving is rock solid so that helps. Was a beautiful day for it, it did start out chilly but wasn't too bad.

The person parked next to us has a beautiful old Percheron... just handsome, he's in the pic below.... The group was soo nice. My friend drove and I stood behind her or there was a seat I could sit. It was fun!


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## AnitaAnne

Well I rode today, but wasn't long and not out on the trails, so don't feel qualified to start the 2020 thread. Maybe @SwissMiss will, she had a ride planned this afternoon. 

I plan to just start counting my hours instead of miles, at least for Chivas. My GPS watch is broken, and until I get another horse for the trails, will mostly just be pasture riding. 

So 30 minutes today. 

Will whoever starts it link back to this one?


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## phantomhorse13

I also had hoped to ride but the sideways sleet and slimy footing stopped that idea right in its tracks.


I know @SwissMiss was out today so waiting on her to start the 2020 thread!


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## ChasingDreams

2020 thread started! Hopefully those who shared here, go ahead and cross-post over there too  

2020 Trail Rides [emoji237]
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/to...ead.php?t=810921&share_type=t&link_source=app

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