I guess the next best thing is eating after rolling...
This is especially important after a good brushing.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Did I mention rolling is good?
I guess the next best thing is eating after rolling...
This is especially important after a good brushing.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Zoe's thoughts on Saturday
Saturday I did just what my mom wanted me to do. And she took good care of me, making sure I was in the cool of the barn at lunch time, made sure I drank water, she even let me eat grass for a while. And in the arena when we did a good job, she scratched my neck, I love that. And she didn't make me do the obstacles over and over and over. If we did good, I got to stand in the shade. But it was a long day and for the most part I did what mom wanted to do. So afterwards-----I got hosed off and she let me roll in the sandy arena-WET!!!! Boy that felt good. She said something about letting me do something I wanted to do for the day. I'm so glad she knows I like a good roll.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Trail Clinic
Saturday was a trail clinic. It was taught by my old instructor, T. It was billed as a "Survival Riding Clinic"- things that could help you "survive" on the trail. I was hesitant about going to this clinic, I had taken lessons from T from many years and wasn't sure T would have any different information. But I went anyway and it turned out okay.
One of the games we played I hadn't played in years. A team of 2 people, one is the horse and is blindfolded, the other is the rider. The rider can direct the "horse" only with her hands on the "horses" shoulders. I got to be the horse. The arena was set up with many obstacles that a "horse" could be lead over, around, thru, etc. I really had to trust my "rider" and it brought out the trust factor that hopefully exists between Zoe and me. And when my "rider" asked me to trot by double tapping my shoulders, I was hesitant to move out. It reminded me about what it's like to ask a horse to trot the very first time...they can be hesitant.
Everything we did I had done before. But that was okay. I figured that would happen. T had to plan for a clinic that had a variety of experience of the riders. Some of the riders didn't know how to ride very well and this was great for them. Some of the riders didn't ride well and didn't seem to have any "try" in their efforts-I wondered why they came at all. There were 9 riders in all. A long time ago I wouldn't have thought anything of having 9 horses in the arena for a lesson. But as the years have gone on, depending on the "lesson" being taught, 9 horses can be too many. For the most part we could all maneuver around the arena pretty well-except for the "everyone ride to the letter (that T calls out) on the fence all at the same time". I have to admit that I didn't try very hard on that one-I didn't want to be squashed inbetween horses. We did do some drill team work. Zoe and Sky got to be in the lead. Drill team work helps to cement some of the "look, leg, rein" work that T taught earlier in the day. I haven't done drill team work in years and it was fun.
T used Zoe for some examples. Zoe and I got to show people how to side pass. Then T made a more difficult obstacle to side pass, and said it was just for me. Thanks T. But we could do it. And T had us do a demo in the round pen. T and I talked later and she said Zoe is a good trail horse, she was very impressed. I passed the complement back by saying that Zoe and I have had many good teachers one of which was T.
I think the best thing about the day was that Zoe had to be "on" all day... and that was good preparation for the upcoming obstacle challenge-coming in 2 weeks. That will be an all day event. Zoe had a good attitude all day. I found that my saddle fit was good and all the work I put into making it not slip had paid off-no slippage.
One of the games we played I hadn't played in years. A team of 2 people, one is the horse and is blindfolded, the other is the rider. The rider can direct the "horse" only with her hands on the "horses" shoulders. I got to be the horse. The arena was set up with many obstacles that a "horse" could be lead over, around, thru, etc. I really had to trust my "rider" and it brought out the trust factor that hopefully exists between Zoe and me. And when my "rider" asked me to trot by double tapping my shoulders, I was hesitant to move out. It reminded me about what it's like to ask a horse to trot the very first time...they can be hesitant.
Everything we did I had done before. But that was okay. I figured that would happen. T had to plan for a clinic that had a variety of experience of the riders. Some of the riders didn't know how to ride very well and this was great for them. Some of the riders didn't ride well and didn't seem to have any "try" in their efforts-I wondered why they came at all. There were 9 riders in all. A long time ago I wouldn't have thought anything of having 9 horses in the arena for a lesson. But as the years have gone on, depending on the "lesson" being taught, 9 horses can be too many. For the most part we could all maneuver around the arena pretty well-except for the "everyone ride to the letter (that T calls out) on the fence all at the same time". I have to admit that I didn't try very hard on that one-I didn't want to be squashed inbetween horses. We did do some drill team work. Zoe and Sky got to be in the lead. Drill team work helps to cement some of the "look, leg, rein" work that T taught earlier in the day. I haven't done drill team work in years and it was fun.
T used Zoe for some examples. Zoe and I got to show people how to side pass. Then T made a more difficult obstacle to side pass, and said it was just for me. Thanks T. But we could do it. And T had us do a demo in the round pen. T and I talked later and she said Zoe is a good trail horse, she was very impressed. I passed the complement back by saying that Zoe and I have had many good teachers one of which was T.
I think the best thing about the day was that Zoe had to be "on" all day... and that was good preparation for the upcoming obstacle challenge-coming in 2 weeks. That will be an all day event. Zoe had a good attitude all day. I found that my saddle fit was good and all the work I put into making it not slip had paid off-no slippage.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Hold it together Zoe
Today's ride was not very long-only 4.5 miles, however it was full of things that Zoe could have decided to not do so well. I spent time mentally telling my horse to "hold it together".
The first was just on our way out of the barn, on the busy road. A car went by with a dog hanging its head out the window barking furiously at us. Glad that it was on the opposite side of the road. Zoe didn't flinch. I said you can do dogs-you've had them bark at you before, you can do this-hold it together.
Then on Lomida, the smaller road, a gardener decided to go around a corner that I was standing at and park on my side of the street. Only his trailer was still in my way. So I thought I'd go around it and while Zoe was looking at the curb with her head cocked because it wasn't our "normal" way to cross the street-the trailer started moving. Zoe didn't flinch at the trailer and was actually happier because now she could cross the street in the "normal" place. She held it together.
On the trail I decided to try some stops and stand around. Lately her stops in the arena have been sloppy. However on the trail her stops were great. She didn't get nervous and worry about stopping. I also tried some loping. We loped up the sewer road. Zoe stopped 2 times. The first time I think was just laziness, the second time she heard something that I couldn't hear yet. I'm getting so I can read her about these things. So we stopped and I waited. Sure enough 2 mountain bikers were coming over the hill and down the road. They were not slowing down either. I decided to wait until they went by-wasn't sure if moving would be good at that moment. They zoomed past us. I confess that I was holding my breath-telling my horse to hold it together, they were just bikes-rude bikes, but just bikes. Zoe picked up her head but that was it, no dancing, turning and bolting, shaking, head tossing, or any of the other things that could happen. She held it together. Now me-I was wishing that I would have said something. No trail etiquette here, no yielding to the horse and rider, no regard for sharing the trail with a horse-nothing. They left down the road and I ignored them and finished loping up the road. My goal was to go to the top, turn around and go to the bottom of Beginners Hill and trot up that hill. So we turned around and headed for Beginners Hill. Half way up that hill were the same bikers-they were headed up the hill-stopping to rest. Now I got my chance. I think they knew they did wrong, but they feigned ignorance. So I gave them the "informative talk" about trail etiquette and why those rules exist. They were respectful and said they were sorry for their previous actions. I asked them if they were headed for the top. They said yes and were looking forward to the ride down. We left on good terms, but I'm not sure they are going to change their ways. When we stopped to talk, Zoe did good. She just stood there and calmly waited for me to tell her to move on.
We continued on our ride. Every once in a while I would ask her to stop to see how she would do. She did great. On one of the smaller trails we met my barn manager out on a trainee. Zoe again heard her before I could see her. She stopped to look until we could see her. We moved up to her and stopped to talk a while. I told her about the mountain bike riders, and that they should know to stop for a horse. She said that if she had run across them she would have been thrown, because the trainee was not ready for something like that. (Later at the barn I found out that she didn't run into them-phew!) We walked away from them and continued on. Zoe did good-she didn't want to follow the other horse, wasn't worried about leaving...she held it together. When she was younger we would have had a problem leaving the other horse.
We got home, got rinsed off-warm day, got a bucket of goodies. Some days are good horse days and this was one of them.
The first was just on our way out of the barn, on the busy road. A car went by with a dog hanging its head out the window barking furiously at us. Glad that it was on the opposite side of the road. Zoe didn't flinch. I said you can do dogs-you've had them bark at you before, you can do this-hold it together.
Then on Lomida, the smaller road, a gardener decided to go around a corner that I was standing at and park on my side of the street. Only his trailer was still in my way. So I thought I'd go around it and while Zoe was looking at the curb with her head cocked because it wasn't our "normal" way to cross the street-the trailer started moving. Zoe didn't flinch at the trailer and was actually happier because now she could cross the street in the "normal" place. She held it together.
On the trail I decided to try some stops and stand around. Lately her stops in the arena have been sloppy. However on the trail her stops were great. She didn't get nervous and worry about stopping. I also tried some loping. We loped up the sewer road. Zoe stopped 2 times. The first time I think was just laziness, the second time she heard something that I couldn't hear yet. I'm getting so I can read her about these things. So we stopped and I waited. Sure enough 2 mountain bikers were coming over the hill and down the road. They were not slowing down either. I decided to wait until they went by-wasn't sure if moving would be good at that moment. They zoomed past us. I confess that I was holding my breath-telling my horse to hold it together, they were just bikes-rude bikes, but just bikes. Zoe picked up her head but that was it, no dancing, turning and bolting, shaking, head tossing, or any of the other things that could happen. She held it together. Now me-I was wishing that I would have said something. No trail etiquette here, no yielding to the horse and rider, no regard for sharing the trail with a horse-nothing. They left down the road and I ignored them and finished loping up the road. My goal was to go to the top, turn around and go to the bottom of Beginners Hill and trot up that hill. So we turned around and headed for Beginners Hill. Half way up that hill were the same bikers-they were headed up the hill-stopping to rest. Now I got my chance. I think they knew they did wrong, but they feigned ignorance. So I gave them the "informative talk" about trail etiquette and why those rules exist. They were respectful and said they were sorry for their previous actions. I asked them if they were headed for the top. They said yes and were looking forward to the ride down. We left on good terms, but I'm not sure they are going to change their ways. When we stopped to talk, Zoe did good. She just stood there and calmly waited for me to tell her to move on.
We continued on our ride. Every once in a while I would ask her to stop to see how she would do. She did great. On one of the smaller trails we met my barn manager out on a trainee. Zoe again heard her before I could see her. She stopped to look until we could see her. We moved up to her and stopped to talk a while. I told her about the mountain bike riders, and that they should know to stop for a horse. She said that if she had run across them she would have been thrown, because the trainee was not ready for something like that. (Later at the barn I found out that she didn't run into them-phew!) We walked away from them and continued on. Zoe did good-she didn't want to follow the other horse, wasn't worried about leaving...she held it together. When she was younger we would have had a problem leaving the other horse.
We got home, got rinsed off-warm day, got a bucket of goodies. Some days are good horse days and this was one of them.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Rain Ride
Somedays I purposely go on a rain ride and somedays it happens by accident. Today-accident. Altho I should have known better. The forecast said afternoon showers. I had worked most of the morning at the barn and now was ready for a ride. The sun was out, it was getting warm-I even took off a few layers. Zoe ran around the arena, then was brushed up, saddled and ready to go. I even checked the doplar-no rain. Started out the gate, going up Lomida, I looked up and saw the clouds and knew it was going to rain. Oh well I thought, maybe it will be just a few showers-let's go and see what happens.
Cross the road on the trail, not even to the creek crossing and it starts sprinkling.
"Mom, you know it's raining...Mom, Mom, MOM"
Yes Zoe, it's raining but you'll be fine. It won't last long.
"Well, okay."
It started raining harder so we headed for trails under the trees.
"There's hard white things hitting my ears, I don't like it. But mom says to keep going, it will change soon."
Under the trees the rain/hail slows down. I see blue sky-hopefully it won't rain the whole ride. I'd better make it a short one just in case. It will probably stop raining at the end of the ride.
Just as we head up towards Red Hill it starts to hail pretty hard. But we are under the trees. We could hear it coming.
"Mom, what's that noise? Oh, more hail. Mom says we'll be fine cause we are under the trees. Sure is noisy, but I'm glad for the cover of the trees."
Out of the trees again and now it's just pouring. Oh well. Soon it changes to a drizzle. Much better.
"Mom, there's a trail that goes home to the right. Can we go that way? No....oh well. I think I'll walk fast, maybe we'll get home faster."
So we continue on our ride. Zoe has a pretty good attitude. She doesn't look miserable, isn't acting up and is obeying me. Sometimes it stops raining, then sprinkles, stops, pours, stops drizzles....
"What's that noise? It's not usual to hear on a ride. Mom doesn't hear it at first. Finally she hears it...says it's thunder and she is getting off and walking. Okay. Finally we are headed for home."
Yes, thunder. I've never ridden my horse in a thunder storm. Seeing I was coming up to a large open area and would be exposed for a while, I thought it best to not be the tallest thing around in a thunder/lightening storm. So I got off and we walked for a ways. Zoe was very aware of things, but not spooky. It was still drizzling. The thunder was moving over the lake area-away from us. I walked until the middle of the cow pastures then got on again. Didn't want to walk thru the creek to get back home.
"Mom's on again. Said something about not being able to walk on water. Look - now the sun is shining and we are almost home. Good day."
Now we are home. I have to take the saddle apart, don't want it to get full of mildew. The sun is shining, warm. It have a chance to clean the saddle too. Just as I'm finishing it starts to get dark again, the wind picks up. I rush to put everything in the barn and just as I get Zoe in-it starts pouring. This time the pouring rain lasts longer and there is more thunder/lightening than the first storm I was in on the trail. I was glad to be off the trail now.
"Now I get my bucket. Yum yum."
Cross the road on the trail, not even to the creek crossing and it starts sprinkling.
"Mom, you know it's raining...Mom, Mom, MOM"
Yes Zoe, it's raining but you'll be fine. It won't last long.
"Well, okay."
It started raining harder so we headed for trails under the trees.
"There's hard white things hitting my ears, I don't like it. But mom says to keep going, it will change soon."
Under the trees the rain/hail slows down. I see blue sky-hopefully it won't rain the whole ride. I'd better make it a short one just in case. It will probably stop raining at the end of the ride.
Just as we head up towards Red Hill it starts to hail pretty hard. But we are under the trees. We could hear it coming.
"Mom, what's that noise? Oh, more hail. Mom says we'll be fine cause we are under the trees. Sure is noisy, but I'm glad for the cover of the trees."
Out of the trees again and now it's just pouring. Oh well. Soon it changes to a drizzle. Much better.
"Mom, there's a trail that goes home to the right. Can we go that way? No....oh well. I think I'll walk fast, maybe we'll get home faster."
So we continue on our ride. Zoe has a pretty good attitude. She doesn't look miserable, isn't acting up and is obeying me. Sometimes it stops raining, then sprinkles, stops, pours, stops drizzles....
"What's that noise? It's not usual to hear on a ride. Mom doesn't hear it at first. Finally she hears it...says it's thunder and she is getting off and walking. Okay. Finally we are headed for home."
Yes, thunder. I've never ridden my horse in a thunder storm. Seeing I was coming up to a large open area and would be exposed for a while, I thought it best to not be the tallest thing around in a thunder/lightening storm. So I got off and we walked for a ways. Zoe was very aware of things, but not spooky. It was still drizzling. The thunder was moving over the lake area-away from us. I walked until the middle of the cow pastures then got on again. Didn't want to walk thru the creek to get back home.
"Mom's on again. Said something about not being able to walk on water. Look - now the sun is shining and we are almost home. Good day."
Now we are home. I have to take the saddle apart, don't want it to get full of mildew. The sun is shining, warm. It have a chance to clean the saddle too. Just as I'm finishing it starts to get dark again, the wind picks up. I rush to put everything in the barn and just as I get Zoe in-it starts pouring. This time the pouring rain lasts longer and there is more thunder/lightening than the first storm I was in on the trail. I was glad to be off the trail now.
"Now I get my bucket. Yum yum."
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Poison Oak/Look Out disappointment
Yup, it's poison oak season and yup I have it. Only a little spot by my right wrist. Must remember to take my poison oak medicine and to wash more often with Tecnu.
Zoe on the other hand loves to eat poison oak. It's a wonderful treat.
Today on our ride she tried to eat it but I caught her before she managed to get it into her mouth.
We went to Look Out Rock. What a disappointment. Someone had pulled an old smashed car up there. In the process of getting the car up there they had pulled some of the barbed wire onto the horse trail...so watch out. Someone had spent the night last night and there was a fire smoldering. Smoldering because they used green wood, trees that they had chopped, trees that were healthy. They even left some chopped wood and limbs half chopped on healthy trees. Lots of garbage too. Tempted to come back and do some trail clean up, but I'm afraid it will be in vain. They will just come back and trash it again. I went this way so I could show someone the connector trail from the Look Out Rock trail to the trail below Look Out Rock. He liked the "new" trail.
When we left on our ride Sky and Barkley left before us. Zoe goes out with Sky at least once a week. We (Zoe and Skippy) left a bit after them. On Lomida there was another group of riders- they were between the 2 groups from K. Knob. Busy day. Zoe did pretty good, she was very aware of where Sky was, when he was out of sight I could tell she was still looking for him, but after a while she gave it up. After all she had Skippy with her. We met up with Sky and Barkley on Lomida on the way back to the barn.
Zoe on the other hand loves to eat poison oak. It's a wonderful treat.
Today on our ride she tried to eat it but I caught her before she managed to get it into her mouth.
We went to Look Out Rock. What a disappointment. Someone had pulled an old smashed car up there. In the process of getting the car up there they had pulled some of the barbed wire onto the horse trail...so watch out. Someone had spent the night last night and there was a fire smoldering. Smoldering because they used green wood, trees that they had chopped, trees that were healthy. They even left some chopped wood and limbs half chopped on healthy trees. Lots of garbage too. Tempted to come back and do some trail clean up, but I'm afraid it will be in vain. They will just come back and trash it again. I went this way so I could show someone the connector trail from the Look Out Rock trail to the trail below Look Out Rock. He liked the "new" trail.
When we left on our ride Sky and Barkley left before us. Zoe goes out with Sky at least once a week. We (Zoe and Skippy) left a bit after them. On Lomida there was another group of riders- they were between the 2 groups from K. Knob. Busy day. Zoe did pretty good, she was very aware of where Sky was, when he was out of sight I could tell she was still looking for him, but after a while she gave it up. After all she had Skippy with her. We met up with Sky and Barkley on Lomida on the way back to the barn.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Mush and Gush or Walking thru the Muddle of the Puddle
Yes today was wet on the trail. But it was still better than the arena. There were plenty of places to trot and canter and we did both. And there were plenty of puddles to walk thru. We went on the trotting trail, the KBB Hills, small trails by Christie's igloo, around to the tree the 4-wheelers go around, turned towards Look Out Rock (poor Zoe thought we were going home), almost to Look Out Rock-cut left to pick up trail with downed tree on it. (We can go around now) and headed towards home using the "dumb dumb" rock trail. (Trail going towards FLEC) I call it the "dumb dumb" rock trail after the movie Night in the Museum where there is a rock from Easter Island that talks. This trail has a tall thin rock on it that reminds me of that movie. Zoe was pretty good on this ride. I was concerned since we have not been consistently riding out on the trail-thought she might act up but she was just fine.
Zoe is starting to rub out her mane again. Sigh. It started when the weather was warm but has slowed down now. Oh well.
Today my friend took Skippy out to go riding on the trail. I was still on the property-doing some yard work. This time Zoe just called out sometimes but otherwise was calm. Nothing at all like last week.
Maybe it was because I had already taken her out on the trail and she had an opportunity to get the "wiggles" out.
Zoe is starting to rub out her mane again. Sigh. It started when the weather was warm but has slowed down now. Oh well.
Today my friend took Skippy out to go riding on the trail. I was still on the property-doing some yard work. This time Zoe just called out sometimes but otherwise was calm. Nothing at all like last week.
Maybe it was because I had already taken her out on the trail and she had an opportunity to get the "wiggles" out.
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