Holding my breath ride

Today's ride was pretty slow.  We -Jim and I- went out with Dottie and Georgie.  So all of my horses were out and Georgie was on Boomer.  Boomer was doing fine at first then got a little pushy, not listening to slow down cues-but turned into a jerk 1/2 of the way thru and really did a bad thing when we were the farthest from home.  But it all turned out okay.
Here is a picture of one of the ridges we were on before Boomers rear.

So at the bottom of the ridge Boomer crow hopped, Georgie disciplined, Boomer reared on a 45 degree hillside with his hindquarters higher than his head.  (Horses never cease to amaze me with their athletic abilities)  Anyway Georgie stayed on.  Kept her body perpendicular to the ground as the horse was up but when he came down, she forgot to change her position and was on his neck and almost off to the side.  At least he stopped while she slowly figured out how to get off the horse.  As it happened we all held our breath and prayed.  She walked for a while, got on, but the horse was still a jerk and would not pay attention to her slow down cues and he insisted on being in front.  Front was the safest way to get her home, but she was on his head the whole time-not good since this horse hates that.  We concentrated on getting her home and letting someone else deal with the horse's bad behavior...since Georgie will not be riding that horse ever again.

But the whole experience was interesting.  Each rider was helping and encouraging.  Everybody I ride with is great...we all help each other out.  Each of the other horses was calm and that helped.  When Boomer reared, Zoe was a little nervous-took a few dancing steps but she listened to my calm down cues and was fine.  When Georgie found a place to get back on, we all surrounded her -a hill on one side, Skippy in front, Sky behind, and Zoe to the side.  We tried to put Zoe in the lead - a slower calmer horse, but Boomer would have none of it.  Fine...just follow.  He walked pretty fast so we trotted every now and then to keep up.   At the beginning of the ride we did "popcorn" and sometimes Boomer was behind Zoe.  The last 2 rides Zoe hated Boomer behind her...and I made her deal with it.  This time she was okay with Boomer behind her.  When something happens like this you always go back over things in your mind and wonder if you could have done things differently.  So we got a chance to talk about it on the way back....all helpful and encouraging.

So we got home safely but I don't think I will be going out with Boomer again-unless one of the trainers at the barn is on him.  This is the 3rd ride Zoe and I have done with him, each time with a different rider and each time the horse was bad.   I don't like to say that about a horse but in this case I think he needs a trainers help, I was proud that Zoe did her best with Boomer today, but I'd hate to think of one of my friends getting hurt on him.  It would be interesting to go out with one of the trainers tho...see what she does with the horse and see if my horse will still be good...of course she would be good "a horse lives up to or down to your expectations".

Why???

Today my mom took me on a ride.  She said she wanted to go up on the ridge that overlooks the meadows.  She talked to the barn manager for a while, then she forgot her helmet and we had to go back.  Finally on the trail.  We loped up the road the PGE workers flattened out.  She wanted me to lope the whole thing!!!  I tried to ask if we could slow down....maybe bring it down to a trot, but she urged me on.  Then we turned around and walked almost all the way back down....Why?  She said it would be good for me.  So did we go home?.....after all we were going back towards home....but no, we turned left and continued to the other side of the meadows.  Up the hill and on the trails.

Turned left to go up the ridge

But....why do we have to stop to take pictures.  She says it's good for me to stop and stand still for a while.  Sigh.  Ok.  On we go to the top....

 Here we are at the top...she says she wanted to get a picture with some "fall color" in it...whatever that is.  She says there's not much color yet and we will have to come back...sigh, why.

On the way out we have to go past this rock....she calls it a "knee knocker rock"  Doesn't bother my knees...why?

We finally get to move out again, now to the top of the ridge and (sigh) she stops to take another picture. Why?  She says on a clear day you can see a place called down town Sacramento.  I don't see anything like that.   Now we get to go on a nice ride.  We go many places, but she keeps turning away from home....why?  She says it's good for me.  Oh well, off we go.  Now we are on the way home and ... sigh.....another picture stop

I don't see anything here except the tree on the rock.

Now I know we are on our way home and she stops again...why?  A birds nest in a bush...really.

Then we have to stop 2 more times for pictures....why?  She says at least she got a few pictures with fall color in them.  Oh well at least home isn't far away.  Home.....rest, grass, my bucket, a good roll......

But no.....why?  There is a big noisy thing in the barn yard and she insisted that I stop to look at it.   I was a little concerned at first, but quickly got used to it.  But she didn't want me to get too close.  She said something about staying off the concrete.....why?  Oh well, soon.....freedom and a good roll.  But.....no

She says we didn't go on a very long ride and can do a few more things....why?  So she pops these things around me....says I need to get used to the noise-something she is working on.  The noise really doesn't bother me anymore.  So she decides to wrap me up in the things that make noise.  Sigh.....why?  

FINALLY  grass yum yum yummmmmm....excuse me I'm busy eating.  

Canal trail, deer leg, road work, shims

Wednesday's ride was fun, no wind.  I'm glad the wind is gone today.  We went to the canal trail-again.  Zoe is getting used to it again.  She is continuing to do well with the rocks-no stopping to be "scared".  I usually enter thru the cow pastures and go up towards Sterling Pt.  Zoe has done so well with the rocks that after the "rocky part" she tends to want to be "scared" with the rest of the ride.  Really......(sigh)  She doesn't spook or stop, but seems to be wary.  Something to con't to work on.  One good thing-she didn't try to eat AT ALL on our ride.

On our way out we saw a deer leg on the trail...it was on the big high road thru the 2nd cow pasture.  It was a front leg, from the knee down.  No signs of a struggle, matted down bushes or grass, no carcass to be found.  I think something dropped it going from point A to point B.  Zoe didn't seem to mind it.   Later we saw a buck bounding away....I think my bells scared him.  (By the way he had all 4 legs)  My barn manager said she has been finding bear scat out there.   I'm not sure a bear would take down a deer.  But a mountain lion would.  Just a reminder that we ride with the wild critters.  My first barn manager once said that there is always something watching you out there....comforting thought.   I do tend to look out farther ahead and I tend to look up in the trees too....since bears climb trees.  

PG&E is working on the road going from the cow pasture up to the "red hill" area or "grand central station" (depending on who you're talking to).  It usually has deep ruts in it.  I guess they decided to smooth it out for doing work in the future.   There were large trucks and tractors, beeping and making lots of noise.  We just took a different road to the high road in the cow pasture.  Zoe didn't seem to mind.  They have tried to "fix" that road before, but every year the rains carve deep ruts in the road.  I'm not sure I want to travel it anytime soon.  Don't want my horse to step on something that looks solid on the surface but still has a big rut underneath it.  I know it will be fine in time.  It was getting really messed up and I was thinking that this winter it would be hard to travel on.  So in time I'm sure the dirt will settle, rains will come and it will be better to travel on.  It will be fun to see the horses reaction to the changes.

I'm going to try a shim in my saddle pad on the right side.  Zoe has been having a large dry spot on her left side.  I tend to lean to the right.  Maybe there is too much pressure on the left side as the saddle presses in to the left side.   Or maybe it is the shape of her back.  The left side has a bit more muscle that  the right.  The right slopes off faster than the left.  A shim should help that too.  Anyway we will see after the next ride.

Canal trail again/spooky things on Lomida and @ home

Canal trail again today.  I love that trail.

Kerrie's rock 

Weird erosion formation.  It almost looks like a pipe sticking up out of the ground with a man hole cover over the top of it.  

Dottie and Sky by the rock dam-I've always liked that rock dam 

The scariest thing on our ride-a gardeners burlap full of leaves, on the Lomida trail on the way home.  We couldn't pass it without snorting and going out into the road.  Before we got to this point I noticed that a UPS truck and an Alhambra water truck went up the road past us.  So I knew they were going to come back down and pass us again.  And I didn't want to try to pass the burlap with traffic, esp big truck traffic, while my horse was dancing and snorting in the road.  So we decided to get off our horses and introduce the burlap with horses in hand (listening to that small voice that says to change something here)  Zoe got up to it, sniffed it and said "oh, it's a bunch of leaves-can I eat some?"  We stepped on the burlap, kicked it around, walked past it several times.  Then got back on and rode past it with no problems.  I think I will bring one of my husbands burlaps to the barn to play with it.  

When we got home - since no one was in the arena - I decided to drag the metal trash around.  For the most part Zoe did good.  She spooked a little when we pulled it alot as we were backing.  I had to let go.  But we did the same thing in smaller increments and eventually were able to back up with it.  A friend helped me out by rolling the can around me - all the way around me.  Zoe took a step away at first, but then stood still for the whole thing.  Her ears were focused on the can....so I can tell she was keeping an eye on it-just in case.  So I think we will be doing this activity again.  Poor Zoe, got a mom that likes to work on the scary things.  

Potpourri of thoughts-canal trail, scary things, "should have's"

Today I got to go on one of my favorite rides-on the canal trail.  A friend has been posting that it is now open and it was great fun to go.  There is a section of the trail that Zoe tends to get spooky about.  She doesn't - or maybe I should say didn't-PAST TENSE- like the rocks in sections going around bends.  But today they were no problem.  I didn't want to travel the trail all the way to Sterling Pt. so I turned around and headed back after we finished the rocky section.  So Zoe had to deal with all the rocks in reverse.  She did good then too.   I have been working on scary, spooky things at the barn the past 2 weeks.  I wonder if that has helped?

Scary things-lately has been the metal trash cans.  Zoe has never liked the metal trash cans, therefore I always tie her by the trash cans and over the years she has learned to tolerate them.  But when one of my friends sorts and combines the trash and Zoe happens to be tied there....well...Zoe is not happy.  She usually steps back to the end of her lead rope.  She doesn't pull back, but you can tell that she is uncomfortable.  So I've been playing with the trash cans and she has gotten used to them.  While I'm on the ground I can set it next to her, beat it so it's noisy, tip it over, roll it around her, push it under her, roll it up to her front feet and she stands still.  While I'm riding I can do the same.   However I realized that I can do all of this in the barn isle or in the arena.   But when I tie her in the spot by the trash cans...well she isn't as comfortable.  So I have to work on these things in that certain spot.  Funny how the location makes a difference.

Today Dottie and I were talking about the "should have's" or "should not have's".  Those things that we should listen to the little voice inside of us that says-maybe you should change something here.   She is recovering from broken ribs and is doing well.  Today she was out on Sky, coming home from a ride with Cheryl, and the street sweeper was sweeping the street on Lomida-coming towards her on the opposite side of the street.  The little voice said to get off....but instead she stayed on, the sweeper went by, she turned to go and got a lope down Lomida towards home.  She was able to get control back and made it home ok.  I was on the canal trail and contemplated how to get thru some of the drift wood piles when the little voice said to get off and clear the trail.  I didn't and we stumbled thru....made it thru fine but the potential for injury was there-and it would have been better to err on the side of caution to make sure my horse wouldn't be lame.  Sometimes I think I'm too cautious...it's an interesting issue.  Caution to make sure I'm safe but also remembering that to push thru something can increase confidence for me and my horse.  It's a balancing act, each situation can be different-depends on so many things-concerning both the horse and/or the rider and who you are with or by yourself out on the trail.  I know I will always have the "should have's" in my life but hopefully I learn from them.

Winterizing

Well it's that time of the year....getting ready for winter.  I've been working on Skippy and Zoe's place.  Last month I made sure the drainage ditches were clear leading away from my pasture.  Then it rained a few times and I got to "tweek" my ditches.  Last month I put more dirt/gravel mix on my horses pad under their shelter.  I fixed the boards that hold the dirt/gravel in place.  And I patched a few holes in the ground that tend to become puddles that get bigger as  the winter months go on and on and on....  Today I painted the boards in my fences with some "no chew". It seems to keep them from chewing on my boards.  You see I really don't own horses....I have beavers disguised as horses.  During the winter months, especially when it is storming, they tend to chew on my boards....fence boards, manger boards, posts, boards to hold the dirt in place.  I think they tend to get scared and that is one of the ways they relieve their stress.....because it usually happens when it is storming-rainy, windy, thundering, etc.  Anyway I thought I was done, but alas....I forgot to do my other horse-Sky's place.  All I need to do is paint the "no chew" on the boards that keep the sideways rain out of his spot.  You see, not only does he chew when it storms, but the other horses in the pasture tend to "help themselves" when they want to chew on something.  Winterizing, at least we don't live farther north-I'm sure they have much more to do than this.

Zoe's attitude when I return from my trips

I've not posted anything for about a month.  Been busy with family matters, recently my father-in-law died and I have been gone for a few weekends in a row.  My blog today has to do with being gone and returning.  Since I have been back Zoe has been pretty good.  Only one crazy thing...see words at the end of blog.   Rides out have been great.  No pent up emotional outbursts on the trail.  When she was younger I would have expected that.  But I guess Zoe being almost 10 years old is working in my favor.  Recently I went met some people from work for a trail ride.  It was their first time out on our trials on their horses-one of them had been out running on the trails, but got lost.   Anyway they were late getting to our meeting place.   We met across the street from FLEC.  While we were waiting we worked on our arena lessons.  There is a nice circular area there and it made for a good place to practice collection, moving off my leg in a large circle.  We were able to move towards the center of the circle and then move back out on the circle-at a walk and a trot.  We did figure 8's.  We practiced sidepassing.  There were even some puddles and we could practice walking thru them.  Sometimes we stopped working and looked at the scenery.  Sometimes she thought she needed to pay attention to the horses in the pasture next to us, which was ok if we were stopped and resting, but not ok if we were working.  Darn those ears give her away every time!!! So we could practice paying attention to me.  It didn't take too much work to get her focused back on me.  Anyway I was happy that she went to work for me and she didn't paw the ground being impatient.  And it had been a while since we had been out on the trials due to my recent traveling plans.   I went to lessons last Tuesday evening and it was raining.  We did lessons anyway.  At first Zoe was a little irritated with the rain, but once we went to work she was fine.   I rode part of the lesson in my oilskin rain coat.  It was a bit bulky but once I went to work it was no longer a concern for me....until I started loping.  I was getting hot so I took it off.  Zoe did good for the lesson and didn't mind the large coat I was wearing.  Yesterday I had her out in the arena.  I was going to lunge her,  put the lunge line on her and she took off.  I just let her go, no sense holding on to that rope.  I took the rope off her and free lunged her for a while until I could tell she had blown off her energy.  I guess the recent rains and cooler weather finally got to her.  Anyway after she had been run around for a while and I could tell she was paying attention to me we tried the lunge line again.  She did great.  Even asked for a canter and she gave me a slow collected canter.  She's never done it collected before.  Hmmmmm.  
So all in all.....my Zoe is doing ok.