I'm just not destined to go to any rides this year.... =( Our truck died on Friday, half-way out the driveway to go to the ride, with the trailer hooked up and the horse in the back. I turned it off briefly to use my keys to unlock my car and grab a sweatshirt and a CD, and when I came back the truck wouldn't even try to turn over to start. After having it towed later that week to the mechanic, it turns out the transmission is going and something "slipped" to cause the truck to think it was not in park (it wouldn't start in neutral either, we tried) so it wouldn't allow the starter to turn over.
Truck is temporarily fixed and is slated to be traded-in for a newer model. Let the dealership have the problem. It's been a GOOD truck and has never seriously stranded me with issues, it always seems to have the courtesy to breakdown at home if it's going to do something. But it's a 1995 model with 185K+ miles on it, with a gas V10 engine. Stuff is just starting to have issues in general. We think we've found a replacement, and are waiting to hear from our Credit Union.
Good news is I can do a big CHECK OUT MY NEW RIG post in a week or so hopefully. Truck isn't the only thing that's new (to me)!!! ;)
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Disappointment
Well, our Rides of March.... wasn't. After vetting in successfully on Friday evening, when I went to hang up Diego's bucket to feed him some complete feed pellets while tacking up Saturday morning, he stepped over three-legged lame, hardly weight-bearing on his left front. Of course I freaked out and grabbed him off the trailer to walk him around, which necessitated having to use a spare pair of reins to lead him as my lead rope was frozen solid at the knot. Walking him around the camp fire in the main vetting area seemed to help some, he became noticeably less stiff and was walking easier, but still visibly limping at the walk. Ride Manager and Team Easyboot Member Tami helped me to pull off both his front boots, to check just in case. We couldn't find anything noticeably wrong. Both front legs were cool with no filling and no reaction to our palpation. He didn't get into prediaments on the trailer from what I could feel/tell during the night, and looked to have moved around enough as he had poop piles from one end of the lead to another.
I had vet Susan McCartney check him out for me later in the morning to see what she might be able to find. He did have some sensitivity with hoof testers to his left front frog. Not sure how that bothers him enough overnight, with boots on in perfect sandy footing, to get that kind of reaction. We were all a bit baffled. For now I have a couple of theories:
I had vet Susan McCartney check him out for me later in the morning to see what she might be able to find. He did have some sensitivity with hoof testers to his left front frog. Not sure how that bothers him enough overnight, with boots on in perfect sandy footing, to get that kind of reaction. We were all a bit baffled. For now I have a couple of theories:
- I had his boot on too tight. I don't normally use athletic tape unless at an actual endurance ride. I find I don't need it for regular training, but appreciate the tighter fit and security provided with three wraps of tape around the hoof. It also helps to keep sand and other small debris out of the boot. On that particular foot only, when I put the boot on the tape rucked up from around the bottom of the hoof wall, and kind of was bunched around the top of the Easyboot Glove. It tooks a screwdriver to pry the boot off. Perhaps this pressure overnight was too much and caused the soreness.
- He got cramped and chilled standing in the wind, rain, and snow overnight. I did my best to park so he was on the lee side of the trailer, but it was still quite windy (gusts to 50 mph) on Friday evening and poured rain off and on until around 3 am, when the temps dropped and it switched to snow and froze everything that was wet. I forgot my good insulated winter blanket at home, so had Diego in a polar fleece cooler with a waterproof sheet over that. While he was totally dry and felt warm to the touch, perhaps he got chilled and cramped.
- He stood in one place too long due to the weather (seeking shelter) and was stiff/cramped. Again, same circumstances as above. I actually considered putting him IN the trailer Friday evening as I climbed into bed, but I cannot shut the rear door of my trailer with the divider open (design flaw) and I didn't want him standing in such a small area overnight. Perhaps he ended up doing just that anyways.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Post of the Week: If People Were Horses
From Mugwump Chronicles, this made me actually laugh out loud!!! Love it:
If People Were Horses:
When we gathered around the dinner table the meanest one would get dessert first. Then the mean one would get to walk around the table and eat off everybody's plate and it would be considered good manners.
If our ribs were showing nobody would call it a "bikini body," they would call a rescue organization.
The bigger our butt the more desirable we'd be.
When our Grandma calls us "big-boned," it's a good thing.
If we didn't like somebody we could scream and kick them. Nobody would get arrested or question our motives.
If we DID like somebody we could still scream and kick them and we'd be forgiven.
When the mean girls in the clique snubbed us we could eventually win them over by following them around and looking sad. Then we could scream and kick them too.
Being big, fat, crabby and mean would only make you more popular.
Communication would be so much simpler.
If a woman didn't like a man she would scream and kick him.
If she did like him she would scream, kick him and then pee on the floor.
No conversation, no flowers, just scream, kick and pee.
If People Were Horses:
When we gathered around the dinner table the meanest one would get dessert first. Then the mean one would get to walk around the table and eat off everybody's plate and it would be considered good manners.
If our ribs were showing nobody would call it a "bikini body," they would call a rescue organization.
The bigger our butt the more desirable we'd be.
When our Grandma calls us "big-boned," it's a good thing.
If we didn't like somebody we could scream and kick them. Nobody would get arrested or question our motives.
If we DID like somebody we could still scream and kick them and we'd be forgiven.
When the mean girls in the clique snubbed us we could eventually win them over by following them around and looking sad. Then we could scream and kick them too.
Being big, fat, crabby and mean would only make you more popular.
Communication would be so much simpler.
If a woman didn't like a man she would scream and kick him.
If she did like him she would scream, kick him and then pee on the floor.
No conversation, no flowers, just scream, kick and pee.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Reining Clinic
This past Sunday, Diego and I attended a reining clinic hosted by local trainer, Kim Rapp. This was our second lesson out at Kim's, having gone two weeks ago for a semi-private with my good friend Ronda and her horse Quik. The clinic was a different format, being open to anyone interested.
We started around 10 in the morning and had quite an ecletic mix of riders. Digs was really calm coming off the trailer and getting saddled. I took him over into the corral/arena first (it's really a HUGE roundpen, great format). He was a bit snorty at the bull that lives a corral panel or two over, but got busy with some ground work. He settled in pretty quickly and I mounted up before too long. However, the more horses that came over and started to ride around with us, the more agitated he became. After he couldn't decide whether to whirl around to stare at someone, or spook at something else, I decided safety first and got off and worked his little butt of in the center of the ring for a while. Took loping quite a few circles with several quick changes of direction to get his focus back on me and his mind on the task at hand (and for him to realize he was NOT, in fact, going to die). We mounted back up and fell into the swirl of people, trotting around before catching a breather next to his buddy Quik. That really seemed to get his head on and he relaxed totally.
Kim came in and got us started, she had everyone line up along the rail, then one at a time we went into the middle and did a few rounds to show where we were at with our training. The first was a boyfriend/husband, obviously very green to horses, on an older paint gelding. He was followed by girlfriend/wife, again a green/unschooled rider on a more well trained, but young grey mare. Turns out the gelding was her old horse, who she's had for 12 years. She recently purchased the mare, who has "training", and they were attending to both become more schooled riders. She said new horse has buttons she wants to learn how to work. :)
Diego and I went next. He retained his calm demeanor and gave me a few nice trotting circles around, relaxed and supple. We leg yielded across the center to change directions. I was fortunate and was just turning back to the left when Kim asked me if I would lope him (something we didn't do last time) and he obliged quickly with just a kiss and a squeeze into a left lead - his strong preference. He was a bit tense, Kim asked if I had noticed and I had, but I could tell he wasn't that bad and after a few strides he loped along nicely. I thought I heard one person mention "That's a nice lope." Diego carries himself very well, uphill and driving from behind. He stopped quickly and I beamed with getting some compliments. Turns out that was more or less the best he'd be all day! LOL
A lady on a cute QH gelding named Blue went next, followed by Ronda and Quik. Then one of Kim's reining students on what was easily the most well-trained horse there, aside from Kim's handsome drool-worthy roan stallion she was riding. There was a lady on a hot little grey Arab, and another chestnut Arab that was a student of Kim's. A lady just getting started in western riding, mounted on a cute Haflinger (who Dig was highly suspicious of at first - way too much fluffy hair for him), followed by friend Elizabeth and her TWH mare Dixie. You can click on the link for her account. So a total of 10 of us.
After everyone had a chance to show where they were at, Kim started working with us from the greenest to the more experienced. It was great to watch and listen to what she was having people do, and seeing the transformation in their horses. She had a lot of people work on rib and shoulder control by doing a counter-arc. This was the same focus we had for Diego two weeks ago - to gain control over and help free up his shoulders. This is a pretty good video to explain what it is: Counter Arc Kim had us start circling the same direction their nose was tipped in, then to keep a hold of their nose, and ask them to change direction and start to step across with their legs/bodies. It's sometimes easier to start on a straight line, but it was helpful to see how many of us were working on this same concept, and how each of the horses would respond.
Kim worked her more experienced students in to demonstrate various manuevers throughout the first course of one-on-ones, so it happened that Diego and I were the last ones to go individually. She wanted me to work on a right lead circle, since he had already done some nice ones to the left. I wailed about, "But that's WHY I went left the first time!!!" ;) and we laughed. That's what we were there for, to learn and work on the issues. So right-lead it was. Mr. Dig was all tense after having stood around for a few hours, so we had to trot a few circles to get loosened up and get his head on straight again. Kim worked me through trying to get him to pick up his right lead. I've been taught to cue by using my inside leg to support the bend, and then ask for the upward transition with my outside leg.
This wasn't working for Diego, and he was getting frustrated with being asked, then brought down to a trot when he'd pick the wrong lead, then being asked, slowed, etc. and he got pissy and after a couple head-shake warnings, let loose one good buck. Kim had me immediately turn him in a much tighter circle to the right, then get after him and ask him to lope off again. He had displayed some of his pissyness two weeks ago, he will get mad and fight me, but this week we were trying a different tactic of NOT backing down and doing something else, but instead pushing him through and making him do it. So I kept him in a small (10 m.?) circle and went back to pushing him through it. After a few more failed attempts, she had me work on counter arc, and then asking him. He picked it up and got the lead! I relaxed and let him cruise in a bigger circle before we stopped him fully. She had me repeate the small circle to counter arc to correct lead successfully one more time and then we all took a short break.
Near the end of the break, I started riding Diego around again. Asking him to work off my legs and stay light in my hands. Again, the more horses that joined us, the more aggitated he became. I did my best to stay relaxed and with him, but was getting a little frustrated. There was a lot of loud commenting of "Really, REALLY?!?!" and "Knock it off" coming out of my mouth. Dork. But he did get his head on straight (er, mostly) and we cantered around one or two more times before lining back up on the rail.
Again, Kim worked through most of the other students first, and actually that worked out well, as E, Ronda and I were the last three remaining. We're all fairly close together with where we're at, or as E so perfectly stated: "not polished at what we do, not rank beginners, not afraid to TRY at any speed". Kim had me working with Dig again, then sent us to the fence to do rollbacks. These used to be one of my FAVORITE manuevers to perform with a good reining, cutting, cow-working horse - actually, they still are REALLY fun! But boy-howdy do they make you WORK! We weren't looking for a lot of finesse, or slow, it needed to be quick, quick, quick, with Dig listening to my outside (cueing) leg and deciding to pick up the correct lead more on his own. Whew, was it both fun and hard! It took me a bit to coordinate myself, I kept wanting to kick with both feet coming out of the turn, and Kim wanted me to only kick with my outside leg. So I had to kick, kick, ride, sit up, sit down, pull him around to the inside (fence), then grab and kick, kick with my new outside leg. We were both panting hard after a few times. After he picked up the right lead a few times on his own (I couldn't really tell, working that hard, Kim would let me know and pull him around soon if he chose the wrong one), we let him canter on his right lead off the fence and then stop. Both E and Ronda started cracking up laughing. I had stopped facing them, and I guess Dig had the most perfect "little kid that just got in BIG trouble" look on his face. =) But he DID it!!! Good boy. He also stood perfectly still while they worked on stops, until we did it one more time. Kim told me to take him to the center, counter arc and ask for the right lead, and then send him down the fence again if he didn't take it on the first try. So more rollbacks for us. Pant, pant, grin, grin!!! I don't know about Diego, but I LOVED IT!
So, I'm totally loving the lessons and can't wait to get back. Plans are for a long ride this weekend (my last before Rides of March), then our club has motocross race the next weekend, then AERC Convention, then Rides of March. So next lesson probably won't be until that weekend of 3/25. Already looking forward to it.
We started around 10 in the morning and had quite an ecletic mix of riders. Digs was really calm coming off the trailer and getting saddled. I took him over into the corral/arena first (it's really a HUGE roundpen, great format). He was a bit snorty at the bull that lives a corral panel or two over, but got busy with some ground work. He settled in pretty quickly and I mounted up before too long. However, the more horses that came over and started to ride around with us, the more agitated he became. After he couldn't decide whether to whirl around to stare at someone, or spook at something else, I decided safety first and got off and worked his little butt of in the center of the ring for a while. Took loping quite a few circles with several quick changes of direction to get his focus back on me and his mind on the task at hand (and for him to realize he was NOT, in fact, going to die
Kim came in and got us started, she had everyone line up along the rail, then one at a time we went into the middle and did a few rounds to show where we were at with our training. The first was a boyfriend/husband, obviously very green to horses, on an older paint gelding. He was followed by girlfriend/wife, again a green/unschooled rider on a more well trained, but young grey mare. Turns out the gelding was her old horse, who she's had for 12 years. She recently purchased the mare, who has "training", and they were attending to both become more schooled riders. She said new horse has buttons she wants to learn how to work. :)
Diego and I went next. He retained his calm demeanor and gave me a few nice trotting circles around, relaxed and supple. We leg yielded across the center to change directions. I was fortunate and was just turning back to the left when Kim asked me if I would lope him (something we didn't do last time) and he obliged quickly with just a kiss and a squeeze into a left lead - his strong preference. He was a bit tense, Kim asked if I had noticed and I had, but I could tell he wasn't that bad and after a few strides he loped along nicely. I thought I heard one person mention "That's a nice lope." Diego carries himself very well, uphill and driving from behind. He stopped quickly and I beamed with getting some compliments. Turns out that was more or less the best he'd be all day! LOL
A lady on a cute QH gelding named Blue went next, followed by Ronda and Quik. Then one of Kim's reining students on what was easily the most well-trained horse there, aside from Kim's handsome drool-worthy roan stallion she was riding. There was a lady on a hot little grey Arab, and another chestnut Arab that was a student of Kim's. A lady just getting started in western riding, mounted on a cute Haflinger (who Dig was highly suspicious of at first - way too much fluffy hair for him), followed by friend Elizabeth and her TWH mare Dixie. You can click on the link for her account. So a total of 10 of us.
After everyone had a chance to show where they were at, Kim started working with us from the greenest to the more experienced. It was great to watch and listen to what she was having people do, and seeing the transformation in their horses. She had a lot of people work on rib and shoulder control by doing a counter-arc. This was the same focus we had for Diego two weeks ago - to gain control over and help free up his shoulders. This is a pretty good video to explain what it is: Counter Arc Kim had us start circling the same direction their nose was tipped in, then to keep a hold of their nose, and ask them to change direction and start to step across with their legs/bodies. It's sometimes easier to start on a straight line, but it was helpful to see how many of us were working on this same concept, and how each of the horses would respond.
Kim worked her more experienced students in to demonstrate various manuevers throughout the first course of one-on-ones, so it happened that Diego and I were the last ones to go individually. She wanted me to work on a right lead circle, since he had already done some nice ones to the left. I wailed about, "But that's WHY I went left the first time!!!" ;) and we laughed. That's what we were there for, to learn and work on the issues. So right-lead it was. Mr. Dig was all tense after having stood around for a few hours, so we had to trot a few circles to get loosened up and get his head on straight again. Kim worked me through trying to get him to pick up his right lead. I've been taught to cue by using my inside leg to support the bend, and then ask for the upward transition with my outside leg.
This wasn't working for Diego, and he was getting frustrated with being asked, then brought down to a trot when he'd pick the wrong lead, then being asked, slowed, etc. and he got pissy and after a couple head-shake warnings, let loose one good buck. Kim had me immediately turn him in a much tighter circle to the right, then get after him and ask him to lope off again. He had displayed some of his pissyness two weeks ago, he will get mad and fight me, but this week we were trying a different tactic of NOT backing down and doing something else, but instead pushing him through and making him do it. So I kept him in a small (10 m.?) circle and went back to pushing him through it. After a few more failed attempts, she had me work on counter arc, and then asking him. He picked it up and got the lead! I relaxed and let him cruise in a bigger circle before we stopped him fully. She had me repeate the small circle to counter arc to correct lead successfully one more time and then we all took a short break.
Near the end of the break, I started riding Diego around again. Asking him to work off my legs and stay light in my hands. Again, the more horses that joined us, the more aggitated he became. I did my best to stay relaxed and with him, but was getting a little frustrated. There was a lot of loud commenting of "Really, REALLY?!?!" and "Knock it off" coming out of my mouth. Dork. But he did get his head on straight (er, mostly) and we cantered around one or two more times before lining back up on the rail.
Again, Kim worked through most of the other students first, and actually that worked out well, as E, Ronda and I were the last three remaining. We're all fairly close together with where we're at, or as E so perfectly stated: "not polished at what we do, not rank beginners, not afraid to TRY at any speed". Kim had me working with Dig again, then sent us to the fence to do rollbacks. These used to be one of my FAVORITE manuevers to perform with a good reining, cutting, cow-working horse - actually, they still are REALLY fun! But boy-howdy do they make you WORK! We weren't looking for a lot of finesse, or slow, it needed to be quick, quick, quick, with Dig listening to my outside (cueing) leg and deciding to pick up the correct lead more on his own. Whew, was it both fun and hard! It took me a bit to coordinate myself, I kept wanting to kick with both feet coming out of the turn, and Kim wanted me to only kick with my outside leg. So I had to kick, kick, ride, sit up, sit down, pull him around to the inside (fence), then grab and kick, kick with my new outside leg. We were both panting hard after a few times. After he picked up the right lead a few times on his own (I couldn't really tell, working that hard, Kim would let me know and pull him around soon if he chose the wrong one), we let him canter on his right lead off the fence and then stop. Both E and Ronda started cracking up laughing. I had stopped facing them, and I guess Dig had the most perfect "little kid that just got in BIG trouble" look on his face. =) But he DID it!!! Good boy. He also stood perfectly still while they worked on stops, until we did it one more time. Kim told me to take him to the center, counter arc and ask for the right lead, and then send him down the fence again if he didn't take it on the first try. So more rollbacks for us. Pant, pant, grin, grin!!! I don't know about Diego, but I LOVED IT!
So, I'm totally loving the lessons and can't wait to get back. Plans are for a long ride this weekend (my last before Rides of March), then our club has motocross race the next weekend, then AERC Convention, then Rides of March. So next lesson probably won't be until that weekend of 3/25. Already looking forward to it.
Friday, February 17, 2012
About Me
I added a new tab at the top if you're inclined to click on it. Go Diego Go isn't my first blog, but I retired my last effort when my dearly beloved horse, Sinatra, had to be euthanized due to cancer. I left that prior blog as a tribute to his honor, and started a new one when I acquired Dig.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
TIME or DISTANCE: More Thoughts
Endurance Granny weighs in with her thoughts...
TIME or DISTANCE: Time or Distance? That is the question.
The original question was posed on Boots and Saddles then segued to Go Diego Go, and is an interesting enough topic that I thought I’d throw in my two pennies for what they are worth. (possibly about one half cent but here I go, newbie-ness has never stopped me yet).
In an all perfect world on a sensible and well-trained horse I would focus on TIME with distance being a secondary factor. I feel that the worse disservice one can do to their horse is to train distance and then at an actual ride when time becomes critical, the horse being pushed harder (even a little matters) than actually trained. All manner of things can and do go wrong when that happens. Just sayin’ because it is the honest truth.
But there is always an on the other hand…
Click link for more reading.
TIME or DISTANCE: Time or Distance? That is the question.
The original question was posed on Boots and Saddles then segued to Go Diego Go, and is an interesting enough topic that I thought I’d throw in my two pennies for what they are worth. (possibly about one half cent but here I go, newbie-ness has never stopped me yet).
In an all perfect world on a sensible and well-trained horse I would focus on TIME with distance being a secondary factor. I feel that the worse disservice one can do to their horse is to train distance and then at an actual ride when time becomes critical, the horse being pushed harder (even a little matters) than actually trained. All manner of things can and do go wrong when that happens. Just sayin’ because it is the honest truth.
But there is always an on the other hand…
Click link for more reading.
Distance versus Time: My Thoughts
Today, Mel over at Boots and Saddles posed an interesting question:
During conditioning rides, do you ride for time or distance?
I've been mulling this over, and started a comment on her blog, then realized I had a bit to share on the topic. I find I tend to use a bit of both methods. Most often, I will ride for miles though, or rather a specific trail loop I have in mind. I generally do my long rides slower than endurance pace (around 4.5 - 5 mph overall). I don't like riding out-and-backs, so being able to go ride xxx specific loop, I know that I'll be getting in that set number of miles. However, I don't always choose a loop due to it's length, but rather the features of that particular trail:
If I'm short on time to ride, I would rather have a training session of some sort than try to fit in any type of "conditioning." I'm not the best in that I value my personal time very highly, and understand the importance of rest and mental down-time for my health. So if I have a free hour of time, I'm much more likely to spend that OFF the horse than ON. I enjoy my saddle time too much to try to rush through it due to time constraints. Very rarely do I ride for less than one hour, if I'm taking the time to saddle up, then I'm going to enjoy that time for a more extended period. This means that my horse looses out on the benefit of those short, quick, "get 5 miles in" type of rides, but he's much more likely to experience being out on the trail for hours on end. Since January, Diego was ridden according to time:
What preference do you tend to have for your riding? Time or distance?
During conditioning rides, do you ride for time or distance?
I've been mulling this over, and started a comment on her blog, then realized I had a bit to share on the topic. I find I tend to use a bit of both methods. Most often, I will ride for miles though, or rather a specific trail loop I have in mind. I generally do my long rides slower than endurance pace (around 4.5 - 5 mph overall). I don't like riding out-and-backs, so being able to go ride xxx specific loop, I know that I'll be getting in that set number of miles. However, I don't always choose a loop due to it's length, but rather the features of that particular trail:
- Deep sandy footing to work on tendon and ligament strength
- Long steady hill climbs to build muscular fitness
- Shorter, steeper hills that I work at a faster/harder pace to build aerobic capacity
- Long periods of nice footing, to work on sustained gaits at a certain speed
- Technical trail for mental focus and learning to watch foot placement
If I'm short on time to ride, I would rather have a training session of some sort than try to fit in any type of "conditioning." I'm not the best in that I value my personal time very highly, and understand the importance of rest and mental down-time for my health. So if I have a free hour of time, I'm much more likely to spend that OFF the horse than ON. I enjoy my saddle time too much to try to rush through it due to time constraints. Very rarely do I ride for less than one hour, if I'm taking the time to saddle up, then I'm going to enjoy that time for a more extended period. This means that my horse looses out on the benefit of those short, quick, "get 5 miles in" type of rides, but he's much more likely to experience being out on the trail for hours on end. Since January, Diego was ridden according to time:
- Two rides that were one-hour long and approximately 5 miles
- One 2.5 hour lesson, shared with a friend so he was "worked" about 1/2 that time and we rested or did exercises on our own the remainder
- Two rides that were between 4-5 hours long and about 20 miles each
- One 6 hour 30-mile ride
What preference do you tend to have for your riding? Time or distance?
**Posting and/or updating posts here on occassion
with a picture so I can add to my Endurance - The Ride of a Lifetime Pinterest
board, which is where I'm also compiling some Endurance 101 Clinic ideas.
Original article source will be linked when applicable.
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