Pants on Fire?

Red was channelling his inner racehorse today, apparently.  I walked out to get him this afternoon, and every other horse in the herd walked up to me; Red, however, took one look and galloped off.  Oh, boy.  It's one of those days, is it?  He conveniently galloped himself into the adjoining, and currently unoccupied, pasture, so I closed the gate on him and watched him gallop & whinny & snort & fart his way around me in huge loops until I could see his sides heaving & his nostrils flared as big as they go.  At that point, he slowed to an extended trot and continued for another while.  He sure was pretty running around like his pants were on fire, and I did kind of enjoy watching him.  I wasn't in a hurry and didn't have an agenda, so I just waited until he'd had enough.  Finally, he quit putting on a show, and walked calmly into the barn with me for saddling.  What a weirdo.  He wasn't worked up, or hyper at all.  It was almost like I was just an excuse to run around & show off or something.

Red looking as cool & calm as a cucumber despite his earlier period of insanity

We set off on a nice short road ride, and stopped by to pick up a few extra companions on the way home.  The first official Meadowbrook trail ride of the season was a hit!  Leah rode Rhio (who was a perfect gentleman), Christine rode Tomas, Kristi rode Winston, and Red lead the way.  It was a gorgeous evening with enough breeze to keep the mosquitoes mostly at bay, and we had a grand time.

Kelso supervising while Leah & Rhio got to know each other.

Looks like this pair is a hit! 

Setting off

A grand mini-adventure

Cookies and Cream

The horses are bundled in their blankets enjoying their hay despite the weather

Winter storm "Buck" (yep, that's right! One of our local TV stations is naming our snowstorms now, apparently) was petering out Sunday afternoon, and we just had to get outside and enjoy that expanse of fresh, clean snow.  The kids wanted a snowball fight and to build a snowman; we wanted to ride!  It's STILL deer season (the longest two weeks of the entire year if you ask me), so we were stuck with making patterns in the pristine snow of the outdoor arena.

His wind-knots always appear in this exact location and pattern - every time.  

Rhio was sporting his favorite dreadlock look, so had to unwillingly submit to having his mane detangled.  Rhio takes great pride in his appearance, keeping his dirt patterns fresh and new with frequent reapplication.  He resents being fussed over, primped, polished, washed, or generally gussied up.  So of course it is his long tresses that get routinely tangled, not Red's or Cricket's, both of whom enjoy a grooming session.

Ah - beautiful! 

Once we had the hair situation under control, we headed outside to meet the new lord of the outdoor arena - a very large, very squat snowman with tantalizing horse treats as eyes & nose.  The horses were mildly curious about him (or her - I'd say its rather gender-indeterminate), mostly in trying to assess the best angle at which to nab those tasty bits.

Giant snowman

Kaos & Rhio trying to figure out how to snatch the apple-eyes and/or carrot-nose

The three of us talked and laughed and joked while asking our horses to carry us around the outdoor arena, churning up the unbroken snow with hoof-sized chunks coated in the sandy dirt footing of the arena.  After a couple passes around, the snow-and-chunk mixture took on the exact appearance of cookies-n-cream ice cream!

Becca & Kaos and Christine & Tomas just enjoying the day

The footing was wonderful, and we all enjoyed cantering our horses through it; I really noticed how soft Rhio's footfalls were in the snow.  We played follow-the-leader a little bit, and just generally goofed off.  It's nice to know that we are all still kids at heart - enjoying a good romp in the fresh snow. Though now our hot cocoa is dressed with flavored liquor instead of marshmallows - yum!

Enrichment

Got treats? 

My horses are rarely bored.  They may wonder about my sanity, but they oblige my whims and generally play with or investigate most of the objects I give them to play with.  Today's object was an old foam mattress - which I have also used as an "obstacle" for mounted work, teaching them to walk across it.  Yesterday during our Halloween party, all the horses were very interested in the mattress, and so I decided to put it in their pasture this morning for some free play.

The boys enjoy new objects

Rhio and Tomas were interested, pawing at it, sniffing, and lifting it up with their teeth.  Kaos just kept eating her hay, occasionally looking mildly interested.  

The three amigos (Kaos never left her hay pile, letting the boys  investigate the mattress and run around like fools)

Then, I starting jumping on the mattress and that really got them going!  

Yep, the horses think I'm nuts.  But, I think we're all amused by each other.  

Stolen Summer

Rhio's happy to cross the bridge several times to help Tomas conquer this obstacle

Yet another day of stolen summer in October - and we took full advantage of it with a quick jaunt on the snowmobile trail, Tomas' first bridge crossing.  It was very warm today and the boys felt pretty pokey on the way out, but the bridge was a new and scary obstacle for Tomas.  Rhio stepped out confidently across it, each hoof-fall ringing out on the metal grate covering the wooden planks.  "Danger!" screamed Tomas, and he whirled for home.  Rhio & I crossed back to their side, and Christine was able to hand walk Tomas across the scary bridge.  On the other side, she mounted up and rode back across it.  

View of the river as we cross

I am continually amazed by our horses' ability to learn and accept new things so quickly - even things that they initially find so scary.  It is a wondrous thing when a prey animal can trust and follow a predator (us). 

Tomas had opportunity to practice other trail skills, like puddle drinking

We turned back for the trailer, and suddenly the horses were full of vim & vigor!  Racing home induced a little competitiveness between the boys and Christine had several opportunities to exhibit her bronc-riding abilities.  Rhio was a little on edge about Tomas' craziness and dove towards the woods to avoid his antics, making for a less-than-relaxing trip home.  We made it, however, without any major mishaps. Rhio has been loading much better in Christine's trailer, and he'll get another opportunity to practice trailer-loading tomorrow when Gesa & I head out for another ride.  I just can't get enough of this weather!!

Post-ride sweaty

Ode to Grey Horses

Yesterday was absolutely gorgeous - nearly 80 on October 8 - and as we all said, "The Last Really Nice Day for Many Months."  We were lining up to use the hose for dog baths, horse baths, sheath cleaning, etc and enjoying a few cold brews and good conversation while we were at it.  Earlier in the day, Christine and I had taken the boys up to Boulder Lake for a quick 7 mile loop and they had both finished absolutely dripping wet with sweat (already got those winter coats well on their way to plushness).

Tomas looking good!

Rhio shiny & clean post-hosing

Uh-oh

The mere seconds it takes for him to make himself completely filthy again are a bit depressing!

Fall Color Tour #2

Fall is such a brief season, at least here, and it is the best time to ride.  The cool, crisp air makes the horses fresh and eager.  The annoying insects of summer are gone, leaving us to ride in peace.  The vibrant colors of the leaves contrasting with the still-green grass and blue skies are a feast for the eyes.

Christine & I took our boys out for a short ride down the road just to enjoy the day and the weather, savoring another beautiful ride and storing it in our memories against the bitter cold, early dark, and deep snows which we know are coming.

Difficulty in the Gravel Pit

All these pictures are post-difficulty.  Christine & Tomas did not have the best of rides, and her wrist/hand is now sporting a handsome brace to show for their bonding time together.  Argh!  We attempted to do a little hill work, but Tomas threw a bucking fit as he was cresting the first hill and Christine was unceremoniously dumped.  She's one tough cookie, got right back up and we came around to do the hill again.  No more bucking, but he was definitely not happy about doing the work of climbing the hill.  Conveniently, the equine body worker is already scheduled for Wednesday, and I'll follow up his therapy with some acupuncture.  Hopefully, we'll get Tomas straightened out and Christine's injury will heal quickly.  

The pond scum which the ponies actually thought was tasty.

Tomas sampling the scum.  Ewww! 

They had to drag me into the saddle...

but we had a very fun ride!  Yesterday it was hot & humid (for Duluth, in May, anyway!!) and I was tired, hot, & out of sorts after spending all morning weeding, planting, & watering in the veggie garden.  I was about as close as I ever come to not wanting to ride.  But Christine & Becca were ready to go with smiles on, and poor Rhio was looking pretty forlorn being the sole horse left in his pasture, so off I went to fetch my pony.  We set off down the road, with a destination of the gravel pits in mind.

What a cute pair!  Becca on Kaos & Christine on Tomas heading down the road

Once my butt hit the saddle, I felt great and was happy to be riding, as usual.  The sun beat down upon us, but we were able to catch a nice breeze and we hardly noticed the heat.  We meandered around the gravel pit, went up & down the hill a few times, enjoyed the scenery, and ended up cooling our heels in the pond.  

Lupine in bloom

All the horses seemed to enjoy the water - even scared-y Tomas! 

Becca & Kaos looking happy & relaxed

Upon our return to the farm, we rinsed the sweat off our threesome of greys (so they could go roll in the dirt and get properly grubby again) and enjoyed some ice cold adult beverages.  Ahhh!  Thanks, guys, for dragging me into the saddle for this ride :)  

Are You My Mommy?

Rhio & Tomas enjoying the sun before I rudely made them get up to go for a ride.

I've had a horrible case of poison ivy on my thigh since our first endurance ride of the season last weekend, and was finally able to ride on Sunday.  I have a new pair of hoof boots to try - Renegade boots. (http://www.renegadehoofboots.com/ ) They were simple to put on, Rhio didn't object at all, and they looked pretty good. They are rounder than the Easy Boots and seem to fit his hoof better.

My pair of used Renegades from eBay are sparkly green!  

  We headed off for a Mother's Day trail ride with Kathy, Kristi, & Christine.  I left his hinds bare, and didn't feel any issues with the Renegades on the grassy trails out back.  We cantered a little in the hayfield and that seemed fine, too.  Yay!

Enjoying our sunny, beautiful Mother's Day ride.

A mushroom I found on our ride in the woods - and brought home much worse for the wear from being stepped on by the dog & stuffed into my saddle bag.  Oops! 

Although my thigh was killing me, Christine & I headed down the road so I could do a little sustained trotting for more boot assessment.  We headed to the sheep hill and did a couple repetitions up the hill, then headed home.  Both horses were very lazy on the way out, but the lambs caused some undue excitement when one in particular came running to the fence, "Baaaaaaing" desperately all the way.  I think he saw Rhio and thought we might be his mommy :)   He seemed so disappointed when he got close and realized we were not a sheep.  The horses were both standing stock still watching this small & loud creature barreling towards us - contemplating whether or not our lives were in danger.  We had a lively canter/hand-gallop up the hill and then headed home with much perkier horses.

The view across the hay fields at the top of the sheep hill.

I was pleased when we got home to discover no interference marks on Rhio's front limbs, the boots were securely in place, and did not have any debris in them.  He did not have any rubs from the boots, either, but clearly areas of disrupted/ smashed down hair on his heel bulbs.  This will be something I will watch to see if it develops into a rub.  Overall, I was very pleased with the new boots and have hopes they will work better for us than the Easy Boots.  I am still using Easy Boots on the hinds, but also have to use splint boots to prevent interference marks.

My poison ivy wasn't in such good shape by the end of the ride, however, and I was grateful to sit down with an ice pack and some more thickly applied cream.  

Boot Trial: Red #1 (or, "All we need now is a clown on fire riding a unicycle!")

Christine & Tomas on Church Road

Thursday dawned clear & brisk and looked like it would develop into a gorgeous day for a training ride.  I made plans for Christine & Tomas to do a road ride with us, and despite the change in the weather for the worse, we mounted up & headed out.  The winds had picked up to about 15 - 20 mph sustained with gusts to 30 mph.

I outfitted Red in boots all around.  Historically, he has done very well in boots.  Today he wore an Easyboot Bare on his left front but an Easyboot Epic on his right front.  His right front has markedly widened over the winter (I don't know why!) and the Epic is the only boot I have right now that fits it.  And, I only have 1 Epic left, so I had to use a dissimilar pair for the left front.  This probably isn't an ideal situation - the sole on the Bare is a bit thicker than the sole of the Epic, and they have a different tread. Also, I suspect they may be a different weight.  He wore the Easyboot Gloves on his hinds.

Right front Epic and left front Bare

Glove on a hind - I don't think they actually fit him all that well but I didn't have any problem with them.

We set off down Pioneer Road, happily trotting along with both horses relaxed.  The wind made conversing difficult, as we could barely hear each other even shouting.  The horses seemed a little extra spooky, but nothing too terrible.  We made the turn at the "sheep hill," and from then on both horses were a handful.  We continued down the minimum maintenance part of Church, seeing a small painted turtle but thankfully no ducks bursting out of the bog.

One of several bogs along Church Road.

Red looking for the bogey man in the woods.

The prettiest part of Church Road.

Christine & Tomas nearing the turn-around spot.

I heard lots of laughter behind me as Chris watched me & Red careening back & forth down the road and shying repeatedly with big lurches to the side.  She was having pretty much the same ride, but I think got a split-second warning by seeing me & Red do it first.  I'm sure it was quite amusing.  

We stopped for a little grazing & so I could check boots at the 3 1/2 mile mark, our turnaround at the busy road.  All the boots seemed to be performing just fine, with no rubs from the gaiters.  I did have to tighten the gaiters which were new & not broken-in yet, but the old Epic with the broken-in gaiter didn't need any adjustment.  Red enjoyed a few nibbles, but Tomas was too excited to eat.  This is a perfect example of the difference between an experienced trail/endurance horse (eat at every opportunity) and an inexperienced one.

Red chowing down.

The return trip was even more "exciting" than the outward trip, and we did not win all the arguments with our horses!  There were a few moments of unplanned galloping (WHEE!), which didn't result in any mishaps and so are now thought of as very fun.  I'm not sure they were quite so fun at the time (although being on Red, my only concern was when I would be able to stop him and if he would spook at a full gallop, I would come off for sure - he is not a bucker).  Tomas has bucked on a semi-regular basis, so Christine was thrilled that he didn't.  

We made it home, although walked more of it than we intended due to the extreme spookiness of both horses.  A tree came down in the woods just behind us and we nearly had a second unplanned galloping incident, but were able to get things under control.  Given the challenging wind conditions, both horses did very well.  My favorite comment of the day was Christine's, when a plastic bag billowed up out of the ditch and went flying down the road, bringing both horses to a quivering stand-still - "All we need now is a clown on fire riding a unicycle."

 I was relatively pleased with the boot performance, but I am doubtful about those Gloves staying on Red's hinds in any sort of deeper footing.  The road isn't much of a testing ground for boots, but it does give me an idea about rubbing and gait changes, etc.  I am going to look into getting a boot accessory called a "power strap" for the Gloves, which tightens up the boot in the front just a little.  They also come in pretty colors, so I can both match my tack and hopefully be able to find them if they come off! 

I have not been able to find my reins with the rein stops & rings permanently placed, to use with my running martingale, and so have been riding without the martingale this spring.  It's been ok so far, but really wished I'd had it on for this ride!  (After searching all my horse stuff in both barns, I finally found those reins at the bottom of a bag in my bedroom!)

A Bright, Sunshiny Day

Kristi riding Cricket

What a beautiful day!  We took an hour for a wander this afternoon, finally able to get around the gate into the county gravel pit.  Everyone had a grand time.  We had lots of mud & water, plus still some snow to negotiate, which was great practice for Tomas who is still fairly green on the trail.  

Rhio, Kelso & I are inside the gate already, discussing how best to get everyone else around the gate - snowbank on one side & a signpost on the other both threatening riders' knees

Christine & Tomas came through the snowbank - knocking it down a little more for an easy return trip

Not sure what he's looking at - this is on top of the small hill that I always have the horses climb when we're in the gravel pit (every little hill looks like extra conditioning to me!)