Calculated Risk

Normally, I lay pretty low during the firearm deer season (it's only two weeks out of the whole year after all!) and only ride in the arena or yard.  This year, however, the weather has been so gorgeous in early November, that I just can't force myself to stay home.  I still won't ride out on a weekend during deer season, but I figured midday on a Tuesday was pretty safe.  Bedazzled in blaze orange and staying completely out of the woods & fields in favor of a road ride, I figured we were as safe as we could be!  I worry a little more with Red, as he's close to the same color as the deer (albino deer are pretty rare so I feel slightly safer on Rhio, though it's probably a false sense of security considering hunters can't seem to tell the difference between a bipedal human in blaze orange and a deer sometimes!).  

One of these guys will be on my family's Thanksgiving table!  And to be honest, I find the whole flock following me in the pasture, gobbling and strutting, to be a little creepy. 

Red was napping in the sun when I arrived, so after guiltily waking him up, we waded back through the flock of turkeys to the barn to tack up.  My "spooky" Arab is so used to the turkeys that he completely ignores them, even as they "graze" right along with the horses - whether this would translate into calmness during a wild turkey encounter on trail has not yet been tested!  We don't actually have wild turkeys this far north, but we do encounter grouse frequently - which make me jump when they "whir" up more than they startle Red.  

Booted all around and with his blaze orange rump rug in place, we set off on our usual route down the road.  We were passed by several of the boarders at the barn, and they all reported that we were very visible and didn't look anything like deer!  We did have an encounter with a particularly rude motorist - which is actually fairly uncommon in our neighborhood.  We were halted waiting to cross a paved road; I had one hand on the reins and one hand signaling Kelso to "Whoa!"   A pickup truck flew past us, laying on his horn.  Nice one, dude.  Appreciate that.  What point were you trying to make, exactly?  Neither horse nor dog moved a muscle - what good boys!!!

Lots of freshly cut ends of trees line the road from our wind storm several weeks ago; Red noticed every single one and gave each a WIDE berth in case they were carnivorous with a special fondness for horse.

The stream which frequently harbors exploding ducks (not today though!)

Red and I apparently had differing expectations of what our afternoon's outing would entail.  I thought a nice medium trot to work up a light sweat and get us in the zone was in order.  Red thought we should zoom along as fast as we could go, skittering sideways at the slightest irregularity in the road surface or in the vegetation along the edge.   Hmmm, maybe today would have been a good day to put that running martingale on!  

Only having an hour, we did about 5 miles and returned to the barn in time to meet the farrier.  Every nice day, and every ride, in November is a stolen one.  Ahh - heaven is the wind that blows between my horse's ears! (to paraphrase an Arabian proverb) 

Rider's High

We've all heard of a runner's high, where a long-distance run induces a state of euphoria in the runner.  Science seems to point to the release of endorphins (a.k.a. "happy chemicals") as the root of this euphoria.  I would like to respectfully submit that there is also such a thing as a "rider's high" and that today I experienced a massive one.  My brain was positively dripping in happy chemicals.  I was drunk on riding my horse, which luckily does not come with the morning-after ill-effects (unless you count the burning desire to repeat over and over again as an ill-effect!).

While a large proportion of the Minnesota populace is sporting blaze orange in its quest to bag a big buck, the three of us donned our blaze orange to make sure no one mistook our ponies for deer and set off for a nearby state park.  Blue skies, calm winds, and the anticipation of new trails lured us to Jay Cooke State Park - none of us had ridden there before.  The horse trail is short (three loops for a total of about 4 miles) but blissfully devoid of hunters.

Stormy, Paco, & Rhio
a friend graciously allowed us to park in her driveway (much to the consternation of her 6 llamas, who did NOT appreciate the intruders!)

Kathy & Stormy, and Gesa & Paco, heading down the road to the trail access - hopefully looking not at all like deer!

As I was told, it is impossible to get lost - the trails are well-signed and are all loops, starting & ending at a paved bike path (with a grassy shoulder for the horses).  We quite enjoyed the rolling hills and scenic vistas over deep ravines and the St. Louis River.  I imagine that it is quite breathtaking in the spring as the green starts to appear, and of course in the fall with the vibrant leaves.  It was still gorgeous with bare trees all around.

Ah! New trail to explore! 

"Hemlock Ravine" overlook

One of many spots where we had to ride along the paved bike trail

We encountered a set of roller-skiers on the paved path, which were of some moderate concern for Rhio, as well as a large group of horsewomen also out enjoying the day, and several hikers.  Rhio preferred to lead most of the ride, and set a lovely forward pace.  We cantered where we were able, and he gave me lovely transitions between trot and canter.  We were also able to leave the other horses behind, letting them recede out of sight, and continue with forward motion - this was a nice skill to practice as he really prefers to be with other horses.  The weather could not have been more lovely, especially for November 7, and was near 60 I think.  I even saw a lone fly, and 2 swarms of gnats!

What a pretty overlook!

The out-and-back trail along the ridge top to the overlook

We did the entire trail system twice, and ended up with about a 10 mile ride - not too shabby for so little trail!  Upon our return to the trailer, the horses gave pony rides to the kids and Rhio got to meet a llama up close and personal (boy do I wish I'd had my camera ready for that! He looked gorgeous arching his neck and gingerly sniffing noses with the strange scary creatures.).

Rhio giving the girls a ride

We headed home supremely satisfied with our ride, and tried not to wonder if this was the last nice day and the last good ride for the year.

Oh, yes, we'd love to go this way - thanks little tripod horse!

And P.S. - Rhio's been loading perfectly the last several times we've trailered, both in the stock trailer and in Jodi's 4-horse slant-load.  It'll be interesting to see what happens the next time I ask him to load into the 2-horse straight-load (which probably won't be until next year). 

Saddle TLC

My saddle got really soaked at Point Chaser, since it rained pretty much the entire 30 miles on Sunday.  I'm always amazed at how bad my saddle looks after it has been wet, and then dried.

The saddle appears dull and dry.  

It sat in the living room to dry, then I cleaned it.  I use a weak Murphy's Oil Soap solution and a rag to clean it, per instructions from Synergist when I bought the saddle.

Dirty water after washing the saddle - Ewww! 

Once it's dry from cleaning, I start oiling the leather.  I use olive oil, since that is what Synergist recommends.  Plant-based products are apparently healthier for the leather than petroleum-based products (plus better for the environment!).  

Really, it doesn't need to be organic olive oil - this is just the bottle that I have that is only for saddles - don't like to mix the kitchen with the tack room (too often). 

I lost track of how many coats of oil I put on, but suffice it to say it was at least 3 days worth of multiple applications per day.  The leather soaks up the oil almost instantly.  I continue adding oil until it doesn't soak any more up (or until I'm tired of the whole process and just want to ride!).  

Shiny, happy saddle once again!  

Postscript

Wow, was that fun!  The three culprits were found standing around and staring at their handiwork. 

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.  

Halloween!

The helmet & the green bridle kind of ruin the look, but it seemed best to use both those pieces of equipment!

I really do love to dress up - it must be my inner child shining through.  This year, instead of a regular old Halloween costume party, I planned a barn party and tried to induce my fellow boarders to get creative with their horses.  We had fun, but only one other person really got her horse into it.  

Christine on Tomas, me, Carter on Cricket, Becca on Kaos, Kristi on Cody, and Leah on Centarus (the skeleton horse)

I dressed as a sorceress, and Rhio went as my "renaissance pony."  Originally, he was going to be a unicorn (a "white" Arabian - what could be more cliche than turning him into a unicorn?), but we had some technical difficulties with the horn, so abandoned it.  Rhio was a pretty good sport about it flopping all over his face, but I didn't think it wise to ride him that way.  I was surprised at his "goosey-ness" when I mounted and got my long skirt and cloak all draped over him.  He is used to wearing a rump rug, so I assumed the cloak would be no problem, but he was a little concerned about it to begin.  Also, I was carrying a "wand" (a.k.a. riding crop covered in silver ribbon) and he couldn't take his eyes off it, so I had to abandon that as well.  

I was amazed at how warm it actually was under the cloak - Rhio's body heat really kept me warm.  I also realized why ladies used to require assistance to mount, dismount, etc - it is difficult to manage all those miles of cloth! 

Post-party, I decided to ride down the road to Red's barn, and go trick-or-treating!  I suppose I'm technically too old to trick-or-treat, but I've never done it horseback before, and I figured I might as well get a little more mileage out of my costume.  

Not your traditional trick-or-treaters :) 

What fun!  Rhio & Cody scored apples, and we got sweet treats, too.  Thanks to everyone who came, helped, took pics, etc - but I want to see you all in costume next year!!!!!  

There Are No Pantyhose In Hinckley (Point Chaser 2010 - Part 2)

Coming across the bridge - we're soaking wet & cold but the photo looks great - thanks to the intrepid ride photographer Bob who braved the elements to take these shots

After our very successful 50 mile completion on Friday, Rhio settled down with his buddy Paco to rest & eat, with standing wraps + poultice on his legs (for the first time, as we've had stocking up issues recently). Gesa arrived in the early evening, and we were all invited to enjoy our camp neighbor's wonderful gourmet dinner (grilled beef tenderloin, asparagus, asian salad, garlic bread, plus numerous appetizers and homemade apple pie for dessert).  Wow.  Not my usual ridecamp fare!  After dinner I was able to take a hot shower (boy did that feel great!), we walked the horses (Rhio looked amazing - bright eyed and bushy tailed - like he hadn't done a darn thing that day), and snuggled into our sleeping bags for the night.  The trailer was cozy with the three of us plus Roger the rat terrier.

None of us were riding Saturday, with Rhio & Jodi's mare getting the day off, and Gesa opting to ride Sunday with me.  It was cloudy and threatening rain when we got up, so we walked horses and got them settled in with waterproof blankets, then spent some time warming & drying ourselves around the fire in the building.  Gesa realized that she had forgotten to pack pantyhose, which she wears beneath her tights to prevent rubs.  We had the whole day, and an extra vehicle, so off we went in search of a pair of pantyhose.

Little did we know, some 2 hours and about 70 miles round-trip later, that there are no pantyhose for sale anywhere in the town of Hinckley.  The gas station sent us to the supermarket, which knew for a fact they were the last ones in town carrying them but they didn't stock them anymore.  So, we hopped on the freeway and went south to the next town, which I was pretty sure had a Walmart.  Yep, a huge gorilla of a Walmart, even, with aisles stretching as far as the eye could see.  We found pantyhose (a plethora) as well as some funky bandanas to add to our collection (we both like bandanas either under our helmets and/or after riding to mask the helmet hair).

Crazy fun bandanas - $1 each at Walmart! 

Returning to ridecamp, the rain was finally giving us a break, so we saddled up for an easy ride to loosen the boys up.  Rhio's legs looked tight, clean, and cool beneath his standing wraps (yay!) and, other than being positively filthy (too cold to sponge off all that sweat, dirt, and grime), he looked great.  I opted to use my bareback pad (it was just going to be a walk-trot easy ride of 45 minutes or so), and away we went with Rhio in the lead, ears up, and very forward.  Uh-oh.  Maybe not the "easy warm-up ride" I thought we were going to have!

Ready for our "warm-up" ride

Paco eager to go down the trail

We mostly trotted and cantered (oh I love to ride his canter in that bareback pad!), managing to make them walk the last mile or so in to camp.  We unsaddled, and went over to the vets to for our pre-ride vet in for Sunday morning.  Both horses looked great, and we were cleared to go.  The scribe was surprised to find a number already on Rhio's rump (#11) - he certainly didn't look like he'd been ridden already this weekend!

Dr. Bonnie vetting Paco

Video of Paco's pre-ride trot-out.  Sorry about the poor quality (old, decrepit camera) and the shaking at the end (Rhio was nudging me for treats).

Saturday night was our potluck (nothing could have been better than the main dish of spaghetti!) and awards.  I chose a pretty pink & purple polarfleece helmet liner made & donated by one of the other MN ride managers as my completion prize - which turned out to be a fortuitous choice.  During dinner, the heavens opened and a major thunderstorm rolled through.  We headed back to our trailer & the corrals to find the horses standing in water and looking quite soggy (luckily we'd all left the waterproof blankets on them).  One more walk in the rain, and we retreated to the relative warmth & dryness of the trailer.  I say relative, because by that point, so much wet stuff had come into the trailer with us (jackets, gloves, boots, Roger the rat terrier) that it was beyond damp in there.  We cranked up the Mr. Buddy propane heater for awhile before bed to try to get it cozy & dry, with moderate success.

There was still rain drumming on the trailer roof when I fell asleep, so I was thrilled to hear the quiet when I awoke Sunday morning.  It wasn't quite time to get up yet, so as I cuddled into my sleeping bag for a bit longer, I was dismayed to hear the rain start again.  Being the last MN ride of the year, it wasn't going to deter me, and I was going to ride, but I wasn't very happy about it!

We saddled in the rain, and I dressed for the weather as best I could.  I have yet to find the best outfit for riding in the rain, and opted to leave my legs uncovered (just lightly-insulated fall tights), ride in my muck boots so my feet would be dry, and use my waterproof softshell jacket with polarfleece gloves and my new helmet liner.  I didn't have any waterproof gloves for my hands, anyway, and I know from experience that polarfleece stays pretty warm even when wet.  The horses were sporting their polarfleece rump rugs, and we were set!

Paco: "Who's that?  Where are we going? This is fun!"
Rhio: "Oh, man, not this stupid bridge again!  Mom, it's raining.  Are we there yet?"

Gesa & I let the front runners get out of camp, heading back to our campsite to use the picnic table to mount and give our boys the idea that our ride had nothing whatsoever to do with those horses.  It worked, until we caught up with a pair of riders just in front of us and tried to stay a couple horse-lengths behind them (we didn't want to go that fast - it was only Paco's second LD ride and the footing was mushy as best and slippery at worst).  Our inadvertent foursome then caught another group of 3, and then a single rider, and all of us played leap-frog for almost the entire first loop.  I was fighting Rhio way more than I wanted to (saying things like, "maybe you'll be doing another 50 today, buddy - CALM DOWN, KNOCK IT OFF!!!") and I had opted to boot him because I didn't want to make him foot sore as we'd never done this many miles barefoot in one weekend (well, never done this many miles in a weekend, period!).  The boots were a BAD idea - very slippery, especially on all the wet leaves, and his hind end kept going out.  We stopped at the designated water stop (a pond) - and of course the horses were way too concerned about all the other horses and not at all interested in drinking - and I was able to remove the hind boots (his Gloves) and tie them to my saddle.  Remounting proved to be a frustrating and difficult process, as Rhio utterly refused to stand still, but I eventually got my ass back in the saddle, just to have to get off to handwalk across a slippery bridge 50 yards down the trail.  I really hate trying to get on a jigging, prancing, spinning horse, but somehow I managed it and even got him to stand still for a millisecond (STOP MOVING YOUR FEET!) before allowing him to proceed down trail.  A horse that will not stop its feet is one of my pet peeves, and my horses are typically very good about standing.  Not so on race day!

We finished the little loop, came back across the slippery bridge (not that slippery, actually, so we stayed mounted this time), back through the water stop (didn't even offer this time), and onward down the trail.  Rhio was settling in nicely, finally, as we had a little envelope of space to ourselves (briefly) and voluntarily stopped to drink at several puddles (yay, Rhio's brain was functioning again!).  Paco was behaving beautifully, leading occasionally and not bucking, forward and happy.  We wound through a cut-over area and were caught and passed by the group of 3 again, and suddenly our fire-breathing dragon horses were back in action.  We flew down the trail hot on their heels, knowing we were once again going too fast.  Coming in to the vet check, instead of walking to get those heart rates down, we were fighting and jigging and prancing and trotting and generally not having a good time of it.  Boo!  These are just the sorts of things we've been trying NOT to let Paco learn at a ride.

Wow, don't they look great?! 

We pulsed down immediately, along with everyone else in the "pack," and headed off for our 40 minute hold.  It was still raining.  We went back up for our exit exam, and decided to wait until everyone else was back out on trail so we could ride our own ride this loop.  We stayed in camp an extra 15 minutes, insuring that we were the last ones out and with enough space that we couldn't catch the horses in front of us.  Rhio & Paco were willing enough, though I could tell Rhio was starting to believe I was crazy (you know it's still raining out here, right Mom?  You really want to go?  Well, ok...).  I had pulled his front boots at the check, and we were now barefoot.  The trail conditions had deteriorated significantly, and we had large sections with so much mud that we had to walk.  We also ran into a few new "streams" running across the trail - but, there was plenty of water for the horses to drink!  We took it very easy this loop, completing the 14 miles in a little under 2 1/2 hours.  Rhio progressed from wondering why the heck we were out there in the incessant, cold rain to making it perfectly clear that this was NOT what he thought we should be doing.  He kept swinging his head around to the left and giving me a look.  Sorry, Rhi!

 "Stupid human, what are we out here in the rain and the mud for? We could be warm, dry, and eating hay back at the trailer!"

By the time we finished the ride, dead last and happily so, I was soaked to the skin (except my feet & my torso) and frozen (except my head, which was toasty warm thanks to my awesome helmet liner!), and also wondering about our sanity.  Note to self: You REALLY need to find a new system for riding in the rain; besides being so cold, I also had rubs on both inner thighs from my wet tights sticking to my wet saddle. Our ride time was about 4 1/2 hours for the 30 miles, though officially longer because we went out late at the start and on loop 2. Gesa & Paco came through a challenging ride (mentally and weather-wise, thank goodness the trail was relatively easy) with flying colors - they really earned their endurance stripes on this ride!  Both horses vetted out with no issues (there were several horses with hind end cramps due to the footing and weather) and we let them relax at the trailer and eat while getting camp packed up.  None of us had any desire to hang around camp in the miserable weather, so an hour after finishing, with both boys looking great, we loaded up and sent them on their way home with Jodi.  Gesa & I went to take hot showers to warm up, and headed home in the car.

Everyone arrived home warm & dry, and pretty proud of our weekend's accomplishments. Rhio proved that he is more than capable of what I've been asking of him so far, and I'm looking forward to moving him up to multidays (if I can get to any - still dreaming of doing Shore To Shore) and that 100 is looming on our horizon as well.  Too bad our season is over, and our next ride won't be until May (yes, mostly I love living in northern Minnesota, but winter looks mighty long from this side of it...).