Yep, way behind on blogging again! You may think I haven't been riding, but that's not it. Luckily, I have been riding and enjoying my ponies - so these next few posts will be "catch up" posts about rides over the last few months, and I will try yet again to get back on track and keep up in more "real time." Do forgive me, gentle readers.
Several weeks ago Gesa & I had the opportunity to head back to one of our favorite riding spots up in Brimson, about a 45 minute drive from the farm. This was only our second time to ride up there this season. Last time we rode here, in May, we followed an old logging road that petered into a well-travelled ATV path. It was so well-travelled that we assumed it went *somewhere*, but we didn't have the time to explore, so we vowed to come back and find out where that trail went.
Deer flies were still in full force, and our boys sported their fly masks for the entirety of the ride. Even with the masks, we also needed rider-applied fly control to keep our mounts happy. Rhio & I employed several leafy branches (it took me three tries to find a good one!), and Gesa found her crop to be an excellent fly swatter. The flies swarmed the lead horse, and switching off leading was a welcome relief for the following horse.
For those of you who don't ride ATV trails horseback, here's something to note: humans on horses are much taller than humans on ATVs. That translates into lots of ducking and dodging for us riders! Our helmets & sunglasses are employed as branch-control devices, and we must stay alert for the next face-slapping twig. This trail was much like other user-created ATV trails I've ridden in that you must be loose & limber in your saddle and your horse must be instantly responsive to leg & rein. Rhio and Paco were very good all day, and we emerged after our 15 mile ride with only a few superficial scratches and no major mishaps. We did have one large tree crosswise across the trail which was too short to ride under, but our little horses were able to walk under it once we dismounted. Whew!
We kept following the trail, eventually emerging at a minimum maintenance road and a set of railroad tracks. To my knowledge, Rhio has never crossed tracks before, and he did very well. The minimum maintenance road was smooth, level, and relatively soft - begging for a long, easy canter. We took advantage and cantered the boys quite a ways, with a few scoots to the side when we crossed a large cement culvert and passed by a monster pile of logs. Eventually the road ended at the county highway, and we crossed it briefly to explore further ATV trails, which were clearly on private property (though it wasn't signed as such) and led only to deer stands. We made the turn for home, retracing our steps, and the boys were, as always, very motivated to head back to the trailer.
Both boys wore boots for this ride, Paco on his fronts only and Rhio on all four hooves. Paco's boots only lasted the first few miles however, as one of the gaiters finally bit the dust (it had been on its last legs anyway) and Gesa had to carry the boots on her saddle the remainder of the ride. Paco seemed to do well barefoot, though he did seek the side of the trail on some of the rockier sections. Rhio's boots worked well, as usual, though he has been battling scratches (a skin infection) on both his hind pasterns, and one front pastern (all his lower legs with pink skin instead of pigmented skin). I was concerned about the gaiters rubbing on this raw skin, so I outfitted him with some old socks from my sock drawer; it turns out his feet are a bit bigger than mine! It was a little bit of a struggle to get them over his hooves. The socks stayed in place, and because I used non-cotton they seemed to perform well even when wet. Upon removal of the boots & socks, his pasterns looked just the same as they had pre-ride - no rubs! I was dismayed to discover about 15 minutes returning to the trailer and removing his foot & leg wear, that all of his affected legs swelled! His right front is especially prone to swelling, and I can only presume it was due to using the socks & boots over already compromised skin. He didn't seem sensitive, sore, or lame at all - he didn't seem to notice he was swollen at all. After the trailer ride home, the swelling was reduced and he remained completely sound. How frustrating!
It was a great ride, though - one I wish I could repeat more often. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures as my camera has died the true death - have no fear, however, the new hand-me-down camera is working well and future posts will be adorned with my usual assortment of photos.
And, as a side note, Rhio's trailer loading was very good this time - walking onto the trailer instead of leaping, and only having to consider the big scary box for a moment or two. I hope this trend continues!
Fall Colors Between Rhio's Ears
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Monday, August 8, 2011
Plan B
Friday was our first opportunity to ride together in nearly two months, and despite the high dew point and stifling humidity, Gesa and I loaded the boys up for the short trek to our local snowmobile trail. This spot was a favorite training trail last summer, and the footing was great, barring a couple of dodgy culverts, for about 3 1/2 miles (giving us a 7 mile round trip). Early this spring we discovered a side trail that will make it a 9+ mile training ride, and we can do it at speed, and it has hills. Did I mention it's only a few miles from Gesa's farm? Yep, pretty much perfect for a quick ride... Except not this summer! We haven't been over there at all since our difficult ride in the spring (mucky with frost coming out of the ground), and were dismayed to find that it has not been mowed at all. The snowmobile trails are usually mowed to maintain their condition for winter use, as well as having trees cleared, etc. The great state of Minnesota endured a government shut-down for nearly all of July, and I wonder if this was one of the many tasks set by the wayside. I don't actually know who mows the trail, but the belly-deep grass was not conducive to a training ride, though the boys did enjoy munching at chest-level as we traversed the first long hill in hopes of discovering mowed trail at the top. So, we decided to move on to plan B....which we didn't have in our back pockets, but the ride back to the trailer yielded one!
We would drive just a few more miles, parking at the base of the Amity Creek trail, and utilize both the Amity trail and Lester Park trails for some conditioning in the heat and, we presumed, bugs. Rhio has never been there, so it would be new to him, and neither of us had ridden there in over a year. It is an extremely popular spot for hikers, runners, bikers, and dog walkers, but as it was a weekday morning we were in luck with just one car in the parking area. It is designated as a city horse trail, but it's brevity (3 miles total) and inaccessibility for trailer parking (our one little rig takes up the majority of the available parking) means it's mostly used by locals with horses near enough to ride to the trail. The non-horse users are somewhat used to seeing horses, though, and that makes for generally pleasant encounters.
The poor horses were dripping sweat just from a 10 minute trailer ride, it was that hot & humid. We tacked up for the second time, applied more bug spray, and headed up the trail. This trail was formerly a road, so it is a very solid gravel - dirt base and includes two stone bridges at its base. It is entirely shaded, tucked into the backside of Hawk Ridge, and with the Amity Creek rushing (lots of rain recently, usually by August it's more burbling than rushing) along the other side, it stays relatively cool and fresh. To our utter amazement, it was also virtually bug-free. We didn't need the fly masks we'd put on the horses, and I think I only had to swat a half-dozen deer flies the entire ride!
Given the other trail users, we kept our speed to a slow trot and just enjoyed our surroundings. The boys were eager despite the heat, and once Rhio figured out that the noise was rushing water (we couldn't really see the creek at the beginning), he was constantly asking for more speed, ears pricked ahead to see what was around the next bend. We stopped for a cooling drink at the ford used by a local riding stable, and got back to the trailer feeling great and ready for more!
We had about 1/4 mile of paved road to travel to get to the lower trails, and being out in the full sun with the heat radiating up from the pavement was a whole 'nother world! It would have been an extremely unpleasant ride in the sun, but was a magnificent ride in the shade.
There was a lot of water damage to some of the trails from our recent torrential rains, with deep fissures in the red clay which Paco was pretty wary of but Rhio barely seemed to notice (so much that I was worried he might step in one!), as well as multiple areas where the vegetation was swept all in one direction, showing how much water had flowed overland to get to the creek and river. We crossed a metal snowmobile bridge, which was covered almost completely in run-off clay and made hardly any clanging noise because of it, and were off for another 5 miles of hill work.
We did a lot of walking the whole ride, with our overall average speed a mere 3.8 mph. But, with the weather conditions and the hills, the boys were both panting when we finished our total of 9 miles, and had begun stopping at every mud puddle for a sip or three.
I was very pleased with Rhio's loading on this trip, since it's been a few months since we've gone anywhere. He walked on each time, calmly, instead of his customary leap into the trailer. It still was not a shining example of trailer loading (like Paco), but his hesitation was probably only for 2 minutes each time. I hope this was a sign of permanent improvement!
Looking ahead to a 50 miler in two weeks (fingers crossed that the logistics all work out to get there), I need a few more good rides on Rhio to feel confident for that competition. After Friday's heat, humidity, and hills, he got Saturday off, and Sunday we went for speed work. We did half the distance at more than double the pace, 4 miles at 8.2 mph - whee! He feels great, now if only the last of his scratches will clear up and his leg will quit swelling up at every little thing...
 |
| Good thing we left our skis at home! |
 |
| Rhio says, "Really, Mom, you want to ride in this weather? Shouldn't we just stand here in the shade and eat hay?" |
 |
| The tip of the trail, near the ford |
Given the other trail users, we kept our speed to a slow trot and just enjoyed our surroundings. The boys were eager despite the heat, and once Rhio figured out that the noise was rushing water (we couldn't really see the creek at the beginning), he was constantly asking for more speed, ears pricked ahead to see what was around the next bend. We stopped for a cooling drink at the ford used by a local riding stable, and got back to the trailer feeling great and ready for more!
 |
| Standing on the bank of Amity Creek |
 |
| Heading back to the trail-side of Amity Creek |
We had about 1/4 mile of paved road to travel to get to the lower trails, and being out in the full sun with the heat radiating up from the pavement was a whole 'nother world! It would have been an extremely unpleasant ride in the sun, but was a magnificent ride in the shade.
There was a lot of water damage to some of the trails from our recent torrential rains, with deep fissures in the red clay which Paco was pretty wary of but Rhio barely seemed to notice (so much that I was worried he might step in one!), as well as multiple areas where the vegetation was swept all in one direction, showing how much water had flowed overland to get to the creek and river. We crossed a metal snowmobile bridge, which was covered almost completely in run-off clay and made hardly any clanging noise because of it, and were off for another 5 miles of hill work.
We did a lot of walking the whole ride, with our overall average speed a mere 3.8 mph. But, with the weather conditions and the hills, the boys were both panting when we finished our total of 9 miles, and had begun stopping at every mud puddle for a sip or three.
 |
| Does it taste like chocolate milk, too - or just look like it? |
I was very pleased with Rhio's loading on this trip, since it's been a few months since we've gone anywhere. He walked on each time, calmly, instead of his customary leap into the trailer. It still was not a shining example of trailer loading (like Paco), but his hesitation was probably only for 2 minutes each time. I hope this was a sign of permanent improvement!
Looking ahead to a 50 miler in two weeks (fingers crossed that the logistics all work out to get there), I need a few more good rides on Rhio to feel confident for that competition. After Friday's heat, humidity, and hills, he got Saturday off, and Sunday we went for speed work. We did half the distance at more than double the pace, 4 miles at 8.2 mph - whee! He feels great, now if only the last of his scratches will clear up and his leg will quit swelling up at every little thing...
 |
| The boys rubbing each other's heads after sponging. |
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Mouths to Feed
G & her family have been gone since July 5. Her three horses, two cats, and one pony are pretty self-reliant, but needed a human caretaker for the 3 1/2 weeks the family was away. I gladly volunteered my services, and, as always, things did not go 100% according to the plan, but everyone fared well and I hardly know what to do with myself now that the family is home & I'm not making my twice- or thrice-daily visits to Tischer Creek Farm.
The plan: Belle the pony stays in the barn during the day due to her allergies, and goes out into the "dry lot" paddock with a shelter and hay for the night. The horses, Paco, Gimi, & Sefi, have free grazing in the back pasture at night and are locked in the paddock area during the day. All the equines get a handful of vitamins and a sprinkling of grain in the mornings. Cats get fed twice a day and can stay either in the house or out as they prefer. It sounds so simple!
The reality: The weather was ghastly, with oppressive heat & humidity for nearly two weeks. The horses were dripping sweat by noon, and even the pony's stall was stifling (though at least shady). Oozing horse fly bites needed doctoring, and stinky feet needed thrush treatment, and overheating horses needed hosing and fans to stay comfortable. My planned twice a day visits quickly morphed into three times a day so I could check on everyone more closely in the dangerous heat, and I kept the horses stalled for all or part of the days as well, which meant 4 stalls to clean instead of 1, 4 water buckets to dump, clean, fill, & haul instead of 1, and very appreciative horses (which makes the effort so absolutely rewarding)! Several mornings Paco, Gimi, & Sefi had to be chased out of their stalls to go back outside for a few hours, when they would have preferred to stay in the barn (though the mornings were the most tolerable part of the day).
Gimi and Sefi, the "little ones," are just three year olds and have minimal experience with hosing. The several days that I attempted to cool the horses down by hosing were interesting, to say the least. Paco seemed to enjoy it the most, and Gimi quickly figured out that he liked the cold water on his chest and shoulders, and *really* liked flipping his nose through the spray and splashing me, but Sefi wanted nothing at all to do with the scary water-spouting snake. Belle didn't really like it, either, and so I left those two to sweat (you'd think they'd figure out how good it felt!) and concentrated my efforts on the more appreciative boys.
After their hosing, I scrounged around to come up with enough fans for everyone and managed to snake extension cords through the barn aisle so each horse had a fan for his/her stall. Sefi was of course afraid of her fan, and I don't think ever really got used to it, as she mostly stayed on the half of the stall away from the fan. Gimi fell in love with his fan, and stood blissfully in front of it with his forelock blowing in the breeze. Paco & Belle seemed somewhat indifferent to their fans, although both of them managed to knock their fans around when I wasn't there and cause a bit of a ruckus. I was a bit apprehensive on leaving them to their own devices after my first attempt at "be-fanning" the barn, as Paco's & Gimi's fans were floor fans balanced on the garbage can (!) and the mounting block, respectively. I was nervous about the multiple extension cords, and the capacity of the electrical circuits, and flammable nature of barn contents, though I raked all the loose material out of the aisle, made sure the stall doors to the hay & bedding were firmly shut, and even unplugged the radio and the fencer for good measure. Upon my return that evening, Gimi, who I most suspected of getting into trouble, was completely innocent of any wrong doing, and Paco, who I thought the least likely to bother anything, had managed to knock his fan over (or, it fell over on its own, also a possibility). But, no damage was done and the horses seemed as comfortably not-hot (I can't say "cool") as I could have hoped. I somewhat refined my fan technique on subsequent afternoons, and did finally get a good working set-up which seemed to balance air flow and safety, as well as put fans in the shed Belle uses at night and the big horses have access to during the day, so that even if I didn't bring them in to their stalls, they had some fan action if they wanted it. And you can probably guess, but I found Gimi standing with his nose just on the inside of the bars directly in front of the fan on more than one occasion!
The horses and I came to a mutually agreeable arrangement for coming in, going out, applying fly spray, donning fly masks, administering thrush treatments, and doctoring the oozing fly bites, and our visits slipped into an easy routine. The cats got progressively more desperate for attention (I did pet them & talk to them! Every time I came! Really!) and got to the point of following me everywhere, meowing pitifully, except when I would bring the dogs along and they would fluff up, hiss, and run under the porch (poor kitties - so traumatized!). The strange little insects called fly predators arrived in the mail as promised, and I let them hatch before spreading them about as directed. This was my first experience directly with fly predators, and I have to say, I do think they make a big difference in the leg-biting fly population, although they don't seem to have an impact on the deer or horse flies (which I think makes sense, as those flies breed in water and the fly predators eat the eggs laid by flies in organic matter like manure, moist ground, old hay, etc).
Luckily the weather broke, and I was able to quit all the hosing/fans/stalling rigamarole this past week. I did a little temporary fence repair where two wooden posts had broken and the whole fence was leaning precariously, and after the initial look-see (Gimi studied it pretty carefully), the horses left my handiwork alone (whew! I don't think the fence was packing much of a punch as far as I could tell with the fence tester, but I will fully admit I was too chicken to touch it). I "fixed" the gate with a bungee, and found the little red wagon to be a real back-saver when it came to hauling the buckets of manure around.
So this is what it's like to have your own place? I think my McGyver is ready to roll - bring it on!
The plan: Belle the pony stays in the barn during the day due to her allergies, and goes out into the "dry lot" paddock with a shelter and hay for the night. The horses, Paco, Gimi, & Sefi, have free grazing in the back pasture at night and are locked in the paddock area during the day. All the equines get a handful of vitamins and a sprinkling of grain in the mornings. Cats get fed twice a day and can stay either in the house or out as they prefer. It sounds so simple!
The reality: The weather was ghastly, with oppressive heat & humidity for nearly two weeks. The horses were dripping sweat by noon, and even the pony's stall was stifling (though at least shady). Oozing horse fly bites needed doctoring, and stinky feet needed thrush treatment, and overheating horses needed hosing and fans to stay comfortable. My planned twice a day visits quickly morphed into three times a day so I could check on everyone more closely in the dangerous heat, and I kept the horses stalled for all or part of the days as well, which meant 4 stalls to clean instead of 1, 4 water buckets to dump, clean, fill, & haul instead of 1, and very appreciative horses (which makes the effort so absolutely rewarding)! Several mornings Paco, Gimi, & Sefi had to be chased out of their stalls to go back outside for a few hours, when they would have preferred to stay in the barn (though the mornings were the most tolerable part of the day).
Gimi and Sefi, the "little ones," are just three year olds and have minimal experience with hosing. The several days that I attempted to cool the horses down by hosing were interesting, to say the least. Paco seemed to enjoy it the most, and Gimi quickly figured out that he liked the cold water on his chest and shoulders, and *really* liked flipping his nose through the spray and splashing me, but Sefi wanted nothing at all to do with the scary water-spouting snake. Belle didn't really like it, either, and so I left those two to sweat (you'd think they'd figure out how good it felt!) and concentrated my efforts on the more appreciative boys.
After their hosing, I scrounged around to come up with enough fans for everyone and managed to snake extension cords through the barn aisle so each horse had a fan for his/her stall. Sefi was of course afraid of her fan, and I don't think ever really got used to it, as she mostly stayed on the half of the stall away from the fan. Gimi fell in love with his fan, and stood blissfully in front of it with his forelock blowing in the breeze. Paco & Belle seemed somewhat indifferent to their fans, although both of them managed to knock their fans around when I wasn't there and cause a bit of a ruckus. I was a bit apprehensive on leaving them to their own devices after my first attempt at "be-fanning" the barn, as Paco's & Gimi's fans were floor fans balanced on the garbage can (!) and the mounting block, respectively. I was nervous about the multiple extension cords, and the capacity of the electrical circuits, and flammable nature of barn contents, though I raked all the loose material out of the aisle, made sure the stall doors to the hay & bedding were firmly shut, and even unplugged the radio and the fencer for good measure. Upon my return that evening, Gimi, who I most suspected of getting into trouble, was completely innocent of any wrong doing, and Paco, who I thought the least likely to bother anything, had managed to knock his fan over (or, it fell over on its own, also a possibility). But, no damage was done and the horses seemed as comfortably not-hot (I can't say "cool") as I could have hoped. I somewhat refined my fan technique on subsequent afternoons, and did finally get a good working set-up which seemed to balance air flow and safety, as well as put fans in the shed Belle uses at night and the big horses have access to during the day, so that even if I didn't bring them in to their stalls, they had some fan action if they wanted it. And you can probably guess, but I found Gimi standing with his nose just on the inside of the bars directly in front of the fan on more than one occasion!
 |
| Belle & her fan - gotta love baling twine! She did manage to knock this around a bit but no damage done. |
 |
| Gimi, Paco, and Sefi wondering if I am going to feed them. |
 |
| The broken wood fence and my "fix" with T-posts. Thank goodness I was able to find posts, post pounder, caps, insulators, electric rope, screws, and a drill that worked! Nothing like nosing around in other people's stuff :) |
 |
| Ah! The barn aisle all neat, clean, and tidy - I love that! Now imagine this with blue extension cords & fans all over the place, some balanced on things they probably shouldn't have been... not such a pretty or satisfying sight (and why didn't I have my camera that day?!). |
Dental Day
Well, the dentists (a two doctor team) came to town, and Meadowbrook was the place to be! We had several horses haul in, including two that came down from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, and I fetched Paco over from Gesa's as well.
It was a whole day affair, but my only "victim" was Cricket this year. He is nearing the end of his dental care career, however, as most of his teeth are worn to the point of being minimally useful for munching anymore. I figured this was the case, but I wanted to be sure that none of those almost-expired teeth were loose or infected or otherwise needing attention. There is not much to be done when a horse uses up his teeth, other than feed him lots of healthy food that doesn't require much chewing. So, his summer diet of lots of green grass is perfect, but winter will be tougher this year than last. He will continue to eat beet pulp, senior feed, and alfalfa pellets, and I will likely add in a fat source for extra calories. He eats hay, and actually doesn't drop, or "quid," at all that I'm able to tell, but at this point he's probably not masticating the hay effectively enough to extract all the nutrients & calories out of it that he could. And, he packs hay/grass into the spaces between his old teeth ("diastema"), which so far isn't a problem but can lead to infected gums and/or teeth, so I'll need to watch carefully for any changes in his eating behavior or a putrid odor emanating from his mouth.
I hate to say it on a steamy late July day, but it is already time to start thinking about winter, at least for Cricket. Now is the time to get some extra weight on him if I can - he is too thin for my taste already with his ribs slightly visible, BCS 3/9. These few weeks of awful heat and humidity that we've had, plus the record hordes of flies & other nasty biting insects, have really taken a toll and I've seen some weight drop off many of the horses this month. Every afternoon that the horses spend in the barn to escape the unrelenting sun, heat, and bugs, I put extra food in front of Cricket and so far he's doing a good job of eating most of it.
Unless a problem arises requiring more dental work, such as pulling an infected tooth, this will be Cricket's final dental "maintenance." I didn't get any pictures of Cricket's session, but here's one of Paco getting "tuned up."
 |
| The crowd of horse owners, one tag-a-long husband, and two pre-vet students congregate outside the dental rig. |
It was a whole day affair, but my only "victim" was Cricket this year. He is nearing the end of his dental care career, however, as most of his teeth are worn to the point of being minimally useful for munching anymore. I figured this was the case, but I wanted to be sure that none of those almost-expired teeth were loose or infected or otherwise needing attention. There is not much to be done when a horse uses up his teeth, other than feed him lots of healthy food that doesn't require much chewing. So, his summer diet of lots of green grass is perfect, but winter will be tougher this year than last. He will continue to eat beet pulp, senior feed, and alfalfa pellets, and I will likely add in a fat source for extra calories. He eats hay, and actually doesn't drop, or "quid," at all that I'm able to tell, but at this point he's probably not masticating the hay effectively enough to extract all the nutrients & calories out of it that he could. And, he packs hay/grass into the spaces between his old teeth ("diastema"), which so far isn't a problem but can lead to infected gums and/or teeth, so I'll need to watch carefully for any changes in his eating behavior or a putrid odor emanating from his mouth.
I hate to say it on a steamy late July day, but it is already time to start thinking about winter, at least for Cricket. Now is the time to get some extra weight on him if I can - he is too thin for my taste already with his ribs slightly visible, BCS 3/9. These few weeks of awful heat and humidity that we've had, plus the record hordes of flies & other nasty biting insects, have really taken a toll and I've seen some weight drop off many of the horses this month. Every afternoon that the horses spend in the barn to escape the unrelenting sun, heat, and bugs, I put extra food in front of Cricket and so far he's doing a good job of eating most of it.
Unless a problem arises requiring more dental work, such as pulling an infected tooth, this will be Cricket's final dental "maintenance." I didn't get any pictures of Cricket's session, but here's one of Paco getting "tuned up."
 |
| Dr. Bowman works on Paco. |
 |
| My zoom is broken, but this is Paco, Rhio, & Cricket hanging out like best buddies. Cricket & Paco had never met, and they sniffed noses for a long time as if saying "Hey, I've heard all about you from Rhio!", "Yeah, me too!", "Let's go graze." The introduction was a complete non-event. |
 |
| Killian supervising the goings-on with an expert eye. |
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Sleepover!
I was a bad horsey mom for most of June. I barely had any time for my boys at all, and Red drew the short stick just by virtue of not living right out my backdoor. So when this past weekend turned up without any plans, I decided it was time for a pony party!
Saturday morning, before the worst of this horrid humidity we're currently sweltering through hit, I tacked Red up and took him for a spin. As I had with Rhio, I found that I needed a tree branch fly switch to make the ride at all tolerable, but with that at the ready, we had a lovely ride. I think his right hock might be bothering him again (already!), though, as he seemed a little off at his slow trot. Of course, at his big trot he felt fine, as all that momentum "hides" the little hitch in his giddyup. We lucked out and the skies stayed cloudy for nearly all our 7 1/2 miles, but as soon as that sun came out, it was way too hot!
Red is not my heat-tolerant horse, and he was extremely sweaty upon our return. The first of the pampering pony party began, and Red got a full bath with shampoo and I even did his mane and tail. He quite enjoys baths, at least when it's hot, and was then very happy to go stand in a stall in front of a fan. I brought the rest of the crew in to escape the heat and flies for the afternoon, and left them all contentedly munching hay while their forelocks blew in the fan-generated breezes.
Red spent his nights grazing down the tall grass in the round pen, and the afternoons in the barn trying to beat the heat. He got his feet treated for thrush (seems to be all cleared up from spring, but a maintenance treatment seemed like a good plan), his bridle path clipped, his mane braided, and just generally preened, petted, and pampered. He loved every minute of it! I worried a bit that the boys back at his farm would ostracize him upon his return, smelling sweet and looking all shiny and clean. My fears were assuaged, however, when Peepers and Jimmy came running & whinnying to the gate to meet him last night.
It was so hot that the thought of riding him the 1 mile home was completely unappealing until about 8:30 pm last night. It was still hot & humid, but at least the sun was mostly down and it's slanted rays didn't have the power of midday anymore. I jumped on Rhio with the bareback pad, still in my bathing suit from my swim in the lake earlier in the evening and with sandals on my feet (kids, don't do this at home!), and ponied Red home. The flies were terrible, and I was trying to swat them from my bare legs & feet, and both horses' heads, while holding Rhio's reins in one hand and Red's lead rope in the other. You can guess how well that went! Out of desperation to get away from the flies, I let the boys trot their big trots and we went flying down the middle of the road. On our return journey, Rhio & I were trotting home beneath a red sky and it was somehow magical.
Saturday morning, before the worst of this horrid humidity we're currently sweltering through hit, I tacked Red up and took him for a spin. As I had with Rhio, I found that I needed a tree branch fly switch to make the ride at all tolerable, but with that at the ready, we had a lovely ride. I think his right hock might be bothering him again (already!), though, as he seemed a little off at his slow trot. Of course, at his big trot he felt fine, as all that momentum "hides" the little hitch in his giddyup. We lucked out and the skies stayed cloudy for nearly all our 7 1/2 miles, but as soon as that sun came out, it was way too hot!
 |
| You can see the foaming sweat coming through the mesh of the fly mask ears. |
Red is not my heat-tolerant horse, and he was extremely sweaty upon our return. The first of the pampering pony party began, and Red got a full bath with shampoo and I even did his mane and tail. He quite enjoys baths, at least when it's hot, and was then very happy to go stand in a stall in front of a fan. I brought the rest of the crew in to escape the heat and flies for the afternoon, and left them all contentedly munching hay while their forelocks blew in the fan-generated breezes.
Red spent his nights grazing down the tall grass in the round pen, and the afternoons in the barn trying to beat the heat. He got his feet treated for thrush (seems to be all cleared up from spring, but a maintenance treatment seemed like a good plan), his bridle path clipped, his mane braided, and just generally preened, petted, and pampered. He loved every minute of it! I worried a bit that the boys back at his farm would ostracize him upon his return, smelling sweet and looking all shiny and clean. My fears were assuaged, however, when Peepers and Jimmy came running & whinnying to the gate to meet him last night.
It was so hot that the thought of riding him the 1 mile home was completely unappealing until about 8:30 pm last night. It was still hot & humid, but at least the sun was mostly down and it's slanted rays didn't have the power of midday anymore. I jumped on Rhio with the bareback pad, still in my bathing suit from my swim in the lake earlier in the evening and with sandals on my feet (kids, don't do this at home!), and ponied Red home. The flies were terrible, and I was trying to swat them from my bare legs & feet, and both horses' heads, while holding Rhio's reins in one hand and Red's lead rope in the other. You can guess how well that went! Out of desperation to get away from the flies, I let the boys trot their big trots and we went flying down the middle of the road. On our return journey, Rhio & I were trotting home beneath a red sky and it was somehow magical.
 |
| Red & Rhio enjoying the fans. |
Thursday, July 14, 2011
A July Cool Front = Time to Ride!
This week has been gloriously cool and breezing, giving us all a respite from the unrelenting heat & flies. The horses seem so relaxed, and of course it has been lovely riding weather. On Tuesday, Rhio and I headed out for our first solo conditioning ride in a very long time (almost 6 weeks!). It was only in the upper 60s and mostly sunny with a light breeze, so I thought we'd be pretty safe from flies for the most part and off we went.
Rhio argued, and then moped, about going out alone, but pretty soon was merrily trotting along with his ears pricked as usual. We were trying out the attempt boot repair on the Renegades, and a few miles in to the ride he suddenly seemed "off." His right front boot had turned on his hoof, so I hopped off to fix it. At this point, I realized the adhesive I'd tried to repair the boots with was clearly not up to the job and the cracks were already bigger & badder than they'd been to start. Quickly revising my route, we opted to do an out-and-back just on gravel roads rather than the "big loop."
After that one boot adjustment, and many, many glances down over his shoulders to check boot status, we had no additional difficulties and completed our 9 mile route easily. The boots are definitely in worse shape after those miles, though, and I am debating whether to attempt another repair with some other kind of adhesive, or just give up on them.
It turns out I was partially correct in my assumptions about the fly situation. Along the open road, the flies were minimal and neither one of us was bothered. As soon as we hit a stretch of road with trees along the sides, however, it was a deer fly frenzy. Poor Rhio did not have the fly mask on (my fault) and was being driven progressively more insane by the flies. I was doing my best to slap the ones I could reach, but they have a nasty habit of landing somewhere where I can neither see nor reach them, and my only clue to their presence is Rhio's frantic head tossing. Slowing even to a slow trot was miserable, the flies were swarming & biting us both, so I broke a bit of leafy branch off as we passed by a likely looking small tree and proceeded to "beat" my horse upside the head with it. At first he thought I was offering him something to eat, and kept turning & trying to grab the leaves to munch on. He quickly realized the utility of the branch, however, and seemed to welcome my waving it around & bonking his face with it. The rest of our ride was much more peaceful, fly-wise, and I discarded that branch only when we got home to the barn.
 |
| Heading out the driveway |
 |
| The neighbor's are cutting hay, which is now in our indoor arena awaiting unloading. |
Rhio argued, and then moped, about going out alone, but pretty soon was merrily trotting along with his ears pricked as usual. We were trying out the attempt boot repair on the Renegades, and a few miles in to the ride he suddenly seemed "off." His right front boot had turned on his hoof, so I hopped off to fix it. At this point, I realized the adhesive I'd tried to repair the boots with was clearly not up to the job and the cracks were already bigger & badder than they'd been to start. Quickly revising my route, we opted to do an out-and-back just on gravel roads rather than the "big loop."
After that one boot adjustment, and many, many glances down over his shoulders to check boot status, we had no additional difficulties and completed our 9 mile route easily. The boots are definitely in worse shape after those miles, though, and I am debating whether to attempt another repair with some other kind of adhesive, or just give up on them.
 |
| Poor boot |
It turns out I was partially correct in my assumptions about the fly situation. Along the open road, the flies were minimal and neither one of us was bothered. As soon as we hit a stretch of road with trees along the sides, however, it was a deer fly frenzy. Poor Rhio did not have the fly mask on (my fault) and was being driven progressively more insane by the flies. I was doing my best to slap the ones I could reach, but they have a nasty habit of landing somewhere where I can neither see nor reach them, and my only clue to their presence is Rhio's frantic head tossing. Slowing even to a slow trot was miserable, the flies were swarming & biting us both, so I broke a bit of leafy branch off as we passed by a likely looking small tree and proceeded to "beat" my horse upside the head with it. At first he thought I was offering him something to eat, and kept turning & trying to grab the leaves to munch on. He quickly realized the utility of the branch, however, and seemed to welcome my waving it around & bonking his face with it. The rest of our ride was much more peaceful, fly-wise, and I discarded that branch only when we got home to the barn.
 |
| Rhio's opinion of being gooped, daubed, and slathered with various ointments before being turned back out (SWAT for his bitten sheath, sunscreen for his sensitive pink nose, and desitin for his scratches-prone pasterns) |
Friday, July 8, 2011
24 Days
Yes, it's been 24 days since I've ridden a horse. My last ride was our camping weekend back in early June. Since then, we had a run of very bad weather, I was in a wedding, and I spent a glorious week at the cabin with family. Today was the day to break my "fast" and Rhio seemed as pleased as I was to be out.
We began in the outdoor arena, as I knew the flies were incredibly bad. I figured the arena was probably the least buggy place to ride right now. Rhio had other ideas, however, and was incredibly distracted during my attempt to work on "skills.". I abandoned that rather quickly and gave in to our mutual desire to just get out there and move. We headed down the road, and sure enough the flies were horrible. We could only tolerate them for about two miles, but we were both so happy to be "going somewhere" that it made it worthwhile.
And by the way, don't believe it if you are told that a horse will go where its nose is pointing. Rhio had no trouble trotting in a straight line while biting at the fly on his shoulder.
After our brief but strangely fulfilling jaunt, we spent some quality time with the hose, the barn fan, and a mane comb plus some detangler. My horse doesn't look neglected anymore, and he discovered how nice a fan blowing can be.
We began in the outdoor arena, as I knew the flies were incredibly bad. I figured the arena was probably the least buggy place to ride right now. Rhio had other ideas, however, and was incredibly distracted during my attempt to work on "skills.". I abandoned that rather quickly and gave in to our mutual desire to just get out there and move. We headed down the road, and sure enough the flies were horrible. We could only tolerate them for about two miles, but we were both so happy to be "going somewhere" that it made it worthwhile.
And by the way, don't believe it if you are told that a horse will go where its nose is pointing. Rhio had no trouble trotting in a straight line while biting at the fly on his shoulder.
After our brief but strangely fulfilling jaunt, we spent some quality time with the hose, the barn fan, and a mane comb plus some detangler. My horse doesn't look neglected anymore, and he discovered how nice a fan blowing can be.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)