December 31 2007

Well I had been hoping to ride on New Years Day since it is rumored to be good luck. Dale checked the weather and thought that today would be a better riding day out on the trail than tomorrow so I threw my plans out the window and headed out to the barn today. I wasn't sure how I would do riding two days in a row but I am so glad I went.

The weather was about 40 degrees and there was very little wind, which made for a pleasant ride. I did dress for the mountain, however, with an ear covering, 3 shirt layers and my "horse coat," and Kittee lent me some gloves.

The plan initially was to ride up Cache Hollow, which is my usual route during conditioning rides. However we could see/hear ATVs on that road today, and I had never been up Spofford Rd., so it was decided they would show me Bowlus Hill.

We trailered the horses down the road about a mile or so and then drove up Spofford Road, which is a curvy gravel one-lane farm road. We turned around and parked on a knoll in the field. Then we saddled up and rode out from there. It is so gorgeous up there. Dale rode Misty today and Kittee rode Nugget. We rode on a double track trail through the fields for some distance and then out across the field once the trail ended. Then ahead of us was Bowlus Hill. There is a big "S" carved into the side of it which I think is supposed to be a switchback trail for machinery but we did not follow that grade. We made our own trail, weaving back and forth up the giant hill. The horses took a few rest stops throughout as it was very steep and scattered with bunchgrass - which Sinwaan took full advantage of at every break.

There were numerous birds of prey floating nearby and at one point on the way back, one flew very close to us, probably within 100 feet and it was a sight to behold. Once we reached the top of Bowlus, the view was spectacular. You could see 360 degrees around the valley. You could see Milton-Freewater and College Place and Walla Walla, and yes even Bennington Lake. Looking to the other side were the Blue Mountains covered in snow. Dale took some photos - the first one is Kittee and I on a knoll out in a field off Spofford Rd. The other two are at the top of Bowlus Hill and some of the view from up there.

It was a slow ride, mostly walking with a little trotting, and Sinwaan seemed to really enjoy himself. When we got back to the barn I gave him his grain and a carrot and put his blanket back on because by then it was getting very cold.

What a fantastic way to finish off 2007. Sinwaan and I have clocked 76.7 hours in the saddle this year + one endurance ride of approx 5 hours, and hope for even more in 2008. Happy Trails and hope to see you out there! :)

December 30 2007

Today Dale and Kittee gave us a ride to the indoor arena at the fairgrounds to ride with the NWQHA. For the first 30 or 45 minutes we were the only three riding so we had it all to ourselves and that was nice. Then a gal showed up with a cute little young gelding and rode him around and then the last forty minutes or so a group of four or five other riders joined us.

Today I worked on Sinwaan's transitions again after warming him up and he is doing better when I ask for the canter. We took a break for about 10 minutes after an hour of riding and then we finished out the time slot. The chute was open today for the horses who go in for steer wrestling so I walked him in there and he didn't like it, he got out of there fast so I backed him in and made him stand there a minute and then told him "lets go!" and he picked up the canter pretty fast to barrel to the other end. We did that about three times, then the last time we did it I walked him out. He got more comfortable with it as time progressed but he still wasn't in love by the time we left. We also did some side-passing, first against the fence and then later in the center of the arena. He moves better one direction than the other so we will keep working at it.

Kittee and Dale brought Derby and Nugget today and Derby is doing much better loading up in the trailer and Kittee is enjoying riding him.

It was a nice day to be riding and it felt good to be back on a horse. After the first hour of riding, however, I could tell it had been two weeks because I got sore pretty quickly and my thighs felt like jelly.

December 16 2007

Today Dale and Kittee were kind enough to allow Sinwaan and I to catch a ride with them to the fairgrounds, for which I am grateful. It is so hard to ride otherwise in our inclement, cold, rainy or snowy weather as of late. We got there a little early and I had time to tack up before our arena time of 11 am. I didn't use the breastcollar today, and moved my usual girth up a hole on the right side, so when I cinched him up on the left he wouldn't have an area of rubbing/pinching. This seemed to work out well both last week and this week so I think I will continue to do this until he loses his winter coat.

We walked the arena for a good 10 minutes to allow for warm-up and then we did a fair amount of trotting before I asked him to canter, and we worked on transitions. The first couple of times I asked for a canter he acted up, swished his tail and threw up his shoulders but no bucking and I gave him a verbal warning and we continued to work on it. When he would give me a nice couple of strides at the canter I would let him back down to a trot and we did this many different times throughout the two hour time period and I believe we made a little progress. We did some sidepassing in the center of the arena but he goes along so much better one direction than the other so we also used the rail to practice. We did a little backing, and also some tighter circles at the trot, some figure-eights, different manuvers and turns to bend and keep him focused on me. His real challenge is to keep moving ahead when approched from the rear. He really seems to dislike the arena, and dislike being passed. He does not cause any problems for the other horses, he will simply stop where he is until they go by (which as you can imagine happens a lot in an arena!)

There were on average, five horses in the arena at a time today. It seemed to be stallion day as one man brought two stallions. The first stallion was a little antsy, at first I just thought it was a green horse and didn't realize until later he was a stallion. I don't know the breed, he looked like he could have been either a real pretty QH or a plain Arab. He had a nice head. The second stallion was brought in the second hour and he was a black and white paint horse and he was acting up bad on the way to the arena, rearing and spinning around and carrying on. I thought him to be trouble for sure. The owner brought him in and lounged him in the one end and he was bucking and causing all kinds of a ruckus. It seemed to make Sinwaan edgy so I let him stand in a corner and watch the goings-on. After a little while the stallion had his bugs worked out and the man got on and rode him and there was no more trouble. By the end the man had a cup of coffee and no hands on the reins and was guiding the stud around with his knees.

Dale and Kittee had taken their saddles inside to clean them and forgot to put the front cinch back on Dale's saddle so he had brought Misty and no way to ride. So he just hung out and watched and talked to the people. Kittee brought Derby today and a potential buyer was there to check him out, and he rode him and took him away about noon. After that Kittee used her saddle on Misty and rode her, and also rode bareback.

It was a nice day, beautiful outside and the sort of day you long to be on a trail but knowing the footing would likely be slippery. I enjoyed my ride today and felt accomplished. I hope Sinwaan feels the same way :)

It was interesting to note today that the air was calm in Walla Walla yet the wind was roaring at the barn in M-F. I would have thought about riding a trail today UNTIL I got out there and was chilled by the rush of air.

December 9 2007

Today was a wintery day to be certain. Snow on the ground and a high of 35 (which was lower than average). Heidi Larson came out to pick up Ollokot, she is his new owner now and a fellow endurance rider so it was nice to meet her and she was wonderful with Ollokot, he hopped right on that trailer for her.

Afterwards I picked up Lara's trailer and went back out to get Sinwaan for a ride at the arena. I attended the group ride time of 2-3 pm at the Fairgrounds indoor arena for the Blue Mountain Riders and there were 10 horses and 9 riders out today for this hour time slot. Mother KP came along with me for the company, although she decided not to ride today. I was very glad she was there as I needed her assistance on more than one occasion.

We had some complications from the start with the trailer. First it took us about 20 minutes to back up the Explorer in line with the hitch. We were laughing because it turned into such a riot that we just couldn't get it, it was silly. Then her area for the safety chains was too fat for the chain end clip so we had to get creative to hook up the chains. When we got out to the barn and tried to back up, the trailer brakes came on and I had to unplug the connector in order to reverse the trailer. Sinwaan gave me his usual trouble loading but mother shooed him in quickly. When we got to the fairgrounds we could not get the trailer door open. I know it sticks sometimes but this had me befuddled. Dee Dee was nearby so I asked her if she had any tips. She came over and opened it right up, for which I was relieved, but then it would not close. We finally came to the conclusion that because the trailer was at a slight angle on the pavement, the door was not lining up right due to gravity. When we were ready to leave I had mother pull the car forward to a level spot and then the door shut and opened with no trouble at all, proving our theory was correct.

Unloading, Sinwaan likes to turn around and walk out but this time he got his blanket caught for a half second on something. It didn't bother him, and didn't rip the blanket, so no harm done. I put Sinwaan in the building and tied him so he could have a little time to get used to the place again. He is ansty the first 10 minutes or so, calling out to the other horses and moving around. Matt stopped by with a taco for me from the taco wagon since the days events would leave me with no time to come home for lunch. I gulped it down and gave Sinwaan the last bite since he seemed interested. He started flapping his lips and spit out the bite and lifted his lip up into the air.

He wasn't too dirty since he has been blanketed but I did have a fair amount of grooming to do on his belly and legs. By the time I was done and tacked up, I entered the arena at 2:15. There were some loud noises today, later it was determined to be ice sliding down the roof of the arena building. At one point it slid and fell right in the doorway to the building, spooking many of the horses. Sinwaan jumped a little but was no trouble. What he really didn't like was man walking around the perimeter outside the arena with spurs a-clanking.

I walked him around about 10 minutes and then we did a fair amount of trotting and I worked him on transitioning again. When I asked for the canter he would throw his fore up and pin his ears and do about one stride before coming back to a trot so we worked on that too. This is something new he has started since the arena so I am guessing it has more to do with being arena sour than pain since today all his tack was back to the same he has been using all along.

We did some backing up and sidepassing (not as good as last time) and rode around in circles. When there was 15 minutes to go the BMR ladies decided to do a follow the leader drill. I paired up at the end next to Linda and we did a series of maneuvers like a drill team. It was ok, sort of fun except Sinwaan doesn't like to be that close to other horses. The things you discover riding in an arena. I had to keep my leg on him to stay up where he needed to be and then the last thing they tried was a pinwheel and he wanted none of that, but in all fairness the horse we were turning into was thrashing his tail and acting up a little so we called it a day and I took him out and untacked and got him ready for the trip home since the snow was already coming down again and I didn't want to get caught out in it.

I dropped mom off at my house and took Sinwaan back to the barn and returned the trailer (thank you so much to Lara for the loaner). The last bit of trouble I had was parking the trailer up on the curb and then having to back it up (unplug the connector) and straighten it out but I got it done and was proud of myself for getting a ride in today.

Upcoming Ride

Here is the first ride close to home that has been sanctioned and posted to the AERC page;
http://www.doublejoy.com/erol/Calendar/RideDetails.asp?rideID=4468
It is a 30 mile ride in Zillah, WA.
Hoping to make this one with Lara.

December 2 2007

Today is Sunday and although it looked nasty outside I wanted to go play with the horses. I grabbed some carrots and headed out to the barn while Levi was taking his morning nap. I could not believe the wind when I got out there. It was so incredible it would take your breath away (later on weather.com it was reported to be gust up to 54 mph).I grabbed the camera and walked up to the barn. The horses were mostly blanketed and huddled around the barn. Sinwaan was in the barn staring back at me. Ollokot was out in the pasture grazing. Any hopes of riding today quickly diminished as I stood, feeding carrots, trying to keep my balance in the crazy weather. I did manage to take some photos while wandering around the pasture, many of the horses followed me out and decided it wasn't so bad to graze.


Sinwaan was the last one out, and after saying some hellos to me and getting some pats, he went out and chased everyone away from the mineral block.

November 25 2007

Today I went out with Matt and Levi intending to do something with the horses but I wasn't entirely sure what exactly. It was pretty cold and I found myself putting on my gloves within minutes of being out there. I didn't want to take all the time needed to do a full grooming and tack up in order to ride. Matt wanted to get some video of the horse(s) so since Ollokot was right nearby I haltered him up and put him in the round pen. I brushed him with the stiff brush and picked out his hooves and then worked with him a little. He gave me some attitude and Matt helped me work through it and we made slight progress. Then I turned him out and brought Sinwaan in. I did the same thing with him and then shortly thereafter was quite cold and concerned for the child so I gave him some carrots and we called it a day.

November 18 2007

Today I rode with the Northwest Quarter Horse Association at the Walla Walla Fairgrounds. I am a new member of this club even though I do not own an QH. They had arena time from 11-1 this afternoon.

I headed out to the ranch about 9:45 am and got my tack in order. I am currently borrowing an Australian saddle from Bob to see how I like it. I thought to be safe I should take my Wintec saddle also in case I needed the extra girth, and I wanted to switch the stirrups over to use my cage. It was a cold and rainy day but thankfully Sinwaan was hanging out in the barn when I went to halter him up. He was not too messy. Kittee loaded up Nugget and Misty and then Sinwaan went in the end just fine with no trouble.

We were some of the first people to arrive and we got the tack unloaded and then the horses. Kittee had brought some towels to dry the horses off a little before we tacked up. She was ready to go and riding long before I had everything in order. First I tried to swap out the stirrups. Well they are a little complicated the way they are all rigged up. I finally got the first stirrup off the saddle and the irons off and went to put on my endurance stirrup and what do you know it didn't fit! Yes, I had ordered the 1 1/2" neck for my english leathers so the leathers on the Aussie were much too big to fit. SIGH. Well I didn't fret over it too much, I thought since Lara had been using this saddle the stirrups would need to go up about 2 holes so that is what I did, once I FINALLY figured out how to get the first stirrup back on the saddle and rigged up properly.

So then the next challenge was the girth. I took a look at it and could not make heads or tails of how it was supposed to work. It attaches on the right side with two straps off the saddle and two buckles on the girth. BUT go to the other side and the girth end has two buckles and a long strap coming out of the center of the buckles. The saddle has one strap and one ring. My brilliant idea of using my own Wintec girth was ineffective when the leathers on the saddle were too wide to fit through the buckles on my girth, that was out. I finally ended up using one buckle on the strap and the long strap from the center of the girth I ran around through the ring and tied it off like a western one. I have no idea if I did it right but it was the only way I could figure that it would work. I did not bother with the breastcollar today but I did attach my single water bottle holder.

I finally get Sinwaan tacked up, using the blue endurance saddle pad from Kim. I put that girth up as far as I could (physically) and I could still fit some fingers between it and his body. I couldn't figure that one out. The saddle seemed to fit ok so I led him over to the mounting block. There was a very nice lady there named Terri who helped me out and she was able to get the girth up one more hole and we decided that should work a lot better for us. She also opened and closed the gate for me since the mounting block was outside the arena.

The first 15 minutes in that saddle was glorious. It has such a deep seat, I was really digging the high pommel and lower back support. Once we were warmed up I asked for the trot and noticed the Poleys really held me in and made it difficult to post the way I normally do. Maybe my form is wrong, I don't know. I did finally get into a groove and enjoyed the ride. Now something I do not understand is why on earth every Aussie saddle I have seen has rigging dees very close to the riders thigh position. After those first 15 minutes I started feeling those inner dees. Does this mean the saddle doesn't fit ME?

There was a nice lady named Sandy there who was also riding a grey Arab gelding. He was about the same size as Sinwaan and ridden English. He looked like a very nice horse and she was very kind to me and we talked a little about endurance horses and people in the area. She informed me that she is the new Secretary of the club.

I had a nice ride the first hour, we did a lot of walking and trotting and some backing and sidepassing. We rode alone and with other horses as we made our way around the arena. The first couple laps Sinwaan would whinny to the horse that Kittee wasn't currently riding who was tied to the rail along the wall. We did some cantering also but I have trouble getting Sinwaan to pick it up when I ask. I also have trouble getting him to collect. Today especially. He would thow up his head and lurch himself into a canter and then speed up and once he would overcome another horse or feel my weight shift he immediately comes back down to a trot. I kept losing my inside stirrup on the canter also. I will have a fair challenge if I am ever able to do an Arab costume class. He and I both could definately benefit from more schooling.

The surprise of the day for me was when I asked for the canter about an hour into the ride and Sinwaan actually gave a good buck! I felt his hind end fly up in to the air and heard his tail whoosh past my head and I found myself on his neck but I didn't come off or even lose my stirrups. After that within 5 minutes boy I could really feel tension in my calves. I pulled them both something awful. Of course I couldn't let him get away with that so we worked on transitions after that for about 10 minutes. In the back of my mind of course I am thinking of what could have caused that because he has never pulled a stunt like that with me before in the 70+ hours I have ridden him this year. Could it be the saddle fit? Was it because Misty was coming up behind him? Was he just being a brat? Kim has warned me that this was a trouble spot she had with him awhile ago. I hated to think I was continuing to work him in pain. I sure wish I knew more than I do sometimes.

About fifteen minutes to 1 pm I dismounted and loosened his girth and walked him a loop and then exited the arena and untacked him and searched for signs of an ill fitting saddle. He was mostly dry underneath and I could find no whirls or other tell tale signs in his coat of a rub or pinched area. I was so focused on his back that I forgot to check his rear legs for any signs of him knocking himself with his hooves although he is currently unshod.

I took him back out after this and hand walked him in the arena until our time was up as he had steam coming off him.

So I dunno what his deal was. Later this evening I noticed I have quite a nice bruiser on my inner thigh from the darn dee on the saddle (about the size of my thumb), I could do without that, and I am a little stiff and sore. It has been two weeks since I rode last and I am getting soft already.

I am not sure what to think about this saddle. Bob said I could hang onto it a week or two to really see how I like it. Right now I am divided on if I want one or not. The pros are the deep seat, Poleys, TONS of rigging dees, and the horn (I am looking ahead to possibly ponying Ollokot and a horn would make that possible). The cons are the dees under my thighs (which maybe could be removed), the weight of it, the crazy girthing set up - which I could perhaps also overcome with a different girth. Also I really don't know how well it fits Sinwaan. I need some more assistance in that department. Starting over with a new saddle also means getting more equipment such as another saddle pad (or two) and I would want a fleece saddle cover as well to soften it up a little.

This next week is Thanksgiving so I am hoping for good weather Friday for a ride as I will have the day off.

Sinwaan and the dentist

Sinwaan had a visit from the tooth fairy today. Dr Sarah Metcalf DVM specializes in the field of equine dentistry. She had her trailer custom made with stocks so she could practice out of it. She put herself through vet school working as a farrier and also does some endurance riding / or acts as a vet at the endurance rides so she is pretty well rounded and interesting to talk to.


First Sinwaan was measured with the weight tape (he weighs 890 and Sarah felt he was in perfect condition).



We led him up into the stocks and Sarah sedated him with 1.4 xyl, 0.6 det and 0.2 torb. That wasn't quite enough so she had to give him some more (3/4 is what my notes say) She said Arabs sometimes need a little more than other breeds, and Mules are the others that are different.

Once he was sedated she put on the speculum and raised his head up and placed it in the head support ring that hangs from the ceiling and she is able to raise and lower it as needed.

Then she looked inside and felt inside and then she had me put my hand inside and feel his teeth. She found that he had sharp points, buccal laceration, ramps, excessive transverse ridges, and diagonal incisors.



Here is a photo of Sinwaan's molars before the float. I could feel the sharp points along the edges of his teeth. His molars looked like mountains and valleys.


The pre-molar/molar interocclusal on the right PRE incisor reduction was 2.0 on the right and 3.0 on the left. POST incisor reduction was 1-2 on the right and 1-2 on the left.


Pre-molar/molar occlusal angle pre float and post float was 15 on both sides.






Here is a photo of Sinwaan's molars after the float. Smooth and ready for grazing.


Estimated percent of molar occlusion pre float on right was 50 and on left was 80! Post float both sides were 80.


Basically when you looked in his mouth, the line where his front teeth meet that should have been horizonal to the ground was at an angle so she had to do some incisor reduction to level things out and hopefully now the shorter teeth on the ends (on the top on one side and bottom on the other side) will have a chance to grow and straighten things out this next year.



He was a very good patient. He started waking up a little while she was working on him with her power tools and gave us no trouble at all. He did need more sedative so she could finish up, I have a note here that he was given "1/2" twice more throughout the procedure.



Here is a photo of Sinwaan having his incisors reduced.

After all of that grinding he needed a rinse.



He also had his sheath cleaned so that is one less thing for me to worry about.

After his dental care he was backed out of the trailer and led over to the hitching post to recover before he was put in with the herd. After about 30 minutes I led him to the round pen so he could have some space to himself and he was also on doctors orders not to eat anything for the next couple of hours.

November 4 2007

Today was such a gorgeous day, the weather was quite warm for November. Lara picked us up for a ride at Bennington Lake. We made the most of it, since who knows when we will be able to go again. (Sinwaan has his toothies looked at next weekend).

The wind at the lake was howling and in one spot on the ride up even sounded like a woman or child screaming. It was incredible. The horses did great. With the breeze coursing through their manes and against our faces we tackled the trails. I could not have asked for a better ride. Sinwaan was responsive and eager and even a little jumpy at times. I felt incredibly free-spirited and one with my horse this day. One sprint around the back of the lake actually had Sinwaan asking for a race. Unfortunately later on (running towards home) Rocker gave Lara a little trouble and she went flying off. I was glad we were following far enough not to run her over.

A downer of the day was discovered when I was untacking and noticed the girth had pinched Sinwaan and created a small raw spot on his left side. My poor willing boy. What a champ not to complain.
Because they are starting to get their winter coats, and the temp was so warm, we decided to sponge them with warm water and hand walk them after the ride.

Now I am just waiting for new upcoming rides to be posted so I can plan my season for 2008!

October 28 2007

Went out today and rode around the arena and the pastures. Kittee joined me bareback/halter on a pregnant Shaiala. Dale came out and took some video and photos.

Not much to report. I miss the trails already. I haven't been riding them due to Sinwaan being a little ouchy on the gravel without his shoes. I need to figure out his boot situation.

October 27 2007

This morning I was able to go out for a quick ride. Kittee was out in the pasture with the horses when I got there and agreed to go with me on Nugget. The day was just beautiful, crisp, clear and bright. Both horses were now barefoot so we went back up to the pea field which had since been harrowed and replanted for a winter wheat crop. We had to stick to the end of the field but that worked out ok. On the way back there was a short climb and Nugget went powering up it and Sinwaan suddenly woke up and gave chase. They powered up that hill. As a rider it was a little bumpy but I grabbed his mane, stood in the stirrups and let him go. That was pretty fun.

I also tried on Sinwaan's new blanket today and it seems a little big but not as oversized as the last one. This new one is from Schneiders and not what I expected either, I thought it was supposed to have a belly band attachment and it just has the normal straps so I don't know what happened there. I am just so relieved to have one that pretty well fits that I think I will leave well enough alone.

Fed Ollokot a little grain and he is looking good, putting on some weight for winter.

October 21 2007

This morning I went out to fetch Sinwaan for a ride. I got there at 9:30 am and he was just finishing up his breakfast, so I brushed him whilst he chewed. Dale came out and got Misty ready and we tacked up and rode out together. We went up Cache Hollow a short way and then took the steep long climb up to the pea field. Sinwaan was a little tender on his bare feet on the gravel on the way there. I had not bothered to put on his boots today because I figured he would not need them in the dirt field. Ok, so I was lazy and I should have taken the time and learned how to use them but apparently that will be a real challenge for me this winter. I also hesitate to put them on his rear with the way he moves back there. If he clipped himself with shoes, he will have an even greater chance of interference with boots.

The ride was nice but I must say it was incredible WINDY up there on top of the bluff. We rode around for a good while, mostly at a walk but Sinwaan got in some trotting and even a short canter. He was feeling a little fresh today, I must say. I had on about four layers of clothing so I was not cold, and even got warm once we got down between the fields and out of the wind for a spell. Kittee had loaned me her gloves and I was sure glad to have them also.

When we got back I gave Sinwaan some grain and loved on him a bit. He is such a sweet horse, he sure seems to enjoy my company. I also gave Ollokot some grain. I headed home about noon.

October 15 2007

Today Sinwaan had his shoes pulled for winter. He exhibited some good growth. He looks to be a 0 all the way around for my easyboots so that means I get to try and trade one of my size 1s for another size 0. I also tried the new blanket on him and it looks a little large. I am hoping for good weather Friday and Sunday this coming weekend for some riding. It has been too long!

October 11 2007

Tonight I went out after work for a quick ride. Sinwaan came over quickly to greet me at the gate. After a light grooming I tacked up and we headed out. I noticed that my stirrups seemed a bit long but since I could reach them I decided to let it go as the sun was setting fast. We only made it up one mile tonight before we had to turn around to come back due to darkness setting in. On the way home Sinwaan wanted to GO GO GO but I held him back to a slow trot since I could not post very well in the longer stirrups. With the change in light he was a little jumpy also, eyeing things like bushes. We made good time and had enough light (almost) to get untacked. I fed him a carrot and grain and then he got to hang out and eat hay while I chatted with Dale and Kittee, it has been awhile since I saw them. I took my heavyweight blankets out to the barn tonight and my new (used) easyboots but didn't get a chance to try them on. Sinwaan needs his shoes pulled and feet trimmed first anyway I guess.

October 6 2007

Well this weekend I was out of town at a dog show but Lara was kind enough to come out and ride Sinwaan for me so he doesn't get too much vacation time this week. She reports that she rode about six miles in 1 1/2 hours and he did very well for her. I was thrilled to hear that. Thanks Lara!

In other news, I traded Dee's endurance bridle & breastcollar for five easyboots so now I need to learn how to use them. It is also about time to have Matt come out and pull Sinwaan's shoes for the season.

September 29 2007

Today was a busy day but the weather was gorgeous. The forecast called for 60% rain tomorrow, thwarting my plans of riding the 10 mi Kinnear loop with Dale and Kittee. I headed out to the barn and got there about 5 pm. I groomed and tacked up quickly and decided to ride up Cache Hollow. Kittee lent me her red vest so we would not be mistaken for large game. Sinwaan was slightly hesitant to go out alone but agreeable and we did a fair amount of trotting. About 3/4 of a mile he stopped and I listened and we could hear voices. A little while later a vehicle came down the mountain and was very courteous. I figured those were the voices we had heard, as when we went throught the 1 mile point I saw a cigarette butt on the ground that looked fresh. We went up almost 2 miles and then I spotted a hunter in the field above us (red coat) and decided that was far enough. We trotted most of the way home. The bushes along the roadside were changing colors and were flaming red, the scenery was brilliant and the air was fresh and crisp and cool.

After untacking, I looked closely at Sinwaan's hind fetlocks and could see just a slight nick with some blood on his left side. So he is still knocking himself a little but it is an improvement. I grained him and gave him a large carrot and some love.

Then Kittee helped me measure both Ollokot and Sinwaan for blankets. I had looked on the internet as to how to measure a horse for a blanket and it said from center of chest to level with point of tailhead on the hindquarters. Kittee said no, to center of tail. Well I took both measurements and should have written them down as my memory is so bad. I measured Ollokot about four times. He ranged from 65-69 depending on where I ended the tape at the hind end. Sinwaan looked to be about a 72. I went in the barn and pulled out Sinwaan's old blanket (the one I knew was too tight) and it had a tag that said 68" so we pulled Ollokot out of the pasture and decided to try it on him. I held his head and Kittee pretty much sacked him out. He was curious and very well behaved for all of this. The 68" was a little big but if he grows at all this winter it looks like it will fit him well. Unfortunately this particular blanket is more of a cooler so won't work at all in the rain. When we pulled up the straps under his girth area and mid-section he took no mind a'tall. That was good to see.

September 27 2007

Today I left work about 15 minutes early and got home and let the dogs out and was changed into my riding clothes by the time Matt got home with dinner. I went out to the barn and was able to get in a nice arena ride before the sun set. Not much to report, much the same as any arena day. I did not work on sidepassing today however. About four laps of walking, ten of trotting, and not in that order. We did both directions around, and worked on opening and closing the gate. Also did some walking, trotting and a brief canter in the pasture as the footing was a little damp.

September 26 2007

Meant to ride today but some things came up that Matt had to do so I stayed home and played with Levi instead.

Trail ride with Imaginn

Today was to be our first trail ride out with Imaginn, Lara's young mare. We had actually planned a trail ride last weekend but due to wind we canceled our plans. Lara was late picking me up and rolled her eyes and groaned "Don't ask!" Well I didn't have to, she told me all about her trouble loading Ima when I got in the truck.

It was a gorgeous day and a little cool. We loaded up Sinwaan and trailered them out to Bennington Lake. The horses were both well behaved for grooming and tacking up. It was looking like Ima would do just fine.

We first did the mid-lap around the lake, not wanting to encounter hunters on the farthest lap out. Everything went very well, Ima eager to go and setting a very brisk pace at the walk. Sinwaan would let her get ahead and then do a little trot to catch up. At one point we let them trot together and that was marvelous.

We did the shorter closer lap the second time around. Lara set Ima to a slow jog and Sinwaan was able to match her gait for a period. On both laps we encountered a dog but thankfully their owners were considerate and held them close. Sinwaan acted a little goofy with one lady, her dogs were obviously wet and maybe they smelled funny. Overall he set a pretty good example for the interesting things (like the bridge) but Ima didn't really need it, she did better than expected. No funny business.

When it came time to trailer them up to leave, Ima again gave Lara trouble. Finally I went around behind and lifted her hind foot and placed it in the trailer. Then I went around the other side and pushed on her so she would have to put weight on the trailer hind foot to balance and then at that point she finally did get in all the way.

I had a bit of a time constraint for riding today as my mom was coming to dinner and I wanted to be home about 4 pm. Otherwise I would have liked to ride all afternoon, it was just perfect weather and with it being a little cooler Sinwaan was eager to go too.

Now that fall is on its way I will be limited to two rides a week if I can plan that around work, daylight and weather, to keep him in shape for our 2008 Endurance Ride Schedule.

September 20 2007

Went for a short ride today at the barn. Did about 4 laps walking, 10 trotting and 2 cantering in the arena (not in that order, interspersed). Also practiced opening and closing the gate from horseback which proved to be a bit of a challenge but we emerged victorious! After the arena work I rode him back to the front pasture and did some more trotting, figure-8s and then called it a night. It still seems as though his last set of shoes are working out on the hinds.

I was gone from the house 2 hours so I guess I rode about an hour. The sun had set behind the mountain by 7 pm.

More Arena

Today I went out to the ranch and Sinwaan met me at the gate. I groomed him and tacked up and led him back to the arena. No trails for us today...it was very windy and it is also hunting season now so we are playing it safe. We did walking and trotting and then rode out into the large back pasture and did some sidepassing and cantering. I didn't ride all that long, I am still sore from Friday! :-o

When I was done with Sinwaan I turned my focus to Ollokot. I put him in the roundpen and worked with him and he did pretty well. Still some stuff to work out but he is stopping and turning into me now when I ask. After that I groomed him. I had him tied to the hitching post. I was brushing his tail and glanced up to see him trying to lower his head to snatch some grass. The lead wasn't long enough for that but he did bring his head up on the other side of it, so it was over his poll. He freaked out and pulled back and sideways and finally did get my slipknot lose. It was a little hairy for a second. Once he was free he just stood there all calm and then lowered his head to graze. Crazy horse. I tied him back up, even shorter this time, and picked out his feet, which he stood very quietly for.

Arena Work

Finally got to have a good ride again today (I can't believe how long its been!). Lara picked me up at 3:40 and we went out to get Sinwaan. We trailered to the Walla Walla Fairgrounds to ride in their warm up arena. This was Lara's first time taking her mare Imaginn out since she has been with the trainer (about 90 days). She did awesome. Sinwaan did great too. He was very curious about the miniature horse and whinnied a few times to all the other horses that he could see. We had the arena to ourselves for the first 30 min. Lara worked on warming up Ima with walking and turns and sidepassing so I did some of that with Sinwaan too. We were joined by three other ladies on horseback for a time, and we agreed that we each would use only half of the arena. Once they left we did some cantering. When done with the ride I was pleased to see that Sinwaan had not harmed himself in the hind without using the boots. Maybe that problem is solved now?! All told we figured we rode 90 minutes, I probably did half that in trotting. We also had some time to rest, and I made him back twice. It seemed a productive ride, gave Sinwaan some exercise for his body and mind.

Cribbing

Today I got a report from the land owners where Sinwaan lives. "Just a quick note to let you know that Sinwaan is bored and has started cribbing/ wind sucking on the gates. Please don't stop riding him, he misses YOU." I guess he really has had a lot of time off since our Endurance Ride. Perhaps TOO much time off. I shall now resume my weekly riding sessions.

Farrier

Tonight the farrier came out and tried to help me with Sinwaan's hind. He never knocked himself before and really hate having to use the boots on him all the time. He watched him move and then trimmed a little off the outside and reset his shoes so he would be slightly toed out, bringing his feet outward rather than inward. Time will tell if it has worked, I will know next time I put in a good ride on him. For now, I'm hopeful because there's not much else we can do at this point.

He also trimmed Ollokot, who was a very good boy.

Happy Birthday to my Grandma today!

First Bareback Ride on Sinwaan

Tonight I went out to the barn right after work, thinking I would get a decent ride in before I leave for the weekend for my little brother's wedding. (Sinwaan is due a much deserved vacation) Well the first thing I noticed is that all the vehicles were gone. Usually someone is home to come looking for me should I have trouble on the trail. I walked out to get the halter and noticed hay stacked up in the lower part of the barn, and the hay elevator was set up and appeared to have a broken chain. As I grabbed my halter I realized I had left Sinwaan's rear boots at home in the tub, where they have been drying the past three days.

Well now I wasn't quite sure what to do. So on a hunch I decided to round up Ollokot from the pasture and make him work in the round pen for me. He was easy to catch, as always. Once in the round pen things went easier than I anticipated. Last time I tried to get him to walk and trot for me he ignored me, gave me attitude, and then went over and rolled in the sand. I didn't want a repeat of that so I was more assertive this evening. It paid off and he did a fair amount of walking and trotting for me and halted when I asked. Progress!

By this time I noticed Sinwaan had come over closer to the gate and was grazing where he could keep one eye on me. So I put Ollokot back out and went to get Sinwaan. I took him up to the hitching post and brushed him and picked out his hooves and put on his fly spray. Then I grabbed my helmet and decided today would be a bareback day.

I led him to the round pen with just his halter and lead and scrambled up on him from the mounting block. I probably should have held off on the fly spray since it seemed to make him extra slippery. He was a good sport and waited until I was SURE I had found my seat. We did a lot of walking around and in the meantime I tried to find my balance. I started getting comfortable so asked for a slow jog. He did pretty well at that although every time he felt my weight shift the wrong direction he would slow down and wait for me to get it together. I think next time I decide to ride bareback I will take him out to the arena so we have a little more space to maneuver.

I was only out at the barn tonight about an hour but it was worth it.

Next Year's Endurance Ride Goals

I have taken a look over the list of endurance rides from this year and figured out how far away each of them are.

The four closest rides are;
Home On The Range in Othello, WA, end of March (2 hrs)
Milwaukee Road Rail Trail in Ellensburg, WA end of April (3 hours)
Renegade Rendezvous in Naches, WA first part of July (2 1/2 hours)
and the Lakeview Ranch in Odessa, WA the first of September (3 hours)

There are also a number of rides that are 4 hours away from us if we wanted to get really crazy. I would LOVE to go to another ride this year but it will really depend on finances.

After the Ride

Last night we went to check out the exhibits at the Fair and I just had to call my auntie Kim. She was excited to hear from me and anxious to hear how Sinwaan had done on the ride. When I told her he had scored all A's she said "Awesome, he CAN do it, now send him back!" HA HA. She was very proud and it was great to talk with her.

Today mother is in town so this morning we went out to groom horses. Mother got Ollokot and brought him in while I unloaded all the tack and misc stuff from my truck that I had taken to the ride. Then I went out and got Sinwaan. He was out in towards the back of his pasture but when he saw me coming he came at a brisk walk to meet me at the gate. That was sure a nice surprise. He seemed happy to see me. Awww...Led him up to the barn and started brushing, he appeared to be very clean still. I checked his feet and put on some hoof oil and gave him some apple flavored horse treats, which he just loved. He got a little spoiled today. Dale told me that the day after the ride in the pasture he was doing a lot of stretching, but today he was back to normal.

Ollokot had his one moment of pulling back which always makes me nervous but I tell him EASY in a calm low voice and he stops and was very well behaved from then on. Mother even applied his fly spray today and he gave her no trouble. I also put hoof oil on his feet after I picked them out.

Kittee came back in from a ride and said when she got up and saw Sinwaan in the pasture yesterday all she could see was the red on his rump and she was really worried so sent Dale out to check on him. They quickly realized it was just paint but did want to know exactly what was up with all his tattoos.

Now, Lara tells me I have to write about this on my blog. When we were camping at the Lakeview Ride they said to leave no-trace camping, pick up all manure and trash, etc. So I was running around shoveling up horse poop and putting it into the two black plastic bags that were on either side of the truck. Today Lara calls me and is very upset because she can't find her $80 riding pants or her team shirt, or her wet towels (we had each taken a sponge bath after the ride). I said well, where did you put them last? She said in a plastic bag. I said what color bag? She says black. I asked her how many black plastic bags she had around camp and she said just the two, one for her wet clothes and one for garbage. Uh oh. She thought we had left her clothes behind but I KNEW I had loaded two plastic bags into the back of the truck. I had also shoveled manure into both of the bags! So we dumped one of them out into my garbage can at home and sure enough out comes hay and poop and her missing stuff. EW!! She was relieved to not have lost her pants but her shirt (being white) was stained quite badly. She told me later it was a lost cause, so that is sad.

Ride Day

Well last night I could not sleep at all. At first I attributed it to nerves and excitement but it soon became clear to me that I was cold, very cold. We do not have sleeping bags, the air mattress was deflating and my blankets, even the extra ones we had brought were just not doing the job. Levi had been asleep and bundled up when I went to bed but he woke up at some point (I had no concept of time all weekend, no watch other than Lara) and climbed into bed with me. I did my best to keep him warm but he hates the covers over his head and the only way I could stay warm at all was by tucking the blankets under my feet and along the sides and over my head. Levi went back to sleep pretty soon but he was also restless, and worrying about him kept me awake. At one point I heard thundering hooves that sounded awful close to my head and I thought it was my imagination, maybe I had finally fallen asleep and was dreaming (?) until I heard a woman yell "LOOSE HORSES! LOOSE HORSES!" Yikes! Lara told me later they had been very close to our tent, running all around and finally were caught. We were curious as to what system they had been contained in.

So then finally after a VERY LONG and sleepless night, I heard Lara's alarm go off about 5:30 am. I fed Levi and got up and partially dressed (I have never been so glad to put on jodpurs) but left my sweatshirt on as it was still pretty cold. I went down and used the bathroom, came back and brushed my (chattering) teeth and ate breakfast (choked down a little granola). I put on my team shirt with a fuzzy jacket over top. At 6 am the 75 milers rode by our camp on the gravel road and I ran to get my camera. I am embarrased to admit this but I started tearing up. I was so overcome with emotion and so blown away that I had finally made it. Not even on the ride yet but already teary. [This photo is of David LeBlanc who placed first (his first 1st)]. Lara let me know when it was time to go get the horses. We brought them up with their hay bags and got them some fresh water and they looked pretty good, aside from the fact they had rubbed on each other and messed up some of the grease paint. One of Sinwaan's "#1's" was missing and Rocker had blue all down her leg and on her head.

We got our horses saddled up, heart rate monitors in place, saddlebags checked and water bottles filled. Oh the anticipation! The excitement! The nerves!! I had to visit the bathroom again. By this time the 50 milers are going by but I can't watch them because I am too busy getting ready, their start time was only 30 min before ours. (Later we saw a photo the Pro Photographer had taken of a young stallion rearing up and twisting in the air. His rider barely had her foot in the stirrup but was managing to stay on) WOW. It was neat seeing them all go past us. Some were trotting, some walking, some single and some in pairs or groups. A select few were cantering or giving their riders some trouble.

By the time we got all ready to head to the start (also the vet check area) we noticed some of the 25 milers starting out. We were late. Half way to the start I realized (to my horror) that I had forgotten to put Sinwaan's boots on. DANGIT! We had to turn around and go back to the trailer to get them. Rocker was making Lara nervous, she could sense how on edge she was, I guess we people weren't the only ones amped up. We made it down to the start just as the last people were heading out. I dismounted and quickly put on his boots. I think it was Dory who held my horse for me and Patty in pink held up a front foot so he couldn't give me trouble with the hinds. I got them on in record time. Someone asked me "Have you ridden in those boots before?" Silly me, I thought she was asking about MY boots (sneakers). I said "I ride in these all the time!" and they said "NO, the HORSE'S BOOTS." "Oh yes, him, a few times, he will be fine." After a few token funny steps for laughs, he settled in and they had us pose for the Photographer to record the event, the start of our first ride. Off we went!


If memory serves (and it usually doesn't) we walked up the gravel road, past camp, and to the first left turn at the crest. We wanted to give the others a chance to get a good lead on us so Rocker would settle down. She wanted to catch up to everyone. We had two people pass us so I guess we really weren't the last ones out after all. The 10 mile trail was marked with orange and white ribbons. We did a double track easy trail (occasional rock) with a little trotting and we did pass one person. A woman on a grey had dismounted to walk her horse since it was misbehaving. The trail took us to a "neck" with 2-way horse traffic, which went out to a loop. At the intersection of the loop and the neck there was our first water stop. Drinking water only, no sponging. Just as we reached the water, we saw a whole stream of people coming in that had already completed the loop. It was a bit of a mad stuggle for order as far as who should drink when but we did get our turn and Sinwaan was just about to drink when the horse next to him started playing with the pump and then the other horse crowded in and gave him a little attitude so we just backed off and went on our way to start the loop. It was a really nice mostly easy trail and in hindsight we wished we could have moved out more on that one to make up some time. There was one part that was steep with loose rock and it wasn't very long but we dismounted to walk them down anyway. We saw some lakes and I took a photo of one of them. There was a lot of sagebrush and it was really wild scenery, like nothing I have ever seen before. When you would rub up against them you could smell a quick wiff and it was wonderful. We did our loop and this time no one was at the water so Sinwaan had a nice drink.

You could not have asked for nicer weather. It was a PERFECT day. It had warmed up just enough before the start for us to remove our jackets and go out with our team shirts uncovered.

At one point we caught up to a woman named Janelle on a bay Arab who was just beautiful, (in excellent shape for his 24 years) from Pasco.



When we got to what must have been the 8 mi point there was the photographer. She sure took me by surprise, we thought there would have been a sign but we got there before she expected us. After that we missed our turn and wound up back in camp on the wrong road. We backtracked to the last orange/white ribbon we had seen and could see no where to turn from that point. Sinwaan had himself a long pee break and then we cantered back into camp. Lara yelled for someone to help us figure out what the heck was going on. Patty RM came over and explained to us we need to look for THREE ribbons for the turn, and 2 lines of lime on the ground (do not cross the lines!) for a [now left] hand turn. We backtracked AGAIN, with Janelle leading. We had a nice lope then and we finally did find our turn. Janelle had a GPS watch and told us we had gone an extra 3 miles by taking that wrong path twice. That was very frusterating. Lara was freaking out because both water stops had been "no sponging" stops, her heart rate monitor was on the fritz and she was very worried about her mare, who still refused to drink. Poor girl was also suffering from monthly hormones and a bad night on a deflating mattress as well and was in physical pain. At one point (early on) she was so upset I started crying. She was a bit of an emotional wreck out there on the first 10 miles. Somehow we made it, we found our way and pulled back into camp with Janelle.

We walked in at 10:07 and Sinwaan pulsed down to 36 immediately. I led him to the water and he sucked it right down. I sponged him, untacked and took him over to present him for the vets. I should have been paying more attention to Lara & Rocker, because when Sinwaan walked away she got excited and it took her longer to pulse down, but she did it, with an out time just 5 minutes behind ours. Sinwaan again scored all A's on his card (a second pulse of 40 after his trot-out with A- in Tenting and Impulsion). Rocker did well also and scored an A- on Tenting. Lara was fretting because her mare STILL wasn't drinking any water and she was worried that she wouldn't and was unsure if she should continue on with her. 13 miles is one thing, adding another 15 to that with no water is not a risk she wanted to take. (This horse is a loaner). Lara was in a very bad way physically and mentally and I was worried about both of them.



We led the horses up to camp and put water and food in front of them and went to the tent to feed ourselves. Sinwaan ate some hay and took a nap. I think at this point Rocker ate a few apple pieces. Lara went and sat in her tent for awhile and I went and ate another hotdog. I wasn't that hungry still, it was only about 10:30 am. I had forgotten sunscreen and meant to do that but still never got around to it. The 50 minute hold time went by in the blink of an eye. Initially we were thinking that would be way too long but for us this time around it was just right. By the time we walked from the vet area to camp, ate and walked the horses back down and tacked them back up we had used more than the 50 min. Lara took some pills and decided to continue on. Walking on the way back to the vet station, Rocker pulled Lara over to a water tub. She drank and drank and we were both so relieved! The mare WOULD take care of herself. (Phew!) We tacked up and headed out, I don't remember the time but it was after 11 am.

The 15 miles was even better than the 10 (er, 13 lol). Lara's pain pills had kicked in so she was in a better frame of mind, she didn't have the stress of her mare not drinking water, and had decided to just turn the HR monitor off since it wasn't accurate anyway. We had a lovely ride together on the 15. The first little nub was easy going and we trotted most of it.

It was, however, a very technical trail. We had the impression from the flier for the ride that it would be an easy flat ride with good footing. A lot of the trail did have very good footing but there were a number of places that I never would have ridden by choice on my own. Lots of rocky sections that we had to walk through, sage brush areas that had tight little twisty trails we also had to walk through and a few steep inclines with a lot of rock where we had to get off and walk the horses down. The rock was smooth and in some places sharp and we worried about the horses slipping or losing a shoe but we made it through ok. A few of the places I took one look at and said "You have got to be kidding me! We have to go down THAT?!" But, it was fun, it was very challenging, and it gave us a real taste of what the word technical means!

In the sage brush Sinwaan would walk right over the top or rub up against many of them, I think by then he was getting itchy. One time trotting up a hill Rocker got too close and I felt his rump come up and he landed a good thump of a kick on her chest. That was a little unexpected and scary. I was glad Rocker took it and not Lara. Not long after that he started hopping around and kicking his feet out and I got off and took off his boots and shook them out and checked his legs, I think he was getting itchy under there as well. I ended up having to do that three times on the 15 mile ride. I sure hope Matt (farrier) can help me get his feet balanced again soon so I don't have to use the boots, they did their job but sure took a beating. I think Sinwaan would prefer not to have to wear them also.

This time there was a water stop or two with no sponging but a mile later there was a box spring where we could sponge so we took advantage of that. The water stops were well spaced, Sinwaan drank at most of them. The trail was well marked and we paid more attention this time looking for turns and ribbons. We trotted a lot coming up the last hill towards the water stop. I was keeping an eye on Sinwaan's HR and it was pretty stable at 120-130s. The last 2 miles into town were on the gravel road. Lara was in pain again and didn't want to trot but after the horses had a good cool-down walk we let them have a nice hand-gallop. Rocker could see camp and wanted to race in but Sinwaan is really good about pacing himself and I had to push him a little to keep up at the canter.

We walked the last mile in and crossing the finish line I started tearing up again! I could have cried, I was so happy and proud of my horse. It was really neat because everyone at the vet check cheered for us and Patty said "I am sure glad to see you girls!" I called for "PULSE!" as soon as his HR hit 60. He pulsed down to 60 at 2:32. Two minutes over time!! GROAN! Rocker took a little longer again but she pulsed down six minutes over time. Sigh. I could have cried. Not because we were two minutes late, but because we actually made it. And could have made it with plenty of time to spare without that 3 mile mistake we made early on. In this situation your mind just starts racing over all the things you could have saved time on. If only...

We went over to complete our last vet check and Sinwaan scored one B on Gut Sounds. An A- on Cap. Refill, Skin Tenting, Muscle Tone, Impulsion and Overall Impression. He scored an A on Muc. Membrane, Jugular Refill, Anal Tone, Back/Withers, Gait and Attitude. Yeah!

I had such a super ride, I wish it could have been a little better (less painful and stressful) for Lara though. I am extremely proud of my horse, he really knows how to take care of himself by drinking and pacing himself. He was so well mannered out there the whole time, he doesn't give me trouble when he sees a horse out ahead of him.

After our completion we took the horses back up to the trailer. Sinwaan just took a nap. We discussed leaving early (tonight instead of tomorrow) and Levi finally fell asleep on Matt's chest for his nap so Lara and I walked down to the vet area to get some food. Our entry to the ride provided us with a nice meal at the end put on by some 4-H'ers. They had garden burgers for us and we were able to set up our buns with all the trimmings, we also had chips and a brownie included in our meal. It never tasted so good! Lemonade came with the meal but I would rather just have water, so I bought some green tea and water and gave them a little donation. When Lara and I were done eating we found the photographer and she was printing out photos already in her camper. We sat and visited with her for awhile and then got some prints of what she had taken of us. I went back out to get Matt's burger for him so it would be hot and walked that back to camp. He wanted to know what had taken so long, he said we were gone for 2 hours. He had gotten a lot of stuff packed up already. The horses were still taking a nap and I was glad to see them resting up before the trip home.

We got packed and loaded up and headed out just about 8 pm. Lara and I were both a little sad about missing the awards meeting, but if we stayed we would have been too late getting home. As it was we didn't get Rocker home until about 12:30 am, Sinwaan in his pasture a little after 1 am and Matt and I to bed about 2 am.

Thank you to my wonderful husband for driving and taking all the awesome photos of our experience. I was so impressed that he did it all with a manual focus lens while managing our son. Thanks to Lara for taking us all to the ride and for being a good riding partner (such a trooper!). I have to thank Patty Peck for managing this ride, we will definately return next year if it is offered again. I thought it was really well run and well marked. The vets were all wonderful and the other riders we had contact with were very friendly and oh so helpful and excited for us newbies. It was a FANTASTIC EXPERIENCE, and I learned more than I ever imagined was possible. We are definately hooked and looking forward to the next ride!

Happy Trails!

Anticipation

Friday morning I took the day off work and tried to make sure all our stuff was packed and ready to go. I went out to the barn about 9 am. I got Sinwaan out of the pasture and wet him down, shampooed him and put a horse whitener on his tail. Once done with his bath, I scraped off the excess water and then went to work on his tail. (In the meantime he ate his hay). It had started forming mini dreadlocks so I got it thoroughly combed out and that took me about half an hour but then it looked spectacular. I also did his mane and spritzed him with Show Shine so he would be handsome for all the mares. I picked out his feet and put on some hoof oil, applied fly spray and got my tack in order. I took an extra bridle, spare reins and stirrups, and my box of grooming supplies. Lara was to pick me up at 11 but she was a little late so I handwalked him and let him graze.

I had taken my rainbow halter home to wash it so it would be nice and clean for the ride. I forgot to bring it back out with me to the barn so I used Dee's old rope halter. When Lara pulled in we loaded him up in the back as she already had Rocker loaded. He is getting better about loading now, or maybe he just prefers the rear section in her slant. She had gotten some neat little hay mangers and they were all in place and ready to go with misted hay. I got my stuff loaded and did a mental and visual check to be sure I had everything.

Then we drove on down towards town and I had to put gas in my truck, Lara made a stop at the feedstore, and then we switched trucks so I could park the trailer at the house to finish loading while she ran more errands. Matt wasn't home yet so I loaded up as much as I could and then once he got home I took a shower. We had SO MUCH stuff! Tent stuff and baby stuff and horse stuff (extra halter, lead, two extra saddle pads) in addition to the people stuff and food. I knew I must have forgotten something but couldn't figure what it might be.

We were quite the little traveling band, with 2 horses, a Pointer and mini-Daschund, my husband Matt, son Levi (13 mo), Lara and I. We aimed to leave town at noon but we were just a little behind schedule.

We made it to Odessa with no problem but once there the directions I had from expedia were no good. They had us turn onto Division and then from there onto May, only there was no May. We finally just stopped at a grocery store and they told us we just had to stay on Hwy 21 up the hill and it would be there about 4 mi up. We could not wait to get there. Lara was getting a little carsick, the drive up was not on a major highway so it was slow going around curvy roads.

The first turn we saw for Lakeview Ranch had a big gooseneck trailer pulling out. Matt pulled in and the driver told us it was the wrong turn for the endurance ride so Matt had to back out into the road. He did a great job and thankfully there was no other traffic at the moment. So we drove on to the second turn for Lakeview. From there it was marked really well. And in all fairness, the first turn did have a neon arrow pointing straight ahead (as in, stay on the main road) but we were just confused. (A precursor perhaps?) LOL

A couple of miles in we crested a hill and below could see the whole ride camp. (about 5 pm) WOW! What a neat sight! My first ride camp! This photo shows it from the other direction, look to the top center of this photo at the gravel road we came in on. This photo was taken from the perspective of the vetting area. It was a little bit of a hike from our camp to the vetting area because we were parked in the farthest possible area from the RM and vet station. We wanted some privacy for our tents. We are just behind the last trailers you see to the left of that last porta-potty.

We got camp set up as quick as possible and once everyone was settled in I walked around and asked everyone where the ride manager was. They all pointed me towards the trees (the only real trees in the area). I first met Dory and she walked me into vet check and introduced me to Patty who wears pink, who then helped me find the Ride Manager, also named Patty. It was pretty amusing, when I would introduce myself they would ask Shana, as in Shana Bobbitt from the internet? I had pre-entered so I was able to pick up my packet right then and I was horse #1! That has to be good luck! They told me to bring my horse back down to get him vetted in. They also showed me the corral available to us that I had rented. It was huge, with high wood panel sides. It would be great for our two horses overnight.

I went back to camp and told Lara and she walked down with me with the horses. I held Rocker while she got registered and she was number 31. For awhile we thought she would be the last one in the 25 mi distance but later on we saw a 34 horse so some other people must have come in pretty late. Once the people working the check-in found out it was our first ride they gave us special treatment by drawing on our horses with the grease stick. First Dory wrote a #1 on each side of Sinwaan, and then she wrote "WON" across the top of his rump and then she came back with a blue stick later and drew smiley faces on his shoulders and arrows down his butt. One gal asked me what that was supposed to mean ("This end up?") but I had no idea. At first I was a little upset that they were greasing up my horse but quickly adjusted my atitude, after all you only have your first ride once and this must be part of the experience, like initiation or something. Lara's horse got a heart on each shoulder but hers was all in blue to match her tack. After all that they started looking like Indian ponies.



So then it was time to vet in. We had our little vet cards from our ride packet and they took the horses' pulse, checked respiration, gut sounds, capilary refill and a bunch of other stuff. Then we had to do a trot out for the vet. Sinwaan did awesome, he gave me no hesitation or trouble at all. When I got my card back I was thrilled to see he had ALL A's! Rocker did almost as well, scoring a B only on gut sounds. Lara had been warned that this mare doesn't like to drink water away from her trailer so that was a concern going into it. With Rocker when they pulled the skin on her neck out it tented and didn't go down. Another vet came over and said the neck is not always a very accurate place to check a horse for hydration. He checked her on the shoulder and while it did tent, it came down. She got an A- on skin tenting.

Matt was around the whole time with Levi in a stroller so he could get some nice shots of us with the horses vetting in. He got this beautiful shot of Sinwaan doing his trot back to the vet.



Once we were both checked in with our horses numbered, and vetted through, we were ready to go! Photo op!!

Well after that we walked the horses back up to the trailer. We have a tie-high system on Lara's trailer for them so they have a little more room to walk around while tied and we set them up with their water buckets and hay bags. Sinwaan did not seem to want to drink from his bucket but when I took it off the clip and lowered it and held it, he sucked some right down. Rocker was also eating and drinking, so far so good.

We went back down for the "novice/newbie" meeting at 7:30 pm. I had barely enough time to throw two hotdogs in some buns and take them down with me for dinner. Matt stayed back in camp with Levi this time. Lara and I sat at a picnic table and waited for the meeting to begin. The real riders meeting was to start at 8 pm but this early session was for us greenies who needed a little extra Q/A time. All the vets were there at another table eating their bbq dinner and reminiscing about past rides and situations that had come up. They started the meeting and it seemed like maybe there were only two other ladies who were new riders. The vets/Patty/Dory (I think) explained a lot of things about rides in general, and then we all had a number of questions that got answered pretty well. After this people started showing up and bringing their chairs and settling in for the regular meeting. I forgot to bring any kind of chair but luckily Patty had two extra ones that no one was using so Lara and I got off the picnic bench and reclined.

They started out by talking about the trails, the 75 milers (there were 9 of them) trail order and things to watch out for. Their first loop was 25 mi and went clear into town with one out vet check. Then they talked about the 50 milers (32 of them), their trail order and ride time for everyone. Apparently they changed some things, like start time. We had thought 25 milers would start at 8:30. Well looking at our packet earlier I had noticed the ride time was 7:30 am. UGH! The 25 milers would be doing the 10 mile trail first, then come in, pulse down/vet check and do a 50 minute hold. Then we would go back out for our 15 mi ride. At the time of the ride meeting there were 31 people doing the 25 mile ride. It was a very informative meeting. I couldn't believe I was really there.

By the end of the meeting darkness had fallen so we went back to camp and got the horses and hay bags and brought them down to the corral for the night. I put a blanket on Sinwaan but Lara came around and started laughing because it was too small for him. Even with some adjustments it was still pretty tight. Darn! Should have checked that before we left. I decided not to keep it on him overnight since the corrals were a distance from our camp and I didn't want him uncomfortable or restricted in any way before his big day. The horses settled in quickly and seemed glad for the space and for each other.

We made the trek back to camp and went to bed. Levi was already asleep so I got changed, made up my bed and tried to fall asleep.