Hard Ride

Today Lara came to the house at 2:45 to pick me up with the horse trailer. On the way to the barn we stopped at Triangle L Tack Shop and happy day they had some Slide-Tec Skid Boots for about $10 less than the online price I found, plus I didn't have to pay tax since it is in OR and also saved myself shipping. I was thrilled. The only downside is the only color they had was black, I wanted red, but I will take what I can get at this point to protect my horse!

We were running a little behind on time for our appointment with Tom Groff the Brand Inspector so we just loaded up our tack and Sinwaan in the trailer and went straight away over there. Lara brushed him for me while I helped with some paperwork on his Lifetime ID Card. Then Tom took a few photos of him. Lara helped me set him up square and I think Tom got one photo of him looking straight ahead but then he wanted one of Sinwaan looking at the camera, so then Sinwaan had moved his feet and looked totally goofy for the other photos. I don't know which one he will end up using but he sends it all in and then the state will send me a little id card that looks like a drivers license for a horse. In the meantime I have copies of the paperwork that is good for 60 days.

We got back on the highway towards the Lake about 4:45. We arrived at Bob and Sue's about 5 pm or a little after and Lara brought Rocker in from the pasture.

Lara thought I should learn some stretches for the horse as she has been doing them every time and thinks we should do it before our LD ride next weekend. I need to learn them sooner since later is no longer an option. So we did that and that took some time. I took a photo of Lara stretching out Sinwaan's hind, she says he is very flexible back there. (Also because it shows him on the tie-hi and this is his first time) Then I got tacked up but had to switch out saddle pads (back to the white one) and saddlebags (back to the front one) and put on the HR monitor. More time.

Then I put some more Corona on Sinwaan's heels before putting on his new black boots. He stood very well for all of this. I put on my helmet and his bridle and started to lead him away from the trailer. He balked and stood on three legs. It was quite comical. He would take one step and then hold his rear leg up high and away from him. I took a photo of that too but these were on my throwaway camera so it will still be a while before they are developed. Lara said I had better lounge him before getting on to give him a chance to get used to the boots. He was acting so weird we didn't want him to buck or anything when I got on (although I really doubted he would go to that extreme). So I took him in the round pen there and lounged him. At first he wasn't even keen on walking but soon he was moving out and doing really pretty well other than a funny little gait in the rear. Then I asked for the trot and he obliged, going into a smoother gait in the hind. He seemed to be getting used to them pretty quick so I took him out and mounted up.

As we rode down the driveway Lara realized Flint (the dog) was loose. We have to tie him up before we leave otherwise he will try to follow and then end up wandering in the road. Lara dismounted and went to catch him in the horse pasture. She had to let go to fumble with the gate, and in the meantime he took off over into the other horse pasture. So then she had to go over there and catch him. This time she was able to tie him up in his designated spot, at the hitching post in the shade under a sign that says "Rangerfarthen." Well there are some other words on the sign but I can't remember them right now. It is a funny psudeo-German sign.

Now we're finally off, right! Not quite. Lara was following and noticed the boots had slipped. We had taken them off and shook them out after lounging him since the round pen has a lot of sand. We didn't want the sand to irritate him on our ride. She dismounted AGAIN and tightened them up for me. What a friend! I crossed the road and Rocker was acting up a little. We determined she was just being a mare and our ride officially began about 6:07 pm.

Our goal for today was to do 10 miles - each lap around the lake if you take the longest way is 2 1/2 miles. We aimed to do each lap in 30 minutes or less. We started our first lap at a slow jog. Well Rocker did a slow jog and Sinwaan tried very hard but gained on her quickly and then would drop to a walk. A few times I was able to get him to jog a few paces before breaking stride. This is something we definately will work on since it works different muscles in the horse and gives the rider a chance to ride without posting at something faster than a walk. When we reached the crest of the hill we stepped it up a little to a working trot, slowing to a walk for downhills since Sinwaan was dragging his feet on those. We were at the rear most of the ride, Sinwaan seemed to be moving a little slower at the trot than usual with his new boots.

If memory serves, we made it around the first lap in our goal time and Rocker went right into the Lake, that mare loves the water. Sinwaan got his front feet in this time and put his head down and put his lip in the water but I don't think he drank. I had to dismount to sponge him since my string isn't quite long enough to throw it in from the bank. He seemed to like that. Mounted up and off we went for round two.

I don't remember much from lap two, which means it must have been uneventful. I think perhaps trotting the hills raised Sinwaan's HR so we let them walk for five minutes. I think we ended up coming in 5 min over this time. There was a group of people standing down at the boat ramp this time, it was amusing, it looked like they all had nametags and half of them were Asian. They seemed touisty but of college student age. They asked about our horses, and what we were doing, etc. Lara did a good job of answering their questions.

The third lap the sun was setting and the air was getting cool. We were able to really move them out this time. Sinwaan took the lead for a little while and set a pace (trotting) that Rocker had to canter to catch up to. I saw a number of deer out in the harvested fields that surround the trails and the Lake. Sinwaan saw them too. At one point I saw four on a knoll and was able to get a picture of the deer and Lara, looking off the wrong direction for them. For the most part on this lap Sinwaan had a nice pace of trotting and some cantering staying right about 118 on the HR.

Coming around one bend there was a triple track trail, where a vehicle has made two ruts and people have also walked or ridden down the center making a third, higher trail. We were in the center and Sinwaan was trying to move down to one of the ruts and my seat was not secure and I wasn't being a very good rider. I just started to lose my left stirrup and he sensed it and came right down to a walk before I could even ask. He sure takes good care of me out there!

The last stretch we were having a lovely fast trot/canter interspersed since Rocker mare was back in the lead and man can she move out! We would canter every so often to catch up to her. We were going right along and about 10 car lengths from the parking lot just as Lara went under a tree (that has little leaves that hang down and hit your helmet) Rocker dove to the right and Lara went off on the left and then Rocker backed up real fast and Lara still had a hold of the reins. Sinwaan turned sideways parallel to her and I said "Woah mare, easy" and just then Lara lost her grip on the reins, or let go, and Rocker went backwards right down on her bottom and fell over to one side. She got up and seemed to be fine but that was a scary moment. Lara said she landed on her thigh and was a little tender but back on she went and we walked the rest of the way back to the barn.

By the time we got back it was DARK. Lara noticed all the horses (five of them) were still out in the pasture so decided to bring them in. First she put a warm towel on Rockers back and then rubbed in some lintement and put a blanket on her and put her away. I untacked Sinwaan but we didn't hose them off tonight since it had gotten so cool. I had him do a trot out over to the barn where the lights were so we could see how his back legs looked. No signs of wear or rubbing, I think maybe we have a solution for now! (RELIEF) I let him graze for awhile in the yard while Lara ran about gathering feed for the horses' stalls. She reminded me to grab a bale of hay for Sinwaan this next week to acclimate him to it before the ride. So I tied him back up and managed to move a bale of grass/alfalfa blend from the barn to the truck. ARGH.

I helped Lara with the last two horses and she took the dogs in to feed them, I let Sinwaan graze some more. FINALLY we loaded up Sinwaan (he is not great about trailering still, with a little encouragement from someone behind he will get in but I have difficulty by myself)

It was so late, I don't even know. 9:30 pm maybe? We had to make a stop at one of Lara's pet-sitting clients to take care of some more dogs. Then we had to make a stop so I could take care of the pig I am in charge of for the weekend. We finally pulled in to Sinwaan's home about 11 pm. YAWN!! I put him straight out to pasture and he trotted all the way over to the gate with me. Fresh as can be. He must have had a little nap in the trailer while we ran errands. Lara unloaded the tack in the meantime and then I had to unload the hay bale. He will get a flake a day between now and the ride. He should like that.

I was so tired by the time I got home I just wanted to climb into bed. I was exhausted, but surprisingly not very hungry. I had not eaten anything since probably 11:30 am earlier today. I always carry some kind of snacks in my packs, I gave Lara one tonight but I guess I didn't have the energy to chew. Ha ha. I didn't bother eating one myself.

I took care of my dogs and nursed the baby and realized I had left the Rooster's door open so I had to drive back out to the country to close it, finally getting in bed about 12:30 am. What a day!

All told we did about 10 miles today. I think I am ready. I am not as sore as I anticipated with all that trotting (7 1/2 mi). I think Sinwaan is ready too. Time will tell. Our goal is to finish, with the horses fit to continue. Ride our own ride and all that jazz.