February 29 2008

Today I got out the barn about 3:30 which was later than I had planned. I had to stop on the way to ask about An-Apple-A-Day at the feed store, and they didn't carry it. When I got to the barn the wind was roaring. I could not hear Dale talking to me 10 feet away. I would guess it was blowing about 40 mph. At that point I was not sure I wanted to ride. Kittee was having a day in court so I would be riding alone. But since Dale was around I figured it would be ok for me to go out. He also thought that once I got onto Cache Hollow the wind would not be as bad since I would have the mountain as a buffer. Not wanting to waste a day of riding (I already did drive out there after all) and knowing the endurance ride is coming up I figured I better not be chicken and just do it.

Dale was right, once we got to Cache Hollow the wind ceased, at least in most parts. Sinwaan was pretty good, not jumpy like I had anticipated. He tried to stop and turn around a few times but that is just his usual barn-sour self. We put in a solid 4 miles, with some additional time spent turning him around on the way home when he got too antsy to get home.

All in all a good ride today. The weather, aside from the wind, was awesome. I checked him carefully when we got home and he is not having any trouble with interference either. At this point I am very pleased with his new shoes.

Every day that I can ride is a tremendous blessing. This day was special being the 29th day of February in a Leap Year.

February 26 2008

Today I had Chad Henry come out to put some shoes on Sinwaan for the ride season.

Yet another day with gorgeous weather (mid 50s) and it made me wish I was out riding instead of having to get back to work.

February 23 2008

Today was a gorgeous day. The temp at the house when we left was 69 degrees! The temp at the barn is always a little cooler and usually with a breeze. I got Sinwaan groomed and tacked up and put on his red boots today as I was hoping to put in some mileage. His leg wound from yesterday looked better, seemed to be healing up well so I didn't worry about it.

Matt and Levi accompanied me today in the pickup truck, as Matt was wanting to test out his new tripod. He got some nice footage of us on the trail (See below). As I was leaving the ranch I could hear gun shots and I knew right then that it would be a short ride today. Most people do target practice at the top of Cache Hollow after the HILL. I would have to pass them to continue to Kinnear and I didn't want to risk it. Sinwaan is ok from a distance but doesn't care for guns up close, and frankly, neither do I. Especially riding alone.



Sinwaan did well for me heading away from the barn, better than last season when he wanted to test me by stopping every so often. He kept a good pace, alternating between walking and trotting. When it was easier footing we cantered or galloped. We went up to our usual turn around point for a short ride, about 2 mi.

Heading home Sinwaan fought for his head as usual and I turned him around and made him trot back uphill when he would really test me. Otherwise he was well behaved and a joy to ride. What a day!

I could not believe all the traffic on the road today. Cache Hollow is closed this time of year so there shouldn't have been anyone at all (including me?) but I had at least 8-10 vehicles (mostly trucks) pass us. A few I had to remind to slow down and all but one were polite. I also passed two guys hiking uphill. That was an oddity because they didn't seem like they belonged out there. They appeared to be teen stoner-types. Walking?

Well we had a good ride and put in an easy 4 miles. I forgot my HR monitor today but plan on taking it out my next long ride. I need to start keeping track of his recovery time since March is right around the corner. I fed him his grain and got a look at the new stallion on the ranch upon our return.

February 22 2008

Today I went out to get Sinwaan from the pasture and noticed he had blood all down his inner right leg. I found that to be strange. I haltered him and led him out to the hitching rail to get a better look. I trimmed some of the hair away from the site so I could see. It did not look deep. It seemed to be a very recent injury, as the blood was still bright red and moist on his leg. I got my baby wipes out and cleaned his leg as best I could. The wound looked clean so I left it alone except to put some ointment on it. Sinwaan started stamping his foot and tried to touch the area with his muzzle. Then he raised his head to the sky and turned up his lip. The excitement was short lived. I trimmed his bridle-path and gave him a good through grooming, although he seemed really clean for a change. I fed him some grain and then took him to an area outside the pasture with a nice amount of grass and let him graze for about an hour. It was very peaceful and fun to watch him select and trim the grass. No riding hours to log for me today. But it was a nice relaxing day with my horse.

February 20 2008

Today's report brought to you by Lara

Sinwaan and I went on a little ride up Cache Hollow yesterday. The weather was wonderful for this time of year, only about 50 degrees! He was very good boy while I groomed him and fiddled with his tack till everything was just right. Then we headed up the trail. He walked out really nice alternating between walking and troting on the way up. Then on the way back we took our time walking and switching up the direction to settle him down a little; he was in quite a hurry to get back to his barn buddies!

All in all we were gone for 1 1/2 hours and probably put in about 5 easy miles. When we got back to the barn I groomed him out again and gave him a little pan of grain for his efforts.

Thanks for the loan Shana we had a good ride! ~Lara~

* * * *

Lara and I spoke after her ride and discussed his change in gait. On Saturday I thought it was because of his boots, but Lara didn't use the boots and also noticed him coming down heavy on one side. To me his hooves look good, no chips or cracks, smooth edges. But Lara noticed that his one hoof, his 'club foot' has been growing out at a different angle. So now we think that is why he is moving differently, he is no longer balanced. I am going to call the farrier in the next week and make an appointment to put his shoes back on for the ride season.

February 16 2008

I had not planned on riding today but Matt wanted to work on his truck on Sunday so I decided to take advantage of the gorgeous weather and ride two days in a row. Matt decided he would like to go out with me and get some footage on his video camera, and get a better idea how to tape the trails for his project he will soon take on. The thermometer at the house said 54 degrees today before we left, about 1:00, and this time I only wore a t-shirt and took along a choice of jackets.


I knew I wanted to ride up Cache Hollow Road today and I was aiming for the 10 mile loop as my goal for the day. Because I am trying to get Sinwaan conditioned, and only able to ride twice a week, I am trying to put in as many hours on him as I can in that time. I called ahead and let Kittee and Dale know that I would be out there and aiming to ride a distance and they could come along if they would like to, but that Matt would be with me if they decided not to, so I would not be alone and no worries. I decided to put on Sinwaan's ezboots today because I knew we could encounter more gravel and rock than usual and he is not shod yet. I have never used the ezboots, I got them in a trade for Dee's endurance bridle and was estactic that two (out of five) of them were red. I got lucky in that the two red ones happen to be the right size for Sinwaan and he can wear them as a pair on the front. I had a little trouble figuring them out but Kittee helped me as she has used boots before. She also brought out her rasp in case we needed to smooth out any rough edges, but his feet really look amazing considering the amount of time it has been since a trim and the rasp was not needed.

The three of us rode out together and walked for awhile to warm up the horses, with Matt driving ahead of us and stopping every so often to get some footage. At the one mile point he got himself turned around and then decided to back up the next mile in the truck. Before we got to him at mile two he had turned around again and drove straight up THE HILL. Well at the two mile point Dale and Kittee decided to turn around so I bid them farewell and at this point got off and led Sinwaan up as it is very rocky and we are both still a little out of shape. What a climb! It took him about ten minutes before he realized his buddies had turned around so then he started trying to trot a little and run circles around me. Well I got him in line and put an end to that and then he was very well behaved.


We made it up to the top and I let him take a little break and graze on some short spring grasses that had started to come up. Then I remounted and we headed off for Kinnear Road. What a view!!


Kinnear Road is probably my favorite road in the area, as it has gradual climbs and generally is a good place to let the horse out a little. We set off at a trot for a distance, with Matt following. As Matt would get closer it would make Sinwaan nervous so I had Matt go on ahead of us and asked him to clock two miles so I would know when we had gone five and then could decide if we would turn around and head home, or continue onward to finish the loop. When we got to about the 1 3/4 mi point on Kinnear there were so many mini rivers in the road that the footing was not great. I decided to turn around at that point and head for home. Of course then Sinwaan kicks into high gear and suddenly wants to GO and is not tired anymore. Go figure! I let him trot but tried to hold him back a little to keep him in control and listening to me. Once in a while he would show his aggravation with me by tossing his head and giving me attitude but I did not have trouble getting him to listen to me, although a few times it was a little battle. I let him go as long as it was safe to do so, and kept him at the trot. There were places we had to walk because of rock or boards in the road, or mud (there is still snow up there and it is melting, thus all the water in the road). His ezboots seemed to work perfectly, I did not detect any soreness, although his trot was slightly different to post, and I did notice his hind feet turning red from hitting the boots (overreaching) All in all they seemed to do their job though. They were sure hard to get off! I am glad Sinwaan is so patient with me testing all this stuff out on him. He stood quietly and waited for me to wrestle them off of him. I checked his feet and all was well, no rubs.

I figure we did about 9 1/2 miles today with elevation changes and I am thrilled with that because adding to the 4 miles on Friday we put in about a loop of a LD ride this weekend, and now I have Sunday to recover. I am already feeling stiff and sore from climbing that HILL, I got off and hiked it with him both going up and down.

February 15 2008

Today I went to work an hour early so that I could get off work early and enjoy this lovely day. When I got home Matt needed to work on a truck he had acquired so I kept Levi company for about 40 minutes so he could get that done. Then I drove out to the barn and on the way passed a bank sign that said it was 51 degrees. Perfect! I had dressed in a turtleneck, sweatshirt and my riding coat and was feeling quite warm and overdressed when I arrived, but Kittee assured me that once the sun went behind the bluff I would be glad for it.

When I arrived Kasey and Kittee were out riding in the pastures and the herd was another pasture over. They volunteered to go get Sinwaan for me and cantered off. This I had to see. They had fun attempting to herd him, and he didn't seem amused, but once he saw me he came trotting over. I tacked up and Kasey came out and untacked, she had to get to work.

Kittee and I then rode up Cache Hollow Road, we went to mile 2 today before turning around to come home. We had a lovely ride and talked about rattlesnakes, and men collecting things. Our ride was interspersed with a fair amount of trotting and some cantering today as much of the gravel has vanished from one of the flat stretches on the path.

I am guessing I put in approx. an hour of riding today. The Blue Mtn Riders women's club that I am a member of has started a tally sheet for anyone who wants to keep track of their hours, so I figured why not?

February 9 2008

Today the Backcountry Horsemen - the Purple Sage Riders chapter from Tri-Cities, had a ride planned at Madam Dorian. I had heard of this place before but never seen it, so I was really excited to have the chance to ride there this early in the season. Matt and Levi joined me today which was a special treat. The temperature today in College Place was 47 degrees. T-shirt weather! We got to the barn at 9 am and the horses were all clean because Kittee had the novel idea yesterday to blanket them overnight (wahoo!) Sinwaan still needed some brushing on his head and legs but overall it was a timesaver.



Madam Dorian is about 30 miles from College Place so it was not too far from home while also being an adventure at the same time. The parking lot was large and everyone was able to get a spot without being crowded. There were a few fire pits and picnic tables and a bathroom building although there was no running water or flush toilets. Just two stalls in the women's end which had a seat that lead to a hole in the ground. The wind here was very strong and I noticed it throughout the ride. I think it helped in keeping Sinwaan cool, as with his furry coat he does sweat to some degree, but it also battled me as I tried my best to hold up my video camera like a torch.



Everyone was saddled up and ready to go by 11 am and we headed out. Matt took some photos of us leaving and heading up the first hill. The trail was dirt and sand with lots of sagebrush. Reminded me quite a bit of our Lakeview Ride experience. There were some elevation changes, I distinctly remember two large hills the horses powered right up and lots of little mini hills as we wound around and through the sagebrushes. It kept things interesting.



I took a video camera with me this time for two reasons. The first reason being for my friend Lara who I know would have loved to have been along on this ride. The other reason is because I wanted to see how it looked from horseback - how still would I be able to hold the camera? Is this something I could do on a regular basis of different trails? Matt had put a stabilizer post on the base of the camera which really only added weight and about ten minutes into it I was already feeling muscle strain in my forearm. But I taped approx 49 min of footage, which we will probably cut down to 30 seconds. :)




This trail consisted of mostly single track but some double track toward the end. The double track section was really awesome footing and I let Sinwaan out here and he just ran to his heart's content. It was glorious. You can drive a truck on the upper road from one end to the other, and the trails for the horses are between that and the lake. [In the above photo, the upper road is to the right of the building in the top right of the frame] There is a main trail or two but some people made their own. I saw a skeleton of something alongside the trail.



In this photo above, I am leading, all you can see is me and the camera. Where's my horse?

The group of us made our way about four miles out. The leader said the main road for the cars (gravel) went about another mile and then dead ended. So we all rested there for a little while and then we turned toward home since half the horses there were not shod (Sinwaan included). Once we got back to the double track I just let Sinwaan out again and really enjoyed the speed. A gal on an Arab mare (later learned her name was Allison) kept up with us for awhile and we talked a little. She wants to get into endurance and also lives in College Place. She was very friendly and apparently the two of us led about 1/3 of the group into our own dead end. I am not entirely sure how that happened but finally the leader caught up with us and we asked him where to go and he said "well, we need to be over there" pointing across a dry lake-bed full of dried weeds and live weeds and all kinds of natural piles of weeds, "so we just go this way" and he led us straight through all of it. That was probably not my favorite part of the ride, but it was pretty crazy. The horses charged on through and made their own trails there. I was worried about what sort of creatures might jump out at me in this very strange place. Then we got to the Wall Of Weeds. These weeds were golden with stalks the size of corn or larger, as high as me with little branches and some sort of asthma-inducing pollen dried flowery things on top. Allison looks back at me and says "I do not want to go in there!" And I felt her pain. But our leader didn't seem to mind this challenge, and took it head on. The sound of the stalks cracking as his horses trampled them was loud and echoed throughout the valley. I was in awe of this man, who rode his horse in a halter and ponied another horse in a halter with a young rider. So into the Wall Of Weeds we went. I had to make good use of my left arm in there, pushing the weeds away from my face. It was probably about 40 feet of this that we went through. And on the other side was more of the same dead and live and lumpy weed piles. Finally we did find the trail!



At this point Allison and the leader took off, and Sinwaan and I joined the company of a woman who's name I do not know. She rode what appeared to be an older gray Arab. I think I remember her saying earlier in the ride that her mare was in her 20s. She set a slower pace, a fair amount of trotting with walking interspersed. At this point Sinwaan is just screaming out for his barn buddies. Every so often he would stop and look back for them but they were not there. They were smart enough not to follow us down the wrong path and into the weeds but they were still a little ways behind us due to all the galloping we had done earlier.

We had a lovely ride back to the parking lot, and then we could see someone had built a fire in the pit. Within two minutes Kittee and Dale were back to the trailer as well and we all untacked and offered the horses some water and hay. Sinwaan said no thanks to the water but was happy for the grass hay. Everyone busied about and the food for the potluck started appearing. I had made a cold pasta salad with baby corn and artichoke hearts and olives. It was a little bland and I am realizing now typing this that I forgot to add the parmesan cheese! Dale made potato salad and it also was quite tasty. Someone brought a chili that Matt really enjoyed, and there was hot rice to go with some sort of sauce with meat balls in it. A green salad, real fudge, peanut butter cookies. A nice spread and variety from everyone.

So we ate our food and afterwards Levi had fun learning how to walk down a hill. Well, it was a slight incline. New sensation for him to be sure.

During our ride (which was 3 hours to go the 8 miles) Matt had taken Levi to the model train and hobby stores in the Tri-Cities and enjoyed himself as well.

As for me...well approx 10 miles of riding this week is a great start to the season! I am hoping this weather keeps up and I can put in that many every week! March is right around the corner and the HOTR ride will be here before I am ready for it.

February 8 2008

Today was the first Friday in a long time that I have been able to ride. I worked through half of lunch so I could leave a little early. I got out to the barn by 3:15. Kittee was already saddled up and ready to go and I pulled Sinwaan out of the pasture. He was a little muddy but not too bad. It was overcast but not raining so we headed up Cache Hollow. The horses were using every excuse to jump at any little thing, they were full of themselves. I guess I can't blame Sinwaan since it has been awhile since he got out of the pasture! We walked up a mile and walked back down the mile and we could have done more, but it was a nice little jaunt for them to stretch and exercise their mind and get ready for tomorrows ride. As usual Sinwaan was asking to go faster all the way home and it was good for him to slow down and behave.

February 3 2008

Curses! I woke up to more snow coming down this morning. When there is snow, we do not trailer the horses. And, this month my clubs only have the indoor arena on one day anyway. I am itching to ride, and half tempted to go out there and try anyway but it is all just very frustrating. I guess I will get to do some yoga today with Lara instead.

February 1 2008

Wow I can't believe January has gone already and I did barely any riding. Today I went out to the barn to take a collar out for Sinwaan to solve his problem of chewing on the barn. I talked to Dale and he had thought it over and decided that a collar just goes against his whole philosophy of horse ownership and that he had called in on some chicken wire to cover his barn so the horses (and goats) could not eat it. That sounded good to me so I was able to return the collar.

With the sun setting later in the day I am hoping soon to be able to go out and also ride Friday in addition to Sundays, should the weather be agreeable, as the clubs I am in only have the Fairground arena this month on ONE day.

As I was feeding Sinwaan his carrot I couldn't help but notice how white he is getting with that furry winter coat. Yes, every year he will get lighter.