Peggy Sue trying out the portable corral I’d set up to be sure all was working properly.
It has taken about two days of prep work to get me ready to go. This is my first solo camping, and my first AERC ride so I hope at some point I get a little more streamlined about what I need and how to put it together easier. I have to thank Ed- he truly has earned his “horse husband” award/title as he’s helped me with fixing the corral racks to my trailer, organizing my pile of stuff into a well packed truckbed, and I credit him with being completely ready to pull away tomorrow with only needing to load my horse and dress myself. I would have a whole checklist left if I were left to my own devices.
This left the rest of the evening to have a simple dinner, watch a Game of Thrones episode, and then take a little hot tub time while Ed exhausted from a long day hit the “hay”.
The hot tub is a sanctuary here at Stillhouse Cottage. Often the two of us have a drink after a long day and it is the place (besides the kitchen) that Ed is most likely to tell me about his day. Sometimes it’s quiet reflection, sometimes it’s joking and chatter… When I am alone it is one of the few places I am truly quiet.
When I was going through my divorce, my younger brother said something to me that I will never forget. He (as king of the inner world) said to me (queen of external activity): You have to find time to be still, to be quiet. To just sit with yourself. And people just don’t look up nearly as much as they should. These things are important.
I do not take much time to be quiet and still. I like being productive. I like moving and doing. Yet I do know that balance is vital, and moving here was a choice that I hoped would help remind me on occasion to find some stillness.
I am thankful for Ed who has helped me find more stillness- both in example (he is so much better than I am at this) and in action. If I wasn’t completely ready to pull away my mind would be bustling with to-do lists and schedules for when I have to get up to be moving out by what time…. Instead I sat under the stars and tried to find some quiet in my mind while also looking up. I watched the change in the light of the moon between the tree branches as clouds rolled past and I breathed cool night air mixed with hot tub steam. These are the moments I try to file away in a cabinet in my mind for some future time when life is not good, when loss comes, when sadness overwhelms or when events beyond control create a paradigm shift that changes things forever. At the end of a life too long or too short- this is one of the moments I hope to unlock and hold once more.
I left a life that was not right, I took a leap of faith into adventure and I can remember times when I wondered if I had lost my mind completely, and if I would succeed. I’ve looked at possible financial ruin, left behind family I still miss, and walked through a tunnel to a new life that I believed was the right path. On a night like tonight I think of where that path has taken me- a professional life that is gratifying and full, a family of friends- the vibrant cross section most people could never imagine, connection to nature around me: rivers, trees, animals, flowers… spending time in it, enjoying local meats, fruits, vegetables, literally milk and honey… and I’ve found the love of my life as well as pets I cherish and enjoy. My home is a welcoming place that I feel happiest surrounded by love. (Of course all things have ups and downs- but I know this is where I belong, and have never been happier).
All I could do is bow my head before the God of the universe and ask why? What have I done to deserve such blessing, riches and love? Nothing. There is nothing I could possibly do. It is not because of me that these things are here but because of the very nature of God. It is humbling to consider. And I always hope I enjoy and appreciate the sweetness because joy and sorrows are always somehow connected. Life does not offer one without the other.
So for now I bask in the joys. The stars, the moon, the night air, and the fact that my truck is completely packed and ready to go on a new adventure tomorrow.
Thanks for joining me- my journeys never seem complete without someone to share them with. Thank you for being part of my world… and wish me luck… tomorrow we pull away for Star Tannery and the No Frills Ride.
truck this afternoon… before Ed got everything organized!
I am writing this while getting a little fresh air and exercise heading back up the mountain. Hm, this is my second walk. First I went to get the girls from their field to realize I only had one halter. In retracing my steps I had to go all the way up to a step outside the tack room to find the dropped rope halter- then go back down to pick up the horses. Right now- I’m going to collect Faygo who is tied to a tree at our main logging road. I’m sure she’s getting anxious I can hear her calling us. Why would I leave my horse tied to a tree and walk back down the mountain? In search of my other horse no doubt.
‘Bad Horsey’ — she got the nicknam from my dad. I once called faygo my ‘good horse’, meaning the reliable trail mount who is already trained and ready to go. I didn’t intend to imply the Khaleesi was bad- just not as experienced. Now when I call him with stories of the horses they are good horse and bad horsey.
Can’t you just stand there a minute without eating or destroying anything!?
Today I was exasperated at best with bad horsey. Although no matter what I still adore her and can’t stay mad long.
After a 30 minute regrouping, we ended up having a really nice ride of about 7 miles and it was largely uneventful until the very end when in a few short minutes our blue skies turned dark and a crisp wind blew in a storm system. We were SO close to the barn and I knew it was time to get moving, Faygo knew it was time, but princess K back there was not concerned:
But I’m tired… why are you guys always in such a rush…. my feet hurt….
Faygo and I wondered to each other: Why on earth do we bring her?
So after getting everyone turned back out as the bad weather blew in I started working on my checklist. After a quick lunch and checking in online to my vet records Faygo’s new coggins had come (Hallelujah! the vet said it should be fine, but I worried that hell and high water would never stop us from entering, but some glitch in the coggins test would). That’s great news- then step one moving forward was get horse trailer and truck power washed. The back of the truck was still filled with rocks (don’t ask- they’re for a project) and after unloading the rocks I couldn’t seem to get the angle quite right to hook up the trailer. We finally get on the road, get washed up, get our farm store supplies, have the tires checked all around and just as I’m about to make a bank deposit my cell phone rings.
Khaleesi got out- she is running around in the highway!
Ok, I’m in Monterey, I’m on my way.
I’m imagining a logging truck rolling through there as they do all day long, unable to stop as….
…. as I speed down the highway and then get pulled over by a very relaxed trooper who wants to talk about my weight (I kid not)… Really, you don’t look a pound over xxx (as he glances down into the truck to check for himself). And… Really, it is my job to know these things- who exactly are you and what do you do here?…. So- if you live in Bath Co, what was it that brought you to Monterey today? (I point to the horse feed bag next to me in the front set) Oh, I’m sure your horse will just go back where it belongs… that’s what they usually do…. are you crying?
I have been pulled over before. I have never been detained for so long to talk about random things in an effort to stall in my life- and I thought it might help to start with “I just took a phone call that my horse is loose on 220”. Apparently that isn’t a safety concern of his. My body weight however seemed to be.
An eternity later I was back on the road and found the goober grazing right off the road. I herded her back into her field (where it seems there isn’t enough grass for her needs) and headed home to start making my pot-luck meal for Friday (chili) and try to get these rods cut that Ed needs when he gets home- in like an hour- to help me rig my trailer to carry some portable fencing. The chili gets going fine, but the rods are not cooperating and I’m not even half way finished cutting when Ed comes home to help me.
affixing the portable panels
Pack supplies, grocery store, assemble crew bag, camping bins, fill hay bags…. nope- not check, not check, not check.
For the record, I do NOT feel like an endurance rider today. I feel like a discombobulated mess. I finally got the rods cut and Ed and I went to put them into the trailer- it’s a little jerry-rigged, but it works pretty well. I always appreciate Ed’s help with my horse projects. Considering he’s not interested much in this part of my life, it is always welcomed to get some help on building stuff.
Upon returning home I at least took the hammock to see if I could hang it in my trailer. Indeed- without much trouble I have it working nicely for me and I think I’ll be cozy in there at night. I laid in it for a few minutes working on my attitude adjustment and thought about how “terrible” my day was. Well. It wasn’t the day I’d planned, but I wasn’t all that bad really. No animal or person was hurt, and I’m not as far ahead as I wish I were with my packing up, but there’s still Thursday morning…and Friday too.
I thought back to the morning; arriving at the farm before 8am and the morning light, the apple trees- some in full bloom and some just budding out… horses grazing…it was a pretty morning after all.
Nancy & Mireyah with me & Khaleesi at a pretty water crossing
We have been quiet but still active in the past week. Last weekend I rode Khaleesi for the first time with horses other than Faygo, and more than one other horse. She was great- she’s not used to being squished into the middle, or riding with another queenie mare so she copped an attitude once or twice and kicked out, but didn’t hurt anyone, and we tried to use the opportunity to teach better trail manners. She rode in all positions- front, middle and back and didn’t fuss too much about any of them. Was lots of fun- this girl always brings out a big smile for me!
Unusual for me to get out pre-dawn, but it sure was pretty!
Faygo’s new saddle arrived Monday evening! Though I had a busy week and we were expecting rain, I got out to the barn before dawn to make sure I got some good riding in it before the vet came Friday. I rode Faygo for a light ride, about an hour, every day Tuesday-Friday and thought the saddle seemed to fit her really well. It felt strange to be in a new position at first, and I worry I may have ordered the wrong size seat, but as I’m riding in it I find myself more and more comfortable. Our Saturday ride (yesterday) felt like it fit like a glove, so I’m a little conflicted if I should go up a size, or stay. The company has been incredible and will replace it with the next seat size for no extra charge.
Faygo in her new saddle… notice the bare back hoof- we’ve lost ANOTHER hoof boot. That’s three in a month now!Brown Campbell Saddle and Black (new) Phoenix Rising Saddle next to each other
The vet came on Friday and we looked at saddle fitting all around. The new Phoenix Rising saddle is a great fit for Faygo, and the Campbell (Paragon) saddle I used to use on Faygo is a great fit for Khaleesi (so we will ‘retire’ the black western saddle that I never quite felt comfortable in). Faygo and Khaleesi both have no sore spots, pain, or need for chiropractic adjustment. (YEAH!) and that is great news because Faygo had been a bit of a mess about a year ago so we are doing all the right things. She looks much better, her attitude is much better, and I love to know she is healthy….
…with one exception- we know she has a history of heaves (kind of like COPD in humans, or asthma). I have had her on “cough free”, an herbal supplement, for about a year now and that has made a huge difference, but I worry about her breathing under work. She breaths hard, but so does every human and animal when they are working hard. What is ok and what is dangerous is what I need to better understand. She has been doing well getting conditioned this winter, and has been in work for at least 6-7 years without any real longterm down-time – I ride all year long though some seasons we do longer rides than others. This means she is basically a fit athlete so the conditioning foundation is in place. The vet said that if her heaves are active she will probably never make a “competitive” endurance horse. (This is not news to me- it’s the reason I hadn’t considered endurance riding with her before I picked up Khaleesi). On the other hand, her heaves is a pretty mild case, and if the weather is not too hot and humid she may do just fine.
beautiful view from our Saturday day ride in early evening light.
I decided to get more serious about researching supplements and checking in with the AERC board folks on this to see what they were saying. There are people running horses with allergies and mild heaves and I heard about more supplements that seemed to be helping them. There was also quite a discussion about panting and heavy breathing being “ok” (natural cooling process) vs. those who felt it was a bad sign and would immediately stop work until normal breathing was recovered. No one had an example of breathing alone (not paired with elevated heart rate and overheating) had caused harm to their horse. For now, we will participate in the 30 miler on Saturday, and I am 50/50 for guessing if we complete it or not. She may do fantastic, and she may just not be able to work in a healthy state and get pulled (or I may pull her myself if I have concern). It will depend a lot on the weather (heat/humidity) and how mountainous the course it. She does much better on long flats than climbing (though we ride the mountains here all the time- so we are not strangers to the climb). I am looking forward to going- meeting some AERC people, and getting some experience. Finish or not we will get something out of it and have a good time.
My ‘hack job’ partial clip of Faygo. She still has such thick winter hair that this will help her cool better as spring temps rise and we’re working harder than usual.
As for supplements (in addition to the cough free) I decided to start with the lesser expensive Springtime DMG 5600 (cough free is herbal, the other is a supplement compound – DMG) that is supposed to help with better oxygen utilization, reduces lactic acid build up, strengthens immune response, and enhances stamina. I haven’t been too concerned because Faygo has been doing great in recent rides- we’ve gaited for a couple miles at a time around 9mph without any trouble- but yesterday we rode on the hottest day of the year so far, and considering we are expecting thunderstorms today it was humid as well. The temperature when we went out around 4pm was 80 degrees and though I went later in the day when it would continue to cool down, she absolutely had a harder time recovering her breathing than any other ride this year. (Thankfully I was able to shave her neck and belly – to help her cool off faster – when the dentist had her sedated!!).
Though she seemed to have a harder time breathing, we still managed to ride over 8 miles with a moving speed of 5.3 and overall speed of 4.8 (this GPS shot is a little screwy because the owner of the farm we live on was in town and we stopped to chat with her and by the time I got the shot the numbers had adjusted). She was breathing hard, but she did not seem to be exhausted, overheated, or have issues with her gait, stumbling etc. These are signs that she’s not getting enough oxygen into the blood stream and thus lactic acid build up in her muscles. I am still suspect that we’ll be able to finish the ride in the time we’re given to do the 30 miles- especially if it’s hot. I took another look at the forcast for the ride next weekend. The high is supposed to be 55, and we start early in the morning so I hope that she will struggle less. Eighty degrees is basically summer weather for us, and I would say that if she does well in some LD (Limited Distance) riding- it’s likely I would avoid doing it from June-August entirely as it is just too hot and humid and that is what makes her more “heavey” and not recover her breathing as well.
First dental visit!
As for our annual dental work- Stephanie from ProFloats did a great job with the girls. Faygo had routine maintenance to keep her jaw working properly, and Khaleesi had wolf teeth (kind of like wisdom teeth in humans- we generally take them out- not every horse has them, but if they do it interferes with the bit). This would explain why she’s been a little fussy with the bit, and why she gets crazy with me when I tighten the bridle to where I believe the bit is “supposed” to be but is ok with it when I let it down slightly – then she gets her tongue over top of the bit which is NOT good. She was probably looking for some relief from hitting those teeth back there. After about a week we’ll see how she does when her mouth is all healed. She wasn’t terrible before- she should be great now I hope! After our hot weather Saturday afternoon ride I ponied Khaleesi from Faygo and moved the girls back “home” to their field next door for the spring/summer/fall. It was nice to winter at our friends’ barn- with heated tack room, and nice large barn! But it’s also nice to be home again and the boys will be glad to have the girls back on property.
Girls happily grazing back in their home field.
This week I start getting serious about preparing for our first AERC ride! Assembling camping gear, packing up my new hay bags, checklist for my crew bag, Ed is helping me affix the camping corral to the trailer, and I’m going to keep Faygo hydrated and fed without working her too much. We may take an easy ride on Wednesday- walking mostly, not too long. Countdown is on… less than one week to go!
Today Faygo and I went for a quick ride. We were excited to try out her new Zilco snap on bridle. It’s a beautiful bright blue and looks great on her! The headstall and bit connect with a snap to her rope halter (or a biothane halter) and make it easy to remove the bit on the trail for a rest/snack or at a vet check. We found a great deal on the bridle and I’ll probably get one for Khaleesi too.
I finally started putting together my in-season trail bag and though I still have a few items to add I filled my cantle bag with assorted necessities like duct tape wrapped around a (working) pen, hoof pick, spare easyboot, batteries (for the GPS) a compass (who knows what might happen to the GPS right?), emergency granola bar, multi-purpose tool, zip ties, radio, whistle, string… and misc other useful things one might need on the trail.
For a short ride in my “backyard” I thought the full trail kit was a bit overkill but to get into the habit I attached the bag anyway.
As we started down the driveway Faygo was a bit distracted and she went down on her knee at one point – I thought maybe it was a hole. I kindly asked her to pull herself together, pay attention, and we continued on. About 3 minutes later I was thinking how wonderful it was to be back on my horse on a beautiful spring day. There are few things in life that give me the same refreshed feeling and….. I’m on the ground.
No really- that quick- I was on the ground.
Faygo is standing calmly there next to me as seconds before I did a pretty sudden yet slow motion unplanned dismount that left me completely unhurt but confused. I thought she slipped a foot (it was wet and a bit muddy) – while it was happening she seemed to be unbalanced and kind of loopy. She went down on a knee and couldn’t seem to get her footing- she seemed like she was about to go completely down which is when I instinctively bailed and rolled onto the ground. I got up and again asked her what on earth is going on today?
Faygo- you have to pull yourself together. Are you ok?
She just stood there like “I’m fine- you’re the one on the ground.”
So I got back on and we continued at a walk and in about 3 more minutes she seemed to loose balance like she was drunk and I stayed on her trying to decide if she was going to fall over or pull it together. I had panicked thoughts of EPM and neuorogical disorders that would cause her to completely lose her sense of balance. Then I saw it below us- the cable from her rear hoof boot had gotten “flossed” in between her front metal shoe and her foot. She was basically hogtied on one side. By the time I realized what was going on she’d pulled the boot off her back foot and ripped the gator (around her fetlock) clean so that now the back boot was attached to her front foot, but at least she could stand now. THANK GOD that is all that was going on, but now what!?
The rear boot’s wire is jammed tightly between the front hoof and the metal shoe.Saw tool cuts through the wire
Apparently the cantle bag I’d packed wasn’t overkill at all. I wondered why I hadn’t thrown in wire cutters, what was I thinking? I started with the multi-tool and decided if nothing in there would cut the wire cable then at least it had a screw driver and I should be able to disassemble to boot enough to get the wire disconnected. Thankfully the saw part of the tool DID cut through the cable and aside from the fact that the sharp wire left behind cut my fingers a few times as I then tried to pull it out from between the shoe and front hoof, it was a pretty simple operation. One more easy boot bites the dust (I have got to try renegades this winter). I wrapped the boot in some plastic and put it back in my bag- and my preparedness paid off again when I pulled a spare easy boot out of the pack! I put on the spare boot and we were good to go! My farrier will be pleased this week when he has something to nail the back shoes to- at his last visit I was warned that I needed to protect those back feet or there wouldn’t be enough hoof wall to put on her back shoes at his next visit.
At this point I’m wondering why I didn’t just go with all four shoes right then. Probably because in part I’m considering going completely barefoot and using boots but I’m not really sure, and not likely to make the change for this year- and I need to find boots that are easier to deal with and hold up better than the ones I’ve been using.
spare hoof boot!
With the new shoe we were on our way, but I’m worried she might have hurt herself (pulled something) with the wire fiasco. I let her walk easy to be sure everything feels normal. This isn’t exactly the ride I’d planned, or the horse I’d anticipated (from the start she was NOT into this ride), but I knew that just getting her out was important- if we were going to be slow, so be it. Ride the horse you have today. As we got within about a mile of the end of our outbound trail we started to get into the groove and as soon as I turned her around (wouldn’t you know it!) she started getting much more energetic. We did a ton of gaiting on the way home and I kept her for the most part from cantering.
Double Click to enlarge
Overall we had decent speed considering our setbacks. We rode over 8 miles and averaged 5.2mph moving speed. She worked hard and it was a warm day for her (not having luck trying to partially clip her- and I bought a small clipper with low vibration for “sensitive animals” but it’s not doing a good job either), but considering it was a short ride I let her push herself. When we got back to the barn I washed her legs and tail with a whitening shampoo (she’s gotten muddy stained legs from the wet spring, and her tail is a bit yellowed) also I don’t want her to develop sores (scratches) from the mud and dirt and dampness. I was able to at least cut back the hair at the bottom of her legs and by her hoof to discourage mud and dirt and hopefully stay a bit dryer through the rest of spring. She seemed to be walking fine and in good spirits when I turned her out. Another good day with the horses- looking forward to getting Khaleesi out tomorrow!
Speed Graph of our ride-starting to even out a bit
After our big ride, I gave Faygo (and myself) a lazy day to relax. Monday Judy came back to ride so I could get Khaleesi back on the trail. We took a ride Khaleesi had never been ponied on to see how she’d handle new scenery.
The ride began by crossing a wooden bridge (for cars, so not narrow or “too” scary) and I had to get off and lead her across, but she was fine once we got started. She looked around more on the new trail, but took the lead and didn’t seem to lack for confidence. We also had to walk through a trail that had turned into run-off stream with the wet weather and she occasionally tried to move us off the trail onto higher (but rockier) ground; as I insisted we stay in the wet area she finally got the message and stayed on the trail.
I was so pleased with her! We rode about 5 miles and though I still have tons of fine-tuning to do, we have good confidence together and I liked how she seemed to want to stay out front of Faygo (who didn’t seem to mind as I think she was still tired!).
Our loop took us by a beautiful spot in the Jackson River Valley with a gorgeous view. It was a beautiful day as well and was a wonderful ride. I’ve decided that though we’ll still do some arena work, I’d like to focus on “training on the trail” with this horse as it’s more interesting for me, and will be really good for her since that will be her job (endurance trail riding). I worked on trying to get her to take to the bit and possibly start to set her head, but on the “snaffle” rings I just didn’t feel like she was getting it. I decided the next step will be to add a curb chain and connect to the curb rings on the bit to add some poll (top of her head) pressure to see if that encourages her to begin to tuck her head and get “on” the bit more with somewhat a headset. Due to my inexperience we may have to resort to a martingale or professional help at some point, but for now we’re still experimenting and I’m ok with the process. I spent some time holding her back from the trot, sitting back on her and trying to get her to fast walk, but our signals aren’t quite clear yet, so we do a little of that, and yes- I do let her do some trotting too.
Khaleesi dealing well with lots of water on the trail.
The most exciting thing for the day was that on the return part of the trip, slightly uphill, Faygo took off with a canter- I knew Judy was enjoying that lovely silk canter of Faygos and could hardly blame her for leaving us behind. I held on and asked Khaleesi what she was going to do? We can walk easy and lag behind (no big deal) or go ahead and catch up if you want! And we did! We cantered for a good couple minutes up the incline and it was our first real cantering! She felt so different in how she moves than Faygo does… but it was FUN!
I have done more reading and research and it seems like really successful endurance riders don’t ride their horses nearly the amount of miles once they’re in shape as I’d thought they must. Many say 2-3 times a week and not often over 12-15 miles is routine for a horse that can do LD up to 50 miles. That makes me feel good about splitting up ride time between the girls this summer and also realizing that the rest in between is as important as the miles we get in- so it’s good to have two horses to trade off as the season ramps up and we find ourselves wanting to ride more often. I’m looking forward to taking Khaleesi out more and more- and eventually alone. Not ready for that today- but I feel it won’t be too long!
Once again Nancy and I had planned to do my long ride, but the elements threw a curve. There was heavy rain on Friday and the Jackson River was rolling high. Nancy didn’t think Mireyah was ready for a high crossing yet, so we improvised once again and decided to take the long ride from Bolar to Warm Springs (her house) via a longer route that I had never actually ridden but believed I could piece together- and wouldn’t involve crossing the Jackson.
What an amazing day! The route took us along a nicely kept ridge trail above Big Valley that went past a fire look-out tower then descended into Burnsville (that was the part I’d never ridden, and it worked out pretty well by following the GPS), then we hooked up with the trails Nancy rides regularly to finish at her place.
Nancy & Mireyah with Big Valley in the backgroundJaime & Faygo overlooking Williamsville and Burnsville
The ride one-way was just under 22 miles and took us over 6 hours. We took an easy pace, especially because this is early in the season for Mireyah who is just getting her trail miles under her, and her little Paso Fino legs don’t quite cover the ground that Faygo does. I was glad to have the company for a change and considering I had hoped to ride Faygo back home- keeping her from draining her energy was wise.
As for the scenery- it might be one of the prettiest rides close to home I know of. There are beautiful views in many directions from that ridge and going this early in the season you can still see without so much leaf density that comes later in the summer.
We rode into Nancy’s barn, untacked and I turned out Faygo to rest up and eat while I snacked on some leftovers and had a drink with Nancy. I wasn’t sure how the first part of the day would go and had left my mind open as to if I would get a ride home or actually RIDE home depending on how Faygo seemed, how I felt, and how the weather looked. I decided that this was the day we would finish after dark and get some night riding in. According to my GPS the sunset and moonrise were only about 20 minutes apart, and the moon was just a day after full- so bright, and we had clear skies; it also wasn’t windy. The circumstances seemed right. My only concern was that the river was up. I believed Faygo could handle it, as our crossings are usually pretty shallow- so even with the River high, they shouldn’t be impassable.
After about a 90 minute break I saddled Faygo back up and when I hopped on she took off at a good gait pace immediately as if to say “OK! Lets go home!” and we headed off into the end of the day, sun already beginning to sink toward the horizon. I knew that in good conditions it was only about a 3 1/2 hour ride home and we have done this route enough times that my mare could do it blindfolded. Nancy & Eric sent me off with a headlamp & extra jacket and made me promise to call when I got in.
The route included about 10 water crossings. The early ones were often dry beds that only have water in wet seasons. Those were fine and gave me confidence that maybe the water had gone down a bit throughout the day. The first Jackson crossing was the only one that I truly worried about because even in low water there’s a bit of a current. I decided not to think too much about the things that could potentially go wrong and we settled into a good fast walk- occasionally gaiting before it got too dark to see well.
It was a beautiful night. The Hidden Valley wetlands were alive with peepers and it was different to hear them at night on a horse. I watched the stars slowly appear and as it got darker hoped the moon would rise up far enough for us to see in the valley soon. There was one spot that we had two choices- Faygo assumed the longer way, but I was going for shortest distance possible and that turn off was harder to see at night. I knew roughly where it was and that she’d just missed it. I asked her to turn around and as I began trying to see where I was and not turn her into the marsh she knew exactly what I was doing and on her own cut back and got on the right trail that she’d gone past just a few minutes ago.
Faygo: Oh, you want to go that way… why didn’t you just say so?
We did not use the headlamp except in the rare case of going around a downed tree to see footing or the very short time I was on the road and wanted to be seen in case of cars (which we did not see one). There is one spot where we leave the large trail for a smaller one-track through the woods. In good light I’m not always sure I can see where this cut through starts, in the dark I knew we were getting close, but couldn’t see well enough to guess I’d find the blue paint on a tree. I had no reason for concern, Faygo beelined onto that trail and took me through the woods as if on rails. I trusted her completely as she kept a steady, safe, fast walk I held on and stayed balanced and let her do the steering. She moved with purpose and control and I felt there was no better partner to do this ride with than her.
The video and pictures can’t do it justice- you could still see bit with the ambient light. The video seems too pitch black.
When we came to the first crossing of the Jackson about half way into the ride I heard the rolling water and she walked right in without hesitation and though it was high (this is the first time my foot got wet which was a drag especially as the night cooled down) we were pushed a bit downstream as we crossed but she charged right through onto the other bank. The place on the bank we ended up wasn’t our usual exit and I think the bank was a little high there (hard to tell with the water up) and it took a little extra effort for her to pull us up, but she charged right on and we continued into the valley.
I wondered if I would be afraid to ride alone in the dark. No. I was pretty sure I would be afraid- at least to some extent- to be in the woods after dark. I decided it was just like the treadmill. The night before I’d gotten on the treadmill and I wanted to get in 6 miles; I wasn’t getting off until I had accomplished that. I ran myself pretty hard and a few times felt like I wanted to stop. But I decided my commitment to myself was bigger and that I wasn’t going to die. Yes I was tired. Yes my legs started to ache a little. Yes, I was breathing hard. Yes- this was all ok and part of it. I thought about that work out as I headed into the dark and decided that yes- it would be a little scary. Yes. I would be tired. And yes- I would come out the other end ok. There is a connection between mental toughness and physical toughness I think. At least I’ve found it in my own life. I’m not perfect with either, but they feed each other and I try to encourage a positive cycle.
moonlight reflecting off the Jackson River at Poor Farm
I was a bit surprised that once I got into the rhythm of the ride it wasn’t nearly as scary as I’d feared it would be. My horse had absolute confidence and she never faltered or considered stopping. She took me through parts of the trail that I would have had to navigate with my GPS if I were on foot like they were her own backyard. She had no fear. She crashed through the Jackson river at least 4 times in the dark with the sound of the river much louder that usual like it was a puddle and the worst thing was by the end of the ride both my socks had gotten wet and my feet were getting cold. The moon- when it did rise high enough to light our way in the river valley – was spectacular, and I’ve never seen anything like it as it reflected on the river as we speed walked along.
A few times she seemed to smell or sense something. This was prime time for animals to be out, and I would talk to her- mostly to make human noises the animals might steer clear of us. At one point I decided to sing a bit and thought the Death Cab for Cutie song “I’ll follow you into the dark” was oddly appropriate- yet also a little eerie on the flip side as it is about death, but also about love. It just happened to be the song that was running through my head as we motored on through the dark together.
Love of mine, someday you will die, but I’ll be close behind — I’ll Follow you into the dark
You and me have seen everything to see, from Bangkok to Calgary, and the soles of our shoes are all worn down…..
If heaven and hell decided that they both are satisfied, illuminate the “NOs” on their vacancy signs. If there’s no one beside you when your soul departs, then I’ll follow you into the dark.
When we finally clip clopped into the driveway Khaleesi started calling to us and Faygo called back.
Yes. We’re home!
I was chilled but not cold, exhausted, but felt great. I gave Faygo some grain and brushed her off- she had hardly sweat all day and seemed to be in great shape overall.
I was so glad to finally be home. I thought about the people who ride 100 miles. They would pull into this place at night like a vet check and be ready to say- sure, I’ll do that again plus a little more.
WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE? I had to ask myself.
AM I ONE OF THEM?
Honestly I’m not sure. I certainly am not today. There’s no way you could have gotten me to take a few minutes rest and hit the trail again last night. I was ready for a hot tub soak and a warm bed.
It did make me think about my crew bag- you send it on to the vet check so when you pull off to have your horse looked over and take a mandatory break you have a few things available. I think I’ll be working on a check list for my crew bag as the day of our ride gets closer. I think clean socks and underwear will be on the list. Just in case.
Thankfully this was the end to our amazing ride. I was relieved and pleased that she did so well. We put on more miles that I’d needed to- 35.58 miles in total. That is the longest ride in one day I’ve ever taken, and I assume the longest she has as well- and I won’t ask her to do that again for a while. The ride in three weeks is only 30 miles, and until then we will ramp down to shorter faster rides and let her build reserves again.
The next day (this morning) I went to see her and she might be a little stiff in her back legs- but it’s hardly noticeable and she looks fantastic. How lucky we who have horses are to develop relationships with these amazing creatures. She’s earned a day off, that’s for sure! As for me, I haven’t taken a nap in months, maybe a year… but today…….
Faygo & Khaleesi the following day- looking forward to breakfast.
This weekend brought particularly cold weather back, snow and wind. I had planned a big ride with Faygo on Friday where my friend Nancy would ride half the distance with me on her fiery little paso. The morning ended up in a very cold rain, so we decided to be flexible and met at the barn in the afternoon for a shorter ride and some fun in the obstacle course training. It was a good chance to spend a few minutes with Khaleesi, see how her shoulder did after light work, then with Faygo, a little easier riding with a friend for a change.
Nancy and Mireyah cross the tarp
Khaleesi is great with the tarps, platforms etc. in fact she is so laid back she is lazy about picking her feet up over the pipes on the ground. We opted for a slight challenge by moving the tarp- at first following behind it. It was windy, so that was a tricky, but everyone improved. Her shoulder seemed no worse for use.
Sunday I thought I would do a short(ish) fast moving ride and I let the dogs come along. I don’t have the mileage mapped over the mountain (this is the mountain East of the river) into Little Valley and back, I guessed it would be a good 7 or 8 miles. The ride is steep to the top ridge trail, then it’s down or somewhat flat to come back through the valley so it was a nice ride to open up and work on some gaiting.
When I got home and checked the GPS I was a little off. The ride was about 11 miles, very similar to the ride we took last weekend! I was especially surprised since we did the ride in about 2.5 hours. Sorry dogs- I didn’t realize I was going to drag you 11 miles at a good moving speed. But they hung in there like the fantastic trail dogs they are!
Tired dogs after running at least 11 miles with us!
Double Click to see enlarged view
I am happy to say the incline was even more than our last ridge ride (on the CCC road – the mountain West of the river), yet our speed was better. I started counting and tracking her breathing and recording the data with her heart rate at the time. I also am discovering that letting her haul up a ways then stop to breathe seems to work better for her than controlled walking the steep inclines. I realize people may say that the slow walking will build stamina, but I don’t know if I believe that for her case. And if so, then we’ll continue to train that way sometimes, but in trying to see what we can do, pushing through then resting in spurts seems to work better.
The ridge trail is so pretty- and this time of year you can see more through the trees than in summer. I love the rock formations up on top of the mountains, and the shapes of the trees are more interesting as well. I took a little video when we crested the top.
We dropped off the mountain through the backyard of good friends Lee & Linda. They were outside so we stopped to say hello and got a picture by their “little” house. It’s the original house from the property and now used as a guest house. Entire families lived in the tiny place! (pictured at top of post)
Rock Cairn marking the trail up the mountain that during summer can be tricky to find.
From this point we had some flat terrain on the road and we settled into a gait and finally I felt like we dialed it in. She didn’t try to go faster or slower, I found a great seat and balance, and we hit our stride – that sweet spot in gaiting – and really held it for over a mile… that’s the longest stretch like that for us ever. In looking over my graphics I saw a nice difference between the rides. Our last weekend 11 miles on the CCC road is very jagged, this ride to Little Valley is slightly less so. We have a couple miles of between 8 and 10mph which is when we had that nice gait experience. Unfortunately when we hit the trail again with it’s various inclines and footings she went back to pushing me to canter more and to see how things went I often let her (you want to go? ok… me too!) Only she would wear herself out and then have to slow way down to recover on great ground we should have been covering faster. Lesson learned from that: convince her to stay in a gait for more of the ride even if she promises she has the canter in her. I have to be the brains of the operations… Lend me your hooves… lets work together!
Bolar Ridge Loop is most recent (shown as top graphic). CCC road loop (shown as bottom graphic) is from the previous ride.
So what I’d like to start seeing on my GPS graphics is a decrease in those peaks and to begin to have a more stable average speed in our training. That is the goal as much as it’s possible to do so (terrain dictates much of our options).
As for my “mother of dragons” (Khaleesi), she had to hang in the stall because in the evening we had a visitor. The man I bought her from and his wife came to see her and have dinner with us. I was excited to have him see how nicely she is growing up. He said she looked great and that I was doing a good job with her. We went in to the arena and when I began to walk her around the course she picked right up and trot-trot-trotted around like a little peacock. She hardly ever moves at more than a walk unless I force her, so I was a bit surprised. Who are you and what have you done to slightly lazy, mild mannered Khaleesi!? She did all I asked of her (though still a little rough around the edges), and then we turned the girls out in pasture. Instead of her usual stand around, hang her head over the gate “where ya goin’ mom?” she danced off across the field and then with her tail up pranced around, kicked up, bucked, ran around, trotted, cantered and all ducked her head and hauled ass at pretty good speed in little bursts. I was tickled to see it. As soon as she’d stop a moment she’d pick up and go again, at least for or 5 times. I believe she remembered her past family and was doing a little show off for them.
Thankfully the next day proved that all the crazy acrobatics had no effect on her past injury and she is sill looking sound. So, the girls is ready to get back to work! Will she gait? Can I make that happen alone? Or will I need help? Stay tuned as we figure it out together!
As for Faygo, we rode one of my favorite trails on Sunday and did just under 12 miles and with a moving average of 4.6 we’re still improving. I don’t pay as much attention right now to the overall average because I’m not always able to keep moving. Sometimes, especially coming out of winter I have to get off and pull trees off the path or clip through briars to re-open trails. So though it is an important data value, I hope we’ll be able to keep the two moving closer together as we have to stop less and less on our rides for maintenance.
The first 1/3 is straight up the mountain and that was hard on her. Heart rate isn’t a problem, but her breathing is labored on the steep climbs. I believe that’s called “inverted” or “inversion” and I will have a chat with the vet in April about how to best manage this. This isn’t something we can train to improve, Faygo has been ridden around these mountains for over 5 years and this issue with her breathing capacity on hill work has never really changed no matter how great of shape she is in overall. I did get a few more supplement ideas from the endurance folks to run by the vet in case any of them may help her. For Sunday it meant the uphill was slower, and for the hardest parts I got off and walked with her. I encouraged her without demanding she work harder than she was willing. I want to work her, but not hurt her.
At the top, we ride the CCC road for a few miles and mostly gaited (foxtrotting) that section which was fun. Then the last 1/3 is basically back down the mountain which she does really well, but it was a bit muddy, loose footing so we had to just take some care not to slip around and get hurt. We did a respectable time of about 3 1/2 hours on a ride that used to take closer to 5 going leisurely with friends. I had to get off once or twice to move some trees down or clip through something, but I tried not to make it a trail maintenance day. The weather was gorgeous, and though she was tired when we got into the barn, within about 10-15 minutes she seemed perfectly recovered and I would say “fit to continue”.
As for Khaleesi, she has been continuing to improve on stall rest. Here is video from Tuesday, March 24.
She appears to be very close to 100% improved so I put the girls back into their larger field. Upon checking on the today she still appears back to good. I will have the vet go over her in April to be sure nothing is “out” from the experience, but she’ll be going back into light work this weekend and I’ll keep my eye on it. I am very thankful she seems to have recovered on rest, and without expensive vet visits and treatment.
Tonight is an orchestra concert with dress rehearsals in the afternoon, so very little barn time. But with spring weather flirting with us, I had to take a little time in the morning with the girls.
Khaleesi seems to be continuing to improve. She’s walking even slightly better today.
Faygo and I took a fast short ride on the side of the river we don’t use during the winter – new scenery is always a bonus!
We went 4.2 miles with a moving speed of 5mph (that’s a little improvement) and overall speed of 4.3. I would love to not have to stop for barbed wire gates and double locked gates- but otherwise we moved pretty quickly through the whole loop and she barely broke a sweat.
There is a saying: Once a horse is born, it spends the rest of its life trying to kill itself.
Thankfully Faygo seems to not fit that mold- she rarely injures herself accidentally. Some horses seem very accident prone – if there is a nail they will step on it, if there’s a splinter in the fence it will end up imbedded and infected somewhere… then there are the rest who seem to fit into the middle of the road with occasional accidents.
Khalessi has grown up mostly out in the herd and seems to be pretty good at avoiding injury day to day, but something happened to hurt her this week which has her temporarily out of rotation.
I believe that Sunday when I rode Faygo and left Khaleesi in the barn with partial access to the boys (the top door was open), they keep her company while we’re gone, some horseplay went on. Her halter was on (probably will think twice about that now) and it ended up on the ground outside- which leads me to think maybe someone got hold of it and pulled it off her- and in doing so pulled her shoulder into the bottom half of the door- which bruised it.
Monday when I came in to feed Khaleesi was slightly off and I assumed a hoof abscess- after all we just had a farrier visit on Friday, then I rode her. That would be the second time she had a hoof issue after a trim. [note to self] I figured it would eventually release and we’ll soak and manage it.
Tuesday when I came to ride Faygo, she was worse. I rode Faygo leaving Khaleesi in the field (where now I believe she ran around stressed out at being left behind seriously inflaming her injury). I called my farrier for advice on the hoof.
Wednesday my farrier happened to be in the area and stopped in to see her, she could barely walk. He watched her and thought it would be a simple abscess release and good to go. Yet he couldn’t find anything in the hoof. No sensitivity, no heat, nothing… the leg seemed ok too. We sadly realized it was more likely a shoulder injury. A little bute (horse aspirin) and locked her in the stall while I called vets.
Thursday I hadn’t gotten very far with the vets, but did get a name of someone closer than my favorite vet who might be a good contact. My vet via phone said she still thought there was a decent chance it was an abscess, but in an area that would be hard to detect. So hard to tell when they won’t talk to you about WHERE exactly does it hurt!? Upon checking in, Khaleesi had improved with stall rest and bute. I thought it could mostly be the pain killer, so I moved her to an outside stall and brought Faygo over to be closer so they’d be happier for a longer confinement period. I couldnt tell if there was a difference in digital pulse (would help us know if it was in the hoof or the shoulder) and she seemed to be just as bad on grass and pavement – so maybe it’s not the hoof? No more bute, I wanted to see if she was improving or not on her own.
Friday someone had sprung her from her cell! I came to find her in the pasture with Faygo – small field, so not a huge deal, but I got video of her walking back up to her stall, and she is definitely improved since Wednesday. She is on the mend at the moment, so I’m going to keep her confined, possibly give her a little more bute as anti-inflammatory agent, and then see how she’s doing in a couple days. Have a call into the new vet to ask advice about the bute- I don’t want to mask the symptoms or make her feel like she can put more weight on it if that will harm recovery, but I’ve also heard that some anti-inflammatory can help in healing.
I have an annual vet visit scheduled mid-April, so at the moment I hope she continues to improve and I can have my vet look at her then to see if she needs any help getting everything back in place and healing well. I’ll have my eye on her to decide what to do next week.
Thankfully she’s not my only horse, and she’s still very far away from being ready for any kind of event- I still have some work to do with Faygo for our ride next month, so we’ll give Khaleesi a break to heal up. Though I can’t wait to get more saddle time with her when she’s ready!
green to 100 