Gone Trail Ridin'

Misty and I are heading to the mountains for 3 days of trail riding.   Unfortunately, daily thunderstorms are in the forecast and I'm a fair weather rider.  I have my rain slicker rolled up and tied behind the cantle of my saddle.  It makes me look like a real trail rider, but goodness gracious, I really don't want to have to use it!

 The trail boss said to expect rain and if we get into lightning, we'll dismount and make our way back to camp.  Yikes!  I don't do lightning.  I may chicken out on the riding.  But I'm going up there and camp out in my horse trailer, plugged into an RV pedestal,  with Misty in a pen next to me.   I'll play it by ear and see if I can summon my inner cowgirl and ride out from camp.

But lightening and thunder?  My inner cowgirl may choose to cower in the horse trailer and watch a movie on her DVD player.

We'll see.  But you know what they say, "When thunder roars, go indoors."  Or into your horse trailer.

Here are pictures of a recent fair weather trail ride I participated in.  I had a great time on this one.  There were 19 riders and it was a beautiful day.

 

Can you see Misty in the trees above?

 

Fraidycat

The big green devil ball has been rolling around loose in the horse paddock.

 
Misty is still a big fraidycat.

I actually caught her cowering behind little SaraJane.

Like a Freight Train

Q. What does it feel like when you've been knocked down and run over by a Percheron?

A. Like a freight train just hit you.

I introduced Misty to a new object this afternoon...a Jolly Mega Ball.

I had her haltered and on a long lead line.  I was very careful to go calm and slowly and keep us both in safe positions.  It was a little windy out (first mistake), so I secured the ball so it wouldn't roll around and then I walked Misty up to it.  We retreated and approached a few times from different directions until she was curiously-afraid enough to reach out and touch it.  Soon she was licking it.

Then we both followed the ball as I rolled it slowly around her paddock.  We'd stop and she would touch the ball with her lips, push it slightly and lick it some more.  

Then I bounced the ball gently; then bounced it a little harder until I was bouncing it like a basketball.  Misty was fine. 

We pushed the ball around some more.   Misty was relaxed and licking her lips.  I patted her and told her she was a good girl.  

All was going well and I thought it was time to let the ball move freely and see if Misty would like to push it on her own.  

The ball was loose and out of my reach (second mistake).  I still had Misty on a long lead. But I let my guard down and momentarily put myself in a bad spot.  I was between Misty and the paddock fence (third mistake), while Misty was between me and the ball (fourth mistake).  At that moment a gust of wind came up and blew the devil ball toward Misty.

I heard Misty's fear snort, then she freaked out and went right into flight mode...and there I was, standing directly in her escape route.  She knocked me down, ran over me, and stepped on me.

I am very lucky that she stepped on my left calf and not on my head.  I'm also lucky that I have chubby calves that protected my bones.

My left ankle is stiff and sore.  My left calf is really painful and bruised.  My left hip is sore.  My left shoe  flew off and landed about 20 feet away.  I scraped my left foot, my right ankle, my right elbow, and 1/4 inch below the stitches that are above my right knee cap (from having a "goober" excised from under the skin above my knee cap last week; "goober", that's the medical term my doctor used. Glad I didn't scrape the stitches open.)

If the pain in my left calf and ankle are worse in the morning, I'll probably go to the doctor.  But I think I'm just badly bruised.

After this happened, I stood up, clung to the paddock fence while I caught my breath and shook off the first wave of pain.  I hobbled across the paddock to get my shoe.  Misty was standing quietly so I picked up her lead rope and we did one lap around the paddock while I slowly pushed the ball.  Misty licked the ball and we called it quits.

If I can walk tomorrow, I hope to do some more work with the ball, but here's what I'll do differently.

1.  I'll wear full length denim jeans instead of capris that leave my lower legs unprotected.
2.  I'll wear secure footwear, like boots instead of my slip-on barn clogs I had on.
3.  I'll bring the ball out only if there is no wind, and no chance of gusts.
4.  I'll be more aware of my position and not get trapped again.
5.  I'll wear a helmet.   Again, I'm lucky she didn't plant one of her drafty hooves on my head.

I always wear a helmet when I ride. But I should wear one when introducing a horse to new and scary things on the ground.  I'll do that from now on.

Lesson learned.

Misty's Monday Muse - Oasis

We found a tiny oasis of green amid the dried brown grass in our pasture.

It's true what they say.  The grass is always greener over the septic tank (or leach field in this case).

Bon Appetit,

Misty's Monday Muse - Watch the Birdy

MyLady loves little birdies almost as much as she loves me.  She is heartbroken because there is a canary perched on the outside window ledge of her office building.  It is pecking on the glass to get in.  Maybe it is a lost pet from a nearby neighborhood, or it may even be a Waldo Canyon fire evacuee. It is obviously a very tame pet and wants to come inside with the people.

MyLady has succeeded in rescuing tame birds before, including a tame falcon that landed right on her hand as she held it in the air.  But she can't do anything to help this lost little soul, and it is making her very sad.

Some employees asked if they could lure the bird down to the ground with some bird seed.  The facility management people said no, because they don't want to attract other birds to the property.  Harsh!

Good luck little birdy,

Misty's Monday Muse - A Mysterious Tale

 

Somebody has been chewing on my pretty tail.

SaraJane, do you know who might have done this to me?

Who me? 

 I have no idea who chewed your tail.

 I'm just  minding my own business and making a mess of my dinner.
Gee, why is the little sister blamed for everything? 

Hot! Hot! Hot!

We are hot and parched here, reaching record high temperatures and in drought conditions.

Despite the heat, Misty and I participated in a trail riding clinic yesterday.  We practiced some basic riding exercises in the indoor arena, like turning on the forehand and on the haunches, backing, and side passing.  Then we rode out into a cow pasture where we worked on skills such as opening a gate, riding up and down hills, backing up a hill, and trotting on natural ground. We didn't do very well at the gate. Misty was scared of it, so the clinician had me just practice walking her up to it, positioning her parallel to the gate, rest and praise her, and then I would push the gate wide open and ride her through it.  It was a start.  We did great up and down hills and trotting in the prairie grass.  

It was so hot during the clinic, that I couldn't make it back to the ranch's barn before getting too dizzy to trust myself to stay seated upright in my saddle.  I had to dismount and walk Misty back to the barn.  I tied her inside and got a cold, wet paper towel to wipe my face and neck.  That helped.  I was hit with a very bad respiratory virus 5 weeks ago and I'm still trying to shake it, while continuing to work my day job and getting out on trail rides whenever I can.   Just when I think I've turned the corner and am feeling better, I push myself a little too hard trail riding and am exhausted for days afterwards. That's why I haven't been online much lately.

While riding in the pasture at yesterday's clinic, one of the riders pointed out a big plume of billowing smoke way off in the distance.  It wasn't there at the beginning of the clinic.  A new forest fire had started in the mountains west of Colorado Springs.

KRDO TV Viewer Photos

 Click on the picture to see more photos from KRDO TV in Colorado Springs.

The fire is zero percent contained and spreading fast.  Mandatory evacuations are in effect and the fire is now threatening homes.  Penrose Equestrian Center is accepting horses evacuated from the fire area.   They are sending out a plea for donations of hay, fans, and extension cords.

The cause of this fire is unknown.  No lightning was in the area when it started.  There were upwards of 20 arson fires set in that county last week. It's too soon and too dangerous for investigators to begin their work.

 Record high temperatures are forecasted again today; humidity is low, and afternoon winds are expected to pick and gust in multiple directions.  Not good!  And to add insult to injury, there is a possibility of afternoon Thunderstorms that will produce lightning, but little, if any, precipitation.  Not good at all.

We are nowhere near the fire, but can see and smell the smoke.  I can't imagine what the firefighters are enduring, working such a dangerous and physical job in extreme summer heat.  The news reported this morning that firefighters were as close as 20 yards away from flames rising 100 feet tall.  And they haven't had much time off in the last couple of weeks as they have been battling other fires in the region.

 Is your state on fire?  Check the InciWeb site for information on fires around the country.

Hobby Horse Blog Hop 17 - Trucking

Dreaming is trucking this week, with questions pertaining to truckin' and trailerin' our horses.  Answer one question or all three.

1. What is the ideal trailer for you.

One that is paid off.

I also need a tall, roomy trailer for my big-bodied mare.  I had a few custom changes made when I ordered my 2-horse slant Titan.  It is extra tall and they moved the tack room wall forward to give Misty more room in the front stall.  I lost some tack room space, but it was more important that Misty have room to travel comfortably.

Ideally, I would have living quarters, but I've made a comfy nest in the bunk of my gooseneck trailer.  It is not insulated and can get pretty cold at night.  So this year when I took the trailer to the shop for spring maintenance I had an electrical outlet installed.  Now I can plug into an RV hookup and run  a ceramic heater and a few conveniences like a lamp, DVD player, or electronic tablet.  Just enough to take the chill out and relax watching a movie or reading an E-Book.

2. Do you use shipping boots, a padded halter, a head bumper or other protective equipment for your horse when trailering?
 
I have shipping boots and I've used them before, but I don't use them routinely. If it is really hot and I want to travel with the window screen down, I'll put a fly mask on Misty so debris and bugs won't blow into her eyes.  I don't use anything else, but I do secure her in the trailer with a Tie Safe Trailer Tie.  I keep her rope halter on, but have often wondered if a nylon or leather halter would be safer for trailer travel. What do you think?  She travels well and is calm loading and unloading, so I haven't felt the need to add much to our routine, although I've thought about putting a head bumper on her, just in case.
 

3. What item(s) do you always carry in your trailer, or recommend that other's carry?

1. Tack & Grooming Supplies
2. Saddle Bags & Rain Slicker
3. Riding Helmet & Riding Gloves
4. Whip/Carrot Stick with Flag attached (for sacking out & ground work)
5. Extra Halter & Lead Rope, Lunge Line & Lunging Whip
6. Roadside Assistance Information (I use U.S. Rider)
7. Orange Traffic/Safety Cones
8. Equine First Aid Kit (People First Aid Kit is in the truck)
9. Equine Cookies
10. Extra Hay (I use the ones with the smallest mesh holes for "in-flight" meal service)
11. Fly Mask
12. Fleece Cooler in wintertime / Waterproof, Breathable Sheet for summer camping
13. Water & Bucket
14. Manure Fork (be courteous and don't leave manure in the parking area)
15. Extra Clothing, especially sweatshirt or jacket
16. Mounting Step/Block
17. Wash Cloths, Paper Towels, Toilet Paper, Anti-bacterial Wipes
18. Camping Lantern, Flashlight, Extra Batteries
19. Camping Chair
20.  Portable Potty (comes in handy if you don't have living quarters)
    
    

My question for you:

What are your summer/vacation plans?  Misty and I are going to a mountain dude ranch.