More Controversy

Olympic "Hands On" the Horses

So now, a few Internet folks are raising questions about the bits and rigs riders are using in the show jumping.

And, I do have admit, some of the contraptions are pretty ugly. I'm not even sure how to describe them in correct technical terms.

In small defense, jumping is generally a lot more dangerous than dressage, so there is some reason to want more control over the horse....but, when does that become overkill and should it really be necessary??

Someone, on a post, suggested that if a horse could not be ridden in a snaffle over fences then something was wrong with the training. Well, that may be, but even my super well trained hunter--who did do all his show hunter rounds in a snaffle, needed "a little more bit" cross country. He was an enthusiastic fellow who'd jump nearly anything I set him at, but once we were "out in the field" he'd like to take charge so much I might actually not be able to point him at the right spot without a little more leverage. I used a kimberwicke and never needed anything more.

I can fully understand, therefore, the need for more bit on a jumper, especially on a course requiring speed, sharp turns and accurate "take off" spots. But I do have to question some of the complex rigs with tie downs, weird, severe bits, too tight nosebands, and who knows what.

All of that gear is a shortcut to hours of really good training. Disagree if you will, but there should be a limit as to how much hardware a horse can wear in competition.

As for the dressage, there are bitting rules, strictly followed, but even they do not protect a horse from a rider's abusive hands.  Sure, the judges can only score what they see in the competition arena, but a horse behind the vertical can be penalized on each score and  also have scores lowered in the "general impressions" section of the test.

If I recall correctly, in an extended gait, the horse is supposed to extend his head and neck a little. The frame lengthens with the gait.  Here's another place a rollkured horse is not going to gain any points. Just because a horse has the natural talent to go well despite some incorrect training or riding should not be the basis for an "8" or "9" on a movement. It's a sad commentary on what "classical' dressage has become as a competitive sport.

Ah, well, the debate will continue until someone in power takes a stand on all of this.

I'm glad I'm not a judge or official in the midst of the controversy. I'd be cringing, knowing how my decisions might "make or break" some of the top scoring riders and that I'd probably run into all kinds of flack from my fellows. The FEI rules are rather "whimpy' on all of it, after all, but there's a lot left open to interpretation.

Maybe it's time someone took the risk of interpreting them in favor of the horses.

Rollkur Rears Its Ugly Head in London

And the World Watches

Once again, dressage was dealt an ugly blow in front of the entire world.

Some of you may have seen the warm up picture of Patrik Kittel using rollkur in the Olympic schooling arena. It's gone "viral" on the Internet and is causing an uproar in the dressage community. Bad, indeed, but according to the FEI, no rules were broken and the rollkur was "momentary...."  Yeah, right...

Top it off by Adelinde Cornelisson's entrance into the competition area, cranking Parzival's head right, left, right, left over and over every time the horse even took a breath or stretched correctly into the bit. I was screaming at the screen, "For pity's sake, leave his face alone!!!" prompting my friend who was on the phone with me to ask what was wrong.

But it gets worse. Even during the test, Parzival tended to go behind the vertical with the only "payback" to his rider during the reinback. They halted, and then Cornelisson asked for reinback, Parzival momentarily resisted, as if to say, "What do you want? My head curled up, or something else?"

During a replay of the test they showed a close up of Parzival's head with only a scant few inches between his chin and chest.

But the final blow was the score. Second place at over 80%.

As long as that kind of riding gets a reward in the competition arena, it's not going to stop. As long as it's tolerated in the warm up, it will be used.

And now the entire world thinks that's how a dressage horse should be ridden.

*SIGH*

Colbert Rides Dressage

What a Great Horse to Take a Lesson On Conchita, a 14 year old Hanoverian mare, owned by Michael Oyson was the mount of choice. Mr. Oyson is on the Phillipine dressage team, and has won numerous Grand Prix tests riding this girl. We are not talking child's school horse here. Conchita does spook, probably at the cameraman, and if you notice, Colbert sits that out really well. His seat at the passage is darn good too, making me pretty sure he's done some riding in his life. Rumor has it he rode dressage as a child, but it looks like there's been some more recent saddle time than that. I'm glad too that he's wearing a safety helmet, even though he did have a top hat to wear instead. Last question: what competition hands out jeweled tiaras as a prize? That is just plain unusual, as far as I am concerned. Anyhow, hope you can view and enjoy this adventure into the world of "frou frou" dressage.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Stephen's Dressage Training Pt. 2
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog Video Archive

Stephen Colbert Learns Dressage, Part 1

How Did Barisone Keep a Straight Face? For those not in the USA, Stephen Colbert is a late night comedian who does a lot of political satire. Since Presidential candidate Mitt Romney's wife is part owner of Olympic dressage horse, Rafalca, Colbert has declared dressage the "sport of summer." He never does things halfway, so in order to research, he took a lesson with Michael Barisone. Part 2 will be aired tonight.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Stephen's Dressage Training Pt. 1
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog Video Archive

Olympics!

I Am Captivated


I admit it. every time the Olympics come around, I get glued to the TV, and this year, the computer.


Of course, I am always rooting for the US teams and athletes in everything, and the horse sports are my number one interest, but it goes much further than that.


I find myself cheering on competitors of every nation and in nearly every sport I see. This year, I was rooting like anything for the Japanese rider who held the lead in the 3 Day eventing.  As much as I wanted our riders to win--they are in the middle of a very elite pack right now--how cool would it be for a rider from Japan to actually medal in such a field of riders from countries with long histories of success in equestrian competition?


Or how about a 15 year old swimmer from Lithuania who won the first ever swimming medal for her country, beating my world champion from the US, Rebecca Soni (who happens to be from here in New Jersey, living within 20 miles of me!) in the 200m breaststroke. Surely, I wanted Rebecca to win, but what a triumph for Ruta Meilutyte and what a delight to see her reaction on the medal stand. 


I love the unlikely winners, the unexpected performances from the "non-favorite" athletes who somehow reach for the best in themselves and snatch the gold medal.


Whoever they are, and from whatever nation, nearly all of these competitors have trained, struggled, and worked for, at the very least, four years to make their Olympic teams. They have put their lives on hold to strive for that elusive dream of an Olympic medal. 


I know it sounds corny and cliche to be so caught up in the principles of the Olympic dream, but it's so much fun to watch and in particular, to enjoy the whole experience. 


In the Three Day cross country, one of the best things was hearing the massive crowd watching the course cheer on Yoshiaki Oiwa as he galloped along. And what a groan of disappointment as he slid out of the saddle at the drop fence, ending his Olympic dream. There were thousands of fans there, most from every country in the world except Japan, and yet, they were behind the unexpected leader as he tried to go for the gold. 


Wouldn't it be great if more than once every four years we could all support each other like that? 




PS: So far this year NBC TV here in the US broadcast about 4 dressage rides from the three day and perhaps 75% of the cross country--4 hours worth--on the regular television. Live stream on the Internet has shown everything and since I have cable TV, I can access it. 


Looking foward to the dressage. This time, for a change, there are strong teams from many countries including Britain and more than just one or two fabulous horses. It's going to be a strong and amazing competition. 


Sorry about the strange post format. I accidentally reset the background color for my text and there was no way I could get it back to how it's supposed to look....blogger has its limits......

So Far, So Good

Thank You, Fellow Bloggers

Gray Horse Matters suggested Stud Muffins to get Toby to eat his pill.  So far, so good. He has twice taken his meds stuffed in a muffin. I give him a "pillless" one first and then the pill.  I don't know how long this will work, but so far, so good.

I'm not sure I see any difference in his attitude since he started on the pergolide, but he does seem a bit more interested in things and has been "asking" for his feed more than in the last month. Then again, we have also had a number of cooler mornings and evenings, so perhaps that might also be a factor.

At any rate, I have all the rest of your suggestions to follow should the muffins fail, so I thank you all for the good advice.

I mowed the lawn yesterday and today, I used my DR Trimmer to trim at least part of the front bank and the weeds along the other side of the driveway.  The sun came out midway through the effort and I was dripping with sweat by the time I finished. Despite a shower this morning, it is supposed to be another super hot day.

I took a cool shower when I came back inside, as much to cool myself off as to soap off any possible poison ivy residue from the trimming. I noticed, a bit too late, that I was mowing right into a patch of the noxious weed.  The DR is more like a hand mower and doesn't quite through up weed residue like the hand string trimmer does, but there were still bits of weeds on me and my clothes when I came in.  Hopefully the shower and good soap will keep me from any issues.

Just so you all know, if you are exposed to poison ivy, you need to wash off with cold water, not hot. The hot water actually makes the urushiol, the irritant in poison ivy, get absorbed into your pores.  My Grandmother used to make her own "brown soap" that she used every time she came back in from a walk in the woods and she swore by it as a way of avoiding a poison ivy rash.  There are washes on the market, one by Technu, that supposedly clean the urishiol off your skin.  


Hopefully, my precautions will save me a week or so of rash and itching.  I've managed to kill most of the poison ivy on my property with a brushkiller, but I never thought to look in this particular patch of weeds. And, as some of you may know, poison ivy is a hardy, determined invader that will simply take over if left to grow on its own. 


I've been keeping up on my swimming regimen, managing a half hour to forty minutes of laps every day the pool is open. I have, however, missed a few days during the last week due to the threat of thunderstorms which causes the pool to close.


Hope I get my swim in today. I need it. 

Medication Meanderings

How to Get A Horse to Take a Pill

Pergolide is apparently very bitter tasting. So, the problem is, how do you get a smart, sensitive horse to take his daily dosage?

Toby is not a good eater to start off with. He will stop eating if he's upset or if I put a supplement in his feed and he decides it "tastes different."  He is not what I call a "stomach horse,"  meaning that food and treats are not a great motivator. If he's decided he doesn't want to be caught in the paddock, a treat will not lure him in.

So, how do I assure that he gets his daily half tablet of Pergolide? Please note, the pills are very small. A half tab is perhaps a 1/16" long and half as wide.

Suggestion number one, from a friend who has a horse on her property on Pergolide, is to stuff the pill in a mini marshmallow. All well and good provided the horse in question likes mini marshmallows.  Toby is not so sure. I lured him into complacency with three minis, unspiked, and then gave him the mini with the pill. He ate it, but that was that. He refused the next offering of "untainted" mallows and hasn't offered to eat once since.

Scratch off the marshmallow alternative. On to the bananas. This was my vet's recommendation.  I'm a little leery of this one too. I gave Toby a sample slice of banana, and he wasn't too thrilled. I still have several bananas left, so I will try again to see if he will begin to like them more, but until then, I'm not going to stuff a pill in one to see if he will eat it or spit it out.

I have, for the time being, resorted to the old tried and true method of applesauce and a dose syringe.  Melt the tablet in the applesauce, spoon it into a syringe and give it as you would a paste wormer.  Bit of a mess and a little worry that perhaps all the medication is not getting into the horse as it's spread throughout a couple teaspoonfuls of applesauce. But, I decided to put the dissolved pill in a little applesauce in the syringe first followed by more applesauce to push the medicated stuff into his mouth first. It works, but isn't exactly the most efficient method when you consider I will have to do it 365 days a year.

Some other suggestions have been to stuff the pill in a chunk of apple, but I have to wonder.

And, my friend said that all the methods she tried worked for a while, but eventually the horse caught on and stopped accepting the various treats she offered.

Surely there is an easier answer somewhere, but for now, the jar of applesauce, the syringe, the pill, Toby, and I will be companions.

Some friendship, huh?

Toby, Toby, Oh Dear....

Cushing's

Just got a call from the vet. Toby's blood test was positive for Cushing's. Apparently, this is the cause of his "almost lamitintis" of being footsore. He has also lost some weight and muscle, although he does not show any of the rough coat symptoms. In fact, his well shedded summer coat is shiny and healthy.

Cushing's is essentially a malfunction of the pituitary gland and is very common in older horses. (He's 22)  According to one article I read, some 70% of horses develop Cushing's as they age.

Dietary controls are important in the treatment. Low starch and low sugar feeds are recommended along with low sugar forage.  The feed I've been using is alaready a high fat, low starch/sugar mix, so that's OK. The hay?  I don't know if my supplier has tests on it this year, but last time we checked, it was pretty good too. The only regular variable is the grass around here.

Now, I certainly do not have lush pastures. But there is some speculation that the changes in weather might impact the sugars in the grass I do have. But, there is no way I could imagine a horse being able to survive on the grass that's available in my paddocks and pasture. There's just too little of it.

At any rate, Toby will be getting Pergolide, the drug of choice for Cushing's and I will be adding some magnesium supplements to his diet. For the summer, at least, he will have shoes.  He has shoes and pads on now and seems quite comfortable.

Not sure what else to do at the moment but I am researching.

On the weather front, it has cooled off considerably over the last two days. I went swimming yesterday bot at the moment, today, it just might be too chilly.

Looks like some riding would be some good exercise!

Singing in the Wish It Would Rain

And Toby Seems to be Doing Fine

Toby is now in shoes and pads. I am still giving him bute twice a day and will do so for a week, then dropping the dose to once a day. I suspect that may be helping as well, but he does look good in the new shoes.

Scott, my farrier, and I had a bit of a discussion about barefoot, mostly because a number of people whose horses have been going barefoot for a long time are getting shoes this year. We speculated about what might be going on, but apparently the heat and dry ground, possibly coupled with rain here and there might be causing some extra hoof issues.  Strangely enough, this does not seem to be an issue in the winter months.

The vet thinks that Toby just needs the extra protection of shoes on the hard summer ground, particularly when he is stomping at flies.

Speaking of, I do not have a bad fly population here. I use fly predators and feed through fly control and it does seem to keep their numbers way down. Still some of them do seem to survive and like to land on the horse's legs.

Why the singing?  I performed two solos in church in the last two weeks.  I was supposed to sing two songs last week, but the minister saw the title of one, "Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel?" and asked if we could do that one this week because Daniel was the topic of her sermon. So, we did "There is a Balm In Gilead" last week and "Daniel" today instead.

I've tried to upload the files directly,but they don't seem to work.

Here, instead, are direct links to them if you care to have a listen.

There Is A Balm In Gilead

Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel?

The microphone is not close to me, so the feeling might be a bit "distant" but you can hear me anyhow. I don't use a mike when I sing.

Now, if it would only rain a bit here I'd be happy. We've had a few showers now and then, but the hot sun really does dry things up.  Then again, if it rains, I really will have to mow the lawn. It's looking a bit "weedy" right now as the weeds are still thriving while the grass gets dry. Not sure if mowing would be a good idea at the moment--at least that's my excuse!  *G*

Ah, Well

Chance Plan Aborted

It was hotter than expected. In the morning, when I fed the horses and cleaned stalls, I was soaked with sweat in about 15 minutes.  That put me off for an early ride. So I figured I ride in the evening.

Best laid plans?  I went for my swim early as I had a chiro/acpuncture treatment in the early evening and I also knew there was going to be a swim meet at the pool and it would be closed later.  I swam 20 laps again. Right now, that's about my limit before I start to wear out.

Came home, changed and headed for the chiropractor. Here's where the plan goes astray. Just about every vertebrae in my lower to mid back was out of alignment as well as all the usual ones in my upper back.  My pelvis was out, which may have accounted for all the other issues too.

Why? Who knows? It could be anything. This is one flaw in being too flexible. While it is a benefit in being able to move my seat with the horses so sitting the trot is not particularly a problem, it does make me prone to displacing vertebrae from their proper alignment.

Now, Chance does tend to carry me a bit crooked. With his one uneven hind leg he tends to throw my seat to the right so I continually need to compensate so both he and I are straight.  Riding him after an adjustment would not have been the brightest idea. So, with the heat and that, I opted out.

Or whimped out. Whatever the case may be. Now it's supposed to get hot again over the next week or so. Guess I'll just have to play it all by ear to figure out if I can work a horse or not.

As to Tucker and stretching. If you recall, I got Tuck as a two year old, and broke him to saddle with Kenny's help.  From Day 1, under saddle, I asked him to stretch down and use his back.  By the by, it's part  of Kenny's basic under saddle work--"give to the bit."  In his clinics he tries to get people to stretch their horses all the way to the ground as a relaxation exercise.

As a result, it is often Tucker's preferred way of going. When I put him on the lunge for free work, he will put his nose way down as a matter of course.  He's not always forward when he does this, and he can be "relaxed to a fault," but he is down and round.  When  am riding him, the cool thing is that if I push him more forward, he will connect nicely into the bit and just go long and low.

Toby works that way too, but Chance is still in the training phase.  I should have spent far more time with Chance on that, but he was too much fun to just hack out, so his training is far behind.  However, if I spent a month working him several times a week, he'd have it too.

You can work it in hand. Stand beside the horse, pick up one rein only, and hold your hand up at the same angle the rein would be if you were in the saddle.  Put pressure on the rein. As soon as the horse offers to drop his head, release the rein entirely.  You have to be quick and reward the right response as soon as the horse offers.  After a while, all it will take is a light touch and the horse will drop down.  This is the "give to the bit."

It translates into riding and is great for the warm up. Rather than spending  all that time waiting for the horse to soften, you get softening early on.

Now, this is a little of working from the front to the back, rather then from the back to the front, but it does work.

Lockie Richards used to tell me there was the French way of riding and the German way. French suppled  the front and that allowed the back to come along. German rode the back into the front to get the same result. I guess my riding is a combination of both. I certainly believe a supple horse can become forward more easily, so I often do lots of suppling work when I train.

WHEN I train. That's the operative phrase. Not doing much now, I fear. *sigh*

Addendum:  Lunged the Boys this morning. The arena was in shade and really felt pretty nice.

Chance went well, despite taking off in the canter when Tucker bolted through the arena gate.

Tucker went well despite twice bolting off--once getting away from me--when I guess he was attacked by a deerfly. Those things give a painful bite.

Toby let me hook him up to the lunge line, but after a part circle, I brought him in, put him in his stall and called my farrier.  That call was soon followed by a call to the vet. He was definitely moving like a horse with the start of laminitis. Same time last year. This is very mild, but I do feel a pulse in his foot and he was trying to land on his heel with a shortened stride. That is not at all normal for him.

The vet is on her way.

More later.

MORE:  The vet just left. Toby is sore on both fronts. It may be a bit laminitic, but he may more likely be just sore from being barefoot/concussion with thin soles.  I have a call into my farrier. We are going to put shoes and pads on him. He will be getting some bute for a week or so and needs to stay in at least until he is shod.

Needless to say, he is not a happy camper. Every time Tucker goes out of the barn or disappears from view Toby has a fit. It's going to be a long week keeping him in. But, since it's also going to be hot, it's pretty likely Tucker will be spending most of his time in the barn.

Second time this has happened, so just to be safe Dr. McAndrews took blood for a Cushings test. Toby does not show any obvious symptoms, but it's worth checking into just in case.

Tucker Gets a Turn

Cooling Off a Bit

It is a little cooler. Not great, but with the breeze, certainly tolerable. So, as evening started to roll in, I brought Tucker in from the pasture and saddled him up.

This took a while as I put on his Cashel but armor. It is in two pieces and needs to be tied under the saddle and onto the bridle. I did not put the face cover on with it, but used a set of ear protectors instead.  I do need to sort out the bug armor pieces as I have three sets--deals on eBay.  One of them is a different style in front and it doesn't work quite as well as the others.  But for today, the unmatched piece were just fine.

My main focus with Tucker for now is just to get him moving off my leg.  He tends to challenge "forward" at times, but usually, once I tune him up with a few transitions, he's good. What I want to develop is an immediate forward response to my leg. As long as he's not sore anywhere, it should be fixed pretty quickly.  The flies definitely do not help as he is very distracted by them, so the Bug Armor is an essential.

We worked for about 20 minutes or so, walk, trot and canter. I finished up riding a version of a training level test just to put everything together. Had it been in the show arena we would not have scored particularly well. His frame was a bit erratic and he resisted the right canter depart.  His free walk was lovely, though, as was the stretchy trot on the long rein which I suppose some judges would say was "on the forehand."  But he was actually rounding down through the bit, so I was quite satisfied.

After we finished our ride, I handing out carrots all around.  I'm putting Chance on the agenda for tomorrow, weather permitting.

Done riding, I headed over to the pool for a nice swim. I only did 15 laps today--20 yesterday--and two rounds on the Lazy River.  It was getting a bit late and as the sun began to dip it actually felt cool.

All in all, it was a good day at Follywoods and beyond.

Snoozing

Where's Chance?

The other night I went out for late night feed and found only two horses ready to come into the barn to eat. Toby was in Chance's stall and Tucker was wandering about in under the run in roof.

I put the feed in and got the two older Boys into their own stalls.

Chance's stall was still empty. There was no sign of him.

On a hunch I went out to the arena run in shed. In the dark, I caught a glimpse of a white blaze--low and close to the ground.  There was Chance, snoozing in the sand. He made no move to get up, even when I called.

I was a little concerned, as I'm always worried about colic and that's where I found Toby lying down when he had his bout of laminitis.

But all was well. My Chancyman was just having a nap and wasn't really hungry enough to bother getting up for midnight snack.  He finally hefted himself to his feet and walked over to me, got a hug and then followed me back to the barn where he finally went in his stall to eat.

Two good things come from this. First, Chance is completely confident and comfortable in his surroundings. And second, Chance does not at all feel hungry.  Unlike Tucker, he is clearly not one of those "food motivated" horses.

I guess a nap is far more appealing. *G*

Ponderings

Thoughts for a Hot July

It's been pretty unbearable for the last few days. The heat is easing off just a little today, but I think it's mostly that the humidity may be a little lower.  In case you hadn't heard, New Jersey was hit by some pretty severe thunderstorms over the weekend.  Thousands of homes south of here are without power. With wildfires in the West and severe weather here in the East, the US is suffering Mother Nature's wrath for sure. I don't know if all of this is a consequence of global warming, but it certainly does make you think, doesn't it?

I was at an indoor picnic yesterday. I was supposed to be a dressage judge for driving show, but the organizer--my good friend--cancelled the show due to the heat. But, the after show picnic was already planned, so the party still went on.  I met some really nice people--all carriage drivers--and had a long chat with a women whom I knew years ago when I was still competing hunter/jumper.  She had all kinds of stories from "the old days," and seemed quite pleased to have someone to share them with.

Later, my neighbor, whose family reunion in South Jersey had been moved here after the storm devastated the campgrounds where they were gathering, came over with a cooler full of sweet corn husks for the horses.  He brought a group of young kids with him--all cousins--and they had a grand time feeding Toby, Tucker, and Chance the nice green husks.  I did limit the amount we fed the Boys, however, as it's never a good idea to overfeed anything like that.  I've parceled out the rest over the last two feedings, so the Boys have a nice little extra green treat with their hay.

And the hay...My hay man got the delivery of new hay from New York.  It's pretty stemmy as it's first cutting.  To look at it, some of it almost looks like straw.  But, fortunately, the Boys do seem to like it quite a bit. I would like something softer as an ideal, but as long as the horses like it, that's just fine. Since Tucker and Chance are already too fat, they don't need really rich hay anyhow. I do give Toby a bit more as I do keep an eye on his weight. As an older boy--22--I need to give him some extra calories to keep him in good flesh.

I figure I could stand to lose a few pounds--well, more than a few--so I started doing a little research on burning calories.  I found a really cool calorie calculator online that has all kinds of activities including riding and, believe it or not, feeding livestock.  If you are interested, here's the link.
Calorie Calculator

The only depressing part is that in order to lose a pound, you need, according to this site, to burn over 3000 more calories than you consume. Pretty depressing. That means I need to stop eating altogether and either swim or ride for about 10 hours a day for a month to lose enough weight. (Well, a slight exaggeration, but....)

I think I'll start that program tomorrow. *G*

Need I Say It?

Hot!

I woke up early, thinking perhaps I might go out to the barn to work a horse or two, but it was raining. Not a quiet, innocent rain, either. It was serious.

I rolled over and went back to sleep.

By the time I woke up again, just before 9 AM, the heat and humidity were already building. I headed out to feed the Boys, clean stalls, and clean out under the run in roof on Chance's side of the barn. Muggy, yucky...sweaty.

I then headed out to the post office to mail some payments that needed to get out before my mail carrier got to the house anytime from 11 AM to 6 PM-- one never knows what time he'll show up.  And when I got home, I pulled the truck up to the barn and unloaded the five bags of feed I had left in it after the last trip to the feed store.

Of note: the feed bags weigh 50 lbs. each and I was able to step up into the barn with a bag in my arms using my new knees! This is the first time my legs have been strong enough to do that!

Totally heated up by then, I headed indoors and didn't really go back out again until 4 PM feeding time and then a nice half hour swim at the pool.

I do have to admit, the pool is a blessing when it's hot. Not only does it cool me off, but I can actually get some quality exercise in despite the heat.

Needless to say, I did not even try to ride. And now, even as late as it is, it's still hot out there!

Muscle Sore?

Push Through

I had forgotten about some of the muscles I use to ride. My arms are fine, my knees ache--but that's still going to happen no matter what exercise I do, my right thigh "feels it," my back is OK, but there are some core muscles that are protesting. These are mostly upper abdominal muscles. It's nothing serious, but it does call to mind how much bodywork is involved in riding, especially dressage.

I will not note the sore seatbones because that really doesn't count. They just have to get used to sitting in a saddle. With the Ansur, this is far less of a problem than it ever was with a treed saddle. I used to get really chafed and had to wear special underwear when I rode. With the Ansur, there is no need for that, but still, I do not sit anywhere else quite the same as when I am astride a horse, so seatbones need to get fit too.

The core muscles are interesting. We never really think about them unless we are deliberately exercising to try to get rid of tummy fat, but these muscles really do get a workout in the saddle. You do need to try to sit correctly to be effective and, of course, in the sitting trot, they really come into play.

I cannot recall being really aware of those muscles when I rode hunter/jumpers, but I was a lot thinner and far more fit and active back then, so perhaps I just never noticed. I'm sure if I were riding in half seat now and doing some jumping I'd discover a whole mess of muscles I've forgotten about altogether.

So, if I can feel an ache in those muscles after a long layoff, what about my horses?  Essentially, when you ask a horse to lift its back and come "on the bit," the abdominal muscles come into play.  I can recall my acupuncture vet commenting on how good my PJ looked as he aged and decided it had to be the dressage work. PJ's back never dropped and he never had that "old horse" look about him.  Now if only I could maintain that kind of physically fit look as I age! *G*

All this leads to the fact that I did not ride today. There is the added factor that it was quite a bit hotter than yesterday and tomorrow promises the beginning of a several day heat wave--like the one my blogger friends from the west are already suffering from.  I have a plan to go out in the morning to do something with Chance and Tucker--perhaps just lungeing--as the heat warnings are starting at noon.  But after that, unless it really cools off in the evenings, I will probably not ride or work anyone through the weekend.

I was supposed to judge a driving dressage show on Sunday--a fun show, so my scores would not really impact much--but they have cancelled. The driving club is having a picnic indoors instead.

Kind of nice to have that option. I'm sure there are many horse shows around that will still be running because of all the money invested hiring judges, paying insurance, buying ribbons an trophies, and renting venues.

To those who will be riding--take care. Drink plenty of water and tend to your horses with care and respect for their health and safety as well.

The heat is on!

Tired Out

But Still An Almost Nice Day

Definitely hotter than yesterday, but not too dreadfully humid and there was a breeze.

I started off the day by trimming the branches that insist on hanging into the riding arena.  The job is far from done, but I no longer have to cut the corner at M and I can actually ride a straight line on the long sides instead of veering in to avoid the leaves. Guess that took about an hour, so I came inside for breakfast and crashed.

I did nothing for the better part of the day--one of the perks of being retired, and headed out in the later afternoon to feed the Boys and head over to the pool for a swim.  The water was still cool, but with the higher temperatures outside and the sunshine, it felt even more delightful than usual.  I swam for a half hour, then took four rounds of the lazy river for another 20 minutes or so. I have to watch myself as when I am on the river, I am lying in the sun. I burn easily, so I have to limit myself. Otherwise I'd ride that tube around and around for hours. It is so relaxing.

I came home and hooked up the drag to the tractor and groomed the riding arena. I've neglected it this year so it has a lot of grass growing in there. I'm not worried about it. First, it does serve to control the dust a little when it gets dry so that's good. Second, the drag does pull a lot of it if I drag after a good rain--not today as it was pretty dry. And last of all, it will be gone in the winter so if I drag the arena then, I will get rid of most of it. It does mix in with the sand, making the surface a bit more of a mixture which is also ultimately good as the sand needs other soil in it to make a better cushion.

Then, I unhooked the drag and used the loader to clean the paddock area back of the barn where the Boys seem to leave a lot of manure. Again, neglected areas always make more work, but the tractor worked a treat and it looks a lot neater now.

While I was working, I let the Boys out to graze on the back lawn.  They were having a grand time until, as the sun slipped down, the mosquitoes started to come out.

I brought Chance in to ride him while Toby and Tucker stayed out for a bit more.

I have to laugh a bit here. Caroline, on her blog, talked about how she has to walk Radar for a long warmup or else he fusses when she starts to work. Chance must have read her blog. He was tossing his head and body all over the place as I started to work him. Of course, the fact that the other horses were out on the lawn was a major distraction. I think, if I'd let him, he would have charged right out of the arena to be with them instead of working.

I'd had the foresight to carry the dressage whip with me, and it worked a charm. I never really had to touch him with it, but just the sight of it at his side was enough to help me establish a good bend in each rein. We walked in twenty meter circles on each rein until he gave me some nice soft contact with his body shaped correctly on the curve.

Once we had established a good walk, I did some trot work. This time the whip took over for my leg and again, without my even using it, he swung into a nice forward trot--mostly in a sort of round frame. What was even better, is that he felt even and sound in both directions. The extra forward inspired by the whip got both hind legs swinging along without a hitch.

We did just a little canter--not quite as good as the trot--and called it a day.

I considered lunging Tucker, but I realized I was too tired to manage.

It was another good day at Follywoods.

Breaking the Rule

I Ride Again

OK, so I have this rule that after I go for a chiropractic adjustment, I do not ride. Riding tends to undo some of the adjustment if things don't go perfectly during the ride.

But today, how could I do otherwise but ride?  The temperature was in the 70's F, mostly cloudy, with a lovely, refreshing breeze. At times, if you weren't working out there, you might need a light jacket to feel comfortable. How could I pass up a day like that? Trouble is, I've passed up too many nice days during the Spring, so Summer just can't be ignored.

I rode Chance first. Like yesterday, I stuck to about 15-20 minutes. I walked a lot at first, circling right, then left, over and over, suppling him up a bit.  Then we trotted. He feels fine on the right rein, but on the left, he is just a little uncomfortable, particularly on the turns. So, when I took the corners on the short side of the arena, I let him pick the trot pace. On the long sides, however, I had him move out with some decent impulsion.  He was erratic at stretching into the rein contact, but not bad considering how little he's actually been ridden of late.

I finished up the ride with an approximation of a training level test. Walk trot and canter were just fine with the same erratic acceptance of the bit. But, if I did have the goal of showing him, I figure it would take less than a month of schooling to put in a pretty good quality test.  The bigger question would be whether or not that little "skip" in the hind end on the left rein will go away as he gets fit.  Time will tell.

Despite the fact that my own right leg felt "collapsible" when I dismounted--I've had some issues with the psoas muscle and some kind of other issue with the thigh muscle's tightening up--I decided I wouldn't stop with one. So I saddled up Tucker.

The ride was pretty much the same as yesterday with the added addition of a few instances of "attitude" on some transitions. If Tucker feels I have taken too much contact on the rein, instead of stepping into it and giving with his head, neck, and back, he will often protest and simply refuse to go forward at all. What I need to do then is unlock his resistance and get him into the gait I want. I might simply do an extra flexing or displace his hind end laterally, or even just give the rein entirely.  Whichever method I use, I then get him into the frame in the new gait, do a downward transition and repeat the upward transition with the quality I wanted in the first place.  He wasn't bad today, but he did question a couple times.

We ended the session with the same version of a training level test I'd done with Chance, but in Tucker's case, I actually rode it much like I might at a show in a nice working dressage frame. The only bad moment came on the left lead canter depart when he kicked out a little, but I think it might have been from the flies rather than in protest. But with Tucker, you never quite know for sure.

Two Boys ridden, I fed and then headed to the pool for and admittedly cool swim.  The water is far from warm, but compared to the air, it felt pretty good. It wasn't too bad in the sun, but the one end of the pool was in the shade and when I got out it was a little shivery.

As usual, though, I felt wonderful after the swim. I always do. The exercise and refreshing feel of the water revitalizes me.

Shivering or not, it was a good end to the day.

At Last, I Rode

Tucker Under Saddle

Scott came to shoe on Wednesday of last week, the first of a series of horribly hot days. It was up around 100 F, until Friday night when some storms broke out to cool things off again.

Well, not really cool. Saturday was in the 80's and after doing some barn work and other chores, I went for a long swim and called it a day. Sunday was warm, and I had some kind of stomach/intestinal thing so I really didn't do much at all.

But today! Not an auspicious start, however. I was about to go out to feed in the morning around 8 AM when thunder began to rumble and suddenly the skies opened up in a torrential downpour! Rain was so heavy I couldn't really see out of the house windows.

By 9 it was gone and it had cooled off tremendously. I fed the Boys and came back inside to do some computer stuff. I had an acupuncture appointment in the early afternoon and when I got back, I went out to the barn in boots and breeches.

It's amazing how long it actually takes to ride a horse. First is the five minute walk out to the pasture to capture the steed. Then there is the walk back to the barn, fending off the other two horses who have now taken a sudden interest in you because of the treats. Then there is the prep work. I don't groom for hours and since Tucker was already pretty clean, I just gave him a quick brushing. All told, tacking up took about ten minutes. Twenty minutes had now elapsed.  I took him out to the arena and mounted up.

Lovely, lovely. Aside from being annoyed by flies--not too bad, but annoying nonetheless--he walked off quietly on a long rein just to warm up a bit. Then we started trotting. He was good off my leg, but
I didn't pick up the contact, but rather let him reach for it when he was ready. We worked in a long, fairly low training level frame doing some changes of direction, figure eights, shoulder-in leg yield and a little half pass. Then I asked for canter. He took the cue without a fuss and we did a twenty meter circle and some on the long side--not much at all--on both leads. He felt great. The canter has been a problem, I suspect because he's had some hock issues, but today he was willing and forward. I didn't do any tight turns, and came back down to a nice trot. Then after another session of walking, I trotted again, this time putting him into a first level frame and asking for a bit more impulsion. Once again, he was really willing to make the effort.

All told, I rode for about fifteen minutes. Five more minutes of walking just to cool off, then into the barn for a sponging, some toweling, and finally putting his flysheet back on. Another fifteen minutes consumed. By now I was nearly an hour in.  I did do some stall cleaning and then I fed everyone dinner, so when I came back into the house, hot and sweaty myself, I had been out in the barn for a good hour and a half. All this for, basically, fifteen minutes of saddle time.

It wasn't exactly cool out--82F or so--so I headed over to the pool for a swim. Boy, did that feed good! I swam for a half hour and now, here I am, back at home, thinking of my own dinner.

Bless Tucker's heart. Once again, he proved he really is trained. No need to lunge him or work him down before riding. Just get on and go. Tomorrow, I hope to ride Chance. The heat is supposed to be back on Thursday, so I need to get my rides in before then.

And the Heat is On!

At Least For a Day or Two

The summer heat is on. Temps are supposed to be close to 100F today. The humidity is not overwhelming, so it won't be totally stifling, but nonetheless, summer is coming in with a vengeance.

I had planned on riding yesterday, but never did get around to it. Not sure why. I was rather warm, so that put me off and I had to do some grant writing in the morning.

I did go out for a bit to do some trimming with the DR trimmer, but when the trim strings broke the second time, I gave up on that as well. The machine works like a charm, but if I trim against a hard surface--post, tree, wall, etc.--the trimmer strings tend to snap off. They are easy to replace, but it's just so annoying. I love the machine for the most part, but so many places in my yard have obstructions that it's too common for string damage.  I was going to go into the riding arena to trim, but the second break did me in.

I did cuddle the Boys--Toby in particular. He seems to love having me stand there with his head in my arms, just petting and hugging him. Both Tucker and Chance like the attention too, but Toby is definitely the most affectionate at the moment.  I have the fans on in the barn for today, so they will be as comfortable as possible in this heat.

Last night, Stephen Colbert "bumped" dressage again. With Rafalca on the team, he has every reason to continue to follow the sport.  And, I noted that he did say he was going to do everything he could to see that the team was as well equipped as the US Speed Skating Team which he supported during the winter games. I'm not sure what that meant, but wouldn't it be great if the US Team got some much needed financial support from The ColbertNation?  At the very least, the publicity for dressage is great!

Once again, I have to admit, that while Colbert is making fun of how elite a sport dressage is, he is also well-informed on the subject.  He invited Anne Romney on to the show--much debate in the forums as to whether or not she would show up--but even if she doesn't come, dressage has taken a huge leap in potential popularity because of the political connection.

We are all hoping Colbert will "participate" in dressage as he did in speedskating. I was in hysterics when he had a match race with US skater Apolo Ohno.  Colbert began the race while Ohno was still at home. Ohno arrived at the rink, put on his gear and headed out to the ice to race past Colbert for an easy victory. It was one of the best comedy bits I'd seen in a long time. Not sure what he could do with dressage, but I'm sure it'd be funny.

So now that dressage has gotten the "bump" it remains to be seen how much of the competition will be televised in the US.  I do have most of the NBC stations and affiliates on my cable, so if they broadcast any equine events I should be able to see them. Of course, the last time, the dressage was also broadcast live on the Internet, so I also have that option.

I do have a feeling our British friends out there will be blessed with good coverage. Now there's a county that appreciates horses!

Busywork and Lungeing

Monday Not So Blue

I had a productive Monday. The weather was incredible with dry, cool air more the norm than the exception.

I spent a good part of the morning with the weed whacker--string trimmer--finishing up the front bank and trimming around the trees and house in front. I could have cut my workload by half if the DR. trimmer was running, but once again it failed me. I took it down to my neighbor's house so he could look at it for me. He brought it back in the evening, repaired. Apparently a little bump on a vital part had knocked part of the fuel system out of alignment. Not sure I am too keen on a piece of yard equipment being that sensitive, but I will be careful of it in the future.

I went for an acupuncture treatment in the afternoon, and then came home to lunge Chance. We didn't do much, but I was really happy to see that he looked even on all four legs. Whatever that issue he has with the right hind leg seems to be resolved again. I plan on riding him today, so I will know for sure as what often does not show up on the lunge can show up under saddle.

Tucker is still missing a shoe, so I wrapped his foot in duct tape and vetrap. I know it will not hold up for long but it does offer a little protection to his hoof. I called Scott again, just to remind him Tucker was waiting, but I still haven't heard anything.

After I finished the lungeing session, I went out to poo pick the arena. It's been neglected for at least two weeks because of all the rain.  The Boys have also been using the arena gate to get to and from the pasture because the main gate gets really muddy and full of water when it rains. That means they have dropped a lot of manure on their travels in and out. It took a while, but I got the whole arena pretty clean. I will, however have to go in to mow the edges and some of the more central areas. Since I haven't been riding much the footing is getting over grown with grass and some weeds. It's amazing how nature insists on encroaching, even in a sand area. Now that the DR is working, I'll do the trimming with that.

I need to do the hard outside work today, as the weather will be taking a "summer turn" over the next few days with temperatures rising to the 90's F.  As long as the humidity does not come along with the heat it will be OK, but I'm not too optimistic. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

Meantime, at least for now, the yard looks pretty good.

Will Dressage Get the "Bump?"

The Olympic Team is Selected, Mr. Colbert

The US Festival of Champions US Dressage Team Selection Trials are over and the team is set. First off is Steffen Peters on Ravel with Legolas as his back up horse. Next is Tina Konoyt on Colecto, who scored over 80% on one of her rides. Jan Ebeling riding Rafalca qualified third with and additional pressure of the race for President of the US lurking in the background. And Adrienne Lyle qualified for the fourth spot on Wizard.

It is a strong, solid team. Certainly, the British team is favored to win this year--what a grand departure from previous years when Germany dominated--but as all horsemen know, anything can happen.

And this year "anything" already has here in the US.  Stephen Colbert, talk show host of the tremendously popular "Colbert Report" aired weeknights on the Comedy Channel, did a piece on the competition. His focus was that Mitt Romney's (Republican candidate for US President) wife is part owner of Rafalca.  Needless to say, dressage at that Olympic level is an extremely expensive sport, and
many news reporters have been critical of the Romney's money and being "out of touch" with the common man, so mocking out their dressage connection is one sure way of underscoring all that wealth.

Colbert on Dressage

But, fortunately for us all, the dressage community as a whole has finally learned to laugh at itself. I know I was laughing like crazy at Colbert's report, declaring dressage his "Number One Sport of Summer." 


Now, at the USET headquarters, dressage fans responded with good humor, laughter, beer, and foam
fingers, cheering on the new team.


Link to USEF Dressage Video

What a breath of fresh air!!

I love dressage, but the sport has had a rocky road to popularity and not many non-horsemen understand it. As well, the competitions rarely get TV coverage, so I often miss seeing the masterful rides of the best riders in the world--except on YouTube videos. Silly as all this may be, perhaps all the publicity and the Romney connection will finally put dressage "on the map."

Perhaps the "Colbert Bump" as publicity on "The Colbert Report" is known is just what dressage needs--at least in an Olympic year.  I will be watching the "Report" on Monday night--airs here at 11:30 PM on Comedy Central--to see if Mr. Colbert is up to a response to the dressage world's response to his previous report.

I'm ready to laugh my way all the way down the centerline.

Busy Week

Punctuated by Rain

Monday I spent working on a grant and going to see s film with retired friends. It started raining mid morning and continued all day.

Tuesday, the roof guys came to start working on repairing the barn roof. When the solar panels were installed, they created a leak in the part where the barn roof connects to the run in shed roof on the east side and it's been getting worse and worse. I had a chiropractic appointment in the morning, so with all the ruckus, I opted out of riding a horse.

Wednesday, roof guys were back to finish up. I also got a call from my friend Shelley asking if she could spend the night on her way to a job interview. That meant I had to do some house cleaning--much neglected, I fear.  Then, on Thursday, Shelley arrived so we spent the day catching up, running some errands and going out to dinner.

Friday, I woke up with the closest thing to a migraine I had had since I started on my blood pressure meds. It eased off as the day went on, but I made a chiropractor appointment for today to clear the rest of it out.

I did go for a swim today--14-15 laps and a good thirty minutes of water work. I may go out to lunge Chance before too long, just to get him started up again.

I can't do anything with Tucker because he's lost a shoe.  The Boys were overdo for shoeing/trimming, and I called Scott last week, but so far no call back. This is a particularly busy season for him with all the horse shows going on and he often gets backed up with people who really NEED a shoeing job so they can compete.

The Boys and I are in competition retirement. so I'm not too worried. The ground is pretty soft from all the rain so Tucker is fine, so far. Hopefully Scott will get here before some kind of problem develops.

Of course, the lawn needs mowing again, and some weed whacking. However, the road guy was buy trimming the shoulders of the road, so I managed to flag him down to give my banks a cursory trim.  I gave him a Coca Cola in return and he did a great job with some of the weeds that have plagued me in years past.

So far, so good. Now I still need to haul myself into the saddle to get some riding in!

Need to Get Fit

Saddle Time in the Near Future

I went to the Customer Appreciation Day at Rick's Saddle Shop today. I had a great time.

I won five items in the trivia contest, proving it pays to know totally useless information. I ate a free hamburger, a free hot dog, some free cookies, and washed that all down with a cold drink.  I bought a new safety helmet for 20% off--it was "Helmet Awareness Day," and avoiding spending tons more.

Actually, the day before, I'd gone to the closer store to stock up on feed for the month at $2 off a bag, so I certainly spent enough money for the weekend.

But, there was more fun. Aside from meeting a few old friends and chatting, I also met up with the store owner who's known me for over thirty years since he first opened his tack/feed store.  His horse was there on display. Why?  Because his horse is a big, black Percheron measuring in at 19 h!

Rick and I got to talking and he allowed me to go in the pen with Rebel to see him up close. Believe me, he is huge!!! His back towered over me.

I asked about how he felt to ride and one thing led to another. At that point, Rick asked me if I'd like to come out to ride him sometime to try a little dressage. I hesitated, mostly because I certainly and not in the best state of riding fitness now, but it certainly would be fun to get on a horse like that.

So, I am planning on getting some good saddle time in here with the intent of getting in shape so I can get on the big fellow and have a go.  All I'll need to do it convince him to go where I want him to.

Here's Rebel's publicity photo. The girl holding him is probably about my height 5'6" or so, just to give you a perspective.

So what do you think??? *G*

Rain, Rain Went Away

But, For How Long? 

It has rained here for days. After and extremely dry spring, summer seems to have come in with the missing April showers. Included have been some thunderstorms and downpours.

I didn't swim last weekend, first because it was too chilly, and finally because when it did warm up on Sunday, thunderstorms kept passing through. I didn't check, but I'm pretty sure the pool was closed.

I did substitute on Tuesday, so I swam after school in the indoor pool, but I was even concerned that day that they might close down. There was some pretty heavy cloud cover and if a thunderstorm broke out, they would close the indoor pool too. All the filtering equipment for the water is outside and if it were struck by lightning, it would charge the pool water inside. But my luck held out, and I got in a good forty minute or so of swimming and walking in the water to exercise my knees.

I still have not ridden the Boys. My knees are a bit sore, stiff, and swollen, especially after exercise. Not that it's an excuse, but it certainly doesn't make me feel much like riding.

So, the Boys have been just kind of hanging out. I took a couple pictures in the rain, so the blur is the raindrops on the lens. But what you can see is the typical situation. Toby takes up most of one end of the run in shed roof, Tucker stays dry at the other, and Chance hangs out on the periphery, with his head inside and the rest of him out in the rain. Clearly, there is room for everyone under the roof, but apparently, that would "break the rules" of the herd hierarchy.

I was outside because there was a rainbow.  Once again, my photographic artistry is limited, not only by the rain, but also because the rainbow was not very bright.  I've photoshopped the pictures a bit trying to bring out the color, but I have a feeling the limits of my skill at using the camera also limited the ability to brighten things up.

I do fear the pots of gold at the end of this rainbow seemed to have been stored in the two huge warehouses resting at either end.  It was kind of sad to see nature's beauty flanked by all the industrial construction that's taken over the once pristine farmland on my eastern horizon.

The untouched photo below shows a bit of that.  You can just see the white warehouse, the high tension electrical power lines, and some other development beyond. Fortunately, the farmland between that area and my property is preserved land.

Hope to get back in the saddle this week. I need the exercise and the Boys need some diversion.

Organic Lawnmowers

The Boys Do Chores

I let the Boys out on the back lawn for a couple hours this morning. The idea was for them to do the mowing for me.

Well, they did, but I must admit they were not as thorough as I'd like. But, a good bit of the grass was trimmed and it only took me about a half hour with the riding mower to finish up.

I highly recommend this team of lawn care artists for anyone who'd like to hire them--as long as there are no annoying flies around to send them scurrying for cover back in the barn.

Did you notice that the fly sheets are still intact?  I don't know how this has happened, but so far, so good.

The plaid sheet on the ground covers the arena drag, as does the white cone. I still have to do something with that pile of tree chunks which now harbors some wild rose bushes and weeds. With all the rain, everything is growing like crazy.

And Who Are You Today?

Subbing and Such

Substitute teaching is one of the few jobs offering a daily identity crisis. I have been subbing a lot lately, and each time I go in to the school, my first question in the main office is, "Who am I today?"  Most certainly, I will be asked by fellow faculty members a similar question during the day, "Who are you today?" 

Obviously, I am still me, but I will answer, "Oh, I'm Mr. Jones."  People will then nod knowingly and that's the end of the discussion. Fortunately, most of the students in the school know my real name, so that makes it a bit easier, but I do have to laugh inside about the indentity "crisis."  It is kind of fun taking over different classes, especially, since as a substitute teacher, I don't really have any responsibility to grade papers or do the harder work a regular teacher handles. I do teach classes now and then, if I know enough about the subject matter. And, I try my best to help students with any assignments the teacher may have left for them to do, but subbing is a far cry from regular teaching. 

And each time I go in, I get to be somebody else! *G*

In case you haven't heard, it's been very hot here in New Jersey over the last few days.  The Boys have been spending most of the day inside the barn, away from the flies and mosquitoes.  With all the rain we've had the little bugs are breeding like crazy and horseflesh seems to be a favorite menu item.

So far the fly sheets are holding up, but I won't brag too much. It's only been a couple weeks.  I've used minimal fly spray so far, and so far, as well, the fly predators may be keeping the barn fly population down.

I just bought some Equitrol feed through fly control for the Boys and am considering one of the garlic supplements as well.  I'm not sure which one is best or whether it's wise to spend the extra money to get a name brand. 

I also looked into the new Fly Armor products. These are browbands, cheekpieces, tags for manes and tails, and leg bands with citronella inserts that claim to do a wonderful job of repelling flies and mosquitoes.  They are moderately expensive, but if they work, they would be about equal to the bottles of fly spray I use every season. 

Anyone out there try them yet?  Just wondering if they are worth the investment.

Meantime, the Boys seem fairly content to stand in the stalls with the floor fans blowing on them, offering at least a little comfort from the heat and certainly relief from the flying pests. 

The heat is supposed to ease off by the end of the week.  But heaven knows what the rest of summer will bring.

Back In the Swim

The Pool Is Open!

Crystal Springs is open on the weekends until school lets out for the year.

It's been raining, but it's also been warm, so today, after church in the late afternoon, I went for my first outdoor swim of the season. The water was chilly, but not really cold. One of those, "It feels really good once you're wet," kind of days.

I swam my ten laps and did a good 15 or more minutes of underwater bicycle with my legs.  Then I took two rounds on the Lazy River. It was so refreshing and wonderful!! I hope to go back tomorrow, weather permitting and then I'll swim at least once indoors during the week when I substitute again.

Love it.

If I get a bit more fit swimming, I think that will inspire me to do some riding as well. Exercise tends to give me an energy boost.

In the meantime, I need to get the fans set up in the barn for the Boys. It's already getting "summer hot" and they need some relief.

The summer season is upon us all.

What Do You Do With an Avocado?

Shopping for Food

I am an impulse buyer when I go food shopping. The other day, I bought some discount apples for the Boys, and then browsed the veggie department. I had carrots, onions, some mushrooms and salad greens at home, so the avocados, on sale, struck my fancy.

That night I had a nice tossed salad with avocado and tomato. Loved it, but I'd bought two avocados and the other was going to ripen soon. What to do?  Another salad? Guacamole?

How about....soup?  I looked up some recipes on the Internet, and sure enough, there were recipes for creamy avocado soup, some of which included the exact foods I already had at my disposal.

So I invented, as I always do. I will read a recipe and then modify it to suit me.

I did run down to the corner WaWa for some heavy cream--I could have used sour cream, but decided I try the regular instead. Then I browned mushrooms, onions, and celery in my soup pot, added some apricot brandy, salt, pepper, garlic, and Italian spices.

While that cooked, I put my ripe avocado and some cream in the blender and made a puree. By then the soup pot mix was about ready so I added a can of chicken broth, brought it all to a boil and then , scooping out the solids, put them in the blender to make another puree.  I added the two purees to the chicken broth with some more cream and a bit of flour to thicken it all, brought it to a light boil and voila! A really delicious soup resulted!

I just ate a nice bowlful and I think there is one more generous serving left for another day.

It was another "seat of the pants" cooking experiment that worked out. Every now and then, I have a failure, but more often than not, my inventions work out pretty well.

I suppose wise shoppers plan ahead and buy what they need to make fabulous meals. I do that occasionally, but it's much more fun to impulse buy and then get creative with the purchases.

Speaking of impulse, sweet corn was on sale yesterday at a pretty reasonable price for this time of year, so I bought eight ears--two for me and two for each of the Boys! They each got at ear with the husks on at late feed last night. Talk about spoiled.

To add to their feast, my hay man brought me second cutting bales this time as he'd run out of the first cutting. For anyone who knows hay, there is a considerable difference. First cutting tends to be coarser and consists of the top growth of the grasses. The second cutting is softer and more grassy.  It's more expensive by the bale but the horses really tend to clean up every blade.

My Boys do not need the richer hay, but it surely does make them happy.

All I could hear as I left the barn was the sound of very contented chewing,. *G*

Still Here

Not Much New To Report

I have taken the last few days to battle to weeds and mow the grass. But I fear it is all for naught.

The rains have returned in full force and I'd swear the grass was growing again overnight. Times like this I wish I had the funds to hire a yard service to do the work. But, alas, it's up to me if I don't want to wade through foliage up to my knees.

The Boys are doing fine and despite everything, so far, the new fly sheets are intact. Of course, all I have to do is say that out loud and one of them will overhear me and start the demolition

I think Peppercorn finally figured out how to get in and out of the back porch through the open window. That's a good thing because I have had to lock the door to keep Raccoon Raider from getting in to eat anything that's not nailed down.

I've also tied the feed bin shut in the barn to discourage the masked bandit out there. I told my friend Stacie the story and she started laughing because she'd gone through a similar raccoon invasion last year. We both agreed that trying to out smart a determined raccoon was not an easy task.

More rain today and perhaps some thunderstorms this afternoon.  It is definitely soggy.

How Long Will They Last?

And I Get Acupuncture

I had an acupuncture treatment today, mostly for my knees. Hard to say if there is any real effect yet, but they did not feel stiff when I got off the treatment table.  Of course, since then, I was pushing the DR trimmer up and down the little bank to the west of my driveway, trying to get rid of the weeds before they begin to tower.  It was physically very hard work so I am expecting a reaction tomorrow.

I didn't ride again, mostly because I had spent the latter part of the morning once again nearly stripping the stalls as the horses had spent some time standing in because of both the rain and the surging bugs.

Which leads to the title of the blog.  Just how long will the new fly sheets last?  They are they good ones, but with an added feature--neck covers.  I didn't really want that but they sheets were such a deal on Horseloverz this winter--under $40 each for really good poly mesh sheets.  I don't worry about the sheets themselves lasting. What I am wondering about is how long the attached neck pieces will survive.

They are designed to be fastened to a halter, but my Boys do not wear halters in turnout.  No bigger there as the fabric does have some substance to it.  And I can always cut them off if I want to.  I just wonder how much of a "target" they are going to be for horsegames 102.

So, in lieu of more explanation, a portrait gallery of the horses in brand new fly sheets and some gratuitous kitty pictures. Peppercorn is the black kitty and Misty is the gray striped one.

Knees Are Great

But What's Up With the Riding?

I went to my orthopedic doctor on Friday to have my six month knee checkup. They are just great! Apparently the swelling I have--especially after vigorous activity--is perfectly normal, and very expected at 6 months. The doctor said the soft tissues take a very long time to fully recover after the replacement surgery, and it well might be a year to a year and a half before things settle down completely.

After the appointment, I went to lunch with my sister-in-law and then visited her new cat, Bella. (Who happens to be a boy...long story as he is a neutered Maine Coon with gorgeous long, soft fur)

So, I have no reason physically not to ride, so what's up? Wish I knew. I am totally unmotivated.

I am guessing it's mostly because I have no specific goals in sight. It's never really been that way with my riding career before. I was either competing or taking lessons or going to clinics or something. Now, retirement from the show arena and nothing particular on the horizon is not exactly what I'm used to.

All three Boys are fine, shiny and happy. Yesterday I think Toby had a bit of a tummyache at dinner time, but I kept an eye on him and he came out of it without a full colic episode. But other than than, all is well.

Tucker and Chance do need some work to get some of their weight off--they thrive on air--and Chance needs work for that stifle of his.  But I am lazy. Don't know why.

I certainly do enjoy my time in the saddle when I do manage to mount up, and I still definitely enjoy the challenge of training. But what I need is a routine or habit to keep me going.

I suspect I'll figure it out sooner or later.

Meantime, I don't think the Boys care too much.