Happy Birthday, To Me!!
I'll admit it, I've hit 65. That means Medicare. I was already collecting Social Security, so no biggie there.
Medicare, though. I am supremely lucky to still have my Blue Cross/Horizon as secondary insurance to pick up any expenses Medicare will not pay.
But already the Medicare stuff is strange. I had to fill out some forms at the chiropractor. They were pain assessment things and they made no sense whatsoever. I am an English teacher and, frankly, I read the language very well. I could not make heads or tails of what they wanted on these forms. Vague directions, irrelevant examples, and no explanations.
Times like this, I think I could make a fortune hiring myself out to simply write directions for people to follow. If I was vague or too indirect with my students when I gave assignments, I could get all kinds of strange work from them. Writing clear, concise and good directions is an important teaching skill.
Think of riding instructors you have had in the past--or even now. Their ability to communicate complex concepts makes all the difference in the world to you as a student. What do you do with your body, your weight, your hands, your eyes, your legs, your seat, and every nuance of how to ride even a simple exercise somehow must come across by words alone. Sure, they can demonstrate, they can hold you by the hand or physically correct your seat, but in the end, you and your horse will have to do it on your own.
I always remember Lockie Richards explaining something and always adding, "Feel it? Feel it? Do you feel it?" He knew it wasn't just a matter of mechanics, but a matter of feeling the results of the mechanics so you could recreate the results on your own. By expecting that, I might often discover an alternate way of getting the horse to respond, since my goal was not a method, but a consequence.
Hope that makes some kind of sense.
But too many people are not teachers, yet they think they can give directions. I have been looking at some of the Common Core educational materials over the last few months, and I see the problem cropping up there. Common Core is proven a money maker for many for profit corporations. They create all kinds of educational materials they claim teach the Common Core skills to students in all kinds of fancy commercial packages. They sell these to schools who are desperate to try to keep up with government requirements for educational standards.
The result? Poorly conceived assignments and badly written instructions. I've seen them.
Most teachers I have known in my own educational career are more than capable of teaching students what they need to know and leading them along the path of good learning. What they need is the freedom and support to teach, not someone looking over their shoulders all the time with a checklist.
Picture your riding teacher again. Your horse misbehaves or misinterprets the cues you give him. Teacher has a set of rulebooks to follow...a preset curriculum that must be mastered in order, in a certain way with no creative methods. Will it work? Maybe, maybe not. But in the meantime wouldn't you rather have a teacher who could come up with a good solution on the spot before you're bucked off, run away with, or simply frustrated to tears?
Thanks for indulging me. After all, it is my birthday!!
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Vet Visit
No News? Good news?
My vet was here all morning doing tests on Chance. He did another nerve block to see if the issue was in the pastern. That was inconclusive so he went to Xrays. Nothing out of the ordinary showed up except perhaps a bit of roughening/arthritis in Chance's middle hock joint.
Then he ultrasounded both hind legs. That way if he saw anything unusual in the right hind, he could compare the left hind to see if whatever it was was normal for Chance. I am a bit relieved to say he found nothing.
That's a good news/bad news result. Good news in that it eliminates suspensory and ligament injury, but bad news in that it does not really provide any answer as to why Chance is lame.
His final decision was to give Chance a steroid injection in the suspicious hock. Chance will stay in today, and then have turnout in his little run in shed for tomorrow and the next day. My vet will be back in 9-10 days to do another exam to see if the injection made any difference.
So, while we have eliminated most of the more serious lower limb concerns, we still do not have any definitive answers. I am hopeful the hock injection will make a difference.
Debbie, my horsesitter took the role of assistant for me. She brought her two sons with her who were an amazing help in setting up the run in shed as a pen for Chance.
My friend Chris was going to be here, but last night her mother was rushed to the hospital and I am terribly sad to say, she passed away this morning. I can only send my prayers and love to Chris at this time. A loss like this is never easy.
My vet was here all morning doing tests on Chance. He did another nerve block to see if the issue was in the pastern. That was inconclusive so he went to Xrays. Nothing out of the ordinary showed up except perhaps a bit of roughening/arthritis in Chance's middle hock joint.
Then he ultrasounded both hind legs. That way if he saw anything unusual in the right hind, he could compare the left hind to see if whatever it was was normal for Chance. I am a bit relieved to say he found nothing.
That's a good news/bad news result. Good news in that it eliminates suspensory and ligament injury, but bad news in that it does not really provide any answer as to why Chance is lame.
His final decision was to give Chance a steroid injection in the suspicious hock. Chance will stay in today, and then have turnout in his little run in shed for tomorrow and the next day. My vet will be back in 9-10 days to do another exam to see if the injection made any difference.
So, while we have eliminated most of the more serious lower limb concerns, we still do not have any definitive answers. I am hopeful the hock injection will make a difference.
Debbie, my horsesitter took the role of assistant for me. She brought her two sons with her who were an amazing help in setting up the run in shed as a pen for Chance.
My friend Chris was going to be here, but last night her mother was rushed to the hospital and I am terribly sad to say, she passed away this morning. I can only send my prayers and love to Chris at this time. A loss like this is never easy.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Friends
Amazing People
I already told you about the massive housecleaning project undertaken by a group of my friends while I was in the hospital. The time and effort they put in was amazing and quite humbling to me.
Friends like that are a true treasure.
And I have more. My friend Chris of the Arabians will be coming over tomorrow to help out with the vetting for the Boys. That will include Chance's ultrasound. Since I can't quite yet handle the horses myself, her help in getting them in the barn for the vet and maybe some extra holding hands for the ultrasound will be invaluable. The last time the vet was here Lanny lent a hand as well.
My horsesitter, Debbie, goes well beyond the call of duty to do little extra things too. She picked up grain at the feed store for me and has cleaned out the rat attacked feed bin I was planning on handling once Spring hit. (Speaking of---Spring hit with a vengeance with temperatures up in the upper 70's last week and last night, we had.......snow......)
Had to giggle a bit because I asked Debbie to put the sheets on the Boys last night before the temperatures plummeted. After she had left, I saw that Tucker was still naked. I went out to find his Rambo sheet in a rather tattered state, completely unusable. Not sure when that had happened, but I guess Debbie had no idea what else he could wear. Fortunately, I did. I pulled one of the orange sheets out of the pile and decided to try to put it on Tucker myself.
Now, on his best of days, Tucker tends to be a moving target for getting dressed. Even when he does stand in one place, he bops his head up and down threatening to bite while I try to fasten the buckles. Last night, there I stood in his stall, on one crutch, hefting the sheet up onto his 17 h back with my free left hand. I managed to get it up there and then moved around to the front of him to buckle the straps. "Bop, bop" head started. At that I said, "Knock it off. I'm having enough trouble just standing up. If you knock me down we are going to be in big trouble here!" To my utter surprise he froze and stood stock still like a perfect gentleman while I adjusted the buckles, surcingles, and leg straps so the sheet fit properly. (I think it was actually Toby's sheet.) I gave him high praise and thanks for being a really good boy!! Amazing.
Anyhow, back to friends. My friend LeighAnn called me when she found out I was hurt and insisted if I needed hay or grain that I call her. So I did. Sure enough, she hitched up her trailer today. picked up 25 bales of hay from our supplier and unloaded it in my shed.
Another friend, Richard, picked me up from the hospital, took me shopping for groceries on the way home, and waited with me at the pharmacy for my prescriptions. He offered to take me to physical therapy as well, but since I can drive, I didn't need his help there. But again, how nice for him to offer. And I know he'd do it because he did when I was recovering from the knee replacements.
These are not people who speak empty words when they say, "If there's anything I can do, please let me know." They mean it.
I hope I am the same kind of friend to them and any of my other friends if the time should come.
I already told you about the massive housecleaning project undertaken by a group of my friends while I was in the hospital. The time and effort they put in was amazing and quite humbling to me.
Friends like that are a true treasure.
And I have more. My friend Chris of the Arabians will be coming over tomorrow to help out with the vetting for the Boys. That will include Chance's ultrasound. Since I can't quite yet handle the horses myself, her help in getting them in the barn for the vet and maybe some extra holding hands for the ultrasound will be invaluable. The last time the vet was here Lanny lent a hand as well.
My horsesitter, Debbie, goes well beyond the call of duty to do little extra things too. She picked up grain at the feed store for me and has cleaned out the rat attacked feed bin I was planning on handling once Spring hit. (Speaking of---Spring hit with a vengeance with temperatures up in the upper 70's last week and last night, we had.......snow......)
Had to giggle a bit because I asked Debbie to put the sheets on the Boys last night before the temperatures plummeted. After she had left, I saw that Tucker was still naked. I went out to find his Rambo sheet in a rather tattered state, completely unusable. Not sure when that had happened, but I guess Debbie had no idea what else he could wear. Fortunately, I did. I pulled one of the orange sheets out of the pile and decided to try to put it on Tucker myself.
Now, on his best of days, Tucker tends to be a moving target for getting dressed. Even when he does stand in one place, he bops his head up and down threatening to bite while I try to fasten the buckles. Last night, there I stood in his stall, on one crutch, hefting the sheet up onto his 17 h back with my free left hand. I managed to get it up there and then moved around to the front of him to buckle the straps. "Bop, bop" head started. At that I said, "Knock it off. I'm having enough trouble just standing up. If you knock me down we are going to be in big trouble here!" To my utter surprise he froze and stood stock still like a perfect gentleman while I adjusted the buckles, surcingles, and leg straps so the sheet fit properly. (I think it was actually Toby's sheet.) I gave him high praise and thanks for being a really good boy!! Amazing.
Anyhow, back to friends. My friend LeighAnn called me when she found out I was hurt and insisted if I needed hay or grain that I call her. So I did. Sure enough, she hitched up her trailer today. picked up 25 bales of hay from our supplier and unloaded it in my shed.
Another friend, Richard, picked me up from the hospital, took me shopping for groceries on the way home, and waited with me at the pharmacy for my prescriptions. He offered to take me to physical therapy as well, but since I can drive, I didn't need his help there. But again, how nice for him to offer. And I know he'd do it because he did when I was recovering from the knee replacements.
These are not people who speak empty words when they say, "If there's anything I can do, please let me know." They mean it.
I hope I am the same kind of friend to them and any of my other friends if the time should come.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
I Will Not Be a Statistic
Hip Stories
I never should have done a Google search on broken hips. Apparently it is one of the more difficult injuries to recover totally from.
Actually, I can understand why. Aside from the fact that the broken bone is huge, the hip itself is an important weight bearing joint. My hip joint is not damaged, just the bone going into the socket, so that's a big plus. But still there are lots of muscles and ligaments all involved in the recovery.
As well, most broken hips are in elderly people who tend to be less active. While I am just crossing to the side of "elderly" (65) I have been very active all my life and intend to stay so. It would be easy to just sit around now and rest my leg, avoiding the pain of moving around. And sometimes, I do just that. The injury and surgery took a lot out of me and I am still more tired than I would normally be.
But, I will not sit around without exercising my leg. I have physical therapy three times a week and in between I do most of the exercises at home. I also walk quite a bit--around here now using only one crutch--and I do some of the chores that don't require heavy lifting. I am doing the late night feed for the Boys every night. I put out the peanuts and bird seed for the wild critters. And I am also feeding the two stray kitties who have shown up. (More on them later--one a gray adult and the other a kitten)
I have a walk down the driveway every day to get my mail. I have gone to church for choir practice and the Sunday service. I have been grocery shopping several times, although I have ridden around the store in one of those electric carts for long shopping missions. But, I can push a regular shopping cart to the car afterwards to unload my purchases. Then, I unload the car at home and carry the groceries in.
From what I have read, swimming, or at least water exercises will be great for my recovery. I do want a clearance from my surgeon first to be sure I can immerse my leg in water--assurance that the incisions are healed enough.
I think one little problem I have at the moment is that my muscles, tendons and ligaments were so compromised before my hipbone collapses that they were all strained before the repair surgery. They do need a little extra time to heal from that trauma.
But recover they will, and recover I will.
Hopefully, I will be able to ride Chance again. The vet is coming on Thursday, as you know, to do an ultrasound to find out what is wrong with him. I am hoping both he and I will be on a matching recovery trajectory.
Tucker stands in the wings, a project for another day. And, of course, there is Toby.
I have a lot to look forward to and I think I'll just skip the Google searches for now.
I never should have done a Google search on broken hips. Apparently it is one of the more difficult injuries to recover totally from.
Actually, I can understand why. Aside from the fact that the broken bone is huge, the hip itself is an important weight bearing joint. My hip joint is not damaged, just the bone going into the socket, so that's a big plus. But still there are lots of muscles and ligaments all involved in the recovery.
As well, most broken hips are in elderly people who tend to be less active. While I am just crossing to the side of "elderly" (65) I have been very active all my life and intend to stay so. It would be easy to just sit around now and rest my leg, avoiding the pain of moving around. And sometimes, I do just that. The injury and surgery took a lot out of me and I am still more tired than I would normally be.
But, I will not sit around without exercising my leg. I have physical therapy three times a week and in between I do most of the exercises at home. I also walk quite a bit--around here now using only one crutch--and I do some of the chores that don't require heavy lifting. I am doing the late night feed for the Boys every night. I put out the peanuts and bird seed for the wild critters. And I am also feeding the two stray kitties who have shown up. (More on them later--one a gray adult and the other a kitten)
I have a walk down the driveway every day to get my mail. I have gone to church for choir practice and the Sunday service. I have been grocery shopping several times, although I have ridden around the store in one of those electric carts for long shopping missions. But, I can push a regular shopping cart to the car afterwards to unload my purchases. Then, I unload the car at home and carry the groceries in.
From what I have read, swimming, or at least water exercises will be great for my recovery. I do want a clearance from my surgeon first to be sure I can immerse my leg in water--assurance that the incisions are healed enough.
I think one little problem I have at the moment is that my muscles, tendons and ligaments were so compromised before my hipbone collapses that they were all strained before the repair surgery. They do need a little extra time to heal from that trauma.
But recover they will, and recover I will.
Hopefully, I will be able to ride Chance again. The vet is coming on Thursday, as you know, to do an ultrasound to find out what is wrong with him. I am hoping both he and I will be on a matching recovery trajectory.
Tucker stands in the wings, a project for another day. And, of course, there is Toby.
I have a lot to look forward to and I think I'll just skip the Google searches for now.
Friday, April 11, 2014
My Goodness!!
Getting Around
I am getting around better and better and sometimes can even use just one crutch instead of two.
I am extra glad to be out of the hospital. This morning on the news reports were coming in of an explosion in one of the rooms there. Details are vague but apparently there was a fire of some sort and an oxygen tank in one of the rooms exploded. There were some serious injuries, but as I said, all the information is not quite clear yet.
The explosion was on the 3rd floor and I spent my stay on the 4th floor. I don't know if any of the nurses or aides I met go from floor to floor in their work assignments. It seems one employee and one visitor were hurt. It's not clear whether it was a patient's room or some other room. The explosion was confined and there was not much, if any fire.
Scary, when you think of it. When I was in the hospital in Philadelphia with my knee replacements, there was a fire alarm and from what I could tell, it was not a drill. I put on my shoes and coat, just in case. A bit later one of the aides came into my room and was a bit taken aback that I was all ready to evacuate if there was any need. I guess being a school teacher for so long made me a bit more safety aware during an emergency alarm than most people. We had a number of significant "events" when I was teaching that taught me to get my coat and possessions whenever the alarm bells rang.
My prayers go out to those injured at the hospital. I hope they are going to be OK and have a speedy recovery. I can say they are in one of the best places to receive excellent treatment and care.
The Boys are doing fine under Debbie's care. I am doing the late night feeding again due to unforeseen circumstances, but it's not too difficult. With just one crutch, I can carry the flakes of hay without too much trouble and the grain is easy too.
I am a bit worried about Chance. As you may recall, he's been off and on lame all winter. Dr. Klayman did a good, thorough lameness exam this week and ended up blocking his right hind leg between the pastern and hock after eliminating a higher leg issue. He's pinpointed the area where Chance is sore and will be back to do an ultrasound next week. Various possibilities include suspensory damage which would have no treatment. It could mean an end to my riding him.
Chance will always have a home with me as long as he is comfortable enough to be a pasture ornament. It would be a shame because he really is a delight to ride and is a great trail horse--just what I need considering a certain large TB's unpredictable attitude. I can, of course, still ride Toby and there is an open option to ride Chris's Arabian, but that's just not the same as taking a nice leisurely hack out on my Chanceypants.
For now, it's just wait and see.
I am getting around better and better and sometimes can even use just one crutch instead of two.
I am extra glad to be out of the hospital. This morning on the news reports were coming in of an explosion in one of the rooms there. Details are vague but apparently there was a fire of some sort and an oxygen tank in one of the rooms exploded. There were some serious injuries, but as I said, all the information is not quite clear yet.
The explosion was on the 3rd floor and I spent my stay on the 4th floor. I don't know if any of the nurses or aides I met go from floor to floor in their work assignments. It seems one employee and one visitor were hurt. It's not clear whether it was a patient's room or some other room. The explosion was confined and there was not much, if any fire.
Scary, when you think of it. When I was in the hospital in Philadelphia with my knee replacements, there was a fire alarm and from what I could tell, it was not a drill. I put on my shoes and coat, just in case. A bit later one of the aides came into my room and was a bit taken aback that I was all ready to evacuate if there was any need. I guess being a school teacher for so long made me a bit more safety aware during an emergency alarm than most people. We had a number of significant "events" when I was teaching that taught me to get my coat and possessions whenever the alarm bells rang.
My prayers go out to those injured at the hospital. I hope they are going to be OK and have a speedy recovery. I can say they are in one of the best places to receive excellent treatment and care.
The Boys are doing fine under Debbie's care. I am doing the late night feeding again due to unforeseen circumstances, but it's not too difficult. With just one crutch, I can carry the flakes of hay without too much trouble and the grain is easy too.
I am a bit worried about Chance. As you may recall, he's been off and on lame all winter. Dr. Klayman did a good, thorough lameness exam this week and ended up blocking his right hind leg between the pastern and hock after eliminating a higher leg issue. He's pinpointed the area where Chance is sore and will be back to do an ultrasound next week. Various possibilities include suspensory damage which would have no treatment. It could mean an end to my riding him.
Chance will always have a home with me as long as he is comfortable enough to be a pasture ornament. It would be a shame because he really is a delight to ride and is a great trail horse--just what I need considering a certain large TB's unpredictable attitude. I can, of course, still ride Toby and there is an open option to ride Chris's Arabian, but that's just not the same as taking a nice leisurely hack out on my Chanceypants.
For now, it's just wait and see.
Tuesday, April 08, 2014
Home Again, Home Again, Jiggedty Jig
Tired Out
I am home at last. I guess they got tired of me in the hospital.
I am on my crutches, which is a good thing as I am able to get around really well on them. My leg is still sore, but things take time to heal after a surgery. I can put all my weight on it when I stand still but trying to push off with it to take a step is a bit "ouchy."
While I was in the hospital, a cadre of my friends decided to take it upon themselves to clean my house. It was rather a mess, to say the least and when I came home they were in the final stages of a thorough cleansing. Not sure what's missing at the moment, but most likely, I won't notice what's been thrown out for a while.
The trouble for the moment is trying to find out where things have been put. There was enough reorganization that I don't know where to look for things.
I was taken aback by the work everyone did for me and am grateful. To say I have mixed feelings is an understatement. It was unsettling to find out how many people had been here to pitch in. There was even a bunch of work done in the yard. I had a lot of tree branches down from the winter and some other yard tidying issues at play there.
So for now, all I will say is, "Thank you, all." I will do my best to keep the house in better shape from now on in.
But, for now, my body needs to heal. Surprisingly, I did not sleep well last night. My bed does not have all the nice adjustments the hospital bed had and since I am still stuck sleeping on my back--can't roll over on the surgery leg side and when I try the other side, the surgery leg protests--I need to get "just right" to be comfortable.
I finally had the brilliant idea of taking my pain meds in the wee hours of the morning. That helped a lot. Apparently what I thought was a minor nagging pain in the hip was actually worse and once I calmed that down I did manage a few winks. Tonight, I'll try the meds before I go to bed the first time and see if that makes a difference.
I have to keep reminding myself a broken hip is not a minor injury and since I am not as young as I once was, it's going to take longer to fully recover than I'd like. Frustrating indeed, but I will just have to learn to be patient.
I didn't actually visit the horses yet, sad to say. It rained quite a bit and everything is soggy out there. I'm not sure how the crutches would work in the mud, so I have to wait until someone comes to visit to spot me. My vet is coming this morning and some horse friends are supposed to show up to help out. He'd be fine without the extra hands as he will bring his own assistant, but having the help would be really good.
Hope everyone shows up as promised.
I am home at last. I guess they got tired of me in the hospital.
I am on my crutches, which is a good thing as I am able to get around really well on them. My leg is still sore, but things take time to heal after a surgery. I can put all my weight on it when I stand still but trying to push off with it to take a step is a bit "ouchy."
While I was in the hospital, a cadre of my friends decided to take it upon themselves to clean my house. It was rather a mess, to say the least and when I came home they were in the final stages of a thorough cleansing. Not sure what's missing at the moment, but most likely, I won't notice what's been thrown out for a while.
The trouble for the moment is trying to find out where things have been put. There was enough reorganization that I don't know where to look for things.
I was taken aback by the work everyone did for me and am grateful. To say I have mixed feelings is an understatement. It was unsettling to find out how many people had been here to pitch in. There was even a bunch of work done in the yard. I had a lot of tree branches down from the winter and some other yard tidying issues at play there.
So for now, all I will say is, "Thank you, all." I will do my best to keep the house in better shape from now on in.
But, for now, my body needs to heal. Surprisingly, I did not sleep well last night. My bed does not have all the nice adjustments the hospital bed had and since I am still stuck sleeping on my back--can't roll over on the surgery leg side and when I try the other side, the surgery leg protests--I need to get "just right" to be comfortable.
I finally had the brilliant idea of taking my pain meds in the wee hours of the morning. That helped a lot. Apparently what I thought was a minor nagging pain in the hip was actually worse and once I calmed that down I did manage a few winks. Tonight, I'll try the meds before I go to bed the first time and see if that makes a difference.
I have to keep reminding myself a broken hip is not a minor injury and since I am not as young as I once was, it's going to take longer to fully recover than I'd like. Frustrating indeed, but I will just have to learn to be patient.
I didn't actually visit the horses yet, sad to say. It rained quite a bit and everything is soggy out there. I'm not sure how the crutches would work in the mud, so I have to wait until someone comes to visit to spot me. My vet is coming this morning and some horse friends are supposed to show up to help out. He'd be fine without the extra hands as he will bring his own assistant, but having the help would be really good.
Hope everyone shows up as promised.
Saturday, March 29, 2014
In Rehab
Moving Day
I am still in the same hospital but have moved into acute rehab.
I've been out of bed several times now. The serious pain is localized in my stapled sutures. My leg muscle is weak and a bit crampy, but I suspect that will go away quickly if my system works the way it usually does.
Horses and kitties at home are all doing just fine. Debbie is an absolute treasure the way she cares for things.
My new room is a little smaller with a view of the hospital roof instead of green hills and trees. There are plenty of forested areas behind the building, though, so I am not nature deprived.
Now I just need to get myself back in shape. One more challenge to overcome in life.
Yippee!!
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Long Story
Better Told Later
Wifi access in hospital kind of iffy, so post will be short.
My left hip is broken. I had surgery and am recovering well.
Apparently it was from the fall off Tucker. First Xrays did not show the break so it might have been an invisible stress fracture. Finally gave way on Monday night.
Had to call 911 for ambulance.
Super wonderful hospital. Beautiful room with picture window and good care. Here for recovery and later some rehab.
Horsesitter and neighbor taking care of critter, house, etc. Well watched out for.
More details later when I have better computer access.
Love you all!
Wifi access in hospital kind of iffy, so post will be short.
My left hip is broken. I had surgery and am recovering well.
Apparently it was from the fall off Tucker. First Xrays did not show the break so it might have been an invisible stress fracture. Finally gave way on Monday night.
Had to call 911 for ambulance.
Super wonderful hospital. Beautiful room with picture window and good care. Here for recovery and later some rehab.
Horsesitter and neighbor taking care of critter, house, etc. Well watched out for.
More details later when I have better computer access.
Love you all!
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Crutches
Handy Tools in More Ways Than One
Sad to say, I am still using my crutches to get around and my hip still hurts like the devil....well sometimes.
I've hired a Horsesitter to do two feeds a day and I'm still doing the late night snacks for the Boys.
I've been rather amazed at how extra careful the Boys have been around me and my crutches. Even Tucker, who can be rather "in your face" if you don't demand respect, has been giving me extra space. And, when he forgets for a moment, a crutch is a great way to get him to back off. With a rubber tip on the bottom, it can give a gentle push on his shoulder, to remind him to keep his place.
I have to laugh a bit at how patient the Boys need to be as I dole out the feed. It takes me "forever" to get down the 30' barn aisle with the feed buckets. But, aside from a bit of head shaking from every expressive Tucker, the horses just wait, despite the fact that they would much rather be fed "right now!!!!"
In the outside world, my ventures out on crutches also have had some interesting responses. In WaWa, the other day, when I bought a sandwich and needed to fish out thirteen extra cents for the tax, a kind guy in front of me handed the cashier the change and refused to let me pay him back. I had the change in my wallet, but he wanted to gift me instead. On the way into the store, a woman went out of her way to open the doors for me.
Today at church the Christian spirit was is full sway with everyone offering to help me by carrying my music, opening doors, making sure I was safe on the stairs, and doing everything possible to assure that I was OK.
There were three of us lame people in the diner we went to after church. One lady was in a wheelchair with a broken foot, another had her foot/ankle in a walking brace, and there I was as well. We had a bit of fun sharing some stories about "how it happened" and "didn't the weather today make things hurt more," making the whole thing into a social experience. Better yet, we were able to laugh most of it off, a good skill to learn when you are in pain.
Which reminds me of an Internet article I just read about the most important skill in life. The author insisted it was to be able to control you emotions and to keep yourself on the happy side. (Not the best summary, but the essential premise.) Except for those moments when a stab of pain shoots through my hip, I've stayed on the optimistic, "laugh it off" side. When I had my knee replacements, I found that keeping a determined and positive outlook made my recovery faster. As an added bonus, I was able to cheer up and encourage a lot of other patients in rehab.
It's probably easy to let yourself mope into your misery, but I don't think it does much to help heal your body.
So I'll end with my humorous perspective on the whole accident that MAY have started my hip problem.
The day Tucker bucked me off into the tree branch--or the tree branch whiplashed me off Tucker--or whatever, and I landed with a heavy "plop" on the ground, I went out to dinner with my friends from choir.
We are all senior citizens, mind you, and I am just a month away from the magic age 65. There I sat, somewhat sore, my face scratched, and my nose just shy of another nosebleed. I had just finished telling my first friend the details of the accident and how Tucker had bolted off to leave me lying in the woods when my second friend arrived.
She looked as lovely and put together as always and had a big smile. "I just got back from the Senior Citizens group at church," she said. "We had a wonderful luncheon and afterwards a really wonderful talk on Ukranian Easter eggs. They were really beautiful. How was your day?"
Uhm......
Did you ever get the feeling you were living in another dimension?
Think about it. It's worth a giggle or two.
Sad to say, I am still using my crutches to get around and my hip still hurts like the devil....well sometimes.
I've hired a Horsesitter to do two feeds a day and I'm still doing the late night snacks for the Boys.
I've been rather amazed at how extra careful the Boys have been around me and my crutches. Even Tucker, who can be rather "in your face" if you don't demand respect, has been giving me extra space. And, when he forgets for a moment, a crutch is a great way to get him to back off. With a rubber tip on the bottom, it can give a gentle push on his shoulder, to remind him to keep his place.
I have to laugh a bit at how patient the Boys need to be as I dole out the feed. It takes me "forever" to get down the 30' barn aisle with the feed buckets. But, aside from a bit of head shaking from every expressive Tucker, the horses just wait, despite the fact that they would much rather be fed "right now!!!!"
In the outside world, my ventures out on crutches also have had some interesting responses. In WaWa, the other day, when I bought a sandwich and needed to fish out thirteen extra cents for the tax, a kind guy in front of me handed the cashier the change and refused to let me pay him back. I had the change in my wallet, but he wanted to gift me instead. On the way into the store, a woman went out of her way to open the doors for me.
Today at church the Christian spirit was is full sway with everyone offering to help me by carrying my music, opening doors, making sure I was safe on the stairs, and doing everything possible to assure that I was OK.
There were three of us lame people in the diner we went to after church. One lady was in a wheelchair with a broken foot, another had her foot/ankle in a walking brace, and there I was as well. We had a bit of fun sharing some stories about "how it happened" and "didn't the weather today make things hurt more," making the whole thing into a social experience. Better yet, we were able to laugh most of it off, a good skill to learn when you are in pain.
Which reminds me of an Internet article I just read about the most important skill in life. The author insisted it was to be able to control you emotions and to keep yourself on the happy side. (Not the best summary, but the essential premise.) Except for those moments when a stab of pain shoots through my hip, I've stayed on the optimistic, "laugh it off" side. When I had my knee replacements, I found that keeping a determined and positive outlook made my recovery faster. As an added bonus, I was able to cheer up and encourage a lot of other patients in rehab.
It's probably easy to let yourself mope into your misery, but I don't think it does much to help heal your body.
So I'll end with my humorous perspective on the whole accident that MAY have started my hip problem.
The day Tucker bucked me off into the tree branch--or the tree branch whiplashed me off Tucker--or whatever, and I landed with a heavy "plop" on the ground, I went out to dinner with my friends from choir.
We are all senior citizens, mind you, and I am just a month away from the magic age 65. There I sat, somewhat sore, my face scratched, and my nose just shy of another nosebleed. I had just finished telling my first friend the details of the accident and how Tucker had bolted off to leave me lying in the woods when my second friend arrived.
She looked as lovely and put together as always and had a big smile. "I just got back from the Senior Citizens group at church," she said. "We had a wonderful luncheon and afterwards a really wonderful talk on Ukranian Easter eggs. They were really beautiful. How was your day?"
Uhm......
Did you ever get the feeling you were living in another dimension?
Think about it. It's worth a giggle or two.
Friday, March 21, 2014
Now I Am Worried
Watching the Weather
OK, so Spring is here. Big deal. It's nice today but.....
There is the chance of a major snowstorm next week. It could be the worst one of all.
Normally, I'd shrug my shoulders and say, "So what? I have the tractor, I have the snowblower, and I have a good shovel"
Trouble is, right now, I only have one good leg. I'm still not sure what's wrong--although my chiropractor will look at my Xrays today to see what might be going on--but my left hip hurts like the devil. In fact, I am just still just about getting around on crutches.
Again, so what? I have plenty of food in the house and as long as the power stays on, all I'd have to do is sit inside until it melts.
But, I have the horses and they need food and care. Getting out to the barn on crutches through a snowstorm would not be an easy task. I'm not sure I could shovel my way out. The tractor is out there too but I'm not even sure I could climb on.
I do have a mounting block out there, so I suppose I can put it by the tractor. Or, if the storm does promise to come in, I could drive the tractor over to the house, cover it with a lot of ripped horse blankets and then plow drive my way out to the barn. Aha! This IS a plan!!
So, what I have to do is watch the forecasts and hope for the best. The storm may go out to sea--best case scenario. But if it's going to hit, I will have most of Sunday to put the plan into action.
Once again, I guess crisis brings ingenuity. Or is that desperation???
ADDENDUM:
My X-rays did not show any bone/joint injury. Apparently it's all muscle and tendon. We can't quite figure out why, either. It may be an indirect result of the fall. But it's on the other side of my body from where I landed. Could be the hip joint was over compensating. Who knows?
I called the Horsesitter to come out for a week to take care of the Boys for the two main feedings. I will do the late night. That eases the stress on my hip quite a bit. Debbie is a great person and super responsible. She'll have a little extra work to start as the stalls are rather a mess, but then it will ease off. I'll do the meds as needed at the late feed, so she won't have to bother with that.
Oh yes, and my other blood word came back A-OK too. So I am a picture of health--except that I can't walk. *G*
OK, so Spring is here. Big deal. It's nice today but.....
There is the chance of a major snowstorm next week. It could be the worst one of all.
Normally, I'd shrug my shoulders and say, "So what? I have the tractor, I have the snowblower, and I have a good shovel"
Trouble is, right now, I only have one good leg. I'm still not sure what's wrong--although my chiropractor will look at my Xrays today to see what might be going on--but my left hip hurts like the devil. In fact, I am just still just about getting around on crutches.
Again, so what? I have plenty of food in the house and as long as the power stays on, all I'd have to do is sit inside until it melts.
But, I have the horses and they need food and care. Getting out to the barn on crutches through a snowstorm would not be an easy task. I'm not sure I could shovel my way out. The tractor is out there too but I'm not even sure I could climb on.
I do have a mounting block out there, so I suppose I can put it by the tractor. Or, if the storm does promise to come in, I could drive the tractor over to the house, cover it with a lot of ripped horse blankets and then plow drive my way out to the barn. Aha! This IS a plan!!
So, what I have to do is watch the forecasts and hope for the best. The storm may go out to sea--best case scenario. But if it's going to hit, I will have most of Sunday to put the plan into action.
Once again, I guess crisis brings ingenuity. Or is that desperation???
ADDENDUM:
My X-rays did not show any bone/joint injury. Apparently it's all muscle and tendon. We can't quite figure out why, either. It may be an indirect result of the fall. But it's on the other side of my body from where I landed. Could be the hip joint was over compensating. Who knows?
I called the Horsesitter to come out for a week to take care of the Boys for the two main feedings. I will do the late night. That eases the stress on my hip quite a bit. Debbie is a great person and super responsible. She'll have a little extra work to start as the stalls are rather a mess, but then it will ease off. I'll do the meds as needed at the late feed, so she won't have to bother with that.
Oh yes, and my other blood word came back A-OK too. So I am a picture of health--except that I can't walk. *G*
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Layoff
But No Laughing
I am using my crutches. My left hip/leg hurts like the devil.
My chiropractor is pretty sure it's still the aftermath of my fall off Tucker. It probably is, but that was a week ago, so it took a while. My L3 vertebra was out and he adjusted me, but as the day went on, the pain went from the outside of my hip to the inside. I'm going back today for another treatment.
Hopefully I will feel better soon. I can get around the house OK on the crutches, but taking care of the Boys is another story altogether.
Thing is, working with any kind of disability makes a person very creative. I, for one, figure out all kinds of ways to do things. The biggest challenge is the hay. My feed room has a step up, step down. I cart the hay from the carport to the barn door via a little cart. So far, not so bad, but I think today I may put a bale in the car and drive it over for later. Anyhow, instead of carrying the flakes to the Boys in one trip, I throw the flakes I need across the feedroom to the step down into the barn aisle. Then I cart them, one by one to each Boy's stall. Takes twice as long, but gets the job done.
I tried carrying water to the water tub by bucket since the hose was frozen....again!!! But that proved to be too much of a challenge. There was water in the tub to hold the Boys for the morning, so I am waiting to see of the hose thaws out. If not, I will hang the coil hose over my neck and limp out to the barn with it to fill the tub. It will be awkward, but I'll manage.
I keep telling Tucker it's all his fault, trying to impress him with the concept that his bucking me off was not a good thing to do.
Not sure if Tucker is the true culprit, but my back wasn't a serious issue until the toss off. Hopefully it will heal soon.
In the meantime, I am learning to be inventive.
I am using my crutches. My left hip/leg hurts like the devil.
My chiropractor is pretty sure it's still the aftermath of my fall off Tucker. It probably is, but that was a week ago, so it took a while. My L3 vertebra was out and he adjusted me, but as the day went on, the pain went from the outside of my hip to the inside. I'm going back today for another treatment.
Hopefully I will feel better soon. I can get around the house OK on the crutches, but taking care of the Boys is another story altogether.
Thing is, working with any kind of disability makes a person very creative. I, for one, figure out all kinds of ways to do things. The biggest challenge is the hay. My feed room has a step up, step down. I cart the hay from the carport to the barn door via a little cart. So far, not so bad, but I think today I may put a bale in the car and drive it over for later. Anyhow, instead of carrying the flakes to the Boys in one trip, I throw the flakes I need across the feedroom to the step down into the barn aisle. Then I cart them, one by one to each Boy's stall. Takes twice as long, but gets the job done.
I tried carrying water to the water tub by bucket since the hose was frozen....again!!! But that proved to be too much of a challenge. There was water in the tub to hold the Boys for the morning, so I am waiting to see of the hose thaws out. If not, I will hang the coil hose over my neck and limp out to the barn with it to fill the tub. It will be awkward, but I'll manage.
I keep telling Tucker it's all his fault, trying to impress him with the concept that his bucking me off was not a good thing to do.
Not sure if Tucker is the true culprit, but my back wasn't a serious issue until the toss off. Hopefully it will heal soon.
In the meantime, I am learning to be inventive.
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Long Lining on a Sunny Day
JJ Asks, "Do I Have To?"
And the answer is, "Yes!!"
Since my chiropractor told me I couldn't ride until at least the middle of the week, I was worried that JJ, my Arab buddy, would not be fit enough to do the competitive ride we have scheduled for the end of the month.
Now, let me say this. I come from a long lot of training for eventing and my trainer back then was really big on fitness for our horses. When I was preparing for a horse trial, I worked my horse 5-6 days a week and work meant exactly that. There was lots of trotting and cantering as well as dressage training and jumping exercises. I know nothing about getting an endurance horse fit for an opening season 10 mile ride, but my brain tends to think in event mode, so I want to give JJ at least a modicum of fitness in that direction.
I'm sure Chris will steer me in the right direction as far as that's concerned, but for now, I'll kind of plan on giving JJ some good trot work to build him up.
The footing out on our trails is still not great, so doing some arena work will have to suffice. And, since I can't ride at the moment, long lining is a good option.
But the first obstacle is getting the horse to understand the concept, then to buy into it and finally do it. Turns out Chris had long lined JJ in the past, so he was not a total novice. That has its plusses and minuses. The plus is that he will go around me on a circle while I hold the lines. This is the only real way I can trot a horse on the lines. When I first learned to long line some 30+ years ago with Lockie Richards, we started off behind the horse, ground driving. However, when I asked for trot and had to run along behind, my hands began to bounce. At that point, Lockie gave me a choice. I either had to ask the my Russell to trot really slowly so I could just walk behind him or I'd have to work him on a circle.
I have since opted for the circle and can pretty adequately get my horses to walk, trot, canter, and reverse on the lines without too much trouble. I will also work them on straight lines by walking alongside and can get shoulder in and a little leg yield as well.
JJ and I aren't there yet. We did master the trotting circle for the most part, but here's where the minus comes in. At some point before Chris got him, someone taught JJ to stop and face his handler. I know there are people who teach this when lunging. They ask for a halt and then want the horse to turn and face them.
To me, this poses a significant training issue. Once the horse is facing me, it's virtually impossible to ask him to go forward again on the circle since the hind end I need to drive forward is away from me. When I teach my horses to lunge or long line, when I halt them, I want them to stay facing the same direction on the circle. I used a command to "come in" if I want them to come to me, but otherwise, they need to stay on that circle. Then I can do reinbacks, transitions, etc. and never lose the ability to drive them forward again.
Now, JJ is a very bright fellow and figured out pretty quickly that if he stopped and turned to face me, I was going to have to give him a break as I maneuvered my way around to his hind end--trying not to tangle the lines as I did so--and then send him on again, usually on a nice small circle around me at the walk until I could urge him back out on the circle perimeter to do some more real work. I lost count of the number of times he pulled this little trick on me. Here are some pictures of those moments. Still a good boy, but just a little tricky to get behind him.
The look of interested innocence on his face each time was adorable. He looked right at me as if to say, "This is what you wanted, isn't it? I'm being good looking at you like this, aren't I?" (JJ uses good grammar, by the way.) Only once did he kick out his heels in a protest as I moved him on again, so in general, he at least made an effort to be a good boy.
These pictures taken by Chris. Hope it is OK to post them.
The cool thing was when he finally offered to stretch down into the bit and use his back. He looked super! I'd like to do some more work with him to encourage him to go like that from the start when I ride him. He usually will relax like that during a ride, but it can take a while and if he does get excited---well, he has now and then then I've ridden him--his head goes up and his back inverts. I would think if he would keep his back round, not only would any tension disappear but he'd feel a heck of a lot better carrying a rider.
Anyhow, I probably should have looked at my watch to see how long I was working him, but JJ certainly let me know when he'd had enough. "Stop and face" showed up on every circle. So I insisted he complete one full circle until I asked him to stop, and I made sure we didn't finish that final circle by the ever magnetic gate.
JJ really is fun to work. You can see his brain engage and disengage as he's trotting around. When it engages and his body joins the fun, it's a beautiful thing to see. Next time I line him, I'm going to start him off to the right as it's his more difficult side. That way, if he can master it, (And I can master it) going to the left will be a cinch.
It's really cool being able to work a horse I did not train in the lines. It's ever fascinating to try to establish the lines (both literally and figuratively) of communication to a new mind. It also teaches me to think about what works and what doesn't and forces me to adjust and refine my skills and techniques in order to get good results.
Taking a tumble off Tucker wasn't the best thing that ever happened to me, but in this case, it actually had some benefits.
And the answer is, "Yes!!"
Since my chiropractor told me I couldn't ride until at least the middle of the week, I was worried that JJ, my Arab buddy, would not be fit enough to do the competitive ride we have scheduled for the end of the month.
Now, let me say this. I come from a long lot of training for eventing and my trainer back then was really big on fitness for our horses. When I was preparing for a horse trial, I worked my horse 5-6 days a week and work meant exactly that. There was lots of trotting and cantering as well as dressage training and jumping exercises. I know nothing about getting an endurance horse fit for an opening season 10 mile ride, but my brain tends to think in event mode, so I want to give JJ at least a modicum of fitness in that direction.
I'm sure Chris will steer me in the right direction as far as that's concerned, but for now, I'll kind of plan on giving JJ some good trot work to build him up.
The footing out on our trails is still not great, so doing some arena work will have to suffice. And, since I can't ride at the moment, long lining is a good option.
But the first obstacle is getting the horse to understand the concept, then to buy into it and finally do it. Turns out Chris had long lined JJ in the past, so he was not a total novice. That has its plusses and minuses. The plus is that he will go around me on a circle while I hold the lines. This is the only real way I can trot a horse on the lines. When I first learned to long line some 30+ years ago with Lockie Richards, we started off behind the horse, ground driving. However, when I asked for trot and had to run along behind, my hands began to bounce. At that point, Lockie gave me a choice. I either had to ask the my Russell to trot really slowly so I could just walk behind him or I'd have to work him on a circle.
I have since opted for the circle and can pretty adequately get my horses to walk, trot, canter, and reverse on the lines without too much trouble. I will also work them on straight lines by walking alongside and can get shoulder in and a little leg yield as well.
JJ and I aren't there yet. We did master the trotting circle for the most part, but here's where the minus comes in. At some point before Chris got him, someone taught JJ to stop and face his handler. I know there are people who teach this when lunging. They ask for a halt and then want the horse to turn and face them.
To me, this poses a significant training issue. Once the horse is facing me, it's virtually impossible to ask him to go forward again on the circle since the hind end I need to drive forward is away from me. When I teach my horses to lunge or long line, when I halt them, I want them to stay facing the same direction on the circle. I used a command to "come in" if I want them to come to me, but otherwise, they need to stay on that circle. Then I can do reinbacks, transitions, etc. and never lose the ability to drive them forward again.
Now, JJ is a very bright fellow and figured out pretty quickly that if he stopped and turned to face me, I was going to have to give him a break as I maneuvered my way around to his hind end--trying not to tangle the lines as I did so--and then send him on again, usually on a nice small circle around me at the walk until I could urge him back out on the circle perimeter to do some more real work. I lost count of the number of times he pulled this little trick on me. Here are some pictures of those moments. Still a good boy, but just a little tricky to get behind him.
The look of interested innocence on his face each time was adorable. He looked right at me as if to say, "This is what you wanted, isn't it? I'm being good looking at you like this, aren't I?" (JJ uses good grammar, by the way.) Only once did he kick out his heels in a protest as I moved him on again, so in general, he at least made an effort to be a good boy.
These pictures taken by Chris. Hope it is OK to post them.
The cool thing was when he finally offered to stretch down into the bit and use his back. He looked super! I'd like to do some more work with him to encourage him to go like that from the start when I ride him. He usually will relax like that during a ride, but it can take a while and if he does get excited---well, he has now and then then I've ridden him--his head goes up and his back inverts. I would think if he would keep his back round, not only would any tension disappear but he'd feel a heck of a lot better carrying a rider.
Anyhow, I probably should have looked at my watch to see how long I was working him, but JJ certainly let me know when he'd had enough. "Stop and face" showed up on every circle. So I insisted he complete one full circle until I asked him to stop, and I made sure we didn't finish that final circle by the ever magnetic gate.
JJ really is fun to work. You can see his brain engage and disengage as he's trotting around. When it engages and his body joins the fun, it's a beautiful thing to see. Next time I line him, I'm going to start him off to the right as it's his more difficult side. That way, if he can master it, (And I can master it) going to the left will be a cinch.
It's really cool being able to work a horse I did not train in the lines. It's ever fascinating to try to establish the lines (both literally and figuratively) of communication to a new mind. It also teaches me to think about what works and what doesn't and forces me to adjust and refine my skills and techniques in order to get good results.
Taking a tumble off Tucker wasn't the best thing that ever happened to me, but in this case, it actually had some benefits.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Contemplation
And a Sore Back
Considering Tucker's erratic behavior, I am more than suspicious that his ulcer issue is acting up again. This is not an excuse for his behavior yesterday with the buck, but rather an explanation.
I will treat him with a month of omeprazole and see if that changes his overall demeanor. He is sensitive to be touched in the barn and pushy about his feed. His overall attitude borders on the aggressive side, but I don't really have a problem handling him. But he has been a much kinder boy in the past, so it could well be something is bothering him physically.
He will never be one of those "anyone can ride him" kind of horses. It's not in his nature. But he has been better than this in the past. You'd think at 14 he should have grown up a bit. No such luck. Guess he's one of those perpetual juveniles.
It's OK. I'm a retired high school teacher. I'm used to it.
I went to the chiropractor this morning. It was no surprise to find out my back was pretty messed up. The upper back was worse, actually, probably due to the whiplash impact when I hit the branch. My sacroilliac is sore, probably from the landing. Suffice it to say there were more vertebrae that needed adjusting than ones that were fine.
I'm feeling quite a bit better now. My nose is rather sore and I have scratches on my face here and there. I'm a bit surprised there is no gigantic bruise and consider myself lucky nothing hit me near my eyes. My riding helmet may have helped that. Once again, I advocate riding with a helmet at all times, and this accident was proof positive of why it can be so important. A blow to the naked head with a tree branch would have been far more serious.
Tomorrow it's supposed to again be bitter cold. It's just as well, since that means I won't be interested in riding.
Friday, I have a follow up at the chiropractor, so that's a good thing too. Another adjustment, some icing, and therapy may be just what I need.
Hopefully I'll be able to ride on the weekend when the weather promises to return to the road to Spring.
I will not take Tucker out on the trail.
Promise.
Considering Tucker's erratic behavior, I am more than suspicious that his ulcer issue is acting up again. This is not an excuse for his behavior yesterday with the buck, but rather an explanation.
I will treat him with a month of omeprazole and see if that changes his overall demeanor. He is sensitive to be touched in the barn and pushy about his feed. His overall attitude borders on the aggressive side, but I don't really have a problem handling him. But he has been a much kinder boy in the past, so it could well be something is bothering him physically.
He will never be one of those "anyone can ride him" kind of horses. It's not in his nature. But he has been better than this in the past. You'd think at 14 he should have grown up a bit. No such luck. Guess he's one of those perpetual juveniles.
It's OK. I'm a retired high school teacher. I'm used to it.
I went to the chiropractor this morning. It was no surprise to find out my back was pretty messed up. The upper back was worse, actually, probably due to the whiplash impact when I hit the branch. My sacroilliac is sore, probably from the landing. Suffice it to say there were more vertebrae that needed adjusting than ones that were fine.
I'm feeling quite a bit better now. My nose is rather sore and I have scratches on my face here and there. I'm a bit surprised there is no gigantic bruise and consider myself lucky nothing hit me near my eyes. My riding helmet may have helped that. Once again, I advocate riding with a helmet at all times, and this accident was proof positive of why it can be so important. A blow to the naked head with a tree branch would have been far more serious.
Tomorrow it's supposed to again be bitter cold. It's just as well, since that means I won't be interested in riding.
Friday, I have a follow up at the chiropractor, so that's a good thing too. Another adjustment, some icing, and therapy may be just what I need.
Hopefully I'll be able to ride on the weekend when the weather promises to return to the road to Spring.
I will not take Tucker out on the trail.
Promise.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
A Tale of Two Rides
Well, Almost
I rode with Chris again today. She was on Nordisk and I was on JJ. This time we went adventuring.
About a mile down the road, across the NJ Turnpike is Jamesburg Park. It is a fully forested area with many sections of pines, much like the Pine Barrens of South Jersey. It's a super place to ride, but getting there is a bit of a trick.
First is the mile long journey along the road. Not so bad until you reach the bridge over the NJ Turnpike. Wisely, we dismounted and led the horses across. It didn't help that at the first side there was a huge bulldozer scraping dirt in the lane on our side. Needless to say, that was rather distracting to Nordie who'd never seen anything like that before. But he was a good boy and settled down for the leading part of the trip.
I hate going across those bridges in anything but my car or truck, and NJ drivers don't seem to understand that according to the law, if a horse is present, they are supposed to slow down to 25 mph. Despite lots of very expressive gestures on both my part and Chris's part, only a handful of cars did slow down to pass us.
I breathed a sigh of relief when we reached the other side to remount in the grassy areas in front of the first warehouses. Well, "remount" is a rather loose term here as I cannot mount a horse from the ground, so Chris had to give me a leg up. What a klutz I am at the moment. I managed to get my body over the saddle, but trying to swing my leg over the cantle was a whole 'nother matter. Let's put it this way, it would have made a viral video on youTube,
The next part of the ride was along the warehouse district with trucks banging and back up beepers beeping and all kinds of manhole covers and silly things to challenge Nordisk's novice trail skills. He was on edge about things, but actually very sensible, especially since he was leading and my JJ was in his usual casual pace behind.
Then we crossed Cranbury Road at the traffic light--a feat not for the fainthearted, even in a car--and entered the peace and solitude of the Parkland. I'd never been in there before and it really is nice. There are lots of trails and sandy paths to ride on. Chris is rather an adventurer and we did some trail blazing as well. There are tons of trees down blocking paths so we had to do a lot of bushwhacking to get through. Nordisk was once again a star, bravely leading the way, while JJ just took his time following.
After and hour or so, we headed back, made the traffic light crossing again and started for home. That's when near disaster struck. There was a flag of yellow plastic tape in a tree I passes and it must have had some kind of wire attached. That got caught on JJ and flapped over towards Nordisk. He spooked and for a brief moment, I thought all was lost. But the tape pulled free and JJ was completely calm about the whole thing which, I suspect reassured Nordie who settled right back down. Amazing for a young horse like that.
We dismounted again for the bridge crossing home and had some more entertainment calling the passing drivers all kinds of names when they simply could not manage to slow down for us, no matter what kind of hand signals we gave them. The ones who did slow, got big thank yous and smiles. The others....well, let's just say their lives are cursed for many days to come.
About two and a half hours later, we were back in the barn and the two Arabians were settled down to their dinner.
But there was lots of daylight left.
And is was a really warm day.
I figured, no time like the present to try Tucker out on the trail again. My goal was to get farther along in the saddle than I had yesterday.
Well, I did.
At the spot where he'd acted up yesterday, Tucker started fussing again. This time, I stayed on. He was dancing, but controllable. It wasn't the calmest ride, but I made it all the way to the short trail through the woods heading for home.
The trail goes uphill slightly, so I let him jog a little. Then it happened.
There is low hanging tree branch that sticks out over the trail. It's got all kinds of pieces sticking out. At the very moment I tried to duck to avoid it, Tucker decided to buck. Now, mind you, this was a crowhop kind of buck, not a big nasty one. It was almost a canter stride. But, the problem was, it was a buck up, just at the moment when I wanted to be down under the branch.
Crunch! My face hit the branch square on, whiplashing me back and Tucker went foward and I went tumbling off to the right, kind of flipping over so I landed right on my back. The wind was knocked out of me and my loyal steed took off in a gallop for home.
As I lay there, I felt the warm trickle of blood from my nose. Yippee! Wounded.
It took me a moment to gather my wits and a nearby clump of snow to apply to the nosebleed. I wisely had a tissue in my pocket, to I blotted up the blood and my wounded pride with that and managed to get to my feet.
Tucker the magnificent was waiting at the gate. He seemed totally unconcerned.
Ah well. It had to happen sooner or later. The frustrating part is that if it hadn't been for the tree branch, I am sure I would have stayed on just fine. It really was not a huge buck, just a most unfortunate one. That doesn't mean it was OK, but I could have ridden it out.
Guess I'll stick to the arena for a while with him. At least there aren't any tree branches in there to do me in.
I rode with Chris again today. She was on Nordisk and I was on JJ. This time we went adventuring.
About a mile down the road, across the NJ Turnpike is Jamesburg Park. It is a fully forested area with many sections of pines, much like the Pine Barrens of South Jersey. It's a super place to ride, but getting there is a bit of a trick.
First is the mile long journey along the road. Not so bad until you reach the bridge over the NJ Turnpike. Wisely, we dismounted and led the horses across. It didn't help that at the first side there was a huge bulldozer scraping dirt in the lane on our side. Needless to say, that was rather distracting to Nordie who'd never seen anything like that before. But he was a good boy and settled down for the leading part of the trip.
I hate going across those bridges in anything but my car or truck, and NJ drivers don't seem to understand that according to the law, if a horse is present, they are supposed to slow down to 25 mph. Despite lots of very expressive gestures on both my part and Chris's part, only a handful of cars did slow down to pass us.
I breathed a sigh of relief when we reached the other side to remount in the grassy areas in front of the first warehouses. Well, "remount" is a rather loose term here as I cannot mount a horse from the ground, so Chris had to give me a leg up. What a klutz I am at the moment. I managed to get my body over the saddle, but trying to swing my leg over the cantle was a whole 'nother matter. Let's put it this way, it would have made a viral video on youTube,
The next part of the ride was along the warehouse district with trucks banging and back up beepers beeping and all kinds of manhole covers and silly things to challenge Nordisk's novice trail skills. He was on edge about things, but actually very sensible, especially since he was leading and my JJ was in his usual casual pace behind.
Then we crossed Cranbury Road at the traffic light--a feat not for the fainthearted, even in a car--and entered the peace and solitude of the Parkland. I'd never been in there before and it really is nice. There are lots of trails and sandy paths to ride on. Chris is rather an adventurer and we did some trail blazing as well. There are tons of trees down blocking paths so we had to do a lot of bushwhacking to get through. Nordisk was once again a star, bravely leading the way, while JJ just took his time following.
After and hour or so, we headed back, made the traffic light crossing again and started for home. That's when near disaster struck. There was a flag of yellow plastic tape in a tree I passes and it must have had some kind of wire attached. That got caught on JJ and flapped over towards Nordisk. He spooked and for a brief moment, I thought all was lost. But the tape pulled free and JJ was completely calm about the whole thing which, I suspect reassured Nordie who settled right back down. Amazing for a young horse like that.
We dismounted again for the bridge crossing home and had some more entertainment calling the passing drivers all kinds of names when they simply could not manage to slow down for us, no matter what kind of hand signals we gave them. The ones who did slow, got big thank yous and smiles. The others....well, let's just say their lives are cursed for many days to come.
About two and a half hours later, we were back in the barn and the two Arabians were settled down to their dinner.
But there was lots of daylight left.
And is was a really warm day.
I figured, no time like the present to try Tucker out on the trail again. My goal was to get farther along in the saddle than I had yesterday.
Well, I did.
At the spot where he'd acted up yesterday, Tucker started fussing again. This time, I stayed on. He was dancing, but controllable. It wasn't the calmest ride, but I made it all the way to the short trail through the woods heading for home.
The trail goes uphill slightly, so I let him jog a little. Then it happened.
There is low hanging tree branch that sticks out over the trail. It's got all kinds of pieces sticking out. At the very moment I tried to duck to avoid it, Tucker decided to buck. Now, mind you, this was a crowhop kind of buck, not a big nasty one. It was almost a canter stride. But, the problem was, it was a buck up, just at the moment when I wanted to be down under the branch.
Crunch! My face hit the branch square on, whiplashing me back and Tucker went foward and I went tumbling off to the right, kind of flipping over so I landed right on my back. The wind was knocked out of me and my loyal steed took off in a gallop for home.
As I lay there, I felt the warm trickle of blood from my nose. Yippee! Wounded.
It took me a moment to gather my wits and a nearby clump of snow to apply to the nosebleed. I wisely had a tissue in my pocket, to I blotted up the blood and my wounded pride with that and managed to get to my feet.
Tucker the magnificent was waiting at the gate. He seemed totally unconcerned.
Ah well. It had to happen sooner or later. The frustrating part is that if it hadn't been for the tree branch, I am sure I would have stayed on just fine. It really was not a huge buck, just a most unfortunate one. That doesn't mean it was OK, but I could have ridden it out.
Guess I'll stick to the arena for a while with him. At least there aren't any tree branches in there to do me in.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Three Trail Rides, but Only Two Completions
Back in the Saddle Again
Things have thawed out enough that the trails are again passable. They are not perfect due to quite a bit of mud, but they are rideable.
Yesterday, Chris, Larry, and I went out on the three Arabians. Since the plan is to ride a competition at the end of the month, the horses need the work and I certainly do as well.
We were out for close to two hours, mostly at the walk with just a little trotting here and there when the ground afforded it. JJ was a little more energetic than he's been in the past when I've ridden him and we actually had two spooks. Nothing too dramatic, but just enough to remind me he's alive and well. *G*
The funny part was that when we arrived at the barn and brought the boys in from the paddock, JJ and Nordisk had rolled to a fare thee well in the mud. They were both coated eartip to tail. Juan, on the other hand, the white boy was almost pristine. It took Larry about 5 minutes to brush him off so he could tack up. Meanwhile, Chris and I were currying and brushing away. I left a pretty good pile of dirt in the barn aisle by the time I was done and I can't say JJ looked more than moderately clean when I was done. Nothing like trying to clean up a winter haired horse after a nice roll in the spring mud.
My Boys, at home, were wearing sheets, so when I went out to ride today, I had minimal brushing to do.
But that benefit was short lived success when it came to completing rides on everyone.
Tucker was up first. The arena was more than half thawed with one side dry with good footing and the other wet with a bit of snow left. I trotted around a little, just to see how Tucker was feeling since I hadn't ridden him since....December???? He wasn't very interested in arena work and made it clear he wanted some adventure. So, putting my courage to the sticking place, we ventured into the woods.
So this is one of the non-completion trail rides in the title. The footing in the woods was a little dicey, with some slippy spots and snow. I am going to let Tucker use that as an excuse. For the first half of the ride he was OK, but was doing a little dancing in the footing. Then, he threw a bit of a hissy fit. He lifted his front end a bit off the ground and struck with his forelegs, squealing at the same time. It really did feel as if he was frustrated, and after that wanted to jig and not settle back down.
I'll admit, it. I'm a coward. I got him to stand and dismounted. I led him along the trail for the second half of the outing. We may well have been able to settle down again, but at that point the trail was really tricky with all kinds of switchback "go arounds" of all the fallen trees, and if he had acted up it would have been dangerous. I would like to be braver, but I'm not, so I copped out. At least I got some exercise leading him along and he got to be out and about.
Then I saddled Chance. The ground has been so bad for so long, I've not been able to check on his soundness. Failed trail ride #2. He was very lame. I'm confused about it. He felt really bad, but it's hard to tell for sure if it's the hind end. I will be calling the vet out for spring shots this week, and if I can be sure the footing in the arena will be OK, I will have a soundness exam. At this point, I just don't know what's wrong. He's had two months off, but horrible footing the whole time, so that just might have made things worse, or not. We'll just have to wait and see.
Fortunately, at 24, Toby is sound as can be and, once bribed with a carrot, quite eager to go out on a ride. The trouble was that as I led him into the arena, Tucker barged through the gate and made it nearly impossible for me to get out the woods gate and lock it behind us. I finally had to dismount, chase Tucker off with a tree branch, remount and finally go out.
We had a lovely ride. Toby was forward and happy the whole time. The woods footing didn't seem to bother him at all and we took the middle trail to make the ride just a little longer.
Thank heavens for my old fellow. He ended the afternoon at Follywoods on a high note.
Things have thawed out enough that the trails are again passable. They are not perfect due to quite a bit of mud, but they are rideable.
Yesterday, Chris, Larry, and I went out on the three Arabians. Since the plan is to ride a competition at the end of the month, the horses need the work and I certainly do as well.
We were out for close to two hours, mostly at the walk with just a little trotting here and there when the ground afforded it. JJ was a little more energetic than he's been in the past when I've ridden him and we actually had two spooks. Nothing too dramatic, but just enough to remind me he's alive and well. *G*
The funny part was that when we arrived at the barn and brought the boys in from the paddock, JJ and Nordisk had rolled to a fare thee well in the mud. They were both coated eartip to tail. Juan, on the other hand, the white boy was almost pristine. It took Larry about 5 minutes to brush him off so he could tack up. Meanwhile, Chris and I were currying and brushing away. I left a pretty good pile of dirt in the barn aisle by the time I was done and I can't say JJ looked more than moderately clean when I was done. Nothing like trying to clean up a winter haired horse after a nice roll in the spring mud.
My Boys, at home, were wearing sheets, so when I went out to ride today, I had minimal brushing to do.
But that benefit was short lived success when it came to completing rides on everyone.
Tucker was up first. The arena was more than half thawed with one side dry with good footing and the other wet with a bit of snow left. I trotted around a little, just to see how Tucker was feeling since I hadn't ridden him since....December???? He wasn't very interested in arena work and made it clear he wanted some adventure. So, putting my courage to the sticking place, we ventured into the woods.
So this is one of the non-completion trail rides in the title. The footing in the woods was a little dicey, with some slippy spots and snow. I am going to let Tucker use that as an excuse. For the first half of the ride he was OK, but was doing a little dancing in the footing. Then, he threw a bit of a hissy fit. He lifted his front end a bit off the ground and struck with his forelegs, squealing at the same time. It really did feel as if he was frustrated, and after that wanted to jig and not settle back down.
I'll admit, it. I'm a coward. I got him to stand and dismounted. I led him along the trail for the second half of the outing. We may well have been able to settle down again, but at that point the trail was really tricky with all kinds of switchback "go arounds" of all the fallen trees, and if he had acted up it would have been dangerous. I would like to be braver, but I'm not, so I copped out. At least I got some exercise leading him along and he got to be out and about.
Then I saddled Chance. The ground has been so bad for so long, I've not been able to check on his soundness. Failed trail ride #2. He was very lame. I'm confused about it. He felt really bad, but it's hard to tell for sure if it's the hind end. I will be calling the vet out for spring shots this week, and if I can be sure the footing in the arena will be OK, I will have a soundness exam. At this point, I just don't know what's wrong. He's had two months off, but horrible footing the whole time, so that just might have made things worse, or not. We'll just have to wait and see.
Fortunately, at 24, Toby is sound as can be and, once bribed with a carrot, quite eager to go out on a ride. The trouble was that as I led him into the arena, Tucker barged through the gate and made it nearly impossible for me to get out the woods gate and lock it behind us. I finally had to dismount, chase Tucker off with a tree branch, remount and finally go out.
We had a lovely ride. Toby was forward and happy the whole time. The woods footing didn't seem to bother him at all and we took the middle trail to make the ride just a little longer.
Thank heavens for my old fellow. He ended the afternoon at Follywoods on a high note.
Saturday, March 08, 2014
New Approach to the Knees
Now It's My Back
So, after two total knee replacements, I still have knee pain.
As noted before, I finally went to the sports medicine doctor who kept me going on my old bad knees for years more than I should have been able to go. He has been treating me for nerve pain from the replacement surgery for several months now.
I hit some kind of pain plateau over the last month, so the doctor had me go for an MRI of my lower back.
I've been going to a good chiropractor for years and that's always helped, but I was not surprised to find out that there is some degeneration in my spine and some issues with my discs. My sports doctor has now concluded that my knee pain may be coming from nerve pressure in my spine, where those nerves actually start in the body.
So today, instead of injecting my knees, he recommended a spinal injection. The theory is the same. The solution is not a steroid or a pain killer. Instead, it triggers the nerves that are trapped by pressure.
It was a decidedly interesting experience. There was a bit of pain, a bit of pressure, and for a while a very slight burning sensation as the medicine traveled up my spinal column. I was up and about immediately afterward, so it was no big deal--just strange.
Hard to say for sure if there are any positive results. I think my knees are less stiff and achy. Then again, is it psychological or physical? Often when you think something should be better, it actually is, so I will have to wait a few days to see if there is any real difference. Where nerves are concerned, it can take a little time for changes to set in.
None of the discomfort has stopped me from doing most of what I like to do, including riding and swimming. But having constant pain does get wearing after a while. And I still have not been able to run or do exercises that demand lots of leg use. Going up stairs is not as easy as I'd like, either. Painwise, I have not been tremendously better than before the knee replacements. On the more positive side, I no longer feel as if my knees will give out with me when I am doing things--like pushing the wheelbarrow, or unloading hay or grain. (Gee, see where my priorities lie.) So, overall, I have been much better off since the replacements.
Now, if I can just get rid of the annoying discomfort, I will be a happy camper. Maybe this new approach will do it.
So, after two total knee replacements, I still have knee pain.
As noted before, I finally went to the sports medicine doctor who kept me going on my old bad knees for years more than I should have been able to go. He has been treating me for nerve pain from the replacement surgery for several months now.
I hit some kind of pain plateau over the last month, so the doctor had me go for an MRI of my lower back.
I've been going to a good chiropractor for years and that's always helped, but I was not surprised to find out that there is some degeneration in my spine and some issues with my discs. My sports doctor has now concluded that my knee pain may be coming from nerve pressure in my spine, where those nerves actually start in the body.
So today, instead of injecting my knees, he recommended a spinal injection. The theory is the same. The solution is not a steroid or a pain killer. Instead, it triggers the nerves that are trapped by pressure.
It was a decidedly interesting experience. There was a bit of pain, a bit of pressure, and for a while a very slight burning sensation as the medicine traveled up my spinal column. I was up and about immediately afterward, so it was no big deal--just strange.
Hard to say for sure if there are any positive results. I think my knees are less stiff and achy. Then again, is it psychological or physical? Often when you think something should be better, it actually is, so I will have to wait a few days to see if there is any real difference. Where nerves are concerned, it can take a little time for changes to set in.
None of the discomfort has stopped me from doing most of what I like to do, including riding and swimming. But having constant pain does get wearing after a while. And I still have not been able to run or do exercises that demand lots of leg use. Going up stairs is not as easy as I'd like, either. Painwise, I have not been tremendously better than before the knee replacements. On the more positive side, I no longer feel as if my knees will give out with me when I am doing things--like pushing the wheelbarrow, or unloading hay or grain. (Gee, see where my priorities lie.) So, overall, I have been much better off since the replacements.
Now, if I can just get rid of the annoying discomfort, I will be a happy camper. Maybe this new approach will do it.
Wednesday, March 05, 2014
Still Waiting
What Do You Do?
Not much on the horse front due to this darn weather. The ground is still frozen solid where it's bare and covered with an ice and snow mix everywhere else. I honestly to not remember a winter where the first snowfalls from December lasted until March, at least not here in New Jersey.
I'm pretty sure the Boys are bored. I haven't seen them playing too much at all, and no wonder. With this footing, frolicking is not at option. They do wander about the paddocks and pasture. With my setup, there is a bit of variety both in terrain and view, so at least there is something to do out there. I've seen them sort of travel with the sun, basking in its rays by moving from place to place during the day.
I've been soaking their regular feed in hot water nearly every time I feed--three times a day--and they seem to be drinking quite a bit of water as I have to refill the water tub every morning about the same as I do in summer.
Meantime, somewhat housebound, I've been doing a bit of much needed cleaning. I have a ton more to do yet, of course. Somehow the house has gotten entirely out of control. It's not the first time, so I'm well aware of the major project I have created for myself. What I need to do is get rid of a lot of stuff.
That led me to revive my eldest desktop computer to see what files I might want to keep before I get rid of it. Windows 98, ancient now, still worked just fine with the newer keyboard and monitor, but the mouse??? No such luck. If you've ever tried to work in Windows without a mouse, you know the dilemma I faced. Every mouse I had was USB and optical, and my old dinosaur did not have the drivers to work them. And, to top it off, I could not find my Windows 98 CD which might have had some on it.
Blessing be, my friend--my choir director--is a real computer geek from way back and he had some old serial mice with the track balls in them, and a Windows 98 CD. I borrowed all and was soon up and running.
The next challenge was trying to find a way to transfer files I wanted. The old computer would not recognize a flash drive, and even the CD did not have drivers for that. I used to save all my stuff on floppy disks, but the new computer does not have a floppy drive. (I've ordered an external 3.5" floppy drive from eBay since I have dozens and dozens of floppy disks with pictures and files on them I might want, but it's not here yet.)
That left me with one alternative, and fortunately I was prepared. The old computer had a writable CD drive and the software installed, so I managed to burn a CD of most of the filed I wanted.
Apparently there is a way to hook up one computer to another via a USB cable, but none of the stores I visited over the last two days has the proper cable in stock. Back to eBay, I guess. Meantime, I found the floppy disks with the files I needed so if that external drive works, I should be able to recover them that way.
Mind you, the files are my fantasy novels--three of them, each over 1000 pages long. (Double spaced--don't be too impressed.) My intention is to format them for some kind of web publishing. That will take some time as I also have to proofread them again. That should keep me busy for months.
---working at the computer, of course---
Now do you understand why the house is a mess?
Monday, February 24, 2014
Waiting on the Weather
The Long Winter
Years ago, I rode in the snow. I even jumped in the snow. My horse wore snow shoes with pads and was incredibly sure footed. Snow actually was a nice break from coping with the frozen solid ground.
I've grown older. The frozen solid ground is harder and the cold air gets into my bones.
To top it off, my horses are totally out of shape. Two are barefoot, which is good in the snow, and Tucker has shoes with snow pads. But I'm not even trying to ride.
Do I have excuses? Not really. Going out on the trail is problematic, however. To get to any of my trails I need to ride through the woods for a fair piece. The trouble with the snow out there is that it's impossible to see the fallen trees and branches underfoot. I once had a serious problem with PJ when he stepped on a fallen branch and got his leg trapped in it. It was as close to panic as I've been in a long time as I struggled to free him from a very tightly wedged situation. Fortunately, he had the good sense not to struggle at all, and just patiently stood there until, with every ounce of strength I had, I got him free. Bless his heart, because it was a broken leg situation just waiting to happen.
Since then, I've been really wary about taking that kind of risk again.
So that leaves the riding arena. There, at least, I know there are no wayward branches underfoot.
I'm not that eager to ride. "Back in the day," keeping my horses fit for the upcoming competition season was really important. Today, with no plans to compete, it really doesn't matter too much.
While I'm just happy to go out on a nice trail ride or do some moderate training in the arena, there just isn't the old motivation left. Toby is semi-retired--although he's keen to go out adventuring. Tucker is not the safest horse to hack out, but I hope to try some remedial work with him this Spring. And Chance? While he does need some more schooling, he's just fun to ride out into the wilds.....well, as wild as suburban NJ can be. (I do have a 1500 acre State Park behind me, and across the next road, some other County preserved lands with acres more to ride in.)
So, no excuses here. Until the snow finishes melting and the ice underneath becomes just a memory, I'm staying out of the saddle.
Jean the riding wimp. I'd never have believed it years ago.
Years ago, I rode in the snow. I even jumped in the snow. My horse wore snow shoes with pads and was incredibly sure footed. Snow actually was a nice break from coping with the frozen solid ground.
I've grown older. The frozen solid ground is harder and the cold air gets into my bones.
To top it off, my horses are totally out of shape. Two are barefoot, which is good in the snow, and Tucker has shoes with snow pads. But I'm not even trying to ride.
Do I have excuses? Not really. Going out on the trail is problematic, however. To get to any of my trails I need to ride through the woods for a fair piece. The trouble with the snow out there is that it's impossible to see the fallen trees and branches underfoot. I once had a serious problem with PJ when he stepped on a fallen branch and got his leg trapped in it. It was as close to panic as I've been in a long time as I struggled to free him from a very tightly wedged situation. Fortunately, he had the good sense not to struggle at all, and just patiently stood there until, with every ounce of strength I had, I got him free. Bless his heart, because it was a broken leg situation just waiting to happen.
Since then, I've been really wary about taking that kind of risk again.
So that leaves the riding arena. There, at least, I know there are no wayward branches underfoot.
I'm not that eager to ride. "Back in the day," keeping my horses fit for the upcoming competition season was really important. Today, with no plans to compete, it really doesn't matter too much.
While I'm just happy to go out on a nice trail ride or do some moderate training in the arena, there just isn't the old motivation left. Toby is semi-retired--although he's keen to go out adventuring. Tucker is not the safest horse to hack out, but I hope to try some remedial work with him this Spring. And Chance? While he does need some more schooling, he's just fun to ride out into the wilds.....well, as wild as suburban NJ can be. (I do have a 1500 acre State Park behind me, and across the next road, some other County preserved lands with acres more to ride in.)
So, no excuses here. Until the snow finishes melting and the ice underneath becomes just a memory, I'm staying out of the saddle.
Jean the riding wimp. I'd never have believed it years ago.
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Call Me Crazy
But I Had Fun!
OK, so we were hit with another snowstorm. It's still here, even as I write. However, at the moment, it's raining instead of snowing.
But there were perhaps 10" of snow on the ground when I went out to feed the Boys this morning at around 8:30. Once I'd done all the chores, I decided it was worth it to fire up the snowblower and clean some paths. The snow was still not deep enough to challenge my blower, so I figured I'd get a head start on doing some serious plowing later with the tractor.
Well, my body must have craved the exercise because I found myself having a grand time out there with my 24" snow blower. (I only mention the size because it's not a really big one.)
Before I knew it, I had decided to open the mailbox driveway. It took four passes up and down to get the driveway clear, but I did it. Then, I began working on the area in front of the garage and finally, in another burst of ambition decided to open the other driveway as well.
I sprayed lots of snow on myself as the winds picked it up and threw it back at me. I had to work to turn the blower around as it only has one speed and that only drives it forward, not back. I had to push and lift now and then to get the blower through some of the heavier stuff where the street plows had filled the ends of my driveways in.
I was out there for at least two hours.
And I had a lot of fun! Just watching the snow fly through the air out of the way made me giddy. The physical effort energized me. I was having a really good time!
Now we may get another layer of snow later, and if we do, I am ready. I may decide to hop on the tractor and clear things out, or I just my start up my snow eating toy again and do it the walking way.
I hate the snow at this point in an overly cold and long winter, but for once, I had a smile on my face.
Call me crazy if you will, but I am a happy camper.
OK, so we were hit with another snowstorm. It's still here, even as I write. However, at the moment, it's raining instead of snowing.
But there were perhaps 10" of snow on the ground when I went out to feed the Boys this morning at around 8:30. Once I'd done all the chores, I decided it was worth it to fire up the snowblower and clean some paths. The snow was still not deep enough to challenge my blower, so I figured I'd get a head start on doing some serious plowing later with the tractor.
Well, my body must have craved the exercise because I found myself having a grand time out there with my 24" snow blower. (I only mention the size because it's not a really big one.)
Before I knew it, I had decided to open the mailbox driveway. It took four passes up and down to get the driveway clear, but I did it. Then, I began working on the area in front of the garage and finally, in another burst of ambition decided to open the other driveway as well.
I sprayed lots of snow on myself as the winds picked it up and threw it back at me. I had to work to turn the blower around as it only has one speed and that only drives it forward, not back. I had to push and lift now and then to get the blower through some of the heavier stuff where the street plows had filled the ends of my driveways in.
I was out there for at least two hours.
And I had a lot of fun! Just watching the snow fly through the air out of the way made me giddy. The physical effort energized me. I was having a really good time!
Now we may get another layer of snow later, and if we do, I am ready. I may decide to hop on the tractor and clear things out, or I just my start up my snow eating toy again and do it the walking way.
I hate the snow at this point in an overly cold and long winter, but for once, I had a smile on my face.
Call me crazy if you will, but I am a happy camper.
Tuesday, February 04, 2014
OK, OK, Enough Already
Storm #2
I'll admit, the snow is pretty as it coats the trees and turns the world into a fairyland of white.
Before plowing pictures.
After plowing.
But, enough is enough. Tonight there is more on the way with the possibility of sleet and ice as well. That could mean a power outage.
On the plus side of that, my generator is back and should be in top working order. As well, my tractor came home just in time to be ready for this last little winter treasure. We had at least 9 inches of a heavy, wet snow that was a killer to shovel. I'm not even sure my snow blower would have been able to handle it as it was so wet it probably would have clogged in the blades.
Kubota and I spent about an hour and a half digging my driveway out and helping one of the neighbors get their drive cleaned. I am pleased about that, of course, but the downside is that since the snow was so wet and heavy I had to drop loads of it along the side of the driveway to get it out of the way when the tractor could not push it any more. That means that a good number of drop spots now have piles of snow in them. Since there is the possibility of another BIG storm coming through over the weekend, finding a place to drop that snow is going to be tricky.
Ah well. No way to plan too far ahead. Coping with the idea of an ice storm over top of this snowstorm is enough crisis for me at the moment.
The Boys seem to be doing just fine. They have made a number of trails in the snow. It's kind of interesting tracking some of their movements. They seem to spend a fair amount of time in the paddocks at the side and front of the barn. Next favorite is the riding arena. The pasture was not too alluring, with only a few sets of horse tracks out there.
Toby and Tucker. Toby is cribbing on the fence. *sigh* Tucker is looking for something. The younger Boys are wearing their sheets, but I am keeping Toby in a blanket.
Chance, off by himself always poses for the camera.
Rugged path to the barn. The ground was thawed underneath so I had to be careful not to dig up the dirt. That made plowing a mess and I left a lot of snow in the track.
Looking into the fairyland of the forest. All those branches are weighed down with snow blocking the trail.
I'll admit, the snow is pretty as it coats the trees and turns the world into a fairyland of white.
But, enough is enough. Tonight there is more on the way with the possibility of sleet and ice as well. That could mean a power outage.
On the plus side of that, my generator is back and should be in top working order. As well, my tractor came home just in time to be ready for this last little winter treasure. We had at least 9 inches of a heavy, wet snow that was a killer to shovel. I'm not even sure my snow blower would have been able to handle it as it was so wet it probably would have clogged in the blades.
Kubota and I spent about an hour and a half digging my driveway out and helping one of the neighbors get their drive cleaned. I am pleased about that, of course, but the downside is that since the snow was so wet and heavy I had to drop loads of it along the side of the driveway to get it out of the way when the tractor could not push it any more. That means that a good number of drop spots now have piles of snow in them. Since there is the possibility of another BIG storm coming through over the weekend, finding a place to drop that snow is going to be tricky.
Ah well. No way to plan too far ahead. Coping with the idea of an ice storm over top of this snowstorm is enough crisis for me at the moment.
The Boys seem to be doing just fine. They have made a number of trails in the snow. It's kind of interesting tracking some of their movements. They seem to spend a fair amount of time in the paddocks at the side and front of the barn. Next favorite is the riding arena. The pasture was not too alluring, with only a few sets of horse tracks out there.
Not too many trails far out into the pasture. They stayed close to the gate.
Down the mailbox driveway before I plowed. It was definitely pretty, but not when you have to dig it all out.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Repair "Hospital"
And They Were Both Broken
So, my tractor is at the tractor hospital and my generator is at the generator hospital.
Hopefully I won't need either one in the immediate future. We are supposed to get another snow "event" but so far predictions are only 1"-3", so that's not too bad around here.
My heart is aching for the people in our Southern States who are getting hit with snow and ice. They are totally unprepared for it with limited snow removal equipment, sand, salt, and lack of driving skills on the slippery stuff. I am sending prayers their way this morning.
Meantime, my tractor's prognosis is good. Not only was my battery really bad....totally dead...but there was a bad connection to the starter and a blown fuse. All is repaired in that department, and the shop is waiting to get a battery maintainer I can plug in to keep the new battery hot and ready to go the next time I need to use the tractor.
As for the generator? I had tried to start it several weeks ago to no avail. I thought maybe it was just that it needed fuel or the starter battery was dead. I sent it off to the shop around the corner on the weekend. They called me yesterday to ask if the generator had been putting out power.
I told them I'd had a problem with it when I first got it but it had been repaired and I'd used it during hurricane Sandy--well, after the storm.
They told me the governor was bent--a problem caused during shipping--and that it had never been repaired.
What the heck??? Now I'm wondering if the generator was ever putting out full power during the time I did use it. If so, why? And how in the world could the governor be bent now?
I am totally confused. But, I am also pretty confident in the current repair shop. These guys are kind of those "old time" mechanics who really know how to fix things right. I asked them to make sure the generator was putting out full power for me before they brought it back.
I know have the house wired with all the proper connections to run everything, including my pump, and I do need that 8000w to do the job properly.
When my Dad was alive, he used to repair nearly everything around here. Some of this stuff may have been over his head, but I doubt it. He was an electrical engineer and worked on the electrification of the Pennsylvania Railroad. I don't think I quite appreciated all of his amazing skills, but I certainly knew I could always depend on him to find a solution to most problems.
Wish I had some more of that knowledge. I can actually fix some things, but my skill level is far, far too low to deal with this kind of stuff.
Glad I have good service centers nearby. Even if I do have to pay them.
So, my tractor is at the tractor hospital and my generator is at the generator hospital.
Hopefully I won't need either one in the immediate future. We are supposed to get another snow "event" but so far predictions are only 1"-3", so that's not too bad around here.
My heart is aching for the people in our Southern States who are getting hit with snow and ice. They are totally unprepared for it with limited snow removal equipment, sand, salt, and lack of driving skills on the slippery stuff. I am sending prayers their way this morning.
Meantime, my tractor's prognosis is good. Not only was my battery really bad....totally dead...but there was a bad connection to the starter and a blown fuse. All is repaired in that department, and the shop is waiting to get a battery maintainer I can plug in to keep the new battery hot and ready to go the next time I need to use the tractor.
As for the generator? I had tried to start it several weeks ago to no avail. I thought maybe it was just that it needed fuel or the starter battery was dead. I sent it off to the shop around the corner on the weekend. They called me yesterday to ask if the generator had been putting out power.
I told them I'd had a problem with it when I first got it but it had been repaired and I'd used it during hurricane Sandy--well, after the storm.
They told me the governor was bent--a problem caused during shipping--and that it had never been repaired.
What the heck??? Now I'm wondering if the generator was ever putting out full power during the time I did use it. If so, why? And how in the world could the governor be bent now?
I am totally confused. But, I am also pretty confident in the current repair shop. These guys are kind of those "old time" mechanics who really know how to fix things right. I asked them to make sure the generator was putting out full power for me before they brought it back.
I know have the house wired with all the proper connections to run everything, including my pump, and I do need that 8000w to do the job properly.
When my Dad was alive, he used to repair nearly everything around here. Some of this stuff may have been over his head, but I doubt it. He was an electrical engineer and worked on the electrification of the Pennsylvania Railroad. I don't think I quite appreciated all of his amazing skills, but I certainly knew I could always depend on him to find a solution to most problems.
Wish I had some more of that knowledge. I can actually fix some things, but my skill level is far, far too low to deal with this kind of stuff.
Glad I have good service centers nearby. Even if I do have to pay them.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Enough Already!
Not Exactly How I Planned to Exercise
It snowed.
I may post some pictures eventually, but it always looks the same. We probably have about a foot of snow, perhaps more. It was a dry kind of snow--light airy, so it was not heavy to push around.
I'd started the tractor on Monday and I ran it for a while so it was all ready to go.
Or so I thought.
When I tried to start it this morning to plow the driveway, it grunted and groaned in protest. So, I put the battery charger on and waited. On about the fourth try to start it, something went really wrong. The engine almost "caught" and then everything just died. I'm hoping the starter did not fritz out and it's only a totally dead battery, but I just don't know. I've called the tractor repair guys and they are going to pick it up tomorrow.
But that meant the driveway had to be cleared somehow. My attempts to find someone with a working snow removal machine failed. The friend I sold my plow and old truck to had hydraulic problems. Another contact had engine problems. That guy came over to look at my tractor no no avail. I have a snow blower, but we could not get it started at the last storm and my neighbor, who was going to fix it, never did.
Shovel.
I have a lovely ergonomic snow shovel--two actually. And so I started. Now, mind you, I have a really long driveway. My house is about 90' from the road and my driveway wraps around the house with two entrances/exits. It's at least 300' long, if not longer. I figured if I kept at it--with rest breaks in between, I might clear it by early afternoon.
My cousins--still living in my Aunt's house as they wait for their Hurricane Sandy house to be repaired--were already out shoveling. Their son has the snowblower, but it's miles away with no way to transport it here. As a result, it was a two house shoveling festival.
But then, their son showed up to help them and since they were nearly done, he came over here and started working on the other end of the first driveway that heads directly to my garage. After about 30-40 minutes, we met and one driveway was open.
Bryan, my cousin's son, is a bit of an engine magician, so when I told him about my snow blower, he decided to give it a go. Well, it took some serious determination and perhaps some blind obedience to his commands on the part of the blower, but suddenly, it came to life!!
It's a smallish machine, with only one speed, but I never anticipated needing it for more than trimming up my tractor job, but today, it did yeoman's work and did the second part of the driveway and the driveway area in back of the house. Then it carved a wide path to the barn so the tractor guy's truck could get in to pull my tractor out tomorrow!
We are free!
I used the blower later--we kept it running to use up the old gas so I can put in fresh stuff for the next storm. (Next week????) --and blew out a path from the barn to the manure pile for the wheelbarrow. I also cleaned the front walk so the UPS or FedEx guys could get in if they deliver anything.
I still need a path for the meter reader and to put out squirrel food, but that's actually easier done by hand.
Besides, I need to do something for exercise tomorrow.
Calorie burn? High, I hope.
Satisfaction. Mighty.
There is something utterly rewarding about physical labor when it actually accomplishes something you can see and, in this case, appreciate. I am tired, but happy.
It snowed.
I may post some pictures eventually, but it always looks the same. We probably have about a foot of snow, perhaps more. It was a dry kind of snow--light airy, so it was not heavy to push around.
I'd started the tractor on Monday and I ran it for a while so it was all ready to go.
Or so I thought.
When I tried to start it this morning to plow the driveway, it grunted and groaned in protest. So, I put the battery charger on and waited. On about the fourth try to start it, something went really wrong. The engine almost "caught" and then everything just died. I'm hoping the starter did not fritz out and it's only a totally dead battery, but I just don't know. I've called the tractor repair guys and they are going to pick it up tomorrow.
But that meant the driveway had to be cleared somehow. My attempts to find someone with a working snow removal machine failed. The friend I sold my plow and old truck to had hydraulic problems. Another contact had engine problems. That guy came over to look at my tractor no no avail. I have a snow blower, but we could not get it started at the last storm and my neighbor, who was going to fix it, never did.
Shovel.
I have a lovely ergonomic snow shovel--two actually. And so I started. Now, mind you, I have a really long driveway. My house is about 90' from the road and my driveway wraps around the house with two entrances/exits. It's at least 300' long, if not longer. I figured if I kept at it--with rest breaks in between, I might clear it by early afternoon.
My cousins--still living in my Aunt's house as they wait for their Hurricane Sandy house to be repaired--were already out shoveling. Their son has the snowblower, but it's miles away with no way to transport it here. As a result, it was a two house shoveling festival.
But then, their son showed up to help them and since they were nearly done, he came over here and started working on the other end of the first driveway that heads directly to my garage. After about 30-40 minutes, we met and one driveway was open.
Bryan, my cousin's son, is a bit of an engine magician, so when I told him about my snow blower, he decided to give it a go. Well, it took some serious determination and perhaps some blind obedience to his commands on the part of the blower, but suddenly, it came to life!!
It's a smallish machine, with only one speed, but I never anticipated needing it for more than trimming up my tractor job, but today, it did yeoman's work and did the second part of the driveway and the driveway area in back of the house. Then it carved a wide path to the barn so the tractor guy's truck could get in to pull my tractor out tomorrow!
We are free!
I used the blower later--we kept it running to use up the old gas so I can put in fresh stuff for the next storm. (Next week????) --and blew out a path from the barn to the manure pile for the wheelbarrow. I also cleaned the front walk so the UPS or FedEx guys could get in if they deliver anything.
I still need a path for the meter reader and to put out squirrel food, but that's actually easier done by hand.
Besides, I need to do something for exercise tomorrow.
Calorie burn? High, I hope.
Satisfaction. Mighty.
There is something utterly rewarding about physical labor when it actually accomplishes something you can see and, in this case, appreciate. I am tired, but happy.
Monday, January 20, 2014
Ride Before the Storm
The Last Nice Day for a While
We have a major snowstorm on the way for tomorrow and perhaps another one for the end of the week. Some people cheer the snow, I jeer it. I'm the one who has to plow and shovel. Bless the tractor, but either way, it's still a lot of work and always a bit of a mess.
Once things start to melt--which isn't going to happen for perhaps four or more days this time--snow creates the worst mud of all. It just turns into a sloppy mess, no matter what. Thing were just starting to dry out around here too. *sigh*
I am once again about as prepared as I can be. I picked up 16 bales of hay today. I poo picked the riding arena and the Boys's blankets are all ready to put on later tonight. Tomorrow morning I'll lug a couple bales of hay into the barn itself so I won't have to cart it across the snow covered lawn.
I drove the tractor for a bit, filled the tank with diesel and made sure everything was working. The snow shovels are on the back porch in in the barn respectively.
So, I took advantage of the last nice day for a while and took Toby and Chance out on trail rides. Since Tucker's shoe is still off, he had the day to just hang out, wondering why he was left out of the equation.
Toby was bouncy and eager to go again. Since he was so enthusiastic, I took him all the way to the back of the woods to the last trail in. He kept up the happy energy the whole way. At one little hill in the woods, he decided a canter was called for to make the climb. I haven't cantered him in ages. It was only perhaps ten strides, but it felt wonderful. I had forgotten what super gaits he has. He came right back down to walk when I asked since the trail has downed trees and some narrow paths to navigate in that area. What a good boy he is. Proof of how all that dressage training pays off "in the field" as they say.
I took Chance on a longer ride around the field and up to the tree farm. He was not very forward. I am wondering if his feet may be sore. His trot is OK, but still not as even as I'd like it. The footing had some slippery spots, I know, but I don't think that's the problem. When my vet comes for Spring vaccinations and such, I am going to ask for a Lymes test for him. Otherwise, until we have some regular, good footing to work in, it's not worth fussing too much. He certainly doesn't look miserable around the paddocks, so I'll just keep an eye on him. I certainly can't ride with any consistency, so getting him fit--an option my vet suggested when the hind end issue first showed up years ago. For now, I'll just monitor him to make sure he's comfortable, ride lightly when I can, and try not to worry.
Winter is not exactly the best time to do anything with horses, at least not a winter like this one.
We have a major snowstorm on the way for tomorrow and perhaps another one for the end of the week. Some people cheer the snow, I jeer it. I'm the one who has to plow and shovel. Bless the tractor, but either way, it's still a lot of work and always a bit of a mess.
Once things start to melt--which isn't going to happen for perhaps four or more days this time--snow creates the worst mud of all. It just turns into a sloppy mess, no matter what. Thing were just starting to dry out around here too. *sigh*
I am once again about as prepared as I can be. I picked up 16 bales of hay today. I poo picked the riding arena and the Boys's blankets are all ready to put on later tonight. Tomorrow morning I'll lug a couple bales of hay into the barn itself so I won't have to cart it across the snow covered lawn.
I drove the tractor for a bit, filled the tank with diesel and made sure everything was working. The snow shovels are on the back porch in in the barn respectively.
So, I took advantage of the last nice day for a while and took Toby and Chance out on trail rides. Since Tucker's shoe is still off, he had the day to just hang out, wondering why he was left out of the equation.
Toby was bouncy and eager to go again. Since he was so enthusiastic, I took him all the way to the back of the woods to the last trail in. He kept up the happy energy the whole way. At one little hill in the woods, he decided a canter was called for to make the climb. I haven't cantered him in ages. It was only perhaps ten strides, but it felt wonderful. I had forgotten what super gaits he has. He came right back down to walk when I asked since the trail has downed trees and some narrow paths to navigate in that area. What a good boy he is. Proof of how all that dressage training pays off "in the field" as they say.
I took Chance on a longer ride around the field and up to the tree farm. He was not very forward. I am wondering if his feet may be sore. His trot is OK, but still not as even as I'd like it. The footing had some slippery spots, I know, but I don't think that's the problem. When my vet comes for Spring vaccinations and such, I am going to ask for a Lymes test for him. Otherwise, until we have some regular, good footing to work in, it's not worth fussing too much. He certainly doesn't look miserable around the paddocks, so I'll just keep an eye on him. I certainly can't ride with any consistency, so getting him fit--an option my vet suggested when the hind end issue first showed up years ago. For now, I'll just monitor him to make sure he's comfortable, ride lightly when I can, and try not to worry.
Winter is not exactly the best time to do anything with horses, at least not a winter like this one.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Shoe Gone
And Found Again
I decided to ride a little this afternoon. It was chilly, but not miserable and the sun was out. I dressed for the cold with long underwear and my vest under my bright orange jacket and headed out to the barn.
Tucker was first to be captured and seems quite interested in doing something. I was going to take a risk and ride him out on the trail after lunging him to get rid of a little energy. Then I looked down and, sure enough, he was missing a shoe. This was doubly bad because it was a snow pad and a shoe with borium on it....expensive.
Off I went on a lost shoe hunt, doing a search grid through the front paddocks. No luck. I headed out to the pasture and walked a search grid out there, up and down the hills. Still no luck. Then, I headed into the riding arena. There, by the gate, not far from where I had started the search of the paddocks, I found the lost shoe! Amazing.
I can't complain too much. Hiking up and down the pasture filled in part of my exercise program for the day. I figure I'd walked for nearly 40 minutes on the shoe quest all told, so that took the place of a walk around the tree farm.
When Toby walked away from the halter, instead of playing his game, I simply caught Chance and brought him in instead. By then it was already 3 PM and I didn't have lots of time to spare before it started to get dark. I saddled him up and out we went.
To keep Toby and Tucker from bothering us as we navigated the gate, I used two piles of lovely hay by the barn. They were quite enamored of the extra food and completely ignored Chance and me as we headed out into the woods. Since the fencing around the riding arena is once again in disrepair, distracting the two older Boys was a lot safer than trying to mount up and ride out with them pestering us since there was no way to keep them out of the arena and away from the gate to the trails.
Chance and I had a nice ride. We trotted a bit on the drier section of the road along the field, but had to walk most of the rest of the way. The sun had thawed the top of the dirt in several places, and thawed even deeper in other places making the footing slippery. Sticking to the cut cornfield helped a lot, but I still didn't think it was safe enough to do much more than walk out there.
We rode along the power lines, looped back along the edge of the field behind the farm we preserved and then headed into the woods to take that trail home. The footing was pretty good in the woods, but the darn fallen trees make it hard to get going there too. While Chance trotted up a couple short hills, we kept the walk again.
We were out for around 40 minutes and had a good time. He did spook once when a wind devil blew up a hefty spiral of dried leaves in the cornfield. That was a bit scary as he tried to bolt, but he's pretty easy to control and settled down once he realized it was just the wind and nothing more.
By the time we got back, it was the equine dinner hour, so I fed.
Leaving all three Boys happily munching their food, I dragged one of the orange sheets into the house to repair it. Somehow, Tucker had broken one of the front straps on his sheet and he needed a change. I have several other sheets in various stages of disrepair--like the fence--so I figured I could fix one up and put it on him later.
Of course, the one I started working on needed a long tear stitched up and then, only after doing all that work did I discover it was the one with the missing surcingle. I finally managed to cut a surcingle off one of the hopelessly ripped sheets and sewed it on the repaired one. It wasn't the best job I've ever done but we'll see if it holds up. Meantime, I may simply stitch up the front of the sheet Tucker's wearing instead of trying to fix the strap. Or, I may figure out some other way of fastening the sheet in front. Tuck puts a lot of pressure on those front straps as it is. Maybe some sort of elastic closure might make a difference.
Somehow the day slipped by, but at least I got something done. Maybe that's all I really needed on a Sunday afternoon.
I decided to ride a little this afternoon. It was chilly, but not miserable and the sun was out. I dressed for the cold with long underwear and my vest under my bright orange jacket and headed out to the barn.
Tucker was first to be captured and seems quite interested in doing something. I was going to take a risk and ride him out on the trail after lunging him to get rid of a little energy. Then I looked down and, sure enough, he was missing a shoe. This was doubly bad because it was a snow pad and a shoe with borium on it....expensive.
Off I went on a lost shoe hunt, doing a search grid through the front paddocks. No luck. I headed out to the pasture and walked a search grid out there, up and down the hills. Still no luck. Then, I headed into the riding arena. There, by the gate, not far from where I had started the search of the paddocks, I found the lost shoe! Amazing.
I can't complain too much. Hiking up and down the pasture filled in part of my exercise program for the day. I figure I'd walked for nearly 40 minutes on the shoe quest all told, so that took the place of a walk around the tree farm.
When Toby walked away from the halter, instead of playing his game, I simply caught Chance and brought him in instead. By then it was already 3 PM and I didn't have lots of time to spare before it started to get dark. I saddled him up and out we went.
To keep Toby and Tucker from bothering us as we navigated the gate, I used two piles of lovely hay by the barn. They were quite enamored of the extra food and completely ignored Chance and me as we headed out into the woods. Since the fencing around the riding arena is once again in disrepair, distracting the two older Boys was a lot safer than trying to mount up and ride out with them pestering us since there was no way to keep them out of the arena and away from the gate to the trails.
Chance and I had a nice ride. We trotted a bit on the drier section of the road along the field, but had to walk most of the rest of the way. The sun had thawed the top of the dirt in several places, and thawed even deeper in other places making the footing slippery. Sticking to the cut cornfield helped a lot, but I still didn't think it was safe enough to do much more than walk out there.
We rode along the power lines, looped back along the edge of the field behind the farm we preserved and then headed into the woods to take that trail home. The footing was pretty good in the woods, but the darn fallen trees make it hard to get going there too. While Chance trotted up a couple short hills, we kept the walk again.
We were out for around 40 minutes and had a good time. He did spook once when a wind devil blew up a hefty spiral of dried leaves in the cornfield. That was a bit scary as he tried to bolt, but he's pretty easy to control and settled down once he realized it was just the wind and nothing more.
By the time we got back, it was the equine dinner hour, so I fed.
Leaving all three Boys happily munching their food, I dragged one of the orange sheets into the house to repair it. Somehow, Tucker had broken one of the front straps on his sheet and he needed a change. I have several other sheets in various stages of disrepair--like the fence--so I figured I could fix one up and put it on him later.
Of course, the one I started working on needed a long tear stitched up and then, only after doing all that work did I discover it was the one with the missing surcingle. I finally managed to cut a surcingle off one of the hopelessly ripped sheets and sewed it on the repaired one. It wasn't the best job I've ever done but we'll see if it holds up. Meantime, I may simply stitch up the front of the sheet Tucker's wearing instead of trying to fix the strap. Or, I may figure out some other way of fastening the sheet in front. Tuck puts a lot of pressure on those front straps as it is. Maybe some sort of elastic closure might make a difference.
Somehow the day slipped by, but at least I got something done. Maybe that's all I really needed on a Sunday afternoon.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Toby, Chance, and Tucker on a Really Nice Day
And Again We Ride
We were blessed with another gorgeous winter day with temperatures up around 50F and even some sunshine.
I went out in the early afternoon to do some work, or fun with the Boys. This time, although on first approach Toby turned away from me, he soon still as I put his halter on and led him into the barn. I'm beginning to think his initial running away is part of a master plan on his part to get some extra attention before getting down to riding. Either that, or he simply as a perverse sense of humor and enjoys watching me try not to lose my temper as I chase him down.
Once caught, the old boy was quite content as I brushed the mud off him. Fortunately he'd been wearing a sheet, so the bulk of his body did not match his head, neck, legs, and belly. I wouldn't exactly say he was clean when I finished grooming him, but at least he looked like a horse that had been tended to. We headed out into the woods on our ride, and once again Toby was enthusiastic and ready to go. He seemed to have such a good time in the woods I decided to extend the ride by going down the dirt road that crosses the cornfield and ended up at the farm up the road. Partway along, his energy seemed to back off a little so I shortcut my way across the field to take the short way home. Back at the barn, I gave him the obligatory carrot reward and and quick grooming before turning him back out to enjoy the sunshine without his sheet. I was more than warm enough.
I rode Chance next. I was happy when we trotted a little along the dirt road by the woods because he felt 100% sound. That encouraged me to take a bit longer ride up to the tree farm, along the pumpkin patch, back across the cornfield and finally through the woods. The footing on some of the dirt trails was slippery since the ground is still thawing from being frozen so deeply. We trotted along the gravel road at the tree farm, but had to walk most of the rest of the way. The footing in the cornfield wasn't too bad, but it's to risky to move out there unless you know for 100% that there are no groundhog holes in the row you've chosen. The woods trails had decent footing, but there are even more trees down and fallen branches across the trails making it more like a maze to navigate than straightforward passage. It's great for working on steering, however, and convincing Chance not to walk into a tree while he's playing tourist with his eyes and head really does require some riding skills. Carrot to the mouth back and the barn and turnout without his sheet.
I thought long and hard about riding Tucker and finally decided on the safer option of taking him for a handwalk through the woods trail he's not been on for a long time. He was actually quite polite about it all, not barging ahead or trying to through the narrow sections and keeping a reasonable speed when he could walk alongside me. The fact that I allowed him to stuff his face with grass whenever some nice tufts appeared underfoot may have distracted him enough to keep him calm and cool, but I'll never know. I was just pleased he was a good boy.
Another carrot reward finished the day and Tucker was out in the sun without his sheet. Bless both him and Chance for not rolling in the mud because at late feed I had to put their sheets back on because rain was on the way. (It's raining now and while not too cold, it's certainly miserable out there.) Toby, of course, rolled and needed another good brushing before I was able to dress him.
He surely does know how to get a little extra attention when he wants it.
We were blessed with another gorgeous winter day with temperatures up around 50F and even some sunshine.
I went out in the early afternoon to do some work, or fun with the Boys. This time, although on first approach Toby turned away from me, he soon still as I put his halter on and led him into the barn. I'm beginning to think his initial running away is part of a master plan on his part to get some extra attention before getting down to riding. Either that, or he simply as a perverse sense of humor and enjoys watching me try not to lose my temper as I chase him down.
Once caught, the old boy was quite content as I brushed the mud off him. Fortunately he'd been wearing a sheet, so the bulk of his body did not match his head, neck, legs, and belly. I wouldn't exactly say he was clean when I finished grooming him, but at least he looked like a horse that had been tended to. We headed out into the woods on our ride, and once again Toby was enthusiastic and ready to go. He seemed to have such a good time in the woods I decided to extend the ride by going down the dirt road that crosses the cornfield and ended up at the farm up the road. Partway along, his energy seemed to back off a little so I shortcut my way across the field to take the short way home. Back at the barn, I gave him the obligatory carrot reward and and quick grooming before turning him back out to enjoy the sunshine without his sheet. I was more than warm enough.
I rode Chance next. I was happy when we trotted a little along the dirt road by the woods because he felt 100% sound. That encouraged me to take a bit longer ride up to the tree farm, along the pumpkin patch, back across the cornfield and finally through the woods. The footing on some of the dirt trails was slippery since the ground is still thawing from being frozen so deeply. We trotted along the gravel road at the tree farm, but had to walk most of the rest of the way. The footing in the cornfield wasn't too bad, but it's to risky to move out there unless you know for 100% that there are no groundhog holes in the row you've chosen. The woods trails had decent footing, but there are even more trees down and fallen branches across the trails making it more like a maze to navigate than straightforward passage. It's great for working on steering, however, and convincing Chance not to walk into a tree while he's playing tourist with his eyes and head really does require some riding skills. Carrot to the mouth back and the barn and turnout without his sheet.
I thought long and hard about riding Tucker and finally decided on the safer option of taking him for a handwalk through the woods trail he's not been on for a long time. He was actually quite polite about it all, not barging ahead or trying to through the narrow sections and keeping a reasonable speed when he could walk alongside me. The fact that I allowed him to stuff his face with grass whenever some nice tufts appeared underfoot may have distracted him enough to keep him calm and cool, but I'll never know. I was just pleased he was a good boy.
Another carrot reward finished the day and Tucker was out in the sun without his sheet. Bless both him and Chance for not rolling in the mud because at late feed I had to put their sheets back on because rain was on the way. (It's raining now and while not too cold, it's certainly miserable out there.) Toby, of course, rolled and needed another good brushing before I was able to dress him.
He surely does know how to get a little extra attention when he wants it.
Monday, January 13, 2014
We Ride the Barrens
The Arab Tag Team Out Again
If you've ever seen a professional wrestling match where two or more guys form a team to compete against another team, then you'll get the picture of our ride yesterday. In a tag team match, the various team members take turns in the ring wrestling an opponent. Sometimes, they cheat and it becomes a free for all. The three Arabians on a trail ride are a bit like that, without the total mayhem of a free for all, however.
You never quite know who's going to be "in the ring"--which on trail ride terms means up front, leading the herd. This time, for whatever reason, JJ, my boy, decided he'd like a few turns in the lead--when he wasn't trying to snatch every errant tree branch, weed, or blade of grass along the trail side.
Now, the cool thing about this was that he is wonderfully controllable about it all. While he was certainly trotting out, I could rate him to nearly any speed. In short, I had a blast., since, as a "control freak" when I ride--according to one of my instructors--such behavior on the part of my mount is perfect. At any rate, each horse, Juan with Larry aboard, Nordisk with Chris in the saddle, and JJ with me, had a time leading, and once in a while we were actually side by side.
All this was afforded by the lovely, sandy trails of the Wharton State Park, in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey.
For those of you unfamiliar with our State's unique geography, we have some of the most diverse lands in the US. We have wide sandy ocean beaches, rocky, rugged mountains, and in between, acres of farmlands, and the Pine Barrens. The State Park consists of some 115,000 preserved acres of sandy, mostly flatlands, crisscrossed by various streams and filled with pine trees. I've never actually ridden down there before, but I've walked through and visited some of the historic villages in the immediate area including Batso--an old iron forge.
The footing is really wonderful for riding the the sand roads are wide and inviting. The terrain is flat, so it's not too challenging, and in our case, it offered plenty of opportunity for some nice long trotting stretches. The horses' enthusiasm was probably fueled by the fact that around home here, we've had so much freezing, thawing, snowing, and raining, that we've developed mud almost everywhere. While our trails will dry out quickly if we don't have rain for a few days, it's just not the same as the solid sand at Wharton.
We rode for just under two hours. I had to go to church in the morning so we got a later start and, of course, since it's still winter, it does get dark fairly early. The weather was chilly, in the 40'sF, I guess, but the pine trees effectively block the winds and with all the trotting, I was nice and comfortable.
Nordisk, on his first outing to the Park, was a golden boy again. He was a bit "looky," but didn't seem at all spooky and he was the instigator of a number of trotting sessions. Juan was his usual "let's go" fellow and JJ was positively enthusiastic, in a nice way.
It was super Sunday out on three good horses.
What more could anyone want?
If you've ever seen a professional wrestling match where two or more guys form a team to compete against another team, then you'll get the picture of our ride yesterday. In a tag team match, the various team members take turns in the ring wrestling an opponent. Sometimes, they cheat and it becomes a free for all. The three Arabians on a trail ride are a bit like that, without the total mayhem of a free for all, however.
You never quite know who's going to be "in the ring"--which on trail ride terms means up front, leading the herd. This time, for whatever reason, JJ, my boy, decided he'd like a few turns in the lead--when he wasn't trying to snatch every errant tree branch, weed, or blade of grass along the trail side.
Now, the cool thing about this was that he is wonderfully controllable about it all. While he was certainly trotting out, I could rate him to nearly any speed. In short, I had a blast., since, as a "control freak" when I ride--according to one of my instructors--such behavior on the part of my mount is perfect. At any rate, each horse, Juan with Larry aboard, Nordisk with Chris in the saddle, and JJ with me, had a time leading, and once in a while we were actually side by side.
All this was afforded by the lovely, sandy trails of the Wharton State Park, in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey.
For those of you unfamiliar with our State's unique geography, we have some of the most diverse lands in the US. We have wide sandy ocean beaches, rocky, rugged mountains, and in between, acres of farmlands, and the Pine Barrens. The State Park consists of some 115,000 preserved acres of sandy, mostly flatlands, crisscrossed by various streams and filled with pine trees. I've never actually ridden down there before, but I've walked through and visited some of the historic villages in the immediate area including Batso--an old iron forge.
The footing is really wonderful for riding the the sand roads are wide and inviting. The terrain is flat, so it's not too challenging, and in our case, it offered plenty of opportunity for some nice long trotting stretches. The horses' enthusiasm was probably fueled by the fact that around home here, we've had so much freezing, thawing, snowing, and raining, that we've developed mud almost everywhere. While our trails will dry out quickly if we don't have rain for a few days, it's just not the same as the solid sand at Wharton.
We rode for just under two hours. I had to go to church in the morning so we got a later start and, of course, since it's still winter, it does get dark fairly early. The weather was chilly, in the 40'sF, I guess, but the pine trees effectively block the winds and with all the trotting, I was nice and comfortable.
Nordisk, on his first outing to the Park, was a golden boy again. He was a bit "looky," but didn't seem at all spooky and he was the instigator of a number of trotting sessions. Juan was his usual "let's go" fellow and JJ was positively enthusiastic, in a nice way.
It was super Sunday out on three good horses.
What more could anyone want?
Monday, January 06, 2014
The Cold Comes, Goes, And.....
Comes Again
We are about as prepared as possible here for the Arctic blast.
Today the temperature brushed 50 F.(10C) Tonight it's supposed to drop to 8 F(-13C) or less.
The Boys are all wearing their winter blankets. I'm not too pleased with the brand new ones I put on Toby and Tucker because they are a little short on the sides. They reach belly level but no farther. I think they will be OK, but I need to invest in some more generous ones. Trouble is, I hate to spend a fortune on blankets as my Boys have proven rather destructive--even with supposedly rip stop fabrics. I may add a sheet over the blankets later tonight when I go out for late feed. Chance is fine as his blanket fits really well. It's just a matter of finding the right brand for each horse.
I am not locking the Boys in the barn. The research I've done on weather related colic suggests that often a change in routine, especially closing the horses up in the barn when they are used to turnout can be a problem. As well, the more they can move around the better.
I'm making sure they have plenty of hay. The water trough is heated and full, and I am feeding wet feeds. It's the same food they always get, just soaked in warm water.
The forecast calls for one very frigid day tomorrow, some moderation on Wednesday, and then rising temperatures for the rest of the week. By then it will be back up into the 40's F.
I know most of the US is suffering from the same cold that's going to hit here. I hope each and every one of you has a warm place to stay. I've made a pot of chicken soup to warm my insides and I have a full complement of warm coats, hats, boots, gloves, etc. to snuggle up in when I need to go outside.
Oh yes, by the way, the snow I had to plow the other day is virtually all melted. That's just how warm it got last night. When I woke up this morning, aside from the piles I'd pushed aside with the tractor, the ground was bare. Amazing.
The best part is that my solar panels are clear again too. Now all we need is some sunshine and I'll be producing power once more.
Stay warm!
We are about as prepared as possible here for the Arctic blast.
Today the temperature brushed 50 F.(10C) Tonight it's supposed to drop to 8 F(-13C) or less.
The Boys are all wearing their winter blankets. I'm not too pleased with the brand new ones I put on Toby and Tucker because they are a little short on the sides. They reach belly level but no farther. I think they will be OK, but I need to invest in some more generous ones. Trouble is, I hate to spend a fortune on blankets as my Boys have proven rather destructive--even with supposedly rip stop fabrics. I may add a sheet over the blankets later tonight when I go out for late feed. Chance is fine as his blanket fits really well. It's just a matter of finding the right brand for each horse.
I am not locking the Boys in the barn. The research I've done on weather related colic suggests that often a change in routine, especially closing the horses up in the barn when they are used to turnout can be a problem. As well, the more they can move around the better.
I'm making sure they have plenty of hay. The water trough is heated and full, and I am feeding wet feeds. It's the same food they always get, just soaked in warm water.
The forecast calls for one very frigid day tomorrow, some moderation on Wednesday, and then rising temperatures for the rest of the week. By then it will be back up into the 40's F.
I know most of the US is suffering from the same cold that's going to hit here. I hope each and every one of you has a warm place to stay. I've made a pot of chicken soup to warm my insides and I have a full complement of warm coats, hats, boots, gloves, etc. to snuggle up in when I need to go outside.
Oh yes, by the way, the snow I had to plow the other day is virtually all melted. That's just how warm it got last night. When I woke up this morning, aside from the piles I'd pushed aside with the tractor, the ground was bare. Amazing.
The best part is that my solar panels are clear again too. Now all we need is some sunshine and I'll be producing power once more.
Stay warm!
Friday, January 03, 2014
The Hose is in the Bathtub
The Cold Comes In
I did not take any pictures of the snow today. I was outside long enough without adding to my body chill.
We had somewhere between 8-10 inches, depending on where I measured it. It's hard to tell with the drifting, but on top of the garbage can shed it was about 9 inches deep.
When I went out last night near midnight, I shoveled my way to the barn and by 8 AM, the path was filled with another 4-5 inches of snow. But, the path was still visible, so the snow was not overwhelmingly heavy.
The Boys seemed to think standing outside in the storm was preferable to sheltering in the barn. They had several inches of snow on their blankets and heads when I went out for late feed. I can't quite figure out the rationale for staying outside in the miserable weather, but I guess they have some sort of horse logic at work. They were quite happy to come in for grain and hay, though. Tonight, I am going to soak their feed in warm water just to give them some extra fluids and warm tummies.
Which brings me to the hose. I have one of those coil hoses that I use when the regular hose to the water trough freezes. With below freezing temperatures all day and even colder temps at night, I really need it. Usually, I store it on the back porch where it's generally warm enough to keep the hose from freezing up. I drain it after use, but it's hard to get all the water out. Tonight, though, with REALLY cold weather, I decided to bring the hose into the house. Where better to keep it than in the bathtub? It fits nicely and adds a touch of colorful--green--decor to the room. As long as the frost free water spigot in the barn doesn't freeze up where it leaks a little, we'll be fine. I do have a hair dryer to use in case of spigot emergency, however.
Water, is, of course, super important to the horses this time of year. I have a water heater in the trough, so the Boys have de-iced water to drink. So far, they seem to be drinking a good amount during the day, so that's a big plus. My vet posted a note on Facebook today suggesting both a wet feed and the addition of some electrolytes. I think I have some in the barn, but if not, just the wet feed will do.
This winter's weather is certainly erratic, and it's a bit worrisome. Times like this I really appreciate having the horses in the backyard where I can monitor them and switch blankets/sheets as need be. It's supposed to be cold again tomorrow, then warm up for Sunday, stay that way for a few days and then hit us again with another cold spell around Wednesday.
Guess I'll be busy.
I did not take any pictures of the snow today. I was outside long enough without adding to my body chill.
We had somewhere between 8-10 inches, depending on where I measured it. It's hard to tell with the drifting, but on top of the garbage can shed it was about 9 inches deep.
When I went out last night near midnight, I shoveled my way to the barn and by 8 AM, the path was filled with another 4-5 inches of snow. But, the path was still visible, so the snow was not overwhelmingly heavy.
The Boys seemed to think standing outside in the storm was preferable to sheltering in the barn. They had several inches of snow on their blankets and heads when I went out for late feed. I can't quite figure out the rationale for staying outside in the miserable weather, but I guess they have some sort of horse logic at work. They were quite happy to come in for grain and hay, though. Tonight, I am going to soak their feed in warm water just to give them some extra fluids and warm tummies.
Which brings me to the hose. I have one of those coil hoses that I use when the regular hose to the water trough freezes. With below freezing temperatures all day and even colder temps at night, I really need it. Usually, I store it on the back porch where it's generally warm enough to keep the hose from freezing up. I drain it after use, but it's hard to get all the water out. Tonight, though, with REALLY cold weather, I decided to bring the hose into the house. Where better to keep it than in the bathtub? It fits nicely and adds a touch of colorful--green--decor to the room. As long as the frost free water spigot in the barn doesn't freeze up where it leaks a little, we'll be fine. I do have a hair dryer to use in case of spigot emergency, however.
Water, is, of course, super important to the horses this time of year. I have a water heater in the trough, so the Boys have de-iced water to drink. So far, they seem to be drinking a good amount during the day, so that's a big plus. My vet posted a note on Facebook today suggesting both a wet feed and the addition of some electrolytes. I think I have some in the barn, but if not, just the wet feed will do.
This winter's weather is certainly erratic, and it's a bit worrisome. Times like this I really appreciate having the horses in the backyard where I can monitor them and switch blankets/sheets as need be. It's supposed to be cold again tomorrow, then warm up for Sunday, stay that way for a few days and then hit us again with another cold spell around Wednesday.
Guess I'll be busy.
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Three on a Ride and a Big Surprise
Inspiration and a Warm Day
The temperature headed up to somewhere around 50 F today. It was really quite lovely out. After a trip to the feed store to take advantage of $2 off on each bag of feed, I decided to ride my own Boys.
I took Tucker out first. I was going to ride a little in the arena first, but he made it quite clear he wanted to go out for a trail ride. Despite the fact that I haven't ridden him in a couple weeks, I decided it was worth a try, so out we went.
Interestingly enough, he turned to the right to take the "Tucker Trail" in the same direction as I'd handwalked him the other day. Fine, I thought, and fine it was. We had a nice quiet ride through the first part of the woods. There is a lot of winding around we have to do now due to all the hurricane dropped trees on the first part of the ride. Then the woods road is clear for a bit. There, Tucker took it upon himself to trot. I let him, taking a chance that he'd not get out of control. I slowed him back to a walk just before we got out to the cornfield and for one brief moment, my heart leapt into my throat. He pulled one of those TB squealing head tosses and threatened to do something naughty. I corrected him quickly and tried to settle him back down. It took a little effort, but then, he managed to control himself and go back into a fairly settled walk. Then we hit a patch of good grazing grass and I let him have a nibble. That did the trick and the rest of the ride home was just fine. Phew!
After I fed Tucker his obligatory carrot, I saddled Chance up. On the way out along the field, I trotted him just a little to see how he felt. I won't say he was 100% perfectly sound, but he felt pretty good. So I took him on the slightly longer trail, just keeping him at the walk. If I could count on the weather and footing being good for a while, I'd gradually start trying to leg him up to see if getting more fit helps, but this winter has so far been incredibly erratic weatherwise. I'll just have to do the best I can by him and see how he progresses on his own, riding whenever I can safely do it.
Toby was showing a lot of interest in the activities, so I told him if he'd like, I'd take him out on a very short trail ride to. To my surprise, for the first time in months, when I approached him with the halter, he stood waiting for me and then rather eagerly followed me in to the barn.
Now it has been months, perhaps nearly a year since I've ridden him. He had made it clear time and time again that he had no interest in any kind of work And, considering that he is nearly 24 and worked hard for me all his life, I indulged him.
Imagine my surprise when he could hardly contain his enthusiasm once I was in the saddle. He made a beeline for the gate to the woods, and it was all I could do to get him to stand still while I fastened the chain behind us once we were out. Then he marched out along the trail in a lovely, forward, eager walk. It was clear he was having a wonderful time. He completely ignored Tucker's whinnies and just kept going. He was having so much fun I took him on the Tucker trail instead of the little short loop I'd planned. At most, we were out for all of 15-20 minutes but Toby enjoyed every second.
Honestly, of the three horses, he felt the soundest, and was clearly the best ride of the day! I was in happy tears by the time we reached the gate again. He was just a delight and an absolute surprise in his attitude. I was thrilled and apologized for not trying to take him out before. Apparently, it was something he really wanted to do.
So, since Toby is "the Man" I will make a point of riding him out on the trail whenever I can, and whenever he wants to go out. It will take a long time to build up his fitness--if ever--but we'll take it along slowly letting him decide how much he wants to do. After all, he only deserves the best!!
I am happy as can be with all three Boys tonight. Tucker is still a bit tricky and can be scary out there, but a trail riding we will go. Besides, sometimes in the winter, it's the only way to ride.
The temperature headed up to somewhere around 50 F today. It was really quite lovely out. After a trip to the feed store to take advantage of $2 off on each bag of feed, I decided to ride my own Boys.
I took Tucker out first. I was going to ride a little in the arena first, but he made it quite clear he wanted to go out for a trail ride. Despite the fact that I haven't ridden him in a couple weeks, I decided it was worth a try, so out we went.
Interestingly enough, he turned to the right to take the "Tucker Trail" in the same direction as I'd handwalked him the other day. Fine, I thought, and fine it was. We had a nice quiet ride through the first part of the woods. There is a lot of winding around we have to do now due to all the hurricane dropped trees on the first part of the ride. Then the woods road is clear for a bit. There, Tucker took it upon himself to trot. I let him, taking a chance that he'd not get out of control. I slowed him back to a walk just before we got out to the cornfield and for one brief moment, my heart leapt into my throat. He pulled one of those TB squealing head tosses and threatened to do something naughty. I corrected him quickly and tried to settle him back down. It took a little effort, but then, he managed to control himself and go back into a fairly settled walk. Then we hit a patch of good grazing grass and I let him have a nibble. That did the trick and the rest of the ride home was just fine. Phew!
After I fed Tucker his obligatory carrot, I saddled Chance up. On the way out along the field, I trotted him just a little to see how he felt. I won't say he was 100% perfectly sound, but he felt pretty good. So I took him on the slightly longer trail, just keeping him at the walk. If I could count on the weather and footing being good for a while, I'd gradually start trying to leg him up to see if getting more fit helps, but this winter has so far been incredibly erratic weatherwise. I'll just have to do the best I can by him and see how he progresses on his own, riding whenever I can safely do it.
Toby was showing a lot of interest in the activities, so I told him if he'd like, I'd take him out on a very short trail ride to. To my surprise, for the first time in months, when I approached him with the halter, he stood waiting for me and then rather eagerly followed me in to the barn.
Now it has been months, perhaps nearly a year since I've ridden him. He had made it clear time and time again that he had no interest in any kind of work And, considering that he is nearly 24 and worked hard for me all his life, I indulged him.
Imagine my surprise when he could hardly contain his enthusiasm once I was in the saddle. He made a beeline for the gate to the woods, and it was all I could do to get him to stand still while I fastened the chain behind us once we were out. Then he marched out along the trail in a lovely, forward, eager walk. It was clear he was having a wonderful time. He completely ignored Tucker's whinnies and just kept going. He was having so much fun I took him on the Tucker trail instead of the little short loop I'd planned. At most, we were out for all of 15-20 minutes but Toby enjoyed every second.
Honestly, of the three horses, he felt the soundest, and was clearly the best ride of the day! I was in happy tears by the time we reached the gate again. He was just a delight and an absolute surprise in his attitude. I was thrilled and apologized for not trying to take him out before. Apparently, it was something he really wanted to do.
So, since Toby is "the Man" I will make a point of riding him out on the trail whenever I can, and whenever he wants to go out. It will take a long time to build up his fitness--if ever--but we'll take it along slowly letting him decide how much he wants to do. After all, he only deserves the best!!
I am happy as can be with all three Boys tonight. Tucker is still a bit tricky and can be scary out there, but a trail riding we will go. Besides, sometimes in the winter, it's the only way to ride.
Out Again, Home Again
Jiggity Jig
Chris and I rode out again today. The temperature was near 40F, so it was a lot warmer and the sun did peek out now and again.
JJ was his usual quiet self, but several times, he picked up his walking pace all on his own and kept up with Nordisk. That's always nice as then Chris and I can talk without shouting to each other. *L*
One of the spots where JJ moved out was when we headed for the back of my pasture. Apparently, he likes to see my Boys.
My little herd obliged nicely. First Chance appeared from the barn paddocks, and then Toby and Tucker came racing out. It's the most animated I've seen them in days. Of course, the ground was not frozen solid as it's been in days either, so they had some fairly good footing to romp in.
Nordisk started a bit when the galloping hoofs thundered across the pasture, but JJ just kind of stood there and watched with interest. The Boys did not react too much to my voice, but we'd ridden past on another ride, so they were not too impressed that I was on "another horse." They hung out at the fence for a while.
The trees and brush are grown up all along my fence line, so there aren't many places we could approach. And I was a bit hesitant to let everyone sniff noses anyhow. My Boys have not had fall vaccinations for flu since I haven't been taking them anywhere, so I figure horse to horse exposure is not too ideal at this time.
For some reason, known only to the horse brain, the Boys turned tail and galloped off again, this time back into the riding arena and out of sight. Both Nordisk and JJ were a bit disappointed that the show was over. Chris and I expected the herd to some back, but the didn't. I guess they decided the "show" of the visitors was over too. Instead, they hung out in the riding arena doing who knows what. But, then again, with the thaw, I suspect the footing in the sparse pasture grass was a bit slippery. On the other hand, even on the wettest of days, the riding arena has pretty good footing and if they want to frolic, that's the place to do it. Perhaps they were partying up there instead.
Nordisk, possibly inspired by my Boy's display, decided he wanted to do something besides walk quietly home at that point. Chris thinks he was getting bored, which may well be. But he kept trying to jig. Now, mind you, JJ was in his usual tranquilized state of mind, although he did start walking out again, even, (heaven foirbid) taking the lead on the way home. All the while Chris kept gently checking Nordisk to keep him in a rather animated walk.
On the last leg back, we saw another rider well ahead of us. Nordie's head went up and he animated even more. He had that "I want to gallop after that horse" expression on his face, but once again both he and Chris kept it together. She did a great job of keeping him under control, but you could see he wanted to "Do Something!"
Meanwhile, JJ kept at his forward, but calm pace all the rest of the way.
I don't know what the magic formula is when I ride JJ, but once again, he was a delightfully unexciting ride. As I noted in comments below, we do wonder if the Ansur has anything to do with it.
Whatever it is, as long as it keeps up when I ride him, I'll be happy. There's nothing nicer than a good stead trail horse. At my age, it's the only way to ride. *G*
Chris and I rode out again today. The temperature was near 40F, so it was a lot warmer and the sun did peek out now and again.
JJ was his usual quiet self, but several times, he picked up his walking pace all on his own and kept up with Nordisk. That's always nice as then Chris and I can talk without shouting to each other. *L*
One of the spots where JJ moved out was when we headed for the back of my pasture. Apparently, he likes to see my Boys.
My little herd obliged nicely. First Chance appeared from the barn paddocks, and then Toby and Tucker came racing out. It's the most animated I've seen them in days. Of course, the ground was not frozen solid as it's been in days either, so they had some fairly good footing to romp in.
Nordisk started a bit when the galloping hoofs thundered across the pasture, but JJ just kind of stood there and watched with interest. The Boys did not react too much to my voice, but we'd ridden past on another ride, so they were not too impressed that I was on "another horse." They hung out at the fence for a while.
The trees and brush are grown up all along my fence line, so there aren't many places we could approach. And I was a bit hesitant to let everyone sniff noses anyhow. My Boys have not had fall vaccinations for flu since I haven't been taking them anywhere, so I figure horse to horse exposure is not too ideal at this time.
For some reason, known only to the horse brain, the Boys turned tail and galloped off again, this time back into the riding arena and out of sight. Both Nordisk and JJ were a bit disappointed that the show was over. Chris and I expected the herd to some back, but the didn't. I guess they decided the "show" of the visitors was over too. Instead, they hung out in the riding arena doing who knows what. But, then again, with the thaw, I suspect the footing in the sparse pasture grass was a bit slippery. On the other hand, even on the wettest of days, the riding arena has pretty good footing and if they want to frolic, that's the place to do it. Perhaps they were partying up there instead.
Nordisk, possibly inspired by my Boy's display, decided he wanted to do something besides walk quietly home at that point. Chris thinks he was getting bored, which may well be. But he kept trying to jig. Now, mind you, JJ was in his usual tranquilized state of mind, although he did start walking out again, even, (heaven foirbid) taking the lead on the way home. All the while Chris kept gently checking Nordisk to keep him in a rather animated walk.
On the last leg back, we saw another rider well ahead of us. Nordie's head went up and he animated even more. He had that "I want to gallop after that horse" expression on his face, but once again both he and Chris kept it together. She did a great job of keeping him under control, but you could see he wanted to "Do Something!"
Meanwhile, JJ kept at his forward, but calm pace all the rest of the way.
I don't know what the magic formula is when I ride JJ, but once again, he was a delightfully unexciting ride. As I noted in comments below, we do wonder if the Ansur has anything to do with it.
Whatever it is, as long as it keeps up when I ride him, I'll be happy. There's nothing nicer than a good stead trail horse. At my age, it's the only way to ride. *G*
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