Ah, Well

Chance Plan Aborted

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The vet is on her way.

More later.

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

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

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

Tucker Gets a Turn

Cooling Off a Bit

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Snoozing

Where's Chance?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ponderings

Thoughts for a Hot July

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Need I Say It?

Hot!

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

I rolled over and went back to sleep.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Muscle Sore?

Push Through

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The heat is on!

Tired Out

But Still An Almost Nice Day

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It was another good day at Follywoods.

Breaking the Rule

I Ride Again

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

At Last, I Rode

Tucker Under Saddle

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And the Heat is On!

At Least For a Day or Two

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Busywork and Lungeing

Monday Not So Blue

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Will Dressage Get the "Bump?"

The Olympic Team is Selected, Mr. Colbert

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

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

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

Colbert on Dressage

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


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


Link to USEF Dressage Video

What a breath of fresh air!!

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

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

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

Busy Week

Punctuated by Rain

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Need to Get Fit

Saddle Time in the Near Future

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So what do you think??? *G*

Rain, Rain Went Away

But, For How Long? 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Organic Lawnmowers

The Boys Do Chores

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

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

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

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

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

And Who Are You Today?

Subbing and Such

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Back In the Swim

The Pool Is Open!

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

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

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

Love it.

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

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

The summer season is upon us all.

What Do You Do With an Avocado?

Shopping for Food

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Still Here

Not Much New To Report

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

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

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

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

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

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

How Long Will They Last?

And I Get Acupuncture

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

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

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

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

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

Knees Are Great

But What's Up With the Riding?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vet Visit

And A Ride

Yesterday the vet came for the Spring routine. That meant vaccinations, sheath cleaning (I like the vet to do it at least once a year), teeth floating and a general look over.

This was Dr. McAndrews, one of the female vets from Colts Head Vet Clinic. The only reason I note that is because she loves to float teeth and I guess it really doesn't matter how big or small the horse is. She showed me a picture from her floating a mini the other day--she was being "helped" by the Trigger's  equally mini companion, Ginger. So cute.

And then there are my horses. Chance is "only" about 15.3 or so but Tucker is about 17 h. so it's quite a contrast. But that doesn't stop Dr. McAndrews.  We needed a little extra tranquilizer for Tucker as he has a chronic "hook" way back in his mouth and apparently has an ulcer there where the tooth cut his mouth, but for all and all the Boys behaved like champs.

I was particularly proud of Chance who has been a handful in the past. I asked him if he would help us by cooperating before we started, and sure enough, he did. The last time, despite the tranquilizer, he was not exactly an angel.  

We didn't do all the vaccines this trip, so I another two weeks or so, we'll have another visit to finish up. That's when we'll draw blood for the coggins tests.  I'm not sure I'll be shipping the horses anywhere, or competing, but it's always a good idea to have the paperwork if needed.  

Today, I rode Chance. I am pleased to report that he felt much sounder his hind leg. He was just a very little uneven on the left rein and I did not have to post on the wrong diagonal to help him along. We did quite a bit of trotting in the arena, a session of canter on each lead, and then I went out to the pasture for some hill work.  Because it's been raining for so many days, I didn't want to trot downhill in case of slipping, but uphill was fine. 

My brain considered riding Tucker too, but my body said to wait until next time. 

I think my horses are fitter than I am. 

Lungeing and Jumping

After a "Day" At School

I subbed today, but ended up able to leave school about an hour early because the teacher I was in for did not have classes the last periods of the day.

The only downer about this was that the swimming pool did not open until an hour later, so I had a choice. Either I stayed there and waited for the pool, or I came home to work the Boys. Horse lovers out there will be pleased to know I opted to work the Boys.

Frankly, after all the work I did yesterday, I was rather muscle sore, so I decided to lunge instead of ride.

I really like lungeing because I can watch my horses move and evaluate their gaits and attitude. I say "attitude" because both Tucker and Chance certainly have one.

Tucker does not exert himself unless persuaded and then, he acts insulted if I snap the whip at him to get more "forward."  He also likes to drop his head really low---talk about "down and round"---in both the trot and canter. Sometimes that leads to a buck at the canter, or a playful strike at the lunge line with his front leg. He will also look for any excuse to spook.  Then, he'll gallop off for a few strides before settling back to a more steady gait. His jumping is wonderful, but he also likes to see if he can catch me off guard and run around the jump rather than go over it.  A little verbal lecture is usually all it takes to correct him, but he never really gives up testing my attention.

Chance also lacks forward on the lunge, but is much easier to persuade with a snap of the whip. (Mind you, I do not hit the horse, I make the whip "Snap" with a quick flick instead.)  Keeping him in the trot when I press him forward is the biggest challenge. He has an easy, "rocking chair" canter and it's his favorite gait.  Sometimes, it's so slow motion, he hardly makes any headway around the circle.  Again, I can chase him pretty easily, but his notion of "how to canter" does make me laugh.  He's pretty honest about the jumping, but today he did run out to the outside twice on the right rein. That's the direction he pulls out on anyhow, so it was pretty easy for him to evade.  The jump was set at around two feet, so it was a little bit of effort to get over it unless he had some impulsion.  However, "impulsion" is not in Chance's everyday work ethic vocabulary. "Relaxed" is, so his casual approach to a fence can make the jump more up and down then "over."

But, the fact is, I do like the way both Boys jump.  I know I 've said this before. Toby--whom I did not lunge today--has a huge, athletic jump with impulsion, power, and exuberance. Of the three, he is probably the most talented over a fence, but that is not always the easiest to ride.

Like Chance and Tucker, I prefer a much more "laid back" approach to a fence. But that's one of the reasons I became a dressage rider.

Boys Mow the Back

And I Mow the Front Lawn

I trimmed the front bank and around most of the trees with my electric weed whacker today.  While I was working, the farmer from two doors down dropped by to chat and I mentioned that I was waiting for my other neighbor to come over to see if he could get the belt back on my lawn mower.  My farmer offered to look at it for me.

Apparently, it's really just a matter of strength to get the belt slipped on again, because it took him just a few minutes to do it, putting me back in business with the mower.  I finished up the weed work and in short order had the lawn tractor up an running to mow the front lawn.

Now, apparently, I was sending mental messages to the Boys, because as soon as I was finished, Toby started nickering to me--something he is not prone to do.  So, I closed off the gates on the driveway and let all three Boys out on the back lawn area to graze.  They are not quite as neat about it as the lawn mower, but I must admit, they do a pretty good job with the bonus of trimming a lot of the longer grass that grows up around trees and the garage where I can't get at it with the mower anyhow. Essentially, they do my weed whacking out there for me.

While they grazed, I did another thorough barn mucking. Because of all the rain, some of the bedding in the stalls got wet--long story for another day--and the Boys had been hanging out under the run in roofs.  So everything needed extra cleaning with perhaps a dozen wheelbarrow loads or so.  Wet hay fills the barrow pretty quickly, explaining the expanded number of trips to the manure piles.

But, the work is done, and everything is pretty cleaned up for now.

Needless to say, I am exhausted. I may go out a bit later to lunge a horse or two, but I have had enough exercise for one day.

At least the sun is back out and the mud is drying up quickly.

Waiting Out the Rain

And Watching the Grass Grow

It's still wet outside, and it looks as if it's going to rain again any minute.

The Boys were even in their stalls this morning.  Guess they are tired of being wet.  I have some serious cleaning to do out there as a result. But I'll wait a little longer.

Meanwhile, I'm watching the grass grow in the front yard.  The back isn't so bad because with the fencing and gates across the driveway, I was able to put the Boys out there to graze and they did a pretty good mowing job.  But I can't let them out in the front, so the grass and dandelions just keep on growing.

I mowed just over a week ago and as I finished the belt slipped off the mower deck.  Then it started raining and I just haven't made the effort to get it back on.  I think I know the technique, but it is a bit of work. And it's still hard for me to get down low like that on my new knees. So, I've put it off.

Not that it matters. I think since then I've only had one or two spaces of time when it's been dry enough to mow.

Worse, the front bank has sprouted with a vengeance, which means I am going to have to week whack sooner than later so I can see oncoming traffic when I try to pull out of the driveway.

Ah well. Clearly, I need a yard worker, but since I can't afford one, I'm it. I'm still certainly capable of handling the work, I'm just too darn lazy to do it--especially in the wet. (Weed whacker has an electric cord...so that's not too safe in the wet either.)

So, I may need a hay baler soon.

Patches Returns!

At the Back Door

I went out to feed the Boys this morning, and who should greet me at the back door, but Patches!  I sat down on the wet back step and he stayed nearby. I had a can of cat food ready, and opened it. That brought him over, but instead of eating it he sniffed my finger.

I was able to pet his head and in an instant, he started to purr and was up beside me and into my lap. I cuddled him close and then lifted him up and brought him in the house. He never stopped purring.

For the next hour plus, he was in my lap getting brushed as I tried to get all the ticks out of his fur. He ate some food, played laser light at least twice and just kept on purring. He's on my lap now as I type this.

I need to go to the feed store to get some Frontline Plus to get rid of any fleas or ticks on him, so that's on the agenda. But I have to wait until I have my conference with my communicator and at least one of the barn kitties.

Which leads to the barn kitties in the sunroom. Once Patches was safe inside, I figured I'd let them back outside. Misty is picking on Pepppercorn off and on, so I thought they both might need to get out where they had more space. So I opened up the window and took out the screen, giving them free access to the outside world.

Oh, great. Misty sat in the fully open window for about fifteen minutes then went back to settle on the carpeted cat tree. Peppercorn made no move either, and curled himself up on the couch.

Now what? Does that mean neither one of them wants to be an outdoor cat?  If they would get along with the indoor kitty crew....well MAYBE. It really is too many cats in the house, but I've had an overstock before.  I just can't see giving them the sunroom for life, though. The other kitties love it in there too and it does cut off some of the circular romping room around the house. (With the sun room closed, running kitties cannot make a full circle around the back of the house, so it does spoil the fun.)

I will have to see what Misty says today during the consult. Maybe a compromise would be to set up the back porch with some super comfy lounging places and leave window open there. The porch already has a cat door, but if I leave that open, I have raccoon and opossums....and an occasional skunk....come in to visit.

So, the saga continues. If Patches shows he wants to go outdoors, I will honor my promise, but for now, he seems really happy to be safe inside.

Now, if it ever stops raining, perhaps I will be able to ride a horse or two and get the "horses" back into the blog.

Patches Update

I Want to be Outdoors

Patches has now told both communicators he wants to be outdoors.  I can respect that.

Last night we discussed a compromise where he could go out during the day and come in where it is safe at night. We have coyote, fox, and raccoon on the prowl here and, of course tractor trailers and fast moving cars. I don't like the idea of outside kitties at all, but in this case I want happy kitties.

That leaves the two barn kitties, Misty and Peppercorn, who are still locked in the sun room. We hope to have consult with them at the end of the week, trying to strike some sort of deal so they don't attack Patches.

I don't know if anything will work out of this. Apparently Patches was quite attentive and considered the proposal. We tried to make being indoors with a safe place to sleep, a nice brushing, good food, play with the laser pointer, and flea control as attractive as possible.

Once again, it's just wait and see.

Not Again

Patchadoodle on the Loose

Somehow Patch got out of the garage.

Back to square one.

*sigh*

Progress of a Sort

Patchadoodle Incarcerated

I have Patches locked in the car garage. He is up in the ceiling, meowing at me, but he will not come to me yet.

I had to block off the window at one end, but otherwise, I'm pretty sure the garage is secure.

Stupid me first locked him in there with the car inside. Dumb, as if I needed to go anywhere, I was stuck not daring to open the door. However, I managed to get the overhead door open, and to get the car out while keeping him inside so all is almost well--as long as I don't need the truck for anything.

I have a ladder in there and every couple hours I go out, climb up and talk to him. I have food set out for him on the floor so if he's hungry, that's good. And the floor is dirt so he's not going to make too much of a mess in there--at least not one I can't clean up. I have all kinds of things stuffed in the window to make it impassable. It's an old window on brackets that seem to be either broken or rusted so I can't actually close it. But I think the blockage will hold.

Now, it's a waiting game and a time to just try to make friends again. He meows to me every time I go in there, so he is relating, but he's still too scared or reverted to the wild to trust me enough to let me touch him. I'm pretty sure that one petting will be all I need to get him back into my good graces.

Meantime, the two terrors seem to have adapted pretty well to the sunroom. Misty, of course, wants to come out into the rest of the house, but with her attitude towards the other cats, that's a definite no go. Peppercorn has managed to discover the luxury of sleeping on the couch and is letting me handle him more and more. It's not an ideal habitat for cats as they do need more room to exercise and entertain themselves, but for now, it will have to do. Once Patches is back inside, I will let the two of them outside again.

Perhaps, instead of chasing Patches, they can use their terrorist skills to keep the rats at bay in the barn. At least their presence MIGHT intimidate a rat or two. *sigh*

Note here: all cats are not good ratters. It takes a certain bravado and wisdom to take on a rat and it's not related to size. My good ratter was a little female who would take down a rat more than half her size in a flash.

Perhaps the "terrorist tag team" can do as well together.

Back to Square 1.2

Patchadoodle Update

For those following the Patches saga with bated breath, I figured I'd post a morning update.

I fed the horses, then headed over to the neighbors's house to see if Patches was in view. No go.

A little disheartened, I headed back to my yard, and called a few more times. Good thing my hearing is still pretty intact. I heard an answering meow.  I called again and finally zeroed in on the source of the kitty voice.

It was coming from the rafters of the car garage. There is a storage area up there and sure enough, soon my little black and white furry face appeared overhead. I had the cat food dish in hand, with some nice rattly dry food and a healthy helping of tasty canned food.  So I called and shook it.

In a minute or so, Patches jumped down onto my truck and finally the ground.

But he still kept his distance. This time, though, he kept rolling around on the driveway, one of the first signs of "making friends."  I didn't approach him, but put the food where he could see it and sat down nearby. He keep rolling and meowing, showing his anxiety and inner conflict, but he wouldn't come to the food as long as I was too close. So I moved off and let him be. He went to the bowl and ate. but he was still nervous about it. I guess he thought any minute he'd be pounced on by the feline tag team.

I didn't press my luck, but it's really good news to know that he was actually in the garage. That means he's testing out the territory again and, the carport, where I store my hay, is where we first made our real frienship. I am estimating that in a few days we will be back together and I'll have him inside again.

But, as with all animals, I need to be patient.

The Mystery of Patchadoodle

Now That We Know Where He Is

If you've been following my blog, you know that my indoor kitty, Patchadoodle got out of the house through an open screen and has been missing since Wednesday. I have been hunting for him every day, inhibited by my two barn kitties, Peppercorn and Misty, who are very territorial and apparently chased Patches from my property.

Yesterday was my birthday and I had hoped for a happy discovery, but alas, there was a terrific rainstorm here which made kitty searching difficult.

I had called my animal communicator in California on Friday, and was hoping I'd hear back from her since this was an emergency.  She finally called sometime on Sunday with an apology as she had been tied up in a conference and was not able to be of much help right away. But she left phone numbers of four other communicators she felt could be of more immediate assistance.  I called all four, and managed to connect with one, Marta--also in California. ( I live in New Jersey.)

Marta and I arranged a consult later in the afternoon.  I sent her some pictures of Patches, a Google Earth photo of my house and the neighboring area, and a full story of what had happened. Complications slowed the process down until early evening here as the rains poured down. But finally, Marta called to tell me that Patches was OK, but scared to come home because of the other attacking cats. I told her I was working on getting them locked up somewhere and to assure Patches that it would indeed be safe for him to come home.

Then, Marta asked me if there was a house with a dumpster nearby. Sure enough, the house next to my Aunt's next door does have a dumpster in the front yard. "Patches is there," Marta said. "Get in the car and go over there right away."

By this time, I'd already snagged Peppercorn and locked him in the sunroom, but I didn't have Misty yet. I don't think she was the main antagonist, but I told Marta to tell Patches it was safe and I'd be right there.

Out I went. It was teeming down rain, and I think we were in the peak of the storm. I walked all over my neighbor's yard, calling and calling. I looked under the dumpster, everywhere. No Patches.

Disheartened I came back home, sopping wet. No cat in his right mind would have been out in that weather--except for Misty who managed to run out to the barn across the yard where I finally caught her too and locked her in the sun room.

Fast forward to this morning, about 8 AM. I went out into the horse's pasture which backs up to the neighbor's dumpster house, and there was Patches, sitting on a rock at the edge of the flower garden!! As soon as I called him, he started meowing to me, but he would not come.  Despite food and coaxing, I spent well over an hour and a half trying to get my hands on him, but no success. He did, however, come as far as my back yard, behind the garage where I gave him some food.  Then he slipped away again, and I've not seen him since.

So, definite sighting and a first step in recovery. I do have a trap, but it has such a hair trigger, I'm not sure it would work. My neighbor from the other side has a trap as well that may be better, so I am hoping I will be able to borrow it. I bought some nice fishy cat food and will try to get my little buddy back.

He is spooked and has reverted to some feral behavior--not unexpected--so it may take some effort on my part to reassure him and bring him in to safety.

Ironically, I was totally convinced he had gone to the other side of my property and not in this direction. But Marta was right on target. The house with the dumpster is exactly where Patches was.

Now all I need to do is get him home.

Just hope the fat raccoon I saw last night doesn't end up in the trap instead.  If I do set the trap, I will be going out every couple hours to check it, however, so if anything gets caught it won't be stuck in there for long.

Hope it's a Patchadoodle.

Noodles

Wherein I Wear Myself Out


Since it is supposed to rain this weekend, and since I got my first order of fly predators, I decided I had better clean all the old hay out of both run in shed areas.

While this is a tractor job, the bucket scoop does dig all the hay up, but then it tends to roll off and out into piles instead of ending up in the bucket. That leaves me with a hefty job of using the sharp pronged hay fork to lift it into the bucket so I can cart it off to the manure pile.  The layers of wet hay can be really heavy and hard to manage.  Anyone who has cleaned up a used hay pile after the winter knows exactly what I am talking about here. Not fun.

But it needs to be done to keep the pest population down as wet hay is a great place for flies to breed.  I worked for a couple hours on Thursday clearing the area around Chance's stall door where much of the old hay had mixed in with mud. Fun.  Then I moved over to the other side of the barn and cleared in front of Tucker's stall before I quit, worn out for the day. I finished the last two thirds of the shed roof in front of Toby's stall on Friday. Then I pretty much stripped Tucker's and Toby's stalls again wearing myself out.

Today, I stripped Chance's stall, using the wheelbarrow. Lots of hay strewn about again.  Seems the Boys are getting picky about the hay now that they have a little grass to nibble on. All three are presently bedded in uneaten hay which is hard to clean but does make a nice bed.

That done, I decided I'd better ride Chance with that goal of building up his stifle ever in mind.  I started off in the arena, trotting him for a good ten minutes.  Going on the right rein, he feels fine, but when I switch to the left, his stride shortens on the turns and sometimes he gives a little "skip" breaking stride into a canter for a split second until I correct it.  He needs to trot to build up the muscle.  As the flat part of the ride progressed, he became a little more even and I also figured out how to ride him--good contact on the outside rein with a softening bend to the inside, while giving with my hand to push him forward--to keep the stride more even on the ends of the arena.

After ten minutes of trot on the flat, I headed out to the pasture to do some trotting up and down the hills.  We have some pretty challenging slopes out there so the first two circuits, I walked down and trotted up. Then, more sure of Chance's ability to keep himself in balance on the downslope. I trotted down and up three more times, making it five good hill climbs and another ten minutes of trotting. All in all it was a good workout--for both of us.

When I got off, my legs felt like wet noodles.  I have to laugh a bit. Riding in the arena does not bother me too much, but the added balancing and work of riding the hills did me in.  I had to work on my balance as well as Chance's and really RIDE.

I had to opt out of riding Tucker.  Wet noodles do not make for a good seat on an opinionated Thoroughbred.

On the sad side, there is still no sign of Patches.  I posted a notice on the entrance to the woods where the fishermen park, called my neighbors and dropped a poster off at the farmhouse on the hill as well as at the first house down the road.  If nothing has happened to him, I keep thinking Patches would stay at least in the territory of the house, but you never know.  It all depends on just what kind of threats Misty and Peppercorn made to him.

I miss my little furry face, and I'm worried about him.

The Good, the Not So Bad, and the Bad

"One woe doth tread upon another's heels...so fast they follow."  Hamlet Act IV, vii. 

Good news, bad news....

The Misty indoor kitty situation did not work, so I put her outside where she seems quite happy with Peppercorn. That's good. What's no so bad is that she and Peppercorn are a tag team duo and they follow me all around. But what's bad is that the "tag team" has apparently ganged up on my sweet Patchadoodle who somehow managed to push out the screen in the front window and get outside.

At least I think he's outside since I can't find him in the house and the screen was definitely pushed out.  Blessing is that none of the other indoor kitties followed him. Of the group, he is the only one who has had any experience surviving outdoors, so that is a minor plus.  The major negative is that Misty and Pepper are patrolling the property and twice now I have heard a cat battle out there. Since they do not fight each other, I can only presume that it's poor Patch being driven away.

I didn't discover the screen until late last night when it chilled off and I went to close the window, I thought Patches was in the back room curled up somewhere sleeping, but apparently he got out sometime during the day or perhaps even early morning before I got up. I feel foolish that I didn't notice that he was missing sooner, but my kitties do crash in closets and odd places to sleep, so I just rushed off to school--I subbed yesterday--and didn't think twice about it.

Well, I've been thinking about it now and I didn't sleep at all once I realized he was gone. And I was up at 6 AM to go out looking for him. I tried locking Misty and Pepper on the back porch, but they both managed to get out again, so every time I go out one or both of them are at my feet, discouraging Patches from making an appearance. This whole mess is one big worry!!

On the horse front, since I had no class at the end of the day, I had to make a decision--to wait for an hour until the swimming pool opened, or to come home to ride.

Guess what? I opted to ride!

It has been really dry and dusty here over the last week or so--although rain is supposed to some on the weekend--and when I lunged Chance and Tucker on Tuesday, I raised quite a cloud. So, I decided a trail ride would be the better option.

I took Chance out first on the longer trail, going all the way back to the far side of the woods, using all the little hills along the was for some "stifle trotting,"  I also trotted a fair stretch on the way back.  I guess we were out for around 25 minutes or so. Not a biggie, but enough to get some exercise. He was, as always, a good boy.

I trotted Tucker in the arena for perhaps 10 minutes, going over the raised cavaletti I had set up to make it a little more interesting. Since he seemed pretty quiet about all that, I headed out into the woods with him. This time, we took the new trail.  It's pretty winding at the end as I had to pick a path around both a fallen tree and a good stand of briars. I guess when Tuck hit the trail to come back home and realized where he was he thought--fortunately only thought--that a nice little buck of celebration was in order. I gave him a sharp correction the first instant I felt his intent and he settled quickly back into a nice walk for the rest of the way home.

So, Chance gets an A+ and Tucker gets a B+ this time. Frankly, it's why I don't take Tucker out more often. He does have a wicked buck and I'm afraid I can't sit it was well as Caroline sits Ace, so I am cautious when I ride him. It's kind of a double edged sword because I'm sure if we did more fun things he'd probably settle down and stop being silly, but we can't do the fun things as long as he's likely to be silly.  This threat to buck had no provocation whatsoever. It was just something to do, I guess.

It's not been the best of days, but riding is always a good thing.

90 Degrees Plus

And I Substituted Again

So, yesterday the temperatures soared to over 90F.  The only blessing was that the humidity was low, so it did not feel horrible. Still, the horses sweated. They have not completely shed out their winter coats, so there was an extra layer of hair--here and there--keeping them a bit warmer than they should have been.  It was definitely too hot to work them.  Later in the season, when they are better acclimated, that kind of day would be fine, but not now.

I spent the day at school, subbing for a history teacher. It was an easy day since she left assignments for everyone and the students were--as always--good as gold.

Then I went for a nice swim. I think I did eleven laps, but I lost count at 6 or seven, so I think I added one to the ten I'd planned. Since I hadn't been swimming in a couple weeks, I didn't push myself beyond that.  And, by swimming for 25 minutes and not changing out of my wet suit for the drive home, I managed to avoid rush hour--4:30--by about ten minutes.  That made the drive through the little town I have to pass through to get back out to the highway a lot easier than usual.  There are about 6 traffic lights and usually the main street gets all congested adding a good bit of time to my homeward trip.

I still detoured off the highways US 1 to US 130 because of the construction delays on 130, but that only adds a few minutes more when I take the back roads.  Years ago, when the Academy first opened, I probably could have taken a job there as an English teacher.  Clearly, there would have been a lot of benefits as the school is wonderful, but the drive there is more than double the distance to the school where I did teach for 38 years. (15 miles as opposed to 6 miles)  With the horses at home, and no highway driving involved, I opted out of the opportunity.  Now, going there off and on to sub is just fine, but even those months when I was  full time there replacing one of the teachers on maternity leave, some days that drive was just dreadful.  I'm not sure I could have done it for years and years.

Still, it is a wonderful school and it's such a pleasure seeing how effective education can be when all the piece are fit together almost perfectly.  The only thing I would change would be to add a performance/assembly room to the building. The students are very creative and it would be nice for them to have a suitable stage area where they could put on performances and show off their talents. The common area is too acoustically open so its not good for sound and when they do present skits and things, it's almost impossible for the audience to hear well. Other than that the building layout is great and well maintained.  It's s nice atmosphere with good people inside.

It's beautiful out today, but once again, I had a chiropractic adjustment so I am not likely to ride. However, I do hope to lunge Chance and Tucker a bit later.  I'll get Chance trotting up those hills again to work those muscles. And Tucker? Maybe I'll have him do a bit of jumping.

On the kitty front, I just put Misty back outside. Her aggressive attitude toward the indoor Boys was stressing them out far too much.  I suspect that given a lot of time and effort on my part it could have worked out, but my kittyboys are far too sweet to be tormented through all that.

The nice thing was that as soon as she did go out, she trotted right over to Peppercorn and the two of them happily sniffed noses.  Clearly, their relationship is still fine, even in the new "neutral" stage.  I'm glad of that since Peppercorn was acting a bit lonely out there.  Hopefully the two of them will keep each other company and stay safely on my property.