March 31st...best way to end the month...with another ride...

I went out early that morning so that I could be home and help 'work' around the place that afternoon.  Just seemed wrong me having all this fun and Brian at home with his kids taking care of a few things.  Hee hee!  Okay, not THAT wrong....but it sounded good!  :-)

Brian had a great idea....to make the same loop I did the other evening but do it the opposite direction, and keep an eye on the GPS to make sure I don't lose my connection.  That is what I did and to be honest....it annoys the daylights out of me to have to babysit an electronic gadget on the trail, but at the same time I am interested in this GPS stuff.  There were times when I did not have connection, but it did not error out.  Today's trip was 7.43 miles and my max speed was....are you ready for this?  It was 96.19 mph!  HA HA!!!  Now we know that isn't right, but an average speed of 2.98 mph does sound closer to being right.  Average moving speed shows 10.59 mph.  My moving time was 42:05 but total time was 2:29.  I moved the majority of the time so I don't know what all these numbers mean....and I did a lot of trotting.  I have tried to find info on this an all I found was complaints.  :-)  Complaints explain a few things, but it doesn't solve anything....so as I get time I will hunt for information that is helpful.

Seeing as it was a Saturday morning, I am surprised I did not see any other riders.  Just Tripp and I most of the way. 

It is getting a little more green....this is my favorite spot with the rocks.  Hard to tell by the picture...and now that I look at it, it looks just like other pictures I have posted!  Ha ha!

Big dead tree branch to the right...must be very scary because he eye-balled it as we went by, then let out his breath.

Dead tree in the middle of the others...if this area gets burned too, I have a feeling it will go.

The trail behind me....

We were going up this hill and Tripp stopped and was on alert.  I would ask him to move and he would move one step.  I knew something was there but didn't know what....until I saw a bright flash of color thru the timber.  It was a big guy on a big mountain bike!  Yikes!  The trail was not very wide where I was so I played it safe and jumped off!  The guy did slow down and Tripp danced a jig for him.  I was wishing the guy would have paused just a second so Tripp could sniff the bike, but no luck...the guy was enjoying his ride and away he went.  (I wish I would have clicked the picture as I saw the guy!)

 After the cyclist went by we rounded the corner and here was a tent with a line of laundry hanging between it and the truck.  I don't know if it was Mr. Cyclist or mushroom hunters....either way, I like that people come out to enjoy the place.

Home of a critter....

"Are you sure you want me to go down that hill?  Haven't we done this already?"

"Okay, my ears are up and cute....you can take ANOTHER picture of me looking at the woods.  People will love it and say 'Oh look more woods with cute ears in the way.'"  (Snort Whiney Snort!)

In between the last picture and this one, we saw two hikers on the trail with a very large dog!  It was bigger than Batman and barked a lot....very excited about seeing Tripp.  I stayed on for this one.  I knew Tripp would be nervous but he knows dogs.  He handled it well and the people were not very friendly....then I got to thinking they were probably saying "She is one of THEM who lets her horse poop on the trail!"  Ha ha!  Well, if they would have asked, they would have known that Tripp didn't poop until the last few minutes before we got back to the truck!  Hmpf!  :-)  After we passed the hikers, we saw a truck on the trail which was odd.  Got closer and it was a Conservation truck....hmmmmm....been seeing them more than normal lately.

We moseyed along then I heard the truck coming, so we found a nice spot and waited for him to go by.

And there he goes....

The last couple of times we have ridden the road back to the truck/trailer, but this time we rode the skinny trail.  I think he gets a little jiggy here because it never fails....there is always something in the brush that has to make extra noise and it scares him.  Well, today was a good day for a scare...so away we went.  Got a couple snorts and side steps out of him, but nothing too crazy.

Today he earned his grass treat!  He did great, his energy was up the whole ride, we made it thru the Haunted Forest without any stopping or fights to the shortcut (we trotted thru it to keep his mind occupied elsewhere), the sounds of the morning critters was peaceful...life is good!

As he is eating I decided to play with the timer on the camera.  I forgot my little tripod and I couldn't find anything sturdy to set it on, so I set it on the ground.  Nice clear shot of the grass....nice blurry shot of Tripp and I after I hurried over to him for a picture.  I tried a couple of times and when I got over to him he would move his head the other way.

When we got back to the house, Chase the llama had to check on him to make sure all was well.  Tripp passed....no foreign smells, so Chase said he can stay.

Tandee also checked for any 'foreign smells'....we all know that means she was checking for the smells of another chick on his muzzle!  Ha ha!  I changed the subject when Batman asked what 'foreign smells' means.  :-)

Nothing like muzzles....

It was a fantastic ride and I wish I had another horse ready to take out, because I would have doubled back.  I felt great and my knees didn't hurt too bad at all.  It was a very fun ride....we even cantered a few times without any butt hops!  Woo hoo!!!!  Oh wait, that was the last ride.  This one we tried, but he just wasn't interested in cantering and I was not interested in making him. 

Until later....Karen and Tripp who knows he is the hottie of the trail!  Even if nobody else knows it!  ;-)

March 28th...Trail Ride

These are all the same pictures I have posted on Facebook.  The only difference is this one comes with a story.  :-)  So many people have gone to FB and don't blog as much any more....but I still enjoy doing it and I enjoy reading other blogs.  It is fun to see what other people are doing, and I love photos!  It is also like a diary....when I look back I get a reminder of what I have been doing and it makes me smile.  :-) 

On that note....I went back to ride and had planned on taking the trail around by the shooting range.  I could see smoke from the distance but thought someone was burning off the fields on the other side of the Wildlife area.  I got to the parking lot and a couple of mushroom hunting ladies stopped by and told me that the area I was headed was being burned off by the Conservation Dept and that the smoke was very thick.  They suggested I go the other way....and I am glad I did!

I headed back towards the lake, and when I got there I could see the smoke.  It didn't look as bad as it did from the other side.  I could not smell it from the parking lot or here, so the wind must have been going the right direction.

As we were getting ready to ride across the dam, something caught Tripp's attention...oh what can it be?

"Mom, I am thinking this is not a very good idea.  There are some weird looking critters up there and I have heard stories...they can be mean!  And they sound funny...it just isn't right!

"Oh geez, okay, I will go, but I don't like it....oh wait, they are moving way from me!  Yes, I am very tough and have that effect on other critters!  They fear me!  (snort snort!)"

Yep, they are wild geese, and they were honking their displeasure at being disturbed.

They are so pretty!

Safe and sound in the water, right where Tripp put them!  Ha!

Back on the trail... right around the corner we saw some riders getting ready to load up.  They had been on the other side where it was smoky, but they said they had a great ride.  They also had an awesome dog named Jack who seemed to have a smile on his face.  Neat dog!  :-)

Pretty soon the trees will be fully leaved out and I won't be able to see the trail wind thru the woods.

This is one of the prettiest places on the trail.  There is a creek, rocks, fallen logs...for some reason this little dip in the trail feels different.  Love it down there!

Again, making time for self portraits while riding...it is tricky but I did it without falling off!  Ha!

I finally hit a point when I knew I would not make it back to the truck before dark.  I sent Brian a message letting him know I was still out there and I would be late.  As I circled around I could see the fire burning.  The smoke was not as thick as what it probably was earlier, but it was thick enough to burn my eyes.   The Dept. of Conservation truck was driving around, so I knew they were still keeping an eye on it.

The glow was very pretty, but at the same time it is sad.  The critters that lived in that area in the old dead hollow logs and trees either had to run or they died.  I saw a tall hollow tree that was glowing inside and it made me sad....

Finally made it back to the truck, and in spite of the fire and smoke I had a great ride!  The GPS thingy quit half way thru!  ACK!  It stopped at 3.2 miles and judging by the picture, I had a good idea where it quit.  So I was guessing I rode between 7 - 8 miles.  The GPS thing is a work in progress.  :-)  It also said my max speed was 24.61 mph.  Um, we know that isn't right!  Ha ha!

So, we had a great ride, and riding thru the woods in the dark was amazing!  I loved it!  I can only imagine what a full moon night would be like...or a dark sky night with the stars shining real bright.

Until later....Karen and Tripp who thinks life is good!  :-) 

March 27th Trail Ride....

Most people I know who love horses, also have horses in their lives for therapy!  Me too!  :-)  I have been wanting to ride but things keep coming up.  Well, I was a mental basket case, knew storms were coming in, and darn it, I needed to ride!  So I planned a short ride to the lake and back.  I was happy to see we had a couple of small water crossings...we have not had many to practice with.  Across the creek and up the hill we go....it doesn't look like it from this angle, but it is a pretty steep hill.
 

There is a section of woods that caught his attention last time....he wanted to take the shortcut thru the woods, and we have never ever been that way.  Same thing this time around....it was a battle of wills to get past what I have dubbed "The Haunted Forest".  Not haunted as in scary, it is haunted as in the forest casts a spell on Tripp and he thinks he needs to go that way....he would stop, he would go backwards, he would stop again.  I said "Okay, you want to go backwards, we will go backwards...the other way!"  Ha ha!  So I turned him around and we went backwards a while.  It turned into a training session and was fun!  We were backing serpentines along the trail....on purpose!  Ha!  We would turn on the haunches to face him the right direction again....if he did not go forward, I would turn around and we would back again...we would zig zag around the sapplings close to the trail...anything I could do to keep his mind on me.  We FINALLY made it to the lake!  Whew!

A couple of people were fishing on the other side, and we just stood up there a while and watched...everything and nothing...  The look on his face here is what he did the whole time we stood there...I think he was happy to get out.

On the way back we battled the Haunted Forest again, then finally made it to the big hill.  I usually walk him down the big hill because I don't want the saddle to scoot forward on his shoulders.  And when I walk him, that gives us time for self portraits!  Woo hoo!

This is a view of the lake thru the trees from the steep hill.  It was a very pretty evening.

Water puddles everywhere!  And lots of grass and flowers to go with them!  Yay!  Spring has sprung!

Okay, the last big hill, but this one is not as steep as the other.  At the top of this hill, around the corner and across the edge of the field is the road.  You can either ride the road to the parking lot (not far) or go across the road to stay on the trail to the parking lot (also not far).

I don't know why I put this picture here....I think it is because I like the way the sun is shining on Tripp.  He has such pretty eyes.  I sure do love this guy!

 Tripp and I both are out of shape, so a short ride was a good ride.  A great reward for Tripp is to let him eat grass for a while before we head back home. 

What you see here is the storm cloud line...and this is why I needed to hurry and ride this evening!  :-)

We had a very nice ride, and according to the GPS thingy it is a little over 3 miles round trip.  I have walked it several times and judging by the time it usually takes me, I think the distance is pretty darn close.  Good distance for a short but good ride.

Until later....Karen and Tripp who are springing this Spring!

Road to the Horse 2012 - International

Team U.S.A. - Team Australia - Team Canada....what a great idea!

By now everyone knows that Team Australia won the competition.  Great job!!!
I also want to say that there were three great teams with six different styles of training but yet the same... 
With Team U.S.A. I saw the all American cowboy with gentle training methods.  It was always the horse first.  And of course both of these guys are not only educational to listen to, they are funny and have a great time.
With Team Australia I saw a couple of guys who are not only GREAT entertainers, but they are also great trainers who care about the horse.  Aussie horseman are just different in a great sort of way, and they made their country proud.
Team Canada was more cowboy and less entertainer.  Both guys were very personable and their horses were a challenge, but they also put the horse first and did what needed to be done so the horse could learn, but not pushing so much that they went on overload.
I am not one of these people who say "Every kid must win an award so nobody feels bad" but I will say that in this competition, there were no losers.  There were winners and one team just had more points.

We picked up a hitchhiker along the way...fellow EMM trainer Greg Reynolds rode down with us.  We were driving thru his town on the way down, his wonderful wife had bought him a ticket, so we threw him in the back of the car.  Woo hoo!  RTTH here we come!

Day 1:  We did not get there too early because doors didn't open until 10:30 for our group...this is the line in front of us to the doors.  What a beautiful sunny day!  One year we went it was rainy windy and COLD!   

 Here is Greg and Brian with the line behind them curving off to the right.

Greg had the pleasure of going to an Aaron Ralston clinic, and guess who goes walking by?  Yep, Aaron himself!  Greg ran over to say hello and chat a while.

While moseying around, I noticed that Guy and Dan were at their booth, so I ran back to get my jacket for them to sign.  I ended up with signatures from both of Team Aussie, and one from Team Canada, Jonathan Field and his son Weston.  :-)

Me and Guy just hanging out....he is one of the best entertainers I have ever seen and heard, and the man LOVES horses!  All the trainers love horses, but the closest I could come to describing him was he loves them in a girl sort of way...

 Dan James, who is half of the Double Dan's, and I hanging out.  Another very fun and talented guy.  He and the other Dan put on a show of flaming whips.  Talk about exciting!

 I loved this shirt....it was in Guy's booth.

My camera just doesn't take very good inside pictures, but  I tried a few anyways.  This and the 'swinging bridge' trailer were used by SEMM mustang trainer Bobby Kerr and his mustang Poncho.
Byron Hogan and his mustang Hawk performed the following day with a Choir group.  

Here is the swinging bridge built on the trailer, then at the other end is a tilt trailer.  Love it!

 Canadian Glenn Stewart on his Lusitano warming up.  He is riding in a rope halter (Yay!) and he was showing people how to teach a horse to collect without a bit in their mouth.  What a gorgeous horse and Glenn was so approachable.  We didn't venture outside much because the days were packed with the event happenings, so did not get to see anybody else.

Love horse butts!

Before the singing of the National Anthems.    Each country had a representative sing their Anthem, and it really was beautiful.  I would love to hear the Australia singer sing our National Anthem.  She has such a beautiful voice!

In the South, Spring is springing....bradford pears were blooming all over the place!  I loved it!  This was taken the morning we headed in early for Pat's 2nd training session.

This little tree is much more pink than it looks in the picture.  It is outside of the hotel, and it is one of those little trees that made me smile every time we pulled in the driveway.

It really was a great weekend.  My only complaint (yep, there really is only one!) was the people sitting around us.  They treated it like social hour, so we missed over 90% of the commentary from the trainers and announcers.  We know about everyone's brothers sisters uncles dog, and which ones are indoor or outdoor, we know that some teachers think it is horrible to spell kids names weird and they should all be 'normal', whatever that is....we know about people horses, what the trainers did wrong, and we know that they missed a lot too because I was asked many times what was going on.  We know who drives what and why, who came and who didn't, and why they didn't.  We know who is nice and who is mean and why they are nice and/or mean....  REALLY?  If they would sit down, shut up, and respect the fact that those around them just might want to hear and watch the show, they might not have had to ask.  It was very frustrating and disappointing.

There were a couple of twists thrown in the mix by Tootie.  The first one was after trainers picked horses, they could get extra points if they would trade with their team mate.  Team Canada took advantage of that one.

Then when it came to the obstacle course day, Tootie again offered extra points if the trainers would ride their team mates horse instead.  Team Aussie took advantage of that one...they said that they both trusted each other and their level of training, so they went for it.  The crowd voted for Team U.S.A. to keep what they had, and Team Canada stuck with what they had.

When the obstacle course first started, Jonathan was up first.  He goes in the ring and he and the crowd start talking about how that isn't his horse....he just thought it was part of the mystery obstacle.  Come to find out, it was the original horse he drew, not the one he trained after the swap.  OOPS!  Thankfully he said something and they got him the right horse.  :-)

Pat's horse from day 1 was not feeling good, so he had to pick another horse.  He did round 1 on day 2, then started round 2 at 5:30 Sunday morning!  Reports are there were about 300 of us that showed up.  This is a 5:30 start that included the time change!  Woo wee!  But it was like we all got a free clinic and Pat was in his element and got to talk a lot.  It was a win-win.  They told everyone to sit around where he was working so we sat in the seats we have reserved for 5 years.  We got booted out of them this year because Nation members get to order tickets ahead of time...it was a matter of time.

That is all I have time for right now.  There are a lot of great pictures from other attendees on Facebook so go check them out.

Happy March everyone!

Until later...Karen and Tripp who hopes his girl doesn't get too crazy trying to crack a whip like those Aussies!  ;-)