An ‘Aha’ Moment

I was curious how today’s ride would go after Thursday’s adventure. I have a lesson planned with my trainer in two days, and we were in contact about what happened last time. She has some ideas to work on it. Her advice for me today was to make sure I warmed him up in the arena first and had him tuned in and listening. (We haven’t done that for the last two rides).

I arrived early and got to it, and Tweed definitely had a little resistance which was quickly worked out. No big drama or anything, just asked him to do his transitions again until he was less pissy about them. 

My friend arrived with her horse, and we stood and talked with another friend, then went out to the obstacle course.  

The very beginning of the trail ride, the two horses were getting to know each other and Tweed was acting reactive for the first, maybe, 100’ of it. My friend’s horse saw a ribbon blowing on a post and reacted to it. Tweed checked it out, head high, then I petted his neck and he took a big breath and relaxed. I asked him to go past and take the lead, and he did, while the companion horse worked through it, then quickly joined us. 

Oddly enough, that small incident worked everything out, and they were both awesome. Tweed seemed to like that Obe, the other horse, had shown concern. Maybe it made him trust him more, like if that horse is okay, the world must be okay.  Who knows. But he had zero problem following him everywhere. 

On our first ride, Tweed was scared of this building below. 

Yet, on this ride, he didn’t seem to care one bit. As you can see, his ears are where they should be, one on me and one on the thing. 

We expanded the trails this time and did more riding along the river, but it was woven into easier trail work. We’d be on the river for awhile, then cut in to the interior, then back out. 

We ended back up at the same spot we were at last week and took another photo. 

On the way back, down a hill, he got to tossing his head and speeding up.  My friend commented that it looked more like barn sour behavior. I think she’s right, and as we talked about it, we realized he thought he was on his way back to the trailer last Thursday when we had that other incident. (I ended up taking him another way that day and not back home).

It was an aha moment for me. 

While there’s no doubt balance factors in, going home is at play, too, and that’s a whole different ballgame, one I have had to work through with every horse I’ve had. 

He didn’t do that badly, but my friend could see how that needs to be worked out before we try some of the really difficult, steep and narrow trails. We can’t have him trying to take the reins and run home. He has to learn the lesson that acting right gets him home and acting out gets him more work and further from home. 

All part of the green horse experience, but overall, I couldn’t be happier with the horse I rode today. We were a little over two hours out, and he was a pure pleasure going over logs, up and down hills, past scary stumps, and along the drop offs to the river. He was relaxed and tuned in. 

We’re making progress fast. 

The Ups and Downs of Up and Down

Oh, trail rides on a green horse. They are so…unpredictable. Of course, hindsight is always 20/20, and I could have used some for this ride. But we’re alive and ended strong. 

First off, I didn’t sleep well last night, and grandson came up sick. I barely made it to this ride and my brain was not fully engaged. 

For some reason, I got it in my head to go to this river access point (above), but it has one of the most technical descents. I told myself I’d walk him down it and get him used to that stretch, and we did. All was fine, even though he did a lot of sliding. My friend said he was dragging his feet in back, and he was, and I’m not sure why. Her horse did a little of that, too, so I’m guessing he was trying to slow down the slide or not get his feet up so high that one slipped too far out from the other. At any rate, that was the hardest part of the ride, and he survived. 

So, my friend wanted to explore a trail I’d never been on before. 

When we got into it, it was flanked by dense bushes with a drop off to the river. There was also some kind loud buzzing transfer building beneath us. Oh, and hills. It was so narrow that you couldn’t turn around. Once you’re in, you’re in. He did pretty good until he heard something scurrying in the bushes, then he got worried. After a while down that trail, we finally came to a spot we could tightly turn around, and we did. 

I told her if he’s going to be working on narrow paths with drop offs and vertical descents, they need to be a little more open for now. 

She took those photos above, but they are before we entered the narrow trail. 

Heading back, we had to ascend the same crap hills. On the worst part, Tweed wanted to run, but my friend’s horse was leading. I checked his speed and he told me f-off, for lack of a better word. I dismounted, to be safe, and walked him the rest of the way. At the half way point it levels out, then turns up another steep hill with no turnarounds. I asked to lead, but he was amped up. When we turned up the hill, he tried to grab the reins and run. I checked his speed and he flipped me the bird and got turned around sideways. Once again, I dismounted and had to walk up that hill myself. It sucked in more ways than one. I was sucking air.  

At the top, tired and hot, I mounted again and then did a couple loops in the trees. He came back to me. I had my horse again. 

That was about 1/3 of our ride, so the remaining 2/3’s was golden. 

We went to lots of new places, and some old hills, and he discovered he now likes those hills. In fact, Tweed discovered he likes riding everywhere, but the hills from hell, quite a bit. It’s as if the first 1/3 of our ride was reform school for horses (and riders). 

All told, we rode just under 5 miles, but it seemed like 20, and it was HOT. 

I’m so happy we had a happy ending, because we got to end on a positive note where we were both confident in each other and ready for our next adventure. And they are definitely ADVENTURES. 

Someday, they won’t be. They’ll be boring. While I long for that day, I think I will miss these beginning nail-biter ones. It’s where you bond in blood, sweat, and tears. 

Well, at least sweat. Hopefully no blood or tears. Ha!

Downhill Work

 

Today’s trail ride was solo. My husband went with me, but sat at the trailer and read a book while I went out. 

I didn’t warm Tumbleweed up before we went because he seemed very calm. I figured we’d handle whatever came up in saddle. He had the last 13 days off, due to the extreme heat and smoke, so in hindsight, that probably wasn’t the best idea. 

He’s also out of shape. That snuck up on me and I am going to have to manage his food intake closer. They have pasture and a round bale because the pasture is so dry, but they must be finding enough out there to overeat. 

Anyway, we proceeded down the trail, and I checked in with him regularly with an ask for vertical flexion when he got too looky. I did some work through the trees just because I want him to be supple and paying attention to his feet, but it wasn’t necessary for getting his attention. 

He did great, except those darn downhills. He and I just haven’t gotten our groove together on them. He wanted to angle out on the downhills and kind of blow over to the right or left, like you take a ski hill, cross-crossing. I stopped him with my leg, but it didn’t keep him from trying.  

We ended up doing a lot of hills, small and big, and I think that’s the answer to them. Lots of practice.  Since my grandson started back to preschool today, I will have more consistent riding time. It’s not fair to give him two weeks off and expect him to be in tip-top shape.

Considering how miserable the last couple of weeks have been for the horses and humans, I was super impressed that he wanted to be there at all. It was about 85 degrees today, but felt like 90’s. Afterwards, he was pretty drenched, …and and so was I.  (Please make summer go away!)

I have another trail ride planned for tomorrow with the mare who ran to him. Most of our hills are loose rock and soft dirt, which requires your horse to sit back and even be okay with sliding a little. That sliding is what Tweed doesn’t like. I know some hills that are more solid, and I’ll try to go that direction tomorrow first. 

What is not possible at this area is a completely flat ride, nor should that be my goal, but I will try for as much flat as possible. There’s also the possibility of getting off and walking him down some of the extreme portions, just so he can get the feel of navigating them without a rider first.  

I will do whatever it takes to make him successful, especially since he is so willing to ride out. 

*My friend just contacted me to see if we could add our other friend to tomorrow’s ride. I didn’t know how to answer. On one hand, Tweed has been a rock star so far. But on the other hand, he’s still green and needs more exposure and practice. I couldn’t answer, so I let her decide and she thinks it’s best to keep it at two for the short term. That’s what my gut is saying, too, especially since he’s coming off a two week break. I don’t want to push him too fast. 

Change of Plans

On Friday we loaded everything into the boat for a weekend of camping on the lake, but when we arrived, we found this: smoke. 

The Air Quality Index was at 393: Hazardous. 

There were fires going all along Lake Roosevelt, with a big one, the Rattlesnake Fire, burning exactly across from where we were going to camp. The smoke was filling up the canyons that hug the river. 

My husband, ever the optimist, still wanted to camp 😳, but there was no way I was going to stay there in hazardous smoke and fire conditions. We went home. 

At home, alone, we unpacked the boat and made the dinner we had planned for our camp out: steak, potatoes, salad, crackers, dips, and wine. 

The next day, still smoked in, we decided to take a road trip to Bonners Ferry, Idaho and stock up on homemade chicken pot pies from The Gathering Place. 

These savory pies will help get us through fall and winter when you don’t feel like cooking, yet want something super yummy and comforting. 

It was a two hour drive to Bonners Ferry, almost to Canada, and we never got out of the smoke. So, when we got back to town, we went looking for color at Spokane’s Manito Park. 

The beauty of the late flowers cut right through the dismal dark smoke surrounding us. 

Never have we appreciated color like we did yesterday. Roses, dahlias, cornflowers, —so much beauty and fragrance. 

Once again, life gave us Plan B, C, D, rather than A, and we got “us time” anyway. 

Dreaming of ‘Us Time’

I sent the hair samples via FedEx On Tuesday and they arrived at the lab in New York this morning. Hopefully they are able to get Cowgirl’s DNA from it so that we can move onto the next phase of Epona’s registration. 

Life here in the Northwest is currently blazing hot and smoky. We are hovering around 100 most days, but an end is in sight this Sunday, and I have trail rides planned for Tuesday and Thursday. 

My husband and I are going to take advantage of the weekend to do a solo camping trip on Lake Roosevelt.  I’m more of a B&B woman nowadays than a camper, but I’m kind of looking forward to spending more time under my favorite spot in the world, Whitestone Rock. (And there are no B&B’s that offer the same experience there.) Honestly, I need some quiet time to rejuvenate. 

This will be our goodbye to it until, hopefully, we see it again next spring/summer. 

Since the theme of today’s post is dreaming of cooler days and free time, we have also been planning our anniversary trip for October and have rooms booked for the San Juan Islands. The first stay will be on Friday Harbor. (Above)

The second stay will be on Orcas Island (below). The Inn we will stay at there reminds me of the old Wayside Inn near Boston, where we stayed in 2019. 

I can’t remember what ‘us time’, ‘me time’, feels like, but I have a vague memory of it being wonderful.