5/29

Time with Kris - worked on moving the fore and hind from the ground, then the hind in the saddle.  Also played with the send on the circle.  Then rode up the driveway and let her leave on the trail between Jena and Sue.  She went alone and felt for Rio to hit a threshold.

I had Starlet for the lesson.  Starlet struggled to find a neutral and she worked hard to eat grass.  She got better and her mouth feels improved and less hard.  She's getting quieter in the bit.  We'll keep working on it.  These quiet sessions are doing her good.

Gem, for the first time since I've owned him (5+ years), called for us as we left.  He stood at the end of the pasture and watched us leave.  He was the there the whole time until we returned.  I've never, ever seen him do that.  I wasn't sure I understood it, but I thought it was probably because he didn't want to be left behind.  He wasn't calling for the horses and he wasn't happy when we returned.  So I finished with Starlet and pulled Gem out, tacked him up and took him down the rode.  He was happy and didn't think about home a single time.  It was so interesting!!  He wanted to go out and do something!

5/28

Trail ride wtih Gem and Jen on Oso.  Just did a loop in the neighborhood.  Gem was fanastic.  Finished with some jumping on Gem.

Then started working on online audition filming.  Z5 driving was a little rusty, but we got some footage for me to study.  I have a few things to develop with Z.  Lead by the tail needs to be more responsive.

5/21

2 hours with Kris.  Went up the road.  Worked on figure 8 at the trot.  Played with moving the fore.  Then sideways from the saddle after leaving the property.  Rio struggled to move his hip to the left.  Hopped on him to help him figure it out.

Gem was a fantastic partner throughout the lesson!  so proud of him.  Did a 15 min dressage ride in teh arena afterwards.  Worked on light transitions and opening up the trot.  He did great.

walking and riding

with chrissy and kyle

cowboy, rain, z

walked 4 then rode 2 back

rode cowboy a bit

chrissy did great

kyle walked rain some (i think he and Rain were not getting along great)

lesson with kris in the morn

she and rio did 20 mins of passenger!!

great, great sideways

figure 8

mounting is improving

rode ellie - great ride

lots of trot and feeling her move out

rope hack, want to get back to the bit

she's ready for more

6 miles with Z

It's time to get serious about conditioning Z. With my walking, I have a lot of opportunity to bring her along and walk some, ride some. Today, I took her for 6 miles and I walked 3 and rode 3. I walked the first 3, straight out from home. I then got on to ride back. Well, Z had a little more interest in going home than I expected and I ended up with a lot of horse under me! I had Deuce and the sun was setting fast. For a minute, I thought I had gotten myself in a jam.

I called Steve to come get Deuce as I was worried about it getting dark and cars whizzing by on the dirt road. I then went to work on Z partnering up with s-bends and sidepassing. After about 1/2 mile, she was with me and good to go. We came home in the dark, but the moon was so full we still had a shadow. Z was so great after the initial few minutes and I just love that mare. I asked her to trot some and she went straight into her ground-covering extended trot. Boy, that mare can fly!

I had boots on her fronts - her frogs are a little unhealthy right now. Hoping to turn those frogs around quickly with white lightening gel treatments, trimming and keeping them extra clean.

Come on, SPRING!

The weather finally gave us a reprieve today. It was warm (about 50) and only a little breezy. The snow is finally melting and the horses are starting to shed. I had a little pep in my step! I maybe did too much, as I was absolutely exhausted by bedtime.

Started with a short trail ride with Kendall and Chrissy. Chrissy and Cowboy left the property confidently, but unfortunately the country road sights and sounds were a little too much. We only went about a mile before we decided to turn around. Z was excited but responsive. It was great to ride away after a few months of indoor arena and riding only on the property.

I trimmed Z's fronts and Ellie's fronts. Z is struggling with some thrush so treated again with white lightening and managed her frogs. Ellie has a very flat foot but some good structure to work with. I didn't get to her hinds as she was having a hard time standing still with the herd out of sight.

I then rode Ellie in the indoor. She was full of energy and again, worried about the herd. She actually reared with me in the saddle for the first time. Surprised me! I brought the herd closer with some hay outside the indoor and we were able to have a better ride. We worked on the trot and circling and figure 8's. I thought she'd be going home today, but looks like she's here for a few more days. I will ride her some more while she's here. I want to build on the new attitude she found after yesterday. I had to hop off after the rearing and do some focused ground work. She worked up quite a sweat, but her idea of partnering with me was much better and she was ride-able.

After that, Steve and I fixed fence so I could re-open the west pasture. It's been closed due to down fence for 2 months. There's still 1-2 feet of snow in that pasture! This will be a huge melting week.

After all that, I had my 4 miles to walk for Avon training. I was so tired, it was more like a stroll. But I did it! Great day.

Great day!

7.5 with kk at Hidden Mesa with all 3 horses. Gem running alongside us off lead. KK had a fantastic time, and so did I. trimmed Rain, touched up Z and Gem. Then some liberty with all 3 in the round pen. Rain is the weaker link - need to work on some liberty with her.

Hosed them off and Z and Gem went down to roll in the round pen, but not surprisingly, Rain didn't. She's never been much for a roll. not sure why.

A great fall ride with some of my favorite people

Had such a great time with Jen, Jess, Chrissy today at Indian Creek. I took Rain so I could help her and bring her along some more. This was Chrissy's first ride of the year and she did beautifully (so did her horse!). Jess rode Kade on the trail for the first time and Jen and Lynx worked on more advanced concepts.

We went for a long ride - about 4.5 hours and covered about 12 miles. The fall colors were still in force and we got some great pictures. Everyone was smiling and happy! We stopped for lunch in the meadow just as the forest opens up towards Sharptail.

It was just a fantastic day. I loved this day.

The Corn Maze!!

Took all 3 horses and the whole fam damily to the Hudson Corn Maze. http://www.wildwestmaze.com/index.html We had a BLAST!! I brought Gem, Rain and Zarah with Kendall riding Rain, D riding Z and me on Gem. The horses were a little worried at first. The corn is dry now and makes a lot of noise! The wind kept the corn moving and making it's noise. It's also 10 feet tall easily, so there's no looking over it. It was awesome!

Kendall had a little trouble with Rain at times, as Rain knows Kendall isn't always in charge. That's ok, KK learned some things and handled herself with a lot of maturity. D didn't try to manage a horse. He navigated the map so we wouldn't get lost and I ponied him for most the time. About half way through, I decided to switch with him and let him ride Gem. This actually worked out better because then I could manage Z and her high energy. She never truly settled in the maze. Gem and Rain were cool and calm, but Z - not so much. Z also really desires to lead when she's worried and she can be a little forceful about it. I believe that's her alpha mare mentality.

It was a great time and D loved navigating us through the maze and following the map. We agreed to go next Sunday on "dog day" with Deuce and Oscar. Really a fun time!

Gallopin!!

Fun day! Picked up Deb (in her truck and trailer) with Z and did a FAST 7.5 miles at Hidden Mesa. Then, got home and gave a lesson to Kris and Rio.

Deb and I galloped a few times and Z was stretched out and racing her heart out! Fun! I cut my finger pretty bad just before we tacked up at the trailhead, so I had a make-shift pressure bandage made of vet-wrap and an old mitten. I was not going to miss the chance to ride, darn it!

Kris and Rio worked on circle game and sideways with porcupine game. We also played with the smile trick a bit. Fun lesson in the indoor arena! This was a tough day for Kris, however. She was struggling with her trust in Rio more than usual. I'm sure the next lesson will be different as she really pushed her bubble today.

Kris also trimmed Rio.

Fox Run with Gem and Jen

Really nice day with my Jen! We so rarely ride together, it was nice to go out and spend some time. We took it pretty easy and Gem was slow and lazy. I tried to get some forward out of him, but he was just slow and lazy... and slow. I remembered how much I adore Z today. :-)

I helped Jen out with trot diagonals and straightness on a circle. I think she enjoyed the new concepts and felt a difference in her horse. Gem and I worked on getting a light depart. Otherwise, he just felt tired to me. I put boots on him after a while because I was wondering if his feet were sore. It helped a little, but really he just didn't have any energy.

Might need to add some supplements to his diet. I'm riding him a lot and asking him for more than usual. He did well today, regardless.

Dome Rock!!

Had a fantastic day with friends, my beautiful daughter, Gemini and Rain riding Dome Rock today. Dome Rock is one of my favorite spots in Colorado. The aspens are starting to turn and the yellows and reds were magnificent! Kendall had a rough spot about 1 hour in, but she did a great job of holding it together and then ended up having a great time. We trotted and cantered a lot and the horses got an excellent work out. Rain did it barefoot w/o a single issue. Gem wore boots on the front. Gem had a minor bucking episode (of course!) when we were cantering down a hill with a sharp turn at the bottom in sandy footing. I wanted him to slow so we could make the turn easily but he was concerned about the mares getting too far ahead. I could feel him having an opinion about my ask to slow down and he humped up for 4-5 decent bucks. Silly boy! I wonder if that will simply always be there, that response to buck when things aren't going the way he wants. It's ok, he can't get me off and he doesn't scare me anymore. Besides the occasional buck, he's become a fantastic trail horse!!

Gemini and Rain at Dawson Butte

Kendall is back on the trail!! I'm so happy. I've missed trail riding with my daughter. She's been riding Rain over the past few months but just at home. I asked her to go and she said YES. We went to Dawson Butte and I let her lead on Rain. She really liked being able to set the pace and lead us down the trail. Gem was fine behind, so I was happy to let KK lead. She took us into a trot a lot of the time and she wanted to canter a lot, so we did some. I tried to keep Kendall from doing too much cantering since I wanted her first time back on the trail to be positive. Rain did give a hefty spook at the end of our ride and Kendall not only stayed seated beautiful, she wasn't afraid at all. She's a natural.

Gem was an awesome trail horse and I practiced asking for a soft feel while we went. I want to use that in dressage so I'm trying to work on getting that soft feel without having to move his body a certain way to get it. I want to teach him to round w/a very subtle cue. We'll get there because he's so smart and willing. I just have to put in the time with him.

A fun, fun day with beautiful weather, my amazing daughter and 2 of our fantastic horses.

Rain and Starlet work up a sweat!

Rode Starlet after a few minutes of falling leaf and circle game. We rode in the front pasture and I kept it to walk/trot as I haven't ridden her in quite some time. We worked on lateral flexion, backing and maintain gait. She was nice and soft and easy-going. Next session, I'll up the ante and ask for more speed and some maneuvers to stretch her. She did quite well though.

Then, I pulled Rain out and decided to pony Starlet off of Rain and move on out. We left the property and headed down the trail. Rain left the property so easily which is impressive as I haven't ridden her off the property in months. She was full of life, too. We cantered some, which got Starlet excited - but it was fun! Starlet is so much faster than Rain, so we did more trot than canter just to keep things manageable. Coming back, the herd was anxious for their missing mares and a couple geldings called, but Rain and Starlet stayed on task - not at all concerned.

A really nice time and I was out with them until the sun went down and the sky was dark.

50 Miles with Z

50 mile endurance ride at Turkey Creek in Colorado Springs.

Barefoot the whole ride!!!

25 and 25, only 1 vet hold. All A's though and good heart rate recovery.

stopped at mile 19 to fill her gut. Just felt like I needed to.

she didn't want to keep leaving camp, that was tough. Good to know for future rides.

the 2nd half, rode with a small group. I really like riding alone. I think I prefer it.

Used my Barefoot with the new wool seat. It worked great!

Z was so strong and really happy to go. She is such an awesome endurance horse. I look forward to campaigning her next season. Starting early and racing often.

1st Place in Middleweight Division 30 miler at Rushcreek

Wow, what a day. My Z-mare is amazing. We've done a few 15 mile events over the years and I've always wanted to do more. However, between Parelli, riding with less endurance-minded friends, and life in general have gotten in the way. I decided to drive to the Rushmore Reunion ride with no horse friends - only my family... and my dog Deuce. We arrived late, around 9:30pm and I know Z was stressed from the drive and the strange environment. The ride start was 6:15am with vet checking at 5:30. Yikes, that's early.

I got her settled and Steve and the kids left for their hotel. After a rough and short night's sleep, we checked in, tacked up and got ready to leave. At 6:15-ish, we were off. I decided to hang back with a nervous rider and enjoy a slow start. I figured I'd save Z and make sure we had enough to get us through the 30 miles. After the first mile or so, things were settled and I decided to let her open up and move out. Boy, she really moved out!! We passed people 1 after another and by around mile 8, we were with the lead group. I couldn't believe her. She had no interest in hanging with the horses we passed, she just wanted to move those legs in that amazing extended trot of hers. She was amazing and that ride was a thrill!!

We came in at the vet hold in the front of the pack. We did our short hold (only 40 minutes!) and we headed out again. She had the same power stride and desire to cover ground. She'd eaten well at the hold, so I felt pretty good about letting her go. We led the whole 2nd loop and came in to the finish first. I wish my family had been there to get a picture of us coming in. It was an amazing feeling to finish before everyone else!!

She didn't pulse down quickly enough and the 3 other riders that finished close behind us timed in before us. I wasn't sorry a bit, though. She wanted to be the first in. She really wanted it. She's not as conditioned as I'd like her to be, but she's got what it takes to excel in endurance. We ended up with 1st place

in our division (MW), 4th place overall and a top ten award. We were done at 9:51, which makes our 30 mile ride time 3:36 minutes which includes the 40 minute hold. I just can't believe how fast we were going. I couldn't believe how easily she passed every other rider. What's even cooler is that she was barefoot!

What a great ride! What a great horse I have! And so thankful my family came to support my horse and me.

Conditioning!!

A fantastic ride on Z at Highline Canal for 14 miles with Melissa and Kholo! Rode in my Barefoot and I dare say I'm starting to like it. Z felt great - she's ready for the Happy Jack. Kholo has great endurance - we're going to have a blast.

Came home and hopped on Starlet briefly and helped Chrissy get through a short riding session with her horse Cowboy. She hasn't ridden him in months, so I was glad she hopped on. She didn't seem very scared at first but she had a hard time getting him to go along with her ideas at first. Starlet felt nice and we trotted a little until it started to rain.

It's really time to get Starlet going!

On the trail with Gem

Had a great 7.5 mile trail ride on Gem with Deb at Hidden Mesa this morning. Gem was responsive and light and we got some good conditioning in with a trot pace for lots of the trail. He never once got silly or obstinate and we had some very nice canter departs. Fun ride!!

The Sand Creek Adventure!

Mosquitos, bush-wacking, cars, strollers, bikes, walkers, water crossings, huge cement blocks... this is the stuff dreams are made of.

A whole lotta laughing with Melissa as we rode Sand Creek Regional Park. There was construction so we had to go "off-trail" and loop our way back. The off-trail was not really meant for horses. We had to get off a couple times, for safety's sake, and let the horses make their way w/o us.

We managed to get 8.5 miles in and got some serious obstacle training done with our horses! It wasn't the distance ride we wanted, but it was fun!

I think I have 242 mosquito bites...

Hitting the trail with Z and the kids!

The whole family loaded up and wen to Cherry Creek Resovoir today. We entered at the dog park, which was fun! Z is so used to dogs, she has no issue but I love the dogs reaction to my horse. The kids brought their bikes and were going to ride along with Z and me. They had fun. Z was nervous about going too far down the trail, so I played with her "go" about 2 miles in. It wasn't a great conditioning ride - more of a training ride. We haven't done a lot of trail riding alone these days, so we need to rebuild some confidence.

Only went about 4 miles, but enjoyed the time watching the kids bike and seeing the dogs.