If lightning was a horse...

...maybe I could then ride during a thunderstorm...but alas I cannot.  Everyday it seems to storm right when I get off work.  The worst weather being up north and near the mountains where the stable Millie is kept at.

I called Terri today and let me know I couldn't make it out and that I would pay the $25 for the next month to have her find someone to muck the stall.  She deducted that from the lease since I was willing to muck when I went out.  I just can't risk going out when there is lightning going all through the sky and landing near the mountains just above the Flying W.  I don't like to risk it when the clouds are nearby, lightning in Colorado is nothing to mess with out here, even on a blue sky day with a nearby dark cloud I've seen bright bolts of lightning appear from nowhere.  Better to be safe.



It still means I've paid a lot of money to not get a lot of riding in.  Most Sundays have been fine since I have all day to make it out there, it's just the darned weekday when I have a window of a few hours at the most.  Uge.  I only have myself to blame.  I settled for a horse lease when the facility lacked an indoor arena, so I'm a victim of nature and her ways.  I sometimes feel like I just washed the money down the drain everytime the rain pours out of the skies.  Terri will try and work with me to let me have some make up days when the weather is better so we'll see what happens.

Close your eyes

I went out on July 22nd to Laurie's for a lesson.  It has been WAY too long!  Riding Divine again was so nice, she has such a nice gait, and well I'm kinda partial to the Arabian so it was nice to see the beauties again.

Laurie had me on the lungeline since it had been so long, I would have suggested that anyways!  We worked on the sitting trot, two point, posting trot and also did various stretching exercises with my arms and twisting my body...good balance exercises.

Driving back out the driveway and looking back at the pony dots in the distance

Then Laurie had me sit the walk but with my eyes closed and just feel the horse beneath me.  We did a few stops during the walk as well, just to shake things up.  I have to say it was a little scary at times but it made me realize that my eyes fool me into thinking I don't need my seat as much as I really do.  I think that if I see that evil thing that's going to scare my horse or cause a quick change in pace, seeing it will keep me safe...or so I think!  Nope, seeing it will often make me tense and actually prevent me from relaxing and moving with my horse.  Towards the end I was beginning to feel myself trust my seat and the horse beneath it, I let my body move with her through the speed ups and halts. 

Clouds rolling in as I drive home from Falcon

I think that with some of my recent set backs with falls, spooks etc. going back to basics is a very good thing for me, I'm sure Laurie would agree.  My seat is pretty good in the walk but I tense up in the trot.  Once I got into the canter with Willy I would relax again, only to tense up again if he picked up speed or suddenly something didn't go the way I wanted.  The transitions, the quickening of pace, the sudden movements cause me to lose my steady seat and tense up like a log.  Hmm, maybe I should take some cutting lessons on a horse!  That would really teach me to move with the horse and balance with my seat!  LOL. 

Well this Friday I have another lesson with Laurie.  I can't wait to go out again and see her and the horses.  I know my frustration with my lease will melt away!

Trotting Tempos and Fast Halts

Nothing like almost going over your horses head!!  Millie responds very quick to me asking her to halt or slow down.  I don't feel I'm asking for it any different than I have before or when I ride Divine.  I've been working on Millie with smaller circles trying to keep her trot at a steady pace.  The arena is pretty flat so I don't have that issue to work with but she still tends to speed up the trot and it's a choppy short paced quick trot.

I've been bringing her to a halt and she doesn't ease into the halt, she halts on the spot and I get thrown off balance.  I guess that is good practice for my seat but I still don't like the sensation. It's just going to take some time and work but hopefully I can do more trail riding to just enjoy that with Millie for the next three months.  My wednesdays which I was thinking would be good days for just working in the arena have been few and far between due to really heavy storms with lightning.  In Colorado you don't mess with that!

I found that smaller circles helped with her staying at a nicer trot and not trying to speed up as quickly.  Maybe I should work on posting though to that fast trot, it just seems so quick and choppy, not like Divine.  I'm not a good judge as to whether the gaits can be enhanced by collection so that's why I have such difficulty or if it's all me needing to work on better balance so I don't feel so much bounce and inconsistancy.  Maybe it's a combination of an uncollected horse and an unsteady rider?  I have two lessons soon with Laurie, I think Friday evenings will work out the best for both of us for now.  We'll see how things go.  I miss my Arabs and can't wait to go see them again!

Quick Starts Trail Ride

I took Millie out on a trail ride again after a long time of working on her with ground work and riding in the arena.  She's even less trained than Willie, meaning she's not good with leg yielding, and has an even rougher way of going.  I love sitting the trot on Divine, it's heaven...as far as sitting trot goes.  Millie it's rather difficult with, but anyways I'm getting on a tangent.

I figured I needed to go on another trail with Millie to get over that little hump.  Walking up to the gate that leads to the back of the Flying W property and the trails Millie stopped several times and needed some good proding.  I need to bring my crop for incentive I think.  I went up the actual trail, no to the right like I had done before.  Every little thing Millie spooked at, a bird flew overhead, she started.  A butterfly, a stick, the bird songs.  Uge!  I ended up walking her up and down the same little bit of trail to the point of me and hopefully her getting bored.  She eventually calmed down.  I tried myself to remain pretty calm and relaxed but that is certainly an ordeal when the horse you are on stops and starts every few steps!

After the trail ride I gave her a nice grooming and mucked her stall.  I haven't been as into this lease horse.  There just isn't much of a connection.  I don't know if it's her or her breed.  Arabians do have that something special don't they?  My lease ends October 31st and at that point I feel I am done leasing.  I want to get ready for my own horse and then I can just work with my horse and my horses problems and not feel like I have to deal with some body elses issues.  It's hard to not have a consistant approach to the horse.  I doubt the way I ride or work with a horse is like Terri her owner.  That's the same problem I had with Willy.  At least I still get to go out and do things with a horse.  Millie is sweet in her own way and I do get satisfaction when I can release her from her pen into the nice pasture.  We'll see how the next trail ride goes with Millie!  We'll get there, at least to the point where we can have a nice ride without any major scares!

Armada Bay Equestrian Center

Armada Bay is right across the street from where Willy is on Meridian, pretty convenient since I felt that was a good distance from my house.  It's a nice area I already know!  The facility is about 10 acres or so.  The owner bases her boarding on the "Paddock Paradise" book, which is a philosophy based on research of wild horse habits where the paddocks are set up as tracks so the horses are in constant motion to go eat hay, find shelter or drink water.  It was an interesting concept and I want to find that book to read to better understand this.  She pretty much only has pasture board for $335 a month, trailer parking is included.  There are several track boarding areas and then one large pasture that she rotates the horses through.  It was very impressive.

She had an outdoor arena, another arena type area and a small indoor arena.  The tack room was a good size and then there was an area near the tacking stalls for people to put their trunks etc if they had them.  No extra cost.  There might be an extra cost for grain depending on the amount the horse needed.  I know the area and the neighborhoods so I know of some riding plus there is the trail that goes out to Peyton and then from there another park to ride in.  It's pretty close in Falcon so easy access to trailer out somewhere too.

Next to the outdoor arena looking at the indoor arena/tack room building

The only catch is that each horse there has to be in a training program or lesson program.  I asked her what that entailed and what regular sessions meant.  She stated a couple times a month is fine and the sessions are $25 each.  I know I will most likely have my new horse in some type of training when I first get him or her and it may be really convenient to have a trainer that I like at the facility I'm boarding at.  I'll just have to tread carefully and see what the contract details would entail.  I like the facility but I don't know if I want to be tied to a training regimen at all times.  On the same token it might be a good idea.  Who knows how soon I'll have a trailer and be able to trailer my horse over to Laurie's. 

The facility had mostly boarders in their 30's and up she stated and they have regular excursions where they go out for rides as a group.  Sounds fun!  I definitely will keep this facility on the list.  It might not be at the top because of training requirement but I feel it was a good concept and the pasture board I desire.

Norris-Penrose Equestrian Center

Norris-Penrose is a nice big facility located right in town.  Only ten minutes from home or work.  It features many large arenas and an indoor arena plus access to a cross country course with access to trails galore.



Inside the barn

 Those are really the only good things.  The facility board starts at $400 a month for indoor stall board.  Turnout is $40 for half day $75 for full day, the turnout are in smaller pen type areas that really do not equate to turn out in my opinion.  Everything is extra here, blanketing in bad weather $60 a month, parking the trailer $10 a month, private locked tack rooms....they nickel and dime you to death.  For what I would want it would easily be $500 a month and I still wouldn't get the type of pasture board I think a horse deserves.

The stable is big and there are a lot of boarders and a good chance to meet people to ride with.  A lot of different disciplines are represented here and the stable manager really does seem to genuinely care about the horses.  It's just the "standard" accepted boarding style of stalls and small runs, it's the "norm" here.  Their pasture turn outs are no more than big runs really.  At least the horses can be turned out with another horse or two. 



One of the multiple outdoor arenas

 The biggest thing going for it is the location and the amenities as it relates to humans.  If I could find this exact same facility, in this location but with several acres of pasture that the horses could be turned out on I would be very inclined to board here.  I just can't justify the stall and run type board at this cost....honestly I can't justify it for even a cheaper price.  I think it's much better and healthier for a horse to be out and about in a pasture with other horses getting socialization, having the natural movement of grazing etc.  That may mean more scratches and bumps but I think a horse should be a horse.  Oh well...moving on.  It may be a good facility to go to if my horse is injured and required to be stall bound and only hand walked but this facility is very low on the list.

Boarding facility Criteria

I've started taking a look at boarding facilities.  I figure it's a good idea to have a list of facilities that I find acceptable so when I do have my horse on the way I can call down the list and find one that has an opening.  I'll have done the legwork beforehand so I have less to worry about when I have the major undertaking of getting my future horse vet checked and then transported home. 

My top three criteria for a boarding facility:
1) Pasture Board/combo pasture board with safe fencing
I believe horses are happiest when they can be outside with friends in a natural environment with a small herd.  I don't like the pen situation that a lot of boarding facilities have.  One facility I contacted stated that most horses that were let out to the arena alone would stand by the gate to get back to their stalls.  Um...yeah, no forage and being away from their friends, of course the horse wouldn't want to stay there.  Now if there was forage and a few other horses with them I think the situation would be totally different.

2) Indoor arena
As I've experienced lately, an indoor arena is paramount during the week when often times the summer storms come at the exact time I can go riding.  I've come to enjoy the freedom of an indoor arena.  No matter the weather I can ride.  Granted I would prefer to be outside on a trail but any work that can be done during bad weather is good work!

3) Access to "trail" riding
I really would like at least some trail access directly from the property.  I don't want to have to trailer my horse to a trail every day.  Weekends are one thing since I'll have more time but after work during the week it's good to at least have some trail access so I can trail ride even during my busy weekdays.

Of course I want good care that includes regular feeding (at least twice a day or more of hay and grain) and pasture foraging or free access to hay in the pasture, inexpensive or included trailer parking, tack room or locker for me to put my stuff, and then a decent amount of boarders around my age to form a little horse community.  I also don't want the facility to be too far away from my work or home so I can see my horse nearly everyday and not rack up a huge gas bill.  Oh and an easily accessible bathroom!  The one at Flying W is a porta potty, which is fine, but it's out of the way in a dark area of the stable so it's really hard to see without a flashlight!  LOL.

I love Laurie's facility but I would be the only boarder, it's pretty far out for me and I don't think there are many trails around (although neighborhood riding is fine with me).  It's pretty much an ideal place for a horse and I'm not just saying that.  She takes very good care of the horses, they are in a herd situation and have nice pasture in which to frolick and be horses!  Plus she now has a indoor arena!!  I think it's more the distance and the fact I couldn't network as much with other riders.  I'd like to find a facility where I can meet others that I could ride with and become friends with.  None of my friends are horsie people so it would be nice to have that community.  So the search begins!

Another rainy day

Seems that the little rain we have received and now the rain that seems be more prolific, always seems to ruin my chances of riding on Wednesdays.  There is no indoor arena at the farm and the rain seems to stay longer at the Flying W on the western side of town.  I don't want to get soaked to the bone or struke by lightning!


I think for my boarding facility that I will board my horse at will have to first, have good care and free access to a pasture to run around in (I don't want my horse in a stall or small pen all of the time).  Second I need to find a place with an indoor arena, so I can ride no matter what.  Third of course would be trail access right near the stable.  Anyhow, I'm just sitting at home sad I can't ride today.  So I'm watching RDTV with some horse TV shows.

So Much for riding

So a few weeks ago I arrived to see Millie and Misty, her chestnut neighbors mom was there.  Apparently the automatic waterer that extends into both "stalls" was not refilling the water and both horses were parched.  The owner had brought water from home, not sure why since I thought the stalls had pumps for water, and filled up the waterer and another bucket for her horse.  Millie had water. 

The waterer

I couldn't ride her since I didn't know how long she'd been without water, she drank a lot while I was there mucking her pen and giving her a quick brush over.  She also played with the water in her lips, kind of biting it!  Perhaps she was just THAT thirsty.  For fear the water would not refill after she drank, I looked in the "tack room" that is in the back of the run in shed.  I didn't see any bucket that I could be sure would be safe to use for drinking water.  The only one that Terri, Millie's owners had was one with sponges and a bottle of shampoo....probably not a good idea to use that one!

The pens, Millie with Misty her neighbor

 

The tack room behind the sheds

Big R was way out east and I didn't know where else was close to get anything that would work so I decided to try out the Walgreens right down the street.  Luckily it's summer so I found an ice tub for drinks.  When I got back to the stable I filled the "bucket" with water using the little pump in the stall, the water trickled out but eventually it filled.  I showed Millie the water and she played in it and then took many big gulps.  Later that evening I found out that the waterer had been fixed and was refilling again.  Millie's owner thanked me for the effort I made to take care of Millie.  What else was I going to do?

Mean clouds that preventing me from riding!!

This past Wednesday I arrived to the stable in a drizzle.  The clouds around were threatening thunder and lightning.  I saw a few flashes in the sky, so decided it was best not to try and ride since this facility lacks an indoor area.  I still needed to muck the stall but didn't want to use the metal wheel barrow in the threatening weather.  I decided to use the blue tub that since the water issue had remained unused in the tack room.  It took just two trips to bring the piles of manure to the manure pile.  Then I loved on Millie for a bit.  I noticed one of the railings had been bent or kicked off it's weld and the edges were really sharp.  I looked in the tack room to see if there was any type of tape or something I could at least wrap the sharp edges in so Millie wouldn't get hurt.  Walgreens to the rescue again!  I ran over to Walgreens to grab some duct tape, then came back to the stable to wrap the sharp pipe.  When I got home I would contact Terri to let her know about it.  Since it was still icky and lightning, I gave Millie a hug and headed home.

The sharp edges!!!  YIKES!

The next day I received an email back from Terri thanking me again for protecting Millie.  She said that earlier that day Millie hadn't finished her food and later that evening had coliced.  She didn't want me to worry since recently she had the farm up the quantity of hay given to her.  I felt so bad for Millie, apparently slight changes in amounts and sometimes even cuts of hay cause her to colic easily.  I don't bring more than one or two baby carrots if I bring any at all after Terri told me about her propensity.  I definitely think this is a good reason why horses should be out in a pasture to graze most of the time so they have constant gut motility and motion from walking around the fields.  Oh well, I hope Millie feels better soon. 

Duct tape to the temporary rescue!

I asked Terri to let me know if she feels like I shouldn't ride on Sunday.  If it's fine for me to I will take it slow with her and be very aware of any change in her behavior.  I had noticed nothing when I was there the other night.  Thinking back there was one weird poop that was more green but not too weird looking and there were a few sprigs of hay left scattered on the shed rows floor.  After this I feel I have a better idea of what to look for, at least it sounds like the farm pays good attention to the horses in their care! 

Always good to have duct tape accessible in your "tack box"

Hopefully I'll ride on Sunday and then I have plans to see Laurie and Divine soon!  More posts to come for sure!

Millie trying to get Misty's attention

A little paint mare

So I have been absent on my blog for way too long.  Bad blogger!!  I don't know why and I'm sure why but I make a pact right now to be better!  I do have to say through most of May I felt really horrible, I had bronchitis and was out of work for a week and the recovery seemed to take forever before my lungs felt normal again.  Needless to say I didn't feel like doing much, including riding!

Muddy Millie

 I've been leasing a cute paint mare for a little over a month now.  Her name is Millie and is a nice bay paint (hahaha, I know I leased Willy and now Millie ;-)  I ride her on Sundays as well as Wednesday for $200 a month.  The only catch was I had to pay for my 6 month lease all up front....anyone ever heard of that?  Or well.  The lease price is average for a two day a week lease.  She's boarded at a pretty rickety place, the Flying W Ranch, I would have never guessed.  It's very bare bones but there is a 3 acre paddock owners can let their horses out on for 2 hours to graze.  The location is fantastically close to my house but again, no free grazing for most of the day.  I think horses should be in a paddock as much as possible!  When I first started riding Millie she wasn't very affectionate with me, she was a bit stand-offish but as we've gotten to know each other and grown more comfortable she's sweetened up; not that she was ever nasty by any means!

Cute foal friend

So since riding her I've had another fall, yipee!  I'm getting good at these!  I've been kicked in the knee (back leg hoof picking and she jerked her hoof) and dealt with a couple rearings (while I've been on the ground thank goodness!).  Now this all may sound terrible but let me explain a little to catch you all up on my horsie adventures.

The hoof picking incident occurred because I found she had a habit of kicking out her legs as I was releasing them from being picked.  I just happened to have my knee in the way...oops!  I've since worked with her and held her leg while rubbing her rump and slowly placing her hoof back to the ground.  That seemed to work for her and now she's just a complete rag doll when it comes to moving her legs!  Yea for me and Millie!

Squeals of delight or annoyance?

The fall, happened when we went on our first "trail ride" into a cow field behind the barn areas, she spooked at her shadow, grass, a rock...something!  I came off and nearly hit a cactus...whew!  I need to stop falling and freaking out about falling so I can relax my seat and stay steady!  This is no fun!  Since the fall I did a lot of ground work with her and it seems like she has become a bit more responsive to me.

The rearing occurred because she started getting really upset when ever I put my hands up towards her face.  The first time she did this was one time I was about to bridle her and she reared and pulled way back on the halter and lead.  Those Aussie tie rings are great for horses that need work with tying, she was able to give herself room and then calm down.  Go Clinton Anderson!  I spent many times out to see her just working her on lunging in the halter and then repeatedly moving my hands in the "offensive manner" until she finally calmed down to where she was before.  Her owner thinks she was smacked in the face one day by the remnants of an electrobraid wire that is looped around the top of her pen.  Who knows I may have poked her wrong one time I was bridling her I'm just glad Millie and I worked it out but I'm very steady and cautious as I bridle her now.  I place my hand with the brow band part on her nose and slowly slide up her face...slightly different technique than I'm used to but it seems to work with her.

The good husband!

The first time I tried lunging her I had the same issues with Willy where it felt like the horse was just swinging their butt out of the way of my stick.  I've since watched and re-watched a Julie Goodnight and Clinton Anderson show on lunging and have a better idea of how to get her started.  I don't think I had enough patience to have her catch on to where she needed to go to "relieve the pressure".  After our first round pen session I found myself stuck in the pen.  The chain link was stuck in the opening that you slide it through to secure the gate.  I worked on it for about 10-15 minutes and finally just pulled out one of the sections, and moved it to create a gap wide enough for a little paint mare and me to get through.  Millie just calmly stood by like nothing out of the ordinary was happening.  Oh the embarrassment!  Luckily no one was there to witness it but Millie and of course I'll tell all of you about my mishaps when I could have never even mentioned it...but to laugh at oneself is fun right?  After the fact of course!

Millie is not really responsive to leg yielding and the first time I tried to canter her she spun in a tight circle instead of continuing in the strait line we were on.  Yeah, that freaked me out.  But for the most part I feel I've worked through some of the biggest difficulties.  I'm hoping to make it out by 10am on Sundays to catch a group that goes for trail rides on Sunday mornings. 

How a horse should always be!

I'll have to go into other details about the waterer issue or the muddy fetlocks or the constant bit chewing but I can only take on so much at a time in life and in my blog!  I've only been out to Laurie's a couple times, seems I always forget I want to ride on Mondays and when I remember it's too late notice to call her.  Other times she's been on vacation or I have, that's been the past couple of weeks!  I miss Quinntessential Arabians with a passion!  Anyways, I promise I will not been gone from this blog for so long again!  Hope you all are having happy rides so far this summer!

Hi Millie!  Um I'm trying to take a picture stop coming at me!