I had the great pleasure to ride with my friend Teresa at her house today. It was the first time I'd ridden Liberty since last week's clinic and I had him in his bit, which I'm not sure he likes too much. It was going to be a slow paced ride, so it was a good chance for me to practice a lot of what I learned in the Dr. Deb clinic, but I wasn't counting on how the wind and a couple of beginner riders would throw off my birdie and Liberty's too. We did do some nice flexing and I got to practice winding him down when he skittered off at a too fast trot. I was not at all happy with my stopping skills over logs. I have gotten used to having a pretty good handle on him on the trail and riding him in a bit, out in the open, felt like I had nothing on his head at all...and I didn't like the feeling. I think I will continue to school in the bit, both on the trail in slow, controllable situations, but I will be using my s hack on the trail in competition. I'm also thinking of looking into getting a Jim Warner hackamore, which comes highly recommended and supposedly has more "bit like" qualities...though I'm sure it's really just another curb based hackamore. I did ride in the sidepull for a little while too. It was more the feel I'm used to, but I discovered if I accidentally put both reins on together, he would toss his head...something he had not done in a long time.
I do understand that I have to retrain him to work for me in one of these bridles, and that it's evidently not going to be very easy. I just don't really like that to ride classically and to do the right thing I'm having to give up on the one "bit"--the s hack--that I felt worked the best of all my tools I have used to far. It would be so much easier to just continue and not try to change. However, having seen the results of last weekend, I don't want that to be my answer.
Showing posts with label trail riding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trail riding. Show all posts
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Nice ride until the cactus
Cactus hurts! Yes, I realize that is a huge newsflash, but it's one I share freely. Yesterday, while having a really nice ride with a friend, Liberty spooked huge at something (problem a wild turkey or a deer) and left me hanging in the air just above a huge prickly pear. Of course, since gravity is ever present, I went straight down into the cactus and the fire ants next to it. I wasn't hurt, and got up quickly. Liberty being the good boy he is did not run away. (Funny how he runs away in the pasture as a game before I ride him, but seems to know leaving me after I have fallen off is just wrong) Peter helped me to pick out the prickles I couldn't reach, but I have some embedded still as I have little welts where the prickles will just have to fester out. Oh well...it was a nice ride anyway. I got back on and rode off. Funny how I'm not scared of him and really don't worry about him spooking, even though he does. I think I just trust him.
The bad news is that I now missed two Zumba Classes. I'm bummed, but I could not zumba being sore from falling off and still having prickles.
The bad news is that I now missed two Zumba Classes. I'm bummed, but I could not zumba being sore from falling off and still having prickles.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Weigh In
I maintained this week. I have only lost a total of 20.5 now. I was at 24 pounds, but then gained weight back over the holidays. I have lost some of that, but not any in the last 2 weeks. I know some of it was going to San Antonio and some other cheating, but I'm recommitting myself to ditching at least another 10 pounds before the end of February.
I did another Zumba class tonight. I didn't enjoy this class as much as I did the first one. It was a different instructor, and was actually a little easier, but I found that the faster pace not as interesting. There is another one at 7pm tomorrow at the same place that I went before and I hope to make it over there in time after seeing clients.
I get to ride with Alanna tomorrow. The weather is supposed to turn south the next day, so I will be grateful for the ride.
My 50 mile ride may be in danger. Max, my friend Eric's horse, is sick and he doesn't think his mare is in good enough shape. He doesn't want to drive from MO to TX for 25 miles and I can't blame him. Doing a 50 alone sounds pretty dull to me...will give it some thought.
I did another Zumba class tonight. I didn't enjoy this class as much as I did the first one. It was a different instructor, and was actually a little easier, but I found that the faster pace not as interesting. There is another one at 7pm tomorrow at the same place that I went before and I hope to make it over there in time after seeing clients.
I get to ride with Alanna tomorrow. The weather is supposed to turn south the next day, so I will be grateful for the ride.
My 50 mile ride may be in danger. Max, my friend Eric's horse, is sick and he doesn't think his mare is in good enough shape. He doesn't want to drive from MO to TX for 25 miles and I can't blame him. Doing a 50 alone sounds pretty dull to me...will give it some thought.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Nice riding, almost one week
I weighed this morning and it looks like I will be getting in my full five or six pound loss tomorrow I think. I'm so happy. I can see where my sodium was really high before and how that was really holding me up. I'm logging all my food in sparkpeople and it wouldn't allow me to lose 65 pounds by February 23. I had to move the goal out to May 23 before it would give me a calorie range of 1200-1400.
Tonight I made the best chicken for dinner! I put lemon pepper on it and lemon juice. At the end I'm made a sauce of white wine and I thickened it tiny bit of flour. It was really, really good. I also sauteed mushrooms and zucchini together. I only used a tiny bit of the sauce b/c this diet is low fat and low carb, so I don't want to mess up my fat burning. After dinner I had my treat of a sugar free popcicle.
Today I realized how much Peter's boredom eating has affected me. He will go into the kitchen and start prowling. I never realized that I would often get "hungry" along with him. He would prowl, I would think about what time it was, or start thinking about eating. Last night he was doing it and I asked him if he was hungry. He wasn't, but he wanted food. He went after the chocolate chips in the cabinet. I asked him not to eat them b/c Maggie was going to use them to make cookies.
I'm finding that it's really a lot easier not to eat at all, even when hungry, than to try to regulate my eating. I'm learning again that I need less food than I thought I needed in the past.
We had a great ride at Six O today. We left Fiera alone in the pasture and she didn't go nuts and break any fences, so that was great. She's learning to be independent at an early age.
Tonight I made the best chicken for dinner! I put lemon pepper on it and lemon juice. At the end I'm made a sauce of white wine and I thickened it tiny bit of flour. It was really, really good. I also sauteed mushrooms and zucchini together. I only used a tiny bit of the sauce b/c this diet is low fat and low carb, so I don't want to mess up my fat burning. After dinner I had my treat of a sugar free popcicle.
Today I realized how much Peter's boredom eating has affected me. He will go into the kitchen and start prowling. I never realized that I would often get "hungry" along with him. He would prowl, I would think about what time it was, or start thinking about eating. Last night he was doing it and I asked him if he was hungry. He wasn't, but he wanted food. He went after the chocolate chips in the cabinet. I asked him not to eat them b/c Maggie was going to use them to make cookies.
I'm finding that it's really a lot easier not to eat at all, even when hungry, than to try to regulate my eating. I'm learning again that I need less food than I thought I needed in the past.
We had a great ride at Six O today. We left Fiera alone in the pasture and she didn't go nuts and break any fences, so that was great. She's learning to be independent at an early age.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Sunday, Day 5
Today started out in a big rush. Jena spent the night with Maggie and I had to get the girls out for church at 8:30. The a/c was busted in the sanctuary. So, it was warm. Jena was sleepy and the pastor overheated. They had the second service in the fellowship hall, where the a/c was working. Peter was the assistant minister for today's service and he was also cantor. He did a great job. His tone quality and pitch memory are coming along as he becomes less nervous with the job.
I decided to eat lunch today instead of summer. It worked out well, but I did eat a little more, and a few things off plan. I still only totaled 1100 calories for the day and I did walk for 20 minutes, so I'm hoping that will counter act some of what I ate that wasn't correct. WE went to our favorite hamburger joint. I had a mushroom swiss burger, hold the bun. I added extra mushrooms, ate no fries and had a side salad. It was very satisfying. We ate about 2pm and I wasn't hungry for a shake until about 6:30. I still have one more shake to go, which I will have before bed. I'm proud of myself b/c I didn't eat any bread or any of Peter's french fries even though he offered me one. At this point in the game I'm better off not eating anything sweet or carby. I like that stuff way, way too much.
When we went to check on the horses, we found that the horses behind us were in our field again. I walked over to find out who I needed to talk to get the fence fixed, but no one who lives in the house has anything to do with the pasture. I called the girl who used to be behind me, and she said she'd try to round up some phone numbers, but not to hold my breath. Peter and I fixed the fence with what we had to fix it...at least they will have to go through a solid object to come over now. But, I do worry someone will get hurt. I don't want mine going over there anymore than I want them over at my place. I have hay, so they are coming over to eat my hay. If it keeps happening, I will probably lodge a complaint with the police department. I'd really rather not do that if I don't have to. It won't engender good will.
Maggie went to Hurricane Harbor with a friend's daughter and had a nice time. Peter and I came home and watched an old British Comedy we like called Allo, Allo. It was funny. Now I'm procrastinating writing my notes by writing in my blog. I need to be going through the laundry on my bed as well. I don't see myself doing that either.
Tomorrow Maggie and I will go riding with our friend Robin at Six O Ranch in Cleburne. I may be buying some fencing to fix the back just in case my friends come back over yet again. Maggie will do her math in the car while we drive. It's going to be such a nice day tomorrow.
I weighed on the Wii fit this am and I am down 5.3 pounds since last Tuesday when I weighed on the Wii before going to Medifast. That was really exciting!
I decided to eat lunch today instead of summer. It worked out well, but I did eat a little more, and a few things off plan. I still only totaled 1100 calories for the day and I did walk for 20 minutes, so I'm hoping that will counter act some of what I ate that wasn't correct. WE went to our favorite hamburger joint. I had a mushroom swiss burger, hold the bun. I added extra mushrooms, ate no fries and had a side salad. It was very satisfying. We ate about 2pm and I wasn't hungry for a shake until about 6:30. I still have one more shake to go, which I will have before bed. I'm proud of myself b/c I didn't eat any bread or any of Peter's french fries even though he offered me one. At this point in the game I'm better off not eating anything sweet or carby. I like that stuff way, way too much.
When we went to check on the horses, we found that the horses behind us were in our field again. I walked over to find out who I needed to talk to get the fence fixed, but no one who lives in the house has anything to do with the pasture. I called the girl who used to be behind me, and she said she'd try to round up some phone numbers, but not to hold my breath. Peter and I fixed the fence with what we had to fix it...at least they will have to go through a solid object to come over now. But, I do worry someone will get hurt. I don't want mine going over there anymore than I want them over at my place. I have hay, so they are coming over to eat my hay. If it keeps happening, I will probably lodge a complaint with the police department. I'd really rather not do that if I don't have to. It won't engender good will.
Maggie went to Hurricane Harbor with a friend's daughter and had a nice time. Peter and I came home and watched an old British Comedy we like called Allo, Allo. It was funny. Now I'm procrastinating writing my notes by writing in my blog. I need to be going through the laundry on my bed as well. I don't see myself doing that either.
Tomorrow Maggie and I will go riding with our friend Robin at Six O Ranch in Cleburne. I may be buying some fencing to fix the back just in case my friends come back over yet again. Maggie will do her math in the car while we drive. It's going to be such a nice day tomorrow.
I weighed on the Wii fit this am and I am down 5.3 pounds since last Tuesday when I weighed on the Wii before going to Medifast. That was really exciting!
Monday, August 17, 2009
Vacation so far
I left Arlington early on Friday am to head to my mom's house in Nixa, MO. I had planned originally to take horses so that we could ride in some new locations, but after thinking about my 8 mph truck and my 26 mph car, I decided to ditch the extended horsey road trip for another month. We are entering a lot of rides this far and as much as I would have loved to have ridden in new places for 2 weeks, I decided saving the cash for the rides was better...Peter was happy that I did that.
I got to my mom's mid-afternoon where she and Maggie were enjoying a quiet afternoon. Mom taught Maggie to cross stitch and Maggie had finished one picture and started another. Mom was going to make homemade ice cream to take to my brother's house for dinner.
It was great to see my brother and his wife and kids. My brother made ribs and we had a great dinner. Eric's grill got really hot for some reason though, and melted the lid on his grill. The meat was fine on the inside, but a little black on the outside. Maggie loved being able to play with her cousins as they have a great big yard and they have a lot of equipment. she played baseball and ran around fighting jedi knights with her cousin, Travis. Saturday we had a relaxing day and were able to read and watch TV. Maggie's cousin, Reagan came over to play and then we hung out with mom in the evening and ate her hamburgers, which are always great.
Sunday we headed to Warsaw, MO to ride with my friend, Eric Nelson, at Berry Bend State Park on the horse trails. He was telling me how rocky they were, and I didn't really believe they could be any worse than trails we have in TX, but they were so rocky. At one point, Eric asked me why anyone would ask a horse to go barefoot on trails like those and I confess, I had to agree with him. I have no doubt that Liberty could, but having seen them, I would definitely boot him.
Eric brought his stallion, Max to ride. Maggie rode Rouge, who I rode at the Cedar Creek NATRC ride 3 years ago and I rode Prima, who is Deli's half sister. I had a heck of a time getting on that silly horse. She's a full hand bigger than Liberty and when I adjusted the stirrups to the right position, even standing on the curb I couldn't quite reach the stirrup. She doesn't stand so well, and that didn't help either.
Max and Rouge were ready to run and Prima was at first, but the poor thing just couldn't keep up all the time. We did trot a little in the beginning when it wasn't very rocky. Her trot was so smooth, it felt like she was barely coming off the ground. Deli feels that way when she trots too. I had forgotten how nice it was! Toward the end of the loop, she began to wait and eat and puff and blow and then decide the other two horses were far enough away and go catch up. We came to a water hole and I thought she was going to take me swimming for awhile. But, she was happy to stand in the hole and let me sponge her off. We only did about 8 miles total, but I think it was all she was ready for that day. I was riding in Eric's Tucker. I had always thought they looked so comfortable, but when I got off I found that the top of my hamstrings and my hips hurt so bad that I'm not sure I could ride in that saddle long term. Eric says it's b/c we only walked and that could be, but boy, I'm still sore, even today. Eric invited us to go to KS to a MODTRA ride next Saturday and I think we're going to do it. He has someone else riding Rouge, but Maggie is going to ride Prima and I'm going to volunteer.
I was so impressed by how well behaved they were and how they let us each ride them and didn't even care they'd never seen us before. They were such good ponies, and I had a great day getting to visit with Eric, who I just don't get to see often enough.
I got to my mom's mid-afternoon where she and Maggie were enjoying a quiet afternoon. Mom taught Maggie to cross stitch and Maggie had finished one picture and started another. Mom was going to make homemade ice cream to take to my brother's house for dinner.
It was great to see my brother and his wife and kids. My brother made ribs and we had a great dinner. Eric's grill got really hot for some reason though, and melted the lid on his grill. The meat was fine on the inside, but a little black on the outside. Maggie loved being able to play with her cousins as they have a great big yard and they have a lot of equipment. she played baseball and ran around fighting jedi knights with her cousin, Travis. Saturday we had a relaxing day and were able to read and watch TV. Maggie's cousin, Reagan came over to play and then we hung out with mom in the evening and ate her hamburgers, which are always great.
Sunday we headed to Warsaw, MO to ride with my friend, Eric Nelson, at Berry Bend State Park on the horse trails. He was telling me how rocky they were, and I didn't really believe they could be any worse than trails we have in TX, but they were so rocky. At one point, Eric asked me why anyone would ask a horse to go barefoot on trails like those and I confess, I had to agree with him. I have no doubt that Liberty could, but having seen them, I would definitely boot him.
Eric brought his stallion, Max to ride. Maggie rode Rouge, who I rode at the Cedar Creek NATRC ride 3 years ago and I rode Prima, who is Deli's half sister. I had a heck of a time getting on that silly horse. She's a full hand bigger than Liberty and when I adjusted the stirrups to the right position, even standing on the curb I couldn't quite reach the stirrup. She doesn't stand so well, and that didn't help either.
Max and Rouge were ready to run and Prima was at first, but the poor thing just couldn't keep up all the time. We did trot a little in the beginning when it wasn't very rocky. Her trot was so smooth, it felt like she was barely coming off the ground. Deli feels that way when she trots too. I had forgotten how nice it was! Toward the end of the loop, she began to wait and eat and puff and blow and then decide the other two horses were far enough away and go catch up. We came to a water hole and I thought she was going to take me swimming for awhile. But, she was happy to stand in the hole and let me sponge her off. We only did about 8 miles total, but I think it was all she was ready for that day. I was riding in Eric's Tucker. I had always thought they looked so comfortable, but when I got off I found that the top of my hamstrings and my hips hurt so bad that I'm not sure I could ride in that saddle long term. Eric says it's b/c we only walked and that could be, but boy, I'm still sore, even today. Eric invited us to go to KS to a MODTRA ride next Saturday and I think we're going to do it. He has someone else riding Rouge, but Maggie is going to ride Prima and I'm going to volunteer.
I was so impressed by how well behaved they were and how they let us each ride them and didn't even care they'd never seen us before. They were such good ponies, and I had a great day getting to visit with Eric, who I just don't get to see often enough.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Great riding
I thought I should post about my fun day riding at Six O today. Maggie is out of town so I decided to ride a bit with my friends, since I'm usually riding with Maggie and my friends. Robin (same robin as Tracey's story) met me at Six O today with one of her older horses, since Shetan was tired from all the riding at PHR. we did about 20 miles, and tried to go faster than my typical 3.5 mph. I think we averaged 6.5 until the end when we walked in and it brought our average down to about 4.5 Liberty was great all day long. he was always willing go forward, trotted, walked and cantered when I asked. Opened a few gates, and just generally was a good boy. We came in and ate lunch and then headed back out for a second, shorter loop. The second loop, he wanted in the water somewhere badly! We drank out of the bass pond, but I didn't let him go in since I didn't know how squishy the bottom was. Liberty scared me at the stock tank by putting a whole hoof into the stock tank by the windwill, which was no good. I pulled him back very quickly. At the last windmill, he put his hoof on top of the concrete. He loves the water, so I had to get off and lead him up to the water or he would have jumped in.
I also got to ride yesterday at the grasslands with Amy Crane. she has done one NATRC ride, at IT, several years ago. She also did the TTC recently at Cbar. She has a really sweet saddlebred/arab cross named Lexie, who she bought from Leslie Sloan. We mostly walked with a little trotting, but we had a great time. Liberty did take me swimming when we got back to camp...he loves his water. I think Wishi should give him her water wings.
I also got to ride yesterday at the grasslands with Amy Crane. she has done one NATRC ride, at IT, several years ago. She also did the TTC recently at Cbar. She has a really sweet saddlebred/arab cross named Lexie, who she bought from Leslie Sloan. We mostly walked with a little trotting, but we had a great time. Liberty did take me swimming when we got back to camp...he loves his water. I think Wishi should give him her water wings.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
I'm in a weird mood
I'm feeling blue and melancholy tonight for no apparent reason. I feel like I"m bored, yet I have things to do...yet, I don't want to do them. I wasted a good riding weekend just sitting around. IT's not entirely true. I didn't waste it. I had Peter's family here today and that was great fun. They all came for lunch and Peter's brother's and wife's birthdays. I got to see my inlaws and I haven't seen them since Christmas. Maggie has gone back with her grandparents to Peter's brother's house, where she will spend the night hanging out with Peter's mom and getting to play with her almost 2 year old cousin tomorrow. Normally I really enjoy the alone time. Tonight I just feel odd. I had thought when they left to go to Nick's house (Peter's brother) I would go ride my horse, but I didn't. I was feeling comfortable in my chair and I played Sims 3, which is a complete waste of time, but was fun anyhow. Now I really wouldn't mind going out, but it's 8:20 and I have to work early tomorrow, so I won't go.
I was supposed to meet someone to camp tomorrow night and ride both tomorrow night and Tuesday morning, but she had to cancel. So, I was going to go ahead and go down tomorrow night and camp, but it seems strange to camp all alone with no one else around. I have enjoyed the rides I have gone on alone, but to go to a place and be completely alone just doesn't sound like fun. I think I have decided to sleep at home tomorrow night and get up at 4:30 and drive to Athens to ride. I may even put out a note to the NATRC list to see if anyone is free that wants to go. If I could find some other people to camp, then I'd go down, but going alone just doesn't feel right. I wish that Maggie could go with me, but she goes to her dad's on Tuesday and with her going to visit my mom in a few weeks, I don't want to take them away from each other.
I have been wanting to judge in STC/TTC and I'm finding out that people don't find me to be qualified right now. I have been trying to reinvent myself, but evidently I'm not quite there yet. Yesterday it really upset me, but now I've decided that I would just as soon ride and enjoy my horse for the rest of this year and see what a year of campaigning can do for me. I have already decided to ride open next year. Maggie wants to, but it may not be time for Dixie yet. We still have saddle issues to work out!
I did ride at the field last night with Maggie trying out my new Icelandic saddle. I don't think it's going to work on Liberty so well. IT's a Duett Bravo and it's billed as a trail saddle. It's too small for me, but I think it fit him OK. It also looks like it may work on Dixie, but Maggie wasn't sure she was crazy about the way it fit her. So, it will probably be up for sale. It's nice saddle and I got it for a good price, so I can probably resell it for the same money again.
I was supposed to meet someone to camp tomorrow night and ride both tomorrow night and Tuesday morning, but she had to cancel. So, I was going to go ahead and go down tomorrow night and camp, but it seems strange to camp all alone with no one else around. I have enjoyed the rides I have gone on alone, but to go to a place and be completely alone just doesn't sound like fun. I think I have decided to sleep at home tomorrow night and get up at 4:30 and drive to Athens to ride. I may even put out a note to the NATRC list to see if anyone is free that wants to go. If I could find some other people to camp, then I'd go down, but going alone just doesn't feel right. I wish that Maggie could go with me, but she goes to her dad's on Tuesday and with her going to visit my mom in a few weeks, I don't want to take them away from each other.
I have been wanting to judge in STC/TTC and I'm finding out that people don't find me to be qualified right now. I have been trying to reinvent myself, but evidently I'm not quite there yet. Yesterday it really upset me, but now I've decided that I would just as soon ride and enjoy my horse for the rest of this year and see what a year of campaigning can do for me. I have already decided to ride open next year. Maggie wants to, but it may not be time for Dixie yet. We still have saddle issues to work out!
I did ride at the field last night with Maggie trying out my new Icelandic saddle. I don't think it's going to work on Liberty so well. IT's a Duett Bravo and it's billed as a trail saddle. It's too small for me, but I think it fit him OK. It also looks like it may work on Dixie, but Maggie wasn't sure she was crazy about the way it fit her. So, it will probably be up for sale. It's nice saddle and I got it for a good price, so I can probably resell it for the same money again.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Hot Fourth of July
Well, OK, duh, it's hot and it's July which makes it summer...
Our fourth started with a bang and some sparks that were NOT fireworks related. In the middle of the night we noticed the house was really, really quiet. The power was off. The dog was barking in Maggie's room. I got up (and was able to see without glasses or contacts thanks to Lasik Surgery) and found the neighbors on the front lawn and 2 firetrucks in the street lights flashing. The teen age boy next door told me they heard a pop and had sparks in the backyard so they called the fire department. Sounds like a transformer blew. I have no idea what time it was, but it was really, really dark. So, I'm guess 4am or before. I didn't go to bed till midnight, so I was pretty bleary eyed. I came in the house, which was thankfully still cool. Peter couldn't sleep anymore so he was up and down after 5. I finally got up at 7:45, Maggie was awake then so we ended up all getting up and going to breakfast.
Now, I'm home, getting ready to cook a brisket...which seems to be a great summer sort of thing to do. I'm getting the fire ready right now. I like the char the brisket and then bring it in, wrap it in foil and cook it in a sauce.
Last night I rode with my friend Amy Crane. It was great fun. We left about 6pm and rode until dark. It was much cooler than riding in the day time. It was good to ride as it got cooler instead of it getting hotter. The horses did great, until the deer started popping up. It was really fun until they got jumpy. We did get out into the lake and that was so pleasant. The horses were great and wanted to go in deeper, even though there were boats and wakes. I was so pleased how sensible they were. We did a little trotting and cantering to work on Amy's confidence. Her last horse bucked her off at the canter so she's working on her confidence to canter again.
Our fourth started with a bang and some sparks that were NOT fireworks related. In the middle of the night we noticed the house was really, really quiet. The power was off. The dog was barking in Maggie's room. I got up (and was able to see without glasses or contacts thanks to Lasik Surgery) and found the neighbors on the front lawn and 2 firetrucks in the street lights flashing. The teen age boy next door told me they heard a pop and had sparks in the backyard so they called the fire department. Sounds like a transformer blew. I have no idea what time it was, but it was really, really dark. So, I'm guess 4am or before. I didn't go to bed till midnight, so I was pretty bleary eyed. I came in the house, which was thankfully still cool. Peter couldn't sleep anymore so he was up and down after 5. I finally got up at 7:45, Maggie was awake then so we ended up all getting up and going to breakfast.
Now, I'm home, getting ready to cook a brisket...which seems to be a great summer sort of thing to do. I'm getting the fire ready right now. I like the char the brisket and then bring it in, wrap it in foil and cook it in a sauce.
Last night I rode with my friend Amy Crane. It was great fun. We left about 6pm and rode until dark. It was much cooler than riding in the day time. It was good to ride as it got cooler instead of it getting hotter. The horses did great, until the deer started popping up. It was really fun until they got jumpy. We did get out into the lake and that was so pleasant. The horses were great and wanted to go in deeper, even though there were boats and wakes. I was so pleased how sensible they were. We did a little trotting and cantering to work on Amy's confidence. Her last horse bucked her off at the canter so she's working on her confidence to canter again.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Trouble with Heat
Maggie and I got to ride at the Trace Trails today in Athens, TX. We had a pleasant ride in spite of the heat, except that Dixie had trouble with the heat. Her heart rate was fine, her temperature was slightly high, but not too bad, but her breathing was out of control. We trotted/cantered a little, but not a lot. We mostly walked. She was eating and drinking well and acted normal, except for the panting. I haven't been able to figure out what the problem was since she didn't seem to actually be hot. She didn't sweat as much as Liberty, but she did sweat. She also got another girth gall from the English saddle Maggie has been using, so it's back to the saddle drawing board. I'm not sure what we will do about The Other Half ride next weekend. Dixie was still panting when she unloaded at home in spite of multiple hosings. She got right off the trailer and started eating. She never had any signs of stress. Her gums weren't injected and her skin didn't tent. She was a little better after a dose of electrolytes, but I am very puzzled.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Great Day of Riding
Maggie and I had a fantastic ride today. We headed out to Benbrook Lake to ride today. I have spent alot of time working on obstacles lately and I think Liberty has just been tired of it. We had a behavioral incident on Friday, which included me hitting dirt (hate it when that happens). I took yesterday off to recover, but today we had decided we needed to get out there and move! Liberty really doesn't like all the tiny detail work, so it was time to do something he did like. We really didn't move very fast, but we did move at will. We mixed it up, some of me in front, some of Maggie/Dixie in front. We had lots of interesting terrain and we stopped a few times to work on backing or stepping on rocks, but mostly we just moved out. We rode for about 3 hours, but I have no idea how much ground we covered. I don't think we went very fast really, as we spent a lot of time walking very pokey walks to offset their more enthusiastic trots/canters.
I used a kimberwicke on him today (still looking for the perfect bit) and he was really good. Of course, I realize that there is a honeymoon period involved with bits, but today was as good as any he's worked in. Because of the curb I was able to get his head back up when he tried to graze and I was able to get the control I wanted without a lot of pressure in his mouth. I know that he may go better on long trail rides in a s hack or some sort of English hack, b/c his mouth is so small and he had trouble eating with it in his mouth. I still prefer the idea of a snaffle, but I have to admit that he was very happy with this in his mouth. For now, I will use it, to see if it's what will work for the Scamper. I still will do the bending exercises in a snaffle at least 1 day per week. If i think he's going to be stressed b/c of the bit, i will switch back to the sidepull for the competition. He did place 2nd in it before, after all, but now he feels better in a bit.
Then we came home and I got the bright idea to check in with the Wii fitness coach, who berated me (electronically that is) for not being more consistent with my workouts. So, I ended up putting on the 15 yoga routine which turned out to be more work than my 3 hour ride. My muscles are shaking. Maya promised relaxation and stretching, but now I have twitchy muscles.
I have been contemplating what to do for Lent...I have decided...to give up Coffee. It's the one thing I can't seem to live without in my day, so it's the perfect thing to give up as a sacrifice. I will still drink hot tea for breakfast, so I'm not really trying to completely decaffeinate, but this will keep me away from Starbucks and McDonalds early in the morning...well, I can get hot tea at Starbucks, but since all they do is give me a tea bag and some hot water, I think this is a no brainer!
Tomorrow am, we are getting up at 7 to work out before work. Maggie has no school tomorrow and the plans I thought I had in place for her have fallen through, so she is going to be at work with me. I had wanted the day off, but since the Activity Director left, and she hasn't been replaced yet, they really needed me to work tomorrow and Maggie doesn't really want to be home by herself all day. I figure she can bring her computer and play Sims, do 1-1 visits, pass out mail and help me bring people to groups.
I used a kimberwicke on him today (still looking for the perfect bit) and he was really good. Of course, I realize that there is a honeymoon period involved with bits, but today was as good as any he's worked in. Because of the curb I was able to get his head back up when he tried to graze and I was able to get the control I wanted without a lot of pressure in his mouth. I know that he may go better on long trail rides in a s hack or some sort of English hack, b/c his mouth is so small and he had trouble eating with it in his mouth. I still prefer the idea of a snaffle, but I have to admit that he was very happy with this in his mouth. For now, I will use it, to see if it's what will work for the Scamper. I still will do the bending exercises in a snaffle at least 1 day per week. If i think he's going to be stressed b/c of the bit, i will switch back to the sidepull for the competition. He did place 2nd in it before, after all, but now he feels better in a bit.
Then we came home and I got the bright idea to check in with the Wii fitness coach, who berated me (electronically that is) for not being more consistent with my workouts. So, I ended up putting on the 15 yoga routine which turned out to be more work than my 3 hour ride. My muscles are shaking. Maya promised relaxation and stretching, but now I have twitchy muscles.
I have been contemplating what to do for Lent...I have decided...to give up Coffee. It's the one thing I can't seem to live without in my day, so it's the perfect thing to give up as a sacrifice. I will still drink hot tea for breakfast, so I'm not really trying to completely decaffeinate, but this will keep me away from Starbucks and McDonalds early in the morning...well, I can get hot tea at Starbucks, but since all they do is give me a tea bag and some hot water, I think this is a no brainer!
Tomorrow am, we are getting up at 7 to work out before work. Maggie has no school tomorrow and the plans I thought I had in place for her have fallen through, so she is going to be at work with me. I had wanted the day off, but since the Activity Director left, and she hasn't been replaced yet, they really needed me to work tomorrow and Maggie doesn't really want to be home by herself all day. I figure she can bring her computer and play Sims, do 1-1 visits, pass out mail and help me bring people to groups.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Feeling Discouraged
Today has not been a good day. I went riding with Maggie, and my friend Dana, both of which should have been fun. But, I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this am. I had the feeling I should skip the riding, but I didn't want to let Dana or Maggie down. I had taken NyQuil last night and think I was hung over, but as the day wore on I didn't feel any better. I felt a bit dizzy and just off kilter. Liberty started out being a total pain the butt. He wouldn't stand by the gate to open it. He acted scared when I tried to move him next to the gate. I had to be pretty firm with him a few times to get him to mind, but in the end it backfired. Out of nowhere (when I thought we were finally on the same page) he started bucking. Just when I thought I had the situation under control he shied and sucked back, leaving me on the ground. Of course, I got up, brushed myself off, and remounted, but I didn't want to let Maggie out of my sight after that as it may have been Dixie's running around elsewhere that caused the outburst. It did cause his last bucking fit, but most of the time the other horses don't seem to be an issue, so I don't think that was it this time. I think he had had enough of me being hard on him (and i was)and I had had enough of him being a pill (and he was) and the end result was a blow up. I rode him some more after and he was fine. We trotted and walked, but he was still not as soft as I'd like him to be. We did a lot of lateral work, which wasn't good for him (well, good for his body, but not his brain) I just hate falling off so badly. I hate how mad I was and how mad i know he was. I hate that I couldn't relax and work through it calmly...but I admit that one moment of being hard on him, each time he was naughty, did get the job done faster than all the nice things I do. He didn't run away when I fell off either, so that was pretty cool.
We did have a few good moments. He did sidepass a log both directions (though it wasn't always pretty) He did back up a hill. He did only act up that one time (I hate bucking!) I need an instructor to help me work on this stuff. Jennifer has been great, but I feel like I need someone to help with the trails.
Maggie had a blast today. She jumped several logs and she and Dixie had a great time being completely unconcerned about Liberty. It was just Liberty being a slave to Dixie's hormones (or perhaps mine).
Then I called a friend to talk...she promptly told me she'd call me right back and never did. She is always doing that...I'm so tired of that. I feel disrespected and unimportant, at least on this front. It's not just today. If I call, she will talk and then "have to go" and then never call me back. I'm beginning to feel very used and I know that I have been lied to. It's just getting really old. She will call when she needs me, but not call me back when I need her. I'm finding myself feeling very left out right now. I'm resentful of a situation I can't change.
All in all, just a bad day. I'm ready to have a quiet evening with very little activity. My lasik surgery has still interfered with my vision...I still can't watch TV from my spot on the couch. My computer vision is great.
We did have a few good moments. He did sidepass a log both directions (though it wasn't always pretty) He did back up a hill. He did only act up that one time (I hate bucking!) I need an instructor to help me work on this stuff. Jennifer has been great, but I feel like I need someone to help with the trails.
Maggie had a blast today. She jumped several logs and she and Dixie had a great time being completely unconcerned about Liberty. It was just Liberty being a slave to Dixie's hormones (or perhaps mine).
Then I called a friend to talk...she promptly told me she'd call me right back and never did. She is always doing that...I'm so tired of that. I feel disrespected and unimportant, at least on this front. It's not just today. If I call, she will talk and then "have to go" and then never call me back. I'm beginning to feel very used and I know that I have been lied to. It's just getting really old. She will call when she needs me, but not call me back when I need her. I'm finding myself feeling very left out right now. I'm resentful of a situation I can't change.
All in all, just a bad day. I'm ready to have a quiet evening with very little activity. My lasik surgery has still interfered with my vision...I still can't watch TV from my spot on the couch. My computer vision is great.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Always playing Catch up
I didn't realize so many days had gone by since I had posted something. Sometimes I find time to post little snippets from email throughout the week, but these last couple weeks I haven't had time to write anything it seems. I also didn't have time to call my mom and I was properly chastised...Of course, I still haven't had time to call her so I need to get that done in the next couple days.
We had a great weekend around here, up to the point when I realized that Maggie's room was a terrible mess and that it needed to be cleaned. Sunday while she and Jena were at the pool, she called to tell me that she had forgotten her clothes and could I get them from her room. I couldn't find any clothes in her room, so I lost it! If Jena hadn't been here, waiting to go to a lesson today, she would have been grounded for the next week. As it was, I found some clothes and took them to her, but I'm still pretty furious.
Today we were supposed to have a lesson and take Jena to have her lesson, but it is raining. We need the rain, so I'm not complaining too much...other than for the fact that I rearranged my schedule for the week so we could have lessons today and it looks like I will have to re-rearrange them back to today so I can take them on Thursday. Jena starts school next week, so I really wanted to get them to Jennifer before school starts. I plan to take Maggie to the water park Friday (if she gets her room clean) so Jena can come with us and do that as well.
This weekend, my friend Teresa Musgrave, invited several of us to her place to ride. It was Maggie and myself, Karen and her kids, Rachel and Travis, a friend of Rachel's and her mom, and two other ladies who also ride Paso Finos. Liberty was a nervous wreck the whole time we were there. I don't know what it is about going to Teresa's house that makes him so nuts. It could be the riding in a large group because I make a huge effort to NEVER ride in a big group. I like to ride on my own terms under my own agenda. Yes, it's selfish, but I'm comfortable being in front, being in charge and not having to wait around. It's good for me to step outside this box, but since it's not the way I typically do things, it's rough on my horse (and me) to change our way of going.
I did find a sore spot on one of his legs. He looks like he might have scratches. I have been treating it but he was a little gimpy b/c of it the other night. Poor fellow.
We had a great weekend around here, up to the point when I realized that Maggie's room was a terrible mess and that it needed to be cleaned. Sunday while she and Jena were at the pool, she called to tell me that she had forgotten her clothes and could I get them from her room. I couldn't find any clothes in her room, so I lost it! If Jena hadn't been here, waiting to go to a lesson today, she would have been grounded for the next week. As it was, I found some clothes and took them to her, but I'm still pretty furious.
Today we were supposed to have a lesson and take Jena to have her lesson, but it is raining. We need the rain, so I'm not complaining too much...other than for the fact that I rearranged my schedule for the week so we could have lessons today and it looks like I will have to re-rearrange them back to today so I can take them on Thursday. Jena starts school next week, so I really wanted to get them to Jennifer before school starts. I plan to take Maggie to the water park Friday (if she gets her room clean) so Jena can come with us and do that as well.
This weekend, my friend Teresa Musgrave, invited several of us to her place to ride. It was Maggie and myself, Karen and her kids, Rachel and Travis, a friend of Rachel's and her mom, and two other ladies who also ride Paso Finos. Liberty was a nervous wreck the whole time we were there. I don't know what it is about going to Teresa's house that makes him so nuts. It could be the riding in a large group because I make a huge effort to NEVER ride in a big group. I like to ride on my own terms under my own agenda. Yes, it's selfish, but I'm comfortable being in front, being in charge and not having to wait around. It's good for me to step outside this box, but since it's not the way I typically do things, it's rough on my horse (and me) to change our way of going.
I did find a sore spot on one of his legs. He looks like he might have scratches. I have been treating it but he was a little gimpy b/c of it the other night. Poor fellow.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Vacation at Bar 50
Maggie attended camp at Bar Fifty Ranch last week in Bismarck, Ar and with gas prices so high I decided to give up a week of work and stay here and ride rather than being burdened with driving back and forth twice. (What a hardship!) Liberty has never really traveled alone so it was a bit of a shock to arrive in a mostly empty campground and find himself alone. He called a little but settled down pretty quick and we had a short ride around camp on Sunday. I have never been much for bareback riding but have discovered that my recent weight loss and strength training on our wii fit has really helped my balance and I was more comfortable without a saddle than I have been in the past.
Monday morning I rode out with a nice family from LA and their grandchildren. We rode for about 3.5 hours and Liberty never got tired or footsore. He was super sure footed and did everything I asked, including not running down the hills after the other riders. He still fusses with his head when I would rather he give a little a little more but he is really coming along.
The trails are rocky and technical and i am looking forward to riding again tomorrow. He isn't used to all these hills but is doing great!
I haven't seen Maggie to know if she's having fun but I'm sure she is. Another NATRC person fom OK brought her daughter to camp too. Gail Kimery, who I met at Indian Territory in 2003, brought her daughter, who is just a few months younger than Maggie. Chris was having a great time, but apparently drinks lots of caffeinated sodas...which makes her a little hyper.
On Tuesday, I rode Liberty today and Kim Harrison came and rode Lissa. Yesterday he was tearing up and down the hills and today he was tired. Toward the end of the ride he wanted to go down the hills sideways and almost ran me into a few trees. He's reining great, but when I tried to move him over with my leg he was annoyed. He gives nicely to pressure from he ground. He's better on his left side than right. I think that he needs the chiro out again, but I won't know for sure until next month.
I gave him Wednesday off to give him a rest. Peter and I ran into Hot springs, walked around, read historial land marks, got a massage, ate good food...basically did very little. I was looking for new boots for Liberty, but couldn't find any that fit (I did buy some but had to return them the next day). When I got back on Wednesday Liberty was bored and rested. I got him out and grazed him. I had switched his pen to a slightly larger one b/c it rained over night both Tuesday and Wednesday so I felt like he could use some more space and a dry base to stand in.
Thursday, my agenda was to ride alone. I used to ride alone when I had my first horse, 20 years ago. However, after my shoulder injury, I got nervous of being out alone and I just haven't ridden alone. Kate Love is always encouraging me to get over it so I have been working up to it. At the stc we did our last 7 miles alone and made it but there were other horses around so we weren't alone alone. Today it was just us. I rode down the road out of camp with no problem, but at the first fork in the road he fought with me. I waited, we went on. At the next fork, same thing. We circled a bit,and we backed, and he went on down the hill. Then half way down the rocky hill out of camp he threw a major hissy and before I could get him straightened out he got part way up the hill. So we waited some more. He went the rest of the way down with no more trouble! He wasn't concerned about the footing, he just didn't want to go out of camp all alone.
Our next bit of trauma were all the puddles left from the storms. This horse loves creeks and lakes, but those puddles were going to eat him! I finally found a puddle in a safe place and worked him through it for 15 or 20 minutes till he would go through it straight both directions. We then went down a stretch of trail that reminded me of the bogs at davy crockett and he was really good! Until we got to one that must have had deep erosion on the bottom b/c all of a sudden I'm ankle deep in muddy water. He handled it fine, went straight and later went on through more of those that were not so deep.
We rode about two hours only but it was productive and he really began to listen to me. We came back in as Maggie's group was going up the mountain. He stood quietly for the others to pass him. I was very proud.
I also finally had a chance to play with the heart monitor I bought from Linda Stanford a couple years ago. He recovered pretty quick on all the climbs but continues to run a little high-12-13 after 10 min. He has a resting heart rate of 39. His breathing continues to be quick. What are the best exercises to work on breathing? Some say more canter and others more trot.
The only thing wrong with my time here is not having more NATRC friends here too.
Monday morning I rode out with a nice family from LA and their grandchildren. We rode for about 3.5 hours and Liberty never got tired or footsore. He was super sure footed and did everything I asked, including not running down the hills after the other riders. He still fusses with his head when I would rather he give a little a little more but he is really coming along.
The trails are rocky and technical and i am looking forward to riding again tomorrow. He isn't used to all these hills but is doing great!
I haven't seen Maggie to know if she's having fun but I'm sure she is. Another NATRC person fom OK brought her daughter to camp too. Gail Kimery, who I met at Indian Territory in 2003, brought her daughter, who is just a few months younger than Maggie. Chris was having a great time, but apparently drinks lots of caffeinated sodas...which makes her a little hyper.
On Tuesday, I rode Liberty today and Kim Harrison came and rode Lissa. Yesterday he was tearing up and down the hills and today he was tired. Toward the end of the ride he wanted to go down the hills sideways and almost ran me into a few trees. He's reining great, but when I tried to move him over with my leg he was annoyed. He gives nicely to pressure from he ground. He's better on his left side than right. I think that he needs the chiro out again, but I won't know for sure until next month.
I gave him Wednesday off to give him a rest. Peter and I ran into Hot springs, walked around, read historial land marks, got a massage, ate good food...basically did very little. I was looking for new boots for Liberty, but couldn't find any that fit (I did buy some but had to return them the next day). When I got back on Wednesday Liberty was bored and rested. I got him out and grazed him. I had switched his pen to a slightly larger one b/c it rained over night both Tuesday and Wednesday so I felt like he could use some more space and a dry base to stand in.
Thursday, my agenda was to ride alone. I used to ride alone when I had my first horse, 20 years ago. However, after my shoulder injury, I got nervous of being out alone and I just haven't ridden alone. Kate Love is always encouraging me to get over it so I have been working up to it. At the stc we did our last 7 miles alone and made it but there were other horses around so we weren't alone alone. Today it was just us. I rode down the road out of camp with no problem, but at the first fork in the road he fought with me. I waited, we went on. At the next fork, same thing. We circled a bit,and we backed, and he went on down the hill. Then half way down the rocky hill out of camp he threw a major hissy and before I could get him straightened out he got part way up the hill. So we waited some more. He went the rest of the way down with no more trouble! He wasn't concerned about the footing, he just didn't want to go out of camp all alone.
Our next bit of trauma were all the puddles left from the storms. This horse loves creeks and lakes, but those puddles were going to eat him! I finally found a puddle in a safe place and worked him through it for 15 or 20 minutes till he would go through it straight both directions. We then went down a stretch of trail that reminded me of the bogs at davy crockett and he was really good! Until we got to one that must have had deep erosion on the bottom b/c all of a sudden I'm ankle deep in muddy water. He handled it fine, went straight and later went on through more of those that were not so deep.
We rode about two hours only but it was productive and he really began to listen to me. We came back in as Maggie's group was going up the mountain. He stood quietly for the others to pass him. I was very proud.
I also finally had a chance to play with the heart monitor I bought from Linda Stanford a couple years ago. He recovered pretty quick on all the climbs but continues to run a little high-12-13 after 10 min. He has a resting heart rate of 39. His breathing continues to be quick. What are the best exercises to work on breathing? Some say more canter and others more trot.
The only thing wrong with my time here is not having more NATRC friends here too.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Supreme Trail challenge
Yesterday was the first Supreme Trail challenge (click on the title to check out the website) and it was a lot of fun. We camped at Seahorse Ranch overnight and rode the trails in the LBJ Grasslands.
First off we didn't pack warm clothes. I had cleaned out my truck and didn't realize that I hadn't replaced the ponchoes and jackets so we were pretty chilly...but we made do. I got up in the middle of Friday night to sleep in the pickup truck b/c I couldn't take the tent smacking me in the 40 mph wind. It really makes me wish I had somewhere warmer and more sturdy to sleep...but all in good time I guess.
The weather was absolutely beautiful once the day began to warm up. We did 20 miles and completed multiple obstacles. Liberty was mostly well behaved, though he had moments of tantrum like behavior. He ate and drank beautifully though--maybe a little too beautifully. I think he has figured out he can stand still if he's eating and drinking. We had to do a gate, sidepass to a mailbox to mail a letter (neither of which we managed too well, but hey, he's green) We stood for a mount, which was good, but not excellent...hoping that if I can finally lose some weight I can get better at mounting. I think I'm doing better, but still not as good as what I would like to do. He finished the day without any bit rubs or back or girth soreness. He's put together so well. I think he's going to be a really good CTR/endurance ride.
Maggie and Freeley had a nice ride. they did some things well and some things not so well. Jena had a good time on Dixie too. Maggie finally got first place...Jena got second. Their scores were very close.
I must be improving in my sensitivity (or getting less sensitive to) people being mean to me. I managed to not even notice when someone was snarky to me yesterday. It was a good feeling to have it pointed out to me that I was right not to like someone I haven't liked b/c they really were mean to me. I guess in a way that's good that I'm getting secure enough not to worry about what other people say.
Here are some photos from my first CTR with Maggie. The photos were taken by John Nowell at the Girl Scout Scamper.
Thses are photos of Maggie with Freeley. This was such a nice shot of them happily cantering across a pretty spot with the reflection from the water
This is Liberty and me trotting across a pasture. He was such a good boy for his first ride.
This is a photo of Maggie, Jennifer and me with our ponies.
First off we didn't pack warm clothes. I had cleaned out my truck and didn't realize that I hadn't replaced the ponchoes and jackets so we were pretty chilly...but we made do. I got up in the middle of Friday night to sleep in the pickup truck b/c I couldn't take the tent smacking me in the 40 mph wind. It really makes me wish I had somewhere warmer and more sturdy to sleep...but all in good time I guess.
The weather was absolutely beautiful once the day began to warm up. We did 20 miles and completed multiple obstacles. Liberty was mostly well behaved, though he had moments of tantrum like behavior. He ate and drank beautifully though--maybe a little too beautifully. I think he has figured out he can stand still if he's eating and drinking. We had to do a gate, sidepass to a mailbox to mail a letter (neither of which we managed too well, but hey, he's green) We stood for a mount, which was good, but not excellent...hoping that if I can finally lose some weight I can get better at mounting. I think I'm doing better, but still not as good as what I would like to do. He finished the day without any bit rubs or back or girth soreness. He's put together so well. I think he's going to be a really good CTR/endurance ride.
Maggie and Freeley had a nice ride. they did some things well and some things not so well. Jena had a good time on Dixie too. Maggie finally got first place...Jena got second. Their scores were very close.
I must be improving in my sensitivity (or getting less sensitive to) people being mean to me. I managed to not even notice when someone was snarky to me yesterday. It was a good feeling to have it pointed out to me that I was right not to like someone I haven't liked b/c they really were mean to me. I guess in a way that's good that I'm getting secure enough not to worry about what other people say.
Here are some photos from my first CTR with Maggie. The photos were taken by John Nowell at the Girl Scout Scamper.
Thses are photos of Maggie with Freeley. This was such a nice shot of them happily cantering across a pretty spot with the reflection from the water
This is Liberty and me trotting across a pasture. He was such a good boy for his first ride.
This is a photo of Maggie, Jennifer and me with our ponies.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Another week gone by
Written Monday and then forgotten:
I can't believe I haven't written anything since last Monday. Last week was so busy and I have been so tired at night I haven't written anything. Then I had some asthma flair up, ostensibly from having camped out in the cold night air on Friday night. However, since Peter is sick, it could be that I really am sick with a cold. IN any case, I took today off since I only missed two clients and the rest of the week was busy. I have no voice, and have been piddling on the computer all day. Maggie will be home soon and I'm going to get her started on packing for her CTR. I am planning to let her go out of town on her own to this ride with her friend Jennifer and her dad. I'm now starting to question weather or not I should do this and if I'm really delusional on what she can handle on her own.
Thursday:
The big news today is that it snowed! It has snowed as much as 6 inches so far in some places. I had to leave Springtown early b/c of the snow. They all laughed at me b/c they thought it was no big deal, but if I hadn't left when I did, I would have been so stuck. They ended up letting school out early, so I only missed one group after all. It was just insane.
I was supposed to get my hair cut in the am, see 3 more clients this afternoon....none of that happened. I got my hair cut today (looks great as always) and then I came home. Well, on the way home, I detoured by the Vietnamese grocery looking for a roasted duck. Unfortuantely, they were out, but I bought some yellow fin tuna and made an asian supper that I was very proud of. IT's been a long time since I cooked just for fun. I made peanut butter thai noodles and stir fry veggies and sesame seared tuna. I loved it all, but honestly, the noodles and veggies were just the best.
I suspect I won't be going anywhere much before 10 in the morning. It's supposed to taper off over night and then warm up dramatically. Maggie is going to the ride without me. She's all packed and they hope to shove off by about 6pm. I was going to bathe Freeley yesterday, but I'm glad I didn't bother as it's so nasty today he'd be filthy again.
It has been a really odd week. Maggie has been with her dad since Tuesday after school. Tonight, she is usually home, but went to a birthday party. I will pick her up in the morning and then take her straight to leave on the trip with Jennifer. I have not seen her all week, though we have talked on the phone. She's mentally and physically ready to do this ride, but I'm sorry I didn't plan to go with her. If I had known the weather was going to be too bad to see my kids for their lessons I would have bugged out and gone too. Liberty is ready if I take it slow. We'd have been fine.
Last weekend we went to a trail challenge. Maggie was the only junior and handled herself so well I decided to let her take Freeley to the ride this weekend. I have been torn all week thinking of what instructions to give her, and I decided just not to say anything. She knows how to ride and she'll be fine.
Liberty handled himself really well too. WE climbed an unscheduled hill and he did it great. He only ran me into one tree, but I think he spooked at a hidden judge. I discovered that he loves the water (too much since he wanted to lay in it) and he fidgets alot, but mostly he's going to be great. I have some good riding planned for this weekend too, but I want to be impulsive and just go with them. If I had known the weather was going to prevent me from teaching on Friday (most likely) I would have told the Sunday people that I was going to be out of town this weekend. IT's just not very responsible of me to just grab my horse and take off...but I confess I am tempted. All my stuff is packed. It would be so easy for me to just go for it...mmmm I think I am trying to talk myself into it. The ride sure does need the entries.
I can't believe I haven't written anything since last Monday. Last week was so busy and I have been so tired at night I haven't written anything. Then I had some asthma flair up, ostensibly from having camped out in the cold night air on Friday night. However, since Peter is sick, it could be that I really am sick with a cold. IN any case, I took today off since I only missed two clients and the rest of the week was busy. I have no voice, and have been piddling on the computer all day. Maggie will be home soon and I'm going to get her started on packing for her CTR. I am planning to let her go out of town on her own to this ride with her friend Jennifer and her dad. I'm now starting to question weather or not I should do this and if I'm really delusional on what she can handle on her own.
Thursday:
The big news today is that it snowed! It has snowed as much as 6 inches so far in some places. I had to leave Springtown early b/c of the snow. They all laughed at me b/c they thought it was no big deal, but if I hadn't left when I did, I would have been so stuck. They ended up letting school out early, so I only missed one group after all. It was just insane.
I was supposed to get my hair cut in the am, see 3 more clients this afternoon....none of that happened. I got my hair cut today (looks great as always) and then I came home. Well, on the way home, I detoured by the Vietnamese grocery looking for a roasted duck. Unfortuantely, they were out, but I bought some yellow fin tuna and made an asian supper that I was very proud of. IT's been a long time since I cooked just for fun. I made peanut butter thai noodles and stir fry veggies and sesame seared tuna. I loved it all, but honestly, the noodles and veggies were just the best.
I suspect I won't be going anywhere much before 10 in the morning. It's supposed to taper off over night and then warm up dramatically. Maggie is going to the ride without me. She's all packed and they hope to shove off by about 6pm. I was going to bathe Freeley yesterday, but I'm glad I didn't bother as it's so nasty today he'd be filthy again.
It has been a really odd week. Maggie has been with her dad since Tuesday after school. Tonight, she is usually home, but went to a birthday party. I will pick her up in the morning and then take her straight to leave on the trip with Jennifer. I have not seen her all week, though we have talked on the phone. She's mentally and physically ready to do this ride, but I'm sorry I didn't plan to go with her. If I had known the weather was going to be too bad to see my kids for their lessons I would have bugged out and gone too. Liberty is ready if I take it slow. We'd have been fine.
Last weekend we went to a trail challenge. Maggie was the only junior and handled herself so well I decided to let her take Freeley to the ride this weekend. I have been torn all week thinking of what instructions to give her, and I decided just not to say anything. She knows how to ride and she'll be fine.
Liberty handled himself really well too. WE climbed an unscheduled hill and he did it great. He only ran me into one tree, but I think he spooked at a hidden judge. I discovered that he loves the water (too much since he wanted to lay in it) and he fidgets alot, but mostly he's going to be great. I have some good riding planned for this weekend too, but I want to be impulsive and just go with them. If I had known the weather was going to prevent me from teaching on Friday (most likely) I would have told the Sunday people that I was going to be out of town this weekend. IT's just not very responsible of me to just grab my horse and take off...but I confess I am tempted. All my stuff is packed. It would be so easy for me to just go for it...mmmm I think I am trying to talk myself into it. The ride sure does need the entries.
Friday, January 4, 2008
LIberty and Freeley and riding for fun
I decided that since Cat and I do so much stuff together, she needed her own tag. I have no idea if she reads my blog or not, so I try hard to never say anything bad (just kidding). She is someone I spend a lot of time with and finally we have been able to ride together. I was trying to find a photo of Cat, but all I can find is a photo of her horse, so I include that too. Merlin is a percheron/andalusion horse who may be my CTR companion for the first half of this year. As you can see, he's kind of a big guy!
Cat and I went riding the other day. WE went out on the trail and Merlin, being the goober he is, decided to jump the first ditch and then commence to bucking when Cat didn't keep up with him. So, he ran home and we walked back. I feel off of him the same way the day this photo was taken. He's just really sensitive about his flanks and he wants to buck whenever he gets scared. I'm hoping some mileage will fix it. I know that if I fall off too many times I won't be keen to ride him much!
I have had some success working with Liberty in the past week. I went back to basics and groundwork. Renee helped in a couple lessons, but I have decided for myself that i like the longe work better. To me all the free longing just made him want to run and I like being connected more. So this week, I got him out and worked him in hand and then we went on a walk to explore scary things. He's a naturally curious creature, so it was more fun than scary all along. We ponied one day and he did that great, taking all his tips from "big brother" Freeley...but as in the above paragraph I had to come back early due to misfortune.
Today was my anniversary. Peter and I have made it 5 years this time and I think we're pretty happy (at least I am, hope he is too) We had massages and went to lunch at The Sanford House in Arlington, TX. My massage was just wonderful, though all too short. I've come to the conclusion that an hour just isn't long enough. Maybe I'll get an hour and a half next time. My massage therapist was named Adriana and she had a really nice pressure and didn't do a ton of kneading. Lots of slow pressure...unfortunately, I tend to stay too tuned in b/c I like to remember my experience...next time I'll try to drop off more. They have a Thai Massage I'd like to try next time.
Lunch was good, but not as fantastic as I'd hoped. I had beef dish that was rolled up with Feta Cheese and a nice sauce. I liked how the flavors blended together, but it wasn't spectacular like I'd hoped for. I'd eat there again as it was a nice place and the food was pretty good, but I was a little disappointed. On the menu they have a grilled cheese sandwich that sounds to die for...maybe that it is the way to go.
We've been home since playing on the computer and chatting. I may go give a couple massages tomorrow and read, or i may spend a lazy day at home. Hard to decide at this point b/c the weather is supposed to be fantastic, so it may be hard to pass up the outing. I had hoped to sit and read all these magazines that are in my basket and watch a movie, but I'm not sure I can keep myself indoors all day.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
A quiet evening in my chair
I'm sitting in my chair. I love this chair. It's a big, striped double chair with an ottoman and it came from the salvation army a couple years ago. It's in bad shape, and some of the fabric is rotten. Plus, when I sit in my chair, I'm an island so we don't all sit together. Peter would like for us to sit together. Tonight is the last night I will really spend in my chair since on Saturday our new sectional sofa will be delivered. It's got a chaise lounger at one end and 2 ottomans so we will have lots of room to stretch out together on the sofa as a family. I'm really looking forward to it, but I am going to miss my cozy chair. I don't think there is room for it and the new sofa both in the living room.
I'm going camping with my girlfriends over the weekend. Originally a bunch of us were going to take our kids and slowing the kids dropped off till it was just Jena and Maggie left Cat and I decided that we would ditch the kids on Peter (actually, he volunteered happily) and we could just have an adult weekend. We don't get those often so it will be a blast. We are going tomorrow afternoon and will be back on Sunday. It's all been made possible by my friend Alexa, who is going to let Maggie hang out with her on Friday. I'm very grateful and will have to do something nice for her...we're going to breakfast first thing. maybe I'll buy her breakfast?
I'm very tired tonight. It's been a long week. I will get up in the morning and pack up the truck and hit the road early so we can get on the road and get set up and get busy with the process of hanging out.
I lost .2 pounds this week. I forgot to report last week. I was up .4 pounds last week and I lost .2 this week, so I have hovered between 199, my lowest and 200.4 the last couple weeks. I have stepped up exercise and I'm eating better. I can really tell now when I've had too much sodium b/c I feel bloated. On the flip side I'm wearing clothes I have owned and not ever been able to wear and I had to return a pair of pants I ordered that would have been the right size not too long ago. That's a good thing.
Maggie has taken up running with alexa...I'm going to have to start running to keep up with her.
I'm going camping with my girlfriends over the weekend. Originally a bunch of us were going to take our kids and slowing the kids dropped off till it was just Jena and Maggie left Cat and I decided that we would ditch the kids on Peter (actually, he volunteered happily) and we could just have an adult weekend. We don't get those often so it will be a blast. We are going tomorrow afternoon and will be back on Sunday. It's all been made possible by my friend Alexa, who is going to let Maggie hang out with her on Friday. I'm very grateful and will have to do something nice for her...we're going to breakfast first thing. maybe I'll buy her breakfast?
I'm very tired tonight. It's been a long week. I will get up in the morning and pack up the truck and hit the road early so we can get on the road and get set up and get busy with the process of hanging out.
I lost .2 pounds this week. I forgot to report last week. I was up .4 pounds last week and I lost .2 this week, so I have hovered between 199, my lowest and 200.4 the last couple weeks. I have stepped up exercise and I'm eating better. I can really tell now when I've had too much sodium b/c I feel bloated. On the flip side I'm wearing clothes I have owned and not ever been able to wear and I had to return a pair of pants I ordered that would have been the right size not too long ago. That's a good thing.
Maggie has taken up running with alexa...I'm going to have to start running to keep up with her.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Forgot to add...
Several times during our ride I thought I would have a heart attack when Liberty did some baby, green thing and my heart caught in our throat. At one point there was a horse eating log on the side of the trail and it was a spot where the trees were tight and the trail had a little bit of a trench. He spun around a few times and I almost baled out I was so nervous. Joe Bear walked by the log, but Liberty was still scared of it. I retreated, telling Maggie I was done and I thought he was tired and we should just quit. Then I remembered some of the big hills we'd just climbed and remembered we'd have to go down them. So, we stood there for a minute and regrouped and then Liberty went calmly down the trail as though it was nothing. I told Maggie that I thought he'd had enough for the day and that he was wigging out. She kind of sniggered at me that he wasn't the one freaking out. I thought, thanks kid...if she only knew what I was going through for her.
I also realized that the best thing about the whole blowing up episode was that he was tired and he did want to quit, but we had to keep going and he worked through it and was calm at the end.
I also realized that the best thing about the whole blowing up episode was that he was tired and he did want to quit, but we had to keep going and he worked through it and was calm at the end.
What a Week!!
This has been such a busy week. It was less busy than the previous couple of weeks. It culminated in a day off on Friday, but I'll have to pay the piper and work extra next week...the curse of taking days off. I have a couple of new clients to start seeing next week, which means it will be busier than this week, and I won't have the luxury of Fridays completely off anymore. I will do the Fridays for awhile, but I honestly don't want to work on Fridays. I scheduled the appointments at the end of the day and it's just a couple of hours, so not the end of the world. And I pointed out to Maggie that those 3 appointments will pay board for the horses with only one week of work. I've let the parents know that I am only good for 3 out of 4 Fridays per month due to Maggie's and my riding schedule. Of course, with the holidays I will have some time off.
I have an interview at another school district on Monday. It's a short day and I can fit it with my other work. if I get it, I will be working on Wednesdays but it will be similar to my day in Springtown. I will be going between schools, and then I will have to go back to Flint and see a client there plus do my massages there. God is giving me the energy to keep up with the work.
I am starting to get too busy, but I find that the more money I earn the more I want to earn b/c I'm seeing real progress on the money/bills. We are wanting some things we couldn't afford before. We are able to have a little spending money here and there. We can finally get a new sofa. I'm trying so hard to send the money to the steps in the debt snowball that Dave Ramsey outlines, but other people in my family often want other things than just to be out of debt. No matter how hard we try, our life style does expand a little. I honestly could be happy without a new sofa or a new car, but then I find myself thinking that it's not fair to put my lifestyle choices on everyone else. I did get a new horse, so I guess that getting a new sofa for the house isn't too much to ask. OTOH, I can actually pay for everything. That is really nice to be able to pay for everything because I get paid from someone every week. I haven't had to charge anything and then pay it back...well, I did this last week b/c a check that was supposed to get here 2 weeks ago wasn't written till last Friday and I don't have it yet. But the upside is that when I have a flat tire or the dogs need shots, it's not the end of the world. I can pay my regular payments to the credit cards and pay extra to savings, and set money aside for Peter's next car or other large household expenses. I figure if we don't end up spending it, then we'll put it on a bill, but I know Peter, or me, or both will need new vehicles. Peter really needs a "new" car but I don't want payments for it, so I figure if we save up and get him a better car and if we can keep putting that money in the bank every month, it will be good.
Of course, in all my get out of debting...I bought new clothes at Kohl's today. I needed some clothes though. I honestly needed them. I'm an even 200 pounds as of last week. I only got one shirt and a pair of pants for myself, but I bought Maggie some new jeans (hope they fit) and a new shirt. I bought Jena a new shirt too (she was here when I was shopping) I bought Peter a pair of jeans and a pair of khakis. So we will have a few new clothes. Soon I won't be a plus size anymore. That's a good thought!
Yesterday we took Liberty on his first trail ride. I took him to Six O with Joe Bear. He loaded up so easily. He's not completely self loading for me yet, but he is getting 1/2 way in all on his own. I think that the next time I hitch up, I can work him on loading without me leading him in. He leads so well and that's going to be a huge asset as we train.
He was really, really good. He was not as boring as I'd hoped for. I had hoped for a lovely, quiet stroll, but I think from a Paso Fino/Arab cross that might have been too much to ask on his first outing. Maggie was on Joe Bear and was really bummed that I wasn't ready to just fly. Darn good thing I didn't either as he was pretty looky at stuff. One time he spun all the way around and almost dumped me and got Maggie dumped off Joe when he spooked. He looked at everything. Funny thing was that he was more secure in front than he was following whenever the going got rough. But, he was equally as unconcerned with his spacing when he was behind.
He had never walked through water before, so I found myself mounting and dismounting alot...thank goodness he's little and I could get on and off very easily. He was so good whenever I led him through stuff though. So many horses will jump on top of you if you lead through a tricky spot, but he was so careful with his feet. He watched everything I did and followed me down and up hills, through water, etc. I was so proud of him. He sometimes got in a hurry, and the next time I take him out, with an another adult, or alone, I need to actually school some of these things, but I was happy just to go over and through new terrain. This poor little guy was so stressed from being in a new place, but I tended to ignore his inappropriate behavior and praise him when he relaxed. He is ready to eat in any location, which to me means he's not TOO stressed out. We took a P&R after doing some hills and climbing and he had a 14 heart and 10 respiration when I first got off, which I thought was pretty great for him to have no conditioning base on him.
Maggie is also preparing Joe Bear to take him to what will probably be his only CTR. He breathes too fast when it's warm to met criteria to compete. But she wants to finish one ride on him and he's in great shape so this is the best time. She has to keep him in his fast walk to manage him properly. She may have to trot into a few P&R's and she may lose some points, but she just wants this one ride. Hopefully it will be cold enough that he'll be ok. We took his P&R after 5-6 miles of quick walking and it was only 9 and 4. I was impressed. She may have a prayer!
I have toyed with the idea of taking Liberty to do his first CTR there, but I don't want to over stimulate him, so I may just stick with my original plan and take Freeley. It will honestly depend on our next hill work and if Freeley ends up sound before the next ride. After his recent shoeing experience he's been a little sore somewhere and I'm hoping he'll work out of it before the ride. The shoes are pulled and I'll boot him before six O, either foamed or not, but he keeps interfering which doesn't help him stay sound. It's subtle, so I don't worry anything about him being injured, but I don't want to get pulled for unsoundness or unable to start or whatever....
I don't anticipate competing much this next year, but we want to do this ride and maybe one other in the spring. I figure I have a month to decide who I'm going to take and a lot can happen in a month.
Anyway, it's taken me most of the day to put this together, so I'll go now. Maggie wants to play a game on my computer and we're watching Dirty Jobs.
I have an interview at another school district on Monday. It's a short day and I can fit it with my other work. if I get it, I will be working on Wednesdays but it will be similar to my day in Springtown. I will be going between schools, and then I will have to go back to Flint and see a client there plus do my massages there. God is giving me the energy to keep up with the work.
I am starting to get too busy, but I find that the more money I earn the more I want to earn b/c I'm seeing real progress on the money/bills. We are wanting some things we couldn't afford before. We are able to have a little spending money here and there. We can finally get a new sofa. I'm trying so hard to send the money to the steps in the debt snowball that Dave Ramsey outlines, but other people in my family often want other things than just to be out of debt. No matter how hard we try, our life style does expand a little. I honestly could be happy without a new sofa or a new car, but then I find myself thinking that it's not fair to put my lifestyle choices on everyone else. I did get a new horse, so I guess that getting a new sofa for the house isn't too much to ask. OTOH, I can actually pay for everything. That is really nice to be able to pay for everything because I get paid from someone every week. I haven't had to charge anything and then pay it back...well, I did this last week b/c a check that was supposed to get here 2 weeks ago wasn't written till last Friday and I don't have it yet. But the upside is that when I have a flat tire or the dogs need shots, it's not the end of the world. I can pay my regular payments to the credit cards and pay extra to savings, and set money aside for Peter's next car or other large household expenses. I figure if we don't end up spending it, then we'll put it on a bill, but I know Peter, or me, or both will need new vehicles. Peter really needs a "new" car but I don't want payments for it, so I figure if we save up and get him a better car and if we can keep putting that money in the bank every month, it will be good.
Of course, in all my get out of debting...I bought new clothes at Kohl's today. I needed some clothes though. I honestly needed them. I'm an even 200 pounds as of last week. I only got one shirt and a pair of pants for myself, but I bought Maggie some new jeans (hope they fit) and a new shirt. I bought Jena a new shirt too (she was here when I was shopping) I bought Peter a pair of jeans and a pair of khakis. So we will have a few new clothes. Soon I won't be a plus size anymore. That's a good thought!
Yesterday we took Liberty on his first trail ride. I took him to Six O with Joe Bear. He loaded up so easily. He's not completely self loading for me yet, but he is getting 1/2 way in all on his own. I think that the next time I hitch up, I can work him on loading without me leading him in. He leads so well and that's going to be a huge asset as we train.
He was really, really good. He was not as boring as I'd hoped for. I had hoped for a lovely, quiet stroll, but I think from a Paso Fino/Arab cross that might have been too much to ask on his first outing. Maggie was on Joe Bear and was really bummed that I wasn't ready to just fly. Darn good thing I didn't either as he was pretty looky at stuff. One time he spun all the way around and almost dumped me and got Maggie dumped off Joe when he spooked. He looked at everything. Funny thing was that he was more secure in front than he was following whenever the going got rough. But, he was equally as unconcerned with his spacing when he was behind.
He had never walked through water before, so I found myself mounting and dismounting alot...thank goodness he's little and I could get on and off very easily. He was so good whenever I led him through stuff though. So many horses will jump on top of you if you lead through a tricky spot, but he was so careful with his feet. He watched everything I did and followed me down and up hills, through water, etc. I was so proud of him. He sometimes got in a hurry, and the next time I take him out, with an another adult, or alone, I need to actually school some of these things, but I was happy just to go over and through new terrain. This poor little guy was so stressed from being in a new place, but I tended to ignore his inappropriate behavior and praise him when he relaxed. He is ready to eat in any location, which to me means he's not TOO stressed out. We took a P&R after doing some hills and climbing and he had a 14 heart and 10 respiration when I first got off, which I thought was pretty great for him to have no conditioning base on him.
Maggie is also preparing Joe Bear to take him to what will probably be his only CTR. He breathes too fast when it's warm to met criteria to compete. But she wants to finish one ride on him and he's in great shape so this is the best time. She has to keep him in his fast walk to manage him properly. She may have to trot into a few P&R's and she may lose some points, but she just wants this one ride. Hopefully it will be cold enough that he'll be ok. We took his P&R after 5-6 miles of quick walking and it was only 9 and 4. I was impressed. She may have a prayer!
I have toyed with the idea of taking Liberty to do his first CTR there, but I don't want to over stimulate him, so I may just stick with my original plan and take Freeley. It will honestly depend on our next hill work and if Freeley ends up sound before the next ride. After his recent shoeing experience he's been a little sore somewhere and I'm hoping he'll work out of it before the ride. The shoes are pulled and I'll boot him before six O, either foamed or not, but he keeps interfering which doesn't help him stay sound. It's subtle, so I don't worry anything about him being injured, but I don't want to get pulled for unsoundness or unable to start or whatever....
I don't anticipate competing much this next year, but we want to do this ride and maybe one other in the spring. I figure I have a month to decide who I'm going to take and a lot can happen in a month.
Anyway, it's taken me most of the day to put this together, so I'll go now. Maggie wants to play a game on my computer and we're watching Dirty Jobs.
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Resuming my blog
I used to write in here all the time. I stopped b/c after doing facebook stuff it seemed unnecessary. But lately I have been wanting a for...
