Heat Wave!!!

Phew! Todays high was 39! It felt amazing out! This next week is supposed to stay up around the 30-40 range for highs and 20-30 range for lows! Lucky for Boomer, this means a week with no blanket! I love that I have such a nice blanket for him when he needs it, but I really prefer for him to be without it as much as possible to keep the wear on his hair to a minimum.

The swelling on his leg is doing much better. He wasn't stiff on it at all today. I think the swelling should be down 100% with another 3-4 days.

I finally got to ride again since his leg is better! It was the first ride in a week, and the first indoor ride since he went to training, about 8 weeks ago! We were a little stiff and not as supple as I would have liked. He was carrying his head higher than he used to, and seemed a little confused by the rein contact (he gets ridden on a loose rein on the trail). We mostly walked and trotted, with only a little cantering. His canter is still WAY too fast and I'm sure it looks a little out of control, but I try to canter at least twice in each direction each time I ride. I'm sure that isn't enough, but I am taking it slow so that he can get used to his balance and hopefully will start to slow down on his own. At the walk and trot we worked on circles. Lots and lots of circles. One exercise I found in 101 Schooling Exercises for Horse and Rider was to make a group of 5 circles, one in the center and 4 around it. You start on the center circle and ride each of the four circles around it when you get to it. A variation would be to ride from top to bottom (three circles) then left to right (three circles). All of the changes in direction did start to help him get more flexion.

This arena is huge- 80x180! And it has mirrors! Lots of mirrors! Along one side, the mirrors are angled in at the bottom so that you can see your leg and the whole horse as you go by! I think my equitation is still fine, except at the canter, when I tense up. Though having those mirrors makes me realize how much work Boomer and I have to do! He really works in a hollow frame most of the time. I am considering taking some dressage lessons over the winter to see if we can get some feedback and help!

I felt like it was a good ride and a great starting point for our winter riding. I really hope to make some good progress this winter!

Also, Boomer seems to be maintaining his weight well on his reduced grain diet. He gets fed only when he gets worked, so today he got 2 pounds of grain and three flakes of hay. The barn also feeds when the weather is really bad, so for the last few days he has also gotten hay and 1 pound of grain daily. As much as I worry when it gets really cold, I am really liking the pasture turnout situation. I love that he can move around as much as he wants, I love that the two water tanks are heated, I love that he has a herd to interact with, I love that he can graze all day. I love the set up of the facility. The pasture has a feed shed with 20 individual stalls as well as a large feed room. I especially love how well adjusted, happy and calm all of the horses are. As I was catching Boomer today, another horse nearby laid down to nap. It really made me realize how relaxed these horses must be. The barn horses also all seem very happy. Overall, I am just pleased as punch with the new boarding facility! The three huge arenas and heated tack areas are nice too!

Winter goals

Winter is here for sure. It snowed Tuesday off and on and the highs will not get above freezing until the weekend, then back down into the twenties next week.

Once Boomer seems to be recovered from his kick I am going to get down to business with his winter riding. Obviously, I am too much of a sissy to ride outside if it is less than 40* out. So, I have been thinking of some good winter goals.

Boomer got his shoes off and is set for the winter. I hope to go to another endurance ride in late April or early May. So, from now until mid March I have lots of indoor riding time to keep us both in shape before we start legging up with trail rides in the spring.

Goal # 1: Ride at least 3 hours per week

Goal # 2: Get flying lead changes

Thats it. I know that is doable. Obviously, there are tons of things to do between here and there, but I need to have a real tangible goal for the winter, not just 'improve the canter'. I guess a good breakdown is to spend December getting the canter where I want it: under control with variable speeds and reliable steering. January will be a good time to start working on correct simple changes through the center of a figure-8 of any size. February we will work on starting to introduce the concept of flying changes. March, just keep practicing!

That should give me something to focus on and keep us from getting bored for the next few months while we are stuck inside! Most importantly, I don't want Boomer to lose his body condition over winter because he is looking really fit right now and I like it!

Confidence is the mastery of fear, not the absence of fear.

I recommend this article by Will Clinging.

I got an email from longridersgear.com (love them!) a few weeks ago with this article published in it and I meant to link it here a while ago when I was struggling with Boomer. Somehow I didn't get it published, but it has really proved to be an interesting read after all Boomer and I have gone through. I feel like we are really coming out on top of this whole situation. I think that I still have some anxiety about riding Boomer, but I also feel that my confidence grows daily.

Cute Cute Cute

No snow Monday morning, but it is getting closer! I went out to the barn to check on Boomer and found this:

AWWW!!!

He let me get close enough to sit down and feed him an apple. It was a very sweet moment! I think the high today was around 25* and it was pretty chilly! I brought Boomer up and was disappointed to see that the kick from Saturday had swollen a little. He walked sound but seemed a little stiff on it at the trot. I lunged him at a walk to help him stretch and also get used to the indoor arena (huge, by the way!).

I went by the vets office and picked up a tetanus shot and a tube of Bute paste. His last tetanus was in October of 2008 when he ripped his shoulder open.

I went out to the field and he walked up to meet me (the apples are working!). I was able to give him both the shot and 2g of Bute out in the field with just his lead over my arm. I am just continually impressed with his progression. Basic things are now just that, basic, to him. I remember dreading dewormer day or really anything that might set him off. Now, I can give him medications in the field without him moving away or even tossing his head.

Obviously, the 6 weeks of training had a lasting effect on Boomer. I'm not sure how horses think, but I really feel that what he learned there he has translated to his whole life outlook. John and I joked about it being a religious experience for him. He went there to help solve riding issues, but has come back a calmer, more tolerant horse all around.

Winter is here!

Brrr!!!! It is supposed to snow here soon! The highs this week might get above freezing and they lows are looking like single digits. I have never felt zero degrees before and I am a little nervous! I sure am glad I have an indoor arena to ride in and I'm betting Boomer is glad he has a blanket on these COLD nights!

Lots of updates!

First, we moved Boomer to a new barn when we came back from the endurance ride. The new place is about $45 more per month, but it has a number of perks. We left the last place because there wasn't really access to trails. There was a hay field we could ride in and woods that led to the roadway, but nowhere to really ride.

This new place has access to a trail system of about 5 miles on around 2000 acres. To get to the trail you have to ride about 3/4 of a mile down a gravel road. Boomer is now on a pasture with a small group. It is about 10 horses on 24 acres. They have a second 16 acre pasture that they rotate to occasionally. Right now it houses the 5-6 small cattle used in their lesson program. I am experimenting with a grain free diet for Boomer right now. I have been considering it for a while now, but at the last boarding place, it wasn't an option because of his paddock size (1/4 acre) and their hay ration (4 flakes per day). For now, Boomer has good pasture and when I ride he gets a pound of grain and 1-2 flakes of hay. I am continuing to evaluate his body condition and will not hesitate to supplement should he need it. I am considering supplementing with grain vs. supplementing with Cool Calories (99% fat, dried powder, works VERY well) in alfalfa pellets/cubes/beet pulp.

Since this is the first time I have had Boomer in such a large pasture I have been working on bribing him to come to meet me when I go catch him. I don't really like giving treats excessively as I have ridden and worked around spoiled, pushy, nippy horses and they are NOT a joy to be around. When I worked for the polo player, his wife would come out and hand feed BUCKETS of treats to 'her horse' over the weekend and it would take me all week to get that mare to stop assaulting me for treats. Really annoying. However, I do like to give Boomer carrots and apples when we travel and are out for long rides. On our endurance ride, I gave him little baby carrots at both vet holds and along the trailer ride home. In a situation like that where he is working so hard for me and it is important to keep his hydration up and guts moving, natural fruit treats are great! Treat digression aside, I have been bringing Boomer an apple every time I go to get him out of the pasture. My hope is that he will start coming to me when he sees me and I won't have to wander around a 24 acre pasture in January following his frozen tail for an hour before I can catch him. The other horses seem to understand this concept already and Boomer at least looked up and turned towards me last time I went out there.

I went for a ride on Saturday with a group of friends and I hauled the 5 minutes to the Kill Creek trail head so that I could easily meet my friends. We rode for over two hours and had a blast even though we about froze our fingers and toes off! The horses were all very good and Boomer really made me proud. He was great with things like water crossings, etc. and helped other horses cross challenges when needed! He was a little rushy when the horse(s) ahead of us would get too far away, but we did work on that and I saw some improvement. He and I did struggle with the correct distance behind the horse in front of us and it wasn't until he got kicked that he actually backed off. He really needed to learn that one on his own I guess. We really had fun and were out for over 2 hours, which I think ended up being about 8 miles or so.

The brakes on my trailer are in need of servicing and John and I spent some time this weekend trying to figure out why they are sticky and locking up. Seems like the electrical plug in the truck bed got moisture in it because the cover got broken off. This is causing the brakes to do a sort of 'all or nothing' thing so when I ease off the truck break, the trailer break just pops open and causes a jerk. Also, after reading the manuel, we realized that the breaks needed to be adjusted after the first 200 miles of driving. We estimate that it has about 1700 miles on it so far. So, once the weather clears *haha* John is going to replace my electrical outlet and adjust the brakes.

Season Finale Pictures

In my coveralls and coat. It was pretty cold the first day. John said I looked like a little garbage man ready for the first day of work.

Boomer was following John around while he was setting the stakes for the pen and kept nuzzling up to him. He only stopped once John gave him a good scratch. It was really cute. I think that was the first time Boomer has sought out attention from John. He really is different horse lately. Six months ago, none of this would have been possible.

John went for a run and Charley took his chair!

When the 50 milers started to return on the first day Boomer got a little excited and got put on the lunge line for 15 minutes. Being able to compare his fitness to the other 'real' endurance horses around us was cool. I think he is looking good!

No, I'm not nervous at all. Why would you ask?

I'm Ready!

Lets go!

We got to see the sunrise and sunset together!

Coming back from the first loop behind the junior/Boomer sponsor!

Going over with my Vet card at our first hold with my dad who came to visit for a few hours! Yay dad!

Boomer was munching hay.

Dad feeding Charley my leftover tuna from lunch. I tried to eat on the ride, but it was hard.

We did it!!!

Boomer taking a well deserved nap!

Someone got bored on the ride home :)

Sweet mohawk, huh?

Oh, you thought the picture before this one was cool didn't you? Well I hope you learned your lesson. My husband gets cooler and cooler. We may never know how cool he can really get, but this is pretty close.

I want to thank everyone who made this possible for us. Mostly, I owe this to John who has supported me wholly in this process. For the last 16 months, this has been my goal- to complete a 50 mile endurance ride. The realization of this goal has made me so proud. John has supported my goal as if it were his own. I also owe a huge thanks to my dad who has supported my horse habit for the last 17 years. Somehow, I am lucky enough to have people in my life who understand how important horses are to me. Another huge thanks goes out to Kelly Lance, my horse trainer. She helped get Boomer to where he is today. Without her, I would lack the confidence I needed to complete a ride like this. She also had a huge part in getting Boomer fit for a ride like this.

Season Finale Endurance Ride

I didn't want to talk about it before it happened because I didn't want to jinx myself... But I have been scheming and planning to attend the Season Finale 50 Mile Endurance ride in Chandler, OK this weekend!

All day Wednesday, I was busy packing and getting food ready. I was also making a Thanksgiving dinner for John and I. I couldn't handle the thought of going without Thanksgiving food! This is by far my favorite holiday. So, I ruined the turkey, bought a rotisserie cranberry glazed chicken from Target, and everything else was awesome. The chicken was darn good too! We had a grand dinner and packed up the leftovers to take camping with us!

Thursday, John did his traditional Turkey Day 20 miler in the morning, then we packed up and got the horse. Once we were on our way, we just settled in for the 5.5 hour drive. Boomer was a great traveler for the most part. He was moving around a lot for the first hour, so we tied him up and gave him a hay bag. He was much better after that even though he didn't touch the hay. One minor mishap on the drive was a pesky little (HUGE) grasshopper in the truck. He kept flying up between the door and me and scaring the beejesus out of me. I tried opening the window, but he wouldn't leave. He finally perched on my seat to my left, I leaned forward while driving, and John smashed him on the seat behind me. Victory.

Once we arrived we set up camp and I took Boomer for a walk through camp to start getting used to things and also so I could figure out how to enter/get a vet card. Boomer was a totally different horse compared to last time we went camping at Clinton Lake. He didn't pace or call to the other horses at all. He just settled right in and started eating and drinking.

Since I was riding on the second day of the ride, I didn't need to check in and vet through until Friday afternoon. John and I set up camp as quickly as possible before sunset, had dinner and enjoyed a campfire. Because of the cold, we had decided to buy a space heater and rented one of the camp sites with electricity. John and Charley liked that very much! I slept in the backseat of the truck and was plenty warm under a sleeping bag and horse blanket. I woke up in time to see the 50 milers leaving camp. It was really exciting to see them all trotting off! Boomer watched with interest but wasn't over excited! I was very proud of his behavior so far. John and I walked around and watched people vetting through, we were still trying to figure this whole chaotic process out! I think that endurance rides are the definition of 'organized chaos'!

At 3pm, we took Boomer down to the vet area to get checked in. We got our rider card and were given a number. At the vet check Boomer did very well except for trying to kick the vet when she checked his muscle tone in the rump. Because of this tension, he was given a B for Muscle Tone and A's for everything else (for those who don't know, this includes: mucus membrane color, capillary refill time, jugular refill time, skin tenting, gut sounds, anal tone, muscle tone, back/withers, tack sores, wounds, gait, impulsion, attitude, and overall Vet impression). His resting HR was 40.

We went to the ride meeting that night and I headed to bed early! At the ride meeting we were told what the loops would be like. First loop was 17 miles out and back-use a hole punch to tag your card. Come back to camp for a 'trot by' check, head out on an 8 mile loop. Vet check and one hour hold. 17 mile loop again, 30 minute hold, 8 mile loop, and finish!

I woke up at 5:40 and gave Boomer a handful of grain. He had plenty of fresh water and hay the night before. I got all dressed, packed my saddle bags with a hoof boot, hoof pick, chapstick, granola bars, an apple, juice, and my rider/vet card, and tacked up the horse. We walked down to the timer table and checked in. We then walked up to the start area and stood around being nervous. Once everyone started, I mounted up and headed out at a walk.

17 Mile loop #1

Boomer was great at first. He was handling the trail like a champ. He was being his usual self that I had been riding out with Kelly. Until we started getting passed. There were a few late starters who passed us first. The the 25 milers started passing us. I wanted to walk the first part to make sure he had plenty left for the finish. In retrospect, I probably should have just let him go ahead and trot/canter. He wasn't so worried about people passing us going the opposite direction as he was the people who were passing to get ahead of us. It was like he would loose his brain until they got out of sight. Then he was back to him self. It took about 5 minutes for him to calm down after getting passed. Things started getting out of control when we got halfway and headed back. Suddenly he wasn't OK with anyone passing us in either direction. Added to this, we were getting passed more frequently than the 5 minutes he needed to settle down. So, I had to get off a walk a ways. Probably walked about 20-30 minutes, maybe more. I was really mad. Eventually, I caught up with a group of 5 riders, three juniors (top 3 junior LD riders in the nation, by the way) and their two sponsors. They let me fall in behind them and mostly kept it at a walk. We probably were with them for the last 5-6 miles into camp. That was a really good thing for Boomer, I think. We were the last 50 milers back into camp after about 3.75 hours and were OK'ed on our 'trot by' to head out for the 8 mile loop. This was where all of the 25 milers would have their hold time and many of the 50 milers were already done with the 8 mile loop and were on their hour hold.

8 Mile loop #1

We pretty much had the trail to ourselves at this point. The only people passing were headed back to camp. I had talked to the ride manager before this loop and she gave me a little pep talk and encouraged me to just let him go at his own pace until he figured out what we were doing here. So, I sent him off in a trot and only slowed him down for rocks or creek crossings. He powered along at a huge trot and sometimes cantered. It was awesome. I went from being mad at him for being an idiot for 17 miles, to having the most amazing time! He steered around that trail like a sports car and was so responsive. His ears were up the whole time and he was focused on that trail. No spook in him at all! I mostly stood up in 2-point position because he was trotting too fast to post efficiently. I would post when he would slow down and I could sit when he cantered. He was doing a great job. We finished that 8 mile loop in an hour and 10 minutes! We came in to the vet check and it took 3 minutes to pulse down to 60 bpm (the criteria was 64bpm). He vetted through with all A's this time and his CRI was 56/56. I untacked him and let him eat and drink for the hour hold.

17 mile loop #2

For this loop, I knew we wouldn't see much traffic again because of how far behind we were. At least we didn't have the 25 milers to worry about from here on out! Again, Boomer trotted and cantered quite a bit. He remembered the trail and began to speed up when we were nearing the halfway point. When we rounded the corner to the hole punch, he was so proud of himself! He was prancing and tossing his head like he was hot stuff! He seemed to be figuring out the point of this ride! On the way back, we alternated trotting and walking. He hadn't been drinking on the first half of this loop and I made him stop to drink at the water stop on the way back. There was a volunteer at the stop, emptying the buckets and waiting for us (yes, we were that far behind) and she helped me get him to drink by emptying a bucket halfway and bringing it to him since he wouldn't walk up to it. He did drink well, but I was still concerned. I let him walk the rest of the way in and got off to walk him for a few miles just to give him a rest. I let him eat any green grass we could find. He still wouldn't drink out of the lake though. I was concerned about him and wasn't sure he would have much more to give after this. We finally made it into the camp and vetted through right away. We were getting really far behind and it was starting to look like we might not make the cut off time of 7 PM. He pulsed down immediately at 60 bpm. We went through the vet check and he still got all A's except for a B on impulsion. His CRI was 60/60. I didn't untack, but I let him eat and drink all he wanted for the 30 minute hold. John ran down to one of the booths selling tack and bought me a helmet lamp. Best investment ever! We would have about 30 minutes of light after we started the 8 mile loop and I knew it would take us longer than last time because he was getting tired.

8 mile loop #2

This last loop was amazing. I think that people were concerned about me going out into the dark but I couldn't not try because of that. We were doing so well 42 miles in! I let Boomer trot for this whole loop. It was a much slower trot and I posted most of the time, alternating diagonals occasionally. As it started to get dark, we were approaching the halfway point. It took 35 minutes to get to the halfway loop, then 15 minutes to do the lollipop loop, and another 35 to get home. The way home in the dark was awesome. Boomer remembered the trail and took good care of us. He lowered his head to see the trail better and just went after it. I didn't have to urge him on at all. He just trotted along. He would slow for the rocks, and speed up afterwards. I was just along for the ride. Because I couldn't see the trail, I had to trust him. My LED head lamp help keep shadows out of the trail right in front of us, but didn't really help me see where we were going. Once, when he slowed down to a walk, I asked him to pick the trot back up and he ignored me, then I heard his hooves on rock. I knew then to let him take care of us. Another time, I saw a split in the trail, the left looked like it was a low rut and thats where we were headed. I steered him right to the high trail and he listened but had to climb up a rock to get where I had pointed him. I hadn't seen the rock ledge and at once knew that he knew the best way to go in the dark. After those two instances, I just dropped my rein hand onto his neck, held on to the horn and let him go. He was unfazed. Right at dusk, there were a lot of angry birds. I don't know what the deal was but every time we passed a big thick pine tree they would squawk and rustle around, then dive bomb us. Boomer didn't even flinch. I also heard a wild pig which really freaked me out. Boomer didn't flinch. I have never had to put so much trust in a horse before. I was just overwhelmed with how well he was taking care of me. Every once in a while I would see a white ribbon and tell him how amazing he was. I really had no idea if we were on the right track or not. Boomer knew and he got us home in time to finish!

The in timers weren't set up anymore when we got in with 40 minutes to spare. The vet tarted checking us right away and put our in time as 6:16. He was pulsed down at 60. His scored dropped for this check. He got a B for jugular refill, gut sounds, and a B- for impulsion. His CRI was 60/60.

WE FINISHED!!!!!!!!!!

I asked the vet if I should be worried about his gut sounds being a B and she said, "No, just feed him"! I think his B scores were because he was hungry, thirsty, and tired. I feel that is too be expected after 50 miles! In the future, I would like him to drink more and perhaps eat a beet pulp mash half way through the ride. I may also carry carrots to encourage him to eat while on the trail.

Overall, 21 started and 16 finished. I got the turtle award which was, appropriately, a flashlight!

After the ride we spent the night and headed out the next morning. The drive was uneventful and we made plenty of stops to rest and eat carrots.

I will post photos as a separate entry because this one is already long enough to be a novel!

Test Ride

Today was the first day I had Boomer back and I was ready to ride! He was a little antsy tacking up before the ride, but stood for me to get on and was fine after that. He wanted to look at some white plastic rain barrels before we started so I let him snort and touch them. After that, we headed out to the trails and gravel road. He was fine through the trails and went where I pointed him. He was fine with me moving tree branches that were too low to pass under. On the road, I wanted to pass the house that started all of this. I needed to know that he could pass that house without backing up into the ditch, spinning around, and generally losing his mind. As we got on the road, he started drifting to the right, towards the ditch. The drifting became more deliberate and he swung his hips down into the ditch. I kicked him with my spurs and he jumped forward and trotted along the road in a straight line. After that, no more problems. At all. For the rest of the ride. I tied him to the hitching post and left him for about 30 minutes and he was dozing when I came back.

To say I am thrilled would be an understatement at this point.

Home Again!!!

Woo Hoo! Boomer is back home!

John and I went out this morning and rode with Kelly one last time. Boomer did great, we had a blast. John really enjoyed riding a horse that actually responded to his cues instead of being a total dead-head. He also enjoyed the trails because they were much more challenging and he got to do more water crossings and steep hills than ever before!

I really love riding with John, it is just so fun for me.

Boomer loaded right up into the trailer and was tied up for the whole ride home and did great. He was a little excited when we parked and started to unload, but listened well. I turned him out, unloaded his food and then spent an hour grooming him. I really missed that quality time just loving on him. I think he enjoyed it too.

Last visit!

I went this afternoon for my last visit with Boomer before we pick him up on Sunday. I took all of his bridle and tack and wanted to make sure everything was properly adjusted. He did very well on our ride. There were 4 of us and he was a little excited at first. Instead of trying to shut him down, I just let him trot a little and he calmed right down. He really is a trooper and was a strong leader when one of the two colts on the ride were having trouble. He did have two minor panic moments that Kelly really helped us work through. Boomer really feeds off of other horses and one of the colts was having a hard time with crossing anything. He was leaping like crazy, I'm talking 3 feet high. He is a well bred WP horse, but he could make someone a nice CC mount, I swear! Anyhow, he was doing this 'jump down the bank-jump the creek-jump up the bank' nonsense and Boomer just started vibrating. I don't know how else to describe it. He compresses his body, grows taller, then just starts vibrating- you never know when he could blow. So, I sat down deep, told him woah and made him stand. I made him stand until he was relaxed, and THEN we followed across the bank. The second time was the same situation, but we were on a steep incline, one horse was up at the top of the hill and jumping colt was at the bottom of the hill, jumping things. Boomer was in the middle and started his stuff. Kelly noticed, and talked us down. She reassured me he wouldn't rear (it made me feel better to hear it, anyway) and told me to turn him to the left and get him on a flatter area. Then she had me tell him to WOAH, pet him and tell him it was OK, then ask him to stand. Within 30 seconds he went from feeling like a powder keg to having his head down with his leg cocked while I took cell phone video of the jumping colt. I was so impressed that we handled that. In the past, that would have stuck with us for the rest of the ride and made things really tense.

I know things will still come up, he still is tense about being tied up. He will test me at times, especially at home. But now I know that he knows how to be good. I can ask with assurance that he behave and I know he is capable of whatever I ask.

For the first time EVER with this horse, I am feeling trust. A number of times today, I got my phone out of my pocket, fumbled around to find the camera and filmed the ride. I didn't feel like I had to constantly be watching everything around us. I trust Boomer to handle the trail. I also know that he knows not to put me into a tree. That is an awesome thing for a trail horse to be trained to not do. At one point, I just dropped my reins while we were riding and used both hands to put my phone back in my pocket. I can't describe how proud I was when we started going down a steep, muddy hill and he slowed down and took baby steps without me asking him to do anything. I was also equally impressed that over creeks and ditches, no matter the shape or size, he kept all four feet planted- no hopping or scrambling, just solid footwork to get across.

I am very excited to get him back on Sunday. We will go up and ride together (John too!) then bring him home.