I stuck to it ....well for the most part !

As I write this I can honestly say I'm a little proud of myself.....yes, just a little bit proud.

I said I was going to ride Red horse in the arena working on specifically collection and flexing, so I did, now I will openly admit that as an old re-rider that has not been riding much (HArdly Atall), I am not always motivated physically to saddle up, I am always motivated mentally, aaaaaand it's been getting worse.
Along with not saddling up comes getting very out of shape for riding and just life in general, which I must change for health sake anyway.
So when you do go to saddle up a 17hh horse it seems like such an effort, honestly by the time I was done grooming I felt like my work out was done....but I didn't stop there oh no I kept right on going until you guessed it the saddle was on!

I then took my good ol boy and went to the very important mounting block, next thing you know I was aboard and off we went. We opted for the indoor arena as the dust is fairly non-existent in there and we started off at a collected walk, I'm not going to lie that horse made it hard for me to keep him collected at a walk but we got it most of the time.
To make my job easier I kept him in a nice circle not using the whole arena, then we picked up that trot .....ohmyGod....I felt like we were every which way, between posting and attempting to keep Red on the circle and collected YIKES....but we got it....not the entire time but we had moments of good stuff!

I have to say it was not a long work out since the two of us were not at our best so to speak, well one of us more than the other, but it was good, very, very good!

The best part of the work out for Red horse....until next time happy trails !

RED HORSE !

I got to thinking after my last post, Flirt needs time to heal, I really need to ride or get off the pot and call it a pasture pal hobby. Not that attempting to ride and bond with my mare wasn't a really good intention, it was and it still is, just delayed a little that's all.

With that said, my next brainstorm was one I had blogged about earlier, RED HORSE, I had full intentions of getting in to shape using Red horse as my work out partner, so what happened, well I got to having fun doing all kinds of things but not riding that's all, life of a re-rider, we do a lot of other stuff.

Red horse has been having fun this summer with others, he has taken out trail rides, he has been playing at the river, Red horse horse has been borrowed to head out to have fun, he has had some rides from my daughter, none of those things will get Red horse to use his body or improve his gait.

It is my intention to work with Red horse to improve his work ethic (mine too), get him to start using his body correctly (mine too), collection, flexing, and improve his gaits. When this light bulb went off in my head I reached out to a fellow blogger who is also a Standardbred trainer http://harnessphoto.blogspot.com/ for some tips on where to start, got those tips and I'm ready to roll !

Of course here comes the hard part, getting myself to follow through regardless of all the other fun things that I can find to do, this re-rider is not so fond of working that hard anymore....hey, kinda like Red horse imaging that, I wonder where he gets it from!
So I am off to the barn tomorrow with the intention of getting a "good ride" on that beast LOL, there will be an update, I promise!

Until next time happy trails !

They just aren't built to last....but it could have been worse !

So, the one thing I've learned in the years of having horses in my life is that they are not built to last.
I suppose when I was young I didn't really understand just how fragile they are, from their digestive system to the intricate make up of their hooves, they just aren't made to last. I suppose that's how the herds were thinned back before they became our companions.
Of course now we spare no expense on diet, health, hoof care etc......soooo speaking of sparing no expense, yes, as I type I am reminded of how my bank account gets smaller every month due to pony care, there is regular pony care monthly expense, there is the every few month added expense, then there is the dreaded they just aren't built to last expense that comes with the vet visit.
As I described in my last blog my mare has been off in the rear for a couple of weeks, had the Chiro out $, let her rest, then had the farrier out for the every couple month expense $.
During the farrier visit $, when my mares turn came for her shoes, my very competent wonderful farrier could hardly get the back leg up, she was not being difficult or naughty in any way she was just avoiding pain $.
The plan, trim her only and call the vet $, which I did, on the following Thursday our great very competent vet $ came to call $.
My dear Ms. Flirt has a stifle injury $ which he fittingly called stiffling herself $, with that I paid the nice man $, and our rehab plan is in affect $. This turns out to not be such a bad time for this since I am also rehabbing a bad foot $.

Hey it could have been worse!

Until next time happy trails and stay healthy, you and your pony !

Like horsey, like rider!

So last week when riding Ms. Flirt I realized she was "off " on the back end, at the same time I was also off on the lower end, actually we were both off on one foot.
I took myself to a foot Dr. where I had the shot from hell, but alas it's feeling better, Ms. Flirt had the chiropractor out, she also had several issues, but yes she is feeling better.
Which brings me to my curious thought, as the chiropractor was working on the mare we discussed how out of shape she was and how conditioning will be her best friend to keep her sound, then it dawned on me....ME TOO!
Lord I hate that......but it means I am going to have to make an effort.......oh poo, I'm going to give it my best.

This never happened when I was young.....only as a re-rider!

Until next time, Happy trails....

"OH MY"

As promised on my last post I gathered up the UMPH to get over to the stable and ride, I did, I drove right on over there. On my way there I also decided that I was going to start riding my pretty little mare (well not so little) anyhoo I got there with all the enthusiasm I needed to follow through with my intentions. 
I haltered her up and we headed up the drive, leaving her screaming 2 year old to throw his tantrum with out us watching or validating his behavior.....I didn't always do that so I was very proud of myself.

I groomed then saddled, walked around the indoor arena in hand looked at scary things like jumps and stuff, then headed out to the large round pen, where we could see our 2 year old in full view still throwing a tantrum {he's very fast by the way).
Not having ridden my girl in about 3 years I was a little apprehensive as any old re-rider should be, I also watched her short amount of training at which time I realized, I REALLY liked my Red horse, he has never displayed the kind of moves my girl did. But that's all behind her she's a good girl now, that's what I was telling myself before the mount, so I did, I mounted up from the ground as I could not find my beloved mounting block, up I went breath held landed where I wanted to and my good girl just stood there.
OK we are off to a great start, I'm up she's standing still life is good, except for the annoying 2 year old throwing his tantrum, STILL.
Feeling pretty darn good about things we walk off, we walk a while all is good so we pick up a trot, that's where the whole day took a turn for the worst.
We are trotting around, I'm trying to pay attention to giving the correct ques (as she's very sensitive to that), I feel something that's not quite right, so we come down to a walk and all seems fine, we pick the trot back up and there it is again, that down right awful feeling that screams, lame.
To be absolutely certain I call over the resident expert, she first watches and says yes it's in the rear end, at that point I dismount (without crumpling to the ground I might add) and have Bekkah get on and take a spin while I watch the poor girl short step on the rear end.
What can I say "OH MY" no that's not what I said, mine sounded more like "OH F%*#K.
With that said, I am now on a mission to find out what the heck is going on, that can be a process but one we can handle.

I  kept my promise I got my behind on my horse and I blogged about it, that's a good thing, I'm also just certain that my sweet little momma will be back to good in no time, myself and the professionals will see to that!
Our naughty 2 year old, well, he did get to come out and get some attention, but that's a whole other post:)

Until next time...... happy trails!

Motivation or lack there of....and stuff

OK so it's been a very long time, in fact a really really long time.

This is sort of a confession I suppose, not only have I lacked complete motivation to Blog I have lacked complete motivation to ride, a very sad but true statement.

I did have one little short episode I should mention, my daughter has been riding our Red horse a little and on one of those occasions I decided I should hop on and take a little walk around, so I did.
Of course Red horse being the steady eddie that he is it was completely UN-eventful, until I decided to get off.
I brought Red horse up to the barn and parked him facing the inside, I then swung my leg over and of course being that he is 17hh I take my foot out of the stirrup and jump down, sounds easy right.
Well on that particular day I forgot that my left foot has been swelling from some sort of injury that my old brain can't remember but that's another story, the BOTTOM line is I landed on the ground and the foot didn't hold or anything else from the waste down.....I just kept right on going until I was sitting along side of Reds front leg looking the opposite way...REALLY...that did not just happen.
I not only landed flat on my tush I had shorts on, not a pretty sight......but good OL Red horse behaved as if this never happened, he just stood looking directly at the barn and didn't flinch, I can't imagine what was running through his head but the sweet boy never showed it.

Just prior to the incident

So there you have it, I will say I am going to make a big effort to take the time to ride and blog, you heard it here first!

Until next time..... Happy trails to you and hopefully me !

Return of the Red horse....well really he's a bay:)

Red is back, he did not turn in to the worlds best back country trail horse, it just wasn't in his cards.
What is in his cards is a silly old woman that thinks he's the cats meow, so we start our relationship back up with some trail riding, most of all he will be my personal trainer.
Yes Red horse is a work out, you can't sit that trot without an awful lot of core strength, needless to say posting helps with the thighs and bum :) YES my personal trainer is back, just in time for summer!
I've taken a couple of rides on Red horse since his return, we picked up right where we left off, I think the world of him in return he is as honest as the day is long, so we are off to a good start.
Of course that leaves my sweet mare, never fear along my journey I met my soul mate, my best friend, my love....his name as you will probably see him scattered throughout my posts is Jim, I am a very lucky lady, it just so happens that my sweet mare is just what Jim would order, size gaits temperament, yup she's his girl.
Of course we are talking about trail riding as I have not given up on barrel racing, oh know that is just starting up again now the sweet mare delivered the naughty baby, she will be my partner in crime in the gaming world, we have a lot of work to do.
So there you have it, some changes yet again, life is always changing this time for the better.

Until next time.....HAPPY TRAILS!

A new beginning

Well I've proved that I am not a good blogger......in fact a down right lousy blogger!

I get these great thoughts from my ongoing saga as a re-rider but some how they just don't make it to the blog,

So today I am going to re-cap my year with the ponies......more for me to look back on than any thing else.

I started the year with the birth of Shooter, I still have the urge to call him "little Shoot" however I was reminded the other day he's not little anymore.
I can say I will never breed my mare again, I don't remember such a stressful experience, my own children were far less stressful, his birth was horrendous on everyone most importantly my mare, nope I would never do it again.
Good news is I got exactly what I ordered, thank you Wrangle Socks and Diana, they sure delivered, only thing missing was gender and one sock and truly the sock was optional, now that he's been gelded the gender isn't an issue anymore either so all in all it was a perfect order and a perfect baby came out of all that stress.....that is a good thing.
Shooter has grown in to a feisty weanling he likes to test everyone every chance he gets.....EXCEPT his little tiny vicious pasture pal, Carmen is about 3ft tall with the attitude of a pitbull, Shooter has only pushed his luck with her once and she's still kicking his butt for it a month later. He's in good hands with Carmen we are all scared of her!

Now for momma ( Ms. Flirt), we tried keeping her on the same property at the far end but she knew her son was not far away, I attempted to walk her past him and then realized she needed to go back to her home before Shooter.
By the next day after taking her back to where I board her she was a playful bucking bronc.......completely forgot she had a son, I won't tell him!
It will be fun and interesting when I take him back and re-unite the two in a couple of months, got my fingers crossed he does better with hot wire by then!

During the last year I also did a lot of riding on other horses, which was good for me, went to a couple of barrel races, fun stuff.
I did a lot of trail riding with friends had a lot of fun adventures some I shouldn't post on this blog....in fact I won't post them I would hate to be a bad influence, I will say the horses were always safe and cared for.

I took out some trail rides for the ranch, that was a lot of fun, it's so good to see new riders having so much fun!

Now it's time to get my own sweet mare started again, yes I had big plans for that right before the storms hit.....for now she will stay blanketed and well fed until weather permits.......then we will start from ground work back to where we left off

Pre-baby jitters

Well the vet was out Friday the 11^th, Flirt had her pre-foaling shots, that should be a simple non eventful appointment for most people.

I suppose I’m not most people, as I was tempted to throw myself at the vet and hang on to his leg and beg him to take up residence at the arena to watch my precious mare until which time our little red sweet thing has all four on the ground and is nursing effortlessly.

Thank the lord I have restraint, for the most part……other than practically getting in his truck with him to continue asking questions, I was pretty good, I did let him leave …. eventually.

So now I know I should not stare at my mare endlessly for days surrounding her foaling date…and I know that I should see a white “NOT RED” bubble that will come and go and eventually a little hoof will appear then another little hoof will present itself at which time a little foal nose should be seen, at which time I should stay back and not dive on the cute little bundle of job and let the momma do her thing and bond with HER baby…..OH LORD give me strength

Pre-baby jitters

OK so I won't lie I am scared senseless about my mare giving birth ..... I was never as worried about my own pregnancy's and births. I agonize about the decision I made ...... God forbid anything happens to my beloved mare in the birthing process I would never forgive myself.
With all that off my chest I have to say I am also as excited as I could be, with 4-25 fast approaching I can't stop feeling the baby kick and visualize what the little cutie will look like, my mare never looked so happy and content as she does now, even the last time the vet was out he commented on how happy my mare looks. So this is going to be a positive thing nothing will go wrong and little wonderful will make his or her appearance in to the world un-eventfully and there I will be with open arms and a huge smile.
I will go for coffee and come back to check on my girl and there will be our gift from God and of course Wrangle socks ..... he or she will look just like mom and dad with a feisty attitude and a zest for life and all will be good in the world at that moment.
I'm going to sleep now with that thought in my head and peace will come to my worried mind for now.

You can expect that I will be doing a lot of blogging now for a while..... so until next time happy trails to you!

Been a while "do ya think" and my mare

I could start off with many excuses for not being faithful to my blog.......like a new baby granddaughter and prior to her arrival in to the world, I dedicated 2 of my days off to babysitting my 3 year old grandson as mom was on bed rest. Of course my oldest grandson graduated 5th grade, YEAH buddy, you go......then my youngest daughter graduated high school, which was a HUGE present to me on my birthday........yes I have even aged during my time away.

So now that I have validated my lack of blogging with some excuses I feel better, but what I need to blog about is my mare!

My mare.....I will have to blog her whole story soon as she will be bigger than life on this blog......however today I just want to make the announcement that I, an older responsible (or so I like to think) woman, who supports rescues and always will,  made the well thought out decision  to breed my mare.

Yup that came as a shock to many people and yes many raised an eyebrow at my decision....I agree wholeheartedly that there are TOOOOOO many horses in rescue, and in need of homes, I agree with that statement! I will help in anyway I am able when it comes to those horses in need, that's a given.

So here is my story .... I used to fantasize about raising my very own from day one foal .... well myself and the mare of course.
Sometimes with quiet time at work I would look through dreamhorse.com at possible sires to said foal........during one of my peeks at the site I came upon a perfect QH stallion, chestnut with 4 white socks and appropriately named "Wrangle socks", I even sent pictures of him to my sister stating that this should be my foals sire.
As fate would have it I meet a woman and her husband at my horse trainer/ friends place, where my mare was in training.......in speaking with them I find they own "Wrangle socks".... OK some may call me a foolish old woman but I just knew at that point this was meant to be. Now that wasn't logical at all was it......so then agonizing over the very real decision started, should I breed my mare when there are so many un-wanted horses in the area never mind the country.
So I began the internal debate......I have dedicated my life to rescue.....all my animals are rescue with the exception of my gelding "Red", who had been another agonizing decision to buy a young healthy good minded horse as apposed to adopting another rescue.......that one was easy.....heck yes I needed my kids to have a safe, healthy, young horse to ride. As we had just had to put down a wonderful rescue horse that was to far gone to make it (I have never seen my youngest daughter stand for hours keeping a horse company as she did with that one) then the hours spent crying when we had her put down,  with that I felt I was allowed to give my kids and myself a gift.
So with all of that in mind, my decision to breed my mare I decided is my gift to myself and my grand children, I will of course keep the foal for life as that's what I do...he or she will never be at risk nor will mother or is Red horse (I have to add that Piper LOL a sense of responsibility)....I will from day one be able to have contact with he or she and develop a relationship and bond that will be like no other, I will have my family take a big part in the foals life so the bond will develop with them as well.
My other hope for this foal is that he or she will turn out to be a competitor in the barrel racing world.....that may or may not happen, but the breeding is there so chances are there as well........again if this isn't meant to be then it wont happen, but that is OK!
So, with all that said I do hope to have a little one next year and yes this is the only one I will take part in bringing in to the world, what fun will be in store if all works out and we are blessed with the gift of "Bobbie socks" or "Bobby socks", if is it's a boy.
It's an old ladies dream and I AM ALLOWED TO HAVE IT AND MAKE IT REAL ...... to all those that have raised your eyebrows!
For everyone else I will keep you updated as this is truly an adventure of a lifetime:)

Until next time.....happy trails!

Trail wimp

Another eureka moment I had when I came back to horses was the day I realized "I'm a trail wimp".
These moments are hard for us re-riders because ... well there are a lot of them, but this one really hit hard.

I got to my horses one morning with my sister, we were going to take a ride with a dear friend who rides the trails often. I get Red saddled up with a western saddle my sister decides to ride bareback......now I have to say little Fancy the horse my sister was riding was like sitting on a couch she was comfy, so don't feel bad for Gina this was her choice.
Anyway we head out in to the great beyond the wind blowing in our hair.....just a beautiful day and our mounts were fabulous as always.
As I trailed along behind my friend I was sort of day dreaming of days when my body was much younger and I used to race through the "jumping trail" in Bridle trails state park across from our house......yes, I would haul through there with my Thoroughbred jumping everything with precision......wow what a great trail rider I was.
I even went further back to living in up-state NY, I would ride with a neighbor or alone, didn't matter, I was out in those trails bareback most of the time running for glory.......yes those were the days!
Just then I realized they are by far not over...NO.....here I am still riding the trails, YES I am as kick ass as I ever was.....me and my big bay horse.....yup we bad and we know it!

As the ride went on my friend took a small trail off to the left on the logging road.....see I know where that sucker is to this day.......anyway she was scooting along on her very energetic Morgan...beautiful horse and a good trail horse, my sister was coming along behind me on this fun little trail it was rather nice good footing yes I liked it.
Now my big bay horse would take his time but we stayed in fairly close proximity to those in front and behind..........but all of a sudden I looked a head and my friend had vanished......my word she had just vanished.
I called out her name and she called back, I rode a few more feet only to reach the top of a vertical drop.....wholly mother of beat all, there was my friend at the bottom of what looked to be a serious fall off of a cliff.......so of course I yell are you OK....."of course" she says are you coming down........I'm thinking the woman had fallen, she couldn't have pitched herself and her horse off this cliff willingly, could she?
Well yes she had, she had intentionally taken her horse down the cliff and she wanted me to do the same.....good God this was not happening......so she yells up "do you want me to come back up?
For the love of Pete I'm going to have to plunge to my death on my faithful big bay horse just to save face....OH GOD WE"LL DIE!
Now my big bay horse was only 5 years old at the time and the trails were new to him, however he loved heading in to them, he loved these trails.......he was not as perfectly sure footed as the Morgan she is a trail master, but he held his own..........more than anything I trusted him, trusted him to do his very best always.....my sister, well I know she was thinking the same thing I was and yes she was bareback, YIKES.
I stood at the top of the vertical drop I calmly took my reins and hooked them around the saddle horn then I silently said a prayer......at which time I closed my eyes and urged my big bay horse to lunge over the cliff, the big bay horse did take a rather large jump over the edge but then he realized he needed to slide on his butt or he would fall.......well that big bay horse was no fool and he did not want to fall......he also knew I was atop having an out of body experience so I was of no use to him.....he tucked that big butt right down and made his way down the vertical drop with out incident........in fact the only incident was my sisters little gray horse giving out a big buck for joy when they hit the bottom of that cliff my friend calls a hill!
Yes we made it safe and sound, me with white knuckles wrapped around the saddle horn my sister kinda white faced and my dear friend with a look of puzzlement on her face.
Nothing more was said that day about my near death experience.....however I knew at that point that I was a trail wimp.....oh that hurts.....not my big bay horse nope he was brave, just me, I was the trail wimp.
I remain to this day a "trail wimp" not that I don't go out in to them I do, I just have to swallow my pride and let others know.... I am Gerri and I am a trail wimp!

Until next time .....happy trails!

The Bumble Bee halter

When your horse prances out of the barn in a brand new bright yellow halter with black fuzzy covers to make it not only comfy but fashionable, it is obvious to those around you that you are an older woman who is suffering from the early stages of empty nest syndrome.......I like to say it's the re-riders syndrome.

Yes indeed I spent many many years dressing up those little princesses........those days are over and I know it, but that doesn't mean I have to stop, no just change who I dress up and so I have.
I love going to the tack store or the feed store anywhere there are new bright, pretty things to purchase for my horse, I need this, I want to buy a pretty then take it to the barn put it on my horse and beam. However when your horse is at a stable where there are hard working young people who spend the day polishing their horses performance under saddle then throw any old brown halter on their horse, you have to do this on the down low.....which is hard to do when the new pretty looks like a bumble bee.

I recently had a rather embarrassing moment with my horses trainer........I got to the barn to find my horses pretty black halter with little silver horses running on it, broken in to pieces.
I was told that my sweet little mare got very angry at being tied to the wall while others were being worked so she sat down with all the force of a mac truck backing up and broke her pretty.......oh well I said no worries I'll get her another:)
In my mind I was thinking YES a good reason to go buy another pretty, so I did. I found the buy of the month staring right at me it was bright yellow and pretty......but better yet I found the fluffy black comfy halter covers to make it even more comfortable for my sweet mare to sit her extra wide quarter horse rear down and break this one......what a buy.
Except, when I got back to the barn and realized that I wasn't going to live this one down easy, I not only purchased the brightest halter I could find I was rewarding her for breaking her other one. So I had to try and keep it quiet ..... then the moment came when the trainer asked is that Flirts new halter, the one that looks like a bumble bee? Oh lord she was smiling and I know what she was thinking so I used this to my benefit and said no I'm going to use it on White, her horse that had a head injury, he will be comfortable in it.........she knew, oh yes she knew, but that was that White had a comfy new halter, of which he does deserve.......and yes I ran myself back to the tack store and found a bright green pretty with little silver horses on it for that halter breaking sweet girl of mine......and in my car to this day are white fuzzy halter covers which I will put on the NEW pretty I spotted, for the day she graduates from training......oh what fun!

Until next time happy trails, and hold your head high when you ride by the others with all that bling on your horse .... I do!

The GIFT

As we age we feel that we lose many things, such as our once firm bodies, our ability to run with wild abandon, to feel completely free from responsibility, just to name a few.
This is very true for the most part and varies from person to person, however we gain many, many, things in place of the ones we no longer have.
When I came back to horses there was one thing I realized I gained of which I consider the most wonderful GIFT.
One of the driving forces behind me blogging about the GIFT tonight is a very dear friend who I spoke with briefly through e-mail today........this friend is one that has the GIFT,  I don't believe we all receive it, we must first be open to it, but my friend Tina has the GIFT.
Our GIFT is simple yet so wonderful that it is by far the one thing I cherish above all else when it comes to interacting with my horses...........it is the GIFT of patience, I don't mean just patience, I mean PATIENCE.

I had the opportunity over the weekend to really use my GIFT. I was helping to watch over some horses for a friend, during this time a young one suffered from a terrible colic, this young one had come from a bad place at one point in time so he was not in any way going to just let me help him, no he was frightened and determined, not to mention a rather skittish fellow.
It is at a time like this that the GIFT really comes to me and makes me so thankful for it.......when you have the ability to just stand for hours and stroke the scared little soul and let him know that you have as long as it takes to help him get through this painful time.....the episode took the day and in to the evening....the vet had to come finally but not before I had to run to several places to pick up items to help the young one, all of which I was happy to do.
Then there is the very long time it took trying to administer aid, all of which was rejected big time.......this was when I would groom or just stroke gently until the young one would give that little look of trust, just enough to let me help a tiny bit .......there was a day I would have gotten frustrated and got it done with out the patience and care I was able to extend to the young one.
Now, I don't know for sure but I am all most positive there was the look of thanks in that young geldings eye while I was tending to him ever so gently and with all the patience in the world.....what I do know is my heart and mind were at peace, as worried as I was for the young one the calm was overwhelming, it came from patience.

This same patience is what created a bond so strong between my young mare and myself......I sat for hours when she arrived un-handled, terrified to be touched, my GIFT allowed me to make a connection with my mare that will last a life time, it is the most precious GIFT!

I need to end by saying that yes the young gelding pulled through a life threatening impaction that caused the colic, I felt blessed that my GIFT allowed me to take the day and evening to comfort him. I also was blessed to have my young mare across the isle way in a stall nickering to me and reminding me that maybe I have lost a few things but I have gained so much more with age......I certainly gained the GIFT of PATIENCE!

I thank my friend Tina for reminding me of one of the most special GIFTS our years have been kind enough to bestow on us......she never even said a word about it, she just has it, she has helped many a horse with her GIFT ones that may never have experienced this prior in their life time.......thanks Tina for all you do!

Until next time happy trails!

The mount.........

Well this is not my favorite subject, but what the heck it's got to be discussed sooner or later right.

Going back in time many many years ago this was actually a fun thing.......I remember doing the old stand facing the back end of your horse then catapult your toned young body right up on the big ol boy.......yup that was one way, then there was running up behind and leaping on to his back via the rump........and those were just two cute little examples of what we could do just for fun.
Now, that didn't include proper mounting for the show ring or during a lesson.....those were also done with ease that I now look back on with gut wrenching envy!

OK so that brings me to today.........mounting my horse sounds simple, in my head it is simple........yet when I try to throw my still long but strangely not quite the same looking leg up on my horse, if I'm lucky I would hit him about mid section and have him bolt sideways and look at me with the "why did you kick me for no reason" look....other wise I may hit under the belly which would generally knock me on my ass as the horse bolts forward and I have no doubt wondering "what the HELL did I do".
 So to keep from injuring myself and having my horse look for an opening to escape prior to the mount, I got smart I started using, YOU guessed it, the mounting block!
Now, we all say the same thing when we crawl our ever growing behinds up on one and try to align Trigger up next to it, and I quote "it's so much better for his withers I would never just mount from the ground" yep that's what we say.
We are right when we say this because if we were to get lucky enough to get our foot at the end of our not so toned leg in to the stirrup we would hang on poor old Triggers withers WAY to long, yes those withers may start to lean if we were to attempt this often.....so it is the truth yet a sad truth because if our youth had not escaped us we could still throw that leg right up on the horse with out ever giving his withers the slightest pull.

But that's OK it's our story and we are all sticking to it, at least I am!

One word of advise from one who knows... due to "not wanting to pull on our faithful mounts withers".....scan your area and the trails you ride for those mounting blocks on the go... such as good sized rocks, logs etc... it makes it so much easier to know where they are and plan your dismount if you need one, accordingly.....as walking three miles looking for a "mounting block" can be really tiring not to mention you can only say "I don't want to injure his withers" so many times with out feeling like your horse may be chuckling along with the others in your riding party......especially if some are still at that throw the leg over from a stand still age.

Another word of advise......yes this mounting incident was an actual event......when attempting to mount from a mounting block if you are mounting a bareback horse, such as my nicely rounded young QH...., NEVER and I mean NEVER.... grab the rail on the other side of the horse as it may make a strange squeaky noise which will cause your nicely rounded young mare to bolt back away from the noise, then do a roll back mid air and head off across the arena hell bound for escape.....as you are suspended from her side hanging on to the mane yelling whoa.... and when she does whoa... then out of complete fear of you hanging from her side bolts the other way and you fall on your back in the dirt, you will realize this was a mistake......then when your sweet young mare comes walking over wondering why you are lying on your back in the arena dirt you wont feel like shooting her because she should have known MOUNTING is NOT easy for you and you needed the hoist from the freaking squeaky rails to get on her back!!!!
So remember that.... yes... this was an actual event that only myself and my sweet young mare attended.......it was a learning event.

Another NO NO is mounting your horse in front of a non rider who you are on a date with......yes again this was an actual event............as the non rider may say something like "WOW that was a struggle I thought you would just jump right on"........at which point you are 100% sure you know what you are NOT going to jump right on to... EVER.......in fact this may be your last date with said non rider!

Well this about wraps up mounting, at least I touched on a tiny bit of the struggles I have encountered as a re-rider......it is my hope this may make someones life a little easier, that was my goal, that and making sure "I don't hurt his withers"

Until next time, happy trails!

White ears.....

White ears, now keep in mind when I say or type "White ears" I literally shake in fear so this may be very hard to get through........although it also may be a healing moment for an old horse woman.

Lets start out by stating a known fact, at least known by all who know me........I love Red horses......any shade of Red, light, dark, even a beautiful blood bay:) (which isn't really considered Red, but it is to me)......this is a fact and now I know why!

So I take you back to a moment in time a few years ago when I was taking dressage lessons, during those lessons I would generally ride a black horse, some times a Red horse, but never the less they were all good rides owned by un-named trainer, I was enjoying the lessons......then one day the horse I would generally ride came up lame.........enter..... "White ears".

I'm leaning against the hood of my car outside talking to my sister....yes we were taking lessons together because that is what old horse women do to feel young again......and to regain their once very well positioned hands and seat.......anyway here comes un-named trainer with a White horse, we will call that white horse Mr. White ears for the sake of anonymity.

So, un-named trainer says "how about riding Mr. white ears, you may do very well on him you're a quiet rider" I, being in the dark about Mr. white ears past pipes up with "sure he looks fine" un-named trainer states "he's a little forward but you will probably like that", OK it's a done deal.

I don't remember now if my sister said something or if it was the look of horror on her face....but I decided to put on my brand new never used in the trunk in case of the look of horror on my sisters face ...... helmet, yes today I will try out the never used helmet.......oh good move on my part.........the horse Gods actually must have entered in at this point.....on the helmet went and we were off to our lesson.

Yes it was a lesson, a lesson I will never forget, because by the grace of the horse Gods I was spared complete and permanent brain damage at least I think I was.

Said lesson started as normal, myself my sister and another gal all heading in the same direction around the arena....un-named trainer standing by the door (probably getting ready to run out from what she knew was about to happen).
Mr. white ears started to crow hop, now as all of us horse folk know if you just circle quietly and move forward the crow hop will eventually quiet down......needless to say it didn't!
Why in the ever loving world of sports I didn't take this as a clue to get off of Mr. white ears and lunge him I will never know.....oh I should interject this was my first ride after major surgery to boot.
Anyway as you may have guessed the crow hopping escalated.... to rearing, bucking and I'm not quite sure what other form of athletic maneuvers Mr. white ears was using to off load me......but I hung in there like a friggin rag doll on the ride of her life, until that dreaded but welcomed all the same realization of being off balance to the point of no return have to do something to save your own ass from certain death moment.....yes it was time!
Now at this point I was praying, YES praying for a clean throw.....because all I could see was WHITE EARS and HOOVES.....not a pretty sight in the least!
Finally, I was going to hit the arena ground with all the grace of an elephant going down for a roll in the dirt...well maybe not even that graceful...yes it was time, so I pushed off of the side of Mr. white ears with my foot in hopes of hurdling myself as far away from the horse with the white ears and hooves as possible.
It was like a scene from the Matrix, slow motion with fear running through my old bod like water through a hose........then the blow as I hit ground....I know it was logged as a small earthquake at the university, but didn't have it in me to let them know it was just ME.
Well that was it, yes I had fallen so hard I broke my brand new in the trunk of the car you know the rest helmet, OH YES it broke in several places!
What did I do then...... I got back on the crazy animal and walked around on a lunge line like a perfect example of the word idiot....then I PAID for my fall yes I paid money.....I know you're either laughing because you know I lived, or you are going out to buy the brand new helmet to put in the trunk of your car.........in case your sister ever has that look on her face!

One more GREAT moment from that day was sitting in McDonald's with my sister, because I was so shaken I couldn't drive all the way home. My sister exclaimed in all honesty as I told her I didn't feel well.........."you think you feel bad you should be ME, my muscles are killing me from the horror of watching YOU almost die"........I'm sorry sis LOL!

A concussion, a broken finger and two broken ribs later I grew a giant sized fear of saddling-up-again..........not to mention White ears.

I will end this very long blog here, but it's not done....NO not done by any means.....look forward to White ears part two, YES that's what I said...... White ears part two.

Until next time.....happy trails and pay attention to your sisters face!

By the way I am held harmless from any grammar or spelling errors as I can't proof read this.....not yet anyway!

A Standardbred in common.........

I was going to blog about the "white ears" but I will put that off for a day or two due to the 2 followers I have here LOL......as we have a Standardbred in common.

When I came back to horses the one GOOD move I made was to let my daughter pick out a horse.

We saw an add posted in a tack store showing a Standardbred for sale he was a 4 year old gelding 16.2hh he was in the upper price range but worth taking a look at.
My sister and I went and took the first look.........I say this with all the love and respect in the world, but holy crap that horse had a BIG head:) I left thinking for sure my daughter would take one look and say no way. However my sister was sold on the big headed horse, she loved his kindness and quiet way.
So, as fate would have it my daughter also fell in LOVE with the big headed horse.....his name is "Red Star Tropic" AKA "Red" and yes he was the BEST move that was made in my return to horses!
I need to explain that Red had some challenges that come with every 4 year old horse, even a quiet one.......I got much of my help from one of my followers... Mellisa.
Mellisa runs an online group that helps folks who are taking a Standardbred and re-training for sports other than racing......Standardbreds-starting-a-new-career.....on Yahoo groups.....a really great group by the way!

With all this said I want Mellisa to know that Red horse is and will always be part of my family.With his rock solid mind and brave heart Red taught me to believe in my ability to ride again and ride well......Red helped me to find the courage to work with a young horse that had never been handled, she came from a feedlot and was headed for slaughter.
So as fate would have it again, at the point where I needed to focus on the young one and help her to be the best she can be, my horse trainer told me about a wonderful young couple looking for a BIG quiet good minded horse.
I knew having Red standing in the pasture feeling like the odd man out was completely un-fair, also as long as Red was in the pasture I would not ride another horse......he was my rock.....so with that in mind I decided to care lease Red to the nice couple, Piper and Derek, so he may have a great time out in the trails with them and their other horse Edgar.
This has been yet again a very GOOD decision, even though I miss Red terribly at times I've been a big girl about it, although I write this through teary eyes, but I trust I have made the best decision for all of us......I happily follow Reds adventures on Pipers blog and Mellisa please do the same, you will get a kick out of the Red horse saga as always.....he's such a character and a beauty.....yes when I look at Red now I see Beauty at it's finest, 17hh with his strong features and brave heart, Red is the best the horse world has to offer....he can do well in any discipline and is happy to try his best......but what the Red horse loves is the trails.
So Red has along with loving new care givers and riding partners, a nutty old horse lady ready to open her arms to Red horse whenever and for whatever reason he may return!

So far this has been a great thing for Red and all involved, I thank Piper for taking such great care to make sure Red has comfortable equipment on and that he is happy and healthy when he's out on a ride........ for all of us with the "Standardbred in common"......may this be a wonderful and safe riding season.........a big thank you to all, and of course......happy trails Red horse, happy trails to all!

This weeks headlines, gall bladder removal.

So to most of you under 40's having your gall bladder removed would be an inconvenience, a pain, but not a big worry, things will be back to normal very shortly, a little rest and you're good to go.
OK, that is your reality, mine is a little different.....first thought is, holy crap how much worse shape can I get in, will I even be able to feed the horses never mind hoist my ever growing rear end on one anytime soon.
So what did I do, I decided to behave like a... well less than rational thinker.....I made the conscious decision to show no pain at all.....prey animals show NO PAIN!
My first move was to drive just 3 days after surgery to the court house in another city to fight a traffic ticket......wasn't in the mood to fight when I got there, took it like a woman and moved on to the second rather bad idea.........drive home to Sultan.....good thing I work half way so I stopped to say hi because that's what you do days after surgery right........NOT....at least not if you have half a brain.
So all this to say growing old truly does make you a dingbat.....yes I face the challenge of getting back on a horse in a few weeks and yes it will be just a little tougher than is was earlier this year.....but by golly I will do it, hell I plan to barrel race this year....now I have your attention.....more to come on that adventure.
Any how I will ride the white horse soon......it may not be pretty at first but he's a forgiving sort.
With all that said it brings me to tomorrows post ........White ears.....oh what a story!

Happy trails!

I'll give this a try

Well I decided to take the plunge in to the world of blogging......we'll see where this goes.
As my blog name states, I will make an attempt to talk about the world of horses experienced for the second time through the eyes and mind of a 50+ sort of nutty horse woman.

I should start this out by saying coming back in to horses for the second time is far more challenging than it was the first time at age 9.

I guess the most obvious is the fact that it hurts like "hedoublehockeysticks" when that moment strikes when your precious old bod becomes one with the ground, and I mean any ground....it hurts, oh does it ever hurt.....more on this subject at a later date....it's a sore one with me.

Another challenge that is not as painful but a real eye opener, is that it becomes very apparent that it was much nicer when you had a loving father that paid the bill...all of it...yes those were the days....oh how I should have thanked my father way more often than I did!

Then there is the decisions and mass confusion......back in the day I just rode that's what I did and I did it well.........not today now there is thought so much thought that has to go in to every decision I make regarding my horses, I could do a novel on this one, it is a blessing for the horses and yes it may ward off dementia so this is not such a bad thing really.

Well those are just a drop in the bucket of the challenges I face being a re-rider, as some very kind folks call it.....there are many more and I hope to post often as to my daily or weekly episodes.
I do hope this to be entertaining yet blatantly truthful so I'll give blogging a try!

Until the next entry .... happy trails!