Good Day

Well, the float switch arrived from Amazon (thank you Brown truck of happiness!) & it honestly took more time to get it out of the packaging than to get it installed.  So my basement is once again safe from becoming a swimming pool.

I also spent some quality time with the boys this afternoon.  Freedom & Gambler both appreciated the rub down.  Hell, Gambler even let me bring out the clippers without acting the fool.  Maybe I'll breakout the hose and suds this week & get out some of the deeper grime.  With highs in the 80's, they might actually appreciate it!

Bugger

I stopped riding Dressage in any formal capacity over two years ago.  While I like the discipline, I hate showing.  It seemed rather pointless to practice for perfection when I had no intention of showing it off to anyone.  So I rescued a gaited horse and hit the trails.  I still use dressage principles but it's not the same.

Now, in an effort to rehome a few horses, I'm back in the dressage saddle again.  I've been thrown into riding 3+ times a week, from zero O_o  Sufficient to say, my body hates me & certain muscle groups are barely on speaking terms. 


On the upside, I'm dealing with nice horses not hopeless cases.  The one horses is quite talented, but hadn't been ridden from early spring to December.  We're both out of practice, which isn't helpful when folks are interested in what she is capable of doing but want to see it first.  Saying she can do X, Y, Z doesn't mean much without proof.

All would be well & good if I could find the video from when she was showing, but it's missing.  So I tried to make a new sales video tonight but I utterly buggered the ride.  I don't even want to watch it to see what can be salvaged.  She knew I was nervous (remember that whole 'hating to show' thing?) and we spent more time vaulting sideways than going forward.  Yeah, maybe I'll post it for y'all to watch - could at least be amusing, 'though I'd be as embarrassed as hell!

Funny, I know I'll ride tomorrow (after a healthy application of Advil and Icy Hot) and she'll be fine.  I'm irked she unsettled me this afternoon when I know we've done better in the past few days.  Anyhow, I'm off to pamper my poor, sore muscles.  Maybe I'll post some of the less embarrassing clips later. 

On to better pastures

Last night we said good-bye to Shotgun, the old man of the barn.  Farewell my old friend, may you find greener pastures, ease and comfort wherever you are. 

Solo Trail Ride

This seems like a silly milestone for someone who's been riding for 16 years, but today I managed my first completely solo trail ride.  I've ridden alone on the farm dozens of times, been on more trails that I can recall and even ridden alone off our property, but I've never hitched up, drove out, rode, and come back without someone else along for at least one part of the journey.  The Beast has finally fulfilled its purpose; I'm no longer dependent on anyone to go out for a ride.  Damn does that make me happy! 

Now, I just have to work on timing.  The first beautiful day at the end of October at a Metropark is a bad time to try and log miles.  They have a tendency to put on Halloween-themed carnivals with all sorts of horse-eating monsters.  This lead to several impromptu desensitizing lessons, yay for learning experiences!  Even with all the spooky things, it was a really good ride.  Freedom's gaiting was dead on today, there was no jarring trot and he had good, ground-covering strides with a wonderful head bob; I think he really enjoyed himself, I know I did.  Thank you, Weather Gods, for at least one nice day this Fall; I will sacrifice a pumpkin in your honor!    

The Great Saddle Search of 2011

This year, I've felt a little like Goldilocks when it comes to saddles.  My dressage saddle was a tight fit in college (read: it was cheap and I made it work) & not suited for a gaited horse, my all purpose was under-padded for long trails and the western I had was heavy, bulky & made my knees ache.  So this spring I had a rack full of saddles and none that really fit me & Freedom... bugger.  So I went to the trusty internet to find something that met the following criteria:

1. Light - under 25lbs
2. Under $2,000 (preferably under $1,500)
3. Built for a gaited horse
4. Deep seated, no horn, English stirrup placement & no extemporaneous leather 
5. Somewhat customizable
6. Reputable Company

I looked at: treeless saddles (all different varieties), Trail Masters, Tuckers, Crest Ridge Saddles, Sycamore Creek Saddlery, and many more.  I put hours into comparing, reading reviews and investigating the options available with each company.  

I tossed treeless out after a few weeks of reading - they're Murphy's Law magnets. Being moderately to completely adjustable, there are too many integral components to fiddle with to get the saddle to fit.  IMHO that's the saddle maker's job, not mine & I'm not about to make a muck of it!  Also, if the saddle was reasonably priced, it had lukewarm reviews and warnings regarding poor distribution of weight - or - if the price was sky-high, it had rave reviews but similar warnings regarding back protection.  If I have to buy a +$200 pad to ensure my saddle will stay on and not harm my horse, then the technology just doesn't support the theory yet. (YMMV)  

Trail Masters... I yearn for one of their saddles but the >$2,000 price tag is simply unobtainable.  I like their rigging style with the cord running the perimeter of the tree creating equal tension on the entire saddle.  The styles are appealing and the thought of a saddle made with a woman's structure in mind was extremely tempting.  I couldn't find any egregious reviews and most folks were thrilled with their saddles.  So, I've filed them away amongst my "WANT!" bookmarks for better days. 



Tuckers... pass.  I just couldn't get into the hype about Tucker saddles.  They're moderately customizable, pricey - for a mass produced product - and just didn't do anything for me when I tried them at tack stores.

Crest Ridge Saddlery... almost had me, but just didn't pan out.  They offer a nice variety of saddles within the $900 - $2,000+ range that are customizable.  They have consistently good feedback and are American made.  What's not to like, right?  Well, I had the opportunity to check out the saddles at Equine Affaire this spring and my original top pick fell a little flat.  The saddles were as nice as advertised & the staff was courteous.  However, I wasn't 100% comfortable in the saddle I could afford and I didn't relish settling on the 1/2 cordura version.  So, I spent a bit of time talking with them about options and such.  Then they asked me who else I was looking at... the owner wasn't overly couth regarding her opinion of her competition.  She was dismissive and fairly condescending when I asked her to explain how her saddles' were better.  It was truly disappointing.  I firmly believe that if you say your product is superior to a competitor's then you should be able to defend your position.  The rest of her staff did a nice job of damage control but it just put me off, so I tabled them to second choice.

Sycamore Creek Saddlery ... I cannot say enough good things about this company.  Their saddles are light, comfortable, utterly customizable (i.e. I sketched the saddle I wanted & now I've got it) and affordable.  Tony was wonderful to work with and made sure I got what I wanted.  Heck, the hardest part was the waiting - which you'll have with any custom saddle, so that really isn't a complaint.  The saddles are made in Columbia but the quality and workmanship are excellent; I've already put 40ish miles on the saddle and I can't find any faults.  It fits Freedom extremely well and I no longer have the grinding knee pain I had when riding in my western.  I've even used it on Gambler and it fits well - so custom doesn't mean "one horse only".  Final price?  ~$700.00  for the saddle, breast collar, girth, crupper & shipping.  Yes, I was skeptical regarding the quality with that price tag, but it really is a nice saddle.  Regarding the comparison to Crest Ridge: I could buy 2 complete rigs from Sycamore for the price of 1 saddle (no accessories) of similar style by Crest Ridge - I just couldn't ignore that side of the equation.*  Plus, Tony's attitude & return policy / satisfaction principles made the choice easy.  So, I'm tickled pink with my saddle but pissed as hell that the weather won't cooperate so I can get on trail! 

Just right!

  
  *For the gunnies reading this that may equate this to buying a really cheap holster vs one of Dennis' really nice custom ones ... it's more like having Dennis' twin set up shop outside the US and making holsters with the advantage of cheaper overhead.  

** Again for any .gov out there - I paid for my gorram saddle - so bugger off!

Trail Season Begins

Most folks have the mistaken impression that trail season starts the first nice day of spring, I've got two words for that ... yep, those are the words.  I have no interest in fighting the bugs, the mud, and every cabin-fevered idjit who owns a pair of hiking boots for a bit of trail space.  I'll snag a few miles in spring and summer, but Ohio isn't exactly comfortable during those months when you're sitting on a 1000 lb heat machine & biting insect attractor.  Give me fall with its glorious cool days, low humidity and bugs dying by the tonne.  From September 1st through the end of November, I put as many miles in as I can.  Hell, I've been known to load up & ride in December and January - mosquitoes really hate snow.

So, after months of not riding, I went on 4 trail rides in the past week - roughly 10 miles each ride.  They certainly weren't taxing rides, mostly walking & slow gaiting; I didn't want to abuse the boys after they languished in the pasture all summer.  Both Freedom & Gambler were confused at the whole, 'get in the trailer' thing but got back into the groove once we struck out on trail.  Our local trail systems are nice, there are several parks with an hour's drive to keep things interesting.  The parks are fairly horse-tolerant on their multi-use trails; while they don't provide horse-only trails around here, riders are given right of way in most encounters and aren't completely barred from many parks.  While I enjoy the hustle & bustle of riding on the more manicured trails, what with their strollers, bikes, and folks on roller blades, I prefer the single-file dirt paths through the woods - I'm going for a ride to avoid humanity, not to be surrounded by it. 

So, Huzzah for the start of trail season!  If you need me, you'll find me with Freedom on the furthest trail we can find.

Riding Armed

I started to respond to this post by Haiku Farms in comments but decided it would be better to make it into a whole post.  I agree with her self-defense post up to a point.  A person who decides to get a gun and never shoots, just gained an expensive & odd looking paperweight; so she's right - if you don't intend to practice, there's no point in getting a gun.  However, I don't agree that you have to be a hunter or a soldier to shoot well; heck, you don't even need constant access to a range.  You can practice grip, target acquisition, posture, etc with snap caps while watching TV.  A gun is a tool, you don't have to make a hobby out of it, just learn to use it.

The entire premise of the post is having to defending yourself, not making an escape, not barricading until help arrives (these options were covered in previous posts) so why not have & learn to use the best defense weapon out there?  I, at 5'6" and 145lbs, am not going to pit my strength against a goblin intent on doing harm - no matter what size skillet I may have access to.  Intent is everything in these scenarios; the goblin has already planned on causing harm.  You have to decide what your own intentions are when someone threatens you (and I agree with Newbius's post on what a life is worth).  Defending yourself is the final option, you've decided that you cannot escape and your life is in danger.


In regards to being able to hit a target at close range (< 25yrds), I have up to 16 tries to neutralize the threat - I doubt I'd have that many tries to stab them with a pitchfork or beat them with a frying pan before being overpowered.  I also don't see someone advancing into gun fire, even if I am missing.  I can see a goblin risking a whack or two with a pan to subdue his victim.  A gun is the greatest equalizer and if I've made the decision to fight, I want as many factors in my favor as possible.  Shooting, of course, would be the last resort in any goblin scenario; if I can avoid, flee or diffuse a dangerous situation I will.  However, if I'm afraid enough to draw a gun I'm shooting to kill, not to wound and certainly not to frighten.

Of course, adding a 1000 lb creature into the mix makes things more difficult.  As mentioned in Haiku Farm's post, unless you've desensitized your horse to gunfire you're asking to be dumped firing from its back.  That said, if I'm contemplating shooting while mounted, things have gone so far beyond pear shaped that being dumped is the least of my concerns.  The only (human) situation I'm not running away from is a goblin with a deadly weapon; anything else, run-pony-run.  If someone's threatening me I'm shooting mounted and taking the associated risks.  

I do advocate desensitizing your horse to gunfire regardless of your choice of self-defense.  How will you know if someone else on trail isn't armed or someone isn't hunting nearby or that a goblin won't light off a few rounds just so you're thrown.  You desensitize them to a host of other sights and sounds, why not one that could save your life?  I'd recommend Cowboy action shooting as a place to start for information.  It's a large and healthy organization and they're one of the friendlier groups of horse people I've ever met.  Find a forum or a local group to help you with the basics.

Any non-mounted horse scenario is comparable to being jumped going out of the grocery store - the horse is an external element.  If you're in camp and it freaks & runs away, you can look for it later.    Overall, I can't see the justification for obstaining from guns if you truly endeavor to defend yourself,  especially if you're out in the wilderness alone or in a small group.  This goes double if you're female;  goblins just don't come in our size and they don't fight fair.  Best to stay aware, use your head and have the greatest advantage possible. 

Sunny Afternoon

As promised, pictures of the boys:

 

My horse: "Chasing Freedom"

5yr old Tennessee Walker

Heath's Horse: "Ebony's Country Gambler"

9 yr old Tennessee Walker

 

Our resident retiree: "Shotgun" 36+ yr old Quarter Horse

 

All my boys together