Gear Bleg

My last trail ride gave me a pointed reminded that I need a new carry belt, my old one just isn't up to snuff.  I made a brief sortie onto Google for said item and backed away slowly, lest the avalanche of options bury me alive.  So, any thoughts, guidelines, or recommendations for a solid, every-day gun belt?  I usually carry OWB (pistol pouch or holster) as I've yet to find IWB comfortable; maybe I need new ccw-friendly pants, too.  I'm sure somewhere there's a forum thread dedicated to carry belts, but posing the question here might actually garner some comments! 

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. 

NC Blogshoot II

Well, we had quite a turn out this year for the NC Blogshoot!  Thank you, everyone, who came and shared your toys, stories and food.  Heath and I enjoyed hosting, y'all were great company and we're looking forward to doing it again next year.  Hell, we have to do it again, I still have Tannerite!

Speaking of which... Many thanks to Dan over at Tannerite; without his services we wouldn't have had any exploding goodness for the weekend.  I called him up on Tuesday to see if we could get a couple cases of targets by the weekend.  With a few phone calls / e-mails they were shipped that afternoon and at my door Wednesday night.  No hassle, no outrageous charges - just excellent customer service.  If you enjoyed the reactive targets at the shoot, drop by his site and let him know! 

I hope everyone had as much fun as I did this weekend.  Getting to try out everybody's toys (Thanks Old NFO, Mad St. Jack, ThotPolice, Sean & apologies if I missed someone) was a blast and reminded me that I haven't been shooting near enough this summer.  Nothing like decimating water jugs, stuffed animals, computer components and a car to make a weekend feel worth while!

All the food was terrific; I over stuffed myself trying to taste it all.  Newbius's pizzas were delectable, I mourn the return of my fridge space :-(   Breda's chicken & her mom's stuffed cabbage made it impossible to not go back for seconds (who am I kidding - thirds!).

So, it looks like everyone else remembered to shoot their cameras as well as their guns; I, however, forgot.  So, I'll have to leave the photographic evidence of the merry-making to everyone who came.  Again, thank you for the absolutely enjoyable weekend, I hope to see you all again next year.

And for all of you who loved on our dogs... they miss you and have made their displeasure regarding the decrease in belly rubs and head pats known!




*Note for anyone who concerned about the review:  I paid for the gorram Tannerite - so bugger off.*

BMV = Exasperating Time Suck

Finally, the time came to get The Beast properly papered and tagged for Ohio.  What a merry expedition!  In our little corner of Ohio, even under the best of circumstances, you have to go to 3 separate places over 4 unique visits to get an out of state vehicle vetted, approved and licensed.  In the past 2 days, I stopped at 5 different government offices, 7 separate times and got to pay for the privilege of having my life wasted by petty bureaucrats. 

In the lovely state of Ohio, you have to get an out of state vehicle "inspected" at a license bureau ($3.50) before they'll issue a new title.  Basically, they take down the VIN, make and model on a special form (only good for 30 days - since after 30 days your Taurus may have morphed into a Charger and you have to get it checked again, just to be sure).  Then you have to go to a title office to get the title changed and pay any taxes due - not just on what you paid for the vehicle, but on any admin fees / stocking fees that the dealer may have charged.  The rant about the double dipping created by taxing the sale of a used vehicle must wait for another day.  Then, you have to go get an E-check (emissions).  Finally, you take the title & passed e-check form back the the license bureau and get your plates and tags.


Now the fun begins:
There isn't a office that has both titling and licensing abilities in our county.  Of the  four title offices, the first two are closed on Mondays, open 8:30 - 4:30 T-F, 9-1 Sat. and the other two are open 8:15 - 4:30 M-F.  The closest office is of the first variety & isn't even listed on the website.  Also, their phone # doesn't have a message machine so I had to stop by on Monday to see what their hours were.  Then, when I stopped back on Tuesday, I was told that their computers had been down for the past 4 days and hadn't been repaired yet!

There are 4 licensing offices, all of which have normal business hours - no qualms there.  You just have to go there twice to get through the process (bring a book - maybe two) and it's not like they're right next to the title office, either.

E-check - some green initiative bullshit only required in a handful of Ohio's counties and only has 2 testing stations in our county.  Guess who's awesomely huge truck is over the weight class limit for a free check and has to pay every 2 yrs for the privilege of the eco-nonsense?  Or, I can get an appointment & drive to one of the 2 EPA field offices over an hour away (open M-F 8-5), have them say, "yep, it's a big diesel" and get a permanent exemption. 

Not like it's shocking, but for all the information they have on their website, there's not a clearly defined set of requirements for going through the whole title -> license plate process.  Instead, it's scattered amongst lists of links that make the whole process incoherent.  A simple list would solve a lot of issues.  Somehow, I think that'd be too simple.  The other novel thought would have been to not raze the only dual title-license office in the county!  Or, instead of opening a title-only location afterwards, put the title office into one of the existing license bureaus

Overall, I'm just glad it's done.  If I was of stronger constitution, I would go and demand to know what in the hell "misc fees" ($10.00) refers to but at this point - I just don't care.

Happier posts on the way -- Blog shoot this weekend!