Going Back

Days of yore, jump saddle

I have decided to revisit a "Feel like home"

place. It has been some time since I have felt comfortable, as I was truly more interested in my mare's comfort.

So, while she has been nice and comfy...I HAVE NOT!

Stubben Tristan

Yea, I am talking about saddles again....Above the Stubben fits nicely on the mare. Sometimes I used a bumper pad to level the seat. But, that made my comfort worse. I have been getting hit in the woowoo. I can't take it anymore! I have gone back to my "Hans Biglajzer "Jump saddle. It is all of 9 pounds and so compy! It fits fine for now on the mare...since we have not buffed out with the hills as before, when we stopped using it.

And...we are going back to the mountain lakes soon too!

Pantz Mare and me in Frog lake, Oregon

Summertime colors at sunset

Yes, summer is here in Oregon. While just a week ago it was raining still (typical), it is acting pretty summery now with high temps and plans to be realized. Normally it will rain right up to the 4th of July. Not typical this year, thank goodness!
Tomorrow, we are Taking the horses to the LAKE!

Timothy Lake, Oregon with Mt. Hood 

The two mares have not seen each other for some time...it should be interesting to see the reunion. After some squeals and posturing, they will be besties again for the trailer ride up to the mountain.

Pantz mare and Washashe share the trails

I have been super busy these past weeks...working and gardening, preparing for this camp trip. I went out to the trail and retrieved some old hoof boots I "ditched" last year, when the mare was traveling funny...I took them off and stashed them in the brush. Since the Easy boot "WIDES" have worked so well, I decided to sell the "Reneagdes" back to the feller I bought them from, and send in the old  "Cavallo"boots-pictured below attached to my saddle.

Ditched hoof boots- those days are OVER!

I sent them in and did the "TRADE UP"  through the  Easy Care Company.

You are able to send in an old pair of competitors hoof boots , once a year, for 50% off Gloves or Back Country Gloves. THIS is a GREAT DEAL, since I have finally found some of their well thought out and designed boots to fit my TB mare.
 The invention of "WIDES", has made us two fillies really happy!!
The Rear EB Gloves came in the mail in record time. We've had some very nice outings with plenty of trots and canters. 

All around Glove boots and revisiting the "Jump Saddle"

Time for some of that summery goodness of cooking over the open flame, telling stories till your eyes are drooping, eating "smores" (trying a new recipe) and riding, riding, riding!!!

My mare, the Daisey!

See you all when we return to town again, next week.

A day riding , pondering

I had a smile on my face, from the get-go!

Though part of the ear to ear was remembering something I had read 

(and snort laughed over)

 from

"YOU THE WOMAN", which is my name for her on my blog roll. You may know her as "Grey Horse matters".

Who knew something as common as what I call the "Sunshine Blues" could be so blasted hilarious !  Having "S.A.D.D." makes you manic when the bright light of the sun comes out finally. I try and do everything at once, not being able to follow through with any 1 thing! It is Exhausting! 

But when someone like her writes it up; the talented comical soul that she is, it takes on a new light and makes us all in this disintegrating world, ( minds and bodies)  together, and it is not at all as bad as being alone!

On with a days outing we went.

Down through  to the temporary water hole, Wa mare pausing to drink from the fresh rain basin.

It is nice when riding, I never have to worry about lists, agendas being met, or forgotten!  It's all about the moment I am in with my mare.

 The "REAL TIME" of riding out is a mind-clear. Nothing else matters in the lapsing minutes into hours. Blue hereon, Hawk, Eagle and many other birds fly above us in the airspace. On the grounds;  deer, Beaver, frogs, squirrels, bunnies and the occasional cow and Llama are our trail mates.

Usually, I think only about other horse folk when I ride.( "IF" I think 'bout anything other than my mare, those animals and the terrains I travel) It's only fitting to take them along in thought and prayer, knowing of their horse lives through blogging. I leave my other life stuff behind, just  take them and their journeys various.

Lately, I am CAPTIVATED in HEART by one that has made massive amounts of progress with her new wonderful Arabian mare.

"From here to there, with a horse"

AKA

Lytha in Germany. 

When I ride my bareback saddle now, I have a partner! She is brave to do it and yea LYTHA, you'll get more buff as you ride on!

The brighter light of the sunshine appearing has given me a BOOST...obviously...I have made more posts in this week, than ever! 

So when I drop off to normal  Posting...make sure to visit my new LINK-"INSTAGRAM"- on the top sidebar!

It is a photo trail of life.

Rough riding

Well now, it turned out to be nice weather for the 3rd day of my personal Hoof Boot trials. It lead me to ride a bit ROUGHER on them, not the mare.

Wa was happy to see me, neighing for me to hurry and get her out there! She has been super lately, really willing, stepping out of the barn door onto rocks. The norm before boots- stop at the last second and question KK girl, "REALLY NOW, you say you love me but these stones hurt me!" 
I can't help but think it's the lack of pain making her so willing to move towards the trails again. Mud and rain make for soft soles...poor thing. The boots couldn't have come at a better time for her.

As you see from the sketch/photo above, I have had some fun with my phone's applications lately.
I love stuff like this! 

Juliette from HONEYSUCKELFARE blog, indirectly turned me onto this App, from another App she invited everyone to try- HERE-It is really fun and quick to connect with folks...right from your phone! It is called "INSTAGRAM".
 I only have her as a "follower"...so if anyone wishes to have some quick fun, please take a hasty minute and sign up...I am loving the easy connection to friends, through photos!

Back to the BOOT TRIALS.
We did some extended trotting. We went through big bogs and some nice deep water. We continued the trotting on a softer surface that is more uneven and once, I did hear her overreach and skiff a boot a few times.  I DID NOT stop...I kept going till I planned on stopping and then- did the "BOOT CHECK" lean over the shoulder. Still on!   The right boot was slightly off center...but a walk down the road corrected it.

I am giving a THUMBS UP to the EB  Gloves-W!
I am considering sending my "Renegades" to the Easy Boot Company, for a 1/2 off $ in a "TRADE UP" offer they have. I need rear boots for some of those rockier rides I have put off doing in awhile.

RIDE ON FRIENDS!

Ride between the raindrops

Down the trail on a grey, but somewhat dry day in Oregon

We have returned to the normally scheduled forecast for this time of year in the PNW...cold with grey skies, VERY wet and windy. The blankets are back on the horses again, since the winds have made the 50 degree days seem like 20 degrees cooler! And, with no hair to comfort them since they are all shed out nicely, this seems like a dirty trick! 

Really wanting to get us fit for spring. . .  and while I have done tons of walking with the mare, I wish to ride longer, and TROT!  Slick conditions make that near impossible.Truly, I NOT taking many risks these days..though my therapist told me today, " you have healed up in the quickest scenario.6 weeks. Usually with something like this, it can be up to 6 months!" Woo hoo....!!!

My mare's normal  sole "Tenderness" has come on. after the 2 glorious weeks of 80 degrees. She was getting pretty good at rock walking. Now, with conditions ripe for soft soles ....Grass, and mud softened hooves from moist grounds. Wa does have very good hooves for a TB, but the sharper, broken gravel used on properties and roads for loggers to use, make her wince and groan about having to travel on them. 

So getting "FIT" means getting a "FITTING" done too. My barefoot specialist told me that she could fit my mare for hoof boots from "Easy care". I told her, "nothing from Easy Care will fit her, all the Easy Boots in the line have specific measurements for a narrower hoof. My mare's hooves are round".  She then apprised me of the new "WIDE, Easy Boot Glove".

I am all in for trying this "GLOVE" by Easy Care, since my sister has used them on Pantz mare for years, they are super easy to apply!

Easy Boot "Glove" isn't this nice!

 I free lunged her for a spell, to see how they would hold onto her hoof. They will have gators on them when I use them, but this would be an interesting test. I knew that free lunging would come with outbursts of breaking the circle, but that is why I did that. She held it together for a few rounds and gait changes. I asked her to canter...yup-whoosh, off she galloped...and that boot stayed on her!

I am sold! 

Though...I should have done the "TRADE UP" plan through "Easy Care"; turning in my old "Cavallo" hoof boots for a 50% discount!!!   Next time. And if these work out the way I think they will, there WILL BE a next time!

Nearing almost 2 weeks of terribly cold and damp times here...the weatherman actually forecasted "a" single 75 degree day, and all sunny ! RIGHT ON! AMAZING~He was right!

A wonderfully warm and bright day!

I found the mare -out flat- laying in the field! She knew how to really take in the weather change. I saw her tail a flipping though, and as soon as I had finished my customary feed packet/supps bags for the week and came back out, she was up. When she spotted me, walked to the gate!

Flat out resting!

Riding ensued...into the Yellow blooms of May.

When we returned,  my mare was in head HIGH mode at a clanging bell noise. Now, we hear this bell noise all the time, since it is on a cow next door. But this time, probably because of the scenery changes of clear cutting going on by the stables, she took a special spooky mare stance. Me, not taking ANY chances...got off and we went in further towards the noise, to conquer it for ourselves, since she has never spooked with cattle before.

 HAHA!!

I started to moo a bit ( yea, it is laugh worthy)and that darned -HUGE- cow came a-running over to the fence to greet us!

All I can say is- I AM SO GLAD I GOT OFF!!

She tried to bolt left, then right...all at the end of the rope reins I was holding...but never did she pull on me! I told her, "They have to come through me first, to get to you..."

She finally settled....

Ear Left..............Ear right..........

And this is what we eventually could see...a big doe eyed cow!

She was so friendly..and very noisy dingle-lingling!

So now we wait...on some nice to us spring to happen again.Not that no-so-nice will stop us from getting into the forest riding, but with hoof boots, I am not chancing loosing them in mud!

 My poor garden...I didn't know to cover the plants and some of them look" over " trying to grow. Back to the farmer's market for some more starts!

Ah, fickle springtime!