I deleted a few photos off of the blog yesterday due to an insecure, hypocritical, control freak of a horse owner.  It's okay for the photos of the horse to be openly posted to other websites and facebook for anyone in the world to view and use - but apparently I'm not allowed to have them.  (Even though it was someone else took the photos, not even the horse owner themselves....and I would've given full credit if I could've remembered who the photographer was at the time!)  Okay, whatever.  I deleted the pictures.  Why are there always a few "loons" in the Akhal Teke breed that make it so damned weird sometimes.....?   

Klikitat Photos

A few of Monica's photos from the Klikitat ride.  =:)  Thanks Monica!

Single Handedly...

This years Blue Mountain Paint Horse club open show at the Flying X arena was the beginning of a "one handed" journey between Tommy and I.  Last Saturday was the day we started showing one-handed for the first time.  We've practiced riding single handed a little bit at home, but have never tried it at a show before.  Tommy is seven years old, so it's time to start moving up and advancing a bit.  (We can't stay in a snaffle forever....)  Most stock horses are in a full straight bar shank by this time, so we're a little behind the curve - but slowly making the transition.

Overall, he did alright for his first time at a show. He had a little bit more freedom to creep forward slightly faster in the gaits and also crane the head, (which he exercised every once in awhile....) but it wasn't too bad for his first time. 

I had to correct him every once in awhile - "slow down, collect up."

It was probably a good thing that we started riding one-handed at this show, because the wind was playing havoc with my hat.  I had to keep my free hand anchored on top of my head to keep it from flying away!  I need to remember to pack some bobby pins for next time.....

And I'm starting to get smarter about wearing "quick change" outfits as well, for time management.  The show shirt made a quick transition from western...

to english - in rapid fashion!  I didn't have to re-pin the number or anything.  Just slip into some breeches and go.  I've struggled at a couple of the bigger shows with changing outfits multiple times and losing valuable warm-up time has stressed me out - so now I'm getting "smarter" about swapping out only one or two articles of clothing in order to give the outfit a whole new look.  It is working!  Yay! 

Klikitat Trek 2013

June 1st and 2nd was our annual camping trip at the Klikitat Trek endurance ride in Glenwood, WA.  Marilyn Milestone puts this ride on every year, and she's such a sweet and awesome lady.  Her kindness and graciousness seems to have no end....  =:) 

Craig and I like this ride a lot because the campsite parking is great and the Glenwood rodeo association usually puts on a dinner and lunch both days for the riders and campers.  It's really nice to have a hot meal after a long days ride out on the trail.  The weather for the ride this year was outstanding too!  Only in the mid/high 70 range and the trail dust was kept to a minimum from previous rainstorms during the week.

On Thursday I glued both of the horses easyboot glue-ons on at the house.  The glue-ons have been working out great for doing the rides with, and I have a lot less stress since I don't have to keep getting off and on all the time.  I talked to a lady at the vet check who said there was some new easyboot glue-on prototypes that will be coming out soon for long term use (a month or more).  And this is exciting news, as the current ones that I have now are meant to be pulled off in 5-10 days in order for the hoof to breathe and dry out.  I'm very interested to see what the new ones will be like that are coming out on the market.

I started the LD on Saturday with Nettie.  On Friday night she was acting rather naughty and kept Craig and I awake all night long...(mare horomones at work).  I think that she suspected every horse in the neighboring camp pens just HAD to be a stallion - and she would beg them incessantly to come over to our trailer and visit with her.  By Saturday morning I was totally annoyed due to the constant nickering (and lack of sleep) - but we managed to start out the ride day pretty good nonetheless.  We happened to meet up with #24 out on the trail (we were #23) and rode with him to the vet check.  His name was Warren, and he was from from Estacada, OR.   He was a very nice guy and it was great to clip along the trail and chat with him. 

I had given Nettie 3 1/2 weeks off from the Grizzly Mountain ride to heal up from her previous injury and she had felt pretty good out on our light conditioning rides.  But at the out vet check on Saturday she started showing signs of slight lameness again in the left hind.  It was very mild at first, but then became progressively more obvious on our second trot out at the vet check.  Multiple vets watched her move and concluded that it was a muscle injury and not a suspensory injury or hoof problem.  So, we had to call it a day and returned back to camp where I gave her a good deep massage with liniment.  I think that she'll get 3 or 4 months off and I'll see what she feels like again this fall.  If all is well, we'll start conditioning again for next years ride season.   

Warren and his NSH cross mare.

Chris and Michelle on the trail on Sundays ride.

On Sunday I rode Tommy on the other LD.  Similar to last years ride, this was supposed to be a 25 miler but there were a lot of people who had GPS systems saying it was closer to 30-32 miles.  Tommy did great with the additional mileage, so it wasn't too big of a problem for us.  I rode most of the way with two nice ladies from Olympia, WA. Chris and Michelle.  Chris was on a buckskin paso fino that was doing her first limited distance ride, and Michelle was on a young QH x arab cross that was also on his first limited distance ride.  Unfortunately Chris was pulled at the vet check, so Michelle and I went on the rest of the way back to camp by ourselves.  We encountered a bunch of cattle on the trail that Tommy and I happily shooed away, and both Michelle and I finished the ride in good spirits with horses that vetted through well.

The dogwood trees were in full bloom with beautiful white flowers!  It was like riding through an enchanted forest.  I tried to get a picture of the gorgeous waterfall by the canal, but I couldn't get my camera out fast enough...darn it.  One of these years I'll eventually get a picture of that gorgeous waterfall and crystal clear water of the canal.



The final vet check in camp.  Tommy was happy to be finished.  He really liked taking a break from the show arena and getting out on the trail for about the first 20 miles, but the last 10 miles became more like a bit of work instead of a vacation...


Monica Bretherton came to the ride and was taking some photos out on the trail - (yay!)  So I'll post some of those as soon as we see them.  =:)