Nettie and I starting out down the trail on Easter Sunday at the Grizzly Mountain ride. Photo is courtesy of Laura Spear.

Grizzly Mountain

We're back from the Grizzly ride this weekend. The horses did wonderfully! It was great riding on both days. The weather was nice and sunny, and I was very happy with how things went.

Ox standing for the BC completion exam on Saturday with Dr. Terry.  I managed to top ten both days, so we tried for the BC.  (Of course I never can manage to get it, but it's fun to try anyway...)  Octopelle did really well and was very strong on the first 22 mile loop.  He was still on a tight rein when we came back into camp with energy to spare, so the second 10 mile loop went like a breeze.  I was happy with his level of conditioning and fitness.   

Unfortunately I had forgotten my camera at home this weekend, so there are only two pictures that Craig got with his cellphone.  The one above is of me and Ox heading back to the trailer. 


Nettie did really well on the second day, Easter Sunday.  We came in 7th.  This was a "redemption" ride for her coming back this year.  Last year we were plagued by some hind leg soft tissue (muscle) problems, but this year she's come back like a little yellow ball of fire.  She rocketed down the trail like a fire breathing dragon for most of the first loop, but I was very conservative on the second loop and held her back at a much slower pace.  I wanted to be careful, because this was a long first ride of the season and I didn't want to over-do it with her.  She handled it very well and had some energy to spare at the end of the ride.  The map read this one as a 32 mile LD ride, but most people I talked to had GPS's that read it as a 35 mile ride - mine included.  It was a long first ride for horses just getting back into the game.  But all went well, so it was a fun happy weekend.

Note To Self....

Something to do that is on my bucket list before I die: 

1.  Attend the Scottsdale Westworld show in Arizona.
2.  Also the World Cup show in Las Vegas.

These people know how to put on a good show! 

I'm not much of an Arabian horse fan - in fact, it's quite the contrary.  But I am definitely a huge fan of the marketing strategies and professional productions put forth by the owners of these horses.  They put a ton of effort into creating an amazing and entertaining environment for potential buyers and enthusiasts of their breed.  It's a fantastic spectacle!  (I've heard the stallion auctions are totally epic to behold as well.....)
https://vimeo.com/39943956
https://vimeo.com/1710256
https://vimeo.com/30564727
 

Home On The Range 2014

A few photos from the HOTR endurance ride from last Saturday.

Ride camp.  The vet check, meeting building, and start/finish line - were way up by the row of trees on the right.  I got a good workout walking back and forth from our truck to the vetting area!

A random photo that I took of some people warming their horses up on the hillside.  The CRP grass is pretty this time of the year.

Ox munching on his hay before the ride.  Thanks for the garden flag Carol!

Monica was the official ride photographer and got some good ones of everybody going down the trail!  (I like the lighting and background on this one above.) 

Ox was happy to get back into endurance after some time off.  I had kind-of forgotten how great his slow lope is.  It's definitely his best gait - and very comfortable to ride going down the trail. 

With spring here, he's started changing colors again.  His smokey black coat has gone from a subtle shade of ebony black into a mealy mushroom brown.  (If you look at the March BITS show post, he looks like a different colored horse in only a few weeks!)