Summer Ponies

What a busy springtime this has been!  I think I spent most of May in the gardens, planting a "Victory Garden" with lots of summer veggies -- broccoli, beets, tomatoes, garlic, pumpkins, squash, watermelon, cucumbers, and lots of varieties of lettuce. We hope to have a bumper crop of food by mid-summer, with plenty to can and put up in the fall.  

Itchy and I spent Memorial Day weekend at our second endurance ride of the season -- the Michaux Madness ride in Pennsylvania.   A lovely, lovely local that offers a scenic, technical trail that is fun, fun, fun! 

This year we were unbelievably lucky to have breathtaking weather -- cool, dry, and sunny -- unlike the prior two years when the heat and humidity was absolutely killing.  I was hoping to ride both days -- a 50 on Saturday, and a 55 on Sunday -- but it turned out itchy had other ideas. 

Coming off the 2nd of 4 loops, the vet saw one or two head bobs at the trot-out, and gave us a "B" for gaits.  He said it was in right front, which really freaked me out. Either Itchy had stepped on a rock and stung himself, or tweaked his ankle tripping over a rock -- or maybe both. We were running in the front but the trail was really really tough and rough in spots . My iron pony always flies through without issue, but this time, because the severe rains had caused closure of most of the trails, and we were sorta doing multiple loops on the same technical trail which was really chewing up the ground, making the going deep and unearthing LOTS of rocks. 

Since we were already 33 miles into the ride with plenty of time to finish, we spent the last two loops going easy and slow, picking our way through rocks and not trotting downhill. Coming back in from the 3rd loop I heard a rider yelling at her horse and turned around to see a horse barreling down the trail at a building trot, the rider hanging onto the horse's neck and her saddle completely twisted under the belly.  I merely stopped Itchy and turned him sideways on the trail, blocking the way.  He immediately turned and stood like a rock. We've done this a lot foxhunting to stop riderless horses, and sure enough, the horse, seeing the way blocked, slowed down to a halt.  The rider slid off and gasped out a thank you as her feet hit the ground. I patted Itchy, told him he was a good boy (and he was!!) and we finished up at the In-Timer. At the trot out for the 3rd loop I was really nervous, but the same vet said we were back to an "A". No sign of a bobble at all.  Whatever had caused the "ouchie" was now history.

 However, out on trail we continued to go slow and let a LOT of riders go past.  I'd already decided to forget riding the next day, and since I was now out of the running for the top ten, we just turned the ride into a trail outting, and finished up the last 11 miles cool and relaxed.

At the 4th trot-out for the finish, Itchy was perfect. I kept peeking back to see how he was moving, and noticed he actually floated over the ground. The vet (a different one) even complimented us at the completion trot out for doing such a lovely trot -- I overhead him telling his scribe as we trotted toward them that "that's one of the most beautiful trots I've seen all day. See how perfect he is -- ears perfectly level and tracking straight and even. I wish EVERY horse would trot out like that!!

A very nice compliment that left me just glowing!

I was especially pleased with my Sensation saddle.  I had let one of my friends borrow it to try out the prior day, and even though she said she'd be "right back" it was well over 2 hours before she reappeared!  I was starting to panic, worried that I'd never see my saddle again, and my friends were joking that she'd ridden right to the Post Office and mailed the saddle back to her place.  But she finally showed up, saddle in hand, raving about how nice it was.  She is now in the market to get one.  I just glad to get mine back!  Anyway, once again throughout the whole ride I didn't have to remove the saddle at all to pulse in -- something that I was always forced to do with my old treed saddle.  Itchy pulsed down immediately, and when I finally removed the saddle for the final inspection, his back was nice and cool.  The combo of the Cloud Nine saddle pad, and the Sensation, is really doing wonders to keep his back cool and comfortable. Even with throttling back and going really slowly on the final two loops we ended up in 18th place! Actually, we missed the Middle of the Pack award (a nice $30 gift certificate for 17th place) to the guy I let go in front of me right at the finish!!! Arghhh! That's what I get for being nice! 

We just goofed off the following day, Kaen and I just chilling out and doing some relaxing trail riding and relaxing around camp. Karen also got a chance to ride in the Sensation, and really liked it.  We were having too much fun, and the weather was just too gorgeous to go home, so we stayed one more night, packing up that evening for a quick departure the next day.

But, before I left, I volunteered to help with the trail clean-up, and 6:05AM I was saddled up and out on the trail to pull ribbons.  Already there had been a change in the weather, and the humidity was up into the 90's.  We had just started out, and less than a mile down the trail Itchy and I were already sweating!  We cleared about 3 miles of trail, and then circled back.  By the time we arrived back in camp he was drenched in sweat -- and we'd only been walking and trotting with multiple stops to unclip the ribbons.  It was THAT humid... and getting hotter by the second.  Ugh!  But we'd done our bit to help out, and after saying goodbye to friends, et al, both he and I were happy to head our noses towards home. 

So now we've got the OD coming up in 2 weeks. We sent in our entry so....depending upon the weather we will be out exploring the new trail. If the weather is nice, we're going. If it turns hot and humid and ultra nasty, we stay home.... and wait for the fall rides.

 

Back at home Drummer and I have been busy getting him legged up, all that obese winter fat slimmed down, and continuing his conversation into the perfect "old lady's pony" that he is destined to be for me in my eventual old age!  And what a sweetie he is -- gentle, easy going, fun, and really happy to go out on trail and tramp through the countryside.  He's been much better about keeping on his right front shoe -- I think the work he's getting to condition his muscles is really helping -- and rolling his back toes has really helped reduce the "sloppy stumbling" he's been doing when we start out, plus reached and grabbing his front shoes.   He does tend to be lazy in starting out, so we're working on learning to walk smartly, and with a purpose, when we start our lessons or hacks.  I just bought a pair of aluminum Natural Balance shoes for his back feet -- we have Kurkheart aluminums on the front, but I'm going to order a box of St. Croix aluminum eventers for his front feet.  I like the St. Croix best -- the entire beveled edge is outstanding for offering the foot to roll at any point along the shoe.  Drummer has a lovely stride, and I think this combination of shoes will work to his advantage.  I'll have to get some photos of us -- we really look cute together.

Libby, Flag, and Andy are all just chilling out while I'm busy.  I've been getting Miss Libby and Master Flag out in the carriage as singles -- just enjoying the lovely jaunts down our beautiful gravel roads. I've been making sure I wear my best hats - there are so many "tourists" out on the road and I've had more than my fair share of people stopping and cameras coming out the driver's windows as we drive by. Of course, my ponies are darling and sooooo photogentic -- who would not want to take a picture of my darlings?! So I must make sure *I* am also spit and polished as well. Don't want to be the blotch in the photos!

  

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