Herbie Photos

Have I mentioned recently that my dog is not normal?

Art Blue Chip

I am so behind on work updates. New horses I haven't mentioned include Chernucson, Kokorama, No Fry Zone, Colossus, Maximum Respect, Grayland Spider, U Glow Girl, Morning Image, Benjamind, and Brutally Handsome. Recent adoptions include Shark Time, Benjamind, Echo of Thunder, Naughty Nikki, Horseshoe Bay, and Cheyenne Pedone.

Today, a new horse came in. He's a well bred gelding (colt until two months ago). He's sound and has been cleared for all levels of work He was running around like a lunatic and I took the opportunity to snap some photos.

I was thrilled until I put them on my computer and saw that they were all blurry. Taking the polarizer off my lens seemed to help, but I'm worried that the new camera may have a problem. I'll try it again tomorrow.

In the mean time:

Art Blue Chip

BETTOR'S DELIGHT - FELICIA HANOVER - JATE LOBELL

Born at the famous Blue Chip Farms and sold for $55k as a yearling. He has two full brothers, one of whom made a quarter million dollars (so far). He only made 3 starts, finishing third in each one. I'll be breaking him to ride in two weeks. Stay tuned!

Maine- The Way Life Should Be

This weekend was Rayzer's endurance debut. At the last minute, I convinced Christine to go with me to crew. She was looking to get out of a bachelorette party and a graduation party all at once, and going to Maine was the perfect excuse.

I had three goals for this ride:

1. Don't die

2. Don't lose the horse

3. Complete

Wednesday night was a whirlwind of activity. As usual, I waited until the absolute last minute to start packing. I worked until five then got all the horse stuff together at Wind Dance Farm. 

I also had to glue Rayzer's Renegade shells in place. I was told that footwear was a must for this particular ride, but I didn't want to nail shoes onto a mare with really awesome feet. Unfortunately, John went on vacation right before I needed them set. He left me instructions and tools and I tried my hand at gluing boots in place. It was a fiasco!!

The rubber gloves kept sticking to the glue in the shoes so I ditched them. John had told me the glue would peel right off my hands when I was done, but he lied! I tried everything. Acetone, denatured alcohol, mineral spirits, the sandpaper-soap degreaser the construction workers use, and even spraying Goo-be-gone on my hands until I couldn't take the burning any more. The glue was still on my hands and no amount of picking would get it off.

Then I stopped by Rider U to see an old friend from high school. I had just enough time to shower, change, and drop the dog off at Carolyn's before I had to meet Dev and C in Flemington for dinner. C and I came home and I still had to do laundry and pack my human things. It was midnight before I went to bed.

C and I were up bright and early on Thursday and were at the barn by 6am. Rayzer greeted me at the fence. She looked surprised to see me and was downright confused by the time the trailer rolled in. The weekend was an education for her and she is definitely far more versed in the real world than she was when I loaded her up that morning.

The trip to Maine was relatively uneventful. The diet went out the window early in the day and I ate crap all through the weekend. We took shifts behind the wheel and I was driving when we rolled into camp 10 hours later. Rayzer shipped well. She alternately ate and dozed, and I was even able to trick her into taking a few spiteful sips of water along the way. She also magically knew how to back off a trailer all of a sudden when we got there.

We set up camp quickly, just as the skies opened up. Much to everyone's chagrin, it rained for 48 hours straight. Rayzer settled right into her temporary pen and I was relieved that she wasn't running around like she does at home.  We stretched the horses' legs by walking them around camp. I decided I was way too lazy to walk so I swung onto Rayzer bareback. 

That night was the lobster dinner that the Pine Tree 100 is famous for. They brought us whole lobsters; I named mine Steve. I'll admit I had to ask for instructions on how to eat him. You learn something new every day!

It had been a long day and we went to bed almost immediately afterwards. C and I were tenting it alongside the horse trailer. All night long the rain pattered on the top of the tent. Thankfully, we woke up dry.

I woke to Ival's voice drifting into the tent. A few choice words made it through my daze. "Took down the fence... in Jimmy's pen... escaped..."

Suddenly I was fully conscious. "I sincerely hope you're talking about Clover!"

"O yes. Rayzer has an even better surprise for you."

"You're kidding me, right?" I sprang out of the tent.

Sure enough, one of Rayzer's burgundy blitz hind boots was laying in front of her like a prized piece of prey. How she pulled a hind boot while standing by herself in a pen is beyond me, but I was left with the aftermath. All day I struggled with the other boot. It was not coming off.

The other bad news was that our tent was starting to leak. There was only so much water it could take before the fabric was saturated. It wasn't going to hold. C and I enlisted Wendy's help and the three of us hauled the tent up to cow barn #1. We parked in a corner stall and applauded our own genius. 

Our plan to go for a ride that afternoon washed away with the weather. Instead we all packed into the car and drove to the Oxford Walmart to stock up on supplies, most importantly dry socks. I am only partly kidding when I say the entire Northeast Endurance Region was in Walmart that day. The people working must have been puzzled by the sudden influx of horsey-smelling people who swooped in and cleared out the rubber boot and rain gear sections of the store. C and I spent $170 on rubber boots, rain gear, dry socks, dry pants, and layers of clothing to last us the weekend.  It was pretty funny to watch everyone in ride camp wearing matching boots and jackets for the rest of the trip.

We even bought these witty sweatshirts that said, "Maine: The way life should be". Well, we thought they were witty, anyway.

Everyone's spirits were much improved by dry clothing and some time in the warmth of Walmart. We returned to camp, cheery and chatty.

That night we went down to Melby's for dinner. We took the long table at the back and ordered mountains of food while sharing stories of rides past. As always, there were endurance war stories to be told, including the tale of the mare that was almost lost in the Maine swamp a few summers back. 

When we got back to camp, C and I spotted horses in Barn 1. Our hearts sank as we envisioned being asked to move our tent back outside. 

The women whose horses were in the barn greeted us. "We saw your faces, so I guess that tells us how you feel about sharing the barn with the horses..." They thought we were going to kick them out! We all laughed it off and happily agreed to share the barn.

The vet in went smoothly and Rayzer got A's across the board. Her pulse was a low 32bpm and when it came time to trot out, she flagged her tail and nearly took me off my feet. Impulsion? Check! My roly poly mare was raring to go.

That night, we were joined by Cindy and her mount, Louie. Louie is... a mule!!! Better than that, he's a standardbred mule. He has all the personality of a standie and extra awesome ears. He also does an assortment of tricks. Sure, he bows, but far more impressively, he FETCHES. Like a dog. It's the coolest thing ever.

At the ride meeting that night, I asked when the farrier would be arriving. Unfortunately, he would be at the hold for the 50's and 100's the following morning so I probably wouldn't get a chance to see him. I was worried about my mismatched boot situation. Thankfully, another rider with glue-on experience offered to help me out. With her help and the use of a hammer and screwdriver, we worked at the boot. Soaking in ankle deep mud all day probably helped and the boot came free with a victorious squelch.

Did I mention I electrocuted myself in the process? Someone had turned Rayzer's charger on and I had missed the memo. I casually grabbed her halter in one hand and tried to undo the fence with the other. I shocked both of us. I'm pretty sure Rayzer wasn't my biggest fan. 

We went to bed early that night. We were blissfully warm and dry and I was lulled into a deep sleep by the sounds of Ned, Sarge, and Prin chewing peacefully around us. 

The 30 mile start wasn't until 7am, but we were up long before that. C brought me some of the worst coffee I've ever had. I guzzled it appreciatively. 

Rayzer seemed intrigued by the activity around her and definitely knew something was up. She obediently choked down her electrolytes and stood by Tootsie Pop while Liz and I saddled up. As we warmed up around base camp and gave our numbers, Rayzer was tense and suspicious. I had braided red ribbon in her tail and she was making crabby faces at Clover, Tootsie, and the mule. 

We had a junior riding with us. Cindy had offered to sponsor Kayla while her mom rode in the 50. Kayla was on a 13 year old GAG named Riley and Rayzer took an instant liking to him. 

Before I knew it, the trail was open and we were off. Rayzer started off spooky and unsure of herself, but found her stride in record time. Next thing I knew, she was powering ahead of our group. The mare who never leads was suddenly catching up to the fierce Barrett and her speed horse, Breeze. I briefly thought about pulling her up and waiting for everyone, but the words I'm always chanting to myself echoed in my mind.

Ride your own ride.

And I did. It wasn't long before Breeze left us in his dust. Rayzer and I were left alone on the trail and she was being really good. I actually smiled as I patted and praised the small, fat mare. 

Some time later, we caught up to another rider. Cornelia was riding an adorable roan gelding of a breed I'd never heard of. They were setting a nice pace and I fell in behind her, asking if she'd mind if I rode in her shadow for a while. Our  horses seemed to take an instant liking to each other and Rayzer's attitude improved immediately. 

A few miles in, I heard hooves behind me and a little voice asked, "Dom, do you mind if I ride with you?"

I turned around to see Kayla's smiling face between Riley's delicate gray ears. "Not at all. I'd be happy to have you. Let me know if you need me to slow down or anything." I promised not to ditch her and we went on to have a great ride.

What an awesome kid! This girl is brave and polite and clearly loves her horse. She kept right up with me and didn't complain once.

At one point, she called over, "Am I galloping?"

I glanced at her. "Yes you are."

"Cool! I've never galloped before!"

The color drained from my face. "Don't tell your parents!!"

And Riley is awesome too. He takes such great care of his girl. He is steady, sure footed, and not at all spooky. He just trucks along with the most pleasant expression on his face. I wish I had a horse like him at her age.  Heck! I wish I was riding at all at her age.

The first loop was 17 miles and it went quickly. The rain had finally let up and the cool weather was good for the horses. Despite cloudy skies and brisk temperatures, I was sweating under my rain jacket. I was glad to get to the first hold to pull my sweater.

Unfortunately, I had lost a third boot on the first loop. I felt the  moment when it happened and cursed under my breath. I was honestly hoping Rayzer would do me a favor and just yank the fourth boot free. She seemed to be sound and she certainly wasn't slowing down at all. I was wondering if I should just finish the ride barefoot.

Then I dismounted, took one look at her feet, and changed my mind. She had toughed it out for the last few miles, but her hooves were taking a beating. I decided on the spot to put shoes on all four of her feet.  Fortunately, the ride farrier was a certified Journeyman and really good at his craft. I had beat the crowd and was first in line after my trot out. We spent the whole 40 minute hold getting shoes tacked on and I was really thankful for Christine, who dutifully brought me everything I needed. 

"Did you glue these on yourself?"

"Is it that obvious?"

Rayzer was doing well. Her gut sounds were quiet at the vet check and she had clipped one of her heel bulbs, but she was sound even with one boot still on her foot, and her appetite certainly wasn't suffering. She stood with her nose buried in one feed pan after another while I held her for the farrier and she was guzzling water left and right. Best of all, she had pulsed in right away at 52bpm.

I felt bad because my booting/shoeing issue had cost Kayla and me 10 minutes at the hold, but she was cheerful and we trotted out of the farm at a good clip. Riley and Rayzer fell into a rhythm and the  miles flew by. 

We rode along the main road for quite some time because high water levels made the usual river crossing too dangerous. The drivers didn't slow down at all and I was glad the horses weren't bothered by the traffic.

We managed to keep pace with a 100 miler for a stretch and caught Cornelia in the process. She seemed happy to see us and the three of us rode the rest of the 13 mile loop together. The views were to die for and the horses were in good spirits. At one point, Rayzer was pacing fast enough to keep up with the Arab's gallop

Photo ©Wanda Clowater

Coming up the mountain, Rayzer really figured it out. That mare is smart. I don't think she's ever seen a hill in her life, but she went up some of the steeper, slipperier inclines with her nose to the ground, carefully picking the paths with the best footing. She moved like she'd been doing it for years, and coming down the mountain she found her second wind. She got brave and shot to the front and we had a gorgeous multi-mile canter. 

We were having such a good time that we didn't realize when ride camp came up . The miles had blown by and the finish line was upon us.

"That's a nice barn," I thought. "Gee, that barn looks familiar. And I'm not even from here! O, look... a horse trailer. SHIT! 30 horse trailers!"

Despite my miscalculation, Rayzer pulsed in immediately. 60bpm on the dot! She was sound, her shoes were in place, and she still had plenty of go left. Even her gut sounds were back to where they should be. She had been eating and drinking like a pro on the last loop. We got our completion and I was thrilled! 

"We accomplished all three of our goals!" I smiled.

"Wasn't there a fourth goal about keeping boots on?"

"That was more of a lofty daydream... an error in judgement."

I had a feeling we'd done well, but it wasn't until later that I found out we'd finished 3rd. Cornelia and Kayla also got their completions, as did Liz, Ival, and Cindy. It was a good day for 30 milers. Unfortunately, Wendy and Jimmy got pulled from the 50 for lameness with only 5 miles to go. I know that look of heartbreak and devastation all too well.

The afternoon was spent resting up and making sure the horses were happy. C and I even got a nap in before we walked down to Melby's for dinner (and liquor for our friends). C and I stayed up to watch the hundred milers finish and I even got brave enough to pull out my new camera (I'd been afraid to do so in the damp Maine conditions). The last six hundred milers finished in a big group just after 10pm. After some applause and cheering, C and I dove into our tent for the night.

The following morning we packed our things, took down the camp, and loaded the horses for the trip home. The ride back to Jersey seemed to go faster than the ride up and George took the wheel the whole way. We had a fantastic breakfast at a local restaurant and got ice cream from a truck at a rest stop. Rayzer devoured a ton of hay and drank every time water was offered to her, and she was still fresh when she unloaded at Wind Dance. In fact, she still had enough energy to run around the farm. 

I think this mare can do 50's.

Proof that I occasionally like mares.

More photos under the cut.

Pine Tree Preview

Went to Maine for 4 days with Rayzer. It rained and rained and rained. The boots were a disaster and I wound up slapping shoes on her all around at the first hold. She went above and beyond. Not only did she complete, she finished 3rd... at her first ride! The mare has some serious talent. I have some serious sleep deprivation. Details at a later date. I may be taking her to a 50 in three weeks.

New Camera

In the last five years, I have shot my Canon Rebel XTi completely into the ground. It has scuffs and scratches. The lenses are ready to give up. The sensor has surpassed what it was designed to hold up to. I finally got fed up with my image quality and bought a new camera. I'll figure out how to pay for it later.

After some research and bargain hunting (because I work for a non-profit and do not make enough money to get the camera I really want *cough* 5D Mark II *cough*) I settled on a refurbished Rebel T1i. I needed to replace my lenses and my camera bag as well, so I went for the package. Body, 18-55mm kit lens with IS, 55-250mm IS lens, and brand spanking new camera bag for $715.

I had been keeping my eye on the Canon site for several months for a deal like this. At Christmas, they were all sold out, and I wasn't too disappointed. After all, it was Christmas. When the deal came back up the other night, I was super excited, but in the time it took me to make the Canon account I needed to order, the site said they were out of stock. I was so pissed that I almost went with Nikon just to be spiteful.

Instead, I picked up the phone and called the customer service number... at 10:30pm.

"Hi, I know you're just the customer service rep so this probably isn't your fault. And I know I hate it when people yell at me at work for stuff that I have no control over so I'm going to try to avoid the yelling, but I am sort of at my wit's end right now, so there may be some yelling..."

He humored me.

"Now, I've been a Canon customer... like, diehard tell everyone to get Canon wouldn't buy anything else Canon customer... for ten years. And I would really, really like to continue to be a Canon customer. In fact, I've been trying really hard to buy one of your products, but you're making it practically impossible for me. I'm on a budget here and I'm about to just give up and take my business to Nikon."

I filled him in on my whole spiel and he replied, "The T1i with the two lenses?"
"Yes."
I could hear him typing furiously in the background. "We still have one in stock."

Uh huh... fine. I'll go with that.


In the end, he processed my order right there on the phone and even knocked off an extra $50 for the trouble.

"Thank you," I told him at the end of the conversation. "Is there anyone I can sing your praises to to make your life easier? Cuz I really appreciate you talking me down off the ledge and making my night easier."

So my new camera arrived today and I was sad because I had nothing to take pictures of. Herbie was passed out on the floor after an exhausting day of supervising the fence crew and playing with Jannine's new dog, Skeeter. I prodded her. She's always been a good little model for me in the past.

I don't think Herbie was as impressed with my new camera as I was....

"Can I PLEASE go back to sleep now?"

Another Ozzy Ride

After I rested up from my morning ride, I drove out to Cattail Farm and took Ozzy out for a bit. Carolyn's son, Andre, joined us on Art.

When I got there, Ozzy was in the big front field all by himself and he was loving it. He was busy hogging the shed and stuffing his face with lush, green grass. I really think Ozzy has some version of equine autism. I've never seen a horse who doesn't care about being alone. The only time he really pays attention to other horses is when they're chasing him. He's settling in nicely and the minis are using him as a body guard, but despite the fact that Rue adores Ozzy, Oz hasn't actually made any friends.

And Art is just a bully. I'm actually wondering if he was gelded late or was proud cut. When we got the two horses in the barn, Art dropped and got really... ummm... excited. I actually couldn't help Andre get in the saddle because I was afraid Art was going to mount Ozzy. I know my horse is sort of a pansy boy, but this is ridiculous! 

I've been giving Andre lessons for a couple weeks now and he's doing really well. Let's not even discuss the fact that he got the hang of posting on the first try. The last time I gave him a lesson, he wound up riding outside the ring, all over the farm, and I promised he could ride with me if I ever moved Ozzy to the farm. Today I made good on my promise. 

We started in the ring while Art settled down. Once he got over himself, he was actually giving Ozzy the happy ears and we were able to move on with our lives. We warmed up around the farm, wandering around the pond and through the big fields behind the barn. We did a lap around the new front field and Andre asked if we could go faster. I agreed and we rode around in the horse pasture at a trot. At one point, I turned around and Andre was cantering up behind me... and looking good! I told him he's ready to start riding on his own for practice in between lessons.

Unfortunately, I still need to take it easy on Ozzy and we were ready to call it quits before Andre was. I let him trot around the field a few more times before cooling out around the pond with the dogs in tow. 

I gave Ozzy a bath before I turned him out. The only down side to this barn is the lack of heated wash stall, but I think even the pampered Ozzy enjoyed a cold hosing today. He was even catching water in his mouth and playing with the hose. He seems to have accepted that this is his new home and isn't stressing much at all, especially when you remember the antics he used to perform whenever I moved him.

The good news is that Art seemed to warm up to Ozzy a bit during their time under saddle together. We put Art out in front with just Ozzy so the minis and Rue wouldn't give him a reason to be territorial. When I left, the two of them were grazing peacefully together and sharing the shed. 

Art says, "You held my hand around the scary pond. I'll give you one hour free of ass kicking."

Rayzer in the Assunpink

I haven't been riding Rayzer as frequently as I'd like, but she has definitely been making progress. 

Earlier this week, I decided to switch things up a little bit and 'taught' her to jump. It was a pretty funny afternoon. I've been riding her in my English saddle with a western pad (to make up for her lack of withers). She doesn't have an endurance bridle or a noseband so I leave her halter on under her bridle. That particular day I was wearing shorts and my dog was running around in the background. On top of that, she was jumping  like some sort of mule-deer-freak. It was a bad_riding post waiting to happen. The first time we approached the cross rail, she tried to stop but had so much momentum that she just sort of tripped and took the whole thing down. After that she was convinced it was going to eat her so the second time she leaped over it like her feet were on fire.After a few more goes, I got her to just hop over like a normal horse from a canter. Hey, at least she's honest!

Today, Liz drove up to get me and we met Ival and Wendy at the Assunpink for a two hour ride. 

Apparently, Jimmy tried to make it to the news earlier this week when he shimmied under a fallen tree, leaving Wendy behind. He ran almost all the way home, stopping traffic and causing the police and park rangers to come out in force. He was  loose for  five miles before a kind passerby wrangled him and tied him to a nearby tree. 

Thankfully, today's ride did not feature that kind of excitement. We rode around Stone Tavern and Rising Sun lakes and kept a pretty brisk pace. Jimmy, Clover, and Tootsie Pop were all very well behaved, and Rayzer didn't give me much to complain about either. I made her lead even though she really didn't want to and even tossed her over a couple cross country cross rails out by the hunt club.  

We also made a stop in the lake and Rayzer waded right in. I think she would have gone swimming if I'd let her, but I didn't want to be squelching for the rest of the morning. 

Rayzer's gaits are getting much nicer and she is learning to work through her fears. The only time she got really jumpy was when some fishermen in the bushes startled her. She jumped sideways, broke into a canter, and snorted in alarm, but came right back down after I was done laughing at her. 

She is also learning to be less of a cow. This time she didn't make nearly as many threatening faces at the other horses. She'll still need red ribbon in her tail, but she didn't kick at anyone today. At one point, she got too close to Clover and Clover swiped at her with a hind foot. Rayzer's ears went flat back and she wanted revenge, but I made her move along and drop it. She was not thrilled about not being alpha mare. It is very sad to be her.

Rayzer was definitely sweaty and gross when we got done with our ride, but she didn't seem overly upset or tired, and she trotted happily back out to pasture when we got home. I think she's ready.

Back in the Game

Today was busy, what with the TV interview, picking two horses for the Newark PD, and the arrival of three new horses. After work I drove over to Carolyn's and fetched Ozzy for his last loading dose of PolyGlyCan. Then I bridled him and swung up bareback for our first ride at the new place. I kept it short, only half an hour, and it was like we'd never missed a stride. We wandered around the pond and skirted around the edge of the property. Then we meandered by the road before opening the gate to the big front field and doing some laps. Ozzy offered a trot and I let him give it. Sound! We even cantered a little bit. Sitting deep on my horse's bare back at sunset with his mane rising with each stride, I finally felt like things were right with the world.We're making a come back, and I took Herbie up to Baldpate Mountain to explore the power lines for their potential in terms of accessibility. I am cautious, but excited. I got my horse sound. Let's see if I can keep him that way.

Ozzy at Cattail Farm

I didn't want to say anything for fear of jinxing it, but I moved Ozzy today for a variety of reasons. The fencing and grass at Cattail Farm are great and I don't have to worry about horses coming in and out all the time. Plus I want to distance work and pleasure. When Carolyn suggested I move Ozzy to her farm, it got the wheels turning in my head. It was sort of a no brainer. Then I did a satellite search and realized that Cattail Farm is only 2 miles from Baldpate Mountain. I got everything in order and begged John to ship Ozzy for me. The only sucky part was having to separate Ozzy and Willie after 2+ years, the longest either one of them has had a single horse buddy. Not riding the two of them together is really going to put a damper on things, but Erin was as ready to move as I was.

I was worried that Ozzy might hurt himself at Carolyn's. What if Art chased him mercilessly? What if he didn't respect the electric fences like he used to? What if he ran around too much and made himself lame? In the end, the benefits outweighed the risks.

Ozzy must have known something was up. Although he came right to me, he looked suspicious when I haltered him, and he was really bad for his hoof trim. When it came time to load Ozzy into the trailer, I was faced with a horse I haven't seen in over three years. Ozzy, who usually self loads, reverted to his old ways and flat out refused to load. Granted, he hasn't done anything for two months and he has excess energy to burn, but this was just plain embarrassing. He reared, pulled back, danced around, and ignored the chain shank. He did finally leap on board, but he wasn't happy about it and he rocked the trailer all the way up the highway to Carolyn's. I was worried sick about what he would do when we unloaded.

Thankfully, he came to his senses immediately and sighed deeply, as if to say, "O, why didn't you say we were going to a nice farm and you would be there when I unloaded? I could live here."

I had warned Antonio that Ozzy might be a little crazy for a few days and to be careful if he had to handle him, but Ozzy made a liar out of me and marched calmly with me to the outdoor ring, where I let him loose and stepped back to watch.

Ozzy nonchalantly trotted up and down the short side of the ring, sniffed the footing, and settled down to nibble some grass.

I went up the hill to retrieve one of the minis, since Ozzy has never seen one. He was instantly fascinated and tried to get closer to have a sniff. The minis are used to being chased by the horses and Imari took off running. Ozzy pranced carefully behind him, trying to touch his butt.

Eventually, Rue and Art came down the hill and everyone touched noses over the fence. There were no squeals and they all lost interest shortly after that. I decided to see how they'd do in one field together. All three horses (and the two minis) gathered in the indoor to get to know each other. Rue took a liking to Ozzy right away, but Art is jealous of the new horse and keeps chasing Ozzy off. Ozzy is faster than Art and is pretty good at staying clear of him, but we separated them for the night, just in case.

The good news is Ozzy appears to be completely sound and I'll be taking him out for a ride tomorrow afternoon. The bad news is he's a little stressed and worried, and the flies are really bothering him (we use fly predators at SRF and they really make a difference).

I think Ozzy is going to settle well in a few days, and I'm looking forward to a new chapter in my life.

More photos under the cut.

Shadow

I was in a crabby mood all day today, but Carolyn swooped in and saved the day when she brought in a little bundle of joy just before 5 o'clock. Said bundle of joy is a three month old female pit bull cross (probably with Boston terrier) and she has had a rough start.She is emaciated and covered in sores and, when the SPCA seized her, her collar was embedded deep in her neck, leaving her with deep wounds and edema. Despite everything she's been through, the little girl came in with her tail wagging, ready to give face kisses. She is an absolute sweetheart and a total lap dog. I am sure she'll find a home quickly.

I brought the pup home with me to get some photos of her condition and introduce her to Bryce. She bounded energetically around the back yard and even played with Herbie. She followed us everywhere, which is how she earned the nickname 'Shadow'.

She's now at Carolyn's, where she will be rehabbed, vaccinated, and fixed before going off to a loving forever home. The whole thing makes me sick to my stomach. People just plain suck. And for every puppy that gets saved, there are hundreds more that don't get so lucky. The most incredible thing about it all is that this poor pup, who has never known anything but cruelty, just keeps on forgiving and loving. It's enough to make you bawl.

Old Dominion

Old Dominion was my dream ride for this year. Obviously, that didn't happen. As it stands, OD is on my bucket list. It is one of the toughest (maybe the toughest) ride on the East Coast. In fact, they call it the Beast of the East. It is also gorgeous. And rugged. And everything my little endurance heart dreams of. Some day...

Two weeks ago, Wendy emailed me, apologizing for the short notice and asking if I'd like to crew for her and Jimmy for the OD 55. I jumped at the chance. My heart ached for my lost endurance season and I was jealous of everyone who got to ride their fit, healthy, shiny horses over the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia, but I had a grand old time. It was a rush just to be in ride camp again.

On Thursday night I wound up rushing back to the barn during a thunder storm because a random stranger called to tell me one of my horses was badly hurt and there was blood everywhere. Tiger had indeed gotten his butt kicked by his new herd, but it was nothing serious and definitely not worth the hassle. It was after midnight by the time I got to bed and I was up and at 'em at 3:30am.

I met Wendy at her barn and parked my car in the back corner of her front pasture. The barn was adorable and it was good to see Danza and meet Danny. We were loaded and on the road at 5am.

The drive down went smoothly and we arrived at base camp, nestled in the Shenandoah Valley, before noon. I set up the temp. pen while Wendy unpacked and got Jimmy settled. We vetted in at 2pm, checked out the hold site, and even got a nap in before dinner. Camp filled up quickly and there was a wide variety of trailers parked side by side.

The ride was very well run and dinner was great. The ride briefing was a riot and all the vets were wearing matching Hawaiian t-shirts. As usual I found myself surrounded by familiar faces. I caught up on the news and petted horses I know. Even Jenn who I boarded Ozzy with was there. We chatted and shared stories. She's basically out of endurance at this point. I'm moving Ozzy on Wednesday and may be riding with her again in the near future.

We went to bed early that night and I mostly slept like a rock. I did wake briefly when a bad thunderstorm hit camp in the early morning hours.

I woke up again when a blood curdling scream filled the air. It took me a second to remember I was at a ride, but that fact did little to quell my panic. The scream was unlike anything I'd heard. It turns out the mustang in the pen next to our trailer was going nuts, but his screams were not something that sounded remotely equine. He squealed over and over, attacking his pen and creating quite a stir while his owner tried to get him to settle.

Wendy and I got up early, giving Jimmy his electrolytes, guzzling coffee, and getting ready for a six thirty start.

The hundred milers had already gone off at 5:15am. Watching them start was something else. LD's are funny to watch because there are always horses bouncing left and right and bolting. Sometimes riders even come off. 50's typically go off in a pack, in one big, impressive rush. But the 100's? The horses all hit this rhythmic, steady trot stride and just disappeared into the wilderness with a 'go all day' attitude. You could tell they were all old pros.

As soon as Wendy was safely over the line, I jumped into the truck and drove up the street to the first vet check. All the holds for this ride were away, which was a new experience for me, and made for an interesting crewing day. Driving Wendy's truck (an F-250 Super Duty) made me really, really, really want one. Shortly after I parked the truck, the hundred milers started rolling in. The speed in which they covered the first 17 miles was mind boggling for an aspiring endurance rider like me. I  killed time by wandering around, taking pictures, and meeting awesome people until Wendy and Jimmy arrived.

Jimmy trotted in, looking confident and relaxed, but he had pulled a shoe on the first loop and he looked tender coming up the steep gravel drive to the p/r. Thankfully, the ride farrier was able to tack on a new pad and shoe and he trotted sound for his re-check. After 45 minutes of resting, eating, and drinking, Wendy and Jimmy were ready to hit the trail again.

As Jimmy and Wendy went out, Mike and Cherry arrived at the hold on Harley and Boston Kate. They were doing the 25 and didn't have a crew. I wasn't doing anything else so I offered to help. I took Harley up to the check and trotted him out then came back to hold Kate while Cherry took care of herself. I wished them luck on the last loop of their ride and went back up the hill to nap in the sun and watch the activity. The second hold on the 50 mile trail was a no-crew stop so I had six hours to kill.

As it turns out, Mike and Cherry finished Top 10 in the 25!!! I was so so proud of them... and especially Kate! For a 14 year old mare who only knew how to pop out babies until last year, she is doing incredibly well! I think the two of them will go far.

I was sitting in the trailer, reading a book when the wind suddenly picked up and the sky got dark and cloudy. I had enough time to sprint to the truck before the skies opened up and the downpour began. Of course, I'd left the top off the hold tub and everything was about to get soaked. I drove over to the hold in record time and got drenched in the time it took me to run to the tub and back. The storm didn't last long, but there was some impressive thunder and lightning. I worried for the riders on course and hoped Wendy and Jimmy were doing well. In fact, the rain had come at the perfect time, cooling Jimmy as he waited at the second hold. Wendy was dripping wet, but 28 year old Jimmy was feeling refreshed.

Since I had driven back to the hold, but had a lot of time left to kill, I wandered down to the in-timer and made friends with the volunteers. There had already been a lot of pulls for the day and the difficulty of the ride was clear. One girl had fallen off her horse repeatedly. Another had been attacked by a swarm of bees. There were numerous pulled shoes and an alarming number of tie ups. A lot of the pulls were riders optioning out for the sakes of their horses. The horse ambulance was certainly keeping busy.

Some time before 5pm, just as I was beginning to worry, Jimmy and Wendy appeared on the path in the woods. This time everything was going smoothly and Jimmy passed his vetting with flying colors. This final hold, only six miles from the finish, was only 20 minutes. The time flew by and I had just enough time to pack the truck and drive back to base camp before Wendy crossed the finish line.

The amazing thing about Jimmy (aside from the fact that he's a 28 year old horse who is still competing in tough 50's) is that he's the same at the end of the ride as he is at the start. Steady eddy. Nothing phases him. After he got his completion (woohoo!) Jimmy rolled and gazed at us over the temp fence as if to say, "Dinner?"

The rest of the afternoon was spent organizing things for the trip home, getting Jimmy settled for the evening, eating, and hanging out with acquaintances. Jenn and I took her dog, Frodo, down to Lake Laura for a walk.

After a long day, Wendy was ready to go to bed early, but I stayed up to watch the first few hundred milers cross the line. The vets and volunteers were taking $1 bets on what time the first rider would arrive. I set my camera up under the lights and waited with bated breath. I had never seen a 100 mile finish and there is something about night riding that gets me excited. In the mean time, I met even more fascinating people and dogs. We even had enough time to figure out what the mystery noise in the brush was (tree frogs!)

Some time before 10:30pm, we spotted a glow stick down the road. We all sprang to our feet and waited to cheer on the leading rider, but the glow stick was swinging oddly close to the ground. We were all trying to figure out where it was attached to the horse. Then we saw that it was just a little girl going for a walk with her dad. The disappointment was audible, but not for long.

Moments later, Ann Crandell crossed the line on her horse... the gelding didn't even look tired!!! I took pictures in the dark and stuck around while Lynn Gilbert and Stagg Newman crossed second and third respectively.

After I was done drooling over the incredible horse and rider pairs, I stumbled off to bed. I didn't wake up until  after Wendy was already up the next morning. We stuck around long enough to have some donuts for breakfast and collect Wendy's completion buckle, but the award brunch wasn't until 11:30am and we had traffic to beat.Thankfully, we made good time on the way home and I was back home by 4:30pm.

Before we left, I helped loaded the neighbor's horse onto the trailer. My weekend wouldn't be complete otherwise ;)

Over all, I had a brilliant weekend. It was great to be outside, surrounded by some of the best horses on the east coast. I missed the competition and the sense of ride camp. I'm excited to get Ozzy back in work this week, but I'm also excited to take Rayzer to Maine in two weeks. I've been down about the pause in my endurance career, but spending the weekend at OD definitely reminded me how much I love this sport.

More photos under the cut.

Renegades and Trot Outs, O My!

John came out to fit Rayzer for Renegade glue-on shells today. When he was done, I practiced trotting her in hand up and down the lawn. She was a star. It's starting to sink in that I'm going to be competing with this horse.

Rayzer- Breakthrough

I took Rayzer for 10 miles between work and my 7 o'clock client. I don't know if it's the fact that I bribed her with an apple to catch her or the fact that she's starting to recognize some of the trails, but something finally clicked today. I think the mare and I are finally starting to trust each other. We even hit that long-strided endurance trot out in the nurseries.

She is learning to keep moving forward even when scary things happen, and I'm learning when it's ok to let her go. Even when the peacock swooped down on us and raised the alarm, she didn't do more than scoot her butt forward a few steps. Rayzer even trotted boldly past new greenhouses she hasn't seen before. I could feel the tension in her muscles and her pulse quickened, but  she flicked an ear and went forward. We might make a team yet!

On the way home, I let her all the way out for the first time. That mare may be short and fat, but she can boogie! She runs like a quarter horse... tons of power and speed and a blur of legs. I even let out a woohoo as we tore through the field behind the farm.

I did have to dismount at  one point. We had crossed a creek to the far end of the nurseries, but coming back meant going down a steep and slippery mud bank into water. Rayzer gave it a valiant try, but panicked when her forelegs slipped down hill. I went first and she hesitated, but eventually followed me right down. Good mare!

Here's the hand held video. Not exactly art, but you get the point:

7 Miles

Map of today's ride.

Erin and I rode seven miles on Jabby and Rayzer today. Rayzer was definitely being a mare today and I wasn't thrilled. She started off by refusing to get caught, but rattling a feed bucket changed her tune. I'll bet she was disappointed when the bucket turned out to be empty.

Rayzer and I warmed up around the farm with Herbie in tow while Erin got Jabby tacked up. Herbie was running along as fast as her little pibble legs could carry her, but couldn't quite keep up. Still, she was a good sport about it and I'll bet she's tired now. Unfortunately I don't trust Rayzer enough to bring Herbie off the farm with her.

Neither Erin or I wanted to do road riding with the two horses so we stuck to the nurseries. The horses had a learning experience on the main grounds. There were sprinklers and a peacock! Rayzer wasn't bothered by the sprinklers, but the peacock just about made her lose her mind. I may have cackled at her as she scooted backwards away from it.

On the way home, Erin and I ran into KR who was riding on her farm. Her Morgan, Remmy, really took a liking to Rayzer. She has another horse she wants to rehome who needs some miles. I wonder if she'd let me... borrow... him.

Rayzer was a lot less sweaty today than the last few rides. I have a ten mile loop planned for tomorrow and will be adding two miles a day until she's up to the 30 at the end of the month. Crazy Rayzie has no idea what she's in for.

Another Allaire Ride

Ival had surgery recently and asked me to try to ride Clover a couple times while she's out of commission. I willingly agreed. Yesterday I joined Wendy and Liz for a ride in Allaire.

Liz and I had met once or twice at rides and I had emailed her extensively when I was trying to do the canal ride she organized, but this was the first time we were riding together. Liz was incredibly nice and even picked me up at Ival's so I wouldn't have to figure out how to get to the parking lot or, worse, have to get the trailer back into the farm's narrow driveway. We chatted happily on the drive over and I think she'll be driving me to Maine.

The ride was absolutely lovely. Clover was a joy to ride, as always. I just had an absolute blast. It was nice to ride something uncomplicated and willing. We did what Wendy calls the 'around the world' trail, which utilizes both sides of the park and requires dry weather for the swamp crossing.

Clover ground tying while we search for Liz's glasses.

We started by riding right next to the train that goes through the park. Yes, the train. The horses all handled it really well, even Liz's mare, RU Tootsie Pop (TP), who is the greenest of the bunch. Our ride also featured a shoulder deep river crossing, grass as high as the horses' withers, and trails that wound left and right every few feet. We trotted and cantered for most of the close-to-three hours we were out. It was gorgeous riding and my first time in Allaire in the summer. The entire forest was full of laurel in full bloom and we rode through fragrant white tunnels.

My only complaint was that Clover ran my knee into a tree trunk at full tilt. I saw it coming, but didn't have enough time to react. All I can say is that it really smarted. I am proud of myself though, my leg didn't shift at all and I didn't even lose my stirrup.

Liz was having a bit of a harder time. First, she lost her glasses as we were coming down a hill. They arced into the bushes and, even with all three of us looking, we couldn't find them. It was also TP's first time in her new Easy Boots. They were staying on really well until we did a set of sprints, at which point TP bobbled, broke briefly into a trot, and felt funny coming out of it. Liz looked down to see the boot upside down on the front of her mare's foot. Thankfully, the gator held so the boot wasn't lost. She dismounted to remove them. The down side of TP being a draft horse is that she's a bit slower than Clover and Jimmy. At one point, we cantered up a big hill and waited for Liz to catch up. There was no sign of her, and ten minutes later we went back to look for her. Just then, Liz called asking which way we'd gone.

"Fail number three," she sighed.

After a fun filled three hours, Liz dropped me back off at Ival's. On the way, we talked about my job and various horses I've worked with. Liz has ridden Clover and was very impressed with how much fun she was to ride. In fact, she'd love to adopt a standardbred as her next trail horse and is surprised there aren't more of them on the endurance trail. We also talked about Ozzy, his injury, and the change in her personality from when I met him to the present day.

"So, I know we've only met a few times and I'm not one to make snap judgements," Liz told me, "but I have a lot of respect for you."
"Thanks," I blushed.
"You seem to really be able to communicate with the horses, which is rare, and not necessarily something that can be taught."
"Agreed, haha."

From there we launched into a discussion of her 17 year old thoroughbred, who used to be her primary endurance mount. She moved him to a new barn where he got incredibly herd bound and promptly lost his mind, bucking her off on a trail ride and exploding after she'd hit the ground. Long story short, he hasn't been the same since and she's not willing to ride him out until she's sure the troubles are behind him. Looks like I may have a new project in the upcoming months.

"The way I put it," I told her, "is that I'll ride anything once, and if it doesn't kill me, I'll ride it again."

Enough babble. Another ride and more new friends :) It was a Saturday well spent.

Photos under the cut.

Herbie and Bryce

O Rayzer...

So... my plan is to take Rayzer to Maine at the end of the month to see how she does in LD. The mare is fat, but surprisingly fit. Up until the other day, my main concern was getting her conditioned for the ride. My month is packed and I've only got two weekends to get long rides in on (and I've committed one of them to another horse). It turns out I should have been much more concerned about her mind than her body.

I took Rayzer for a four mile jaunt around the farm and across the street in the nursery the other day. On the farm she was confident, relaxed, and fun. Jabby and Erin joined us across the street. Rayzer will follow another horse to the ends of the earth, but she doesn't like to lead. It's something she needs to get over so I practiced trotting and cantering away from them. Rayzer was great.

Then, on Thursday, I took her out alone for the first time. All I can say about that ride is that it made me appreciate Ozzy. I regularly brag about the big scary things that don't bother Ozzy; motorcycles, barking dogs, screaming children, trains, etc. What I have been completely taking for granted are the ordinary things that can be scary to a horse; rustling grass, birds in the brush, bunnies, lines on the pavement, flags two blocks away. Oy!

I managed 6 miles on her in a little over an hour, but it was definitely a struggle at times. Her brain sort of fell out when we came around the corner to the kickball field and there were other horses (fellow boarders) working in the grass. I was a little worried about doing any road riding, even though she doesn't seem to mind traffic, so I opted for a completely different route than usual. The good news is I found a way through the nurseries from the donkeys to the abandoned house.

At one point I actually had to dismount and lead the poor mare. There were green houses, tractors, and the nursery dog was running over to say hi. Rayzer started backing down a steep, slippery hill and I thought that was quite enough drama.

The good news is she's a rock star when I get her out in the wilderness she's awesome and her canter is just about the most fun I've ever had. She's still young and green, but she's better than Ozzy was when I got him, so I'm hopeful that things will get better as we go along. She definitely needs some confidence, but she's willing to try and she seems happy to see me and try new adventures.

Wish us luck!

Maps of our rides.

Margaret's Visit

Two years ago, Margaret came to visit. It was March and she swore the next time she came by it would be for warmer weather. Wish granted! She flew in on Saturday and spent four days in 90 degree weather. Luckily it was a three day weekend for me so we got to do a lot of fun stuff. Last time she had to shadow me at work for a couple days (not that she was complaining). Still, the SRF Charity Golf Outing was on Tuesday. I couldn't get out of it so there were a lot of things we didn't get around to (like seeing Carolyn's farm).

I picked Margaret up at the train station on Saturday afternoon. I had looked up the schedule of trains from Newark to Hamilton and, remembering that she had said something about 3 o'clock, guessed that it was either the 3:09 or the 3:21. To be safe, I got to the train station at 3pm. As it turns out, it was the 3:21 train... 3:21 at NEWARK!!! It was 4:10 by the time it arrived in Hamilton. Doh!

We went back to the house so Margaret could settle in, put her stuff down, and catch her breath for a little while. There wasn't a whole lot of daylight left so I decided to just give her a quick tour of the farms in the area and call it a night.

We were going to start at SRF, but it looked busy, what with the upcoming golf outing and all. Instead we went to White Birch, then Showplace and Gaitway, with a stop at historic Walnford in the middle. Margaret took a ton of photos and we even walked all the way around the track at Gaitway so she could see all the barns lined up against the sunset. I must be getting jaded because I didn't take a single photo the whole time we were out.


On Sunday Erin joined us and the three of us went to Devon. Jenn had scored free tickets and there promised to be carriages and pony jumpers. We had a grand old time wandering the booths and window shopping.

I brought Herbie, whose little puppy brain was rather fried by all the people, dogs, food, and new smells. She was very excited at first, but settled nicely. I was really proud of her and we gathered compliments on how cute, pretty, and well behaved she was.

There was a mentally challenged woman sitting in front of the grandstand with her mother. Herbie picked her out of the crowd immediately and walked toward her, tail wagging. The woman grinned from ear to ear and gave a squeal of delight, gesturing wildly to ask permission to pet my dog. Herbie walked over and was on her very best behavior. Turns out the woman loves puppy kisses, which Herbie coincidentally loves giving, but she didn't jump up until she was invited.The two made friends right away and Herbie even listened when the woman told her to sit and lay down over and over again. Good puppy!

It was a very tiring day for a pup. Towards the end of our stay we found a lovely elderly couple who liked Herbie and offered to watch her while we stood in the sun at the rail to take pictures. I tied Herbie to the bench and she napped peacefully under their feet. After that she was recharged and ready for round two.

Unfortunately, it was blistering hot and all three of us had had quite enough time outside long before the pony jumpers entered the ring. All the same, I got a good selection of photos and we all really enjoyed ourselves.

We made the drive back to Jersey and took turns showering and getting cleaned up. Not long after that Bryce's best friend, Mike, Dev, and C showed up for a night of drinking and hanging out.

Dev brought food and the boys grilled it up in the backyard while C and I took our first double shots of vodka in the kitchen.C warned me right off the bat that I was going to make myself sick if I kept going the way I was going, but Mike told her he's seen me handle my liquor and I backed him up, saying that he'd always cut me off in time before.

As the night progressed, I got increasingly drunk. We were making a valiant effort at watching Tangled, but failed in the end. I was begging for one more shot and getting voted down. They told me I could drink again when we reached the Snuggly Duckling scene in the movie, but when the time came C and I got distracted and locked ourselves in the bedroom instead. Margaret joined us.

What came next was your typical drunk scene, with C and I having a heart to heart about everything and Margaret soberly laughing at us from the other end of the bed. Somewhere in there, Bryce stumbled in. He was apparently also quite drunk and the boys were trying to convince him to sell everything he owns and buy a cruiser.

Me: I love you.
C: I love you too, man.
Bryce: I don't wanna be a boy!

Sadly, C was right and I did make myself sick so my night was cut short. In the end, Mikey ended up scooping me off the floor and carrying me to bed. I'm pretty sure I was still drunk when I woke up at 8am to people leaving the house. The hangover that follows is one I would prefer not to revisit. Ginger capsules and aspirin were my mid-morning companions and I didn't fully feel better until late afternoon.

We re-watched Tangled while I nursed my nausea and headache. I wolfed down some coleslaw for breakfast and managed to keep some coffee down.

Around 3pm we all re-grouped at Mikey's house and went down to his beach on Round Valley. And when I say his beach, I mean the one he made himself. He picked the rocks off of it one by one and toted in 500 pounds of sand, one bag at a time. This must have been no easy task since getting there meant walking down a good bit of winding trail through the woods. Of course people have discovered it and liked it and therefore done extensive damage, and there were tons of people hanging out for Memorial Day, but we had a good time nonetheless. The water is so clean that you can see 30 feet down and the weather was to die for. We swam and splashed and watched Bryce act like a giant toddler. Mike's sister joined us with her boyfriend and their dog, a pit/lab cross named Maggie. The dogs ran and swam and played fetch.

After a few hours, we hiked back to the cars and drove back to Mike's. From there we were headed to Dev's house. We had a bit of a scare when Dev's motorcycle wouldn't start. I popped my hood and we tried to jump it, but we couldn't even get lights. Dev was in the process of calling for assistance when Bryce, who'd been tinkering with the engine, found the starter relay loose. He popped it back into place and announced that we had lights. From there we were able to jump it and get on the road. Phew!

At Dev's we made shish-kebabs on the grill and relaxed. We wound up on the dock where Bryce nearly fell off the new high seats. We watched the sunset over the water before deciding to break diet and go out for ice cream. We made one last stop at the castle before parting ways for the night. I drove Mike home where we hung out under the stars while the temperatures dropped. Bryce, Margaret, and I were ready to go to bed by the time we got home.

Yesterday was the golf outing which will get its own blog entry. We didn't get home until 10pm and Margaret had a train to catch at 6:09am. I hugged her goodbye and wished her a safe flight then went home to catch up on sleep. Her trip really flew by and it was a jam packed weekend. I'll probably be recovering until this coming weekend.

More photos from Devon under the cut.