August 17, 2003

Yesterday we, my mother and I, were supposed to go to a charity ride. After examining the entrance form closer it was discovered that the ride would cost a whopping $100 dollars just for the two of us! Well as it could be imagined we opted out and went riding in Silver creek!

It was hot out, though I do not think nearly as hot as the day before. Sweat dripped off of our faces before we even got the horses out of the trailer. As and old friend would put it, "another f*cking beautiful day!". Not that the weather matters all that much, we would have ridden in hotter. Still a bit cooler wouldn't have hurt.

Mum rode in English tack, with a training fork on Jack. I rode bare back, with the reins attached only to his halter. This is not that I trust him not to run off. Far from it!! But simply that if he does the bit will do me no good any ways, so I might as well use a halter.

Well as could be expected from not using a bit, I had no real way to set his head. I never realized how badly he collects him self until I couldn't do it for him. Nose out and up, shoulders dropped. Well I guess I've got some more work to do on that. :|

All in all the day went fairly well, no major accidents, actually no accidents at all. Till next time..

January 11, 2003

Today It snowed, not the kind of snow were the ground freezes and the tree's are specked in white. No the kind of snow were you put 6 layers of clothing on just to get to the barn. Were you need to shovel out the barn door, and scrap the ice off the latch.

Once I dug my way into the barn and out into the run in to put the halter on Saint --we never leave the halters on. -- , I let Saint walk him self to the cross ties while I got the door. He stood there, and attempted the bow. Looking to me for treats I tried to explain to him that that was not how you bow.

After he was groomed and received his wormer we started on his training. First I asked him to pick up his hoof. Every time I'd ask he would slide his opposite leg back. I would say, "nope", then ask him to move his leg back were it was. If he picked up his hoof with out moving his opposite leg I gave him a palm full of grain.

Soon he was picking his hoof up with out moving his leg! Then I began asking him to shift his weight back. (You do this by gradually pulling his picked up leg back toward his rear.) He shifted his weight wonderfully. So I decided it was time to quite with that trick before he got bored. We headed out side for some halter work.

He was spirited today. He never invaded my space, but he was prancy. He jigged at the walk,(If that's possible.), and pranced at the trot. The first time I asked him to stop from a trot he continued forward. I hollered and smacked him across the chest. He stopped and snorted, as if to say, "Well that was uncalled for!". The rest of the time he was an absolute gentleman, despite the hight spirit. The ground was so slippery, at least for me. So we headed back in for the day.

January 26, 2003

Well it was 11 degree's out Fahrenheit when I saddled up this afternoon. The temperature only dropped as the day went on.

Starting out the drive way Saint act ready to fly, so I headed him toward the large snow drifts down the side of the road. After about an hour out through those drifts he cooled down a bit.

So I decided to take a new path today. It's a miracle I didn't get lost for ever. (It was snowing so heavily our tracks were getting covered up.) I found the path at a point were two snowmobile tracks swerved around a yellow sign. The letters, "NO VEHICLES" was clearly printed on the sign. The sign did not say, "no horses".

Taking the road less traveled we finally came out on the pipe line headed south. We cantered on the pipe line till we came across an unplowed two track. We took the two track down to the back of Silver Creek were the pavement is.

We went through Silver Creek on the main road. To my surprise there was no one there. I guess some people aren't as insane as I am. After all, I wouldn't have hauled a trailer in this weather either.

We came out in the back entrance of Silver Creek and took the path across the road. It was completely snowed over, save for what looked like mouse tracks.

We took the same path for what seemed like an eternity, though it was hard to tell were one path began and were one ended. We trotted a little, but mostly walked due to the amount of snow.

Finally we came out East of the oil well on the Mile Road. For a short period of time I got off of Saint and walked him. I figured he could use the break. Several snowmobiles past us going both ways.

Finally we reached the cross roads turned left and headed home. Saint was sweating by now, and the temp had dropped yet again. My 4 layers of shirts and 3 layers of pants under bibs wasn't going to cut it. I was also afraid that if he was allowed to cool down too much before we got home that his hair would freeze. I jumped back up on hims and we trotted for home.

Once in my own yard I jumped off of Saint and trotted him out in hand. He moved freely and briskly. After all we had only gone 10 miles, even if most of that was through 2 feet of snow. Clocked out we had only been going 2.5 miles per hour. Boy snow really slows you down!

February 2, 2003

Finely I convince my mother to go riding with me. About time, especially since were are BOTH planning on doing Shore-to-Shore. Of course she was working way to much to ride with me earlier this year. With school and all I only get to ride on the week ends. So I'm not one to judge.

Well Saint's butt muscles are looking nice, compared to last spring. He has come a long way. Jack, my mothers horse, has gotten out of shape. (You can read more about Jack in Our other horses. I rode english, my mother tried a new western saddle out on Jack.

We started out the drive at a walk. Saint slowed down to barely a walk. Now why does he find that necessary? Jack was ready to go! Of course he was, he didn't know what we had in store for him.

After about and hour and a half we got to the trails. When the roads are so slippery it takes a long while to get down to the trails.

Mom jogged with Jack, as if he weren't slow already! lol, I kidd. My boy needs to learn to jog too. I was asking him to drop his head, he kept his head set much better than he had in earlier day's of conditioning.

We went through Silver Creek and came our onto a trail across from the back entrance. Usually once the trail splits I go right and pick up the Mile Road. Today though, we went left. We ended up back on the pipeline and took the same path back home. Cool, Short cut!

As we arrived home, Saint who actually got a light load -- 3 1/2 hours--, was all bouncy and happy. Jack looked like he would be saying bad things, is he could talk.

Coming into the drive I had Saint drop his head and curl his neck then dismounted. My foot caught, of course, on the saddle bags. We had the saddle bags with us just so the horse would get used to them, and we could check them out. I landed on my feet, but about a yard from my horse. He just stood there and looked at me, as if asking, "Why are you all the way over there?".

Well it was a fairly good ride, we need to work on Saints extending. Also he needs to give more easily to the bit. All in all though, he has improved so much since I bought him.

I must at first apologize for not updating my log in such a while.

Today I focused on Saints behavior near home. I made him stand to be mounted. Going out the drive he worked well off my legs so we did laterals and "shoulder ins" down the road. We trotted up to my friends drive way. She had been clearing land for a new pasture and I wished to see it.

Saint was prancy down her drive way. When my friend came out he became worse. He would not stand still for the life of him, though occasionally he would stop dancing, stand there, and then paw at the ground. Though he is great away from home he definitely needs work on the home front.

Coming home he refused to walk. Every time he broke into a trot, as apposed to the weird pacy thing of his, I would ask him to either do a circle, side pass, back, shoulder in, or half pass. This works miracles because he doesn't like those activities, yet they are necessary for his career to learn. Though not completely cured we got far today.

I will spend the next few days working with him only in the area of walking home calmly at a steady pace. As apposed to breaking into a trot of pacing all the way.