Threesome!

Didder, Nike and Allie all got a turn at once out on the trails Monday night!  Terry, her current German foreign exchange student Katy, and I had a wonderful ride on the boys.

I exited work a half hour early Monday so I would have time to groom the horses before their gentle workout. It was perfect timing when Terry and Katy arrived with saddles in hand, because Didder, Allie and Nike were all spiffy and tack-ready.  We decided right off that during the ride Katy and Nike would be sandwiched inbetwixt  the Didder/Susan team and the Allie/Terry team since they were the Newbies. 

Katy and Nike were fantastic together!  Nike didn't put a foot out of place, and at the only "iffy" moment when it seemed as though Nike was refusing to cross the first brook, we laughed as we realized he was just taking a dump before crossing.  Who knew that Nike was so environmentally conscious? Katy was good with Nike and had really nice seat, legs and hands.  Didder and I settled into the leadership position.  He tensely noticed every little thing that had changed since B.D. S. (Before Deerfly Season) including - "Egads!" - my neighbor Roland's power mower parked on the lawn, but he didn't spook once.  I will have you know, Cyndi, that I practiced the advance/retreat method with Didder during these episodes.  Pat and Linda would have been proud. ;)

It was such a lovely ride!  Yes, there were deerflies, especially for us at the front (with the navy blue ear net - blue...what was I thinking? Oh, yes, right, it matched my navy blue helmet), but they were NOTHING like they have been.  I broke off a piece of hemlock and stuck it under Didder's bridle crown, and that helped a lot to deter the little buggers as well.  It was cooler and less humid, more like an early fall ride.

Terry mentioned how much we luck out when it comes to the weather for our rides.  God must be smiling on us! I'll take it!!!

Every time we came to an area where we could do a little trotting and I suggested it to Katy, she was game.  I listened carefully to Nike's footfalls and made sure my guest was happy and having fun.  And, each time, yes, she was.

All of us were happy campers afterwards.  We let the horses graze on the lawn for a bit as a reward, and then once we brought them in the barn, they mugged for more and we obliged.

I am hoping for repeats of lovely little rides like this for the balance of the riding season.  And of course, my riding  season goes year round. ;) 

 

 

Two good boys and their riders!

 

The turkeys greeted us as we came back

 

 

 

Timed selfie

Riding for Harold Fairchild

My friends and I have ridden for Harold countless times.  His Harold Button

or his laminated photo with his son Jed have graced my saddle pad for a few years now.

Little Megan taking Harold along during hunting season last fall.  The saddle blanket is Harold's favorite color - faded red. :)

We've been many places together and have had incredibly good times, even though we have never met in person.  We've crossed brooks, waded into lakes, and we've even been to the ocean beach.  When my Ah-D (Didder) decided to roll on one trip, Harold was lost in the sand.



Now missing the Harold button, but boy did we have fun!

  I came back the following year with the laminated picture instead.

Harold gave me countless tips on how to handle my independent-minded Curly, and told me a few tales of his escapades with his own CurlyBoy, who was no wallflower.

We've shared some good laughs with our friends, hunting BigFoot just for Harold, and we have dressed up like cowgirls for him more than once.

This last time we dressed up as Cowgirls, though...

We were riding in Harold's memory.

I had been out on Easter

and had ridden for Harold, but he never got to see the pictures I took for him.
Here are the ones I took on his memorial ride.

Harold, I know you will rest in peace.  I wish this tribute could be half as good as what you deserve, but it isn't even close.  If I had half your faith, I wouldn't feel half as bad as I do.  Dagnabit!

~Love from your sister in Christ, Susan~

2014 - Out and About in the Deep Snow

We finally had a decent day weather-wise, and I actually had the time to hit the trails!  This winter has been soooo cold and snowy (as the almanac predicted) and of course the days are short and the to-do list around Christmas is long, so this was the first time we had been out in at least five weeks.

I knew Didder would be up to his spook tricks, but I wanted to ride bareback.  So, I donned some velvet sleep pants over long johns, and I put the velvet-seated bareback pad on Didder.  Velvet on velvet worked well together to keep me on his back, despite three spooks at the beginning of the ride.  I grabbed a big stick, so big that it one end of it dragged along the snow.  Amazingly - no more spooks - go figure. :) And we made interesting tracks in the deep snow.

It felt great to be out.  It was so quiet in the woods, but here was loads of animal sign including deer paths criss-crossing the trail.  We scared up two dark-coated deer on the far side of one of Jason's loops, and we went as far as the big, steep hill before turning for home.

At the end of the ride, we worked together on circling, side-passing and backing to get him supple and listening to me, and he was wonderful.  He really can be such a good boy and so responsive, and he gave me nary a complaint about the deep snow, even though I know he had to work hard to get through it, especially up and down all those hills.

I am really looking forward to more winter riding this year, and I am so thankful we have a nice bed of snow out on my trails.  I am hoping to have company on my next ride.  I am so blessed to have so many friends who are occasionally able to join me! Didder and I had a super 2013 together, and there's no reason why 2014 can't be the same for us!

Getting out and About for Harold and Janeen - The Ride-A-Haflinger/Shire-Blog

Well, now I have two friends for whom to get out and about, huh Harold and Janeen! Lot's of fun on Saturday, not Curly fun, but fun nonetheless.  Nike and Allie and I took a trip over to beautiful Stoneham, Maine to ride on Terry and Bob's trails.

It was cold but beautiful.  Terry was so excited to see us, because her Nike was coming home to her after being at my house for a few months learning the ropes of being a riding horse in addition to a driving horse.  He was an OUTSTANDING student.  I told Terry that if the situation was different and she wasn't in love with Nike and I wasn't in love with AhD, that I would gladly keep Nike for my personal riding horse for the rest of my days.  He is sweet, friendly, alert, forward, beautiful, steady, honest, and non-spooky.  And to top it all off, he has a good whoa.  What more could you want in a trail horse?

And, he didn't disappoint.  He was wonderful for Terry back on his home turf, and I am so happy for the both of them.  A good fit.  Don't they look great together?

The last time I had Allie out to Terry's, he was "on fire" - well, for him, anyway. :)  On Saturday, he was most certainly not on fire, and I had my work cut out for me just to get him to trot.  When it came to a big hill, I distinctly heard him grumble, "Are you frikkin' kidding me?  This hill is steep.  I'm stopping now."  In fact, he said it more than once.  Took us forever to get up that steep hill, but when we did, the view was worth it.  Well, I thought the view was worth it.  We all know what Allie thought. :) But, you know, he is just so darn cute.  We joked around with him about being a grump.  He was too grumpy to notice.

There was quite a bit of ice here and there on the dirt roads.  Sometimes we had to go off the beaten path to avoid slick spots.  Allie and Nike were troopers.  Good boys!

Too funny, we actually found something that Allie was scared of.  Unreal. It was a gate across a trail.  Who knows what he was thinking? 

I spied a beautiful little bird nest only about a foot off of the ground.  Allie was really glad because I stopped him to take a few pictures.

We turned around when a bridge and icy brook blocked our path.  Both boys were so good about tucking their butts underneath them to negotiate that big hill.

Harold sure gets around! Now he is on a Shire.

Back at the barn, it was time to begin Part II of the day, putting a saddle on Katrina, an 18 hand Shire mare who is Queen of the Barn.  Not only did she like all of the attention, but us humans had fun!  Terry brought her in the barn and parked her right in front of a big round bale. We tried out various tack, but my treeless saddle combined with one of Terry's XL girths was the best fit.  It took me standing on two bales of shavings to get on that big black back!  Katrina didn't bat an eye, and she seemed very calm and friendly towards me when I spoke to her.  I felt right at ease on her back, which was surprising considering I have fear issues when it comes to The Big Ones.  But Katrina felt very much like Nicole's Clydesdale Kya, and heck, she was parked in front of a bale of hay.  I am sure I would have felt differently if she had been prancing down the road.

I think Terry should train Nolan to ride.  Nolan is 18.2 hands. :)

 

 

Me and Allie.  Harold is along for the ride, too.

 

 

 

Terry texting Bob on Nike.  Yep, she is comfortable on him!

 

 

Terry on Katrina, English

Bob on Katrina

Bob galloping on Katrina

Me on Katrina with my "stepladder" - 2 bales of sawdust