Marehaven Farm
Longmont, CO
Kelton hits the trails
July 27 / 2007 05:15 PM Filed in: Kelton | Trail Riding
I've now taken Kelton
to the ponds four times, and she's doing super! I
even trailered her over there once, to meet someone
at the trail head, and she was so relaxed. I wasn't
sure how she'd be if she left home alone, but she
wasn't concerned at all. I feel so comfortable on her
that I'm almost tempted to ride her to the ponds
myself, but I'm just not sure riding alone is a good
idea. She seems to be staying sound, but the trails
are flat and easy. I might take her to somewhere with
similar trails but more hills just to see how she
does. The only drawback to riding Kelton on trails is
if I have to get off. It's hard to get back on such a
big horse!
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Cantering down the trails
July 22 / 2007 10:40 AM Filed in: Trail Riding
I took Belle up to the
Nederland area (in the mountains west of Boulder)
yesterday for a trail ride with a woman I met online.
The trail, at Caribou Ranch, is just the kind I like.
Mostly dirt, with some small rocks that are easy to
avoid, and lots of shade. It was already about 14
degrees cooler up there than down below anyway, but
the shade on the trails made it even cooler.
The woman I rode with was on her six year old QH and she was ponying her seventeen year old Arab, just to get him out for the exercise and enjoyment. He was excellent at being ponied and just followed right along, no matter what gait we were going at.
The woman has done a fair amount of endurance riding with her Arab, so she's used to trotting and cantering on the trail. I like to do that too, but only when the trail conditions are just right and when I'm on a horse I trust. Both of those things were true yesterday, so when we came to some particularly suitable spots on the trail, we would trot.
Belle has an amazingly fast trot. When we came to a part of the trail that's an old service road, Belle was trotting so fast that Jennifer's horse had to canter to keep up with her, so I went ahead and asked Belle to canter (or rather, granted her permission, as she'd already asked me). Boy she can fly! But I think she was having as much fun as I was. Her canter is unbelievably smooth and easy to ride, and requires less effort than riding her trot (which is also very smooth, but it's hard to post that fast!)
Belle led almost the entire way and was only concerned about a wood bridge. We went past some ditch pipes, which she cocked an ear at, but nothing more, so maybe she's over that. It might just take a few more trail rides with bridges to get her over that too, but I might have my handyman build me a bridge just to have around.
We ended up trotting the last mile or so of the trail back to the trailers because we were trying to outrun a storm with lightening that was just behind us. Belle hasn't done that much "going" in who knows when, but she barely took a heavy breath. With conditioning, I think she just might do OK at competitive trail riding!
I think I must've relived the joy of galloping my pony as a kid when we cantered along the road, because I had so much fun! I don't often ride with people who are comfortable trotting and cantering on trails, so I really enjoyed the opportunity.
The woman I rode with was on her six year old QH and she was ponying her seventeen year old Arab, just to get him out for the exercise and enjoyment. He was excellent at being ponied and just followed right along, no matter what gait we were going at.
The woman has done a fair amount of endurance riding with her Arab, so she's used to trotting and cantering on the trail. I like to do that too, but only when the trail conditions are just right and when I'm on a horse I trust. Both of those things were true yesterday, so when we came to some particularly suitable spots on the trail, we would trot.
Belle has an amazingly fast trot. When we came to a part of the trail that's an old service road, Belle was trotting so fast that Jennifer's horse had to canter to keep up with her, so I went ahead and asked Belle to canter (or rather, granted her permission, as she'd already asked me). Boy she can fly! But I think she was having as much fun as I was. Her canter is unbelievably smooth and easy to ride, and requires less effort than riding her trot (which is also very smooth, but it's hard to post that fast!)
Belle led almost the entire way and was only concerned about a wood bridge. We went past some ditch pipes, which she cocked an ear at, but nothing more, so maybe she's over that. It might just take a few more trail rides with bridges to get her over that too, but I might have my handyman build me a bridge just to have around.
We ended up trotting the last mile or so of the trail back to the trailers because we were trying to outrun a storm with lightening that was just behind us. Belle hasn't done that much "going" in who knows when, but she barely took a heavy breath. With conditioning, I think she just might do OK at competitive trail riding!
I think I must've relived the joy of galloping my pony as a kid when we cantered along the road, because I had so much fun! I don't often ride with people who are comfortable trotting and cantering on trails, so I really enjoyed the opportunity.
Belle and the Fjord-eating pipes
July 18 / 2007 11:21 AM Filed in: Belle
A friend and I rode
today at Boulder Valley Ranch, and Belle did very
well with the cows, dogs, bicycles, and baby buggies,
but boy she was concerned about those ridged metal
pipes that go under trails so that ditch water can
flow through them. She was pretty sure they ate
Fjords for lunch!
She could see them coming long before I could. She'd suddenly look way down the trail and stop, and I'd urge her forward, but as we'd get closer she'd become clearly concerned. Sometimes I couldn't see the pipes until we were actually crossing them, but boy she could see them in advance!
By the end of the ride I got her to go over them without wanting to rush over them, but that's definitely something to work on. It's such a strange thing, too. Why would double-occupancy baby buggies being pushed by joggers not so much as merit a turned ear, but pipes pose a threat?! I should call the horse psychic!
She could see them coming long before I could. She'd suddenly look way down the trail and stop, and I'd urge her forward, but as we'd get closer she'd become clearly concerned. Sometimes I couldn't see the pipes until we were actually crossing them, but boy she could see them in advance!
By the end of the ride I got her to go over them without wanting to rush over them, but that's definitely something to work on. It's such a strange thing, too. Why would double-occupancy baby buggies being pushed by joggers not so much as merit a turned ear, but pipes pose a threat?! I should call the horse psychic!
Kelton's first trail ride in who knows how long
July 16 / 2007 12:52 PM Filed in: Kelton
I just got back from
taking Kelton to the ponds behind my house. I can
ride out from the farm, across a cow pasture and over
a railroad track, and then hook up with the wide,
flat trails that go around the ponds. There are
several miles of trails, but we did a loop that was
about a mile long considering this was Kelton's first
trail ride in who knows how long, and I'm still
worried about reactivating her old injury.
When I first test rode Kelton years ago, I took her on a trail ride around the owner's property and she was great for that. But I've only ridden her on a trail once since then, until today. She was awesome! She looked at everything, and stopped once or twice to check things out, but she didn't spook at anything and marched forward down the trail. Someone else was riding Belle and Belle had a hard time keeping up with Kelton's big walk!
I'm thrilled that I can do this kind of riding with Kelton because I think it's good for her, mentally and physically, to be able to get out of the arena on occasion. But I'll probably stick only to flat trails, just to be on the safe side. She's so fun to work with in the arena that I don't want to risk having her get sore again.
When I first test rode Kelton years ago, I took her on a trail ride around the owner's property and she was great for that. But I've only ridden her on a trail once since then, until today. She was awesome! She looked at everything, and stopped once or twice to check things out, but she didn't spook at anything and marched forward down the trail. Someone else was riding Belle and Belle had a hard time keeping up with Kelton's big walk!
I'm thrilled that I can do this kind of riding with Kelton because I think it's good for her, mentally and physically, to be able to get out of the arena on occasion. But I'll probably stick only to flat trails, just to be on the safe side. She's so fun to work with in the arena that I don't want to risk having her get sore again.
Britta goes to boot camp and Belle goes swimming
I took Britta (Belle's
two year old Fjord filly) over to "baby boot camp"
today. I brought Belle along too so that I could go
on a trail ride with the trainer, who has 230+ acres
to ride on plus lots of trail obstacles. I wasn't
sure how Belle would be with water so we gave that a
try. It wasn't just a creek but an actual river, and
Belle just went on through. The water was nearly up
to her belly and I could feel the current pushing her
a little, but she did just fine.
We also walked over big logs and through tall bushes and fields of prickly stuff. She was pretty good with all of that, but she balked at walking through slurpy mud. When we first set out, she was surprised by a boggy area, and after that she was suspicious of dark ground, but only if she was in the lead. She'd follow another horse across.
I also wasn't sure how Belle would be riding away from Britta, but they weren't even calling to each other. Belle can be a little herd bound, but I guess she decided the trainer's horses were her new herd! I'll take her back over there to ride again once the trainer has Britta ready to pony out on trails. The trainer will basically do everything she would do if she was starting Britta under saddle, without actually riding her. She'll get her used to all sorts of things, have her wear a saddle and bridle, haul her places, and pony her on lots of trails. It'll be good for her -- give her something to think about over the winter.
Cathy has llamas specifically because so many of the horses she gets into training have issues with them, but I put Britta in a pen next to them and she said hello to them and went about her business. So I guess that's not going to be an issue!
We also walked over big logs and through tall bushes and fields of prickly stuff. She was pretty good with all of that, but she balked at walking through slurpy mud. When we first set out, she was surprised by a boggy area, and after that she was suspicious of dark ground, but only if she was in the lead. She'd follow another horse across.
I also wasn't sure how Belle would be riding away from Britta, but they weren't even calling to each other. Belle can be a little herd bound, but I guess she decided the trainer's horses were her new herd! I'll take her back over there to ride again once the trainer has Britta ready to pony out on trails. The trainer will basically do everything she would do if she was starting Britta under saddle, without actually riding her. She'll get her used to all sorts of things, have her wear a saddle and bridle, haul her places, and pony her on lots of trails. It'll be good for her -- give her something to think about over the winter.
Cathy has llamas specifically because so many of the horses she gets into training have issues with them, but I put Britta in a pen next to them and she said hello to them and went about her business. So I guess that's not going to be an issue!
Mowin' the lawn
July 12 / 2007 09:46 PM Filed in: Farm Stuff
Ivy's first trail ride in two years
July 07 / 2007 04:47 PM Filed in: Ivy
Ivy hadn't been ridden
in two years, so I put her into training and she's
coming along great. Back when she was first started
she went on a few trail rides, but the trainer took
her out today for her first ride in a few years and
she did great! I rode Belle and they both just
motored along, like seasoned trail ponies! I look
forward to getting her out myself soon.
Riding regularly
At long last, I'm
finally riding regularly again! I've been able to
ride Kelton about three times per week, sometimes
four, for the past month, and I've ridden Belle a few
times. Someone else usually schools Belle while I
ride Kelton.
Kelton is doing great. I'm going very easy with her, to hopefully make sure she stays sound. We're doing basic suppling work at the walk and trot and I only ride for about thirty minutes. I think we'll probably be doing this for a while, but that's OK. I'm just glad to be able to ride her!
Kelton is doing great. I'm going very easy with her, to hopefully make sure she stays sound. We're doing basic suppling work at the walk and trot and I only ride for about thirty minutes. I think we'll probably be doing this for a while, but that's OK. I'm just glad to be able to ride her!