Marehaven Farm
Longmont, CO
Riding the pony express
October 22 / 2007 08:41 PM Filed in: Trail Riding
The weather was so
perfect today that I decided to ride Kelton out from
the farm to the trail at Pella Crossing. The ponds
are particularly beautiful right now, with the trees
changing colors and the mountains in the background
capped with snow. Kelton was very good and we even
managed to get in some schooling in walk/trot
transitions.
I had such a good time on Kelton that when I got back, I decided to get on Belle and head out again. Belle was also very good, although she had to stop and stare a few times. We trotted around an entire pond and that was enough for me, but I think Belle could've kept going and going. She's an energizer pony!
I was having such a good time that when I got back to the farm, I rode past my house and down the driveway to get the mail. Belle cocked an ear towards the house, but then motored on forward, curious about what we were doing. I got off to check the mailbox, which was full, and then somehow I managed to hold all the mail in one hand and get back on Belle, who happily carried the mail (and me) back home!
I had such a good time on Kelton that when I got back, I decided to get on Belle and head out again. Belle was also very good, although she had to stop and stare a few times. We trotted around an entire pond and that was enough for me, but I think Belle could've kept going and going. She's an energizer pony!
I was having such a good time that when I got back to the farm, I rode past my house and down the driveway to get the mail. Belle cocked an ear towards the house, but then motored on forward, curious about what we were doing. I got off to check the mailbox, which was full, and then somehow I managed to hold all the mail in one hand and get back on Belle, who happily carried the mail (and me) back home!
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First solo trail ride on Belle also went great
October 21 / 2007 12:22 PM Filed in: Belle | Trail Riding
Yesterday I wanted to
test out a new demo saddle (a Treefree), but I didn't feel like riding
in the arena, so I figured I'd see how far Belle
was willing to go away from the farm before she
got worried about the other horses. At home she's
always aware of where the others are, and if I
haul a horse away in the trailer she's the only
one that will trot down the fence line and call to
the horse. So I thought we might not get very far,
but she just motored on down the driveway and then
across my south neighbor's property without so
much as an ear cocked backwards at the farm.
So I figured I might as well try going over to the ponds. I had to cut through a cow pasture, getting off and on twice to open gates, and Belle stood still for me to get back on. She was totally unconcerned about leaving the other horses, which really surprised me. We had a nice ride around the ponds and even did a fair amount of trotting, which felt great. And I love the saddle!
As long as the gates are closed, it'll be much easier to ride Belle off the farm than Kelton, given that Kelton is two hands taller, so I'm just delighted at how well Belle did. She's just an all around super trail pony!
So I figured I might as well try going over to the ponds. I had to cut through a cow pasture, getting off and on twice to open gates, and Belle stood still for me to get back on. She was totally unconcerned about leaving the other horses, which really surprised me. We had a nice ride around the ponds and even did a fair amount of trotting, which felt great. And I love the saddle!
As long as the gates are closed, it'll be much easier to ride Belle off the farm than Kelton, given that Kelton is two hands taller, so I'm just delighted at how well Belle did. She's just an all around super trail pony!
First solo trail ride on Kelton went great!
October 13 / 2007 09:48 AM Filed in: Kelton | Trail Riding
I've been wanting to do
this for a while, but yesterday I finally got Kelton
out on our first solo trail ride. She did great!
I chose to ride her at Pella Crossing, the trails that go around the ponds behind my house, but I hauled her over to the parking lot rather than riding out from my farm. I figured that had two benefits: first, I wouldn't have to get off to open the two gates in the cow pasture. And second, I wouldn't have to worry about the horses calling to her, although I think she'd be OK with that part. Once the cows are gone and the gates are left open, I'll try riding her right out.
She looked around a lot while I was tacking her up, but I could easily get her attention back to me. So I felt comfortable enough to go ahead and get on, and we set off towards the eastern loops. She was hyper aware of everything and had her head high and ears forward, and she was walking as fast as equinely possible, but she didn't feel spooky or nervous, just alert. We motored around the eastern loops in record time! I love to feel that huge forward walk offered naturally.
We crossed the street to ride the western loops and she slowed down a little, so I figured we could try some trotting. We trotted around a loop, then walked a bit, then trotted some more. She gave me a wonderful huge trot that was so fun to ride! And she listened to my very light requests to come back to the walk. Even though she was very alert the whole time, she never spooked or shied and she was very responsive to my aids. I love this horse!!
I'd like to work up to doing this regularly and doing more schooling on the trail, like walk/trot transitions, flexing/counterflexing, lateral work, etc.. Kelton has a good work ethic and works well in the arena, but she works even better in my front pasture. And even better, I think, on a trail ride where there's always somewhere to go (instead of just around and around).
But I know solo trail riding has its risks, so I'll only ride where I have cell phone service, where the footing is flat and easy, and where there are usually people around. I also want to get an ID tag for Kelton's bridle and make an "identification/contact numbers" sheet to keep on me when I ride. It's so peaceful and meditative to be out there alone with the horse that I think the risk is worth it, provided I take precautions!
I chose to ride her at Pella Crossing, the trails that go around the ponds behind my house, but I hauled her over to the parking lot rather than riding out from my farm. I figured that had two benefits: first, I wouldn't have to get off to open the two gates in the cow pasture. And second, I wouldn't have to worry about the horses calling to her, although I think she'd be OK with that part. Once the cows are gone and the gates are left open, I'll try riding her right out.
She looked around a lot while I was tacking her up, but I could easily get her attention back to me. So I felt comfortable enough to go ahead and get on, and we set off towards the eastern loops. She was hyper aware of everything and had her head high and ears forward, and she was walking as fast as equinely possible, but she didn't feel spooky or nervous, just alert. We motored around the eastern loops in record time! I love to feel that huge forward walk offered naturally.
We crossed the street to ride the western loops and she slowed down a little, so I figured we could try some trotting. We trotted around a loop, then walked a bit, then trotted some more. She gave me a wonderful huge trot that was so fun to ride! And she listened to my very light requests to come back to the walk. Even though she was very alert the whole time, she never spooked or shied and she was very responsive to my aids. I love this horse!!
I'd like to work up to doing this regularly and doing more schooling on the trail, like walk/trot transitions, flexing/counterflexing, lateral work, etc.. Kelton has a good work ethic and works well in the arena, but she works even better in my front pasture. And even better, I think, on a trail ride where there's always somewhere to go (instead of just around and around).
But I know solo trail riding has its risks, so I'll only ride where I have cell phone service, where the footing is flat and easy, and where there are usually people around. I also want to get an ID tag for Kelton's bridle and make an "identification/contact numbers" sheet to keep on me when I ride. It's so peaceful and meditative to be out there alone with the horse that I think the risk is worth it, provided I take precautions!
We saw a bear!
October 11 / 2007 09:11 PM Filed in: Trail Riding
| Belle
My friend Donna and I
went riding today, as we're trying to do every
Wednesday, but today we saw something neither of us
had ever seen on a trail ride: a bear! We were on the
Big Bluestem trail, which is southwest of Boulder and
is part of a large network of trails through the
foothills. We were up in the pine trees, moseying
along, when Donna spotted the bear about fifty yards
to the right. It was looking at us but didn't look
concerned.
For a second I thought about whipping out my camera to take a shot (and now that Belle and I have not been made into Bear Snacks, I wish I had). But what we did instead was get off the horses and start walking away quickly while making lots of noise (Donna was singing "Old McDonald Had a Farm" and I was reassuring the bear that we had no interest in bearskin rugs). After a bit, we decided we were out of harm's way, so we got back on.
The horses were never bothered, even though they could see (and presumably smell) the bear, so maybe they can sense when a bear is having aggressive thoughts vs. "where should I take a nap" thoughts?
For a second I thought about whipping out my camera to take a shot (and now that Belle and I have not been made into Bear Snacks, I wish I had). But what we did instead was get off the horses and start walking away quickly while making lots of noise (Donna was singing "Old McDonald Had a Farm" and I was reassuring the bear that we had no interest in bearskin rugs). After a bit, we decided we were out of harm's way, so we got back on.
The horses were never bothered, even though they could see (and presumably smell) the bear, so maybe they can sense when a bear is having aggressive thoughts vs. "where should I take a nap" thoughts?
Belle goes south and north
October 11 / 2007 09:07 PM Filed in: Belle
Belle's been getting
out a lot lately. Last week I rode her with a friend
at Rock Creek Farm trail, which is southeast of
Boulder. The trail is wide and well-groomed and goes
up and down gentle slopes, so it would be a good one
for Kelton.
Then on Saturday I took her to Bobcat Ridge, the new trail northwest of Loveland. There we rode with a friend who was taking her horse on their first "real" trail ride. Both horses did great. It's a nice trail, winding up a gentle hill into some trees and then back down again, with great views.
Then on Saturday I took her to Bobcat Ridge, the new trail northwest of Loveland. There we rode with a friend who was taking her horse on their first "real" trail ride. Both horses did great. It's a nice trail, winding up a gentle hill into some trees and then back down again, with great views.