Baby T's First Ride

Summer is flying by much too quickly. We have been so very busy, and thankfully...it's the good kind of busy.

I have been meaning to get T riding months ago but the drive to the barn is long enough that she was always completely out for her mid-morning nap. Now that T is older, she's also awake for longer stretches. A few weeks ago, we had a (rare) free weekend morning and it turned out to be a perfect family time at the barn. 

After grabbing Quest from the field and getting her groomed and tacked up in the little S-hackmore and bareback pad, we headed over to the outdoor. I hopped on first to knock the rust off and then C got his tandem pony ride in first. He really enjoyed telling me where to put Quest's feet. As we serpentined and wound our way around the barrels and traffic cones, C kept asking if we could go over the small jumps that were already set up in the outdoor arena. Maybe one day haha 

During this entire time, my husband was having quite a time keeping T from trying to climb the fence into the arena. It was such a magical moment to see her face light up when she finally got on Quest, nothing but smiles and happy baby laughs. 

I guess I can finally officially say that both my kids have ridden Quest now. Words don't express how grateful I am to have a rock-steady and sane mare like her. She just knows what is needed from her in the moment and goes right into babysitting mode when the kids are around. She's truly my once-in-a-lifetime horse. 

Moved In

It's been quite a whirlwind of a weekend but the barn move went smooth and quick. 

A very good mareface <3

I took a day off work for the occasion and asked my parents to watch Baby C while I was away to take care of my fur baby. I hit the road early and got to the barn about an hour before T and her rig were scheduled to arrive. After grabbing mareface from her pasture, I loaded up my tack trunk and saddle into my car, and cleaned up my tack area. 

We were ready to go sooner than I thought so Quest got a prolonged grooming session while I cried over untangling the giant mat in her tail....

Ugh....so much work left to do.

Fortunately T arrived early and pulled up to the gate for us to load on. Her trailer was a 3-horse slant with step-up. It's been quite awhile since I did any trailer loading with Quest and the last time she got on a trailer was our last barn move but I led mareface over and without a single hesitation, she followed me right on. Good mare! 

 T was super impressed, "Wow, that took like 2 seconds! You want to trade me your horse???" I grinned. T had been prepared for a lengthly trailer loading session and even brought cookies just in case bribery was needed. Quest still got two cookies for being the best girl. 

We pulled out of the barn less than 10 minutes after T arrived and hit the road to her farm. T was a great and conscientious driver which I (and Quest definitely) appreciated. We made good time with little traffic and soon pulled up to the barn. To my immense relief, Quest was barely sweating from the trip and she backed off the trailer perfectly without a fuss. Mareface was definitely on alert but she didn't do anything bad, just very aware of everything going on. 

While the barnhelp  finished getting her stall ready, I led Quest around her paddock and pasture for a tour, showing her the fence perimeter and her water trough. By the end of the tour, she was totally chilled out and ready to relax. I took off her halter and soon enough, she found her spot and went for a nice big roll. T let her other horses out of their stalls and the herd said hello to Quest over the fence. There was some posturing from Lady, T's main riding horse, but after Quest quickly showed her she didn't bide by that, all was well and everyone got along. 

The first stall with the open doors and the connecting paddock AND back pasture are all for Quest. 

 

I stuck around for about an hour or so to keep an eye on things and move some of my tack in. Seeing how things were going super well, I decided to chance a quick bareback ride in Quest's pasture right before I headed home. She totally didn't care and plodded along happily. T kept me posted on how Quest did that evening, and it sounds like she absolutely loves my horse (which is a very good thing!) 

The next day, I went back out to the barn in the afternoon with my treeless saddle and we did a trail ride in full tack. Mareface was definitely excited to be out but she settled down quick and we got in a lovely 4 miles in one hour. All done at her ground eating walking march - we didn't do any trot or canter since it was our first time out exploring the WMA trails. Looking forward to doing more rides though! 

I've so missed the view behind her sunset kissed ears <3

Baby Boy's First Pony Ride

The big moment finally happened. My little guy had his first pony ride this past weekend and absolutely LOVED it. 

As much as I wanted to instantly throw my kid on top of my horse and hit the trails, I made myself wait until Caleb proved he had good core and head control. When I noticed he was hitting the big developmental milestones- being able to sit up unassisted for as long as he wanted to and could completely roll over, I took that for a green light. 

I used a bareback pad for our little ride - I feel a lot more secure riding bareback for some reason and just in case a quick emergency dismount was needed, I didn't want to get tangled up in stirrups. 

But obviously, nothing bad happened. Everyone was all smiles the entire time and Caleb would pet Quest's mane and withers whenever he could reach. Mareface was a complete saint in the outdoor arena and never put a single foot out of line. I was so happy to share my love of horses and riding with my kid. Hopefully this bodes well for future horse adventures as a family.  

First Time For Everything

It took five years but it finally happened...I had my first real "oops, rider overboard" fall off of Quest. We're both fine and but it was like ugh whyyyy, especially given how it happened but I guess it was about time. I was probably way overdue for a first riding fall lol

Fellow trail rider J had texted me earlier in the week about doing a long group trail ride out to the deli and I immediately signed on. Quest and I ride alone so much that more exposure to riding in a group is always welcome- any opportunity to train the marebrain is a resounding yes in my book. W and I organized a large group of our friends (it ended up being about 20 people!) to go apple picking later in the afternoon though so I gave J a heads up that I'd be keeping a strict eye on the time and Quest and I would turn around for home solo when we needed to.

W came out to the barn with me and was kind enough to help continue working on the trailer while I got to enjoy riding my horse in daylight. I gave him instructions on what to do for the day, a thank you kiss in appreciation, and trundled off across the farm to fetch my horse from her pasture and tack up.

The farrier had come out the day before so thankfully I was working with a very fresh trim when putting on the boots. The front shoes were nice for their ease of use and Quest does okay in them but I could tell she was never 100% happy in them as she was in boots. So off the shoes came and we're back to barefoot all around.

During my trip to CA, I learned from the endurance rider I rode with to use duct tape to reinforce the velcro straps that die out way faster than the boot treads themselves. Using the tape, the Gloves stayed on perfectly for our entire w/t/c ride over all the diverse terrain we have here.

After tacking up, we met up with our trail ride group. We have ridden out with J and her little POA mare Lucy a few times and our girls get along very well. Unfortunately Quest had issue with K and her gelding, a sturdy chestnut mustang named Tonka. K was kind enough to give us room when I mentioned that Quest had angry marefaces at her horse whenever Tonka drifted too close. We  made sure to keep them apart and everyone did fine after that.

We set off at a good walking pace with Lucy and Quest trading the lead. In previous group outings, I noticed that Quest has a tendency to tune me out and go with whatever the other horses are doing which is not always a good thing. So this ride I made a point to not fall asleep at the wheel and to keep mareface actively engaged and checked in with me by having her move her feet exactly where I wanted her to go.

Things were going really well and we were making excellent time on the trail trotting areas where we could and walking where the footing got too gnarly to move out. Lucy took the lead on the single track areas and Quest was definitely game to move out but still listened to me politely. As much as I would have loved to continue on with the ride, the time was drawing closer for Quest and me to turn back for home.

Being familiar with the area, I knew that the route would open up to the roadway after the last section of trail we were on and the plan was for us to use the trail split as the turn around point. Just one more section and we would part ways for home.

It had been awhile since Quest and I had done a long ride so there were a ton of new obstacles along the trail such as downed trees and brush all which we navigated successfully earlier in the ride and have done so before. So when we came across yet another fallen tree, it should have been no big deal. The trunk was quite wide but it was traverse-able. J and Lucy, who both love to jump, cleared it with no problems. Quest and I do not regularly jump nor did I have any desire to attempt any heroics on the trail so I had Quest to settle into a calm walk to quietly step over it.

Instead she paused and with a massive lurch, heaved herself bodily over the trunk.

We made it over, but I was completely taken by surprise and ate dirt, landing on my side and back. I somehow manged to hold onto the reins though. To her credit, Quest immediately stopped and stood still, waiting for me to get back to my feet. Quick check: Quest was fine, I was fine- thankfully I had landed in the dirt and leaves next to the trail, somehow avoiding the rocks, and nothing was out of place.

After reassuring J and K that I was okay, I mounted back up and we headed down the trail together for a moment until I realized that we had to double back for my FitBit which had fallen off. After recovering it exactly where we thought it had landed, it was definitely time for Quest and me to head home to the barn. K offered to ride with me to make sure I got back okay but I thanked her and sent them off, not wanting to ruin their ride plans that day.

To my immense surprise, Quest didn't scream or worry a single moment on our solo ride back home, if anything she relaxed more and was completely compliant to every request I made. We walked, we trotted, we cantered in beautiful autumn weather- enjoying our time together.

Stopped by the trailer to say hi to W and told him what happened.
Poor husband got so concerned...I felt bad for worrying him ):

The trailer is coming along nicely though.
Quest seems to approve too, happy with her snack break.

Despite the tumble, I was thankful that I wasn't badly hurt and Quest was no worse for the wear. I was pretty sore later that evening and the day afterwards but that's pretty much the extent of it. One of my friends is a PA and she regularly asks me how Quest is doing, I saw her the day afterwards while grabbing a group lunch together and she reassured my husband (who was still fretting) that I was fine/she would have had no idea what had happened if I had not finally told her.

Things happen, sometimes all we can do is get right back into the saddle and ride on.

A (Surprise) Weekend at LCGT

What started off as a simple family day trip ended up being a completely unplanned visit to the Longines Global World Tour to watch world-class show jumpers up close and personal.

Front row seats for all the excitement! 

W and I had been planning to treat my parents to a fun day trip in NYC as part of our thank you to them for helping us out with the wedding. Despite living so close to the city, my parents dislike the crowd hustle and bustle so they haven't ventured across the river for quite a number of years.

After thinking over several options that would be suitable and enjoyable for my parents, we decided to do a day-trip and picnic lunch at the scenic Governor's Island. This was a date location when W and I first got together and I loved the "mini getaway" feel it had since the island is only accessible by ferry.

We left the house early and swung by to pick up my parents to drive to the train station. All was well for the most part though we had to take an unexpected extra ferry ride from NJ to NY due to a train station being closed for construction work (thanks Hurricane Sandy) but everyone took it in stride without complaints. While on the ferry ride over to Governor's Island, I noticed a girl and her dad all outfitted equestrian paraphernalia and pointed them out to W. Of course that should have been clue #1 that something horse-related was going on haha

The day was absolutely gorgeous and the crowds were light since we got there early. After enjoying a big picnic lunch, we got a 4-person surrey rental and tandem biked our way around the entire island enjoying nearly 360 degree views of city skyline.

Smiles for everyone! We all had a great time trying something new. 

Seeing all the wide spacious paved pathways, my dad joked that they should offer horse carriage rides and trail riding. I laughed, "It'd be quite something to transport all those horses by ferry."

Imagine my utter surprise when we turned a corner and suddenly arrived in a sea of tents, event fencing and horses everywhere. Before I could even open my mouth, W turned to look at me and said, "You want to see the horses." He knows me too well haha

We dropped off our surrey when our rental time was up and walked back to see a full blown top-level international show jumping competition complete with vendors and tent tailgating. It was really quite amazing to see how baseball fields had been so thoroughly converted into a temporary stadium.

All the jumps were NYC-themed, it was FANTASTIC.

A decent number of vendors too.

Ponies for the kids to pet!

Apparently this year was the first time NYC was incorporated into the Longines Global Champions Tour show circuit and it was pure luck that our trip to the island coincided perfectly with the event being held that weekend. W was totally floored since he had specifically looked at the calendar to check for special events and didn't see any mention of the event on the agenda. 

It was the first time all of us got to see a show jumping event in person as well and my parents were happy to partake in the sights and sounds. 

My mom watching a rider taking her horse to the warm-up ring behind the stadium. 

No horse outing is complete without some free swag!
I'm curious to try that rub rag on Quest but the effort may be wasted since pasture lol  

Despite the transportation hiccups, it was really quite a great day and I had a wonderful time with my family. Seeing how my parents were excited about being at a horse show was good to see as well. They weren't fans of me learning how to ride at first and eventually reluctantly realized that my horse thing was not an random whim. They have slowly come to care about Quest as much as I do (my dad supplies the mareface with 75% of her apples lol) and just seeing them curious and interested was an encouragement!

Hitched and Happy Trails

W and I got married last Sunday! Despite the family drama and emotions in the weeks leading up to the event, our big day went perfectly.

Not surprisingly, I had the ambitious idea to tackle all the flower decorations (garland, bouquets, corsages,etc...) by myself + Team Bride and I'm so proud to report back that WE DID IT. Everything came together beautifully in the end and the venue looked absolutely stunning.

We also got so very lucky with the weather- despite the forecasts, it was blue skies and sunny the entire day and we were able to have our ceremony outdoors and our guests got to enjoy cocktail hour and the reception in all the open spaces. Everyone enjoyed themselves immensely, the food was amazing, and the company even better.

The next day, W and I drove north for our short minimoon at an all-inclusive nature resort in NY. We spoiled ourselves with delicious food every meal and spent the hours in between hiking, lake kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, tomahawk throwing, pool lounging and even did some trail riding!  I got to try a ton of new things including my first ever rock scramble.

Looking back, we're definitely both relieved that the wedding event itself is over but during the entire process, especially now in hindsight, W and I were reminded of just how incredibly blessed we were to have talented, loyal friends along every step of the way who whole-heartedly and gladly celebrated our union with us.

The days after have been the slow gradual return to real life (going back to work, ugh lol), finish setting up our little home, and finding a new normal which includes barn time! This past weekend I was finally able to snag a ride with the mareface and it was SO nice.

As always, Quest went from sitting in a pasture for a month to back to trail riding with quiet ease and zero fuss. We hit up a trail that we had not done in awhile and got some lovely lake views along the way. Mareface was definitely excited for an adventure though and was raring to go on the way home. That being the case, we finished up our trail ride with a quick but effective indoor arena session reviewing dressage basics and fundamentals to brush off the cobwebs. Afterwards Quest got a nice bath and her treats.

What a week! A lot of changes but I'm looking forward to what the future holds (: 

Endless Winter

March really did roar in like a lion. The weather has been extremely uncooperative the past few weeks and rides with the mareface have been sporadic at best.

During the arena sessions that I have been able to sneak in, Quest was all over the place movement-wise and it felt like what it looked. To be fair, it has been a quite a few months since we actually tried to do any "real riding" thanks to the weather and time off from the injury. In terms of baseline fitness though, I think we'll be okay. Quest came through the worst of winter with good weight, all rested up, and her feet are doing well. She's still unshod at the moment but I'm planning to get those front shoes back on next month when we'll be hitting the trails in earnest.  As for me, I might be in the best cardio-endurance shape I've been in awhile thanks to the miles I've done at the gym over the past few months. I'm excited to see how I fare running outside- it'll be quite a happy change from the treadmill.

Physically, mareface has proven time and time again that if I train and ride her accordingly as the terrain dictates, she can physically handle whatever is thrown at her. Mentally though, I feel like we are stuck in the never-ending and infamous "two steps forward and one back" dance. There are improvements to be sure but progress just feels painfully slow and when she decides to liven up a mundane trail ride by engaging her jigging hellbeast mode. The latter will be solved by on-trail training with trail partners but most horses at our barn literally can't keep up with Quest. She walks so fast and briskly that we leave everyone in the dust after a few steps. I've found ways of dealing with the behavior though but we need those miles. Once the temperatures and trail conditions improve, we'll be back at it in full force.

Crossing every digit for favorable trail riding weather soon because cabin fever is hitting me hard.

There are moments of good in the arena though. My sister and 8 month old nephew T are in town visiting my family for the entire month (babies are seriously non-stop work...wow) and they came up to the barn a couple weeks ago to see Quest. I hopped on for a quick bareback ride first and my sister asked to get some pictures of T with the mareface.

We ended up also walking a few circles in the front third of the indoor and Quest was perfect. She was so tolerant and patient the entire time with T; even when he grabbed her nose, she just snorted and gently moved her head out of his reach. No fuss, no drama.

This mare <3

Celebrating the Little Stuff

From Day 1, Quest had never given me any issue with trailer loading. I still mostly have no idea what her 3-4 previous owners did with her but in the handful of times we have had to hit the road, I had deemed it safe to say trailers were NBD for her. Quest was always a model citizen and unquestioningly followed me into every trailer put in front of her, regardless of configuration. Step up, ramp load, 2 horse, 3 horse, straight load, slant load, first one on, last one on...She did it all without hesitation.

So when I bought my little stock trailer, I didn't think what I got specifically would matter all that much as long it was safe, solid, and tall enough. After all, a trailer is a trailer.

Well, the first time I tried loading Quest up on the trailer, she balked. She got two front feet on and and would not budge another step. I eventually got her completely loaded up in the end but we needed an extra hand to get it done. Her reaction totally surprised me though. This was first, and not a good one.

I immediately wondered if it was something having to do with the trailer itself but a quick mental run-down came up with nil. It wasn't too small (TB height), too dark (hello stock trailer), or unstable (floors and frame all good). Whatever it was though, this snafu did make me realize that I had to have the mareface pretty much as close to self-loading as possible since I'll more than likely be hauling out solo to train and attend rides. And to be honest, I didn't really want to haul off property if I couldn't get my horse consistently loaded every single time. IMO a trailhead or an endurance ride isn't exactly the best time or place for this kind of training.

So for the past couple weeks, we have been working on loading practice before our arena and trail rides. The first sessions were rough and progress was very slow since I had to first figure out what did NOT work for us. It really didn't help that Quest was surrounded by what essentially was an all-you-can-eat salad buffet; I spent most of the first sessions working on getting and keeping her attention on me.

I also quickly found out she has never been taught how to self-load. As this was something completely new to both of us, it gave me a chance to observe how Quest processes and figured something out from start to finish. While she starts off doubting and trying to escape pressure very dramatically (in typical mareface fashion...le sigh), she has a ton of try and quickly gets the hang of something if I figure out MY job first. The latter was hardest for me since I had to try a ton of different methods before finally finding something that worked for both of us.

She questioned me hard at first but suddenly everything clicked into place. We solo loaded up about 5-6 times in a short 15 minutes earlier this week. And yesterday we finally did a real 100% self-load with no tricks or treats.

Got herself little tangled in the lead rope while tied to the trailer.
Oops...NBD though. 

We did it twice again to make sure it wasn't a fluke, and it wasn't. It might seem silly to get this excited over something so small but I'm relieved we got this figured out. I admit I worried at first because not being able to solo load would have put a big wrench in our endurance plans and being independent. The fact that Quest can self-load is the cherry on top and putting in the time now to do it right will make it much easier and safer for all involved in the future. It was learning experience for both of us, especially for me. Next stop, off-property trail ride adventures!

Jump Baby Jump

Quest and I tried something new this weekend. It's not big or fancy at all but it was exciting for us!

Before the little impromptu jump session, Quest and I took advantage of the dreary, rainy weather clearing up that morning to hit the trails for a quick workout. We did a nice w/t/c warmup in the indoor arena first and set off on the trails. The days of non-stop torrential rain swept away the largest chunks of gravel on the dirt roads and we were left some fantastic footing for decent trotting sections.

We managed to get a solid 4 miles in less than an hour and also visited the mini XC course for three hill sprints. On the last sprint,  I let Quest open up and she immediately obliged, surging up the incline in powerful strides with her tail flagged in the air. When we came to a gradual stop at the top of the hill, Quest looked so pleased with herself haha I have to remember to bring my GoPro out next time so I can get video.

Quest and I had gotten a lot done on the trail by then so we headed back into the arena where we had left A and Mel. While we waited for them to finish, mareface and I played with baby jumps!

The standards were already set up so I just reconfigured the poles for our newbie use. We did a quick ground pole trot review first and then moved up to baby cross rails. Quest wasn't very impressed and trotted over them evenly and neatly each time....Well, at least she didn't rush though or start cantering.

I changed it back to the original set up and added some trot poles for the approach. Our first few attempts were more trotting with much gusto but eventually Quest figured out that she needed to pick up her legs.

Slowly figuring it out together

It was really neat to see how Quest used the steady repetition of a basic pattern to figure out where to put her feet. She never rushed or worried though, just took it like "Oh okay, we're doing this now."

I admit that I've never taken actual jumping lessons so this is me messing around and having fun with my horse. So there are lots to improve on, for starters I need shorten my stirrups from trail length to something more jump appropriate and move my hands higher on her neck. I do believe knowing how to jump properly is an essential, all-round equestrian skill to have though so it'd be well worth the time and effort to learn in the long run.

While I don't think we'll ever go huge or fancy since I'd rather save Quest's legs for endurance, this really was SO fun to see if we could actually do it. We both get super bored in the indoor so I think it'd be good for our mental sanity to throw in a baby jump from time to time during our arena work session days just to get the energy up and going again. Best of all mareface seemed to really enjoy herself with her ears pricked up and brain totally engaged. And I didn't eat dirt either- I say that was a win in it of itself haha

BFF Mounted Archery Clinic

After two years of dreaming and scheming, it finally happened!!

As some of you may remember, back in 2015 I wrote about exploring a new equestrian sport. After getting a quick 101 archery lesson from my friend S later that year, there was little to no mention of mounted archery though because well... I literally hit a wall trying to find an instructor or lesson barn to help me get started. All my searches yielded nothing of viable worth and the timing didn't really work out either since after moving Quest to WSS a couple months later, I had my hands full with preparing for the 2016 distance riding season. 

About a month ago though, I stumbled upon photos on my FB feed of a mounted archery clinic that had just taken place at a barn about an hour away from me. I reached out to the organizers and to my immense excitement, they replied that there were still accepting riders for the next clinic date! One of the organizers, a lady named A, provided me with the clinician's information so I could contact her. S took my interest in the sport seriously and even going so far with offering to accommodate me with a private lesson on her days off. Unfortunately her barn is a 3-hour round trip for me so it will take some logistics and planning on my end to make lessons happen. However in the meantime, I had the clinic to look forward to and hoped it would be a good introduction to see if I really did enjoy it. 

The clinic started at 10am and the drive to the barn BFF took about an hour. I gave myself plenty of time and arrived early to snag a good parking spot and headed over to indoor arena for the day's activities. A, the event organizer recognized me from FB and introduced herself and S, the clinician. While waiting for others to arrive, I started chatting with a girl named E and we hit it off really well. Best of all we agreed to help each other with pictures and video throughout the day so it's all thanks to her (and her bf) that I have media to share with everyone! 

When S finally called us over to get started, the total count was 26 participants which felt like a pretty large number. She began the clinic by reviewing safety rules and then had us get into groups of 3-4 based on the draw weight of the bow we wanted to shoot with. We were given a selection of handmade Chinese horse bows with various draw weights to pick from. E and I paired up with two other ladies, S and K, and we got set up with our 22lb bow and a round of 4 arrows.

The first part of the clinic was focused on shooting skills from the ground. The indoor arena was converted into a mini archery range using a line of hay bales stacked 3 high in 8 separate groups. My group picked out our hay bale target and waited until given the all clear to start. Having only picked up a bow and arrow twice in my life, I was pretty sure I had the least experience out of our group and my hunch was confirmed after watching the other members of my group shoot first.

S made her way up and down the line, stopping at each group to watch and assist. I waited to go last because I knew I'd probably need some help. Mounted archery horse bows are traditionally made with no arrow shelf. It makes a ton of sense if you are shooting at speed with no time to use it and practically speaking, the shelf would probably get in the way since the end goal is to load, draw, and shoot without looking down at your hands. When it got to my turn, I picked up the bow and the lack of shelf completely threw me off. The two times I did archery, both bows had a shelf to work with so I was at a total loss of what to do and fumbled around. When I explained my issue, S pointed out that my hand acted as the shelf essentially. That imagery was apparently all I needed- it was as if a lightbulb clicked on and just like that my next two arrows flew straight and hit dead center. "Nice job!" S praised.

Because of the number of people and limited time, we were only able to get though two rounds of shooting from the ground. E got some great pictures that, aside from posterity, I used to improve my form to make the most of the practice opportunity. I tried to keep in mind the tips S gave to me earlier (draw hand cups the lower jaw, no chicken arms) and also did my best to make adjustments that I saw from the pictures. As with most things, proper form is foundation and muscle memory can be developed so I opted to get that part right first and as soon as possible. My aim wasn't horrendous though and I consistently hit my target.

The most fun thing about being part of a large clinic was watching others learn from their successes and failures. One guy bought his own bow and arrows and he obviously knew how to shoot. There was one hairy  moment though when one person on the far left of the range had an arrow go way high and break a window! The glass got cleaned up quickly though and it was the only mishap for the entire clinic thankfully. 

After shooting from the ground, it was time to introduce the horses!

There were four horses ready for our use that day and we could pick as we liked. I choose a pony named Macaroni with a very sweet disposition to be my partner for this part of the clinic. I liked how quiet he was and he had more whoa then go which was needed for my purposes that day.

S had us mount up 4 riders at a time and we practiced shooting while being lead at a walk. The first round was done very slowly as everyone had to pause at some point in order to figure out how to nock, aim, shoot and reload arrows from our "leg quivers" aka half chaps/boots.

Everyone in the clinic was eager to keep going so in the second round, S allowed us to pick from walk and/or trot and let us tackle the course one rider at a time with our leadline assistants.

Shooting from a trot introduced a whole new set of challenges as we had to figure out how to deal with a two-beat gait and still try to do the whole archery thing while moving. S suggested a half seat, two-point, etc...but we were allowed to adapt with whatever we felt comfortable with. Macaroni wasn't the smoothest or willing mover so I ended up timing my shots with posting and that also helped keep it instinctive and natural. As I get better though, I do want to practice in a half-seat since being able to shoot from a canter/hand-gallop is the final end goal. The leadline assistants were also clinic participants so I helped switch with them to jog horses so they could shoot as well. It was a nice break from standing around and waiting.

I was able to shoot 3 more rounds before the end of the clinic and I found something to improve or tweak each time.

At the end of the clinic, I was still smiling from ear to ear and still just as excited. What a joy it is being able to make what felt like a far-fetched dream come true. For me, I do know this is definitely something that I want to continue doing as an interest and maybe even get competitive one day. The latter is still a pipe dream but mounted archery has been gaining popularity in the East Coast over the recent years. Given enough time, there could even be enough support to set up organized events.

If you ever get a chance to try mounted archery, I totally suggest giving it a go! Done under supervision and with an experienced horse, it's a super fun challenge for the rider and just something different to try.

Promoting Insanity

Wow, January is a little more than half-way over and this is my first post of the year haha A lot has been going on since then though so you'll have to bare with me as I do a recap of sorts. I do hope you all have been getting some riding in despite the cold/snow/whatever inclement weather you have your respective region.

During the holidays, I was shuttered indoors with family most of the time but I did manage to sneak in some saddle time here and there. The Friday before NYE day, I met J at the barn to do a long trail ride and have her show me more new trails. Unfortunately about 10-15 minutes into the ride, we discovered that the gravel road accessing the trail head was completely frozen over and encased under a solid sheet of ice. I convinced J it was not worth risking injury and we turned around, carefully making our way back to the barn. A few vehicles passed us while we were navigating around the ice and my anxiety level immediately shot straight up...all I could picture in my mind was 5000lbs of metal crashing into my horse and me. Fortunately no such thing happened.

In stark contrast to the dirt roads, paved asphalt in my area of NJ is typically salted within an inch of its life during the winter and the roads were sparkling clean and ice-free. Itching to trail ride, J and I decided to go for a walk. When I half-leased Rori about 3 years ago, I had pre-emptively scouted out more places to take her to ride and stumbled upon a trailhead access point that was located on the side of a road and had always wanted to check it out. I did attempt to try the route once with Rori but she had zero interest and we didn't get far without an argument every single step away from the barn. It really wasn't enjoyable or fun for either of us so I didn't try too hard with her.

Quest, on the other hand, was totally game for an adventure and led the way as we walked through residential neighborhoods with J and Lucy. It was a quiet Friday morning with little to no road traffic (both mares were totally fine with vehicles passing them when there was traffic) so we took our time meandering along and stopping at our leisure along the way to explore potential locations for more trails.

We eventually reached the trailhead access and I was FINALLY able to "connect" the trails together after 3 years of wondering. The rest of the ride went without a hitch and both mares seemed to enjoyed themselves as well.

On NYE, A and I had a mutual friend's party to attend later in the afternoon so we did a quick arena ride. We got festive and dressed the ponies with polo wraps in their respective colors. I gifted A with the teal set for Christmas this past year. My friend M at KBTC gave me a set of purple two years ago and I had not yet tried them on Quest. She looked super cute though!

The weekend after snow was on the forecast but I wanted to fit in a trail ride before the weather got bad. I got Quest tacked up and we set out solo. The snow began falling about 10 minutes into the ride. Despite bundling up, I was still freezing but it was a ride nothing short of magical. We were lone observers in a quickly changing landscape of gray into white surrounded by the dreamlike lull of falling flakes.

I managed to hold out for almost an hour 30 minutes before it was just too cold to stay out any longer. I spent nearly as long thawing out afterward. My core and legs are fine but my hands and feet still get chilled. I have gloves and bought some wool socks a couple months ago and have been wearing them for colder temp rides but my feet still get cold. Maybe I need some fancy winter riding boots...On the other hand, mareface was fine the whole time and was all warm and snug in her blanket at the end of our adventure.

Yesterday I took a day off work to recoup from a cold I caught the past week while traveling on business. I was stuffy but not feverish AKA "still okay to go to the barn". I told myself it was because I had to deworm Quest (the boarders are responsible for administering at OF, staff does it for a fee if you don't get to it in time), I even wore jeans and sneakers to try and dissuade myself from riding...But the warmer (34 degree) weather beckoned me to hop on. I kept it simple and intended to only do a bareback arena rehab session ride. Of course seeing the bright sunlight made me want to venture outside, so then we hit the trails for a walk.

It was my first time doing a longer trail ride with Quest bareback and she was awesome; a little looky because the sunlight did cast some new, strange looking shadows all around but no spooks or antics. I made a point to ride up the back field to check on the trailer. The ghetto hitch cover is still hanging in there lol

All in all, a handful of good rides were had over the few weeks despite the weather and my health attempting to thwart the best laid plans. While I might have a FB reputation to uphold as the insane person that rides in every weather, I'm certainly looking forward to saying good riddance to winter!

We Got Wheels!

The "no trailer, no trails" situation was a persistent problem from Day 1 of my distance riding journey. After I made up my mind to pursue endurance with Quest, I knew early on it would only be a matter of time before we had to haul out to trails to properly condition and compete at rides. However two-ish years ago and being still very new to horses, ownership, and distance riding I was not keen on getting a trailer so soon and tried to solve the problem every which way.

Unfortunately when Plan #1 (reaching out to local endurance riders in hopes of trailer sharing for conditioning and events) and Plan #2 (moving to WSS/boarding by the trails) both did not work out, I began to seriously consider Plan #3: Procuring a solution. So I did my research, decided what I needed, and started searching high and low.

While scouring my usual FB trailer groups and online sale ads a couple weeks ago, I saw a nice little stock trailer on Craigslist that immediately caught my eye. It was a 2005 TB-height, 2 horse bumper pull- very simple, no frills, and just what I wanted for a starter.

The listing was located 30 minutes away so seeing the trailer in-person was totally doable. I reached out to the seller for additional pictures, title and maintenance records. A lady named S replied within a couple hours with the information I requested and we started talking.

I was candid and honest about being a prospective first time trailer owner- I did not want a project and needed something safe and ready to go. S understood my concerns; she works as an animal cruelty investigator for the state and stated it'd make no sense for her to sell something that would be dangerous for an animal. For my peace of mind, she offered to have her trailer service guys check the brakes, electric, and bearings. I had made no commitment to even see the trailer yet but I really appreciated how willing she was to make things work out. Throughout this initial period, I continued to still have a good feeling about the trailer and felt like S was someone I could trust. After some more thinking, I decided to take the plunge and we set up a time and place to meet.

Being a first time shopper, I asked T (the girl who helped haul Quest to OF) to come and check out the trailer with me. Unfortunately she couldn't make it so I had to do the visit alone. S took the trailer to work after it got serviced so we agreed to meet at her office at the township parks and recreation center parking lot.

Formal introductions done, S showed me the trailer while we chatted and I did my inspection. I pulled up mats, crawled under the trailer, pulled tie rings, opened gates, jumped, yanked, tugged, shoved everything possible- checking things that should move moved and things that shouldn't didn't. I also asked S to take it for a quick drive to see how it handled and that the lights all worked. The trailer was solid, decently maintained, and it wasn't big, fancy, or complicated- exactly what I wanted for a starter. When I mentioned using the trailer for conditioning and endurance rides, S looked curiously at me and asked "Do you happen to know someone named J?" "Yes! I rode and boarded with her for about a year."

S laughed and told me that she ran a boarding barn years ago and J kept her horses there before she got WSS. They were good friends and she watched J's daughter B grow up. I couldn't believe it...What were the chances of finding a random Craigslist trailer listing owned by someone who shares mutual riding friends?!

After my inspection, I asked a bunch of questions and we talked price. I managed to negotiate down to something well within my budget and got some new tires with a decent spare as part of the deal in the end. Also included were a quick release trailer tie and a new hay bag. S was more than happy to deliver the trailer to the barn for free, which was a huge plus since I don't have a proper tow vehicle just yet.

S dropped off the trailer this past weekend. After helping me park it in the back field, she went over a few things with me and I got a list of trailer equipment stores and service shops that she frequented. Then we signed paperwork and made the trailer officially mine! The winters in NJ can be pretty hard and long so I took some basic steps to winterize it and got the tires off the ground. Next will be putting some temporary plywood over the windows to try and keep some of the elements out.

It’ll probably be awhile before I hit the road plus I need practice hauling, backing up, parking it empty first...So much to do! Everything is honestly a little nerve-wracking right now because I've never done any of the aforementioned before but I'm SO very excited for what this means for Quest and me in the future. We can now take our time exploring endurance at our own leisure. No more compromising my horse's well-being/conditioning schedule in order to fit someone else's ride plans. We can do this our way, at our own pace.

A whole world of trails has opened up for us!

Let It Go

I got in three rides with Smokey this week already and it has done wonders for my mental health. I'm happier and I feel more energetic despite stepping up my activity level. During my last yoga class I started relaxing earlier in the session; it usually takes me close to the entire hour to finally let go of distractions that play around the edge of my mind.

Relaxing is as natural as breathing when I am with horses though. On my first night working with Smokey, A suggested that I lunge him first. When I turned him out in the dustbowl, someone decided that he’d rather stick right by me instead of taking off. Capitalizing on the moment, I decided to do a quick liberty session with w/t, whoa, and back up. There were some sticky moments but overall Smokey was so very good and mirrored my every move. Clever boy…He might not be my Quest, but he’s certainly sneaky sneaking his way into my heart already. We finished the night with a great w/t/c bareback ride hanging out in the arena with A and T. It was the happiest I had been in a long time.

I purchased a navy saddle pad just for Smokey’s use earlier in the week from someone on FB and it arrived yesterday just in time for me try out. The weather was gorgeous and the trails were beckoning so we headed out with T and Nickers for a quick jaunt.

It was our first time out together and Smokey did fine. He got quick at points but it was never bad, just excitement at being out of the ring and moving along. We did w/t/c and he responded nicely to my requests to half halts. Being on the trail again riding with friends did me a world of good. I had no idea that I missed it so much. I feel very fortunate that I was the first choice when A and D were looking for someone to pick up rides on Smokey. I’m not sure how long the arrangement will last but I’m going to enjoy every moment now.

Tomorrow is Quest day. I’ll go to the barn early morning to give her some loving and do our handwalk. I feel guilty that my work schedule and the distance prevents me from taking a more active role in her rehabilitation and spending more time with her during the week. This mindset is totally classic me though- trying to change things that are out of my control. I’ve always been tough on myself and I don’t think that’s going to ever really change but I can work on moving forward and focusing on what I can do.

While Quest's injury has set us back quite a bit from our initial goal, as a wise friend recently said me “…this will be over before you know it and you'll be on the other side. You'll look back on this and it'll just be a blip in your adventure with her.”

And you know what, I totally believe every word of that.

Winter Escape

Well, our luck ran out and we finally got snow. A ton of snow. The blizzard forced me to hunker down so I wasn't able to get out to the barn until today.

Quest has been hanging out in pasture for about two weeks though she was doing quite well all snug in her blanket (I'm so glad I had remembered to bring the heavyweight Rambo earlier in the month and just in time).

I debated what to do the entire drive up to the barn. If the trails were too icy, I simply hoped to do a handwalk on the street or groundwork. If we were lucky, I could maybe even hop on for a bareback jaunt around the pasture. Well, we got SUPER lucky and the trails ended up being nice enough for us to get in a leisurely 6-mile ride. We walked most of it and only moved out where the footing was even and safe. It was our first time cantering in the snow and mareface did so well!

Traffic on the trails was low; there were a handful of hikers and we encountered a few cross country skiers. It was Quest's first experience I think as she was all ears-up and alert the first time though it was NBD every time after that. I love how quickly she figures stuff out. 

We detoured off the trail to head to the hay field for some zooming but I immediately spotted a hunter's blind when we entered the big clearing.  Even if it was unmanned, turning around seemed prudent. We opted for more trails and got more cantering in that way.

There is something truly magical about riding in the snow. It was incredibly relaxing and I found myself feeling nothing but pure happiness. There was really no where else I'd rather be.

Damp & Dreary

Despite the wind and rain, we ride!

Quest and I got in a solid 12 miles this weekend. I woke up Saturday morning and wanted to laze in bed forever after an exhausting work week but I remembered how this time last year we were buried in nearly a foot of snow and ice. With snow expected THIS week, I knew I’d be kicking myself if I missed what may be my last chance to ride on non-frozen solid trails.

J and B had traveled down to Florida earlier in the week to ride in a FEI 1* endurance ride which left me very much alone at the barn. When I arrived, there was the backhoe parked by our normal tacking area next to a giant hole I presume it had been working on. I fetched mareface from the pasture and got her ready in a different part of the paddock. She could have cared less about the giant holes and heavy machinery. Good mare.

Because of the wet footing from the rain and a near slip & fall we had on pavement months ago, I have been handwalking her the first 1/2 mile down the road on our solo rides and then mounting up by the trail head. The road is a bit narrow at points with sharp turns so it’s been beneficial for all parties involved if I was on the ground leading when we head out.

Heading home is NBD. But you get a sense of the roadway we share with vehicles

Mounted up, we set off on the south trail with intentions to ride until we hit the construction area/temporary trail end point. Quest and I have done the route twice before though it was always with company so this would be our first time solo. Mare was a little looky when we got started first but soon settled into a good groove. The weather is quite a bit colder than where I live 50 minutes east; there was snow along the trail and sections of ice where the perpetual puddles usually were. I hopped off so Quest and I could play billy goat to go around the worst of the ice. She was good when I mounted back up on the trail. We passed a couple people walking, a few with dogs, but no other riders. All was quiet asides from the sounds of her hooves and our steady breaths as the miles flew by. The trail intersects the river at a few points and we crossed bridges solo for the first time- the first bridge was a longer conversation but each one after were short and simple. With time, with time.

When reached the turnaround point, Quest decided that jigging would get us back home faster. Haha no. I immediately put what J taught me last week to use and asked for forward with collection. It definitely was a hot mess at first. Quest shook her head from side to side in sassy protest to evade my hands. But I kept quiet and persistent, rewarding the smallest efforts when she gave me what I asked for.

Eventually we figured it out and for a few glorious moments, I felt it- rounded up through the back and driving power from behind. Quest has always been pretty light on her feet but her movement in that moment was airy, almost floating. I’ve read and heard collection described as feeling like the horse is ready to do anything you ask it to. Quest actually felt like that, a live wire, a coiled spring- ready for anything. So I played with walk/trot transitions all along the way home. Whenever Quest got too quick and “strung out”, I’ll ask her to collect again and she’d go back. It’s certainly not consistent yet but it’s a huge step in the right direction. Best of all there was no jigging, no arm pulling. It was fantastic- certainly one of the better trail rides we’ve had in a while.

Things will be VERY different when we are surrounded by a full field of endurance horses at a ride. Adrenaline and excitement will definitely charge up the mareface’s hot brain. Physically, I am confident that Quest will be fine. The challenge will be her getting over herself mentally. So at home we’ll do what we can to prepare and manage the inevitable, hairy moments that will be by installing and practicing emergency brakes, safety buttons and reset cues.


GPS'd the first half of the ride before my phone complained. So double that for rough time and distance.

Now give peppermint.

2015 Recap

This year was certainly a year of many firsts for both me and Quest.

We shared our first winter together and spent a lot of time in the dustbowl. Though I griped about the weather to no end, the winter did us a huge favor in hindsight. The snow and ice forced me to do a lot of groundwork and hand walking on the trail- all things I know that are important in a new horse & owner relationship but easily overlooked. The cold temperatures also kept our rides short but productive. I did a ton of bareback riding and improved my seat so much during those two months- I went from struggling to sit the trot to comfortably cantering bareback with one hand on the reins.

When spring finally arrived, Quest and I spent our evenings on the trail wandering and exploring but eventually we got bored. Our 3-mile jaunts grew into a measly 6-miles as I painstakingly tried to scrape together more mileage for us. It was impossible to do a trail ride without stopping every few yards to cross a street and of course sudden encounters with ATV/motorcross bike riders illegally using the trail were a nightmare. I had a few issues with the BOs as well but I stuck it out at KBTC as long as I could because my barn friends and I still had a lot of fun making memories together while swimming in the river, painting My Little Pony cutie marks, and going for night rides with glow sticks.

Quest also proved to be a fantastic teacher and gave a few of my friends their first riding lessons. This is something that I’m still very proud of to this day. It’s not every day you meet a horse that has the get up and go to boogie down the trail but has the patience to quietly pack beginners around an arena.

I continued to trim Quest's feet myself this year and got more comfortable with handling a rasp. Asides from two trims where I asked R to trim and check on my work in March and then had J’s farrier recently do a trim earlier this December, I’ve been doing Quest’s feet 100% all by myself and not doing too badly. I am very lucky that mareface has pretty solid feet to begin with though. Going forward, I really want to keep her barefoot if possible and use boots at rides. The first LD of the 2016 season will be in sand so they won’t be needed until later. I suspect there will be a very extensive hoof boots tag in my near future as I document my struggle to figure out what works/doesn’t work though. Fingers crossed it’ll be a relatively painless experience…

By far the most exciting things that happened this year were celebrating my first full year of horse ownership and taking the first steps into making endurance riding a reality.

This past summer, I had the pleasure and privilege of catch riding in two CTRs, earning two completions and 55 lifetime rider miles. The rides sealed the deal that distance riding was going to be my discipline. Folks typically suggest volunteering at a ride first to get experience but I guess for me it was go big or go home! I learn more from doing and I certainly learned a lot. The two rides were very different though both very educational. I went from a Reserve Champion in the first ride to a metabolic scare in the second. I know the latter was not my fault but it really goes to show how difficult this sport is. And I have to say while there is the importance of training and knowing your equine partner, there is definitely a measure of luck that comes into play.

Moving Quest to WSS at the end of summer was another major step towards officially beginning our endurance journey. The barn location is both a gift and a curse- I never wanted to be a weekend warrior but it was the price I had to pay. Under the watchful eyes and guidance of J and B, Quest has been thriving and roaming acres of pasture 24/7. On the weekends, we have been enjoying the miles of trails that are within walking distance. Most of our rides have been solo due to schedule differences though we have done a handful of group rides at home. She has been doing very well in group trail rides with new horses, leading, following, though she can get saucy competitive in a neck-to-neck race. In October, we trailered off property for the first time to attend our first hunter pace. It was SO much fun.

I made a few changes to our tack- began using a rope halter/snap-on headstall combo and bought a treeless saddle and Skito pad which has been working out great so far. At J’s suggestion, I started riding with a running martingale and a full cheek snaffle bit, both of which Quest took to just fine. Each trail ride has helped me gain insight into how Quest is progressing and so far, so good! Physically, she seems to never tire. Mentally, she is starting to figure out her job and really enjoys moving out. Granted, there are still moments of looky spooks but for the most part, Quest is nose forward and straight. And she doesn’t seem to mind runners either.

I’m pleased with how far we’ve come in this year and excited for the upcoming ride season. Hope to see you on the trails in 2016!