Ridin' and Shootin'

I can't believe we are pretty much halfway through February already, wow.

Things are continuing to go well on the mareface front and we have been getting in rides whenever the weather allows it. My area got hit with snow and then a quick warm-freezing temperature cycle that caused a lot of ice to stay around for several weeks.

It's these instances I'm even more glad that Quest is pasture boarded because she would probably lose her mind being cooped up in a stall for that long. Despite the cold, she's been keeping her weight well though and is still happy and sassy as ever. I've got some exciting plans coming up for us in the spring. Hopefully Quest will stay sound this year for us to actually have some fun.

As for other, somewhat horse-related news...Ever since the mounted archery clinic almost a year ago, I've been looking for a range to practice on my own. It took some digging around but I actually managed to find a place that was local to me and got to shoot this past weekend!

The weather finally warmed up enough (aka it wasn't below freezing lol) so the bf and I loaded up my gear and headed out for a quick session. I finally got to try out the bow I bought and it worked just fine. I do have a feeling I might eventually need something with a bit more power if I want to work shooting at distance though. I started with 10 yards, gradually moving out to 20 yards to finish and really had to draw back for that power.

Despite a year of not shooting though, my accuracy was actually decent from the get go. My form was okay but I do see places for improvement and thanks to photos and video taken by the bf, I know what I need to adjust for next time. Still ever the beginner but I'm excited to finally have a place to practice!

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!

Here Comes the Sun

The weather here has finally decided that it will actually behave and we were gifted with a weekend of sun and blue skies. Temperatures even warmed up so much that t-shirts were appropriate outdoor ride attire and the mareface got her first bath of the year.

Bright and early on Saturday, A and I hit up another spring tack sale. It opened at 8AM so we met up a little after 7AM, grabbed coffee and breakfast sandwiches and made our way south. There was already quite a line forming outside the building when we arrived and after snagging a parking spot in the near full lot, we joined the fray. Unlike the last sale we went to a couple weeks ago, this one was crazy…like shark feeding-frenzy crazy with people were grabbing stuff left and right. It was a little intense!

I fortunately had put together a mental list of things I needed/wanted to find beforehand and managed to snag some pretty freaking amazing deals. Of all the things I bought, the BEST find of the sale was a like-new condition English sheepskin saddle cover that was only $1. These things usually go for $65-70.

I’ve always wanted one since I use my Thorowgood saddle for the trails a lot and put in as much/if not more daily mileage on it than my treeless endurance saddle currently. I considered using it for endurance paired with the Supracor pad but I have gotten butt sore after longer rides (10+ miles) and I could never really justify the cost when I had a perfectly good treeless saddle. But no longer shall I pine away in sadness! I was super excited to try it out  and it was amazing as I imagined it to be...much butt comfort joy. I completely forgot it was even there, which is pretty much the idea.

After the tack sale, A and I decided to stop by Horsemen’s Outlet since we were in the area already. The store didn’t open until later in the morning so I suggested doing a detour stop at Round Valley Reservoir.

I’ve been super curious about riding the trails there for the longest time and after seeing them in person, this place is totally going on my list of places to condition for endurance!

On Sunday, I went by the barn after church to get a quick ride and do some spring cleaning/tack organizing. Quest and I did our first real schooling ride in outdoor arena and there was conveniently a baby cross rail jump already all set up for us. We warmed up with ground poles first and then got right to business.

The sand footing was still wet from the rains last week which made it a little firmer to work on but still a little too deep for my tastes so I kept the ride short and sweet. Our first jumps were trot hops but towards the end of the session Quest tucked those front legs right up (not captured on video though...) Since I’m mostly doing this on my own with no real photo/videographer crew, I’ve been relying on “feeling” the difference of her efforts and reviewing video from my fence-propped up phone. Still haven’t adjusted my stirrups shorter though…Oops.

After our jump session, Quest got her first bath in the outdoors wash stall and got tied to a nearby fence to dry off and graze while I did a big tack trunk cleanout. I like things simple and usually try to get rid/sell/donate the excess. Plus I know an endurance ride will be chaos x 10 million so the fewer things keep track of the better too. I pulled out a bunch of stuff that I probably don’t need to keep so will be posting up some things for sale soon.

All in all, a super productive weekend was had. I'm hoping we get more of this good weather so the outdoor adventures continue to ensue!

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.

Bareback Boot Camp

The cold and dark winter months have become synonymous with what I call "bareback boot camp". It first started off as a way to get in a quick ride during the week while making good use of  a bay butt warmer but over the past 2.5ish years, riding bareback has become something I make a point of doing every so often for a quick self tune-up.

When I first started as an adult beginner, bareback riding played a huge part in helping me develop better balance and seat. Looking back, I really do think it was the biggest thing that got me to improve as quickly as I did. Nowadays, these rides have been honing in on straightness issues that sometimes creep back into my riding. My biggest physical limitation still is tightness that I have on my left side and shoulder which causes issues going clockwise in an arena and some general lopsidedness. It's not horrendous but it is obvious to me. When I do manage to straighten myself out, Quest also straightens out underneath me and I can feel her move out a lot more freely, like she's clicked into a more comfortable gear. This is something that I'll need to keep working on myself and commit to muscle memory.

A few of the canter sets we did earlier this week felt really good though and it is obvious that Quest was enjoying the faster gait. Smart mareface has already figured out this will now be a consistent element of our rehab rides and asked me to GO a few times during that night. We are still in rehab mode though so I had to tell her no but wow, the sass was strong- it seriously felt like she was on rocket fuel lol

Although bareback riding is great and all, I am really looking forward to having daylight when I leave work- we will finally be able to fit in some trails during the week.

Reality and Redirection

When Quest first arrived about a year ago, my original goal to ready her for endurance rides- my discipline of choice. While she was always honest and never put a foot out of line, the little mare arrived not very confident with limited trail experience and was herd bound. Not knowing her full history, we took things slow and did our homework. Months of trail hand walking on the trails and streets, solo and group rides, leading, following, passing. We encountered a plethora of new sights, smells, and sounds....there were deer, raccoons, rabbits, birds; pedestrians with barking dogs, bikes, baby strollers, power wheels, wagons; ATVs, dirtbikes, semis, dump trucks, cars; construction chainsaws, nail guns, and sanders. We started with walking only, then added trotting, eventually cantering- this past week, hand galloping.

Zoom zoom happy ears

We still have a long ways to go but Quest's confidence on the trails has grown in leaps and bounds. She finishes our 6-mile loop rides easily with energy to continue on for much much more. In my mind this is the perfect time to start getting us out on different trails and off property for more miles and experience but it will not be happening until I figure out an affordable and practical trailer/rig situation.

So for now the plans to get us into endurance riding will be shelved indefinitely. Moving to a barn with access to more trail miles isn't a viable option at this point in time either given the locations/costs coupled with my work hours and current living situation. Options have been exhausted and I've come to terms (somewhat) that this is reality. I'm a go-getter and doer so this has honestly taken me a long time to realize that I couldn't do anything about the situation to fix it or make it better.

But I do have a horse that is sound, fit, and game for anything.

I've decided we will spend our remaining months of summer on the trails and exploring as we go along and redirect our focus to getting started over jumps during the fall and winter. The jump equipment at the barn is extremely sparse but we will make do with what we have to get it done. I'm also hoping tp set up formal lessons at least once a month to get instructor eyes on the ground...finding an appropriate instructor is easier said than done though.

Such is the state of things but I couldn't be happier with how far my horse has come along and I will focus on the positive. It's onwards and upwards.