Endurance is: just getting through a day...

But at least I can say I accomplished something.
Now re-certified ACLS-but that doesn't mean my horsey friends can go having heart attacks and what-not!
Spoke to Mike-we can't ever seem to coordinate schedules-mainly due to my crazy one.
I updated him on Falcon's Barn Sour attitude on Sunday and he offered to take him out for a spin when he finished with Nevel for the day...haven't heard the results yet from that.

Nope just spent a beautiful sunny day in a class room.

But on the bright side I always have the "girls"(Muff & Quill) to come home to and the garden is bursting forth with fruitful blossoms:

"A tall drink of clear cool water..

 ...wait!  is that the HAWWWWK we hear?"

" bbrrrrrrrr....nooooooo"

 "Hellow?  Hellooowww?  Is that YOU in there?"

Strawberry

 Apricots

 Dandelion greens (weeds)

 Apple

 Fig

 and White Peach

The Orange tree is bursting forth too...

Cant wait to inhale that wonderful perfume!

...and then there is...

California Sunshine
for my snowbound friends!

BAD bad BAD BAD horse! (Planting Time)

Dad, me, sister, brother back in NEW JERSEY (1964)

The bleu skye held the promise of another lovely day to ride.
One thing was for certain, I was over-dressed and had to quickly shed my coat.

I saddled up Falcon after a short lunge and a snack, then lunged him a few times again after saddling since I had added the saddle pack first on the front-which flopped around and didn't fit my ATMS very well.  Then I grabbed another and put it on the back and ditched the front one.

I tried to walk Falcon away from the barn-he stalled-planted his feet.
We moved out of the gate-only for me to remember I had forgotten my gloves, so back we went.
Then he planted his feet again.
(It is SPRING after all)

We made it 5 steps out of the gate
Feet plant
(Spring?)

1 step
Feet plant
(SPRING planting NOT FEET planting!)

Then a neighbor came out with his horses and shoed Falcon along for about 10 steps.

Feet plant-REALLY?  this is getting old.  It literally took me 20 min to make it 1/4 of a mile.
At the parking area, I mounted, only to have him PLANT again, then start backing.

BIG STICK TIME

Swish swish-small lunging circle  PLANT FEET
BIG STICK SWISH
This time he followed me across the creek with a HUGE leap.  I labored up the small hill-already tired from the battle...also thankful that I had frozen gatorade with me.

On again-backing, balking, feet planting-BAD barn sour attitude.  Where did THAT come from?
Finally I gave him a big kick and he started walking nicely...trotting, a little canter, then
INTERSECTION
FEET PLANT
Ok, I know this is growing old.  But it continued for 45 min.  Finally when he was going good for 5, I turned him around and headed back towards home, where of course he was very well behaved.
Yes I need exercise-but not THAT kind!  not a very nice ride and plans to make it to the lake were thwarted.  BLAH.

Yes it is planting time-I came home and planted some lettuce, spinach, onions, peas and potatoes in my shaded garden boxes.  ENOUGH PLANTING for NOW!

"LET ME eat grass ALREADY!"

I was in a very bad space on Saturday afternoon

emotional and a bit stir crazy.  

I had not been out to see the horses for a week because it poured rain 

On the day day I was scheduled with Mike

I was depressed and could barely force myself to drive over to see the pasture pets.

After watching Falcon gallop around the arena a bit I decided I had enough energy (but barely) to get the saddle on him and go for a short ride.

After all

 It WAS a perfect 65 degrees for a lovely canter up the trail.

There is something about riding on a gorgeous bleu sky perfect weather day

that soothes the soul-at least a little bit.

Our first experience  shortly after the crossing the creek was

THE RUNNER!

What an idiot.

(web photo)

I saw two people and a dog jogging down the narrow trail towards me. 

I hollered out

HELLOOOO????

because there was NOT a passing area where I was with Falcon.

The guy stopped just above us and jumped off the trail behind a bush.

JUST what horses LOVE???!!!

Then the guy JUMPS out onto the trail-arms out and up and says

YAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Falcon spread eagled-but thankfully planted his feet.

The woman yelled at the man to get his dog and get off of the trail.

The man did, but then hollered "GIVE HIM SOME WORK to do YAH YAH"

For Petes sake-what AILS these people?

Falcon jigged sideways and forward and onward we went, although he kept trying to take side trails to head back home through out the ride, he was well behaved except when we came across a bunch of branches on one trail and he did not want to wade through them because another rider had just come through them in the opposite direction and was heading home.  A jeep was coming also from a side road, so we turned and followed the rider on her 20 y/o very furry horse.

At one point, furry horse stopped and Falcon took this as an opportunity to rip a WHOLE BRANCH of green stuff from the side of the trail.

He munched happily on it, swishing it all over his face.  Yep you got it...it was a branch of 

POISON OAK!  I am severely allergic to P.O. 

 

P.O. jumps right through my clothes and gives me big itchy welts.

When we reached the trail to go home I turned Falcon to the east on Sewer road.

He Balked and planted his feet.

There were mud puddles ahead and a scary looking BLACK horse down the trail.

We turned in circles

We backed up

we turned in circles some more

We planted our feet!

Ok Falcon-MOVE!

Finally he gave up and moved.  I trotted him down to where the black horse had been.

He startled slightly as a bike whizzed by on the trail above us.

He behaved

So we turned around and trotted towards home

Hopped over the creek 

and pulled up for a snack

"Let me HAVE some GRASS ALREADY!!!"

Happy boy, sporting my lovely comfy saddle!

A Fabulous St Patricks Day

Well-I was by myself
But sometimes that is ok
I round penned Falcon then plunked the new saddle on him.  It took several adjustments and he gave a couple of tiny half bucks when I sent him around in a circle-so we adjusted it some more.

I was determined that this saddle was going to fit both of us!!!!~!

Then I put him in the arena and let him go-He went racing all around 

like the bear was after him.

Silly Boy!

Then I lunged him after another adjustment to the rigging, by this time the leather was becoming more supple and easier to tighten.

Then I mounted up and he stood stock still.

GOOD BOY!

We did some tight turns going both ways and he seemed ok.

I can't stand the hot arena-so we headed off for the woods.

A few flowers were out-but not many-maybe it has been too dry.

 Interesting and fun-I have no clue what the below plant even is!

Initially he did not want to go anywhere, but we eventually got moving with some walk, trot, canter and pretty decent slow downs and whoa's!  

We were out in the woods for about an hour.

I forgot to take pics while he was still all tacked up so here is his dirty self with the breast collar and bit hanging off the saddle.

 This saddle has such a soft comfy seat! yayyy for me!

But it is squeaky and needs to be broken in.

He had perfect sweat marks-no dry spots!

Yayyy for him!

The saddle arrived a day early

AND
a few D rings short!

They re-vamped the saddle and left the D-rings off! grrrrrrrrrr.
I love D-Rings...can never have enough of them.

The rings were on when I received the saddle the first time around, so I emailed Staci again.  Haven't heard back from her yet.
At least it won't keep me from riding, but I will have to tie my water bottles on instead of clipping.

Staci sent me a BEAUTIFUL pair of reins for free since they messed up the saddle, maybe a free matching bridle will smooth out my aggravation with the saddle.

Looking forward to trying out the saddle on Sunday.

Good Morning!

The face that greets me at 5 a.m.

Thanks ALOT NEVEL!!!!

Out and about for the usual "grass walk"
Nevel likes to walk up under the hanging vines
and eat the grass there.

Tonight he was totally engrossed in his grass
I looked up the lane and saw a lady in purple walking briskly
toward us.
Major was coming down the lane too  with his mom in tow : )

When the lady was about 15 feet away, Nevel decided to spook.
He shot out of those vines like a bullet.
The lead rope went flying out of my hand so fast
Spiraling as it went and SKINNED me...
Skinned the underside of my middle finger and the top side of my thumb. But some how
I kept hold of it and was glad for the knot I have on the end of it...
jerked that rascal to a stop as he dashed around the outside corner of the arena.

Now my fingers are all bubbly, swollen-ouchey!  and it is my left hand!  I am left handed (mostly)
Guess I will be right handed with my "mouse" tomorrow at work.

Falcon was behaved during his walk, had a nice gallop in the arena and was only slightly spooky with the tarp being thrown at him.

These knucklehead 1000lb pasture pets of mine need to learn to take care of me:
She who WORKS to feed THEM!

Yeh, THANKS ALOT, NEVEL ZYUNGA PATTON!!!!

Perfect Riding Weather

And I am sick-Blah-sick-Blah-Sick

Maybe I will be able to gather my strength by next weekend.  My AMTS saddle is supposed to be here on Thursday.

Guess I will do some ground work with Falcon a few days this week in anticipation of riding again.
Last weekend that darn Big Horn endurance saddle was SO uncomfortable.

I shortened the stirrups,
(Falcon took a pic of the grass)

I lengthened them,
Falcon got closer to the grass...

I kept stopping to reposition them on my feet.
(Falcon took a pic of me while rubbing his head on me)

I have decided that the saddle seat is too small for me and does not allow me to sit properly in the saddle.

My thighs hurt so bad at the end-but maybe some of that was the "sickness" coming on.

 Falcon was a good boy mostly, almost to the lake and back for an hour long ride, mostly walk with a little trot and canter up the hill.

He had two MAJOR spooks after I got off of him, once he got stuck on a branch and he went up in the air trying to get away from it.  The other was a guy coming out of a house and slamming the door...

The Golden Child...

...goes back to school

I love the active expression on Nevel's face.
He and Mike are having an interesting conversation.

And I think Nevel has the tarp lesson under control~

 it is just anything away from home that gives him fright!

Happy March !

Flowers are blooming everywhere!

 FRAGRANT PLUM

 Lovely Lupine

 and...

POPPIES!!!!