TICKLED PINK

Hey are you riding PF?

What's a PF?

Oh it's the Pink FlamingoEndurance ride.

Really? You riding a Flamingo?

No but there are flamingos in camp.

Well is it a bunch of Florida transplants having an endurance ride?

No but there are a few dressed up like flamingos.

Are you herding Flamingo's?

No.

The Pink Flamingo Classic is a great fundraiser for Breast Cancer, via an endurance ride and fantastic raffle. There are awards for the best decorated campsites and the best costumed flamingo rider too. The ride takes place in the hills near Cascade, ID., south of McCall. A sign at the edge of camp reads "Release your inner Flamingo!" I've ridden it the last two years but only one day. This year - I really wanted to ride both days. It wasn't a two-day 100 but in my mind it had to be a 2-day 100. That way, I was committed to both days unless something came up to really stop me. In order to be successful I had to keep my horse sound and healthy AND not get off trail.

The first day I rode with Carrie on the horse she bought from my daughter. Kinda strange traveling alongside the horse that Al had only wanted to see Andi ride before he died. A dream that never happened, and I found myself hoping he was watching his horse go down the trail. Thunder and Crusty trotted along well together and Carrie and I were having a good ride. The trails were beautiful, the footing was great and it was a gorgeous day. Only her easyboot that she put on was twisted and the cable too tight and it was pinching Crusty's heel bulb. So she cut the cable, and rode him barefoot the last loop.

I went on ahead and rode with Layne and Jenny. Almost missed a turn, thanks Layne, she put me back on course. This was the first time I'd ridden with Layne on Harley, who happens to be Thunder's only son. Harley is the chestnut who's head is in the feed tub in the picture. Harley really trots out, spooks and is as silly as his dad! Amanda was just leaving the creek as we arrived, and she decided to wait for us. Good thing too or she would have missed the great kodak moment of Harley laying down in the creek with Layne. Oh that was so funny we laughed all the rest of the way in! Layne had one wet shoe and one dry shoe when we all crossed the finish line!

Day 2, my horse looks great so I ride out with Bob Lund. I wanted to go a bit slower than our 6 1/2 hr time for day 1. Bob's horse is tall and has a huge stride but he wanted to slow down and we had a good day. I missed a couple turns but never went far, just not watching close enough I guess because they were marked! Somehow the hills didn't seem quite as long on day 2 and again the footing was great. The creeks and water stops were so nice, and the little lake was gorgeous. We finished the second day in 7 hrs and 50 min so I was pleased with that. Thunder looked great and his Easyboot Gloves hadn't budged a bit.

The woods are so cool and lovely that I really didn't want to head back down to the valley in the heat. An extra day would have been so nice but I had to work Monday to support my endurance habit. :-) However, I will go back to Cascade and ride the Pink Flamingo next year!

My Quest for the "perfect" saddle

Has anyone else out there had this joyful task of late? What a pain in the Wazoo!!

As a kid I rode bareback for a year, worked hard and saved my $$ and bought a saddle for $85. Then I traded the saddle and $15 to boot for a horse. Then I was bareback again until I saved enough $$ for my fancy buckstitch tooled saddle. It was so gorgeous I didn't want to mess it up so I still rode bareback!

But I don't want to ride bareback these days and I keep searching for my perfect saddle that may not exist.

I want - yes I want - a saddle with at least a 5 yr warranty on the tree. Do you realize how many have a 1 yr warranty? Boy are they proud of that one! And I don't want a plastic tree especially on a $1500 saddle. Where do they get off on that?!

And have you ever noticed how every saddle's customer testimonials read "The most comfortable saddle I have ever sat in"? Well maybe for their fanny but not mine.

Strangely enough the saddle needs to fit me and the horses.

I don't want custom because it will only fit the horse it is built for and who can afford two of those? The same applies to saddles made in a variety of tree widths. I don't want to have to play with parts and pieces to change the fit, nor do I want to turn a crank to adjust a saddle because who's to say I know what I am doing in that department.

And yes I had treeless also but didn't think they were really the best saddle for the horses. No weight distribution and there is pressure on the spine. I could always get on but I know people who have trouble with the stability of the treeless saddles. Cross them off my list.

Years ago I managed to find a saddle that amazingly fit everything we ever put it on. I wore it out! No white hairs ever, no dry spots, no rubs, it was fantastic. Andi still has one of those saddles, it's English and I gave up that riding style a few years back. My old injured back likes the support of the western styled saddles. Lately I have noticed another new trend where the stirrups or way out in front of the rider so you sit like you are in your Lazy Boy recliner. Now how is that going to help me stay balanced and on board when they spook and buck?

Yes I am asking for a lot, but it's my hard earned dollar, my fanny and my horse's backs.

So with all my criteria in hand I started exploring, and after a few months settled on the flex panel and flex tree saddles.

Oh yes that's another thing, the flex tree saddles come in a 16" seat or bigger. OK I have gained a few pounds over the years but a 16" seat is way too big. So that left me with the flex panel. I tried one in a 15" very padded tush-friendly model and - oh my - that 15" seat was a 14 so it didn't work. But the saddle worked well on the horses, adjusting itself to all three different width horses. They have a great air channel and no pressure or dry spots. Hmmm. Maybe I was on the right track.

This led me to my present saddle, a 15" Timberline that seems to fit all three of the horses. No rubs, no dry spots and the horses have a good attitude. It fits me also but the seat "could" have a narrower twist for a bit more comfort, so it's not perfect but it will do. The dropped rigging is adjustable so I can position it where it won't rub. This saddle fits "most" of my criteria. It's an improvement, but it still isn't perfect - mostly due to the wider seat.

Now I have to ask anyone out there - do you think you make or sell the perfect saddle? Yes? Then let me try it, if you dare. I am the Princess and the Pea when it comes to saddles. :-)

THE MANY FACES OF SUNRIVER

Photo by Tami Rougeau

I have been lucky enough this year to be able to venture to Central Oregon for two rides. This has given me the opportunity to visit with old friends that I haven't seen for a long long time! What a treat! But all day as I traveled the 100 miles of SunRiver, people kept asking, "Karen, how many times have you ridden SunRiver?" A lot! That was my only answer but once home I did the research.

One year that I didn't have to look up was 1977, my first SunRiver. It was also my very first 100 mile ride on my big horse, Sunny Spots. Nancy Cox and I rode together, it was also her first 100 on Rakar. I broke a stirrup and rode into camp at the 50 mile point, packing my stirrup in my right hand. Not to be deterred I borrowed a saddle for the next 50 miles. This first year the ride camp was in a meadow on the banks of the Deschutes River near the town of SunRiver. It was beautiful!! The 50 mile loop was uphill for the first half and down for the last half. 10 started and 5 finished. We were out until pretty late, leading our hroses down a hill in the dark, and we saw headlights. This startled us a bit and we were trying to figure out who it could be. Turned out to be ride management out looking for us. Gene Petersen took one look at us leading our horses and said, "Time to ride girls!" He picked me up and put me on my horse and then followed us in the pickup - hey now we had lights. We were tired and sore but the horses were fine.

And that my friends was the first of many more 100 mile rides. I rode Sunny on five different Sun River 100's. One of those just a couple months after Andi was born. I rode the 100 four times on Moka's Pat-A-Dott.

One year I borrowed a horse, Reno, from Jennifer Horsman, so I could ride the 100. Zap did the 100 at SunRiver/Chuckwagon twice. Yet another year I took a new horse, Jafar, on his first 50 there. It is always a great first ride of some sort.

This year it was Thunder's second 100, only three weeks after River Run. A bit closer in timing than I like but I was able to go at that time and reasoned were weren't going fast so we would be fine. It stormed and rumbled and poured and flashed Friday as we stood huddled under a small shelter for our ride meeting and dinner. We all hoped this wasn't a preview of Saturday.

I met Tami Rougeau from Nevada, a fellow Easyboot Glove user, and we talked and decided to ride together.

We left a few minutes late and they never saw the other horses leave camp. May & Thunder walked calmly out of camp and were well behaved all day! It was wonderful. It was a cool 42 degrees! We'd had 85 at home just a few days earlier and these temperature extremes are hard on the horses and riders. I layered clothes and used a rump rug on Thunder for the first time. During the day we encountered some rain, sleet, sun and fog. It felt more like April than mid-June. But the trail had no dust and it really was good weather as long as we kept moving. We'd get chilled waiting in the vet checks. The biggest thing was the horses were starving. They tried to graze on the mountain nibbles of grass but it was sparse at best. Thunder never stopped eating in the vet checks, they just needed more time to eat. We picked up another new friend, Nancy Cardosa, around 55 miles and the three horses traveled well together. Thunder and his two mares, May and Elektrika, were all troopers and we just kept plugging away to the finish. Our CRI's were great at 40/40 and Dr Bensen said Thunder looked great at the finish. So we placed 11, 12 & 13 out of 17 starters. Not that it really matters to me. I just wanted to finish on a healthy horse!

So back to the original question of how many times did I ride it? A total of 14 times, 12 of those rides were on the 100 miler. I rode it when the ride moved camp out by the Rainbow Bridge, then up to Kiowa Springs when it was also renamed ChuckWagon Express. Then later camp moved to it's present site at Wanoga Sno Park and was eventually renamed SunRiver Classic. And a classic ride is what it remains today. Thanks to all who work so hard to keep this great ride going. The management is as classy as the ride!!!

Old horse, young horse, green horse, kinda stupid horse

This is my answer when someone asks me "Where have you been?" Or "Wow haven't seen you at a ride for a long time!"

At one point this endurance junkie had safely placed endurance riding on the back burner of life and was surviving nicely. When I saw an old friend and they'd ask "Have you been riding much?" I had all the excuses and reasons. Horse is too old. Not enough $$$. I got a young horse that isn't broke yet. Oh I can't take that beast out in public yet!

But then the young horses got older and the training began. And it went on and on. Now green horses are supposed to get better with time and training. But you can train and do tricks and games in a ring all you want, but nothing "makes" a horse like riding it. I was once asked "So what makes a good horse?" I told them wet saddle blankets, LOTS of wet saddle blankets. Now I'm not sure if this person was one fry short of a Happy Meal but the queation was asked "Where do you buy those?" OK so I know that you aren't supposed to laugh at people. So after biting my tongue and being in pain I had to explain that you earned these wet saddle blankets by getting out and actually riding the horse. The hotter the weather the more the horse sweats, the wetter the saddle blanket and the faster you get results.

Now I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer. But I have tried this training thing both ways. Back in the day we would just get on and ride. If they had a turn and a whoa we headed for the hills and they got their first wet saddle blanket. I was also younger and tougher back then. Or you ride in an arena for awhile, graduate to trails so they "learn", and hope they remember when they get out in public. Mine are kinda stupid so in public they have to act totally unbroke and entertain everyone. It has been my experience that we got way better results doing it the the old ride 'em cowboy way, and our horses didn't take forever to be a decent ride. A good Arab needs to get a bit tired for any memory retention to take place I think.

So with that in mind, it was time to take the young, green and sometimes stupid horse to an endurance ride. And then another ride and another ride.....because maybe mine are a bit slow learning how this works. Or smarter than their rider. Or definitely tougher than what I bargained for. Yup that's it! They just get fitter and tougher and better. There is a fine line between stupid and tough, you ride enough and you'll figure out where to draw that line. My friends and I would ride for hours, days and miles and miles. After 1000 miles and five years of wet saddle blankets - Thunder is starting to figure it out. And those 100's pack bonus points into those wet saddle blankets so you get faster results. My goodness, the red horse does have manners!

Looking back, Zap wasn't really "good" till he had at least 3000 miles and was about 13 years old. Blue only has a little over 300 AERC miles, with some good unmeasured trail miles in a couple years time. He will see more action during the summer.
Hmmm, so I have a loooong way to go yet!

So here I am, riding two horses as often and regularly as I can fit it in around work. Getting those hard earned wet saddle blankets. The wetter the better. The farther they go wearing that wet blanket the better they become. Man this is work. And now - here I am - back riding 100's after all these years. And still finding it fun. Yeah I may be kinda stupid too. Well matched to these ponies. YEEHAW! Go ride!

THE LONG ROAD BACK

Thunder and I doing our first 100 with Lynn White and Agnes. Photo by Steve Bradley

This ride was a long time coming. It wasn't just a matter of getting in shape and doing it, there were so many hurdles jumped to get there.

Wrecks! Injuries. In 2006 I fell down the bus steps and broke my tailbone, blew three discs in my back and missed a whole year of endurance riding. I was lucky to ride at all during late summer but had two patient friends in Carol Brand and Karen Steenhof while I rode Rushcreek Hollie. A year later i felt that I was doing well enough to start riding Hollie's son Thunder. I took him on one 50 miler but the trotting and such was just tough on me. We did finish though and I stuck with trail riding. Then the day before my birthday, Thunder spooked, bolted, I came off when he skidded on the gravel road and that was the end of that ride, and any rides for awhile. Broken ribs, punctured lung, concussion, lost horse for 6 days, great friends out searching for him, oh my gosh what a nightmare.

I learned that I will never ride in a bosal again, a one rein stop doesn't work in a true emergency in wide open spaces and I also learned the horse when panicked is totally unpredictable. I also learned what superb friends I have as they worked so hard to recover my horse which is a story in itself.

As I healed up I started riding Hollie again and Thunder went to my friend Joe Nebeker for some "remedial learning". And no more hackamore, I told Joe "I want a bit in that sucker's mouth!" You know, until that day when he spooked and bolted, he was not a spooky horse. Obnoxious and bucky yes but he was not spooky. Now he is still spooky. Joe rode him on cattle and a couple endurance rides. I had people telling me to never ride him again (even though I was) and that I needed to sell him because he was going to get me hurt. I started to believe them and was going to sell him, but couldn't actually do it to my dream horse. I had bred and raised this horse and had a special conncetion with him from the moment he was born. No I had to keep him and get through this. I had a few friends encouraging me and I am so glad they did.

Thunder is never easy. He "allows" me to sit on his back and he takes me places. We bargain and reach compromises as we go along. He likes to play games and push my buttons, just like a playful boy child. But as he matures he is getting better all the time. Four days in the Sawtooth Mountains really built our teamwork. We crossed talus slopes, granite fields, traversed narrow trails so high they scared me till I was tremebling, rapid white water streams all while looking at some of the most gorgeous God's country I had ever seen.

It took a lot of time, prayers and courage but Thunder and I gradually worked it all out. Miles of trails, time spent riding alone, plus endurance rides here and there pushed us towards the ultimate goal. A 100 miler. Amidst all this I was still strengthening the weak back and working my way into shape again. Of course old bodies don't just keep healing, there are always set backs and you just have to deal with them.

With that 100 mile in goal in mind, we started with Tough Sucker 50, the Owyhee Spring 60, a week later we did Prineville 75. The 75 kicked my butt. I was tired and hurting but Thunder had been a very eager beaver the first 25 miles, just bouncing me everywhere. But I was still determined to do the 100 at Oreana. My daughter was convinced her mother was crazy when I said "I have to do it - to see if I still can."

Well we all know that we did do the ride and I had a blast. The trail was fantastic, the scenery gorgeous, the challenges were there but doable. And I felt good. I'm back!!! And it's great. Life is a journey. I'm glad I didn't run from it and chicken out, riding a shorter distance. I'm glad I stuck with the horse that nearly killed me because I kept telling people he wasn't a bad horse, we just had a bad day. The best things we do in life aren't easy, that's what makes them the best.

Owyhee Fandango - River Run!

Thunder was fine crossing the historic Guffey Bridge but wasn't crazy about stopping high above the Snake River for his photo!

The Owyhees have become one of my favorite places thanks to all the endurance rides put on by the Teeters and their great friends. When I am anywhere where I can see the Owyhees I just gaze at them and all these great memeories come rushing into my head! And now, once again, I was heading South to Oreana. I was pretty excited about going down to ride the 100 on Thunder. His first ever 100 and my first in a few years. The thoughts of new trails drew me like a piece of steel to a magnet.

Sunday at 6 AM my friend Lynn White and I left the Teeter Ranch, beginning our long day's trek. We headed NE to the Sierra Del Rio Ranch, a beautiful oasis not far from the Snake River. This heavenly spot was once a water and rest stop on the Oregon Trail. From here we rode through some awesome wagon ruts left over 150 years ago. When you are out in the remote country, truly very little has changed with time, and it is like taking a step back through history. Later we dropped down into the Snake River Gorge near Swan Falls Dam. Somewhere in here we managed to pass three riders, but I had a feeling we'd be seeing them again. We rode on sandy two-track roads and trails along the river, past an orchard from an old homestead, and into the large rocks decorated with petroglyphs. These boulders washed down in the Bonneville Flood over 15,000 years ago. Our trail later became skinny and hard to keep track of as it wandered through some boulders and rocks that some riders just hated. But I didn't mind, I've helped move cattle through rougher country than that. One section of the river had about 20 pelicans, the fishing must have been good!

Seeing the radio crew at the Pumping Station was a welcome sight and from there it was only a few miles to Celebration Park, Idaho's first archaeological park. We had to cross the historic Guffey Bridge, over 500 feet long and far up above the water. It was designed for the hauling of gold and silver ore from Silver City mines at the turn of the century. Later during World War II it was used for target practice and it was restored in 1989.

Our 40 mile vet check was in Celebration Park along the banks of the Snake River. It was warming up and when we arrived there had been four horses pulled. Nothing like hearing that news to place fear in your heart! But we vetted through with A's and would be allowed to retrace our steps back to the Ranch after an hour rest. Thunder never stopped eating the whole time, what a hoover! But it is one of the things that makes him such a strong horse.

As we backtracked to the ranch we saw a few things we'd missed the first time. The trail passed by the remnants of an old rock homestead cabin. From another point across the river stood the Halvorson Cabin across the river, also built of rocks. From this angle we also spotted more rocks with petroglyphs. A couple rattle snakes greeted us after we had climbed back up out of the gorge getting closer to the ranch.

Back at the ranch we had 65 miles down, 15 to go back to Oreana. We were still having a blast and vetted through at Oreana just after 8 PM. We had our 50 minutes rest and eat time and hit the trail again at 8:58. Twenty miles was all that lay between us and that special completion of our 100 mile goal. We trotted until it got pitch black dark and we hit a spot where we had trouble finding trail. We had to use our lights to find the trail. I learnt that for some reason a map just doesn't look right by flashlight when you're a bit tired. And then it was so dark, the lights had messed up what little night vision we had, so we just kept the lights on. We'd jog here and there, walk in other places where we weren't sure of the footing. And because we slowed down, we got passed! Oh well, no matter, we were having fun and doing what we wanted to do, finish on happy healthy horses.

As it got a bit later the horses just picked up a really fast walk, occasionally we would trot but mostly we just used that fast walk. The glowsticks were now plentiful and it was easy to find the trail. The full moon was starting to peak over the horizon but it wasn't giving us much light with the clouds. As we rode along the backside of the hill above camp we could see all the lights at Teeters were on. Just like Motel 6. As we got close someone yelled "Riders coming!" And yes we were the last two survivors. Just as we rounded the corner about 200 yards from the timers Thunder & I heard a rattler and he bolted. I was sitting loose and the reins were swinging but I got him reeled in about 100 yards later. Ah yes - excitement!

The vet, Robert Washington checked Thunder over and he looked great to finish and and we had now completed his first 100!! WOOHOO!! Lynn's horse vetted through with flying colors too and they had their first 100 also! What a great day!!! 1:04 AM, just over 19 hrs elapsed time and just under 16 hrs riding time when you subtracted the timed holds! Wow that is respectable. 16 started and 10 completed. Time to take care of the horse and hit the sack for some well deserved rest!

Prineville Endurance Ride

Snowy Cascades to the West

Getting away to go to the Prineville Endurance ride was my Mother's Day present to me. I hadn't been to the ride in years and there were so many people that I wanted to visit with. What fun to catch up, it was like a reunion! This was the first time Thunder and I had ventured off to Oregon for a ride. And it was to be his first 75 miler.

My plan was the usual, start late, keep him by himself and out of trouble. Which wasn't too hard since most everyone took off fast and then I got on and we headed out of camp. He was a bit wound up but I thought the climb up Grey Butte would settle him down. Wrong! I was keeping him in a trot, but he was a boing machine with a pogo stick trot. On the narrow trails he was pretty good but whenever he got out in the open he was pretty spooky. Only came close to dumping me once and I hooked a heel in his side and hung on. :-) Whew! I really like those trails the Ridge Riders have built over the years! And the views of the Cascades are phenomenal!

My biggest concern was that he was so intent on wanting to catch horses ahead that he didn't want to stop and drink. I'd get him to stand at the water but he'd just stare on up the trail - watching. He breezed up Kings Gap and on into the vet check at Cyrus Horse Camp. He still didn't drink and he was pushing me everywhere. Despite his antics his pulse dropped well and he vetted with A's and we went back out the trail. A couple 50 milers caught up to us and now he really wanted to go. I got off and led him for about a mile and he calmed down. I got back on and he hit a nice trot. It is just easier to settle him down that way than fight with him.

We reached our junction for the 12 mile Warner loop that would circle us out towards Haystack Reservoir and back across the ridges to Cyrus for another vet check. Here he finally drank. That was a relief! He vetted through just fine and ate well. After our hold it was back out across the Grasslands to Pine Ridge and into camp at Skull Hollow. We were on the trail by ourselves and he really is pretty good that way. Occasionally we'd travel along with a 25 miler but for the most part, he was content to go his pace and didn't really care about the other horses. He'd pass and not look back.

Camp was a welcome sight at 37.5 miles. I took a little extra time over our 45 minutes so he could stock up on food. We were last so it didn't really matter, I was riding our own ride at the pace I thought was best for him. On our second loop we passed several 50 milers before reaching the check at Cyrus. Thunder looked and felt strong and vetted through with all A's again. On the Warner loop we caught another 75 miler. She was leading but got on and followed. Her horse didn't want to go by himself and Thunder led the way back into the vet check. He pulsed down immediately but the other horse took several minutes. So we trotted out of there all by ourselves and he never looked back. I told him we were going home.

Thunder was getting a bit hungry again so the last few miles he'd grab grass and trot, grab a bit and trot. Even with grazing we made the last 11 miles in less than two hours. The grazing kept up his energy and helped him vet through at the end of 75 miles with all A's once more! What a guy! He wasn't tired. I was but he still had some left, which is what I wanted. Our time was 12:18 which for a first 75 over that terrain wasn't bad. There were 18 starters, 4 pulls and we weren't last! WOOHOO!

A Bald Eagle in the tree

I had a great trip home. The valley through Mitchell was beautiful and green and I had to play Chris LeDoux music through there because it just "fit". RIP Chris, your music is wonderful! Going through Dayville was great because the locals were sitting on the bench outside the store and waved as I went by! Where else does that happen?! I saw two Bald Eagles along Mountain Creek and had to stop for a picture of one. I just really counted my blessings and was grateful for everything as I drove along.

A huge force behind the Prineville Ride is Cole Still. I remember years ago helping the Ridge Riders at the ride and breakfast when we lived over there. Cole and the RidgeRiders have worked hard for years to build this trail. It didn't just happen to "be" there, they built it little by little. Without their trails the ride would be on roads. The club also worked with the USFS to get this trail as a permanent trail. You can go ride it anytime. Also thank the Ridge Riders for building Cyrus Horse Camp, what a nice place.

It was a great weekend and I really enjoyed it!

Thank-you Cole Still and the Ridge Riders!

OWYHEE SPRING

Once again there I was, driving off to a local endurance ride in a big windstorm. At least I had a tailwind most of the way to help me there. But setting up camp in the wind was a challenge. I didn't dare leave a trailer door open becayse I might lose it, or get knocked over by it. Ride camp was a big ranch located just off Murphy Flat Rd. near Murphy, ID.

On Friday morning I had a plan, take Blue down to the ride and do the 60. Or maybe just putt through the 75, heck it's only 15 more miles. I figured I'd take Thunder to Prineville the next weekend. That plan changed around 3 PM because Amanda Washington's horse had gotten scraped up escaping from her pen during the night. I had a message from her, "Wouldn't you rather ride Thunder this weekend?" So after some talking and a bit of planning, both horses were going to the ride and we'd do the 60 miler. Her friend, Elly Burnett, was doing her first long ride and we were going to keep her company at tourist pace.

Saturday morning the horses were saddled, Easyboot Gloves on all fours, the wind was calm. Looked like a good day! And it was a good day, with some wild Idaho weather added into it here and there. We had a bit of everything but for the most part, as long as you were riding and keeping warm it was OK.

The first loop out was 25 miles and this took us down into the Snake River Canyon near the Swan Falls dam. The views were spectacular, the rock formations awesome and the petroglyph rocks were fascinating. Thunder had to check them out! Thank you Steph and Regina for this great treat!! The river was smooth and mirrored the rocks sticking up in the middle. As we climbed up through the rocks to the top plateau, again the views were amazing. You could see for miles and miles!

Back to camp for an hour hold that was shortened to 45 min thanks to the cold wind and the hailstorm that we'd missed. Good timing! Loop 2 was 21 miles and we hit portions of the Oregon Trail and the horses had lots of grass to eat. Blue was just sure we were going to be out there forever and he was in a hurry to get going. Some places had nothing to tie marking ribbons to - and Steph hung ribbon from a cow skeleton - yeah that's Idaho! After another 45 minute hold we had a 15 mile loop. Great trail and beautiful views of the Owyhees. One snowy mountain top would have blue sky, and another would be covered in a storm. Then we could see camp - and we were done!! And it started to sleet just as we were trying to get horses vetted and unsaddled. The horses were buried in blankets to keep warm.

Regina had barbecued pulled pork sandwich fixings and cole slaw for everyone and the rancher's shop gave us a warm place for dinner!! What a great ride and fun day!! Then I loaded up the boys to get them out of the wind, and headed for home.

BOOTSCOOTIN'

Walk into the back door of most folks houses and you'll find an old pair of shoes, maybe some dirty boots. But I had to chuckle yesterday when I walked in and realized there were four horse boots along side four of my own, just waiting to welcome folks that might come in. :-)

Since I have been riding the horses in Easyboot Gloves rather than shoes, the easyboots have come in the house. They are easier to put on when they are a bit warm. Hey I did wash them before I brought them in.

Most folks have never seen such a thing, either in the house or on the horse. Often when I ride people will say something like "Well now I've never seen shoes like those!" So I have to give them the whole story on the boots. And those that have horses often look at me with disdain and ask why do I bother and not just shoe?

Well I've always believed that horses are better off barefoot. The frog makes good ground contact, pumps the blood and the hoof is healthier due to better circulation. Look at the hoofprints on the trail and with the shod horses all you see is the shoe imprint. But the barehoof leaves an imprint of the hoof outline, the frog, and perhaps even the detail of the bars and cleft of the frog. You seldom see contracted heels in a barefoot horse and the walls are often thicker and stronger. For years I have ridden horses barefoot as much as possible, shoeing only when necesary. Usually that meant shoes on about a week before the first ride and off right after the last ride of the season. Last summer in a gap between endurance rides I pulled Thunder's shoes and gave his hooves a break for a month. Because of this transitioning my horses over to a bare hoof lifestyle wasn't too difficult.

In past years I tried to just use Easyboots, Epics or Bares. But I never could quite solve the problems with them. So I'd end up shoeing just before ride season began again. The boots would go in the cantle bag as my spare tire if I lost a shoe. The new Gloves however have solved a lot of the previous hang ups of booting (rubbing, losing them, forging), and with help from some friends I got them working on both the boys.

When I first started using the Gloves I was forever looking down to be sure that all four were still on. Now I don't really think about it too much. I know I "can" lose one but so far they have stayed on through rocks, washes, sand, water and silly behavior from my horse. I did worry a bit about that first endurance ride in them but even that went just fine. So, just like when I was a kid, I can go out and trim the hooves and keep them at a consistent length and in good condition. If I get behind I can still get my farrier to come help me out.

Admittedly, booting and bare feet aren't for everyone. Because some folks don't like to trim or fiddle with hooves and boots. They just want to saddle up and ride, which is fine. But I like knowing what is going on with my horses and so far the boots aren't that time consuming. I can pick out the hooves and put on four boots in less than ten minutes. Now later on when I try to glue some on, that theory will probably change. But in the long run I still like the idea of bare hooves and letting the horses go "bootscootin'" down the trail!

Top 10 Things about the WIND!

So on this more than blustery gusty day of wins varying from 30 - 45 mph, I pondered the subject of wind. Hmmmmm.....

1. No bugs. They can't fly in the wind either evidently.
2. Your garbage blows into the next county - or state out here. However, I have more neighbors trash hanging in my fence so this is not a good thing!
3. Dry clothes. Heck no clothes - they blew away!
4. The corral is clean of all debris if you get my drift. Manure happens and blows away!
5. New hairstyle - the "windblown" look. Oh c'mon, snicker just a little.
6. You could fly a kite but you better have an anchor or you may just go with the kite!
7. No fog! No mud either because it all dried up! Oh wait that's two things!
8. If it's fall you won't have to rake the leaves because they are gone!
9. If you owned a wind turbine you could generate electricity! Make a fortune!
10. Set sail with your boat or hang glider and let your destination be a surprise!!!

However, why can't it just blow the hair off that shedding horse so I don't have to brush him??