Nothing lifts my spirits like riding through the woods on a forward, enthusiastic mare on a glorious fall afternoon. Yesterday was such a day. Jetta and I missed our dream of riding at the Moab Canyons endurance ride this year due to various unforeseen and uncontrollable circumstances, but we met our fitness and readiness goals. So today we celebrated that fact by taking a "leisurely" stroll around the Ponderosa Trail. "Leisurely" is a very relative term when it comes to Jetta. Yes, I asked her to stay at a walk for most of the ride, but she "power-walked" up the mountain, around and down the other side with enthusiasm.
The deer hunt is over and the deer must have known it; we saw several deer out and about, and we saw six elk--the first I've seen all year! One bull had good sized antlers, too. Jetta's head went up and she stared, but that was her less-than-dramatic reaction to her first elk sighting! We also saw a sage hen, and lots of wild turkeys. The woods were beautiful even though the leaves have fallen. Check out the pictures:
It's kind of hard to feel sorry for yourself on a ride like this, so I didn't. We missed Moab, but we'll still get to Jetta's first endurance ride. In the meantime, we'll continue training and work on getting her saddle fit issues sorted out. And we'll keep enjoying rides like this one!
Boo hoo hoo!! Waaa waaaa! I want to go to Moab! No fair! Sniff.
Ok. I got that out of my system. Maybe. I have been planning to go to the Moab Canyons ride all summer with Jetta. She's ready. But life gets in the way sometimes.
Other than questioning my saddle fit, Jetta is ready to do 25 miles, I think. She's had two weeks off because I went to San Diego to the Equissage course, which I'm happy to report, I PASSED! (It was an intense, study filled, brain stretching week, but it was truly wonderful, and I am ready to launch a new business--more about that later.) Saddle fit issues are huge in this sport obviously since riding long distances in an ill-fitting saddle would certainly be damaging. But I think the new saddle is a good match, and I'd be willing to give it a shot since we'd be doing a "slow" 25-miler if that was the only thing conspiring against me. But I had truck trouble this week (think $$$) and in addition, today I had the distressing news that my beloved English pointer, Duke, likely has lymphoma. The vet is running some tests (also $$$) and I'll have the results by Monday. If it is cancer, I'm going to be really devastated. I've had this dog 11 years and he's a good friend. Apparently, this is just not my week. I think financially as well as for Duke's sake, I'd better stay close to home. I will miss the fun of riding Jetta in Moab, and she will have to have her debut into endurance in the spring. I'll miss seeing my endurance friends, but they've probably forgotten all about me by now anyway. Oh, well. There will be other rides.
The new business will be called Equine Solutions: Sports Massage Therapy and Natural Barefoot Hoof Care. Solutions will hopefully become my full time job within the next six months. I am putting my plan into place and taking the steps to make that happen. Jetta was my first paying client (OK, fine---she paid me by nuzzling me on the chin....not every client will get away with that!) I gave her a full massage last night and I'm happy to note her back issues seem much better since Kylie worked on her three weeks ago. Sports massage therapy is amazingly effective. I am very excited to know that I have the knowledge and ability to help horses heal in a very concrete way.
I have a lesson to teach tomorrow morning, then I am going to take Jetta for a long ride somewhere. I will mope about missing all the fun in Moab, but I'm sure she'll cheer me up within the first few miles!
I just totally love the fall! Nice temps, gorgeous colors, and beautiful blue skies! Jetta and I met Tammy up in the canyon to ride around the Ponderosa Loop trail. Actually Tammy was there before we were; Jetta and I headed up the trail to chase her and Joker down! They had a 15 minute head start, but Jetta thundered up the trail like she was on a vital mission. She just ate up the mountain like it was nothing! I actually love riding the freight train. I am able to rate her, but if I let her choose the pace, it's FAST!
We caught up to Tammy and Joker and settled into a more relaxed, sociable pace! It truly was a glorious day to be out there. I found I was quite comfortable in the new (albeit squeaky!) Ortho-flex saddle, and Jetta seemed comfortable as well. She offered to canter several times and showed no attitude, pinned ears or anything undesirable! We trotted and walked the rest of the loop, enjoying the day.
Just before dropping down to the gate near the creek at the end of the loop, Jetta and I said good-bye to our friends and turned around to retrace our steps the way we had come. Jetta thought about arguing with me about leaving her buddy, but got over it very quickly and set off like a freight train again. She climbed like a machine nearly all the way to the top of the loop. Finally I slowed her and we continued more reasonably. Halfway down the other side we ran into another trail rider coming up the trail. We said hello and carried on our way back to the river and our trailer.
Jetta did those eleven or so miles with no real challenge. She is fit and ready (at least physically!) to go to Moab at the end of the month to try her hoof at a 25 mile ride. We've got another couple of days to ride, then I'm heading off to Equissage California to do a course in equine sports massage therapy while she rests up a bit. I'll be gone a week, then have a day or two to do a couple of easy rides with Jetta, then head for ride camp four hours away. Whew. After that, I think I'll rest.
I'm not quite sure what to make of the new saddle; neither was Jetta, I'm sure! This is a used Ortho-flex I purchased on the weekend---much cheaper than you'd normally find one. I made a couple of modifications this afternoon and took Jetta out to Dog Valley to see how she took to it.
I removed the stirrup leathers that came with it; I think they are quite nice dressage leathers with half inch holes and super supple leather, but they aren't original to this saddle. I added my wider endurance leathers with sheepskin covers and endurance stirrups. Then I added a sheepskin seat cover. That definitely helped me feel like the saddle isn't quite so big. (I think I could be happier with a slightly smaller seat.) I also used my usual Wintec dressage girth which was a better fit on Jetta.
Now you must remember, I am used to a treeless saddle---either the Black Forest Shasta I ride Keno in, or the Bandos Trail saddle I usually ride Jetta in. The Bandos is cushy, cushy, cushy, so my tushy was in for quite a shock in this Ortho-flex even with its padded stitch-down seat! I felt like I was riding on one of those plastic horses you can put a quarter in at Walmart. That's how stiff and hard this saddle felt. And it is extremely squeaky! Quiet if I two-point, but noisy if I'm sitting in it! After a couple of miles I started to get accustomed to the feel and I was not uncomfortable at all. It just felt very hard under me. I'm used to feeling my horse's every move with the treeless.
Jetta also had a little learning curve with this saddle. She was unhappy for the first couple of miles and at one point when I asked her to canter, she actually offered to BUCK! She finally went cantering along with pinned ears and a hollow back. Hmmmm. Not what I expected! We continued at the trot for a couple more miles and did a few transitions. She began to blow and relax a little and then she began to lower her head and use her topline a bit. And a bit more. That was a wow moment. Jetta was really forward and fast like always, but she was actually reaching forward for the contact (in the bitless bridle, no less) and she rounded her back voluntarily. She has just had three sessions of bodywork, so maybe her back is just feeling better. OR maybe she was getting used to the feel of this almighty squeaky saddle and perhaps she found it not uncomfortable after all.
We continued down the trail for another few miles. Jetta traveled easily downhill at the walk, too. We did some more trot work, even working on some leg-yielding at the trot. That was a new thing for her and she accepted it easily. I asked her to canter again and she was smooth and easy.
So. The conclusion: only time will tell. Jetta and I will use this saddle again on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday and see what happens. I hope it works for us. I need to know she can do 25 miles comfortably so I can take her to Moab at the end of the month! Check out the video I took somewhere in the last mile or so of our ride.
Well, I've been waiting all summer to take Jetta to the Red Rock Pasture, and I finally did! This is a technical trail. The trail starts high on the Nebo Loop Road and drops 1600 feet in four miles. There are multiple creek crossings, ledges, drop-offs, dead fall, and boulders. Tammy and I had a fabulous ride on a glorious sunny fall day; mountain riding doesn't get better than this!
Jetta lead out the whole way; she was forward and brave, only hesitated once or twice when faced with a tough spot on the trail. She was absolutely stellar--I couldn't be happier with her! She really ate up the trail. Going down we mostly walked as it's steep and rocky. On the way back up we did trot a lot of the first three miles. Even though it's a rough trail, it's my very favorite because it is so beautiful.
The cabin was built by the CCC worker in the 1930's. For years people have signed their names on the walls when they've visited. I've been riding this trail for ten years and I never get tired of it! Enjoy the videos!
Jetta has had three visits to the massage therapist this week; he has helped her a lot, but I am not convinced my saddle is not hurting her. So yesterday I happened to see an ad for a used Ortho-flex stitch-down endurance saddle for sale by a lady an hour away from here. She was asking $375 for the saddle, leathers, booties, two high quality dressage girths, and a new Toklat trail pad with pockets. Now I recognize a good deal when I see one, and this was one! So I went and picked it up. I tried it on Jetta in the arena and it seems a good fit. It may however be too big for me, but I'm going to add a fleece seat cover and see if that helps. My only personal experience with an Ortho-flex was when I rode a borrowed horse in a 50-mile endurance ride in Florida. I rode in that saddle for seven hours and it didn't make me sore! I'm hoping this will work for us and help Jetta's back. If not, I'll sell it on, but I'll be asking a lot more than $375!
Jetta's anxiety about cantering has been a concern for me ever since I've been riding her. It's difficult to know if it's a training issue or a saddle fit issue or just general discomfort, but she gets tense when asked to canter. Of course, I have wondered if it was bad memories from her race training days (i.e. anticipating someone using a whip at the canter or gallop) or if she just didn't like the arena. Out on trail she has improved her attitude somewhat; at least she is offering to canter once in awhile. Anyway, since the massage therapist has helped Keno SO dramatically, I though I'd give him a chance to work on Jetta to see what he could find.
(I am actually going to Equissage California next month to get my own certification in equine sports massage therapy, but I don't have the knowledge to work on her myself yet. I've enjoyed the benefits of having Kylie work on my gelding, and since Jetta seems uncomfortable I don't want to wait another month until I can work on her myself.)
Kylie is a farrier/cowboy/massage therapist, and he does a good job. I took Jetta to his place, about five miles from where I live. Lo and behold, he quickly determined Jetta has a very sore back, mostly (90%) on the left side. He worked her over really well and she tolerated it, but was quite irritated about the sore spots. It was very obvious where the sore spots were: high on her back just in front of her loin, left ham string muscles, and a couple of spots on the left side of her neck/shoulder. She was a little sore on the right side back area, but not as bad as the left side.
We talked about saddle fit. I ride in two different treeless saddles, but have mostly used the Bandos trail saddle and a Suber pad. After looking at the saddle, Kylie thought that the soreness could have "come with the horse." In other words, Jetta may have had this problem since before I got her in March. I tend to agree since she has acted the same way all along. I've been riding her for four and a half months now, and she is always forward and fun, but occasionally I see a little tension popping up. I have consistently seen the anxiety/attitude with canter work in the arena. So we'll see if Kylie can fix the problem; he'll work on her again on Wednesday. If the soreness returns in a few days or weeks, I'll have to think about a saddle change.
I was considering taking Jetta to Cedar City for the Quichipa Lake endurance ride this weekend. Now I'm not so sure. Kylie says she'll be good by then, but I'd like to know for sure it's NOT the saddle before I ask her to do 25-30 miles. And Saturday's ride is 30 miles instead of just 25. That extra five is a pretty big extra for a horse's first competition, even if I am going to go slow. Bears thinking about, for sure. Sigh.
