Category: Uncategorized

Uncategorized

Farm Sitting Nerves

roamingridersite

The biggest issue with having the horses home is what to do when we are away. In the last four years I have traveled all of zero times and even if I had been traveling, it would have been a non issue with the horses boarded. I suddenly found myself with travel plans and a problem on my hands.

img_0057
The dogwood tree in the backyard is in bloom. I adore spring 🙂

Farm sitting for us isn’t really a big deal. There are no stalls to clean, no horses to catch and bring in or put back out. Just fill the feed pans and toss hay twice a day plus keep an eye on the water trough.

The bigger issue is the dogs, three cats one of which is in kidney failure and is special needs, fish and guinea pig. Its a zoo, I tell you.

When I made plans to go to this work conference (not a true vacation, I seem to be unable to take one of those), I immediately became concerned on what to do with our horde. Finding someone to house sit isn’t so easy. Thankfully I came into contact with the exact right person: a young college student who has a part time job working at a local barn. She can drive, is mature, doesn’t drink or smoke and wants a week out of her parent’s house. Perfection.

img_0058
The trees bordering the property are also starting to fill out with leaves. It feels like a totally private little world out back. 

I had her come over on Saturday to take the tour. She was really nice and seemed to take everyone in their stride. I had already typed out a semi anal retentive list of instructions and plan to create a more general “how to work the house” type list as well. I’m generally not very concerned about our pets when we leave, but this time I find myself being very, very nervous. Mostly because my wonder cat, Scrabble, is really, really sick and I am worried something will happen when we are both out of town.

img_0032
My darling Scrabble. Being spoiled by having an extra chair to see better out the window and over the shrubs. 

We debated all week about saying goodbye to him before Dusty left town on Saturday, but it didn’t sit well with me. It wasn’t time. Scrabble will tell us when it is time and just because we were leaving doesn’t mean it was his time as well. So, I am going to hope for the best while we are gone and plan to see my main guy greeting me at the door upon my return.

img_1630
Before he got sick. So handsome. 

 

Uncategorized

Enjoying Horses Again

roamingridersite

Have you ever been so deeply entrenched in something that you don’t even notice you no longer enjoy it? Or that at least you lost the reason for doing it in the first place and replaced it with this new drive?Have you accomplished your goal and then felt a little deflated because the only reason you were doing this is now gone and you have no clue what to do next?

That has been me the last 10 months.

I started endurance because Gem hated everything else I tried with her. She excelled in it and was happier at rides than I had ever seen her, so I kept going and put in the sometimes awful conditioning time because it was needed in order to compete successfully. Some days out on trail were magical and some were so terrible I questioned my sanity for continuing on.

There was always some future goal to achieve throughout all this madness: completing a 25 mile ride, then a 50, then a 100. With each step up, I had to become more focused, more strict with the miles we rode, the pace and the terrain. Every ride was pre scheduled and my GPS was glued to my wrist. I never went more than a mile without checking in on our pace and distance. It was a necessity if I was going to get her conditioned enough to do the 100 with the limited trail time I had available.

It all paid off too. We got our completion on a respectable course in a respectable time, neither chasing the clock nor rushing and causing harm. Gem had all As all day and looked just as fabulous 18 hours after the start as she had the night before it. I was proud of all the work that I put into getting a horse nobody thought could even go a mile safely on trail through it and I was proud of my mare for never giving up.

After the initial high of the completion, I felt empty. I took the entire summer off then halfheartedly prepared for the Ride and Tie Championships and then promptly took the entire fall off. I thought perhaps it was a lack of a goal that was leaving me wavering on my rides, but every time I looked over the AERC schedule for 2017, I felt nothing. No excitement at picking out a ride. No nervousness. Just a little bit of dread of all the time away, the money spent and the long hours in the saddle fighting a horse who thinks conditioning is a waste of her time and why not just use competitions as her training instead? (Because, Mare, I can’t afford to do that)

I didn’t even renew my AERC membership yet for this season. I haven’t chosen a ride. I haven’t made conditioning plans. I haven’t done anything towards getting a 2017 completion at all. When I rode last weekend, my friend asked what I was planning and I just looked at her. I wasn’t planning anything. She was shocked. I’ve always had a plan. Always another ride to work towards, a schedule of how many miles over what terrain and at what pace on each day available to me to ride.

And you know what? Right now I am having more fun and have been happier while thinking about, during and after a ride than I have been in years.

I’ve been on Gem, on Ralphie and on Pete.

I’ve been on trail without my GPS or a plan.

I’ve been taking dressage lessons on my beloved mare.

I’ve been taking jumping lessons on a new to me gelding.

I’ve been on Pete watching Gem teach the love of the trail to a beginner.

I’ve been carefree, learning and exploring all the different facets of riding and I have been basking in the glory of it along the way.

It really hit home this past Wednesday. I had a jump lesson scheduled that got postponed a week and I was shocked to realize that a) I had been feeling like a kid on Christmas morning all day waiting for the lesson and b) I was really disappointed it would have to wait. I haven’t had either of those feelings in a long time.

I love Gem, all she has taught me and all we have done together. She isn’t going anywhere and is still my main mount, but I am also really really enjoying riding Ralphie and Pete and having absolutely no set in stone goals or plans at the moment. I may make a 50 mile ride happen this year or I may not. It doesn’t actually even matter to me.

What matters right now is how much fun I am having doing a hobby that is pure indulgence. If I’m not having fun, what’s the point? I already don’t have fun 50 hours a week at work plus another several hours a week cooking and cleaning and doing laundry, running errands and grocery shopping. I darn well better be having fun on my horse and for the first time in a long time I am.

I am having a blast and I intend to not stop again.

 

Uncategorized

‘Fraidy Cat Eventing 2017 Eventing BINGO

roamingridersite

Emma over at ‘Fraidy Cat Eventing is hosting a great contest. Please go check it out – here. This is my entry for the eventing BINGO story. I don’t event (yet) and I am not familiar with all the technicalities of the sport, but it is un to join along and write a story of what would likely happen if Gem and I attempted a show.

Inkedbingo_LI

GEM GOES EVENTING

Here we are – our first event. Just a schooling show, but you have to start somewhere, right? Gem is all dolled up for dressage – shiny bay coat sparkling in the sun, red and white dressage pad actually clean, black dressage saddle scrubbed within an inch of its life. I’m nervous and couldn’t eat breakfast. Can I even remember my dressage test? We are about to find out.

Its getting close to our test time, so I mount up and head into the warm up arena. It is busier than I anticipated. Horses are everywhere and Gem and I are both high as a kite. I’m supposed to be getting her to relax, but all I really want is about 20 miles of hilly trail to canter her along before hand. Endurance seems easy compared to this!

Circles. And halt transitions. I hope my brain starts functioning so I can actually ride. As I am trying to get her to calm down and show some sort of the training we have put in, Gem catches sight of a plastic bag outside the warm up ring. She freezes for a half a second then drops her shoulder, spins 180 degrees and runs.

There goes my white breeches.

I fall off over her dropped shoulder and land smack into a pile of manure. Great. Thankfully Gem stops right away and I collect my horse, damaged pride and ruined attire with just enough time to mount back up and head into the ring as the steward is calling my number.

With that behind me, things couldn’t get any worse. Hopefully. We go down center line and are mostly, basically straight. Ish. We wiggle our way through the BN test and all is going well for the first half. I decide to start breathing again. I relax. Things should go smoother if I just relax.

Right as I take a deep breath and exhale, Gem sees that damn plastic bag again. I think it is following us. Maybe a competitor attached it to a drone and is flying it around to sabotage us. Are we that good that we need sabotaging? Gem catches it out of the corner of her eye and that is it. Game over. She flails and jumps right out of the arena! All her jumping training has finally paid off, but it was intended to teach her to jump over the small white fence demarcating the dressage court. Are we eliminated?

Thankfully it is a school show and they let us re enter and finish the test. Someone is holding that plastic bag. I hope they throw it in the trash and put a lid on it. Is that an evil smirk I see on the person’s face holding it? I have to be imagining it. Wait…did she just wink at me?!

Dressage finally ends. Who knew 2 minutes could take so long? We do our best square halt and exit with what little pride I can manage. I need to track down that person, but I have no time. I have to get Gem ready for stadium jumping. She stands mostly still while I exchange her dressage tack for jumping. She looks just as sharp in her red jumping gear and brown saddle as she did in her dressage tack. I change out of my white breeches and into clean light tan ones. We are all ready to head back to warm up and I keep my eyes open for any rogue plastic bags.

Warm up goes uneventfully and while she remains her good old stiff self, so do I and we pop over the small fences a few times to get our heads in the game. I think Gem wants this day to be over with and she practically pulls me into the arena for our stadium round.

We cross the timers and head towards the first jump. Its a nice and inviting vertical and we approach it in a nice canter with enough forward momentum, but not crazy. Maybe I will survive this day yet. She launches over the fence and hits the ground on the other side with more energy than before. I find myself with a freight train on the other end of the reins.

Jump two comes at us faster than I thought and just as we approach that plastic bag flies right in front on us. I barely have enough time to register the fact that there is no wind when Gemmie jumps both out of her skin and over the standards! Who knew she could jump that high? We manage to safely land and I am seething mad now. My anger only eggs Gemmie onward and we manage to leave two out of the next line to fly over the jump. the rest of the round is clear, but frightening to both watch and participate in. I don’t know how we finished that course without an injury.

As we make our way back to the trailer to untack I look around for the woman with her plastic bag. I see her mounting up for her turn in the arena. No signs of the bag though. I wonder….

Uncategorized

No Tresspassing

roamingridersite

“Excuse me!!”

Wait…what? I looked up from my poop pile and wheelbarrow to find a middle aged lady standing next to her parked car in my driveway.

Odd. My driveway is 1/4 mile long, has an extremely wonky angled entrance and a cattle guard and then winds down past the pasture to the house. Not very inviting and definitely out of the way.

“Can I help you?” I was a bit incredulous. I mean, why was she standing in my drive?

“Who owns that horse behind you?” Not friendly. Very accusatory and well, to be frank, quite bitchy.

“Rhino? My landlady who lives next door.” I was puzzled. Why be nasty in your delivery of such a question?

“He is too thin. Something needs to be done. I never see you outside and I told myself next time someone was out I was going to find out what was going on over here.”

Um…you don’t see me outside because…oh..wait…that is none of your business. Nothing is “going on over here” either. She made it sound like I was running some sort of horse scam or something.

“He isn’t too thin. In fact he is in better shape than our two horses are at the moment”

“Your two are in great condition. Is he old? I saw his teeth. He doesn’t look old.”

In fact my two horses are fatAnd Rhino is in his mid 20s. And she is a horse teeth expert now?

“He is in his mid 20s. He isn’t thin. He gets two grain meals a day plus hay. He has clean water at all times and 8 acres to roam with a shelter out of the wind. He has a good horse life. Leave him be”

Not appeased by my answer she attempted to continue her interrogation when Einstein finally took notice and came wriggling over. Einstein is a jumper. It’s his last remaining bad behavior and we try hard to curb it.

“Your dog is jumping all over me!”

I just stood there and blinked at her. If you weren’t on my property where you weren’t invited, then you wouldn’t be getting jumped on by my overly exuberant dog.

“Well, he is obviously lonely. He hangs out near your two all day. You need to let him in your pasture. Right away.”

“He is a stallion. I own a mare”

She just stared at me. And repeated her demand that I allow him in my pasture. At this point my patience and good mood were rapidly disappearing and I did what I rarely do: I dropped the vet bomb.

“My husbands a vet and is right over there. Ask him his professional opinion.”

Thankfully Dusty was walking over our way and she repeated her inquest on the state of the horse and his inability to be friends with our horses. He repeated much of what I already said and, finally realizing she wasn’t going to be able to make some big scene, she finally got in her car.

She then proceeded to use the hay field to turn her car around without asking if it was ok to drive through the well cared for grass. I won’t be polite the next time I see her and I am sure there will be a next time. There always is. The middle of nowhere is calling my name.

Farm life, Uncategorized

Poop…Everywhere!

roamingridersite

Pasture management is an obsession of mine. When done correctly, even a smaller than preferred area for your horse can be kept lush, safe and healthy. It may take work, thought and planning, but it can be done and I find the topic to be fascinating.

Gem and Pete are on 3-4 acres. That satisfies the bare minimum for my region’s grass type, soil quality and terrain: 2 acres for the first horse and 1 acre for every horse thereafter.  Your area may require more or less room depending on the above. We are fortunate that the pasture was previously used for what qualifies as hay down here and has a solid, mature root system of fescue. I prefer fescue to coastal because it grows year round, although it does need a good bit of water in the hotter months, and grows taller blades of grass.

img_5031
Pete grazing in the setting sun

Overall I am really happy with the soil and the grass growing on the acres we have access too. There are no hills in the pasture, but the land has a gradual slope which allows for good run off if it ever decides to rain. After a month of being on it 24/7, you can tell the horses have been grazing but there are still untouched regions and the grass has continued to grow and not be eaten down. We are only feeding 1/4 bale of hay at night and both horses have gained weight since being home. In fact, we had to cut Pete’s grain down again and I am watching Gem carefully while we get back into work.

img_5032
Spring flowers are blooming

There are two things that I don’t like: only having one pasture which eliminates the ability to rotate and rest one while they are on another (the best method to pasture management) and the vast amount of poop strewn everywhere. While I cant correct the first issue right now (plans are in motion for future use of the other 5 acre field) I can do something about the poop.

Most people will think I am being OCD or just plain nuts, but seeing all those big piles of poop in the pasture makes me itchy. A horse produces roughly 50 lbs of poop a day. They have been out there for almost 4 weeks, so they have produced roughly 2800 lbs of poop. And all that poop is in the pasture. Not only is it an eye sore, but it isn’t healthy for the horses or pasture.

img_5028
Poop everywhere

The most obvious reason is the spread of parasites. Gem and Pete are not on a routine de worming program. We test a fecal sample twice a year for egg count and treat if necessary. They haven’t been positive in 2 years. I’d like to keep it that way. If they were carrying worms, allowing all that worm and egg filled poop to just lay in the pasture will spread those worms and increase the risk of reinfection. They were tested a few weeks prior to the move, so it will be very interesting to see what the fall test reveals. Big piles of poop also attract flies, their eggs and are just gross.

Another reason though, is seeds. Weed seeds that are not digested will be spread throughout the pasture putting your nice, lush grass at risk. If you have a larger area, it isn’t such a big deal, but I am working in a smaller area than I would like (I would prefer two 10 acre pastures to rotate between) and I don’t need the grass killed off.

The last big reason though has to do with the grass growth itself. Piles of poop not only kill off the grass via smothering, it also deters the horses from grazing in those spots as they go off to hunt cleaner regions. The pasture can easily become an area of rough zones, where the weeds and grass have grown tall and won’t be eaten due to the presence of manure, and lawns, areas eaten down to nothing and stunting the grass growth. Neither are good.

All that to say…I needed to do something with the 2800 lbs of poop scattered about the pasture. Most resources say to rest the pasture. Move the horses to another, drag and mow it and allow it to sit and renew while they create havoc next door. You do not want to drag or spread manure in a pasture that is being actively used. Read all the above about the spread of weed seeds and parasites.

The only option for me is to pick it out of the pasture. I probably look like an idiot to all the neighbors as I walk with wheelbarrow and pitchfork in hand, picking up poop from the pasture. It is also frustrating work since they are pooping right in front of you as you are cleaning it up, but it only took a weekend and I didn’t mind it at all.

img_5029

Of course, this lead to the next dilemma: what to do with all this manure. A manure pile makes my skin crawl. I told you I am obsessed with this stuff, right? I mean, a big stinking pile of manure that attracts flies like crazy just won’t work for me. After even more research, I settled on my solution.

A compost bin. Or three.

By composting the manure, I can turn the manure plus all those darn leaves into wonderful soil. Delicious soil that can be spread on the pasture to enrich it – weed seeds and parasites are killed in the composting since it gets to about 115F when made correctly – and can put it on my flower beds as well. The enclosed system locks away odors and keep the bugs to a minimum.

It is a win-win for my little pasture OCD heart.

I only had to get the hubby to build me what I wanted and add the goodies in. I’ll post a how to shortly to show the steps of making it, but it is everything my little heart could desire.

2017 Reading Challenge, Uncategorized

Popsugar Reading Challenge Book #7

roamingridersite

Following the last book was going to be a challenge in and of itself. It was such a great book that I knew we had to go to something completely different or it wouldn’t stack up.

A Book by Multiple Authors: American Sniper by Chris Kyle et al

Chris Kyle is the most prolific sniper in US history. He chalks this up to opportunity more so than skill: he had four back to back deployments in Iraq at the start of the war in the early 2000s. This just shows how humble he truly is.

He wrote this memoir, which spans from his childhood through his retirement from the Navy, as a way to set the record straight before anyone else wrote about his career. The multiple author part comes in the form of excerpts written by his wife and a collection of letters from those touched by his life. I had a Kindle version that was an edited version of the original text.

This is also the book that the movie was about although I wasn’t familiar with the story as I had not seen the movie.

What are my thoughts? Really I’m torn about the book in every aspect. While I found it very interesting to learn what training he went through to become a SEAL and then a sniper, his way of glossing over his own impact during the war effort downplayed his significance too much. I understand he was being humble, but being honest is also important and his way of telling the stories made his own acts seem too bland.

In addition, wile I liked reading the interjected thoughts and emotions of his wife, I found it really hard to relate to. Here he was talking about his ultimate sacrifices and lost men and then there is a paragraph from her complaining about how he puts his country before family. I’m not related to anyone in the military and have zero personal experience with these things, but her paragraphs made me feel more sorry for him that his spouse was not being supportive of his career choice (a choice he made prior to meeting her and prior to getting married). I felt like they either needed to have more input from her, so you could see her entire side of things or none at all.

And finally, his death. The book was written, published and released before his untimely death and so it is obviously not mentioned in the book. However, they edited it to add letters from his friends and family at the end – each written after he died and talked of the impact his life and death had on them. I then had to google his name to find out the circumstances of his death. Again, either fill the reader in on it or leave it out.

I would give it 3/5 stars. It held my attention for the most part, but seemed to not be very cohesive in the telling.

Uncategorized

Meet Me at the YMCA – Day 1

roamingridersite

With running out of the picture, I needed to find a new form of exercise to get and then stay fit and healthy. While I’m not overweight, I am definitely not fit and I want to change that. Unfortunately, my favorite spin place closed up shop and the only other games in town were either downtown or the YMCA. My mom and I enjoy working out together – it adds an element of humor not found when working out alone – and I managed to talk her into touring the Y on Sunday.

brad-pitt-safe

It is a nice facility and happens to be only 3 miles from my house. They have a covered pool that is open year round (while not warm and cozy, it is sufficient in the winter while the dome is up), four rooms for class activities, one level of weights, an upper level of cardio equipment, a cardio theater that plays a feature film on a large projector screen while you workout, a gym, a cafe and free child care while you are there. They also offer tons of things Wyatt can participate in plus a free date night out once a month.With everything they offer, it really fits nicely into my busy life schedule.

My mom and I both signed up and the best part was that we got 20% off for doing so and the join fee was waived as well. This brought the price down to only $48 a month for my entire family of 3 and only $32 a month for my mom. No other place in town comes close to matching that in price.

Monday around 4:15 pm my phone goes off as I wait for my last patient to show. It is my mom.

“Be there at 5:40 pm”
“Ummm…what?”
“Guts and Glutes at 5:40. Be there.”
“No way I can make that work. I have a procedure to do at 4:30, I don’t have my work out clothes with me so I have to go home and change and then I have to make it all the way to Wyatt, get him and go to the Y. Won’t happen”

After we talked for a bit, my mom decided to pick Wyatt up for me and meet me there. I ended up with just enough time to change and catch up to them as they were entering the building. My mom also talked my sister-in-law into using a day pass to give it a try with us.

Wyatt went into the child center until Dusty arrived and took him to the pool and the rest of us went upstairs to studio #3 where we proceeded to laugh, cry and groan for 30 minutes.

Guts and Glutes – a 30 minute exercise class with dumbbells that focuses on your lower body and abs.

So there we were…we dutifully grabbed our mats, light weights (4 lbs for me) and heavy weights (having no clue what we were going to do I used 5 lbs as my heavy) and looked around the room with anticipation. This was going to be fun! And easy because…you know…it was only 30 minutes long. A good intro to the Y.

cat-workout

We began.

About 3 minutes into the warm up I looked over at my mom and told her I hated her. I was not only warmed up, but also cooled down and ready to call it a day. And we hadn’t even really begun!

The real workout began. Planks. Then twisting planks. Then planks with one leg off the ground. Then planks with one of the heavy weights tucked into the crook of your knee and pulsing that knee towards the ceiling – don’t lose your plank now! – for an endless count of 16, switch legs do it some more.

cat-workout-2

Then came the squats and lunges. Dozens upon dozens of squats and lunges. With the heavy weights resting on your shoulders. Then point your toes out and widen the stance and squat some more. Legs not shaking enough? Go up on your tip toes and squat. Then stay on those toes and pinch your knees in and pulse. Then go back as far as you can with your knees. Stay on those toes!

egg

Legs shaking in defeat – the three of us looked at each other and began to laugh. The teacher giggled.

Back to the floor! Crunches, sit ups, weights, no weights. Legs off the floor, on the floor…come on…you can do it!

funny-gifs-walrus-workout

By the time the 30 minutes were up, my legs were shaking, my abs were on fire and I was d-o-n-e.

Good introduction, Mother.

I wasn’t done though. I had to meet the kiddo at the pool. The 80 degree water felt more like ice and Dusty doesn’t handle cold water at all. Probably because he is like 2% body fat. When I entered the dome, Wyatt was practically begging Dusty to get in and Dusty was turning blue and chattering. So I jumped in. And immediately regretted that decision.

Wyatt wanted to jump in and I caught him easily since my arms still functioned. When he wanted to race to the deep end and I found myself having to tread water for 15 minutes as he slowly floated along, I nearly died.

I’m not sure how long we stayed in the ice bowl, but eventually we coaxed Wyatt out, changed and went home. It was a good first day at the YMCA and I am really excited for the future.