Last night as we were getting ready for bed, I heard Lee muttering from behind the closed bathroom door. This was followed by a lot of thuds, slams, and overall painful noises considering the location.
I asked him if everything was ok and with a note of panic in his voice he responded "Yeah, fine, don't come in" and then back to the noises.
My growing concern and curiosity got the better of me, and when he came out, I started pestering him about what happened. I knew the answer had to be spider, considering how concerned he was about protecting me from the truth. But what sort of spider would affect him so much?
After a lot more harassing he said "I have never seen anything like it in a house... only in the bush" and he immediately started searching his phone to find out what species it was... and exactly how much danger we were in.
The comments were not reassuring, lots of "oh no" and "ummmm" then came an "oh.. ok that's not that bad" then a far more concerned "ohhh". The answer was Fishing Spider.
I recounted this horror story to people in the lunch room today. Curiosity got the better of Tayla, and she too searched for photos on her phone. Again, the comments consisted of things like "oh my" and "that's.... uh...." and then concerned glances my way. Again... I had to have answers, but cant bring myself to look at a photo myself. All she would tell me was that the photo that came up was this spider PREYING ON A FROG! "but its just a tiny frog" I immediately disposed of the rest of my lunch.
I still cant look at the search myself. I might have to move out of my house, out of my town... and to an island with no spiders (is it New Zealand that doesn't have spiders? That cant be right considering all the scary monsters in Australia)
2 years ago there was an ugly hairy spider crawled out of my car vents, nearly ran me off the road and had me considering fumigation of the car. I wouldn't find moving out to be unreasonable at this point. And what if it had babies? Thousands of frog eating spiders could eat me alive!
And why is my cat not working? Yes, she stares at bugs and alerts us to them, but only ever decides to eat it once it is a dead carcass as a result of a good Sarah or Lee stomp. Pampered princess.
Those cute barn kittens are really starting to appeal to me.
I don't want to go home.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
It has been a while
Its not like I didn't want to write... the website wouldn't let me!
I would get all excited about something that happened and when I would click on the blogger link in my gmail, the website would just time out.
So please forgive me if I am missing details as my memory has already started to fade from the busy lifestyle I am leading.
Probably the most important thing that I will look back into my archives about, was the incredible weekend I had with Bentley.
First, the weather was so spectacular this weekend which meant we could spend as much or as little time riding as we wanted without fear of getting struck by lightening. Friday after work I went up to play with him. Once I got to the ring, Linda pulled up... perfect timing and we hadn't even coordinated it! But wait, there is more! Jess and Earl are on their way... so watch out for a trailer. Before they arrived, I asked Bentley for a canter since he was going particularly well. IT WAS THE MOST INCREDIBLE CANTER EVER. It was so calm and expressive, I couldn't believe it was my horse under there and not a grand prix dressage horse. I liken the feeling to that of a dolphin jumping through the waves, there was a lot of vertical movement, but it was so smooth and easy to sit to, and was positively beautiful. I have no idea what happened to my flat rushing racehorse, but good riddance!
The ride stayed at a high point as we hit the trails. Jess was impressed by all the terrain and obstacles we have on property at GEC, which is why Linda and I love riding there. We popped over a few small x-country jumps, crossed the creek, ran up and down hills and just had a great time.
Saturday I got to the barn early since Lee had to work in the morning. I had also promised to keep an eye on the girls since Laura was at a show and wanted to make sure they were doing their work. They didn't even need me there, they were awesome, even getting those cobwebs that have been increasing in strength for oh... forever? Fun part though, I got to carry the miniature foal out to the paddock. She wont lead yet, so instead I got to pick her up in my arms and take her out. So cute! When I had first arrived there, it was so quiet and peaceful, made me really miss doing the morning feed at Halton Place.
Tacked up and went to the ring, met one of the part boarders named Alex and we decided to go for a hack out in the fields. She had never been to the valley before, and I think I have become somewhat of an ambassador to it, so it was my duty to give her the tour! One of the questions I always ask the kids when I meet them and their horse (as part boarders) is "Why did you choose this horse?" Alex's answer, which I later heard from a few other girls too was "I wanted a challenge" I think that's my favourite answer. I love to meet people who feel the same way as I do, its not about winning the ribbons, its about improving yourself and improving your horse.
After Alex had to leave (She was going to the Shaw festival with her parents, so cool for someone in highschool to be into!) I made my way back up into the ring where I decided to try Bentley over a few of the jumps. They were set to a nice low height, nothing over 2 feet. We popped over them pretty easily. So I got up and decided to raise them just for fun... I honestly had no expectations and kind of thought I may not even do them all. I got back up on Bentley and did the whole thing as a course, nailing every distance, including one oxer (which we had never really done before). It felt so easy! Gillian, who was riding Kahlua asked if I wanted to do it again and get video. While I would have loved that, I had to decline since the first round was so perfect, I wanted to quit on that. After I untacked him, I went out and measured the jumps... woah! They were 2'9" and the oxer was about 2'8" and filled with scary pylons. Looks like someone might just be ready to do some eventing this year! So there was no photographic proof... but I do have some witnesses. Even the girls who were watching from the sidelines were pretty darn impressed with my boy.
Sunday I picked up Heather on the way to the barn. My old roomie Leland had stayed over the night before and came to meet Bentley before he had to go up to Sauble for mother's day. Mel was riding Rurik for the first part of our ride and we had a nice ride through the property while Heather occupied herself with my camera. We did have a bit of a situation however when we realized that we needed to get Heather over the creek somehow. The solution ended up being Mel rode over, I ponied Rurik back and then Heather rode Rurik over. Never ponied a horse before, but we all handled it just fine! When Mel had to leave, Heather got up on Rurik. About the exact same time, one of the mares that lives in the valley had decided to make "friends" with Rurik. The whole thing was about to get very X rated, but thankfully the mare had enough chasing him, and wanted to be chased instead. Rurik was NOT happy that the lady had ran away and we weren't allowing him to join her. He started making the funniest noises and was twirling around and being an overall jerk for Heather. So I suggested a horse swap.
I had been trying to get Heather on Bentley since his miracle changes in these last 2 weeks, but she still remembered how he took off with her last time and I think she was pretty afraid of him. That should give you an idea of how naughty Rurik was being! She hopped on B and we immediately put them to work, going up the big hill, hoping that would get his mind off his girlfriend. It only worked for a minute, so we worked our way back up to the plateau. Heather said she felt comfortable trotting B and eventually cantered him too. I also cantered Rurik, and he got several good canter strides in before he broke back into his trot. Quite a feat for him!
We made our way back up to the ring and I told Heather she could keep riding Bentley if she wanted to. I put up a little crossrail and she hopped over it once she was comfortable. This eventually led me to tell her to jump every single jump that had been set up in the ring some time the night before. The finale was a 2'9 high x 2'9 wide oxer. I don't think either of them had ever jumped that big before, and after a few refusals they got it! PS I didn't tell Heather the numbers until they had done it, I think the measurement is far scarier than the height. Another noteworthy jump was a crossrail which was set to the very top of the standards. Of course, my camera died right before I could video her going over the oxer, but I squeaked enough energy out of it to get a picture of them standing next to it.
I could tell they both had a great time. I was so proud of all of us. So proud of Bentley for his performance and for his respect of Heather when he had never really been ridden by anyone but me. Proud of myself that I have brought him to this point. And proud of Heather for realizing how good of a rider she really is. Rurik is hard to ride because he is not only an off the track standardbred, but can also be devious and is very wise to what tricks he can get away with. She hasn't been able to do as much in her lessons as some of the other students because of this. I had also previously insisted she come to an OCTRA ride and that we would find her someone to ride and her answer was "I can't I am not a good enough rider." That day she proved herself wrong. It is the challenges we are given that make for the largest accomplishments, I think she has gained an appreciation for herself and for Rurik's unique abilities in this whole process.
She is now very eager to try an OCTRA ride with me this year. Anyone want to volunteer a horse for a great Junior?
I would get all excited about something that happened and when I would click on the blogger link in my gmail, the website would just time out.
So please forgive me if I am missing details as my memory has already started to fade from the busy lifestyle I am leading.
Probably the most important thing that I will look back into my archives about, was the incredible weekend I had with Bentley.
First, the weather was so spectacular this weekend which meant we could spend as much or as little time riding as we wanted without fear of getting struck by lightening. Friday after work I went up to play with him. Once I got to the ring, Linda pulled up... perfect timing and we hadn't even coordinated it! But wait, there is more! Jess and Earl are on their way... so watch out for a trailer. Before they arrived, I asked Bentley for a canter since he was going particularly well. IT WAS THE MOST INCREDIBLE CANTER EVER. It was so calm and expressive, I couldn't believe it was my horse under there and not a grand prix dressage horse. I liken the feeling to that of a dolphin jumping through the waves, there was a lot of vertical movement, but it was so smooth and easy to sit to, and was positively beautiful. I have no idea what happened to my flat rushing racehorse, but good riddance!
The ride stayed at a high point as we hit the trails. Jess was impressed by all the terrain and obstacles we have on property at GEC, which is why Linda and I love riding there. We popped over a few small x-country jumps, crossed the creek, ran up and down hills and just had a great time.
Saturday I got to the barn early since Lee had to work in the morning. I had also promised to keep an eye on the girls since Laura was at a show and wanted to make sure they were doing their work. They didn't even need me there, they were awesome, even getting those cobwebs that have been increasing in strength for oh... forever? Fun part though, I got to carry the miniature foal out to the paddock. She wont lead yet, so instead I got to pick her up in my arms and take her out. So cute! When I had first arrived there, it was so quiet and peaceful, made me really miss doing the morning feed at Halton Place.
Tacked up and went to the ring, met one of the part boarders named Alex and we decided to go for a hack out in the fields. She had never been to the valley before, and I think I have become somewhat of an ambassador to it, so it was my duty to give her the tour! One of the questions I always ask the kids when I meet them and their horse (as part boarders) is "Why did you choose this horse?" Alex's answer, which I later heard from a few other girls too was "I wanted a challenge" I think that's my favourite answer. I love to meet people who feel the same way as I do, its not about winning the ribbons, its about improving yourself and improving your horse.
After Alex had to leave (She was going to the Shaw festival with her parents, so cool for someone in highschool to be into!) I made my way back up into the ring where I decided to try Bentley over a few of the jumps. They were set to a nice low height, nothing over 2 feet. We popped over them pretty easily. So I got up and decided to raise them just for fun... I honestly had no expectations and kind of thought I may not even do them all. I got back up on Bentley and did the whole thing as a course, nailing every distance, including one oxer (which we had never really done before). It felt so easy! Gillian, who was riding Kahlua asked if I wanted to do it again and get video. While I would have loved that, I had to decline since the first round was so perfect, I wanted to quit on that. After I untacked him, I went out and measured the jumps... woah! They were 2'9" and the oxer was about 2'8" and filled with scary pylons. Looks like someone might just be ready to do some eventing this year! So there was no photographic proof... but I do have some witnesses. Even the girls who were watching from the sidelines were pretty darn impressed with my boy.
Sunday I picked up Heather on the way to the barn. My old roomie Leland had stayed over the night before and came to meet Bentley before he had to go up to Sauble for mother's day. Mel was riding Rurik for the first part of our ride and we had a nice ride through the property while Heather occupied herself with my camera. We did have a bit of a situation however when we realized that we needed to get Heather over the creek somehow. The solution ended up being Mel rode over, I ponied Rurik back and then Heather rode Rurik over. Never ponied a horse before, but we all handled it just fine! When Mel had to leave, Heather got up on Rurik. About the exact same time, one of the mares that lives in the valley had decided to make "friends" with Rurik. The whole thing was about to get very X rated, but thankfully the mare had enough chasing him, and wanted to be chased instead. Rurik was NOT happy that the lady had ran away and we weren't allowing him to join her. He started making the funniest noises and was twirling around and being an overall jerk for Heather. So I suggested a horse swap.
I had been trying to get Heather on Bentley since his miracle changes in these last 2 weeks, but she still remembered how he took off with her last time and I think she was pretty afraid of him. That should give you an idea of how naughty Rurik was being! She hopped on B and we immediately put them to work, going up the big hill, hoping that would get his mind off his girlfriend. It only worked for a minute, so we worked our way back up to the plateau. Heather said she felt comfortable trotting B and eventually cantered him too. I also cantered Rurik, and he got several good canter strides in before he broke back into his trot. Quite a feat for him!
We made our way back up to the ring and I told Heather she could keep riding Bentley if she wanted to. I put up a little crossrail and she hopped over it once she was comfortable. This eventually led me to tell her to jump every single jump that had been set up in the ring some time the night before. The finale was a 2'9 high x 2'9 wide oxer. I don't think either of them had ever jumped that big before, and after a few refusals they got it! PS I didn't tell Heather the numbers until they had done it, I think the measurement is far scarier than the height. Another noteworthy jump was a crossrail which was set to the very top of the standards. Of course, my camera died right before I could video her going over the oxer, but I squeaked enough energy out of it to get a picture of them standing next to it.
I could tell they both had a great time. I was so proud of all of us. So proud of Bentley for his performance and for his respect of Heather when he had never really been ridden by anyone but me. Proud of myself that I have brought him to this point. And proud of Heather for realizing how good of a rider she really is. Rurik is hard to ride because he is not only an off the track standardbred, but can also be devious and is very wise to what tricks he can get away with. She hasn't been able to do as much in her lessons as some of the other students because of this. I had also previously insisted she come to an OCTRA ride and that we would find her someone to ride and her answer was "I can't I am not a good enough rider." That day she proved herself wrong. It is the challenges we are given that make for the largest accomplishments, I think she has gained an appreciation for herself and for Rurik's unique abilities in this whole process.
She is now very eager to try an OCTRA ride with me this year. Anyone want to volunteer a horse for a great Junior?
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
I love my horse
It's funny how Bentley can do nothing of significance at all, yet I can come out of a ride feeling the happiest I have ever been.
Last night was one of those nights. Yes, there was a big accomplishment... I re-introduced the bit, and he accepted it without question or incentive. Wow, what a horse. But it was not that which made me so happy, but it was a result of what was so great. I cant even describe exactly what was done, since it was more a matter of how it happened. It didn't feel like training anymore, in fact it felt more like 2 best friends out for a walk. Sharing thoughts and stories. I could really hear what he was telling me, and reciprocate.
Last night was one of those nights. Yes, there was a big accomplishment... I re-introduced the bit, and he accepted it without question or incentive. Wow, what a horse. But it was not that which made me so happy, but it was a result of what was so great. I cant even describe exactly what was done, since it was more a matter of how it happened. It didn't feel like training anymore, in fact it felt more like 2 best friends out for a walk. Sharing thoughts and stories. I could really hear what he was telling me, and reciprocate.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
New Arrivals at GEC
It sure has been an exciting week. There have been a few arrivals at GEC which have sparked a wave of Awwww's from the humans, and terror from the horses.
First addition came on Tuesday. I was pulling into the barn to give my clinic/workshop for the kids on Distance, Time and Calculating speed when I caught sight of Bentley and all of his friends whipping around their paddock. I thought to myself "Oh how cute, they are playing" and ran back to grab my camera. A couple more steps and I knew something was not quite right... and there it was. 4 horses huddled in one corner, and a small... HAIRY alpaca in the far corner. Every time she moved, the horses would run around wildly and stare her down with fear and confusion in their eyes.
See... look at the fear!
Fact is, I couldn't get a picture of them that included the *monster*. Laura promptly removed the alpaca since nobody seemed to be happy with the situation. The alpaca is now safely tucked into a stall (which Bentley is not so pleased with every time we enter the barn)
Hmm... maybe she DID like it in with the horses! Or maybe being stubborn is just her way. I have to say, I would NOT know how to lead a stubborn alpaca either.
The next arrival came yesterday and it was a little more expected. The miniature pony Noelle finally popped (boy was she ever getting huge!) and presented our barn family with a beautiful little filly. She is so cute, about the size of a large cat, you could fit her right in your lap. I didn't get to see much of her, as when I first peeked in, he mommy was blocking my line of sight, but I did manage to get a quick snapshot with my phone.
I'm also told a new boarder arrived last night, but I haven't gotten a chance to investigate. Geeze where will all these animals go?
First addition came on Tuesday. I was pulling into the barn to give my clinic/workshop for the kids on Distance, Time and Calculating speed when I caught sight of Bentley and all of his friends whipping around their paddock. I thought to myself "Oh how cute, they are playing" and ran back to grab my camera. A couple more steps and I knew something was not quite right... and there it was. 4 horses huddled in one corner, and a small... HAIRY alpaca in the far corner. Every time she moved, the horses would run around wildly and stare her down with fear and confusion in their eyes.
See... look at the fear!
Fact is, I couldn't get a picture of them that included the *monster*. Laura promptly removed the alpaca since nobody seemed to be happy with the situation. The alpaca is now safely tucked into a stall (which Bentley is not so pleased with every time we enter the barn)
Hmm... maybe she DID like it in with the horses! Or maybe being stubborn is just her way. I have to say, I would NOT know how to lead a stubborn alpaca either.
The next arrival came yesterday and it was a little more expected. The miniature pony Noelle finally popped (boy was she ever getting huge!) and presented our barn family with a beautiful little filly. She is so cute, about the size of a large cat, you could fit her right in your lap. I didn't get to see much of her, as when I first peeked in, he mommy was blocking my line of sight, but I did manage to get a quick snapshot with my phone.
I'm also told a new boarder arrived last night, but I haven't gotten a chance to investigate. Geeze where will all these animals go?
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Another month gone by... lets see where I am
April:
Goal by end: Jumping individual X's and 18" verticals from the trot inside. Balanced canter, correct half halts. Hacking at the walk. Canter in outdoor ring (weather permitting!) Do a 6 mile ride.
28-29 - Volunteer at Aprilfest
May
Goal by end: Canter single fences, 2' -2'6" from trot or canter. Walk trot on hacks. Complete CYEH Dressage test without too much difficulty and be relatively pleasing to watch. Load on trailer within 15 mins. Clean up some of the x-country jumps. Do an 8 mile ride.12- Maybe go and watch CYEH tests at Glen Oro, Orillia
19-20 - Hopefully volunteer and trailer B to OCTRA spring ride in Millbrook
June
Goal by end: Complete a full course of 2'-2'9" at trot or canter. WTC on hacks. Cross the river. Learn to braid mane nicely! Do a 10 mile ride. Hand gallop in outdoor ring. Safely tied on trailer.
10-Hopefully volunteer and trailer B to Stormont CTR in Finch, ON
16-17 - Hopefully volunteer and trailer B to Summer Solstice in Mansfield
23-24 - Maybe CYEH at horse trials at Woodwind Farm Orillia, maybe just watch!
30-Jul 1 - Hopefully volunteer and trailer B to Cayuse canter, Millbrook
July
Goal by End: Do 1 offsite rode (OCTRA or CYEH). Do a 15 mile ride. Jump a <2'9" course with one line. Jump a ditch jump and a few small x-country jumps. Ride in snaffle.4 - Maybe CYEH at Equus 3D
15 - Hopefully volunteer and trailer B to Flesherton CTR
21 - Schooling event for CYEH at Glen Oro
22 - Maybe CYEH at Equus 3D
August
Goal by End: Jump a full course entirely at canter. Jumps with "scary" filler or standards. Trot up hills. Able to syringe electrolytes.
8 - CYEH GlenArden farms in fergus
12 - Summers End Training Ride - 15 Mi SS Millbrook
19 - Seouls Corners Endurance - 12 mi SS
22 - CYEH at Equus 3D
25-26 - CYEH at Woodwind
September
Goal by end: Sane and happy hacks, Drinking at river, snacking en route.
1-14 - Horsey Holiday!
2 - Me volunteer at FEI endurance at Stormont
16 - Massie Autumn Colours - 12 mi SS
23 - CYEH at Glen Oro
29-30 - Oktoberfest in Mansfield - 12 mi SS
October
Goal by End: 20 Mi hack at walk trot. Tie for picnic! Find appropriate saddle.
Looks like the main thing I missed was the canter. We DO have sane canters now, but its still sometime hit or miss as to whether we get it or we gallop, at least the chances are now more like 90/10 instead of 50/50. So I did not want to cross it off the list, even thoug I am "mostly" there... mostly. I think once I have the bit in more we should be better, its an incredible transformation. I think a lot of it is in my head too. I notice when we canter, I am bouncing around a lot, which I think means I am subconsciously stiffening up. Hes a good boy, but we haven't got to that level of trust yet. Considering this, I am so grateful that he isn't getting out of control and trying to run from my stiff butt in the canter. We will get there!
We are also re-starting lessons with Margie next week, which helps me. I ride a lot better with a second brain, and confidence is a big thing with Bentley!
Goal by end: Jumping individual X's and 18" verticals from the trot inside. Balanced canter, correct half halts. Hacking at the walk. Canter in outdoor ring (weather permitting!) Do a 6 mile ride.
28-29 - Volunteer at Aprilfest
May
Goal by end: Canter single fences, 2' -2'6" from trot or canter. Walk trot on hacks. Complete CYEH Dressage test without too much difficulty and be relatively pleasing to watch. Load on trailer within 15 mins. Clean up some of the x-country jumps. Do an 8 mile ride.12- Maybe go and watch CYEH tests at Glen Oro, Orillia
19-20 - Hopefully volunteer and trailer B to OCTRA spring ride in Millbrook
June
Goal by end: Complete a full course of 2'-2'9" at trot or canter. WTC on hacks. Cross the river. Learn to braid mane nicely! Do a 10 mile ride. Hand gallop in outdoor ring. Safely tied on trailer.
10-Hopefully volunteer and trailer B to Stormont CTR in Finch, ON
16-17 - Hopefully volunteer and trailer B to Summer Solstice in Mansfield
23-24 - Maybe CYEH at horse trials at Woodwind Farm Orillia, maybe just watch!
30-Jul 1 - Hopefully volunteer and trailer B to Cayuse canter, Millbrook
July
Goal by End: Do 1 offsite rode (OCTRA or CYEH). Do a 15 mile ride. Jump a <2'9" course with one line. Jump a ditch jump and a few small x-country jumps. Ride in snaffle.4 - Maybe CYEH at Equus 3D
15 - Hopefully volunteer and trailer B to Flesherton CTR
21 - Schooling event for CYEH at Glen Oro
22 - Maybe CYEH at Equus 3D
August
Goal by End: Jump a full course entirely at canter. Jumps with "scary" filler or standards. Trot up hills. Able to syringe electrolytes.
8 - CYEH GlenArden farms in fergus
12 - Summers End Training Ride - 15 Mi SS Millbrook
19 - Seouls Corners Endurance - 12 mi SS
22 - CYEH at Equus 3D
25-26 - CYEH at Woodwind
September
Goal by end: Sane and happy hacks, Drinking at river, snacking en route.
1-14 - Horsey Holiday!
2 - Me volunteer at FEI endurance at Stormont
16 - Massie Autumn Colours - 12 mi SS
23 - CYEH at Glen Oro
29-30 - Oktoberfest in Mansfield - 12 mi SS
October
Goal by End: 20 Mi hack at walk trot. Tie for picnic! Find appropriate saddle.
Looks like the main thing I missed was the canter. We DO have sane canters now, but its still sometime hit or miss as to whether we get it or we gallop, at least the chances are now more like 90/10 instead of 50/50. So I did not want to cross it off the list, even thoug I am "mostly" there... mostly. I think once I have the bit in more we should be better, its an incredible transformation. I think a lot of it is in my head too. I notice when we canter, I am bouncing around a lot, which I think means I am subconsciously stiffening up. Hes a good boy, but we haven't got to that level of trust yet. Considering this, I am so grateful that he isn't getting out of control and trying to run from my stiff butt in the canter. We will get there!
We are also re-starting lessons with Margie next week, which helps me. I ride a lot better with a second brain, and confidence is a big thing with Bentley!
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Aprilfest Day 2
Sunday was a much earlier day than Saturday. Somehow I managed to find 2 volunteers in Janna and Rachel who were willing to get up in time to leave the barn at 6:00am.
When we got there, I was told that since I rode the day before all I needed to do was show the vets my card from the day before to transfer the info. Sue had left the card at home, so we had to vet again. This was proof that everything happens for a reason! Poor Foxy had a very tender back and made sour faces at the lightest touch. Its a good thing we did vet!
But that meant I wouldn't be going out on my 25 mile ride. Thinking back to last year, I was also supposed to do 25 at Dufferin on Abby, but had to pull because she was shivering so much we couldn't get her heart rate under control. I feel destined to never complete a 25 mile ride at dufferin!
Instead, I helped pit crew for Linda and Mike since they were still able to ride.
Easy was not being easy for Mike, he was really upset that his girlfriend wasn't coming along for the ride. She got taken home immediately after he started his first loop, since she also wouldn't settle. On the hold, Easy seemed to calm down a little (he was being awful when he came in!) when he realized there was no mare back at the campsite that he was leaving behind. I think Mike had a better loop the second time around.
I didn't stick around for the awards, since I wasn't riding I didn't need to wait around for a ribbon and that meant I could take Bentley out in the afternoon! So I am not sure how they ended up placing. Linda completed with a Grade 2!
Funny coincidence, Sue and Mike's son (who was helping out that day) works at Air Georgian... 2 hangars away from me. I know both the aviation and horse worlds are small, but they rarely overlap. But then again, I seem to know lots of people in the aviation industry before either of us had any involvement in it.
Since I had my afternoon free, I conducted my own mini Aprilfest for Bentley. We went for a nice walk down to the plateau, with Lee following with his chair and a picnic. He was being pretty feisty, probably due to the lack of work he has had recently. His paddock is pretty small and he needs to burn off that energy! We eventually found our groove and he was happy to trot and canter nicely. I haven't been cantering him recently because he keeps choosing it, not me, but this time I let him and practised steering. We started pretty fast, but he is pretty nimble and was able to make ok circles. He was listening to me, which usually isn't the case when we canter outside, and I got creative and changed the size of the circles every so often and he followed nicely. In the past, he has gotten faster and faster and started ignoring my commands to steer. As I said, it was faster than my comfort zone on him, but I am starting to trust him more and will accept this gait for now.
We also worked a lot on the trot. He has a tendency of getting on his forehand while going straight, speeding up and then trying to break into the canter. So I rode him very alertly and was able to bring him back AND increase our speed without falling into the canter. I was glancing at my garmin, and I saw 10.5 mph at a good trot. We were doing about 8 in our easy fun ride trot. He takes such long strides, once we get the muscles developed and our communication working, I think we will end up with a VERY POWERFUL trot.
We got about 5 miles in, went up the stairs, and then the big green monster appeared and I came very close to being dumped. The farmer was working on the cornfields with his tractor, and Bentley was not having anything to do with it.
We tried going back down to the plateau where it was out of sight, but it came along our side of the fields and could be seen through the trees, and he just wouldn't calm down. So for safety sake, I got off and walked him back to the barn.
I wasn't yet ready to stop riding, so we did some more ring work... boosting our mileage up to about 9 miles. We did some small jumps and did a nice little jumping course. The first time we went around, the striding was off as we entered our second jump and we knocked down literally ALL the jumps. So I tried a few more times, and eventually he seemed to click that all the nonsense happening above him had some relevance. We ended up finding the sweet spot and had a good 2 or 3 perfect jumps.
At this point in time, my sister Heather came out with Rurik to ride. We decided to go down in the valley since the tractor was still plowing the fields. We walked close to the river, Bentley was concerned about the sounds of water at first, but proceeded along the edge (or 10 feet away from the edge that is!) We came across some mean geese who were hissing at us... there was no completing that loop! Darn, I really wanted to measure those distances to add to the mileage maps. Next time!
As we headed back, Heather wanted to bring Rurik to the creek crossing to offer him a drink. I wasn't going to push Bentley since he has always been so afraid of tiny puddles and streams and just waited at the side. Looking at it is an achievement in itself. Rurik plowed right into the water an wanted to go right through. So on a whim, i turned Bentley's nose toward it and thought "go". Didn't even have to tap him with my legs, he was into the creek!
I was so stunned, I almost forgot to congratulate him! The water was easily 3 feet deep where he went in... the deepest part of the crossing. And he didn't care at all. Best theory I have is that he wont cross puddles because they are murky, but creek is ok because he can see the bottom?
This opened up all sorts of possible places for us to ride. We chose to do the big hill, and go through some treed trails. Bentley didn't want to lead, but had no questions when Rurik went through. I had trouble keeping B off Ruriks butt, especially since Rurik has previously made it clear that he isn't friends with Bentley, but they both stayed friendly with their ears forward! We crossed the creek to go back home and again, no issues at all!
Overall Bentley got 10.9 miles on Sunday.
When we got there, I was told that since I rode the day before all I needed to do was show the vets my card from the day before to transfer the info. Sue had left the card at home, so we had to vet again. This was proof that everything happens for a reason! Poor Foxy had a very tender back and made sour faces at the lightest touch. Its a good thing we did vet!
But that meant I wouldn't be going out on my 25 mile ride. Thinking back to last year, I was also supposed to do 25 at Dufferin on Abby, but had to pull because she was shivering so much we couldn't get her heart rate under control. I feel destined to never complete a 25 mile ride at dufferin!
Instead, I helped pit crew for Linda and Mike since they were still able to ride.
Easy was not being easy for Mike, he was really upset that his girlfriend wasn't coming along for the ride. She got taken home immediately after he started his first loop, since she also wouldn't settle. On the hold, Easy seemed to calm down a little (he was being awful when he came in!) when he realized there was no mare back at the campsite that he was leaving behind. I think Mike had a better loop the second time around.
I didn't stick around for the awards, since I wasn't riding I didn't need to wait around for a ribbon and that meant I could take Bentley out in the afternoon! So I am not sure how they ended up placing. Linda completed with a Grade 2!
Funny coincidence, Sue and Mike's son (who was helping out that day) works at Air Georgian... 2 hangars away from me. I know both the aviation and horse worlds are small, but they rarely overlap. But then again, I seem to know lots of people in the aviation industry before either of us had any involvement in it.
Since I had my afternoon free, I conducted my own mini Aprilfest for Bentley. We went for a nice walk down to the plateau, with Lee following with his chair and a picnic. He was being pretty feisty, probably due to the lack of work he has had recently. His paddock is pretty small and he needs to burn off that energy! We eventually found our groove and he was happy to trot and canter nicely. I haven't been cantering him recently because he keeps choosing it, not me, but this time I let him and practised steering. We started pretty fast, but he is pretty nimble and was able to make ok circles. He was listening to me, which usually isn't the case when we canter outside, and I got creative and changed the size of the circles every so often and he followed nicely. In the past, he has gotten faster and faster and started ignoring my commands to steer. As I said, it was faster than my comfort zone on him, but I am starting to trust him more and will accept this gait for now.
We also worked a lot on the trot. He has a tendency of getting on his forehand while going straight, speeding up and then trying to break into the canter. So I rode him very alertly and was able to bring him back AND increase our speed without falling into the canter. I was glancing at my garmin, and I saw 10.5 mph at a good trot. We were doing about 8 in our easy fun ride trot. He takes such long strides, once we get the muscles developed and our communication working, I think we will end up with a VERY POWERFUL trot.
We got about 5 miles in, went up the stairs, and then the big green monster appeared and I came very close to being dumped. The farmer was working on the cornfields with his tractor, and Bentley was not having anything to do with it.
We tried going back down to the plateau where it was out of sight, but it came along our side of the fields and could be seen through the trees, and he just wouldn't calm down. So for safety sake, I got off and walked him back to the barn.
I wasn't yet ready to stop riding, so we did some more ring work... boosting our mileage up to about 9 miles. We did some small jumps and did a nice little jumping course. The first time we went around, the striding was off as we entered our second jump and we knocked down literally ALL the jumps. So I tried a few more times, and eventually he seemed to click that all the nonsense happening above him had some relevance. We ended up finding the sweet spot and had a good 2 or 3 perfect jumps.
At this point in time, my sister Heather came out with Rurik to ride. We decided to go down in the valley since the tractor was still plowing the fields. We walked close to the river, Bentley was concerned about the sounds of water at first, but proceeded along the edge (or 10 feet away from the edge that is!) We came across some mean geese who were hissing at us... there was no completing that loop! Darn, I really wanted to measure those distances to add to the mileage maps. Next time!
As we headed back, Heather wanted to bring Rurik to the creek crossing to offer him a drink. I wasn't going to push Bentley since he has always been so afraid of tiny puddles and streams and just waited at the side. Looking at it is an achievement in itself. Rurik plowed right into the water an wanted to go right through. So on a whim, i turned Bentley's nose toward it and thought "go". Didn't even have to tap him with my legs, he was into the creek!
I was so stunned, I almost forgot to congratulate him! The water was easily 3 feet deep where he went in... the deepest part of the crossing. And he didn't care at all. Best theory I have is that he wont cross puddles because they are murky, but creek is ok because he can see the bottom?
This opened up all sorts of possible places for us to ride. We chose to do the big hill, and go through some treed trails. Bentley didn't want to lead, but had no questions when Rurik went through. I had trouble keeping B off Ruriks butt, especially since Rurik has previously made it clear that he isn't friends with Bentley, but they both stayed friendly with their ears forward! We crossed the creek to go back home and again, no issues at all!
Overall Bentley got 10.9 miles on Sunday.
Aprilfest Day 1
I should have done this yesterday, but like most Mondays I am just too busy to write about all the things that happen over the weekend.
Saturday I headed up to Dufferin forest with Adriana who was riding, and Lily and my sister Heather who were volunteering. Since we were running ahead of schedule, we took the scenic route, and stopped by the Trail Side Cafe in Caledon East which is one of my favorite spots to visit. Apparently its also the girls favourites! And we all got some enormous and tasty muffins.
We got to the ride site right at 11:00 as planned, and found Sue who introduced us to Foxy and Easy. The two got a ton of attention while we waited for vetting to start and seemed to be smiling as we brushed them over. Marg came with Desmil for Adriana, and our attention turned to that before vetting. We both vetted clear, and Adriana found a sponsor.... then found out she didn't actually need one. We are still learning these new junior rules!
We hit the trail at about 1:10 for the 12 mile set speed. There were so many people riding in it! I guess now that set speed is included for year end overall points, it gives more incentive to do the shorter distances too. And why not?
The trail was 2 laps of a 6 mile loop. Our first loop we took very slowly, almost walked the whole way. Carol was trying to get Star settled (as he can be a pain in the butt when he decides he wants to race!) and we all were happy to just walk along too and enjoy the sun shining through the trees. It was pretty cool, but since we were moving, it wasn't miserable. My favourite part of the trail is right near the end of that loop, where the footing turns to soft fallen pine needles and everything is quiet and feels magical.
Foxy and I got along just fine, riding an off the track standardbred is quite a bit different than other horses. First, they lean on the bit to balance them and go faster, so if I wanted to get her moving, I had to remember to not just kick, but give her something to work with. Since it was so relaxed, I spent most of the ride on a loose rein however. Next, she is still figuring out her balance. So as long as we were keeping up with the other horses and she was comfortable, I just let her pick her gait. My hands off approach seemed to work just fine with her. Twice, she did choose to pace (instead of canter) and we just flew! What an interesting sensation. I have felt it many times before, but never that fast and smooth.
Our second loop, we kind of clicked into the idea of "oh maybe we should get moving so we can actually be ON the set speed chart" So we trotted most of the way. This seemed to please Foxy greatly. Towards the end of our first loop, she was getting impatient and tossing her head, trotting is clearly what she does best and she was happy to show her skills. We vetted in at the end with all A's and a heart rate of 45, not bad for a non-Arab and it was BETTER than when we came off our slow first loop.
Adriana finished up a bit later, they had held the new riders back at the start so there wouldn't be bunching up on the trail. That happened anyway to us, Foxy almost planted a good 2 hoof kick on a horse that came up behind us and between her and Easy. Either way, we were all in by 4 and all had a blast. I ended up with a grade 3, Adriana grade 4 (her pace was a bit slower than ours).
Set speed is new to OCTRA last year, and we are all still figuring out the finer points of it, but the basics are this:
Grades are based on a chart where heart rates are listed in the rows, and speed in the columns. At the end of the ride, you must reach parameters (56bpm or as designated by ride manager) within 20 minutes of crossing the finish line in order to "complete". At 30 minutes after the finish line, you receive a 60 second count of your heart rate and that is what rate is used for scoring in the chart. Your speed is calculated without the holds and starts from the moment the trail opens to the moment you cross the finish line. The cell that your column/row meet at is your grade. Grade 1 being the best. Divisions are bronze, silver and gold and the difference is the speed on the chart (must go faster while maintaining your heart rate)
It is especially interesting to see it now as everyone figures out their strategies. Since it isn't the first to cross the finish line that necessarily wins, people are trying all sorts of techniques. There is the slow and steady approach. Some will take a fast first loop, and slow second loop in hopes to bring the heart rate lower on the second loop. Some will go fast both times and take an extra long break in the middle. It means lots of passing on the trail. Bottom line is, you need to know your horse, because the best pace for your horse's condition will always give you the best result.
Saturday I headed up to Dufferin forest with Adriana who was riding, and Lily and my sister Heather who were volunteering. Since we were running ahead of schedule, we took the scenic route, and stopped by the Trail Side Cafe in Caledon East which is one of my favorite spots to visit. Apparently its also the girls favourites! And we all got some enormous and tasty muffins.
We got to the ride site right at 11:00 as planned, and found Sue who introduced us to Foxy and Easy. The two got a ton of attention while we waited for vetting to start and seemed to be smiling as we brushed them over. Marg came with Desmil for Adriana, and our attention turned to that before vetting. We both vetted clear, and Adriana found a sponsor.... then found out she didn't actually need one. We are still learning these new junior rules!
We hit the trail at about 1:10 for the 12 mile set speed. There were so many people riding in it! I guess now that set speed is included for year end overall points, it gives more incentive to do the shorter distances too. And why not?
The trail was 2 laps of a 6 mile loop. Our first loop we took very slowly, almost walked the whole way. Carol was trying to get Star settled (as he can be a pain in the butt when he decides he wants to race!) and we all were happy to just walk along too and enjoy the sun shining through the trees. It was pretty cool, but since we were moving, it wasn't miserable. My favourite part of the trail is right near the end of that loop, where the footing turns to soft fallen pine needles and everything is quiet and feels magical.
Foxy and I got along just fine, riding an off the track standardbred is quite a bit different than other horses. First, they lean on the bit to balance them and go faster, so if I wanted to get her moving, I had to remember to not just kick, but give her something to work with. Since it was so relaxed, I spent most of the ride on a loose rein however. Next, she is still figuring out her balance. So as long as we were keeping up with the other horses and she was comfortable, I just let her pick her gait. My hands off approach seemed to work just fine with her. Twice, she did choose to pace (instead of canter) and we just flew! What an interesting sensation. I have felt it many times before, but never that fast and smooth.
Our second loop, we kind of clicked into the idea of "oh maybe we should get moving so we can actually be ON the set speed chart" So we trotted most of the way. This seemed to please Foxy greatly. Towards the end of our first loop, she was getting impatient and tossing her head, trotting is clearly what she does best and she was happy to show her skills. We vetted in at the end with all A's and a heart rate of 45, not bad for a non-Arab and it was BETTER than when we came off our slow first loop.
Adriana finished up a bit later, they had held the new riders back at the start so there wouldn't be bunching up on the trail. That happened anyway to us, Foxy almost planted a good 2 hoof kick on a horse that came up behind us and between her and Easy. Either way, we were all in by 4 and all had a blast. I ended up with a grade 3, Adriana grade 4 (her pace was a bit slower than ours).
Set speed is new to OCTRA last year, and we are all still figuring out the finer points of it, but the basics are this:
Grades are based on a chart where heart rates are listed in the rows, and speed in the columns. At the end of the ride, you must reach parameters (56bpm or as designated by ride manager) within 20 minutes of crossing the finish line in order to "complete". At 30 minutes after the finish line, you receive a 60 second count of your heart rate and that is what rate is used for scoring in the chart. Your speed is calculated without the holds and starts from the moment the trail opens to the moment you cross the finish line. The cell that your column/row meet at is your grade. Grade 1 being the best. Divisions are bronze, silver and gold and the difference is the speed on the chart (must go faster while maintaining your heart rate)
It is especially interesting to see it now as everyone figures out their strategies. Since it isn't the first to cross the finish line that necessarily wins, people are trying all sorts of techniques. There is the slow and steady approach. Some will take a fast first loop, and slow second loop in hopes to bring the heart rate lower on the second loop. Some will go fast both times and take an extra long break in the middle. It means lots of passing on the trail. Bottom line is, you need to know your horse, because the best pace for your horse's condition will always give you the best result.
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