I Rode ~

Our ride Route~

Tuesday - Beautiful day, but not the best of rides...  The bugs were out in Force!  I came home with large bites all around where the edge of my helmet meets my forehead!  Khari was spooking at almost Every step...  I kept her to a walk, as was alone.   Every time I tried to pick up the pace, the shying/spooking would increase even more...  Thought it would take me forever to complete my planned route with all the circling we were doing.  She's not the same horse she was & I'm not sure why.  On the way back, my friend Liz called.  I was talking to her, sun was shining through the trees, gorgeous.   At a walk, Khari suddenly violently stopped & 180'ed!  Why you ask?  A small piece of bark on the trail...  At that point my frustration rose to the boiling point!  I asked her "WHY???  WHY???" but she had no response...

Yesterday a friend stopped by, I was telling her the story of the dirt-bikes, ATV's, unexpected noises, gunshots, new remote controlled vehicle noise (Khari freaked!) that we came home to...  All originating from the "neighbors" to our north...  .   We've had to move her out of the barn.   (Butch built a small "Stable" as close to the house as we could put it...)  The way she now grabs a mouth-full of hay, dragging it out of her stable into the "open" so she can continue her vigil of these same "neighbors".  As we watched, Khari's nervousness was plain to see.  Patty said;  "She thinks there is bad ju-ju over their!"  "She looks miserable!"  Sad thing is... she does...

It's been over a year now since we started having difficulties with the "Adjoining landowners from hell..."   (The stress of which I still firmly believe contributed to Jas's final colic & her death...)  I'm starting to think that these things are what is at the root of Khari's problems.  My fine, strong mare isn't really able to relax at home any longer & has lost her confidence...

Dancing Horses!

Friesian Stallion

A beautiful Andalusian

Yesterday as we were leaving Snohomish, we drove past the Ixtapa Mexican Restaurant.  In the parking lot a Mariachi Band was playing & several horses were dancing!  What fun!   We had a great time watching the horses & admiring the tack!

Beautiful Saddle Bag

With Silver & Gold inlay

The owner came out to ride!

Spectacular Andalusian Stallion

Lots of mane & tail here!

I spoke to his rider/owner about the possibility of a breeding & he was interested, after seeing a photo of Khari.  No - I probably won't...  but oh how tempting!  Can you just imagine all that mane & tail?!  I might even take a break from Endurance & do more parade riding!  :-)

What the Well-Dressed horse wears in Western Washington!

Khari in her new Weatherbeeta "brown" blanket :-)

Khari managed to hang-up a hind leg in her "everyday" rain blanket trying to hit the bugs that were attacking her belly.  While trying to free it, she ripped the back corner & stretched the buckles to the breaking point!  Good news, she freed her leg!  :-)  

Today we went shopping for a new spring blanket & fly mask with ears!  The gnats have been terrible in the evenings, unless it's raining -- which is "most" of the time.  I'd like to get her into a bug sheet, but no point until the rains let up.  Instead I have to use wipes on her belly & had been rubbing "Swat" onto her ears.  

Smoothing out the "Ride" ~

Views of the Sound & Olympic Mountains

We enjoyed a mid-week sunshine day yesterday!   Joyce called to ask if I wanted to ride from her house & that's always "yes" for an answer!  Joyce is the very finest at finding trail & making any ride feel fresh.  We did some climbing & checked out some old logging roads that ended at a turn-about.  Even though it starting getting hazy in the afternoon - it felt very warm & humid.  The bugs were out!

I've been having issues for a couple months now, with Khari spooking & shying.  I think I've tied this to leaving my deep seat saddle & using the old Big Horn with a flatter seat.  I feel & indeed AM less secure in it, the seat has no "ride-ability" (see earlier post).  I have to consider that she's picking up on this & taking advantage -- which we all know that any Arabian worth his/her salt will do!

Also, we went from fit & ready for a 50, to me on the injured list for four weeks, missing that first ride.  Khari went from working - to vacation time -- so of course that excess energy has to be put to some use!  :-)

I've been discussing these problems with Dean Essex, DVM who told me to stop using the stick & go back to circling.  So, at the first in place powerful spook - on paving, the kind that sends your spine up into your brain case...  we circled!  We circled some more!   We stopped, I put the mare into "neutral", took a Deep breath & gave her the cue to walk-on.  Seemed to work!  Instead of elevating the energy level, which the stick can do...  it was significantly lowered!

Next, we trotted out onto a clearing with lots of left-over logging debris.  Khari has seen this type of thing Many times, but she started shying to the right, shying to the left -- as I'm fond of saying -- looking for a reason to spook.  NOT!  We stopped!  We started circling, circling, circling.  Stop - Deep breath & walk-on!  Worked again!

When Joyce, riding Jesse - started a 14 mph gallop, we followed & I felt like I had Khari's brain firmly between her ears!  It ended up being a really Great ride!  I felt empowered again -- having a tool that I'd forgotten to use that Worked!  Let's hope I can build on this, built on my fitness & get to a ride yet this season!

Whitehorse Trail Tour~

Good turn-out of trail users & committee memebers

What a perfect day to walk the trail!  Sunshine & +60 degrees.  We probably started with at least twenty people in attendance, when we met at the Old School Park in Darrington.  We followed Railroad Ave. from the park, north through town, past the IGA store & down to where the signage is in place for what will be a very nice trail head.  Next we carpooled on to the next stop, down a road just east of the Rodeo Grounds.

Section of trail open for use

I turned on my GPS to log both locations.  The Google Earth images aren't very up to date, but you can still get the idea by the little lines of black/white squares.

The trail parallels Hwy 530

By the time we were done at this second location, Butch & I had to leave to visit our new Granddaughter, so were sorry to have missed the remaining stops -- though I am familiar with the one's closest to Arlington.  The first six six miles of the trail is passable/useable as you leave Darrington, going towards the 27 miles of trail that will eventually take you to Arlington.  Amazingly -- there are 16 old Railroad bridges that will need to be planked before the trail can open the entire distance.

A section where the hillside is sliding into the river~

Darrington is working hard to attract more tourists to the area.  The development of this trail should certainly help to support that goal!  http://www.darringtonwatourism.com/