Another Training Day~

Today both Sandra & I felt that Farah is making progress.  Though we only get up there once a week, Farah is remembering, paying attention & building on what she'd learned.  Last week when I had her out on the trail, I felt that she was listening & paying more attention to me.  That's always a good sign.

As Sandra works with her - she is understanding what it is that we're asking & doing her best to get it done!  As with so many horses, when the speed goes up, the anxiety level rises too.  When Farah starts lifting her head & trying to get away from the bit, Sandra backs off, slows her down & asks for the head.  Once Farah complies, away they go again.

I'm hopeful of getting out on the trail in the next couple days & working with her there too!

Around we Go!

Our loop today

 Today I rode with my Fish Creek friends.  It was wet, it was cold & it did rain - but we really didn't care much - since the idea was to get OUT before the next big storm that is forecast for tonight & tomorrow.  Patty had her new mare, going for only her fourth or fifth trail ride!  What a good girl she was.  I took my turn being Patty's trail buddy, as the others were wanting a fast loop to condition up for the first endurance ride of the season.

Farah is pretty much there - she's been working all through the winter & it takes a while for her to even break a sweat.  We are working on "coming back" a bit - so the combination of new trail mare & second season mare worked out just fine :-)  Farah got a little impatient - but once she figured out that it was going to be a "no-hurry" kind of ride, she settled down nicely - especially since we hadn't gotten out to the trails this week.

When the others caught us a couple miles from the trailers, Dean took over riding with Patty & I got in a short trot with Dory & Linda.  Once at the trail head, I turned Farah around & she had a nice gallop back find Patty & Dean.  I was tempted to go out on my own & do another loop - but I'd had enough of the cold & the weather was only getting more miserable...

I forgot to turn off the GPS, so recorded a top speed of 55 mph!  Yippee!  Not!  Pains me when I forget & goof up my stats for the ride - but at least it's recorded so I can log it in my Distance Derby miles!  Speaking of the DD - I got in just before the cut-off date the end of January!  I lost my January miles, but even so, am starting to move up in the ranks.  We'll see how my miles hold up against riders from across the country.  Fun stuff :-)

Bolender Horse Park - Day 2

Farah remembers!

Sunday started with a short "Cowboy Service" by Mark.  A nice way to start the day, enjoyed by all.  After some work in the arena under saddle & over obstacles we headed outside into what was to be a beautiful afternoon.

Katie rides Farah through the water~

The "issue" was dropping back in!

With Mark & Checkers

Mark put Farah back on a lead & helped Katie put her back in the water from a lower point on the edge.   Farah finally enters again -

She exits even faster!

Not what Mark wanted, she was asked to do it again!

With a snarl from Checkers - a controlled entry :-)

I was so appreciative of Katie's riding!  She'd asked to ride Farah - so I picked a "golden moment" to put her in the saddle :-)

The suspension bridge was no problem :-)

 I mounted up for the rest of the course.  In photos this course looks very reasonable, but when you're in the saddle, heading down a steep downhill & Mark says;  "Give her the reins!" I had a hard time turning them loose!

Heading down!

After Farah rushed it & took off at the bottom, which is something that she tends to do...  Mark blocked her with Checkers & our next try - with loose reins - was much better :-)

Over the bridge~

 Other obstacles were "easy" for us, thankfully.  We were all so absorbed in our horses & what Mark was teaching us - that by the time anyone even looked up - it was past three in the afternoon!  We'd started at ten in the morning!

Without doubt I find this new discipline challenging!  It really shows you what weaknesses you have & where your strength's lie.  The goal of completing this kind of course as a competitor & scoring well - has been added to my bucket list!  We'll go back!

Bolender Horse Park! - Day 1

Farah & Connie, end of our second day~

When you're lucky enough to meet Great people, who own & operate a Super facility & plan a weekend for their guests as good as ours was...  it makes for many happy memories!

When our Sno-King Saddle Up group posted a meet-up at Bolender Horse Park for Valentine's Weekend, we made our reservation.  We usually plan a trip this time of year, it's our mutual birthday weekend & February can surprise us with decent weather.  I first heard about Mark Bolender & Mountain & Extreme Trail Courses from a friend.  When we pulled into the beautiful facility on Fri. afternoon, we were met by two interns who directed us to parking & had a stall ready for Farah!  We soon met-up with Leigh & her husband Jeff who had already managed to get a recommendation for what I think must have been the best restaurant in the area for dinner!  Yes!  Our kind of people!  I'd told Heather & George about the clinic - so they'd come too!  We all turned in pretty early, excited to get started on Sat.

Mark & Lee could not have been more welcoming.  On Sat. morning after we'd had breakfast, we met in the arena.  Mark gave us an overview of his plan for the weekend.  His low key, easy going attitude put everyone - including our horses at ease!  There were obstacles set up in the arena & we were to work our horses in-hand - learning to "send" them through the obstacles.

Mark explaining our goals for the day~

There have been many times in my years of riding when I felt like the obstacles we managed to clear were "extreme" - so I was really excited to get out on the course & see how Farah would do.  She was probably one of the younger & less experienced horses.

Mark taking Farah through the first of the obstacles~

Once outside, Mark asked me to send Farah through the first obstacle.  She evaded...  my intent was not clear enough!  He took her lead & she did exactly as he directed the FIRST time.  He handed the lead to me & she did it for me!  Yippee!

Farah Loved the teeter/totter!

I could not believe how easily Farah did the teeter/totter!  No problem!  Both directions & even turning a 180 in the middle!

She rushed the suspension bridge, but soon accepted it easily!

We had so much fun & did so much that it would take a book just to cover what we learned about ourselves & our horses on this day!  From the more experienced riders to we amateurs - everyone went away with a huge feeling of accomplishment!

That was far from the end of our day though - while we'd all be busy out on the course, Lee had been busy setting up for our "Valentine's Dinner"!  How nice, to clean-up, sit down & enjoy the company of some really special people.

Super way to end a Super Day!

We were all excited for the next day & riding our horses on the course!

Horse of a different color~

Khari & Connie at Blanchard

How quickly things change - or at least it seems quick in retrospect...  Last year at this time I was riding a lot, only it wasn't Farah - it was Khari.  I'd decided to get her sold & the best way to do it was to continue to put on the miles & get her as fit as I knew how - ready to move up to the 100-mile rides that I had no ambition to do.  It wasn't until she was sold in June that I had the time to really concentrate on Farah.  I'm always impressed & amazed by people who have several horses & find time to work them all! 

After our lesson today with Sandra, I think both Farah & I had brain fade!  :-)  Finding out that it's not just one cue that alerts your mount to your wishes - it is - I'm learning, a combination of cues that tells Farah what it is that I'm asking her to do.   At least, when I manage to cue correctly & avoid the bad habits that I am working very hard at unlearning!  Farah is willing, tries very hard & does her best.  Her best is much better when it's Sandra doing the riding!  When I'm on-board - we have moments of feeling everything right & that's motivational - at least for me.

Jentry brought the girls up to meet me & Skyla wanted to ride.  Without much adieu I lifted her up & Jentry spotted from the off-side.  Farah - more than happy to be done with her lesson - walked off with her swinging "I'm going somewhere" gait & Skyla was on her way!  She glanced back once at her mother - a HUGE smile on her face!   Not one to give up easily - I'm still hopeful that at least one granddaughter will want to do some riding as she gets a little older! :-)

As a side note - after years of riding grays - I'm SO Happy to have COLOR!  :-)