going back to our roots

February 6, 2014March 4, 2014 / Ashley Wingert / 6 Comments

~~instruments of torture~~
tall boots

bit transferred to leather bridle

duffel, goodie box, and hunt coat

This weekend’s shenanigans.

Pony and I are going full circle. I got a wild hair and decided to go compete in a couple of English classes at this weekend’s POA show. Yep, we’re going back to our roots, for a change of pace, to have some fun, and get out and do something again. Just for fun, the AZ POA club has been offering 19 & Over classes (the POA organization is for 18 & under youth riders, with the exception of the 19 & Over Futurity classes) and so I decided to try it again.

Benefit was that I still had all my English gear (with the exception of black gloves, which had long been sacrificed to the endurance trail and had the fingertips cut off), my endurance saddle just looks like a generously-sized English one with a few extra d-rings, and the show grounds are close to the barn, so no trouble borrowing the truck and trailer again. Plus, Mimi and I have always been better at English classes than Western..so we’re going to go and do what we do best, since it’s just for fun. :)

Artemis is going to come along with us as well, since it’ll only be for a couple of hours on Saturday afternoon. It’ll be good for her to get out and go to another event again, too.

I’m really looking forward to it…2002 was our last show, so I’ve actually been distance riding longer than I had been showing…I’m eager to “take what I know now” and re-apply it to the show ring. Not that I have any expectations, really…I’m out of the habit of show ring riding, and so is Mimi…but we’ll go, and have fun, and see old friends again.

And I get to have a very interesting time tomorrow, bathing a fuzzy pony back to her sparkling white self again…it’s a good thing this is advertised as the “sleek or fuzzy” show…

Catalina camping trip

December 30, 2013March 4, 2014 / Ashley Wingert / 2 Comments

Holiday shenanigans abounded this weekend when I loaded up the Go Pony, the puppy, and myself and headed down to Catalina State Park for an overnight camping trip. It was the puppy’s first camping trip, and since my plan for her is to be my ridecamp and travelling companion, it only made sense to get her started early on the whole idea.

As for the pony? She was beyond thrilled to be going. It was her first camping trip in nearly four years, only lacking all of the typical pre-ride prep such as a bath. (She got to go in all of her filthy pony glory and her “sparkly whiteness” was still commented on.)

I was able to borrow a friend’s truck/trailer to go down, complete with gooseneck trailer space for sleeping. Both puppy and pony traveled well, Artemis in her crate in the truck with me, and pony happy because she was by herself. (Not exactly prone to lone travel anxiety, that one. She seems to prefer an open trailer, only bellowing once when she got in as we were leaving, and upon arrival at the campground.)

Of course, this still being 2013, the Tire Misadventures weren’t quite done with me, and I had to deal with this on the trailer before even pulling out of the barn:

better to discover it now than on the road…

At least it was on the trailer, not the truck, and I had it changed in about 15 minutes. Then the pony was loaded up, and we were on our way!

puppy goes on An Adventure

I didn’t hear so much as a peep out of the pony, and after her customary first five minutes of crying and squirming about being shut in her kennel, Artemis quieted down and slept pretty much all the way down.

Catalina State Park is about an hour and half drive from the barn, and it’s a nice, easy, smooth drive — perfect for someone hauling an unfamiliar rig. (I’m also completely sold on gooseneck trailers now.)

The whole point of the trip was to meet up with endurance friends Lucy and Patrick, who were spending their holiday horse camping at Catalina. Catalina seemed to be a super-popular designation for the weekend — fortunately, they saved me a spot to park as well as snagged a corral that morning for Mimi to stay in. (Yay for not having to listen to the pony attached to the trailer all night. Love her, but she’s active — she rolls, she boings her hi-tie, she clatters buckets, she rubs, she slings her hay manger around…)

Pony installed in her temporary weekend home

This was one of those trips where I was super-grateful to have the experienced pony along — no drama or fuss from her, being an old hand at this whole camping thing, so not having to worry about her left me free to deal with the puppy.

late afternoon sunlight on the Catalinas

morning sunrise over the Catalinas

The beauty of camping trips is the ability to kick back and not really have any pressing schedule to follow. (I’m sad to admit that the last horse camping I did for fun, and not associated with being at a ride, was back in 2009. 2014 goal: Change that.) Just doing a single-night stay meant that I didn’t have a whole lot to set up, either.

But winter in the desert does mean chilly nights, and I broke my cardinal “no dogs in bed” rule and let Artemis into my sleeping bag to stay warm. (Apparently I am a sucker for the “small, shivery puppy” routine.) I had a portable little propane heater, which was working pretty well right until the middle of the night when it ran out of propane, and I figured getting out of my warm sleeping bag nest would be more trouble than it was worth. Hindsight, maybe I should have at that point, since it got quite chilly in the next couple of hours, but I had extra sleeping bags, and managed to create quite a nest up in the gooseneck for us.

Artemis typically has me up between 5:30 and 6 to go out. This time, she poked her head out of the sleeping bag, then promptly ducked back in and snuggled closer. We both eventually dragged out of bed once the sun was peeking up over the mountains and it wasn’t quite as frigid, and went outside long enough for the puppy to relieve herself. Back inside, she requested (looked up at the goosebeck area and whined) to be put back in her nest, so I put her back up there, she dove into the sleeping bags, and stayed there for another couple of hours while I did pony chores.

(Having just seen Disney’s “Frozen” the night before I left, thoughts of eternal winters and ice and talking snowmen were at the forethought of my brain…)

“coldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcold…”

Mimi was warm and toasty, ensconced in her fleece and sheet. She was also quite happy about not having to be up at the crack of freezing-cold dawn for an early ride start. I thawed out slightly by doing pony chores — feeding, watering, cleaning the stall — and once that was done, puppy was ready to wake up and join the world for things like breakfast and enjoying the sunshine.

Saturday morning was a chance to loll about and relax. Lucy made breakfast, we walked the dogs (they had Finn the standard poodle, who became Artemis’s new best friend), then Lucy helped me with Mimi’s hooves. I feel like I’ve gotten into a trimming rut — after a while, you either don’t see the problems or you’re not sure what to do differently to address them, and a fresh set of eyes really helps — and I like how Lucy trims, so she gave me some pointers, adjusted a couple of things, and the pony had pretty feet again. It also helped give me another good baseline to try to maintain when I trim. (Pony feet…a constant learning process.)

future ridecamp puppy watches the proceedings

Artemis watched all the goings-on from the safety of a camp chair — she’s still very leery of the horses, something I’m doing nothing to discourage at this point, since she has a strong prey drive and the last thing I want her learning is how to nip at horse hooves.

All of that done, we eventually got tacked up, stashed the dogs in Lucy’s trailer, and headed out.

Patrick on Fergus (buckskin) and Lucy on Roo (grey)

I’d never ridden the Catalina trailers before, and they’e gorgeous. A great mix of some technical bits, single-track, sand, and rocks, always with the magnificent Catalina range in view/overhead. I couldn’t tell you where exactly we went, other than it was around 11 miles, and we covered a whole range of trails, including heading back to a hidden waterfall. But I think the photos tell the story best…

rude pony showing how well she tailgates
(never mind death to any horse who tries it with her…)

gorgeous view only improved by the addition
of a cute grey pony

after seeing ‘The Hobbit’ before I left, I was getting somewhat
of a Mirkwood/Middle Earth feel…

first view of the waterfalls

Mimi and Roo could pass for twins

technical bits!
to my recollection, I don’t think I’ve ever done
steps with Mimi before…no big deal

in the lead and moving out

water!!!
the creeks were running, and we probably crossed
water half a dozen times
(did we drink? of course not)

I honestly can’t remember the last time I had such fun on my pony. She was an absolute blast, and cast some major questions as to why she was retired in the first place. She was competitive, fast, strong, and definitely showing off for her new audience. I’m pretty sure she thought she was at a ride again, and SO happy about it.

The last couple of rides with other people, she’s been testing the limits a bit with her s-hack, sticking her nose in the air and generally ignoring my requests to travel nicely. So I put a running martingale on her…and oh, boy, was I glad for it. After all, it’s not every day your coming-21-year-old pony tries to run off with you…

I think one of the biggest differences was my attitude and approach to Mimi and her enthusiasm. I’ve always treated her like she’s made of glass, always afraid I was asking her for too much, trying to protect her. Riding as many different horses as I have this year has really given me more confidence in their toughness (yes, they can be delicate, but they can also be incredibly tough) and that I need to trust her to be able to handle herself. Well, she handled herself just fine, and we only had one “discussion” when she was too busy dinking around in speed-racer excitement to watch her footing and almost face-planted at a fast trot.

Also, she-who-doesn’t-canter gave me some gorgeous, collected canters with a ton of impulsion and enthusiasm. And while I’m sure the adrenaline probably helped, I’m thinking some of her arena reluctance has been more mental than physical, since she wasn’t at all sore or tired afterwards. We did a total of 11 miles, and while her winter coat had her looking like a sweaty yak, she pulsed down immediately, drank well, and when we got back to the barn, jumped out of the trailer and tore off across the arena and pasture, herd trailing behind her.

The trip home was without incident — I even navigated a gas station with the trailer — and she was acting like she won the Kentucky Derby, trumpeting her return to the entire herd as soon as I pulled in the gate.

If anything, this weekend showed me she’s not quite done yet, and I’m making plans to attend an upcoming NATRC ride in January with her. We will do the 9-mile fun ride, which she should easily handle. And this showed me that I just need to make a point to get her out more. I’ve got the opportunity to borrow the same rig again and more often, so I just need to do it. Getting out = happy pony and happy rider.

Next weekend is the Bumble Bee endurance ride with Liberty…can’t wait to see and ride her again, either! Great way to kick off the 2014 ride season. We’re doing the 25…should be a fun ride!

(And in other news, I changed my weight division for 2014…dropped down to Featherweight. My saddle, stuffed to the gills with way more than what I need/want to carry was the only thing keeping me in Lightweight anymore. )

Thankful

November 29, 2013March 4, 2014 / Ashley Wingert / 1 Comment

Not just today, but every day, for my heart-horse who still gives me her all, for the lessons she’s taught me and for the ones she still has yet to teach me.

best-laid plans

October 7, 2013March 4, 2014 / Ashley Wingert / 4 Comments

“No ride plan ever survives first contact with reality.”

It’s a Monday morning, and I’m insufficiently caffeinated to come up with a witty title about best-laid plans going awry and whatnot.

When we last left off, I was getting ready to go to Man Against Horse to ride the 25 on Liberty. Well, long story short: See above about “best laid plans going awry.” I didn’t end up going to the ride, which is a bummer, but part of endurance riding is the ability to be flexible and willing to have plans change at the last minute.

And after yesterday, I am now harboring suspicions that my pony got wind of my plans and jinxed me so that she would have the chance to go out and ride.

And ride we did!

Angie came down and fetched me again, and we went off to Usery Mountain Park. Mimi was super-happy to be out again and has decided Angie’s gelding Patrick is no longer “babysitting charge” but rather “newest and bestest boyfriend” material.

Normally extremely territorial about her precious space bubble — and woe to any horse who dares even look at her food — she was letting Patrick nuzzle on her, share food out of the same hay net, and in general act like a dopey, lovestruck teenager.

It was hilarious, and slightly disturbing — but better than the alternative of seeing her “hellbitch” face.

the equine equivalent of whispering sweet nothings

It was a perfect day to be out — breezy, temps in about the 80s, clear skies. The park was surprisingly un-busy — I’d figured on having to fend off tons of other trail users since it’s a popular place, especially on weekends. I think we encountered maybe half a dozen other people out there. Go figure.

a nice clear section of trail

The worst part about Usery is the prolific amounts of cholla that grow not only ridiculously large, but very close together — cholla groves, so to speak. One of these days I will remember to actually pull out my camera and get photos of said impressive cholla groves, but for now, take my word for it — this isn’t an area for horses with questionable steering. A clear grasp on right and left is a very good idea, and leg yielding even more of a plus.

And since even the best horses can’t always avoid the vegetation that bites back, carrying a “desert survival kit” is a saddle pack essential. It can be tough to pull those cholla bobble out — you grab them and they just stick to you. Easiest way to get them off to to flick them off somehow — my weapon of choice is a mane comb that you slide between body and bobble and flick it away. Other people I know carry hemostats, pliers, or even a dinner fork. Cholla are also one of the main reasons I ride with half chaps.

which way?

The Usery trails tend to be shorter mileage, but they interconnect in such a way that its easy to end up with a decent mileage ride. In our case, we pretty much did a loop around the southern perimeter for a total of about 10 miles.

twin cactus

And the footing tends to be a mixed bag. Parts of the trails are super-smooth and very barefoot-friendly.

leaving cool hoof boot tread impressions

And then other sections are quite rough and rocky, necessitating a slow-down in pace, and hoof-protection for the more tender-footed.

enough rocks to make them watch their feet

By the time we were done, Mimi was revved up and ready for more. Her oncoming winter coat had her rather sweaty, but she was bright-eyed and bouncing back at the trailer, including completely forgetting all of her ground manners and trying to run off with me when I did a post-ride in-hand trout out. Gold star for enthusiasm, minus ten gold stars for demonstrating complete lack of grey matter between the ears.

But look at this happy face:

Go Pony loves to go

Despite my normal insistent on excellent ground manners, I couldn’t even get mad at her…I was too busy laughing at her enthusiasm. You wouldn’t know she’s 20 years old…not when we had moments when I was threatening her with a running martingale, or being absurdly grateful for grippy reins when she thought “canter” meant “blast back to the trailer.”

Conventional wisdom says, “20? That’s kind of getting old for a horse…” and then I remember Snappy was still doing all day long shows and lessons (including gymkhana and low jumps) well into his mid-20s, and didn’t go on “lesson lite” duty until he hit his late 20s/early 30s. He too was a half-Quarter Horse POA with a work ethic the size of the western half of the States. So based on that, I should have some good years left with Mimi. Even if we never do a competition again, she’s far from being done as a trail horse who is safe, (mostly) sane, and just a flat-out blast to ride.

After all, what’s a Go Pony to do but go?

a week in pictures

September 27, 2013March 4, 2014 / Ashley Wingert / 3 Comments

It’s been one of those weeks where nothing has happened that warrants its own full blog post…just a lot of random little stuff here and there.

The Man Against Horse ride is next weekend and I can’t wait! Liberty and I are going to be doing the 25. It’s been four years since I’ve done this ride and I’ve been on pins and needles for the past month, just wanting the ride weekend to Be Here already.

Gina sent this to me. Liberty went out all by
herself like a big girl and was very good. :)

This amusing face got worked last weekend, her first time since her massage. I could tell a big difference under saddle. She was moving well, and it wasn’t like trying to steer a 2×4.

“Behold me, in my innocence.”

Innocent-face got a sloppy mash…

…which she proceeded to drool all over my
suburban. Which had just gone through the
car wash the day before.

I’ve been doing ride prep for Man Against Horse here and there in the evenings as I think about stuff that needs done. The other night, I made a new fancy red tail ribbon for Liberty to wear, since the first one I made got sacrificed to the manzanita at the Prescott Chaparral ride. Trying not to get too attached to this one, since there is also more manzanita along this trail. Lots of manzanita.