training ride

a weekend of horses: Sunday edition

/ Ashley Wingert / Leave a comment

As if Saturday wasn’t enough fun, I got a message from A Saturday night asking if I wanted to come ride with her on one of her horses on Sunday. Of course!!!

Bonus points for the fact we were going to somewhat new-to-me trailhead: the newly-opened Brown’s Trailhead in the newest part of the Scottsdale Sonoran Preserve. Now, Dad and I used to ride the trails around Granite Mountain years ago back when he first got his mare Kelly. So I was somewhat familiar with the east side of what is now preserve land, but we’d never gotten as far west as the new trailhead.

I was distracted (fitting and booting horses, tacking up, trying to beat the heat), so didn’t think to get pics of the trailhead…so I will the next time. But until then, just take my word for it: It’s cool. They even have a concrete horse trough with a drain in it, so you turn it on and get nice, fresh, (somewhat) cool water when you want to water your horse, versus a slimy, overheated, nasty trough.

And it looks like there are a ton of trails there too. We did what was I think about a 9-mile loop and barely put a dent in the trail availability. Definitely want to come back here again.

A offered me her very experienced endurance gelding Majik to ride. Fun, fun horse! He’s bold, dominant, and forward, the kind that, as long as he knows you know how to sit up and ride, he’s wonderful. Those are my favorite kind of horses to ride, so we had a great time together.

Bringing up the rear of the Endurance Parade.
(Yes, riding yet another Grey Arabian Gelding.)

 I also got to try A’s Lovatt & Ricketts (Arabian Saddle Company) Sylvan, which is their all-purpose, fewer-rings-than-endurance-saddles model. An ASC has also been on my “want to test” list after sitting on a Rubicon in a store…I like these saddles. Will definitely consider one of them in the future.

Balancing Rock

 It was a small group of four of us riding, and we took turns swapping positions, trading off who was leading, or in the back. Great group that all got along well and had a really fun time.

desert in bloom

I love this north Scottsdale/Rio Verde area. I’ve been coming up here to ride, off-and-on, for the past 13 years, and I’m still not tired of it. The only reason it doesn’t qualify as my favorite spot to ride is it is a little more out of the way than the San Tans. But in terms of overall views and amount of trails available, I have to give this area the nod.

Trail obstacle. We had to go between the rock and the tree.

So, a very horsey-filled weekend that left me with a smile on my face and some muscles that are in that much better shape for the fast-approaching fall ride season.

a weekend of horses: Saturday edition

/ Ashley Wingert / 2 Comments

Well, it’s been a while since I’ve done back-to-back days…last time was at the Prescott Chaparral ride in April.

To start, Mimi got to go out on trail on Saturday for her idea of a “proper” ride. (We were supposed to be babysitting, but the “baby” in question was so solid, we didn’t have much “sitting” to do.)

A and Patrick, featuring Rearguard Pony Ears

 A is a fellow endurance rider, and always game to try a new place to ride, so when I offered Mimi’s babysitting services if she wanted to take her young horse out and explore a new-to-her place, she was thrilled with the idea.

(And I’m grateful she was willing to come all the way down from the north Phoenix area and chauffeur us around as well.)

Taking blatant advantage of Mimi’s ability to keep trucking
down the trail while I do stupid stuff, including taking pics
on a more interesting section of downhill.

 A also brought along her FreeForm saddle for me to try. (Networking. It’s a beautiful thing. I’ve managed to check off three of the four saddles on my “would like to try” list…and really don’t have major complaints about any of them. That’s helpful. *eyeroll*)

Hard to compare apples-to-apples, as I’ve only tried the Sensation on Mimi on the flat, versus doing trail work and then coming back and doing “flat work” in the trailhead parking lot. Would like to try the Sensation out on trail on her, since the other times I’ve ridden the Sensation have been on Other People’s Horses. (Nothing like trying something on the horse whose every step I know.)

beautiful San Tans

 It’s also been at least a few months since we’d been down to the San Tans. It’s pretty much my favorite place to ride around the Valley and the pony seems to be pretty partial to it too. I wonder why…how many hours and miles have we logged down here at this park?

“Babysitting Duties”: One ear swiveled back to make sure our
babysitting charge is still there.

 Young-horse Patrick’s only indiscretion, it seemed, was giving “Buttcrack Rock” a major side-eye, and all it took was Mimi going up to it and touching it for him to venture up and do the same. Despite her nasty “mare-face” attitude, which I really try not to capture on camera. Really spoils the “Pretty White Princess” effect.

Mimi and Patrick discuss the scary “Buttcrack Rock”

I didn’t have a GPS with me (I keep forgetting about my GPS apps on my phone…grrr), but that loop we did is just about 7 miles. Mostly walking, with a bit of trotting. A great first outing for Patrick, and a great stretcher for Mimi, who isn’t in world’s best shape right now…although she kind of surprised me.

We did our loop, then some trot-canter “arena” work in the parking lot for me to get a feel for the FreeForm, then came back to the trailer, got a drink, and she was down to 48 on her pulse within 5 minutes, which was about when I bothered to actually check it. Need to start riding with a HRM again for curiosity’s sake. And she was moving out really well, bright and sparkly-eyed, and not acting her age. That makes me happy. :)

Stewart Mountain Loop

/ Ashley Wingert / 4 Comments

So, I tend to look at the entire endurance process as one big training opportunity that’s all building up to my eventual go at Tevis. Today, I practiced getting up early. I was up at 3:30, dressed in my riding gear, drank my coffee and a (pre-made) breakfast smoothie, and was out the door by 4:00.

I met up to ride with my friend Lancette, and she brought her horse Khan for me to ride.

meet Khan

I realize at this point that my readers have probably given up trying to track all of the different grey horses I’ve been riding of late. It’s okay. I can barely keep track myself.

first view of Saguaro Lake

Our destination: the Stewart Mountain Loop by the Salt River near Saguaro Lake. I’d ridden this loop years and years ago on Mimi with some friends, but to be honest, the only part I really remembered was the area that’s like a sandy beach and provides easy river access for horses.

trail traverses a ridgeline with a view of Saguaro Lake

I also remembered the part that goes up to a ridgeline and gives a great view of Saguaro Lake for a bit — this section I’d last ridden just a couple of years ago.

splish-splash

Because it’s a loop, the trail can be done in either direction. We chose the way that meant getting the longer section done first and getting to the river towards the end of the ride, when we’d be hot and sweaty and the cooler riverfront section of the trail would feel really good.

The spot on the river that’s easily accessible for horses is a nice sandy mini-beach, and the water is slow-moving and clear enough that it’s easy to see how far the sandbar goes out into the water before the drop-off starts. 
We didn’t go any further in than knee-deep, but that was enough for Khan to have a great time splashing and pawing the water. He never tried to roll, but he figured out that pawing the water made it splash up onto his belly and chest. I wasn’t complaining about the overspray, either.

Salt River, looking upsteam

Salt River, looking downstream

Running the loop the way we did, counter-clockwise, the trail that heads back to the trailers from the river is this fantastic section of technical single-track. There are a couple of slightly “hairy” areas that involve a bit of clambering over some rocky outcroppings. The whole trail traverses the area between a vertical cliff and the river, and while you’d probably still be in one piece if you fell off the trail at that point, it definitely wouldn’t feel good.

I did put the camera away and ride thru the worst sections

Fortunately Khan is very experienced and has a lot of trail savvy, and never put a hoof wrong. So much so that I whipped out my camera and was happily snapping away, putting it away only through the worst of the rocky sections that required two hands and ride attention.

Lots of loose, sharp rock in this section, too…Khan goes in Renegades and I was glad for it. (Pretty sure he was too.)

good overview of the river section

I wish more of the trail ran along the river, but all too soon we were back out in the desert, and back to the trailers. 

me-n-Khan

The loop is just about 8 miles, and we covered it in about two and a half hours. We were out for an enjoyable ride, with only one of the four horses in our group in full competition shape, so it was a good day to take it easy and enjoy the trail. Khan was a fantastic ride — very sweet, happy to go, cooperative, and darn near unflappable, the kind of horse who is trustworthy with the greenest of beginner, but a smart and active ride for an advanced rider.

I love that area around the Salt River. It’s definitely an oasis in the middle of the desert, and a real treat for us otherwise parched desert rats. Makes the hot days a little more bearable, and the early morning wake-ups worth it.

Indian Springs Wash ride

/ Ashley Wingert / 2 Comments
Did a really fun ride up near Bartlett Lake on Saturday. It was my first time up there and it has some absolutely gorgeous scenery. Bonus points for being able to ride down to the lake to let the horses drink and sponge them off. (See, we do have water in Arizona…you just have to know where to look and how to get to it.)
banana yucca

first view of the lake

Barb on Junior in the lead, Clydea on Ash, me on Clydea’s
horse Pepe providing the ear cam shot

And I came home to find my ducklings learning to play “king of the hill” on the rock next to the pond. Now Mama is onto the game and she sits on top of the rock while they cluster at the base.

adding to the roster

/ Ashley Wingert / Leave a comment
I fell in love with another grey mare.
Because that’s totally unexpected…

My “horses I have available to ride” got expanded by one today when I rode Stephanie’s new mare Kasha on our training ride. This mare is awesome…I cannot wait to ride her at Prescott. “Kash” (pronounced more like “kosh” versus “cash”) comes out of a show/arena training background, so just my kind of horse. I mean, we’re blasting along up a sand wash at a fast canter, and she’s offering up flying lead changes around the turns.

Love, love, love.

At least everyone else’s horses have good manes.
Makes it easier to ignore the pony’s pitiful one.

Looks like I’ll get the chance to ride her one of the days of Prescott next month.

Liking the camera theme of “Kash ears”
And I’m even further convinced of the conspiracy to get me to ride large horses, since she’s somewhere around 15-15.1hh.  She doesn’t look that big, even when you’re standing next to her, since she’s so well balanced and put together…but reaching for that stirrup on a flat mount, you know exactly how tall she really is. But I did flat-mount her.
Very well-trained, but still “trail green” and has to look at
things like dead cactus and downed logs. And unexpected
picnic tables and random benches in the middle of nowhere.

We did about 10 miles today, trotting and cantering whenever we could to meet our time deadline. I did a lousy job of keeping track, but I think we were done in about an hour and half, possibly less. Tons of fun, though, and this mare is solid. Completely trustworthy and I felt totally comfortable jumping on her back and asking for a speed workout. 

Definitely the kind of horse I like to ride: Super-responsive to rein and leg, maybe needs a little bit of support along the trail learning curve as she figured out things like uneven footing, rocks, and hills…but that makes me feel like an active, engaged rider…and teaching trail savvy is way easier (at least for me) than trying to teach a died-in-the-wool, old-time endurance horse how to leg-yield. But that’s just me and my preference. :) Guess the old show ring is never too far away…