Saddle Up for the Cure Photos

I haven't seen the official photographer's photos yet, but I have all of mine uploaded now and wanted to share them with you.  I love all the work some people went to in bringing in the Pink theme.  I've definately keeping some ideas for next year.  

I just loved the blue eyes this one had!

This cute Arab was across the parking lot from us.  He reminded me so much of a younger Weapon that I kept taking his picture.

VICTORIOUS!

Saturday was the Saddle Up for the Cure ride.

Friday evening I was regretting my decision to go.  The early morning departure time was no longer appealing to me, but the boys were excited about it.  So we went to out to get the truck gassed up and load up all the tack and equipment we'd need that night.  Saturday morning the boys and I were up at 5:30 am to get dressed and head to the farm.  We hitched up the trailer, filled the hay net, loaded up a few last minute things, and loaded the horses.  Tommy got in his normal way, but Weapon was pulling the lead out of John's hand trying to load himself in the trailer.  At least one of us was perky that morning.

We said our goodbyes, hopped in the truck, and nothing....

It took a little while but we got the truck jumped and it fired up.  I have to tell you it blew our schedule though.  We were doing so good.  I'd allotted the perfect amount of time for all of our morning tasks, and we were on schedule.  I was really frustrated, and was not sure we should continue on to Waynesville with an unreliable truck.  I would have been perfectly ok with chucking the whole thing and heading back to bed, but the children gave me googly-eyes so off we went.

Our next stop was McDonalds for breakfast burritos.  The breakfast of champions and trail riders who do not allot eating time into the schedule.

John had some breakfast, and then crashed.  He slept most of the drive there, after the ride, after lunch, and all the way home.  That's the life.

We found the Horseman's Camp at Caesar Creek easily enough, although the twisty road didn't leave much room for vehicles coming the other way.  I thought some of our country roads were bad, but not like this!  We found a parking space conveniently by the water pump and a picnic table.   We were running late so we scooted right on down to register then boogied back to unload and tack up.

Tommy was enjoying the all you can eat hay buffet.  That doesn't happen for Tom very often.  Check out my pretty, clean tack and pristine pad and girth.  It's the last time you'll see them.

Weapon looks thrilled doesn't he?  Plain nasty draft horse hay = yuck.  Weapon likes delicious old-man hay with tasty alfalfa.

The ride organizers came around to round us up for the group pictures, so the boys and I rushed through the rest of our grooming job and hopped on.

And by hopped on I mean we used our handy picnic table.  Here's John waiting for me to bring Tommy around.  I love this picture of Ethan and Weapon.  I wish I'd have thought to take the lead rope off for it, but we were late late late.  See how there are no other horses at the trailers in the distance?  Yep.  We were that kind of late.

All the riders converged for the group photo.  I wish I'd gotten a head count, but there were too many.  The numbers haven't been posted on the website or on Facebook yet.  There was a professional photographer there, Chris Meyer and I can't wait to see how the group shots turned out.

I'd never ridden at Caesar Creek before, but the boys and I followed the group out on the Moonlight Vista Trail.  I'm happy to say that Tommy traversed all 3.6 miles of it and arrived back to the trailer victorious and sound!

Tommy and Weapon both did great.  Tommy really got into his job of staying in front of Weapon.  He'd sidle over in front or swing his hip before I even realized Weapon was making a bid to pass.  It was pretty funny, but it worked.  Ethan gets upset if he has to constantly rein Weapon in, and Weapon can get goofy.  Our last trail ride at the farm ended with Ethan getting bucked off, so TOmmy and I were on our A game to make sure that didn't happen again.  Weapon sure is sassy for a 29 year old.

Ethan rode Weapon solo and John doubled up with me on Tom.

Tommy believes in leaving plenty of room for braking.

We all arrived back at the trailer safe and sound.  Check out the mud on Tommy's leg.  He was SPLASHING into the puddles.  Other horses (including Weapon) were skirting around the edges and dancing along the top of the ruts, but Tom believes in taking the Shortest Possible Route...which is usually right through the middle.  

Just imagine what my pretty girth looks like.  I'd take a picture of it, but it's too sad.  I haven't cleaned anything yet.  We were so tired after the early morning, the ride, lunch, and the silent auction, that we just wanted to go home.  But it was not to be.

It turns out that niggling little sixth sense that tells you it might not be a good idea to rely on your truck today was right.  It was not.  Luckily we were across from a really nice couple who took the time to adjust some things on the battery and get us jump started again.  It took a long time, and I think we were all getting a little apprehensive that I'd be calling AAA, but in the long run it worked.  I never even asked their names, but their truck/trailer said New Vocations Racehorse Adoption and there was something about Standardbreds...maybe a hat or jacket?  It was a long day and I can't remember.  Anyways, a big shout out to those two people.  

I'd love to return the favor someday, but honestly if you're relying on me for automotive assistance we're all screwed.

Ride for the Cure

I've found our next adventure!  Or at least our next attempted challenge...

Saddle Up for the Cure

It's on Saturday, October 1st at Ceasar Creek State Park in Waynesville Ohio and benefits the Susan G Komen for the Cure and the Kettering Medical Center Foundation for Women's Wellness Fund.

If you follow the link above you'll find the registration forms and you can come out and ride too!  If you're interested in a donation here is the link to their Pledge Form

They're having a group photo and everyone is invited to dress themselves and their horses in pink.  Tommy is not afraid to wear pink; however he does not own anything in pink.  I have pink capris.  I don't think I have anything in pink that's suitable for a fall trail ride though.  

Fingers crossed for us that Tommy is having a good day.

And one other thing....

I'm loving the pink font!

Windy Weather - Autumn is Here!

Hello Autumn!  We went from 100 degrees (literally!) to 50s and 60s overnight.  It’s been overcast and rainy, and suddenly my driveway has an excessive amount of fallen leaves.  What happened???

Tuesday’s weather was just too much for me to withstand - I love the wind rustling through the trees and seeing the leaves gently falling.  It was overcast and spitting rain, but I didn’t care.  Tom did care - he gave me the tip of his ear and that sideways look that said he was Not In the Mood.  I watched carefully and he was not showing any lameness.  “Oh well,” I told him.  “We all have to do things we don’t want to.”  So I saddled up and off we went.

Tom’s so funny; when he’s not in the mood to ride but has to go out anyway his goal is to get around the trail in as little time as possible.  He does not try to snatch a tasty morsel, he does not meander down the path, he strides right out, head up and ears half back.  His whole demeanor is one of getting this distasteful job over with as soon as possible.  The three deer who bolted from the corn field beside us, across our path, and into the trees were met with a flick of the ear.  They weren’t worth fooling with.  We still had half the loop to go, and by god we weren’t going to get distracted by the wildlife.  He even offered to trot 3 or 4 times and got bouncy when I refused him.  I love a big swinging walk, and Tom didn’t start out stiff at all.  

It was a marvelous ride.

Decision Time

The big all horse parade is tomorrow, September 11th, and last weekend it was time to make a decision on whether or not we would be able to participate.  I hadn’t ridden since August 10th, because of two rounds of lameness that seemed to be due to the ringbone, and a death in my immediate family.  

I have to admit that deep down I knew that taking him on a 3 mile ride on pavement was not the best choice for his ringbone.  I knew I could probably get him through the parade with the help of our little friend Bute; but I didn’t want one day of fun to become a lifetime of misery.  Maybe that’s a little overly dramatic, but I was concerned that it would speed him a little further down the path to permanent lameness.  Still, I’d been going along pretending our participation was still a possibility.  Since the theme of the parade was a Memorial to the 10th Anniversary of 9/11, I’d bought a new pair of new grippy biothane reins from the Distance Depot and a matching blue shirt from JCPenney’s for our parade debut. Emily and Ted were already tricked out with their patriotic finery.  I was really looking forward to it, and was hoping for a miracle cure in the form of rubber horse shoes.  Since that didn’t pan out it was time to make the call.

On Saturday, September 3rd I sent Emily a text that we would not be able to do the parade.  Maybe the 2012 Horse Parade will happen for us.  In the meantime, we’ll just keep meandering down the trail.

Tommy's fourth new farrier...

Tommy has a new farrier again.  Mark came out on August 19th to pull Tommy’s shoes.  We were a little bit early in the cycle, at the 5 week point, but we were appreciative to be squeezed in.

I’d ridden Tommy on Wednesday, August 10th and he’d been lame for almost an entire week afterwards.  When Mark came out he’d been sound(ish) for three days.  You could still see that he was sore when he was going up the hill in the field and when he turned.

The abscess hole has not fully filled it as I’d hoped after his last appointment, and the new hoof growth was still soft and seedy.  That changed our shoeing plans a bit and the pads and steel shoes were reset.  I was looking forward to trying the rubber shoes on him and seeing if that made a difference in his comfort level.

Here is Tommy’s bad hoof.  The purple is the thrush medicine I’m always applying under the pads.  It’s working too, this is the first time in ages that we’ve not had thrush.

Here are Tommy’s before hooves:

And here are his after hooves:

He was very uncomfortable when Mark was working on his front hooves and was quite naughty about jerking his hooves away.  Even after all my work with him on holding his hooves up and forward, when he’s done there is no stopping him from slamming them back down.  Mark was very nice about it and did not get frustrated with him at all; or at least he did not verbalize his frustration!  We were all very aware that his legs were bothering him.  When Mark would put his left front down Tommy would tip his right front and left hind forward so that only the toe was touching the ground, or lift his right front entirely from the ground.  

After his appointment Tommy was very lame for four days.  The next time I’ll start him on the Bute the night before and carry it through a day or two afterwards.  That’s what I did for his July appointment, but with a new farrier I thought it was important for him to be able to see what he was working with.  Poor Tom!

The good news is that Mark seems to have no problems continuing to work on Tom; and he didn’t even bat an eye at my photo journaling.  It’s  exciting to think I may have found his permanent farrier, but I don’t want to jinx myself!

Thanks Mark! 

Coming Soon to Tommy Blue Foot....

So much time has passed since I last posted.  We had a death in the immediate family and it’s thrown us all into a tailspin for several weeks.  I’m back up and blogging again though, so I’ll have you all up to date soon on what’s been going on with Tommy over the last month.

NANA