My Dream Horse

Windy was born May 26, 2002.  Her dam was John’s grade mare, Ginger and her sire was my friend's Pitzer bred stud, Watch Creek Starr.  I was so new into horses that I didn’t realize this wasn’t the smart thing to do – to breed a grade mare that could never have a foal registered.  I was excited to have a foal from our good mare!

Windy was named appropriately as she hit the ground on a very windy day!  We recall looking out to the corral, not expecting her for a few weeks, and seeing a cute bay foal barely standing in the wind; born among the herd.  Unlike the other foals born here that year, she was friendly from the get-go and easy to handle... although I do recall she left a pretty hoof mark bruise on my thigh one day when she was in play & I didn’t dodge her fast enough!

This was in the day when we had “too many horses.”  And we did.  I was trying to calm an irritated husband by downsizing, when a friend of a friend offered to buy Windy.  It was after the first of the year, I recall, so I guess she was a yearling, but not yet weaned.  We met the new owner & rode for a bit, Windy trailing behind Ginger.  When it was time to leave, Ginger was loaded in our trailer & Windy in another; being sent to her new home.  My heart was broken; I hated to even look at Ginger’s eyes. 

I never saw Windy again until the fall of her two year old year.  I was in awe of how she had grown up; even thought about offering to trade Gunner for her, my colt by the same sire who was the same age as Windy.  My heart still ached.  At this time, the kids were riding Blue and Mikey.  I’d sold Maxi, I’d sold Purdy, I’d sold Bo, and Gunner wasn’t broke; Daisy was too old.  I was in need of a horse.  And I wanted a trained horse.  An easy horse.  Windy had barely been started and wasn't for sale that I knew of.  It wasn't long before a friend offered to sell me their appaloosa gelding.   He seemed to be what I was looking for and Jo came to live with us. 

I think choosing a horse is like choosing a friend or a husband.  You have to mesh with the horse; have to want to be with the horse.  You have to feel a bond.  I’m not sure how that bond comes about – but you know it when it’s there and you know when it isn’t.  No matter how hard I tried, I did not have that bond with Jo.  It felt too much like an arranged marriage.  When another friend was looking to lease a horse that rides and drives, I offered Jo to her.  It was an emotional day when she came to get him and it had nothing to do with Jo.   I remember standing at the barn on crutches, my foot in a cast from an earlier accident.  My heart was once again broken as we had just lost Gunner in a pasture accident.  I assured my friend the loss of Gunner didn’t change the lease agreement.  I told her I was still looking for my “dream horse” and Jo wasn’t it.   I didn’t know then how close I was to finding her.  

A few weeks later we met up with Windy on the trail.  Although in the same group of friends, she was owned by someone else.  I watched her.  I sat on her.  I wanted her back.  And it wasn't long before I got the phone call that she was for sale and I was given the first opportunity to buy her back.  And I had to have her back. 

She originally came back to us as “John’s horse” – a “wifely manipulation” to hasten the sale, but in my heart of hearts, she was mine.  Years ago John had given me the title to his MG convertible as a birthday present.  A few weeks after Windy was safely in my pasture, I offered John the title back in exchange for Windy.  He easily agreed.  It wouldn’t have been necessary -- he knew...   And now I knew MY horse would never be sold again. 

As that summer progressed, my cast was off my ankle and I was riding again.  Windy wasn’t an easy horse; I’d never rode a mare before & she brought along a little attitude that was unlike any horse I rode before.  Not scary, really.  She was sassy, a bit uppity, but also showed me a lot of warmth.  The old saying “you have to discuss it with a mare” was evident.  There were a lot of “discussions” and challenges.  But I was eager to trudge on.  Actually, I decided my horse buying days were over and money would be spent making her the horse I wanted.  I engaged in the help of trainers to bring her to another level and riding lessons to help me get there as well.   Together, we progressed.

This is our 4^th year on the trail together.   As in any relationship, we’ve had what seemed like hours of frustration and moments of elation!  She can be lazy and moody one minute and then show spirit and courage the next.  She can be high maintenance and a bit of a princess.  I’ve loved her and hated her at the same time.  I have forgiven her things that I wouldn't have a better or lesser horse.  I have given her an education as she has given me.  I have hugged her neck in excitement and wiped tears in that same mane.  And we have shared more time together and traveled more trails together than any other horse I have ever owned.  We have come together as a team and share trust and respect.  I finally found my dream horse, my friend.  And she was mine to begin with.

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Vacation Summary (Archived 6/27/08)

“I am never getting on a horse again!” shouted my friend, Kathy Newberg following our eight hour ride to and from Harney Peak.  “Until tomorrow, “ she added.  I felt exactly the same way.  The trail ride up to Harney Peak was beautiful, treacherous, breathtaking, challenging and by far the most awesome trail I have ever been on.  From the views of the Black Hills from 7,200 feet to the snow we found in the canyons on our way up, it was like no trail I ever traveled.  And as blue as the sky looks in the pictures, in real life, it is even bluer.  Harney Peak, I learned, is the highest point this side of the Rockies.  When looking down from above, I never knew my eyes could see so far. 

As the horses rested at the top of Harney Peak, I stared at them in awe.  We took them out of their environment, trailered those horses over 500 miles and asked them to do what we ourselves couldn’t:  climb to the top of a mountain!  And carry us they did!  Our flatlanders took us up over 2,000 feet for about 8 miles in unfamiliar territory on terrain they were not accustomed to traveling.  And if that weren’t enough, they took us back down that mountain.  And we thought it was hard on us!  What amazing creatures!   

My sons are finally starting to appreciate the beauty of the country from the back of a horse.  It warmed my heart to hear them say such things like “oh my gosh, look at that!” or “isn’t that beautiful!”  And McCain said he can’t wait to go back!  Although I chronicled our vacation on my blog, it wasn’t until after I got home and had a chance to look at the pictures,  that I realized how blessed we are to be less than 12 hours from the Black Hills of South Dakota. 

Later in the week, our horses walked into the barn at Ft. Robinson near Crawford, their shoes clinking on the brick floor, not unlike the 12,000 horses that populated Ft. Robinson in the early part of the 20^th century.    And as we were riding through the buttes with the Messicks, Brenda kept commenting that she felt like we were in an old western movie.  And it did.  You half expected someone to be watching you from above. What a history our own state holds.  And it’s great to explore from the back of your horse!

I’m so glad I can share these memories with my sons.  I’m pretty sure they will tell their kids what we saw along the trails.  (And that they slept on cots in the livestock part of the horse trailer, too!)   I hope they appreciate that we gave them the opportunity to experience this piece of Americana in a way that is uncommon to other tourists…. from the backs of our own horses. 

Follow these links for My Vacation Blog and Pictures of the Trip.

The Holiday Road (Archived 6/23/08)

“This is no longer a vacation. It’s a quest. It’s a quest for fun. I’m gonna have fun and you’re gonna have fun. We’re all gonna have so much (beeping) fun we’ll need plastic surgery to remove our (beeping) smiles. You’ll be whistling ‘Zip-A-Dee Doo-Dah’ out of you’re (beeps)!”

---Clark Griswold from the movie Vacation.

I’m a planner. When the Horsetales group decided last fall that our spring group ride would be at Ft. Robinson, I started planning. Not just the Ft. Rob trip, but extending the vacation to include the Black Hills. Started putting some money aside to cover what then I thought would be $3.50 diesel. As the price ticked past $3.50, I started saving more. I wasn’t going to let the blood sucking oil company ruin what will probably be our last long distance horse trip because of the price of fuel!

I started conditioning horses. My family isn’t all that keen on riding at home. So I tried to put time on all four. And when one of the travel team about bucked me off, I started riding his replacement. Not in the plan, but a definite advantage of having seven horses! If one doesn’t work out, try another!  Then the rains came and my conditioning plans went kaput!

And I just can't seem to leave well enough alone.  A few weeks ago I learned we had some wood flooring left from our bathroom remodel. Just enough to do the floor of the living quarters in our horse trailer! So John and I spent an afternoon installing a new floor. It looked great, but the rest of the trailer then shouted for an upgrade. So between repairing fence from the “every other day flood” we seem to have lately, baseball games, farrier visits, and the pesky thing called a “full time job”, we painted trailer walls, replaced trim and refinished cupboards. Not in the plan, but it sure compliments that new floor!

And while spending so much time in the trailer, we found out our batteries weren’t holding the charge any longer. We had them checked out and sure enough, they need replacing. Both of them! In addition, the truck needed a new headlight and 2 new windshield wipers along with the obligatory oil change. More unplanned expenses. So we are now 3 days away from departure & John decides perhaps he should check the brakes on the trailer. Now being the planner, I suggested he do this like back IN MARCH! (Big sigh). Yep, you guessed it. Time to install new brakes!

The budget is shot and we haven’t even left the driveway yet!  I haven't been out to the pasture in 24 hours, but am hoping there are still 16 shoes on the travel team!  I am thinking of all the clichés: “Whatever can go wrong, will”. “Expect the unexpected.” “One step forward and two steps back”.  And “for everything else, there is MasterCard”. I can see Chevy Chase with that forced smile, white knuckling the steering wheel… “this is no longer a vacation, it is a quest!” It’s going to be quite a ride!  

How Many Horses Do You Need?

I recently posted on Horsetales how different it would be to have one horse rather than seven!  Since I started riding Windy three years ago, it seems like she is my only horse.  I’ll occasionally ride Butter or Blue; even Ginger for a change – but nowhere near the hours I have put on Windy.  And the hours put on one horse makes for a good horse.  I have really felt she has went to the next level this year and couldn't be more proud.   

Blue and I shared many miles before Windy was even born.  He gave me back my courage.  He put up with my novice ways and carried not only me, but each of my boys behind me in the saddle for many, many miles.  And when they were old enough to ride alone, they each chose Blue at different times in their lives.  Today I ride him for the familiarity of those first few years.  I know how he feels and what he does.  He’s like the old sofa; soft and comforting. 

In the early days, Ginger was my nemesis.  Fiery and fast, I always felt she taunted me.  That she just couldn’t wait for me to get on and she would prove who the boss was!  I watched her from afar as she carried John, and occasionally one of the boys behind him, down the trail.  After four years, I finally found the courage to not only ride her, but to take her out alone.  I took her to Cowgirl Weekend in 2004 and again, on my first competitive trail ride later that same fall. 

We bought Butterscotch for Case in 2005 from a friend.  We knew the horse; we knew the seller and she has turned out well for my son.  I enjoy riding her and if she were given the same time as I put on Windy, she would be even better. 

Then there are Baby, Black and GinnyBelle.  The “B” team, as I call them.  Two are green broke at best and Ginny is just getting started. Sometimes I’ll ride Baby just for a change.  More out of guilt that no one has ridden her than for my own entertainment value.  And she is fun to ride, in a BIG sort of way!  She gets pulled out of the pasture each year, spiffed up and taken to the Saunders County parade for no reason except it’s something she can do. 

I bought Black as a weanling; had him broke as a two year old.  None of us had much interest in him after that.  At four, McCain decided to start riding him.  He followed the rest of the herd down the trail okay.  But in obvious need of more wet saddle blankets.  McCain has a lot of other things to do:  dirt bike, video games, football.  Riding Black isn’t on his list of priorities.  And it isn’t on mine, either.  If it weren’t for breaking a young boy’s heart, he could easily find a new zip code. 

Ginny is coming three this year.  I went through the three year old year with Windy and am not up to doing it again.  If the lottery numbers would come in, I’d send her out for 60 days and have someone start her right.  But while I wait for that to happen, I’ve been working with her at home.  Round penning bores me to tears, but she and I have had a few sessions.  Easy rides.  Even barebacked down to the pasture following John and Baby.  Yeah, she will be nice….. If someone would just put some time on her. 

Someone once told us there are four riders in our family; four horses are all we need.  They were right.  On another chat list, someone referenced their extra horses as “guest horses”.  Looks like I have quite a few for the guests!  Anyone want to ride?

Mother's Day for Horsewomen (archived 6/6/08)

Springtime in Nebraska is so unpredictable.  The first nice day is usually Easter Sunday and with a non-horsy extended family, there is no way horses can be introduced in that religious holiday – no matter how close to God I feel when I ride!  There are first communions and confirmations… all which would be hard stretched to include horses.  When we first bought our horses, I’d find myself itching to escape from these family get-togethers and ride.   Felt deprived of good weather that we longed for all winter and stuck in the house with ham and mashed potatoes, loud kids and Easter eggs!

Eight years ago, a few friends and I took the Friday BEFORE Mother’s Day off from work and went and rode.  We felt it would be “our” day and then we wouldn’t be so depressed come Sunday when we had to spend it with in-laws and out-laws and wild children!  The next year we invited a few more friends and the next year a few more and so it grew.  This past Friday, one hundred and twenty two riders – a majority of them women and mothers -- met at the Oak Creek Trail for the 8^th Annual Friday Before Mother’s Day Ride. 

Preparing for the ride begins with requesting a permit from the trail managers.  Now you would think when they issued the permit, they would have thought that perhaps the bathroom at the trail head should be unlocked for this special occasion.  Imagine our surprise when the first of 122 women start to arrive after 2.5 hours on the trail and find the bathroom locked!  So the bar in Loma once again put their plumbing to the test.  We owe them BIG TIME! 

 It used to always be a chore to get the horse water to Loma the night before.  I always called it John/Tammy fight night.  I was at his mercy to haul it – and his enthusiasm wasn’t quite as evident as mine and something always went wrong.  But despite no facilities for the people, the horse water went off without a hitch this year! 

I only heard of one unplanned dismount during the ride.    In the past, we’ve had broken ribs and a broken ankle.  Either our riders are getting more experienced or are riding better horses.  Food was catered at noon and following the ride.  Who could ask for a better Mother’s Day?  The sun came out, the plum blossoms still had some blooms and I think God smiled on us that day.

So I couldn’t just leave it at that, could I?  Following the ride, I joined 9 other women for a mock Competitive Trail Ride at Two Rivers.  Seasoned competitive trail riders volunteered to mentor us through an actual ride.  I pulled into the campground shortly after the Mother’s Day Ride & set up camp.  Bright and early the next morning, following Starbucks coffee brought to camp by a friend, we saddled up for our CTR.  And the clouds rolled in.  And the rain started.  The organizers said they would call it off if there was lightning.  There wasn’t.  It just rained and rained and rained. 

Only horse people find them more involved in the game than worrying about how wet they are getting.  We did our obstacles, we trotted, we went through P & R’s, and we rode some more.  Before we knew it, we were back at camp.  And we were wet.  And cold.  You know how you get those chills right after childbirth?  That’s the kind of chills I got as I dismounted and started to put my tack up.  I had the chills through our potluck dinner & as I tore down camp.  I brought 4 coats along and had one dry one left to ride home in.  The heater felt great on this crisp spring day.   I walked in the house, hair still wet.  My husband is pretty sure I am crazy.  He’s probably right.  But the next day as I am sitting with in-laws and out-laws, watching my wild children play football in the yard and the sun is shining, I am grateful I already had MY Mother’s Day!

Thank you for attending the 8th Annual Friday Before Mother's Day Ride.  See snapshots shared with me of the Friday Before Mother’s Day Ride 2008.  Photos taken by Asche Photography can be seen & ordered here:  http://tinyurl.com/6ztpxa .
 

Growing up with Horses (archived 5/15/08)

When we first got our horses eight years ago, my brother was staying with us temporarily.  He got to experience those mistakes that new horse owners tend to make.  He and his daughter are here visiting and last evening, the kids were down at the south pond trying to rescue the boat they left float through the winter.  So I put bridles on Windy and Butterscotch & invited my brother to “hop on” and we would ride down to the pasture – bareback.  Having broken a bone in his leg on one of those rides eight years ago, he was a bit apprehensive about riding bareback, but I convinced him Butter was completely safe (evil grin).  With a death grip on the mane, we headed down to the pasture. 

My sister didn’t fare as well in recovering from her fear of riding.  She, too, took a tumble that first year we had Ginger.  Hers was a case of overconfidence & forgetting she was no longer 17 but 42.  Last year I convinced her to go on a short ride with me.  No pictures exist (except in my mind) of my once brave sister now riding Windy – equipped with a helmet, grasping the horn and being lead by me from another horse all the while saying, “don’t drop the rope, pleassse don’t drop the rope!”

I’m reminded of those early years – how a little thing called “fear” played havoc on my only desire – to have fun with my horses.  Looking back, nothing in particular happened that warranted me to be fearful, but it loomed over me every time I swung my leg over the saddle.  Everything on a ride made me nervous:  cows rushing a fence, a spook at a plastic bag, a head toss, going up a hill (or down).  In time, things changed for the better. 

Today we ventured out further.  John, my boys and I, and my brother and his daughter, rode the Oak Creek Trail from Loma to Valparaiso and back.  Other than the "roadside bomb" (aka root beer bottle) that sent Blue in a tailspin, the day couldn’t be more perfect.  It’s so rewarding to see how confident the kids have become on a horse; they no longer remember us NOT having horses.  They were very young when my obsession with the equine began.  And my brother remembers a little bay filly born on our place six years ago... as he watches his daughter now riding that bay mare – all grown up – both of them. 

JUST A TRAIL RIDER  (written & contributed by Sheila Christiansen, Gretna, NE)

Today I was at the tack shop buying a dressage girth.   Not because I do dressage or own a dressage saddle, mind you, but because that is what is needed for my new Barefoot treeless saddle that I am so excited about trying out on the trails!  The lady who happened to be working at the tack shop today also boards, trains, and gives lessons out of my boarding stable; hunter/jumper, I believe.  So I introduced myself and we were talking…  I was thinking how she is a nice lady. 

Then she says, "So, who are you working with out there?"  I was like, "Uhhh, well....uhh...” thinking, ‘What does she mean?’ 

Then it dawned on me that she was asking me which trainer I have training my horses or that I take lessons with.  So I glibly admitted that I am not working with anyone (which made me sound real back-woodsy, by the way), and that I just pleasure ride and trail ride.

“Oh,” she says.  That didn’t seem to be an adequate explanation.  So I said, “You know, hauling my horses to trails and meeting up with friends, trying out new places.” 

She's now murmuring reassuring phrases, like, “Well, there’s nothing wrong with that, now, is there?  Sometimes it is fun to just do that."  And I'm left still feeling even more like a hick! 

I find myself explaining why I am not in training of some sort, that I am not interested in competing, not very self-disciplined, even though I find it interesting to watch others taking lessons, I assure her.  And lest she get the impression that I don’t take my horsemanship journey very seriously, I told her, “I am a student of the HORSE, but no particular discipline”.  (I’m starting to sound kind of flakey by now).

Then she asked me how that trail riding is going.... (Interpret like this, “So, how's that going-without-a-trainer working out for ya, hmmm?"...)  She's either drumming up business or she has seen me ride.  I said, "Great! I've had these horses six years now and they are doing just great."  That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.  Pray I never show up there in a cast. 

I always have a hard time explaining what it is that I do with horses, without people getting the impression that I really don’t do anything of any importance, when in actuality I spend more time in groundwork, problem-solving, training, riding, trying new and challenging horse activities, studying natural horsemanship, and just general education about horses than the majority of horse owners I know!  Maybe I should start stressing the hours I rack up in a year doing my own horse thing, whatever it is called.  See, if I actually did Competitive Trail Riding, at least I would have a good ANSWER when people say, "What kind of riding do you do?"  There is a name for it.

Shouldn’t there be a better name for it than Just Trail Ride? 

Fuel Prices & Trail Riding  4/18/08

By the looks of the hay bellies on my horses, there is no shortage of hay around here.  But unfortunately, there is at our house.  We had hoped for a good crop last year with all the spring rains.  But the damp fields also prevented us from getting it out; we even lost some that was already in wean rows when the creeks overflowed from a sudden and quick rain, taking our hay on downstream.  We aren’t farmers and boy, did it ever show!  This has been the first time I remember, in our horse life, that we have had to go looking for large round bales.  Fortunately, my friend’s father – a cow farmer – took pity on us and will supply us until the pastures are ready. 

On Horsetales, we were pondering the price of hay.  Obviously, the cost to cut and bale the hay has increased with the exuberant (ridiculous & greedy) fuel prices.  It takes more to produce that bale of hay this past year than in prior years. 

So we are paying more for hay, more for fuel and I know the price of everyday living has gone up.  Gosh, who’d have thought milk would become a luxury item.  And eggs!  I vetoed making deviled eggs this past weekend because they were $2.86 a dozen!  And what does this have to do with horses?

As a trail rider, the sport is riding “the trails”.  Not my pasture, not the gravel road – but “the trails”.  And to ride the trails, you have to get to them.  Pulling 1 horse in my 2 horse trailer, I get about 11 miles to a gallon of diesel (overpriced right now at about $4 a gallon).  The nearest trail is 12 miles from my door.  So it costs me about $8 round trip to the nearest trail.  Round trip to Branched Oak & back will cost me about $18!  Heck, that’s almost as much as a yearly park permit!  When I first bought my horses almost 8 years ago, that same trip in the same truck cost me under $5.

We are heading to South Dakota for a horse trip this summer pulling four horses in our big trailer.  Please don’t tell the kids, but for what we are spending on diesel fuel, the 4 of us could fly to Disney World and back!  We planned early and I’ve been saving for summer.  But I saved for $3.50 diesel fuel, not $4.  Boy, was I dreaming!

My sacrifice to my horse hobby was trading in my Blazer for a Honda Civic.   A Honda!!  I’m 5’9” tall.  There is nothing I like about that little car except the 37 MPG.  Too bad the little thing can’t pull a trailer!

What have you done to combat the increasing cost of owning a horse?  Do you do without in other areas so that you can continue to enjoy your horses in the same way you always have?  Do you trail ride less or just not go as far?  Have you decided your horse really doesn’t need shoes after all?  Have you taken on a second job or a second mortgage?

I may have to compromise and ride the roads a little more often or play in my arena.  Forego a few haircuts and trips to the dentist.  Buy less milk.  No eggs.  And when I hit the trails, I hope to see you along the way!  I'll be anxious to hear what you are doing without so that we can ride the trails together!

Lost Data 4/2/08

I returned home from Horse Expo to find my computer had crashed! And yes, lost some things I wished I wouldn’t have, but did have most of my photos on an external hard drive… but not all. So when the kids graduate from high school and are presented with their life in pictures, there will be a slight gap! Yes, never thought it would happen to me. Lesson learned. So Horsetrailriders.com has been stale while I rebuilt my desktop.

I’m surprised I have already logged hours in the Trail Time program for this year. The weather sure hasn’t cooperated this winter, but I did ride any opportunity that I could. Mostly around the yard and down our roads. Took my “greener than green” black gelding to Chance Ridge and Dr. Smith introduced us to team sorting! What a rush that was! Black would put his head down and snake it toward the cow. My gawd, he even bit one! I think he found his calling! And it is the first time I have been stiff after riding for a long time! Just maybe sorting is something to look forward to next winter!

The days are finally staying light longer. The horses -- a few a tad overweight from standing at the round bale all winter -- have started to shed. The grass has is showing hints of green. People are finally able to get their trailer out of the mud left by snowdrifts and rides are being planned. A few weeks ago, I spent an afternoon at Two Rivers with some friends. We were half expecting fresh horses but instead, had a mild and enjoyable ride. The trails are interesting when they are void of leaves and grass. Almost like riding somewhere unknown.

Besides losing a year in the life of pictures in the crash, I also lost my mailing list. If you want to be on the Horsetrailriders.com mailing list, simply click & send and I will add you back to the list.

Happy Spring & Happy Easter!