Goals for 2016 by Month

The Distance Derby has monthly events and for March, the participants were challenged to come up with non-distance related goals for each month of the rest of the year that involved your horse.

I think that was an excellent idea and took it to heart. We only had to do one goal each month, but I do have some back up and multiple goals, because goals! Part of my goals involve getting back into shape after having the baby for both Gwyn and myself. Ideally, as Hazel gets older I'll be able to condition more and more. I'm also trying to keep in mind Eric's time as well, since he'll be primarily responsible for childcare while I ride. 

The tricks that I mention are things I can do while babywearing Hazel or while she naps. I plan to have a portable crib that I'll bring out to the barn to leave her to chill while I do things with Gwyn. They're also weather dependent. I.E. I'm less likely to ride when it's cold, or want to spend time outside while it's cold with Hazel. 

March
Teach Gwyn one trick! TBD

April
Avoid going into labor during Distance Derby dinner
Introduce new baby to Gwyn

May
At least sit on Gwyn
Alt goal- teach second trick to Gwyn/teach to highline in prep for camping

June
First post partum trail ride!

July
Ride once a week

August
Endurance ride at Kensington, novice 15 mile
Ride twice a week

September
Ride three times a week
Go to a hunter pace or local dressage show

October
LD endurance ride at silver Creek
Polly Ann trail fall ride

November
Ride three times a week

December
Ride on new year's Eve
Teach third trick to Gwyn

Training Fail

I had a complete and utter brain fart when it comes to training Gwyn. Thankfully things were not bad, though they could have been catastrophic.

When you introduce new things to horses you want to make sure you break it down into component pieces. As an example, you don't hook a horse up to a cart without making sure they're familiar with all of the little pieces (harness, something moving behind them, ground driving, pulling weight, etc)

In my excitement about having both snow and my skijoring harness, I figured I'd introduce Gwyn to weight.

I neglected to introduce her to something sliding across the snow when she moved.

Ah.

Taking a nap in the snow. This has all since melted.

Looking good! We made it through winter fat and no ribs! Thank you LOTS of hay!

Anyway, I put the harness on her, I wasn't even planning to ground drive her, just lead her around the pasture with a slight amount of weight in Kaylee's sled and the sled hooked up to the lines of the harness.

We took maybe too steps and my mistake kicked me in the ass. She absolutely flipped out. And it's definitely my fault. She went flying up the hill, the sled flapping behind her, then down the hill and into the front pasture.

Saffron and I kind of looked at each other like... "Uh... maybe we should go after her..."

The small amount of weight I had used (my grooming box) was remarkably undumped, a testament to how quickly she bolted. I trudged through the snow, Saffron at my side, to find the sled in two pieces, and thankfully no longer hooked up to Gwyn. If I had attached it differently, it might not have broken the way it did. 

I left the sled and approached Gwyn and apologized. She was snorty but calm. The harness was still on her. I led her over to the broken sled and let her sniff. I took the harness off and did what I should have done first. I put the harness in the sled and pulled it beside myself while leading Gwyn back to the barn.

She calmed down immediately, gave it a side eye, but didn't do much more to be scared.

To further reduce the damage, I piled hay on top of the sled and led her with the sled into the arena. She was eating off of it as we walked. I think the damage was reduced...

We walked around the arena for a while and then, to salvage some of the time I had, I did some ground work to get her focused on me in the 'scary' side of the arena. 

So, thankfully the nightmares that flashed through my head as I watched her race up the hill did not come to pass. It's salvageable.

And there are no more sleds for sale and the snow is gone. We'll work on dragging a 2x4 board instead. And we'll do it properly this time.

Skijoring set is here!

Rough German translation of included instructions:

Danger! Our instructions are no substitute driving course! You will find just how to adjust what. These instructions apply to the exclusivity only for the original classic " PUR " - Line , who wants to have it even easier , so want more , abiding by the " PLUS " - execution.

Dear Customer/s
Some of this harness is now at first sight different than you are used to it. Conspicuous has this harness hardly buckles and loops , still can and must be set correctly. How to be a breastplate has, etc. should be known to you, I will not go into here at the point on. The how of adjusting, however, I would like to illustrate this:
The manufacturing material is an Air-Rope (hollow braid) of polyethylene with an enormous tear strength, which can be connected quickly and safely without knots. For entangling of the cable end as the end part is inserted about 20-30 cm from the outside in the pushed together, thereby expanding (schlauchige) interior of the cable. The rope braid now drawn together in the load, so the inserted end is held by the contact pressure.
All connections on dishes, head pieces and lines are more or less designed according to this principle. So if you want to change something, please see the corresponding compound carefully and you will succeed to extend the corresponding stripper or shorten. (Incidentally, if thereby should solve a final gluing, easy to turn back with a piece of tape.)
The connection points are, where necessary, provided with locking sleeves which prevent a displacement in the relaxed state.
To change the settings, push the locking sleeve over the insertion of time, readjust and tighten the sleeve again.
(page 2)
The line can like most Sieltec products (see previous page) in length be adjusted.
The longer, left leash secured knows both lines are also also for better verification white marks. To adjust the Cross Cap Simply beat one or more nodes in the on shortening linen. Do not worry, the knots are easily solved by use readily, but should always be removed! Attention, you can unintentionally brutal (Zufassen) with these lines as to a hard hand, please always give nice. Meanwhile, some joints are partially secured with sleeves, they are only pushing aside before the adjustment and take on again her place. 
The strands are adaptable and to handle their mounting on any (Ortscheit) arbitrarily. They can be, e.g. As simply hung over the (Ortscheit) or fasten with safety shackles (To see in the clips below, product information/instructions)
The (Oberblattstrupfen) (the connections between comb and cover strands in pairs dishes) are connected through a race to the strands and are among the small waist belt. The (Verschnallen) omitted here, is at best to "Move" and the train line corrects itself. The Marathon Harness with panic shackles are of annular configuration, these loops you just by the pedestrian spectacle.
Upon delivery of the buggy harnesses with breeching we attach the carabiner of the rear harness because of the clarity of the suspension rings or another. This must necessarily be fixed when tension on the scissors! Only then can they fulfill their purpose and do no harm. 
The lifting eyes can be adjusted in height: unfolding, pull out, reinsert, finish (See images below or in the product information/instructions)
END

Package arrived severely banged up. I had a moment of "what did I order?!" when it arrived since I needed to sign for it.

Thankfully the box being banged up had no impact on the actual product, due to its construction materials.

It's a simple breastcollar that I can use with my existing surcingle, bridle and driving lines for some simple harness work. The most we'll be doing is pulling things in the arena and pulling people around on a sled or skis in the snow. Skijoring!! They also make full harness sets in fun colors with this braided hollow rope. Adjustments appear easy and google translate helped me figure out how adjustments would work. I'm impressed with the quality of work. And it won't degrade from mildew or mold!

The original instructions

Kaylee Ride #2

 We had a crazy busy day yesterday, and my little energizer bunny STILL wanted to go ride! That's my girl!  It was a nicer day, in the low 40s, which compared to the teens we've been seeing was positively balmy.

After I got the stalls cleaned, she was still very insistent on riding, and even more insistent that we use Gwyn's new to us pink biothane bridle with rhinestones. I'm using a hackamore with it and needed to rig up a curb chain because the one that came with it was not big enough.

We had the necessities, helmet, bridle and 'reins'.  I tossed Kaylee up bareback and we did a walk through the pasture.  Gwyn was patient and a very good girl and Kaylee was having fun chatting to me as I walked beside her. Every so often Gwyn would stop and give me this look of "Are you SURE, mom?" so I would have Kaylee thump with her heels and tell her "Walk on!" And veeeeeery reluctantly, Gwyn would start to walk again.

Kaylee wanted to go in the arena too and I was a little worried because Gwyn has been spooky in the arena lately. Well, I figured out why!  The deer are bedding down in the woods between our property and the one behind us!  We spooked the deer up and I watched Gwyn get antsy and start to dance. I had my hand on Kaylee's leg and when the spook got to be too much I made sure Kaylee slipped toward me and let Gwyn get her spook out in a tight circle.

Kaylee wasn't fazed in the slightest and insisted on getting back on. We did another circuit of the arena and then went back to the barn because she was getting cold (the clouds had arrived).

She rode for 0.57 miles!

Kaylee is riding!

She's ridden twice so far this month, both per her own request, which is awesome. I've got her participating in the Distance Derby with a goal of riding 6 miles this year. I figured that was a decent goal, as broken down it only means 1/2 mile a month. So far in January she's ahead of the game! I debated doing 12 miles, but for goal reaching I thought it'd be cool to definitely have something achievable. If we do our hikes this summer where I babywear Hazel and Kaylee rides Gwyn, then we'll definitely get some mileage in, but just farting around the pasture is small change. It just so happens to add up!

1.01 miles! I couldn't stay away....

I knew that I was going to deal with some crazy critters yesterday and that if I wanted to hop on bareback, I needed to let everyone get their wiggles out. The day was warmer than it had been, but was still only in the low 40s. I can deal with those temperatures!

The donkeys immediately took off tearing around the arena, bucking and leaping. They were having a grand ol' time. Gwyn was a little more sedate, but had a few moments. She had less wiggles, I guess, lol. All the better for me!

Gwyn wiggles

Spelled wrong, but it was a gift from a friend so I didn't say anything and accepted graciously because I'd always wanted bridle tags.

Screw the doctors. I had a 30 minute dead man switch worked out with Eric. If I didn't check in within 30 minutes of telling him I had gotten on, he was to call in the cavalry. 

I... don't know why they are doing this. Saffron is the one mounting Arwen. They're both jennies so I don't know if it's a dominance thing. I'm still researching.

Arwen is sweet, but we need to work on leading and picking our feet up.

Today while I cleaned up poop, Gwyn hung out with me. She left me alone as soon as I threw a few flakes of hay into the pasture, hahaha. 

"Hi, feed me. My pasture is barren. I'm starving"

"I'll eat the camera"

I've gotten fed up with making multiple trips with a muck bucket I can lift, so now I get all the poop in one go and shovel it into my dumpster. I think it goes faster. Plus upper arm workout!

October 14, 2015 Video Blog 3

This video was all about ground driving!

I'm over a month late at this point, I know, I know. But eh. Things didn't work as well as I hoped, but I also didn't have as much time as I wanted to work with Gwyn. We have all winter though, so I did try and not rush myself or expect too much.

I'm researching an economical harness so we can make use of the new snow that is gracing the farm and I can teach Gwyn to pull something.  Because sitting in a sled behind her would TOTALLY still count for the distance derby. :D :D :D 

Video Blog 2 - October 13 2015

I finally got some time at my computer to work on video editing. I have 2 more videos currently to edit and upload but this is progress!

This was our first adventure out on the trail walking in hand and I am super pleased with how everything went. It was a nice day for a walk and we got 3.31 miles in with more mileage on the out loop since I was hoping to find a cut through first and didn't wander so much coming back to the trailer.

I added some picture stills at the end of the video and will likely also upload them into the blog for better viewing as well.

What will hopefully become the cut through trail to the Polly Ann. I am doubtful of its horse friendliness...

Sniffing poop

Much better bridges for horses

Nice fall colors

On our way back

Not at all concerned with halloween decorations

Oak Leaf Run Endurance Ride

You may recall I had plans to ride at Oak Leaf Run before the whole blood clot fiasco. Since I'd already made reservations for my campsite, I decided to go anyway, sans horse (though I wish I brought Gwyn just for the camping experience if I had the containment already, I've since ordered an EZ Picket system). The ride manager is a member of the Distance Derby so I let her know I'd be there and I was an enthusiastic volunteer.

Eric took Friday off, which was my birthday. I spent the morning with family packing and hoping the rain would stop. I drove out to Silver Creek Park in the afternoon with a packed truck. The location of the ride was about 2.5 hours from me, straight west across Michigan, just south of Grand Rapids. I stopped for gas and food but otherwise drove straight through.  After getting off the highway I was driving through grid farmland until I hit the park area where there were more trees. I also lost all of my signal for my phone, so I was truly off grid. It was a nice way to spend the weekend completely unplugged, though it did make for a slightly anxious husband... oops.

New camping set up since my camping trends in Michigan so far are April and October.... The pickup bed tent worked out PERECTLY.  Seriously. I nailed the cushioning and warmth needed for sleeping and didn't wake up cold at all. However I did forget firewood, which was my one regret.

Vet Mary warms up by the fire we had running all weekend at vet check and ride management central.

Endurance 50s coming back in for their first hold. It was too dark to get good pictures of them leaving.

CTR hold area. There were two different areas to keep the riders for each separated. I thought it was smart for a dual sanctioned ride!

30s getting ready to leave.

And they're off!

Mary doing a check. She was at Brighton in April so there were several people I knew already. I immediately felt welcomed back. This endurance/ctr crowd is like one big family more than happy to add to their numbers. Feels good, yo

Sunday Distance Derby riders Carrie (L) and Heather (R). Heather is the DD organizer and founder. They are both awesome and fun. We spent hours chatting Saturday night around a campfire. Heather camped next to me and we made a glowstick path back to my camp that was free of trees, rocks and roots. 

They went on a trail ride Sunday that wasn't part of the organized ride.

Well marked signage! 

A line of trees marked where pulses were taken!

All in all it was a great weekend. I acted as timer both days and was thanked copiously. I understand all too well the struggle to find volunteers and I'm glad I was still able to participate in the weekend event even if I couldn't ride myself. I did have to deliver the news to Lisa, who organizes Brighton, that I would not be able to attend next year due to that being my due date/month!  I think she forgives me ;) 

The drive back Sunday was quick with lots of sunshine and no crowds on the highways. I'm looking forward to returning next year!