“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!
Jun 13, 2008
Jun 11, 2008
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?
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?
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