Horseplay

Tuesday October 7 2008

Jose was all revved up this beautiful morning, and he couldn't get anybody to play with him.

So he entertained himself.

Raced in and out of the hay pen, down by the girls in their back pen, up toward the mountains, back into the hay pen, around and around the other 6 geldings who either kept eating hay or looked at him like he was nuts. Around and around he went, tail up in the air, sprinting like a madman.

He kicked at Stormy as he went by, then stopped to paw, slam the earth, kick up dust, and he was off again.

Happy horse.

Lawn Mower

Monday October 6 2008

If it's not one thing, it's another.

I was riding Stormy, until the last time he got shoes, and he went lame again with his navicular. His front feet were finally getting better, then he came up so lame behind that he was on three legs (he pulled a butt muscle, probably sprinting in from up the canyon). He finally got over that, and just as I was about to throw a saddle on him, he got a rather wicked bite on his back, where the saddle goes.

So I just keep waiting to ride him again.

For now he can't be the Local Macro Mailman, the Building Inspector, the Oreana Bookmobile, the Trails Assessor, or the Dog Walker.

Instead he found a new chore that doesn't take a saddle.

The lawn mower ran out of gas, so Stormy took over the mowing job.

Tipping the Scales

Sunday October 5 2008

Is my horse fat, or not?

Look at him from the back, and I don't think so.

Look at him from the side, and he's one gooooooooooooood lookin horse.

Look at him from the front... ... well, let's just not look at him from the front.

It's all beside the point anyway, fat, not fat, Stormy's a whole lotta horse to love, and I love my horse a lot.

Flip-Flop (by Quickie)

Friday October 3 2008

So, there I was, getting all fat and lazy this summer, when I got recruited to go back to endurance work. I wasn't real excited about that, but when Steph came up with the idea to breed me and Princess to that Creampuff stallion "Stoner" or somesuch next door, Princess was instantly in love, but me? Noooooooosiree I said! The humans thought they'd entice me and I'd come around by leaving me in the pen with the big stud (so he thought of himself) but after a few squeals and pretty well-aimed kicks, the humans gave up. Even after leaving me there for a few days I was totally uninterested. I wasn't having anything to do with that. I had my only baby Dudley a few years ago, and he broke the mold. I'd rather go back to the endurance trails than have another baby!

Well. They were serious about the endurance riding again. M kept taking me out, and making me work, up the washes and up the hills, working up big sweats, slowly slimming down my big belly I'd been working so hard to maintain.

And then, here came fall, and the humans became all busy with this and that, cleaning up, moving things around, driving off on the 4-wheeler with flying ribbons, and then one day a horse trailer pulled in, and another, and another, and well, I knew what was up with that. The 5-day endurance ride was about to start, and I was going to have to do an endurance ride!

I did a 25-mile ride one day, and I was thinking, well, this isn't that bad, but then two days later I got put in a 50-miler, and boy was I cranky by the second loop! By the third and last loop I was back into my rhythm and I rather enjoyed myself, but man - 50 milers again? I'd much rather be fat and lazy than have to work at endurance again.

In fact... that Cremello stud Stony next door really doesn't look all that bad. A few days after the ride, I decided he was pretty darn hot, as a matter of fact. And so, the humans took me next door to stay with him a few days.

He's my new boyfriend. See how good we look together? I think having another Dudley isn't such a bad idea.

Check back with me next September.

2008 Owyhee Canyonlands Day 5 - Pickett Creek

Sunday September 28 2008

It was another ride day for me, and another ride for Quickie - 50 miles, gasp! Loop 1 started with a short but steep climb up onto the northern flats, and I left the starting line a wee bit early, leading Quickie up on foot, laying hoofprints along a new trail I'd flagged a few days earlier. Halfway up the hill, where the trail became obvious, I peeled off my jacket (warm from the climb) and waited for all the 14 other 50-mile riders to follow so I could point the way. I climbed aboard Quickie and followed the last two in the golden sunrise, and I had the great pleasure of spending most of the day with Jacinta Denton and her gorgeous gelding Krasniy Kumeer.

The perennially-hilarious Jennifer LeBlanc was in our company for half of the first 19-mile loop, out on the northwest side of Pickett Creek, to the base of the Owyhee mountains, past "Booby Rock" (a tamer name than what we normally use), where Jennifer took a picture of 4 of us, across Pickett Creek, and back toward home on the southeast side of the creek. Going out we used a new trail I'd never been on, or even seen - an old canal that was probably dug in the 1800's and that provided some nice footing.

On the flats approaching Pickett Creek Canyon, Steve Bradley had set up to take pictures. We spaced out for photos. Quickie had been fairly agreeable heading out on the trail, but the closer we got to home, the feistier she got. All of Jacinta's photos had been at the trot on Kumeer, and she wanted a cantering picture, so she nudged him to a higher gear in front of us. Quickie thought she was being left behind, so Steve almost got a picture of me getting bucked off Quickie. I hung on, but it was a bit of a wild ride the last two miles back into camp. I wasn't so sure I'd get Quickie to leave camp two more times today!

Loop 2, at 14 miles, was up along the Rim Trail again, though this time, Steph added a short half-mile detour through the Pickett Canyon Narrows. She had debated about it for a while, but decided the very rocky path would be worth the terrific canyon scenery. Red rock walls rose above us as we entered the narrow mouth, and we walked right up the middle of the rocky creek (a bit of water up here), ducking under overgrown vines (fortunately not poison oak, as I found out first hand clearing the trail!), and finally coming out past the cliffs through the sagebrush, and up and over a little pass that dumped us back onto the regular Merri's trail that led out of the canyon and up onto the flats.

We did the Rim Trail to the north this time - doing trails backwards here in the high desert make them look like completely new trails at times - but with some of the same company, Nance and Jazzbo, Tom and Frank. It was getting warm, and Quickie already has a winter coat started (does this mean it's going to be another early, cold, and long winter again?), so we took advantage of all the plentiful water troughs and dunking buckets (delivered and kept filled by neighbors Carol and Rick) out there, Quickie drinking and me sponging her.

We were joined by Chris Yost - on his backup horse Meadow Manasseh, as his 4-day horse Turbo BLY was sore this morning from a stone bruise. Kara Yost was also done after 4 days, her horse being sore from scratches. Chris had been near the front of the pack this morning, but he and Naomi Preston had taken a detour along the wrong trail this morning, and had done some extra miles. It sounds easy, following ribbons, especially if the trail is well marked... but what is easy is spacing out, losing your concentration for a short time. As Tom said, "It takes only one ribbon!" and you're going the wrong way.

Quickie got even feistier heading home on this loop, as we were in a group of 4 or 5 riders, and Quickie was in back. No chance of me taking any more pictures now, and instead a good chance of Quickie getting mad enough to buck me off - and I had no carrots to bribe her with!

But we made it into camp with me still on top of the saddle, and after our vet check and 50 minute hold, Quickie and I waited for Jacinta to go out on our last 10 mile loop. Nance and Tom had gone out ahead of us, so it was just Jacinta and I, and Quickie once again didn't seem to mind going back out on the trail with Kumeer. We trotted along the rim above Bates Creek Road, and were caught by Paul Wells, on his 5th day of riding 2 different horses. His wife Laurie was very disappointed she couldn't make it to this ride. Something about girlfriends having scheduled a vacation this week. Don't friends and family members know by now to schedule vacations and weddings and babies around the endurance ride calendar?


We crossed Bates Creek Road, worked our way back up onto the flats, and headed in the direction of the purple-blue Owhyee Mountains, trotting fast and steadily, following clouds of dust that whirled up into the air and that must have been seen for miles around. "You couldn't be an outlaw here!" Jacinta commented. Quickie was in a better mood on this loop - she probably knew it was her last one, and she had just Kumeer for company, not a herd to stir her up.

I never forget to be amazed at these endurance horses I ride. Mile after mile, they go, and go, and keep going. Quickie was not at her fittest, but we flew along in her big half-Orlov trot, pounding along the trail, for miles without easing up.

Another thing that amazes me about endurance riding is how the horses make everybody feel - young and old people, sick and healthy and injured people - it's just good for the body and soul. "You know," Jacinta said. "I look in the mirror, and see that I'm old. But when I'm out riding a horse, I feel just like I did 30 years ago." Riding an endurance horse challenges your body and mind, and lets you share the amazing ability of a horse that will willingly (most of the time) go 15, or 25, or 50, or 100 miles down a trail, year after year, (this is Quickie's 11th season of endurance riding) on trails that you'd never bother to go out and see on foot.

And when we got to the top of the Pickett Creek Canyon, once again I got off Quickie and led her down the hill, and stayed off of her and walked her on in to camp, because she'd done enough today, and I knew I'd be fighting to hold her back on the way in!

Many personal and equinal milestones were reached at this year's Owyhee Canyonlands ride. Cindy Bradley, who's been plagued with health problems for at least the last year that have prevented her from riding, rode her first 50 since then on day 1, and rode and completed again on days 3 and 5. As Steph said, "She's back!"

18-year-old Frank, with Tom aboard, reached his 4000 mile mark, and with the look of him, he could easily and happily go another 4000.

Barbara Holmes, who with her husband Grant came down from Canada, made it a tradition of riding Rhett on her birthday (and after very recent knee surgery), having a great time and finishing second on the LD today.

Five riders completed all five days of the LDs, and four riders completed all 5 days of 50's. For the second year in a row, Naomi Preston and Karlady were the overall 5-day winners, and they took home the overall Best Conditioned prize also.

And of course, most importantly, the Raven completed another 155 miles.

2008 Owyhee Canyonlands Day 4 - Hart Creek Canyon

Saturday September 27 2008

Ride manager Steph had originally planned to ride her favorite horse Rhett the first 3 days of the ride... but she soon realized that would be tough, even with Regina Rose helping day-manage the ride. But this weekend there would be plenty of volunteers, and Regina had everything under control, so not only did Steph get to ride, but I got to ride again too!

And it was one of the prettiest days of the 5 days - if one can really be chosen over the other - the 17-mile loop 1 for both the 55-milers and 30-milers led to and through Hart Creek, right up to the base of the Hart Creek Canyon notch, with a climb above it onto a steep and thin ridge; the last loop for both distances followed the Hart Creek Rim Trail - a beautiful view looking down on the morning's trail.

Today I rode Rushcreek Mac and Connie rode Jose, and in the cool morning we zipped along the trails, over hills, through washes, weaving through sagebrush and big yellow rabbit brush to dry Hart Creek. We walked through the rocky creek, below the cottonwoods and willows with just a touch of yellow in their leaves, and the quailbush just beginning to turn maroon. There was one little spot of water when we crossed the creek at the Oreana Savannah (a hidden cabin), and Mac chose this spot to pee, right when the other horses were drinking. Argh!

"ARGH!" said everybody whose horses were drinking just downstream. But what could I do? You don't want to stop a horse in - pardon the pun - midstream, so, Mac just finished his business and we moved on. I of course never heard the end of that all day, "Hey Merri, did you let your horse pee in this water trough, too?" Argh!

Mac and Jose were both working hard enough this morning that Connie and I both dismounted to lead them up the stiff climb onto the ridge. By the time we reached the top, 4 of us were huffing and puffing, and we were quite hot in the cool air. Whew! That was my Dog Walk again for the day. Great views of the lowlands behind us and horses coming up the ridge, and the Owyhee Mountain range in front of us.


Back in camp, both horses passed their vet check and settled into their hay and alfalfa snacks. It's good for them to eat hay before they dive into their grain. After 15 minutes I mixed some grain up; Mac buried his nose in his bucket, and Jose turned his nose UP at his. What? Jose not wanting grain? Something was wrong! I noticed he was breathing fast, and he had a somewhat glazed glint in his eye... uh oh... you get that feeling of somebody punching you in the stomach because you know something is WRONG. And then I heard a weird noise - a gurgling, coming from his throat - Jose was choking! Connie and I immediately took him to the vets; Robert Washington, who said he'd never seen or heard a choke quite like this, worked on massaging his esophagus. The worst thing you can do is put water down their throat; it's best to let the horse work it out on his own if he can. Gene Nance asked if we'd been feeding him leafy alfalfa - yes we had; he said sometimes the dry leaves get all balled up and can get stuck, so it's better to wet them before they are consumed. (You can bet that we were over-diligent in tearing off the leaves of alfalfa and soaking it before feeding any of it the rest of the ride.)

After several minutes of Robert massaging, and Jose gurgling and trying to swallow, finally he gave a big sigh, licked his lips, and his eyes didn't look so glazed. Connie took him to the grass, where he wasn't real interested in eating but a few bites, but eventually, after Mac and I went back out on the trail, Jose went back to eating normally, with Connie keeping a close eye on him. Poor Jose! He'd never had any problems at a ride, and it was kind of rattling to watch him choke and to worry about him.

Sometimes Mac can be a big chicken if he goes out by himself, and it was easier just to put him behind company. On loop 2 it was my luck to latch onto good company in Frank and ("his publicist") Tom Noll, and Shahcolate Chip and his rider Jeff Stuart. There he was, the high-headed spirited Frank, working on his approximately two thousandth Owyhee mile, dragging Tom along with his reins double wrapped around Tom's hands (yikes!). "I started him on Adequan shots a while back, and they took 5 years off his life. Maybe I shouldn't have done that!" We decided if Frank wrote a book, it would start out like this: "All I ever heard out of Tom's mouth was, 'Slow down!' " The title of every chapter would be, "Idiot!" Have you seen the made-in-southern-Idaho movie Napoleon Dynamite? Frank, we imagined, uses the same tone of voice calling his rider "Idiot!" when he wants to go out front, and when he wants to go faster, the opposite of what Tom wants. We imagined that Frank uses this word quite often.

We moved right along on the 22-mile loop, across the highway to day 2's Vet Check, where we had no hold, but we stopped to partake of the water and hay still out there. It was in the low 80's today, and I let Mac fly toward home behind Jeff's big-striding horse and Frank (well, sometimes Tom used us for a speedbump for Frank, who was mightily insulted by that). I wanted to see what Mac was made of, how fit he really was, because his pulse rate had always been down to 60 or below as soon as we arrived at the vet checks in his previous rides. But it was hot today, and we were moving pretty fast for being only Mac's 3rd 50-mile ride. Back in camp for the second vet check, it took him 10 minutes to come down to the 60 bpm criteria. He hung at 70 for a while, then at 64. It took sponging with cool water, and standing in the shade to finally get him down to 60. Frank was a little slow coming down also, as were several others at this time of the warm day, one of the pulse takers said.

Mac trotted out well, and ate heartily during the 50 minute hold, but I was going to slow down on the last 16 mile loop, even if it meant I had to take ol' Spookums out by himself. But Tom wanted to slow down also (he did not consult with Frank), since he was aiming to complete all 5 days of 50's on Frank, and though Jeff's horse was fresher, he stuck with us. In the middle of the loop, when Mac was really dogging it, I told them to go on, but Jeff said, "We've been the Three Musketeers for this long, we may as well stick together!" As we were going out on our last loop on the canyon road, we saw the leaders coming in to the finish on the trail through the sagebrush off to our left. Canadian Jan Marsh on Morning Line (they also won Day 1) was in front, followed by, 50 yards back, Steph and Rhett. "I'm not going to catch her!" Steph yelled at us when we hollered at her. Rhett was tossing his head as he darted through the sagebrush, looking a bit miffed that he wasn't first back home. Following a few minutes behind them were 9-year-old Barrak Blakely and his mom Gabriella; Barrak was riding Alias, the same horse he'd been pulled on for a bruised foot on Day 1. Happily, they completed, Barrak finishing third. He was the only junior rider at the Owyhee Canyonlands!

Eventually moving up onto the Rim Trail, apparently we just missed a big fat rattlesnake, seen by Karen Steenhof who'd just passed us. We were caught by Lynne White, Chris and Kara Yost, and Nance Worman. Nance and the Yosts were working on their 4th day of 50's on their horses; Nance and Jazzbo had taken a tumble during Day 2 and Jazzbo had skinned his knees and his nose, but Jazzbo, tough little bugger he is, was still motoring right along.

Mac was acting so weary I insisted they all go on ahead, and only Tom Noll stayed with us. But wouldn't you know, turning for home, Mac found his second wind - more like a first wind, and I almost couldn't find the brakes! Yea - I know what he's made of now! We got to the top of Pickett Creek Canyon, and I got off to lead Mac down, and I decided to stay off and walk in, because I knew there would be no holding Frank back, and I didn't want to fight with Mac's brakes on the way in either, so, I took another Dog Walk (minus the dogs, who were probably busy mooching food off ridecampers) back home into camp.

Mac, former Rushcreek Ranch Cow-Horse, successfully completed his 3rd 50-mile ride; and had we slowed down just a bit, we would have come in with Tamara and Aaruba, who also successfully completed their 55 mile ride, Aaruba's second one.

Tom, Nance, Chris and Kara Yost, Kim Black, and Naomi Preston all completed their 4th day in a row on their 50-mile horses.

Besides the 28 horses on the 55-mile ride (25 completed), and the 18 horses (all completed) on the 30-mile ride, there were two trail riders who came to spend the weekend and ride. One was Phil Carroll and his Tennessee Walking Horse, Timer (Go Gaiters!). I'd met Phil at the Pink Flamingo ride in July, and again at the Old Selam ride in August. I'd been talking up the Owyhee trails, and Phil and his wife Margaret were able to come this weekend. Phil and his friend chose to ride the Hart Creek Trail - excellent choice! - and from the story Timer wrote, it appears they all enjoyed it.

Dr Peterson gave another InfoLecture, this one on the importance of warming up your horse in the mornings from the physiological perspective; I never had any class in college where the 'professor' had such rapt 'students'. Dr Peterson then segued into one of his terrific Cowboy Poems about the wilderness. If he doesn't watch out, we'll be bringing him here principally for the Education and Entertainment duties, with a little vetting thrown in on the side.

2008 Owyhee Canyonlands Day 3 - Sinker Creek Canyon

Friday September 26 2008

Another day on the trail! This time it was the 30 mile ride through Sinker Creek Canyon. And it was on 18-year-old Quickie. Quickie is not too excited about anything but eating any more, but, since she didn't want to get pregnant this summer, she went back to work. (I bet now she was rethinking spurning the advances of that gorgeous Cremello stallion, LJ Owyhee Moonstone next door.) Today Quickie and I escorted Suri on his first 25 mile ride with Connie aboard.

Now, while ride manager Steph Teeter did rake miles and miles, and miles, of trails (did anybody notice?), Sinker Creek was R-O-C-K-Y. Pure rock, in fact. Which you pretty much had to take at walking speed, which was a good thing, because it was so scenic.

Two-track roads and cross-desert trails over BLM land led us to where the out-vet check would be at about 5 miles from camp. We stopped for a good drink and leisurely munch of hay that was already set out, and as we continued on over the flats toward Sinker Creek, the first 50-milers (who'd started an hour before the LD) were already cantering back towards us and the vet check from their 20 mile loop through Sinker Canyon. We moseyed our way to Sinker - it was an educational day for Suri - and when we got to the top of the hill leading down, Quickie stopped. I couldn't get her to move again - she was waiting for me to get off and lead her down. So I did.

Sinker Canyon was just getting its first whiff of fall, the cottonwoods and willows just starting to turn with a little color. Our rocky trail wound back and forth through the flowing creek, through tunnels of overgrown willows, some that we had to duck under; and the tall red cliff walls kept us in the shade and cool air. Halfway through the canyon we passed some ruins of an old cabin, and a little further on we came across some cattle. Cattle aren't normally scary, but when they start making rustling noises in the brush behind you, and then you start hearing non-cow hooves on rocks, and splashes, and then human voices where they shouldn't be, things in the overgrown canyon do become rather spooky.

And it wasn't Suri, the green horse who spooked while leading in front, but the old hand Quickie following behind who was scared. It could have been a cougar back there, after all... Quickie wanted to take the lead and get the heck out of the canyon. So Suri let the old lady move to the front, and he protected her from cougar attacks from behind, and we made our way along the creek-bed out of the canyon, following an old road carved into the shale cliffside up onto the flats.

John Teeter riding an ATV followed behind the last riders (just behind us) closing some of the gates we'd passed through, and he noticed a mysterious pool of blood beside one of them. A rather substantial pool... but no sign of humans or horses in distress, no tangled gates or wires, no torn up or scuffed ground... just a mystery. No complaining by anybody back at camp later in the day, either.

Coming into the vet check, the riders behind us caught up with us, and then the heated race for Turtle was on. Who could go slowest? The vet check crew was about ready to pack up and leave by the time we got there, and in fact they did pack up during our 50 minute hold, and they followed us down the road toward home with all the gear when we left.

We leisurely made our way along the 5 miles back to camp along the wash we went out on this morning, and even with me getting off Quickie to walk her in the last mile-and-a-half over the hard-packed road, I was still only 5th from last. Well, Quickie would have been quite insulted by the Turtle award!

Back at basecamp after the ride, I finally met Tamara of In the Night Farm, having just arrived with her horse Aaruba for tomorrow's 50 mile ride - their second 50 after a horrific near-fatal colic by Aaruba last October. Tamara and I had been following each other's blogs for a while, and in fact were both at the Old Selam ride in August, but just hadn't met yet.

Then there was my Nevada endurance riding pal, Krysta, who'd come from Reno with her mom and one horse, and room for two in the trailer - she was coming to look at DIEGO! My sweet stinker Diego - actually Kevin in Arizona's horse, but Diego loves me bestest and mostest - might be getting a new owner! And nobody better than Krysta, whose main horse Sinatra has been diagnosed with cancer : ( . It was good to see Krysta again, and if Diego must leave, I'd be happy to see him hop in Krysta's van. I think they are a match made in heaven.

The pool of blood mystery was solved when Vicki Green picked up her completion award for 12th place in the 30 at the awards dinner: she had been closing one of the gates, when the cheater bar slipped and smacked her in the nose and broke it. (Typical of crazy endurance riders, she still didn't complain, and would end up riding the two last days.)

All 29 horses finished the 30 mile ride, and 22 of 24 finished the 50 mile ride. One of the pulls was neighbor Carol on our riding buddy August. He stepped on a rock just wrong - after the rocky canyon, not in it - and ended up with a big stone bruise.

This was the first time Steph recalls there being more entries in the LD than the 50 mile ride. In fact, some people came to the Canyonlands just to ride in all the LDs... and this was the first time Steph offered 5 days of the shorter distance. For many LD riders it was a stress relief - you didn't have to worry about trying to get your horse through 5 days of 50's. You're out on the trail for 3 to 4 hours, and then you have the rest of the day to relax and visit, and enjoy the Owyhee Scenic Spa at the Teeter Rancho.