Hillbillie Willie and 2022 Old Selam: Best Ride Ever!

September 7 2022

OMG I love this Standardbred!

And OMG I love the Old Selam Pioneer Endurance ride near Idaho City, Idaho. It’s one of my favorite Endurance rides, in the forest, on some of the best footing anywhere in the USA.

This year I couldn’t handle the thought of riding 50 miles in the heat. I’ve toughed it out before but the older I get, the more I hate the heat and just can’t take it anymore, and I don’t have to. So Hillbillie Willie and I opted for a different goal: 3 days of Limited Distance 25-mile rides!

Willie had done just two 25-milers before. He’s used to 50’s and we almost always place mid-pack on his rides, not fast, not slow, just steady. I never know exactly where we place, and I don’t care. (Willie’s way more competitive than I am.) My main goals are always to have an easy start, a sane, forward horse to ride on a loose rein, and to finish with a low heart rate. Criteria is always 60 beats per minute at the vet checks and at the finish, but when Willie finishes a ride with a heart rate in the 40s, I’m positively giddy.

Day 1:

We didn’t really have a plan, or a riding partner. My goal was simply a smooth and calm start and a fun day. And it all magically happened! We fell in near the front of 18 riders, just because that’s where we were. Simone and Boogey took the lead, and stayed there all day. Willie ended up behind Sarah from Oregon and her handsome Arabian Batman, and ahead of Jo from Wyoming and her big honkin’ Tennessee Walker Jake, and we 3 pretty much stayed together all day with our horses moving well and comfortably together.

Willie and I were both enjoying the faster pace, and the morning was deliciously cool (starting out in the 40s) and we wanted to get ‘er done before the heat came out. As the forest tracks flew by beneath our feet, I had a fast, smooth horse on a loose rein, and I was so happy about that because I had reached half of my goal for the day!

During one stretch on the first loop Sarah and Batman ahead picked up a canter, which became a  fast gallop, and Willie’s big Standardbred trot morphed into his pace (he was a pacer on the track), and ohmigod, we flew. I have never ridden that horse so fast at a pace. 

I wasn’t sure how to ride it but I just hunkered low, as motionless and balanced as possible, leaning forward a tad over his rocking motion, and let him do his amazing thing. Uneven footing, curve left or right on the logging road, he never missed a beat, never put a foot wrong. My mouth was gaping in awe. I tried not to giggle because that throws me off balance. What a thrill! We must have been flying at least 20 mph, which is 2/3 the speed of what pacers can race. I really think Willie was showing off to me a bit of what he could do in his former life!

The 3 of us riders finished the ride together 15 minutes after Simone and Boogey. Willie has the lucky genes (and he’s quite fit) so he was already pulsed down by the time we got to the finish line. “Did he even do anything?” asked Jennifer, who pulsed him in. “Does he ever sweat?”

We never finish in the Top Ten so this time we got to show for Best Condition. Best Condition is judged by the vet to be the “fittest, freshest and soundest” of the Top Ten finishers, taking into account heart rate, metabolic parameters, soundness, attitude, and weight carried.

A Cardiac Recovery Index is an indicator of how a horse recovers after a ride. Ten minutes after finishing, the pulse is taken, you trot your horse out far enough that you yourself would like to pass out, and back to the vet, and a minute later the pulse is taken again. Yep, I was giddy again when Willie’s CRI was 48-42. My goals for the day done! And he ended up with High Vet Score which was icing on the Standardbred cake!

Day 2:

Jo and I decided to ride together because our horses paced so well together. 15-year-old Jake is a massive horse. At 17 hands he makes Willie look like a normal sized horse! 

Somebody must have told Willie he finished second on Day 1 because he was AWFUL for the first 10 miles of loop 1. He thought he was back on the track and supposed to appear in the winner’s circle after the Race. All my 5 years of chill-out training went out the window. Like never before at any ride, he pulled and snarled and bulled and roughly pounded his way down the trail after whoever was in front of him. My hands went numb. I could not convince him to settle down and stop fighting! Jake was no help, encouraging Willie onward. I dropped Willie behind Jake for a while, but that didn’t help either as Jake was hot to run-walk, while Willie egged him on.

Finally Jo and I got into our own little Bubble (LOVE The Bubble - a nice space between the horses in front of you and horses behind you so it feels like you are the only ones out on the trail!), and our boys settled down and cruised along at a finally-comfortable happy pace, I got feeling back into my hands, and the last 5 miles of the loop were back to super fun enjoyment of the smooth trails through the forest, looking for moose and bear, Willie winging around blind corners eager to see what he might encounter!

Willie set the pace most of the day, and Jake would keep up or catch up, and with his smooth running walk, he totally out-walked the Standardbred on the downhill climbs or when we took a walking break. Willie was in awe of Jake’s power walk but he couldn’t emulate it, and he would have to trot to catch up. 

Loop 2 was pleasantly perfect (eager horse, loose rein), and we stopped occasionally for grass, and we effortlessly finished in the Top Ten again. It feels so good to ride a calm, forward horse that makes everything feel so easy. Willie’s CRI today was 40-40 (I was giddy and floored), and he ended up with High Vet Score again!

Day 3:

Our last day was pretty much all magical. Easy start on a loose rein, we had a nice Bubble most of the day, and when we didn’t, Willie didn’t feel the need to try to catch anybody. He would motor along, looking back and checking on Jake, slowing down if he needed to, or picking back up the pace. We had a great time on the cool morning climbing up a winding ridge-line logging road, then back down, an easy downhill you could trot on for miles.

Willie had developed quite the thing for Jake. On Day 1, Willie, who’s always easy-going, pinned his ears at Jake a few times, but by day 2, he would turn his head and gaze fondly at big Jake as we trotted alongside each other. Jake taught Willie it was really is OK to stop and grab a bite of good grass along the way. We grazed quite a bit on loop 2, and I was sad this Best Ride Ever on Willie was coming to an end.

Top Ten at the finish again, Willie had a great 40/44 CRI again. He again had the High Vet Score and this time he got Best Condition! Which, with my light weight is almost impossible, but miracle of miracles, it happened. I’m so proud of Willie!

BEST RIDE EVER!!! I LOVE THIS STANDARDBRED!!!!

I had the best time riding with Jo, and Willie really enjoyed Jake as a riding partner. Here, Willie says, “Does this horse make my head look small?”

Now it must be said, while Willie is a fun ride (except for Day 2 loop 1, which we will just expunge from our memories), he is the worst Ridecamper. Always messing with stuff, testing his fencing, trying to nuzzle then bite his camping partner, trying to get into the other horse’s pen because of course the other horse’s food tastes better. 

And while he’s quite independent and I ride him by himself all the time, he’d never be able to handle the stress of solo camping in Ridecamp. So we brought along Regina’s 25-year-old Arab, Mufasa, to babysit this 10-year-old Standardbred. And it worked! Mufasa didn’t really care being left alone, and Willie always had a companion when he got back to his trailer. And Linda’s Indy was camped next door, and both Indy and Mufasa always enthusiastically greeted Willie when he got back. His personal fan club! Hay, whatever works! If it takes a babysitter to de-stress my horse we’ll take it. 

Old Selam has always been one of my favorite rides, and this year was the best ride Hillbillie Willie and I have ever had!

I tried to get all our heads in this selfie but our horses’ heads are way too big!

Thank you Steve Bradley for the trail pix!

The Some-teenth Annual Oreana July 4th Parade

looking back on July 4 2022

If you’re one of the lucky few who gets invited to Parade Mistress Linda’s personalized annual 4th of July Parade in Oreana, well, you get to see the best kept secret in Idaho.

Every year is different. Linda makes plans, plans change, sometimes the morning of the parade. Sometimes the parade comes up the road. Sometimes we go down the road to the Parade. 

Participation is optional by the animals, and sometimes they say yes and march out of the driveway, then change their mind halfway into the Parade and turn around and head home on their own. This year Linda held the Parade at her house so all animals could join in the festivities as they felt like it. 

This year Linda was going to ride Hattie the Mule, but Hattie changed her mind the morning of the Parade and, though they’d been practicing, even with the American flag, Linda decided staying on the ground was a much better option. But riding isn’t essential to a 4th of July Parade anyway. Uncle Sam is, and neighbors are. 

Instead of climbing aboard an equine, Linda/Uncle Sam mounted a ton-hay bale and flung candy to the Parade fans. This was not only fun for the humans, but exciting for the painted and patriotic animals, particularly the goats and pigs, who descended upon the candy faster than the humans could gather it up.

The goats and dogs and horse and mule and donkey and mini-mule are old hands at the annual parade, but the Caspian horse and the painted pigs participated for the first time, and proclaimed the Oreana July 4th Parade a big little town success.

 

The Adventures of Linda and Festus

THE SCARIEST MOMENT IN MY LIFE

a guest post by Linda Kluge

So it was about 25 years ago I wanted to get a mule for Endurance racing. I had quite a few mules up to that point, but never for Endurance.

I noticed a Missouri Fox Trotting mule in, of all places, MISSOURI! “Festus” seemed like he’d be perfect!

Sonny and Marilyn Hornbaker were my Endurance mentors - they would come pick me up on the weekends to condition in the Owyhees.

BUT!

Festus was a pain in the ass to load. (But I’m not going to let this mule beat me!). Finally he would load and I was exhausted. And off we’d go.

We went to some 25 mile Endurance rides. On Festus I worked so hard on keeping up. We’d always get lost, so they were at least 30 or 35 milers for us. Anyway, that’s the foundation of this story.

One morning I was going to take Festus on a conditioning ride around the country block by my house in Kuna. 

First obstacle: the scary dairy farmer across the street. (Not gonna let this mule beat me!)

We got by.

Next obstacle: The scary railroad tracks. (Not gonna let this mule beat me!)

Got over ‘em.

Finally made it to the first corner of the block.

We turned on the road - and look what’s coming: a semi truck! I stop Festus so he can watch it go by… but NO he turns and runs with the truck and we are racing the semi - the truck driver is laughing - then he turned off and I got Festus to stop. (I’m not gonna let this mule beat me!)

We turn around and try to finish the second leg of the block. (However we did it, it was not pretty!)

We got to the second corner and turned down the road. Halfway down - oh crap - another semi! And here we go, we are racing a semi again! The truck turns off, Festus stops, and I turn him around to finish the third mile, until another semi starts heading towards us - oh crap - we are in another race!

Finally I get Festus to stop - I am exhausted, almost crying - and some kids playing in their yard are LAUGHING at me! (Once again - I am not gonna let this DAMN MULE beat me!)

Finally I get to the last mile to home, it was getting dark and I turn with relief onto a nice dirt road alongside of the canal. (It’s been about 3 hours since I began this little trek.)

I am almost home, but WAIT. What do I hear in the distance… no… no… the whistle of a train! The tracks went along the side of the road we were on. 

I just froze. The train is approaching and clanging and horn BLASTING, coming straight towards us with its huge front light glaring at us! And Festus turns and does his thing. We are racing a damn train! It is so loud and fast and scary and we are heading towards the bridge over the canal - only there is no bridge for me and Festus!

I said to myself, “Why don’t I fall off… why don’t I just DIE!” That mule was so strong! No way could I slow him or turn him, his neck was like a rock!

Right before the canal was a farmer’s house. By God’s grace I pulled Festus into his yard - I am shaking and crying. The farmer asks, “Are you OK?” 

I said “Yes… I am just being a baby.”

I don’t remember one moment of the last mile home but somehow we got there. It was a LONG DAY!

The End.

That's Linda and Festus on the left, their first ride in the Owyhees

Channeling Secretariat

 

July 6 2022

Hillbillie Willie must have watched a Secretariat documentary* last night, as our ride today was breathtakingly fast and fun.

He’s never in a hurry starting out, and if I try to rush him, he tosses his head and pins his ears and gives me the Stink Eye. So we mosey on out, up the hills onto the flats, and then we get down to business, a nice long stretch of trotting, keeping an eye out for the antelope that sometimes watches us from the top of a hill, or the group that sees us and takes off - always towards us, cutting over the trail in front of us and running a big circle around us because they are that fast. 

Today we rode a trail Willie loves to motor on, the Lost Juniper Wash-Dead Cow Wash loop with the Badger Hill-Bilbo Trail-Frodo Wash Whammy on the end. The further we went, the more enthusiastic he got. 

He knows when he’s working hard and needs to slow down to take a breather, but today he never took a breather once we hit Lost Juniper. He zipped down Lost Juniper Wash, galloped over Dudley’s Cutoff, flew up Dead Cow Wash, and then once we crossed the flats and dropped down onto Bilbo trail he picked up more speed, and once we got into Frodo wash, he super-powered up it, alternating between a BIG powerful trot and a smooth ground-eating pace. He huffed and puffed and I thought he’d be tired enough to trot (or walk) up the big hill out of the wash, but oh no, he hit the uphill trail in an outright Secretariat sprint to the top of the hill.

Some days he likes being totally macho bad ass and some days I can’t stop laughing in utter/pure delight/bliss/glee after a ride on my Standardbred. I love this horse!

(Alternate title, in Standardbred racehorse superstar terms, would be Channeling Brett Hanover)

Hillbillie Willie: Cucumber Cool at City of Rocks

Tuesday June 14 2022

I opted for riding the City of Rocks Day 3 25 on Hillbillie Willie because… why not? I took pictures on days 1 and 2 (photos are here) and Steve Bradley came and shot day 3 (photos are here), so I was free to ride on day 3. 

The 25-mile ride sounded good, and it couldn’t have had anything to do with being whooped with all the ride prep and trail marking (we help Regina put the ride on). I roughly guesstimate that all the trail marking and unmarking on foot that Connie and I do amounts to more than 25 miles each. Over the years Connie and I have got the system down, and we’ve found it’s much easier to just hike to mark and unmark trail than it is to saddle up horses and mark and unmark by riding.

Plus we condition-ride our horses most every day. And I just didn’t want to spend a long 50-mile day in the saddle (this ride is not easy and fast)(unless you're Christoph Schork or David Laws or Gabriela Blakely :), so the 25 sounded just perfect.

I was a bit nervous about the start, since Willie hadn’t done a ride since April 2 and I figured he’d be hot; and saddling up and warming up among the ‘regular’ Endurance riders were 5 “Pony Express” riders who regularly compete in 3-mile races, and they took off like Kentucky Derby starters breaking out of the starting gate!

But Hillbillie Willie walked right on out after them, unconcerned, beside Jill Haunold and Girl, and with Kitty Giles and Lady (who was on her 3rd straight day of LDs), not wound up, not upset that his pal DWA Barack had left an hour earlier on the 50-mile ride. It was going to be a fun day!

We made the loooooong climb through the City of Rocks National Reserve park counterclockwise up to the Indian Grove junction at 7200 feet, you know, the trail with the stunning views, and all the way back down in intermittent rain. Girl was easily able to match pace with Willie’s long legs, the two trading the lead and keeping a comfortable steady pace.

Our only glitch on the first loop was, just as we approached the water trough at Elephant Rock, we rode up on Connie and DWA Barack - Willie’s beloved bro Barack!!!!! - on the 50-mile trail. At the trough the 50s and 25s split, and Willie spent the next 2 miles whinnying for his Beloved Bro and looking over his shoulder (Barack did the same), but eventually he switched his allegiance back to Girl, because she was all business, and she was alright.

After lunch we had a fast-cruising easy 5-mile flat loop in the desert with Jill and Girl, and Willie finished up with a 48 pulse!

And I wasn’t complaining a bit that I did not have another 25-mile loop to ride. :)

I did, however, go out and hike several miles and unmarked a part of the trail that was no longer in use. :)

Justify’s Owyhee Mustang C Herd Available for Adoption!

May 14 2022

From the family of sire JUSTIFY, this "C" crop of one-of-a-kind all-recycled** hand-made-with-love Owyhee Mustang siblings are recently-rounded up off the Owyhee Range. They are tamed and gentled and halter broke… the rest is up to you. They are easy keepers - won’t eat you out of the hay barn and are happy with just sunshine and admiration. Each has its own unique personality and conformation!

By adopting an Owyhee Mustang you are an owner of an authentic Wild West bronc, made of genuine recycled baling twine fresh off hay bales, so in addition to owning a very unique objet d’art, a piece of The West, of course you’ll also be helping to save the planet from choking plastic or toxic burn fumes.

Owyhee Black-Blue Nose

Owyhee Black nose

Owyhee Black-Purple nose

Owyhee Dark Blue nose

Owyhee Lime Green Nose - yes - it's a mule!

Owyhee Orange nose

Owyhee Pink nose

These Owyhee Mustangs are available for adoption fee of $75 (add $5 for shipping per horse, USA only). 

contact theequestrianvagabond@gmail.com

See the gallery of past siblings horses here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/5KMJVHCTnVzrf3KPA

**100% recycled… made of baling twine, used buttons, stuffed with used horse magazines

***And thank you to the soooo many of you who have sent me your baling twine instead of burning it or throwing it away! You are contributing to beauty and hilarity in the world!

#trashtotreasure #trashtoart #trashintoart #balingtwine #bailingtwine #balingtwineart #bailingtwineart #recycledart #repurposed #reclaimed #recycledbalingtwine #recycledbailingtwine #recycleme #wastetoart #waste2art #trashintotreasure #recycled #recreated #fiberart #buyhandmade #buyusa 

#owyhee #owyheeart #wildwestart #wildwest #owyheemustangs #idaho #onlyinowyhee #adoptawildmustang #adoptamustang #justify

The Owyhee Green Desert

Monday May 2 2022

I've never in my 15 years out here seen the Owyhee desert so outrageously verdant. We've had the craziest spring, with temperatures swinging wildly between 79* one day and 26* the next night. Waves of wet weather have come through, just enough at just the right time to send the flora into a frenzy of growth.

The desert grasses and shrubs and wildflowers are soaking up the moisture as color - all shades of green, carpets of knee-high yellow mustard, fields of purple flowers (blue mustard?), phlox, arrow leaf balsam root, Indian paintbrush, and myriad other flowers I have my own names for because I don't know the proper names for them. 

It's awful hard to get a good training ride on Hillbillie Willie, because all he wants to do is eat this spring's rare Nature's bounty while it exists - and who can blame him! If we do a 2-hour ride, that's because 1 hour is spent training, and 1 hour is spent eating.

As I told a friend, Let us bow our heads and remember this lush spring in a few months, when the flora is withered and gray, and the skies are brown with wildfire smoke that burns our lungs and stings our eyes. Amen.