Pictures - Day 2

To read the challenge, click here.

Day: Sunday

Location: Home (because even though I did many interesting things, I was too busy living to take out the camera - so these pictures are a last ditch effort to stay in the challenge....)

"Do you know your truck and trailer GVWR?"


"Food on the counter is easier to see than food in the cupboard" or, "The options when you don't go grocery shopping"



"Hi, I'm Jonah and I'm a pest"



"Algae = more natural habitat"




"Mr. Fish hides when I walk into the room because he's big enough for dinner"


"Experimenting with the manual camera settings"


"Jonah getting ready to 'play' with Mickie"


"Mickie doesn't want to play"


"Sanctuary"

Pictures - Day 1

Day: Saturday

Location: Del Valle in Livermore, CA

To read the challenge and join in, read this.
As promised, no dialog, just titles! In the meantime I'm writing posts about our adventures, which will probably start posting next week, after the pictures are done. This will be perfect as I'm in Alabama for work that week and will have nothing to say.....(this wasn't really dialog, this was "context" :)

"Pre Ride"


"Something worth looking at (evidently...)"


"A streambed is the way to the trail"



"Now with horse ears!" (Can't resist interjecting here! - We ended up wading through about 2 feet of water for ~1/8 of mile and the boots stayed on! It was magical...)

"Top of the mountain"

"A break and a rump shot"

"The best gift is....boots that stay on" (another interjection: One boot did come off - still around the pastern and was able to replace - but it was an anomaly and was done only with spectacular acrobatics from Farley. I don't expect it to happen again. Full story will come later)

"On the way home"

"Post 22 mile work out"

A picture a day keeps the doldrums at bay

I'm going to participate in this challenge. I read Grey Horse Matters and thought "what a cool idea.". I'll try and keep it interesting. This week has been a bit "post heavy" and it will be nice to take a break from the words and post through pictures for a couple of days.

Seriously contemplating going for an overnight camp trip with Farley tonight. It's a location that I usually day trip to because it's close, but there is camping. I'm feeling the need for pony and I to spend some quiet time together and get some quality work done on the trail. I'd go tonight, get in a quick ride, wake up early and do 20-25 miles, then come home. Still haven't decided for sure.

BTW - here's 5 people I would love to see accept this challenge: (no pressure, only if you want to!)

• Zach over at SS Sestina Endurance Ventures - anyone with an iphone should be able to take great interesting photos of his day right???? :)

• Carolyn at Food Adventures Etc. (BTW - I need an etc. It would be so freeing to have an etc. in this blog...)

• A Horse and a Half

• JB over at Lulabelles blog

• Funder at her blog "It seemed like a good idea at the time..."

OCD - who, me?

I'm posting twice today in case anyone needs a break from philosophy....

Recordkeeping.

The word sends thrilling shivers down my spine.

I love recordkeeping. Almost as much as I like planning and researching. Of course, some of the record keeping fun is finding that perfect system for keeping the records.....organizing. I love organizing too.

So now you understand, when Endurance Granny asked in this post what my training/conditioning was leading up to Tevis, the thrill of excitement that yes, I have that information, and yes, it's so perfectly organized I would be happy to share.

Because realistically - how often do you use your review your perfectly organized records? Not often, but if you need them, you can't get them back. Here's what I've used them for in the past:

• After each injury, I evaluated work loads, time off, terrain, mileage, and early warning signs.
• I was able to show my vet exactly what I had done for 1 week prior to to the injury.
• I'm able to evaluate my conditioning schedule week to week, month to month, and year to year.
• I'm able to realistically evaluate how much I really ride.
• I can track when I increased her feed, when I cut it, and my notes on body condition.

How is my record book set up?

I use weekly/monthly planners from Walmart that you can get for under $10. I have one for each year, for each horse. I usually get the half sized notebooks, although for 2010 I've switched to a full 8x11" - with starting dressage I find myself wanting to record more details about the ride. The planner must have the month followed by a pages for each week. There must be an information page in the front, a place for addresses/phone numbers, and a few pages for taking notes. I perfer a plastic cover for durability.

Front Information Page

I fill out the front information page completely. I include my full name, address, telephone number (work and personal), e-mail, and AERC number. There are two emergency contacts with phone numbers, and the contact information for my Doctor. The full information for the horse is also included on this page: Registered name, barn name, breed and registration number, AERC number, birthdate, full description, and when I bought the horse. I also put the statement "see address section for barn information".

• This book is kept in the door of my dressing room in my trailer. Because I often ride alone, I want to give my horse and I the best chance possible of help if we get into trouble. Yep, it's a lot of personal information, but my trailer is kept locked normally. The information is there if it's needed.

Address Section

The address section includes the phones and addresses for my stable, vet, farrier, trainer, and other relevant phone numbers. My stable has additional information - how to get there, what pen is Farley's etc. In case I wasn't able to drive my horse home, someone else could.

• "But my addresses are in my regular address book", you might say. That's true. How often do you review your address book for accuracy? How often have you wished that the phone numbers were with you on a trip? By putting them in this book, I guarantee that I have to review them once a year as I rewrite them in the new record book. I will never be without these numbers because the book is kept in my trailer.

Notes Section

In the notes section I keep track of items that may be recorded in the calendar pages, but I don't want to have to go look for. These are the things I'm currently recording:

• Wormings
• Weight
• Date I bought helmet
• Farrier visits
• Vaccinations
• Injuries/Vet visits
• Trailer log - miles and maintenance
• Competitions (time, abbreviated notes, distance etc.
• Boot log - purchase date

Calendar Section

The weekly pages are the heart of the record book. For each day I record how many miles or arena time, what we worked on, what went well, what didn't, what supplemental feed I fed, whether I cleaned her pen, weather notes, any observations, whether she got trailered, whether I think there's a problem brewing, heart rates etc. Weekly I total up mileage and number of arena minutes and log on a monthly page so I can see at a glance how much work she's getting.

This system is really easy. I spend ~30 minutes at the beginning of the year setting it up, and then maintain it in less than 30 seconds a day.

So to answer Endurance Granny's question....

What was my conditioning program leading up to Tevis?

I'm going to start with the 2-50's I did at Wild west as my start point. This is what my workout and mileage looked like:

• Week 0: 2 50-milers at Wild West.
• Week 1: Took jogging 2x/5 miles (took twice that week for a total of 5 miles for the week)
• Week 2: jogged 2x/10 miles; TOUGH (ohlone trail) hill work out, 13 miles
• Week 3: jogged 2x/10 miles; arena 30 minutes; Tevis pre-ride 16 miles/3 hours
• Week 4: Off (out of town for work)
• Week 5: jogged 1x/3 miles; arena 30 minutes; Tevis pre-ride 24 miles/7 hours (very hot and I had a person with me on an unconditioned horse)
• Week 6: Tevis pre-ride 32 miles/9 hours; Tevis pre-ride 18 miles/4 hours
• Week 7: arena 30 minutes
• Week 8: Off (out of town for work)
• Week 9: arena 2x/1 hour
• Week 10: arena 4x/40 min; Tevis (68 miles)

Priorities

In my lessons, I have noticed a reoccurring theme. Ask for impulsion (or in layman terms - "stop slouching around and put some energy into it") and then collect it in the front. In other words - don't let the energy you've created blow out the front door - restructure it. "Ask for it and organize it" is a much shouted phrase in my lessons.

Warning: digression

One reason I think I am enjoying my lessons so much is my instructor isn't worried about speed. As a result, my lessons are sometimes quite exhilarating. I don't spend a lot of time holding Farley back - instead I'm taking all that energy and "organizing it". It's fun. The end result is the correct speed and (sometimes) beautiful, but without me feeling like I've been "holding her back". That would be opposite of what I want - I want to drive her forward! However, right now, our canter (actually should be "canter") resembles a gymkhana winning drive home, complete with bucking at top speed. And hollering - coming mainly from my instructor "organize, organize, organize!". Lots of fun. It's getting better.

End of Digression

Yesterday's post was on Motivation. Motivation is wonderful. It's like the gitty up and go of your life - but how do you collect that and "organize it"?

While the "excuses" of why we can't do something may be perfectly valid (family, money, time, etc.), the fact remains - here's the kicker - we are all on this earth for a very very short time. I think that when we get to the end, most of us will leave a few things undone and a few activities untried. It's up to you to harness and organize your motivation the best you can, using priorities and balance, to accomplish what is important - whether it's participating in an activity because the motivator is enjoyment, or there is a specific goal.

Priorities
Let's talk about priorities. Several times I have made priority lists. I usually forget them shortly after constructing them. Then I wonder why I'm-so-miserable-and-busy-and-never-have-time-to-do-the-things-I-want-to. Then I remember the priority lists. I make a new one. The cycle repeats.

My priorities will help me make good choices. I won't (hopefully) get frustrated when I'm not accomplishing something because the items that are higher priorities keep getting in the way. My "excuses" are actually a way of expressing things that are a higher priority.

I realized several months ago that my participation in the Fort Point Garrison Brass Band was making it nearly impossible to get in the conditioning rides I needed to. My priority was clear and I let the band know that my regular participation in events and rehearsals had to end. As a result I am much happier and less stressed because I'm not sacrificing a high priority item for a low one.

So, if a high-priority item in your life is making it impossible to do a low-priority event, either reevaluate your priorities, or come to terms with the fact that the activity, at least right now, is probably impossible to accomplish. That's OK! There are seasons to life!

Balance
One of the early posts of this blog was on Balance. Probably because it is so difficult for me to accomplish.

• Is it coincidence that the year I focused LESS on getting to endurance events, that I completed more rides, and tried my first 100?
• Am I a happier, healthier person now that horses have not completely overtaken my life and instead occupy a healthy portion of it?
• Did you notice that I talked about my health in the Balance post? This was before Minx died and my entire energy was focused on the horses, I didn't have time to run or do anything else, include see family.
• I've gotten better at saying no and dissapointing people.
• Balance is the number one reason I have decided not to add a second horse to my life.
  

Even though an event is a high priority for you, doesn't mean it should accompany the entire "pie" of your life. Balance is key.

Of course, another reader of the blog pointed out to me that balance isn't always good. Would Olympic athletes get to where they are if they were too balanced? Isn't the way to get good at something, really really good, is to let it take over? Maybe, but I'm not mental stable enough for that! I need balance.

OK - I'm done with the soap-box posts for a while. Any thoughts? How do you harness and organize your motivation?

Motivation

What motivates to get out and work your horse on a regular basis? In a broader sense, what motivates you to do any extracurricular activity on a regular basis? (see - non-horsey people can participate too!)

It's always scary to ask a question on a blog - what if no one answers? what if no one is actually reading? This is coming from a person who is reportedly writing this blog for her own amusement only and (reportedly) would be doing it even if no one was reading....

Here is my views on motivation. I would love to hear yours!

1. Goals. I used to be very goal oriented, and I still am to a lesser degree. In the past, I had to have a goal/purpose to do anything. To run, I needed to be signed up for a race. To ride, I needed to have a upcoming event. However, I've found as time goes on, goals are less and less motivating. Even signing up for a marathon won't get me out the door on cold mornings any more. Signing up for an endurance ride is no guarantee that I will get my conditioning rides done. I still like thinking about goals and putting them on paper, but they have ceased to become the major motivating factor in my activities.

2. Guilt. This goes hand-in-hand with #1. If I didn't achieve my goal, I would feel guilty. If I didn't take the steps I knew I needed to take to achieve my goal, I would feel guilty. Motivation by guilt worked for a while. The problem is that over time I gradually became inured to the guilt, and besides, who wants to feel guilty all the time for something that is suppose to be fun?

3. Steep learning curve. This is very motivating at first. I LOVE a learning curve. The problem is that nothing can sustain this level of learning for very long. What happens when the inital learning curve is over? Is there still enough step-wise learning that occurs for the activity to remain rewarding and motivating?

My motivation for Dressage is the learning curve. I think I'm almost past the initial, steep curve, but there's still enough step by step learning that occurs (moving through the levels and learning new skills) that I still get excited about getting on and practicing.

This has stopped being a major motivating influence in endurance. Of course I am still learning, but now it's more of application of knowledge, trying new things, building on what has worked in the past. It's still exciting to integrate new knowledge (hoof boots, electrolyte protocols etc.) but my point is that it's no longer the primary motivation for endurance riding.

4. Because in the Long Run it matters (maybe). At various points I've tried to make my activities "matter" in the long run. Although running and endurance and other riding activities may make me happy and let me lead a joyful, full life, it isn't the activity that matters so much. Instead, I have come to realize that the activity matters only in how it causes me to interact with other people and how they influence my life and how I influence theirs. In the end, it will be the people in my life that matter. Being a non-people person, this was a hard pill to swallow, but I'm getting better at it! I look for opportunities to interact - a kind smile on the trail, taking extra time to explain something, choosing an activity that involves others instead of always being by myself.

While #4 is not a day to day motivator, I can remember when I had lame horses and was not able to do endurance. I didn't miss the trails as much as I missed ridecamp and the people! I wanted to get back on the trail so that I could hang out with my friends.

5. Enjoyment. Believe it or not, this is a very recent motivator for me. I'm running and riding today because it brings me joy. Not everything, all the time, has to have a meaning (#4) or purpose (#1). Sometimes it's ok to do something just because it makes you happy.

I have accepted the fact that running will not make me thin. Doesn't matter. I have consciously made the decision that I absolutely love the way running makes me feel, therefore I will do it, and not feel guilty that it's *only* 3-5 miles a day and there is no marathon in my future, and I'm not losing weight, AND I have no plans to increase speed or distance.

Enjoyment is probably the number one reason I get on Farley on a daily basis. A year ago, the answer would probably be very different and have to do with a goal.

Does anyone else have any thoughts?

***PS. I have updated my blog roll on the right. Take a look!

Condition Photos

So in my post here I mentioned all sorts of regularly (sort of...) taken conditioning photos of Farley that I have in my possession, that upon posting would let YOU, the reader, see all of the gorgeous muscle that I have been painstakingly creating.

Uh huh.

Not so much.


After reviewing my condition photos for Farley, I've come to following conclusions:

1. Level flat footing is important (no more taking shots at the tie racks on mats)

2. No shadows.

3. No tack

4. Move the tail for hind shots

5. Square up

6. Lighting matters. It may be difficult to achieve consistent lighting, but it does matter. Some of my pictures are taken within days of each other, but look dramatically different.

Warning: The rest of this post is really picture heavy.


These are the changes I can feel


1. Little tiny round muscles in the butt, especially in the hamstring area that weren't there before dressage.


2. The slight hollow behind the shoulder has disappeared.


3. The flank has filled out (more a function of weight than conditioning)

But the changes I can see in these pictures? Not so obvious. I've included in the photo what recent events transpired that may have changed her condition.

Hind photos


January 2009
***After 4 day LD multi at Death Valley. Had done one endurance length ride the end of November. Was too skinny.



April 2009
***After a 65 miler, started jogging with her. Was ridden more due to Minx's death.


June 2009

***In the middle of Tevis training, just finished a 2 day 100




October 2009
***Started Dressage




Left Side Pictures

November 2007
**Earliest photo I have of Farley. Probably taken within a week of owning her. I remember her having much less muscle than she shows here. She was also kind of fat.


August 2008
***Only 2008 decent side pic I have of her (might be able to dig some up near the end of the year at rides, but don't have that computer with me right now.). We are in the middle of preparing for our first LD. Angle is honkey, but you can see there's not much shoulder muscle. Hard to make any other determinations.



January 2009
***Just finished 4 day LD at Death Valley. Too skinny.



February 2009
***Just before 65 miler. Weight is better but still on the lean side. Hard to make any other judgements because of stupid shadows.


April 2009
***Last ride was a Feb 65 miler. Continuing training. Day light savings here so is being ridden consistently, Minx has died so I have more time to ride Farley.

June 2009
***Middle of Tevis training. just finished a 2 day 100.


June 2009 (second picture)
***See how much difference lighting makes? This pic was taken within days of the picture above.


October 2009
***Started Dressage



Right Side
Funny....before starting conditioning photos I never took photos of Farley's right side.

May 2008
***Had just started riding her seriously after her rehab (no restrictions on workload per vet).



April 2009
***completed 65 miler. conditioning for 2 day 100. Riding more because of Minx's death.



June 2009
***Finished wild west. Middle of training for Tevis.



June 2009
***Taken within a few days of the one above, but different lighting.

July 2009
***closer to Tevis

October 2009
***started Dressage.

In conclusion? Hard to draw any conclusions based on the photos. Depending on the photo, her changes in condition don't seem to have to do any of her work. Pictures taken in a consistent manner will help me track her condition better.

Thought of the day: do you take conditioning photos regularly? Do you look at them? Do you have any amazing before and after pictures?

A year ago yesterday....

Farley did her first AERC ride.



On 10/18/08 I completed the 30 mile Del Valle Vulture Venture in Livermore.



I came in first with a blistering time of 4:57 (you can see that the ride was very competitive.... :).



I am going to resist the urge to recap the 2009 season because there will be a place for that in other posts, but, I feel like I do need to speak briefly on what Farley has accomplished over the past year.

Farley bowed her left front tendon 2 weeks after I bought her, (Thanksgiving 2007). I had purchased her as a backup for Minx, while rehabbing her through 2 bowed tendons. While Minx's problems were my fault (although time has moderated this opinion, and I now know it was probably equally my fault and hers), Farley's was a pure product of fate. When Minx bowed her tendons I was devastated and cried a lot. When I heard Farley's diagnosis I just had to laugh. I had done everything right and sh*t still happens.

It was a bumpy start to a very rich, rewarding relationship.

I carefully rehabbed Farley through the dark winter months of 2008. Her prognosis was excellent and the bow very mild. I did ground work and taught her to ground-drive. We built a relationship and trust.

In the early spring (remember this is California so spring = February! :) I started Farley undersaddle again. Minx was the focus of my spring 2008 endurance season, but I got some good conditioning rides on Farley. After a disastrous ride at Mount Diablo 2008 in June on Minx (and her last endurance ride), I started riding Farley seriously.

Farley gradually transformed from a sway backed, rump high, potbelly broodmare that was tense ALL the time; to a lovely, affectionate mare that thinks for herself and chooses me as her preferred companion, and knows her job as an endurance horse.

In October, we did our first ride - an LD close to home - and she did fabulously. 3 weeks later we finished another LD, this time after heavy rains in slick mud. I swore I would never do another LD on her and signed her up for the 55 at Desert Gold 4 weeks later. She finished the 55 tired, but strong, and I knew I had my endurance horse.

She's had an incredible year - multi days, a 65 miler, and a Tevis start.

I've ridden her more cautiously and have kept an eagle eye on that LF tendon because of the bow. Each ride was ridden as to keep her sound for the next one. As a result, we've probably been more successful. There's only been one hitch in our gittyup - after the 20 mule team 65 the tendon was slightly ouchy again. Not ouchy enough to keep us from completion (or, according to the vet after ultrasounds, to stop riding), but enough to give pause, see the vet and reiterate the importance of attending to the basics (6 sandy flat rides after training in hills and rocks probably wasn't the smartest....).

She's had one pull so far - Tevis - and it was unrelated to her old bow (thank goodness!!!).

So what's ahead in the next year?

I'm not sure, but I have a feeling there's a whole lot more to come.

• We've signed up for dressage lessons and have our first show in 2 weeks.
• We are training for the regional cavalry competitions and are diligently practicing our sword and pistol work.
• We'll try our hand at another 100 miler in January or February.
• In 3 weeks we have our first barefoot/booted endurance ride 50 miler!

I always thought it would be Minx that I would be riding 10 or 15 years from now, maybe taking the trails a bit slower, but still enjoying life. If Farley is looking to fill that spot, she'll hear no objections from me!

Happy trails.

Boots

I guess I'm committed now. Excuse me while I blow into a paper bag.

Ok, I'm back.

By choosing not to shoe at Buckmeadows (reasons: close to home, only a one day 50, good footing, not much invested) I have unknowingly committed to boots for Desert Gold.

Back to blowing in the paper bag.

See, my farrier comes out to the stable every 3 weeks. Very convenient. I never have to call him, he never misses an appointment, I never forget to schedule an appointment.

One little minor detail I forgot - The day he's scheduled to come out that WOULD have been the shoe date for Farley is Thanksgiving. Which means he will come out the NEXT week. AFTER Desert Gold.

HOWEVER - while he will come out as needed (and has when I've been concerned about something) he's very busy and doesn't do a lot of single horses any more. I'm not even sure I COULD use him if I moved from the barn. So while I'm sure he WOULD come out special and shoe my horse the week before Desert Gold, I'm not so sure I want to use up my limited amount of favors for this....

The only way to get shoes on her for Desert Gold is to shoe the Thursday before Buckmeadows.

Darn it. Oh Gosh. (back to blowing in the paper bag).

I AM doing boots for Buckmeadows. which means.....

2 days of 50's at Desert Gold. In DEEP sand. Oh Gosh. I really should order a spare size 1 (front foot) boot before then. While the sand part I could do barefoot, some of the ride is on gravelly road that can be a bit tough on a horse's foot.

To put it into perspective....

I have a feeling some of my readers are not quite feeling my pain. In order to help them out, I present the following, similar scenarios.

1. You are a training level dressage rider. Like training level test 1. You get to the show and realize you are now entered into Grand Prix. Time to go get that top hat....

2. You signed up for level 1 at the cavalry competition. Upon arriving you are handed the level 3 card AND are informed that you will be doing a guest appearance at the Bolte/Directors cup (complete with exploding propane balloons). Add to this scenario that you weren't going to DO the pistol classes because your horse hasn't exactly been broke to gunfire.....

3. You just finish your first LD. It was a joyful, exhilarating experience. Upon completing you are informed that they have decided to make the concurrent 100 miler a point to point and the camp has been moved 100 miles away. As a courtesy they have already moved your camp and trailer. *All* you have to do is ride over there!

Are we all on the same page now?

Quick update

It's bright and sunny and WARM.

Her leg is perfectly normal this morning and I don't have that bad feeling anymore that something is brewing. I'm still glad I told my trainer yesterday that I needed to take it easy (walk/trot only) as I really feel she stressed it somehow in the mud on Tuesday. I feel that I averted disaster by following my gut, but I guess I will never know for sure!

Farrier trimmed her this morning. Her club foot was REALLY apparent for some reason this trimming cycle, even with me trying to keep her rasped. I'm lucky that the renegades still fit so well - the fit is very forgiving.

Adjusted the cables in the boots and learned a very important lesson. OK - 2 very important lessons:

• Do not decide to shake the dirt off of the rug you are working on outside, if you have left the itsy bitsy allen wrench on it. People will look at you funny as you crawl on your hands and knees in the mud, swearing.
• It is much easier to adjust cables on new boots, than it is on boots with some miles on them. The yellow front pair were a PAIN to adjust. The black, brand new hinds were as easy as pie.

Went on a canal trail ride. The arena is still sopping wet and unusable. I NEED to school my transitions, straight lines etc, so I multi-tasked. That straight-line boring canal bank is good for something! Did a little endurance trot, did a little flexion/bending/transitions etc. My boots stayed on like a charm. I may need to loosen the hinds. The heel captivator is very snug and I don't want her to become sensitive because of the pressure. I feel like if I loosened them up, the boots would still stay on. Have I mentioned lately I love my renegades? I still have time to chicken out, but I am planning on using boots at the Buckmeadows 50 mile ride. It's close to home and isn't a disaster if something goes wrong (I'm only doing one day, it's not a 100 miler that I have a lot invested in etc.). I don't have any spare boots right now so hopefully everything turns out OK. I'm sure as it gets closer I will start to hyperventilate more. Far be it for me to actually continue what worked all last season.....no, I have to go and do something DIFFERENT this season and figure it all out ALL OVER AGAIN!

Lesson went very well last night. Starting next week we are going to start schooling on the intro A and B patterns! Whoo hoo! No major Ah HA! moments this week, but did get some work accomplished that was quietly spectacular (working on walk/trot/halt etc. transitions). She's getting rounder and rounder and was actually reaching OVER the bit yesterday. Very nice. Trainer is still happy with our progress.

She has all sorts of new muscle - the slight hollow behind her shoulder has filled out and she's actually starting to get a butt!!!! The trainer says she can see a HUGE difference. I take conditioning pictures about once a month. I should take a look at them from before she started endurance, after 6 months of endurance, after 12 months of endurance, and after 2 months of dressage work. Might be fun to post if there's a lot of difference.

This was kind of a pointless post, but at least now if you wanted to know how it was all going, you do. And if you didn't, you probably didn't read this far anyways.

But I live in California!

Or "How I sacrificed my afternoon/evening to make my horse happy."

We got a HUGE storm yesterday. Let me define huge - apartment parking lot was 4-6 inches underwater, the street was underwater, everyone on the freeway was driving 45-50 mph (very big deal - the limit is 65 and most people go 70-75), the rain was sideways all day, and by the end of the day I didn't have any more dry coats. And it rained ALL day. Very unusual, especially for October. In fact, I can't remember ever having a winter-like storm this early in the year.

I naturally was very concerned about Farley. Although it had crossed my mind to throw a rain sheet on her the night before, I hadn't. I don't usually blanket, and although the sheet would keep her dry (I hoped), it would make the hair lie down and she might end up being colder. My only medium weight turn out was Minx's and is WAY too big for Farley. I also worry about the blanket getting soaked and her having to wear a wet blanket, thus I usually rely on my horse's good sense to stay under the shelter.

At lunch time I took off from work and picked up my renegades from UPS (black boots for her hinds) and headed out to the stable. I made up a nice, hot, beet pulp mash and headed out to her paddock. While she ate, I was going to see if the rear boots fit.

Farley has a decent 3-sided shelter in her paddock. Farley wasn't using her shelter. Instead, Farley decided the better option was to run around her paddock, in the mud, at top speed. This (theoretically) was going to keep her warm. Uh huh......

Farley was shivering so hard she was having problems walking. She dug into the hot mash like she hadn't seen food in a month. In addition to the shivering, every muscle was tight and she was responding to everything like she had an incredible amount of adrenaline going through her system. I evaluated my options as I sprinted to my trailer (no small feat in muck boots and a ankle length duster through the mud). I grabbed my heavy cooler/irish knit combo blanket and led her into the feed barn shed. Problem: I was going to have to be more active to get her dried off enough to put a rain sheet on and warm. AND as she was warming up, she wanted to walk around. There was no room in the shed. Time for the next option.

I spotted an empty covered paddock up front. I purloined it for a couple of hours and set to work on getting her dry and warm. I have 3 or 4 coolers. When one got damp, I replaced it with a new one. I vigorously rubbed her down with the coolers and with dry towels. I massaged all her large muscle groups to get blood flowing. I let her walk around. I put hay in front of her and refilled her hot mash. Within a short time she was calm, had stopped shivering, and was acting like the sweet little mare I know she could be. Within an hour she was mostly dry. After 2 hours I felt comfortable putting her bundled up little body back out in her paddock. I decided that the burlap blanket, topped with a rain sheet was the best option. Once back in her paddock she seemed content to just stand in her shelter, having learned her lesson (maybe, perhaps???? I cannot go through all this every time it rains). I checked back 4 hours later in the evening and she was still warm and dry under the blankets.

I did take the opportunity, once she was warm and we were still in the purloined pen, to try on the renegades for the hinds - they seem to fit, although I need to shorten the cables. She didn't react at all to them. I really do love these boots. Right now I'm planning on doing Buckmeadows with them. No concrete plans for the rest of the season with the boots, I'll take it ride by ride.

I'm a little concerned about her left front (same leg as the old bow). There was filling in it last night/this morning which I would expect from the type of weather we've been having (it has a tendancy to fill), however there might be some slight heat and tenderness as well. Really hard to say. Silly horse was running around in the mud.....I'll know better after I see her this afternoon.

So my selfish movie-night-eat-junk-food-because-it's-raining night got cut a bit short, but it was worth it to have a dry, warm, happy horse.

Sweet Nothings

With as many hours I logged this weekend in the saddle, you would think SOMETHING note-worthy would have happened. Nope. Nadda. Zip.

In deep sand at the trot, canter, and spook the renegades stayed on, even though I haven’t gotten around to figuring out how to adjust the Velcro toe straps.

Farley apparently doesn’t care if I play with sharp pointy objects from her back. (So, on our next cavalry saber practice day I shall pop balloons and pick up plates. That has GOT to illicit SOME sort of reaction….she has her crazy arab reputation to upkeep after all).

Matt got in the saddle again and managed to follow the time-age rule of man on top, horse on bottom. My dad managed the same thing, although not nearly as gracefully. During the mounting process I watched with interest as Dad demonstrated how slippery new jeans are.

My trailer did not behave in any improper ways.

My friend, newly graduated from vet school, even after years and years of not riding, managed to look absolutely fabulous in the saddle at all gaits. Sigh Apparently I’m the ONLY one in my circle where the whole seat thing on the horsey doesn’t come naturally….

After the poker/raffle ride I had to “school” my crazy arab in an English saddle. Much to the disappointment of the spectators I stuck like glue to my saddle, even in jeans and ropers. Farley behaved like a complete air head during the WALKING trail ride and we had to have a little conversation about her behavior afterwards. She got the point and was an ANGEL about cavalry practice later in the afternoon. She may have been trying to uphold the crazy arab image to all those cowboys, but I was NOT following for her evil plan and obliging by falling off 3 times in the schooling session (unlike a certain poker ride earlier in the year where I got to see a women fall her arab multiple times – in an English saddle – and got to endure the multiple comments of aforementioned western people all around me).

But don’t worry…with everything going so perfectly it can only go downhill from here! I’m sure something entertaining and blog-worthy will happen soon.

Update: I went to Del Valle this morning and rode for 1 1/2 hours in the front renegades.

The only point of today's ride was to get her sweaty, since I haven't seen sweat on this horse (under the saddle blanket doesn't count) since Tevis. Mission accomplished AND the boots stayed on. And it wasn't a "nice" trail ride either - it was a lunge and claw up hills with multiple spooks, and some downhills so steep I dismounted. We were both having "issues" (see last paragraph of the blog and you'll understand....) so instead of the nice trotting miles I envisioned, it was a battle of wills and at times, a terrifying rate of speed. I'm so very happy with the boots. Trouble free, no learning curve, and they STAY one. Not to mention they go on and off in less than 5 seconds. UPS tried to deliver my hind renegades today, so I can go pick them up tomorrow!

Farley was an unmentionable word this morning and I wasn't exactly oozing sweet kindness and goodness but we got through the ride without actually killing each other. Ahh the joys of being women....by next week we'll both be in better moods.

Just human

Just in case my life in the blogosphere seems too good to be true, I thought I would share my last 24 hours. Life seems determined to give me long lived lessons in humility.

Case in point:

Biked 30 minutes to the stable last night...only to find that I had forgotten the trailer keys (they are on my truck key ring so that I never ever forget them). So I cleaned pens and biked another 30 minutes home. (this story is important to the post, as the rest of the story has nothing to do with horses, civil war, history, or anything else I've stretched to make the theme of this blog. It's just about being human).

Now - that could have been a single instance - something to laugh off and maybe call a sympathetic friend or two over. So just to make sure I got the point, Life gave me....the cake incident.

Now, I hardly ever (read - never) share work stories here. It's just not appropriate. However, I couldn't pass this one up.

A week ago I ordered a full sheet cake for a department baby shower party at work. Chocolate/white combo with whipped frosting, custard filling yada yada yada. At 9am I get a hysterical phone call from my "secretary" (she's not, but she jokes about it - in reality she's an employee that does ALL of my ordering, secretary odd-jobs etc.). Seems that someone went into the bakery this morning and walked out with our cake. It's gone and I need that cake by 10am. I get the bakery number, put on my best "no-compromise" face and proceed to very firmly tell them that I will be there to pick up a replacement cake in 1 hour. It was their error and I was not going to hear any excuses. Never mind that 20 minutes later I got a call from someone else who works for my (largish) company - they had gone in to pick up a cake for a different event and ended up with mine. They were going to bakery to pick up their original cake...the bakery does not take returned cakes so technically I could have gotten it from her.... At that point I was NOT calling up the bakery to tell them to stop production, because my new cake was probably already 1/2 done and darn it, they should have been more careful with which cake went where.....don't worry - I paid for this inconsiderate behavior. (BTW - The person that had MY original cake was in a different town, even though we worked for the same company so it wasn't like it was as easy as going down the hall and getting my cake.)

Did you know a full sheet cake is HUGE? I had to put it in the back of my pickup. After careful consideration I stacked some items around it to keep it from sliding around. The top was taped down, but as an extra precaution I put a package of screw drivers (yes, the same ones I used at tevis as tent stakes AND the ones involved in the trailer drama) on top of the lid.

I drove oh so carefully and accelerated onto the freeway at 70mph. I kept seeing something out of the corner of my eye but couldn't catch it.....oh....there went the cake lid. Crap. I pulled over to the side of the freeway (yes this was an emergency) and looked at the cake.

The lid was gone and as it left it had cut a huge swath through the top of the icing. one side of the cake has smooshed into the box. The baby sitting on a cupcake as a decoration had split in two. Darn it!

I drove the couple more miles to the office.

I unloaded the cake from the truck. Proceeded to try and balance a full sheet cake with one hand and close my tail gate. Crap! There goes the other side of the cake into the box.

As I climbed the stairs I contemplated the fact I was going to try and attempt to open a 2 sets of double doors with this thing......and then slipped.

My boot missed a step. The cake went "ploop" onto the ground at the top of the stairs as I lurched to catch myself.

Crap.

The impact of it hitting the ground had caused all the side and decorative icing around the top to fall down the sides of the cake.

I got through the doors, mashing yet another side of the cake.

and....delivered the cake to the happy mother to be. She said she didn't even notice the damage. Uh huh.....

I just told people I fell, leaving out the lid flying off in the truck bed etc. Why complicate things?

Off to get lots and lots and lots of riding in this weekend.

A little wardrobe help?

(pictured - Farley at lesson yesterday. Took the opportunity to get some condition shots. She looks fat here, but in reality she's a 5. Would like to see her just a wee bit plumper)

I'm going to need some help for all you dressage folks who may be reading this - skip to the bottom where the question is, or continue reading!

I had another fabulous lesson. This is my 4th lesson and my trainer is very happy with my progress. She says I'm progressing very fast and took the opportunity to warn me that eventually I WILL hit a plateau....which I know and I'm actually looking forward to. To tell you the truth, we've been moving so fast I think my head is going to explode at any moment. I barely kept in together last night - in terms of focus and comprehension, so I think we might be reaching a point where it's going to take me a couple of sessions to "get" what I'm suppose to be doing.

At my first lesson I couldn't do anything besides trot and canter on a loose rein with her all strung out. Literally that was it.

In 4 lessons I have now progressed to - (and ALL of these need work. It's not like I've mastered ANY of these)

1. Walk, trot, canter on the 20 meter circle...with flexion!

2. Upward and downward transitions. Getting better but the trot/canter transitions are still VERY disorganized. Did a canter/walk transition by accident last night. She's NEVER done one of those so that was cool. NOT working on that right now, but just that shows me we've made progress.

3. Actual, real, honest-to-goodness flexion and traveling in a straight line with her on the bit whether it's a circle or a straight. (at the canter too!)

4. Traveling in a straight line and doing corners at all gaits.

Yep - that's right folks. Yesterday I got to do straight lines and corners. I am SO happy to do something besides a circle. Now, during schooling, I can travel down the arena and do a circle in a DIFFERENT place! Having a hard time maintaining inside flexion on the straight line, but it will happen.




(pictured: Me on my new bike. I bought it in preparation for going to school, but also because I miss being able to hop on a bike and do my errands in town. I hate starting up my 3/4 ton just to drive 3 miles to the grocery store, which is too far to walk, but really to short to drive.)





So here's the catch. I have a schooling show in Ceres at Diamond Bar the first Sunday in November (had on this weekend, but decided to go on the trail ride with my Dad instead). I've already been warned that it's very casual and I can wear whatever I want and ride in whatever tack I want.

The question
But now my trainer is talking about me doing some schooling shows in Livermore, which is VERY different. I need to look the part. So help me out - what should I be wearing/riding in?

1. I do have a white dressage square (with fleece underneath, roma brand). Problem - I've schooled in it so it's not exactly pristine. Is this going to be OK?

2. Light colored breeches and tall, black boots. Check - I have this.

3. A white button up shirt, long sleeved. Check - I have this. Do I wear it all the way buttoned up, or do I leave the top button undone?

4. What belt do I need - black or brown? Will any narrow conservative belt work?

5. What about my helmet? Is my white troxel going to be OK? I've thought about buying a Tipperary matte black sportage helmet. Would this be better?

6. Black gloves? I have, but is this what I should wear?

7. I can only find one of my fillis irons. Darn it. Must find or buy. *sigh*

8. Desperately need new leathers. My wintec webbers are safe but look atrocious. They're hidden by my leg though.....is this OK?

9. Both my girths are light colored. I'm planning on getting a black colored, nylon string girth (like my white one, but black). Confirming this is what I should do?

10. I don't clip. Is this going to absolutely kill me? I'm willing to do a bridle path. I know it's not as pretty, but I think the whiskers serve a function, as well as the fuzzy ears and would prefer her to keep both. As long as she looks well groomed, braided etc, do you think it's OK for a schooling show?

11. Braids. Is a french braid OK? Should I tuck the long end under?


I'm going to try and get through this with a minimum amount of money spent. Since Endurance is my main sport and I'm doing this for fun, I don't want to get too finacially invested - better to spend my money on lessons and endurance rides! I would love some input.


(pictured - while waiting for my bike to be finished - I bought a back rack to install - Matt took me to the driving range and I tried my hand at golf for the first time. I think miniture golf is more rewarding.....stupid little white ball and sticky thing. So frusterating. In case Matt is reading - yes I had fun, but I can see where lots of practice is needed. And my hand-eye coordination is a little off anyways.)

Rev. 4, 5, & 6

4. Do everything in rhythm to the horse.

Seems kind of obvious huh? Oh, I knew about asking for my transitions at the right time, letting my arms move, timing the crop etc. But last night at my lesson, as I'm trying to keep my stupid right leg back, this came into focus - instead of fighting to PUT my lower leg back and HOLD it there, instead I let the movement of her canter slide my lower leg back, and voila! there it stayed.

5a. If her head goes up do NOT lower my hands.

This was TOTALLY counter-intuitive. In rides if she got high-headed, I would lower my hands. I had always been *told* that high hands make for an high headed horse. My trainer explained to me that if I put my hands down with her head up, I'm putting pressure on the bars and it's causing her head to go up even more. By keeping my hands approximately 1 fist above her withers at all times - even when her head goes up, I had a MUCH better response and she would get over her hissy fit/mare moment faster.

5b. If my right elbow straightens (my right elbow is related to my stupid right leg - they both have issues) her head goes up. Focus! Keep the elbow bent!

6. Don't get into a fight with a mare.

You may win and they will "toe the line" but they will absolutely ONLY give you what you are asking. If instead, you negotiate with them and they "see the light" so to speak....that same mare will try her best and give her above and beyond what you asked for.

I KNOW this. That is why, on the trail, Farley and I have speed "negotiations" and a lot of times, even though I have a plan, there is a compromise. It keeps her positive (she likes having a say, or at least knowing her opinion has been heard), but she still knows I make the final decisions and will back them up.

I really screwed this up when it came to cantering. About a year and half ago I tried to canter her in the arena. She refused (balking, bucking refused). I got her to canter (finally!), but it's always been a struggle. I get it - she isn't built for it, it's hard, and she'd rather trot or gallop. One day, about 3 months ago, I had HAD it with her bitchy attitude and her breaking gait whenever she felt like it. I rode her one handed and every time she broke gait (from canter to trot) without me asking I whacked her with the crop. She got the message but has cantered sullenly in the arena ever since. On the trail - no problem. In the arena - swishy tails, bucking, and nasty mare ears.

I'm slowly bringing her to the point where she is willing again. I'm quiet when I ask, I try not to surprise her, and I try to be very clear about what I'm asking.

She still can be a bit witchy. For example....in my lesson yesterday, she picked up the wrong lead like 15 times!!! before going to correct one. This was her good side! And this horse knows leads!!! I'm positive she was doing it because she didn't want to play at that particular moment....but I kept asking nicely and we got it eventually.

Inquiring minds want to know

I picked up my trailer from the shop (for details of the exciting event which placed it there, read this post).

Apparently the plug was very mis-wired. As I *know* (as in, I have digital pictures of before and after) I rewired the plug IDENTICAL to the old one, I guess I'm lucky that nothing bad happened sooner.

Lesson learned - Do not wait to replace the plug, until the plug is so corroded that the act of pulling the plug from the truck causes multiple wires to pull loose from their connections inside the plug. This will cause various male relations to confidently guess where those wires were and re-hook it up. Those errors will be transferred to the new plug........where everything actually DOES connect and ground well and funky things will start happening...eventually. Everything will seem to work - at least superficially - until something happens - like the headlights turning on.

Yep yep yep. Lesson learned.

An additional note....

On running home.

First I would like to add that yesterday was NOT the first time I've done this with Farley, the story was only notable as it was on a trail that I tend to be very cautious on - Minx fell with me on this trail etc etc. The ride was just made absolutely amazing by the fact I felt so comfortable on this trail and yesterday I needed a trail ride like that - the kind where you can't wipe the smile off your face afterwards.

I like "running" home with a horse. I don't do it all the time and I don't do it right away, but at some point with all the horses I have owned or ridden I ask them to gallop home.

Why?

If a horse can stay light and responsive while going home at speed, chances are we have progressed in our relationship where I will have their attention in most situations.

If a horse gets chargey, I half halt and ask again. If the horse starts to get hot, I ask for a walk.

I think it's a mostly a mental thing for the rider. I've met plenty of people who adamantly refuse to go above a walk on the way home. In every instance I've seen of a horse running home out of control, the rider had panicked - usually even before the situation was out of control and there was still time to rectify it.

I think the best lesson a horse can learn is that at any speed, at any direction, the rider always has control. This control is gotten in baby steps - never asking for more than you can handle or feel comfortable with.

Anyone have any thoughts? Does the old adage "never run a horse towards home", or "never go back faster than you went out" hold true for your horsey life"?

(Disclaimer: I am NOT recommending that everyone go out and do this, or even that you have to do this to be a "good" horseperson. It just seemed like an interesting topic of discussion.)

It was just one of those rides

I always know when it's fall, and winter is just around the corner because I am overcome with the overwhelming urge to cook pot roasts and squash.

My best rides of the year are always in the fall.

In the spring time I feel frantic - finally good weather and sunlight, must. take. advantage. of. every. day. They are great rides but rushed and hurried.

The summer brings a lackadasial attitude. Yet another sunny day. Pony and I are sweating. I must admit that the ipod makes its appearance more than it should during the rides (or at least it did before the battery went on the fritz).

In the winter my rides feel stolen. More often than not I'm playing hookey from work, technically on a "long lunch" for 20 minutes of bliss to be in the sunshine on the back of a horse.

But it's fall where things click. If everything goes right, the pony and I have had the entire spring and summer to school and "work" on things. The weather cool enough that we both feel like moving out, but the confidence and trust from the many hours of summer is there so things don't get too crazy.

Last night I thought we could both use a break. She's been working hard in the arena and I just wasn't in the mood to actually "work"/school on anything. The trailer is in the shop so I tacked her up from the tail gate of my pickup and pointed her towards the open road.

Yes - the open road. If I "trail" ride from my stable I get to ride along side a busy, 55mph road with no shoulder for ~0.5 miles. Then I take a left and have 2 miles of dirt canal banks, straight as an arrow, intersected by little roads approximately every half mile. When I reach the end of this canal section I usually turn around for a total of 5 miles. This section of the canal runs through orchards and backyards. There is an option to go further, but at that point the canal bank is actually next to the road and I've grown chicken in my old age.

The canal bank is probably 10 feet wide. The canal itself is shallow - concrete and too steep and wide to take a horse across, but probably only 5 feet deep. I've finally concluded that if things go horribly wrong and I end up in the canal, it will probably hurt but chances are my horse and I are not going to die.

Farley and I usually take this "trail" at a walk/trot. Going out, sometimes we'll pick up the canter - one lead and then the other. Usually.

The trip out was done at a peaceful walk/trot/tiny itty bitty jog.

I turned her around and told her she could trot if she wanted. She counter-offered with a canter.

"What the hell," I thought, "GreyHorseMatters (see blog on right) got a beautiful canter transition yesterday and I need to work on mine". Canter transitions always go better out on the trail.

I cued her to canter and got a beautiful, upward, forward, balanced transition. Very nice.

So we rushed along at a pace I would normally allow for a few minutes before asking her to transition down, especially while travelling home on this trail.

But she felt so light, round, and balanced. I was able to keep a very light contact on the reins without her bracing.

So along we went at a canter and hand gallop. I practiced sitting, I practiced two pointing, I practiced rising and falling with the gait like a little cross country jumping or polo player (which is a feat in dressage length stirrups). When we came to the road intersections we transitioned down and after each crossing I got another beautiful canter transition. All with her staying supple, light, and in control.

We galloped/cantered the entire 2.5 miles home. It was absolutely fabulous. I've never gone so fast, so far, and felt so in control.

When I got back to the stable and took a look at Farley. No sweat, no foam, not even between the back legs. Not even breathing hard. Some sweat localized under the saddle blanket. And she has her winter coat! I think she's in pretty good shape....

At the end of this month it will mark exactly one year since Farley's first endurance race (LD distance). I think it's perfectly acceptable (terrain, weather, and safety permitting) do throw in a little speed work now and then. Keeps both of us fresh.

Pull codes

Just got the official results of Tevis in the Endurance News (AERC publication). I'm listed as a "Lameness". So I know it's splitting hairs, but technically it was a "Rider-Option" pull, and if you want to get REALLY nitty-gritty it's a "RO-L" pull.

So does it matter in the big picture of everything. Absolutely not. It still bothers me. I have enough (well-deserved) lameness pulls and I would rather have the Farley's record reflect that I chose to pull, rather than she was lame enough to be pulled (which she wasn't - vets told me it was my decision, she wasn't lame "enough" to get pulled).

Now that I have vented, I don't feel the need to write and ask for it to be changed, therefore NOT turning myself into one of those annoying people that complains about EVERYTHING.

On other life news -

I have officially entered BuckMeadows Sunday 50 mile endurance ride

I ordered black renegade boots for Farley's hinds. Should be here sometime this week.

I scored very well on the GRE general exam I took on Friday. Absolutely stupendous in the verbal section and OK in the math. Don't have the essay score (4-6 weeks) but should be high considering the verbal section (the 2 usually correlate well).

Don't think I've left any other plots hanging, but if you can think of something I still need to update, let me know.

Farley's Brother

Farley's full brother is up for sale. Here is the ad.

http://monterey.craigslist.org/grd/1401392282.html

I want this horse so bad. Farley has been absolutely incredible. I'm not sure why he is recommended for a experienced rider, his breeder said as a 2 year old he was sweet and responsive.

When I was notified, it was all I could do to resist picking up the phone and making an appointment to see this guy. Fortunately I was at Matt's house and while he does not tell me what to do with my life, he is an excellent sounding board and usually asks the right questions. I think I have made the right decision.

So, why am I not running towards this full speed with arms wide-open. Here is the list of reasons that I repeat to myself when a panic attack hits me that I MUST have this horse (which right now is approximately every 2 hours).

1. When I had 2 horses, all I did was horses. Everything else in my life was neglected. I was stressed all the time, didn't have time for friends and family, didn't play my fiddle, and generally felt guilty all the time for what I wasn't getting done in my life.

2. I got a second horse because Minx was lame and it was becoming obvious that she was not going to be the endurance horse I wanted her to be. Now it's different. Farley is everything I could ask for.

3. It's inconvenient to have horsey friends without horses, and to not have a 2nd horse. That being said, I know people with horses that will and do let me borrow them for trail rides with friends. It's inconvient to not be able to do all the rides I want. However, I have less $$ with 2 horses and in reality did less rides when I had 2 horses.

4. Is it a coincidence that only after I was down to one horse that I started getting done what I REALLY wanted to do with my horses? Lessons - on my list for 3 years. Finally got started this fall. Tevis - only happened when I was down to one horse.

5. Yes, I could financially support another horse. Problem - I wouldn't be saving a significant amount of money for school, would be dicey if I could continue lessons, and there's a good possibility I would spend a substantial portion of my time being stressed about money.

6. It's different with 2 horses. With one horse I pamper and take the extra time to do special things for my pony. Whether that's giving baths, extra grooming, hand grazing, or doing a traditional standing wrap when trailering - the horse gets extra attention and that results in a greater bond, which results in me getting more satisfaction out of my horse. Farley LOVES the extra attention and absolutely thrives on it. I think there's a lot to the advice I got from a long-time horseman when I first started riding - the bond between one horse and one rider is just different.

7. I'm going back to school (graduate school) in less than 2 years. One horse is doable. Two is not. One horse is easier to fit into major life changes. Two is not. My boarding stable is up for sale. Once it sells, things might stay the same, or they may not. Finding a new stable for one horse is doable. Even if the price of board doubles (I'm getting an excellent deal right now). Two may not be feasible.

8. One horse forces me to slow down, smell the flowers, enjoy my friends company. This year, after Minx died, I visited Grandparents, cousins, and sisters. I reconnected with old friends.

9. I have a tendancy to schedule and shove into my life a maximum amount of activities until I am at the very brink of insanity. The past 3 weeks I have focused on cutting activities, with many apologies to people and organizations to whom I have made commitments. For the first time in months (years?) I have free weekends on the calendar.

10. It is not the right time. It just isn't.

What I so desperately want for myself right now, may not be the right thing. But **&#$*#^$ it hurts!

I would really like to see this horse given a shot at a good career. If I was at a different spot in my life, if I wasn't about to go through a major life change in 18 months. If I had my own pasture and was only faced with incremental cost increases instead of a doubling in board, if only.....

Even with the experienced rider warning I think he's worth a look. He's an Arab who doesn't have a job. It may be nothing more than that. I can't say enough good things about Farley's personality and attitude on the trail. It may or may not be in this guy, but when I talked to the breeder, it sounds like Farley's attitude is a family trait. There's a good chance this guy has it.

Times Article

Did anyone read the Times article in the August 17, 2009 edition?

As I left for vacation I dutifully packed my running clothes and shoes. Usually I'll get in 1-2 days of running during a trip and since we were transversing the country by hotel this year, I figured I might get a couple of gym days.

So I thought.

As I was leaving the house my mom shoved the Times magazine mentioned above and told me to read the cover page article.

The article is worth a read if you can get your hands on edition. If you can't and you would still like to read it, contact me and I'll see what I can do.

The basic premise was that exercise is actually not that useful in the battle to lose weight. Although it has other health benefits, when it comes to losing weight, it's based on what you put in your mouth, not what you sweat off in the gym.

How do you feel about that? What's your gut reaction?

I wanted to get up and shout hallelujah. (I didn't as I was currently travelling at 75+mph down a Wyoming highway trying to think how I could possible bring a prong horn home so I could see if it's as tasty as it is cute. Because I'm going on the premise now that the cuter the animal, the more tasty it must be). Finally something I've suspected but never heard said. I've never lost weight through exercise. Not a pound. Not through 3 (4?) marathons. Not when running regularly or running sporadically. In fact, my weight loss/gain seemed totally unrelated to my exercise in general.

I used to think that the weight loss/fitness equation was 50% getting the exercise and 50% eating right. It turns out that this equation looks more like 20% exercise and 80% what goes in my mouth.

In fact, the article says that exercise may make it more difficult to lose weight in two ways. Exercise can stimulates hunger. Also, studies have shown that when you exercise, you tend to compensate by moving less during the rest of the day. I know this is certainly true for me. If I've been running in the mornings, I'm more likely to drive across the business complex I work in rather than walk because I've already "done the right thing".

In summary, the article believes your best bet for health and weight control is to control your eating and do low intensity movement all day. Exercise is still important for the reduction in other health related issues, but isn't necessarily the cure all for obesity.

So how has this changed my overall outlook?

I've always eaten fairly well, but recently, due to Tamera's (see her blog on the right - Night Farm) recent article series have attacked my food choices with renewed vigor. I'm always surprised how absolutely fabulous I feel after cutting out all carbs except those found in whole grains and fruit. Although I don't agree 100% with everything in her articles, I think I've nailed down my "working food philosophy" pretty good. So with that taken care of, moving onto exercise.

I run because I enjoy it. Sometimes I get into the rut of thinking I should run further and faster because I don't "look" like a runner and maybe I will if I just.... (which is completely fallacious thinking because if I don't look like a runner with several marathons under my belt, I probably never will). Invariably within a couple of months I'm not running at all. Lately I've been keeping my runs moderate: 3-4 miles a day. Surprise! I'm still running consistently. What this article confirmed for me was that it is enough that I enjoy running. I don't have to worry about weight gain or loss through running because that isn't the point of running. Those things are solved by what I put into my mouth. I run for my mental health, for balance, and for the way it makes me feel. Nothing more.

So how did this idea relate to "real life"?

The morning after reading the article, I had planned on going to the hotel gym and putting in 30-40 minutes. As I was laying in bed in the morning I contemplated my motivation for going to gym.

Did I enjoy going to gym? No. Was I going because I thought I was going to get fat because of all the peanut brittle I ate in the care yesterday? Yes. Was the gym workout really going to matter? No. If I exercised would I subconsciously be giving myself permission to reward myself with food for the rest of the day? Maybe.

So I didn't get up. I slept in. And ate sensibly. And then, after reaching my destination, I went for a delightful 4 mile run in the sand buttes of Fort Robinson. It was absolutely wonderful.

Moving Forward
So here's my plan in light of this information. Eat as best I can. Run or hike or whatever because I love it. Incorporate as much every day movement as I can. Continue some strength training (pilates and exercise ball) because it's good for me. I love Tamera's motto: eat for leanness, exercise for strength.

Thoughts?