Trail Rides

Hey folks, I know its been a looong while.

I haven't had the chance to do much with Siaga, haven't even had the chance to visit him much, but last Friday I went with my best friend Jacy to Triple S to visit Siaga, check on him (BO said he wasn't lame but that he had somehow got a cut on his front leg, though it's barely more than a mild scrape) and to take Jacy on a Birthday Trip.

Since it had been such a long time since Jacy and I went riding together, she and I borrowed Reggie and Joe (I spared her the experience of Bouncy Reggie, and she spared me the experience of Slow Old Joe) and went trail riding. What an experience!

Neither of us had been on the trails before, and there are so many wonderful places for training Siaga to Endurance. There's a creek to be crossed and many hills that are both shallow and steep. Anyway, even though the BO gave us a map of the trails, neither of us were able to make sense of it and ended up quite lost, and, once, in a large, empty field that could have been a pasture but the fences were broken down in several places. We startled a few deer there, too.

The horses didn't want to get on the trails most of the time, so Jacy and I were constantly trading places. If Reggie wouldn't go on this trail, then Joe would go first and Reggie would have no problem following Joe, and vice-versa.

Anyway, I loved the hills. Going down was okay, Reggie took it slow and never slipped even once, just went one step at a time, while I leaned back and sat parallel to the trees' vertical growth, and leaned forward going up. ... Going up. Oh boy! I thought Reggie was bouncy just trotting and cantering... Uh-uh. He bounded up those hills, and because I was unable to stop him or slow him down, just sat deep, gave him his head, and held on to the saddle horn and his mane. It was over quick, even though it was a big hill, and even though the whole time I was squeaking (yes, squeaking) "Oh Sweet Jesus!" it was a lot of fun, though I felt bad for Reggie because he was panting quite a bit, but he was alright.

BO made me use my own saddle on Reggie. It's not a practice I like the thought of, because you never really know how well a saddle is going to fit a horse and I didn't want him to be uncomfortable, but with a larger girth, it turns out my pretty saddle fits Reggie better than Siaga! That was the first ride of any real length in my saddle, and it took good care of me. My butt was sore afterwords, and while I'm pretty sure my butt-bones were bruised, the insides of my knees and thighs weren't harmed, save for one dime-sized bruise on the left thigh. I think my saddle is a 15in from pommel to cantle- I think I could use a 16in one, and maybe one with a higher front on the seat. I told Jonathon that if I do start endurance riding, I'm going to buy an endurance saddle, they look so comfortable! (Not to mention the amount of d-rings and tie-straps on those things! Mine has none, so I have to make special saddle bags that have a double strap, one to go over the back jockey and one to go over the seat of the saddle, which I would sit on to prevent movement. It would then be tied down to the flank cinch or maybe the flank billets.

Anyways, it went great. Even though we got lost, Reggie and Joe took us straight back to the barn. Smart horses. :)

Ho-hum

I get to go see Siaga on Saturday. :) I really have to take a tape measure this time though, so that I can also get a measure or two over his back while he has his saddle on.

I'm going to make a pair of saddle bags. The main challenge of creating these bags is that my saddle, being of cheap and common make, has no d-rings on the back, nor any tie-down straps. SO... The bags won't have anything to fasten to, therefore, the strap that goes over his back will be divided into two straps, one that sits on the back jockey of the saddle, and the other that is going to go around the cantle and sit on the seat of the saddle, which I will sit on. To keep them from sliding and bouncing on his sides, I'm going to attach strings to the back of each bag which will be tied snuggle to the billet holes of the back cinch, or to the flank strap itself, depending on where I determine I want the bags to sit for ease of reach. I think I might even add a water bottle holder onto the front of the bags for trail riding, though the bags will be big enough that a water bottle or two will fit in them.

I called up Shannon yesterday and asked how the farrier visit went, and she said he did very well with the farrier, but somehow I believe he really gave them all hell, though all of his feet did get trimmed, which is great. So great. I'm so relieved that the farrier survived unscathed, as did Siaga.

Finally

I got in my breeches and my boots. Everything fits nice and it's all quite comfy. It finally came in, after much trepidation, yesterday, and the mailman practically scared the crap out of me, since I was sitting facing away from the door and reading and old journal of mine and laughing at myself when he started pounding on the door.

I might have a chance to visit him on Sunday ... I really wish I could go on Saturday, since that is when he is getting his hooves trimmed, but Jonathon will be working then... :(

Muddy Boy

This is the picture I am going to use to draw a portrait of him. I think this will be my tradition for every horse I own, to draw a portrait of them. Starting with Siaga.
I'm not sure if I want to draw the mud in it or not...

His mane got cut shorter after that, so that it wasn't going to over heat him while I'm not looking. I'm also going to try and get some thinning shears and attack the underside to thin it out a bit and pull it some too.

My suggestions for a horse with a mane/tail too tangly to tackle: Mane 'n' Tail Detangler.
Siaga's mane gets big knots in it, and I sprayed it down with that stuff and took a comb to it and the knots practically slid right out. I'm a bit wary about using it on his tail, since his tail is about fifty times worse and dreadlocks, but I think the detangler won't have too much of a problem with it. If you're skeptical, you can buy a sample sized bottle at Tractor Supply that is only 4 ounces, instead of buying the huge 32oz, but trust me, you will love it, and you might as well get the big bottle.

Also, while I was working with him on Saturday, I had on my regular tennis shoes and realized that hey, Siaga's shoulders are now taller than mine, but with my current boots and their higher heels, his withers are at my shoulders. Upon a new guestimation (since I forgot the tape measure) Siaga is more around 14hh, and might even break the pony/horse barrier. It has me hoping. When I get home tonight, I might put on one of those boots and measure to my shoulder to see how high he really is.

Barn Clean Up...

Meant there was no bath for Siaga. I did, however, get him out and work with him, only to discover that his time there, living with horses, instead of me, has completely given his mind over. Apparently, I am no longer seen as a part of his herd, since he called. And called. And called, for the other horses while in the indoor. I'm not really around enough to convince him that I am part of his herd too, not just a lead mare to him.

His feet really need a trim, I'm going to call up Shannon later and ask about the farrier and if he has a website or anything. I also keep forgetting to ask about his teeth that the dentist was supposed to look at.

My boots and breeches have not come in yet, but Jeni, who boards there as well, gave me some nice leather Ariat half chaps. :)

And tomorrow is my last day in school. Then I can laze around the house all day whining about having nothing to do and no way to go anywhere. I have really got to call CVS and set up an interview.

Tractor Supply

Oh I love the cheap prices at Tractor Supply. I've got to stop by there tonight and get some grooming products for him, and was hoping that I wouldn't have to spend more than $20. Upon looking at the website, other than for the conditioner, I could get all I need for under $10 collectively. :D

I also have to stop by an art or hobby store to get an illustration board so I can start my portrait of my lovely horse. :)

I'm so excited to go see him tomorrow.

Darn that Weather

Looks like Saturday is going to be having a few scattered thunderstorms, temperatures in the upper seventies, and a humidity percentage in the low seventies. At least for the Dayton area, but also in the Wilmington area, which is where Siaga is. : | That day is going to be hot, muggy, and full of hard work.

Barn cleanup day is on Saturday, I guess I'm going to help out, hoping I'll have time to ride. After riding, I'll have to give Siaga a bath. He has horrible dandruff in his mane and he's been rubbing his mane out. I don't mind so much if he won't let me bathe the rest of him, I hope he will, but if he won't that's fine, so long as I can get his mane and tail shampooed and conditioned. He isn't bound to like it much but oh well, better to keep it clean and tidy than to have to roach it down to nothing, scrub and comb out the dandruff, and start over.

I guess I'll pull his mane some too, to allow for a thinner mane that will be easier to manage and that won't be so hot and heavy on his neck. If I weren't away from him for so long at a time, I would braid up his mane and leave it braided while I'm away, but since I am so far away for so long, I wouldn't want it to damage the mane ... hurm. I think the only answer is to pull it and trim it shorter, long enough to braid, but short enough to not over heat him while I'm away.