Barn Stories
The BMBB 2010
The Bald Mountain Butt Buster or (BMBB) went off well this year. Sure there were 
some issues, it turned out to be one of the LARGEST Competitive Trail Rides in the WHOLE USA. According to the judges, the turn outs for the CTR in the lower 48 haven’t been that great this year, probable due to the economy but we almost DOUBLED our normal turn out!@!! This caused some small problems in the beginning but the management team did a wonderful job and kept to ride going.
It all started on Friday for us with packing and washing horses in the rain and getting everything loaded. We had a regular caravan, 3 horse trailers, 1 RV and 2 or 3 other support vehicles, all heading to the CTR site to get camp set up and get the horse checked in.
Check in went pretty smooth. The horses were a bit excited and didn’t want to necessary maintain their gait at a trot or
at a gait but we all got through it. Everybody was nervous. One of my friends had to stretch due to her horse having hurt her leg in the trailer and it just wouldn’t have been fair to ride her that hard. We were all sad about this but there is still Next Year and hopefully we will all make it!!!
Saturday Morning started at 5am for us. We got our horses fed, cleaned, had breakfast ourselves wad were ready for our 8am ride. We had change all our watches to ride times and were very much surprised when we went up at 8am to discovered we had missed our departure time!!! This just meant we got a late start on the ride, not that bad except it kind of set the tone for the whole day. “Not that bad but not the best it could have been”
So we got going on the ride. First thing we had to do was past a cow pasture. One of my horses I know is terrified of cows but she actually did O.K. 
Then on down the trail we went and within 15 minutes had made a wrong turn and ended back at ride camp. We had read the map wrong and there happen to be ribbons there but they were for later in the AM, not the first turn. But we figure d it out and got back on Track, Now we were about 20 minutes behind.
The ride next had you climbing the mountain and had a P&R at the top. Oh by the way did I mention, it was Very hot and the climb long? Well, one of my rider’s horse, got held at the P&R for 10 extra minutes due to a slight too high heart rate. I was a bit surprised but on looking back though she might not have been feeling that good the week before either. When the rest of the horses wanted to buck and play, she didn’t really do anything. Since I don’t abandon friends (especially juniors) we all rested our horses an extra 10 minutes and then got on the trail and continued on. The rest of the morning went fine with us discovering that All the riders in our class had gotten lost somewhere and we were actually ahead of them instead of behind them all!!!!
After lunch we managed to get confused again due to flagging and us not being able to read the map as good so we lost a few more minutes and cover more miles. You could tell we were getting tired when I told the girls I couldn’t hear them very good because the Wind was in my eyes!!!! We all started laughing at that one.
We did have several river crossing to do and other obstacles like hill climbing and everything went great!!! Our only disappointment was we came in almost 30 minutes late and were afraid we would be disqualified and wouldn’t be able to ride on Sunday. The other sad thing was my horse’s back was really sore. I’d been trying different saddles all summer but didn’t really find one and thought I had a few days before the ride but discovered I was wrong. Monet did really good all day and it’s sad to know I made her really sore.
The really wonderful part was the Vet judge came to my trailer helped me examine Monet and suggest I go with a 
Synthic Saddle for Sunday to help distribute the weight differently. The other wonderful part was one of my friends was so helpful and went back to my barn 3 times to help me get the right saddle and stuff Monet needed. With the help of a different saddle, some wages placed in good places, I think Monet was OK to ride on Sunday. Here back was still sore but when moved out willingly where Saturday Afternoon she was reluctant which is unusual for her. We didn’t get to bed until after midnight Saturday.
Sunday we were up at 5am again. The rain start about 6am. We were not late getting out, we never got lost, our horses were more willing to move out and it was raining just a little so the horses kept cool. We had no problems in the P&R and things went well. Monet did everything I asked absolutely perfect. Even the vet judge comment I had a wonderful horse and she would love to ride her. Kricket did all the stuff asked pretty good and the other two tried, what more could you ask.
Monet didn’t place as high this year due to the sore back but I thought she actually did better than Last year!!! I placed 2nd and Monet placed 4th. My other riders, all 3 juniors who were first time riders and riding Open with me Tied for First. so there had to be tie breaker which turned out to be a few + on their cards. Oh well. They all did wonderful!!! My two Novice Riders, Jo and Tammy had a wonderful time but had to ride for Distance only due to coming in too late so they didn’t get to place. Their points however were very high and they did wonderful. Each of their horse had slightly different problems so they just decided not to worry so much and have fun. I think they did. there were both Glowing on Monday!!! My girls were all SLEEPING all day on Monday!!!
We are all ready to go do it again. Wish we didn’t have to wait a whole year!!! Fairbanks 2011, same weekend in July!!! Hope to see you there.
River Crossings We did several this year!!!
The Beach Ride in June 2010
The ride was incredible. It was low tide when we started and near high tide when we finished. The wide open spaces, wind, other horse galloping by and just the whole event did have its challenging moments but we worked through all that an
Rock made from sand
d ended up having a great ride.
It all started out Saturday morning with a judged obstacle course. (Just for fun) You had to open a gate, go through two barrows standing on end, back through an L, trot through some poles standing up, Walk over a couple high poles set up and last walk under a flapping tarp, which happen to by a pen with a bull in it.It was low tide when we started 
and near high tide when we finished. The wide open spaces, wind, other horse galloping by and just the whole event did have its challenging moments but we worked through all that and ended up having a great ride. Some of the horses thought if was fun, most thought it was stupid (Jack) and some found the Bull to be TOTALLY SCARY. The tarp scared most but didn’t phase Riko who found everything else to be scarry.
Riding on the beach was great. We was more Eagles, adults and youth than we could count. The cliffs beside the beach
was just lined with them and several times they would be on the water edge and we would ride within 12 feet of them. A couple of times they would take off with their great wing span but it never once spooked the horses.
All the horses were ready. A Morgan that was riding with us, thought we were riding a bit slow so she did a perfect Levade (The horse rises on her haunches from a standstill position and tucks his fore legs under her as she maintains a 45 degree angle.) Of course we weren’t asking for this “airs above the ground” dressage move but it was pretty to see and she held it for quite a long time!!! When we asked Teri to do it again so we could get our camera out, she just glared at us. Horses just get excited when put in groups and riding in strange places. They are ready to Go Go Go.
We had to ride about a mile to get to the beach. Not much happen until we got to the beach, then the fun began. All the horses wanted to be leaders, they hated it when Quarter horses came flying past us at a canter or run and we wouldn’t let ours go for they wanted to buck and play. My normally easy to control horses were not so easy to control this day!!! It didn’t help that even though we were trying to walk, our horses walked was so much faster that we kept catching the folks on the quarter horses who were running, so they would run past us, go about 1/4 mile down the beach then walk. We would walk and catch then in what seemed like 5 minutes or less so then they would run again. This happened for quite a while. Our horses really wanted to run too!!!
We continued down the beach , must have been about 8 miles. We crossed Deep Creek without a problem. I was concern that a few of the horses wouldn’t want to step into the fast moving water but nobody even hesitated. We road down this dandy beach , past waterfalls and Clift houses that looked like they were about ready to fall into the ocean, watched and talked to the clam-ers along the way and even watch as they brought some trailers out like to get a boat out of the water but there weren’t any around so we don’t know what they were really doing.
All in All it was a good ride. We had some tired riders from out horse pulling to go faster but the ride was set up so you could drive back to the camp site if you wanted and didn’t have to ride back. Most of us decided to ride back and that was fun. Nobody racing by, our horses were calmer so we actually got to do some catering, we couldn’t get across Deep Creek so we had to take the boat launch road back up to the highway but there was a nice trail to follow we weren’t really up on the highway hardly at all except to cross and go into the fairground. Like I said, all in all , a good ride.
The Horses’ Halloween Trick 2009
Born Free –As Free as the Wind Blows Boy – Last few days, That’s a lot of Freedom!!! AND NOW FOR THE REST OF THE STORY
Around 6am, on this cold dark, windy Halloween morning, I’m heading down to the barn to feed, like I do every morning. Today however it feels spooky. The wind is howling through the trees and I would rather be in my warm bed but the horses must be fed. When suddenly I see bright glowing EYES to my right. Too low to be a horse, too high to be a cat and the dogs are still in the house Asleep. WHAT IS IT? Quickly I reach up to my cap and switch on my headlight, a necessary in these dark mornings. So what is it I’m seeing, Its… Its… C.C.!! Laying down in front of Pathfinders stall. Quite comfortable in the hay. What’s she doing there, I had to ask myself, and if one horse is out, where are all the rest? About that time I see movement in the barn where no horse is suppose to be. Jack and his sidekick, Cinch are in the hall of the barn where just the night before a round bale stood. Jack and Cinch looked quite happy, standing knee deep in what remained of a whole round bale, they had made it vanish, right before the eyes of the rest of the heard. The pasture gate stood open, the safety chain strangely undone. OK, I’d seen 3 horses, now where are the other 10? Quickly I grab a bale of hay and head into the pasture, not really expecting to find horses but you can’t help but hope. As if in slow motion, I start seeing movement and horse noses start appearing out of the dark around me. One by one, I start counting, of course, they don’t stand still and it is still as dark as it can get but I believe I have counted them all. They are all here and safe. Due to the wind, nobody tried to leave the barn very far or if they did, they came back. What a way to start out Halloween, with a big little scare. The horses played a trick and got a treat. Bet you didn’t know horses could do Trick or Treat.
How an 8 year old views the Lipizzaners.
I heard a real cute story, from a girl who’s only 8. She went to see the Lipizzaner in Wasilla and here is what she said.
“I got to see some beautiful horses from WWII. They did Ballet and danced around the floor. There were six girls and one boy but he didn’t do the ballet only the girls did. The horses were all white because they were old. Some times they danced in pairs and when the rider took off their hats, the horses bowed!!!”
I thought this was real cute about the Lipizzaner. Not quite the way I remembered the show but it was a good show and they did use all those words in the show, just not quite in that order!!!
Deb
APR Fool Joke on me by Pathfinder.
April 1, I decided it’s time to get out there and start my spring jogging. After all I have a physically fitness test for the Army in May I’d better start tuning up my body. Well, Pathfinder has an event on Mother’s day, the Parade of Stallions which he has to get tuned up for too, sooooo I decided that since I like a running partner, I’d take him jogging with me. (I tried to get him to do the pushups and sits ups but he preferred the hay eating exercise).
Six AM rolls around, I get all the horses fed and by 7am its light enough for Path, me, and the dogs (of course) to get out on the road and do our little jog. I figure to jog for about 25-30 minutes, cover a little over 2 miles with hills. I knew that wasn’t a very fast past but some of the hills are BIG (Especially if you are running up them instead of riding up them). So Path and I set off. He’s doing a nice little flat-walk behind me and the dogs are off doing their thing. We go down the road a mile or so and then come back. It was a cool morning, about 14 degrees but I figured it we kept moving, I’d stay warm enough and I was right. We made it back and I tie Path up to clean his feet and brush him. I run into the tack room, grab the hoof pick and started with his right front foot. Now Path is very well manner horse and I never have any problem cleaning his feet. So when he leaned on me kind of heavy and started lifting his left rear foot I was surprised. I put his foot down before he fell and then received another shock, Pathfinder was Shivering!!!! All Over. I guest he was saying my run was too slow; he was cold when we quit. Now it’s pretty bad when you run so slow your partner gets cold!!!
I put a wool blanket and then a nylon winter blanket on Path and he warmed up nicely. When I went to remove them about an hour later, he was almost sweating under it. Just shows, you never know about horses. Why would he got cold I don’t know but he sure was miserable for a few minutes until I got the blanket on him. So that was his April Fool Joke, She said I need to run faster!!! to get his blood flowing
Subject: Had to share!
A bay is hardy, a chestnut is fast, and you can’t kill a buckskin: he’ll last and last.
A grey is gentle, and a sorrel is hot. A dun is a horse you’ll be happy you bought.
White-eyes are flighty, white feet may crack. While some won’t rely on the feet of a black.
Some pintos are lucky, like the medicine hat, but all horsemen agree the best color is fat.
“Are we Horses or Are we Clowns”
Sometimes I believe that I am taking care of a bunch of clowns. First I have the little clown, Sidney. She thinks riding in the hay sled if fun. Maybe she believes she’s helping by putting her front feet in and pushing with her back. Picture this little horse with her front feet braced, her tail up and pushing away. Now I did get the feeling she was trying to direct the hay away from the herd and possible into a spot only she could get to. One time I must have been pulling the sled too fast for her so she ran up right behind me, in front of the sled, picks up her right front foot really high and slams it into the sled. I wasn’t sure if she was after me or what but then I saw Sidney was using her hoof like a hook and pulling the sled back to her. Sidney sometimes is like a bad neighborhood dog.
Another thing the little clown does is get into the trash and spreads it everywhere. Plastic bags don’t scare her. They should all be pulled out of the garbage cans and used to chase the other horses around. Especially Cinch. Sidney discovered how to make Cinch leave! Just try and put him in a garbage ba
Today I was out petting the horses and could tell some of them wanted grooming. SO I went and got a curry comb for they had a little snow and ice on their backs. I would pet/groom one and another horse would line up behind it or behind me so I could just turn around and start brushing. Sometimes they would remind me of the mafia by their tactics. When one horse was sure I wasn’t looking, they would reach out and bit the horse in front of them so that horse would loose his place in line. Then if I looked at the bitter, ears would come forward and you could see the question on their face, WHAT? “You going to brush me now?” Of course the bitten horse would look all discussed and go get in line again. Now one horse, Bandit, has his own tactics. I was brushing his right side, and then I turned around to brush Cinch’s left side as he was standing behind me. Bandit must have figured he wasn’t done yet so he walks up behind Cinch, pushes his butt into Cinch and lefts a leg to threaten him. Cinch moves and Bandit takes up his position to get his left side done. After I finished that side he was content and wondered off to nibble on some hay.
Oh yea, its still cold here. I ran outside to take a few pictures and when I got back in and pulled off my shoes, I could see frost or snow on my toes!!! Good thing I had my heaters on. ( Or course I was wearing my tennis shows for this short excursion). Guest this is why we need to always keep winter boots with us even is we are wearing dress shoes , tennis shoes and riding boots are my dress shoes.
Horses make their own bed
Some horses are really spoiled. My get their own bed of hay to sleep in. Sometimes I find 3 or 4 horses laying down on this old round bale. I was afraid the bale wasn’t the best for feeding so I decided to put it out without a round bale ring around it. Well the horses loved it. In 3 days they had it down to the round, eat some of it and spread the rest out for a bed. Some would just go over the bale and roll around while other stretched out on their sides and took a great nap. OF course other thought it was a good spot to poop but not too much poop was left there. I’m thinking around moving some of this old hay into the barn so the horses can enjoy it even after it snows today.
Pathfinder is ready for everything. He’s one happy horse as long as the other boys get away from his herd. On Sunday, I had Path out in his pasture. Now he’s not a hard horse to keep in. He doesn’t jump fences but he will duck under if given the chance. But I decided to let him out of his pen so he could stand on his hill and watch the other horses in the pasture in front of the barns. He really enjoys being on the hill and watching over the heard. I was keeping a close eye on him and could see him most of the time. Around 1pm, the herd started running, bucking and having fun around the front of the barn. I was standing in the house watching. Path was standing at the fence watching. I see him turn and walk away but I don’t think anything of it. He does have about an acre to roam and likes to move around.