As I mentioned in my last post, DH's
Mom and I went on a trail ride last Sunday morning. We went out at 10:30 a.m. with the hope of beating the heat....no such luck. Within 5 minutes, I had sweat dripping into my eyes. Thank goodness for waterproof mascara! For the next hour and a half, DH's Mom told me about her awesome dude ranch vacation.
The resort she went to is a family-run working ranch, which hosts 40 people each week. The Ranch also offered other activities, including hiking, river rafting, fly fishing and mountain biking. In addition to managing a resort and running cattle, the family runs a high-end reining training facility. They know horses. :-) At the time DH's Mom registered with them, she had to fill out a questionnaire outlining her riding abilities.
The facility was gorgeous, with small cabins around the main lodge, surrounded by the Canadian Rockies. The first evening was basically getting to know everyone. Can you just imagine sitting out having a cocktail on this porch? The next morning, her orientation included getting acquainted with her assigned horse and showing her skills to the wranglers to ensure that she was was
matched with the right horse. There were all levels of riders - some had never been near a horse before this! After the skill levels were determined, groups were formed - beginners, some experience, experienced, etc. Each group had, I believe, two wranglers assigned to them. A few of these wranglers were actually from Australia! All of the horses wore special shoes, so that they could better grip the rocky terrain and avoid hoof damage.
DH's Mom was in the advanced group. One of the wranglers assigned to her group of 4 is a vet student. He is working towards being a large animal vet. He grew up with horses. He told DH's Mom that he didn't "love" his horses. His focus is on respect and ensuring that the horse understands what is required of him/her. This is my understanding of what he was trying to get across: "Love" was humanizing a horse and he believes that this is doing a disservice to the horse. Horses don't "love" each other. They respect and protect each other, but "love" is not something that is part of a herd environment. When we start to apply our human emotions to a horse and expect it to be reciprocated, it's not a fair. Horses are horses. Guilty as charged! I am not ashamed to admit that I love my horse to bits. Absolutely, respect plays a big part in your relationship with your horse, but I also think showing affection makes us relaxed and in turn, makes the horse relaxed. What do you think of the wrangler's comment??
He also said that horses that have a job to perform; whether it's jumping, dressage or trail riding. It is our job to make sure they understand what is required and we shouldn't make excuses (humanizing) for them not performing their job. They either do their job or they are made to do their job. OK, I sort of get this. Actually, DH's Mom follows this line of thinking and I have to say that DH has not suffered in the least with this approach. He is solid and well adjusted. I admit I have a hard time with the disciplining aspect of horse ownership and making Gem do what I ask. I am inconsistent in this area. In fact, DH's Mom and LA have told me on numerous times not to let Gem away with stuff and that I baby him. I don't know about you, but I make "human" excuses for Gem all the time when he gives me the business. "He must be hot", "the flies must be bothering him", "he's tired"....
DH's Mom rode every day for about 5 hours. Each day was a different type of ride. One day they rode along and in the river. Another they rode up a mountain - the path was less than 3 feet wide in some parts!! Yikes!! One day they went through forests. They would gallop through any terrain put in front of them. DH's Mom said she had never ridden like that in her life (and she's as old as me!!). She was pushed way beyond her comfort zone and had to completely trust the horse she was riding.
Sometimes, lunch would be served out on the trail. How cowboy is that?! All the meals were homemade. Cocktails were at 5:30 p.m., dinner was early evening and very relaxed - lots of talking and laughing. Very civilized. DH's Mom said she when she hit the pillow, she was asleep instantly! She said it was the best sleep she had had in years. :-)
DH's Mom said that this vacation not only increased her confidence by pushing her riding comfort level, but this experience also pushed her in other areas. She came to realize that it was time to make some personal changes. You see, DH's Mom lost her husband 6 years ago to a brain tumour; he suffered for weeks. This vacation highlighted that it was time to get out there, be an active participate in life and be with others. She feels she is now ready to start dating......Giddy up! :-)
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Gem and DH were relaxed and OK with just plodding along the trails while DH's Mom chattered away, telling me of her adventure. As we started to head back, I suggested that we trot across the small field we were in to
the next field opening. Off we went....Gem doing a lovely big trot. We hadn't done this kind of activity in a while (back strain) and I was really into it, posting and thinking how amazing it felt. Suddenly, I felt Gem power up and break into a uninvited lope. In a flash, LA's comment you shouldn't post a trot when asking for a lope because you are off balance - you should always sit a trot before asking raced through my mind. She was right...I came down, he came up and I bounced and lost my balance. I tried to save myself but ended up in the dirt .
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It seems my butt hit first, then my left elbow and then the back of my head. After I made sure I could wiggle my toes, DH's Mom
helped me up. As I was getting up I felt this excruciating pain shoot
up my from my where my inner thigh meets my body. I was having difficulty walking. I explained to DH's Mom that it felt like a "pa-toy-ing!". She immediately understood my description.... Pa-toy-ing = a
pulled groin, probably a result of trying to right myself in the saddle. I limped over to a rock, DH's Mom held Gem and I got back
on him. It hurt like crazy, but riding actually stretched it out a bit. Getting
down was another challenge, as was driving, as was getting out of my car. I iced
my crotch from the moment I got home. Advil did an amazing job, as usual. My Husband and I surveyed the
damage the next morning: obviously, I was stiff, I have a lovely
black/purple bruise about the size of my hand on one cheek of my butt,
numerous other bruises over my arms and legs and a particularly nice swollen one
on my left elbow which I was delighted to show the guys
at work. :-) I consider myself lucky that a) I didn't land on any pointy rocks, b) that I had a helmet on, c) that my back was not re-injured, d) that my shoulder was not re-injured and e) I didn't actually get stepped on by Gem as I sort of fell in front of him. So, all in all, not a bad fall. :-)
- We have had a couple of grass fires in outlying areas that have taken days to get under control. Although there have been promises of a reprieve from the 34C temperatures we have had for weeks now, the occasional grey clouds never amount to anything. Everything is crispy. LA's mother, who has lived on the property since 1961, says she has never experienced weather like we have had recently.
- The beginning of June, I strained my back quite badly....badly enough that there were times I had to sleep in a chair because I couldn't get in or out of bed. It was worth it, though. :-) It was caused by a great riding lesson that included poles. I was planning on taking the summer off from lessons (too hot!!), so I just stopped a little sooner. About 3 weeks ago, I started riding again. I needed assistance getting up, and I only lasted short periods of time, but it felt good to get back in the saddle. I managed to get Gem up to a lope a couple of times and I was very pleased with myself. Funny how quickly your confidence and endurance diminishes when you haven't ridden in a few weeks.....
- Just over a week ago, LA convinced me to have Gem put out at night and brought into the cool barn during the day. DH is still out there with him. Now for those of you who have been reading this blog for a while, you might remember that Gem is a bit of an escape artist. He is not afraid of the electric fence and has proven that a few times now. Initially, I wasn't fussy on it, but with the heat we have been experiencing I decided to give it a go. It seems to be working out OK. The downside is that when I see him to ride, he is full of beans and is anxious to get out of the stall. Not a great combination when when you are trying to ease back into riding. :-)
- I bought my Australian stock saddle. I put it together last week and tried it out on Friday. Everything is quite stiff yet, so I won't be taking it out on the trails until it's broken in. I am having difficulty in getting the girth as tight as it should be. It is sooo much lighter than my Western! I love the seat of it - the cantle is quite high and helps support your back and it's very comfortable. The knee pads keep you in position. It will take some time to get used to the leathers and I am definitely going to swap out the stirrups - I find them a bit small.
- DH's Mom just got back from a dude ranch adventure. She went on her own. She has ridden most of her life and this type of holiday has always been a dream of hers. She was in the interior of British Columbia and said it was the best vacation she had ever been on. She was there a week, along with 40 other people. Every day there were trail challenges - riding up mountains, crossing rivers, stony paths, deep brush. There was lots of galloping and she jumped a log....at a gallop....this was her first time jumping! The place was a first class resort and very well managed. The horses were terrific and the food amazing. She made lots of friends. She said that she learned soooo much from the rancher and the professionals that took them on the day excursions. Some of her observations hit really close to home for me.....but I will share them in another post.
- Jean made the decision last week (I admit that I did push it a bit) to get a professional trainer involved with Stu. It's a hard pill to swallow, but she has come to the realization that perhaps she needs help. I am very pleased that she has made this decision. She met with a trainer that LA recommended and they had their first session last Friday.
- A few weeks ago, I sent an email to a local Hyundai dealership enquiring about the delivery wait for a red Veloster. Dealers around here are only getting a few of these cars and they are sold practically before they arrive. In my email, I said that I was interested in a base model, I wanted an automatic and I wanted it in red. No one replied. :-( On Saturday, My Husband and I were out shopping and he started talking about my need of a new car and he suggested we swing by the Hyundai dealer to look at the Elantra as an alternative. As we were sitting in a floor model, I mentioned to the sales rep that what I was really interested in was the Veloster. He said that he had one on the lot that was sold, but if I wanted to sit in it I could....yes, please! He returned with the keys and as we were walking to the car, he said he was mistaken....this car was not sold; it was their 2013 model that had just arrived. My heart skipped a beat. As we walked closer, I saw that it was red. My heart fluttered. When I got in, I noticed it was an automatic.... I asked if this was the base model - yes it was. My heart jumped. So, I bought my car on the weekend! No waiting, no fuss. In fact, the car was so new to the lot that the price had to be verified. How weird that My Husband would suggest going to the dealership on Saturday and that the car had just been delivered and was exactly what I was looking for. It was meant to be!!
Have a great week!!
