Category: Horses

Daylight Savings Time creates real difficulties for those who need training/riding schedules to mesh with open hours for other businesses at a distance.   It shifts the hours of useful light toward after-5pm, and removes those hours from before 8am, making mornings darker and evenings lighter.  Actual day-length changes only in response to the yearly circuit, Read More…

Due to various things, some socially unmentionable (nobody wants to hear about certain common minor illnesses, right?  RIGHT!!), some related to DST, some related to stuff-that-had-to-be-done, today was the first day this week I actually made it onto Rags.  Storms, rain, mud (no deterrent to UK riders, who are used to rain and mud; I Read More…

Today was a gorgeous day and perfect for an alternate birthday party.  The three of us and a friend from the city whose birthday is about a week ahead of mine (though I’m years ahead of him) had an outdoor lunch on the backyard picnic table, after which I rode out on the land while Read More…

Ride 29, on Wednesday, was too short to deserve a whole post to itself, but educational nonetheless.  I waited too long to start, for various reasons that only make sense at the time, not later.  It was a clear, warm, breezy day and got hotter…by the time I was tacking up, it was uncomfortably warm.  Read More…

We hit the jackpot on weather today: cool, clear, brilliant sun…and  a boisterous strong wind out of the NW.   I tacked up Rags with a few changes to the gear: shortened the bridle one hole, shortened the throatlatch one hole, and added the braided rawhide roping rein to the halter.  Most of the time it Read More…

I set out a little after 1 pm (R- had to take M- to the dentist early and then take him back to the city, stop by Home Depot on the way home to pick up the chain saw–finally repaired) and Rags set out willingly along the south trail west until I wanted him to Read More…

I no longer have a round pen (haven’t had for years), or a fenced riding ring or arena, and these are all useful tools when working with a horse that needs basic or more training.  I do have a collection of jump blocks and PVC poles (the latter originally purchased for various drainage projects, but Read More…

March 3.  Today’s ride was briefly delayed by realizing I had missed taking my meds for 2 days, so a perfect time to check BP and see how it was doing on its own.   Hmph. Need to be more regular taking it, was the answer.  OK.  Tigger blocked Rags from coming to me and presented Read More…

I didn’t have a lot of time Tuesday, due to Other Stuff, but managed a short work in hand for Tigger and a short ride for Rags.  We worked over the walk poles, then went out in the Near Meadow and headed east past the construction yard to the highway, north along the curve of Read More…

Sunday was clear and cold, but the body (mine) was not in shape to ride.  Today, Monday, was even prettier and somewhat warmer.  Rags had acquired some mud from the wet days (not wet enough to provide significant moisture but enough that a horse eager to scratch off loosening winter coat could get muddy areas.)  Read More…