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- #21
Equestrian poser.
When he starts wearing sandals with pointed toes and heels then we'll know he's become a horseman
What a racket! Boots with heels. So dumb.
The Peregrinations & Misadventures of Brigadier D+/ (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Catskills
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What a racket! Boots with heels. So dumb.
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- #22
So on the way past this one, of course a beaver slapped its tail on the water and he nearly lost his mind.
In over 8 miles, trotting almost the entire time, this rascal did not break a sweat. Not even under the saddle. But I was beat.
Bundled up to go home. I do not trailer without shipping boots.
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- #24
In the middle of our ride this morning Brig took a digger, completely falling down and then, once he stood up, holding his off hind leg up, which of course was scary for me.
He opened up that leg a little and favored it, so I turned us around 4 miles in and started walking him back.
Initially I was thinking Onur was going to have to come get us but as he started walking he gradually worked out of it.
Once home I slapped triple antibiotic on it and wrapped it. That reduced the swelling completely.
Before wrapping; very slight swelling of cannon bone.
He's getting the week off even tho he likely doesn't need it. Poor Brig.
He opened up that leg a little and favored it, so I turned us around 4 miles in and started walking him back.
Initially I was thinking Onur was going to have to come get us but as he started walking he gradually worked out of it.
Once home I slapped triple antibiotic on it and wrapped it. That reduced the swelling completely.
Before wrapping; very slight swelling of cannon bone.
He's getting the week off even tho he likely doesn't need it. Poor Brig.
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- #26
@Cruiserdrew
"It's getting very complicated!" (In my best Russian accent)
Shrimp over penne with herb butter, chiles, and zucchini.
"It's getting very complicated!" (In my best Russian accent)
Shrimp over penne with herb butter, chiles, and zucchini.
Cruiserdrew
On the way there
Nice to see Onur playing house!
Next he'll actually make coffee...
Next he'll actually make coffee...
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- #28
We put in 8.5 miles on the rail trail. It was hot today but there are creeks we can easily access, so at least I can sponge him to cool him down.
He was lazy on the way out but pulled my arms outta the sockets on the way back to the trailer. Good training for me for a race, where he pulls unrelentingly the entire time.
Still underweight, so even tho he is already really fit I don't want to enter him in a race longer than 25 miles because he will lose a lot more weight.
We will head to Mohonk on Friday. We have to get some hill work in at least once a week to be ready for Vermont.
He was lazy on the way out but pulled my arms outta the sockets on the way back to the trailer. Good training for me for a race, where he pulls unrelentingly the entire time.
Still underweight, so even tho he is already really fit I don't want to enter him in a race longer than 25 miles because he will lose a lot more weight.
We will head to Mohonk on Friday. We have to get some hill work in at least once a week to be ready for Vermont.
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- #29
Alright. We had a fantastic ride yesterday; 17 miles, and he feels strong and fit.
Lots of rich spring grass so I let him stop along the way and enjoy it. I stopped riding all my horses with bits six years ago and started using hackamores instead. No bit means he can eat and drink unencumbered on the trail and at vet checks during races.
No bit also means that my brakes aren't as good. The pressure on the reins translates to poll (behind ears) and chin pressure; this usually doesn't amount to much when he is either passed by another horse at a ride or just wants to forget what I'm telling him and haul ass. Still worth it to not have a piece of metal in his mouth for hours upon hours.
Lots of rich spring grass so I let him stop along the way and enjoy it. I stopped riding all my horses with bits six years ago and started using hackamores instead. No bit means he can eat and drink unencumbered on the trail and at vet checks during races.
No bit also means that my brakes aren't as good. The pressure on the reins translates to poll (behind ears) and chin pressure; this usually doesn't amount to much when he is either passed by another horse at a ride or just wants to forget what I'm telling him and haul ass. Still worth it to not have a piece of metal in his mouth for hours upon hours.
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- #30
Many Arabians have less ribs than other horses, which means a shorter back with greater carrying capacity. He is considered "short coupled."
Many horses have difficulty traveling cleanly, especially when we are talking about miles, not minutes, of riding time.
Briggy, for example, has incredible conformation, and even when he is tired does not "interfere" (his legs don't knock each other), partially as a result of the fact that he is put together very well.
But I have the farrier square his hooves in back because he often catches them on his front hooves at the trot, as a result of being short coupled. His 7 mph trot, and sometimes his downhill walk, leads him to catch those back toes if they aren't square.
You can see where, even tho the farrier tried to clean him up, there is evidence of this:
Many horses have difficulty traveling cleanly, especially when we are talking about miles, not minutes, of riding time.
Briggy, for example, has incredible conformation, and even when he is tired does not "interfere" (his legs don't knock each other), partially as a result of the fact that he is put together very well.
But I have the farrier square his hooves in back because he often catches them on his front hooves at the trot, as a result of being short coupled. His 7 mph trot, and sometimes his downhill walk, leads him to catch those back toes if they aren't square.
You can see where, even tho the farrier tried to clean him up, there is evidence of this:
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- #34
And then there was the scariest bridge ever.
He stopped here, even tho the bridge wasn't for another 200 feet. All kinds of scary climbers with mats on their backs, headed to their favorite routes.
And here is was. Pretty gnarly. @N22 you know this bridge! The new one over 44/55. You can see through the damn thing and of course motorcycles and big trucks were going under it at the same time I finally convinced him he wouldn't die going over it. Probably 30 feet high.
He stopped here, even tho the bridge wasn't for another 200 feet. All kinds of scary climbers with mats on their backs, headed to their favorite routes.
And here is was. Pretty gnarly. @N22 you know this bridge! The new one over 44/55. You can see through the damn thing and of course motorcycles and big trucks were going under it at the same time I finally convinced him he wouldn't die going over it. Probably 30 feet high.
Yep I know it! I bet it was busy with the weather we had.
Tell him he's a brave boy to cross that bridge.
Tell him he's a brave boy to cross that bridge.
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- #36
Yesterday we had a great ride. Seven miles, very humid, and everything was in bloom. The entire rail trail was a bouquet of heady honeysuckle.
Briggy usually does not drink during rides, but he will make an exception when it is hot and muggy and he still has much of his winter coat. He drank quite a bit out a creek we rode through.
A woman snapped a bunch of pics of us as we came around a bend in the trail. It is a genuine treat to have pictures that are of the two of us. I know every rider thinks her horse is the most beautiful thing on the planet, but he looks fabulous in these pictures.
Then we went back to the trailer, he got a sponge bath, and then ate until grass he spotted someone on a trampoline. He is such a busybody that he couldn't even eat after that; all he wanted to do was spy on that kid.
Briggy usually does not drink during rides, but he will make an exception when it is hot and muggy and he still has much of his winter coat. He drank quite a bit out a creek we rode through.
A woman snapped a bunch of pics of us as we came around a bend in the trail. It is a genuine treat to have pictures that are of the two of us. I know every rider thinks her horse is the most beautiful thing on the planet, but he looks fabulous in these pictures.
Then we went back to the trailer, he got a sponge bath, and then ate until grass he spotted someone on a trampoline. He is such a busybody that he couldn't even eat after that; all he wanted to do was spy on that kid.
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- #38
Today we had a good ride at Mohonk. It was warm and sunny and a beautiful day, tho I am getting tired of conditioning the two of us and find that sometimes I just want to be home trying to distract Onur from his work.
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- #39
These are his shoes. In addition to getting rolled toes in back, he gets pads all the way around and studs to prevent slipping on rock or pavement. We cross roads frequently and I will often trot him down them to get off the road to avoid encountering cars so confidence on pavement is important to me.
On my last distance horse I tried aluminum shoes. She was a sloppy traveler, especially when she tired, so I figured aluminum would make her interfere less, as weight increases action on horses' legs. It didn't work. She might have had a flatter, more efficient trot but we wore those shoes down until they were paper-thin, so I have been in steel ever since.
On my last distance horse I tried aluminum shoes. She was a sloppy traveler, especially when she tired, so I figured aluminum would make her interfere less, as weight increases action on horses' legs. It didn't work. She might have had a flatter, more efficient trot but we wore those shoes down until they were paper-thin, so I have been in steel ever since.
