The boys in my life...

Our barn has been mostly mares and recently the tables have turned.

Anthony has been working with El Capitan (aka Capi) and finally decided to move him closer. I am not sure if you remember why we decided to train him in the 6 foot pens for so long but here is why...

Capi redesigned the 6 foot high pipe panels 

He is as sweet as the day is long, really. He is actually a pretty laid back guy (aren't they all?)

After checking out his new place, Anthony took him into the round pen for some work. 

Capi was barely awake as Anthony flung the saddle pad on and around him. 

Saddling came next...

And of course the first few 'rides'

Winston and I sat and watched while while these two worked together. I think it must have been a guy thing, because they had their own language going on. It was like each one knew what was going to happen next. Training mustangs is fun, but watching others train can be just as rewarding too. I am so proud of this pair. 

Now I don't want you to think this whole day was rainbows and unicorns, there were a few hiccups throughout the training session. Most notably after Anthony had saddled him and walked him around, he turned him loose in the round pen. Stirrups tapping his side, he immediately put on a NFR Rodeo audition. Also note that in the picture Anthony is laughing.

After a few good bucks, he settled down and trotted out quite nicely.

Then he stopped, turned, and walked over to Anthony. They cuddled for a few minutes and then called it a day. It was pretty cute (I mean, manly). 

I will post soon about the other new guy, Simba. He is actually up for adoption and I am still getting to know him. Stay tuned!!!

50 miles faster

August 25th marked Dixie's 3rd 50 mile race this season. She truly was bigger, better, faster, and more prepared than any other race we have been to.  

Before heading to the race, we stopped off at a friends to help her prepare for her first 30 mile AERC ride and then loaded up in the trailer. Georgia is getting shoes on here, and stood perfectly quiet while the farrier banged away. Dixie and Georgia first met as 'wild ones' in my trailer February 2012. Yes, they were both Extreme Mustang Makeover selections! Obviously, we kept our horses after the competition (how could I have ever parted with my Dixie?!) and it was pretty cute to see them hop in the trailer together. 

After a few hours, we arrived and set up. Stories from riders that day came in "So beautiful, but SO HARD!" and "that was a TRUE 50!!!!" were heard often. Some rides do not actually measure up to the actual mileage they claim, but this one did! And hills, oh the hills. I thought we better get to bed right after the ride meeting so we were fresh in the morning!

The race started in a grassy meadow. I had recently switched Dixie to a hackamore at the suggestion of a woman who had done some accupressure work on her. Not having raced in one yet, I was hoping things would go smoothly. Once we took a few jittery laps around the meadow, she seemed to settle in. As the race began, we started near the front 10 or so riders. 

Immediately, you could tell they front runners were going to let their horses roll out some energy. I wanted to hold Dixie back and "save some horse" for later (we did have 50 miles!!!) so I started to let some distance between us go. Another woman, Cathy and her horse Baron were doing the same. 

Within the first 1/8th of a mile we had found a perfect match for our horses. 

Part of the race is certainly covering distance as quickly and safely as your horse will allow, but another part if just the sheer enjoyment of the ride. As we started talking, the trail seemed to melt away as we told each other our life stories. It is kind of like sitting next to a stranger on a plane! 

I was not sure we would be able to ride for the whole race until we came into the first vet check and saw how quickly they 'pulsed down'. If one horse was in much better shape, then one of us would be held back and undoubtedly our riding together would end. First vet check, 2 minute time difference, not bad. We decided to stick together. 2nd vet check, same time! We were rolling at a nice pace and both horses seemed happy. 

Dixie and me smiling for the camera. They tell you to spread out for the pictures, but Baron and Cathy are just in front of us :)

Coming into the finish together at a time of 2:05pm we took 6th and 7th place. We only passed one rider the whole ride. That means we must have 'pulsed down' quicker than other horses at the vet check. If you land in the top ten, you can show for Best Conditioned (BC). 

Dixie and I running the circle. The vet watches to see her movement and look for any signs of lameness. Everyone was clapping and yelling to get us excited, it worked and Dixie really moved out awesome! 

Post ride, Dixie watches as the rest of her competitors come back.

One of the best parts of the ride, was the vet card. At each stop the vet rates each function (hydration, impulsion, gut sounds, etc) with an A, B, C, D. It gives you an idea of how fatigued your horse is. Well, Dancing Dixie got ALL A's the WHOLE RIDE! I was so proud of my 'honor student'.

That was the real clue that not only is she fit to continue, but she is happy and willing. And that is the whole reason I began this crazy endurance journey to begin with! 

Thanks to Cathy and Baron for being such great traveling companions. We hope to see you at our next race! Thank you to the ride managers Cynthia and Forrest for an amazing ride. You can be sure we will be back to the next Mendocino Magic 2014 :)

Summer is Over?!

Summer seemed to fly by so fast this year! I guess that is because we were busy having fun. Since the Tevis, we have had lots happen. I think I will let the pictures do the talking for once ;)

Napa Valley Horseman Mounted Shooting Clinic

Dixie watching all the action before we head in to try the pattern. 

We had a great turn out and a LOT of talent!

Dixie and I at Skyline for a nice training ride

Cross training in dressage

Great ride to Oakville Grocery with friends

Dixie and Merlin relaxing at lunch

Anthony and Capi seem to have made some progress ;)

The new fences being put in at Napa Horsemans

Dixie and Licorice playing in one of the pastures. Yahooo!

Our next big adventure is coming up and I will blog about it soon (promise!)

The Tevis

July 20-21 2013

The Tevis is known as the hardest endurance race in the United States. 100 miles in 24 hours from Tahoe to Auburn. 

Last year, I witnessed it as my first introduction to what 'endurance riding' was.  After seeing the physical work, heat, and risk I was was hooked. I still probably couldn't tell you why. 

Jennifer and Jenni coming into the check point

Fast forward to this year and (if you have been reading my blogs) you know my mustang Dixie and I have competed in some AERC events. We began last year when she was 4 with LD (Limited Distance) 25-30 mile rides. 2013 brought on the 50 mile competitions. She has 2 under her belt now.

Dixie's first 50 mile AERC ride

When it came time again for the Tevis ride, it was exciting to be asked to crew again for good friends Jennifer Waitte and Jenni Smith. Anthony and I headed to Auburn to help set up camp and prepare for the next 24 hours. 

If you followed the race, you would find many exciting stories, including both of our riders:

Jenni Smith's story was featured on Equisearch. Read it here.

Jennifer Waite's story was featured on the EasyCare blog. Read it here.

At this point, you may start to think our riders did fairly well to both be featured on websites (hint hint).

the girls!

Well, if you are still reading this far then I will tell you they did. But that is not really the story I can share with you. I wasn't out on the trail riding, I was crewing. Along with quite a few other dedicated individuals, we were committed to making our riders and their horses as well fueled and prepared to continue trucking through the wilderness to cross the finish line. 

With the help of technology, we were able to follow our riders through the race. Most of the dozen or so check points did not allow crew to be present. So, when they checked in with the vet, they had someone there to record the time they passed through and pass the info along to an app. We all became quite obsessed with the 'refresh' button seeing when and where our riders would show up. 

The few check points we were able to be at are always fairly chaotic. People are everywhere trying to find a spot for their rider, set up mini-camp, and then take care of horse and rider. If you are not there early to stake a spot, you are not going to have an easy time finding a spot once the riders come in. The phrase 'hurry up and wait' was a pretty accurate way to describe the event. 

Once our riders came in, we started to take the horses saddles off and cooling them down with water. The riders were given food, water, and a chair. It is so important to keep the muscles warm, so the horses don't cramp up. This meant walking the horse every 10 minutes during the 1 hour hold time. We took 2 people so one could walk the other horse while the other held food. Talk about multi tasking. These horses are no rookies. They had already competed in three 75 mile competitions and came in the top every time. They were used to the routine and quietly went along with everything. 

As they left, we hooted and hollered to cheer them on along with the rest of the crowd. We cleaned up the mini camp and headed to the next stop. And then back to 'hurry up and wait'. 

As darkness crept in, we could see (on our app) that our riders were in the top and that meant they would not be taking the full 24 hours to complete. The race starts at 5am and riders have until 5am the next day to finish. 

We waited with the crowd at the finish line. And waited. It was a little after 10pm. All of a sudden everyone started to cheer and make noise, everyone was squinting to see who it could be... 

a deer walking on the trail. 

False alarm. 

 It was so exciting, that any little movement sparked people to think the riders were arriving. Finally, first place flew in at a canter. It was Rusty, from EasyCare. We waited a little longer and then saw Jenni and Jennifer coming in together... 2nd and 3rd! We were so thrilled, the horses had gotten separated by 5 minutes at the last vet check, so we all assumed the 2 horse difference may not have been made up.

Seeing the 2 come into together was such a great feeling. The finishing rate for this race is less than 50%!

Now you may think that once the race is over the story ends, but really it was just getting started for us.

Again, we took the saddle off and start cleaning the horses. Since they finished in the top ten, they are eligible for the Haggin Cup (best conditioned award). 

This meant cleaning the horses, tack, and you thought because they finished at a decent hour sleep? Nope. In order to keep the horses muscles from getting tight we had to wake up every hour to walk them. Thank goodness it was not every 10 minutes! Fortunately all the dedicated crew worked together, so I only was up every other hour. 

Jenni and Stella showing for the Haggin Cup.

Like I mentioned, I still don't know why working so hard, being exhausted, sweaty, and tired is so much fun. But it is! The Tevis is once of my favorite experiences. Once it was all over, we headed home buzzing about our exciting weekend. It was hard to believe that it was only 24 hours. 

Thanks to Jennifer and Jenni for letting us crew for you. It was an unforgettable experience for everyone!

Hello, Goodbye!

As predicted, I was unable to keep you all very updated on Maverick and his impressive progress. In the 12 days since coming home from the corrals, he has learned to take a halter, fly mask, lead, lunge, lift up feet, play with de-sensitizing cones and other random objects, and today... he left. It took all of 10 minutes to show him the trailer, move his feet both directions, and simply ask. The look on Sara's face when he jumped in was priceless. I don't know who was more surprised, her or Maverick. It was a short amount of time, but we all learned quite a bit. She promised to send me updates so I could share his continued progress. Good luck Maverick and Sara!

New Beginnings...

Since my last post, quite a lot has happened. Anthony and I traveled to the Canary Islands in Spain for our wedding (June 22) and also spent time in Michigan with more family celebrating our special day. But before we left, there was one more event that I didn't have time to blog about... Napa Mustang Days! It was a great success and about half of the animals (horses and burros) that the BLM brought were adopted, I think the final number was 20. One of the lucky ones went home with a friend of ours...

We are so excited to welcome Scout to the mustang family!

Once we got home, our plans were to find Anthony a mustang. We headed up to the Litchfield Corrals along with a friend and a 2 horse trailer. 

As always, the crew in Litchfield made us feel at home and had the 'best' pen already brought to the front for us to look at. After a few hours of watching, sorting, and luck 2 geldings were selected to come home with us. 

Of course it was a hard decision and there was a lot to choose from, below are available 2 year old geldings that would love to find a home. Feel free to share these pictures and spread the word. They are all at Litchfield Corrals and are 2 year old geldings. 

Once we loaded the trailer, we were headed 5 hours back home. It made for a long day but that didn't seem to tire anyone out. It was like Christmas in July!!!

Once the boys unloaded they had a chance to settle in. As soon as we started working with them, it was clear they were smart, kind, and curious. Sara is keeping her boy Maverick with us for a little while before taking him home. She has already accomplished so much in the short 5 days we have had them, it is going to be hard to keep my blogging up to date!!! Anthony has had a big smile on his face since we have brought El Capitan home, almost as big as when we got married! 

Me and El Capitan

Sara and Maverick

Anthony and El Capitan

I am sure you are all wondering about sweet little Dixie. Well, she had her 'capture date' anniversary July 4th and we celebrated with a nice long trail ride at Skyline. 

We are looking forward to a couple more good rides with friends soon. And I can hardly wait until El Capitan and Anthony will be by our side!  

Horse Expo and another AERC 50!

We are all looking forward to summer, but the spike in heat was not exactly welcome. Upwards of 110 degrees, Sacramento Horse Expo was unseasonably hot this year. Last year Dixie and I rode in the demo and it was only by chance that I had something else planned for her this weekend so I declined on bringing her again. It turned out to be a good idea, because the demo was cancelled due to the heat! Instead, Winston filled her place in the booth and we talked with people about mustangs, Extreme Makeovers, training, and TIP programs. I met a lot of great people and am glad that we braved the heat to be there. 

Geyserville also saw extreme heat Friday and Saturday, and when I arrived at 5pm it was still in the 90's! I settled in and walked Dixie around and prayed the weather would be cooler as predicted. The rider meeting let us know the race would begin at 5:30am instead of 6 to try and beat some heat. I also picked up a junior rider (they have to ride with someone older) and enjoyed hearing stories of the day. The ride managers were thrilled that even in the extreme heat, there were no metabolic pulls from the ride that day, meaning people took really great care of their horses. I knew I was with a good group of people! After an amazing Paella dinner, I headed to the truck for some sleep. 4:30am rolled around and I started getting Dixie ready. Once 5:30 hit, we headed out onto the first loop. Our horses were matched pretty well and held a good pace throughout the race. Each of the 3 vet checks we came into Dixie scored all A's and in the final check she only got one B in her gut sounds. I was so proud of my tough little mare! As usual, many people asked about the 'mustang' and how they always dreamed of owning a 'wild one'. I encouraged them to check out the different programs featuring mustangs and get involved.  

All throughout the ride, I kept thinking the weather seemed so nice... I hope it holds! Fortunately, it did!   As we neared the end of our ride 8 hours later, we were met at the finish line by Anthony and Winston. As I recounted the day, only one wrong turn slowed us down and a broken gator on Dixie's EasyBoot Glove made me consider taking her back boot off. Surprisingly, the broken gator didn't affect her boot staying on for the last 20 miles! I was very proud of myself for putting them on! I am sure I owe a big thank you to my farrier for making sure her feet were nice and clean the day before!  We walked back to camp and took care of our horses and relaxed a little bit until the awards ceremony. 

I knew we took a moderate pace so when I heard my junior's name called... I was thrilled! He had won the TOP JUNIOR in the 50 mile ride award and a gorgeous cooler for his pony. The vet spoke about how well he took care of his horse and I was so happy for him. All throughout the day everyone that saw us cheered us on, the future of the sport really is up to the young people that choose to keep it up. We also got to meet one of the younger relatives of the Cooley's, who graciously allowed us to ride on the beautiful piece of private property. It took so much work for this ride to be created, and it really showed that the endurance community is a great group of people. I wanted to thank the ride managers, Cynthia and Forrest, as well as the Cooley's for providing the amazing land. It was a fabulous ride and you can be sure we will be back next year!