Monthly Archives: August 2019

Business with Batt: Weekend Adventures, Part II – Going Solo

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Because when it’s 70 degrees, summer, and other than a haul out the day before, you haven’t been anywhere in 14 months, why NOT haul out for a trail ride at Fair Hill?

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Any why not go solo?

What could go wrong?

Sunday I decided to take advantage of another day off and take Batty out to Fair Hill for our first solo trail ride…ever.

Honestly, I’ve never been big on the idea of solo trail rides, but if I don’t have people to ride with, why am I letting that stop me? So, solo trail ride it is…

 

And, it was a complete non-event.  I rode 1 handed, holding the buckle almost the entire time. I let Batt choose our route part of the time…

We made no friends despite the plethora of trailers, stuck with our own plan, and didn’t even get too lost. And honestly? It was a really nice way to spend the late morning/early afternoon.

 

his groaning is a little special…

We wandered through trails and saw the sights, tackled bridges (!!!!) including the bridge that tried to kill both him and Remus last June, wandered through the covered bridge, and “galloped” through fields until we eventually “found” our way back to the trailer (with a tiny bit of help from google maps). The only thing that would have made the day better? Hoof boots. Batt needs a trim and his renegades don’t currently fit so he was a bit sore on gravel but whatever.

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They could have a guard rail here… there was one on the other side… 

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Enjoying life

The covered bridge series… [this bridge used to be scary, but it’s been a non issue lately. people like to fish next to it and “jump out” which is spooky… plus people are always taking pictures]

 

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This bridge caused so many headaches in the past. Including last time with Michele. Once when I was out, I had to hop off and beat him over. Not really, but hopping off and use of a crop was involved. And this time? We just walked over. I went the long way to avoid it and then decided to see if he’d walk over once I was at a point that it didn’t matter. Go figure…

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We ran into a few horses along the way, no one could believe it was his first solo ride.

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Open field! Happy horse! 

He was a VERY good boy.

Onto our next great adventure! (stay tuned for less fun updates about a horse who isn’t eating and may have ulcers again…)

 

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So sleepy!

 

Business with Batt: weekend adventures, part I

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After my lesson that didn’t happen Thursday, I was determined to ride my horse this weekend, even if it killed me (or him). I was up for the challenge. That said, he’s had a grand total of 2 rides this year and hasn’t been off the property since (early) July of last year. What could go wrong? But my trailer has new tires, the truck has new tires, and I needed to use them, right?

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Wash stall lessons…

LOL.

So bright and early Saturday morning, I hitched the trailer up (second time since last July–first time was getting those new tires) and loaded Batt up. He seemed… confused. He hopped right in and hopped right out. We reloaded and in the trailer he stayed. Lol. We made the 5 minute journey over to Ranger’s barn for a ride in the ring where we first were re-introduced to scary stuff like wash stalls and cross ties.

Other than the wash stall? Everything else was a complete non issue. Batt marched in the ring, we set up a cross rail (there was a perfect jump without boxes or fill so I set it up JUST IN CASE–because what else do you do with your out of shape horse?) and I hopped on.

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The FABULOUS (lol) cross rail

 

And we rode. We maneuvered puddles (those took some work). Walked. Trotted. And looked at that stupid cross rail. On re-approach at the walk, he launched himself over it, because that’s what stupid chestnut geldings do. And he was so proud of himself about his 18″ cross rail… We trotted over it about 6 more times before managing to canter about 1.2 times around each direction and called it a day with ring work. Being out of shape is hard, man!

 

 

 

Then, because he’s awesome, he let me unlatch the gate and we went for a walk around the property before revisting the wash stall and heading home.

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Nothing fancy, nothing exciting, but honestly? A complete non event for someone’s first trip off the property in almost 14 months and 3rd ride in a year.

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more wash stall practice… 

Stay tuned tomorrow for Sunday’s more exciting adventures.

Ranger Recap: things are coming together

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Balance, bending, turns, canter from the hind end? It’s all starting to come together. Without trying to recap my entire lesson last night, all I can say is that I wish I had media. It was seriously a good lesson.

We started at the canter over “the pile of trash” in the middle of the ring. Basically it was a bunch of poles and a gate that was propped up at a 90* angle against the out of the outside line so that you could jump it as long as you prepared properly from the left lead. We did this on a canter circle and while I thought my trainer was insane (my thoughts most of this lesson), the jump wasn’t hard at all as bending, turning, listening to my leg, were all in Ranger’s plans last night. The only issue we started off with was finding the right amount of power at the base. I just needed to add leg/squeeze at the base as the canter I had coming in was fine (yellow line indicated on poor version of course below).

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A really bad attempt to recreate the course… 

Next, we warmed up a figure eight over the straw bale jump (orange line) to the plain vertical (burgundy line) on the right lead. Of course, by this point, most of the fences were hiked up to 2’9″ which got in my head for a few minutes. I struggled with this even though this was the exercise I practiced almost exclusively last week. I saw my distances yet the first time, failed to commit and added. Then I committed, got the distance, then committed the same sin. It wasn’t so much that I lost my pace, but rather that I lost my line? And let Ranger drift in a touch which caused the chip. Once I fixed that, the line was fine.

Then, the insanity began.

Because my trainer is crazy, we started with the trash gate (yellow) roll back to the our green oxer (green line) around to the straw bales (orange line) this time jumped the opposite direction) bending line to the vertical (burgundy).

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PERFECTION.

Holy crap. With the trash jump, we needed to turn before the in of the outside line which actually wasn’t a problem and the green was lovely. And the bending line was perfect. Ranger, on the other hand, has been SO BALANCED and on his hind end, that he through in a full change along the way. Seriously, this horse just keeps getting better and better.

We repeated this course one more time, adding in the blue outside line before calling it a night.

But, I can’t even describe how amazing this horse feels these days. I did mention riding someone else 1x a month because it’s probably good for me, but, I don’t want to stop with Ranger because I’m having so much fun right now…

Hayley Horse Designs

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img_0476I mentioned in my last post that I’ve been doing some belt making — it’s been taking over my life lately.

Anyway, I’ve sort of gotten my act together and at least gotten the shell of a business facebook page up with some merchandise available for sale. I should have more once I finish with a my last large order.

Anyway, if you are interested, take a look and follow Hayley Horse Designs as I’ll be posting additional items there (and maybe I might be able to convince some people to eventually model the belts so I can have better pictures).

If you’re on facebook, like/follow the page, if not, just take a look if you’re interested. If you’re looking for a belt, let me know and I can certainly accommodate more colors than are currently available.

 

Catch up…?

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I’ve been feeling a little burnt out lately. In a fit of emotion (anger? rage? annoyance?), I decided I was going to delete the blog because, let’s be honest, besides my 3 commentators, I can vent to myself in another fashion. Michele told me I couldn’t and to take a hiatus. I’m still not convinced that keeping this blog is worthwhile as I have little to say, but… be warned it may one day disappear.

Anyway brief life in review?

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The most handsomest there ever was

My husband, being an idiot, gave himself a hernia pulling part of the culvert out/tree limb off the culvert (culvert=waiting game). He now can’t lift anything until he was surgery. Consult with surgeon? The 29th. Assuming surgery is scheduled soon after, we’re looking 4-6 weeks AFTER that… So, mid to late October. So all labor/lifting is falling to me… Like stacking hay… Just laugh. Really.

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barn kitten I almost stole…

Last week was a staycation. How I needed it. It was also Pony Finals. 2 things combined meant I got to ride Ranger. A lot. He was sick of me. But I needed barn time more than I can explain. I have no media. But had lots of fun. Was planning on taking husband out, but that never happened. Oh well.

 

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my favorite

Subi’s hind leg/ankle arthritis has been getting worse lately and he’s been super creaky and stocked up in the mornings. Sometimes it goes down during the day, sometimes not but the creakiness is always there. He is now the proud owner of Back on Track quick wraps and so far they seem to be helping. While I don’t want him to become dependent on them, I also don’t care if they provide some relief.

As of an hour ago, my trailer has new tires (thank you mom). So, Batty’s vacation is OVER and we’re going to get working. Work may be ring work or trail work, but it will work of the light variety. Vacation is OVER. FYI, driving a trailer through Newark, DE during roadwork is NOT FUN. Especially when the road is full of cones, flaggers, and is one way thanks to paving… I tried to take it somewhere else, but they asked that I remove the tires before I brought it in and I couldn’t quite wrap my head around HOW I was going to haul a trailer in without tires that I hung up…

Anyway, that’s the current happenings here. There’s also a lot of belt making going on, but I’ll save that for another potential post when I have my facebook page/website up and running…