One in the saddle, one on the ground
When trying to distill my hopes, dreams, and work ahead for a year (though no hard and fast goals this year), the thesaurus is my friend. I knew my intentions for 2024, but it took some hunting to find the right summary word. Last year was all about putting the work into motion, racking up […]
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I don’t loose my temper often. I’ve worked hard to become an adult, a person who can pause just long enough in any given situations to avoid responding in a damaging way. That said, I’m still a flawed human, and last night showed it. Last night’s ride was…not ideal. We started off well enough, I […]
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I had the opportunity recently to take Tarma to a riding clinic with a new to me trainer, Carol McArdle. I’ve been chewing on what I learned for a bit, and practicing a few things. With our endurance season over, it’s time to downshift and focus on the mental and more precise physical work that […]
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I have a bunch of other posts in the wings, we’ve had a fairly busy October! This is one I felt was important to get out now, as I’m filling out the form to nominate my Ride Manager of the Year for PNER (Pacific Northwest Endurance Riders). An endurance season isn’t a solo endeavor, and […]
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With the overdue fall rains coming home this weekend in force, I ducked out of work early to soak up the last drops of summer. I was supposed to have a dressage lesson but scheduling conflicts got in the way, though Tarma and I ended up have a stellar time together. I hauled the trailer […]
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This weekend I had the choice between a new to me endurance ride in Eastern Oregon, Lava Crest, or returning to Mount Adams Horse Camp to relax and explore a bit more. I wanted more time to prep Tarma (and myself) for our last endurance ride of the season, and I wanted to camp with […]
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Tarma was so soft and engaged when I went out into the pasture after work today, and I wanted to stay with this calm, open energy. Instead of working at speed in the round pen, we stayed grounded and worked on some ETS obstacles. After our last dressage lesson we really struggled with opening and […]
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I’ve been a bit mum as August faded into September. I had some things to sort out after Midnight Rider, in addition to Tarma’s mandatory post 50 miler rest period. A few post-MR things to note, now that the hubbub has passed: WHEW. I did not expect the pacing rabbit hole on a Monday night. […]
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I’m writing this up before I collapse and there’s a lot here, so buckle up! Upfront I want to thank every single volunteer, from the ride manager on down, for how cheerful and helpful and encouraging they all were all weekend. Having those radio folks out on the trail keeping track of you is such […]
Read MoreWith two solid 50’s under our belts, I’ve decided to keep stretching our relationship a bit. Next week instead of waking up at 5am for a 6am start, I’ll sleep in awhile. We’re going to the Midnight Rider 50 up at Mt. Adams, heading out for the first loop at 3pm…which means we’ll finish up […]
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On the loose 