The Bonk

March 20, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

Not every ride will be scenic and beautiful and easy. Not every ride will have excitement or breakthroughs or wonderful rights. Some rides you just put in the work, the solid butt building miles, and call it a day. Today was that day. My only goal was at least 10 miles, done slowly as we […]

T-minus 62 days

March 18, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

62 days and counting until the John Wayne Ride and Tarma is in a solid place, according to two equine professionals. Yesterday I had my saddle refitted and reflocked, and it was also farrier day. The saddle fitter noticed the Wintec was a little deflated on the right, which makes sense as that is the […]

Miles to go

March 12, 2022.Reading time 4 minutes.

I took a chance on the weather again and won, again. I’ve noticed that Tarma is much more agreeable if she’s had some turnout before I ride, which means I don’t have to be an early bird. This is fine by me, though something we’ll have to deal with for both the John Wayne ride […]

Good horse, questionable rider

March 11, 2022.Reading time 3 minutes.

When the sun shines, we ride…after working nine hour days so I could skip out early today. I loaded up kid, dog, and mare and headed to McIver. Kade walked Benny a bit while I tacked up, then hung in the trailer til I was done (have I mentioned I love my trailer?) I changed […]

Puppy Spam

March 8, 2022.Reading time 2 minutes.

It’s hard to keep an active young Lab puppy down…but trazodone will do it. Buddy was neutered on Thursday, at nine months old. His vet and I discussed it and decided he was grown enough and I was tired of constantly stressing about oopsie Benny babies, so off he went for surgery. He’s been stuck […]

We survived!

March 6, 2022.Reading time 8 minutes.

Why do the wildest things sometimes happen with no witnesses? And no video to prove it? Welp, today’s ride was a tad wilder than I hoped for, but both Tarma and I survived together, somehow. My main goal for the day was just miles, in whatever fashion Tarma was up for. She let me walk […]

Winter, Par Deux

March 1, 2022.Reading time 5 minutes.

Well, last week was clearly false spring number one and we’re back to winter. I can tell real spring is around the corner though. Instead of long days of dripping, endless rain and a lack of sun, the weather is wilder, raining sideways, dumping one moment and clear skies the next. I switched Tarma’s midweight […]

Conversations with Bernard

February 25, 2022.Reading time 3 minutes.

The ground didn’t feel right for a horse today with our recent freeze/thaw temperatures, even with boots, so I skipped hauling out to ride. I wanted to practice going to see Tarma in her field without bringing her up for work. She was puzzled when I walked up, haltered her, treated her, and walked away […]

Progress: Four Legs and Two Legs

February 24, 2022.Reading time 7 minutes.

Welp, I have officially plopped money down for the John Wayne ride. We’ll be attempting half of it, which per the schedule will mean riding 73 miles in 5 days. It feels incredibly motivating to have a solid, tangible goal to be literally riding towards. I have a to do list a mile long and […]

The question that never goes away

February 1, 2022.Reading time 7 minutes.

This post, no matter how I try to shine it up, is going to come out a bit raw. It seems like every other day something pops up on social media, poking at this sore spot. After every ride, the question is there. The day after a ride, as I check Tarma, palpitate her back, […]