One in the saddle, one on the ground
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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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For years now, I’ve been tormented by the annual reports from Aarene Storms, as she and her beautiful mare Fiddle tackle the John Wayne Ride. This ride follows the Palouse to Cascades Trail in Eastern Washington, moving to a new camp each night and riding all day. I’ve been fascinated and eager to get back […]
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Cadence is my word of the year, inspired by a song I haven’t listened to in a decade. Harder Better Faster Stronger, by Daft Punk. It has a super long intro, and we did a dance routine at a summer camp I was a counselor at one summer. I was always too quick to the […]
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I tend to be either the type of person who is totally prepared, with checklists and training and thoughtfulness galore, or caught totally flat footed. There’s no in between for me really. Case in point: my ride a week or so ago, I hopped on with no saddlebags, only anticipating a quick spin through the […]
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As I sat in my truck, waiting for the big diesel engine to warm up enough to haul to the barn, I hmmed and haaad and made a decision. I balanced the training and time I’ve spent with Tarma over the past year, how she’s been on our past few rides, and Benny’s training level […]
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Each time I head out to the pasture with my halter, I keep two ideas in mind; either we do whatever it is I’m planning, or we don’t and we try something else. Tarma tells me even before I put her halter on what she’s capable and willing to handle that day. It’s probably too […]
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On the loose 