Harry's Fish Folly--Nice ride

[Sue Brown <sbrown@wamedes.com>]

I would like to thank and compliment Patty Scott and the PNER Fish Creek
Team for the nice ride yesterday!  It was, overall, a very positive
experience for this crowd of newbies...and some very real milestones for
all of us.  

I rode Blaze...aka Mr. Toad, Nitwit, Dork, Blazie, and Dweeb (all said with
affection, of course! <g>)  Blaze is a very cute 15h. 14yo Arab/MFT who
spent 10 years as a pasture ornament while I spent my time with the giants
of dressage.  When I lost my two dressage horses in one year (severe
navicular with my 14yo 17.2h Trak/TB gelding (too big for his confirmation
and too much too soon when he was younger)...and EPM and herpes
myeloencephalitis in my 5yo TB mare)...I had to ride *something* -- so I
pulled Blaze and Blue out of the pasture and started their dressage basics.
 Besides being so much smaller, their blatant chubbiness and lack of
condition made riding them a much different experience than my big guys!
;-)  Blaze looked like a sway-backed pregnant mare (someone even asked when
he was due..."must be gettin'" close kind of comment) with a very
pronounced winging of his left fore.  Along with that, he had an attitude
compliments of 10 years of being herd boss, and a depth of courage and
thought nearly non-existent!  Arena training was always done with an SOS
strap on the saddle for security -- never reared, but crow-hopped a bit,
and would take off in warp speed when asked to do something he wasn't
interested in -- with no concept of the effects of running into a wall...or
incurring my wrath!  (We had lots of "Come to Jesus" meetings in the early
stages. <g>)  When I started his trail training, we measured his success
for the day in "Toad Moments" (as in "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride") and gradually
would have rides where there may be only one or two.  He also learned to be
lead horse (a very scarey concept for a horse that wouldn't even step on
the asphalt as a youngster) and eventually was able to handle training
rides by himself.  He has learned to watch his feet, adjust his speed for
the terrain, and respond appropriately to very slight cues (no religious
intervention needed any more! <bg>)  

Blaze did splendidly this weekend!  He was able to maintain a good pace
thru the inclines and declines on the trails, remembered his manners with
other horses passing both directions (and didn't try to follow them if I
said "no",) plowed right thru any water and mud I aimed him for without
hesitation, ate and drank well, did about half the ride by himself, and had
*NO* Toad Moments, other than a brief hollering at his buddies when he saw
them at the vet check.  He pulsed down quickly and performed like a champ
at the vet checks...and had a better vet check at the end than he did in
the beginning.  This is his 4th experience (and mine, as well) so I'm
definitely pleased with his accomplishments.  He will still only walk on
rocky and/or very hard roads so we slow down considerably at that time (he
hates rocks and concussion but has improved some with pads on the
front...and will have pads all around for the next ride) and is still a bit
too herd-bound to my liking.  We'll keep plugging along working towards
improvement in those areas as well as overall.  He's already doing way more
than I ever expected at the beginning.  As for me, I was able to do the
ride and have my left leg hold out with amazing strength, considering the
severity of my injury to it last summer.  I still can't jog very well at
the end, but my abductors and overall strength for trotting and
two-pointing have returned to near normal.  I'm going to do more getting
off and walking/jogging along with him on the trails from here on out,
which should help improve that area now...and also get rid of some more of
the body fluff I acquired after the injury. ;-)

After our hold, I opted to wait and go out with Duana and Vonda (the two
newbies I've gotten interested in endurance) who came in a short while
after I did.  Duana rode Darby, my 10yo Arab/Welsh mare (who has come a
looooong way from the unschooled, bratty pony that arrived here 18 mos.
ago...thanks to Duana's hard work...but still has a ways to go in the
conditioning department.) She was a star as far as her handling the trail
went and accepted the whole new scene very well (had never camped before
either.)  She was *very* impressive in her attitude, overall forward
reaching strides, and energetic, competitive enthusiasm.  Vonda rode Pride,
her 17yo Arab gelding.  This is a new career for Pride, who was owned, up
until recently, by a teenager who would take him out and just run
him...that's all.  No schooling or manners...and had a bad habit of jigging
continuously if you tried to get him to walk...and he had a totally
upside-down muscle development.  Both riders and horses have been working
hard to get to this point and very much accomplished their goals, which
were to finish with a good, sound horse, learn a lot (first time
experiences), and have a good time.  It was *success* in the greatest form!
 They completed...did well...had a great time...and are totally hooked.
Darby took home the Tail End Award...and Duana was as proud of that as she
would've been anything else.  They understood completely the concept of "To
Finish is to Win".  I was as proud of them as if they were my own kids
accomplishing something major.

I also brought Kade (pronounced like Katie) along to crew for us.  She is a
15yo from my barn who thought she might be interested in endurance but
didn't really know what it was, what to expect, and so on.  She decided she
wanted to come to a ride and watch -- and then decide if she wanted to give
it a try.  She's now hooked also!  If I heard it once, I heard it 20 times
yesterday..."the next ride, I'm RIDING!!  I'm not going to be left
behind...and I can't WAIT!!!"  She'll be coming along as a Junior rider in
July on my newly purchased (this week) experienced Arab gelding.  

Everyone had a wonderful experience...thanks again to the Fish Creek Team
for doing such a good job.  And thanks also to David and Jennifer, the
experienced contingent on our new team, for their help with us
"newbies"...and the other riders and affiliates for their friendliness and
helpfulness.  This is really a great sport with the nicest bunch of people
as I have met in any discipline!

I'm hooked too, BTW. <bg>

Sue



sbrown@wamedes.com
Tyee Farm
Marysville, Wa.