Stunt Horses at Work

I picked this up off YouTube. This was posted as what can only interpreted as a display "reel" by a AlphaStunt, Bulgarian stunt group. Most of it is concerned with horses although towards the end they abruptly shift to a number of vehicle stunts (hint to AlphaStunt- if you are doing a "reel", it's probably a good idea to focus on one theme).

The training and use as Medieval warhorses is especially interesting and a bit hazardous (as it probably was then). The scene of the man catching a rear hoof in the face from a capriole kick is pretty amazing- hard to tell if that's a stunt or accident. In any event, I wouldn't want it to be me- no thanks!

Some of the stunts could be considered questionable from a "humane" standpoint- they look a bit rough on the horses but I'm no expert. Then again, standards tend to be a bit "relaxed" in that part of the world...the fire on the back of the horse really gives me cause for pause. At any rate, enjoy!

Let's Try This Again...

Early today, the shoer came by and worked on Max so I decided that we would get in the saddle time we missed last night ;-).

Max was a bit stiff on the front legs at the start and I was beginning to wonder if he wasn't' suffering a flare-up of arthritis but as we warmed up (or maybe it was just the new shoes?), his gait improved. We focused on canter/walk transitions and some lateral work to include leg yields and shoulder-ins. On the canter/walk transitions, I was able to hit the right level and Max picked up pretty quickly on what I was trying to do and we got in some pretty good transitions. I find that in the warm-up process for Max that it's best to do a lot of walking, some short trotting, go into the canter and then return to the trot- his trotting tends to improve after cantering for awhile.

Because he started out stiff, I didn't do any one gait for a long time and I also did some lateral work to give him some flexibility- mostly side passes and some leg yields, then moving on to shoulder-ins. I find that Max does the best shoulder-ins at the sitting trot and I even tried a few at the posting trot.

After about 45 minutes, I walked Max around to cool down and to give him a break. Finally, as part of his post-work bucket, I gave him a dose of Bute. With weather threatening to rain this weekend and possibly snow, I'll have to keep an eye on Max because of the arthritis situation- I don't need a repeat of what happened in December.

Well see how the weather goes in the next few days... :-)

The Unshod

With rain predicted for the weekend, I decided to get out to the stables tonight and get some saddle time in with Max. As I'm cleaning his hooves, I noticed that he'd thrown a show...no riding tonight! The good thing is that he's due for shoes anyway so I can get it all taken care of in one shot.

Sometimes I think Max does things to get out of work...I had the last laugh though- I turned him out and lunged him for about 20 minutes. :-)

Maybe tommorow...

USS Connecticut

To commemorate the Great White Fleet's completion of circumnavigating the world in 1909, here's a couple of pictures of the USS Connecticut, the flagship.

USS Connecticut undergoing speed trials.


USS Connecticut leading the fleet.

Roman House

Here's something you don't see everyday. This is a full-scale recreation of a Roman house (perhaps more accurately villa) located in Wroxter in Great Britain. Wroxeter, or Viroconium Cornoviorum as it was known then, was a center of Roman settlement and now there's a reconstructed house to give a sense of what might have existed there.

Click HERE for more about the reconstruction. It's part of Wroxeter Roman City, an open-air museum.

The house itself...

The house as part of the site...

Long shot of the site.

In Training

In contrast to yesterday, today we took our lesson and it was work!

Today's lesson primarily focused on the canter/walk transition and while that may sound pretty easy and fairly routine, it's not! In doing transitions, it's a lot easier to perform them when moving from gait to the next (eg. trot/walk) as opposed to going from one extreme to the other (eg. canter to walk). And strangely enough, it's very easy going from a canter to a complete halt on Max.

However, going from the canter to the walk is a much more difficult proposition because it's all too easy to come to apply too much pressure in the seat and come to a complete halt (i.e. jam on the brakes). I suppose this would be chalked up to my early training with Max which emphasized training him to halt immediately on command, which eventually transitioned to using mostly my body reinforced with a little rein.

Now the key is to apply just enough "brake" and not too much and that's going to require practice...a LOT of practice. Most of this is my issue rather than Max's since, after all, he's following my direction. We practiced this many times over and basically it requires the following:

1) Collection- You need to collect up the horse and get most of the weight shifted to the haunches. This will minimize the chance of the horse becoming heavy on the front end and having the horse "dive" into the walk (or stop- this also applies to the canter/halt).

2) Pressure- Apply enough pressure from the seat but not too much. This is mainly breath control combined with keeping good leg contact. Rein is also used but with a curb bit, very little is needed- you don't want to throw up a "wall" for the horse to crash into (i.e. rip his head off).

3) Momentum- Once you begin to feel the horse slow down, you need to almost squeeze him forward a bit (at least on a horse like Max that's used to doing complete stops when I apply a high degree of pressure).

4) Release the Reins- While you give a slight squeeze, you also need to be sure to give the horse his head. It's a weird effect but the horse's head will lower going into the walk and you need to not be so tight on the reins that he's prevented from doing so.

All of the above need to be combined and that's a pretty tall order. I managed to get a few of them "right" but most of my transitions ended up either in an abrupt halt or he would jig a few steps before settling into a walk or he'd trot out.

I'm sure each horse has a different degree of sensitivity to the aids and braking power, as much the same as braking with a small sports car is different from braking with a large truck. They both stop but have different requirements. For Max, we need to train him to understand that he's expected to relax and continue forward at a walk and that it needs to be done at an unhurried pace. This is also going to require me to be more subtle in my the use of the aids. Also, I need to be ready to quickly kick him up to keep him moving if it looks like he's just going to stop.

To a great degree, this is all a matter of timing...

We'll, looks like we have some work to do here. :-)

On the Trail Again...

Today I got lazy and decided to forgo my lesson and head out on the trail. I decided to go on an easy jaunt, up to the sheep pens and back which is about a two-hour ride. This is a favorite of mine and since this is the first time Max has been out on some serious trail since November, this would be the perfect trail course- not too long and offers a mix of up and down hills.

The rains have really rearranged things to the point where a lot of rock has been washed down from the mountains and there was some erosion. The weather was beautiful- full sun and it seemed that the vegetation and plants were in technicolor. Also, since it has been very cold the night before, there was snow on the surrounding mountains and it almost looked like we were in Montana rather than Southern California. It's a scene that rarely comes along so I intended to use it to the max. :-)

I went out with a friend of mine so Max definitely had company but my friend's horse is a mare and she was extremely lazy about moving out, so Max got the honors of being in the lead. Normally, Max is a follower rather than a leader so I had to constantly urge him forward. The green grass along the trail also didn't help- he wanted to stop and snack at every opportunity so I had to keep on him about that too.

We decided to vary our route a bit so we followed the creek along Little Tujunga Canyon farther than I normally would but it was pretty nice. I haven't been this way in at least six months and the vegetation seemed to show it- at several points I had to flatten myself against Max's neck to pass under low branches. We had to cross over some steep creek banks that had been created by erosion but Max was up to the job although at one point I didn't give him enough slack on the reins and he slammed into the bit and stopped short- I had to quickly release and kick hard to get him momentum up again. Lesson learned there- sorry Max!

We finally picked up the trail going up towards the sheep pens and we were soon there after a short, steep climb. We then made our way towards one of the canyon rims- this is an area that used to be covered in heavy brush up until the Station Fire in 2009 but had been burnt over. Now, the vegetation is just staring to come back but now the trail was much wider and the footing improved (looks like someone went over everything with a bulldozer recently, making for more of a road effect).

We the followed the path of what used to be a cross-country eventing course- that was pretty fun and Max really wanted to move out although I held him back a bit. We finally made a complete loop and proceeded to make our way downhill and finally picking up the trail home.

Overall, it was an excellent experience and Max seemed to experience no issues, especially with the legs and hooves. Hopefully I'll be able to get him up the Doc Larsen Trail in the near future. :-)

Looking north towards the sheep pens.

Looking south from the sheep pens towards the San Fernando Valley. The cell camera doesn't do justice to the scene.

Waiting for the Weekend...

With crappy weather and other commitments, I have been unable to get out to the stables since Sunday so Max has caught a bit of a break. I find that the older I get, the less willing I am to brave crappy weather to ride Max- it's misirable and nothing is accomplished. Hopefully things will improve towards the weekend.

Call me lazy... :-)

Post Valentine's Day...

Well, I managed to survive Valentine's Day with sanity and wallet somewhat intact. Max had to content himself with an Alfalfa smoothie...:-)

It's funny how a holiday has developed into an industry although the origins of the "hoiliday" are dubious at best- although there were at lest three cited martyrs with the name "Valentine" (or Valentinus), there's no connection to romantic love.

Well, in any event I just regard it as an excuse to express love/affection towards the significant ones around you. As for the roses/candy thing...well, I leave that to others. :-)

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Just to greet the day:

Max & I at Griffith Park

Today was a beautiful, sunny day so a friend and I decided to go riding in Griffith Park. The last time I rode there, I was only able to ride on the bridle paths next to the freeway and golf course because of the threat of heavy rain. Today was much better so we decided to head up into the hills.

For those who may not know, Griffith Park is a Park located in Los Angeles on the borders of Glendale and Burbank and a large part of it is still relatively underveloped with a network of trails. It's not the most ideal riding environment due to the joggers and bike riders but it's not bad, especially as you go further into the park. A good part of the park is in mountainous terrain and it makes for some spectacular views (it's technically part of the Santa Monica Mountains).

We parked our rig in a dirt parking lot located on Zoo Drive, just accross the street from the trail leading up into the mountains. The trail is actually a fire road and the grade is pretty steep, probably one of the steepest road/trail I've ever climbed with Max but he was up to the task and we proceeded at a walk. Although there were the usual hikers and such, it was nice to see some other riders (probably out of the LA Equestrian Center or one of the other barns close by). At sveral points we transitioned into a good forward trot, which is actually easier on horses going uphill than just a plain walk).

After about 15 minutes or so, we arrived at the top and we proceeded to take a break- there was a tub with water and plenty of nice green grass so Max definitely was a happy guy. It also helped that he was with his usual travelling companion (Max gets along very well with my friend's horse) and he was very relaxed and attentive.

We had a choice of directions so we opted to take a ridge route that travels along the back of the LA Zoo and eventually drops down to the flats by the Zoo parking lot. We then linked up with the main bridal path that follows the freeway. We had a choice of either making a right and going towards the Autry Mueseum and golf course or making a left and following the freeway towards Forest Lawn Cemetary. Since we'd previously been to the golf course (one of the hazards of riding past the golf course is dodging the occassional flying golf ball- no joke), we opted to go the other way.

Click HERE for a map. Our ride was at teh north end with the start point not too far away from the LA Live Steamers.

During our ride, we trotted for several long stretches and once we got down on the flats by Zoo Drive, we cantered out. The horses were definitely in heaven and Max was defnitely motivated to move out. :-). We decided to head towards the LA Equestrian Center so we followed the bridal path through several tunnels (kind of scary happing other horses in a tunnel). We thencrossed the LA River over a wire suspension bridge that would bob up and down...it didn't seem to bug the horses any but it made me abit nervious- no Indiana Jones situations here please!

We then followed a wide trail leading around the LA Equestian Center and even cantered for much of the way- that was sweet. We finally wound up by Viva's Fresh Mexican Restaurant where we tied up the horses and went to lunch. We were able to eat in a backroom that overlooks the tie railso we could keep an eye on the horses. Margaritas and Mexian food were a definite good end to a nice three-hour ride. :-)

After lunch, we ambled back and the horses were defintely moving out- must have been the fact that we were headed back to the trailer... :-) I was amazed to see the large number of riders out on the trail to include a LOT of rental riders.

Overall, it was an excellent ride and while you are never really away from people, it's still a nice ride and there are some physically challenging trails. However, you do have to be constantly vigilant, especially for joggers who are plugged into the I-Pod thingies and are completely oblivious to their surroundings- Max sometimes reacts to people running up on him from behind (duh, he's a horse) and I have to be ready.

I'll definitely be back again. :-)

View of breautiful Downtown Burbank...


My compadre looking down upon Burbank...


Max and I take in the view...


Lunch break at Viva's Fresh Mexican Restaurant. Margaritas for me, water for Max (yeah, beer for Max sounds better but I didn't have any :-))

Off Time...

I gave Max the night off last night and wound up working on some sewing projects (have the bleeding fingers to prove it!) that I'm doing in preparation for some living history events I have lined up on April and May. As usual, Max will be accompanying me but he won't be getting any new clothes. :-)

One of bad things about living history is having to procure the necessary clothes (I refuse to use the term "costume" because I work and function in period clothing.) and sundry accessories and gear. In some cases, this also requires various firearms. And all this stuff adds up fast, cost-wise...

Worse, if you are portraying anyone mounted, you then have to consider proper saddles and tack and then it gets REALLY expensive. And unlike clothes and gear for myself (at least for most time periods), often times nobody makes the proper reproduction horse-tack or if they do, it's wildly expen$ive. So, you often have to improvise either by re-dressing a modern saddle that's sort of close or just completely fudging things. So far, I've been lucky in this but that's not always going to be the case...and I'm not up for learning the art of saddlemaking.

Lately I have been involved in recreating the American Revolution and Napoelonic Wars eras and what uniforms and such that can be found are either not right or wildly expensive. Hence my developing interest in sewing. Lucky for me, my wife is a long-time wardrobe designer so she can help me through some of the technical challenges (and much as I love my wife, trying to get her to sew for me is a real pain in the rear)

The struggle continues and I'll try and post some updates here from time to time. :-)

Where the Thoroughbred Began...

The foundation of the Thoroughbred, and Thoroughbred racing in general, began in the late 17th Century/early 18th Century with three foundation stallions: The Goldolphin Arabian (aka Goldolphin Barb), Byerly Turk and the Darley Arabian.

For a little more information:

The Thoroughbred as it is known today was first developed in 17th and 18th century England, when native mares were crossbred with imported Arabian stallions. All modern Thoroughbreds can trace their pedigrees to three stallions originally imported into England in the 17th century and 18th century, and to 74 foundation mares of English and Oriental (Arabian, Turkoman or Barb) blood. During the 18th century and 19th century, the Thoroughbred breed spread throughout the world; they were imported into North America starting in 1730 and into Australia, Europe, Japan and South America during the 19th century. Millions of Thoroughbreds exist worldwide today, with over 118,000 foals registered each year worldwide.

What's really interesting is that the Throughbred in turn gave rise to such breeds as the Standardbred and Quarterhorse.

While I don't profess any great knowledge of Thoroughbreds, I have ridden a couple of them and while some swear by them, the two that I rode were pretty hot and pretty flighty. One of them especially seemed just a moment away from wanting to bolt- she belonged to a guy I used to trail ride with and every so often, she would want to take off abruptly and my friend couldn't prevent her from doing so. This really made for an uncomfortable experience since Max would then get upset.

From what I've read, one of the biggest problems with Throughbreds these days is that they're being raced at a young age- 2 years old- before the body has completely developed and that they're subjected to great stress and strain before the body is ready for it. Also, it seems that while the anatomy of the Throughbred has been optimized for racing, it's not durable and thus not able to withstand stress, strain and shock like some other breeds of horses. The end result can be a situation like Barbaro.

The Bylerly Turk


The Darley Arabian


The Goldolphin Arabian (aka Goldolphin Barb)

Nighttime at the Stables

Went out to the stables tonight and worked Max a bit. Didn't do anything spectacular but we did work on canter/walk transitions and some side-passing. Canter/walk transitions are tough for me because I tend to put on too much "brake" when I use my seat- Max has gotten increasingly senstive to my use of "breath control" when half-halting to the point where it doesn't take much to actually stop him...and this is without any use (or very minimal) of the reins.

Anyway, it's really a matter of timing because while you need to rapidly decelerate, you also have to back off at the last moment and almost "squeeze" the horse into a walk (while maintaing a good seat and balance). It's hard to describe and I don't always time it well... :-).

What I also have to work on is the walk/canter depart- you have to collect up the horse's energy (i.e. rev up) while walking and then release it as you ask for the canter. Ideally, the horse should almost explode and take off like a rocket (controlled, off course). As part of this, Max compresses himself like a spring (it feels like he's bowing) and it helpd to try and take weight off his back at the moment he does this. Once again, it's all timing and sometimes I hit it right and sometimes (most times) I don't. Oh, and while you're "revving up" the horse, you have to do it so they don't become so locked up that they come to a halt and get frustrated. I'm sure most of this is rider error but at the same time, Max isn't exactly the most ideal horse for this sort of work.

I basically did these while wprking my way around a quarter-mile track, going a lap in each direction. Definitely something I'll need to work on more...

Side-passing was a bit easier (relatively speaking, although I have to keep remembering to use my leg to block the shoulder (left leg if moving with the left shoulder leading, right leg if moving iwth the right shoulder leading). It's also easier to do this at a slow sitting trot than the walk but either way, there's a tendency for us to drift while doing it. Right now, this is something best handled in small increments.

Overall, it wasn't bad but we defintely need more work and we need to stretch more before doing it. Also, it would help to supple Max more.

I don't thing we'll be hitting any shows soon but I want to get a better handle on this stuff. The struggle continues... :-)

Back to School...

Gave Max the off since the Spring semester has started and I have class on Monday nights. The class is "Principles of Animal Science" and it provides an overview of animals in terms of how we use them. It's pretty broad and should be interesting.

Stretch Those Muscles....

Or so it felt today... :-)

Today was our usual Sunday lesson and today we focused on getting more centered in our seat and working solely with the curb bit.

One issue I've always had with my set is that thanks to an injury to the right shoulder when I was in the Army, my right side is lower than my left, especially if I'm tired and not thinking about it. This in turn tends to result in my right shoulder collapsing and my right pelvis dropping, this putting more weight on the right side of the saddle.

We worked on a number of exercises that basically designed to stretch and open my body to the left while also elevating my right pelvis. These exercises mostly consisted of turning, bending and stretching to the left, either so my right rand touches the horse's back or the left rear corner of the saddle pad. While bending I also have to elevate my right shoulder and this tends to elevate the pelvis. It feels like muscles are being pulled in a line from my right scapula all the way down to the right rear thigh muscles. And it definitely was sore making these muscles stretch.

Also, while doing these excersises I was riding in large circles to the left, first at the walk and then progressing to the canter. It's kind of disconerting riding at a center while bent and reacing to the rear for the bottom left corner of the saddle blanket...ouch! I'll have to work on these a lot on my own... :-)

After some of these, it seemed to have an effect on Max in that I ddin't need to make as much effort to stop or move Max around- I was using my seat to drive him with a minimum of rein work. It was exhausting but it's something I need to strive to make more a part of my seat- i.e., make it "automatice" rather than my having to think about it. This is going to take some work and it's probably good for my shoulder in the long run also.

I suppose this was as much therapeutic riding as anything elese. :-)

Practice Practice Practice...

Today Max and I did our customary drill team practice with the Warhorse. Max was in fine form and it appears that the Pelham bit is working out very well.

We did our "usual" program of group formation drills, both at extended distances between the horses and side-by-side. One of the more interesting formations we do is the diamond which is created by traveling at the oblique (either right or left). The one think though, is that you have to pay attention to the other riders and constantly adjust your position in order to keep proper alignment (of all the horses were exactly the same size and had the same stride, this would be easier).

We ended by cantering in line and for Max, I think this his most favorite part of the whole program. His best position in line is usually towards the inside because he's a slower horse and he does the best here so this is where I rode him. Today, Max was a lot more attentive than ususal and the canter departures were smotth with no excited bucks- nice for a change! :-) What's really neat is that it's easy to slow him down on the corners by collecting him, thus maintaining the energy level so he can then speed up very quickly going into the straitaways.

Couldn't ask for better weather and after about three hours, both of us were definitely ready for a long break. :-)

Equine Affaire 2011

Today I made my annual pilgrimage to Equine Affaire out at the Fairplex in Pomona. Equine Affaire is an annual convention featuring vendors of various equine-related products, equine organizations, various clinics et al. In short, one big horse convention. :-)

In years past, I've been able to find some good deals on horse supplies and tack and it provided an opportunity to socialize with some of my scattered horse-friends. Also, there's the Breed Barn where the various breed associations bring out some of their horses to display- it provides a nice opportunity to see up close and live some breeds of horses that you would otherwise only see in pictures (although I've been lucky in that regard because of where I board.

Unfortunately, the poor economy has also taken it's toll in the equine industry and for the past few years, there's been less vendors coming out and seemingly a lot less for sale (which is probably a good thing for my bank account).

This year, unfortunately, was a big disappointment. I took today off from work and went out with a friend to see what was going on. I'm not a big clinic fan (just doesn't hold my attention to be honest- too far away from the clinician and the stands are not conducive towards learning- give me CDs or something) so we pretty much worked our way through the exhibit halls.

One of the things I always buy at Equine Affaire is Hylasport jount supplement for Max. Hylasport is made by Horsetech and it's a pretty decent product- it's really helped out Max. The vendor didn't have the Hylaport with teh Devil's Claw that I've been giving to Max but he did give me a special rate and said they'd mail it out to me (this was the president of the company so it doesn't get any better!).

Beyond this, all I bought was a T-shirt from Broken Horn Saddlery and naturally we had to have lunch and that blew a big hole in the wallet as expected (on top of the $16 admission and $9 parking). Well, at least it wasn't pouring down rain like last year! :-)

The Breed Barn was a bit of a disappointment- there wasn't anything compelling to see and for some reason it was heavy on Tennessee Walkers (not that I don't like Walkers) and not much else. The Friesan people only broght a 1 year old so there wasn't even a full-grown one to look at. Oh well, maybe next year...

Probably the most intersting thing was looking at horse trailers (not that I can afford one right now) but my friend pointed out a lot of stuff to look for and I was really able to see things in a different light. Unfortunately, cheaper is not necessarily better and while there were some relatively inexpensive models, they had various issues. It seems like some of the best are the ones made by Logan Coach. Oh well, I can dream...

Overall, probably the nicest thing was running in to various horse-friends, some who I hadn't seen for awhile. Otherwise it was a big disappointment. Maybe next year...

P.S. Looks like it wasn't much better when I went to Equine Affaire in 2009.

Przewalski's Horse

Most horses that people think of as "wild" are actually horses that have become feral (most "wild" horses today are actually feral horses, animals that escaped or were turned loose from domestic herds and the descendants of those animals). Of the various wild horse breeds, only one has survived to this day: Przewalski's Horse.

A little background from Wikipedia:

The only true wild horse alive today is the Przewalski's Horse (Equus ferus Przewalskii), named after the Russian explorer Nikolai Przhevalsky. It is a rare Asian animal, also known as the Mongolian Wild Horse; Mongolian people know it as the taki, and the Kyrgyz people call it a kirtag. The species was presumed extinct in the wild between 1969 and 1992, while a small breeding population survived in zoos around the world. In 1992, it was reestablished in the wild due to the conservation efforts of numerous zoos. Today, a small wild breeding population exists in Mongolia. There are additional animals still maintained at zoos throughout the world.

Here are a couple of pictures:

Stepping Out with Max

During the winter, I really have to convince myself to change my clothes and leave my warm house to go work Max. Much as I love him, the older I get, the more I also like my creature comforts...however, duty prevailed and off I went to the stables. Unfortuatnely, except for the weekends, if I want to keep max tuned up, that means I have to work him at night after work. :-)

Lately, when I ride Max, I engage in a somewhat new "preflight prep" sequence because of his prior problems with his front legs. What I do is to first turn him out into the arena while I gather my saddle and tack. the basic idea is to have him move around prior to the start of our ride. Although some horses tend to stand and stare out from the arena, this isn't Max's problem and usually he'll shamble about, checking things out and grazing on whatever grass he can reach through the rails.

Once I've got my gear together, I'll then saddle Max. Once mounted, I walk him for about 10 minutes on the track, splitting the time between going in each direction. As part of the program, I'll also beging to wowrk in some leg-yields to keep him thinking and to loosen him up- nothing extreme.

Next, I'll kick him up into a posting trot, usually switching between walking and trotting every so often. At the trot, I'll also start doing some limgering up exercises for myself- usually swinging hips from side-to-side, doing 2-beat down/1-beat up posts and finally 1-beat down/2-beats up posts (these really give the calves a workout. If I'm in a real masochistic mood, I also post without stirrups.

Eventually I'll push Max into a forward trot and alternate this with a working trot and/or a sitting trot. Finally, I'll put him into a canter. Throughout out this process, I also try and do some transitions- typically walk/trot or trot/canter. Lately, I've also been working on some walk/canter transitions but I don't do a lot of these at one time.

Now I might not do all of the above all the time but I like to vary the movements and not simply do all one thing or the other- the big idea is to keep Max thinking a bit by demanding that he be alert to whatever I might call for. I also like transitions for this reason. Also, sometimes I'll also do a lot of leg-yielding (although I usually employe this as part of the warming up. To me, a lot of this is a much a mental thing as simply exercise. Finally, I also like to use collection with the trot and canter- I work to instill the idea in Max that there are multiple speed settings for all gaits and it's not just a matter of "go".

Also, there are nights where will do some cavalry work, either with or without the sword. This mostly consists of a lot of cantering and trotting while changing directions abruptly and incorporating turning on the haunches and the forehand. If things are really going well, I might even do some half-passes at the canter combined with spins. Finally, if I feel like a more sedate work-out, I'll do a lot of this at the walk/trot. Sometimes I also do shoulder-ins at the walk and trot. In short, I like to vary the program depending on Max's mood and my inclinations. :-)

My average workout time is for about an hour although when the days are longer, I tend to ride longer. The key here is quality more than quantity. Sure, racing around is fun but the more I do this, the more I like to have a goal in mind and direct things towards that.

I definitely look forward to longer days because sometimes it's difficult to tell if you're doing a manuever correctly. :-)

Napoleonic Elvis?

OK, I'm kind of reaching on this one but for some reason the French General Joachim Murat has always reminded me of a Napoleonic Era version of Elvis Presley...maybe it's the flamboyant lifestyle, the loss of excess or who knows what (or perhaps the glitzy outfits and high collars)...and like Elvis, he died in the prime of life...

Old School Jumping - Cavalry Style

Can't recall where I got these from but here's a couple of pictures of a US Cavalryman jumping. The seat is definitely NOT Caprilli-influenced...

Cheeseboro Canyon

Last May, a friend and I went for a long trail ride at Cheeseboro Canyon, an area just to the North of Ahmanson Ranch. Here's what few pictures I just found:

Heading up the trail.

My compadre and his horse Tike (short for Ticonderoga).

The trailhead.

On the Trail - Ahmanson Ranch II

I just found some pictures from when a ride a took at Ahmanson Ranch in July 2010:

Looking Northeast towards the North San Fernando Valley- we're almost back to the trailhead.

Another view of the North San Fernando Valley.

Out in the middle somewhere. Compared to last weekend, the grass was bone dry.

Heading down the main trail. At this point, it hadn't rained for awhile.

Another view travelling down the central main trail. It was overcast and relatively cool (and not too humid) the day we rode.

Max on a Roll...

And for something different...Max relaxing after a long trail ride...

The Eagle - Synopsis

This is a brief description from an upcoming movie entitled "The Eagle":

The Eagle A Focus Features Film Synopsis

The movie is supposed to be based on the book "Eagle of the Ninth" by Rosemary Sutcliff, a book that I originally read in 7th grade and immediately fell in love with. Hopefully, they won't pile on the PC crap...

And here's a trailer from the movie: