A New Way To Open Champagn

Here's one traditional way to open a bottle of Champagn: Sabrage. This basically involves using the edge or back of a saber to knock the top of the bottle off (basically you're cracking the top of the bottle and the extreme bottle pressure does the rest). This "method" was supposedly developed by some of the Napoleon's cavalrymen. For a full description, click HERE. For an instructional "how-to-do-it" video:

VideoJug: How To Open A Bottle Of Champagne With A Sword

Time Off

With work being slow due to the holidays, I decided to take some time off after Christmas and naturally that meant hanging out at the stables! So, for the past couple of days, I've been working with Max and even took an additional lesson. Max wasn't so keen on having to work, especiall since I'd show up at 8 AM when it was good and cold. However, after a 20-minute warm-up period, Max got into the spirit of things and it got better.

Besides training, I even managed to go on a couple of nice trail rides, nothing major. Also, I managed to put in some saddle time riding three other Standardbreds- Kisses, Blondie and Sue. Kisses and Blondie I know pretty well, but Sue was a new experience.

On different days I took Blondie and Kisses out on the trail (my wife was riding Max) and it was an interesting experience, to say the least. Kisses is usually pretty good on the trail although she sometimes gets a bit excited and twitchy. Also, sometimes she gets excited if she sees other horses, whether walking or riding, she wants to run. Maybe it's memories of her racing days. I'll be working with her more to try and resolve some of her trail issues- she doesn't get out a lot so it's understandable that she's going to have some issues.

With Blondie, I've ridden her mostly in the ring on the track but not on the trail. I decided to first ride her solo, taking a short loop down the wash, under the bridge and around the Equestrian Center. Unfortunately, that was not to be.

I'd been assured that she'd be OK and everything went fine until we began to go under the freeway bridge- then she didn't want to go. Then she wanted to go home, I kept spinning her in circles and smacking her with the crop but it just seemed to get her more pissed off. I ultimately rode her back to the stables and made her run and trot- no free ride for being a jerk.

I then rode her out again only this time accompanied by my wife who was riding Max. For some reason, Blondie didn't mind this and she followed Max with little problem. I did, however, trade in my short crop for a dressage whip and every so often used it to urge her along when she'd slow down. At sevaral points she tried to turn around and head back to the stable but I stopped that pretty quickly.

Sue, on the other hand, is a lot younger and didn't have a lot of trail experience so I restricted my work with her to the arena and track at the stables. She was a bit fresh and you had to be very light on the bit- she was convinced that I was goind to take her face off (I later found out that I should have used a snaffle bit on rather than a curb bit.

Overall, it's been a busy couple of days.

Feartured Horse: The Friesian

Today's featured horse is the Friesian, a large draft horse-like breed that originally was developed in Freisia, a province of the Netherlands. Here's a brief description in Wikipedia:

The Friesian (also Frisian) horse is a breed of horse from Friesland, a province of the Netherlands. Although the breed's conformation resembles that of a light draft horse, Friesians are graceful and nimble for their size. During the Middle Ages, the ancestors of Friesian horses were in great demand as war horses throughout continental Europe. Through the Early Middle Ages and High Middle Ages, their size enabled them to carry a knight in armor. In the Late Middle Ages, heavier, draft type animals were needed. Though the breed nearly became extinct on more than one occasion, the modern day Friesian horse is growing in numbers and popularity, used both in harness and under saddle. Most recently, the breed is being introduced to the field of dressage.

I haven't had occassion to ride these yet so and all I can say is that from the ground, they're quite imposing, even the smaller-sized ones. The thing about them is that they tend to keep their heads more straight towards the vertical as opposed to forward and this tends to make them seem larger (sort of an optical illusion). With the full mane, tail, and hair about the fetlocks, they're a real pain to groom and people I know who own them tend to keep the tails and manes in special bags so they don't have to groom them as much. Nothing worse that getting mud all up on there and then having to clean it out.

Hopefully, I'll have a change to try one out in the near future.

It's Royal Netherlands Airforce Day!!

OK, the Christmas rush is over (thank god) so what to do? Well, in updating my blog here, I decided that in honor of one of my wargaming blog partners (who is from the Netherlands), by declaring today "Royal Netherlands Airforce Day" and posting some public domain pictures from Wikipedia! Enjoy!

The Netherlands- not just for Gouda anymore!

Dutch F-16- the F-16 has been utilized by the RNAF for some 25 years.

Merry Christmas!!!!!

It's Christmas Day so here's something to commemorate the season:

The above image is "Scrooge's Third Visitor", a colorized version of the original illustration by John Leech made for Charles Dickens's novel A Christmas Carol (1843).

More In The Christmas Spirit

Here's something more for the Christmas spirit on a humerous note:


No doubt that could be Max checking to see if he's getting some Christmas Alfalfa!

P.S. The above image was obtained here.

Merry Christmas!! It's the Christmas Season...

In the spirit of the season, I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas (or fill in the holiday of your choice)!!

This is an 1881 illustration by Thomas Nast who, with Clement Clarke Moore helped to create the modern image of Santa Claus.

I Am Legend

Last Friday night I finally went and saw "I am Legend" and I got to say I was impressed and suitably creeped out. In contrast to the zoned-out, slow-moving retarded zombies in "The Omega Man", these are the uber pumped-up, fast-moving vicious, nasty zombies ("Darkseekers") who actually lay traps and screw with Neville; the whole scene with the snare is something to watch. Of course it doesn't help that Neville is slowly losing his mind, making him more vulnerable.

Also, it seems that once the Darkseekers zero in on Neville's lair, they make short work of the defenses- it's pretty scary. Even after he touches off the fougasse mines (he should have backed the side facing his lair so they blow out forward). The other thing is that it takes A LOT of firepower to bring the average Darkseeker down (I think it's because they're hyped up on some sort of perpetual adreniline rush). Personally, I'd upped the firepower quotient at least 100%- there should have been plenty of mil-spec firepower lying around for the taking (better take it before the Darksskers start figuring it out).

Naturally, if I were him, I'd stocked up on a lot of grenades and especially the thermite variety (as pictured below). Also, a lot of white phosporous would have helped in cleaning out the nests or in defending his lair. It also would have helped using one of those APCs left lying around- I don't think the Darkseekers could have dealt with that. But hey, I like second-guessing the movie.

Just the thing for dealing with Darkseekers.

What I find really unsettling is the realization that clearly the infected zombies/Darkseekers helped speed the demise of the normal humans by slaughtering them until there was only their kind left.

The CGI work is excellent, especially of the deer and the lions (bet the Darkseekers don't screw with the lions too much) and it's awesome to see an empty, quiet Manhattan- it's positively weird! Apparently, a lot of CGI work went into removing pedestrians and any other sign of life (you can't kick out the population while filming!). Finally, all the Darkseekers were rendered with CGI and they're a fierce, bloodthirsty lot.

It's also very thought-provoking on the whole idea of genetic manipulation and viruses. At least I thought so...

I recommend this one but don't bring the kids!

Here's a link to what supposedly is the script that was to be used in the re-make of "I Am Legend" that was supposed to have been made in the early 1990s with Arnold Schwarnegger but was ultimately cancelled. It's a lot more creepy that the recent movie version but I think it was ultimately unfilmable- too many scenes and it would have been too long. I can see why they cancelled it.

The Season

The weather has been acting pretty crappy this week with rain and all so I haven't done much at the stables with Max. Wednesday seemed to dry up a little so I went out to check up on Max. The footing was still pretty muddy around the track and in the arena so I decided to work Max on lunge line.

Lunging Max was allright but it was a real pain getting Max warmed up and then to get him trotting and cantering. It's as if he'd forgetten everything. The weather wasn't too cold but maybe the footing wasn't the best. After a lot of yelling and snapping the whip, I finally got Max to start working and it went better after that. At least he didn't get the idea that it was Winter Vacation and he could do whatever he feels like. But I have to say, it was a lot like trying to move a sack of concrete- all resistence and grudging cooperation.

Supposedly it will be clear this weekend so hopefully things will dry out and I can give Max a good workout. And maybe I'll get some trail time in...

Royal Netherlands Navy Day

After further looking around, here's a picture of the HNLMS Van Nes, a Karel Doorman class frigate:

This is an older class of vessels and the Royal Netherlands Navy has sold these to other nations. The Van Nes was sold to Portugal in 2006. For more information, go HERE.

HNLMS De Ruyter (F804)

In another in a series of occassional pictures of modern naval vessels, today's is the Royal Netherlands Naval vessel HNLMS De Ruyter which is one of the De Zeven Provinciën class frigates. This ship has the distinction of being one of the naval vessels to be commanded by a female. For more information, go HERE.

Here's another picture of the ship class, the HNLS Tromp:

The Christmas Season...

Well, it seems that the Christmas/Holiday season is getting underway. We finally got the tree up and decorated. It's kind of interesting putting up an artificial tree- kind of like a puzzle. About three years ago, we decided to go with an artificial (aka fake) tree after looking at the prices of cut trees- they're easily at $80 to $100 for a six-footer (and it gets worse, the taller you go). My wife and I finally decided at those prices, it just didn't make any sense and it seemed like a big waste of money.

I'm not being a Scrooge here- trust me, I'm a traditionalist when it comes to Christmas (at least the form that we celebrated when I was growing up) but it just doesn't make sense to spend money on something that you're going to discard in a few weeks. Worse, they always dry out and that presents a serious fire hazard (trust me, they're like torches when they burn, they burn and leave nothing behind but greasy ashes). As an experiment, we once cut up a used Christmas and tried to use it as firewood. When lit, the tree went up on a fireball. Not good! So you don't even get the benefit of using them for firewood.

Live Christmas trees aren't really an option where I live (too many trees to being with and Pine doesn't do well) so we decided that the whole exercise had gotten way too absurd. Hence the fake Christmas tree.

I suppose it would also be good for the environment and all that (even though I tend not be a tree-hugger) so for now, my vote is leave them alone. It's crazy to cut down trees just to use them for a few weeks and then throw them away (not that you can do much once they're cut anyway).

Christmas- even the tree aspect is commercialized (no surprise there). Oh well, it's the spirit of the season that counts, not the trapppings, although they can make every better.

The Weekend

Sunday was nice and clear so after our lesson, Max and I went for a leisurely ride around the lake in the Hansen Dam Basin. It actually warmed up quite a bit and Max was pretty much asleep on the trail.

Later, my wife showed up at the stable and we went on another trail ride only this time she was riding Max and I rode a horse named "Blue" who belongs to one of the people that board at the stables.

Blue is an interesting horse- for a Standardbred ex-racehorse, he's the laziest horse I've ever come accross, even lazier than Max (if that's possible). The funny thing also is that while he's a Standardbred, he really doesn't ride like on (too much)- it's more like riding a giant couch. Blue stands about 16-1 hands and he's mostly black with some brown around the muzzle.

He's not the easiest to get to trot or canter but once you do, it's a nice smooth ride. He even paces a little. He's quite a powerhouse once you get him going.

Between riding Max, Blue and Kisses (I worked her a little), I'd been in the saddle for about seven hours and am I sore!

A Cold Day

Well, as they say, be careful what you wish for because you just might get it! Saturday was cool, somewhat breezy and just a touch cloudy- in short, an excellent day to go riding! Max and I did our usual circuit abound Hansen Dam followed up by some practive drills in the Orcas Arena.

Later, I was joined by my wife and we went out again only this time she was on Max and I was riding Kisses. We rode down the wash, just past up to the river before turning back, Kisses was all buzzed up because of the wind and cool temperatures (even after lunging her) and she was a real case on the way back- she just wanted to take off running for the stable. I was able to keep things under control but it was a real trial.

Well, as luck would have it, I was then able to ride Blue, a 16-hand Standardbred (although you'd never know it from his disposition) with a good disposition and laid-back attitude. Sometimes a bit TOO laid back but he's a good boy even if he's lazy. I rode him around the track before leaving the stable and once I got him into a canter, it was very smooth and powerful. My wife and I then headed out again for a much longer, and calmer trail ride. Max was definately ready for his bucket when we were done- it was quite a workout for him that day.

Here's a picture of Max and I at the end of the day:

Pearl Harbor - USS Arizona

Well, today is the 66th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor so I thought I'd come up with something to commemorate the event. After searching, I decided that some pictures of the USS Arizona would be appropriate.

USS Arizona in better days:

USS Arizona after taking several bomb hits and her forward magazine exploding:

General view taken from a Japanese plane of the attack on Pearl Harbor:

Arizona Memorial today:

Scary Reenactment Time

Reenacting in Russia has always had an element of taking one's life in their hands but the above picture speaks volumes. It almost looks like they're using tac nukes! If nothing else, it certainly appears that the ground charges are a tad on the powerful side...

The above picture was taken at a reenactment of the Battle of Borodino somewhere in Russia in 1999 and I've heard from numerous sources that safety regulations are not always closely adhered to (more along the lines of suggestions rather than ironclad rules). One friend of mine related to me how at one Napoleonic even held in the Czech Republic a few years ago (I believe they were reenacting Austerlitz), the Russian cavalry were drunk and actually making full swinging blows with their sabers at the opposing cavalry and infantry- several people were injured. Also, it seems that there's no separation between alcohol and using weapons- stuff that would get you thrown out of any half-way reputable event in the US or Western Europe.

Here's a link to reenacting in Russia/Ukraine- I can't vouch for anything so take it with a lump of salt.

Herding Cats- Meowwww!!!

Here's something you don't see everday...

From One Extreme to Another...

It was rainy and cold last week, now the Santa Ana winds are back and the temperature is now back into the upper 70s/low 80s and feels like a blast furnace. What's up with that?

Last night I went up to the stable to ride Max and when I got there, I was greeted by a Santa Ana wind and it must have been at least 75 degrees. Max was definately not happy since he's got his winter coat.

I did my usual warm-up exercises and proceeded to do some exercises that are designed to keep the hands quiet on the reins and force one to use their legs to move the horse around. Basically, you hold the reins loosely, hands rotated so the thumbs are facing each other. You get real sore after doing this for a few minutes. Also, in my case I need to keep my left had from wandering accross the horse's back from left to right- this completely sends the wrong signal through the bit.

After making my hands and wrists sore, I then did then proceeded to make my calves and legs sore by practicing riding without stirrups and the two-point seat. The whole purpose of these exercises is to make for more quiet hands while encouraging more leg use. It's slowly coming to me...:-)

Even with the winds, Max was pretty cooperative (after I'd warmed him up. But it was not really optimal for either of us- it was just a bit too warm for night.

Hopefull the weather will turn cold again- it's been pretty strange this year with all the unseasonably warm weather and even major brush fires (in Malibu) this late in the year. Global warming? Who knows?

The Weekend - Cool At Last!!

This last weekend was sunny, cool, and somewhat breezy- in short, a perfect weekend for riding! Finally, after suffering through Santa Ana winds and extremely hot weather, it finally cooled down.

On Saturday I wound up riding by myself so I wandered down to the Orcas Arena and did some basic work- cantering, trotting, side-passes and the like. Max definately got a work-out and was then rewarded with a lazy walk home. There was a horse show going on at the Equestrian Center so Max got to watch various horses going through their paces jumping. Pretty cool but I doubt if Max would made a good jumper (not that I'm any expert).

Sunday, there was my lesson and I then hit the trail with a friend of mine. We rode at a leisurely pace towards the ponds and it was quite pleasant with no issues. We even stopped off at the arena and ran the horses out.

Overall, an excellent time and Max was especially happy after he got his bucket.

I also wound up riding another horse, a Standardbred named Kisses, on Saturday as a favor to a friend. Kisses is an ex-harness racing horse and she hasn't had a lot of traning for being ridden under saddle so things can get real interesting sometimes, especially if she sees another horse that she wants to race. Oh, and did I mention she's also a mare? Another interesting challenge. What's really interesting is that she doesn't canter but rather she paces- it's a weird feeling that takes some getting used to. More later on Kisses.

I'm going to be sore on Monday from all of this...

Now for Something Different...

Now for something different. This is the "Armada Portrait" of Queen Elizabeth I that was painted sometime during 1588 or 1589 and commemorates England's victory over the Spanish when Spain attempted an invasion of England in 1588. It's an interesting campaign and the one thing I can't figure out is why the Spanish opted to try and link and transport elements of the Spanish Army stationed in Flanders (The Duke of Parma's forces). In my opinion, they should have tranported troops directly from Spain and make a run for England's southern shore.

Fortunately for the English, the Spanish opted for a more complex campaign plan and it failed in the face of bad weather, superior English strategy and ships, and poor planning on the part of the Spanish.

The artist is unknown.

Here's another one entltled: Defeat of the Spanish Armada, 8 August 1588 by Philippe-Jacques de Loutherbourg, painted 1796 depicts the battle of Gravelines:

Here's a small map of the Spanish Armada's progress:

Thanksgiving is Over (Whew!)

Well, I managed to survive another Thanksgiving and I NEVER want to see another turkey again (at least until June 2008). I decided that I needed to give Max the night off on Thanksgiving "eve" so I could focus on my part in the cooking preparations. This year we were responsible for providing the stuffing and one side so after consulting my trusty Willams Sonoma "Thanksgiving" cookbook, I'd selected two suitable recipes and even managed to buy all the necessary ingredidents (although I forgot a couple so I had to brave the crowds at the local supermarket on Thanksgiving eve (what a pain in the ass that one was!).

The first step call for me to prepare the chestnuts for the stuffing. My dad used to get this job every year when he was alive so now I've inherited it. Basically you have to bake them on the oven (or boil them) to soften up the shells for peeling. You also have to score each of the chestnuts with an "x" on the flat side (easier said than done). I managed to do all of this and bake them but I probably didn't bake them long enough because some were pretty stubborn getting the shell off- until I hit upon the idea of putting the stubborn ones into the microwave oven and nuking them for a minute or so more.

I managed to complete the shelling in an hour or so while watching Clint Eastwood in "High Plains Drifter", a classic in the genre of the anti-social Western movies. Pretty interesting juxtaposition.

After some other preparations, I was all set for Thanksgiving Day and my wife would take over from me the actual cooking (we'd worked this one out in advance). Naturally, I took the opportunity to work up a good appetite Thanksgiving Day by riding Max for a few hours. :-)

With all the leftovers, we were able to do almost a complete re-run of Thanksgiving dinner Friday night...that was enough for me. I think I'll go grill a steak or have taco- I'm done with turkey!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!

Happy Turkey Day!!!!!!

Human Statue of Liberty

This was created by officers and men at Camp Dodge, Iowa during the First World War. Pretty interesting.

Thanksgiving is Coming!

With Thanksgiving coming, I thought I'd put up a picture of the Mayflower, the ship that the colonists sailed on to ultimately found the Plymouth Colony. In reality, the colonists were actually supposed to land at the mouth of the Hudson River. By the way, the above picture is Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor by William Halsall (1882).

Back from the Weekend (and I'm Sore!)

I decided to take last Friday off so I'd have a three-day weekend so naturally I did what I always do when I have time off and the weather is nice- hit the trail and ride!

This was the first weekend I've really been able to ride Max for a long period of time out on the trail since he's healed from the saddle sores (from my trip to Bear Valley). Friday started with a somewhat easy, but long (three hours or so) ride that started by riding up into the mountains to the cattlepen/electric lines and then doubling back. Just when Max thought the ride was over, I went past the stables and continued on down the wash (he was a little peeved about it but got over it fast).

We then followed my usual route accross the river and towards the east edge of Hanson Dam. Next, I rode down to the tunnel crossing Wentworth Avenue and debated going through it and on to the Mustang Market for a break but decided against it (no particular reason, Max has been through the tunnel and could have handled it).

We then rode back towards the Orcas Arena, re-crossing the river and riding under a canopy of trees. It was really nice and cool there. I finally arrived at the arena and we proceeded to do some work in the arena, basic stuff to include cantering and some side-passing.

After that, we made our way some at a leisurely pace. Max was lazy and really didn't want to work too hard but after awhile, he got into the spirit of it.

Saturday was pretty much more of the same only this time we rode around the lake in the middle of the Hanson Dam Basin and then made our way up the rim of the basin towards the ponds. This time, I was with a friend and so Max was a bit more animated since he had a trail buddy.

Interestingly enough, we went my the spot on the trail where Max had problems during the ETI Trail Trials last August but he gave no hint of difficulty (probably because he was moving and he knew he would be heading home soon). We all wound up doing arena work again at the Orcas Arena, this time I practiced my two-point stance at the trot and canter. Wheew! Talk about sore legs!

Sunday started with my weekly lesson and we worked on more two-point stance technique as well as working on balance. More stretching and trying to line up my hips so I'm balanced in the seat. Hmm, could it be that the reason Max turns so smoothly is that I'm balanced correctly...

Overall, a great weekend and Max and I definately got in some saddle time. Naturally Max also enjoyed all the A&M and Omolene he got afterwards.

I hope the weather stays nice for Thanksgiving!

I Am Legend

OK, here's the poster for the new movie I Am Legend:

The Omega Man

With the impending re-make of I Am Legend with Will Smith, I thought I'd put of an image of the original movie poster for The Omega Man which was released in 1971 and starred Charlton Heston. It's a bit campy but it was a bit radical for the time, featuring an interracial love scene (Hey, when you're the last man on Earth you can't bee too choosy!).

I Am Legend is based on a novel that was originally written by Richard Matheson in 1954 and was made into a movie The Last Man on Earth in 1964 and starred Vincent Price. The movie was made in Italy and is pretty cheesy. The Omega Man pretty much departed from the book and, well it stands alone. It's kind of interesting in an early 1970s kind of way. Below is a recent re-release of the book:


I have to admit that as a kid, I absolutely dug The Omega Man! My parents didn't want me to see it but I managed to sneak in with a buddy of mine anyway. The whole idea of being able to have everything you want, including massive firepower, and then being able to waste the baddies was just way TOO cool. It was a real disappointment when Charlton Heston (aka the character Col. Robert Neville) gets killed in the end. I also dug the character "Dutch"(played by Paul Koslo) who sported a leather motorcycle jacket with an upraised middle finger in a US flag motif (no doubt based on a period peace sign).

Veterans' Day

The picture says it all:

The Charge of Ugly

Here's another one by Frederic Remington. I think everyone who rides, at one time or another, has come accross a horse similar to "Ugly", the horse pictured below. Needles to say, he's quite a handful and sometimes it's all one can do to hold on.

This picture reminds me when I first Max to an Western gunfighter event where everyone started shooting way too close to Max. Between that and the County music band, it was a bit much for the boy and I had to run him around for awhile. Fun stuff!

Cavalry on the Plains

This picture was painted by Frederic Remington in 1909. Except for using the horses themselves, there is absolutely no cover whatsoever. Nothing like trying to hold four horses, especially if they don't WANT to be held...

What A Weekend!

Well, it was nice to be able to get out and really ride this last weekend. The weather was cooperative and I was able to take Max on one of our usual loops accross the river and back again. I wound up at the Orcas Arena and ran into some of my friends in the Warhorse Society who invited me to join in with them in tent pegging.

As previously posted, we spent a good hour practicing and Max was a complete prince and he had no issues. I'm definately going to get a bamboo pole and convert into a lance.

On Sunday, I took my usual lesson with Max and we had a pretty rigorous training session. We put in a lot of work on the two-point stance at both the trot and canter- I was pretty sore in the legs afterwards! I'm sure Max was also pretty sore so I gave him some bute at the end of the day!

Overall, it was a good weekend and it was good to get out. I also think it was a good break for Max and it helped reinforce the rider-horse bond.

Tent Pegging Video

Here's a pretty decent video from YouTube on what tent pegging is all about:

Tent Pegging and Other Warlike Stuff

This last Saturday, I got to try out some tent pegging with Max. Tent pegging is basically where you attempt to strike and pull out a tent peg with either a lance or a sword. Apparently this got going back when the British ruled India as a past-time for cavalry soldiers. The tent pegs are not the small ones you see today but rather much larger, similar to long 2x2s (we had these for the larger GP tents when I was in the Army). As a practical matter, the "tent pegs" used today appear to be more along the lines of board made of some sort of soft wood (as far as what I can tell from the videos). We used old dish towels as our targets so it was a bit more tricky hitting them.

Max was excellent and he didn't have any issues with the lances or the swords, he just trotted or walked the way I pointed him and he cooperated all the way. My coordination, on the other hand, wasn't the greatest so I kept missing although I was able to make a few strikes. The technique is everything and I need to work on that a lot! But it was good fun for both Max and I and we really had to think a lot.

We also tried out mounted charges at the canter. This was interesting- he was a lot slower than the other horses (they're all Arabs, pretty much) but he tried to get into it and perhaps I was holding him back a bit- it was the first time he'd done that with other horses (we're talking about 20) and naturally I was a bit nervious about what he'd do. I kept him on the end of the line just for safety. No issues developed and overall it was fun.

I may pursue the tent pegging more- it seems like something that both Max and I can handle and it's great training. Plus, it would help for the National Cavalry Competition (if I ever can organize the logistics to take Max AND if he's ready).

Boy am I going to feel sore on Monday...More later!

RE: Happy Halloween!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In keeping with Halloween and the equestrian theme, here's the Headless Horseman from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving:

For more information, click HERE.

Back in the Game (or I'm Really Sore!)

Well, Sunday was good for Max and I and we spent about three hours in the saddle with no ill effects to his back. We also did our lesson (it was a mixed private and group lesson) and Max did very well and followed my cues with no resistance.

It was definately warm and I felt that I was back in the middle of August. I also rode Max up and down the wash some and got him used to going up and down the various trails leading out of the wash. Overall, it was a good weekend and Max earned his bucket!

Back in the Saddle - More

Well, after giving Max some time off due to the lingering smoke from the various fires going on around the area, I decided that it was time to get back in the game.

Saturday was started off cloudy and somewhat cool with a couple attempts at drizzling. Later, the sun came out and it warmed up considerably. I started Max off with the usual warming-up process and then proceeded to a combination of trot and canter transitions. It was like riding concrete and Max was definately being lazy (OK, granted he's got his winter coat and was getting warm).

Eventually Max got the proper motivation and we proceeded to do various arena work to iclude leg yields, transitions, etc. Max was even did some nice side-passing. He really amazed me there! I ended with some two-point stance work that really made me sore.

Later, my wife came out to the stable to ride Max so I wound up riding another horse named "Kisses". She's a Standardbred, ex-race horse so she doesn't have a lot of riding training under her but it worked out OK. Her gaits take some getting used to and she has a strange sort of canter. Not quite as polished as Blondie.

Everything ended on a good note and Max was definately sweaty. :-)

Back In The Saddle...Again

With the fierce Santa Ana winds and all the stuff in the atmosphere because of the fires, I've haven't been riding much. Tonight the wind finally died down to a gentle breeze so I decided to work Max for about an hour. Boy was he ever the pokey horse! It was pretty warm and in view of all the crap in the air, I didn't push him too hard.

We wound up riding over to the California Polo Club to check out what was going on and then headed back and did some arena work. Nothing too strenuous but I did make him canter some. Hopefully things will begin to cool down soon so we can start getting back into shape.

It's Windy (or Look, Max is Flying!)

Well, it appears that the Santa Ana winds have shown up with a vengeance again. As I got up this morning, I noticed it was blowing pretty fierce and there was the usual pile of leaves and tree branched in the backyard. As I stepped out of the house, I felt the wind- warm. This isn't going to be good...when I got to the stables, the wind was blowing full force to include large clouds of dust. Naturally, none of this bothered Max one bit- he had his head buried in the feeder as usual and was enjoying his early morning alfalfa cubes.

Normally I take a lesson on Sundays but with the wind I was beginning to have doubts. After a call to my trainer, I confirmed that the lesson was off. Good thing- I wasn't really in the mood to ride in the wind and it's just no fun (not to mention the potential for spooking). It's been a dry fall and the weather just can't seem to make the transition to Fall around here.

Looks like Max got himself a day off!

Back In The Saddle!

Well, today was the big moment of truth- was Max healed up enough so I could ride him without inflicting further injury?

I tacked up with my English saddle (it's a Thorowgood), making sure that the girth was snug and proceeded to warm Max up with some basic exercises. I next started mixing in some trotting, working up to cantering, first with the right lead (his better lead) and then the left lead. Finally, I also worked in some leg yields. My plan was to ride him for about an hour and then check his back.

After about 45 minutes, I checked Max's back and everything looked fine. There's still the bare spot but it looks like it's filling in with hair and there doesn't appear to be any direct rubbing. I then rode max for about another hour and a half- a little cantering but mostly walking and trotting. Once again I checked Max and his back was stil fine.

I'm not going to do any long-duration riding for awhile so I can build up his back. Also, I'm slowly going to start conditioning him again. His time off does not seem to have affected him in any way and he was the same horse he's always been- he knew all the moves perfectly and it's like we never stopped. Thank god! Maybe all the groundwork I've been doing for the part three weeks has helped out...

Things are looking good!

Searching for the Seven Cities of Cibola

Searching for the fabled "7 Cities of Cibola" (aka Seven Cities of Gold)? Here you go:

The Search for the Perfect Saddle (or the 7 Cities of Cibola)

Well, the title says it all- I thought the Circle Y Western saddle was going to be a solution but in reality it wasnt' and I have a raw spot to show for it.

At some point I'm going to try and sell this saddle (at a loss, of course), scrape up some additional cash and see about a lightweight endurance saddle. I'm considering one made by Specialized Saddles (the endurance model). A friend of mine has one and she says it's worked out great. At $1500 (approx), this is the cheapest of the "custom" saddles (I just don't have the $2500 to go get a Synergist saddle).

One other option is to look at something from the Australian Stock Saddle Company. The price for their endurance model is around $500 but I don't know if this is going to work out.

Well, until Max heals up, I'm backing off this and regrouping.

OH Perry Class FFG

This is the USS Roberts, an OH Perry Class frigate doing a fast turn. I thought this was a pretty cool picture so I thought I'd post it here.

1492 Conquest of Paradise

Although this movie got a bad rap when it was first released and it has some problems in regard to historical accuracy, it is probably one of the best Columbus films and it goes a long way to capture the flavor of the times and what happened when cultures collide.



Here's a couple more pictures:

For more, go HERE.

Happy Columbus Day!!

Happy Columbus Day!

OK, so the Native Americans might not agree and Columbus more "rediscovered" than "discovered" the New World but nevertheless it's still a major archievement in exploration and seamanship.

Of late, it's been politically correct to bash on it and rewrite history but no matter how you pretend, the event still happened. Now, granted that Columbus was a far better sailor than he was as an administrator/governor but to cast Columbus as the evil genius that unleashed great suffering upon the poor "innocent" natives is pure BS. There's enough blame to go around to everyone and in comparison to Pizarro or Cortez, Columbus was relatively mild. Hardly Adolph Hitler material.

The natives were just as nasty as any Europeans could be- the Caribs practiced cannibalism far before the Spanish showed up. As for other groups such as the Aztecs- please! The ritual slaughters of thousands to include ripping out their hearts? Like real life, things are shades of grey and we need to acknowledge them. Events happen and to try to force our own view on the past is both intellectually dishonest and just plain foolish. You have to view them within the context of the times. Leveling judgements does little to further understanding.

At any rate, for better or worse, he made the discoveries he did and it certainly opened the world up to the Western mind.

Max on Convalescent Leave

Well, after out adventure in Bear Valley, it's obvious that Max is going to need some time to heal up from the sore created by the Western saddle. The sore is on top of the withers and suggests that the top of the saddle in the front was exerting pressure- probably from the tree being too tight.

The problem is I can't even use my English saddle (which I KNOW was working fine in this area) because of the rubbing action as the saddle flexes. I tried it two days after returning home and it was definately a BAD idea.

So it looks like I'll have to give Max some time off. In the scheme of things, it's relatively minor but it needs to be done. I'll have to make arrangements to ride Blondie and I can lunge Max and walk him.

I also need to condsider walking and running more to build up my cardiovascular stamina- the Bear Valley ride really kicked my ass and revealed just how out of shape I am.

Well, Max gets a "vacation" and I'm going to have to work with Blondie and/or ride any other horse I can.

Bear Valley, After-Action Report Part III

Well, after returning from the our Saturday excusion, I noticed a raw spot developing on Max's withers, primarily on the right side. Basically, Max's hair was rubbing off and I thought it was due to the breast collar top strap rubbing against the withers. I figured that I'd keep an eye on it and maybe it was because of all the up-and-down riding on the Sycamore Canyon Trail...

Sunday dawned sunny, a bit warmer, and a lot more windy. I decided that day to just go out on my own- Max's slow pace didn't seem to endear me to my companions too much so I decided to just simply take Max out of the picture. Also, I was not in the mood to ride anymore moutainous trails and decided to stick mostly to the flats.

So I decided to ride towards the central valley and at the same time locate Jerry's house. As far as I knew, his widow was still living in Bear Valley and I remembered enough of the local geography to locate it. The one thing that definately stood out as I rode into the valley was that there has been a lot of construction in the past five or six years since I'd last been to Bear Valley and everything seemed a bit more crowded.

I rode along using a combination of trotting, cantering, and walking. I also stopped frequently to let Max graze and a couple of times got off of him. The only problem I had was riding down the canyon trail from the Bear Valley Equestrian Center, where we were camping, to the main valley- on several occassions, Max tried to turn around. A quick tap with the reins put an end to that quickly and continued to the valley.

I worked my way along San Juan Road towards Cumberland Road, the main road into the valley, and while I saw a house that sort of looked like Jerry's, it was different and it appeared that the land that had been used as a pasture for his horses was now built upon with other houses. After riding back towards the trail and looking around some more, I concluded that I had ridden by where his house had been. Everything had changed and I concluded that his widow must have cashed out and sold off the property.

Even accessing the house was changed and I would have had to have ridden up several side streets. Since I was now pressed for time (we were going to be leaving about 2 PM), I had to turn around and ride back to the Equestrian Center.

Too bad- it would have been nice to have dropped in to visit (unfortunately, my wife and I had lost contact in since Jerry had passed away). I guess things always change...

When I returned to the Equestrian Center and took off the saddle, the rubbed spot was now raw and it was evident that my new Western saddle was causing back problems- after all the money I'd spent, I was no closer towards solving my trail saddle problem. Also, it dawned on me that this was a heavy saddle and that probably had a lot to do with why Max was having problems on the trail the day before.

Sometimes, you just can't win.

Bear Valley After-Action Report, Part II

Well, the next day dawned cold and overcast- perfect for riding, so long as it doesn't rain. After tacking up the horses, we proceeded to hit the trail. Things went relatively fine, even after getting lost a couple of times (no big deal there).

Max was acting up a bit because he was struggling for keep up with a Thoroughbred who could walk much faster- Max would struggle to keep up and then keep trotting and sometimes jig. Worse, I have come to the conclusion that Max likes to be the leader and it wasn't until the occassional moment that he was in the lead that Max would actually relax. It was not a very fun ride and in the future, I'm going to give more consideration to the breed of horse I'm riding with. It's just not fun and the other riders were probably ticked off. Oh well, you can only do so much with what you have.

Our party then split up and three of us proceeded to head on a trail towards the mountains (we were already an approximately 4000 foot elevation). No problem I thought, I've done this a lot of times and Max is a pretty fit horse. However, I was also using my new/used Western saddle and it weighs substantially more than what I've used in the past (why the hell I didn't think of this earlier escapes me)...

Several miles later, the trail began to climb and we went up about a 1000 feet in 2 miles- a pretty steep grade. Worse, the trail is a narrow single-track trail so if something happens, there's NOWHERE to go except down and that's a pretty steep drop-off. As we made out way, a deer popped out from behind a bush and scared the horse behind me. Before I knew it, the horse and rider to my rear had spun out and was now some 50 feet down the slope. Fortunately, at this point, we were on a piece that had about 200 feet of gentle slope before the sheer drop-off. Oh, did I also mention that there was a great view of the San Joaquin Valley?

We finally managed to get everthing sorted out but in the interest of safety, we decided to walk the horses downhill once we'd cleared the ridge. That was fun constantly having to keep Max from stepping on me as I led him. We must have walked about three more miles up some more steep trail and by this time both Max and I were getting pretty exhausted and I realized that the altitude was beginning to take its toll on us. My big fear here was that Max would tie up- tieing up basically happens when the horse doesn't get enough Oxygen so the muscles are not getting enough Oxygen and they literally "lock up". If that happens, then you're screwed because any attempt to force the horse to move will result in severe muscle damage.

We proceeded slowly, keeping the horse moving to prevent muscle cramping and trying to give Max a change to breathe more and work less. As for myself, I felt like crap and it suddenly dawned on me that I am not the same person I was at 21- I could got for more miles on foot with no problem at any altitude but that was some 20 pounds and 20 years ago when I was in the Army. Boy, did I feel like an idiot.

Fortunately, after another five miles, the trail crossed a major roadway and at that point I turned off and followed it back down into the valley and back to camp. I don't think my companions were too happy but in reality, the trail was a lot longer and harder than anyone expected and we wouldn't have gotten back until after dark (which didn't seem like a fun prospect in a forest at night on mountainous trails). I was more concerned about Max's well-being than my ego and that's just the way it went.

When I got back to camp, Max had recovered somewhat and I mixed up a special bucket of feed and electrolytes. I never saw a horse consume his feed and water so fast. I knew we were OK when he then proceeded to pass a ton of urine and manure (how do you think they make Coors beer... ). Anyway, lesson learned- I got my ass kicked because I wasn't prepared sufficiently and used the wrong saddle. Fortunately, Max is forgiving.

Bear Valley After-Action Report, Part I

Wheew, what a weekend!!!

Ever have one of those weekends where you wished you'd stayed home? I did...

Well, I got back from Bear Valley Springs with Max last night about 5 PM. While I can't say that the weekend was a disaster, I can say I've had better and it's what we call "a learning experience".

Bear Valley Springs is located some 100 miles north of Los Angeles (look for Tehachapi in the map- it's right next door). It's fairly mountainous and the elevation is about 4000-5000.

The original plan was that we were going to leave on Friday about 10 am so I took the day off from work and got over to the stable about 8 AM (I'd gotten mostly everything loaded up the night before). Unfortunately, another person in our party (who also boards where I board Max) got delayed and she didn't show up until about 1 PM. Then, to make things worse, her horses wouldn't willingly load so we spent another hour and a half struggling with two increasingly pissed-off horses. Basically, her trailer is too small and the horses just don't like confined spaces (been there, done that with Max).

After about an hour, we finally got them in but it took some heavy ropes, muscle power and many blows from a whip. Fortunately, Max loaded quite willingly and was content to munch his alfalfa and hang with his stable buddies in my friends trailer (it's a huge combination camper/horse trailer affair so it's pretty much like a limo for horses- lots of room). We finally get on the road convoy style and as a favor to another individual, I rode in her rig so if she got into trouble I'd be there to help (not that I'm a sure cure...).

Naturally the traffic is worse now because it's getting into rush hour and everything moved at a crawl until Sierra Highway.

Then, just as we're transitioning onto the 58 Freeway, we get a call informing us that the same lady's "way-too-small" horse trailer had blown out one of the tires and that they'd stopped in Mohave to buy a complete set of tires for the trailer (I had my doubts about the tires when we left the stable but was assured that everything was OK). Fortunately, it was only one and nothing major occurred.

Basically, the trailer has been sitting for almost eight months with no use and the tires' walls began to rot (you should cover them if the trailer is going to sit for a long time).

We finally arrived in Bear Valley by 6 PM but by this time, the temperature was dropping into the low 40s and it was getting dark. Also, all I had on was a light shirt so it was not fun sitting in the campsite freezing while waiting for Max and all my gear to show up (Max and the gear were back in Mojave where my friend had waited while the tires were changed).

Things finally get sorted out and we everyone's reunited but it isn't until late that we get camp organized. Much to Max's credit, he couldn't care less- I put his blanket on, threw him some alfalfa cubes and stuck him in a pen. I even saddled him up and rode him around the Equestrian Center (where we were camped)- what a boy, he couldn't care less.

Heading Out to Bear Valley Springs

Well, this weekend will find Max and I on the road again and this time, we're going to Bear Valley Springs. Located just west of Tehachapi, Bear Valley Springs is a gated community that's about 4,000 to 5,000 in elevation with a mix of pine forest and grasslands. There are various trails suitable for riding and the weather should be in mid-70s during the day and in the mid-40s at night. There's more information HERE.

We'll be leaving mid-day Friday and should be back on Sunday. This is the perfect opportunity to try out my Western saddle and really put it through it's paces. I had to borrow a breast collar since my Civil War one doesn't fit with the Western saddle.

We'll be staying at the Bear Valley Equestrian Center and there will be pipe corrals available for boarding (no worries about having to tie up to the trailer). The weather promises to be clear but it would still be a good idea to bring a horseblanket.

This trip has some personal meaning for me because a good friend of mine, Jerry Gold, used to live here before he died in 2001. I wasn't into horses then but I'm sure Jerry would approve and probably get a chuckle from my antics. He had a horse and small wagon that he'd use to get around the valley and he used to take it out to Civil War events. I first met Jerry at a Civil War event at Ft. Tejon back in 1994. In a way I want this trip to be a small tribute to him- at least on a very personal level. I was last up this way in 2001 for his funeral. His last request was to have his ashes scattered at several high points overlooking Bear Valley.

Anyway, this ought to be interesting and I'm looking forward to going on a new adventure with Max. Jerry, this one's for you!!!

Sunday & The Sun's Out!

After receiving a ton of rain on Saturday, Sunday dawned nice and sunny with a slight warm breeze. My usual Sunday lesson had been cancelled due to the arena turning into a lake so I was on my own.

I decided to put in some more time with my new/used Western saddle so I decided to do some general riding with a little training thrown in.

I spent about a hour doing various manuevers, galloping, cantering, trotting, leg yielding, et al. in the driven dressage area. I also managed to do some laps with my trail riding partner (he had to leave early so we weren't going on the trail) and it was nice to see Max get perked up following his "girlfriend" Chenault (she's the other horse in the picture of the bathtub).

After my partner had left, I would up going on a short trail ride with another friend who was beginning to train her Rocky Mountain horse (named Pudding). She's a real sweet horse and eager to learn the trail. It helped that Max was in the lead and she worked off him. What was really nice was that Max was ver calm and sedate and in fact, it looked like he was falling asleep walking the trail.

My riding partner noted that with the new/used saddle Max appeared to be very relaxed. While I attribute some of this to the nice 70s-ish weather and it being sunny, it was revealing that coming back to the barn, Max was just as relaxed and his pace was exactly that going out. Who knows, maybe he was hurting from being in the English saddle so long that he wanted to get home and get it off his back.

I then rode over to the Orcas Arena by myself and to do some cantering. Once again, Max was pretty relaxed and we did some nice cantering. Returning home- same story- very relaxed.

Maybe it was the nice weather or me not being in a hurry but I do believe that buying the Western saddle, as opposed to a 1904 reproduction McClellan saddle was the right choice.

Definately a good riding day!

It's Raining!!!

Well, in an unseasonal turn of the weather (with all this talk of global warming, seasons seem to lack meaning...) we wound up getting hit with a major rainstorm out of Canada. Originally this was billed as "there will be some rain but it will pass quickly..." but in reality it was like turning on a firehose in a number of passes.

Friday night, the storm front rolled into the San Fernando Valley and it was soon discharging at full blast. When I got up the next morning, it appeared that it had come and gone so I proceeded to the stables (I didn't get there until about 10:30 am). I proceeded to tack up and decided to just ride around the property (after looking at another front of dark clouds rolling in from the northwest).

I managed to get in a nice ride for about 45 minutes but then...wham! Someone turned on the firehose again! I can do some riding in the rain but this was too much so Max and I beat a hasty retreat to the barn (I was more concerned about my new/used trail saddle than anything else).

I got everything put away and Max cooled off but boy, the rain started getting worse. Oh, and did I mention the thunder and lightning? Finally after making sure Max was OK, I went home.

Jeeze I hate winter! We were having a real nice ride too...oh well, maybe tommorow.

Riding Around Morro Bay

On of the things that really stuck out at Morro Bay was that except for the trails going into the mountains, the trails are very sandy. It's evident that unless your horse is very fit, they're going to get tired quickly- for Max, it didn't seem to slow him down a bit but for some of the other horses, it was a bit more rough. More importantly, one has to be careful riding through areas with deep sand and especially when trotting or cantering. Basically, you run the risk of bowed tendons and this is especially true with the canter or trot.

Along the beach, the sand is very deep except where the tide washes up on- there the sand is pretty firm. While riding, I was careful to go at a walk in most areas. On the hard sand, I was able to trot and canter.

It's kind of frustrating because there were times that I wanted to seriously run Max so he'd get a little tired and take the edge off ("working out the googles"). One nice discovery I made was that there is a wide dirt service road running at a diagonal through most of the area behind the sand dunes (they form a barrier between the beach and the land behind it). The road is surfaced in hard dirt so it makes the perfect surface for trotting and cantering. I was able to run Max up and down the service road and was able to work him using various training techniques that I use at home to train with.

On the our last day at Morro Bay, I took Max out by myself for a few hours in attempt to assert control and calm Max, away from other horses (and end on a good note). I used a combination of walk/trot/canter gaits along with leg yields, backing, various suppling exercises, and anything else I could think of. Everything ended on a good note and he was pretty much acting the same way as he does at home.

My observation is that the beach definately got Max excited but he did not become a nut job although he was not aways listening to my commands. The bad part was that he was so excited, especially around other horses, that he wouldn't stay still for long if I stopped him. I figure that if I was there for a month and rode him everyday at the beach, he'd be as bored as the rental horses we saw out there.

From a riding point of view, this trip really called for everything I had and there were many different challenges due to the changed environment (beach, other horses, etc.) but overall things were a success. Also, being in the saddle for six to eight hours daily also gave me a good workout.

I was also able to get in a long ride up in the moutains (unfortunately, the trail leading all the way to the beach was closed for maintenance so I followed an abgreviated loop). Max was definately challenged here because he was following a very fast Thoroughbred.

Overall, it was a good trip and I learned a lot about Max. It had some anxious moments but by being able to work out one-one for several hours each day, much of the anxiety and excitablity was reduced and by the end, Max was definately paying attention and acting like a partner.

The Joys of Worming...

An interesting thing happened last night when I gave Max his quarterly dose of wormer. Normally, I look upon this process with some trepidation since Max dislikes it and he is not shy about making his opinion known.

Well, last night I put a halter and lead rope on Max and the tube of wormer in my back pocket. I stood to one side next to his muzzle and as soon as I took out the worker, he began to shake his head and then try to back up. Finally, he backed up some more and then reared.

Needless to say, this was a potentially dangerious situation and I was ready to duck out of the way- quickly. In a final effort to assert control, I jerked on the lead rope and growled at Max and yelled a few obscenities followed by a "NO!".

What happened next really surprised me: he immediately calmed down and the actually bowed his head and submitted. Well, I guess all that stuff about being the alpha horse and such really works!

The next I did was to give him the wormer and I then spent some time rubbing his muzzle and mouth with the wormer tube to get him de-sensitized to it. I also praised him, gave him a pat on the neck and when everything was done, gave him a carrot.

Hopefully the lesson stuck and next time will be a bit easier. It certainly was very instructive and I learned a bit about the equine mind. Basically, he was wolfing me and I called him on it (naturally I was ready to roll out of the way if it didn't work).

Back from the Beach - Redux

Here's a couple more pictures from my Morro Bay adventure:

This one was taken as we approached the beach from one of the many access trails. Shortly after I took this picture Max decided that he'd had enough and attempted to turn around and leave. Needless to say, we still went on after a short "discussion".

This one was take a little later at about 6 PM as the sun was beginning to set.

One More From The Beach...

Here's another picture that a friend took of Max and I at Morro Bay:

A New Saddle for Max!!!

For some time now, I've been searching for a suitable trail saddle for Max that wouldn't break the bank and would provide support for his back and not mess him up. Well, I think I found it...

I was originally considering getting a new 1904 McClellan saddle but reality then reared it's ugly head and I had to ask myself the basic question: What sort of riding am I doing?

The answer- mostly trail riding for long periods, sometimes up to six hours at a time. When was the last time I did something historical with Max? 2004- basically never. So I decided to put my money in a saddle that use almost everyday.

As luck would have it, Broken Horn (aka Broken Wallet) was having its annual sale and so on Saturday I decided to go down and get some odds and ends. I also decided to check out the saddles.

I saw a variety of saddles that would work, but they were basically $1300 and up. My budget was about $900. I was about ready to leave when I spied a used Circle Y Western saddle sitting on the rack for $895. Something told me "check it out!" and I figured, "why not?". It turns out that it was one of their older trail models and it looked like it had barely been used. Better, it had a 17 inch seat and fit me perfectly.

But would it fit Max?

I bought the saddle anyway (Broken Horn has a seven-day grace period so I could return it and get a refund so long as it was in the condition it left the store). I couldn't wait to check it out so I drove back to the stable (it was about 5 pm) and put it on Max- so far it looked good. I then rigged it up with the proper cinch (what a pain- not easy, like English saddles!) and tacked up Max. I also used a 1-inch grey wool felt pad.

I rode Max around for awhile and then went over to my trainer's place to have her check it out. My trainer's initial impression was positive and she suggested that I take my Sunday lesson in the saddle and we'd check out the sweat pattern afterwards.

The next day, I took my lesson- it was pretty humourous doing dressage in a Western saddle but we're a pretty good-natured bunch and everything went fine. It's a bit weird getting used to so much saddle between me and the horse. After the lesson (including the lesson, I'd been riding for about two hours doing a mix of cantering, trotting and everything in between), I pulled off the saddle and the sweat pattern looked good.

Overall, the saddle is a heavy one- full leather and from what I was told at Broken Horn, a lady had just traded it in that day and the reason she was doing so was because she had arthritis and was unable to left the saddle (it's probably a good 50 pounds). The construction is rugged and it looks almost brand new. The total price? $871 with tax! Basically, I got a saddle that normally goes for about $1600 new for almost half-price (according to the Cicle Y representative).

This saddle is definately comfortable and I'm looking forward to doing a lot more trail riding now, especially since it will be a better fit for Max's back than the English saddle I've been using for trail riding.

Now to get used to it some more! For more information, click on the logo below:

The Doc Larsen Trail & The Bathtub

A lot of you are probably wondering just what the heck I'm talking about when I refer to riding up the Doc Larsen Trail and stopping at "the bathtub" to rest and let the horses drink. Well, here's a couple of pictures that should help explain it. These are a couple pictures of Max and his buddy Chenault taking a drink:

Cool Weekend...

This weekend was a lot more pleasant than last weekend and it showed with Max. Saturday found us doing the usual "loop around the lake"- a relatively sedate ride. The reason for the easy course was because a friend was riding with us who hadn't been riding in awhile and her horse hasn't been out much in awhile. Basically, this was meant as more of a training exercise for her horse than anything else. Everything seemed to work out and we returned to the stable before it became very hot.

Sunday was every interesting- today I began to train on the two-point seat. This is an interesting seat in that you have to really use your calve muscles and be careful to NOT put all your weight into the stirrups (or else your center of gravity gets higher and you become unstable).

We worked on this for about 20 minutes and let me tell you, my calves (and legs in general) were sore as can be! However, it was interesting in that I had to constantly force my legs back to attain the correct profile and not jam my feet in the stirrups. What was even more interesting was doing the two-point seat at the canter- you're locked on the horse and basically your whole body rises and falls with the horse's motion. It's different than the normal three-point seat at the canter. It's hard to describe but it was a comfortable ride- so long as I could hold it!

It seems this this is the basis for hunt seat riding. Very interesting stuff and I hope to develop greater proficiency in this area. I'm also told that Hussars also used this seat on the charge...

Here's some more on the hunt seat.

It's Cooler Now...

Well, it appears that the extreme hot weather has backed off some and it's dropped back down into the mid 80s (thank god!).

With that, I took the opportunity to saddle up and ride Max for a bit last night. Max doesn't appear to have any obvious sores and the area I was concerned about doesn't appears to be allright for the moment. I'm still concerned because there might be bridging going on with the Thoroughgood English saddle that I've been using extensively for the past 5-6 months. Kind of strange- there was definately problems from either the '59 MacClellan and/or the Wintec English saddle in that are- white hairs and all, but it appeared to have have stablized when I got the Thoroughgood.

Anyway, to play safe, I broke out the antique WWII German Army saddle and saddled Mx up with that. It seems that of all my saddles, this one ACTUALLY fits Max the best, although it's a bit hard on me. The horses could definately sense it was cooler and they were all buzzed up, including Max. Fortunately, Max's idea of being buzzed up was to make himself a pain in the rear as I was grooming saddling him. He was acting more like a goofy kid than anything else (a BIG goofy kid that could cause some damage if things aren't handled carefully...).

After saddling up, I decided to do the usual trotting, cantering, transitions, leg yields, and even some side passing. It worked out pretty well and once I got Max fired up, he did very well. It was a bit difficult getting used to the German Army saddle- it's always that way when I put on a saddle I haven't used for awhile.

We worked out for about on hour and I then cooled him down. When I took the saddle off of him, there didn't appear to be any issues with the back and he did not make any response when I worked my fingers along him spine. A good sign...

Hopefully the cooling trend will continue for awhile.

Horse Breeds- The Icelandic

I've always thought the Icelandic Ponies were pretty cool so here's a picture of one:

Needless to say, snow, ice and cold don't really phase these horses much! I chose this picture because just looking at the snow makes be feel cool and the way the weather has been around here for the past week, I'll take it!

For more information, go HERE.

Hot! Hot! Hot! Or My Labor Weekend...

I'm recovering after a long, very hot Labor Day Weekend and slowly re-hydrating. The temperatures have been in excess of 100 degrees (thank god the air conditioner got fixed!) and the air conditioner at home has been struggling to keep up. I shudder to think what my electric bill will be like!

Anyway, things began to warm up last week and most of my riding has consisted of doing various exercises designed to loosen up my muscles and improve my balance and overall seat. Also, I've been taking Max through a mixed program- working on left-lead cantering, transitions, side-passes and overall conditioning.

When the weekend arrived, so did the 100-plus degree weather. I only had to work a half-day Friday so I thought I'd get in some saddle time. However, when I got home, the heat was intense and I figured it would be the same way at the stable so I decided to wait until early evening when things had cooled down. At about 6:30 I saddled up Max and we rode over to the Orcas Arena. I kept Max at a steady trot and then we did some cantering in the arena. We then made our way home at a leisurely walk. Overall, pretty decent.

Saturday found Max and I going on a trail ride following a trail that runs behind Hansen Dam, next to the golf course. Everything went pretty well and the only drama was when we were crossing a bridge and a golf cart came up on us suddenly. We managed to "vanquish the killer golf cart" and proceed with no problems. By the time we arrived back at the stables (it was 11 AM), it was beginning to really heat up so I rewarded Max with a cold shower.

Unfortunately, I also discovered that he's beginning to develop another sore spot on his back- it might have been brought on by the extreme heat combined with the saddle or just the saddle. I'm not sure so I'll be giving Max some days off to rest his back. Also, with the heat, it's just not worth riding him that much. The heat is supposed to back off soon so there' s no hurry. Also, he's had prior saddle problems in the same area so I'm going to have look into this problem in more detail.

It seems that for two years runnning, Labor Day Weekend has been a bad time for Max. It was just as hot last year and at that time I really messed up his back from a combination of a bad saddle and a neoprine saddle back. We got through it but it left some ugly marks on his shoulders and back.

Sunday and Monday found me riding my trainer's horse Blondie, a 13 year old Standardbred mare, and boy is she a contrast to Max! She definately moves out but she can get cranky about doing things, especially when I asked for the canter. I eventually got it but it was a real challenge and I have to deal with her a bit differently than with Max- apparently you can't bully mares in the same way you can with geldings. You have to use a bit of finesse but in the end, we were riding very nicely.

My trainer will pretty much let me ride Blondie anytime (unless she's being used for lessons which hasn't been happening lately) so it's a good back-up while Max rests up. Definately an interesting challenge.

More later...