Doc Larsen Trail 2010

It's been over a year since I have been on the Doc Larsen Trail and a lot has happened since then. The reason it's been so long is because of the Station Fire that occured around this time last year and the subsequent closing of the entire area. Although the area has not been formally re-opened, people have been going up there anyway so I decided why not me? It also helps that a number of my trial-riding friends had alreay been there so I was able to get good intelligence before going.

I figured that this would also be a good time to really put my new/sed Tucker Trail saddle to use and so I got Max prepared. Since I haven't really used this saddle for a lot of extended trail riding, I also had to figure out a way to pack along the usual sorts of things like a first aid kit. Fortuantely, after some rummaging around the tack shed, I managed to rig up a set of pommel bags and a set of saddle bags so I didn't have to spend any money on new bags.

I started out about 9:30 am, heading north towards the Oaks and then turning right and heading up the start of the trail that leads to the Doc Larsen. I ride this area quite often so there weren't any surprises and best of all, nobody else out on the trail.

After about a mile, the trail ended at a fire road and then followed the road, heading north. After about 1/4 mile, the Doc Larsen Trail starts and I procceded to follow it, heading east (in a general sort of way). I noticed immediately that the canyon that the Doc follows had seen a lot of waterflow during last winter and a lot of rocks and sand had been washed down, obliterating what trail there had been. After following deep sand for awhile, the trail thebegain to climb, alternating between sandy creekbed and harder higher trails. There had been a number of wash-outs bout there had been a lot of trail repair work (no doubt by ETI Corral 20 among others) so, trails had been re-routed and marked with rocks. Also, it helped that the trail was graded so the transitions betwen old and few trail wasn't steep or abrupt.

After about 1/2 mile, the trail began to climb steeply and here it was pretty much unchanged from the last time I'd ridden though. However, after another 1/4 or so, you could then see where the fire had burned down and the trail then entered the burnt-out zone. Here, things were bit rough in terms of footing and not as much work had been done. At several points, there were small drop-offs in the trail where it would cross the canyon bottom and I had to spur Max pretty hard to get him up the grade.

At the final stretch leading into the bathtub, the trail was fairly steep and eroded and the best thing to do here was to trot/canter- the horse definitely needs to keep momentum because parts are pretty slippery. Sure, you can walk it but it's both hard on horse and rider. This is one area that's going to have problems when it rains again, unless further trail repair efforts are made.

We finally reached the bathtub and was it a contrast to the last time I'd been there. It used to be completely covered in shade from the brush but now it was almost completely open around it. This, of course, didn't deter Max fro drking his fill and we paused for about 10 minutes or so to rest up.

The rest of the trail leading up to Doc Larsen flats was a but anti-climactic but there were definately some steep grades here and once again, trotting/cantering is recommended to get up it (yes, this probably doesn't do the trail surface any favors but it's better than the horse laboring to scramble up it at a walk).

From Doc Larsen Flats, I followed the fire roads in a loop, heading in a generally westerly direction. Finally I reached the intersection where I can either go towards Foothill Blvd or back to the fire road where the Doc begins. I opted to go down the fire road towards Foothill Blvd. It's kind of a pain going down the fire road- it seems to take forever but eventually we made it down. From there, I crossed Foothill and made our way home around the Equestrian Center and then up the wash.

Overall, it was about a 3 hour ride at a somewhat leisurely pace and it was good to get out on a long trail ride on our home range. For too long, we've been away. :-)

Huh? Did anyone say "Alfalfa Smoothe?"



The pause that refreshes- Max takes a well-derserved water break.


The bathtub- it managed to survive the Station Fire intact.

Doc Larsen Flats- Looking Eastward.


Looking east towards the Fascination Springs Trail.

The tie rail- this whole area used to be full of brush to the point where you could not see beyond the rail.

Coming up on the Bathtub. This whole area used to be a forest of brush...


Upper Doc Larsen Trail heading east. The fire definitely got down here- the area is pretty bare, even with susequent new growth.

Middle Doc Larsen Trail heading east. The fire didn't make it this far.

Lower Doc Larsen Trail- the Winter rains eroded parts of the trail that cross the dry creekbed in the canyon.

Little Tujunga Canyon, heading north towards the Oaks.

In Training & The Independent Rein

Today I did my usual Sunday morning lesson with Max. Recently, we've been working on our usual activities such as collection and working on the beginnings of flying lead changes (and I mean VERY beginning and basic flying lead changes) but now using mostly just one hand on the reins.

OK, the dressage purest will probably sniff and laugh but I'm approaching this from a cavalry perspective (and at root, isn't that what dressage is descended from- getting the horse from Point A to Point B so you can kill the opposition?). One of the most basic things about cavalry is that most cavalries throughout history have used the sword as their basic arm (OK, you have knights with lances, mounted spearmen, or more recently pistol-armed cavalry like many found in the American Civil War). Even if you're using a pistol or other weapon, you still have one hand on the reins (I don't think anyone is up to trying reinless riding in a battle situation, at least voluntarily).

For me, my trainer introduced me to a new way of holding my reins and she explained that there are several ways to do so but the bottom line is that each allows you to acheive an independent rein for each side. This is easily done when riding two-handed and with finesse and skill, you can effectively communicate with you horse. One-hand reining is a bit more difficult and for me, the conversation goes like this:

"Hey Max, wake up!"

"Huh?"

"Move to the right so I can swing my sword at my opponent!"

"Huh? Why can't I go left? I ALWAYS go left!"

"Dammit Max, just do it!"

"Ouch! You're being mean! I don't want to play anymore!"

"MAX!"

"SCREW YOU!"

And it then descends into a fight and I have to back off and regroup.

Hopefully, most of this can be reduced/eliminated by being able to more effectively communicate with Max and so that's been the recent focus in training.

Basically, the goal is to be able to send a more direct message rather than a muddied one to the horse and I've noticed that when I have the reins arranged properly (rein maangement is sometimes tricky and it's slowly coming to me) to that they're even and not dragging on one side of the face or the other, it does halp to sharpen the message you're giving the horse. One good example of this is when leg yielding. Normally, you use the leg opposite of the side you're moving towards and then slowly flex it (kind of a pulsating effect). When combined wiht a gentle twistin movement that puts pressure on the side of bit (we're talking snaffle bit here) towards the direction of movement, it seems to sharpen the horses response. In actuality, I find that simply squeezng gently on the rein leading to the desired side often works as well. This is a subtle movement and when combined with the leg aids, seems to get good results- assuming thave eventhing is lined up correctly, my seat is correct, and Max is in the right frame of mind.

This is hard to describe without pictures but it does appear to be having a positive effect. The basic idea is to get be able to effectively communicate while having to deal with manipluating a sword or pistol. Also, in my case, Max has a bad habit of refusing to follow the opponent to the right when I'm mock sword-fighting. Sometimes he'll do it but often he'll refuse. Part of the problem is my seat- it's actually pushing him away from the opponent's horse but at the same time, he's able to take advantage of my only having one hand on the reins to refuse and I don't have much leverage like I would if I were riding with two hands on the reins. Also, the indpendent rein should help hammer a more precise and sharp command to "MOVE RIGHT!"

So, for now, in all my movements I'm using one hand to rein but at the same time using direct reining to move the horse rather than relying on neck-reining (which works when the horse is compliant but if he doesn't want to move in the direction you want, you're only recourse is to intensify the use of the leg aids (even with spurs, this only works sometimes). In Max's case, this simply doesn't work so we need to be able to engage ALL of Max. Or at least that's theory but it seems to be working some although I have yet to try this in a battle re-creation situation.

Now to PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE! :-)

On The Trail and Through the Woods...

Today found Max and I doing our usual Saturday morning drill with the Warhorse and Militaria Heritage Foundation. Due to various issues (probably the threat of heat), most of the members didn't show so we have only four riders. After working out for about 30 minutes, we decided to go for a trail ride, mostly around the Ponds and through the forested area in the Eastern Hansen Dam Basin.

While I have ridden this trail before, even at dusk, that's usually been at a walk. However, today we rode a good part of it at the trot and was that a challenge! The biggest issue is watching out for low-lying branches and you have to be ready to duck and flatten yourself onto your hrose's neck at an instant. Being tall at 6'1" also doesn't help and in some places it can really be rough. :-)

Naturally the other horses were all Arabs so Max really had to move out to be able to keep up. Amazingly, we had no issues and Max was very confident and handled the various twists and turns with no problem. Me, the rider, also had no issues but I was feeling like a pretzel by the end of the ride from all the ducking and weaving. :-)

It certainly was a good test for horse and rider and the best part was that we beat most of the heat. It wasn't until I headed home riding up the wash that I began to feel the heat (the wash can sometimes feel like a blast furnace on hot days). When I arrived back at the stables, I calculated that we'd been riding for a good 2 1/2 hours- a pretty respectable workout.

Swordwork, Seat, Independent Reins & Max

Last night I decided that it was time to get some swordwork with Max. For some time, I've been working with Max and we've been to a few reenactment events where we've had mock battles. Unfortunately, both Max and I need work in this area. For Max, one big problem is that he doesn't always like to follow the opponent, rather he'll attempt to veer off in the opposite direction- normally, when you do a mock swordfight (since you're not intentionally trying to injure/kill your opponent), you basically clash blades and push back and forth (some call this the "Dance of the Saber Fairies"). You can also spin in place while clashing blades, typically spinning to the right, following your sword arm.

As I mentioned above, Max has issues with this. Also, when doing the initial approach, sometimes Max attempts to refuse contact and will abruptly swerve (typically to the left). Needless to say, this is a real pain and so far I've been able to keep my seat but it really puts a strain on the legs.

To address the situation, I've been working on a combination of mock battles with a friend, constant manuever drills on my own, and rethinking how I keep my seat. After some analysis in conjunction with my trainer, we concluded that part of the problem may be that in attempting to wield my sword, I'm leaning out (it's a natural thing that we don't really think about too much) and this in turn is putting hip pressure to the right side, thus actually driving the horse AWAY from the opponent.

To correct this, we've been doing a series of drills where I approach a target (typically a bush, tree, or some other object) while dropping my hips to the left and putting pressure to drive me towards the right (following the sword arm). At the same time, I'm extending the trunk of my body to the right. It basically feels like I'm bending into a "V" of sorts and it's counter-intuitive but it serves to force the horse towards the opponent while at the same time you're able to maintain your sword swing. You can also do this in the opposite direction (i.e. holding you sword arm over the withers and attacking to the left). I usually do this using a dressage whip.

Another new development is holding the reins in one hand and maintaining independent reins where you can manipulate just one rein at a time rather than both. This is typically employed in two-handed reining but it's a bit more tricky when using one hand (and especially when combined with a snaffle bit but that's another story). I've practicing moving my fingers and manipulating both sides independently and it's not easy. The idea though, is to be able to direct rein the horse and communicate with him in a more sure manner (kind of like a loud "HEY BUDDY!").

I've noticed that this is especially useful in leg yields and half-passes. Now granted, I'm just learning this and I've made mistakes with this, combined with an improved seat should (and I say SHOULD) help in sword work in that it can be used to head off Max's refusals and keep him moving in the right direction when clashing swords. At a minimum, it should remove the incentive/opportunity for Max to take the "easy way" out of close contact situations. Don't get me wrong, Max doesn't appear to have a problem with close-manuevering and sword fighting, it seems to be more a matter of differing interpretations on how it should be done.

So, getting back to last night- we did a number of drills in an attempt to put all the pieces together. It's a lot of work when using a real sword, especially with the weight and that the sword I have is an unbalanced reproduction (trust me, the originals work a lot better but I'm a bit short on cash at this time). This is something that I'll have to put some more time into but hopefully the payoff will be good. Certainly Max didn't seem to mind and he was especially good in the tight manuevering and spinning. Now to put all the pieces together and make it all work. :-)

Morro Bay 2010, Part I

This year's trip to Morro Bay was interesting, and for the most part, one of the better trips I've had. In contrast to previous years, this year Max and I rode very little on the beach and tended to stay in the mountains. The reason for this? I failed to allow for Max's arthritis acting up due to the cooler temperatures- we went from nearly 100 degrees in the San Fernando Valley to the low 70s during the day/high 50s at night at Montana de Oro. This in turn made Max a bit stiff and I was concerned that a lot of walking/trotting/cantering on the sand would have an adverse effect (not to mention the ever-present possibilty of bowed tendons or any number of hoof and leg issues.

I arrived with Max about 2 PM on Thursday, August 19 and in contrast to the Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Barbara, it was foggy and overcast. I quickly settled Max in and got myself situation in the back of the horse trailer as I usually do, after spending time cleaning it up.

One thing I've noticed from all the times going up to Montana de Oro is that often, Max doesn't like to be alone or to go out alone and this time was no exception. When I went to saddle him up to go on a small ride, he was shaking in the hindquarters and nervious to the point whe it was difficult, if not impossible to saddle him. Fortunately, I had brought both my English saddle and Tucker Trail saddle (I bought it earlier in July- more on that later) and with all the rigging, it's nearly impossible to saddle Max with the Tucker when he's moving around. So I managed to get the English saddle on and soon we went for a small ride.

While it wasn't the most fun ride, I managed to get some work out of him and he started to relax a little. After following a coastal trail for about 30 minutes, I turned back and naturally his step picked up a bit. After I was done riding, I made sure max was blanketed and I mixed him up his usual A&M and Omolene bucket.

More to follow....:-)

Group shot- Morro Rock is in the background.


Max and I at the end of the canyon at the end of the east Boundary Trail. The view was fantastic that day. :-)

Catching Up

OK, it's really been a LONG time since I've blogged. The reasons? Life in general and simply a lack of motivation...I go through those phases sometimes...

It also didn't help that I lost the month of June and was unable to ride due to a cracked rib that I sustained when Max shied out from underneath me while I was doing a school program. It was pretty embarassing in that he was being so good and then out of the blue...actually it was because my haversack was too long and it got caught between the saddle and my leg when I mounted him. I stoop up in the stirrups, leaned over to the right to free the haversack when he swept out from underneath me and launched me to the ground. Needless to say, I didn't have any balance whatsoever and I wasn't expecting him to do that. The kids thought it was an act so I had to immediately remount and gallop (yes, GALLOP) the horse around the athletic field a few times. It's amazing what adreniline will do for you. Did I also mention that I then rode home, unsaddled Max, fed Max and then went out to Pierce College to take a final for a class. It was only afterwards that I decided to have it checked out at the hospital.

The end result was that I had a cracked rib and that I wasn't supposed to ride for 6 to 8 weeks. Right, try telling that to a horse person! Anyway, I was riding by early July but it really depressed me. Anyway, enough of the doom and gloom.

So now to catch up...I'm going to be filling in some stuff and part of it is probably going to be backdated a bit just to even things out a bit.