Stalking the Stalkers

After four days of rain and six days of mud, I needed to get out and take a hike.  I brought Bombay along because I knew he'd behave himself and just let me get my exercise without causing any trouble.  As I led him down the first trail, he kept looking over to the south.  I could hear kids voices on the playground at the school, but I didn't see anyone or anything out on the trails.

Then

The Alpha Mare Gets Her Assessment

Can you guess which two horses got worked today?



That's right.  The two who have two eyes each on me.  The horse trainer wanted to know if I wanted to keep our appointment today.  We had to cancel on Monday because of the rain.  Today the ground was still wet, but I didn't think it would hurt to do a lesson.  I told her I'd ride Bombay around before she came and see if there's anything we need

A River Runs Through It

Last night clouds floated past the full  moon.  I awoke to rain, more rain, and more rain.  I had to feed the horses on what dry spots I could find in the barn, because their feed troughs were full of water.  A short time later I looked outside and their hay was floating away in a river, while the horses stood in piles of manure because those were the highest spots in the barn.



I knew I had

We Fouled the Trails

This morning my daughter came to visit so I wrangled her into helping me take a couple of horses for hand walks out on the trails.  Just as we were getting ready to go, my husband showed up and he volunteered to take the third horse, so all three of the horses got to get out and explore.  This was Gabbrielle's first time through the gate to the public land, and though she watched the other two

Shifting Focus

Though Bombay and I still have a ways to go before he is a safe trail horse and I can react with the proper moves instinctively, I wanted to shift focus in my horse training lesson today toward my issues with Gabbrielle.  The methods my horse trainer is teaching me should work with all of my horses, but I wanted her to see Gabbrielle's quirks and help me figure out what needs to be done to fix

Triple Toddle

This morning I needed to do laundry, because my supply of jeans was getting low.  I pulled out a pair that I had mail ordered a couple of years ago that I could never pull up over my thighs.  Much to my surprise, they are now loose on me.  I looked in the mirror and realized that I was definitely starting to slim down thanks to all the horse walking I've been doing.  I've also got some upper arm

I'm Glad That's Over

I was feeling under the weather today after suffering through various ailments all weekend, including having an eye infection that left me with vision in only one eye, but considering that I've been habitually ill at least one week out of every month, I didn't want to cancel my horse training lesson.  Today the trainer walked with me while I rode Bombay out on the trails in the desert.

I was

Look What I Found

On impulse, my neighbor asked me if I wanted to run up to Scottsdale to exchange a top she bought for a different size.  I had nothing going on at the moment, so I kept her company on the ride.  I found this necklace in a little boutique in Old Town Scottsdale.



I thought it was a perfect representation of my first year here in Arizona.  It's got a scorpion, a rattlesnake, and an iguana or

The Training Wheels Have Come Off

I saddled Bombay, locked the mares in stalls, and did all our groundwork exercises in the arena. Then I rode Bombay in the arena and was pleased to see that he was very sensitive to my cues. I had some trouble trying to get into rhythm with his trot, so our cruising at the trot exercise was a dismal failure. I had to keep sitting deep to stop him, because I was bouncing out of control in my

Gone Exploring

On this morning's walk, Bombay had a big spook backwards while walking up the driveway.  I had been looking at the ground trying to figure out what made some prints in the rocks, so it took me a minute to figure out what his problem was.  It turned out that a neighbor was fast-walking up the street and had suddenly popped into view.  I said hello to the man and then Bombay and I followed him up

Bombay Doesn't Get What He Wants

Fortunately, my horse trainer and I have about the same leg length, so she can hop on Bombay to demonstrate what she is teaching me at any time without us having to adjust the stirrups.  Here she's taking a phone call and making Bombay wait for her next instruction.  He's got one ear on me and one ear on her.

First she rode him in the arena to test him out for some more advanced maneuvers, and

I Guess Getting Pissed is the Magic Bullet

It finally warmed up enough for me to take Bombay on a morning walk. Right off the bat he started giving me a hard time. As I tried to tighten his rope halter, he tried throwing his head into my face several times, so I slapped him hard on the neck and yelled, “Stop!”

He tested me one more time and I growled NO while raising my hand to slap him, and he stopped. Right when I was about to

Wait for It...

I have my horse training lessons set up for twice a week, but this week one of the lessons was scratched thanks to a dental appointment and a series of the usual health problems I've been battling for the past couple of years.  When my trainer left last Wednesday I had the full intention of working with my horses every day, but one thing after another kept getting in the way.

So, here we are on

And I Thought I Was Just Going to Practice

Today was a weird day in that it was icy cold, yet there was still a lot of activity in the neighborhood.  I had to chase off some boys who were waiting for me to leave, so that they could ride their dirt bikes down the bluff into the arroyo in my back yard.  The horses were more uppity than usual, so my morning walk with Bombay did not result in any progress even with a rope halter.  He was

Pictures of Walking with Bombay

Happy to be out on his morning walk.  Cute as can be.



But then... he always must stop to smell the roses.  At least he only sniffed the horse manure.  If he started sniffing the dog poop I was going to vomit... probably giving him one more gross thing to sniff.



Checkin' out the shrubs to see if they make good grubs.  Usually not.



The girls are calling him back home.  This is why I have

Goodbye, Martingale

My horse trainer was due at 3:00 PM, and she wanted me to have already run through all the warm up exercises and be in the saddle when she arrived.  However, she has mentioned that she can be up to an hour late sometimes.  In fact, she had to call her next client at our last lesson to ask her if she still wanted to do the lesson since she had been running late with me.  So, I didn't want to start

First Walk After Lesson

While walking out into the horse paddock to do my ground training homework with Bombay, Lostine saw the halter and overreacted by charging toward and past me.  Oh oh.  Not good.  She buzzed right through my personal space.  I decided it was time to introduce her to the 3-foot circle around me.

I caught her, haltered her, and sent her in half-circles.  She kept coming in at me with her shoulder,

First Lesson

I met my new horse trainer today and she very different from the trainers I'm used to working with, but she sounds like she's exactly what I need.  In the past I worked with trainers who focused on Arabian horse show world.  They worked my horses in arenas, they worked on my equitation skills in arenas, but all I really wanted was just to have a trail safe horse.  I don't care about blue ribbons

The Monkey Cactus

I just noticed the other day that this saguaro cactus I walk past every day looks like it has a monkey climbing  to the top of it from a particular angle.






I was even able to make the monkey reach for the monkey bars.

I'll leave that branch in the middle up to your interpretation.

Sunday Morning Walk

Bombay's walk this morning was the first sign of acceptance.  He didn't make any huge improvements or have any setbacks.  He just kept the status quo, which is fine by me.  I've been waiting to see some consistency in his behavior.  I don't want my horse to be very well behaved some days and a complete nutcase on other days.  I want a horse who develops routine, predictable behaviors.

The way I

Saturday Morning Walk

I know it's probably boring reading about me taking my horse for walks, but I'm journaling my experiences in helping my horses get past their nervousness in new situations, and I kind of find it fascinating.  Each day gives me a little more insight into the psychology of a horse.  I'm also getting a good read on just how sensitive and emotional horses can be.


I took Bombay for a walk out in the

Need, and You Shall Receive

A purse I was recently using self destructed in the Arizona heat. The vinyl bubbled and stretched until it exploded, so I had to throw it out. I started using my old western purse with tassels again, but forgot that the reason why I stopped using it was because the zipper wouldn't stay closed anymore. I'd zip it in both directions and it stayed open.

So, my husband and I were on our way out

Stubborness

This morning I saddled Bombay for a ride in the arena. I wanted to concentrate on
re-gaining my riding skills, as opposed to just trying to keep my horse under control. Instead of just lunging him in circles before riding and tightening his cinch a little at a time, I worked on backing him up, flexing, turning on the
hindquarters, moving out in a small circle, and some desensitization. I

Soon the Horses Will Have Double Duty

One thing I love about Arizona is that there is no shortage of cowboys and cowgirls.  You can find a trainer or a farrier who fits your philosophy, you can find someone to scoop poop for you, you can even find someone to remove or bury a horse that has passed.  I remember when I was in Nevada, I kept asking people what I should do if a horse dies, and some said, "You better rent a tractor."  My

Another Day, Another Walk

Two giant steps forward, one step back.  This morning I walked Bombay by myself for about a mile in the desert.  He was great on the way out, walking on a loose lead, giving me my space, walking at my pace, etc.  My only criticism was that he kept craning his neck to look around and try to figure out where home was.

We reached the arroyo, and he instantly tensed up, stopped and tried to turn

New Year, New Horse

Don't get too excited.  I didn't get a new horse exactly.  I just took Bombay for a walk and he acted like a new horse who someone else had trained, and he was a perfect gentleman.  It could have been because he was kept up all night with fireworks and loud parties and was tired, or it could have been because he developed a slight lameness, or it could even have been that my husband came along,