The Myler Bit

The Myler bit - I have renamed the miracle bit.  Having ridden mostly bitless in the last 10 years, my bit knowledge did not extend much pass snaffle, french link and tom thumb.  Having accquired a horse who had bit issues, and was too strong to go into a bitless, I found myself in this endless search for a bit which would work.  Then, the myler came to the rescue. Not only did it provide the softness I needed in the bit, but also the brakes which I needed too. No longer was he running through the bit, fighting the bit or popping his head up and opening his mouth to avoid the bit pressure all together.  I have educated myself in bit 101 and have multiple horses going beautifully in the myler, whether they are in training or a seasoned professional.

Finally a horse in my backyard!

Eddie, home for the holidays! Having trailered to the barn across the road for weekly jumping lessons, I decided it was time to bring Eddie over for a visit.

What a horse, he was so regal and polite.  What a treat to have a horse in my backyard after all these years!

The "ah ha" moment.

Any rider will appreciate the  ah ha moment.  The moment when you and your horse finally move together as one rather than two entities trying to sync with each other and end up going in completely wrong directions. After struggling to learn how to jump and ride a rather sensitive horse all in one, I have finally reached the ah ha over a jump. Turns out trying too hard, giving your horse too much freedom to do what they want  and then pulling them up at the wrong moment and not riding with enough leg just doesn't work when guiding them to the fence. Hats off to my coach who has helped me find my way. All I wanted was this ah ha moment, and I think I got it :)

Horse love

I often wonder where all my time has gone. The past few weeks are flying past way too fast. Answer? Horses. Why do I devote so much time to horses, riding, coaching, mucking out stalls, hauling water, frozen hoses, tending to needy animals, mending wounds, sweeping, mixing grain, throwing hay, trudging through the coldest, wettest, muddiest, windiest weather,  and attempting to push a wheelbarrow where no wheelbarrow should go when I could be inside relaxing in the comfort of my lovely home like most normal people do?  This is the life of horses. Any respectful horse owner/lover can understand that there is truly no good answer to explain all our craziness except for our true love of horses. We have the inept drive inside us to do the insanest things all for the love of our horses, things that we would never put ourselves through for any other reason.

Crazy country girl

Okay, this isn't a horse related post-but its something you will appreciate.  My boyfriend is an avid dirtbike rider.  My last birthday, I was given my very own bike.  I am still learning, but I think I am doing pretty good considering the number of times I have ridden it.  Last Sunday, my boyfriend and I went down on our dirtbikes into the meadow to ride the trails for a bit. For a beginner rider (dirtbike rider) this adventure seemed more challenging on motorbike than it did ontop my horse. Having forgotten my gear- I thought my boyfriend would have remembered it??? LOL I was wearing my riding helmet, riding gloves, Kerrits riding breeches and my baby phats. Yeah, I looked cool alright.  First we went down the giant hill (which really is quite small on horse, but HUGE on bike). I put it in neutral and braked the whole way down.  My heart was thumping. Next, came the creek.  Luckily the entrance into the creek is quite shallow, but the exit, quite steep and slippery. I put it in first gear and gunned it up out of the creek - I made it, but barely  I putted around the meadow and started feeling more confident on my little bike. My boyfriend ripped up the trails, making it look way too easy. At least now I can appreciate when people compliment my effortless skills in the saddle.  Mostly, I just like to sit on my bike and admire him.  When it was time to go back home, I expressed my worry about crossing the creek again. This time, I had to enter it steep, slippery, rutted side first.  My boyfriend lectured me no matter what DO NOT drop the bike in the water, put your feet in the water before you drop the bike.  But, what about my baby phats!?!  I didn't want to get them wet- they are expensive!  For some reason, perhaps I was feeling more confident than I thought, or maybe I wasn't thinking clearly, I crossed the creek in second gear. WAY TOO FAST!  Going down the steep slope, I needed to brake, but in a fret, I gassed instead and didn't let off. Where the heck is the brake?!?  I created a tidal wave through the creek, and was soaked head to toe, there goes keeping the baby phats dry.  I barely managed to stop before I got to the fencing on the other side of the creek.  I popped the clutch and looks back.  My boyfriend was shaking his head laughing.  He didn't know at that point what had happened, but he could see from my drenched state and the muddy creek bed that I had an adventure.  I didn't drop it I exclaimed!  I kept the bike up- only thanks to my expert balance from riding horses.

The Clown

Sometimes I amaze myself with the incredible balance and swift athleticism I possess.  My 17 y/o horse Sheylan is quite the clown. She is much too smart for her own good and knows exactly when she has to behave and when she can have fun. Coming to the end of our lovely trail ride one day, Sheylan was more exuberant than normal, wishing to trot way past a speed that was anything but comfortable. I was all too relaxed when trotting the last field line home when Sheylan thought she would wake me up a little. Suddenly, out of the blue, I found my body suspended in the air, my feet still in my stirrups, but no horse beneath me and we were traveling at full speed towards the barn.   I was pulling my right rein as hard as I could to try to turn her to stop. There must have been a good three seconds while I was suspended in the air, my body weight supported by me pulling the right rein as hard as I could.  After unsuccessfully trying to stop her (I began to rethink my bitless hackamore - where was my western bit when I needed it?)  I finally came to my senses and yelled "WHOA!", at which point, Sheylan instantly came to a dead stop. I grabbed her mane, and pulled myself swiftly back into the saddle. Only Sheylan would spook that big and stop that suddenly at the sound of my voice. I guess she knew the joke was over!  I laughed the entire way home. How the heck did I not fall off?!

Riding with bugs

It's that time again. Bugs, bugs, bugs.  The horses are all wearing fly mask and to go out on the trail, you have to beat them before they eat you.  If you cannot trot, you will get eaten alive. I must be tastier than the average human because the bugs just love me.  I have scars from deerfly bites.  We ride in the river flats, so the deer flies are especially bad and they are hard to outrun.  Especially the horseflies, a good gallop and you would think you lost them, but they are speedy little things. The worst is the green worms that drop from the trees in the spring while you are riding down trail. I once got caught in a nest of them, and had to take off my t-shirt in disgust - they went everywhere (and I mean EVERYWHERE).  My boyfriend of course found it quite amusing. However, he was following behind me and didn't get near the worms that I got.  Ahh summer!!! All winter long we await the warm temps, only to wish for winter to come back because of the darn bugs!!!