The Importance of Play

Jasper and I have been having a tough time connecting this week. There are a few problems going on here, and I can blame no one for them.

For one, I'm incredibly stressed out. Sure, it sounds ridiculous since I'm done with school and haven't started work and am technically on vacation right now. But merging two households worth of animals and, well, crap, is making me crazy. Our house is not very big, and I'm constantly amazed at the amount of worthless stuff we've accumulated over the past 5 years apart. Not to mention my dear, darling husband has been living as a near bachelor for at least the past year and suffice it to say we nearly need a jackhammer to get through some of the sludge.

For another, when I went out to ride on Sunday last weekend, Jasper was crazy. He's fit, he's fat, and he's been sitting around doing nothing but eating for the past three weeks. Pile on top of that my stress and you've got yourself the makings of a perfect storm. We got about 2 miles into my training ride last weekend and I quit. I couldn't take another layer of stress.

I went out the next day to work him in the arena, and he was still a nutcase. Unable to concentrate, spooking at imaginary things, refusing to pick up the right canter lead, nearly running us into a fence in protest of picking up said canter lead. I knew my dear, sweet Jasper had to be in there somewhere, but we were just not clicking. And with the stress and my lack of fitness, I decided we'd take the week day by day and decide whether or not to do the ride this weekend.

Finally it dawned on me. With me being out of town and graduated and thinking about cleaning and organizing all the time, Jasper gets the short end of the stick. I show up for a couple days, I ride, I do things to prepare for our endurance rides and then I split. Jasper and I haven't had time to just BE for months, and I could tell our connection was weakened because of it.

So today I hooked up the trailer, loaded the dogs and picked up Jasper to trailer to a neutral location for a nice no-agenda ride. He got out of the trailer, looked around, and breathed a sigh of relief, despite being the only horse in the entire universe. We chatted while I tacked up, and I mounted my sane, steady Jasper of months past. I let him choose the trail, I let him choose the speed (so long as it was walk). We did a little trotting (he felt STRONG, but controlled), but my plan for the ride was to have no plan at all.

Jasper didn't toss his head once, he looked around and enjoyed the scenery and the light breeze through his mane. He grumped at the dogs when they got too close, he stopped to smell horse poop, he drank from puddles and munched on fresh green grass at the trail's edge whenever he felt the need. I swear I could see him smiling, just like me. The birds were singing, the sun was out, and despite predictions of thunderstorms all afternoon, the weather cooperated.

Which brings me to my point. It's very easy for me to get so focused on goals that I forget about the importance of playing. The importance of doing something that doesn't achieve anything other than pure enjoyment and living in the moment. And despite the lack of goals or desire for results, I actually achieved something wonderful. Today it was Jasper and I, just a girl and her horse, going out and enjoying the world and living in the moment for every minute of it.

Jasper is a Fatty

When I returned late Friday night from my post-grad two weeks of vacation, I insisted we stop by to visit the ponies before driving home. When we arrived, my jaw dropped, and I was literally speechless for a few seconds.

"Uh....uh....umm.....Is that FAT?!?!?"

Oh, yeah.

Apparently, some combination of 5 lbs of Safechoice daily, pasture grazing, probiotics, weight gain supplement from SmartPak, and either the stimulation from being FAMISHED on the 60 or lack of any work for three weeks has turned my formerly svelte Jasper into a jiggly Jasper. Great success!!

See the butt lumps?

I'm going to have to re-fit his saddle--his withers haven't been this well-padded since I brought him home almost two years ago!

I'm so very pleased with my horse and am happy he's finally putting on the weight (and keeping it on). Now that he's conditioned for the season, he'll require almost nothing to maintain it, which means he'll be more likely to keep this weight for the remainder of the season. I don't believe in over-conditioning for rides, and believe our current conditioning program has created in Jasper a willingness to work, a desire to GO, and the freshness and great attitude to complete his rides in good form.

For example, to prepare for our 60 a couple weeks ago, we started conditioning in February. We started with a couple of nice arena sessions and progressed to riding out a couple times a week. Usually a shorter faster ride during the week (3-5 miles) and a longer, slower session during the weekends (8-11 miles). This prepared him for the 25 miler at the end of March, which I used as a training ride for our first 60. He got a full week off after the 25, and then I rode him once weekly (remember I was in Hell during the weeks, so one training ride a week was all I could do--and really was all he needed). We did 11-13 miles a weekend at a moderate pace and one shorter, faster ride about 8 days before the ride.

This brings up a bit of a problem for me, though. With my minimal training schedule (and hectic personal life schedule), that leaves me with much to be desired in self-conditioning. I was pretty sore after our 60, and likely will be very sore after this weekend's 50. Now that life is settling down once again, I'm DYING to get back out on my bicycle to ratchet up the miles again. Until then, I'll be packing around a huge bottle of Ibuprofen and a big, new tube of arnica gel. Sigh.

Dr. Elly B

Owyhee Spring 60

I'm going to be brief and skim over the highlights. I may regret it later, but it's too much of a task to undertake four days before graduation.

Amanda and I rode with Karen Bumgarner and her horses Thunder and Blue. Amanda aboard Blue and Karen aboard Thunder. Blue is quite the character--at the start he was dancing and prancing and couldn't wait to GO! I can't decide if his acting "up" caused Jasper to act like he was way too mature for that, but Jasper was an ANGEL on the first loop. I tucked him in behind Thunder for this loop and he didn't attempt to head toss but a few times down near the river when the flies were bad (they weren't really bad, tho, compared with other seasons). I put his new Quiet Ride mask on (by Cashel) and he seemed to appreciate how the knats weren't able to fly up his nose as they have in the past. We were able to ride by the petroglyphs, which is something I've wanted to do since first volunteering at Owyhee rides all those years ago. They were humbling!

Approximately 5 miles into the first loop, my left shin started hurting. At water stops I would try to adjust my socks/tights/half chaps to relieve the pain, but nothing was working. Finally, I ditched my half-chaps altogether which only seemed to help a little. Towards the end of the loop, my right shin started hurting. At the time, I was afraid it was shin splints, as that's exactly where they would show up. However, after years of running track and cross country and no hint of shin splints, I was confused why it would show up now. I was told that "now I'm old", they may be a problem. Now I think it was the top of my socks rubbing and pulling across my shins as the bruising is focused around this area. Figures the only time I forget to wear my Smartwool knee highs I get a problem. Oh, well. Live and learn!

The second loop made Jasper a little more excited, as we were no longer in our little pocket at the start. I'm not sure if he remembers I usually let him go a little more in the second loop of LD's since he's usually saved plenty of energy for it or what, but he pulled a lot through this loop. Amanda used the martingale for the start of the second loop, and it didn't take long for Jasper to realize he was free and started headtossing again. Mostly, though, it had to do with riders coming up behind us or other horses getting too close. Either way, about 10 miles into this loop I borrowed it back, which ended the problems. The boots were doing well, he was eating and drinking like an endurance horse, and he came into the second vet check looking excellent. I think the funniest part of the day was as we were coming into the second vet check, Jasper just strolled on in like he was all done for the day. It was hilarious--he was actually strutting.

Leaving for the third loop was hard--I'd been icing my shins at every check (LOVE my iceboots!) and the hail and rain and wind kicked up just in time for us to leave. When I mounted, Jasper asked me if I was doing illicit drugs and danced and pranced a little in the direction of the trailer. I replied with firm leg pressure that I wasn't insane and we really WERE going back out there, and he grudgingly picked up a trot and followed Blue and Thunder. On the trail leading out of camp, there were several riders trotting in and Jasper attempted to turn and follow each and every one. Very soon, though, he settled into place, although he still had a look of utter confusion. We laughed at him a bit, as he had his ears back listening very closely for me to tell him I was just kidding.

The last loop went by fairly quickly, but the wind was miserable. It battered us from just about every direction, and just about cancelled out any pleasure we could derive from the sun's rays. Jasper was STARVING on this loop, and much of our disagreements revolved around when was an appropriate time to snatch a bite of the Owyhee's plentiful spring grass. We compromised--if we were walking, he could pause momentarily whenever to grab a bite or two. Otherwise, no dice.

Coming into the final vet check was glorious. I knew that unlimited ibuprofen and icing awaited me at the trailer. Jasper vetted through with all A's (a B on gut sounds--typical) and looked AMAZING. I was very, very proud of him, although I didn't have time to bask in my happiness or glory as another bout of rain, wind and hail had blown in.

All in all, an excellent first foray into real endurance. The boots worked incredibly well (and were tough to get off the next day), Jasper did incredible with plenty of "go" until the end, and I was able to tough through the shin pain. The only things I'll change in the future are my socks, as all our other equipment worked out incredibly well.

Jasper is an Endurance Horse....(details to come)

Just figured I'd let y'all know Jasper completed looking GOOD, his boots stayed on, we had minimal head-tossing, and I think the only "fit" he threw was when we were leaving on the third and final loop and he was really trying to tell me we needed to be going back TOWARDS the trailer.

I'm so proud of my boy!