Darned uppity filly

Cindy is lame again. I fear she has bowed her front tendon. She is walking gingerly on it. She also has a huge bite on her neck grrrr. Sadie has been challenging her a bit I think and either Sadie bit Cindy or Cindy was distracted by Sadie and didn't move for CJ and he felt the need to bite her. I KNEW I should pull Cindy out of that group but I didn't get it done quick enough and now my poor old mare is gimping. Dr Mike is coming next tuesday and then I'll have better information to weigh quality of life for Cindy. She seems kind of ouchy on the rear leg she injured this spring and I am fearing all over again that it may 'be time to send her over the rainbow bridge.'

Sadie has probably earned herself a shot at being a 100 mile horse. IMO it is a lot to ask of a horse, Grey was no way up to it. Shade maybe? could be, but I believe it would be a push for her since one pretty much has to ride fast(er) then we normally do during the daylight hours so that you can still make the 24 hour cut-off when you have to slow down to navigate in the dark, and she is just so sweet and willing as a 50 miler horse I don't want to ask her for MORE. If Sadie has the 'tude to be a b!tch already at 3 years old with the sweet mare that was her buddy the fall/winter after she was weaned she probably has the 'tude to be a 100 miler horse. She should have the genetics to do 100 milers easier than Shade, with her breeding so I probably wont feel like I'm asking for a HUGE amount in 3-4 years either, but if you are going to be a b!tch you'd better be able to perform.

Ugh I feel heat stressed

I guess I should not have pulled goatheads, even for less than an hour in the full heat of the day. Doh.

Yesterday I went over my scratched up waterbed stand and the drawer fronts with shoe polish so it would not ruin the look of the nice new floors and set the bed back up. Slept well in spite of there being some smell from the shoe polish or something. Ole couldn't jump up from the slick floor LOL, I put down a sheepskin rug this morning --spoiled rotten dog. I shouldn't spoil him so, but I rationalize that maybe he'll stick with me better if I do. Keeping him tied when I'm out and he doesn't just stay in the house IS helping with that. I'm toying with the idea of setting up a zip line overhead. He does not pull on his tie out at all except the one morning when the onery stray was here. I even tied him to just an empty plastic bucket one night and he did not think he should drag it around at all so a lighter tire would not do anything. Overhead zip line would be easier for ME to deal with once it was up and probably give him quite a bit more room.

TGIF

I've been saying 'too behind on things' to duck open house event at work and then reading blogs. Dear lord please let me be in a better mood to mingle with these people after Nov. or guide me to a new job or enterprise. Not that I have to be mingling as a big part of the job but feeling like a good portion of the corporation activity is just a boondoggle is wearing thin.

I am so tired of people who should be in business of logic and facts falling for the intellectual stupidity that is 'liberalism' aka supporting todays Democrat party.

thursday already

Thank goodness I am home this weekend. I'm so behind on things I want done and feeling like I'm getting short on rest also. I had a 'barely at work' day yesterday which doesn't help a whole lot. Oh well, sometimes the mind just refuses to do more than putter.

Tomorrow Shade gets her 3rd adequan shot. She seems to be remarkably better after just the first 2, so I think getting the full series is going to have that fetlock feeling fine. I was lazy today, slept late and was not moving very fast so I did not try to get the last 2 nails out of her hoof where I whiffed things pulling the shoe, let alone rasping the toes any. Since she has to get the shot tomorrow I think I will get everything covered and if I am good I will ride her to the irrigation ditch to keep the joint moving and get Ole his exercise.

Dad is nearly done with my room and mom touched up the paint yesterday. So only 1 or 2 more nights sleeping with Ole in the nose of the gooseneck. Silly dog seems to think its the greatest thing although its a bit tricky for him to get jumped up there. Its a bit tricky for me to crawl up there too. I got a memory card in my camera but did not get pics taken of the room.

I want to list a couple things on craiglist. Well really I don't want to list them and deal with it but I do want them gone and I think CL is probably the easiest way. I want to go through some of my stuff and donate boots that I never wear and other various things to Salvation Army, rather than moving it back into my bedroom as well. I hate not being able to find something that I'm pretty sure we have; because of it being hidden amongst all the assorted stuff I have accumulated.

wordy wednesday

Yesterday I wrestled Shades front shoes off. I have got to get more skilled at that or just schedule quicker farrier visits. I wanted to have the shoe off and start rasping back Shades toes before Laura comes on Sept 2. Even before Shade was diagnosed with arthritis I thought her toes were maybe getting a big long. Shade doesn't seem stiff/sore today so I don't think I aggravated the joint too much with the clumsy shoe removal.

Today I grabbed RazzMo to ride just 1 mile to the irrigation ditch for Ole's daily walk. Razz was pretty good. Ole was kept out of the neighbor's 10 acre yard who informed me a couple weeks ago that she doesn't like Ole going after the rabbits. I am pretty sure she meant the wild rabbits, I see nothing that looks like a rabbit hutch there. But it is her property and if she doesn't want the dog chasing wild rabbits there I will endeavor to keep him off.

Yesterday I got an email that Tipton is leading in CO district 3. WooHoo, it is worth making modest campaign contributions just to get this information. I want to do more to push Frazier in district 7 and should support Gardner in my own district. I think Gardner has the least need for help, he has been polling way ahead. I think a lot of independents got fooled with me thinking Markey is a business woman and are seething at having elected someone so close to Pelosi.

One of the DNC shadow groups is attacking Buck for having said somewhere that amendment 16? /17? should be pealed back so state legislators select senators again. Of course the commercial says it is re-writing the constitution to take away people's right to vote. Chances the news shows will point out the history if they cover this ad --maybe 25%?

Shade at Happy Jack, Aug 21, 2010

OMG I love when Deb and Paschal are taking ride pictures. They manage to get really nice pics almost every time. I bought this image from them, perhaps I should say from Karl creations, their business name, in size 8x11. Both Shade and I had happy days at the Happy Jack ride. We were 15 out of 18 finishers but finished at 5:30pm from the 7 am start, instead of after 6:30 which happened to me the first two years I did this ride. Shade was just awesome for me. We led the group or pair we were with about 90% of the time. Shade enjoys being lead mare but she was really good, we kept a pretty good pace everywhere, not just out in the open where she is most comfortable. I have learned to relax and ride a trot winding through the trees and Shade has learned that she can keep a trot and not worry about boogie monsters. Well it helped a lot that there was not thick underbrush here. If it was really thick she probably would needed ET to go in front and make sure we were not going to run into any bears or horse eating monsters.

It was fairly hot, luckily the ride is at some elevation so it was not absolutely miserable but I drained my camelback shortly before the vet checks the first two loops and needed to suck down some icy tea and wet my head a bit after getting Shade vetted through. The gal I rode the first 2 loops with pulled at the 2nd vet check. ET had some cramping I think. But Shade did not have to ride the last loop alone because S was taking her horse out for a leg stretch ride. She stayed behind so she would not be pacing me. Her Tevis mare really wanted to cruise though and about 60% through the loop I could tell Shade was starting to push herself because she KNEW that chestnut mare wanted to pass her so I told Sue to go ahead and boogie on at her pace. Of course then Shade wanted to push a bit to catch up, and then push a bit because she knew she was nearly done with the ride, even after I kept her at a walk till that mare was out of sight but I think Shade was more willing to go oh yeah I'll walk up this hill etc without the competitive instinct of an eager horse behind her.

weevils update

I swear I am like a liberal economist looking for good signs, LOL. There are a few spots, not much square footage at all, where I do think it looks like something is taking out goatheads. I do not see weevils crawling around, not sure if I should and I find myself wondering if the little black ants, wasps, rain or something else may have killed a # of them before they could get going breeding. I will try to cover the ground in one of the small pens in the mini's area where I think they are doing something and will probably try to order some to arrive the FIRST thursday in july next year even if the results stay as spotty/thin as they are now before I decide the weevils just wont work for our situation but I am not pinning a lot of hope on them to free me from pulling goatheads next year at this point in time.

Have I mentioned lately that Shade is a Steel Magnolia

Today Dr Mike was out for health certificates. I had him give me a lameness eval since chiro Dr Terry had found the stiff right side. Diagnosis: Arthritic changes in the RF fetlock area. When I walked Shade out she was short striding on that RF again, trotted her out and not much there. Trotted her again and I was stupidly just ignoring Ole instead of making him quit when he was trying to grab at the lead rope and play. Durned dog tripped me and I went down into Shade's path, Shade in her usual gracious southern belle way, did a deer like move and managed to avoid stepping on me. It is not soft tissue, she warms out of things so Dr Mike doesn't think doing the endurance rides will aggravate anything. I opted to start a round of IM Adequan injections to make her feel better and hopefully minimize the wear and tear from now on. Shade was not sure about getting a shot (its supposed to be HC season not spring vaccinations?!) but she stood nicely, just did the big eyes thing as the needle approached.

Arrggghhh

OMG, good thing I am off to a ride this weekend and again 2 weeks later, but wondering if even that will keep me from tearing my hair out. All the headline stories on Ace (ace.mu.nu) are just about putting me over the edge. I hate the MarxSpewMedia and the effing ruling class judges and oh I so especially hate the DNC for being taken over (or willingly joining ) the communists, lying sacks of shit pretend to be regular americans to get elected and then foist their marxist, state should control everything, crap ideas on the country. I hope the internet is coming into its own and some small town papers that are not marxist will expose this crap in time to save this country. Please god let people realize the Katie Couric et al just spews what the 'in crowd/ruling class' wants to hear and they are NOT objective reporters -they hide news they don't like and spin the rest.

I am behind on some things at work and have vet coming thursday so in addition to my general crowd phobia I probably don't have time to go to the stupid scare monger talk and I would be infuriated with myself if I went and then didn't ask a probing, make the audience think, question if they allow questions, but I am not happy with myself about being such a wussy and not going at all.

Someone posted a link to a story about a starved horse that someone dumped in LA. I HATE that people can be so cruel, but I am 'sitting on my hands' rather than reply that there are several million accomplices who made horse slaughter illegal so now effing jerks who lack a shred of empathy for god's creatures cannot sell at auction and get a few $ for giving their horse a humane end or at least a chance at that when they cannot or will not feed it anymore. I don't want to divide the tiny tiny group of people that post on that board and are generally conservative.

NOT to excuse the POS that starved the horse. Don't tell me one can't borrow a gun and purchase a box of shells in LA, if you can't afford to euthanize and dispose legally but you had access to a trailer you could have driven into a national forest, euthanized the horse with a bullet and left the body for the coyotes --and for pitys sakes cowboy up and do it before you starve the horse, you effing sack of shit.

Oh and at work we have a computer issue in Oklahoma and the local tech is very very un-engaged. Dammit, there is not a whole lot I can do from ~500 miles away; but I guess I will have to log in and see if he changed permissions but couldn't bother to email me that he had done so and if not I'll have to prod him by filing some official internet report. Bureaucracies are ohhh sooooo much fun :P

6 miles friday, 4 miles sunday ...

I'm not worried about no big training ride with only 2 weeks between 50's but I AM concerned that Shade was stiff on her right front on sunday. She trotted and cantered fine for me on friday but Dr Terry noticed she was stiff and or short striding on her right front. After he adjusted her withers he stretched that leg and then she walked off fine. She might have been walking a little off again on sunday evening when we started but again I think she trotted and cantered fine. I guess I'll have Dr Mike give me a lameness eval on thursday when he comes to do the health inspections, maybe I'll just go up to the ride and volunteer but not ride Shade.

On the home front: Dad is putting the wood (laminate) flooring in my bedroom. WooHoo, this means I'm sleeping in my horse trailer this week but well worth it. He finished the walk in closet on sunday and we moved my waterbed frame and stand into the closet so that he can start on the actual bedroom. He is really wanting mom to get over being sick and do some painting before he starts on the downstairs rooms I think -- but the plan had always been that he would start in my closet as it wont matter if its not perfect while he worked out how to install the stuff.

I have six feed bags of goatheads in the dumpster and 3 more filled bags. And probably 3-4 bags worth in areas where I would like to pull out the goatheads but see how far I get. I think I'm seeing signs of the weevils eating the goatheads in some places where I set them out but there is no way they were going to prevent burrs on the advanced plants I hand pulled, they only burrow into young green seed/burr heads. I don't know if I'm seeing any evidence of the ones that eat the burrs, but I do think I'm seeing some chewed up stems.

I *think* I have kept the fly population down this year, but some mornings -including sunday when Dr Terry was working on Shade and Grey the face flies are sure evident. I don't recall if its supposed to be a different species that hangs near the horses eyes or its just the common house flies.

I should feel out an acquaintance about maybe doing some ground work with Sadie in exchange for me riding her horses a bit. Her DH is traveling a lot for work and she doesn't have time/energy to keep up with 3 horses. I think I recall that she enjoys doing some groundwork stuff, she has fostered various horses for a rescue and doesn't start/ride them but has worked with ground handling if I recall correctly. I'm not willing to pay training fees to have someone just do groundwork unless they will be bitting and long-lining as part of that work but an exchange might work out. I have been very tardy about calling to search for a trainer and I really don't know why I'm dragging my feet on it but JIC its an inner voice/gut feeling thing because something bad would happen I am trying to think out other options.

I hate sad sacks and scare mongers

Two different radio talk hosts have been using the GOP's effed up governors race as topics with much doom and gloom on it. Well admittedly I feel no special affinity for this state so I don't really CARE if it gets a liberal governor and hurts its economy etc.

BUT I want to scream STFU and stay out of the way when they are whining about how it will so hurt the GOTV for the senate and HOR races and we are soooo far behind the left's organization and and and. Now perhaps the one eventually got to some productive ideas, after I got home and certainly had not been inspired to listen to more doom and gloom for conservatives but come ON, how is "oh crap we are so hobbled by this" going to help overcome the situation? And personally I think conservatives will come out in droves to vote for someone to say HELL NO! to the commies and Buck is the GOP candidate that will say that. I had reservations that Norton would go along because that is how politics works if she had won the primary. I also think there are some good HOR candidates, I really like Frazier, he is not in my district so I can't vote for him but I will probably donate to his campaign again. I am tending to feel like I need to keep my campaign donations in state. I hate getting mailers from out of state people that I donated to one time.

That is probably why people USED to like to just donate to the GOP or a special committee but see I don't trust the GOP to go "oh Frazier can totally win this election, lets support him" Their history with who they support is just too filled with dumb moves like not giving much $ to Coleman in MN last year and now that joke Franken is a Senator. Gee thanks GOP and idiot MN voters --so glad MN voters decided to not vote for joke candidates after Ventura as governor. *I* strongly suspect that Franken as senator is making Jesse look better in retrospect. But it was such a close race that if the GOP had just put the $ into it where they COULD have won then MN would have had a real senator and only when RINO's like the ME women crossed over would some of the commie crap bills have been able to break past fillibusters.

The scare monger part. I got an announcement for a talk (its not a work talk although one speaker is from here) on "Talking Climate Change" By talking they mean pitching the case that we should go to a global communist system as the only way to possibly "SAVE!" the planet. Like other areas where I was buying in for a bit before doing more reading and research (ie I liked BHO in the DNC primary season and didn't realize what he was till I started reading trying to decide between him and McCain, and I voted for Markey for HOR in 2008. Darn I HATE-- that I bought into the propaganda that Markey was a businesswoman and would not be just a partisan D vote and Musgrave was just a Rep hack ....... Now I have also found out that a lot of stuff that has been pitched (at my supposedly scientific workplace) is crapola. Pushing the phony baloney 'hockey stick' and a bunch of other pseudoscience garbage that came out of preconceived notions on the researchers' part. ARGGGHHH --my nature is very much to avoid crowds and avoid any kind of argument, I try to just use reason or humor to make a counter point later and they probably wont even take questions at the paid talk but I feel like a wussy for not wanting to go and possibly ask some questions to make the audience THINK.

Random thoughts on the Aug 7 ride

My main story is just Shade is a trooper. My left ankle felt stiff and a bit sore most of the ride. Ride pics show I had my right leg way in front of me instead of flexed normally, so probably I had my left knee too straight as well so the ankle was in a funky position and having to absorb extra motion as well. SIGH, I HATE that I was making things harder for my horse by having such poor riding form. Oh well my steel magnolia got through in spite of me. I was also having some heat issues. Someone told me my hair was holding in heat. I think she was correct, so I am going to try to get my hair cut before the next ride and get some velcro on my helmet and on a scarf or bit of cloth to keep the sun off my neck but allow more air space. I don't really want to dunk my hair to cool myself. That works but puts extra water dripping down my glasses + the hair gets into an awful tangle doing that.

The ride was sneaky tough. It was a mountain ride with a lot of elevation change but it was all trails that bicyclists had put in, and they took a lot of care to keep the gradients from being at all steep. Having ridden it, and only one person who had planned to ride the 50 again on sunday did so I think the nearly constant climbing up or down was harder on the horses than some steep climbs mixed with flat stretches like Shamrock would have been. I don't use an altimeter or GPS so I don't know how the elevation amounts between the two rides compare though. I do know that I had not conditioned for 2 fairly tough rides but the fact that all those other folks also dropped out from the second day says it was not JUST me riding poorly and not having conditioned Shade.

Two horses had colic after this ride. (maybe more) but folks camped near me hauled their horse to the veterinary clinic about 9:30-10 pm. The ride vets had given the horse some IV fluids and probably a small dose of banimine around 6:30. When he got uncomfortable again the owners took him to the clinic. He did come around with fluids overnight. I think from eavesdropping on the conversation the next morning when they came back to get the riding daughter and her other horse that they had not been syringing electrolytes because the horse acted like that hurt his tummy --possible ulcer, they said he had been eating real well but unless they had lots of lytes mixed in his food that was probably not enough on that hot day for that amount of work. I told them I use the CMC to mix with electrolytes and it works for Shade who used to hate seeing a syringe.

The ride managers younger daughters' horse also had a colic overnight --I guess the ride vets could feel the gut was twisted so that horse was euthanized. I don't know if they did a field necropsy and I don't know if the horse came off the trail looking stressed since I was still on the trail. I think I saw him shortly after they left the 2nd vet check with a small group of horses and he did not look bad then. The horse was a rescue so the ride vets said it might have had worm damage that caused its colic. I guess the AERC horse welfare committee will study it and probably post their findings and I'll learn a few more details. Horses are so strong, carrying us over all those hills and rocks and yet they can be so fragile - when something goes bad with the digestive system it can quickly become a deadly issue. I have to remember to dig out a sympathy card and send. I feel extra bad for the RM to have that tragedy hit after she worked so hard to find and mark trails to put on the ride.

scanned pics

I always feel a little guilty about scanning ride pictures and posting them; but figure its okay if I use low resolution on pictures of myself and my horse that I bought from the ride photographer. So here goes: Last pic is from the Aug 7 ride we just did and I don't even know the photographers name, all I heard was it was the Sue Horne's niece stepping in because the professional photographer could not make it. The other 3 pics are from Shamrock over the 4th of July weekend. Day 1 with me in blues and day 2 with the multicolor shirt and green tights. The Shamrock pics are Karl Kreations, Deb and Paschal Karl, they take awesome pics -- they even got one of Shade once that they printed as an 8x10. Usually my ugly self keeps the pics of Shade and I from ever being considered for any kind of portfolio or etc.







Well shoot, I thought I had rotated that pic before I saved it. Oh well I'm not going to fix it right now.

Argghhhh --

I forgot to fill out my timecard thursday. So now its been set to 80 hours PTO and I'll have to keep track until I've used the 72 hours of PTO that was charged for hours I actually worked. I hate hate hate being so scattered; but having an effing computer charge me PTO that I didn't take does not put me into a good mood to buckle down at work. One of those days where I feel like the collapse the stupid progs are setting up can hurry up and get here as I am tired of working for the stinking gubmint.

Shade is such a trooper

We officially did another 50 mile ride saturday. With navigation errors on my part it was actually 55 miles covered. Shade was a little tight in her hindquarters at the vet checks and Tom said she had an little hitch in her gait at the finish but still a completion. I had thought I might ride both days at this ride but then I got lazy when summer heat + monsoon moisture hit here and I didn't train like I was going to ride 2 fairly tough 50's in 2 days.

Note to self: look at your toes and if your feet are crazy far forward straighten yourself up. Also if your thighs are getting extra tired or sore check position. Ride pics show my feet were way far forward, and looks like I was a bit over to the right. I was aware that the side to side seemed to be out of whack during the ride but I didn't realize I was behind my feet. I seem to have more problems with the feet when the terrain is gradually up and down.

ADDENDUM: I must not forget to give Shade her E-Se supplement next ride. She is getting a few white hairs on her spine, so I must remember to cut a channel in the wool pad I'm using over the skito. I should find some dog collars with different buckles. The dollar store ones are too hard to snug up tight, + don't fit through my little rings on my saddle. Oh and at Happy Jack there are spots on the trail that will tell me to get off and lead down the hill, but I need to stop zoning out walking some to give both Shade and me a break on rides that don't have terrain that reminds me. Need to air up my exercise ball and see if it seems like it will be useful for working on my lopsidedness. If not or probably should anyway call for an appt at KP to get a PT referral.

I have GOT to focus better next week

Well starting tomorrow. If I don't focus I will reduce the odds of getting Shade safely through the ride. But I simply must not be as scatterbrained next week as I was this week. There is too much to do to be so haphazard. Oh well the important tasks will still be there next week.

wordy wednesday

Well I'm definitely too lazy to do pictorial only blogs. Plus I take crappy pictures. I let the horses have pasture access today. There is a bit of grass grown back but I mainly wanted to make sure Shade gets to move around since I am not riding all week unless I take a quick short short spin tomorrow after the brand inspector is here. I MUST collect the papers for that, hope she is good with registration papers cuz I don't know if I can find anything else.

And I must start searching for a trainer for Sadie. Must call the driving trainer Holly recommended. He is probably too well known to be available or want to just do 4-6 weeks of long lining work on a future saddle mount but when I was searching for his number earlier he was mentioned as a mentor on some other websites so hopefully he can give me a recommendation.

Must remember that Dr Williams is coming to adjust Shade on the 15th. (must write on calendar in kitchen)

Must breath, just breath and not get too caught up in politics. I do need to be more involved since the commies seize control when not repulsed but OTOH I need to do what I can which is not a whole lot, I'm not exactly Ms opinion swayer whether in real life or on forums. I will give more $ to some candidates, I may get brave and suggest an answer to an attack ad to one candidate if I can get it fleshed out. I did primary voting today, left the governors race blank. I hope that mess doesn't hurt voter turnout for the congressional races. At least there is a senate race and I think either GOP candidate should inspire the 'right' folks to get out for that. I voted for the lesser known conservative. I am TIRED of party insiders that go along with the commies. But I'll give the other candidate my vote if she wins the primary, people who have been into politics for decades think she is ok and nowhere near a Linday Graham type.

Monday blahs

Woke up with a headache. Note to self, large beer with very late supper at Applebee's and then a short night of sleep is not the best way to start the week. Need to hydrate better next time, and be able to get a full nights sleep. I don't know that I have a hangover, just feels like a headache but I'm thinking there is some correlation here.

The steak was quite tasty though and we shared an order of wonton pork tacos which were spicy and yummy and probably very high calorie. I must see if the other feed store has hay cubes on thursday. Author's wont have any until friday and I'd rather not have to swing in with the BAT (and then wait for a huge break in traffic to pull out) + not be sure of getting the cubes. Dang there is a seminar tomorrow morning that I want to attend, then I have a chiro appt wednesday and would like to early primary vote as well so that is done, brand inspector comes thursday. And friday I'm off to the ride I hope. I better send my taking PTO email and buckle down at work.

Ahh, the remnants of the headache seem to be leaving finally, perhaps I won't have to break out the excedrin(TM); the decongestant, coffee, and morning naproxin may be enough without it.

No big training ride this weekend

But did ride 7 miles saturday and about 8 today. Hopefully Shade responds well to more rest than work after her big 3 day effort. I signed up for both days but is she completes saturday but seems too tired we will scratch sunday. I rode Grey on saturday a few miles with Ole in the morning. I think Sadie may have to take over trail riding and hunting trips starting next year. Grey is doing OK and he boogied up the hill on the way home but he just seems to be feeling his age faster and faster, was very content to walk most of the ride. Well I'll see what happens with him.