I wore my spare helmet that is not a lid-locker style that works better for me while hunting because the orange helmet cover would go over its little visor that came with it but didn't have enough of a pocket for my longer neoprene visors on my normal helmets.
Mistake--. I had a good shot at a deer on Friday but I had to put my helmet visor over the scope to keep it from tipping and messing me up to look through the scope. Well when I fired the visor whacked the helmet into my forehead and maybe down on my glasses. I noticed the lump on my forehead right away but Saturday sis was "OMG you have a black eye"
Either the helmet also smacked my glasses into my face when I shot or because I still wore it Saturday but with the thought that I would take it off if I got a shot at anything and it was tipping forward extra and kept pushing my glasses down onto the bridge of my nose and cheeks right under my eyes I ended up with some colorful bruising although there isn't any soreness to go with the 'black eyes'.
And I missed my shot. Pretty sure I jerked up when I pulled the trigger which is pretty stiff. Mom liked a stiff trigger and that is the rifle I was using. I was doing well with keeping a steady bead with the crosshairs on the scope before I fired or I would not have taken the shot. I will have Dad normalize the trigger pull and practice more before going hunting again.
Dad did get a deer. 170 yard shot. He uses a range finder so that is the actual distance. He bought himself a nice lightweight portable tripod to keep a steadier bead because he was not as steady last year just resting his arm on his knee as he used to be. I may need to try using the bog pod and buy one for myself too.
It was the normal frustration on not being able to get out early and although I said "sis and I should go out early by ourselves" Dad went "oh I''l go out whenever you girls want to" except he does not even start saddling until full daylight and we could have got going at least an hour earlier if we were not grooming his horse, helping him and waiting on him on at least 1 or 2 mornings. None of us even saw any elk.
Tuesday it rained overnight. We had planned to just go to town for showers and of course the anti-hunter did not go "oh lets push back the town trip one day, the elk will be out later" *I* thought they would based on just going up there the last 5-6 years and I was right, but didn't push dad and sis to go out.
The other pair of hunters at our camp went out Wed morning and got a cow elk they shot at 10 am w/o even having to walk very far out of camp. We hauled their elk in for them. They had cut it only in half and spent hours dragging the halves downhill and realized they needed some horsepower to get it back to camp. Silly men, it was not a huge distance and they might have managed getting it back to camp on their own if they would have skinned and quartered the elk and just cut the meat they wanted off the ribs and neck and made 2-3 trips instead of trying to drag the whole thing at one go.
As it was CJ hauled the hind quarters + some ribs and the head and neck "my friend is getting into taxidermy and wanted my to bring back the head" and sis led her mare back to camp with the front quarters with some ribs. Normally both hind and front quarters can go in CJs panniers and sometimes the backstraps/tenderloins or sometimes the hunter will pack them out when we haul out someone else's kill. So even though it was just a short distance from camp I think we earned the full hauling fee we charged them.
Dad got his doe on Thursday and on Friday hauled it to town to a place that will hang game in their cooler for a decent price because it was too hot to leave it hang during the day at camp. When I shot and missed, I had just walked out 1/2 mile or less from camp to where deer had been hanging out in the mornings. Grey got all agitated back in his pen at camp and ended up with a spasm/gas colic. Sis and I rode out later that morning and Grey was not right but I didn't realize he was really off until he would not drink at the dam which he loved the water all week and then tried to lay down.
He got a trailer ride to the vet clinic in town which had him feeling better, when we got there and I got some banimine in case the ride did not give a complete cure. He did need the banimine later but then was fine on Saturday. I rode CJ out, but we brought Grey along, with his super light treeless saddle and I ended up riding him most of the way back cuz CJ had lost a shoe and was getting sore and then laid down with me at one point and I didn't know if he was getting sick now or was just being a jerk or what and Grey was obviously back to being 100 percent.
Saturday we rode to a cabin which seemed to be handicap access. I'm going to see if its possible to stay there a night or two. That is about the only way we would be out early enough to see anything. I think dad could get a handicapped note/placard from his Dr. since he cannot walk around on uneven ground. I'd even offer to haul an injured veteran in on horseback if we could stay there too. Otherwise I might look into whether there are outfitters that deal with limited mobility hunters and maybe I could just buy dad an outfitted trip for Xmas next year.
He wants to ride the MDH trail in ND again and I don't really want to burn vacation to do two trips, but I cannot do the hunting trip again any year unless I lay down "sis and I WILL go out early on two days" and you are only going those mornings if you have gotten your horse ready all on your own and are in the saddle when we mount up to go" or if we can get that cabin and sis and I can walk out early and leave him there with good overlook if an elk wanders by a couple mornings/evenings. I get SO frustrated with not getting out early when elk will be out or staying until dusk if we are going to get late starts. *I* do not need to burn 8 days of vacation and put in for tags for deer and elk to just trail-ride 75 miles. If I'm 'going hunting' I want to be really hunting for at least 1 or 2 days of the season.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
whew --Sadie is not super sore footed today.
Of course this means I have to decide whether to continue with the tag team farriers. I haven't really inspected Grey's shoeing job but on quick glance it looked like he rushed the job and the shoes narrow more at the back than Grey's hooves do. Which is opposite of what one wants. You want a little extra shoe at the heels since the hoof flexes wider at heels as the foot lands as I understand what I've read and been told about things. I suspect I'd be happier if I could have only B coming and she charged the standard amount instead of Rs cheap rates. Although I have no idea what kind of shoeing job she does if she even does shoes.
Oh and the CDC had great news. Ebola usually only spreads to 1 or 2 people from each infected person. Of course when the CDC left a bunch of nurses with no training in highly infection disease control to deal with the first case in the U.S. (other than flying docs from Africa back to the special centers) there were 70! medical people in contact with him and 2 of them are already sick.
In Africa in past outbreaks (this one seems different) by the time someone is infectious they are too sick to move around and only 1 or 2 family members were in contact with them either nursing them or doing funeral rituals. This strain seems to have a longer incubation time and its a big unknown of when they are shedding the virus and how long it can persist outside the body. Even with this strain that seems to develop more slowly people probably don't drag themselves around while sick in Africa. the hospitals suck so they don't go to one until they are desperate, and I'm sure almost everyone has to walk around a lot to get anywhere so folks don't go "oh I need to get that powerpoint done" or "I'm out of ice cream and I want my comfort food if I'm sick so I'll just run to the store" So I'm pretty sure the CDC transmission rate stats based on Africa are going to have little correlation to how things will work here, at least until a lot of folks are good and scared. What a cheery thought, but there it is.
Oh and the CDC had great news. Ebola usually only spreads to 1 or 2 people from each infected person. Of course when the CDC left a bunch of nurses with no training in highly infection disease control to deal with the first case in the U.S. (other than flying docs from Africa back to the special centers) there were 70! medical people in contact with him and 2 of them are already sick.
In Africa in past outbreaks (this one seems different) by the time someone is infectious they are too sick to move around and only 1 or 2 family members were in contact with them either nursing them or doing funeral rituals. This strain seems to have a longer incubation time and its a big unknown of when they are shedding the virus and how long it can persist outside the body. Even with this strain that seems to develop more slowly people probably don't drag themselves around while sick in Africa. the hospitals suck so they don't go to one until they are desperate, and I'm sure almost everyone has to walk around a lot to get anywhere so folks don't go "oh I need to get that powerpoint done" or "I'm out of ice cream and I want my comfort food if I'm sick so I'll just run to the store" So I'm pretty sure the CDC transmission rate stats based on Africa are going to have little correlation to how things will work here, at least until a lot of folks are good and scared. What a cheery thought, but there it is.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
New farrier came today ...
I don't think that I will have them out again and hopefully Sadie and Shade are not sore from somewhat aggressive sole paring. I was not expecting a team of farriers and the guy she was paired with used to trim horses for a boarder of ours years ago --small world. Mom and I never thought he did all that great of work, boarder used him because he was cheaper than almost everyone else. Well paying cheap rates for work that isn't quite right sure beats praying the premium rates I paid to J for not trimming hoof that needed to go ---and then he blew me off ---I'm still fuming about that, if he didn't want to work on my horses fine, but what a cowardly weasel not telling me that when he sent the invoice so I would know I needed to go back to my old guy or find someone new before it was an "oh shit, I NEED to have Sadie trimmed before being gone for 12 days and that is barely a week away" situation.
And the blame for Sadie and Shade being a bit sore is at least as much on J for not taking hardly anything when he did them 8 weeks ago so that B had to take a lot of sole and hoof to get them to where they belonged now, and they are only standing on soft sand and not working (Sadie will have two weeks off for foot to grow) and I don't think they got trimmed so short as to cause any laminitis.
I'll probably go back to D for Shade and Grey, and probably have him do Tanza for now because D is quite good with fidgety ayrabs (B was pretty good, but R got annoyed with Grey) and I think I'll try to have the endurance rider/barefoot trimmer do Sadie this winter and contact the CJF endurance rider for recommendations. If I have to take Sadie to a high dollar pro I will do it or if I must learn to rasp/trim for myself and find a tool or figure out better how to gauge heel evenness just by eye and use the hoof boot stuff I will do that, and will do the same for Tanza too if he needs it, although D may be able to do fine for Tanza since Tanza's feet are more normal --nice round feet, with lots of hoof wall. He did not seem like he got trimmed too short, he had a lot of hoof wall to take w/o B needing to take any sole I think.
I guess J has a nice racket with people that want to keep their horses barefoot because 'its so much more natural and therefore better' and are thrilled to give lots of their hubbies money to an expert just to do a bit of rasping and checking up that angles are not getting completely messed up and doesn't want to work on horses that need actual trimming and shoeing. What a pain in the arse several months it has been with trying to figure out Sadies feet and I'm still searching, siggghhh.
And the blame for Sadie and Shade being a bit sore is at least as much on J for not taking hardly anything when he did them 8 weeks ago so that B had to take a lot of sole and hoof to get them to where they belonged now, and they are only standing on soft sand and not working (Sadie will have two weeks off for foot to grow) and I don't think they got trimmed so short as to cause any laminitis.
I'll probably go back to D for Shade and Grey, and probably have him do Tanza for now because D is quite good with fidgety ayrabs (B was pretty good, but R got annoyed with Grey) and I think I'll try to have the endurance rider/barefoot trimmer do Sadie this winter and contact the CJF endurance rider for recommendations. If I have to take Sadie to a high dollar pro I will do it or if I must learn to rasp/trim for myself and find a tool or figure out better how to gauge heel evenness just by eye and use the hoof boot stuff I will do that, and will do the same for Tanza too if he needs it, although D may be able to do fine for Tanza since Tanza's feet are more normal --nice round feet, with lots of hoof wall. He did not seem like he got trimmed too short, he had a lot of hoof wall to take w/o B needing to take any sole I think.
I guess J has a nice racket with people that want to keep their horses barefoot because 'its so much more natural and therefore better' and are thrilled to give lots of their hubbies money to an expert just to do a bit of rasping and checking up that angles are not getting completely messed up and doesn't want to work on horses that need actual trimming and shoeing. What a pain in the arse several months it has been with trying to figure out Sadies feet and I'm still searching, siggghhh.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
One foot in front of the other
Yesterday I loaded up Lady, Sadie and Grey Moun and hauled to Golden, picked up Mason the draft X and we went trail riding at Table Mountain. I love riding with Mason's family. The girl is a teenage girl and I wouldn't offer often to ride with only her and Mason because I'm an old curmudgeon but with the family as a whole it is great. The mom is very down to earth and one of those people who is super easy to talk to. The boy is quiet and at times a bit disorganized but super considerate and Grey loves having him as a rider, he is easy to carry and not bossy, only directing for which trail to take or 'can we have some trot or canter for a bit'. Some horses like more leadership from the rider but Grey has always preferred a 'just give me the outline and let me decide the fine details' riding style.
Today I made some Irish cream liquor. Decided I could not see giving Ear Leaders gub'mint extra excise taxes so it would be better to just add whiskey to cream, coffee and sugar myself. A mini go Galt gesture I guess. I've got beans soaking to make chili. Need to decide what meat I'll add in.
I contacted a new farrier and she said she would fit me in early next week. In some way's Sadies hooves don't look too bad but knowing that this definite imbalance is there w/o having left shoes on way long or otherwise neglected getting regular trims makes my gut clench. I have to mess with Tanza's feet at least one more time before she comes but its sprinkling and a bit windy today so hopefully its nicer tomorrow. Hopefully being held vs just tied will help too. His seller said he was good for hoof trims, but he got agitated when I went to pick out the back foot that had the puncture wound. I should have moved him to a better spot and tied him shorter quicker than I did. Once I did that and only picked out his foot he did act like he felt silly for making such a production of things.
Today I made some Irish cream liquor. Decided I could not see giving Ear Leaders gub'mint extra excise taxes so it would be better to just add whiskey to cream, coffee and sugar myself. A mini go Galt gesture I guess. I've got beans soaking to make chili. Need to decide what meat I'll add in.
I contacted a new farrier and she said she would fit me in early next week. In some way's Sadies hooves don't look too bad but knowing that this definite imbalance is there w/o having left shoes on way long or otherwise neglected getting regular trims makes my gut clench. I have to mess with Tanza's feet at least one more time before she comes but its sprinkling and a bit windy today so hopefully its nicer tomorrow. Hopefully being held vs just tied will help too. His seller said he was good for hoof trims, but he got agitated when I went to pick out the back foot that had the puncture wound. I should have moved him to a better spot and tied him shorter quicker than I did. Once I did that and only picked out his foot he did act like he felt silly for making such a production of things.
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
whinging
misspelled cuz I like the Aussie feel of it. I am so far behind on prepping for stupid hunting trip and stressing and wishing I just was not going. I keep telling myself to suck it up cuz I do quite like eating venison and elk.
I would probably actually even enjoy going hunting if it was with an avid super go getter hunter and all I had to do was ride out to help pack out after a success and otherwise dink around riding on my own and cook suppers and do some horse feeding. But I get so frustrated going with Dad who works hard to increase the odds for the elk and is such a drag to get going in the morning when sis would like to try to get out early to increase chances of seeing something. It was a actually a bit better last year when we were not eating with the big group of more avid hunters. Somehow having all of them being more gung-ho made dad's lazy style even more frustrating. Plus it helped that he got a deer after 2-3 days so I knew we would at least have some good eats out of all that vacation time I was burning. Still I am just stressed about trying to get ready this year.
Does not help AT ALL that the frigging new farrier who emailed an invoice rather than writing one when he was out did NOT respond to my email so I had to finally remember + suck it up and text him again and its iffy if he can come out before we leave and I don't think I can leave Sadie until we get back. To me it looks like her heels are growing more underslung with this shoeing. I don't trust myself to trim her well and now I can't seem to trust any farrier to get things right and I'm so bummed and stressed about that.
I pulled the last bit of goats heads I will bother with this morning. They are mostly getting too dry now and half the burrs have fallen off or fall off when I pull the main plant. I DID clear a lot of the horse pens this year that were over-run last year so I should try to be positive instead of feeling so down about not getting them all the way cleared. Hopefully I will start the year with a well functioning sprayer and that will make it easier to fight them. Plus I think/hope they are thinned out quite a bit in the mini's pens and arena and if those areas (oh I hope) barely need to be sprayed it will help me have time to spray those east pens and the pasture area.
Flies are also thick right now. I don't know if any thicker than all summer but SO not gone yet and they are very noticeable on the ground these mornings. They are overnighting on the warmer ground as the air temps are falling.
Yesterday I just rode Tanza in Grey and Shade's pen. He was pretty good in there. I will just have to twist Dad's arm to ride with me a few times down the road so Tanza has a buddy and maybe L will start coming out and after a few rides I could force her to ride Lady as the steady horse buddy for Tanza. Or DL might come out if I ask her. I know she'd ride Lady in a good way, I just hesitate to ask her to drive so far but she has got some parrot client she trims beak and feet for out here and probably would not mind doing me a favor. I also need to get hooked up with his breeder and see if I can maybe haul with her to some spring rides. Either as a slot in her trailer if it isn't full with boarders or perhaps taking one or 2 of her barn horses in my trailer if she has a big group wanting to go to some rides.
I would probably actually even enjoy going hunting if it was with an avid super go getter hunter and all I had to do was ride out to help pack out after a success and otherwise dink around riding on my own and cook suppers and do some horse feeding. But I get so frustrated going with Dad who works hard to increase the odds for the elk and is such a drag to get going in the morning when sis would like to try to get out early to increase chances of seeing something. It was a actually a bit better last year when we were not eating with the big group of more avid hunters. Somehow having all of them being more gung-ho made dad's lazy style even more frustrating. Plus it helped that he got a deer after 2-3 days so I knew we would at least have some good eats out of all that vacation time I was burning. Still I am just stressed about trying to get ready this year.
Does not help AT ALL that the frigging new farrier who emailed an invoice rather than writing one when he was out did NOT respond to my email so I had to finally remember + suck it up and text him again and its iffy if he can come out before we leave and I don't think I can leave Sadie until we get back. To me it looks like her heels are growing more underslung with this shoeing. I don't trust myself to trim her well and now I can't seem to trust any farrier to get things right and I'm so bummed and stressed about that.
I pulled the last bit of goats heads I will bother with this morning. They are mostly getting too dry now and half the burrs have fallen off or fall off when I pull the main plant. I DID clear a lot of the horse pens this year that were over-run last year so I should try to be positive instead of feeling so down about not getting them all the way cleared. Hopefully I will start the year with a well functioning sprayer and that will make it easier to fight them. Plus I think/hope they are thinned out quite a bit in the mini's pens and arena and if those areas (oh I hope) barely need to be sprayed it will help me have time to spray those east pens and the pasture area.
Flies are also thick right now. I don't know if any thicker than all summer but SO not gone yet and they are very noticeable on the ground these mornings. They are overnighting on the warmer ground as the air temps are falling.
Yesterday I just rode Tanza in Grey and Shade's pen. He was pretty good in there. I will just have to twist Dad's arm to ride with me a few times down the road so Tanza has a buddy and maybe L will start coming out and after a few rides I could force her to ride Lady as the steady horse buddy for Tanza. Or DL might come out if I ask her. I know she'd ride Lady in a good way, I just hesitate to ask her to drive so far but she has got some parrot client she trims beak and feet for out here and probably would not mind doing me a favor. I also need to get hooked up with his breeder and see if I can maybe haul with her to some spring rides. Either as a slot in her trailer if it isn't full with boarders or perhaps taking one or 2 of her barn horses in my trailer if she has a big group wanting to go to some rides.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
I need a younger body
Or to be less obsessive about the goats head burrs. I've been pulling some of the ones that I didn't get sprayed and they set a bunch of burrs. My body is protesting at the 30-40 minutes of pulling per day I've done and I can't trash my back and neck, which are already being fussy and slightly degrading my sleep. But I would so like to get rid of them now. I'd like to be too busy going to rides next year to do as much spraying + I want to spray the pasture area a couple times next year.
But I did ride Tanza Saturday. He was not such a saint this time. I am a bit intimidated to push him, lot of power under me and I don't want it blowing up. I went to about the same spot I turned around on Monday but turned him a bit before while he was walking forward for me. He stopped a lot on the way out. That is not a big deal, but he wanted to zoom home and was not quite as nice about slowing down as on his first ride out.
I rode him in Grey and Shades pen for a few laps when we got back so he would not think he is just done when we get home. He was anxious, but is enough of a smart cookie that he might make the connection and act that way to be lazy in future if it gets rewarded now. I am reminding myself that he did not do anything very bad at all; just felt like he was not too far from bolting or blowing up a couple times.
Rode Sadie today. She was pretty good but acted rather spooky and anxious. Maybe a bit of something in the air this weekend LOL. Mostly I think its just that she had 3 weeks off. She had been getting so good for me before her colic and layoff. I'm going to have to suck it up and text the new farrier, have not had a reply to emailing him. Hopefully after everyone is trimmed again I'll either feel better about him or know I have to search again. There is one on FB that a lot of folks south of here are using that posts pics of some of his work and it looks so good. Makes me so bummed that he never called back when I was trying to get him this summer. But then the old farrier is still doing Dad's horses and CJ's shoeing job looks pretty good -- I need someone that can do good work on Sadie's tricky feet.
Also did some laundry this weekend and finally got mom's memorial service plant repotted. Thank goodness the coop had potting soil when I thought to look for it when I got some horse feed. I never remembered to try to get it at Target or my rare trips to Walmart and Dad never bought any even though he was all hot to get it repotted way back in early summer.
But I did ride Tanza Saturday. He was not such a saint this time. I am a bit intimidated to push him, lot of power under me and I don't want it blowing up. I went to about the same spot I turned around on Monday but turned him a bit before while he was walking forward for me. He stopped a lot on the way out. That is not a big deal, but he wanted to zoom home and was not quite as nice about slowing down as on his first ride out.
I rode him in Grey and Shades pen for a few laps when we got back so he would not think he is just done when we get home. He was anxious, but is enough of a smart cookie that he might make the connection and act that way to be lazy in future if it gets rewarded now. I am reminding myself that he did not do anything very bad at all; just felt like he was not too far from bolting or blowing up a couple times.
Rode Sadie today. She was pretty good but acted rather spooky and anxious. Maybe a bit of something in the air this weekend LOL. Mostly I think its just that she had 3 weeks off. She had been getting so good for me before her colic and layoff. I'm going to have to suck it up and text the new farrier, have not had a reply to emailing him. Hopefully after everyone is trimmed again I'll either feel better about him or know I have to search again. There is one on FB that a lot of folks south of here are using that posts pics of some of his work and it looks so good. Makes me so bummed that he never called back when I was trying to get him this summer. But then the old farrier is still doing Dad's horses and CJ's shoeing job looks pretty good -- I need someone that can do good work on Sadie's tricky feet.
Also did some laundry this weekend and finally got mom's memorial service plant repotted. Thank goodness the coop had potting soil when I thought to look for it when I got some horse feed. I never remembered to try to get it at Target or my rare trips to Walmart and Dad never bought any even though he was all hot to get it repotted way back in early summer.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Took Tanza for his first ride down the road on Monday
I was wishing briefly "gee I wish L was coming out to ride so he would have a buddy horse", had to remind myself that L on Lady wouldn't be that great as L lets Lady pretty much do whatever Lady wants and enjoys running towards home which I would not want for first few rides on a high energy horse that is so new to me.
Tanza was quite good. I am very happy with him. He walked out briskly, stopping a couple times to look around briefly and moving on when I asked him to. He wanted to hurry home, but complied with me asking him to slow back to a walk every time as he started trotting.
Ole went along. First time he's joined me since sometime this spring. Someone on my horse BB recommended Devils claw for the old dog/arthritis symptoms. I did not jump into that, thought dogs probably don't get that much out of a herbal remedy but finally went "well what do I have to lose, if it works its cheaper than previcoxx and I don't have to twist his vet's arm to get it" Happy I did that as it seems to have both Ole and Mia feeling more perky.
So far the only downside with Tanza is the: trying to ride 2 horses with work and doing some basic ranch and house chores. I knew that could be an issue and hesitated a long time on looking for a 2nd horse because of it. God was looking out for me there since Tanza is such a great fit for me.
Tanza was quite good. I am very happy with him. He walked out briskly, stopping a couple times to look around briefly and moving on when I asked him to. He wanted to hurry home, but complied with me asking him to slow back to a walk every time as he started trotting.
Ole went along. First time he's joined me since sometime this spring. Someone on my horse BB recommended Devils claw for the old dog/arthritis symptoms. I did not jump into that, thought dogs probably don't get that much out of a herbal remedy but finally went "well what do I have to lose, if it works its cheaper than previcoxx and I don't have to twist his vet's arm to get it" Happy I did that as it seems to have both Ole and Mia feeling more perky.
So far the only downside with Tanza is the: trying to ride 2 horses with work and doing some basic ranch and house chores. I knew that could be an issue and hesitated a long time on looking for a 2nd horse because of it. God was looking out for me there since Tanza is such a great fit for me.
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