Recovery

Hello everybodies, how are you? I am fabulous. I am totally recovered from my adventure of enduring for fifty miles. I had some days off to rest and relax in my field, and some days of doing brain work (you know, cos for losing my brain and embarrassing Cyd). We are practicing my yielding of my butt and my yielding of my shoulders, my backing up out of Cyd's space, my politely walking and trotting on my rope, and practicing trotting on my rope in straight lines without biting Cyd's face off. 

On Friday we went for a short pony ride, that was meant to be just walking, but I felt so good I really wanted to go faster. Cyd let me do a little bit of trotting here and there, but mostly we relaxed on a loose rein just ambling. We thought we spotted a trail and started adventuring on it, but then Cyd remembered the time of year and we turned back. There are some special kinds of gardeners in our woods, and they are busy this time of year, and it might be one of their trails. Those people get REALLY mad if you stumble into their garden. We will explore (carefully) another time, and stick to our main trails for now. On our way back from this pony ride, I decided it wasn't time to be done yet. I walked past the gate to my field, looked back at it, then kept going down the street. Once we got to where my friends live Cyd turned me in there so we could visit Aunty V. The people did chatting for a while, then we went off home again. As a test, Cyd decided to see if I would walk past my gate again. I totally did. At some point on our ride Cyd dropped my purple tailing rope. When it's not attached to my halter it is knotted up and clipped on my saddle. Cyd must have forgotten to clip it and it fell off somewhere. She knew for sure where she last had it though, so was going to look for it on the next ride. Troubles is, someone took it. Normally there's never anybody on my trails, cos for it being private properties, but it's been busy there lately. There's a few people who let their dogs run in the early mornings, and two teenagers on their ATV, and there's been lots more footprints and tire tracks lately, maybe from gardening people, maybe from property purchasers. The forest is for sale, and we're a bit sad that maybe we won't be able to ride there soon. Hey, if you found my purple rope, we would please like it back cos for it being so useful! Thanks! 

I was quite bouncy on Monday while I was waiting for my trimmer lady to come and do my feeties. Cyd didn't get my super excited bouncing on video, but she got some. I was totally good for getting my hoofies done (which shouldn't be surprising anymore). Cyd came back later to do pony riding, this time going further more like a normal ride for me. I was really well behaved, and completely the opposite of my morning field self, so we practiced reinless riding as part of my neck loop training.

 We did walking and trotting and cantering (not all reinless...). I didn't wear my booties cos for Cyd being lazy, so I couldn't do trotting on the road like I wanted in case I hurt my feeties. So I decided to make up for lost time, and show Cyd how recovered I was feeling (it has been over a week after all). I did some of my best cantering. It was definitely my best cantering on a solo ride. I did canter for about a mile and a half with just a couple short trotting strides. Cyd video'd a little bit for you to have a Bugsy ride-along. The only bouncing I did is what you see in the video bit, which was at the end of my cantering. How good is that! I did have some bad moments on my pony ride, but they were greatly outweighed by my good moments. 

I picked a pampas grass snack to carry along

Yesterday I did my groundwork practicing, then got a pony massage. I have some tightness in my butt, which is making tightness in my back, so I go hollow instead of lifting, which will give me backache. I also have some tightness in my neck, but we didn't have time to work on that this day, we'll do more today after my pony ride. We're trying to figure out exactly how to make my saddle perfect for me. It's not quite right yet, but we have some experimenting to do, and now Aunt-E is living back in California we might be able to do more really long rides, since I don't get ouchy on my normal rides. We don't want me ouchy, but if it doesn't happen Cyd can't figure out what to fix. Maybe my butt is the problem, maybe my giant shoulders? Maybe I just need to get stronger, I'm still young after all. Who knows! 

Today we will be practicing doing two loopys, doing my short loop twice instead of going home. I'll try to be good but I'm not making any promises!

I Endured!

Short version: I finished!

Hello everybodies, how are you? I am more than fabulous, cos for me now being an official enduring pony. I went to Cuneo Creek, I did pony riding for 50 miles, I passed all my vet checks, I had energy to spare, and I am now an Endurance Horse. Are you proud of me? Caution: we went a long way and this is a long report:

Beautiful views

Pro pic - Boots N Bloomers

I should back up a little, and point out that it was not all fairy dusts and rainbows at this enduring pony ride as far as I'm concerned. I did some of my very worst behavings EVER! Cyd was so embarrassed by me. The first vet lady was the nicest, although they were all very nice to me. My first vetting was also my worst behaving, so bad I didn't even get a number on my butt, cos for nobody, even Cyd, was going to touch my butt with my brain wherever it was. I had to go back to my pen and think about my bad behavings. Cyd put my number on me later when I was calm again, so the volunteers could easily track me. The vet line was a little bit tricky cos for having a long wait, and then a generator right next to us, and then a band playing where we were doing trottings. However, all the ponies had to deal with this, not just me, so it's not forgivable. I will do learning and practicing and be better next time! I still scored all A's, but my pulse was 52. This is okay, but not perfect, cos for me being excited. This day we went on a short pony ride by ourselves, and I got to practice skills I would need the next day, and make sure all my gear was set up just right so we didn't have to fuss with it in the early morning. During the night I ate tons of snacks and drank a lot of waters and laid down to take a nap so I was fresh and ready to go, even though I had no idea what was planned for me.

Feeling small in the Redwood Forest

Death marching up the hill [Photo by MB]

Saturday morning Cyd brought me my mash foods really early in the dark, and told me to eat up and drink lots cos we had a long day ahead of us. After we both ate breakfast she came to put my saddle on me, and my extra gear like my sponge on a rope. There were already some ponies walking around, so about ten minutes before start time Cyd led me out and we walked away from the other ponies near the start line, and we went to a quiet spot without other ponies. I was super hyper but keeping all four feeties on the ground. Suddenly another pony came trotting super fast behind me, and I lost my mind. I did rearing, then I did leaping for the moon, and generally being a poop face. The other pony then did trotting super fast away from me and I just didn't know what to do with myself. Cyd says I did something called "totally checking out", and it took her forever to make me calm enough to even walk to the start. We met a new friend called M and her pony Fetti, so once I was kind of calm we went to the the start line. Most of the ponies had already gone but I was not ready yet. Cyd asked the nice Timing Man if there was a rule that she had to be riding her pony to start the race, but he said it was up to her. So we started just by leading. I got really bad again. As soon as I was quiet for more than one whole minute, Cyd hopped up on my back. This actually made me better, and very quickly I settled in behind Fetti. It took M a few minutes to hop up on her pony and I quietly waited, not like the raging lunatic I had been. Then we were off, and it was just like any other pony ride! M and Cyd hit it off and chatted away, every now and again pausing to growl at us ponies (mostly me) for making snarky faces at each other. I did trotting, even up some of the hills, and I did a lot of being in front. We got to a long down hill and Cyd hopped down to do running and give me a break. It took a while to find a way we were both okay with, but then we were off. We did great at running until we didn't. I did one of the worst things I ever did. I tried to kick Cyd! Lucky she has quick reactions, and my hoof just bumped her knee a bit. It hurt her but not badly and didn't do any damages. She walked next to me for a bit, and then got back on cos for wanting to rest it. I lost running privileges after that, and told we had some Big Lessons coming up. Me and Fetti went back to trottings, and before we knew it we were coming back to camp. The first thing you do is pulse down, which I did in one minute. Fetti took a bit longer than me so I ate some snacks and waited for her so she didn't get sad I was leaving. Once we were both pulsed in we went to eat our lunches at our own camps, and see the vet. Cyd took me to the vet right away so we could both relax the whole time we were there. I scored all A's except in 2 boxes. Gut sounds get 4 scores, and I got 2 A's and 2 B's. Time to eat some snacks, drink some waters, and relax. 

Running down the hill [Photo by MB]

M and Fetti, who is an Enduring Haflinger

After we had rested for 1 hour, it was time to leave again. We had to go back up the same hill like at the beginning, but now it was hot. Neither me nor Fetti wanted to go up, and our people had to encourage us a whole lot. I did a little bit of my stopping, but once I realised Cyd meant business I started trotting more. We had to go down some hard packed downhill, we alternated walking and trotting depending on how steep it was and how much I was concentrating. Sometimes I got a bit carried away and had to stop to calm down so I didn't fall over! Back at the river one of the fast ponies was coming back, and she said we had a massive hill to do next. We set off feeling fresh, and trotted up lots of the hill, only walking the steep bits. Then we came to where it was mostly flat-ish, Cyd and M commented on how that wasn't too bad, and we flew along the trail, both of us ponies feeling gooood. Until it went up. Fetti did much better than me here, I was not enjoying so much up. It felt like it went on forever. Finally we got to the top and took a big long drink. There were some people who we did leapfrogging with on the way up, who basically told us we had to go in front of them now or we had to stay behind them the whole way down. The peoples decided to stay behind them so us ponies could drink. Except the peoples in front were going quite slowly and there were quite a few places to pass. We started out staying back quite a ways, but the front people kept walking. Once we stopped staying way back they kept trotting some more. The downhill went on a long way but it was switch backs and very pretty. Once we hit the valley floor M and Cyd asked the people in front if we could pass. They were a little bit rude, one person saying that she was going to let her horse trot out doing big trottings and we might not keep up. Cyd and M said they had been holding us ponies back for a long time (which was true, we were raring to go even though this was the furthest we had ever been). They said if the big trotting pony turned out to be faster than us they would gladly move out of the way and let her come by. We never saw her again though. Me and Fetti loved moving out fast, and it was so pretty under the giant massive Redwoods. There were no more big hills, and we still had tons of energy, and we just flew through the forest. We had been taking turns being lead pony on this loopy, but for the last little bit I was raring to go. Cyd put me in the front, and I kept asking to canter. I was doing so great at enduring! We did big trottings all the way back until we could see camp. We walked the last bit cos for it being downhill on pavement, though Cyd didn't get off me. Everybody cheered for us when we finished. We have 30 minutes to have our pulses taken but we did it right away cos for Cyd wanting to see how good I did. It only took me three minutes! 

Getting good at downhill trotting [Photo by MB]

Getting close to the finish!

Our super awesome crew people took my saddle back to our camp, and Cyd took me a handful of hay foods to eat on the way so we could go straight to the vet. I still didn't do good at trotting out! My gut sounds had got better, now 3 A's and only 1 B, but I got a B for my back being a little bit sore, and I got a B for my attitude cos for trying to bite Cyd's face off! (Told you I was Very Bad!) Everything else was A's! Now I was all finished and could go to my pen and sleep. I still had a lot of energies left, and when Cyd took me walking later that evening I was bouncing around, and again the next morning. I was relaxed enough in my pen to lay down and eat my snacks. My legs looked great the whole time, and didn't get hot or puffy like happens to some ponies. You know what else we're super proud of? I lost 2 front booties within the first 2 miles, and only 1 was retrievable, so I only wore my back booties for the first loopy. Cyd didn't want to have more problems and the footing is pretty good on this course. At our lunch time vet check, Cyd told the vet I only wore back booties in the morning, and would like his permission to wear no booties in the afternoon. The vet said that since I don't always wear booties at home that it was okay, as long as Cyd was careful with me, and that I came back sound. So I did this ride nearly totally barefoot! My feeties looked great at the end. We went a bit slower over some of the ground than we might have done if I had booties on, but other than that it doesn't seem to have made a difference to me.

Pro pic - Boots N Bloomers

So there you go. Now I am a real enduring pony. I have some things to work on, but other than my camp behavings I did amazing, and never ran out of energy. There was another race the next day and when me and Cyd walked by the vet on our leg stretching walk the next morning he watched me and said how great I looked and should be going again that day too. I totally had the energies to do another loop on Saturday, or another ride on Sunday, but I'm not quite physically ready for that. It would be awful to push me too far and get me hurt. We have lots of time to turn me into an enduring champion! Thank you to our Super Awesome Crew and the Lady in Red, and to M and Fetti for being our besties for the day. We hope you had as much fun as we did, and we'd love to ride with you again some day.

Monday morning - what 50 miles?

Updates for the Bugsyfans

Hello everybodies, how are you? I am fabulous, though you might not have guessed that cos for Cyd never doing my typing for me! I have been going on lots of pony rides though, of all kinds. And we have some big news. Look what got put in the mail:

I am officially entered in my first 50 mile endurance ride! It is at the same place as where I did my LD ride. Some of my friends are going (big thanks to the Lady In Red for lending us a pony trailer for me to go in). Three of my friends are going, and Cyd says some of my other friends will be there too, so I best be on good behavings. Since I was bad last time, I have to have a red ribbon in my tail just in cases. Cyd always tries to keep me in a space whatever we're doing cos I get nervous if I'm crowded, but last time it was when someone ran behind me to make me do trotting for my vet check (I didn't get her but it's Never Okay To Kick!!). We definitely don't want to take chances!!! (Red ribbons mean 'this pony might kick out', just in cases you didn't know.) 

Pony riding attire

Two of my rides this week have been bareback rides. I didn't even wear my bridle, Cyd just put my headcollar on, and my skinny rope called a tailing lead. After walking up the street, Cyd just looped the rope where it clips on to make a circle, and hopped on. I did amazing, you guys! So good that Cyd has ordered me something called a neck loop, so we can be ready to do pony riding without anything on my head. This is a work in progress of course, but I'm doing really well.

I also went on a pony ride with Aunty V. I did really good at going to the creek cos for being a pro at that now. I did get a bit nervous when a big machine on an even bigger truck drove right by. The driver was very nice and came by super slow to try to not scare us ponies, but it rattled and was really close and I didn't like it. I did dancing on the side of the road, while Cyd held my face and a hand on my belly so I didn't spin my butt into the road. My body stayed in the same spot but my legs were moving super fast cos for wanting to run away but knowing that's not what grown ups do. Everyone laughed at me a little bit.

 

I made it really good up Abalobodiah (we just did walking this time) and even got a bit impatient at how slow everyone was going. We took a breather at the top and Cyd needed to duck behind a bush so we trotted away from my friends by myself, no worries. I was even so good on this ride that I did leading for a bit. Unfortunately halfway home I decided I didn't want to lead anymore, so Aunty V took over the lead but instead of taking me to the back, Cyd made me go ahead and do trotting. Once I trotted away from my friends, I was back to my usual happy self, and we rode back to the trailer by ourselves. I'm a strange pony sometimes. 

Looking back to see if my friends are coming yet

Where are we going so early?

 Today's pony ride was a long distance ride for checking my fitness ready for my Big Adventure. Guess how far I went? Nearly 17 miles! Not only that, but I did more than 2400' of elevation gain (which also means over 2400' of descent, that's a lot of hills). We did similar speed to what I will be doing for my race. We didn't do much downhill trottings cos for it being hard on ponies. At my ride we will do more with Cyd hopping off and running alongside. We practice this sometimes, but not today. I was so good most of the time. I was a little backwards thinking in a couple of spots, like when we were going up a really big hill and there was a choice of turning for home, which we always do on this loopy, or going more up the hill to do the loopy a second time. I thought Cyd might be a bit bonkers, but I reluctantly went up and up again. I barely hesitated at the next turn where we could go home a short way or a long way. I looked the short way, but Cyd said the long way trail so I took off trottings. You know the scariest thing on today's ride? Somebody doing shooting! (Don't panic we were safe!) We were trotting along minding our own business when I did skidding to emergency stop and threw my head up. Cyd was wondering why, then heard it too. I was really scared, but didn't run away. Cyd did listening to try and figure out where they were cos for us not seeing anyone. I was super nervous, so she hopped off and led me down to the road that we had to go along anyway. We found the people, who knew there was a trail there so were not shooting that direction. Cyd got their attention and asked them very nicely to wait a few minutes for us to get out of the area. They were very nice and apologized for scaring me. Usually we don't ask people to stop what they're doing even if I'm nervous, cos I just have to learn to do my job, but this is a bit different from normals. Cyd hopped on and we scooted away back on to the next trail. I was still being so good. I grabbed a bite of snack here and there, and Cyd gave me a bit of her banana. I had got a breakfast mash too, since Cyd didn't want me to get a bellyache.

Early morning trails

I was still full of energy when I got home, so obviously my long ride wasn't very taxing on me even with the big hills and all the trottings. I got washed off and then Cyd went to her truck. I came to the gate and did a lot of whinnying. I wanted my second mash bucket. Turns out I was gettting one, but the supplements were in the car not the barn. I wanted to make sure she didn't forget me. 

My elevation chart from the GPS track of this morning's ride!

Phew! That was a lot to catch up on! I'm really starting to be a great little pony, though definitely can be a bit tricky both on the ground and under saddle. Luckily Cyd knows my tricks and I am improving at most of them, but every now and again I throw in a new one. Stay alert, Cyd! It would be boring if I was a perfect pony all the time!