~ E.G.
August 26, 2011
Nice lovely healed up back for Journey
The "hive" looking lumps, inflammation, and swelling are gone from Journey's back. It took a full week . She is good to go for the weekend. The temperatures outside this morning were FANtabULOUS! I can just feel Fall right around the corner. Much to do this weekend as I set up some of the obstacles and start desensitizing the horses to those prior to under saddle work. My mind is festering on a dangling vine obstacle and my brilliant spouse says "put it where they come into the barn twice a day. Smart man ☺, so that is a to do project. Once I get our landscaping timbers I also need to build a square box of sorts that will hold the front end or the back end of the horse for a pattern working off haunches or forehand.
My front lot is going to look sort of like this illustration when I'm done with it. This means I'll have to turn my oval pen back into a round pen for Journey (whining and moaning about dragging those panels). The entire project isn't going to have costed much more than $50! Landscaping timbers are about $2, I already had barrels for the board obstacle, Doug picked up the board for about $5, the weaving cones are kids sand buckets turned upside down for .75 cents each! I bought 100 feet of soft rope for $5.99 which took care of the log drag rope, and will simulate vines hanging once cut and knotted through a scrap of board. The gate that Journey bent nearly in half is going to be hammered back into some resemblance of its former self and will be hung between two trees out in our woods to practice opening and closing a gate from horse back. We will require a cheap black tarp, and a blue tarp, my heavy rain slicker, and a trash bag full of cans. I will have to purchase a good piece of exterior plywood to cover a heavy skid for a simulated wooden bridge which I haven't decided on location....probably out in the woods somewhere that the tractor will fit to drag it! Then my CTC course will be pretty much done. Phebes and I will tackle one thing at a time, first from the ground, and then from the saddle. What little I've already attempted of this has all been much more difficult than it appears from watching the videos at the ACTHA site. You really require some handle on your horse to do a good job of it. I'm so excited about having a job for Phebes, and don't feel that incredible sense of loss anymore. My heart is very much wrapped up in that horse, and so much of ME has gone into taming the wild beast in her. I feel like I get to have her back and that makes me SO VERY HAPPY☺
~ E.G.
~ E.G.
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Don't forget to pick up some pool noodles. I have seen them at several obstacle events. Some horses are not bothered by them, but some....
ReplyDeleteAnother thing to attempt - walking over/thru empty feed bags.
Awww, sounds like some wonderful plans with your mare. I think you'll really enjoy being involved in ACTHA. It's going on 2 years now for me, and 5 ride (2 more coming up in Sept)
ReplyDeleteThe folks I've ridden with aren't competitive in the same way that horse show people tend to be. most folks are very supportive and everyone cheers each other on at each obstacle. And it's such a blast seeing the same folks at each ride and visiting and riding with old friends, too.
Don't forget to pick up a sparkly silver coated tarp, too. That seems to be a popular color at the ACTHA rides I've ridden in or judged. lol!
I used to just have a brown tarp, but then realized I needed more colors because horses do recognize colors and shiny objects. An old holey trampoline mat serves the purpose of the Big Black hole in my paddock. We had to do quite a bit of work for my mare to feel comfortable and confident crossing over and standing on that. :)
Also an old hat and a long stick to do the hat grab, too. That's a popular challenge ride planners set up.
Backing up between L-shaped cavalettis is another obstacle I see a lot of, too.
Oh and the hanging rope vine sounds great, but you might also want to switch it around sometimes with a hanging shower curtain cut into strips (white seems to be a popular obstacle color), or black garbage bags cut into strips. Make sure to point a fan at them, so they blow around just like they do on the trail. hehe!
Oh look what you've done....caught me up in your enthusiasm and excitement. I love it!
~Lisa
I think you will really like ACTHA rides. They are much more laid back than an endurance ride, but challenging in their own way. I think there is one ride left in Indiana. I hope to take Doc. You should come along! Don't worry if your horse isn't 100% prepared. People are all over the map when it comes to their preparedness. There will be those who are like professionals and those who can't even back their horses up.
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