Tuesday, August 04, 2020

I rode Sunni and she for the first time wore a bitless bridle. For anyone unfamiliar with bitless bridles, they’re like having the horse in a simple halter. The difference is that a bitless bridle has rings to accommodate ordinary reins. For a horse, generally easygoing and cooperative, a bitless bridle is comfortable, allows for grazing, and is easy to put on and take off. It’s important to know, however, that if a horse decides to take off–I’m saying, really get going like BOOM–a rider can’t do much to stop that action.

Sunni is a kind horse and that bridle made just one noticeable difference–more “discussions” about whether she could stop and graze. I found that her neck is strong enough to ignore some of my tuggings, but she didn’t always win. Anyway, Sunni is good natured, willing to stop only briefly before moving ahead.

She’s so easy and trustworthy, we went places I’ve been hesitating to explore. We bushwacked through a slight break in a large lava ridge and managed to cross over.

On the other side, we chose a route through low ground foliage to work our way over to a road that I’d never before seen. We followed it in a direction that took us farther away from the trailhead and somewhere I noticed, to our left and heading into another large ridge, a well-beaten horse path–exactly the sort of pathway I enjoy finding.

That path meandered through the ridge and wove around numerous rocky outpoints.

The trail was about a mile long, an easy, pretty ride ending at another road, this one seemed familiar. We we turned toward the trailhead but I couldn’t resist the ridge, and soon we shifted, rode across it again, quickly finding ourselves up high among rocks.

Nothing seemed scary. We worked our way over and onto the worn trail that had brought us there, and on it journeyed back to that first unrecognizable road.

My inclination was to follow its general direction toward the trailhead, but Sunni kept trying to move us into flat, forested lands. We’d be bushwacking across and nothing looked familiar. I didn’t much trust Sunni’s sense of direction, but it was early afternoon with yet enough daylight to backtrack if needed.

Sunni strolled and ate her way through the grasslands and among trees for about a mile. She exactly was on target. We emerged on a road where on a hill above stood an adobe house–a key marker that signals the nearby trailhead.

That fun ride accomplished much: (1) introduced a bitless bridle, (2) discovered ridge crossings (3) found an established horse trail, (4) invited cross-country riding, and (5) confirmed Sunni’s accurate sense of direction.

Besides, the day was fine in all ways, like that beautiful sky.

Dear Friends: Today, we’ll do it again, and now joined by Anna riding Rosie. Diana

Monday, August 03, 2020

I loaded my mare, Rosie, hauled her to the trails, my rare outing with only one horse. Usually, everybody goes. On the trals, I ride one horse and pony another, while my donkey and dogs follow along. Rosie can be problematic when I ride her while ponying another horse. I’m too busy to focus on Rosie and she does lots of jigging and jogging, won’t simply walk. It’s been puzzling because Rosie can be a wonderful ride. She’s very light to handle with a well balanced frame that’s friendly to a rider.

So, why all the jigging and jogging? Is Rosie challenging her rider? Does she dislike Sunni’s following closely? Is something not right with her tack? Are the flying insects too bothersome? What, oh what?

Last week, my friend, Anna, an experienced horse-person rode Rosie, and Rosie fully was cooperative. Anna explained that she was leaving Rosie’s reins very loose, and very carefully was keeping her own body relaxed. She felt Rosie as a very sensitive horse and considered her delightful to ride.

My next time on Rosie, I concentrated on staying relaxed, left Rosie’s reins loose, focused on maintaining softness in my saddle, and kept loose my legs. For ponying Sunni, I allowed more than usual lead rope. The ride began well, but soon as we turned onto a narrow trail, Sunni began grabbing at grass and Rosie started to jig and jog, which continued through the rest of our outing. In fact, upon our return and reaching the trail’s end, near where weeks ago Rosie became frightened of a loose helium balloon, she refused to go forward on that section of trail. I was very challenged to move her on toward the nearby trailhead.

I decided that my next outing would include Rosie as my only horse. We’d work on our relationship. I’d follow Anna’s guidance by letting Rosie’s reins stay loose, would keep my body soft. Here’s what happened:

From the moment I got into Rosie’s saddle, her behavior was perfect. With little guidance she strolled comfortably out to the trail. On reaching a rocky, steep section, I focused on sitting softly and she moved upward easily. We turned onto a narrow trail on which she jigs and jogs, but now she strolled casually and stayed exactly on the path. Her behavior never changed as we traveled along roads or followed trails, and traveled some through cross-country.

Rosie was a perfect ride, and now, I worked harder to become a better rider. Rosie has a tendency to be hyper-alert, always moving her head to look around and pausing to focus intently, her ears constantly-rotating as radar-sensors. I remained physically unresponsive to all signals from Rosie’s head, neck, and ears. Experience has taught that Rosie signals concern by tightening her body under the saddle. A rider can feel that change and adjust. Through this ride, Rosie’s body stayed loose, mine stayed loose, and we teamed successfully.

Later, as Anna and I discussed all this, I had a sudden epiphany that explained why Rosie jigs and jogs as I pony Sunni who grabs at grass. Sunni isn’t a quick and unnoticeable grabber so I tug on her rope. While yanking the rope, my body tightens and it’s is a signal to Rosie’s high sensitivity. In exactly the way Rosie’s body tightening under my saddle informes me of possible action, my body tightening in Rosie’s saddle communicates to her the same. So, she dances in readiness.

Rosie is wired to respond to muscle signals. All animals are, and some like Rosie are more highly sensitive. I’ve been aware of this but mostly unconsciously, and only now am gaining enough insight to take a stab at articulating what may be causing Rosie’s unwelcome trail behavior. It’s my ponying a second horse while riding Rosie, and yanking on a lead rope. Each yank causes my frequent shifting in the saddle, and Rosie responds with, “What do you need from me now, mom?”

Am I trying to psychoanalyze a horse? Nah. Rosie simply does “horse things”. This is about me, having to understand, accommodate and adjust. A best-ride from any horse results from a rider’s correct saddle seat, kindness toward the animal, and the two being in an appropriate situation.

Next, I’ll take Sunni by herself, she’s an easy and bomb-proof ride. It’s been unfair of me to think that Rosie should be more like Sunni. Both are great horses, but each is enough different to warrant from me insights and accommodations to their individualities, and with respect and admiration.

Dear Friends: “Learning Rosie” is becoming a life-lesson that adjusts my worldview. Diana

Sunday, August 02, 2020

This summer in Central Oregon has offered incredibly beautiful days. We do get real hot weather but usually later in the afternoons. During a day’s early and mid-sections, the relatively cool weather invites folks to outdoor activities. My hours outdoors are consumed by caring for property and animals, and visits to a local forest to ride on horseback.

We’re rolling into August, argurably Central Oregon’s hottest month. Experience teaches that our August weather has unique demands. I’m hoping to accommodate by rearranging my days, so it’s possible to leave earlier for outside activities. In an afternoon’s oncoming heat, I want to be inside, simply vegging-out with streaming videos.

To facilitate this, my riding arrangement will change. Instead of taking all my animals together out, I’ll begin hauling a single horse to ride and will alter their outings. Unfortunately, that means Pimmy often remains home and baby-sits the horse left behind.

I’ve a triple purpose for hauling single horses. One horse enables riding’s sheer pleasure and time to work more with individual animals to strengthen our trail-partnerships. A third plus is that handling single horses leaves more freedom to fiddle with my electronic assists. I want to learn more about features that, for example, enable using a compass, and allow for creating and saving maps of horse-trails.

Dear Friends: Time has escaped me, and again no photo. I’ll plan to do better tomorrow. Diana

Saturday, August 01, 2020

My friend Anna spoke about the wisdom of remaining very relaxed while on horseback. We were out riding and the horses were our main topic. An experienced rider, she knows that horses do sense a rider’s slightest muscle tensions. She offers that a very sensitive horse, like my Rosie, may respond by becoming a worrisome ride.

I’ve complained about Rosie’s tendency to jig and jog on the trail when her rider simply wants a walk. Rosie’s normal walk is light and smooth, pleasant to sit. But she refuses to settle into a walk when carrying me in the Horse Butte National Forest. It’s a new riding territory for us and often we’ve explored its trails. I’m with three equines and four dogs, and working to manage and keep an eye on all.

Anna had me wonder if my outings, although enjoyable, create a high tension in myself that may impact negatively my horses. She points out that horses respond to a tense rider by becoming tense themselves. My issues are (1) with Rosie, who jigs and jogs instead of simply walking, and (2) with Sunni’s ignoring her rider by frequently and suddenly stopping to grab at grass. Anna didn’t blame such behaviors on the horses, she instead suggested that maybe they’re responses to a rider’s tensions.

We have learned to understand that tension is a double-sided phenomenon. One side can stimulate a person to explore, learn, create, and socialize. The other may cause a person to feel worn out, sad, closed-off and depressed. While my recent riding tensions are on the euphoric side, they nonetheless create a frequent tightening while I’m on horseback. Maybe it’s why Rosie jigs and Sunni halts, and both have become frustrating.

Yesterday in Horse Butte, I experimented by riding Sunni and ponying Rosie over an easy route. We didn’t have a particular destination, but simply walked in a direction away from the trailhead and eventually looping around to it. I focused on sitting lightly in Sunni’s saddle and guiding her with loose reins, and on not pulling or jerking on Rosie’s rope to make her “follow better”.

That focus on staying very relaxing resulted in a very enjoyable outing with my horses. Sunni did try to pause for grass, but seemed to do this less often and with less obstinance. Rosie, without a hitch walked correctly on her rope and barely was noticeable. I hardly believed this was us!

We’ll try this again today and hoping for another good outing. I’ll ride Rosie and focus on staying relaxed in her saddle and guiding with loose reins. I’ll hold lightly Sunni’s ponying rope, won’t jerk on it. I’ll stay tuned to managing the horses well, and not think so much about other trail-related goals that also may be worthwhile.

(I took photos during yesterday’s ride, but my goofball-self forgot to bring the camera from my truck. Today, I’ll take new pictures of those happier horses.)

Dear Friends: Everything works out best by letting events evolve in a logical order. Diana

Friday, July 31, 2020

This morning, I’m leaving early to take my Border Collie, Miles, to a specialist veterinarian. There, he’ll be anesthesized, his synovial fluids drawn, and tests run to determine if he has autoimmune disease. Miles’ swollen joints suggest he has that not-pretty disease, I know it well from an earlier dog of mine. I’m bummed that Miles might have developed it, but prior to test results can hope for an outcome suggesting a condition less aggressive.

Yesterday, Rosie and her rider, Anna, immediately gained mutual understanding, and Rosie, who can be obnoxious with riders, performed at her best. Anna’s guidance of Rosie was very light, and she explained that Rosie is very sensitive, that the slightest tension in her rider also tenses this horse, changes her behavior. Anna’s handling found Rosie’s very light and responsive side, so she experienced the very fine ride Rosie can offer.

Later as we unsaddled, Anna said that she estimates the younger Rosie, during her top career years had outstanding capabilities. And I’ve understood the same from other friends, experienced with horses, who’ve on-and-off handled Rosie since she was a tiny filly.

On the other hand, Anna learned, too, and quite a bit…about donkeys. We made pretty good time over the trails, even with pauses to listen for Pimmy’s cowbell or to wait until she could catch up with the horses. My wonderful trail dogs, Ranger and Louie, as usual went the whole distance.

A fun ride.

Dear Friends: Please keep good thoughts for Miles, always a fastest, most athletic companion. Diana

Thursday, July 30, 2020

This morning just a quick hello, for I must get ready, early, to leave for a ride on horseback.

The other day, I was in the forest on horseback and feeling slightly lost when I heard a sudden distant thundering, and soon, more thundering roars. My electronics indicated that the trailhead was a couple of miles away. I thought my horse was heading toward the trailhead, but she soon arrived at a paved road. Across that road was a butte located in a direction opposite where I should be going. Accompanied by thunder rumblings, I turned to begin backtracking fast as possible, and estimating that reaching the trailhead would take from forty-five minutes to an hour. I hoped the rain would hold and it nearly did. For we were on a trail only about fifteen minutes out when a sprinkle caught us. That slight moisture turned out to be local, we moved through it quickly.

Today will be hot, and hopefully, without any hints that surprise and warn of oncoming rain.

Dear Readers: Have a great day. Diana

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Again, today technology is on my mind. I’m still grappling with problems that cropped up as I tried to download photos from my iPhone and have them transferrable to other platforms. I’m also trying to understand better how to access more opportunities from electronics I use while on horseback–for instance, my GPS and SPOT Personal Locator.

For years I’ve carried a GPS for the information it can provide about my travels on horse trails. It records my miles of activities and immediate altitudes. I’m practicing how to tap more into its mapping and waypoint capabilities. My reassuring SPOT, upon the touch of a button if I became lost or injured in the great outdoors, would notify Search & Rescue. The SPOT also has tracking and mapping capabilities that I’m practicing with more.

I’ll emphasize “the for years” of my familiarity with those and other electronics. Like, my cameras are complex, my cell phone and wristwatch are complicated. Smart gadgets slowly have become integral to certain of my activities and in general to my daily living.

Lately, I’ve been struck by having to learn yet another “smart process”, that of no-cash currency. My part-time food-sampling job allowed me to file for unemployment during the pandemic. The Unemployment System had online glitches that hindered my unemployment benefits. Recently “the system” made repairs and sent a Visa Card, credited with cash, and usable many ways. It allows money transfers to a bank account, pays for purchases, online, at gas stations, and grocery stores. It’s a process that’s easy peasy and doesn’t involve a dollop of paper cash.

I think about the daughter of one of my friends. She’s in her mid-twenties, very tech savvy, and employed by a San Francisco-based organization…that organization’s single product is creating virtual money. Last year on hearing about her job, I thought virtual money interesting and even amusing, but without association to my life. How wrong I was! Now it’s easy to recognize that we’re on the receiving end of a consistently forward-crawling virtual currency.

There’s a broader overview in today’s Washington Post: https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2020/07/23/a-shift-from-paper-to-virtual-cash-will-empower-central-banks

Dear Friends: Today’s real dollars eventually will resemble Confederate currency of old. Diana

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

The larger animals have been keeping me very busy and caused me for too long to neglect my parrot. Yesterday, when my arm entered his cage, he hopped aboard eagerly and quickly shifted upwards onto my shoulder. After I grabbed a hat, towel, sunglasses, and a GPS (to practice using its capabilities of mapping and waypoint-setting) we set off on a leisurely stroll through surrounding streets. Over our route of nearly two-miles, I created a waypoint at each moment of interest. Although having seen many of those sights before, they’ve been routine and forgetful. But this walk created GPS and camera records that recall cool sightings.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

One hour later: It’s impossible to recall those cool sightings from photos in my iPhone. The pictures taken yesterday won’t open in the editing files on this computer. Oddly, the phone saved them in a .jfif mode that seems impossible to convert to .jpeg. I’m running out of time so will end this blog. I’ll keep trying to understand what has caused the problem and hope it’s fixable.

Otherwise, Peaches and I again will take a walk with the electronics.

Meanwhile, today’s header photo is one already posted to Facebook. Somehow yesterday this photo downloaded normally, and today, my software won’t recognize the very same one. Oy vey, this confusing situation never before has happened.

Dear Friends: Maybe the settings in iPhone photos somehow are screwed up???? Diana

Monday, July 27, 2020

My “Blue Elderberry Horse Trail” is set clearly in my mind now, eliminating needs to mess with electronic maps, pins, and waypoints. Ambling along a forest road, I rode Rosie who insisted on jigging-jogging along (another story!). I ponied Sunni, and as usual, my Pimmy in donkey-time was tagging (she now sports a cowbell that clangs her nearness). With us was (my single dog without a limp) Ranger, forever running in large circles to search for chipmunks.

The road we were one was one from which I usually turn. Now following farther, it brought a big surprise by delivering my little parade to a section of forest that I call “The Greenery”. Now we were viewing from its topmost side. Up where we were, the forest is populated more with color, even more beautiful than down below at its lower road that’s on my “Blue Elderberry” map.

Our road went straight into and through The Greenery. This might be a road that our friend Susie spotted on a map, appearing faint and nearly obsolete. We were curious about it, and now in real time, I found it in fine condition. As we moved along through the area, our road curved and began to point us in a direction returning to the trailhead, two miles away. We followed the road until it again curved, and now in a direction opposite from the trailhead.

In situations of traveling on an unfamiliar road while managing several animals, I often become timid about going forward. This time, too, I decided to backtrack. As usual, I could return another day to explore more. I’m unclear as to why breaks in passages may boost my courage. Maybe it’s that traveling a new road gains familiarity and later invites returning and pushing forward.

Later this week, I’ll ride with a friend and needn’t manage two horses. That topside Greenery might become our target area. If so, we may explore the suddenly-curving part of the road that goes in a direction away from the trailhead.

Dear Friends: My jigging-jogging Rosie, will be bridled, bitted, and will be listening to her rider. Diana

Sunday, July 26, 2020

On a pleasant and sunny afternoon, the dogs and I hiked to the top of Horse Butte. We strolled its rim and made it about halfway around before I felt a need to turn back. The steep upward climb full of slippery scree kept me worrying about the potential problems of balancing myself correctly while descending. Soon after beginning to descend, I saw that the dogs had found and were on a lightly-worn sidepath. Their path appeared more-recent and slightly-easier, not any less steep but newer, and thus, with less scree than the original route. I shifted paths and followed the dogs. While coming down my boots did slip, but only once and slightly.

My brain continuously chanted, “follow the dogs”. They’ve a history with me of finding established trails and choosing the one easiest if they’ve a choice. Many times through the years, my dogs running ahead have guided my direction. I’ve followed them while on horseback, through grasses knee-high to my horse, and on worn paths invisible to me, that otherwise I’d never have found.

My most memorable “following the dogs” occurred soon after we reached the very top of a mountain where we found ourselves in a gathering and blinding rainstorm. Suddenly, on hearing thunder approaching, I realized that we had become the area’s highest objects. Unable to see a downward trail, I quickly pushed my horse to follow the dogs. They hurried us directly to lower levels and to a relative safety from strikes of lightning.

There’s more about yesterday’s adventure at Horse Butte, but I’m running out of time. So, the story of that adventure may be continued.

Dear Friends: Through the ages, high value in the relationship between humans and dogs. Diana