Endurance Riding

We did it! With a ride time of 10 hours and 1 minute, we finished our first 50!

*Watch our videos at the bottom of this post!*

My favorite memories from the Redwood Ride:

• The beautiful drive up the 101 (and getting to enjoy the views since Kathryn was driving).
• The quiet ride camp and our great ride camp neighbors, who left us plums and kumquats (Thank you, Linda and Teresa).
• Getting to take over sponsorship of Junior Rider, Madison, when Kathryn decided to slow down to help her horse recover from the humidity.
• Kathryn catching up to Madison and me and the three of us galloping together down the trail, all while laughing hysterically.
• Pigging out at the vet check (best bagel I have ever had).
• Singing silly songs during our “punchy” stage after about 9 hours of being on the trail.
• Sitting down in the middle of the trail during our “cranky” stage (after we finally found the “Freaking A”).
• Crossing the finish line!
• Getting to present Asali to the vets for Best Condition, since we came in 9th place.
• And finally, the AMAZING scenery throughout the ride.

I could have lived without:

• The muddiest parts of the trail, which made the ride slow-going.
• Almost falling off of Asali twice.
• Swallowing the bug that flew in my mouth.
• The second and then the third set of tight switchbacks, after thinking we only had one set to climb up.
• Having to re-do the electric fence turn-out for Asali after I shorted it out on a metal post (duh).

My life has suddenly become about when the next endurance ride is… there is nothing more freeing than being on the back of a horse and experiencing parts of the countryside you wouldn’t otherwise see.

Today the weather was beautiful and so Mom and I decided to take the boys for a ride. Since I am still resting Asali from our Tevis Trail training, I rode Forest bareback. Mom rode Winnie and ponied Declan on Donovan. Jakob rode his horse, Beauty, of course.

We went down to the creek first and Jakob was able to get Beauty into water that was almost knee-deep (when Beauty first came home to us, she was apprehensive about water crossings)! Then we crossed the Skyway, on a new path towards Stirling City.

When we got to the wooden bridge, however, we turned right down a trail that followed alongside the Feather River. The water was deep and rushing. It made waves next to us and the quiet roar of its churning comforted me.

The views to our right were overwhelming. It looked as if the trees went on forever, until they got lost in the sky. We had no idea where we were headed, but Jakob and I both felt propelled to keep moving forward. Mom and Declan followed us close behind.

We had no water and no snacks, for we had originally thought we would do a short ride today. I could hear cars off in the distance and when I spotted a row of telephone poles, Mom and I both knew we must not be too far from the Skyway.

We continued forward until the trail veered off to the left, away from the main road we thought we were headed for. I spotted a steep narrow trail to my right and we decided to head down it in hopes of finding the Skyway.

Once on the road, Mom took the lead with Winnie. I reminded Jakob to keep his horse inside the bike lane and I was pleasantly surprised that both Forest and Beauty were very calm with the cars rushing by.

We only had to walk a few hundred feet before we crossed the Skyway and found the trail down to the railroad grade, a well-known trail that would lead us back to the creek and then back home.

At the creek, Jakob asked if he could go on ahead. I have never let him ride by himself, but I finally decided that I should let him go. He has been doing well with Beauty, and today, he tacked her up almost completely by himself. He also mounted her without my help. I recognize the bond he has with his horse and I am trying to foster his independence and growth. In the past, I have sheltered him many times and I continue to struggle with moments when I know I should let him go, but my fear keeps me from doing so.

The trail was short and it was familiar to both Jakob and Beauty. We knew they were not too far up ahead when we came upon fresh evidence of Beauty. And when we never came upon a riderless horse or a horseless rider, Mom and I knew Jakob and Beauty were fine.

I was so proud when I saw Jakob at the horse trailer with Beauty. He already had her bridle off and had gotten the halter on her. Beauty was standing quietly, tied to the trailer, when Jakob said, “Beauty got a little nervous when she realized she was by herself. But I encouraged her. I just pat her on the shoulder, talked to her, and asked her to move forward.”

It was 5:15 am. I awoke to a knock on the door and Linda asking, “Are you awake?”

“Yup, wide awake!”

I had been dead asleep, even though Linda and I had decided the night before that we would get going an hour earlier than our first day of Tevis training in order to beat the heat.

By 7:00 am, Linda and I were sitting on the side of the road near Foresthill, waiting for her friend, Dale Peterson. Dale had been Linda’s mentor when she first began endurance riding. Dale has completed Tevis three times, and every year he runs Francisco’s vet check for the ride. This year, he earned his 5,000 mile award with AERC.

The three of us started out in Foresthill, walked down Bath Road and down into Volcano Canyon. From there, we headed to Michigan Bluff. Once in Michigan Bluff, we took a break. We had originally decided we’d turn around in Michigan Bluff, but Dale suggested we head into El Dorado Canyon. Linda had planned on taking me into El Dorado Canyon on our last day of training together, but we were up for changing plans.

Dale looked at me and said, “It’s 3 and 1/2 miles down into the canyon and 3 and 1/2 miles back up. It’s a hard ride. You sure you want to do it?”

I looked at him and said, “O.K.”

Then he proceeded to tell me that it was a bit of a scary trail. “There are a few drop-offs.”

I looked at him and said, “I’m game. Let’s go.”

Linda reminded Dale that his scare tactics weren’t going to work – she had already tried them.

We headed into El Dorado Canyon. I led Asali the steep 3 and 1/2 miles down the trail. Once in the canyon, we went off the Western States Trail to find Dale and Linda’s secret swimming hole. Dale dared me to dive in, knowing I couldn’t refuse a dare (hello!, I’m training for the Tevis Cup on a dare). The water was cold, but refreshing, even though it wasn’t 100 degrees out.

Back in Michigan Bluff, we enjoyed drinks provided by Gary and Judy Hall. I untacked Asali to give her a break and we let all three horses graze on the grass. Heading back into Foresthill, all three horses were feeling good and we let them go, galloping down a wide trail. Climbing back to our starting point, I practiced tailing up with Asali.

It was a great day. I was in good company and Asali felt fine, probably because it wasn’t so hot. I took Linda’s advice and booted all 4 of her feet (Dale let me borrow one hoof boot and I used a hoof boot my son has for his horse). We never threw a single boot, even though the terrain had been rougher than the day before.

Once we returned home, Linda and I spent time in her pool, enjoyed a pizza with her sister, Teresa (also an endurance rider), and then headed over to Linda’s friend’s house. Barb Eggleston was a quite the character. She lives in a mine, owns a Missouri Fox Trotter named Cricket, and has numerous horse stories to share, which she tells with much exaggeration. I was rocking in a chair on her porch, enjoying the night air and half-asleep, when Barb insisted on showing us her MadVac before we left. As I was looking at this interesting piece of machinery, which is a combination of a yard vacuum and street sweeper, I thought I must have gone delirious from lack of exhaustion and I couldn’t help but laugh.

Heading out, with Dale and Stormy in the lead.

Going into Volcano Canyon.

Continuing on down…

Made it to Michigan Bluff!

Dale saying, “Are you sure you want to ride into El Dorado Canyon?”

The Hazardous Trail Warning.

Hiking Asali into the canyon.

I was being careful not to lose my own footing.

Downhill climb.

The trail is just a bit narrow.

Are we having fun yet?

Still leading Asali.

The bridge in El Dorado Canyon.

As Dale would say, “I wonder what the poor people are doing.” We may be poor in money (as horse people are), but we’re rich in spirit.

Asali cooling off in the shade while I swim.

Using a rock to put my socks on so I didn’t get sand in them like the day before.

Taking a break in Michigan Bluff after climbing out of the canyon.

Really liked all these crazy signs in the town of Michigan Bluff.

Asali stops to smell the flowers.

Passing by a horse cemetery, where Tevis Cup horses are remembered.

Dale and I riding ahead of Linda and Sequoia.

I dismounted again to hike down the steep grade, with Asali leading behind.

Tired and sweaty, we say hello to the Foresthill firemen as we finish our ride.

And finally… the Eggleston Mine.

Today, Day 3 and our final day of training, Linda and I decided against riding the other side of El Dorado Canyon. She had originally planned to take me on a 22 mile ride starting in Michigan Bluff. We were going to ride into and out of El Dorado Canyon and across the Suspension Bridge. Since we rode 21 miles yesterday instead of our planned 14, we decided to give the horses a rest. I did not want to push Asali, especially in the heat. So, Linda took us a couple miles from her home and we did an easy 10-mile loop in Dry Creek Parkway and through Gibson Ranch Park. We waded in the creek, waved to the kids playing soccer in the park, and let the horses eat apples right off the tree. We rode past a golf course, a horse ranch, and many cows sunbathing in a field.

Thank you, Linda Straub-Boisa, for hosting me and Asali! We appreciate the Tevis Cup Training… we’re looking forward to more!

It was about a 45 minute drive to Auburn. Linda drove me by the fairgrounds, pointing out where we’d be at the conclusion of the Tevis Cup. When she showed me the stadium and said, “That’s where you’ll take your victory lap,” I couldn’t help but smile. I felt like a little girl with big dreams, living in a fantasy world where nothing gets in your way.

I had all the confidence in the world when we started out. Linda was concerned that Asali was barefoot, but I assured her Asali had tough feet and with her Boa hoof boots, she’d be fine.

We started at the finish line in Auburn, with plans to ride the last 11 miles of the Western States Trail. We started off well and I was amazed at the views of the American River. When we got to No Hands Bridge, I felt like a tourist, finally traveling to a place I had only read about.

Right before we got to Lower Quarry, Linda noticed Asali had thrown one of her Boas. Asali was also breathing hard. (While I was going to the bathroom, Linda had counted Asali’s respirations at 60.) We decided to back track to see if we could find Asali’s boot, but we gave up after one mile. I decided it would be okay to continue with one boot, but we decided to slow down because Asali was sweated up and breathing fast.

For the next few miles, I was very quiet. I was disappointed we had thrown a boot, knowing this was something I was going to have to fix before we actually compete in the Tevis Cup (I’m thinking of experimenting with some different boots and I’ve already decided I’m going to label Asali’s next pair with a name and phone number). I was also concerned about the fact that Asali seemed to be working so hard so soon into the ride. She is a fit horse; the only thing I could think was that the heat must be getting to her, as neither one of us has done any heat training yet.

When we got down to the American River, we took a short break. I sponged Asali and let her drink. She seemed to perk up a bit after that. She was certainly cooled down and not breathing as hard. I also got off of her and power walked and jogged awhile before remounting at the river crossing.

The river crossing was our turn-around point. We were 11 miles into the ride and the river was too high to cross. By this point, it was about 102 degrees outside. We took it incredibly slow on the way back, letting the horses graze along the side of the trail. When we returned to the point where we could get down to the river, I untacked Asali and Linda and I stripped down to our underclothes for a dip in the cold water.

Before we left the river, I dumped water over my head using my helmet. I also dipped my breeches and my T-shirt in the cool water, both to wash off any poison oak I may have brushed up against and to keep myself cool for the ride back.

After passing Lower Quarry, we picked up the pace and I immediately felt Asali was off on her left front. She was sore from being barefoot all day through the rocky terrain. Linda suggested I take her boot off her right hoof and switch it to her left. That made a difference, and on our way back we both kept an eye out to see if we could find the missing Boa.

We were about 4 miles from the finish of our ride when every rock and log began to look like that lost Boa hoof boot. About 2 miles from the finish, Asali took a misstep and fell off the trail. Luckily, we were not on the side of a cliff and she regained her footing immediately. Still, the fact that I was just as tired, hot, hungry, and thirsty as my horse made me realize that we both have a lot of training to do before we attempt the Tevis Cup in 2013. In Linda’s own words, “The trail is not for the faint of heart.”

Glad it’s over.

Linda cooling off after her day with the “newbie.”

Asali and I made it to Linda’s house in Rio Linda safely around 8 pm. We got lost after we exited the freeway, but Linda came and rescued us! Linda is a woman I met at my first endurance ride and when she heard I wanted to do the Tevis Cup, she agreed to host me and Asali. Linda has completed the Tevis Cup twice, once in 1995 and then again in 2004. Over the next few days, she is going to take Asali and me out on different parts of the Western States Trail.

Tonight, Linda and I spent some time chatting. She showed me her photo albums, full of endurance pictures and stories. I especially enjoyed the album she had made of her Tevis Cup experience in 2004. Linda shared numerous stories with me and let me in on a bunch of endurance secrets, including who to watch out for on the trail and which well-known endurance riders I should get to know.

Tomorrow we will be riding the last part of the Western States Trail, the part of trail we’ll be riding in the dark when we finally compete in the Tevis Cup.

We arrived at ride camp in the Tahoe National Forest on Friday evening. And this time, I brought along the family – my husband, Gary, our boys, Jakob and Declan, and our new puppy, Asia. We got lucky with a perfect camp spot that was large enough for our truck and trailer, Asali’s electric fence paddock, the tent, a turn out area for the pup, and a “kitchen and dining room.”

I did not have time for a pre-ride on Friday, but I walked Asali around ride camp several times and then we vetted her in and attended the rider meeting. We called it an early night since I wanted to be rested for our 35 mile ride the following day (the longest distance we’ve done thus far).

On Saturday, I awoke at 5 am, two hours before ride time. I had a cup of tea and some oatmeal. Then I began getting Asali ready. I was extremely nervous (more than usual) and felt rushed for time (even though we had plenty of it). I got frustrated with Asali when she wouldn’t hold still for me to put her boots on. I found myself swearing like a sailor and I suddenly became conscious that my camp neighbors might think I was both crazy and that I possessed poor horsemanship skills. That’s when I realized I needed to take a moment to relax. Asali was feeding off my negative energy and my attitude needed to change quick if we were going to have a successful ride.

By 7 am, we were ready. Gary and the boys had directions to the vet check and my crew bag in hand. I was still feeling nervous, but by the time we got going on the trail, I was able to relax. As each horse and rider settled into their pace, I found myself riding with Peggy, an experienced endurance rider who has done the Tevis Cup more than once. Our horses rode well together and we ended up riding almost the entire first 20 miles together.

At the vet check, my crew was there. Jakob took care of Asali, holding her and offering her water. He also made her a mash and gave her some hay. Gary handed me a sandwich and a vitamin water, and gave me a great massage before he rubbed down Asali’s muscles. I couldn’t believe how much we got done in 30 minutes – and how great I felt afterwards. Asali and I were spoiled and I suddenly decided I never wanted to do an endurance ride again without a crew!

My amazing crew.

Just mounted and ready to go back out on the trail.

The last 15 miles, Asali and I rode by ourselves as Peggy and her mount had been on the 50 and had more trail to cover than us. We were already headed towards ride camp. We took it slower on the way back. I got off for awhile and hiked next to Asali. The last 6 miles were rough for us. Although I enjoyed the single track trail, it just seemed to keep going. At one point, I stopped and looked at the map, thinking we were lost. We also had more than one mountain biker come up from behind us, spooking Asali. And towards the end of the ride, two dirt bikers (on a trail where motorized vehicles weren’t supposed to go) came rushing up on us when we were at a full gallop.

Finally, we caught up to another limited distance rider in front of us. We rode in together and I let her present her horse for P & R (pulse and respirations) before us. However, her horse had difficulty pulsing down and so Asali and I got the placement before them (we came in fifth out of six starters with a ride time of 4 hours and 37 minutes).

On Sunday morning, I looked at Gary and said, “I don’t really want to ride today.” I was sore and tired from the day before. And I wasn’t sure how Asali was feeling. But, I wasn’t going to quit. I was going to stick with the original plan, which was to see how we did in a 2-day limited distance ride before attempting our first 50.

So, I went through the routine of getting Asali ready. This time I wasn’t rushed or feeling any pressure. I had decided we would take it slow (we were riding the 25, which actually turned out to be more like 30 miles since ride management had to make some last minute trail changes). And the ride out time of 9:30 helped – I appreciated having an extra 2 and 1/2 hours that morning.

At the starting line, we were told the first several miles would be all single track trail, so those horses who wanted a fast start should stay up front and those who wanted a slow start should be in the back. Today, we had approximately 15 starting. My plan had been to ride slow to give Asali and I a break, but my horse had a different idea. We ended up leading the pack at the beginning of the ride, in third position. As soon as the trail widened, I asked to pass because I was having trouble holding Asali back. She took off galloping. A woman named Linda stuck with us on her Morgan horse. It was their first ride and Linda’s horse seemed to be able to keep up with Asali. Linda did not want to ride alone, so I told her she could ride into the vet check with us.

I enjoyed Linda’s company. She asked me a lot about the sport of endurance and I suddenly became her mentor for the day, which made me proud. At one point, we were on the top of a mountain, overlooking a meadow below and snow-capped mountains in the distance. Neither one of us had a camera, but we stopped to take a mental picture and breath the fresh air for a moment.

We rode into the vet check after only an hour and 38 minutes! Asali and I beat our crew there. At first, this made me panic a little, but two volunteers came to my aid and helped me untack Asali and get her water and feed (which was provided by ride management). They also had lemonade and pretzels for me. Another woman, who was crewing for someone else, also gave Asali some mash she had prepared for the horse she was crewing for. I was so thankful for everyone’s willingness to help – endurance is definitely a team sport!

Day 2: The vet check and mandatory 30-minute hold was in a beautiful meadow.

This time, even though we pulsed down right away as usual, I decided to wait before vetting in. I allowed Asali to rest and eat before presenting her to the vet, which turned out to be in our benefit – she got all As on the vet check! I let her eat some meadow grass, and then my family (who arrived 5 minutes before our ride out time) helped me tack her back up and send us on our way.

Again, we were alone on the second part of trail. Linda’s horse had difficulty pulsing down and therefore, had a longer hold at the vet check. While I enjoy meeting new friends on the trail, I also savor the time alone with my horse. Those are the times we are most connected, when I can really hear her speaking to me.

Asali wanted to rush to the finish, but she began tripping a lot, so I knew she was getting tired. I dismounted and led her for awhile. Then, when I re-mounted, we picked up a fox trot, which is slower than her pace. We had many riders on the 50 pass us, but I was confident we were still one of the front-runners on the limited distance ride.

Janet, also riding a Missouri Fox Trotter, caught up to us just as were approaching the finish line. Asali and I came in second place with a ride time of 3 hours and 38 minutes, and Janet and her fox trotter took third right behind us! I was extremely delighted and knew we were ready for our first 50! I walked Asali into ride camp, hooting and hollering, to give my husband, our biggest fan, a high-five. Jakob helped me prepare Asali for the last vet check, and then we took time to rest.

Walking into ride camp after crossing the finish in second place!

After the ride, Asali and I went through the final vet check. Here, the vet is observing her for soundness. She was deemed "fit to continue." 🙂

At the awards ceremony that night, I was awarded the Horsemanship Award for the day, which was given to the rider who took the best care of her horse that day. The vets commented on what a happy horse Asali was and how great she looked. I was even more proud of that Horsemanship Award than I was of our second place finish. I realized that when I relax, send out positive energy, and refuse to put pressure on myself or my horse, we perform much better.

Hugging head vet, Melissa Ribley, after receiving the Horsemanship Award. (Dr. Melissa Ribley won the Haggin Cup in 2009, the Best Condition Award at the Tevis Cup.)

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Adventures in Ride Camp:

Declan sweet-talked a couple of Ride & Tie competitors into a pony ride.

Asia sniffs the tree to make sure it isn't going to attack her.

The boys slept in the horse trailer so as not to get eaten by bears. Since our camp was on a bit of a slope, both boys ended up at the far end of the trailer by morning.

Declan finds himself using bailing twine to keep track of the kitten he was asked to babysit for during the ride.

Gary resorts back to his old Puerto Rican tricks after I accidentally lock my keys in the tack room of the horse trailer.

Asali gives a ride to a young volunteer in exchange for some time with a trough full of grass and alfalfa.

It just wouldn't be camping without roasting marshmallows.

On our way to Lassen National Forest, Jakob looked at me and said, “So, Mom, what time are we riding tomorrow? Noon?”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“You’ll be lucky if we get a ride-out time of 9 am.”

“What?!”

“Welcome to endurance, Jake.”

We arrived at camp around 5 pm. The weather was perfect. We tied both horses to the trailer, side by side, but I soon realized that wasn’t going to work out when Beauty kicked Asali. I should have known better. Jake and I got Asali’s electric fence turn-out set up quick after that. We also cleaned out the horse trailer (at first, Jakob was a little concerned about sleeping in the trailer since the horses poop in there, but then he got used to the idea after he saw me rake and sweep it out; I’ve yet to make him a boy scout, but we’re working on it).

We enjoyed the evening with a mug full of hot vegetarian chilly.

At the pre-ride meeting, I saw my Italian friend, Roberto. I was thrilled – he had left before awards at the Cache Creek Ridge Ride, so I got the pleasure of telling him we had almost made the Top Ten at that ride! Roberto had brought along his son, Vasco, for the Hat Creek Hustle fun ride. Vasco and Jakob hit it off right away. They ran around together, catching lizards. And then after we got the horses settled for the night, Jake and Vasco played an intense game of checkers, followed by the card game War. Finally, at 10 pm, Roberto and I had to cut their game playing off.

The next morning, Jakob and I awoke at 5 am to the sound of the 50-milers getting ready for their start time of 6 am. It was a chilly 42 degrees, so we stayed snuggled in our sleeping bags for awhile before feeding the horses and then making hot oatmeal for ourselves.

At 7:25, we were in line with Vasco and Roberto and one other rider, awaiting the go-ahead to begin our 10 mile fun ride.

Jakob and I took the lead. I told him if he wanted a taste of endurance, we had to move out the entire way. There was no walking allowed, unless necessary through rocky or steep terrain. Jakob and Beauty did extremely well, trotting out beautifully. We even cantered a long stretch of narrow, single track trail between the trees. We were on the famous Pacific Crest Trail and the views were amazing.

About half way through our ride, Jakob started complaining that his legs were burning – they were getting rubbed from the seams on his jeans (he had brought breeches and half chaps with him, but because it was so cold before we started out, he had decided to wear jeans). At that point, we slowed down and then eventually took a snack break, where we waited for Vasco and his dad to catch up to us. While the last part of the ride was slow-moving, I really enjoyed myself. I took in the sights and sounds around me, and it made me smile to see Jakob with his new friend. At one point, Vasco jumped out of the saddle to catch a large toad that was on the trail. Before he let it go, he showed it to Jake. The boys also marveled at the size of the snow-capped mountains in the distance and the trees around them. They pointed out chipmunks and an odd looking fungus that at first we thought was a flower.

After the ride, Jakob had the opportunity to get his horse vetted to see what was involved in passing a vet check during a real endurance ride. Beauty had pulsed down to 52 (criteria was 60 bpm or below) and she was deemed “fit to continue.” We tended to the horses and then Jakob, Vasco, Roberto, and I went hiking along the creek. The boys threw rocks, got wet building a dam, built rock towers, attempted fishing, and then returned to camp for more game playing.

Jakob had so much fun in the 28 hours that we spent in Lassen, he was disappointed to leave after dinner and awards. I had so much fun being with my son and sharing my passion with him. I drove away from ride camp thinking this is the life… Peace Love Ride. Jakob and I sport our Hat Creek Hustle shirts proudly.

My 9-year-old son, Jakob, has recently shown an interest in endurance riding… I haven’t been doing this sport long at all, but I’ve already accumulated enough stories from the two rides I’ve done to spark his interest.

When I found out that the Hat Creek Hustle endurance ride in Lassen National Forest was offering a 10-mile fun ride, I thought that would be the perfect way to introduce Jakob and his horse, Beauty, to the sport of endurance. I asked Jakob last week if he’d like to go and he jumped at the chance. So, we started training.

Last Friday included a two hour trail ride with lots of hill work. Sunday we did a moderate one-hour ride before our big ride on Monday. On Monday, we went to Stirling City. This was Jakob’s first time to Stirling City. I don’t know the exact mileage, but I believe it is around 12 miles (although a friend estimated it at 14, I don’t think it is quite that many miles). While a 12 mile ride is easy for Asali and me, Jakob and Beauty have never done this distance together before and both needed a break along the way:

Tuesday, we did an easy ride, followed by groundwork on Wednesday. Yesterday, all the horses got their hooves trimmed, and then Jakob and I did a practice run of horse camping, tying both Asali and Beauty to the horse trailer all night (since Beauty has never been horse camping with us, I wanted to make sure she’d be okay tying all night; turns out she did fine). This morning, we’re busy packing and getting ready to leave for Lassen; we’re hoping to be out of here before 2 pm.

In addition to riding, Jakob (and his brother Declan) have started jogging with me in the mornings. We jog about 1 mile with the dogs, doing a series of stretches before we start out. Not only do I need to build my own fitness if I plan to do a 50-miler before the summer is up, but Jakob and Declan need to get in shape for the upcoming football season.

My little cowboy, Jake, shows his love for his horse, Beauty, an Appendix mare we rescued last year.

It’s almost the first day of summer and I’m still fighting thrush in the horses’ hooves! We had an incredibly wet winter… I think we went a month straight without seeing the sun. The first week of June left us with several thunderstorms, hail, and a flooded paddock. After temporarily having to move my horses to a new barn, they are back in their usual home. But I’m still fighting the thrush. I started out spraying their hooves with betadine, but I’ve moved on to Thrush-Off, that pretty purple liquid you apply to the bottom of the hoof using a toothbrush. It seems to be working, but until my paddock completely dries out, I have a feeling I’ll be dealing with thrush. Next week, my hoof trimmer will be out to pay us a visit and I’m keeping my fingers crossed he’ll tell me the thrush doesn’t look as bad as I think it does (hoof trimmers are like vets, they have always seen worse, right?).

Now, once I get a handle on the thrush, we’ll move on to fighting the flies… the joys of having horses.

Well, I’ve been missing in action for the last few weeks… life has been a whirlwind lately!

On May 19, Asali and I had a photo shoot with Jo Danehy for Sharon Miner’s upcoming book, the next in her Beloved Horse Series. Sharon contacted me several weeks ago asking if she could feature Asali and me in her next book – apparently, she has been following my blog and liked what she had read!

Here are just a few of my favorite photos from the shoot with Jo:

On May 21, I participated in commencement at California State University, Chico. Although I went through the graduation ceremony, I still have to return next semester to finish up some classes. I am officially done in December and will be receiving a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, with Minors in Health Education and Religious Studies.

Following graduation, I completed the Hurst Review, an intense 3-day preparation class for the NCLEX (a national test I have to take to become licensed as a registered nurse – also known as boards).

Since the endurance ride I was going to compete in over the weekend was postponed (due to the recent outbreak of Equine Herpes Virus or EHV-1), Gary and I decided to take the boys to the Silver Dollar Fair in Chico. It was there that we met and fell in love with (and subsequently adopted) a Sheprador puppy.

Asia

Finally, today I attended a class on Hemodynamics (the study of blood flow) to prepare for critical care nursing. This afternoon, I was offered an RN position working full time night shift in the Intensive Care Unit (pending licensure, of course).