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I am back on a daily riding schedule. That's both a good thing and a bad thing. With a horse like Izzy, there's a fine line between just right and too much. He needs plenty of work to keep his energy level down and his brain busy, but depending on the kind of work, he also needs days off so that I don't over-face him. Right now, the kind of work I am doing is a bit corrective, so I decided to give him Wednesday and Thursday off. He had been worked for at least five consecutive days, so I knew he was due for a rest day.  He tried to get even closer. I am really happy with how he's been working this past few weeks - we got a clean left to right flying change earlier this week, but I was beginning to feel some low level anxiety building. I also saw a few scattered sloppy poop piles. Those two things told me to back off just a bit. I worked late on Wednesday so both horses got a day of complete rest, not that Speedy needed it.  Because grass just tastes bad. Yesterday, as always, I changed out of my work clothes whilst using my back seat as a changing room. I park right next to Izzy's sandy pasture, so he sees me kicking off shoes and doing other gymnastic work as I struggle into breeches and boots. He usually comes shambling over to say hello and beg for treats. He didn't do that yesterday. Instead he kept himself parked in his shady corner, lazily swishing his tail at a few flies. I made the quick decision to play with both horses instead of riding. I turned Speedy loose out in the big yard, and closed Izzy up in the grassy turnout in front of Speedy's paddock.  Even this rake tastes better than the grass. Speedy knows how to live. He immediately set to mowing the grass down as though he were being paid by the mouthful. He also took the opportunity to hang out with me and tell me about his day. Not Izzy. Despite having lots of perfectly nice grass underfoot, he sidled up next to his gal pal and spent a solid half an hour licking the hose, chewing the rake, and rubbing his face and neck on the fence. I can't take that boy anywhere.  Making sure Izzy isn't getting anything better than what he gets. While the boys enjoyed themselves, I parked myself in the grass and swiped through TikTok. I don't do much on social media, but a few minutes spent laughing at absolutely nothing always changes my outlook. Speedy is not a fan of TikTok, so he eventually ditched me in favor of checking out what might be be available at Izzy's place. He scrounged around in the feeder, checked out Izzy's roll spot, and then blasted past me when he realized I was about to kick him out.  He was a bit worried to see Speedy in his pasture. Getting both horses back into their respective paddocks is always what I imagine herding cats must be like. Each horse is certain the other is getting something better. Eventually, Speedy was back where he belonged with his lunch bucket, but not before chasing Izzy out with pinned ears and a swishing tail. To my surprise, Izzy actually skedaddled, certain that Speedy meant it. It seems as though the pecking order has shifted. With some poking and prodding, I finally got Izzy heading towards his own paddock and his bucket of lunch. He is familiar enough with the routine that he now tucks himself in as long as I get him pointed in the right direction.
Sometimes, it becomes necessary to re-examine one's priorities. A day off seemed more valuable than another day of work. You'll soon notice that there is a theme to this week's posts ... Cooler weather? HAHAHA. Not funny, Mother Nature, not funny at all. I got to the ranch on Saturday morning so excited to ride in weather that was under triple digits. First of all, it may be hotter than Hades here in the summer, but it's a dry heat, at least that's we tell ourselves as we fry our eggs on the sidewalk. Second of all, for you people who live in wet heat, how exactly do you manage your goggles and snorkel under your helmets? I honestly thought I was going to die when I got to the barn. Yes, it was 85℉, but there was also 85% humidity (or so it seemed). Our ride entailed 10 minutes of walking followed by 4 trot circles. That was all either of us could muster.  I love the beginning of his new winter coat. It always comes in nearly black. Before riding though, I spent a solid half hour working on Izzy's coat. My poor horse. His skin simply cannot stand the heat. He is covered in deep scrapes and welts that he has given himself in an attempt to relieve his itchy skin. Year after year I have tried to find a remedy, but nothing works. Things were pretty good up until last week when the temperatures soared into the hundred and teens. As the temperatures come back down into the 80s, I am hoping that his skin can begin to recover. See what I did there? "Recover" is the theme for the week.    Weird skin or not, wet weather or not, I did get to ride. Of course, as we left the arena and headed back down to the tack room, the clouds lifted and the wind began to blow. The rest of the morning, while in the low 90s, was actually pretty pleasant. I definitely gave the weather gods a dirty look as I drove home. Aw well. The time wasn't wasted. Izzy and I spent a good hour together just reconnecting and hanging out. When I left, he was happily slurping up a sloppy lunch. He made it quite clear that he had enjoyed his morning.
Fall is just around the corner, and winter not far behind. Soon enough I'll be complaining about the cold. Well, we survived, and that's about it. Last week we broke more heat records than I can count. The temperatures we saw on Tuesday might be typical in Baghdad or, say ... HELL, but it nearly shut down the Central Valley. It was 115℉ one of the days, and the rest of the week was only one or two degrees off of that.  This week's forecast - I am going to need a jacket! It has now been about three weeks since I have been able to ride more than two days a week. On Friday afternoon, as I watched my truck's thermometer flirt with 104℉, I called Sean Cunningham, owner and trainer at STC Dressage, to ask if we shouldn't cancel Saturday's lesson. He agreed immediately. It just wasn't fair to challenge Izzy that much after spending so little time with him. After last Saturday's lesson, the one where Izzy kind of lost his marbles, I realized that even though it was too hot to ride, Izzy still needed to connect with me in some way. So, over the week, we played games out on the lawn with the hose. Even though sweat was pouring down my back, I let Izzy play in the hose as long as he wanted. And when he was done, I turned him loose on the grass to graze or talk to his pals over the fence.    I know I did something right because even on that day that hit 115℉, Izzy was happy to leave his spot in the shade to come over and see what I wanted to do that day. Ice cold carrot chunks - a gift from "J", probably didn't hurt either. Thankfully, we won't have another week like that for decades.
I am ready to get back to riding, and I think Izzy is, too. Sometimes I wonder what it must be like to be in a full service barn, the kind where you show up and your horse looks well fed, clean, and eager to see you. I guess two out of three isn't so bad. I am definitely not at a full service barn which means I spend more time doing "stuff" than I do actually riding. Here's what a typical day looks like.  Clean bunny's water and toss a handful of feed.  Start soaking the lunch buckets.  If it's a Saturday or Sunday, I give Speedy his Prascend.  I turn on the misters for the hydrangeas and succulents - the hydrangeas are about finished for the year..  Speedy gets turned out on the lawn.  I groom and ride.  After riding, someone gets a shower - usually not with bubbles.  After a shower, Izzy also gets turned out on the grass - this is an old picture with both horses enjoying a "get-away."  I clean and fill both boys' waters - Speedy still uses a trough, and Izzy now uses an automatic waterer - HALLELUJAH!  I clean the poop out of Izzy's shelter. Speedy doesn't do that.  I clean fly masks and dump in lunch. After all of that is done, I rinse the lunch buckets, put them away, hang up halters, record the day's notes on my calendar, and give the feed room one last look. Invariably, I'll find some other little chore that needs to be done like sweeping or putting something away that I've left out. If I spend two hours at the barn, fifteen minutes will be spent riding. If I ride for an hour, I'll spend three more doing chores.
It's a good thing I like barn chores because I spend an awful lot of time doing them! I never want to discount anyone's summer heat because hot is hot, but man, has it been hot here. Overall, we've had a "mild" summer even though we broke some heat records and tied a few others. Our second heat wave of the summer, defined as three or more consecutive days of 100 degrees or higher, lasted somewhere around twenty-nine days. That heat wave is now the 5th longest in Bakersfield's history. And yes, we get the irony - BAKErsfield, but we love it when it's 70 in February. This heat wave, the third of the summer, is holding on pretty steadily, but the temperature has been hotter, and our morning lows have been high as well. During most of the summer, the daytime high doesn't really affect me as I ride my horses in the morning. Now that I'm back to teaching, I ride at 4:00, just before we reach our daytime high. You read that right; our hottest part of the day is between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m.  This week's forecast. I prefer the heat over the cold, but when it's 104 with the possibility of climbing a few more degrees as I ride, I have to decline. If not for my sake, then for the health of my horses. This past week, it was well over a 100 every day. All I could do was give cold showers and slurpy buckets of wet beet pulp. On Friday, Izzy and I played in the hose, and he thought it was hilarious.  He made sure to get me as wet as I got him. I dragged the hose into both horses' paddocks for their showers. It was so hot that mud was not even a consideration; I didn't even think about tying either horse up. Speedy is not a fan of cold showers, but even he let me hold his fly mask long enough to shower him. He let me know that he wasn't exactly volunteering to stand there, but he did let me get most of him wet. Izzy of course had no thought of scooting away.  Treats were involved. We're going to a show on Sunday, and this week is predicted to be just as hot as last week. My plan is to hack around the property searching for the shady bits. Hopefully we can at least leg yield a little or do some turns on the haunches while we walk. There's not much else as I can do when it's this hot.
Come on fall, we're ready for you. |
About the Writer and RiderI am a lifelong rider.
I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010. Welcome to my dressage journey. 
Photo by Lori Ovanessian
About Speedy GSpeedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. After helping me earn a USDF Bronze medal in the summer of 2020, he is now semi-retired. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.
July 2020 (PC AJSK Photography)
About IzzyIzzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are showing at the lower levels. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.
March 2021 (PC Tess Michelle Photography)
Bakersfield Dressage approved!
My favorite breeches!
FOR THE SMALLER EQUINE ATHLETE
I love her stuff!
Watercolor Artist and Friend
National Rider Awards
USDF Bronze Medal - 2020
USDF Second Level Rider Performance Award - 2018
USDF First Level Rider Performance Award - 2015
USDF Training Level Rider Performance Award - 2013
State Rider Awards
CDS Ruby Rider Award - 2018
State Horse Awards
Speedy G - 3rd Level Horse Performance Award - 2020
Speedy G - 2nd Level Horse Performance Award - 2018
Working Towards:
CDS Sapphire Rider Award Third Level: 63.514% Third Level: 62.105% Fourth Level: Fourth Level: 2022 Show Season
Show Rating (***) CDS/USDF/USEF (*) CDS (s) Schooling (c) Clinic (r) Ride-a-Test Clinic (Q) Qualifier 2022 Show Schedule
pending ... 2022 Completed … (*) Tehachapi 5/22/22 (*) Tehachapi 7/24/22 (***) Tehachapi 8/28/22 2023 Qualifying Scores
Regional Adult Amateur Competition (RAAC) Qualifying 3 Scores/2 Judges/60%: Score 1: 62.115% Score 2: Archives
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