NATRC R4 Mini Convention weekend

WOW! What a fun weekend I had. This was my 4th year in NATRC, 3rd mini-convention to go too and 1st time receiving year end awards. What was I waiting for!?! You don't realize how pretty they are until you earn one.

Friday I drove to Becky's house in Argyle. She, Nancy and I were going to ride to Wilburton, OK together. I got there a little early, 11am. We visited, loaded her SUV with her stuff and my stuff and just hung out until Nancy got there at noon. At about 12:30pm, we were on the road. Due to us dinking around, stopping to shop at Tractor Supply and then meeting up with Amy to eat lunch, we got to the lodge at about 5:30. But the time really seemed to fly when you are riding with "two wild and crazy girls" like Becky and Nancy.

Friday night we visited and totally acted silly. Kate L. and Amy came back to our room and visited until about 11:45pm. We were so glad that we were on the end of the lodge and that the only room next to us was empty, cause we were kinda loud! Laughter is a contagious thing!

Saturday we awoke, got ready and a pounding occured at our door. Amy and Kate were there and ready to go hiking. Amy found out that there were guided tours of the caves and it was great. Becky, Nancy, Amy, Kate L, Kate K, Ginger, Mary, Katie W and myself headed to the parking lot and waited for our guide. It was absolutely beautiful. I told David that we were going to take a mini vacation up there. Our guide was Jackie. She did a great job and I got some great pictures. The big cave, Robbers Cave, was very cool. All of us ladies climbed inside to the very back and asked another tour member to take a pic, it turned out great. I will post some pictures when I get them downloaded.

We got back to the lodge and not long after, lunch was served. After lunch we sat in on the general meeting. Once that over, we headed back to our room for some chill time before the banquet and awards ceremony.

The banquet was wonderful. Good food amongst good company. And about 5 bottle of wine. LOL

The awards ended at about 9:30. I was tired as was Nancy. Becky earned a traveling trophy and was really pumped and ready to party more. She said this was her first TT. Very cool for her. I was very happy. However, very tired. The beds were pretty hard so did not get good rest on Friday night. Nancy and I grabbed a bottle of water each and just chilled on our rooms back porch. It over looked a rock ledge and the view was just gorgeous. The moon was full so you could see real well.

Next morning was getting ready, packing, loading and then to church. It was a nice service, as they always are. After our goodbyes, we headed home. Again, the time seemed to just fly by as we talked and laughed.

I got back to my barn at about 2:30pm. I had such a good weekend that I had to top it off with a ride on Summer. I saddled up and Tracey and I headed out. It was a good ride that was the perfect end to a great weekend.

Oh! D'oh...

Forgot to add, Summer received year end, third place horse. I received year end second place HMS and she and I earned second place team for our division. We placed second to Justin and Lilly and tied with George and Beau. It was a real honor. And Summer received a Novice/CP High Point TWH for 2008 award. I am very proud of her.

Also, I want to publicly thank Tracey and Patti. Thank you two ladies so much for sponsoring my awards. You both are just too kind. Thank you.

Robbers Route

Well, I am almost rested up from my Robbers Route weekend. I can't remember when I have been so tired. Of course, allergies aren't helping any.

Here it goes:

I had been packing all week before the ride. Getting everything ready. I am very weird that way. That Girl Scout coming out in me, "Be Prepared". Course I forgot my picket line, thank goodness Gina loaned me hers. Anyway:

Summer and I pulled out Friday morning about 6ish. I was going to do 7am, but realized that I did not want to be in that morning traffic on I-35W at 7 in the morning. What was I thinking?

I took my time getting there. The drive went real smooth. I stopped every so often and topped off my fuel. About 3 hours out, I stopped at a fruit stand because I had forgotten to get me and Summer some fruit for the weekend. The lady had a big grassy spot next to her stand and I asked if I could unload Summer so she could pee. The lady looked at me funny and I told her that Summer doesn't pee in a trailer. She said okay. I unloaded Summer, she looked around for a minute, parked out and releaved herself. I figured after being in the trailer for 3 hours, she would have to go. It's nice knowing your horse that well.

We loaded back up and took off again. I tell you what, I know some folks that have had problems following Mapquest, but it hasn't done me wrong yet. We got there in 5 hours. Mapquest said 4 and a 1/2, but they didn't figure in getting gas three times, buying fruit and letting your horse go pee. (smile)

We got in and I recognized Kalinda. I wasn't sure if she would remember me. We had only met a couple of times. But she and her hubby Shane invited me to camp next to them. I was so glad I did, they were real fun to be next too. The bad part about the area I parked in though was, I was going to stationary tie to my trailer, but you couldn't do that in this camping area. So Kalinda asked Gina if I could borrow her picket line. What a life saver Gina was! Kalinda put it up for me and Gina said she was leaving Sunday morning and would take it down after I left for the trail ride.

So once I got my camp set up, I finally got to rest a bit. I had only brought sandwich makings and easy stuff like that. I went to my truck that evening, made me a sandwich, and Kalinda snuck up behind me and told me to put it away, I was eating with her, Shane, Gina and Sherrie. Shane made me a piece of chicken that Gina had marinated in something and OMG, is was great. Gina also made this pea salad that I could have eaten the whole thing, and I don't like pea salad. So that was, once again, so sweet of them.

Saturday morning arrived and I got Summer all ready to go. We were going to ride out a little late, but riders showed up at the very last minute into camp. So we were told that we would start another 30 minutes later. Thank goodness it wasn't going to be 100 degrees today. Once we got on trail, Summer thought that Becky's Thief was her bestest buddy, so we had to leave. We hooked up with Ginger and Lady & Kathlyn and Echo. Both of these mares are gaited so Summer hung with them real well. It's weird that she does seem to gait better when she is with other gaited horses. Anyway, later in the day, Nicky and Admiral hooked up with us. Unfortunately, several of us missed a turn, got WAY off course and had to haul butt back to the turn we missed. Thank goodness for hold times, or we would have been very late coming back into camp. Ginger and I hauled it into camp. We were right on max time. Whew!

Saturday night was the best! Brenda hired a DJ and we all danced and just had a rye old time. And I am thinking, that Paula's daughter Terry, had one of the best nights of her life. She danced with every cowboy there.

Sunday morning just seemed like it came too early. (smile) We rode out on time. Nicky, Royce and I rode out together. After awhile, Royce separated and Kathlyn hooked up with us. After the second P & R, I separated and eventually found myself riding with Ginger for a bit. Then found myself riding with Val and Jane, then found myself riding lead with no one. (smile). Summer just couldn't get her head on straight. Course it didn't help when her navigator (me) thought our minimum time was 4:26 when it was actually 4:56! D'oh!!!! So here I am, hauling it, cause for some reason we got behind time! I am such a twit!!!! By the time I realized I was a twit, we were about 1 mile from the 2 mile marker. So Summer and I just slowed down and poked on in. We came in at mid time.

Saturday, Summer lost 3 P&R points. She also lost 6 points for girth soreness. She really gave to Dr. Pat when he touched her girth area. What had happened was, I was to do a judged mount, so I tighted her girth tighter than I would normally, but not so tight she couldn't breathe. However, I forgot to loosen it on down the trail. Once we walked away from Dr. Pat, I checked the girth area myself, she never flinched. I had Linda Courts check it, nothing. I had Carla Jo check, she found a little ouchie spot, but nothing like what Dr. Pat got. I was told to go back and have Dr. Pat check it again. Summer does not like him for some reason and really reacts to him differantly than anyone else that handles her. But I just took my lumps and didn't go back up there for a re-check.

Sunday, she lost another 4 points on P&R's. OUCH! I figured I just wanted to finish on a leg sound horse and her not have a sore back. If I could just finish this ride and not get pulled, I would be happy. By this time, I would be happy to just get my 4 points for completion.

The obstacles included a judged mount and side pass to right by Dr. Pat. Thank goodness Summer is getting her right side pass down. She did pretty good, we only got a minus sign, no points lost. We did a slight down hill with a log cross (Jean, got a good) to Dr. Pat for metabolics check. She was fidgitty, but didn't kill nobody. (another minus sign) We had to take a ribbon with a clothes pin, cross a road, and clip it to a tree. She did good of course. There were several times that Jean hid, so I don't know were she was, just checking for our riding skills while moving down the trail. Oh, and Sunday morning was a trot out, Summer gaited like a champ! She is really coming along with me getting her back into doing a running walk and less pacing. I will let her pace some, because I know she is using different muscles, but pacing all the time is bad for her back.

Anyway, we stayed for awards. I wanted my score cards. You know, this whole time, I only thought about Jean and my own score card a couple of times. I was just so concerned about Summer and her well being, that my judge didn't cross my mind too many times. So I was totally amazed that Jean called me 2nd place in my class. We started with 8 riders and 2 pulled on Sunday, so finished with 6. Summer came in 5th. I cannot say I was disappointed in the least. She gave me her heart and her all. We are just not used to those mountains, that humidity and those horseflys that you could take home for pets they were so big. There were a couple of times we had disagreements, those were caused by her buddy issues. Oh, and let's not forget the "let's slam mom's left knee into a big ol' tree" on Sunday. It is Wednesday right now, and I am still limping and it is a real pretty shade of purple/black. I see now why they want us to be able to off side mount, I had to do that a couple of times Sunday because I couldn't use my left leg to mount anymore.

Well, I will update later if I think of anything else,

TTFN

P.S. The picture above is me, Terri and Jenny. Terri is a fellow Gaited Horse Sense board member who came out to volunteer at this ride. It is so neat getting to meet other folks from this forum: http://gaitedhorsesenseonline.com/category-view.asp

P.S.S. - Forgot to add: I had to get Adriane's hubby Tom to trot Summer out for me on Sunday check out. They both did great. Then lucky Summer won the lottery for the drug test! I told her to quit smoking that stuff, but would she listen to me?!?! LOL We will be fine. It just kinda creeps you out for some reason.

Update on stuff...

On Summer:

Well, this weekend, Summer and I will be on our way to Robber's Cave State Park in Wilburton, Oklahoma. This is for the NATRC CTR Robber's Route. Once again I am nervous and excited and the same time. Summer has learned some new "tricks" over our break, but I am sure we will both forget everything if we are asked to do it. She is getting "side pass to the right", "back thru L shape", "the SCARY, horse eating , plastic bag" (she still gets tense, but will let me touch it and crinkle it and even rub her with it, she will never like them, but trusts me enough that I won't let it eat her.) Also, open and close gates from left and right. She has always done left handed gates well, but now does right handed ones too.

On the RR RMS sign up, it has two Horsemanship judges. One I have ridden under and one I haven't, so not sure what to expect. The one I haven't ridden under, is rumored to be tough. So once again, my objective is just to finish with a nice ride and a sound horse.

On Amanda:

Well, the day I dreaded for her happened yesterday. Eric broke up with her. She was a mess. Her first serious heart break. Dad and I took her out to eat last night. We tried to get her to see the positive side of this break up. I don't know if it helped, but he didn't like Six Flags, she loves Six Flags, he doesn't like scary movies, or anything to do with scary stuff, she does, he didn't even want to go to the track and watch the race cars when David took his car out, she loves to go to the track and watch her daddy and his friends race. To look at it now, they were pretty different, so maybe this break up was a good thing for her. I did tell her that my friend June, her grandson broke up with his girl friend. Amanda smiled at that this morning cause she really thinks Keenan is a cutie pie, and he is.

Well, that it is for now.
Ta-Ta

Update on my pasture horse...

She has been in the pasture for a week and a half now. During the heat, rain and cool nights. I figure it is just making her stronger. She has come up every night to eat (except last night tho). I have checked her all over every night, and she looks great. She has a following of 5 other horses, so there are two small bands running out there. Silk's band and Summer's band. Sometimes they all come up together, but usually it is just Summer and her buddies.

Next weekend we start riding. Getting ready for Robber's Route. I have started buying stuff to stock my trailer. I figured since I have been spending time with the family, that putting Summer out to pasture is wonderful exercise for her. And she is looking good. She hasn't got a hay belly and she just has a spark in her eye of happiness. But next weekend is a three day weekend and I am going to ride everyday. I may just trailer to Benbrook and ride there. They have three different trails, so one for each day.

Her being out the pasture has really saved on my hay usage too. And there is PLENTY of coastal out in that pasture.

However, she is not going to like being brought back in. When the Bois D' Arc apples drop, she can't be out there. It is like a kid in a candy store, she will make herself sick on them. Then again, I need her up anyway for her exercise and such. After the ride season is over, she can go back out. I just can't describe how happy she is out there. She is just a different horse.