Cool weather = fuel weather

It has still been crazy busy the last few days. I imagine it will be for the next month or so. I've been riding Riley and May a good bit in preparation for the race next weekend. I'm pretty stoked because it has been a long time since we got to compete. I could have gone to all the shows the last couple of months but I chose not to. Why? Because of the extreme heat. This summer was sooo hot and I was extremely worried about my horses over heating. Barrel racing isn't a light, easy ride. They have to run and run hard. No show is or ever will be worth my horse. Not the NFR and not a local NBHA race. So we chose to just skip them until this month. I went to state in June and than took May to one race in August (that started later in the afternoon) and that was it for the entire summer. Usually we race at least once a month but its OK. This gave me time to get them back in shape. I'm not sure how we will do because we haven't ran in so long but I'm not too worried about it. I practiced May the other day when the footing was nice and she did good. I haven't practiced Riley though but he is more seasoned and I am much more careful with him because of the sliiiight start of arthritis in his right hock. Its so minimal that there are no changes in the hock yet, just a little more fluid surrounding the joint. Still, Id rather be proactive and keep it at bay as long as I can.

Moose has been doing good. I haven't rode him in a couple days because I have been so busy but I plan on riding him this morning. He has gotten really fuzzy and gained a lot of weight which makes me happy. I didn't know whether I would have to blanket him but it doesn't look like it. He seems to be staying nice and warm! I've dropped his feeding to once a day but he has hay in front of him 24\7 so he is holding fine. If he starts to drop any weight I will bump him back to twice.  He has been very quiet and tolerant on the ground and very rarely spooks anymore at anything. Even before when he spooked he would become alert, maybe do a tiny jump and than that was it. He never lost his head or reared back or bolted which is nice. Now he will occasionally snort or look at something but that's about it. When I rode him on Friday he did very good! He was stretching down onto the bit with just the lightest encouragement. It was a much better ride compared to the one I had, had last. When I picked him up to a faster trot this time he remained soft and relaxed instead of becoming tense and throwing his head up. Hopefully today he will follow in that trend and we will have another good ride. He is such a goof ball and I love him to death. Here is a picture of Riley May and Moose standing at the gate. How typical of the three of them. Riley doesn't care, Moose is trying to bother May and May has her ears pinned! haha

Riley has been a little hyper the last few rides as well. Hence my post title, I believe it's the weather that has them all feeling so good. I have been warming him up really good and than just exercising him and working to keep him supple and build him back up before the race.  I also really have to watch him when it gets colder because he will stock up in his back legs. About ten minutes of trotting and its always gone but I still try to keep him exercised and moving to prevent it. He is turned out and can move as much as he wants to but the lazy boy would rather just park his happy butt in front of the hay and eat all day, only moving when he decides to go get a drink from the trough before heading right back to the hay. He hasn't stocked up yes this year even with the low 30's we have had at night but I still always keep a close eye on him.  Hopefully I will get a chance to practice him before the show but I likely wont. I only do when the arena is PERFECT but we ha vent had rain in a while to soften it and settle the dust and it doesn't look like we are getting any before Thurs. I always give him two days off before a race so he is nice and fresh and ready to run. He never gets hard to handle or out of control but just really seems to perform his best when he has had two days to relax and walk out any soreness.



Riley wearing my gloves =P



May on the other hand has been the typical ball of fire. I rode her yesterday and am planning on riding her today as well. I just put the hackamore on her and worked her in the arena. My friend took a few pics with her camera which I will upload at the bottom. She did well other than wanting to launch the entire time. I practiced her on the pattern on last Thursday and she did well but was very fired up. I'm debating on switching her from the Martha Josey shank bit to the hackamore when we run. She did pretty well when I practiced in it the other day but I think I should practice her a few more times with it before I make an ultimate decision. I ride all of my in either an O ring, D or full cheek snaffle except when I race, just for a little more leverage but am very soft with my hands when I use that bit. It doesn't take much to slow 'em down and turn them with it and I want to keep it that way.

On a side note the big Percheron i have been working with is doing GREAT! He is sooo much fun to ride and really is a gentle giant. I have been leading him with a stud chain and most of the pushy-ness on the ground has ceased and in the saddle he is a dream. He is great on the trails and loves but still needs a little work in the arena as he drifts over to the gate every lap and it takes a lot of outside leg and inside rein to keep him in. Still, for as little as he has been ridden I'm thrilled with how he is doing! I will put a few pics of him on here too. I have even ridden him bareback a few times and double with one of my best friends. He is such a cool horse!