Kum Ba Yah, Domestic Saddle Violence and Smooth Legs

Two weeks ago, Autumn and I packed up our sleeping bags and headed down to Cueno Creek to go horse camping with Cindy and Syria.  Actually, I wish all we had to pack were our sleeping bags.  After making three car trips back and forth to Cindy's, I was finally loaded up. With the last, and most important thing stuffed into the trailer, Autumn, we were off.  We headed south for the two hour ride through some of the tallest and oldest redwoods left in the world.  We pulled into into the camp close to four and we emptied the trailer and set up camp. 



Roughing it.

 Cuneo Creek is the creme de la creme of horse camps.  Each campsite comes complete with corrals and running water.  There are areas to mount up easily on your horse...a great perk if you own Autumn.  After a long  ride you can take your horse to the specially made giant sand box for them to roll around in.  The riding trails roam for days through 350 foot tall redwoods, through creeks, mountain meadows, orchards and old homesteads. 
But, one of my most favorite things about the camp are the showers.  The big roomy showers that have hot water that never runs out.  Showers that aren't anything like my shower at home...the trailer shower.  The trailer shower is the length and width of two men's size 12 shoe boxes side by side. There is no sticking your elbows out when shampooing your hair in the trailer shower without taking out the wall.  Forget about shaving your legs with out being double jointed in there.  But when I'm at Cuneo Creek there is no doubt that I am the cleanest gal with the smoothest legs in camp. 

This trip wasn't all about having fun and smooth legs.  This was a trip where an important decision had to be made.  For the past three years I have been socking away money from odd jobs for my dream saddle.  All my great friends at the ranch chipped in and gave me a loving part of the cost as a Christmas gift and it took until this October to get the final amount.  I had the saddle, on a trial basis, for one week to decide if it fit Autumn and myself properly.  If it didn't fit Autumn right I could send it back as long as it didn't acquire any blemishes. 
Cindy and I decided to play it safe and ride the wider trails and through the mountain meadows to avoid any clawing branches.  The ride was going well, and the saddle seemed to fit  but I still wasn't sure until Autumn decided to make my decision for me.  It was a warm day with swarming bugs that Autumn swished at with her tail.  They seemed to really be getting her because she had to stop and stomp her feet to shake them off.   She drifted to the side of the trail and over a low bush to scratch her belly.  I figured that was okay, since it wasn't tall enough harm the saddle way up on her back.  But, when Autumn's legs began to buckle and she started dropping to the ground...well, that's when that bush got tall enough to beat the living hell out of the $1,300 unpaid for after three years of saving, saddle.  I kicked, yelled and swatted at Autumn but she wasn't listening.  Something clicked in my head, and myself yelled at me to abandon ship.  I dropped my stirrups and did the crappiest ninja roll over her neck and head and watched as Autumn rolled in ecstasy in a patch of poison oak in the new saddle.  When her itch was scratched and she was pleased with herself, she got up and shook it off. 
I was stunned.   I looked at Cindy and said "Well, I guess Autumn wants me to keep the saddle." 

The new saddle after Autumn domestically abused it.

Luckily,the saddle only had a few scrapes and bruises and it didn't want to press any charges after Autumn's assault. So, now I'm a proud owner of a dream saddle that happens to fit and it already has the first dent out of the way. 
The rest of the trip turned out to be awesome! 

Cindy and Syria

We rode over the river.....

Autumn drank the river



...and through the woods...

I guess we should say "rode under the woods".

To the showers we did ride.

Farewell, giant perfectly hot showers...until next time.  I will think of you often.

Thanks for reading!  If you would like to make a comment or to be added to the mailing list please email me at Jacksonhillhorseygirl@gmail.com
Copyright (c) 2011 Jacksonhillhorseygirl.com

Adrenaline Junkies Come In All Sizes

Hi!
Autumn and I are at it again! 
Autumn and I are participating in a Saddle Up for St. Jude event benefiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.  The trail ride is on Saturday, October 29th at Redwood National Park in Orick. The money we raise will help St. Jude Children's Hospital find new treatments for cancer and other catastrophic diseases. We are hoping to raise $1,000 and we would love your help.  You can donate online at the following link: Donate on Margaret & Autumn's Behalf
or, you can email me if you would like to send a check to: Jacksonhillhorseygirl@gmail.com. 
No donation is too big or too small. 
Thanks for helping us help a great cause!
Margaret & Autumn


Adrenaline Junkies Come In All Sizes
The other morning, as usual, I was bouncing over the ranch's dimpled dirt road late for work.  I was keeping an eye on Lilly, my crazy running maniac pooch, as she sprinted side by side with my front tire when something caught my other eye.

What the hell is that?

I slowed to a safer speed, not wanting to run my own dog over, to get a better look at the thing that was stuck on my windshield.  Balanced on my passenger side windshield wiper was a little mouse.  Like a mini surfer on a wave he flowed with the changing currents of the road.  He hung ten over the windshield wiper blade, coasting with the swell of the car, as the wind blew in his face. 

Totally Stoked!

 He was in the zone.  But, the tide had to change for this little extreme windshield wiper rider.  I had to get to work.  I pulled over, got out of the car and walked over to the passenger side.  He looked up at me, no fear in his eyes and stayed on his surfing windshield wiper.  He didn't want his endless summer to end.  "I'm sorry I have to your kick you off your wave little dude."  On his own, he scooted on to the  magazine and I lowered him down to the grass.  He sat there a minute, looking at my car before he scurried off into the forest.  As I drove off to work I wondered why that little guy climbed up there in the first place.  Had he done this before with anyone else?  He was a cool little guy, I hope catches a ride with me again someday.

Thanks for reading!  If you would like to be added to my mailing list or would like to send me a comment you can do so by emailing me at Jacksonhillhorseygirl@gmail.com.

Copyright (c) 2011 Jacksonhillhorseygirl.com 

A Long Way Down

When I first started riding Autumn I would just clip some reins on her halter, find a trunk of a car to climb up and then I'd climb up on Autumn.  I had no fear up there.  I rode her in the woods, through rivers, over bridges, on the beach, in the ocean, in the arena...everywhere bareback.  She did great. 
Then it happened...The fall.
I ran up to the barn one morning and rode Autumn up to the pasture.  I had a few extra minutes so I let Autumn graze in the few remaining green spots that survived the dry summer.  As I sat on her, I thought about the crummy garage sale I was about to have in a few hours.   I sat on Autumn swirling in the dread of the event when something spooked her.  She did a small jump to the side that headed me straight into making an uninsured introduction with the ground.  In my slow motion decent all I could think was I hope this isn't going to be expensive.  I splatted on the dirt and the ground stunned my left side.  Tears welled up in my eyes and I could barely move my arm.  I gave to quick look around to make sure that no one witnessed the lamest fall on the planet and let a few tears fall.  Autumn stared at me with a look that said Seriously?  You fell off of me from that little spook? 
Yeah Autumn, I obviously did!  It was all because I was thinking of that stupid garage sale I have to have.
 Then it was written all over her face  What were you doing thinking about the stupid garage sale when you are riding me?
Of course she was right.  I limped her to the pasture gate, gave her hug and kiss and let her loose with her friends. 
As more movement restored itself to my arm I thought back to my younger days flipping ass over tea kettle jumping horses over fences at a hand gallop and not being able to remember the ground hurting so much.  Then the quote came drifting back to me that I heard from the older equestrians back then...The older you get the less you bounce.  Yep, they had that one right. 
Well, I did get back in the saddle...bareback anyways.  I rode her and at first I still felt pretty confident but then...things started to change.  I became the hypothetical hypochondriac. I began to imagine every possible way I could fall off of Autumn.  What if a dog jumped out of the bushes and scared her?  What if a motorcycle went by and slid out and crashed into us?  What if a mountain lion attacked us?  What if Sarah Palin was in town flying over us in a helicopter trying to shoot wolves and took us out?  Like I said, it was getting bad. 
I would get myself worked up into a fit of panic.  I began to talk myself out of riding Autumn bareback altogether.  I could ride her in a saddle and feel confident but at the same time I  missed the closeness and freedom of riding her bareback.  I read books and articles on how to overcome my fear... breathing techniques, singing, mediation but nothing would work.  I would clam up and Autumn could feel it.   I could tell that my fear was making her scared.  Then my fears started to play out through her.  When she thought that I was scared she thought that there must be something out there worth being scared about.  I made a decision to just ride in a saddle and hopefully my fear would disappear with more time on top of her. 
That garage sale was now two years behind us when I was sitting in the audience of Cavalia. Cavalia is basically Cirque Du Soleil with horses and acrobatics as it's stars. It is wild, beautiful and I recommend that everyone see it if they can.  Anyhow, as I was being dazzled by all the horses one act caught my eye.  The performers were vaulting off a giant Belgian.  As the Belgian horse cantered his performers would swing, tumble, sit stand and  flip all over him with the help of a surcingle with handles (basically a belt that wrapped around the horse's heart girth with handles on top side of his back).
The gears started churning in my head and when I got home I hit he web.  It took me only seconds for one of these handled vaulting surcingles to pop up and it just happened to be on sale.  It was fate giving me a new set of training wheels.  I clicked it into my shopping cart and one week later I had my handle bars!

Climbing back on the horse again!

I snuck out to the arena at first light and took Autumn for a test ride in them.  The confidence meter had it's first flicker of life.  Next day, Autumn and I hit the trail.  Day by day my confidence tank was filling up despite the people at the ranch having a great time making fun of my handle bars.  They wanted to know when my first performance would be and if I could do a tumbling demo for them.  I just had to suck it up and take the abuse like grown woman riding a horse with handles.
Then I decided, on my Christmas Eve ride on the beach with Cindy and Syria to leave the saddle at home.  I fastened my confidence bars onto Autumn, found a beached log to climb up on her and we headed for the sea.  I was still a bit nervous but Autumn walked me through it and then she trotted me further through it. The ride was lovely and I can remember that I took a deep breath and asked Autumn to take care of me.  I gave her a squeeze and she gently cantered me along the sea's edge.  Autumn carried me away from the day of that crappy garage sale and into one of the best rides she ever gave me.  She's such a great and patient friend!  So is Cindy for being seen with me in public with my handles!  Thanks Cindy!

Thanks for reading!  If you would like to be added to my mailing list or would like me to post your comment please email me at: Jacksonhillhorseygirl@gmail.com
Copyright (c) 2011 Jacksonhillhorseygirl.com