Peter is already riding Wesley out in the working arena, which has nice soft footing with a clay base. I unload and saddle up Barranca, but when I come around the side of the barn, Peterâs horse spooks and spins, throwing a shoe. Does this mean we will have to cancel? Peter goes looking for his tools and manages to pull out the remaining nails in Wesleyâs rear hoof. He thinks that if we stay on the dirt, we can still have a short ride. So we head down this little wind-protected valley full of dense oak trees. The oaks, which lose their leaves in the spring, are now turning a russet-golden color in preparation for their false fall. The old brittle leaves can leave quite a mess, but I must say that it is nice to have their greenery all winter long and to see the fresh soft leaves appear in early spring like cut velvet.
A large trough by the second gate has a handy little in-and-out ramp for any animal that might get trapped in the water. Peterâs two dogs run up it and have a drink but Barranca is wary of the huge slimy tub. Back East, I put a long branchin my water tank so that squirrels and chipmunks can rescue themselves. There is nothing more disturbing than finding a dead, bloated animal tainting your horseâs water supply.
Peter is especially happy that I have come out to ride with him as it gives him a chance to make his gelding pay attention to him rather than to another horse. Peter likes the looks of Barranca and how he moves, but because of Wesleyâs lost shoe, we donât ride up on the ridge or go too far. Instead, we head back to do some flatwork in the ring. I push Barranca into figure eights, cantering him slowly, while Peter practices spinning his horse.
In the show arena, reining horses are spun around four times in each direction. They also have to know how to do a sliding stop, and some horses can slide for almost twenty feet. âItâs kind of silly,â he admits, âbecause there is no real need for a sliding stop. Itâs all for show. And each year, there is some new horse that can go even further.â
Peter offers to let me use his wash stall, and it is warm and cozy from the heat lamps above. He even has access to hot water and a nice spray hose that you can adjust. We cross-tie Barranca and wet him down before applying shampoo with a sponge. Then I rinse him thoroughly, mane and tail and all. Scraping off the excess water before using the shedding tool, I get a lot of his loose winter coat off until it looks sleek and shiny. Peter sprays Barrancaâs tail with a generous amount of a detangling product, and I work on the long strands. There is something satisfying about cleaning a horse
âit makes the inside of a woman feel good.
I ask if we can measure Barranca, as I want to know if he is actually 15.3 hands, or possibly taller. Measuring to the middle of his withers, it seems clear that he is a good 16 hands.
My Big Boy.
We leave him tied to the fence to drywhile Peter shows me his Turnbow trailer. It must be the most elegant trailer Iâve ever seen, deluxe. It has a side ramp, which allows a horse to enter with his head toward the rear. If given a choice, a horse will usually stand with his head going toward the back rather than toward the front, as most trailers are designed. I wonder why horses would prefer riding backward. Maybe they are trying to avoid the wind of the road. Horses always seem to turn their rumps to an approaching storm, perhaps for the same reason.
In Sedona
Ready to Roll
So much planning for our trip to SedonaâHelen and I load up the night beforeâmeasuring grain into baggies, stashing hay in the back of the truck, getting all of our tack into the trailer, both coolers, not to mention our suitcases, as well as my humidifier and espresso maker! We want to have an easy and smooth departure the next morning. KathleenJames, our friend, will drive her own car up to Sedona and meet us there for dinner.
We eat
A large trough by the second gate has a handy little in-and-out ramp for any animal that might get trapped in the water. Peterâs two dogs run up it and have a drink but Barranca is wary of the huge slimy tub. Back East, I put a long branchin my water tank so that squirrels and chipmunks can rescue themselves. There is nothing more disturbing than finding a dead, bloated animal tainting your horseâs water supply.
Peter is especially happy that I have come out to ride with him as it gives him a chance to make his gelding pay attention to him rather than to another horse. Peter likes the looks of Barranca and how he moves, but because of Wesleyâs lost shoe, we donât ride up on the ridge or go too far. Instead, we head back to do some flatwork in the ring. I push Barranca into figure eights, cantering him slowly, while Peter practices spinning his horse.
In the show arena, reining horses are spun around four times in each direction. They also have to know how to do a sliding stop, and some horses can slide for almost twenty feet. âItâs kind of silly,â he admits, âbecause there is no real need for a sliding stop. Itâs all for show. And each year, there is some new horse that can go even further.â
Peter offers to let me use his wash stall, and it is warm and cozy from the heat lamps above. He even has access to hot water and a nice spray hose that you can adjust. We cross-tie Barranca and wet him down before applying shampoo with a sponge. Then I rinse him thoroughly, mane and tail and all. Scraping off the excess water before using the shedding tool, I get a lot of his loose winter coat off until it looks sleek and shiny. Peter sprays Barrancaâs tail with a generous amount of a detangling product, and I work on the long strands. There is something satisfying about cleaning a horse
âit makes the inside of a woman feel good.
I ask if we can measure Barranca, as I want to know if he is actually 15.3 hands, or possibly taller. Measuring to the middle of his withers, it seems clear that he is a good 16 hands.
My Big Boy.
We leave him tied to the fence to drywhile Peter shows me his Turnbow trailer. It must be the most elegant trailer Iâve ever seen, deluxe. It has a side ramp, which allows a horse to enter with his head toward the rear. If given a choice, a horse will usually stand with his head going toward the back rather than toward the front, as most trailers are designed. I wonder why horses would prefer riding backward. Maybe they are trying to avoid the wind of the road. Horses always seem to turn their rumps to an approaching storm, perhaps for the same reason.
In Sedona
Ready to Roll
So much planning for our trip to SedonaâHelen and I load up the night beforeâmeasuring grain into baggies, stashing hay in the back of the truck, getting all of our tack into the trailer, both coolers, not to mention our suitcases, as well as my humidifier and espresso maker! We want to have an easy and smooth departure the next morning. KathleenJames, our friend, will drive her own car up to Sedona and meet us there for dinner.
We eat
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