My tired boy, resting at the trailer.Next weekend is my daughter's horse show and then the weekend after that is cross-country training.
The horse circuit has started and we will continue until November. Oh, my husband is so happy!
The RAC began in 2007 and continued until 2015. It was created to unite all curly horse owners to encourage and motivate each other and to promoting the breed. Participating riders earn points to win amazing prizes. This blog was created to share with others their personal journey with each other and the public. *This blog is not a training blog and any techniques or methods shown here are not necessarily enforced by the RAC. Consult your trainer for advice. http://curlyhorsecountry.com
Monday, March 28, 2011
Home on the Range Endurance Race
Well, we are home from the endurance race. I was so sore yesterday, I could barely walk. Here I prided myself that I was in good shape - yah, right. I guess not so much. Traveler, my husband and my kids and I loaded up the motor home and headed over to the beautfiul Palouse country for the first endurance race of the season. We just went out on the 25 miler - and overall, Traveler was great. I was worried about his "stallion" behavior, but he held it in check for the initial vetting in and was in good shape and vetted through perfectly. He spent the night tied to the trailer and I kept one ear open all night listening for any low nickering, to make sure a mare didn't get loose and visit us in the wee hours of the morning. At one point I thought I heard something and I bolted up right, listening intently, when I realized it was just my husband snoring. LOL. And then the race started. He had been doing really well, listening to me and being under control, and then 50 mares in heat took off at a run and they were leaving him behind! It's very open country and he could see the mares for miles. I jumped off him twice in the first mile and schooled him on the ground to get his head back, and then we were off! He pulled it together, with some help from my crop, and the rest of the race was fun. We trotted and cantered along the top of the ridges and he was the perfect gentleman. Most people had no idea he was a stallion and he vetted through the checks with A's and in good condition. The only trouble I have with him is getting him to pee around other horses - this would cause his heart rate to stay up until he peed, and then it would drop right down to where it should be. The vet said I have to train him to pee - we have had this problem before when Eventing - and he is afraid to let anything hang down in front of me and I know he has to go and is uncomfortable, but he won't. Has anyone had this problem before? How do you train a horse to go pee? I finally got a male friend of mine to take Traveler away from the other horses and me, and then he was able to pee. Always something new to learn...... Here we are on the final way in - he was so much fun to ride after the first mile, when he realized our goal wasn't to catch and herd all the mares. He was just sure they needed him and he was the only one to save them! 
My tired boy, resting at the trailer.
My tired boy, resting at the trailer.
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Liz, sounds like a great ride! Good for you for controlling the situation to arrange for a successful outcome. You and Traveler are amazing together.
ReplyDeleteLiz, your pictures and adventures are so much fun to read. Being that Traveler is Marleys dad makes it more exciting to see what you are doing! I am glad that everything went well and he minded his manners after you got after him and you finished without any other issues.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a good start of the endurance season. I hope to enter in endurance again too, I love this sport!
ReplyDeleteAbout the peeing, have you tried softly whisteling when he pees, try to when he is in his stal or outside and you see him peeing make a whisteling sound (softly, almost the sound of running water) and then you can do this when riding and standing still to try to get him to pee when you ask it. I did this with my gelding I used to have and it worked well. Good luck with it!
Yes, I agree with Jessica's suggestion. A friend of mine has racehorses and they need to make them pee at specific times. He said whistling does the trick.
ReplyDeleteYou guys are amazing!! Good luck this year!
Liz -- super job !! I am envious of your ability and courage !! so great that you do so much with your fellow. We have a stud who is like a kindergarten boy with his legs crossed.. he wants to pee but acts silly about it. We have to get to a show well in advance to give him time to be used to the surroundings and ride him around until he finally goes. That whistling idea seems like it might just work ! good tip to try. Zoe has trouble with Elektra at a show also -- if she has to pee, forget it -- she'll do terribly in the ring. We need to be sure and walk her away from the crowd between classes and give her a chance to go.
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