Biscuit busts his butt and slides

Shanna wanted to ride Biscuit so we met her and Archie at the barn after delivering my wedding cake.  Biscuit let us pet him and get close but when Barry brought up the halter he slowly backed up and walked off.  Barry followed him and Biscuit started trotting....then he was running in circles.  Ok...it is wet as it can be out there and he is galloping around and wooops!!!  His back end slides and down he goes on his butt then his side and he slides almost to the fence.   He pops up and keeps galloping around a few times.  He stops and finally lets Barry catch him.  He was an angel then.  Shanna was playing with him and then we walked him up front.

We saddled him up and Shanna rode him in the arena.  Devin, Lesly and Mazlynn came out too.  Maz rode Sarge and Biscuit and wasn't the least bit afraid.  I think she is going to be my riding buddy one day!

Biscuit has a giant bo-bo

Lee Ann said Craig was coming out to trim horses and I said I needed the boys trimmed.  I was going to meet him out there so I could pay him direct.  I got there Tuesday just as he and Lee Ann got to the pasture. 

Craig haltered Sarge and I walked over and called Biscuit.  He started towards me and WHOA!!!  Biscuit had a huge bobo on his head.  About the size of 2/3 of my palm and all of the hair was gone.  He let me pet his nose but when I reached up to brush his forelock away he jerked his head up in the air and backed off and walked away.  He wouldn't let me catch him.  Lee Ann tried, Craig tried and he was having none of it.  I tried after they left and he was not letting me get close. 

I went back to the barn later with Barry and he would let Barry catch him either.  Lisa came by and I told her what was going on and later Biscuit let her catch him and doctor it. 

I went out Wednesday and he still wouldn't let me catch him.  I tried Thursday and no go.  Friday evening Barry and I went out there and he allowed me to pet him and get close but we still couldn't catch him.  Toni, John, Alex and Hannah met us out there and brought back my Aussie Saddle.  They got to meet the boys and they fed them grass. 

Hoping to catch him later!

I

Paying Board and Kissing up my horses

I went Monday to pay my board and see the horses.  Ms. Jean and Lee Ann P. were leading horses to the big barn and so I talked to them.  It was so good to see them and they thought my walking was improved which it has.  I paid Ms. Jean and she said I could use the swimming pool when I got better.  I might take her up on that!!!

I went down to see my horses and was pulling up clover for them to eat.  They are such sweeties.  I took these pictures of my boys.

My boys are the bomb!

Saturday evening my riding buddy and cousin, Kellie, came and took me out to see my horses!  OMG what a wonderful present.  She and Randy came and picked me up!  I sat up front with Randy because it was easier to get into the front seat of the truck. 

We got out to the pasture and the horses were on the other side trying to convince Lisa to give them treats.  I hollered at them and omg they came RUNNING to me.  Well, Biscuit veered over to Barry because he had been there twice recently with carrots!  LOL  I had to laugh at my boys.  They looked gorgeous!  Fat and Sassy!!  Biscuit has gained weight and totally shed out.  He is slick and GOLDEN as he can be.  Never saw my boy so gold!!!!!  Sarge has shed out for the most part and has the fabulous metallic look he always gets.

It had been three weeks since I had seen my boys!!

I miss my horses

I miss my horses more than I can say.  I haven't seen them in nearly 3 weeks.  I miss their horsey smell, I miss Biscuit's silky mane.  I miss Sarge nuzzling my cheek with a kiss.  I miss their sweet expressions. 

They make me feel better when I am down.  Just being around them lifts my spirits.  I want to brush their coats to make them shine and see the loose hair flying in the breeze.  It will be a long time before I can ride again which is not fun for me....I miss my weekends riding with my cousin, Kellie, and her horse Elan.  I miss his little Gorilla Face.  I miss that he always comes to my trailer for a treat.  Sigh.....this can't end quick enough but I am getting better and I hope to be riding in 2 months and one week which would be 3 months from my surgery.  I promise not to OVER DO IT so that I can get better quicker and get back to my trail riding!!!  Miss my Biscuit ....Miss my Sarge.  Miss all my stable buddies. 

I think would love to plan a week long trail ride in Mississippi at the Brushy Creek Guest Ranch in the fall.  How wonderful that would be and not be constrained by electrical shocks running all over my body!

My Allegany Renegade Endurance Saddle is for sale

I have come to the hard decision of selling my Allegany Renegade Endurance Saddle.  I don't know that my balance will come back or if part of it will come back.  I need a deep pocket saddle that will keep me in the seat. 

The saddle is a 17" supracor seat so it rides more like a 16" saddle.  Uber soft cushion in it.  Two (2) ties on each corner and Horse Shoe Stainless steel hardward.  Black seat and barbed wire leather impression on the edges.  Slim pommel with D-rings.  The saddle has a Steele Tree in it.  Allegany Mountain Tree D bars with 7" spread.  I have two sets of stirrups for it - one set is traditional leather stirrups I ride in all the time and the other is endurance stirrups that have been used all of 1 hour!!  I purchased and received this saddle in July of 2012.  It has been kept inside since I bought it.

If you look to the right of this page you will see Bombproof Clinic pictures and see it on Biscuit.  If you are interested, send me an email to denise@cakessospecial.com

Speaking to my Biscuit

Lee Ann B called from the barn.  She was down at Biscuit and Sarge's paddock.  She held up her phone so I could talk to him.  Hahahahah she said his ears pricked up straight when he heard me calling to him.

She came and visited me and it was so nice to see her and hear about her motorcycle vacation with her Canadian friends. 

Kellie posted pictures from Ebenezer for me and it was so nice to see how pretty it is up there.  Hoping to go in June even if I don't ride.

Went out to walk on the driveway today.  It is a beautiful day and I am sorry I wasn't out riding.  It was way harder walking on the concrete than in the hospital but I will keep it up. 

It has been a week since I saw my horses

I had surgery Monday - it wasn't fun.  OMG talk about HURT.  Was in ICU for 2 days due to some high blood pressure.  I came home Friday.  I don't know when I will ride again - maybe as long as 6 months but we shall see.

Barry went out and took pictures of the horses and I was grateful for that.   Hope to see them soon.  Kellie is in Ebenezer and they found some new trails and are having a great time!  Can't wait til I can go again!

Last Ride for A While

 I went out to get Biscuit and Sarge.  I left the trailer at the barn and Edgar went down with me.  Biscuit took off and ran around me round and round.  Coming in to touch my hand and then taking off.  Edgar finally took Sarge up front and I called Barry and Kellie that I couldn't catch him.  Barry was going to meet me in the park but he came out to the pasture and Biscuit walked right up to him.  hahahaha  Biscuit is just feeling his Wheaties!!  I will ask Lee Ann to cut back his feed.

Barry rode with me out to the park and we tacked up.  Barry placed his saddle on his back for me because it is getting too heavy for me to pick up.  He held him while I mounted up and we went out towards Cattail Marsh.  James said he had used Dr. Murphy and really liked him.

We went down through the bog and out onto the marsh, across the bridge and to the left over the little land bridge.  We had such a good time.   In the back there was a huge Gator trail going across from the wooded area to the water.  Ugh.  Didn't want to catch up with that old boy. 

Kellie and I were going to take a picture by the bayou and Biscuit and Elen squeezed our leg into one leg.  Hahahahah they are so funny.

I enjoyed my last ride - did quiet a bit of jogging.  Biscuit has such a nice jog.  A few time he shook his head like he used to and dang - that would throw me off balance.  We got back to the stable and Barry helped me off.  I took the saddle off and went to set it down in front of the tack closet so he could put it back in and dang...I just kept going with it.  James picked me up off of the ground bless his heart.  I was mortified.  I rinsed Biscuit off and said goodbye to James and Kent and KD.  Hugged up Randy and Kellie.  We were going to ride Sunday but Elan threw a shoe going through the mud.  Oh well.  I need to rest before the surgery.

We took Biscuit and Sarge back to their pasture and I hugged them up.  Going to miss my boys til I can see them again.

We rode 9.4 miles and had a blast!!!

Spring has Sprung in Tyrrell Park

 Kellie, KD and I went riding Sunday in Tyrrell Park.  I hauled out to the barn and got the Gator to go get Biscuit.  He was in the back of the pasture and walked all the way up to the front to greet me.  Wow wee...,.he is really shedding out to very gold this year.  I put his halter on and he trotted beside the Gator all the way to the barn.  I greeted Brutis getting out of the car and then when I got back in.  When I was leaving he was howling and barking at me - he is so dang cute!!!  I was petting him through the fence and baby talking with him.  Can't help but just love Brutis.  I am going to have to get some pictures of Brutis for the blog.

I hauled out to the park and started tacking up.  It takes me forever and Barry's saddle is way heavier than mine.  Sigh...but I got it done.  Kellie held Biscuit so I could get on and OMG my legs are so freaking weak.  It was hard to get my right leg over the cantle.  Sigh....I just want this to be over with!

We went around to the Cattail Marsh entrance and Kellie pushed the code.  There was a horse trailer there and 2 horses were standing there but we didn't see people....guess they were in the trailer.  We went out and down to the Bayou.  Saw quiet a few alligators.  We went down to the bridge and turned around.  KD cantered Aladin some and he looked great.  He was behaving like a little doll.  We came back up the bayou and all the way to the woods entrance which was full of water.  We turned around and went back the way we came and KD got off and held the stile open so we could go through.  Another trailer had arrived with horses but we still didn't see people nor horses at any time out in the park.

We went into the center of the loop and I put Biscuit in his little jog and he did a great job.  KD held Biscuit while I dismounted and again, the right leg was hard to get over the cantle.  I took Biscuit over and washed him off.  He wasn't real sweaty but he had some mud on his legs. 

KD is going to ride him for me while I am not able to ride.  That way he will not get snotty or too much of a handful when I go back to riding.  Next weekend will be my last ride for awhile.

I am going to miss riding with Kellie and Elan.  It will be two months at the least before I can ride again.  Maybe more...won't know till later. 

Upcoming Surgery - will not be riding for a while

I went to the doctor in Houston today.  I will be having spinal stenosis surgery in Houston on Monday April 15th.  I am hoping to regain the feeling in my feet and legs.  I will not be able to leave the house for 2 weeks and probably can't ride for 2 to 3 months.  It is going to be hard not to see my Biscuit and Sarge.  They are my babies.

Hopefully if all goes well, I should be able to ride at 2 months.  If so, I plan on riding just in the arena for a month or so, then Tyrrell Park and then Ebenezer later.  It will be in the hot part of the summer and we probably won't be going there.  I will have to get Biscuit in the arena and work with him in there when I am able to. 

Sigh...I am going to miss my boys!

Galloping Biscuit

Kellie and I planned a ride at Tyrrell Park.  I went to get Biscuit at 9:30.  OMG he kept running from me.  Jogging/trotting/cantering/galloping around me until he was a huge sweatball.  I kept walking around trying to get him to let me catch him.  He wasn't having any of it.  Tail was flagging - lots of  snorting.  Sarge was totally ignoring Biscuit's pleas for him to join in.  Sarge just kept on grazing.

I went back to the trail and got treats.  He cantered up to me to get treats and then haul hinney when I tried to put his halter on him.  I was getting so tired.  I can do that anymore.  I went back to the RAV, raised the ramp and went up to the barn and asked Edgar to help.  He is such a doll.  We got out there with feed - now Sarge was interested in that!! and we basically kept flanking him until he finally let me catch him.  What was up with that crap?  It took me an hour and 15 minutes to catch him.  He trotted all the way to the barn after all of this.  I rinsed him off because he was NASTY.  I loaded up Barry's Billy Cook saddle and took off.

I got him tacked up which was a little hard.  The Billy Cook is heavier than the Allegany.  Kellie held Biscuit while I got on.  I had raised my stirrups.   We took off through the woods.  All dried up on the right side.  We went over the pallets and out onto the bayou.  We saw lots of alligators sunning themselves.  We went all the way to the back.  Biscuit was being an angel.  We got out to the point at Hildebrandt Bayou and Biscuit shook his head like a crazy man.  His reins flipped OVER his head.  Kellie helped me get them back over his head.  We could hear a boat coming and my left rein came off of the bit!!!  OMG  it has S clamp thingies to hold it on.  Kellie hooked it back up.

We started back on the trail and passed The Nursery - it was FULL of little bitty alligators - the 8" variety.  We didn't hang around to see Momma!!  We didn't see any hogs...a few tracks but no hogs. 

We came back up the other side of the bog and did some trotting.  I didn't have trouble sitting in that seat and trotting.  We crossed the bridge and did a little trotting coming up the bayou.  Into the woods and to the right....some muddy/standing water places.  We did some trotting.  Got to the right of ways and there is a huge pipe sitting up there but there was a break in it so we crossed the mats and had to actually ride on them a ways.  I heard something like water sloshing in your gut and thought it was Biscuit.  It was the matts!!  We crossed over to the trails and headed around trotting quiet a bit.  No losing my BALANCE!!!  WOOT!!!!

Kellie held Biscuit so I could dismount.  It is hard to bring this leg around.  I took his tack off and hosed him off.  He was filthy.  I went to get in my RAV after closing the gate behind me and OMG I twisted WRONG and was lit up like nobodies business.  I nearly fell and I was half in and half out of the car.  The shock was painful and hit my left side and down the center to my bladder/bowels.  Ugh....Made me feel horrible.  Hopefully that will all be gone soon!!!!

Trimming Sarge's hooves

Tuesday afternoon Barry went out to the barn with me.  We brought up the horses and I was brushing Sarge and Barry trimmed his beard!  I go out my tools to do Sarge's hooves.  They were overdue.  He is better when Barry is there but he is hard for me to do because he won't pick up his hooves and pulls them away from me at times.  What a toot.  He is such a sweet horse though. 

Talked to Lee Ann and Phil.  Barry got to meet Brutis - the darling of the barn.  I got to hug him up. 

Riding in a Snaffle

Monday I went and got a new plug for my trailer.  The plug cracked.  Went to the barn and pulled up Biscuit.  I used Barry's tack.  Yes, I sat better and further back in the Billy Cook.  Biscuit doesn't stop well with a snaffle!  OMG he would walk halfway across the arena.  We worked on stopped and leg yielding.  He leg yields wonderfully but doesn't side pass that well!

It was hard getting off of Biscuit - I hadn't taken up the stirrups and they were too long for my leg to clear the cantle.  I may have to look into getting a new saddle.  Mine is pitching me too forward and my balance isn't good anymore.  Hopefully I will get better but until I do I will have to ride in the Billy Cook saddle but OMG it is heavy compared to my saddle.

All tacked up and no way to go

I went out to the barn today to ride Biscuit.  I had the tack in my car.  I brought him up to the wash rack and brushed him down.  He was dirty in places and he is shedding.  I tacked him up and gave him treats.  I was ready to take him into the arena and looked for the mounting block.  Dang...it was no where to be found.  I looked in the tack room for Lee Ann B's mounting block but it wasn't there.  Sigh....I looked around for something else to mount on - I thought about the bench by Sadda's old pen but decided against it.  It isn't worth it to possibly fall. 

I decided to just do Biscuit's hooves.  They needed to be done especially his back left hoof has a bad crack in it.  So I started working on his hooves.  The Lee Ann's came around the corner and Lee Ann P was bringing Lee Ann B's mounting block but I said I had already taken his tack off and was just going to do his feet.  We all visited on the back wash rack and Lee Ann B brought up Rogue.  I later finished Biscuit's feet.  Ugh...he wasn't being as cooperative  as I would have liked.  I finally got his feet done and I fed him back there as they had already fed down the road. 

Weekend at Ebenezer

I got up Friday morning to go to Ebenezer.  Barry will join me on Saturday.  He got the camping stuff out of the barn and loaded in my Rav.  I hooked up the trailer, gassed up and headed for the barn.  I got out of the Rav and took the tail gate down, went to open the groom's door and wow...found my phone I had lost a week and a day ago.  It still works!  Hated that phone so not sorry I got another one!  I walked out in the pasture using my cane.  Sarge was looking at me a little funny so I laid it down.  He was ok then and I put his halter on him.  I walked to the other side of the pasture with Sarge and Biscuit would have none of it.  He kept running from me anytime I got close to him.  I finally walked Sarge to the trailer and loaded him up.

I walked all the way out there again and it still took forever to catch him.  Almost had the rope around his neck and he took off.  He was scared of the cane.  I had laid it down but he was kind of like "you look like my girl, walk like my girl...well kinda like she does but she doesn't have a big stick!"  I pulled some grass and fed him some grass and he reluctantly let me catch him.  I picked up my cane and let him look at it and smell it and I touched him with it.  Poor fellow...he is always scared someone is going to get him.

I pulled up to the barn and loaded tack and feed.  Jamie got me a bale of hay in my hay bag and put it in the trailer for me.  Such a sweet guy.  I put Biscuit's hay bag on top of the bale bag so they could eat hay on the drive.  Bad move...they were jumping around in the trailer all the way to Jasper.

When I got to Ebenezer Kellie and Randy helped me with the horses and they took the center bar out of the trailer and the mats, hauled water for my horses and gave them hay.  What would I do without such wonderful cousins?  I washed out the trailer and moved it back off the pad so it would drain.

Kellie and I wanted to ride so we tacked up and surprises of all surprises...Randy and Kent went with us.  We rode down the road to the little trail that goes through a gate, down the right side of the trail on a little off shoot I had never been on and met up with the trail to the Eagles Nest Hill.  We went left to the 4 corners and back to the front.  Kellie and I went down the Beavers Pond trail just to the first water crossing.  We rode almost 3 miles.

Friday Short Ride at Ebeneizer

 When we got back I fed both horses.  Bev and James joined us at my table and while we were all visiting I put up my mattress and got my bed set up.  We later went to Kent's table and ate dinner.  Kent made his famous beans and rice.  OMG they were FABULOUS.  Kellie shared some brownies she had made.  They were delicious!  We sat around the fire which was a pretty dang perfect fire and visited.

I went later and took a shower and headed for bed.  I was a little cold from the air in the mattress but slept pretty dang good.  When I woke up Barry had just arrived.  Dusty and Stacy arrived to ride with us and so did Robin and Eli.  My goodness he has grown!!

We rode to the waterfall and Biscuit was a total goober...he kept wanting to go faster and Monday I couldn't PUSH him down a trail.  Go figure!!  I kept having to pull him up and wow, he actually bucked up kicked at Jericho - the horse Kent bought from Melody.  He was being a total toot.  He was like that the entire ride.  We got to some steep places looking for the trail near the waterfall.  We had to cross a little stream and of course he jumps it with two galloping leaps - kept my balance on those!  The entire ride I was having to slow him down, make him stay on his rein, etc.  When we got to the waterfall I was near Stacy's black mare and it real showcased how much pollen was flying in the air against her black hair!  It looked like the woods were smoldering there was so much pollen flying around.  The horses had it in their noses!  I got to put Biscuit in a good jog on the way back and made him jog collected up.  He was acting like he had when I first got him...not wanting to stay on rein, not wanting to keep the same speed, throwing his head around.  Wow I was sore in my shoulders and arms when we got back to the camp. 

Biscuit was a horse's patootie ride

When we got back we went and ate at the Stump.  Took over an hour to get our food - waitress must have forgot our order.  They remade mine because it was cold and the onion rings were burned.    We went back to the camp and I later laid down for a nap because I was tired.  Barry, Kellie and I went up to Tammy Ellis' place to see Dashing Big Red.  He looks good but is low man on the old totem pole there too.  He has a sore on his right side near the girth line that looks like a summer sore.  Tammy arrived from an ACTHA ride a little later along with Sharon, Robin's mom.  So good to see her and she had won first place!!!  Anywhoo... Tammy said they thought it was a tick or perhaps a wasp had stung him.  It was good to see him.

I ate a bowl of really good cereal for dinner - I will get some more of that stuff!!!  We all went to Kent's to sit around the fire and cut up.  We had a great time.

I slept til 8:30 Sunday morning - well, not really sleeping but resting.  Got up and tacked up Biscuit and we went on a 4 mile ride this morning.  Biscuit was such a good boy today - not like yesterday thank God.  I enjoyed my ride.  It was just Bev, James, Randy, Kellie, Barry and me.

Sunday Morning Stroll

Riding with the girls up at Ebenezer

 Last Monday I met The Lee Ann's and Alison up at the barn at 8:00 to go up to Ebenezer to ride.  I was a little rickety but ok.  We got up there around 11:00 AM and tacked up.  We went down the first trail that goes to the beaver pond.  Biscuit was moving so slow you would think he had a dump truck tied to his tail.  I crossed the first creek and the Lee Anns came across but Avery wasn't sure about it.  I tried to get Biscuit to cross the water again and kept backing up.  Ugh.  Avery is a pretty brave soul but he hadn't been out in 9 months and neither had Alison.  We went back across the creek and up the trail and down a different one til we came to water again.  We turned around as that trail can be steep.

We went back towards Ebenezer and crossed to the second trail and went to the Eagles Nest and around the back to the houses, back around and down to the water point and wooo hoooo was it like an ice box blast there!  We went back up the hill, down the side of it and skirted the other side of the water nearer the road.  That is a much easier ride than down in the ravines.

We got back to the trailer and I couldn't feel my left foot at all.  I couldn't tell if it was out of the stirrup.  Ugh.  Alison held Biscuit and Lee Ann P said yes it was out of the stirrup and I was able to dismount.   I took Biscuit's tack off.  I went to brush him and dang - I rolled my ankle AGAIN.  I stumbled forward and down on my right hand and I had to yell for Lee Ann P. to come help me get upright.  Lee Ann B. got me the mounting block to sit down on.  Dang, I freaking saw stars when I rolled it.  Later it was swelled up pretty dang big and was bruised on the underside.

Ugh.....We loaded up a little later and headed for The Stump to eat hamburgers and onion rings.  We got home and cleaned out the trailer.  With 4 people it doesn't take too long.  I had a great time even though Biscuit was moving slower than molasses in January!  It is always fun to go with The Lee Anns and Alison.  Hope to get to go again soon with them. 

Vet Time for Sarge and Biscuit

I made an appointment to take the boys for their teeth to be floated, sheaths cleaned, shots and Coggins for Sarge.  I made an appointment yesterday and went to the barn to get them at 7:30.  I put their feed in their buckets and went down to get them.  They know it is breakfast time.  Biscuit did walk off a little ways but Jamie was coming with the feed wagon and I was able to walk up and put his halter on.  I flung his lead rope over his shoulder and got Sarge.  Jamie held Sarge while I put Biscuit in.  Biscuit was eager to get in as he knows his feed is in the trailer.  Sarge heard him eating and almost ran and leaped in the trailer.

We hauled out to Doc Schneiters.  He was working with a gelding and so I had to wait which is ok.  When it was our turn I got both boys out and we put Biscuit in the stock and I tied Sarge up.  A new young vet and vet tech were going to work with Biscuit.  He tranquilized Biscuit and tried to get the speculum in his mouth.  He kept trying and kept trying to tighten the strap on his head.  Biscuit wasn't being cooperative but the poor young vet wasn't very quick or adept at putting this on.  Doc finally rescued Biscuit and put it on quickly.  So we started....I kept close by and told them he had been roughly treated and Biscuit was being a pill...fighting them all the way.  I held his head for part of it and he calmed a little bit but they finally tranquilized him again.  Poor baby.  Doc kept a close watch and stepped in to do some of it and checked the work. 

Finally it was over and I took him out....he was pretty dang drunk.  We took him over to the end of the barn and tied him up and put Sarge in the stock.  They started on Biscuit's sheath so I was watching them and talking to Casey and Terri Looney and looking at her new 2 year old filly.

I went to check on Sarge and OMG they had him in a twitch and he was fighting them.  Doc to the rescue and he took the twitch off and did part of Sarge's teeth and talked to young vet about techniques.  Doc was very diplomatic about it.  He seems to be a good teacher. 

They washed Sarge's sheath and he had more crud than Biscuit but no huge beans like last year.  It was finally over and I went and paid - wow wee $385 for shots, floating, sheaths and a Coggins.  I put Biscuit in first.  He was moving very slowly and stopped in the middle of the barn.  We finally made it to the trailer and he got in just fine.  I went and got Sarge - his back hooves were scraping on the cement as I led him to the trailer.  He got in with no problem and we hauled home SLOWLY so I didn't upset my boys. 

We got to the barn and Lee Ann asked Biscuit if he had got a lampshade at that party!  He was still pretty drunk.  I put them in the arena so they could rest while the drugs wore off.

They are now vetted up for the next 6 months on some things and a year on others!