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Hi List !
Fun stuff going on here in balmy ( 53*) UT. A couple of weeks ago, I joined
the Iron Co. Sheriffs Mounted Posse Search and Rescue Team. All horseback,
volunteer squad, that works with the " regular " S+R team, that use cars,
trucks, ATV's, dogs ect. In addition to real search and rescue calls, we also
do
alot of public assistance during parades ( including crowd control, AND doing a
unit in the parades ) to the UTAH summer games, 2 big rodeos, ect. ect. I
started attending the weekly Sat. trainings with a Fjord named, Mid's Ayla, a
tall
Fjord mare that we bought from Brian and Ursula Jensen a few years ago. I had
used Ayla in a recreational riding program I did at a private residential
treatment program for behavior problem girls, and she had never made a wrong
move, dispite the usual drama that comes along with that interesting
population. <
g>
I figured that if Ayla could step up to those
" at risk, " ( yea right ) naughty teens, then she might be my guardian
angel as well. ; /
Yesterday was an important day for us. We had training for "
qualifying " to be certified as a Search and Rescue horse. ( pony, hee hee ) I
admit
to being a little wigged out about what they might throw at us, and how Ayla
would respond. We train at the local 2 million dollar arena and event center.
We
have an indoor arena and an outdoor rodeo sz. arena, much like the one at
Libby.
Part of my wigging out is all about me. I USED to ride. I do not climb
onto a horse now, unless pushed. I prefer driving. The older I get, the more
I havnt ridden. 60 lbs. and 20 years later ( from those youthful rides,
bareback up the CA. mountians with a halter and leadrope ) I am a timid rider
at
best. My balence is all messed up. ( go figure ) I do not want to get hurt. I
do
not want to get hurt. I do not want to get hurt. My self-preservation level
gets higher, the older and busier I get. I have watched this group for a few
years now, always wanting to join them, but lacked the ride there
( HUGE LQ trailer only pulled by Jeff who works in CA. and cant be towed by
my KIA <g> ) and the motivation to lose some weight, and invest in my own ride.
Sooooooo, I have dropped a few lbs. ( not enough ) Bought a 80's model Dodge
truck, low miles, 4 on the floor with a granny gear from hell, only really gos
into 2nd and 3rd, but can haul like a mother. Found a really nice 3 horse
Logan stock type trailer with saddle compartment and another tack room for
2,000.
Started attending the trainings without a horse, then started bringing Ayla
to see if she would fit into the S+R mode. I have 8-9 here I could pick from
between foals and show training, but Ayla needed a job and has been standing
around eating between pairs driving for pleasure and infrequent rides.
OK, so yesterday we arrived at the arena to find Police cars, officers,
dogs, and an obstical course that looked pretty tough. My friend Tamra was
trailering along with me, and was running late, so my plans of arriving early
didnt work out. : (
After seeing a few other horses in high anxiety mode, I noticed that
Ayla was calm and very interested in getting out into the course. We warmed up
doing some minor drill team type stuff, wheels, pairing off and doing
formations and some crowd control " push's ". We were at the center of the
arena when
all 3 squad cars lit up their lights and sirens. Horses scattered a bit, some
needing their riders to unmount and try to calm them, others just very snorty
and up-headed. Ayla stood her ground and kept her feet in one place. : )
I started praying.
We paired off and had to go around to each obstical, without practice
and be " graded " by an officer with a clipboard sitting nearby. My partner
and her horse, Taffy, a large palomino who Ayla had decided MUST be Fjord
friend ( color ? ) headed off to the water hazzard.
Ayla lead off and PLODD PLODD, through it she went. No pause. Taffy
followed right in, and withen 5 seconds we were done ! A few of the other
people groaned and made comment, like " maybe we should get one of THOSE "
......
: ) Off to the blue tarp where we had to stand on it, and do a complete
circle, leaving all feet on. Ayle did a beautiful slow spin, catching the tarp
in her feet and pulling the whole thing along with her. No problem here, and
Taffy also did well after they untangled Ayla
( VBG ) and set the tarp back out.
There was a HUGE bright neon green ball, which the horses were
supposed to go up to and touch with their nose, than stand for one min. Ayla
looked hard at the ball, reached out and PUSHED the ball away from her. The guy
grading us said, " extra points if you can play soccer " and we started pushing
the ball all over. She would hit it with her front legs or nose, than CHASE
it like a cutting horse, keeping it pushed into the corner.....totally funny.
She loved the game. Im just hanging on, laughing too hard for much control,
while Ayla did her " Poco Bueno impression. Taffy was less thrilled at the
game,
but after some mild convincing that it wasnt going to come after HER, she
reached out and was able to touch it and hold her stand after.
On to an easy tight serpintine of cones, which we first walked then
trotted, while Taffy looked splended doing flying lead changes ( pole bending
horse ) after us. : /
On to an " L " shape of wooden logs, very long and had to back through
with no touching. ( Deep breath ) Ayla had a fussy problem backing straight
for a few weeks now, but we had reached an agreement just this week, so I was
not hopefull she would make it all the way through. Taffy went first, and also
had alot of trouble with the turn, hitting the second log every time. I tried
with Ayla, and after a tiny bit of fussing with the first 2 steps, she did a
PERFECT back down the first log. She is slow to move her butt over, so I pushed
her forward and over and somehow she made the turn within the logs. We sat
and praised for awhile, then another beautiful straight back out of the
obstical. The trainer, who happend to be scoring it, said, " excellent job,
Lisa "
with a smile, and off we went without Taffy who managed to pull off an OK turn.
; /
We then, had to go over to a barrel, pick up the lead rope and haul
up a noisy plastic bag, filled with cans, drop it down and " TOW " it behind
your horse around the barrel, then put it back in. Well.
Ayla is a DRIVING horse. And Brian trained her well, as she was the
ONLY one there to do it. First time, perfect. I think that she smelled FOOD
product and of course I had been practicing the bag stuff at home. Yeeeee
Haaaaaaaa ! Taffy blew her mind, as most of the others and they cancelled the
hazzard before someone got hurt and needed rescue. ( GGG )
The last thing was to pick up an American flag from the fence.....ride
with it sitting on top of your stirrup the whole way around the arena. I
offered to sing the National Anthem, for bonus pionts, was ( not very politely
)
turned down, so instead did my own rendition of " OH CANADA " . ( Ursula Jensen
has heard my voice close up and personal, and it may have been the scariest
thing going on all day, ask her )
I swung the flag around her head, drapping it unto her eyes, so she was
walking blind, and headed off. Some of the others threatned me with horrible
harm when we passed them trying to get their horses NEAR some of the hazzards.
Maybe it was my singing, so I shut up. Taffy caught up with me and we passed
the flag between us, even managing a trot on the way back. Last one was a no
brainer, having to mingle with some of the German Shepards from the canine
team.
This all might sound very standard and boring to alot of you riders out
there, but I would have rather had root canels and poke needles into my feet a
short month ago when faced with all of this testing. Im not losing any sleep
entering a pleasure class with the only ( and up headed ) pair in a sea of 20
single driving entries at a show, but this stuff was and is a BIG push for us.
Ayla and I have had alot of fun doing sagebrush searchs, traffic rides ( YAWN
) and drill type stuff. But....this proved to anyone who might have wondered
what this PONY / FAT OLD LADY team was thinking joining this group, wrong. We
got alot of compliments and several who want to come over and see more Fjords.
One couple wants to trade in their cute but hot Morgans tomorrow on a couple
of fuzzy, CALM yaks.
Updates to follow when something cool happens. Off to SADDLE Kaiser,
Juli and Kari for back-up potentials.
Lisa Pedersen * sore but having a blast.....Cedar City, UT.
