October 23, 2007 by Capuce.

Who wants to ride?

Where: Genesee Valley Greenway Rt 20 parking area
When: Saturday November 3rd (rain date Nov 10th)
Time: 10am
Type: 6 mile round trip, flat wide trails. At a walk with some trotting it usually takes about 1.5 - 2 hrs.
Lunch: Looking for food after? Tom Wahl’s - room for trailer parking in back or across street at Tops Market

If you’re interested please RSVP to trails@rochester.rr.com

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October 22, 2007 by Capuce.

I’m sorry I haven’t written in a while but I’ll bore you with those details later.  Fall is here, the farmers are finally harvesting corn which means the trails behind my house are coming back to life!  There are some bad things that come along with fall riding that I would like to warn people about and how to protect yourselves against them.

1.     Hunting season

2.     Trapping season

3.     Lack of daylight

Hunting Season:  Yup it’s that time of year again when there’s gun toting camouflaged  men in the woods.  This is not all bad.  Hunters are great people who help keep the wildlife population in check and healthy and I have great respect for them.  Not to mention I love venison!  Anyway, as a rider we need to ensure the safety of those around us by training our horses about hunters.  1. Make sure your horse isn’t gun shy, the last thing you need is to be on a bolting horse when a hunter fires a round off.  2. Orange!  Yes, go all out, make sure they can see you even if you can’t see them.  Orange helmet covers, vets, and even saddle pads are the best.  3. Be heard, now’s the time to practice for American Idol.  Talk, sign, whistle the whole time.  If you’re not much of a signer you can do what I do.  Sleigh bells! They never take a break from jingling and trust me, you can be heard from a really far distance away.  So can the deer and they run away from you!

Trapping Season:  Not many of you have to worry about traps but it is something I have to be cautious of.  I have a rather large coyote pack near my house and the farmers do trap them. I highly advise that if you ride along farmers fields make sure you ask if they trap.  Traps are normally placed along hedge rows so traveling through the field might not be an issue but to take a short cut through a hedge row might get you in some trouble.

Daylight:  Oh why did the government have to mess with daylight savings time?  They pushed it back by another 2 weeks so I’m stuck doing all of my morning chores by flashlight.  Lack of light doesn’t stop me riding though.  I only get to ride 1-2 horses before work in the morning which leaves 1 ride after dark when I get home.  No problem!  My riding helmet is outfitted in reflective red/white tape, my breast collar has a white flashing bike light on the front and tied to my horses tail is a red bike flashing light.  I also wear my trusty reflective orange vest to top off the ensemble.  I’m an equine disco ball riding down the road often under a full moon to help me see better. If you’ve never ridden at night I highly recommend it.  There’s a whole new trust relationship between you and your horse.

Well now that you and your horse are decked as a reflective orange disco ball may you have many happy trails in your hunting season future.

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August 31, 2007 by Capuce.

Most horse riders have never held the reins of a driving horse before.  As kids many of us may have gone on a hay ride or taken a horse taxi in a park but most people never think of actually driving their own horse.

As it turns out the Rochester, NY area has great knowledge base for those interested in learning to drive!  Did you know that the Walnut Hill Driving Competition is the largest of it’s kind in the world!  There’s also local clubs like the Northampton Driving Society, Genesee Valley Riding and Driving Club and the Pittsford Carriage Association willing to help out new comers.  The Northampton Driving Society (NDS) has to be the best beginner friendly organization though. With fun driving events, a yearly show, and monthly meetings and seminars they are the most helpful when starting out. I literally taught my mare to drive with a book, the internet, and the help of NDS.

If you think trail riding is fun you’ve got to get out for a drive some day.  The greatest perk about driving is it’s something you can share with others.  My non horsey mom and friends are always asking me if they can join me for a drive. Some are even getting more adventurous and are asking if they can take the reins for a while.  Driving is also great on your back.  If riding in the saddle makes you sore and tires you out give driving a try.

I find I’m more prone to exercising my horses driving than riding because it’s less stress on me.  Trotting 2-3 miles in a saddle vs. in a cart is a HUGE difference.  Another plus is there’s no better way to build up your horses stamina and hindquarters than driving!  Love those hunter paces or endurance rides but conditioning to ride them tiring you out?  Driving allows the horse to get a great work out over long distances.  Heck, I take my GPS unit with me in the cart to help me know exact mileage and speed.

Still need some motivation to try driving?  Take the virtual reins of my horse.

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August 6, 2007 by Capuce.

Whoo Hoo!  I haven’t gone to a show in quite a while and the Caledonia Fair is the best!  Very low key, great people, fun atmosphere and perfect spot to take a green horse to their first show.

 I only entered in 4 classes, 2 halter, 2 under saddle.  I wasn’t sure how Cotton would behave away from the barn and her buddy so I didn’t want to stress her out.  Our first class out, Conformation and boy did she strut her stuff.  Thankfully the class is judged mostly on the horse’s conformation and now their brain.  Head up, tail high and every step was that of a young green horse.  Just the same we came in 1st place!  Took me totally by surprise! 

Anyone who wants to show but doesn’t like all the usually hype that goes with it would love to do this one in the future. Breeches, tall boots and a polo shirt was all I wore and it was good enough.  I didn’t feel I was judged any differently because of my attire and I wasn’t the only one dressing for the weather and not for the show.   So next year end of July early Aug make plans on attending the fair!

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July 20, 2007 by Capuce.

I’m increasingly appalled by the behavior of car drivers on my road.  People just don’t seem to know how to pass horses safely.  Flying by at 45-50 mph is NOT safe.  Honking your horn, blearing the radio, or revving an engine isn’t bright either.  A friend of mine a few years back was riding on a wide grass shoulder along a dirt road when her horse spooked at something in the grass.  He ran up into the road and in the path of an oncoming car.  Thankfully, the car was traveling slowly due to road conditions causing only minor bruising to the horse’s hindquarters but really beating up the car.  Luckily the rider was not hurt. This is a prime example of most horse car interactions.  The horse is not afraid of the vehicle but is afraid of the empty beer can tossed on the side of the road.  A vehicle passing too quickly at the wrong time could end up with a spooked horse on their hood instantly and the life of a rider on their hands. 

Thankfully the smartest people I’ve come in contact with on the roads have been bikers.  Yes, those big burly men on Harley’s are the nicest people.  They slow down to a stop, let me pass them and wait until I’m a good distance away before taking off.  THANK YOU BIKERS!  

I was hunting around on YouTube and found this British educational video for drivers on how to act when you approach horses on the road.  Nicely done, and yes, your car will lose if you don’t follow these simple rules.

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July 17, 2007 by Capuce.

The Stuart Horse Trials are in full swing starting this Thursday.  I highly recommend if you’re a horse lover or not to go and watch these Olympic quality athletes do what they do best.  From Dressage, to cross country and finishing with stadium jumping the pressure to perform over a prolonged period is intense.

Saturday is by far my favorite day of the event.  The Cross Country Course.  It may not sound like it but this is a great spectator event.  With stadium seating or bringing your own lawn chair you will have prime viewing of the water obstacles.  If you are feeling a little more adventurous and want to walk around most all jumps are open to viewing and bring your camera.  You can’t take a bad picture.  

For more information check out Stuart Horse Trials.
 

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July 17, 2007 by Capuce.

I think I’m addicted.  After 2 years of the Davidson Knoll Trail Trial I can’t help but look for other ones to go to.  These Trails are so much fun, are always for a good cause and are great opportunities to enjoy your horse without having to go through the pomp and circumstance of showing. 

If you’re interested in getting more information about the next trail trial to support the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Mounted Unit on 8/26/07 go to http://www.wcsmu.com/tt2007.htm

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July 15, 2007 by Capuce.

I’ve just gotten back from a week long trip to the Adirondack Mountains. What a wonderful place. There’s so much more the the area that I want to see on horseback than what I’ve done in the past.

For about 2-3 summers I was a trail guide for Adirondack Saddle Tours in Eagle Bay NY, just out side of Old Forge. Ever since then, I can’t help but stop by, grab 2 horses and go out with my husband while on vacation. My trusty mount this year was my good old girl Babe. Around 30 years old and this girl still has got it. Strong Quarter horse blood has her on the trails and as good as any youngster there. She still does the Wednesday train robberies with the Loomis Gang and has no fear of the gunfire. Darn, the only picture I have of us dressed up to rob a train is a traditional photo and I don’t have a scanner. Oh well.

Anyway, if you ever find yourself in the Old Forge area without your horse and are looking for a good day out, check out my old stomping ground. John Evan’s loves his horses! He takes great care of them and unlike most establishments keeps his horses year round. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I have been asked “Is this horse for sale?” after a long ride. Better get in line, only a sparse few have ever left John’s stable.

As for me, I’m happy to wait patiently until my Babe is ready to retire before she can come live with me. Which may be a few years yet. There have been several horses that refused to retire until their mid 30’s. And I mean refuse to retire, as they would carry on such a fuss if we didn’t take them out.

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July 15, 2007 by Capuce.

9th Place! Yippy! Goliath and I raised $460 for the EquiCenter this year and had a blast doing it. I really missed my old mount Hobbie but as fate had it, an Arabian joined our group and it brought back all the good memories of my lost friend.

The obstacles this year were so inventive! I can’t believe how many new ideas they had compared to last year. I can’t wait for next year already. All the volunteers did an awesome job and kept the mood light and fun. Davidson Knoll Farm had the grounds nicely manicured and the trail ride was beautiful with nice cool sunny weather. Couldn’t have asked for a better day.

My Mother-in-Law got into the spirit and hand crafted our lovely ear bonnets. I told her that Purple and Gold were our colors and she went nuts! Sequins and gold sultan type tassels adorned the opulent fly bonnet. She not only made me one but also my riding partner so we would match! Thank you mom!

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June 15, 2007 by Capuce.

I’m an avid reader of most all horse magazines and this month’s “Horse Illustrated” is jam packed with information for trail riders and trail lovers in genreal. More importantly it has scary information about how much land and trails hikers/bikers/equestrians lose each day to development. I highly recommend picking up a the July 2007 copy if you don’t already subscribe.

Reading through the articles that makes me wonder. How do Rochester area residents like to ride the trails? Click Here to take a quick poll!