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Showing posts from September, 2011

The Colorado Relay

Its been a month since the Colorado Relay, I guess I should probably blog about it! I agreed to run on the First Descents All-Camper Team for the Colorado Relay in March. The Relay is a 200 mile relay race from Breckenridge, Colorado to Snowmass, Colorado. First Descents was a beneficiary of the race this year and the race director thought it would be neat to have an All-Camper team. Each team consists of ten people (unless you are an ultra-team with only seven), our team had ten. We were not going to be a fast team, but a team of cancer survivors, representing our camp, and having a great time. Since there was no expectation to be fast, just to finish, I said yes. I began training in March, having not done any serious running since high school (a very long time ago). In June, I re-injured my knee (severely twisted it in college and then had it kicked by a horse a few years later - its a bit sensitive). I slowed down my training, ran my preparatory races slightly lame and kept s

Happy Cows Come From California...

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...And Secret would be happier if our cows went to California! This is as close as she was "comfortable" getting to the cows. Can you even see them in the picture? Another day, we will work on our fear of cows, but it made me laugh!

Friesians and more!

The October/November issue of Massachusetts Horse magazine is online. Check out the article I wrote about Friesians - there are some beautiful horses in Massachusetts and Vermont. I visited Friesians of Majesty in Vermont while working on the article, it is worth the trip up!

The Mirror Has Three Faces

Pat and Linda Parelli of Parelli Natural Horsemanship have several advertising campaigns out in national horse magazines. The ads encourage horse owners to unlock the full potential of their relationship with their horse, by participating in a Parelli clinic or some other instructional format. My favorite is a picture of a Chinese fortune cookie. The fortune reads, “Your Horse is a Mirror of You.” If Pat and Linda are right, my mirror has three faces. In a way they are right. Each of my horses mirrors some of my strengths and weaknesses. John has boundless energy and he is always busy. He can get so tense that it is like sitting on an accordion. But that horse has a huge heart and he puts every fiber of his being into his work (and in some cases, to getting out of his work!) Secret is the boss mare and she knows it. But underneath her tough exterior, she second guesses herself and me and needs to be reassured. The mare has tons of athletic ability and can be the reason for one

Remembering 9/11

‎"It isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it. One must work at it." ~Eleanor Roosevelt Remembering all those who lost their lives or lost loved ones ten years ago today.

Colorado Relay Video

Brooks made this awesome video of the Colorado Relay and our team, check it out.

More Pictures From the Colorado Relay

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Pictures From The Colorado Relay

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Barnmice Contest

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Hey Horse People: Barnmice (a social media page for horse people) is having a friends contest. Please click here to view a picture of Debbie and me riding in Maine. "Like" the picture - and then set up your own page and add your own photo!

3rd Annual Fun In The Forest Trail Ride

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Save The Date! The 3rd Annual Fun In The Forest Trail Ride to benefit First Descents will be on Saturday, October 22nd at the Lost Silvermine Campground in Natchaug State Forest, Eastford, Connecticut. Registration at 9 am and riders out on the trail at 10 am. Lunch is included with registration and as always, we will have great prizes! Registration forms will be available soon, let me know if you need one!

Work-Life Balance

I subscribe to Jon Gordon's weekly e-newsletter. This past Monday (Labor Day) he sent one of the best yet, about the "work-life balance." For any of you that may struggle a bit with this balance (as I do!) read his post below: Work Life Balance is a Myth "Work-Life Balance." It’s a phrase we hear often. But I don’t think it really exists. At least not in the way most "experts" talk about it. I, like most people, have never been able to balance the scales of work/life on a day-to-day basis. Rather, I’ve come to realize that the dance between work and life is more about rhythm than balance. There is a rhythm to life and there is a season for everything. For me, there is a time to work hard and a time to rest. There is a time to be on the road and a time to be at home with my family. My wife and I look at our year as whole and we plan our schedule according to the seasons of our life knowing I’ll be slammed in August, September and October and slower in

Fun In The Forest Trail Ride Registration

3rd Annual Fun In The Forest Trail Ride A benefit for First Descents www.firstdescents.org Saturday, October 22, 2011 Silvermine Campground Natchaug State Forest Eastford, CT Registration: 9 am All Riders On Trail by 10 am Registration form: Name: ______________________________________________ Address: ___________________________________________ City: _______________ State: ________ Zip: __________ Phone: _____________________________________________ Email: ______________________________________________ Is The Rider a Youth ________ or Adult __________ Horse’s Name: ____________________________________ Horse’s Age: __________ Breed: ___________________ A copy of Current Rabies and Coggins Are Required With Registration Registration Fee: $20 for adults and $10 for youth (under 18) Checks should be made payable to First Descents. Additional fundraising is appreciated. Lunch is provided! Prizes will be awarded for: first to register, most fundraised, longest distance traveled, young

A Worthy Cause!

My sister Heidi is running the NYC marathon for CAMFED USA. Read about this organization that sends girls to school in Africa and consider making a donation! Click here to visit my sister's fundraising page! Thanks!

Thinks That Make You Go Hmm...

I rode two horses on the same trail today. There is a new low-hanging branch (from Irene) that is easy enough for a rider to get under, as long as you duck low. Horse number one ducked its head when I ducked my head. We both passed under the branch unscathed. Horse number two raised its head when I ducked my head - using its neck to push me back up a bit. We both got leaves to the tops of our heads (no serious damage...just something to make me go hmm). Any guesses which is horse number one and which is horse number two? To make things a bit easier - Remi worked in the ring today - so whichever you guess, you have a 50% chance of being right!

Colorado Relay Video

One of my teammates on the First Descents All Camper Team at the Colorado Relay made a video of our team. Click here to watch the video. I will be blogging about the Relay and my three legs (22 miles!) soon.

25 Miles Later

Due to some unforeseen circumstances, John and I ended up being the first ones out on the trail. Technically, two riders went out ahead of us, but they were 15 minutes ahead, re-checking the trail markers. This was good and bad. Good because there were no horses to “catch” and bad because there were not many hoof prints to reassure me that I was on the correct trail. The first five minutes were extremely unpleasant. John was convinced he knew which trail we should be on (not the one I was trying to take us on) and he saw the photographer with her umbrella (did you know umbrellas eat horses?) I was very glad to be riding with the Mylar combination bit, because I can’t imagine what these five minutes would have been like in my smooth snaffle with a martingale. After about five minutes, he settled down and went to work. I never settled down. Every time he took an odd step or shortened his stride, I was worried. Did he hurt himself? Will he be lame again? My better judgmen

NEATO 25 Mile CTR

To say I was nervous is an incredible understatement. Doubt and worry were my constant companions in the saddle at the NEATO 25 Mile Competitive Trail Ride on August 14th in Escoheag, Rhode Island. Truth be told, I was ready and so was John. He would have competed at the end of July, but the Fryeburg ride we entered was cancelled. Since our fiasco at the Pine Tree Endurance ride (where John came up lame after 17.5 miles and then was trotting nearly sound before we went home) I had done my homework. I put John on a joint supplement, changed his bit for one that gave me a bit more control, and spent time working at home on transitions and other things that would help give me complete control of his feet. But I was still nervous. Knowing myself, it was because I had six weeks in between rides to brew over Pine Tree and all of the things that could potentially go wrong at Escoheag. We arrived at Arcadia Management Area early and found a good camp spot. I don’t remember much

August blogs

You may or may not have noticed, but I haven’t blogged in awhile, to be accurate, the entire month of August. Things have been rather hectic and over the next few days (or weeks, we’ll see how it goes) I will attempt to fill in a couple of the blanks on what I have been up to. For the brief synopsis: I went to North Carolina at the beginning of the month and spent a few days with my sister and her family. It was great to play with my niece and nephew as well as catch up with some good friends while I was down there. The time flew by way too quickly. Next came the NEATO 25 mile competitive trail ride in Rhode Island. It was our first competition since the lameness issue at the Pine Tree Endurance Ride in June. I went up to Townshend, Vermont the next week to visit Friesians of Majesty for an article in Massachusetts Horse magazine. If you ever have the chance to visit Friesians of Majesty, it is a beautiful farm with fabulous horses and people. The last weekend in Augu