Swimming day, how fun!
Last Saturday the Back Country Horsemen went on a ride to swim horses in Leigh Lake. They do some fun rides, so Robin and I are going to join. They also have informative meetings and there is some opportunity to support and get involved in the political aspect of horses (trails, horses in parks, etc.) so it sounds like fun.
The ride was easy and flat to the lake, so I decided it would be a good opportunity to take Smooch on a trail ride with a group of horses (and take him swimming to boot!). Our friend Jayme (also a mule guy) couldn't get his mule, Big Momma, over the pass so I loaned him Sara for the day. More on that later.
I don't have a lot to say about the ride except that Smooch behaved Smoochingly (it's a word I invented to describe Smooch's smooth, calm demeanor and willingness to do pretty much anything I ask of him, so that's what Smoochingly means). He was fine with being in a group of strange horses, he kept up for the most part (he is still a slow mover) and he even jumped a small log in the trail. On the way back there were a handful of people portaging canoes and kayaks (ie, carrying them on top of their heads) to the lake and Smooch didn't even acknowledge them. On our Colorado trip there were some canoes by a lake that Smooch didn't seem to like, so I made him ride through them until he wasn't bothered anymore. It just goes to show that when you have an opportunity to show your horse something in a safe situation, you should take advantage of it because it may pay off one day when you don't have so much control of things, like canoes coming at you down the trail.
So Jayme and Sara. Jayme is quite used to mules. He also grew up with gaited horses. I was anxious for him to ride Sara because I've suspected for some time that she is gaited. Turns out I was right. Jayme brought his own treeless saddle and crupper. A crupper acts like a britchen in keeping the saddle from sliding forward, except that instead of a harness around the mule's hind end, it is a strap that attaches to the back of the saddle and loops around the base of the tail. Sara really seemed to enjoy the saddle. I know she's ridden in a crupper before, but I just think a britchen looks cool. Anyway, I kept waiting for the moment and then it happened...Jayme commented on Sara's walk. He had tried to get her to trot and she went into gait. Verified. Vindicated. Well, not so much vindicated as relieved that I wasn't imagining things. So Katherine, there you go, that's why Dusty felt like "that mule". She is gaited. Jayme had fun gaiting her during the ride. And I had fun watching. Of course Smooch would have to trot to catch up, but he didn't mind so long as he got to keep up with his Sara. I think I'll buy a crupper because it really seemed to free Sara up and she seemed more willing to go into gait.
I don't have a lot to say about the ride except that Smooch behaved Smoochingly (it's a word I invented to describe Smooch's smooth, calm demeanor and willingness to do pretty much anything I ask of him, so that's what Smoochingly means). He was fine with being in a group of strange horses, he kept up for the most part (he is still a slow mover) and he even jumped a small log in the trail. On the way back there were a handful of people portaging canoes and kayaks (ie, carrying them on top of their heads) to the lake and Smooch didn't even acknowledge them. On our Colorado trip there were some canoes by a lake that Smooch didn't seem to like, so I made him ride through them until he wasn't bothered anymore. It just goes to show that when you have an opportunity to show your horse something in a safe situation, you should take advantage of it because it may pay off one day when you don't have so much control of things, like canoes coming at you down the trail.
So Jayme and Sara. Jayme is quite used to mules. He also grew up with gaited horses. I was anxious for him to ride Sara because I've suspected for some time that she is gaited. Turns out I was right. Jayme brought his own treeless saddle and crupper. A crupper acts like a britchen in keeping the saddle from sliding forward, except that instead of a harness around the mule's hind end, it is a strap that attaches to the back of the saddle and loops around the base of the tail. Sara really seemed to enjoy the saddle. I know she's ridden in a crupper before, but I just think a britchen looks cool. Anyway, I kept waiting for the moment and then it happened...Jayme commented on Sara's walk. He had tried to get her to trot and she went into gait. Verified. Vindicated. Well, not so much vindicated as relieved that I wasn't imagining things. So Katherine, there you go, that's why Dusty felt like "that mule". She is gaited. Jayme had fun gaiting her during the ride. And I had fun watching. Of course Smooch would have to trot to catch up, but he didn't mind so long as he got to keep up with his Sara. I think I'll buy a crupper because it really seemed to free Sara up and she seemed more willing to go into gait.
We got to the lake and stripped off the horses. We had been told in advance that the operation was bare back and bridleless. So everyone de-tacked, changed into shorts, and headed to the water. Some people seemed impressed how well Smooch stood while I hopped on from a log. Hmmm, first time bare back on him. I'm used to a more filled out and substantial horse (Amigo, who is very pleasant to ride bare back when he is behaving). I found the skinny, bony backed little two year old difficult to bare back. I really had to wrap my legs around him to stay on. And to my surprise he followed the other horses right into the water. He didn't even seem to pay attention to one or two rodeos going on around us. But all in all everyone did well. No one got hurt. Sara wouldn't go deeper than her belly and Jayme had no control with the rope halter, so he ditched her for a painted horse.
We rode in circles as a group, making the circles bigger until the horses were swimming. Smooch, not quite understanding what was going on put up some fuss, but not much and not as much as I thought he would. We basically just circled until I was crotch deep, and then his back disappeared in the water. We were instructed to dismount once the horse was actually swimming and hold onto the mane and swim along with the horse. You can imagine that Smooch isn't very buoyant, being mostly bone and muscle, so it was difficult for him. I could feel his body sinking until his back legs hit bottom, and then he would push off until they would sink and hit again. But he did great. And after the first swim, he let me jump right back on in the water. The next few circles and I could tell he was getting cold and tired. At one point he wouldn't stand still for me to mount. But I was having so much fun I didn't want to quit. Jayme fell off his horse once, and then I fell off Smooch while mounting (he began running toward shore and I was still hanging over his rear and trying to pull my swim suit up at the same time). I figured that was the end. There were only two or three of us still in the water, so I collected my horse, mounted in the water, and called it a day. Luckily, our friend Pam was taking some pictures towards the end, so you get to see Robin, Jayme and myself swimming our horses! By the way, Rocky did great too!
Me and Robin (photos by Pam)
Getting deeper...
Swimming! That's Jayme on the paint, me and Robin past him.
Jayme fell off!
Robin took some candid shots on the way back.
4 comments:
Bryan, I did not call Sara "that mule!" I'm hurt that you think I disparaged her, you know I adore her! I said "when I rode Dusty last week I was struck by how the way he walks felt just like the way that a mule walks, with that forward and back motion." A mule, I was speaking generically. Sheesh! :-)
That IS very interesting news. Dang now I want to ride her again and try to get her to gait. She does trot too, I trotted her a little on that first ride in the field and then a lot on the Teton Canyon ride when you were off working with Amigo, but since she apparently trots and gaits it's not surprising she didn't gait for me, as we were just loafing along on a loose rein.
Wow - what awesome pictures. Really hope we can get out there to visit!!!
The best way to get a horse (or mule I guess) to gait is to have a rider on them who has ridden gaited animals. If you expect a trot, that's what you'll mostly get unless the animal is very pacey. I think gaited riders use hand and leg cues differently, and a loose rein doesn't work well until the gaits are settled. I doubt that a piece of butt tack makes a difference, but will be looking forward to hearing about it. Swimming looks like fun!
Kat, I'm just busting your chops. I know you love Saras.
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