Happy Birthday to you Marie!!!

 

Happy Birthday Marie.

You have come a long way from being that quiet little girl who never spoke a word.

We hope you had an awesome day!

 

Love from,

The Tidal Treasure Crew

xoxo

 

Khol's First Year

Actually, what I mean is Khol's first year of being ridden.  (Just couldn't resist adding the boy's baby picture!)  One year ago, November 12, 2013, Khol was ridden for the very first time.  Has he learned a lot in the past year?  Hmm, not really (Ah ha...you thought I was going to say yes, didn't you!).   We have really been taking our time with him and his riding experiences have been low key for the most part.  Now, have I learned a lot about Khol?  Yes, yes, yes!

Khol and I after our ride tonight....50 minutes of walking and circles...slow and steady.  

I've used the year to really get to know this horse because as an older rider, I am not totally comfortable on a horse's back until I "know" the horse.  Now I have a pretty good idea of what makes him spook (very little) and how he moves when he spooks (again very little!).  I know he is much more "easy going" than Paris and Aziim, but when he says "no" he has a strength that they do not have.  His neck is very strong (lots of bending coming up this winter) and he has no issue with just "locking" it if he decides he doesn't want to turn!  He will get a lot more riding this winter than last; lots of the Tidal Treasures crew will join in, as they have been doing,  so that he will get used to different riders and different experiences.  He is very much a "text book" type horse which means they will all learn some good "horse training" lessons with him.  How exciting!  

Khol and I during his first competition.  Great...black horse and number 13!

I entered him in one competition near the end this season because I was pretty sure  that mentally he was ready, even though he's only four years old.  Paris on the other hand - it did not even occur to me to enter her in the fall of her fourth year....she was still having some pretty good opinions about the whole "bit" thing until we spent the following winter lunging in a surcingle.  Khol had a few moments during the competition where he was excited, but I have learned so much about him over the summer and I am just so much more experienced, that it was easy for me to distract him and get him refocused.  I just felt like acknowledging him today and recognizing that he's been ridden for a year now..and hopefully for many, many more years to come!

Now how did that baby picture sneak in there!  Oh Khol, you are a cutie!

Farm is Getting a Puppy!

Yesterday, we went to visit a litter of 3 week old puppies to meet our new guy, Wilson!  Here's a little video footage of him (only 39 seconds long...go ahead, you'll love it!) Our new Farm Dog will be arriving mid December.  Can't wait!

Tidal Treasures at Maple Ridge Ride, October 12, 2013.

This ride was such a fitting end to our competitive season. It was a day all of us had worked hard to reach. It was a day of many firsts for our group as well. 
 Lynn and Paris rode their first 50 miles together.
I rode my first 50 miles, first Endurance ride.
 Kathleen rode her first ride without Lynn's guidance, and she and Ali rode their first LD.
Tammy and Troy got to compete together, and Tammy rode Wind on the first day of competition when he was fresh and ready.
Troy and Aziim rode their first competitive ride-and I know it won't be their last.
 Carrilee and Marie happily and efficiently crewed for 3 people, and made it look effortless.
And Todd crewed for 2 women, Lynn and myself-brave soul that he is, and he also made it look easy, when I know it wasn't.


This was a ride we all anticipated for our own reasons, it was a ride where we all found ourselves supporting each other, in an effort to see everyone succeed. When the day had come and we "were doing it-" as I said to Lynn a few times that day, it was full of ups and downs-smiles and a few tears that went with some scraps and scratches, and  tired bodies that had been pushed to their limits- but despite those ups and downs, it was a day where every single person on the TT team chose to shine, realize new things about themselves, and see goals achieved and dreams reached smiling as we watched each other with love and pride-

And Pam, although you were not able to be there with us, we missed you and knew that you were there with us every mile of the journey in spirit-thank you for your part in making this day happen!

 Congratulations to everyone- from riders to behind the scene people, kitchen ladies,  and crew!   Thank you to EVERYONE who helped make this day a reality!


It quite simply was for me, one of the best days ever, a day I felt thankful to be part of, a day that will forever be etched in my memory.   
Enjoy the video-

Aziim's Big Adventure - AKA - Maple Ridge LD

So the day finally arrives and it is time for Aziim's first competitive ride and like all things at Tidal Treasures, there is nothing individual about it.  The team gathered at the stables Friday morning for the weekend adventure.

Gary discreetly roamed from person to person softly offering advice and assistance as he always does, reminding us of the little things we may have forgotten or helping us through the uncertainty of the moment with the calming presence of our guardian.  The only way to truly explain the selflessness of a person like is Gary is to note that he says, "You're welcome" approximately fifty times for every time he says, "thank you" and he never forgets to thank you if you do something for him.  You can't understand how inspiring he is until you have him in your life.

Lynn is running about preparing Paris for her first 50 mile endurance and as always she is confident and focused.  Lynn's goals are simple, do the best you can do, she does not think you always have to be first, but you should always be working towards that.  In her world improvement at any level is a win and as long as you are trying, you are winning.  Like a teacher, mentor, sister or friend, she wins with every one of us and pushes us to reach our potential.

Shelley is also doing the 50 mile endurance, but in this combo it is the rider who will be enjoying her first time as Spirit has been here before and is a proven competitor.  Months of hard training and preparing have come down to this weekend and she is ready.  She has literally changed her life to get ready for this ride; her fitness, riding skills, horse knowledge and mind set have all come together to make her ready and honestly, she has already won on a level that no ride will change.

Todd will be the pit crew for Lynn and Shelley and at this point I feel for him as there is a tremendous amount of information flying at him and as fast as he can absorb it, more would come flying his way.  Despite all the teasing and carrying on I do with Todd, if I was not going to be there to help my little sister through this day, I knew I could trust him to take care of business and with no surprise, he was awesome.
That concludes the list for the 50 milers and although I have heard the stories of their adventures, I will leave them to tell them.  Suffice it to say they did well and as always, I am proud of their accomplishments and the great example they set for those around them.  Congratulations to Lynn, Shelley, Todd, Paris and Spirit, you were a great team.
The 25 mile LD was myself on Aziim, Tammy on Wind and Kathleen on Ali.  We leave the farm for an uneventful drive to New Glasgow where Betty Dwyer and her husband Eric host this ride.  Unfortunately, Eric is currently deployed and was not able to attend, but I am sure he was not surprised to hear his beautiful wife did an amazing job.  She welcomed us and made sure everyone had what they needed and calmly went about what was a massive undertaking to face without her loving partner there to help.  She handled it with grace and made it look easy with the strong support of Roy and her team of volunteers, but this group is pretty familiar to strong women, they surround us at every ride and those long distance phone calls through the day from hubby overseas were the finishing touch that made it all run smoothly.
So let the adventure begin, we unload the trailer and somehow Aziim has managed to break his hay net down and tangle it in his back legs, let the stress begin... we get the net out and the horses off and into their paddocks and the getting ready starts.  Filling water buckets, planning pit stops, checking trails, feed and hay and the list goes on and on.  It is at this point that you realize how lucky you are if you have some help.  For us that help came in the form of two small and mighty packages known as Carrilee and Marie, the Eddy family duo who are such an important part of our little family. 
Carrilee helped all of us, she was running around from spot to spot assisting as required and her presence made the entire process so much easier.  She knows horses and she knows people so she was able to help "do things", but more importantly, she added direction, encouragement and support in just the right amounts and just the right places.  Having her there to share the experience and join us in the adventure made it an all round better weekend and we sincerely thank her for that. 
Marie was my savior; she somehow seemed to be there every time I needed her and she did a thousand little tasks, but the real help came from the bond between her and Aziim.  He trusts her and she understands him and that is something special.  When he was excited, she calmed him, when he was scared, she calmed him, when he was evasive, she caught him and when I was a mess she focused me.  Running back and forth across the field all day, grab this, pass that, can you please do this and not one word of complaint...did I mention she is 11.  This young lady has the confidence and understanding of an adult with a work ethic that exceeds most adults and for her I am thankful. 
Ride time, we mount, we circle, a couple of pops and we are off.  We get out on the first dirt road and take our formation; Tammy and Wind leading, me and Aziim in the middle and Kathleen on Ali in back.  Tammy has been riding Wind for a while now, but this is her first big ride in the lead and she is focused on taking care of me and that means that she has to keep total control of Wind, no easy task when he is excited in a competition.  A year at the Gym and countless laps around the outdoor arena are paying off because she handles him like a professional and Aziim trots calmly behind as I watch her posture constantly changing to slow him down, speed him up and move him around.  It is clear to me that he is challenging her every command, but she makes no exception to who is in charge and I sit back busting with pride as I watch her, "handle" what I know from experience is a hard situation to handle. 
Behind me I hear Kathleen and Ali having their own conversations about his boundaries and like Tam, she suffers through trying to hold him back so that I can move Aziim along at the right speed for him.  Every few minutes she calls out a few words of encouragement, "he is doing great Troy", "you look good Troy", etc... And then she goes back to quietly fighting him to give Aziim space and protect me.  15, the girl is 15 years old.  I know they are both suffering silently and as we ride along I can only think of how lucky I am to have this kind of support and hope they both know how proud and thankful I am. 
I knew there would be a lot of firsts for Aziim; roads, bridges, huge hills, water and mud, but what I didn't expect was a deer to come flying out of the woods and jump across the road right in front of Wind.  All three horses spooked, but Wind reared and spun and then dropped and spun back and despite a display of outstanding riding for the worst of the event, the last spin and drop left Tam falling to the pavement.    I could tell she was hurt and started trying to think of where we were so I could get a trailer for the horses and get her back to the ride site.  After a couple of minutes she starts trying to walk and although limping, she was mobile enough to get back on the horse and continue the ride, who was this woman in front of me, so determined to get me and Aziim through this ride, she refused to quit and I was impressed almost to tears with how hard she was trying to protect me. 
We moved on a few more miles and a killer dog came leaping down on us from the side of a cliff, Aziim lost his mind and started spinning, by the third spin he was in the ditch and shortly thereafter I was picking dirt out of my teeth.   Well if Tam can do it, I guess I better man up, wipe the blood off my face, straighten up the old bones and get back on.  OK, so maybe it was a little fluffy white dog running down the side of a small hill, but who notices these little details, that over sized white rat was terrifying to Aziim.  I had to laugh when Kathleen realized me and Tam had hit the ground and this meek voice comes from behind me and says, "every time we get moving something happens and I don't like the way this is going".  Fortunately for us that was the end of the falling and we were soon at the first check point where a very concerned Carrilee and Marie waited for us.  They helped us get situated, offered some support and sent us off on our merry way. 
We made it to the half way point and the horses all pulsed down quickly and passed the vet checks without any trouble.  We gave them food and water and then sat quietly for a few minutes until it was time to go out for the second half.  We were all pretty much exhausted from the morning's ordeals and the stress of the day, but we climbed back on and had a wonderful second half.  Kathleen led the second loop and was amazing, constantly checking on me and adjusting for what I needed, but what was truly amazing was a conversation about time.  I explained to them that we had not passed a two mile to go sign and only had forty minutes to complete or we would be disqualified and would not receive our completion.  I told them this because if Kathleen wanted to speed up or even leave us behind, she could potentially make it even if we couldn't.  She didn't speed up or leave us or display any dissatisfaction whatsoever about the fact that she may have done all of this only to be disqualified and instead reassured me that even if we didn't get a completion that me and Aziim had done a great job.  We made it to the finish with no time to spare and all successfully completed.  I was proud of the entire team and although I felt great satisfaction with having completed on Aziim, Tam's ride in pain, Kathleen's constant battle, Carrilee's exhaustless efforts and Marie's unwavering dedication were much more impressive than my completion.  

Kathleen and Marie's support and help made it possible for me to complete my first competition on Aziim and for that I thank you, but a ride is a ride and more will follow.  The exceptional young ladies they are becoming is the real story, for an 11 year old girl to come to a ride and be that supportive with no horse to ride or a 15 year old to stay completely focused on the team when she knows the team needs her, but she doesn't need the team are the real wins here.  I hope you both know how lucky you are to be surrounded by such strong and determined women as role models and how proud you should be of yourselves.  It is not the things you own, the way look or who you hang out with that make you special it is your actions, how you treat others and your character that make you special and you are two very special girls and for that I am very proud of you both.

Love Ya

Paris and Lynn - First Endurance Race

Well, our distance riding season is over for another year and it ended on a great note yesterday when 5 of us competed in a Limited Distance and Endurance Race.  Team members in the Limited Distance Race were Troy/Aziim, Tammy/Wind and Kathleen/Ali.  Crewing for them was Carrilee and Marie.  In the endurance race was Shelley/Spirit and me/Paris. Todd was crewing for Shelley and I.  Everyone completed and it was a good day.
There is lots to write about and I am sure stories will trickle in in the next week or two.  For now I just wanted to share a few thoughts about my very first ride on an Arabian!
Not just any Arabian.  I bought Paris as a baby, raised her on our farm with the love and support of Gary and all the Tidal Treasures Crew, backed her myself, trained her myself, including all the necessary hours and hours of ground work (yech, yech) and conditioned her myself.  She is 5 years old now and this was her first competitive season.  So, yesterday was her first endurance ride.
I was so proud of her yesterday - of us - as we easily covered mile after mile.  She is everything I ever could have dreamed of.  Purchasing Evening in Paris was the beginning of a new chapter....a "real" endurance horse, and yesterday was the end of that particular chapter, with a lot more new chapters coming up. I love it when a chapter ends on a good note!
Shelley and I have been training for this endurance ride together.  She was riding Spirit and it was her first endurance race.  (Her story is so inspiring...and I will leave it for her to tell).    We went into the ride with a pre-determined pace in mind.  Based on our training and the horse's experience/parameters, we made our final decision about two weeks ago, to ride the first two loops at about 8 miles per hour, if the terrain allowed.  We would decide on the third loop after we had ridden the first two -  whether or not she would go out alone and I would ride Paris a little slower, or if we would go out together.  I did not want to ride Paris any faster than around 8 miles per hour in total.  In the end, we decided to go out together for the final loop - Our overall average was around 8.2 mph!  That average happened to put Shelley and Spirit in 2nd place and me and Paris in 3rd place, with Spirit winning Best Condition.  But I would like to think that regardless of whether it put us in first place or last place, that we would have stuck to our original plan, baring any unforeseen circumstances.
I was certainly tempted to go faster....Shelley and I had the lead early in the race and kept it till about mile 25.  Halfway through  the last loop,  we could see the first place rider ahead of us on the pipe line... we could have caught up to him...(NOT saying we could have beat him), but my plan for Paris was 8 miles per hour...so I told Shelley to go ahead if she wanted, but Paris and I were staying at the pace we were going.  Shelley decided to stay with us and it was a good decision...she still ended up with 2nd place and Best Condition! I was proud of myself....it is easy to have a "plan" - keeping it on race day is a whole different story!
Paris has never ridden in a Limited Distance ride, so yesterday was her FIRST experience with a mass start.  I debated about hiding her behind the trailer until everyone was gone, but I've been able to manage her well all season and I had confidence that we would be ok, so I went with it.  When the Ride Manager shouted "Trail is Open," Spirit was the first to take off...(of course!), followed in hot pursuit by Jim/Tango and Russlyn/Addy.  Paris and I were cantering behind the three of them and although Paris wanted to be up front with Spirit, she was willing to compromise with me.  After only a minute or two the three riders ahead of us went straight past the first bend in the road, so I slowed Paris down...hollered to the other riders that they were going the wrong way and for a brief second or two, Paris and I had the lead!  Spirit caught up with us and we put him in front.  However,  in no time at all, Jim and Russlyn were quite a ways ahead of Shelley and I.  Paris was certainly "aware" of everything going on, but remained willing to negotiate!

The first loop was 20 miles and a lot of it was pipeline.  The footing was pretty good, lots of smaller, steep hills with little gullys and brooks/streams where the downhill turned into uphill.  You could also see a fair distance ahead of you.  We watched ahead of us and saw Russlyn and Jim turning right off the pipeline.  When we got to where they were, we turned as well.  But once we got going, Shelley noticed that the colour of the ribbons had changed and so we went back to check and sure enough, we were not supposed to turn.  By this time Russlyn and Jim were long gone and we took advantage of the opportunity to garner the lead and make some good time on the great trail in front of us.  Yippee  such fun!  Paris was all for it.  She loves to run simply for the sake of running and she moves so efficiently when she moves out at the canter;  it is such a joy to ride her!   However, she decided that at canter speed, puddles were for jumping, not stepping in.  After months of training, she picks her first endurance ride to start jumping with me on her back.  OMG.   Thankfully, she jumped long and low, and so I tried figure out some type of posture that was relatively accurate and just went with it.  We disagreed about her jumping the larger puddles so I tried to rein her in a bit when I felt her curling up for the larger puddles which resulted in one incident where she managed a bit of a jump but landed hard almost in the middle of the puddle and her head went down, down, down (soft mud underneath?) and I thought oh oh... thankfully she recovered before we went ass-over-teakettle.  After that, she only jumped the shorter puddles and decided to agree with me and  canter properly through the larger ones.  Some of the puddles had unforeseen hazards in them ( like hidden logs) but Shelley had a good eye and managed to spot the hazards and get Spirit down to a slower pace when it was needed.

We "flew" where we could because we knew there was a lot of down hill and rougher going ahead that would slow us down.  It was soo exciting to put the horses into a controllable but relatively fast canter and just go for it.  Shelley hollered back to me "We're doing it Lynn!  We're doing it!"  Yes we were.

The first loop ended well, and we started on the 2nd loop.  The going got a lot tougher and Paris' balance on the downhills, especially the downhills in the woods that were mucky amazed me.  She rocks that little butt of hers back and weighs down on her hind end every single time.  Love it.  Love it. Love it.  Jim caught up to  us on the 2nd loop.  I didn't hear him coming.  We were just trotting along on a narrow, mucky part of the trail and the next thing I knew, Paris had me in the woods at a canter, running away from something and heading STRAIGHT FOR A TREE.  Oh wait a second, just as I was wondering which one of us  was going to get hit in the head by the tree first, she ducks to the left...another tree...ducks to the right....balance Lynn....b.a.l.a.n.c.e  Whew, endurance just turned into survival.  I finally got her stopped just as Jim roared up behind us.
At the next pit stop, Jim passed us, and then Paris surprised me.  As we left the hold, Paris and I were closer to the trail so we took the "lead" until Spirit could catch up and pass us.   I put Paris up into a trot,  which she immediately turned into a canter and made it very clear that if Jim and Tango could race, so could she!  I tried to slow her down and was successful but her earlier willingness to negotiate and compromise was gone.  By the time Shelley took over the lead, Paris was determined to catch up to Jim.  In Paris' opinion, Spirit was not going fast enough and I watched in amazement as she stretched her neck as far as she could and bit at Spirit's ass two or three times to get him to go faster!  I thought to myself, What just happened?   I had flashbacks to when Spirit was younger.  He was so strong and we spent the first couple years of distance riding in a constant battle of him wanting to do nothing but catch  up to the rider in front.  With him, it was more like he desperately needed to catch up, sort of a survival instinct with  her it felt more like she was saying "oh yeah buddy...game on"  She is not as physically strong as Spirit was, but I have a feeling she has a few more surprises for me in this area....to be continued next year.
I smiled a lot yesterday as I reaped the benefits of years of training,  and enjoyed the efficient movement and narrow structure of a lovely Arabian mare, while enjoying the great outdoors in the lovely company of Shelley and Kindred Spirit, taking advantage of miles and miles of marked trail offered up selflessly by numerous volunteers, thinking of the crew waiting to help us back at the hold, giving up their weekends so we could ride, thinking of everyone that has given their time just to make events like this possible.  Honestly, just about every mile was marked in gratitude and love.
Yes, Shelley and I "did it" and even better, we did it while continually sharing with each other the gratitude we feel for the privilege of "doing it" (chuckle).  What an appropriate attitude to carry with us on Thanksgiving weekend.  Happy Thanksgiving All.  Happy Trails.

A Good Sailor Always keeps The Wind at his Back!

                             

                                                                     Troy and Wind

Tidal Treasures Had A Good Day.

Simply put, it was one of those days that you will always remember with a smile. A No Frills Judged Pleasure Ride that was being held only an hour's drive away.  An opportunity to see if all our hard work with Tiki and Khol (and Todd!) was paying off.  So away we went with two 4 year old horses who had never been anywhere except to Stanley and with Todd, who has watched us compete for two seasons and has finally taken the time this summer to practice for his own riding experiences.  Spirit and Shelley came along to lead us through the experience and to add some "calm" to the mix.

It was a beautiful day.  The weather was amazing.  The trails were perfect; a huge percentage of the ride was in the woods with lots of things for the horses to think about ...roots, rocks, changes in terrain. Kept those busy young minds focused.  The horses (and Todd!) were amazing.  For all of us at Tidal Treasures, it was a day to feel proud of our horses and satisfied that hard work pays off.  We put together a little slide show of the three newbies to celebrate......

No Frills Tailgate Judged Pleasure Ride

No "getting ready" pics for this one, I'm afraid, but we're still very much looking forward to this ride. It's a close one for a change - in Bishopville, NS. So the big trailer can take four horses and no overnight stay.

It's another ride of "firsts" for Tidal Treasures: first ride for Todd Schaefer, he's taking Ali; first ride for Khol, he's taking Lynn; first ride for Tiki, he's taking Pam and first "official" volunteer job for Carrilee, she's timer. This is the first ride that husband & wife, Todd & Shelley, will ride together while daughter Kathleen watches both parents. Marie is bringing her friend Nicole who hasn't been to an ACTRA ride yet. Nicole's been riding Marie's Mister all summer and they've done a "mock" JP so she's keen to see a real one.

NO FRILLS means that the host is supplying the ride site, judge and trail. That is it. This is a trial run to see how the ride site, trails, etc work…..might be a bigger ride next summer! Bev Elliott is hosting and we're hoping it is SO MUCH FUN that she'll want to do it again next year. She's teased us with videos over the summer and we can't wait to ride those trails!

Here's a little video of part of the trail: 

Part of Loop Two

Stay tuned to hear how much fun the ride was! 

Amigos Do, Helmet Cam Video of the Trail.

Well, being sick with the stomach flu has its advantages....I spent the afternoon reviewing the helmet cam video of our latest Competitive Trail Ride and putting together a short video of the beautiful trail on which we were privileged to ride this past weekend in Belleisle, NB.

Amigos Do!

It was a great weekend!  We've put together a slideshow from a bunch of great pictures taken by Troy and Todd.   Twenty-seven entries on Saturday for the thirty mile competition and Paris came in 4th!  Quite proud of our little girl!

Aziim Returns to Leland's Road

On Sunday, Aziim returned to Leland's Road.  If you remember, the poor boy wrote a story on the blog a few months ago, after Wind had convinced him that Leland's wasn't bad and puddles were not be be worried about....Aziim still hasn't forgiven Wind for that discussion.  Anyway, Sunday Aziim put on his Big Boy Pants and up Leland's he went.... here's a little video of his experience.

Pam and Todd Ride in Stanely!

Well, Saturday was a blockbuster day for Pam and Todd!  Pam and Todd trailered Tiki and Ali to Stanley and rode!  This is the first time Pam's had Tiki on a trailering trip and it is the first time Todd has EVER rode 10+ miles!  They had a great day and we are proud of both of them.  The horses were great, the weather was great and the BBQ Gary had ready for us when we got back was awesome!

Pam and Tiki in Stanley.  It's been a while since Pam's been riding in Stanley...a long while.  She says it felt good!

Not the greatest picture, but had to find something to mark the occasion!  Todd at the end of his first 10+ miles!

Pam's watch says 10.75 miles at 3.9 mph....that's a good part of an IDR guys!

Pam is happy, happy, happy!

Good job Todd!

Tidy up and come'on home!

McDonald's Judged Pleasure, 2013

The second day we were in New Brunswick earlier this month, we rode in a Judged Pleasure.  You have a choice when riding in a "JP" to ride just for miles (your miles count towards your official total) or to also compete.  Judging is based on how clean your horse is, how clean your tack is, and a whole bunch of  horsemanship criteria.

Three of us rode that day.   Shelley went out alone on Spirit.  Tammy/Wind and Lynn/Paris stayed together as a team.  I didn't compete but Shelley and Tammy did.

It was a beautiful day and some of the Tidal Treasures Crew (mostly Carrillee I think) took some great pictures.  I made the mistake of trying to photo edit the pictures so they would look even nicer and they did on iphoto slide show but the second I transferred them to YouTube they were terrible!  So last night, I recreated the slide show onto Imovie and transferred it to YouTube. (They still seem a bit fuzzy but I give up.)

Also, if you have a phone or a tablet, you will not be able to view this.  I found out that because I am using "current" music from itunes that it is only playable on a computer (Stupid, I know).  May have to find another way to source my music.....or go back to songs that are not copyrighted.

Now that I'm done complaining about the process, here's the link to the slide show!

Link to McDonald's JP

Helmet Cam Video of the Trail

Has it really been a week already?  This footage was taken on Saturday during the CTR competition (McDonald's Run, NB)   Except for one small piece, the footage is in the same order as the ride itself.  Hope you enjoy.  If you have never participated in a distance ride, take a good look at how much fun this is, maybe we'll see you soon!

Photos of Riders at McDonald's Run CTR

Attached is a  slideshow with some photos taken of various riders whom participated in the McDonald's CTR. I loved looking at the peacefulness on the faces of these riders as they rode into the hold and into the final stop.  It reminds me of the types of people that really enjoy this sport and it makes me fall in love with distance riding all over again.  Where else could ride for over 5 hours on beautiful trails with a host of kindred spirits out on the trails with you?  Thanks again to all those that make such adventures possible!

McDonald's Run - CTR

Another wonderful ride weekend here and gone!  Happy to report that both teams achieved their goals! Team One (Troy and Marie) brought Marie through her first successful 30 mile competition.  Pretty impressive for an 11 year old!  Team Two introduced Paris to her first CTR She came through with flying colours...Spirit lead the way and Ali was her "wing" man!  Shelley also completed her first CTR - She has done LD's before but never a CTR.

 Marie and Willow - Marie's first CTR!

Shelley and Spirit - Shelley's first CTR!

The weather forecast for the weekend was not looking good.  We thought the rain was going to really dampen our spirits (pardon the pun), but it held off.  By the time the rain started on Friday, we were all set up for camp and sitting around enjoying  little camp humour.  For the most part, the rest of the weekend was quite dry.

On Saturday morning, all five horses vetted in without issue and once all 30+ horses were vetted in, the ride began.   Troy/Wind and Marie/Willow headed out first.  We tried to put some other horses between us i the line up to keep some space between Wind and Spirit so that they wouldn't try to catch up to each other.

Marie holds Willow as the vet checks her over pre-ride on Saturday.

A few minutes later Shelley/Spirit, Lynn/Paris and Kathleen/ Ali (Team Two) headed out on the trail.   Within minutes we picked up a trot and were on our way.  As it turns out, I spent a good part of the the next five hours saying "Shelley, just try to trot him a little bit slower"!  Poor Shelley must have gotten tired of listening to me.  Spirit, of course, wanted nothing to do with "trotting a little bit slower" so she had her hands full.  I was trying to get the speed down "just a notch" so that Paris would be completely relaxed.  Turns out I had nothing to worry about, her heart rate at the hold and at the end was awesome!  Spirit's on the other hand, was a bit high (still well within parameters) probably because "trotting slower" is NOT in his comfort zone!

Team Two arriving at half-way.

The ride is well marked and has a lot of variety.  There are lovely wooded paths, some great for a good canter and other wooded areas that are wet and muddy where walking is pretty much the only option - technically challenging in that manner especially with about 30 other riders on the trail.  It was great training for Shelley and Kathleen regarding how to juggle where you had to walk with when to go faster, and determining whether to pass other groups of horses or stay behind them,  all while keeping an eye on the required 6 mile an hour average.  We are putting together a helmet cam video of the trail itself and hope to have it up on the blog within the next few days.

We did catch up to Troy/Wind and Marie/Willow at one point and passed them.  It was a bit of a challenge for Troy to hold Wind back, complicated by the fact that Troy was riding with a sprained wrist!  That's a lot of horse to hold back with one hand!  Eventually, they caught up and passed us.  That left Shelley holding back Spirit, a) because Wind was passing and going out of sight and b) because there was the intermittent  voice behind her still droning..."Shelley could you trot just a little bit slower."  Poor Shelley, she was a good sport about it all and did her best.  She said that Spirit was a challenge but not as bad as he can be when Wind is pulling away out of sight.

 The last mile or so of the ride is through quite a bit of muck and so, a lot of the riders caught up with each other.  As a result, many of us ended up coming into the end of the ride together.  It was quite a sight!  Our optimum ride time was 5 hours 10 minutes (you have 15 minutes leeway on either side). Team Two came in at 5 hours and 12 minutes. Team One came in at 5 hours and 14 minutes. All five Tidal Treasures rider/horse teams passed final pulse criteria, trot out and hands on presentation to the vets. Great job everyone!  Paris placed 6th place in Conditioning.  Kathleen and Marie were the only two juniors riding so they both placed very well!  Kathleen/Ali received first place for conditioning.  Marie/Willow second place.  Trail Horse placings were reversed; Marie/Willow first place; Kathleen/Ali second place!

Over the next few days we will be posting a helmet cam video of some of the trail and a slide show of photos of the riders.  Thank you to the McDonald family and all the other volunteers that make this ride possible.  It was a fantastic weekend.

What's YOUR Story?

We had a great time at McDonald's Run.  Details to follow. For now, here's a little video fun we had with a few of the Tidal Treasures Crew early on Sunday Morning (ride day for the 14 mile JP).

McDonald's Run Line Up

OK.  McDonald's Run is in two days (near Norton NB), and here are the details.
Day one is a "CTR" 30-35 miles at an average of 6 mph.  Doesn't sound like much...try it.  You will be SURPRISED at how fast you have to go (because there are places you have to walk) in order to average 6mph.

We have 5 horses/riders entered in this ride.  We have learned from past experiences that five in one group riding a CTR is too many, so we have broken out into two teams.

  TEAM ONE

Troy/Wind.  Troy will be mentoring/sponsoring Marie and Willow in this ride.  This will be Marie's first CTR!  (Will add a picture of Marie and Willow as soon as I can find one).  Their strategy will probably be to go fairly fast for the first hour or two...neither horse is an Arab and they will probably want to take advantage of the cooler weather in the morning.

TEAM TWO 

Team Two will be lead by the well-experienced Spirit.  He will be ridden by Shelley.  This is Shelley's first CTR!

Kathleen and Ali are also part of Team Two.  This diabolical duo just continue to do better and better.  Ali's heart rate recoveries have been very impressive in training rides lately.

 And the final members of Team Two are Paris and Lynn.  This is Paris' first 30 and this team's primary goal will be to get her through it safely and enjoyably....we want her to have fun and enjoy doing these rides for many years to come!

Day two is a Judged Pleasure ride.  These rides have no specific speed that needs to be obtained and are about half the distance of the CTR.  There is no "prize" for going fast.  The judging for these rides is based on things like clean and appropriate tack, trail etiquette, etc.  The plan is that Wind will be ridden by Tammy and Willow ridden by Carrilee.  The rest of us will keep the mounts we had the day before and just put some slower miles on our buddy's before loading them up and bringing them home.
We will report back after the ride to let you know how it all went....Lots of times strategy and reality are  ummm....different!

McDonald's Run...Coming UP!

Thought I would put together a little slideshow of some video and pictures we had from last year at the ride site of McDonald's Run (Go pro fogged up on me so I didn't get much trail at this ride) just to help get everyone in the mood for a fun weekend ahead.  I also found a new iphone slide show that lets you do neat things with your pictures, so that's what I used to put this together. ( WARNING: If you are not an ACTRA -Atlantic Canada Trail Riding Association -  member, you may find this video a bit boring...not much action...so suit yourself!)   Here's a little stroll down memory lane....

Marie and Willow's Adventures in Conditioning for Ride Season

From Christmas day 2012 to sometime in June 2013, this shows a little of what both Marie and Willow have been doing to make sure they're ready for ride season. Marie's cross-training is skiing, snowboarding, soccer, karate, running, haying and helping to take care of the horses. Willow's is learning new skills such as pulling a sled and walking a teeter-totter as well as lots of walking with Marie's Mama, cantering in the fields with Marie, riding with bicycles and realizing that she does like swimming now.

The song is Colin James' Ride and Roll. 

Marie has tons of people she appreciates for supporting her adventures: her Dad & brother & Mama, Mister, her friend Nicole who rides with her, her Nan who thinks she's spectacular, Hants Shore Karate Club, and all the crew at Tidal Treasures Stables who help in so many wonderful ways!

Setting up Camp at Ride Site - Parrsboro NS, 2013

There's a lot of work that goes into setting up a camp when you arrive at a ride site.  At our last ride, we took some pictures and videos of fellow riders setting up camp.  This ride is called the Glooscap Ride. It is held in Parrsboro, NS, hosted by Bertha and Gary Harrison.  It is a beautiful ride site and a beautiful ride.

This is Bertha Harrison...our host!  She's a lot of fun and pretending to be stressed as there is a LOT of work for Ride Managers and a lot of loose ends to keep track of !

Here is a short video comprised of mostly the ride site on Friday night and Saturday morning:

Update on Me and Ali

Ali and I have come a long way since we got him. He had very little muscle when we got him, so I spent the winter learning how to help him get into shape. I learned that I had to be patient and that lunging can be boring and cold in the winter, but it pays off in the end.

 

I took him to the outdoor when it was not slippery.

 

 

The boring stuff has turned into more fun stuff once spring came. I now ride him on the property myself and across from the barn on Leland's road myself, and I love it.

 

Ali and I entered our first competition in May, the 25 mile SAD ride- it was a goal I was proud to reach. This ride was difficult because it was his first ride, and I found he had a lot of energy built up, but out on the trails he was a dream.

 

 

We also rode together in the Parrsbaro JP ride, and are training now for the McDonald run ride coming up in a few weeks.

 

 

 

We don't always train and work, we have fun too.

 

Me and Ali built a strong relationship and trust in each other, which is sometimes hard to do with a horse. I know that as we keep working together we will learn and teach each other more, and become unstoppable!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Splish Splasin at the beach-Video!!

 

Take a look at the fun we had!

 

 

Hay Day #2

Hay is all in the barn - all 1800 bales - in two days!!  New record.  What a great CREW we have here at Tidal Treasures!  There were very few pictures taken on day two....I took a few, but not nearly as many as Shelley presented in her video a few days ago of day 1.  Anyhow, I took what I have and put together a little slideshow that is linked below.....now look at the mess of this house after two days of haying (groan)....
Hay Day 2 - slideshow

FAST FOOD

When you  live along side of the world's highest tides, it's a 30 minute drive to the closest traditional fast food take out establishment.  So, over time, our definition of "fast food" has "evolved"  Tonight, it was a trip to the closest "take out" and we splurged by buying the food (for a hodgepodge) already prepared and ready to go! Yum!  Expensive though for what we got, but then again...that's the way it is with fast food, isn't it!

Hay Day #1-

I know some of the text goes kind of fast-but this was put together after a loooong day of haying-so take a look-and another if you need to in order to read it, and "Hay" give a girl a break-  :)

Beach Day Snap Shots...

After an awesome morning of riding, the Tidal Treasure Crew decided to take advantage of a beautiful afternoon tide and head to the beach, horses in hand.

 

Carrilee and Willow

Marie and Mister

 

I don't know who loves the water more-Mister or Marie!

 

Carrilee and Willow go for a swim, both with lovely smiles!

 

 

Lynn and Paris-just look how far this girl has come!

 

Troy and Aziim

Shelley and Spirit

Marie and Mister in the background

 

Tammy and Wind

 

Gary and Falcon

 

Kathleen and Ali (swimming together-body surfing)

 

 

Todd helping Paris realize she can swim!! And once she realized she could, she loved it and couldn't get enough!!!!

 

 

 

 

And the horses were not the only ones swimming-were they Tammy...wink, wink! ;)

 

 

 

Heading back to the barn, tired, wet and happy-lots of smiles everywhere!

Wonderful summer day...(we missed you Pam and Tikki!)

 

And look who was waiting at the barn to greet us- Squeaks and Tabitha-

And Little Dozer and Kubota

 

 

We have some neat video of our beach day that we will post another time!

 

Happy Summer everyone!!!