Equilab ride tracker year end stats for 2025!

 I absolutely love my Equilab app, which tracks my rides.  I have gotten all my riders and leasers to use it as well.  But a fun bonus of the app was my 2025 year end recap.  Here are some of the screenshots.  

I didn't include everything, such as my top speed of 35 MPH on Atticus (because I rather doubt the accuracy of that one), or the fact that I rode more than 80% of the Equilab users (I really don't ride half as much as a could, so I guess the serious riders just aren't tracking their rides, or are using some other app?)

But here are some fun bits of info:

Trail riding video of Una on Atticus with the pups

 

Riding in the Rain with Magnum (2009)

Just stumbled across this old post, and thought I'd repost it for the memories!

(Originally published  Oct. 19,2009)

Yeah, this weather is really crummy!  I must say, I was very proud of myself for venturing out riding yesterday. 

 

The vet came out and looked at Magnum... she did flexion tests, felt his legs, watched him on the lunge, etc. and said she doesn't think it's arthritis.  He trotted out sound after the flexions, and she said that should have shown something if it was.  After watching him a bit, she did notice how he at times seemed stiff behind and took short steps, but she thinks it's more muscle development, and he's being protective of himself because he's worried about slipping.  She had him stand square and looked at him behind, and then showed me, and it's clear that aside from lacking muscle along the top of his hindquarters, his right hind is much more underdeveloped in a couple places.  She agreed it was probably from the EPM, that he permanently lost some muscle and it will just take more work to get it back.  I asked about the possibility of steroids to help with the development, and she said we could try it down the road if a conditioning program isn't sufficient, but it can make a horse really aggressive.

 

I had Magnum and Teddy in the front field while waiting for the vet, and Teddy was clearly wanting to play, running around and bucking, and then closely examining each part of Magnum that the vet had just checked. (She'd feel his stifle, Teddy would look at her then closely sniff Magnum's stifle, she'd poke around his pasterns, Teddy would sniff his pasterns, etc.  I had to keep shooing him away).  So I decided I'd bring Teddy along when I took Magnum for a ride up and down the power lines. Since it was a rainy Friday, I didn't think we'd come across too many other people.

 

I ponied Teddy until we were across the stream (he likes to walk with his head glued to Magnum's butt, so it wasn't difficult).  Then I took off the lead rope and let him run along.  Occasionally he'd take a parallel trail, but then he'd always cut across to come back behind us.  It was really funny when we got to the open field.  Teddy first trotted over to examine the orange traffic cone in the field, then turned and galloped all around, bucking and kicking.  Zoey would chase him for a bit, then he'd chase her.  It was like having 2 dogs out.  If he started to run too far off, I'd call him and he'd come right back.

I think he got a lot more exercise than Magnum, because he chose to run and buck so much.  I thought it would also be a good way for him to learn to navigate different terrain without a rider.  The only problem was when we turned to come back.  Teddy decided to take the lead, and thought he knew the way home, so went galloping full speed up over the hill toward the traffic circle, whinnying the whole time.  Magnum got VERY upset at that... he bucked a few times because he wanted to go with Teddy, then pranced the rest of the way with his head straight up.  He called to Teddy a few times, but no response. 

 

Turns out, Teddy thought he knew the way back but got lost... he was over by the pavilion, galloping back and forth along the wood line, trying to find the trail.  So when we came up over the hill, he saw Magnum and came straight back to us, with his head at Magnum's butt as usual.  I thought he might have learned his lesson about running off, but once we got down to the main open field, he figured NOW he knew the way back and took off again.  Unfortunately, this time he followed the road up to the playground area.  (So much for horses having great sense of direction).  So we walked up there, and he was again galloping along the wood line, whinnying and trying to find the trail.  Magnum and I just stood there until Teddy saw we weren't going to follow him and came dejectedly back to us.  Then he obediently followed the rest of the way home.  I think he was quite tired by then... he hasn't had that kind of a workout before.  It was a fun experiment.  I'd like to do it again, but a weekend probably isn't the best time.

How to train for a steady, confident horse on the trail.

This is all advice by Cheri Wolfe, given on her website, WolfeRanch.com.  I have edited the original a bit, but this is pretty close to her post.

These tips not only make a horse more confident, but they should also make the rider more confident as well.

1. The main thing you are looking for from your horse is OBEDIENCE. Quick and full response to your aids and requests without a fuss.  If you say walk on, the horse does so promptly and without argument. Same with stop, turn here, etc.

2. Your horse doesn't get to look at every new or different thing and decide if it's okay.  YOU decide if it's okay, and if so, the horse needs to trust you, and not his natural instincts to bolt and run from any potential threat. As the leader, what you say goes.  A foal will follow it's mother across a raging river because he trusts her. If you tell your horse that flapping tarp is OK, then he must trust you and have no more questions about it.

3. If you get in the habit of "showing" a horse everything he is fearful of, they get into the habit of stopping to check out anything new or strange.  Not acceptable if you are galloping a cross country course, or trying to get to a stuck cow. The habit you DO want to reinforce is to go past, over, or through anything that you  ask him to.

4.  The horse either has to become the leader and figure out everything for himself, or he has to let you be the leader. I believe I am smarter when it comes to identifying actual dancer, know where I am going and what I want to do, and he doesn't get to have an opinion about it. Nervous, spooky, 'refusing' horses are most of all 'worried'. As a prey animal, they are supposed to be worried about them and the horses behind them when they are the leader. When YOU are the leader, they are not worried about anything, and are much happier and calmer.

Tips for how to accomplish this while riding:

1. Look out past or beyond the scary obstacle. Ride with the resolve of a person on a mission who needs to get somewhere quickly. This subconsciously makes you more assertive, and the horse reads this as confidence. Don't look down at your horse, look at the place you are going! If you look for spooky stuff, you will certainly find it!

2. Don't ride straight toward a scary thing you can go around or past. (e.g., recently on a trail ride, there was a bright shiny Mylar balloon on the trail. I managed to get around it by deviating into the woods a bit to add a little more distance).  As you pass the scary thing, bend the horse's head away from it and shoulder towards it.  Once past, reverse direction TOWARD the object (don't turn tail to something scary, that is retreat), and pass it again in a shoulder-in same as before (head away, shoulder towards thing). Repeat until there is no tension.

3. If the horse isn't trained enough to know how to leg yield, another option is to ride "hard and fast"... at least, go faster (trot rather than walk), cover more ground, go over rough ground, distract the horse with more pressure. Use tools to get the horse's attention back on his job and on you.  Focus on where you are going, not the object. Ideally, if time allows, you should then repeatedly pass the object until the horse thinks nothing of it. (Hence why you should never be in a hurry when riding... training issues need to be dealt with and not put off).

4. Before hitting the trail, make sure you have control of your horse's feet and good forward impulsion. When you ask a horse to walk on, it should be a bold, working walk.  If not, make him halt and ask him again to walk on, using crop of a strong thump of your legs if need be to get a good forward walk. Ask him to yield his head to both sides, and practice the one rein stop.

5. Never accept less than full obedience.  Finish what you start. If your horse decides it is not going to cross the stream and stalls out, threatens to rear, starts backing up, keeps whirling, etc., you have to MAKE him do it. If you can't ride him across at first, lead or ground drive him, then ride him.  Use crop or spurs if necessary, but he cannot be allowed to win the battle.  If he does, he will try that much harder the next time he doesn't want to do something, and you quickly have a dangerous horse on your hands.

You become a confident rider when you have full control. Control comes from being an "In Charge" leader.

Lovely ride in the park

Beautiful day for a trail ride today! With Judge & Mariam and Pimms & Kay.