Serpentine Prairie

I've been having a rough time lately so, to combat this, I've been trying to hang out with my friends a lot more - both two-legged and four. With Kachina being with my trainer in La Grange, I have a lot more time spend with Maverick, and we've just recently discovered what is quickly becoming my favorite spot (so far) in the hills: the Serpentine Prairie.

It's this great, winding trail uphill, with the backdrop of beautiful green forest. In some places, you can look at it and not see any sign of buildings, streets or man made structures, which is rare here in the city. Also, riding bareback up those hills (some of which are pretty steep) is great practice for your balance!

It was very relaxing, spending the day with Maverick again, exploring and letting him graze while P took pictures (mostly pictures of flowers):



Did I ever mention that P's obsessed with taking pictures of flowers? Especially yellow flowers. Not that I blame him, this yellow flower was really beautiful, although I have no idea what it is. Maverick seemed to enjoy it, however!

Further up the hill, we reached this plateau of golden fields. It was beautiful, blowing in the wind, overlooking the hills. Of course, Maverick didn't appreciate any of the scenery; he just wanted to snack.

The Good Ol' Days

Another weekend gone by without seeing Kachina. It's driving me a little crazy! But Granpa was released from this hospital, and Mom needed my help taking care of him, and of course I wanted to be there with him and make sure he was ok and settled.

I missed the penning finals. Sigh. But, I got to hang out with Granpa and watch old tapes of his pennings. There was one where he won the penning at the Grand Nationals in 2001 on his little white Arab, Jackpot (no, not all cow horses are stock horse type!). It was really amazing to see my grandfather, sick even then, making one of the best runs of his life. And my trainer, who has Kachina now, was one of his partners!

It was funny, too: I remember Granpa pulling me up onto Jackpot as a kid, after one of his runs, and thinking that he was this huge horse. In reality, while tall for an Arab, he was pretty tiny. I also remember the excitement of the show, and how proud I was to be sitting up there with him, on that horse, after a big win.

That was back when horses were still a big part of the community in Oakland and Richmond. It wasn't unusual to see saddle shops and tack stores, or advertisements for rodeos and gymkhanas. There were once a lot ranches scattered the area, and ponies at birthday parties, and organizations that brought horses to the schools and educated inner city kids about African American and Native American cowboys (I know, my Grandmother and Grandfather ran one of the organizations). And it wasn't that long ago -- as little as ten years. It's really sad how horses, and western culture, has been practically wiped out here.

Which makes watching those tapes even more special. It was Granpa's exciting runs that first sparked my love of Team Penning and working with cows. I can't wait for the day when I'm in the middle of that excitement again, this time on my own horse.

Maverick and I

One good thing about Kachina going off to the trainer is that it frees me up to spend more time with Maverick. I haven't ridden him for some time, and I was really starting to miss the mule.

The late afternoon was beautiful up by his stable, so I took him for a little stroll out on the trail and let him graze for a while. It was great just hanging out with him, letting him be a horse, while I tagged along for the ride.

Sometimes it's nice to just hang out and not ask too much of your horse. I miss doing it with Kachina. Can't wait to see her this weekend!

Assessment

I called my trainer yesterday (it was really, really hard to wait until the evening!) to make sure Kachina didn't bust up any stalls or break down any fences or any of the other horrible things I imagined. He said that she acclimated to the stall very well, and continues to be on her best behavior (that's my girl!). I asked him his opinion of her, and this is what he told me:

- She looks good and strong, with a nice chest, nice hindquarters and very strong, straight legs, which he really liked.

- She looks like she'll end up being high in the front so, when we do start her, he wants to teach her to collect and flex at the poll right away so that she doesn't carry her head too high.

- Her front end looks powerful, which will allow her to push off of it and pivot after a cow easily.

- She has a nice, strong neck.

- She's very smart and has a good attitude.

- She's very curious and easy going, and doesn't show much fear to new things.

- She travels well and acclimates quickly and easily to new environments, which will be a very good thing when we start going to shows.

Yay! Her first report card was a good one! I'm hoping to be able to start her real training soon, but for now I'm just happy that she's safe and doing well at the trainer's.

He also said, with a chuckle, "I'll tell your 'baby' that you called. You won't hear me say that word too often, but I want you to know that I respect my clients."

He's learning.

Chapter Two

Plans changed this weekend, due to Granpa's hospitalization. I didn't want to be two-plus hours away from home, so my trainer came down to pick Kachina up instead. It was incredibly hard to load Kachina into the trailer and watch them drive away, even though I completely trust her with my trainer, and I knew I would see her Saturday.

This must be how our clients feel when they leave their dogs with us at daycare for the first time! I kept repeating the mantra that I tell all of the puppy parents: It's easier on them if you just wave goodbye and leave. Don't make it a big deal. Although I did whisper assurances that I had not sold her, and that I would see her soon, in her ear as I slipped the halter on.

Despite my sudden neurosis, Kachina trailered perfectly. My trainer called to say she had made it alright, and that he was really surprised and impressed at how well she traveled, how polite and easy she was to handle. This made me feel better. He promised to take her out today and watch how she moves; I'm trying hard to wait for him and not to call and check on her.

It feels like a new chapter is starting for Kachina and our journey together. She isn't a baby anymore, and we've both taken our first big step into the "big league." Hopefully we can keep moving forward together at a good pace.

And for those of you who left well wishes for my grandfather, I sincerely thank you. They must've paid off because, miraculously, they're sending him home tomorrow! I have to admit that I was scared and, for a while there, it didn't look good. I have no doubt that all of your kind thoughts helped his recovery in some way. So, again, thanks.

Bittersweet

Tomorrow will be the last day for a whole month that I'll be able to see Kachina freely, as I have been. Mostly, my trouble is trying not to be selfish and ignoring what's best for her just because I want her close. Plus, I have to remember that her intended future is that of a performance horse; I have to give her the best shot at reaching her potential, and that's just not going to happen if she's sitting in a stall getting treats and pets from me (she'll still get them on Saturdays, though!). It really is like sending your kid off to college.

Even though I've made my decision, and I believe that it was the best one for Kachina, tomorrow will be bittersweet.

Sunday, Mom and I will be trailering her to La Grange. We'll probably take our time and make the drive somewhat leisurely, so I'll be sure to take lots of pictures of me and Kachina's first road trip together! Of course, it'll probably be very uneventful (that's a good thing, though, isn't it?).


On an unrelated note: If any of you are following Kachina's Twitter you probably know that my grandfather was taken to the hospital last night. As of Midnight they hadn't found what was wrong with him, so they were planning to do a CAT scan. I don't know anything else yet, but I'm hoping there will be some information soon. The results may affect Kachina's trip to La Grange, obviously.

What Would You Do?

So, I'm facing a tough decision regarding Kachina -- probably the toughest decision I've had to make since buying her -- and I only have until this weekend to make it.

The situation: Donna and Tony are going out of town for about seventeen days starting next week. Fancy is going to be boarded at another place, which leaves Kachina alone. I can't be there in the morning to feed her, due to work, so I'll need to board her somewhere as well for that time.

At the stable down the street, where Maverick stays, it would be about $300 for just those two weeks. The trainer I apprentice with said that he'd board (not train) her for a month for me, because I'm in his program, for $300.

The problem: If she's at the stable with Maverick, I can see her just about every day, same as now. However, for the same price I can have her with my trainer -- whom I trust and can evaluate her potential as a cow horse -- for a longer amount of time. But she'd be in La Grange, two hours drive away without traffic, and I'd only be able to see her on Saturdays when I go up to train.

Either option costs the same.

So, what would you guys do? Would you board her at the more expensive stable for two weeks, but be able to see her every day? Or would you put her with your trainer, who is an old friend of the family and who you trust, get her evaluated and, possibly, give her a little nudge on her road to being a penning horse (but I stress, she won't be getting official training -- I can't afford it right now. Just advice, and getting familiar with the work), but see her less often.

The kicker is that I have to decide by, well, tomorrow. Donna and Tony are taking Fancy on the third, which means that if I move her to La Grange it'll have to be Saturday.

Eek.

(And just so you guys don't think I'm a total flake, I had a plan to board her at the stable in Richmond with Rico and Gypsy weeks ago, but it fell through, so this is a last minute thing. I do plan things ahead, I swear!)

Edit: Thanks for the advice, guys (and keep it coming, I love hearing your opinions)!

I think I'm going to take her up to my trainer, at least for this month, since I have to get her out rather quickly. I'm just trying to think of it as a sort of "camp" -- she'll go for a month and be away from me, but she'll be exposed to new things and learning under the professional care of someone I can trust. Then, when it's over, we can continue working and learning together.

Jeeze, it's like sending your kid off to college or something!