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View Full Version : 27 miles, a bear and another great day.


Cartfall
Nov. 8, 2009, 07:55 PM
Today was our 2nd CTD in 3 weeks.

This time it was in the forest where we train just an hour from home.

Went out at 6:30 this morning ahead of the riders again.

Zanzer wasn;t quite as powered up this time--at least until we got past by anothe driver. Then it was boy was he POed!:mad:

That other driver comes to this one drive every year for fun and to support the very good cause--Camp Boggy Creek, a camp for terminally and chronically ill children. It offers them and their families a place to be regular folks. Normally this gal rides endurance 1 day hundreds. I knew we could not keep up with her--but evidently I did not convey this to Zanzer before we left. He just powerd it up and we had a 3 mile long discussion why he should not keep up. Unfortunately he burned up a lot of unnecessary engery arguing.

We managed to catch her after the first water stop at about 15 miles to go. So we stayed with her. Another rider also was running with her so the three of us went down the trail at about 8 mph.

The trails were more flat than 2 week agos and a mixture--some shell/rock roads, grassy two tracks, some sand, not near what we saw last time, piney woods, oak hammocks, and some readlly beautiful scenery. WE rousted turkeys, quail, deer and a bear. Unfortunately, Zanzer and I happen to be in front at the moment the bear decided to cross the trail in front of us. We were winging along about 3.5 mile from the finsih we the bear crossed about 30 feet in front of us. Zanzer completed the most perfect 180 degree pivot at a full trot in a 8 foot wide trail. I however did not turn with him but continued forward out of the cart and landed with a great thud in the trail face down and on my poor knees. I did however did NOT let go of those lines. :yes:

And bless the boy's training, Zanzer stopped and held. I immediately had help with holding him and getting helped up.

We got up and made it back to camp without any further incident.

Zanzer was tired and sore, no doubt. I figured out of 5 drives I had 4th or last. But as they called the awards from last to first, we were not called. We managed a very surprising 2nd behind the gal with the enduracne horse. In my mind, a very respectful 2nd place. No need to hold our head down.

We have no further events until mid Feb, We will be doing some plain old trail driving and camping.

Once again, thanks for listening to my bragging. My litle Arab loves his job. Time will take care of that passing issue.

Drive NJ
Nov. 8, 2009, 08:36 PM
Good for you ... looks like you've found your sport!

Yip
Nov. 8, 2009, 08:54 PM
That must have been scary! Seeing a bear so close in front of you, then not even having time to complie your thoughts before Zanzer did his ultimate diversion!

Glad you are ok and he didn't run off. I don't know how you managed to hold those lines!

Congratulations on another fine palcing! You two are going to be real contenders next season.

Yip

MySparrow
Nov. 9, 2009, 01:21 PM
Girl, I was right there with you in my imagination until you got to the bear. Then I dissolved into a puddle of terror. I love bears. I am terrified of them. Zanzer had the right idea -- you just need to learn to hang on!!!! :eek:

Seriously, very very cool. I'd love to see photos if you have any. How did you prepare yourself and Zanzer for that length of drive?

Well done!

RidesAHaflinger
Nov. 9, 2009, 04:33 PM
Yikes, Sue. Your knees aren't great to begin with, are they? That must have hurt like heck. :eek: Bless that pony for handling your unexpected dismount. And you've earned your name for another year. :winkgrin:

Cartfall
Nov. 9, 2009, 04:58 PM
Yikes, Sue. Your knees aren't great to begin with, are they? That must have hurt like heck. :eek: Bless that pony for handling your unexpected dismount. And you've earned your name for another year. :winkgrin:

Karen,

you know me too well. I certainly will retain my well earned moniker.

yeah, the knees are pretty stiff and swollen today but function. Drugs are my friends when stuff like this happens.

He stopped and held--I was ready to get dragged or al least attempt to stop him.

When he boogers he usually bolts a few steps and comes right back to me--which he did. He stopped and stood. Of course it helped that there were folks immediately on the scene to help but he made that stop first

Good training is all I can say--whoever preaches on here to put a whoa on them before you ever put a cart on them, bless you. Even through we had issues at a halt in dressage, when it came down to it, he did what he was asked.

Dale, before my mind registered it was a bear, Zanzer had turned and I had no chance to grab hold. A good arguement for a wedge seat with sides, ya think?

We just do lotsa miles in the woods, slowly increasing his distance and speed, he has been in training (actually just a lot of trail time) since we got back from Wyoming in July. Before that we spent a year just lots and lots of trail time. It is not unusual for me to be out each weekend day for 3 to 4 hours out on the trails. There is a whole psychology to conditioning a horse for this type of work. Sort of the training a marathon rrunner does before a 26 mile marathon.

And alas I missed the photographer and they do not have a web site. I will do what I can to find some. I heard there some fine ones of us.

RidesAHaflinger
Nov. 9, 2009, 05:11 PM
A good arguement for a wedge seat with sides, ya think?


Seriously! That's something I really wish I had on my carriage. I don't like sliding around on the bench seat when things get dicey. I've looked at ways of re-fitting mine with a wedge seat and short of doing major surgery on it, I don't think it can be done. :(

You have much to proud of with Zanzer. He has really matured into an amazing partner. :yes:

Cartfall
Nov. 9, 2009, 09:11 PM
Actually I am in conversation with Sue Ahonen right as we speak about putting a wedge seat on the spirit training cart. I had asked her before this weekend and this only reinforces my desire to have one.

If she made your carriage, I bet she could outfit it.

My marathon carriage is outfitted with one and I do love it.

winfieldfarm
Nov. 9, 2009, 11:34 PM
Okay seriously, I have to ask.

What did the bear do? did he stop and observe this strange tossing of the flesh? Did he pause? Did he cross on without a glance?

And how in the world do you desensitize your horse to BEARS?

Cartfall
Nov. 10, 2009, 03:08 PM
Okay seriously, I have to ask.

What did the bear do? did he stop and observe this strange tossing of the flesh? Did he pause? Did he cross on without a glance?

And how in the world do you desensitize your horse to BEARS?

:lol::lol::lol:

Well, the reply that jumps to my mind is --

Does a bear sh-t in the woods? My answer is no, he scares the sh-t out of horses!!!!:winkgrin:

okay, seriously, the bear was a mid size black bear who was hauling butt. I got the impression it was a young bear or perhaps a female becuase it never turned to look at us, just scampered across the trail in record time. Literally it was blurr

Obviously we can;t desensiize our horses to predators or everything that is out in the big world.

All you can do is train them to listen to you and somewhere along the way, the boy had learned to do that for me. He has spooked or bolted on me, but never for more than a few steps before he comes right back to my requests . I knew if I lost those reins he would leave and be a danger to 50 other riders and drivers. I held on and my weight put a lot of drag on his mouth. I called whoa, and he did. A lifetime of training piad off when it counted.

So we just drive and have fun and hope these events are few and far between and always end like this one did--with no one hurt except my ego. And even it bounced right back. After all, it takes a special person to win the hard luck award!!!!:yes::winkgrin:

winfieldfarm
Nov. 10, 2009, 09:17 PM
Anyone remember that John Lyons ad from eons ago when his appi Zip was still alive (he's passed, right?) It was in many a mag showing John standing there with Zip while a large bear stands in the near background of the shot. Zip is oblivious, John is standing there grinnin" and the bear, well, he's standing on his hind legs just looking for something to eat. (obviously it was probably a trained bear, huh.)

I always laughed at that ad. Not because I think NH was flooey or anything but because I knew that Zip was pretty well blind by that point in his career with John. Do you think Zip even knew the bear was there? What if he could still see? Do you think ol' Zip's eyes would be telescoping out of his head like one of those old Tom and Jerry cartoons? I can't rightly say that in all my years of reading the random John Lyons training article hear and there, that I ever saw his step by step instructions for teaching your horse how to spook in place over a large carnivorous predator!!!

And Cartfall, don't you wish your horse could talk? Can you imagine what he would say?

"Jeeeesus, did you just see that? I could swear I just saw a bear! Was that a bear? I mean, really, I just saw a big black streak and I think that was a cotton pickin' bear! Was that a bear? What?...Whoa? Oh yea, no problem, but cripes was that a damn bear, for pete's sake?"

Cartfall
Nov. 11, 2009, 08:09 AM
:lol::lol::yes:

At times I wish he could talk. But then he would probably just argue with me!!!:winkgrin: