Test your trail smarts quiz results...

Okay.  For those of who read and maybe took yesterday's  quiz about being trail savvy, I  promised to provide the "optimum" answers today and here I  am.  Now, before I  reveal my own results, I  just want to say (or maybe remind) that I  have personally never been in any of these situations and answered on the basis of what I  would do if I  was.  With that in mind, you might be surprised to hear I got a score of 85, which makes me Trail Savvy.  I probably would have gotten a perfect score had I  not picked wine over water, cell phone in a saddle bag over on my person and pass out snacks during an unexpected trail break rather than keep my horse a safe distance away.  The only of those I  would consider changing my amswer to would be the wine one, but why not have both wine AND water?  The cell phone thing, yes it would make more sense to have the phone on your body in case of an emergency dismount, but cell phones can fall out of pockets very esily.  I speak from experience.  I also think question  6 has 2 answers.  It says when you ride alone you shoule 1) notify someone 2)carry a cell phone or 3) do neither of the above.  I think you should do BOTH 1 and 2.  Why wouldn't  you take a cell pjone with you?  Even if you're  riding in an area that might have sketchy service it's  better than nothing at all.

So, here's  the scoring and the experts' reasoning for the correct answers.  I hope you all scored well...


What’s your score? Give yourself 10 points for every answer (A), five points for every answer (B), and zero points for every answer (C). If your score was 80 or over, you’re in the ranks of savvy trail riders. Not only do you have trail experience, you also possess ingenuity and an awareness of unnecessary risks. If your score was between 50 and 75, your savvy is so-so. You take risks that can make things go bad quickly. Zero to 45 points? You’re a trail wreck waiting to happen. You’re either nonchalant about your safety and that of others, or a rookie who needs a good trail mentor. 

Choices Vs. Outcomes
Let’s review the scenarios you were quizzed on, so you can see how your choices often affect outcomes on the trail.

Trail beverage: Water wins you the full 10 points because it can serve multiple purposes beyond your own hydration. With water, you can clean a cut, swallow or dissolve meds, soothe a sunburn, and cool yourself or your horse. Water belongs on every trail rider’s must-take list. An energy drink simply isn’t as smart a choice. You can replace its quick-energy properties easily by eating a protein or granola bar before your ride. Alcohol…do we even need to say it? Drinking and riding never mix, alone or in mixed company.

Cell-phone carry: You’re best off to keep your phone on your person, secured so it doesn’t jostle off. (An open shirt pocket doesn’t qualify!) That way, you still have access to it should you and your horse part company. Even if you still have hold of your horse, you don’t want to be fumbling at saddlebag enclosures to reach your phone in a true emergency. Riding with your phone or anything else in your free hand is a flunk-out move. It’s easy to lose the device if your horse spooks or bucks, and you also lose use of the hand for controlling your horse or grabbing the saddle horn.

Horse’s headgear: A halter worn under the bridle is the mark of a trail rider who thinks ahead and is ready to tie or hand off his horse at a moment’s notice. While you get five points for at least having a halter with you, tied somewhere on the saddle, you also risk losing your horse when you have to pull the bridle to halter him. And, you can’t respond as quickly to a situation that requires you to secure your horse. No halter at all? No score. 

Your headgear: It’s a no-brainer for your brain: Helmet use protects it. A hat or ball cap is only a little better than nothing, with at least some sun protection. Sure, we all know that a helmet alone doesn’t guarantee your safety. Nevertheless, it’s hard to argue against a protective helmet’s value for trail riding, especially when horseback riding is among the leading sports for head injury. Combine distance of your head’s fall (about 8 feet from atop a horse) with chance for hard-object impact (rock, log, flying hoof), and you get a recipe for high risk.

Saddlebags: While it’s convenient and perhaps more sanitary to keep one bag dedicated to your food, those aren’t the only considerations. If you’re a savvy trail rider, you think of your horse’s back when loading a set of saddle bags, ensuring that the load is even on both sides. You also keep tally of what’s been removed or consumed, and readjust your saddlebags accordingly. Only a clueless rider uses her horse’s back as a one-sided tote for party beverages.

Riding alone: Let’s face it, this runs risk up all by itself, because there’s no one at hand to help you with any problems. If and when you do go out alone, your smartest option is to “file a flight plan” with someone who can initiate a search if anything keeps you from getting back. Leave word of where you’re going and when you expect to be back. State which horse you’re on, and something about what you’re wearing; these details can help someone find you in the event that you’re too hurt to ride or unconscious. While your phone may allow you to call for help, it won’t send someone looking for you, and may not work when or where you need it.

Tree blocks trail: The first rule here is, “Don’t make things worse.” You show good savvy by sizing up the variables before making a next move. Can the tree be moved so you can get by? Are you in a place where you can safely dismount/remount? Does your horse tie reliably? Are there other riders to worry about? The safest call is to turn around. Depending on the trail’s location, you may not be able ride safely off-trail to get around. Imagine, for instance, a steep bank that you’d need to climb, or bogging footing. In some areas, riding off-trail is forbidden due to fragile soils and potential for erosion. It’s dangerous to jump a treefall when it’s one so large that your horse can’t simply step over it.

Missing shoe: Have a spare; you do it with your truck and trailer, and as a savvy trail rider, you do likewise for your shod horse. A protective hoof boot, pre-sized to your horse, is a relatively inexpensive item of gear to have on hand. It’s one of those things you’re glad to have when you need it. A makeshift hoof covering offers some protection to your horse, perhaps enough to get him back to the barn without a bruised sole. If you go ahead and ride him with nothing in place of the shoe, you score zero on horsemanship as well as trail savvy.

Stopped group of riders: Bravo for the call to keep your horse safely separated when a group ride must be halted. Horses can get anxious or aggravated in this circumstance, and it’s not uncommon for them to kick at horses they don’t know. If you’re too close, your thigh or kneecap could take the blow. Always take care when passing snacks to a group of stopped riders, especially if you don’t know their horses or their skills. A crackling wrapper or dropped treat can easily spook a horse. That leg-over-pommel move? Seriously not smart. It leaves you halfway out of the saddle while it stresses your horse’s back.

Balking at mud (or water): This is another situation in which assessment is the best first move. Unless you know a crossing spot to be safe, your horse may have good reason for refusing to go forward. Some horses panic when mud sucks at their feet; your horse can unload you as he lunges to free himself. Be sure you won’t be getting in too deep—literally—before you try getting your horse to cross. Never try to lead your horse across mud or water. Chances are he’ll either pull back and get away from you, or knock you down as he makes a huge leap right behind your back. 

Test Your Trail Ride Savvy...

Isaw this on my Facebook wall and of course I  had to take the quiz.  It is courtesy of Horse & Rider Magazine.  Take the test and tomorrow I will give you the scoring guidelines and tell you how I  did.

It’s a beautiful day, perfect for a trail ride on your favorite horse. You grab a few items, saddle up, and look forward to an hour or two of some blissful outdoor R&R.

Is that the result you’re likely to get? It depends. Going out on trails simply isn’t as secure and predictable as riding in an arena, and that’s true even of the most familiar trail you ride. You can have a problem or make a wrong judgment call just as easily when you’re half a mile from home as you can while riding the backcountry. The key is to be prepared, be alert, and keep small mishaps from escalating.

Though you can’t predict everything that might happen on your rides, you can learn and practice fundamental trail smarts that’ll boost your safety and perhaps even help you get out of a jam. Rate your trail savvy by taking the test that follows. We’ll help you brush up in areas where you may find yourself to be lacking.

1. Your horn bag has an exterior pocket for carrying a beverage. You take:
A: A bottle of water.
B: An energy drink.
C: A beer or wine cooler.

2. You ride with a cell phone in case of emergency. You carry it:
A: In a belt holster.
B: In a saddle bag.
C: In your hand.

3. Your horse’s trail-riding headgear consists of:
A: His bridle, placed over his halter.
B: Bridle only; you carry a halter.
C: Bridle only, no halter.

4. Your own headgear consists of:
A: A protective riding helmet.
B: A Western hat or ball cap.
C: Nothing, your head is bare.

5. You pack a pair of saddlebags with supplies for a full day’s ride. You:
A: Balance the bags by weight, using a scale.
B: Put food in one bag and all else in the other.
C: Fill one side; use the other for trash. 

6. When you go out alone, you always:
A: Leave word with someone.
B: Carry a cell phone.
C: Do neither of the above.

7.A fallen tree blocks your trail, so you:
A: Assess from horseback; turn back if necessary.
B: Attempt to get around the tree by going off-trail.
C: See if you can get your horse to jump it.

8. At a trailhead, your horse backs out of the trailer minus a shoe. You:
A: Apply a pre-sized protective hoof boot.
B: Improvise something with duct tape.
C: Ride your horse with his bare foot.

9. Your group stops as one rider tightens her cinch. You:
A: Keep your horse clear of others as you wait.
B: Pass around some snacks.
C: Hook a knee over the pommel and rest.

10. Your horse balks at muddy footing. You:
A: Assess first, then decide what to do.
B: Kick or spur your horse forward.
C: Dismount and lead him across

GOOD LUCK!!!!!

Money...

I have a real hard time with money.  I don't have any.  Why don't I have any?  I like to spend it too much!  hahaha.  Most of the time I'm pretty good at not spending it all, but when I get it in my head that I want something, my brain rarely rests until I buy it (frequently) or manage to talk myself out of it (rarely).  I am currently facing such a situation.  It's kind of funny, though, because a co-worker just asked me how to manage sitting in front of a computer all day and doing our job without going crazy.  I told her to find something to distract her for a few minutes and goof off a bit.  As long as our work gets done, goofing off a little is okay.  She recently moved back from a position within the unit where there was lots of down time and is now doing a job where it's pretty constant work and she's having a difficult time getting adjusted. How is that related to the "issue" at hand...? I'm doing it right now. I am "goofing off" rather than working 

Anyway, unless I manage to talk myself out of it, I will likely be buying another scanner within the next week.  I have one at home that rarely gets used so I'm hoping I'll be able to convince my brain that bringing that one to work will be "good enough" and I don't really need a 3rd.  Of course, if something goes on like a big storm or something, I won't have the benefit of a scanner at home to listen, unless I go get the one out of my car, but the problem with that is I don't always have batteries available for it.  In my car, it runs off the USB port.  At work and home, I can use the DC adapter.  So my brain tries to justify the expense by saying I need one for work in case something happens "at home" and I need a scanner there.  And usually my brain wins out because it NEEDS whatever item I'm trying to convince it not to buy.  <sigh>

So then there's the 2nd part of my dilema...which one to buy.  The one in my car is one of the higher-end models price-wise and not something I plan on repeating because of the higher cost.  I did, however, find several on Amazon that are contenders and cover a decent spectrum of costs and capabilities.

The Pro-106 is a good scanner.  It's what I have at home and have had for about...hmmm...6 years now?  The downside to this one is that it's an older unit, is no longer manufactured and I need a degree in engineering (or a pro account with radio reference) to program the digital frequencies.  This is the cheapest of the ones I'm considering.

Next we have the Whistler 1040. Whistler bought out GRECOM a year or so ago and is repackaging the old Radio Shack scanners as well as the GRE ones while they work on making brand-new ones. This is the most expensive of the 3 I'm considering. The plus side is the company is still in business, but the downside is, again, the programming of it. I would have to pay $18 for the premium subscription on Radio Reference. No big deal. It's convenient to have for sure. Visually, it's almost identical to the 106, but it has a couple of parts that are a different color.  I want to say it has one or two different features that 106 doesn't have, but I don't know if those features are worth the extra cost.

Finally, there is the Home Patrol. Usually this is priced out of my range, but I found one that is what I consider affordable. This one is the easiest to program because it has the entire database within the unit and all you have to do is enter a zip code and tell it what you want to listen to. The "drawback" is that it's an older model and they have since released a newer version which is out of my price range. Well, that's not exactly accurate. It's more than I want to pay.

I really don't know what I'm going to do. I'll bring my PRO-106 to work and see how long that works before my brain starts insisting I buy a new one. hahaha.

I hope everyone has a good weekend...if you bothered to read any of this...hahaha. I've decided to come in for a few hours tomorrow and work some OT. I always end up questioning my sanity while I'm here.

When things fall down and go "boom"

A couple of months ago, after a slight freak-out, I discovered my doors won't lock if they aren't shut completely so when I got home yesterday from work and hit the 'door lock' button and nothing happened, I knew likely the seatbelt was obstructing the door dealie, keeoing it from closing completely. So I opened the door, but caused it to hit my left hand and making me drop what I was holding. The 2 Steno pads were no big deal, but I was also holding my tablet. I don't carry a purse and after the dogs got ahold of my "work bag" and scattered everything all over the place, I leave my bag in my car so that is why I was carrying stuff I wanted to have with me last night. Anyway, I picked up my stuff after fixing the seatbelt and door then went inside. I did a few things then sat down at the table and was about to check some of my favorite websites when I noticed a crack in the upper right corner of the screen (note:the line that says "where relationships matter" is from my car loan bank, not a dating website lol)

The crack doesn't affect its operation and it can't get longer, but it probably can get deeper and break off entirely.

Well, today I was at work and was sitting at my desk at lunchtime when I noticed a small scratch on the edge of the tablet in the silver part. It was small. Barely noticeable. But then I saw a longer scratch a bit further down. Definitely more noticeable but really, it's just cosmetic

I'm more worried about the crack than the scratches and most of my electronic devices have scratches of some sort. Heck, my Canon 40d camera had permanent salt water residue thanks to being repeatedly doused, courtesy of a 10,000lb orca named Ulyses. Ah. Those were the days.

I meant to share these next couple of pictures awhile ago, but I never did. I took them because they amused me. I have never seen so many horse trailers at one time at this trailhead. They probably parked here because Coon Bluff was already full of trailers.

It's our monsoon season now so we're dealing with triple degree temperatures and high humidity. Just about every day there's a buildup of stormy looking clouds and sometimes it looks like we might get a dust storm, but nothing happens. Last week Tuesday our a/c went out. We replaced the batteries and I ran out and got some filters, but nothing worked so we had to call for repairs. They finally showed up around 8:30pm or so. They allegedly fixed it and all was good. Until Thursday. I came home and, much like Tuesday, the house was very warm. My mom said the thermostat read 87. I sent a text to my brother, who called the repair guys again. Apparently there was a leak and all the freon they'd put in Tuesday had drained out. The house temperature reached 91 degrees before it finally started cooling down. Eek! That's just too warm. But here it is, exactly one week later and our a/c is running fine. Yay!

Work has been crazy the past several weeks. We had one person retire and another move to Seattle and we've had to move people around and absorb work. Not fun. At all. My supervisor didn't seem to realize the reason we were falling behind was because we had too much work and not enough qualified people to do the work. Well, apparently he was told he couldn't hire anyone but he decided not to let us know that. He moved people around again and we now have another processor, but she isn't fully trained because she'd been moved to a different position in our unit before she'd been fully trained. She should be able to help us get a little caught up. I worked overtime last Saturday. Not fun.

Well, I guess that is it for now. I hope everyone is doing well.

I don't quite understand...

I'm  not really looking for someone to explain it to me why "they" do it, but rather just want to think out loud, so to speak.  Maybe vent a little.

In reading blogs and looking at pictures on the web I sometimes see a picture of someone standing on a horse.  Usually the horse is upright, but not always.  I've  actually  seen photos of an"expert trainer/clinician" standing on his horse while the horse is on its side.  I don't  understand  the  interest or "need" in doing this.  To some degree, I  imagine it's  to show the amount of trust you have with your horse, but surely there are less...I don't  know...cruel ways of exhibiting that trust?  Yes, to some degree, I consider it cruel.  Horses were not meant to be stood on.  You are putting all of your weight on that one spot.  If the horse is standing on all fours that isn't  quite as bad as if the horse was lying on its side and you are standing on its flank or something.  Do these people not care about the pain or uncomfortable-ness they might be causing that horse?  Do they only care about looking cool?  Because what it seems like  to me.  People are always concerned about the amount of weight a rider is putting on a horse's  back, which is at least a little bit distributed while seated in the saddle...why not care equally as much about the amount of weight in general and how the rider is putting it on the horse and where.  Horses were not meant to be stood upon...period.  It's  one of the reasons I  don't  like trick riders or vaulting or whatever other activity requires a human to walk all over a horse's  back and jump up and down repeatedly.  They say it's  cruel to ask a horse to carry a rider in excess of so many pounds, but think nothing of cheering along as 4 people do acrobatics on its back.  I just don't  get it.

Last week I had a super day of searching for the Salt River Wild Horses.  The best day EVER.  I had hoped to share videos on my blog, but they take too long to upload so I  will just post the link to the videos on my SmugMug page.  From there you can also view  some of the pictures I've  taken...there's  quite a few.  I haven't  had time to put many photos from last Wednesday, but I  do have one gallery up and will be adding more as time allows.  We've  been  super busy at work because we are down 2 people, 3 on Wednesdays.  Grumble grumble.  I did get to see one of my young stallions that used to run with a small bachelor herd.  I hadn't  seen  him in awhile and was worried about him.  He looks to be doing quite well, especially since there's more than one mare in the group.  He doesn't have the cute, young horse look to him much anymore, but he is growing into a very handsome animal.

Anyway, I  hope you enjoy the videos.  There is sound to them, but mostly it's  chatter from my scanner, some birds and maybe my breathing as I  gasp in wonderment.

Wild Horse Videos  (if the preceeding words are the same color as the text and you don't  see the link, it's  there.  Just click "wild horse videos")

Breyerfest Mania!

Well, it's that time of year again.  The time of year when thousands of horse-hungry girls (and guys) make the annual pilgrimage to Lexington, Kentucky to blow loads of cash in exchange for small pieces of plastic.  Now, the way I put that would probably make you think I believe it's a waste of time and money.  Well, you'd be wrong.  I would very much like to be one of those people who are there right now instead of stuck at home, forced to live vicariously through the ones that are there and whatever pictures they are able and willing to post.  The last couple of years, there've been several temporary blogs written on Blab by people who are attending.  Those are fun.  And when the smoke clears I will be trolling YouTube for videos of Breyerfest Adventures (the travel part) and Breyerfest Hauls (the buying part).  In the meantime, I get very little work done and my poor tablet is pretty much tethered to the DC adapter so it doesn't run out of juice.

Because of the 3 hour time difference between Kentucky and Arizona, I had very little time to wait before the Quelle Surprise (last year it was Pop the Cork, 2013 was CC Shuffle...every year is different) was revealed and while I don't actively collect this mold, I'm wishing I'd paid for a pick-up.  The mold is Lonesome Glory and, as in years passed, it comes in 4 colors plus glossy and matte.

Okay.  The spacing is weird on that one.  It has a white border on top and the bottom and I am at work so I don't have to time to look for another picture so I'll have to live with it, even though it bugs me.  hahaha.  Anyway, my favorites are the top 2.  The 3rd one is ok, but I'm not too crazy about the 4th one.  But if someone were to give me one, I wouldn't turn it down. 

Yesterday Breyer posted on their Facebook that they'll be putting lots of goodies in the store (aka NPOD) throughout the weekend and so there'd be no need to line up early, but people still did and apparently it's a good year this year for finding things.  People have found Latigo (premier club release), last year's Bear and Cub.  Last year's Pop the Cork and lots more.  Very interesting.  So I wonder if I go next year they'll have some of this year's Quelle Surprise?  Who knows.  Anyway, people are spending money on the models left and right.  I have someone picking me up the SR Totilas and someone grabbing me one of the Stablemates.  Hopefully her mom will remember to do it since she'll be showing today and today was my SM ticket time.  Should I send her a message and remind her?  I don't know that she'll even be checking Blab today and I don't have her regular email address.  Darn.

Speaking of Totilas...it's been revealed that there'll be another Collector Club Special this year.  We pre-ordered Talullah (or however it's spelled) and got her a few months later, but I think this one is one you order and pay the whole amount then get it a short while later.  But I will definitely be getting him

Verrrrrry nice.  I have no idea when he'll be available, but I'm glad he's not a web special where you enter for the chance to win.  If you want this one, you just buy it when it becomes available.  Hopefully soon.  hehehe.  Someone also posted pictures of the mini Hermosa and Corazon.  They're the main reason I even bought into the Premier Club.  hahaha.  I sold the full sized ones to someone else and will likely sell the Bobby Jo that is coming up next month.  But here's the mini ones in all of their awesome glossiness...

Grrr. Sometimes this computer annoys the heck out of me because it doesn't behave when I'm blogging. Oh well.

So, anyway, that's about it for now.

I'm still here...

I know I  haven't  posted in awhile, but there hasn't  been  anything worth writing about.  Yesterday I  had written up a big huge post about my previous life as a Sea World "Insider" (aka a regular who gets special perks) but ended up deleting it because I  figured nobody wanted to read about it.  I certainly didn't  want to and I  lived it.  I wouldn't  say it was a time in my life I want to forget because I  enjoyed that part and the friends I  made as a result, but it's  in the past.  Whatever.

I'm  still  going out looking for the wild horses as often as I  can and I've  seen some new bands I'd  never seen before plus some in Gila River, but it's  been awhile since I've  seen my favorite little mare Scarlett.

Her band stallion Marty, who you can see in the background, isn't  as curious as she is and I  fear he got fed up with the people who kept "chasing" them with cameras that he's  permanently  moved his small groip somewhrre else.  You may laugh and think "Isn't Brenda one of those people chasing them with a camera?"  And to a small degree you would be correct.  However, I  don't  physically chase after them when they move away and I  have seen people do it.  I took the above picture with my cell phone and is the original image, no zoom or anything.  When she saw me she came over to the fence, as you can see, while Marty and Orion "hid".  I have no doubt that the next time I see her she will have a foal at her side.  I just hope I  see her soon.  Right now it's  kind of hot to be out looking for them anyway so I  probably won't  go looking again until September or October.  Even though my car has a/c, it can still get a little toasty driving around when the outside temperature is 110 degrees.  And sometimes I  do get out of my car to get better pictures.

I am in the Breyer Collector's  Club and back in February we were given the opportunity  to  pre-order the annual model.  I liked the mold and the color so I  paid my $20 deposit.  In May or June I paid the balance and yesterday she arrived.  Her name is Tallulah, which I  don't  care for, but that's  besides the point.  Several people on MHB have reported tons of flaws, but I  got lucky with mine.  She has some minor flaws but overall I'm  quite pleased.

This is a new-ish mold.  The "founding" model was one offered in the Premier Club a year or so ago named Latigo and is the only non-custom I don't have, but the prices on him are still kind of high right now.  There has only been one released to the retail public and that was Harley D Zip.  Breyerfest 2014 saw the mold being used as a special run, both as a grey pinto and a solid silver decorator.  I  have the grey pinto.  The mold was also used in the BF auction in 2014 as a soft red dun and will again be available as an auction piece this year in a sooty buckskin pinto.  I  wish that one was a BF Special Run because I  really like it.

Speaking of Breyerfest, it is next week.  I'm  not  going...again.  Maybe next year.  I have someone picking me up a model on the Totilas mold and *hopefully* one of the 4 stablemates.  It's  been nuts.  I have had 4 different people I've  asked to do a stablemate pick-up for me.  The girl picking up my Totilas would do it but her pick-up fee is as much as the single day ticket to get the stablemate.  No thank you.    Who knew it would be so much drama getting one little plastic horse.  I tell you what, I  don't  plan on doing pick-ups again.  Oh well.

Anyway, hopefully I'll  post more often, but if there's  nothing to blog about, there's  nothing to blog about.  Hahahaha.

Take care, Everyone!