Dec Link Luv
| December 11, 2015 | Posted by Melinda under Uncategorized |
Where I live there is mud season and sun season. Like Gail, the mud where I live is a heavy clay that is slick, heavy, and nasty. Unlike what Gail is dealing with, scratches aren’t a huge deal here. There are some individual horses that seem to be prone, but those are the same ones that are also getting them in the summer and in alkaline dirt and if you look at them sideways.
So when are we getting portable MRI machines for horses? I’m dying to know whether the physiological changes in horses going long distances is similar to this study. Thought it was interesting that the size changes in major tendons (like the achilles) wasn’t correlated with injury. I feel like we put a lot of meaning into cross sectional size changes in tendons of horses, which might not mean much in the absence of injury or clinical signs perhaps?
Anyone doing this? It’s a neat idea and I thought about it…right up to the point where I got a 60 day move notice right before Thanksgiving.
A great post on a blog I don’t think I’ve featured before on her “new horse”. The best thing about distance riding is that it makes you constantly reevaluate what is working and what isn’t and eventually frustration conquers fear and prejudice – I speak from experience as someone that was not convinced that barefoot, bitless, or treeless was something I would do…and now I do all those things or none of those things. WHATEVER WORKS.
I adore nuggets of wisdom articles from people who have done a sport for decade after decade. It really does boil down into something very simple. I also find it fascinating that the articles like this one could apply to either horses or human distance with just a few tweaks. Here’s another article that boils down endurance training to its very core.
10 tips for running in the cold, and many of them apply to riding too. I’m such a bad cold weather person. The biggest thing that has helped me is buying a couple of cold weather gear pieces that work. Off the top of my head, smartwool arm warmers, Berryessa fuzzy croc boots, and good quality base layers.
Speaking of clothing choices, Aarene talks about rain stuff here and being a wimpy melting Californian I of course took notes. Rain coats wear out, who knew!
This race is on my 2016 schedule. Reading race reports like this one do not make me at all confident that I’m going to be able to complete it. There is something to be said of running a new course and being blissfully ignorant of what’s to come. I’ve ran or ridden most of the trail sections on this course and there seems to be a line between intimately familiar with a trail, in which case it’s easier for me to get through tough sections, and having the passing knowledge of a trail from being on it a couple times. Which makes it really really hard for me to gut it out. I have a passing familiarity with that meat grinder section.
A big congrats to a job well done! I love Karen’s blog because of how she relates her current dressage sport to her former sport of endurance.
‘Tis the season for gift guides. I thought there was some good ideas on this one.
This is worth a read just for the very first image. When adulting I do often think of it as a blissful unicorn and rainbow filled experience because it is THAT noteworthy that I’ve gotten my shit together on occasion and DONE HARD THINGS. I can’t let this opportunity go by without pointing out that I have ADULTED LIKE A BOSS for the last couple of weeks. Go me?
Ugh. I‘m hoping I’m let down gently when it’s time to retire Farley. Old ponies are the best and worst you know?
This was THE most annoying thing about doing recognized dressage. All the memberships. It was absolutely outrageous and while I appreciate award programs that keep me motivated, I got tired of feeling nickle and dimed every time I turned around.
I know some of you are impressed by ability to cram riding and running into my life sometimes. You know what impresses me? This. I’d love to do this. It makes me tired and prone to drinking to even think of executing it.
Liz reports on the status of horses and it’s a good read. Lovely pictures, lovely words. What else do you really need on a dreary Dec day?
Maybe your resolution next year is to be a fitter partner for your horse. It doesn’t take a lot of miles or time to make that happen.
I can’t decide what part of this article I like better. Where he talks about fear not being an issue because of practice and planning (I couldn’t agree more – fear isn’t an issue for me not because I’m not a fearful anxious person, but because I’m a controlling planner and practicer) or the part walruses suck the guts out of people? Is this a thing? Really? Must google…
Only read one book this month that I would rate as a 4/5 star or above:
Thanks for sharing my Gift Exchange on your blog! I’m a new reader and can’t wait to learn more about you!
Welcome!
Great links as always, I’ve just burned an extra hour!