June 10, 2024
Lovely lovely days for riding the Heritage roads around and about South Granville. In the past when Trailblazers were doing a lot of endurance riding and competitions, there was a choice of loops 8, 10, 20, and 25mile distances for conditioning. The most popular ride is the 8 mile loop, from Adams Road to McCourt Road down to the Gunn’s Bridge follow the road around to the Smith road, then back on to the Adams Road at the Presbyterian Church corner. The hills are fantastic for conditioning the horses. Sunday morning was not the best experience for the riders. Helena, a Sanctuary Director, wrote this on our Handibear Facebook page: “It seems like I make a post like this about once a year. Today (Sunday) right before lunch we were on our way back from a lovely trail ride. On Adams road we met a guy on a dirt bike, I motioned for him to slow down, but he didn’t, as he got closer I put my hand up and asked him to stop, his answer was to look me straight in the eyes, keep driving and flip us off as he sped past us. We were 3 experienced riders, on well mannered horses so luckily nothing happened. But about an hour earlier I had two disabled riders on that same road. The dirt bike was red, I believe it was a Honda, driver was male wearing all black clothing and a black helmet. We meet so many great people when out on the trails around the sanctuary, hikers, joggers and lots of 4 wheelers and dirt bikes 99% of the time the interactions are fantastic, we all respect each other and enjoy the trails and it’s great to see so many people out and about enjoying nature, but it only takes one person to ruin someone’s day”. To that one person, SHAME on you!! You are the one that give the other drivers a bad name. Now on to the good things happening. Today Zahra (my SKILLS student) and I organized our pump/supply room. This storage area contains our hoof supplies, liniments salves, needles, syringes, cottons and bandages, horse keeping records, this is our health centre. The shelves were scrubbed, the drawers cleaned and supplies itemized for each drawer. Now I have to type out the inventory. What a great feeling it is to see the supply shelves neat, organized and tidy. We also did an inventory of helmets, we eliminated 10, 4 were old, very ancient, the other 6 of dubious safety. Wonder what the chances would be if “Jumpstart” would help us out with a few new helmets? It only took the two of us four and half hours to create this miracle. It is such a good feeling to be able to work in the stables again. Our barn manager Zoe is on a strong recovery program, since her stroke, she has been released from the hospital and is following a course of physiotherapy. She came Saturday to spend time with Trailblazers, but tired quickly after a couple of hours on her feet. She has set her goals, to be able to work again at the barn, and to ride with her buddies, Laura, Sarah and Shauna. Already she is steadier on her feet than I am. It is that left arm and hand that is the challenge. I know that problem will be taken care of, Zoe is a tenacious young woman and will be diligent with the exercises needed to retrain the limb. I am reading a book about a steeplechaser rider, when his father taught him to ride, he was very strict about balance. He was made to balance and walk a tight wire, and the majority of his riding was done bareback. At the Sanctuary we get Trailblazers to ride bareback as much as we can, they are newbies and bareback is all done at a walk. Safety, Safety is always on our minds. 40 years ago there would have been a lot of trotting and galloping bareback in the fields and back roads. Hang the consequences!! It is the same with training racehorses. Whatever the rules say about always running flat out. You really shouldn’t. Young and inexperienced horses could be ruined by being pressed too hard too soon, one has to give them a chance to enjoy themselves, to let their racing instinct develop fully. Our herd desperately needs to get on the hills to strengthen their muscles. Now that the supply closet is organized, every dry day will have to be spent fencing. The herd has the last 8 round bales in the paddock, we have a few days to get the job done. Last Wednesday my team of Heroes walked the top fields of the summer pasture fences and marked every post, every insulator, that needed attention. Now the real work begins. After that is completed, I have to get the Picnic Place organized for the One Star camping that we offer the Cavendish Music Festival patrons. One Star gets you a tent space, with Loo facilities, and a water supply from the spring. All this for a donation of $10 a night/person. This year the funds will go towards the hay and fencing envelopes. My directors tell me that I have to say that we will always take donations, etransfer to handibearhills@gmail, Paypal from the website, cheque, cash, bottles and cans. There I said it!!. Thank you for all your kindness, let’s pay the kindness forward everyday. Love and hugs from Yogi and the herd.