Tues Misc.

-35 degrees in Tiksi this morning.   Down 20 degrees from a few days ago, and blowing our way.

Short catch up post.  Weather continues as a constant training problem without any thanks to the forecasters who, since Dec. 1 repeatedly predict extended forecasts in the 45 degree range.  Next  Mon. KCMO forecast just changed from 45 degrees to 14 degrees.  That's March 3, 14 degrees.

Essentially we've lost 3 months of galloping since Dec. 1 as we have a couple days decent weather before the next polar vortex blows  in.  Alternating between deep snow, mud or so cold that polar bears are looking for shelter.

What have we been up to with RR stables.  Two threads--one is injury to the blogger--2/14 fall down stair disable for about a week followed by pulling a back muscle somehow so painful as a stiff neck and bent over at almost 90 degrees.

This coincided with #148 raking his injured front left heel bulb once again to the point it caused him to limp on the wound for the first time since he got it late Oct.  The mud and snow hardly helps things (we are  without a stall).  Good news on this is that heel bulb is essentially growing back and believe he'll be fine.

Last five days--horses have riderless galloped 4 of last 5 days each day a little faster to a 4 x 4 2f as fast as they could go on slippery half frozen surface  last  night.  Needed to restart #148 at low volume lest he pull something.  He seems back in fine fettle.  Rider is now mostly healed and feeling like 20 yr. old again (slight exaggeration) and hopefully back on tonight.

Pushing Through

That's what the human trainers tell you, correct?  When your body is failing to work optimally you push through adversity.  wishing training horses were that easy.

Second day of the big melt in KC. Ground a total mess, completely saturated with water on top. 1 inch of rain coming. Basically three more months down the tubes for galloping due to weather--that would be our December, January and February--its 2/18 and ground will be mud till March.

Additionally trainer manages to fall down flight of concrete steps at the YMCA Valentine's day.  Knee the size of a cantaloupe.  Night time + ice + stairs. bad mix.  Severely racked up.  I stood over the mounting area today. Looks like a lake.  Passed, once again. More later. We got in some training.

Mon. Misc.

Inola, OK and "The Plan"

We're buried in 10+ inches of snow, more on the way, the coming melt and another two weeks lost to weather. Good time to post on "the plan" to get our horses to a race track.

Luckily we were able to do riderless breeze work right up to the edge of Wednesday's snow storm.  The horses did 7 days out of 14 days of every other day riderless breeze work.  The last of these days were three separate heat of about 2f each near full speed.  Hopefully will be able to get back on tonight for resumption of tack work.

Inola, Oklahoma is just northeast of Tulsa and this nice facility is located there:

http://www.harmonytrainingcenterok.com/photo_gallery/photo_gallery.htm

Looks so good I'm tempted to put 'em in the trailer tonight and haul 'em down if only that were possible.

Inola is about 250 miles away.  "The Plan" would be use the current farm rent--$725/mo. to Mr. Farmer for his 70 acre hay field--and pay Harmony Training Center $300/mo. of this for two stalls and Mr. Farmer the remaining $425.00 for a smaller portion of his field.  We'll then haul back and forth as appropriate--stalls at Harmony and galloping in the hay field while in KC, and that would permit the law office to stay open and $$$ continue to come in to support the whole thing.

Plan was to ship out March 1.  Weather will delay that.  But hopefully by mid March yours truly would be riding horses on a real live 6f race track for first time since the year 2007.  I am excited, and hoping this will come to pass, although hauling 250 miles even with gas prices moderating is going to be a challenge.

More Deep Winter

 Outside of office 2/5/14

 Looks like about 10 inches. And, worst nightmare for #148 injury.

Less bad than expected, possibly.

Meanwhile, at Newmarket?
http://stable-life.blogspot.com/

Deep Winter Training

Rick from Feldman's Feed Store loading hay onto our truck. I liked the hat.

Horses have done 6 riderless sprint works in last 13 days.  Did one warm up and 3 x 2f full speed today over 1.5 inches of snow. Both looked like a blurr going by.  Wished I'd taken cam corder to get it on vid.

Tack work, not so much. 18 degrees today and with 8 inches of snow coming in that will hang around for a week, tack seemed less important.  Longest stretch of conditioning for #148 with his many injuries to date.  The heel bulb injury has held up ok AND his hock--except for one of those works were he had slight swelling--has been absolutely normal.  Plan to get 'em to the race track, next post.