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Hiking Little Si May 24, 2008

Posted by kimayars Walk, Hike Digg! this story! Digg! this story. , add a comment

I had a great hike to the top of Little Si today with Sherene. I have always wanted to reach the top. When I did bootcamp last year, some mornings we’d hike the trail. Unfortunately, due to time limits, we never reached the top. Today I got there!  The day was beautiful and the view amazing. I thought I’d share a few…

This is the valley from Little Si.  Rattlesnake Ridge is in the background:

 

This is Mt. Si from Little Si:

 

And finally, Snoqualmie Valley looking past Mt. Si.

 

What a super hike. And the best part? The trailhead is 10 minutes from my house!  I love living here.

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I promise I won’t cry… May 23, 2008

Posted by kimayars Ramblings Digg! this story! Digg! this story. , 7comments

The horse above is Ockie.  It’s not the most flattering picture of him, but I think it kind of captures his goofiness. The folks that read this who know him will certainly understand — he was definitely a character.

I think everyone remembers their first first love, whether it be people, dogs, horses, whatever (although I have yet to find that special connection with hermit crabs).  Ockie was the first horse that I ever felt connected to.  When I first met him he was a lesson horse at Elk Run.  He was smooth, cute, and had a lovely canter.  Beginners and advanced students alike adored him. He had a “been-there-done-that” attitude and, unlike a lot of lesson horses, had training. He knew stuff.  He made learning new things easy because he could do it with his eyes closed.  He was definitely a barn favorite.

In the fall of 2002 Ockie was ready to be retired from lessons.  He was having trouble staying sound and required more advanced students to keep him off his forehand.  However, full retirement wasn’t an option.  He needed to move or arthritis would take him over.  Ockie was 25.

At the time I was 1/4 leasing a QH named Nugget with my husband.  Nugget CLEARLY favored my husband, and I was getting the itch to ride more consistently with one horse. I was offered a half-lease with Ockie.  Leasing a 25-year-old horse seemed insane, especially one that was having some soundness issues.  But I liked Ockie a lot more than I liked Nugget, so I took a chance.

That half-lease turned into a full-lease that lasted 2 years.  In that two years I have some of my fondest memories.  I rode Ockie through my pregnancy with my second daughter (yes, I rode into my 8th month), explored local trails like I never thought I could, learned lateral work and overcame my fear of canter.  We went through glaucoma which caused him to lose sight in one eye, and a colic that happened the day before I went into labor (that is a very funny story that deserves its own post). Ockie was the only horse I have ever been able to half-pass on. When Sherene and I reminisce about the years we’ve been riding together, you can bet that Ockie will come up at least once.

He gave me two awesome years before my desire to get a horse of my own got the best of me.  I wanted to show, go to clinics, and start building a relationship with *my* horse. As much as I loved Ockie, he was never mine. At the time that made a big difference.  I terminated my lease and bought a mare.  Ockie went to his former owner’s place to retire.  He was happy, healthy, and went to an amazing farm to be loved by the one who loved him most.

This past week Ockie passed away at the grand old age of 31.

I’m certainly sad, but I’m happy too.  I have heard that he went peacefully and that’s what I would have wanted most for him.  It would break my heart to know that his last moments were in pain due to colic or some other accident.  He had a great life, and spent his last few years with his true love, Kaye. If she reads this blog, I hope that she understands how much he belonged with her. I feel that she is responsible for making him into the awesome horse that he was, and I thank her for allowing me to share a part of his life with her.

So the mare didn’t work out for me, and that’s why I have Tigger now.  And even though Tigger and Ockie are very different, they are also one of the same. I have found “true love” in Tigger, much like I did with Ockie.  But Ockie will always be my first.

I guess I lied. A tear just hit my keyboard.  :-)

If it can happen to him… May 22, 2008

Posted by kimayars Uncategorized Digg! this story! Digg! this story. , 1 comment so far

…it can happen to me.

http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/mar/28/elite-horse-trainer-critically-injured/

Ricardo Amaya passed away after the accident mentioned in the above article.  A short obituary was in this month’s Dressage Today.  I must admit, while dealing with my own anxiousness with Tigger, it didn’t help to see this.  Rarely do I hear of anyone killed while schooling a horse. It’s an unforunate and devastating accident, that reminds me that horses are live animals with free will.

My heart goes out to his wife and children. I can’t fathom a loss like that.

Ground work sounds right up my ally right now…

I’ve done this before… May 21, 2008

Posted by kimayars Walk Digg! this story! Digg! this story. , add a comment

15 minutes on the elliptical, 30 minutes on the treadmill. Deja Vu.

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C’mon, I dare you. May 20, 2008

Posted by kimayars Run Digg! this story! Digg! this story. , 1 comment so far

Today I offered Sherene $50 if she squeezed the ass of the very hot trainer standing next to her while she ran on the tradmill.  I kept telling her it was a win-win situation…  Unfortunately she was laughing too hard to follow through before he left.

Today’s run was a bit brutal.  I’m probably still a little wiped from Sunday’s run.  I was shooting for 5 miles but only got in 4.  My goal was negative splits so I started at 6.0 mph for mile one, 6.2mph for mile 2, 6.4mph for mile 3, and 6.5mph for mile 4.  My legs felt like noodles the entire time.  At about 3.5 miles they felt a bit unstable so I called it good at 4.0.

I learned again today that I need to position myself in the middle of the treadmill.  I tend to run to the front too much and my arm swing connects with the emergency stop button.  Sherene kept asking me how to perfect the technique.

I have EZ8’s tonight and we’re going to be doing sprints. Normally I love sprints, but today I’m just kind of flat.  We’ll see how we’re feeling later today.

I *really* wish I had to pay Sherene $50 today.

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Out for a stroll… May 20, 2008

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Did 15 minutes of elipitical (no head injuries!) and then walked for 30 minutes on the treadmill.  Looking forward to my run later today with Sherene!

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