Danny January: Blog

I've had experience with Mustangs, American Quarterhorses, Arabians, Frisians, Thoroughbreds, Saddlebreds, Boerperds, Morgans, Paints, and a few others but never a gaited horse. We picked up a Tennessee Walking horse recently and I've only ridden him once. Does anyone have experience with a TWH? I'd be curious to hear your impressions, especially if you're coming from a Mustang, Paint, or Quarterhorse background.
This big guy is as sweet as they come and "in your pocket" as they say. Riding him is so totally different.
Let me know if you have experience with a TWH, and if you don't tell me your favorite breed.

If you've been reading along and don't remember the "rodeo chapter" it's because I double posted chapter 20 for about a week by mistake. It's been corrected. Rodeo and triathlon beginnings were highlights of the chapter.

If you're an equestrian, I'd like to hear from you.

I've ridden Arabians, Warmbloods, Standardbreds, Paint, Appaloosa, Friesan, Mustang, Tennessee Walker, and Boerperds. I'm sure there are others. I have a couple of favorites. I'm curious as to your favorite, and why. Anyone ride an Icelandic Pony?

I rode an couple of horses yesterday that were breeds I hadn't ridden in quite some time. I love the variety and know that the individual is more important than the breed in many cases.

What's your experience? If you've never ridden, what's your favorite TV or movie horse, or even favorite horse movie?

I've had a couple of readers mention that "miles of trails" on 21 acres was unrealistic. A single trail around the perimeter would have only been about a half mile. However, with the use of the neighbors property, and creative switchbacks and meandering trails through the middle, it was possible to cut over three miles of trails. Maybe not the "miles and miles" we would have liked but it wasn't bad, either.

I do appreciate my readers' attention to details.

It's been a while since I've done one but next Spring, I'll do it again, just for grins. I've done some pretty challenging races and that's what made it fun.
Years ago, I joined my friend in Southern California for a race up in Big Bear. Big Bear Lake is at 7,300 feet and that means oxygen is a bit harder to come by. Not a lot, but enough to make the race more challenging. When you're biking or running, you can breathe whenever you want to and as much as you want to. Swimming is different. Weaker swimmers and those who hadn't gotten up to altitude a couple of days early to acclimate to the altitude had a rough time with the swim. I usually came out very near the front of the pack.
It's good to be out in front for a triathlon swim. It means you don't have to worry about getting kicked in the face by the swimmer ahead of you. That's a huge plus. The bad news is, that you can expect to be passed by faster riders or runners than you for the rest of the race. Oh well.
My friend (Beach House) is a faster runner than me. He's a much faster runner than me. My goal when I did that race was to try to beat him and that meant I had to build up a lead. The first couple of races we did together, I was able to do that. Then he learned to swim. Oh well.
He came here for a race and it was glorious. We started with a 1.2 mile swim in the Savannah River. They time the race so you're swimming downstream and you can clock some ridiculous speeds. The bike is flat. When you live in the Lowcountry, there aren't a lot of hills to train on. The half marathon is just as flat - another plus. He has yet to catch me on that race, mostly because I've improved on the bike (and maybe a little because he's older than me).

You'll never guess what song goes through my head when I run a triathlon. Okay, you might guess.