Tuesday, August 20, 2013

I Know You Rider 2013 . A Kip's Eye View

Here I am. Still got the Monkey. Must be doing something wrong!

 The monkey's tired so I offered to write the blog entry.About time! I'm a little tired too after 155 miles in three days of heat and dust in amongst a bunch of silly monkeys dressed in hippy tie dye Tees seemly having a good time. I should feel happy for them I guess. Don't get me wrong, I too had a terrific time also for the first two days. I got to travel and hang out with my buddy Benny and that cutie mare Sky! OO LA LA! I tolerated being imprisoned on the high tie over night. The monkeys thought I would break out of the electric fencing and cause havoc around camp. The monkeys are, for once, correct!
On days one AND two I got to stretch out with my buddy Patrick, the stunning Akhal Teke, and decided, since noone really knows about my sordid background, that I too could very well be a Teke! So that's what I am. A 'want-a be' Akel Teke. I'll keep that high bent 'nicely at the poll' head set, slant my peepers a little and convince the monkey to write my newly found identity it on my registations. Patrick said he'd back me up!
So it was two days, fast times with some chowin' down on that scrawny but yummy dried up grass.The monkey tried to get me to eat the green stuff. Yuk! They are sooooo mis guided sometimes! Got back, not too much fussing around, hung out with  Benny and the cutie and rolled a lot. There's nothin' like covering the monkeys and all their precious possessions with nasty dust. Great way to end a satisfying day blazing the trail!
Then comes day three. Where's Patrick? His monkey decided she had a good time but two days of heat and dust was a enough. My monkey then decides she wants to ride with the manager to chin wag and lolly gaggle and pick up a silly ribbon here and there. I told Phantom, the manager monkey's gelding, to toss his monkey off at the start but he didn't have the right technique and she just put a big dent in another monkey's truck, shouted a few naughty words and got back on. Dang those manager monkeys are tough!
So get this, my monkey  knows I want to move out like I did with my 'cousin' Patrick but thinks she wont be able to find the 'day three' trail without the banged up manager! Phewy! I knew exactly where to go. Don't need no stinkin' ribbons either! Oh, I was grumpy! But get this!! She started me out in a stupid little 'nin on over none on' halter thing. I was really mellow in the morning. Just waiting for Patrick but.......remember.... NO Patrick. So there was nothing left to do but....have a trantum. At least that was fun and pretty easy without the big ole stopper in my mouth.I got whacked alot with some silly little stick with fluff on the end. Something Sky's monkey gave my monky. Didn't hurt much. Just sort of annoying really. She got me good with it once when I tried to bop her out of the saddle with my the top of my head. Gosh, I must be getting old as my aim is shocking these days. Anyway, I'm sort of satisfied because a caused so much havoc at the Vet stop that the head Vet monkey took off down the road. Oh that was soooo good. But DANG, the other monkeys made him come back and do all that touchy stuff that i hate so much. Well, I guess you win some and lose some aye.
Ok, so I enjoy two out of three days and am not even gonna talk about what happened when we got home and that silly monkey tried to fuss with me and I got tangled and about killed myself on a long rope. These monkeys don't learn very well. Sometimes just when you think they've 'got it' they go do something stupid AGAIN! Geez! I try to make the lessons very simple, break them up into steps (usually on their feet) be consistent and persistent and reward the slightest try. Still, they've just gotta keep fussing around!
Oh well, I've got two weeks now to think of some new strategies for the next ride in Basin, Wy at the end of the month. And maybe my monkey will have learned something!
Oh, and the monkey woke up and edited this so any grammatical errors are not my responsibility! Kip 
GEEEZ!!

Tuesday, August 06, 2013

Happy Jack 2013

Photo by Pascal Karl
Happy Jack two days 50 miles each day. First one barefoot.Fantastic ride!!! Great job Haeberle family with Yvette at the helm. Great food by Yvette's gorgeous friend Seth from sunny California, wonderful people and speccy scenery.Kip completed two days of 50 miles and i finished with a lot of horse to spare. I even got off and ran down a few hills. Paying for that now. What was i thinking?