High Desert Runner

High Desert Runner šŸŒµHolley, Forest, & Sultan
Colorado endurance rider & mountain adventurer
ā†  Emirate SB - ā€œSultanā€
ā†  Belesemo Royal Actor - ā€œForestā€ (aka šŸ“)

09/02/2026

Just baby horse things. Forest will jump a log, but absolutely WILL NOT get his little toes wet.

A gentle ask didnā€™t work. A firm demand didnā€™t work. Desperate pleading only made it worse. I donā€™t know what the orange demon wants, but Iā€™m determined to figure it out.

Teaching Forest to cross water will probably be similar to teaching him to back off a trailer: time, patience, repetition, and a s**t load of cookies.

To be continuedā€¦

(Disclaimer: hand-walking a horse over water can be really dangerous. Donā€™t stand in the landing zone)

I bought a really expensive cardboard box for my cats and it came with a free saddle! Ok but seriously, I cannot believe...
09/01/2026

I bought a really expensive cardboard box for my cats and it came with a free saddle!

Ok but seriously, I cannot believe itā€™s only been 3 weeks since I ordered Sultanā€™s new custom Specialized Ultralight, including the time it took me to complete the Fit Kit. Specialized has phenomenal customer service and they did a great job helping me pick the correct saddle. I canā€™t wait to try it on Sultan tomorrow!

Forest finally has his āœØofficialāœØ endurance tack set! He is no longer wearing a mish-mash of hand-me-downs and things th...
09/01/2026

Forest finally has his āœØofficialāœØ endurance tack set! He is no longer wearing a mish-mash of hand-me-downs and things that donā€™t fit.

- Halter-bridle, breast collar, martingale, crupper, and stirrup cages by Moss Rock Endurance. Hunter Green and Seafoam are Forestā€™s official colors!

- Caribbean Dream Renegade Hoof Boots Vipers (use code Sultan10 for 10% off!)

- Saddle is Sultanā€™s Pandora Performance Saddles which has been re-fitted for Forest

- Hornless pommel bag by Broke Supply Co

- Toklat Woolback saddle pad

- Toklat Coolback T3 Flex Form girth

- Custom dressage billets in hunter green by Timberline Tack

- Stirrup leather covers and seat pad by JMS, but the seat pad will soon be upgraded to my holy grail: a Fuzzy Butt.

- Everyone asks about my stirrups, but they are discontinued šŸ˜ž EasyCare EZ Ride

08/31/2026

Something I learned from endurance: dismounting to hike down steep hills is hugely beneficial for your horse. Some of these benefits include:

- reducing strain on horseā€™s front end joints, like the knees and shoulders

- giving your horse a break to conserve energy on a long ride

- allowing your horse to pick their way safely down a technical hill without having to accommodate a rider

I dismount all the time. Sometimes itā€™s to cross obstacles, sometimes itā€™s because my knees or hips are getting stiff, and sometimes Iā€™m just bored and want to walk.

(Shoutout to my husband for leapfrogging on a mountain bike with me to get these videos. We look ridiculous but we have a great time lmao)

I blinked and Forest became a mountain horse šŸ§”
08/31/2026

I blinked and Forest became a mountain horse šŸ§”

08/29/2026

A moment of silence for all the men who married horse girls.

08/28/2026

Here are some clips from Forestā€™s second endurance ride! We did a 5-mile intro ride on the last day at Spanish Peaks.

I went out with a friend and her calm horse who was already buddies with Forest. However, I ended up having to hand-walk the first 2 miles because we were sharing the trail with fast LD riders and Forest wanted to take off after them. Instead of having a fight, I opted to hop down and walk him.

Once we went off on our own trail, I got back on and we had a nice, quiet walk for the rest of the ride. It was a great opportunity to teach Forest how to behave while being passed by fast horses. He is easy to manage on the ground, but things are still unpredictable in the saddle, so hopping off was the way to go.

We had a lovely ride through the Ponderosa Pines šŸŒ² In the last mile, we shared the trail with LD riders again, but I was able to stay mounted while they passed us. Big improvement in such a short ride!

08/27/2026

I was surprised to learn that endurance riders donā€™t gallop everywhere. When you hear ā€œraceā€, youā€™d think everyone is neck-and-neck galloping down a trail.

In reality, we trot and trot and trot and trot some more. Trotting is the most efficient gait for a horse. Itā€™s the perfect balance between speed and conservation of energy. A horse that walks an entire endurance ride wonā€™t finish in time, and a horse that canters the entire ride wonā€™t pulse down in time.

Picking the correct gait is part of the strategy. Depending on the terrain, races and conditioning rides are like 70% trotting. I always slow to a walk over technical terrain or down hills. I also take walking breaks if I feel like my horse is expending too much energy.

I try to only canter when the footing is excellent, the weather is cooler (maybe some clouds moved in), and my horse feels really fresh and forward. Itā€™s a great way to knock out some miles and make up time, but it also fatigues horses much faster.

But really we just trot. Everywhere. All the time. Literally so much trotting.

08/26/2026

Okay, anyone who struggles with an anxious horse gets it ā€” trying everything short of witchcraft to get your horse to eat and drink at rides. Constantly worrying about hydration and calories.

That is NOT an issue with my orange son. I always thought speed and athleticism were the most desired traits of an endurance horse, but no. Itā€™s gluttony.

Hydration? A
Gut sounds? A
Pulse? Carcass

I have developed a profound appreciation for my fat, orange, gluttonous child. I hope he stays this way forever. šŸ§”

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