Monday, July 16, 2012

Follow my way


Above is a screen shot of the ride I had today on Pie. This was captured from the Endomondo app that I learned about from Kristen at Sweet Horse's Breath. Thanks Kristen!!!! She had done a post about this technology back in March and I was drooling. I could not believe how cool that was, but I didn't have any way to do that with my antiquated phone. I still haven't figured out how to transfer the info to the blog correctly so I just took a screen shot. If you click on the link above you can see the real info of our ride.  

Until recently, my family had been hopelessly left behind when it came to cell phone and smart phone technology. My husband, Brian, doesn't like cell phones so he doesn't own one. His argument, which I can totally understand, is that cell phones interrupt real life at every turn.  A decade or so ago my father asked us what we would do if we ever had an emergency while traveling. Brian held up his running shoes as his answer. When our van broke down on I-95 soon after and we all had to hoof it to the nearest town to phone AAA, my parents could take no more so they bought me a cell phone. It was a flip phone and did have a camera. I've used that trusty device for most of the photos on my blog of the horses and our rides. 

My father passed away in 2009 and my mom and I never updated our phones. Recently, though, we both started to see and hear about all the great things smart phones can do. My mom's friends all had one and I was completely blown away by the photos and videos I was seeing on horse blogs, not to mention apps like the one above on Kristen's blog. And, dear, sweet, quiet Maizie has never had a cell or texting capabilities with her friends. So, after much research we settled on three iPhones for mom, Maizie, and me. 

We got Otterbox Defender covers for our time with the horses and then we started shooting videos and taking a zillion photos. It has been great! Today's ride was my first attempt at using this GPS app. And, obviously, if you study the data above, you will know that something is amiss. Yes, cutie Pie-Pie did take me 2.15 miles, but there would be no way that our max speed was 24.3 mph!!!!! We trotted, but come on! I don't think Pie could go that fast at a gallop. He shied once and it happened around the time it says we hit that speed, but would a shy actually register as that fast? Whatever the case, I love that it maps our route and keeps track of the distance. 


I also have been practicing shooting some videos. If you click the photo, above, you can see the boys racing in the pasture the other day. This was taken in the afternoon of the day I rode Pie in his halter. You can see how silly they get when they play. At one point, Sovereign jumps straight up in the air. The audio had my mom and Maizie talking about him being a "Bucking Bronco" but it didn't sound like they were saying "Bucking" (you can imagine what it sounded like) so I added music - Lightnin' Hopkins. YouTube puts ads on before it starts, so just click "skip ad" (this little advice is for my mom).


And if you click the photo, above, of Foggy, you can see a video of him nestled down napping, complete with my annoying baby talk. I know the serious horse world is anti-baby talk, but when I get around horses it just flies out of mouth. Sorry. 

After my ride this morning I came home for lunch and then Brian had to go to the barn to work on the farmhouse a little. I tagged along and snuck in a grooming session with Foggy and a bareback ride on Sovey. Sovereign positioned himself under an apple tree with me aboard. I picked apples and he gobbled. It was great fun on a 97 degree day!

Update!  Kristen helped me add the smaller images from the ride today with the stats. Thanks Kristen!



11 comments:

  1. There is a balance between enjoying the true moment or capturing it. I struggle with it a lot. I find myself wanting to capture EVERYTHING, but then I'm missing the actual 'moment' in it's quietness. Oh well, not a big deal in the scheme of things. The apps are super useful in horse care for sure!! xo

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  2. Very cool! I loved the videos, your boys are so playful! And cute laying down.

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  3. Yes, my Jules girl gets hip with technology!!
    Fun stuff, and the phone photos are great, as you see on my blog, I use my phone tons!

    I love my " Cardio Tracker" , its GPS, and stats. The British chap that talks to me about speed and mileage, saying " Hoorah".
    iPhone wont get it, sis has tried. Yours is equally great though!

    Does yours tell you calories burned in fruit??
    I took a ride, last week, to an old haunt. I earned 5 avacados!

    You're gonna just love what your funphone can do!!

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  4. Thanks everyone, for commenting - you all make me smile!

    Kacy - Your fruit comment made me laugh - avocados! Mine counts calories in hamburgers and I haven't had one since January 6 1979 so I wish it were in fruit!

    Thanks for all the great words! oxox Julie

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  5. HAHA!!!
    Okay, just thought of something really fun for us to do Jules...
    "Tweet" our rides to each other.
    I have a 'Twitter Account" because of my Cardio Tracker APP. It updates to it, as I save my ride stats.

    I follow one other blogger and another friends adventures.
    My Twitter name is "Maregirlkacy"

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  6. Nice video of the boys playing! I agree, technology can get in the way of living life - but it also captures it for future enjoyment. Looking back on photo's/video's will be priceless!!

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  7. I'm afraid I'm not into technology except for my computer, ipad and ipod. I think my phone doesn't even take pictures. The apps are really neat for those who know how to use them I guess. Believe it or not my son is an IT guy, I should ask him to help me learn this stuff.

    If you were really going 24 mph you might want to enter him in a race ;)
    Cute videos of the boys.

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  8. Juliette,
    I know what you mean about technology - I'm not state of the art either, opting instead to go with the cheapest cell phone option (prepaid cell phones where I buy a renewal card at the drugstore every few months). But I love your video of your sweet boys running around - they look so happy and frisky!!
    And I love your story about Sovey planting you under the apple tree, so you can pick them and he can eat them! Now that's teamwork!!

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  9. : ) As a flip-phone person, you make me suddenly want a smart phone! Love the app function! That's very, very cool. And while a 24 mph trot is rather unlikely, Pie should be able to gallop that! Mr. Moon has been clocked at 32 mph and it was through a ditch! Give it a go and you may be surprised...

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  10. Yay iphones! Love mine.

    Yes, they can be overdone, but so can anything technological - moderation being the key.

    I have documented much adorableness from Val because my phone was in my pocket. Where was the camera? Always in the house. (I have also gotten some great app tips from Kristen) :)

    So I tried emailing again - perhaps your mail program thinks I'm spammy? (xianleigh@earthlink.net)

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  11. Love the video of the boys having fun--wish my phone and camera could do that! Still in the dark ages with an old desktop, and a flip phone. All the money for those gadgets is eaten up by the horses! But maybe someday...

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