Sometime during the night, the wind picked up to a howl. It was so bad my tent was being beaten down on top of me. At 4am, when my alarm went off to get up and feed Hoss, the rain started. The ride was scheduled to start at 6:30.
It had been quite warm overnight. I was downright hot in the tent. When the rain started, the temperature dropped and I was glad Hoss had accepted his blanket the prior night.
I got up and fed Hoss in the wind and rain. The wind was so bad I had to put his hay in the feeder, which he hates. He'd much rather eat off the ground, and push his hay up under the trailer where I'll have to fetch it for him later.
The word did not get around camp that the ride had been delayed 15 minutes, so we were ready to go a little before 6:30. We rode over to the start, and I was told about the delay. Hoss did not want to settle down, so I started riding him in laps around the camp. By the time the ride did start, he was well warmed up and ready to go.
Many riders chose not to ride due to the extreme wind. I chose to go ahead and start because I figured if I didn't, by 10am the weather would improve and I'd be ticked off I hadn't gone. As it turned out, the weather never did get better and we struggled through the wind the entire 50 miles.
The ride had a controlled start, with a car leading us out a certain distance before we were turned loose. I was keeping Hoss well in hand, trying to keep him at a walk until we passed the point where the controlled start ended, when another horse, a little grey mare, caught up to us. Her rider, Kathy, asked if she could ride with us, as Hoss was behaving himself. Of course as soon as he was with this little mare, who was misbehaving something fierce, Hoss decided he could do what she was doing, and we had two horses trying to take off at a dead run.
I got Hoss settled well enough to start a decent trot and we were on our way. The first several miles of the first loop was a steady but real uphill climb. It took some time to really notice how much elevation we were gaining. After we had covered some ground, we looked back and realized how much climbing we'd done. We rethought our strategy and slowed down on the climbs.
The wind was brutal. The Weather Channel had predicted 20-25 mph winds with gusts up to 40 mph. Well, it felt more like 40 mph winds constantly. The wind itself was cold, and I stayed in my jacket all day. Without the wind, the day would have gotten up to a rather nice temperature.
Due to the weather, the original plan of two vet checks, the first with a 30 minute hold and the second with a 1 hour hold, was changed. Instead when we came in for the first vet check, we had a "check and go" style. After Hoss had come down, I took him to the vet and we were back out again. Kathy and her horse, Treasure, had ended up ahead of us, partly because Treasure is faster than Hoss, and partly because Kathy and Treasure trotted in while I got off and led Hoss the last half mile or so. So, when we'd cleared the check, I figured they were ahead of us, so we set out at a good clip.
I had forgotten to pack Hoss's regular electrolytes, and hadn't had a chance to order what he usually gets in his syringed doses, so I had to beg some from another rider. I had purchased some syringes locally, but a different brand than I usually use. Now I had three different brands of electrolytes I was using. His regular electrolytes were already in his prepared stuff for his morning mash. I had to use the borrowed stuff in his mid-ride and end-of-day bran mashes.
A group of horses passed us going much faster than we do, and Hoss really wanted to keep up with them. I held him back and kept him from bolting off with them. I saw a grey horse ahead and, thinking it was Treasure and Kathy, started allowing Hoss to go a little faster. When we'd caught up somewhat, I realized it wasn't who I thought it was. The horse was wearing boots, and Treasure was in shoes. I slowed Hoss back down.
Hoss started looking back, and I glanced back to see a couple of horses behind us. Before long, Kathy and Treasure, along with another horse and rider, caught up. Kathy slowed Treasure to stay with us, but the other rider continued on. Hoss was happy to have Treasure to go along with again.
On this loop, we went around the back side of the hills. The wind was blowing fiercely. I saw ahead the clouds and knew we were headed for rain. The trail turned, and sure enough, we were headed straight into the rain, the wind blowing straight in our faces. Hoss seemed unaffected, while I was trying to keep my face from being abraded off by the flying dust.
We finally finished loop two. While I was leading Hoss in to camp for the second check, a particularly stiff gust of wind kicked up and prevented me from moving forward. I looked back at Hoss and saw he was being blown sideways.
We made our way up to the water and then the vets for the check. Hoss cleared the vet check and we headed back to the trailer for a bran mash for him and whatever I could find to eat not requiring heating up on the stove. I rather doubted the stove was going to be any use to me. As it was, some kind person had knocked my tent down and put rocks on it to keep it from blowing away.
I was sitting in the truck to eat when Kathy came over. She was contemplating pulling from the ride due to the conditions. I said as soon as my medications took effect I'd be ready to go. We both decided to continue. We'd come this far and had only one loop left to go. Might as well get it over with.
Kathy and Treasure got out of camp well ahead of us. I got Hoss going, but he really just wanted to stop. He clearly did not feel he'd had enough rest time and wanted more time. Treasure, however, was out and ready to go. She and Kathy were trotting up the trail and rapidly gaining distance on us. Hoss kept them in his sights for a while, but his enthusiasm started to fizzle.
We were riding along the fence line only a couple of miles out of camp when I realized we'd missed a turn somewhere. So I turned Hoss around and we went looking. Except Hoss thought it meant we were headed back to camp. When I found the trail and turned him up it, he was mad! Despite Treasure slowly disappearing in the distance, his drive was gone. We wound up walking much of the way up the hill.
I really had to pedal Hoss on this loop. He was not in any mood to keep going. With the wind continuing to blow like mad, he paid no mind when horses came into sight on the trail back. I kept him going, though it was a struggle, and toward the end decided to just let him walk. We'd make it back in plenty of time even if he dawdled.
By the time we got back, Kathy and Treasure had been in for over an hour. Hoss vetted through nicely with a 48 heart rate. Of course, he walked a good three miles and I led him the last half mile or so. Still, I was happy with his finishing scores. I took him back to the trailer and took care of him, then got some food for myself and sat in the truck to wait out the wind.
The wind finally did die down at about 7:00 and I was able to set my tent back up and go to bed. I was pretty whipped and not sure if I was going to be able to get back in the saddle on Sunday. But the medications started to take effect, and I began to feel well enough to think I'd get up and ride the next day.
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