This ride was not in the "plan" for this year. Then, pretty much at the last minute, I decided I really did want to go! The trailer was still loaded with hay left over from Mt Carmel, certainly enough for another ride, even one with as long travel time as this one. There was even enough food in the truck's non-perishables box for me. All I needed to do was hook up the trailer, pack my bags, put Hoss in, and we were ready to go.
I got a late start on Friday night, but we made almost 200 miles, which was good enough to get us to the ride in plenty of time to set up camp and get vetted in on Saturday afternoon. When we arrived, I found a decent place to park and set up camp. I am very grateful I have a water tank again, as I would have had to lug water a looooong way at this ride!
The wind was terrible. It was rather frustrating setting up the tent, but I am glad I found one as sturdy as this latest. Along with the four corners of the tent itself, the rainfly has seven additional stake points. The poles are also quite thick. This has so far allowed it to stand up to some pretty serious wind conditions.
The ride started at an inhuman 5am. I got my saddle ready and made sure everything was together for a quick getaway in the morning. I packed a crew bag, but I didn't make myself a lunch. I forgot my lunch bag, but my experience from last is was that I would be pretty okay with the lunch provided by the ride, so I wasn't worried about it. I also had plenty of dried fruit and gluten-free "granola" bars to pack in my saddle bags, so I certainly wouldn't starve to death.
Despite all my preparation, I managed to be late to the start. I decided, last minute, to put the breast collar back on Hoss's saddle. After the saddle on the butt debacle at Mt Carmel, I figured it wouldn't be a bad thing to have a little extra insurance. That caused me to mount up a few minutes later than I had wanted to, and everybody had already started. The mule camped next to us was at the start, getting his bridle on, so he started behind us.
Hoss was really good on this ride start. He started out quiet and obedient, listening to me and prepared to do as he was asked. We trotted on by a fellow clinging to the reins of a little grey mare (looked kinda like he was flying an Arabian-shaped kite). Shortly after, the mule caught up and passed us, and the fight was on.
Once the mule passed us and showed he was distinctly faster than Hoss (nothing new there), Hoss was of course determined to catch up. I then spent quite some time working on keeping him to his safe pace.
We got to the top of the hill, and just as the previous year, there was a large flock of sheep. This caused Hoss to slow down. Despite several exposures to these harmless creatures, Hoss is deeply suspicious of them. He walked on by, giving them the hairy eyeball.
Once past the sheep, Hoss was once again focused on the horses and that mule ahead of us. I kept him checked back, but it was less than easy. I'd get him to slow down, then get his head down, and he'd speed back up. So it was a matter of doing the same things over and over again. I know: definition of insanity and all that.
Eventually, the guy with the little grey mare caught up to us. He stayed behind us, and asked if it was okay if he stayed there. I said sure, not a problem.
The early part of the ride is fairly rocky and slow going. Hoss is a slow walker, so this means we took more time than we usually would over the same distance. I had him trot every time it was clear enough to do so, even if it was only a few strides. Make time where and when we could.
The grey mare got ahead of us briefly, and I noticed she had spun off one of her hind boots. I let her rider know, then waited while he got the thing off of her. It was clear he wasn't going to have any success getting it back on, as he chased her around for some time just to get the gaiter off her. He put the boot away and got back on and we continued on our way.
The stop allowed Hoss to let go of the notion of catching up to other horses, and he dropped back to his usual pace. The mare stayed behind us, kept there by her rider, although she was clearly faster than Hoss. I didn't get it at first, but it became evident he was using Hoss to pace his horse, and in a pinch using his butt as a brake.
I suggested he take the lead, as his horse was faster, but the rider declined. His horse was of a different opinion. She asked Hoss to let her by, and he obligingly yielded trail, only to have the rider jerk her back in behind him. She ran up his butt several times.
It didn't take long for this to become a problem for Hoss. I didn't recognize what he'd done the first time, but he finally kicked out at her, pissed off because she was asking to pass, then not doing so, and running up his ass. After the second time Hoss kicked out, I mentioned to the rider that he wasn't happy with how close she was. He backed her off, but I kept hearing him talking (ostensibly to his horse), saying "That's too close, he doesn't like that." I don't know as he was trying to be snide, but it wouldn't surprise me.
We got to a steep and rocky downhill. I rode on down, following behind a 50 mile rider who had caught up to us. I was concentrating hard enough on getting down the hill that I failed to notice we'd left behind the grey mare until we had gotten to the bottom. I waffled about pulling up and waiting, and decided I'd rather not stick with the dude if I could help it. So we trotted on down, and stopped for a drink at the water tanks.
We were trotting on up the road when, darn it, that rider caught back up to us. I expected that, really. What are the odds Hoss would be able to leave her behind? Not high.
We trotted up the road, and I felt Hoss take a funny step behind. I only felt it once, and I paid close attention to how he felt until we got to the vet check and I got off.
Hoss pulsed down right away and we went to see the vet. When I trotted him out, she said he was moving funny. She had someone else trot him so I could see it, and he was definitely not right. He wasn't lame. I would call it "off." The vet did not consider it enough to pull him, but she was concerned after having watched Hoss at several different rides and noting he has always been consistent in the way he moves -- start to finish, day after day. I was alarmed, too. I certainly did not want to chance hurting him. I should note that, at no point did Hoss feel off under saddle, aside from that one bad step.
The vet did palpate Hoss and couldn't find anything. Not that this is particularly meaningful. Hoss is a pretty stoic fellow. He's unlikely to let a vet know if she'd found something unless it was really bad.
At the end of our hold, I took Hoss back for a re-check. He was better, but not normal. I was given the go-ahead to continue.
The next loop was 25 miles. I decided to pull. We still had a long way to go, he wasn't 100% normal, and the next loop was awfully long to take the risk. He probably would have been okay, but it wasn't worth risking his soundness for a completion. I loaded him in the trailer (he was quite confused by this development) and we took the long ride back to camp.
Link to our ride video
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