I was starting to feel better by day four, and really had hope to have licked the whole cold into bronchitis thing. I kept taking the medications I'd been relying on to keep me going, knowing I had a good chance of relapse if I didn't.
I got Hoss his breakfast and got us ready and our crew bag to the trailer. We headed out for the start. I figured we'd either meet up with Echo and Rocky or we wouldn't.
We did end up meeting up with Echo and Rocky pretty early on. Hoss spotted them right away and lagged until they caught on up to us.
So we had our typical day with Echo. Echo and Rocky got ahead of us and we spent most of the day following. Which is fine, really. Especially when we got to the tunnel under the highway, made of corrugated pipe. Hoss probably wouldn't have gone through the evil Tunnel of Doom had Echo not gone through first!
We wound through some single track pine forest and along the edge of canyons. It was a warm day, and I ran through quite a lot of fluids before we made it to the vet check.
The vet check was in an area known as Cow Camp. Once we'd pulsed down, I found our crew bag and got Hoss set up. There was a lot of deadfall around, and I lightly secured Hoss's lead to a fallen tree. It's not that he really needs to be tied off, just that I'll always tie him if I can.
Once I finished my lunch, I took my water bottles over to fill them up. While there, I was chatting with Alyssa (our vet) and Ann. We were chatting away when Hoss pulled just hard enough to break the branch he was tied to. He stared suspiciously at it, and I turned to Alyssa and Ann and said,
"I have to go back to Hoss; he's freaking out." Of course, Hoss's brand of freaking out looks like nothing. Another rider asked if Hoss could teach her horse to "freak out" like that.
After I got Hoss situated, he was wanting to graze and walk around rather than eat his hay. I accommodated him to a certain extent, but really didn't let him range far. There was plenty of grass so he didn't need to go far to get good grazing.
Then, he decided he wanted to roll. I've never told Hoss he couldn't roll, but the saddle was on, so I couldn't let him go down. I jerked the saddle off as quickly as I could, and he laid down for a good roll.
What happened next was more than a little frightening. Once down, Hoss did his typical rub up and down with his neck, and then laid completely still on his side on the ground. Never have I seen him do that. After a tense minute or so, I called Alyssa (who was watching, just as concerned as me, from the trailer) and she came over to check things out. Once Hoss saw the vet, he decided he'd better get up. He arose and shook, just like he normally would after a normal rolling. Alyssa checked him over carefully and pronounced him fine.
Once up, we realized he had laid down on a tree branch. Most likely it prevented him from rolling properly, so he just decided to lay there and have a snit about it.
I got the saddle back on and vetted Hoss through. I packed up our bag and we hit the trail once again with Echo and Rocky.
After the laying down incident, I was understandably worried about Hoss. I was concerned he wasn't going along so much because he was feeling good, but because he was being "pulled" by Echo. So I was relieved when an opportunity arose to separate from the other horses and see what he'd do on his own.
Another rider had lost a hind shoe but lacked a boot to act as a spare tire. Cheri had one in her packs of a suitable size to help out. So she and Helen stopped the help the other rider. I explained I'd like to see how Hoss was doing by getting him out by himself for awhile and we headed off on our own.
Hoss would really have preferred to wait, but he continued on with little urging. After a time, he decided this wasn't the worst set of circumstances in the world and picked up an easy trot. Once he'd done that, and kept it up, I felt a whole lot better about him.
It didn't take terribly long for Cheri and Helen to catch back up to us, as expected. We continued on, making our way through the open area, and Cheri realized we had gotten off course. Had I been alone, I would probably have followed the ribbons, still up from another day, and gotten us pretty thoroughly lost. Cheri realized we'd missed a turn, and knew where we should be in relation to where we were.
We hit off cross country. In due course we could see the road we should have been on, but there was a problem. There was a fence between us and it. However, as we got closer, it became clear the barbed wire was not hanging on the posts, and we were able to find a spot where it was buried sufficiently for the horses to safely step over it.
Coming into camp, we came down the new trail into the back side of camp. We finished in good time. Alyssa looked Hoss over with extra care, and pronounced him healthy. I told her he had gone alone for a time cheerfully enough and had been grazing greedily. I was satisfied he was okay, and so was she.
Here's the link to our video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My2VGbecOWI
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
2013 Mt Carmel Endurance Ride, Day 3, 50 Miles
I wasn't feeling any better when I woke up on Day 3, but I wasn't feeling any worse. Besides, I was going to make all five days unless I couldn't get up. So up I was and fed Hoss and got myself going. I made sure to take the meds I needed and ate a decent breakfast.
The vet check would be in camp, so I didn't need to make myself a lunch or pack a crew bag. I'd get a decent hot lunch!
We started with Merina and Chance yet again, heading out across the highway along the Virgin River. We were able to keep up a nice trot on the flat dirt road and up onto the hills.
Merina had spoken with another rider who encouraged her to start letting Chance trot downhill, so we made a little better time. While I have always worked Hoss on trotting downhill, Merina had bought into the old yarn that a horse only has "so many" downhill miles. So after I had suggested I disagreed with that notion, she had spoken to someone who is well respected in endurance and confirmed what I said. At any rate, this made for a little faster going.
After a few miles, we caught up with a Limited Distance rider who was having difficulty with his horse. We let him hook up with us to help get his horse in check. Hoss did not like Monty, this new horse, and made sure Monty knew it. He wasn't terrible, but it was clear he'd rather Monty moved off on his own.
We circled around back to camp, only to pass through camp right by our trailer and back across the highway on trail. Hoss found this peculiar. He didn't complain about it, but he was pretty sure we should stop and have a vet check.
After we got out of camp and across the highway, the LD ride split off and we parted company with Monty.
While riding along, Chance developed a slight head bob. It was initially very mild, and it appeared she had bruised her foot because of dirt getting under her pad. Unfortunately as we continued on, Chance got worse, and Merina made the wise decision to pull. At the juncture where the LD went back to camp and the Endurance ride continued on, Merina turned and walked back to camp.
Hoss was quite distressed by this development. He really thought we should go the same way Chance was going. He went slowly, but he went, and he was very sad. It wasn't long, however, before Cheri Briscoe and Echo caught up with Helen and Rocky. Hoss likes Echo, so he was happy enough to hook up with them for the rest of the day.
The only drawback to being with Echo is, Hoss worries Echo won't wait for him. He didn't care if Chance waited for him. So when Echo would get ahead, rather than chug along at his own pace and catch up as he could, Hoss would get anxious and go faster than he should if I let him. This meant we disagreed a lot. I had to spend much more time controlling his pace.
We made the five or so miles back to camp, pulsed in, and went to the trailer for lunch. I gave Hoss his bran mash and a flake of alfalfa hay, then heated up a bowl of soup for myself.
I kinda like in-camp vet checks. I have everything I could possibly need, there's no chance of forgetting to pack something or needing something I didn't send. It does seem like an hour vanishes in no time in camp, probably because I'm doing more. An out check feels like forever as I sit around watching my horse eat, but in camp, I'm cooking and doing stuff and that hour goes by in three seconds.
Once we were close to the end of our hold, I took Hoss over and we vetted through. I kinda hoped Cheri and Helen would be gone already and we'd be able to go on our own. I put my spurs on, just in case I needed them if we were on our own and I needed to be able to cue him more strongly.
When we headed back out on trail, Cheri and Helen were there, so we went ahead and rode with them.
Hoss really cannot keep up with Echo or Rocky, and anyway he prefers to keep up the "rear guard action" if one of the other horses is a good leader. Rocky is especially swift, so he led most of the time. The three really went along together okay, other than Hoss getting left behind and playing catch-up.
We got through quite nicely. It was fun to ride with Cheri, who has done this ride in the past, and has a lot of knowledge about the area and many of the little tidbits of history. There is a house that Dave and Ann Nicholson used to live in on the top of a mesa. Dave used to stand up there and watch the horses go by on the ride. Now there is a small group of llamas living near the house, and they look down over the edge and watch us pass.
Listening to Cheri's stories and riding along, we got through to the end, and the new trail down into the back of camp. Hoss paused at the top and stared down into camp, contemplating how he could perhaps get there faster. I allowed as he could get down there sooner, but he wouldn't like the sudden stop at the bottom. Being a practical fellow, he chose to go down on the trail.
After we got to the bottom, I looked up, just to confirm for myself that it is not possible to see the trail from the bottom. It doesn't look possible to have a trail down the side of that mountain, but it's been done. Yikes.
After vetting Hoss through, I took him to the trailer and tended to his needs and my own.
At the ride meeting, I learned Chance had evidently suffered some sort of ligament or tendon injury. She was still lame after being tended by a farrier at the ride. She had gotten a little better when her shoes were changed, but it was clear she was done for the weekend.
Link to Day 4 Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhDYbRHaYac
The vet check would be in camp, so I didn't need to make myself a lunch or pack a crew bag. I'd get a decent hot lunch!
We started with Merina and Chance yet again, heading out across the highway along the Virgin River. We were able to keep up a nice trot on the flat dirt road and up onto the hills.
Merina had spoken with another rider who encouraged her to start letting Chance trot downhill, so we made a little better time. While I have always worked Hoss on trotting downhill, Merina had bought into the old yarn that a horse only has "so many" downhill miles. So after I had suggested I disagreed with that notion, she had spoken to someone who is well respected in endurance and confirmed what I said. At any rate, this made for a little faster going.
After a few miles, we caught up with a Limited Distance rider who was having difficulty with his horse. We let him hook up with us to help get his horse in check. Hoss did not like Monty, this new horse, and made sure Monty knew it. He wasn't terrible, but it was clear he'd rather Monty moved off on his own.
We circled around back to camp, only to pass through camp right by our trailer and back across the highway on trail. Hoss found this peculiar. He didn't complain about it, but he was pretty sure we should stop and have a vet check.
After we got out of camp and across the highway, the LD ride split off and we parted company with Monty.
While riding along, Chance developed a slight head bob. It was initially very mild, and it appeared she had bruised her foot because of dirt getting under her pad. Unfortunately as we continued on, Chance got worse, and Merina made the wise decision to pull. At the juncture where the LD went back to camp and the Endurance ride continued on, Merina turned and walked back to camp.
Hoss was quite distressed by this development. He really thought we should go the same way Chance was going. He went slowly, but he went, and he was very sad. It wasn't long, however, before Cheri Briscoe and Echo caught up with Helen and Rocky. Hoss likes Echo, so he was happy enough to hook up with them for the rest of the day.
The only drawback to being with Echo is, Hoss worries Echo won't wait for him. He didn't care if Chance waited for him. So when Echo would get ahead, rather than chug along at his own pace and catch up as he could, Hoss would get anxious and go faster than he should if I let him. This meant we disagreed a lot. I had to spend much more time controlling his pace.
We made the five or so miles back to camp, pulsed in, and went to the trailer for lunch. I gave Hoss his bran mash and a flake of alfalfa hay, then heated up a bowl of soup for myself.
I kinda like in-camp vet checks. I have everything I could possibly need, there's no chance of forgetting to pack something or needing something I didn't send. It does seem like an hour vanishes in no time in camp, probably because I'm doing more. An out check feels like forever as I sit around watching my horse eat, but in camp, I'm cooking and doing stuff and that hour goes by in three seconds.
Once we were close to the end of our hold, I took Hoss over and we vetted through. I kinda hoped Cheri and Helen would be gone already and we'd be able to go on our own. I put my spurs on, just in case I needed them if we were on our own and I needed to be able to cue him more strongly.
When we headed back out on trail, Cheri and Helen were there, so we went ahead and rode with them.
Hoss really cannot keep up with Echo or Rocky, and anyway he prefers to keep up the "rear guard action" if one of the other horses is a good leader. Rocky is especially swift, so he led most of the time. The three really went along together okay, other than Hoss getting left behind and playing catch-up.
We got through quite nicely. It was fun to ride with Cheri, who has done this ride in the past, and has a lot of knowledge about the area and many of the little tidbits of history. There is a house that Dave and Ann Nicholson used to live in on the top of a mesa. Dave used to stand up there and watch the horses go by on the ride. Now there is a small group of llamas living near the house, and they look down over the edge and watch us pass.
Listening to Cheri's stories and riding along, we got through to the end, and the new trail down into the back of camp. Hoss paused at the top and stared down into camp, contemplating how he could perhaps get there faster. I allowed as he could get down there sooner, but he wouldn't like the sudden stop at the bottom. Being a practical fellow, he chose to go down on the trail.
After we got to the bottom, I looked up, just to confirm for myself that it is not possible to see the trail from the bottom. It doesn't look possible to have a trail down the side of that mountain, but it's been done. Yikes.
After vetting Hoss through, I took him to the trailer and tended to his needs and my own.
At the ride meeting, I learned Chance had evidently suffered some sort of ligament or tendon injury. She was still lame after being tended by a farrier at the ride. She had gotten a little better when her shoes were changed, but it was clear she was done for the weekend.
Link to Day 4 Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhDYbRHaYac
2013 Mt Carmel Endurance Ride, Day 2, 50 Miles
Once again I hauled my butt outta bed and started getting ready for another ride day. I had forgotten to soak beet pulp for Hoss, so I ended up giving him his electrolytes and vitamins etc. in a bran mash. He loves bran mash anyway, so it was probably best. I set up beet pulp to soak for him to have with dinner and got all our preparations done.
We met up with Merina and Chance and hit the trail. Merina had used a snaffle bit the day before, but felt she still didn't have the control she wanted, so I loaned her Hoss's Kimberwicke. It turned out to be the perfect choice. Merina had much more control over Chance's silly behaviors and had better luck preventing her from doing her sideways spooks or bucking
Day Two went to the "Rim of the World," an apt name for that section of trail. It wasn't a particularly steep ride, but it had its moments. Several times other riders got off and led up or down, while Merina and I rode.
Much of the ride was on jeep roads. Not Hoss's favorite, but it'll do. He did just fine, especially with a trail partner.
Passing through a farm/ranch, we saw icicles had formed where water was running overnight on the hay fields. I truly did not think it had gotten remotely that cold, but several people mentioned ice forming on water buckets.
Somewhere before the vet check, Hoss managed to lose a shoe. I didn't even feel him do it. I did notice he slowed down a touch, but I attributed it to going down a slight hill. It wasn't until we were in the vet check, pulsed down, and I had fed him that I realized the shoe was gone. Luckily I had been smart enough to put a boot in my pack. Unluckily, I had used my multitool to open the bales of hay in the trailer and neglected to put it back on my saddle. A screwdriver was located with little effort, and I was able to apply the boot.
We vetted through and got ourselves back out on trail. Hoss felt a little weird at first due to the boot, but he adapts to that sort of thing quickly enough and it wasn't long before we were hotting along and he felt like his usual self.
We finished strong and in good time. Once again both horses vetted and were ready for the next day.
During the vet check I had mentioned I was getting sick and needed to find some medicine. It turned out Ann Nicholson had exactly what I needed. When I got back to camp, she had left it on my table for me. I still unhitched the truck to get myself some more water and ice for the cooler, but it sure was nice to have the medicine I needed without having to hunt for it.
*Link for our YouTube video. Blogger still can't find my videos.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1pSDUtbaYY&feature=youtu.be
We met up with Merina and Chance and hit the trail. Merina had used a snaffle bit the day before, but felt she still didn't have the control she wanted, so I loaned her Hoss's Kimberwicke. It turned out to be the perfect choice. Merina had much more control over Chance's silly behaviors and had better luck preventing her from doing her sideways spooks or bucking
Day Two went to the "Rim of the World," an apt name for that section of trail. It wasn't a particularly steep ride, but it had its moments. Several times other riders got off and led up or down, while Merina and I rode.
Much of the ride was on jeep roads. Not Hoss's favorite, but it'll do. He did just fine, especially with a trail partner.
Passing through a farm/ranch, we saw icicles had formed where water was running overnight on the hay fields. I truly did not think it had gotten remotely that cold, but several people mentioned ice forming on water buckets.
Somewhere before the vet check, Hoss managed to lose a shoe. I didn't even feel him do it. I did notice he slowed down a touch, but I attributed it to going down a slight hill. It wasn't until we were in the vet check, pulsed down, and I had fed him that I realized the shoe was gone. Luckily I had been smart enough to put a boot in my pack. Unluckily, I had used my multitool to open the bales of hay in the trailer and neglected to put it back on my saddle. A screwdriver was located with little effort, and I was able to apply the boot.
We vetted through and got ourselves back out on trail. Hoss felt a little weird at first due to the boot, but he adapts to that sort of thing quickly enough and it wasn't long before we were hotting along and he felt like his usual self.
We finished strong and in good time. Once again both horses vetted and were ready for the next day.
During the vet check I had mentioned I was getting sick and needed to find some medicine. It turned out Ann Nicholson had exactly what I needed. When I got back to camp, she had left it on my table for me. I still unhitched the truck to get myself some more water and ice for the cooler, but it sure was nice to have the medicine I needed without having to hunt for it.
*Link for our YouTube video. Blogger still can't find my videos.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1pSDUtbaYY&feature=youtu.be
2013 Mt Carmel Endurance Ride, Day 1, 50 miles
We arrived in base camp on Tuesday, after I locked the keys in the truck in Las Vegas and my GPS routed us through Zion National Park. That made for a rather expensive day! At least I had everything I'd need for the next five days and shouldn't need to spend money for more than a bag of ice or two.
By the time we arrived, I realized I was developing a head cold. For most people this is nothing more than a nuisance. For me, especially so far from home, it is potentially a problem. It is almost inevitable that a cold causes me to experience bronchitis. And it wasn't like I could just call my doctor and get a prescription called in to the neighborhood pharmacy. I had no cell service, and there was no neighborhood pharmacy! I'd just have to muddle through.
I set up camp and debated about my sleeping arrangements. It was very warm, but the forecast I checked before I left called for temperatures in the 40s or lower overnight. So I chucked all the sleeping bags into the tent, but only set up the summer weight one. I could always get more out if I needed them.
We vetted in and I attended the ride meeting (just about a first in a long time). It was light until nearly 9pm, but once I'd taken care of Hoss I crawled into the tent. If I was gonna fend off a bout of bronchitis I needed every bit of rest I could get.
In the morning I fed Hoss and got us ready to head out on trail. Not feeling particularly like doing bunches of cleanup, I just had cereal and fruit for breakfast for myself. I sent my lunch along with Hoss's to the vet check, and we headed out to the start.
While riding around warming up and waiting for the start to be called, we ran into Merina Mitchell and her mare, Dual-E Grand Chance, known as Chance for short. Merina asked if I would mind her hitching up behind me and Hoss. I said no problem, and we set out on trail together, Merina using Hoss's butt to keep Chance in line. I had to keep Hoss in line, of course, as he was excited and more than ready to go.
Once we felt we had our horses in hand, we picked up an easy trot. Chance is ever so slightly faster than Hoss, so after a time she did most of the leading. She wanted to follow Hoss for a while, but once she got bored with being kept to a slightly slow pace she was happy enough to lead.
The views were spectacular. Hoss liked having Chance as a trail partner. He wasn't worried about whether she'd wait for him, and kept to his usual pace quite nicely even when she disappeared ahead on the trail.
We didn't go terribly fast. Chance had hurt her back at her previous ride, just two weeks earlier, and Merina was being understandably conservative. I was happy enough to go slow and enjoy the day.
We made the vet check in decent time, and stood down for our hold. Hoss ate well, and both horses shared a pile of the hay Merina and I had individually brought along. I sat and ate my lunch and minded horses so Merina could get her lunch. Then she tended the horses while I got some stuff as well.
Hoss vetted through nicely toward the end of our hold. Chance did fine, under increased scrutiny due to being pulled just two weeks before. We got ourselves ready, packed up our bags, and headed back out on the trail.
Some of the climbs were interesting. Very steep up or down. The one mentioned in the ride meeting was dubbed the "Hill of Death." To my mind, it wasn't as bad as some of the others. It earned its name because it comes down and makes a 90 degree left turn at the top of a rather steep cliff. Dave Nicholson's description on the ride map said something to the effect of, "If you fall off your body will vaporize before hitting ground." It was recommended to lead horses down, but I stayed on. With my hip in the condition it is, I'm safer on Hoss than the ground. In fact, he seems to know this and will frequently try to "force" me to get back on if I get off.
There was some nice single track curvy stuff through the trees, which Hoss just loves to do. We don't go fast, and Chance got far ahead several times. Hoss just kept his head down and powered through it. Still we kept up much of the time.
The last hill down toward camp was, in my opinion, far more treacherous than the Hill of Death. We were again advised by our trail description to dismount, but again, I'm safer on Hoss than on my own two feet. I trust his four more than my own two any day. He's careful and contemplates what's ahead. He'll even stop to think about how he's going to manage an obstacle or to allow the horse ahead to get further ahead so he has room to work himself. Smart fella.
We made it down the hill in good form and rode back to camp for the finish. Everyone vetted out fine for the next day's start.
I got Hoss settled in for the night with a huge pile of hay and bran mash. I felt a little bad I wasn't blanketing him, since everybody around me was blanketing their horses, but I just didn't think he needed it. I was sleeping in the summer weight sleeping bag in shorts and a tank. How could he possibly be cold? So I left him naked.
*For reasons I am unable to fathom, I can't get Blogger to recognize my YouTube videos. Below is the link to the video for Day One of Mt Carmel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN13w_YZ-Wk
By the time we arrived, I realized I was developing a head cold. For most people this is nothing more than a nuisance. For me, especially so far from home, it is potentially a problem. It is almost inevitable that a cold causes me to experience bronchitis. And it wasn't like I could just call my doctor and get a prescription called in to the neighborhood pharmacy. I had no cell service, and there was no neighborhood pharmacy! I'd just have to muddle through.
I set up camp and debated about my sleeping arrangements. It was very warm, but the forecast I checked before I left called for temperatures in the 40s or lower overnight. So I chucked all the sleeping bags into the tent, but only set up the summer weight one. I could always get more out if I needed them.
We vetted in and I attended the ride meeting (just about a first in a long time). It was light until nearly 9pm, but once I'd taken care of Hoss I crawled into the tent. If I was gonna fend off a bout of bronchitis I needed every bit of rest I could get.
In the morning I fed Hoss and got us ready to head out on trail. Not feeling particularly like doing bunches of cleanup, I just had cereal and fruit for breakfast for myself. I sent my lunch along with Hoss's to the vet check, and we headed out to the start.
While riding around warming up and waiting for the start to be called, we ran into Merina Mitchell and her mare, Dual-E Grand Chance, known as Chance for short. Merina asked if I would mind her hitching up behind me and Hoss. I said no problem, and we set out on trail together, Merina using Hoss's butt to keep Chance in line. I had to keep Hoss in line, of course, as he was excited and more than ready to go.
Once we felt we had our horses in hand, we picked up an easy trot. Chance is ever so slightly faster than Hoss, so after a time she did most of the leading. She wanted to follow Hoss for a while, but once she got bored with being kept to a slightly slow pace she was happy enough to lead.
The views were spectacular. Hoss liked having Chance as a trail partner. He wasn't worried about whether she'd wait for him, and kept to his usual pace quite nicely even when she disappeared ahead on the trail.
We didn't go terribly fast. Chance had hurt her back at her previous ride, just two weeks earlier, and Merina was being understandably conservative. I was happy enough to go slow and enjoy the day.
We made the vet check in decent time, and stood down for our hold. Hoss ate well, and both horses shared a pile of the hay Merina and I had individually brought along. I sat and ate my lunch and minded horses so Merina could get her lunch. Then she tended the horses while I got some stuff as well.
Hoss vetted through nicely toward the end of our hold. Chance did fine, under increased scrutiny due to being pulled just two weeks before. We got ourselves ready, packed up our bags, and headed back out on the trail.
Some of the climbs were interesting. Very steep up or down. The one mentioned in the ride meeting was dubbed the "Hill of Death." To my mind, it wasn't as bad as some of the others. It earned its name because it comes down and makes a 90 degree left turn at the top of a rather steep cliff. Dave Nicholson's description on the ride map said something to the effect of, "If you fall off your body will vaporize before hitting ground." It was recommended to lead horses down, but I stayed on. With my hip in the condition it is, I'm safer on Hoss than the ground. In fact, he seems to know this and will frequently try to "force" me to get back on if I get off.
There was some nice single track curvy stuff through the trees, which Hoss just loves to do. We don't go fast, and Chance got far ahead several times. Hoss just kept his head down and powered through it. Still we kept up much of the time.
The last hill down toward camp was, in my opinion, far more treacherous than the Hill of Death. We were again advised by our trail description to dismount, but again, I'm safer on Hoss than on my own two feet. I trust his four more than my own two any day. He's careful and contemplates what's ahead. He'll even stop to think about how he's going to manage an obstacle or to allow the horse ahead to get further ahead so he has room to work himself. Smart fella.
We made it down the hill in good form and rode back to camp for the finish. Everyone vetted out fine for the next day's start.
I got Hoss settled in for the night with a huge pile of hay and bran mash. I felt a little bad I wasn't blanketing him, since everybody around me was blanketing their horses, but I just didn't think he needed it. I was sleeping in the summer weight sleeping bag in shorts and a tank. How could he possibly be cold? So I left him naked.
*For reasons I am unable to fathom, I can't get Blogger to recognize my YouTube videos. Below is the link to the video for Day One of Mt Carmel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN13w_YZ-Wk
Sunday, April 21, 2013
2013 Bar H Ride, Day 2, 25 miles
After the long and hot day on Day 1, including an unscheduled dismount from Eclipse, I was tired enough I didn't really want to eat. Fortunately Wendy Turner was there by that time. Not only did she do a good job rubbing Eclipse down (in the dark), she badgered me into cooking for myself and getting some food in me.
We awoke bright and early to tend to the horses. I took Eclipse for a short walk to make sure he was adequately recovered from the previous day's ordeal. Despite causing us a bit of worry, he was fully responsive and willing to trot off easily enough. He had eaten over night, and drank quite a lot of water. I felt confident with leaving him alone in camp while we were gone for the day. It turned out our neighbors were leaving a horse alone in camp, too, and they offered Eclipse their empty corral to keep their horse company, so he got to relax untied most of the day.
We got Hoss and DC saddled and left once most of the other riders were well out of camp. DC wasn't sure what was up with this new thing, and was not moving confidently. Hoss, of course, knew the routine and wanted nothing more than to get after it and do his job.
DC seemed to forget everything she knew about trail riding. Every remotely unfamiliar object was a horse-eating monster. I rode more sideways spooks in the first five miles than I have in the last five years. And, of course, because I was under ride conditions, I couldn't really take the time to work on every single act of stupidity. I did work on a few, but it was simply too time-consuming to work on each and every one. I was just going to have to ride it out and hope she'd settle in.
At the water crossing, DC seemed to forget she had learned to quietly and confidently cross water. It didn't help the crossing was full of unusual debris (I think there was a shoe in there, and not a horse one). Hoss, of course, crossed quite willingly. DC was just short of hysterical about the prospect. I did finally get her across without dismounting, but I thought it was going to be the end of us both.
At the "T" intersection, we became confused as the which direction to go. The trail directions said at some point to "go the opposite as Saturday." Well, that presupposes I'll recognize it when I get there. Not helping matters, the trail markers had not been removed, and the sole ribbon in the direction it turned out we were supposed to go looked old and dirty. So we went the wrong way.
Remember I said I could go the rest of my life without riding Dawson Canyon again? I did not get my wish. My error resulted in riding through Dawson. By the time I was sure we were going the wrong way, it was really too late to turn around and pick up the proper direction.
After the wrong turn, and with me feeling insecure because I was pretty sure we were going the wrong way, DC was getting more and more flighty. She was less and less willing to move forward. For most of the day Hoss was unaffected by this, but he started to catch it, too.
Going through Dawson yet again on my green little mare was just as unpleasant as it had been with Eclipse the prior day. Because she's green and really has no base, I hiked as much on Sunday as I had on Saturday. The only difference being, Hoss knows how to tail and I was able to hang on to his tail and get a little help on the steeper parts.
By the time we got out of Dawson, DC's mood was really affecting Hoss. He was just as reluctant to go forward as she was by this point.
We made our way back to camp and vetted through. We were allowed the opportunity to finish, as what we'd done would turn out to be longer than what everybody else had done.
Once we had pulsed down we returned to the trailer to give the horses bran mashes and hay before the last eight miles. After our hold, we headed back to trot the horses out. DC was a little confused as to what was being asked. It was the first time I had asked her to trot out with the reins on her bit. It only took a few steps before she "got it," and trotted nicely.
We headed out for our final eight miles. The first five were terrible. Both horses were dragging. DC wanted nothing to do with passing the Longhorn cattle along the ranch road. She backed up, circled, did nearly everything she could to resist passing. I ended up dismounting and backing her all the way down the road.
After that little fiasco, DC was shying and giving the hairy eyeball to every remotely suspicious item she saw. And now Hoss was doing it, too. Hoss wouldn't move out. DC wouldn't move out. We just kept after it and got them through.
About three miles out, suddenly DC seemed to "get it." She upped her game and trotted out along the trail like the horse I thought I had brought to the ride. She even left Hoss in the dust.
We finished in a "squeaker." We pulled into camp just in time to get our completion. Both horses vetted nicely, and we took them back to camp. By this time Eclipse had been returned to the trailer, as our neighbor had finished before us. He was certainly happy to see us! We got the horses untacked and settled, then broke down camp.
I loaded the horses and drove them home, dropping Eclipse off at the ranch in Imperial Beach. All in all, quite a successful weekend.
We awoke bright and early to tend to the horses. I took Eclipse for a short walk to make sure he was adequately recovered from the previous day's ordeal. Despite causing us a bit of worry, he was fully responsive and willing to trot off easily enough. He had eaten over night, and drank quite a lot of water. I felt confident with leaving him alone in camp while we were gone for the day. It turned out our neighbors were leaving a horse alone in camp, too, and they offered Eclipse their empty corral to keep their horse company, so he got to relax untied most of the day.
We got Hoss and DC saddled and left once most of the other riders were well out of camp. DC wasn't sure what was up with this new thing, and was not moving confidently. Hoss, of course, knew the routine and wanted nothing more than to get after it and do his job.
DC seemed to forget everything she knew about trail riding. Every remotely unfamiliar object was a horse-eating monster. I rode more sideways spooks in the first five miles than I have in the last five years. And, of course, because I was under ride conditions, I couldn't really take the time to work on every single act of stupidity. I did work on a few, but it was simply too time-consuming to work on each and every one. I was just going to have to ride it out and hope she'd settle in.
At the water crossing, DC seemed to forget she had learned to quietly and confidently cross water. It didn't help the crossing was full of unusual debris (I think there was a shoe in there, and not a horse one). Hoss, of course, crossed quite willingly. DC was just short of hysterical about the prospect. I did finally get her across without dismounting, but I thought it was going to be the end of us both.
At the "T" intersection, we became confused as the which direction to go. The trail directions said at some point to "go the opposite as Saturday." Well, that presupposes I'll recognize it when I get there. Not helping matters, the trail markers had not been removed, and the sole ribbon in the direction it turned out we were supposed to go looked old and dirty. So we went the wrong way.
Remember I said I could go the rest of my life without riding Dawson Canyon again? I did not get my wish. My error resulted in riding through Dawson. By the time I was sure we were going the wrong way, it was really too late to turn around and pick up the proper direction.
After the wrong turn, and with me feeling insecure because I was pretty sure we were going the wrong way, DC was getting more and more flighty. She was less and less willing to move forward. For most of the day Hoss was unaffected by this, but he started to catch it, too.
Going through Dawson yet again on my green little mare was just as unpleasant as it had been with Eclipse the prior day. Because she's green and really has no base, I hiked as much on Sunday as I had on Saturday. The only difference being, Hoss knows how to tail and I was able to hang on to his tail and get a little help on the steeper parts.
By the time we got out of Dawson, DC's mood was really affecting Hoss. He was just as reluctant to go forward as she was by this point.
We made our way back to camp and vetted through. We were allowed the opportunity to finish, as what we'd done would turn out to be longer than what everybody else had done.
Once we had pulsed down we returned to the trailer to give the horses bran mashes and hay before the last eight miles. After our hold, we headed back to trot the horses out. DC was a little confused as to what was being asked. It was the first time I had asked her to trot out with the reins on her bit. It only took a few steps before she "got it," and trotted nicely.
We headed out for our final eight miles. The first five were terrible. Both horses were dragging. DC wanted nothing to do with passing the Longhorn cattle along the ranch road. She backed up, circled, did nearly everything she could to resist passing. I ended up dismounting and backing her all the way down the road.
After that little fiasco, DC was shying and giving the hairy eyeball to every remotely suspicious item she saw. And now Hoss was doing it, too. Hoss wouldn't move out. DC wouldn't move out. We just kept after it and got them through.
About three miles out, suddenly DC seemed to "get it." She upped her game and trotted out along the trail like the horse I thought I had brought to the ride. She even left Hoss in the dust.
We finished in a "squeaker." We pulled into camp just in time to get our completion. Both horses vetted nicely, and we took them back to camp. By this time Eclipse had been returned to the trailer, as our neighbor had finished before us. He was certainly happy to see us! We got the horses untacked and settled, then broke down camp.
I loaded the horses and drove them home, dropping Eclipse off at the ranch in Imperial Beach. All in all, quite a successful weekend.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
2013 Bar H Ride, Day 1, 50 Miles
Hoss still needed a little time to recover from his bruise before doing a 50 a week after Twenty Mule Team, so I picked up Eclipse again. This time, I had Hoss, DC, and Eclipse along. Bar H is a two-day ride, so Eclipse would do his first 50 on Saturday, and DC would do her first 25 on Sunday with Wendy Turner aboard Hoss, the ever faithful babysitter.
For once I arrived at camp at a decent hour. I even got there well before dark! I set up camp, including putting up the big tent, as Wendy would be coming up Saturday.
Heidi Helly was performing with her band on Friday evening. They go by Heidi and the Hurricane. They were pretty good, too. And they were between my camp and the vet check. Eclipse handled it pretty well. We even took a moment to "dance" to the music on our way back to camp.
In the morning we headed out on the trail. We had to ride down the entrance road for the ranch, right between the pastures for the longhorn cattle. Eclipse gave them the hairy eyeball but walked along nicely enough.
I had managed to find a girth to use DC's Australian saddle on Eclipse, so that was what we were going to ride in. The western, it turned out, had caused quite a lot of rubbing, so the Australian was a better choice, putting the girth much further back than the western. There was no way I could use the western again on the rubs he had.
I had put my endurance stirrups on the Australian, but I had missed one critical fact: the stirrups had to be bolted on for a reason. When I tried to pre-ride Eclipse on Friday evening (and I'm very glad I did), the stirrup just fell off the saddle. This left me with quite the dilemma. In the end, I had to strip the fenders off Hoss's endurance saddle (Wendy would be riding him in the western) and use those on the Australian. I had quite the franken-saddle going.
As we rode along, I was noticing I did not feel balanced. Several times I had to stop and dismount to try to get the stirrup lengths right. I don't know how I managed to get it so wrong and why it took me so many tries to finally get it right, but I eventually did.
Another problem cropped up: the saddle pad wanted to slide out behind the saddle on the left. I expect this was due to my personal imbalances, not anything to do with Eclipse. A few more stops to make adjustments and we finally got that one under control.
We made our way in to the first vet check, and Eclipse decided he'd learned something from last week's ride: he got a big drink and tucked in to a flake of hay. Now, Eclipse isn't a fast eater. He eats at a sedate pace, seemingly no matter how hungry he is. It's a little funny, watching other horses scarf down whatever they can reach, and he's over there eating like he's being very careful to chew each bite the right number of times.
Eclipse passed the vet check, and we hung out a few minutes to let him eat and drink. The day was quite hot, and he hadn't eaten his electrolyte bran mash in the morning, so I wanted to be careful with him. I had a feeling I wasn't getting any more electrolytes into him, and I hadn't brought any syringes.
(On our way to Twenty Mule Team the prior week, one of the spigots on my water tank had broken, spilling 39 gallons of water in my tack room. As a result, I had pulled everything I kept in the trailer out to dry the floor. Many things didn't make it back in, including the syringe electrolytes.)
We hit the trail again, and rode on through a neighborhood for some time. Another horse caught up to us, and we rode with him for a time.
Riding through the neighborhood, we were passing a house side by side with the other horse, when two large dogs charged the fence. Eclipse couldn't have cared less, but the other horse sure did! He jumped and shied pretty hard (I describe it as he tried to jump into my arms) into Eclipse, resulting in Eclipse losing his balance. The girth wasn't quite tight enough, and I knew it. I planned to tighten it at the next water stop. That wasn't soon enough, because when he lost his balance and tripped, I went to the right, the saddle went to the right, and I got an intimate introduction to the road. I even managed to land on my shoulders and head. I did maintain my grip on the reins, something I would not normally do. We were riding in a neighborhood with people driving like maniacs. I feared if I released the reins, Eclipse might run off and get hit by a car. So I kept a death grip on the reins, and when he started backing up, I used the momentum to get me back on my feet. I adjusted the saddle, tightened the girth, and we headed back out on trail.
The fall happened at mile 17, so I had another 33 to go. My left elbow was banged up and a little bloody, but other than that I felt okay. We continued on with the ride.
When we came to the top of Dawson Canyon, I looked down the trail with a bit of trepidation. The hill was far too steep to ask Eclipse to carry me down it, so I dismounted and carefully led him down, then got back on and we rode away.
Getting down into the canyon wasn't much of an issue. It was when we started going back out that things got rough. The trail out was brutally steep. Eclipse hasn't learned to tail yet, and he's kinda bad at following trail, so I had to lead. At one point, riding through a flat section, we came to the steepest hill I'd ever seen. Eclipse stopped, and we looked at each other. He seemed to think I was about to ask him to climb a wall. Once again I dismounted and led him up. I swear I could have used mountain climbing gear. I consider it some sort of miracle we made it to the top, and then out of Dawson Canyon, which I could go my whole life without ever riding again.
When we got to the mid-way vet check back at camp, Eclipse was feeling the effects of the heat and lack of electrolytes. It was very hot for a black horse, so I took his saddle off and used a nearby hose to rinse him down and help him cool. He came down in a reasonable period, and we went to the trailer for our hold.
I hoped he'd eat a bran mash, but no such luck. He ate hay well, and drank well, but would have nothing to do with bran or beet pulp. I hoped he'd get enough out of the hay to get him through. At least he was drinking well and sweating, but he also hadn't peed at this point in the ride.
Once our hold was over we hit the trail again. Eclipse was feeling pretty good, and spent some time trotting well and willingly. I did pull him down to a walk several times, and got off for the hills, wanting to spare him as much as possible.
By the time we walked in for the third vet check, I was feeling that fall. All the hiking wasn't helping, and I was beginning to hurt. Only eight miles left, so I got Eclipse through the vet check and we headed back out.
We hooked up temporarily with another rider, and Eclipse followed along cheerfully enough for a couple of miles. Then his spirits started to flag, and he needed to slow down. After 45 miles, he was beginning to think this might never be over.
At this point, Eclipse refused to go faster than a walk on even the slightest hill, and would stop dead and wait for me to get off on steeper stuff. I was willing enough to oblige, but it was getting to be a bit annoying that he was looking at me and saying, "Get off!"
We got to the last water stop before the end and Eclipse tanked up. He still hadn't peed, and I was getting worried about him. So we took it easy the last few miles.
As the sun dipped toward the horizon, Eclipse started to perk up as the weather cooled. I got him trotting for a bit. When we were about two miles from camp, and darkness had settled in, he stopped and refused to move on.
I dismounted and stood with him for a while. I could just hear him screaming, "It's never going to be over!!!" He must've been sure we'd get back to camp only to have to leave again. I gave him time to settle his thoughts, and then started leading him back to camp.
I walked most of the rest of the way back. When I got worried we wouldn't finish on time, I did get back on. He rallied and gave me a little more trot before I pulled him down and we walked in, with 15 minutes to spare.
Still, he hadn't peed. I was pretty concerned at this point, and so was the vet. But he passed the check, despite looking a little dispirited, and I took him to the trailer. He wouldn't eat anything I could put electrolytes in, and I knew that was what he needed. I finally located a syringe, and put some electrolytes and water in it and just slugged it down him. Within fifteen minutes, he was much brighter. He had started eating upon arrival at the trailer, and drank a bunch as well. He remained bright, alert and responsive during this episode. Sometime during the night, he finally peed.
For once I arrived at camp at a decent hour. I even got there well before dark! I set up camp, including putting up the big tent, as Wendy would be coming up Saturday.
Heidi Helly was performing with her band on Friday evening. They go by Heidi and the Hurricane. They were pretty good, too. And they were between my camp and the vet check. Eclipse handled it pretty well. We even took a moment to "dance" to the music on our way back to camp.
In the morning we headed out on the trail. We had to ride down the entrance road for the ranch, right between the pastures for the longhorn cattle. Eclipse gave them the hairy eyeball but walked along nicely enough.
I had managed to find a girth to use DC's Australian saddle on Eclipse, so that was what we were going to ride in. The western, it turned out, had caused quite a lot of rubbing, so the Australian was a better choice, putting the girth much further back than the western. There was no way I could use the western again on the rubs he had.
I had put my endurance stirrups on the Australian, but I had missed one critical fact: the stirrups had to be bolted on for a reason. When I tried to pre-ride Eclipse on Friday evening (and I'm very glad I did), the stirrup just fell off the saddle. This left me with quite the dilemma. In the end, I had to strip the fenders off Hoss's endurance saddle (Wendy would be riding him in the western) and use those on the Australian. I had quite the franken-saddle going.
As we rode along, I was noticing I did not feel balanced. Several times I had to stop and dismount to try to get the stirrup lengths right. I don't know how I managed to get it so wrong and why it took me so many tries to finally get it right, but I eventually did.
Another problem cropped up: the saddle pad wanted to slide out behind the saddle on the left. I expect this was due to my personal imbalances, not anything to do with Eclipse. A few more stops to make adjustments and we finally got that one under control.
We made our way in to the first vet check, and Eclipse decided he'd learned something from last week's ride: he got a big drink and tucked in to a flake of hay. Now, Eclipse isn't a fast eater. He eats at a sedate pace, seemingly no matter how hungry he is. It's a little funny, watching other horses scarf down whatever they can reach, and he's over there eating like he's being very careful to chew each bite the right number of times.
Eclipse passed the vet check, and we hung out a few minutes to let him eat and drink. The day was quite hot, and he hadn't eaten his electrolyte bran mash in the morning, so I wanted to be careful with him. I had a feeling I wasn't getting any more electrolytes into him, and I hadn't brought any syringes.
(On our way to Twenty Mule Team the prior week, one of the spigots on my water tank had broken, spilling 39 gallons of water in my tack room. As a result, I had pulled everything I kept in the trailer out to dry the floor. Many things didn't make it back in, including the syringe electrolytes.)
We hit the trail again, and rode on through a neighborhood for some time. Another horse caught up to us, and we rode with him for a time.
Riding through the neighborhood, we were passing a house side by side with the other horse, when two large dogs charged the fence. Eclipse couldn't have cared less, but the other horse sure did! He jumped and shied pretty hard (I describe it as he tried to jump into my arms) into Eclipse, resulting in Eclipse losing his balance. The girth wasn't quite tight enough, and I knew it. I planned to tighten it at the next water stop. That wasn't soon enough, because when he lost his balance and tripped, I went to the right, the saddle went to the right, and I got an intimate introduction to the road. I even managed to land on my shoulders and head. I did maintain my grip on the reins, something I would not normally do. We were riding in a neighborhood with people driving like maniacs. I feared if I released the reins, Eclipse might run off and get hit by a car. So I kept a death grip on the reins, and when he started backing up, I used the momentum to get me back on my feet. I adjusted the saddle, tightened the girth, and we headed back out on trail.
The fall happened at mile 17, so I had another 33 to go. My left elbow was banged up and a little bloody, but other than that I felt okay. We continued on with the ride.
When we came to the top of Dawson Canyon, I looked down the trail with a bit of trepidation. The hill was far too steep to ask Eclipse to carry me down it, so I dismounted and carefully led him down, then got back on and we rode away.
Getting down into the canyon wasn't much of an issue. It was when we started going back out that things got rough. The trail out was brutally steep. Eclipse hasn't learned to tail yet, and he's kinda bad at following trail, so I had to lead. At one point, riding through a flat section, we came to the steepest hill I'd ever seen. Eclipse stopped, and we looked at each other. He seemed to think I was about to ask him to climb a wall. Once again I dismounted and led him up. I swear I could have used mountain climbing gear. I consider it some sort of miracle we made it to the top, and then out of Dawson Canyon, which I could go my whole life without ever riding again.
When we got to the mid-way vet check back at camp, Eclipse was feeling the effects of the heat and lack of electrolytes. It was very hot for a black horse, so I took his saddle off and used a nearby hose to rinse him down and help him cool. He came down in a reasonable period, and we went to the trailer for our hold.
I hoped he'd eat a bran mash, but no such luck. He ate hay well, and drank well, but would have nothing to do with bran or beet pulp. I hoped he'd get enough out of the hay to get him through. At least he was drinking well and sweating, but he also hadn't peed at this point in the ride.
Once our hold was over we hit the trail again. Eclipse was feeling pretty good, and spent some time trotting well and willingly. I did pull him down to a walk several times, and got off for the hills, wanting to spare him as much as possible.
By the time we walked in for the third vet check, I was feeling that fall. All the hiking wasn't helping, and I was beginning to hurt. Only eight miles left, so I got Eclipse through the vet check and we headed back out.
We hooked up temporarily with another rider, and Eclipse followed along cheerfully enough for a couple of miles. Then his spirits started to flag, and he needed to slow down. After 45 miles, he was beginning to think this might never be over.
At this point, Eclipse refused to go faster than a walk on even the slightest hill, and would stop dead and wait for me to get off on steeper stuff. I was willing enough to oblige, but it was getting to be a bit annoying that he was looking at me and saying, "Get off!"
We got to the last water stop before the end and Eclipse tanked up. He still hadn't peed, and I was getting worried about him. So we took it easy the last few miles.
As the sun dipped toward the horizon, Eclipse started to perk up as the weather cooled. I got him trotting for a bit. When we were about two miles from camp, and darkness had settled in, he stopped and refused to move on.
I dismounted and stood with him for a while. I could just hear him screaming, "It's never going to be over!!!" He must've been sure we'd get back to camp only to have to leave again. I gave him time to settle his thoughts, and then started leading him back to camp.
I walked most of the rest of the way back. When I got worried we wouldn't finish on time, I did get back on. He rallied and gave me a little more trot before I pulled him down and we walked in, with 15 minutes to spare.
Still, he hadn't peed. I was pretty concerned at this point, and so was the vet. But he passed the check, despite looking a little dispirited, and I took him to the trailer. He wouldn't eat anything I could put electrolytes in, and I knew that was what he needed. I finally located a syringe, and put some electrolytes and water in it and just slugged it down him. Within fifteen minutes, he was much brighter. He had started eating upon arrival at the trailer, and drank a bunch as well. He remained bright, alert and responsive during this episode. Sometime during the night, he finally peed.
2013 Twenty Mule Team 35
A week before the ride, Hoss had a rock in his foot. I pried it out and thought nothing of it.
Two days before the ride, Hoss was lame. He had a bruise, possibly an abscess, as a result of that rock. I removed the shoe, treated the foot, and knew he would not be doing a 100 mile ride anytime soon.
I called Melissa Ribley, the ride manager, on Friday to let her know we weren't going to make it.
At this point the whole abuse accusation thing was coming to a head. I really hated the idea of skipping the ride altogether, because it would look like I had backed out due to the accusations. I contemplated taking DC for the 35, but of course I really did not want her to do her first ride without Hoss along for a babysitter.
I talked to my trainer, and she didn't like me not going either. In the end, she offered me the use of her horse, Eclipse. I called Melissa, let her know I was coming with another horse, and got myself loaded up.
This was the point at which I was called and told I abuse Hoss and not to bring him to any rides. This was rather the low point in that whole episode.
I loaded up Hoss and we left to pick up Eclipse. I had to bring Hoss along so I could continue to treat his foot.
We arrived at camp far too late to vet in, so I got myself set up and the horses settled. Since it was Eclipse's very first ride, we were doing the 35, giving us quite a long time to get arranged in the morning.
Due to the extra excitement of leaving for a ride at the last minute, I unfortunately neglected to bring along my video camera. I was able to get a few stills with my phone.
After the 100-mile start, I headed over and arranged our entry. Once that was done, I started the process of saddling Eclipse.
The only piece of tack I had taken from Beth was Eclipse's bridle. We were pretty sure one of my saddles would fit just fine. We were right. DC's Australian saddle sat on him beautifully. One problem: the girth was too short. Oops. Well, the Western saddle fit him well enough. The girth was way forward, and with Eclipse's "extra padding," I knew I would have to be very careful not to gall him.
I set out late, after most of the other horses had left camp. It had dawned on my sometime during the ride up that I had never, not even once, not even for 30 seconds, ridden Eclipse. Additionally, the last time he'd done a ride (a 15 mile fun ride several years ago), he had been a handful. So I was giving myself the best chance to have a reasonably decent start.
I got up on Eclipse and we headed out toward the start. Although I'd never ridden him, or perhaps because I hadn't, I gave him the benefit of the doubt. I let him have a loose rein. He would have to give me reason to ride him harder. Eclipse had a hard time, but he worked very hard and did as he was asked.
Once we were well out on trail, we set out at a trot. Eclipse was excited and a little confused. As far as he was concerned, the farrier had stolen him. Now the farrier had saddled him up and taken him riding. Really bizarre!
We hooked up with another horse after a time. The two were relatively well matched and seemed to be okay with each other.
I pulled Eclipse back on most of the uphills, wanting to ride conservatively. It was his first ride and I didn't know him well at all. We trotted on the flats and any gentle downhills we came to, plus some of the uphill pulls which weren't steep.
We finished the first 19 miles in just about 3 hours. Wow, that's fast. I was impressed with his speed, but a little worried about going quite so fast the first time out. So I pulled him back and let the other horse go on ahead of us.
It turned out that other horse had been somewhat messing with Eclipse's normal energy. When the horse was gone, Eclipse sighed and released quite a bit of negative energy he had gradually built up riding with him. I liked this horse better, even though I hadn't realized it was happening.
The vet check was at 25 miles. I dismounted a distance out, wanting to give Eclipse at least a little signal it was time to wind down a bit. My little toes were going numb on me, too, from riding in that western saddle.
Eclipse met criteria in good time, and I presented him to the vet. He stayed at criteria for a while, but he was looking around like he was on high alert. I never did convince him to eat. Nor had he taken a drink during the first 25 miles. It was a cool day, and we were doing 35, not 65, so I didn't fret about it.
After our hold, we set back out on trail. We had sort of hooked up with yet another horse, whose energy was better. The other horse caught up to us shortly out of the vet check, and his rider allowed him to crowd Eclipse. Eclipse did not take this especially well and lashed out. I knew the other horse kinda deserved it, but I got after him for it anyway. He should have let me know he was unhappy so I could remedy it for him, and I'm pretty sure he knew that. Still, I had to give him some slack. It's not like he's spent a lot of time being ridden in crowds or with horses allowed to run up under his tail.
The last ten miles were great. Eclipse is not a large horse, and the horse we were loosely riding with was longer-legged. So we'd fall behind, and Eclipse's competitive side would come out and he'd want to catch up. Once we had topped the hill, I got him up to a trot and we blew past the other horse and kept on going.
We went on for the rest of the day, alternating trotting and walking. Once the finish line was in sight, I pulled him down to a walk, and got off when we were close. It took him several minutes to come down, after finally taking a huge drink there at the end. I think he needed to pee, and would have recovered more quickly had he taken the time to do so, instead of waiting until we were walking back into camp.
When I presented Eclipse for the final check, I was pulled aside and given the best news I'd heard all week: someone was on my side in the whole abuse thing. As I walked through camp and talked to different people I knew, I found many others also in my corner. By the time I went to bed, my stress level had dropped incredibly. I hadn't realized how much I was carrying it until I laid down. I fell asleep and slept harder and better than I had all week.
Two days before the ride, Hoss was lame. He had a bruise, possibly an abscess, as a result of that rock. I removed the shoe, treated the foot, and knew he would not be doing a 100 mile ride anytime soon.
I called Melissa Ribley, the ride manager, on Friday to let her know we weren't going to make it.
At this point the whole abuse accusation thing was coming to a head. I really hated the idea of skipping the ride altogether, because it would look like I had backed out due to the accusations. I contemplated taking DC for the 35, but of course I really did not want her to do her first ride without Hoss along for a babysitter.
I talked to my trainer, and she didn't like me not going either. In the end, she offered me the use of her horse, Eclipse. I called Melissa, let her know I was coming with another horse, and got myself loaded up.
This was the point at which I was called and told I abuse Hoss and not to bring him to any rides. This was rather the low point in that whole episode.
I loaded up Hoss and we left to pick up Eclipse. I had to bring Hoss along so I could continue to treat his foot.
We arrived at camp far too late to vet in, so I got myself set up and the horses settled. Since it was Eclipse's very first ride, we were doing the 35, giving us quite a long time to get arranged in the morning.
Due to the extra excitement of leaving for a ride at the last minute, I unfortunately neglected to bring along my video camera. I was able to get a few stills with my phone.
After the 100-mile start, I headed over and arranged our entry. Once that was done, I started the process of saddling Eclipse.
The only piece of tack I had taken from Beth was Eclipse's bridle. We were pretty sure one of my saddles would fit just fine. We were right. DC's Australian saddle sat on him beautifully. One problem: the girth was too short. Oops. Well, the Western saddle fit him well enough. The girth was way forward, and with Eclipse's "extra padding," I knew I would have to be very careful not to gall him.
I set out late, after most of the other horses had left camp. It had dawned on my sometime during the ride up that I had never, not even once, not even for 30 seconds, ridden Eclipse. Additionally, the last time he'd done a ride (a 15 mile fun ride several years ago), he had been a handful. So I was giving myself the best chance to have a reasonably decent start.
I got up on Eclipse and we headed out toward the start. Although I'd never ridden him, or perhaps because I hadn't, I gave him the benefit of the doubt. I let him have a loose rein. He would have to give me reason to ride him harder. Eclipse had a hard time, but he worked very hard and did as he was asked.
Once we were well out on trail, we set out at a trot. Eclipse was excited and a little confused. As far as he was concerned, the farrier had stolen him. Now the farrier had saddled him up and taken him riding. Really bizarre!
We hooked up with another horse after a time. The two were relatively well matched and seemed to be okay with each other.
I pulled Eclipse back on most of the uphills, wanting to ride conservatively. It was his first ride and I didn't know him well at all. We trotted on the flats and any gentle downhills we came to, plus some of the uphill pulls which weren't steep.
We finished the first 19 miles in just about 3 hours. Wow, that's fast. I was impressed with his speed, but a little worried about going quite so fast the first time out. So I pulled him back and let the other horse go on ahead of us.
It turned out that other horse had been somewhat messing with Eclipse's normal energy. When the horse was gone, Eclipse sighed and released quite a bit of negative energy he had gradually built up riding with him. I liked this horse better, even though I hadn't realized it was happening.
The vet check was at 25 miles. I dismounted a distance out, wanting to give Eclipse at least a little signal it was time to wind down a bit. My little toes were going numb on me, too, from riding in that western saddle.
Eclipse met criteria in good time, and I presented him to the vet. He stayed at criteria for a while, but he was looking around like he was on high alert. I never did convince him to eat. Nor had he taken a drink during the first 25 miles. It was a cool day, and we were doing 35, not 65, so I didn't fret about it.
After our hold, we set back out on trail. We had sort of hooked up with yet another horse, whose energy was better. The other horse caught up to us shortly out of the vet check, and his rider allowed him to crowd Eclipse. Eclipse did not take this especially well and lashed out. I knew the other horse kinda deserved it, but I got after him for it anyway. He should have let me know he was unhappy so I could remedy it for him, and I'm pretty sure he knew that. Still, I had to give him some slack. It's not like he's spent a lot of time being ridden in crowds or with horses allowed to run up under his tail.
The last ten miles were great. Eclipse is not a large horse, and the horse we were loosely riding with was longer-legged. So we'd fall behind, and Eclipse's competitive side would come out and he'd want to catch up. Once we had topped the hill, I got him up to a trot and we blew past the other horse and kept on going.
We went on for the rest of the day, alternating trotting and walking. Once the finish line was in sight, I pulled him down to a walk, and got off when we were close. It took him several minutes to come down, after finally taking a huge drink there at the end. I think he needed to pee, and would have recovered more quickly had he taken the time to do so, instead of waiting until we were walking back into camp.
When I presented Eclipse for the final check, I was pulled aside and given the best news I'd heard all week: someone was on my side in the whole abuse thing. As I walked through camp and talked to different people I knew, I found many others also in my corner. By the time I went to bed, my stress level had dropped incredibly. I hadn't realized how much I was carrying it until I laid down. I fell asleep and slept harder and better than I had all week.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)