50 IV

The last loop is what endurance is about. JJ was tired, and I needed to let him go his own pace..and know when to slow him down also. Two horses together can pull each other better than being on ones' own. At every puddle we encountered he drank, he also was still pulling grass up and eating it which is hearting because a horse cannot tell the rider specifically if he is having problems and going into distress. One defiantly gets to know ones horse better because of the subtleties they exhibit. The only way to notice these though is to be OK yourself.
The loop was long, the terrain mixed, though not as rocky. At the crew stop I was grinning ear to ear. Two ladies where also there to help out and one commented how much happier I looked than I did on the first loop. JJ also peed and it was yellow which meant his kidneys where ok and he wasn't in any internal distress. That also made me believe we might actually finish this ride!
7 miles to go...only 7 miles...that was my mantra each passing mile until we knew where we were in proximity to the finish. And then, we saw a bunch of people waving us on in the distance and my partner said this was the finish and her horse took off, mine following. It was exhilarating coming to the end of the race. My partner wanted to finish together holding hands. I would like to say that's how we finished, fate had other plans...I lost my right stirrup and I started worrying about an inevitable fall prior to the finish as our horses were galloping and my legs were shot. Smiling, though I am sure I was listing, we crossed the finish line just behind my partner. Then I needed to stop and that presented other flashes of me hitting the dirt. JJ took care of me though, and slowed down without being abrupt. I was sooo happy we had finished and my horse was ok...of course to complete one needed to meet the correct parameters, so I got off my horse to walk the last mile to the camp. My partner was going for BC..best conditioned so she headed off ahead of me. I talked to JJ the whole way back, telling him he was the best.
You are allowed 1 hour from the time of crossing the finish line to meet the criteria to complete. We took most of it making sure JJ pulsed down (dousing him with water and scraping), letting him eat (for gut sounds) and walking him so that he didn't have his muscles tighten up.
JJ had no problems eating and drinking, and chomped on grass as I walked him around camp.
My partner mean while was having problems pulsing down her horse and her mare was sore on the leg that had lost the shoe. 10 minutes or so before our time was up I brought JJ up to be vetted. My husband trotted him out beautifully. JJ also recovered well, and the happiest words said yet was that he completed! Yippee! Hugs for everybody!
The sad thing was my friends horse didn't complete because she was sore and didn't pulse down.
That put a bit of a Pall on things though at the time I didn't realise the ramifications of that..I had therefore come in 1st place.
JJ happily munched on alfalfa and drank water, seeming to know he had completed and was done for the day. I continued to walk him the next two hours on and off as we broke down camp, finally putting him on the trailer at 8:30 pm. Our race had started at 6:15 am, and we had 5 hours driving to do. Though it was a sort 5 hours compared to riding it!

First 50 III

We encountered large ruts, crossed a dam, and had lots of rocks to climb plus wash-out/erosion due to the large amount of rain received this summer. Every mile I felt better. Important point to remember-Keep Hydrated and make sure your horse drinks and eats..!!!!!
The second loop was much more technical than the 1st. We still were in the lead, but the heat and difficulty slowed us down considerably. By the time we got to the 1st crew stop, which was 7 miles into the loop, it felt like we had been riding for days...it was fortunate that they had a hose and our horses could be sprayed and the water scraped off them. The reason this is so important is that leaving the water on the horse acts like an insulator which actually makes the horse even hotter. So by scrapping the water off cools the horse down by removing the heat from the outside.
We where about 3 miles from our next hold when my partners horse lost her shoe. We started walking as her mare became ouchy quickly on the rocks. After debating together whether I should stay with her or move on, she insisted very firmly I should continue ahead. I was torn; we had come so far and it looked like my friends horse was going to be pulled from the ride. I continued on, my mission to get someone out to her to put a boot on her horse. The next portion of the ride was rolling hills on street pavement. This is very stressful and jarring to a horse, the concussion of tarmac against his feet and legs.
Three miles of this was difficult and finally seeing camp was hearting.
In retro-spec, it turned out to be a good thing we had a head start because it took longer for JJ to trot out without looking sore. His girth had been cinched a bit too tight and his back was bothering him a bit. This also made him look stiff in the rear. So we needed to walk it off, and massaged his butt muscles and back. My partner meanwhile made it back to camp and was having the farrier put on a new shoe for her horse. All in all, it wound up I was only 9 minutes ahead of her so I started out slow on the last loop, waiting for her to catch up....

Ist 50 continued

So back to the mental aspect. I did have several positive things going for me that allayed some fears. One was that my horse was ready, Two the saddle I was using fit him perfectly as well as myself, so I could reasonably predict we would both be comfortable and I would not be crippled as I was in my former saddle, and Three I felt I needed to prove to myself I could do it. Lastly, I had someone who was willing to ride with me who was very experienced and patient so I felt safe.
The preparations where the same, re hydrate JJ, give him plenty of alfalfa and hay, and walk him around. I prepared for the next day's holds and stops. JJ was fine even after doing a 30 so I wasn't worried on the next morning's trot out. The management made sure there was plenty of water on the trails; the day before they ran out! Given the humidity and how technical the trails where that caused several horses to be pulled due to lameness, metabolic etc. I was told that the statistic for both days was a pull rate of 50% for both the 50's and the 30's..very high indeed.
So we started well and quickly took the lead. My partners' horse has a huge trot that made my trot rather bumpy but I hung in there. Close to 10 miles there was a mandatory 10 minute hold. I was completely dehydrated at this point..JJ was fine and luckily was taken care of my several crew members as my crew (my husband..lol) hadn't realised this was a stopping point for crew.
It was close to this point I started having cramps and headache from no water and did not want to go on..I told my partner I would finish the 20, but would rather stop after that. She looked at me knowingly and said what ever I wanted to do which was some small comfort...as we went around a bend there was my husband with water for both the horse and me..I drank a huge bottle of gator aid and dumped cold water on myself...for the next 9 miles or so I re-hydrated and started feeling I could do this. We where the 1st to the hold and JJ ate and drank like a champ. He pulsed down quickly and trotted out well. We were clear to go on the second loop!
Each hold is a mandatory 45 minute stop so the quicker your horse pulses down and meets all the Vetting in criteria you then can concentrate on getting the horse re-hydrated and let them eat..the same for the rider. So the second loop was even more difficult that the first, however, since I was OK, it was surmountable ....cont

My first 50 Mile Endurance ride

I am still feeling very happy about how I did in Rhode Island this weekend at the NEATO ride.
I was convinced be a very nice person that I could do it and that she would ride it with me. I have been dithering on doing a 50 for personal reasons..not that my horse could not do it as he is and has been ready for awhile now. For me it was totally the mental aspect of it. There are several considerations one needs to take into effect before jumping into anything that could harm your horse and yourself. Since I had weighted my horses condition and knew he was physically and mentally ready for it I had to turn to myself and ask why the hesitation. Mentally ready for me means being foremost able to take care of my horse 1st and then myself. And I wasn't sure I could do that. Second, how would I handle the inevitable pain and push doubts about myself completing out of my mind...to be continued

Shoeing

Shoes IMHO are very important for a horse that works on stones and un-even surfaces-caveat I use metal shoes and have "the glove" & "easy Boots" as a back up. This has worked for me so I do not want to get into a controversy over which is better for the horse. All I care about is protecting his feet and with the type of riding I do this works for us.
I am very careful with JJ's feet, they are cleaned out regularity and depending in the season and whether it is excessivly moist or dry depends on the treatment I provide for his hoof. This means if it is wet I will put a barrier to help keep his hoof dry and not absorb unnessisary moister, and when it is dry, using a moisture lock in product. I also use a sole toughener and mosturiser on the corent band for growth. JJ's Farrier is pleased with JJ's feet and how they are taken care of, no feet no horse... JJ is trimmed and re-shod every 6 to 8 weeks depending on the wear of his shoes. In the fall, after his Ld season, I have his shoes pulled for the next 4 months rest and then they only need to be trimed every 8 weeks if needed.
JJ is very good with the farier. He ground ties as well as stand in cross ties quietly. It is important that a horse gets along with the farier...

lameness

JJ has only been lame twice due to shoe nail placement. The first time was the worse, he abscessed and we needed to cut thru his foot to reach it. He needed to be Epsom salted twice a day and his foot wrapped. The she was removed and the problem resolved itself quickly. It is nice when ppl closer to where one boards their horse will help out poultising and making sure horse is OK. The second time the nail was removed and he was fine..no absess. So far I have been lucky..JJ has been healthy, has great feet and isn't prone to hurt himself. He also gets along with his pasture mates and only once had a major fight with another gelding who had broken thru the fence..his blanket was shreaded which saved his back from bites.

Purchasing my Horse part III

As I mentioned before the purchase price of a horse is nothing compared to the up-keep, maintenance, Tack, and what I loosely call "stuff" which encompasses everything else..My horse is out side 24/7 which I am grateful for, he doesn't have the neurotic tendencies of a stabled horse. However, being outside has its own issues, rain rot, scald, scratches, bug bites, horse bites, kicks, loosing shoes and various other means of getting themselves in trouble. I have never understood why horses seem so accident prone, whether it is because of their playful nature, or just being a magnet towards calamity. It also seems they manage to hurt themselves right before an event that they will be needed for...whats up with that? Lol.

Purchasing my Horse part II

JJ is a very even tempered Arab, that is what drew me to him in the first place. He does, however, have a horsey sense of humor, which included bucking while galloping (I looked DOWN at the saddle several times going up and down)..stopping short when a suicide squirrel runs and stops in front of us, or spooking at the same log several times. The first time we where heading down the trail and and I was thinking about something else and that's when the deer jumped out...I landed in some mud as I went over his right side while he did a 180 and ran back to the farm. I was more angry at myself and learned a very important lesson..stay in the moment! Any time I have gotten in trouble with any horse had to do with me not being in the moment. I don't remember having that epiphany earlier in my career with horses, I believe I naturally stay in the moment with animals and that is why I get along with them. I also do not hold grudges. Most of what a horse does is out of playfulness, or seeing where they are in the hierarchy of horses or people. Cont later

Purchasing my first Horse

At the tender age of 41 I purchased my first Horse, JJ. I rode him around the ring and thought have nice his gates where for a green 3 year old. He was a bit short for me also (looking back that's how I felt..he is the biggest hearted horse I have ever Known). Not sure if he was "the one" I continued to search and could not find one that came close to JJ's temperment. Mean while he was sent to Ca to race (he is an Arabian) and did abismally, winning only $340.00. He was sent back to the farm where I then continued to ride him. He was green, could spook 180 degrees and leave me in the dust (then I was grateful for his size...easier to mount AND dismount), and run like the wind..though he never took off on me once (well maybie once, but he came back to me almost imediatley). It took about a month to convince my poor husband Larry, that this was the horse I wanted. And then, I found out that purchasing a horse is the least expence.. (1)
will be continued....

Intro

Here I am on a cloudy Thursday checking out my favorite horse sites and came across "blog your own". So this initially will be an experiment to see if anyone is interested in my horse experiences and what I find interesting in the field of training, riding and owning a horse. Of special interest will be to older riders who want to either start riding again, or are afraid to start due to old fears. I also deal with horse issues and can try and explain how I deal with problem horses...