Based on ~C's comment on a previous post, I have a new poll posted in the sidebar. If you are normally a Google Reader reader, I would appreciate you stopping by and putting in your opinion.
If you dropped something on the trail during an endurance ride (conditioning rides don't count....) what would you do?
I want to know what you ACTUALLY do - not what you think you ought to do. Obviously we should pick up after ourselves no matter what, as long as it's safe. But PRACTICALLY during a ride, what do you actually do?
I was faced with that decision at Wild West and in both cases decided to wait to pick up the items when I came back on the same trail coming back to camp, if they were still there. In one case I knew exactly where I had lost the item (a very nice pink water bottle), and in the other, I knew generally where I had lost the item, within a one mile stretch (a glue on boot). I didn't see the items coming back so didn't have to make the decision of whether to get off or not and pick them up (thank goodness - I still don't know what I would have done). In both cases, someone else got off their horse and picked up the items, which I'm enternally grateful.
As you've probably figured out, I'm one of those "get it now as long as it's safe" riders. I even pick up after the other people (just like they did for you). The bonus is, if no one claims it, I get to keep some pretty cool stuff. I've scored several boots, a collapsible scoop, a pocket knife, an ox shoe (from the Comstock era near Virginia City - okay, so that ones not really "ride litter"), water bottles, and probably more I've forgotten. A friend found a HRM once, the actual sending unit. I've also been with others who have picked up crops, gloves, sweatshirts, etc, etc. When you ride near the back and are willing to fetch things, it's like a big treasure hunt! =) If no one claims it back in camp at the lost and found, "finders keepers" is my philosophy. And yes, I HAVE hauled my horse around 180 degrees from a canter or power trot to go back and get something that was dropped on the trail.
ReplyDeleteI stop and pick it up if I know I dropped something. Only time was last year at a mandatory forward motion into a P&R on a NATRC ride, I dropped my FAVORITE water bottle. I was not allowed to stop. I almost stopped, got it, and headed back to the start point of the mandatory forward motion, but figured the drag riders would get it. Oops, they took a short cut. I lost the bottle AND some water for that loop!
ReplyDeleteBTW, if you had gotten pulled, and not passed that section of trail where you dropped stuff, then..........???? :-)
ReplyDeleteFortunately, this is something I haven't had happen too often, and the most common thing I've had sacrificed to the trail has been Easyboots. I've left a number of Easyboots along the trail over the years, mostly due to: a) them coming off, then falling over the side of the trail into an inaccessible ravine or stream, or b) them coming off, and me not realizing it until at least a mile down the trail.
ReplyDeleteMy goal is always to *make time* during any competitive ride, and as such, it has to be something of consequential value for me to stop and backtrack. Knock on wood, this has not happened at an actual ride, and I've only had to go back for one Renegade on a training ride.
I rarely drop things but I am always picking up stuff that other people have dropped. Most of it is stuff that people don't know that they dropped.
ReplyDeleteI have extra caribbeaners on my saddle, and also some bungee elastic so that I can attach the things that I pick up.
P.S. I voted in your poll, but depending upon who/where/what the situation I don't have a problem blocking the trail to pick something up that was dropped by myself or another rider. That would be a rare instance as most trails you can get around. I don't like leaving stuff on the trail - it leaves a bad impression of endurance riders. I think we should leave the trail/camp as we found it, if not better.
ReplyDeleteYou forgot one:
ReplyDelete___ Stop immediately and ask the junior on the short horse to hop off and hand it to me.
Srsly. When I'm on Gigantor, I Stay On The Horse!
After our local endurance rides, I find no fewer than 5 empty e'lyte syringes dropped by riders. Usually cap off, and plunged.(only once and awhile full, like they bounced out of the saddle pack) Some near water troughs. Now you KNOW the rider knew they dropped that.
ReplyDeleteThe electrolyte thing is so ridiculous! You are already dismounted at the water trough or stopped, why not get off??????
ReplyDeleteOK - so the consensus seems to be to get my lazy butt out of the saddle and pick something up if I know where I dropped it (ie I don't have to go back up the trail and look for it. Duely noted. :)
AareneX - at an *almost* 14.2 hand horse I have no excuse. LOL. Especially because she stands like an angel now (most of the time).
ReplyDeletetxtrigger - between teh time I traveled the trail and dropped it and the tiem I came back there was no vet check...so I wasn't worried about getting pulled. But I understand the principle you are getting at! :)
RE: water troughs and E'lytes. I think most folks wait for their horse to drink, then pull their head around, and shoot the elytes in from the saddle. Seems I see that more around here, than getting off to do so.
ReplyDeleteHuh, I never thought about doing it that way. To tell you the truth I don't see many people electolyting period, whether from the groin or saddle on the trail. I used to see it a lot more when I first started. I wonder if people are being more conservative?
ReplyDeleteI know this is totally a tangent. Oops.
Hahahahehehehe
ReplyDeleteiPod fumble fingers. Obviosly horses are electrolytes from the GROUND not the groin.
That one made me laugh out loud