So obviously I didn't mean to publish this post yet! Instead of hitting "save as draft", I must have published it. Those of you that read my blog saw:
"My dear friends -
I've decided not to go "public" with my plans to ride the Tevis this year. Tevis has been a dream of mine for a very long time and for some reason I want to keep this quiet and close to"
Very cryptic....Well, since this much already leaked - I may as well at least give everyone the basics -
1. I have registered and plan to ride the Tevis this year on Farley.
2. I am in the process of preriding the trail, and will preride from Robinson Flat to the finish by race day.
3. It is going well and Farley is amazing.
I've struggled with whether to make my decision public. It's hard to describe. Tevis has been a very dream for a very long time, and for some reason its been a very personal decision and process. I had made the decision not to blog about Tevis until after I did it. I had planned to write some blogs about some of my training and thought processes and save them as drafts. I was going to schedule them to publish starting on July 29th, when I left for Tevis, and then I would come back after the race and let you know I had done it! Well....you can see how well that worked out! LOL.
Since I've already let the cat out of the bag, I've made some compromises - I will keep you updated on my general progress, however plan on the full update after the race!
In some ways it's a relief you guys know - everyone here is such a wonderful encouragement and a great source of ideas. I'll be coming to you with questions, I'm sure! Thanks for being so understanding - plan on reading full updates of my training and Tevis preperation, starting July 29th!
Monday, June 15, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
Saddle update
Forget the big saddle hunt! My challenge always seems to be actually getting the saddle I ordered and having all the details in place to get to actually ride in it.
I got my Solstice on Wednesday. This sounds fairly simple. It isn't. UPS doesn't leave packages at my apartment. They leave me little notes to either be home the next day, or call the number to arrange for pick up....30 minutes away. Half the time their stupid service doesn't work and it won't GIVE me the OPTION of putting a hold on the package and I must sit through 3 days of notices before it will automatically go on a hold and THEN I can pick it up THREE days after the original date I should have gotten it. Obviously this was unacceptable for the saddle. After doing some creative scheduling at work that involved me working until 2am, I was able to sit at home for 4 hours waiting for my saddle to arrive. I waited impatiently and stared out the window. Finally the UPS truck turned down the street...and promptly missed the turn. Witness Mel running down the street yelling "come back!...."
Saddle safely in hand I went back to work for the second time that day for a meeting, then back to the stable to try on the fit. Problem. I didn't have a girth that fit. I needed a 44-46" and my longest was a 26"! (I also have a 22" and there was a brief thought of tying them together.....). So there I sat looking at my wonderful saddle....with no girth. I really wanted to see if it fit though....so I hopped on her with no stirrups, no girth (and it retrospect, no bridle or helmet.....Just a halter and leadrope). If my mother is reading this: Yes Mother is was stupid, no Mother I do not want to live at your house as a vegetable, no Mother I won't do it again.
I was satisfied have how the gullet fit with my weight in the saddle so I hopped off and went to work (again). After staying at work until 2am to make up for playing hooky most of Wednesday, I dragged myself out of bed Thursday morning after significantly less than 8 hours of sleep. Apparently they mow the lawns on Thursdays at 7am at my apartment.
The farrier appointment ran late (don't they all?) and I rushed to the only "local" tack shop that sells english stuff, which is a FULL 30 minutes away. They had one polyester string girth in a 48". After doing that particular errand I was REALLY late to work. (late is relative - my job is flexible, but showing up at 1:30pm when I'm used to getting there 7-8am seems late). I managed to stay focused until 6pm, when I sped over to the stable.
I saddled up with the girth (yes, I do need a 44", but a 48" works well until I can get a mohair ordered at the right size) and mounted up.
Complete bliss! I never knew a saddle could be so comfy. The knee rolls are ever so soft. They are little pillows that support and cradle the knees. I was amazed at how balanced I felt. I was a little worried about the 17" seat being too small. I have *clears throat* a rather ample bottom and thigh, compared to my 5'1" height - in fact I'm distinctly pear shaped. I have been riding in a 17.5" and a 18" that rides like a 17.5". My other saddle that I spend a lot of time in is my McClellan that is the "standard" military seat size. Since I buy all my saddle used, I can be too picky on sizing, as long as it's close enough, I go with it. The 17" fits me like a glove! I never realized how much room there was in the other saddles I was riding, and not in a good way - it made it difficult for me to keep a good position. I rode for about 20 minutes and then forced myself to get off. I was exhausted and cranky from too little sleep and wasn't in the mood to school in the arena and if I stayed on much longer, that is what I was going to have to do.
After dismounting I noticed that the saddle had slid forward on her shoulders a bit. I think it's because I was doing a significant amount of cantering and still trying to find my balance in the new saddle and may have been pushing it forward with my seat. It's hard to tell until I get it on the trail for a significant ride. I plan to do that this weekend, and then every just sits for a week until I return from Alabama. :( One of the differences between the Duett and the Solstice is the amount of "pad" and "stuff-ness" in the panels. The Duett has comparatively flat panels, while the Solstice has more of a "over-stuff" look and feel to them. It's harder for me to evaluate the fit across Farley's shoulders - the angle looks perfect, and it seems like it's sitting in the right spot, but I really want to get a good look at a sweat pattern. Ideally I'll have the Solstice either reflocked or the flocking adjusted this fall, specific to Farley.
I'm hanging on to the Duett for now. Tentatively it's up for sale, but I probably won't advertise until late summer. Couple of reasons for that, including the "race that I'm not talking about". It still fits well enough that I can use it as a back up saddle for Farley if for some reason this one doesn't work. Without the Duett I have nada for a backup saddle for Farley. I really like the Duett and would hate to see it go, however, if I'm not using it, it would be better to sell it and buy another one when I need it. (If anyone would like to contact me privately about it, it's a 34cm, 18" Duett Companion II in all Black. I'm not advertising, but if someone came along and made an offer, I would probably let it go.)
I can't wait to get home today and go riding - sitting at my desk now, it seems impossible that the saddle was so comfortable, but it was!
I got my Solstice on Wednesday. This sounds fairly simple. It isn't. UPS doesn't leave packages at my apartment. They leave me little notes to either be home the next day, or call the number to arrange for pick up....30 minutes away. Half the time their stupid service doesn't work and it won't GIVE me the OPTION of putting a hold on the package and I must sit through 3 days of notices before it will automatically go on a hold and THEN I can pick it up THREE days after the original date I should have gotten it. Obviously this was unacceptable for the saddle. After doing some creative scheduling at work that involved me working until 2am, I was able to sit at home for 4 hours waiting for my saddle to arrive. I waited impatiently and stared out the window. Finally the UPS truck turned down the street...and promptly missed the turn. Witness Mel running down the street yelling "come back!...."
Saddle safely in hand I went back to work for the second time that day for a meeting, then back to the stable to try on the fit. Problem. I didn't have a girth that fit. I needed a 44-46" and my longest was a 26"! (I also have a 22" and there was a brief thought of tying them together.....). So there I sat looking at my wonderful saddle....with no girth. I really wanted to see if it fit though....so I hopped on her with no stirrups, no girth (and it retrospect, no bridle or helmet.....Just a halter and leadrope). If my mother is reading this: Yes Mother is was stupid, no Mother I do not want to live at your house as a vegetable, no Mother I won't do it again.
I was satisfied have how the gullet fit with my weight in the saddle so I hopped off and went to work (again). After staying at work until 2am to make up for playing hooky most of Wednesday, I dragged myself out of bed Thursday morning after significantly less than 8 hours of sleep. Apparently they mow the lawns on Thursdays at 7am at my apartment.
The farrier appointment ran late (don't they all?) and I rushed to the only "local" tack shop that sells english stuff, which is a FULL 30 minutes away. They had one polyester string girth in a 48". After doing that particular errand I was REALLY late to work. (late is relative - my job is flexible, but showing up at 1:30pm when I'm used to getting there 7-8am seems late). I managed to stay focused until 6pm, when I sped over to the stable.
I saddled up with the girth (yes, I do need a 44", but a 48" works well until I can get a mohair ordered at the right size) and mounted up.
Complete bliss! I never knew a saddle could be so comfy. The knee rolls are ever so soft. They are little pillows that support and cradle the knees. I was amazed at how balanced I felt. I was a little worried about the 17" seat being too small. I have *clears throat* a rather ample bottom and thigh, compared to my 5'1" height - in fact I'm distinctly pear shaped. I have been riding in a 17.5" and a 18" that rides like a 17.5". My other saddle that I spend a lot of time in is my McClellan that is the "standard" military seat size. Since I buy all my saddle used, I can be too picky on sizing, as long as it's close enough, I go with it. The 17" fits me like a glove! I never realized how much room there was in the other saddles I was riding, and not in a good way - it made it difficult for me to keep a good position. I rode for about 20 minutes and then forced myself to get off. I was exhausted and cranky from too little sleep and wasn't in the mood to school in the arena and if I stayed on much longer, that is what I was going to have to do.
After dismounting I noticed that the saddle had slid forward on her shoulders a bit. I think it's because I was doing a significant amount of cantering and still trying to find my balance in the new saddle and may have been pushing it forward with my seat. It's hard to tell until I get it on the trail for a significant ride. I plan to do that this weekend, and then every just sits for a week until I return from Alabama. :( One of the differences between the Duett and the Solstice is the amount of "pad" and "stuff-ness" in the panels. The Duett has comparatively flat panels, while the Solstice has more of a "over-stuff" look and feel to them. It's harder for me to evaluate the fit across Farley's shoulders - the angle looks perfect, and it seems like it's sitting in the right spot, but I really want to get a good look at a sweat pattern. Ideally I'll have the Solstice either reflocked or the flocking adjusted this fall, specific to Farley.
I'm hanging on to the Duett for now. Tentatively it's up for sale, but I probably won't advertise until late summer. Couple of reasons for that, including the "race that I'm not talking about". It still fits well enough that I can use it as a back up saddle for Farley if for some reason this one doesn't work. Without the Duett I have nada for a backup saddle for Farley. I really like the Duett and would hate to see it go, however, if I'm not using it, it would be better to sell it and buy another one when I need it. (If anyone would like to contact me privately about it, it's a 34cm, 18" Duett Companion II in all Black. I'm not advertising, but if someone came along and made an offer, I would probably let it go.)
I can't wait to get home today and go riding - sitting at my desk now, it seems impossible that the saddle was so comfortable, but it was!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Filler post - mostly about hooves
This is filler because I don't have any earthshattering news, just wanted to fill everyone in on some of the happenings.
New Saddle
The Solstice I bought seems to fit Farley, but who the heck knows until I actually get a couple good rides in it? I'm excited - it's quite a bit lighter than the Duett and the flaps are smaller which means I'll actually be able to get some leg on my horse and a more close contact feel. My Duett fit well for almost a year. Hopefully this saddle fits a good deal longer.
Farleys' Feet/Hooves (I always mix them up!)
Farley got new shoes today. My farrier is really really happy with her feet. She gets a lot of growth within 6 weeks and he says that's a good thing because it means there's good blood flow. He had never seen renegade boots so I brought them out. I've never had the size 1's on Farley's feet because she's had shoes, so before he put the new set on her, I popped them on to make sure they fit. They do - wonderfully. He offered to grind off the backs of the boot with his grinder which was great - less work for me and it had to be done sometime!
I talked to my farrier about padding options for the "race I'm not talking about". I've never padded a horse before but I've gotten strong recommendations from people that I do so. I'm going to definitely do full pads in the front. He showed me how he does it, and it's what he does for other clients who are doing the "race I'm not talking about". I talked to him about my fear of losing padded shoes, and his response was that he would make darn sure I didn't. I believe him. (anyone need a good farrier in the central valley? I could make a excellent recommendation - not only is his work excellent, he's also easy on the eyes to watch!). I haven't made a decision on the hinds. If I didn't want to do full pads on the back, he suggested equipack with mesh. His opinion is that I would do fine without any pads at all, but if I chose to do front pads, I wouldn't necessarily need to do anything for the hinds. I have 6 weeks to make the decision.
Her feet are hard as rocks. The farrier's partner was cussing as he tried to trim and my farrier laughed at him. It was about this time I started talking about pads and the partner just looked at me with total disbelief.
That's all for now. I'll get pics of the saddle up soon and maybe even a shot of her beautiful new shoes. The blog is going to be a bit slow for a while - I'll be out of town for a week for work and then off to a bluegrass festival (I'm perfectly comfortable sharing this information because if someone decides to rob me, the only thing I own is food and second hand furniture, really not worth trouble of breaking in - trust me on this. If home is where the heart is, it's definitely NOT my apartment).
New Saddle
The Solstice I bought seems to fit Farley, but who the heck knows until I actually get a couple good rides in it? I'm excited - it's quite a bit lighter than the Duett and the flaps are smaller which means I'll actually be able to get some leg on my horse and a more close contact feel. My Duett fit well for almost a year. Hopefully this saddle fits a good deal longer.
Farleys' Feet/Hooves (I always mix them up!)
Farley got new shoes today. My farrier is really really happy with her feet. She gets a lot of growth within 6 weeks and he says that's a good thing because it means there's good blood flow. He had never seen renegade boots so I brought them out. I've never had the size 1's on Farley's feet because she's had shoes, so before he put the new set on her, I popped them on to make sure they fit. They do - wonderfully. He offered to grind off the backs of the boot with his grinder which was great - less work for me and it had to be done sometime!
I talked to my farrier about padding options for the "race I'm not talking about". I've never padded a horse before but I've gotten strong recommendations from people that I do so. I'm going to definitely do full pads in the front. He showed me how he does it, and it's what he does for other clients who are doing the "race I'm not talking about". I talked to him about my fear of losing padded shoes, and his response was that he would make darn sure I didn't. I believe him. (anyone need a good farrier in the central valley? I could make a excellent recommendation - not only is his work excellent, he's also easy on the eyes to watch!). I haven't made a decision on the hinds. If I didn't want to do full pads on the back, he suggested equipack with mesh. His opinion is that I would do fine without any pads at all, but if I chose to do front pads, I wouldn't necessarily need to do anything for the hinds. I have 6 weeks to make the decision.
Her feet are hard as rocks. The farrier's partner was cussing as he tried to trim and my farrier laughed at him. It was about this time I started talking about pads and the partner just looked at me with total disbelief.
That's all for now. I'll get pics of the saddle up soon and maybe even a shot of her beautiful new shoes. The blog is going to be a bit slow for a while - I'll be out of town for a week for work and then off to a bluegrass festival (I'm perfectly comfortable sharing this information because if someone decides to rob me, the only thing I own is food and second hand furniture, really not worth trouble of breaking in - trust me on this. If home is where the heart is, it's definitely NOT my apartment).
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Tailing part 2
Oops!
I realized that some people may not know what tailing is! Tailing is sending your horse in front of you on the trail, grabbing their tail, and letting them pull you up the mountain. It is a good way to save your horse for the rest of the day, and lessen the fatigue on the rider as well. Hopefully this is done with some sort of control, which means practice! Definitely not something you pull out of your tool box on ride day without practice!
Generally there is a long line - either a leadrope, long reins, or a piece of line tied to the reins that reaches to the back of the horse so that the rider still has some control.
Tailing at Rides - stories
I'm not a huge fan of people tailing at rides in big groups - for example up a mountain on single track where everyone is bunched together and it is stop and go. Invariably the people that choose to tail their horses have no control and put others at risk.
Story 1: At Farley's first ride, a person decided to go up the hill by tailing the horse behind us. It was stop and go and near the beginning of the ride and the riders were all bunched up. This lady's horse kept running up behind Farley. She had no control over the horse's manner and speed. I asked her numerous times to stop running her horse over mine and then got away as soon as I could. I found out later that the horse was a friends that she had never ridden before. What can we learn from this?
1. Why tail at the beginning of the ride in a group of people on a horse you can barely control in the saddle with the S-hack that you have never ridden before? If you don't know the horse, it's the horse's first race, or it's in the beginning of the ride - be courteous and maybe save the tailing for later in the ride.
Story 2: On the fourth day of Death Valley we were going over a pass. It was a little hairy. Rocks, single tracks, blind corners, and drop offs. Some people got off and led their horses. This was probably a good choice. One gentleman decided to tail his horse. Thank goodness he wasn't behind me - he was behind my friend, who was behind me. This horse kept overrunning the horse in front (my friend), and the only reason that something bad didn't happen (horse getting kicked, my friend being pushed off the trail) was because she was riding a very patient and experienced gelding. What can we learn from this?
1. Tailing a horse up a dangerous single track with a hoard of other people stopping and starting is probably never a good idea.
Now you might start to get the idea that I hate all who tail - that isn't true! I love tailing, I love to see other people tailing. I think it's one of the coolest thing ever! I just think there's a time and a place for it and it frustrates me when my horse and I are put in a bad spot because people aren't thinking. If I'm tailing up a narrow trail and catch up to other riders in front, and if I cannot keep a good cushion between them and my horse, I either mount up, or lead. It's not worth putting someone in the hospital or getting my horse kicked because I was tailing. If someone politely asks me to keep a bigger cushion between them and the horse I'm tailing, (and they cannot ride away from me because we are all trapped on a stop and go single track up a hill) and I cannot accomplish it by tailing, it is my responsibility to do what ever it takes to accomplish that - either leading or mounting up. So please - just like any other tool in your endurance toolbox, be respectful, ride safely, and have a great ride.
I realized that some people may not know what tailing is! Tailing is sending your horse in front of you on the trail, grabbing their tail, and letting them pull you up the mountain. It is a good way to save your horse for the rest of the day, and lessen the fatigue on the rider as well. Hopefully this is done with some sort of control, which means practice! Definitely not something you pull out of your tool box on ride day without practice!
Generally there is a long line - either a leadrope, long reins, or a piece of line tied to the reins that reaches to the back of the horse so that the rider still has some control.
Tailing at Rides - stories
I'm not a huge fan of people tailing at rides in big groups - for example up a mountain on single track where everyone is bunched together and it is stop and go. Invariably the people that choose to tail their horses have no control and put others at risk.
Story 1: At Farley's first ride, a person decided to go up the hill by tailing the horse behind us. It was stop and go and near the beginning of the ride and the riders were all bunched up. This lady's horse kept running up behind Farley. She had no control over the horse's manner and speed. I asked her numerous times to stop running her horse over mine and then got away as soon as I could. I found out later that the horse was a friends that she had never ridden before. What can we learn from this?
1. Why tail at the beginning of the ride in a group of people on a horse you can barely control in the saddle with the S-hack that you have never ridden before? If you don't know the horse, it's the horse's first race, or it's in the beginning of the ride - be courteous and maybe save the tailing for later in the ride.
Story 2: On the fourth day of Death Valley we were going over a pass. It was a little hairy. Rocks, single tracks, blind corners, and drop offs. Some people got off and led their horses. This was probably a good choice. One gentleman decided to tail his horse. Thank goodness he wasn't behind me - he was behind my friend, who was behind me. This horse kept overrunning the horse in front (my friend), and the only reason that something bad didn't happen (horse getting kicked, my friend being pushed off the trail) was because she was riding a very patient and experienced gelding. What can we learn from this?
1. Tailing a horse up a dangerous single track with a hoard of other people stopping and starting is probably never a good idea.
Now you might start to get the idea that I hate all who tail - that isn't true! I love tailing, I love to see other people tailing. I think it's one of the coolest thing ever! I just think there's a time and a place for it and it frustrates me when my horse and I are put in a bad spot because people aren't thinking. If I'm tailing up a narrow trail and catch up to other riders in front, and if I cannot keep a good cushion between them and my horse, I either mount up, or lead. It's not worth putting someone in the hospital or getting my horse kicked because I was tailing. If someone politely asks me to keep a bigger cushion between them and the horse I'm tailing, (and they cannot ride away from me because we are all trapped on a stop and go single track up a hill) and I cannot accomplish it by tailing, it is my responsibility to do what ever it takes to accomplish that - either leading or mounting up. So please - just like any other tool in your endurance toolbox, be respectful, ride safely, and have a great ride.
Tailing
Several people have asked me how I taught my horses to tail and what's the "logistics" involved.
Tailing is basically long lining. Minx was easy. Since she came from a sulky driving track, she already knew how to drive (and how to pull something behind her!). She responded to voice commands very well and tailing her was a simple as grabbing her tail and telling her to "walk on!". Farley was a little more difficult, as she didn't quite understand the concept of driving. Here is what I did with Farley. As always - this is just my opinion and you need to use common sense and good judgement when training horses. I'm not a professional and this is just my fun (most of the time) hobby. Be safe and take care of yourself!
1. Make sure you have 100% of the horse's respect. You notice I didn't say "trust", I said "respect". Neither of my horses will invade my personal space. I am positive that if a cougar was chasing them, they will jump off a cliff before they run over the top of me. That translates to tailing. No matter what happens, they know that it would be DEATH to kick me or even threaten. Gain that respect before grabbing onto their tail and releasing them up the hill. There should be no question in the horses mind that just because you aren't in front of them or on them, where the orders are coming from. The better your horses ground manners, the faster they will learn to tail and the safer you will be.
2. Voice commands - I know a lot of people hate them. I think there's a use for them - if I'm trying to get a horse learn something new, Most of the time I'll cue with my voice until I can coordinate my non-verbal aids. I'm not the best rider in the world and I think my intentions are clearer to the horse when I use them. As my aids improve for the task, I generally use the voice cue less and less. The other use for voice commands is while driving/tailing. Here's the rules: Be specific, be consistent, and enforce it. I use: "walk on", "ho", "easy", "trot", and "walk". I work first on the lunge line with these cues. I don't encourage turning towards me at "ho" at this stage because that becomes awkward if you are trying to get behind the horse while tailing and it keeps turning to face you.....
3. Long lining (ground driving) isn't necessary for a horse to be able to tail. In fact - if you've never done it before I would advise against it, as you could easily confuse the horse, yourself, and get the lines wrapped around where they shouldn't be.
4. Put the horse in a halter and a long leadrope (10 foot at least, but will need a 12 foot if the horse is large or long bodied). Walk with the horse at your shoulder. Encourage your horse to walk ahead of you by slowing down and say "walk on". Practice stopping ("ho") and walking on with you by the horses barrel. For turns I usually reach up and touch the neck (they should move away from pressure). If they don't respond I thump them in the barrel with my elbow and shoulder to get their attention and ask for the turn again. The important thing here is to get them used to the fact that even though you are not in front, you still have control. Gradually walk slower until you are behind the horse and they are walking forward. Gently grab their tail and experiment with different pressure. Some horses might get a little nervous at this, so keep your energy up and say "walk on" in a strong voice. Sometimes I'll use my leadrop to slap the barrel of the horse in conjunction with the command.
5. Some horses will try to turn around when you say anything at all behind them. Farley was like that. The trick was to aggressively move her away from my body (which was behind her so it translated to forward movement) while saying "walk on". Do NOT be inviting with your body language. You want them to move AWAY from you. It can be hard to judge how aggressive to be behind the horse. My instinct when I'm behind a horse (albeit to the side) and it starts to get confused and agitated is to try and comfort the horse. However, what I'm trying to do is teach it to go away from me, so I must apply pressure. This is where it's important to have to horse's respect and be able to read your horse's body language. If you have done your homework with the voice commands on the lunge and the horse is comfortable with you at it's barrel moving forward, you should be successful. If you have to put a significant amount of pressure on the horse to get it to move forward while you are behind it (resulting in a significant amount of agitation of a confused horse), your best bet is to back off and continue to practice on the lunge line, walking beside the horse etc.
6. Taking it out on the trail! I think tailing practice starts in the saddle. I expect my horses to see the trail and follow the trail without a lot of input from me. I may have to make some decisions, but for the most part - there's the trail, so follow it! If you can get your horse taking some responsibility for moving down the trail, it will make tailing go smoother. I like using the reins for tailing because if I used a leadrope, the reins are still draped on the neck and can get caught on something (like a hoof!). I use scissor snaps so the reins are easy to make into a leadrope. Depending on the situation, either unsnap the bridle on on side and tail with the reins attached to one side of the bit, or unsnap from the bit entirely and snap one end of the reins to the halter to make a leadrope. I usually tail with the leadrope/reins on the left side of the horse.
7. So now you are on the ground with the line in your hand. Now what? I ask the horse to go passed me. If I back up, it is more likely that the horse will turn and try to face me, so I stand still and tell the horse (in a ridiculously cheery tone) to "walk on". Usually Farley will hesitate as her barrel passes me so I usually reinforce the cue with a poke in her ribs, where my heel would usually go if I was in the saddle. I let the lead rope slide through my hand until I reach the end, then grab her tail.
8. The most important thing in tailing is anticipation. Do not wait for the horse to stop or start to try and turn around before you give a command. As the horse slows down, give the walk on command in a firm voice and get them moving again. I've found that once they are stopped in front of you, at least in the beginning, it's hard to get them started again and you will likely have to move up beside them and give them a physical, as well as a verbal cue.
9. Now that you're hanging onto the tail for dear life, your feet bounding across the rocks, you want to stop. Scream your stop command at the top of your lungs (just kidding) and maybe increase the pressure on the line. Be careful with this - you do NOT want the horse to turn around. Tell the horse to stand and then move up to his side.
10. So how does this all look when I do it on the trail? I'm in the saddle riding along. My leg is cramping to a decide to get off and jog. I leap off her back, put the reins over her ears and take off running. Farley follows me at my shoulder like a good girl. Now there's a big hill. I reach over and unsnap the reins from the right side of the big, slow to a walk and tell Farley to walk on, as she moves past me she hesitates (which I like because I'm on a single track and I don't want her to blow past me). I give her the "yes you heard me right" poke in the ribs and she slips past me at a walk. As she goes by I gently grab her tail (she's still a bit goosey). After a couple of steps she slows to take a bite of grass, I get very aggressive and tell her to walk on with a wiggle of the lead. She sighs and takes off again. (she is not allowed to eat while tailing - it's hard enough to get a horse to focus while tailing AND there's all sorts of disasters that are more likely to happen if they put their head down to eat, your behind them, AND there's a long line involved....). After the big hill I say "ho" and put gentle pressure on the line. As I'm still on the single track, she stands still while I creep around her. Then I either mount up or continue running. Now, if I had been on a road instead of single track, I wouldn't have asked her to stop. I would have let go of the tail, swung out away from her hindquarters and come up to her side at angle either at a faster walk or jog. If she started to trot while I did this, I would have asked her to walk.
Is that clear to everyone? Any more questions? I know this was quite long and detailed. But hopefully it gives you a clear picture of what I do. I do drive as well as ride, which helped me visualize what I was trying to train my horses to do.
Tailing is basically long lining. Minx was easy. Since she came from a sulky driving track, she already knew how to drive (and how to pull something behind her!). She responded to voice commands very well and tailing her was a simple as grabbing her tail and telling her to "walk on!". Farley was a little more difficult, as she didn't quite understand the concept of driving. Here is what I did with Farley. As always - this is just my opinion and you need to use common sense and good judgement when training horses. I'm not a professional and this is just my fun (most of the time) hobby. Be safe and take care of yourself!
1. Make sure you have 100% of the horse's respect. You notice I didn't say "trust", I said "respect". Neither of my horses will invade my personal space. I am positive that if a cougar was chasing them, they will jump off a cliff before they run over the top of me. That translates to tailing. No matter what happens, they know that it would be DEATH to kick me or even threaten. Gain that respect before grabbing onto their tail and releasing them up the hill. There should be no question in the horses mind that just because you aren't in front of them or on them, where the orders are coming from. The better your horses ground manners, the faster they will learn to tail and the safer you will be.
2. Voice commands - I know a lot of people hate them. I think there's a use for them - if I'm trying to get a horse learn something new, Most of the time I'll cue with my voice until I can coordinate my non-verbal aids. I'm not the best rider in the world and I think my intentions are clearer to the horse when I use them. As my aids improve for the task, I generally use the voice cue less and less. The other use for voice commands is while driving/tailing. Here's the rules: Be specific, be consistent, and enforce it. I use: "walk on", "ho", "easy", "trot", and "walk". I work first on the lunge line with these cues. I don't encourage turning towards me at "ho" at this stage because that becomes awkward if you are trying to get behind the horse while tailing and it keeps turning to face you.....
3. Long lining (ground driving) isn't necessary for a horse to be able to tail. In fact - if you've never done it before I would advise against it, as you could easily confuse the horse, yourself, and get the lines wrapped around where they shouldn't be.
4. Put the horse in a halter and a long leadrope (10 foot at least, but will need a 12 foot if the horse is large or long bodied). Walk with the horse at your shoulder. Encourage your horse to walk ahead of you by slowing down and say "walk on". Practice stopping ("ho") and walking on with you by the horses barrel. For turns I usually reach up and touch the neck (they should move away from pressure). If they don't respond I thump them in the barrel with my elbow and shoulder to get their attention and ask for the turn again. The important thing here is to get them used to the fact that even though you are not in front, you still have control. Gradually walk slower until you are behind the horse and they are walking forward. Gently grab their tail and experiment with different pressure. Some horses might get a little nervous at this, so keep your energy up and say "walk on" in a strong voice. Sometimes I'll use my leadrop to slap the barrel of the horse in conjunction with the command.
5. Some horses will try to turn around when you say anything at all behind them. Farley was like that. The trick was to aggressively move her away from my body (which was behind her so it translated to forward movement) while saying "walk on". Do NOT be inviting with your body language. You want them to move AWAY from you. It can be hard to judge how aggressive to be behind the horse. My instinct when I'm behind a horse (albeit to the side) and it starts to get confused and agitated is to try and comfort the horse. However, what I'm trying to do is teach it to go away from me, so I must apply pressure. This is where it's important to have to horse's respect and be able to read your horse's body language. If you have done your homework with the voice commands on the lunge and the horse is comfortable with you at it's barrel moving forward, you should be successful. If you have to put a significant amount of pressure on the horse to get it to move forward while you are behind it (resulting in a significant amount of agitation of a confused horse), your best bet is to back off and continue to practice on the lunge line, walking beside the horse etc.
6. Taking it out on the trail! I think tailing practice starts in the saddle. I expect my horses to see the trail and follow the trail without a lot of input from me. I may have to make some decisions, but for the most part - there's the trail, so follow it! If you can get your horse taking some responsibility for moving down the trail, it will make tailing go smoother. I like using the reins for tailing because if I used a leadrope, the reins are still draped on the neck and can get caught on something (like a hoof!). I use scissor snaps so the reins are easy to make into a leadrope. Depending on the situation, either unsnap the bridle on on side and tail with the reins attached to one side of the bit, or unsnap from the bit entirely and snap one end of the reins to the halter to make a leadrope. I usually tail with the leadrope/reins on the left side of the horse.
7. So now you are on the ground with the line in your hand. Now what? I ask the horse to go passed me. If I back up, it is more likely that the horse will turn and try to face me, so I stand still and tell the horse (in a ridiculously cheery tone) to "walk on". Usually Farley will hesitate as her barrel passes me so I usually reinforce the cue with a poke in her ribs, where my heel would usually go if I was in the saddle. I let the lead rope slide through my hand until I reach the end, then grab her tail.
8. The most important thing in tailing is anticipation. Do not wait for the horse to stop or start to try and turn around before you give a command. As the horse slows down, give the walk on command in a firm voice and get them moving again. I've found that once they are stopped in front of you, at least in the beginning, it's hard to get them started again and you will likely have to move up beside them and give them a physical, as well as a verbal cue.
9. Now that you're hanging onto the tail for dear life, your feet bounding across the rocks, you want to stop. Scream your stop command at the top of your lungs (just kidding) and maybe increase the pressure on the line. Be careful with this - you do NOT want the horse to turn around. Tell the horse to stand and then move up to his side.
10. So how does this all look when I do it on the trail? I'm in the saddle riding along. My leg is cramping to a decide to get off and jog. I leap off her back, put the reins over her ears and take off running. Farley follows me at my shoulder like a good girl. Now there's a big hill. I reach over and unsnap the reins from the right side of the big, slow to a walk and tell Farley to walk on, as she moves past me she hesitates (which I like because I'm on a single track and I don't want her to blow past me). I give her the "yes you heard me right" poke in the ribs and she slips past me at a walk. As she goes by I gently grab her tail (she's still a bit goosey). After a couple of steps she slows to take a bite of grass, I get very aggressive and tell her to walk on with a wiggle of the lead. She sighs and takes off again. (she is not allowed to eat while tailing - it's hard enough to get a horse to focus while tailing AND there's all sorts of disasters that are more likely to happen if they put their head down to eat, your behind them, AND there's a long line involved....). After the big hill I say "ho" and put gentle pressure on the line. As I'm still on the single track, she stands still while I creep around her. Then I either mount up or continue running. Now, if I had been on a road instead of single track, I wouldn't have asked her to stop. I would have let go of the tail, swung out away from her hindquarters and come up to her side at angle either at a faster walk or jog. If she started to trot while I did this, I would have asked her to walk.
Is that clear to everyone? Any more questions? I know this was quite long and detailed. But hopefully it gives you a clear picture of what I do. I do drive as well as ride, which helped me visualize what I was trying to train my horses to do.
Monday, June 8, 2009
A ride at Ohlone
Sunday I headed to Del Valle in Livermore to go riding on the Ohlone Wilderness trail.
The only 2 pics I took were at the trailer before the ride. For some reason I just haven't felt like taking pictures on the trail lately. I want to go down the trail with the minimum of fuss and muss.
Isn't Farley looking good???? I love tailing her so I can watch her little hiney rippling with muscle!
About the Trail
The Ohlone trail is the hardest trail in the area. It's all either up or down. And when it's up, it's UP for a VERY LONG ways. And when it's down, it's DOWN for a VERY LONG ways. I don't have the elevation map in front of me, but most of it goes something like this: Start at 800'. Climb to 2800' in 3 miles. Go down to 1000' in 2 miles. Go up to 3047' in 3.5 miles etc etc etc. The footing is mostly slightly gravelly wide jeep trails, but there is a section of single track (with drop offs) that is very pretty. Needless to say, this is my testing ground for rider and pony fitness.
1. Can I walk (actually, jig - it's so steep I can't actually walk) down the hill leading the pony without collapsing?
2. After the steep climbs can the pony go into a trot on some of the very few flat sections?
3. Does the pony need to stop during the climbs to catch her breath?
4. How are we with tailing?
5. Can the pony trot on the single track with drop off, while juggling the grass she has stolen 3 strides before, without dumping both of us off the drop off?
6. Last but not least - where will Melinda get poison oak this time, and can she get back to the trailer fast enough to use the technu before the rash sets?
Shield your eyes!
I knew that this ride was going to be for rider fitness as well as pony, so I decided to ride in a pair of running shorts with a fleece cover on the saddle. I'm VERY allergic to poison oak (which is prolific in this area) so I also donned a long sleeve shirt and gloves. Now, my legs are so white they positively glow. As you can imagine (or rather, don't) the running shorts don't leave much to the imagination. It seems I'm getting around to most of the local hangout spots for endurance riders as I met no less than 2 people I knew from endurance on the way to the trail and 1 on the way back. Oh and I got told about still another person that had arrived and left while I was still riding that I also knew. Uggg.
Ride Conclusion
The ride went well. Farley is in excellent shape. She did want to stop on the hill 2 or 3 times. I would reach down and take a pulse every time she wanted to stop to see at what heart rate she wants to stop at. Once stopped, her heart rate recovered very quickly and was able to continue on in 30 seconds or less. I've gone up those hills on foot and it's TOUGH. So steep, the heel of your shoe never actually touches the ground as you go up. I had made the decision to walk/jig down all the hills on foot for my fitness. Uggg. I didn't have any problems yesterday, but I knew I would be sore. I can barely move today. Every time we crested a rise and there was a flat spot, she had no problem picking up a trot.
Tailing and a call for ideas
I did tail her up several hills. I still haven't decided whether tailing up or walking down is the more efficient way to save my horse. I think it will depend on her motivation level and whether I'm getting sore in the saddle. Tailing requires me to unsnap the reins which takes time. I might rig up a tailing strap to the reins that I can put on when I do a section I know I'll be tailing. I think a section of cotton rope with a snap on one end will work. That way I don't unsnap the reins, just snap on the extension while still in the saddle. Any ideas?
The one problem - kinda
Problem 1 - Farley has decided that based upon past experience at rides, when she walks, she gets to eat. Now, I appreciate that she eats non-stop. It's nice. I know that it isn't a bad thing to have a horse that will eat at every available opportunity. But really. It's getting out of hand. Especially on conditioning rides, I walk a lot, especially up hills. This is not a smorgasbord opportunity - we are working. When she's in work mode, she will take a bite, and her feet don't stop moving. When she's losing motivation, she will actually stop and begin nibbling. I encourage the eating at speed movement, but I'm losing patience for the lollygagging nibbling unless I've given the cue that it's OK. Problem 2 - Farley likes to get HUGE, LONG chunks of grass in her mouth, which she wiggles and eats as we go down the trail. Especially if she's in the powermode of eating AND walking (NOT "lollygagging nibbling). She's not nearly as good at multi-tasking as she thinks she is and her the wiggling and grabbing at grass on the side of her mouth does not do wonderful things for her balance and concentration on single track with drop offs. If the trail is bad, I may have to put a stop to the eating until a better section of trail, in which I'll allow "lollygagging nibbling" to make up for my meanness.
In conclusion...
I'm happy where rider and pony fitness is right now. I felt good and was still able to run and jog beside her, even after long stretches of up or down. Farley had plenty of energy can take care of herself, even when the trail got tough. We did about 13 miles on the trail, of which I did ~1/2 of it on foot. After getting back to the trailer, I washed my legs with Technu. In the grocery store ~2 hours later, I noticed a rash on my legs, in a spot that I'm not sure I got the Technu on (it's funny how your hands apply a lotion like sunscreen etc., and you're sure you got everything, but there's patches?). I went home, took a Zyrtec (my Doc says it's better for allergic reaction than Bendryl) and took a shower. Then I put cortisone cream on the rashes. This morning they look much better with no itching or pain (they burned last night). I may have caught it early enough not to get the blistering miserable part! Whoohoo! I will say that riding in shorts was much more comfortable than I thought and I appreciated them when I got off and ran.
Friday, June 5, 2009
So yesterday Farley's 10 day vacation after Wild West was officially done. I had planned on doing a bit of riding.
The thunder storm clouds rolled in both literally and figuratively and I decided what would soothe the soul would be a quick (kind of) 5 mile run with Farley.
Both of us were a wee bit grumpy and I was definitely stressed (work related). Yes, riding relieves stress, but at a certain level of stress it becomes counterproductive to ride. I never have a bad run and with the wind whipping up, it was the better option.
Ever notice that after you get done running you never think to yourself "I wish I hadn't run today". It's always a good day for a run. I've had rides that I was miserable after, but never a run. If I have the choice between riding in the arena, or going for a run with my horse, I usually chose the run.
If the choice is trail riding/conditioning or running that's another matter!
I am weaker than my horse so it's not a bad thing that I chose running - the better shape I'm in, the better I can help my horse on the trail. Running with Farley allows her to get out and get some movement, continue to build a relationship with me, with a reduced risk of injury and wear and tear. It's a win-win situation!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Exciting News
I am buying an Arabian Company Solstice Saddle! It's the saddle that I've always wanted since I started endurance - I'm not sure why but I like the look, the feel, and what ever "aura" a saddle gives off! This post is mostly self-serving, but it's a fulfillment of a smaller dream of mine, so either stick with it, or come back later when I have some more interesting to post. :)
Before everyone starts drifting off with their eyes glazed over, I'll post the most fabulous part of my post first! I got to experience REAL conversation.
The seller was an incredible friendly person. I think people in California should take note of southerners and learn from them how to have a conversation. We talked, we listened, we responded, and I didn't interrupt too many times. For an hour I had one of the most delightful conversations I've ever had in my life. The purpose of the phone call was to exchange account information for the wiring process. When I saw her call come in I was walking up to my apartment with a handful of stuff and no paper or pen in sight. As I answered the phone I dropped everything to dash to my truck to grab said items. In true California form I thought she would start rattling off information as soon as a picked up the phone - I shouldn't have worried or hurried. For an hour we talked about endurance, horsey trail-mixes, electrolytes, the virtues of alfalfa and the lack of endurance riders in her area. Yes, we even talked about the Tevis Cup. We finally got off the phone after exchanging the bank information. I felt refreshed - maybe if most of my phone calls were like this, I wouldn't dread talking on the phone. In fact, I was having so much fun on the phone, I forgot important information like - final total price including shipping? Last name? Address of the bank?.....
So what can I do now that I have discovered a delightful little gold nugget - true conversation? Well, as for me - I am going to work on my conversation skills. While I'll never have the alluring southern accent I CAN work on not interrupting, not giving off impatient vibes, and listening and responding to a person instead of multi-tasking within my own head. Yep - a lot of work to be done here!
OK - back to the self-serving and self-congratulatory portion of the blog:
The unfortunate part of falling in love with this saddle - it is way out of my price range. Even used, they are out of my price range! I've kept an eye out for an affordable used one. I've come to the conclusion that although I love my Duett and would buy it again in a heartbeat, Farley's withers are prominent enough that this saddle will not work for us in the long term. It still fits well, but the wither clearance at the pommel is getting closer and closer and I can see the writing on the wall, the girl's back is a changin'!
Last week I came across a used Solstice for a fabulous price....in the size tree AND size seat I needed. The price was so fabulous that I can actually sell my Duett (not sure I will...I do dearly love the saddle...) to finance it! Amazing. It had been on the market more than a couple of days, so I'm not sure why it didn't sell like a hot cake, but it's probably because of how the seller measured the saddle - typically you measure from the nail to the back of the cantle, not straight across from pommel to cantle. I think some buyers thought it was a 16" seat, but from the serial number and picture of the measurement, it is clearly a 17" seat. Perfect!
The wire transfer has been finalized and the saddle has been sent. I'm very very excited. I'm 90% sure it should fit both me and the horse. I am selling my Thorowgood and Specialized to finance this saddle, (and the fact that adding yet ANOTHER saddle to my collection without getting rid of SOMETHING is pure foolishness). I'm really sad to see the Thorowgood go - I think it's a wonderful saddle, but it REALLY doesn't fit Farley.
Before everyone starts drifting off with their eyes glazed over, I'll post the most fabulous part of my post first! I got to experience REAL conversation.
The seller was an incredible friendly person. I think people in California should take note of southerners and learn from them how to have a conversation. We talked, we listened, we responded, and I didn't interrupt too many times. For an hour I had one of the most delightful conversations I've ever had in my life. The purpose of the phone call was to exchange account information for the wiring process. When I saw her call come in I was walking up to my apartment with a handful of stuff and no paper or pen in sight. As I answered the phone I dropped everything to dash to my truck to grab said items. In true California form I thought she would start rattling off information as soon as a picked up the phone - I shouldn't have worried or hurried. For an hour we talked about endurance, horsey trail-mixes, electrolytes, the virtues of alfalfa and the lack of endurance riders in her area. Yes, we even talked about the Tevis Cup. We finally got off the phone after exchanging the bank information. I felt refreshed - maybe if most of my phone calls were like this, I wouldn't dread talking on the phone. In fact, I was having so much fun on the phone, I forgot important information like - final total price including shipping? Last name? Address of the bank?.....
So what can I do now that I have discovered a delightful little gold nugget - true conversation? Well, as for me - I am going to work on my conversation skills. While I'll never have the alluring southern accent I CAN work on not interrupting, not giving off impatient vibes, and listening and responding to a person instead of multi-tasking within my own head. Yep - a lot of work to be done here!
OK - back to the self-serving and self-congratulatory portion of the blog:
The unfortunate part of falling in love with this saddle - it is way out of my price range. Even used, they are out of my price range! I've kept an eye out for an affordable used one. I've come to the conclusion that although I love my Duett and would buy it again in a heartbeat, Farley's withers are prominent enough that this saddle will not work for us in the long term. It still fits well, but the wither clearance at the pommel is getting closer and closer and I can see the writing on the wall, the girl's back is a changin'!
Last week I came across a used Solstice for a fabulous price....in the size tree AND size seat I needed. The price was so fabulous that I can actually sell my Duett (not sure I will...I do dearly love the saddle...) to finance it! Amazing. It had been on the market more than a couple of days, so I'm not sure why it didn't sell like a hot cake, but it's probably because of how the seller measured the saddle - typically you measure from the nail to the back of the cantle, not straight across from pommel to cantle. I think some buyers thought it was a 16" seat, but from the serial number and picture of the measurement, it is clearly a 17" seat. Perfect!
The wire transfer has been finalized and the saddle has been sent. I'm very very excited. I'm 90% sure it should fit both me and the horse. I am selling my Thorowgood and Specialized to finance this saddle, (and the fact that adding yet ANOTHER saddle to my collection without getting rid of SOMETHING is pure foolishness). I'm really sad to see the Thorowgood go - I think it's a wonderful saddle, but it REALLY doesn't fit Farley.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Everything But the Kitchen Sink....
Or maybe only the kitchen sink! What have you forgotten to bring to a ride/horse show/civil war event?
For today's post I'm shameless borrowing the topic from Equine Ink's blog.
Trail ride/Endurance ride/Horse Show -
My sister once forgot her helmet and her saddle blanket (I know - not fair to talk about other people...). I'm usually super prepared AND I board so ALL my stuff is stored in my trailer. Very difficult to forget anything that way. I'm sure other people have good stories though!
Civil War Reenactment
My pants. Yep - got to the event with no pants
My boots. Very painful to ride an artillery team with no boots. I do not recommend it.
My instrument. Showed up at a civil war band performance with no horn....very inconvenient.
I have a couple of things in the works - surprises! But I'm waiting for everything to "gel" in my mind before I make any public announcements. Don't worry - they are all good things!
For today's post I'm shameless borrowing the topic from Equine Ink's blog.
Trail ride/Endurance ride/Horse Show -
My sister once forgot her helmet and her saddle blanket (I know - not fair to talk about other people...). I'm usually super prepared AND I board so ALL my stuff is stored in my trailer. Very difficult to forget anything that way. I'm sure other people have good stories though!
Civil War Reenactment
My pants. Yep - got to the event with no pants
My boots. Very painful to ride an artillery team with no boots. I do not recommend it.
My instrument. Showed up at a civil war band performance with no horn....very inconvenient.
I have a couple of things in the works - surprises! But I'm waiting for everything to "gel" in my mind before I make any public announcements. Don't worry - they are all good things!
Monday, June 1, 2009
Wild West Camp Set up
Here's the whole two pictures I took at Wild West......Camp set up!
Farley loved standing by the tree. It was like she was pretending she wasn't tied to the trailer. "See, I'm here by my own free will!" I got many many compliments on her yellow halter.
This was how I decided to camp. I bought a "first up" from Walmart on sale and set it up over my pick up bed. I'm standing on the horse side, on top of a stump. My truck bed walls are so high, it's difficult to see in when you are on the ground, offering plenty of privacy. An air mattress, sleeping bag, and down comforter completed the sleep arrangements. If I wanted to check on my horse, I just had to lift up my head. On the other side of my trailer was a plastic camping "kitchen" and chairs under the excess awning.
Why liked this set up:
1. I still had the visibility of seeing my horse, as if I was in a tent with an open door
2. I didn't have to bend over to dig through my suitcase
3. I didn't have to crawl out of a tent
4. It's easier to sweep out the back of a truck than the inside of a tent
5. With the air flow, my allergies didn't bother me
6. I still had privacy.
7. There was ZERO room to set up a tent in my tiny camping spot.
8. Did I mention the convenience and the lack of bending over?
9. It was easy for Mom to find my camping spot "look for the easy up thing over the truck bed"
Disadvantages
1. Hard to set up and take down by yourself.
2. First up is heavier and bulkier than a tent to store (mine has taken up residence in the bed of my truck, underneath the tool box.
When I get pictures of my actually riding from my Mother, I'll post some of them. I made a conscious decision NOT to take pictures at this ride because I didn't want to be distracted on the trail and detract from the enjoyment of just enjoying the ride. This ride is very special to me - all the rides I attend, this is really my "vacation" or "get away" ride. I didn't want anything to intrude on that feeling (and that includes taking pictures on the trails - sorry!).
Farley loved standing by the tree. It was like she was pretending she wasn't tied to the trailer. "See, I'm here by my own free will!" I got many many compliments on her yellow halter.
This was how I decided to camp. I bought a "first up" from Walmart on sale and set it up over my pick up bed. I'm standing on the horse side, on top of a stump. My truck bed walls are so high, it's difficult to see in when you are on the ground, offering plenty of privacy. An air mattress, sleeping bag, and down comforter completed the sleep arrangements. If I wanted to check on my horse, I just had to lift up my head. On the other side of my trailer was a plastic camping "kitchen" and chairs under the excess awning.
Why liked this set up:
1. I still had the visibility of seeing my horse, as if I was in a tent with an open door
2. I didn't have to bend over to dig through my suitcase
3. I didn't have to crawl out of a tent
4. It's easier to sweep out the back of a truck than the inside of a tent
5. With the air flow, my allergies didn't bother me
6. I still had privacy.
7. There was ZERO room to set up a tent in my tiny camping spot.
8. Did I mention the convenience and the lack of bending over?
9. It was easy for Mom to find my camping spot "look for the easy up thing over the truck bed"
Disadvantages
1. Hard to set up and take down by yourself.
2. First up is heavier and bulkier than a tent to store (mine has taken up residence in the bed of my truck, underneath the tool box.
When I get pictures of my actually riding from my Mother, I'll post some of them. I made a conscious decision NOT to take pictures at this ride because I didn't want to be distracted on the trail and detract from the enjoyment of just enjoying the ride. This ride is very special to me - all the rides I attend, this is really my "vacation" or "get away" ride. I didn't want anything to intrude on that feeling (and that includes taking pictures on the trails - sorry!).
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Wild West Addendum
After re-reading my ride report I realized I forgot a couple of important "happenings".
Pavement Fall
Farley fell on the pavement. This wasn't a diasaster, but it easily could have turned into one. There is a stretch of very very slick pavement that everyone was required to dismount and walk. There is a narrow shoulder, however, there are sections of paved driveways that you have to cross over. I had the bright idea to cross over the road and walk on the other shoulder so I didn't have to walk across the driveways. Once I was over there, I found that the footing was not as good, Farley didn't want to stay on the shoulder, and I was on the wrong side of some blind curves. So we tempted fate AGAIN and crossed back over to the other side. We were almost across when, in slow motion, her hindquarters slipped our from underneath her and she slid to rest on her left side. She tried to get up once, slipped, and went down again. She layed there, and thought about it. There was no panic, no scrambling. She tried to get up one more time, very carefully, made it, and went over to the shoulder and stayed there. Whenever we had to cross a paved driveway, I noticed she was extremely cautious. We had gotten away with only a little skin rubbed off of the outside of her left hock.
I was very pleased to see that when she got into a bind, Farley didn't panic. She was able to think about the situation and extract herself. I think this is a very good sign. I want a horse that can think for herself in a hairy situation and isn't going to get us in MORE trouble by completely losing it. I took this kind of sensibility for granted in my Standardbred and I'm pleasantly suprised to find it in my Arab.
We were Stalked
Yep - we were stalked by something on a ridge. Farley felt the need to go and let her decide speed and distance. There were several bear and cub sightings this weekend, and it was in the same location that I saw a bear and two cubs last year. There's also mountain lions in the area. I didn't feel the need to stick around to see was evaluating our availability for dinner. There was a ride and tie event held on Sunday during the ride. I heard that one of the ride and tie horses spooked and broke his reins. The ride manager suspects that a bear came by and spooked the horse. I can just imagine what was going through the bear's head "Sardine on a string!".
I had a Crew!
I failed to mention my wonderful Mother who came and crewed for me on Saturday and Sunday. She is NOT a horse person and went to great lengths to avoid having to hold my horse for longer than about five seconds (as a result I got to sit there and hold the horse, while she did all sorts of useful tasks for me!). It was so nice to have someone at my one hour holds. I think having someone to meet me at the one hour holds at Tevis (IF I do it) is going to be really important. I didn't take any pictures on the trail (I wanted to be able to focus on my ride) but she took a bunch of photos that I'll probably post later. Saturday evening we played fiddle and banjo underneath my fly. I promised my neighbors that we would quit when the generators went off (9pm) and they wouldn't have to listen to us all night! It was nice playing at a non-musical event - the music was unexpected and I had several people tell me the next day how much they enjoyed having the music in camp.
I think that's it for my Wild West stories!
Pavement Fall
Farley fell on the pavement. This wasn't a diasaster, but it easily could have turned into one. There is a stretch of very very slick pavement that everyone was required to dismount and walk. There is a narrow shoulder, however, there are sections of paved driveways that you have to cross over. I had the bright idea to cross over the road and walk on the other shoulder so I didn't have to walk across the driveways. Once I was over there, I found that the footing was not as good, Farley didn't want to stay on the shoulder, and I was on the wrong side of some blind curves. So we tempted fate AGAIN and crossed back over to the other side. We were almost across when, in slow motion, her hindquarters slipped our from underneath her and she slid to rest on her left side. She tried to get up once, slipped, and went down again. She layed there, and thought about it. There was no panic, no scrambling. She tried to get up one more time, very carefully, made it, and went over to the shoulder and stayed there. Whenever we had to cross a paved driveway, I noticed she was extremely cautious. We had gotten away with only a little skin rubbed off of the outside of her left hock.
I was very pleased to see that when she got into a bind, Farley didn't panic. She was able to think about the situation and extract herself. I think this is a very good sign. I want a horse that can think for herself in a hairy situation and isn't going to get us in MORE trouble by completely losing it. I took this kind of sensibility for granted in my Standardbred and I'm pleasantly suprised to find it in my Arab.
We were Stalked
Yep - we were stalked by something on a ridge. Farley felt the need to go and let her decide speed and distance. There were several bear and cub sightings this weekend, and it was in the same location that I saw a bear and two cubs last year. There's also mountain lions in the area. I didn't feel the need to stick around to see was evaluating our availability for dinner. There was a ride and tie event held on Sunday during the ride. I heard that one of the ride and tie horses spooked and broke his reins. The ride manager suspects that a bear came by and spooked the horse. I can just imagine what was going through the bear's head "Sardine on a string!".
I had a Crew!
I failed to mention my wonderful Mother who came and crewed for me on Saturday and Sunday. She is NOT a horse person and went to great lengths to avoid having to hold my horse for longer than about five seconds (as a result I got to sit there and hold the horse, while she did all sorts of useful tasks for me!). It was so nice to have someone at my one hour holds. I think having someone to meet me at the one hour holds at Tevis (IF I do it) is going to be really important. I didn't take any pictures on the trail (I wanted to be able to focus on my ride) but she took a bunch of photos that I'll probably post later. Saturday evening we played fiddle and banjo underneath my fly. I promised my neighbors that we would quit when the generators went off (9pm) and they wouldn't have to listen to us all night! It was nice playing at a non-musical event - the music was unexpected and I had several people tell me the next day how much they enjoyed having the music in camp.
I think that's it for my Wild West stories!
Electrolyte Protocol
Endurance Granny asked about my electrolyte protocol at the last ride. As I was e-mailing her, I realized that others might be able to get ideas from what I did. Below is what I used at Wild West. I'm definitely a newbie at the electrolytes thing and I would recommend you check out other people's recommendations and ideas (such as Karen Chaton's) before formulating your own protocol! If anyone wants to comment on what you do differently - feel free - I'm constantly tweaking everything I do to try and find the "best" way.
Which Electrolytes?
The electrolytes I buy are the cheap ones you can get at the tack store - just make sure they do NOT contain sodium bicarbonate. You can also make your own by using 1/2 regular salt to 1/2 lite salt (potassium chloride) to 1 part dolomite. I was told you could get dolomite in the health food section - it's adds calcium - some people also use tums instead. I don't make my own because for 10 bucks it's worth it for me to just buy the pre-made stuff (and I'm having problems finding lite salt). Another brand I've thought about using is "Acculytes". It's $25 for 5 pounds versus $10, but because it takes me so long to go through 5 pounds, in the end I probably wouldn't notice an increased cost. Acculytes is a brand used by a lot of endurance riders, but it's hard for me to get anything locally here, and the shipping on some of this stuff is astronomical, so I tend to stick with what I can find around here if it's working for me.
How Much?
The typical dosage is one ounce. That's usually the size of the scoop that comes with the electrolytes. I'm super conservative when it comes to electrolytes and I usually plan on giving 1/2 dose of electrolytes after every water stop (that the horse drinks at). At a vet checks and 1 hour holds, or after the ride, I may give 1 full dose.
Mixing and Storing
I put 1/2 dose of electrolytes in a 60 cc syringe (make sure you get the "feeding syringes" so the tips are big enough to let the salt go through) and filled the rest up with applesauce. Then I dump the syringe out, mix well, and refill the syringe and cap with a wire nut (you can buy at any hardware store - they are used to join wires together - they come in lots of different sizes so bring your syringes with you). After some trial and error, I found out that the volume of my plastic squeezee condiment bottle (found at walmart) is exactly the volume of 4 - 60cc syringes! Which means I put 2 ounces/scoops of electrolytes, fill it up with applesauce, shake to mix, and then squirt the mixture into 4 - 60 cc syringes. Voila! For the ride I made up 4 syringes and then mixed another bottle of electrolytes to refill the syringes at lunch. That way everything was premixed for me on ride day and there was no mess for refilling syringes (I just had to squirt the mixture in the empty syringes).
I'm planning on experimenting with replacing some of the applesauce with molasses. The applesauce/electrolyte mixture is still very salty, even with only 1/2 dose. The molasses will make it a little sweeter and maybe more palatable. If I do, I have a feeling I may have to use a mixer to mix the ingredients instead of just shaking it in the bottle.
Electrolyte Protocol at Ride
I give one dose in her mash for 2-3 days prior to travelling in her ride. Once at the ride, I'll give one dose in her mash the night before riding (I usually arrive the afternoon before the ride). I'd rather give electrolytes in mashes than syringing, but at some point she stops reliably eating her mashes - usually the morning of the ride - this is when I start syringing. The morning of the ride, IF she has been drinking/and or urinating and the urine color is good, I will give her one syringe (1/2 dose). At every water stop where she drinks during the ride, she gets one syringe (1/2 dose) followed by one syringe of water to rinse her mouth. At the lunch check, if she has been sweating a lot and is continuing to drink well I will give 1-2 syringes (1/2 - 1 dose). After lunch I continue with 1/2 dose (1 syringe) after every watering. After the ride is finished I will give 1-2 syringes (1/2 - 1 dose).
You could experiment with putting a full dose of electrolytes in a syringe and only giving 1/2 a syringe - but I don't like the idea of putting a small amount of extremely concentrated saltiness into my horses mouth. I like the fact that I'm diluting it.
Carrying Elytes on the Trail
Four syringes seemed to be the magic number for me - I never ran out of electrolytes on the trail, but my saddle pack wasn't so bulky that it was unmanageable either. If I do the Tevis or any other 100 miler, I will get a couple more (at least 3 or 4 more) of the plastic sqeezee bottles to premix the electrolytes and put at least one at each vet check. I'll also buy one or two more sets of 4 syringes so I can do a quick switch-a-roo at a check, or replace syringes if I lose a set on the trail.
Good luck! I hope this made sense and it helped.
Which Electrolytes?
The electrolytes I buy are the cheap ones you can get at the tack store - just make sure they do NOT contain sodium bicarbonate. You can also make your own by using 1/2 regular salt to 1/2 lite salt (potassium chloride) to 1 part dolomite. I was told you could get dolomite in the health food section - it's adds calcium - some people also use tums instead. I don't make my own because for 10 bucks it's worth it for me to just buy the pre-made stuff (and I'm having problems finding lite salt). Another brand I've thought about using is "Acculytes". It's $25 for 5 pounds versus $10, but because it takes me so long to go through 5 pounds, in the end I probably wouldn't notice an increased cost. Acculytes is a brand used by a lot of endurance riders, but it's hard for me to get anything locally here, and the shipping on some of this stuff is astronomical, so I tend to stick with what I can find around here if it's working for me.
How Much?
The typical dosage is one ounce. That's usually the size of the scoop that comes with the electrolytes. I'm super conservative when it comes to electrolytes and I usually plan on giving 1/2 dose of electrolytes after every water stop (that the horse drinks at). At a vet checks and 1 hour holds, or after the ride, I may give 1 full dose.
Mixing and Storing
I put 1/2 dose of electrolytes in a 60 cc syringe (make sure you get the "feeding syringes" so the tips are big enough to let the salt go through) and filled the rest up with applesauce. Then I dump the syringe out, mix well, and refill the syringe and cap with a wire nut (you can buy at any hardware store - they are used to join wires together - they come in lots of different sizes so bring your syringes with you). After some trial and error, I found out that the volume of my plastic squeezee condiment bottle (found at walmart) is exactly the volume of 4 - 60cc syringes! Which means I put 2 ounces/scoops of electrolytes, fill it up with applesauce, shake to mix, and then squirt the mixture into 4 - 60 cc syringes. Voila! For the ride I made up 4 syringes and then mixed another bottle of electrolytes to refill the syringes at lunch. That way everything was premixed for me on ride day and there was no mess for refilling syringes (I just had to squirt the mixture in the empty syringes).
I'm planning on experimenting with replacing some of the applesauce with molasses. The applesauce/electrolyte mixture is still very salty, even with only 1/2 dose. The molasses will make it a little sweeter and maybe more palatable. If I do, I have a feeling I may have to use a mixer to mix the ingredients instead of just shaking it in the bottle.
Electrolyte Protocol at Ride
I give one dose in her mash for 2-3 days prior to travelling in her ride. Once at the ride, I'll give one dose in her mash the night before riding (I usually arrive the afternoon before the ride). I'd rather give electrolytes in mashes than syringing, but at some point she stops reliably eating her mashes - usually the morning of the ride - this is when I start syringing. The morning of the ride, IF she has been drinking/and or urinating and the urine color is good, I will give her one syringe (1/2 dose). At every water stop where she drinks during the ride, she gets one syringe (1/2 dose) followed by one syringe of water to rinse her mouth. At the lunch check, if she has been sweating a lot and is continuing to drink well I will give 1-2 syringes (1/2 - 1 dose). After lunch I continue with 1/2 dose (1 syringe) after every watering. After the ride is finished I will give 1-2 syringes (1/2 - 1 dose).
You could experiment with putting a full dose of electrolytes in a syringe and only giving 1/2 a syringe - but I don't like the idea of putting a small amount of extremely concentrated saltiness into my horses mouth. I like the fact that I'm diluting it.
Carrying Elytes on the Trail
Four syringes seemed to be the magic number for me - I never ran out of electrolytes on the trail, but my saddle pack wasn't so bulky that it was unmanageable either. If I do the Tevis or any other 100 miler, I will get a couple more (at least 3 or 4 more) of the plastic sqeezee bottles to premix the electrolytes and put at least one at each vet check. I'll also buy one or two more sets of 4 syringes so I can do a quick switch-a-roo at a check, or replace syringes if I lose a set on the trail.
Good luck! I hope this made sense and it helped.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Wild West
So I just spent 2 hours on a post that described in excruciating detail how much fun I had at this ride, how good my little pony was, how beautiful the trails were, etc. And then, do you know what I did? I deleted it. "Why", do you ask? Because it was boring. Very boring. Everything went perfectly. I feel great, my horse looks great, what is there to write about? Instead, I would like to highlight some things that went especially well, or tricks that I discovered that served me well over the weekend.
First I want to go over the goals I made for this ride:
1. Finish with a strong and sound horse - Completed
2. Get off during the race and run - Completed.
3. Finalize my crew bag decisions. - Kinda Completed Still haven't found the "best" way to do it.
4. Practice my electrolyte protocol - Completed
I mixed applesauce and electrolytes in a squeeze ketchup bottle and then filled 4-60cc syringes. 1/2 dose of electrolytes was in each syringe. I capped each syringe with a wire nut. Then I mixed another batch of electrolyte/applesauce in the ketchup bottle and put in my crew bag. It worked PERFECTLY. It was easy to refill my syringes at the lunch vet check (just squeeze it into the each syringe) and easy to give on the trail. I electrolyted after each water stop (1/2 dose, or one syringe). She drank great, was well hydrated, and peed several times on the trail every day. Very very very happy how this method worked out. Thank you everyone who gave me ideas for this!!! For future: Buy at least 4 more syringes as a spare set, and a couple for bottles so I can have mixed electrolytes for longer rides.
Running and running shoes
I wore my trail runners and actually got off and ran a total of ~7 miles this week (not counting the 7-8 mile "adventure" - ie Melinda got lost - run on Friday morning). The shoes felt great in and out of the saddle. The second day I duct taped my laces and didn't have to re-tie my shoes ONCE. Yeah! Very annoying to get out of the saddle to run, only to find out that you have a shoelace untied.... Farley seemed to really appreciate the break, especially on the second day when travelling on some endless side jeep roads....I would get to the point where I couldn't STAND it anymore, and then I would get off and run for a while. It was a GREAT break for both of us. For the future: Practice my running/moving mounts. I knew Farley was ready for me to get back on when she would start moving ahead of me when running. That was my clue to run along beside and jump on....theoretically.
Helmet handkerchief - or - "The Flying Nun"
I took a clue from Karen Chaton and duct taped a handkerchief to the back of my helmet to keep the sun and bugs off my neck. It worked like a charm. I'll definitely be doing more of this! For the Future: Try to get a handkerchief more dignified than my teal and magenta mayan print....
Tall Socks in Lieu of Half Chaps
Went well - my leathers rubbed a hole in the sock of my inside calf of my left leg - but it didn't bruise my leg or tear into my tights. I think a combination of the tail wraps around the leathers and a knee high sock on at least my left leg, should eliminate any half chap need. It was really nice to run without the half chaps.
Just a short note on how good my pony is....:)
My horse LOVES single track and technical trail. She's completely awesome. Some of the single track on this ride is a little hairy....she handled it like a pro, never taking a wrong step. I couldn't be more proud of her.
Eating on the Trail
I can tell when she's going to stop and eat - we'll be going at a power trot and then she'll start examining the side of the trail for edibles. She'll slow, walk and grab 3-5 bites and then trot on. After a couple repeats, she's usually good for a while. I was able to ride by myself for most of the 2 days which really made a difference in her comfort level of eating on the trail. I did have to put a limit of the number of times she wanted to stop and eat on the second day on the second loop. We would have NEVER made it through the last 10 miles if I had let her eat as much as she wanted.
Did I push her this weekend?
She barely sweated this weekend. Never had a problem with pulse, excellent recoveries (CRIs were all 52/48 etc.). There was one STEEP (and I mean STEEEEEEEPPPPPPP gravelly hill that went STRAIGHT up for at least a mile) hill that I decided NOT to get off on because I wanted to see if she had enough gas in her tank to get me up it - it was near the end of the second day. She did. I got off at the top and walked her the mile to the vet check. By the time we got there she was under sixty pulse and looked great. She never felt tired. We both hit a mental wall on the jeep roads. It was tough. But I found out how to handle it - when I got off I immediately felt better. I practiced our "stay cool" strategies - trotting in the sun and walking in the shade. Her gait and hydration was absolutely solid both days and the day after. She was mentally with it and focused for the entire ride. She could have easily done another day of 50 miles, or have done the 2 days of 50's much faster - probably top 10 both days (not that I would have - that's not my goal right now, but I just trying to provide a reference of how she felt).
What I WASN'T happy with....
I had to pulse down for lunch on the second day right outside of camp. She threw a hissy fit. Apparently she thought she should be able to go straight to camp. She was down on the trail (totally relaxed, I walked the last mile in, probably in the 40's). When she threw her fit by spinning, pacing, and invading my personal space, she of course was over 60. This was not a tired horse that wouldn't pulse down, this was a misbehaving horse that was not pulsing down because she was refusing to stand still and accept her fate of having to listen to me. I'm sure the pulse takers thought I was a crazy person for disciplining her for not standing still. I was NOT doing the whole "poor horsey must be so tired...", instead I was working on the behavior of "I asked you to stand so you will". I knew I was going to pulse down and honestly, even if it took me 45 minutes to address this behavior and I got pulled, I would rather address this behavior NOW instead of having to deal with this every time we have to pulse outside of camp. We (pulse takers and I) finally got her to stand and she pulsed in. I have a feeling that point to point or single loop trails are going to be her best rides.
Rider Fitness
For these 2 50's I was in the best shape I have been while doing a ride (I've been fitter, but wasn't doing rides at that time). It made a huge difference. I could ride well all the way through, I could get off when I needed to, and I could help my horse. Even at 5000 feet (I live at sea level) I could get off and run 30-60 minutes no problem. If I do the tevis I should be in even better shape by then.
So the Tevis or Not?
I'm waiting 1-2 weeks before making my decision. Sometimes an issue doesn't show up until a few weeks after the ride. I want to make sure she really is 100%. She has some weird bumps on her back (bug bites?) and I want to make sure those go away without incident. I probably won't do Diablo - I'm going to want to take as many weekends in June and July to ride the Tevis trail as I can. One of the differences between Saturday and Sunday's ride was that I knew Saturday's trail much much better. I definitely need to continue rider fitness - it made a huge difference.
So the Tevis decision is still up in the air - I'll let you guys know at the beginning of June what I have decided. My pony has earned her 2 weeks of vacation/easy work, but there's no reason for me to be a slacker! I need to get more miles on my own legs, ramp up my hill and the heat training.
First I want to go over the goals I made for this ride:
1. Finish with a strong and sound horse - Completed
2. Get off during the race and run - Completed.
3. Finalize my crew bag decisions. - Kinda Completed Still haven't found the "best" way to do it.
4. Practice my electrolyte protocol - Completed
And while we are at it - I can check off one of my yearly goals - Complete my first endurance multi-day - Completed!!!
I mixed applesauce and electrolytes in a squeeze ketchup bottle and then filled 4-60cc syringes. 1/2 dose of electrolytes was in each syringe. I capped each syringe with a wire nut. Then I mixed another batch of electrolyte/applesauce in the ketchup bottle and put in my crew bag. It worked PERFECTLY. It was easy to refill my syringes at the lunch vet check (just squeeze it into the each syringe) and easy to give on the trail. I electrolyted after each water stop (1/2 dose, or one syringe). She drank great, was well hydrated, and peed several times on the trail every day. Very very very happy how this method worked out. Thank you everyone who gave me ideas for this!!! For future: Buy at least 4 more syringes as a spare set, and a couple for bottles so I can have mixed electrolytes for longer rides.
Running and running shoes
I wore my trail runners and actually got off and ran a total of ~7 miles this week (not counting the 7-8 mile "adventure" - ie Melinda got lost - run on Friday morning). The shoes felt great in and out of the saddle. The second day I duct taped my laces and didn't have to re-tie my shoes ONCE. Yeah! Very annoying to get out of the saddle to run, only to find out that you have a shoelace untied.... Farley seemed to really appreciate the break, especially on the second day when travelling on some endless side jeep roads....I would get to the point where I couldn't STAND it anymore, and then I would get off and run for a while. It was a GREAT break for both of us. For the future: Practice my running/moving mounts. I knew Farley was ready for me to get back on when she would start moving ahead of me when running. That was my clue to run along beside and jump on....theoretically.
Helmet handkerchief - or - "The Flying Nun"
I took a clue from Karen Chaton and duct taped a handkerchief to the back of my helmet to keep the sun and bugs off my neck. It worked like a charm. I'll definitely be doing more of this! For the Future: Try to get a handkerchief more dignified than my teal and magenta mayan print....
Tall Socks in Lieu of Half Chaps
Went well - my leathers rubbed a hole in the sock of my inside calf of my left leg - but it didn't bruise my leg or tear into my tights. I think a combination of the tail wraps around the leathers and a knee high sock on at least my left leg, should eliminate any half chap need. It was really nice to run without the half chaps.
Just a short note on how good my pony is....:)
My horse LOVES single track and technical trail. She's completely awesome. Some of the single track on this ride is a little hairy....she handled it like a pro, never taking a wrong step. I couldn't be more proud of her.
Eating on the Trail
I can tell when she's going to stop and eat - we'll be going at a power trot and then she'll start examining the side of the trail for edibles. She'll slow, walk and grab 3-5 bites and then trot on. After a couple repeats, she's usually good for a while. I was able to ride by myself for most of the 2 days which really made a difference in her comfort level of eating on the trail. I did have to put a limit of the number of times she wanted to stop and eat on the second day on the second loop. We would have NEVER made it through the last 10 miles if I had let her eat as much as she wanted.
Did I push her this weekend?
She barely sweated this weekend. Never had a problem with pulse, excellent recoveries (CRIs were all 52/48 etc.). There was one STEEP (and I mean STEEEEEEEPPPPPPP gravelly hill that went STRAIGHT up for at least a mile) hill that I decided NOT to get off on because I wanted to see if she had enough gas in her tank to get me up it - it was near the end of the second day. She did. I got off at the top and walked her the mile to the vet check. By the time we got there she was under sixty pulse and looked great. She never felt tired. We both hit a mental wall on the jeep roads. It was tough. But I found out how to handle it - when I got off I immediately felt better. I practiced our "stay cool" strategies - trotting in the sun and walking in the shade. Her gait and hydration was absolutely solid both days and the day after. She was mentally with it and focused for the entire ride. She could have easily done another day of 50 miles, or have done the 2 days of 50's much faster - probably top 10 both days (not that I would have - that's not my goal right now, but I just trying to provide a reference of how she felt).
What I WASN'T happy with....
I had to pulse down for lunch on the second day right outside of camp. She threw a hissy fit. Apparently she thought she should be able to go straight to camp. She was down on the trail (totally relaxed, I walked the last mile in, probably in the 40's). When she threw her fit by spinning, pacing, and invading my personal space, she of course was over 60. This was not a tired horse that wouldn't pulse down, this was a misbehaving horse that was not pulsing down because she was refusing to stand still and accept her fate of having to listen to me. I'm sure the pulse takers thought I was a crazy person for disciplining her for not standing still. I was NOT doing the whole "poor horsey must be so tired...", instead I was working on the behavior of "I asked you to stand so you will". I knew I was going to pulse down and honestly, even if it took me 45 minutes to address this behavior and I got pulled, I would rather address this behavior NOW instead of having to deal with this every time we have to pulse outside of camp. We (pulse takers and I) finally got her to stand and she pulsed in. I have a feeling that point to point or single loop trails are going to be her best rides.
Rider Fitness
For these 2 50's I was in the best shape I have been while doing a ride (I've been fitter, but wasn't doing rides at that time). It made a huge difference. I could ride well all the way through, I could get off when I needed to, and I could help my horse. Even at 5000 feet (I live at sea level) I could get off and run 30-60 minutes no problem. If I do the tevis I should be in even better shape by then.
So the Tevis or Not?
I'm waiting 1-2 weeks before making my decision. Sometimes an issue doesn't show up until a few weeks after the ride. I want to make sure she really is 100%. She has some weird bumps on her back (bug bites?) and I want to make sure those go away without incident. I probably won't do Diablo - I'm going to want to take as many weekends in June and July to ride the Tevis trail as I can. One of the differences between Saturday and Sunday's ride was that I knew Saturday's trail much much better. I definitely need to continue rider fitness - it made a huge difference.
So the Tevis decision is still up in the air - I'll let you guys know at the beginning of June what I have decided. My pony has earned her 2 weeks of vacation/easy work, but there's no reason for me to be a slacker! I need to get more miles on my own legs, ramp up my hill and the heat training.
I'm back
Just wanted to drop a quick note to let everyone know that Farley finished both days at Wild West and both of us were very strong at the end of each day. It was absolutely amazing. The first day (Wild West Day 2) was fairly easy, but that might have been because I knew the trails well. The second day (Wild West Day 3) was brutal, but we finished that as well. I learned that Farley and I do much better on technical single track than gravelly jeep roads that go on forever and ever and ever and ever.....
I think I managed to achieve every single one of my goals I had for the weekend, and I think that this was the "smartest" rides I've done to date (pacing, electrolytes, getting off etc.)
I have a lot to say about the weekend but it will have to wait until I have more time to do the ride story justice.
See you in a bit!
I think I managed to achieve every single one of my goals I had for the weekend, and I think that this was the "smartest" rides I've done to date (pacing, electrolytes, getting off etc.)
I have a lot to say about the weekend but it will have to wait until I have more time to do the ride story justice.
See you in a bit!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
I'm off! (and new product review)
I'm off to Wild West! The blogging front has been quiet (I subscribe to 55+ blogs in Google Reader and no one is posting!) so I thought I would post one last thought before leaving.
My first product review! This is especially relevant to women who spend a lot of time hiking and riding in the back country, although I can imagine other uses too (dirty porta potties, if you spend a lot of time travelling etc.).
Attention men and easily offended women: The following product refers to a ummm.....private function, and although I'll try to be as discrete as the packaging the product comes in, you may not want to read the following paragraphs in great detail!
Women - every wonder how you too could conveniently "use the restroom" in a modest and not quite so revealing way when there is no restroom? (OK - I'll break it down for you people - ever want to be able to pee in the back country without exposing all?). I've been using a little device for ~3 weeks and it has given me incredible freedom.
I would like to introduce you to "The FUD". (Real name is "Freshette"...talk about a name that doesn't say anything. Jeez - I bet the namers and package design people went to school just to be able to sell something for 25 bucks that doesn't actually describe what it is or what it does!)
To this product on the REI website, click here.
Don't get me wrong - I am not overly modest while in the back country or on an endurance ride. In fact, I wasn't sure that this device was for me, as I like minimal fuss, and I couldn't the see difference between the potential embarrassment of "just doing it" (bare bottom and all) or the fuss of having to drag this thing out.
I was taken aback at the price, but after using it for the last 3 weeks in various situations (civil war reenactment, porta potties etc.) I've decided I love it. It's discrete, small (the hose portion collapses inside the plastic cup), light weight and easily cleanable. Take a water bottle with you into the potty or behind the bush and just rinse it out. There's no pieces to break or wear out. The freedom is incredible. At Wild West I will have this in my saddle bags. I'm pretty sure that doing it from the saddle won't be a problem (I may have to buy a longer hose).
My first product review! This is especially relevant to women who spend a lot of time hiking and riding in the back country, although I can imagine other uses too (dirty porta potties, if you spend a lot of time travelling etc.).
Attention men and easily offended women: The following product refers to a ummm.....private function, and although I'll try to be as discrete as the packaging the product comes in, you may not want to read the following paragraphs in great detail!
Women - every wonder how you too could conveniently "use the restroom" in a modest and not quite so revealing way when there is no restroom? (OK - I'll break it down for you people - ever want to be able to pee in the back country without exposing all?). I've been using a little device for ~3 weeks and it has given me incredible freedom.
I would like to introduce you to "The FUD". (Real name is "Freshette"...talk about a name that doesn't say anything. Jeez - I bet the namers and package design people went to school just to be able to sell something for 25 bucks that doesn't actually describe what it is or what it does!)
To this product on the REI website, click here.
Don't get me wrong - I am not overly modest while in the back country or on an endurance ride. In fact, I wasn't sure that this device was for me, as I like minimal fuss, and I couldn't the see difference between the potential embarrassment of "just doing it" (bare bottom and all) or the fuss of having to drag this thing out.
I was taken aback at the price, but after using it for the last 3 weeks in various situations (civil war reenactment, porta potties etc.) I've decided I love it. It's discrete, small (the hose portion collapses inside the plastic cup), light weight and easily cleanable. Take a water bottle with you into the potty or behind the bush and just rinse it out. There's no pieces to break or wear out. The freedom is incredible. At Wild West I will have this in my saddle bags. I'm pretty sure that doing it from the saddle won't be a problem (I may have to buy a longer hose).
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
The Bear Story
Loreleigh came through! My original plan was to co-post this piece with her, adding my comments along the way, however, after reading it, I decided my comments would only detract from the story. This story is particularly timely as I am leaving for Wild West tomorrow. It takes place the day after Wild West, at the same location in 2008.
So without further ado....here's Loreleigh!
Hi, I’m Loreleigh. Melinda is my sister and she threatened to tell these stories in her own words if I failed to write in. Before I begin this episode of “how Loreleigh almost became bear food” I ought to introduce my horse and myself. I am NOT an endurance rider- one of my favorite horsy activities is to ride my Sally bareback to a nice patch of sun and stop. Enjoy the sun. Enjoy the feeling of sitting on the horse. I also draw little hearts around Sally’s name when I get the chance. Sally is a mustang, which I’m sure I don’t have to tell this audience is NOT a car but an excuse for a horse to be both lazy AND have a spiteful streak.
So, on May 25th 2008 Melinda came home from her endurance ride wet cranky and cold. Minx wasn’t going to be talking to her for a good while because Minx, apparently, hates the rain- “See,” Melinda said” I’m smiling here because I knew I was going to buy the pictures not because I was actually happy.” At my urging we returned to the scene of misery to go riding – it even started raining again as we pulled into the equestrian overlook with Sally, Farley and my boundless optimism, which I credit for sending the rain away. The trail was amazing and the scenery was gorgeous even when it managed to collide with my knees (this is Sally’s favorite trick and I could hear her snicker whenever she scored a point). The slopes where so muddy that to get up them I was letting my horse choose the pace which seemed to consist of leaping up the steps formed by the tree roots and for the first time the horn on my western saddle reached out and touched me. Right then and there I decided to become a convert to non-western tack, hear the angels sing, another lost soul has been saved.
We made it back to camp, untacked, propped our heels up, heated up some chili and watched my horse steam in the cold air as we rehashed the ride. The previous day at the endurance ride there had been some bear sightings and we had been scaring ourselves with “what is that over there!!!????” for the entire ride and the first thing we did when we got to camp was come up with a plan in case of a bear 1) get rid of trash 2) load horses 3) load camp table etc 4) drive away. This was, of course, if the bear wasn’t charging, if it was Melinda pointed out that she could run a good deal faster than I could so I got to be bear food. This was until we decided that the subject of bears was officially closed because it wasn’t going to happen and we were just obsessing. I was 2/3rds thorough my tack wish list (long and varied as is any good tack wish list should be) and I was trying to convince myself that the scary sounds were a cow or a bull frog despite every PBS save-the-endangered-bears show I’ve ever watched when Melinda said “there’s a bear.” Look-yep-a bear. I drained my post ride tea and what follows is a series of vivid scenes and curious blank spots. Melinda ordered me to grab the trash and get it away from camp as per plan. In my mind I argued about it being ME who ran like a prey animal and smelled like chili but it WAS the PLAN. “Farther! Farther!” yelled Melinda “Farther!” Finally I dumped it, ran back and realized I’d only gotten 10 feet from camp though I swear I’d run a half a mile. Horses next. Sally planted her feet (we were half hoping that the mustang would warn us if a bear came, she just looked mildly interested and wanted to finish her hay). I was; however, plenty scared by now and just pulled on the rope. I’m pretty sure I could have reeled her in willing or not at that point. It was then that I became aware that when I’m scared for my life my hands shake like leaves and it takes so long for me to say words through my stuttering that I might as well be mute. I also cannot perform simple tasks like tying up lead ropes or figuring out fasteners on horse trailer dividers. Melinda “It slides!” Me “I-i-i-i-i-it wo-o-o-n’t-t-t-t-t….!” Melinda, it seems, reacts the opposite: she laughs like a kid on a roller coaster and gives lots of orders none of which I cannot question. All in all, I think she is quite happy with this combination.
As Melinda made sure we were are ready to roll, I start pitching our camp in to the back or the truck (we had untacked our horses directly into the trailer and had run a very tidy camp for which we were very grateful). The first thing I threw in was the 5 gallon jug of water as my mind from some small sane corner remarked that yeah, that was the first thing the bears would be after on a rainy day but with all the adrenaline let me tell you, that jug FLEW into the bed of the truck. Melinda kept and eye on the bear while I was tossing – VERY helpful, Melinda. “It’s standing up!” Me (in head because my mouth is not working): “ It’s kinda small – oh no! What if it charges!!!???? I’m gunna die!!!!!” Melinda: “It’s a mother with cubs!” Me (still in head) “ Why can’t we leave Melinda’s camp stuff?!!!!?”
Everything was loaded. Melinda “ Go get the trash!” Now, I thought that this was patently unfair that I got to be bear bait twice but once again to question requires working vocal chords. I was secretly happy that I hadn’t managed to dump it very far from camp seeing as I HAD TO RUN BACK FOR IT (how’s that for sisterly love?). As we scrambled into the relative safety of the cab and make our painstakingly slow get away I started coming off the adrenaline – nothing like your first scared-for-your-life-because-that-bear-might-rip-you-to-pieces-and-eat-you to cheer you and make you laugh so hard you risk your life a second time to suffocation. Now you can all see why I can’t wait to go riding with Melinda again. It is a blast!
What type of rider are you?
I found a new blog today called "Confessions of a Struggling Dressage Rider". Recently she posted "What type of rider are you?"
Seriously - Aren't all endurance riders over-analyzers?
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Product Reviews
Product Reviews
I've decided to start doing some product reviews here periodically. When I'm shopping for an item, I often search through the internet trying to find people that have experience with the product. I have found the endurance.net ridcamp archives very useful, as well as horsetackreview.com. Hopefully you'll find my reviews helpful. If you want a specific product reviewed, (such as one of my endurance items I mention on my blog), let me know. I'm going to keep my review posts positive and honest. It is not my intention to publically "bash" any product. If you have specific questions beyond what I post, leave a comment or e-mail me! I'm Stressed/Worried/Apprehensive/Concerned......The after math of Minx's death?
I'm in San Jose for work right now. It is the first multi-day/multi-night absence I've had away from Farley since Minx's death. It's affected me more than I expected. I'm not having full panic attacks, but I'm extremely stressed and apprehensive during the two feeding times at the boarding stable. If I get a call, that is when I would get it. I don't feel good at all because of the amount of stress. If I get a call that Farley is not doing well, I don't know what I would do. The situation is made worse because the weather has been unseasonably hot over the past couple of days (over 100 degrees). When I saw her Monday, she was covered in salt from Sunday's heat wave and looked slightly dehydrated. I wish I could check in on her to make sure she's drinking OK and taking care of herself. She's never had a problem, but ever since Minx, I've become a OCD worry-wort about it......I wonder how long this lasts? I cannot go through this every time I'm gone for a couple of days.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Good News
Just a quick note - I'm crazy busy and don't want the sweet feeling of success to die before being able to post this.
Farley had her check up ultrasound appointment this morning and......(drum roll please).....she had the cleanest ultrasound on her tendon EVER. Better than a year ago when she was cleared for regular work and they told me that she was "almost 100%"! SUCCESS. Actually success will be defined as finishing both days at Wild West this weekend on a sound and happy horse - but I digress.....
The tendon fiber looks good, the actual size/volume of the bump looks good (is currently 1.12 square cm, ideal/normal is less than 1.0. The last couple of ultrasounds it's been 1.23-1.3).
I gave her one month of easy work, and 2 months of intense/regular work. I have not babied the tendon over the last 2 months because I wanted to ultrasound to reflect what would happen if she was on regular work. So yes I'm very happy. :)
BTW - I found out that Dr. R* volunteered at Tevis at a vet student, so she has some idea of what I ask my endurance horse to do. (comforting - not as good as being an endurance rider herself, but better than nothing!). I really like her as a vet and I asked her if she was interested in becoming a control vet for AERC. I think she would do really well and it might be fun change from her regular clinic work. I gave her the info, but I'm sure her life is very busy! Still, it would be nice.
Farley had her check up ultrasound appointment this morning and......(drum roll please).....she had the cleanest ultrasound on her tendon EVER. Better than a year ago when she was cleared for regular work and they told me that she was "almost 100%"! SUCCESS. Actually success will be defined as finishing both days at Wild West this weekend on a sound and happy horse - but I digress.....
The tendon fiber looks good, the actual size/volume of the bump looks good (is currently 1.12 square cm, ideal/normal is less than 1.0. The last couple of ultrasounds it's been 1.23-1.3).
I gave her one month of easy work, and 2 months of intense/regular work. I have not babied the tendon over the last 2 months because I wanted to ultrasound to reflect what would happen if she was on regular work. So yes I'm very happy. :)
BTW - I found out that Dr. R* volunteered at Tevis at a vet student, so she has some idea of what I ask my endurance horse to do. (comforting - not as good as being an endurance rider herself, but better than nothing!). I really like her as a vet and I asked her if she was interested in becoming a control vet for AERC. I think she would do really well and it might be fun change from her regular clinic work. I gave her the info, but I'm sure her life is very busy! Still, it would be nice.
Friday, May 15, 2009
The Patient Pony
~E.G., This post is for you.
Endurance Granny was asking in her blog tips for posting better. As I whipped out my keyboard to give the standard advice - ride without stirrups and bareback, I must admit a not-so-small feeling of guilt rising up. When was the last time I rode bareback? stirrupless? was my posting all that great? (the answer is no). I stand before you - convicted and guilty as charged.
So last night I whipped out the bareback pad (she has some not-so-nice withers for bareback, but GREAT for keeping the saddle from moving forward!). You know - the bareback pad I've used twice since I bought it three years ago. I stood back and took a look - yellow halter, southwestern print pad, purple tights, bright pink long sleeved shirt. Yep, I don't look like a anomaly in this mostly western and drill team boarding stable AT ALL.
Time to get on. Where did all my courage go? I rode bareback for YEARS. In a halter....at a gallop...on the beach. I never had any trouble, although that downward transition from gallop to trot can be kind of rough on a Standardbred. Oh that's right - the LAST time I rode bareback it was on Minx. The Doc's orders were ride at a walk for 10 minutes during the bowed tendon rehab. I figured if I rode without a saddle maybe she would be less crazy. She was extremely fit and hyped up from the limited about of hand walking that was allowed. I remember I was in a plaid skirt and the plan was to swing my leg over and go for an easy 10 minute walk in the arena. I swung my leg over Minx. At 16 hands it was more of a hop and a slide. I was halfway on and she bolted. She went galloping and bucking on the nicest change of diagonal across the ring you could ask for. I lasted until "X" (center point) and made a not-so-controlled dismount with my skirt around my ears, spitting dirt. I swung my leg over Farley and miracles of miracles, she just stood there. It was going to be a good ride.
Farley is normally bored and sloppy in the arena. Diving off the rail and death trots are not uncommon. Last night she lightly JOGGED for 15 minutes, staying on the rail, completely ignoring my bouncing and grunting, stopping when I got to unbalanced, letting me find my balance and pull on her mane, being overall a perfect pony. After 15 minutes of circles, serpentines, and change of directions she came to a gentle stop in the middle of the arena and told me I was done. I have always thought long line lessons would really benefit me. I think Farley was doing her best to give it to me.
So how did it go? The first 5 minutes were spent hanging on her mane, forcing myself to lean back. I found out that by lifting my knees slightly, first one side, then the other in rhythm to her trotting, that I could sit the trot. I found out that by rolling my thighs forward and back I could post bareback. An Arab trot is LOT different (more bouncy) than an Standardbred trot (rough and bone jarrring, but more forward and back motion than up and down). The last 10 minutes I experimented with moving different parts of my body while trotting - leaning back, twisting my body to one side and the other, reaching to the side with my arms, lifting my legs off her sides. I spent less time hanging on to her mane.
By the end of the session I wasn't competent, but I wasn't falling off either. The death grip on the mane was lessened and I was able to steer with quiet hands. I was still bouncing though! It was disheartening to look at my shadow and realize that Farley still wasn't TROTTING, just doing a nice little jog. No where near where I need to be! I think 15 minutes a week bareback and 10 minutes of stirrupless saddle time on every arena ride is what I need.
On a different subject...
I sent pictures to the saddle fitter of Farley's back and current saddle. Even though I'm not having saddle fit issues, her back is changing and I think the fit of the saddle has changed slightly. I'll probably need to adjust it, or switch saddles sometime in the future. It will be interesting to see what she reccomends and what she thinks of the current fit.
Endurance Granny was asking in her blog tips for posting better. As I whipped out my keyboard to give the standard advice - ride without stirrups and bareback, I must admit a not-so-small feeling of guilt rising up. When was the last time I rode bareback? stirrupless? was my posting all that great? (the answer is no). I stand before you - convicted and guilty as charged.
So last night I whipped out the bareback pad (she has some not-so-nice withers for bareback, but GREAT for keeping the saddle from moving forward!). You know - the bareback pad I've used twice since I bought it three years ago. I stood back and took a look - yellow halter, southwestern print pad, purple tights, bright pink long sleeved shirt. Yep, I don't look like a anomaly in this mostly western and drill team boarding stable AT ALL.
Time to get on. Where did all my courage go? I rode bareback for YEARS. In a halter....at a gallop...on the beach. I never had any trouble, although that downward transition from gallop to trot can be kind of rough on a Standardbred. Oh that's right - the LAST time I rode bareback it was on Minx. The Doc's orders were ride at a walk for 10 minutes during the bowed tendon rehab. I figured if I rode without a saddle maybe she would be less crazy. She was extremely fit and hyped up from the limited about of hand walking that was allowed. I remember I was in a plaid skirt and the plan was to swing my leg over and go for an easy 10 minute walk in the arena. I swung my leg over Minx. At 16 hands it was more of a hop and a slide. I was halfway on and she bolted. She went galloping and bucking on the nicest change of diagonal across the ring you could ask for. I lasted until "X" (center point) and made a not-so-controlled dismount with my skirt around my ears, spitting dirt. I swung my leg over Farley and miracles of miracles, she just stood there. It was going to be a good ride.
Farley is normally bored and sloppy in the arena. Diving off the rail and death trots are not uncommon. Last night she lightly JOGGED for 15 minutes, staying on the rail, completely ignoring my bouncing and grunting, stopping when I got to unbalanced, letting me find my balance and pull on her mane, being overall a perfect pony. After 15 minutes of circles, serpentines, and change of directions she came to a gentle stop in the middle of the arena and told me I was done. I have always thought long line lessons would really benefit me. I think Farley was doing her best to give it to me.
So how did it go? The first 5 minutes were spent hanging on her mane, forcing myself to lean back. I found out that by lifting my knees slightly, first one side, then the other in rhythm to her trotting, that I could sit the trot. I found out that by rolling my thighs forward and back I could post bareback. An Arab trot is LOT different (more bouncy) than an Standardbred trot (rough and bone jarrring, but more forward and back motion than up and down). The last 10 minutes I experimented with moving different parts of my body while trotting - leaning back, twisting my body to one side and the other, reaching to the side with my arms, lifting my legs off her sides. I spent less time hanging on to her mane.
By the end of the session I wasn't competent, but I wasn't falling off either. The death grip on the mane was lessened and I was able to steer with quiet hands. I was still bouncing though! It was disheartening to look at my shadow and realize that Farley still wasn't TROTTING, just doing a nice little jog. No where near where I need to be! I think 15 minutes a week bareback and 10 minutes of stirrupless saddle time on every arena ride is what I need.
On a different subject...
I sent pictures to the saddle fitter of Farley's back and current saddle. Even though I'm not having saddle fit issues, her back is changing and I think the fit of the saddle has changed slightly. I'll probably need to adjust it, or switch saddles sometime in the future. It will be interesting to see what she reccomends and what she thinks of the current fit.
The braided hair thing hanging off the saddle in this picture is the "tail" from Hairloom Treasures, where I got my bracelet. I keep in clipped to the D-ring on my saddle. It's very nice to have it there.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
One week 'til WW and electrolyte thoughts
Seven days until I leave for Wild West. At this point there is a slight chance of showers Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. I really really really hope it doesn't rain. I'm out of town this weekend and Monday afternoon-Wednesday evening next week for work - not a lot of time to prepare! Fortunately, since I use my trailer almost every weekend to go trail riding, it's set up and ready to go - just need to pack clothing, food, and horse food. I'm looking forward to the extra day at ride camp to set up, do some riding/running, and re-pack my crew bag.
My goals for Wild West (these are evolving) so far are:
1. Finish with a strong and sound horse
2. Get off. I've never been successful about getting off during a ride. I want to do at least 1-2 hours on foot each day (Saturday and Sunday). I'm young and fit. I have no excuse.
2a. There are a couple of long, rocky sections. I want to get off and walk those, especially after lunch.
2b. I want to practice tailing up a set of good sized hills. She tails fine on the flat, when we are moving some where, but I haven't been successful at doing it on a trail (haven't tried that hard either....).
2c. Finally, this is a conditioning ride for me too. I'll be able to get some altitude and hill training in - so I want to run some sections that I would usually ride, in the name of rider fitness.
3. Finalize my crew bag decisions. I have a lot of options. I did well at 20MT, but now I have a rolling container to add to the mix so I want to finalize the details - what goes where, etc.
4. Practice my electrolyte protocol. I am a firm believer that you can easily overdo electrolytes and cause a lot of harm, so I try to be conservative. My preference is to give them in her food, but that doesn't work so well on the trail! I've heard smaller doses more often on the trail are better than a bigger dose at the vet check. Which brings me to my.....
Thought of the Day!
If I want to carry preloaded syringes of applesauce and electrolytes on the trail, how do I keep the applesauce from leaking out of the tip? None of my syringes have caps! Anyone have any ideas or want to share how they carry electrolytes on the trail?
Funny Story (kinda)
I've never been a fan of electrolyting my horses by syringe on the trail. I will put a dose in their food before, during, and after, but that's it. At least three different times Farley has placed her salt block IN her water bucket during the night before a ride. Each time she drank the water during the night, I didn't notice until after completing the ride. Fortunately I always make a point of offering water through the night every couple hours at the community water trough, so she wasn't dehydrated. However, I always wonder if I would have gotten my horse in trouble if, not knowing she had been drinking salty water, I had electrolyted her by syringe on the trail? Hard to tell.
Ironically - at each of the rides where she had salty water overnight, she drank earlier and better! So I do believe in the power of electrolytes, but I'm still careful! I installed a saltblock holder on my trailer this year, so hopefully the block stays where it's suppose to. If I do syringe electrolytes on the trail, my plan was 1/2 dose at the water checks she drinks good at.
My goals for Wild West (these are evolving) so far are:
1. Finish with a strong and sound horse
2. Get off. I've never been successful about getting off during a ride. I want to do at least 1-2 hours on foot each day (Saturday and Sunday). I'm young and fit. I have no excuse.
2a. There are a couple of long, rocky sections. I want to get off and walk those, especially after lunch.
2b. I want to practice tailing up a set of good sized hills. She tails fine on the flat, when we are moving some where, but I haven't been successful at doing it on a trail (haven't tried that hard either....).
2c. Finally, this is a conditioning ride for me too. I'll be able to get some altitude and hill training in - so I want to run some sections that I would usually ride, in the name of rider fitness.
3. Finalize my crew bag decisions. I have a lot of options. I did well at 20MT, but now I have a rolling container to add to the mix so I want to finalize the details - what goes where, etc.
4. Practice my electrolyte protocol. I am a firm believer that you can easily overdo electrolytes and cause a lot of harm, so I try to be conservative. My preference is to give them in her food, but that doesn't work so well on the trail! I've heard smaller doses more often on the trail are better than a bigger dose at the vet check. Which brings me to my.....
Thought of the Day!
If I want to carry preloaded syringes of applesauce and electrolytes on the trail, how do I keep the applesauce from leaking out of the tip? None of my syringes have caps! Anyone have any ideas or want to share how they carry electrolytes on the trail?
Funny Story (kinda)
I've never been a fan of electrolyting my horses by syringe on the trail. I will put a dose in their food before, during, and after, but that's it. At least three different times Farley has placed her salt block IN her water bucket during the night before a ride. Each time she drank the water during the night, I didn't notice until after completing the ride. Fortunately I always make a point of offering water through the night every couple hours at the community water trough, so she wasn't dehydrated. However, I always wonder if I would have gotten my horse in trouble if, not knowing she had been drinking salty water, I had electrolyted her by syringe on the trail? Hard to tell.
Ironically - at each of the rides where she had salty water overnight, she drank earlier and better! So I do believe in the power of electrolytes, but I'm still careful! I installed a saltblock holder on my trailer this year, so hopefully the block stays where it's suppose to. If I do syringe electrolytes on the trail, my plan was 1/2 dose at the water checks she drinks good at.
Running Partners
Before there was Farley, there was Toby.
Toby was my faithful running partner through school and the first part of college.
He's getting a bit gray, and up there in years. On Mother's day, my sister and I decided to give him a little outing around Ellis Lake, a man-made lake in the middle of Marysville.
He was happy and strong the entire way, showing that even if his ol' hips weren't up to a nice run, he sure appreciated the 2 hour walk.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Follow up to Tevis post
I have gotten a lot of feedback from my past post (which I think - ironically - was also my #100 post. I didn't realize that at the time of posting!). I started to respond in the comments but then I kept typing and typing and typing.....Here's what is going to through my mind right now.
First of all: Thanks for all the feedback. I gotten myself in trouble before because I didn't listen to others who were more experienced than I, and I was too focused (is there such a thing?) on the goal. I have no wish to get myself in that situation again!!! It's a lot less painful to sit out a ride than to try and put yourself and horse back to together again after pushing too hard.
Good Advice
I've noticed that when people ignore good advice and do what they want, knowledgeable people stop giving good advice. I don't want that to happen to me!!!! I want everyone here to post in the comments giving me advice! Please don't stop! It might take me little bit to figure it out, but I realize that I'm still figuring it out - I don't want to be the person that asks for good advice all the time and then continually ignores it.
Karen - your advice means a lot to me. I will definitely take it under CAREFUL consideration before deciding for certain to do Tevis or VC100. I learning there is always another ride! I don't want to be a danger to myself or others on the tevis (because I've gotten myself in a bad situation and have to be trailered out) and I don't want to burn this horse out - we are both having so much fun at this point.
The Dilemma
If she stays sound through 2 days at Wild West and Diablo AND the pre-rides on Tevis trail, is she OK to do the Tevis?
1. Especially if her ultrasounds are clean, after doing 2 days at WW and Diablo, if 20MT is her only poor ride of the season, is it still the *right* thing to do to not do a 100 this year? I think this is a judgement call in which you have to weigh doing today what you may not be able to do tomorrow, and be able to live with your decisions tomorrow, knowing you made the best decision at the time, with the information you had.
2. "What's the rush?", you say "You have your entire life in front of you to do 100 milers and the Tevis!" I'm going back to Vet school in the summer of 2011. I'm paying for it by joining the Army Vet Corps. This season and next season is probably going to be my last chance to do 100 miles or the Tevis for quite some time. My lack of time is NOT an excuse to selfishly trash my horse to achieve my goals, BUT if she can do it, I want to do it.
Where I am now
I'll know more after Wild West obviously. IF the ultrasounds come back clean before WW and IF she does WW strong and IF the ultrasounds are clean afterwards, then I'm considering doing the Tevis. I won't enter unless I think she's 100%. It's quite possible that Farley WON'T finish strong at Wild West and this situation will resolve itself!
After I do Wild West, I'll also have a talk with Dr. Melissa Ribley, if I can find a moment that I feel I can ask without bothering her. She's vetted almost every ride I've had on Minx and Farley.
My Obsession about Farley's "lameness issues" clarified
I want to clarify Farley's "lameness issues" so that as the months go on and I try to make the "Tevis decision" we are all working off the same facts!
Farley hasn't had any pulls for lameness, or what my vet would call significant lameness problems. As a comparison, I would consider Minx as having significant lameness problems. Not doing endurance is what would have kept that horse sound! Which is why shortly before her death I was looking for an alternative career for her, such as driving. Anyways - back to the topic at hand!
In December of 2007, when I first got her she interfered and hit her LF SDF with a hind hoof (a result of an evil cow chasing her along a split rail fence on a canal bank). She wasn't lame, but because of the slightly thickened tendon at that spot I took her to the vet the next day. Even though she wasn't lame, as a precaution the vet and I made the decision to take her off work for 3 months. We drugged, wrapped, hand walked etc. for 3 months. Then, over the next 3 months we gradually brought her back up to regular work. Then I started doing rides.
She has completed every ride I have taken her to successfully. She has done each ride better and stronger than the last. She does MUCH better on hilly, rocky rides. The rides that are mostly flat, with sand, get us into trouble. Probably because we train in hilly, rocky terrain.
Here's the rub: After finishing 20MT she was not 100%. More like 90%. The verdict from the vet after the ultrasound: Ride lightly for a month and then put her back to regular work. Exactly what I would have done even if she had been 100% after the ride!
You can probably tell I really really really want to do this ride. If you are a fellow endurance rider, you can probably even sympathize with me! LOL. I've gotten really really good at making better decisions this season and following my gut feeling instead of sticking my head in the sand.
I will now stop typing because I'm starting (heck! "starting?" some of you might say? "you've been there for the last 10 minutes!!!") to obsess......
First of all: Thanks for all the feedback. I gotten myself in trouble before because I didn't listen to others who were more experienced than I, and I was too focused (is there such a thing?) on the goal. I have no wish to get myself in that situation again!!! It's a lot less painful to sit out a ride than to try and put yourself and horse back to together again after pushing too hard.
Good Advice
I've noticed that when people ignore good advice and do what they want, knowledgeable people stop giving good advice. I don't want that to happen to me!!!! I want everyone here to post in the comments giving me advice! Please don't stop! It might take me little bit to figure it out, but I realize that I'm still figuring it out - I don't want to be the person that asks for good advice all the time and then continually ignores it.
Karen - your advice means a lot to me. I will definitely take it under CAREFUL consideration before deciding for certain to do Tevis or VC100. I learning there is always another ride! I don't want to be a danger to myself or others on the tevis (because I've gotten myself in a bad situation and have to be trailered out) and I don't want to burn this horse out - we are both having so much fun at this point.
The Dilemma
If she stays sound through 2 days at Wild West and Diablo AND the pre-rides on Tevis trail, is she OK to do the Tevis?
1. Especially if her ultrasounds are clean, after doing 2 days at WW and Diablo, if 20MT is her only poor ride of the season, is it still the *right* thing to do to not do a 100 this year? I think this is a judgement call in which you have to weigh doing today what you may not be able to do tomorrow, and be able to live with your decisions tomorrow, knowing you made the best decision at the time, with the information you had.
2. "What's the rush?", you say "You have your entire life in front of you to do 100 milers and the Tevis!" I'm going back to Vet school in the summer of 2011. I'm paying for it by joining the Army Vet Corps. This season and next season is probably going to be my last chance to do 100 miles or the Tevis for quite some time. My lack of time is NOT an excuse to selfishly trash my horse to achieve my goals, BUT if she can do it, I want to do it.
Where I am now
I'll know more after Wild West obviously. IF the ultrasounds come back clean before WW and IF she does WW strong and IF the ultrasounds are clean afterwards, then I'm considering doing the Tevis. I won't enter unless I think she's 100%. It's quite possible that Farley WON'T finish strong at Wild West and this situation will resolve itself!
After I do Wild West, I'll also have a talk with Dr. Melissa Ribley, if I can find a moment that I feel I can ask without bothering her. She's vetted almost every ride I've had on Minx and Farley.
My Obsession about Farley's "lameness issues" clarified
I want to clarify Farley's "lameness issues" so that as the months go on and I try to make the "Tevis decision" we are all working off the same facts!
Farley hasn't had any pulls for lameness, or what my vet would call significant lameness problems. As a comparison, I would consider Minx as having significant lameness problems. Not doing endurance is what would have kept that horse sound! Which is why shortly before her death I was looking for an alternative career for her, such as driving. Anyways - back to the topic at hand!
In December of 2007, when I first got her she interfered and hit her LF SDF with a hind hoof (a result of an evil cow chasing her along a split rail fence on a canal bank). She wasn't lame, but because of the slightly thickened tendon at that spot I took her to the vet the next day. Even though she wasn't lame, as a precaution the vet and I made the decision to take her off work for 3 months. We drugged, wrapped, hand walked etc. for 3 months. Then, over the next 3 months we gradually brought her back up to regular work. Then I started doing rides.
She has completed every ride I have taken her to successfully. She has done each ride better and stronger than the last. She does MUCH better on hilly, rocky rides. The rides that are mostly flat, with sand, get us into trouble. Probably because we train in hilly, rocky terrain.
Here's the rub: After finishing 20MT she was not 100%. More like 90%. The verdict from the vet after the ultrasound: Ride lightly for a month and then put her back to regular work. Exactly what I would have done even if she had been 100% after the ride!
You can probably tell I really really really want to do this ride. If you are a fellow endurance rider, you can probably even sympathize with me! LOL. I've gotten really really good at making better decisions this season and following my gut feeling instead of sticking my head in the sand.
I will now stop typing because I'm starting (heck! "starting?" some of you might say? "you've been there for the last 10 minutes!!!") to obsess......
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Tevis?
Even though I resolutely promised myself NOT to talk about it - it looks like the Tevis cup race may be on for me this year.
I was planning on doing the Virginia City 100 in September. The feedback I've gotten regarding the VC100 is that it is a tough ride PHYSICALLY with the potential for lots of lameness, tendon, and leg issues. One person stated that if she had a horse with ANY soundness issues she absolutely would not take it to VC100. That's good enough for me. Farley isn't going. Tevis is suppose to be metabolically more challenging, but not quite as physically challenging as the Tevis. VC100 has lots of slow gradual LONG hills, while Tevis is more technical. It sounds like my chances of finishing the Tevis are better than VC100.
Here are my requirements before I do the Tevis:
1. Farley must finish both days at Wild West absolutely sound and strong. This is a technical ride so this should test her soundness.
2. I need to continue to have ZERO tack issues with my saddle (update - the white hairs don't seem to have anything to do with my current tack set up).
3. Farley must finish Mount Diablo on June 27 strong and fast. Last year this ride was HOT. Hopefully it's another hot ride. I need to know that she doesn't have metabolic issues that haven't yet emerged.
4. I need to preride the last half of the Tevis trail prior to the ride.
So yes - the Tevis might be on. I'm finished talking about it. I will allow myself to talk about it AFTER each ride I complete but then I'm DONE. I REFUSE to be the type of person that OBSESSES over this. I will just do it.
I was planning on doing the Virginia City 100 in September. The feedback I've gotten regarding the VC100 is that it is a tough ride PHYSICALLY with the potential for lots of lameness, tendon, and leg issues. One person stated that if she had a horse with ANY soundness issues she absolutely would not take it to VC100. That's good enough for me. Farley isn't going. Tevis is suppose to be metabolically more challenging, but not quite as physically challenging as the Tevis. VC100 has lots of slow gradual LONG hills, while Tevis is more technical. It sounds like my chances of finishing the Tevis are better than VC100.
Here are my requirements before I do the Tevis:
1. Farley must finish both days at Wild West absolutely sound and strong. This is a technical ride so this should test her soundness.
2. I need to continue to have ZERO tack issues with my saddle (update - the white hairs don't seem to have anything to do with my current tack set up).
3. Farley must finish Mount Diablo on June 27 strong and fast. Last year this ride was HOT. Hopefully it's another hot ride. I need to know that she doesn't have metabolic issues that haven't yet emerged.
4. I need to preride the last half of the Tevis trail prior to the ride.
So yes - the Tevis might be on. I'm finished talking about it. I will allow myself to talk about it AFTER each ride I complete but then I'm DONE. I REFUSE to be the type of person that OBSESSES over this. I will just do it.
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