Re: Hog Wild Ride Results & story

["guest@endurance.net" <guest@endurance.net>]

Kirsten Seyferth TrotALongK@aol.com
Well, this was definetly the hardest ride I've done so far. Even
Sunland and Malibu seam easier. I think, the main factor was
really the heat. Once those temps rise above 100... 
Looking back, I still had a good time and I'm really proud of
both my horses, Zuma and Slim, to have finished this ride in good shape. They came down with their pulses relatively fast all day, and Slim got almost straight As at the final VC, which we did right at the finish line. 
However, besides the cruel weather, not everything started perfect for me: first of all I wasn't able to take off from work for more than one day (Saturday). Fortunately basecamp was only about an hour from home, so we left Friday afternoon and returned Saturday evening after dinner (sorry, didn't stay for the awards). But I had to be back in the office on Sunday and work 'till 10pm... 
2nd: I had ordered one of those Skitto-OF-saddle pads and the package didn't arrive until 3pm Friday. I was hoping to be able to take it out on a quick spin before the ridemeeting, but never made it. So much for the rule "Never try anything new on race day" - but I figured that with all the good stuff I've heard about Skitto pads, I can't really go wrong. And it actually worked out fine, except that the pad is a little to big for the panels on this saddle and started sliding back, so I had to pull it up at every stop. 3rd: We didn't have a crew, which meant no food, as I later learned... 4th: I forgot the watch part of the heart rate monitor in camp.........could have not picked a better day! Good thing, Slim and I have done enough miles by now, that I know pretty well how to read him. However with the monitor I would have been able to pace him more precisely. Without it, I just tried to play it safe and slowed down whenever in doubt. 
There was a lot of horse water along the trail - we got lucky to be there when Charlie set up the one forgotten water stop between VC1 and 2. Tonia, who was riding Zuma in her 3rd ride, and I both carried xtra water bottles for the horses. Every 5-10 minutes we dumped water on their heads and necks and filled the bottles back up at each stop. I'm sure that was part of the reason why the horses coped pretty well with the heat. 
After lunch we started pouring water from the troughs over ourselfs, too. Nevertheless, Tonia and I both had our weak moments: Tonia on the Vasquez Rocks loop, when she started complaining about goose bumps and a sick feeling to her stomach. That was around 2pm with temps over 110. Since she had no water left, I gave her one of my bottles, and after taking a couple sips, she started pouring it on the horse. The conversation then went like this: "What the h.... are you doing?"  "I'm sharing with Zuma."  "I don't think this is the right moment to share!!! Would you please drink the d..... water!!! I wanna see you finish this ride!"  "Don't worry, I WILL FINISH !!!!#&%@%$&!!!!"  
Guess this heat really got to all of us sooner or later! I had the same simptoms (goose bumps etc.) right before we reached VC3 (better timing at least!). Fortunately, Levy (Tammy's son and our farrier) was there and he supplied us with water, gatorade and doughnuts. Thanx!!!! From there it was only a short 3 miles to camp, and we had made it!
Someone asked me during the ride, wether I had ever done Tevis. I said "No" and the response was: "Tevis is nothing compared to this!"
Tammy, you should seriously consider renaming your ride! 

Kirsten