2001 XP, Day 9, Week #2

[imgoneriding@worldnet.att.net]

Hi!  I am in Gothenburg, Nebraska now.  Taking the day off, which I would 
have rather rode of course but since I didn't I'm enjoying have a 
break.  Right now we are inside a Pizza Hut restaurant and I've got my 
laptop plugged into their wall, they even have a phone plug.  Ridecamp is 
only a couple of miles away.  The weather is beautiful, only 75 degrees and 
about 59% humidity.  It's noon.

Somebody drove into camp earlier today from down the road and asked Dave if 
anybody was missing two horses.  I guess two horses had wandered into his 
yard and he had them.  No halters on them, but they were likely from the 
ride.  Probably somebody in camp dropped them off and went to crew and 
water, and their horses got loose.  I've got metal I.D. tags braided into 
my horses manes in case they get loose and don't have a halter on.  Right 
now nobody in camp knows who those horses belong to.

We'll be able to get a lot done today after we are done in town.  The 
horses are both looking well, gawd I can't believe how much that brown one 
eats.  Everything I put in front of him, I think he's going to 
explode!  Dave tightened the nails down on his shoes and cleaned his feet 
up a bit so I think I'll ride him tomorrow and then he'll be reshod this 
weekend.  His feet have sure grown a lot in the last two weeks.  Rocky 
should be fine to go again on the start of next week, he's looking really 
good right now and will get three more days rest.  I've been really putting 
aloe juice on the horses coats and armpits hoping to keep them from getting 
to dry or scurfing.  There are sure alot of horses out there getting girth 
and saddle sores and if that happens you're going to be out of luck.

There probably aren't a whole lot of people who have ridden every single 
day anymore, but there are a few.  Pat Verheul, the Ramsdell kids, MJ, 
Bonnie, Trilby -- others have ridden every day and missed a half a day or 
taken a day off.  I think a lot of people are readjusting their 
expectations.  Most of us want to have a good time and enjoy the experience 
and not get too wound up in the competition -- as most are finding out, one 
horse is just not going to make it the whole way, and it's not looking all 
that good for the riders to do all the days either.  Trilby won't if she 
keeps eating candybars.

I better get this done and get those photos uploading.  Then we can go 
visit the Gothenburg Pony Express station.

Happy XP Trails,

Karen