Ridecamp: [RC] My first 25, COMPLETED!! THANK YOU PATTI!!!!

 Maleka and I arrived at FOF around 1 PM. on Friday. Since nobody was
vetting in as yet, I decided to set up for Maleka and do some visiting. I
enjoyed talking to my friends I had made in last year's attempt to start
our endurance career.
 There were quite a few I remembered, and some I remembered wrong (sorry
Nancy and Missy!). I was nice to see Gary and Elaine again. I had met
them at that same ride last year (I think)! I remet Tiffany and let her
know I would not be riding at FOF without her input. (SO many people have
contributed to my success. So many people have inspired me, encouraged me
and helped me continue on when it would have been easy to quit.) She
introduced me to Lori, another brand new rider. Both she and her sister
Maureen were riding their first endurance ride as well! That makes three
of us newbies!!! Wohoo!! 
 Maleka was the smallest horse there. I am seriously beginning to doubt
she is the 14.2 I was told she was. I really think she might even only be
13.3 or 13.2! Yet she carried MY big butt around that 25 like it was
NOTHING! MAN what a girl!!! Now I am getting ahead of myself.
 We vetted in, my first time, and I let my oldest run her down and back.
(I will do that on my own from now on, she listens well to me, and it is
unfair to ask her to run the course and not run her myself when I am
physically able to). She got all A's and I took her back for one of her
four meals.
 I just kind of hung around with a couple of other riders. I remet
Theresa and sat and talked with her, Elaine and Gary till evening feeding
and rider's supper and meeting. I ended up missing the rider's meeting
due to an accident. 
 My husband showed up to say hi. He had to go home to eat and sleep,
since he has to work on weekends. My crew showed up (Thank you again
Patti) and she and I came home with my husband for evening feeding at
home. Patti drove all the way from Fellsmere to be with me at my first
ride! What a FRIEND! I only hope I am worthy of such friendship! 
 We got back to camp, and were astonished that EVERYONE seemed to be
asleep before TEN PM!! Man, what a frumpy group!!! So we sat and talked
for about an hour. She told me what she had learned from her first
season's experience. I would not have made it without such wonderful
advice!
 IT got COLD!!! My dear crew person Patti, put up with the cold and my
snoring! I slept great snuggled in my sleeping bag, with my pillows.
Maleka was better settled here than she had been at Osceola, but she was
not in heat THIS time! :0)
 After a nice night's sleep (I don't think Patti slept as well as I) I
got up to feed my girl again and crept back into my warm sleeping bag!
Patti, excited and wanting to meet her friends, went visiting. As I
listened to my dear devoted friend greet people, I felt bad about staying
down, and got up. I got Maleka out and started brushing. Seeing that it
was getting time, I saddled her up. She was a little nervous but nothing
out-of-hand. NO indication as to how much she would act up in just a few
minutes.
 I waited as long as I dared to mount up and go to the starting line.
Theresa's horse was VERY excited and did something. Well Miss Maleka,
being the ALPHA mare she is, decided she needed to show EVERYONE they
better behave or THIS is what they would get! (Was that me worried last
spring about how "mellow" she was and that she might not be energetic
enough for this sport?)
 I really thought I was going to come off on the first few miles of the
ride. In fact, at the first turn, Ken had to hold my girl for me while
some other riders trotted by! I got to ride with Debbie Parson and Kramer
(the MULE) for about 10 miles. I knew my girl was getting tired, so I
walked  her into the vet check. We made our three hour mark, and she was
already pulsed down. 
 Our hold time did not start till we were pulsed down, so we went
straight to vet-in. Her pulse was a 57 at that point. We took her back to
eat and drink. We waited about ten minutes then took her for her CRI. She
got all A's and for her CRI index, she was a 48 and 40! The vet was VERY
impressed, said she was the ONLY horse to get all A's! I didn't do
E'lytes this ride. I thought about why I decided not to this time. I
really wanted to gage how well she would do without them. Now I truly
know my girl. We WILL do E'lytes, but since she was eating, pooping,
peeing and very alert, I was confident we did right by that.
 We left at exactly 40 minutes. Patti was a great help crewing! Thank you
again! And wetting Maleka down, helping get her fed, putting up with my
boys (that in itself should award her the Nobel Peace Prize!) keeping me
aware of time, all made the ride wonderful!
 We held a strong, fast pace for about six miles. I knew we were doing
well, so I backed her off and let her walk. We did a LOT of walking. I
refused to push her to her limits! We made the lake in the time I wanted,
and Maleka FINALLY drank for the first time on the trail! She wanted to
walk around in the water. Not knowing how deep it got, and if there were
any alligators, I felt it was time to move out BEFORE she decided to try
to roll! :0)
 We moved out with about 30-40 to walk the two miles to camp. I started
getting nervous and thinking of pushing her when we finally made the
road. We got back into camp dead last, and were greeted with shouts, horn
honking, clapping and cheers! THANK YOU GUYS!!!!
 We went straight in, and she was pulsed in below the minimum again. The
vet had to get back for the 50's so we went straight to be checked. She
again go all A's EXCEPT for impulsion. I didn't blame her for NOT wanting
to trot out AGAIN! Maleka was alert though, her ears were moving and she
did turn her head to look at something on the trot out. THIS time her CRI
was 54, 48! WOW!!! What a girl! She was eating and drinking fine! I took
her back and turned her into her corral to eat and drink! DRINK she
did!!! :0)
Patti, my dear, wonderful friend who had come from working ALL day
Friday, did a two and a half hour drive, camped on hard, cold ground and
stayed up all day in the hot weather to encourage a friend, left for
home.
 I laid down, my left hip hurting, letting my back get straight. I
debated about breaking camp, and by the time the kids packed the truck,
decided that we better break down and head home. My trailer was broken,
so I could not unhook from the truck. We packed and left.
 Well, that is my story! Long and simple. SO many people helped,
encouraged, were kind, generous, and supportive! The list would be almost
as long as this email, so I just want to thank them all! Especially
Patti. Without her being there, her advice about the trail, her knowledge
of what to do at the vet checks I would have been lost and NEVER made it
to a completion!
 THANK YOU PATTI! My success is YOUR SUCCESS!!! 


In His Hands,
Lisa P.     www.outbackacres.com
Lakota-Black GSD "I can cute my way out of ANYTHING"
The Aussies:Possum, Boomer, Dusty, and Barley
Chat room ICQ #111639534

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