Ha, getting pulled is my specialty. Sure, go ahead and blame yourself Scott, but me, I got tons of excuses for getting pulled. In fact I got so many I bet I can list at least ten of them. Here are Howard's Top Ten REasons for getting pulled (in no particular order): 1) Ride was too darn hot (head plus humidity tend to tire out a horse). 2) Ride was too darn cold (that cold damp weather caused my horse to tie up). 3) Ride manager neglected to have any water out there on the trails and, because of excuse #1, we got pulled. 4) Ride was just too darn rocky, I lost two of my easy boots (they should call these things "difficult boots" cause they're difficult to find after you lose them) and the dang horse came up lame. 5) Horse got kicked in the vet check line by my mare, which my wife was riding. Both horses got pulled; the mare had a sore back leg and my gelding had a swollen chest affecting his left front. 6) The trail literally opened up during a canter, swallowing both me and my gelding. The horse did a front flip with me on top of him; I didn't bail in time and ended up in the hospital. I'm now in a body cast and my daughter plans on dressing me up as Frankenstein this Halloween since the body cast has my arms sticking out all the time. 7) Vet made me do 5 trot outs at the completion check. I got mad, sad something I shouldn't have said, and me and my horse got pulled cause of "attitude." (mine, not the horse's). 8) Had a female vet, she was young and kind of cute and I said something I shouldn't have said when she bent over to check out one of my horse's legs. My wife heard me and hit me over the head with her riding crop so hard I passed out. Lesson learned: Always wear that helmet, even during the vet check! 9) I washed my pad using a softener, which caused my pad and saddle to slide back while going uphill. The saddle went all the way back to the mare's butt, the horse started bucking, and off the side of the mountain we both went. Lesson learned: Do not use a softener on your pad during the rinse cycle. 10) I was just too dang tired to finish that ride! After the 3rd loop one of my neighbors offered me a beer before my out time. ONe thing led to another, one beer followed another, I went way beyond my out time, my horse looked tired, I needed a nap cause I didn't sleep a wink in my tent the night before the ride (kept thinking I heard bear noises), so, in my tent I went and slept the rest of my ride time away! I think ya'll call this one "Rider Option." cya, Howard (I got lots more, but, I guess, ten is enough) ----- Original Message ----- From: FASTGraphic@xxxxxx Sent: Tuesday, October 22, 2002 2:20 AM To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [RC] Newbie's first pull......... With the experience of three whole rides and a whopping 150 successful
miles, I was feeling like Solitaire and I were on easy street and coasting
toward my goal of 250 miles in our first year with no pulls.
Alas, we were pulled however, at the 3rd vet check of the Davenport Dare
ride this past weekend.
I would love to fault the terrain, but the truth is that it was not at
all to blame. I would love to blame the vets - but they were of the highest
caliber and utmost professionalism. I could try to lay the blame off on my
mare, Solitaire - but she gave all I asked for. Truth be told, there was no
one to blame but me because I simply asked her for too much.
I had a plan. I stuck to it. Oh boy, was that a mistake. I did not
alter or adapt when the weather turned suddenly warmer. I did not read my
horse well at all. I was at fault. The blame was entirely mine. I made
some rather stupid mistakes and let down my crew and my "girlfriend"
Solitaire and I feel like $h!+!!! LOL
Solitaire is fine today, and when I went into her stall to bring her out
for some grooming, she nudged her nose into the halter like always with a
"let's go!" attitude. She is truly amazing. I intend to listen to her more
closely from now on, now that we have firmly established that she is the
brains of our little team. :o)
Congratulations to all who did finish. Solitaire and I will be back
soon - with the wisdom only defeat can put under one's saddle.
Scott
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