Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

My horse, CT?s Sinatra (so named because he?s a paint-cross gelding with two blue eyes), and I enjoyed the beautiful weather and gracious hospitality of our hosts this weekend at the Land of the Neversweats Ride.  He and I were going for a completion on the 25 LD on Saturday, or second ride ever.  I?ve only had him since February of this year and we?ve been slowly conditioning and getting ready for rides.

 

I left Reno on Friday around 2:30 and arrived in camp around 5 pm.  Not bad for 100 miles in an old truck that?s getting a new engine this weekend!  Pre-ride vetting was supposed to be happening between 4 and 7 pm.  I was met at the gate to the Nucking Futz Ranch (yes, that is the correct name) by a helpful volunteer who directed me on where to park and let me know that they were going to provide dinner to all the riders on Friday night at no charge as well!  I got my gelding unloaded and camp all set up.  He had handled the trip very well and although eager to check things out, he was behaving himself very nicely.  Spending the entire day tied to the trailer at the Washoe Ride two weeks ago while I volunteered and scribed for the vet was the BEST thing I could have done for him.  He is starting to take all this traveling and excitement at rides very much in stride.  Not bad for a 5 year old that hadn?t been out much before I bought him.

 

Dinner was excellent but due to a sudden illness by one vet and an emergency with our other, Dr. McCartney didn?t arrive to start pre-ride vet in until almost 7 pm.  Everyone lined up and patiently waited while she checked each horse.  This ride was hosting a 25 on both Sat and Sun, a 55 on Sat and Sun, and a 2-day 105 mile ride.  After vetting was completed we had our pre-ride meeting in the dark around 8:30 or so.  Dr. McCartney warned us to take very good care of our horses tomorrow, there were 63 horses and only one vet, which meant that if she had to treat a horse, then they may have to stop the ride.  They staggered the start of the 55 and 25 so that she could attend the away check that the 55?s had around the 20 mile mark (I?m not exactly sure on that mileage).  The 55?s would start at 7 am and the 25?s would have a leisurely morning and start at 10 am.  I turned off my alarm clock (there was NO WAY I was going to sleep that late) and finally crawled into bed around 9:45 pm.

 

I slept a lot better than I expected in the truck cab.  It's just long enough I could stretch out.  My biggest problem was the full moon was SO bright it was shining in the windshield and right into my eyes.  So I slept with my head under the covers for a while.  =)  I need to get a windshield shade.  The other windows are tinted really dark and you can't see in.  I woke up when they made the rounds honking the horn at 6 am?.  What to do for the next 4 hours???  I got up and gave my horse his breakfast and then crawled back into my sleeping bag and read my book for a while.  Sat around and watched the 55?s get ready to go.  Finally it was time for me to start saddling my horse and before I knew it, it was 10 am and they yelled, ?Trails Open!?

 

(to be continued)