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Re: [RC] Shame on me...(final - long) - Maggie Mieske

She trusted me to stop her and I let her

down.  >
Are you kidding?  You DID stop.  She is better.  You trailered home a LIVE
horse!  That sounds like a success to me!!!  :)
Miles of smiles,
Maggie
http://arabianquest.com/samaha_arabians.htm
"So many of our dreams seem impossible, then improbable, then inevitable."
Christopher Reeve
----- Original Message -----
From: <FASTGraphic@xxxxxx>
To: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, September 29, 2003 11:28 AM
Subject: [RC] Shame on me...(final - long)



     How much higher can we climb?  A lot.  I just kept going up and up

and

up on these incredibly beautiful trails.  Stunning.  Mind-blowing.  At

every

turn, I though we had reached the peak.  At every turn, there was more

mountain

to scale.  The wonderful drag riders caught up with me again - and some of

the

30 milers - and we finally, FINALLY made it to the top.  I would walk

some,

then ride some, then walk some. If I was this tired, how must poor

Solitaire

feel?  I knew the answer anytime I got on.  She was becoming weaker.  Her
propulsion was not right.  I couldn't wait to get to base camp.  I was

beginning to

worry that Supergirl had met the Kryptonite Mountain...........
     Once in base camp, my crew and I went to work again - not to pass a

vet

check for it had already been announced that even if she passed we were
pulling.  We just wanted her to come down.  And then her hind quarters

started

quivering.  Just a little at first, then more.  Now I was scared.  Her

heart did

not come down within the half-hour.  Not terribly elevated, but not down.

We

were pulled and headed straight for the treatment Vet.
     Thanks to the intervention of an adamant and forceful friend, Tammy
Robinson of Trail-Rite, the Vet started her on IV fluids.  She was not

colicking.

She was not dehydrated.  She was not tying up.  But she WAS in a serious
electrolyte imbalance and in danger.  It was a miracle to watch the

quivering

subside almost immediately once the fluid drip started.  Eleanor Gray, my

friend

and an RN extraordinaire, was there to assist the Vet - and even to take

over

for him when he had to leave for a while.  My family and my friends were

there

for me and, more importantly, for Solitaire.  Jody, Richard, Renee, Ginger

and

my girls are indefatigable.  They are the best.  I cannot thank all of

them

enough.
     The afternoon went on in a sort of dream.   Walking her out.  Letting
her rest.  Constantly watching for her to pee and poop and eat and drink.

The

eating and drinking began as the drugs wore off and then........thank
GOD!........a good, relatively clear, healthy pee!   And a big healthy

poop!  And she

was back!  I swear, she would nicker slowly and dreamily through the drugs

as

other people passed on their mounts - she didn't like stopping!  This
incredible horse would go till she dropped.  She trusted me to stop her

and I let her

down.
     My crew went home once we knew she was going to be fine.  My family

went

home to feed and take care of the other animals.  I threw up a couple of
times and pulled my truck around to face her corral so I could watch her

through

the night.  How I do love this animal.  How horribly ashamed I was of

myself.

I drifted off into a fitful sleep in the front seat.  I would awake

throughout

the night and go check on her.  Only later would I realize that others had
done the same during the times I was sleeping.  What a wonderful "family"

we

have in this sport.  Thank you, Lindy - and the others who came and who

cared so

much.
     We are home now - in fact I see her out there in her stall looking

for

all the world like Supergirl again.  I don't have the heart to tell her

yet,

but her true endurance days are over.  Perhaps the occasional LD, but

longer

distances are not what she is suited for.  I have obtained an Arab - a

handsome

gelding which we have dubbed "Draco," and he will be my endurance horse.

But

alas, he is only 4 years old and there will be years of LSD and training

before

his first ride.  I am looking forward to getting to know him.
    Lessons learned?
     1.  My gut sounds are more important to listen to than my mount's.
     2.  Someone else said it, but I now believe it - NEVER believe your
horse when she is telling you she is Supergirl and ALWAYS believe her when

she is

telling you something is wrong.
     3.  A plan is a wonderful thing.  Assessing situations and ALTERING a
plan is even better.  Had I e-lyted her at the VC, we most likely would

have

RO'd at lunch rather than having been pulled and she never would have seen

a

needle.
     4.  Ride and Ah-rab.  LOL
     5.  Keep your rhino-hide on at all times.  As the IV was being
administered, I heard the pronouncement, "I TOLD him she couldn't do this

ride!  I TOLD

him not to do it."  It was a blatant lie.  I was told it was a very

difficult

ride.  I was NEVER told not to do it.  And before that, as we were

sponging

her and keeping an eye on her quivering hindquarters, I overheard a

trusted

friend say to a fellow rider, in a very condemning voice, "That horse

isn't in

condition to do this ride."  A friend who never said such a thing to me

when it

might have counted - BEFORE the ride!  Funny how people want to distance
themselves from you when you get in trouble.
     I want to thank all of those who helped Solitaire and I through the
ordeal and to let you all know how quickly and fabulously she has bounced

back.

And I sincerely hope that my ramblings might help another newbie avoid the
trauma of severe treatment.
     Train hard, ride smart, and finish healthy!  And to quote

California's

next Governor, "I'll be back."
:o)
Scott

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Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

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[RC] Shame on me...(final - long), FASTGraphic