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Re: [RC] Liberty Run - Beth GunnLoved this post!!! Have missed Vicki's rides this last season (work and trailer issues) and have really enjoyed all the posts about the Liberty rides. I feel your happiness in finding Grimm...Have a blast and great riding with new best friend :-))) Beth Gunn SC ----- Original Message ----- From: "Roger Rittenhouse" <roger@xxxxxxxxxxx> To: <Ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Wednesday, June 02, 2004 10:55 PM Subject: [RC] Liberty Run Yes you all know it was hot. Very nice ride by the PARKER GANG. Lots of help, great vetting, no problems with the ride. A basic easy going SE ride. Sand was a bit deep but not a real problem. Our plan was to ride all 3 days of the LD. Well best laid plans.. and s--- happens.. we did not do so well. Arrived on Thurs. - planned for an easy trip over. BUT the bridge jumper suicide attempt on I 75 over pass.. closed down I75 and cost me almost 2 hrs to get around the pileup to an exit and work over to the bypass. A real mess. Our trip took 8 hrs. So we arrived with a compromised horse. He did eat and drink well in the trailer and at camp but I was not sure he was up to full performance on Fri day-1 so we took it easy from the start. He did drink and eat well - for the most part. This was a test ride weekend. After the great Biltmore 50 ride, I wanted to test the EQUIFLEX plastic shoes, a new paste elyte, new sidepulls, and the corrector pad some more. Corrector pad worked well at Biltmore so I did not expect any changes this time. It worked well, caused no back issues with his Synergist saddle. I used the paste elyte LYTE RIDE on the mid point of loop one. ERROR. It looked awful, black with white spots in it.. I failed to see it before I gave it to him. It taste just as bad for me and him. Well that did it. He did not drink after that. Did not eat or drink well into VC1. I flushed his mouth out very well. Loaded him up on Perf Win and carried Perf Win on trail for the 10 mile loop. We stayed about 5 minutes longer in camp to let him start to eat and he did finally tank up. I looked at the elytes sort of a gel black with white marble swirl, very strong taste . I was not sure if it was moldy. Anyway I will not use it and tossed it all out (saved the syringes to refill with LYTE and NOW or PERF/WIN> Next test failure. The standard side pull. That did not work. It hit or rubbed on his bony growth on the left jaw bone. Picture at the new photo web site. No matter how I adjusted it high or low it did not work. Had poor control. It either hit the bump or rode up on the side of his face.. So its in the junk tack pile Test failure number 3 The EQUIFLEX shoes did not work for him. He short strided. We finally concluded the rear shoes put too much pressure in the frog and heal bulbs. He would short stride behind sticking his toes and or dragging the toes. The front shoes, the nails worked out and caused cracks in the walls. We had to tack in two new nails to keep them on for day 2. Day one ended well with a 3:19 ride time. Day 2 Started out good. We put on the NEW test side pull from Ed Kilpatrick ( time to jump in here Ed and promote). This sidepull by Ed is just great, really GREAT. It missed hitting the bump, did not ride up on his face. He gave to it just super -really dropped his head flexed at the poll was very soft. He pulled and tossed his head very little. I think he really liked this. Pictures on the photo site. If you want to use a side pull see Ed. He will explain his unique design, his invention. THANKS ED! We had some mud on this loop, of course with his stride gait problem he did not get under himself, and got stuck- tripped in a mud bog. It was one of those kind, that you 'just knew' it was not good. He went on OK but I noted the HR was higher at a trot in the sand. I got off a few times to check equipment, all was OK. He went fine at a walk trot on the hard pack, HR well in spec. But in the soft deep sand at a slow trot HR was 170 an higher. He was not showing any lameness at this time. So we backed off and walked slow. I was over 4 miles from camp, so walking the distance on foot in sand was not an option. I walked some and rode some. Walked up to Dr Otis and told him he was lame -trotted out half the lane and quit. Ice, ice and more ice. I have these great Ice boots. I like the MacKinnion Ice Horse First Ice. I have use them all, these are the ones that work the best for me. I also use OHC Stockinup, Witch-Hazel and I like white vinegar+alum. Alternated the Ice - air dry and the assortment of remedies, he did not fill. We went back later for a review by Dr Ken M, his thermograph showed no heat or any damage. A ankle flexion test on the FR presented a larger reaction then the FL. However the diagnosis was he was sore in BOTH ankles. Cause- plastic shoes. Not enough support for this horse. He trotted 'sound, short and tiptoed , sort of sore on both ankles but not noticeably lame. This was great, nothing damaged, I quit in time. HRM informed me of a problem before it was clincal. Continued with the DIY treatment along with oral supplements of MSM and Devils Claw Plus from Uckele. No bute. I wont use that unless they are really hurt. He trotted 'normal' in the am. DAY 3 LD. Well, we were sitting around the trailer of Suzanne Solis with other riders -a few who also had problems, when Suzanne asked me If I wanted to ride her son's horse Grimm. I NEVER do things like that. But a few beers and feeling bummed out I took her up on the offer. I test rode him for 1/2 mile. Ok that's it, we were ready. Made all the paper work changes, vetted him in and I became a pickup-catch rider. Omni was doing so well in the pen all day eating drinking - horses coming and going and nothing phased him. So I felt he would just do fine on Sunday. It was really strange to saddle up a new horse and then do the warmup routines I always do, but he was doing great. I rode with Susan R, Kathy R and Pam F. ALL grays. We left close to the end. He went off like a real trooper. This was his 5th LD ride. He was 5 on Monday. I had no idea how to rate him or how he would do, but since Scott is a 15 yr old young rider, I felt OK. It took me about 3 miles to figure him out - with the GPS and the HRM. He really liked an easy swinging 7 mph trot with a HR of 115 to 120. with light contact on a D ring snaffle. Nothing bothered him - he ate drank etc for the whole loop. Back in the VC his pulse dropped like a rock, super CRI . Ate a whole bucket of wet BP and oats and drank well. He was difficult to elyte but I got 2 oz of Perf Win in him before we left.. I was a bit late, but they all waited for me. The 10 mile loop just trotted by, the same speed same or lower HR. Drank better actually drank great and ate grass along the way too. Finished with all A's with a ride time of 4:16. I really LIKED this horse. He is everything I was/am looking for. Was it fate, Omni went lame for about an hour, my rig was parked in by my 'friends' who were not moving .. I rode with them, and then Scott did not want to ride (he rode on Fri) and Suzanne asked me take Grimm out. She trusted I would ride him correctly. After the ride I really checked him over nothing wrong. Talked with the vets. I asked if he was for sale. Maybe. I asked Scott about buying his horse - he said OK along with some other very mature comments. I talked with Suzanne at the ride, yesterday and today. I am buying him. I have a new horse. I will ride him at the Oconee 30 One picture on the new photo site Now I have to rob a bank... :) Was this a really GREAT ride - you bet. Roger Rittenhouse www.vmaxept.com 800 655 8629 pictures http://community.webshots.com/user/psdendurance pictures (new) at http://ImageEvent.com/vmaxept ============================================================ There are 2 ways to win at this sport. You take a horse and race him for a short time and then find a new horse or you can take one horse , do the homework and spend many miles and years enjoying that horse. ~ Paddi Sprecher ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/ ============================================================ ============================================================ One of the great joys of being a pompous idiot is that you can do and think whatever you want. ~ Homer Safferwiffle ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/ ============================================================
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